Karen was fairly calm as she made the walk down the street from her home to the Brooks' home. It was getting a bit late in the evening with the sun having gone down, and there were a few crickets chirping in the grass, all things that would be a rather typical sort of thing that one would expect in a small suburban town. It was something that Karen could see that even with its secrets, Moon Lake DID have many of the things were fairly normal. The Gambonis remained a major issue, especially with the knowledge that they were at least in the state and still following her family, but given how strong even Peter Brooks looked in his human form, she doubted that the base intimidation tactics that the Gambonis had often used to bully some people would work. She also figured that with their need to protect the were secret, that should things escalate, Moon Lake would probably find a way to make them disappear.
However, that wasn't her mission at the moment as she walked up the path to the Brooks' front door. She calmly pressed the doorbell and waited for an answer. She could vaguely hear the television being on and the sounds of someone talking on it coming from inside the house, though she couldn't quite tell what it was exactly. It turned out to be precisely who she was hoping to see, Peter in a pair of blue jeans and tee shirt that seemed to advertise Moon Lake College. She ignored that part, guessing that since Moon Lake was a college town that some of its residents would get souvenirs for the college, even if they weren't old enough to go there yet.
"Hey, Peter, are you free?" Karen asked, "I mean if you're busy with homework or something... I can..."
"No, I'm good," Peter gave a bit of a smile, "just watching a bit of television. What's up?"
"Mostly just a few questions on what it's like," Karen answered, "being a were, I mean... I... mean, I told your mom last night that I was thinking about it and was leaning toward some of the feline weres, mostly due to some comic book characters, like Tigra and so on. Which I was fairly quiet about... because... well, my dad is a bit nervous and my mom is nowhere near comfortable with anything related to Moon Lake."
"So, I've heard," Peter said with a sigh, not wanting to reveal that his mother had been a bit depressed by how Nichole Charleston had been responding to things in Moon Lake.
He'd come home from school to find his mother shuffling about in the kitchen with a very down face. And that had stayed with her through the afternoon and through when his father came home. During dinner was when it all came out, the driving tour or Moon Lake and trying to further assure Nichole that Moon Lake wasn't all that bad and the borderline rejection that Nichole had given. From what Peter gathered and overheard, it wasn't a "I hate you" sort of thing, but it was pretty clear that Nichole Charleston was very uneasy with anything that related to Moon Lake and acted in a very disapproving manner with regard to the fact that his parents had not only become weres but enjoyed it. Peter supposed it was something in which Francine had hoped that old friendships would be more important than the changes that had happened with the Brooks family since they'd last seen the Charlestons.
"And well... I did manage to let my parents know that if they really don't want to be... I'd be more than happy to be the family were," Karen said slowly, "and... if things happen and my parents decide to leave, I'd prefer to stay here. Have something of a normal life than constantly running around and avoiding some perverted gangster that can't take "no" for an answer."
Peter slowly nodded as Karen continued to explain.
"And that didn't fully go over well... but my dad seemed okay with it, at least so long as learn everything there is to be about being a were," Karen sighed, "and... well... you're the only were I know that's my age... and so I figured it'd be a good idea... to... well... get some pointers."
"I see," Peter slowly, "Hold on and let me go turn the television off and we'll head out."
"Head out?" Karen looked to him.
"Yeah," Peter answered, "I'm a weredog. I can give you some general information about being a were, but if you're looking at being a weretiger... you'd need to meet with a weretiger."
"I did promise my parents that I'd still be human when I returned home," Karen said to him nervously.
Peter nodded and moved off toward the living room, leaving Karen in the entry area to the house. It took a few moments, but soon the TV was shut off and Peter returned and then lead Karen out into the night air for the moment. He seemed fairly calm and didn't look angry, which Karen hoped was a good thing, though there were some things that she couldn't be fully certain on, mostly for how knew everything was and on all the stresses that the Charleston family had been under.
"So... in general, what is it like, being a were?" Karen asked to him as she walked alongside Peter.
"In a way... it's amazing," Peter commented, "I'm stronger and faster than I was when I was human. My night vision is better and my sense of hearing and smell and much better... and with my fursona based on the bloodhound, like my dad's, my sense of smell is extremely good."
"Did you get that because of your dad?" Karen wondered.
"I can't really say," Peter shrugged, "You and I were very little kids when my parents came here. So... my parents became weres before I did... and they obviously didn't turn me."
"The were that turned you then?" Karen wondered.
"No... her fursona was based on a Doberman," Peter shrugged, "many weres have had theories on how their were form's appearance will be based, particularly with weres that have many species or subspecies, like tigers, foxes, lions... or breeds within a species like cats, dogs, cattle, horses, and so on. Some are theories on inheritance, but it's been pointed out that sometimes someone's fursona doesn't match someone in their family and sometimes it does. Some relate it to the were that turned them, but then that doesn't always apply... I've heard something of "totem" that our fursonas are based on some kind of spiritual connection to that form, though some of the more scientific weres don't like that theory because it comes off as "too magical" for their tastes."
Karen could only whistle at that, as there seemed to be quite a lot that related to things on being a were. Eventually she worked up the courage to get to her next question as he lead her along onto another street that actually bordered the High School. There had to be a lot in that that Peter probably wouldn't have time to fully answer, as he was apparently taking her to meet a weretiger and there were still other questions and subjects to get information on.
"So... how does becoming a were work?" Karen wondered, "Is there some sort of incantation? Did you have to get bit? Or... what?"
"Becoming a were pretty easy," Peter gave a chuckle, "there is no magic spell that does it... BUT outside of being a born a were there are three ways to become a were. The most obvious are to be bitten or to be clawed."
"What's the third?" Karen asked.
"Sex," Peter said with some degree of nervousness, "and in many ways it is the preferred method in Moon Lake with regard to initiating new members. Weres have a high libido level... which may be the reason for so many of the legends about weres being rapists and so on... though with the nature of completing one's transformation from normal human to were... there actually is going to be some nature of sexual contact that would be required to complete the transformation, even if you chose to be bitten or scratched."
"That sounds weird," Karen commented.
Peter gave a shrug, "I suppose it is, when you think on it... but then there is a lot about Moon Lake that would be weird to those outside it."
Karen nodded as they kept walking along. She glanced toward Peter after a few moments and found his eyes nervously looking off at some of the houses and the trees behind him. He looked a bit more comfortable than he did before, but still seemed a bit nervous. She wondered what that was but stayed quiet for the moment, though a question did seize her.
"Wouldn't that have gotten you in trouble?" Karen asked.
"That depends," Peter says slowly, "speaking generally, Moon Lake WILL abide by laws to protect kids from things like sexual assault and rape and so on, and even among weres, there is a fair amount of effort to make sure that adult weres aren't putting "advances" on younger weres... though once a were has had their first transformation, usually at around age fourteen, things can get complicated, usually as Moon Lake has tended to "look the other way" as it were with regard to weres being together."
"I'm going to guess that this is a libido thing?" Karen asked.
"Yeah... and something you would need to know, regardless of were you decide to be," Peter answered, "It'll also be a good idea that before you join any were group... that you get a prescription for birth control pills for that species... As I'm sure you've noticed... weres are built in a way that makes them more desirable, sexually speaking, than most other people, and with that heightened libido... they can be highly active... even if their parents do more than others to stop it."
"So... I'd get pregnant?" Karen stopped walking as she spoke nervously.
Peter soon noticed and also stopped and gave a heavy sigh. He looked down for a moment and kicked at a pebble that was on the sidewalk for a moment. It clicked along the concrete before it finally came to a stop.
"That'd be a potential, regardless of whether or not you were becoming a were," Peter answered, "but with weres, that risk is heightened. Both male and female weres are far more fertile than normal humans. In this, it'd be smart to play it safe. It's not too different from how most normal women take their birth control pills... though, I'd suppose that if you're wanting full information... you might want to talk with my mom or a female were on how it works for them. But I wouldn't think it's anything "unnatural" as it were."
Karen sighed and then nodded as they resumed walking. They eventually came up to a path of stones that lead up to a rather modest looking brown house. Many of the windows had drawn curtains but Karen could even see lights on in many of them, and she continued to follow Peter along. As they reached the pathway they passed a mailbox that had the name "Saxon" on the side of the metal mailbox in stickers. They approached the door and Peter calmly knocked on it. There were a few cries of "I'm coming" and Peter and Karen were left waiting.
To Karen's surprise, the door was answered by an adult fully transformed weretigress. She easily towered over both Karen and Peter as they stood their on the front step. Karen couldn't help but notice that she wore no clothing, though guessing at her towering height and musculature, it was likely that this weretiger female was too big to fit in any clothing that she'd wear in her human form. She seemed to have a fairly standard looking weretiger with orange fur with a white underbelly that covered the lower part of her muzzle, her neck, her impressive breasts, and her rock hard abs. Her eyes were presently a sort of greenish-gold. She had black stripes that framed her face and head, though some of that was hidden under her hair. The biggest thing that her stripes on her arms and legs weren't like how weretigers like Tigra were drawn in the comics. Her orange and black striped tail slowly swished behind her in a way that seemed a bit tense.
"Hello, Mrs. Saxon, is Jason home?" Peter asked slowly to the weretiger while Karen continued to study the weretiger female.
"I think he said something about seeing a friend this evening," Mrs. Saxon said slowly, "though your friend here seems rather curious..."
"Well... I was thinking on being my family's were," Karen said weakly and rubbing her left arm, knowing that the weretiger had caught her looking. "And well... uh... weretigers were one of the groups that I've had some interest in."
"And a fine choice we are," Mrs. Saxon gave a proud smile, "the largest and strongest feline weres in Moon Lake, and strong protectors of those we care for and love... though, I'm both straight and happily married, miss..."
"Karen Charleston," Karen gave a sheepish smile, "and I'm straight too... this is really more of a fact finding mission."
"I see," Mrs. Saxon commented and raised one finger up to point to her upper lip, "Well... come in. I suppose I can answer a few questions, though not too many... my husband IS waiting for me."
"I won't keep you too long," Karen spoke as Mrs. Saxon held the door open for Karen and Peter to enter.
They came into a well maintained living room with rather thick carpeting. Karen could tell that even with her shoes on. She and Peter moved sit on the couch that was along the far wall and looked to Mrs. Saxon as she paced in front of them. Mrs. Saxon's lips were relaxed and she wasn't baring her teeth, though her eyes and ears were alert.
"So... what would you like to know first?" Mrs. Saxon asked.
"Why do your stripes curve like that to go down the leg?" Karen couldn't help but ask, "shouldn't they be perpendicular to your body?"
"This is a cartoon question, isn't it?" Mrs. Saxon actually laughed as she blinked, "people drawing their cartoon images of anthro-tigers and assume that and thus draw the stripes as little more than long triangles on the sides of their bodies. Well... that doesn't quite fit on how weretigers are striped... or even how an actual tiger would be striped if you gave it the ability to stand on its hind legs as well... For when stalking and hunting dear... all predatory weres can and will hunt on all fours. It lowers our profile and makes us less conspicuous to prey and with some, helps us avoid them if they decide to fight."
"Fight?" Karen blinked.
Mrs. Saxon nodded, "Yes, dear. Just as weres don't exactly have a great reputation with normal human society... we haven't seemed to always have the greatest relations with normal animals either. Predatory animals seem far more aggressive around weres than they would be otherwise. Several years ago... a friend of my son's was attacked by a bear that saw him as food, and he was a werecattle bull. If the young man's own mother hadn't arrived and killed the bear, the animal would have certainly killed him. And mundane dear and other animals that predatory weres hunt can and WILL fight back harder than they would in a similar situation against a mundane animal. Though... some of that could simply be because we bridge the gap between the human world and the animal world... as domesticated animals don't seem to have the same issues with weres. And that would be regardless of what kind of were you become."
"But I wouldn't have to hunt if I became a weretiger, right?" Karen wondered.
"We have no express rule that would say you have to," Mrs. Saxon shrugged, "and generally, your pride would then be your own, until you take a mate." Mrs. Saxon then paused to note that Peter was glancing toward Karen, though Karen didn't notice it at the moment. "Should you decide to take another weretiger as your mate. But we have no problems with what you'd wish to do. Most weretiger meetings ultimately come down to matters of sport and exercise. Keep us fit to wrestle with the werelions."
Karen raised an eyebrow at that and Peter whispered to her, "It's a whole "King of Beasts" thing." After that she nodded. It was fairly interesting and wasn't that influential. The idea that wild animals might be more aggressive seemed a bit odd, but then, Karen had no plans to go hunting, so that wasn't an issue. And if it was an issue, regardless of what kind of were she became, it wasn't something to get too hung up on. Though with some of the nature of her mission in learning about weres, and weretigers in particular, information was critical. The freedom to choose sounded nice, as did the ability to be herself, which would make for a nice escape from what she knew would be her fate if Marcus caught her.
"Well... a lot of what you say sounds good, and I will say that you look very fit, ma'am," Karen spoke softly.
"Thank you," Mrs. Saxon smiled.
"Would there be any specific risk of something more... negative?" Karen asked nervously, as she didn't want to come off as offensive or anything of the like, but she figured that there would always be potential down sides.
"Well... I'd personally hold that so long as one remains in control of themselves there is NO downside to being a were," Mrs. Saxon answered firmly, "it's those that don't keep control of themselves where "negatives" can appear. For weretigers... that can be where we are protective. If not careful... it can become a possessive form of protection that would mean that the weretiger in question would essentially deny freedom to the person or thing they're protecting... But again, that's if you don't control yourself and remember that. It's the self control one has. If you have bad self control, you'd run into trouble regardless of what kind of were you choose to be."
"I see..." Karen said slowly, "but otherwise... there would be no major downside in your opinion?"
"No," Mrs. Saxon spoke, "keep self control and you'll have no problem. Is that all you needed?"
"I think so," Karen said as she stood up and offered her hand to Mrs. Saxon.
"Very good," Mrs. Saxon smiled, "you've just moved here, correct?" She paused as Karen nodded and then smiled again before continuing, "well then... when you start school and decide to become a weretiger, talk with my son Jason. I'm sure Peter here can introduce you."
Karen nodded and they shook hands. It was a careful handshake, but it was still a friendly one. With that, she and Peter then made their way out. She felt quite pleased with what she'd learned and was rather impressed with Mrs. Saxon's muscular and athletic build. Once they stepped out onto the front step and Mrs. Saxon shut the front door behind them, Karen smiled to Peter.
"Thanks, Peter," Karen said to him, "I can't thank you enough for this."
"I was hoping for a meeting with Jason," Peter shrugged, "We share a couple of classes and have gotten along fairly well... but I suppose his mom works too..."
"At least with the weretiger specific questions," Karen answered, "though there could still be some questions that I'd have with some of the other were feline groups. Mrs. Twist sent me an email with some general information, but talking with someone is quite helpful."
Peter nodded as they began to walk back toward the Brooks home. He was glad that she felt a bit more assured, though he couldn't know how close she was to actually making a decision or how well it would work otherwise. But she'd seemed friendly enough the other night, and to a certain extent there were also the stories his parents had told him. He grew up on stories that his parents had told him about the Brooks and Charlestons friendship in the past and how the two of them had played as toddlers together. And hearing that this daughter of a family friend had been chased around the country by some gangster had fueled some of his own hopes to be a real friend. After all, their families were supposed to be friends, and he'd do his best to do that.
"It's probably a bit late now to go meet with any of the other feline were groups," Peter commented.
"That can wait," Karen admitted, "and shouldn't be too hard. I'd prefer to remain straight and not be with another woman sexually... which would mean no to werecats or werecheetahs."
"That'd leave you with the werelions, wereleopards, and weremountainlions... I think," Peter said slowly, "there are a lot of specific details about some groups that you just can't figure out until you actually join them. In some cases it's like once your transformation completes... or you assume your were form, you gain an instinctive knowledge on the nature, sizes, and abilities of the were group that you've joined... And as a weredog... I'm not super familiar on the were cat groups beyond what's in the guidebook."
"So... what made you choose to be a weredog?" Karen wondered as she glanced to him and saw a rather friendly face, and privately thought he was actually rather cute, but she wasn't going to say that right now, "just to be with your parents? Or...?"
"I suppose it was to complete the family," Peter shrugged, "they became weredogs when they moved here... I think because most of Moon Lake's policemen are all either weredogs of some breed or werewolves... but then there was also something of a happy-go-lucky nature that weredogs have that is in its own way rather nice. And I can't really complain."
By this point they reached the front step to the Brooks home, and they stood there outside the front door and looked to each other for a few moments. Eventually Karen gave a small smile and gave him a hug.
"Thanks again, Peter," Karen told him, "You've been a good friend."
"I aim to please," Peter answered.
"And don't worry," Karen also assured him, "my dad may be nervous on some things... I think he does trust your dad with regard to things. And I'll try to talk with my mom. See if I can get her to be a bit more open on things... be more accepting with the fact that your parents became weres. Maybe get old friendships to bloom again."
"I hope so," Peter nodded, "So... sometime tomorrow evening and we go meet with another were feline representative?"
"Sure," Karen nodded back and then waved as she headed back toward the Charleston home. She smiled as she did so, and didn't notice that Peter followed her with his eyes for a way with a rather happy grin of his own.