Ion never knew what it was like to have a family before Nephry.
He's never had a "parental" figure in his life before. Shortly after he was created, he had people who told him what to do and instructed him in his duties, but there was no emotional connection between himself and those people. There was always a barrier of reverence that prevented that sort of relationship. He was the Fon Master, after all. But that's no longer the case with Nephry. Over the past two years, the barriers of mutual respect have been torn down, allowing instead for a sense of familiarity between the two of them.
The week they spent as true mother and son during the AU experiment made Ion realize how similar their present dynamic is to that kind of relationship. He still holds a great deal of respect for her. She's level-headed and strong (as one would have to be in order to deal with Jade and Dist) and she's been there for him during times when he needed it the most. Luceti has forced him to experience more emotional pain than he's ever had to deal with before and he'll forever be grateful to Nephry for all the help she's given him.
While Ion believes the party was able to assume his true intentions in the events surrounding his death, Nephry is the only person he has explicitly told that he intended to die. He trusts her more than he's ever trusted anyone. She's always been there for him when he needed someone. Although there is still that tendency to hold back his true feelings to avoid making her worry, he's beginning to break down that wall, allowing him to be completely honest and direct with her.
There's a part of Ion that will always regret not being able to get to know Nephry better during his lifetime. However, seeing as his life will only continue to exist so long as he is in Luceti, Ion accepts their friendship for what it is here, even though he knows Nephry will forget about their time together once she's returned to Auldrant.
"More than just as family, I... I've started to think of you as though you were my mother. Is it... would it be all right if I continue to think of you like that?"
Nephry Osborne
He's never had a "parental" figure in his life before. Shortly after he was created, he had people who told him what to do and instructed him in his duties, but there was no emotional connection between himself and those people. There was always a barrier of reverence that prevented that sort of relationship. He was the Fon Master, after all. But that's no longer the case with Nephry. Over the past two years, the barriers of mutual respect have been torn down, allowing instead for a sense of familiarity between the two of them.
The week they spent as true mother and son during the AU experiment made Ion realize how similar their present dynamic is to that kind of relationship. He still holds a great deal of respect for her. She's level-headed and strong (as one would have to be in order to deal with Jade and Dist) and she's been there for him during times when he needed it the most. Luceti has forced him to experience more emotional pain than he's ever had to deal with before and he'll forever be grateful to Nephry for all the help she's given him.
While Ion believes the party was able to assume his true intentions in the events surrounding his death, Nephry is the only person he has explicitly told that he intended to die. He trusts her more than he's ever trusted anyone. She's always been there for him when he needed someone. Although there is still that tendency to hold back his true feelings to avoid making her worry, he's beginning to break down that wall, allowing him to be completely honest and direct with her.
There's a part of Ion that will always regret not being able to get to know Nephry better during his lifetime. However, seeing as his life will only continue to exist so long as he is in Luceti, Ion accepts their friendship for what it is here, even though he knows Nephry will forget about their time together once she's returned to Auldrant.
"More than just as family, I... I've started to think of you as though you were my mother. Is it... would it be all right if I continue to think of you like that?"