Chapter 14
Welcome to my Opera House
Disclaimer: The stalker song is thanks to Tripod, unfortunately I have no ownership claims past the CD. The Phantom isn't mine either, apply that to all other previous chapters.
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Cap'n Meg: Thanlyou for the smiley, and I got your email too!
Blaze-Logan Lover: Thankyou, Thankyou (bows extravagantly)
AngelofMusic15: Thanks! Welcome to my world
MetalMyersJason: Sorry, you'll have to wait for school to go back so I can catch up with Emma to write any more, but I'll try
Lady Assassin Moonbeam: Thankee kindly ma'am
xLetYourDarkerSideGiveInx: Believe me, I'm keeping on going!
Phantomsangel102: My dear I must thankyou most sincerely, so few appreciate the true art of spoken prose. (And this coming from me, who spends her days irritating the hell out of the Angel of Music with annoying things I do or have done by writing them).
RubyMoon2: Welcome! Welcome! Eek! Am I really the best? I feel so special! As to the fop, yes, well, I had to step in somehow and prevent Erik from junjabbing Raoul in the middle of the party, and I have a terrible habit of gruesome death threats, and this phic finally gave me the chance to indulge myself. But I'm glad I'm redeemed. Huzzuh! (err...I don't know where that came from)
Pertie: Isn't it though?
Asingledarkcrimsonrose: The DBCA, well, I suppose I really ought to give it a true form. So this is for you, (and anyone else who holds the wish to join) Sing this with me to become a fully caped member of the DBCA,under the ruling of your queen (me, hey this was my idea).
Past the point of no return
No going back now
Our games of silly clothes
Are at an end
Past all thought of pink or white
On with the blackness
So raise your voice in song and sing with me...
We pledge ourselves unto the night
The utter darkness of the cloak
The sweet seduction of the swirling cape
Let not strange looks take you away
From the rich drama of the cape
And swear yourselves
Unto...
The Night...
This is the theme-song and pledge of entrance. If anyone can come up with any new verses, tell me, because this was written in 5 minutes flat on a stolen half hour on the computer, and there is no need to point out that it is unutterable weird. Also, we don't work on the President and secretary scale, but on the medieval queens, princesses, philosophers, guards, warriors and knights. I will sort it all out fully sometime in the future, just tell me where you think you fit in.
After the first disastrous night at the lair, with Ayesha, Erik did not mention her having seen his face, and she did not press him. The boundaries he set, she respected. Apart from the one which included personal space. The girl had an infuriating habit of hugging him, and the explanation she gave him did nothing to settle his nerves.
"It's an addiction, Erik," she said, when he confronted her about it, opening her grey eyes wide, "Hugs are good luck."
"I have no need of your luck," he stated, and began walking away.
"Yes, you do." she replied to his retreating back, "And either way, it wont stop me giving them." Erik groaned, giving up.
Soon Erik began showing Adriana the way around the Opera house, he took her to Box 5, still left empty in case of bad luck, and taught her the ropes and ways of above and below stage. He was impressed with her ability to move silently through the shadows, but she astounded him with her skill of blending in with a crowd. He had been watching Carlotta fuss and whinge over her costume and was considering dropping something on her again, when a maid rushed out from the midst of the ballet dancers and came running up with some new hairpins then just as quickly hurried away. But not before she had looked directly into the shadows where he had been hiding and gave him a wink. He had almost fallen from the rafters in shock. He had been watching the rehearsals for over an hour, stagehands, chorus girls and divas all waltzing about the stage, but he hadn't recognised her, astonishing!
He chuckled to himself for a moment, and then deciding to go and see what his managers were up to, slipped silently off into the maze of backstage.
Erik watched silently from the shadows above as the fop and Christine chattered gaily with the managers. He hadn't wanted her to come back. Damn! He had never planned on ever seeing her again! But here she was, still beautiful and innocent as ever, and smiling with such a carefree attitude his heart wrenched.
He jumped as Adriana, obviously tired of playing the maid, dropped onto the platform beside him and draped herself across his shoulders, resting her chin on his shoulders.
"Hello Erik," she smiled, then looked down to see the people below them, she sighed, then gave a wicked giggle, snuggling closer against Erik's fine but broad shoulders.
"Is it ok if I stalk you?" she sang, in a child's singsong voice,
"I just want to make sure you're ok,
And behaving while I am away,
Is it ok if I stalk you?"
Erik twisted his head around to look at her,
"Do you mind?" he asked incredulously, Adriana shook her head, blonde hair spilling across her shoulders,
"Should I?" she replied mischievously. She looked down at Christine and Raoul and groaned, noticing the flashing beacon dragging down Christine's slender frame. "You can always tell a stupid man by his bad taste in jewellery," she sighed, motioning to Christine's flashy gold ring, which looked bigger than her entire hand. Erik gave a dark chuckle,
"You think?" he purred.
"Absolutely," Adriana declared, glaring at the badly dressed fop below them, "Look at him, he is dumb Erik. D-U-M-B. She probably has to put him on a leash so he doesn't go chasing after carriages when they're out in public."
In spite of his bad mood, Erik snorted with amusement, "You have a wicked mind," he told her, settling himself, so he was seated and Adriana could kneel and still keep her arms around him. He found he was almost beginning to enjoy her spontaneous hugs, they brightened up his day, along with her evil little schemes and comments she took such delight in.
"Why thankyou, monsieur," she sighed. Something squirmed in the pouch on her hip and he shifted away, to look at her with curiosity.
"What is that?" he asked, staring at the wriggling lump. Adriana reached down and untied the pouch, keeping a firm grip she opened the top of the bag and allowed Erik the glimpse of a yellow teethed rat.
"Think I can hit the fop?" she asked with a grin. Erik flashed an absolutely wicked and sadistic smile, leaning to one side of the platform, "Be my guest," he offered.
Adriana wriggled forward, leaning out to position herself directly over the fop, she went to open the bag, then paused.
"Erik?" she hissed, The Phantom was sitting, his back against the wall on the left of the platform, he looked up, "Yes?"
"Can I borrow your glove?" she whispered, Erik sighed and stripped off one black leather glove, tossing it over. Adriana picked it up and slipped it on. The leather was still slightly warm from Erik's hand, she suppressed a shiver of delight over the simple intimacy of borrowing the Phantom's glove. She peeked back over the edge of the platform and sighed, "Oh, this is hard." She murmured,
"What is?" Adriana flashed the Phantom a grin,
"Carlotta's just come in, it's a very difficult decision to make."
"Really?" Erik leaned over and peered down, "Hmm…well I've already dropped a set on Carlotta, aim for the fop."
"My thoughts exactly." Carefully, Adriana tugged open the drawstring of the back, holding it in her gloved hand, she quickly shook the contents down onto the people below. "Got him." She announced cheerfully.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!"
The fop's high-pitched scream made both Opera Ghosts cover their ears in pain,
"He can hit higher notes than Christine," Adriana muttered, she looked over at Erik, "Do you think he's yelling over the rat or over the fact he's going to get split ends?" Erik was laying face down on the platform, clutching his sides in laughter. Adriana kicked him lightly, "It's not over yet," she warned ominously, Erik looked up, tears in his eyes, Adriana reached a hand into her pocket and pulled out a plain biscuit, which she quickly crushed in her hands. Looking over the platform she took careful aim and sprinkled the crumbs liberally over La Carlotta's hair and down the front of her "little to the imagination" dress.
"Oh man!" she gasped, "What a shot!"
The starving rat made an impressive leap from Raoul's one perfect hair and down the front of Carlotta's dress, burrowing down into her skirts. Erik took one look over at the mayhem below and nearly fell off the platform.
"Fantastic!" he half cried, "Bravissimo!"
Christine however, was hovering over Raoul, making cooing noises and shushing him.
"There, there sweetie, its okay...no your hair is fine, I promise, really! Not a split end in sight!"
Slowly, Erik stopped laughing and looked over the edge to see Christine kiss Raoul gently and lead him outside. He gave a low snarl and slunk off into the shadows, leaving a slightly distressed and a little lost looking Adriana alone on the platform.
Erik: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY PRECIOUS MASTERPIECE!