#rack and raoul

[ladystormcrow]

For E/C/R: 5, 8, 37, and 38

5. Describe their cozy night in.

A quiet dinner just the three of them, and then cuddling by the fire while they take turns reading stories to each other. Erik didn't grow up having anyone read to him, so it means a lot to him not only to finally experience that, but to have Raoul and Christine include him in an activity they've shared and loved since they were children.

8. What happens if one of them gets sick?

Since they live in an era before antibiotics or a lot of the other medical advances we take for granted now, getting sick is a serious matter. All of them have seen at least one person they cared about die from illness, and none of them handle it very well emotionally.

If it's Christine or Erik who gets sick, Raoul hurries to call for the best doctor he can find, and then feels frustrated that he can't do more. If it's Raoul or Christine, Erik racks through everything he's learned from his travels and studies and comes up with his own treatment for what ails them (and then probably gets in a fight with the doctor Raoul hired). And if it's one of the guys, Christine tries to make them comfortable, bringing them food and singing to them and trying to keep busy so she doesn't go crazy with worrying.

37. Which is more likely to swear?

All of them know quite a lot of swears (Raoul is a sailor and Erik and Christine were traveling performers, after all), but since Erik has the worst impulse control, he's the most likely to actually say them.

38. Who is more sexually experimental? Who’s more vanilla?

Christine is the most sexually experimental one in that she's usually the first to speak up and suggest they try something new; it's not that Erik and Raoul aren't interested, just that they're more hesitant to ask for fear of hurting or offending her. Erik, meanwhile, has a pretty extensive theoretical knowledge of sex (he's read a lot of erotica and anatomy texts one-handed), but it takes a while for him to process when someone finally wants to do those things with him. Raoul is probably the most vanilla of the three, but he's eager to please his partners and adventurous by nature, so it's not hard to get him to go along with their suggestions.

(There's a smut idea I've imagined that kind of illustrates this dynamic: Christine tells the guys she wants to try anal sex, pointing out that she's seen how much the two of them enjoy it, and after they finally agree and all have a good time, Erik brings up the idea of pegging.)

[crownshattered]

@niightravcns inquired: ✏️ (Raoul x Sam)

⁕| Incorrect Quotes!! |⁕

Sam: Reverse tooth fairy where you leave money under your pillow and the tooth fairy comes and leaves you a bunch of teeth. Raoul: Why? Sam, shaking a bag of teeth: Just because.

Sam: *dangling from a rope over a pit of fire* Remember when I said I’d tell you when we’re in too deep? Raoul: Yes? Sam: We’re in too deep.

Sam: I’ve become a bread crumb dealer to four crows at the lake. They pay me with a bit of everything. Like shiny things, fabric, or pens. But recently they paid me with a 20 dollar bill they found somewhere. So I decided to buy them some more expensive bread. They loved it. So they understand what to do. Give me money. I’ve probably racked up about 200 dollars at this point. Is it morally wrong though, I mean. They’re the ones who steal the money from others. Or perhaps they just have a big pile laying somewhere. Should I keep on doing this? Raoul: You sound like the start of a Batman villain.

[milady-pink]

Rosewood Manor

Summary: Our guests discover the first victim or Mr. Y. But it’s all just a game!

Warnings: death/ murder, no mention of blood, strangulation, nightmares

Word Count: 1821 || Dividers: @firefly-graphics

Complete Series

AO3

———————————————————————————————————————————

Chapter 4

Christine dreamed of her father. It started out fairly normal, for a dream that is, but soon caused her great distress. She was wandering along, dark hallway; scared and alone. Then, all of a sudden, she hears the most beautiful violin music coming from down the hallway. When she looks in the direction of the music, a faint light is calling her name at the end of the corridor. Christine starts to sprint, running as fast as her legs will carry her, eventually crying out to the light, “wait papa, wait for me!” Just when she is about to reach the light, smelling her father’s aftershave, recognizing his silhouette…

…she wakes up.

Just like last time, she thinks.

After relinquishing thoughts of going back to sleep, Christine checks her phone for the time; it reads 7:37. Deciding breakfast must be soon, she gets out of bed and starts to get ready for the day ahead. She stands before the closet, breath minty and hair presentable, settling on a simple top and jeans with a pair of comfortable shoes. She reads the time again, 7:49, and precedes to leave her room in favor of food.

The Manor was eerily quiet as Christine made her way down the staircase towards the dining room, but the bird songs calling from outside and the bright morning light eased some of her nerves.

Arriving through the double French doors, the smell of coffee, eggs, toast, and bacon hit her nose. At the same time, her eyes feasted upon the intricate breakfast buffet that laid spread across the table. Like previously thought, there lay a pot of coffee, two platters for scrambled eggs and bacon, and a silver toast rack packed with carbs. Coinciding with these treats were jars of jelly and jam, a glass butter dish, a painted ceramic cup with milk sitting next to a sugar bowl, and a large glass bowl of freshly cut fruit. Stirring her out of the mouthwatering display in front of her, Christine’s stomach growled.

“Someone sounds hungry,” a plummy voiced woman teased. When she turned her head towards the voice, Christine saw Carlotta smirk as she passed by to her seat from the previous night.

“I just didn’t expect such an array, that’s all,” she trailed off, uncomfortably put on the spot. She’s starting to get on my nerves a bit.

“Hmmm, you would be impressed by the bare minimum. Unlike me, luxury must be sparse for the common people.” Ok, really getting on my nerves.

Moving to her seat, Christine just sat down when Jamie entered the room.

“Ah, another one, just like you dear.” She said to Christine about the blonde girl. Jamie looked between the two, not knowing what Carlotta was talking about, but certainly distressed by it.

Deciding she has had enough of the class shaming, Christine asked Jamie how she slept, trying to ease the nervous girl and maybe make a friend.

“Fine, thank you,” she answered with a grateful smile. After making herself a plate with a bit of fruit, toast and eggs, and a cup of coffee with sugar and cream, three more guests arrived. Raoul, Sorelli, and Firmin walked through the doors and made their way to their seats; all the while gazing at the feastly array in front of them.

“Good morning all, I pray you are all rested,” greeted a very lively Firmin as he fixed himself a plate.

“Looks like someone woke up on the right side of the bed,” remarked Raoul, ever the charmer. In response Firmin simply smiled like he knew something the rest of the party did not. “I just hope the same can be said for those two,” Raoul stated, looking at the two empty chairs.

Piangi and Andre

“You don’t think he would have killed two people on the first night, do you?” Questioned an on edge Jamie.

“First of all, I doubt any harm will fall upon anyone, second of all how do we. Know it's a boy? There's an equal number of men and women here, it could be anyone.” This came from Sorelli, who seemed to be quite sure of herself, if her silvery voice was anything to go by. “I’m sure we’ll just play some games, like Clue, and whoever wins, wins.” There was something very soothing about the confidence in her statements, that even Christine felt her nerves quelled.

Just as Sorelli finished speaking, two boisterous laughs could be heard from the ballroom. Turning the corner, entering the dining room was Piangi and Andre, in the flesh, without a single scratch on them.

“Sorry we were late, even after a tour this one needs a GPS to help him navigate the house.” Piangi jokes, referencing Andre. The two continued to giggle, while the rest smiled at their banter, as they went to take their seats.

“I can’t blame you, I almost got lost in my room,” shared Firmin. The entire table shared a laugh, as the group’s earlier tension eased away, and everyone slipped into light conversation while eating the decadent breakfast at their disposal.

Unfortunately, after everyone was finished with their plates, some tension made its way back into the room as their collective steward with half a face of a snowy mask that matched the ice of his stance; Erik had returned, with another letter.

“I hope you all slept well for your first night, I have here in my hands a note from my employer,” at this everyone shifted in their seats, uncomfortably, “which, I believe, shall detail an array of activities for your first day at Rosewood Manor.” He took the time to open the note with the same letter opener from last night. I wonder where he sleeps. Or eats, for that matter, thought Christine. Once opened and unfolded, his velvet voice began to lull everyone in as Erik read the letter and described the various options at the Manor.

They included, but were not limited to; painting in the backyard, yoga by the pool, table tennis and pool in the billiard room, or reading in the library.

“Once you’ve decided where you’d like to go, myself and the maids, whom you’ve already met, will guide you there. We will be waiting in the foyer after you are all ready. In the event you choose to change your mind, we are at your disposal for directions to your destination.” And with that, Erik left the room, yet again leaving the guests with an air of unease.

Left alone with their thoughts for a bit, everyone decided where they wanted to spend the morning. The party got up, and left the table to the foyer.

In the end, Andre, Piangi, and Raoul chose to play some games in the billiard room; Jamie, and Carlotta chose painting outdoors; and Sorelli and Christine decided on yoga by the pool; which meant Firmin was on his own to read in the library.

Going from downward dog into upward dog, Christine couldn’t have chosen a better way to start her little getaway. She had left earlier to her room to get dressed in more appropriate clothing. With the sun on her face was the cherry on top, feeling her muscles stretch and loosen up, leaving Christine feeling satisfied. From their spot on the tile near the pool, Sorelli and Christine could also see Jamie and Carlotta across the patio, painting. The entire outdoors was silent, except for the buzzing of bees, the blowing of the winds, and birds chirping. All in all, she was very happy to be there.

It seemed to Christine that Jamie had had enough of the sun. While she sat cross legged, trying to zen out, she peeked open an eye and noticed Jamie speak to the maid that stood beside the doors leading inside. The maid turned and pointed inside, seemingly explaining directions to the blonde. Jamie thanked her, went inside. Christine put the exchange out of her mind as she finally got into her head enough to focus on nothing but being.

Until a bloody scream broke out.

Causing such an alarm Christine jumped a little, snapping her eyes open immediately. Looking to her left, Sorelli had the same surprised expression as Christine; looking across the patio, Carlotta had gotten green paint on her hand.

“What was that?!”, exclaimed Carlotta, with an angry tinge. “I think we’re going to find out. Come on.” Replied Sorelli as she began standing up. Christine and Carlotta didn’t know what else to do except follow her; she definitely knew how to take charge in any situation.

As the three women entered the house, they came to an impasse; they were outside, so they didn’t know where the scream came from within the house. Thankfully, their trio ran across some of the men who were in the billiard room; Piangi, Raoul, but no Andre.

“What happened?” Questioned Raoul, with a frantic look.

“We don’t know, but I think that was Jamie screaming,” replied Sorelli, taking charge.

“I think it came from the library,” ventured Piangi, the five of them immediately going to the Manor’s library to investigate. When they get there, the group finds the library doors open, so they venture inside. Nothing was out of ordinary in the library, but Jamie sat shaking in one of the forest green, wingback chairs.

“Jamie what happened?” Asked Christine, crouching in front of the girl, noticing just how badly she was shaken up.

“I-in there,” she quaked, pointing into the adjoining office. It seemed the door was open yet the group was more concerned for Jamie then what was in there. Raoul walked over to the opened door, his face visibly paling as he looked into the room. Sorelli took notice, also going over to the office door and taking a look inside. She audibly gasped at the sight. Deciding she too had to find out what had shaken Jamie to the bone, Christine stood up and made her way over to the door, with Piangi not far behind her. She couldn’t believe her eyes.

There, lying on the carpeted floor, lay Richard Firmin…

…Dead

His body lay in an uncomfortable position that no human would willingly go into. Around his neck there was some bruising that could be seen from where she stood. The group turned around at the sound of hurried footsteps and saw a confused Andre enter the library.

“What’s happened?” He asked, clearly out of the loop.

“Jamie fou-,” Christine started

“Where were you?” Sorelli cut off, plain suspicion written across her face.

“I left for the bathroom, why, what happened?” He asked again, obviously not understanding Sorelli’s abrasive behavior. Once again, however, the remaining guests saw another figure walk into the library, silent as a mouse. Erik sauntered over to the open office door, looked inside, and without so much as a hint of remorse states,

“It appears, the game has begun.”

[leanstooneside]

Converting to a new religion

◊ persons but I

◊ Gave to me

◊ Born and My

◊ souls to his

◊ Up! and we

◊ words and you

◊ shore and sea

◊ maid to her

◊ woman.... .... but I

◊ soul to bow

◊ Jehan and Raoul

◊ amoros to wit

◊ soldier and my

◊ sun or bathe

◊ fellow but.... Oh

◊ shade and bade

◊ breast and arms

◊ tongue and temper

◊ wood and Though

◊ her and she

◊ hands and thy

◊ hills and stir

◊ heart to bow

◊ thee to my

◊ sleep or song

◊ mantles and queynt

◊ Purple and sapphire

◊ blossoms and their

◊ Vers and canzone

◊ song and she

◊ night and Have

◊ awhile and giveth

◊ Mead and garden

◊ maids and hamadryads

◊ man to man

◊ ways to things

◊ Time to reawaken

◊ striveth to ours

◊ night and day

◊ Phoibee to our

◊ glides to hinder

◊ I and his

◊ Cloud and rain

◊ And because I

◊ salvation or damnation

◊ eyes and her

◊ thee and flowers

◊ thou and Thou

◊ us though here

◊ Dante to Beatricean

◊ mist and mountain

◊ And though thou

◊ dower and his

◊ maid to man

◊ man and seer

◊ Francois and Margot

◊ we to Marienne

◊ rack though thy

◊ arms and clang

◊ glory to his

◊ song and birdlet's

◊ thine to hinder

◊ Audiart although she

◊ And yet we

◊ mask or gauntlet

◊ D'AUBIGNE TO DIANE

◊ torse and limbs

◊ Grant so my

◊ hath to thee

◊ thee and me

◊ bread and wine

◊ pain and weariness

◊ Here's to you

◊ thought or attention

◊ hills and sea

◊ he and they

◊ If so it

◊ words and they

◊ Latin and English

◊ night and its

◊ me tomorrow

◊ box and pit

◊ Yea though thou

◊ GRACE BEFORE SONG

◊ Glory to Zeus

◊ chaos and beget

◊ And yet he

◊ manca but it

◊ evil and her

◊ If to God

◊ nature and there

◊ Sapphire and emerald

◊ cliff and ocean

◊ earth to air

◊ As though he

◊ sun and spray

[foulassin]

erik when he sees raoul, probably:

[elektramouthed]

 From the viewpoint of power, there are no lived moments (lived experience has no name), only instants succeeding one another and all equal in the line of the past. A whole system of conditioning broadcasts this attitude, hidden persuasion introjects it. And here’s the result. Just where is this present that people go on about? In what forgotten corner of everyday life does it skulk?  If we’re not looking on, we're looking forward or looking back. The shade of my next meeting joins up with the shade of my last one. Both haunt me. Every passing second drags me from the moment that was to the moment that will be. Every second spirits me away from myself; now never exists. A meaningless commotion makes sure that everyone is “just passing through”, or as we say so prettily, “just passing the time”, and even ensures that time passes into man, through and through. When Schopenhauer writes: “Before Kant, we were in time; since Kant, time is in us”, he well expresses how aging and decrepitude permeate men’s consciousness. But it never occurs to Schopenhauer that man’s being torn to pieces on the rack of time reduced to the apparent difference between future and past is exactly what’s pushing him, as a philosopher, to build up his mystique of despair.

Raoul Vaneigem, from Revolution of Everyday Life (tr. John Fullerton, Paul Sieveking)

[penguinotaku]

Hii! Your ask is pending and on the way! I'm just a tad bit busy atm.

Anyway-

I was wondering, how did Raoul and Shu first meeting go in the spies au? Did they get off on the wrong foot, or were they neutral with each other?

Also a little headcanon I have:

This happened during Raoul's early days at the GSO HQ.

Raoul was throwing knives at some training dummies during practice one time (just for fun), and Shu took note of how accurate and deadly he could throw them. Shu knew knives weren't exactly the most practical weapons (especially against guns, and with how bulky they can be), but he also knew Raoul's talents would go to waste if he could not use them in the field. So Shu went up to him and offered him some suggestions for weapons he could use.

Thowing needles.

Oh @aurora-ze-aquarius, the stories they will tell you if allowed by the GSO.

Raoul and Shu's first meeting got a bit wild with each other. Both were a bit snippy about each other and how they got into the GSO. Raoul saw him as some spoiled Yakuza prince (thus Shu's nickname little Yakuza prince was born, later became Raoul's affectionate inside joke), a baby dragon cloistered at the bottom of the ocean and had yet to see how the real world worked. Shu on the other hand, saw Raoul as the same clown as a civilian as that caught in the wrong place at the wrong time (holdover from Yakuza tradition) and only trainees and repentant criminals should be spies.

It escalated to the point that both were threatened to be sent as interns under Long Ge to test several new sedatives (read. On them) to finally get them to talk. On a few missions, both had discussions about their lives before the GSO and what happened to make them join. One of those missions involved former Todoroki Yakuza members trying to bring back crime (highly salty about the deal with the GSO). Raoul infiltrated through a host club that doubled as a money laundering site and Shu used his connections as the (former) heir to the Todoroki to shut down the remnants of the Yakuza. Shu often visited Reynard the French host as a customer to maintain cover and to exchange information with each other. He racked up quite a tab and Raoul made him swear to pay with GSO wages and not blood money from the Todoroki clan. Raoul even designed to kiss, hug and on some occasions with permission, feel up Shu to maintain his cover. Shu's willingness to humble and humiliate himself to complete the mission warmed up Raoul to Shu. Likewise, Raoul's comedic personality rubbed off on the repressed former Yakuza heir and he lightened up a bit,

It was the beginning of reconciliation, both claim. Long Ge knows better but he's relieved that the two of them are on better terms. Some of the more fujoshi GSO students even made little doujinshis about what really happened on that mission. This was when Shu earned his codename: Agent #0007 Koryū (Foxy Dragon).

More often than not, Raoul and Shu are assigned together to play the part of boyfriends or husbands. One mission even saw them fake married in the traditional Shinto ceremony , both wearing the traditional men's wedding kimonos with the Todoroki clan symbol (Long Ge secretly keeps a photos of the two in the san san kudo ceremony and exchanging the rings)

Pic is for reference but imagine Raoul and Shu I their place

[textsfromthefifthbasement]

Previous

[ifyouhappentoremember]

hi! this is the same anon who asked about the chemistry b/n the main trio cast. i saw the monday evening performance this week and wanted to thank you again for your response!

i saw jeremy stolle as the phantom, julia udine for christine, and paul shcaefer for raoul. i thought they worked well together, i was a big fan of julia before going so i was excited when i saw that she'd be on for christine via the website. i was honestly a bit disappointed with not being able to see ben crawford since i've grown really fond of his phantom recently. the playbill said that jeremy is the phantom for monday&wednesday performances- is this a new development? i've heard recordings of ben from mon&wed shows, so i was a bit surprised when i saw that. either way, it was still an amazing experience! jeremy just wasn't my favorite, but i recognize that i was definitely an outlier in the audience. i'm a bit crazy about comparing phantom actors and their characterizations and just the little nuances of their performances, and i know that what doesn't work for me will work for others

i know next to nothing about singing from a technical standpoint, but he sounded a bit off when when i saw him- just not as strong and controlled as i thought he'd be. i've heard recordings of his that i've enjoyed and i know he's a favorite for a lot of people on here, so maybe this was just an off night? what's your opinion on him?

also, other notes- nehal joshi as andre was absolutely amazing, i've never given much thought to the managers but he was just so entertaining. trista moldovan was on for carlotta and she was great as well, i appreciate the character more and more every time i listen to any cast. there was also a lot more humor than i expected, though my frame of reference is mostly audio recordings so i obviously miss out on some visual elements (still, there wasn't as much laughter in the audios as there was when i saw it on monday). stuff seemed to be added, like meg saying "rehearsals, always rehearsals," or something to that effect, when madame giry kicks her out after angel of music. i hadn't heard this in some audios from as recent as august, is it just something that some megs do? there seemed to be other similar small variations that added humor- has it always been like this, was it changed post-covid/more recently, or did i just have an extremely-reactive audience? it felt almost tonally-dissonant with the amount of little gags they had

i apologize for this essay of an ask, the TLDR is --what are your opinions on jeremy stolle? and --what's up with the humor, were my expectations just off?

I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the show!

The cast listings in the playbill can be updated weekly so for prescheduled absences (like for vacation), they will note the changes accordingly. A casting change that is relatively short notice will have a paper slip inserted into the playbill and if it's really short notice, they will make a preshow announcement.

Nehal Joshi is a great André! His André is such a delightful mix of enthusiastic and worried. And I'm jealous that you got to see Trista Moldovan as Carlotta! I've been hoping I'd get an opportunity to see her but so far Raquel Suarez Groen has rarely missed a performance I've attended (not that I'm complaining - Raquel is a wonderful Carlotta).

I've been racking my brain, trying to remember when the 'rehearsals, always rehearsals' line had been added to the Broadway production. Since reopening, it has definitely been standard. I want to say they added that line around 2012? It started as an ad-libbed, throwaway line that the audience wasn't supposed to catch, but now it's morphed into a comedic moment. But how prevalent that line really depends on the sound engineer as they are the ones who control the microphones. I find that the comedic moments in Phantom really depend on the level of audience engagement/enthusiasm. When the audience is really into it, I find that the actors milk the comedic moments a bit more. I've been to some performances when the audience has been dead and things were kind of dull on stage. I've also seen moments I thought were really funny but no one in the audience was laughing so I had to try and stifle my laughter because you do not want to be the only one hysterically laughing. Yeah, humor can be very subjective. But considering that every performance now is sold out, half of the audience lightly chuckling is going to be 800 people making noise all at once. It will be loud!

And now, we turn to Jeremy Stolle. When I saw his Phantom back in August, I had the exact opposite reaction to you when I got a look at the cast list. I was really excited to get the chance to see him (and it was a Jeremy/Elizabeth pairing!! no disrespect to Ben but I'd seen him 8 times at that point and I needed to see someone new). Jeremy's Phantom has a lot of neat touches. The way he says fool is iconic for a reason and he isn't called 'Jeremy Strolle' for nothing. He (along with Elizabeth Welch) delivered the best rendition of Point of No Return I've seen live. Vocally, when I first saw him, I was shocked by him. He sounded very strained. I'm looking back on the notes I posted about that performance, and reading between the lines I can clearly see how disappointed I was by his vocals. I ended up seeing his Phantom back to back in very quick succession and I ended up assuming he was recovering from a cold or something. I remember listening to audios from around 2014 and his voice was great! There was this operatic, booming quality to his singing voice that I really liked and I had a feeling that he would sound better live.

I'm actually really sad to hear that in a performance 4 months later, he still continues to sound strained. That tells me that Jeremy Stolle is probably having some sort of vocal problems. I'm not an Otolaryngologist or a Laryngologist, so I'm not going to speculate on the cause of his vocal strain. What I can say is that listening to every available audio I can find of his Phantom, you can hear the gradual change in his singing voice.

[graywyvern]

( The Thief of Bagdad [Raoul Walsh, 1924] via In Search of Pagan Hollywood on fb / michael puttonen on fb )

The Amazing Mr X. ☆☆☆

"This was a dream, Finnegan. Subjects change in dreams, and grammar is unstable." --The Devil is Dead

UFO.

"I love thee, Poesy! Thou art a rock, I, a weak wave, would break on thee and die. There is a deadlier pang than that which beads With chilly death-drops the o'er-tortured brow, When one has a big heart and feeble hands,— A heart to hew his name out upon time As on a rock, then in immortalness To stand on time as on a pedestal; When hearts beat to this tune, and hands are weak, We find our aspirations quenched in tears, The tears of impotence, and self-contempt That loathsome weed, up-springing in the heart, Like nightshade 'mong the ruins of a shrine; I am so cursed, and wear within my soul A pang as fierce as Dives' drowsed with wine, Lipping his leman in luxurious dreams; Waked by a fiend in hell!—— 'T is not for me, ye Heavens! 't is not for me To fling a Poem, like a comet, out, Far-splendouring the sleepy realms of night. I cannot give men glimpses so divine, As when, upon a racking night, the wind Draws the pale curtains of the vapoury clouds, And shows those wonderful, mysterious voids, Throbbing with stars like pulses.—Naught for me But to creep quietly into my grave; Or calm and tame the swelling of my heart With this foul lie, painted as sweet as truth."

--Alexander Smith, from A Life-Drama

Rollin' and Tumblin'.

"bloodshot eyes the goose escapes autumn dusk is here"

--@poem_exe

Early in the Mornin'.

[lestatslestits]

We Could Just Kiss Like Real People Do

It’s a day late, but @transphantomweek Day 4!

Prompt: Safety Pin Did y’all really think I wasn’t gonna sneak Erik/Christine/Raoul in here somewhere? Wrong.  Every piece I have written so far has been personal to me in some way, but this one especially so. Some of the most precious gender-affirming clothes I have ever owned have been gifts given to me by friends, out of their own closets.  Also, as a side note, I generally headcanon that Erik is non-binary but fine with he/him OR they/them pronouns. BUT I wanted to explore other options for this fic, and I’m happy with the results. 

Raoul raps his knuckles against the door frame and leans his head in. 

“Hey, how’s it going in here?” 

Christine barely looks up, just says, “Raoul! Grab me those safety pins over by the machine, if you don’t mind.” 

She says it around the two that she’s already holding in her mouth. It’s either a credit to her diction or to his attentive listening that he doesn’t hesitate for even a second, just obeys the request. She keeps the safety pins all strung together in a chain. He picks up one and the rest follow. 

“Thank you,” she says a little absent-mindedly when he drapes them over her shoulder for easy access. 

She’s working on the fiddly task of making sure she’s marking the seam correctly, keeping the pins she’s already used in a careful line. Her model fidgets under her hands. This is not the first time.

���Erik,” she keeps her voice purposefully light and calm, because they are anxious and flighty under the best of circumstances, and this is all new to them, “I need you to be as still as possible.” 

On some level, asking Erik to be still is like politely asking time to stop marching forward. It’s an impossibility. But they listen to her request, fixing their posture and confining their movements to twitches of their long, slender fingers.

“It isn’t going to fit,” they voice their frustration in a quavering tone. It’s unusual for Erik to have anything but complete control over their voice. The vulnerability Christine recognizes here is the same vulnerability she heard only a few days before when they began spilling out frantic and half-jumbled words to her and Raoul about being incorrectly man, about being non-woman, about the comfortable nothing that existed in between those two labels. 

There had been hugs after that, and then tender kisses shared between the three of them, and then Christine, at a loss for how to properly celebrate, had started baking a pie at ten til midnight. 

They ate it together, still too hot, burning their tongues, in the early hours of the morning. 

The next day dawned with new pronouns and new labels, but the same comfortable, lived in name that they had chosen years ago. 

“It’s going to fit,” Christine reassures them. It’s a promise she can make because she is going to make it fit by sheer force of will if she has to. 

Erik chose this dress from her closet with care and reverence. She’s not going to let them feel like they are playing dress up in their new clothes. 

“Nothing fits off the rack,” she continues breezily. By this time she has used the safety pins she held in her mouth  so she can talk freely, “everything is tailored, but no one tells you that.” 

She is not a tailor. The handful of costuming classes she had been forced into in order to fulfill a theatre degree aside, she’s barely a seamstress. But she does own a sewing machine and this is something she’s committed to. 

Raoul, who is good at sewing on buttons but not much beyond that, helps by managing the safety pin chain. 

By the time Christine is satisfied, there are pins everywhere. Buying a whole new dress would be easier, but less meaningful. 

“Okay, take a look,” she spins Erik in the direction of the full length mirror, in her closet, and for once they do not protest, do not flinch away from seeing themself. 

Their eyes light up, even behind the mask.

 They practice letting the full skirt flow with their movement. Christine claps her hands, and Raoul whistles, low and appreciative and enamored. It’s better than words. Erik still shies away from traditional descriptions of beauty when someone offers them, but this is enough. It’s all it takes for them to devolve into hugs and soft kisses again, and for Erik to melt into the comfort of Christine and Raoul’s embraces.

And if it’s hard to hold someone who is decked from head to toe in safety pins? Well, no one seems to mind much.

[milady-pink]

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: 1874 || Graphics: @firefly-graphics

"A Soft Place To Fall "

Recipe Book

AO3

It’s been days since Christine spilled the beans and told Raoul that she was expecting. Currently, Meg, Carlotta and herself were restocking the pantry in the back of the diner. The day was a long one, customer after customer, and now was a good time to rest and relax even if she was still on the clock. They had left the back exit door slightly ajar, letting a warm breeze blow in from outside, carrying with it the smell of cut grass and rain. Once they had finished wiping down the tables for the day, the sun had started to set, casting the diner’s interior in a glow of soft pinks and oranges.

It was always a magical time for the three waitresses; enjoying their safe space before heading home to their regular dreary lives.

Carlotta was going on about how one of her breasts is so much lower than the other she’s starting to look like a Picasso painting. Unfortunately for her, Christine was too busy counting her extra tips from the day, the total number never giving her much happiness.

Taking notice that she’s lost her audience, the voluptuous woman questions her friend, “So, how’d ya do today?”

Without looking she continues to restock the flour container from the large paper bag. “Well, between table five’s Mr. Frugalman and table seven’s ‘I’ll Get You Next Time’, not great.” She lets out a small sigh. “Actually thinkin’ of asking Piangi for some extra shifts.”

This caught Carlotta’s attention, knowing how hard working her friend already was she was astounded when Christine revealed her ideas for taking on more work load. “Girl are you crazy? You work hard enough as it is.” She pulls out a familiar blue book from the pantry, looking at her pregnant coworker in confusion. “Why was this next to the cinnamon?”

Christine looks over her shoulder from where she’s crouched on the ground, putting the flour sack away. “Oh…” she stated, raising back up, “I was looking around for that…” she trailed off with little enthusiasm.

Holding the photo album between her thumb and four manicured fingers, with the other planted on her full hip, Carlotta states the obvious. “Doll, ya can’t write a letter to your baby from the pantry’s spice rack.” She sassed.

“Well, ‘m not really a writer, so…” Christine responded, too tired to fight about how she should start caring for her unborn child. The one she didn’t even want.

Thankfully for her the redhead drops the subject, simply putting the baby book on the counter. Instead, Carlotta focuses her attention on the abnormally quiet blonde waitress, who was looking quite red in the face. “Are you alright, blonde?”

Her smaller frame was a jittering mess, barely able to keep the walnuts from spilling everywhere. “Oh, nothin’,” she feigned, “just havin’ a small anxiety attack that’s all.” Christine and Carlotta shared a look at this news. They didn’t have to pry from her though, disclosing to her friends, “I got a message on my dating profile.”

Both older women had their jaws wide open, unsure if they heard the quirky girl correctly. 

Christine is the first to break the surprised silence. “And you’ve been keepin’ this information from us all day?”

Meg must have been pretty pleased with herself, regardless if she knew it or not, because her face betrayed her; a small smile appeared on her lips. “His name is NKBrigade, he’s 32 years old, has all of his hair, a kind smile, loves cooking, puzzles, and classical music.” Her smile only grew as she described her potential beau.

Her friends could not contain their happiness for the blonde, secretly hoping she gets the perfect ending both of them so desperately wanted when they were young.

Placing a friendly hand on her shoulder, Christine tells her friend truthfully, “He sounds perfect, Meg!”

“Look at you,” jumped in Carlotta, “already got the boys lining the block. Start tellin’ ‘em to take a number!” She joked.

The nerves starting to crack through her happy mood, Meg starts to bite her thumbnail. “Yeah, it's really happening. We even agreed to meet up for a 5-minute date tonight!”

“5 minutes?” Both Christine and Carlotta asked simultaneously.

Rolling her eyes, Meg puts the lid back on the container she just refilled. “That way if things go horribly, I’ll be home in time for ‘History’s Mysteries’.” She answered as if the answer was obvious.

Christine shrugged her shoulders, resigning herself to continue restocking the sugar container, but Carlotta used the opportunity to approach her.

“Meg, you already know that you are such a natural beauty,” she started, her words brightening the blonde’s already happy mood, “so because this is such a special occasion, would you let me put a bit of makeup on you? And, let your hair down out of that ponytail— just this once?” The redhead was practically begging, her hands clasped together in front of her chest.

She thought for a moment before answering. “Well, first impressions are important, especially first dates.” She relented, not so afraid of stepping out of her comfort zone a bit more with the help of her friends. “And Christine,” she asked, catching her attention, “could I ask you to bake ‘Meet Your Dream Chocolate Cream Pie’? A man’s heart is through my stomach.” She laughed.

Smiling, saying that she would be more than happy to make it for her. “In fact, I’ll even make it more special than the one my mama and I used to make.” 

Sugar

Butter

Flour

Suddenly, inspiration overtook Christine with an incoming gust of wam evening air. “I’ll put together ingredients you wouldn’t think go together, but make something truly unique.”

Meg was the only one who dared ask what she was thinking. “What’s gonna be in it?” Asking as she sat on a work stool, getting her makeup done by Carlotta.

“I’ll switch the regular bittersweet chocolate to creamy milk, even add a touch of passion fruit.” She responded as she started to busy herself around the kitchen grabbing all the ingredients she’ll need.

“Then,” she continued, “I’ll mix in somethin’ that could make things feel possible. Like, an exotic spice that makes you see everything before it’s too late—maybe—“

While she was applying mascara to Meg, Carlotta asked the baker, “What’s goin’ on with you? Like a woman possessed…by pie.”

Deciding out of everyone in her life, these two who have been there for her through thick and thin, are deserving of her plan. “You know about that pie contest comin’ to Springfield in a few months?” Both girls nod their heads. “I’m gonna do it. I’ll figure out a way to save enough money, go there, and enter.” She takes a break from kneading the chocolate pie dough to look back at her friends, hoping they think its a good idea.

“That sounds like the first thing that’s made sense to come outta your mouth in forever.” She teased, packing up her small toiletry bag of cosmetics.

Christine continues disclosing her plan, “If by some miracle that I win, I’m takin’ that prize money and I’m gonna…” Trailing off, letting her head get too excited with the possibility.

“You’ll leave Raoul is what you’ll do,” filled in Carlotta who places a comforting hand on Christine’s shoulder.

She simply nods her head in agreement, “And just run away from all this.”

“Wow…” responds Meg, complete with a new do.

The hand on Christine’s shoulder squeezes, “Doll, you can leave Raoul without running away” she countered.

“It’s not that easy…never is…”

Sensing there was more than she was letting on, Carlotta dropped trying to make her stay. She knew from experience it wasn’t easy to get out of this rundown town, but she wanted nothing more than to see Christine succeed in her endeavors. 

“Okay, then get yourself a nice little pie shop somewhere. A place people could really use a pie shop. Like Europe—or Canada.” That caused her to huff out a laugh, mixing the pie filling while the dough chilled in the fridge.

“Christine’s Pie Palace,” Meg offered as a shop name.

“Christine’s Pastry Heaven,” tried Carlotta.

“Christine’s Pie In The Sky.”

The girls continued to nurture their various dreams, knowing that at the end of even the worst of days, you can always dream of a better tomorrow. Maybe it was the pie, but Christine felt like she was back in the kitchen with her mom as a young girl again. The woman who taught her to dream big, and follow through with the real life attributes that will help accomplish that dream. Even after years of baking and growing up, some dreams have changed but not all of them. No, she never thought she’d end up waiting tables at a diner, pregnant with her awful husband’s baby. But she did get to bake everyday, make pies for the folks that she’s grown up with, and new faces that remind her exactly why she puts in the extra effort when baking.

Sometimes, Christine reasoned, the dream may change but the root want of that dream stays the same. 

“Look what you did, you almost made me pretty!” Meg told Carlotta as she stared at her reflection in a compact mirror.

“Almost?” Christine asked, “You’re beautiful.”

The happy moment was broken when Piangi claimed that he was going to die from ‘Estrogen Asphyxiation’.

As she cleaned up with a wet rag, Christine noticed from the corner of her eye that Carlotta was putting on some red lipstick. 

“And who are you puttin’ that on for? Tryna spice up a diaper change?” She teased.

Looking pleasantly smug about herself the redhead responded, “Well, maybe I got myself a little secret. Been doin’ my own dreamin’ too.”

“What!?” Meg practically squealed out loud.

“‘M not tellin’ you yet.”

“Why not,” asked Christine.

“Goodbye, Meg— don’t do somethin’ I haven’t done. Do you need a five-minute condom?”

Christine laughed at her audacity, whereas Meg gasped and replied no. With an, ‘Adios, me amigas’, Carlotta made her exit. Just the two of them alone, Meg approached Christine and startled her with a very sweet hug.

She told her, “You are the queen of kindness and goodness”, as she released Christine, making her feel utterly grateful for the friendships she has with her coworkers.

Christine is the last to leave, locking up the diner as usual. No one accompanies her on the bus ride home, which she’s thankful for because she likes the time to think.

Back at her home, Christine calls out to her husband, only to find the house completely empty. Instead of worrying where Raoul was, instead she takes the extra earnings she made that day in tips, and stuffs it into the couch’s cushions. There was a small tear in the fabric at the bottom, making a pocket between the cover and foam, and that is where Christine arranges the various dollars to keep hidden from Raoul. All she had to do was keep doing this for the next few months, moving the cash to a better spot as it gets bigger, and she will be home free to get to Springfield and enter that contest.

I’m doin’ it mama, for both of us.

[glassprism]

There's a 25th anniversary concert fan page that keeps on calling the recently canceled UK tour the "Pearl Tour", but nowhere else has that name been mentioned (in my limited knowledge, of course). Do you know if that person is legit? And if that name is legit?

I... have absolutely never heard anybody here call the newest UK Tour the “Pearl Tour”, and Googling it only brings me to that 25th anniversary fan page you mentioned. Looking at the official website and news sources, all of them simply call it the “UK and Ireland Tour”, or occasionally “the production in Leicester”, as Cameron Mackintosh dubbed it in one source.

Tours have been given names before - I think it’s more common in the US where multiple tours might be running at the same time and the names are used to differentiate them in a way other than “the 1st national tour” or “the 2nd national tour” - but the names typically have something to do with the show itself. So Phantom’s US tours were called the “Christine Tour”, the “Raoul Tour”, and the “Music Box Tour”, Wicked has had an “Emerald City Tour” and a “Munchkinland Tour”, Hamilton has had the “Angelica Tour”, the “Philip Tour”, and the “And Peggy” Tour, and so on. Pearls do feature on the costumes in Phantom, but I would not call them, like, an integral facet or defining feature of the show.

It must also be said that a previous UK Tour was called the “Millennium Tour”, but this was for the obvious reason that it was running from 1999 to 2000, the start of the new millennium. Going off that, I wondered if “Pearl Tour” was used because pearls are typically symbolic of something’s 30th anniversary, but the London production’s 30th anniversary was back in 2016, the 30th anniversary of the first UK Tour is in 2023, and it makes no sense for a UK tour to be celebrating the 30th anniversary of any other production.

So... I don’t know, maybe that person is more in the know than I am (and if they are actually correct, let me know in the comments!). But after racking my brains about it, I’m genuinely wondering if the person heard someone mention the “World Tour”, misunderstood it as “Pearl Tour”, and then applied that label to the UK Tour.

[arielovessims]

Silently the senses abandon their defenses

hannibal rehearsal / angel of music / little lotte / the phantom of the opera / the music of the night / stranger than you dreamt it / all i ask of you / all i ask of you (reprise) / masquerade / why so silent / wishing you were somehow here again / the point of no return / track down this murderer

Or read it in chronological order

Here’s a little preview of a little thing I decided to do!

This is also just an excuse for me to dress up some premades as The Phantom, Christine, and Raoul.

I had to rack my brain to figure out who should be The Phantom. I considered Tybalt, but there would be no perfect Christine for him. I decided to settle on little Alex ‘cause I mean... he’s a Goth. It’s perfect. Just age him up! And after that Christine and Raoul became a no-brainer.

[tomeandflickcorner]

Episode Review- The Real Ghostbusters: Boo-Dunit

Now, this was a good episode!  In fact, I’d even include it on a list of the best episodes to show someone who isn’t already familiar to the Ghostbusters franchise.

It begins on a dark and stormy night (and I won’t apologize for using that cliché opening).  A large group of people have gathered at some mansion, for the Reading of the Will.  Apparently, an old woman named Agatha Grisley (an obvious parody of Agatha Christie) has recently passed away.  Agatha Grisley’s lawyer, Mr. Kingsford, soon arrives at the mansion and, after informing the butler that old Agatha hadn’t left him anything, he proceeds into the study where Agatha’s surviving family and friends are waiting.  But as Mr. Kingsford opens his briefcase and starts to take out the copy of Agatha’s will, a large fencing foil appears out of nowhere, landing point first onto the document.  Mr. Kingsford is quick to toss the fencing foil aside, but the moment he does so, a dagger appears in its place.

We then cut to the Firehouse, where the Ghostbusters are in the middle of watching some murder mystery program on TV while sharing a pizza. Winston is able to correctly guess the identity of the killer as Larry the Plumber seconds before the official reveal. It turns out that Winston is a huge mystery story aficionado and is a real pro at figuring out mysteries. Though the others are less than pleased by this, as Winston’s talent kinda takes the joy of discovery out of things for them.  Before more could be said, the alarm bell starts ringing, indicating they’ve received a call.  So they head off into the night, with Janine apparently handing each of them a copy of the night’s worksheet.  (Wouldn’t a single worksheet suffice?  Why does Janine hand out four of them?)  As the Ghostbusters are en route to their destination, it’s revealed that they’ve been called out to Agatha Grisley’s mansion, obviously because of what went down during the Reading of the Will.  This news particularly excites Winston, as Agatha Grisley wrote the best mystery novels, since her stories were the hardest to figure out.

Upon reaching the Grisley Mansion, Winston volunteers to ring the doorbell, given his admiration for Agatha’s books.  When he rings the doorbell, a dagger suddenly whips by them, embedding itself into the front door.  Rather than be shaken by this, Winton gets even more ecstatic, as something very similar happened in the twelfth chapter of Murder on the Hoboken Express (a reference to Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express).  Egon notes that he’s definitely picking up strong reading on his P.K.E. Meter.  The Ghostbusters are soon let into the Grisley Mansion and proceed to the study where Mr. Kingsford is waiting for them.  He demonstrates for them how swords are continually being launched at Agatha’s will, no matter how many times they’re removed.  And there’s a pretty sizable pile of bladed weapons behind him to emphasize that point.  And that’s not all.  Objects are also floating into the air, guns have materialized out of nowhere and ghostly figures have also been appearing at random intervals.  As Peter assures Mr. Kingsford that they’ll get to the bottom of things, a trapdoor randomly opens up beneath him, resulting in Peter falling down into the basement below, while miraculously managing to avoid breaking his leg.

When Winston, Ray and Egon join Peter in the basement, they find that the place has been filled with a wide assortment of torture and execution equipment, from the guillotine to the rack. An exited Winston realizes that this is the room where Agatha wrote her famous mystery stories.  And then, he and Ray somehow manage to get thrown onto some of the torture devices that had been stored down there.

Okay, first of all, how exactly did Ray and Winston manage to get themselves caught in the torture devices like that?  The episode doesn’t give us any indication.  It just cuts to them being stuck in their predicaments. Secondly, why exactly would Agatha Grisley have those things in her basement in the first place?  Was this just meant to indicate how dedicated she was to making her stories realistic?  If that was the case, does that mean she actually tested these things out on actual people?  Was Agatha actually a sociopath when she was alive?  Or am I just reading too much into this?

Anyway, once they manage to free Ray and Winston, the Ghostbusters investigate Agatha’s writing desk.  When Peter opens up a drawer, he unwittingly triggers a booby trap of some sort, with an axe-wielding suit of armor appearing behind a secret passageway. The axe falls, just narrowly missing Peter but chopping off a large chunk of the writing desk.  This results in them finding a manuscript for an unpublished Grisley novel called Raoul’s Revenge.  Egon quickly notices that the manuscript was never finished.  Ray speculates that the paranormal activity in the Grisley Mansion might have resulted from Agatha’s unwillingness to move on and be at rest until her last novel is finished, with the killer named.  With that information, the Ghostbusters conclude that perhaps Agatha’s ghost is wanting them to help write the ending to Raoul’s Revenge.  And so, a plan is devised.  While Winston reads through the portion of the book that had already been written, Peter, Egon and Ray will explore the mansion to gather clues from the ghostly activity going on.  (Thankfully, the pages that Peter ends up damaging while using them to test the sharpness of the axe didn’t appear to be that important, as the episode never brings them up again.)

This plan is soon put into action.  First, Ray and Mr. Kingsford enter the parlor, where the ghostly images of the Frenchman called Raoul and the beautiful Debbie appear. Raoul is trying convince Debbie to run away with him, but Debbie is reluctant since she pledged her heart to another man.  In the blink of an eye, Debbie’s muscular fiancée, Jean, maternities in the room and confronts them, accusing Debbie of cheating on him.  Unfortunately, Ray and Mr. Kingsford don’t see much more, as they end up falling through a hole that forms in the floor when Jean begins waving around the flail he just happened to have.  They end up landing at Winston’s feet, with Ray asking Winston to read the manuscript a bit quicker.

Meanwhile, Egon stumbles across another ghostly scene from Raoul’s Revenge.  In this scene, Debbie has died after drinking some milk that had been poisoned with cyanide, with a devastated Raoul standing vigil at her bedside. From the sound of it, Raoul is pinning the murder on Jean.  Unfortunately, Egon, upon hearing Raoul state he has a bad case of indigestion, suggests he drink some milk, unthinkingly passing him the cyanide-laced milk.  The Doctor character manages to slap the poisoned milk out of Raoul’s hands, but this leads to Raoul accusing Egon of trying to kill him, and he points a cartoonishly large gun at him in response. (Seriously, Egon!  I know your socialization skills aren’t always up to snuff, but that was incredibly dense.)  Fortunately, Egon manages to avoid harm when he falls through the hole that formed when the cyanide-laced milk hit the floor.  Like with Ray, Egon urges Winston to read faster.

As for Peter, he ends up in the kitchen.  After raiding the fridge (while commenting on how there might be a ghost in there as it wouldn’t be the first time, making a nice callback to the movie), the ghostly image of a chef appears.  This is the final character from Raoul’s Revenge.  The Chef instructs Peter to dice vegetables, as he’s making stew that night.  He then begins to tenderize some meat with his bare fists.  (Was this guy ever on Regular Ordinary Swedish Meal Time?)  After Peter makes a few jokes towards the Chef, the images of Debbie’s body and a sobbing Raoul also appear in the kitchen.  Moments later, Egon appears on the scene.  He was chased there by Jean, who is carrying a very large bazooka.   Ray and Mr. Kingsford join them soon afterwards, so now everyone is gathered in the Kitchen.  Except for Winston, who is still reading the manuscript.  

Jean proceeds to accuse Raoul of murdering Debbie in a fit of anger over how Debbie always laughed at his car.  Raoul, however, kicks Jean in the shin, forcing him to drop the bazooka, which blasts a large hole into the wall, revealing Winston calmly reading the manuscript on the other side.  He states that he’s nearly done and thinks he knows who the killer was.  Before he could clarify, the Chef begins stating that he was the only man who really loved Debbie.  He announces that, if Debbie can’t enjoy his cooking anymore, then nobody should.  As he announces this, the Chef produces a bomb from nowhere.  And Ray and Egon start having this whole philosophical debate over whether or not the bomb could actually hurt them or not, as it may or may not simply be a ghostly manifestation. While all this is going on, Raoul, Jean and the Chef continue to argue.

Thankfully, that’s when Winston walks into the kitchen, announcing that he just finished reading the manuscript.  He announces Debbie’s killer was actually the Doctor.  It turns out that the Chef’s cooking gave Debbie multiple cases of indigestion.  And she ended up with a pretty hefty amount of medical bills because of this.  Since she refused to pay the medical bills, and made fun of the Doctor’s car, he placed cyanide into her milk.  With the mystery solved, the ghostly images of Roaul, Jean, the Chef and Debbie fade away.  In their place, the ghost of Agatha Grisley appears, thanking Winston for finishing her last mystery.  As the ghost of Agatha Grisley vanishes, indicating her spirit is now at rest, the final page of Raoul’s Revenge appears. Winston, upon reading it, is pleased to see the page comes with a dedication to him and his fellow Ghostbusters.

As the episode wraps up, the Ghosbusters are back at the Firehouse, watching another installment of that mystery program they were watching at the start.  Peter, Ray and Egon fire off their various theories over who the killer is.  But Winston isn’t allowed to join in, as the others had tied him up and gagged him so he wouldn’t be able to spoil the ending for them. Poor Winston!

One of the main things I appreciated about this episode is how the Ghostbusters actually attempted to help a ghost find the peace to move on instead of simply going the usual zap and trap route.  Considering ghosts are essentially people who died, one could argue that this is the sort of thing the Ghostbusters should try to do more often.  Then again, I expect that would make the show pretty dull after a while.  As for the bit about the actual mystery novel they were trying to solve, I am curious how fans of actual murder mysteries and the real-life Agatha Christie would respond to this episode.  From what we could see, Raoul’s Revenge seemed to be a bit obsessed with Debbie making fun of people’s cars, as they mention it a few times as a legitimate motive for her murderer to kill her.  Combine that with the fact that the characters all seemed to inexplicitly have large weapons (Jean with his flail and bazooka, Raoul with his impossibly large pistol and the Chef with his bomb), and it really adds weight to the episode’s running joke of how Raoul’s Revenge was a poorly written book.  Though it’s not clear if Agatha Grisley was not a very good writer to begin with or if this final mystery story was just a fluke. Therefore, I’m not entirely sure if the people who wrote this episode was simply simplifying things for the children watching or if they were indirectly making fun at Agatha Christie’s stories. Considering I’ve never actually read any of her books myself, I can’t say.

(Click here for more Ghostbusters reviews)