PP-F4) The Frosted Mask of Personality[Morgen and Erin]

[Morgenstern 1]

3:32 P.M.

They were back in Snowfrost town, Kaya and Kimi were beginning to walk away and their day was rather successful. Erin still stood next to him, her mask throwing him off entirely. Who was she under the mask? He had kept his own personality secret, but he didn't know her motives. Throughout the trip, she had shown him little of her true nature, and he had desire to know what she was truly up to. She didn't attack, so that marked off her being an assassin herself, but maybe she was calling in other players. He would rather give the player the benefit of the doubt. He had a good 17 hours left of his potion, which would be plenty enough to find out some more about this masked woman. 

He turned, his elfish grin full blast to Erin. "So Erin, nice work today. I hope Kaya enjoys that Ferret of hers! Say, wanna go grab some food? I know a remarkable place by the name of Frosty's Cafe on this floor. They have the best Icecream in the entirety of Aincrad!" He laughed, his brightened green eyes studying her every move. "If not, I can walk you back to your house, inn or wherever you go!" 

@Telrenya

[Telrenya 0]

The masked woman pulled her hand through the air in a small wave as she saw the other girls off after the group had returned to Snowfrost. Telrenya was about to head in the direction of the teleport gate herself, but what she hadn't expected was for the blonde man from their party turning to her. What started out as a simple acknowledgement of their outing quickly turned into an invitation of sorts--first with the prospect of going for ice cream, and then a compromise of escorting her should she decline.

Her gloved hand found the back of her neck past her hood, fingers grazing over the skin as her mind worked to figure out an answer for his offer. She didn't recognize this person, that much was certain. She had used a vanity potion to dye her hair and tint her eyes a couple of days prior, so at least she didn't look exactly like her normal self. Even so, how likely was it that a person would be able to identify her as 'Telrenya' or 'Erin' based only on a few facial features? She continued to struggle for a few seconds longer, shifting her weight to one side before she pulled her hand back to her side. "I suppose that sounds nice..." She said, trying to keep her voice from sounding as small or as shy as it wanted to be in that moment. Instead, she shifted her immediate attention with a small chuckle, "Ice cream on the winter floor, though? I'm surprised a place like that would get a lot of business."

[Morgenstern 1]

His elfed features bore into the girl as she began to make her decision. He noticed from the woman's movements that she began to become more nervous as her body began to fidget. Her hand moved to the back of her neck before she answered. She supposed the idea of getting ice cream was nice. He smiled, and a cheery laugh, which sounded as faint bells were infused into, emitted from his lips. He raised his White and Green hood over his ears and was about to turn before she made a comment that everyone asked him. He laughed again, before turning to face her mask hidden face. "It gets plenty of business due to its Irony. It gives a good laugh to players like me! You can also get Hot Cocoa and sandwiches if you wish" He turned toward the rest of town, and began to slowly turn towards the rest of the town. He moved at a slow stroll, giving more time for conversation before they got their. 

He slipped his hands into his pockets, keeping them out of the brisk cool that was of the fourth floor. "So, Erin... What do you normally do when you are not assisting players on their quests? A slight chuckle escaped his lips. They had approximately two to three hours before it became dark on this floor. 'Valarie is going to chastise me again!' He came upon the startled realization. 'Well.... Maybe she won't be at the cafe today.... Stupid NPC's' 

@Telrenya

[Telrenya 0]

She could only hope that taking on a mask wasn't leaving her too spoiled. The thin barrier allowed her to hide not only her features, but also facial expressions. She was able to watch the players around her carefully without her prying eyes getting caught. It wasn't the first time Telrenya had cast the blonde man an inquisitive look, though her glances were not brought about by his choice of words or friendly demeanor. She thought, for a moment now and again since Morgen had first introduced himself, that he seemed almost...too 'perfect'. There was an air about the player that seemed radiant--regal, even. His voice was more cheerful and melodic than most could manage, and his textbook-definition of graceful seemed to come so naturally.

Still, whether Morgen was just an incredibly talented actor or simply visually blessed, it was not her place to draw attention. She walked alongside the man, keeping her hands at her sides while he led the way to the place that supposedly housed the best ice cream in all of Aincrad. He presented her with a question, this time edging on the subject of her personal life, though innocent enough not to be taken as prying. "What do I do?" She echoed, frowning in thought behind the thin metal. There were various tasks that she would say she was off doing when she wanted to disappear for a couple of days, usually revolving around her Artisan shop. She couldn't keep overlapping the separate lives she was making for herself, however, and so she answered in the best way she could manage that didn't involve 'Telrenya'. "Lately, just questing." Her answer was simple and could have ended at that, but in favor of politeness she continued on. "I've been trying to balance between not wasting time on the ones that are too easy, and not getting in over my head with ones that are too hard. If I've got nothing else to do I might check the bulletins in town, which is how I stumbled on Kaya's request."

[Morgenstern 1]

Morgenstern with Alfa Potion (I don't have those clothes or bow, I have a white and green jacket with leaf patterns and a curved sword at my hip)
 

Spoiler

---

On the way through their conversations, he began to try and figure out what she was thinking and feeling, trying to get a better understanding of who she was exactly. He couldn't read her facial expressions, as Itzal showed him to do. She also, rarely spoke, giving little about her voice which wa the only thing, unless she was under potions as he was, that she couldn't really hide. She was confusing him in the very least. She had made no hostile moves, so what was her point in being out here? What was her true motives? Most didn't hide their faces, unless they had to hide themselves away as they had done something wrong and shameful. Had she murdered someone? 

As he spoke his question, she answered faintly, before silence ensued leaving the only sound the wind of the floor around them. She finally spoke, telling him that she mostly did questing, but found quests were either too easy or too hard for her, nothing challenging but manageable. She helped others to gain some experience, and gather some things to do. 

He made an abrubt left, reaching his right arm around her to briskly steer her in the right direction before moving his arm back to his side. "Welcome to Frosty's! Let's move in, I am getting a little cold here!" He held the door open for her, as a gentlemen would and turned, looking at the room. The place was mixed between a diner, and fast food, the system working like a diner, but the place had many booths for players or NPC's to sit. The room was rather bright, and painted with cool blue colors. A few NPC's were eating some icecream, but no player at the time. A young woman about the age of twenty four walked up to him. Her eyes were a lovely shade of blue, and she adorned a dark waitress's skit that went down to her knees. She smiled to Erin, but glared at him fiercely. "Jonathan Morgen..." He interrupted immediately. "Hey!" "YOU, what did I tell you about bringing every girl you meet in here? Pick one and STICK!" She slaped him in the face, before turning bringing them to their table. "Nice to see you again too, Valarie...." 

Well, Ladies first" he gestured her to follow Valarie to the booth. 

@Telrenya

[Telrenya 0]

The bright, fun atmosphere of the shop brought a small smile to Telrenya's face. A fond memory returned to her of the cozy restaurant she had visited with Jomei some time ago, on what could have been considered their first date. Before a pink hue could overtake her cheeks, the players were greeted by a beautiful brunette that smile warmly towards her before turning to the blonde standing beside her. In stark contrast from her own greeting, Valarie lashed out at Morgen, causing Telrenya to freeze up while the meaning of her words clicked into place. "W-wait--" She stammered in a tiny voice of protest, but the exchange was finished quickly and the two players were led to a booth.

If nothing else, she had extracted a couple pieces of information from the outburst. First, that the man also went by 'Jonathan'. Second, that he had brought a variety of girls to this very diner in the past. It was the second thought that caused Telrenya to shift uncomfortably after her had taken a seat. At this point, Telrenya realized how silly she must look with her expressionless mask in such a place. Though she couldn't make out any players among the NPCs that populated the diner's interior, she gave a tiny, inward sigh of defeat.

Once again left hoping that nothing bad would come of the exchange, she raised a hand and placed her gloved fingers upon the surface of the thin metal, pressing lightly to take hold of it and pull the accessory away. She brought the item to a loose strap on her left thigh, hooking it into place to hang from the piece of leather. Behind the mask, midnight-black bangs sat across her brow and long locks framed her face. The rest of her hair had already been largely visible if it weren't for blending well with the dark color palette of her armor, spilling from the edges of her hood and falling just past her shoulders. Eyes were tinted a dull jade color and avoided looking directly at the blonde across from her, largely out of embarrassment or shyness. Though whether that was brought about solely from the removal of her mask, or from Valarie's earlier accusations was unclear.

[Morgenstern 1]

He followed Erin to the booth, his index and middle finger rubbing the stinging feeling on his face. The blood rushing to his face caused both cheeks to become pink, the one cheek more red than the other. They sat down, Valarie swishing away, brown hair swaying as she walked away. He sat down opposite from Erin, muttering something in the Latin language so Erin wouldn't understand. "Always the best of times Valarie and I!" He said, a chuckle ensuing afterward. He watched as Erin reached back to take off the mask, placing it under the table. A bluish pair of eyes were seen, looking away from him. Her hair was now for sure seen, spilling out more than just edges of her mask and hood. His mouth made an 'o'. The woman was stunning, although she wasn't exactly his "type".

"Glad you could join the party!" He chuckled and watched as Valarie came over to their table. She looked sweetly too Erin, asking her, "What could I get you miss? We have a fine assortment of Icecream and Sandwiches! We have just about any kind that you could wish! We also have Hot Cocoa if that is all you desire!" After receiving an answer from Erin, she would turn to look at Jonathan, her face becoming sour. "There has only been four!" He immediately protested. She held up a hand and replied, "What do you want? Your normal?" He looked to her and began to protest again. "I've only actually brought one that I was in a rel-" She slapped her notepad on the table, leaning over to look him more fiercely in the eyes. "THE USUAL?!" He flinched and nodded, she wrote it down, standing back up and walking a few feet away before pausing. "What happened to your look by the way? Im not sure how I feel about it" Jonathan paled a bit and became quiet. 

@Telrenya

[Telrenya 0]

She felt the tiniest bit more at ease when Valarie returned to address her, asking the noirette what she'd like to order. Not having given it much thought, Telrenya worked to make a decision, quickly requesting a bowl of mint-flavored ice cream with a polite nod of her head. Then the waitress turned back to Morgen, and the atmosphere immediately shifted again. The whole exchange made her uncomfortable yet again, and she sat awkwardly while the two bickered for a few moments. She practically let out a sigh of relief when the brunette turned to take her leave, but before she had dismissed herself completely she made comment on Morgen's appearance. For the first time since their arrival, Telrenya's eyes shifted and fixed to the blonde's face, noticing how he no longer offered any protest, as if he preferred to avoid her question.

Without her instruction, her head tilted a few centimeters to one side. She was confused, and for a number of reasons. Did Morgen recently change up his gear? Did he change his hair color or something similar like she was doing? It was a bit rare to see another player with naturally blonde hair, as so many seemed to originate from Japan. Even though Telrenya considered herself Japanese since the move, her foreign hair color was easily used as something that marked her as different from other kids. More than that, however, she wondered just how much Valarie was assuming about the situation. Telrenya's eyes widened slightly as she came to the realization that she might be the one who misunderstood Morgen's intent behind the invitation. Her hands instinctively pulled up in front of her chest, and she gave them a small wave with her palms facing outward towards the other player. "O-oh, I, uhh--I'm sorry, if you meant for this to be like a...date or something," Her speech was flustered as she tried to find the right words. "I'm, err... I'm sorry." She said in a slightly defeated tone, averting her gaze again and only hoping to get her point across despite her lack of directness.

[Morgenstern 1]

He watched as Valarie passed and he breathed out, returning his gaze to Erin who was studying him most closely. He found himself gulping, and fidgeting from nervousness. 'Valarie is making things seem bad...' She looked at his features with most inquisitive eyes. The elfish features like his ears were perhaps a dead giveaway, but he still had his white and green hood up to hide such feature. The ears gave away that he was potion induced. He hadn't brewed a potion that managed to keep those out of the effects. His fingers tapped and strummed the table with nervousness.

Silence was all that was between him and Erin. He watched her face pale, her green eyes widening. She began to stutter, spattering out words like she had just add a dictionary. Once she had gotten the message out, he flustered, his eyes widening. "You misunderstand me!" He waved his hands in the air, pushing himself back in his booth. "My intentions have nothing to do with... going on a date. Trust me, I am not that bold!" He gulped. He would find it hard telling her his intentions without giving away his secrets or sounding like a crazy stalker. "Trust me, I have had enough of women! I loved once, and she completely vanished one day without a word. So yeah, I am cool without love" He sighed. "I brought her here, the only actual date.... I brought Kasier here, and she completely changed her look which is why Val thinks there was two others. I brought one other girl here, just because I was hungry and we had partied!" He laughed, the ringing sound emitting from his vocal cords. 

"Val just thinks im hitting and quitting every girl out there.... She likes my friend though, and he has a girlfriend.... Never understood that... I am not sure I like how NPC's are actually like people in this game!" 

@Telrenya

[Telrenya 0]

It almost felt like a small weight was lifted from Telrenya's shoulders when he claimed he had no such intentions when inviting her out for dessert. The woman let out a small chuckle that helped to relieve some lingering nerves. "S-sorry, it's just with the way she was talking, I was afraid I was the one misunderstanding." She cast her glance aside, spotting the brunette waitress across the room and watching her a few moments as she busied herself with chatter and other work. "Mm, it's almost hard to believe that she's just an NPC with the way she was talking to you." She was intrigued when Morgen mentioned that Valarie had expressed an interest in a friend of his, almost wanting to inquire further.

She had decided against it, instead folding her gloved hands over in her lap. Her right trailed over to her left wrist where Erin's Favor lay strung around her wrist underneath the armor. She wished for a moment that she might be able to turn the charm over in her fingers as she had grown so used to doing when she felt the need to fidget with something. Having no such luck, she spoke up on the earlier conversation with a slight interest. "So... Is this a similar situation, then? Just coincidence? Or are there any specific intentions you wouldn't mind telling me about?" She prodded at the topic carefully, her voice expressing a more genuine curiosity than anything else.

[Morgenstern 1]

As he spoke, he slowly watched as the girl began to look more at his eyes, her embarrassment fading. She finally remet his eyes, making a ow sound that sounded like a laugh. "No, I don't hit on people anymore..." A faint chuckle emitted from his lips and he watched Valarie enter the back kitchen area upon a bell being dinged. "Yeah, Valarie.... has her own personality. Sword Art Online makes it almost impossible to be lonely as the NPC's, have their own feelings, ideas, and originality. They don't repeat the same thing... Except some quest ones, which are really annoying. 'The Bandits are Coming' is really annoying to keep hearing for an hour" He chuckled and watched with curious eyes as Valarie swooped in, setting each bowl of icecream in front of the two. She handed Erin a bowl of mint favored icecream. She smiled sweetly and said, ""Here you go dearest, enjoy!" She handed Jonathan his bowl and said, "Your Regular..." It wasn't the politest tone, but it wasn't exactly rude. He gave her a faint smile and she turned away immediately. She hastily left. 

Jonathan took hold of the spoon, dipping it into the icecream and then taking a bite. The chocolate icecream was then sloshed around before swallowing. As his eyes met Erin's again she asked him another question. "This situation is completely unique to what I have done before" She asked him then if he had specific intentions. "My intentions is to know your intentions really. That's all there is to it. I invited you here to learn more about you because you were the only of the three today that I couldn't sum up. I have a... curious personality. I like to know as much as I can" He took another bite of icecream. 

@Telrenya

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya stared down at the bowl that was placed in front of her. With the lively atmosphere, the waitress' hot-and-cold personality, and the sweet taste of the dessert as she brought a small spoonful past her lips, she had to remind herself that she was still very much in a video game. 'Is this...my first time having ice cream here?' She thought, the utensil's end lingering in her mouth for several seconds as the light mint flavor began to melt against her tongue.

Her attention turned back to Morgen as he answered her question. His response felt both straight-forward and roundabout, causing Telrenya to raise a brow a couple of centimeters. "Intentions to know my intentions..." She echoed in a mumble while her spoon lowered, musing to herself. "Well, it feels like we've already covered that much." The corner of her mouth pulled up into a half-smile. Truthfully, Telrenya had her own curiosity burning in the back of her mind when it came to the man sitting across from her. There was still something off about him, but his mannerisms and the way in which he spoke seemed earnest enough. She couldn't seem to put her finger on what it was that felt odd about him.

[Morgenstern 1]

He watched her bring her bring the spoonful of icecream to her mouth and then eat the contents. She stopped for a second, as if remembering what icecream tasted like He chuckled to himself. After he responded, she looked to him, her eyes pausing there for a few seconds before raising her eyebrows inquisitively. She echoed his meaning, lowering her spoon back to its bowl. Erin replied that they had covered that much already. She gave him a half smile, the smile seeming to brighten her face. The smile brought one of his own, playing on his face in an innocent fashion. He nodded as his reply and took another bite of the icecream, savoring the chocolatey taste  in his mouth. There had to be something more to this girl than he was knowing. Most people weren't going to reject a party offer, unless they had something to hide, like he did. He hadno fear of the woman, he could tell she was lower leveled. Unless she was wearing lower tier equipment on purpose as he was. 

He smiled and said, "Knowing all of one's secrets is impossible. For all you know, I am Kayaba Akihiko, your best friend, your worst enemy, or someone important like a frontline guild leader.... For all I know, you are these things too" He chuckled. Mind games were always the best. "My question is, why do you carry a mask, a mask that hides your face? Why did you hide yourself today?" His elfed almond eye boring into her's. 

@Telrenya

[Telrenya 0]

For once, Telrenya had tried to keep her expression impassive. Even still, she couldn't stop the corner of her mouth from twitching downward into the slightest of frowns. Suspicion, distrust, accusation. Despite her own secrecy, she found such things leaving a worse and worse taste in her mouth as life crawled along in this chaotic world. She brought her arm up, planting her left elbow against the table as she leaned forward to rest her cheek against curled fingers. Her chin sat against the heel of her palm, and she looked out over the diner and the NPCs that resided in it. "With that thinking, it's just as likely that Valarie is actually Kayaba, no?" She mumbled, her tone almost exasperated, as if she were tired of such kind of conversations.

"It's not like I'm the only one who wears a mask with their gear." Her bottom lip pursed a moment, recalling the cobalt player with the expressionless mask who had saved her on this very floor. "What if I told you I simply wore it because I like how it looks? Or because it makes me feel more confident? Would you believe me?" She hadn't looked back to him, and the tone she carried said that she already expected his answer to be 'no', even if he told her otherwise. Those were half-truths themselves, however. While her original intention was to hide her face away from her friends, and by extension hide the danger she was putting herself in as the days stretched on, she had grown somewhat attached to the silvered accessory resting against her thigh. It really had done well to instill her with a bit more courage on the battlefield.

Seemingly unprovoked, she was reminded of her encounter with a noirette at the edge of one of the forests on the third floor. She had met Neo without her mask as well, which ultimately led to a rather awkward afternoon. Their simple sparring match had managed to evoke emotions she hadn't been expecting to lash out with that day. It wasn't as if she was playing a different persona. She called herself Erin, but she was still Telrenya. She was still Estelle. Really, was there a point to it all? Her eyes closed, and she gave a mental shake of her head. For as long as she could manage it, she would spare her friends the stress of her well-being.

[Morgenstern 1]

His arms came together, his hands overlaying eachother, the fingers intertwining. He at up straighter to impersonate a business sort of look, except it looked rather awful with his leaf-patterned gold and green jacket and unflawed features given to him by the potion. Erin reacted to his earlier comment, her reply seeming sarcastic as she noted that with that thinking Valarie could be Kayaba. He let out a sarcastic gasp, putting a hand on his heart and scrunching his shoulders together exclaiming, "My god! It makes so much sense now!" He laughed again, the faint tone of bells and the more imminently laugh immersing them. "Sorry, but your intentions were clear. Kayaba probably wouldn't dare show his face in this game, at least without making himself an untouchable god. Anyway, why would a murderer like him want to join the death game?" He sighed, slouching a bit and resting his head on a propped up arm with the table. 

She asked him a question, a question that was very good and removed all of his suspicion from her. If she was a threat, that she was more than he could handle, and had a perfect display of deception. "That is a rather... fair point" He replied. "If I am going to question you, I better go question a good number of people I know. In fact, a really close friend of mine... or as close as he has friends... he likes keeping his name from peoples tongues and often hides himself with cloaks. His name is.... Doesn't matter" He had stopped himself. Saying his name might've given away unwanted information.

"I guess you win. It never crossed my mind that people just like to hide themselves" 

 

[Telrenya 0]

She almost felt a bit embarrassed with Morgen's dramatic response, but his graceful laughter and continued conversation helped to detract from the feeling. Telrenya brought another small spoonful of the mint-green dessert to her lips, curious eyes trained on him as he went on about the other players he knew who were protective of their own identities. He went so far as to mention a particular individual, but stopped his train of thought before giving away any specific information about that person. She cocked a brow, almost reactively at the sudden dismissal, but quickly decided it best not to press the topic. Then, he seemed to admit a defeat of some sort. She paused, but then let out a small chuckle. She was surprised to have met someone that seemed so genuinely curious, only to be more or less satisfied by such a simple form of reasoning.

Her chin tilted another centimeter or two to the side while her hand carried the now-empty spoon back to the dish in front of her. Now that the topic of her aesthetic choices seemed to have been well-covered, she wasn't sure what else to say. She thought for a moment before eventually giving Morgen as open-ended a question as she could manage. "What about you? Anything besides a liking of ironic ice cream that you'd like to share?" She chuckled softly as she poked a bit of fun. "Hobbies, or builds, or anything like that?" She continued a bit more seriously.

[Morgenstern 1]

The Alfed blond was becoming more unnerved by Erin without her mask then with... just in a different perspective. With her mask, he felt unnerved due to the fact he was certain she hid a great deal from him, making her a possible threat. Without her mask, he could see her curious green eyes trained on his, which gave him a feel of nervousness. He looked down, focusing on his icecream in a shy manner, spoon feeding himself the cold contents that were in his bowl. After a long silence went on, her voice rang again. She asked him practically what he did, for something more about him. 

He thought silently for a minute, mashing his icecream. "Hobbies.... I don't really have those.... As for builds, I have begun to strive towards the tank build I guess... I have found its pretty boring though!" He chuckled, his green eyes meeting her's again. "Though sometimes its nice to have a second them to block with, and sometimes it makes it easier to go on the offensive" He truly had no hobbies. He liked eating though! That just seemed something to keep more to himself though. 

@Telrenya

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya let out a small chuckle as her question seemed to unnerve her company a bit. For a moment, she thought to make a teasing comment about the discomfort that personal questions brought about, but she quickly thought better of it. He seemed to brush away the topic of hobbies--the subject that focused more on the person than the player. Whether he was honest in the answer that he didn't have anything to call a hobby or he simply didn't like that kind of question, she wouldn't fault his answer. Instead, she lightly scrunched her nose when Morgen made mention of taking on the role of a tank in combat. She picked her head up from her left hand, shaking it while her arm fell to the table and she brought a fresh spoonful to her mouth. She let the soft cream dissolve in her mouth before she spoke up and explained the reason behind her sour reaction. "You're much braver than I am, then. Even though it doesn't really hurt, I hate the feeling of getting hit, or taking damage." She considered his mention of the role being boring, and took on a small, sympathetic smile. "And yeah, I can imagine that being the party's punching bag isn't all that fun sometimes."

[Morgenstern 1]

He took another bite of his icecream, bringing his bowl to about a fourth remaining. He looked up, frowning as the girl in front of him was wearing a sour expression. "Whats with the look?" She quickly replied, explaining to him that she did not like the idea of herself becoming a tank and allowing things to just hit you over and over. He nodded, understanding her point. "I think you just get used to it after a while. Let me tell you though, being a tank makes you a man of... high endurance" He exploded with laughter, causing a glare from Valarie who was only a couple a rows away, tending to some of the NPC's that were in the room. "Its not really all that fun, but its needed in this game I guess.... Either way, I guess talks about builds are kinda boring.... Thought I really don't have any hobbies to talk about. I grind a lot a guess in the killing monsters sense. Anything... you like to do in general? Sorry, I have never been the best at conversations.... Especially with pretty girls.... I-uh, never really talked to people much until SAO" He didn't mention the fact that he had never seen any girl his age until SAO either. It was a weird feeling, but Rin had broken him of it and love forever. He was through. But yeah, stil not good at the convo's" He lightly chuckled, not sure of what else to say. 

[Telrenya 0]

Telrenya blinked when Morgen burst into a small fit of laughter that was quickly reprimanded with Valarie's stern gaze. Although she didn't quite catch the bit of humor he had slipped into the comment, the girl chuckled lightly at his own reaction and the hurriedness to get back on topic before the waitress might feel the need to come over and scold him. She simply nodded in understanding when he suggested the necessity of player builds to function as a martyr for others more focused on dealing damage.

He shifted the conversation back towards her original question, and after admitting again that he had little to contribute to the topic he turned it back to her. Telrenya didn't have to think for long before replying. "Art. And music." She nodded matter-of-factly while taking another small bite. "I don't think I can paint exactly how I used to, but I found a way to play the violin again." She took on a warm smile at the thought, reminiscing on the first time Jomei offered for her to play the instrument in his workshop.