{Fourteen ~ Things Go Bump in The Night}

[chorusangel]

[Running. She should be running, running for her life, but it's as if she's wading through treacle and she can't go faster than a medium walk. Yet he is moving as easily as if he truly was a ghost, and he's catching up to her, white mask gleaming in the half light the corridors of the Opera Populaire are bathed in.
Stop! Please, Erik, stop! I'm

Comments

[commentlog] Backdated woo!

[shadesofeco]

[Sitting bolt upright at the thud outside, he instinctively reaches for the morph gun ... that isn't there. Shit. Throwing off the blankets, he climbs out of bed and pads barefoot to the door, wearing only a pair of navy blue pajama pants. He unlatches the door and peers outside cautiously.]

[commentlog] Backdated woo!

[chorusangel]

[Christine starts as she hears a door open, whirling around, eyes wide with fear. Erik is gone... but no! He's there, in that doorway, waiting for her. She gives a small whimper and hurries backwards several steps, calling out in her native tongue.]

S-Stay away! Raoul will rescue me!

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[shadesofeco]

[Another passenger? He toys with the idea of just going back to bed, but she's obviously frightened and damn it he has too much of a conscience.]

Hey take it easy, it's okay.

[Jak has no idea what she's saying or if she can even understand him, he just holds his hands up and approaches slowly as if he was trying to catch to a frightened crocadog.]

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[chorusangel]

[Automatically, she winces and cowers as Erik raises his hands, shying away from any possible contact. But... why is he speaking English? Does he think he sounds more believable? Does he really think she will believe that? Trying - and failing - to sound braver than she feels, she repsonds in English.]

I m-mean it, Erik!

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[shadesofeco]

Erik ...?

[Frowning, he rubs the back of his neck and sighs, crouching down to hold out a hand.]

Not Erik. Jak.

[He emphasizes the word as he reaches to her, trying to calm her.]

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[chorusangel]

[If it were possible for her to go through the wall, she would. As it is, Christine simply stares at the outstretched hand for a moment with sleep-glazed eyes, and then throws her arms up to protect herself.]

Please, n-not h-h-hurt me...

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[shadesofeco]

[Jak is tired and cranky and really just wants to be back in bed, but the woman looks terrified and barely unaware of her surroundings, let alone how to get back to her room.

Taking her shoulders in his hands, he shakes her gently once.]

I'm not gonna hurt you, okay?

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[chorusangel]

[There are a lot of curious things about Christine. One such interesting thing is that once she realises she's dreaming, it's not that hard for her to wake up. Having built up the idea in he rdream that Erik would hurt her once he made contact, the gentle shake from Jak rather broke the dream's logic, not to mention the fact that Erik always spoke formally.]

What...

[For about a minute, the two scenes - her dream and reality - overlap, but eventually she blinks for the final time and is fully awake. Her eyes widen as she takes in Jak, and she gulps audibly.]

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[shadesofeco]

[The glaze in the woman's eyes clears slowly, and Jak waits with strained patience until she looks directly at him. He smirks.]

Better?

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[chorusangel]

Yes.

[A blush spreads across her face as she looks down. Good Lord, if Madame could see her now... alone with a strange man in naught but her nightgown.]

Um... thank you. Jak, yes?

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[shadesofeco]

[Standing, he nods in affirmation and reaches out a hand to her.]

And you are ...?

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[chorusangel]

[She smiles tentatively as she takes Jak's hand and stands.]

Christine.

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[shadesofeco]

[Immediately his smile fades and his expression turns stony. Christine. She's the one running around after Erol, convincing everyone that they've got him all wrong. Just like Keira did. And they had no fucking idea.]

We're done here.

[He turns back to his room.]

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[chorusangel]

[Wait... what? What had she done? Had she offended him somehow? Christine tries to remember what she said during her nightmare, but he had been perfectly civil until she said her name. Well, she would see about this...]

Stop.

[She trots after Jak, and puts on her best 'serious' face.]

What wrong with you?

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[shadesofeco]

[Stopping with his hand on the door, gripping the handle tightly.]

What's wrong with me?

[Jak glares at her over his shoulder.]

I could ask you the same thing.

Go back to Erol.

[Snarling the name as if just forming the syllables left a bad taste in his mouth.]

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[chorusangel]

[Oh, so that's it? Tarred with the same brush, guilty by association, one of the 'bad apples'. Christine stands as straight as she can manage in a feeble attempt to lend herself a little more height and fixes Jak with a hard look.]

Erol's sins not mine.