Karen blushed red as she thought on the issue for a moment. A part of her privately admitted that some of this was a bit rebellious on her part, and a part of her did desperately want to be a were, playing to her interest in feline "weres" depicted in comics. A lot of that part of her was also a bit nervous that her parents might put their foot down on her becoming a were. Especially if her parents changed their mind from their initial opposition. As things stood at the moment, they might accept her becoming the family were if they decided not to be weres, but that could change if they decided to become weres, instead.
Much of that had to relate to the obviously sexual lives that weres lived. They seemed to be built for it, or at least to attract the attention. And Karen was more than old enough to know what sex was and have interest in it, even if she wasn't likely to have any. She was sixteen going on seventeen, one would have to be mad to think that someone going through puberty wouldn't be curious on the subject. But she was privately sure that her own parents would probably take a stand that she weight until she was eighteen to go through with it if they became the family weres. And some of her decision to go out was a bit of rebelliousness in it, after all she'd been told not to go outside.
But again while there was some rebelliousness, she also had some reminder of everything that had gone on. The chase by the Gambonis had put a lot of fear on things that Marcus might do. That was one of the things that personally lead Karen to want to be the Charleston family were. Be big enough and strong enough that Marcus wouldn't be able to bully her. It was something her parents initially resisted and had only accepted when she promised to learn more. A part of her still felt a bit rebellious on the whole issue, partially as to why she'd decided to wander out into the woods. That part of her did want to know more and was the part of her that truly was going through all the sexual curiosity that went along with being a teenager.
But then she also remembered Peter, and all the work he'd done to help and the hoops he'd apparently jumped through to get a contact with a werelion. She could have sworn that Peter told her that SHE needed to call the Talbots in order to get in touch with them before any sort of arranged meeting could be handled to get her the information needed for werelions could be handled. Yet, Peter had somehow managed to get meeting arranged with a werelion the next day at one in the afternoon. She didn't know how he did it, maybe he met one at school and talked him/her into it, but in the end that didn't necessarily matter. The fact that he was willing to go the extra mile to help her. That part of her mind couldn't just rebel on that...
"I'd probably not," Karen said slowly, still blushing, "there's been a lot that's gone through my mind... and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested... but I have had a lot to research on all of this, and the son of my father's best friend has been helping me with all this. And he's gone above and beyond with regard to getting contacts to help me meet up with various feline wees that have been on my list."
"Sounds like a good friend," Olivia commented.
"I suppose he is becoming a good friend," Karen said slowly, "odd... given that before his family moved here, both Peter Brooks and I were infants at the time..."
"Peter Brooks?" Oliver said slowly.
"Son of Daniel Brooks, yes," Karen nodded, "My dad and his dad were best friends back in New York, but the police department there had some downsizing that they went into and Daniel Brooks was cut. And apparently Moon Lake needed an officer and was willing to hire him. They became weredogs, and later, as did Peter."
There was a silence that followed for moment that was rather awkward.
"Do you know him?" Karen than wondered.
"I tutored him a bit last year during my senior year at Moon Lake High," Rich commented, "not a bad kid."
"Yeah... I think he's even been asking around school wanting to help someone," Oliver commented, a bit nervous with regard to Rich and Olivia's presence. They were a year older than him, and while the Mountain Lion was proportionately stronger than the Tiger, that didn't change the fact that it was still a smaller cat than the Tiger. Which then gave weretigers a certain advantage over werecougars in terms of size. And while Moon Lake's weres were far looser with regard to sex than the rest of the country was, that didn't mean that couples flagrantly wanted to have company when they had sex. Rich and Olivia might tolerate Karen's presence as she seemed interested in becoming a were, but Oliver couldn't be as certain they'd tolerate his presence. Especially with regard to some of the property line issues with regard to where a were could go while transformed.
"That's been me," Karen commented, "and it's been really nice of him to provide all this help... particularly when we really only just met when my family first arrived in Moon Lake. I wouldn't want all his hard work to be for nothing."
"You like him," Rich smiled.
"No! What?!" Karen stammered and then felt herself blush as she remembered a few of the more vivid dreams of her as a were feline of some kind pouncing on him for some fun in the woods, "Maybe."
That earned a few chuckles, though it was Olivia who spoke, "It's okay if you like him. Moon Lake just seems to have an odd effect on people, especially new families. Generally speaking, when a new family comes into town, only one family member has to become a were. And while every family member doesn't always become a were... many often do. And many times that has often sparked romance... and real romance between couples. Some times it works sometimes it doesn't... but it does seem to happen."
"But much of my interest has related to feline weres, at least the ones that wouldn't require me to change my sexuality," Karen spoke, "and Peter's a weredog, like his parents."
"That really shouldn't matter," Rich commented, "admittedly, many weres do tend to match with weres of the same specific were-species, but there is no rule that says you have to. And there's no real reason to assume that you would suddenly lose interest in him if you become a feline were or that he might lose interest in you because he is a canine were."
"Well... that's good," Karen said slowly, "but... I'd think with your offer, it's best if I stay here and wait until I've gotten everything. Besides... until the Gambonis are dealt with, it probably would be too risky for me to go into town."
"Makes sense," Oliver commented.
"Though... just talking wouldn't be a problem, would it?" Karen asked.
"No problem, but we'd probably best move that back to the cabin," Olivia commented, "there will be others out here in the woods that would be less willing to have an audience."