03. video

[firealone]

[It's no surprise that Fireheart is feeling ashamed, after he overworked himself into a coma for a month and a half. And after nearly everyone who knows him has been telling him for months to take it easy... he is finally starting to listen. A little.]

So... there's a few things I want to talk about. But the most important one, is, well- I've got a warrior name now. When we were sending out those boats, I saw- Bluestar, my old Clan's leader.

[He only knew her for a short time, a lifetime ago, but there's still a somber tone in his voice. ThunderClan was where he thought he belonged for a long time, after all. ThunderClan has been on his mind less and less every day, but having his adult name still means a lot.]

She called me Fireheart. So... that's what I'd like everyone to call me. Firepaw was a kitten name, so... it's good to feel like an adult, properly.

[He wavers a little before continuing... he really should have rehearsed this a little.]

I'm going to cut down on my work, and... I think I'm done hanging around the Clinic for a while. So I'll be focusing on recovering this month, and then running messages for the senior Cheri members for a bit. Staying in the city, for the most part, unless someone needs me.

[He said 'month' instead of 'moon'... and doesn't seem to have noticed it.]

I think that's everything. And, if anyone needs to talk, after... Froslass... I'm happy to listen.

Comments

[offtracks]

Ah! Firep - Fireheart! It is wonderful to see you up and about again!

[ Ingo's genuine joy and relief is clear through the pearl! He is also just Not Acknowledging that thing about Froslass! We don't gotta talk about ALL THAT!!! ]

[firealone]

It's good to be back on my paws! And... good to be back in the city, too.

[He's sure Skull Town is fine when Froslass isn't around, BUT... Bottlecap Bay itself is home.]

How have you been? What have you been up to?

[offtracks]

Ah - well, you know. I have just come back to the Bay as well. I think I will stay for a while...

[ Froslass...not to mention, that thing with the ghosts...Ingo is not a fan of Skull Town anymore! ]

[firealone]

It seems like a lot of us could use a break.

[Should he press...? Maybe it's best not to. He doesn't entirely understand the effect Froslass was having on everyone, but it didn't seem pleasant.]

[offtracks]

Things have certainly been quite...eventful, of late.

[seacub]

[What with seeing him at Skull Town, this is old news for Emporio.

But anyway.]

You got a new name when you became an adult?

[Neat. Cool.

Quietly not thinking about or talking about the fight they had, and definitely not about Froslass nope nope he is Not guilty-]

[firealone]

Yes! When cats turn six months old, they get an apprentice name, and then they get a warrior name when they've earned it. And... Ren said I did a good job of earning it, at least.

[More of that othering language... and his voice drops down, as though whispering means anything on the pearls.]

...Are you okay? After... everything?

[It comes with a STRONG WAVE of guilt.]

[seacub]

Huh! That makes sense I guess...most people keep the same names they were given as infants their whole lives, in our case. The exception is the 'surname', or the 'family name', because marrying into a family could change that, but...

[Neat.

Even just hearing the lower tone causes a thrum of panic, as Emporio stiffens. He tries not to drop his pearl as the guilt overcomes him.]

I...

I'm fine. You had a point with things, it's fine.

[firealone]

[...What is marriage.... Anasui mentioned that too....

.............Not important right now.]

I still shouldn't have yelled at you. I'm really sorry. It just... felt like no one was taking it as seriously as they should have.

[Maybe still not an excuse to try to fight Froslass with his bare paws. But he still stands by that part.]

[seacub]

We probably weren't, [He concedes, a little tiredly at that.] No one affected by her was thinking straight... ...Especially if she got too deep.

[Glazed dragon's eyes come to mind, and he tries not to let the pearl sit too long on that. For either of their sake, really.]

video;

[dunchies]

F-Fire... [ His voice cracks. There's definitely an overflow of warmth and relief coming from the pearls now. ] Fireheart!

I heard you were up! I'm sorry, I — I should've come see you sooner, or...

[ Last month was such a blur. Maybe it's a good thing he didn't run into Fireheart during all of that ghost nonsense, though. ]

[firealone]

Laios!!!

[It's probably for the best that they didn't run into each other, Fireheart was being a whole mess during all the ghost nonsense!]

It's okay! I'm feeling a lot better now, and- well I meant to track you down sooner too, I've got something to ask you. A few things, actually. Er, Umemiya and I were thinking of organizing a hunting party, probably just us and him since no one else likes hunting.

[And he figures he should wait to get the answer to that first, but he's buzzing about something he hasn't mentioned yet.]

[dunchies]

[ Fireheart probaly can't see it, but that tail of his is going a mile a minute behind him. ]

I'm so glad! And it's good to take things a bit slow for now. I know... there was a lot happening before.

[ Honestly, the thought did occur to Laios that maybe their playfighting might have added to his eventual overexhaustion. But, he's not going to let that dampen his excitement now. ]

Wait, really? Ume? Wow, I didn't think he'd try hunting anytime soon. That's great! Maybe we'll get something real big with a pack now!

cw: mention of pokemon death

[firealone]

He caught a Raticate for me after I woke up - you should have seen it, it was huge!

[Actually, he's sending along a mental image of the thing - an Alolan Raticate specifically, that comes along with the wave of hunger Fireheart remembers feeling when Umemiya dropped it off.]

Oh- the other thing I wanted to ask. I've got a warrior name now, and... well, normally Bluestar would assign an apprentice for me to teach, but she's not here and we're sort of on the same level within the guild, so... this is honorary more than anything, but would you want to be my apprentice? Officially?

[Or something close to official. Fireheart's already been teaching Laios anything he can think of, and he already feels a little weird offering this to someone older than him, but... listen, he has to cling on to some parts of ThunderClan culture or he'll entirely forget about them.]

(1/3)

[dunchies]

All by himself, too? He's a quick learner!

[ His eyes get a little big at the image of that thing. ]

You're not kidding — that's easily two or three meals right there. I bet that must've tasted amazing! How'd you... like trying...

(2/3)

[dunchies]

[ Oh.

He trails off into silence, completely caught off guard by the proposal.

Him, an apprentice? Fireheart’s apprentice? His heart practically stops right there. ]

(3/3)

[dunchies]

[ Until it restarts with complete and utter excitement, which the pearls are quick to pick up on. ]

Of course I'd want to be your apprentice! You don't even have to ask. You've already taught me so much, I... I basically see you as my mentor already!

[ Laios may technically be older, but he’s certainly acting like a kid meeting his hero all over again. ]

What — what do I have to do? To make it official, like you said?

audio; (I'M SORRY TO DOUBLE DIP i just had to point this out)

[wolfcut]

... Fireheart, huh.

[ Bigby's not really chatty enough to respond to these things too often, but he can't help himself this time. Maybe seeing his mother is just putting family at the forefront. Ugh.

Anyway, Fireheart won't be getting any visual cues from him, but there's a scent. Something akin to a puppy that's been out in the woods too long? Or rather, puppies. ]

Funny. My brother's name is Greyheart.

NO ITS WONDERFUL

[firealone]

My best friend back home was named Graypaw.

[His tone is level - he's not entirely sure where they stand now, but keeping the tentative peace sounds wonderful.

Even if the puppy smell is really gross, but he's trying not to mention that.]

I don't know what warrior name he'd get, but... it would probably be Graypelt or something.

[This comes along with a mental image of a fluffy gray kitten, about eight months old, although it's a little blurry. Worse than any of his changing language, Fireheart is starting to genuinely forget what Graypaw looks like.]

bigby's never passing the sniff test

[wolfcut]

[ He considers the image for a moment, blurriness and all. Graypaw looks so small from his perspective, and he can't imagine Fireheart being that much different back then.

He really was just beefing with a literal kitten, wasn't he. ]

... So, is this just a thing with you cats, then? Pick a new name when you get old enough?

[ Despite how insanely awkward this still feels, it's also kind of nice, not having to talk about human things for once. ]

assigned stinky at birth.....

[firealone]

[....Oh. That's right, he never actually explained it to Bigby. So he's been beefing with someone who didn't know why he was so upset to be called by his kittypet name.]

Yeah... sort of. I got named Firepaw when I joined ThunderClan, to mark me as an apprentice. ThunderClan cats get a warrior name when they finish their training, and... I probably would have gotten it sooner, if I still lived with them.

[A pause.]

My housefolk- my owners, called me Rusty. If I was Clan-born I would have been called Firekit, instead. I couldn't keep that name if I wanted to live in the forest. Bluestar said it was... proof of humans owning me.

video

[telewarped]

Fireheart... That's so you. Congrats! Just don't expect me to treat you any different even though you're my elder or whatever now, hah.

[She sounds a little tired, her frayed nerves carried through their psychic connection, but that connection is also full of genuine warmth. That conversation they had about him choosing a new name for himself feels so long ago now, but it must feel like forever ago to him. Good for him.]

So Bluestar was really here, huh? Sorry I missed that...

[firealone]

We're both warriors, in a way. And you're older than me, so... nothing's really that different, but thank you.

[His pelt is burning with embarrassed pride... literally burning, there's heat waves coming off of him.]

It's okay, she... I don't think she liked it here. Ren talked to her with me, but I don't think she would have liked talking to someone who wasn't a cat.

[He does send a mental image along, though - of a Glameow with a scar across her shoulders and a white patch on her chest. It comes with a deep sense of adoration, because Bluestar is basically his mom.]

[telewarped]

[They're both warriors, huh? That's... sweet, actually. She wants to ask where her new name is, then (and it would only partly be a joke), but she's distracted before she gets the chance.]

Aw, not even with my new look? Ouch. [She's kidding; if she was worried even for a moment about Fireheart being weirded out by her cat-shaped disguise, then she'd definitely expect worse from Bluestar. The fact that she's taken to wearing a belt-turned-collar as a fashion statement probably wouldn't help her case either. She chuckles.] Yeah... Harsh but fair.

[Then there's an image of the Bluestar herself materializing in her mind.]

Oh, wow. She's... [So cute, is her first thought. Ugh, saying that definitely wouldn't have helped her case either... Gorgeous, is her next thought, but that's the kind of thing you say about show cats! She is completely blowing this imaginary meeting!] You can really tell she was your leader. Kinda regal...

[She really means that, too, at least. That scar...]

Did she tell you anything else? Like... about ThunderClan?

[She's trying to think back to the other things they spoke about on the rooftop that day, back when he was still Firepaw—Ravenpaw, Graypaw, and his visions of Tigerclaw.]

[firealone]

[His ears flick back for a moment before he realizes she's joking - he does realize her new disguise is supposed to look like a cat, but... no, it definitely wouldn't fool Bluestar and she probably would have been very put off by it.]

Not very much... she wanted to know if I liked it here, more than the forest. And... I thought it would be an easy answer, but it was harder with her right in front of me.

[He hadn't wanted to press too much, because... he didn't know how it would go, letting her know that he hadn't earned his warrior name yet.

He's quiet for a moment.]

I still miss the forest. But if I went back, I'd miss everyone here so much more. I've known you and Emporio for seasons, and I only knew Graypaw and Ravenpaw for two moons.