Gem was... small. Not quite the smallest of her siblings, but small enough that she felt just a tad bit terrified every time she stepped out of the den. The world was massive. When she looked up, it was as if the sky never ended. When she looked around, the world went as far as her little eyes could see. For a pup like Gem, it was obvious why she trembled slightly with each step she took.

But she had taken those steps. Her delicate paws swathed in a layer of red dirt that quickly turned dark as she reached the muddied area that surrounded the lake. Standing there on the shore, almost hidden completely by reeds, she looked. She looked at the ducks that waded by in the clear blue waters. At the grasshoppers that flew and leaped around her. Her ears could hear the buzzing of bumblebees as they lazily drifted from flower to flower. Even the sound of squirrels scurrying up trees or the gentle step of deer through the tall grass. Oh, how she was so very aware of her surroundings.

She had come to the lake with a purpose that day. Not only to admire the scenery and all of its beauty, but also to gather supplies so she could make her ailing mama something pretty. After she had asked her papa to obtain her a tanned hide, she had set out with one of her siblings (or more, she didn't mind the company) to the lake where she now stood. While the bright sun overhead made her red eye squint, she tried her best to look around. Admittedly, she could smell them. They were sweet and tangy and with the help of her nose, Gem was able to find the large bush of prickly blackberries ready to be plucked.

of all her siblings, Gem is by far the weirdest. she’s too quiet, for one thing, which is odd- and she’s always got this strange, dreamy look on her face, like she’s not even listening to a thing El is saying - which is rude! El always has the best things to say! and now Gem’s wandering off and having adventures without her! beneath the indignation, there’s something swirling in the pit of El’s gut that might be the teeniest tinniest bit of worry, maybe. Gem’s just so small and helpless. and though she’s probably El’s weirdest sibling, she’s also the only one that seems to inspire this odd…protectiveness.

but mostly it’s spite that spurns her on. spite and jealously. think you can leave me behind? hah, fat chance! never mind that Gem had never actually excluded her; in El’s mind, not receiving a personalised invitation is an offence. “where do you think you’re going?” she huffs, falling into step beside Gem as they make their way to the lake. “what if a predator eats you? or an invader attacks? what then? you’ll be dead, that’s what.” she puffs out her chest, paying no mind to the beauty around them or the berries Gem is trying to find. she’s the most beautiful thing here, after all - why bother sniffing flowers when they all pale in comparison? “you’re so lucky i tagged along, Gem.”

"Where do you think you're going?"

The harsh, commanding words from her sister sent her ears backward, but otherwise she remained calm. "The lake," Gem's tiny voice answers, hoping her sister won't be upset that that was the goal for today. Instead of dwelling on what El though, Gem continued to look around. It was simply beautiful here. She wondered if she could live here eventually after she grew up a little bit. Wouldn't that be something?

Gem is quickly pulled from her daydream of laying out in the grass stargazing in the field beside the lake when El continued to hammer on about how dangerous it was for her to be out here. Predators? Invasions? She could die? Fear strikes her as her heart rate quickens slightly. Both eyes widen as she looks around. Was her sister right? A shiver runs down her spine as she continues to force herself to walk closer to the blackberry bushes. It is when El mentions that she's lucky she tagged along that Gem gives her a nod.

"I suppose you're right, El," Gem replies, turning to smile softly at her sister before looking back at the massive blackberry bush and all of its thorns. "How far back do you think it goes?" She asks El as she walks up and begins to pluck berries from the smooth stalks of the leafy blackberry bush. Dropping them into her basket, she picks a few more before turning back toward the lake. She can still see the ducks floating along as fish cause ripples in the surface. A butterfly flutters by and headed toward the small white flowers that dot the dark bushes around them.

”i suppose you’re right, El.” Elara’s pelt smoothed, her indignation melting away in the face of Gem’s easy agreement. “well…yes,” she replies, momentarily stumped. “that’s exactly right.” she’d been expecting a bit of resistance, maybe - people tend to, quite foolishly, protest some of the things she says - but clearly Gem is a girl of great logic and sense. not so odd after all, then. “who knows,” El sighs, casting the blackberry bush a disparaging glance. blackberries are boring, and sticky, and spikey. definitely not something she wants to waste her time with. she watches as Gemma begins gathering them into her basket, wrinkling her nose in open distaste. “you’re gonna get all gross,” she complains; already Gem’s mouth is faintly stained with berry juice. nope, her earlier assessment had been correct: definitely odd.

her eyes catch on the butterfly, admiring its colours, the grace of its wings. jealously stabs her briefly, eyes narrowing as it flutters about the bush. okay, maybe one thing here could compare to her beauty…but not for long. dropping into a crouch, El begins to creep up on it, claws kneading the grass as she approaches her prey. but just as she’s about to pounce, the butterfly lifts up into the air and flutters down into her nose, wings opening and closing in slow, delicate flaps. El blinks in surprise, then sits up very carefully, unwilling to startle it. has it mistaken her for a flower? well, that is very easy to do. preening, El closes her eyes and lifts her snout higher, relishing the image she must make. very well, then - it can live.

El's responses receive a fairy-like giggle from Gem. Her boisterous sister was fun to be around. Even when she mentioned that she was going to get gross, Gem shrugs. "That's the goal," Gem replies with a playful smile as she steps away from the blackberry bush to see what El is doing. A brow rises as she notices the butterfly on the girl's snout and how still she is sitting. Perhaps the first time she had seen El ever sit still. "Are you pretending to be a flower?" Gem asks with another giggle as she wanders over to a flat rock near the lake. Spilling the berries out onto the rock, she begins to smoosh them all together and rightfully stain her paws a pretty purple-black color.

El scoffs, moving only her eyes as she looks at her sister. "i don't need to pretend, Gem," she snorts, as though the very idea is ludicrous. "i'm prettier than any flower, and this butterfly recognises that." there's a meaningful hint beneath the words, a silent urging. "you think so too, don't you?" the idea that her own siblings might not find her beautiful...it's a disturbing thought, that's for sure. it's then that the butterfly lifts back into the air, growing smaller as it's pale shape disappears amidst the bright blue sky. ah well, perhaps it is conceding to the higher being here - understanding that the lake isn't big enough for two exquisite creatures. now free to move again, El sidles up to Gem's side and watches in growing outrage as her sister smooshes the berries, eyes growing so round with incredulity that the effect is rather comical. "that's...disgusting," she gags, stumbling backward a few steps as though the very sight of it is offensive. "just what are you intending to use such a mess for, anyway?" she glances at the lake, eyeing its calm surface with growing hope. perhaps she can convince Gem to take a bath before they go back to the den. "Speech"

El's words are received by Gem's ears, but Gem doesn't respond. She doesn't mind her sister being the force of conversation. Rather, she likes to watch the scenery, and admire the world around her, as she works the berries beneath her paws. Soon the seeds are smooshed out of the mixture and all that is left is a clump of berry pulp. Satisfied with her concoction, she smiles and looks up to see El pedaled backward with a look of utter disgust on her face. Gem looks at her with a furrowed brow. What was so wrong?

"Painting," Gems, still confused why her sister thought it so gross. "See," she lifts a paw, dabs it into the smooshed berries and then begins to move the mixture around on the rock until it roughly resembles the shape of the lake. "Then if I can get some different colors like.. hm," she looks around before hopping down to rip up some grass and moves back to place it gently around her lake-shaped painting. "I'm making a picture, El," Gem says as she turns to her sister for some kind of approval.

El’s horror mounts the messier Gem becomes, the girl unable to see the picture forming before her eyes. to her, it is simply a canvas of squished berries and randomly placed grass, an abstract concoction of yuck. but when El opens her mouth to comment as much, she finds she cannot bring herself to crush her sister’s vision. any other of her siblings and she’d gladly bring them back down to earth, explaining in great detail just how disgusting she thinks it is. but Gem…Gem is different. Gem inspires within her a protectiveness no one else does. so El just sniffs and looks away, trying to keep her voice politely detached. “it is…nice,” she says finally, though her words are a tad strained. lying is hard, it seems. “you’re very creative, Gem.” well, at least that bit is true - though El wishes her sister would pick a more refined material to work with. as her gaze roves over the berries, El adds thoughtfully, “you know, this colour would suit you, Gem. a bit around your eyes would really make them pop.” not everyone is as effortlessly beautiful as herself…some need a little help. and though Gem isn’t as stunning as herself, there’s definitely…potential there. "Speech"

Unlike her siblings, Gem is fragile. She is... easily impressionable. She wants everyone to like her. To understand her. But that is hard when all of her siblings have strong personalities and she does not. Thankfully she can't see El's features. She can't see how her sister looks away in disgust and how her tense words are a lie. Gem instead chooses to believe it. Her tail gives a gentle wag as she looks up with a smile. "You really think so?" She asks softly, her gaze never leaving her sister as she takes a step back to admire her work. Yes, yes, she liked this! It was shaping up well!

Before she could move back to the painting to finish it, El mentions that some of the color would look good around her eyes. Gem tilts her head slightly with wonder. "Really? We could try?" She asks as she swipes some of the berry-paint in her paw and holds it out to her sister.

El gives an excited little wiggle, pleased by her sister's compliance. really, the world would be so much better if people just listened to her as well as Gem does. and besides, El wants to doll her sister up all pretty, wants to make her feel good about herself and see the beauty that can be coaxed from that monochromatic pelt. "of course we can!" taking the berries from her sister, El urges Gem to sit in front of her and moves to take Gem's face in her other paw, turning it from side to side. "close your eyes and make sure you sit still," she instructs, brow furrowing in concentration. provided Gem cooperates, Elara begins smoothing the berry juice across her eyelids, staining the fur purple. "you've got such good bone structure, Gem," she muses, voice approving. while others might shower their loved ones with pretty words and physical affection, this is how El shows her love - a vested interest in their physical appearance. stepping back to admire her handiwork, El nods to herself in satisfaction. "very nice. go have a look, Gem." she motions to the lake, eager for what she imagines to be a truly gratifying reaction. "Speech"