Bramblepoint I'll follow you way down to your deepest low.

He met her point blank question with a blink, which made Towhee wonder if Meerkat hadn't mentioned it. Why wouldn't she? Towhee supposed there was a lot going on in their lives lately too, a thought which drew her lips into a frown. Maybe that was why her daughter hadn't come back yet, even for a visit. It hadn't been long, the Sovereign just felt... needy.

When he sat, Towhee slid down against the tree to sprawl at its roots. She offered Bronco what she hoped was a grateful look, though she couldn't really manage a smile. It wasn't just for showing up and sitting here with her but for making the effort to sign too. Weirdly, she felt like she might cry for a moment, acknowledging this small kindness when everything and everyone was so shitty lately.

"Well, not only would we love to have you, but we could really use you," the Sovereign said frankly. "I know it's selfish and I don't mean to pressure you—either one of you—but things are..." Well, they were bad, but that was an understatement. "Have you seen Fennec and Alyx lately? It's down to the leadership, Rue and some dude named Lenny who'll probably flake. Even Eljay fucked off. And we have two litters on the way. I'm..." She shook her head.

That didn't even touch on the part where Towhee kind of wanted to strangle his mother. It didn't seem prudent to mention that to Bronco, though she found herself trying to recollect the nature of their relationship. But with all the other crap taking up space rent-free in her head right now, she simply couldn't remember specifics at the moment.