but somewhere here in between the city walls of dyin' dreams

It wasn't exactly like things were about to calm down anytime soon. And wasn't that how it always worked? You roll a rock down a cliff and the whole mountain comes crashing down.

"Oh, sorry. This is - Mama! I found -"

Oh, he thought, wishing he could beat his head against something for just a second. His memory replayed scenes from the only herd meeting he had held, of little Naerys standing by the side of Alysanne, so of course that was her mother—

And her mother just happened to be a derailing freight train—or, in other words, that mountain coming down after Naerys had rolled off a cliff. Mauja's mouth had begun to open, but if he had meant to say anything, he couldn't remember it, because his world had erupted into a black-and-white mess of feathers and love. The rather silent and withdrawn Moon Doctor charged all of a sudden with a shriek that sent the birds into silence, and for half a second Mauja wondered if he should step out in front of the stranger, and shield her from his rather crazed Doctor.

But then the black-and-white mare had nearly run him right over, and Mauja was left sitting back on his haunches and looking mightily confused. Since when had Alysanne had the emotional expressions of a hurricane?

Since today, apparently. The soil was soft against his hocks, and with a grunt he let his hind hooves slide forward until his ass hit the ground instead. Might as well sit it out, and to be honest, there was something quite amusing in the way they embraced. It was just this mess of necks and feathers and noses touching and the whole wing-hug thing was kind of adorable. Still, way to make him feel sort of awkward sitting on the outskirt of what was obviously some kind of happy reunion, so he smiled a little to himself before realizing that Naerys was looking at him.

Well, small wonder, because he just happened to be sitting on his ass. It was bound to get you a few weird looks wherever you did it. He wasn't sure what she wanted from him, though, so he simply winked at her, listening with half an ear to what the two intertwined mares said to each other. Aly, Naerys, Aunt.

“Mauja, this is my sister - Iona.”

Oh, he thought again, wondering why he was so slow to catch on.

"Oh," he actually said, gaze sort of blank. So—wait, what? This was Alysanne's sister? Now that he had them side by side the resemblance was clear, and more than clear—he would have to smell them both pretty thoroughly so he wouldn't get them mixed up later. “It’s good to meet you, Queen Mauja,” Iona was saying after Alysanne had introduced him with a laugh, and Mauja grimaced comically. It wasn't particularly Queenlylike of him to sit like he did, but now that he did—well, uh. It was the matter of getting up again that he wasn't looking forward to, because he was pretty sure he would have to keel over and get up from there, so.. he suspected it would be graceless, and held off trying. He could sit like this a little longer.

"Thank the Moon, I guess," he said, taken by surprise by his own voice. He hadn't meant to say it out loud. "It's her land." His gaze slid to Naerys again. Who was her father, anyway? She looked a fair bit like Alysanne (no shit), but.. well. It could've been anyone who sired her.

Blinking owlishly and feeling delightfully misplaced in this family gathering he returned his eyes to Iona. "Welcome, I guess?" he hedged, the small smile still in place.

[ Sorry for the wait! D: @Iona @Naerys @Alysanne ]

man, I ain't changed, but I know I ain't the same