#but it will be some kind of fic based on the phantom of the opera :3

[artzychic27]

Uhh… AU based on @maddascanbe-blog’s A Vengeful Butterfly fic

Canon events are the same, only Camilo isn’t as influenced by Alma’s bullshit. He LOATHES how the rest of the family treats Mirabel and he will not hesitate to back her up

Whenever he tries standing up for Mirabel, he’s either rebuffed, or Mirabel is chastised for being a “bad influence”. And Mirabel’s just used to all of this and doesn’t care anymore. She mostly just spends her days in her room, sewing, and the rest of the family doesn’t bother to check on her. When Julieta or Augustin tries, it is just terrible. They lead with that, “You’re just as special as anyone else” bullshit

The only one safe from him is Antonio because he’s baby

As Chameleon, he’s the only member of the Encantos who doesn’t cause too much destruction or harm to villains. He kind of lost respect for his mother after she struck a thief with lightning. And they only stole a loaf of bread

After a lousy family dinner where Alma berates Mirabel for God-knows-what this time, Camilo sneaks out of his room late at night to blow off some steam. He doesn’t expect to be followed by a glowing white butterfly. It leads him into an old building where he finds two boxes, each with a brooch inside

When he gets back home, he tries on the purple brooch, and before his eyes, a purple butterfly-looking sprite named Nooroo appears. Then, he puts on the blue brooch, and a blue peacock-looking spire named Duusu appears. When they introduce themselves a bit more and their powers, Camilo isn't all too impressed since he comes from a family of superhumans, but then he gets an idea. He can give the Miraculous to Mirabel, and, hopefully, Alma will stop treating her like trash!

However, after what had to be one of the worst missions ever, with Matriarch barking orders instead of doing anything, Tempest causing all sorts of collateral damage, and Alchemist healing civilians to cover up any injuries, Chameleon realizes something... He's not putting Mirabel through this! He was almost crushed by debris, and Matriarch just told him to deal with it! And the press is once again putting the Encantos in a good light, and the civilians are eating it up

Tired of it all, Camilo dons the Butterfly Miraculous and becomes Emperador, the new villain of the city of Veil. Until the citizens see the corruptness of the Encantos, he's going to keep sending out Akumas for them to face. He doesn't expect a ladybug and a cat-themed hero to show up and defeat each of his Akumas, though. But, now Veil will see what true heroes look like

He renounces his hero status one day, Alma is furious, but he doesn't give a damn, and now he's the third black sheep

Anyway, more notes

He has a Phantom of The Opera mask because it's Camilo. And he is a theater nerd

Camilo and Lia get along. He's like the annoying brother she never had. They're the founding members of the, "We love Mirabel, but we hate the rest of her family, sans Camilo and Antonio" club. They got three more members, and all are more than determined to make this girl smile again

He's EXTREMELY protective in this au and will backtalk Alma and Isabela whenever they stop acting like adults and bully Mirabel for literally no reason

He discovers from Mirabel that Bruno left, but never actually left. He also finds out that Bruno is the mysterious Ladybug-themed hero! And he couldn't be more thrilled. His tío deserves some recognition for being a decent hero, and as his loving sobrino, he'll go easy on him... Maybe.

During Hero's Day, it's all the same, except Mirabel finds the Peacock Miraculous instead of Antonio. Duusu tells her what Camilo's been doing, and she's left shocked and unsure what to think until she looks at the live feed on her phone, and sees Emperador being cornered by Cochinelle and Lady Void. Mirabel transforms into Zafiro and sends out an Amok so Emperador can escape. They meet up back at Casita and hug each other while crying

[tj-dragonblade]

*knock knock knock* ❄️☃️🎄 Asking for 24 for the Spotify Wrapped!!!

24 - Dance With the Dragon by Dark Sarah

Congratulations, you've landed on one of the songs that's officially on my list of Songs That Would Make Great Dreamling Fics (That I'll Never Write)! Based entirely on the video linked above and the story that it's part of, this would be a fantasy AU where the vibes are 'Labyrinth meets Alice in Wonderland' with hints of Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast, and Hades and Persephone sprinkled over for flavor.

The basic idea is that Hob is trapped in some alternate reality and trying to collect a key from each realm he passes through to be able to get back to his own reality. No idea at this juncture what the first realm/key would be - maybe something with the fae, maybe hell, idk. The second realm is Dream's. Do I want to keep to the source and make him a dragon who lost his wings for hubris and arrogance and got banished from the 'upper world' to rule this dark 'underworld'? Maybe, but that's also very Lucifer-ish. So maybe I'd blend in something closer to his canon. In any case. Hob tries to sneak into Dream's castle, get the key, sneak out. He does not succeed and is taken before Dream. There is antagonistic chemistry. There is sneering haughty-in-my-superiority taunting and 'let's be reasonable' demands. There is at least one challenge set, there is Hob as a 'guest' of Dream's until he completes the challenge ('So I'm a prisoner, then.' 'Oh no, you may leave any time you like, but you will gain no key until you complete my challenge.' 'But what good is leaving without the key, when I'll just be stuck here forever??' 'I fail to see how that is my problem'), there is continued verbal fencing and sparring and building UST as Hob struggles with the challenge, there is an elaborate ball (masquerade?) held, there is a waltz charged with so much tension and raging attraction it's a wonder the room doesn't spontaneously combust. There is at least one moment of 'Oh no under different circumstances this could be More™️' and genuine understanding/connection between them. In the end, Hob finally succeeds at the challenge, earns the key and departs on a note of uneasy flirtation - Dream bowing and kissing his hand in farewell as he acknowledges his defeat, lingering intense smirky eye-contact as Hob goes, that kind of thing.

Potentially this can go on, if I continue the thread of the source storyline but lean on Dream's canon for details. Perhaps collecting the three keys would give him the means to restore Orpheus/free Orpheus/something to do with Orpheus, and he's never had the means to collect the other two keys on his own, but now that Hob has collected the first and second, if Dream accompanies him while he collects the third, they can both use the keys to achieve their ends - Hob to go back to his own world and Dream to restore Orpheus. So Dream leaves Lucienne in charge of the realm and follows after Hob, catches up to him, proposes they cooperate etc; they quest for the third key and finally resolve that UST in the process. When they get the third key, and present it to let's say the Fates, they're told they cannot both claim reward - and they put the choice to Dream, his lover or his son. Let Hob go back to his world/his regular life, or be 'selfish' and choose to cash in for his own goal instead. It could end here with Dream choosing to let Hob go, which could be passing a test by the Fates and as reward for passing he still gets to save/restore Orpheus. Or, the longer and angstier version, he chooses Orpheus and thereby casts Hob into yet another alternate realm, and the next leg of the story is Dream's quest to find Hob again and seek his forgiveness, and find a way to get him home. Hob can't exactly fault Dream for choosing his son over this outsider human that he's started sleeping with, but it still hurts, still feels on some level like betrayal, and while he might like to freely offer forgiveness it's more plausible that there will have to be some earning done. Eventually of course they reconcile and find a way to get Hob home and then of course establish a means by which they can continue to cross worlds to see each other.

Anyway this is far more a mental exercise in mapping one story to another and seeing where they might translate than it is a viable fic idea; it's far too grand in scope and not nearly detailed enough for me to realistically take it on. Mostly I just want the enemies-to-lovers fraught-with-tension ballroom dancing scene.

Spotify Wrapped Askmeme Post

[abonnymouse]

2. What was your favorite scene in Horology? 3. What are you planning on working on next? 12. What was the first scene you planned for Horology? 18. If you had to write a crossover, what would you want it to be? Would it be crack or serious?

2. What was your favorite scene in Horology?

Oh god, I have a handful of scenes I really love, but I think Christine offering Erik one last chance to see her as a person and let her go is probably my favourite because (even though it doesn't work) she really does want him to see her as a person, and if he could have done that at any point, she might have been able to love him...

It's an old song, it's a sad tale. It's a tragedy...

3. What are you planning on working on next?

Right now I'm working on two different things, and the second one will probably be ready to post sooner (hopefully next week):

A (mostly) musical based sequel that takes place two years after the end of the musical and sees Raoul and Christine returning to the opera and finding themselves in need of Erik's assistance. The working title is Love Never Dies Hard

An AU titled "Nightmare on the Rue Scribe". It's very horror focused and follows Raoul trying to use his psychic abilities to help save Christine from the malevolent entity she accidentally woke up which is now terrorising her and the opera

12. What was the first scene you planned for Horology?

Erik lurking in the shadows behind the stage to see who's been interfering with his tricks, planning to kill whoever it is, and finding Christine talking to machinery as she fixes it. Especially him wanting to kill her, and then finding that he's too curious to go through with it.

18. If you had to write a crossover, what would you want it to be? Would it be crack or serious?

I can honestly say that I've never thought about a crossover for Phantom, although I do have some OC's and such that I occasionally consider adding to fics. If I HAD to, I'd probably want to do some kind of crossover with Crimson Peak, and it would be serious because I'm not funny enough for true crack. There's a reason my LND fics are both "crack taken seriously"

[lincolndjarin]

9 PEOPLE YOU’D LIKE TO GET TO KNOW BETTER

thank youuu @dins-riduur-anthe for tagging me <3

LAST SONG:

assume i am always listening to the phantom of the opera lmao

FAVORITE COLOR:

changes a lot. currently pink <3

CURRENTLY WATCHING:

bobs burgers at home and at the gym i've been rewatching stranger things with pmi commentary tracks while i run. might rewatch tlou soon though

LAST MOVIE:

saw barbie for the third time yesterday lol, other than that probably kingsman 2??? i watch kingsman 2 everytime i get drunk, it's such a consistent thing at this point that it should be studied

CURRENTLY READING:

just finished Tender is the Flesh, loved it, sat on a pool floatie and read the whole thing in one sitting, couldn't put it down, cried like a baby at the end.

almost done with Cows, really gross, lmao, can't really say much else regarding it, has made me physically recoil several times, i can't stand when splatterpunk targets children or animals and i always have to stop reading and i'm nervous that's where this ones going so might end up not finishing this one.

about to start Sister, Maiden, Monster, purely based on just the reviews and the summary on the back i can't fucking wait lol

SWEET/SPICY/SAVORY:

sometimes/yes/always : i don't really love sweets but i will fuck up anything cinnamon flavored

RELATIONSHIP STATUS:

currently in a year(ish) long situationship and SICK OF IT, but i've been on about a million first dates this past year and only once was there a second date and that was because he wanted to go to a movie i wanted to see.

CURRENT OBSESSION:

always and forever tlou has my heart, (my ellie tattoo is finally healing up) been super big into splatterpunk books even though it's hard to find good ones, i listen to a lot of podcasts, (specifically : Hey Riddle Riddle, Dungeons and Daddies, and The Magnus Archives, i have a huge tma sleeve piece and also a dndads tattoo as well lol) and of course The Phantom of the Opera has been my obsession literally since i was 11. He was my first crush and clearly that has greatly influenced my taste in men going forward lmao

LAST THING I GOOGLED:

"lube alternatives"

whoops. ended up just going out and buying lube and then buying the wrong kind anyway.

CURRENTLY WORKING ON:

i just slammed some pre workout so i'm currently working on not freaking out and getting this energy out lmao. gonna grab some dinner with my brother and probs buy a bottle of wine. come home, finish bks 23, and then i haven't decided if i'm gonna work on a request or finish my javier fic, one of those

No pressure tags :)

I don't have 9 people to tag but i want more mutuals on here so like lmk if y'all wanna be friends lololol

@pearliegirliesstuff @znerac @djarinxore

[livebloggingmydescentintomadness]

You’re probably not going to see this, but as a teen that started following you for ace/aro posts, your takes on purity culture and antis have been really important to me. To be honest I haven’t cared about proship/anti discourse in years and find the terms to be reductive and oversimplifying but I’m so sick of seeing call outs in my social circles that sum up to “this person that is open about the fact they like dark content likes dark content!” Like, I thought you didn’t WANT to interact with them, why are you mad that they’ve made their beliefs clear enough for you to block?

I’d never harass someone over fake people that don’t exist but I guess I have pretty “anti” tastes- pairings between a 16 year old and an 18 year old are enough to squick me out and my current fandom has a very popular incest subculture which is. A lot. But at the same time subjects like grooming and SA/CSA recovery are very fascinating to me, and your posts have helped me shake off the guilt I have about that and fear of being seen as an abuse apologist if I write fics about those topics.

I don’t really know where I’m going with this. Just, thank you, I guess. I hope you have a good day/night/whenever you read this :)

hello, dear, i'm so glad that my blog could be helpful to you <3

i agree with you that the anti/proship terminology does kind of feel like it trivializes really important issues, but please allow me to clarify one thing - being "proship" has nothing to do with WHAT you ship and everything to do with HOW you ship. it's not about taste, it's about philosophy.

i actually have pretty vanilla tastes myself; i typically avoid most dark fic, i'm not really into kink, i don't usually like "dead dove" type content, and most of my ships are not particularly controversial. the only incest ship that doesn't gross me out is thorki, because like, they're millennia-old alien space gods based on north mythology; incest is kinda the least weird thing going on there. i have a few ships that could be called abusive, like erik/christine from the phantom of the opera, but generally speaking, my tastes are tame and i just like a good fic with some tasty angst , a little sappy smut, and a happy ending.

however, i understand that other people ARE into all the stuff i'm not into, and it's none of my business what they enjoy, and, critically, my discomfort with those works does not matter, no more than it dictates what i choose to engage in and what i choose to avoid.

my discomfort with darkfic doesn't mean people who like darkfic are immoral, or that darkfic itself is immoral. it means that i don't read darkfic. i understand that my comfort and discomfort are not the moral code of the universe, and furthermore, that a quest for "moral purity" is not only impossible, but actively harmful. a lesson i learned quite well growing up in the baptist church.

using the title of 'proshipper' doesn't mean that i personally like "problematic" ships or whatever, it means that i find harassing people over their fictional tastes reprehensible. it means that i understand that there's a big, big difference between what you enjoy reading in fiction and what you approve of or endorse in real life, and that part of the purpose of fiction is to give us a safe place to explore dark, fucked up shit where it won't have real-world consequences. fiction is an outlet, not a mirror.

even if i personally find the content deeply disturbing, i understand that it is simply none of my fucking business what other people read and write about, provided that they tag the content properly. that's being proship.

anyway, i'm glad that i could help relieve you of your guilt. take care, dear.

[ablatheringblatherskite]

Fic Tag Game!!

How many works do you have on AO3?

25!

What’s your AO3 word count?

109,751

What fandoms do you write for?

Star Wars (haven't in a while tho), Wednesday, and I used to write for Hamilton. I also have a single fic for ATLA and Daredevil, and I'm currently writing a few fics for The Phantom of the Opera, HTTYD, Freelancers, and several other fandoms I can't remember ATM (I have that many WIPs LOL)

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The Valentine's Day Curse (Wednesday)

"send your cutest delivery boy" (special instructions, Tyler's POV) (Wednesday) (which was based on the fic by @cosmic-lullaby!)

wet face towels (Wednesday)

can I have this dance? (Wednesday)

My Halloween Angel (Wednesday)

Do you respond to comments?

I do!! I try to respond to every single one of them, though I'm a little backlogged rn LOL

What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I think it would have to either be stupid, stupid cartoon (Wednesday. Basically a what if Tyler died, and how would Donovan react?), or The Bonds of Lycanthropy (a Hamilton AU where he turns into a werewolf LOL)

What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I think a lot of my fics end pretty happy, but I think one of the happiest ones is Angels In Hell's Kitchen (Daredevil. About Matt Murdock having a good day for once).

Do you get hate on fics?

Thankfully no! And I'm praying it stays that way 😅🙏

Do you write smut? What kind?

Nope. And I never will 😅 makes me much too uncomfortable (I never read it either). Both because that's just how I am personally and for religious reasons. But I do love writing wholesome romance!

Do you write cross-overs?

I do! I only posted one tho, and that was literally the first fic I ever wrote 😭 it was a crossover between Newsies and In the Heights, where Jack and Usnavi run away from New York. I do have several crossover WIPs though!! Including but not limited to: a Narnia/The Hobbit crossover, a Narnia/His Dark Materials crossover, a HTTYD/Wings of Fire crossover, and a Daredevil/Batman crossover!

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I can't remember, but I think it's possible I have before? When my main site was still Fanfiction.net?

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I have!! But they aren't done yet 😭 but I'm writing them with @the-old-fashioned-girl! It's the Daredevil/Batman crossover, as well as a Hamilton fic!

What WIP would you like to finish but doubt you ever will?

Oh gosh, I don't want to ever think I'll NEVER finish a WIP, don't do that to me! I wanna say I'll finish all of the ones I want to finish eventually!!

What’s your all-time favorite ship?

Oh goodness, that's hard... probably Hiccstrid, Raoulstine, Silverparry, and Wyler!

What are your writing strengths?

I'm a pretty fast writer, I think. When I finally sit down and set my mind to it, I can easily get out a thousand+ words!

What are your writing weaknesses?

EDITING MY BELOATHED. And actually sitting down and starting to write...

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I think it's really cool when done well!! I've done it for Lafayette in some Hamilton fics, and I want to try using Tagalog in another fic someday! I'm also using sign language for my Deaf!Raoul AU!

First fandom you wrote for?

Like, wrote for, or actually posted? Because wrote for in general, it might be Ninjago but I never posted it. But published, Newsies and In The Heights LOL. But the one I posted frequently for first was Hamilton.

Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

Dang, that's hard. Possibly Talking To The Moon (Avatar: The Last Airbender)! I like how I tackled both Toph and Sokka in it :DD

No Pressure Tags!!: @rainintheevening, @clawedandcute, @darling-gemini, @chaotic-bumblebee-agenda, @mrgartist, @catkin-morgs-kookaburralover, @wednesdayandherhyde, @thee-antler-queen, @broken-everlark, @incomingalbatross and @muse-write!

[night-unfurls-its-splendour]

When the Longing Returns (Phantom of the Opera 2004 Fanfiction) || Erik x Christine

Ch. 5 Author's Notes

Read the fic here on tumblr or on AO3

◇ She felt intimidated just looking at it, with its dual manuals of ivory and ebony keys; its rows of stops, also capped with ivory; and all its pipes standing proud and erect, like incredibly regular leaden stalagmites, reaching for the cavern ceiling.

A quick and dirty rundown on pipe organ anatomy and terminology, as told by a layman: the console is the main housing for all of the organ controls; the keyboards (or manuals), the pedalboard (basically exactly the same as a keyboard but played with your feet; the pedalboard corresponds to the lowest notes on the bass clef), and the stops.

Each stop corresponds to a set, or "rank", of pipes, and is labelled with what quality of sound or timbre those pipes are designed to produce (e.g. trumpets, bells, flutes etc.) The number of stops on an organ depends on how many ranks of pipes it has. Erik's organ in the lair is fairly small (I'm very much a layman but I would guess it’s a thirty-six pipe organ at most—someone who is better at math than I am can count them).

Each rank of pipes is attached to a wind-box, and Erik's organ design in the movie is fairly unique in that the pipes are spread out in a kind of walk-through labyrinth, rather than clustered together. I have no idea if this design is realistic or viable, but it sure looked good when he walked between them during “Music of the Night”.

All of that should be sufficient that I needn't point out how... just woefully inadequate I find the organ console in the musical. Like, that keyboard, and... what does he only have a stool to sit on? Does it even have a pedalboard? I know, I'm sure there are practical reasons why it is like that, but it doesn't cut it for me, when high schools have done such amazing lair organs as this:

◇ Christine knew music—her father had taught her to read notes before she was even able to read letters

Book Canon: this is direct reference to the book, Ch. 5 "The Magic Violin”:

"This peasant had a little daughter to whom (even before she could read) he had taught the musical alphabet."

◇ "Christine recognized it as a prop table for Violetta's salon in La Traviata."

In English "The Fallen Woman", an opera by Giuseppe Verdi. Based on Alexandre Dumas' stage adaptation of his own novel La Dame aux camelias, La Traviata relates the tragic story of Violetta, an affluent courtesan, and her attempt to settle into a quiet life and marriage with her lover, Alfredo; plans which are foiled by Alfredo's disapproving father.

◇ "The water was on the cool side of lukewarm (of course, he would not give her cold water before a lesson.)"

While it’s extremely important for singers (especially in intensely rigorous disciplines such as opera) to keep hydrated, cold water tightens the muscles of the larynx, making them tense and thus more likely to suffer from vocal strain. Lukewarm or room temperature water is recommended.

Opera singers in general are very restrictive in what they consume in order to keep their voices in peak condition. Caffeine, sugar and alcohol are all terrible for the voice and are generally avoided. If they are consumed it is only occasionally, and never within a week of a performance. Some Opera singers even go so far as to teetotal.

◇ They had listened in the doorway; her father would not take her into the Narthex (directly above which rested the organ loft)

The area directly outside the sanctuary of a church. In classical churches, its original purpose was to provide a place for penitents and the unbaptized (not permitted entry into the church proper) to listen to services.

In modern churches it is still used to refer to the lobby, vestibule, or area immediately outside the sanctuary.

In addition I would like to specify that the main organ loft in the Uppsala Cathedral is indeed located above the Narthex.

◇ Christine felt a thrill that sang in her veins as recognition dawned. She knew this song.

In case it's not perfectly clear, I decided to go full meta here: he is playing the Phantom of the Opera Overture. I watched several YouTube videos of covers to get an idea of exactly what it looks like when this is played. And this particular piece seems horrifyingly complex. I am not joking at all. I really wanted to bring Erik's skill to the fore here, and illustrate, in detail, exactly how much effort and, just, sheer talent is necessary to play his music. 

I decided to use the excuse of its being incomplete to explain why the music ends so abruptly.

◇ The Cahman organ in the Uppsala Cathedral had played liturgical music—sacred and solemn.

The Uppsala Cathedral (or, in Swedish, Uppsala Domkyrka), is located in the center of Uppsala, Sweden, the nearest major city to the village where Christine was born. Uppsala is the seat of the Church of Sweden (Svenska Kyrkan), which practices High-Church Lutheranism.

Designed in the Gothic style by French architects, it is the tallest cathedral in Scandinavia, historical venue for the coronation of Sweden's monarchs, and is the resting place of King Eric the IX, also called Eric the Holy, who happens to be the patron saint of Sweden. His wife, amusingly (if unsurprisingly), was Queen Christina.

The Åckerman Pipe Organ (above, right), which is the current main organ of the cathedral was built in 1871, after our story takes place—Christine and her father would have heard the 18th century Cahman Organ, which the Åckerman was built to replace.

◇ "... it is not in my nature to lie about music to spare anyone's feelings; even yours."

Or as Winslow Leach would have it:

"I would never let my personal desires influence my aesthetic judgement."

I'd love to say this line was an homage to Winslow, but it isn't: I wrote this several weeks prior to viewing Phantom of the Paradise for the first time. Still, the similarity in the sentiment was just too perfect, I had to draw attention to it.

◇ the King of Thulé Aria.

Marguerite's first solo in the opera. Her first singing appearance actually takes place in Act II when Faust, accompanied by Méphistophélès, approaches her, and offers to escort her home; but her sung dialogue consists of only a couplet, in which she modestly refuses his offer.

In the King of Thule Aria, Marguerite is singing to herself, a somber ballad about the King of Thule (hence the name), but continually interrupts herself, thinking aloud about the encounter with Faust, and lamenting that he did not at least give her his name.

◇ The Jewel Song

Marguerite's second major solo, which immediately follows the King of Thule. Siebel (the role Christine has been cast in—see notes on Ch. 4), a youth who is in love with Marguerite, has previously lain a posy of flowers at her doorstep, singing a small solo where he charges the flowers with conveying his love to her. Immediately after this, Mephistopheles places a casket of fine jewelry next to the posy on Faust's behalf. Upon discovery, Siebel's humble flowers are, of course, upstaged by the jewels, and the modest but naive Marguerite loses herself in rapturous fantasies of Faust seeing her so richly adorned. This song foreshadows Marguerite's coming fall into decadence with Faust, as she yields to the deadly sin of Vanity—shortly to be followed by Lust.

Here and here are performances of Faust which I used as reference. The links begin with Marguerite's entrance in scene IV of Act III, but both feature the legendary Samuel Ramey as Mephistopheles, and I highly recommend watching them in full whenever you find the time.

◇ No one who did not hear Christine Daaé sing Faust would be able to claim to know Faust.

Leroux reference: an homage to the rave reviews Christine receives following her Triumph in Chapter 2, "The New Marguerite". The "great critic, P. de St.-V” writes of Christine's debut:

"I am perhaps indiscreet, but only love is capable of working such a miracle, of causing such a drastic transformation. Two years ago, we heard Christine Daaé in her competition at the conservatoire, and she gave us charming hope. What is the origin of the sublime talent she had today? Anyone who has not heard her sing the final trio of Faust does not know Faust: the exaltation of a voice and the rapture of a pure soul can go no further!" [Trans. Lowell Bair, 1990]

◇ "... her vulgar, Café Jacquin caterwauling."

Leroux reference: a popular dance hall of the period. This is mentioned in one of Erik's notes in Ch. 4 "Box Five" as one of the venues Carlotta sang at before she joined the Opera:

"I know what you have done for Carlotta and Sorelli and little Jammes and for a few others whose admirable qualities of talent or genius you have suspected.

Of course, when I use these words, I do not mean to apply them to La Carlotta who sings like a squirt and who ought never to have been allowed to leave the Ambassadeurs and the Café Jacquin..."  [Trans. 1911, Alexander de Mattos]

◇ "Only you can sing Marguerite as she was meant to be heard."

Now, this line is an homage to Erik Destler in the 1989 film starring Robert Englund. It's maybe my favourite non-ALW take on PotO and I appreciate the little references to the source material peppered in. And I just genuinely love Englund's Erik. This is one of the few adaptations that actually includes Faust and is also one of the few versions that actually shows a music lesson between Erik and Christine (it is fairly perfunctory, but at least it's there.)

◇ "... one, who was anonymous, very highly esteemed by the public, and clearly too rich to be bought, had very openly (and accurately) criticised Carlotta's Marguerite as "Rather too splendidly sensuous".

Wow! Lots of Leroux this chapter. Another pull from Ch. 2, "The New Marguerite":

"Up to this point, Christine Daaé had played a merely appropriate Siebel to Carlotta's rather too splendidly sensuous Marguerite." [Trans. Leonard Wolf, 1996].

Now, this judgment in the book comes from Leroux's narrative voice, not from the critic alluded to in my text (though that is also a book reference), but immediately after said critic's rave review of Christine's sudden genius.

Elsewhere in the book, in Chapter 7 (or 8, depending on your translation) "Faust and What Followed", Leroux describes how Carlotta,

"flung herself into the role without restraint of modesty..." according to Alexander de Mattos,

Or, according to Leonard Wolf:

"Intoxicated, gave of herself utterly, enthusiastically, passionately. Her performance was entirely unrestrained and shameless."

What both translators agree on, though, is that Carlotta was "no longer Marguerite, but Carmen." This, of course, referring to Georges Bizet's opera, based on Prosper Merimee's novella of the same name about the Spanish soldier José who is seduced and then jilted by the fiery title character.

I so wanted to include this dig as another critique of Carlotta's turn as Marguerite; unfortunately, Carmen was not produced until 1875—four years after this story is set.

◇ “From the recitatif, 'Je voudrais bien savoir'. Whenever you are ready, Christine."

"Recitative" in English: sung dialogue or soliloquy in an opera (also used in musicals like Phantom of the Opera). Recitatif is used in opera-lyrique, as opposed to the spoken dialogue used in opera-comique.

◇ "Excellent, Christine! Magnificent!" he ejaculated, his voice and expression saturated with an adulation so powerful she felt a fire seem to light in the apples of her cheeks.

I just want to be absolutely clear here;

Ejaculate (Verb)

ejac·​u·​late 

1:  to eject from a living body

specifically : to eject (semen) in orgasm

2 : to utter suddenly and vehemently

◇ Trailing it tortuously along her collarbone, he finally took that errant lock of hair which had distracted him during their lesson, let the kinks of burnt umber silk run through his fingers, and lifted it delicately over her shoulder, allowing his fingertips to graze her skin.

Directly inspired by this moment between Thomas Ambt Kofod and Sybille Glosted during "Point of No Return" (Copenhagen, 2019), which makes me absolutely feral.

◇ "But Erik... had not yet completely lost hold of the good end of his reason."

Really going nuts with Leroux refs but, I just can't resist.

This is not a PotO reference, but reaches into the wider Leroux-verse (And there is an interconnected universe—you can catch Inspector Mifroid, who appears in PotO to investigate Christine's disappearance, in one of Leroux's earlier works The Double-Life of Theophraste Longuet).

"Le bon bout de la raison" or "The good end of reason" is a kind of motto for Leroux's young gentleman detective, Joseph Josephin Rouletabille, who says:

"Reason has two ends, the good and the bad. There's only one which you can depend on with confidence, and that's the good end. One recognizes it because it will not shatter, no matter what you may do or say."

Rouletabille uses this principle to unravel the mysteries of the criminal cases he undertakes to solve; Erik is using it here to help him with the mystery of the advancement of Christine's sexuality.

◇ "On the high platform beyond his bedroom, there sat, what could only be described as, a throne; ornately carved and gilded, with sumptuous cushions of darkest red velvet."

So I was on my... seventeenth watch? Of the movie when I first noticed that, though it gets absolutely NO ACTION, there absolutely is a throne in the lair in the movie.

I don't know if I'm the only one who missed it but I thought I would toss a footnote in here, in case anyone else did.

Part of me wonders, why bother? And why put it so far off to the side? But, oh well. I’m glad it’s here, in my toolbox for potential use in ... future chapters....

[oh-goodness-loki]

Shipper Tag Game!

I was tagged by: @theflagscene, thank you!

What ship were you completely obsessed with when you were a teenager, but now you don't care about anymore?

I don't remember much about when I was a teenager, least of all shipping characters (this concept didn't occur to me until I started reading fanfiction and getting onto Tumblr). I just remember getting into fanfiction because of Supernatural/Marvel. So I guess ummm Loki/Darcy or Destiel.

2. Which ship would you consider your first one?

It would probably have been a y/n x supernatural character. Starting out, I was really into those for a while but besides that, I think...Destiel or Loki/Sigyn.

3. Your first fanfic belonged to which couple?

The only fanfiction (that I've finished and published) are for Hannigram (hannibal x will). It's a Phantom of the Opera AU and idk I think for a first fic, it was pretty good.

4. Do you remember the first couple you saw fanart of?

I honestly can't remember. My memory is pretty shit about some things.

5. Did you ever get into ship discord?

Nope. I think it's a waste of time. I'm very much someone who lets people ship what they want. If I see a ship I don't like, I just block the tag.

6. Did you used to have a NOTP or have any currently?

I am not a fan of the R*ylo ship. The pairing is whatever, but what I hate the most about it is the fact that the movies were completely changed to have those characters together. It was honestly shit.

7. Who were the couple in the last fanfic you read?

Babe/Charlie. It would've been Phaya/Tharn but I am trying to stay away from spoilers and I don't want to accidentally come across one on ao3.

8. Currently have any OTPs?

*cracks knuckles* Hannigram, Phaya/Tharn, Hannigram, Babe/Charlie, Alan/Jeff, Jaeyoung/Sangwoo, Symbrock, White/Sean, Mickey/Ian, and Vegas/Pete. I'm sure there's more, but those are what I remember.

9. Is there any couple that to this day you are extremely mad about them not getting together?

I don't know...

10. Is there any ship that you used to dislike but now you think are kind of interesting?

I used to hate Eddie Gluskin (from Outlast Whistleblower) and he gets shipped with Waylon Park. A few years ago I saw fanart of them in a Cabin in the Woods AU and then I read the fic that was based off of that fanart and I was hooked.

11. Do you have a ship that in the past was considered 'normal' but now you would be canceled over?

I don't think the fandom has ever considered it 'normal' but Hannigram is hated by a huge portion of the Stranger Things fandom.

12. What's your favorite crack ship?

Idk if it's considered a crack ship, but SpaceDogs (Nigel from Charlie Countryman and Adam Raki from Adam). I just find them adorable.

13. Who is the couple you've read the most fanfics of?

Hannigram (this includes the Hannibal Extended Universe IYKYK) They are my OTP of OTPs.

14. What do most of your ships usually have in common?

Probably obsessiveness. The type that IRL would be very unhealthy, but is so delicious to read.

15. What do you absolutely hate in a ship?

Miscommunication. It's so annoying. Especially when one character refuses to hear the other's explanation or where one character hears the other talking to someone and they mishear/assume something and then leave before hearing the rest of it. And it leads to a misunderstanding and ugh. It gets annoying lol.

Tagging: @negrowhat @obvious-fandom-reference @therealblessedaffliction @kijilinn @thedeviljudges

[solomons-poison]

WIP tag game

rules: post the names of all the files in ur wip folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. let people send u an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it! tag as many people as you have wips!

Ooh thank you for the tag @peachsayshi and @vampnyx ! I have... many WIPs 😅 big struggle with finishing projects lol. As usual, I'm dipping my toes into too many ponds. Long list under the cut:

Obey Me

Point of No Return - Lucifer discovers your hidden talent and word accidentally gets out. You both face your feelings through the music of Phantom of the Opera.

Overworked - You just don't know when to quit or take a break, and eventually your body has had enough, causing Lucifer some stress.

In Your Dreams (nsfw) - Solomon decides to test his dream walking abilities with his sweet little apprentice, and things get steamy.

My Oh My - AU; Your friends drag you to the club, where your gaze is captured by the handsome devil, pardon the pun, with white hair and tan skin. You might never see him again, but what could a little dancing and flirting hurt?

New Discoveries (nsfw) - Barbatos never let's anyone touch his tail without his explicit permission, and he's kind enough to give you the chance. However, neither of you were expecting his reaction to it.

Ikemen Prince

Crossing the Line - knight!reader AU; you're assigned as Keith's bodyguard but he continues to make it hard to do your job.

New Keith fic (nsfw) - nice!Keith knows he's not always the most adventurous in bed and decides to take inspiration from a recommended book.

Playing with Fire (nsfw) - based on NNN; you're tired of mean!Keith always getting the upper hand in bed, and decide to get revenge with a little challenge.

Jujutsu Kaisen

Angst to fluff Geto - Geto finds out you've been hiding something important from him, something that would change your future and your relationship permanently.

Angst to fluff Nanami - There's a big misunderstanding between you and Nanami that you aren't aware of until feelings come to a head.

Exploring with Choso (nsfw) - Choso isn't quite a human and your activities in bed certainly remind you of this. You've gotta keep the upper hand before you lose your mind.

FWB Nanami/Hotel Views (nsfw) - Nanami doesn't believe in encouraging romantic relationships with coworkers, but he can't help the way you enamor him or how easy it is to get wrapped around your finger.

I'm a Wanted Man (nsfw) - mafia!AU Toji; You knew there was something dangerous about your apartment neighbor, but you accidentally become a witness to just how violent he can truly be, putting you in his sights.

Tagging uhhhhhhhhhh anyone that would like to do it! Don't know who's been tagged so far :p

[thejediandthemandalorian]

Fic Writer 20 Questions

I was tagged by @texasdreamer01 😊

1.) How many works do you have on ao3

9, though some of them are only visible if you're logged in.

2.) What's your ao3 word count?

64,757, not a lot but there's nothing wrong with that.

3.) What fandoms do you write for?

Star wars, lots of Star Wars. I think I wrote for Yuri!!! On Ice before? I used to write for Marvel, I did a little bit of Phantom of the Opera (very little), I have some unpublished Avatar the Last Airbender fics, and I am currently writing for Our Flag Means Death 🤭 I hope around depending on what I feel/am hyperfixating on, but ultimately it always comes back to Star Wars.

4.) What are your top five pics by kudos?

Fighting For Your Power - one of my first published Star Wars fics. Definitely not my favorite and also unfinished, a common occurrence with my ever changing brain.

If I Could Hold You For a Minute (Darling, I'd do it Again.) - Codywan. A little hurt comfort thing that takes place after the Rako Hardeen incident

Orbital Decay - another Codywan fic, probably my longest posted fic at this point in time.

And cowboy is his name - a short little bobadin cowboy au that I'm thinking of adding more onto, whether it's little snippets or an actual story is to be seen.

To Be A Good Soldier - a Commander Cody fic, kinda my own little headcanon as to how he got his scar.

5.) Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do, it just takes me a while to get there. I'm always a little slow on the up taking. I reply to comments because someone took a brief moment of their time after reading my story to let me know their thoughts, and it means the world to me, so the least I can do is respond to their comments.

6.) What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

A fic that no longer is on AO3 🙈 I took it down after a couple years of like....no one reading it, and decided to keep it to myself, like a dragon. The story is hurt comfort without any of the comfort lol. Poor poor Garashir, doomed by the narrative and also me.

7.) What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Oooooh let me think. Recently they all have happy endings because I myself need one. Uhhhhhh. Probably Orbital Decay. My babies get together very tentatively at the end.

8.) Do you get hate on fics?

Ehhh my fics don't get seen by a wide enough audience I think. The only 'hate' I've ever gotten was someone demanding me tag something, but it wasn't even very hateful so. No I guess not.

9.) Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Once upon a long time ago, but I haven't in ages and frankly it makes me uncomfortable to write, always has.

10.) Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I don't, it's not something that holds my interest.

11.) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of...😳

12.) Have you ever had a fic translated?

No sir-y

13.) Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Yes and no? It's a collaborative fic, but I'm not the one writing it, I just had the base idea and give more ideas for the concept and squeal and cry over it.

14.) What's your all time favorite ship?

It changes with the tides, but how can I pick one set of my beloveds over another?

15.) What's a WIP you'd like to finish, but doubt you ever will?

All of them. Lol uhh I really really wanna get the Codywan AU fic written, but I'm at a point where I currently don't have it in me, I don't have much writing in me at all right now.

16.) What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue. I love dialogue. I've also been told, and I have to trust what people tell me, that I'm very descriptive and also know how to write a fight scene.

17.) What are your writing weaknesses?

Lack of confidence in my skills. Inability to finish what I've started. Making sure I'm keeping people in character, and also I tend to lack in the plot department.

18.) Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Well, I think so long as you...ugh this one is tricky cause I don't know how to phrase it. I like to write in other languages in very very small doses. A little smattering here and there. But also, I feel like it's important to know the language you're writing in or consult someone who does for accuracy? Idk how to explain it.

19.) First fandom you wrote for?

Marvel. Marvel. And more Marvel. I had a very long story (with no actual plot) posted to a different site, and then took to writing people's requests for Marvel ship fics for a time.

20.) Favorite fic you've ever written?

Uhhh idk To Be a Good Soldier? I'm not entirely sure. Maybe it will be the little OFMD fic idea I had, but who knows.

Softly nudging @poibynt @missypup @frostbitebakery and anyone else who might like to do this

[susandsnell]

CHOOSE VIOLENCE: 12, 18, 22, 23

thanks so much maggie!!! sorry for the delay. hope you're well!!

choose violence ask game 🔥

12. The unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them.

pick any woman lmao. but i'm going to say i'm especially defensive of may welland from the age of innocence and amy march from little women. the former is hated for trying to put a stop to an affair her husband was having/protect herself from being left for another woman when before they ever got married, she told newland straight up he didn't have to marry her if he wasn't sure and his dumb ass was so indecisive he tried to have his cake and eat it too, and nearly ruined both their lives. as for amy, she's unjustly hated for the high crime of 1) being kind of bratty as a child and 2) having the audacity to marry laurie, who she loved, instead of jo who is a lesbian who did not/could not commit to him. Perhaps the view of this has been skewed by the 2019 flick where Florence Pugh is playing an 8 year old and a twentysomething, but it really says something that classic lit fandom will fawn over the most atrocious, insufferable men imaginable (Rochester should've roasted and I'll die on that hill) but if a little girl , a literal child, has an age-appropriate fit of rage once and argues with her sisters (do these people not...have siblings?), culminating in her destroys her sister's things and said sister is everyone's self insert character (except, conveniently, for her rejections/subversions of femininity GEE I WONDER WHY), that's apparently a bridge too far. Even if she's overall a sweet person and outgrows being, again, kind of annoying as a kid.

Also, does Carlotta Giudicelli from Phantom of the Opera count? (Let's go with the musical version here for argument's sake.) She's a bit of a diva, sure, but honestly she earned it and is iconic for it, and she literally just wanted workplace safety and to not be replaced by a significantly younger and skinnier performer based on someone in power's attraction to said performer, which is still a very real issue in the entertainment world! She takes no shit! She was kind of hard on Christine when she wasn't to blame but c'mon, I'd hardly be the most reasonable or understanding if there was a serial killer on the loose bumping off my coworkers who was constantly threatening my life and that of my partner, and had suffered public humiliation twice at the hands of said nutjob. And she then has to find her husband dead as almost an afterthought to the wider plot. TeamCarlotta, she did nothing wrong except be slightly rude under extremely upsetting circumstances. I think she was more disliked in past Phantom fandom than she is now, but c'mon. Feature her more in fanworks, she's a badass!

18. it’s absolutely criminal that the fandom has been sleeping on… I can't answer 'women' twice, but I will just say as a generality deconstructing popular fic tropes. Really pick apart the horrific implications of what a Soulmates/Reincarnation AU looks like when equipoised against one's free will. Or heck, make it funny - There Is Only One Bed and this sonofabitch keeps kicking me. Just keep things fresh!!!

22. your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores Ooh, tough one! Again, the cop-out answer is 'character's canonical flaws and worse moments, or their better points if they're worse characters' lolol, but I really in general get bummed when people shirk worldbuilding and cool concepts in service of the same handful of relationship tropes? Not to be one of those people who bitches about lacking gen while also not contributing gen content - I fully acknowledge myself I'm more into the relationship aspect of things, but whether it's the fullest potential of the Train in Infinity Train, the way the Force is deconstructed as some kind of horrific fate-controlling entity in Knights of the Old Republic 2, so so so so so much vampire lore/rules/mythos in any given vamp media and its fandom, I wish it was just acknowledged and played with more! You could even do so in service of ships/characterization if you're clever!

23. ship you’ve unwillingly come around to Another tough call! I tend to stick to my guns on ships and either end up liking them out of the gate and then that like can turn into total brainrot, or I just kind of dislike them and stay disliking them. If we're talking some real crack, I started as vaguely amused by Barbenheimer (the crossover ship based on the phenomenon) to getting surprisingly behind cracky content made for it. I'm sorry I don't have a more dramatic or satisfactory answer on this front, but as I said, I tend to stick around my early-formed opinions on ships, and most of them I approach from a neutral perspective to begin with and see if it's swayed by solid content, canon or fanon.

[haljathefangirlcat]

If you get this, answer with 3 random facts about yourself and send this to the last 7 people in your notifs! Let’s get to know each other better! (Anon or not, it doesn’t matter)

Thank you for this ask, anon!! It's been a while since I've last had this post in my inbox, but it's always nice to see it pop up again. ^^ Now, let's try and find something I haven't said yet, and maybe bring in a little variety...

I first learned about fandom as a kid thanks to my sister, who's ten years older than me and whom I still occasional discuss fandom stuff with, tho we don't really share fics and stuff anymore like back in the day, when she was introducing me to fanfiction and fanart and slash and other stuff. Two of my best fandom friends are also quite a bit older than me. The current "intergenerational friendships in fandom are Always Bad & Predatory" climate and also the general hatred of any woman over... let's say, twenty-five? in fandom never fails to weird me out as a result.

When I was in high school, I had to have surgery in one eye... the good one, too, lol. Anyway, it was a rough time, to say the least, but there's one memory from it I still unironically cherish, and it's so silly and in a way that most likely seems funny only to me: that one time a doctor told me that my pupil would kind of get pulled out of shape and become slightly oblong... a bit like a goat's pupil. I'm sure it's regained its original shape since then (it's been years, after all), and I doubt it's ever been very visible anyway because my eyes are pretty dark and I always wear glasses (and for a while during recovery, the most noticeable thing about the operated eye was, huh, how red it was), but sometimes it still makes me smile how I once used to run around with a more-or-less-secret freaky goat eye. Like a witch who made some weird deal! Or, idk, someone who had a weird run-in with Thor! Which tells you pretty much all you need to know about my sense of humor, I fear. XD

Somehow, despite honestly wanting to, I've never watched any Les Mis, any Notre Dame de Paris, or any Phanton of the Opera that wasn't the movie (which idt I ever got to end of anyway because at the time I had just read the book and spent the whole movie thinking "??? why different??? where Daroga???? WHY PHANTOM PRETTY???? DD:") but I've watched the Italian version of Spamalot live, the premiere of a rock opera style musical based on what's commonly thought of as the first modern novel in the Italian language when it was broadcasted on tv, and three different version of Mozart L'Opéra Rock, La Légende du Roi Arthur, and a couple of Prince of Tennis (yes, the weird tennis anime with That Scene With The Dinosaurs) musicals through, er, less legal means. I honestly love people who are into musical theatre in a more serious way for a bunch of reasons, including how they all seem to be so passionate about so many aspects of their thing from technical details to backstage drama, and I'd listen to them go off about it all for hours (sometimes I do, on Youtube!)... but you couldn't pay me to say one word to them, at least at this point. Which I feel also says something about me. XDD

[cavalierious-whim]

The Other Kind of Work Meeting (Neuvithesley)

Part of 'Tea and Paperwork'.

After weeks of being too busy with work to see each other, Wriothesely books a meeting with Neuvillette for a booty call.

Read here on AO3. You can also, follow me on Twitter. Mrk1pk also drew some amazing art based on this fic, truly blessing me-- you can find it here on their Twitter!

At the moment, my written work is my only source of income whilst I'm between jobs. Other ways that you can support can be found below-- even if HALF of my followers on Twitter follow my $1 Tier on Patreon, it'd be life-changing income for me, so if you love my work, please consider it!

You can find my Ko-Fi and Commission Info/Shops here.

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Pre-Orders for physical books of selected works are still open for preorder in my Big Cartel Shop here.

And you can follow my Patreon here as well!

--

“Your schedule for the day,” says Sedene as she drops a folio onto Neuvillette’s desk.

He hums, finishing his note, the last letter curled at the end by his penmanship. “Ah, thanks Sedene.” She nods and keeps standing there, bobbing back and forth on her heels. Neuvillette looks at her, pen held over paper. “Yes?” he prompts.

“I… well, Monsieur Nuevillete, if you need me to hold your appointments around mid-afternoon—”

“Why would I need you to hold my appointments?” He pauses, thinking. “I don’t have standing appointments today, now that I think of it.”

“Aside from The Duke, of course.”

Neuvillette knows, for sure, that he doesn’t have a meeting with Wriothesley. It’s a point of contention at this point. They’ve both been too busy to even share a cup of tea, let alone handle anything work-related. Wriothesley has been sending his reports by way of low-level Fortress guards, and Neuvillette has sent his replies via agents of the Marechaussee Phantom. A nightmare. Neuvillette finds himself mildly agitated by the separation, far too used to his mate’s antics.

Wait. 

He clears his throat, choosing to ignore the intrusive thought. “The Duke?” he asks.

“Oh? His Grace didn’t inform you?”

He did not. Neuvillette rubs his chin. “It must be of importance,” he replies. “I see. Well. No need to clear my schedule. I don’t think he’ll demand much of my time.”

Sedene blinks, her face morphing into something more akin to amusement. Neuvillette, decidedly, does not like that look, but says nothing, waving her off. She curtsies and leaves, and Neuvillette knows that he won’t hear the end of her teasing about it later.

But. He smiles behind his palm. At least he’ll see Wriothesley. That alone makes it worth it.

#

The thing about it is that Wriothesley doesn’t schedule meetings through official channels. 

He’s a regular sight at the Opera Epiclese, coming and going as he pleases, the only man allowed to barge into Neuvillette’s office without knocking first—something that still annoys Sedene. And she judges him for it—judges them both, actually, her mouth pulled into a small downturn every time that Neuvillette waves off Wriothesley's eccentricities. 

And she knows better, which is why Wriothesley struts into Neuvillette’s office with a grin on his face, saying, “Sedene told me she’s cleared your schedule for a bit.”

Because of course, she has. Neuvillette holds up a finger as he finishes reading over a report. “It must be important,” he eventually says as he turns a page. “I can’t think of the last time you booked a proper meeting with me.”

Wriothesley groans, dragging a hand down his face. “You know how busy it’s been. With the Archon dead and you all…” He waves at Neuvillette vaguely. “Primordial waters, people freaking out about the stability of Fontaine, blah, blah— it’s all a recipe for a nightmare. Headache-inducing. I’m drowning in reports.”

Neuvillette finally looks at him overtop the stack of paper in his hand. “Yes,” he says dryly. “Reports.”

Wriothesley snorts. “Right. Sorry. Anyway, as you know it’s been impossible to find even a moment to come see you. I miss our midday smooches—”

“Wriothesley.”

“Right, right. Work.” Wriothesley grins and does nothing to imply that he’s there for such a thing. 

Neuvillette tilts his head. “Wriothesley? What was so important?”

Wriothesley pouts. “You don’t want to see me?”

“I—” Neuvillette pinches the bridge of his nose. “Of course, I want to see you.” In so many ways. His being craves him, set entirely off-kilter by his absence.

“Oh good. Do you know how long it’s been since we last kissed?”

“Wriothesley.”

“Last time I’ll mention it, I swear.” 

A lie. They both know it. Wriothesley will not leave Neuvillette’s office without demanding one as a go-away present, to which he’ll give in all too easily. He’s missed it too; Wriothesely’s taste of tea, his scent of leather and grease, and his weight against him. 

What a distracting thought. “Calling for a meeting,” Neuvillette then says. “Did something happen?”

“Somewhere, I’m sure.”

“Did you need my signature on a report?”

“You’ve approved everything I’ve asked for.”

“Then what is it that you need, Wriothesley?”

Wriothesley looks far too casual as he leans against the edge of Nevuillette’s desk, arms crossed over his chest. “Sweetheart—”

“Nothing good ever comes after you call me that.”

“I’d beg to differ. Good things always come after calling you that.” That gives Neuvillette pause. Wriothesley watches him with a half-grin spread across his face. “Oh? Have you figured it out?”

“Wriothesley, surely you didn’t use a work meeting to cover lecherous intent—”

“I definitely came here for a booty call.”

It is not the first time they’ve fucked in his office, nor will it be the last. And Neuvillette can’t blame Wriothesley; he’s just as bad and everyone knows it, which is the entire reason that Sedene cleared his schedule the moment she saw Wriothesley's name.

“I would hope that isn’t what you put on your request.”

“Of course, not,” replies Wriothesley. He moves, plucking the papers from Neuvillette’s hand and dropping them to the desk. Then he leans against it again, facing Neuvillette. “But I cannot confirm nor deny that it may say something about comparing budget reports. It’s been too long since I’ve last seen yours.”

They are, obviously, not talking about budget reports. Neuvillette laughs softly and scoots his chair forward until he’s close, reaching out to smooth his hands down Wriothesley's sides. “Eventually, Sedene will crack the code of that… particular vernacular.”

“She cracked it ages ago. Are you going to come up here or not? I haven’t kissed you in weeks.”

Neuvillette could. And oh, he wants to but there’s something to be said about restraint. Instead, he tugs Wriothesley's shirt from his trousers, hiking the hem just high enough to reveal the rise of a hip bone. 

“What’re you doing there?” 

“Is this not what you asked for?” Neuvillette glances up to find Wriothesley grinning back down at him. 

“I do think that I wanted a kiss.” Wriothesley slides his fingers through Neuvillette’s hair, petting it.

Neuvillette presses a kiss to the skin right above the waistband of his trousers, nuzzling, and inhaling Wriothesley's scent. Oh, he’s missed this. Instantly, he relaxes at the mere smell of his— “Yes,” he says, distracting himself.

“That’s not what I—” Wriothesley stops as Neuvillette’s fingers tease the opening of his trousers, tracing the length of his rapidly hardening cock. He swallows, his throat bobbing. “Well, if you want to kiss me there instead, I certainly won’t complain.”

He does nothing to stop Neuvillette from popping open the fly and even helps by shimmering out trousers. Wriothesley kicks them and his boots off when they hit the ground. “So needy,” teases Neuvillette, nuzzling the bulge of his cock through his underclothes, inhaling the heady scent of Wriothesley's arousal. 

It takes nothing to tug down his underwear and toss them to the side. Neuvillette takes hold of his cock, kissing the flushed tip that already drips precome. “Wet.” Another tease, one that drags an annoyed huff from Wriothesley's throat. “Stiff.”

“You’ve got to get better at the dirty talk,” says Wriothesley. 

Neuvillette flashes him a half-lidded look before dragging his tongue around the crown of his dick. Then his lips seal around it and he sinks the entire way, taking Wriothesley's cock to the root. 

Wriothesley jerks, knocking his elbow against the desk. “Fuck,” he hisses, choking on whatever taunt he was about to throw his way.

Neuvillette hums around him, pulling back to suckle the tip. He strokes the rest with his hand, smiling around Wriothesley's cock as he loses his words, tugging on Neuvillette’s hair instead. He’d forgotten the feel of it on his tongue, how well it fills his mouth. Neuvillette bobs his head, slipping down his length again, moaning when Wriothesley bucks into his mouth, unable to stop himself.

“Gods, that feels good.” 

For all his teasing about kisses, Wriothesley is quick to surrender himself. Neuvillette pulls off, dragging his tongue through the slit of Wriothesley's cock, and then asks, “Did you lock the door?”

“Did I—what?”

“The door,” repeats Neuvillette, kissing his way down the length, as if he isn’t trying to also have a conversation. “Did you lock it?”

“I—” Wriothesley gasps as Neuvillette’s fingers drag down the seam of his balls before squeezing them gently. “Um.”

“Wriothesley.”

“That’s—fuck, I can’t think—oh.”

Neuvillette’s fingers press between his asscheeks next, slick with Hydro as they ghost across his hole. “Beloved,” he calls him next, knowing it’ll undo Wriothesley entirely. And it does; Wriothesley's legs spread and he groans as Neuvillette prods at his rim. “The door?”

“You’re so—” A grunt of annoyance as Wriothesley's head tips back. Neuvillette circles his rim, a finger testing the give but not sinking in. “No, I didn’t. But Sedene—”

“Why are you mentioning her right now?”

“She—she’s—”

“She is guarding that door for us, I promise you.” Neuvillette can’t help but laugh at the thought. They’ll both get an earful of it later, that’s for sure. Wriothesley likely already did before he even came in here because Sedene most definitely chided him for using official channels to get railed. 

Neuvillette’s finger bullies Wriothesley's hole, fucking it open slowly. Tight; Wriothesley is so tight. Neuvillette cock aches at the thought of being buried inside of him. Gods. Wriothesley is right. It’s been too long, he should’ve—they should have—

There is no use lingering on the thought of it. Wriothesley came to him, desperate and needy, begging to be filled. Those age-old, draconian instincts revel, heat rising in his gut. Neuvillette’s finger sinks deeper. He kisses down Wriothesley's cock, his own aching behind too-tight trousers. 

He swallows Wriothesley down until the tip hits the back of his throat and his finger is settled to the last knuckle. In and out, on and out, until that finger is pulled free and slides back in alongside a second. He sucks around Wriothesley's cock, tongue tracing the underside. He curls his fingers, searching, curling until they slide across Wriothesley's prostate.

Wriothesley bucks, yanking at Neuvillette’s hair. The sting is the good kind of burn that makes his spine tingle. It spurs him on, adding fuel to his list. Neuvillette spreads his fingers, working at Wriothesley's rim, Hydro dripping down his wrist. He pulls off and says, “If I had the time, I’d open you up on my tongue.”

“Don’t—that’s—”

“How I’ve missed your taste.” Neuvillette tongue licks the length of Wriothesley's cock before he strokes it with his free hand. A third finger traces Wriothesley's rim where it’s stretched wide around the others. “Do you want another?”

“I want your cock,” snaps Wriothesley, his patience having run its course. 

And Neuvillette wants Wriothesley to come on it, biting at his mouth to stifle his moans. His lips find The base of Wriothesley's cock where it meets his groin and he suckles at the skin there. His fangs drag over the muscle, bruising it up to be admired later. 

He pulls his fingers out and gives Wriothesley's hole a quick flick of his tongue; enough to tease, enough to edge Wriothesley just by the thought of it sinking deeper to fuck him next. Neuvillette wishes he had more time, that Wriothesley was spread out beneath him in his bed, not against his desk; that he could fuck him open slowly, dragging orgasm after orgasm from him until Wriothesley comes dry. 

Later. Neuvillette will carve out time just to see Wriothesley begging for him. He misses waking up tangled together and the lazy morning kisses as Wriothesley refuses to leave the sheets. It’s been too long since Neuvillette’s pillows carried his scent. 

Neuvillette stands and lifts Wriothesley onto the desk, boxing him in. 

“Do I finally get that kiss?” asks Wriothesley, curling his fingers into Neuvillette’s cravat and pulling him close.

“I’ve kissed you.” Neuvillette’s hands find Wriothesey’s sides, squeezing. 

“Not where I wanted—”

“You didn’t want that?” Neuvillette chuckles, feeling his expression melt into amusement. “You were the one who scheduled a meeting for a booty call.”

Wriothesley tugs at his cravat again. “Hey,” he says. “Kiss me, damn it.”

How can Neuvillette deny such a request? How can he ignore his chosen mate when he begs for him so readily? Wriothesely demands it with such authority that he can’t help but give in. Neuvillette takes hold of his chin and drags his thumb across Wriothesley's bottom lip. 

Wriothesley nips at this thumb. “How long are you going to stare?”

“Should I make you beg for it?” muses Neuvillette. But he doesn’t, sweeping close, giving him the kiss he’s been waiting for.

It is hungry and desperate. Wriothesley curls an arm around Neuvillette’s neck to hold him there, licking into his mouth the moment their mouths meet. Neuvillette’s hands wander, pulling at Wriothesley's hips until they’re crushed together. His cock aches. They grind against each other as it twitches in Neuvillette’s trousers. 

Wriothesley's hands drop to squeeze at it, tracing its curve through the thick fabric. “You know that Sedene is timing us, right? Even though she cleared your schedule we’re still working with borrowed time.” Wriothesley's eyes flicker to the clock where the hands sit at fifteen past noon. “I’ve got you until the half-hour.”

Plenty of time. Neuvillette will be lucky if he doesn’t come the moment his cock is inside of Wriothesley. “Right,” he mutters, shoving Wriothesley's jacket from his shoulders. They can’t fully undress but Neuvillette wants to see as much of him as possible, fingers trailing the curve of his biceps.

Wriothesley pulls Neuvillette’s trousers open and frees his cock, giving it a stroke. “Fuck, I’ve missed this guy.”

“Don’t be crass,” hisses Neuvillette, but gods, his touch is impossible to ignore. He bucks against his hand before grabbing at Wriothesley's wrist to still it. 

Wriothesley gives him a coy grin. “Oh? That close already?”

“Cruel thing,” replies Neuvillette. “I should use my fingers on you, instead. Deny you the pleasure of���”

“You wouldn’t.” Wriothesley is breathless as he says it. “You’re too gone. You need this, you need me.”

He does. Archons, above, he does—and Neuvillette isn’t one to pay them any heed, evidence of just how clouded his brain is. Chock full of Wriothesley; his scent, how he lies so prone below him, begging to be fucked. Need claws through his chest, that ember of pleasure flaring in his gut. 

“Yes,” he says, dragging Wriothesley close by the hips. He wets his hand with Hydro and slicks his cock before pressing the tip to Wriothesley's loose hole. One quick thrust—that’s all it takes for Neuvillette to carve himself a home for his cock. 

Wriothesley yelps, his head slamming back against the desk as his back arches. 

Too tight, too hot, too good. Neuvillette has to pause and take a moment to reorient himself. “Wriothesley,” he chides, dragging a hand down his front, fingers dipping into his open collar to tease the skin there, “you have to be quieter.”

The answer is a grunt. Wriothesley is woefully impatient, lifting his hips, and begging for more. Neuvillette is drunk on the sight of him, all flushed cheeks, and nails clawing at the wood of his desk. Wriothesley's cock is hard and leaking against his stomach, making a mess. 

“Handsome.” Neuvillette’s hand drops to stroke Wriothesley's length. “I almost forgot how you look underneath me.” He hasn’t—of course, he hasn’t; it’s a sight that plagues Neuvillette’s dreams. But the words have their desired effect as Wriothesley pulls him close, the heel of his feet jammed against the small of Neuvillette’s back. 

“Fuck me already. Please.”

Neuvillette clicks his tongue at that but pulls out to the tip nonetheless. Wriothesley gasps as he thrusts back in, heavy and hard, and lacking his usual finesse. They fuck just like that, with Neuvillette leaning over Wriotheseley, the wood of the desk creaking every time his cock strikes deep. Wriothesley scrabbles against him, fingers digging into his back. He smells divine, the sharp scent of his arousal cutting through the air like the finest of brewed teas. Neuvillette turns his face to mouth at his neck, suckling at the skin. 

Wriothesley moans. He gasps and moves against him, lifting his hips to meet every thrust. It’s feral. Frantic and frenzied, Neuvillette’s thighs slapping against Wriothesley's ass like a wave crashing against the shore. Already the heat builds, threatening to bubble over. Already, Neuvillette finds himself drowning in the feel of it, in the taste of it.

“Beloved,” he says against Wriothesley's ear. Wriothesley shudders as Neuvillette jerks his cock in time with the rolling of his hips. “How I love this. You came to me, hm? You bribed my secretary for a quick fuck because you missed me. And yes, I’ve missed you. Hah, I’ve—” Sweat beads across his brow as he presses their foreheads together. “You know that I love you,” he says in the heat of the moment. 

And he doesn’t mean to. Neuvillette barely knows what the damn word even means, but it doesn’t come as a question, it just slips out as the fact that it is. He knows, Wriothesely knows, Sedene knows; and the moment Neuvillette says it, it’s as if a weight has been lifted. “I love you,” he says again, despite knowing it is, likely, the worst confession to ever be had. 

Wriothesley accidentally knocks an ink well off of the desk. A stack of papers next, a container of pens. None of it matters; just the way that he keens and stares back. His cock twitches in Neuvillette’s palm. He moans, arching again, head tilted just so that his neck is on display. 

He has no idea, no concept of what it means, but Neuvillette accepts the submission at the same. He bites at his neck again, this time his teeth sinking into the flesh right at the juncture of where it meets his shoulders. Not the proper spot—no. That’ll require a lengthy talk not during the heat of the moment, but it does wonders to quell that old dragon that rages through Neuvillette’s veins. 

“Are you close,” he asks, lapping at the mark he’s just left, the tip of his tongue tracing the pinpricks left behind by his teeth. 

“Yes, gods, yes.”

Neuvillette smiles against him, squeezing at Wriothesley's cock. “Perfect,” he says. “You’re so—you cannot fathom how I feel—”

“I can,” cuts in Wriothesley. His fingers curl into Neuvillette’s hair to yank at it. “Don’t be stupid.”

“Wriothesley—”

“I’m close. Gods, I’m—don’t ruin it by thinking of dumb shit,” hisses Wriothesley as he wriggles against him, forcing Neuvillette’s cock to nail his prostate at the perfect angle. “There, there—”

All that dumb shit is forgotten momentarily when Wriothesley kisses him again. Neuvillette swallows his moans, fucking him sharply, his cock melting in Wriothesley's heat with every strike of his cock. And he comes first, spilling into him, dreaming of too many things, and not enough things, but mostly—I love you, I love you, I love you.

Wriothesley follows him, soaking his hand, groaning as Neuvillette strokes him through it. 

Suddenly, his office is too hot. Wriothesley's legs drop from Neuvillette’s waist as he goes lax on his desk. “Fuck, that was—”

And then they both remember. Neuvillette’s mouth opens, an excuse already on the tip of his tongue. Heat of the moment. Old instincts. A romance novel on the mind; these are the stupid ideas that he comes up with. 

“We’ll talk about it later,” says Wriothesley, tugging Neuvillette’s attention back to him. He laughs, brushing back his bangs. “Don’t give me that wounded look—it’s almost twelve-thirty and I’m tired of Sedene catching me with my trousers down.”

Neuvillette pulls out his cock gingerly, soothing the edge of Wriothesley's wrecked hole with his thumb. Come dribbles out onto his desk and he fights the urge to fuck it back into him. 

“Admiring your work?”

“I…” Neuvillette clears his throat. “Yes.” There is no need to hide the thought of it. Wriothesley is intimately aware of the sorts of things he indulges in. 

Wriothesley cracks a grin before standing on shaking legs. He manages to dress. He even pulls Neuvillette’s trousers closed, buttoning them up with an impressive show of articulation. Neuvillette isn’t sure that he can get any of his limbs moving properly, still stuck in his head, and drowning in the peak of his pleasure. 

“For the record,” says Wriothesley then, reaching up to undo Neuvillette’s haphazard cravat, “I love you too.” He ties it off and leans close for a kiss, this one sweet and lingering. 

“Wriothesley—”

Sedene throws open the door and gives them the look. “I gave you an extra five minutes,” she drawls before glancing at the clock. “As I reminded you before letting you in, Your Grace, Monsieur Neuvillette has a lot of work on the docket for today. You’ve distracted him for long enough.” Then her nose wrinkles in distaste and turns away, leaving the room without another word.

“You should clean up your desk before she comes in and threatens me again,” laughs Wriothesley. 

They share another kiss. Neuvillette sighs, pressing their foreheads together. His heart beats rapidly in his chest as he tries to ground himself, but every instinct that he has begs for him to hole Wriothesley away. “She’s a cruel thing at times.”

“She’s just doing her job.”

“At this moment, I would rather she not.”

“You are her boss.” Wriothesley's mouth is curled into a grin and he straightens Neuvillette’s collar. Then his expression softens as his voice quiets. “Stay with me tonight. We’ll have that talk. I think it’s overdue.”

That is true enough. Neuvillette has had many sleepless nights trying to figure out what exactly it is that coils in his chest. He tugs Wriothesley's hand to his mouth for a kiss and says, “Alright.”

Wriothesley boops Neuvillette’s nose with his finger and pulls away. And Neuvillette stares as he leaves, watching the door long after he’s gone, standing there like a fool. 

Which is how Sedene finds him. Another glance at the clock before she sniffs. “I think if you clean up quickly and focus on the budget reports, you can probably leave a little bit early. And maybe even take the day off tomorrow.”

Neuvillette hides a grin behind his palm. “Is that so?”

“Even Chief Justices need occasional vacations. As well as Prison Administrators, apparently. I’ll send word to Sigewinne.”

“Thank you, Sedene.”

She waves it off with a grunt, closing his office door behind her. 

A mess is left behind. Ink stains his rug and he’ll have to make new copies of several reports. Never before has Neuvillette felt an urgency to finish up his tasks, but he does these things briskly, his mind pulled into a thousand different places. 

Neuvillette does leave early—earlier than expected because he chooses to forgo his work for the day, far too distracted to focus on any of it. 

Later, when Wriothesley opens the door of his quarters, he leans against the frame, a grin splitting his face. “So, I heard from a little birdie that you and I have the day off tomorrow. Wanna see how many times I can squeeze in an ‘I love you’?”

Not that Neuvillette has ever felt like a stranger, but this time it truly feels like coming home.

[zannolin]

fanfic ask!! 3, 7, 24

3. Tell me about one of your fics you think is underrated / underappreciated.

it's hard to gauge what counts as underrated based on fandom. for instance, my beyonders fic has the lowest amount of hits/kudos of all my fics, but the beyonders fandom is so small that i don't really feel like people are sleeping on it? and i never could judge how my fics were faring in the bigger fandom that shall not be named because they have so much more attention than stuff for my other fandoms, generally, but all the time people when they recced my fics on reddit were like ohhhh this author is so underrated and. honestly. i kind of hated that. i do think there were some fics of mine for that fandom that didn't get as much attention as some of my others when they were better (imo), and that would be both of my christmas fics, left of the dial, and the otgw au. i would say planetarium stickers but enough people have told me incredibly complimentary things about it that i feel like the point got across, lol. as for other fandoms i think everyone should watch national treasure and read beyonders so they can read three's a crowd and the swing of things because i'm very proud of them.

7. Is there a character or ship you'd love to write for, but haven't yet?

GOD yes. i really want to write some tiva from ncis, i'm working on a couple jason and ferrin fics obviously, and i desperately need to write locklyle at some point because they are haunting me this week. very much need to write a mia winters fic, the marilyn batson fic, and i'd love to write for megstine from phantom of the opera if i can. maybe clois, and maybe joel from the last of us too. and of course, dorothy gale.

24. What are some of your favourite tropes?

everyone always asks this and every time i can never think of tropes that aren't typical fanfic romance tropes, none of which i enjoy. so let me just make shit up. love near-death experiences, love died and came back, love when a character overexerts themself in a fight/protecting someone else and collapses afterwards (this is also fun if it involves hiding a wound), love hurt/comfort, all that. love when the spy meant to betray you actually becomes your friend and you get the whole "as time went on i stopped pretending" bit. give me ALL of that please.

fanfic asks!

[pandoa]

okay so, you have really interesting titles here... I mean, at least what I can imagine the stories are about. For tentative titles, they're really good! I wanted to ask about "The Phantom of Ramshackle" *organ sounds* but I actually got curious about Cater's "Every Piece of Me". Cater is a okay character for me but I love imagining he seeing reader having this moment of "I love all of you, Cater" its just <3333

ahhh cater's fic <33 cater was one of the first twst characters that caught my eye when i started the game so this idea stemmed from me crying over the fact that cater seems to often put up some sort of facade around others, like a mask he uses to hide from the people around him.

my idea for this was to mainly focus on cater's internal conflict with the developing feelings he has for the reader. what if you only liked him for his usual cheery personality? what would he do if he knew you were only there for his little facade? or even worse, what if you had seen through his false exterior and wished to stay? to take apart each and every mask he placed on himself and reveal the true side of the young man, cater diamond? the side he hoped to keep hidden away, especially from you? and what if... he had let you see for yourself, the real, genuine parts of his personality?

this will all be in cater's pov. sprinkle in a little angst but with some fluff or comfort at the end. i honestly have no concrete draft for this yet except for the small brainstorming portion i wrote jotting down all of my ideas for this fic lol. idk when i'll actually write this tho- all i know is that i want to work on it and i will eventually~

[paperandsong]

My fic, Erik Gets a COVID Test, is being translated into Chinese by Snowydove7. It’s an honor to have someone volunteer to translate fic and it’s been a great experience so far. It is so much fun to watch Chinese readers interact with the fic on Lofter, a Chinese language fanfic site. 

I do not speak Chinese so I’ve been using Google Translate to read the comments, which has been an interesting lesson in the limitations of Google. I use the program to translate between Portuguese and English fairly regularly for work purposes and while it always needs editing, it is readable. But I have found that for Chinese, Google Translate loses all ability to convey nuance or slang. As a human translator, this actually makes me feel pretty good. Computers can’t replace us just yet. 

Here’s an example:

Reader：这个设定好有趣！！会乱骂人还肌肤饥渴的桶子最傲娇了哈哈哈～～

Reader: This setting is so interesting! ! A bucket who can curse people and get thirsty skin is the most arrogant hahaha~~

Snowydove7 has been great about answering any questions I might have about the comments. I’ve learned that “skin-thirst” and “thirsty for skin” is how one talks about being “touch-starved” in Chinese. 

Comment from Snowydove7 about the use of “bucket” to discuss Erik: 

'Bucket' is 'bucket'. In Chinese, the word Phantom has similar pronunciation as 'meal bucket(饭桶, spelled as Fantong in Pinyin）', which means a good-for-nothing. It's such an interesting coincidence that Chinese POTO fans uses 'bucket' or 'meal bucket' a nickname of Erik. AI has a long way to go before understanding homophones.

Another interesting conversation we’ve had is about the Chinese translation of Leroux’s novel. Snowydove7 noticed my author’s note in which I explain that Christine sings the Night Queen’s aria from The Magic Flute in the original French, which was left out of the Teixeira de Mattos translation (along with many other details!) Snowy mentioned this scene was also missing from their Chinese Leroux. I asked Snowy to check for several other details - the scissors, the enlarged coffin - and they were all missing from the Chinese translation too. Which means it is very likely that the translation Snowy was looking at was translated from Teixeira’s English, and not the original French. The omitted passages are like watermarks of Teixeira’s censorship - and they show up in the translations of other languages too. 

Snowy confirmed that there are many Chinese language editions of Leroux and some of the newer translations do include these missing details. That still doesn’t confirm whether the translation was made from the original French or from a more recent English translation that is more faithful to Leroux. I find it fascinating that French literature would be translated into Chinese via English. But it makes sense. There are more English speakers in China than French. 

I couldn’t find a date for the first translation of Phantom of the Opera into Chinese, but it seems it must have been at least prior to 1937, when “Song at Midnight”, a Chinese made silent film based on Leroux’s novel, was released. 

Here are the Chinese editions I found available on Amazon. It is impossible to know which were translated from Teixeira or other English translations, and which were translated from the original. 

(No year provided) Phantom of the Opera (Traditional Chinese Edition) Unknown Binding

1991 China Astronautics Publishing House

2000  Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House (Youth Edition)

2010 Chongqing Press

2012 New World Press

2013 大连理工大学出版社 (Graphic Novel)

2016  Changjiang Juvenile & Children's Publishing House

2020  Yuan Liu (might be translated from the original French)

2021 Shang Hai Yi Wen Chu Ban She (The description sounds like the 2004 film)

“Eric was born deformed and was abandoned by his parents and society. The kind Madame Giry hid him in the basement of the opera house.”

Chinese fans, do you have any recommendations for Chinese language translations of Phantom of the Opera? Any comments about PotO slang in Chinese? Leave a note!