Porcelain

19

The shuffling noises got louder and soon emerging through a door was a very familiar red haired woman. "Fleurette!" She exclaimed and rushed forward, the startled redhead let out a confused noise when she was tackled in a tight embrace. "I have been so worried about you!" Eleanor held her sister at arm's length. "...Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. A little hungry though I have to admit."

Eleanor looked at her dumbfounded. "Is that all?" Eleanor said while letting her arms drop to the side. "You get taken in and looked after by the Phantom and all that is the matter is you are hungry?" Eleanor couldn't believe it! She literally stood there dumbfounded. Anyone else would be fearful, shaken, yet Fleurette clearly just wanted breakfast.

"Well yes! There wasn't much food down there." Fleurette said in an obvious tone, and shook her head and crossed her arms.

"What have you done to your hands? Where is your dress? Fleurette, you are wearing no shoes." Eleanor despaired of her sister and ran a hand down her face. "Come," she nodded towards the stairs. "There's enough time to sleep for an hour before everyone gets up."

"Oh, fine," Fleurette merely nodded and followed after her sister. She didn't answer any of her questions. Not that it seemed to matter to Eleanor. All the eldest sister wanted to do was seemingly go to sleep. She had been so worried about her sister that she couldn't sleep much. The worry was troubling her and plaguing her sleep.

——

"Perhaps the youngest Bousquet shall benefit greatly from taking part in rehearsals?" A voice said interrupting Fleurette and Eleanor's conversation. The two looked to the side and up at Madame Giry. She stood with a stern expression on her face. There was clearly more of a motive behind her words than wanting Fleurette back in the troupe.

"You mean I can take part? Seriously?" Fleurette smiled and looked up at the older woman. She ignored the stern expression she was wearing and listened to her words.

"May I actually have a word with you about the rehearsals?" Giry asked, "If that is alright?"

"You may take her away. She was not listening to me anyway." Eleanor huffed and crossed her arms. She smiled however when Fleurette shot her a half arsed glare.

Pushing up in the chair, she followed the older woman away from the talking crowd behind them. It was breakfast time in the opera house and like every morning the building was filled with noise. When they were a good distance away and standing in an empty corridor, Madame Giry turned to look at her. Still with a stern look on her face.

Fleurette's smile dropped. "This isn't about rehearsals, is it?" She crossed her arms, Fleurette may look naïve at times but she wasn't totally clueless.

"No."

"Am I even allowed to take part?"

"You are. I believe it would benefit you greatly if you took part again." Giry said while entwining her hands together and looking at her.

"Benefit me greatly?" Fleurette frowned and narrowed her eyes slightly. "What do you mean?"

"I am merely saying that with you taking part again, you won't have time to get into trouble."

"I don't get into trouble." Madame Giry just raised an eyebrow at her and didn't answer her words. Fleurette stood still cross armed and frowning. "Excuse me, I must go get ready. I have rehearsals to take part in." Fleurette bowed her head ever so slightly and turned to walk down the corridor. She waved at Eleanor when she passed her and walked up the stairs. "Annoying woman."

"I do not believe it is polite to talk about someone behind their back." Fleurette was not even surprised to hear Erik's voice speak lowly from a shadow.

"Sorry."

"It is not me you should apologise to. However I do agree slightly with your words."

"What are you doing up here? I thought you didn't venture out in the day?" Fleurette was confused, the only time she could remember Erik coming up here, was when he was visiting her.

"These rehearsals have sparked an interest in me."

"Really?" Fleurette raised an eyebrow. She had absolutely no idea where Erik was in the room, yet again his voice sounded like it came from several different areas.

"Not really." He said simply, Fleurette laughed and rummaged in the small trunk at the end of her bed for her dancing things. At least Erik tried to sound genuine, was she surprised he was just up here to kill time? No.

"I give you marks for honesty." She grinned and flung some dresses onto the bed. She couldn't remember putting her dancing things right at the bottom of the trunk. But then when she quickly thought over it, Eleanor had unpacked her bag from the hospital. That would explain why all her clothes were higgledy piggledy. "So," Fleurette said from deep within the trunk. "That means you are up here because you are bored." She said and then made a happy noise when she'd found her ballet shoes. Now to find her dancing clothes.

"Perhaps," Erik said while sitting on the bed and watching her. When she sat back up clutching onto a leotard and thin skirt, she jumped at the sight of him. Fleurette just wasn't used to how silent he moved. She hadn't even heard his footsteps, letting out a shaky breath she smiled.

"What do you mean by perhaps? Either you are up here because you are bored, or you are up here for another reason." She said simply while jumping up and walking briskly over to a door. Opening it she walked in and shut it behind her. Standing in the small en suit bathroom, Fleurette sighed. This one bathroom had to make do for several people, getting access to it in the mornings was dreadful.

Easily slipping out of the dark green dress she was previously wearing, Fleurette set to getting into her dancing gear. Folding the dress over her arms she reached and opened the door with her other hand and walked out. Erik was sitting on the bed looking around, Fleurette raised an eyebrow. He was sitting with a very confused expression on his face.

"Are you all right?" She questioned quietly while putting her dress on the bed and sitting next to him. Reaching beside her, she gripped onto her ballet shoes. Thankfully from previously watching the rehearsals, Fleurette was happy to see that the routine wasn't on pointe. She didn't really want to be flung straight into a complicated routine involving dancing on pointe.

"I have to admit I think this is the first time I've been up here." Properly, when he was visiting it was fleeting, he didn't actually look around the small space in which Fleurette called home.

"That explains your confusion."

"I'm not confused." Erik frowned and looked at her, she raised an eyebrow at him and slipped her shoes on. "Merely interested." He corrected her, she smiled and nodded. "It's not a very nice space, is it?"

"No."

"I can see why you would not wish to spend much time in here." Erik said looking up at the slightly low beamed ceiling.

"That and your home is much more nicer."

"I wouldn't describe it as nice." He looked at her, Fleurette shook her head slowly and reached up to tie her red hair up. After she had done this she patted her knees and looked down at the floor. "You ready to go?"

"Somewhat, yes."

"Do not listen to Giry's words. I believe she may have said what she did out of concern."

"You heard what she said?" Fleurette asked while looking at him. Erik slowly smiled and nodded. "How rude of you, Erik! How dare you listen in to a private conversation." She said in a mock dramatic tone.

"You shouldn't have a private conversation, as you describe it, in the corridors of my home while I am walking about."

"I cannot argue with that!" She grinned and shrugged, "I have to go now or else someone will no doubt come up here and find me." She stood up and smiled at him, "Goodbye, Erik. I hope you have a good day." With that she quickly rushed out of the room as someone called her name from the bottom of the stairs.

——

Reedited: 10/Jan/2022