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

wolvenrogue

wolvenrogue

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Aug 21, 2011
Geno was an outgoing, athletic, gregarious student at the Venitian School of Music and Opera, He was there on a full scholarship, having just graduatd from Juliard in New York, with Honors. He had come to Venice to study what had become his true passion, Opera. He also found the venician women playful and entertaining. He was an avid boater and waterskier and being of Itallian decent, he shared the thick black hair, smooth features, and olive skin with the local men, and few if any knew her was not born in Italy. He was a handsome man and a favorite of the ladies, at least until that fateful day.

He had gone out skiing with his friend Mario. Geno was driving the boat as Mario skied. He turned to be sure that Mario was still upright, and as he did, the boat hit a barrel floating low in the water, which he did not see. Geno was thrown from his seat and his face was crushed. He woke up in hospital a few days later. wearing a white fiberglass mask, one he would wear the rest of his life, both to protect his delecate tissue, and cover the hideous disfigurment he had suffered.

Geno arranged to complete his studies from home and graduated. Later, he found that the old opera house just down the street from his home, and long closed was available for sale. He scraped together his savings and bought it with plans of it reopening.
 
Aria almost feel over when she had heard the old opera was open once again. As a child she spent days there watching her father perform. He was a great tenor and just as his popularity spread his life was tragically cut short in that opera house. Since her mother had died when she was an infant Aria was sent to Poland To live with her mothers family.

Aria would often vist her fathers family and it was on such a visit that she heard of the opera had reopened and was a major success do to its new owner and musical genes. Selling out shows every night aria knew she wanted to be a part of that.

She audition and was told her voice would not be anything that the opera owner would like for a lead however she was taken on as a chorus girl.
 
Geno had thrown himself into his new undertaking. It became who he was and he gave it life, his life, all of it . He was drawn to write his music, direct his music, no... live his music. He had had a special box seat contructed in the opera hose with one-way glass. It let him seee out but no one see in. He equipped it with a sophisticated sound system that let him hear every sound as naturally as though the glass were not there. In the privacy of his booth he could watch and direct the opera, completely unseen, and without fear of being bumped. Hear in the safety of glass cacoon he could remove the hated mask. Here, imprisoned in his glass cage, he felt as free as he ever would, but deprived of the one thing he hadn't felt since that fateful day, human touch.

He came in that morning, layed his mask on the table in front of him and scanned the stage full of performers as was his habit. Everything was as it should be, but wait! Who was that new girl in the chorus. He hadn't been told of her hiring. Her beauty was striking and and as the chorus ran through its parts it had a new quality that had not been there the day before. Having been deprived of human touch, Geno had become extremely sensitive to the qualities of a human voice, and it was this skill that had propelled his wriing, and casting to the forefront of the local opera scene. He called his casting director giselle on the intercom. "Who is that new chorus girl and why didn't I see her audition?!" There was passion in his voice that had Giselle scrambling to find an explanation. Geno didn't wait for an answer but instead, told Giselle to clear the stage and put her front and center. "Hand her a copy of the aria (the principal female's solo) and have her sing it cold. Now!"

With hands shaking Giselle did his bidding. He had never spoken to her this way and she was stunned by his instruction. Fearingfor her job, she approached Aria with the manuscript, the paper visibly shaking in her trembling hand. "The Master (as they called him) wants you to sing this!" She backed quickly off the stage as the orchestra began to play.
 
Aria arrived to the opera house early that morning before anyone else. She explored the stag a bi, before she warmed up to herself as the others started to file in. She stood with the other chorus girls, however not really speaking to anyone.

As the music started for the day Aria followed a long had already studied the who work last night night. She found that the man who wrote this was a pure musical genise, and she had fallen in love with his music as many people have.

She was in the chorus when suddenly she was pulled from the chorus and handed a piece of of music. Her eyes skimmed the paper and it was the aria. She looked around trying to find this "master" but she could not find him. Suddenly the music started and Aria began to sing, and her voice filled the opera house.
 
Gino listened intently to Aria as she sang, noting the subtlties of her inflection, and the pure tonal clarity of her voice. He had heard correctly when he noted a new voice in the chorus. Clearly this girl did not belong there. Her's was the exact type of voice the aria had been written for. It was the voice he had imagined as he penned the notes. Giselle jumped as the Master's voice boomed through her headset. He had directed that the Principal Soprano be brought on statge and asked to sing the same music. He had them aletrnate first one than the other, over and over. The Principal Soprano had a fine mature voice, and her intonation and inflection were flawless, but the clarity that was so obviously present when Aria sang was missing. "Have Aria sing the aria this rehersal." Gino directed " She is our principal understudy from now on."
 
Aria stopped when suddenly the soprano came on stag and began to sing the same piece she was just singing. They sang together and Aria tried with all her might to out do the soprano, but she had years to prefect her voice and Aria was still young. She smiled as she was told she waste under study that her voice was at least that good.
 
Gino watched Aria from his booth as she rehearsed. Not only was her voice beautiful, but she was stunning as well. He ached to meet her, but fear over how she might react to his mask, or worse yet his face, kept him from it. Later that night he asked Giselle for her address. That evening after the opera house had emptied, he walked to her home and caught a glimps of her through the open windo from the shadows on the street.
 
Aria worked hard that day tring to improve her voice to better fit the music. She returned home that night and changed into a lace night gown, a vibrant red color, and the took a seat at the piano playing the aria over and over again, sing the music, she did this all from memory, had spent so much of her time with the music.
 
He listened as her sweet voice spilled from the open window. He watched as her thinly clad form swayed to the music as she sat at the piano. A longing was building inside him, not only for her music, but for her lovely body as well. He found himself feeling things he hadn't since the day before he was injured. For the first time in a long long time, he dared to be excited about a woman. An old familiar feeling was building in his shorts, but more than that was the staggering desire he had for her in his heart. He cursed his situation and walked slowly home.
 
She stay awake late that night work on the music, trying to be better, she felt like this was finally her chance to someday be as great as her father. She went to bed finally that night, but her sleep was short lived, as she woke earl to get to the theater before anyone else.

She stood at the same spot as her father once did and looked out over the empty seats. She was wearing skirt that came to her knees, and a white peasant top.
 
Gino had arrived at the theater hours ago he was in his booth and busy writing when the sound of footsteps broke his concentration. Hw looked out over the stage to see the beautiful Aria standing center stage in the dark in her simple attire. From the control panel in his booth, he switched on the main spotlight, isolating her in a piercing beam of light. he knew that its brightness would render the rest of the auditorium all but invisible to her. "Sing the aria for me me" he said over the PA system. He gazed at her simple beauty a moment before mustering all his courage, and leaving the safety of the booth. he went quickly down the back stairs and entered the stage behind her, approaching her invisibly from behind. He had slipped off his shoes and approached her silently in stocking feet. As her arms streached out in the expression of the song, he took he hands in his own, his chest touching her back and his breath falling gently on her hair. His voice, a mighty tenor, ringing out in harmony to her own from behind her. The mask, safely in place, obscuring the disfigurement that had so altered the existance of the once proud man. His heart soared at the touch of a human being and the mixing of their voices in perfect, clear, and striking harmony, blending together inseperable as if one.
 
Aria jumped when she heard the snap of the spotlight click on. Her hand raised in front of her face shielding her eyes from the unexpected spotlight now bathing her. She was frozen a moment when she heard a voice come from no where telling her to sing. She bit her lip a moment and then slowly loward her hand. She began to sing. She was lost in the music when suddenly she felt someone grab her hands and his chest touch her back, she was startled and stopped singing, she turned to see who was behind her but she could barely see him as he was standing in the shadow. "who are you" she said softly, she was clearly nervouse
 
"Sing"... he said, his voice commanding and confident. "Don't stop, I love how you sing... That is why you are here. That is why you are no longer in the chorus. It is why I rebuilt this theater." His hands were gentle and loving on her's not violent or restricting. They held her as though she was made of the finest crystal, with a delicate touch. His words becoming soothing and gentle as he spoke and then joined her in song.
 
Her eyes tired to search the darkness to see who this man was but she could not see him. She was not sure what to think when he told her to sing. She bit her lip a moment and then sang once again, her voice a bit meeker this time as she was unsure what this man wanted from her
 
"I am the Master of this house, and the opera. You my dear are the answer to my prayer. Its best you dont see me just yet though. There will be time enough for that. For now just sing with me let our voices join. Before long you will be the principal here, in due time. his voice joined heres again the sweet song filling the hall.
 
There was something about him that made her trust him. She did not know what it was, could be the tone of his voice of the passion he had for music, but there was something. She sang with him and as they reached the end of their song she gentle tired to pull him into the light only to be stopped by the sound of foot steps and voice coming towards the stag. Others must have arrived to rehearsal
 
"Be here at midnight" he whispered as he dissapeared into the shadows and up the back stairs to his booth. The foot steps belonged to Geselle. "Here for a little private rehearsal?" She asked looking suspiciously at Aria. "Ypu seem to have made an impression on the Master, but not on me!" she said with a snarl. Unbeknown to her, "the Master" had heard every ugly word. His voice boomed in her head set. "If you dissaprove of my personnel decisions, it is best you keep your opinion to yourself. Come to my office this moment!" Geno left his booth and went to the office where he sat at his desk facing the wall behind him, as was his usual custom. When the expected knock came he simply said "come in." Giselle walked in, and without turning he spoke to her. "Miss Aria will be the new principal soprano starting next week. I am sure you could explain to me why you and the staff did not recognize her obvious talent, but spare me the details, they would only lessen my opinion of your judgement. Please see that Miss Angelina is givien a good reference and paid an adequate severance. I want her to leave on good terms we may need her in the future for something." Giselle hung her head. "Yes sir." she said "Good! now go prepare Miss Aria for rehersal, and show her the respect she deserves.
 
Aria saw Giselle come on stag and gave her a smile. "good morning" she said but then was taken back by her comment. She sighed and left the stag feeling as if she had done something wrong. She his in the dressing room she was not sure she could show her face.
 
Giselle came in and bowed politely. "I'm here to take you to your new dressing room Miss Aria. I need to help you prepare for rehersal. You are the new principal Soprano starting next week. Please forgive my behavior. I really don't want to lose my job. If you need anything, anything at all, please let me know."
 
Aria looked up as Giselle came in. Her forehead as she spoke, "but I don't understand, I thought I was not ready to be principle soprano, and what about the one you have? She is so good"
 
"Those choices are not mine to make" Giselle said quietly. The Master has made that decision personally. Obviously he believes you are the best choice for the opera, and it is his Opera company. He has been wildly successful, and I'm sure you will too. Right now its my jobb to get you ready for rehersal, so please, come with me."
 
She didn't know what else to say. She got up and followed Giselle to the new dressing room which sucked to see it was so large
 
Giselle had turned over a new leaf , and valuing her job, also took excellent care of Aria. She new that Geno was a demanding but fair boss. Geno watched Aria all through the rehersal. Something seemed to him to be troubling her and he hoped she would take his invitation and be there at midnight as he had asked. He hadn't felt comfortable with another person since the accident, and he was nervous that she might reject him.
 
Aria was a little off all through rehearsal that day. Her mind kept racing with everything that happen with meeting the "master" and then to be given the principal soprano was a lot to take in. When rehearsal was over she was the first one to leave the opera house. She returned home to think. She didn't know if she was going to go back. But as midnight approached she slipped on a silky black dress and tied her hair in a simple pony tail slipped back to the opera house she walked on stag her heels making a loud thudding sounds.
 
This time there was no spotlight suddenly his strong arms were about her waist. He nzzled her and said, "I am so glad you decided to come. I made you principal Soprano because you are that good, no other reason. It has nothing to do with tonight. I have dreamed of you for years. I didn't know when or if or if ever I would find you, but here you are. He spun her in his arms to face him and the white mask stood between them. "I don't know if you are prepared for me he said. Behind this mask is a dark secret, that keeps me from the world, but our music is a huge connection and I hope it will help you accept the rest."
 
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