William's afternoon went quietly and with a great deal relief on William's part. He felt fairly comfortable with the results of the trial. While he did sincerely hope that Yvette got whatever help she needed, he wanted his family safe and Yvette kept away from them. The fact that she was being kept under close watch would assure him of his family's safety and he could enjoy his life in Moon Lake as a werefox.
The trip back to the campus went quietly and William was quick to collect a quick lunch. The campus had a nice dining area that served breakfast, lunch, and dinner for students and staff could use. The area also had a small restaurant that was separate from the main cafeteria, which served things from pizza, to subs, to hamburgers, and even tacos. It gave students plenty of choices for food and enabled the staff to get lunch easily while at work, and William did take advantage of it. The biggest thing, though, that occurred were actually student reactions to everything that had happened in relation to Yvette's passes at him and his transformation.
"Mr. Anderson...?" a shy voice asked as William quietly one of a few hot dogs he had picked up for his lunch.
He turned to see a young female wererat standing nervously with her own tray of food.
"How did things go? You weren't in class this morning," she spoke shyly and nervously. The shyness and nervousness seemed a bit surprising, as William remembered the student as bright and outgoing, but her tone of voice was as if he was a threat to turn her into lunch. He wondered if the natural fears of the "beast-within" them carried over into various weres, as mundane foxes in nature generally did feast on rodents.
"The Dean and I had to go in with the opening statements for the trial with Yvette Smith and what she had done," William answered, "that's why I wasn't in this morning."
She humphed a little, "She always was something of a slut... and that says something for Moon Lake..."
William didn't say anything, but when he considered the fact that his own libido had grown slightly as a werefox and how much he'd noticed how much Martha's libido had risen as a werecat, it would say a lot about Yvette's behavior and the opinion others had of it. He guessed that this student had probably had some history with Yvette.
"Well... I can't say on what the Dean will do with her at status here at the college," William said slowly, "but her attorney plead guilty and I don't think that she's going to be causing any more trouble."
He also didn't mention that Yvette's sentence wouldn't be made until after medical and psychological tests had been run as he didn't know if that was appropriate or not. He also figured that a local newspaper or if Moon Lake had it a "public access" television station which would allow for the most local news to be broadcast without the risk of revealing were-beasts to parts of Washington State or anyone else. He figured that it was the more local news media that would know on how much could be revealed with regard to what had gone on regarding Yvette.
"Well... that'll be good," she spoke, "I hope you're okay with things..."
"I am," William answered, "both my wife and I are adapting to all the changes we've had... me to a werefox and her to a werecat."
The wererat blinked, nodded, and moved on politely while William continued eating while another member from the English department joined him for lunch.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
His classes after lunch went quietly, though heavily different from he had originally planned. His classes all varied between various subjects within English literature. He had two Shakespearean Classics class, which was the class that he had had Yvette, Jenny, and Harry in. He had two intro to English literature classes, which would include a brief overview of everything the English had written. He had a sophomore class on Medieval English literature and one that was on Poetry from the Shakespearean era. He also had a free hour and a senior class that dealt with Shakespeare's influence on later media, be it literature that had been influenced by Shakespeare and carried similar themes, film adaptions, and recently as something he'd noticed in a bookstore with Eric before everything went bad in Minnesota a telling of the Star Wars saga as if it were a Shakespearean play. The point of that class was to discuss Shakespeare's lasting influence on literature and culture and putting things together as to how relevant the 1500s playwright was to people of the modern day. And he had different plans for each of these classes.
However, because he couldn't attend his morning classes due to the trial the Dean had left instructions for one of his secretaries to "sub" for William and let the morning students watch from an old movie adaption of Julius Caesar. Now, while he didn't teach the same class all day, the fact that all his morning classes had that alternate activity for the day, William decided to let that "temp lesson" carry through just to make sure that all his classes were on the same level for his lesson schedule and would include updates on the reading and the projects that students were to be working on outside of class. It was well received by the students as got them out of having to truly think over things. William always chuckled at how even college students enjoyed getting out of classwork.
The biggest thing that William continued to notice through the day were questions on how he was doing regarding everything and for news on Yvette's fate. He also found that other werefoxes seemed the most concerned as he prepared to leave his classroom to then head toward the college's education department. His mission was to get all the testing material for Martha to study so she could get her Washington State certification to teach in Moon Lake, but a male werefox hung back from the other students so that he would be the last to go out the door, and he met William as he went out the door.
"You seem to have been doing well... I'm sorry for how Yvette acted," the male werefox spoke. Both of them were in their human forms, but of course their forms couldn't fully disguise their scents. "We aren't all like her."
"I've gathered that," William answered, "Akane no Tachibana was quite polite and welcoming to my wife and I."
"Your wife joined the Skulk too?" the male student wondered.
"As an honorary member," William answered, "she became a werecat."
"A werecat?" the male student asked as they walked along.
"Yes," William answered, "She's bi... being a werecat helped her accept who she is."
"I see..." the male student answered, "you bonded to her?"
"Firmly," William answered and glanced over, privately wondering why this male student was walking along with him. He didn't need to talk with him.
"Well... that's all good," the male student commented as they walked out of the English department building, "good to see that you're doing well in spite of what Yvette did to you."
William nodded as they walked along. What he said wasn't anything new. He he had a lot of that from the other weres he had met after his transformation, which ranged from the Skulk leader to Moon Lake's mayor to other students. They all wanted to see that he was doing okay and see what he knew on Yvette's fate. He supposed that was all a sign of Moon Lake being a tight community and that when things like Yvette's attack on him occurred, they banded together to try and set things right. It felt good to actually be part of such a community. At times teaching at the University of Minnesota had prestige benefits that felt good, but living in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area had was very different from Moon Lake. There things tended to be impersonal. Here in Moon Lake, though, it was becoming clear that he was part of a community, and in a way that felt good.
"The thing I'll never get, sir," the male student spoke, "is how she could have figured she could get away with it... even when we're young and haven't had our first transformations, we do know that we're were-beasts. We get a great deal of education from our parents and from teachers on the dangers of what Yvette did... on how such behavior could make people think we truly are what normal stories paint us as... she should have known better..."
"Well... I can't disagree..." William sighed, "but I'd suppose there might have been something wrong with her physically... too much of some hormone or too little of another hormone... maybe that made her desperate... or something traumatic happened that shaped her mind, and made her more willing to take risks. I can't really say... and from most of the interactions my family has had... she's still a rarity among weres. And her attorney plead guilty and perhaps she'll get the help she really needs."
By this point the two of them reached the Education department building. William walked up to the door and looked back to the student.
"And my family and I are doing well," William said to him, "I'm sure Yvette Smith embarrassed the Skulk and Moon Lake... but that is the past, now. So, best to move forward. Now... I have some business to attend to in the Education department, so are you...?"
"No I have no other classes for today," the male student answered, "I just wanted to let you know that not every werefox student you have is like Yvette Smith..."
"Well, I thank you for that," William sighed, "as it does let me feel like part of the community. Thank you."
With that the male student moved off with a wave and headed off for parts unknown. William, meanwhile, walked into the college's Education department building. It took him a little while to find the main office for the head of the Education department, but he did find a small square office that the Education department was based out of. He walked in to find a lone secretary seated at a desk and counter. A quick sniff told him that she was a normal.
"Can I help you, sir?" she asked as she looked up.
"I need to pick up the study guides that you give to Ed majors with regard to the tests for them to take for certification in this state," William spoke, "For my wife."
"Is she enrolled here?" the secretary asked.
"No," William admitted, "but all she would need is to take the tests. I've already talked with the Dean about this, and he might be able to arrange for a proctor to come down for the Washington's state tests."
"I see," the secretary answered, "well... even if a special test isn't arranged, she can file the paperwork to take the test when we normally schedule it. As even if Moon Lake's public schools have a position opening for next school year, all they'll really need is confirmation that the tests have been taken and that the scores can then be forwarded to them. They could accept your wife on the basis that all the paperwork is in order and on the way..."
"But if she fails the tests..." William began. A part of him wanted to say more, to fight for Martha's rights, as his bond to her would drive him to do so, but he managed to restrain himself. The secretary was just doing her job, and it probably wasn't common to have such material requested during the fall semester when it was normally given in the spring semester.
"If she fails, that is HER problem," the secretary answered, "and we do allow for the option to take the test again. So it isn't as though it is a big problem."
"She still needs the study guides for the state's tests," William answered, "the college does maintain study guides for that, correct?"
"Yes... but we update them every year," the secretary answered, "the guides for THIS school year haven't been made yet, and WON'T be made until closer to when the spring tests are normally given."
William sighed and began to rub his head. He had thought that this would have been rather simple and straight forward, and would enable him help his mate. It would enable him to prove his loyalty and his love and just how strong his bond to Martha was. Yet, things weren't going easy.
"How different is this year's tests to be be from last year's?" William asked.
"Probably not too different," the secretary admitted, "but that will depend entirely on what legislation the state passes between now and when the test is given regarding education..."
"Could I get the study guides for last school year's test then?" William asked, "I can pick up the study guides for this year's tests if they need to be taken again..."
"I can print them out," the secretary sighed, "if you can wait..."
He checked the clock that hung on the wall, and for the moment he did have time. He spoke that he could and patiently looked around the small office space that the secretary occupied. There was a door that likely lead into a second office that would be the office for the professor that was also the head of the education department. He noted the secretary's family photos and and some inspirational posters on the walls. All through this, he listened to the secretary click at things on her computer and then hearing the large office printer behind her hum and move paper through the machine. After about five minutes the secretary turned back the printer and collected several printouts, which the printer had sorted. She brought them back to the counter and stapled them all by hand.
"I've also included a test that we here in Moon Lake give for anyone that intends to apply within Moon Lake," the secretary spoke, "Given the local population..."
William guessed this was a code for the town's were-beast population.
"It's odd, but the town insists on it," the secretary answered.
"I'm sure they have good reasons," William answered as he took them, "and if your department has any further questions regarding my request or who it is for, they can contact me... William Anderson in the English Department regarding who made the request."
"Of course," the secretary nodded.
With that, William left. Things hadn't gone quite as planned, but he did have the material that Martha would need to catch up on what she had missed raising Nate and Eric.