⊗ let's mediate between olive and bouncy btw. this is gonna go so well
⊗ let's definitely mediate bouncy and olive btw.
Hi again, You say to The Bouncy, stepping up to him.
Hello. He looks up at you, shifting his tail away to give you the space to stand. You're curious if he's feeling any better today, but it's hard for you to tell because he was still just staring into space. It's normal when your little brother does it, but when it comes to Bouncy you know he never used to.
I wanna ask you to do some mediating. Do you feel okay to?
He blinks, and angles his ears in a small show of curiosity. It is my occupation, after all. I will serve. It may be a useful distraction, if anything. Who do you want me to render assistance with?
I want you to help with mediating between you and Olive! You wag your tail a little, but you can see from his immediate expression that this is not going well. You're good at your job and stuff, you know? You were great with The Old Sun and —
He holds up his paw to stop you from continuing, unwilling to let you even try to convince him.
I'm sorry Winged, but no. His voice is totally flat, and his body is completely still. He looks composed and calm, but the way his gaze pierces through you makes you remember when he was talking to The Wild, that day. I'm not coming with you for that.
You're about to ask why not, but he's already bulling ahead in his explanation without waiting for you.
It may be breaking the rules of my job as a mediator, but I truly must decline. I don't think it would be a good idea, and I'm sure The Olive doesn't wish to see me either. Furthermore, even on top of that, it isn't something a mediator can do - like a healer often needs another healer to take care of them, to heal wounds they can't reach on their own, a mediator cannot mediate for themselves. We're too caught up in our own personal self and feelings to be able to so easily see the perspectives of the other side, and our judgement would be clouded.
Of course people can resolve their disputes with each other alone and privately, but that then wouldn't be mediation. That would be adults discussing their relationship. And I don't particularly believe The Olive and I would be capable of it, considering...
He trails off. You make a disappointed face, but nod. She was pretty harsh when she talked to him that day.
But, even if he can't mediate, you're here. And even if he's not willing to take the first step, there's another party involved, after all - so maybe The Olive will consider it? You figure it doesn't hurt to give it a try, anyway.
Hi, Olive. When you approach her, she's lying in camp again, picking the flakes off of some trash she found. The colour chips off under her insistent paws. You feel like you haven't seen her leave camp very much lately at all.
Hey there, squirt. She gives you a crooked smile when she makes eye contact with you, and sits up to talk with you better. What brings you to little ol' Olive's side today?
I wanted to talk to you about Bouncy, You say.
Her muzzle immediately crinkles a little, but she doesn't break her smile. Oh yeah? Not my favourite topic, I'll be the first to admit, but have at it.
I wanna help you both with mediating, You explain. I know you've never liked each other, and now you REALLY don't like each other. But I dunno why it first started, and Bouncy won't come with me when I asked him to help.
Well, I'm not surprised. She flicks her paw absentmindedly, getting the flakes off her pads. Mediators can't really mediate for themselves, it doesn't work that way. How's he going to be a bystander helping to intervene when he's the one that broke the shelter down in the first place?
You're a little surprised, because with what happened recently, it kind of felt like she was the one more hostile about everything. She notices your face, and barks out something like a laugh.
Ha! She lashes her tail once. Did you think I was the one who started it? I wasn't who snubbed me when we first met. If you believe I went too far, fine, I can accept that as a rebuke - but none of this was initiated by me, and things didn't have to be this way. The Bouncy's always been the one who looks at people like they're stones in his pouch. Especially me.
If he's going to insult me all the time? Treat me like less than trash under his paw? I'm not going to play nice with him either. What, does he think he's the only one here who's lost his parent? Newsflash, all of us are orphans.
I didn't know you knew about that, You say, surprised. You wouldn't have thought The Bouncy would talk about it very much, since he doesn't seem to like discussing his feelings.
The Olive flicks her paw, dismissing it. Obviously he didn't tell me, but everyone in the clowder knew when he first joined. It wasn't much of a secret then, more like the talk of the camp. I don't exactly go chatting about him, so who knows who knows it now. Ha, that sounds like a mind-twister, doesn't it.
I had a feeling you knew because by the looks of it, you're the closest friend he's got now. You're a great kid of course, Winged, but it's pretty sad for him that all he has to hang out with is someone less than half his age.
Why's everyone keep bringing up my age? You frown.
Ahhh, youth. She almost seems amused for a second. I mean, you've got a best friend close to your age that's not him - The Broken. You can play lots of games with The Broken, but you can't play games with the two newborns right now, can ya?
No, 'cause they're too small? You feel pretty confused about what this comparison has to do with this.
Obviously you're not that small, but it's kind of like that. There's stuff he just can't reasonably be telling you. She folds her arms, then shrugs at you. Sorry kiddo, that's just how it works with age. I can't explain it much better than that. Cliche it might be, but you really will get it when you're older.
Talking about ages and calling you these little nicknames... It really does make you think of The Storm. Your heart aches a little thinking about it, but if The Olive hasn't noticed already, you think you shouldn't point it out. It might hurt her more to be reminded of how her friend now lives only through how she acts.
Or maybe it would make her feel better...? You're not really sure about that, though, and you don't want to make her feel worse.
You guess, when you think about it, it does make sense that it was The Bouncy who first ended up ruining any friendship he could have had with The Olive. He was pretty mean to you too, when you first saw him - he's older now, and he's been trying to be nicer to you and everyone else, you think, but he was really standoffish when you think back to your earliest memories of him.
You're not really sure how to fix things now, since you went to both of them, but you feel like you know a little more about how they got along before, at least. Maybe when you know everything that you can know about them both, as they were, then you could help more.
You have 1 mediator use remaining this month.