Broken Boulder these frozen bones

It was as though Queenie and the body that carried her were seperate beings, one moving steadily onward while the other protested from behind. The faintly marked border was close enough for her to know that she'd arrived, but she made a point of hanging back. There were questions that she knew would be asked, ones that she hadn't thought about having to answer; Queenie needed a moment to just think.

After a moment or so of silent contemplation, Queenie stood from where she'd planted herself and made her steady approach.

everyone that had been sick suddenly was getting better, and that meant that daddy was okay, too. she knew that one of them had died and she'd been terribly worried about her father, unable to leave his side for the duration of his sickness.

but just like always, solomon was a girl who liked to roam. it brought her to the borders, and it was there she saw someone she thought she'd never see again.

mama? she does not make a move to step forward, instead rooted to the spot. she's full of mixed feelings. she'd missed her mama, she'd wanted her back... but she also remembers mama's temper.

He's not sure what draws him to the borders, weak and weary as he still is, but in retrospect he'll be glad for it. He is stronger than he's been, at least, and perhaps it's the scant amount of newfound energy that brings him out. His duties have fallen neglected lately, especially with the addition of Seabreeze to leadership — sometimes he feels like she's taken up some part of Delight, too. Or rather, she'd always possessed it, and Alarian is the one intruding now.
Or something like that. He's been so busy feeling insecure and lost with all the new changes in the Sanctuary, the losses and gains, it hasn't even occurred to him that anything would... come back. Especially not Queenie. He spots her from a distance, then spots Solomon — but he doesn't move. He halts, swallowing, and immediately knows this will be trouble. If she's back, if she wants to stay — none but Alarian will want to tell her no, he knows; Eris is dead, Zamael and Lily are gone, Ulf is gone, and Delight... oh, Delight.
He can only watch Queenie, knowing only one of them can stay within the borders and, terrifyingly, uncertain which outcome he would prefer.

Seeing the child approach stopped Queenie right where she stood. She wasn't sure which one it was, but she figured that it didn't matter. The girl looked to be in good health and of even better stature; there was nothing of immediate concern other than her timid demeanor, but Queenie figured that that would be an easily worked kink. 

Tu te souviens de moi? she asked, wondering if any of the French had stuck. She doubted that it had, given how young the children had been, but she remained hopeful for all of two minutes. Kneeling down, Queenie levelled her snout to that of her daughter's. Maman is back, sweetheart.

once upon a time, alarian had been her favorite. she'd valued him sometimes even higher than her father. he knew things about her interests, he spent the most time with her, especially during delight's illness. with mama back — oh, mama! — he went entirely unnoticed.

for a moment, the french did not stick. there were still many words she did not remember, and many she'd never gotten the time to learn. but what she did know spilled from her mouth almost against her will as her mother touched her snout to solomon's forehead. oui, maman.

mama was back. she was alive. she was real. but did she intend to stay? tears welled up in solomon's eyes that did not spill over. not yet. mama, are you stayin'?

God, the tears. Queenie held back a grimace as she watched the girl's eyes well up. She understood how emotional childhood could be, but seeing how much those untamed emotions had affected her own child made Queenie realize that she'd come back just in time. I'll stay, she confirmed with a nod of her head. What she meant was that she would stay with her offspring; whether or not that meant staying in the Sanctuary, well, that was a different question. 

Did you miss me? she asked with a sigh as she stood back upright and took a step back. She wondered where the others were, where Delight was hiding, and why Alarian hadn't come to meet her by now. She had a lot of questions about what had happened within the pack since she'd left, but she knew better than to depend on a toddler for reliable information. Where are the others?

despite the protests of his caretakers delight remains outside. his walk is a little steadier every day. his feelings are another story.

there is no reason for him to be near, not in the sense of the realist. yet things never work as they should in realism, and dramatic devices beyond his comprehension draw him first toward the shape of his daughter and partner, curiously, before his eyes sweep to the source of their investigation.

"queenie," he croaks, weakly --  not the shattered voice of the ill but of the overwhelmed. like a ghost he drifts toward her, coming to stand just behind solomon, unable to look at her or alarian, only queenie. he catches only the end of her statement, his head automatically shaking no, no. "what -- why are you here" the androgyne says, nearly demands in his urgency. solomon he draws back close to him assuming she is easily caught, as if afraid of her, afraid of his children's mother (because he is afraid of himself.)

brilliance spends most of the day searching for solomon (it’s probably more like the last half hour but nevermind that). after a while, she gives up and latches onto delight’s scent. hungry pulls at her stomach as her gaunt form trails along. she doesn’t try to catch up with him, remaining at a slow enough speed that their distance rarely shortens. the distinct smell leads her for a while before she realizes solomon is there, too. and someone else she vaguely recognizes but has no memory and then…
 
another one.
 
her blood runs cold. her ears pin back.
 
“ma?” she whispers—chokes—to herself. “ma?” she repeats, brows knitting together.
 
her feet finally kick into gear and she runs the rest of the way. the moment delight comes into view, she’s skidding into his back legs and toppling over, trying to right herself up on all four limbs. “ma? ma?” she starts, frantically, looking all about and counting the wolves until she finds her. her heart swells three times as big. “ma!”

so sorry for the hold up

In a perfect world, perhaps Queenie would seem different somehow — reformed, better, at least a little more tolerable. Some part of him senses that's not quite the case as he watches her, and the realization chills him a little. In an instant he's aware of Delight's presence — then his other daughter's, the one he'd brought to his den, and he can't help but think it's all so strange. How did he get here, anyway?
He glances to his sick partner, one of the few things still tying him to Broken Boulder — and he almost says something. But he doesn't. He swallows and turns his gaze back to Queenie with his lover's question ringing in his ears, trying to stifle all the anxious thoughts vying for the spotlight in his mind.

For the next poster or two, feel free to assume he arrives part way through whatever's happening if he gets noticed.  And similarly, if he isn't called out he's probably skippable if I take too long to reply whenever it's my turn.

Mali could often be found in his own little world.  He'd wander around and keep himself amused quite happily when his sisters weren't willing to put up with his nonsense.  Which was probably becoming more often -- the more he was left to make up goofy stories, the more he wanted to drag others in to his fantasy and his sisters weren't exactly always cooperative pawns.

It was thus unsurprising that he came upon the scene kind of late, but what wasn't maybe expected was the fact that he hung back.  Sure, he wasn't the greatest at being quiet, but as he heard voices, he slowed, his steps became more cautious as he tried to figure out what was going on, eventually slowing to a stop.  This was different.  For all his searching and vociferous statements about how he'd find her, he wasn't running up to greet her, like now that the quest was over, he wasn't sure what to actually do.
 
Instead he stayed on the far side of a bush far apart from the rest, looking at all of them through a leaf-dappled thin spot like he wasn't supposed to be here -- the kid watching through the banister spindles, okay with being unnoticed.  Mali looked across them all, his mother, father, sisters... The only one he couldn't see was Alarian, who was somewhere blocked by foliage.  The important things were framed, so all he had to do was see what happened.

I think that it's my turn but correct me if I'm wrong. Also, I sorta need a major clarification on post order haha.

It didn't take long for the welcoming commitee to gather in its fullness. The reactions to Queenie's return were variegated, ranging from anger and spite to excitement and disbelief. Off in the corner, she spotted the mottled pelt of her winter soldier, but chose not to acknowledge him. Instead, her attention was drawn to the bubbling body of her Brilliance, the one child who she knew held her key to acceptance.

With an outstretched arm and a welcoming grin, she cooed for the child to come forth and sit beside her mother. Delight, please don't take that tone with the kids around, she whispered with a convincing look of mock concern. They missed their mother, right? she asked, now peering into the eyes of her timid Sunshine, And I missed them.

i thiiink it goes queenie -> delight -> brillo -> ali -> mali, sol is bein pp'd!

he has solomon but he can't stop brilliance from darting toward her, feeling his stomach drop. he knows how much she -- how much all of them -- have missed their mother. a bitter part of him wonders if they would, if they were old enough to know what she'd done to them --

but no, that isn't fair.

mali goes missed for now, distracted by the sight of brilliance and queenie's outstretched arm. his ears flick back, hurt flashing in his eyes as she scolds him -- scolds him! "of course they have," delight snaps, refusing to meet her halfway. they can feel his anger -- they should see his honesty. "but you left, queenie, you don't get to just roll back into their lives like nothing's happened." you didn't want them, his expression seems to say, though he's the head to keep that much silent, away from his children's sensitive ears. no doubt they already know; they don't need their hapless father wielding that as a bludgel.

for a little while, brilliance has her mother back. for a little while, she takes up the embrace. she forgets about mali and solomon and even delight, burying herself into her chest with a series of mumbled sorries. 

sorry for getting sick. for being needy. for being whatever it was that made her leave. 

please don’t leave again. 

she won’t, she tells herself, and presses harder despite the words going on above her. she doesn’t listen. she doesn’t want any part of the anger and goes about her business to ignore it because nothing else matters.

it isn’t until matters need to be tend to, or someone forces her off queenie, that she finally lets go.