Yume x Diego {Me and Uso. Mixed} Complete!

[Uso]

16. Yume flicked her tails around herself, letting her fur hit against her flames. At least she didn't catch on fire or anything, sine that would probably have ended very poorly for the gardens.

Since Yume didn't really want to be here in the first place, it was pretty easy for her to not really care all that much about what this brute did, or wanted to do. She sort of figured that Diego would end up pretty bored, or at least annoyed with her, so all of this probably wouldn't go on for that much longer. At least she hoped not. He may have had a beautifully bright coat, but that just wouldn't do it for Yume! Not at all.

Yume let out a short sigh. Why did everyone insist on talking about something? "I have a pup," she told him, hoping that would be enough to feed whatever he was going after. It may not have been any of his business, but it was better for her to just tell him now, so he wouldn't bother asking again. She had to think about wandering though. Wouldn't she end up lost here? It wasn't like she really ever had done much in the gardens. "Whatever you want," she said, sighing.

[kabuto_rocks]

He watched her flickering tails with odd fascination. It was weird how she herself didn't burn, although it did make sense for her own flames not to hurt her.

Taking her 'whatever you want' as a yes, he got to his feet. Quickly shaking off any bits of stray grass from his fur, he stretched out each leg before starting to walk. His pace was fairly slow, and he glanced back every now and again to check he wasn't leaving Yume behind.

You have a pup? That sparked his interest. He loved puppies, especially when they were all small and energetic I have pups too. I have five actually-although 2 are all grown up now He was hoping that wouldn't bother her. 5 puppies did sound rather a lot, but none of his kids lived with him. He didn't see his two eldest anymore, although he visited the other three whenever he could. Of course, the Volpe he had had the puppies with had a mate; that was rather awkward, and one of the reasons he didn't visit as often as he should. That male really didn't like him...

Tell me about your pup He offered, genuinely interested. He had no real idea of where he was walking, but he continued to step anyway

17/30

[Uso]

18. Was it honestly so interesting for her to have flames on the tips of her tails? She knew that she wasn't the only one, at least not in her pack, but maybe in his, there weren't any?

Now she was going to have to wonder what this beast was planning, though she wasn't too sure if she really cared or not. Either way, though, she stood up and started after him, assuming it would end up being better for the both of them, even though she would have much rathered stay right where she was before.

Yume nodded a little, though only slightly. It was quite possible that it wasn't even noticable... at all, really. "All of my young have grown. Some have pups of their own." Yes, it did make her happy to know that her offspring were doing well for themselves, though this tended to mean that they didn't have enough time for her. Of course, what did it matter? It was rather obvious that they wouldn't need her anymore, especially now that they were all grown and fully capable of it. She let out a short sigh, mostly to herself. What was she to do about that, anyway? It was over and done.

Yume thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Her name is Seika," she said simply. "My only pup." Well, that was true, and also sad at the same time.

[kabuto_rocks]

He had rather been banking that having been here twice before, he'd be able to find his way around. Apparently not. This place seemed at least twice as big as he'd thought it, and neither of the two areas he'd previously visited seemed to be around this time. Unless Yume had any ideas, he guessed they were going to enjoy some random rambling.

Seika. Cute name. I didn't have much say over my pup's names to be honest, although I did pick out my daughter's name. She's called Odette The origin of the name was rather embarrassing. He'd actually got it from a fairy tale he'd been told as a pup, although no one knew that. He guessed her mother just thought it was something he'd picked at random.

Fortunately, she doesn't seem to have had that 'adolescent' stage yet Diego grinned, remembering how much he'd been dreading it I'll probably handle it horribly if it happens. I love my pups to pieces, but it can be kinda hard showing them that sometimes He hoped he wasn't boring her, or going too soppy. He found it rather hard to read her actually. Normally he was pretty good at telling what Volpes were thinking

19/30

[Uso]

20. Considering the fact that Yume didn't really care if she got lost here or not, she had no problem at all following him anywhere that he may have led her. She knew that it wasn't wise, but she didn't really care. Of course, that meant that her human would be very irritated that Yume had wandered off far too far from where she had been dropped off.

Yume couldn't help but smile a little. It was nice to know that he had pups. Better yet, he seemed to have more than just one. "Seika's name means 'sacred fire,'" she explained a little further. "I didn't get to name her, but it fits her quite well." She actually figured that he didn't care all that much, but she didn't want to be a jerk or anthing, so she still tried to talk.

Seika had to think. Adolescent stage? There was a difference? Obviously her pup had always had an attitude, so there hadn't ever really been any difference in how she handled every other day. "I don't think I understand," she told him. "Seika has never acted different since she's grown. Surely from a puppy to an adult there was a large change, but nothing between any of that."

---

OOC: (I sorta wanted to make sure that you were okay with keeping this a mix. However, since I noted hat you liked the Royal/Normal hybrids so much, I wanted to give you the chance to make it so, as either way is fine with me *nods*)

[kabuto_rocks]

{Thanks for offering, but I don't mind keeping it a mix I know you have several others planned yourself and I don't want to delay you any more than I already have}

It was reassuring to see her smile, even if it was only a little. Hopefully that meant he hadn't been boring her. It was nice to hear that her pup's name had such a pretty meaning. He could remember Odette's meaning something like 'wealth', but Icepop was pretty much named randomly.

You were probably lucky then He smiled I hope my pups don't change much when they get older. Maybe I'm wrong though. Perhaps the so-called 'teen' years have been over hyped That would be a comforting thought. Diego wasn't one to yell or lose his temper. When people were mad at him he usually just squirmed uncomfortably while they were yelling at him, then gave them time to cool down before speaking back. Sometimes a reliable method, sometimes not.

Does Seika live with you? He guessed she probably did. After all, in his experience pups usually lived with their mothers. That might have sounded sexist, but he supposed it was only natural since they spent their youngest years with them. It was a shame, but he didn't mind too much about being a part-time father. At least he saw them occasionally

21/30

[Uso]

(OOC: If you're sure, then okay XP)

22. Yume slowly flicked her tails, though she had to be careful not to touch any of the plants that sat around them. Who's idea was it for her to come here? Oh, right, her human. Again. Oh well, at least she hadn't met some random beast that she'd end up hurting in the end, and then not bring puppies home, which was the entire point of this.

Yume blinked at him, then shook her head lightly. "No," she stated, unsure what else to do. "My pup has an attitude. I know she does, and so does she. She mainly gets it from her father." She snorted. Horrid beast, that one was, but she didn't quite plan on messing around with that subject all that much. It made her fairly uncomfortable, so moving on from that and onto another subject, any subject, really, would make her very happy indeed, at least for now.

Yume nodded lightly. "Yes, Seika lives with myself and my pack," she told him. Why would he ask that? "Do you not live with your pups?" she questioned, assuming that must have been why he did. She would probably have to have felt sorry for him, if that was the case, but she didn't really think it would be all that hard to feel a little bad for the fellow. She would hate not having Seika with her.

[kabuto_rocks]

A pup with an attitude? He guessed she wouldn't really notice then if said attitude increased during adolescence. Diego tried to remember if he'd been moody himself. He'd been flirty yes, and very rebellious with his friends. But he was still flirty, and was known to do wild things even now. Maybe he'd just never grown up.

Diego was surprised to feel the slightest tinge of jealousy at the mention of Seika's father. He did usually feel slightly jealous around other males when it came to females. He did enjoy teasing males sometimes by flirting with their girlfriends. He would have liked to hear more about this male, but he sensed Yume didn't really want to talk about it. He certainly wasn't going to force her to.

Ah, so she did have a pack. His wings flapped happily as he thought about his own pack. Packs were fun, packs were family. At least, while his real family couldn't be there.
I live with a pack He explained But not my pups. My two eldest went to live in a different place, and my youngest chose to stay with their mother's pack He'd been disappointed by that, despite his attempts to hide it. Icepop had seemed to love visiting the beach when she was younger. He'd rather hoped she'd move there permanently when she was old enough.

I do still see them though He added hurriedly. He wanted to make it clear that he didn't abandon them, which was what some Volpes seemed to see it as unfortunately When they're not too busy. Or when their stepfather doesn't mind His voice took on an unusually snarky tone when he said 'stepfather'. It wasn't deeply hateful, but it was rather clear he didn't think much of him

23/30

[Uso]

24. Yume tilted her head off to the side as the brute spoke. It was strange to see any form of care from a brute. Perhaps she had just gotten too use to males not caring far too much about their pups, but this one did seem to care, at least a little. It was quite a nice change from what she happened to be use to, but it wasn't something that she could let herself know far too much, or else she'd expect something from Broken... which would never happen.

The female turned her attention to the sky, though only for a moment. She was surprised that it was still nice out, or maybe she just wanted a reason for Uso to come and bring her home. That was, of course, very rude of her. "I wouldn't ever be able to live with myself if I were to allow my offspring to leave my pack," she replied simply. She wasn't entirely sure of the story, though, but she didn't think it was her right to know, anyway. It wasn't like it mattered or not, since his pack probably worked far differently than her's, and that was just how it must have been for him.

Yume looked back at Diego, unsure as to what he had meant. "A stepfather?" she questioned, never even thinking of such a term. "Your pups willingly let someone else take your role?" That just didn't seem right, at least not to her. There was no way that she would allow such a thing to happen. Nor would Broken, which was hard to believe. He had some form of compassion towards his offspring, at least enough to not lt anyone else play daddy.

[kabuto_rocks]

He couldn't help but automatically flinch at her last comment. It wasn't really her fault-he just hated that particular phrasing. Diego shook his head, his voice taking on a fierce, but not angry tone.

He hasn't taken my role. He's not my pups' dad, and they don't see him that way Diego would pretty much die if that happened. It had been one of his earliest fears, and one he was glad didn't play out He's just... He frowned, thinking how to word it properly. It was an odd thing to explain, the relationship between him, Octile and the pups.

The male is their mother's mate. He sort of looks after them, although I have a feeling he's not too keen on them because of me It was undeniable that the tension was there. Octile played the good uncle at times, but Diego knew that he'd prefer it without any pups. It was quite stressful really, leaving your pups with someone who you know didn't care for them as much as they should. He'd always had horrible visions of having heard something happen to them, although he knew by now that their mother would never let anything happen to them. Even so...

25/30

[Uso]

26. Yume flicked her ears back. She hadn't really meant to hurt him in any way, but she just didn't understand how he could have allowed someone else to be anywhere near his own offspring. Of course, it wasn't like she knew anything about it.

The female blinked lightly at him, trying to figure out what she could say to fix it. "I didn't mean it to be rude..." she whispered, looking down. "I just... don't trust anyone with my pup. I don't even trust her father. Though..." she paused, shaking her head. "I don't think she trusts anyone, anymore." She felt that was true, but that was always the case, anymore.

With a light sigh, Yume continued to think about what she could do about this... thing. "Do not call him their step-father," she said. "It would be better for you to think a bit less of him. If... you say he's their father, even a 'step-father,' then... he means more?" It wasn't like she understood, but she actually sort of wanted to, she just wasn't quite sure as to how she could make sense of it all, at least not right now. Maybe it would just take her a bit of time to understand how "steps" worked in the family, if at all. If... he would let her understand now.

[kabuto_rocks]

Lifting his head, Diego looked at Yume. She seemed kinda sad at the moment-maybe that was just how he interpreted it, but either way he didn't want her to feel awkward.
Don't worry He reassured her It wasn't rude, and I know you didn't mean it that way. I guess I'm just kinda sensitive about my kids His tail flicked apologetically.

He could understand Yume's protectiveness. After the pups had been born, Diego had been desperately trying to pup-proof everything around him, ready for their visit. They'd been these tiny, bewildering bundles of fluff, so small and so fragile. Thank goodness he'd managed to relax after their second visit. He didn't want to turn into one of those unbearable fathers.

Her advice was a pleasant surprise. It was oddly comforting, and Diego smiled gently.
Thanks. That makes a lot of sense Looking back up at the sky, he let out a small sigh I just got used to calling him a stepfather because I figured that's how they'd prefer it. Believe me, there's a lot more different words I'd pick if I had the choice He smirked at this, some of his usual cheeriness coming back

27/30

[Uso]

28. Yume blinked at the brute for a moment or two, not really sure what else she should do about what was going on. Yes, she knew that she may have been a bit rude before, but at least he didn't take it to heart all that much. Maybe it wasn't going to be all that bad, at least for now, it wouldn't. "I really am sorry, though," she told him. It was usually quite hard for her to honestly be sorry, but she figured that it had to be very hard to talk about your pups when you didn't get to see them every second of every day.

After a moment or two, Yume started thinking again. Maybe that was part of Broken's problem? He just didn't get to see his pup, so he was pushing everyone else around? She shook her head lightly. No, he had always been like this. Having a puppy around him would probably just make things far worse, which would be very bad for the rest of the pack. It would always be better to keep her pup as far away from him as possible.

The female could only shrug, since she herself didn't really think the advice was all that good, but what did she know? It wasn't like she often times tried to make sense of other's situations, but it was about a puppy, so it was some-what her job to take care of it. Being female and all, the maternal instinct tended to kick in, even when it wasn't really needed. That wasn't a problem, though, and she knew that. "I can only imagine the things you'd like to say," she said, smiling lightly.

[kabuto_rocks]

Really, it's okay He smiled, partly to try and reassure her that the conversation hadn't upset him too much, and partly because, well...He was quite flattered by her concern really. I mean, if she was worried that she'd upset him, then surely that meant she liked him? At least, hopefully she didn't dislike him. Diego would be happy to settle for that, even if she didn't want to be friends.

He liked seeing her smile again too. His grin widened at her comment.
Well, sometimes I am tempted Octile was a grumpy Volpe though, and would probably try to rip some limb of Diego's off in return. He was rather attached to his legs to be honest.

Just so you know, I don't want you thinking I'm this...downcast all the time He explained shyly, his tail flicking thoughtfully I mean, I don't usually talk about my pups. Not that I don't want to! Wow, this was going badly. He was either going to sound like an uncaring father or a complete moron What I mean is, normally Volpes don't really seem to want to hear about them. I guess I'm trying to say thanks for asking. It's nice to get how I feel off my chest sometimes And now he was sounding like a sap. Great. Glancing up at her, he hoped he hadn't completely ruined the chatting they'd been doing

29/30

[Uso]

30. Yume, of course, still felt a little guilty, but at least he didn't seem upset with her. As long as that happened, then she could say that she had a successful day of not making anyone angry with her, or someone else. It really was quite the thing when that could happen for a whole day. Slowly, she wrapped her tail around herself, but it only lasted for a moment or two. The flames even made her a little toasty sometimes.

Yume nodded lightly. "It must be hard to hold yourself back, when he gets so much more time with your offspring," she said, blinking at the brute. "I'm unsure if I myself would be able to handle anything like that. He would probably be tailless, if I had it my way." Thankfully, she didn't.

The female tilted her head a little. A downcast? She hadn't said that he was a downcast, had she? Well, it wasn't like she honestly knew what that was, but that was fine with her, really. "I understand that you can't see your offspring," she stated, trying to make it a little better for him. "I can't blame you for not getting to see them when it isn't even your choice." She said, then listened a little more. "Most Volpes do not care. They tend to take after other humans. Sometimes not even their own. Some humans... need to be bitten a few times," she said, flicking her ear. "They're not always nice like the human you own."