"So, what are we doing?"
"Hm?"
"Just going to stand out here. Why?"
"Hm?"
"Why are we here, Meri!"
Raoul and Reyer have been standing outside the Swan Theatre for about an hour now. Reyer's staring into space, while Raoul has been trying to ascertain why they are even there.
"Moira." Reyer says the name as if it is vile, poison.
"Moira?"
"She was my best friend, before you, she's evil." He spits out the last word.
"Oookay, and we're here, because?"
Reyer says nothing, he produced two tickets. Raoul is still completely lost here.
"She's the stage manager here, has been for a few years, and each year, no matter the theatre, she sends me tickets. The best seats." Reyer says, he crumples the tickets in his hands.
"The bitch." Raoul is at a total loss here.
"She does it on purpose."
"Intentionally sending you free tickets. Why do we hate this?"
"She poaches talent. She's been trying to get Carlotta for years, not sure why it's failed, but she's been successful with others, some of my band, our head of wardrobe, after she left us, went on to win Helen Hayes Awards," Reyer is too angry to finish.
"Timing," Raoul says.
"She's been asking around about Sorelli, Christine."
"They have contracts with us, they cannot just up and go."
"She's trying to buy land around Opera Populaire. She is doing it to piss me off. You know what the last thing she said to me was?"
Raoul does not, he shakes his head.
"Dangerous Liaisons is overrated."
"No." Raoul tries to keep his sarcasm out of his voice, and he fails, but Reyer is too about his hatred of Moira, to notice.
"I know! And that she hopes I fall into a coma the day Hunchback of Notre Dame finally makes it to proper Broadway."
"Monster."
"I know!" He hisses.
"Why are we here, Meri?"
"Closure. She was my best friend when I first got engaged to Jules. Now I need to close that chapter, disinvite her. She keeps sending me wedding bullshit. As if she is going! She is doing it to fuck with me. I need to tell her to go to hell one last time and then walk away forever."
"That's mature of you."
"Thank you."
"So, are we going to go inside to do this? Or curse the building?"
Reyer exhales and inhales. Shoulders back, chin up, he striders forward, pushes the doors open and he is a man on a mission, Raoul has to fight to keep up with him.
Reyer finds the manager's office and enters. Moira is a pretty petite redhead, her eyes shine, she jumps up from her seat and she practically jumps Reyer, they hug for a good minute.
"Rey, my god! I'm so glad you came! You freak of nature, why have you been ignoring me!" Moira takes a step back and slaps his arm teasingly.
"You know why I'm here."
"I miss you, babes. Angel keeps stopping by, she really wants to see you." Moira rubs his arm, and Reyer winces.
"I have nothing to say to that woman." Reyer says through closed teeth.
"I told her about your wedding." Moira says softly.
"And she didn't die? How disappointing." Reyer says snappishly. Moira hits his arm.
"She is your family! She raised you!" Moira chides.
"She's also abused me and my siblings!" Reyer says hotly.
"Let the past die, babes. She wants to move forward, and I know you do too."
"There are some things, only Satan can forgive, and until then, they both can suffer each other's company." Reyer tilts his chin upwards. Moira shakes her head.
"Rey, you need to let go. It happened years ago, and you didn't die. You are just moping like a spoiled child at this point. Also, rude. Gonna introduce us?" Moira nods at Raoul, who waves.
"This is Raoul, Raoul, this is a bitch named Moira."
"Oh, you!"
Raoul holds out his hand, she stares at it, as if he is the filthiest thing ever. He waits, he then awkwardly takes back his hand.
"I don't touch strangers." Moira says.
"Bless your heart," Raoul says. His friend from North Carolina told him about that one. Her eyes spark at that, mission accomplished. Raoul smiles and nods, small wins.
"Rey, the show is starting in a few minutes, you should take your seats, it's rude you arrived so late." Moira touches his arm again, and pouts.
"Oooh, is it rude?" He says mockingly.
"Rey, you're better than this."
Reyer digs through his pockets, pulls out a few things. The Loudest of Snacks.
"Good thing I got snacks! Let's go, Raoul! We got theatre!"
Before Reyer leaves, he pauses and turns around.
"It's so good to see you! Ah, you!" He gives her the fakest of smiles before he glares and leaves. Raoul waves and follows his friend.
"I'm going to commit a sin, but I'm not turning my phone off and I am texting everyone!" Reyer shouts, waving his hands aggressively in the air.
"I'm his only friend, who is he going to text?" Raoul asks no one and follows him.
Raoul likes simple things in life. He enjoys tea, because, English. He likes a good book, gin, because his older brother, and coffee, because New York and America. He likes to spend Sunday morning alone, drinking coffee outside at whatever café catches his fancy.
He's doing that now, got coffee, a pastry, and a book. He's enjoying the crisp air of this Sunday, it's great. It's good. Then Moira, someone he does not know, sits down across from him.
Rude.
He puts his book down, he is not rude, and gives her his attention. She places her hands on her purse in front of her, and he feels like the devil is about to demand he lick her shoes.
Even Erik does not give him these vibes and it's Erik.
"We have a problem." She says, she taps her fingers on her purse.
"Do we?"
"You have influence over Rey. Influence I used to have."
"Uh huh."
"I need Angel to be at this wedding."
"The wedding neither of you are invited to." Raoul points out.
"I need to be at this wedding." She says her voice at an increased pitch. She is growing irritated.
"I don't know you and I don't manipulate my friends."
"Jules Bernard is the most influential and important man in this country. He has influence in several countries all over the world and I need him. Rey broke up with me for, stupid reasons, and I need him back."
"You just told me you intend to use or have used people that are in my life that important to me, or important to people who are important to me. I do not do social climbing bullshit. I do not care. You want to use Jules? Figure it out on your own."
Raoul picks up his book and intends to read, this bitch can see herself out. She leans over, grabs the book, and throws it behind them.
"I have two loves in my life, money and theatre. Jules can get me in the circle of money and stupid, desperate men. I can suck it up, be a piece of ass, as long as I get my money so I can keep my theater, because no one is in this life for the millions."
"Not my problem."
Raoul does not like this woman.
"Oh, please. Why do you think Rey likes you or Jules? Same thing. Theatre and money. He needs money, he likes the excess and the attention, and he makes an excuse he does it for the art he loves."
He is verging on hating her.
"Why would I do anything for you? I don't know, I don't owe you."
"Does your brother know you're gay?"
"What?"
"I'm not stupid, I do my research." Moira slides something out from her purse, Raoul's mobile. Oh. She is good.
"According to these texts. He does not know you have a serious boyfriend. In fact, none of your society friends know."
"People care less about that today, and I cannot lose my position over this, I also own the Opera Populaire."
"You could lose your brother."
Ah. There is that.
"What's it going to be?"
"I don't like you." Raoul glares at her, he takes his phone.
"I need to be at this wedding."
"Blackmail doesn't work on me. I don't use people."
"There are other ways to take someone down, honey. I need to be at this wedding."
Monday arrives, the previous night forggten with good sleep and gin. That is until Raoul arrives at the Opera and he finds officers and Reyer in his office.
"Hello." Raoul says, he walks over to his desk. Reyer is pale and he is holding his head.
Several photos are pushed in front of Raoul.
"So you like to get high with underage girls?" The officer asks, tapping the photo.
"What?"
"Raoul, what did you do?" Reyer's voice is hoarse.
"I-uh. I can explain."
"So, you admit that this is you, In the photo? High as a kite with a fifteen-year-old?"
"Uh, that's me, yes, but I-"
"Excellent! Why don't you come with us, I'd love to show you around the station?"
"Raoul," Reyer is shaking.
Raoul's phone in his pocket starts to buzz.
Unknown
Happy Monday! Still waiting for my wedding invite
XOXO
Raoul throws his phone to Reyer, he catches it confused. He leaves the officer, trying to explain himself.
"Oh, fuck me."
Reyer knows the number, as he checks it.
"Trying to take my friends down, fuck you." He starts to pace around the room. How is Reyer supposed to fix this!
"Killing her would be irrelevant, no matter how satisfying, because this doesn't fix anything!" Reyer kicks the chair.
"I need a witness. Someone who can clear his name. Why were you out with teenagers, Raoul!"
Reyer pauses. Teenagers. Thought occurring. Teenagers. Christine is eighteen. Raoul and Christine have only just started to spend time together.
Okay, Okay
Reyer continues to pace, aaah!
Meg!
Meg did not show up to rehearsal today. Coincidence? He runs to the desk, maybe some kind of clue. Meg does not live with Christine anymore and he is not sure how to access Erik's lair, and he doesn't want to go there alone.
Aha! A note, in the style that Erik sends when he does his Phantom shit.
Leto,
Meg is ill. She will be unable to attend rehearsals today, most likely the rest of the week. It will be for the best you stay away as well. When she is better, I'll let you know.
Erik
Reyer is back to panicking. Meg could be a lead, a good witness, she could explain what happened, maybe she was there! Maybe! Reyer fumbles with Raoul's phone and is shaking again
He is about to text the Devil, that's not something he can say he does every day. He is going to be potentially alone in the dark, with Satan, who loves to fuck with his mind, but Raoul! He must save Raoul!
That stupid bitch! What does she want with Raoul! And asking for a wedding invite? What the hell, leave his friends alone.
Did she try to get Raoul to do something behind his back? Raoul is stupid enough to constantly stand up to Erik!
As If he would cave to a lesser gremlin!
Reyer takes deep breaths, he finishes the message and he waits. Oh god, this is going to be torture.
The phone dings.
That Guy
Knock, knock.
Reyer blinks, and then he hears it. A loud knock, knock, knock. The wall moves, Reyer takes a step back, and it opens, to reveal a door. Reyer waits, because he knows He is there.
And he waits.
Waits.
Waits still.
Reyer slowly braves to walk forward.
He taps the door.
Nothing.
He turns the handle, and he walks through the doorway, he looks left, right. He has no idea what he is doing.
He turns the phone's light on and he tries to find his way forward. He feels like he is in one of his RPG games, but usually he would have party members, but there is the portion where it's just you.
Oh, he is not like his Warden. She is so much braver than he is. She's also a mage and has magic to protect her.
He sighs, he keeps moving, pressing along, as he has no other option.
Finally, he is blocked by a wall. The phone dings again.
That Guy
Diagon Alley.
Reyer knows exactly what to do, aha! It works. Nerd save the day! The wall reveals another door, and Reyer is speechless.
It's not some creepy spider infested lair! It's a beautiful well cared for manor! Everything is clean, bright, like he stepped onto the set of a Dangerous Liaisons production.
Are there servants running around?
"You survived. Well done." Says a voice from behind him. Reyer jumps and regrets his decision to come here.
"This way," Erik doesn't wait for him to respond as he walks ahead, eventually they are in a lovely little hallway, it looks normal enough. There are even family photos.
Erik stops at a door and opens it, he gestures. Reyer walks in, there is a sleeping figure. Reyer has never been in a teenage girls room.
Reyer stops at her bed and looks down. He feels bad, having to wake her up. Erik does not, he sighs annoyed, pushes Reyer out of the way and taps Meg, who sits up, rubbing her eyes.
"Huh? I don't want the posies." Meg blinks sleep from her eyes.
"Do you remember that rave you attended?" Erik asks, his voice soft, tender, he lovingly pets Meg's hair.
"Yes,"
" You should be recording this." Erik says to Reyer, his focus still on the teen.
Reyer sets the device up and points it towards her.
"Meg, did Raoul know you were going to a rave?" He is still speaking softly, and Meg is half afraid of him.
"I think I told him after, he didn't want to leave the house. He said he wanted to take his babysitting seriously. I kind of um,"
"Hm?"
Reyer leans in closer, to capture what she is saying.
"I ran away. He had to follow me. He did not know where we were going. It was me. I lead him there."
Meg feels sick for different reasons. She is confused at is not sure why Mr. Reyer is pointing his phone at her, or why he is even there.
"So, you ran away from your babysitter, he followed you to take you back home, but you lead him to the rave, he had no knowledge about." Erik anger swells a bit.
"Yes." Meg says miserably. She does not want to go through it all again.
"That might be enough," Reyer says. Erik shakes his head. He cups Meg's face and forces her to look at him.
"The drugs. How did Raoul get them? He thought they were tic tacs."
Reyer keeps the device on. Meg Is hesitant. Erik applies pressure and she responds.
"Vincent had tic tacs, we both thought they were tic tacs."
"Meg," Reyer says," it's very important you're honest. Raoul's been arrested because of this. We need all the information you can give."
Meg moans. She did not know he would get in trouble; it was a stupid, stupid night and she's trying to forget about it.
"Vincent said they were mints; he gave them to Raoul. That is what we thought they were, I swear!" Meg cries. She feels pathetic and wants the world to go away now.
"Where does he live."
Meg tries to look away, but Erik's grip is strong.
"Where does he live, Marguerite."
She mutters the address; Erik hears it and stores it in his brain. He kisses the top of her head and motions for Reyer to follow him.
"I trust you can find your own way back and to the proper authorities with your new information." Erik says, he speaks slowly. He clenches and unclenches his hands.
"I can, yes. Thank you."
"You can see yourself out, I have a hunt to prepare for." Erik walks off in the opposition direction humming a song that makes Reyer think of death and funerals.
Reyer makes a hasty exit.
"That was terrible." Raoul says as he and Reyer leave the station.
"I don't know what Moira said or tried to get from you, but if she-"
"I don't care what she wants. I don't use or betray my people." Raoul says.
"She clearly has information on you, she's willing to use to hurt and or destroy you. And the fact that you are willing to be set on fire for me is amazing, I love you, and also, well no. It's just, this is not how the episode of Gossip Girl would end. I mean." Reyer pauses to think. Now he needs a GG marathon, XOXO, Monday night plans.
Raoul shakes his head.
"I'll die before I betray myself, my convictions or the people I love."
Reyer slaps him.
"You stupid bastard! You know she heard that! God, what were you thinking! if you die, I will kill your ghost!" He screams in frustration.
"You will kill my ghost?" Raoul repeats, he arches a brow and is greatly amused.
"With the duck!"
Reyer strides forward angrily. Raoul laughs and follows him.
