((Set whenever Mags gets back, so hella liquid timing))

Desponia was nothing if not predictable. Her daughter knowing she would be in trouble was very much based in experience. Even as cold and emotionally detached as the experience was. Des admittedly barely cared to watch the little beasts, but so long as they made it back to the den by bed time and didn't bring trouble home the truth was she was quite permissive, very hands off. But when Mags had failed to return that apathy turned quickly to anger. Though only because by simply disappearing on her like that her daughter had made Desponia look bad. The girl's absence would not go unnoticed for too long by her family. Conversely now that her daughter was definitively missing she couldn't simply go out and look for her. The cons of being a single mother was she had to keep a much closer eye on the rest of her brood, something she didn't bother to sugar coat, they knew it was their sister's fault when they complained about not being allowed to roam much. So instead she remained much more vigilant, and she was glad she did. Des was curled around the rest of the sleeping puppies, head resting on her paws and eyes closed but not asleep when her daughter finally came back. Des imagined she'd been slinking back in, trying to be stealthy, probably thinking she'd even gotten away with it. "Where the fuck were you?" She didn't even open her eyes, didn't need to. An unfortunate side effect of raising the little beast was she knew their scents better than anyone else's. But she also didn't blunt her tone, though she kept her volume low, unwilling to wake the others if only because she didn't want to have to deal with them on top of her wayward spawn. "Speech"

Art by yfjyrcnkirsgte

Her adventure had been far longer than she had expected. In all honesty, she had thought she'd only be gone for the day. Just a little adventure out and back, but once she had gone too far, well she was already going to get into trouble, right? Did her mom actually care that she was gone? What would happen if she just... never came back? Would they miss her? Even notice she was missing from the pile of pups at night? Well, she was one of the biggest and most colorful so probably but, beside the point!

Fur amess, streaks of color glowing faintly from trying to wash herself before returning home, eyes tired and bloodshot, Mags would not deny she attempted to be quiet. Her belly slunk along the rocky floor, her too-tired paws dragging her forward as exhaustion set in. All she wanted to do was sleep. A nice, long, good sleep nestled up next to her siblings. Then she would face her consequences. Was that asking too much?

Indeed it was.

The sharp tone of her mother cutting through the darkness had her unkempt fur standing on end. Both eyes go wide, turning from strained red to vibrant white as they land on the purple form of a very angry Desponia. Words have left her. Gone in the nonexistent wind as her heart races into her throat. Instinctually, she rolls over, tail tucked to her belly which is fully shown as she curls in on herself. Hoping she's not within grabbing distance yet, Mags lays there with an apologetic grimace struck over her lips. "I was... exploring?" She says hesitantly, knowing it will probably earn her more trouble than she wanted.

"Magdalene"