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The Man Behind the Mask and His Muse(Wolvenrogue and Nightsorceress

When her eyes didn't meet his, he faltered and stopped. " Are you ashamed to be with me?" he asked. Hisfears were not physical. He was very strong physically, but rather it was shame over his face.
 
Aria wrinkled her forehead as she looked at him. "no am not ashamed of you, why are earth would you think that" there was hurt on her face now that he would think she was Ahmed of him.
 
"I didn't mean to hurt you, but if everywhere you went people averted there eyes and wouldn't look at you, you would think as I do. You didn't look at me. That is why I asked." Now that she had looked on him and said she was not ashamed, he went on.
 
"no I was not looking at you i was looking for others they may not be so understanding, so I could kick there ass and make them understand." that was something no one her to say but she could be feisty at times
 
He took a deep breath and walked boldly down the street, but when he arrived in the theater, there was a whole new challenge. The cast had never seen him and their reactions to the mask ranged from laughter to revulsion. he could see it in their faces. He let go of Aria's hand and boldted for his booth horrified. He his in the back corner his face buried in a pillow.
 
Aria was horrified when the company laughed at him. She grew angry. "what you have never seen someone that is a little different, it took a lot from him to come out here and you treat him as some monster or side show, you should be ashamed with yourselves." she then left the stag and went up to his booth knocking on the door gently. "Geno it's me, can I come in"
 
"Come in" he said in a voice muffled by the pillow. The mask was off and sitting on the table, and he was sitting on the sofa , his mangled face buried in a pillow, and his head resting on his knees. "Imagine how they would react, without the mask. I was a fool to believe it would be alright. What will I do now. I'm nothing but a freak! Why couldn't I have just died!"
 
Aria entered the booth and closed the door behind her. She then quietly came over to the couch to sit next to him. Her arms wrapped around his hunched shoulders. "people are idiots they do not see past the differences in people, but it will be alright, in time they will understand."
 
Deno burned inside to know if Aria really meant those words. Would she really accept him as he was? If she couldn't no one else would. Facing away from her, he got up from the pillow. "Can you accept me like I am? Do you even dare to look? he asked.
 
Aria wrinkled her forehead as he spoke. "it's not on the outside that makes the man"she then moved closer to him her breast now pressed against his back, he could feel her firm erect nipples through the material of her shirt, her hand reached around from behind and touched his heart, "it's what's in his heart that makes the man."
 
He held her hands against his chest. "I know, but a man's eyes are the light of his soul, and you can't see them through a mask, and you will never see them if you can't accept the face that surrounds them. That is why I have no friends in this world."
 
"no a man soul is represented by his actions in the world. And you have showed me your soul Geno." her head came to rest on his back holding him close to her. "I don't care what you look like on the outside, only that your a good man on the inside, if I go a whole life time never seeing your true face that is fine, just as long as you do not change who you are on the inside."
 
Geno picked up the mask from the table, and putting it on his face, he got up and walked across the room in silence, and opened a drawer in his desk. He drew out a new white mask and handed it to Aria. "If you really believe what you say, then put that on. Don't take it off for a week, except when your alone. Go about your daily business. You will then see the world through my eyes. I think you will find it a different place and understand better what I'm telling you. You will understand why its so important for people to see your face and accept it." He sat back down in silence. the mask hiding the tears forming in his eyes.
 
She had upset him and she did not mean to. She sighed and looked at the mask now in her hands. "Geno will you do something for me, let me go back to Poland, I should only be gone a week, but I will come back, if while I am gone you promise to eat, and sleep and run the opera from the both as you always had, I promise I will move in with you."
 
He wondered what was going through her mind. Why had she made such an offer now? The fact that she aparrantly feared not only the sight of his face but also the mask worried him. " I will eat, and I will continue to run the opera while you are gone, but until you understand the mask and what it does to me, you shouldn't move in with me. I was wrong to ask you to,"
 
Aria bit her lip a moment. "alright well we can talk more about it when I return." she left it at that, she kissed him softly on the cheek before she left the booth. Wondering if he was going to keep his word. She returned home and packed her things and then returned to Poland.

She was gone 1 week as she had promised and as she returned she did not even stop at her home to drop off her bags she went to stairght to the threater. She went right to his booth and balanced her bags in one hand a gift box for him in the other hand she gently knocked on the door.
 
When she had entered the theater, rehersal was in full swin, and her understudy was on the stage. Deno's booming voice could be heard on the PA giving directions. "Take five" he said when he heard her knock, and he opened the door.
 
When he opened the door she smiled at him. "hello" she entered the booth setting her bags down inside the door she step inside and handed him the box. "this is for you" inside was a mask but not like any he had before, this mask was designed to look like his face before the accident. The material on it was very life like and now one would be able to tell that he was wearing it, he would look like himself again.
 
Deno opened the box and looked at the mask. He was amazed at the detail and craftsmanship. It was an amazing gift. The happiness over her generosity was quickly overcome by the realization that she still didn't understand what having to wear a mask went. The fact that without the mask he was less than acceptable to the world, but more importantly her. he turned away and took of his mask and put the new one on and looked in the mirror. Though he wouldn't stand out so badly, it wasn't invisible and people would still stare. He turned to her and did his best to smile. "Welcome home, and thank you, its wonderful" he said in a quiet voice.
 
Aria watched as opened the box at first he seemed happy about the gift but then his reaction changed. "you don't like it, or you don't think I understand, I am sorry I was just trying to help you feel more comfortable." she picked up her bags. "you don't have to wear it, I can take it back."
 
"No No I do like it, its vastly better than what I had, and if it makes it easier for you to look at me then I'm very happy to wear it. But you are right. I don't think you understand, How could you? "
 
"damit Geno, I don't care what you wear, or if you wear nothing at all, so if you think I did this for me to be able to look at you then you wrong." this was first time aria had ever been harsh with him more than her meek self, "you are right I will never understand, because even if I wear a mask like you I can still take it off and still go back to myself, I wish you did not have to endure what you have to but there is nothing I can do to change that, I was only trying to make it easier for you, not for me or the rest of the world."
 
Geno sat there stunned for a moment. Had she really suggested he wear nothing and that it wouldnt matter. Though he was scared to death, he decided to take her at her word. He looked at her as tenderly as he could through the mask, which would never show emotion, and then with his eyes locked on hers reached up and slowly pulled the mask from his face, exposing the hideous red scar tissue and the deep furrow thatn ran across the bridge of his nose just below his eyes. His expression was a mix of fear and hope.
 
She wondered what he was thinking when he said nothing at all to her. And then she watched as his hand came up to the mask and he slowly removed it. She dropped her bags a moment and made no sound at all her expression never changed. And then before he knew what was happening she was front of him kissing him deeply.
 
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