uccellodifuoco | 18th Rise of the Phoenix ஜ Action/Voice [Backdated to the 15th]

18th Rise of the Phoenix ஜ Action/Voice [Backdated to the 15th]

[To be honest, Ikki hasn't slept at all. He has stayed awake in his room, glaring at the clock as it slowly ticked away the minutes until midnight hit and with it came the official start of the new day. Another August 15th, another birthday he never expected to "enjoy", the third spent in this place which only reminds him that he's on his way to his third year in Luceti as a whole. He spends the night sulking to himself before leaving early in a poor, and probably useless, attempt to avoid Smoker and the rum cake he knows that is going to show up sooner or later for as long as possible.

He never wants to celebrate his birthday, this year isn't an exception. Selphie isn't here anymore, which is good because it means there's one less person who will know that it's his birthday, but deep inside it just bothers him that she's not here. Hyoga isn't here either, still kidnapped... Assuming that they didn't send him away while they had him, but the Cygnus cloth is still in his room after he recovered it from where Hyoga had camped so he will keep some hope and assume that he's still there somewhere.

At least he has Kotomi, except that even after confessing to her, he still doubts he deserves her or that he can do any good to her. Actually he doesn't have doubts about that, he knows he doesn't deserve her and that he can't do any good to her, but he also knows that she's in his heart too deeply for him to be able to take her out of there and not bleed completely. He may be the immortal bird, but his heart holds enough wounds as it is, he doesn't really want to kill his heart completely even if reason sometimes tells him that it would be the best option. At any rate, House #26 will have Ikki knocking at the door early in the morning, not too early for it to be a crazy time to show up but still early enough so that no one, specially Kotomi, won't have plans already.

Because of that Ikki will spend most of the day with his precious treasure, hanging around, having lunch at the Seventh Heaven... Though knowing them, they will probably end sitting somewhere with her reading to him. And by sitting somewhere it means him sitting and making her sit on his lap so he can lean his head against her shoulder and read as she does while holding her waist in a loose hug, discretion be damned... It's advised to not stare though, as the phoenix doesn't deal well with that.

Later, once Kotomi is delivered safely back to her house, just in time for dinner, Ikki will crash at the Good Spirits for a few rounds against his liver. Just so it doesn't forget the habit, you know. A few hours later, a drunk Ikki will be fumbling with his journal. Maybe next year he will remember to lock it away before he gets drunk but for now... Have a drunk message before you go to sleep Luceti, please don't mind the slur in his words.]

I bet you were thinking about how great she is and how I don't deserve her or some shit like that. Well!! I know that already. I know that I don't deserve someone as sweet and innocent as Kotomi, I know I don't deserve to be alive. But you know what? I'm screwed up, because no matter what you throw at me I just won't die, I will keep fucking returning from hell as if it was any Tuesday. And I love her. And she loves me! I don't know why or how she can do that, but she loves me. So until she stops loving me or I can finally die... What was I saying? Hey, where did the whisky go? Tch, it keeps vanishing, stupid glass. Stupid drink.

Anyway! [Pause as he tries to remember what he was saying. No really, it has left his mind.] I don't care how bad I am, or how little I deserve to live or to be with Kotomi. It just happens, I always deal with all the shit life has in for me, I take it even if I don't want it, so I'll take this too, because I want it. I love Kotomi and until she gets tired of me, you lot better stop looking at her like that, because she's my girlfriend. And you!! Shitty Malnosso, I bet you had a blast taking my sister and my friend, well, have all the fun you want, but if you touch one hair of Kotomi's precious head there won't be enough magic, divine power or whatever to save you from the hell I'll send you all to.

[ooc: You can crash into Ikki and Kotomi while they are together, just leave a note in the subject so we can both tag back.]

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[Ikki blinks at the gesture and looks at her hand as if it was an alien thing for a second, what does she want? She's doing the same thing Shun used to do when he was little and wanted to hold hands as they walke-]

Ah, I know what you want. It's this... Right?

[Here, he will take hold of that hand, firmly but not too tightly to hurt her. Even if it's a bit embarrassing he can't deny it to her and it's not different from when they were kids and he took hold of her hand as well. Since she has no preference, for starters he will start to walk towards the forest, maybe they can sit there for a while and read before going back to the village to have lunch.]

[ Yup, you got it right, Ikki. And when they start holding hands she starts looking really content, with a happy and somewhat dreamy smile on her face as she makes sure to not let go of that hand. She might actually even be blushing a little out of that happiness as she walks along with him to the forest. ]

[And while she's all blushing and happy, Ikki's having the eternal internal struggle of whether to just go with the situation or not. He just isn't used to things like this, it has been ages since he hold someone's hand, excluding experiments, much less the hand of the girl he loves and doesn't deserve. Because even now he knows he doesn't deserve her and that she deserves much better, but he just doesn't care, he has decided to be selfish and just take her with him. It's not as if she's complaining anyway, right? So why should he care? If anyone tries to separate her from him he will just smash them.

Ikki guides her to the forest, eventually reaching a nice looking clearing where they can sit and relax for a while.]

Want to rest here and read for a while?

[ There's a tiny nod at it - apparently she's devoid of all his worries, she's just way too busy enjoying the moment. She doesn't even wait for him to sit first, she's already picking a nice spot in the shade so the summer sun won't burn on them too much. ]

.. Right here is fine, isn't it..?

[He nods a bit and scratches his neck lightly, looking at her sitting there, as if hesitating on whether he should sit with her or not. Actually he's not wondering that, he just looks at her, taking in her face and expression. It still feels so weird, to have someone like her, to have her, wanting to be with him, loving him. It feels weird and he can't help to wonder how long will it last before it breaks like everything else.

He pushes the thoughts again and he just... Let's his body do whatever it wants, his body and his heart that is, since they tend to be in cahoots with each other while his brain fights alone the reasoning battle. No matter how much he thinks he doesn't deserve her, or that this will end one day, his body and his heart don't allow him to push her away or leave her side. He sits down but doesn't remain sitting, instead he lays down, stretching his body as he places his head on her lap. Kotomi's lap makes a perfect pillow, okay. And from here he can see her face easily even as she reads.]

Yeah, it's fine... What book did you bring?

[ She doesn't say anything about him doing that, she doesn't stop him at all. She just allows him to lie his head down there, as if it's natural - in fact, she even smiles contently at it. Her hand moves to pat his head just a little bit before returning to pick up her book. ]

Um.. today I brought a book with fairytales, actually.

Fairytales? Which ones?

[He can't help a smile when she pats his head a little, enjoying the feeling of her hand in his hair.]

There's a lot of them in here. I didn't look yet to see which ones.. [ She's opening the book now, scanning through the pages a little, but at the same time she's probably enjoying just the sheer peace of the two of them being here together like this. ]

.. Does Ikki-kun have a fairytale he likes a lot?

[He remains in silence as she opens the book and scans the pages, enjoying the moment just like she does. Her question meets another silence before he answers in a heavy voice.]

... I don't remember. Except for the ones we have read together I don't remember any fairytales.

Ikki-kun.. doesn't remember them? [ she tilts her head sideways a little, removing the book just enough to be able to see his face. ] Why not? Did Ikki-kun not like them?

[He shakes his head a bit.]

I don't know if I liked them or not. I was very young when my mother died, if she ever read me any fairytales I just don't remember them. After her death I just never had time to read them neither I had anyone to tell me.

.. That's.. sad.

[ She frowns slightly, even if she's not really upset, it's just as if she's trying to illustrate her words with it. ]

Everyone should be able to happily listen to fairytales.. .. Does that mean I have to make up for it by reading them to Ikki-kun now?

[He looks at her and smiles a little, a hand is raised to caress her face, pushing very, very lightly at her features as if to shoo away the small frown. Then it settles for caressing her cheek slowly.]

I don't care about fairytales anymore, you can read them or read something else. I'm more happy with you reading out-loud by my side than I would have ever been as a child with all the fairytales in the world.

And you don't have to make up for anything, none of that was your fault after all.

[Only because they are all alone, that's the only reason why he's dereing this much.]

[ It's okay, she likes it when he deres. So the frown slowly turns back into a smile when she can feel his warm hand on the side of her face. ]

I want Ikki-kun to be happy though.. happy no matter what. But.. if Ikki-kun says he's happy like this, then I'm glad. I'm really, really happy like this too, just being like this is.. nice.

Hn.

[He makes an agreement sound, smiling back at her. She's so pretty and precious, she deserves much better than him, but he's too selfish to allow that now.]

I'm happy no matter what if you're with me. So don't worry.

No matter what? [ She seems a little surprised at first, but then she realises that.. well, she's the same, right? As long as he's there.. ]

.. When Ikki-kun's there, I'm really, really happy too.. So.. I think that if Ikki-kun would ever leave my side, I'd be really sad.. I don't think I would be able to stop crying at that time.

[For a moment he wonders if she would react different to him leaving if he had just broken up all relationships with her back after the experiment in Valentines... But this is Kotomi, the girl who reads a fairytale to all her plushies every night, who learns about friendship from books and is just the more pure being in the universe. Of course she would be sad, even if she wouldn't be as sad as she would be now.]

Then you have nothing to worry about. I can't ever leave your side, I'm a phoenix, remember? Even if I die, I'll just rise from my ashes and return to your side.

That's.. why Ikki-kun's so amazing.. [ Although, judging from her blissful blank smile, she could probably sum up many more reasons why the guy is amazing to her. Since he's strong, stronger than bullies, but at the same time he's nice and always listens to her reading and talking and he would never leave her alone or forget her or-- well, the list goes on like that. ]

But.. what if I left Ikki-kun's side? Would Ikki-kun be sad too then?

[The question makes him freeze and tense for a long moment. Kotomi leaving his side... Even though there are many ways in which that could happen, even though part of his mind tells him that it would be better for her if she left his side... All he can picture in his mind is a replay of what happened to Esmeralda, except that instead of holding a blonde girl in his arms he would be holding a girl with long purple hair.]

That won't happen. I won't allow it and even if by some cursed miracle it happens, there won't be human, demonic or divine realm I won't reach to until I find you again and take you back with me.

[Not to mention that he will make sure that whoever took her away from him comes to wish that not even his greatgrandparents had ever been born. He can barely constrain his growl and anger at the very thought after the first few seconds of fear of losing her, at least, though, he has enough presence of mind to not flare his Cosmo and scare her with his flames, just as he has enough control to keep caressing her as a failed attempt to show that he's not angry with her.]

[ There's a very, very slight moment of awkwardness. Kotomi is oblivious, after all, but she can't be oblivious to his anger when he's lying there right on her lap, when he's touching her. So she does wonder if she did something wrong, but.. he is still caressing her, so.. maybe it's okay..?

She's still a little worried though, so just to make sure-- ]

Is it.. a bad thing? [ Since he seems angry and all. ] Don't worry, I won't leave Ikki-kun..

[He caresses her more at her question.]

I'm not angry with you.

[Of course it would be a bad thing, he doesn't want anything to happen to her, much less to have her die. But he won't voice that, he keeps it to himself as always.]

[ She nods at it - she does believe what he's saying, it's just that she got a little worried back there. And Kotomi quietly stares down at him for a few moments, as if she wants something but isn't directly asking it as usually.

It's only after a few moments that she seems to give a hint about it, reaching out towards him a little with her arms as if she wants a hug. ]

[He only raises an eyebrow a bit at the staring, wondering what she wants this time, it doesn't seem as if she doesn't believe him after all. It's when she moves her arms that he gets it and smiles. He moves, sitting up again before reaching for her and pulling her close to him in a tight hug.]

Better?

.. Hmm, it's better.

[ She smiles the moment she's drawn into his arms, and even moreso when she's this close to him. The girl closes her eyes a little and leans her head against him, almost as if she's sleeping like this - she isn't, though, she's just trying to soak in the feeling of being here in his arms. ]

[He smiles and kisses her forehead as a bonus. He doesn't move beyond that though, nope, he's fine like that and will be hugging her for as long as she wants. Or until someone sends a rescue party after a week.]

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18th Rise of the Phoenix ஜ Action/Voice [Backdated to the 15th]

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