- Oct 17, 2022
- 458
- 78
- 28
MAYBE I'D BE A SAINT IF I WEREN'T ————————————
// Snakeblink is tasked with trying to mediate an argument between two clanmates but doesn't know who will win and thus doesn't know what side he wants to be on.
Riverclan has been tense for — moons, if not since its creation, but recent events have made tensions rise to the point of breaking. Anxiety over the latent conflict against Wind and Thunder runs like a dark undercurrent, threatening to sweep away any cat who dips their paw into its dark depths; the deaths and disappearances of multiple river cats over a relatively short amount of time brought a sense of dread that now looms over them all. Any new hit to their precarious stability threatens to send the whole thing toppling over: they cannot afford any conflict.
Knowing that, Snakeblink still can’t quite wrap his head around why exactly he has been assigned to mediating superficial disputes. Not because he doesn’t see the point to it: he knows very well how much damage gossip and bickering can do, how much real upset can be hidden under the silly conversation matters. But because out of the four lead warriors helping Cicadastar shoulder the burden of leadership… surely, he cannot be the one best suited to smoothing over tensions. Right?
”I simply don’t know what he sees in you,” Finleap sniffs, clearly miffed by the very notion of a tom seeing any other cat when they themselves are right there. ”Stoneskip is way out of your league.”
The usually gentle Hazelmist bristles at their words, ears flattening and pupils narrowing in a way that faintly reminds Snakeblink of Cindershade after his own… misguided…. Compliment. It’s actually a little troubling to see such a resemblance between two mollies who couldn’t be more different otherwise. He almost takes a step back from sheer instinct: mollies with that kind of look on their face never bode well for him. ”Oh like you’re any better! There’s a reason it didn’t work out between the two of you, you know, maybe you should think about that instead of sticking your nose in our business!”
Finleap lifts an offended paw up to their chest. ”Clearly that was a mistake on his part. I’m the prettiest cat in the clan: he won’t do better than me.” Despite their cocksure attitude, their tone is almost… hesitant. Snakeblink squints slightly at them, pondering the reason behind that uncharacteristic uncertainty. Could Finleap’s assurance be masking something else? Some real feelings perhaps?
His love of good gossip isn’t shared by Hazelmist, it seems, because the — usually very reasonable, very patient — molly surges forward, a savage snarl twisting her delicate features as she goes for the kill.
Snakeblink, who up until then had been standing awkwardly to the side and watching this conflict which he had no reason to be implicated in beyond his unfortunate position as the day’s mediator, braces for impact as he puts himself between the two arguing cats. Hazelmist draws short before hitting him, but only just. Her eyes flash with hellfire, promising eternal pain if he doesn’t let her maul her adversary very soon. Said adversary is waiting for her with an air of defiance: there will be blood if he doesn’t de-escalate this very soon.
”Please,” he simpers pleadingly, eyes swiveling from one to the other. ”No need to come to blows over such a— a trifle!”
”Oh so you agree with them, huh?”
”Of course he does! Everyone can see that you and Stoneskip are mismatched—”
”I’ll show you mismatched you harl—”
”Well, you see, the thing is…” Snakeblink, whose taste tends to run more on the ‘large and deep-voiced’ side and as such couldn’t judge on either cat’s physical qualities even if he wasn’t a whisker away from getting his pelt clawed off by two irate cats, stammers for a second. ”I mean— beauty is… is very subjective, isn’t it? In the eyes of the beholder? So in a way anyone may be the prettiest cat in the clan depending on who you ask—”
That is a slight exaggeration — he certainly doesn’t think he could claim that title for himself — but it’s that or judging one way or the other on that little debate. Seeing as he doesn’t think he could take either cat in a fight, he’s going to run with it.
Looking around frantically for inspiration, his wide eyes land on the nearest cat not involved in the argument. He immediately points at them with a huge, fake smile.
”What about you?” He asks them with affected cheeriness, hoping to defuse the tension by… ignoring it, mostly. ”Who do you think is the prettiest cat in Riverclan?”
Riverclan has been tense for — moons, if not since its creation, but recent events have made tensions rise to the point of breaking. Anxiety over the latent conflict against Wind and Thunder runs like a dark undercurrent, threatening to sweep away any cat who dips their paw into its dark depths; the deaths and disappearances of multiple river cats over a relatively short amount of time brought a sense of dread that now looms over them all. Any new hit to their precarious stability threatens to send the whole thing toppling over: they cannot afford any conflict.
Knowing that, Snakeblink still can’t quite wrap his head around why exactly he has been assigned to mediating superficial disputes. Not because he doesn’t see the point to it: he knows very well how much damage gossip and bickering can do, how much real upset can be hidden under the silly conversation matters. But because out of the four lead warriors helping Cicadastar shoulder the burden of leadership… surely, he cannot be the one best suited to smoothing over tensions. Right?
”I simply don’t know what he sees in you,” Finleap sniffs, clearly miffed by the very notion of a tom seeing any other cat when they themselves are right there. ”Stoneskip is way out of your league.”
The usually gentle Hazelmist bristles at their words, ears flattening and pupils narrowing in a way that faintly reminds Snakeblink of Cindershade after his own… misguided…. Compliment. It’s actually a little troubling to see such a resemblance between two mollies who couldn’t be more different otherwise. He almost takes a step back from sheer instinct: mollies with that kind of look on their face never bode well for him. ”Oh like you’re any better! There’s a reason it didn’t work out between the two of you, you know, maybe you should think about that instead of sticking your nose in our business!”
Finleap lifts an offended paw up to their chest. ”Clearly that was a mistake on his part. I’m the prettiest cat in the clan: he won’t do better than me.” Despite their cocksure attitude, their tone is almost… hesitant. Snakeblink squints slightly at them, pondering the reason behind that uncharacteristic uncertainty. Could Finleap’s assurance be masking something else? Some real feelings perhaps?
His love of good gossip isn’t shared by Hazelmist, it seems, because the — usually very reasonable, very patient — molly surges forward, a savage snarl twisting her delicate features as she goes for the kill.
Snakeblink, who up until then had been standing awkwardly to the side and watching this conflict which he had no reason to be implicated in beyond his unfortunate position as the day’s mediator, braces for impact as he puts himself between the two arguing cats. Hazelmist draws short before hitting him, but only just. Her eyes flash with hellfire, promising eternal pain if he doesn’t let her maul her adversary very soon. Said adversary is waiting for her with an air of defiance: there will be blood if he doesn’t de-escalate this very soon.
”Please,” he simpers pleadingly, eyes swiveling from one to the other. ”No need to come to blows over such a— a trifle!”
”Oh so you agree with them, huh?”
”Of course he does! Everyone can see that you and Stoneskip are mismatched—”
”I’ll show you mismatched you harl—”
”Well, you see, the thing is…” Snakeblink, whose taste tends to run more on the ‘large and deep-voiced’ side and as such couldn’t judge on either cat’s physical qualities even if he wasn’t a whisker away from getting his pelt clawed off by two irate cats, stammers for a second. ”I mean— beauty is… is very subjective, isn’t it? In the eyes of the beholder? So in a way anyone may be the prettiest cat in the clan depending on who you ask—”
That is a slight exaggeration — he certainly doesn’t think he could claim that title for himself — but it’s that or judging one way or the other on that little debate. Seeing as he doesn’t think he could take either cat in a fight, he’s going to run with it.
Looking around frantically for inspiration, his wide eyes land on the nearest cat not involved in the argument. He immediately points at them with a huge, fake smile.
”What about you?” He asks them with affected cheeriness, hoping to defuse the tension by… ignoring it, mostly. ”Who do you think is the prettiest cat in Riverclan?”
——————————————————————————————————— so god damn lonely
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ooc:
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— Snakeblink • he / him. 40 ☾, riverclan warrior
— a sleek, skinny tabby with long ears and a scar over his right eye.
— gay, not actually evil, penned by @Kangoo
