Karen managed to sit back down onto her bed and glad she'd pulled the blinds shut to the window that was just above her bed's headboard. She felt heavily embarrassed and to a degree ashamed by the fact that she'd quietly sat and actually watched a pair of weres have sex in the backyard of the house between hers and the Brooks' home. Now, given how open and loud the two had apparently talked to each other, Karen guessed that all of that related to how open and tolerant Moon Lake had to be on certain sexual issues and that if they'd really wanted privacy, they would have either stayed inside or be gone deeper into the woods so that no one could see them from their homes. A part of her even wondered if her parents had even heard or noticed, but then the rhythmic thumping of her parents' headboard against a wall gave Karen some idea on what her parents were up to at that moment.
"Of course... they aren't old enough where that sort of thing is really out of the question," Karen thought as she looked across her bedroom toward the closed door, "and they've always been happy together... it's been the Gambonis that have made life miserable."
Still, she was a bit ashamed by the fact that she'd found herself watching those other two weres. The fact that they were wereleopards and thus on her list of potential weres to become didn't necessarily make it better. Sex was something that was supposed to be private and romantic between a loving couple, and the fact that becoming a were would likely mean that she'd have to have sex outside of that situation was something that made her a bit uneasy, but at the moment she felt like what she'd done was crossing a line. Especially based on what was said was that the two seemed to like each other. Even if Moon Lake was more open with regard to things like sex, that didn't mean that it was okay to just watch a couple have a "moment" together.
In this... Karen sort of sat there ashamed for a few moments and then practically jumped when she heard a slight tap on the glass of the window above her window on the south side of the her room. It gave her the sense that the two weres had seen her and wanted "words" with her for spying on them. That didn't make her feel any better, and she at first figured to just sit quietly and hope they got bored and left. A second set of taps on the window didn't make her feel any better, particularly as it indicated that whoever was there wasn't going to go away. She then tentatively peaked under her blinds to see both the male and female wereleopards standing there outside her window, fully transformed and of course fully naked. The male had a sort of knowing smile as he tapped on the outside glass again while the female waved to her.
With a heavy blush and feeling very ashamed, Karen slowly pulled open her blinds and hesitantly undid the latch to lift up the window letting some of the cool air flow into the room through the screen. She was a bit nervous in this because of the fact that they had to have noticed her watching them. Otherwise they wouldn't be outside her window. Karen could only hope that these two weren't mad at her.
"Enjoy the show?" the male asked with a knowing smile.
"I'm so sorry!" Karen blurted, "I didn't mean to see... I didn't mean to watch... I just..."
The female held up her hands again and then waved them up and down in front of her, cutting Karen off and giving Karen a clear view of the black pads under her fingertips and at the top of her palm where her fingers met her hand.
"It's okay," the female spoke with a smile that matched her mate's, "Moon Lake is a bit different from the rest of the country for obvious reasons... and well... you're new here right?"
"Yeah... my family's only been here a few days," Karen admitted.
"Well... I'm sure you'll find that while there is a fair amount of truth that started many of the stories that exist on weres, those stories will lack a lot of the detail that birthed them," the female commented, "weres have higher libidos than normal humans... which is really only a meaning that we're more easily interested in certain things. It does NOT mean we're uncontrollable lust filled monsters. The fact that you can hear weres enjoying each other's company is not a sign of being lost to some instinct but that you have a consenting pair willfully engaging in sex."
"I'd kinda figured that," Karen commented, thinking to some of her talks with Peter and reading through the book that Samantha Twist had left with them. The pictures in the book were all hand drawn or hand sketched and were remarkably realistic of weres, both in and out of their fursonas and sometimes in and out of their clothes. It was remarkable and telling... and a part of her even wondered how werecows could even stand, given that nearly every female were seemed to start at big and werecows just went beyond that. The oddest thing with the pictures was that the clothing that those pictured were wearing was all dated to the late 1800s to early 1900s, but that really wasn't Karen focused on.
"I'm sure," the female commented, "if the Town Chancellor met with your family... you've probably been made aware on the mandatory were law and some of the other issues that relate to it... namely that sex is part of the process of becoming a were, regardless of what method is chosen for triggering the transformation."
"A friend of mine told me that," Karen said weakly.
"A friend?" the male wondered.
"Peter Brooks," Karen answered, "his dad and my dad were old friends before his family came here... they were in fact a big part of why my family came here."
"And you are?" the male wondered.
"Karen Charleston," Karen answered.
"Welcome to Moon Lake, Karen," the female spoke, "you're wanting to be your family's were, I take it... given that you couldn't help..."
"I said I was sorry about that!" Karen blurted again.
"And that's okay," the female answered, "weres can be pretty active together... far more often than what most normals engage in. In fact many meetings that each were group may have ultimately becomes an excuse for weres... particularly those with mates they love... to engage in some love making. So, it's not as though sex is something that is one hundred percent cloistered the way it is for normal human society."
"You're saying..." Karen said slowly.
"You're not the first person to see Kareem and I have sex together," the female answered, "and we love each other, and he's been good to me. We have nothing to hide, nor is some great interest in denying that I love him."
Karen watched as the two stood together while the female actually cuddled up to the male while he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. And in a way they were rather striking. They were clearly wereleopards and based off of the standard "coloration" leopards had in that they weren't melanistic the way a "black panther" would be. The base coat color was a tannish gold with black rosettes for spots, and they were arranged in various patterns throughout their bodies. There was no spot inside each rosette and the area inside the rosette was actually a slightly darker shade of the main coat color. The bottom of their muzzles and along their neck, chests, abdomens, and down to their inside of their legs was either a whitest shade of fur color or a light creamy tan color. In that way they sort of reminded Karen a bit of Mrs. Saxon, with the obvious difference that Mrs. Saxon was taller, more muscular, and was orange and white with black stripes. Their eyes were a sort of copper-like shade with a round pupil. The only thing that was really different between the two was that while the male, Kareem, was taller the female it wasn't by much. The female also seemed to have longer fur.
"Okay..." Karen said slowly, a bit glad that neither seemed angry with her, but still a bit embarrassed for having been caught, "Can I..."
"I'm Kareem Abdul Rayman," the male introduced himself, "my parents are BIG Lakers fans and named me after their favorite player. My were form is based on the African Leopard subspecies."
"I'm Morgana Thripht, my were form is based on the Amur Leopard subspecies," the female introduced herself.
"What's the difference?" Karen wondered curiously.
"Largely size and location," Morgana answered, "The Amur Leopard is the largest Leopard subspecies and lives in the far east in northern China and the Russian Far East."
"The African Leopard is between the Amur, the largest, and the Arabian Leopard, the smallest Leopard subspecies," Kareem added, "but its range is also the widest and the most uninterrupted."
"You do a lot of studying?" Karen wondered, as they'd stated facts on animals that she'd need Wikipedia for.
"It's actually more of an instinctive thing," Kareem gave a shrug, "weres seem to just know about the details of the animals they become. In some cases it helps them understand WHO they are and so on... though for those who become weres, that sudden influx of instincts and knowledge can be odd and confusing at first, but that would generally be true for any were."
Karen nodded, "thanks... though..."
"No need to apologize again," Morgana gave a small laugh and held up one hand, "you said you're looking to be your family's were?"
Karen slowly nodded, "I was kinda interested in the feline weres... though preferably not the ones that would require me to either give up my sexuality or have to at least tolerate girl on girl action for the transformation."
"Well... wereleopards are always a great choice," Morgana gave a smile, "We're the best tree climbers among weres and fairly acrobatic. And as a wereleopard you'd have a great deal of personal freedom for your own choices. Sort of like the weretigers and werecougars, your pride would only be you and your husband, but unlike them... we don't get possessive the way weretigers do and we're not prone to wandering off the way werecougars do."
"Sounds good," Karen commented, liking the idea of freedom as that would be something to set her apart from what Marcus Gamboni wanted for her, "though... from what Peter has told me... along with some of the others that I've met... there are some aspects that could be considered "negatives." Like weretigers taking protection to the point of possession if they're not careful."
Morgana and Kareem both traded glances to each other and then slowly nodded. They did understand that sort of thing, and since they'd made their way to talk with Karen, they might as well answer some questions, particularly when they figured they probably brought some of this on themselves as that they could have gone deeper into the woods. But both of them had been very eager for each other and couldn't wait.
"Well... the biggest real negative with wereleopards is the same thing that could be its biggest plus," Kareem said slowly, "because wereleopards heavily value individual freedom... it's often meant that outside of familial bonds, a wereleopard may not be as instinctively willing to help someone that needs it. We aren't like wolves or dogs that rely almost constantly on group cooperation to do things. We aren't even lions where their pride will cooperate to benefit the whole. Wereleopards aren't as grumpy... or at least potentially grumpy about these sorts of things the way werebears can be, but we do have to pay attention and remember that in Moon Lake we are part of a decent sized community, which means we need to abide by those rules that benefit society and not just do things because they would benefit us as individuals. In this... there can be times when wereleopards can come off as anti-social or lacking in empathy... Though, that isn't necessarily true, and with proper self control, it'd never be a problem."
Karen slowly nodded. The biggest thing that she'd learned from the weres she'd met had been that while there were potential negatives, good self control was often the thing that negated all of those potential negatives. It'd then mean that it would be a question on what she would have to control or manage through her life. A weretiger's desire to protect, which could become possessive if uncontrolled, a werecougar's desire to wander in search of something new to the point where they can't easily settle down or return "home," or a wereleopard's more individualistic desire for freedom that they could come off as uncaring to those outside their family or those they were romantically interested in... Or whatever potential negatives were there with werelions. Those would all be potential flaws she'd have to confront.
"Do you for sure which were you'd like to be?" Morgana wondered, "You said feline... but those feline weres that have both genders aren't that numerous..."
"I haven't made a firm choice yet," Karen answered, "I'm mostly just getting information right now..."
"Did we help?" Morgana wondered.
"In a way," Karen gave a small smile, "It means I only have one more to meet... a werelion."
"Ung!" came the collective groan from both of them, "they take pride to the worst..."
"Something wrong?" Karen wondered.
"No... just one of those things when even weres can have their disagreements," Kareem gave a small chuckle, "we generally get along, but as weres often have differences between them and things that they value highly... there may be some things that some weres value highly that others don't. But for the most part... in Moon Lake it's actually helped the community."
"Good to know," Karen gave a small smile.
"And sorry if we disturbed you," Morgana finished and began to move off, "and don't worry... even if you don't become a weredog... Peter Brooks is a nice guy."
Karen smiled and settled down to sleep after that point. To a certain degree she was still excited and she could also hear some of the sounds that had to be weres having a good time, but the surprise meeting had helped and she had to also admit being a bit sleepy.