My London Cast Special Edition Two Disc Recording came today! I love eBay! (Does happy robot/gypsy swishy dance in a swirly skirt) Oh my, 5 chapters pre written material to come (checks) then...uh oh, writer's block, these will be spaced out, just so you know, I cant post a chapter a day any more, I don't have time!
Emma Noble: As a matter of fact, I don't have time to write this, ever. I'm doing 6 subjects in year 12, (Only VCE students will understand this, but its badbadbadbadbad!) have a part time job, 3 brothers, an evil cat, two teachers as parents, exam time is coming up and I have no life, I never go anywhere without my notebook, Erik is constantly nagging me to write more, and that's how I write it!
Nightshadesister-01: Yes, I am going to torture you, it's the best part of being an Authoress!
IflyNAVY: Glad you loved it, here's more coming
Lady Assassin Moonbeam: Mmhm, somehow spontaneous work is never my best, but glad you liked all the same
Sapphire-aria: No faith! Shame! Continuing along
Mrs. Malfoy: If I were the queen of updating, I wouldn't get writers block, I am the queen of the dbca though, which is nearly online! Yay! PS Don't forget to make him sing (wink)
Asingledarkcrimsonrose: Lucky for all you droolers out there, I'm supplying buckets in an upcoming chapter
MetalMyersJason: If I told you the fun, it would no longer be a secret, and therefore, much less fun...so there
BiP: Thankyou! I remain, your obedient Authoress, or at least, one of me is
Light barrer: If they are longer, it means they take longer to write, but I'll try
Nixieharpist: Toby was a cameo, I just felt like beating someone over the head with a pole
Kiss of Darkness: Great! Leave then! I hope you overdose on phiction when you get back and I'll be going cold turkey on reviews from writers block. Lol, kidding, have fun!
Jen Lennon: But wait you must...evil laugh
AngelicFlutist: Right, costume, what kind do you want again? My brain is fuzzing out cos I have to get my Uni choices in soon and have super SAC week coming up at school (not a good thing)
Naomipoe: Um...just read and smile
M'selle de Paris: Welcome! 34 chapters? Wow...your brave. Grab a seat, fop voodoo dolls are by the bar, and settle in with a bucket of icecream.
Angel of mystery: Working my way through, I have my favourites and the complete chronicles (had it a year) but I pick it up every now and again, I'm rereading a Scandal in Bohemia at the moment (my fav story)
Mega Doomer: Yes...you win (backs away slowly)
Slowly the gaslights of the chandelier dimmed, until the crystals glowed with the faintest flicker, like fireflies trapped in glass, hovering above the audience. Adriana curled her feet under her chair and ran her fingers the red silk ribbon tied to Erik's flower, caressing the soft petals.
"Who sings first?" she asked as the gas lamps held in the embrace of the gold sculptured statues lowered until everything was hidden in shadow. Erik barely glanced at the program on the table beside him, "Angelique" he replied as the curtain rose.
A rose-dressed soprano glided to the front of the stage, raising her sticklike arms to launch into a feathery rendition of "Caro Nome"
Adriana frowned as the high notes rebounded throughout the Opera house and looked towards the managers' box. Andre and Firmin were staring entranced at the would be diva, casting anxious glances at the box in which she and Erik were residing, "She looks like she's been throwing up for a week," she muttered, snapping her red fan open to watch the jewels glitter in the half light. Erik glanced at her in surprise, "For your information, some people are, in fact, naturally thin," he reminded her, Adriana rolled her eyes, "And some people are naturally not but starve themselves because they think that if they are a size ten, everything else will fall in line," she snorted derisively, "Stupid gits"
"I take it you are not such a person?" Erik tilted his head to look over at her, she spread her arms casually, reflections from the glass jewels on her fan casting lights around the box, "Do I look it?" she asked, "No, I'm happy with my body."
"I see," Erik turned back to the stage.
The diva's song ended and the audience clapped enthusiastically, Angelique curtseyed and flounced off the stage, "I really don't like her," Adriana said, sounding surprised at her own admission, Erik shot her a look, "Well considering the fact that if we hired her, you would have to play maid to keep up appearances, I would think you pleased she will not be chosen."
"Hm? No I'm pleased, who's up next?"
"Giselle," They both winced as the violinist gave another painfully familiar rasp, "I am getting so incredibly over that," Adriana sighed disconcerted, Erik nodded, "I agree."
The green-gowned Giselle stepped shyly to the front of the stage and raised her voice in a hesitant quaver, Erik was shaking his head before she even finished two lines,
"No?" Adriana looked at him, "No," he agreed. They both heaved a sigh of relief as the sonata ended. "And now its?"
"Marian" the large soprano woman heaved her bulk to the front of the stage, wearing an orange dress, Erik couldn't help but glance between her and Adriana, noting that even for a rush job, her dress had infinitely more taste and vive than the would be diva below. Adriana felt Erik's eyes on her and a prickle went down her spine, she turned her head to glance at him, but he had already returned his gaze to the stage.
Luella de Chantine sang next, Erik frowned thoughtfully at her, steepling his fingers together against the polished with porcelain of his mask.
"What do
you think?" Adriana asked quietly, her voice jerked him out of his
reverie,
"Hmm? Well, she's not terrible, with a little
training she could be quite successful," His eyes took on a
speculative gleam as he watched the lavender dressed girl below, his
eyes were lost in thought so he didn't see Adriana flutter her fan
in front of her face (say that three times quickly!) and mouth
a word that no well bred lady should know the meaning of. (Erik: You
aren't a well-bred lady. Authoress: I know. Erik: And you
hit anyone who calls you one. Authoress: Or I throw books at them)
Finally
Odile swept onto the stage, dressed in a deep, midnight blue, her
glossy black hair gleaming in the stage lights. Without a hint of
hesitation, she slid gracefully into her song, trilling as sweetly as
a bird over the high notes, and gliding her voice over the low ones.
"All the love and longing a body can posses, contained in not
two and a half minutes of song," Adriana quoted softly, Erik looked
at her in surprise as she wrapped her, arms around herself as if
cold. "Bel Canto, by Anne Patchett" she noticed his stare and
offered him a small smile, "Remind me to get the plot device to
grab it for you sometime,"
A pale blue novel dropped out of thin air (Its always thin air, why not fat air, or slightly chubby but could stand to lose a few pounds air?) and landed on Erik's head, he rubbed his skull gingerly and picked the book up from the red carpet, the Phantom and the Theatre Wraith looked at one another for a moment and shrugged, turning back to the stage as Odile curtseyed to her audience and swept offstage for the except from A Midsummer Night's Dream began.
The little blue changeling boy skipped across the stage, gold jewellery and painted kilt flying around him as he flew to Titania's bower, Adriana giggled, hiding a smile behind her fan, Erik shot her an annoyed glance, his head still sore (it's a fair-sized book to get with on the head), she apologised with her eyes, "He looks like a Smurf" she explained, biting her lip to stop herself laughing. Erik glared at her, "He is the little changeling boy" he snapped quietly, Adriana rolled her eyes, "Sought by Oberon to be his henchman," she hissed back, "I own the book, watched the movie, can quote half the script and have seen it at least twice, don't preach to the choir." Her eyes returned to the stage as Oberon pranced on stage, "Now where's Rupert Everett when you need him," she sighed, watching the popinjay leap and spin in tights and an ivy garland.
"Who?" Erik was almost beside himself with irritation (I say almost because if he was, then there would be one very pleased phangirl and two Phantom's in the one box, and no phangirl can resist that kind of temptation).
"Never mind," Adriana flicked her fan shut, "Talking to myself."
"First sign of madness," Erik retorted twitching his cloak over the arm of his chair as he watched Puck on stage.
"Second sign? Answering back" (Well, that settles it, I can kiss my sanity goodbye. Erik: You never were sane in the first place. Authoress: Oh right)
the changeling boy skipped around the stage, calling out the fairies to play a game with him as the curtains shading Titania's bower rose. As Titania was revealed, Adriana felt her jaw drop.
"Is that Naomi?" she whispered, staring in shock at the graceful ballerina, calling the little smurfling…uh, changeling boy to her, rose from her bower.
It is The Authoress was making another random appearance, this time around the base of the balustrade.
"What's she doing here?" Adriana asked, torn between the glittering writing and her newly appeared friend on stage.
I owe her a favour very tiny silver and green writing scrawled itself down near Erik's feet, what the hell do you want?
"Johnny Depp's phone number,"
Even if I had it, why the hell would I give it to you?"Thought it was worth a shot,"
You don't even have anything to call him with anyway there's no phones."Point taken, hang on, are you sure?"
Not really, but the answer is still no
"Do you two mind?" Erik hissed angrily, kicking ineffectively at the writing, at least it looked ineffectual.
Ow! That was uncalled for!
"I would be inclined to disagree Mademoiselle, would you please leave?"
I'm afraid I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request.
"I beg your pardon?"
Classic quotes are lost on this man, the writing noted to Adriana, she grinned, "Tell me about it" she agreed. Erik growled angrily, "Mademoiselle, will you not leave us in peace?"
No
"And why is that?"
Because the Auth'ress of this phic is here…inside your mind
"How much sugar have you had today?" Adriana leaned forward with interest as Titania was raised up by her minions to begin her solo.
Or lack thereof the writing answered as the cameo ballerina pirouetted, allowing her silvery skirts to flow around her.
"Really? What on earth are you running on?"
Supercharged coffee and cocoa, and I stole J's Blink182 CD, and as of now I am outta here! An Adibug scrawled itself on the plush carpet and the writing disappeared.
"She must be going insane with no sugar," Adriana sighed, watching Naomi arabesque on stage, dressed in drifting skirts of shimmering silver and blue.
xXx
As the curtain finally closed for intermission, Erik reached down beside him and scribbled a short note on a small card and slid it into an envelope. "Who did you chose?" Adriana asked, twisting the tassel on her fan nervously around her fingers.
"Odile," Erik answered shortly, he looked up at her, pressing the flap closed with his thumb, "Will you deliver this?"
"But of course, my dear Phantom," relieved, Adriana stood and swept him a low curtsey, snapping open her fan to flutter it provocatively before her face, eyes dancing.
Erik sighed and handed her the envelope, "Don't do anything stupid," he warned, "And tell them I want the first violinist replaced by the next rehearsal." Adriana adopted a shocked pose, "Stupid? I? Surely not!"
"Assuredly so," Erik answered, he indicated the door with his head, "Whenever you see fit to leave, mademoiselle…"
Adriana flashed him a grin, reaching out one hand to ruffle his hair, "I'll be back" she promised, Erik shot out a long arm to catch her wrist, "I would advise you to discontinue with that practice, my dear," he warned, "If you wish to have your neck remain intact."
"Ooh, death threats" Adriana teased, taking advantage of the close contact to drop a quick kiss onto his cheek and disappear out the door, as Erik slowly raised one hand to a burning cheek in amazement, staring after her red frame as she shut the door behind her.
xXx
The managers box was empty when Adriana slipped inside, casting a quick glance across the Opera House to glimpse the dark shape hiding in the shadows, she looked around with interest at the rich box, set with a pair of armchairs and a table set out with an empty bottle of champagne and the ashes of a pair of cigars. The opera house was stirring with the hundreds of people below and the orchestra was plucking and tootling away in attempt at filler music, it would be at least another fifteen or twenty minutes before the curtain rose again. "Hello there, The angel from my nightmares, The shadow in the background of the morgue" she sang along to the music in her head, Adriana grinned and settled herself comfortably in one of the chairs, snapping her fan open to cover her face as the door behind her was pushed open. Andre and Firmin entered, Andre holding a pair of champagne flutes, and Firmin working on the stopper of a new bottle of champagne, talking animatedly.
"Well really Andre, I hardly see how we can possibly let then know yet, the night isn't even over!" Firmin exclaimed, shutting the door behind him.
"Not to mention that damned Opera Ghost demanded that he would be the one to chose who we cast," Andre added, waiting impatiently for his co manager to work out the cork on the green bottle, "I wouldn't be surprised if he came swinging down on the chandelier to demand we sign whichever little minx he chose over to him completely!"
"Now gentlemen, that will hardly be necessary," Adriana remarked calmly from her seat, watching the audience. Both Andre and Firmin jumped, the champagne cork flew out of the bottle with a zing! Zipping out into the audience below and landed in the feathers adorning a large, purple dressed matronly woman who yelped in shock.
"Not bad," Adriana approved, fluttering her fan.
"Might we help you mademoiselle?" Andre asked, stepping forward to bow over her outstretched hand, "You appear to be in our private box, but we would be more than happy to escort you to your previous seat," Adriana grinned to herself and reached down beside her to extract Erik's letter, "Actually, Monsieur's, I have a message for you," she held it out to Firmin, who hastily put down the bottle of champagne to take the letter, going pale as he recognised the skull emblem, stuck in the red wax. "Who are you?" he choked out, Adriana rolled her eyes and stood, taking up the sparkling wine and pouring it into the flutes, held out dumbly by Andre, "My dear sirs, do you not recognise your Theatre Wraith? I am most hurt." She set down the bottle and pressed one of the flutes into Firmin's hand, who had collapsed into the chair she had vacated, keeping her fan in front of her face. Both managers stared at her in shock, then at one another, Andre backed away slowly, "Oh don't be fools, I'm not going to harm you" she grinned behind her fan, "At least not right now," both managers still looked terrified, she sighed and looked pointedly at the letter in Firmin's hand, he opened it and drew out the note, his face went pale.
"Well what does it say?" Andre demanded, tossing back his champagne, Firmin passed a hand over his long face, "Odile," he sighed, "Spare me these unending trials,"
"Oh God in heaven!" Andre flung himself into the other chair as Adriana smirked behind her fan.
"Well really gentlemen, you cannot deny she is very good, at least she doesn't screech like Carlotta,"
"No one screeches like Carlotta," Firmin moaned.
"Well then you have nothing to worry about then," Adriana smiled, "Oh, that reminds me, my Master also asks that you find someone to replace the first violinist, all the screeching and rasping is starting to wear on our ears." She smiled again and dropped a low curtsey, "It's been marvellous gentlemen, but I'm afraid I really must be going now," she paused and looked daggers at them, "I trust all these demands will be met?" she threatened in a low voice, the managers shot her a pair of twin horrified looks, "Perfect," she purred, and closed the door behind her.
Outside, Adriana allowed herself a little jig of happiness and set off back to Box 5. She had gone two steps when the little changeling boy suddenly stopped her. He tugged at her skirt and pleaded mutely at her with big baby eyes to follow him. She took his hand and smiled, he gave her a big grin and pulled her off into a little alcove, where a silvery costumed Naomi was waiting.
"I knew it was you!" Adriana shrieked and hugged her, Naomi hugged her back, regardless of the fine tulle and sequins being crushed against her costume. "Ayee! I cant believe it!" she grabbed her friends hands and pulled her out into the corridor, the Smurfling followed, a cute grin on his blue face, "Come on!" she urged, "You have to meet Erik!"
Naomi halted, "Are you sure?" she asked apprehensively, "My Erik is quite fond of you, but yours…"
"Has issues," Adriana rolled her eyes, "Come on!" she dragged Naomi, who soon gave up any feelings of misgivings and followed, the Smurf clinging tightly to her waist. They arrived at the Box 5 door and Adriana tapped twice on the door to let Erik know it was her then opened the door without ceremony, "Erik," she trilled, "I have someone I want you to meet."
Erik shot out of his chair and was hiding in the shadows as Naomi and the Smurf entered, "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, Adriana reached out one hand and teased him forward from the darkness, "They are my friends, Erik, you have nothing to fear" she presented Naomi to him, "This is my dear friend and champion cookie baker, Naomi," Naomi curtseyed, blushing under Erik's golden eyed gaze. "And this is?" he indicated the little boy peeking around her skirts,
"Why he's the little changeling boy," Adriana threw his words back at him with delight as she gathered the Smurf in her arms, he grinned and flung his arms around her neck. "Jericho?" she asked Naomi, who nodded, and Adriana rested her cheek on the top of the little boys head with a sigh of happiness. Erik bowed and brushed his lips over Naomi's hand, "Madame," he murmured, keeping a close eye on Adriana who was bestowing Jericho's face with kisses, "Erik," she replied, looking him straight in the eye, "How are you?"
Erik shrugged elegantly, "As well as can be expected, Madame, I must ask, how did you get here?"
"The Authoress," Erik finally dropped her hand and was trying not to look at Adriana, who was sitting happily with Jericho on her lap. "I see, forgive me if I seem to forward, but will you be staying long?"
"Not really," Naomi shrugged, still looking around the Opera Populaire with interest, "I left a batch of cookies in the oven so I have to get back soon."
"Did you come through the mirror?" Adriana asked as she played tickle-worm with Jericho, Naomi shook her head, dropping into Erik's chair with a sigh, leaving the Phantom standing behind them, glowering (Your right, Naomi, that is useful), Naomi shook her head, "Nope" she answered, tickling one of the little boy's feet, he giggled and flinched away, "The Authoress brought us,"
"Well that was very nice of her," Adriana winked at Jericho, Erik growled and turned away from the two gossiping females…
And smacked straight into the Authoress, who stood absentmindedly humming Monty Pythons "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" tapping one bare foot in time as she stood in mid air.
"Don't you ever knock?" Erik demanded, cloak swirling as he crossed his arms, the Authoress smirked behind her own silver masque, "Well its not as if I exactly came through the door," she reminded him, Adriana looked around behind her. "When did you show up?"
"Just then," Silvermasque replied,
"And no theme music?" Adriana asked in disgust, "You must be out of sugar,"
"You mean this?" the Authoress snapped her fingers and an echoing melody rocked the Opera House, causing the ballet rats to squeak and cower behind Madame Giry as the chandelier trembled. "Da-na-daaah! Da dun-dun! Boom Boom" the authoress looked pleased with herself, "I always did like that one best," she said to no one in particular. Erik took a cautious step away from the dangerously under-sugared Silvermasque, Naomi looked confused. "But I left you with an entire batch of cookies?" the Authoress snorted, "I may be occasionally insane," she took another mid air step forwards and covered Erik's ears with her hands, freezing him in place, "but I'm not mad enough to come between your Erik and your cookies" She released Erik who rubbed his ears selfconsciously, escaping back into the shadows.
"Her Erik and her what?" Adriana frowned at her Authoress, then glanced down at Silvermasque's neck and a sneaky grin crossed her face, she stepped up close and brushed away the long hair falling around the Authoresses neck and raised her eyebrows at the several purpling bruises on her neck, "You have been busy," she pursed her lips. The Authoress grinned at Naomi, "Like I said, I owed her a favour," she held her hands out to Naomi and Jericho, Naomi turned to look at Erik, who swept over and kissed her hand, "A pleasure, my dear," he purred kissing her on both cheeks. Behind him, Adriana growled deep in her throat (I've been here 6 months and get nothing, then she shows up in one night and gets more action than I do) she thought (Now that just sucks) she glared at the Authoress, who ignored her. Erik made a courtly bow to the little blue Jericho and stepped back as Silvermasque took the hands of the two newcomers and they were wrapped in her silvery aura.
"Show off," Adriana grumbled, "What use is power if you cant flaunt it?" came the smooth reply as the silvery mist grew bright then shrank to nothing, leaving Adriana and Erik alone in Box 5 once more.
Authoress: (Begs for reviews)they are the only thing keeping me sane! Please!