vi. ✯ ❝ did i really...? ❞ a peppered-mothsnap srp ✯ remix

Instructions

⊱ ─── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ─── ⊰ 「 ✯ ❝ did i really...? ❞ ✯ 」 ╰──₊· ͟͟͞͞➳ a peppered-mothsnap srp 「 in which peppered-mothsnap considers its new role, questions what led her to this point, and weighs the effects she had on cats in the past. 」 ⊱ ─── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ─── ⊰ A mediator. Not a medicine cat, whose appointment was to heal. Not a leader, who vowed to protect and guide the clan with their life. Not a deputy, who was expected to stay at the leader's left paw. Something new, something that hadn't existed since... who knows how long ago? Perhaps never. A mediator. "A steady figure to help settle disputes and guide understanding among us..." It repeated its leaders words, staring off into the distance at the forests far beyond. She was on the surface, yes. A younger Peppered-mothsnap would never arise to the surface willingly, but it recently came to a revelation that the pockets of garden that could only be found above ground were a miraculous place to ponder. And there she found herself, in front of the glass-like surface of a puddle, nothing but a few flower petals dancing on its surface. Staring into the pool, it saw the same cat staring back up at them. A young Peppered-mothpaw, small and bursting with energy. The only difference was the feathers and monarchs adorning her pelt. Or, was it the same cat? She had a more dignified look about her. Passionate, but not aggressive. Excitable, but not bursting at the seams with boundless optimism. ... The same. But different. It was different, yet similar at the same time. She couldn't see the difference, sure. But it noticed it in itself. In the way others talked to her. In the way it talked to itself in its internal dialogue. Was this the cat that Monarch-butterflypaw had seen all those moons ago? Sure, she was chaotic and a genuine nightmare to any mentors unfortunate enough to have her passed to them. Fae definitely saw that side of it. But, far away from noise, in the quiet hush of the forest... She truly blossomed. It still sparred and did a fair bit of trash talking, but it also channeled its passionate energy into drawing shapes in the mud and arranging different flowers in Mon's pelt. Star would always release star warm laugh, a noise of pure mirth that it hadn't heard in the longest while. "You're such a soft cat on the inside, when you shed that spiky shell," Fae would purr out teasingly, swatting her with faer tail as she adjusted a few petals. Monday always teased when she said that. It wasn't soft. However, there was some truth to star words. While it wasn't necessarily softness, it was certainly different from the excitable apprentice that it showed other cats of Cavernclan. One of the many cats it showed its harsh side to was Daybreakstar. Which made her ask... Why her? For, of all roles, a mediator? It knew internally that it had the capability to resolve conflict and make allies quite easily. With the flash of a smile and a chipper demeanor, she could usually focus her passion into diffusing the situation at hand. However, only 2 cats had ever known about that side. At least, only 2 that had known before recent moons, when it began to branch out more. On the surface, it made no sense to choose Mothy. But... Maybe Daybreakstar saw the improvements it was making? Her attempts to change the ways of her younger days must've been working better than she'd previously thought. And in order to make up for all of the harm she could've potentially done during the errors of her youth, she'd give this new role her all. Sure, young Peppered-mothpaw had a lot of gravity. At least, it acted like it did. She acted like the would was in orbit around her. A distant orbit, but still. Now, with the sudden appointment to a new role, one that brought a certain degree of responsibility and actual gravity... She'd have to make this count. It'd been entrusted with this position of power within the clan. She wouldn't disappoint the cats of Cavernclan. No. The cats of the Silver Shores as a whole, from mountain peaks to sweeping sea, would not feel even a speck of disappointment in the actions of the Cavernclan mediator. It wouldn't let this go to waste. No. It /couldn't/. ⊱ ─── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ─── ⊰