uccellodifuoco | 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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Me, you idiot. [Punch him if you want but he punches back. Probably. Maybe not with Ikki.]

Oh gee, that's far superior. Yes Ikki, protecting people is still justice. Everyone makes mistakes, it doesn't mean they should all be mowed down for it. [Ugh don't get him started on Akainu. And Ace. He doesn't want to go there, and you don't want him to go there, so he won't.] So long as there are still people you and your brother or Kotomi, there's a reason to keep trying.

Kotomi would not have found someone else or she already would have and you wouldn't be in the picture right now. Get your head together. All she wants is you, all she ever wanted was someone maybe a tenth as devoted as you. You actually think her violin playing is good. No, there isn't another person in all the different universes quite like you and available to her, so enjoy what you have before you decide she could do better with a fairy tale that doesn't exist. If she wanted to be alone pining for someone else still, she would be. She's not an idiot, so she obviously knows what she likes about you. Why can't you just trust her in that?

[................ Yeah he's so going to get punched. This is why Smoker doesn't generally have friends, jeepers.]

[Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Ikki doesn't want to hear Smoker's rant so he tries to turn it into just blabbering sounds. Or acts like it, at least until Smoker mentions the violin thing, it's so small and stupid that Ikki actually answers to it.]

Her violin playing is good, anyone can see that.

[Just. Stares at. FOREVER.]

No, seriously. You're really good for her and no one else is like you. No one.

[He would genuinely rather face Akainu head on than listen to another of her violin concerts. You are so special Ikki. SO SPECIAL that you don't even know that. That special.]

[Staring back. Seriously why do you say it as if she's bad at it? He snorts after the last bit, it's probably better if there's no one else like him, the world wouldn't be able to stand it.]

It doesn't matter either way. She's my girl now. I'm not going to let her go, so whatever.

[He still thinks she deserves better though.]