Reyer enters the office, surprised that Raoul hasn't arrived yet. He looks around, checking to see if he's safe and truly alone. He sits down behind the desk and picks up the phone.

"Hello, this is Meri Reyer, president of the Earth, I'd like to speak to the Galactic Emperor. Yeah, it's about money."

He sets the phone down, picks up the duck and holds it close.

"I respect you and want to kill you."

"Hey, I think I understand Erik!" He says to the room, as if this is a sudden epiphany.

He spins around in the chair, stops, kicks his feet up on the desk. He points at the empty chair across from him

"You're fired! And so's your dad!"

He picks up the phone.

"Hello Germany, this is France re: 1940. Fuck you!" He hangs up.

"M, what are you doing?" Raoul sets his coffee down on the desk. Reyer says leans back in the chair.

"This desk exudes power. I like it."

"It's just a desk."

"I feel like the president of the planet."

"Do you now?"

"Yes. Like I can do anything."

"Excellent, do you want to deal with the mail and bills then? Because, if you're president of everything—

"President of the planet,"

"Then you probably are the best person to handle this business. Look, this is from Erik. Let's see what has him vexed today."

"I'll leave all of those matters to you and your capable body."

"I deeply regret sharing that with you."

Reyer reaches for the note in Raoul's hands.

"What does he want us/me to do? Is it a casting thing? Is it about the ballet? I know he doesn't care for ballets, he never pays much attention to them in the Opera," he stops when he sees Raoul's face change colors, and coughs, he is uncomfortable which is hilarious because that means,

"Or rather what does Erik want to do to you?"

Raoul quickly puts the note behind his back.

"Nothing, it's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"You're blushing like a schoolboy who's crush just checked, "yes"

"I am not!"

"You are!"

"Am not!" Raoul's voice cracks, that only makes it so much more fun for Reyer. He laughs like a fool.

"When your wedding comes around, I hope you can't fit into your tuxedo and the replacement ruins your color scheme, and the entire aesthetic for the wedding." Raoul says in a very sardonic, somber, flat tone. He looks at Reyer unblinking, who's mouth forms "O" shape and feels like he's been sucker punched by his best friend.

"That's literally the meanest thing you could have said to me."

Reyer picks up the duck and throws it Raoul

"Suck the duck." He snaps. Raoul catches the duck, which causes him to drop the note he was hiding. Reyer jumps from the chair, runs around and dives at the ground, gets the note and rolls to the corner and reads it before Raoul can take it back.

Little Leto,

You appear to be rather taunt and I am sure I can come up with some solution to assuage you of such tensions. The text is part of your training, there will be exams, it is not a paper weight. You will meet me in Box Five after tonight's production's intermission. Do not be late, punctuality is a desired virtue. You would not want to start off negatively with me, do you?

Your ever-patient Master,

Erik.

"Well, what are you going to wear for you hot date?" Reyer asks, still on the ground.

"I don't know."

"Why does he call you, 'Little Leto,'?"

"She's the goddess of demure or something."

"Really? That is your pet name? Okay."

"You wouldn't understand."

"Do you?"

"Suck the duck." He throws it.

"What text is he talking about?" Raoul hands up a brown packed shaped book. Of course it's a book.

"It's probably a book on myths, he wants me to be educated on Greek Myths."

"That's what the "exams," he mentioned are going to be about?"

"I assume so."

"Some of this note is very alarming."

"You know he can be playful."

"He also likes to murder people. For funzies. Take heart, my friend. I can't afford for you to die."

As per instructions of the note, Raoul went to box five after the intermission. He felt like a fool. The concierge girl, led him to the box, asked if he wanted anything, which he promptly stated all of the alcohol, she nodded and after a few minutes, she had a box full of wine, spirits and many other potent potables.

He started with gin. He likes gin. His brother is the wine drinker and when Raoul turned 12, he would take him on adventures to different wineries and educate Raoul on why certain grapes were better than others, why they taste they way the do, the importance of soil, air, the sun, and the person who takes care of the crop itself. If you love the land and the vegetation, you will yield the best results.

It's hard for Raoul to drink wine, he thinks of his brother, of those times, and he feels a longing. His brother practically raised him, and once Raoul turned 22, he left to have the life he was denied.

"You're out of university, you have a grand adventure of your own waiting for you at the Opera Populaire. Be weary of Moncharmin and Firmin, they will use you and chew you up. I'm only a letter away, little brother. This is where are journeys separate, but we will come together again one day."

That was three months ago. Raoul has so much he wanted to say, to tell him. To confined him about, he is scared and for the first time in his life, Philippe isn't there to hold his hand and fight the monsters with his sword of brotherly/fatherly awesome.

He feels the gin work its magic. He feels calmer, relxed. That it will be okay, and that he's got this. The box is terribly dark to the point of being blind.

"Lover in the dark." He says with a sudden appreciation and realization. He laughs and reaches for the bottle of gin and fills his glass. He knows things. He's smart, that's why people like him.

"Starting without me?" Raoul looks around, which is in vain, as he cannot see in the dark and he does not trust his vision at this point, since it's growing increasingly hazy. He's about to see double, if he could see.

"Have some." He holds the bottle out. He moves it to the left, to the right, until a hand grabs his wrist and lowers the bottle back onto the table.

"I'd prefer you not to be inebriated, but that cannot be helped now." The other man sighs.

Raoul would be a liar if he said he was not nervous about what's to come next.

"We'll start slow, just follow my precise instructions, we'll get along." Raoul feels gloved hands start with his hair, the lower to his neck, chest. He feels his breath against his neck, his skins erupt with goosebumps and butterflies wreak havoc in his stomach and lower parts.

"Before we begin," Raoul feels the material of his mask rub against his cheek, "you'll need to chose a safe word. If it gets too intense, say the word and I'll stop. So, what is it going to be, Little Leto?" He feels hands touch and caress his face roughly.

"Um. Duck!" Raoul feels stupid for choosing that. Stupid Reyer. He's glad that it's dark and Erik cannot see his face blush. Though, his eyes are freaky freaky, golden and glowing. Raoul shakes it off. No. He can't see in the dark. Humans don't have night vision, for the most part.

"Hm. Duck it is."

Raoul curses himself again.

"Now, take off your pants and we'll begin your next training session and lesson."

"So, how was it?" Reyer asks the morning as they walk in together.

"We fucked in the box, it's weird. I didn't think I would like public fornication, but I didn't count it because it was dark and the curtains were closed."

"Yeah, clearly doesn't count. Did you like it?"

"I think so?"

"You think so."

"It got, uh, intense."

"Right."

"Is it normal to uh, have a safe word."

Reyer stops walking.

"I'm not into that kind of sexual intensity."

"Oh. So it's not normal?"

"Raoul, I need you to go to a library and read every book you can find on sex. There is no true, "normal," You are so sheltered, it's fine, but Erik is clearly way too advanced for you. He's Honors A.P Sex and you're Remedial. You need to study up, and get comfortable. Read, find out what sounds good, talk to Erik about it and go from there."

"When I accepted this position, I didn't think it would lead to this. Life got life fast."

"Yes."

"I just realized that I didn't do anything related to my manager duties yesterday."

"I forgive you."

"No. It's not good. I need to set my priorities."

"Oh, don't worry, you'll make up for that today, Sorelli got so pissed off at Carlotta she set her dressing room on fire. The bill from the fire department came today. Have fun with that." Reyer taps his friend's shoulder and heads off to the players.

"Oh, suck a duck." He rubs his temples.