[Approved] Darkpetal

[gravekeeper.]

As you approach, you are unnerved by their smoldering gazes.

You know you're being judged for all your worth, but you're determined to make your case. It's not every day cats try to reincarnate, and you're tired of being trapped here. Perhaps your first life didn't go as planned.. but the next one is going to be better.

All you have to do is answer them.

"What makes you stand out from the rest of the cats who want another chance?"

Darkpetal sighed, adjusting the flower beside his ear. "Well, the reason I want another chance is because I regret how my life was. This may seem like I'm only being unoriginal, but at the very least let me tell my story." The dark tabby let out a sigh before explaining. "I was raised in a... questionable family. They were obsessed with strength, and treated me different from my littermates. When I was an apprentice, this only got worse. My first mentor would refuse to teach me anything other than battle training, and if I messed up, well... the scars here answer that question." He gestured to the scarring on his fur. And oh dear, there certainly were a bunch of them. "Well, I decided I had enough and asked for a reassignment. The mentor I was given was an actually decent cat, and taught me valuable lessons. I did however, become a warrior a while after my littermates though, as a result." He decided to take a few seconds break before continuing. "Fast forward quite some moons, I'm given a mate. And then a daughter. Unfortunately, I really wasn't that active of a father... Along with my mate comes a fling from WindClan, whose fate is unknown to me, as well as the fate of our kits. And then I have been given an apprentice. I.. I apologize to that cat, for not being there for them when I should have been, and I wish I could undo my mistakes. But what is done cannot be undone. If you need anything else from me, ask away."

[Neptune.]

─•~❉᯽❉~•─
Dewkit || she/her
StarClan
─•~❉᯽❉~•─

A grey kit materializes out of the stars as this warrior explains his story, and his beginning is something she's heard over and over again - he wants a redo, another chance to make the same mistakes again. She's seen it time and time again, the words were empty to her now, hollow and unpromising. His life story is a bonus, though, just more confirmation of all the terrible decisions he's made.

She's not a monster, however, and they way he speaks of his parents and siblings tugs at a string of sympathy in her gut - perhaps the way he was treated when he was young was a good reason for his actions as he got older. It was equally as likely as him just being plain awful at planning in advance. The kits he left behind, that he doesn't know what happened to because they were the result of a fling, who would have to grow up without knowing their father, made the starry cat clench her jaw.

"How can you promise you won't make the same poor choices again?" Dewkit asks, a hard edge to her voice, the abandoned kits in WindClan on her mind, but she'd ask more specifically about that later.

[ @RavensCall ]

[taillow]

Lichenflood
He/him | Dark Forest

"I should rip your tongue from your mouth with how much disrespect you spew when speaking of your family." Harsh green eyes narrowed from the shadows as Lichenflood emerged, a low growl rumbling in his chest. Already he was tempted to reach a paw out and smack the silly flower out from this cats ear, but he refrained. Most of what came out of his mouth did not impress the Dark Forest warrior one bit - the part about his fling and the abandonment of his family causing him to bare his fangs. Heavy paws stalked into the clearing as his narrowed gaze remained fixed on the tom. Powerful muscles rippled under his tabby pelt as the large tom took a seat. "And because of your "questionable" kithood, you thought it okay to repeat history?" Despicable. "What do you think that did to your daughter? Your mate? Or how about the kits who grew up without ever knowing their father?"

It didn't help his case at all that this cat had taken a "fling" in WindClan, but had no idea the fate of her not the kits she had apparently bore. Muzzle twisted into a frown, Lichenflood let out a scoff. Disappointment surged deep within him and he was heavily resisting the urge to tear into this cat physically. "Dewkit holds a good question, but let me pose one of my own; why the hell do you think you deserve a second chance when all it seems you've done is throw away not one but two families?" Lichenflood rumbled, ears angled forward to hear whatever excuses this cat would come up with. Family was the center of it all - it drove cats to do more and be more. Not appreciating them, not doing everything to take care of them - it was as bad as murder in his opinion.

[ @RavensCall @FrostyGalaxy ]

[Rani]

Daisypool | Female + She/Her | StarClan | Shadowclan Queen

A lilac point with gentle blue eyes

It was the word family that attracted the queen and the poor justification of not being there for them that disappointed her. Slipping into the group the molly's ear flicked against against the sunflower tucked behind it, the spectral flower shimmering against the moonlight, sharing that trait with the tom did not endear him to her however as she listened to the others interrogation.



Daisypool sighed, eyes more disappointed then angry. "Your upbringing is sad yes, and no cat deserves that, however it is at best an explanation and not an excuse. You treated your family badly and Lichenflood is correct that by that act you might not deserve a second chance." And here her opinion differed from the tom "Unless you can own up to your mistakes and understand why they were made. You have done good in your life, Im inclined to think youre a good but flawed being. That isnt something that condemns alone." To Lichenflood it probably did, obsessed with family as he was, but for a good cat with a plan Daisypool was inclined to give new beginnings.


But did Darkpetal have a plan? "Darkpetal, do you understand why you did the things you did? The wrong ones, and where they came from in your childhood? And do you now know how not to repeat those mistakes?" That was step one, understanding of himself and his actions as it was obvious he already felt guilt for committing them. "Do you have something in place to keep yourself from repeating these mistakes in a new life? You will not have your memories and while some cats regain them some never do, you cannot rely on memory." There were many ways to do this, simplest being to have a starclan friend advise you through life or to have your resolutions driven soul deep so they carried over somehow. Though few were strong enough for that. "Finally, do you aim to make amends? Or have you tried already? It is one thing to regret and another to actually work to fix what you broke, have you tried to appear in the dreams of any of your children or ex mate and fling? Tried to apologize and make amends? Forgiveness on their part does not matter as much, but the attempt does and says a lot.

So what have you done, even dead, to be better?"


If his kin in the living world accepted a given apology it was a wonderful thing and Daisypool would be very inclined to allow him to go back, even without a fail safe. Even if the apology wasnt accepted it'd be something and might even explain the reason for a reincarnation, better to go back anew and not traumatize your kin further. However, if no attempt at apology was even made....... Daisypools favor for this tom would wane. It'd cast this beg from a genuine wish to an attempt at running from his sins, to abandon those Darkpetal left behind again with no explanation to escape consequences.



Even if the queen wished for this tom to get the kithood he never had that could not be ignored.

@FrostyGalaxy @birdie @RavensCall

[gravekeeper.]

(my post didn't send )

Darkpetal winced at the harsh words. "I understand what I did was wrong, and if I could take it back, I would. But empty promises are not the answers you desire. And with apologies, yes, I have tried to reach both of my partners, to no avail. And my daughter, I haven't tried to visit, I admit. And if I end up being sent back, there's a chance I'd learn not to repeat my mistakes, since there aren't any cats who were nearly as heartless as the ones who raised me. And if they are, well, I heard that some cats who are reincarnated have a sort of "Deja vu" about certain events, and some have flashes of memories, though that might be false, but even so, there is a smaller chance of me being influenced by a terrible family, which means I'm less likely to repeat my mistakes, but even so, a low chance is still a chance."
@Rani @birdie @FrostyGalaxy

[Neptune.]

─•~❉᯽❉~•─
Dewkit || she/her
StarClan
─•~❉᯽❉~•─
[ @RavensCall // @Rani // @birdie ]

This cat's reasoning may be a little flawed - there was no telling who his next parents might be or what any sort of trauma had done to them that might affect their parenting style. What would he do if they were no better than before? Dewkit felt for him, sure she did, and it was always a good thing when the cat who wanted to go back tried to reach out to kin left behind... the scales were tipping ever in his favor. Still... she was somewhat apprehensive. That's not to say this cat had necessarily done anything horrible - the worst he'd probably done was be a negligent mate and father, but that negligence weighed heavy on the shoulders of the kit bathed in stars.

Smaller chances of making the same mistakes were still chances to make mistakes. All things considered, though, Dewkit couldn't really see why this one would be a bad choice to send back. Well - maybe she should rephrase that. There was never truly anyone who was a 'good' candidate to send back, but maybe this one was about on par with the usual caliber of cat that she allowed to try again.

"You put effort in to reconnect after your death, I'll give you that much," she says eventually, considering her words carefully. She shouldn't sound too pleased because, honestly? She wasn't. Making an effort to reconnect to kin you've abandoned or hurt was the absolute bare minimum a cat could do. But it was something, and much more than many other who came crawling and pleading for a do-over. "At least you're humble enough to try and reach out - even with no results. That's something, I guess. In your next life - if the others here grant you permission - should you fail to hold your kin close, should you abandon them again as if they are nothing to you, should you come crawling back again and beg for another chance and find me at your paws... I will not be the one who grants you permission. I say we allow for you to have another chance, and if the other warden's agree, you'd do well not to waste it."

[gravekeeper.]

Darkpetal expected Dewkit to belittle him for his actions again, and was surprised when she gave him a chance. "Thank you for listening to me," the dark tabby meowed in gratitude, feeling a little more optimistic about this.
@FrostyGalaxy @Rani @birdie
(sorry it's so short)

[taillow]

Lichenflood
He/him | Dark Forest

To him, a family meant everything. It meant sacrifice, it meant loyalty. Kinship was of the utmost importance to Lichenflood, right up there with Clan loyalty. Through narrowed green eyes he watched as this cat tried to justify not being an active part in his family. Though he could detect sincerity in his voice, it was difficult to ignore how he'd already seemingly had a second chance with a new family, and didn't seem to take it seriously.

Dewkit was okay offering him another chance, at which Lichenflood sneered. The kit was young and impressionable, no matter how long they'd been in the stars. Minds were easy to twist and mold and manipulate that young. "Your mate and kin, I'm sure, grieved your lost. I refuse to be apart of sending them more of the same. Even though it's not certain you will, the chance of you regaining your memories and returning to them to stir all of that heartache back up... I won't allow it."

Call him harsh, but all he could think about is the two families forgotten. Sure he'd tried to reach out to his ex-mate and ex-fling, but no attempt at the daughter? No attempt to locate the kits that his fling had bore? Lichenflood couldn't ignore the familiar ache he felt in his heart, reminiscent of his own loss. He would've torn the very stars from the sky for his family, and he got the sense that while family was important to this cat, it wasn't that important.

"Attempting to reach out to your mate is honorable, but I cannot ignore the actions in your first life. How I see it, you had not one but two chances, and you ignored them both. I will not be part of sending you back." And that was that. If the other warden saw fit to send him back, so be it. Lichenflood would keep a close eye on the cat if he did in fact return. And if he threw away a third family? His claws would be there to rectify the situation.

[ @FrostyGalaxy @Rani @RavensCall - i went back and forth on how i thought lichen would feel about this situation, and because he's so family centric and cares more about dedication to that than anything else, he'd vote no. there's still another chance from the last warden though! ]

[gravekeeper.]

Darkpetal pinned his ears back. "What about you Daisypool? Do you think I should go back?" He was really hopeful now.
@birdie @Rani @FrostyGalaxy

[Rani]

Daisypool | Female + She/Her | StarClan | Shadowclan Queen
A lilac point with gentle blue eyes

For her part..... Daisypool was still considering, even when the other two gave their verdict. Lichenflood was a no, a predictable outcome but Dewkit was a very reluctant yes, leaving the outcome in her paws.


Darkpetal had done his due diligence in trying to rectify things and that fact had brought a small smile to the queens face, even if things hadnt turned out. It was little known but if a strong enough will was present even the living had some control over their dreams. Kicking a cat out or even straight up denying one before they began was possible, Daisypool had heard of a clear example in Coldambers so far fruitless attempts to reach her son, poor dear. Perhaps Darkpetals lifebound family just didnt want contact, which was completely fair from what the lilac point was hearing, but it was the attempt that mattered.


What also mattered was a plan and contrary to what others might think Darkpetal did have one. A first plan was to be born into a kind family, a plan that relied on luck yes but most did. The back up was this deja vu, and you know what? That was enough. Though the molly did cation the tom "Memory is well enough and Ill pass that reasoning, however if it was me I'd also ask someone you trust to watch over you. A starclan cat to visit you in dreams should you find yourself going astray, though its up to you and just a suggestion." Before silencing to listen again.


It was just- the main issue was Daisypools concern of exactly where the neglect of his family came from. Did it come from him not feeling good enough for them because he wasnt for his parents and siblings? Did it come from fear he was going to turn out like his birth family and mentor? Or was it darker, did he only take a mate because he felt it was expected of him and that is why he didnt care to stay with them? It in a way felt plausible, thatd explain him taking a fling and his own word choice..... "I'm given a mate. And then a daughter." Not gifted, not took, not any sort of kind word but given, like one who was assigned an unwanted apprentice.


She needed to know before she gave a yes too hastily.


"Darkpetal my judgement is still pending, but I must ask. Why did you neglect your mate and daughter? Why did you cheat and neglect your next kittens too? Youve implied it was related to your past but I do not accept that as a whole answer. So explain more, why?"

@RavensCall @birdie @FrostyGalaxy (raven please do reply right away and not wait for the other wardens, they'll speak up if they feel the need)