#its making me want to watch the phantom of the opera again

[lowkeychenle]

Within the Piano Keys [ZCL] (M)

Description: For as long as you could remember, Chenle has been your neighbor and childhood best friend. That is, until one day he disappears without a word...or so you thought, since your mother hid all the letters he sent you.

Genre: Fluff/Angst/Smut triple threat ygm

Content Warnings: This fic contains letters from Chenle (purely fictional duh) but does mention things about the graduation system/the Dreamies going through a rough time just FYI! Just a brief mention. And also, smut. this has smut, but it's soft and cute smut because why not.......so literally that's it I think? Who I am these are some light content warnings

Word Count: 7,707

Pairing: Zhong Chenle x Reader (feat (briefly) Jeno & Jaemin, mentions of Mark and Jisung)

Juliet's Masterlist | Requests

Author's Note: This gif actually kills me someone send 911 emergency services sos zhong chenle is killing me AGAIN

The ghost of the past will always find you.

There’s no outrunning destiny. Who and what you were made to be. And you sure as hell love to try—pushing yourself to change as much as possible to keep Fate on her toes. Sometimes, it’s inevitable. Sometimes, people are placed on the Earth with a specific purpose, and you were sure yours was him. At a mere seven years old, your life changed forever—in a way you never saw coming. When you think about it, you don’t think Fate saw it, either.

Because you met him then.

You remember the day in vivid detail. The soft, sweet melody of the piano drifting through the house, up the stairs, and beneath your bedroom door where you stand, looking for your butterfly hair clip you adore oh so much.

When your frustration reaches its peak and you sit down with a huff on the edge of your bed, you hear it. Your heart seems to beat along with the music, every key pressed making you wonder just who is playing downstairs.

It’s from Phantom of the Opera, a song titled “All I Ask of You.” The melody is full, transcending your body into peace the moment you realize what it is.

After taking a deep breath, you hesitantly make your way down the winding, spiral staircase, fingers tracing along the railings as if they’re too delicate to actually hold on to. Your steps echo downward, but as the young boy comes into view, you stop.

Not even your noisy intrusion breaks him from his music-induced trance. His entire body moves along with the sound, his eyes closed as he presses each note with perfection. His black hair is a bit longer than it probably should be, with a middle part to expose his forehead. His defined brows are furrowed, and even at his age, you’ve never seen someone look wiser than this boy does right at this moment.

You feel the song in your bones, deep within your soul in such an existential way, you aren’t sure if you’ll ever feel anything like it again. A silly, juvenile thought. You don’t know it right now, but you’d feel like that every time you were around him.

As the song comes to a close, he holds out the last note, inhaling deeply as if he hasn’t been breathing the entire time.

His eyes flutter open, warm brown irises immediately meeting yours. You hadn’t expected such depth, but you’d learn eventually never to expect anything with him—in the end, you would only build yourself up to fall…over and over and over again.

Here you stand, locked in a metaphorical embrace with a kid who can’t be any older than you, yet he seems…different. Like he’s seen enough in his lifetime to age him beyond physicality.

That was the day you started to believe in fate. The day he left was when you stopped.

Hours turned into weeks, and before you know it, the boy next door became your friend. Most times, you’d sit on the bench while he plays piano and watch incredulously. His musical talent always astounds you—he can sing, play instruments, write songs and compose them.

Sometimes, he’d ask you to sing the songs he played, and even though you felt nowhere near as talented as him, you did what he wanted. He’d join in with you occasionally, your voices blending together seemingly effortlessly.

Those weeks turned into years—two kids learning more and more about each other. He’d become more than a friend. You were twelve years old when you realized the connection you had with Chenle. When everything pieced together, and you understood that some hearts, some souls, are much older than you could ever fathom. Your heart, you were sure, stretched beyond your years, and your soul was kindred with Chenle’s in a way that could only mean you’d known each other in a past life. Slowly, slowly, slowly…he was everything, all at once.

“You’ve almost got it,” he whispered to you, adjusting your ring finger on the keys. “Just gotta move over a little bit more.”

You pouted. “My hands aren’t big enough, Lele.”

“Stop that.” He chuckled, shaking his head and nudging your shoulder. “That mindset is gonna keep you from learning.”

“Well, if my mindset doesn’t do it, the arthritis at a young age will,” you snipped.

His eyes sparkled with humor, crinkling at the edges as his smile widened. “You’ll get it eventually. Keep trying.”

“What if I don’t?”

“Then I’ll tell you that you suck and you should never play again.”

You snorted. “Promise?”

He held up his pinky. “I’d never lie to you.”

You looped yours with his.

“You’ll get it.”

Chenle never gave up on you. He kept pushing you to be the best you could be, and you gladly followed his direction. You never quite got as good as he was with the piano, but you’d gotten decent at least. The two of you would hang out every day, spending every waking, free moment together until your mom told him it was time to go home.

You’d never thought about love and what it meant. For you, loving Chenle was as natural as breathing, and as time went on, it only got easier.

You turned fourteen before Chenle. If you had known this was the beginning of your last year with him, you would’ve appreciated it more. You would’ve told him all of the things lingering on your mind—how you loved him, so purely and genuinely.

Just days before your life blew up in your face, you almost told him.

He sat next to you on your bed, arm wrapped around you as you rested your head on his shoulder. The soft golden light of the lamp illuminated him gently, and the movie playing in the background edges you closer and closer to sleep.

“Do you ever think about…life?” he asked.

“Hm?” You scrunched your nose, your half-asleep state not registering what he meant.

“Like…what your plans are. What you want to do and who you want to be with.” His thumb brushed your skin soothingly. “We have to figure it out soon, don’t we? We’re almost adults.”

“You’re not tired?” You sat up and rubbed your forehead.

“Nope.”

“Well.” You sighed and ran your fingers through your hair. “The only thing I’m certain about when it comes to the future is that you’ll be there. So, it doesn’t matter what else happens.”

He smiled softly, the slightest shade of red tinting his cheeks. “Even if the world ended?”

“Even if the world ended.” You confirmed.

A few months later, the world did end. At least, yours did.

He was gone.

His mom left shortly after him, but she told you what he was doing—how he was going to pursue his music career in South Korea. He was going to be an idol, and he was leaving you behind to do it.

Your world ended, but his got to go on without you.

At twenty-one years old, you’re still not sure where you went wrong. Chenle left, but his memory plagues the very walls you live within. You keep up with him, with his group and all of the things they’re doing. Even though you’re not with him, you watch him grow and grow into a more confident version of the young boy you knew.

Seven years without him should have been impossible, yet here you are: alive, well, and watching any and all Chenle related content. You haven’t heard from him, not once. Assumingly, he’s incredibly busy. Even then, you wonder occasionally if you ever cross his mind, if he ever thinks of the love he left behind.

Ever since, you’ve been sensitive over the summer months. A part of you is missing, and until you see him again, you’re unsure if you’ll ever find it. Has he changed? Is he still the boy you loved?

On days where thoughts of him overwhelms you, you like to walk the trail behind your house. It takes you through a wooded area, and the other end brings you to the end of your street. On your walk back, you see an unfamiliar car outside of Chenle’s family’s home. Curiosity gets the better of you, and you stand there to watch.

The door slides open, and you hear an unfamiliar laugh. Frowning, you cross your arms over your chest. Who the hell would be at Chenle’s house?

When the first person gets out of the car, your heart stops in your chest. You’re about eighty percent sure that’s Lee Jeno, light hair reflecting the bright sunlight above. If that’s Jeno, then—

You feel a sudden urge to run into your house, slam the door, and lock it behind you. Several other people are in that car, and if they’re here…one of them is Chenle. Your Chenle, who isn’t really yours. Not anymore.

Jaemin gets out next. His roots are dark, nearly overshadowing the pink hue on top of his head. He swats at someone behind him, laughing, and as that person comes into view, your heart stops. It shreds itself to pieces.

Jeno notices you first, a slight frown gracing his face before Chenle’s gaze follows his line of sight. When he sees you, you instantly see the recognition on his face.

Seven years is a long time. Hell, even though you’ve seen all of Dream’s content, you’re still shocked to see how different he looks. His face is more defined. He’s grown a bit taller, too.

He sees you. He’s looking at you for the first time in years, and all you want to do is forget all this time of no contact, all the ways the two of you hadn’t reached out to each other. A lump forms in your throat, and before you do something stupid, you let out a shaky breath, turn away from him, and make your way into your house.

You shut the door behind you, your back thudding against it. Glancing over to your right, the grand piano—old and loved—is blurred by your tears, and for the briefest of moments, you swear you see your younger self sitting there, endlessly playing the songs Chenle taught you before he left.

A knock sounds, and each one echoes throughout your house, feeling like a hole-puncher on your heart. You’re barely able to breathe as you prepare yourself to be face-to-face with Chenle for the first time in almost a decade—for the first time since he up and disappeared on you without a word.

“(Y/N)?” His voice. So familiar but so distant, all the same as it was.

You don’t answer. You can’t.

“I’m coming in, okay?”

You brace yourself against the solid wood of the piano, doing your best to calm yourself. The last thing you need is to make a fool of yourself in front of him.

A hesitant creak fills your ears, and the tap of his shoes on the hardwood flooring has your eyes clenching shut.

“Why’d you run off like that?” he asks, voice so soft that it’s barely audible.

“I didn’t.”

“You still sound the same,” he says it quietly, as if he’s the only one meant to hear it. He raises his voice so you can hear him. “It’s been a long time.”

You scoff, whipping around to face him. “It’s been a long time? That’s all you have to say to me?” Anger bubbles in your gut, quickly replacing the hurt lingering.

You have to stop yourself from admiring him at a time like this. His oversized T-shirt somehow compliments him in the best ways, his hair is a tinted shade of purple, and when his fingers run through it, you have to look away. Sure, you should’ve expected to see him again at some point, but you never imagined you’d feel the same. It’s a bit different now that you’re older. You’re able to see him in a different light.

His eyes widen and he recoils. “I…I’m sorry, I don’t know what else I’m supposed to say. It’s not like there’s a textbook on how to do this.”

“What are you doing here? Why now?” You cross your arms over your chest, doing your best to avoid his eyes.

“We’re here on a schedule.” He slides his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants. “I told them about you, in case you were wondering.”

“Oh, right.” You let out a sarcastic laugh. “I suppose that makes it all okay, right? You tell your friends I exist and that’s supposed to change how you up and left me without a word?”

He frowns. “Without a word?”

“Yeah, Chenle. Without a single fucking word.”

“That’s not true.” His tone sharpens to match yours. “I wrote to you. A lot. And if you didn’t want to read them, that’s on you. That doesn’t mean I left without a word. There were a lot of words, actually.”

“Why didn’t I get them?” Your voice drops into a whisper, moving one of your hands to touch your forehead.

“I…I don’t know. I didn’t know your address so I sent them to my mom, and she told me every time she gave one to your mom—”

A jolt of electricity rages up your spine, and you immediately turn away from him and run up the staircase. Your mother’s out of town for the week. If she’s been hiding letters from you, they’d be in her room somewhere—and you’d tear that place apart if it meant you had all those words.

“Where are you—hey!”

You’re already in your mom’s closet when Chenle follows you in.

“You shouldn’t be in here—”

“Says you,” you interrupt him, mindlessly shuffling through anything that looks like it could hold letters. “How many?”

“What?”

“How many did you send, Chenle?”

“Um.” He pauses, shifting on his feet. “I don’t know. A few? I stopped after a while because I didn’t hear anything. Figured you didn’t want anything else.”

“My God,” you mutter, blinking rapidly to fight off the tears. “And you swear your mom gave them to mine?”

“I—yeah, she didn’t have a reason not to.”

“And my mom had a reason not to give them to—shit. When did you send the first one?”

“(Y/N), it was seven years ago.”

“Was it right when you left or afterward?” You haphazardly dig through the closet, searching high and low.

“I left it here. I told my mom about it after a week or so. What the hell is going on?” Chenle runs his fingers through his hair again, gulping. “We really shouldn’t be in here.”

Your heart sinks. There’s nothing in here. You’ll never find Chenle’s letters, and the mystery will always be just that.

“I…I’m so sorry.” You drop your head into your hands. “I’m acting like an idiot right now.”

“Don’t be sorry, I’m just confused. This whole time, I thought you didn’t want anything to do with me…that’s why I haven’t been back in a while.” Chenle takes a step closer to you, reaching out to touch your arm. “I would never leave you.”

You finally look at him. Really look at him. The worried furrow to his brow, the slight downturn of his lips, concern clouding those beautiful irises of his. Standing in front of you is the reason you are who you are today.

“You just…Okay, I need a while to figure all of this out.” You glance up to the ceiling, closing your eyes and taking a shuddering breath. “Can you go? I don’t really want to see you right now.”

Hurt plays out on his face, but after he blinks a few times, he nods slowly. “Yeah. Sure. Um, I’ll see you later. If it helps any, I probably could’ve tried to call or something.”

“We were kids.” You sigh. “It wouldn’t have changed anything.”

You say that, but it would have. The entire trajectory of your life may have changed if Chenle was still in it back then. As much as you want to be pissed at your mother for hiding things from you, maybe she was right.

Chenle takes his bottom lip between his teeth, looking you over one more time as he nods. “Right. I…I’ll see you around.”

Before you respond, he’s turning away from you and disappearing down the hall. You feel a lot of things—overwhelmed, confused, sad. But you also almost feel naive for listening to him—for believing that your mother hid things from you. Your brain stops being logical when Chenle’s around, and you know it’s a mistake to bring him back into your life. The hurt has passed, but that doesn’t mean it won’t rear its ugly head if you’re in such close proximity to him.

You go back downstairs to grab your phone, and the first thing you do is dial your mom’s number. She picks up after the first ring.

“Hi, honey! I was about to text you. New York is fascinating! You’d love it—”

“Did Chenle write me letters?”

“Oh.” She clears her throat. “Where is this coming from?”

“He’s here,” you mutter. “He told me he sent me letters, mom.”

“(Y/N), you have to understand where I was coming from.”

“Where are they?” You slap your hand to your forehead. “Where?”

“He still left, you know. I understand he’s important to you, but he still chose a career over you. And you would’ve thrown everything away for him without a second thought.” Your mom takes a deep breath. “You needed to live your life for you.”

“Where are they?” you repeat. “If you threw them away, I will never forgive you.”

“Of course, I didn’t throw them away. They’re in my closet in a little gold box on the floor. When you read those…don’t get any ideas. He lives far away and he’s even less available for you now than he was before.”

You hang up without saying another word and run back up the stairs. It takes you only a few seconds to find the box she told you about. When you open it, your breath shudders at the stack of letters in there. Some are aged and crinkly, but the ones toward the top are newer. Your hands shake as you grab them, mouth dry as you see the dates listed across the front of the envelope.

You start with the one on the bottom, the oldest, and ever so carefully opening it. Blinking back tears, you take in the painfully familiar handwriting that belonged to your Chenle.

(Y/N)

This is probably the worst way to do this, I know. I’m leaving to follow my dreams, and while I wish I could take you with me, it doesn’t make sense. Your mom would never agree to let you come. Thinking of going through all of this without you scares me more than I care to admit.

I don’t have a phone yet, but as soon as I get one, I’ll send you a letter with the number! It’ll be nice to hear your voice again. I’m writing this early, so I actually spoke with you earlier today, but it’s funny how quickly I miss you.

You’re probably going to be really mad at me, and that’s okay. I deserve it. The reason I didn’t tell you isn’t very simple, but I hope you understand it. Saying goodbye to you would feel so permanent. Goodbye itself is too permanent for my liking, so I’ve never liked them.

If I looked into your eyes and told you I was leaving, I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to go. Or that I’d sneak you with me in my carry-on. I didn’t want to hurt you. You mean so much to me, (Y/N). I don’t ever want to make you upset, and I know you’ll eventually understand why I had to do it this way.

Just know I’ll be thinking about you every day. You’re the reason I’ll have the strength to get through this training period.

Talk to you soon,

Your Chenle

You trace your finger along the bottom of the page. Face wet, you clear your throat as you delicately set it aside to grab the next one. According to the date on the envelope, it’s from a few months after the first one.

(Y/N),

These past few months have been so hectic. I think I almost died a couple times, but here I am. I debuted last week! I’m in a group called NCT, but I debuted in the sub-unit NCT DREAM. It seems surreal, and it happened so much faster than I thought.

I think you’d like the other guys. They’re nice and loud and friendly. Honestly, they seem like they’ve been working together for a little bit of time already, so I’m the newest one here. I heard someone say they’d been training for a while…

Anyway, I said in the last letter that I’d give you my phone number. I realized after I left that you didn’t have one either, so…I’m not sure how that’ll work. And I wasn’t expecting a response to these at all, but if you want to write back, it’d give me something to look forward to after all this hecticness.

But yeah…honestly, I was a bit worried about moving here and being in a group. I’ve been learning a lot of Korean though, and another member named Jisung has been helping me a lot. He’s a few months younger than me, can you believe it? Everyone treats him like a baby, but I think he likes it. I told them about you, and they all kept teasing me.

Maybe they just don’t understand. You’re my favorite person, of course, I’m going to talk about you and tell them stories about all the fun we had.

Sorry this one is a bit long. I hope you’re not too mad at me. And I also hope that you’re keeping up on me. I think you’d like Chewing Gum…

I’ll talk to you soon! I’ll write my number down at the bottom of the page.

Your Chenle

You have to take a break. You rest your head back against the wall, closing your eyes and imagining how hurt poor, young Chenle must have been when you never responded to his heartfelt letters. You don’t know much about Jisung—besides the obvious, public information—but you’re happy someone was good and helpful to him.

After that, you wonder what it would’ve been like to be there for him through all of that. Based on what you know about his group, he’s been through a lot of ups and downs over the years. You wonder if he wrote about some of the harder things, too.

You read another one that’s about their promotions, how he’s getting closer with the other members. Then one about how he performed with twenty-two others. The next one you grab is dated from 2019. You open it.

(Y/N),

I didn’t think this year would be as hard as it has been. We all expected it, you know? We knew it was going to happen, but it doesn’t change how scary it’s been. I’m sorry it’s been a while since I’ve written. Maybe you just throw them away at this point, which is fine, but I wish I could hear from you. Especially at a time like this.

Dream has a graduation system, and Mark’s been gone for months now. Things have been continuing ‘as normal,’ but without Mark, we don’t really feel complete as a group. We see him as often as we can, but performing without him is…it feels wrong.

I wish I could see you. You’d make everything better in an instant, just like you always did. Sometimes, I feel terrible because the others get sad about the situation, and I can’t figure out any good words to say. You’ve always been so good at comforting others, I wish you were here to help me.

It’s been two years since I’ve seen you. That’s so weird to think about, because I swear I still hear your voice in my head. Your encouraging words, how you always believed in me. I need that now more than ever.

I’m not sure if you know much about Mark, but he’s our rock. We kind of fail to function without him. But in the spirit of missing both you and Mark, I’ll tell you a little story about what happened when I asked Mark for advice.

I asked him about you—about what I could possibly do to make all of this up to you since you deserve it. And not hearing back from you makes me think you might hate me.

Anyway, his question in response was interesting. He wanted to know what you were to me. How I felt about you. At first, I thought he was crazy. I mean, it was obvious—you’re my best friend. I can’t live and function without my best friend.

He asked if that was all.

I vividly remember scrunching up my face and pushing his shoulder. Not too hard, by the way.

But the more he told me about what it felt like to be in love, everything clicked into place. I’m in love with you, (Y/N). I have been for so long that it started feeling like second nature instead of a conscious idea.

I guess it doesn’t matter now. Maybe I’ve failed you too much for it to mean anything to you.

Loss sucks. Losing Mark in Dream has sucked, losing you before I even realized the extent of my feelings sucked, but at the end of the day, I have to keep pushing forward. I’m sorry for any hurt I may have caused, because this situation with Mark also made me realize how much it must have hurt you for me to up and disappear the way I did.

I’m so, so sorry. I hope you can forgive me.

Your Chenle

You wipe angrily at your tears, unsure if you should be mad at yourself or at your mother. She stole this from you. Chenle figured out his feelings for you long before you figured out yours for him, but it feels like a new revelation—to know he felt the same way, even after years without you.

You remember this time where Mark had ‘graduated’ from NCT Dream. And because you knew Chenle well, you could tell he was struggling, even when he put on a happy facade. He needed you, and you weren’t there for him.

No matter how much it hurts, you can’t stop. You grab the next one. His writing became less frequent after that. He wrote to tell you when NCT Dream became a fixed unit, and how happy he was to be reunited as seven. The next was from their first full album. You find the last one, surprised to find how recent it was. There was a large gap between this one and the one before it.

The letter was addressed from a few months ago. The one before had been from two years ago.

(Y/N),

I’m sorry it’s been a while. Honestly, we’ve been so busy, I’ve barely even had the time to sleep. I got news today that we’ll be going to China for an event. I’m coming home, but I figured I should tell you in advance. Give you some time in case you really don’t want to see me.

I still think of you every day. All I want is to hear your voice again, but I won’t ask you to do something you don’t want to. If you have no intention of seeing me, that’s fine. I know I messed this up, but I figured it wouldn’t be right to give up when I’ll be so close.

We’ll be arriving in the next few weeks. I wish I could give you more detailed information, but I won’t even know it until the day of.

If this is it for us, thank you for the time I had with you. I love you, (Y/N). No matter what, that’ll be true, but this will be the last thing I send. I hope you understand.

Love,

Your Chenle

At this point, you’re bawling your eyes out. You aggressively wipe away the tears, cursing yourself for not knowing about these damn letters. All the pain you could’ve helped him through, all the hurt it could’ve saved you from.

You sniffle, grab your phone, and dial the number at the bottom of the second letter. It’s been years since he gave it to you, so there’s a good chance it’s different now. But you don’t exactly feel like going over to his house while his friends are there and making a fool of yourself.

“Hello?” That’s definitely his voice.

“Chenle,” you breathe out, closing your eyes. “My Chenle.”

“Yeah.” His tone softens. “Yeah, yours. Always yours.”

Running your fingers through your hair, you sigh. “I found them. All of them. I’m so fucking sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he says. “It’s not like you even knew about them. Give me one second, I’m gonna go upstairs. Jeno and Jaemin are still here.”

You nod even though he can’t see you, and you hear him say something to the other guys. They reply, and then you hear the tell-tale sound of the stairs creaking beneath Chenle’s feet. Once he makes it up to his bedroom, he closes the door behind him.

“Are you okay?” he asks. “That’s a lot to read all at once.”

“I don’t know. I’m so mad, Lele. How could she hide those from me? If I’d known you didn’t just leave me, it would’ve hurt so much less. And seeing all this pain you went through all by yourself…I’m so sorry.”

“Stop apologizing,” he tells you. “We know the truth now. I don’t want you to hate me.”

“I could never hate you,” you whisper, burying your head in your palm. “Not even if I tried.”

There’s a brief silence, only filled with the sounds of you sniffling and Chenle breathing. He’s right next door, but the idea of being with him is too real. You need time to process all of this, and bringing him around while you do isn’t the best idea.

“You said you loved me.”

“Love,” he corrects you. “Present tense. I never stopped.”

“I kept up with you.” You play with the seam of your jeans. “With everything you did with Dream and all the accomplishments you’ve had so far. I’ve been so proud of you with no way to say it.”

“I almost stopped writing letters. Mark convinced me not to give up, but after seven years I was pretty sure you wouldn’t change your mind,” he admits.

“If I’d been receiving them I would’ve called you the second you gave me your number.”

“That’s what I’d been hoping for.” Chenle takes a deep breath. “We have to go soon for a schedule, but can I come see you later?”

Later wasn’t really definitive. The thought of him in your house and in your space is scary, terrifying even, but this is Chenle. The boy who used to play piano with you and sing to his heart’s content. From what you’ve seen, this version of him doesn’t seem too different than that boy.

“Please,” you whisper. “Will you be hungry? I can make you something.”

“It’ll be late. Don’t worry about me. I’ll see you soon, okay?”

Not too long after your conversation, you hear the three boys clamber into the van. You try to busy yourself throughout the day, cleaning in order to distract yourself. Eventually, you sit down at the piano and play whatever song comes to memory. One of the ones Chenle taught you back when he was here.

You taught yourself a few of Dream’s songs as well, like Rainbow, My Youth, Puzzle Piece, Teddy Bear, and most recently, Like We Just Met from their newest album. You play the last one, the darkness cascading around you as the sunset fades away from view. It’s only you and the starlight now, a gentle melody flooding through the air around you.

The door creaks open, and Chenle walks through when you’re almost done with the song. You stop playing, standing up to greet him. There’s an odd moment where you stand there staring at each other, admiring the way the starlight reflects off his skin. His eyebrows are furrowed, like he’s trying to decide what to do next.

You don’t hesitate anymore. Moving forward, you wrap your arms around him and bury your head in his chest. He immediately reciprocates, shaky breath passing by his lips as he holds you closely. His heart thrashes, the sound more than similar to yours.

“I missed you,” he says.

“I missed you, too,” you reply easily, tightening your grip on him.

You pull back slightly to look into his eyes, wetness gathered beneath them. With shaky hands, you reach up to wipe it away. His gaze travels over your face.

“You love me.”

He nods hesitantly, palms pressing into the small of your back. “Always have.”

“I’ve always loved you, too.” Before you talk yourself out of it, you’re on the tips of your toes to kiss him. It starts gently, your mouth barely brushing his before his breath catches in his throat. Then it’s real—he pulls you flush against him, lips fitting with yours like he’s made for you.

You move your hands from his cheeks to his hair, leaning into him. His fingers latch onto the fabric of your shirt. Next thing you know, he’s walking you backward until he’s pressing your back into a wall.

“We have so much to talk about.” He rests his forehead on yours. “So much air to clear up.”

“Yeah.” You nod, but your stare is focused directly on his lips.

“This isn’t going to be easy,” he warns you. “I don’t get to come here often, so unless you were to come to Korea, we’d pretty much never see each other. My schedules are so packed, I’m practicing all day and half-dead by the time I get home. I can be a real asshole when I’m tired, and sometimes I might take jokes too far. This life is not easy, (Y/N). I need you to know what you’re getting yourself into.”

“What am I even doing here?” you ask. “I can come with you.”

“I can’t ask you to give up everything you have for me.” He shakes his head, tucking your hair behind your ear.

“You’re not asking. Chenle, I spent years thinking you were gone without a word. All I want is to be with you as much as possible.”

“At least think about it for a little bit first, okay? I don’t want you to do anything you’ll regret.” He gulps. “That goes for a lot of things.”

“I’ve had seven years to think about all the things I wanted from you.”

“You can’t say things like that,” he mutters.

You’re painfully aware of what it feels like to have him pressed against you, warm in all the right ways and, despite being so thin, he’s firm to the touch. The ache you feel to be closer to him is overwhelming.

“I spent years thinking everything was a lie,” you tell him. “That I couldn’t possibly have mattered to you if you could just disappear without a word.”

His fingers play with yours, discomfort at the idea plastered across his face. “Never. I never would’ve done that. You’ve always meant so much to me.”

“I’m just happy I finally get to tell you all of the things I wanted to tell you after I found out you were gone.” You give him the smallest smile, and he reaches up to trace along your bottom lip.

The simple touch sends sparks flying down your spine, and you’re sure you’ll crumble to dust right at his feet from the forceful impact of it. An odd tug occurs in your chest, one that has you questioning if you’ve ever experienced it before. It pulls you toward him, and despite being flush, your mind dips to dangerous places that could get you so, so much closer.

You’re not sure what’s gotten into you, but this is Chenle. Your Chenle. And if you’re having these feelings for him, there’s no need to hide it.

“I…” you trail off, clenching onto the fabric of his shirt, right above his heart. “Do you feel it, too? Everything is…different now.”

“Under other circumstances, I’d say different is bad,” he whispers. “But there’s nothing bad about the way you’re looking at me.” 

His arms wrap around your waist tightly, and simultaneously, you both lean in until your lips are locked in a gentle battle. The warmth of his touch finds your hip, where your sweater rose up enough to reveal your skin. You let out a shaky sigh, and he squeezes you.

“Come upstairs with me?” Your invite is airy, suggestive, and he analyzes you while his gaze darkens.

“If that’s what you want,” he says.

“Is it what you want?” You tilt your head at him, voice quiet since he’s so close.

He pauses and wets his lips. “Of course, it is. I just don’t want you to regret anything. Losing you once was enough, and I refuse to go through that again.”

 Instead of answering, you intertwine your fingers with his and lead him toward the stairs, through the blackness of the night casting through the windows. You take one step at a time, your heart thundering and blood pulsing through your veins. One look at your shoulder, and for a second, you almost swear you see the younger versions of you and Chenle sitting by the piano. Caught up in the music. In each other.

He follows you, entranced by the way you move and how you’re so willingly guiding him. Everything happens in slow motion for you. Too fast but too slow at the same time, somehow the moment you’ve waited for your entire life while simultaneously the thing that’s scared you the most.

Your Chenle.

He said it himself. Why is it so foreign to think about? That maybe, even after all this time, he loves you even an ounce of how much you love him? Endless devotion with no contact. But he did the same—he waited and waited for your response much like you waited for any contact from him. You were both physically and metaphorically in the dark.

The door to your bedroom creaks as you push it open, embarrassed by how little it’s changed since the last time he was in it. The walls are still the same color, faded and paint peeling in some of the corners. Your bed has been swapped from twin-sized to a queen, but everything else is virtually untouched.

No more words are spoken.

They’re not needed.

You don’t need anything. Not when you have him.

He presses your body into the mattress, climbing over you gently. His touch is tender, sweet, not too much pressure. You’re halfway certain you’ll wake up from this dream any time now, and you’ll once again be without him. Without his touch and his love and his truths.

Kissing him is like touching the sun. It burns, nearly enough to make you combust into flames, but magnetic. He is your sun, and you are the Earth. You revolve around him.

Normally, anyone else taking your clothes off would make you nervous, but you know you’re in good hands with Chenle. Your shirt is tossed aside first, his mouth instantly dipping down to explore every inch of exposed skin. His tongue drags along the swells of your breasts, over your collarbones. He nips, teeth leaving shallow indents on your soft flesh.

Your whines are soft, delicately slicing into the silence of the air. The first time he hears you, he freezes, his eyelashes fluttering against your neck as he takes in the way you sound. Quiet cries of ‘more’ escape you while your hands explore beneath his T-shirt.

Never before in your life have you wanted someone with such despracy. Your body aches for him, and the tug in your chest that pulled you closer to him has finally revealed how. As his fingers pop the button on your jeans, you lift your hips.

He pulls his lips away from your chest, gaze honing in on yours. There’s something swirling around in his irises, and you’re sure yours reflect the same. He doesn’t have to ask the question on the tip of his tongue. Not verbally. You nod, guiding his mouth back to yours.

The heat of his touch dips dangerously low, past your jeans and the hem of your panties. You gasp, appreciative of how he catches the sound. You’ve been touched before, but nobody has ever compared to the way he feels. When you’ve met your soulmate, nothing could be better.

He rubs slow circles on your clit, eyes hazy from knowing he’s the one who made you feel this way. Normally, you’d need more. A simple touch wouldn’t be enough to have you squirming in someone’s grasp, but there’s so much more behind his movements than lust.

And he takes it a step further, sliding his long fingers inside you. His gaze focuses on you the whole time, watching your face for any sign of discomfort as he thrusts his hand. He nudges your sensitive bud with the heel of his palm every time he’s knuckle deep.

Your stomach feels elastic, as if you’re stretching a rubber band, and it’s taking everything you have not to let it snap back. It’s too good. Too intoxicating. Too early for it to be over. He swallows your short moans, picking up his pace. You lean up, yearning for his kiss. He doesn’t need to ask, and the second your lips meet, you tighten around him, and it’s over.

Warmth spreads all over your body, your insides boil, and butterflies swarm deep in your stomach. Your eyes shut, and your head falls back against your pillow. He kisses all over your face, humming quietly.

He pulls away from you to help you remove the last of your clothing, the fabric of your panties sticking uncomfortably until he tugs them down your legs.

You reach down to feel him through his pants, unable to stop the shuddering breath that escapes you when you touch his length. He grinds into your hand, taking his bottom lip between his teeth.

Finally, nothing separates the two of you anymore. The tip of his cock presses against your entrance, the initial pressure already making you crave more. You need all of him, so you wrap your legs around his waist and dig your heels into his back to tell him to push in further. Your whole body tingles with pleasure, the type enough to make your toes curl, and your chest heaves as you adjust to his size.

His forehead drops against your shoulder, grasping one of your hands in his own to squeeze. He takes you slowly, his throbbing length stretching you to your limits and rubbing your walls perfectly. You were made for him, you’re certain. He fits so well, so completely, there’s no other explanation for it.

He curses under his breath, eyes threatening to flutter shut from the pleasure. Sweat clings to you tighter than Chenle does, but you relish in the way you react to him. His eyebrows pinch as he looks at you for any sign of discomfort.

His name slips past your lips. In that moment, you truly become his, and he becomes yours. Bodies meld together, each one of his thrusts sliding so pleasantly inside you. There’s no sound from either of you besides the brief exchange of names, moans from both of you, and the slick of your wetness.

He kisses you, thrusting at a steady, mind-crumbling pace. His chest brushes against yours, breathing uneven as he clenches the bedsheets next to your head. You quickly realize you could do this forever. The feeling of him so deep inside you would never subside, and you find yourself never wanting to separate from him.

Starlight gleams off his skin, the blue shine accenting the sheen of sweat clinging to him. His muscles contract as he holds himself over you, and his hair hangs over his eyes. All you can do in your current state is push it back, basking in the softness of it.

Picking up his pace, he slides one of his hands down your body, his thumb connecting with your clit. You’re a moaning mess, clinging to him as the familiar sensation returns to the pit of your stomach.

His trembling breath fans across your ear as he leans close. You’re unsure of how to handle all of the pleasure, your body spasming. He presses a kiss on that sensitive spot.

“I love you,” he whispers.

And that’s all it takes to have you shatter around him, your back arching as you grip onto his shoulders for dear life. He moans loudly, hips stuttering as your walls clench. When he spills inside you, it’s as if the last piece of you two finally comes together.

In bliss, you tell him you love him, too, over and over.

He kisses you passionately once more before gently pulling out of you, reassuring you that he’ll be right back so you let go. Grabbing a towel from your bathroom, he cleans you up, gaze drinking up every part of you. Once he’s finished, he crawls next to you in bed, pulling you to his chest.

You’re still certain you’ll wake up, and all of this will have been a dream, but until then, you’re going to enjoy it. Burying yourself in the warmth of his chest, you hum in content when he pulls the blankets over the two of you.

Finally, he’s here.

He’s no longer a memory trapped within the piano keys in your foyer.

He’s your Chenle, never to leave your side again.

[chiharulen]

Let's talk about the OST of Black Butler

What really drew me to Kuroshitsuji was the music of the first two seasons. I remember so vividly listening to the music before watching the actual anime, and I remember how the OST made me feel. It was so sad, so raw and heart wrenching, even before knowing the story behind it. As a classical music fan and also musician, here are my favourites even though no one asked LOL :

I mean, with "Si deus me relinquint", I always want to cry. Clearly meant to be ciel's lament : "If God has forsaken me, Then I shall forsake God, too." The unusual spacing of each lyrics, as if the singer was panting her words with difficulties, as if too tired to continue. Then we can hear the gregorian/religious choir : "agnus dei qui tollis peccata mundi" : "Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us." Reminiscing of the cult, and the sacrifice that has been done. The second part of the music, makes me think of Sebastian, here to "save" ciel. (But is it really saving if he's just going to eat ciel's soul anyway. Giving no chance of eternal peace.)

An underrated OST : I've Come To The Lost World/Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen (you can find it here). The title is a nod to Malher's same title song. In this ost, there is no lyrics, however, in Malher's, here are some of the lyrics : "I am lost to the world With which I used to waste much time; It has for so long known nothing of me, It may well believe that I am dead. Nor am I at all concerned If it should think that I am dead. Nor can I deny it, For truly I am dead to the world." You can hear the composer of Black butler's ost passion for opera in a few titles (with "Cena d'amore" or even "Wie Schon") At the beginning, it sounds peaceful. But the plaintive melody of the erhu (I think) can be heard at 1:52. So melancholic, and lonely. How can life be peaceful even when you are "safe", when you know you're going to die soon by the hands of a devil. Recalling the original of Malher's lyrics : For truly I am dead to the world.

The danse macabre (here) is one of my favourites too ! So dark (literally the "dance of death"), and clearly inspired by Camille Saint Saens "danse macabre". According to the legend : "Midnight strikes. Satan is going to lead the dance. Death appears, tunes his violin, and the round begins, almost furtively at first, comes to life, seems to calm down and then starts up again with an increased rage that will only cease when the cock crows. The Sabbath dissolves with the dawn." This music was clearly inspired by Vivaldi "the storm". I just LOVE IT. So well composed. You can imagine Ciel and Sebastian in a frenzied dance. Ciel getting tired and not being able to keep up. Almost as if Sebastian were playing with his food. At least, that's how it makes me feel !

This OST named "Ciel" : Si deus Relinquit, but make it orchestral. Again, Ciel's lament.

And should I talk about the band KALAFINA ?????????????????? Made by the one and only Yuki Kajiura (amazing song writer, did plenty amazing music for us weebs lol). We were blessed with the song "Lacrimosa". "Broken and vanishing into the distance I want to love this dazzling world once more I hide my dreams within my eyes Until my tainted heart Receives falling tears A phantom carriage parts the darkness On its way to where there is light The trap known as dreams Lures us into the inferno" ( ༎ຶ⌑༎ຶ )

I heard the fanbase in japan had a CONCERT for the 15th anniversary of kuroshitsuji. How I pray for something like that in Paris one day lol. Here's a snippet : here Such a lengthy post and yet I could go on and on... Please let me know if you want more !!!!

[yona049]

𝕻𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖔𝖒 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕺𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖆 𝖝 𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖗

Part 2

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Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

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Disclaimer!

This is a story following the events after the Phantom of the Opera (2004) and only follows the movie and not any other adaptations!

This has evolved into its own story, if its not something you're interested in, feel free to skip this one and check out some other fics on my page! °v°

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Morning came swift and fast. Y/n woke up on the bed with a heavy headache and a growling stomach.

She slowly looked around noticing their very small room they had only one night to stay in. Old cardboard like curtains and molding wooden floor boards.

A very large difference from what Y/n knew. The Opera house had wooden platforms, but the outer walls were made of white stone and elegant sculptures of gold or marble. Rooms shared with other dancers, but still adequate for a living environment.

She looked around realizing Erik was no where to be seen. She couldn't remember what happened after her exhausted breakdown the night before.

She sat up with hair standing in every possible direction, a telling of their troubles from the previous day.

She lifted the covers from her body but stopped just before she got up. Erik had tucked her in, keeping her warm from the Inn's little to no thermal mass.

Her ears perk when she hears a gentle singing float through the hallways of the shabby Inn coming ever closer.

The door handle rattles and Y/n smiles knowing it was Erik coming in, she stood up to welcome him.

Just as she sprung to her feet, her legs give way too the night before, when she was in too much of a rush to stretch or do the needed warm-ups.

She braced to fall into the wooden floor with every muscle in her arms and neck tensing up.

She's pleasantly greeted with warm arms and a strong chest. Erik grabs her biceps with stable hands and lifts her to her feet again. He wore the same cloth mask on his face that Y/n had created for him and was fully dressed for an outing.

"Y/n, I would suggest you keep to the bed for today."

Y/n smiled at their sudden greeting, and quickly it turned to a giggle which spread to Erik who gave a small chuckle.

When Y/n was sat back on the bed Erik put a bag of Bread in her lap, then took off his coat and tossed it onto the bed.

"Where did you get this?" Y/n said surprised before breaking a bit off the loaf and giving in to her hunger.

"I spotted one of the ogling, basterd, patrons who was in the tavern last night, walking out of the bakery."

Erik rubs his fist in thought while looking out of the window.

"He clearly didn't need the food as much as we did."

Y/n stopped chewing and only stared at Erik in shock with bread filled cheeks.

Erik looks at her unfazed before taking the other half of breath from her hands, giving her a small pat on the head.

Y/n knew it wasn't the right thing to do at all, however she was well aware of their predicament.

Finishing a small breakfast Y/n dusted off her hands and tried to stand again only for Erik to glare at her until she sat back down.

Y/n plopped back onto the bed with her cheap dress catching the air and puffing up.

"Well I can't just sit and do nothing all day! I need to do more to help our situation!" she wined making Erik smirk again.

"Y/n my darling, you've done enough." he said sitting at the foot of the bed.

In a moment of silence Y/n suddenly was reminded of all the ugly men that watched her dance, touching her, whispering hideous things that they'd do to her.

She pulled her knees to her chest and hid her face from Erik.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. You must regret comforting me last night." she whispers feeling her breakfast want to comeback up, out of the disgust she felt for herself.

Another second of silence passes until Y/n felt Eric lift her hand and place a delicate kiss on her dry knuckles.

"The only thing I regret, my dear, is not having the strength to strangle every drunken, gibfaced, blunderbussed, Fool who dared look at you."

He moves a hand to cup Y/n's face and lightly stroke her cheek.

"Seeing you be belittled to a mere piece of meat, instead of the brilliant dancer you are, made me angry, too angry."

His teeth clench and his jaw turns into a sneer.

"What I did to the ogling basterd was well deserved."

Y/n felt her eyes widen. A comforting message may have turned into a bloody confession.

Her eyes travel to Erik's clothes, how she didn't see the very small splatter of blood on his shirt made her wonder if she'd missed anything similar in the past.

Before she could fully register what she'd just heard, Erik stood up quickly and took a coat from where he'd tossed it.

"I suggest you rest your legs and body, It's my turn to help our situation."

He turns back to a still stunned Y/n. Only offering a smile before he opened the door.

"I will return soon. Ignorant fool's will never lay eyes on you again. No longer will this barkeep share in your triumph."

With those words he closed the door.

Y/n spent the day deep in thought. Massaging her legs as she was taught to do if her legs cramped and pained.

She felt a warmth in her chest and a smile pulled at her cheeks when she thought of Erik's words, to keep her from basterds eyes.

Then she thinks of the blood splatter and the warmth is quickly frozen over when the chills run up her spine.

Would Erik hurt her if she stepped out of line? Would he teach her to behave as her father did when her dancing wasn't done to perfection.

Anxiety caused her to chew on her thumb nail, a habit she'd thought she'd grown out of. She quickly tried to keep her hands busy to avoid the habit resurfacing.

She closed her eyes and once again tried to get some rest before she fell into deep sleep.

Y/n woke up later that day when the sun was just setting with a heavy banging on the door.

Without warning, spare keys unlock the door and Y/n shoots up straight with the blanket held to her chest.

The inn keeper still wearing a apron with beer stains and a thick cigar in his mouth, walks in.

"Your rent is up! And customers are waiting for the pretty girl to dance again!"

He grabs Y/n by the wrist and drags her towards the door.

Y/n growls and uses her fist to hit his hand that held her.

"Let GO! You have no right to demand this!"

The inn keeper snorts not even looking at her until he's dragged her towards the door. His body spins back to her and he yanks her close.

"Listen girl! You will dance again tonight!"

Y/n shuts her eyes tight and she looks away from the owners disgusting breath and smoked cigar that was in her face.

"She will do no such thing!"

Y/n suddenly smiles hearing Erik's voice and looks back to see Erik had yanked the mans fingers off her wrist and swung him against the wall and onto the floor.

Erik didn't waste a moment in cupping Y/n's face, looking her up and down. He lifts her wrist up delicately and places a kiss on the bruise the Inn keeper had left.

"We're leaving." he said sternly.

Y/n agrees and grabs hold of all their belongings before the keeper could recover off the floor.

They walked down the stairs past the patrons who whistled as soon as they spotted Y/n, but one growl from Erik caused a sudden silence.

That wasn't enough for one gentlemen who managed to sneak up behind Y/n and pull her into a drunken hug.

"Hello, love!" he slurred as he lifted Y/n off her feet.

Still connected by hand, Erik punches the Drunkerd square in the nose and into the wall.

Chaos spreads across the Bar and everyone objects to the actions made. Tho before things got too out of hand the Inn keepers voice spreads through the bar, sending everyone once again into silence.

"That's ENOUGH!"

Erik had pushed Y/n against the wall behind him, shielding her. Her hand still held his and the other on his chest.

The Bar keeper looks Erik dead in the eyes and walks straight past him outside and motioned him to follow.

Once again out in the cold in the street, the Bar keeper pushes his cigar into the snow on the windowsill of the inn.

Erik and Y/n now out in the open ready to run as soon as its needed stood infront of him still on guard.

Finally the inn keeper states his business.

"Look, We both have something the other needs. I need the little lady to keep patrons coming in, and you need a living area, yeah?"

Erik glares him down.

"I will not stand for men touching her-"

The keeper interrupts.

"Let me finish! If she keeps dancing, I'll hire you to watch her. I'll include a living space and coins if you guard the bar and break up bar fights too. You're a strong lad. And you've got a scary look to ya!"

Y/n was deep in thought considering all the possibilities, then she quickly mentions.

"Add three meals a day and you've got a deal!"

Erik's hand squeezes hers as an objection but let's her finish.

"One meal!" the keeper argues.

"Two and I'll dance in the mornings too!"

The keep things for a moment before looking at Erik's scary face and deciding it might not be a bad trade.

He nods and extends his hand. Before Y/n took it she pulled Erik aside when he immediately objects.

"This is foolish, Y/n"

"It's a living Erik. It's a good trade, we won't get another chance like this. Just for now, just until I know we can live without worry."

He looks down still feeling unsure. Y/n delicately cups his cheek and rubs it with her thumb.

"Let's do it together, I know you'll watch over me."

Erik sighs heavily and nods in agreement.

Y/n smiles and kisses Erik's cheek then shakes the keepers hand.

The keeper smiles and turns back to the inn.

"C'mon! I owe ya a meal. The names Boris!"

Y/n Finally let's go of Erik's hand and Follows Boris into the inn once more.

Erik pauses immediately when he hears an echo down the street, a familiar voice. His eyes travel around until he finally sees another large opera house not far from the old Palais Garnier.

"Christine.."

He mumbles feeling an ache in his chest, he pulls out a ring from his pocket, the ring Christine gave him right after their final meeting.

His lips twist into a clenched growl and he takes a step forward towards the Opera house.

"Erik?"

Another voice stops him, not Christine, But Y/n from inside the Inn. Erik glances back to Christine before shaking his head and pushing the ring back into his pocket.

[bizarre-blorbo-bracket]

Round 1 poll 32: The Phantom of the Opera from the Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber CD/OP's mind vs Vladislaus Straud from the Sims

Propaganda under the cut:

Phantom of the Opera:

Ok so when I was little my mum had this best of Andrew Lloyd Webber CD she would play in the car quite often. I had no clue what stories any of the songs were from but I liked listening and I could pick up on the fact that several were parts of a set. From The Phantom of the Opera we had the titular song, Music of the Night, and All I Ask of You. I knew from general cultural osmosis that the main character was Christine, there was the phantom of the opera, and then there was a guy called Raoul and that he and the phantom were in kind of a love triangle for Christine's love. Anyway I had trouble distinguishing between Raoul and the phantom's voices so I thought that all three songs were just the phantom and that instead of All I Ask of You setting the two men up as foils, it was character development for the phantom. And if he was a good guy who would have such a tender love song, obviously Raoul was the big bad of the show. I imagined in great detail over many car rides to and from school a version of the show where the phantom was Christine's friend who lived in the walls and while he was kind of skittish and eccentric from the isolation, he was genuinely a good person at heart. One day Raoul shows up and he's rich and good looking and kind of a Gaston archetype, and he seems to be taking an interest in Christine, which the phantom doesn't like because he's secretly been pining after his best friend all these years, so despite his fears the phantom invites Christine into his underground lair where they can finally meet in person instead of talking through the walls (The Phantom of the Opera). She's a little nervous but they bond over their shared interests (The Music of the Night) and it seems to be going well up to the point where she sees his face behind the mask and freaks out, leading him to also panic. When she asks to leave, he's like "uh, no the idea was for you to live down here permanently with me, especially now that you've seen my face." She's hurt and betrayed that he would be so controlling and they have a big fight which culminates in him reluctantly letting her go and them not talking to each other for a while. In that time, Christine gets engaged to Raoul and the phantom watches them from the shadows. He's distrustful of Raoul but believes it to be his personal jealousy clouding his judgement until he sees Raoul sabotaging the set of one of the plays and tries to stop him, but ends up getting blamed for injuring the other opera stars himself. Christine and Raoul fight about the details in the story that don't add up, and Raoul reveals that he doesn't really love her, he's just after her money and status, but there's no way out of this marriage now- in the eyes of society she will soon be his possession. But surprise! Here comes the phantom to save the day! He offers to hide Christine from Raoul in his underground lair and help her break off the engagement from a safe place, but this time it's her choice and she can come and go as she pleases. He's really sorry for how he acted and he understands that he can't demand her love but he doesn't want to live a life without her in it, just being by her side and being friends again would be enough (All I Ask of You).

She agrees and they make up and they successfully kick Raoul out of the opera house. She says she does love him but she doesn't want to live her life underground and he doesn't think he'll ever be ready to join society so they part ways again at the end of the play, but he leaves her with a ring so that she'll always remember him and the bond they share. Years later she dies, and the ring eventually makes its way back to the opera house where it's sold in an auction (I knew vaguely that there was an auction at some point in the stage play but I had no clue where so I put it here?). The phantom sees this and concludes that Christine must have finally forgotten him, and he is so distraught that he burns down the entire opera house with him inside (Don't judge me for the weird ending I was 10 and thought this was the deepest most tragic thing ever). So yeah! I was totally enamored with this version of the play that I had completely fabricated from three out of context songs, to the point where I was actually quite disappointed when I finally watched the real show. Watching encanto a couple years ago was actually really cathartic because finally I could watch something at least somewhat similar to my personal blorbo version of phantom where he was a cool chill guy who happened to live in the walls. Also sorry this answer got away from me if you read all of this thank you ily hope u enjoyed this ride thru my tweenage psyche - idk how this would actually be able to be used in a bracket in retrospect but I really enjoyed writing this all out it was a real trip down memory lane

Vladislaus Straud:

An evil loner who plays the organ, he is the elder vampire who breaks into people's houses and drinks their blood. A threat to society. He may or may not have committed mass homicide in the past. I love him. I want to bite and choke him. Non-sexual way, just pure violence. I want to pet him on the head and punch him. I want to break into his mansion, play on his stupid air piano until he is irritated, beat him up, steal his coat, hug him (twice), steal his painting and maybe kick him. Not gonna lie, he looks like he's pretty soft to the touch. He could canonically use a hug. Actually. I'm not even kidding. He also looks like Nosferatu sometimes.

[c0la-queen]

Hidden Eyes | Red Leader x Reader

This is one of many random drabbles that I have collected in my laptop files, and I kind of like the concept for this one, so let me know if any of you guys would want to see more of this!

Concept: Phantom of the Opera-ish AU?

Warnings: Stalking-ish, Being watched, This particular part isn't dark but the story would be dark if I continue it, Reader is in college but she's a senior/around 22 years old

Words: 1.1K

---

"Attention, everyone."

As you gave your attention to the Director, like he asked, he wrung his hands nervously. He seemed anxious, akin to that of a child waiting for a scolding.

Despite being part of a well known London college, your theatre group was only moderate in size. The addition of this year's freshman was a boost, but it barely put a dent in the damage done by the graduation of last year's seniors. Not too many were interested in theatre this year; more attracted by the rising popularity of the university's athletics.

"I am happy to announce that we have a brand new sponsor for our program!"

It was great news. However, the Director didn't mirror the group's excitement. A new sponsor meant more money. Which meant more things to be used for productions. In an instant, your hand was raised.

"Ah, yes?"

"Can we use some of these new funds to finally get another handheld mic for the booth?"

The younger group members shifted awkwardly in their seats. The Director didn't usually take attitude from his members, but being the oldest member of the tech team had its perks. The Director's laugh held no amusement, only anxiety. He glanced around the auditorium, almost as if he was looking for a sniper that was about to take him out.

"We'll... see about that. First, we have to impress our new sponsor. And in order to do that, a cast is required, yes? So let's get these auditions started."

With that cue, you wished your friends luck and retreated into the tech booth where your chair was waiting. There wasn't actually anything for you to do, but you wanted to see what the fresh meat had to offer. Plus, it was a quiet place outside of your dorm to get homework done. For some aesthetic, you shut off all the house lights so the stage was illuminated.

--

A call of your last name broke you from the hazy thoughts of color theory swirling in your mind. Leaning out of the booth window, you strained your voice to echo across the auditorium.

"Sir?"

"I need you to come down here and fill in this duet scene. His partner flaked on him."

With a sigh, you made your way down the dark aisle. It didn't hurt to return to the stage now and then. It reminded you of youth theatre and how bright eyed you were, basking in the spotlight and not yet realizing just how much they would burn.

You took the script from the table and hoisted yourself up on the stage. It was more fun than taking the stairs.

"Alright, I'm reading the female part?"

After a nod of confirmation, you signaled for your impromptu partner to begin the scene. The lines came to you naturally, speaking clearly as if you were back in 7th grade again. You weren't anything special, an average actor at best. But, it wasn't difficult to grasp the emotion of the character you were reading for, pouring it into your words like syrup dripping down thickly.

A chill abruptly washed over you. The previously stuffy auditorium became all too cold. Your heartbeat rushed to your ears, nearly drowning out the boy next to you.

Someone was watching you.

Not the Director.

This was different. It drew your eyes to the back corner of the seats, where you saw a figure lurking in the shadows. Whoever it was had their eyes focused on you. It unnerved you, making your stomach churn. It-

"That was perfect, thank you."

You snapped back to reality when the Director spoke. All you gave was a nod before heading back to the booth. As you did, you examined the dark corner parallel to the booth door. There was no shadowy figure sitting in the corner seat. Your eyes must have been playing tricks on you.

When it was time to wrap up, you flicked the lights back up. On your way out the door, you stopped. Your eyes were drawn once again to the back corner, now revealed. It was empty. You must have been coming down with a fever or something. Though, one thing did bother you.

The chill never left.

--

"Det var litt av et utvalg, regissør."

The Director jumped as an all too familiar presence made himself known. Like before, he stuck to the shadows. This time, he found leisure in one of the auditorium chairs. The darkness of the room hid his face. However, he could just make out the silhouette of two protruding shapes- the shape of horns. He played around with the idea that this man was the actual devil. If so, then he had truly sold his soul.

"Mr. Red! I, um, wasn't expecting your audience so soon!"

"I did tell you I was going to be observing your group, did I not?"

The Director shuffled the binders in his arms, trying to discreetly wipe his sweaty hands on his pants.

"I guess I just thought you would have chosen one of our performances, not the auditions."

"Should the actors not be as good at the preliminaries as they are in the finale?"

He made a good point. But why was he still here?

"That girl. The one who filled in. Who is she?"

He sorted through his brain for the duet that matched the sponsor's description. Upon realizing which one, your name slipped from his lips questioningly.

"She's a senior here at the university. She's our head light technician."

"She is not an actor?"

The Director internally winced at the hint of disdain in the man's voice. How was he supposed to answer that?

"Is she not good enough for your tastes? Do you not think her talented?"

"You have it all wrong, sir! Sh... She came to me and asked for her position personally. We were short a technician, so I happily accepted her."

The older man shrunk back as the sponsor stood. Still, no light reached him, keeping his features unknown. The tone of his voice was deadly, and rang out clearly in the acoustic room.

"I will sponsor your program. But listen to my words closely, and do not disregard my requests. If you do, expect a sudden and tragic misfortune to fall upon this theatre group- and upon yourself."

"Requests?"

"Indeed. In fact, I have my first as of right now. That girl will play the role that she read for today. See to it that this is done immediately. I don't care if you have to run the lights yourself."

There was no room for discussion. The Director nodded.

"Good. I look forward to continuing to support your productions, lille venn."

[klbwriting]

The Jason Todd Anomaly

Chapter 5: Spill It Hoodie

Pairing: Jason Todd x female!Reader

Fandom: Red Hood, Bat family

Warnings: violence, mentions of blood and getting shot

Summary: Y/N and Jason are getting along.  Y/N goes to stop an arms deal, meets another Robin, and things get bloody

Chapter 4, Chapter 3, Chapter 2, Chapter 1

Y/N was shocked how well training and brunch with Jason had gone.  He wasn't half bad when he wasn't being a total asshole.  And now here she was, on patrol, replaying their conversation in her head.  They had talked about Red Hood at brunch some, then moved onto her childhood, mostly just random small talk stuff, where she went to school and what activities she was involved in.  He didn't act surprised that she was in sports like most people.  

"You're athletic, its obvious in how you box and lift" he said.  She had smirked a little at that.  He watched her train and that kind of make her feel warm.  O fucking stop Y/N, yes Jason Todd, rich son of Bruce Wayne is totally crushing on you.  The sarcastic voice in her brain was harsh but accurate.  She walked a rooftop in Two-Face's territory, noticing some kind of arms deal going down in a barely lit parking lot.  She watched for a few moments, Two-Face's guys obviously, selling weapons to people in all blue, Freeze's guys.  At least their stupid costumes made them easy to identify.  She silently climbed down the side of the warehouse, sneaking low to the ground behind a nearby junk car.  She crouched, listening.

"The order was for 3 cases, we have 3 cases, now give us the money," a man in a phantom of the opera mask said.  The man he was selling to growled.

"We agreed to 5 cases, what the fuck happened to the others?" he demanded, voice hoarse.  Phantom guy spit on the ground in front of hoarse voice.  

"Unforeseen theft by some random freak dressed like a bird," Phantom said.  "Take it or leave it, we want the money for one of you freaks attacking."  Hoarse voice growled again.

"That can't be good for his voice..." a feminine voice said from next to Y/N.  She nearly let out a squeal of surprise.  She had been so engrossed in the gangs' conversation she had noticed a young woman dressed as Robin arrive next to her.  She smiled at her, waving.  Y/N just kind of nodded, moving so she could keep an eye on both the new Robin and the gang members.  She saw someone pop open one of the cases and pull out a large gun.  This was the moment.  She vaulted the car, throwing a couple daggers as she moved.  Phantom and Hoarse voice both went down with knives in their necks, and she hurried to attack the other four men, knocking the gun from one of their hands, turning to disarm another, but taking a bullet in her side.  She let out a cry but she could still stand so she threw a punch, managing to land it.  It was weak but the other Robin had come in by now, dropping the other two attackers.  Robin dropped a grenade in each case of weapons, the explosions small but effective in destroying the weapons.  Robin wrapped an arm around Y/N and gripped her with more strength then expected.  She shot a grappling hook to a nearby roof and hauled the both of them up.  She set Y/N down gently, pulling up her shirt to observe the wound.  

"Am I dying?" Y/N asked, trying to sound chipper despite the pain finally catching up to her.  Robin poked at it a couple times, checking it over.

"You'll live...but you do need a doctor, I'll take you to ours" she said.  "Hold onto me."  Y/N did as told and Robin helped her navigate into Red Hood territory and taking her to a pretty unremarkable house.  Two stories, pretty random in this kind of downtown area.  Robin knocked quickly and within seconds the door was flung open and an older man stood there.  "Hey Alfred, I made a new friend tonight."  

"I see, please bring them into the workroom," the man said.  Robin moved into the hallway, nearly pulling Y/N with her.  Y/N felt herself losing consciousness.  The feeling wasn't new, she had experienced it before when she was mugged.  In that situation she had also been saved by a random bystander, showing her that there was still good in this city, they just needed to fight for it.  Now this new Robin that she didn't even know about had saved her, gotten her to someone that would help her.  She fell asleep thanking any being out there that she was saved.

Alfred looked to Stephanie as the woman in front of him lost consciousness.  He quickly administered a pain killer and mild sedative before working to extract the bullet from her side and stitch her up.  Stephanie went into the living room, taking off her mask as she collapsed on the chair.  She heard a thunk upstairs and knew just by the weight of boots that it was Jason.  He wandered into the room a few minutes later, mask off.  He looked sweaty.  Come to think of it, Stephanie probably looked just as exhausted from her patrol that night.

"Damn, thought that arms deal was a simple assignment," Jason said, sitting down on the couch.  Stephanie nodded, sitting up a little and adjusting her pants some for comfort.  "You look like shit."

"Thank you, but I saved that new vigilante's life tonight," she said.  Jason sat up a little straighter, which piqued her interest.  "She's going to be fine, Alfred is taking the bullet out right now."

"She was shot?!" Jason said.  This was new, Jason didn't feel this kind of panic, ever, not even when he was shot.  He suspected that Y/N was Anomaly and knowing that she was shot, that she was getting stitched up by Alfred had sent him into a spiral almost.  He didn't know why he cared so much, he just did, and right now he wasn't going to examine those feelings under a microscope.  

"Yes, I mean, she killed the 2 dealers before taking the bullet, which was impressive, seems she operates more like Red Hood than Robin," Stephanie said.  Jason smirked a little bit.

"I am a beacon of change," he said, sitting back against the couch again.  Alfred entered the room, wiping his hands on a towel.

"The young lady is sleeping now, I will do another exam in the morning to make sure she is free of infection but it looks like she will be alright," he said.  Jason nodded, standing up.

"Thank you Alfred," he said.  Alfred looked a little startled that it was Jason thanking him and not Stephanie.  Stephanie nodded her agreement and Alfred smiled, his eyes sparkling.  "What?"

"It is just nice to see you being so polite Master Jason, it has only taken me 20 years to make it happen," he said.  Jason scoffed sheepishly, trying to hide his smile.  Alfred smiled more and left the room to make them some tea.

"Ok, spill it Hoodie, why you so gaga over that girl in there," Stephanie said.  He scowled at her, not wanting to admit that he cared about Y/N.  He moved  back to the couch, sitting again and fiddling with his helmet to buy time, hoping she would abandon the topic.  Instead she stared at him, using the Bruce Wayne method of getting him to talk.  Let Jason sit in silence long enough and he would eventually say something.

"I don't know, I think I know who she is, and if I'm right..." he left it there.  Stephanie smiled and clapped a little, clearly excited.  She was the youngest of all of them, barely a teenager, so she still sometimes acted like a kid.  She had jumped a little bit but looked down after a moment, turning to adjust her top.  Jason averted his eyes.  She was trying out a new chest piece, wanting to feel more feminine, but still be seen as strong.  "O, almost forgot, here, Tim wanted you to have this."  He reached into the pocket on his cargo pants and tossed a tshirt at her.  She opened it and smiled even bigger.

"You guys are the best," she said, turning it around and showing him the 'Best Sister Ever' shirt.  Stephanie had been adopted by Bruce just a few months before he vanished so she was always worried she wasn't really part of the 'family'.  Jason just shrugged.  "You know, its alright to show people you care about them Jason, might help you get that girl in the other room to like you back."  He shot her a playful glare.  He heard his phone go off and looked at the message.  Unknown sender.  'I told her to not get involved.  This was a warning.  Leave Red Hood in the past.'  He kept his face neutral, not wanting to worry Stephanie.

"I'm going," he grumbled, heading back upstairs.  He never left through the front door of Alfred's, not wanting to bring attention to the house.  Robin's were seen coming and going by the door all the time and Red Hood was not with the Robins.  They sometimes helped each other but no one outside of the family could know how close they were, he wasn't willing to risk it.  Especially now that someone was threatening them.

[bnuuys-writing]

Just wanted to say again how awesome you are and how perfect your writing is! Also you said you could request other things too so what if you maybe do the characters go to the Disney movies they are based on. Like instead of malleus sending them to their own perfect dream instead they go to the story of the movie? Idk just a thought. Also unrelated have you ever watched ronja the robbers daughter? If not I'd recommend it if you have Amazon prime. Anyway thanks again for making the Phantom of the opera x Twisted wonderland story and I look forward to anything else you have planned. Especially the howls moving castle one because I'm just reading the book now and planing to watch it again in theaters when it comes back for Ghibli fest! Good bye and have the best of days!!

HEY YOU! I saw all the comments you sent and they made me so happy omg !! <3 <3 <3

As for the book idea, yes! I can add that onto my list! <3 But for the show you're asking if i know, i do not!! I also dont have amazon prime but im sure its somewhere else. If i ever get free time, i'll check it out! <3

FOR THE HOWLS MOVING CASTLE- THERES A BOOK??? omg i might have to check that out just to make sure i'm writing it correctly lmfao ;; im basing it off the movie so far.

AND I HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY ILY MWAH! You're literally the sweetest <3

[vino---delectable]

Get to Know Me!

This is just a fun little thing I’ve been wanting to do since the dawn of time but could never find a post to reblog that satisfied what I wanted. So I made this, feel free to reblog and use it yourself!

❤️ how tall are you? 5'5?

🧡 what is your sexuality? ------- there's your answer

💛 what is your favorite feature on yourself? Eyes?

💚 where are you from? Earth. Of that I'm certain

🩵 do you have any pets? A dog, and chickens

💙 do you have any siblings? 3 sissies

💜 describe yourself in five words or less! Quiet, loving, energetic, fantasizer, peaceful

🩷 dream job? Writer

🖤 favorite hobbies outside of your blog? Writing, reading, drawing, watching tv, walking

🎂 when is your birthday? Do you want the black market to find me?

🌙 your zodiac (Sun, Moon, Rising) I know it, I just don't want to share (kidnapper thing)

💉do you have tattoos and/or piercings? Ear piercing

🚗 can you drive? A bicycle

✈️ favorite place you’ve traveled. Its a place in Michigan called zender's I think

🎤 have you been to a concert? I want to... But no

🎵 favorite artists. The Beatles, one direction, Queen, Taylor Swift, the killers, bob Dylan, the Monkees, green day, Fleetwood Mac, led zeppelin. Niall horan.

🎧 last song you listened too... In my head by Jason Derulo.

📺 last show you watched.. One called northern exposure

📝 last thing you wrote. A song I started to write

🔐 something no one would guess about you. I secretly have a dirty mind

🧟‍♀️ scariest thing that’s happened to you. I went to get my dog out of a truck in the dark and I seen all these eyes staring at me.

🔥 craziest thing that’s ever happened to you. I've never actually told anyone about this, except my sister... But when the Crosby part of Crosby still and nash, (can't think of his name right now, lol) died, before I found out about his death I had A dream where me and my mom were cruising down the road , across A beautiful field of sunflowers, and the song playing on the radio was Southern cross... And I tell you what, when his death was announced I was like: "hang on a sec"!! biggest coincidence ever..

🍓 favorite food? Chocolate

🍅 least favorite food. Lima beans

🍊 favorite season? Hard to say, but I guess autumn

🍋 favorite genre to read / watch / write. Its a toss between comedy drama, period drama or dystopian

🍐 if you could make one character real, who would it be. Hard question, but probably Vincent Nigel Murray

🫐 some place you’d love to visit? London baby

🍇 a word your friends would use to describe you. Goofy

🍒 what is your earliest memory. Eating my first bologna sandwich

🍌 what is one talent you wish you had. Writing, lol

💌 why did you start this blog? There was great Beatles content

✏️ when did you start writing fanfic. I barely do, but when I was 14

🖇️ what are your favorite asks to answer.. I've never had any of these, not popular enough, lol

📚 how do you come up with the fics you write. Music, darling, music

📌 what is the fic you’re know for... None

🔍 what character do you enjoy writing for the most... Sherlock holmes Vincent Nigel-Murray

🖊️ what character do you not enjoy writing for. Idk

💔 is there a fic you wish you didn’t write.. Yes

❤️‍🔥 what character do you simp for most often.. Again, Vincent Nigel Murray

🧚‍♀️ favorite characters of all time. This will take a minute... Vincent Nigel Murray, Zack Addy, Phantom of the opera, finnick odair, Peeta mellark, temperance Brennan, katniss everdeen, haymitch Abernathy, Johanna mason, lance sweets, Sherlock Holmes, john watson, Louisa Clark, will trainor, Peter Parker, doctor strange, ant man, Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth Bennett, Henry Tilney, Emma Woodhouse, Mr. Knightley, joey tribbiani, Chandler bing, Phoebe buffay.

🪐 favorite shows / series of all time. Bones, monk, psych, Downton Abbey, the mentalist, Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes 1984, f.r.i.e.n.d.s, Golden girls, Emma 2009, north & south, the x files, twin peaks.. Book/movie series: hunger games!

🌝 a show you would recommend to anyone. all of the ones mentioned above

🌚 a show you’d tell people to stay away from. Idk yet

🌹 favorite kinks to write for. Idk

🥀 kinks you would never write for. Idk

🌊 a kink you would like to write but you think you’d be judged. Again, idk

❄️ full fics, imagines or head canons, can't tell you

☂️ your favorite fanfic from another writer, I have one but it's on another website

A couple of in depth questions!

🍄 what is something that’s happened in your life that you wish you could go back and change? My mean grandfather living with me

⭐️ what is one of your biggest accomplishments? Why is it so important to you? Being a nice person, speaks for itself.

🪻what is the toughest thing you had to go through, but can say you’ve successfully overcome? Death of my step grandfather

🌺 what is the best gift someone has ever given you and why is it so important. My mom gave me life?

🍀 what is your comfort show/series and why is it your comfort show? How has it helped you? The Monkees helped when my one grandfather died.

[rucow]

ok here's my interpretation of the phantom, specifically female phantom bc im a lesbian and i crave more women characters in fiction who have actual depth and are a bit unhinged :'D

(please keep in mind that i haven't read the book yet and that my way of seeing her is based mostly on my own imagination and also me projecting very hard on her😭)

putting this under a read more bc its Long long

first, here is my art of fem!phantom ! and one more art of her

to begin, i headcanon the phantom to be named erica with a c, like the flower that grows in harsh conditions and that's very enduring and requires little water to thrive. i think it suits her! please look up "erica flower" and see for yourself :)

i think 35 is a good age for her, the same age as how long the broadway poto has been running for before closing :')

let's talk about her early life. she was born to a loving mother somewhere in eastern europe (modern day romania perhaps 👉👈), and her appearance was indeed unique but not disfigured. she was born with a birth mark of sorts that affected half of her face and her hair as well, causing strands of her black hair to lack pigment and appear as white (im thinking maybe vitiligo? idk exactly but the point is she looked Unique). she has grey eyes. besides that, as an infant she had a very quiet and calm personality as well, not really crying loudly like most babies do and often staring deeply at people, appearing "creepy" to them. (hint: she was just autistic)

erica's mother loved her. she thought these traits made her special and beautiful, not strange or unsettling. her mother would sing to little erica every day and night, but thats something erica doesn't remember, because her mother died far too soon (i like to keep the cause of death vague) and so little infant erica ended up in an orphanage.

now, the caretakers in the orphanage saw these unique traits of hers differently than her mother did. where erica's mother saw beauty and something special, these people saw Evil and Wrong. they thought they could pray away erica's "affliction" and "cure" her, both her appearance and her quiet reserved odd personality.

she was only about one year old when one of the orphanage caretakers tried a new way of "curing" erica via pouring acid on her little face. the acid dripped onto her neck as well. erica doesn't know this is what caused her scarring. as far as she knows, she has always looked the way she does. she thinks she was born this way, that she was doomed in some way, and sadly she will never know the truth: that this was Done to her

erica spent her first years of life in bandages and healing. even after she had healed, the orphanage caretakers kept her bandages on because they didn't like to See her. they didn't want to acknowledge what they'd done, so they kept her hidden and covered up and pretended her skin would be fine under the bandages.

(this is based on the 2004 film) the travelling fair. members would occasionally visit orphanages and other institutions while pretending to be interested in adopting, when in reality they were interested only in finding children they could exploit. when they saw little erica, who was still only a few years old, they knew they could make money off of her. the orphanage's caretakers were most relieved to be rid of her.

and then we all know what happened, and how a young madame giry took young erica and brought her to the opera and kept her safe and hidden. but erica was deeply traumatised and acted purely on instinct, she was completely nonverbal and nonresponsive. to this day, erica and madame giry still don't speak; their agreements are speechless and they both prefer it that way. erica is very uncomfortable acknowledging her past, so she secretly appreciates madame giry for not prying despite the fact that she witnessed little erica Murdering a whole grown man (again, she acted purely on instinct, she was protecting herself)

the opera was all she's ever known, and she has watched singers and managers and dancers come and go, while she remained. art and drama are all she's ever known. she's never felt the breeze in her hair or the sun on her face. she has access to the opera's roof, but she only goes there at nighttime when she can't be seen, and only on extremely rare occasions. art is her only escape and her only outlet. she doesn't just create music, she also paints, and she can sculpt if she has the materials for it. she creates any and all art

erica is incredibly smart as well, and has a vast knowledge on many topics despite lacking any form of education. she learned to read by watching the operas, because sometimes there would be signs and written words on the props. she paid close attention to any and all information she could get, and there were a lot of old things stored down there beneath the opera house that helped her learn and discover new things. but even so, her knowledge of the real world is incredibly limited. she has no idea what the sea sounds like, or what mountain air smells like

having so little to do, she focused her attention on the operas and on studying them, seeing what could be improved and thinking of how to make them come to life. she found most of the singers and dancers lacking, she felt no one really understood the passion required to make a performance feel alive. but that is probably because the performances were just a job to most of those people, while for erica it was her entire lifestyle. at the end of the day, the performers and managers and whatnot would go home to their families and see to their lives, while erica can never leave the opera house. she's fixated on every aspect of it, from the music to the choreography to the management... she constantly sees things that could be improved, and that leads me to my next point.

she started disguising as the phantom in order to help bring her vision to life, by communicating what she wants changed in the operas. of course, her social skills are lacking, so she puts on an act when interacting with anyone, and she doesn't let herself be seen. acting is the only way she knows how to approach another human, so adopting the role of a phantom wasn't hard for her. its easier to be the villain than to be herself. she is, in both literal and autistic terms, masking. she also sees how women are treated, and how they're not taken as seriously as men, so she dresses herself as a man and uses her naturally deeper and lower voice to seem as one. she's also very tall, which really helps on the rare occasion that she's spotted, though it's usually only her shadow that gets seen

now, christine. erica pretending to be christine's father/angel. again, she did this because its easier for her to play a role than to be herself. she knows that no one would accept her for her true self. she doesn't even really know herself, she's never had the chance to discover herself.. what she's like when she's laughing with friends, or how she acts when caring for a pet or child.. she doesn't know herself at all, all she knows is her work, her passion, her escape: music, art, acting. dreaming.

at first, erica did use christine as a way of making her dreams come to life. she can't perform herself, both because of her appearance and because her voice doesn't allow her to sing as a soprano. so she sees christine, alone and aimless, and begins refining her talent. erica never realises how intensely she feels for christine until raoul comes into play. she's possessive, not really in a romantic sense, but because christine is all she has. christine is the only person who willingly meets with her and listens to her, even though she doesn't know her true identity

seeing christine face to face and in the flesh is what really awoke feelings in erica though, and what made her want to have christine to herself, though she doesn't know how to go about it other than pretending to be something that christine can find trustworthy and desirable (again, the whole masquerading as an angel thing). but erica tries, she tries to drop the façade and be herself. she tries to ask christine to trust and accept her, but you can imagine how difficult and terrifying it must be to be that vulnerable with someone for the first time in your life.

when the unmasking happens, erica basically goes into full panic mode, and can't regain her composure. she doesn't know that christine's intention wasn't bad, but she's truly deeply traumatised and acted on instinct once again, which caused her to lash out at christine as a form of defense. she was really really scared in that moment, and once she became rational again she felt immensely guilty for lashing out at christine and for frightening her :')

she pretty much hates raoul. because he's what she can't be: a safe presence for christine, someone she can feel protected by, someone who can OFFER her a life of freedom and warmth. someone who can be seen in public with her, someone who wont ruin her reputation. erica has nothing to offer but her creations, her music, her hidden passions. she hates raoul because she can't be him. because she can't compete with him. she feels this way about most men, its just that raoul just so happens to be the man that christine is closest to

the murder of buquet. erica had always despised him, for obvious reasons. he reminded her of the men at the travelling fair, with the way he would describe her just for shock factor, and she didn't know how to process that. he was always watching the dancers too closely. his death was a perfect way of showing that she should be taken seriously and that her demands should be met. his death also meant the death of any memory of her past. also, he saw her. she couldn't let him live anyway

the masquerade! don juan triumphant was basically erica's vent art/music (she needs healthier coping mechanisms /lh). erica declaring herself christine's teacher in front of all to see...a cruel act which served to humiliate christine and force her into being associated with her. with the phantom. a complete parallel to christine and raoul's secret engagement........

erica's SINGING. it's just as unique as the rest of her, each word she sings is filled with emotion and passion and meaning. she sings low, and her voice can be soft and forcefully powerful in the same breath. she sounds unearthly, especially since she has no training herself yet she knows how to express herself through song. if only she knew how lovely she sounds,,,,,

performing the point of no return with christine on stage was the highlight of erica's life. she had abandoned all fear and showed herself in public, in front of all to see, JUST to be with christine and to show christine her heart. yes, she knocked piangi out (she didnt quite kill him, because shes Not a mindless murderer) to steal his role, and she doesn't regret it. singing with christine is erica's favourite activity and she wants the whole world to see how well they complement each other. madame giry nearly had a heart attack when she saw erica on stage

erica didn't see it as herself kidnapping christine. in her mind she Had to do this, because it was the only way to make christine understand her and force her to SEE how she feels for her..... and she never intended on killing raoul. would she take her frustrations out on him and brawl with him and choke him and whatnot? yes. would she kill him? no. she can't do that to christine. but it Did feel good to fight him. fighting for her life is all she's known after all

erica was so desperate to show christine her heart that she was willing to say and do anything, and her making christine choose between raoul and herself was her last desperate attempt. though inside she knew christine can't choose and that it isn't fair to force her to do it. when christine kissed her, and comforted her, and told her shes not alone, it was like the heaviest stone was lifted from erica's heart. she snapped out of her desperation and let christine go, because she truly wants to see her happy and safe, even if with someone else. erica had always known she doesn't stand a chance, she knew she can't win christine over, but she dreamt of it anyway. and if she spent less time trying to manipulate christine, she would've seen that christine was always willing to know her and to be with her

also, for any astrology nerds out there: i hc the phantom to be a pisces (with a scorpio moon and capricorn rising) :') basically i made her be an emotional wreck who gets Very obsessive about her passions. art flows through her

that is all :) im sane about her (not true)

[monstersinthecosmos]

Oh my goodness that last anon made me realize we have now 3 adaptation Lestats and none of them have hit the mark. That's so sad.

It's so frustrating; I'm having a hard time choosing between Sam Reid and Tom Cruise because I think Sam has a lot of really fun Lestat mannerisms but like the writing is just awful. Like you really gotta squint to pretend it's Lestat. And my main complaint about Tom Cruise he was too old, and Sam looks even older! :(

But I mean the aesthetics of it are the least of my problems. Stuart Townsend wasn't a bad Lestat because his hair was wrong, he was bad because he's a terrible actor and the movie was bad LMAO.

I ultimately would love a mashup of Tom's energy and charisma with Sam's cuntiness. AMC!Lestat is built around him being a petty abusive jerkoff and the subtlety of his performance when he's not having tantrums speaks towards the way he tries to disarm people. He sort of alternates these two extremes because AMC!Lestat's temper is just 0-100 and it makes me question his sincerity every time he's behaving. Tom's Lestat still had a couple tantrum moments but he was overall so alert and boisterous, and he was given a script that allowed him to be in character.

I've never had a huge issue with Tom Cruise in the movie. I saw the movie pretty early in my VC Career, like before I read TVL. It wasn't such a strong portrayal that it informed my mental image when I was reading but he wasn't so egregious in the film that it felt wrong. And he had really insightful things to say about the book and the characters in the DVD extras LOL like I would've loved to see how he'd have played Lestat going forward if they'd continued with that team. He definitely brought Lestat's nuances to the movie, imo, like it's right there on the screen if you ever want to watch it and be on his side.

Sam is amazing at what he's doing, though. When it feels like he's not Lestat I think it's just that the writing sucks lol. I'm curious if they wind up making more seasons and we get TVL content if we'll get to see more of the nuances of his character and see if Sam can make him genuinely sympathetic. All the attempts at Lestat looking sympathetic in the show feel disingenuous because he's trying to manipulate Louis LMAO so as the audience, I'm seeing THAT and not actually feeling any sympathy for him. =P I'm also DYING to see how much he's gonna hurt all of our feelings when they try to kill him omfg he's gonna be so offended hahaha I CANNOT WAIT.

Anyway you forgot to mention Hugh Panaro, idk if that's good or bad. LMAO I JUST KNOW THAT LIKE Lestat was my second time ever seeing a Broadway play bc I'm a poor person who didn't go to plays, but the first show I ever saw was Phantom of the Opera with him as the Phantom so I was like OMG?!?!??!??!?!?!? Can't believe I struck the Don't Know Fuck All About Theatre jackpot and got to see him again. But I really liked him. But that whole installment is on its own planet I think, idk.

(I guess Mom liked him LMAO)

[thyla]

tag game tuesday

tagged by the lovely @userdixon​🖤

tea, coffee, or soda? soda and tea

dogs or cats? at one point i had three cats and four dogs as pets. so both! don’t make me choose. haha

can you play an instrument? does the recorder count? i used to be bomb at it when i was younger.

what's your sun sign? scorpio

first song lyrics that pop into your head? in sleep he sang to me, in dreams he came that voice which calls to me and speaks my name and do i dream again? for now i find the phantom of the opera is there inside my mind

do you have any tattoos? yes. the millennium falcon behind my right ear, the outline of the beast from the beauty and the beast broadway art on my inner right arm, oogie booige on my right forearm, and then i have a whole sleeve on my left arm with is a pirate ship and the waves turns into the hair of the mermaid who is strangling a pirate whom also have a octopus wrapped around him dragging him down and the octopus has a book in his tentacles with my mom’s initials on the spine. oh and almost forgot my first tattoo lol on my back/shoulder is an infinity symbol entwined with the words ‘and beyond’ its a matching one with my sister

favorite place you traveled? ehh, don't really have one. haven’t traveled much.

what's the last movie you watched? school of rock

what languages do you speak? american english.

do you have any hobbies? reading, photoshop, writing

you can hang out with one fictional character for an hour, who do you choose? oh fuck, hmmmmmmm. damn this is hard. okay well, i’m just gonna say eddie. we’d get high and listen to some good ass music. or maybe i can join in a campaign. i’m in such a mood to play games. lol

compliment yourself: i’m a good listener...

tagging: @dickgraaysons @aubreysmaturin @wwitchers @richiebowen @ella-enchanted @kargyle @stormkpr @kkpwnall and whoever wants to play!

[tornrose24]

A basic-ish summary of every MCU movie villain and antagonist for those who aren’t into the MCU like I am.

(Not counting shows because I’m not THAT insane. Also Spoilers, but you probably don’t care if you’ve either seen some of these films or have no intention on watching them.)

PHASE 1 (Not a lot of good villains here I’m afraid)

Iron Man’s Iron Monger- The first of many to steal Tony’s tech and your average ‘corrupt businessman’ who was like Tony’s co-worker/surrogate dad-mentor. Also happens to be The Dude. Kind of not impressive for the first canonical MCU villain.

Incredible Hulk’s General Ross and Abomination– The best example as to why the MCU isn’t as pro-military as you may think. (And later was dumb enough to think he’d have any power over the Avengers). The other one is your basic ‘villain with powers equal to the hero’ who ends up becoming one of the better characters in She-Hulk.

Iron Man 2’s Whiplash and Justin Hammer–I honestly haven’t seen this movie, but basically it’s another ‘guy who steals Tony’s tech’ and has whips, but not the fun kind. Also some dude who I think is meant to be the discount version of Tony Stark (and is played by an actor whose voice you might recognize as one of Dreamworks Animation’s best furry icons.)

Thor– Thor’s trickster brother who is the first of the most memorable villains…. And one of many ‘Tumblr Sexy Men.’ Comes off as smarter than Thor (and you might like to know what he’s SUPPOSED to look like if you have a thing for giant men in Marvel’s ‘What if”). Honestly I think Thor is the more attractive brother.

Captain America’s Red Skull–The head of a fictional branch of one of the most hated political parties in history so yes you should immediately hate him…. Also I’m angry because THAT is how you could pull off an accurate book version of the Phantom of the Opera with make up. 

Avengers’ Loki–Loki again, but at least they picked a good villain for the big crossover. Screws with everyone’s heads for most of the film and tries opening a portal to space with a ‘totally not going to be important later on’ scepter and cube. Honestly his defeat at the hands of the Hulk made me laugh so hard that it’s still funny years later.

PHASE 2 (Slightly better, but mostly ehh...)

Iron Man 3’s Mandarin–I’ve never seen this movie either, but the villain managed to anger a lot of the comic book fans for a good reason. Hope you aren’t an Iron Man fan if you know what I’m talking about. But chances are you know the twist because it’s that famous.

Thor Dark World’s Malekeith–…. Damnit you just HAD to waste poor Christopher Eccleston’s talent, didn’t you? You promised me his character would get a good back story, but you’re dumb obsession with Loki cut down his screen time and turned him into another generic doomsday/conquering villain who just happens to be an elven version of Two-Face by a certain point. 

Captain America’s Winter Soldier–Steve’s handsome brainwashed buddy with a metal arm. Was made so by Red Skull’s main right hand man whose idea of immortality makes black and green computer screens into nightmare fuel. Was also put on ice and un-frozen and re-frozen several times throughout the years. Oh yeah and something about a twist villain but I think you’d figure out who it was almost instantly.

Guardian’s of the Galaxy’s…. Ok wow I’m seriously blanking out on his name right now… Oh yeah, Ronan– Another genocidal maniac who wants to kill people just because. Was stupid enough to be distracted by Star-Lord’s dancing of all things. He’s especially lame.

Avenger’s Age of Ultron’s Ultron–Tony’s never ending bucket of dumb ideas leads to the creation of a genocidal robot who sounds like that California guy from The Office. His idealized ‘final form’ gets its own personality and becomes Wanda’s boyfriend before he gets dibs on it. He’s… somewhat entertaining, but kind of ‘eh’ at the same time.

Ant Man’s Yellow Jacket–ANOTHER ‘corrupt businessman’ who makes poor choices like doing business with Hydra people or going after Scott’s daughter. The latter proves to be the last mistake of his life and I would have personally kicked his ass if he harmed that sweet child. Also pretty bland. I heard he’d be coming back for Ant-Man 3, but I’ll be annoyed if he become’s the MCU version of M.O.D.O.K. like I heard about.

PHASE 3 (They get a lot better here… also Thanos is here too.)

Captain America Civil War’s Zemo–some random Sokovia survivor that did the impossible and turned the Avenger’s against each other…. At least we got a couple of good fight scenes between the heroes thanks to him.

Doctor Strange’s Kaecelius and Dorammu (or was it Dormammu? Some of these names are nuts)–That guy from Hannibal, but with magical powers, bad eye make up, and was dumb enough to not read the fine print. The other is a large purple dude (no, not that one) from another dimension that Strange defeats by trapping him in a time loop and thus annoys him into leaving. I’m guessing he’ll be important later.

Guardian’s of the Galaxy 2’s Ego–A giant planet that managed to turn into Kurt Russell and is basically Star-lord’s biological dad. Does and did some horrible stuff, but I don’t want to spoil it because the ‘wham’ moment, but it made me go ‘oh no’ right before Peter reacted.

Oh yeah, there’s also a golden lady and a guy with a name that people make fun of as if he’s a Captain Underpants villain, but they just serve as obstacles.

Spider Man Homecoming’s Vulture–A guy that got screwed over by the government and Tony turns to the black market with stolen alien tech, and flies around in a flight suit that’s way cooler than the comic book version. Is played by none other than the original Beetlejuice and 1989!Batman. Somehow ends up in what appears to be one of the least liked superhero films ever several years later (and even the die-hard fans are confused as hell by that).

Thor Ragnarok’s Hela and Grandmaster–If you wanted a hot female villain who wants to conquer you, has an understandable rage about being erased from history, and has a soft spot for her giant doggo, then boy do I have good news for you. Also there’s an obvious slave owner played by Jeff Goldblum so of course you’ll find him  despicable, but he’s Jeff Goldblum so of course you’ll be too charmed to care.

Black Panther’s Killmonger–T’Challa’s cousin who has understandable reasons for wanting to lash out at people who harmed all black people across history and modern times, but is too full of anger to realize why his methods are wrong. Would also make for a TERRIBLE boyfriend, so I hope you don’t fantasize over him. I can’t really find much to make fun of this guy since a lot about him really isn’t that funny and his final lines will haunt you long after you’ve seen this movie.

Avenger’s Infinity War’s Thanos- The giant purple dude obsessed with getting all the stones in order to make a gauntlet. Thinks killing half the universe’s population will save the universe. A favorite amongst most MCU fans and movie fans… but honestly he’s an abusive dad, so he doesn’t deserve much praise.

Also has four children with different names related to the color black, but you’ll only care about his other kids so I’m not going to bother describing them.

Ant Man and the Wasp’s Ghost–Lives up to her name by not being completely solid, but also completely hates it because it’s killing her… Ok, look–some villains WANT to be cured or get health care which was what Ava wanted and her condition did seem pretty awful. It was nice to see Janet heal her and then Scott and the Pym family made sure she’d have access to what was basically free health care and medication. (Is also going to appear in the Thunderbolts film and I won’t be surprised if she’s shipped with either Yelena or Antonia.)

Captain Marvel’s… was it Yorg? Rogg? Yrog?–Typical ‘mentor who is actually the bad guy.’ Honestly it says a lot that the cat was the best part of this movie.

Avenger’s Endgame’s Thanos–Basically Thanos from 2014, but still a tenacious A hole that tries to keep the Avengers from undoing what his future self did instead of just letting things play out. I mean it DOES lead to an awesome epic final battle (though the best experience comes if you’ve seen MOST of these films by this point). But the fact that he caught onto it feels like a ‘need to have an obstacle.’

Spiderman Far From Home’s Mysterio–They REALLY thought they could pull a twist villain? Seriously?! It’s a freaking Spiderman villain, why would you pull that off with this guy?! Anyway its some dude that claims to be a hero from another universe, but he’s ANOTHER person who Tony somehow annoyed. Uses special effects and illusions, a team of misused Stark employees, the drones he steals from Peter… but is too stupid to listen to any warnings when it comes to his personal safety. Is also a huge gaslighter and the kind of person you wouldn’t want in your life.

PHASE 4 (Some of these were surprises, but there’s more in the Disney plus shows that I’m not covering here.)

Black Widow’s General… Drekov? Drakov? (I give up). And Taskmaster–He’s not a good villain. Your typical evil general even. But he had a lot of women brainwashed to be his soldiers and had them sterile whether they wanted it or not, so of course you’ll hate this disgusting pig like I did. (And he gets defeated and it is oh so satisfying when it happens.) Taskmaster… you’ll either like the reveal or hate it, but a non-spoiler detail is that they are the ‘anything you can do I can copy it.’

Shang Chi’s Wenwu–A once immortal evil overlord that gave it all up to live in peace with his wife and raise a family. But proved to be a tragic reason why ‘going straight’ doesn’t come without a cost when his wife dies. Ends up going evil again and puts his kids through hell. And then thinks his wife’s village resurrected and abducted her so he’s trying to bring her back. Honestly I can’t find it in me to make fun of this guy, but losing your wife doesn’t give you a reason to be a shitty or neglectful parent.

Eternals’…. It’s a mix of Arishem, Kro, and Ikaris (yeah, no surprise there)– Some giant space god who created the Eternals and told them not to interfere with Earth’s fights (explaining why they were missing from key films) whose using our planet as an egg that’ll kill us when a new space God comes out. And is also voiced by the same guy who voices Sesshomaru (no seriously I’m NOT making that up). Kro… is one of the monsters the Eternals fights that gains powers every time he kills one of them… and Ikaris is ‘TWIST VILLAIN’ who is only so because he is stubbornly devoted to Arishem’s intents… and he’s like one of the blandest MCU character’s imaginable. 

Spiderman No Way Home’s… ok there’s five villains (sadly we were one short of having an actual Sinister Six line up) and they get their own entries:

Green Goblin–Here to make Peter suffer and to remind the other MCU villains what a TRUE super comic book villain is meant to be. Back to scare the crap out of you and gets to ditch the mask to allow Dafoe’s terrifyingly good acting on full display. Rightfully earns his position among the MCU’s scariest villains and will keep you on edge if you’ve seen the original Spiderman film.

Doc Ock- A reversible Octo plushie in human form who just happens to look attractive. Provides one of the best fight scenes in the MCU, but gets one of the most amusing of defeats at the same time. If you’ve seen Spiderman 2 and care about him as much as I did, you will also love his character arc. He was also the main reason I wanted to see this movie since he’s my favorite. (And thank GOD they didn’t do the body swap thing from the comics).

Electro–Thor’s villainous counterpart minus a hammer…. Well actually its still Electro, but throw away the blue theme, give him a better outfit, and let Jamie Foxx do this thing. Also a MASSIVE improvement over his first appearance that has nods to his comic-book self. Not to good when it comes to making sure he destroys something properly.

Sandman–Name pretty much says it. Just fed up with everything like most people who don’t care about the MCU and wants to go home to his daughter.

Lizard–A scaly boy that just wants to turn people into lizards and also knows like the audience that things will inevitably go sideways. Ends up in the truck during a chunk of the film for reasons that are obviously to save money. Probably one of the few characters in the MCU to be naked throughout the entire movie.

Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness’ Scarlet Witch-What happens when an MCU hero turns evil and kills almost everyone on sight just to be able to kill an innocent teenaged girl for her powers. A worthy successor to Sam Raimi’s villains and who manages to be genuinely scary in a few scenes. Also I hope you watched WandaVision before seeing this movie otherwise somethings won’t make sense… oh right, the real villain here must have been Disney Plus in that case.

Thor Love and Thunder’s Gorr–What happens when a God fails to protect their people. Goes killing gods (which we won’t see much of) because one of them was a lazy ass who wouldn’t save his daughter from death. Probably one of the few best things about this movie and honestly you’d be rooting for this guy after seeing how most of the gods in this film ARE actual jerkasses. Also the movie wants to make him scary but he’s either too tragic or too corny for me to be scared of him.

And though I have yet to see it and it’s hard to tell if Namor should count as an actual villain yet, I propose that the REAL villain for the last film of phase 4 to be….

Black Panther Wakanda Forever’s…. The cancer that killed Chadwick Boseman– F*** you. You took away a wonderful human being from the world. A compassionate person who was well loved and admired by many. A man who was an actual king in spirit with true dignity and grace. You took T’Challa from us, but his legacy will live on in both the MCU and in the real world. And while I’m at at, F*** you for killing so many others that didn’t deserve to die so soon.

[rengadyke]

Posting an excerpt from my phantom of the opera au because I feel like it 😊

Note: tenshi is Japanese for “angel,” so I thought it would make the most sense for Langa to call Adam “tenshi-sama” while he still thinks Adam is an angel sent by his dead father.

——

Langa rushes past the other players, the kuroko, even the managers, to get back to his dressing room as quickly as he can. He hasn’t had a chance to speak to the Angel since the last-minute casting change. All day he’s heard nothing but praise for his unexpected talent. The audience loves him. The cast and crew of the theater love him.

None of them matter.

Langa finally reaches his dressing room and closes the door behind him—only to turn around and see Reki already standing in front of his mirror. Langa jumps. Reki really does seem to turn invisible when dressed in all black. It’s part of what makes him a good stagehand.

“Sorry! Didn’t mean to startle you.”

Langa shakes his head. “It’s alright, I’m just a little…distracted.”

“That’s understandable. Anyway, I didn’t have time to get you flowers, but I wanted to give you something. I’ve been working on this for a while. I figured tonight was as good a night as any to give it to you.”

Reki holds out a square wrapped in plain brown paper. It takes Langa an awkward moment to realize that it’s a gift. For him.

Langa takes the package and carefully unwraps it. Inside is a painted lacquer box, much like the ones his father used to sell in Paris. Only the image isn’t a Japanese garden, but a scene from the Tuileries. Langa recognizes it from the postcard he keeps on the wall of the room he shares with Reki.

“Did you make this?”

“I guess you can tell it’s not a professional,” Reki says humbly.

“Reki, it’s beautiful.”

“That’s not all! Open the box.”

Langa does as Reki says. As soon as the box is opened it starts to play a slow, metallic melody.

“Remember the old music box we found in that secondhand shop? You said you liked the melody but the box was all moldy and ruined. So I went back and bought it and made a new box.”

Langa suspects the process was more complicated than Reki is letting on. “You’re amazing, Reki.”

“You’re the amazing one! Seriously, how did you learn to perform like that?”

Langa remembers why he came straight to his dressing room. He knows the Angel is waiting for him.

“Someday I’ll tell you,” Langa promises.

Reki chuckles. “What, is it a secret?”

“Yes.”

Reki furrows his brows at Langa’s serious tone. He sighs. “Let me help you change.” He reaches for Langa’s wig—Langa completely forgot he was still wearing it—and places it on its stand. Then he kneels by Langa’s side to help him out of his costume.

“I can do that, Reki.”

“Come on, it’s no trouble. This is my job.”

“I can do it myself.”

“You say that now, but I’m the one who has to fix the costume when you get stuck and tear it.”

“I just need a moment alone,” Langa snaps. He softens his face for Reki. “Sorry, I’m just tired after that performance.”

Reki gives him a kind smile. “Of course you are. Take as long as you need.”

Reki stands, but doesn’t turn for the door. Instead he hesitates, his face inches from Langa’s. Langa considers refusing him, knowing the Angel is watching. But he doesn’t want to arouse Reki’s suspicions any more than he already has.

Langa presents his cheek for Reki to kiss, then his other cheek. It’s adorable, really, how much Reki enjoys giving Langa what he calls a “French kiss.” (Langa decided not to correct him on the name.) Langa never liked the intimacy of the greeting back home, but now he doesn’t mind it so much. He’s not sure why.

Reki is smiling so wide, so full of pride in Langa’s accomplishment. Langa feels guilty sending him away. But he has no choice—the Angel won’t appear unless Langa is completely alone.

“Thank you again for the music box.”

“I’ll try for flowers next time,” Reki promises. He’s still smiling even as he closes the door to Langa’s dressing room.

Alone at last, Langa looks up to the ceiling.“How was I, really?”

The voice, low and melodic as ever, comes through the walls as it always has. “Your performance, my dear, was exquisite.”

Langa finally feels pride swelling in his chest. “Thank you, tenshi-sama. I couldn’t have done it without your teaching.”

“I knew you were ready. All you needed was a little push to spread your wings.”

A little push…Langa assumed it was a coincidence that the role he had been learning with the Angel was the same that he was called upon to play after Miya’s accident.

“Did you—?”

“Don’t feel sorry for Miya, darling. He’ll simply have to start back from the beginning again. Now it’s your turn to fly.”

“But if Miya comes back, won’t the managers give him the role?”

“When it’s your name the audience is shouting? Hardly! The role is yours for the rest of the run. Which means we need to start rehearsing.”

Langa deflates a little. He’s rehearsed with the Angel every night this week. He wants to go back to his crowded little apartment and put off sleep in favor of talking to Reki. But the Angel is right: this is a difficult role, and he knows there are places where he could improve.

“Of course, tenshi-sama. I am your faithful student.”

“Oh, Langa-kun,” the Angel sighs. “Your father is so proud of you. There is no happier soul in Heaven tonight!”

Langa feels his cheeks flush. Tears well up in his eyes. How can he begrudge the Angel a moment of his time when training with Him is the only way he can feel his father’s spirit? His father, who gave him everything in life, is now giving him the ultimate gift in death.

The Angel pulls Langa out of his thoughts. “Now, give me your entrance as Sumizome. I’ll give you your cue.”

——

Let me know if you want to read more! I’m not quite ready to publish, but I do have a lot of the fic planned and excerpts written.

phantom au masterpost

[henrysglock]

Which characters do you think would especially like Phantom of the Opera?

My hc: I think El would really love it, find the singing fascinating, and really relate to both Christine mourning a parent and the Phantom feeling alienated from society. Joyce would kind of be into it maybe? She's a supportive mom and would watch and listen with El. Hopper would hate the singing but would enjoy the story.

Jonathan and Will would be flabbergasted and confused after listening to The Clash.

Lucas and Dustin would be into it.

Mike and Max would mildly make fun and sing bad opera to mock it, but then get secretly competitive about who can hit which notes.

You see…I agree but I also disagree.

I think El would openly love it for sure, but I don’t think Will would be flabbergasted or confused. He’s got a Little Shop of Horrors poster in his room, he clearly at least enjoys musicals.

While I don’t think he’d be over the top about it, I think it would hit hard for him. The tormented girl gets the guy in the end. She’s traumatized and she’s got a murderous stalker, but her childhood best friend still adores her and would do anything to save her. All he wants is for her to love him back. I think it would be really good for Will to see that story line and maybe see that hey, even if life fucks you over a little bit, you’re still worthy of love and desirable romantically. I think he’d like the show. I think if he had to pick favorite songs they would be Think of Me and All I Ask of You (he’d never say that out loud unless pressured, though).

I agree that Jonathan might be a little confused and not really into it, but he’d at least pretend to watch it for his siblings because he’s Like That.

I ABSOLUTELY AGREE ABOUT MIKE AND MAX LMAOOOOOOOOOO they would totally be like that. Mike and Max definitely love mocking Carlotta most (she’s so mockable), but Masquerade is SUPER fun for them to belt out badly. El initially wants to tell Mike to knock it off, but she notices Will giggling at it and decides not to say anything.

Coincidentally this is how they all find out that Mike can like…sing. he does it so mockingly for the laughs but when he puts his diaphragm into it and actually tries? damn okay!!

(Will is distraught by this information. I know that boy is the type to go “oh no…oh NO” and mentally cast Mike as Raoul immediately without fully meaning to. He’s deeply embarrassed and a little flustered during All I Ask of You now. Local gay boy self-inserts into a romantic song because his crush can sing and is now blushing horribly about it. He’s one of us, okay?)

Also, personally…I don’t think anyone but Jonathan isn’t crying by the end (and that’s only because Jonathan zoned out halfway in). El is openly crying, Max is hugging her and sniffling a bit. Will has been sitting on the floor, silently crying on and off into his knees ever since Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again. Please don’t point that out, though, it’s a sensitive topic. Mike will never EVER admit it, but yeah, he shed a few tears when the Phantom starts breaking the mirrors in his lair when Christine leaves with Raoul. Sue him.

I also feel like everyone would subconsciously pick up on the similarities between El/Will and Christine. No one would say anything, because that’s not really something you just…bring up? they just…see it and acknowledge it mentally and move on. I also feel like this realization would absolutely have Mike silently self-inserting as Raoul. He’d never admit it though. Is it about Will? Absolutely. Even the CIA couldn’t get him to admit that though. He’d never live it down.

I just think it would be very in-character for byler to both be mentally sighing over the fact that they won’t get to be that for the other person. Like bro you’re self-inserting two halves of a healthy relationship and if them of you just said something about it…Miscommunication trope at its finest.

[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

[evwuniverse]

The Enchanted Library

For those who know me I'm the most significant book worm and my love for poetry keeps me looking for more regarding the written word. As an English major who graduated with an English Language and Literature Bachelors in 2019, this is right up my alley and makes a lot of sense. Today, I finally had a moment to sit down and take some time for myself and do a little exploring. It's important to note I was on vacation for the week which really didn't feel like a vacation so having this small moment meant a lot to me.

Along my exploration inside of Second Life this afternoon I stumbled upon a new art installation called "The Enchanted Library" Again this can be found inside second life by clicking here. This took my love for reading and books to a whole new level. Also for those who don't know me, exploring art installations is my all-time favorite thing to do in world.

To explore more on "The Enchanted Library" please continue reading below.

This sim was built with the poet and reader in mind and it all starts with falling down an "Alice in Wonderland's" rabbit hole into a whole other world. You are welcomed with a notecard that explains more about the sim, the individual (Kaneha Atheria) who has created it, and its significance. I truly recommend reading up on this before entering, it just connects more of the wonder!

Once you fall down this rabbit hole you enter a beautiful forest, books everywhere! There are so many places to sit and cuddle it's insane, there's even a place to take that special someone dancing. I'm going to be the first one to say that I'd even recommend taking someone here on a virtual date. It's a smaller place but it speaks volumes, there are different areas with different writings you can read by picking up the notecards. I spent 2 hours reading almost every piece of writing. Again if you're a poet (who didn't know it) this is someplace you can get lost in for a while. Just like the sims' title, it's a library with poetry, romance, and a great place if you're into whimsical photography. A lot of the themed forest is based on "Alice in Wonderland" which I'm okay with but it adds some vintage flair to the mix.

Are you ready for a scavenger hunt? I wasn't but at the same time, I'm glad I pushed myself to be ready!

Many of the book installations are interactive all you need to do is sit on them! The creator (Kaneha Atheria) has hidden 16 well-known book titles in many parts of the forest's landscaping. Some of them are actual books you can read, while others are objects from stories and there are even some scenes.

Some of these include the following;

A Christmas Carol

Alice in Wonderland

Baba Yaga

Cinderella

Dracula

Frankenstein

Game of Thrones

Harry Potter

Peanuts (Charlie Brown)

Peter Pan

Phantom of the Opera

Rumpelstiltskin

Snow White

The Frog Prince

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe

The Man With The Golden

One area I loved here was there was a meditation section near where one of the clickable books was to read some of the poetry. Just watching my avatar in pure bliss made me feel a similar way. It's amazing just how much a human on the other side of a computer screen can connect so closely with their avatars inside of a virtual world. It's truly an experience.

This is a more permanent area that she has created for meetings, events, and just a place to sit and enjoy! There is a group you can join if you wish, and you can share your photos with your amazing experience in this world on their Flickr.

Whether you enjoy reading, photography, exploring, dancing or just want a place to relax and take everything in by transporting yourself to a whole other world, this sim has a little bit of everything for everyone to enjoy. To be honest I may even host a hangout with a few friends here just to read some of the poems together.