[SP-F11] Home Alone

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya stood with her back pressed up against the sturdy wooden door that had led her into Jomei's home on the eleventh floor. It wasn't her first time in the Irishman's building, but she couldn't think of another time that she had been here without the ginger's presence. As she stared down the dim hallway, her eyes traveling up what was visible of the staircase opposite her that would lead to his bedroom, she couldn't help but feel how empty the house felt without him. Her heart sank an inch at the thought, the memory of what she prayed was only a temporary farewell as she wished her boyfriend luck on the frontlines during the boss fight that was to commence later that day. Her eyes flickered to the bottom-left of her vision. '1:47.'  She read off Aincrad's local time, wondering how much longer until the battle would begin--if it hadn't already.

[Telrenya 0]

She tried to push the thoughts from her mind. Dwelling on the subject would only serve to sour her mood even more than it already was, and she wouldn't be able to stop worrying for the rest of the day if she didn't do something to distract her from his absence. Telrenya finally pushed off of the door behind her, slipping the small iron key that she had been holding into a small pocket of her black skirt. Doing so, the woman looked down at her battle-ready outfit, giving herself a small frown as she did so. "Suppose I might as well change..." She gave a breathy mumble as she walked forward down the hallway towards the second-floor staircase. She didn't want to go outside today. She wasn't sure how long she planned to occupy Jomei's home, simply waiting for his return, but she might as well try to get comfortable before figuring out how she would spend her time until nightfall.

[Telrenya 0]

When she reached the top of the stairs that let out into the familiar bedroom, Telrenya felt a soft smile pull up at the corners of her mouth. It hadn't been long--maybe only a couple of days--since she last spent a night together with the man she loved, but the memories of those nights filled her consciousness and warmed her heart all the same. The smallest chuckle escaped through her lips, and Telrenya's head shook slowly, as if she thought herself silly for admiring such recent events like they were far-off recollections. The woman crossed the room, carefully pushing the door to the bathroom open and taking a few steps forward until she reached a tall mirror that she stood herself in front of. The woman scanned the reflection that stared back at her, her eyes travelling down until they reached the white-and-gold boots that reached up to her knees.

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya perked to attention, quickly opening her menus and unequipping the footwear, leaving her in the thin black stockings that reached up to her thighs. It was as if she'd realized how disrespectful she'd been, and the memories of her years living in Kyoto made her wonder how she could have possibly forgotten to remove her shoes at the entryway. She relaxed a bit after a moment, gliding her hand in the air to open up her inventory while she tried to pick something simple to change into--something she could lounge around in for the rest of the day. Her finger curled inward, hesitating to make a selection while her chocolate-brown eyes drifted back to the face that she saw over the semi-transparent window. Then something caught her eye. In the room behind her, a glimpse of the familiar shade of ginger hair--however slight--caused Telrenya to spin around, and her wide eyes searched the space behind her for a couple of seconds.

[Telrenya 0]

As the emptiness of the room past the doorway was all to greet her, she felt another tiny drop in her chest. Still, her curiosity lingered, and with the need to find out if her eyes had just been playing tricks on her, the woman took a few short steps back into the bedroom, resting her palm against the door's frame as her eyes slowly traveled. She soon found the familiar color, her eyes drawn to a frame that stood upon a tall wooden dresser. Curiouser still, she closed the distance between the furniture and herself, her head tilting slightly as she stared at the picture that rested level with her shoulders. Jomei's bright orange hair stood out in the picture, resting above a familiar smirk that brought a small smile to Telrenya's face. Beside him, a face she could only recently call familiar grinned back at her: the brunette woman with the same pair of glasses resting on the bridge of her nose, Piera.

[Telrenya 0]

As expected, the man beside her she could make out as the same Lee she had seen at the Halloween party, though he lacked the eyepatch that had obscured part of his face in their first meeting. But there was a fourth person, standing on the other side of Jomei with a face that Telrenya had never seen before. She studied the man with messy auburn hair and gold-hazel eyes, his cheerful expression nearly infecting the blonde just by looking at his image. Telrenya had never seen the face of the man staring back at her, but she knew it was Lowenthal. A melancholic smile rested on the woman's features as she admired the photo for a minute longer. She drew in a sharp breath, letting out the air in a small sigh as she took half a step back. Her gaze trailed down to the furniture piece that the picture frame rested on--a solid wooden dresser with several drawers adorned with bronze handles.

[Telrenya 0]

She blinked, suddenly filling to the brim with a compelling curiosity that caused the hand at her side to slowly raise. Her lips pursed, for a moment doubting her actions, but her hesitation didn't last long before she gingerly tapped against the wooden surface. Rather than pulling open any of the drawers, she took the approach that carried a bit less guilt from feeling like she was invading its owner's privacy. A menu displayed in front of the dresser, showing her a short list of icons that represented each item stored inside. As if she was surprised to find anything inside at all, Telrenya froze for a moment, considering her next actions carefully. It really wasn't right to look through his things, but... 'There's no real harm in it, right?' After giving herself a bit of mental reassurance, she continued with looking through the clothing and equipment that was stored away.

[Telrenya 0]

As her finger hovered over the icons to pull up a small preview of each item's name and any stats it possessed, she stopped over the one called 'Beginner's Gear'. She blinked. If this was, in fact, the equipment Jomei wore when he first started out in the game, she was surprised he had held onto it after all this time. At each new discovery, curiosity seemed to fill her anew, and after a couple moments of inspection she tapped her finger against the icon. A small frown appeared over her lips at a sudden realization. "I wish I could see what it looks like..." She mumbled with dissatisfaction. As one thought led to another, which led to another, her expression suddenly shifted to one of consideration. 'That wouldn't be weird...right?' She found herself mulling over an idea that had crawled into her mind while she stared at the item sitting in the menu in front of her finger.

[Telrenya 0]

'I just want to see it for a minute...' A few short seconds more filled with internal debate, and Telrenya's index finger poked into the icon to move the item into her own inventory. The display in front of the dresser vanished shortly after she hurried away, back to the bathroom and in front of the tall mirror standing up against the wall. After a few quick motions, her regular combat attire vanished in a brief, bright light, leaving the woman in nothing more than a set of simple white underwear. With an aura similar to that of a child who had reached their hand into a cookie jar, Telrenya pulled up her inventory and swiped through the interface until she reached her 'cookie'. She hesitated for a fraction of a second before urging herself to select the item, looking back to the mirror as the clothing materialized over her form.

[Telrenya 0]

Simple, but sturdy leather boots. Dark brown pants secured at the waist with a leather belt. A sleeveless yellow shirt underneath a tan leather chestguard with a single strap over her left shoulder. And a plain brown scarf adorning the base of her neck. As her eyes finished traveling upwards to meet her face, she realized the faint pink hue that displayed on her cheeks and let out a small chuckle in a nervous reaction. She took half a step back, as if to better examine the outfit, before the sound of her boot's heel against the floor reminded her of her bad manners. She quickly unequipped the boots with a flustered scowl, and then took in the sight of the basic armor on her frame again. She had a hard time imagining the taller ginger in the clothing, but she still felt a small smile on her lips as she tried.

[Telrenya 0]

Feeling satisfied after a few moments longer, the woman walked back to the dresser, pulling open the interface to return the equipment to its rightful place. Before she had done so, however, the cycle seemed to repeat itself and she found herself lingering over the icons of several other pieces, and the same curiosity infected her again. Telrenya wasn't sure how long she had spent trying on the various pieces living in the dresser. She had spotted the familiar ornate green coat of the pirate outfit she'd seen the man wear so well just a few days ago at the Halloween party, a black suit with wirey accents that made her suspect it to be another creepy costume, a green armored chestpiece, and a few other interesting pieces. Telrenya quickly fell into a cycle of trying on the Irishman's clothing, occasionally laughing to herself at how her smaller, feminine frame wore the garments contrasted with his taller, masculine one--especially with the pieces that she recognized as seeing him wear herself.

[Telrenya 0]

The last outfit she had procured was one she recognized immediately: a more casual outfit that she had seen Jomei display on several occasions. The collared turquoise tank top with a couple of straps and buckles hanging down on either side of her front. The plain, dark green pants. The fingerless gloves that ran up the length of her right arm all the way to her bicep, and on the opposite side the set of two white bandages wrapped around her skin. All that was missing was the signature forest-green hooded cloak that Jomei wore so well. Her cheeks burned a bit brighter seeing the more familiar outfit on her own body, and after taking in the sight for a few moments her embarrassment slowly began to morph into a bittersweet feeling. The smile faded from her lips and she slowly reached a hand up to graze her fingertips across the emerald-green strap that sat on her shoulder.

[Telrenya 0]

Realizing that the sadness in her heart was stemming from the unshakable worry she still held onto over the Irishman's safety, Telrenya gave a small shake of her head and quietly dismissed the outfit back to her inventory. She scrolled over the windows suspended in front of her, locating her own articles of clothing to equip as she had originally intended before she had dived into her childish shenanigans. And yet again, she found herself hesitating. Her eyes had fallen upon a set of light armor that she had yet to equip--one that she had recently purchased for a very specific purpose. She felt herself swallow, a small knot forming in her stomach as her gaze lingered on the equipment's icon. She wasn't sure what possessed her to select the equipment, but she did so all the same. As her finger retracted from the icon, her body once once again enveloped in a small flash of light.

[Telrenya 0]

Now, every inch of her was covered. From the tan leather boots that ran up to her thighs, to the straps an buckles that encircled her hips and waist. The cloth leggings and sleeves that hugged her skin underneath the various pieces of light armor. The thin metal that molded to her upper-chest, and the tawny hood that lay drawn-up over the crown of her blonde head. She stared at herself in disbelief for a few long moments, as if she wasn't able to recognize herself in the lightweight combat attire. Her bottom lip stiffened slightly, and she tore her gaze away from the reflection to look back to her menus. She brought up her hand, now covered by a charcoal glove and sifted through a few more items. Whether it was due to seeing the outfit on her, or simply the curiosity from having purchased the items earlier in the day, she selected an icon depicting a vial of black liquid.

[Telrenya 0]

In her free hand, a small glass bottle appeared, much like its icon counterpart. She read over the name that displayed in the air beside the item as she held and inspected it--"Midnight Black Hair Dye". Her other hand subconsciously reached to the ends of her golden locks as a small frown took over her. Was she really going to do this? Change her appearance, go out on adventures on her own, work as hard as she ever had in this game to increase her level, and keep everything hidden from the people closest to her? It sounded like too much to ask. Things that Estelle Cardona wasn't capable of. She took a few steps to stand in front of the sink, where another half-mirror greeted her somber expression. She placed the small glass vial on the porcelain countertop, bringing her hands up to her cheeks as she took her face in her hands.

[Telrenya 0]

With a deep breath in, she regained her composure, deciding that she should really put a stop to her dress-up party before the mix of emotions she'd begun to feel became too much for her. Once again, she dismissed the armor that had enveloped her form, instead selecting a pastel-blue off-the-shoulder sweater and a simple black skirt that reached down to the middle of her thighs. She pushed up the soft knit sleeves up to her elbows, using the sink to gently splash some water on her face in the hopes that the feeling would help clear her mind. Leaving herself in much more comfortable attire, Telrenya exited the bathroom, deposited the equipment she had 'borrowed' back to their proper places in Jomei's dresser, and after dismissing the menus she gave the picture sitting atop the wooden frame another small smile, staring at the image for a few long seconds before she moved on.

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya's feet carried her a short distance to the foot of the bed, where the large bookcase full of decorations and small treasures sat pressed neatly against the wall. She remembered exploring its contents for the first time, and her fingers found the small black recording crystal Jomei had placed in her hands. She carefully lifted the item from its place on the shelf, holding it in the palm of her hand before her finger hovered over the top of it. She tapped on the item, and it gave off a small glow as it came to life in her hands. It hovered in place and began to fill the room with the same calming melody that she recalled hearing the first time she had visited Jomei's home. The sweet sounds of the piano and violin playing in harmony warmed her heart all over again, and she once again found herself strangely nostalgic.

[Telrenya 0]

She let the melody play through, carefully carrying the item with her as she moved downstairs. The music continued to fill the otherwise empty air while she turned the corner at the base of the staircase and cross the hall to Jomei's workshop. She moved slowly so as not to drop the crystal that had suspended itself over her palm, gently pushing the door open and slipping inside. The large windows spanning the length of the room allowed the afternoon light to spill in, kissing her skin as she crossed the room and took a seat on the bench laid out in front of the baby grand piano. The soft and soothing melody faded away after a short while longer, and the recording crystal fell into her cupped hands. Its light faded away, and Telrenya placed the item carefully upon the dark, smooth wooden surface of the instrument's music stand.

[Telrenya 0]

Her fingers traveled down and slid over the polished surface of the piano keys. She dragged her fingertips gently over the uniform pieces, hesitating before carefully pressing down on a single key. The note that rang out was soft and smooth, translating her gentle touch perfectly and bringing a warm smile to her lips. She had never learned piano, despite her growing interest in violin over the years causing her ambition to wriggle against the confines of only knowing a single instrument. The notes spoke to her clearly, and the sheet music standing in front of her was like a second language, but her fingers simply didn't know their way around the keys. Perhaps it wouldn't be so hard to teach herself, but that was for another time. Or perhaps, she could ask the Irishman whose fingers always danced so gracefully over the keys. The thought caused a light pink hue to color her cheeks, and her eyes lifted in hopes of finding a distraction from her embarrassing thoughts. She found herself naturally drawn to the violin resting in a small stand against the wall beside her--right where she had left it.

[Telrenya 0]

Her smile grew a bit brighter at the sight of the familiar instrument. Telrenya stood from the piano's bench, taking a couple of short strides and retrieving the violin and its bow from their stand. Before Jomei had invited her into his workshop, she had only dabbled with songwriting in the real world. She was always impressed with how naturally it seemed to come to the Irishman, a touch envious of his musical prowess. Still, his skill only served to inspire her. Making her realize how much she missed the feeling of the wooden neck resting in her hand, the tension of the bow as it glided across the strings, and the undeniable satisfaction when the violin would sing in just the same pitch and speed that she felt in her heart. With a soft smile resting on her lips, Telrenya pulled the base of the instrument to her collarbone.