Erik Lenoir
Hide your face, so the world will never find you...
Hide your face so the world will never find you...
Posts: 1,241
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Post by Erik Lenoir on Apr 20, 2013 21:24:52 GMT -5
Ana seemed tense as he touched her face and hair. " Calm down, my dear. I won' t hurt you...you know that I won't. And you look angry. Are you angry at me?" His words were scarcely a whisper. He continued to contemplate her eyes. "You are angry with me, are you not?" He took his hands from her and turned away, staring over the fence and out onto the land. "I hid myself away for too many years. Of course I had no choice. And yes, coming here has been good for me. Coming to this place with so many deformed people, I am not unusual. I am not the only freak. And the others here, they accept us as normal. Perhaps different, but normal for this place.Before, the only thing I found that made my life worthwhile was running the opera house and from my vantage point as a ghost, I was able to keep up a front of fear so that people would be more amenable to my "suggestions," which frankly, were more like edicts." He laughed. "I was a bloody tyrant. And it was quite a damned lot of fun. And the pranks became worse as I became more depressed and lonely. It all came to quite a bad end though...." He looked pensive and a bit sad as he looked into the distance.
He glanced back at her and smiled. "No, coming here has been good for me. I am a bit more talkative. I never said a damned bloody word to anyone really, in the last three years, save Giry and Christine and my ghostly threats to the managers, Carlotta and the opera company in general. It's good to have someone to speak to ... even if some of them don't care for me. I was hated and feared at the opera house. But it was only because of my persona as a ghost. If I would have showed myself in all my hideousness, they would have realized I was only a man, albeit a hideous one, and locked me in some mental institution or executed me. " He glanced over at the horizon again. Here, at least I am relatively safe from the wicked crowds. I know they would have ripped me limb from limb unless les gendarmes would have arrived first. In that case I surely would have been put in gaol and executed eventually."
Lenoir looked a bit somber thinking about it. He was quiet for quite a while. Then he looked back at her. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. I should not be putting my past burdens on you. In any case, I am delighted to be here."
She said he was well-loved. He laughed bitterly. "If they knew me, really knew me, they would not love me. How could they if they knew the blackness of my heart..." She answered his questions about the horse named after his first love. He really didn't care a whit about the horse or any horse, and he thought the name a bit incongruous and disrespectful to Christine. But he said nothing more about that. His only interest in horses was to pull a carriage and then the fact that Ana loved them. That was why he had asked the questions, simply to show some interest, which wasn't really there, but to honour her interest. "I see. Interesting," he said.
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anastasia
Senior Member
Making a point is a matter of opinion. I'd rather make a difference
With me? Expect the unexpected!
Posts: 285
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Post by anastasia on Apr 20, 2013 23:20:17 GMT -5
The tension melted away from her being as it seemed he was reading her wrong. Well, partially wrong. She wasn't afraid of him and knew he wouldn't hurt her. Why would he? She had given him no reason to do any harm to her. A sigh was released through her lips and appeared to relax. Those shaped brows furrowed just for a flickering moment and blinked a couple times. She calmed. Damnit! How was it he could do that?!? Just the mere words and simple actions and she simple did as he suggested for her to do! She couldn't figure out if it was annoying or not. "I'm not angry with you, Lenoir," her voice was mellow but almost sounded exhausted or wry. Unsure of what to say next while her lips moved just ever so slightly. Her eyes followed him with almost a stunned hurtful gaze as he turned away. The whole time she stood there, her eyes locked upon him and listened to his every word. From time to time she would blink but for the most part she kept silent and simply listened to him. It would be so easy to reply, to try and encourage him with words. No, just being there to listen to him. Let him vent, be that shoulder to cry on and a friend to listen was more than enough. How many could actually say their friend was the Phantom? The more he told her about his life, the more she really got to know him. He definitely was not just a character he was a real man with issues and hopes. A soft deep inhale then released it as she stepped back up to the fence, right beside him, placed one foot on the lower brace of the fence while she draped her arms along the fence. Glancing over at him with a mild measure of concern as any good friend would have but also a measure of compassion. All she could do was simply listen to him. Let him vent whatever was on his heart and mind and spirit. It would be good for him to just release everything that's been pent up for so long. Years most likely. There was absolutely no way she could understand exactly how he felt or even his point of view but she had gained hints and every bit of it turned her opinion of him into a completely uniquue perspective that most likely no one would ever know of or even relate to. "That was then. This is now," she said softly in an attempt to reassure him with kind words and someone who understood where he was coming from. "Interesting how our past continues to shape out future, isn't it?" Glancing over at him to watch him a moment, then looked down at his arm next to her and reached over to place her hand upon his arm and slowly rubbed it all in an effort to at least show compassion and comfort a tormented soul. Gazing back at him as a weak smirk appeared then took hold of his arm with the hand she had been rubbing his arm with, squeezed it gently, tipped her head towards him and smiled a little more. "Hey," partially turned to face him and smiled a little more, "what are friends for, hmm?" Placed her other arm around him while the other hand remained on his arm and she gave him a tender squeeze, with her head tilted so their heads touched. It was odd, and scared her that she was doing this - being close to him - but she no longer cared because she simply had to support her dear friend. Yes, he meant more to her than he will ever know. Then she slightly snickered and grinned. She was glad that he was here and existed, too. Lifting her head slightly, facing him and wasn't that far from him at all, practically face to face, and smiling. "I know you and still I love you. No one's perfect." Trying her best to reassure him that he was no different than everyone else in this world. "You think I'm not a black-hearted bitch?" She smirked while gazing back at him and raised her brows, trying to be as amusing as possible or maybe just a real as possible. "You're only human, Lenoir." Slightly raising her brows and wanted to shake her head in disgust or bewilderment, but was only amused. He was interesting. He asked about the money issue and all he could say is 'I see. Interesting'?!? She looked at him rather mysteriously intrigued wondering what was going on in that mind of his or was he simply trying to figure out what was in her mind? "Look... I'm sorry about a moment ago." She turned and started back through the stable, "It's just... I get all defensive when someone touches me. I'm... " Paused a moment as she sighed, not looking at him while they were walking to the the entryway of the stables, "I don't want to be hurt again. It's taking me a while to just deal with it. If I'm icy and seem angry, it's because... I am guarding my heart from being hurt again." She smirked almost Han Solo style for a fleeting moment with a little huff, not looking at Lenoir, "Remember.... I've had several boyfriends, and one FianceƩ. All of which broke my heart and used me. So..." she trailed off. Not sure what really to more she could say. "So getting over old habits... it will take me a while," lifting her head so that she could look at him, look into her eyes and at least let him know she was telling the truth. If he was comfortable around her, she wanted to be comfortable around him.
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Erik Lenoir
Hide your face, so the world will never find you...
Hide your face so the world will never find you...
Posts: 1,241
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Post by Erik Lenoir on Apr 23, 2013 20:46:28 GMT -5
"I'm glad to hear that you're not angry with me. You sometimes look as if you are." Then he was quiet for a moment and looked down at the ground. "I should not be telling these tales of my background when no one really needs to know. It's an unnecessary burden. I don't wish for you to feel sympathy for me. I simply run off a bit at the mouth. What's past is past and we can't change it. And you are correct, the past does shape the future." He looked pensive then, and a bit inscrutable and mysterious.
Ana was concerned and compassionate. Those were some of the qualities he liked in her. And she was good at listening. But she often put up an invisible shield which was hard to penetrate. But then she took his arm and rubbed it softly and compassionately. He looked at her and smiled, taking her hand in his.
When she said no one's perfect, he looked at her with a smile, and said, "Oh? You think I'm not perfect?" Then he winked at her so she knew he was teasing her. Then she called herself a black-hearted bitch. He frowned, although the end of his mouth looked amused. "Come now, Ana. Surely you can't mean that... Perhaps we shall have a contest as to whose heart is blacker.. Of course I shall win, I am always the best in everything I do.." Now he could scarcely hold beck the laughter from his lips. Then as Ana went on, Lenoir became pensive. "Icy hearts, black hearts, I don't see you as either of those, but if you do, I suppose I should not argue... I don't know your past and what it did to you. I can only understand from my own past. Shall we go inside soon, or take a walk?"
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anastasia
Senior Member
Making a point is a matter of opinion. I'd rather make a difference
With me? Expect the unexpected!
Posts: 285
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Post by anastasia on Apr 23, 2013 22:59:36 GMT -5
Well that was nothing new! How often had someone thought something completely different than what she was actually feeling? Slight smile and dropped her head, she was amused and not surprised. She snickered while lifting her head back up to face him, a smile still upon her lips.
Tilting her head slightly as the smile slightly faded but she still gazed back at Lenoir with as gentle a look as she could muster. "It's not a burden, Lenoir. You are no burden. No even close." Gazing back upon him, searching his eyes wondering what he was thinking and feeling to make him believe that his past was a burden to anyone who listened. "True. We can't change it. But we can learn from the past so we can have a better future." And a smile appeared upon her face again in an effort to cheer him up. Once again she shook her head as it dropped. How was it that she could never be upset in any manner with him? "If I didn't feel sympathy for you, I wouldn't be human. But," as she sighed, "maybe it's not sympathy, but empathy or better yet, understanding." Her eyes upon him in a effort to at least keep him in perspective and hopefully he will understand where she was coming from. "People do this all the time, Lenoir. Talk about their issues, life whether it's good or bad," pausing a moment, "just in a effort to get it off their chests, to free themselves from the troubles, but there are some people who want and need the sympathy and pity." Studying him a moment, "You are not one of those people who seek out the negative attention though. Not any more it seems." A brief smile, "I don't mind listening to you. Hearing your voice. Talking to you. Hearing you laugh. I wouldn't mind hearing you cry. If you were angry, afraid... I'll be here as a friend should be." There was a hint in her eyes that she regretted not being here for him when she was gone. She should have left some means to communicate with him. She definitely dropped the ball when it came to him and now she made a silent decision that she'd never do that again. Lenoir may be a strong man, but he was only as strong as those who cared about him. "Don't hold anything in, Lenoir. It will only make you a very bitter man. You can tell me anything. I'll listen." No need to look at their joined hands, she could feel it well enough. As much as it made her flutter in sheer soaring delight, she forced herself to just remain on the ground. This was a good as it will ever get, wasn't it? She couldn't really ask for more. He was so wonderful and honestly was a great friend that she could never denounce. She'd stand at his side or fight hell and high water for him for sure. Then she thought... would he do the same? That would be the test, wouldn't it? She could easily do all that but... only time will tell if a person would do that. Billie definitely fought high water for her once before. That was a scary situation and it forced her to trust in Billie more than she could trust in her own father. She simply relished in the sensation of his cold hands.
She snickered as she caught that wink from him, "If you were perfect by the standards of the world, you would not be unique. You would be unknown. A regular Joe. A nobody." She gazed back at him still keeping her eyes locked upon him, "But, you are perfect in your own unique way. You are somebody. You are well known. Well adored by millions, if not billions," almost became misty eyed at the thought that he will NEVER know what a worldwide sensation he was. "There's no one like you. There are many who have tried to be like you, tried portraying you. But... " she trailed off and deeply inhaled before releasing her breath silently, "There's only one Erik Lenoir." and she grinned back at him. "And I'm glad that he's my friend," as she hugged him again.
Blank faced for a moment while still possessing a Mona Lisa smile, shifting in an instant to a grin and soft giggle at mention of a contest. So she became a bit bold, even if she didn't possess the perfect voice like Christine, she still sang a song with a slightly sultry, velvety undertone as that's what the song calls for, something that Lenoir obviously would not know - "Black Black Heart" by David Usher:
Black black heart why would you offer more Why would you make it easier on me to satisfy I'm on fire I'm rotting to the core I'm eating all your kings and queens All your sex and your diamonds
With a grin she looked down and snickered. She enjoyed hearing him laugh. A laugh was always infectious and she laughed along with him. "You're on," as her eyes lifted to gaze back into his eyes which a sort of wickedness and fire for the competition. This would be an interesting challenge. However, would it be wise? Lord knows what could come of it. God, she hoped it would not make them bitter enemies or do something that they both deeply regretted. "Why, do you think that I'm the perfect angel?" She snickered again, "Cause I'm not." He stunned her though, not seeing the icy cold or wicked and dark side of her. She blinked while watching him, slightly narrowed her eyes for a brief moment wondering how he came to that conclusion. She was far from the sweet perfection and innocence that Christine DaaƩ possessed. "What do you see me as?"
A sharp exhale as she glanced away a moment, "Everyone's past is different yet we all experience hell in various forms. All the negativity that those we are around can muster and throw at us. I will never truly understand what all you went through. Nor will you understand what all I went through. But... we can at least understand and sympathize that we had our own trials... and ... survived them. Hopefully, making us all the better for it." She weakly smiled back at Lenoir.
"Hmmmm," thinking a moment, "Ehhh, we can go on a walk first before we go inside." Once again smiled as she thought a little more of what to make for supper tonight. She walked along side him, going where ever he led. "Besides, I still have to get my luggage and take it back up to my room."
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