Northstar Vale When's the last time you saw a damn bear in Scranton?

Lilitu had a lot of recurring dreams, but none so frightening as this one.

A great hulking creature, brown and ugly, its face twisted into a snarl. So much bigger than she ever could be. Reared up onto its hind legs, blocking out the sun. Its foreleg rising, rising, swinging back—

She only ever had time to realize its massive paw heading directly toward her face before she woke up, every time, her head splitting with pain and a cry in her throat.

It was no different this evening. She'd been enjoying an afternoon nap, full of milk, when the creature had appeared. The same as always—it came and created terror, and then it rounded on her. Reared up, foreleg lifted, paw swinging. . .

Lilitu came to, let out a yelp and then broke down into whimpers, pressing her throbbing skull into her paws. Once the agony had subsided enough, she lifted her chin, turned her head, and—

Wot in tarnation?

LIGHT, that somehow only existed in her dreams. LIGHT, brighter than anything this world had to offer before. She blinked, and then realized she could blink. Jaw agape, she turned to her sister,

OHMYGOD! Her sister! She was small and brown and perfect. Somehow she'd never thought about actually seeing her sister, her mother; they were just there. Lilitu turned and AH! There was Ibis, too! Beautiful and bright and cream-furred and perfect!

Pain pretty much forgotten, Lilitu stood on wobbling stubby forelegs and hopped in place, awkward but utterly excited.

This was new! This was new! This was new!

Somebody share this with her before she explodes!

@Ibis @Arielle

Muffled sounds were all she heard currently, but it was enough for now; she had been excited just for that preview of the world as she was completely ignorant to all it really had to offer. Her own eyes would remain closed for another day, so when her sister's stirring woke her, she was still met with darkness.

Still, she could tell something was happening, so she lifted up on wobbly legs and released a squeak—it was a question. She waddled closer to her sister then to see if she would offer her more information, another squeak leaving her as she moved. She knew she was safe with them, so there was no fear, just her usual curiosity. Her interest in the wolrd had only grown since it first appeared in her mind, and now she tried to explore her immediate area as much as she could while still close to her mother and sister.

As Arielle woke up and chirped, Lilitu turned toward her—only to feel a sense of disappointment as the girl's own eyes seemed to still be closed. By choice? She licked her sister's face all over, trying to coax sight out of her. This was too cool for Arielle not to experience it, too.

But the lids remained shut, much to her displeasure, and she frowned, before giving her sister a comforting lap of a tongue over her still-floppy ears and moving on to look at her mother. She clambered over long, slim legs, trying to face Ibis head-on.

Her sight was still murky, not yet what it would be. Ibis took a little while to come into focus—

And when she did, Lilitu saw for a split second a different face. A smaller (more youthful, unknown to her) face. Much different from the longer, wiser face that appeared when she blinked, shaking her head in confusion.

Wait. She'd seen this face before. Right? There was no other explanation for the bolt of familiarity that coursed through her at the sight of her mother. Her face was as familiar as her belly, her teats, her tongue. . .

Lilitu sat back on her haunches, staring at her mother with a furrowed brow.

i'm thinking this will be the last from me <3

She felt her sister's warm kisses against her ears, and then she was gone, off in a direction that Arielle was unable to see just yet. She released a soft squeak of discomfort but ultimately started to wriggle across the ground in search of her mother's warmth. 

She, luckily, didn't have to search long before her nose bumped into the familiar form and mom's scent surrounded her once more. She rooted around until she found what she wanted, eating quietly until her tummy was full. Then she grew sleepy again. It seemed she was only ever able to stay awake for short periods of time so far. So she nuzzled into Ibis' armpit, rolled over on her back, and promptly fell asleep.

There was no epiphany that came, no reason why her mother's face upon first glance should seem familiar. The term "deja vu" wasn't one known to her, and even if it was. . .just. . .how? With a small sigh, Lilitu gave up her pondering, feeling her head start to ache. There was a lot more to look at than just Ibis.

The whole world was up for grabs, now.

Well, at least the small world of the den. That was good enough for her today. She waddled backward toward her mother's belly and drank, just as Arielle had. Then, closing her eyes, she tried to rest.

She dreamt of old skulls retrieved from the earth and trees with leaves drooping low. It all meant nothing to her.