![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small}
Discovery [Inara]
Another night. Like any other night. The City had shifted, disturbing many things, but such things had not reached in the depths of the Opera House. Erik felt none of it, below. Only when he came up to collect the things his dear Daroga - his friend, his conscience, and his agent to the outside world - did he note the changes. His Persian officer had not suffered greatly from the changes, but he passed along the information as best as he could, along with the packet of morphine, the small amount of food that Erik only touched when necessity demanded, and a new supply of ink and lined paper. For his troubles, Erik paid Nadir well enough - a monthly sum of two thousand of these strange paper dollars.
It was typical that after their exchange, Erik returned to his world and Nadir returned to the world of men. But the Persian's description of the changes had sparked Erik's curiosity. Though he cared very little for the race of men, there may yet be something of interest for him in these new changes. Perhaps a new bookstore to raid in the dead of night. Perhaps a new music store to browse when all the night had swarmed about the world and there was nothing left of humanity to disturb him.
Shrouded in a long opera cape and a wide-brimmed fedora to shield his masked face, Erik crept out into the moonlit streets. Around him, he heard the industry of the criminal underworkings of the city - drunken whispers, nefarious laughter, a young scream -- It was the scream that drew him. As hated as humanity was to him, he could not bear the abuse of any helpless creature. He followed the falsetto cry down a side street, into another long stretch of asphalt, and across that street as well, moving swifter than a creature of his build should rightly travel. He was close, now, very close, and soon expected to come upon the scene--
A flash of light - the opening of a door - the sound of merriment -- and he flattened himself momentarily against the brick wall of the closest building. His eyes, mismatched and sunken into the recesses of his face, scanned the entryway of whatever establishment the door belonged to... and stopped.
It was her.
It was typical that after their exchange, Erik returned to his world and Nadir returned to the world of men. But the Persian's description of the changes had sparked Erik's curiosity. Though he cared very little for the race of men, there may yet be something of interest for him in these new changes. Perhaps a new bookstore to raid in the dead of night. Perhaps a new music store to browse when all the night had swarmed about the world and there was nothing left of humanity to disturb him.
Shrouded in a long opera cape and a wide-brimmed fedora to shield his masked face, Erik crept out into the moonlit streets. Around him, he heard the industry of the criminal underworkings of the city - drunken whispers, nefarious laughter, a young scream -- It was the scream that drew him. As hated as humanity was to him, he could not bear the abuse of any helpless creature. He followed the falsetto cry down a side street, into another long stretch of asphalt, and across that street as well, moving swifter than a creature of his build should rightly travel. He was close, now, very close, and soon expected to come upon the scene--
A flash of light - the opening of a door - the sound of merriment -- and he flattened himself momentarily against the brick wall of the closest building. His eyes, mismatched and sunken into the recesses of his face, scanned the entryway of whatever establishment the door belonged to... and stopped.
It was her.