dirty paws

Gem had holed herself up in the den for a few days now. Avoiding the spunky personalities of her siblings that always seemed to linger in the doorway, she was content to linger within the confines of comfy beds and soft mama fur. It's not until that same mama is ushering her to go outside and play does Gem finally gives in. Though she doesn't grumble, there is an obvious sort of dislike for her normally pleasant features. Why did she have to go outside? What if Phobia or Aethon were waiting to pounce on her? Their tussling always hurt in ways that she didn't like.

As she nears the entrance to the den, her spirits lift at the sight of Venom. Her tail goes wagging and she suddenly forgets about the impending doom of potential surprise attacks. Picking up her step, she approaches the Empress with a cute smile. Stopping just in front of Venom, she looks up at the massive she-wolf. "Aunty Ven!! What're you doing here?" Gem asks sweetly, blinking her heterochromatic eyes at her aunt with curiosity and wonder.