Nate found Alex and Ben already seated by the time he made it through the lunch line and he sat down with his boyfriend to his right and his neighbor and friend seated across from them both. The rumor mill about this city council meeting was still going around and it was getting weirder in many ways, and unlike Eric, Nate as a werewolf could hear a lot about it, even in his human form. Some of it related to various odd issues that related to the were secret, though for the most part, Nate figured that a lot of that was probably nothing. If people were to believe every rumor that went on, various celebrities that didn't like each other would have had six children together by now.
"Hey guys," Nate spoke as he sat down, "things going okay?"
"Pretty much... though I think some people need to recognize that more than likely all this meeting will be about will relate to either a new business coming into Moon Lake and that it will have interests and manpower needs that will go beyond just a new pizza place or something like that," Ben commented.
Nate figured that was in reference to the rumors, and he glanced over to Alex nod in agreement to that. That meeting probably was nothing, or at least not the weird things that ranged beyond suggesting everyone in Moon Lake do a wife swap for a week to the supposed Armageddon type things, one rumor had even thought it was a call to arms against a horde of zombies that were supposed to just walk out of the Pacific. Nate had no idea where that came from. The big thing that the three of them had to discuss was the fact that apparently Frances didn't want Ben in the Thanksgiving Football game, which made little sense. If it was tackle football, Nate could understand. He generally hadn't been the most athletic of kids, as before becoming a werewolf, he had been a bit on the pudgy side. Thus why after Alex turned him and the two began to share stories one of the first things Nate had noticed about the new him was that becoming a werewolf gave him abs. But still, he knew football could be a tough sport, and he'd seen enough games on television to know that people did get hurt playing the game.
But the game this year was supposed to be flag football, not tackle. In that, the likelihood of injury would be next to nothing. And since it was only one game a year to give Moon Lake students the ability to enjoy a sport that was popular across the country, Nate couldn't really see any real reason to not giving Ben permission, especially if Frances and Samantha had let him play in the game during his Freshman and Sophomore years, which from what Alex had told Nate had been years in which the game was tackle football and Ben had been something of a big star in the game. Figuring out a way to get around that was what they'd agreed on when they came to school and was something that had sat in the back of Nate's mind all day.
"I'm still not sure on why she said no," Alex spoke up bringing the subject to what the three of them had been thinking on, "I mean... you've been in the game before, during years where it WAS tackle and never had a problem. And shoot... the worst thing that's ever happened with regard to injury in the game is a broken leg or something like that... and for most of the were students... that'd be something we could easily heal from. You'd actually be more at risk when the Pack decides to have a hunt after a Pack Meeting, as deer, especially at this time of year, can and WILL fight back."
Ben slowly nodded. It didn't happen often, but there were occasions where predatory weres went hunting and bit off more than they could chew. Either the target fled over terrain the were couldn't follow or fought and the were caught an antler or a horn in a spot where even lycanthropic regeneration would have a hard time healing the wound. In fact about every year one to two predatory weres were fatally injured by deer around Moon Lake as the result of a failed hunt. Ten to twenty spent time in the hospital recovering from injuries from failed hunts. There even an instance or two of Black Bears or mundane Mountain Lions attacking and killing weres as well, and often for the mere fact that the target was a were. And some of those numbers were comparable to failed hunts, one to two deaths and even more injuries. And these were with situations that would be unrelated to football.
"That might be something to reference," Nate commented, "I mean... they can't forbid you from going to pack meetings, right?"
"No... every were group, regardless of the size of the administrative unit must be allowed to have meetings, and no one can just be banned," Ben nodded, "there might be some exceptions if there are conflicts of schedule or family emergencies, but for the most part... no, neither Frances nor Samantha could ban me from pack meetings."
"See, that was easy," Nate commented.
"They could, however, go to Austin and request that if the pack's activity is to hunt that I be excluded from the active parts of the hunt," Ben commented, "I could track the target and guide those that will get in close with it... but I would be excluded from getting in close with the deer, and that would hold until I'm eighteen."
Nate looked down for a moment and sighed heavily.
"What about the fact that it's flag football this year," Alex wondered, "the risk of injury is virtually non-existent."
"I'm not sure... as in pure theory, some fluke could go on," Ben said slowly, "Like what happened last year..."
"But in the end, the kid that got clawed had been seriously considering to join were society," Alex argued, "and because it is flag football, even THAT event is unlikely to happen. Now maybe someone gets too rough and you break a leg... or hyperextend a knee trying to pivot or something... but in many cases that wouldn't be serious. Lycanthropic regeneration could recover from that easily, and no one would know the injury occurred."
"And that would be the big difference between flag football and tackle football," Nate agreed, "some people have had issues with regard to the concussion issue, as the brain doesn't heal as quickly in tackle football because of the resulting blows. But because flag football doesn't have those sorts of blows in them, the argument that you would be risking injury would be ridiculous. It would be hard to hit or hurt your head when there really isn't much chase of collision in flag football."
Ben nodded and for a moment and chewed on a couple of the tater tots that had been offered as a side dish. Those were things that he agreed with, and to a certain extent things that he agreed with. The odds of there being a collision in flag football were low, especially as the only way that there could be of an accidental collision or some form of tripping would be if someone was incredibly uncoordinated or incredibly vicious. Werecattle and werebears weren't exactly known for their grace, but it wasn't as though they were tripping over themselves at every turn, and in a flag football game, that sort of thing was so unlikely that people probably laugh at it if it was suggested.
"Nate's right there," Alex said as he set his plastic bottle of juice down, which he'd selected as an alternative to milk, "about the only way you'd really risk injury would be if someone were to just hate you... I've never heard anyone speak ill of you, Ben. Lots of guys that have played in the game have spoken of you as a great guy, and a fair number of people respect your mom for what she does for the city."
"And that's probably why some might have asked you about this city council meeting," Nate nodded in agreement, "You're too nice a guy to have enemies."
"Thanks... but I'm not sure my mom's will buy the "I'm a nice guy" argument," Ben shook his head.
"But it would really be the only thing that would negate the only possible explanation for getting injured in a flag football game," Nate commented, "that you've had some personal enemy or rival that WANTS to see you hurt. Otherwise... especially given the level of coordination that weres have... it'd be unlikely that you'd accidentally hurt yourself in the game."
"And at the same time... there is the whole issue of what you plan to do in the future," Alex commented, "the only real way I could see this is if Frances doesn't like it because she's afraid of you trying to live up to some past glory on the football field when she doesn't feel you need to prove yourself that way..."
"But Frances never played in the game," Ben commented, "Samantha played some girls basketball with the high school's "March Madness Tournament" and Frances played recreational tennis while in college and in her own spare time... but that was about the limit about what either of my parents did athletically It's not like either of them peaked in High School or College."
"Maybe," Alex commented, "but maybe it is a concern that you'll want to play pro football... and some have. Though my parents have said that those that have... they've all been wererats, werewildcats, and at biggest werefoxes and have been kickers. They kicked for the average length of an NFL career and then retired."
"Which would make sense," Ben commented, "lots of guys can have a lot of strength in their leg, which any were could have... but kicking requires the ability to aim the kick, which is where a were and a normal human would have their abilities equalize."
Alex nodded across the table, "but the NFL will always remain tackle football, and while they've been tweaking with the rules in recent years... it will still be a contact sport where head to head blows are possible. That might be where your mom is worried."
"But I have no real desire to play pro football," Ben commented, "I've had fun with the Thanksgiving Day game... but it's been more being with friends, old and new, than anything else. And after learning about who my biological parents were... I've been a bit more curious about getting into art with regards to the future. So, it's not like I plan on making it a career to bash my skull in."
"That'd be something to emphasize," Nate commented, "it's not something long term. It might not be much, but it would reinforce the point that since the game isn't contact and you'd likely heal from whatever injury you could take in a flag football game very easily."
They paused for a few bites of their lunch as Nate and Alex tried to think of ideas. It was something that they'd all had a means to try and get permission to play. Eventually Nate had another idea.
"You could point to some of the other odds that would be comparable to games of flag football," Nate commented, "things like car accidents, earthquakes, and any other type of accident... fires or something like that. You know... if the concern is injury... why not put you in bubble wrap and you don't do anything. Because if it is injury related in flag football... that's something that gets ridiculous. I may not have played before... but... even I know that flag football and two hand touch is not as violent as tackle football and there could be plenty of other mundane things that could take someone out just as easily..."
"That might work... though... I'd probably need to do some research into seeing what those odds are," Ben commented, to which both Nate and Alex nodded at.