Karen found the dorm room pretty much empty when the knock on the door came. It was something she'd expected, as Jenny was married now and had her fair share of other things going on. She'd seen a bit of Jenny over the course of the day going across campus, but had never been able to get close enough to talk. But with all that Jenny had going on, between her last therapy session and the likely legal loopholes that related to her family, Karen didn't want to get in the way, as that would slow down a lot of what Jenny would have to do with regard to moving from the dorms to her knew home with the Jenkins family. Karen was happy that her friend and "roommate" would have a happy future with Harry.
And it wasn't as though Karen was entirely without news of her own. Chuck Avery of Amazing Animations had somehow been alerted to her talent for artwork and had offered her a job. Some of it smelled of something that was designed to get Karen out of Moon Lake, though it was an opportunity of a lifetime. And if it weren't for Peter, a part of Karen might have taken the risk of dropping everything for the job that was offered. But she did have Peter Talbot, whom she found waiting for her on the other side of the door.
"Hi," Karen said to her fiancé, forgetting about the room that her roommate had removed her things from and the job offer that she'd gotten as she saw him smile.
"Hey, have a good day?" Peter asked her with a small smile.
"Yeah, pretty good," Karen answered, "with a huge surprise I didn't expect..."
Peter offered her his arm and she did take it and made her way out into the hallway. She shut the door behind her as thoughts of the job offer she'd gotten came back to her mind. The fact that it was offered to her and that she would be expected to be in Los Angeles by next Monday if she'd accepted it was a shock and it was there in the back of her mind, though not entirely for the reasons she wanted. Though she managed to keep that away from Peter's notice and smiled to him as he escorted her to the elevator and then took them down to the ground floor. He was quiet as they went, though his own curiosity was raised and couldn't get too far without exercising it.
"So what's this surprise?" Peter asked, "I hope it's a good one... after all that's gone on..."
That was a hint at some of the things that had gone crazy to start the year. A rogue werefox clawing both a professor and Jenny before being caught and then the nonsense that Jenny's parents put the town through in terms of the build up to Jenny's wedding. Karen might only be a normal human being, but she did catch on to the things the friends she'd made worried about. Things that related to the were secret for many of them seemed to be at the top of the list, and things like a possible rogue were hunt and dealing a man who felt it was still 1800 with regards to how women and children were to be raised had the potential to upset that. She wasn't sure if the town could take anything more like what had gone on before there was a collective mental/nervous breakdown.
"Well... in a way it's a nice surprise," Karen answered Peter lead her out to his car which was waiting in the entry loop in front of the dorm building Karen had, "but it's still a big surprise."
That only puzzled Peter more. He opened the door to his car and let Karen in. There was something that was in Karen's tone of voice that didn't sound excited, which was something he expected if it was a nice surprise. He came around the front of the car and then climbed in and bulked himself in in the driver's seat. He looked over to Karen before he started the engine.
"Well don't leave me in suspense," Peter spoke before starting the engine, "what is this surprise?"
Karen sat quietly for a moment as Peter turned on the engine and it hummed to life. He soon pulled out onto the street and prepared to drive up towards the center of town. The plan for the evening was a dinner date at The Local Diner. It wasn't much and wasn't fancy, but it was something that Peter could be sure would be safe for any discussions that would relate to Karen's welcome into were society, particularly with questions of that nature. He'd had that all planned out so that it would be a beautiful and romantic thing for his fiancée that would make her totally happy. Of course, he hadn't planned on whatever seemed to have Karen so... apprehensive or nervous.
He hoped that whatever was bothering Karen wasn't him. He'd come to love her for who she was and that she wasn't after the perks that came with his "status" in werelion society. With his position as heir apparent to his father's position as the "lion king" there had been a fair number of werelion females, and even a few other were females, that had wanted him. This came off as wanting him solely for his rank and status, even if he wasn't likely to challenge his father for the role. Some weren't, and Peter was grateful for that, but even they recognized his position and paid great respect to it, Karen, however, acted like he was normal or just another person. His status and rank didn't seem important to her.
She might be a bit heavily interested in the fact that he could transform into an anthropomorphic lion at will, but then many people that had positive reaction to Moon Lake and the mandatory were law often tended to get excited by that. It was like they learned it was possible and were excited by that possibility. It was different from what Peter had often had to deal with, and some might even say it was another potential negative, but that was also something that was still a "normal" part of life in Moon Lake. And Karen hadn't been overly obsessed in that regard, which gave Peter the sensation that she lived him for him and not because he was the "lion prince" or because he was a werelion. As he learned more about her, the more he came to love her, and after the welcome and friendly interactions between Karen and his family, including his Uncles and their families, the more he loved her and thus proposed.
"Do you know Chuck Avery of Amazing Animations?" Karen asked as they rode along looking to Peter, who presently had his eyes on the road.
Most of Moon Lake's streets ran in a straight line, working with its wagon wheel shape, but that didn't mean one should ignore paying attention to the road. She only saw his eyes glance to her for a moment and then returned to the road ahead of them.
"I think he runs an animation studio in LA," Peter answered slowly, "What about him?"
"He was apparently in the area for a convention when someone sent him some of my artwork, or at least copies of it," Karen answered, "and he offered me a job based on it."
"He offered you a job?" Peter blinked.
He wasn't as aware on Amazing Animations as Karen was, but he did know enough that they'd had success in making some animated movies and cartoons for television. In that, getting a job with the company would be a pretty decent achievement for anyone, and from what he'd seen Karen did have the raw talent for it.
"Yeah, based on what my art professors sent him," Karen nodded as they pulled into the parking area in Moon Lake's downtown near the Local Diner, "it was a huge surprise..."
"But a good one, I think," Peter said slowly, "as it could be hard to get into any company like that..."
"Yeah," Karen said slowly, "but the offer included me being in LA by this upcoming Monday. So I turned the offer down."
There was that tone again that sounded nervous and borderline sad. As Peter got out of the car, he looked over the roof of the car to see Karen looking to him with a small smile, though it was a nervous one.
"It would have taken me from you," Karen said slowly, "and... I don't want to lose you..."
Peter felt himself give a warm smile at that, mostly in that Karen had put her emphasis on him. He slowly walked around the car and offered her his arm, which she took. She also gave a small smile and continued.
"And he seemed to respect that," Karen continued, "and even offered that he'd find an opening after I graduate... so that... I wouldn't have to leave you..."
"Well... that doesn't sound like a bad thing," Peter commented, "though... I can't tell why you'd be so nervous over it."
There could be some issues with regard to some living arrangements, as unless the studio established permeant offices in Seattle, it would mean that Karen would have to be in Los Angeles or at least within easy commuting distance to the studios. As they would surely be busy with the process of putting things together for movies and cartoons and would specifically want to keep to a schedule that would get content out there. Now, given how so many things were going digital, that might not be a problem for everything, but if there was any animation project that wanted to emphasize more hand drawn animations, which often had a lot of drawings to fit the frames for production, that wouldn't be as simple. It wouldn't be super easy, though Peter did think it would be something that could be worked out.
"The thing that has had me the most nervous... is the fact that the offer came in with the requirement that I be in LA by next Monday," Karen answered, "which would mean whatever you had planned for the weekend and my joining were society would be scrapped as I'd need to start packing and be on the road before then... and I'd think that most of the college is aware that we're at least dating if they're not aware of our engagement, yet."
Peter nodded at that as they began to cross the street.
"And maybe this is just paranoia on my part, but I don't think that my Art Professors would purposely push for a job offer from an animation company based out of southern California that would require me to leave before the weekend and before we could be married," Karen spoke, "at least not purposely... as they've all been pretty kind to me. They've liked what I've drawn and that might be a part of why they were willing to provide the art... but I don't think they would purposely try to split us up."
By this point they reached the front door to the Local Diner. Peter pulled on the handle to hold the door open for Karen, who looked down for a moment and then looked up to him.
"But Liz Brookshire WOULD have reason for that," Karen then said pointedly, which made Peter's own eyes widen in surprise, "while you may have convinced her to back off of physical attacks or matching me with some other were that you wouldn't want... having me leave Moon Lake WOULD suit her purposes. Since she's already said outright that she has her claims on you... Maybe this is paranoia on my part... but... I think she might have made the suggestion to my professors that the studios had the opening on the idea that I'd leave for LA, you'd have to stay here for college and would be "heartbroken" that I'd left and she'd move in and act like she was providing comfort for you."
"And if she did, it wouldn't work," Peter spoke, "a job with Amazing Animations would mean some things would be difficult to work out... and would mean a move to LA at SOME point. But... we'd manage it. We'd find a way to make it work. Because I love YOU, Karen. You are the one I want to be with. And you know that I'm not that caught up on rank or anything like that. I wouldn't just stay here because being my father's son would require me to be here. I would go with you... be with you. And if you truly wish to be my werelioness... you would get that chance. As while Moon Lake may be where most of America's weres live... there are those that live outside of town and outside the city. It might make some things a bit more difficult, but it wouldn't stop our love."
"Oh Peter!" Karen said happily before leaping into his arms for a kiss while the diner's greeter smiled from behind a small podium while waiting to escort them to a table.
From there, dinner would be rather tame, but Karen did feel a lot better by what Peter had said to her. It made her heart flutter and gave her the assurance that regardless of the difficulties, things would be fine.