- Dec 27, 2022
- 348
- 49
- 28
Gravelsnap has had quite a bit of time to think about things. To consider their own actions, and weigh their choices. They have had time to rest, to recover from their tail-kicking at the claws of a RiverClan apprentice. They have always been certain that they are a WindClanner, no matter how they began their life. Lynxtooth had his reasons for bringing them here, and they won’t squander his efforts to make them the best warrior that they can be. But does being a good warrior, a perfect soldier for Sootstar, have to come at the cost of making themself hated by others, even within their own clan?
They’ve been harsh and rude in the past, and not only to the other clans—they’ve treated their own clanmates with such cruelty. They’re friends with Firefang, a warrior for Sootstar, so it’s a given. A requirement. And besides, the weaklings deserved to be punished for the dirty tricks they pulled on Firefang, putting thorns in her nest, in her safe space. The most underhanded tactic, a prank that could have had far more serious consequences. What if she’d lost an eye? They want to snap and snarl every time they recall the way that Dazzlepaw spoke to the dark-furred molly.
But they’re a warrior now, and butting heads with Azaleapaw and Dazzlepaw feels a bit too much like striking down on an opponent who can’t fight back. It feels childish, silly. And he hadn’t only flung insults at those two—Periwinklepaw was a part of it all, too.
Azaleapaw was right about one thing: Gravelsnap knows how to spit venom and he knows how to do it well. He says things in the haze of high emotion, and sometimes a cat he cares about gets caught in the fallout. He’s reminded of the look on Periwinklepaw’s face when he’d called the apprentice worthless, unworthy of being a WindClanner. He’d made the apprentice call themself selfish. (And all in the name of what? Jealousy? He certainly feels jealous now, with that little red-furred rat getting close to Periwinklepaw, taunting Gravelsnap with snide little glances. Like he and Periwinklepaw aren’t friends anymore, like Dazzlepaw can be a better friend. It’s impossibly frustrating.)
He feels shame seeping into his chest. It’s unbecoming of a warrior like him to be caught up in dramatics with apprentices, when he hasn’t been a direct target of their actions. He needs to act like an adult now, because he is one. And sometimes acting like an adult means sucking it up and seeking out a certain black and white apprentice for a chat.
He finds the other after a short while, and after ensuring that they aren’t joined by either of their friends, Gravelsnap approaches. His gait is all wrong, not confident as he’d hoped, but he comes to a stop beside the taller WindClanner and clears his throat. "Periwinklepaw." His voice is brittle, strained with the effort of keeping his weight carefully balanced on three paws. He hopes that the apprentice won’t turn him away or refuse his attempt at reconciliation. "I have something important to tell you. Can we talk?" His gaze drops to the ground; he should have brought some kind of peace offering. A rock, maybe, or something from the prey pile.
// @Periwinklebreeze.
They’ve been harsh and rude in the past, and not only to the other clans—they’ve treated their own clanmates with such cruelty. They’re friends with Firefang, a warrior for Sootstar, so it’s a given. A requirement. And besides, the weaklings deserved to be punished for the dirty tricks they pulled on Firefang, putting thorns in her nest, in her safe space. The most underhanded tactic, a prank that could have had far more serious consequences. What if she’d lost an eye? They want to snap and snarl every time they recall the way that Dazzlepaw spoke to the dark-furred molly.
But they’re a warrior now, and butting heads with Azaleapaw and Dazzlepaw feels a bit too much like striking down on an opponent who can’t fight back. It feels childish, silly. And he hadn’t only flung insults at those two—Periwinklepaw was a part of it all, too.
Azaleapaw was right about one thing: Gravelsnap knows how to spit venom and he knows how to do it well. He says things in the haze of high emotion, and sometimes a cat he cares about gets caught in the fallout. He’s reminded of the look on Periwinklepaw’s face when he’d called the apprentice worthless, unworthy of being a WindClanner. He’d made the apprentice call themself selfish. (And all in the name of what? Jealousy? He certainly feels jealous now, with that little red-furred rat getting close to Periwinklepaw, taunting Gravelsnap with snide little glances. Like he and Periwinklepaw aren’t friends anymore, like Dazzlepaw can be a better friend. It’s impossibly frustrating.)
He feels shame seeping into his chest. It’s unbecoming of a warrior like him to be caught up in dramatics with apprentices, when he hasn’t been a direct target of their actions. He needs to act like an adult now, because he is one. And sometimes acting like an adult means sucking it up and seeking out a certain black and white apprentice for a chat.
He finds the other after a short while, and after ensuring that they aren’t joined by either of their friends, Gravelsnap approaches. His gait is all wrong, not confident as he’d hoped, but he comes to a stop beside the taller WindClanner and clears his throat. "Periwinklepaw." His voice is brittle, strained with the effort of keeping his weight carefully balanced on three paws. He hopes that the apprentice won’t turn him away or refuse his attempt at reconciliation. "I have something important to tell you. Can we talk?" His gaze drops to the ground; he should have brought some kind of peace offering. A rock, maybe, or something from the prey pile.
// @Periwinklebreeze.
[ DEATH OF A DREAM ]
