#I've re-read the original novel if you guys can't tell

[melit0n]

Anytime I see people who say 'Erik should have gotten Christine!' I always let out such a loud sigh because they are completely missing the point of the book.

The tradgedy is not, and never has been, the fact that The Phantom didn't get Christine, it's the fact that he never got to be human.

Erik, as a character, is so insanely full of love and yearning and that is exactly what leads people to sympathise with him; to lead them to the point of 'if he got the girl everything would be fine'. He's poetic with his suffering and expresses his truama in a obsessive and borderline psychopathic way in order to deal with it and get what he wants. To have what he never had; real affection. To be kissed without his masked chucked at his face.

To be looked at with fondness instead of fear.

Leroux's whole point with the character of The Phantom isn't that he's another man who deserved the girl, his point was how real life literature Others are treated. Erik is both The Hunchback of Notre Dame's Quasimodo and Jane Eyre's Bertha Mason. Both, of which, despite the fact they don't conform to societal standards, still deserve to be treated as humans.

Erik deserves to be treated like a human despite his deformity, despite his otherness that has literally forced him into the basement of an Opera House he helped build; to be loved like any human wants love. Everybody in that book demonises him for such a human feeling and that is the point. That is the metaphorical kick to the chest.

Further, rounding back around to the 'if he got the girl everything would be fine'. If Erik got Christine, he wouldn't learn that the fact he murdered multiple people to get there, that he threatened to blow up half of Paris, that he tricked a young girl into believing he was her dead father, was wrong. If he got what he wanted, with no consequences, then it wouldn't teach Erik anything, because he would never learn what real affection would be like.

That's why, at the end of the book, where Christine shows him genuine love, willingly, he absolutely crumbles because he realises that is what it means to be human. To feel human; pure love given of someone's own accord.

To love is to be changed, as the poets' say, and that's exactly what it does to him.

[xviruserrorx]

[Image Description: A black banner outlined in a red blood splatter with the text, Whumpmas In July 2023 in red text. Underneath is two separate strings of Christmas light with alternating yellow, red, and green bulbs]

-> Day 4 - "Share Whump Media"

Last year for @whumpmasinjuly-archive , I remember, this was one of the harder ones to do and I even started making a mental list a few days back so I had one for this... And now I can't remember it 😅. So to the best of my abilities, here is some good Whump Media I can think of right now! (Spoiler free!) (Also Here's Last Year's List)

Tv shows:

Dominion (Tv Show) - This show has so much good Whump! I mean every episode has something new happening and it makes twist that you don't even expect! Season 2 is when it really kicks up so I highly recommend it!

The Almighty Johnson's - This show is not whumpy at all really, it's a very funny show actually but like many of the other media's on this list, it has that angsty family dynamic as well as that one scene in Season 3 Episode 2 with Anders (if you know you know) but let's just say it really opened my mind of Whump with Anders.

White Collar - Not a whumpy show per say but Neal Caffrey (who is played by Matt Bomer might I add) tends to get himself into some crazy situations some of which are, being captured, shot in the leg, drugged (multiple times actually), deprived of oxygen, and a multitude of other things. It's a miracle he's still alive... Well... 😉 Anyways good show!

Thirteen - Not necessarily Whump also (I know, I know) but this show really opened my eyes to the concept of Stockholm Syndrome and it's really honestly fascinating. The actors are all amazing and the music is amazing as well and the story line is beautiful. It's quick watch and I really really recommend it.

Movies:

My heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It Too - Let me be honest here these movies are all about cannibalism and children to some degree. This movie is so good and makes for a good Erie horror movie. As far as horror goes I can't really say if it's scary or anything because I was raised on horror movies and honestly I've become so numb to them so, proceed with caution on these.

The Dark - Girl meets boy, boy—yeah no. The boy was kidnapped and tortured before a girl comes along and eats the guy who did that to him. She then takes the boy along with her where they both support each other and become friend. It's actually quite an adorable movie that left me very sad at the end but such a good movie.

Let The Right One In - A swedish film based off of the book by the same name. This kinda has the same concept as the movie above and I love the ending of this one.

Let Me In - This is the American version of the movie above and while I recommend watching the original first, I still recommend this version too, because they are both really good.

Books:

I've re-read Call Me By Your Name about 4 or 5 times in the last year... So I can not give recs as I have not consumed any other books 😅

Manga/Anime:

I haven't done much watching/reading as of late (since 2020 I mean) and so this is based purely off of memory

Durarara - I might have listed this one last year, but teenaged me was obsessed with Izaya's character and at the end of the anime & light novel & manga, he ends up badly injured and it leaves you wondering about what happens to him, but then it picked up in another light novel called "A Sunset With Izaya Orihara" and my gosh I highly recommend it.

K project: Lost Small World - Aside from me sobbing when I read this (and again when I watched it) the character Saruhiko Fushimi does not have a good upbringing and it really touches on child neglect, child abuse (verbally, mentally, and I can't exactly remember but maybe physically) as well as how that affected him as he transitioned into adulthood. There is also a part where he is sick and Misaki Yata, his friend, takes care of him but at the same time it touches on how neglectful his parents truly are.

Mirai Nikki - I think I said this one last year but I remember watching this when it first aired and gosh it was so good and if memory serves me correctly Episode 25 was a good Whump episode (take my word with the tiniest grain of salt).

Fruits Basket (2001 [no not the new one] & Manga) - Odd addition to the list? Yes, but for 6 year old me when I read & watched this it was an awakening. Me being into Whump is probably because of this manga/anime. One, Yuki has bad asthma and they often bring that up in the series which makes for some really good worried/comfort scenes. And later on in the manga there is so much messed up stuff and I can't remember it well because it's been like 12+ years since I've read it but the manga is simply beautiful and holds a dear place in my heart.

Princess TuTu - Okay okay give me a second to explain! This anime takes the story of swan lake, the ugly duckling etc and gives them something more and Ah! These early 2000's/late 1990's anime's/manga's had a similar theme sometimes and it was a protagonist that is made to be the antagonist against their will and pretty much you didn't know who was who and they do that beautifully with Mytho, Rue, Fakir, and Ahiru. Also I always loved Mytho's and Fakir's relationship. This was one of the first animes I watched and like fruba, it holds a special place in my heart.

Sugar Sugar Rune - remember I was saying these lat 90's/early 2000's anime's had a theme? Well this is also in that theme and Pierre certainly fits that theme but in a different way than Mytho does. This anime and manga is very plot based so I won't say much but it's a good watch and read and constantly has you cheering on the characters but then something happens and yeah, highly recommend.

I feel like I gave a bunch of very fluffy media with little grains of Whump in them 😅. Nevertheless, all of these are good and do have some form of Whump in them and I really love all of these things!

~~~VirusError🌸

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[buffintruder]

Re: the tags on your post about fantasy books...You aren't obligated to say what the book is you're talking about of course, but you're not obligated to protect others' feelings (or try to prevent their negative behaviors) by cramming YOUR own feelings. :( Especially since you just feel like something in a book really didn't resonate with you because of your experience. I feel like that's such a totally 100% reasonable thing to talk about. Only someone who's really got a chip on their shoulder will try to cancel an author for that (and tbh I'm of the opinion that a lot of "cancelling" these days really is just creators SEEING it as that because they don't want to accept that they don't have every experience and sometimes need to do better by the people who took the time out to read and appreciate their book...If people on the internet are just telling them opinions and not literally doxxing them? They kinda just need to be grown up about it....)

(this post for context)

Yeah, to be fair, part of it is just that there probably is a lot more to say about these things? And I honestly just don't feel like thinking about these lighthearted novels I read once in that much depth, and I'm also not really sure how to put to words exactly what I feel.

When I made the original post, I was a little bit Going Through It and didn't feel like typing stuff out (especially because idk. i feel like there's always this urge to make a million caveats, even if i'm not obligated to, so people don't try to take my words as some sort of authority on poc experiences or some deliberate attack on something people like. i'm just some random guy on the internet saying some opinions that don't really mean anything).

There's probably several books this could apply to, but I was mostly thinking about

-the House In the Cerulean Sea (romance novel about a government social worker who checks in on a small orphanage for 'dangerous' magical children to see if things are up to par basically). It's been a bit since I've read this, and I'm not sure I could describe it well even then, but something about the way oppression and prejudice was written (like the way more normal humans feel towards magical people especially the more monstrous-looking or dangerous ones) just felt kind of shallow and too easily resolved? With the main character being given a lot of chances and trust for someone who could easily destroy all these people's lives. Not that poc can't write optimistic worlds where things don't go badly, but I guess it didn't quite land for me

-Legends and Lattes (book about an orc quitting her dnd-style adventuring to make the first place selling coffee, a gnomish drink, in this one city). I just finished this book before making that post. I think part of my complaints with this are just that I actually do know a decent amount about the history of coffee and cafes in our world which is really complex and interesting, so the book basically going from "this one drink sold in shops in Foreign Parts with little additional details given" to "a drink sold in a place that also sells baked goods where students study and local musicians play" with zero inbetween was a bit of a let down.

But also, the history of food as it travels from place to place and carries culture with it is fascinating and this book really didn't have any of that. Coffee was brought by some random passerby who isn't from either where coffee is from or where she brought it to. I think there's like a mention of a gnome immigrant who was like "finally some good fucking coffee" but would the coffee the main character makes really be the same made by gnomes in their homeland? And that's not even getting into how there would probably be regional variation and the coffee she had might not be the same as what the gnome is used to. Coffee seems to be new to just about everyone else in this city, but surely there are other travelers who have their own experiences and opinions on the drink? Do other cultures even exist in this world besides whatever dnd-fantasy-medieval-esque setting of the main city and gnomes (for which the only cultural detail we really know about them is that they have coffee?) There's just really little consideration given into the details of cultural exchange I feel

I feel like in both these cases it's sort of both 'eh of course the author didn't want to go to deep into this, that's not what the book is about' but also 'that actually is literally what this book is about though'. I did enjoy these books, but I don't think they really hit me the way they were intended to because I was a bit distracted by the stuff I felt was missing from it

So anyway, that's my vague rambling about some of my opinions

[bisexualmaedhros]

ok writing this under a readmore in case tumblr puts it into any main tags. i won't be adding any of them to this, but i know these days tumblr sometimes takes words from the post itself and i don't want to write every prominent name with a bunch of substituted letters or slashes or anything. so.

negative thoughts re: beleg/túrin (romantic) and russingon (romantic) under the cut

obligatory disclaimer that i can't tell you what to ship and i'm not trying to, i'm just putting my own opinions on my own blog, in case there happen to be anyone else who feels the same way. as the old adage goes: don't like, don't read.

i'm not going to say that these ships are completely unfounded, nor am i the type of person to insist that a ship have canon "evidence" to back it. i can see where people are coming from and why they like the ships.

i, personally, do not at all and they make me quite uncomfortable.

they do seem to be some of the biggest ships in the silm fandom though (especially russingon), so they can be pretty hard to avoid sometimes even with tags blocked. usually i would just avoid creators who make content for these types of ships altogether, but it feels like everyone who makes art for the silmarillion consistently ships at least one.

in other media, i'd be a lot harder on ships like these (incest with russingon and uncomfortable age gap with túrin/beleg, but i'll get to that second one later). but at least with the silmarillion they feel... less out of line than in other stories, if that makes sense? silm feels more like reading a mythology collection rather than a novel, and often in mythology there are relationships that are... not great. and i could probably write a whole separate thing about that, but that's for another time if i ever do it at all.

túrin/beleg & russingon still make me greatly uncomfortable, but they at least feel a little more tonally in line with their original work than other instances i've seen of popular incest or age gap ships in other fandoms. whatever. it's just frustrating sometimes, with maedhros being my favorite silm character, that he's 1/2 of an incredibly popular incest ship. it's already bad enough when you like a character that's part of a main ship because then it's a lot harder to find fan content for them that's not purely ship-related, but the incest thing definitely makes it a lot worse.

ok, i'll talk about the túrin/beleg thing now. usually i'm kind of a sucker for the doomed immortal/mortal stories (i love beren and lúthien!). i think the lifespan/aging thing between humans and elves can pose some complications, sure, but generally i'm okay with it as long as they meet when they're both adults. i mean, the same with humans in general— a seven year age gap between a 19 year old and a 26 year old is a bigger difference developmentally than one between a 49 year old and a 56 year old.

but the thing that makes me uncomfortable is that beleg knew túrin since the latter was a child. if i'm understanding everything, he was sort of a mentor figure for túrin? right? so i really don't like the implications of them later having a romantic relationship (or, god, i hope that at least if they do, it is actually later).

i'm not saying you should never write about fucked up situations or relationships. i'm a fan of the silmarillion, for god's sake. i'm just talking about stuff that makes me personally uncomfortable. AND. i've been thinking about it.

i may be totally off the mark here, but it does sometimes feel like these ships are kind of born out of a lot of fandom's impulse to ship whatever handsome (usually white) guys they can, rather than looking at alternatives or appreciating non-romantic bonds.

don't take this as a "men aren't allowed to be just friends anymore!" thing. what i'm saying is:

why do these relationships have to be viewed through a romantic lens in order for their intensity to be seen as justified or worthy of portraying in art?

is it not enough that maedhros and fingon be cousins and best friends, supporting each other through The Horrors despite everything? why does it have to be romantic for people to appreciate its weight?

is it not enough for beleg to be a dear mentor to túrin, one who didn't give up on him once? a friend? a companion?

the prevalence of these ships in specifically romantic contexts just feels to me like another example of how many people view non-romantic love as secondary or not as interesting. and it kind of feels like it can sometimes keep us from appreciating and building on the dynamics given to us in canon already.

[alj4890]

Chapter 2 Hollywood Daze

The Other Friend

(Liam x MC) (Maxwell x OC * Amanda) (Drake x Olivia) (Hana x Rashad)

These characters were created by the fabulous writers of Choices. They come from The Royal Romance and Red Carpet Diaries. The original character, Duchess Amanda Bridgerton of House St. Orella is my own creation.

Masterlist of The Other Friend TRR

Chapter 2 summary: Duchess Amanda is currently in Hollywood helping to finish a screenplay on her best selling novel, "The Earl's Undoing". It is a fictional novel steeped in Cordonian history. Amanda is homesick and desperately wishes she was in New York and her friends.

Chapter 2

Amanda quickly pushes her hair out of her face. She looks at Maxwell's message again.

"Hey beautiful! We should be landing in New York within the next hour. I know we will most likely hit up a bar and I am determined 2 get us 2 a club. Need you for some moves 😏 Let me know when you get in. Miss you like crazy!!! Why aren't you with us yet😖😖😖 K Will let you get back to packing and being with us. Seriously. Drake is only going to wanna drink wiskey and Liam is way too nice to suggest anything else. Need my backup asap

This is killing me, Amanda thought. Nothing hurt her like saying no to Maxwell. She was always up for any scheme of his, just because it was Maxwell's. Amanda had fallen head over heels in love with Maxwell when she was fifteen years old. She had always had a crush on him growing up, but love...now that was another thing.

Amanda had been standing around at another court event. Her Uncle Nicholas was always insisting she be seen. He was such a darling. In many ways, he was like an older version of Maxwell. Her Uncle had been her guardian since she was twelve. He was loving, silly, and too sweet for words. He supported everything Amanda was interested in and thought she was a brilliant writer. Amanda's parents had tragically died in a car crash. Maxwell, Liam, and Drake had been there for her.

And here she was, at another event wishing she was anywhere else other than listening to Lord Neville go on and on how superior he was to every other man.

"You know Lady Amanda, it isn't every girl of whom I give my attention. You are quite lucky that I am even remaining by your side. I mean, you usually keep...questionable company and all. I'm quite surprised your uncle allows such acquaintances with the likes of Drake Walker. Let alone your preference for Lord Maxwell. His actions alone question whether or not he is worthy to belong to House Rumsford." Lord Neville droned.

Amanda stood there. Her hazel brown eyes changing to a golden brown. Her eyes had always been a give away of her emotions. When she was happy or excited, they were a forest green. When she was sad, they turned a dark gray. And like this moment, golden brown was a sign of anger. Anyone that knew her well would notice this as a sign to back away. Lord Neville remained oblivious to the sign.

"Lord Neville," Amanda said in a dangerously low voice. "I must beg you to NEVER seek my company again. Nor must you ever dare to mention those I care for in any insulting manner. Good evening."

And with one last look of loathing, Amanda walked out of the ballroom. She knew she needed to find a place where no one would see her. She always cried when she lost her temper and the last thing she needed was gossip. Neville would probably say she made a move on him and he refused her, causing the tears. As she quickened her pace, she ran right into Maxwell. His arms immedately went around her. Blushing, he let her go.

"Amanda! I was just about to come find you. I was thinking it is time we danced and I..." Maxwell trailed off when he saw her eyes. His sea green eyes snapped with anger. "Who did this?!? Where are they?!? What did they do? Should I go get Drake and Liam?!?" He said in a growl.

Amanda looked into his handsome face and realized that she would never love anyone as much as she did Maxwell. He knew her better than anyone. By one look, he was ready to fight for her. She wrapped her arms around his waist, placed her cheek against his heart and hugged him tightly. He quickly put his arms around her, though he was shaking with anger. Amanda softly said, "All I need is you to hold me right now. Please." Maxwell tightened his arms around her and rested his head on hers. Amanda looked up at him and smiled. She gently kissed his cheek. He watched as her eyes turned a dark green and he smiled. "There's my Amanda. Now then. There is a dance floor just waiting for us to bust a move. Come on. I bet Liam that he wouldn't be able to find a partner to try this dance." And just like that, Amanda's heart was light.

Amanda sighed as she remembered that moment. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her dark brown hair was hanging in wavy curls. She had recently cut her long hair to just barely touching her shoulders. Amanda wondered what the guys would think when they saw it. She had kept it long because her Uncle Nicholas had loved it like that. His death two months ago from heart failure had cut deep. Amanda wanted a change so with Ryan Summer's suggestion, she went to a stylist. What a change that had been.

The style made her already large almond shaped eyes even bigger. Ryan had gasped when he first saw her. "Wow," Ryan stuttered. "Just when I thought you couldn't be any lovelier, you go and pull a fast one on me". Amanda scoffed at his compliment. "Come on Mr. Fliratious. Let's get me back to the grindstone before Mr. Hunt finds out I'm playing hooky."

Ryan opened the door to the town car for her. "Yes, let's get the world famous author slash duchess back to the slave quarters. Perhaps when you are done, you might care to have dinner with me." He flashed a smile that made many women across the world want to swoon. Amanda laughed. "Ryan, I want to finish this so I can get back home. I have a duchy to run and friends that I am dying to see. Plus I received a message from my late uncle's lawyer. I have to meet with him as soon as I return next week. I have to get this done so I can be released. And please remind me never to agree to write a screenplay for Thomas Hunt again! I adore the man, but he is killing me with the details."

Ryan groaned. He had been hinting around for the last couple of months that he was interested in Amanda. She was one of the few women that wasn't in awe of his looks or stardom. He had been attracted to her from the get go, but she always thought he was teasing when he asked her to do something with him. He sighed and told the driver to take them back to her hotel. He would just try again later.

Ryan had just left after giving her a rundown on what Thomas was looking for in regards to the character he would play. As Amanda began to finish the last scene her phone vibrated. She quickly picked it up and smiled. Maxwell had sent another text.

"You won't believe this, but I think Liam has fallen for the waitress at this dive bar we are at. Fireworks doesn't even touch how they are looking at each other. Look at this."

Amanda examined the picture of Liam and the waitress. She quickly texted Maxwell back.

"Wow! I've never seen Liam look like that. I wish he had someone back home he felt that way about. I know he has to marry for the good of our country, but I wish he could find someone he loved. Maybe it is just being in Hollywood so long, but I want him swept off his feet."

Amanda watched the texting icon revolve as Maxwell typed.

"I think he must really like her. He just asked her to be our guide. She's taking us to some beach cove. Her name is Riley. She seems to really like him too. I wish you were here to see this."

Amanda bit her lip. She quickly typed back.

" I wish I was with you too. I can't wait to be with you guys tomorrow, flying home. You will have to tell am everything. I'm almost finished with the screenplay. All I have to do is drop it off and head to LAX. I should be in New York by 6am. Did I mention how I can't wait to be with you?"

Amanda hit the send button. She re-read what she wrote and groaned. It sounded like she just wanted to be with Maxwell. Great, she thought, now he will think I'm in love with him and dodge me like a bullet.

Amanda got up and finished packing. She printed out the finished screenplay and called for a town car. She gazed out the window one last time, looking at Hollywood lit up like a mystical wonderland in the darkness of night. She made her way to the lobby and into her car. As the car pulled up to Thomas Hunt's home, Amanda began to get excited. She was finally going to be able to go home.

Thomas looked at Ryan as he paced back and forth before the fireplace. He knew that Ryan had feelings for Amanda, but who wouldn't? She was a talented author, cultured, was actually kind even though she was a rich noble, and she even baked cookies for them during a painful night of rewrites. Thomas finally silenced Ryan.

"Enough! Just tell her how you feel. Granted she is leaving tonight, but we will be heading to Cordonia to film the movie in a few weeks. I am weary of your self pity. Either tell her or be silent on this matter forever."

Ryan looked at him. "You're right. I will tell her." Ryan hesitated. "I just don't think she will think I am serious."

Thomas steepled his fingers together over his mouth. He gave a hard look to Ryan. "If this were a scene in a movie, what would you do?"

Ryan paused and smiled. "Thank you Mr. Hunt. I know exactly what to do now."

Amanda rang the doorbell. Through the glazed glass she could see a tall dark headed figure coming. She smiled as she looked at the screenplay in her arms. It was finished. Her ideas and heart were on these very pages. Thomas Hunt would use his brilliance to make her story come to life. She couldn't wait to see it.

The door opened. "One set of blood, sweat, and tears ready for you Mr. Hunt-oh," Amanda glanced up in surprise when she saw Ryan. " Ryan! I didn't know you would be here. Now I get to say goodbye to you too. I don't know what I would have done without you here in Hollywood. Thank you for being so kind to me"

Ryan steps back to let her inside. He glances back at Thomas as he comes forward. Ryan half listens to Amanda tease Thomas about holding her hostage and here being the final payment. Amanda gives Thomas a quick hug, that he scoffs but can't help smiling. Ryan grins at the two of them. Amanda turns to go back to the car. "Gentlemen, I look forward to seeing you in Cordonia. With the social season beginning tomorrow evening, I'm not sure how much free time I will have, but I will do my best to be there if you need anything,".

They both thank her and express their desire to see her soon. Thomas takes the screenplay and heads back to the living room. His mind fully on the movie, leaving Ryan to walk Amanda back to the car. Ryan takes Amanda's hand as she waits for him to open the door. She looks up into his brown eyes and he takes a deep breath. "Amanda. When I am in Cordonia, would you...I would like to...do you think? Oh hell. Amanda I would like to take you on a date one evening. Not as a friend, but an actual date.".

With that finally said, he pulls her towards him and kisses her. Amanda remains shocked when he pulls away. "Ryan. I, I had no idea you felt that way. I thought. Well, I thought you were just a friend. I don't know what to say." Ryan quickly places a finger over her lips. "Wait and say something when I actually ask you out. Okay?" Amanda nods and hugs him. He hugs her tightly and kisses her cheek. She smiles and says, "See you soon." She gets into the car and heads to the airport.

As she boards her private plane, she can't help but shake her head. How in the world did someone like Ryan Summers fall for someone like her? She knew she didn't want to hurt him, but she was in love with Maxwell. But, what if Maxwell only felt friendship for her? Should she deny a chance at love with Ryan in the hopes that Maxwell might one day realize they belonged together? Amanda looks at her cell phone and sees another text message from Maxwell.

"Okay. I think I might do something crazy. I think I'm going to ask this waitress to represent House Beaumont as a suitor for Liam. They snuck off during the party and went to the Statue of Liberty together. I mean, who knows what else happened. Wink. Wink. Anyway. We will see what happens. She might not agree to it. But man oh man. The sparks were flying the whole night." Have a safe flight. Can't wait to hug you. You know you never could resist my hugs 😉"

Amanda looks at the text smiling and shaking her head. Well, she thought, this looks like an interesting beginning.