Any semblance of light was more favorable than the darkness they both submerged themselves in. As deep as it was and as covered in it as they both were, Mag would never lose her faith that something better awaited her over the next hill. Perhaps it was because things always had looked bright in her darkest moments, and things always had a way of working themselves out despite looking bleak.
And brightness was in the eyes of the beholder, much like beauty was.
"My initial agreement may or may not have been to Hannibal, Erik, but was it not you that asked me to sing for you in the shadows of the Opera House?" The circumstances of the promise did not matter, not at that moment. She had given Erik her word, be it to Hannibal by proxy, but it had still been given. And she would not go back on it.
At the comment of it being a singular beauty, Mag smiled a little bit. She had heard that one before but from Erik it was believable. Most of the time Rotti exclaimed of her beauty but in the sense that he was using it to his benefit. Erik had no benefit from her here other than her agreement to be his lead in the Opera when it began.
"You're welcome," Mag breathed in return. She sipped again from the small glass that held the sherry, holding the liquid in her mouth for a moment to savor the flavor. Eyes closing, she tasted the sherry for what it was, swallowed the bit of delight and then her eyes fluttered open.
She lifted the glass so that rhyme both could see it, and she turned her eyes to Erik, "I do believe that this is the first time in a very long time that I have indulged in such things." Back in the broken world there had been some beverage that was supposed to be alcoholic in nature, but it smelled and tasted nothing like the divinity that she held and sampled. It could probably have been compared to engine degreaser or motor oil. And it was strong.
"I never used to give myself the opportunity to indulge like this unless the moment was necessary. There was plenty of opportunity, mind you, but it seemed wrong to take part." Alcohol was only a small portion of what had been available. She could have allowed herself to become addicted to 'Z', like Amber had. But she held herself in higher respects than Rotti's youngest had.