"Will you stop it?" Mia cried suddenly. Erik was busy working on his music again and barely registered the fact that she had spoken. He was stuck on lyrics once again, and it was irritating him to no end. "Hello?"
"Stop what?" he asked absentmindedly, picking up his pen but immediately putting it back with a sigh of frustration. Erik began to work through varying lyrics, but couldn't settle on anything that fit right. This was beyond annoying.
"You're muttering to yourself. You've been doing it for hours."
"Nonsense," Erik replied. As he returned his attention back to his music, he said to himself, "The Phantom of the Opera does not mutter."
"See? You did it just now! It's annoying."
Without allowing Mia to see his face, Erik took his mask off, placed it aside, and rubbed his face, trying to relieve some of his frustration. "My music is far more important than whether you're annoyed or not."
For a moment, Mia looked like she was going to come up with a snappy retort, like no one is ever going to hear your music, but she seemed to change her mind. "I can help you if you want," she offered instead, walking closer to the organ, presumably to look at his music.
"No," Erik said instantly.
"I just thought since I helped you before..."
He shook his head. "I didn't ask for your help then, and I'm not asking for it now."
"Well fine," she murmured sullenly. "Be that way."' Erik leaned back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to relieve some of the tension that was building behind his eyes. He picked up his pen again, certain he had gotten something when all of a sudden Mia interrupted him again. "Are you sure?"
"Goddammit!" Erik shouted, throwing his pen aside and pounding his fist against the keys of his organ as he realized he had lost his train of thought, due to Mia's interrupting. "I had it!"
"You nearly had it," Mia chimed in. Erik whirled around and moved to grab her throat, although whether his intent was to hurt or not, he wasn't sure. Suddenly he changed his mind and pulled away, and as a result, his actions were little more than a rather rough caress. Mia stared at him with wide eyes for a moment, seemingly too scared to move.
Finally Erik exhaled slowly. "I do not need or want your help, but thank you for offering," he said as civilly as possible, trying to defuse the tension.
A wide-eyed Mia nodded and quickly backed away. Erik realized that she was scared of him, more so than usual. They had had much worse fights than this, and she had remained in his face. But something was different now. Unable to figure out what, Erik just shrugged it off and turned back to his music. Immediately he saw his mask still sitting on the organ. His hand shot up, and touched his deformed cheek, realizing that he hadn't had it on the whole time. That was why she was so afraid of him. Feeling a rush of shame and humiliation, Erik reached for his mask, when Mia grabbed his wrist. "No, don't," she said softly. "It isn't really that bad." She raised her hand, as if she was going to touch him, but stopped herself. "Honestly. It seemed much worse the first time."
Erik could tell that Mia was bluffing. She was trying to put on a brave face, and while she was clearly disturbed, he had to admire her for trying. He grabbed his mask and put it back on quickly. Mia bit her lip and looked away, something Erik found oddly appealing. Instantly he wanted to make her stop. She wasn't supposed to be appealing. After all she was a de Changy. He wanted to make her stop and there was only one way he could think of. "I..." he started rather pathetically, but it made her look back up at him. "I suppose I could use some help, if you're offering."
Mia's eyes lit up instantly, and she nodded. Erik sat back at his organ and played the song for her again, while she stood behind him, her lips moving silently. Erik suddenly felt her hand on his shoulder as she leaned forward and began to flip through the rest of the music, as she tried to figure out where to take the song. "This character, Blanche, the dancer at 'The Stardust', the one trying to become a proper actress," Mia said, pointing to the music. "Please tell me she isn't as shallow and empty headed as she seems."
Erik rolled his eyes. "Of course she is. Her name is Blanche, as in white, as in blank, as in nothing."
"You could make her more complex," Mia suggested. "Maybe, she isn't as pretentious as she seems. It could all be a front that she's using since she can't get her career off the ground."
That suggestion had Erik intrugied. He hadn't even thought of it. "How so?"
She thought for a moment before speaking again.
"The trouble with schools is
They always try to teach the wrong lesson
Believe me, I've been kicked out
Of enough of them to know
They want you to become less callow
Less shallow
But I say: why invite stress in?
Stop studying strife
And learn to live 'the unexamined life'... "
Even though she was still speaking, Erik realized that her words matched the music perfectly. "What else do you have?" he asked.
As she continued, Mia began to sing, waltzing around the lair as though she was a dancer.
"Dancing through life
Skimming the surface
Gliding where turf is smooth
Life's more painless
For the brainless
Why think too hard?
When it's so soothing
Dancing through life
No need to tough it
When you can sluff it off as I do
Nothing matters
But knowing nothing matters
It's just life
So keep dancing through..."
"What are you doing?" Erik asked in exasperation.
"Have you never been dancing before?"
Erik gave her a dirty look. "I know the theory behind ballet, but do I look like the kind of man who goes dancing?"
"The ballet they do upstairs is pretty and requires a lot of talent, don't get me wrong, but that's so different than dancing for fun. Come on, I'll show you."
He raised his brow. "You'll what?"
Mia tugged on his hands, pulling him to his feet. "It'll be fun," she said, giggling as she guided one of his hands to her waist and put one of hers on his shoulder. "Just follow me," she ordered, taking a step back and beginning to spin him around in a circle.
"Dancing through life
Swaying and sweeping
And always keeping cool
Life is fraughtless
When you're thoughtless
Those who don't try
Never look foolish
Dancing through life
Mindless and careless
Make sure you're where less
Trouble is rife
Woes are fleeting
Blows are glancing
When you're dancing
Through life..."
After a bit, Erik felt less like he was being dragged around, and more like he was able to match his rhythm with Mia's. It wasn't half bad actually. In fact, if he was honest with himself, Erik was actually almost having fun. And based on Mia's giggles, she was too.
"Dancing Through Life
Down at The Stardust
If only because dust
Is what we come to
And the strange thing:
Your life could end up changing
While you're dancing
Through!"
Mia turned beet red and backed away after the song was over, but she couldn't completely get rid of the grin on her face. "See? That wasn't too bad was it?"
"I guess not," Erik replied, also trying to hide his smile. As he turned back to add the lyrics to the piece, Erik realized that he wasn't supposed to be having fun with Mia, he wasn't supposed to be dancing with her, and she certainly wasn't supposed to be making him smile. This isn't good, he thought to himself.