And I ain't got nobody, I got some money cos I just got paid.
Guess what kiddies! You're gonna help me study! From now on each chapter will contain a random fact from one of my subjects to help me remember for my exams. So for today,
Psychology: Processes in observational learning: Attention-Retention-Reproduction-Motivation/reinforcement. In that order.
Review Replies
Des ires: The Song is from Tripod, an Aussie comedy band, I'm sure you could find the song somewhere on the net. Dammit! You got away with burning the stupid movie? Oh well, one less waste of time of Leo and slaughtering of Shakespeare in the world, here –hands her a cookie- you deserve that.
Nessa: I like the idea (genie one, I don't do well with little kids) sounds like fun.
Trisana: Thanks, grr, tell your mum she had better let you have your phic fix to I can have my review fix otherwise there will be a very unhappy Adibug on the loose!
E.B.C: Look up Tripod, the Mucus CD you'll find it somewhere.
Naomipoe: Random chaos? I LOVE random chaos. Of course I'm in love with him! PS Phantomluvr wants a cameo and a snog if she can scab them.
Wandering Child24: Ah love, that most curious of emotions, to be honest with you, I don't actually know yet…wait…maybe I do…(wanders off thinking)
Voldemort's Hikari1: I bend him to my will, only because I hid the lasso
Sirrius's Sister: Thanks! Spunk…yeah that's a fair description
StakeMeSpike04: I'll check your phic soon I promise, yeah, I hid the lasso, Erik's never very happy with me
WashoopiCandi: Thanks! Welcome aboard! Fop voodoo dolls are available at the DBCA table in the corner, help yourself
Emma Noble: Guardian of the Stage? Cool name!
Phantom'sJediBandieGirl: Yeah, I have trouble quoting movies, I do too much of it.
Mrs. Malfoy: I WANT LOST BACK! Where are you from btw?
Sapphire-aria: Muses…sugar…bad combination
Eriksangelofvoice: My fav way to control guys is to manipulate the empty headed girls they like, believe me it works
Cap'n Meg: Rum! Rum! Rum! (goes off on a random tangent)
Ethalas Tuath'an: (Looks pointedly at her Authoress T shirt, then imitates Pintel or Ragetti from Pirates) I'm tellin' tha storey! Stop asking questions, you'll ruin the plot
Phantomsangel102: Haven't you ever heard the term good things come in threes? There were three kisses…duh
NeoQueen: I think I deserve the world prize for being the most annoying person on the planet
Reltistic: (sneaks her one of Erik's old capes) Now shh!
IflyNAVY: I(Adriana) Knows Erik doesn't really love me (her) but you know Erik, he takes a damn lot of convincing
The Mega0Doomer: Did you get an autograph!
Pertie: Thanks…(even though we already had Labor Day, at least, I think we have it)
BiP: What website? Where?
Nixieharpist: Tripod wrote it, DBCA website is my home page
Estelle Tiniwiel: Sugar! Yay!
Speechdisappearsintosilence: (Slaps her on the face) Wake Up! I want your reviews!
Phantomofleopera: So do it, it drives people nuts
Phantomlover05: Oh yeah…
Kiss of Darkness: Ooh, we're doing Switch for our tap, its hard!
Masqueradingthroughlife: Yes, it was me, I'm lazy and didn't log in
GASP! My god that took long, time to go do Lit now…
A rather Musish random interlude of no real meaning – Real time, real place, my place actually.Erik and Jacques were standing outside the door to Silvermasque's room, casting long shadows down the cream carpeted passage.
"What's she doing in there?" Erik asked, folding his arms as he regarded the plain wooden door, set with an ancient handle and keyhole. (House built the same year as the "Strange Affair of the Phantom of the Opera" or maybe slightly later, how cool is that!)
"Who knows? Jacques answered flippantly, tossing his long brown hair to one side, "She went in their about half an hour ago, saying she didn't want to be disturbed, carrying a plate of pancakes and 'King of the Murgos' haven't seen her since." The stench of hair gel made Erik want to gag, "Must you wear that stuff?" he demanded.
"Well duh sweetheart!" the gay muse replied, "I wouldn't be half the muse I am without it,"
"Undoubtedly," Erik muttered, both muses paused and watched curiously as a twelve year old red head walked straight past them and into a room directly opposite Silvermasque's, bearing a poster proclaiming "Warning! Teenager lives here!" a moment later, a drum racket started up, half drowning out the piano keys of Coldplay wandering out from the gap under Silvermasque's door.
"Why drums?" Erik groaned, "Why not a violin, or a flute?"
"You want to hear a poorly played violin?" Jacques asked, examining his manicure, Erik grumbled a minute, "No, but honestly, a guitarist and his little brother's drum kit in the same room? Lord save my ears."
"And such fine ears they are too!" Jacques gushed, Erik turned his baleful stare on the gay muse, "Do you mind?"
"Not in the least," came the feminine reply, complete with another hair toss. "He's the only one she's managed to corrupt so far, shouts "FOP!" Whenever your rival appears on screen," Jacques paused for a moment, "Where did he get that yummy leather coat though? I didn't know they were around in your period."
Erik shook his head in dismay, "Oh no," he groaned as a skinny sixteen year old sauntered cockily into the drum kit room, "Here it goes," the start of Blink 182's Dammit started echoing through the old house, Erik drew himself up haughtily, "I refuse to stand out here and be separated from my writer and subject to her brother's inane music," he reached out one black gloved hand and twisted the door handle open.
A strange, almost normal sight greeted him. Silvermasque, dressed in her favourite jeans, covered in flour stains, a red T shirt and black jacket, pushed up to her elbows, was leaning back in her chair, wriggling her toe socks in time to Clocks and with her nose buried deep in an orange novel bearing a scaled hand holding a ball of flame. Without taking her eyes off the page, she reached out with her knife and speared another piece of pancake into the end of the blade and lifted it to her mouth.
It was only at second glance did Erik take in the chandelier hanging above the bed, the dressmakers dummy wearing a white tunic and black cloak, the fact that the desk was painted emerald green, and perhaps scariest of all, the dressing table was clean.
Erik went to shut the door, just as Jacques slipped inside, the equally tall muses leant against the wall watching their Authoress, as she turned a page and sniffled.
"Are you still sick?" Jacques asked incredulously, Adriana rolled her eyes and took another bite of pancake, "Muses," she muttered to herself, "Yes you idiot, just cos I'm all drugged up doesn't mean I'm well again." She marked the page in her book and closed the novel, "Playtime over?" she asked dryly, both muses nodded and she sighed, "So be it then."
"You don't sound excited," Jacques accused, Silvermasque rolled her eyes, "I'm not," she stated, slumping in her chair, "When did you get back? I thought Naomi still had you?"
"Aw…miss me sweetie?" Erik shifted hurriedly before another hair flick caught him in the face, he stood by the tall built-in robe that sheltered the purple bed, which demanded most of the room's space, and glowered.
"No," Silvermasque replied, hitting the skip button on her CD player, "I was kinda hoping she's keep you,"
Jacques's green eyes narrowed and he gave a vengeful flick of his hair. To anyone else, this may have seemed an insulted gesture followed by a stalking out the door for a shoe spree, but for Silvermasque the movement held far more painful consequences.
The four feet of the chair hit the floor and her eyes went wide, she clutched her head and curled over. "No!" she shrieked, tearing at her hair. "No! No! No! You can't do that!" she moaned and writhed in her chair as sixty different ideas bombarded her mind, plot devices, characters, quotes and storylines. Jacques sniffed and gave his hair a second, smaller, toss. Adi stopped rocking in pain and slowly raised her head, grey eyes glittering as she breathed slowly, "Jacques de Puppeteer," she gasped, "You. Are. A. Dead. MUSE!" the vengeful blonde threw herself across the room, intent on strangling her flamboyantly gay muse. Jacques, noting the look in her eye, the same one she got when forced to buy shoes, or being told to turn her music down, squeaked in fear and high-tailed it out of there.
Adi hit the door with a loud thump and crashed to the floor, "I HATE HIM!" she screamed, kicking at the door with her red and orange socks. Erik sighed, detaching himself from the wall, he picked the distraught Authoress up under her arms and deposited her on her chair. He opened up the computer and inserted the Mirror Between Worlds disc, "Write," he commanded. Silvermasque sunk down in her chair and sulked, "No," she grumbled, Erik sighed again, and reached out one long fingered hand to press stop on the CD player, taking a hold of her shoulders he began a gentle massage over her tense muscles, he brought his lips close to her ear and whispered a soft melody in the silky blonde hair that was tangled around her neck,
"Wandering
child,
So lost so helpless
Yearning for my guidance"
"Wildly my mind beats against you" Adriana joined in, her fingers reaching automatically for the keys, her fingers stiff and wooden as her muse's spell came over her, she started typing.
"You resist, but your soul obeys…" Erik stood behind her proud and powerful, a dark guardian over his tormented writer, "Now, write…"
No real meaning to that interlude, but I wrote it anyway. Here's the next part of the story.
Erik growled to himself as he walked back out to collect his mask from the main room, of all the idiotic and impertinent things to do! He continued to mutter as he fitted the white porcelain over his face, picking up his cloak he swirled the heavy fabric over his shoulders and strode into the Louis-Philippe room, "Are you ready?" he asked abruptly, then cursed and looked away as Adriana wriggled into her black corset, "Nearly," she trilled, she glanced over at the Phantom and snorted madly at the red blush creeping up his neck, "You have the strangest sense of propriety," she muttered, turning her back to offer him the corset strings, "A little help?"
Erik rolled his eyes and tightened the strings, Adriana squeaked as he pulled at the corset, "I hate these things," she moaned, shrugging her shoulders until the piece sat comfortably, Erik ignored the complaint and folded his arms impatiently, "Will you hurry up?" he demanded, Adriana winked in reply, "Still got a minute and a half, Erik, now be patient." She turned and lifted a bright red silk dress from the bed, the Firefly dress, and started unlacing the back.
"You can't wear that," Erik objected, Adriana turned a level gaze on him, "And why not?"
"We are attempting to be inconspicuous my dear," he replied, "Remember?" he crossed to the heavy wardrobe and selected a dark blue brocade, edged with gold trimming, "Wear this," he instructed, Adriana shook her head stubbornly, "But I want to wear my Firefly dress," she protested, "I look like a hag in that one,"
Erik sighed in exasperation, "Trust me," he murmured, plucking the red silk from her hands and laying out the royal blue ensemble in its place.
"But I…" Erik stepped behind her and hung the red dress up, "The blue," he ordered, pulling out a pair of navy slippers and white gloves.
"How come you get to chose?" Adriana grumbled, separating the skirt from the top, the interruptions were beginning to irritate Erik, he scowled blackly, then smirked as something crossed his mind. He slipped up behind Adriana, who was eyeing the black pearl buttons on the skirt with distaste, "You will wear it," he murmured, touching his cold lips to the bare skin at her neck, Adriana went limp as his arms encircled her waist, "Because it is what I have asked of you," he nipped her throat lightly, a soft moan of longing escaped Adriana's trembling lips as he ran his tongue over the bite, caressing her pale skin. He released her slowly, "Now get dressed," he ghosted silently from the room, cloak whispering behind him.
Adriana bit her lip and proceeded to dress quickly, "I hate – and love – when he does that," she muttered, pulling on the white gloves. She shoved her feet into the slippers and pulled on her cloak as she ducked out the door, hurriedly tugging out her hair and repining the front half with some ornate costume jewellery clips.
"Ready," she stated, Erik turned, a smirk on his lips as he eyed her, "Excellent," he purred, offering his arm, Adriana slipped a white-gloved hand through and reached her other arm around the Phantom's neck, and quickly pulled him down to meet her lips, (Hello Erik's lips, how are you today? Sorry, don't know where that came from) for a hard kiss. Erik ravished her mouth in reply, tasting her soft mouth as his hands sought her waist to pull her against him, letting his desires rule his any sane thoughts he might have previously held. Adriana finished the kiss triumphantly, breaking away her lips to meet his eyes with a smirk of her own.
"Now what?" Erik managed dryly, she grinned evilly, "Payback," she replied, "Now the night is young, let us away."