I do not own Phantom of the Opera, or any musical for that matter. I do not own Mary Poppins either, and Lirit's symptoms are from what I found on the internet, if you know that they are fallacious, please tell me.

Erik changed out of his work attire and into a more comfortable outfit of black trousers and a fitted red shirt. That's still practically business casual, but this is Erik for you. Yes, Erik knew all the tricks, match one's socks with one's pants, and one's belt with one's shoes. Lirit watched all of those makeover shows on television and often rambled on about them. Erik had picked up a few things. He removed his mask and shoved it into the nightstand drawer. He didn't wear it at home; Lirit wasn't bothered by the sight of him, and he wasn't about to wear his mask when he didn't need to.

Jumoke waltzed into his bedroom, tail high in the air. She leapt onto Erik's bed and climbed into his lap. Erik ran a hand down her back, wincing slightly as her claws kneaded into his legs. Jumoke's tail tip flicked as she began to purr. Erik scratched her chin, one of her favorite spots to be petted. "Jumoke, I have to get up," he told her.

Jumoke licked his fingers.

Erik grinned, "Jumoke, really. You have to get off now." He tried to lift her off his lap, but Jumoke dug her claws in further.

Eventually, Jumoke relinquished Erik's lap and Erik stood up. He walked out of his bedroom and down the stairs. Erik walked down the hallway into his studio, where he stored his music instruments and composing equipment. Erik took out his violin and practiced for a while.

After about an hour of practicing, Erik emerged from his studio to hear Lirit yelling that dinner was almost ready. "I'm going out tonight, Lirit!" Erik called back, jogging up the stairs to get ready to go.

Lirit muttered an "Oh," that no one else could hear. What could she say? She had worked so hard to prepare dinner, and he was going out? Sure, she wasn't his wife or anything, but making dinner for him was part of the deal when he was too busy with work to cook for himself. Lirit stood stupidly at the table, watching the steam rise from the rice and bean dish that was occupying the table. As Erik slammed the door behind himself, she came to her senses and sat down.

Lirit ate alone. She cleaned up alone. She put the leftovers away alone. She did a bit of housecleaning alone. Save for Jumoke, who came downstairs to sniff disdainfully at her food bowl until Lirit refilled it. She resented Erik working as a lawyer. He was a musician! From what little she gathered from his past, he didn't much care for laws anyway. Lirit felt she was doing more work for Erik than the time he spent teaching her. All he did was critique her songs, he never gave her pointers or a push in the right direction. And never a kindly word from him.

Lirit collapsed on her bed. She couldn't afford college, she wasn't good enough to get all of the scholarships, and she had no backup plan if Erik failed as a mentor. She tried to suppress these anxieties by reading a book, and quickly lost herself in the pages of a captivating novel.

00000000000000000000000000000000

After eating dinner at a well to do vegan restaurant with some friends, Erik and his companions found themselves at a small bar. Because hey, chicks dig guys in masks. It adds to the whole mystery factor. As if Erik needed any more of that. About halfway through his mug, a young and extremely beautiful woman appeared by Erik's side. They struck up conversation right away. Then Erik's cell phone rang. It was Cruz, one of the lawyers in Erik's firm. They had a brief word, and then hung up. "Sorry about that," Erik said to the woman beside him. "That was my partner."

The woman looked confused. "You're gay?" she asked, mistaking Erik's comment to mean domestic partner.

"No, my partner in law," Erik specified. "Listen, I need to get going. Have a good night," he excused himself, and got a ride home with a friend.

Erik came home to find the house silent. Too silent. Lirit was usually making some noise or another, and she didn't even call out to say hello like she normally did. Erik wandered into Lirit's bedroom, to find her in a fetal position on her bed. She was shaking terribly and her breath was coming in sharp gasps. Her eyes were raw from crying and they had a hard time following Erik's movement into the room.

Erik sat on the edge of Lirit's bed, "Lirit, what's wrong?"

Lirit's teeth chattered as she answered, "No, please, Erik. Don't send me away. I'll be good. I even made you dinner. I'm sorry for everything." She shut her eyes against a wave of nausea, but she didn't vomit. She blinked several times to focus her vision and buried her face in her hands.

Erik thought about what could be ailing her. "Is your chest hurting?"

Lirit shook her head. "I think I'm going to die."

"Well, you're not having a heart attack. You can talk so it's not a stroke, and you're conscious, so you're not under cardiac arrest." Erik pieced it all together, "Lirit, did you take your panic attack medicine?"

Lirit shook her head again, "What if it's really poison?"

Erik wrapped his arm around her, "No, it will help you. You're not going to die. I won't let you get poisoned. You've taken your pill a million times before. It's the same pill. Just try it. Come with me and I'll make it better."

Lirit detected alcohol on Erik's breath, "You've been drinking. Stay away from me. I'm not going with you! I made you dinner, please leave me alone. I cooked it for you. Go away and let me die in peace!" She wildly tried to back away from him, but she was too disoriented and crawled away, groping at pillows for support.

Erik paused. She's got paranoid personality disorder as well? Maybe she's just delusional. He stood up. What does Erik do when he's in a jam? He breaks out into song!

"Stay awake, don't rest your head
Don't lie down upon your bed
While the moon drifts in the skies
Stay awake, don't close your eyes

Though the world is fast asleep
Though your pillow's soft and deep
You're not sleepy as you seem
Stay awake, don't nod and dream
Stay awake, don't nod and dream."

Sure it wasn't from Phantom of the Opera, but Mary Poppins did know a thing or two about lullabies. It calmed Lirit down to the point where she was almost asleep when Erik finished singing. So it wasn't her panic attack medicine; it worked sufficiently anyway.

Lirit's eyelids drooped as she whispered to Erik, "I wish you would teach me how to do that. Don't go to work anymore, music is where your heart lies."

Erik smiled wearily, Lirit might get her wish if he had heard Cruz properly on the phone. He switched off the light and closed the door behind himself. Then he jogged up the stairs to his bedroom to call Cruz back.