In Morton, Washington, Marcus felt some degree of relief for some of Albert's hacking skills and particularly with regard to many of the banking systems, and particularly the major banks. The plan had mostly been there to keep tabs on opposing family's money and make sure no one was hiring hitmen, but when the chase after the Charlestons began, it soon served a better purpose, keeping tabs on his target. Albert had managed to hack into all the major backs, including Wells Fargo, with the knowledge that if the Charlestons settled anywhere, they would have to do business with some bank, and so long as they were on the run, they'd need to focus on banks that did business across the country. And the scheme had worked out well, as it had allowed Albert to look in on accounts as though he was the bank's owner/proprietor. In theory they could also directly deposit money to themselves, but it was figured that doing so would only alert the banks to the fact that Albert had hacked their own security codes, and for the moment all that was needed was to use it to track the Charlestons, as the banks had to keep records of their own business for their own files. And those records were often a way to double check on the tracer, which no longer seemed to be working or had a poor signal. The only thing Marcus didn't like was that he'd have to wait...
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In Moon Lake, Karen had a fairly quiet afternoon after she and her mother got back to their home from the high school. Of course, being as that they were across the street from it made getting home fairly easy, but still the afternoon was fairly quiet. Karen busied herself with looking through the guidebook that Samantha had left when the Charleston's first arrived in Moon Lake as well as the email she'd gotten from Samantha Twist regarding the information on various feline were groups, as it had been one of the things that had been her real guide with what she intended to. Of course, some of the other things also weighed on her mind, including what appeared to be the potential for the very sexual process that becoming a were would require.
"And the dream I had doesn't change things much," Karen thought to herself as she double checked the information and what she'd crossed off.
That included werecats due to the likelihood of her sexuality being changed and werecheetahs simply for the fact that they were another mono-gendered were species. Werewildcats were also scratched off as they were all male and had no females. That left her with weretigers, werelions, wereleopards/panthers, and werecougars. She'd already met an adult female weretiger, and Karen had to admit the female was well muscled and well built. In a way the female weretiger represented what one could consider the best in both species while in her were form, but there were still some things Karen had to think over and compare with some of the other feline weres. But, Karen had been glad to have Peter's help, and she expected to meet with him after he got out of school and he would introduce her to a werecougar that he knew.
As she went about sorting through her thoughts there came the chime of the doorbell, and Karen looked down to her bedside clock. It presently read: 3:36 PM. She figured that was Peter and then left her room. She made a brief call of "I'll get it" before making her way up to the door where she found Peter standing there calmly. He had his backpack with him and for the moment it hung loosely from one shoulder.
"Hey, Karen, you ready?" Peter asked with a small and polite smile.
"Yeah," Karen nodded, "this werecougar does understand that this more about learning about that were species, not actually joining that were species?"
Peter nodded in the affirmative, which Karen gave a sigh of relief to. With that she then turned into the house and gave a loud call in the general direction of her mother, "Hey, mom, Peter's here. We're going to go on the next information gathering session."
"Okay, dear," Nichole's voice was heard to answer, though Nichole wasn't actually seen at the moment, "just remember that you're still to be human when you come home."
"Right, mom," Karen answered, and with that she went out with Peter.
The two walked along quietly for a few moments, and this time when they reached the street that was one of the circular streets at the center of Moon Lake's wagon wheel layout, they headed in a westward direction.
"So... is this guy a friend of yours?" Karen wondered.
"Actually... she is," Peter answered, "She should be waiting for us when we get to her home."
"A girlfriend?" Karen questioned.
"Nah... we've gotten along okay together," Peter answered, "but things between us have been pretty platonic in nature."
The walked on a little ways more before they come up on another street, this one running straight north and south and turned onto it. They barely made it past the first house on the right side of the street as a young woman cam jogging toward them from a cement bench that was on the front lawn.
"Hey, Pete," the girl spoke as she jogged over, "and this is...?"
"Karen Charleston," Karen offered the girl her hand.
"Megan Weis," the girl shook Karen's hand, "Peter said you were looking at becoming some kind of feline were?"
"Yeah... feline, though one that would let me stay straight," Karen answered, and soon raised her hands, in fear of causing trouble, "It's not that I have anything against those that are gay or bi... it's just..."
"You don't swing that way, I get it," Megan answered and began to lead them across the lawn and toward her house, "I can at least help with what it's like to be a werecougar."
"Anything that would particular differentiate you from say... a weretiger?" Karen wondered.
"Well... obviously in size," Megan answered, "weretigers and werelions are taller and more muscular... though we're actually proportionately stronger than they are. They are stronger... but more because they're bigger. If you compare a werecougar and a weretiger that are the same weight, the werecougar will be stronger."
"Interesting," Karen said slowly as they walked inside and walked past a large dining area that was just to the left of the front door as they entered.
Peter and Karen followed Megan along until they came into a living room that overlooked the backyard and the trees beyond it. Karen thought she even saw an apple tree in the backyard, but she wasn't really sure. Megan ushered them to some couches before she spoke again.
"Well... that's with the things would be something that would make people want to be a werecougar," Megan said slowly.
Karen slowly nodded as she remembered the talk with Mrs. Saxon the previous night on the fact that certain weres could have certain aspects that could be considered a "negative" if not controlled. In this, there was the potential that there could problems with specific were species that would need to be valued. For weretigers it was an issue of becoming protective to the point of being possessive, though if she retained good self control, it shouldn't be a problem That sounded good, but Karen figured it best to wait and see what some of the other negatives were before she really made any decision on what were to be.
"And are there negatives?" Karen asked.
"Well... there could be," Megan answered, "a lot of it depends on your self control, but that's going to be the issue with any were regardless of which were species. The only thing that really changes is the specific perceived negative."
"Yeah... Peter took me to talk with another potential choice, a weretiger..." Karen began.
"I was originally thinking of Jason, but we caught his mother," Peter cut in from Karen's left on the couch.
"And she did mention that all weres had or have a specific "negative" factor," Karen said slowly.
"And for weretigers... that'll be their protectiveness... when taken to extremes," Megan nodded, "for werecougars... it's going to relate the fact that for one, since a were who is born a were won't have their first transformation until their fourteen, a born werecougar won't ever have the sort of spotted coat that Mountain Lion cubs have. A born werecougar will transform into an adult's coloration... solid brown coat with a white to brownish cream underbelly and tip of the tail darker than the rest of the body. So when compared to weretigers or wereleopards... we lack the exotic markings that draws many to join them, and because the Mountain Lion doesn't have the image of being "king of beasts" that draws those that become werelions..."
"So the negative of being a werecougar is that it's unpopular?" Karen wondered.
"Not unpopular... but that it lacks the full image of beauty or power that draws those that become feline weres," Megan gave a weak shrug, "but that's not really anything to really base any decision on. The big thing to consider with werecougars... is that they can be rather... migratory."
"Migratory?" Karen raised an eyebrow.
"It's like a werecougar never truly settles into one place for long," Megan gave a shrug, "it's like the next hill over beckons and a werecougar will want to go and see what's on the other side of the hill... and so on. Some due settle down, usually because they've come to like their job or have a close friend or family in the area... but even then... some can be restless at times."
"So... werecougars are more exploratory than other weres?" Karen surmised.
"Exploration is more going out with the intent on coming back," Megan explained, "and that may happen... but a werecougar may be instinctively drawn to just keep going, which means they may not come back, even if they live happy and healthy lives."
"I see," Karen said slowly and then sat back on the couch for a moment. She'd found Megan helpful and was glad to speak with someone that was her own age.
As she then looked to Megan as Megan had finished her explanation, Karen noted that Megan had rose out of her chair and was slowly beginning to lift her shirt. That startled Karen greatly, as she wasn't there to actually join were society.
"Um..." Karen began nervously, "I actually haven't made a choice yet... and I'm straight... I..."
"It's okay," Megan said as she removed her shirt and then undid the button that held her jeans on and began to shimmy out of them. "Like weretigers, a werecougar's were form... fursona... is much bigger than their human form, and in this, if I were to transform, I'd destroy my own clothing and it would be uncomfortable to the point of it breaking. If you're looking to become a feline were that will be small enough in size to stay in your normal clothes... you'd need to go with either a werecat or werecheetah."
Karen didn't answer as Megan tossed her clothing onto her chair and then tossed her bra and panties on the chair as well. Megan stood there for a moment, perfectly naked, but after a few moments her form began to change. Her fingernails slowly lengthened into long and hooked claws, the same thing happened with her toenails. Karen watched with some degree of awe as Megan's form began to grow and change. The female werecougar smiled as her feet began to lengthen and as fur began to coat her body. It was mostly a tawny brown in most places, though there were patches on her upper lip, and going down her neck and chest, down her torso to the juncture of her legs that had a much lighter shade of fur growing there. It was more of creamy color.
"Does that hurt?" Karen asked with some degree of awe as she watched Megan transform.
Megan looked down to Karen with a smile as her face began to push forward into a rounded muzzle and as her ears grew larger and moved up to the top of her head. She slowly twitched her ears as she felt her teeth grow and sharpen to fit her muzzle, and as pressure built up at the base of her spine. Megan couldn't help but smile, as the act of transforming felt very good. As she stretched upward onto digitigrade feet and flexed her tail as it grew out behind her, Megan gave a short and happy grunt and then stretched her legs before looking to Karen who looked up at her with some degree of amazement.
"A were's first transformation... be it when they reach fourteen years of age or with a normal human joining were society... that can be a bit uncomfortable to painful, particularly if they're clothed or if they select one of ways weres don't deliberately use to transform humans," Megan answered, "but after that... it's a liberating sensation. This form... this is the REAL me. The human form is just something I have to wear to protect the were secret and all that. I feel more free and happier in this form."
"Your eyes are different," Karen said slowly, noting that while Megan's eyes still had round pupils, their color had shifted from a dark brown to a grayish gold.
"Yeah... all weres eyes change when we change," Megan answered, "some of it is anatomical... foxes and house cats have a slit-like pupil, while dogs and the big cats have a round pupil. Some of it seems to be some sense of color coding for weres. Werewolves have a sort of feral yellow eyes, werefoxes are a bright crimson, werecats are green, weretigers are a greenish-yellow or ice blue, that really depends on whether or not the weretiger is a normal colored tiger or a white tiger..."
"Weredogs, werehorses, and werecattle have some shade of brown for the color of their eyes in their fursonas," Peter added and then gestured to Megan, "and as you can see, werecougars have gray colored eyes."
"Interesting," Karen said slowly, "Do you know why? Or..."
"That's something of a mystery," Peter commented, "and one with many theories, some scientific, some logical, some mystical in nature."
"And not something really worth hanging your hat on... unless you're looking for a were that has a certain color of eye when transformed," Megan added.
Karen slowly nodded as she looked back. As with the previous meeting with Mrs. Saxon there had been plenty to think over. Megan didn't look too bad in her wereform. She might not have had as much raw muscle as Mrs. Saxon, but then she was younger and tigers were bigger than mountain lions. Of course the potential interest in simply wandering didn't sound super attractive, as it'd essentially be doing the same thing she'd been doing since Marcus Gamboni started chasing her. A big part of her reasoning for making it clear that she'd be the Charleston family were was that she'd get a shot at a normal life here, at least more normal than constantly running from a mobster who she didn't like at all. Being able to be in one place would be worth figuring out Moon Lake's secrets and even living with them.