justicereigns | [Action/Voice]

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[The bibliophiles who frequent the library nearly 24/7 may notice an unusual addition to their numbers. Especially since despite being in a library surrounded by books that could go up in flames rather easily, he doesn't stop smoking. Ever. Not even the two cigars at once. And any protests about this will generally be met with a steely glare and impervious silence. For a while he was trying to get info on magic, but since these books tend to be more highly sought after and Smoker wasn't having much luck with it, he's currently hoarding a small stockpile of books on politics, military tactics, history, and apparently crime novels -- about which he has a grip to ask (quietly) out loud into the journal.]

Is it possible to have gone through all the mystery novels in this place?

And does anyone have something with more actual mystery to it? These are pretty weak. Damn what I wouldn't give for a daily newspaper.

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Mm. Good luck with that.

Yeah, there's a few, unfortunately. Most of them know enough to try to avoid that jacket you're wearing.

But if they avoid it how can you stop them? Have you sent many to jail?

[Proud chuckle.] Hundreds. I'm undefeated except for one guy too.

You must be the strongest then! But not too strong to get bad if someone can still defeat you.

[That's impressive man.]

To be fair, he didn't defeat me, just got away. With help.

But yeah, thanks Ikki. I'm pretty strong. I'd offer to teach you a few things, but I'm betting you don't need it.

That definitively makes you the strongest. Besides if he got help then it was unfair, the win is yours.

[Sage nod, here. Ikki doesn't think that having had someone get away from Smoker makes him any weaker.]

Strong and good!

[Ikki smile, yep, finally smiles. The next comment though makes him blink.]

Uh... I don't?

[Okay, sure, he likes to be strong and to be so one has to act strong. But Smoker really sounds like a cool and good guy and they aren't anywhere near an orphanage so... And he already admitted that he wasn't as strong as he wanted yet.

This Ikki has no idea of what he will grow up to be, he hasn't even heard about the Saints once yet.]

Hn, thanks, but I won't rest until he's behind bars. Too dangerous otherwise. I'll just have to get strong enough to be able him and his help.

Well if you want I'll teach you how to throw a punch or two. I've already got one girl I'm teaching, but I don't think she'd mind having a little competition.

A girl?

[Excuse Ikki for looking skeptical at the idea of a girl learning to be strong.]

Why does a girl need to learn that?

Because women can be a lot stronger than men when you take them for granted. My ensign is a total clutz. She's practically blind, she trips over herself constantly, but she's taken down men four times her size, or even four men at once.

And Kirimi could probably take you on right now with the training I've given her. It's a dangerous world out there kiddo.

I understand that... But why do they have to be stronger? Don't they have someone to take care of them? That's what men are for, isn't it?

Mama was strong, but because papa never came home she had to do everything. And because I wasn't old enough I couldn't help her and when Shun came she died, despite being strong. Because there was no man to help her and I was too little and weak.

[Child's logic. Mama was strong but she was alone and he was too weak thus she died. Other mamas have papas with them and they don't die no matter how many babies they have. Obviously the lack of a papa that protected and took care of her was what caused the problem.]

That's not from lack of men. You and Shun survived so it sounds to me like she was protecting you.

Women can be strong just like men, but anyone needs training and less women receive it because some of them have different priorities. Take how you're a kid. Kids are supposed to be protected most of all, but you still have to be strong on your own, ne? Waiting around for help won't always come and even if it does, you can't protect anyone else like that. Everyone has someone they want to protect, beyond just themselves.

But she would have been fine had papa been there...

[It still makes sense in his mind, but he listens to Smoker, thinking of what he says.]

So girls also want to protect others? I hadn't thought of it that way.

Of course they do. You ever see a mother bear or mother tiger in the world? They're far more ferocious than the males because they have more to protect.

I haven't seen any of those...

[Girls can be strong, uh? Well, as he thinks he has to admit that that's the most logic idea. After all that psycho girl had made him sleep and hurt him somehow. Either that or it was all a trick.]

Hmm... Girls can also be strong... And use magic! Like the one that girl used to make me sleep. That was so not fair, I would have beaten her if I had had magic too.

I contained because I had to protect Shun and I didn't want to hit a girl, but next time I see her I won't do it! She was evil despite being a girl!

Yup, girls can be evil and strong.

Then I won't let my guard down around them either!

[And he will hit them if he has too. Next time he sees that psycho girl that tried to steal Shun he'll make her regret to have ever met him. Totally.

Ikki looks down at Smoker though, his attention going to somewhere else.]

Have you been here for long?

Hm. Over half a year, but there's some people who've been her for almost three.

That's a lot... Specially the ones who have been here for three years.

Do you miss your home?

Not really. I miss some of my friends though.

Isn't that the same thing?

Maybe. My friends are spread out in my world though. Some of them raced ahead of me in the marines to achieve higher ranks, some dropped out to go into bounty hunting to spend more time with their family. So "home" is a little confusing for me. I'm not sure where it is.

It's where the things you want to protect are.

[Obviously reciting it, a thought bubble over his head shows a woman, apparently talking to him, though her face is obscured already.]

[Blinks at the thought bubble, huh. So the Malnosso really are recycling things.]

That's all spread out. And the people I want to protect are strong and have things they want to protect as well. So I follow my justice. And if that leads to an ocean away or a world away, I guess that means I'm still home.

It's good to have such a wide home. Mine is small.

[And not here, Ikki can't help to make a disgusted expression at the memory. It's so strange to go from thinking of nothing else but Shun to not have to do so because the baby wasn't there.]

Small's not bad either. So long as you know where you stand and what for.

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