Beware the feigned apostle

Instructions

Another very abstract and trippy Cricketcry piece complete with chromatic abbreviation, effects, and being exceedingly experimental???? What else is new because that sure isn’t!!!!!! In all seriousness though, I got to finish this fairly impulsive piece and am really happy with how it came out!!! I gave myself the ‘challenge’ to make it using only the newer procreate brushes, which panned out WAY better than I thought it would I always LOVEE getting to do more abstract Cricketcry art like this, especially since it’s always super lore based whenever I do them. The main theme behind this one in particular is their religious trauma surrounding ncc, but more specifically, around Moth. I have a lot to say on the art-related decisions I made in this piece, but I’ll leave that for the end of the project. Until then, loredump time!! Since this is Cricketcry and just one aspect of their story though, it shouldn’t be as lengthy as the other ones thank god but we will see I’ve already talked about Cricketcry and their time as Chosen a little bit, but I’ll take the time to talk on it a little more now + the lasting effects of it. For context, in New CrystalClan / NCC, there’s a rank called The Chosen, which basically acts as an apprentice-like figure to the Prophet / Leader, that being Moth. Originally, another cat was meant to be the second Chosen of the clan, however due to her disappearing alongside her (adoptive) father, that didn’t happen. So, Moth went with the next oldest kit of the clan, which is where Cricket comes in. Moth talking to them about becoming Chosen had been happening for a little while before they actually got the rank around 7 moons old. From thereon out, they became extremely closed off from everybody except Moth, rarely interacting with any other cat unless it was for ‘clan business’. Cricketsong would also be trained heavily in what essentially amounts to public relations, clan management, and, of course, Moth’s teachings around Coalstar. Now, as you can probably guess this did!! Not affect them very well!!! Like at all!!!!!! To put it bluntly, Moth was manipulating them, as well for mistreating them emotionally and ALSO pushing a ton of religious guilt on them. I won’t get into all of that guilt since it would be a VERY long thing to explain and even I haven’t dug into it in it’s entirety, but one thing that comes up consistently in Cricketcry’s story is this: the idea that they are ‘rotten’. Because of that guilt and what they were taught, they believed that anything going against Moth’s word would be going against Coalstar’s word, and if they went against her word, then that’s treason against the stars Herself, and therefore, they are truly what every cat said they were. They knew they didn’t do anything wrong to warrant the demotion, they knew that- however. If they were to do anything out of line, then to them, that means everyone was warranted in their attacks and harassment of them. The idea of that terrified them. For the longest time though, Cricketcry hadn’t realized any of this. They spent almost all their life having a strong belief in Coalstar and what they had been taught about her, even if there were clear cracks in the ideologies Moth spouted. Despite their demotion, despite Moth’s verbal attacks on them, they still held the Prophet in high regard, which certainly wasn’t helped by Moth’s continued manipulation even after the demotion. Everything came to a head though in arc 6 of afc, when they realized that what they had been taught, what they believed to be fact for their entire life, was all a lie. They came to the realization that Moth wasn’t the ‘Prophet’ they believed them to be. Instead, they were all but a liar, someone who manipulated them / Cricketcry simply for personal gain. A feigned apostle, if you will. Their Chosenhood and the time they spent in New CrystalClan had lasting effects on them, which you can probably already see by now if you’re already at least somewhat familiar with their lore. Because of Moth, they fell into habits that took years to shake. Because of Moth, they’re able to hold a facade of a charismatic and ruthless public speaker. Because of Moth, they believed all relationships of any kind to be transactional. Because of Moth, they didn’t get to have an identity of their own. But most importantly, because of Moth, they never had a future. They never got the mere *chance* of having a proper apprenticehood, always forced into a position of maturity and growing up far too fast. Present-day, that is one of the things they mourn the most: the future they never got the common courtesy of having. [ CONTINUED IN N&C ]