Disclaimer: Not only do I not own The Forbidden Game, but I also do not own Phantom of the Opera.
A/N at the bottom :)
Jenny jumped in her seat, hitting its cushioned back and jostling the adjustable arm rests. Pillars of fire shot up from the stage about fifty feet away from her as 'Raoul' twisted his body out of harm's way. 'Eric' stood one a tombstone shaped like a Michelangelo-esque angel, clutching to the stone wings and throwing fireballs towards the trembling man before him.
"That's right! That's right; keep walking this way!" he shouted in a manic state, laughing at 'Raoul''s scuttling across the stage while 'Christine' stood horrified at the spectacle. Words of reason were yelled back by the couple, but it was lost through the crackling flames and laughter. Finally, 'Raoul' managed to grab ahold of his fiancée and weaved the two of them around the tombstones, avoiding the shoots of fire that sprung up sporadically.
Defeated, the Phantom slumped against the marble torso and banged his fist on the shoulder. "So be it. Let it be war," he yelled, glaring down the audience, "Upon you both!" The entire downstage section burst into blinding white sparks; Jenny could feel the heat of the musical's pyrotechnics warming her skin. The stage darkened, signaling a scene change.
"Impressive, isn't it?" Julian whispered in her ear.
She turned to look up at him. He wasn't in one of the auditorium's seat, opting to stand next to Jenny. Bringing a finger to her lips, she whispered, "Yes, but shh! I'm supposed to pay attention and observe the techniques they used or… whatever." Now that I think about it, they're cheating is spot on.
Jenny had never finished high school and didn't get a diploma or GED, but that couldn't stop her from taking classes at some little known college. Who needed all that when—who knows—maybe a glitch occurs so that her name suddenly appeared on the list for the Theatre class a week before school returned to session. One of the major assignments due by December was to attend any play or musical in the area and take note of what acting techniques the cast used effectively. It was a simple, one-paragraph task; freshman classes were a breeze, and Julian knew this.
"It doesn't have to be anything fancy," he started, "Besides, I know you're dying to say something. You won't stop fidgeting and playing with the pamphlet." Jenny glanced down and sure enough, her program was twisted almost beyond recognition.
"It's nothing, trust me," she started despite knowing that it wouldn't stop Julian from pushing the subject, "I'm just getting a bit of déjà vu, I guess."
"Yea, I'm feeling it, too." Jenny hummed in response. The play progressed, and the two seemed content in their silence, the only disturbance being when Julian handed her another program that she could unconsciously destroy since the first one laid in shreds on the floor and in her lap. It wasn't until 'Eric''s voice bounced from all corners and walls that Julian said anything.
"At least I'm not some forty-year old circus-escapee."
"True, and Raoul's a lot nicer than Tom."
"And Christine—"
"Total ditz," Jenny said, shaking her head with a faint smile, "Thank Whatever I'm nothing like her."
A/N: I saw Phantom of the Opera's new set design during a Broadway tour about two weeks ago, the TFG tumblr I'm a part of posted a gif set from Poto saying it gave them "Julian vibes" or whatever; it was bound to happen.
Just to be clear. Yes, I see similarities between TFG and PotO. Yes, I (of course)ship Jenny and Julian. However, I ship Christine with Raoul. After reading the original book from the early 20th century, I couldn't ship the prima donna with her opera ghost :( Sad day.