Author's Note: Here ends my long writing hiatus. A little something I thought about while driving to archery practise about the difficulties of picking up another language.
--
Lockon walked through the safe house where the Meisters where staying while training and perfecting their piloting skills
Lockon walked through the safe house he and the other Meisters were staying while training and perfecting their piloting skills. While he was done his training for the next few days, he wasn't allowed to leave the safe house while the others finished their latest round of training.
Allelujah was still at the training facility, and Teiria… well he had no idea what the purple haired man was. He had a tendency to disappear and only appeared and socialized during any meals and briefings that required his presence. Much like Setsuna, who would just quietly sit, absorbing everything in if he was anywhere but his room. Any rash movements usually came from Allelujah. Which is why he didn't expect to have to avoid a pencil as he entered the kitchen.
He looked to the island seeing Setsuna sitting there with an expression that Lockon had never seen was spread across Setsuna's face, frustration.
"What's the matter?" He asked coming to stand next to the teen. When he didn't answer but continued to stare at the mostly blank piece of paper.
"You having trouble with that report for Tieria?" He asked. The boy nodded his head but said nothing more.
Lockon pulled out the chair next to Setsuna and sat down.
"Ever had to write one?" He asked, which there was a headshake and a muttering that, even at such a close distance, Lockon strained to hear.
"I don't know how to write in English."
Lockon knew English wasn't Setsuna's native language. He also knew that for whatever reason, the kid didn't have much schooling in his life either. Even without formal education Lockon would have figured that the other pilot would have picked up some written English.
Lockon reached over and took the pad of paper from in front of Setsuna and poised another pencil on the table at the ready to write. "Then I'll let tell me what you want to say, and I'll write it down for you."
He had to do a bit more talking Setsuna into the idea, yet within an hour it was done to the best of Setsuna's spoken English capabilities. Yet as soon as the sounds of both Allelujah and Teiria came into the house, Setsuna quickly left the room leaving Lockon with his report.
"This is for you," he said, handing the papers to Teria as he followed the boy out of the room.
--
"What is that?" Setsuna asked, as Lockon walked into his room carrying a book and several pieces of paper.
"So I don't have to write your report next time. Teiria already noticed it was my hand writing."
Setsuna's eyes narrowed, "You didn't have to write it."
"You wrote it, I just scribed it." Lockon stated as he sat next to Setsuna. "Now, come'on, we'll start with the alphabet."
--
Lockon found that Setsuna, once able to read in English, seemed to love the activity. Setsuna wasn't a fast reader by any means, but seemed to constantly asking for help with a word.
Usually there would be a strange glare of Teiria and Allelujah seemed amused by the act.
Lockon never exactly got a thank you form Setsuna, he somewhat didn't expect one. The only person beside him that ever seemed to say such words was Allelujah.
One night as he walked into his room to sleep for the night, he noticed the very messy handwriting of Setsuna on his bed. The latest report that everyone has been asked to submit. Spelling was poor, but anyone could tell that he had tried, and his grammar was helped greatly by the mass of reading the teen had been doing for months.
Lockon corrected the most obvious of mistakes, circled some bits that he couldn't make out what Setsuna was trying to say, before slipping it back under Setsuna's door.
Knowing that he had the kid's trust was for him thanks enough. They were all going to trust each other to some degree if they were going to do this.