Royce DeBarry x Carmelita Fox

Chapter 23: "Vulpine-Fever"

As Cheyenne Fox was observing her daughter's strange behavior who was making out with Royce quite aggressively, Carlos grew tired of the risk his daughter was posing to his new son-in-law.

Carlos: "Alright Carmelita," Carlos says as he steps in between both the human and Fox, "that's enough, don't get too caught up in the moment."

Carmelita: "DAD! I'm over 40-years-old," Carmelita said objecting, "you are always ruining my relationships over who I love!"

Cheyenne Fox: "Your father is just protective of you." Cheyenne Fox justified her father's actions, "he's just protecting you and your... a-hem! Mate, from certain danger."

Royce: "Me? From what danger?" Royce asked, ignorant to the fact that he was in potential danger, "Carmelita, what's going on?!"

Cheyenne Fox: "Us Vixens (Female Fox's) suffer from what is called 'Vulpine Fever' or 'Vixen Fever' and normally it starts to act up in us Vixens whenever we get emotional; rather it be lust, love, or some sort of strong emotion."

Royce: "What makes it so dangerous, Mrs.Carlos?"

Cheyenne Fox then approaches Royce and begins whispering into his ear.

Cheyenne Fox: "When it passes from generation to generation, the affected Vixen becomes more aggressive; more easily jealous of or in the presence of other females. Us Vixens, we're easily agitated; you think my daughter is feisty, you have a long road a-head of you. Wait until that daughter of yours gets older, teenager Vixen's are quite mouthy, if you ask me..."

Carmelita: "MOM!!"

Royce: "Is this Vulpine Fever contagious or something?"

Cheyenne Fox: "Fifty-Fifty chance she'll develop it during her teenage-years," Cheyenne Fox explains to her son-in-law, "now that you know what Vulpine Fever is; I want you to take EXTRA precautions with my daughter, alright?" Cheyenne Fox asked and demanded from the Autistic 22-year-old, "DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!"

Carmelita: "MOM!! LEAVE MY HUSBAND ALONE!"

Cheyenne Fox: "Carlos, help me out here!"

Royce: "Shut up!" Royce snapped, getting in between his wife and his mother-in-law with such aggression that even Dallas went silent but unfortunately woke up Hoshimi which made Royce even angrier, "EVERYONE, BE QUIET," Royce yelled as he left the room and went to tend to Hoshimi, "Who's my Daddy's Little Girl," he asked the little Vulpine kit only for it to open up its eyes and grab onto his finger, "Aww... you have your mother's eyes..." he talked to the kit with no response in return. Then he proceeded to pick Hoshimi up and bring his daughter to his wife's side of the family, "Beautiful, isn't she? Has her mother's eyes!" Royce told the other Vulpine's as he hands Hoshimi over to Carmelita.

Cheyenne Fox: "What's her name?"

Carmelita looks over to Royce as her mother was wanting an answer.

Royce: "Hoshimi..."

Cheyenne Fox: "Ooohhh..." Cheyenne Fox squeals with excitement at hearing the name, "a name in a foreign language! I love it!! What's it stand for; I mean what's the translation?"

Royce: "Starlight, I think..." hearing this made Cheyenne Fox curious.

Cheyenne Fox: "So why 'Starlight' of all names? Just curious."

Royce: "I believe our daughter...," Royce then grabbed Carmelita without warning by the side of her hip, "...will be a Star when she grows up!" Royce then noticed the unusual ambience, "What? No comments, guys? Nothing?!"

Dallas: "Nope!"

Carlos: "Absolutely not!"

Royce: "Huh.." Royce says to himself, "Anything else Ms.Cheyenne? Anything you want to know about me? Or my relationship with your daughter?"

Cheyenne Fox: "In fact there is, where are your parents? Aren't you going to invite them over to see your kid?" This one question suddenly pushed Royce over the cliff as he tried to put the real world behind him, "WHAT'D I DO?! WHAT'D I DO?! I JUST~ Just asked him if he was going to invite his parents over to see his kid!" This made Royce cry even harder, and Hoshimi started crying as well, "GREAT!! Grand-daughter is crying now! Seriously! Why are you crying?!"

Carmelita: "He's not~ not from this... uh... how do I explain this?" Carmelita exclaimed to her mother while under the distress of Royce's and Hoshimi's crying, "ROYCE! Straighten up!" The resulting command stopped his crying but the rush of negative emotions didn't disappear; that was when Carmelita approached her husband and slowly began hugging him out pity and sorrow, "It's okay, Royce, it's okay," she continued patting her husband lightly while she began explaining the current situation, "he was taken aback into our reality from his through unknown means; and well... here he is... trying to cope with not living in his world. But I guess he has *some* access to his reality somehow."

Carlos: "How did you fall for him in the first place," this question earned Royce's attention in a not-so-positive way, "I'm just curious, Royce, I don't mean to hurt you; neither of you."

Carmelita: "Remember that Sly Cooper Case involving Cyril Le Paradox, and how Sly Cooper 'disappeared', dad?"

Carlos: "Yes? What does this have to do with meeting him?"

Carmelita: "Remember that Siamese Cat from the Restaurant? That was his former captor; Captain of the Siamese Cat Guard; he's not real open about it. Besides the fact that she used him like a slave..."

Carlos: "How did he learn to fight that Cat like that?..."

Royce: "She taught me to fight, calling me 'Incapable of defending myself' and let's face it... she's probably right! In a world and time where firearms and gunpowder don't exist, hand-to-hand combat is the up-most priority. At least the food she made was more than decent; besides brutalizing me, there were a few good sides. She was never really good with showing her emotions, rather it be positive or negative... I'll tell you all one thing: if that Cat shows herself around me, my wife, child or you guys, I will have me a fur coat and rug and her head on a wall!"

Carlos: "Sadist..." Carlos whispered under his breath.

Royce: "I'm not sadistic Carlos, just venting my anger. But seriously though, I will protect my family from any threats!"