She couldn't help herself and laughed at his biting remark. Madame Giry had always been rather standoffish in regards to what she revealed about herself and others, but she seemed to be taking a new page out of La Carlotta's book and spilling out what she knew. Although Christine had admitted to Raoul that she'd been to the Phantom's lair, that was all she'd said. She had given no further instruction, no directions in order to find it. That, she kept close to her. He may call her a traitor all he liked, but at least she never divulged that information no matter how scared she was.
Christine felt her face flush as he adjusted her cloak for her. He could deny it all he liked, but it was a fatherly gesture and for a moment, Christine wanted to call him out on it. Instead, she listened to him as he continued, explaining vaguely his side of the story. It didn't bring with it much clarification, if it had any at all, but she kept her questions quiet and made a mental note to ask about the truth of his past at a later date when things had settled down. She stunned herself with this thought. Would things ever really go back to normal? Definitely not, if that gaudy ring her master still had was any indication. She couldn't break off her engagement as it was now, not if people believed she was under the Phantom's spell. She jumped out of her thoughts when he tapped her nose, blinking, and then smiling and shaking her head. "Will I ever get a full answer from you?" she asked with a breathless laugh, looking away. It was a rhetorical question that she thought she already knew the answer to: no.
She brought her eyes back to him as he spoke, her expression changing from amused to frustrated. Why couldn't he just listen to her? He seemed to her to always believe he knew what the right thing to do was. Yet this time, she believed he was making the wrong decision. If he came to the performance, disaster really would strike. As angry as she'd been with him, she didn't want to lose him again. He scolded her gently, and she slid her hand into his. The warmth reminded her of how cold she was in the icy frost a snowy day. Her heart swelled at his touch. "Master," she started, her brow furrowed. She wanted to come back to him, but she needed to tell him how she really felt about him, despite everything that had happened. However, she didn't have the chance as right then, right as their hands clasped, another shot out and grabbed her by the waist. She fought the urge to roll her eyes as she was tugged. She'd more than had it with people grabbing her by the waist in order to rescue her.
"Christine! Christine, listen to me!" yelled Raoul as he tried to save his fiance. "Whatever you may believe, this man, this thing, is not your father!" He faced Erik with a grimace of hatred on his face. "Let her go!" He pulled hard, yanking Christine away.
She yelped at the harsh movement, cradling her hand to her chest. "I know he's not my father," she tried to protest, looking between them with a look of disbelief. "Raoul, what is going on?" She winced as her wrist throbbed. It wasn't her master's grip that had been broken, but hers.
He kept his eyes on Erik, pulling out his sword and pointing it directly at him. "There's no other explanation for why Christine wouldn't run from a beast like you." He shook his head at the man. "You must have her under your spell. Cease your torment, Angel of Darkness" He swung the sword towards Erik.
"Raoul! No!" Christine cried, lunging forward to wrap her arms around one of Raoul's and stop him. He pushed her away, too caught up in trying to protect her to realize that he'd pushed too hard and she'd fallen against the cross of a nearby grave. Still on her feet but now with a hurt wrist and a bruised side, Christine stayed the several feet away and moved her gaze to her master, silently pleading for him to simply leave.
...and of nothing.
Dantes_river
Sorta kinda is better than not at all.
Are we gonna have him do that whole "let it be war upon you both" thingy?
Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 1:22 am
| Erik, the Phantom of the Opera |
"Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation. Darkness stirs and wakes imagination.xxx Silently the senses abandon their defenses..."
xxxxxThere was that beautiful smile of hers. Christine really could light up a room with that smile, or even just make a hazy day like this one seem less so. Well, asking if she’d ever get a straight answer from him instead of dancing around it as he had been was better than asking him to elaborate. She seemed to have the understanding that it was less likely to happen at the current moment or in the near future, but it didn’t mean that he’d always keep it a secret. One day he’d have to tell her of who he actually was, and of how he came to be.
xxxxxAt seeing her grow a bit frustrated, even as their hands touched, he already knew the reason why. If he came to the opera, there’d be complications, and even the possibility of a disaster striking. But he’d be there no matter what for her. He had to be, whether she fought him on the topic or not. Unfortunately for their reunion, one he was happy to have mended the bridge for, a familiar and irritating voice cut in before their hands were torn apart. Even worse was that this man, this Raoul, had called him a thing. Then he was labeled as a beast making Erik bristle even when looking down the length of the sword.
xxxxx“I told you. There’s always someone or something,” he mused, irritation plain as day on his face especially when he’d specifically made eye contact with the other man. Making a quick swipe of his arm, one might’ve thought he’d used his hand to be rid of Raoul’s sword if not for the clang of metal against metal. Once the sword had been redirected, his feet carried him backwards and away from the man only for a slight smirk to cross his features. “Bravo, Monsieur. Such spirited words! You’d best hope she’s not injured and unable to perform.”
xxxxxWith a quick swap in which hand held his sword and a snap of his fingers, a fiery ball seemed to be fired from some random direction just to barely miss Raoul’s feet. It was enough for him to feel the heat coming off of it, but only Erik knew it was harmless. Well, he hoped Christine would realize they were relatively harmless much like Carlotta’s croaking incident. “Did you think I’d come unprepared for interruptions from a mere slave of fashion? Let’s see, Monsieur, how far you dare go,” he taunted in such a sultry purr it almost seemed unnatural.
xxxxxFor every swing at him by the Vicomte, every step the man took, it was countered with more steps and swings of the sword followed by the snap of Erik’s fingers and yet another flaming ball that just barely seemed to miss the man. To anyone with a keen eye, it was easy to spot that the dark phantom was avoiding drawing too near Christine, but rather drawing Raoul farther from the girl.
xxxxxSo his wanting Christine to come back to him had turned into a little bit more of a personal grudge match with the fancy pretty boy. Much like Buquet having so much as skimmed his jaw, Raoul had struck a nerve making this more personal than his need to feel as if he were some kind of hero coming to save a damsel in distress had. Erik wasn’t some kind of monstrous beast walking around in the skin of a man. He was human, damnit! One of the very reasons he’d escaped from the traveling fair was due to being treated as some kind of exotic animal locked up in a cage.
"Slowly, gently, night unfurls it's splendor. xxxGrasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender. Turn your face away from the garrish light of day, xxxturn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light and listen to the music of the night."
Mayah Playah
Exactly. Mm... Yes. Since Erik’s playing with fire, harmless though it may be, Christine wouldn’t exactly know that much as she didn’t know about Carlotta’s croaking incident. This will lead to her protecting Raoul from the wrath of her teacher and reopen the rift of misunderstandings which, in turn, will piss Erik off. She’ll have chosen Raoul for the second time even if he was in no real harm. This will only feed into Erik’s rage when he drags her back down into his lair after The Point of No Return. It’d also help him to go “past the point of no return” ie him turning from man to monster.
Raoul glanced back behind him to Christine at the Phantom's taunt. It was at that moment that a fireball appeared out of nowhere and just barely missed his feet. He jumped with both of them and swung the sword once more at the beast. Maybe he'd hurt Christine a little, but he'd done it to protect her from this specter! She would survive with far fewer injuries than if she'd been dragged along back to the dungeons of his disgusting desire.
His anger drove him to swing with abandon once again. It was as though he'd forgotten all previous fencing instruction in his rage. He hacked away at the man, falling into his trap with ease. Every passing fireball narrowly missed him and Raoul almost paused each time it happened, unable to believe his luck. This creature was supposed to be a magical genius and yet he kept missing him! He stepped closer again, raising the sword. "You have a spell on her. It's the only reasonable explanation for a monster like you to have such a hold on her." He swung down as hard as he could, catching the side of a stone grave and making sparks. "Taunt me all you like, but I did not have to place her under a spell to have her agree to marry me!"
Christine tried to stay back and out of the spectacle. She kept her throbbing wrist tight to her chest and watched with horror on her face. They drew further and further away, so much so that she could not hear their taunts to each other anymore. If she could have, she would have protested at Raoul's words. She'd agreed under duress. Why did people keep forgetting that she'd been traumatized when he asked her to marry him? She wasn't in the right frame of mind. You know what, now really wasn't the time. Two foolish men were about to kill each other.
The fireballs never hit Raoul, but always came very dangerously close. It was the closeness that worried Christine. Her master had humiliated Carlotta for merely being a nuisance, but Raoul was the personification of her betrayal. The look on their faces, the anger and frustration, that wasn't just irritation at a demanding diva. That was hatred and jealousy, on Raoul's part as well. He hated Erik far beyond reason and Christine was starting to understand why. "Raoul, stop!" She cried out, clenching her fists. This had to stop before somebody got seriously hurt.
Her feet moved her faster than she expected to them to. She grabbed at her fiance's arm and pulled as hard as she could, yanking him just out of harm's way of an incoming fireball. "That's enough! Please!" Christine put her hands on Raoul's chest and pushed hard. "Raoul!" He wrapped his free arm around her waist and kept her close to his sweaty body with the sword raised again between them. She struggled a little, turning her head to look at Erik with wide eyes. She breathed heavily, chest heaving with panting breaths, but she did not turn her gaze from him. She didn't know how to begin to speak, to beg for peace, but Raoul spoke before she could even try.
"She loves me, beast. She will never belong to you!" he spat, taking a step back and bringing Christine with him. She tried to say something, but he cut her off once more, glaring at his rival. "Never!"
...and of nothing.
Dantes_river
Alright, so we'll add to the misunderstandings more and more until finally things explode, got it. Then they can finally share the truth of all their s**t down in the catacombs before Raoul gets there. Then the final misunderstanding that leads to her agreeing to take Raoul back up to the land of the living.
Also I've been thinking about that and I think that, since Raoul gets injured during the final battle, she half-carries him back to the real world but tries to let Erik know that she'll return when things are settled up there. Idk if he mishears her or just doesn't believe her, but she could come back down with this big "I told you I would come back for you, Erik" moment.
Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 12:11 pm
| Erik, the Phantom of the Opera |
"Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation. Darkness stirs and wakes imagination.xxx Silently the senses abandon their defenses..."
xxxxxJesus Christ. This guy’s confidence was ridiculous. What part of the fire and inability to hit Erik said keep at it? Alright. Good little pretty boy for following him away from Christine. Harmless as the fire was, he didn’t want to traumatize her into thinking he would ever hurt her and killed people for sh-ts and giggles. And then Raoul spoke of him putting a spell on her.
xxxxxWhat does he think I am, a witch? He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it seemed this guy had too many wires crossing to be considered coherent. Or maybe it was just because Madame Giry told them of that traveling fair in the city years ago. “Eh. I suppose that’d make some sense though,” he murmured absentmindedly only to snap back to attention when that word popped up again: monster. Argh! He’d strangle this man if it weren’t for her being here.
xxxxx“No, no. Of course not. You’re just an opportunist. When given a feast, you dine on it without a thought of your own. Baa for me, little sheep. Baa for the angel of death,” Erik countered coolly, his snapping ceasing when Christine’s voice cut through the air like a hot knife through butter, and she was tugging at Raoul’s arm to make him stop. Why’d she get involved?! Just let the man tire himself out, and then Erik would slip right back into the darkness beyond his reach. That had been Plan B after all, his go-to for if the man hadn’t run at the fiery threat and he’d run out of fire.
xxxxxBlowing his hair out of his face when Raoul wrapped his arm defensively around the girl, he briefly rolled his eyes at the sight. Stupid man trying to play the hero again. Upon the eye contact with Christine, however, his irritation settled down a little just to slightly shake his head at her. Stupid girl, figure it out already. If he wanted Raoul dead, he’d have done it already instead of using these parlor tricks. And that’s when the man’s words struck that nerve again.
xxxxx“Stop calling me that, you prissy little- Hiding behind a girl. How quaint, and so very manly,” Erik growled, his fist now clenched taut at his side seeing as he was trying so very hard to contain the anger that was urging him to just kill the man here and now. Breathe. Just breathe ‘cause if you try to kill him now, you’ll hit her. No one wins that way. Unclenching his fist now that he was back to just wanting to punch the man’s teeth down his throat rather than decapitate him and mount his head on a pike stating others have been warned, he gave a second shake of the head. Damnit. He didn’t want to have to start back at square one with her. “Don’t start with me, boy. I always played nice with the occupants of my theater, and for a time we had a relationship of the most amiable nature. Then you showed up, and I tried to play nice with you and those managers.”
xxxxxGlancing back at Christine, he made a third slight shake of his head. “Don’t go. He could go fall off a cliff for all I care. I can’t think straight listening to the wind passing between his ears. But I’m asking you, Christine,” he paused, part of him hoping she remembered their conversation at the mirror. She needed to stand up to Raoul when Erik couldn’t do something about the brawny idiot. If she didn’t, then this would simply be what would’ve happened had Erik not brought her into his home that night. “Don’t go.”
"Slowly, gently, night unfurls it's splendor. xxxGrasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender. Turn your face away from the garrish light of day, xxxturn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light and listen to the music of the night."
Mayah Playah
So... I guess inspiration has taken me off script. Apparently I don’t want Erik to declare war on Christine and Raoul, just Raoul. sweatdrop I suppose he can still be super pissy though. Especially since pretty boy’s on the “monster/beast/creature” train. ;D
But I can still see that happening at the end. She’d be all, “I’ll be back.” (She’s apparently the Terminator now. Lol) and he’d be all “strike three T-T” on the inside so he would have missed her saying it thus his surprise when she does return. And the fugly ring would still be returned to Raoul. emotion_kirakira
And do you want Lurtz to visit Phoebe’s room now or is Benson doing that or is this the “boom, bxtches!” of Lurtz’s badassery? I keep coming back to the whole having him already popping in, but I don’t wanna rush things so... yeah. And I am a hypocrite since I’ve shorthanded a few things in here. crying
He raised the sword a little higher, eyes firm on Erik even as sweat ran down his body and into a bleeding cut he hadn't realized he'd acquired. He was certain this was the monster's doing! What a beast, cutting him when he was so close to Christine. He must've been trying to kill him! He shook his head to flip his hair from his face, then curled his lip into a sneer. "Protecting, not hiding. I'm keeping her safe from a demon like you!" He held her tighter, wincing at the strain it caused his cut.
The man raised his chin at Erik's pleas, nearly laughing out loud at his request. Of course, Christine wouldn't go to him! She was Raoul's, although her ring was still not to be found, he knew the Phantom took it and therefore didn't worry about it too much. After all, they could always go and get another one just like it! He scoffed at the specter, rolling his eyes. "Like she'd ever want to stay with you. You are why she's been driven into my arms!" he insisted.
Christine wanted to go to him, nearly every part of her yearning to find safety in his warm embrace. Yet her logic began to make itself known and spoke in her mind. If she disappeared with her master into the night, Raoul would never give up in trying to find her. What's worse, he was injured. It would be far too easy for him to claim that the Phantom had attacked him and kidnapped Christine once again. She closed her eyes, wondering briefly what her father would say had he lived to see this day. She needed to protect Erik, whatever the cost. She could go find him later, but he was clever. He would understand why she couldn't go. She opened her eyes and inhaled sharply.
"I have to." Christine said, her voice low and her eyes boring into Erik's in a desperate attempt to get him to understand her motives. She was trying to protect him from being tracked down and strung up, the strange reversal of roles enough to give her a second's pause.
She whispered it so quietly that Raoul nearly didn't hear her. He looked down at her with alarm in her eyes. Have to? She sounded as though she didn't want to get away from the beast. Was it possible that his spell was still upon her? How strong was it? Raoul knew there had to be a good explanation for her actions and better still for that look she was giving her former angel.
"I'm so sorry, Master. I have to go." She said once again, sorrow and apologies unspoken in her clear eyes. She directed her gaze to the ground, then back to Erik. Christine moved a hand to her waist and gently pried Raoul's arm away. She stepped out of his embrace, moving just a step closer to Erik and keeping her expression as serene as possible. Her hand moved to the sword that Raoul still held up, pushing it delicately to the side. "Please. Run." She pleaded with a whisper, denying herself any tears that arose. "Please."
Raoul reached for her wrist and started to pull her backward. She stepped along with him, wincing as the sword rose once more and directed at Erik. It wasn't necessary but Raoul wasn't about to change his mind. He tugged again, then gripped the sword inversely and started to run, dragging Christine along with him.
...and of nothing.
Dantes_river
You're fine lol I've actually been thinking about that. So like, after he and Christine finally talk about all that's happened and clarify the truth to each other, Erik will probably calm down enough to not want to kill Raoul so what if we give him a reason that Christine reveals while in the catacombs? Maybe she admits that Raoul and she had done some things in her time at the mansion because he'd thought that distracting her that way would help her, but it only made her feel uneasy and used. Idk I haven't put much thought into it.
Uh sure. Phoebe's curse is causing him a lot of pain so he won't exactly be cogent but he will acknowledge Lurtz if Lurtz says something. And you're fine, I shorthand all the time xd
Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2020 6:51 am
| Erik, the Phantom of the Opera |
"Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation. Darkness stirs and wakes imagination.xxx Silently the senses abandon their defenses..."
xxxxx“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Erik muttered at having been told by the man that he was protecting the girl rather than hiding behind her. If anything, Christine was protecting him from the phantom. At this point, with Christine’s interference, the darkly clad man had mostly cooled down albeit he was still annoyed by Raoul continuing to call him anything but something humanoid. Well, demons could be humanoid in shape he supposed, but it still made him sound like some evil creature running amok causing all kinds of catastrophes.
xxxxxOoh! Was that a wound on the pretty boy? How’d he miss that? Had he actually hit the prissy surface dweller? He couldn’t recall feeling that of anything aside from the metal of the other’s sword. Oh well. Anything that made this guy miserable could only bring Erik joy! That’s probably something to be a little concerned about what with his patience towards the running of his theater being worn so thin. Actually, even calling people surface dwellers made him kind of sound like a mole too.
xxxxxShaking off the amusement from having noticed Raoul’s much too noticeable acknowledgement of his own wound, his gaze watched the blonde’s movements carefully. So she had noticed, in her own way. Mustering the courage, perhaps? Understandable. For as much as he appeared to bolster the intimidation factor, he had to prep himself to actually do anything with the surface world. It would only take one small mistake, and it’d be game over for him.
xxxxxHer words, soft as they were, took him off guard though. He hadn’t even actually heard it, simply reading her lips instead, but it was definitely a shock. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so surprised though. She had been a little uncharacteristic lately after all. It was then he realized that she’d taken both men off of their guard. It was, after all, not really something either of them wanted to hear. There was the underlying message though, and both had picked up on it albeit he probably had a less delusional version of it running through his head. Instead of him trying to protect her, this time it was her trying to protect him.
xxxxxClosing his eyes briefly, his teeth biting his bottom lip at that moment, Erik flipped his sword back around and slid it into its sheath at his waist. “For now, for you. Take care of that wrist,” he breathed out with a faint flicker of a sad smile. As Raoul tugged the girl away, Erik inwardly wishing the salt from that man’s sweat was burning that cut like Hellfire, he took a few steps back before he simply vanished within a bright streak of light resembling that of lightning.
"Slowly, gently, night unfurls it's splendor. xxxGrasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender. Turn your face away from the garrish light of day, xxxturn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light and listen to the music of the night."
Mayah Playah
I likey! It’d definitely make him super pissed at Raoul to make him wanna kill him. >biggrin
And alrighty then.
By the by, sorry for the delay. I haven’t been feeling the greatest.
Days passed and rehearsals carried on. Christine dutifully returned to the theater day after day with her head held high and no fear on her face. She worked tirelessly on choreography and learning the music. Fortunately, it was written with her in mind and she found the challenge exciting. More than once, Christine found herself sitting in her dressing room after a long day and looking over the score with a smile. She could see where he wanted to push her boundaries and where he wanted to showcase her talent. Maybe it was a little hard to see at first glance, but this was a love letter to her and music itself.
The only moment that gave her pause was when she began to work on Point of No Return with Piangi, who had become a little harder to work with since he lost weight and his lover lost her leading role. She tried to make herself remember the emotions she felt when she first caught a glimpse of the music while deep in the depths of her master's catacombs. However, the chemistry between her and Piangi left oh-so-much to be desired and she could feel herself hating every moment they were forced to writhe around each other. She knew it would all come to an end soon, though. Opening night was approaching, and fast.
After one long rehearsal, Christine sat in her dressing room with her robe on and an armed guard at her door. She looked back, then returned her gaze to her mirror and sighed deeply. "I hope this ends soon," she whispered to no one in particular, then bowed her head and let a few tears escape. She wanted this all to be over, for once and for all. However that ever-present look on Raoul's face led her to believe that she wasn't headed towards a happy ending, but a funeral.
✸✸✸✸✸✸✸ Days later... ✸✸✸✸✸✸✸
"You understand your instructions?" asked Raoul as he and the Chief of Police walked down the aisles of the soon-to-be-filled theater. The man nodded, stepping up the stairs onto the stage and waiting for Raoul. "When you hear the whistle, take up your positions. I shall then instruct you to secure the doors. It is absolutely essential that all doors are properly secured."
The managers followed closely, unease clear on their weary faces. They tried to protest the strong presence of police, but Raoul snapped at them, insisting that if they had a better idea, they would have used it. "Give the order," he said to the chief.
The mustachioed man nodded, adjusting his rifle before calling out to the other policemen in the theater. "Are the doors secure?" he yelled. The police locked all of the doors around the theater, calling out their answer to his question. One by one, the Vicomte listened as policemen locked doors and answered him. Once the doors were all locked, the chief moved towards the edge of the stage and looked down into the orchestra pit. "You there! Do you have a clear view of Box 5?"
The policeman nodded.
Raoul stepped closer, pointing to the box. "Remember: when the time comes, shoot. Only if you have to, but shoot to kill." He clenched his fists and looked up at the box. Ever since that night, Christine stayed as far as she could from him. She cited fear of retaliation, dedication to her performance, illness, anything she could think of to stay away. That beast definitely had her under his spell and Raoul wasn't going to stand for it one moment longer. "When you are dead, she will be mine forever," he muttered towards the box, not caring if he looked mad as he did. He hoped the monster heard him. He wanted him to know that Christine would be free of this Phantom menace soon and forever.
...and of nothing.
Dantes_river
Always happy to give a reason for one guy to try to kill another 4laugh
You're totally fine, I get it. I've had a migraine for the past three days and it is just kicking my behind. Please don't make yourself post if you aren't feeling up to it.
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2020 6:28 pm
| Erik, the Phantom of the Opera |
"Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation. Darkness stirs and wakes imagination.xxx Silently the senses abandon their defenses..."
xxxxxPoor Christine, having to work with Piangi for these performance rehearsals. At least the man had followed instructions to lose some weight, not to mention he’d briefly scared the chorus with a small disembodied play of the practice piano on how they needed to sound when Carlotta questioned it for Piangi when he was struggling with the notes. Madame Giry had warned them that Erik was always around to see their performances though. And he had a plan to both see her perform and express himself through more than just written words. It was just extremely nerve-wrecking. Was this how Christine felt before her public performances? Then again, interacting with the surface world outside of the shadows in general made him feel jittery like this on the inside. Maybe it was just him.
xxxxxSoon enough, however, opening night came and Erik had the precise way of picking fun of Raoul’s silly little plan just to make a point to him. He couldn’t win in the graveyard, so what what made him think he could win in his normal playground where he knew every inch like the back of his hand? And that was the last of the doors. Game on, pretty boy.
xxxxx“I’m here: The Phantom of the Opera,” he taunted in an amused hum. After relocating when reacted to, he repeated the taunt. He did this several times before finally stopping by Box Five. “I’m here: The Phantom of the Opera.”
xxxxxEven when Box Five was fired upon, missing Erik by some distance, he had to stifle any audible laughter bubbling up in his chest. These people really should learn that they’d have to relocate to win against him. At Raoul’s scolding the man whom had shot simply for the fact that he could’ve killed someone, Erik’s amusement had dropped a few levels. He thought that had been the point: end Erik’s reign over the theater. Hypocrite much? He did have a point though.
xxxxxAs if from everywhere with Erik’s new location, he opted for his last taunt and given directions. “No buts! For once, Monsieur le Vicomte is right,” he almost seemed to snap. Ugh. Those words alone made him feel disgusted and like he needed an exorcism. “Seal my fate tonight. I hate to have to cut the fun short, but the joke’s wearing thin. Let the audience in. Let my opera begin!”
xxxxxSeriously, hurry up and get the show on the road before he started losing his nerve again. He spent a good hour whilst they were prepping telling himself he was stupid for actually thinking of taking such a huge risk before finally getting up the nerve to so much as taunt them. Amusing as their following his every whisper was, it was something of a distraction from later on. The risk was much greater than before, even more so than his bold entrance at the masquerade in order to give them this opera.
"Slowly, gently, night unfurls it's splendor. xxxGrasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender. Turn your face away from the garrish light of day, xxxturn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light and listen to the music of the night."
The theater came to life as the audience flooded into their seats. The orchestra struck up, playing ominously as the curtains fluttered with activity behind them. The crowd didn't fully know what to expect, having only most recently come to see Il Muto, an admittedly rather silly comedy with predictable tropes. This masterpiece they were subjecting themselves to was a brand new creation with no name recognition, but curiosity had won out over their hesitations and they entered what was essentially a hellscape. There were fire-influenced facades along the side of the stage and curtains, and the lights were dangerously dimmed even for a theatrical piece. They sat in their seats, listening to the orchestra play as they did and waiting patiently and on bated breath for the curtains to finally rise.
The chorus sang first.
Here the sire may serve the dam! Here the master takes his meat! Here the sacrificial lamb utters one despairing bleat!
Theatrical costumes could be rather scant when in reference to modern, more modest fashion, but this was nothing. The women slunk in, wearing blood reds and dark blacks that clung to their forms and exposed the tops of their bosoms. The men followed closely, their own tights costumes leaving little to the imagination, even for the shocked audience. The men began to paw indecently at the women, one young man, in particular, draping himself over the recognizable form of La Carlotta, who licked her lips and writhed along with him as she sang loudly.
"Poor young maiden! For the thrill on your tongue on stolen sweets, you will have to pay the bill tangled in the winding sheets!" The man behind her thrust his pelvis against her behind and she chirped the last note loudly with glee. Behind her, the chorus rubbed themselves against each other in what seemed to be essentially a public orgy designed to shock the audience into their stunned silence.
Carlotta held her fan up, moving towards the food-laden table and bending over it slightly to adjust a few of the platters. "Serve the meal and serve the maid!" The young man from before appeared behind her again, grabbing her by the hips and yanking her back towards him. She fell easily, her back pressed tightly to his front. She accepted a goblet of wine from a passing woman. "Serve the master to that when tabls, plans, and maids are laid, Don Juan triumphs! Once! Again!" She laughed heartily, then waved her hands towards the group. "Shush! Shoo!" The scattered as Piangi walked in accompanied by Meg, who kissed his cheek and accepted an apple that he handed her.
"Passarino, faithful friend! Once again recite the plan." Piangi sipped from a goblet before handing it off to his companion who laughed and nodded.
"Your young guest believes I'm you. I the master, you the man."
Piangi grinned, moving away from the table and gesturing to himself. "When you met you wore my cloak, she could not have seen your face. She believes she dines with me in her master's borrowed place!" He waved his arms about, explaining his plan to the audience. "Furtively, we'll scoff and quaff, stealing what, in truth, is mine. When it's late and modesty starts to mellow with the wine-"
Passarino interjected. "You come home! I use your voice, slam the door like crack of doom."
"I will say come hide with me. Where, of where? Of course, my room!" Piangi grabbed for a cloak, draping it over his recently slimmed-down body.
The man turned side to the audience, a wicked smile on his wicked face. "Poor thing hasn't got a chance!" he cackled, then turned as Piangi began to load him up with his own effects.
"Here's my hat, my cloak, my sword. Conquest is assured if I do not forget myself and laugh!" Piang laughed, then pulled the hood up over his head as Christine began to make her entrance and shuffled closer towards the back of the stage, just by the edge of the curtained darkness. He didn't think twice, too caught up with his attention to his part to remember the warning Giry had handed out about being wary of dark corners and never to put his back to one.
Christine sang as she entered, her dress a strange combination of alluring and innocent. She walked slowly with a basket of flowers in one hand and her shawl in the other. "No thoughts within her head but thoughts of joy! No dreams within her heart but dreams of love!" She skipped a little down the steps and moved to sit at the table. She lifted a red apple and sat facing the audience with her legs spread and a cheerful smile on her lovely face. She had spent many hours practicing this face, but it was far more difficult to keep it when the sight of the soldiers was as obvious as it was right then. They were everywhere in the theater, like ants at a picnic, and she hoped for possibly the millionth time that day her master had listened to her for once and chosen to stay away from the performance.
...and of nothing.
Dantes_river
Sorry, sorry, sorry! I super couldn't get my thoughts together for the longest time. crying
Also, I have a thought regarding their reunion. In Love Never Dies, there's a song called Til I Hear You Sing that Erik sings at the beginning when he's reminiscing about how he longs to be reunited with Christine. I was thinking we could have Christine sing it here when she comes back down to find him like she walks up behind him while singing it. She also has a song called Love Never Dies, but it doesn't really fit the mutual longing motif.
Also Beneath a Moonless Sky fully has them relaying the tale of their one night of repetitive f-cking so I recommend listening to it a couple of times. Just for research purposes. Case in point: "We said things in the dark we never dared to say. And I caught you (And I kissed you), And I took you (And I begged you) with a need too urgent to deny, and nothing mattered then except for you and I, again and then again beneath a moonless sky." Love Never Dies is like tripping on freaking acid.
Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2020 3:00 pm
| Erik, the Phantom of the Opera |
"Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation. Darkness stirs and wakes imagination.xxx Silently the senses abandon their defenses..."
xxxxxThe audience had swarmed in, all having been on the edge of their seats about this new production before even being seated. If they wouldn’t have been on the floor, Erik would’ve come to the same conclusion at the hustling and bustling of the the cast and crew behind the curtain. Even after all of the practices he’d watched over, he too was on the edge of his proverbial seat. Christine would be remarkable of course, all of the hard work and dedication he’d put into her practices with him before Raoul intruded in their lives had made sure of that. It was only at that one moment that he’d be nervous beyond all compare.
xxxxxAs the opera commenced, he began wringing his hands. Well, look at that. There was less of a peacock strut to Carlotta. She was performing quite well tonight and no attempt at going off script. This was one of those moments he wanted to grab his managers and shake them whilst telling them he was right yet again. His casting was always ideal to better the productions.
xxxxxAs it came down to the scene he was waiting anxiously for, however, he took a deep breath and took what could possibly be his last leap of faith. Given that one opportunity, he slipped just out of shadow enough to take out Piangi with a soft apology. It was nothing personal against the man, merely his one opportunity to be with Christine and tell her...
xxxxxAh. Those sweet notes of a soprano that could only be her made his heart flutter. At least he wouldn’t be leaving a second murder victim, he made sure of that. Annoying as he could be, the man had done no real wrongdoings to deserve death. Ah. Crap. Passarino called out to his master.
xxxxx“Passarino, go away for the trap is set and awaits it’s prey,” he answered on queue, his nervousness starting to make its presence known once more. Once the man had scurried off of the stage, he took a deep breath and stepped out onto the stage in the appropriate costume only to feel his breath catch slightly at the audience and all of the police there. Okay. He’d known that there were a lot of people, and a lot of marksmen in the police prepped to kill him, but this was entirely different now that he was actually in the limelight here on the stage. Christine. Focus on Christine.
xxxxx“You have come here in pursuit of your deepest urge, in pursuit of that wish, which ‘til now has been silent, silent,” he started off rather smoothly, his feet slowly and carefully carrying him across the stage. His pulse was racing, but he did what he’d told himself to do: focus on the blonde beauty before him. “I have brought you, that our passions may fuse and merge. In your mind you’ve already succumbed to me, dropped all defenses, completely succumbed to me. Now you are here with me, no second thoughts. You’ve decided, decided...”
xxxxxShe would undoubtedly be surprised by her master actually performing on the stage with her, his feet carrying him nearer to her yet seemingly so far from the shadows he would normally hide within. Even when he’d float around her, his hands moving swiftly to swap out the red fruit with a silver chalice, there always seemed to be some kind of supernatural grace in his every motion.
xxxxx“Past the point of no return, no backward glances. Our games of make believe are at an end. Past all thought of if or when, no use resisting. Abandon thought and let the dream descend. What raging fire shall flood the soul? What rich desire unlocks its door? What sweet seduction lies before us,” he continued, his voice seeming much more bold than before though his every touch was as gentle as could be. “Past the point of no return, the final threshold. What warm, unspoken secrets will we learn beyond the point of no return?”
"Slowly, gently, night unfurls it's splendor. xxxGrasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender. Turn your face away from the garrish light of day, xxxturn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light and listen to the music of the night."
Mayah Playah
We could always have it where after Christine pulls him out of his lair to take credit where credit is due and try renewing his faith in mankind, Meg (unashamedly) hands the manuscript for Love Never Dies to the managers she found in his lair when they tried tracking him down. ;D I love Devil Take the Hindmost since it’s basically Erik’s double F-you to Raoul. It’d be as if Erik wrote it to try making himself feel better after she left with Raoul. Her demise in the end merely his depression and hatred for Raoul coming out as if saying, “There. Now neither of us can have her at our side.” I can imagine how embarrassed he’d be about it. lol
She didn't hear Piangi's last lines before he was set to speak, too distracted by her attempt at acting and the massive police presence. She fought to hide how uncomfortable it made her, the sweet smile on her face distracting from the worry that abounded in her blue eyes. However, it didn't last. The moment she heard him sing, she knew that Piangi was no longer present. She knew that her master had ignored her and was singing to her now. So much for her coming in pursuit of her deepest urge.
She sat completely still, honing in on any acting training she'd gotten in her years of stage work to force away from the shock before finally standing and tossing the apple into the air. They seemed to dance around coming closer to each other, even as he took away the apple and gave her the chalice. Her fingers tingled at his touch when he touched her hand and turned her chin back towards him, and she swallowed back the sudden rush of desire to bring the chalice to her lips and take a sip. She followed the choreography well, an innocent yet devious expression on her face as she wiped her mouth vulgarly.
She stepped back as he stepped towards her, moving towards the table and sitting at the bench once more. She pulled her hand away once when he moved to touch her, playfully looking towards him before allowing him to touch her once more. She then looked down to the conductor, and stood abruptly.
"You have brought me to that moment where words run dry, to that moment where speech disappears into silence, silence." She turned to face him with a defient expression and a look in her eyes that told him that she knew full well who he was. "I have come here hardly knowing the reason why." She stepped closer to the bench, straddling it briefly and licking her lips before pulling her other leg over and sitting with her legs wide and her hands on her thighs. "In my mind, I've already imagined our bodies entwining, defenseless and silent. Now I am here with you." She pulled her hands upwards, her skirt moving with her to expose the middle of her thighs before she allowed it to fall back into place and slipped her hands onto her corseted torso. "I've decided, decided..."
Christine spun on the bench and stood on the other side, moving close to him in a near mirror to their positions all that time ago in the cavern. "Past the point of no return, no going back now. Our passion play has now at last begun! Past all thought of right or wrong. One final question: how long should we two wait before we're one?" She placed her hands onto his shoulders and ran them down his strong arms to grasp his hands. "When will the blood begin to race? The sleeping bud burst into bloom? When will the flames, at last, consume us?" She pressed herself to him, then pushed away with one hand still in his and tugged him along with her.
"Past the point of no return, the final threshold. The bridge is crossed so stand and watch it burn!" She stood before him, one hand holding his tightly and her eyes blazing as they sang together. "We've passed the point of no return." Her other hand came up, pulling back the hood to see him once more before her. She couldn't help herself; she smiled.
“You came," she whispered, looking up at him. Tears immediately sprang to her eyes and her smile faded. "I begged you." She bowed her head briefly as she struggled to hold back the tears, then lifted her chin once more to look up at him. She could not protect him, not really, but he would have been much safer if he'd stayed away. Why couldn't he just stay away?
...and of nothing.
Dantes_river
I do love that, that would be hilarious. Plus we can have her read the work and give him a look of "you killed me? What the- I told you I was coming back!" lol Part of me also really wants to extend on Christine's possible talents and expand her as more of a real person. She was taught by an amazing teacher and can read and write music because of him and being raised by a musician, so it stands to reason that she might step into light composing herself.
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2020 1:29 pm
| Erik, the Phantom of the Opera |
"Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation. Darkness stirs and wakes imagination.xxx Silently the senses abandon their defenses..."
xxxxxEvery piece of the choreography seemed to fall into place as it was supposed to, and Erik was actually kind of surprised he was keeping up. He had probably looked ridiculous practicing the motions for this particular scene by himself, but he’d been by himself and cloaked in shadow so no one would have any clue about it. With every word that passed Christine‘s lips, however, he was catching the subtle changes from her singing with Piangi and her singing with him. There was a passion, he supposed he could call it, that she simply couldn’t place with the other man. She probably also knew that it irked him when notes weren’t played out correctly with the many lessons they’d had up until now.
xxxxxSnapping out of his thoughts of simpler times, a tingle ran up his spine as he followed in step with the orchestra and movement Christine played out. “Past the point of no return, the final threshold. The bridge is crossed so stand and watch it burn,” he continued on with what was likely an air and specific tone that paired better with Christine than Piangi could ever muster even if it wasn’t exactly intentional. The two men simply differed, and it was likely starting to alert others that he was not the original Don Juan in the performance. Of course, when their gaze met in its own sort of way through the costume, it was as if he could read her mind and he couldn’t help but to feel that tingle in his spine yet a little sad at the same time. “We’ve passed the point of no return.”
xxxxxHe lingered with words caught in his throat as she spoke softly to him. When it came down to her revealing the man behind the costume, however, he flinched slightly at the suddenness of what light was being directed at the stage. “I told you I’d never miss a performance from day one,” he breathed out, eyes flicking briefly towards a policeman on the side of the stage prepping his gun. With a couple of steps back, his gaze shifted briefly to the floor as his fingers shifted slightly at his side. Ironically, it was do or die in more than one way. Removing something relatively small from the end of his pinkie finger, he raised it up for Christine to see as a dainty ring that was a little too small for his hands.
xxxxx“Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Lead me, save me from my solitude,” he sang much softer than he’d ever used with her before, his eyes flickering in what light was directed towards the stage as his own tears sprang up from the deep wellspring of hurt he’d bottled up for years. Hard as it was, he managed to hold them back instead of just letting himself sit on the stage and squall like a child. That’d be a lovely impression on people for years to come. The headlines would say, Phantom of the Opera: Menace or Mentally Ill? This was what he gets for trying to test the waters with mankind after several years of being away.
xxxxxEither way, this was likely the most vulnerable she could ever say he’d been outside of the shadows in which he dwelled yet within the presence of another, his prior behavior having made him seem much bolder than the man standing before her. “Say you want me with you, here beside you. Anywhere you go let me go too. Christine, that's all I ask of -“
"Slowly, gently, night unfurls it's splendor. xxxGrasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender. Turn your face away from the garrish light of day, xxxturn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light and listen to the music of the night."
Mayah Playah
I’m leaving it to you to decide if she’s also removing the mask or something else, but either way, his words are to be cut short so he’ll drag her back into the dungeons of his deep despair. Poor Erik and his shameful dark side. lol I can see that too. She would have more than just singing so she should have more to her. A little food for thought: Erik only has an incomplete version of Love Never Dies, having bits and pieces such as the basic plot and ending, and she can perhaps help him with some of the songs even if she’s irked that he killed her off? :3
It was likely that Christine was the only one not surprised to see him there, but even she didn't expect the ring to appear in his hands. She caught her breath, nearly stepped back from the sight of it. She looked from the ring to her master, eyes wide and confused. She shook her head once, glancing up towards Raoul briefly before she heard him continue to sing. It was one she knew very, very well. Raoul had tried hard to sing it to her before. But this was... different.
Christine looked at her master, their eyes caught and filled with all the emotions that neither of them had ever been able to say aloud. She felt a tear fall, her chest aching at the pain in his words. She'd known he was lonely all this time, but to hear it was something else. It was heartwrenching and her draw to him was as strong as it had ever been. He had been alone for so long, searching for companionship and understanding all this time. She knew he was strange, that was no lie, but he was a compassionate and affectionate man underneath his genius and awkwardness. She'd seen and felt this for herself, although she knew Raoul would insist that she was under his spell.
Spell. What ridiculousness. She was a grown woman in love with a man. There was no magic, no tricks, nothing that could be used to deny her feelings. Christine had spent so long trying to come to terms with her feelings for her master that she'd long since run out of excuses, although Raoul was always trying to find new ones. She knew she needed to explain herself to Raoul, but that could wait. And maybe this would do that for her! Any fool with eyes could see the raw emotion between the two onstage, even with the mask.
She could see his tears from their short distance, reaching to touch his one bare cheek and wipe them away. She wanted to say yes, to accept him as easily as he'd been so often rejected, but before she could, she heard a scream. Time slowed down as she followed the scream of La Carlotta who held a slowly awakening Piangi in her arms. She whipped her head back to the left at the sound of cocking guns and she reacted instantly by reaching her other hand to push aside the Phantom out of their range. "No!!" she screeched loudly. However, as she did this, she caught her wrist on his mask with her hand that had been on his cheek. Christine hadn't even realized that she'd knocked the mask off until she caught it in her hands between them.
She grasped it with both hands, then raised her eyes to his face. "Oh my God," she whispered, eyes wide with shock.
...and of nothing.
Dantes_river
Ooh that would be interesting. "I know you killed me off but maybe let's not try to add another organ to this song". She would definitely want to help him with something if only to prove to him and herself that they're equals and that she's really come into her own.
Alright, now let's talk about that deformity. Sorry about the post, I know it's not as long or as pretty as it could be. Writer's block is hitting me hard lately, even here in a musical safe space.
