#i hate you gaston leroux....

[umihoshi]

[lif3onmars]

Hugs❤️

[arts-and-sharks]

Upon finally reading Phantom of the Opera, this is what I’ve gathered.

Warning: PotO spoilers

Erik: OG theatre kid. Sleeps in a coffin. Makes bouquets and sad music in his free time. Would beat every midwestern cowboy in a rodeo round up. So. So lonely. Actual cat

The Persian/ Daroga: trying to do the right thing by Erik. Spends a lot of time crawling around in the floor. Hold your hand at the level of your eye or so help me — Baby ™️

Christine: naïve but wants so badly to be kind to Erik as well. Her dad is dead. Used to be an amazing singer, then she couldn’t sing, now she can again (…sometimes).

Mme Giry: mother goose. WILL KICK YOUR ASS. three teeth.

Richard: hotheaded. Crab.

Moncharmin: probably smokes weed ngl. Needs a clothespin.

Raoul: die. Cry baby. So, so selfish. Just as insecure as Erik, but in different ways. I actually hate him. OG Jacob for Twilight (doesn’t actually care about love interest’s happiness, just wants her for himself).

[hello-is-anyone-there]

Vague Guide to Gothic Academia

Lebanon Hanover (totally not because they're my favorite to write to nooo)

Franz Gordon has some really beautiful piano pieces I highly recommend if you want more classical goth music

Danse Macabre

Hannibal Lector (NBC included)

Criminology

Law in general actually

Religious studies

Come on guys the catholic aesthetics are pulling through here

Victorian collars

Leather gloves

Menthols (this one is just a personal preference, don't smoke)

As much as I hate to say it, Schopenhauer and Roubiczek

I really dislike dark philosophy but it just lines up so well >:[

Moving on to something I like far more: Taxidermy

I'm thinking mostly bones or wet specimens

Normal taxidermy works too but I think it'd clash with dorm space

Leather, silk, and velvet are good staple textures in my opinion

Which does make this harder to style in the summer but tbf dark linens have such a nice flow

The moon, obviously

Astrophysics in general. The stars and the vast existentialism of space are such a good niche. Also I don't see as much STEM majors in these things as I'd like

I'm an arts man for sure, fucked up over literature and philosophy sure, but SCIENCE BRO

That shit is so dark especially going into death studies or psychology

Honestly being a doctor in general can fuck you up

Always smelling like a cadaver (perfume or otherwise...)

Long coats, heavy boots, ties, chains, trad and victorian goth gear both work here

I do like to lean more into dark academia visually with gothic academia, just because my wardrobe would have too much of the same shit going on

Dark sweaters, waist coats and corsets, well fitting suit pants, a well structured light colored blouse usually help balance out

Gothic academia in my opinion is balance between structure and loose chaos

Makeup can also be important for a look so I suggest, strong sharp contor, white accents and dark liner. A red/maroon lip is a good choice for dark makeup in general.

I got distracted by the visual elements woops

A lot of the staple dark academia books work really well

A good murder plot always helps

The Divine Comedies - Dante

The Phantom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux

Carmilla - Sheridan Le Fanu

NIGHT CLASSES!!!

I can't believe I forgot that one

Getting drunk on Absinthe and red wine like a damn vampire

[anhed-nia]

So I'm in the middle of this research project centered on Dario Argento's OPERA, for which I have required myself to watch as many screen adaptations of the Gaston Leroux novel The Phantom of the Opera as I can take. What I have determined so far is that the Phantom of the Opera is a story everyone wants to tell, but not very many people are sure of how to tell it. In fact, it's not that easy to say what it is about archetypally. You know, Wolfman stories are typically about "the beast in man" (with femininity positioned as some sort of cure for this personality split), Frankenstein stories are usually about human nature (i.e. an uncanny creature can have more humanity than vain and bigoted humans), Dracula-type vampire stories are most generally about the problems of being an outsider (queer, foreign, etc). But Phantom of the Opera is like...well, everyone likes the love story part of it, which is more or less modeled on Dracula, with a woman torn between seductive darkness and the safety of square society. But then there are all these other parts that seem to flummox people in the retelling.

I haven't read the Leroux novel YET but the first round of movies have been interesting, and also sort of perplexing. The iteration from 1925 holds up, largely due to Chaney's creation of the Phantom which remains a top tier monster. People don't often talk about the mask though! Which looks like a cross between Peter Lorre and the Devo Boogie Boy, it's disturbing and I like it.

This Phantom was born in the dungeons during a revolutionary bloodbath and is disfigured from birth, drawing on the antique idea that a mother's trauma is translated in the deformity of her children; also, compellingly, these dungeons lie fathoms beneath the opera house where the bourgeoisie are witlessly dancing on the graves of martyrs and criminals embodied in the Phantom. The ingenue Christine is an interesting figure who breaks up with her boyfriend at the beginning because she wants to give her whole self to her career; when the Phantom starts murmuring to her through the walls it's as if the spirit of opera itself has chosen her to be its avatar, which she seems to find totally rational. It's sort of cool, what other movie of this era has a likeable heroine choosing her potential for greatness over love? This is the element of the story that is the most interesting, but I'll expand on that in a minute.

The Chaney edition benefits a lot from keeping things simple. The 1943 version with Claude Raines has a little bit too much going on and the story doesn't get a lot of time to congeal between so many long opera sequences; this movie really takes the opera part of the title seriously! Actually they're the best thing about it, mostly because of Nelson Eddy who is extremely beautiful and a real opera singer, and who projects this blazing desire for Susanna Foster that is incredibly convincing. Like I'd normally say they have great chemistry, but I think it's just a lot of power radiating from him specifically.

Ahem.

Uh anyway. This movie picks up the reoccurring (but not universal) idea that the Phantom is a genteel and sophisticated composer who has just fallen on hard times, who goes mad when his latest concerto is stolen. He is disfigured while struggling with the plagiarist and installs himself under the opera house where he can haunt his former protege Christine, who is already torn between dreamy Nelson Eddy and her stuffy cop boyfriend. One of my favorite things here is that even though this film is extremely quaint and old fashioned, everybody hates cops; this Christine is less a self-determined careerist than someone who is under pressure from her artist friends who find it profoundly repulsive that she is dating a policeman. Meanwhile the Phantom is just way too gentle and sappy, which is extra disappointing because Claude Rains's Invisible Man is so fabulously chaotic and sadistic, it made me really aware of the Phantom that could have been. This one doesn't properly represent the high society vs. underworld dichotomy that Christine should be torn between. So what is this movie about? There's so many guys in it and a few different themes flapping in the breeze. Is it about love? Is it about self-actualizing through art? Is it about the cutthroat world of showbusiness? It doesn't have that much to say, ultimately, and it just seems really unmotivated. Also I don't like this mask, sue me.

The Hammer edition is even more disappointing, considering the studio's previous successes with Universal Monster remakes. Here Christine is torn between a suave opera producer, the lecherous composer who has plagiarized the Phantom, and yeah the Phantom. Too many guys, it confuses whatever the dynamic and themes are supposed to be. Michael Gough as the plagiarist is so much more evil and threatening than poor Herbert Lom's Phantom that it's hard to stay focused on the main point here. Curiously the Hammer version is rather unromantic, with the Phantom just slapping Christine around until she sings his tunes right; that is kind of refreshing in a way, although it also means that the film lacks tension, which contributes to its being surprisingly anticlimactic. The best guy in the movie is actually Thorley Walters whose character serves almost no narrative purpose at all, he just hulks around with this WTF? look on his face and it is kind of adorable. I guess I like the gross mask in this one, too.

But the Hammer version has one interesting strength, which is that Christine is singing the lead in a new opera about Joan of Arc. Just like Joan, Christine hears a disembodied voice prophesizing her ascent to power. The best thing about the Phantom lore is the idea that the woman has this latent power that can either be activated by the Phantom, or suppressed by her square boyfriend (the relationship being mutually exclusive with opera stardom in many iterations). She isn't just a love object to be possessed, she herself possesses of some kind of devastating energy that needs to be awakened and channeled--or contained and forgotten, if she decides to get married and stay home or something. This is pretty cool, and it is interestingly realized in Dario Argento's OPERA, in which (spoiler alert I guess) a killer stalks an opera singer with the aim of catalyzing her own latent psychopathy. This idea is at the center of my thesis and I'm looking forward to fleshing it out, although I'm kind of dreading all the other PHANTOMs that I have committed myself to watching. I really don't want to deal with Andrew LLoyd Webber at all, but after I get through at least the Joel Schumacher one of the those I'm going to reward myself with a rewatch of PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE which I'm going to guess right now is the best retelling of this story after the Chaney one. I'm counting on Paul Williams' music to be catchier than Webber's.

I'm whining about my own decisions, I know, but really the main hardship of this project is that now I keep getting the Vandals' punk theme song from PHANTOM OF THE MALL: ERIC'S REVENGE stuck in my head, and let me tell you that is very unwelcome. Here it is, if you've decided you're done being happy and sane:

[mintgalaxia]

"Before answering that," said Raoul, at last, speaking very slowly, "I should like to know with what feeling he inspires you, since you do not hate him."

"With horror!" she said. "That is the terrible thing about it. He fills me with horror and I do not hate him. How can I hate him, Raoul? Think of Erik at my feet, in the house on the lake, underground. He accuses himself, he curses himself, he implores my forgiveness!...He confesses his cheat. He loves me! He lays at my feet an immense and tragic love. ... He has carried me off for love!...He has imprisoned me with him, underground, for love!...But he respects me: he crawls, he moans, he weeps!...And, when I stood up, Raoul, and told him that I could only despise him if he did not, then and there, give me my liberty...he offered it...he offered to show me the mysterious road...Only...only he rose too...and I was made to remember that, though he was not an angel, nor a ghost, nor a genius, he remained the voice...for he sang. And I listened ... and stayed!...That night, we did not exchange another word. He sang me to sleep."

~ The Phantom of the Opera, Chapter XII Apollo's Lyre by Gaston Leroux

[charlieswanismydad]

about me !!!

links

drawn by the amazing @ghosttoastx !!! if you read this ily you’re never getting rid of me now

Hi!!! I’m Alice.

I do stuff. It’s pretty cool.

Enfp, hufflepuff, Capricorn Sun, Libra moon, Pisces rising, he/she, and more!! I’m also a non-partnering aromantic and gray asexual!

I stalk blogs I like, don’t be alarmed if I like a bunch of posts at once!! In fact, be happy!! I love you!!!!!

If you want to talk to me please do!!! I want more friends. Just keep in mind I am a 15 year old minor!

You have been warned!

DNI:

racists, homophobes, sexists, etc. general dni criteria ig

people who just hate for no reason!! (anti-furry, just hating on certain fandoms, etc. ticks me off!)

proshippers

frans/fontcest

exclusionists

radqueers

radfems

pro paras. go to therapy

nsfw (also sorta related to above, pro cnc/ageplay. go to therapy)

WIPS:

Wilting Flowers - My actual baby. My pride and joy. It’s imperfect but that’s okay.

The actual grim reaper falls in love with a mortal. I can’t do it justice, you’re just gonna have to trust me.

don’t break my heart - Shameless Sans fanfic. All of the self indulgence ever, but it brings me joy :) semi discontinued, might come back!

I love it man. It makes me so happy. Basically yn is an awkward dumbass and so is Sans and they fall in love and stuff :)

Fandoms:

My main fandoms are Twilight and Undertale (obv), but I’m in a bunch more!! :D

The Arc of a Scythe by Neil Shusterman

Harry Potter by Daniel Radcliffe (JK…)

Steven Universe by Rebecca Sugar

Doki Doki Literature Club by Dan Salvato

Omori by Omocat

Arcane by Riot Games

The Walten Files by Martin Walls

The Amazing Digital Circus by Glitch Studios

The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber (the book’s by Gaston Leroux but i haven’t read it lol)

Deltarune by Toby Fox (is that an anagram???)

Meet the Robinsons by Disney

And more that aren’t off the top of my head!! Just ask bros :)

I’m kinda obsessed with UTMV, soooo….

Fav AU - Insomnia (link to chapter 1)

Fav Sans - Dust by Ask-Dusttale and Geno by LoverofPiggies

Music:

Ranked by popularity, with my fave songs from each! Just like the fandoms, it's all over the place.

Taylor Swift - Haunted

Hozier - In The Woods Somewhere

Muse - Soldier's Poen

Mitski - Last Words of a Shooting Star

Will Wood - Suburbia Overture/Vampire Culture/Whatever the hell the name is idek anymore

Dazey and the Scouts - Maggot

The Oozes - I Still Adore You

Lemon Demon - Action Movie Hero Boy

Tally Hall/Miracle Musical - Misery Fell

Teddy Hyde - Terry’s Taxidermy

Destroy Boys - Crybaby

The Crane Wives - Little Soldiers

Steam Powered Giraffe - Malfunction

Writing Requests:

HEY SO HERES A FUN FACT: I WANT YOU TO ASK ME TO WRITE THINGS FOR YOU!! LIKE I LOVE THAT!!! I WILL WRITE YOU LITTLE ONESHOTS IF ITS A FANDOM IM IN!!! OR I CAN WRITE ABOUT MY CHARACTERS IF YOU’RE INTO THAT!!! JUST PLEASR PLEASE PLEASE ASK ME AAAAAAA

Things You Might Want to Be Aware Of:

i tend to isolate myself when i’m having a Big Sad™️ moment. please do not be mad if i act cold!!!

i’m a very empathic person and i get really upset around negativity. please do not send me or mention me in anything political or controversial.

i get in my head about disturbing/sexual things. once again, don’t show me this stuff. don’t ask me to write about it, either!!

i am uncomfortable around religious discussions. i get enough of them irl!!! please keep them away from me :')

i’ve got adhd and possible ocd so yeah and also my auditory processing sucksssss so if we ever interact on call or *gasp* irl then i’ll say “what?” every five seconds

books. @bunny-on-a-bookshelf for books.

i’m just a silly little girl who is also a boy. we have fun here

Tags:

(new so they haven’t been used much)

#mootie patooties - mutuals

#irl alice - real life shtuff

#reblogs - self explanatory

#alice writes sometimes - my writing!!!!

#skeleposting - undertale/utmv

#is that an anagram??? - deltarune

#sparkly - twilight

#im aspec BUT - simping, fangirling, i do a lot of it

#liveblogging homestuck - reading homestuck and making vague comments about it.

#ALL HAIL - welcome to nightvale stuff!!!

#rock n robinson - meet the robinsons

#musical automatons - steam powered giraffe!!!! the best band ever btwwwew

Moots:

I literally love you guys 😭😭

@donotreleasemeintothewild

@livforlive

@last-herondale

@hiro-doodlez

@sneakyfox55

@junessillywachingcorner

@popiollie

@toka-san

@wishtale-blogs

@italic-does-random-shit

@ghostboisonly

@just-let-me-call-myself-arson

@pizzatowne

@ghosttoastx

@thenocturnenarrator

@lelitachay

@paraska00

@tundra116

@blurboppz

@flesh-archivist

@matzahstein

@paranoid-radio

@martinibass

@drrobotnic

@sandwich2451

@blaster-fagot

[rphelperblog]

Phantom of the Opera Book Quote RP Meme

part one-book by Gaston Leroux- feel free to edit quotes or change pronouns for rp purposes- inspired by @composer-of-the-night @seraphicsoprano

“All I wanted was to be loved for myself."

you have no right to control them, and I will beg you to desist henceforth.” 

she was very beautiful and he was shy and he dared not confess his love, even to himself.” 

“My lies were as hideous as the monster that had inspired them” 

“No, no, you have driven me mad! When I think that I had only one object in life: to give my name to an opera wench!”

“A ghost who bleeds is less dangerous!” 

“Come for a walk, dear. The air will do you good."

“Everything that concerns you interests me greatly, as you will perhaps one day come to appreciate.” 

“How can you talk like that? When I sing only for you!” 

“An author really ought to have nothing but flowers in the room where he works.” 

“He had a heart that could have held the empire of the world; and, in the end, he had to content himself with a cellar.” 

“I am dying of love. That is how it is...I loved her so! And I love her still....and am dying of love for her. - I kissed her alive...and she looked as beautiful as if she had been dead.” 

“There is also something of the arrogant vain youth in him; [...] he loves nothing more than to reveal the truly prodigious ingenuity of his mind.”

“You clearly love him! Your fears, your terror, all of that is still born of love, and love of that most exquisite kind, the kind that one does not admit even to oneself. The kind that gives you a thrill when you think of it.” 

“There is a terrible mystery around us...a mystery much more to be feared than any number of ghosts or genii!” 

“Yes—it must be the ghost!”

“As long as you thought me handsome, you could have come back, I know you would have come back.” 

“I'm sick and tired of having a forest and a torture chamber in my house... I want to have a nice quiet flat with ordinary doors and windows and a wife inside it, like anybody else!” 

“He asked only to be ‘someone,’ like everybody else.” 

“His manner, his words - everything about him told me to trust him.” 

“He asked only to be ‘someone,’ like everybody else.” 

“one after the other, there came a series of incidents so curious and so inexplicable that the very shrewdest people began to feel uneasy.

You must work at it as seldom as you can,’

"The man must be either a villain, or the girl a fool: is that it?” 

“Our lives are one masked ball.” 

I saved your life! Remember? You were sentenced to death! But for me you would be dead by now. ” 

“Tonight she's still wearing the gold ring, and you're not the one who gave it to her. Tonight she gave her soul again, but not to you.” 

"she is lost. But I shall save her."

“May one ask at least to what darkness you are returning?… For what hell are you leaving, mysterious lady…or for what paradise?” 

“Music has the power to make one forget everything save those sounds that touch your heart.” 

“There are times where excessive innocence seems so monstrous that it becomes hateful.” 

“I am the little boy who went into the sea to rescue your scarf” 

“It’s the ghost!” 

I don't lock myself up in my dressing-room with men's voices.” 

“There is some music that is so terrible that it consumes all those who approach it.” 

“Until then, in the depth of those eyes, all I had seen was the promise of death; it was the first time I saw the promise of life” 

“If I don't save her from the hands of that humbug,"

“If I am the phantom, it is because man's hatred has made me so. If I am to be saved it is because your love redeems me.” 

He is not truly dead. He lives on within the souls of those who choose to listen to the music of the night.” 

“Why, you love him! Your fear, your terror, all of that is just love and love of the most exquisite kind, the kind which people do not admit even to themselves.” 

the wall is a looking-glass!” 

“No, he is not a ghost; he is a man of Heaven and earth, that is all.”

“He loved her so much that it almost took his breath away.” 

The grasshopper, be careful of the grass hopper! A grasshopper does not only turn: it hops! It hops! And it hops jolly high!

“Everyone dies. I just choose the time and place for some of them!” 

“I am not really wicked. Love me, and you will see!”

“when a man adopts such romantic methods to entice a young girl's affections. .." 

“You must know that I am made of death, from head to foot, and it is a corpse who loves you and adores you and will never, never leave you!”

“They played at hearts as other children might play at ball; only, as it was really their two hearts that they flung to and fro, they had to be very, very handy to catch them, each time, without hurting them.” 

“Tonight I gave you my soul, and I am dead."

“I give you five minutes to spare your blushes.”

“But do you love me? If hewere good-looking, would you love me?” 

“She's singing to-night to bring the chandelier down!” 

we will go from here together or die together. “

Your soul is a beautiful thing, child. No emperor received so fair a gift. The angels wept to-night.” 

“Destiny has chained you to me forever!” 

“He laid at my feet his immense, tragic love.” 

Why, you love him! Your fear, your terror, all of that is just love and love of the most exquisite kind, the kind which people do not admit even to themselves. The kind that gives you a thrill, when you think of it.... Picture it: a man who lives in a palace underground!"

“Holy angel, in Heaven blessed, My spirit longs with thee to rest” 

He had loved an angel and now he despised a woman.” 

That night, we did not exchange another word. He sang me to sleep.” 

“Blood!...Blood!... That's a good thing! A ghost who bleeds is less dangerous!” 

“He looked up in despair at the starry sky, he struck his burning chest with his fist; he loved and he was not loved!” 

"He would commit murder for me.” 

“why do you condemn a man whom you have never met, whom no one knows and about whom even you yourself know nothing?” 

Yes, alive... I kissed her alive.... And she looked as beautiful as if she had been dead!” 

“You will be the happiest of women. And we will sing, all by ourselves, till we swoon away with delight. “

You want to see? See! Feast your eyes, glut your soul on my cursed ugliness! “

I kissed her alive...and she looked as beautiful as if she had been dead. “

“None will ever be a true Parisian who has not learned to wear a mask of gaiety over his sorrows and one of sadness, boredom, or indifference over his inward joy.” 

We cried together! I have tasted all the happiness the world can offer.” 

“Know that it is a corpse who loves you and adores you and will never, never leave you!”

“When a woman has seen me, as you have, she belongs to me. She loves me forever.” 

“We recognize the touch of the Opera ghost.” 

“Oh, my betrothed of a day, if I did not love you, I would not give you my lips! Take them, for the first time and the last.” 

Surely we must pity the Opera ghost!” 

What had become of that wonderful, mysterious artist of whom the world was never, never to hear again?...” 

Shall we pity him? Shall we curse him?”

“Nobody could see the ghost in his box, but everybody could hear him.”

“He had a heart that could have held the entire empire of the world; and, in the end, he had to content himself with a cellar.” 

“Are people so unhappy when they love?"

“Love me and you'll see! To be good, all I ever needed was to be loved. If you loved me, I'd be gentle as a lamb and you could do whatever you pleased with me.” 

“I moved closer to him, attracted, fascinated: in the midst of such passion, death itself became appealing...” 

Sometimes, the Angel comes much later, because the children are naughty and won't learn their lessons or practice their scales. And sometimes, he does not come at all, because the children have a wicked heart or a bad conscience.”

“You are crying! You are afraid of me! And yet I am not really wicked. Love me and you shall see! All I wanted was to be loved for myself.” 

“Little Lotte thought of everything and nothing. Her hair was as golden as the sun's rays, and her soul as clear and blue as her eyes. She wheedled her mother, was kind to her doll, took great care of her frock and her red shoes and her fiddle, but loved most of all, when she went to sleep, to hear the Angel of Music.” 

“And, despite the care which she took to look behind her at every moment, she failed to see a shadow which followed her like her own shadow, which stopped when she stopped, which started again when she did and which made no more noise than a well-conducted shadow should.” 

“Why do you condemn a man who you have never seen, whom no one knows about and whom you yourself know nothing?” 

“But you would have lots of fun with me. For instance, I am the the greatest ventriloquist that ever lived, I am the first ventriloquist in the world!” 

"forget THE MAN'S VOICE and do not even remember its name... You must never try to fathom the mystery of THE MAN'S VOICE.” 

[these-detestable-hands]

hey, weird question, but do you happen to know anything about lei motifs in Andrew Loyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera, written in 1986 and based off French author Gaston Leroux's hit novel published in 1910?

OH BOY OH BOY

I probably could've said a lot more on this subject 18 months ago but the gist of it is:

Erik's theme I'd obviously the phantom of the opera, the melody in this song :3

The melody that plays during masquerade and from the monkey music box?

Mask theme! Whenever someone's hiding their face, it's that theme.

I think it's neat that the phantom's and the mask theme are seperate, but that the mask theme still plays during some phantom bits (most notably at the very end) to represent the fact that he's a lying, secretive bitch who doesn't say anything about himself.

I mean, they completely left out the Persia stuff and don't explain the Punjabi lasso at all in the musical cause it was just cut entirely!!!

Madame Giry, who originally was hardly a character at all, replaced the daroga/Nadir's role in the story. My personal guess is racism cause Nadir's Middle Eastern and not evil (he's so cool I love him)

I hate Andrew Lloyd Webber, he's a pussy for making the phantom hot and removing the brown guy. Also for removing the 24 hour long torture thing but idk I don't think it's as easy to argue for that one as it is the deformity and racism thing.

Tldr: there's two main leit motifs (phantom and mask) and the mask leit motif sometimes plays when the phantom is on stage cause he's a liar. Also I hate ALW for other vaguely related reasons.

[starrrberry]

hii ash what is the phantom of the opera? ive heard of it and it sounds so fucking badass and i am Curious

okay. gonna write a rambly type essay. SUMMARY: so poto is originally a novel written by gaston leroux in 1909 set in france, centering a mysterious masked man, erik (aka the phantom, the opera ghost, angel of music) and a naive, kind girl who's ridiculously brave and selfless called christine. from now on ill be talking about the musical version as i am yet to read the book ! also, the pair have INCREDIBLE music ability - christine has the voice of an angel, and the phantom is incredibly skilled at many instruments as well as have the kinda voice that probably wouldve awoken smth in me when i was ten. -christine is an orphan, her father died when she was.. eight? ish. and shes just very sad and lonely. -when her dad died, he said he'll send a angrl of music to her -erik is super super obsessed with christine and kinda stalks her. but -shes like kinda chill with it at the beginning and she even follows him into his lair? which like okay you go girl or smth. -but then she finds out oh shit !!! hes kinda freaky man. and she faints <3 -if erik had his way he'd probably just force her to marry him, but problem! -another man, raoul, who is christines childhood bestie, is here. and -hes in love with her! christines also in love with him, but imo its only because he reminds her of her father (woop woop daddy issues) -THINGS HAPPEN and i cried. just trust me on this idk how to do summaries. CHARACTERS: erik - MY BOY !!!!!! hes so traumatised and he was abused a lot because he was born with a facial deformity and nobody ever touched him ever. so he just grew into this really angry, resentful but also strangely hot dude. he gets a MILD mild redemption at the end of the movie/musical, and hes the most pathetic silliest sewer man in the world im so so obsessed with him. hes a really complex character and i could get into it but i wont because its 12am. christine - in the musical/kinda movie, shes portrayed as very meek and mild. however shes really brave and kind of a badass! like "this haunted face holds no horror for me now. its your soul in which the true distortion lies" um okay?? callout i love that. shes not wrong, his soul is fuuuucked. poor boy. her mother died in childbirth, her father died when she was young, shes alone in the world apart from a scarily hot stalker whos teaching her to sing, and shes a ballet rat in the opera populaire. ill delve more into different interpretations of her in different media. raoul - pretty rich boy. also christines childhood best friend and suitor. my boy has no thoughts in his head i was him for world book day.

meg giry - christines current best friend! shes so cool in the movie shes a side but shes loyal, brave, and probably a lesbian. also shes cares so sososo much for christine im just. ough. la carlotta - they hate to see a girlboss winning :( shes literally done nothing wrong ever i adore her shes so extra and such a bitch aa <3 there are more but the first three are the most important

DIFFERENT MEDIA: theres a movie (2004) which stars gerard butler as erik and emmy rossum as christine who are both SO OSOSOSOSOOSO PRETTY !!!!!

in the movies, erik is portrayed as quite suave and dramatic, as well as agressive and fiercely obsessive. basically, the same as how he's portrayed in the rest of the media. also ! his name isnt included in both the movies or the musical. its also very aesthetically pleasing speaking of ! theres also a musical which is pretty well known, written by andrew lloyd webber. i would say my favourite actors, but it may be a little doxxy, so i'll refrain. however, i will say that sierra boggess, one of favourite christines is WOW ! she's fiesty and seductive, not as mild as the other portrayals. thats why i love the musical version, one because it is MAGICAL to watch irl and two becuase you can play around witht the characters to fit your eye. theres a book, which gives more insight into erik's past, and also several adaptations of the novel, the most notable being susan kay;s "phantom" CONTROVERSY: i will say that the toxic relationship between christine and erik is heavily romanticised, christine experiences a lot of stockholm syndrome (shes also swedish!) and she just has a Bad Time. however. its fiction and my taste in men is fucked up beyond belief! but many people dont see it that way since erik is a kidnapper/murderer, people are NOT happy that he is shipped and loved by so many people. but like man we know ! if this happened in real life we'd be outta there like a shot, if this was a REAL PERSON we would NOT be doing this! its ridiculous to me that so many people cannot grasp that this is fiction, an escape from the rules of the real world. CONCLUSION: its more than just a romance, its a study of so many different things, like how trauma can affect different people, how growing up in certain types of environments can shape a persons life. its more of a tragedy really, not a romance as much, so if you like media which leaves a hole in you only fanfic can fix this is def for you. if you want to get into it, i recommend starting with the musical or movie, probably the musical. i didnt do it justice with this ramble, honestly its incredible and theres endless interpretations and endings (i havent even mentioned the book!)

also all the songs slap and theyre majority operatic but modern!!!!!!!

[mysteryloversbookshelf]

Some of My Favorite Mystery/Thriller Books Categorized by Tropes

Like every other book genre, mystery/thriller novels have several tropes that you either love or hate. I personally am a huge fan of mysteries involving otherwise normal suburbs, spouses where one or both have a secret, and locked room mysteries with complex puzzles. Here is a list of common tropes and books that I've read that fall into those categories:

Agoraphobia

The Woman in the Window - A.J. Finn

Book Within a Book

Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery Series - Anthony Horowitz

Magpie Murders - Anthony Horowitz

Creepy Children

Baby Teeth - Zoje Stage

The Only Child - Mi-Ae Seo

The Push - Ashley Audrain

Final Girl

The Final Girl Support Group - Grady Hendrix

Feuding Neighbors

Little Fires Everywhere - Celeste Ng

Haunted House

The Death of Jane Lawrence - Caitlin Starling

Mexican Gothic - Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Heist

The Monsters We Defy - Penelope Leslye

Portrait of a Thief - Grace D. Li

House Sitting Gone Wrong

The Last Word - Taylor Adams

Lock Every Door - Riley Sager

Inheritance from Distant Relative / Stranger

The Death of Mrs. Westaway - Ruth Ware

Jane Austen Inspired

A Most Agreeable Murder

Kidnapped Baby

The Couple Next Door - Shari Lapena

Locked Room Mystery

The Mystery of the Yellow Room - Gaston Leroux

Secret Staircase Mystery Series - Gigi

Mistaken Identity

Are You Sara? - S.C. Lalli

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

The Request - David Bell

Nomad Protagonist

Frankie Elkin Series - Lisa Gardner

Overbearing Mothers

The Favorite Daughter - Kaira Rouda

The Mother-in-Law - Sally Hepworth

Reality Show

The Golden Spoon

Return to Childhood Home & Unsolved Mystery

Fierce Little Thing - Miranda Beverly Whittemore

The Resting Place - Camilla Sten

Sharp Objects - Gillian Flynn

Return to Summer Camp & Unsolved Mystery

I'll Never Tell - Catherine McKenzie

The Last Time I Lied - Riley Sager

Single White Female

Social Creature - Tara Isabella Burton

Sole Survivor of Family Massacre Seeking Truth

Dark Places - Gillian Flynn

Those Empty Eyes - Charlie Donlea

Time Travel

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle -

Wrong Place Wrong Time - Gillian McAllister

Snowed In

No Exit - Taylor Adams

True Crime Podcast

Girl Forgotten

The Sorority Murders

Unreliable Narrator

Sometimes I Lie - Alice Feeney

Wedding Gone Wrong

The Couple at the Table - Sophie Hannah

The Guilt Trip - Sandie Jones

The Guest List - Lucy Foley

You're Invited - Amanda Jaytista

[phantom-of-the-501st]

For character bingo— the phantom. :)

Let's gooo!!!! (You're getting pics with this one!)

And a bit (a lot) of waffle because I have a lot to say about him rn

He may have killed a couple of people, kidnapped someone, and threatened to kill her fiance, but he's sad and lonely and I want to give him a hug. 🥺

I don't necessarily think he should be forgiven, but I think he should be understood. He's a man whose actions are all deeply rooted in fear (which is why Jon Robyns is my fave because he really digs into this side of the character).

Also, I don't think that the moment that Christine kisses him is the moment he realises that she doesn't love him like she wants her to, but that's a whole ramble for another time if people want that

And that man looks awesome!!! I mean look at this!

Ramin Karimloo (POTO 25th Anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall)

It's my favourite Phantom outfit. The bedazzled cape and the hat are 🔥 I'm just saying, if it was socially acceptable, I would be running around dressed like this so much of the time!

"If anything happens to them I will cry"

Bestie... been there, done that.

Ramin Karimloo (POTO 25th Anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall)

It's the ending... the ending always makes me cry 🥲

Also, Chrisitine is a stronger woman than I am. He killed someone and she was like "NOPE, uh uh, that's it, I'm not going back to him noooope" and I'm just like "...but you heard Music of the Night, right?"

This is a good time to share this pic of Jon Robyns and Holly Anne Hull that dropped the other day :)

📸 @my_photography_journal on Insta

I would cave in in 2 seconds ngl

But I do think that guy could do with a couple of trips around a salad spinner

I guess I'm just gonna wrap this up with one of my favourite quotes about the Phantom from the book:

"He had a heart that could have held the empire of the world; and in the end, he had to content himself with a cellar." -Gaston Leroux

He's a man who wanted to live a life of love; to love and to be loved. But the way society treated him drove him to living a life of hate.

[d-dormant]

Not boring in the slightest I would love to hear more about your book collection!! What are some of your favourites from each genre? 🖤

Hello! First of all, that's so sweet of you to say, thanks a lot! 💜 Going from top to bottom, my favourites

— From the "Medieval"/gothic collection (that i haven't read that much of yet tbh):

· "Ivanhoe" by Sir Walter Scott. It's very witty at times + I got some nice vocabulary and cultural references from the medieval setting out of it.

· "The Castle of Otranto" by Horace Walpole. Liked it mostly for making me re-think the whole morale of the "Maleficent" films (they're the only thing I talk about ever, sorry for somehow bringing it even here). I mean the whole underlying idea that descendants should pay for their ancestors' wrongs if they themselves escaped punishment. Realising that for many medieval people that kind of retribution might've been considered just and right put lot of things in an interesting perspective for me!

· "Fair Margaret" by Sir Henry Rider Haggard. I'm reading it rn and enjoying the characters and the plot so far, although I sometimes wish the author wouldn't just tell what the characters are like since I can already tell it from their speech and actions, hah.

· I also have a book of Celtic myths which I also enjoy a lot despite never remembering a single plot or name. 

— From foreign classics: 

· "The Phantom of the Opera" by Gaston Leroux. It was the first book I really enjoyed after a long period of not being able to bring myself to read, so it's special to me + I really liked the Persian, it's insane that he's not in the musical?? 

· "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontё. My #1 baby my favourite lady. I've read it a few times and every time I hate Mr Rochester more and love Jane more as well. 

— From foreign modern/contemporary literature: 

· "Flush" by Virginia Woolf. It's the only work of hers I've read so far, but I remember being in awe of just how colourful and almost tasty the descriptions are. And it's a very touching tale as well.

· "Martin Eden" by Jack London. *in keke palmer's voice* sorry to this man

· "Special Topics in Calamity Physics" by Marisha Pessl. A really well-done novel provided the author's intent was to make me absolutely fucking despise the main characters from the very first page. I think it was, so kudos to her.

— From Russian literature:

· "Oblomov" by Ivan Alexandrovich Goncharov. Somehow is in Russian school curriculum and still underrated. I guess people dislike the main character too much to enjoy it; not me, though! I only hate Ilya Oblomov because he reminds me of myself too fucking much and this whole novel is dragging me and putting me in existential dread! 

· Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov's poetry of which I have three books. I am a Lermontov girlie it's true it's true. I think he is quite underrated internationally (that is to say, I wish he was as well-known in the world as Tolstoy or Dostoyevskiy). He is romantism at its finest.

— From Circassian literature (that I also hardly read anything from because most of what I have is in Circassian and I'm not nearly as fluent): 

· "The Millstones" by Isaac Mashbash. A historical novel about the time preceeding the Russo-Circassian war and the wartime itself. It was a difficult yet interesting read. I'm thinking of maybe re-reading it soon because it seems only fitting, considering what's happening right now has a lot of resemblance to what happens in the novel.

I think that's it! Sorry if it's too long! Again, thanks for asking!

[dolokhoded]

sigh...... i am not immune to pharoga

[anhed-nia]

Having spent quite a lot of time and energy on the Phantom of the Opera legacy recently, and having watched PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE for the first time in a long time, I now love that movie more than I ever thought possible. It was always a favorite, but the context of all previous and subsequent attempts on the deeply flawed Gaston Leroux story really rips the lid off the radical brilliance and creativity of the De Palma film. I hate to even say "De Palma" like that, as if it's a pure matter of auteurism, but I don't have the wherewithal to list everyone who makes this masterpiece what it is. I never fully understood what it achieved before now. Fuck. Watch PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE soon if you haven't lately, it's so fucking good.

[hostess-of-horror]

Mask in the Mirror

A Metadede Phantom of the Opera AU Fanfic

@minnesotamedic186 @tibli @thereaderinsertlady @darkmedolie @lemonbaloni @boom-fanfic-a-latta @lulu-baked-beans @hotpinkboots @nonbananon @tiramegtoons

Disclaimer: This is my very first time writing anything Kirby-related, so there's no sort of lore tied to this story whatsoever. Also, I may or may not have written these characters accurately (the Kirby anime is literally the only kind of portrayal I know of). This is all just for funsies, especially since spooky season is already here on Tumblr! This idea all came from a random shitpost I made a few months ago, and after seeing how much traction it got, I decided to finally write a short story about it. I am also planning to draw this AU, too, so stay tuned for that!

Content Includes: Flirting and Slight Suggestiveness (no explicit NSFW)

---

“He fills me with horror and I do not hate him. How can I hate him, Raoul? Think of Erik at my feet, in the house on the lake, underground. He accuses himself, he curses himself, he implores my forgiveness!...He confesses his cheat. He loves me! He lays at my feet an immense and tragic love. ... He has carried me off for love!...He has imprisoned me with him, underground, for love!...But he respects me: he crawls, he moans, he weeps!...And, when I stood up, Raoul, and told him that I could only despise him if he did not, then and there, give me my liberty...he offered it...he offered to show me the mysterious road...Only...only he rose too...and I was made to remember that, though he was not an angel, nor a ghost, nor a genius, he remained the voice...for he sang. And I listened ... and stayed!...That night, we did not exchange another word. He sang me to sleep.”

Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera

---

“Mi rey...” spoke the mysterious voice, “Mi vida... Come to me...”

King Dedede, draped in his white laced night garb, snapped out of his concentration. Glancing over his shoulder, he rose from his desk with expectancy. He searched around his royal chamber. A week ago, the voice had promised him that they will finally meet when the time comes. Tonight was that very moment. “Stranger! I can hear you, but I don't know where you are! Where are you?” Dedede responded aloud.

“Tonight, I shall no longer be a stranger. As I have promised, I will present myself to you.” the voice echoed, “Look into the mirror... Your Dark Angel awaits inside.”

Dedede glanced at the mirror. Look into the mirror? But there's nothing behind the mirror – he was sure of it! Out of all the secret entryways, emergency escape routes, and hidden corridors, a mirror was the last thing Dedede was concerned about. What could a mirror possibly hide, he thought to himself. But as the mirror across the chamber began to creak open and the gaping crack oozed with billowing fog, he got his answer.

Behind it was darkness, and in the darkness was a mask.

The mask was silver and ornate with black jewels. It faced Dedede, and as Dedede looked closer, he could make out a long black cape below it, wrapped and almost camouflaged. He stepped closer. But he could not make another inch – hesitation took over his instincts. He swallowed, pushing himself to walk towards his Dark Angel. His struggle melted when a hand appeared and lifted itself from underneath the cape, reaching for Dedede's hand. Mesmerized, Dedede inched even further towards the mirror. His curiosity and fascination overpowered his second-guessing. The Dark Angel was here and it was far too late to turn back now. The king placed his hand over the Angel's, and gently did he hold on. Before he knew it, Dedede was being whisked away into the darkness, leaving behind the comforts of his chamber.

Dedede did not know where they were going. He could not see anything at first. But then lights – gold candelabras hanging on stone walls – illuminated their path. With his sight finally clearer, Dedede could now make out who this mysterious stranger was. And what a mysterious character this Dark Angel was! In fact, nothing about his appearance was angelic. Dedede turned to glance behind. “Ah, mi amor, por favor...” the masked Angel pleaded, “Do not look away. I promise that no harm will come to you. I have waited so long for this moment, and at long last, here we are. Together, as destiny foretold.” Further down the candlelit stone hallway they went, stretching deeper into wherever it lead. Soon, the Dark Angel, his hand still holding on to Dedede's, pressed a hidden button among the stone bricks. As the button activated, a secret door opened right in front of them. There behind that concealed entrance was an astonishing sight.

The large chamber was completely adorned with candles in almost altar-like fashion, shedding light on the various carvings of melodramatic scenes. The figures, some semi-nude, eternally displayed in almost every corner, posed with such a passion Dedede only found in film and novels. He blushed at the very sight; his eyes continued to wander. There before them was a massive organ, masterfully crafted in gold and polished wood, placed in the middle of a mural. Where did all of this come from? How did this Dark Angel manage to get this setup within the castle?

Or rather...Underneath the castle?

With a dramatic flip of the cape, the Dark Angel welcomed the confused yet enchanted king. “Here is where light ends and darkness reigns. This is where music is born – worshiped! Here, music is the breath of life! Here is where I reside.” he spoke to Dedede, “And here... is where you will know the truth.” Dedede watched as his masked host approached him. His eyes – eyes that glowed beneath the mask �� softened as they met Dedede's with an overwhelming adoration. “Mi rey...” the Dark Angel cooed, pulling a bright red rose from behind, “The love that I have for you is beyond mere words. I have seen you from afar – from within the shadows – and I have longed for our romance to bloom. Ah, but I must confess; a thousand apologies for not introducing myself properly. I... am the Phantom Knight... Your Phantom Knight.” Dedede could feel his feathers poof from his chest, the warmth burning bright all over his face. His heart raced with such vigor that he could almost faint from surprise. Delicately, Dedede accepted the rose.

“I... T-thank you...” Dedede politely said, trying his best not to be afraid. Although he was familiar with the Phantom Knight – his voice for the most part – everything was becoming a blur of emotions. Flustered... Scared... Bashful... Concerned... The Phantom Knight, gently, as if he could shatter his royal object of affection into pieces, caressed Dedede on the cheek. “It pleases me to know that you are not afraid of me. Many in this world fear me, so much so that I have to hide away in these walls.” The Phantom Knight continued, “Ah, your majesty... Magnifico....Your handsomeness has bewitched me. It blinds me. Si, it does! And I speak with greatest sincerity.”

Dedede began to lean against his hand, just ever so slightly. A newfound amorous sensation blossomed within him as a soft smile began to crack. He could not help it. A sigh escaped his lungs as he begins to swoon. Pulling Dedede close to him, the Phantom Knight whispered so sweetly, “Eres mi hermoso angel... You belong to me, and to me alone...”