Dreams Do Come True ((Blondie))

[Roselin A. Soulle]

The days and nights were beginning the blend together as time acted like Summer vacation and run on endlessly. She didn't go back to school as she was suppose to, as much as she loved school, no one liked her back. Except for the teachers but with the disappearance of her father, did the teachers think that she went along with him? Probably, except for the rumors of her still walking around.

Of course Roselin didn't spend all of her time in the Manor, that would just drive her crazy. She did go to the store in the village often and sometimes stop to chat with random people. She was beginning to call her home town 'the village' as everyone else did. She didn't mind that she was coming to be more and more like them, she was a phangirl, she wouldn't complain the slightest of being in a big old place that has a bunch of Phantom of the Opera characters from various versions.

However, when Roselin was inside the Manor and not in session of her lessons with Erik Lenoir, she was satisfying her curiosity and would explore the Manor. The Manor never seemed to be boring, there was always something to find and look into. When she walked through the halls, she could practically hear the layers and layers of history this place held. It was like magic, so fantasy like and mystical, it was wonderful! And for a morning person, what better time to go out exploring? Roselin skipped happily through the hall, peaking around each corner, looking for something of great interest to catch her attention.

Finally she came upon a double door entrance to a room she had never been to before. Immediately curious, she pushed open the doors. Her mouth dropped open as she took in her surroundings. It was a magnificent ballroom! Sure, it was pretty dirty and dusty but she quickly taught herself to look beneath all of the thick lairs of dust and grime to see the beauty. Roselin ran to the outskirt of the ballroom where there were large windows, taking in the mid morning sunshine. She opened a few of the windows all around the room a little bit to let in some fresh air. The room was bright and warm and made her feel like dancing! And that seemed like a perfectly good plan to do, considering her location. Roselin pulled out her blue and silver Ipod and set it down, turning it on and up all the way.

For a moment, she stood still. She looked like a happy little statue with light grey jeans, soft pink tube top shirt with a long sleeve white shirt underneath. Roselin then busted into dancing as the lyrics of the song came on, " I am walking on sunshine!". As she jumped up and down happily, her single pearl on a silver chain necklaces nearly hit her in a face a few times. She had to stop dancing a few times because the dust she kicked up from her crazy and fun dancing would make her cough, but the she would start dancing again. But then finally, the song ended and although she felt like continuing dancing, she did not. Roselin picked up her Ipod and turned it off and shoved it back into her jean pocket. She twirled around a bit, happily and laughed a bit, catching the smell of the quickly approaching autumn air from the open windows. But then she noticed that someone was standing by the doors she had recently walked through. A girl that didn't look very much older then herself. She stopped and blushed slightly in embarrasment at the stranger. "Oh my gosh, I am sorry, I probably look kind of crazy don't I?"

[Christine Daaé]

Christine was happier that morning than she had been in a very long time. It was mostly in due to the wonderful day she had had before with Raoul at the zoo in the village. Granted, she had been a bit unenthusiastic about the idea of going in the village to spend the day at the zoo, but it was the time that the two of the were able to share that made it special.

She was wearing a simple blue frock dress and had her blonde hair pinned up off of her shoulders and back. There was a faint noise coming from down the hall, and that made the girl quite curious. It was a strange sound, almost like music, but it certainly wasn't like any music she'd ever heard before...

She followed the sound until she came upon the large wooden double doors of the ballroom. Odd,” she thought to herself. Why would the strange noise be coming from inside of there?... Cautiously, she opened the door and stood, staring at what she saw inside.

It was a girl, a bit younger than her, dressed in the most bizarre clothing. Whoever she was, Christine had never seen her at all before. She must have been from the nearby village... Christine's suspicions were confirmed when the girl began speaking to her in English. It was npt phrases she had ever heard before though in what llittle she had learned of the language, other than perhaps 'I'm sorry'

Christine stared at the girl in confusion. This language barrier had been making things quite difficult for her here. “I... I do not understand,” she managed in her broken, Swedish-accented English. The girl didn't seem to have any ill intention, bit Christine would be much more at ease if she could understand what she was saying. “Est-ce que vous parlez français?” she asked, her accent disappearing almost completely. Perhaps if she did, they could clear up some confusion...

[Roselin A. Soulle]

Roselin stared slightly as the slightly older girl when she said that she did not understand. It reminded her of the first moment she met Erik Lenoir when he spoke to her in a different language and she had no idea what he had said. She then spoke to her in another language, blood rushed to her face a bit and felt that this conversation would be very difficult and awkward if they weren't going to be able to communicate.

Roselin scratched the top of her head some, thinking. "Erm... I can only speak English...er..." She looked around slightly to see if something would catch her attention and give her an idea. She looked at the lady again and made a writing motion with her hand. "Can you read English? Or perhaps you know someone who would be able to interpenetrate to the both of us...?" She asked, hoping that the girl would understand her, at least a little. "Um... whats your name? I am Roselin Autumn Soulle. Just call me Roselin." She said, pointing to herself when she spoke her own name.

[Christine Daaé]

Christine listened closely as the girl spoke, a bit discouraged that she was still speaking in English, but glad that she at least spoke a little slower. She watched the gestures that she made. She looked as if she were writing... Maybe writing what they wanted to say? She had always been better at reading in other languages than understanding them as spoken word...

She understood the last part though. A basic introduction. “Roselin.... Hello, Roselin. My name is Christine Daaé,” She was glad she still remembered the very basic English she had learned from Professor Valérius before he passed. “Roselin, est-ce que vous connissez où on peut trouver un dictionaire?” She had asked her question, but then realized that perhaps the girl might have some difficulty understanding, and so after a brief moment of thought, she pantomimed opening up a book and turning pages. “Un dictionaire.” A dictionary.

[Roselin A. Soulle]

"Christine Daae..." Roselin repeated with a smile. "Pleasure to meet you." She said happily and then watched and listened as she asked a question. For a moment, she looked bewildered for she didn't understand. But then realized how the last word she said seemed so similar to dictionary. When Christine repeated it, it confirmed her beliefs. She smiled and nodded vigorously.

"I know just the place. I have a collection of books in my room. Er... my chambre." She said, hoping she had said the right word for room. "Fallow me." Roselin said happily and made a motion for Christine to fallow her. She left the room, glancing back to see the other young lady fallowing her. Roselin continued to smile and look around, trying to remember which way she had come from. Finally she picked a hall way and went down it, made a few turns, got lost a bit when she went down a staircase, found her way again and got to the dorms and eventually too her room.

Roselin flung the door to her room open and gestured for Christine to fallow her into the room. She went to her dark cherry wood bookcase and searched the bottom shelf in her collection of dictionaries. There was Indonesian, Persian, Swahili, and many others. Finally she found French and pulled it out. Then went to her desk and pulled out a small stack of lined paper and a sharpened pencil. Roselin quickly flipped through the dictionary, wrote a few things down in French, and then showed the paper to Christine and gave her the dictionary. It read: 'Do you think you could figure out how to use this? It is alphabetized in English but I think you could get the hang of it. Pleasure to meet you also Christine.' Roselin smiled.

[Christine Daaé]

Christine's eyes brightened and she clapped her hands together gleefully when the girl nodded and smiled. She seemed to understand, which she was extremely grateful for. Her smile faded a bit though when she spoke again. She didn't understand much of what was being said. She only really got one word the first tie – book – but then the other girl said a word in French that made it make a little more sense. Book. Bedroom... A book in her bedroom? Did she mean the dictionary?

Christine wasn't sure how to reply, but then the girl motioned for her to follow her and, with a slight hesitation, she did so. She must be taking me to her bedroom, Christine thought, concluding this from the girl mentioning sa chabre beforehand. Her suspicions were soon confirmed when they made their way up to the dormitories and she followed the other blonde girl into one of the rooms there.

Christine stood just inside of the room, not wanting to sit unless seated. She watched as the girl browsed through some books on her shelf and then selected one ad took out some paper and a pencil, then began to write. When she showed the paper to Christine and handed her the dictionary, Christine took them and read.

Do you think you could figure out how to use this? It is alphabetized in English but I think you could get the hang of it. Pleasure to meet you also Christine.

Christine grinned, looking up at the girl, and nodded happily, then took the pencil and paper and went over to the desk, still standing rather than sitting, and began to write, referencing the dictionary where she needed to. Are you from the village? I have never heard such music before.

When she was finished writing, she took the note in her right hand – the one on which she wore Erik's plain gold ring still, keeping in fulfillment to her promise – and handed it to the girl, leaving the pencil and the dictionary sitting on the cherry wood desk.

[Roselin A. Soulle]

Roselin nearly squealed with glee when Christine showed that she understood. It felt good to have found a solution to their communication problem so quickly. She then watched as Christine handed the paper back to her, but not without noticing a rather pretty, even if plain, piece of jewelery on the young lady's finer. Roselin thought about the ring for a moment, before quickly piecing it together, then read the paper.

She flipped vigorously through her dictionary and wrote back. Yes I am from the village. Its kind of modern music, though that song was a few years old already. Erik Lenoir took me in when I was in the garden outside of the Manor. I sort of moved in. Roselin then paused and glanced at the ring again, grinning, then added more. And that golden ring, would that happen to be from Erik? I mean, your Erik? I know quite a bit about everyone's worlds... they are quite popular here. If that makes any sense. She added then handed it back over.

[Christine Daaé]

Christine waited as the girl wrote and then took the piece of paper when she was done and began to read, smiling at first as she explained the music, but then her smile faded and she grew pale at something else mentioned near the end of the note. The ring...

Her hands trembled as she read and she could not steady them enough to prevent herself from dropping it, allowing the sheet to drift to the floor. She looked at Roselin with a bewildered expression, her clear blue eyes bright with fear. Érik.... How has she known Érik? And better yet, how had she known that it was Érik who had given her that ring? It was not exactly something that she advertized...

Her lips trembled and her breathing became unsteady. “Coment connissez-vous ce nom?” she stammered, forgetting the language barrier a moment in her panic. “Qui vous a dit qu'il m'a donné cette bague? Qui vous a dit?” She backed up a little, placing her hand against the wall in order to brace herself, still clearly terrified by the knowledge this girl somehow had of Érik...

[Roselin A. Soulle]

Roselin's smile dropped when she had seen that her writing had frightened her. Christine began to speak words that she again did not understand. She panicked herself. "Oh my gosh! i am sorry, I didn't mean to scare you at all!" Roselin then rushed over to her bed and pulled out a book from underneath her pillow, The Phantom of the Opera.

She then picked up her pencil and paper and wrote down in a rush. Le Fantôme de l'Opéra! It is a book. No one else in the manor knows except for maybe your Erik. I know about all the other Christine's and Erik's and everyone. Please don't be afraid. She continuously flipped back and forth between writing and looking in the dictionary. She showed Christine and tapped it vigorously. "I am sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." She said again in English, looking and feeling extremely sorry.

[Christine Daaé]

Christine backed up more, pressing her back against the wall and then sliding down against it into a sitting position and burying her face in her hands, still trembling. Érik... It had been several months since she had seen him. She had tattempted to visit on a few occasions, but it seemed that every time, she managed to miss him. She didn't know if that were a good thing or a bad thing. Surely he would be cross with her for having been gone for so long, and right now, with Raoul here and the wedding drawing near, the very last thing that she wanted was to provoke him...

She glanced up, her eyes beginning to become glossy with tears that dared not fall, as Roselin showed her a new note and tapped a book she held in her hand. Hesitantly, she reached out and took the note to read it.

Le Fantôme de l'Opéra! It is a book. No one else in the manor knows except for maybe your Erik. I know about all the other Christine's and Erik's and everyone. Please don't be afraid.

She read the note, then looked up at Roselin, then down at the book, and then back to the girl once again. A book? What did she mean by 'it is a a book? What was a book? Christine didn't understand... She shook her head a little in a mixture of confusion and in disbelief.

She reached out a trembling hand to take the dictionary again, as well as the pencil and paper, then wrote back. I do not understand. Did this book tell you? She paused a moment in hesitation before she wrote more. Please understand that Érik will be very cross with me if he believes I have told you of the ring and what it entails... Her hands shook as she continued. I do not understand any more what it is exactly that he wants with me, but I am afraid of him finding out about everything here... There is one other here I know who knows, but it is vital that Érik not discover this...

[Roselin A. Soulle]

Roselin hated to see Christine look so afraid, shaking and trembling. It made herself feel very uneasy and kinda sad too. She watched as Christine wrote down on the paper, she paused, then had continued to write. She really hoped that she hadn't screwed up any sort of friendship they could have had for asking that. But when she received the paper back, she saw that it might not have been the case.

Roselin then automatically began to write back to her. I am sorry, I did not mean to upset you. I promise I will not tell Erik anything about it. I have not even met him yet. He probably wont find out unless someone who is going tells him. But from what I heard from Erik Lenoir, he isn't very pleasant so not many probably befriended him that would tell him. By the way... what is it that he isn't suppose to find out? Is Raoul here or something? Yes... the book told me. It would be very hard to explain and even if I did, it wouldn't make sense. Roselin then passed her back the paper.

[Christine Daaé]

Christine read over the note carefully, her hands still trembling slightly, but as she read through, her breathing at least steadied a little. She knew that Érik did not have very good people skills, and that Monsieur Lenoir knew briefly of her perils with him, and this reassured her a bit. The book on the other hand... What was that thing? She began to write back.

No, I will be fine, thank you. Or at least I hope I will be... Monsieur de Chagny is here, though how you know him I do not understand either... I do not think that Érik is yet aware of Monsieur de Chagny's presence here. The last time that I saw him, I had believed Monsieur de Chagny to be dead... Though if Érik were to discover now tat he is alive and well, I am afraid of what he might to to him, especially if he knew of our plans....

[Roselin A. Soulle]

Roselin read the note, feeling a bit better that Christine seemed to be easing up a little again but felt troubled as she read the letter. As much as she loved most of the Eriks and everything... she knew that they could all be very dangerous, especially when it came to Christine being with Raoul. She was slightly excited to read that Erik was here and that she may meet him but still... none of them should harm one and another.

Roselin hastily wrote back. Well... if it has been a very long time since you have seen your Erik, perhaps he might have left the manor in search of his opera house or something. If he has done nothing to you or spoken to you for a while, maybe he gave up. She paused. Erik? Give up Christine? Pah, wouldn't that be strange! Anyways, you have people who will protect you, like Erik.. well.. Erik Lenoir. I am sure he would if I asked, unless of course you've already met him. Oh and if you don't mind me asking... what plans did you and Raoul have in mind? As if it wouldn't be obvious.

[Christine Daaé]

Christine took the note from the other blonde girl and read it silently. She bit her lips as she read it. If only things were so simple... She knew that Érik, eve wen he did not make his presence known, was silently watching. In fact, it was quite possible that he already knew that Raoul was here. Oh, how she prayed that was not the case. This place, even without the demons she had seen before, remained a threat for that sole reason – they could not escape! Here, they were trapped, confined within the same walls as he who would have been ready to do anything for her, even to commit murder. Murder...

After a brief hesitation, she bean to flip and to write again. She was a very quick writer, for it was a pastime of hers. She often wrote letters to Raoul to tell him about her day and about everything she had seen and everyone she had met. In fact, it was writing to him that helped her to keep her sanity for as long as she had before he came.

Yes, I have met Monsieur Lenoir, and he has indeed been very kind and helpful to me while here. In fact, Monsieur de Chagny and I owe him our lives. But it is not so simple. I know that Érik must be here. He would not leave me so easily. It's possible that he already knows actually... She paused a moment before continuing writing. Monsieur de Chagny and I, we were planning on marrying... Érik had given us his blessing, but... he seems to have... forgotten... That is why it is so dangerous for us to even be here at all...

[Roselin A. Soulle]

Roselin read her writing hastily. It was a good thing she had the strange knack to find things quickly in dictionaries, even though many other things would happily stay oblivious to her. She was happy to read that Christine had met Erik and also found him kind and helpful. Yes, somehow the masked man was also very patient Roselin, despite all her.... hyperness. But what struck her a bit... odd... was that Christine and probably her Raoul owed him their lives.

Yes, he was very nice and would help any Christine, that was logic. But what about a de Chagny, and what on Earth did they do to get themselves into so much trouble as to have Erik Lenoir save them in some way- enough to owe him their lives. Well, Roselin would just have to definitely ask Erik next time she goes in for lessons. My, wouldn't it be such an interesting story to hear! She wondered what other stories or lives he had saved or anything of the sort while in his stay here. She smiled to herself then thought more of the other text on Christine's written paragraph.

Roselin began to write back. Yes I know he wouldn't give up that easily, his book wouldn't be quite so famous if he ever did give up easily. And oh! A wedding! That sounds absolutely fantastic. She would have put 'awesome' but she couldn't find it quickly so she went with the different word. Do you know when its going to be or anything? Oh I have never been to a wedding before, it sounds beautiful! Anyways, how could he have forgotten? Well, suppose if you knew you would have already said- or rather- written it. Surely if he was still here though, he would have contacted you recently. I can't imagine that he could go too long without speaking with you. It just wouldn't be very Erik-like. She then handed the paper, pencil, and dictionary back to Christine.