Who: Neil What: Ruminations and alter-changing things. Where: His Aria suite. When: Vaguely after this call. Warnings/Rating: None.
Thank god for expensive whiskey.
Neil listened to the dial tone for a while, until the sound melted away to one long meaingless buzz and he hung up. So Christine was gone, and Sam was off playing idiotic hero with Liam. Fucking Liam. He hadn't had any hard feelings towards the guy to start with, despite Erik's opinion of Raoul, but it was blatantly clear he was into Sam, and she wasn't exactly forthcoming about her own feelings. She'd already slept with that Daniel guy, right? No strings. No attachments. That was how she worked, and all the jealousy in the world didn't seem to be getting him anywhere.
One glass, no ice. A few cubes in the second. He wasn't interested in savoring the liquor, just downing it as quickly as possible.
He'd never been good at going after what he wanted. Or knowing what he wanted, really, but he just let life pass him by, and here he was, doing fuck all and spending Daddy's money because it was all he could do. Erik had never gone after what--who--he wanted either, and now Christine was gone. He had no one through his door, so what the fuck was the point anymore? Two peas in a pod, he and the Phantom. Neither had any purpose, and for the first time, it really pissed him off.
Somewhere after his fifth glass, something within his mind snapped. The alcohol numbed the sensation, made it less noticeable, but it happened all the same, and Erik melted away as though he'd never been there at all.
Well, well, Normie, looks like we have a new friend to play with. A new voice piped up, nothing at all like Erik's, and as if that wasn't enough, another joined it. They were similar, yet not; one was manic, not exactly balanced, while the other was as oily smooth as a con man's with a winning smile. Maybe this one will be more tolerable than the girl. We'll see, won't we?
As for Neil, he just drank more, as though that would somehow drown out this new insanity and take reality along with it.</i>