Phantom Hollow Out of you a sparrow comes

Another day had approached, even though Mother preferred the night. Lumi didn't understand why that was, only that she herself liked the day much better. Though Phantom Hollow was foggy and not very beautiful, it had the green parts she liked so much. She had become steadier on her feet and on her trips outside she had discovered so much already. The greenery sometimes came in colours, like the big orb in the sky or the warm colour that spilled from Mother and Father's meals. Still, there was one colour she liked the most; the mysterious colour of Midar's eyes.

To the outside world she sneaked again, almost trotting happily in the small part of the Hollow she was familiar with. A sniff there, a sniff here and then off to find more green. Perhaps she'd even take some to Mother and Father if no one got in her way.

Where Lumiya saw the world in its true colour, Venamis' was void of certain shades. As he peeked out of the family's burrow to spy on his most unusual sibling, he looked upon hues that were primarily grey and red. It did not phase him, of course; the boy had never experienced certain colours, so to see through eyes unable to detect them was his version of "normal".

The palest of the Melonii brood contented herself beyond the threshold of the den, inspecting foliage and nosing around. Quiet and with an excited wiggle in the sway of his hips that accommodated his waggy tail, Venamis prowled after her with every intention of surprising her with a mischievous chomp on her flank.

And surprised she was. Without a noise did she jump, turning her chubby body towards her brother. Her brows were furrowed and it made her look all wrinkly as she scowled at him. Rrroof. She barked to tell him off, turning towards the greenery again. She was the definition of the boring older sister. She sniffled through the brush to find a little yellow flower. Without thinking did she pluck it and show Venamis if he hadn't already left her alone to find a sibling that would play with him.

Success! His milk teeth connected to the girl's hide, and to her he delivered a sly nip that resulted in her swinging toward him. She scowled at him, clearly unimpressed, while little Venamis simply beamed at her in response. His grin was one of triumph, as was the swing of his fuzzy black tail as it swished to arc dominantly over his hindquarters.

Lumiya had little care for this display, however, leading Ven to believe that was content with her place below him in the pecking order. Instead of biting back, she huffed toward him and moved away to rummage among the brush and turn his way again with something to show. His pale eyes peered curiously at the little object between her incisors, a piece of foliage with dainty petals and void of any colour.

Wow. Boring.

Jaws parted once more as the obsidian babe made to snatch it from his sibling's maw and, if successful, would attempt to swallow it whole.

If he had continued to pester her, she would've told on him as best as she could. Surely Mother and the Beast with the white chest would not allow their children to fight. Right? If not, Lumi was fine keeping to herself and make friends elsewhere. She felt like she didn't need much more than herself and whatever lurked in the unknown.

But it seemed she had gotten her brother's attention at last. Her heart swelled with pride and, for the first time in her life, she smiled. Her victory was short lived however, as not soon after her pesky brother snatched away her little flower and it disappeared into his mouth hole. Her eyes widened in horror and she reached out to his mouth with her paw but... her pretty yellow flower was gone.

She pouted, the wrinkles on her forehead returning as she frowned and let out a sad little cry. She stomp footed away then, needing a place to be alone because her brother was the absolute worst and she'd never show him anything pretty ever again.

To someone on the outside observing the siblings interact, they might see the entire exchange as sweet and innocent. There was little Lumiya, presenting a delicate and pretty little yellow flower for her brother to share in her delight at such a find within their dreary home. The sheer, unbridled joy shone in her vibrant blue eyes as she awaited Venamis' reaction to be one of wonder or appreciation - but it never came.

Instead, the petals of her prize were crushed between his pointy baby teeth. He grinned cruelly at her as her expression twisted into one of horror, as she gazed wide-eyed at him as he consumed the flower with a wicked glint in his gaze.

Her soft whine was one of defeat, and like music to his ears. Venamis boldly followed her as she moved to stomp away from he scene of his crime, eager to further push her buttons.

This meant war. This meant her getting kidnapped on purpose to get some better siblings. THIS MEANT SHE WAS LIKE REALLY SAD. Her stubby legs couldn't carry her far from her brother, especially not when she realized he was following her. She was fed up with his shenanigans - his venamigans! She halted abruptly, turned her little face towards him...

Stop. She had heard Mother say it when she scolded them for bad behavior, and she knew it meant the other was behaving rudely. Her gentle blue eyes were still fixed upon her brother, wondering if he too had listened as well as she had to the adults.

"Stop."

And he did, at once. His cheerful grin dissipated, fading into a thoughtful frown as he furrowed his brow to eye his sister suspiciously. This was a command from their provider and, torn over whether to obey or challenge, he simply stood and gawked at her as he mulled the possibilities over.

His haunches lowered with a loud huff, unsure. His eerily pale blue eyes bore into Lumiya's own for several long moments, and he made his decision: no, he thought fiercely, unable to form the word on his tongue, though he was sure to understand by the sneer that resumed on his face.

She frowned dangerously, her lips a tight line. He understood what she had uttered, but he didn't back down. Lumi wasn't a fighter like her siblings seemed to be, but she wouldn't let them walk all over her! A noise resembling a snarl came from her tiny, pale body in response to her brother's sneer.

Her growl didn't deter him. If anything, it made his fur bristle. Was Lumiya challenging him? The spiderling studied his sister quietly, watching her display of fangs with dark amusement. She had always been the peaceful one, and he wondered if this day might be the one in which he'd pushed her too far.

Without the attention span to hope for a reaction, Venamis hoisted a rear limb up to scratch at an itch behind an obsidian lobe.

The wrinkles on her forehead became deeper, reaching her Ultimate Frown Form. Venamis was a menace, she was sure of that. Even though he was family, he treated her so cruelly. Fine then, if he refused to grow up she wouldn't even waste a minute more on him. She threw her nose confidently in the air and turned away, hoping she could make her leave in peace.

It quickly became apparent that his sister's intention was not to assert that she was better than him, but to simply express her growing frustration. This assumption did not smooth his bristled fur, however; Venamis didn't trust her to back down should he demand her to.

He stood his ground, both eager to further push Lumi to her limits but quietly reluctant. It wasn't that he considered she might be tougher than him, for he held back with the knowledge that the adults may punish his behaviour. The last thing he wanted was to be looked upon by his father with anger or disappointment.

So he let her go, his stormy gaze following her retreat while he did his best to ignore the undeniable itch to cause trouble.