Stone Circle me thinkies

for any of Clay's immediate family to join in! @Valette @Newt @Leta

Clay snooped around the elder tree, tail raised high and nose straight to the ground as he seeked answers to the frequent quakes that shook the land. Was it the bison? Was it the wolves he met earlier a the border? The boy frowned, he still hadn't gotten answers.

It seemed the only thing he got was lectures and nips from his parents. Something he still didn't fully understand, and when he thought long and hard about it a cold feeling in his body began to settle. Why was it that his siblings always got praise? Why was West strong? Why was Newt so smart? Why was Leta able to pay attention so easily?

Clay turned his gaze to the tree. He was no longer on his search for the cause of the earthquake, but for a way to take out the anger that quickly rose through his body. Letting out a snarl, the young lad threw himself at the tree with paws raised—his tiny claws ripping into the bark and dragging down as he let out a wail.

Why was it that he could never be smart? Why was it that he wasn't able to pay attention? Why was it that he never got praise? He let his small body droop downwards before settling at the base of the tree with a snorf as he tried to gulp down his tears.

West had been out wandering around the territory. He knew better than to wander too close to the borders despite the draw they had for him. Instead, he would occupy his time looking around for the source of the ground shakes. It didn't seem to come from the bison, at least not from what he gathered, in fact there seemed to be some missing. Of course, there was the possibility that they were roaming elsewhere in the territory and that was causing the tremors...but they've only grown bigger lately.

Speaking of tremors, a sharp cry echoed across the land and naturally, the rather large boy wanted to seek out the source. It wouldn't take long to track down his brother who was tearing away at a tree...what did the tree do? He looked mad. Then again, Clay always seemed mad. Just in case the tree did do something, West rushed over with what little of his older brotherly protection kicking in.Hey! You alright? I'll help you wail on this tree if it did something!

It's true, Clay was probably his least favorite sibling. He was annoying, brash, and a huge stick in the mud, but he was still his brother. Plus he was the only one in his family that seemed to like wrestling with him! And that meant something...at least to him.

Valette's ears perked up at the wail. She instantly knew it was one of her children but who? She turned on her heels and rushed towards the sound. It didn't take her long to pick up a scent from West, thinking it was him who was injured. Valette rushed froward following his trail but when she reached the old tree she noticed it was Clay who was on the verge of crying. West was probably trying to comfort his brother. He was so sweet.

"Clay? Are you alright? What happened?," she asked worriedly and stepped over to him. She licked his face, not wanting him to cry or be upset about something. Frankly, the mother cherished this moment as she had never really seen Clay showing his emotions besides a grimace and a scowl. She nosied over him to check if he was alright.

Leta too heard the commotion, and the girl followed meekly after her mother, more than a little nervous for it. But when she saw the source, Leta softened and relaxed. She adored Clay, as much as she adored her other brothers. That he struggled was something that the empath could register but did not really know, not for sure; she was too young to ever really be positive. 

Quietly, she approached Clay (where he could see her, not wanting to sneak up on him). She stopped several feet shy of him, wanting to give him his space; her tail waved feebly behind her in supplication as her ears melted atop her crown. Leta may be larger than him, but she was not dominant in spirit. I'm here for you, she offered softly, gentle as ever. Looking at the tree, Leta feebly swat at it. Did it hurt you? I'll... I'll get it back, if it did! She declared, and though nonviolent in her own nature Leta looked as though she were ready to square up to the tree, if that was the case. 

Leta would lose to even that, though, surely.

His siblings and mother gathered around him, ushering him with words that barely did little to break his fit of rage. All he heard was muffles of voices, clumping together and becoming one, rolling past his ears and tumbling into the static noise only to be swallowed up around him. He couldn't hear anything but the loud, ringing noise in his head and his own sobs as he stared down at the earth, at his paws that were now aching and hurting from attacking the tree.

The only thing that broke the sea of emotional constipation was a gentle lick to his face, one that easily scooped up his tears— and clay followed it, letting his head be tilted up to stare at the muddled figure of his mother through salt.

"Huh?" he sounded, a bit harsher than what he wanted as he finally gazed around him. Around them. They were staring at him. Staring through him.

All at once those feelings that melted away came rushing back, locking him in a freezing container. They saw him cry, saw him upset, saw him weak. He was exactly what they thought of him. Weak. Emotional. Angry. Useless.

It scared him.
It made him angry.

Clay stared at them as the tears started falling  at full force. "Im fine," he bubbled through bated breath, lying to them in hopes of somehow convincing not only them but himself. "Go away."

West just blankly stared at his brother before his gaze shifted to their other siblings and mother. Did they really believe that? He didn't. No one just cries when they're fine. I mean...it's ok if you're not? Well, not really. Things aren't ok if you aren't ok, but he should tell them if things aren't!

Valette looked at her son who seemed fine all of a sudden. She didn't believe one bit of it. Even West didn't seem to believe it. She knew a sibling's instinct well and how keen they were in touch with their siblings feelings. The matriarch stepped forward and nosed over Clay. "You can me sad and upset, Clay," she assured him.

"Everyone is upset one day. But luckily you have a big family that loves you and wants to help you when you feel sad," she explained to him. "It is just best to let it all out inside of holding it inside of you," she added and kept her warm hazel colored eyes on him. He was always so angry and she didn't understand why that was.

Leta's tail stilled when her brother began to cry. She felt unhelpful, but committed to making sure whatever was making him not okay okay again. Leta was an optimist, and a little bit of a foolish one at that... but she believed everything would be alright once they figured it all out. Is it the earth shaking??? She asked, quieter and for Clay to hear. Maybe he was embarrassed, but she wanted him to know: It's scaring me, too, and sometimes that fear made her want to cry. Reminded her of something, but what that was she couldn't remember. 

When he asked that they go away, Leta was ready to respect his wishes if only because she was nothing if not obedient. Reading the room, though, Leta recognized that perhaps they ought to stay? And Leta said, gently, very quiet, I wanna stay with you cause I love you, but the more submissive part of her hated to not listen... even to her brothers.

He couldn't take it.

His family around him. Their stares. Their words. It all mixed around in his head, forming into one simple point. They saw him cry. And under their loving words, their gentle tones, theyre 'I love yous', he knew they all saw him as weak. Stupid even.

He shivered, his body tucking low as something consumed him, made his heart race and eyes squeeze shut to hide in darkness underneath his eyelids.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Weak. Useless. His memories of getting chided by his parents flooded into his mind. The hunting lesson, when they found him squashing bugs. Their stares, bright and stern clouded his mind, reminding him that he would never be perfect. Never be like his siblings. Never enough.  He let more tears roll down his face as their words and looks replayed over and over in his mind.

Until it was a touch that broke him out of his trance. He snapped his eyes open, looking at his mother in bewilderment. His chest rose and fell with rapid breath, and the boy desperately looked at all around him. Leta, West, Newt. Staring at him.

They were looking at him again.

And Clay, knowing the only thing he was good at, defied them by darting away, stumbling on his paws at such speed, and leaving his family alone.

Trying to wrap this thread up!! Asori gave permission for you all to skip west in your next post!

Valette frowned when the only response Clay gave was to frown more. The mother watched her child as Leta seemed to also be encouraging. However, she didn't expect Clay to just run away. "CLAY!," she called out after him. "This is not how we deal with things! Come back!!," she called out after him. She frowned, should she chase after him. He had already been upset and if she would run after him and scold him he might get even further upset. She looked at the direction to where Clay fled. "Apparently Clay doesn't want the comfort of his family," Valette stated. She figured he would return to his family eventually once he calmed down.

Leta watched as Clay ran away, frowning; her mother yelled, and Leta took a few strides after Clay before circling back and looking at West and her mother. Should we follow him???? she asked worriedly, young enough to not understand boundaries and needing to be alone. She looked to West, wondering what he thought and if he was as confused as she was. She knew Clay could be testy with Newt and West (he had always been kind to her), so she was curious if he had any different sorts of take on it and if she was being too much of a worrywart.