Life moved on, as it always did. Though she could never really adequately explain it to Leliel, she had never returned to the Falls. Brigand would never know its lush forestry or trickling waters, and Muriel didn't have the heart to say that it was because a part of her was tied to what she used to be. Who she used to be. And another part longed for the life that Gull had, clinging helplessly to the idea that maybe even with the complications of Leliel's return and their history together, that Muriel could still get her happily ever after. Her conflict was apparent to herself, for once. Muriel had long since learned that she couldn't lie to herself, and hiding away did nothing to solve her problems. Inexplicably, she'd grown up while Leliel had been away. Whether it was good for her or not, considering where she had ended up, was still to be questioned.

So she had stayed where they were, mostly, while Brigand found his hooves and tottered around. He was her only real joy, and every time she looked down into his ultraviolet eyes she found her heart aching with how painfully large her love for him was. Perhaps she coddled him too much, but Muriel had grown up with her parents being devastatingly apathetic and distant from her. Though not nearly as horrible as Leliel's upbringing, it had still affected her. Sometimes she wondered if that's why she had hounded Leliel so desperately, why she had been so consumed with filly fancies and daydreams of happily ever afters.

Shaking her head to dispel the thoughts, the rosen mare basked in the sunshine, filtered to a perfect temperature by the wind that swept off the distant coast. Her eyes were closed, face upturned as if in prayer. Turning, she opened her eyes to reveal pale lilac, smiling down in so much more than the twitch of her lips down at her perfect son. She was a beacon of warm colors, enveloping him at all times, and she hoped that she was as deep in his pores as he was in hers. Four wings rose in splendid arches, sunning herself beautifully in the bountiful meadow, mostly untouched by the sun's wrathful existence in the absence of the moon.

"Brigand," she called softly for his attention, not sure what his delightfully intrinsic brain had caught onto yet again in that moment. Her eyes found the gleam of the water in her peripherals, shining like jittery diamonds on the surface as it lapped playfully at the edges even in its stillness. It had to be delightfully warm, which meant it was safe for her young son. All the more reason to voice her proposition. "Would you like to swim with me?" Her eyes found only her son, his beautiful ruddy coat and adorably fluffy wings. She loved him so much it hurt. Stepping towards the shoreline, she hoped to entice him with her advancement.

A brief flicker of her eyes was spared for Leliel, wherever he stood - nearby, at least, for his blindness made him reliant upon Muriel's directions - and she lifted her voice to find his ears as well. "Would you like to swim with us, love?" It was weird to utter, after her time with Gull, and it hurt to be aware of that discomfort. But she had promised she would at least try, while Gull was still increasingly absent in their lives. Turning once more to Brigand she smiled, all motherly warmth and unconditional love, and walked into the water up to her mid-shins. All she wanted was time to bond with her little boy.

@[Brigand] and @[Leliel] if you want! Open to any crashers! ;D