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Portrait of the Soul	By : sirenofsaturn Category: M through R > The Phantom of the Opera > Het Views: 2723 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Phantom of the Opera, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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Hi there! Oh after my first week of classes and work and falling into a familiar routine…I want nothing more to do than write. Thank you so much for the reviews! They make me feel so much better, especially when Biology scares me so much…
Erik: It’s a bloody intro course; there isn’t even a lab requirement!
…I’m more of a right brain…
Erik: …I give up
Please remember I own nothing except any original characters and this fiction based plot! Please review, just do not steal or sue! I just paid for my textbooks, believe me it would be a waste…
Erik: Chapter Twenty-six
‘I hate trains.’ Erik decided. He considered himself a worldly man. He had been almost everywhere in the world starting from when he was only nine years old. His journeys had taken him many miles, all by either horseback or boat. The train a very recent invention of transport was something very new to Erik, something new he was growing less and less fond of. The last time he had been this uncomfortable was when Nadir first retrieved him from Russia. The man had first insisted on putting him on a tiny cargo boat. After reaching the first port, Erik unloaded his horses, and gave the Daroga little choice of following him.
The memories of that small floating tea bag were not helping Erik either. The constant reminding of how cramped the boat had been, along with Mia and his shared compartment was beginning to make him slightly claustrophobic. This led to the memories of his early years in that cage. The thought of that cage brought him even more unease. He could feel his heart racing; he was beginning to lose himself in memories he hoped to lock away. He was going snap and he knew it. Soon, very soon…
“Erik?”
The said phantom paused in his panic to see Mia staring at him, eyes full of concern. “Are you alright? You’re shaking!” She noticed alarmed. Putting down her sketchpad, Mia came to sit next to Erik, from her seat across from him.
“I am fine.” Erik answered, as Mia began running her hand along his arm. “I was just thinking…”
“Of what? Touching live wiring?”
Erik tried to laugh. “I guess I am not as fond as trains as I thought I would be…Three days of this, it is getting the better of my nerves…”
“Do not worry, we are almost out of Belgium then we just-“
“Through Prussia until we get to Poland were I might add we must switch trains.”
Mia frowned turning Erik’s chin to face her, she slowly lifted up the bottom of his mask before putting a small kiss on his lips.
“I am sorry for worrying you.” Erik apologized as Mia leaned into his chest. “I am just more use to seeing everything slowly when I travel. How were you even sketching with everything moving by so fast?”
The artist smiled, returning to her seat, to show Erik that her sketching was of him. “You were sitting perfectly still until you started shaking.” Mia smiled beginning to pick up were she left off.
“You were saying earlier, about your travels? You must have traveled by land then didn’t you?”
“Yes.” Erik replied watching how intently, yet carefully her fingers moved with the charcoal. The bumps and motion of the train could not disrupt her gifted digits.
“I have laid my eyes on some of the finest structures in the world Mia. I would ride all day searching for the next creation. When I found the old structures one by one I would sketch from dawn’s light until dusk’s final rays.”
“I have to admit I am almost jealous. As close as I am to you in years, you have seen many things that I have only dreamed of seeing.” Mia admitted, adding in her final shading.
“It was not always a joyful ride, my dear. In between I traveled with the fairs…not the most respectable work.” The magician sighed, bits of memories pinching in his throat.
“Such a waste. Your talent and your genies used to please greedy towns people and travelers. All who judged you…” Mia trailed off, not speaking the rest of her thoughts. Erik already knew the rest.
“Because of this face…”
“A face that has nothing to do with who you are inside.” Mia spoke up, flipping to a previous sketch the Jewish woman handed Erik his unknown portrait.
“This is not who you are. It is just an outside appearance, a shell to house a beautiful soul.”
Erik’s bone thin fingers ran across the sketch lines that made up his cursed face. He recalled the night of their first meeting when he asked if she would ever dare sketch what was under his mask. Now she had. “When?”
“…The night after you told me about Christine…After you finally fell asleep that is…” Mia blushed.
Erik could tell the portrait had been sketched while he slept; his closed eyes not to mention the familiar headboard were proof enough. “I had good reason to be up so long…I have many years of catching up to do with passion. I do assume though, my dear, that you enjoyed yourself as well?”
“You know the answer to that!” Mia laughed, coming to sit next to Erik again. Kissing his neck gently, she leaned her head against his shoulder.
“I know. I just want to make sure you know how much you mean to me?”
“Oh, just as much as you mean to me, I’m sure.” Mia smiled, handing Erik the charcoal stick, giving him a chance to sketch out any remaining frustration from the travel.
Mia was half way to slumber when a disturbing thought caused her eyes to open.
“Do you think he’ll be alright? Ayesha can be rather aggressive with strangers. You told me that yourself.”
“Mia, I do not think Brian will be in any danger. I think he will adjust to my home soon enough. My little lady can be a gracious hostess if she cares to.”
“…I was not worried about Brian.”
‘Damn you Erik! I can not believe I even agreed to this!’ Nadir cursed, standing in the doorway of the house on the lake. Ayesha stood in his way of entering the house any further. Her tail was fluffed out as she continued to growl and hiss. The Shah of Persia’s collar sparkling from her purebred neck only reminded Nadir of whom the cat truly belonged to. Like master like cat, and Erik did not like intruders interrupting his privacy.
As the Siamese stood her ground and continued to stare, The Daroga noticed Mia’s tabby was tucked under a chair for dear life. The gold eyes seemed to plea for an escape. ‘Help me!’ he seemed to cry out.
Deciding to take a bold step forward Nadir prayed that there were some bandages back at his flat. He was just trying to be nice to his friend by offering him any help he could. The last thing he expected was to be the one to take care of two mad felines. He really did after all these years still hate cats!
How did you like? Kind of short I know, but I promise the next one will be longer! I do sort of have almost a four-day weekend so maybe I’ll make another update this week. I want to get Erik and Mia to Moscow as soon as possible. Probably next chapter, I do not care to right about almost a two-week train ride! Thank you so much for the reviews! I encourage more because they encourage me! Please remember the disclaimer from above! Have a nice weekend!
Erik: Please review.
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Portrait of the Soul