Rachel was silent as she looked between her mother and the werecat that had come to visit the Covaks home, Isabelle Richards, or Izzy for short. It was a surprise visit that she couldn't tell how something like this would happen, but after some things that had happened and what she was wrestling with, Rachel decided she wasn't going to question it too much. She had too many questions and after the run in with Monique, she had some worry over whether or not she had answers.
"If this is only an introduction and a hello, I suppose I could come along," Rachel said slowly, "as there are some questions that I would like answered... and at present I really don't have any answers to them. But I'm not looking to join any pride right now."
Isabelle nodded, "no problem... as I said, this isn't about inviting you into a pride, but giving you some information on all things related to be a werecat. And with our pride's gathering getting started in a little bit... so it'd be best to get going."
Rachel blinked for a moment and said nothing, but she noted her mother seem to give a relieved sigh and smile. Some of that was something that Rachel heavily assumed related to her mother's love for her and wanting Rachel to get back to where she'd been before Leslie had raped her. Rachel wanted to get back to that too, though, she'd wondered and worried that she might not be able to do so after all that had happened to her. However, Rachel wasn't going to fully give up on trying to fulfil the hope that her mother had. After all, her family was her "pride," in a way.
"Will you need anything to eat?" Charlene asked.
"Oh, no," Isabelle answered shaking her head, "gatherings and meetings for were groups can often include food or things like that. The various werewolf packs will often meet up and go hunting for their meetings on the full moon of every month. Werecat prides essentially schedule when they have their meetings, and they can vary from pride to pride. But we will have food."
"Well, that sounds good," Charlene said with an approving tone, "if you want to go Rachel... you'll be fine."
"Thanks, mom," Rachel said politely, though not mentioning that the only reason she was accepting Isabelle's offer was more to get information that the book she'd borrowed from the college library had on werecats. Like if there was any kind of psychology to them like what Rachel remembered of Leslie.
"Well, come on then," Isabelle urged and lead the way with Rachel slowly following, "my mum's got things ready and we wouldn't want to be late."
The two went down the stairs with Charlene following along behind them, though once they got to the ground floor, Isabelle went to the front door and opened the door for Rachel while Charlene made her way back toward the kitchen again. Charlene waived to Rachel as Rachel then headed out the door and then closed it before looking to Isabelle. With that, Rachel then came up with a question.
"So... bad kitty?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah," Isabelle chuckled, "getting a bit of punk on, but nothing evil or anything like that."
"But going after someone even if they don't want the attention?" Rachel asked as they began walking and noting that Isabelle was leading them more toward the edge of town.
"You mean like forcing myself on someone?" Isabelle asked, "Ewww. Being rebellious doesn't mean you go out and rape someone or make someone who's straight uncomfortable because you're at least bi."
"I'm a lesbian," Rachel answered.
"My point still stands," Isabelle answered, "no were should force themselves on another. I suppose it could happen... but that'd generally be considered rogue behavior and often for reasons similar to what leads to normal humans doing similar things."
“You’re sure?” Rachel asked, “or is that just for you and not others?”
Isabelle raised an eyebrow with some skepticism and disbelief as they walked along, "there's gotta be something that's irritating you personally. I mean, a lot of us have been curious about new arrivals to Moon Lake, particularly when one of them is already a were. And I can't remember who I heard it from at the high school..."
"To make things short, my girlfriend in high school was a werecat," Rachel answered with some irritation, "and on the night after graduation, we went to a nightclub for lesbians down in Florida, and when I said I wasn't interested in sex, she slipped me a mickey, took me out into the woods, and raped me, leading to me becoming a werecat. And left me wrestling with those things ever since."
There was a silence for a moment as they walked along. Rachel didn't want to have to get into everything that related to what Leslie did to her, there was some apparent curiosity and concerns that went along with her being new that would make people push. It made her have to relive a moment that had made her feel extremely weak and feeling completely betrayed by how Leslie had behaved, and Rachel did NOT like that one bit, and had she had more control over herself and didn't have the worries that Leslie's actions had made her like Leslie, she would have turned around and gone back home. But with all those worries, Rachel felt she had to press on.
"Then the one who did it to you deserves a right thrashing," Isabelle spoke, "all of us are told when we're kids to be careful and respectful around normals. We get it from our parents. We get it from our teachers and with good reason. Force, be it sexual or a physical attack and a bite, only perpetuates the myths around weres and no were wants that. My mum would want to thrash the mum of the one that turned you for not teaching her daughter right."
Rachel said nothing as she noted that Isabelle had stopped walking and they stood together on the sidewalk a few houses down from the Covaks house in Moon Lake. Isabelle eventually put her arms out and gripped Rachel's shoulders, almost as if she was trying to hold Rachel up.
"And that's where the REAL anger should be," Isabelle spoke, "not at the rest of us. Only your former girlfriend is responsible for what happened to you. And sure, that may have made you a werecat, but that doesn't affect your personality unless YOU let it. Be strong and be you. It'll make things easier for you."
Rachel didn't answer Isabelle for a moment and let the younger werecat continue.
"Particularly, as I'd bet you didn't know about weres of any kind being real until after you became one?" Isabelle asked.
"Yeah," Rachel managed.
"And that can create some problems... problems that you will have to address, but problems that aren't your fault," Isabelle nodded and began to lead Rachel on again, "I enjoy a bit of rebellion every now and then... and even picking up a bit of mischief, mum says I get it from my dad. He's a werefox, and mischief is one of the things they're big on... but preparing for a were's first transformation, and life as a were, is something that all were families take seriously. We don't want to be seen like the monsters in the movies. A lot of that also leads to us being ready and adjusted to our abilities and the rise in libido."
"That sounds like training," Rachel said slowly.
"In some ways it is," Isabelle shrugged as she led Rachel toward an older looking Victorian style of home, and which had a few cars parked on the driveway and on the street in front of the house that couldn't just be the residents of the home, "though, some of it just relates to growing up a were. That's something you likely didn't get... and would be another reason my mum would want to thrash the mum of the one who raped you."
Rachel again didn't say anything but did follow Isabelle toward the house.
"And if you're struggling with control, because you haven't grown up a were," Isabelle continued, "that's something that you'll learn and get better at once you get more familiar with Moon Lake, and likely learn some of the things that those of us that were born weres get all our lives. My mum can provide some more information on what typically happens with these meetings, though, I'd say it's all mostly gossip. And as you meet everyone... they can give you some help toward getting better control, and give you proof that every werecat is an individual and thus proof that you will aways be YOU."
Rachel again nodded, "though what about your dad?"
"My dad, as a werefox, cannot attend a werecat meeting," Isabelle answered, "one of the others is also bi and has a husband, who is a bi werewildcat. He's welcome to come at times, because werewildcats are the male version of a werecat. Though he doesn't always come if he thinks the meeting will be just gossip."
"Which you say these meetings are," Rachel raised an eyebrow.
"A lot of the time," Isabelle shrugged, "but there can also be planning for other meetings... parties... and at times, setting up more... intimate encounters within the pride. Though, I'd think that after all the stories and rumors that I've heard at the high school... you may have dealt with at the college, I would bet that much of tonight's meeting will be introductions and trying to make friends."
"If I can get some information and answers to questions I have... I'll be willing for the introductions."