Aiden flipped open his phone. Yume hadn't replied to his text, and she wasn't at school that day either. It was only one day, though. She'd surely have told him if something huge was wrong. He'd probably see her tonight when he went back to the apartments.

For the time being, though, Aiden decided to pass some time at Port Island Station. He sat down at one of the cafe's outdoor tables and ordered a drink an a small snack. Thinking about it now, he'd never really been here. There was a theater and a flower shop, as well as the cafe he was at. Maybe he could take Yume to see a movie sometime? He'd even be able to buy her flowers! Aiden sighed slightly and bopped himself on the head. 'I should try and not be as cliche... I can't help it though! It comes far too naturally to me...'

When his coffee arrived, he thanked and paid the waitress. Leaning back in his seat, he put his headphones over his ears and started spacing out to some music. Too many little things were floating around in his head, and the music helped him sort everything out.

The human world was far too boggling. Metis wasn't sure if it was really safe for her to be here, without a SEES member her side. But besides Fuuka and Aigis, she found none of them to be of any interest and didn't enjoy their company. She was being quite fickle but she didn't care. She had only one priority and they had little connection to her other than being teammates.

Still... it would be nice if they were around to explain a few terms and traditions. She didn't understand why humans would keep small, dead persona-like beings in small glass cases to be picked up by a metal ...spider...bird... thing and dropped into a hole. Children seemed to be mainly interested in it but it hadn't work for Metis... perhaps she was too old? Though she hadn't existed for too long...

She also did not understand when a group of men had whistled at her and made thrusting gestures with their hips. She had reasoned it was their own way of asking for a fight but they their bruised and bloodied lips screamed no after only a few punches...

The world was very weird.

And now, there was something even more shocking before her. Another android, just like she and Aigis was in her view. A male one... but she was sure the Kirijo group had only made female Anti-Shadow weapons! Was he a new model? He was amazingly more detailed than she had been and his movements looked more relaxed and less stiff. Yes... everything seemed perfect.

Aside from his ears. It was the only trait that told her that he was one of her... well, family. Should she approach him? Ask him for a mission brief? She knew she couldn't leave him alone...

She had to take a step. Quietly, Metis moved out from her hiding space and slowly walked towards his table, her steps becoming more slow and hesitant as she became closer and closer. When she near enough, she sat down at his table and stared him straight in the eyes.

"I'm M-Metis... are you... a friend? Your detail is amazing..."

Aiden stretched and finished off his cup of coffee. Stretching a bit, he set his cup back down on the table. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a black haired girl moving a bit oddly. Was she trying to sneak up on somone...? He decided not to pay her any mind, taking out his mp3 player, he chose another song to play and turned down the volume a tad. After the music player had returned to his pocket, he'd noticed the girl had sat down at the table and was looking him straight in the eyes.

"I'm M-Metis... are you... a friend? Your detail is amazing..."

Her voice was muffled because of his headphones and music, but Aiden still heard her. Detail...? What did she mean by that? Metis' piercing eyes made him blush a little- no one had ever looked at him so seriously. Did he know her from somewhere? Aiden shook his head a bit and slid his headphones down around his neck to be more polite. Giving her a smile, he replied to her. "H-Hey Metis, I'm Aiden. Can I... uh... help you with anything?" Surely she had a good reason for approaching a complete stranger and asking if they were a 'friend'.

!!!

They came off! The came right off! She watched him, in shock and awe.They designed them to be removable now? And under that were a pair of human ears...
Metis couldn't quite understand it. Why give him that when they had designed ears for him? Perhaps he couldn't hear with them very well? Or perhaps his true ears relayed information to him that his other ears couldn't? No, that didn't make any sense...

"H-Hey Metis, I'm Aiden. Can I... uh... help you with anything?"

She nodded, her eyes still wide and curious. How did he... or maybe... she was telling him something secretly? Perhaps it was a sign... that they were being watched? That she should be careful. Quietly, she scooted her seat closer until their chairs touched each other and she leaned in closely, careful not to leave too wide a gap between them. She didn't want their lips to be read...

"Tell me.. how did you do that? Are you a new model?" She reached out and ran her fingers against the outline of his ears, slowly moving her hands down to his neck, rubbing it small gentle circles. His skin.. it didn't feel synthetic. It felt warm and she could feel liquid running through them... an equivalent to blood? She moved her lower and grabbed his other ears, the ones more familiar to her.

"Is it painful? When you take them off?"

"Tell me.. how did you do that? Are you a new model?"

Aiden's face flushed a bit more as she scooted in closer to him. The touch of her fingers tracing circles around his ear made his heart race. What exactly did she want? And what the hell did she mean by 'new model'? Did she think he was some kind of robot or something? Still, she seemed harmless...

"Is it painful? When you take them off?"

He glanced down at her hand that held his headphones, and then looked up to her. "N-No... why would it be? They're only headphones..." Raising his hands, he removed his headphones from around his neck, and put one of the speakers up to Metis' ear. "They just play music, that's all." he explained with a friendly grin.

Returning the headphones to his neck, Aiden scooted away ever so slightly. As unlikely as it was, how would Yume react if she saw him sitting so close to another girl? He shook his head at the thought and looked back at Metis, tilting his head slightly. "Wh-what exactly did you mean by 'new model', if you don't mind me asking?"

"N-No... why would it be? They're only headphones..." Head... phones? Were they call headphones now? She didn't quite understand. Why--

"They just play music, that's all." Huh? She ddin't have much time to respond when it was held against her own ear. And what she heard... was confusing. Nice, but confusing. Why would information be relayed like this? In random, flowing words? It seemed pointless unless he was a way to hide information. But the user could always just turn it off no?

"What's moosic? Is it some kind of audio training? She looked down at the 'headphones' with a perplexed expression. She was human now... so it wasn't only audible to weapons. She supposed that made sense, after all Aigis worked closely with humans.

"Wh-what exactly did you mean by 'new model', if you don't mind me asking?" She looked up, biting her lip, suddenly nervous. "W-Well... y-you know... a new model. Are you the latest by Kirijo group? What are your functions? I haven't.. been in commission for quite some time... all of this confuses me..."

"What's moosic? Is it some kind of audio training?"

Aiden leaned back, a bit in shock. He smiled and laughed. She had to be kidding... right? How could someone their age not know what music was at all? "A-Audio training...? You're telling me you seriously don't know what music is? That needs to be fixed." Now he had to introduce her to some. It should have been a crime to have never listened to music before... not to mention almost impossible.

"W-Well... y-you know... a new model. Are you the latest by Kirijo group? What are your functions? I haven't.. been in commission for quite some time... all of this confuses me..."

Aiden waved his hands in front of him. "Woah woah woah, slow down there, Metis." His hand reached behind him and rubbed the back of his neck.
Kirijo Group?
Functions?
"Wh-what do you think I am, a robot or something?"

"Woah woah woah, slow down there, Metis. Wh-what do you think I am, a robot or something?"

... huh?
Metis looked down.
And then she looked up.
And then she looked down again.

The robot just realized the grave mistake she had made. Aiden was not an anti-shadow weapon, his body was not mechanical and he had never heard of the Kirijo group. He was most likely not aware of shadows or the dark hour or Nyx or anything! SEvery single word she had just said, all the things she had just asked... they were just babbling talk from some strange, red eyed girl to him!

She quickly stood up, her eyes averted from him and her face full of pink embarrassment.

"I have to go! B-Because... I... you.... I--I HAVE TO GO. I'm really.... I'm sorry about this!" Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why did she jump to conclusions because of a stupid human contraption that played moosic? Damn you headphones! Why must you look so similar to robotic ears!?

"P-Please... forget that this ever happened..."

"I have to go! B-Because... I... you.... I--I HAVE TO GO. I'm really.... I'm sorry about this! P-Please... forget that this ever happened..."

Aiden almost fell back when she stood up so suddenly. Had he... said something wrong? Now she seemed incredibly embarrassed. Feeling a little bad, Aiden stood up next to her. He gave her a comforting smile and placed his hand on her shoulder lightly. "It's alright, don't worry about it." He wanted to do something to help calm her down a little, make her not feel like she did something horribly wrong. God knows he'd felt similarly in the past, and it wasn't the most pleasant feeling.

Aiden grinned when the thought hit him. "Hey... you don't know a lot about music, right?" He kicked the ground a little and scratched the back of his head. "Well... do you want to?" The brunette definitely knew a thing or two about music, and could introduce her to all different kinds simply with his mp3 player.

"It's alright, don't worry about it."

No, it was not alright. It was terribly embarrassing. He would understand if he had mistaken a robot for another human, only to have said robot shoot bullets at you. Well, Aiden hadn't shot any bullets at her. But metaphorically, he did... with his music. Whatever the case, Metis couldn't shake the heat off her cheeks.

"Hey... you don't know a lot about music, right?"

...?

"I-I know nothing about it..." Was he going to mke fun of her about it? Throw it in her face? Her hand balled into a tight fist. If there was any hint of an insult in his tone, she wouldn't hesitate to--

"Well... do you want to?" She blinked at the unexpected offer. He wanted... to show her... teach her what music was? That wasn't an insult... not at all. Was he trying to make her feel better or lighten the situation? She didn't know the point of staying any longer but...

"I... alright?"

"I... alright?"

Aiden breathed out and smiled warmly to Metis. He sat down, took his headphones off his neck, and set them down on the table. Where to begin... "Well, by definition, music is basically sounds put together to convey emotions and ideas. There's tons of different kinds of music; like rock, metal, pop, progressive, alternative... They all sound different and can be used to convey different feelings. Even songs in each genre can be completely different from one another."

He leaned back a little as he picked up his headphones and showed them to Metis. "These are called 'headphones'. They let you listen to music from something..." Reaching into his pocket, he produced his mp3 player. "... like this. This stores songs as files and lets you listen to them wherever you are." Aiden decided to pause there. If Metis hadn't even heard of music before, all of this must have been almost overload. He figured he'd let her process it all and ask any questions before having her actually listen to any.

"Well, by definition, music is basically sounds put together to convey emotions and ideas. There's tons of different kinds of music; like rock, metal, pop, progressive, alternative... They all sound different and can be used to convey different feelings. Even songs in each genre can be completely different from one another."

What?

Rock? Metal? Pop?

What did inanimate objects and a loud annoying sound have to do with with music? A combination of those three things did not sound pleasant to her. And she couldn't even begin to understand how the last two could possibly be related to the noises she head through his 'headphones.' Was this 'rock' a foundation for music? How would it be able to translate music? Metis imagined it would have to be very smooth...

She slowly slid down back into her seat, still embarrassed and her feet prepared to run at any moment if the situation got out of hand. Aiden seem relaxed and his expression was warm. It didn't exactly bring a fear to her heart.

Just a small fluttering that enjoyed just a bit.

"These are called 'headphones'. They let you listen to music from something... like this. This stores songs as files and lets you listen to them wherever you are."

She looked down at the small machine, reaching out and poking at it. It was so tiny... but Metis knew that size did not matter when it came to technology. Even the tiniest chip could hold the most powerful information. But still...

"I don't understand. Why use songs to convey emotions or feelings? Why not just use words?" For a moment she paused, recalling her earlier actions. "Or gestures?"

"I don't understand. Why use songs to convey emotions or feelings? Why not just use words? Or gestures?"

Aiden smiled softly a bit. How could someone be raised to be so... clueless? Thinking about it, though, Aiden leaned back and rested his head in his hands. It wasn't something that could so easily be put into words... He'd always had the concept of why people expressed themselves through music, but he'd never actually tried putting it into words. As he thought for a few moments, he stared blankly into the sky.

Once he thought he found the right words, Aiden breathed in. "Well... music can be a much more effective way of expression." He leaned forward and put his elbows on the table, turning his head to look over to Metis. "You could always just say something, but there can be a lot more... impact behind it when it's sung and coordinated with different instruments and such."

"For example..." Aiden raised a head and combed it back through his hair, letting it fall back so his bangs weren't in his eyes. "... for example, someone could always say 'I love you'..." He blushed a little and his voice faltered very slightly. It must have seemed like a pretty serious example, using a phrase that can have so much meaning... "But if someone took the time to flesh that out into lyrics, coordinate various instruments into a tune, and put it all together... Well, that would just make it all the more meaningful."

He laughed a little as he looked back to his headphones. "It's pretty difficult to describe... but even if there aren't any lyrics, just the melody can cause you to feel so many different emotions. I think it'll make more sense when you hear it for yourself."

"Well... music can be a much more effective way of expression... You could always just say something, but there can be a lot more... impact behind it when it's sung and coordinated with different instruments and such."

More.. impact? Instruments..." Metis didn't really quite understand it but she supposed it made some sense. Somehow. What little she had heard, did leave some impact on the red eyed girl no matter how jumbled and the confusing the words may have been to her. If she hadn't been busy trying to decode it, maybe she would have appreciated it more.

"For example... for example, someone could always say 'I love you'..." She couldn't help but blush when he said this... and noticed that his eyes were very pretty, especially when he pushed his hair out of the way. Nice and warm. Ah, her heart was fluttering again. She hoped nothing was wrong. She would have to ask Kirijo for a physical...
"But if someone took the time to flesh that out into lyrics, coordinate various instruments into a tune, and put it all together... Well, that would just make it all the more meaningful." It sounded too difficult. Was that why it was so precious? Going through all that trouble, it must be the reason...

"It's pretty difficult to describe... but even if there aren't any lyrics, just the melody can cause you to feel so many different emotions. I think it'll make more sense when you hear it for yourself." Was he offering to let her listen? She stared at the machine she had mistaken for ears. It was the thing that started all this trouble... she didn't quite want to touch it or even dare listen to. But...

"I guess so... i-is there anything special I have to do? I-I heard it before but I want to be prepareed... I-I don't want to... um..." She drew an invisible circle in the middle of the her hand, trying to avoid eye contact, "I don't want to screw up again...."

"I guess so... i-is there anything special I have to do? I-I heard it before but I want to be prepareed... I-I don't want to... um... I don't want to screw up again...."

Aiden sighed a little and gave her a warm, friendly smile. Shaking his head, he patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry so much. You didn't screw anything up before." He took out his mp3 player and set it on the table, lifting up his headphones after doing so. "And for this, there's nothing to it. You just take these, put 'em over your ears..." Grabbing either speaker of his headphones, he spread them out and put them on so they covered his ears. "... and enjoy the music."

Aiden smiled as he took his headphones off and held them in the air in front of him. What would be best to start her off with? Definitely didn't want to delve straight into heavy rock and metal, and rap definitely didn't seem like it'd suit her tastes much...
...
...
...
Aha! He had just the song! Aiden tossed his headphones slightly into the air, catching them so he held them backwards. Turning to Metis, he pulled the headphones apart again and put them on her head. He smiled warmly to her as he did so, only just noticing how cute she was, especially when she was a little flustered. That must be some of what Yume saw in him... Stopping the thoughts there with a slight bop on his temple, he picked up his mp3 player. "I have the perfect song for you to start with." Aiden woke up his mp3 player and searched through his library for a few moments before adjusting the volume to a comfortable level and pressing play.

((This is the song she's listening to~))

"Don't worry so much. You didn't screw anything up before." He was too kind. And his hand too warm. But it wasn't a bad thing... it was very comfortable.

Regardless.... I do have to try harder if I want to blend in. I'm doing a terrible job..." Rather ironic, since she WAS the manifestation of Aigis's neglected human side. Or, well, at least she once was... it was different now, perhaps.

Metis watched Aiden carefully as he went through the motions. It was interesting, to say at least. Human fingers were quite the nimble little things. Very smooth... She flinched the slightest bit when he placed the headphones over her head and ears, making her even more confused. He was sharing it with her?

"I have the perfect song for you to start with." Her hands were busy toying around with the devices in on head, twisting them in half circles as she listened to him. Her first song then.. what would it be? She scooted her chair closer, using the excuse that frequency may be a problem. She put her hands on her laps and pressed her lips into a thin line as she waited.

Her first song... her first song... her first-- ah.

It was pretty.

Her hands went up again, pressing the headphones closer against her ears. A small smile brushed against her lips as she tried her best to follow the lyrics and the melody. It was so sweet, it made her feel so calm... so this was what music was. This is why Aiden seemed to enjoy them so much. It all suddenly became so clear to her. Again, like every new experience beforehand, she felt foolish for thinking so little of it.

"This is... very beautiful!

After pressing play, Aiden leaned back, carefully observing Metis' features for a reaction to the song. A large grin crossed is lips as she smiled and pressed on the headphones. She was enjoying it. 'Well, of course she's enjoying it!' Aiden thought to himself, chuckling softly.

"This is... very beautiful!"

The brunette sat up a bit, smiling widely now. "Glad you liked it. That's one of my personal favorites." He picked his mp3 player back up and started scanning through for more songs. "Do you know what I mean now...? It's really difficult to explain it with words... one of those things you really need to experience to understand."

Aiden adjusted his position a little bit on the uncomfortable cafe seat. He ran his hand through his hair again before tapping his chin a bit. "You know, I could make you a CD of music like that, if you wanted." The brunette rubbed the back of his neck slightly. "I've also got a CD player and a spare set of headphones I could lend you... i-if you wanted, of course."

"Do you know what I mean now...? It's really difficult to explain it with words... one of those things you really need to experience to understand." She nodded quickly, now in perfect understanding with Aiden."Y-Yes I do... music is... it feels like a language all on it's own..." Did that sound right? Or maybe language wasn't the right word. It was complicated finding just the right words to define it.

Was the song ending? It sounded as such. But she didn't want it to. Was there a way to replay it or have a continuous play?

"You know, I could make you a CD of music like that, if you wanted." CD? What was that um... a compact disc? Usually holding vast amounts of personal information of any kind. It didn't cross her mind that it could be use for music however. But how would she play it? Maybe she could use a computer in the dorms. The red head may be able to supply her with one.

"I've also got a CD player and a spare set of headphones I could lend you... i-if you wanted, of course."

!!!

She nodded enthusiastically at him and gave him a glowing smile, "Y-Yes! Yes, I would absolutely love that!"

"Y-Yes I do... music is... it feels like a language all on it's own..."

Aiden gave her a small smile and nodded. "It definitely is... I couldn't have said it better myself." That was definitely a much simpler- albeit a tad more cheesy- way to explain it... Though 'cheesy' seemed to practically be Aiden's middle name at times.

"Y-Yes! Yes, I would absolutely love that!"

Aiden began to beam as well and nodded to Metis once again. "Alright, I'll put the cd together tonight when I get home, and I'll make sure the player has fresh batteries and everything." Then it dawned on him. After they went home, how would they contact each other? How could he give her the CD player and music like he promised if they couldn't find each other?

He buried his hand in his pocked and pulled out his cellphone. "It just occurred to me that we don't really have a way to reach eachother. Do you have a cellphone or something like that?"

"Alright, I'll put the cd together tonight when I get home, and I'll make sure the player has fresh batteries and everything."

She again nodded happily to his words before realizing something important. This was called... a gift. At times the recipient would;d be expected present the gift giver with another gift. If she was correct in this way of thinking, once Aiden had given her something, she was indebted to him. But... she had nothing to give? This worried her...

"It just occurred to me that we don't really have a way to reach eachother. Do you have a cellphone or something like that?"

"Huh...?"

She blinked and looked down at the small device in his hands. It was... an object she, at times, observed the SEES members using. It was fairly simple but amazing technology: two people, from whatever sides of the globe, could speak at once to each other. Without the use of telepathic abilities or any sort of persona! Extraordinary.

But she was still the odd duck in the trend of cellphone technology.

"No. SEES didn't give me one. I.. guess they assumed I wouldn't need one. I was planning on staying in the dorms, until everything was resolved, so it didn't seem necessary..." She picked up his cellphone and flipped it open curiously and slowly. "But.. it was a bore.. so now I'm here... where can I get one of these?"

"No. SEES didn't give me one. I.. guess they assumed I wouldn't need one. I was planning on staying in the dorms, until everything was resolved, so it didn't seem necessary... But.. it was a bore.. so now I'm here... where can I get one of these?"

... SEES? What was SEES? And she made it sound like she lived in the dorms and had almost never been outside. Then again, the way she hadn't heard music or anything, that was surprisingly believable. Also, what exactly needed to be 'resolved'...? Eh, if it was really important, Aiden figured she'd explain it to him eventually.

Aiden shook the thought off and looked at his phone and then at Metis. "You don't have one of these either, huh? I guess I should have figured that much." Smiling, he sighed slightly as he stood up. He looked around the station at the various shops. "I'm sure there's an electronics store somewhere around here where we can get you one... if not, I'm sure Paulownia mall sells some. Prepaid phones are pretty cheap, scraping some money together for one shouldn't be too difficult."

He stretched a bit and smiled at Metis. It was still almost unbelievable that someone could be as sheltered as she seemed to be. She'd have to get acclimated to it all eventually, so why not now? Besides, making friends never hurt anybody.

"I'm sure there's an electronics store somewhere around here where we can get you one... if not, I'm sure Paulownia mall sells some. Prepaid phones are pretty cheap, scraping some money together for one shouldn't be too difficult."

Prepaid? So she could just take it since some charitable soul decided to pay for it beforehand? But he said he needed money to buy it... then what did the prepaid aspect of it mean?? It made no sense at all and Metis doubt she could wrap her head around it. Screw it. She would just follow along. If she tried to understand every single bit of the human world her head was sure to explode.

Noticing he was getting, she followed suit and stood, her hands fiddling in front of her nervously. "I... you don't have to buy me this. I don't want to impose on you... Aiden..."

"I... you don't have to buy me this. I don't want to impose on you... Aiden..."

Aiden tilted his head and looked at her before smiling slyly a little. "Hmm, if you're so opposed to it..." He tapped his chin and thought for a few moments. He hadn't been thinking of fully buying the phone for her, though that must be what it seemed like. "Well, I'll help you pick out a nice phone today, we don't have to buy it right now. I can make sure you find a phone you like that isn't too expensive, and then we can come back another day when you have money to buy it."

"But... how do I make money in this wo-- I mean, city?" No need to let something like that slip. But how would she make money? Or maybe she could borrow some... but there wasn't any person she trusted enough for that. Besides Aigis. But she doubted that Aigis had much need for it... but maybe? She had been living here much much MUCH longer than she had.

"Maybe this is a bad idea.. I should probably just go back..." She couldn't call it home yet but she had to go back soon. They might have been angry that she disappeared for so long. She didn't want to get picked on mercilessly. She pouted, looking down at the folded hands on her lap. "No... I want to check it out.. how long would this take?"

"Making money isn't too complicated. You can just apply for a part time job somewhere, and they'll pay you for working. Though that can get difficult at times to balance out with school." Aiden rubbed his chin a bit. She didn't know how to make money either? If she didn't know even that, maybe her getting a job wasn't the best idea. He ran his hand back through his hair and sighed. "Don't worry about that for right now, though. I guess it's not too pressing that you get a phone."

...? Bad idea? Go back? "Have you never been outside the dorms or something? You're making it sound like you're being forced to stay there..." Aiden scratched his hair a bit. This was a really peculiar situation... First he was mistaken for a robot, and now the girl seemed to have barely been outside in her entire life.

The brunette sighed again. "I could walk you home, if you don't think you have time. We can always go check them out some other time." This seemed like a good plan, because then he would know where she lived- making hanging out in the future simpler- and he could see if she was being abused. With her lack of knowledge about... well, most everything, not being allowed to live seemed all too likely.

"Making money isn't too complicated. You can just apply for a part time job somewhere, and they'll pay you for working. Though that can get difficult at times to balance out with school."
She recalled the term school. It was where Aigis, Fuuka and everyone else who didn't matter go to almost everyday, leaving her mostly alone. She didn't quite understand the whole concept, as the explanations ranged from person to person but she was told she would go soon... next month. To help her, 'better understand the world.'.

"I'll be attending school someday.. is it really that difficult? I want to earn money... I want to hear more music..."

"Have you never been outside the dorms or something? You're making it sound like you're being forced to stay there..." Her head moved up and she blinked for moment, considering what he said. "I... I don't think I have. I mean, I haven't until just recently... but they're not forcing me, really. I'm.. just.... scared.." She didn't want to sound like a coward... but she didn't want to lie to Aiden either. She became crestfallen and nodded at his next words.

"I-I think that's for the best..."

"I'll be attending school someday.. is it really that difficult? I want to earn money... I want to hear more music..."

Aiden smiled at her a little. "It's not too bad, it just takes up a lot of time. The difficult part of balancing a job is finding a job with hours that don't interfere with school and still give you enough time to finish any homework you get assigned."

"I... I don't think I have. I mean, I haven't until just recently... but they're not forcing me, really. I'm.. just.... scared.."

... What?! How can someone stay in a dorm for so long? Metis looked to be about Aiden's age, meaning she wouldn't have left the building at all in around sixteen years. That was hard to believe, but considering how little knowledge she had of just about everything, it was plausible to say the least. At least she wasn't forced to stay there, she was just afraid of the world outside... Which just added to confusion. The world could be a horrible place, sure, but Port Island was far from anywhere truly bad.

"I-I think that's for the best..."

Aiden snapped back and noticed Metis' sad expression. The brunette sighed slightly before placing his hand on her shoulder and giving her a reassuring smile. "Alright. But first..." His brown eyes scanned the station around them. "How does some ice cream sound?" She definitely needed some kind of pick-me-up, and ice cream usually did the trick for just about anyone.