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Christine Daae doesn't like to sing ([info]lostlotte) wrote in [info]valarlogs,
@ 2015-02-01 10:56:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:!complete, !trigger warning, christine daae, meg giry

Who: Christine Daae and Meg Giry
What: Apartment hunting
When: 1 February 2015, afternoon
Where: Around
Warnings: Talk of death and dead bodies
Status: Thread | Complete


Christine didn't know what to make of this turn of events. It had been two weeks since Jammes had been murdered (it still felt so weird to think of, like a far away dream) and Christine had mostly moved through a haze. Once the shock had worn off enough to be able to talk she had let Armand know but had remained with Lydia and Cora. It was easier that way, even if Cora did come off as intense and sometimes intimidating. She made contact with her professors, with work as well as the choral director and had been given time to recover so long as she stayed in touch. She had been to the police station to answer questions, going back a few times when there were more questions and still none of it felt real.

By the time Christine had finally gotten back on the network, even briefly, she had seen that Meg had shown up on it. Which meant that Meg was going to end up suffering through the Dreams. It was an inevitability and one Christine didn't want for her friend. It was in the new set of dreams that she recognized Meg. Before it had been the same name, yet not at all the same person. This new set of Dreams though... In them, Meg was there, her best friend even. That had been one of the main differences. Before, Christine didn't have friends. She had the Angel of Music and Raoul, but friends? No. In this new set there was Meg, her mother in Madame Giry's own way... but the Opera House, the Phantom... Meg wasn't as entrenched in it all but she still wouldn't wish these Dreams on anyone.

Still, it would probably be good for Meg to have someone around who understood the Dreams once they started. And Christine couldn't stay with Lydia and Cora forever, nor was she ready to even consider moving in with someone she was seeing, and there was absolutely no way she could ever live in the apartment she had lived in with Jammes. The lease at least was almost up and it wasn't like there was a 'roommate murdered clause' that made her have to pay to break the lease. Christine was barely getting by as it was with all of this.

But no. Today was about finding a place to rent that was close enough to work as well as school. Living in the Orange County meant it was an hour drive about but she'd been doing it already. She just hoped that Meg wouldn't change her mind. Or think Christine mad because of her own issues with the Dreams. There was a calm in them at the moment, a calm she didn't trust. Couldn't trust. Even Dream her didn't trust it, slowly her guard was being let down, but Christine knew it wouldn't last and she didn't know if she'd be ready for that horror to start again, not after everything that had happened. Even when she felt pity for him, even when she could see what led to it...she still feared what would happen and what it would do to her.

With a sigh, the blonde arrived at the appointed meeting spot (work) and waited. She had needed to talk to her manager about getting back on the schedule. It had been two weeks, and as much as she didn't know if she was ready, she also knew she needed the familiarity and routine and the attempt to get back to a normal life. Otherwise she might lose herself all over again and Christine was trying to avoid that at all costs.

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[info]charmingdancer
2015-02-02 12:42 am UTC (link)
Meg’s introduction to the network had been pleasant, she’d thought. She had made a simple post introducing herself and got messages in return, all from friendly people. It seemed so harmless, at first. It was just a group of people in the area mostly talking about the strange dreams they had been having. It wasn’t long before Meg knew what they were talking about when they spoke of their dreams. She had one only a couple nights after her first post. She had been a child in her dream and because her mother was very busy and couldn’t afford a nanny Meg had been left to her own devices in the gigantic theater. It felt more real than any dream she’d ever had in the past, but it couldn’t have been a memory. She knew that she’d grown up in Ohio, not some Parisian opera house. It was confusing, but not necessarily terrible. Not yet, at least.

Things in the waking world were a little different, too. Christine had informed Meg that her absence from work had been because of her roommate’s murder. It was a good thing she’d learned of it on the computer. If the two of them had been face to face when Christine delivered the news she would have noticed Meg becoming a few shades paler. News of death always bothered Meg even if she put on a cheery face to hide it. That her friend and co-worker had to go through such an ordeal made her a little sad and concerned. That had definitely played a part in Meg’s agreeing to move in with Christine someplace.

She scolded herself for running late. It was just ten minutes after she was supposed to be there, but she had wanted to make a good impression on her friend. Punctuality was important in a lot of areas in life. Meg just hoped Christine wouldn’t flip out over ten minutes.

She was practically sprinting around the corner to the tea shoppe when she spotted Christine. Slightly out of breath, she took a moment to collect herself before she spoke up.

“I’m sorry I’m a little late.” Meg frowned and looked at Christine apologetically. She offered no excuses, just admitted she was late and apologized. Meg figured that would have gone a lot further without a bunch of excuses.

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[info]lostlotte
2015-02-02 01:10 am UTC (link)
Having been looking at the list of potential places, Christine hadn't even realized that Meg had been running late. Not that she would have minded terribly. All things considered, she was fairly mild mannered. True, there were things that would upset her, if people tried to speak for her or make demands of her as if she was theirs to own. Or if they were being ridiculous and childish. Running late really didn't warrant losing her temper.

"It's fine."

She tried to smile, but all things considered, Christine really wasn't feeling any sort of positive emotion. She was still mostly numb, though at least she was able to respond to stimuli now. It was an improvement. So really all Meg got was a twitch of a smile before the blonde folded her hair behind her ear. There was still a hollow spot inside of her and Christine worried it wouldn't go away, but there wasn't much she could do about that.

"Are you okay?" She thought she had noticed something about the dreams being mentioned and well, Christine knew how unsettling they could be, even when they seemed to be normal enough.

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[info]charmingdancer
2015-02-02 01:40 am UTC (link)
Christine’s lack of anger at Meg being late brought a smile to Meg’s face. Relieved didn’t even begin to cover it. At least she wasn’t incredibly late. She imagined that would have brought about a different, more intense reaction.

Meg gave a sad sort of sympathetic smile to Christine. The other girl’s smile didn’t seem real and Meg didn’t blame her for being unable to produce a convincing smile. So much had happened to her and Christine always had a haunted kind of spirit within her. It was one of the things Meg found interesting about her friend. There was such a thing as too bright and happy, something Meg often just barely avoided herself. Christine, though, was complex and Meg suspected that her friend always had a lot weighing on her mind. It was just the impression she got.

“I’m fine. I’m beginning to really understand why everyone is always talking about dreams on the network. I had an odd one, myself. More like a memory than any ordinary dream.” She sighed and shook her head. “It’s not like it was incredibly bizarre or anything, just that it felt amazingly real.”

Meg gave a shrug of her shoulders, trying to literally shrug it off. Some of the dreams she’d read about on the network were really fantastic, bordering on science fiction. Hers was so ordinary, but that’s what made it stand out to her. She’d been a small child in her dream which was odd to Meg because she rarely dreamt about her childhood. It was all a little weird for her.

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[info]lostlotte
2015-02-02 02:10 am UTC (link)
So long as Christine was given a heads up if something came up and she was going to be late, she wouldn't have minded. As it was, there was no need to worry about it though as it was just ten minutes. It wasn't like they had any specific place to be at a specific time.

Haunted was one word for it. Even before the Dreams had started, before Christine had started to once again doubt her sanity, there was always that fear lingering in the back of her mind. Avoiding singing and things with lyrics because she didn't want to risk losing her sense of self and reality. The loss of her parents and how she kept to herself because she was didn't want to invite people into her problems. The Dreams just made it worse, even as she made friends on the network, had met Armand on it... it was a blessing and a curse she supposed.

Meg talking about dreams though startled her. She had barely been on the network and she was already having them? She knew that there wasn't any sort of set time line for when people started dreaming but it hadn't even been a week since she had shown up on it.

"I'm sorry..." And she was. Christine had already realized that there was no way Meg wouldn't start dreaming, it was what happened if one joined the network, yet she still wished it could have been different, "I know how unsettling they can be."

They started off innocently enough (usually, it depended on the person she supposed), but rarely did they stay simple. Christine's certainly hadn't and as Meg had featured in her new set of dreams, she knew that her friend was going to end up dealing with the Opera Ghost as well. The horror story of their lives it would seem.

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[info]charmingdancer
2015-02-02 02:26 am UTC (link)
Even before she’d explored the network Meg had made friends. There were a couple girls she shared numerous classes with who she hung out with when she had the time. Still, it had been nice to meet people on the network. Jem, Luthien, Danny... They all seemed nice and they were all united by their dreams, apparently, however different each of their dreams might have been. Christine was on the network, too, but Meg still counted her as a “real life” friend as opposed to a network friend.

Meg shrugged her shoulders again. She didn’t yet understand the dreams like Christine did. To her, the dream had been simple and harmless. It hadn’t shaken her up, just confused her a little bit. She knew that she could have had it worse. For all she knew, she would have it worse eventually.

“The realistic quality of the dream was a little unsettling. The content was mostly harmless.” Meg smiled the ghost of a smile, mostly to reassure Christine that she was okay. “I’m guessing it’ll get a little more intense with time, but I’ll be alright.” Her smile broadened just slightly. Meg had never suffered any difficulty in life. Her life so far had been easy and nothing but pleasant. She was used to it. It made her wonder how it would affect her if the dreams should become less pleasant.

“Are yours intense? Your dreams?” She certainly didn’t want to pry for unpleasant details, but Meg thought if she understood everyone else’s dreams better that she might understand her own better, as well.

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[info]lostlotte
2015-02-02 02:54 am UTC (link)
Christine wasn't too shocked that Meg didn't find the content to be bad. After all, if it was something like growing up? Then that wasn't too bad. Their friendship in the dreams made Christine know that there wasn't much to her childhood beyond growing up in the Opera House, that it was a home to her. The Opera Ghost was just that, a ghost. She knew that it wasn't until those months leading up to the change in management that he had started to act out.

If only Christine could protect Meg from what would come.

"I don't think it ever stops being unsettling." She shrugged because really, there wasn't much else she could do about that. Two sets of dreams and Christine still found herself unsettled when she woke up from one. Still had to remind herself of where she was and who she was. Remind herself that she was (relatively) safe. Something she hadn't felt in two weeks now.

"They are. But I'm as used to it as I think anyone can get to them."

The question was, did she tell Meg? Let her know what was to come? Any sort of warning? That was what was confusing her. She had no idea on what to do or say in this. She was so used to not having someone who shared the same dreams. Erik would have had he not left the area. But she had gone through it alone in the sense of no one having the same series of dreams. "The network can be a sort of support group I guess. But yeah, yours will probably end up more intense as they go on..."

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[info]charmingdancer
2015-02-02 03:23 am UTC (link)
That’s what Meg was afraid of. That the unsettling part would never come to an end. Her dreams so far had been innocent, but that could always be subject to change. Some terrible things had innocent beginnings, but Meg was an optimist. In spite of everything she heard, she still hoped for the best. It was in her nature. Optimism kept her going even when things were rough, though to be completely fair she hadn’t had a very rough life at all.

She gave a nod when Christine confirmed that her dreams were also intense. Meg wanted to know more but was afraid to ask. Christine had been through so much. It made Meg a little sad to think that her dreams were making things even more difficult for her. That was life, though, she supposed. Full of ups and downs, sometimes downs more than ups.

“I like the network. I’ve met some pretty nice people on there. It seems like a pretty good environment for talking about sensitive things. Like the dreams.” She smiled a little and shrugged with one shoulder.

“Well, hey...” Meg fished around in the pocket of her dress and pulled out a folded up cutout from the morning’s newspaper. “I found a couple apartments listed in the paper this morning that are located in an area close to the university. Sort of close, at least.” She unfolded the paper and handed it over to Christine so that she could take a look.

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[info]lostlotte
2015-02-02 04:02 am UTC (link)
Christine could understand being optimistic. For her it was that she always wanted to look beneath what was right there. She wanted to give people a chance, she felt pity for the life of those who had suffered even if she didn't condone their actions and couldn't condone them. It was why her dreams were so complicated, why the bleed over was so hard to deal with. Knowing what he was capable of, knowing what he did, knowing how complicated everything was. She hated it but there really wasn't much she could do about it.

"It is. Everyone has their own opinions on what they mean, what they can do... but it's something everyone at least understands once they start dreaming." Before people started dreaming, then they just thought everyone was insane. People tried to fight it, which only made it worse. But in the end, it was the place where people could go about things from the dreams that no one else would understand. Where they would understand the things that happened in Orange County instead of what they were told to explain it all away.

Taking the newspaper, Christine skimmed over it and noted the ones she had also paid attention to while doing a search for open areas.

"Okay. These are good places to start."

Hopefully it wouldn't take too long, that they could find a place today and get things settled. It was probably part desperation on Christine's part, that need to find something normal to hold onto. A new apartment, living somewhere on her own and not where and not just staying in someone's guest room (well she had a feeling it was Cora's room but the two were engaged so it was pretty much an available room) made it all the more difficult to focus on normal.

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[info]charmingdancer
2015-02-02 04:26 am UTC (link)
It was true. Before the night Meg had her first strange dream she’d thought that having a forum mostly dedicated to discussing dreams was nice, but not exactly vital. Now she knew that these dreams raised questions and made people think so much that sharing them was cathartic. It was also helpful in certain cases because the people on the network could provide opinions and advice. The network was definitely vital.

Meg watched Christine look over the newspaper she’d handed to her. She’d gone over the listings with a bright yellow highlighter when she was eating her breakfast that morning. Meg had been careful to avoid pricier options. She hadn’t been sure what Christine could afford, but she knew that some of the listings were out of her own price range.

“Yeah?” She smiled. “Great.”

It might have been silly, but Meg was excited about moving in with Christine. Obviously she wasn’t expecting a slumber party vibe every night of the week, but she was looking forward to having someone around she got along with. The two of them chatted at work sometimes and they got along well in spite of the differences in their personalities. If that was any indicator, living together would be a breeze. Meg thought of herself as a great roommate. She was tidy and not at all noisy. When she listened to music from class she always used a pair of headphones. She’d do everything she could to make Christine’s change of roommate easier.

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[info]lostlotte
2015-02-02 05:37 am UTC (link)
Christine had been worried about the people on the network when she had first shown up. True she hadn't spoken much, mostly just searched for a second job and promoted the tea shoppe, but she had noticed the talk of dreams. And the random things that happened in the area that media often blamed on LSD in the water or other things that didn't make sense if someone took a moment to sit back and actually think about it. Once she'd had the dreams though, once items showed up and she couldn't deny it anymore it suddenly made much more sense. Or as much sense as this place could make.

The trick had been knowing what was in Meg's price range. Though Christine had mostly just focused on things that were either around the same she'd been paying with Jammes or less. It seemed safer that way. Then of course was the question on the neighborhood safety. Not that she felt it made much difference. A month of escalating crime with no sign of slowing down. It was worrisome.

Even though Christine really wasn't feeling that great and it felt like she was still numb inside, Meg's excitement rubbed off at least some, enough that Christine didn't feel completely rigid. It was something at the very least, so she'd take it. If Meg were anything like her dream counterpart, Christine knew that they'd be fine as roommates and well, it was part of life. Figuring out how to live with someone.

"Yep. So let's go."

That said, it was off to investigate the different locations they had decided on that would be possibilities.

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[info]charmingdancer
2015-02-04 01:20 am UTC (link)
For all the years Meg had spent in California, only part of her funding came from her job. Her parents still sent her a small sum of money every other month. With two sources of income, life had been pretty easy for her. She was able to pay bills and rent every month and still have enough left over for other things that she needed such as food for when she was hungry or pointe shoes when a pair got too beaten up by her constant practicing.

It was easy for Meg to pick up on Christine’s feelings. She had always been pretty good at reading people. For that reason she smiled a little more often and didn’t ask any questions about how Christine felt. For one, it was a dumb question. Christine had been through a lot and was obviously not 100% okay. Also, her goal was to distract her friend from the negative and asking how she felt was counterproductive to that goal. If Christine wanted to talk, Meg expected that she would talk all on her own.

Meg nodded when Christine gave the go ahead. “Are we going by foot?” She smiled a little. Taking a cab or a car would be easier, but Meg had a fondness of walking around town on her own. It was probably a foolish thing to enjoy given the recent spike in crime, but Meg was blissfully ignorant to the risks.

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[info]lostlotte
2015-02-04 03:33 am UTC (link)
Eventually Christine would actually have to talk about what happened. Which meant she would probably have to return to therapy just because she couldn't see herself talking about it with anyone. Lydia had shown up but they hadn't actually discussed it. Armand had enough to worry about and while she knew he'd listen, she didn't know how to talk about it. No. She had already talked with Harley about the complicated feelings she had in regards to both Erik and Raoul, but the murder had never come up.

No matter. She would figure that out later. Right now, apartment hunting.

"Well unless you want to walk at least fifteen miles... I brought my car."

She'd had to go back for it, after everything. The detective she had spoken with when she gave her first statement had been kind enough to drive her back to the old apartment so she could get it given Lydia had driven them back to Irvine when Christine had been too in shock to even think about things like her car. But given how spread out Orange County was and the different counties, driving tended to be the better option.

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[info]charmingdancer
2015-02-06 03:45 am UTC (link)
[ooc: Sorry for the slow tags. I’m under the weather.]

It was hard for Meg to tell exactly how Christine was handling the recent stress. She wasn’t like Meg who let just about everything she felt come to the surface. There was a lot that Meg suspected Christine didn’t want to talk about and because of that she didn’t press for answers to the questions Meg had on her mind. She figured that by giving Christine a little space she was being a good friend.

“How useful!” Meg chuckled a little bit. There was no way she could walk that distance in the shoes she was wearing. Not unless her goal was really to accumulate as many blisters as possible.

“Where do you have it parked?” Meg looked around. For as long as she’d known Christine, the image of her car had never stuck in her mind. She couldn’t remember the make or color or anything. If she was about to become her roommate, though, she suspected such details would be easier to remember. She’d be seeing a lot more of the car and of Christine herself. It would be nice.

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[info]lostlotte
2015-02-07 01:19 am UTC (link)
[It's fine <3 I have school stuff as it is]

Even before the dreams, Christine hadn't been the type who was all that expressive with what she was feeling. The dreams just made it all the more complicated and difficult to express herself. Each person was different though and she didn't hold anything against those who might be more expressive. It was simply who they were.

"This way."

Leading Meg to the car, Christine waited until her friend got in before she got in as well. It wasn't anything spectacular, but it fit her, and well, it got the job done. It ran, she didn't need to constantly get it looked at for whatever reason. With Meg in the car, there was no need to have the music on. Before it had been Carmina Burana since she was still learning it but there was also other music. Mostly jazz or symphonies. Still a bit wary of music with lyrics. Though she'd need to get over that if she expected to be able to actually perform.

The drive wasn't too long before they got to the first place that looked like it would be a good match and so Christine parked and waited so that they could go to the renting office to get a tour.

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[info]charmingdancer
2015-02-10 12:26 am UTC (link)
Meg gave a happy little smile and walked the short distance to the car. She was plenty used to walking long distances. The trek from home to work, for an example, was a pleasant one that she enjoyed a great deal. Christine was right, though. Some distances were just far too long to go on foot and Meg didn’t need the extra blisters or callouses. Meg hopped inside the passenger side and quickly buckled her safety belt. It was always the first thing she did upon getting into a car, a habit that her parents had reinforced. She quickly checked her makeup in the side mirror and looked to Christine with a pleasant sort of expression on her face.

“Onward!” She chuckled a little bit.

The drive was surprisingly short. Definitely shorter than Meg expected. They hadn’t hit any sort of bad traffic and there were no accidents or construction sites en route. It was definitely a blessing as they needed all the time they could get to peruse apartments. With any luck at all, the two of them would have found a new place to live by the end of the day.

“Where are we heading to first?” Meg checked herself in the mirror again to make sure she didn’t have anything in her teeth. She’d be smiling at people all day and wanted to avoid any and all embarrassments.

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[info]lostlotte
2015-02-10 02:41 am UTC (link)
The sheer difference in personality was pretty obvious. Meg was definitely more out going and social than Christine, who was more reserved. They worked well together though. Not only that, but well, it would be good to have someone who was more personable handle the interviewing process. Christine was fine with being polite but really, it probably would work out in their favor that Meg could undoubtedly win anyone over with a smile.

With the question on where they were heading first, the blonde pulled out her list and nodded in the direction they were to go. It was the start of a very interesting day. Mostly just talking to building managers and figuring out costs. Yet despite the tedious nature of apartment hunting, it didn't seem to drag on or feel frustrating. If Christine were in better spirits, she'd even think it was fun. As it was, it was necessary and not terrible so she'd take it.

After a few hours, a lease had been signed, a move in date determined and the two were once again at the tea shoppe. It felt good to have done this. She wasn't going to forget Jammes, but maybe if she was living in her own place again (without the memory of Jammes' body bloodied on the kitchen floor forever seared in her mind) and getting back into a normal routine, it would be easier to get through the day. She wouldn't be bothering Lydia and Cora anymore so they could get back to their lives as well.

"So... that's done. I'll see you when we get things moved in then?" It was a relief, really. Small, but a relief.

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[info]charmingdancer
2015-02-10 04:42 am UTC (link)
Meg took to the interviewing process rather easily. That ever present yet still genuine smile of hers seemed to soften people up a little. It had actually turned out to be a pleasant day. She didn’t mind going from apartment to apartment, answering and asking all of the vital questions. Meg wasn’t overbearing, though. She gave Christine plenty of chances to speak, to voice whatever concerns she might have had or ask any questions that might have been on her mind.

The apartment they’d decided on was nice for their price range. It struck Meg as a place she wouldn’t mind living in. It all felt a little like an adventure to her. A new home and a new roommate to share it with. She had a good feeling about how it would turn out, too.

“Yep!” Meg chirped. She was a little worn out from going from place to place, but still in a good mood. Meg gave Christine a quick hug. “I’ll see you then!”

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