The meeting was set to move forward, though for the moment, most of the other conversations were of the members of the Richards' pride talking with Angela and getting some food. Rachel figured that once all that was done, there would be some introductions to them as things moved forward, but for the moment, Rachel was still sitting in the surprise at Cynthia having come to the meeting. Rachel knew she was there after wrestling with some questions on control from earlier in the day and the fact that Isabelle had showed up while she'd been researching more into what she had become. Thus, coming to the meeting might be something that could help. And so far, Rachel had gotten some good answers.
But she didn't explain Cynthia's presence. Her being at least bi or wanting to be a werecat was one thing. Rachel had no problem with that, but beyond that, she would have thought that the prides wouldn't let those that weren't already werecats attend their meetings. She blinked for a few moments while trying to collect her thoughts and then wondered, if Cynthia was here as part of joining the Richards' pride and that they had some kind of special ceremony. That then only made Rachel wonder if her presence was actually interrupting something else.
"Are you..." Rachel began slowly, with her mind racing at a million miles a second.
"I'm bi, like my aunt, here," Cynthia said slowly, "I sorta found that out in high school where I sorta found everyone to be fairly attractive... though, like my aunt and uncle, my parents have had a very loving marriage, and I wanted to duplicate that. So, I didn't rush into anything... though, as I said, I've also made friends among the prides here in Moon Lake... and of late, it's also made me think more on whether or not to make it official."
"Your..." Rachel blinked and then looked between Julia and Cynthia.
With Julia in her werecat form, Rachel really couldn't see any similarities in any facial features, but she did get a recognition on where she'd seen the red hair color that Julia and her husband had. She'd seen it on Cynthia, who was apparently Linus and Julia's niece.
"My sister, Maria, and her husband, Jeff, moved here at the same time that we did," Julia explained, seeming to sense Rachel's confusion, "though my sister wasn't pregnant at the time... her marriage wasn't as open as mine and Linus' is. So, while she was actually a fairly big fan of the Howling movies, she couldn't go through with the sexual part of completing the transformation."
"But my brother was old enough and became our family's were," Cynthia commented, "and I grew up and made friends here, and learned a lot of things from my cousin, Lucy."
"Our human daughter," Linus explained, "both grew up into wonderful little helpers, and you're still working as a student advisor at the college?"
"Yes," Cynthia answered, "Lucy and the professor in charge of helping acclimate the incoming freshmen actually have had me working to help out Rachel adjust to things. Which would have included things like this... and... I... I didn't know that you were ready?"
"Well... that's more the result of some things that went crazy for me today," Rachel told her, "I came across another werecat, and we were seated really close together in one of my classes. And well... a part of me just seemed instinctively interested and I started changing in the classroom. Thankfully I got to a bathroom in time before anyone saw anything, but it was embarrassing, and so... when Isabelle showed up to invite me tonight... I really couldn't say "no," as I was worried about my control."
"That'll come with time and practice," Cynthia told her and took one of Rachel's paw-like hands in her own. Rachel seemed to feel her heart flutter as Cynthia stroked her fur in the right way and looked to her with warm and friendly eyes. "And it was part of why I wanted to introduce you to the other prides here in Moon Lake. You'd get to meet everyone and take your pick on which pride to join, and they could help you master that control."
Rachel gave Cynthia's hands a gentle squeeze and making sure her claws were sheathed in doing so. Even if Cynthia actually wanted to be a werecat, that didn't mean that it would be right to force that change. Particularly when Cynthia had already done so much help Rachel adjust to things in the past few days.
"And I've gotten answers that have been helpful," Rachel spoke, "and in that... in that I might take you up on your offer to meet with the other prides."
"That'll be great, and hopefully, they'll make you happy," Cynthia smiled back, "and it's in part why I've learned a lot from Lucy."
"And you came looking to join a pride? Or this one?" Rachel wondered, "I don't want to be in the way of anything..."
"You aren't... and I didn't know you would be here," Cynthia said in reply, "and it's more a scouting mission on my part. Existing prides can often allow normal humans to attend meetings if they're looking at potentially joining them."
"Often to see on how things would work with the transformation," Julia added, "as that sex component is... will a complicated one. I couldn't transform Cynthia if she chose this pride to join, because I am a blood relative. Some of the others wouldn't be able to because they're still minors, and Cynthia is an adult. From there, Cynthia would have to see on what members of the pride would be willing to carry out the transformation. It's all part of the hoops that relate to the process by which normal humans in Moon Lake join a were group. We do our best to make sure EVERYTHING is willing."
"Yes, but... I wasn't... in the way of anything, was I?" Rachel asked looking between Cynthia and her aunt and uncle.
"No," said Linus, "bringing Cynthia into the pride would only be something done IF Cynthia is sure, it is THIS pride she wants to join. From what Angela's told me, the main purpose for tonight's meeting was to give you what help we can."
"Oh," Rachel said slowly and felt her tail twitch a little.
Some of it was relief at not interrupting anything bigger than just her presence in Moon Lake. Some of it was at nervous surprise that Cynthia was bit and seemed to be interested in becoming a werecat. That set off all sorts of things in the back of her head, largely relating back to the hurt and betrayal that had happened at fully recognizing what Leslie had done to her and didn't apologize for. It left her determined too NEVER be like that. It also left her feeling a bit vulnerable, particularly as her less than optimal control over her transformations was going to be something that would surely be a cause for trouble without help, as her run in with Monique had proved. But some of that was just "lust" coming into play. But after meeting Cynthia at the orientation meeting and finding that Cynthia would be an advisor and guide for her, assigned by the college, Rachel had found her cute and caring. At first, Rachel wasn't sure on Cynthia's sexuality and thus didn't want to push anything and hurt a budding friendship.
Now, though, despite the jokes that her sisters made, regarding what they knew about Cynthia, and how it mirrored Jessica's joke, the revelation that Cynthia was bi changed things. For it meant that there could be some mutual interest, and Cynthia had already shown a great deal of care and understanding. It was something that made Rachel feel safe and secure around Cynthia, and that felt nice and raised all sorts of other things. She could say she saw Cynthia as a friend and wasn't sure if she could go further, or felt safe going further, but sitting there with Cynthia was now raising all sorts of new questions in the back of Rachel's mind that had nothing to do with being a werecat. And those thoughts were then interrupted as the meeting continued.