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.]

[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.]

[offtracks]

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

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.]

[firealone]

There's always something happening...

[A pause.]

Should we... keep track of everyone that got played with by Froslass? It might be good to talk to all of them, and make sure... well, see how they're doing, at least.

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.

[offtracks]

Oh, do you think so...?

[ Ingo isn't sure he really wants to talk about at all. But maybe some other people ought to? ]

It seemed largely ghost-types, to me.

[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!

[firealone]

Bigby and Emporio aren't Ghost-types... but Emporio's a ghost. A real one. I think.

[He had to have the concept of ghosts explained to him... but Emporio died at home, so that's... probably what he is?]

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.]

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.]

[offtracks]

...he died before coming here, you mean?

[ Ingo's heard the same story from others, so he knew it was possible. He just didn't know it applied to Emporio. Why are there so many dead children, here... ]

Perhaps that has some sort of effect? I cannot tell, but if Typhlosion really do sense departed souls, I have not learned how.

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. ]

(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?

[firealone]

Yes. He told me that he and Anasui... are dead, in their world.

[Still hard to wrap his head around... and he hadn't thought he had to worry about it while they were here, but if it means other Pokemon can take control of them like this, it's very worrisome.]

Spiritomb had control over other ghosts too, right? They calmed down a lot after Spiritomb joined the city, so... it might be good to know if any of the newcomers are ghosts. In case something happens again.

(cw: mention of cat violence)

[firealone]

[That wave of excitement makes him swell with pride, and his fur fluffs up. This is exactly what he was hoping for!]

Oh- well, thank you! Um... I don't remember my naming ceremony very well, and we don't really have a leader to do it... but maybe we could ask Ribombee to do it anyway? And we can think of an apprentice name for you- you don't have to use it all the time, it's just for fun.

[He pauses, trying to remember as many details as he can about his own ceremony. It comes along with a few blurry flashes of memory - a russian blue cat standing on a tall rock to address the clan, a pale tabby launching himself at Fireheart, the feeling of his breath being choked out, and then standing there panting as the Clan cheered his new name.]

Bluestar called everyone in the Clan, so she could introduce me. One of the older cats challenged me to a battle, and I won. He broke my collar, and Bluestar called it a sign from StarClan that they accepted me. She told everyone my new name, and everyone yowled it as loud as they could, over and over. And then she picked out a mentor for me- well, sort of, that part... I don't think it was normal. She asked Lionheart and Tigerclaw to share my training, until she took over herself later.

[He assumes the battle was a normal part of things... after all, no one seemed shocked that Longtail would attack him.]

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.

[offtracks]

Hm...yes, it likely would be. Goodness knows we have quite a few ghosts already!

[ Himself, Emmet, Shoka, that young Yamask... ]