𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄─

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐎. 𝟔 - ,, 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐏𝐄: 𝐇𝐨𝐍𝐃!𝐀𝐔

                                               👑

𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐊'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖:

Erik looked out upon the plaza in front of the cathedral, soon it would be alive with games and songs and laughter, as today was the Festival of Fools. He had always wanted to go, but his face burdened him to hide away from the rest of the world for all eternity. As he was carving more miniature wooden sculptures of the townspeople, he heard footsteps coming up the stairs of the massive bell tower. "Master Vicomte!" Erik smiled, limping over to the man who's eyes bore into him. "Erik." The Vicomte dryly greeted, "here is your lunch, I'm sorry I cant join you today" He nodded, before turning to leave, only stopping when he felt a tug on his cape. "Master, could I maybe" Erik hesitated, his stomach turned as the Vicomte glared at him with narrowing eyes, "You want to come with me, don't you? You insolent boy! Have you not seen your face!" He yelled, grabbing Erik by his shoulders and shaking him violently, "I give you food, water, a home, and yet you are still ungrateful! Anyone else would have killed such a hideous creature!" Tears spilled out of Erik's eyes, "I-I'm sorry, Master" He wept, lowering down onto his knees and begging for forgiveness, until the Vicomte looked pleased, "I'll forgive you, but mark my words, you step even one foot out of this cathedral, and the people will hunt you down, Erik." He grinned wickedly, "Now I must go, goodbye" He left, and Erik was left alone with his only friends, two gargoyles, who he named Madame Giry, and her daughter, Meg Giry.

"How did it go Erik?" Madame asked, her eyes fixated on his shaking hands. "Oh please do tell us!" Her daughter squealed excitedly. "Looks like it's another year of shameful spectating" Erik sighed, "I mean, come on, what was I thinking anyway, I'm hideous!" He cried, until the gargoyles came to embrace him, "Oh Erik," Meg smiled, "You're not hideous, you're just different!" She said, patting his shoulder. "It's true, you just have flair." Madame smiled warmly. "Really?" He grinned widely, "then, then maybe they wouldn't mind , I mean, you guys don't" His smile only widened as he kept talking, "Of course not, Erik, we love talking to you!" Meg said, her usual bubbly tone only amplified his excitement, "Then that settles it, I'm going!" He boomed, grabbing his cloak and scaling down the architecture of the cathedral.

Erik finally made it down to the center of the plaza, it was booming with laughter and everyone was singing. a strange man kept trying to approach him, and he kept trying to avoid him, until he lost footing and collapsed into a tent, the only sound he heard was the scream of a woman. "I'm so sorry!" He repeated, trying to free himself from the cloth, "Are you okay?" She frantically inquired, removing the cloth and helping him up, Erik gasped and shielded his face, but the girl didn't seem to mind as she removed his hand and inspected his face for any scratches or bruises. "Thank goodness you're alright" She smiled brightly, making Erik do the same. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, chestnut colored waterfall curls and striking blue eyes, "T-Thank you so much" She managed to stutter out, "No problem" She smiled brightly and led let him out, "Oh, and by the way, nice mask" She winked, her eyes fixated on his remarkable deformity.

"Ladies, gentleman, and everyone in-between, please welcome the most beautiful gypsy in all of France, the world-renouned Miss Christine Daae!" Everyone cheered as the woman appeared in a cloud of smoke on a runway right in front of Master Vicomte, who Erik was desperately trying to avoid. Christine was putting on quite the show, flipping, spinning, and even disappearing and reappearing right before everyone's very eyes, that's when things went south, she approached the throne that Master sat on, getting very up-close-and-personal, in fact, their faces were inches away as she snaked a cloth around his neck, before abruptly pulling the Vicomtes hat down over his eyes and flipping away, bowing as the crowd cheered and threw coins her way. "Now, for the moment you have all been waiting for" The strange man announced climbing onto the stage next to Christine, "It is time to crown the King of Fools!" Everyone cheered loudly as a few men in strange costumes climbed on the stage. Erik was about to leave, when he felt someone grab his hand. He turned around to see none other than Miss Christine. She eagerly pulled him up onto the stage and to his dismay the line was getting dangerously close as people kept booing the other men offstage, until they got to him. Christine smiled as she tried to pull off his mask, but to no avail did it come off, and everyone realized how truly hideous he was. They scoffed in disgust and Christine looked upon him in pity, until the man intervined. "Come on, people! we asked for the odd and hideous and here it is! Everyone give it up for this years King of Fools!" Everyone cheered as he placed the crown on his head and the crowd carried him to another stage, only this one had a strange wheel on it.

Erik basked In the cheering, until things turned for the worse as a few soldiers decided to throw tomatoes at him. Erik's face contorted in rage and terror as more people continued this, laughing and yelling slurs at him. Eventually it escalated to the worst possible outcome, as the soldiers threw ropes over him, pinning him down to the wheel and tying him down, before spinning it so everyone could see his hideous face. he sobbed as the crowd booed him once more, now throwing rocks and empty beer bottles at him. "Stop!" Christine's voice rang out from the other stage, her features set in a face that reflected only pure fury.

The crowd split in half as she marched towards Erik. "What do you think you're doing!" The Vicomte yelled at her, "Setting this poor boy free! He has done nothing to you, and still you shun him for his face?" She screamed, her voice amplified in fury, "The way you people act is disgusting, especially you, Master Vicomte!" She seethed, "Look at yourselves, and answer this" She pulled out a dagger and cut the ropes loose, "Who here is truly the monster," She pointed her dagger towards the crowd, then at Master Vicomte, "And who is the man." She smiled warmly at Erik, who did the same back. "What's your name?" Christine whispered. "Erik" He sighed, looking into her sapphire eyes. "You will pay for this, gypsy scum!" Master yelled, only making Christine laugh, "If you think I would condone this repulsive behavior, then it is not Erik who is the king of fools" She smirked, grabbing the crown off his head, "It is you Master Vicomte!" She grinned widely, throwing the crown strongly enough to hit the Vicomte square in the face. "Guards, seize her!" Master yelled furiously. "That's my cue" Christine winked at Erik, "See you around?" She smiled, "Definitely" He smiled back, clearly lovestruck. "Great, its a date then" She giggled, planting a quick kiss on the deformed side of his face before speeding off, narrowly avoiding the guards as Erik's face went red.

"A date," He whispered, stroking where she had kissed.