Title: Recruiting – Aether (Elementals Variation 04)
Author: Lucifer Rosemaunt
Summary: Short ficlet variations on a theme: elementals, aether. Space!AU Raoul only wants the best for his crew.
Fandom: Phantom of the Opera
Pairing(s): pre-Erik/Raoul
Warning(s): AU
Word Count: 1,809
Rating: K
o.o.o.o
The entrance chime caught his attention.
After a pause, Erik shouted, "Back here." He listened intently, hoping to track the visitor's passage. No one was scheduled to visit today. None of his regulars would be in need of anything for at least three months still and he so rarely received unannounced customers. "If you steal anything, you won't make it out that door ever again," he added as an afterthought.
There was a shuffle, a hesitation and then footsteps rounding the metal shelf piled with discarded engine parts and electronics that served as an impromptu wall. He was always in need of parts, but never consistently. It was easier to hoard everything and have it ready at hand when inspiration struck than it was to wait for parts to arrive at his edge of the planet. Deliveries were so inconsistent.
Putting down the spanner, he grabbed the nearest rag from the counter and wiped his hands on it. He eyed the individual who turned the corner.
Knee-high boots with a series of buckles down its side were obviously well cared for, its shine only marred by the dust from outside. Stark red cotton gabardine trousers clung to well-toned thighs like a second skin. Two columns of silver buttons ran up a deep black, tailored double-breasted, high neck short jacket, and was punctuated by a single button which fastened up the short collar, tight enough to make even Erik feel uncomfortable. The jacket had cuffs the same red as his trousers. A cutlass was fixed at his waist and a gun at his lower back as well an additional one on a drop down thigh holster, bound so tight as to accentuate his finer assets.
The stranger could very well pass for an officer of the federation or perhaps a clandestine officer of one of the more powerful galaxies. The uniform was wrong though, not one he could recognize and Erik made it his business to know which officials had seen fit to visit this planet and even more importantly, his establishment. The young man wore no badges or ribbons, and the emblem on the stiff formal hat tucked beneath his arm was indecipherable to him. Blond hair was slicked back though slightly mussed, and though his posture was straight and bearing confident, the hesitant smile and open expression were at odds with anything Erik associated with government dogs.
The man strode forward upon seeing Erik and extended a hand in greeting, having no visible reaction upon seeing his mask. "Erik, I presume." He left his hand out despite the fact that Erik had yet to make a move to take it. "My name is Raoul de Chagny, new captain of the Palais Garnier."
At his introduction, Erik could not help but relax the slightest bit, his guard coming down just as Raoul's hand lowered. "I'd heard that hack, LeFevre sold the ship." Actually, LeFevre had sent him an electronic note, since it was the only form of communication Erik allowed, that this new captain would be coming to visit him soon. There had not been an image attached to the sparse dossier that had been sent along. "I wondered what idiot purchased it." He had spared the barest of thoughts wondering since he had known: a rich brat, fresh out of university in some secluded, backwoods of the Delta Quadrant, who had enough money to purchase an entire ship on a whim.
The young man's lip curled up in what may have been disgust, but the expression was there and gone too fast for Erik to properly name it. It was replaced by one of bemusement, blue eyes so easy to read. "And you. You are… Erik, the mechanic, right?"
"Did you break her already?" he asked instead, not answering an obvious question. Who else lived in the godforsaken part of this desert planet, isolated from everyone and everything? Ingenuity alone kept him alive and even then, with barely enough sustenance to survive through the year. He glanced over at the discarded part-water pump part-water condenser on which he had been working. It worked well enough but droughts were common and harsh on all his machinery, enough so that constant maintenance was the wisest choice.
Raoul gave a shrug and a small shake of the head before commenting, "I didn't even know this part of the planet was inhabited. I almost missed your hut." He gave an easy grin and laughed at himself. "If it weren't for LeFevre emphasizing the fact that if I passed it, I might as well keep going all the way around back to the port to reorient myself, I would have probably been a little careless and gotten lost."
"I like it that way," Erik said, more defensively than he meant to. It was not an attack on him, he knew, but the young man's presence was distracting and put him on edge, one that was different than when he first laid eyes on him. Raoul made him uneasy and hyperaware of the differences between them. The way his clothes were somehow impeccable, the easy smile and almost careless way about him, relaxed despite being in a strange place. The sound of his laughter even seemed out of place, something too joyful to fit in his home. Erik almost wished he were in one of his old suits, his fingernails clean of oil, his hair slicked back with something other than sweat. He could hardly recall the last time he had occasion to put on formalwear.
Or, perhaps it had nothing to do with their differences, and it was because the distance from which he lived from society was in some way an attack on his person. It was not as though he had chosen to be chased out of the city.
The way Raoul nodded in understanding had him bristling. "I did not think LeFevre was exaggerating when he said you're the only one who's kept my ship together all these years."
The compliment even made him wary. "What did you do to it now?"
"Well, nothing yet to be honest." Raoul laughed at himself again, and it was that laughter at his own expense, at some inside joke Erik begrudgingly wanted to be in on that made him scowl even more. The captain ran his free hand through his hair, mussing it further, so that a couple strands fell loosely over his eyes. "Not, 'yet', you know, but…"
Erik interrupted, "But what?" Every movement the other man made was worth noticing, worth dissecting and he resented Raoul for wanting to see more.
"I was told you could fix absolutely anything, and," he took a deep breath, "I was wondering if you would like to join my crew?"
The bark of laughter that burst free from Erik was wholly unexpected, and between the two of them, Erik was the one more surprised at the sound.
The younger man actually pouted and it made him look younger, look a little more innocent.
But he was not fooled. "Are you planning on using the freak as an attraction?" He would not be fooled again in this lifetime. All people saw in him was the monster.
"What?" Raoul's confusion sounded genuine.
"The Palais Garnier is a luxury liner," Erik pointed out, and even though he was in the right, he still found himself having to explain. "Do you not see my face?"
"I have, I mean. Yes, but no, your mask?" Raoul looked away, lips a thin line. "Do you mind me asking…?"
"Oh, haven't you heard? Lepraw and homo sapiens don't mix very well." He gestured roughly to his face.
"Oh!" Raoul's face lit up. "You're a hybrid! I've got a bit of alien in me, too, sometimes. Were you from Earth? I've never been." He kept talking and Erik was taken aback enough that he could not find it to interrupt him. "I'm one of those second-citizen Terra-colonist living in the edge of the Delta Quadrant. It's barely populated and my planet in particular is pretty small, actually it's about as populated as your planet but with significantly more…" he gestured vaguely, "green and rivers."
And Erik really did not know how to react to such eagerness, could not understand why the young man was seemingly oblivious to his distaste of the idea.
"You won't have to interact with any of the guests if you don't want to," Raoul finally concluded, coming back to the subject at hand.
"You do not need another mechanic," Erik said.
"You mean Buquet?" Raoul replied, a frown momentarily marring his features and Erik did not bother to hide his smirk at that reaction. "I hear he's good for maintenance, but when it comes to actually fixing her, he isn't up to par. We need a chief engineer."
"Most liners don't need one," he was quick to point out holes in his argument.
"Short-trip liners do not need one."
Erik narrowed his eyes, finally understanding. "You're planning on taking her farther than planet hopping." All the short-trip liners had well established routes and maintenance yards that would take care of all the ships' needs for a nominal fee.
Raoul looked away. "I'm planning on taking her home." He glanced back and held Erik's gaze. "I'm going to give others from smaller systems a chance to see the galaxy."
"You're taking the Palais Garnier to the Delta Quadrant?" Erik scoffed. "You won't make it. She's too old."
"We probably won't," Raoul admitted, shrugged as though he honestly couldn't care more. "Her first journey is going to be with a small crew and a couple of the entertainers. I've told them the slim likelihood of making it all the way and probably having to quit halfway to the Quadrant and settle for some other system. Most of them don't care about where we end up." He added, "Christine," he cleared his throat, "Ms. Daae said you'd be a perfect addition."
Erik paused and the too casual way the younger man mentioned her name made him frown.
When he still did not respond, Raoul broke the silence. "Well, we're restocking right now. If you change your mind." He reached out and grabbed his hand before Erik could react. The only thing marring the warmth that suffused the contact was a small data chip, the edge of which pressed into his palm. Erik barely noticed, distracted by his hands and the wonder at feeling his heat through the gloves he wore.
"Please, comm." Raoul's face was suddenly rather close and altogether too earnest. "We are leaving this evening, but we can stop here before we do. I promise you, it will be worth it." He released Erik's hand and taking a step backwards, gave a stiff bow before turning smartly to leave.
Erik stared at his direction until the chime sounded his exit.
o.o.o.o
End ficlet
A/N: If you cannot tell, I am interested in everything that is Raoul in uniform. Seriously. That masquerade costume is my favorite of the show, but I feel all the gold is not what Captain Raoul really needed. Go ahead and search for "TheLees Casual Double Breasted High Neck Jacket" on Amazon and tell me you don't need to see Raoul in that immediately.
Raoul actually is wearing a pared down uniform of Chagny. He went to the military academy there and was in the armed forces before leaving to captain his own ship. It's what he feels like a Captain should wear. On the planet, military/public service is compulsory and every individual needs to go through it (during the first two years of university, which is paid by the government, an individual either chooses to go to a military institution or choose to be civil servants working at government run services ie libraries, parks, etc) and serves for at least two years and those who want to move onto other things do and those that want to stay stay. It's comfortable for him. He has managers and capable people to run the public aspect of the ship, food, entertainment, maintenance. He is really just there to fly, but he's also funding it, so he cannot help but be involved. And yeah, he may have made a sexual innuendo somewhere in his discourse. May have.
Fic Review: Raoul's really not oblivious to Erik's obvious reaction to his request, but he's gone through life with people underestimating him. It's easier to play dumb and trick them into doing what he wants though.
Okay and Erik caves. He really does not mean to but he inserts that data chip into his system and it's not just instructions, contact information, and the contract he was expecting. They're there of course because he would need to know what he's getting into before accepting and it is just morbid curiosity of what he's refusing that makes him check. But there's also a short video from Raoul himself, one saying that he heard from LeFevre that Erik, though the best, would not want to go with them and that considering his schedule he would not be able to stay very long. He sheepishly admits that he did research and found out a bit of Erik's past and in return offers a quick line about himself I am the youngest of four to a dear brother who is, to no fault of his own, loved most by our father and two sisters who are both married and well thought of in social circles. With a smile that looks apologetic, he adds, I am the black sheep of the family, wanting to see the universe and letting others to see it as well. And he lays down the basics of the contract he wants Erik to take, what his job entails, and he ends the message with I would be honored to see the universe with you. And let's not talk about the sheer number of times Erik rewatches the video and loops the last line when a Raoul who had known of his past and the violence that surrounds him, who had not met him through any means other than hearsay, offers him the universe. He thinks him naïve and stupid and ultimately, joins him, telling himself that not only can he find the same if not better prospects on any planet but also that Christine is going to be there.
He, unfortunately, spends the entire trip to the Delta Quadrant trying to keep the Palais Garnier together: shouting at Buquet and the other mechanics what they need to do, buried in her engines, in her walls, in the rooms bemoaning the disrepair and inefficiencies that exist on the ship. He simply had not known just how bad and outdated everything had become. LeFevre only ever really let him fix major issues. He does not get to see Christine very much, although they cross paths and she talks to him and everything, but her time is taken up with the Managers and rehearsals. More often than not though, to his surprise, it is the Captain of the ship ("Who is flying this wretched ship if you are constantly here?" "I do have a crew." "You mean you are useless as a pilot." "It takes little to pilot a beauty like this. I need to ensure that all of my crew is happy and doing well. Are you well, Erik?" And what can Erik say to actual concern to his welfare? It makes him feel uncomfortable and deeply pleased at the same time.) who is often at his side, enough so that when he's not there or not lingering by some corner watching him yell at everyone else, Erik feels almost bereft.
Either way, in the end, it's so worth it like Raoul has promised. And perhaps, far far into the future after so much angst, unresolved sexual tension, misunderstandings, and heartache, they share their vows and Erik says I would be honored to see the universe with you.