Phobia wasn't sure if he really got Gem. Or really any of his sisters to be honest. Rainy he understood a bit she was like mom in a lot of ways,  Estie was closer to him but he couldn't seem to grasp what made her tick, El was a pain in the ass, Hydrae didn't care to tussle until she did and then she was vicious (Phobia had yet to figure out his aggression was the trigger for every fight they'd had), Selkie was too preoccupied with appearances, Sim was bubbly! And there was Gem.

Rainy was quiet, and Gem was downright silent. Okay not literally but Phobia had never met a wolf quite so reserved... Phobia hadn't met many wolves yet. To be fair most children their age have yet to develop a filter, certainly for Phobia thoughts go from his mind to his mouth before he even thinks to say them. So maybe Gem was fantastical in her own right. But! She was also skittish and that just would not do! Phobia had gotten it into his mind he was going to help her be less scared. Did he have a plan? No. Was he likely to decide the plan was fighting? Yes. Did that mean he probably wasn't going to actually help? Also yes. But those thoughts require a logic he just doesn't quite have yet!

"Geeeeeem!" The young boy's voice echoed off the walls of the cave system that made up the family's den. He knew she didn't like loud noises but what was he supposed to do otherwise? Track her down himself? Not a chance.

Perhaps Gem was different than the rest. While everyone else seemed so... boisterous, she was well, she wasn't. Preferring to spend the day sleeping or being on her own, most found her outside at night, sitting and staring at the stars. When she was awake during the day, she kept to herself. Away from the loud. Away from the racket that her siblings mustered up from deep within their bellies. She liked Selkie because Selkie was also quiet, but not like her. El was fine though El was a lot. Rainy and Sim were fun too, but almost too much fun. They always wanted to adventure and Gem didn't like adventuring too much. Hydrae, Estie, Aethon and Phobia were all so aggressive too and just... a lot. Not like El a lot, but like... sibling a lot. Gem loved her siblings, but dang they were a bit too much for her skittish nature.

Speaking of skittish nature, Gem startles when her name goes bouncing off the den walls. Both ears flick backward for a moment as she peers out from under the blanket she has herself nestled under. There Phobia was, almost seeming to be prowling around looking for her. What did he want other than to push her around? Contemplating whether she should stay hidden in her little cocoon or not, Gem waited a few minutes. Maybe he would give up. Eh, it was Phobia, giving up wasn't in his vocabulary, now was it?

Stretching out her legs as she comes to stand, the blanket slipping off of her nearly pure chimeric form, she looks toward her larger brother. "Phooobia," she calls out in her sing-song voice before leaping down from the confines of the bed and wandering over to him.

Surely Gem wouldn't be avoiding him, right? Phobia had very little patience in general and the hesitation that his sister felt was probably warranted. He was just starting to inch towards anger when Gem's voice responded to his own and luckily disaster had been averted for now. He gave his smaller sister a grin as she approached. He was probably many of his sibling's first bully but in truth when he wasn't in a mood or being challenged, one or two sisters tended to try that, he wasn't exactly mean. No more than most children at least. Gem wasn't one of his usual targets, she was much too timid for him to feel the need to fight her most of the time. Sure he would try and push her around when he could but he liked her well enough. "C'mon!" He gestured for Gem to follow him, spinning around to lead her out of the den. "What were ya doing inside anyways?" Phobia knew some of his siblings preferred the night time, the sun, what little of it they were getting, could hurt their skin and eyes. His own right eye hurt sometimes if things were really bright but maybe he'd been partially saved by the fact his pupils could contract to much smaller than any of his siblings, and his darker colouration protected him from the sun more than most of his siblings. Eventually he'd adjust his sleep schedule to match that of most of the Kleins in Ashen but for now Phobia simply had too much energy to waste even a second of day, no matter the time and he frankly thought Gem was weird for choosing to do so! "Speech"

Lineart bySleepyKyju & coloured by Resin

Gem is given no time to hesitate as Phobia beckons her outside. Watching him spin on his heel and trot out that very doorway, Gem followed without any complaints. It was better to do as her siblings said because well, she really didn't want to be bullied. Pushed, smacked, smushed, shoved, whatever puppy-like violence they chose was exactly what she didn't want. Unlike Gem, her siblings all seemed to have some sort of temper to them.

Knowing it was better to answer Phobia than stay quiet, she picks up her pace to beside him so he can hear her soft voice. "I was napping," her simple answer is the truth because that was what she was doing. Like her siblings and the other Kleins, nighttime was much more enjoyable compared to the bright light of day. Her own eyes squint as they leave the den. Looking up at Phobia, she furrows her brow in question. "What're we doing?" Gem asks, the nervous notes of her voice clear. Whatever Phobia had planned wasn't always a good one...