'Get Well Soon'
'How I hate Gypsy.' Erik thought to himself as he observed the ballerina's practise on stage. How she came to be here he was disgusted by even more. He had just settled himself in the catacombs of 'Opera Miricale', when the gypsy wench and her brother arrived. The patron, who happened to be the Ballet instructor, had found her dancing on the streets, and was so entranced by her that she immediately whisked her away to the theater.
Her brother, Amets, who was very over protective of his sister went on a rampage when he found out that she had been taken in by the opera. Claude, the owner of the opera house, was moved by Nekane's, that was her name though Erik refused to acknowledge it, brother's passion for his sister's protection and offered him a position as an upstarting actor. Amets thought it was a good chance to help raise money, and took it willingly.
Nekane and Amets tried their best to raise money because Nekane was sick. Because they couldn't afford medicine, she was almost blind, only being able to see a swirl of faded colors. But Claude still treasured her as his top dancer, because apparently she didn't need her sight to move the crowd with her movements. Erik respected that, but still hated her for what she was, a gypsy.
Elodie, the patron and ballet master, stopped her. Nekane's long, ebony hair whipped around and hit Elodie's light green eyes. "Ouch, be careful where you swing that hair of yours." She says warmly. 'She's too kind to that beast.' Erik growled in his head. In the past month he had tried to make his ominous return as the Opera Ghost, but these eccentric owners actually liked the idea of having a phantom, so they complied with all of his orders, leaving box 5 empty, giving him 20,000 franks(I dont know how to spell the French currency) a month, and they didn't even mind that he caused little catastrophes here and there.
Most of them were aimed at hurting Nekane or Amets, but they always escaped unscathed, much to the phantom's dissaproval. Elodie began to help Nakane off the stage so her brother and Aroura Borelli, the main attraction of the opera, could practise. Aroura reminded Erik somewhat of that annoying Carlotta-creature, but she was no primadonna. Aroura had talent and pride to show it, but she cared for others besides herself, infact, she hardly payed attention to herself at all.
She was the perfect front-woman, with honey eyes that could play any part, assassin, lover, bitch, and a body to die for. Her partner frontman was also quite handsome, dark eyes covered with long lashes, even darker hair that framed his face perfectly in curls. Although he and his sister were half-Basque, and had spent much time in the sun, their skin was still pale because of the finnish in them.
Erik, hiding in the shadows as usual, had learned of this fact quickly after they joined the theater. "'Nekane' and 'Amets', what strange names." Aroura had pondered aloud when dining with Nekane. The purpose of the meal was to basically explain how things were run. "Tell me, what nationality are you?" Nekane was a bit taken aback by this question, sure she had heard it before, but not form a member of polite society. "Well, my brother and I are Basque gypsies," "Ah!" Aroura said, nodding. "That explains it, but not your last name, Tahti sounds more-" "Northern? Well it should be," She responded at Aroura's nod that she could barely make out. "We're half Finnish."
Apparently her father was a warm and gentle gypsy from the northern Spain region, while her mother was a strikingly beautiful 'ice queen' from a small town near Helsinki who had come to Paris to become art itself. "Everyone thought," Nekane, who had quickly earned the pet-name 'kane'. "That she was always a cold and bitter person, quite the opposite. She was so full of fire and passion when she was around us." "What happened?" "father was always walking on the very edge of life, but this time it was the edge of wall. After he fell, she fell too, into a deep depression. She thought she could cure it by traveling, by doing what my papa had done, only she did it without us. Last I heard she became nothing more than an icecicle in Siberia somewhere."
"...Do you blame her?" "For leaving? No. Ame was already a man and his income was coming in steadily, we just reminded her of what she lost. SO she had to go and find it again. I was still just 15." "How long ago was that?" " Four years." "So young." The starlette sighed wistfully. Erik remembered this and thought of his lost love, Christine. He cringed and bit down on his knuckles. No longer would he be a monster and drive those who he loves away. But he'd still have to hide his face in order for anyone TO love him.
He looked down on Nekane once more. She was just simply sitting in an chair, obviously waiting for something. He noticed her shift uncomfortabley. Although he hated the gypsies for tormenting and utterly ruining his life, he couldn't help but feel sympathy for this particular one. She was practically blind and had to wait around while people took care of her, all the while not seeing the happiness and art she brings to everyone.
He sensed something in her that was all to familiar to him, the darkness, the silence, the music of the night. He hadn't even dealt with the music of the night since he came here, now looking down at this girl, with bright violet eyes that couldn't see, he was greatly inspired to express his artistic genius once more. 'At least the bitch's good for something' He thought ruefully as he made his way down to his catacombs.
A long passage way of empty tunnels with intricate water ways, much like his old dwelling, only instead of having to use a boat to get directly to his abode, there was a tiny walkway, spiralling up to his living spaces, like a natural stairway the place had provided. In one clearing he had his bed set up, in another his organ and a new instrument he just began to master, the violin, there were still many more empty ones. He planned on using one platform completely for working, like his last one.
He began composing music in his mind, writing it down, making changes as he saw fit. He didn't dare practise it now, people could hear and find him out, he'd wait until nightfall when people slept. That's where his work seemed to fit in most anyways, was the night.
------
Nekane was sitting up in her bed, unable to sleep. She was in a depression lately and was about to just sleep it all away when she heard it. Music. Beautiful music that seemed to pour straight from the moon and stars to her ears. Only she was the only one able to listen to it. She secretly indulged the thought. She was only sad it couldn't be any louder.
She was never an impulsive person, always did what her family told her ever since she became more womanly. But when she a child she was reckless like her father. Her old habits returned to her that night as she grabbed a torch and followed the sound. After awhile of wandering she found herself in the Opera house's cathedral. It was very small, much more like a room with a few prayer candels and a large cross that indicated where she was. There were also tapestrys with smaller cross on them, but she could hardly make them out. Until the music led her to one, that is.
She numbly had to feel the wall to make sure what it was, but when her hand touched nothing but cloth, she fell through. Picking up her torch and rubbing her now sore head she cursed to herself. "That's it! I'm going back to bed! Fuck this whole 'music of the night' thing." She grumbled, heading down the hallway she had stumbled into, not realizing it would take her in the completely wrong way.
After awhile of wandering aimlessly, she began to ponder if she was lost. Her fears were confirmed when she fell into water, thus putting out her torch. "Goddammit!" She cursed loudly, hoping someone, anyone would hear her, find her, and then procede to forgive her for her cursing. When no one came she began to cry, not because she was lost and couldn't find her way back to save her life, but for everything that had happened since her eyes began to grow weaker.
Once she was done empting out all her emotions, she noticed the music had stopped, bringing down her mood even further. "What are you doing here!" Boomed a voice. Since her hearing was considerably heightened, she could tell that the man was musically talented, about a few years older than her, and was very angry at her.
"Monseur!" She bowed, causing her hair and face to hit the water below her. She had never felt more embarassed in her life. "I am so terribley sorry to disturb you, but could you please guide me home?" Erik smirked at her, deciding to have a little fun in tormenting her. "What's wrong girl! Can't you see?" "...No sir, I'm afraid I cannot." 'Oh god! Why must it be one embarassment after another?' She thought as she bit her lip and clutched the hem of her dress tightly in her fists, making her knuckles turn white.
"Well, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I have much better things to do than to help a poor lost and lame child such as yourself." Her eyes widened at this. He was going to leave her here? She'd starve to death, or get even sicker just sitting aorund in this water. She lunged at his general direction and was satisfied when she felt herself grabbing onto his clothes. "Good Monseur no! You cannot just simply leave me here to die!" "And why not?" He asked, trying, with little effort, to shake her off. "You're not my responsibility."
"I wont let you leave me." She said stubbornly. "And what are you going to do about it?" She tried her best to summon her meanest glare and sternest voice. "I may be a young, a blind girl, but I am also skilled in the ways of magic." "Are you threatening me with a Gypsy curse?" "No sir. I am promising you, that if you leave me here, I will haunt you forever."
He scoffed. "I would expect as much from a street wench. hvaing no dignity and whatnot." "...What does dignity have to do with this?" "Look at where you're clutching foolish girl." He backed up, and she squinted to get a better view of the man, and as it turns out, she was clinging onto a place many women would blush at. She quickly let go, and he took his chance to take off.
She cursed under her breath and then started chanting. When she traveled with her family, she didn't just dance and sing for money. She told fortunes, and knew some spells, most her mother had taught her. Erik leaned against a wall, wondering how long it would take her to realize that he was still there. Nearly a hour passed and she still hadn't moved. That was, until she started bawling.
Now Erik was trying to become a better person in his new life, turning his back on those things that made him a monster, and making a girl cry was definately one of those things. Even if she wasn't lost or it was his fault or anything, the thought of tears filling her already troubled eyes wrenched his heart in two. Even though he hated her for what she was, he still had sympathy and decided to show her the compassion no one showed him.
He quickly strode over to her and place his hands firmly on her sholders, staring her in her eyes. "Hey, no need to fret," He said in a gentle tone, regretting any harshness he had possessed against her in his earlier actions. "I'm still here." She had stopped sobbing, but the tears still came, those of which he quickly wiped away.
She tried to focus her eyes on the man before her, was it the same one? All she knew that she could see him clearly at that distance, even though if she held things right in front of her, they were still blurry. Why was this man so different from a book or her own friends? She saw he had intense blue eyes, filled with despair, slicked, black hair, a very defined face, and a mask covering half of it.
"Why do you want to help me now?" She sniffed angrily. "Alright, if that's the way you fel I'll leave." He said, starting to rise, when she grabbed his sholder. "No, please, just help me." He smiled to himself at her helplessness, was this his chance for redemption? He scooped her up in his arms with little difficulty, the gypsy girl was light as air. She yelped and clung to him, frightened by everything she couldn't see or didn't know.
By the time he got to his lair, she was already asleep. He laid her down on the bed and was about to walk away, when he realized his own exhaustion. So he tried something he never dared with Christine, he layed beside Nekane and fell asleep. Completely and utterly relaxed.
-Fin Ch.1-