#I would have loved to do a Phantom/Christine costume with the darling but she does not like it to the extent I do

[kuuyandere]

please, talk about the phantom of the opera! as a kid, i was so obsessed with the 2004 movie that i wrote fanfiction and drew fanart of it. — dream anon

That is amazing, I would love to see your work if you are willing to share it. I first watched it when I was about 6-7 years old, so no doubt that rewired my psyche to what it is today. I project(ed) onto Erik an unfortunate amount: not necessarily/completely the version of him from the 2004 film, but Gerard Butler’s Phantom certainly won in the costume department compared to the stage productions.

I could gush about the lair aesthetics and outfits (although it may not be the most historically accurate) of the movie for the rest of time. I am tempted to rewatch the film for the sole purpose of taking screenshots for reference. The Phantom’s dark ensembles at any given time? I am envious. Christine’s ball gown in “Think of Me”? Gorgeous. The transition at the beginning with the Overture and switch from black and white to colour? Unparalleled. If I could ever afford a house, I would love to decorate it in the lair’s maximalist style minus the abundance of candles/fire hazards.

Have you ever watched the 1990 miniseries of POTO by any chance? It’s unaffiliated with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical and deviates from the original plot somewhat, but it is tender and heart-wrenching and highly recommended.

[niphre124]

Roses.

Written for Raoulstine Week. 

What if Raoul had been older then Christine?

First Meeting.

In this world, it's Gustave Daae that Raoul de Chagny is friends with, as Raoul is 40 years of age, and 10-years-old Christine sees him as an uncle. Still, he is the first to dive into the waves to fetch her scarf, and she rewards him with a kiss on the cheek.

Hannibal.

<p>When Christine sees Raoul again after ten years, she is a beautiful flower of a girl, and he is thirty years older then her. This time, when Meg asks her if she knows the new patron, Christine does not say they were childhood sweethearts. Instead, she says, ''He was like an uncle to me.'' and Meg remarks how handsome he still is at his age. His smile-there is something in his smile that pulls at her heart.

Think of Me.

When Christine sings, Raoul recognizes her instantly, and heads out to buy her a bouquet of flowers-lilies, and pink roses. He smiles, and goes along with the managers to her dressing-room, and leaves when they are not looking. She sits there, clad still in her fairytale princess-like dress of white satin overlaid in star-studded tulle,holding a rose in her hands that seems very likely from an admirer.

''Hello.'' he begins, and she turns to look.

''Is it- oh, it's good to see you!'' she exclaims and runs to embrace him.''Uncle.'' she teasingly calls him.

''There's no need for that anymore.'' he says, and presents the flowers to her. ''Oh, they're beautiful!'' she sniffs them, smiles at him. She walks over and places them in a vase, arranging them nicely. Then she turns and waits, hands clasped in front of her.

He smiles.'' You sang beautifully tonight. I think the angels would have wept to hear you.''

Christine smiles. ''Is that all?'' She looks as if she expects him to ask her out to dinner, and indeed, if he were a younger man, he would have done so. But he is not young anymore. He knows what could happen to her reputation if he does. So he merely bids her good-night, and Christine must take comfort in the nearness of her Angel.

Il Muto.

As Raoul heads to confront the managers about the letter he received, he is stopped by a masked figure. While he cannot see the face, he wonders who the man is to talk to him.

''Who are you, sir?'' he questions.

''No one at the moment.'' the man replies, his voice low. ''What business do you have with Miss Daae?''

''Her father was my friend.'' Raoul answers.

''She's grown, hasn't she?''

Raoul nods, and feels confused. This conversation is going nowhere. ''She's very lovely.'' he says after a while.

''You care for her.'' the man remarks.

''Yes, as an uncle. Nothing more than that.'' With that, the conversation is over, and Raoul heads towards the stairs.

Rooftop.

When the stagehand is hanged, Raoul runs to find Christine, to make sure she is alright. Why? Because- no, he cannot think such a thing of her. She finds him, and pulls him towards the stairs. ''Hurry!'' she urges. ''He cannot find us!''

Who? Raoul wants to ask, but does not. When Christine wants to, she will tell him.

Once they reach the rooftop, Raoul must stop and take a breath, as he is a little tired from running up all those stairs. Then he walks over to Christine. ''Do not be afraid. I'm here.'' She steps closer. He holds out his arms, and she throws her own around him.

It is the sort of thing a uncle would do, he is sure, and he desperately tries to ignore the beating of his own heart.

She pulls away, and he kisses her forehead.

''Take me away from here?'' she asks, and he cannot refuse.

''Of course.''

She tilts her head, looks at him. ''Can I say something?''

''Anything.'' he affirms. He is not prepared for what she does say.

''I love you.'' she says, fingering the edges of his evening jacket. ''I suppose I have always loved you, ever since you rescued my scarf from the sea. I did not think to harbor such feelings for so long, yet it was only when I saw you again at the Hannibal rehearsal that they began again. Please, I don't care what people think, but I believe that a marriage ought to be based on love. Couldn't you-'' she looks at him with those eyes, brown and large like a doe's, ''Couldn't you love me, too?''

Raoul stares at her in shock. ''Christine, for God's sake, do not say such things to me. Please! I could not bear it.'' he steps back from her, and she stares at him. ''I'm much older than you.''

''Aristocratic girls marry men much older than themselves. There's no difference.'' Christine pleads. ''If you cannot love me now, could you try to love me?'’

He cannot refuse her any longer. ''Very well, then. We'll have a pretend engagement.''

 Masquerade.

Christine must accept the idea of a fake engagement, even though it makes her heart ache.

Still, she laughs with Meg, and they gossip about what the wedding will be like, even though she knows there will be no marriage. Every time she sees him- she thinks of running away, to avoid the heartbreak of it all.

But she does not, and time passes.

There are times when they stand next to each other, and his arm brushes hers or his side touches her own, and he stiffens. She thinks that he might feel something, but the next minute, he is gone.

Her dress for the masquerade is pink silk satin, with a tulle overlay and tiny rosebuds at the neck and sleeve overlay. She is a princess, and Raoul comes as a soldier. It is like the stories, where the knight swears to guard the princess.

Everything is happy, everything is joyful, until the Phantom shows up and Raoul runs off to get his sword, hoping to finish the monster off. But Christine dashes off after him, holding her skirts. 

''Raoul, you shouldn't!'''

''Why?'' he questions, almost furiously. ''You care for him?''

She shakes her head. ''No! I care for you.'' Still so stubborn in that one respect. Still so stubborn. She takes his sword away from him, places it carefully on the floor. ''I don't want to see you get hurt.'' she tells him, stands on her tiptoes, and presses her mouth to his. He stands there in shock, and his mind says to pull away, this is wrong-but his heart tells him to kiss her back, to give her what she wants. Give Christine what she wants is what he does, his mouth meeting her own in a gentle need-and it's not enough for a girl who has experienced her first kiss from the man she loves.

Raoul cups his hand to the back of her head, deepens the kiss and his other arm winds around her waist, pulls her closer.

One of her hands presses against the satin of his costume, and she can feel his heart, that beats as fiercely as her own. 

He stops-this is not right, not at all! He pulls away, picks up his sword quickly, even though his hands shake. 

''That will not happen again.'' he says firmly.

Graveyard.

It is very early in the morning when Christine wakes up, and for a moment she smiles, remembering his mouth on hers, the way he'd kissed her, as if he could not help himself. ''Oh my darling.'' she whispers. ''Oh my dear heart's darling.''

She starts to go back to sleep, but then she hears her Angel's voice again. Not now.she thinks.Not after what happened.Still, she gets out of bed, and she is halfway down the stairs, passing a sleeping Raoul, when he mutters something in his sleep, and she turns. 

He cannot have said that. 

He says it again.

''Christine, I love you.''

She steps towards his sleeping frame, brushes a few strands of hair out of his face. ''I love you.'' she whispers, and he starts, jerking his head away from the wood. 

''What was that?'' She pulls her hand away, and hurries to the stables to fetch a horse, when he catches up to her. It is most improper, as she is still in her nightgown with a shawl wrapped round her, and he only in a loose shirt and pants, but still, they ought to talk.

'Where are you going?'' he asks, voice still thick with sleep.

''To the cemetery to visit my father's grave.''

''I'll come with you. Get dressed.'' She hurries back inside and pulls on a black velvet dress and tucks a black scarf into the neck, for it is cold outside. 

She returns, he helps her onto the horse, and they head to the graveyard. She finds her father's grave, whispers a prayer, and places a bouquet of roses on the stone.

A phantom's plans have been thwarted, and he will not stand for it.