Chapter Text
There was something about the pang of a piano key that always carried that wisp of memory for J.
Along with the tone of old dust that seemed to resonate in the air, and the gentle warmth of the ambient wall lights. It was something along those lines that reminded J that the lofty, fuzzy feeling that seemed to shroud her mind wasn't just her. It was clearly a memory folded into her dream, left for her to find when she fell asleep that night. J didn't let that bother her, however. She carried herself with the same grace and respect that she would've had if these hallways were real, hands behind her back and head held high. As she pushed open the heavy mahogany door, it eased open with a creak. J winced at the noise, worried it may have distracted the pianist she was hoping to listen to more clearly, only to see three figures against the piano. J stood for a moment, gazing with an analytical eye as she made out the figures:
N, on the left, sat on the single step that led to the slightly elevated stage where the grand piano rested anciently.
V, next to N on the step, attempting to look anywhere but at the drone beside her with a timid gaze.
And lastly, Tessa, at the piano's chair, holding herself respectfully and attentively as she played the careful keys to a classic tune that J needed only a few moments to recognize.
All of them seemed like pieces of a puzzle, laid in wait for their final corner piece—J herself—to join them.
In fact, N glanced up to meet her perceptive screen with a smile, waving and offering her a seat next to them both. A thundering boom echoed outside, rain continuing to tap the tall, hollowing windows that stood against the manor's walls. The sight was only illuminated by the bolt of lightning, leading J to move her eyes away from the black window as she approached. J sat down near the other two drones, her pigtails falling over her shoulders as she opened her mouth to speak. She wasn't sure what to ask first, almost stuttering out a nonsensical question about her currently dreaming, until N held his finger to her, his screen flashing out a statement of words in yellow text.
<Let her finish practicing.>
Embarrassing. How could she interrupt her own boss without a second thought? Enough to be corrected by N of all people. Annoying.
She frowned, parting her gaze to instead reflect on her surroundings.
Was it possible to have a memory in a dream? It had to be. As soon as J noticed a certain corner of the piano room, she remembered Tessa attempting to teach her how to play the violin. J never took to it all to well, (she much preferred the piano, as did Tessa) however Tessa insisted she give it a chance.
"After all, ya might like it," she remembered Tessa saying, "How will ya know you don't like it if you don't give it a go? Now go'on, you'll be right."
"It screams when I play it," J simply responded with an eye roll, striking the strings with the bow and unleashing a sickening screech. Tessa had cringed visibly, shifting herself to ponder how J could have possibly managed to play such a beautiful instrument so nauseatingly?
"..So it does. Right, hold the bow-" Tessa began to adjust J by herself, before J tried to strike another note, causing the violin to shriek again in such a violent way that Tessa stepped back. "..Mate," she held out her hands, offering to take the instrument. "Here, let me show you."
that, Tessa lifted the violin to her throat, bow at the ready as she laid it carefully on the strings. Her fingers lay in place against the violin's neck, pressing down strings with finesse like no other.
At first, J had only paid attention to the position her hands were in. Firm yet graceful as she began to play, sawing a tune from the old instrument. J couldn't remember which song it may have been. She could hear it in her mind, but once again she cared very little for the instrument, thus any of it's famous appearances as well. Yet, the song lay in her hard drive along with the recording of the memory. Just unlabeled, Like most things.
Despite the song being beautiful upon performance, Tessa suddenly stopped playing as the bow snapped, falling limp against the instrument's neck.
While dread seemed to encase Tessa's expression, J couldn't help but crack a smile beneath the hand that immediately shot up to keep herself from laughi
"Oh HELL." Tessa had blurted under her breath, starting at the disgraced instrument's tool like she was praying for it to return to normal.
"..Lesson's over, master violinist?" J mused with a scoff.
Tessa glanced up at J, nudging her slightly.
"Don't laugh. I'm gonna get in a right amount of trouble." She had chuckled back.
J took a sharp inhale as N nudged her suddenly.
both of the other drones were praising Tessa for her practice run of her solo, who was bashfully accepting the praise with wafting hands.
"Oh- J! I didn't even see ya walk in, did ya like it?" Tessa grew a big smile at the sight of J. "I'm still working on it but—"
"No-no, it was good, boss." J complimented, dropping her gaze from her superior's eyes. "I was.. just spacey. Apologies."
"J, you're off the clock, ya don't have to call me Boss, mate."
"Um, right." J sputtered, clearing her throat. "Sorry Bos- Tessa-..I mean Tessa."
STOP STUTTERING
"Right, well I think it's time you lot head to bed, don't ya think? My parents will think you're distracting me from my lessons." She nudged them all up.
"Aw do we have to?" N frowned, before V spoke up, too. "We only got to listen to two songs."
"Mates, I'd love to play some more for ya, but ya know I can't.." she frowned as well, taking all three of their hands. "Tell ya what, i'll play again tomorrow. We'll have our own gala, just for us!" Tessa promised.
N and V glanced up at each other with bright smiles, before immediately realizing they were making eye contact and ducked their heads away again, both muttering excited, but flustered "yeah"s and "Cant wait"s while nervously brushing away loose bangs and suddenly interesting strands of hair.
J's eyes lay on their joined hands until Tessa slipped away, causing their connection to drift apart as the human nudged them off once more.
J stepped down the singular step incline, starting to trudge forward to follow. She lagged behind a bit, allowing herself the semi stomach churning sight of both of their hands intertwining in a slow, but hesitant hold while they made their way back.
"They're getting awful close." J mumbled as she felt Tessa step closer beside her.
"Aye." Tessa simply confirmed. "You like N or something, mate?"
"Gross." J returned, a scowl on her face at the idea.
"Don't bite my head off, i'm just wondering." she chuckled a bit to lighten the atmosphere that seemed to shroud J. "V?" she asked next.
"Negative, Boss." She reported, bowing her head. Tessa knelt down, smiling softly.
"Then why're you in a twist? Ain't ya happy for 'em?"
J stared down the hall towards those imposing mahogany doors.
She should be. She really should.
J twisted the hem of her skirt. "It's just..weird. All they do is make goo goo eyes at each other. I've had to cover for them so much, and, and it's just like-.." she suddenly realized she was spilling her guts to Tessa. She would've never done that to anyone else, but something about those eyes, that smile, the way her face was powdered with freckles and light cheeks that just..
..it made J act a fool at times.
"Sorry, Boss." She corrected herself. "I'm..out of line."
Tessa took her hand, starting to guide her back to her room. "Jealous?"
J bristled at the meer thought. "No," she quickly defended before explaining. "I-I don't know! its just weird."
"Then we can have our own mini gala, mate. Just us two?.." Tessa's voice faded a bit, but J didn't think of it at the moment.
"That-" J began accusative, before bowing her head and thinking on it. a gala, a gala with Tessa..how nice. "..sounds fine."
"Then we'll do it. I'll put on a record, I can teach you how to do a swing dance.. and..."
J tried to listen harder.
yet, the harder she concentrated, the fuzzier her voice got.
Fade..fuzz, static.. hiss.. fuzz..
Boss?
Boss.
Tessa, wait.
...
"Boss," J snapped awake, wings flaring out instinctively as she painted uncomfortably hot breaths. Her wings thonked against something else metal..soon revealed to be a groggy, half asleep V.
"Yo." V glared, rubbing her forehead as she swung. Her tail visibly gripped the ceiling rod a little tighter to stabilize herself from swinging any further. "..watch where you're flapping your wings."
whoops.