the fifth - we make our way dreaming

[fragileprophet]

Characters: Ion, Jonouchi Katsuya, and you!
Setting: all throughout the day, the gymnasium, the workshop, floor 51, and the dormitory levels.
Format: starting with action, but will follow!
Summary: Ion has some serious talks with Jonouchi in the morning, then goes off to try and fix the problem that is his bloodstained clothing before winding down the day by strolling through the dorm floors and attempting to make pleasant conversation with anyone and everyone.
Warnings: none that I'm aware of.

Floor 39- early morning, closed to Jonouchi

[Having never really been much of a heavy sleeper, it was a simple matter for Ion to get out of bed earlier than he normally did. Knowing his blonde friend, he suspected there was a high chance of finding Jonouchi training on the 39th floor. Ion wanted to catch him while it was still quiet and empty.]

[The Fon Master, of course, had plenty of time to think in his trip down from the dorms, his eyes closed and body melted against the cool steel of the elevator wall as it made its slow, slow descent. He wasn't sure how he was going to approach the subject of the shadows that had killed Jonouchi. Losing his friend that way had shaken him, but he hadn't known how to bring it up again.]

[He didn't want to put it off anymore; it had been a month. Now was as good a time as ever, when he knew he could have some privacy with the teen. Still, he feels tense and somber as he steps out of the elevator on the 41st floor and makes the rest of the way down. It's not enough to prevent him from smiling when he finds Jonouchi in the gymnasium as he expected, but he knows he can't keep the artificial cheer plastered across his pale face for very long.]

Good morning.

[Ion provides the greeting from across the floor as he approaches the blonde, hoping that Jonouchi hasn't gotten too far into his morning routine.]

I'm sorry to bother you so early...I was hoping we could talk?

Floor 15 - morning to early afternoon

[It had been brought to Ion's attention that the state of his wardrobe was...well...alarming. Granted, he knew that it was without having been told, the once white-and-green state of his robes having been stained almost completely maroon from the blood of his friends. It wasn't terribly worn through, the damage it had sustained itself miniscule, so he had hoped he could simply ignore it...but...the expression on Luke's face when he had seen the stains was full of far too much concern for Ion to overlook.]

[So, although he had no experience in tailoring, Ion set out that morning, after his talk with Jonouchi, to search for some sort of cloth that could be arguably used to craft a new set of clothing out of. Potentially it would've been quicker to ask if someone he knew had any spares he could borrow, but Ion didn't want to impose. Resources were so scarce here, after all. Particularly when death was so easy.]

[And after the meeting he had gone to earlier that month, Ion was, truthfully, feeling much more encouraged to go out and try his hand at new things. If someone were to enter the floor, they'd see the green haired boy rummaging around through the materials, inspecting any fabric he came across and running it through his hands thoughtfully.]

Floor 51 - afternoon to early evening

[After he's done collecting various lengths of fabric and folded them up in his arms, Ion makes his way up to the 51st floor, where he can be found stationed at a desk with his gathered materials. He's fiddling with a sewing machine, trying to figure out exactly how to use it. He wonders, vaguely, if he should perhaps attempt to hand sew himself some clothes.]

[The next hurdle, of course, would be the fact that Ion has no pattern for clothes making. But he'll get to that eventually, trying not to be frustrated as he realizes exactly how daunting this task actually is. Who would've thought it would be so difficult just to make a simple outfit?]

Dorm Floors 1-5 - evening

[Once it gets dark, Ion heads back up to the dorms in order to stay out of trouble. Not quite tired yet, and wanting to stretch his legs for a bit longer before retreating to his room to lie down, he strolls idly through the dormitory levels, smiling pleasantly. He'll greet anyone he passes, whether it be by a polite nod or a--]

Good evening.

[--regardless of whether or not he knows the one he's addressing. Everyone deserved to be treated with equal politeness, after all. If he does know you, however, or you show meet his words with enthusiasm, he'll be more inclined to stop and strike up a conversation. One can't make too many friends.]

Comments

Floor One Dorms - Evening

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick's finished dinner and checking in on the laboratory and is very ready to go to sleep. He's already in his pajamas, wandering down the hall after washing up, when he runs into his young roommate.]

--E-Evening!

[The blonde man gives Ion a cordial wave. Despite living with him, it seems like they haven't had time to talk in a while--maybe now he can fix that.]

...What h-have you been up t-to?

[fragileprophet]

[Ion's smile becomes much wider when Rick returns his greeting. He stops in his tracks so he can better speak to the roommate he's very quickly coming to consider a friend. It was rather hard, after all, not to find yourself attached to someone who you had given a very earnest heart-to-heart.]

Not too much.

[He sounds bashful in the admission.

I've been trying to stay out of trouble...but today I started teaching myself how to sew!

[It was going to be a slow learning experience but at least he had the enthusiasm to back up the desire. And the obvious motivation of not wanting to look like he had just discovered the joys of cannibalism.]

How about you, Rick? How have you been feeling?

[bashfulshifter]

Y-Yeah?

[He grins, absently rubbing a towel against the damp hair on the back of his head in place of the hand that normally ventured there.]

...P-Pretty g-good, all th--things c-considered. [SHRUG] B-Been k-keeping busy--d-doing some s-s-sewing m-myself, l-last week. I d-didn't know you w-wanted to l-learn. I c-could h-help, if you'd l-like?

Dorm Floors - evening

[woodpeckermaruta]

[He is simply planning on ignoring the taller, green-haired kid, when he hears the greeting. Blinking from his spot against the wall, he looks up. The kid attempts a smile and wave, but it's about as far from genuine as you could get.]

Hm? Oh, ...good evening.

[He knows he should be heading to his room, now, but he's content staying here. He's sort of reached the 'let the monsters come, I don't care' point. Shiro is still nowhere to be found, so it's sort of becoming impossible for him to care too much about staying out of trouble.

It being the second time he's lost all of his friends in one fell swoop, he's almost daring death to knock at his door.]

[fragileprophet]

[If he hadn't been quite as perceptive of a boy as he was, Ion would have likely left it at that and walked on. But as it was, the Fon Master was an expert at superficiality--at pretending to be something other than what he was, or feel something other than how he felt. Perhaps it was hypocritical, but he couldn't bear to leave someone else to suffer in silence, even when he himself did it almost constantly.

So Ion's feet hesitate in their soft falls against the floor and he turns back to look at the boy standing so dejectedly against the hallway's walls. The edges of his smile stay held aloft by the faint glimmer of concern that dots his face.]

I don't mean to intrude, but...may I ask if something's bothering you?

[Granted, there was hardly a time when any given resident of the Tower was feeling anything other than bothered, but that was hardly the point of the question. If there was anything Ion could do to help, even just by sparing a couple moments of time to let the stranger vent, he'd consider it a couple moments well spent.]

51

[desireforchange]

[The replica is curious, so he's exploring. Somehow he manages to end up on a floor with weird fontech-looking things. There, he spots a head of green hair and a momentary confused expression washes over his face. What's Ion doing with all that cloth? Well, only one way to find out.]

Hey, Ion.

[He is walking up and stopping only when he is on the opposite side of the desk as the fon master. He forces a smile and gives a curious expression as he leans down to inspect the work (not in a scrutinizing way, of course, since he's probably just as lost as his friend). He's trying his best to make things less weird, and actually not doing a horrible job at appearing... almost normal around the other replica (if Ion can get past the slightly sad look in his eyes that continues to plague Luke's face).]

What are you making?

[fragileprophet]

Hello, Luke!

[He looks up from where he was fiddling with the machine with uncertain, inexperienced hands, a bit relieved for the excuse to prevent himself from messing up--an inevitable conclusion to his first attempt at sewing.]

I'm trying to make something new to wear.

[Ion's face contorts, embarrassed, and he looks down at the cloth, which looks so much cleaner than the gory mess he's currently adorned with.]

That way I won't make anyone uncomfortable.

[Anyone else that was.]

[Floor 15 let's go]

[bloodyashes]

[And hey, messing with a pile of string not far away -

Asch growls and dumps the entire mess onto a table, and it's then that he catches sight of Ion's head buried back between the fabrics. So of course, naturally he comes over, and naturally he doesn't give any kind of greeting before offering advice.]

The light cotton or linen would probably be better to start with. There's more of it if you make a mistake, as well.

[fragileprophet]

[Ion looks a bit startled, his big eyes snapping from the fabric in his hands up to Asch.]

So...you can tell.

[Not that he was surprised. Ion wasn't exactly trying to be subtle, and the fact that his robes from Auldrant were covered in blood probably made his intent painfully obvious. Asch wasn't exactly unobservant, either. Ion smiles, his cheeks flushed.]

Do you know quite a lot about fabric? I'm afraid I don't...exactly know the difference...

[He was trying to tell what might've been best to use just by feeling them out, but Ion was finding the process much more slow going than he had expected.]

floor 51

[keepscalm]

[He comes to this floor at least once a month; sometimes more than once, if his wardrobe suffers considerably more than usual.

He's at one of the other desks, pinning together the pieces of what will become a button-up dress shirt. Occasionally he glances up to eye the mannequins with suspicion (he'd had a few make off with outfits from time to time, and he doesn't trust them not to do anything else odd if they can already move), but despite these moments of distraction, his placement of the pins is quick and sure.

At one point, he peers to a mannequin across the way and finally notices that he is not alone on the floor. He watches for a moment as the child adjusts the machine; the movements seem uncertain in a way.

When it becomes clearer that the boy doesn't really know what he's doing, England speaks up, curious.] Do you know how to use it?

[fragileprophet]

[Ion had seen the other occupant, but hadn't thought to bother the man, especially when he seemed so involved in what he had been doing.

He looks up when he's addressed, stopping his tentative fiddling to manage a sheepish grin in response.]

Not at all. I've never done any sort of sewing before. [The admission is soft, and punctuated with a pitiful sort of laugh.] Is it obvious?

Lol 39

[invisible_friendship]

[Jonouchi didn't too far into it. He didn't have a set time for training either, he did have a minimum, but it could go on for however long he felt necessary.]

Ion! Don't be stupid, you're never bothering. [In other words, Ion was always welcome.]

What do you want to talk about.

[Jonouchi dropped what he was currently doing in favor for his friend. This was nothing new.]

[fragileprophet]

You.

[Ion's smile falters, despite his best effort to keep it steady. With a sigh, he looks down to his feet.]

Us. Our friendship.

[Among other things, that was. It's clear from both the weight to his words as well as the strained pull to his face that whatever it is he wants to talk about, more specifically, it's been bothering him for more than he'd care to let on.]

floor 1

[humility]

Oh--

[she's one of those people who passes him, and she stops to give the stranger a small smile and a polite nod.]

Hello.

[fragileprophet]

[Since the woman he had greeted stopped, he stopped as well, then held out his hand for a handshake.]

I don't believe we've met before. My name is Ion; I hope that you had pleasant day, today?

[Sure, he didn't know her, but he would've said the same thing to anyone. And what was so wrong with introducing himself? Regardless of who she was or how long she may have been at the Tower in comparison to himself, they were all stuck in a similar situation. It would be much easier to do something about their worlds and their captivity if they were on good terms with one another.]

Dorm Floors

[notagiraffe]

Hello Ion. [Taiki smiled, he was much more cheery since the experiments had began. The feeling that he got to be useful, even if his team scared him, was enough to bring him out of his slump and make him feel less of a burden.

The bloodsickness had set in faster this time after his death, probably because of all the blood, but he still looked chearful despite his fever.] How are you?

[fragileprophet]

I'm fine. How are you, Taiki?

[As Ion looked at the boy, he felt his shoulders relax a little. The child was always so pale and so sickly looking--even more so than himself. It worried him. But Taiki looked much better than normal, if not in pallor than in overall demeanor. It didn't quite put the Fon Master's heart to rest, but it was enough to make his smile come easier, a bit brighter.]

You seem to be in good spirits, this evening! I'm glad.

51

[terra_nullius]

[It's important to explore all the floors, and so he'd embarked on the next batch of delightful dangers. This one doesn't seem to be menacing at all... it seems to be a tailor's dream. There's automatic sewing machines as well as fabric and thread and supplies to delight even the most stalwart of seamsters.

Of course he picks his way over to the person sitting at one of the machines, eager to perhaps learn more.]

These machines are very intriguing. Do you know how to use them?

[fragileprophet]

[When Ion looks up at the man who had addressed him, his lips curl up while his brow furrows in an sincere display of apology.]

I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't. This is the first time I've ever really tried.

[With a small, resigned sigh, Ion puts down the needle and thread he's holding, then gives the machine a once over--as if he's attempting to reassess his opinion of it.]

I didn't think it would be too hard to figure out, but I guess I was wrong.

[Not that this was enough reason for him to give up! Perhaps he could find an instruction manual within one of the kits.]

floor 15!

[bloodlessons]

[There's someone else entering the floor while Ion is there, though he's not exactly here to look for cloth. In fact, he only really goes in because there was someone else in here!]

Huh~? What are you looking for around here, divining instruments?

[fragileprophet]

[Surprised at the question, Ion looked up and over at the stranger. With a warm smile, he laughs, then shakes his head.]

Oh, no, nothing of the sort.

[He wasn't 100% certain he knew what a divining instrument was, but he could guess based on the name. Still, it wasn't a leap in logic to know that it was quite different from what he was looking for.]

I'm looking for fabric to sew new clothes out of. [Ion gives a polite, slight bow of his head.] I hope I'm not in your way.

da da da dorm floors 1 and... 1 i guess

[fonlines]

[ And somehow they've both chosen the same night to be out and about, though the fact that Ion doesn't lean so heavily on his staff tonight might be an indicator as to why. He looks briefly over the clothes his replica's wearing- there's a story there, he's sure, but quickly enough minds his manners and nods minutely in return to his replica's polite greeting. ]

... Good evening. It has been rather pleasant as of late, hasn't it?

[fragileprophet]

[Perhaps their health was in sync that particular night. Who could say? Ion's happy to see his Original out, truly, no matter what the reason or motivation behind it may have been. The other Ion was so much more frail even than himself--and didn't seem quite as inclined to be social.

So Ion's smile is genuine as it widens across his pleasant face, and stops to make conversation. A part of him wonders how strange it must look to others--seeing the two more-or-less completely identical individuals talking. But, then, they were others who seemed to have a similar problem where it came to other versions of themselves--even ones without known replicas. Perhaps it wasn't so strange, after all.]

Yes, it has. [On one hand, Ion was grateful. He doubted he could handle another August so smoothly, and shuddered to think of another July. But, on the other...his smile becomes smaller, worried.] I only hope this isn't just the calm before a storm.

Floor 15

[melodyoftheabyss]

Tear wandered on the floor on her usual rounds of the tower. She caught Ion on the 15th floor rummaging through fabrics and approached him because it was the easiest thing for her to do really. She hadn't seen the fon master since the events of the shadow children. After collecting herself and such, she was back on her feet, attempting to gather some insight on her current imprisonment while watching out for her friends.

"Good morning, Fon Master," she greeted him with a brief smile. Tear remembered that Ion was technically alive int he tower and that his memories were not as far as hers. In truth, she would rather leave him in the dark in the issues regarding him. She didn't want to tell him depressing things and certainly didn't want to mention anything regarding that to Ion. Ion was alive here, so that was what's important.

"May I inquire about what you're doing?"

[fragileprophet]

"Oh! Good morning, Tear." Ion looked up from where he had been contemplating different fabrics, and smiled at her. "I'm looking for materials to make new clothes out of," he confesses, albeit a tad bashfully.

He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something that Tear was hiding something from him (a feeling that he had already had with Anise, but that had increased exponentially with the new Luke in the Tower, as well), but didn't see a reason to pursue it. At least not at the moment. Ion just gave a small, tired laugh.

"As you can see, my robes have about had it."

And not only did Ion want to avoid making people uncomfortable but, well, he had to admit there was something a bit blasphemous about going around in robes that should have represented peace but now appeared to show evidence of a bloodbath.