Fon Master Ion

[Dist was just on his way back home from the library, having to occupy his time somehow now that he moved out of house one. He has a few books tucked under his arm, not paying attention to much else than returning to his apartment room. He just barely spots the young Fon Master out of the corner of his eye, taking a few more steps before he stops and turns his head quickly.]

Io--Fon Master?!

[Dist bites his lip, furious that his first reaction was that of deep concern for the boy, and approaches with a hastened pace. When had he been taken? Did the others know? Was he all right? He looked disoriented. Dist stops in front of Ion and looks him over. He looked unharmed...]

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[Oh hey, it's another... er, okay, Ion doesn't know what anything moving around him is, but they all look a little alike! But his words don't seem to register and Ion just stares up at Dist as though he's never seen anything like him in his life.]

[And technically, he hasn't.]

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frost_jewel

[This evening Mia was at the library, looking for things to occupy her time, when she has it.

She didn't expect to meet a younger boy in the center of the plaza but slowly she's becoming used to the idea that life here can be just as strange as life at home. So here, Ion, have a smile.]

Hello. Are you also new?

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[Something about the way Ion was looking at him, like he'd never seen him before, was unsettling. Dist glanced around then knelt before the boy. He had a feeling of foreboding, and watched Ion's face closely, mostly his eyes. He'd seen this face more often than anyone else, and was feeling that foreboding sense develop into one of dread, then frustration.

So, this is how those worms entertained themselves, was it? Despicable...]

Fon Master. ...Ion. Ion, can you understand me?

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[He'd return the smile if he had any idea what a smile was. As it stands now, her greeting will earn her a blank stare.]

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[Understand, understand... somewhere in the back of his mind, for a brief moment, the programming enabling him to understand speech kicks on. But for someone who's never used his vocal chords, getting that point across is going to be slow coming.]

...uh. [He flinches a little, as if not expecting a sound to have come from his own lips.]

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frost_jewel

[Perhaps he can't speak, like that girl she met the other day.]

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[He can speak just fine, of course, but he doesn't know any words to say.]

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[Yui was leaving from the bakery with some fresh bread, pastry and other goodies in her arms when she stumbled across Ion sitting there all by his lonesome. Was he lost? A-Ah, he's looking back at her. Maybe she should see if he's ok.]

Hello...?

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[Compared to all the people walking around, this one looked different, mostly because of the things she was carrying. What she said seemed familiar somehow, and he felt compelled to say it back. Although the way he says it, it sounds like he isn't quite sure what it means.]

He... hello...?

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[A-Aww. She smiles and kneels down near his level. She'll put down the bag she was carrying too.]

Are you all right?

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frost_jewel

Are you all right?

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[...Hm. That was something of a breakthrough, at the least Ion responded, and didn't just stare dimly at him. That alone told Dist enough. Ion wasn't completely void of basic functions. Good, that would make getting him back to house one all the easier. Hopefully he's intelligent enough to follow basic commands as well as understand them. Dist can't remember much of when Ion was replicated - it didn't concern him then - so he doesn't know what this replica is capable of in this state.

What an annoyance. Those damned 'scientists' were truly out to get under Dist's skin in the worst possible ways.]

Yes, you can speak. You are called Ion, and I am Dist. Can you also stand?

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[He can't help but look over at the bag curiously as it's set down, but her question grabs his attention back. He registers her words as being a question, but he isn't sure how to answer. He didn't know if he felt "all right" but he didn't feel not "all right" either.]

[But an answer comes out before he even has time to think about the words as he says them, as if they were instinctive.]

I don't know.

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[...that was a question, wasn't it? It registers somewhere in his mind that yes, these are words he can process. They can be understood. But what did they mean? And answer comes out almost too quickly, as if it was the only way he knew how to respond.]

I don't know.

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[She blinks, puzzled by the response.] You don't know? [She did note that he kept looking at her bag though. Hmmmm. She pulls out a box from her bag that was filled with...donuts!]

Are you hungry?

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frost_jewel

[Oh dear. That's never a good answer.]

Well, does anything hurt?

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[Ion's mind works to absorb that information, taking a few moments to process what it means. He can speak. He is called "Ion". The one in front of him is "Dist". He can stand.]

[...can he stand? That one was a question. But it's not one he knows the answer to, seeing as he isn't sure what "stand" means.]

[So Dist gets another blank stare.]

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[She just pulled something out of the other something. That is officially the most amazing thing he has seen so far, and his eyes widen just a bit as he leans forward to get a better look.]

[He isn't sure what either of those somethings are, but that doesn't stop it from being interesting, right?]

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Hurt?

[Another question he didn't know the answer to... "Hurt"? What did it mean to "hurt"? It wasn't something he'd ever felt before.]

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[Oh, for the love of Hod. Dist practically facepalms at Ion's reaction, then stands up straight and gently grips Ion's arm to tug him up on his feet. He's certainly not going to carry the boy, regardless if he's incapable to do so himself. But still...Dist couldn't just leave Ion here by himself. After the events of the previous experiment - curse it to the blackest pit imaginable - Dist reluctantly felt a greater attachment to the boy. One that he couldn't shake, no matter how hard he tried.

He holds Ion steady, taking a tentative step with him.]

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[She's watching Ion rather curiously. His reaction...almost as if he was unaware or new to the simplest things. She pulls out a donut with a strawberry glaze.]

You can have one, if you like. [She offers it to him.] Ah, you know what it is, right?

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[Ion isn't sure what to make of the situation as his arm is suddenly grabbed, but he allows himself to be pulled up to his feet. He's only unsteady for a moment or two, but thankfully, standing is already ingrained in him.]

[Walking? Not quite so much. He isn't sure what Dist expects him to do at first and ends up stumbling, reaching out and clinging to Dist's arm to keep from falling over.]

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[He settles back into that same confused look from before, staring at the donut. But this time his words flow a bit more naturally, making it sound more like an actual answer rather than a default response.] I don't know... what it is.

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