Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN PHANTOM! I do own everything and everyone else in this story. Including my beloved theater.
I got to see Phantom of the Opera in Madison. It was absolutely beautiful and Gary Maeur who played the Phantom was wonderful. I knew Kim Stengel who plays Carlotta so I got to go backstage and I have been in heaven ever since.
Agent Alexandra Paris:I know he's out of character, but the only in character emotions we saw Erik have in any form of media has not included any realistic tender emotions. Also I even forgot that I was using the movie Phantom with the musical story. And Gerald Butler was absolutely passionate and a touchy, feely phantom so I had to let that free for at least a little while.
Lackaz: I couldn't think of any way to give the company hard core proof that Erik is the real phantom. There was nothing Erik could say that any fan wouldn't already know and if they didn't the cast would think he made it up. Also the cast and crew is made up of slightly obsessive fans who are in the theater as a tribute to their chosen genre of the phantom so if you introduced someone who is dressed as the phantom and say he's Erik any phan would believe you for the fun of it. After a while the group wouldn't be able to doubt he was Erik after spending more time with him. And I have no problem with you proofreading my work. I never catch my mistakes with then and than and I doubt I ever will. So thank you.
Count Orlok: As always thank you so much for your review, your one of my best supporters.
Shesshomaru's Angel: Well I hope you like the demented American Idol. I thought he idea would be utterly painful for Erik so he'd make a perfect Simon but I will be pushing him to the point of trying to murder someone so it will be a bit more hilarious. He just can't take anymore after a while.
Miranda de la Costa: Thanks for the all the well wishes and your new chapter is absolutely fantastic!
Story Note: This chapter is going to be one emotional roller coaster. It goes from tender, to absolutely hilarious, to anger and near murder. Plenty of suprises in this one. Enjoy!
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Chapter 10: I'm Not Alone!
Ariel woke to find herself on the couch with Ghost curled up beside her. She blinked away sleep and wondered what she was doing on the couch. She yelped when she sat on something sharp. She pulled it out to find a slightly mushed rose. She had sat on the point of the rhinestone. After a while she smiled and looked around for Erik.
She searched the apartment but he wasn't there. Frowning at the clock that said it was only four o'clock in the morning, she wrapped the blanket around herself and went down to the theater.
Ariel was careful to not make much noise. Skipping the steps that creaked under foot. As she neared the stage she heard a piano playing. She followed it and saw Erik. He had discarded his jacket and vest after he'd gone to sleep and hadn't put them back on. He looked comfortable in his surroundings.
He sat erect on the piano bench and would play some small tune and then write with one of Ariel's red ball point pens on some empty music sheets. Ariel decided not to disturb him and instead sat on the bottom step of the staircase and watched him. After a while Ariel could hear that all the tunes Erik played had developed into a full length song.
Erik started the song over again and then his voice started to play along with the music.
Angels sang when you were born
When you took your first breathe
Devils fled from your light.
A sign that you were blessed.
How can I be near you
And still I don't fear you
Is my heart really that wise..................?
You'd.......... be........suprised.
Erik's fingers moved across the piano keys and Ariel sighed as he sang. It was a soft, breathy song. Feeling like a caress against her skin.
Your kiss is like a gift that will never fade
A memory i'll never ever trade.
Is it possible to feel this way again?
Will you always being dancing in my head?
How can I be near you
And still I don't fear you
Is my heart really that wise.................?
You'd..........be...........suprised...............
By the love.............in my eyes............
Ariel was once again lulled to sleep by Erik's voice. When he was finished composing he found her asleep on the stairs with the blanket wrapped around herself. He smiled and lifted her in his arms gently so as not to wake her.
Erik carried Ariel to her bedroom and put her down on the bed. After removing her shoes, Erik brought the blankets up to her chin.
" Sweet dreams mon amie." He whispered before going back to the front room to sleep for a few more hours himself.
Chapter 11: We Have A Problem
Weeks passed and the production of 'Blind To It All' was coming to a close. Erik and Ariel were getting closer by the day and the theater company watched, and sometimes intervened for the couples behalf. The group had named Veronica and Darius the official matchmakers.
They had only a week before the next play would be up on the stage in 'Blind To It All's' place. Ariel was pushing most of the cast harder then usual and even Erik was helping sometimes from behind the scenes. Mostly trying to calm down the theater owner when she was ready to burst into tears. That's why Anthony's news was definitely not a welcome addition to all the stress.
Anthony Carter came to rehearsal late and Ariel who was having problems with a music cassette that the player had eaten was on the verge of chewing him out. Seeing the train wreck coming his way, Anthony started into his explanation quick.
" I got some bad news." He knew it wasn't going to brighten Ariel's mood but it did stop her from mauling him. " What bad news?" Erik asked who had just come down from the catwalk where he'd been helping Kyle tie off some arial scenery. Most of the cast gathered around as well.
Anthony held up a handwritten message and started reading.
Dear Mr. Carter,
We will be needing your presence earlier then expected for costume fitting and make-up tests for your role as the phantom in our production. Your wife Giselle Carter will be needed as well but only for costume fittings. We apologize for the sudden change in plans. You'll be needed at the first of the month at the latest.
Everyone started asking questions at once. Sounding very much like a flock of seagulls. A few chose people like Tom and Darius tried to bring order to the mayhem. Erik simply stood off to the side with his arms crossed over his chest and watched Ariel as she took a few deep breaths and filled her diaphragm.
" Shut Up!" She shouted deep enough to fill the entire auditorium. The immediate silence that followed made Ariel turn red as she became the center of attention. She shook it off quickly, taking command of the situation. " This is definitely a problem, but we'll take care of it. Now I need everyone back to rehearsal while Anthony, Giselle and I figure this out." She said, making eye contact with each cast member she could. Her face softened and Erik could see how tired she was for a moment. " Practice whatever scenes your having trouble with and i'll be back in a few minutes."
The company scattered in opposite directions though they still cast backward glances at the leading actors and the theater owner.
" Anthony, Giselle, Darius, Veronica, Erik. Let's go upstairs and talk about this fun bit of news." Ariel said calmly to the five she had deemed the inner circle of the theater, Erik had become a member simply because of who he was. They all went up and were greeted by ghost who upon seeing them seemed to understand now was not the time to play.
Everyone found a seat somewhere in the living room. Erik stood near Ariel, seeming like a dark shadow of the woman to everyone else.
" So we need to start auditions sooner, preferably tomorrow." Ariel said, raking her fingers through her red hair. Her voice was strained and no one thought to question her decision. They had all been avoiding the auditioning new actors to replace Anthony for a while now. " The hardest part will be teaching the musical to someone we won't be able to show off in one of the old productions." Darius said. It was true, they had never put a new singer in a new production before it was always too risky.
" But remember we need a new Christine as well, I won't be here either. I can stay to help train the girl but that's all." Giselle said, Anthony's hand on her shoulder.
Ariel groaned. " I hadn't even thought about a new Christine. We can't expect lighting in a bottle twice. I'm sure Katarina could be your understudy until I can find someone who fits. I'd like to take more time with picking a Christine since I don't have much time to pick a phantom." She stopped and took a deep breathe. " It's just such a difficult piece, voice and emotion wise."
" Perhaps I can solve our story problem."
Everyone turned to Erik who hadn't spoken once till now. Now he stood straight to capture their attention and remind him he was still there.
" I have been writing as of late. With some more music it would be a production unlike what you've done before but not as difficult as what we're doing now. I've only the ending to finish." Erik said, and more then one persons minds flashed to a certain Masquerade scene. Erik seemed to touch on the memory as well. " This is not like Don Juan Triumphant. But you need a romance obviously, so I took the liberty of writing my own story for once."
" Yeah, he's only been here for a month and we already have him writing fan fiction." Veronica said with a smile.
" It's not exactly fictional and they'll be no need for someone to play Christine." Erik said and everyone turned knowing eyes on Ariel. She blushed and frowned. " What? I have nothing to do with this. This is the first time i've heard about it too." She tried to protest in her own defense.
Erik chuckled. " It would be much easier for everyone to adapt to the roles I promise."
" Mind telling us the story then Erik?" Ariel asked. And Erik smiled. " I won't be telling you anytime soon my sweet seraph. Right now you have auditions to worry about while I and the others work on the new productions." He said and Darius, Anthony, Giselle and Veronica smiled at each other. The whole group had a hold of Ariel and before she knew it she was standing outside her own apartment door without remembering how she got out there.
It didn't take her long to realize what had just happened. She turned back to the door to find it locked and started pounding on it. " Erik Destler, you let me in right this moment. This is not the Opera Populaire, this is my theater and my apartment!" She yelled.
" Who said that made you queen?" Veronica said and Ariel could identify Darius and Anthony's laughter. Erik luckily was silent or Ariel would have kicked the door down. Instead the red head turned on her heel and stormed down the stairs to get ready for the eardrum shattering auditions the next day.
It was ten p.m. before the four conspirators finally let Ariel back into the apartment and that was only because she had leaned against the door and started singing ' John Jacob Jingle Himer Smitch' at the top of her lungs, hitting deliberately sour notes that rivaled Carlotta herself. The song was even annoying Ariel by the time Erik let her in, massaging his temples. She knew he would break first for two reasons. One, Erik hadn't grown up hearing the song like most modern children so he didn't have much immunity to it. Two, the man just couldn't tolerate bad singing.
" Do I get any idea what this story is going to be like now?" She asked and Erik gave her a small stack of papers. On them was the music for the new production and a few vague action descriptions that went with the songs. Ariel looked at Erik in shock. " Is this all you have?" She asked and Erik smiled smugly.
" No, that's all your allowed to have. Anything marked with an A is your part of the script. The full script will be with me and i'll be running rehearsals with everyone else while you go out shopping everyday for the next two weeks. And later in the day you and I will rehearse your songs." He said and Ariel was a bit stunned by the direct orders she was being given under her own roof.
But one look at the phantom's face and she knew there was no use arguing with him. He had every right to being doing what ever he damned well pleased. It was his story after all. She wasn't going to take that away from him because she was feeling possessive of the theater. Besides the fact that she and Erik would be practicing together was a perk.
" Fine, but you'll need to postpone the rehearsals until the day after tomorrow. Because tomorrow is going to be one long day."
That night Erik had Ariel at least practice ' Take Me As I Am' with him before going to bed. She vaguely noticed it was from the production that had recently been aborted and simply let herself go with the song as she was prone to do. She remembered the ease that hers and Erik's voices had mingled though Erik didn't seem to be putting any emotion into the song at all. When she asked him why he simply said " I'll give my soul to the music when I feel its the appropriate time. Until then I want to hear your voice soar."
By the time they had finished, Erik had to carry Ariel to bed she was so exhausted. Like the gentlemen he was, Erik left the moment she was asleep.
Chapter 12: Since When Was Simon's Last Name Destler?
The board of judges which again was formulated by the inner circle of the company were seated at a long folding table Tom had set up in front of the stage. Darius was fighting off a hangover and Veronica was still blurry eyed from sleep. Anthony and Giselle seemed a bit too perky for Ariel's 'I hate mornings attitude'. And Erik just sat there in between the others. He was totally unreadable and it bothered Ariel enough to wake up.
They all had notebooks to write down what they thought about the auditions but they actually only served the purpose of relieving boredom.
" All right, Kevin Clark your up first." Ariel called out the first name on the call sheet and a young man, who was slightly attractive yet timid walked onstage.
" Cool." He said, his voice a little shaky. " Is there a certain song I have to sing?"
" You can sing any song you like and then we'll have you sing 'Past the Point of No Return with Giselle." Ariel said with a gentle, encouraging smile. She didn't want to scare off anyone, like a certain unnamed phantom who was trying to burn holes in the youth with his eyes.
" Okay, can I sing 'Music of the Night'?" Kevin asked with a peak of excitement in his voice. Everyone but Erik flinched at the table. It was only nine a.m. and they were already going to be hard of hearing.
" Go ahead Kevin." Ariel said with false sweetness. The others glared at her.
Kevin started out good, keeping all his notes soft and melodious. Darius gave Ariel a suprised look not having expected someone good right off the bat. They were all pleasantly suprised until the song reached one of its crescendos and Kevin's voice hit the note way too high. Erik visibly shuddered and looked as if he would murder the boy right there on stage. It was easy to say Kevin didn't get farther then his first song before Ariel called next.
Tanner didn't even try a Phantom song. Instead he brought his own music and took a very flamboyant flamingo move and set the two straight man at the table into half contained laughter.
When the devil is too busy
And thats a bit too much
They call on me by name you see
For my special touch
To the gentlemen i'm misfortune
To the ladies i'm suprise
But call me by any name
Anyway its all the same.
The was a dramatic pause in the music and then Tanner started into the strangest of chorus's.
I'm the fly in your soup
I'm the pebble in your shoe
I'm the bee beneath your bed
I'm the bump on every head
I'm the root on which you slept
I'm the pain in every hip
I'm the thorn in your side
Makes you wriggle and writhe
And its so easy when your evil
This is the life you see
The devil tips his hat to me
I do it all because i'm evil
And I do it all for free
Your tears are all the pay i'll ever need.
Tanner only sang one verse, but it was enough to get across what kind of phantom he would play.
" And............why exactly did yo pick that song for this audition?" Ariel asked carefully, afraid of the answer.
Tanner shrugged. " Cause the phantom's supposed to be evil." He said matter of factly.
" Next!" Erik said immediately.
Auditions went downhill from there. Especially when the one guy came in dressed like the Phantom of Paradise and Darius tried to explain the movie to Erik. Some of the men that auditioned thought even if their voices didn't make the cut their charms would. Unfortunately when they tried this theory on Giselle or Ariel it only gained the promise of slow death from the glares of Erik and Anthony.
There was many off key versions of 'Music of the Night' and the group quickly found out if was much more fun to watch Erik's reaction to each one then pay attention to the horrible singing. They stopped one person from singing before more then one bar of the music had started playing when they realized he was about to sing 'Phantom of Your Dreams' by Walter Murphy. Who ever told Murphy that Disco and Phantom of the Opera was a good mix should have been shot.
Erik felt like someone had been scratching their nails over a chalk board all morning. Erik had heard a few choice people before in his life who he had named the most horrendous singers he'd had the misfortune to hear. Now the once short list was getting longer every time someone new came on stage. Do any of these people have talent? He wondered incredulously. Obviously the world was lacking it as of late and he was shocked with what was left in talent's absence.
Two hours later and Erik looked ready to kill the next person to come on stage. Luckily there wasn't any ropes near by for him to work with. Ariel barely glanced at her list, not reading the name. She was just happy it was the last one.
" Next." She said without looking up. " What song will you be singing for the audition?" She asked.
" Well thats up to you angel, what do you want to hear?"
Ariel froze. The familiar voice and nickname almost forced her to stop breathing. She looked up on the stage and then back down on the name that was last on the audition sheet. Malcolm Amos. She didn't have to even look at the man to feel the anger boil up inside her. HIs name was enough to force the old memories to the surface.
" Don't you ever call me angel again!" Ariel growled.
Erik was silent as he saw Ariel's reaction to the stranger. His mismatched eyes saw the furry burning in her green eyes. Her body tensed as if she were ready to attack at any moment. Erik thought about trying to calm her but sensed even a single word would set off whatever walking time bomb she had just become.
Malcolm Amos was a tall man with black hair to his shoulders and chocolate brown eyes. He was handsome. And he walked with a overconfident stride. But at the moment Malcolm was taken aback by Ariel when she rounded the table and came onto the stage. She was close enough that he could feel her breathe on his face.
" Get the hell out of the my theater you bastard!" She screamed at the top of her lungs and Malcolm took a step back.
Erik was up as well and stalked toward the man who Ariel had so far only verbally attacked with only one question in mind. What the hell is going on?
Author's Note:
This chapter was mostly told in Ariel's point of view because I don't want anyone to know what Erik is doing so far. He has some plans that need to be kept a secret for now.
Okay so thats a mean little cliffhanger. But I needed to finish the chapter so I can start on answering all the questions buzzing around in your heads. What is Erik writing and why won't he let Ariel see it? Who's Malcolm and why is Ariel attacking him? Who is going to take Anthony's place at the company? What's going to happen to Ariel and Erik? Lots of questions now I have to answer them. But I need some reviews first. Hopefully you all liked this chapter and still want to see more. So review and i'll help you find out the answers to all your questions.
The songs Erik is composing is an original piece i'm working on for a later chapter. And the song Tanner sings is called 'When You're Evil' by Voltaire.