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Post by Erik Revenant on Sept 12, 2012 20:31:25 GMT -5
Admittedly, Revenant had forgotten that Lenoir was there with him, he’d been so caught up with the familiarity of this place. It was enough like his home that, maybe, he could come to enjoy being here. That is, so long as he didn’t venture from this particular area and wander out into the rest of the place. Granted, that’s how it was in the opera house as well. Maybe there weren’t other men wearing half-masks though… Lenoir’s statement about it being “interesting” just made him nod slowly. “I carved it myself.” This was said very quietly as he closed the door to the back hall. He would inspect everything back there and make sure everything was in place after his guest moved out of his abode. Then he could, at least, keep some things to himself.
While he’d been roaming around and looking through all the rooms, he’d straightened up considerably, standing almost straight up while he did so. But, now that he remembered that Lenoir was here, he’d gone right back to slouching a little and making himself smaller once again. The place had opened him up and made him seem far more open while he’d forgotten he wasn’t alone. A smile had even managed to find its way to his face at that time. Of course, it was long gone by now. Now, he was wishing that Lenoir would move on and leave Revenant to his peace and quiet.
First things first, however, he did have to ask a few questions of the other man, as much as he didn’t want to speak. It would be necessary to learn about the environment he’d been thrown into. “How many others with masks?” He’d seen other people of course: the unhelpful Emma Ravenhearst and the young Gustave de Chagny who liked storybooks. However, to find Lenoir and to hear that there were other suites, as Lenoir called them, led Revenant to believe there were others living in these underground places, all those names next to buttons in the death trap had to mean something. And, maybe, since they lived underground, they were like himself and Lenoir. Or maybe everyone lived underground in this place, masked or not. It wasn’t entirely implausible to assume such a thing.
For once, in an attempt to actually make some sort of contact with this other person, he raised his amber eyes slowly off the floor. He still couldn’t look Lenoir in the eyes, instead he had to look just over the shorter man’s left shoulder. But the peripheral was good enough to see at least a little of Lenoir’s face, just not with much detail. To be honest, he was sort of surprised at the sight. He’d gotten a little bit of a look before, when the man had surprised him in the hall but he’d been so concerned with getting his eyes to the floor that he hadn’t seen much. Lenoir was older than expected. Not the oldest that Revenant had seen but, with the man’s ability to nearly talk Revenant’s ear off, he thought that Lenoir would be a little younger than he was. Looking over Lenoir’s shoulder was easier than staring down at the floor for the entire time. It. Then Revenant could see more than just the rock floor. And that was always a good thing.
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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 Sept 15, 2012 15:58:35 GMT -5
When Revenant said that he had carved his lair by himself, Erik said admiringly, "It must have taken you quite some time. The caves in my suite were natural caves. I only had to do some minor remodeling. As it was , that took me quite a bit of time." Erik noticed that Revenant seemed to have calmed down being in his own element. He seemed like such a shy, gentle person, but quite fearful. Erik tried to pitch his voice quietly as he spoke. Strangely, Revenant straightened up as he felt more comfortable, but at Erik's voice, he slouched again.
Finally, Revenant asked a question. How many others with masks? "Let me think, answered Erik. Well, according to the list in the lift, which I might add, changes on a weekly, sometimes daily basis, so far we seem to have 10 people with masks. You and I, Destler, Carrière, Lavalais, Érik and Mortuis I have met. The others, Castagne, and the one female, Erika Urban, I have not met as yet. I have seen the suites of Carrière, Lavalais and now yours. I have heard that the female lives in the mausoleum, out in the graveyard."
Revenant then looked at Erik, but more correctly, over his shoulder, behind him. It was strange to speak to someone who would not look him in the eye. He remained quiet after his explanation of the masked people in the mansion, waiting for Revenant to ask the next question.
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Post by Erik Revenant on Sept 15, 2012 22:43:38 GMT -5
Of course, as Lenoir was rattling off names, Revenant was counting them. Rather than pointing out that the man had only listed nine, he just stood there silently and nodded, taking in the names of all the people he’d mentioned. Briefly, he wondered what the others were like. Maybe they were like Lenoir, who seemed more than happy to talk his fellow’s ear off. Or maybe they were quiet… Revenant wasn’t exactly eager to find out. In fact, he was happy with just speculating about the way the others may be.
His silence could only last so long though before he had to ask another question. “…And others? How many of them?” While he’d been upstairs, he’d heard quite a few voices up there. They had been the things making him exceedingly nervous and prone to keeping very near the walls and away from doors… He knew of two others, obviously, and he assumed there were more, considering voices didn’t just come from nowhere.
His eyes were still over Lenoir’s shoulder in all of this though, once, he made a valiant effort to make eye contact with the talkative shorter man. It lasted only the briefest time before, once again, his eyes went back over Lenoir’s shoulder. He simply couldn’t make himself do it. Eye contact was just too personal and it felt invasive to Revenant. It was safer to look over the shoulder at the doorway to his room. While they’d been talking, Revenant had come to stand very near his coffin bed. At least this was the same. He didn’t know how he could’ve come to tolerate the place if he didn’t have, at least, a little bit of his routine things here. The coffin bed was almost as important to him as his piano… Almost. The bed was not only a morbid reminder that he shouldn’t technically be alive but it was also his comfort at night. He’d crawl into the enclosed space and shut the top, leaving him very little room to move and, with that limited space, he could relax like he never could in a bed. Almost unconsciously, he’d reached out and set his hand on the closed top of the coffin while awaiting Lenoir’s next big speech.
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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 Sept 22, 2012 18:21:38 GMT -5
"I missed mentioning one of them for the simple reason his name is not Erik. His name is Alexander Arjon. He has a lair, for what reason I don't know and he doesn not wear a mask. But because he has a lair, I assume there is some reason to count him among the Eriks. I certainly don't know all of them. But I know each is different. You will have to meet them yourself."
Then Revenant asked about the other people in the mansion. "There are quite a few, Monsieur. Of Christines, there are many. Raouls, probably three or four. Megs, at least two. Carlottas, two, one as hideous as the other. I haven't seen too many others from the opera housse, but there are various other people here too. And then some incorporeal beings. You nay not b elieve me about the last, but I have seen some for myself. And then there is the village. We have one little villager living here. In fact, I am her protector while she is here. A very sweet little girl. 14 years old, I believe."
Revenant's eyes over his shoulder made Erik a bit nervous. Why, he didn't know. It was just so strange when someone would not look at you when when they were talking.
Erik noticed the coffin bed next to where Revenant was standing. "I see your bed is a coffin. Mine's not, but I hear many of the Eriks use a coffin for a bed. I may tru it out myself at some point." Erik had been doing all the speaking and now he had really run out of things to say. This man was impossibly hard to speak to. So he just stood, waiting to be asked to sit down or offered some tea or told to get out. He wasn't sure what it would be, probably the last.
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Post by Erik Revenant on Sept 27, 2012 1:11:31 GMT -5
As Lenoir listed off names, Revenant cocked his head slightly, looking altogether confused. Why were so many of the names so similar? And the way they were listed… Of Christines,… Raouls,… Megs,… Was he categorizing them by name? The whole matter confused him. Never in his life had he heard of there being such a high concentration of people with the same name all within this confined of a space. This was just too much for him to try to keep in his head and he spoke quietly again. “Why so many with the same name? I don’t understand…” The whole matter was over his head. Didn’t most people have different names? Sure, this was far easier to remember the names, if there were only four or five to recall for most of the population, excluding the others and, what was that? Incorporeal beings? That was equally as troubling to him as many of the other matters.
There was a village nearby as well? Why didn’t some of the people from the manor live there? Yes, this place was large but didn’t people enjoy their privacy as much as Revenant did? There, they could probably have their own homes and be separate from each other but, maybe, like him they were searching for a way back and, perhaps, the only way was back was attainable through the manor itself? Of all these things, Revenant couldn’t be sure. Other people were a mystery to him. Their emotions, their motivation, none of it was easy for him to understand. Perhaps they all just enjoyed being close together, since that’s what everybody but him seemed to enjoy. Or perhaps there was some sort of order here and that explained all the similar names as well. He didn’t know nor did he think he ever would.
As far as the small mention of the coffin, he nodded slowly at Lenoir’s words. To be honest, he couldn’t imagine sleeping in a bed… The concept was utterly foreign to him. In all his life, he hadn’t slept in a real bed and he didn’t know how people could stand to be in them. His gaze went to his coffin bed by his side and he nodded. “It is… comfortable.” His stance was rather awkward as he stood there, sort of slouched yet and not looking particularly comfortable. Whether this was simply because of Lenoir’s presence or a combined issue of being in a ‘home but not home’ area and having Lenoir around, it was unclear. Either way, it wasn’t going to change anytime soon. He was certain Lenoir wasn’t as uncomfortable as he was, seeing as the man was futilely trying to make some sort of conversation, which Revenant was having none of. Revenant would ask the few questions he had and, perhaps, Lenoir would tire of him and his home and finally leave him in peace.
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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...
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Post by Erik Lenoir on Sept 30, 2012 22:48:29 GMT -5
"Monsieur Revenant, I don't believe any of us really knows why there are so many of us who resemble each other not only in name, but in other ways too. For example, I had mentioned that all of us named Erik tend to wear a mask. The Christines are generally all of a Swedish background and are coloratura sopranos whose fathers played the violin. The Raouls generally are of a noble background and are wooing the same Christines that the Eriks are. The Megs are dancers, the Carlottas are divas who think they have a good voice but completely have no idea how to use it correctly and they generally overact because their acting skills are so nil. The others are related in some way to the others. Why this should be, as I said, I have no idea." Erik paused. "I'm sorry, am I talking too much? It seems to be getting on your nerves. Am I correcct?"
"I have been accused of talking too much many times. It used to be foreign to me, but now, at the manor, there is so much to do and so many things to be involved in, and I love speaking about them...." He paused again. "I suppose I am annoying you. I should respect your privacy. Did you care to see any other part of the mansion? I will be refurbishing the opera house soon. Do you come up to watch the opera secretly, as I used to do?" Erik laughed. "There is something ironic about that...we all...everyone of us whom I have spoken to about this...have used Box 5. Now there is only one Box 5 and quite a few Eriks who want that box. I suspect we shall have ot keep all of the boxes for the Eriks and we shall have to toss a coin or something to see who gets Box 5."
Erik could see that he was either boring the man or overwhelming him or irritating him. It was hard to tell which. It was very hard to get a few words out of him. Erik had tried to stay quiet for a while,, but he really wantted the man to be comfortable here and he just had to atell him about the place. Well, maybe it didn't matter. He wondered if he should go. "Did you care for anyting at all? Information? Finding various rooms? Food from the kitchen? Anything?"
Erik was beginning to thing this conversation was at an end.
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Post by Erik Revenant on Oct 5, 2012 2:37:48 GMT -5
All the talking was completely overwhelming and Revenant was starting to look like he might possibly be sick from the stress being put on him. The whole ordeal was unfamiliar and he despised it. But he stood there, in all his awkward quietness, and just tried not to take off in a sprint down the second hallway that Lenoir hadn’t seen. The one Revenant didn’t particularly want him to see anyway. The man spoke of the other people in the manor and it was all entirely confusing. He couldn’t quite keep up with everything that Lenoir was saying. The other man kept making generalizations about a whole group of people, based solely on names. Were they really that similar that even their names and histories were the same? It was entirely confounding!
Then there was talk of the opera. The opera! Revenant had been the opera a great many times. Music, after all, was soothing to him. Even if the singers weren’t very good or a member of the orchestra made a mistake. Usually, there was some good to make up for the little bit of bad. At the mention of box 5, Revenant cocked his head ever so slightly. He’d used that box a couple times, since it was truly reserved for him, as the owner of the opera house. “That was my box… But I don’t want it.” No, if he had to compete for a place to sit, then he wouldn’t sit at all. Perhaps he would come and listen to the operas on occasion. But from somewhere else. Somewhere where he wouldn’t be disturbed and there would be plenty of space around him without anyone intruding. Or maybe he wouldn’t go at all if there was a risk of people chatting as incessantly as this Lenoir.
He shook his head and stood quietly, eyes migrating back to the floor as he answered Lenoir’s last few questions. Fortunately, they were the sort he didn’t have to speak to answer. He’d had too much social interaction for one day. There had to be some time for him to retreat back into his routine and familiar environment without someone else here. Only then would he calm down and walk about with any sort of confidence at all. And check the other hallway of this duplicate house. If it was really a duplicate, his workshop should still contain bits and pieces of his metal birds. Maybe he could make a few of those and hang them within the manor, to make it more like the opera house until he could find a way to return back to where he belonged and get out of here.
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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 Oct 6, 2012 20:45:54 GMT -5
Erik noticed again that Revenant looked more and more uncomfortable. He expected that it wa shis own presence and that the man was truly as solitary as Erik had once thought himself to be. Of course when flung in this mansion with hoardes of people, Erik had discovered that he enjoyed the interaction with others.
Erik hoped that Revenant would be all right here alone. The only reason he thought that, was that there were ghosts and specrres and even worse who could attack or take advantage of unsuspecting humans and he wasn't sure this fellow would be up to fighting them off. It could be a traumatic situation if he met any of them. "Monsieur Revenant, I hope you will call on me if you need anything. I am familiar with the mansion and many of its residents as I mentioned before. So please, do not hesitate. And as to the opera, when the place is ready, there will indeed be music in the opera house again. And I hope very much to have you attend, as I expect you may be a music lover." Erik smiled. He knew all the Eriks were music lovers, composers, singers and more.
"Well, Monsieur, Thank you so much for allowing me to view your very interesting suite. I hope it is to your liking. I expect it looks a bit familiar, as mine did. " Erik pasued momentarily, "I suppose it is getting on to be late in the day and I have quite a few things that I must do. I hope you will pardon me if I take my leave now." He wasn't sure if he should proffer his hand to Revenant or not. He decided on a formal bow instead. Then he turned and went back the way he came.
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