A Picture Worth a Thousand Words ((Blondie))

[Erik Carriere]

Erik thought it would be nice to make a little visit. He had spoken to many different people, but most people he hadn't gotten the chance to speak to again. But this time, he would be going out of his way to see this person. It had been several months since he had seen this Christine, hopefully she was doing better. The last time he had spoken with her, she was in great distress over her Raoul.

Since Erik had no idea if her Raoul had appeared at the Manor or not, he decided to bring a little gift to Christine. There had been this picture that she had been looking at quite a bit when they were in the gallery room. This gift might cheer her up a bit if her Raoul had not yet come. Of course... it could always just make her think about her Raoul and depressed about him. But he was willing to take the chance since there was an opportunity of it giving her happiness also.

Erik got to Christine's dorm room, dressed in a pleasant manor. He wore an outfit that looked quite identical to his picnic outfit except his vest was a plain light blue and his pants were dark gray, complete with a black walking cane, but no hat. He had the painting that had resembled her Raoul carefully under one arm. He set down the painting quietly next to the door, leaning against the wall then used his walking cane to knock on the door a few taps. He really hoped that he would have the fortune that Christine was in her room. He cleared his throat slightly and shortly spoke after knocking. "Mademoiselle Daae, it is Carriere." He said softly but loud enough for her to be able to hear him.

[Christine Daaé]

Christine had been in her room, sitting and writing a letter to her fiancé. It had started as a habit out of pure necessity when she had first come to the manor, but had since continued as a sort of pastime and amusement for her, writing him little notes about her day and just to tell him a simple 'I love you.' After the recent outing they'd had, and with the wedding nearing, the sentiments just sort of poured out of her, like water from a pitcher.

She was in the middle of writing one of these letter when there came a knock at the door, accompanied by a voice. 'Mademoiselle Daaé, it is Carrière.[/i]' Carrière? It had been a while since they'd spoken, but she did remember him. In fact, she had written about him in one of her letters to Raoul. He had been the one to comfort her when she had sat weeping in the gallery as she stared up at the portrait there which so closely resembled her beloved when she had thought Raoul to be dead.

“Just a moment,” she called to him, finishing up the last few sentences of her letter before setting the pen down and rising from her desk in order to answer the door. She opened it and smiled up at Monsieur Carrière standing there. “Hello. I was not expecting visitors... To what do I owe the pleasure?”

[Erik Carriere]

Erik waited patiently,as his luck had it that Christine indeed was here, and had asked him to wait. The door was soon opened to a rather pleasant-mood looking Christine who greeted him. He smiled happily. "I hope I did not disrupt you from your tasks, I came by for a visit. If you do not mind my company once again." He said with a slight bow.

As he looked at her, he could see that she was in a much better and happier mood then when they had first met. Seeing her do so well made him feel good. However, with that happiness, he could see slightly on her face that in the months since their last meeting, that she had gone through quite a bit. He then glanced down and remembered the painting and smiled and looked back up at Christine.

"I also have brought you something which I hope will not disturb your optimism." He said before hesitating but then carefully taking the leaning picture from off of the wall and presenting the portrait that looked similar to her beloved. "I though you might enjoy having the picture since you took great interest in it when we last met." He chuckled slightly and hoped that she would not be upset by the sight of it.

[Christine Daaé]

“Oh no, no, you are not disrupting me at all. I was actually just finishing up writing something to someone... Would you like to come in? I have some peppermint candies, I you would care for one at all. It has been some time since I've seen you here. Are you any better? Did you ever find this 'Christine' you knew?”

Christine opened the door fully to him, gesturing to welcome him in if he cared to come. “So much has happened since we last spoke... Thank you again for trying so hard to cheer me up before. It was really rather sweet of you...”

She frowned slightly while listening to him when he said he had brought something which he 'hoped would not disturb her optimism'... Then he explained that he had brought to her the painting resembling Raoul and showed it to her and her face lit up once ore. “O, Monsieur Carrière, you really did not have to go through the trouble... Thank you so much. Yes, yes, I remember. It really was very thoughtful of you.”

[Erik Carriere]

"Thank you, Mademoiselle Daae. I would like to come in. And yes... I did fine my Christine... well... is very complicated really as you can imagine but that long story could be saved for a little bit." He said, still sounding like he was in good spirits, which he was. He entered her room with the picture in his hand and smiled to her. It was good to see people who were doing better then before.

"Yes, much has happened since we last spoke. And I am glad that I was able to cheer you up, at least a little, before." He said smiling. "I am glad you like the painting, it was no trouble at all." Erik said happily and sat it down on, leaning against the wall near the door. "Would you like me to put it up anywhere?" He asked happily. Yes, Erik was just in the mood to do some good and spread a little of happiness. Perhaps all those years that he had caused fear and mystery at the Opera house, he really would have enjoyed spreading kindness which he was getting the chance to do here, as cheesy as that sounded.

[Christine Daaé]

Christine simply nodded when he said that the story could wait for later. “Oh, yes, of course, if that is what you would prefer. Though I would very much like to hear when you are ready to tell. I've met a few other 'Christines' while here. Perhaps I've already met her.” She watched him as he walked in, supervising ever so slightly, just to make sure that he didn't accidentally bump anything with the frame. After all, she didn't need anything broken...

It was very kind of him to bring the painting up here for her, especially since the two of them had only met once before. He must have remembered where her room was in the dormitories from when he had waked her up the last time. “Just prop it against the wall for now. I'll have to think a bit before I figure out where it should go. I may have to rearrange a few things... hmmm...” There was a large wall space, but it was right where the light came in from the window, and she didn't want the sun exposure to end up ruining the portrait. This would require a bit of thought.

“Please, have a seat, won't you? Can I get you something? A mint perhaps? I have a whole jar of them over there on the shelf. They are quite good” She pulled out the chair from her desk and gestured for him to sit. “I'm glad too that you were able to. You were right, you know? He did come. In fact, he's been here for a couple of months now, actually.”

[Erik Carriere]

Erik smiled and nodded thankful for the thoughtful gesture and sat down. She offered him a mint, and through a moment of thought, answered gladly. "Sure, if it is no trouble." Christine told him that he had been right, that her Raoul had come, even a few months ago. "That long ago? Well, I am glad he got here for you." He said, smiling happily. He then thought for a moment.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you had met my Christine... however, the manor seemed to change her for the worse. I don't know how... but things just seemed to become disastrous. I wonder if any of it can be fixed, though I imagine that if there was a possibility, it would take a great length of time for any of it to get better. And her disappearance.. its nothing like her." He sighed, looking distantly, then tried to shake it off and chuckle. "I am very thankful that you have found happiness. As for me, I am still trying to find a way to better cling to it. He chuckled quietly again, compressed in his chest.

[Christine Daaé]

“Oh, certainly! It's not any trouble at all... Here.” She opened the jar and then held it out to him, so that he might help himself to the little mints. She waited a few seconds, so he could take as many as he liked, and then put the lid back onto the jar and set it up upon the shelf again.

She nodded, a warm smile upon her lips when he remarked at how long ago Raoul had found her there at the Manor. It was a very good thing, really. She was quite certain that if it weren't for him there, she would have surely gone mad and would more likely than not be dead... She enjoyed knowing that he was so near, and also that quite soon, they would be married! “Me too,” she said when he said that he was happy for her. “Honestly, I've no idea what might have become of me had he not...”

Her smile faded a bit though when Monsieur Carrière explained to her what had become of his Christine. “Oh, I..... I'm terribly sorry... I wish that there was something I could do to help, especially after you've been so kind to me... Perhaps... Perhaps it just... wasn't meant to be?” She bit hr lip a little and touched his shoulder gently, as if trying to comfort him. “You'll find it eventually.”

[Erik Carriere]

Erik gladly took two mints, he had one now and would save the other for later, it was tasty. He placed the mint at the side of his cheek so that when he spoke, it wouldn't get in the way. He nodded when this Christine told him that she honestly didn't know what would have become of her had he not shown up. Erik got a sudden heavy feeling as possibilities came about, but he swallowed it and listened to her continue.

Not meant to be? He suddenly felt shattered but he skillfully kept it from his face, though his eyes were another story since he never could mask the feelings he felt from his eyes. She then tried to reassure him by saying, he will find it. Erik felt hopeless at the moment, that he had done something awful. Did he blame himself for... for chasing off his own Christine? That was a strong possibility. However, the thought of that possibility also made his insides feel raw. "I only hope that things work out as they are suppose to...." It was a wish he wished for with all his heart.

[Christine Daaé]

As Christine watched Monsieur Carrière, she noticed some slight shift in his mood. It wasn't quite an expression (it was difficult to see any of his true expressions anyway, considering the fact that he wore a mask), but in his eyes... They seemed... sad. She bit her lips a little and then knelt down, resting a hand on his.

“Monsieur Carrière? Monsieur Carrière, is something the matter? You seem... upset... I... I'm sorry... was it something that I said?” She hadn't meant to upset him, especially not after the kind gesture of carrying the painting up there to her. “Is it the mint? I'm sorry... Would you like something else instead? I could make some tea if you would prefer...”

[Erik Carriere]

Erik didn't like having made Christine concerned or upset. She then asked if it was the mint and that she would make tea instead. For some odd reason, this accusation made him laugh. He smiled and shook his head. "No, no, the mint is perfectly fine and tasty- thank you." He said, laughing a little more then paused in silence to think.

"It's just... ever since I was young, it was her that I drempt of. ...My mother died when I was about three years old. And amazingly enough, my Christine's voice is quite nearly the exact replica of my mother's. That may sound a little strange but.... she is the only connection to my mother that I have anymore. Besides my father who I can't really speak about my mother to him since... it upsets him and in the process upsets me." Erik said, his head dropping slightly and making a slight huff of a laugh.

"And then of course there is the fact that I love Christine. Even if she may not be able to love me back as I do her.... I still hope for a chance, even through time and luck, that she will love me. I could never see myself be with anyone but Christine." He then paused and looked at this Christine, who was able to be with her loved one without extreme complication. Why couldn't he have that freedom? Why did his Christine refuse? He sighed and smiled a bit. "But suppose any wise person would say that everything happens for a reason or something along those lines. Anyways.... less about dreary events and more about the happy. What else has happened with you besides your Raoul's appearance?"

[Christine Daaé]

Christine watched Monsieur Carrière very closely as carefully as he spoke. She really did hope that she hadn’t upset him by anything that she’d said. It certainly hadn’t been her intent to… He explained to her how Christine reminded him so very much of his mother. She supposed it made sense for him to feel such an attachment to her because of that.

He said that he loved her – his Christine – and Christine herself could not help but to feel a tinge of guilt at this. Forcing a small smile to her face, she touched his hand gently. “Whether or not she loves you in return, I cannot tell, but I am certain of one thing… She does not hate you. Anyone would have to be a fool to despise someone who loves them so much.” Then she gave his hand a light little pat. “Give her time. Sometimes it can take years before you realize fully that you love someone… Take it from someone who knows firsthand.”

Monsieur Carrière didn’t seem to want to talk about the gloomy situation with his own Christine any more though, and tried to change the subject, asking Christine what else had happened since her fiancé’s appearance. “We’ve been planning the wedding, actually… We’d originally thought it was going to be in Paris, but it would seem that fate has changed our plans a bit…”

[Erik Carriere]

Christine then spoke to Erik, trying to comfort him. She told him that any one would be a fool to despise someone who loved them so, which made him smile even if just a little. She then told him to give her some time. He nodded some, thinking about his Christine. Time... if nothing else, that was the one thing that he could give her that she may take.

He was very glad that Christine changed the subject to something much more happier, and in fact, interesting to him. He then chuckled some when she said how their plans had changed since... well.. they were obviously not in Paris anymore. "A wedding is wonderful! I am very happy to hear that things are going so well for you two. Have you any idea when it is to take place?" He asked. Truth be told, Erik had never been to a wedding. Though if he knew anything, most other Eriks probably hadn't either. But at least he had a basic idea from reading about them in books.

[Christine Daaé]

Christine watched as Monsieur Carrière simply nodded at her comment about how anyone would have to be a fool to hate someone who loved them so much. She wasn’t sure whether or not he actually felt any happier about the situation with his own Christine, but her answer seemed to have appeased him, at least for the time being. It was all she could hope for, really. She didn’t know how his Christine felt about him at all, or if there were anyone else other than Monsieur Carrière in her life, but she did know how she’d felt about her own Erik, and she’d hoped that would help…

Christine smiled and gave a gentle nod when Monsieur Carrière finally spoke. “Thank you, Monsieur. We’re very excited. We’ve been waiting quite some time now… It will probably have to be here at the Manor. There is a little chapel, so there would be a space… As to a time… well, initially we’d planned to have it a long time ago, but since it was obviously delayed… we were considering having it on the twenty-seventh of October… It would… well, it would sort of be our birthday present to each other, since he was born on the twenty-sixth, and I on the twenty-eighth…” She laughed a little. “Perhaps it’s a bit childish, but we thought it would be nice…”

((Note to self: don’t forget to invite Pookey in the next couple of posts.))

[Erik Carriere]

Erik smiled cheekily when Christine explained that the wedding would be between their birthdays, he thought it rather clever- cute even. "I don't find it childish at all, its an exceptional idea really." He said, though his minds slowly tried to drift off to his own Christine... wondering when her own birthday was and if they would ever do anything like that. Probably not.

Erik twiddled his thumbs momentarily, looking at them but past them as he looked through his own thoughts, then brought himself back with a bit of a chuckle and looked at Christine. "You say there is a small chapel? It's strange to think I have been here for nearly a year and I still haven't explored every room in this manor. The opera house was nearly easier to go through than here... I wonder if I'll ever actually get to go through every room here." He said, laughing a bit.