Private Thread A Big Choice for a Small Bird

The world's too big to stay in one place.

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Fox had been sitting in an almost anxious wait for this day, but the nerves were far more overcome with excitement. He would finally be able to see Smallbird freely without having to step around twigs to do it. He was only just beyond a fence of an empty backyard, ears perked desperately to hear her voice, the charming tom that was once in a ceaseless flirt with other cats only seemed to have eyes for a particular grey tabby now, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

When her voice rang out, as wide smile pulled at Fox's muzzle before he took his leap up onto the fenceline and purred a greeting to Smallbird. "I'm here, Birdie. Is this the day?" He asked softly the contained excitement revealed itself with his goofy smile and restless paws as he hopped down from the fence to press his muzzle against her, a soft greeting "You already seem happier." He chirped kindly as he drew his tongue over her ears.

No matter how much the old Fox might have detested it, he had found himself in giddy excitement whenever Smallbird made her visits to him, at any of their usual spots, but if he was right, they wouldn't have to anymore, he could show Smallbird everything that he had seen in his lifetime... and he would finally have a different perspective on all of it. He let out a deep, rumbling purr, he continued his nuzzling, happy that this was real. He was so lucky.

There’s always something to do.
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Smallbird’s tail shot straight up with delight at the sound of Fox’s voice. She looked toward the sound of his voice and smiled warmly at the large red tom. The very sight of him never failed to lift the gray tabby’s heart. He alone of all cats made her feel like she was good enough. That she wasn’t a failure or burden on others. Yet, her heart and mind refused to believe these ideas were completely true. Instead, she simply accepted that she was enough for Fox, and not a failure or burden to him. “Yes, today I will join you,” she meowed gently. They had been discussing her leaving to join him as a rogue for moons, and finally, tonight, she had decided that now was the time to do so. Leafbare was on its way and while the clan could use an extra set of claws hunting, they hardly needed an extra mouth eating what prey was caught.

At Fox’s affection, Smallbird closed her eyes in delight and purred gladly. “I don’t want to let my clan suffer by eating their food in the coming leafbare,” she meowed gently. “Starclan have blessed us all with an extra moon before the cold moons arrive. That will allow me some time to adjust to this new life.” The young she-cat still felt doubt about her choice, but she forced her heart to harden and remain with her choice. Thunderclan wouldn’t miss her or suffer without her. She would have to learn to accept a clanless life. In the gray tabby’s mind, she was choosing to become an apprentice once more. This time, though, she was to become Fox’s apprentice as a rogue, rather than a warrior apprentice.

Smallbird sat quietly for a moment, nuzzling and snuggling into Fox’s warm fur, enjoying his affections. “Fox,” she meowed finally after a moment. “I know it might sound silly to you, but I want to change my name to make my leaving the clan official. It feels wrong to me to call myself by the name Starclan gave me through my leader when I have broken most of the Warrior Code by turning my back on my clan, no matter how much I believe this to be the best thing I can do for my clan.” The sleek she-cat fell silent thinking quietly. In her mind she had no right to pick her own name, but she had even less right to keep her current name. Fox had been calling her Birdie for moons now and she was sure that if she asked him to bestow a name upon her, that would be his choice.

Yet, Smallbird felt that that nickname ought to remain personal between her and Fox. His own special name for her. Not one for all to call her. Taking a deep breath, she continued speaking her thoughts. “I would like Birdie to remain a personal name for you, and you alone to use for me,” the gray tabby meowed softly. “So I think… I should be called Pigeon. The young she-cat didn’t quite know why the name felt right to her. She assumed that it was because there were a few that had soft gray feathers, similar in colour to her own fur. More than that, pigeons were a bird, which allowed Fox’s nickname to remain making sense, and possibly, just possibly as a way to remember her own mother who had been called Pigeonwing.

The world's too big to stay in one place.

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"Then Pigeon will be your name." Fox spoke as if to finalize it, he wasn't sure how changing names really worked in the clans, no was he an expert on it. But the name of a cat seemed important for the most part, some names told someone about the cat before you gain their personality, others, such a kittypet names were just for show, some had a more sentimental meaning, but regardless, it was a name all their own. 

The large tom pressed slightly against Smallbird... no Pigeon with a rumbling purr, the white of his chest being a home for Pigeon's head, a purr deepened when she spoke of Birdie being something for him. "That can be arranged, my Birdie." He hummed, rasping his tongue over the crown of her head. 

When Pigeon spoke of mentorship, he didn't flinch, he'd helped cats out with things like that before, to survive in the wild, he had even named one of them, so he wasn't adverse to the idea. "I'll teach you everything you need to know, I've been a rogue for a while, I know a thing or two" He spoke softly before placing a paw on Pigeon's shoulder, a pseudo hug of sorts as he continued to affectionately clean her fur. "I'm ready for your first lesson whenever you are."