Maggie did not leave the park. Even if she had known she had inadvertently signed herself on for the length of her son's stay however long that may be, she wouldn't have cared. Because her cub was not with her. If Laura had been in a position to find out, she would have been overjoyed actually by Maggie's action. Maggie had proven that in spite of becoming very radically different species, Maggie's maternal instincts stayed just as strong, well, perhaps even stronger due to her choice in species, in spite of Maggie and her cub being displaced by several branches in the mammal family tree!
She had purely returned to the park exit to think, to plan, to form a new strategy, since it was the most familiar place for her right now. On a minor note, she was relatively impressed that her son had actually stood his ground for once in his life. She was just displeased it that the first thing he stood up for himself on, it had to be something this stupid! Why couldn't he have had this kind of courage when he nearly got killed by those infantile frat initiations?!
At least the other park goers were giving her plenty of space. She needed the space. She would have likely broken the arm of the first bear who tried to get 'fresh' with her. Her son was trapped in this miniature fantasy world. A world as false as the on-line games she had seen people -literally- lose their jobs over. If her son thought that nature was one big Bambi video then he had another thing coming!
Sadly it seemed that tranny had her cub wrapped around her little hoof... Maggie might have been a bear, but Maggie was going to watch the tranny like a hawk! A woe be to the fake doe if she did anything even remotely suspicious regarding her cub. The fact she was going to be a grandmother, something she had actually hoped for so long, didn't cross her mind.
Ironically, if Maggie had seen Jeremy fight in the tournament, she would have been very very impressed with her cub.
She'd bet diamonds to donuts that her cub hadn't even asked that fake doe what job she had in the real world, what her family was like, where she lived, what she did with herself, her religion, her legal standing, none of the things you're supposed to ask someone before making the biggest choice in your life!! Maggie had so made that mistake, and she wasn't about to see her son repeat her mistakes.
As the hours dragged on, Maggie knew she couldn't stand by the gate forever. Since the bears save for the male homosexual club were prone to solos, Maggie didn't encounter, nor was instinctually drawn to, any groups. Feeling hungry, she foraged. The river was a mix of engineering and natural marvels, much like the guests themselves, providing food and water while at the same time not providing any 'escape routs' as Zack would have put it.
With military precision, Maggie grabbed the local fish, and without even giving it a first though, broke their necks in jaws and devoured them. A couple of raccoon anthros who had also been enjoying the river gave in to their fear of predator species and decided to give Maggie however much space she needed.
"Excuse me, Madam Maggie?"
Maggie turned her predator eyes to the side to see what had approached her. It was another doe. She one held a calm and controlled air about her, Maggie also noticed the doe was shaking, and took each step foreword hesitantly.
"And who are you?" Given her only knowledge of does so far in the park, her expectations weren't high.
"My name Madam Maggie is Professor. Su Yin. I wish to speak with you." The doe calmly got on her knees before her and sat down bowing her head slightly flattening her ears.
When all things were said and done, just as Naomi saw Juanita as her immediate pack leader, instincts seemed to pass over species, unlike physical attraction. For good or evil, Maggie was Jeremy's mother, and thus, commanded respect among any deer in the park, including the does and Su Yin.
Maggie was disarmed slightly by the submissive gesture and title and asked, "What do you want?"
"Just as I said Madam Maggie, to talk, nothing more." The sublime desire to flee in fear was drowning, as Su Yin knew it would be. Su Yin was not a heartless person, nor did she consider herself a manipulative one. But the learning opportunity this present was too great a temptation. The relationship between Jeremy and his mother, before, after, and -during- their altered genetic structures, was too golden a chance to see once and for all how nature and nurture effected everyone in this giant terrarium.
Su Yin had found her, and had known fear, worse than any encounter with the huskies, but her scientific curiosity pushed her foreword. Now she sat down before the giant grizzly, something no non-sentient doe would ever do.
"Madam?" Maggie asked wondering what this was all about.
"You -are- Lord Jeremy's mother." Unlike Jenny, the oriental woman felt no need to resist that base urge.
"LORD Jeremy?" Maggie was in disbelief more than she had ever been at the idea of magic science turning people into animals.
"Lord Jeremy." Su Yin kept her head bowed. "He is the leader of the herd until he leaves the park. Thus, he does deserve some respect." Su Yin wondered how she'd look back on her behavior when she became a hyper evolved monkey again.
"Your 'lord' is current puppet to a fake doe slut."
Su Yin gritted her teeth at the slur at her friend. Yes, Leticia had proven impulsive and foolish at times, but she didn't deserve those terms. "If not for Lord Jeremy, Madam Maggie, the bucks as a whole would still be seeing us does as less then equals due to our lack of antlers."
Huh? "Come again?"
"It's a long story Madam Maggie."
Maggie needed information, knowledge -was- the real ultimate weapon after all. Maggie opened her ears wide.
"Tell me everything."
+++++++
Leticia did had managed to get the Huskies' attention, though due to how the confrontation had ended, there was no need to intercede. However there was one major question.
"Who is that woman?" Zack asked observing her. "I don't remember seeing her come in at the regular times!"
The husky girl pair (not Naomi and Katie) were going over some quick computer files. Learning to type again was one of the trades of having claws. "Looks like she's Jeremy Deer's mother."
"No kiddin'." Zack said having figured that out an hour ago.
"She's listed as special." The second girl husky said. "The details are really scribbled together, but it says here she wanted to contact her soon in any way possible... or something like that."
"Does the Management know about her yet?" Zack asked.
"Don't think so, not important enough." The first husky lass said.
"Are we gonna ask her to leave the park since she was let in under 'dubious circumstances?' " If Naomi had been there, they would have asked her in a second, but Zack was the highest husky there on the pack's internal pecking order.
"I so do NOT want to get into some family squabble." Zack said. Plus he really didn't want to mess with that woman. It wasn't her species either. It wouldn't have mattered if she was an anthromorphic hamster right now. Zack knew from experience how great and terrible a mother could be if one's wrath was incurred. "Beside, er, it's not like she -has- attacked anyone."
"So we're waiting until she does?" The first one did, not liking the sound of that.
"Well," Zack jump started his brain, "Same could be said of any guest, like Spike Deer. Or Monty Mongoose. Besides, she's part of the park's fauna now. That puts her in our jurisdiction. As long as she doesn't try to maim anyone, she'll have the same rights as any guest. So how long is she in for?" The girls didn't like it how Zack used that term for the guests like they were inmates, even if he was totally joking.
"Er," The second one said, "Looks like until her son leaves the park too."
Zack started. "How'd THAT happen?"
"Filing error I think... or someone trying to sweep her under the rug. If you ask me Mr. M likely panicked."
"Gonna be a long nine months..." Zack said.
"Assuming it is nine months."
"No way to know...."
+++++++++++
"So Lateisha," Jenny asked, giving Spike a piggy back ride. "What are you going to do once you leave the park?"
"I'm going to reactivate my job. Check my snail and e-mail. Call up my friends. Write a VERY long entry on my blog. Likely go see a movie, the news hounds say another Narnia movie is coming out. Then go out for pizza."
"That's it?" Jenny asked.
"We can't all have life changing events." Lateisha said, "To me, this is a vacation, has always been a vacation. A particularly long, and original one, but still a vacation. I'm glade I made friends with all of you guys and I'll see ya when you get out too. But seriously, otherwise, I don't see my life as having changed much. I might even have veal to celebrate."
Jenny's eyes went huge. Spike wondered what veal was. Bits and pieces of what his mommy and her friend were saying going straight over his head.
"What? They eat monkey brains in africa."
Jenny change the subject, "So you're not going to keep your new species?"
Lateisha laughed, "NO way! Being a human in a human's world is hard enough. Besides," She flexed her armored fingers, "These things aren't precise enough for my line of work. I'm more angle and stronger, and yeah, I'm sexier, but it's not what makes me me, and I'd prefer not to make that kind of trade off."
Jenny just nodded. Wishing she had Lateisha's confidence about her human self.
"So you really aiming to stay a doe?"
"Yes." Jenny said.
"Well good luck. Look me up if things get hard for you." Lateisha nodded.
"Thank you."
++++++++++
"Come on Katie."
"No Harry."
"I'll take your shift tomorrow."
"No Harry."
"Come on! You only live once! Working in this place is the only time you're ever gonna have an excuse to go around 'not-naked.' Why blow it?"
"Why don't you just ogle one of the other girls?"
"Because they're not you." Harry said honestly. Indeed, Katie had become a challenge to him, plus, he never could find the means to say no to her.
"Is that actually a compliment?" Katie raised an eye brow.
"Maybe." Harry grinned slightly.
"Why thank you. And no, I'm not taking my dress off!"
Harry's face formed resolve. "I'll wear pants."
Katie didn't hear that right. "Say wha?"
"Every day you go on without your dress, I'll wear pants. How's that sound?" This did catch Katie off guard. She knew very much how much Harry loved to -show off- to the other female huskies. Still.
"You don't even HAVE any!"
"I can sneak some from my locker. Cut a tail hole, and say that I got them custom and management will never be the wiser."
"Give me a while to think about it." Katie said, this deal was too strange to say yes or no to right away.
+++++++++
The door slid open to reveal the impressive, though practical office. A one way window showing a VERY high view of the park below behind her.
Vixen and Sage were stunned by the creature behind the desk, furless, a flat face, strangely colored folds of skin over it's body and eyes that weren't like any of theirs.
Naomi just stood back and smirked as the three foxes looked at each other, and Miss J just stood there patiently for it to sink in. This got annoying after a while, but it was all part of The Plan after all.
Finally, Laura first, got that look of surprise, embarrassment, and recognition in her eyes. Sage and Vixen followed a time later.
Naomi loved it when they did that. It was a guilty pleasure of being an anthro and still interacting with humans.
"Naomi, please leave us, wait outside." 'Miss J' said politely, not letting any of her stress show.
"Yes Madam." Naomi bowed slightly and left without question.
"Hello." The woman said, "My name is Juanita, I'm the Manager for the well fare of our guests. Given the nature of your requests... I wanted to speak to you personally."
+++++++++
Jackie had learned more about world and local affairs in the last few days, than she had in a normal week of her life in the outside world. She couldn't say it wasn't interesting. But her brain felt like it was filled with galloons of water swaying back and forth as all the information and opinion mixed and settled in her mind.
It had become almost a game between Jackie and Keith. Jackie would listen to the news hounds as long she was able, then try to sneak away to hunt. As it turned out, Keith had employed his betting partner from the tournament to act a delivery boy for his kills to her.
It wasn't until one of Jackie's 'escape attempts' had resulted in a twisted ankle, A TWISTED ANKLE, of all the humiliating and cliche injuries she could be forced to endure, she was sentenced to play along, and,
"Jackie, I've been thinking, I don't want you or our kittens hurt. But I can't stop you from hunting while you're still able." Keith said sitting next to her, while Jackie had a giant frown on her face. "But I think we need to call a truce."
"Truce?"
"Yes. A truce. If you let me be there while you hunt, and only while I'm there, and stay away from night hunting, I promise I won't complain anymore until you reach the beach whale state."
Jackie thought about it. It was just a (stupid!) twisted ankle this time, but next time it might be something worse.
"Okay... Truce."
"Oh... and nice killing and eating that field mouse with only three useful legs." As a rule, the cats ONLY hunted while going on all fours.
"Thank you."
+++++++++
One thing Maria learned very quickly, moving in a male body was a lot different from moving in a female one, let alone that of a different species! It felt like all her joints were moving ever so slightly the wrong way. Stepping out of the transformation chamber, she heard it lock and seal behind her. Looking behind her, she saw a fake rock face with rows of slightly concealed doors on it. She looked around... and saw she was alone. Not only that. But it was forest, forest, and more forest. She expect a pool, some lawn chairs or a wireless.... but nada! A chill came over her.
"Okay... noted... looks like... the really go all out for the 'one with nature' motif here. I guess they weren't kidding in the intro about the guests being park of the ecosystem! And now I'm so nervous out I'm talking to myself!"
Maria shook her head... feeling the weight of the antlers on top. How was she going to find Larry in this mess? She spotted a bear with the shape of a human being... but that look on her face... and a gut feeling inside her, told Maria to stay as far away from her as possible! And given what little she knew about the insides of this place, Maria decided to trust her gut feelings for now.
Cautiously moving away, She nearly tripped on her muzzle twice and also got her antlers caught in a set of branches! Ugh. These things were going to take some getting used to. It reminded her of when her breasts had grown in. It was odd having that weight sudden gone from her chest after so long, and for it be effectively transferred to her head! She so stopped that train of thought. At least being alone, there was no one to see her like this. Larry would SO never let her live it down if she couldn't handle being a guy after all her jokes about him not lasting a day as a woman.
"Did they catch you by surprise with the random button, or were you curious about the male button?"
Maria internally groaned. Spoke too soon! Maria turned her chandelier headset to see a doe shaped like a woman with a pair almost as big as what Maria had seen on some of her male friend's anime collections. She was also as naked as she was. Then again, that was to be expected, right?
"Er, excuse me?" Maria gathered up all her dignity and stood up straight.
"Did you hit the random button not thinking it applied to gender, or where you wondering what it was like on the other side of the fence." The doe asked again, smiling slightly.
"Oh." Maria said, "Kinda the latter. Ya see, my boy friend took his vacation here a while back, and I kinda got him to promise he'd try what it was like to be in the girl's shoes. Since I also got one in the mail yesterday, I figured, meh, might as well go with the flow right? I really tempted to try to be a girl like him so I could have him from floundering. But I figured this would be my only shot to see what it was like to have the other set of equipment."
"Oh." Maria could SWEAR she saw something -die- in the doe's eyes after Maria's explanation. "Something wrong?"
"No nothing." The doe flashed her the biggest, brightest, most fake smile Maria had ever seen. "So what's your name?"
"Maria."
"Not anymore! Nice to meet you Marth. No, just accept it, going around with a girl's name like you are is asking for trouble. And I normally reserve the right to rename all transgendered anthros who enter the park."
Maria, Marth?, Ugh, was slightly agitated. "How come?"
"Well, some of the park goers consider it bad taste to broadcast that your another gender outside, and-"
"No no no. I mean what gives you the right to go around renaming people?"
The doe actually stood a little proud. "I'm the designated official unofficial transgendered adaption consoler of the park. We have a regular get together every evening for new arrivals. Speaking of which, we need to break you in."
This lady sure moved fast, "What? I have to fight for my position in the herd or something?"
"Funny you should mention that, but no. I mean, you have to walk a little bit more like a male if you're going to last long here. And don't bother asking to leave early, it was in the fine print."
'Greeeeeat.' "So what do you mean moving more like a male?"
"Well, move your arms a bit more as you walk, and do not sway your hips. And take your time at first. Otherwise you're going to trip up fast."
"You sure have this down to a science."
"I've been doing this for half a year I should."
"You've been here half a year?" Maria, Marth?, asked stunned.
"Yep. More so in fact. And I'm going to be here an entire year before my time is up."
"I'm surprised you're still sane."
"We naked, no longer human, cut off from civilization, have a new set of instincts, maybe we're all crazy and just don't know it. Oh and before I forget, my name is Hannah."
"Nice to meet you Hannah, Maria." She reached her arm out to shake it, weird fingers, Hannah accepted.
"Oh no." She said like a kindergarden teacher. "It's Marth for your stay remember? And before you say I don't know what it's like, it used to be Harry. And I don't plan on being Harry again in this life time."
Maria was totally taken back by that. "Well, er, good luck with that. Maybe I'll see about that 'support group' of yours." Maria resisted the urge to shake her head again. Her voice... it was so, DIFFERENT! So much deeper! "Can you tell me if there's anywhere all the ... ahem, other deer hang out at?"
"Sure I can show you. Just be sure to be polite, some of the other bucks can get kinda rowdy."
When Hannah had seen the buck emerge. She resisted the urge to ask him right up front if he was married, committed, or otherwise, she had gathered up enough will power somehow to do it totally by the numbers. She was glade she had, at least she had saved herself around round of heartbreak she had endured with Sam. She was also sure that Marth hadn't picked up on it in the slightest.
'A man can always tell when a woman is faking.' Lex Luthor, Superman Returns. Hannah had not seen that movie.
+++++++
"Oh Jeremy!" Leticia cried when she saw him. For a dark moment, Jeremy wondered if his mother had done something. But as she hugged him, being careful to avoid his antlers she said, "Is it true? Is it really true? You want to marry me?!"
Jeremy felt more confident and sure of himself than ever in his life, "Yes, I do." Then a moment of doubt. "Do you want me?"
"YES!" She gushed, "A thousand time and thousand years yes! More than anything!"
Jeremy felt very much alive. "Thank you, thank you so much. I promise you won't regret it!" He would never let his mother hurt her. Ever.
"Dearest."
"Yes honey?"
"Do you think... do you think they might let us have it here? In the park? Do you think it's possible?"
"Only way to know is to ask."