Phobia was in a mood, never a good sign. He was sulking, he had pushed himself into the furthest corner of the den and was glowering at anyone who so much as walked past his eye line. He was being punished, he wasn't allowed to leave to go play outside, no he had to stay inside. Not his fault his siblings kept giving him such tempting openings! Besides he was the one who'd gotten hurt in the end! Phobia rubbed his sore muzzle on a foreleg, irritating the small bite wound all over again and irritating him all over again. He swiped out at a pebble, sending it bouncing out of his reach. He technically hadn't been put in the corner, no he'd put himself there. He didn't want to open himself up to mockery from his siblings, he knew some of them would see him as defanged and wouldn't hesitate to mock him. He wouldn't be able to stop himself from lashing out if that were the case. Still as he watched the only thing he'd been able to take his anger out on go rolling beyond his arms length he couldn't help the loud yell of anger that came roaring out of him. He hated this! "Speech"

Lineart bySleepyKyju & coloured by Resin

Arachne trotted back to the family den, her small paws lightly padding against the smooth sandstone. The landscape of Redwater Rocks, with its vibrant hues, seemed almost surreal as the sunlight played on the varied surfaces. Her exploration had been invigorating, but as she neared the den, a distant cry shattered the peaceful midday air. A shiver ran down Arachne's spine as she recognized the voice—it was one of her siblings. The cry carried an unfamiliar note, an angry frustration that seemed out of place in the serene surroundings. Concern etched across her features as she hesitated, wondering if she should go seek out her mother or father. A trickle of anxiety cracked through her chest at the idea of a confrontation.

Eventually she was able to gather the courage to continue, deciding she didn't want to make matters worse if whoever the confined party was had already gotten in trouble. As she approached the den's entrance, the barren rocks seemed to echo the turmoil within her. The familiar scent of her family lingered in the air, mixed with an underlying tension. Arachne cautiously stepped inside, her eyes narrowing as they adjusted to the lower lighting- but she immediately recognized the larger form of her brother. "Pho-b?" she spoke softly, her voice as small as she could make it while still making herself heard "What's wrong?" She inquired, not sure what else to do other than prompt him for insight into why he was in such a terrible mood.

"Arachne Klein"

Well at least Arachne wasn't as bad as El or Hydrae. "Rainy..." He responded sullenly as his much smaller sister approached him. Phobia was hunched over himself, not wanting to risk losing his temper enough to lash out at his gentle sister. He couldn't understand any of his more meek sisters but he could at least recognize they didn't deserve his anger nearly half as much as the others and luckily for his sister even though it hadn't felt like enough kicking that pebble had helped to release the pressure enough that he was calming down even if he was still sulking. "Got bit." His words were terse. And he tipped his head down so his sister could see the little bite marks, still red. "But I got punished!" Sure he'd started the fight, but he hadn't even started the biting! They'd walked away with nothing but bruises and he was stuck here with a bite wound on his face! So not fair! Why did he keep getting punished for being the one who got hurt the most? One day he'd start putting together that if he didn't want to get bit he should stop jumping his siblings but today was not that day! "Speech"

Lineart bySleepyKyju & coloured by Resin

Arachne's heart sank as she took in the bite marks on her brother's face. She knew how much Phobia despised showing vulnerability, and yet here he was, wounded and confined to the den. The unfairness of it all was evident in his voice, a mix of frustration and confusion. She could understand his perspective to some extent. Growing up in a family of fierce siblings, conflicts were bound to arise, but it seemed that Phobia always ended up bearing the brunt of the consequences. As much as she wanted to console him, Arachne knew she had to tread carefully. Phobia had a temper, and she didn't want to say something that could upset him. Especially since it seemed that his mood was slowly leveling. "I'm sorry Pho.” She answered softly.

Part of her knew that their parents likely had grounded her brother for a reason. Safety or punishment she didn't know. Part of her wanted to defend them, but knew that it would just cause friction between her and Phobia. So instead, she remained silent on the matter. Looking around the den, she couldn't think of an awful lot to do. "Does yelling make you feel better?” She asked, thinking to the wailing she initially heard to bring her back to their family's den. "I could yell with you?” The very idea of screaming at each other for no reason seemed very silly and a little nerve wracking. But it if it made Phobia feel better, she would give it a shot!

"Arachne Klein"