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night-unfurls-its-splendour · 9 months

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Susan Kay's 'Phantom' Read: Part V (Erik, 1856-1881)

Before we start I feel that I need to talk about a perspective shift that I've had. More than half-way through the book now with the completion of this episode I've come to a realization.

Phantom is not what I thought it was. This epiphany has been slowly dawning but here we are.

My impression of Phantom, based on how I have seen it talked about in the Phandom (and certainly how the reviews on the back of the book present it) was that it was Leroux's story but with the blanks filled in and a few small liberties taken.

I had this impression because I was told that for quite a few years, Phantom was basically considered Canon and also because I have often seen Kayrik (or Kerik) and Lerik (or Leroux's Erik) conflated in discussions.

But as I'm reading I have finally realised that I don't think this is ever what Kay intended.

Don't get me wrong I hate most of the decisions she's made, but this book is a complete re-working of the source material with many elements of the book, some from the musical and some original folded in. For Erik's history she mainly follows the life-history detailed by Leroux, but in terms of Erik as a character, he more closely resembles Musical!Erik than anything (except that Kayrik's deformity affects his entire face, not just half). When we arrive at the Opera, she again adheres to Leroux's history. But once we catch up to the canon events, this time line is swiftly abandoned.

Nadir and Erik bump into each other and resume their friendship.

A few weeks later, Erik finds Joseph Buquet's body in his torture chamber.

A few weeks after that Erik hears the news of the Opera's change in management, and hears Christine sing for the first time.

In the source material, Buquet's body is discovered on the same night as Christine's initial triumph (so three months AFTER Erik began to teach her), the same night that the old managers, Debienne and Poligny, have their farewell celebrations and hand over management to Firmin Richard and Armand Moncharmin. Leroux describes Raoul rushing across the stage, "On which Christine Daae has just triumphed, and under which Joseph Buquet had just died." [This excluded from the original translation.

Why Kay chose to alter the progression of events I don't know, but that combined with a final nail in this coffin for me to realise that I had been approaching this book from entirely the wrong perspective. That final nail is the fact that Christine Daaé, in this book, is dark- haired and not blonde.

Kay does what most Phan-author's do: she cherrypicks her preferred elements from both book and musical (Erik general erudite comportment, his mis-matched eyes, Christine's dark hair) and combines them with her own headcanons to create an AU fic that, because of the reclusive nature of Fanfiction at the time and the fact that this work was published and widely circulated, became, for many fans not interested filling in the blanks themselves, erroneously synonymous with actual canon for a goodly number of years, despite its open contradictions to the source material.

Does that mean I like it any better? Haha fuck no. My irritation with Kay's choices persists. It's just that my ire for this book's influence is more accurately directed at the Phandom at large for making it something of a Golden Calf.

And like the Biblical Golden Calf I am here to pound it into dust and make everyone drink it.

So at this point I was going to complain that Kay never made mention of Erik being Christened "the trap-door lover" in Persia. There's even a CHAPTER of Leroux's novel called "The Masterstroke of the Trap-Door Lover". And this didn't come up even ONCE in Nadir's narrative. In fact the Persian and Leroux's narrator both talk about how Erik "rigged the palaces". Which is to say he made alterations to existing buildings and "turned the most honest construction in the world into a demonic house where one could not speak a word without being watched, or betrayed by an echo. How many family quarrels, how many bloody tragedies had the monster left in his wake with his trap doors?"

In Kay's narrative, Erik doesn't alter any existing palaces, he only constructs the Trick Box inspired palace described in Leroux's epilogue and his love of trap doors? Apparently it just isn't a thing.

Moving on

So of course we have to come back around to his mother. That was inevitable and I do actually appreciate it because we know Erik's furniture in the lair was his mother's.

The part where he views his mother's body is... eighhhhhh.

Erik describes the ravages of time in Madeleine's face and also the ravages of death. He talks about the irony that there's actually some resemblance between them now. And we get... this

And as I looked at her, I suddenly understood her revulsion at last--because now I shared it!

I felt no anger or grief as I looked down upon her . . . nothing except a disgust which enabled me to forgive any act of cruelty that she had ever shown me.

[...]

I did not kiss her, now that I had the opportunity.

I knew that she would not have wished it.

And I no longer felt any desire to do so.

I'm deeply confused as to what Kay is trying to convey here. Is Erik really saying that he doesn't want to kiss his mother because death has made her ugly? He goes on a lot about how death is gross and ugly and like... you just found out that your mom never re-married after you left. Never left the house she raised you in.

The misogyny REALLY steps up to the foreground here as well. He says of his mother's friend, Marie Perrault (the only person in this entire book with any rights imho)

This nervous, anxious, well-meaning lady had taught me to respect all members of the weaker sex.

Which, simply by calling them the "weaker sex"... you clearly don't? And after proclaiming is respect for ALL MEMBERS of the weaker sex, in the NEXT sentence he puts in a caveat about how he's never harmed an innocent woman, and also says something about the Khanom that really made me very, very queasy, and also reinforced my squicky suspicions about why Kay chose to make the cruel and capricious female figure in Persia an older woman (a domineering mother) rather than Leroux's "Little Sultana".

Very annoyed how Kay has graduated Erik's voice from "Automatic Aphrodisiac" to "Literally indistinguishable from Jedi Mind Tricks".

Erik regails us with how, using only his voice he is able to "reduce certain men to a trance-like state of obedience" (once exhibited on Nadir and his son Reza). When he meets Nadir again in Paris we are treated to this observation:

"Do you understand, Nadir? Keep away!"

His hand slid him it carriage door and he stood back with a trance-like obedience. He made no effort to prevent the brougham moving away, but although I knew my secret was safe for tonight, I felt no sense of complacency.

Once before he had broken free of my control, torn down the swaddling cocoon of sound with which I had bound him. Unlike Jules [Erik's lackey], he was not a natural subject; his will was too strong, his sense of identity and purpose too well developed.

Whenever he chose to fight my voice, I knew I would be unable to hold him.

That's a Jedi Mind trick. I'm sorry it is.

This section is actually quite enjoyable where the building of the opera house is concerned, but it takes a downturn, both in terms of the story and just the quality of the writing.

There are two instances of redundancy.

His death excited little excitement.

"My old interest in divination had never left me, and from time to time I still consulted the tarot cards in desultory fashion. It had been a long while since they had revealed anything significant, but now of late, each time I picked a card at random I seemed to turn up Death...

And this latter example leads me to something that really made me want to throw the book.

Since Nadir's narrative I have looked askance at something that has come up repeatedly: Susan Kay goes to GREAT LENGTHS to ensure that the readers know that Nadir I 100% straight. NO HOMO HERE, DEAR READER. ABSOLUTELY NOT. She shoehorns in a dead wife that Nadir never got over losing, and went into unnecessary detail about how when Nadir feels "the itch of manhood" (🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮) he avails himself of a prostitute or an odalisque. It comes up SEVERAL times. And when Nadir pops back up in Paris she makes sure to tell us that he has a mistress that he sees regularly. All of this to bring us to THIS infuriating line:

And so even as I walked with Nadir, talked with him, rejoiced in the warmth of communicating directly once more with a human soul, there was a part of me that looked at him with suspicion and wondered what part fate had assigned him in this new, unrehearsed opera.

Not the Lover, that was for certain. I'd seen enough girls leaving his apartments in Persia to be reassured that all of his instincts were purely heterosexual."

I'm not generally into gay readings of PotO. I don't ship Erik with either Raoul or with The Persian. But I will say that if there is an argument to be made for anyone in this book being anything less than 100% heterosexual, it's The Persian. Leroux makes no mention of him having a wife or anything of the sort. Tie that in with the determined responsibility and complex bond he seems to hold with Erik and a case can be made for our dear Daroga feeling something rather more than just sympathy for Erik. (I don't personally subscribe to this, but the case can certainly be made--I'm more of a DaRaoul girl tbh. I think that's an untapped gold mine).

But not here. Kay bends so far backwards as to have Erik say outright "Nadir is defo straight", while (even more bafflingly) implying that, perhaps, Erik is not. WHY, SUSAN. WHY?

Christine’s introduction is the single most "reads like Fanfiction (derogatory)" thing I've read in this book so far, but I find it very interesting how, when Christine sings for the first time Erik says that she "possesses a near perfect instrument". He says her technique is faultless, and that there's no weakness in either register. My first problem is that Leroux's Erik only ever calls Carlotta's voice an "instrument", because that's all it is to Carlotta. My second is that, according to Christine, her lower register was muffled and her upper register was shrill and her middle register wanted clarity. Maybe that's just Christine being too critical of herself, but I doubt that she had "flawless technique" when Erik began teaching her. Incredible latent talent for sure, but I do believe that she needed help with technique as well as motivation to reignite her passion.

Lastly we have Erik's description of when he first sings to Christine. His narrative regarding his motivation is actually very similar to my own:

She wanted an Angel of Music--an angel who would make her believe in herself at last.

[...] There was no reason in the world why I could not be the Angel of Music to Christine. I couldn't hope to be a man to her, I couldn't ever be a real, breathing, living man waking at her side and reaching out for her. . . .

But I could be her angel.

Is his motive here altruistic? No. But the sentiment is sweet enough. The notion of inspiring Christine's self-confidence is present.

Pity then that he takes a sharp left turn in the very next paragraph and utterly compromises any positivity in his intent.

I could not steal her body--but I could steal her voice and weld it irretrievably with mine; I could take it, and mold it, and make it mine forever...

Softly at first, infinitely softly I began to sing an old, heathen, Romany song. The Hollowed bricks carried the haunting melody relentlessly to her, permitted my voice to envelop her gently like a poisonous mist, seeping inexorably into her mind and staining her soul with darkness.

Well, well.

Once more unto the breach I go...

Masterpost

#phantom of the opera #poto #commentary on 'phantom'#susan kay phantom #phantom susan kay

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paperandsong · 1 year

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Gift Fics

I love gift fic culture! What fics have been gifted to you? What fics have you gifted to your fandom friends?

Here are all the fics that have been gfited to me. I love each one and highly recommend them all. They are all very different:

Tercet by @shinyfire-0: Part Three of Pour Like the Rain. Nadir, Erik - and now Christine? An exploration of how things might have been had Erik and Christine met under happier circumstances.

Sweet Sweat by @battydings: Two men make a revelation on a sultry summer night in Persia. Fluff week submission. Pharoga. I have to share this gift with @shinyfire-0 but I’m not mad about it.

The Laundromat by @shinyfire-0: Part 2 of the What Erik and Nandor Do in the Shadows crossover series in which Nandor is the Persian and Erik is his eternal Pharoga vampire lover.

Lubin et Lupins by @hotteaandhistory: When Philippe tells his younger brother, Raoul, and Raoul's best friend, Christine, of his own experience with the lupins of folklore. What happens when the two fanciful teenagers decide to discover for themselves if his story is true? Can Raoul survive a night of stalking the legend AND discovering his feelings for Christine might be more than just friendship? Part of the Légendes rustiques project.

Private Parts by @catcorsair: Christine finds beauty in ugliness. Mind the tags!

If You Give a Corpse a Cookie by @illuminaughti-online: What happens if you find The Living Corpse just out and about, minding his own business as he expires quietly in a gutter – but upon discovering that he is not literally dead, offering him a small token of your mercy? Also includes a cookie recipe!

Heaven’s Light by CleverQuill: This sweet story picks up after my longfic Le roi de Lahore. Christine and Erik found peace in a far off village where they can make music and raise a family. But as the oldest child prepares for her First Communion, she starts asking questions and making requests that could disrupt the household’s tender harmony.

1871 by @flora-gray: Perhaps someone should have cracked a French history book before changing the date in the 2004 film. Written for Commune Week 2021. This fic is hilarious.

Petite Intruse by cotesgoat: One week after the fall of the Paris Commune, Christine meets a strange man in her underground home. Written for PotO Paris Commune Week 2021.

The Phantom’s Flame War Problem by Anonymous (but I know who you are and love it!): For Erik, an eternity of existence means an eternity of picking fights, whether with the creators that misinterpret his story, or just nobodies who offend him online. An Eternal Erik fic.

I also had the honor of having two of my fics translated into Chinese this year by Snowydove7:

拉合尔城的国王 (Le roi de Lahore)

埃里克去做核酸 (Erik Gets a COVID Test)

#phantom of the opera #phic #gift fics #pharoga #phic in chinese #happy holidays!#creepy cats

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blackforrestpunk · 3 months

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Hi friends. I'm currently editing the fan fiction parallel to the comic. I'm currently trying to concentrate on the english language. It annoys the hell out of me. My school english is terribly rusty, and as a teenager I didn't gave a shit about grammar. And to procrastinate a bit and to give a sign of life from me again, I'm going to babble a bit here. !!!!! Attention spoiler!!!!!! I'm reviewing almost the entire Fanfic here. But I've been asked a few times. You still have the option to cancel here. :-) Okay so, the main diagnoses are AuDHD, PTSD, Social Anxiety and Depression (which occasionally triggers an eating disorder)

However, I have to say explicitly about the eating disorder that it is linked to his feelings and also has a certain AuDHD component. Sometimes it happens that you simply forget to eat because other things seem more important to your brain. And sometimes you're so stressed or depressed that you can't eat. He would really like to, because he actually likes to eat. If it's food that he can eat. Taste and consistency are sometimes not so easy to manage here. That's why Nadir always gets the same dishes from the same snack bar. Per se, Erik doesn't know exactly what he has. As mentioned in the fanfic, he is often told his diagnosis. But he keeps forgetting because he doesn't really care. All he knows is that he doesn't fit in.

In the comic, for example, it also becomes clear that he sometimes has problems being touched and sometimes not. This is also due to the experiences he had as a child. His first caregiver often rejected him. So he finds it difficult to accept Valerie's friendly nature at first. By contrast, he has almost completely blocked out his stepfather. As a result, he follows Gustave without saying a word, but also allows himself to be touched because he unconsciously allows himself to be subjugated.

Erik and Raoul have a strange relationship. First Erik keeps forgetting Raoul's name because it's not important enough, then they tease each other and Erik doesn't really get it. He has no idea what this rivalry is all about, he just reacts to it. Then they beat each other up and make up. He doesn't like him, but that's more because Raoul is a kind of interference field. The connection between Erik and Christine is broken every time Raoul appears on the radar. However, Erik can't categorize this either and only reacts to it. Erik's specialty is music. He is particularly fond of stringed instruments. This is not just a hyper-fixation, it is his absolute specialty. He communicates through music. Music is his language for expressing emotions. Here in particular, I tried to link the emotions via the music lyrics or in the Spotify playlist. Sometimes it's very obvious, like in Chapter 13 - where he covers Everlong by the Foo Fighters. Then it's more subtle, when he just plays and the sounds adapt to his mood. In chapter 15, he talks to Christine about Raoul and how long he's staying away, where he strikes a low chord. He tries to ask it casually, but the situation actually worries him.

Erik's talent for languages and the pronunciation thing. Erik learns languages out of sheer boredom. He started with Farsi because he's a nosy little fucker whom Nadir likes to eavesdrop on. He only learned Swedish to impress Christine. He googled her surname. He had learned Italian for Jago, though Jago came from a Spanish family. Well, with ADHD you tend to mix up languages... Erik's pronunciation is usually very clear. He tries to speak clearly and loudly, due in part as a result of the mask. Also with the fact that music is his real language. As a teenager, he went to a speech therapist for years to overcome his stuttering and lisp. He is missing a tooth, which leaves plenty of room for slurred sibilant sounds. But he has learned to compensate it. If he is not emotionally balanced, the old habits still come out.

Erik is left-handed. I couldn't find anything in the books (Leroux and Kay), or I missed it. Well, my Erik is left-handed. Originally, at the very beginning of this story, his hands were supposed to be a testament to the abuse as well. Fingernails were missing, they were taped, and a fingertip was missing. This symbol became Erik's left-handedness, a short little finger and his skinpicking-coping mechanism (which I purposely didn't discuss in detail so as not to trigger myself :'D Fun fact: There were phases in my life when my hands looked like his...). However, he is "both" handed. He learned to use many instruments like a right-handed, because of the little finger problem. Kurt Cobain was left-handed, he has the guitar on the other side, for example. But not Erik. But his handwriting, as in the original, is just awful. He simply didn't learn it properly and was confused in elementary school about which hand to use.

My Erik is bisexual. But how can that be if he's never had a relationship apart from Christine nodnodnod Well, he's not making a big deal out of it. But he had a crush on a young punk from his "clique" in his teens. No, not Azzi and not Jago. Of course, nothing came of it because he was even more socially maladjusted back then, than in Christine's day. Nevertheless, he feels attracted to both sexes.

Erik and friendships. Oh, boy, that's such a thing. At some point in therapy, the therapist nails him down to the fact that he is very much "capable of relationships" because he obviously has friends of several years' standing. Sometimes we forget that. That we are capable, even if there is perhaps one constant person left among all the arguments and conflicts. And maybe it's also the case that we say "Nope, I don't have any friends" out of self-protection, simply to make it easier to cope with a possible loss. The concept of friendship is a mystery to Erik. He doesn't understand that he and Jago have been friends for a long time. It's clear to Jago, and to Nadir as well. In the late chapters, Jago also makes an appearance. The reason that Erik doesn't reject him is that Jago accepts the boy directly for who he is. He lets him be who he is. He doesn't force him. Through the subculture - punk - he gives him a place outside his room where he is accepted.

Speaking of Nadir. Why is a trained care worker sometimes so incredibly stupid, with Erik? Because he's only human. Nadir loves Erik as if he were his son. But at the same time, he sees the bias, the difficulty of communication and the constant lack of connection. This frustrates him. It disappoints him. He feels almost constantly helpless. But he has chosen Erik. This decision binds him for life. Nadir knows exactly what motivates Erik. But he always wants to challenge him. To take him one step further. To show him some normality - which begs the question, what is normal? He wants to show him what's going on in society. To prepare him step by step. Sometimes in a clumsy way. But he doesn't mean any harm. And Erik knows that too.

Erik and his mother. Oh boy, I'm still gnawing on that a bit, my brain is still spinning little stories about both of them. I didn't let her take up so much space on purpose, but I still wrote an entire chapter to her. His mother was damn young when this contraceptive accident with Charles (Erik's father) happened. One thing leads to another, Charles dies, she is alone. She comes from a dysfunctional family herself. She grieves during the pregnancy and after the birth. She loves her son. Don't get me wrong. She really loved him. But it still wasn't enough. What she did wasn't right. It wasn't enough. She didn't respond to his needs or his desire for attachment and security. She locked him away and didn't validate his emotions (which he couldn't categorize either). Because she couldn't. Because she was so busy with herself and her small, sad world. This insecure-ambivalent attachment still triggers massive problems and anxiety in Erik today. And sometimes her hand slipped. Due to excessive demands. Which is still no excuse. Never.

Erik and his stepfather. Ahhhh I'd like to leave that out. I was thinking about creating a kind of comeback. How the stepfather starts stalking Erik after his release and kidnaps Reza and crazy shit like that. But nope. That's too much for me. His stepfather was a violent asshole. An alcoholic and a narcissist. Unemployed. He often beat Erik up when he had a meltdown, or didn't do his homework, or had to go home early from school, or just because he breathed too loudly. His stepfather gave him the missing little finger, the burn scars, the missing nose and the silver stripes on his back. I dislike this person so much that he has neither a name nor a face. And it stays that way.

Erik, the night owl. At the beginning of the story, you keep reading that he sleeps a lot, that he goes to bed early and that he can get up early (to buy Christine's present). He's just pretending. He can indeed sleep anywhere. Whether on the couch, a mattress or the floor. But he doesn't sleep for long. In bad phases, he hardly sleeps at all. In good phases, he sometimes manages 3 hours at a time. He may appear calm on the outside, but on the inside he is restless and under constant pressure. Disordered thoughts, the urge to create and the fear of nightmares keeps him awake. And yes, the nightmare I described is the tip of the iceberg. Erik dreams a lot and is always restless. He only experiences a state similar to sleep paralysis during bad triggers or depressive phases.

Finally: Sasha. Sasha is a Shepard-Spaniel mix. She is not a therapy dog. But she is Erik's anchor. She is smart, eager to learn and affectionate. There was also a Sasha in Kay's book. Erik learned to walk with the dog there and was able to experience affection through her. Sasha, in my story, keeps Erik in this world. She is his constant. His connection to the outside world. She supports him when he's not feeling well. She is always by his side. He even takes her with him to the hospital. He smuggles her everywhere he goes. Even if it sometimes seems as if Erik is annoyed by her when she jumps up at Christine or doesn't want to get on the streetcar or goes crazy with big dogs. He loves her to death. He would do anything for her.

Thanks for reading. :-D The text was longer than expected... Any questions?

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sloanedestler · 1 year

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Hehee, for the "Fanfic Writer Emoji Ask", I'm really curious about you UwU sorry for asking too much UwU

🥺 Is there a certain type of moment or common interaction between your characters that never fails to put you in your feels?

🤡 What's a line, scene, or exchange you've written that made you laugh?

⛔ Do you have a fic you started, but scrapped?

💌 How do you feel about comments and feedback?

❌ What's a trope you will never write?

💲 Would you ever open commissions?

🎯 Have any of your readers accurately guessed major plot points? Care to share which?

🧠 Pick a character, and I'll tell you my favorite headcanon for them. (of course, Erik hehee, but could I have Christine too? UwU)

🤲 Would you please share a snippet of a wip?

😬 Which of your fics would you be most horrified for friends, family, or coworkers to stumble upon?

💔 Is there a fic of yours that broke your heart?

🥰 How do you feel about reader interaction? Are you open to receiving questions about your fics?

Oh my gosh, how fun! You could never ask too much btw 🥰

🥺 Is there a certain type of moment or common interaction between your characters that never fails to put you in your feels?

I think the version of the moment where Erik realizes Christine accepts him for who he is, whether that's physically, emotionally, or both. I'm just a sucker for a sad man who thinks he'll never have love in his life realizing he finally does

🤡 What's a line, scene, or exchange you've written that made you laugh?

One that gets my every time is this exchange between Erik and Raoul from Thanksgiving Dinner:

'Just as Erik was about to comment on his friend’s lack of culture, Raoul entered the room and rudely thrust a wine glass at him. He arched an eyebrow as the insolent boy took a seat, his own wine glass in hand. Erik tried to be the bigger person, truly he did, but the wretched boy made it so difficult sometimes.

“Something on your mind?” he asked innocently, and was rewarded with seeing Raoul instantly bristle. Ah, he was simply too easy to rile, Erik thought with satisfaction.

“Absolutely nothing.”

“Indeed? I thought as much, but it’s always nice to be validated.” Really, irritating the boy was no challenge at all.

Raoul had turned an unflattering shade of red, Erik noted with satisfaction. Just as he was about to return his attention to Nadir, the boy spoke again. “By the way, nice shirt, jackass.”

Erik slowly allowed his gaze to return to the boy. Why was he cursed? Why did every person in his life have to be so irritating? Except for Christine, of course.

He stared at Raoul until he flinched slightly, but still he refused to break Erik’s gaze. After a moment in which he determined the boy wouldn’t back down and look away, Erik answered his insult. “This shirt is to please Christine. Obviously if you knew more about how to do that, maybe you would still be with her.” By now fully done with the conversation, Erik turned away once again, but Raoul refused to take the hint.'

⛔️ Do you have a fic you started, but scrapped?

There's been a few one shots that I started that never went anywhere, but the only one that had enough there to come to mind is a story I started right before I had the idea for Second Chances. It was also a marriage of convenience story (surprise lol), where Christine knows Erik is a man and not an angel. Mamma Valérius gets sick, and Erik offers to pay for a doctor. Christine thinks he will only do it if she marries him, and he thinks Christine is marrying him because she wants to. I don't really know what else would happen though so I've never gone back to it

💌 How do you feel about comments and feedback?

Very, very positive. They truly mean do much to me!

❌️ What's a trope you will never write?

I would probably never do a time travel story

💲 Would you ever open commissions?

I can't see that ever happening for me. However, I'm happy to consider any prompts people might send my way. I actually have a great one in my inbox right now, I just need to get to it

🎯 Have any of your readers accurately guessed major plot points? Care to share which?

Not that I can think of (apologies if I've forgotten someone). I guess I'm too predictable! 😂

🧠 Pick a character, and I'll tell you my favorite headcanon for them

This is a hard one for me, as I don't necessarily have strong headcanons. I think there are so many ways to see the story that I can get into many different interpretations of it. However, as far as what I like to write:

Erik: I like an Erik that was probably a very sensitive and kind child, and it was everything he encountered that made him the way he is, as in he became who he had to in order to survive. And I like to think that under the right circumstances, he could reclaim at least some of who he once was

Christine: I like to write a Christine that recognizes Erik as her 'person', at least on some level, but has to deal with feeling as though she shouldn't want him, both due to his actions and to outside pressures

🤲 Would you please share a snippet of a wip?

This is from a story I started last summer but haven't posted anything from yet:

'Trailing along after her father and M. Khan, Christine glanced up shyly at the tall man walking silently next to her. Uncertain if she should remain quiet or not, she decided to try venturing a question.

“Destler is an unusual last name. Is it British?”

Taking so long to answer that Christine had decided he wasn’t going to at all, M. Destler slowly shook his head. “No, it’s just a name I took by chance. I have no idea what the origin is.”

“Oh,” she answered weakly. He really was the strangest person she had ever encountered. “I’m sorry if I offended you, M. Destler.”

“Offended me? You haven’t. But, I would prefer that you call me Erik.”

“Of course,” she answered automatically, wondering if she was trapped in some kind of bizarre dream. Wanting to be polite, she added, “And, you may call me Christine.” Slightly encouraged by his brief nod at her words, she continued, “So, with the given name Erik, are you Scandinavian? I was born in Sweden.”

Again, he shook his head. “No, I’m not Scandinavian. I suppose you can say I’m not really from anywhere.”

Thankfully they had arrived at the wagon by this point, because Christine truly had no idea what to reply to that statement. Fortunately, M. Destler - or Erik, as he wanted her to call him - seemed to forget what they had been discussing, completely changing the subject.'

😬 Which of your fics would you be most horrified for friends, family, or coworkers to stumble upon?

Omg any of them 😅

💔 Is there a fic of yours that broke your heart?

Although it ends happily, one part of Second Chances really got to me as I was writing it, specifically Erik's internal monologue during the climax of the story. I'm not usually a crier, but I cried a little when I was writing that

🥰 How do you feel about reader interaction? Are you open to receiving questions about your fics?

Reader interaction means the world to me, and any questions about my fics are so welcome! The entire reason I started writing was because I was feeling some kind of way during the pandemic, and I think I wanted some kind of way to connect with people. And that's still true today, so yes please to any and all reader interaction!

Okay I think I made it through 😂. Thank you again, I had blast answering these! ♥️

#asks #my answers #phic ask

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idridian · 6 months

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listen when i was approximately fifteen (scratch that "approximately", i can actually carbon date this because i found a bookmark with a date written on it in the book lmao. thanks, past me!) i got really into phantom of the opera and, like any impressionable teen with a musical obsession, bought and read susan kay's bestseller (i assume) novel "phantom." a book which contains many, many normal things, such as

"his voice is a sin. a mortal sin. no woman who hears it will ever die in a state of grace"

the Scene with javert. you know the one. the one when he catches erik about to run away

literally what do you think is happening in persia, mrs kay

something is very wrong with the way this book describes sexual desire but i honestly don't even fuckin know

opium addiction my beloved

sorry the erik/christine in this is so problematic and i love it SO much

raoul my beloved i'm so sorry this happened to you but HSDGJFSHGH

and that's just the english version. because here's by far the FUNNIEST thing about susan kay's "phantom":

inexplicably, the german translation has been edited in certain sections. like, entire paragraphs or pages worth of text are just. gone. which let me tell you, reading it in german first was a very strange experience because the editing had left the text slightly incoherent in places. like, you'd read a sentence and there was something mentioned off-handedly that just didn't quite make sense. a phrasing that sounded odd. and it was only when i bought the english version that i realised there were parts missing from the gd book

it's weird, too. like... i really have no idea why they did any of that - the unhinged sexual energy hasn't been toned down, none of the brushes with rape or the drugs or what have you. the orientalism is still there, problematic as ever (though nadir's section was hit the hardest by the edits iirc. don't quote me on that tho, i haven't read it in a while). it's like they just went at the book with scissors and trimmed wherever, from what i can tell

anyway, this book shaped my writing style back when i was just getting started and i don't even know whether to be mad or grateful because what in the fuck was any of that

#ramblings o' mine

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textsfromthefifthbasement · 2 years

Text

All This Devotion

Rating: G

Words: 1218

Summary: After Christine kisses him, Erik spares Raoul. But now the boy is sick, and neither he nor Christine can go anywhere. Written for Whumptober 2022.

Read Also on AO3

It would be his wedding gift to them. Even though he’d just as soon see the stupid little vicomte buried beside his brother, he couldn’t let him die. Not anymore.

As Christine pulled away from him, Erik could still feel the soft warmth of her lips on his forehead. He pressed his mask to his face and tried to keep himself from crumbling right there as he knelt at Christine’s feet.

Slowly, he stood and walked towards the cellar door. His mind almost seemed to be in a fog. He heard Christine start to follow him, and he turned around. “Stay here,” he commanded.

Christine stopped in her tracks and fiddled with her hands. She looked at him, her eyes wide open. She looked terrified. So, so terrified.

Erik couldn’t find the words to tell her that she didn’t have anything to fear from him any longer.

He delved into the cellar, wading into the water that had filled the cellars minutes before. Quickly, he fished the limp bodies of Nadir Khan and Raoul de Chagny from the water and dragged them to a dry spot.

Behind him, he heard a small gasp. In a flash, Christine was there, cradling the boy’s head in her lap. “Is he alive? Erik, is he still alive?”

Raoul and Nadir both started coughing up water at that moment. Christine said, “We need to get them somewhere warmer!”

Even as Erik started to carry them to his living room, he regretted saving the vicomte. A part of him knew that he’d lose Christine no matter what happened at this point, and he still wanted to blame Raoul and exact his vengeance on him for stealing his bride from him.

Was she ever really completely his?

Unfortunately for him, Nadir was the first to wake up. “You selfish idiot! I saved your life so many times. I gave up my life in Persia so that you could live and followed you here, and what do I get in repayment? You nearly murdered me!”

“You brought the vicomte down here to murder me!”

Nadir let out a frustrated growl and followed Erik around the living room, still wrapped in a blanket. “You were about to blow up half of Paris if Christine didn’t marry you!”

“A quarter, Daroga. I was only going to blow up a quarter of Paris.”

Nadir stared at him for a long moment, blinking. Finally, he said, “That’s not better, Erik! You realize how that’s not any better, right?”

Erik sighed heavily and nearly collapsed onto his armchair. “She kissed me, Daroga. She kissed me and she did not die, or run away. She’s seen my face and…” He glanced at the door to the extra bedroom, where Raoul was now laying in the bed he had made for Christine as she nursed him. “She still wants the boy.”

Nadir opened his mouth as if to say something, but then seemed to think better of it.

Erik continued. “He’s young and will get better. But once Christine leaves with him for the last time, I just want to stay down here and die peacefully and be buried by the lake. Oh, don’t look so shocked. We’ve both known my heart has been going for a few years now, it’s only a matter of time.”

Nadir was quiet for a long time. Erik stood up before he could think of saying anything and walked to the bedroom.

The vicomte still lay on the bed, his forehead covered in a sheen of sweat from his fever. Christine sat in a chair by the bed, fast asleep. A dark voice in Erik’s mind told him that this was his perfect chance, he could smother Raoul with a pillow while Christine slept, and she would be none the wiser.

That would make her unhappy, though. Making her happy after everything he had put her through was the least he could do.

Erik looked down at the bucket of cool water sitting beside the bed and the rag Christine had been using to try to cool Raoul down. He dipped it in the water and started dabbing Raoul’s forehead.

His eyes fluttered open for a brief moment, his blue eyes scanning Erik. Then, he groaned and closed his eyes again.

Erik looked back at Christine, still fast asleep in the chair. For her and her alone, he would help nurse him back to health.

For the next week, neither he nor Christine left Raoul’s side for long, though they barely talked to each other. Erik avoided looking her in the eye.

On the dawn of the seventh day, Raoul’s fever broke. And Christine finally spoke to him.

“Erik,” she said. “Erik, look at me.”

He finally looked up at her and met her eyes. In a moment, she wrapped her arm around his skinny waist. He didn’t know what to do at first, but the longer she hugged him, the more comfortable he felt with wrapping his arms around her in return.

When she pulled away from him, Christine reached up and cupped his masked cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry.”

He leaned his masked forehead against her curls. Then, from the bedroom, Raoul called out, “Christine!”

Christine gasped slightly and pulled away. She went back to the bedroom. “Yes, Raoul? What do you need?”

Erik turned away from the door. He already didn’t want to live in a world where Christine wasn’t in his life. God, what was he doing.

The next day, Christine spent hours talking to Raoul with the door closed. Nadir sat by the fireplace, reading a newspaper while Erik paced the room. “You’re going to wear out the rug,” Nadir said.

Erik said, “They’ve been talking for too long.”

“Erik…”

He walked towards his bedroom. “Please, don’t disturb me.”

He closed the door behind him and sat at his organ. The last few pages of Don Juan Triumphant that he had worked on sat on the stand. He didn’t have to play it to know how it sounded—all his sorrow and loneliness and rage in song form. And recently, the hope. The hope that maybe Christine would love him despite everything and he could live as a normal man—or at least, as normal as he could manage.

He grabbed those pages and threw them to the floor. Everything was ruined, and there was no way to fix it now.

But then, he heard the door open. “Nadir, I told you to not disturb me.”

“Erik,” Christine said.

Erik turned around. Christine walked up to him and knelt beside the organ bench. He grabbed her shoulder. “No, get up. Don’t…”

She took one of his hands in both of hers. “Let us stay,” she said. “Let us stay with you.”

“Stay? Us?”

Christine stood and gently pulled him to his feet. She led him back out to the living room, where Raoul stood by the fireplace. Raoul glanced at him, a flush spreading across his cheeks. He rubbed the back of his neck. Meanwhile, Nadir sat back in his chair, grinning widely. Enjoying himself far too much, Erik thought.

Christine wrapped her arms around his arm. “I’m quite afraid you’re stuck with us now,” she said.

Erik tilted his head. He could get used to this, he concluded.

#whumptober2022 #no.17 #reluctant caretaker #phantom of the opera #fic #drowning #the phantom of the opera #christine daae #raoul de chagny #erik #the persian #angst with a happy ending

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flora-gray · 2 years

Note

I’ve binge read your story “the better man” and I’m in awe with how amazing it is!

I love how well you characterized each character and just how real the feel through the whole story. From Erik’s questionable morality and his constant over thinking, to Christine’s personality at the same time bold and shy, to Raoul’s selflessness and serving nature and, most importantly, Nadir’s abilities to for see the catastrophes bound to come (my poor man, I bet he sometimes thinks about being the Daroga once again if only it meant not having to deal with Erik and his calamities).

I cannot wait for the next chapter to drop! I am impatient to see how everything evolves hahahaha

Aaahh thank you! You are too kind. And a binge read is such a compliment! It’s been a while since I’ve had the time to binge read, but I have the fondest memories of getting lost in a fic, and there’s just nothing like it. It’s an honor to be considered binge-worthy, and I’m so glad you’re enjoying the story so far!

I would usually incluse a little snippet from the next chapter, but I’ve got like…basically nothing. 😅 However, I know what happens in it and I am hoping to get a LOT more time to write starting next week, so hopefully it won’t be too long before it’s ready! I’m excited to get into the next section of the story—that “questionable morality” of Erik’s is really gonna get its time to shine. 🥰

#answered asks #poto fic #the better man

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milady-pink · 7 months

Text

Waitress AU

Warnings: Food/baking, domestic abuse, unplanned pregnancy, cheating

Summary: Working at a dead end job, waitress Christine soon finds herself with a new problem: an unplanned pregnancy. Life is all about trying to find the sweet spots and luckily this pie genius has a new (and pretty adorkably sexy) OBGYN, who isn’t too happy at home either.

TL;DR Quirky cute and sexy Erik as a doctor, lab coat and all.

Word Count: 1572 || Graphics: @firefly-graphics

"Dear Baby & She Used To Be Mine "

Recipe Book

AO3

“You must think I’m really stupid.”

They had just gotten home from Meg and Nadir’s wedding, silent the entire car ride home, and this was the first thing he said to her after shutting the front door. Any and all access to the outside world was cut off from Christine. She hated that the ring on her left hand symbolized the same thing even when outside of the home.

“No I don’t, Raoul…” she softly defied him.

He pointed a finger towards the couch with a shaker hand, rage barely contained in his body. “Unzip the cushion, Chrissy.”

Shit.

Shit shit shit!

Somehow her worst fears have come true and he found out she’s been hiding money from him. Maybe he only knows about this spot, maybe he didn’t find the others…

“I don’t wanna, Raoul—“

“Open the cushion Christine!” His anger finally started to bubble over. Frozen from fright Christine remains stuck in place as she watches her husband angrily rip apart the fabric from the foam. He shoved his hand inside and slammed a number of bills down onto the untouched seat. “What is that, huh? What the fuck is that Christine!?”

Thinking if she answered him maybe he’ll take it easy on her, she whimpers out, “Money.”

“Money. Money that I found all over the fuckin’ house! In drawers, cabinets, the sofa! Money hidden all over my house!”

Shit.

She’s really screwed now.

Trying to save her sorry ass and scared of what he might do next Christine lets out a quiet, “I’m sorry”.

Raoul lets out an angry breath, running a hand through his hair simultaneously. “After everything I ever did for you, and here you are hidin’ money from me? Who was the only one there for you when your mama died and your old man got piss drunk every night, huh? ME! Did you forget that?! You think I need this right now?!” His voice got steadily louder and more angered as he continued to speak.

Enraged by her betrayal, Raoul stomps over to where his guitar lies against the couch, grabs it by the neck, and hoists it above his head similar to an ax.

“Raoul stop it, you love that guitar!” Christine tried to plead with him, but his mind was made up. Her hands went straight up to cover her mouth in shock.

With both hands on the neck of his prized possession, Raoul brings the guitar crashing down onto the coffee table; not once, but multiple times trying to let out some of his energy. By the time he was done the instrument had no use left in it, only usable now as a toothpick.

The whole time he was destroying the guitar Christine watched from the sidelines, horror shone in her eyes. There was a silence of fear that filled the air of the little home, tension so thick it was easy to get lost in.

Eyes still on the mess of broken wood and strings, Raoul broke the silence. “You were the only thing I’ve ever loved.” His gaze, swirling with anger and sadness, moved to Christine’s. “The only person to ever belong to me. You’re my wife, my whole damn life… You keeping secrets from me tears me apart.” He takes a deep breath before speaking again. “Why were you hidin’ money all over the house?”

The venom that weaved its way into his question kept Christine on guard. “I—“

“Tell me you were gonna surprise me— that you were gonna buy me somethin’”

“Raoul—“

“If I ever thought that you weren’t happy with me, that you were deceiving me, well I…I’d just kill myself.” His eyes staring straight into her soul, “I would, I’d just wanna die. Hold me.” Suddenly dropping to his knees in front of her, his head at the same height of Christine’s stomach.

Startled by his sudden action, Christine kept her arms lifted mid height, not quite sure if she wanted to comfort her husband after the explosion that just occurred. She thought for a long while, trying desperately to find the right words that will make him happy, or at least content.

“The truth is, Raoul…the truth is… I was savin’ that money…for the baby. To buy some nice things. A crib..t-toys…all for the baby.” She stuttered out, looking everywhere but down at her pathetic husband for an answer, a way out of this mess. She shut her eyes, hoping and praying that her words would be enough for him.

“For the baby?” He questioned, looking up at her.

“Yes, Raoul. A crib.” She said, her voice as watery as her eyes have become.

Startling her once again, Raoul stood back up to find his wife evading his eyes. Quietly, he padded over to where the money lay on the couch cushion and picked it up, folding it before placing it into his back pocket. He started to leave to the back of the house, only to shoot Christine, who hasn’t moved a muscle, a look from over his shoulder.

“I don’t know why you gotta make it so hard Chrissy. I just want us to be happy.” And with that, he left Christine to her thoughts.

After life had slowly returned to her body, Christine moved to sit down on the cushion that Raoul didn’t tear apart. Her heart was racing, and she had a feeling she wasn’t the only one. Before she knew it, she was whispering out loud to calm her baby’s racing heart.

“Dear baby,

If you ever wanna learn the story of how we bought your crib, I’ll tell you. Your crib was bought with the money I was gonna use to buy us a new life. The Springfield Pie Contest starts next week…and you and I won’t be there.”

Sitting there on the lumpy sofa cushion, Christine started to think. And once she started, the faucet of her emotions could not be contained anymore.

After coming home everyday from a thankless job, getting paid the bare minimum to survive, that stupid diner owns more of her than she would like to admit. Remembering the very first day she started there, freshly out of high school, choosing to work instead of go to college because they didn’t have the money. She wasn’t miss popular, or miss beautiful, but she was happy…happier than she was now. That’s the thing she misses most, the girl she used to be…

She was a lonely, messy, broken liar but for the small amount of time that she existed, she was loved dearly. Even the best pies still have their burnt edges, and the sour lemons are there to bring out the sweetness of the fruit.

Just like mama used to say…

That’s another thing she missed. She hates how life had to screw her over and take away her mama before her dad, the person who made growing up a living hell. She cried for days, weeks even when her mama died, but the tears just never came when death took her father. Her mama loved being a parent, using every opportunity to teach and grow along with her, never belittling her lack of experience. Christine thought she deserved to get married to Raoul, repeating the same mistake her mama made. Only she is far from happy to be giving birth.

A baby was the last thing she needed, or even wanted. Why would she want yet another child to go through the pain and suffering of a piss drunk dad and beaten up mom. If she could, Christine would start from the very beginning and do everything over again. She would make the right choices, the big ones that matter, and not end up here, pregnant and alone. Instead, she would be her again: that girl that she so desperately misses, the girl she wants to see just one more time before everything goes so wrong. That girl would never have allowed herself to marry a man who loves with his fists, who manipulates her into a relationship. No, she wouldn’t, because when life would knock her down, she would stand back up and brush off the dust.

She was ten times stronger than Chistine, who knows how disappointed she would be if she could see what happened to her.

There used to be a fire in her, a willingness to fight whatever came her way, and now? Now there’s a new life brimming inside of her, one that kicked and had a heartbeat of its own, forcing Christine to fight once again. Fight for something new. It gets stronger each and everyday, and all she can do is hope that it doesn’t consume her. But it won’t… no, instead this new fire will spark and engulf her, completely burning off the woman she is and the girl she was. That fire, so familiar and friendly, will take over her until all that is seen is a flame that burns so brightly, the same fire that used to burn so bright inside of her, ingrained in her every movement.

All she wants is to be that girl again.

Fearless, strong, sweet, and the happiest she will never be again. She was here for a few blissful moments, and trailed a blaze. Now, she lay in the ashes, a burnt ember of who she was before it was stolen from her. She no longer exists.

But, she used to be mine.

#phantom of the opera #christine daae #raoul de chagny #erik destler #musical fanfic #waitress musical #she used to be mine #sara bareilles #pies

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mysticscorpia · 2 years

Text

Hi!

I wanna introduce myself! Fellow phan, to all POTO nation! 😂 I've obsessed about Phantom since 2019 - but had a prior initiation to it from the 2004 film - which despite the controversy, was a good introduction for a little kiddie! I completely forgot about watching it when I was seven until I found out that I was seeing it that year... Then

My phantom was Tim Howar (who's voice sounds/sounded like John Owen Jones but darker, dare I say it?) and my Christine was Kelly Mathieson (who's voice was just enchanting!).

It all started from then... And Phantom only helped me as I fell ill.

I got into writing... Phanfiction! And then... Started posting it... 😱

For those who don't know, or who want to, I'm ThePhantom'sEnigma -

https://m.fanfiction.net/u/13648587/ThePhantom-sEnigma - I think that should get you there haha!

My current story Falling Petals is Leroux Inspired, modern with a stormy lot of angst with a dash of fluff! I believe in Raoul, so he is seen too! Along with Nadir, our trusty Persian! We're hitting chapter 32 by the start of next month!

(I mean, if nothing happens in the meantime XD)

In addition, I have several other oneshots with Musical inspired Erik as well. 😊

I've been a long time follower of some folks on Tumblr, however haven't had the courage to download it till now! ^^ I'm still learning my way around here haha!

Thanks for reading and I hope to be able to commicate and learn all about the Phandom on here! ^^

#phanfic #phanfiction #fanfic #poto #the phantom of the opera #phantom of the opera #creating gif edit for the first time 🙌 😂#how did you get into Phantom? Is that too common a question?#stanning over actors #questioning my obession

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britishchick09 · 1 year

Text

on my blog, you'll often see me posting about 'the rewrite'... but what is it exactly? find out below! ;)

the rewrite (or 'poto rewritten') is my version of 'phantom of the opera'! i came up with it in september 2021 as a way to have more eristine moments and a happy ending for erik, but it's blossomed into so much more! from weird coincidences to references galore, writing the rewrite has been a wild time! :D

(get an equally wild peek at 'the opera ghost' here and buy it here!)

(and be sure to get the first short stories collection here!)

first off, let's say hello to the characters:

christine is shy and steadfast with a heart full of kindness, erik is an awkward yet witty stringbean with a love for music and raoul is a caring, optimistic lad with an affinity for the sea!

there are a ton of other poto characters in here like meg (she's in the group photo at the beginning of the post!), madame giry, nadir, ayesha, carlotta, piangi, sorelli and cecile (two ballerinas from the book) oroyeso (a mini series guy), carlous fonta (truly the most underrated poto character ever!), caesar the horse, madame valerius and of course good ol' daddy daae :)

the story mostly takes place in palais garnier (the lake isn't as magical as other adaptations make it but it's still pretty neat), but it goes far beyond the opera house! from bois de boulonge (book reference!) to the mazarine library and even the village of giverny, it explores the world of paris like never before! (and there's an eiffel tower cameo of course)

as you can already tell, there are quite a few references to other adaptations. the rewrite is a blend of various ones! poto soup if you will ;)

phans will certainly enjoy the rewrite since there are a ton of references to so many adaptations! from big bois like the book, musical, 1925 movie and susan kay's phantom to smaller ones like the mini series, the 1943/62 movies, love never dies and freddy phantom to tiny tales like ghost on the roof, angel's mask, phantom heart, and journey of the mask

some references are obvious like song lines from the musical (christine wanting to see the beauty underneath or whispering to her papa's grave, 'i wish you were somehow here again'), erik calling himself 'poor, unhappy erik' & raoul being on the naval borda ship like in the book, eristine having a picnic like in the mini series, erik having opera props on the wall like in ghost on the roof and masks from other adaptations being shown during the masquerade

others are super subtle like raoulstine reuniting on april 14th (the only thing i could pull from that lost 1916 movie das phantom der oper), walter plinge being a pseudonym from maskerade and cecile thinking the opera ghost is a canary (as 'the canary trainer'!)

and of course it wouldn't be a poto story without references to the creator, gaston leroux! manager armand is a fan of le gaulois (the paper that poto was originally published in), christina nilsson is name inspiration for christine (just like irl!), the maiden name of christine's mom is leroux (but they're not related probably) and-

...well let's just say there are a few neat cameos in store ;)

(see all of them here... but beware of spoilers!)

as you can see, the rewrite is a love letter to poto! and there are plenty of original ideas like the story taking place in 1888. want to see christine room with meg, explore paris with raoul or do adorable things with erik besides singing? the rewrite's got it all and more! ;D (it's a very eristine heavy story but there are plenty of raoulstine moments... and who she ends up with is another reason why i started the rewrite)

but the rewrite isn't just one story... just like with my original stories, i've planned out short stories and mysteries that take place after the main story ends. this is just the beginning! ;)

and what an amazing beginning it is ♥

#here's a proper intro post!#it's basically the same thing as the ask but with some minor revisions (and a cute header pic!) :D #poto rewritten

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ghost-rullx · 2 years

Text

RULES AND SOME INFORMATION

MASTERLIST.

Requests: OPEN.

What I write:

Male, GN, genderfluid, nonbinary, and trans reader.

Platonic stuff.

NSFW (I'm not good at it, but I make an effort).

SFW.

Character x character (this depends on who the characters are).

Angst, fluff, basically anything :).

What I will not write:

Abuse.

Pedophilia.

Teacher/student.

Matchups.

Male!preg or omega verse (I'm sorry, but I have no idea how to write that).

Some information before starting:

I will try to write as much as I can, however, I ask for respect and patience, I'm also a human and I cannot do everything at once <3.

Constructive criticism is welcome!! I would love for you to help me improve in what I do.

Homophobia, transphobia, or anything like that will be blocked, this is meant to be a safe and healthy space.

Please respect my rules, I really don't want to block anyone.

English is not my native language so I apologize for any misspelling or grammar mistakes.

You can find my masterlist using the #masterlist from this post.

Fandom list (I will add or remove fandoms):

The phantom of the opera (& related fandoms).

Erik (The Phantom). (2004 movie, Leroux, Susan Kay, the play by Andrew Lloyd Webber)

Christine Daaé.

Meg Giry.

Raoul de Chagny.

Nadir Khan.

BNHA.

All the students (except Monoma).

All the teachers.

Dabi.

Shigaraki.

Toga.

Twice.

Sherlock Holmes (either the BBC show or the book).

Sherlock Holmes.

John Watson.

Mycroft Holmes.

Greg Lestrade.

Molly Hooper.

Hannibal (& related fandoms).

Hannibal Lecter.

Will Graham.

Harry Potter (& related fandoms).

Harry Potter.

All the Weasley.

Draco Malfoy.

Hermione Granger.

The Marauders.

Severus Snape.

Scamander brothers.

Tina Goldstein.

Queenie Goldstein.

Percy Jackson (& related fandoms, i love uncle Rick).

Honestly, I'm more than willing to write about most of them.

Demon slayer.

The Hashiras.

Tanjiro Kamado.

Nezuko Kamado.

Zenitsu Agatsuma.

Inosuke Hashibira.

Marvel (Either MCU or comics, with this I include X-Men, fantastic four, Deadpool ...).

Honestly, I'm more than willing to write about most of them.

Slashers.

Michael Myers.

Brahms Heelshire.

Bubba Sawyer.

Thomas Hewitt

Jason Vorhees.

Billy Loomis.

Stu Macher.

Jigsaw (John Kramer).

The Sinclair brothers.

Attack on titan.

Erwin Smith.

Levi Ackerman.

Hange Zoë.

Mike Zacharius.

Eren Jaeger.

Mikasa Ackerman.

Armin Arlert.

Jean Kirschtein.

Connie Springer.

Zeke Jaeger.

DC comics.

Honestly, I'm more than willing to write about most of them.

Encanto (however, Antonio will be strictly platonic).

Honestly, I'm more than willing to write about most of them.

Arcane.

Everyone.

Especially Silco.

Obey me.

Everyone as well.

Luke will be strictly platonic.

Mystic Messenger.

Everyone except Rika.

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nerdywriter36 · 2 years

Text

FFN

a part 2 to the oneshot i wrote for day 4 of coatntails' POTOber writing challenge!

when i wrote the oneshot for day 4 of coatntails' challenge, i always knew i wanted a follow-up and am just now getting to it! reading the original oneshot will make sure you understand it all, but a quick summary if you haven't: this was kay's final lair, nadir and raoul in the torture chamber, but it doesn't end so well as it did in the book. that oneshot was taken from nadir's point of view, but now we'll see erik's view of the aftermath.

sorry for the angst in advance.

Erik's hands were shaking as he took a few steps away from Christine. He still couldn't believe that she had looked at his wretched face, touched it ever so gently, and...and kissed him! Something he never imagined he would receive, much less from her! At least he had had enough awareness to return her kiss ever so slightly—as best as he knew how to, that is—but goodness knew he didn't deserve it after all he had done to her. Lied to her, frightened her beyond belief, threatened those she cared for, and now this? Nadir's assumption that he was never anything less than a gentleman had proven false over and over again in such a short period of time.

Oh god. Nadir.

His breath hitched as he remembered his friend and the young Vicomte were still locked in the torture chamber, and he began to register Christine's hand on his arm as she begged him to free them, her voice barely a whisper. He didn't say a word; he merely walked to the wall with the controls to the chamber, shutting it down and leaning against the wall momentarily before he opened the door. He held out a hand to stop Christine when he noticed her step forward; he preferred that she stay out of the chamber, not wanting the lingering heat to affect her at all. He didn't want her to be hurt anymore that night if he could help it.

The Vicomte shuffled out a moment later, tailcoat in hand and looking a bit shocked when he saw Christine. Clearly, he had thought the wicked Phantom had killed her, but Erik had not the heart nor the energy to fight that errored assumption. He simply wanted nothing more than to hide his face, his shame, never to be seen again.

Still, he knew he had to tend to other matters before he could allow himself to wallow in his own self-hatred. He turned his attention to the young boy, instructing him to slip into his coat and ensuring he was in a good enough state to see Christine to safety. The Vicomte's health mattered solely because Christine's wellbeing depended on it, and if it meant his Angel would be cared for, Erik would do anything.

He ensured the boy knew to marry her as soon as possible, but as he secured that promise, he registered that his friend had yet to emerge from the chamber. The realization brought a frown to Erik's face, and he stepped towards the door with the intention of investigating.

"Daroga?" he called before he took a step inside, then caught sight of his friend on the ground, leaning against the mirrored wall with his jacket cast to the side. "Daroga, come and I'll fetch you a drink. It would mean very much if you would stay."

Erik's frown returned when the other man was silent, so he stepped closer and crouched down beside him. "Daroga—" he began as he prodded his friend's shoulder, only to flinch and move to catch him when he suddenly slumped to the side.

"Nadir?" Shuffling forward, Erik collected his friend in his arms, his heart sinking to the ground when he noticed how still Nadir was, how he couldn't see those sharp green eyes...how his chest hadn't risen and fallen even once as he'd been sitting there.

What he thought had happened couldn't have happened. That was impossible, Nadir couldn't be...it simply couldn't have happened, it couldn't have.

"No. No, no, Nadir, please," Erik whispered. He ignored the sting of the tears already starting to blur his vision as he gave his friend a shake. "Please wake up, please, Nadir, please."

Nothing roused him; not another shake, not a few slaps to the face. What had happened was starting to sink in, but it only truly resonated when Erik, hand shaking, moved his fingers to rest on Nadir's neck. The tears that he had been working so hard to hold back finally broke their dam and poured onto his face when he felt no light thump of his friend's pulse against the pads of his finger and he realized what he had done.

He had killed one of the only people who had ever shown him an ounce of care and concern in his life. His friend. His best friend.

"No," Erik whimpered, leaning his forehead against Nadir's shoulder as sobs wracked his body. How many times had he cried on that shoulder? Had Nadir made sure that he'd known they would deal with whatever it was that he was facing and had made sure that he was alright before sending him on his way? All that good he had done, all that care he had shown, and what had Erik done in return? Only killed him in a moment of blind rage, as if their years of friendship and care for each other had meant nothing to him when, in fact, they had meant the world.

He knew in the back of his mind that it was no surprise that the extended period of time spent in the chamber had killed him. Nadir was a man multiple years his senior and was not in the shape and health that he once was all those years in Persia. Those five years in the Mazanderani prison had taken their toll, as had his life in general; the heat and the stress on his body had likely made it swift, but Erik couldn't even take comfort in that. He had been the cause and he would never forgive himself for it.

"I'm sorry," he managed to whisper, though he hiccupped through his words. Nadir couldn't even hear him, but he needed to apologize; his conscience would torture him even more than it already would if he didn't apologize, whether his words were heard or not. "I'm s-so sorry, Nadir, I'm sorry."

He heard footsteps a moment later and instinctively hunched himself over his friend's body, despite knowing that nothing could be done to either harm or help him. Even still, the need to protect him, not to let anyone else touch him was so strong that he was powerless to try to resist it. He only barely looked up when he noticed, just over Nadir's shoulder, a pair of cream shoes just in front of them both, then felt a feather-light touch on his shoulder.

"Erik, I...I don't know what to say," he heard Christine say, her voice soft and shaky.

No surprise there. She had just been witness to what his creation could do, what it could have done to Raoul. He wouldn't expect her to have anything to say, and what words of sympathy were there for a man who had just murdered his best friend?

"W-what can you say? I've killed my only friend," Erik choked out, only holding Nadir tighter to his chest as he sobbed again. Saying the words out loud only made it all too real; he hadn't thought his heart could ache even more, but he had swiftly been proved wrong.

He heard Christine sigh, then lifted his head when he noticed her move, only to be shocked into silence when he found her sitting beside him before she slowly pulled him close so he could rest his head against her chest. "I'm sorry," she whispered, and even more tears, if that were even possible, fell onto Erik's face, dripping from his chin, when he felt her gently stroke his hair. "I really don't know what else to say, Erik, I...I wish I did."

"You should just go, Christine," Erik croaked, sitting up and ever-so-gently laying Nadir's body on the ground, though he kept one hand resting on his friend's chest. "You shouldn't have to bear any more of this."

Another sigh, and Erik's eyes fluttered shut against his tears when he felt Christine press a gentle kiss to his temple. "I'll come back with your invitation. I promise," she said softly.

Within a moment of that remark, Erik was alone in the room, and his sobs resurfaced full force as he curled in on himself, not able to make himself move from his friend's side. It still didn't feel real, and Erik didn't suspect it would set in for a long, long time.

How could it ever, though? How could one ever hope to adjust to having their best friend's blood on their hands?

#im really sorry #tw: character death #kerik #susan kay phantom #raoul de chagny #christine daae #final lair #gone really wrong #nadir khan #my writing

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cariserillium · 3 years

Text

Ahhhhh! I’m so excited to share this with you guys! So, I know I haven’t posted art in forever, but it’s because I’ve been working on this. What is it? It is my POTO 60’s AU! These are just the preliminary sketches to get myself inspired, and I still haven’t nailed down the style I want to draw it in, but I plan on making it a continuous comic-style storyline. Basically, this all started when I was listening to a playlist of 60’s hits and my mind started running with scenarios of the POTO gang interacting! Like I said, I still have a long way to go before this is anything close to a cohesive AU, and to be truthful, I’m not even sure I have the drawing skills to make this comic the way I want it right now, but nevertheless, I am still super excited to work on this and share it with all of you!

Here are the main plot details I have so far:

Erik manages a large concert hall, owned by Nadir, in the U.S.

Carlotta is a famous Latin-American pop singer

Meg and Christine are Carlotta’s backup singers/ dancers

Raoul is a classic rock and roll teen heart-throb who grew up with Christine, obviously

Meg is black and rocks an epic afro 24/7, Madame Giry isn’t really a part of the story but she definitely does not approve of Meg running around the country as a “groupie”

Erik wears a silicone medical mask (very similar to Dr, Isabel Maru’s mask from Wonder Woman)

Christine loves the ever-growing varieties of music the 60’s has to offer, but her real love is classical music, but she avoids it now because it reminds her of her dad

Erik is a music purist that cant stand the new rock and roll sound, which is ironic considering he runs a concert hall that hosts mainly rock and roll groups

Eriks personality and mental health are much more stable in this AU, he still has a tragic past, but having Nadir and a mask that he can go out in public in has allowed him to deal with it in a slightly better way. If I had to compare him to a “real” phantom, he’s most similar to Charles Dance’s phantom; very shy, sarcastic, and married to his work running the concert hall

Basically, the story begins when Carlotta and her band stop at Nadir’s (Erik’s) concert hall for a few weeks while they’re on tour. Erik hears Christine sing and see’s her potential to excel as a solo artist and starts teaching her classical singing style. I don’t want to give away too much too soon, but this is gonna be a super sweet fluffy slow burn type AU. Anyway, sorry for the long post, but I really hope y’all will enjoy this once I get it started! Eventually...😉

#poto #phantom of the opera #art #fanart #60s AU #long post #poto fanart #poto fic #phanfic

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