Little Darling,
Rent is past due, Take heart, sweetheart, and remedy this quickly . It will be a shame if this caused us some form of unpleasantness. We both know that is not what you would want. Not after your return to the Opera. I am not without reason, and I know that this must be an oversight and not ill will. We do know better than that, don't we? You have until the end of the day.
Your ever understanding Lord and Master,
O.G.
Raul read the note that had been left on his desk serval times and he is not sure how he was able to concentrate considering how his hands will not stop shaking. He was certain that he left the check for the correct amount with Moncharmin and Firmin during his brief "vacation," surely that they followed instructions? They would not keep the money for themselves, would they? They are not dirty scoundrels. No. These men are of the elite, of the best of the best.
The check was cashed, he knows that much is true, his bank accounts prove this to be true. Someone has the money.
"Raoul, you wanted to see us. Is there something wrong?" Moncharmin and Firmin, just the two he needs.
"The check I left you, you followed instructions and left it in Box Five, correct?"
Moncharmin and Firmin exchange glances. Moncharmin ears turn pink. He looks like an ugly baby that is about to explode fecal matter. Better duck, Mama.
"We thought you would know better than to, to allow this obvious childish prank to continue!"
Firmin remains silent. This is not what Raoul wants to hear. He rubs his eyes and then his temples. This is not good. Then where is the money? Who has the money?
"Then what did you do with the check? My bank confirms that someone cashed it."
"That would be us. We used it to pay for some expenses associated with the Opera and publicity matters."
"Publicity matters. What publicity matters? We do not have anything like that until the end of next month. What did you pay for?"
"Carlotta needed some new furniture for her dressing room, Lord Chauncey needed some reassurances—"
"Lord Chauncey is a pedophile, I declined his "generous offer," we have minors that we must take of. I do not care about protecting monstrous men in "positions."
"Lord Chauncey is a lover of the arts! He can make and break a career and determine a successful season."
"He also has the capability of raping our Meg Giry, who just turned 16 and that is not something that will happen, not while I'm here."
"He may say some colorful things, but he would never act on them."
"Can you stake your life on that? Firmin's? Your lover's?"
Moncharmin face turns purple and his cheeks blow up even further.
"Whatever you promised to Lord Chauncey, send word that you have misspoken and we will no longer have need of him or his donations. We have others."
"Now see here, Raoul, you may have been chosen as our patron, but this business is something we know more about than you! This is a dangerous and delicate game. There are steps that must be followed and sacrifices must be made."
"I am NOT sacrificing a minor or her innocence. I will not do away with my convictions for coin, no matter how much I could use it. You will send back whatever you have accepted from him, and you will return whatever furniture that you gave Carlotta. Unless her furniture is broken or a health hazard, she will do with what she has."
"Raoul."
"This isn't a debate."
Raoul ignored the men until they got the hint and left him. Raoul has to do something about those two.
"I have to do something about those two." He rubs his face and pulls the skin. He needs someone he can trust. Why, oh, why did he ignore his brother and do business with them?
"Raoul, they're idiots. They will use you and chew you up." His brother had left to go to chase some woman across Europe and he wishes he had done the same.
Still, he would not have met Reyer, who has become his only friend, and then there was the matter of—anyway. No time for regrets of travels and such thoughts as these.
"Raoul, this is not fair! Moncharmin approved of this!" Carlotta chased him all over the theatre when she found him watching the rehearsals.
"It's not needed, and you are already treading on thin ice, your contract does not make you immune to everything. You will face consequences."
She huffs, her cheeks turn colors, she looks like she is going to scream loud enough to blow his head off, instead she swallows back whatever it is she wants to say/do and stomps off into the opposite direction.
"If our next production is a ballet, where does that leave me?" Sorelli demands. Her temper short.
"You will be in the chorus. We are expanding what we provide. It's good, we're generating new interest and revenue."
"I am not a chorus girl!"
"You are for this. It's one production and there are 36 members of our family, each of them will have a chance to shine like you."
"Fine." She raises her arms in a frustrated rage and walks away.
"Raoul! Problem!" Raoul follows Reyer's panicked voice, and when he finds what is the cause of the panic, he wishes he hadn't.
Moncharmin and Firmin are both caught up in a net that hangs several feet from the ground, with a note,
Tick tock, Little Darling.
" What does that mean? Are we in trouble?" If Reyer were the type to bites his nails in panic, this would be the time he would do so. Raoul takes the note and exhales deeply. He forgot about writing the new check.
"No. Moncharmin and Firmin used the rent money to buy things for Carlotta and our favorite pedophile."
"What? No. Why? Why!?" Reyer says the last part directly to the netted men.
"I just have to write a new check, everything is fine." Raoul says that more to himself than Reyer.
"Ah. What are we going to do about?" He nods to the net.
"Let them stew for awhile."
"And after that?"
"I supposed I'd have to pool resources to buy them out. I just need to talk to my accountants."
"I can't lose this place."
"We won't."
"I think I'd die."
"Don't be so dramatic. You'll be fine and retire in many years with many tales of O.G and the fun we've had."
"You say, "fun." I say "hell" and "torture,"
"I meant fun for him."
"Ah."
The rest of the day is without incident, Raoul calls his accountant, things are set in motion and he goes back to his desk, wrote a new check and promptly passes out from the days stress.
Raoul moans softly as he feels stress melt away from his shoulders, whatever is causing this can keep it up forever. He slowly finds his senses wakening and he realizes that those are hands. Hands are massaging his shoulders.
"You make such curious sounds when you're asleep." A voice purrs into his ear and Raoul's cheek flush with hot sensual heat and he wants to run. As he tries to stand, he is forced back down.
"Did you like your gift?"
Raoul is not sure what He is talking about. What gift?
"Gift?"
"I trust you understood the vague reference. No?" He clicked His tongue, mock disapproval.
"I'll lend you the book." He pats Raoul's cheek and removes His hands from Raoul's shoulders.
"I see you took my note seriously. I'll forego the interest and penalties, considering the circumstances. See? I told you I'm not unreasonable, and I know it must be so hard to not be able to trust those you work with, now you know."
"Now I know, don't leave checks to those two." Raoul tries to keep his voice firm, but he cannot help but crack. He feels like a teen again, and he remembers that summer he refused to speak until he could control it.
"Quite."
A beat.
Raoul dares not look or attempt to search for the man. He doesn't know if he can face Him right now, he has been totally avoiding this.
"You're rather demure, for a man. That is rather adorable. You're like Leto."
Raoul vaguely knew that name.
"Greek mythology?" He asked, he is half positive that he's correct.
"Correct!" That earned him a kiss on the cheek, Raoul felt strange material and knew that He was still wearing His mask.
"Though, Leto did end up fucking off with Zeus, but still she was the original goddess of demure. "
"And I'm like Leto, how?"
"Pre Zeus,"
"Is there a reason you're here?"
"Do I need a reason?"
Raoul could hear a thinly veiled threat and danger to that and needed to think fast to avert any violence and ill will.
"No, of course not, but you're not one to waste your time. So, I assume you, er, rather, have need of something?"
"Smooth recovery. Rather, is there something you would like to discuss with me?"
Ah.
The conversation Raoul thought he could hold off on for another twenty years.
"I. Um. Thank you?" Raoul felt very stupid saying that and imagined that he pulled a lever and time restarted. New first attempt, please! He hated these kinds of conversations, he had no experience with them, only read about them in novels or saw them in movies or soap operas.
"Hm. Want to try again?"
Yes, please!
"I mean. I. I appreciate. No. It was nice? No. I mean not that it wasn't nice, not nice like you were being friendly and doing me favor like helping me move, what I mean to say is, I enjoyed your company and thank you for your services."
Raoul wanted to throw up and have the world swallow him.
"No, that wasn't any better. Look, I'm no good at this. I don't know what I'm doing. My longest relationship was with my dog, and that was obviously, not sexual and she was the only thing I truly loved. I was there for her until the end. I held her in my arms as she died. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do, and then my priest told me she wasn't going to be in my Heaven, and I told him that then I rather go to Hell, if that's where she was and then he said I was misguided. I don't know what I'm saying. I'm sorry. You make me very nervous and I like it and it's strange and new and I don't know what to do."
Raoul wanted that ground to take him any time now. Raoul heard Him chuckle softly and the He breathed into his ear.
"I enjoy you." He pressed His masked face against Raoul.
"Oh? You're welcome?" Raoul winced and again, ground can eat him up at any point! Be struck down by Eros or just literally be the first man to die from embarrassment.
"You're adorable, Little Leto."
Nicknames are good right?
Raoul isn't sure what else he could say, he tries to get his brain to come up with something clever, more intelligent than his rantings of a teenage boy reveling his crush for the first time
"Is this priest still alive?"
Raoul had not expected that.
"Possibly. I haven't kept tabs on him. Is there a specific reason?"
He says nothing.
"Why do you want-"
He grabs Raoul's Jaw and lifts his head to face him.
"Don't ask questions."
He releases and pets his head.
"We'll get along much better that way, Little Leto."
"Uh huh."
"I'll find you when I want you. There's so much more I can teach you and train you to do."
"Tr-
"Don't ask questions." He pinches Raoul's cheek half playfully, half sending message of control/dominance.
"Right."
"I have business to take care of, I trust you do not require an escort?"
"No, I can find my way home."
He pets Raoul again and then he's gone. Raoul has no idea what's in his future and it terrifies him, but at the same time he's looking forward to it.