You deserve more than I've given

Satira wasn't left waiting long before Mojito began to speak, revealing to the young woman just how deeply the issues between her sire and dam had run. She had known her mother and father weren't in love. She'd seen the ways they avoided one another, barely spoke and when they did it was never in front of her and in hissed whispers, and she couldn't recall one time she'd ever seen her parents be affectionate with one another. Mojito admitted he had difficulties with confrontation, something Satira realized she could empathize with. She'd been avoiding this exact conversation for... how long now? It felt like all her life she'd noticed the issues and just ignored them, repressed the hurt and confusion, pretended like things weren't falling apart around her while she sat there powerless and adrift in an endless sea of turmoil. But she couldn't avoid it... not anymore. Not with her mother and uncle doing their own thing by themselves, and not with her father drifting in and out of the picture doing gods knew what on his own. Something had to give, and the wolf-dog had a feeling she knew what it would be.

All the while he spoke, Tira never looked away from Mojito, so when he sought out her gaze, he received it. Though she wore the impassive expression of her mother, her eyes betrayed all of the feelings of confusion and listlessness she'd felt her entire life. All the confusion and uncertainty about who or what she was, where she belonged, what she was supposed to do were reflected in those pallid pools of crystal blue. Hearing her father say he loved her wrenched her heart in her chest, and all she wanted was to go snuggle up with him and start pretending everything was good again like when he'd cuddle her as a tiny puppy. But those days were done and gone. Too much had happened, too much had changed for her to keep pretending everything was the same. Mojito finished by asserting that he was done running from his problems with Asla and that he wanted to be a part of her life—and that was the straw that broke her.

Satira closed her eyes and shook her head slowly, her small body quivering as she fought back the wave of emotions threatening to manifest in a gut wrenching sob. She didn't want to break down like this. She was supposed to be strong, like her mother expected her to be; composed, like her father sitting before her was. But she was neither of them. She was just Satira, the lost little half-breed always caught in the middle. No matter how brave of a face she put on, she was the one caught in the crossfire when everything went wrong. Satira swallowed back the tightness in her throat and swallowed a deep, measured breath to try and gather herself again before gradually opening her eyes to look back up at her father. He looked so remorseful and upset. Rising to her dainty paws, Tira slowly closed the gap between them, stepping up to stand right on the border before her father. She regarded him with gentle yet sad eyes, forcing on a weak smile for him.

"It's okay, Dad. I know you and Mom don't really love each other. Not the way parents are supposed to." Maybe she was still a little naive with a fantasy of a loving family in her head as the ideal parents, but it didn't change the fact that she had seen how dysfunctional Asla and Mo's relationship had been from the moment she could begin to understand things like that. Seeing Asla with Indigo and how they interacted had further solidified in her mind that her parents were never meant to be. It was a sad truth she'd come to accept. "Mom's been teaching me things about growing up. About things adults do, and puppies, and how to avoid them. And I think... I think that's what happened with you, isn't it?" she asked, looking up at her father with that weak smile still on her face while she bore her wounded heart and the conclusions she'd come to. "You and Mom were having fun and I... I was a consequence. You weren't trying to have me, I just sort of... happened, right? You didn't want to be a dad, and then I came and... well, I guess it ruined your relationship with Mom."

It was tearing Tira up inside to speak the words she'd been ruminating on for some time now. After the lessons on the birds and the bees with Asla, all of a sudden everything made sense. Asla wanted her to be so careful because she hadn't wanted to have her or Arcturus when she did, so she was sparing her daughter the same fate. Mojito had just been caught up in all of it and was so unprepared, he just fell apart. It all made sense in her head: the reason her parents always fought, the reason they never seemed to want to be together with her or do anything with her, the reason why he dipped out so often and Asla poured all her focus elsewhere. She had been the cause of their relationship imploding. Her and Arcturus both—but his father had gone and died, so they never saw the fallout there. Tira sniffled back a few misting tears from her eyes, still doing her damnedest to remain strong while she reached a tentative paw across to rest over one of Mojito's, wondering if this would be the last time she ever got to touch him or see him. "It's okay, Dad. I understand. You didn't want this, and I don't think Mom did either. I don't blame you. I'm sorry I messed things up with you and Mom. But... if you'd be happier somewhere else, I don't wanna ruin anything else." Satira softly went to tap her paw against his, clenching her jaw to keep the forced smile where it was. "You deserve to be happy too, Dad. And I know... I know that's not with me anymore."

"Satira"