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Guilian had not meant to raise any sad memories, so he was glad to see no real change in the mare's body language as she explained her family circumstances. Though from the sound of it, she had no reason to be sad with the family the world had brought her; her adopted mother sounded every bit the proper mother, even if she had never actually borne Lilith, and he commented on that fact with a kind smile. "Well, Chica, it sounds as though your birth parents were the ones to miss out, because your adopted mother sounds such a positive model for you and has raised you to be such a poised young mare, yes? Perhaps one day you will know, but it doesn't sound as though you are suffering from a lack of family." This he accompanied with a chuckle; sometimes, a lack of family might be a good thing!

But he tempered that reaction quickly; just because Lilith didn't show any signs of distress didn't mean it wasn't a sensitive subject, and he didn't wish to be the sort of boor who dwelt on it! "I take it from your words that you had no adopted siblings, either? This I can sympathize with, as I was raised by someone other than my birth parents and had no other foals to socialize with. It wasn't until I was a stallion long grown and a father in my own right I learned what siblings were like...and sometimes, it could be quite destructive, yes!" This was followed by another laugh; a few sets of his children had doted on each other, but a few others had seemed out for blood!

"Obviously we are all different in how we respond to others, no?"

It was a struggle for Guilian to keep a straight face at Lilith's innocent comment; he knew that her definition of 'not suffering from a lack of love' and his own definition of that term would have very little in common! Still, while he had never had any shame in his lifestyle, age and experience had made him temper any explanations of his personal life to much later on in his acquaintances...barring the acquaintance being that sort of Soquili themselves! And Guilian's kind had always been able to easily identify their own!

Somehow though, he managed the herculanean task of keeping his expression level, merely giving an understanding nod. However, his resolve was quickly tested again at the information that Lilith's mother was also a flirt; in his experience, that word was a blanket term for a lot of things, most of which had been applied to Guilian himself at one time or another. He definitely had to meet her mother...

Though for the time being, Guilian was enjoying his time with Lilith. Whatever expectations he might have once had when chatting up a pretty mare, right now he was content to simply walk and talk. She was so open, so alive, so vivacious that after his long period of depression, just talking to her was a panacea! "You may be surprised how children can sneak up on you, Chica; I myself had once believed I would never have children of my own, but I was fortunately proven wrong. I would not be surprised if you found yourself a proud mother before too long, with such a familial outlook as you seem to have been blessed with. It is a wonderful thing, this dedication to the idea of family!"

In a brief moment of personal insight, Guilian realized the absurdity of this situation, at least if it was being seen through the eyes of his younger self. Lilith was an attractive mare; there was no denying that fact. She was also friendly, charming, and delightfully naïve; these things together made a heady combination for a stallion who lived his life by the code of seduction. Yet here he was, as fit and fabulous as he’d ever been, thinking he had back his old zest for life and his old enthusiasm, yet in the presence of the aforementioned Lilith, he found himself contemplating her mother. The naiveté that would have been so alluring when he was younger now made him feel…

What did it make him feel? Not the desire to attempt to seduce her, as wonderful as that experience might be. Instead, he wanted more to just continue as they were, walking and talking and enjoying the chance to chat. Indeed, he would almost describe this feeling as…paternal. How very, very strange. But at the same time, so very pleasant. Perhaps that was it, he mused thoughtfully. Perhaps the secret to loving life and all the Soquilis in it was NOT to try to force them all into the box of romantic interests, but to approach each Soquili with an open mind…and not just an open libido!

Feeling as though he had just made a remarkable discovery, Guilian gave the mare a warm smile. “Yes, Chica; that is the truth of it. No matter how we expect things to turn out when we are young, to look back over our lives we might find ourselves surprised. I never would have thought to see myself here and now, like this, yet I am very much enjoying myself. I have had times both happy and sad because I have had a family, but at the end of the day I must consider myself blessed. I thought I had a had the perfect life, back when I was single, childless, and carefree, but I now know what true blessings are. I know you will have them yourself, in time.”

He smiled again, then laughed at her compliments to his coat. Wagging a wing tip playfully at her, he tsked. “Compliments are supposed to be my thing, Chica; obviously I am being remiss if you are able to turn them around on me! Though I thank you, I have always been most partial to my bright colors. While I love color of all types on others, my coat has always reminded me of my desire to be seen, to be noticed.” Waxing thoughtful again for a moment, he said in a somewhat softer voice, “Perhaps for some of us, we most fear being ignored.”

Guilian might be making revelations about himself, but it was just as well that some things were not being spoken. No matter how unromantic an encounter, no stallion would ever want to know that he was being compared to a mare's MOTHER. Being thought of as her father would be bad enough, but her mother? That was rather crossing a line. But since Lilith mercifully kept that little tidbit to herself, the awkwardness that would inevitably have ensued was completely avoided.

Instead, Guilian was able to enjoy their banter and the casual physical contact that was so important an element in his life. If the gentle touch was a parental comfort to Lilith, it was a general comfort to Guilian; exposed to physical contact from his earliest days, he could no more eschew touch than he could stop breathing. It was all things to him; romantic, comforting, sentimental, reflexive. It was...well, it was him.

So he returned the brushing touch with a light bump of their flanks, grinning as he remarked, "Well, I'd be lying if I said I didn't like the attention and the compliments, Chica; I'd also be lying if I said I wasn't used to receiving them. Being the perceptive mare you are, you no doubt know you are correct in saying I am used to attention," Guilian said with a wink. "But just because it is true does not make more unwelcome, especially when uttered with such an honest, open air of candor." Those were the best sort of compliment, if he did say so himself: the kind unmotivated by anything but honesty.

"Though I must confess I am surprised to think you find being a flutter rare, nevermind a pale one. I have not known a large number of flutters, but I've seen enough to know they are hardly rare. I think your admirers might be trying to fall over themselves complimenting you, though I can't say I blame them." Goodness knows that he'd thrown around one or two extravagant compliments in his time!

Ah, if Guilian had had any doubt that he was once again alive, they would have been dispelled by this encounter. So recently, he had been immersed in darkness and doldrums; everything he'd loved had become drab and uninteresting. He had been horrible company, a horrible companion, and a lifeless form with barely more spunk than a dead log. Now, he was talking, he was laughing, he was animated; he was flirting with a lovely young mare who was as demonstrative as any stallion could dream. It was a beautiful day, a beautiful encounter...he was happier than he possibly could have imagined, and he owed it to his best friend.

This was why everyone needed friends, Guilian mused as he beamed back at the mare. You needed someone who understood you, what motivated you, what moved you; someone who could fight through the darkness on your behalf and help push you back to where you were meant to be. And where he was meant to be was right here, right now, with Lilith providing yet another badly needed nudge.

"You are a breath of fresh air, Lilith, and I reiterate that I would love to one day meet your mother. I am sure that your charm will be echoed in her," he said with a charming smile. "For you are a charming mare, regardless of your color or lack thereof. I do not know your birth parents, obviously," he said in a much gentler tone, "But I do not doubt that your appearance had nothing to do with your abandonment. Sometimes, factors beyond our control can affect us, or our offspring." For a moment, a brief pained expression crossed his face as he thought once more about his daughter Amary, who had abandoned her children to who knew what fate. It had been an act of foolishness and vapidity rather than malice, but that did not change the outcome.

It took a moment to collect himself again; thinking of that episode, which had precipitated his depression to start with, was never a good thing. But he finally managed to recollect himself and wrenched away from the dark thoughts, giving Lilith a smile, albeit a slightly weak one. "My apologies, Chica; but I feel very strongly about abandonment, and I feel for the abandoned, particularly abandoned foals, none of us who were left alone as children should be forced to feel shame for that," he said with a bit more confidence.

Because although it wasn't exactly common knowledge, Guilian himself was one of the abandoned.