Episode 14
By: Elektra
Daaé-Garner Residence
Disgusting ...
It was the first word that came to mind as Loki looked upon the golden-haired female currently sleeping atop the male corpse. He knew the look on her face for he had seen it upon the faces of his many lovers.
How could any beautiful woman have sexual desires for… that? I wonder what would happen if someone took a picture of this and released it to the papers. I can see the headlines now: Opera Diva's Unnatural Urges Revealed.
She should, at least, place a mask on his - can you even call it a face? - when bedding him.
He shuddered at the thought. That she even let that thing--
"LOKI!"
The fiery-haired trickster jumped – or rather, hit his head against the ceiling, as he levitated a bit too close to it – when the corpse's angry golden eyes focused on him.
The aforementioned Diva awoke with a start, "Erik? Wha… LOKI!" Christine quickly rolled off Erik and hugged the sheets to her chest as she stared nervously at the intruder. "What are you doing here?"
"He wishes to be strangled, apparently!" Erik growled as he jumped to his feet, not caring about his lack of clothing.
"Now now!" Loki began defensively, hovering just out of Erik's reach. "I have a reason for being here. I needed to talk to you."
"And it could not wait until morning?" Erik demanded.
"Probably, but I was bored." He tossed something to the floor at Erik's feet and turned away, "Please, put some clothes on, Mr. Ghost. Your cadaver-like body is making me rather ill."
"There's nothing wrong with his body," Christine sniffed as she clasped the sheets tighter to her chest and leaned off the bed to grab her robe from the floor.
Swearing under his breath, Erik tugged on his sleep shorts and picked up the sheaf of stapled papers the trickster had tossed on the ground. "Tell me what this is about."
"It is CAM's itinerary." Loki explained. "You DID promise to take those pictures, and… well, I have arranged a photo shoot out of town. I wanted to make use of various sites to add atmosphere. We leave tomorrow afternoon."
"First," Erik snapped, "I do not recall promising to take these photos, only that I would think about it. Second – we cannot leave at the moment. We are performing three shows this week. Perhaps next week."
Loki glanced at Erik and furrowed his brow, "WE? I did not say Christine was coming. YOU are the one taking the pictures, not her."
"You expect me to leave my fiancée behind?"
Loki shrugged, "Oren is still hiding out here, is he not? He can keep her company."
Erik narrowed his eyes, "The last person I want keeping Christine company is Orpheus!"
"I see no problem. Christine would probably prefer spending time alone with a handsome man for once." Loki pointed out.
"You're right, Erik. He does want to be strangled." Christine replied as she slid her robe on and climbed off the bed.
Loki rolled his silver eyes, "Whatever. My point is, he has to take these pictures without you."
"No!" Erik decided.
"Fine," Christine said at the same time.
Erik glanced at her, brow furrowed. He came around the bed and stood before her. "Beloved?"
She put a hand to his skeletal cheek, "It's okay. This will be good for you! Go do that photo shoot when we're finished our performances. Call me every night while you're away and let me know what's going on." She smiled. "You need some time away from everything once in a while. It's allowed."
"It will be all of one week, Mr. Ghost," Loki said.
"See? Not that long!" Christine encouraged.
Erik took her aside and leaned down to speak softly, "I do not want you alone with Oren. He almost killed Martine!" He nodded to the lock on the door - something he had put on when Leroux had dropped the babysitting responsibility in his lap. It was only a shame it could not keep out gods who could teleport. "Your safety stands above anything else." He glanced back at Loki, "Such as publicity photos."
Christine shrugged. "If you want, Nadir can stay here while you're gone. He won't let anything happen." She reached up to slide her arms around him, "Please, Erik? I want you to do this."
"Were you not against me parading myself in public?" he asked.
She smiled, "I was. Still am. Just as long as you don't start going on talk shows every week and go on a concert tour for a year, it's all good."
Erik scoffed, "I have no plans of performing anywhere else but the Populaire. And even then, only because it is something I have, unfortunately, fallen into."
"True. But we've been selling tickets to a lot of younger audiences lately. Female audiences." She added with a wink.
"It is nice to have youngsters appreciate opera," Erik agreed, completely oblivious.
Christine laughed, "It isn't the opera they're appreciating. It's the sexy masked tenor with the heavenly voice."
"But I am not-"
"Tall, dark and mysterious?" She interrupted with a raised eyebrow. Christine then turned to Loki, "He'll go with you next week." She decided.
"He doesn't seem overly eager," Loki muttered.
Christine waved away that concern. "No worries." She turned back to Erik, "I can convince him. I'm good at that." She grabbed Erik's unmasked face and brought his mouth to hers, kissing him soundly.
"Oh please! How utterly revolting!" Loki turned away.
Erik tried to pull away, never one for public displays of affection, but Christine would not let him go.
Repulsed, Loki disappeared.
Christine quickly broke the kiss. "Finally. I thought he'd never leave!"
"Ah, I was wondering why you were suddenly so bold in front of Loki," Erik replied.
Christine playfully tackled Erik to the bed, "You act like I've never been bold with you."
"Not in front of others, no. Though I rather like how you make up for that when we are alone." He then indicated her current position atop him, "Comfortable?"
Christine rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. "Mmm-hmm… very comfortable."
Daaé-Garner Residence – the next week
"So tell me, dear," Nadir began as he sat beside Christine in the television room, "Do you have a date for the wedding yet?"
"No. Not yet." Christine answered. "I've been looking around at invitations and wedding dresses and stuff though."
"Funny. I thought Erik would jump at the chance to marry you as soon as possible."
"Yeah… well…" Christine glanced down at her hands, folded neatly in her lap. "I'm the one holding off."
Nadir furrowed his brow, "But why?"
Christine shrugged, "I don't want to baby sit my husband, that's why." She said, then explained. "He's gone for the week without me because I told him to go. Truth is, I feel like I have to drag him outside. He needs to do that on his own. Does that make sense?"
Nadir nodded. "It does. And I agree with you – he cannot be a recluse forever, and you cannot always be at his side when he steps out the door." He studied the girl before him, a small smile upon his lips. "Still, I am sure he'd like your company after a few days with Loki."
Christine laughed at that, "Yeah, I was thinking of heading out in a day or two." She blushed, "I DO miss him." Her voice then grew softer. "I really want to marry Erik, Mr. Khan. I want us to go out together. Go dancing, or to dinner." She shrugged, "I just don't want to be trapped indoors for the rest of my life because my husband doesn't like to deal with the outside world."
"I know, my dear…" Nadir was about to say more when his attention seemed diverted. He focused at the doorway behind Christine, "Oren? How are you today?"
Oren stepped forward, and Christine turned to look at him. There was something odd about the way he was carrying himself. She furrowed her brow, "You okay?"
"I'm fine," he answered coldly. "Perhaps it was hearing you talk about you marrying that thing that disturbed me."
"Pardon me?" Christine frowned.
Oren blinked quickly, his demeanour changing once again. "Sorry… what did I say?"
Nadir stood up. "Did you black out again, Oren?"
"I…" Oren seemed confused for a moment. "I think… for a moment, I did. I remember walking down the hall, hearing you talk… then I don't remember anything until… well… until Ms. Christine said 'pardon me'." He looked concerned, "Did I say something inappropriate?"
"Not you specifically," Christine muttered.
Oren walked into the room and sat on a chair a few feet from Nadir and Christine. "Ms. Christine, Mr. Nadir… whatever is doing this to me, I have the distinct sense that it has a personal problem with Mr. Erik."
"Really?" Nadir asked, leaning forward with interest. "What else do you sense?"
Oren closed his eyes, trying to concentrate. "Bitterness. Anger." His eyes flew open, a gasp escaping his lips. "Evil." He hugged himself. "Make it go away!"
Christine quickly knelt at Oren's side and took his hand. "It's okay. Calm down. Tell us what you see and feel about the presence in your head."
He looked down at Christine, "I get such horrible images sometimes. Visions of cruelty. This thing… it's a male, I know that much." He glanced over at Nadir, "And it – he – is not very fond of you either, Mr. Nadir. He knows you."
Christine met Nadir's eyes, worry clear on her face.
"We will get to the bottom of this," Nadir said. "I promise." Oren nodded his head, seemingly comforted by Nadir's words.
Christine, on the other hand, was not so convinced.
The next afternoon
I stand in front of the doorway to Christine's bathroom and hear the shower going. She is in there. I remember, through Orpheus's embarrassment, what she looks like nude. Does she not realize how desirable she is?
Well, I must admit there was another who was highly desirable, but she has grown too old for my tastes and has since given up all other men but the one she has recently married. She was an experienced woman, that one.
This young one, however, is not quite as experienced. She has only been with one man. I will change that.
I step closer to the door. I can easily walk in and have Erik's little angel. Hideously ugly thing he is. His face and body looks like something between a living man and dead one.
Christine… I am going to see you now.
"No!"
What is that? I cannot move my hand to the door! The water is stopping inside the room. She is stepping out. I need to go to her NOW.
"NO! Leave Ms. Christine alone!"
Go away, Orpheus! You cannot control me! It is I who controls YOU.
"I will not let you hurt her!"
You do not have a choice!
"STOP!"
I will kill you and take back my body! Do not test me!
Ah… he is gone, finally. He has made me hesitate long enough. I am opening the door NOW… and I see…
… nothing.
Christine is gone? But how? Where did she disappear to?
Orpheus seems rather relieved that she is not here. That creature is getting increasingly annoying.
I will make him suffer greatly before I completely destroy his mind.
Palton Hotel – a few minutes earlier
"You have been rather unpleasant as of late, Mr. Ghost!" Loki complained as the two rode up in the hotel elevator after an early morning shoot. "Then again, you are always unpleasant. Just more so this week."
"I am feeling rather tense at the moment!" Erik snapped in response, exiting the doors.
"Of course you are. I think your reasons are rather obvious," Loki replied as they reached Erik's hotel room.
"Really?" Erik frowned. "And you know me so well?"
"Well, I know that you are a man – albeit a freakishly abnormal one," Loki muttered, "but you are capable of everything normal men are capable of."
"What are you insinuating?" Erik asked suspiciously, ignoring Loki's insult.
"Simply that, like all other men, you have reasons for your tension. I have thus found a way to ease your tension. Open the door and you will see." Loki indicated the door to the hotel room.
Erik was hesitant, wondering what Loki was planning, but unlocked his door regardless.
He froze when he saw the scantily clad young woman who awaited him on the bed."What the hell is this? Some kind of joke?" He demanded of the trickster.
Loki shrugged, "She is quite good at what she does. She comes highly recommended, in fact. Take out your… frustrations… with her before you snap and kill someone."
Erik grabbed Loki by the collar of his shirt and dragged him into the room, shutting the door quickly lest someone in the hallway see his female visitor. "If you were not immortal, I know whom I would kill first!" he hissed. "Did you truly believe I would take you up on this?"
Erik then focused on the woman, who was looking somewhat nervous at the display of anger before her. "Get. Out." He demanded slowly, his voice cold and frightening.
The woman seemed more than happy to grab her robe and push past the tall frightening man and his shorter companion and out the door to her next customer.
"Do you know I had to pay her in advance?" Loki whined. "It was the only way she would agree to let you keep the mask on!"
Erik tossed the trickster effortlessly across the room, "You make me sick!"
Loki climbed to his feet and smoothed down his clothing nonchalantly, "You are like a loyal little puppy dog, aren't you? You cannot even imagine touching another woman but her."
"Some of us love our wives, yes!" Erik answered.
"I love my wife!" Loki insisted. "In fact, I love women in general."
"That is obvious," Erik muttered.
"I am a god." Loki replied simply, "We bore easily."
With a disapproving shake of his head, Erik sat down on his bed. "I went thirty years without physical contact. I do not bore so easily!"
Loki raised a flaming red eyebrow, "Really? So tell me then - in those thirty years, how many people did you kill? Far more than you have killed since you have had Christine's attentions, no? It obviously does much to ease your tension."
"That is neither here nor there!" Erik barked. He started to massage his temples, wanting the week over with, and the trickster out of his company. "My tension, as you put it, stems from the fact that I, a man who has lived in solitude for most of his life, am now being paraded about in public! It has nothing to do with my lack of … attention…"
"Is that so?" Loki asked. "We will see…" He disappeared, leaving Erik alone.
Erik groaned and flopped back onto the bed, tugging his mask off before pinching the narrow bridge of his non-existent nose. Loyal puppy dog… Erik recalled Loki's words. So be it. I will gladly be Christine Daaé's bitch… he chuckled aloud.
"Mind letting me in on the joke?" a female voice interrupted.
Erik immediately stopped laughing, sitting up quickly as he took in the confused, towel-clad girl who stood before him, "And while you're at it, how about explaining how I got here?"
"Christine?"
"Erm… yeah…" Christine glanced at the gel tube in her hands, "And unless I just had a major blackout, ten seconds ago I was standing in the bathroom, preparing to de-frizz my hair." She ran her fingers through her damp curls.
"As fascinating as that is," a bored voice interrupted, "We have a problem that only you seem able to take care of." Christine and Erik turned to see Loki standing a few feet behind the diva, "Your living corpse is in desperate need of something to relieve his tension. He is driving me mad!"
The trickster gave Christine a light shove towards Erik, "So have at it. I will send you back home later - if he does not completely exhaust you." Loki tugged off her towel and disappeared before either could stop him.
Erik immediately grabbed his duster and wrapped it around her.
"Well…" Christine started, hugging the coat tightly around her, "This is… awkward."
"Loki had no right to bring you here. Especially not for that." Erik frowned. "I will sufficiently deal with him for what he just did to you!"
Erik headed towards his suitcase and pulled out a t-shirt, shorts and belt. He tossed them to Christine, "These will make you feel less… exposed."
Erik politely turned away as she dressed.
"Loki's just lucky I was missing you a little," Christine smiled when she was done. "Otherwise, I'd be pretty annoyed."
Erik turned back to her, "And you are not annoyed now?"
Christine wrapped her arms around his waist. "Not so much."
He placed a light kiss atop her head, "I am glad of your company," he then quickly added, "Though not for the reasons Loki insists…"
Christine laughed at that as she let go of him and made herself comfortable on one of the two chairs in the suite. "So… how's the room service? I figure you probably don't spend much time down in the restaurant."
"You figure correctly," he answered as he took the chair beside her. "The food is decent. If you are hungry, I can call down for something."
"Sure," Christine replied. "I'll just let Nadir know I'm safe and sound."
"Yes. Then I will take you shopping. You cannot walk around in my ill-fitting clothes for the rest of the week."
Christine let out a happy cheer at the promise of a shopping spree.
Elsewhere
Find her. Find them both.
It was not only one creature that heard the command, but many. In many different places. They all wanted to attack if they found the ones their master was looking for.
If you wish. It makes no difference to me. You will most likely be dusted though.
They denied they would, claiming to be stronger than any other of their kind. HE didn't have the patience for their gloating.
If you say so. Do what you want. Just let me know where they are before the Hunter kills you.
Glynden Mall
Erik glanced at his watch and let out a sigh. He had been sitting in the waiting area at the door to the dressing room for the last thirty minutes. Christine had asked his opinion twenty minutes ago on an ensemble she had put together, then had disappeared once again.
"Sir?" A nervous sales woman came up to the masked man, "May I help you?"
Erik glanced over at her and she quickly averted her eyes from his mask. "I'm waiting for someone." He answered, and turned his attention back to the door.
"I'm sorry, sir… but… I have to ask you to leave."
"Oh?" Erik replied, then nodded to two other men sitting in chairs a few feet away. "I suppose you'll ask them to leave as well?"
"They're here with their wives…" she explained.
"As am I." Erik answered simply, then frowned. "And she is taking her dear sweet time."
"I'm going to have to call security if you don't leave, sir. Our customers are finding your presence uncomfortable."
"Are they now?" Erik asked as he stood up, making good use of his six-feet, six inches of height. "And why is that?" He asked, an angry edge to his voice. "Why, exactly, do your customers think I've been sitting in front of this change room for the last half hour? Because I enjoy staring at the lovely white doors?"
"Sir," the saleslady's tone grew firmer, "I'm going to ask you to leave one more time. If not-"
"Excuse me," another voice interrupted. The two turned to see Christine stepping out of the dressing room wearing a midriff bearing halter top and low rise jeans – two of the many items of clothing she had brought in with her. "Is there a problem here?"
The saleslady walked towards her, "No, ma'am. I was simply telling this man that he is making you ladies uncomfortable. He's going to leave so that you can go about your shopping unbothered."
Christine laughed, "If he leaves, who's going to pay for my clothes?"
The saleslady seemed confused. "Pardon?"
Christine walked up to Erik and slid an arm around his waist. "My fiancé offered to treat me. He was going to be really generous too." She shrugged. "Oh well. I'm pretty sure I can find what I want at one of the other stores in the mall."
The saleslady stepped forward, a bright smile on her face. "I assure you that our clothing is of the highest quality. If there's anything you need help with-"
"...then we'll go somewhere else," Christine interrupted, "Since you want us to leave and all…"
The saleslady looked between Erik and Christine, her mouth opened to respond, but Christine spoke before she had a chance.
"Marissa, is it?" Christine asked, reading the lady's name tag. "For future reference – I would advise AGAINST kicking out your customers' spouses. It could be bad for business."
Christine motioned for Erik to lean down as she rolled to her tip toes and gave him a quick kiss on his masked cheek. "I'll be right out," she informed him before disappearing back into the dressing room.
Erik glanced at the stunned saleslady and offered a rather chilling smirk. She backed away and immediately went about other business.
When Christine was done, the two headed out into the hall, making there way through various other stores. One glance through the skylight made it clear that night had fallen. The mall was only going to be open for another two hours.
"This was nice," Christine said as she entwined her fingers with his. "Spending the day with you, out in public."
"Getting kicked out of stores…" Erik muttered.
Christine waved away his comment, "I didn't like the clothes there anyway."
Erik suddenly froze, earning a concerned look from Christine. He slowly glanced behind them, and she followed his gaze. There were two men walking behind them, doing nothing to hide the fact that they were pursuing them. "Keep walking…" he instructed.
She did so and Erik led her out of a side door, then slid his hand into his duster and pulled out a stake, surprising the two men who stepped through the door and quickly turning them to dust.
"In public?" Christine asked, wide eyed. "I mean, I understand down a dark alley but… the mall?"
"They were seeking us out." He glanced at the stake in his hand, remembering how Martine had been attacked.
"Why would they follow us? Who told them too?" Christine asked.
Erik looked down at her, the question sparking a realization in his mind. He knew only one creature that could make a vampire follow his will.
Erik did not like how the pieces were fitting together. He quickly grabbed the cell phone from his belt and stepped away from Christine, giving himself some privacy as he made a phone call.
"Nadir?" He started, "I know who has taken residence in Orpheus' head…"
End of Episode 14