Quill had come to like Talyssa. Like... really like her. It wasn't the easiest thing for the marbled brute to show emotion and devotion, so how could he prove that he thought highly of her? Well, what did others do when they found a potential partner? They took them home to meet the parents. That was just what Quill was going to do. Chimera being ill, Quill assumed that his father wouldn't be interested or even able to meet Talyssa. So Quill sent his mastiff ahead to request a meeting with his mother. He and Aliana hadn't had the closest of relationships, but that wasn't to say the he didn't care about his mother. If she were to die, he would be upset. With his father on the brink of mortality yet again, it was all the more important for him to introduce Aliana to his... whatever Tal was to him. Just outside of the border, Quill seated himself on the land bridge. He shot a smile to the lovely fae beside him and waited for his mother to arrive. He didn't think that she would deny him for a moment. "I hope you two like each other," he rumbled to Talyssa. He'd told her about his plans to introduce them on their way here. All they had to do now was wait. "Quill"

Talyssa, for her part, seemed a touch nervous. She had yet to meet most of Quill's family, and even though he had been nothing but kind and reassuring, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of anxiety at the thought of meeting his mother, Aliana. She had already met Chimera, Quill's imposing father, and couldn't help but think that perhaps his mother would be more approachable in comparison. But what if she wasn’t? What if she didn't approve? What if Aliana saw Talyssa as unworthy? The thought made her stomach churn with nervousness. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself as she gazed out at the vast expanse of ocean surrounding them. Perhaps distracting herself with the calming scenery would ease her worries.

As the wind whipped around them on the open beach, she found herself shrinking into Quill’s side against it. The sky overhead was a shifting canvas of grays and whites, a swirling masterpiece of the season's wrath- their breaths frosted in the frigid air. As he spoke to her, she could feel the rumble in his chest against her shoulder. "I... I hope we do too," she finally replied softly, managing a small smile towards Quill. Her eyes were bright and hopeful, a contrast against the cool winter landscape surrounding them.

"Talyssa Carpathius"

Life had been... rough, to say the least, as of late for the Klein family. Losing Ashen had been a devastating blow that had left the family fractured and dispersed across Ardent like dandelion seeds on the wind, but it had been an inevitable outcome once Chimera's health took another steep turn for the worse. But worst of all was the news of two more of her children's deaths—untimely and cut down in the prime of their lives. It had devastated the doting mother for a long time. Since then, Aliana had been acting as the glue that held her family together (or what parts of it remained around her) as well as de facto matriarch of the Klein family and the caretaker to her ailing husband, putting on a strong facade for those around her.

The small clouded woman who had once been a queen now spent her days trying to console her distraught and bereft children and spent her nights cuddled up at her husband's side, listening to him cough and retch and heave until dawn while she tried to get him to keep down any of the various medicines she made. Aliana was tired. It showed on the ash and snow fae's features. She'd spent half her life trying unsuccessfully to cure Chimera's illnesses and the other half making and birthing and raising their children. In many ways, Aliana felt like she'd accomplished so much—but in others, she had never felt like more of a failure...

On this day, a surprise visitor had found her gently coaxing Chimera back to sleep while he wheezed and heaved through labored breaths. It was Quill's mastiff. At first, the dog's presence confused Aliana. She hadn't seen Quill in some time save for when he would pop up around Ashen from time to time, and before that he had been gone for seasons at a time, only to emerge to show he was still alive and share sordid tales with his brothers before vanishing on his conquests once more. Of all her children, Ali felt like she had failed Quill the most. Her sweet boy who had once had aspirations to be a great warrior like his father and learn from the swordsmen of the Hallows had begun to walk his father's degenerate path—a path she had desperately tried to urge her children away from. Aliana loved all of her children with all her heart and soul. She wanted more for her pups; she wished for their health, their happiness, better for them than she had, as any mother would. Quill was coming back around once more, it seemed.

Aliana only left Chimera's side once she had gotten him back to sleep. She took some time to clean herself up and make herself presentable so she didn't look quite a mess when her son arrived. Then she followed the mastiff from Alias Island to mainland Boreas. Walking alongside the large canine, the petite fae spotted the monochromatic form of her massive son seated just off the shore, waiting for her. But it wasn't just his presence there that took her by surprise. There was another wolf, a lovely fae of tawny golds and clean whites. She brought to mind a fawn with her colors and markings, and it appeared from the way she was leaning into Quill's side that the two were quite familiar with one another. Ali's attention perked immediately, aquamarine eyes looking over the pair with curiosity while a warm motherly smile greeted them in kind.

"Hello again, my sweet boy. How have you been?" she greeted Quill first in her melodic lyrics, approaching him and gesturing him to lower his head so she could plant a gentle kiss to his forehead. He looked healthy; he was eating decently too, it looked like. Then those curious aqua eyes and kind smile turned towards the fae at his side. "Hello there, dear! I'm Aliana Klein—Quill's mother." She would let the girl introduce herself, catching herself silently praying that she wasn't just another one of Quill's conquests. He had never brought one of his casual lovers home before though... Did Aliana dare to hope that she was something different?

"Aliana"

Talyssa sat beside him and the pair waited for his mother to arrive. Aliana didn't make them wait long and Quill instantly noted the look of intrigue on his mother's face. The clouded fae came forward, motioning Quill to lower himself for a kiss. A smirk pulled at his lips and he did so, thick mane swaying forward as he bent down. Once the kiss was bestowed, Aliana introduced herself. Quill, however, wanted to make the introductions himself. "Mother, this is Talyssa Carpathius. Talyssa, this is my mother, Aliana Klein." A big paw gestured between the two women. Now they knew one another.

"Talyssa and I have decided to travel together and see where life takes us. I figured this was a good place to start," he rumbled, sliding down to lay upon his stomach so that he would be closer to his tiny mother's height. How she had carried all of them, he had no idea. The thought made him wonder how Talyssa would look full of his children. He was determined to make it so some day. "How is my father?" He asked conversationally, one big paw shifting to settle over one of Tal's dainty paws.

"Quill Klein"

Talyssa watched as Aliana approached, a petite figure against the icy and desolate landscape. She was strikingly beautiful; her snowy-white pelt contrasting sharply with her warm gaze, radiating an almost magnetic maternal kindness. Her heart pounded in her chest as she witnessed the tender interaction between mother and son, so different from Quill's usual more rugged demeanor.

It was a revelation watching him under his mother's affectionate touch, the cold exterior momentarily melting away beneath his mother's warmth. As Aliana turned her pleasant gaze towards her, Talyssa swallowed hard, barely managing a small bob of her head in acknowledgment as Quill introduced her. "Hello, Mrs. Klein...," she began, easing up at the soft kindness in Aliana's eyes. She fumbled with her words for a moment before finally speaking again, "It's nice to meet you."

Talyssa watched Quill as he spoke, noting the sudden shift in his eyes when he mentioned their plans for traveling together. She felt her heart flutter at the intensity of his gaze, and she couldn't help but smile slightly as he laid down beside her to enter a more conversational space with the petite older fae. His question about his father brought her attention back to Aliana, and she listened attentively to their exchange, taking in the dynamics of their family. managing a small smile towards Quill. Her eyes were bright and hopeful, a contrast against the cool winter landscape surrounding them.

"Talyssa Carpathius"

Aliana had asked the golden fawn girl, but it seemed Quill was eager to make the introductions himself. Ever his father, that lad, for better or for worse... Quill introduced the young woman as Talyssa Carpathius, and Aliana's eyes immediately lit up with recognition at the name. She had not met any of the Carpathian children personally, but her family was well acquainted with the Carpathians. Yes, now that Ali was looking closer, she could see some semblances of the Hallows queen in the young fae.

Talyssa seemed so nervous for this meeting, the poor dear, and Ali was quick to give the girl a reassuring smile. An airy, almost lyrical laugh escaped her as Talyssa spoke to her so reverently, smiling up at the taller girl. "Oh, sweetheart, you can call me Aliana. Mrs. Klein sounds far too important to be me!" Raised a slave, Aliana had never exactly been comfortable with formality being given to her, even when she had been a queen at Chimera's side. "It's such a delight to meet you as well, Talyssa! Are you by chance related to the Carpathians of the Hallows?" It had been some time since Ali had seen Artorias and Briar, but she suspected there was a connection there. It would be vital information to know before she had a conversation with her son.

While Quill got settled on his belly, Ali sat back on her haunches next to her son, whistling a short tune for her wren, which she sent off with a whispered message. She listened with keen interest while Quill gave a short explanation of how he and Talyssa had ended up together, traveling to see where life took them. That certainly caught the ash and snow fae's attention. She hadn't known her son to ever pursue companionship with another before. Well, at least not anything long-term. A mother knew most of her children's secrets, and her boys had certainly been more cavalier with their pursuits, just like their father. She glimpsed the way he rested his paw over Talyssa's, but made no show that she had noticed his behavior, though it did warm her heart to see.

Quill asked about Chimera, and before she could answer, Bolero returned with two of the mastiffs Chi had bred over the years, each carrying platters of snacks. Ali dipped her head to the canines and thanked them before sliding the platters closer to Quill and Talyssa. What kind of mother would she be if she didn't feed and fuss over her boy while he was home? "He's not getting better, I'm afraid," she admitted with a heavy-hearted sigh, ears folding to her head and a look of defeat clouding her brilliant eyes. "He hasn't responded to any of our treatments yet, and I fear the worst. But I'm still doing everything I can. I'm not ready to give up on him yet." Call her a devoted wife or a tenacious doctor, but Aliana refused to stop trying to save her husband's life, no matter the cost. She couldn't imagine life without him. Taking a steadying breath, Ali looked up at the couple across from her with a smile returning to her lips, taking joy in the aura she could feel coming from them. "But don't you worry about that. You two didn't come all this way to be downhearted. Tell me about your travels! Where are you planning to go? Somewhere fun? Somewhere new?" Ali was genuinely interested, but she also wanted to see how the two of them interacted together. It would give her a good gauge of what she could expect for her son and this new lady he was bringing home.

"Aliana Klein"