tampered | Finished

Current Mood: anxious
Current Location: The Black Swann

Finished

When; Very early Tuesday night, around 2 AM
Rating; PG-13, just in case
Characters; Tia Dalma (

tiaxdalma) and Christine Daae (

angel_aria)
Summary; Christine needs to know why she's in the city, and seeks Tia's guidance. What she discovers is both liberating and shocking.
Log;

Christine could not sleep. The words she had written the day before haunted her, accusing her of blasphemy against all of the things she held dear. How she had managed to write such things about her father, her husband and son, and the man who had made such a difference in her life escaped her. She bit her lip, waiting; waiting for that moment when Erik, her Angel of Music, would come storming into the room and denounce her forever for her second betrayal. The thought of hearing such anger directed at her from such a beautiful voice made Christine want to curl up in a corner and cover her ears to protect her against words that may never be spoken.

When she saw Tia's invitation to the Black Swann, Christine's heart leapt at the opportunity to get some fresh air and clear her mind. She left a few candles burning in her room, and, closing the door softly with her cloak wrapped around her shoulders, exited the Opera House. If Erik were watching her at all, like he used to, he made no attempt to question her as to where she was going.

The street which the Opera House sat was silent, but sounds of the city reached Christine's ears eventually. A never-ending carnival in the midst of a sleepless city was the exotic world that they were all trapped; yet they were also willing prisoners. She had to stop several passersby to point her in the right direction, and at last, she arrived at the Kingdom of Ssnd. There, docked in a harbour, was the Black Swann in all of its fine glory. The ship itself had seen hard days, that was obvious, but it still held a majestic beauty that took Christine's breath away.

Making her way among the ruffianed crowd, Christine walked aboard the ship tentatively. Tia had warned her about some twins fighting, and although she could hear cursings and the sounds of combat, they were not nearby. One of the crew members stood near the railing, a pipe between his bearded lips. 'Excuse me,' Christine asked tentatively, approaching the stranger. 'Do you know where I can find Tia?'

'Aye,' he answered, tearing his gaze from the sea to glance at her in curiosity. His eyebrows shot up in surprise at the sight of a well-mannered girl coming to seek the voudou priestess, but he did not say anything. He merely led her into the cabin of the ship, climbing down a set of ships until they reached a door. 'She'll be in there,' he muttered, cocking his head in the door's direction. 'Take care, lass. Magic isn't something to meddle with.'

'Thank you,' Christine said simply, turning from him to knock on the door as he sauntered off, mumbling about God and how He didn't approve of magic and how women only caused trouble.

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Tia was in her quarters (well, the room she'd decided was hers after having left Jack to go about her own devices that day), with a surprising number of her belongings all about her - as if the cluttered, decorated home she'd left had simply re-grown from her tiny leather carrying bag.

"Come in, Miss Christine," she called from the back of the room. She was seated at a rickety, antique desk in a large chair that looked far more suited to an Aztec throne room than a pirate ship. Another chair, much less splendid but no less unique, sat on the opposite side of the desk, waiting for a visitor. Tia had known that the young woman would be visiting her, and she had welcomed the chance to speak with something from yet another universe. This City interested her greatly and she had no intention of keeping to her own kin, as it were.

Christine gazed around the room with wonder as she opened the door. Strange artifacts were cluttered everywhere in the room; treasures from foreign lands donned the walls. Amazing...these are all things I could only dream about; things that only existed in my father's fairy tales, she thought in wonder, slowly taking a seat across from the dark-skinned woman, sitting in her chair like a pleased cat.

'Thank you for seeing me,' Christine began, nervousness welling up in the pit of her stomach. She had never met someone like Tia before, and she could not even begin to guess what the woman would ask in return for some answers.

"Think nothing of it," Tia said, motioning to the empty chair before her. Christine's trembling fear radiated off of her - but also her good, kind spirit, one that told Tia she could be trusted, and generally needed her help. The mystic was not in the habit of handing out advice or favors without some sort of payment beforehand, but she supposed she should make a charitable donation to the denizens of the City, seeing as she was such a new addition.

She had a leather spread before her, covered in scratches and markings, as well as a number of other things - shells, stones, and trinkets. She rolled a smooth, red colored rock with her finger tips across the leather, creating an invisible pattern.

Christine sat obediently, her hands folded in her lap, watching Tia's hands move in fascination. A moment or so passed until she remembered that it was supposedly customary to give something for her services. 'Is there anything I can give you for your wisdom?' she asked.

Christine did not have much, aside from what Erik had lavishly provided for her in the room that he had given her. The most valuable thing on her person was her wedding ring: a simple gold karat band with the meekest of diamonds seated inconspicuously upon it. She fingered it absently, waiting for the woman to reply as she repeatedly moved the rock across the leather surface repeatedly. The motions were starting to make Christine feel a little mesmerized.

"I not take anything from you this night," Tia assured her pleasantly. "Such things as you could give do not benefit me, and you not here to seek treasure, or glory... such as my standard clientele." She grinned, exposing black and gold teeth. "It rare for me to do a favor for such a person as you."

Tia spread out more colored stones at different points on her leather spread, shooing the other items away. She whispered to them, and sent them rolling about in different directions, poking them here and there. "Tell me what you look to find."

She was touched by the woman's kindness. She did not hesitate to smile in return, the exotic accent pleasing to Christine's ears. After this, I must ask her where she comes from, she thought, making a mental note of it.

She focused on the question asked. What was it she was looking for? Answers, that was obvious, but she would need to be more specific than that. '....I know everyone has come here for a purpose,' she murmmured. 'Either they were killed or torn from their homes after some traumatic experience or simply whisked away...but I don't know what happened to me. That is what I am looking for.'

She could have said anything; she could have said she was looking for her husband or her son, but for some reason, the fact that she did not know why she was present in the city agitated her. The sooner she knew the answer, the better.

"Mmmm..." Tia flipped a few stones here and there, sometimes replacing them, and studying the way they fell intently. "The people in this place... it all be random. Not all dead go here, not all living taken here against their will." She fell silent again, studying more. "There is a purpose, a common goal, but it be diluted by the randomness of the selection of those brought here..." she trailed off, pushing about the stones. She frowned, and sat back, bringing her fingers to her lips in an idle, thoughtful gesture.

'It might have to do with the ticking...' Christine murmured. 'There's this ticking sound that resonates in everyone's heads when they're not around others. I don't know where it comes from, but I know I'm not the only one to have heard it,' she explained, hoping that the voudou priestess would find it somewhat helpful.

She waited patiently. Tia was obviously deep in thought, and she feared that saying more would distract her.

Tia made note of Christine's words, but did not remark on them.. there was a larger scheme at work here, but now was not the time to pick it apart. Soon, she knew, things would become more and more complicated - since before her arrival she had felt something building and building, and it was more pronounced the longer she stayed. Surely, all of the inhabitants would be bound somehow together, eventually.

"You be dead," Tia said at last, her voice quiet. "It was..." she frowned slightly, and raised her eyes to the young woman's face. "I be sorry, I not know the names of the things I see in your time... a great, twisting metal thing, broken apart with you inside." She spoke softly, knowing that these things would be hard to hear, but she did not censor anything that she saw.

The horse. And the autocar. That is why I can remember those sounds and nothing else, she thought, her face slowly draining of its color.

'....I see,' she murmured. 'And my husband, my son - they are alive?'

I'm dead. My body is buried in the ground and yet my consciousness is here....is this a warped form of purgatory, heaven, or hell? There are so many terrible things about this place, and yet it brings out the best in others, she thought, remembering Rue. The girl did not trust her, that was obvious, but she had offered her shelter. Erik, so full of darkness and pain, had promised the princess to write her a ballet.

The City was full of twists and turns...who knew when it would end?

"I can see nothing of them," Tia said, apologetic. She rose, and fetched a warm drink to offer Christine. "Them souls must be still in your world..." she sat down again, sighing. "I sorry it not be happier news. But... but..." Tia tilted her head, giving Christine a curious look. "What this I see.. about a man?" She brought one hand up to cover half her face in a slightly dramatic gesture, her gaze curious.

Christine, having taken a sip of the drink, began to cough, fighting to repress the blush that spread in her cheeks. 'O-Oh...that...' she said, trying to regain composure. 'He is here in the City too. An old friend of mine...' She looked down at the drink in her hands. If there was one person who could see through Christine's pretense it would be this woman.

'He taught me everything about music...about pain, grief, and what it is to truly love someone,' she murmured. 'My Angel of Music...' Christine sighed. 'I could not choose him, all those years ago. His voice drew me in with its power, but I could not love the man behind the mask. But...I have thought of him often over these years. About how things could have been different.

'Perhaps...perhaps now I can return his affections in death,' she murmured to herself, taking another sip of the drink. She did not feel ashamed for revealing so much of her private feelings to Tia. It only seemed natural.

Tia smiled and laughed at Christine's reaction, sitting back in her chair. She listened, then, head inclined curiously. It was an interesting tale ... the images that formed in her mind at the younger woman's words revealed quite the adventure... and something else.

"Ahh, now I see," she said, drawing forward and lacing her fingers together, elbows resting on the table. "Your life may be done, but, you not here just because it be a way point for some souls ... you left much unfinished. The path you chose not be a wrong path, but it in partner with your mortal fate be a path that skip over things you need have done. Now, here, you may do them. Unfinished ... with this man. The one that has your heart."

Her words startled Christine, but as soon as Tia had said them, she knew it was true. She was right. She had never forgotten Erik, the little gestures he had made, and no one had been quite able to make her feel as he did. Not even Raoul possessed such power.

Tears filled Christine's eyes and she wiped them away, a smile on her face. 'Thank you. My questions are all answered now,' she said. It felt as if a great weight were taken off her shoulders with this new knowledge. 'If there is anything I can do to repay you...please don't hesitate to ask.'

Tia stood again, moving around to take Christine's hands. She felt somehow moved by the other woman's situation - Tia herself had never been in love, not really. The notion of being able to step away from her life and make one with someone she cared deeply about, and knew she'd never truly have ... it wasn't jealously, but a sort of dull bitter pain, locked deep away. Even in this place, it would be unspeakable, for her. But she smiled.

"I think we be friends," she said. "I think we women must stick together in this place ... and your soul be beautiful, a bit of light in a place I see so often only dark."

Christine clasped Tia's hands, rising from her chair. 'Yes, friends,' she agreed. Finally, she let go and moved towards the door, pausing for a moment. 'I am staying at the Opera House,' she told her. 'If you ever care to visit...you will be most welcome there, I assure you.'

Giving Tia a friendly wave, she left the room, closing the door behind her and making her way up to the ship's deck. As soon as her feet left the harbour and landed on dry land, Christine raced as fast as she could on foot back to her home; everything seemed more vibrant. The colors, the sounds, the sight of the moon and stars... An exulted happiness was rising within her, and she could hardly wait to tell the Phantom all of the things she had been too afraid to say before. Erik will be so happy... she thought. This place really isn't that bad. After all, where else can you find your true feelings and make a friend in one night?

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Finished

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