Contents:
Flame
Briska
Obvious exits:
North <N> leads to Overgrown Lands - Route 11: Off the Route.

Finally - a break in the storm. Spring came early this year, and many of the pokemon in the Assisi Farm piled out of the stuffy barn to start their lives for the new year. Most of them regret it - the weather has been cold, wet, and all around mucky, and the soft grace of the flowing green grass is replaced with mud. Dark, gloopy, blechy mud. Though the inhabitants of the barn are leaving day by day, there are still enough creatures in the building to track in enough mud to leave the area near the door awfully slippery and just plain yucky. Needless to say, the Growlithe family in the corner was intent upon staying inside today, not out of overprotection or apathy... just sort of out of the desire to avoid having puppies soaked with mud for days to come. Aurora is taking a couple hours for a decent nap, though given the noise the puppies may make she may or may not get this rest. Peppy himself is wide awake, chowing down on bits of a Rattata that the puppies didn't finish off, tail wagging happily as he does. "Grrr... grrr... grrrowl!" he ruffs to himself contentedly through bites, apparently quite cheerful. Mostly because he's eating. That's Peppy for ya.

Bah, humbug! Flame's fine with staying inside. Who needs stuff like sun, clouds and...fresh air? Not this puppy! Sitting in his usual corner of the barn, Flame fiddles with the wood beneath his feet, scratching meaningless marks into its splintery surface. He carves lines over older ones, and digs his claws into some others, making sure that they don't fade away from wear and tear. Looking up from his activities, Flame spies the door and the muddy paw prints that surround the barn's entrance. His attention is diverted to his father, and he watches as Peppy makes an irritating ruckus as he eats. Slapping his face with his paw, Flame shakes his head back and forth, letting a few locks of his unkempt mane fall over his expressionless emeralds. <Geez.> he groans, rolling his eyes and going back to his wood scratching. He squints his eyes and breathes slowly as he pays extra attention to one mark in particular, and he painstakingly traces a line as he etches it deeper into the wood.

It's sunny spring day, and Briska seems perfectly content to stay indoors. ..Yeah, it's likely because he's forgotten the outside, but at least he's not kicking up a fuss and wanting to rush out the door like Dusk or Dakota might. The young pup leans against his mother, savouring the warm fullness of his belly and the warmth of his mother's touch. The expression on his face is classic Briska - mindless happiness. The puppy is quite content with leaning up against his mom, digesting his food and watching the world go by. He hasn't quite made observation into the science that Dusk has, so his gaze rarely focuses on anything in particular. Sometime he looks at the sleeping Dusk and Karen, sometimes at the exploring Dakota, sometimes at the grumpy Flame, and sometimes at that wall or that piece of straw or that dust mite.

Few things strike Peppy of more importance than eating, and it shows; his eyes are closed as he eats, no doubt to savor every single bite of Rattata meat, every little drip of blood that didn't trickle out on the way home. "Grrr-owli!" he woofs after swallowing, a noise that can only be translated as something of a <Man!> One eye blinks open, and the adult Growlithe peers down at the corpse in front of him. <That's got to be the best Rattata I've ever had,> he notes, but oh, no, not nice and quietly and to himself - no, he actually assumes that the puppies are interested in knowing and that Aurora really doesn't need to sleep, it's more important to wake her up with that. Swish-swish-swish goes his big, bushy tail, and for the first time in a few minutes, he scans over the little Growlithes, nodding slowly at each one. One... two-three... four... and five. And a mother to boot. Stretching his head up high, Peppy cracks open his jaw, parting it wide enough to let a rather loud yawn escape from the bottom of his lungs. As he brings his head back down, smacking his chops here and there, he idly lifts up a back paw to scratch at a flea on his side. Exciting.

Flame carefully etches the line into the wood, and he's concentrating so hard, it looks as if he's not even breathing. Suddenly, Peppy announces to the world just how delicious his meal is. The older Growlithe's loud exclamation startles Flame, and he jerks his paw forward, cutting a line straight through whatever it is he's working on. For a second he looks baffled, and he just stands there staring at his ruined masterpiece. He peers at the muddied wood with unblinking eyes, and slowly his expression of puzzlement turns to one of anger. Pinning his ears against his head, the bulky puppy contorts his face into a disgusted grimace. His breathing quickens as he struggles to keep a lid on his flaring temper, and he squeezes his eyes shut, gritting his teeth tightly together, clenching his jaw muscles with the effort. <Daaaaaaaaadddddd!> he half shouts, half growls, shooting his happy go lucky father an enraged glance, like one of a teenager that's mad at their parent for embarrassing them in front of their friends.

Briska's dark green eyes turn to his father when he speaks. His face is empty of all thought for a few seconds, before his mouth lifts in a grin. "Owli," he murmurs, giving voice to his feelings of warm-stomach-warm-heart-warm-body, even if it's not translatable in Growlithe terms. But then Flame starts up. Briska blinks, his neck moving and his eyes snapping to his brother, one paw lifting slightly off the ground. Briska's ears lower for a second before he brings them forward and gets to all four paws. What happened? Briska whines questioningly to his brother, his large eyes full of concern. What's wrong? The puppy looks around Flame's corner...he can't see any thing there that could have hurt him...his gaze returns to his black furred brother, now looking confused as well as concerned.

Ah, how peaceful everything is. Dakota scrambling by, Briska's wide eyed curiousity, Aurora's peaceful breathing... and Flame's loud annoyed shout. A ripple sprints down Peppy's spine, and the Growlithe jumps up to all four paws. His orange fur stands on end, and he clenches the wood floor as tightly as he can, his body tense and defensive. <What?! Huh?!> Reason and reality sink in after a moment or two, and Peppy's stance falters slightly as he leans forward on his front paws. His face shifts from wide-eyed worry and surprise to narrow-eyed suspicion. His eyes lock onto Flame, giving the black-furred puppy a rather tough looking glare. Dad did not appreciate that at all. Like Briska, Peppy is questioning the scene in his mind. Flame doesn't look hurt or threatened or anything of the sort, just sort of... well, glaring back. Peppy breaths in through his nose, his furry chest expanding out greatly, before letting it all out through his mouth. Three or four steps are taken towards Flame. As he approaches his son, Peppy asks, in as calm and collective a voice as possible, <Is something the matter, Flame?>

Flame takes his attention away from Peppy a moment, and refocuses his eyes on his brother Briska. Regarding the orange furred pup levelly, he lets a jet of air leave his nostrils in a snort of irritation. He knits his brows as he stares at Briska, and his annoyance grows as he peers into his sibling's large eyes. While he has no real reason to be angry with his brother, this situation has left him agitated with just about everything in the barn beside himself. Peppy's question catches him off guard, and his eyes land on the standing Growlithe once more. They don't stay there for long, and he lets them drift to the floor where he had been diligently working. Half of his scratch marks have been run through, and all of his separate notches are hardly legible as a result. They're now little more than a mess of lines, and he has no way of telling one from the other. With a frustrated grumble he kicks some hay over the miniature sight of chaos, and he looks back at Peppy. <Nuthin.> is his reply. He doesn't have the vocabulary to tell his dad what he really feels, but perhaps it's for the better.

Well, Flame and Briska are in a nice little staring contest, for the orange-furred one doesn't take his eyes off of the black sheep of the family. Briska's biggest reaction to Flame's level stare is to lower his ears and then, ever so slightly, his puffy tail. Flame is quite good at that stare. But Briska is quite good at his own brand of stare - the worried yet uncomprehending look in his eyes suits him quite well. And then the contest ends. The fluffy pup continues to look over at his brother, giving the straw he kicked merely a flick of the eyes, before the youngster comes up with an idea to end all ideas! He falls into a play bow, his rump pointed upwards and tail wagging softly and he smiles - a bit hesitantly - at his brother, trying to entice him to play. "Row!" he yips, rather quietly considering how noisy puppies can be sometimes.

Dusk has connected.

Peppy comes to stop when Flame's undeniable inadequate supply hits his ears. The adult Growlithe's front paw remains suspended limply in the air. His face takes on a look that can only be described as "light disbelief". His eyebrowss furrow slightly, and his mouth snaps shut and creases into a disappointed frown. Peppy doesn't even have to speak; it's evident in his face that he's mentally questioning Flame on whether or not the puppy things that reply is sufficient enough to warrant an acceptable response. But now, here's the question - what's Peppy going to do about it? His stance becomes tense. His limbs stiffen and his head lowers slightly as his mind quarrels with what's the best thing to do. After a few moments, he takes in a deep breath through his black nose... and sighs once again, shaking his head and turning back to Briska. Should have known he wouldn't have the guts to scold the kid. He begins to head back to Aurora, face far from pleased. He for once doesn't look more cheerful even at little Briska's playful little position and his happy little yip.

When Peppy's stance turns tense and rigid, Flame follows suit, and his own muscles stiffen as he waits to be scolded. Flame lowers his own head, and he offers Peppy a snort of his own. He scratches the ground with one of his paws like a Tauros preparing to charge an enemy in an uncontrolled Tackle attack. Flame takes Peppy's backing down as a victory in an on going power struggle. He lifts his head, and tilts his chest and chin towards the wooden ceiling. If one listens closely, they might be able to pick up a light chucking under the pup's breath. Giving his tail a couple of pleased wags, Flame appears to have forgotten the whole mishap he was previously making such a big fuss about. Turing around to spot Briska again, Flame is unsure how to react to his brother's outward playfulness. <Yeah? What'cha want?> he asks, his posture aloof, a look of superiority in his eyes as he questions his dimwitted littermate.

Briska watches only his brother, and so is rather confused when Flame stiffens for no reason he can discern. The fluffy pup is also listening closely when his brother wins the power struggle, but his only reaction to Flame's nasty chuckle is a quick tilt of his head. And Flame's response to his question? He couldn't honestly think Briska was going to tell him anything, could he? No, Briska uses actions to convey his thoughts. "Ow! Li!" he yaps, a bit more insistently now. He scooches closer to his brother, still in the puppy's traditional play bow. It's a canine symbol for 'let's play!'; apparently, Briska doesn't have any particular game in mind, he just wants to engage his brother in some fun! It's something Flame has likely been faced with before - for whatever reason, Briska likes to seek out his intelligent brother and try to get him to play.

Dusk rises from the mound of sleeping fluff like a vampire sitting up from its coffin. She blinks bleary eyes at the barn around her, then rubs her face with paw. She steps over the sleeping form of her sister and then slips into a stretch. One hind foot is extended and then returned to the ground, followed by the other, then she arches her back like a Caterpie and yawns. With a wild shake of her black-eared head, the puppy takes another look around and then makes for the nearest living her creature...Peppy. She attempts to great him with a wag, although now might not be such a good time. Her blue eyes twinkle with love and energy. Both of her ears prick forward and she notes her brothers just beyond him. Maybe she'd find out what they are doing in a minute.

Shadows lengthen and the light turns golden as the sun sinks toward the west through a clear sky.

Peppy's eyes are more focused on Aurora than on the puppies at this point, and he comes to a stop to watch her sleeping body for a few moments. The sounds of Flame rejoicing over his "victory" don't hit Peppy's ears; his focus is upon his mate. Movements out of the corner of his eye, however, cause his attention to shift right on over... to Dusk. Peppy watches her for a moment, every one of her sleek and slightly sleepy moves. He turns back to Aurora, and, despite his brain's wishes, smiles subtly. He glances back at Dusk, and woofs a soft <Hey there, Dusk.> Looking to see if his other children are aware of the newly awake pokemon, Peppy lifts his head back up and peers over at his shoulder at Briska and Flame, who seem more interested in each other than anything else. ... Well, at least, Briska is to Flame. <I left a little Rattata for you and Karen,> he woofs, now turning back to his daughter. With his muzzle, he gestures to the mostly eaten corpse not too far from him. <In case you're... hungry? Yeah?> His tail wags slowly, but at least it's not droopy and depressed.

How could anyone possibly resist anything as sickeningly adorable as Briska? Flame tilts his head to the side, and he lets his tongue loll out of his mouth as he considers the other pup's playful stance. Under normal circumstances, he might slap Briska away, or just turn his back on his brother and walk to his usual corner of the barn. However, his latest victory has put him in an especially good mood, and he offers Briska *Gasp!* What's this? A smile! His grin, while small, doesn't lack in affection, and he flicks his tail from side to side a few times. "Grrrowl!" he woofs, tossing his head back and sending a stray lock of silver back over his head and behind his ears. For one of the first times in his life Flame actually humors Briska. He too gets into a play bow, thrusting his behind into the air, and barking happily. Keeping his eye on Briska, Flame does a small leap forward, play charging his friendly brother. <Com'ere!> he snarls, curling his upper lip and revealing the tips of his pointy canines. His snarl, while vicious and convincing, is all part of the act. If he's gonna play, he might as well play tough right?

One of Briska's ears, still large due to his youth, flick towards Dusk as she rises and moves. Peppy's use of the word Dusk /almost/ cause him to look back, and indeed his head moves slightly to the side before Flame's reaction comes to his brother's senses. The youngster doesn't waste time being shocked; if he can remember other encounters with Flame well enough to know this isn't typical behaviour, he doesn't show it. "Rowli, row!" Briska yaps, his tail now slapping the sides of his haunches in his joy. As Flame gets into a play bow, Briska gets out of his and spins around in a happy circle. It's time to move and play. <Fuhlaaaaaayme!> he barks, frisking on his paws as his lips curve into a face-splitting grin. Joy has very obviously overcome this pup - there's no hint of fear at his brother's snarl. Certainly not, as Briska leaps heavily into the air with the intent to pounce on his brother a second later. Time to start the show!

Dusk grins toothily at her father, wagging her plume of a tail happily. <Hi daddy,> she yips softly before slinking past the Rattata and on toward her brothers. Apparently, her appettite has shrunk. Casting her icy eyes on Flame, she sneers. Is that the balck sheep of the family playing? The little female sticks her nose in the air and appraoches the pair slowly and confidently. Her oversize puppy paws still carrying her smoothly across the floor. She approaches Briska, peering from him to Flame and blinking at them curiously. <Well well,> she murmurs, snickering.

What's that smell? Candylion? Better save be-Ooo, pretty colors! (Delet-er, saving!)

The peaceful moment between Dusk and Peppy is broken by the sound of Flame's rather realistic snarl. Peppy's ear perks curiously, and, once more furrowing his eyebrows, the Growlithe turns his head around, almost apprehensively. The sight confirms his worries. Flame almost never engages in any remote fun with his littermates, and the fact that he's snarling at Briska can only mean one thing; the black-furred pup is, as usual, being mean to Briska. <Flame!> Peppy's voice is far less patient this time; his voice is loud and stern, obviously annoyed and perhaps even a little concerned over Briska and Dusk, who are in the dark puppy's vicinity. Peppy takes two steps towards the fight, eyes cold and narrowed, and barks, every bit as loudly, <You knock it off this instant, Flame. Right. Now.> Wow. Peppy's actually... getting POed. He doesn't move just yet, perhaps giving Flame a moment or two to retreat for himself before taking action.

The evening stars come out as the red-orange sun sinks below the horizon.

Like Briska, Flame also notices Dusk's movement. He silently prays he's imagining things, and that his dark furred sister is still sleeping next to Aurora. Alas, fate is not always kind, and his suspicions are confirmed when Peppy calls his sister's name. He pins his ears against his head, and the smile is lost to a disappointed frown. Turning his head away from their little game, Flame mutters something incoherent under his breath, and the hair on the back of his neck stands on end. His mop of a tail stops wagging, and droops lifelessly as Dusk nears the pair of brothers. Is he going to greet his sister? Or, is he going to spit some sort of rude ridicule at her? Neither. He's going to ignore Daddy's Girl for now. Acting like a toy that's just had its batteries replaced, Flame returns to his previous body posture and movements. His tail spins in unrestrained circles, and he woofs at his brother, the tone of his bark rich, and smooth as maple syrup. Peppy's loud scolding catches Flame by surprise, and his eyes widen in a mixture of shock and hurt disbelief. <Wha?> he asks uncertainly, staggering away from his father. <What?> he finally manages to ask, bewilderment in his eyes.

Briska has no real time to respond to Dusk, even if he knew how to give her a greeting other than a bark or a lick. He's got his paws full. Not quite with what he wanted to have them full with - that would be Flame - but with floor. The orange furred male lands with a heavy thunk on four splayed paws, straw crunching under them. He stares straight ahead, not seeing what he expected to see and wondering how this could be. He stares. Did Flame go invisible? Did he meld into the wall? Briska soon tunes into the helpful hints his ears are giving him and slowly turns around. Oh. Flame moved. That explains a lot. The pup's tail begins to flick from side to side like a jaunty metronome as he spies his brother and then his sister. More fun! Yay! To Flame's bark, Briska replies with a high-pitched wuff and a grin, one that is wiped off of his face when Peppy scolds. Briska's eyes widen and his tail droops as if the words were directed at him. "Lii," he whines scrambling to his brother's side; should Flame let him near him, he'll stand by Flame, looking with confusion between his brother, father and sister. The pain in Flame's voice registers with the loving puppy...but he sure doesn't know what to do about it.

Dusk stands staring at the boys blankly. Her scorn melting as the good natured puppy takes the dark one's side. How could that be? Didn't he know it was just a ploy? Flame would only hurt him? Or maybe the other puppy had genuinely wanted to play this time...Dusk studies his face before it can fade into a mask of anger or resentment. Briska might not be the brightest thing alive, but his heart was two sizes too big. Flame had really been playing! If he was discouraged now, he might never be civil again. For the sake of the world and other pokemon everywhere, Dusk had to do something. Quickly, she joins Briska in coming to Flames aid, trotting forward and placeing herself between him and Peppy, wide blue eyes pleading and tail wagging nervously. <It's ok, daddy. Don't be angry,> she coos in her cutest voice.

Briska's actions clearly confuse Peppy. He expected the black-furred one to deny doing anything wrong, of course, but Briska is... defending his brother? After he was provoked to attack? Peppy's strict demeanor crumbles, and the adult Growlithe leans forward on his front paws. His eyes remain narrowed, but more out of curiosity or perhaps even confusion than anything else. His green eyes shift back and forth from Briska to Flame, as if trying to get some grasp of the situation but unable to come up with any logic. Indeed, even until up to the point where Dusk invokes her magical Daddy's Little Angel powers, he has no clue of what's going on. When she speaks, he focuses on her, head cocking bit by bit as she comforts him. He looks back up at Flame, Briska, Flame, Briska, Flame, Dusk, Flame. <... You didn't... hurt him? You weren't being bad, Flame? You weren't being a bad boy?> It's definitely a valid question, but there's something the little kids might not be able to pick up. There's a sense of hope.

Flame is too shocked to notice his clumsy brother's fall, or to see that Briska is now sitting beside him. One of his ears flick to the side, and catches the sound of his sibling's whine. Turning his head away from Peppy momentarily, he's surprised to see his brother standing at his side. He's well aware that Briska's dealt with many of his growls, snarls, unexpected pounces and ear pulls. And yet, here he is, defending him! Even his anger at being falsely accused can't mask his surprise. His bottom jaw drops, and he sits there speechless. What's this? Dusk too? This he simply cannot comprehend. There must be a catch. Yeah, that's it! Get on Peppy's good side, that's what she's trying to do! On top of that, she's trying to trick him into trusting her! Slick, but not slick enough! He'll keep his eye on her. Nevertheless, despite his suspicions, he does offer Dusk a quick smirk of gratitude. When Peppy questions Flame, he turns to face his father, his confidence back one thousand fold. <No! No, I didn't!> he assures Peppy, flashing him his most award-winning smile. While his grin isn't anywhere near as cute as Briska's, it certainly is far nicer, and more sincere than is his usual array of sarcastic smirks.

The deep blue night sky is clear and cloudless, and the stars glitter. A brisk breeze blows from the northwest.

The stars glitter like diamonds in the deep sapphire blue of the night sky.

Briska peers at Dusk as she speaks, a soft grin alighting on his face. She's so smart. <Dunt be angry,> he says to his father, attempting to mimic her tone, which is harder to do as Briska concentrates more on speaking the right words. And he's not Daddy's Little Angel. Briska's large green eyes then go to Flame, whom he gives a puzzled look to (Why is Flame so shocked? Was it something he said?), before he turns back to dad, shifting a bit in uncertainty. At least Poppa's words aren't directed at him, for he'd have no idea how to respond. When Flame speaks, Briska looks to him and shifts his weight closer to his brother - once he sees what his dark furred brother is doing, Briska looks back to his father. He once again mimics one of his smarter siblings by grinning. For a few seconds it doesn't look quite as cute as it normally would, because Briska is still a bit confused as to what's going on. However, soon the reason comes: he's smiling because Flame is happy. And if even Flame can be happy, then nobody has a right to be sad. His grin intensifies.

Dusk wags her tail gently, peering over her shoulder at her brothers. She must be insane. Oh well, situation resolved. She prance forward, wiggling before Peppy and grinning up at him. She attempts to nuzzle him, then heads back to Briska, dancing stiff-legged and grinning at her slower sibling. <Silly,> she says, nipping at one of his ears playfully.

Peppy is more powerless than he's ever felt before. Wars could have been stopped over this Kodak moment, with Dusk's big pleading blue eyes, Flame's audience-stunning smile, and Briska's... naivety. What good father could possible stay mad at so powerful an onslaught of cuteness? Dusk's little nuzzling, probably at his leg or chest because Peppy's not lowering his head (he's still pretty dumbfounded). <... You really just wanted to play, Flame?> The relief is actually visible in his face. His tail bursts back and forth like it's on white fire, and his mouth, for the first time since he was eating his Rattata, pulls back into a very proud grin. His eyes are almost watery, and he has to clamp his teeth together for a few moments. Finally, he whimpers out a soft, <That's wonderful.> Who knows why this means so much to him? Peppy's just odd like that. Stripping his eyes away from his children for a second, he looks back at Aurora's sleeping form, and his tail wags even further. Wait'll Aurora hears about this! Flame, playing! Not just sitting in his corner! Playing!

What's that smell? Candylion? Better save be-Ooo, pretty colors! (Delet-er, saving!)

Watching Dusk prance about, Flame just shakes his head from side to side. Briska's small sentence catches Flame's attention, and he responds with a small tail wag. Hey! His brother is talking! Maybe, some day in the distant future, he can actually hold a conversation with Briska. And then, if the Fates allow, he'll sow some seeds of his own into his sibling's mushy brain. However, whether or not those seeds will ever produce any fruit, is something to be seen. Most likely, they'll be washed from the soil of his mind, by the flooding of his lighthearted nature. While Dusk seems like a more desirable candidate for brainwashing, Flame as of current, is relatively sure he does not want his sister getting mixed up in his business. While she's in his graces now, tomorrow she might pull something behind his back. Flame cants his head at his father's surprise, as if Peppy has absolutely every reason in the world to trust him. <Told'ya!> He woofs surely, wriggling in place, and wagging his tail. Suddenly, the grin drops off the pup's face. Flame's tail stops wagging, and he goes back over to his corner to sulk over his destroyed claw markings. Forget his brother and sister, he's got a lot of pouting to do! Hey, you didn't expect a story with Flame to have a happy ending did you?

Briska eyes Peppy's wagging tail, determining that the crisis is averted. He gives a light yap. Great! ..Wait, what was the crisis again? Aw, who cares. Ooo, look, Dusk! Briska's tail wigglewaggles back and forth as he grins at his sister, giant puffball that it is. At her nip, Briska's grin only grows. <Duuuuuhsk,> he croons to his sister, tongue spilling out of his open mouth. His mouth opens even more as he yawns, closing his jaws and exhaling with a sharp <Huh,> type sound. Then he lovingly "liiii"s to Dusk, and mouths at her own ear, this one black-tipped, attempting to gently tug it should he get it between his soft lips. It's something of an 'I love you!' tug. He doesn't look to Flame as the black pup goes back to his corner; his attention is focused on his sister. Besides, he already said hello to Flame, didn't he?

Dusk grins happily, leting brother tug on her ear. She braces a paw against him and pushes at the big lug happily. Her eyes, however, follow Flame and they scowl slightly. She doesn't know why she stood up for him, but it seemed to work out ok. Besides...good graces were good graces, be they Peppy's or his. Dusk tries to tug her ear free, then butts at Briska with her head. She never has much to say, but she does love him in her own way. The icy-eyed puppy wags hre tail joyfully and engages her brother playfully, ready to tussle until she gets hurt and slinks off to pout about being little.

And then Flame pulls another stunt, acting all mopey and frowning and oh so hurt. Peppy focuses on him for a moment or two, looking the black pup over, before finally rolling his eyes - good-naturedly, thank goodness - and grinning slightly at Flame. <Flame,> he woofs. His voice is not strict or tough, but it still carries that impeccable flair of fatherhood, a masked sort of superiority even as the adult Growlithe apologizes. <I'm sorry for interrupting your fight and for thinking you were doing something wrong when you really weren't.> His eyebrows lift up very slightly, and as he smiles at Flame, it seems almost tired. <I'll try not to in the future... all right?> The night has suddenly started to take a toll on dear ol' dad, and idly the dog's eyes flicker over to the door, which remains slightly ajar. Just as he suspected; it's dark outside.

Dad's apologizing? Really? Well, it's about time! Flame plops down in his pile of hay that is his bed, and he peers at Peppy from his secluded corner of the barn. While tonight has gone fine and dandy excepting a few small mishaps, all this socialization has tuckered the lone wolf of a puppy out. He's had his fill of playing, even though he only roughhoused with Briska for a total of about thirty seconds. Come on, though! Give the guy some credit! He tried! Effort is good! Flame continues to stare at Peppy a moment, and half considers ignoring him, as punishment for falsely accusing him. That would teach him to yell at him! Then again, that plan might backfire, and Peppy would then have a real reason to yell at him. And, unfortunately, it's doubtful that neither Briska nor Dusk would help him out of that one. Eventually, as if the motion is an extreme waste of energy, Flame nods his head once or twice. <Sure,> Is his reply, and hey, he even tosses in a tail wag or two for Dear old Dad. Peppy will have to take that response or leave it, because Flame turns his back on the family after that last show of emotion. Tossing up hay with his paws and the end of his snout, Flame covers himself in a pile of dried straw. <Man,> he groans to himself, his patience worn down to a frazzle. All this love, and mushy stuff is tuckering him out!

Dusk has disconnected.

Briska also knows that it's dark outside, by the way his body slows down. He hasn't had a mid-afternoon nap like Dusk, so when he tussles with her he's a bit less frisky than he normally is. Likely, he doesn't land too many paw bats or nudges on his spritely, supple sister. When Dusk slinks off, Briska yawns again and looks around with eyelids that are rapidly lowering. <Mrrrph,> he murmurs to himself, toddling in the slightly off-balanced puppy way toward Karen. He flops down next to her, causing his sister to grumble and shift away from him. Briska eventually finds that Karen's neck makes a good pillow, and rests his head there as he falls gently into sleep. Karen grumbles softly to herself before she discovers that Briska's warm, fluffy back makes a good pillow. The two pups are soon curled over each other as they sleep.

Yeah, Flame reacts pretty much as Peppy expected (though he throws in a tail wag, so that counts for something), so the adult male just sort of shakes his head at the black pup, not particularly offended or annoyed, turning his attention down to the two pups in front of him. <You guys up for some sleep? Are ya?> This is something Peppy can obviously get quite exciting over. By the time he's finished speaking to the puppies, however, they've both already waddled halfway back to the rest of the family unit, leaving Peppy to talk mostly to himself. And he knows he's up for some sleep, all right. Followed behind his puppies, Peppy triple checks to make sure that the four puppies sleeping near Aurora are safe and warm. His last glance goes over to Flame, already most likely asleep or getting there. The adult Growlithe looks at his son for a few moments in silence, squinting slightly near the end, before he sighs and shakes his head, as he's been doing all night long. <Flame...> he mumbles softly, eyes to the floor, before he finally descends onto his stomach, nuzzles up against the closest Growlithe be it mate or child, and succumbs to sleep in mere seconds.

More Flame logs.

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