Looking for the Daylight

Briar's head tilted slightly as her sister groggily asked for something that sounded like 'zuriel', but it wasn't something or someone that Briar knew and she eventually decided it wasn't anything more than the sleepy grumbles of a pup trying to wake up. She continued to gently rub the girl's back to wake her up until she finally saw Andromeda's eyes start to open, giving her sister a little smile. Her soft smile was replaced by confusion and eventually a mix of guilt and sympathy when she saw the purple-hued girl suddenly jolt with excitement and rub at her eyes while questioning if she was their mother. It wasn't the first time that she had been mistaken for Zee and she was reminded briefly of their father's mistake in the wake of the first time they had thought that Zee had been killed. She very quickly pushed that thought away though, not particularly wanting to revisit that memory—especially not when she had a disheartened Andromeda who very much needed her attention more than that old thought did.

Watching the excitement die on Andromeda's face made Briar's heart wrench in her chest and her ears flicked back apologetically. She knew that there was nothing she could do about the heavy resemblance she carried to their mother, but it did make her feel bad about reminding her sister of what they had lost. Briar shifted closer to Andromeda as she was questioned over why their mother had to leave them, moving to sit beside her sister and slipping a forepaw around her shoulders, gently pulling the girl into her side. "I don't know," she replied honestly, giving her a gentle squeeze. "Nobody really knows how life is going to go... or when it's going to end," she added, tipping her head down to find Andromeda's gaze with her own. "But you have so much family here still that loves you so much. So many siblings and cousins, me, dad, uncle Artorias... We're all here for you. Trust me, I know it's not the same as having mom here, but... Don't make the mistake I made when I was your age and miss out on being close with your siblings because you're too caught up in what you can't change." She gave Andromeda a slightly sad smile, adding, "It's a lot harder to make up for lost time than it is enjoying the time you have now."

"Briar Carpathius"