Of Monsters and Angels

by Partners in Fanfiction

ErikxOFC with LND elements. Nicole "Nikki" Lasalle-Jones approaches the mysterious Mr. Y of Phantasma for the rights to one of his shows for her school's theater department. Mr. Y turns out to be an old friend of her late mother's with a checkered past he's reluctant to reveal to anyone else, even if he's suddenly enamored of her. Rated for scary scenes, limes and language.

2. Chapter 2: Erik's POV

2

Erik

I could sense the automobile park in the cast parking lot; feel the stage door open and a stranger enter, all from my office on the other side of the building. I hurried through one of the many secret passages and reached the crawl space through the hallway, where I could see and hear a conversation between Madame Quincy the choreographer and the stranger. "Who be you, waltzing on into the theater, ignoring the cast and crew only sign and asking for the boss?"

"Uh, first, if you're so afraid of outsiders, lock the door, huh?" the stranger responded timidly. "Um, I'm Nikki Lasalle-Jones, representing the theater department of…J. D. Walker Academy. I was sent by the head Barry Costello to ask for the rights to Mr. Y's Learning Lunacy."

Miss Lasalle-Jones was a young, possibly Louisiana-Creole descent, slender woman whose figure wasn't flattered by the maroon sweatshirt and baggy jeans she wore. However, her name Lasalle sounded strangely familiar. Madame Quincy blew cigarette smoke in her face and said, "Mr. Y would be flattered that you admire his work and want to put on his show, but he doesn't give the rights to just anybody. He would rather die than give the rights to…high schoolers."

She coughed and said, "I think my boss-teacher and I would prefer to hear that from him. I can come back any afternoon, evening or night, but I need the rights from the owner. We'll pay full price."

"Mr. Y doesn't care very much about money, but quality," she spat. "And Learning Lunacy requires quite a lot of effort, effort children aren't capable of."

She sighed, but she wouldn't give up. "Would Mr. Y appreciate you speaking in his name like that?"

She made an excellent point, so much that Madame Quincy's cheeks turned pink under all the powder on her face. "I…I'm not sure where he is right now. There's hardly any telling. He could be watching us now. Honestly, I go weeks without seeing him."

"Is there an office somewhere? Is it not worth a peek?"

She sighed. "I'll get fired for this. C'mon."

I followed them through the crawl space to my office and realized Miss Lasalle-Jones's face was so terribly familiar. Halfway there, I realized she was a spitting image of Imani Lasalle. I knew she had a daughter, Nia, Nicole, Ni-something and caught a glimpse of her many years ago when she came to the show, a glimpse not all that memorable. I would not turn her away, and perhaps in exchange for some answers as to my old friend's whereabouts, I would give her the rights.