That'll be for him to figure out.

[ His annoyance is aimed at the bird, but it's said with a hint of something that suggests it's the kind of argument an old married couple might have. Ash isn't actually planning to abandon the bird; if he was, he'd have done so by now. And the phoenix knows it, and he's happy to keep playing the game.

With the omen seeming to have settled everywhere but where he's supposed to be, Ash can finally study the poor girl who's become his perch. ]

Maybe that's the problem. Midnight might have caught his attention.

[ It was actually the two together, and now that the cat has been mentioned, the phoenix tries to peer around to give the kitten a better look.

For a moment, the fire around the bird - harmless and entirely for display - burns a bit brighter. ]

... You like the cat?

[ Not that Midnight isn't a beautiful cat, but is that why he's giving Ash so much trouble? ]

I'm pretty sure it's not a mutual feeling so leave her alone.

[ The phoenix returns his attention to Tinya and sits more properly on her shoulder. He's staying here for now. ]