I love both the Phantom and Raoul, but listening to Past the Point of No Return reminded me of something I read once about how media often depicts villainous love interests.
Villains are often coded in certain ways, and villain romance interests tend to represent sexual awakening and urges and exploring your inner darkness. They are often pitted against ‘childhood sweetheart’ love, which is represented as pure and virginal.
The female hero will be tempted by the villain, of the darkness and sexuality and power that comes with it. Then she will often be slapped on the wrist to see the error in her ways and end up with the pure, childhood sweetheart, sexless love that the other interest represents.
Now this isn’t an argument about who Christine should have ended up with but more how the media depicts certain love interests and pits them against each other. Why does the villain represent sexual desire and the heroic love interest doesn’t, and what does that say about how the media represents female sexuality?
Female protagonists’ stories often have this weird complex about women’s innocence/purity vs sexuality. Meanwhile male protagonists often do get to be with ‘sexy’ female love interests. But when a female protagonist tries to enjoy her sexuality, she often ends up being terrorised or punished in some regard.
Because I can’t lie, Past the Point of No Return was something else. But Christine doesn’t get to have a similar tension with Raoul like that? In comparison, their dynamic is very saccharine and innocent, ‘Little Lotte lost her scarf, let’s talk about the games we used to play as children’. It’s weird how they only give sexual energy to villains as a way to show that they are ‘bad’. Why is female sexuality framed as something harmful and evil?
Because goddamn, the tension in Point of No Return was undeniable. Our man was starved. He almost seems afraid to touch her, as if he can’t believe what is happening is real. That slight tentativeness is just *chefs kiss*
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you’re a tour photographer, meaning that you take professional pictures of performers. you’re currently waiting outside of the venue in nashville, where you would be seeing THE DRIVER ERA. you were ready to meet rocky and ross, the excitement buzzing through your body. you take a picture of the venue that opens up in 3 hours for their concert.
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please be kind! this is not proofread!
“hey! you must be y/n!”, a sweet voice shouts from behind you. your turn around and see that it’s no other than ross lynch, his brother, rocky, next to him!
“no way! you’re ross and rocky! how did you guys know my name?”, you ask way too excitedly.
“well, you’re going to be taking concert photos, right? we have a list of everyone that’s allowed to come in and help us set up or interview or anything else like that.”, ross says.
“oh. yeah! i’ll be taking your pictures. do you mind if i take some now, while we have some time?”, you ask eagerly.
“sure! we don’t have to warm up for another hour, so we can definitely do that! how about we go on top of the roof? i think the lighting would be great, but you’re the photographer, what you say goes.”, ross says with a wink.
“you have a wonderful idea. let me steal you boys away!”, you say.
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“stay just like that! the light is hitting you boys at just the right angle.”, you say, peeking through the camera and hitting the button to take ross’ and rocky’s picture. little did the boys know, you were taking individual headshots as well, with every pose you set them up for.
“oh! these are so good! and you boys are so sweet!”, you say.
“really? well, let’s see ‘em!”, ross says, snatching your camera from you.
“ross! no!! they’re not edited or anything! give it back!”, you say, worried he’s going to see the individual pictures.
“oh no, y/n, i don’t think so.”, he teases holding the camera above both of your heads now. “rocky, take this and run!”, he says to his brother.
“bet.”, rocky says, a devious smile on his face.
“no! wait!”, you say, but it was too late. the boys are playing a trick with you and rocky is long out of reach now.
“well, looks like rocky might take a picture of you and me now. smile and pose.”, ross says while grabbing you by your waist and pulling you close to him. he dips you down and tells you, “focus on me. you’re beautiful.” you blush, but oblige. you hear your camera flick with each picture rocky takes of you and ross.
“okay, ross and rocky. please give me my camera back, i think it’s almost time for you guys to get ready to warm up.”, you say, trying to get out of ross’ grip, but he won’t let go.
“rocky is heading that way now, but i want to stay here with you, y/n.”, ross says to you, still holding onto you.
“awe, ross”, you say, looking into his eyes.
the chemistry between you is crazy. you can tell you both want the same thing each other wants. your faces draw closer together and just when you think he’s about to kiss you, he stops.
“okay, kid. time for me to go warm up. come with.”, he says with a smirk on his lips, while leading you off of the roof.
“ugh! ross!”, you say, not letting go of his hand.
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“how’s everyone doing tonight?!”, rocky asks the crowd at their sold out show. you stand behind the barrier and start taking pictures of the fans and the brothers. the crowd is going wild as they start to play their song “a kiss”. you start taking pictures of the boys and you can’t help but notice how much ross is interacting with you, even though he’s on stage. and you can’t help but crack a smile and follow his lead.
ross grabs you up on the stage and sets you to the side, he stares at you for what feels like forever, then touches your hands that hold your camera. he wants his picture taken. you shoot one. then, he grabs the camera off of your neck and takes a selfie with you.
“you got your phone?”, he asks you, while still performing. you take your phone out of your pocket and he takes it from you and takes another selfie of the two of you together, then he takes some pictures of his brother and the crowd, interacting with everyone. before handing your phone back, he takes a picture of you, taking a picture of him with your camera. once you lower your camera, he takes another picture of you. “absolutely beautiful.”, he says. he gives you a kiss on your cheek before continuing to perform. you’re blushing and you can’t stop feeling the tingles of electricity resonating where he kissed you.
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after the boys’ performance, ross tells rocky he’s taking you out. “oh, you don’t have to do that, ross.”, you say, bashfully.
“sure i do! i want to. i want to get to know you more. you’re not getting rid of me easily.”, he says to you. he grabs you by your hand and leads you out of the tour bus and out into the town. you find a nearby diner that doesn’t look too busy this late at night and go in.
“how many is it tonight, sir?”, the hostess asks as you and ross come in.
“just us two, ma’am.”, ross says.
“perfect. right this way.”, she says, gesturing to follow her.
the hostess sits you both down across from each other. as soon as she leaves though, ross, comes over to your side and blocks you in the booth.
“so…y/n? how’d you like the show tonight?”, ross asks you, eagerly.
“i loved it! and i loved getting to know you guys tonight. i can’t wait to go with you boys on the rest of your tour!”, you say.
“perfect. i’m so glad you feel that way. i don’t know if i could let you go so easily.”, he says, gently placing his hand on top of yours.
“awe, ross.”, you say, leaning into him for a kiss.
“y/n?”, he asks after kissing you a couple more times in the booth.
“ross?”, you say back.
“will you be my girlfriend? i know we just only met, but i can’t help but feel this way about you.”, he asks you, shyly.
“ross, shut up.”, you say, laughing at him and kissing him again, sealing the deal that yes, you will be his girlfriend.
it was going to be a long tour, but you’re happy to have ross by your side. ❤️🔥
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