16th Rise of the Phoenix ஜ Voice [Backdated to the 3rd]

[uccellodifuoco]

[There's a certain sense of emptiness when he wakes up today, specially when he exits his room. Even more when he check's Smoker's room.

Haha. Figures Smoker would vanish from this place not long after getting to know better his feminine side. Figures he would leave before Ikki did. He never thought that would be possible, but it may be exactly because of that that it has happened. He doesn't bother with filters when he opens his journal, violently even, the anger is so noticeable in his voice that it may make people cringe.]

To those taking classes with Smoker. They are canceled. Today, tomorrow, next week and next month probably. Go find a new teacher if you want.

To the pirates. Congratulations, there's one Marine less here to bother you all. Which I think leaves the grand total of zero Marines here.

To anyone else who knew Smoker. He's back home, lucky him.

[It's hard to tell if that "lucky him" is sarcasm or just pure anger dripping from his words. At any rate the journal catches something else before he finishes the record.]

Hyoga, get up. We're out of here. There's no reason to stay here.

Comments

voice

[ahappylie]

...I see. I'm sorry to hear that.

voice

[uccellodifuoco]

Don't be, he's back to his home. That's good.

Voice

[redjacketthief]

...Did I hear that right? He just got back!

[From what little Lupin had gathered about their discussions on justice and the differences between their worlds, he can deduce that Smoker's going back to a very unpleasant place. He reaches for the cigarettes he had been starting to lay off of, and lights one.

Welp. There goes another one.]

Don't answer--I already know what you're gonna say. That...

That sucks.

Voice

[uccellodifuoco]

Whatever, now he can do his job as he wanted. It's not as if being here is the best thing that could happen to someone.

[Ikki's good at convincing himself of those things. He's angry because he's still here, not because Smoker has left.]

Voice

[redjacketthief]

That's true...[He was commenting in part for concern for Smoker, and in part for his own paranoia. Smoker was one of the few people in Luceti he actually trusted--losing him (again) was not fun to think about.]

...You're moving out? [This person must have been Smoker's room mate then.] Need any help?

Voice

[uccellodifuoco]

[Tell that to Ikki. The amount of friends he has, people he trusts in, can be counted with one hand and there would still be room for more.]

Thanks for the offer but no. There's nothing there I care about enough to carry it around. I think we will just go nomadic for a while.

Voice

[redjacketthief]

[there was something to that. If it weren't for the damn barrier and the enemies behind it, if it weren't for the sparse population, Lupin would be living on the road again. At least he had some friends around to keep him sane--not that it amounted to much.]

...

Name's Lupin. You probably heard Cap' grumble about me. If you ever want someone to drink with, I've got nothing but time and am usually up late.

Voice

[uccellodifuoco]

[ The famous Lupin? Figures he would meet him under those circumstances.]

Phoenix Ikki. Smoker mentioned you a couple of times at the very least, yeah, and something about finding books about your grandfather. I don't know if he managed to do it after all.

[It doesn't matter anymore, does it? Anyway, even if he likes solitude and wants to be alone, he finds himself interested in the offer.]

Is that an offer I can make use of today? A drink or two [Or a dozen.] sound nice right now.

Nothing

[deathsdoctor]

[... yeah? And how long is that going to last?

It is an observable fact that people who disappear at the beginning of New Feather season have a higher chance of returning older. And in many cases more powerful. In a matter of days or weeks.

Which... in this case... hnnn.

... so it's just a matter of wait and see.]

[mikangirl]

[Nami's thinking vaguely along the lines of Law on this. And normally she'd remain neutral on the topic of Smoker leaving, but Ikki's little tantrum is somewhat annoying.]

I don't recall him doing a great deal of bothering us. That'd require him actually trying to do his job.

[uccellodifuoco]

[As far as Ikki knows, Smoker has been focused on training and pirates, even with that "truce" he talked about. If the pirates themselves don't consider he did anything... It's not his problem.]

Then I suppose you won't notice a thing with him being gone now.

[mikangirl]

Less posturing on the network, maybe. [Sorry, Smoker. Nami doesn't like you and she's in a bad mood besides. Though after a moment, she sighs. Whatever she thinks of the guy...]

He'll be happy to be back where he can make a difference, I'm sure.

[uccellodifuoco]

Hn, and where people won't question his Government and the people in charge of the Marines.

[People like Ikki himself.]

But we are still here while he gets the free ticket out.

[That's all that bothers him, really. He's angry for still being here, not for Smoker leaving.]

[Voice] 1 of 2

[selphie_t]

Hyoga, sit!

[Voice]

[selphie_t]

Ikki...

[Voice]

[uccellodifuoco]

[Don't order his pet through the journals, Selphie. The stupid animal actually obeys you.]

I'm out of here.

[Voice]

[selphie_t]

Go where?

[Voice]

[uccellodifuoco]

I think going nomadic will do good on us. I've been staying at the same place for too long.

[Voice]

[selphie_t]

On you and Hyoga?

But what if you get hurt and nobody's there to help ya when ya need it?

[Nothing]

[shadedsunlight]

[Ginia doesn't find out until she comes back on the sixth. Smoker. He's gone. He just got back from a long mallynapping and now he's been sent home.

Still, it's early. There's a month ahead of them, people have disappeared and returned only some days later. She knows it's silly to hold onto things, she knows with him, if he's back home, he can fulfill his goal. Isn't it better? Isn't that good?

She's not sure anymore.

Wait and see. Wait and see.]

[ action ]

[etudes]

[ Kotomi's actually been waiting by her journal during the morning.. As if she's waiting for the moment when Ikki would call her, since they promised to talk every day, after all. But today he seems a little late, and so she waits a little longer, getting worried but not bothering to check the posts - she only does that sporadically either way with her social obliviousness.

But after a little while she decides to head out to the library like usual instead, except this time she's actually carrying her journal with her in case Ikki might call.. so if he's out looking for her, he might spot her near the house where she lives, about to make her way towards the library with her journal in her arms. ]

[ action ]

[uccellodifuoco]

Where are you going?

[Ikki doesn't bother with a greeting when he arrives to see her near her house, starting to move away. He couldn't help it, he had to check on her, to see if she was still here, just calling on the journals and waiting for a reply wouldn't do.]

[ action ]

[etudes]

... Ikki-kun? [ She looks a little surprised when she spots him, just staring at him for a few moments as she shifts the journal in her arms - which she won't need now either way, apparently Ikki came to talk to her in person today..?

Kotomi blinks curiously. ]

I'm going to the library, as usual..

[ action ]

[uccellodifuoco]

[As usual. Right that's all where she's going, nowhere else.]

Smoker has left.

[She probably hasn't heard of it, even if she's carrying the journal.]

He's no longer in Luceti.

[ action ]

[etudes]

Huh..? [ It.. doesn't really seem to dawn on her instantly, with the way she's just standing there and staring at him blankly for a bit. ]

Smoker-kun is gone..? He's not with you anymore, Ikki-kun?