“Keep an eye on our cubs,” Brittany nudging her mate Jake as she gets up; “I need to use the bathroom.”
“Where are they,” Jake looking to the end of the table that most of the cubs were placed except for those still in high chairs.
“Skulking back into the corner over there,” Brittany motions towards a corner of Jimmy and Allison’s portion of the combined backyard; the anthro wolf fury getting up from the massive picnic table. “Save me a slice of pie.”
Jake nods as he notices his son and daughter looking sullen. Deciding he has had enough of it, the stag-deer fury rises from his seat and approaches the two.
“Are you going to spend the entire gathering avoiding everyone as if they have fleas,” Jake staring at his cubs; “stop looking glum and spend some time with your grandparents as well as their cubs, your aunts and uncles.”
“But we don’t want to,” Dawn nibbling on a chip as she and her twin brother sit on the shady side of a utility shed.
“Is this true,” Jake looking at the grey charcoal fur anthro wolf Dusk; “does your sister speak for the both of you?”
“hrmp,” Dusk responds as he reluctantly gets up and rejoins the table. Jake returns his gaze at Dawn as she refuses to get up.
“Your mother will make sure this will not go unanswered when we go home,” Jake getting down to his daughter’s level; “she is getting frustrated at your refusal to listen and your unwillingness to learn from your mistakes. Yes you are a cub,” Jake doing his best to be comforting; “yes you mother loves you as well as I. But we have to correct your behavior before it gets to the point where police might get involved. And if that happens,” Jake managing to get his daughter’s attention; “then there is nothing we can do. You do realize you could have been charged as a juvenile delinquent for that stunt at school,” Jake seeing his daughter beginning to cry; “your mother managed to talk the principal out of that. But next time,” Jake staring at his daughter; “next time you might not be so lucky. I suggest you think about that,” Jake pausing to look at his nephew as he talks with the black bear fury cub; “especially if you are planning to torment your cousin again or something just as dumb while we are all here.”
Jake doesn’t let Dawn answer as he gets up and walks away letting his fatherly advice do its best to sink in. He left out the part that there was talk about sending her and her brother to a boarding school that specializes in troublemakers; however, both he and Brittany are hoping not to use such a card as they are hoping that this is nothing more than a phase that some children go through. He sits back down at the table just as Brittany arrives; seeing Dusk back at his seat but keeping to himself, Jake at least took that as a small victory.
“No pie,” Brittany looking around for her slice; “what were you doing?”
“Trying to get our cubs to stop sulking,” Jake glancing back to see Dawn still hasn’t left her spot; “progress has been stubbornly slow for our daughter. Your punishment has really put her through the wringer.”
“Good,” Brittany eyeing the pies being passed down and waiting to get a slice; “it’s meant to make her think that what she did was wrong.”
“Not arguing that,” Jake looking to see Dusk picking at his chips; “but we can’t keep showing them the stick. I think it’s time to present the carrot,” Jake’s runes glowing and some of the pink dye on Dusk’s fur disappearing; “the more they make an effort to socialize with family, the more the pink is removed.” Jake watched as Dusk looked surprised to see some of the pink dye turn back to his natural fur color; seeing the wolf cub look up in tears, Jake just gives his son a silent nod and lifts up his plate to show him there is pie if he wants a slice. “No doubt our daughter will notice Dusk looking less pink,” Jake enjoying the slice of peach cobbler; “hopefully she will put two and two together and join us.”
“Hopefully,” Brittany looking at her son as he plops a slice of apple pie on top of his chips and starts shoveling the strange mixture into his muzzle; “next its get them to eat more fruits and vegetables and less salty and sugary junk.”
As Brittany and Jake discussed how they intend to address their cub’s actions for today, Lucas and Rachael Soulfang were doing their best to prevent their two year old cubs from making a mess when they lit up with the sight of a small slice of pie with a bit ice cream added to their plates. The two cubs screaming with delight as the cold treat excited them just as much as pudding; the two with furred wolf cubs quickly downed the cold treat all the while they used their spoons as makeshift clubs to bash the small pie slices. The splatter of pie going everywhere; their antics did not go unnoticed as Adam; Edward and Julian’s anthro cougar cub also started to smash his dessert in gleeful excitement.
“Looks like we have terrors in high chairs,” Edward chuckling; watching as Lucas and Rachael struggle to reign in theirs, while Julian tries to calm Adam down.
“And they are hoped on sugar,” Lucas answering over the backdrop of some chuckling.
“How long before the fireworks begin,” Jimmy J.R speaking as he get the attention of his parents; getting up from eating his fill of BBQ and pie he was followed behind Sora Clawfoot as she too was full from the backyard feast.
“An hour after sunset,” his father summoning his phone to look at the time; “why don’t you go inside and put on a movie. Your mother and I will let you know when the fireworks begin,” Jimmy S.R urging his son on.
“You want to meet Dickens,” Jimmy J.R looking at Sora; “he might be napping but likes getting snuggles.”
“Can I meet the kitty too,” a little voice coming from behind. Jimmy turning around to see his Grandfather’s daughter Roxy; a tigress cub who has a tawny furred chest and belly in lieu of the traditional white fur with black stripes.
“Just as long as you are gentle,” Jimmy flexing his retractable claws, not as a threat but as a warning that they could do damage to the small feline. “You have claws like me, so please be careful with them.”
“At least you two and hide them,” Sora holding up her hand paw; the claws while trimmed back were still sharp and could easily rend flesh if enough force was applied; “these have ruined several pillows already.”
“I once left scratch marks on a door,” Jimmy smiling as he led the two girls through the back door of the house; “why don’t you wait by the t.v and I’ll see if Dickens is in my room.”
The two girls quietly hang by in the living room as Jimmy runs upstairs and enters his room. A few moments later he comes back down with a Siamese Seal point cat with chocolate paws. The cat still looking sleepy was looking less then amused at being disturbed from its slumber; yet it began purring when furry fingers began stroking and gently scratching the cat as it gets comfortable in Jimmy’s lap. Allison enters the house to see three cubs sitting by the coach admiring a cat as Jimmy fiddles with the remote.
“Do you need help,” Allison looking at her son.
“Dad said to put on a movie,” Jimmy looking at the options that were available thanks to his mother’s parental locks on the various options available; “But I can’t find the cartoons on this.”
“Let me,” Alison extending a paw for the remote; fiddling with the menus, she pulls up the children friendly section of the streaming service and hands the remote back to her son.
“So what movie should we watch,” Jimmy looking through the options; “not sure what Sora and Roxy would like.
Back outside, Dawn noticed that her cousin along with their baby Aunt when inside along with the older Black Bear cub; she pondered what to do. Noticing that her twin brother’s fur is looking less pink, she quietly fumed as to why he got rewarded and not her. Getting up she stomps over towards her brother and glares.
“What did you do,” Dawn looking petulant for a five year old; “why are you less pink than me?”
“I listened to dad,” Dusk responded as he finished his pie; “and I’m bored. I want to play, not hide away from everyone.” Dusk then gets up to join his grandparents as they work on getting Oliver and Paul to finish their dessert.
“Well look who decided to come out of hiding,” Lucas seeing his grand cub sitting in the empty space next to him; “are you excited for the fireworks later Dusk?”
“I guess,” Dusk answering; “but is there anything to do until then? I’m bored and I don’t think I can eat another bite,” Dusk feeling full.
“Why don’t you spend some time with your cousin Jimmy J.R,” Lucas doing his best to be warm with his troublesome grandson.
“No,” Dusk answering; “but keep a watch on my sister. She is planning something. I think she is going to do something to Jimmy,” Dusk sounding sullen as he exhales; the mentioning of Jimmy getting his mother’s attention as she was within ear shot and promptly sat next to her son. Her stare not lost on him as he reluctantly told her what Dawn said earlier about Jimmy’s cat Dickens.
“As long as you stay next to your grandparent,” Brittany trying to remain calm; “then you have nothing to worry about.”
“But what about Dawn,” Dusking looking at his mother; “what are you going to do to her?”
“I don’t know,” Brittany sighing; “but you sister needs to stop acting out or things are only going to get worse. Stay with your grandparents or with your father,” Brittany getting up; “I’m going to have to have another talk with her, because this sulking is getting out of control.”