With everything that was happening Ronan almost felt like he shouldn't be here, that he very well might have been bringing trouble to Elysium's doorstep. It wasn't as if the infection was personally biting at his ankles, but from what he could tell this pack had hunkered up, doubled up their defences as they ought to. Safety first and all that. He didn't dare intrude and lingered beyond the borderline, but as long as he minded his manners he wouldn't have any problems with the alphress who ruled over these lands, as Avacyn had seemed more reasonable than most.

He exhaled as he saw one of Desponia's roaming new the border, tempting fate. And it was getting dark too, the sun yielded to the night and only a thin slither of its light peaked over the horizon, casting the sky in a violent red. As always.

"What are you doing out here?" He scolded, brows furrowed as he glanced about, closing the distance between them with long strides.

Defying her mother was becoming a nasty habit. But how could she not challenge the capacity of her mother's patience when it appeared she didn't seek to follow through with her punishments? That was the majority of why Mags was out roaming the lake that evening. With the sun setting along the horizon, casting the world into a mixture of reds and blacks, she stopped when a familiar figure approached. He didn't appear as relaxed as the first time they met which put her on guard as well.

Fur bristling along her spine, head lowering defensively as she stared back at her father. "What's it to you?" She snaps, lips rising into a snarl as she lets her ears fold backward. Why did he care anyway? He'd only just recently showed up in her life and it's not as if he really stuck around that much. Could he even say he was a father figure in her life thus far?

"speech"

coded by NachoMumma

If her looks didn't give away the fact they were related, the heavy tone of indignation in her voice most certainly would have. Ronan had always been a quiet pup, agreeable enough, but it seemed as though his sour nature was rubbing off on the girl regardless. He sighed, all withering and tired, would have pinched the bridge of his nose if he could have, no fingers or thumbs. He deserved her ire, yet another guilt notch on his belt.

"Don't be like that."Ronan didn't sound pissed, though honestly, with an attitude like that she deserved some pushback. "It's not safe out here."

His tone tinged with exhaustion and not anger has her stepping back. Defensiveness falters and smooths over into big, rounded eyes and downturned lips. Oh, disappointment was a much worse feeling. Emotions swirl in her chest, tightening her ribcage as her heart slams back into it. Don't be like that. Definitely disappointed, but what did he expect? Shit parents meant shit kid, right?

Unsure if she should cry, shout, or instigate, Magdalene lets her confusion settle in her stomach. He points out that it's not "safe," but she doesn't understand what he means. So, maybe she'll just ask. "What do you mean not safe?" She's tentative at first, feeling so insignificant in his shadow. "Are you talking about the worms? Those tall metal screaming things? Or the sick animals? Or the sky?" Mags cants her head, still wide eyed and confused.

"Magdalene"

He didn't even know where to begin to explain, or if he even could. Stepping closer, Ronan nudged her shoulder with a paw because he hated that look on her face. All wide-eyed and unsure, like he should do better, that he needed to fix this. He'd had the weight of a city on his shoulders and that had broken him, he just couldn't take much more.

But she knew, because pups weren't given enough credit where it was due. They were young but not stupid, noticed the rising tension and the uncertainty in the adults eyes - the world had changed and no one knew if it would ever be the same again.

"All of that and more." Even Ronan hesitated at the thought of divulging the depths of depravity strangers could reach towards little girls. Some things were best left unsaid, even if he knew and had seen it for himself. "If anything or anyone hurt you, I'd have to kill them and I'm kinda tired today." He shrugged, trying to brush it all off, the slight hitch in his voice not as concealed as he wanted it to be.

Her eyes move to the paw that he lifts toward her shoulder to nudge it. For some reason, the small gesture allows her expression to soften, her body to relax. At least he was here, now, so she should be grateful, right? No, not necessarily, but then again, she wasn’t sure. Still conflicted, Mags looks back up at Ronan, her face still slightly contorted, but at least better.

And she’s not quite sure what he means by more. Sure, she’d seen some nasty and crazy stuff, but she’d been able to hold her own so far. Especially when she was with Davey. After his crazy and incredible sudden growth spurt, they’d been able to fight far larger creatures and travel farther distances.

He would kill for her though? Mags stops thinking of Davey when her father mentions he was too tired to step in to save in. She can’t help but release a snorting laugh. “I can handle myself,” she retorts indignantly, nose turning upward and eyes fluttering close for a moment. They both know she’s faking it because let’s face it, she’s still a pup.

“Maybe if you taught me some stuff, I could actually kill them myself,” Mags finally says after a pregnant pause. A mischievous smirk curls the edges of her lips as she looks warily at her father. Would he take the bait?

Ronan arched a brow, practically saw her toss the fishing line right at his paws, the way her eyes sparkled as she waited for him to follow through. He'd indulge her this once, because more than anything else he craved peace and a sense of normality. Worms and dying could wait, it had to wait.

Rolling his eyes, he took a couple of steps away, his tail swishing just barely. Admittedly, he wasn't much of a teacher. His fighting method had always been brute force over anything else with just a smidgen of finesse thrown into the mix. It wasn't clean and he rarely fought fair, but with the shit he'd seen and done, honour and fairness had long since left the building.

"First things first, say I was gonna attack you, where do you think I'd aim for? Think the obvious spots. Get ready, position yourself. " He obviously wasn't, but lowered his centre of gravity, angled his shoulder blades and let his wings flare out. Put on a demonstration, since she might be a visual learner and all.