So...Didn't really have any ideas for what comes next for this story so I decided to give this Flashback for Marzipan's own childhood about her own mother and showing how her Mom why a real 'Conformity Addict' she was inspired by Tabitha Twitchit from Beatrix Potter's Tom Kitten stories just a real stick-in-the-mud character too concerned about being 'proper'
As Ichabod returned he gave Marzipan a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Told you I'd be quick…" He whispered
"Where were you?" Marzipan asked
"I was apologizing to Zeb…" Ichabod said
Marzipan stopped and thought, she thought about her own Kittenhood on Mizzer and thinking about her fostering those Mutant Cubs to her own childhood days...Suddenly something came flooding back to her particularly since Uncle Gus had returned…
So while Eartha said she would hold the two lilies in their pots until a third one could be found to complete the potion...Jonathan thanked the Mutants for their efforts and the three of them returned to the cottage.
As Marzipan sat on the sofa on Jonathan began to prepare supper...The Cat-Girl was twiddling her thumbs listening to the sound of the clock ticking…
"Ichabod…" Marzipan said quietly
"Yes?" Ichabod said
"I just realized…" Marzipan said "...If you're going to meet my parents...I really should tell you about how...Bigoted...My parents were to Humanimals of different species...Heck they weren't that keen on Cats who weren't Ragdolls...There was such an obsession with being 'Papered Purebreds' there was to be NO marrying any other breeds! But anyway...I remember one day after Kindergarten I came to talk about what I learned…"
FLASHBACK
Marzipan walked up to her mother Esmeralda who was doing some embroidery seemed to be one of the few joys she had in her repressed life…
"Mom…" Marzipan said
"Yes Marzipan…" Esmeralda said keeping her feline eyes nearly completely closed thinking Marzipan was going to ask her for something to eat or for some toy she had just seen a commercial for on TV...Her opinion on her freakish Pink and Purple Daughter was really very low.
"I learned something new in school today…" Marzipan said
"That's nice…" Esmeralda purred thinking it was a good sign her daughter was paying attention in school
"Today we learned about Martin Luther King Jr, Harriet Tubman and Jackie Robinson...Three humans who were black and when white humans were prejudiced to black humans!"
"That's good that you're learning…" Esmeralda said still not really even thinking about what Marzipan was actually saying
"And the teacher said prejudice was wrong and all the humans should share and live together…" Marzipan continued
"Yes Dear." Esmeralda said nodding her head like a bobblehead
"And then I thought...Why do we Humanimals all live in separate districts? Isn't that prejudice?"
And Esmeralda's fur floofed up and her needle ripped through the cloth.
"You said Cats are better than all other Humanimals and we have to stay away from the other Humanimals...Isn't that prejudice? You say that humans are always right so why can't we be friends with other Humanimals?"
And Esmeralda had a...Catatonic...Look on her face, she was now getting flashbacks to her own Kittenhood where her own wicked witch of a mother ruling over her kittens with an iron fist! And Esmeralda being a meek little wilting flower of a Kitten obeyed everything, but her willful older brother Asparagus was the one who was defiant...And he was the one who got dragged behind the shed and whipped with a switch, Esmeralda never got punished but that seemed to make her more fearful because she never got punished it became worse in her mind than it really was! Gus remained defiant and followed his dream of becoming an actor...And that seemed to push Esmeralda's fear of her own mother even further fearing as if her Mother had become a supernatural demon who could punish her and her family from beyond the grave such was Esmeralda's cowardice!
So rather than answer Marzipan's question because she knew she had no answer...(For once silently acknowledging her Freakish daughter's cleverness) and instead she walked like a zombie into the tool shed and just cried…
And Marzipan listened to her Mom blubbering like a baby...That genuinely left her stumped! Normally if she asked a question her parents didn't like she normally got a curt snappish answer like 'Don't ask about that!' or 'That's not for us to know!' But this time she wondered if she had genuinely broke her Mom's brain! So she decided to never ask that particular question again but she still didn't change her mind about getting to know the other species of Humanimals…
So yeah Esmeralda really does not get seen in a flattering light showing the ugly side of cowardice