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What?!

[He's not really aware that he was being recorded - sure, he'd been messing with the journal, which is probably why it's recording right now. But he's more shocked about the fact that he's alive again.]

But why? [Silence again, for a few minutes as footsteps get farther and then nearer to the journal again.] I was supposed to be--

[Dead.]

This is so pointless!

[He pauses one last time, and then decides that kicking his book would do him good. There's the sound of his foot making contact with it, and then the sound cuts.]

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I mean that there's no Score in this world. Or any of the other worlds I've heard about from the people who've been brought here. Even Fonons seem to be limited just to Auldrant, even though Fonic Artes still work here.

[Hold up, Ion. He's all sorts of confused now...]

We're...the only world with the Score?

[One track mind, this one.

He's stuck between being extremely pissed and being really confused right now.]

Of the worlds I've heard about from the people here, that's how it seems. There's always the possibility other worlds may have something similar, but...

[Other worlds like those strange alternate-universe experiments... though whether those were the result of actual worlds crossing into Luceti or the Malnosso simply implanting fake memories is anyone's guess.]

...if there is, they're not in Luceti.

Edited 2012-01-23 23:55 (UTC)

[There's a moment of silence on Sync's end. Really? really?

You may think that the replica has lost his marbles, Ion, because Sync's laughing now. What does he find so funny, you may ask? Well:]

So we're the only world cursed with the Score! [Yeah, he might've snapped just a little. It wasn't exactly his way to go out, you see - to just be revived again and then told that their world was a special snowflake. It was all just too much.

It was either laugh or destroy the journal.] Isn't that just great? That means if we were somewhere else, I wouldn't have even existed!

[The laughter is... unsettling. Though Ion never saw the Score as something that tied people down to an absolute single path, he understands the viewpoint of those who do. Perhaps better now than he ever had back on Auldrant.]

You shouldn't say things like that. There's no point in thinking about what might have happened had things been different. You're here now. And you can live your life however you want!

[Ahhh Ion, you and your little friends always had that same kind of viewpoint, didn't they? He didn't understand why, really.]

Easy for you to say. I guess you can just pick up and move on that easily, can't you? You have all your little friends here supporting you, don't you?

[A pause.]

...you're right. I have had it easier than you. I have friends here who care about me and support me.

But there's nothing stopping you from making friends here, too. I want to help you, Sync. [I want to be your friend...!]

[But Ion knows well enough actually saying that right now might get the journal slammed shut in his face. Baby steps, baby steps...]

[Well at least he admits it.]

I've told you before, and I'll tell you again. I don't need your help. I don't need need anyone's help!

[Smaller than baby steps...]

Just because you don't need help doesn't mean I don't want to offer it.

[Smaller than baby steps... well, hey, the fact that they're even having a conversation at all that doesn't end with Sync throwing himself to his doom-- that sounds terrible is a step in the right direction!]

Things don't have to be like they were on Auldrant. We aren't enemies here, and there's no reason we can't at least try get along... right?

[...too optimistic?]

And that doesn't mean I have to take it.

[This is very true ~~is there anything he can jump off of around here--i mean~~. Maybe it is, but Ion probably shouldn't get too hopeful.]

You never get it, do you? Hasn't it ever crossed your mind that I couldn't get along with you?

[...Just a little.]

[Softly:] ...it has.

But we're both here, aren't we? People come and go from Luceti all the time, always without warning. Wouldn't it be best to try and make the most of our time here?

[Neither of them can ever go back home, after all.]

[So he's not quite as naive as he has given him credit for.

Good. In a way.]

'Make the best of it'? Don't make me laugh. You expect me to just get over everything?

I'm not like you.

[Flashback to that time in the Core, and Ion would have disagreed with him. We're the same... but was that really true? They're both replicas of the original Ion, but they're also different people. Sync is just Sync. It's only thanks to his time in Luceti that he's really begun to understand what that means. It may not be exactly what Sync is saying here now, but...]

[There's a weighty pause before he replies.]

You don't know how long you're going to be here. Things can change. This will change.

[That was the nature of Luceti, after all.]

I know you don't want to accept my help. But if you ever change your mind, my offer still stands.

[I do what I want, Ion!]

If you say things will change, you're no better than the Score.

[He didn't want to be commanded to do anything. In his way, Ion trying to predict him changing didn't help matters at all.]

I wouldn't hold your breath on that.

I wasn't talking about you, Sync. [Well, you know, not entirely.] People can change here. But the only thing that will change is Luceti itself. You don't need the Score to predict that.

[...]

Has anyone mentioned the experiments to you, yet?

[Hmph. He's going to choose to let that one go.]

No, they haven't. Everybody's been dwelling on Auldrant.

[But he's got this. Really.]

But I can figure it out.

[A nod.] The guide does a good job of explaining them, after all. Hopefully the next one won't be too bad.

[...is what he says, but he knows next month is February, and he remembers what happened last year. And as much as he'd love to warn Sync, it was awkward enough having to explain it to Anise... m-maybe it's mentioned in the guide too...]

The guide, the guide, the guide. That's all I keep hearing about.

[It must be something, huh? And that's a lot of reading...oh well. He probably won't have anything better to do.

...Poor Ion.]

If you guys are just going to tell me to read it over and over again, why bother talking to me?

[Just leave him be.]

I guess... it's because I want to talk to you, Sync.

[...]

[This is one of those answers that could potentially get the journal shut in his face. But. Hey, it's the truth.]

[...]

Then it's pointless.

[Yeah, he's done with this conversation now. He doesn't want to give Ion any satisfaction of being able to talk to him more.

So. It's just as Ion thought - the journal is going to get shut in his face.]

Sync, wai--!

[Oh. He closed his journal. Ion probably should have seen that coming, but... well. Sync was here now. And they were able to talk, even if only for a little while. Maybe for now... this would be okay.]

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[Voice] Okay this is the real one.