#raoul is so smooth

[wreckedhoney]

do i Dar e put this in the main tag even though it is So dumb So silly but also does anyone dig phantom of the opera. does anyone dig it enough to begin making very light and superficial au's.

it's the radio station for kfam. kurt m is falling out of grace with station management, more so because of the Curse that's increasingly gotten worse within the station itself as well as the town. forrest nash is getting booted out of chicago. alas, he finds a mysterious letter addressed to him that a position will soon be open in gallows creek, so off he rides, melancholy into the behemoth of a building, in a dark and spooky town.

kurt m has been scared off, but forrest doesn't believe in ghosts, doesn't believe in demons, and the only person "living" in the basement, "underground," is clive, the janitor, and it's not like he never goes home, so what's the big deal?

until after his first week(?), peggy leaves slightly earlier than he does, and forrest is left alone only to hear a faint whistling coming from alllll the way down the stairs.

[nipuni]

We went to see Phantom Madrid last weekend!! ❤️ Geronimo Rauch was amazing!! I'm going to write my thoughts on the whole performance under a cut for those interested 😊

I am going to be comparing it to the London version for reference since it's the only one I've seen live. I think my first impression was that It was better than I expected it to be! I read opinions about the Trieste production and I was a little worried but I found that I enjoyed a lot of the things I've seen being criticized.

The stage spinning around was awesome and added so much depth to scenes and made transitions very smooth. The backdrops were very nicely done!

As for costumes I think they were pretty good with the exception of Aminta's dress and the Masquerade costumes being kind of underwhelming.

The singing was good overall, although the translated lyrics are weird sometimes. The main songs translate well but some others become very confusing in Spanish, some wording seems forced and some notes are slightly altered to fit the phrases. Raoul is very calm and soft, maybe a little too much at times, Christine is very neutral and simple. Geronimo was amazing tho no notes!

Now the acting! I have opinions 😫 This show was very Christine and Raoul centric to such an extent that it flattened the plot for me 😬 Christine seems scared and disgusted from start to finish so there is no conflict in her character. She is never torn, she recoils from the phantom's touch during Music of the Night, and during Final Lair she sings the "pitiful creature of darkness" lines looking at Raoul the whole time backing away towards the phantom and steeling herself and only turns reluctantly at the last second to kiss Erik. She comes back to return his ring and just leaves it on the organ stool as soon as he turns around because she's scared to get close to him, when he sings "I love you" she shakes her head at him 🥹 like girl please give us something!!

Geronimo's phantom is a delight tho!! He whimpers, crawls, cries, screams, pants, it's great. He's acting his butt off and is the highlight of the show for me.

A thing that I really liked was in the end when the mob comes Erik is curled up in his bed crying and Madame Giry finds him there and tells him to hide under the covers and leads the mob away from him, I thought it was sweet and transitions into LND nicely.

OH also!! I really enjoyed the Phantom swinging on a rope across the stage during the ballet and Buquet's hanging, it's so good!! the flaming chandelier scene is also good!! in Final Lair they actually hang Raoul in the air which was very nice too! (and with his shirt still on) and even the angel wings and flying that I've seen people hating on was honestly so cool. It didn't look as goofy as I expected it to, it's very smooth and the lighting makes it scary, he casts thunder and flies!! the wings are not very visible since the scene is very dark. The light work was super good in general.

Masquerade and Don Juan were a bit of a let down, much simpler but not bad. I think my main issues were about the choices for Christine really 🤔 and I think some scenes needed more movement, especially the roof one (they couldn't move because they are sitting on a ledge)

The show in general feels a bit one note compared to the West End version but it was good!! I'm just nitpicky 😂 also I want Geronimo's autograph!! I love him 😭

Anyway if you want to see/hear more let me know on discord wink wonk 😁

[fdelopera]

Welcome to the 39th installment of 15 Weeks of Phantom, where I post all 68 sections of Le Fantôme de l’Opéra, as they were first printed in Le Gaulois newspaper 115 yeas ago.

In today’s installment, we have Part VII of Chapter 14, “La Lyre d’Apollon” (“Apollo’s Lyre”), and Part I of Chapter 15, “Un Coup de maître de l’amateur de trappes” (“A Masterstroke of the Trapdoor Lover”).

This section was first printed on Tuesday, 23 November, 1909.

For anyone following along in David Coward's translation of the First Edition of Phantom of the Opera (either in paperback, or Kindle, or from another vendor -- the ISBN-13 is: 978-0199694570), the text starts in Chapter 13 with, “'Christine,' said Raoul as he got to his feet, 'you say you love me but it was only a matter of hours after you were free again that you went back to him',” and goes to Chapter 14, “Then she rushed out in a state of near-panic, still pulling and smoothing her fingers as if she thought the ring would somehow mysteriously reappear of its own accord.”

There are some differences between the Gaulois text and the First Edition. In this section, these include (highlighted in red above):

1) Chapter XV was printed as Chapter XVI. This numbering error was made in Chapter VII, and was not corrected, so it was propagated throughout the Gaulois publication.

2) Chapter 15 in the Gaulois text is Chapter 14 in the First Edition, etc.

3) Compare the Gaulois text:

… vous dites que vous m'aimez et quelques heures à peine s'étaient écoulées depuis que vous aviez recouvé votre liberté, que déjà vous retourniez auprès d'Erik !…

Translation:

“… you say that you love me and yet scarcely a few hours had passed since you had regained your liberty, and you were already going back to Erik!…”)

To the First Edition:

… vous dites que vous m'aimez, mais quelques heures à peine s'étaient écoulées, depuis que vous aviez recouvé votre liberté, que déjà vous retourniez auprès d'Erik !…

Translation:

“… you say that you love me, but scarcely a few hours had passed since you had regained your liberty, and you were already going back to Erik!…”

4) This passage was added to the First Edition (indicated by the red arrow above), and does not appear in the Gaulois:

Soudain une silhouette bizarre se dressa devant les jeunes gens, leur barrant le chemin :

« Non ! pas par ici ! »

Et la silhouette leur indiqua un autre couloir par lequel ils devaient gagner les coulisses.

Raoul voulait s’arrêter, demander des explications.

« Allez ! allez vite !… commanda cette forme vague, dissimulée dans une sorte de houppelande et coiffée d’un bonnet pointu.*

Christine entraînait déjà Raoul, le forçait à courir encore :

« Mais qui est-ce ? Mais qui est-ce, celui-là ? » demandait le jeune homme.

Et Christine répondait :

« C’est Le Persan !…

– Qu’est-ce qu’il fait là…

– On n’en sait rien !… Il est toujours dans l’Opéra !

Translation:

Suddenly, a strange silhouette loomed before the two youths, blocking their path:

“No! Not this way!”

And the silhouette pointed to another corridor by which they must reach the wings.

Raoul wanted to stop, to ask for an explanation.

“Go! Go quickly!…” ordered this shadowy figure, enshrouded in a sort of houppelande and capped with a pointed hat.*

Christine was already dragging Raoul away, forcing him to run again:

“But who is that? Who is that man?” asked the young man.

And Christine replied:

“That is The Persian!…”

“What is he doing here?…”

“No one knows!… He is always at the Opera!”

* NOTE: Leroux's character of "The Persian" was based on an actual French historical figure, the Persian gentleman and expat, Mohammed Ismaël Khan. This image below depicts the houppelande coat and Astrakhan cap that Leroux was likely imagining when he was writing his novel.

This image is from Les Célébrités de la rue, by Charles Yriarte, published in 1864, a book that listed notable figures in Paris in the early to mid 1800s. It was published during Mohammed Ismaël Khan's lifetime, as M. Khan passed away in 1868.

It is worth noting that the Opera House that M. Khan frequented was the Salle Le Peletier, which was destroyed in a fire in 1873 (five years after M. Khan's death). Two years later in 1875, the Paris Opera was moved to the newly opened Palais Garnier (aka Erik's Opera House). So, contrary to Leroux's narrative, M. Khan never actually frequented the Palais Garnier. This is an example of faction (fact+fiction), one of Leroux's favorite literary devices, which Leroux used throughout Le Fantôme de l'Opéra to build a feeling of verisimilitude into his fictionalized narrative.

5) Compare the Gaulois text:

C'était Erik. Il avait les yeux de braise dont vous m'avez parlé. J'aurais dû le clouer sur la lyre d'Apollon…

Translation:

“That was Erik. He had the fiery eyes that you told me about. I should have nailed him to Apollo’s Lyre…”

To the First Edition:

Si vraiment nous avons aperçu Erik j'aurais dû le clouer sur la lyre d'Apollon…

Translation:

“If that truly was Erik that we saw, I should have nailed him to Apollo’s Lyre…”

6) Compare the Gaulois text (this was likely an error on Leroux’s part, since earlier, Raoul agreed to be in Christine’s dressing room at midnight sharp):

… à minuit et demi ! fit le jeune homme …

Translation:

“… at half past midnight!” said the young man …

To the First Edition:

… à minuit je serai dans votre loge, fit le jeune homme …

Translation:

“… at midnight I shall be in your dressing room,” said the young man

7) Compare the Gaulois text:

Jamais ! répondit-elle avec énergie. Je la renverrai à Erik en la déposant dans la loge du fantôme. Il faut qu'Erik puisse rentrer tranquillement chez lui le soir…

Translation:

“Never!” she replied forcefully. “I shall return it [the key] to Erik by leaving it in the Phantom’s box. Erik must be able to return calmly to his house in the evening…”

To the First Edition:

Jamais ! répondit-elle avec énergie. Ce serait une trahison !

Translation:

“Never!” she replied forcefully. “That would be a betrayal!”

8) Minor differences in punctuation.

Click here to see the entire edition of Le Gaulois from 23 November, 1909. This link brings you to page 3 of the newspaper — Le Fantôme is at the bottom of the page in the feuilleton section. Click on the arrow buttons at the bottom of the screen to turn the pages of the newspaper, and click on the Zoom button at the bottom left to magnify the text.

[phantomtrader19]

Phantom London review 24/25th Jan

I had already booked the show on Saturday 25th to see Zoe on for Carlotta as I’ve always thought since joining the show she’d be a perfect Carlotta so to see her be bumped up as a cover I was really excited! After hearing an audio I was amazed and def had to book to see her so I did, I also decided I’d book for Friday too to see Eve as Christine as it had been about a year plus since I’d seen her and admittedly was not blown away unfortunately, I saw her debut and loved her vocally and then saw her on with Earl carpenter on his last matinee! I think she had an off day in the September 2023 show I saw but if I remember correctly she had just returned from illness or gone off ill after the show I saw but I heard great things and she sounded great from audios over the last year. I can confirm she was ABSOLUTELY STELLAR and I mean STELLAR,what growth!! The acting choices were just so nuanced and thought out and vocally was off the scale she was a completely different Christine to the times I’d seen her before, her wishing was stunning!! A top Christine for me for sure! Her low notes were phenomenal and her chemistry with Joe as Raoul was just fantastic! Her and Dean were phenomenal together and Eve portrayed quite a strong Christine which in scenes like MOTN and PONR you could see the phantom get nervous round her. (Their PONR was probably my favourite I’d seen) final lair was eclectic too, so many choices from Eve that I just adored. MUST get back to see her again!

I was sooooo excited to see Dean again as the last 2 show day he wasn’t on and the first time I saw him was by far one of the best shows I’d seen! Once again vocals absolutely blew me away, I think I can say vocally he’s the strongest I’ve ever seen! His performance is definitely not as aggressive as other phantoms he sort of immediately recoils when he loses his temper with Christine as if he is genuinely just not in touch with his emotions and how to control them. Overall loved his performance and can’t wait to see more of him!

Joe was brilliant as Raoul as usual really loved him as always! Great chemistry with Eve and phenomenal voice.

Zoe as Carlotta WOWWWWW killer vocals!! Absolutely adored her Hannibal cadenza so powerful! She was a very elegant Carlotta very poised and held her chin high which was excellently done! Just divine all round !

Adam and Martin as managers were great as always, really enjoying Martin’s take on Firmin very nuanced!

First time seeing Helen as Mme Giry as I’ve missed her every time I’ve seen the new cast, very lovely portrayal very stern and lovely vocals - great actress!!

Overall a phenomenal show from everyone!

On Saturday I saw a couple understudies!

Lily was extraordinary as Christine as always, beautifully smooth high notes, I just wish she held that think of me note slightly longer but I’m being very picky cause she was fantastic and her chemistry with Dean was great!!!

I got to see Fergus on for Raoul which was cool! He was a good Raoul not too much to say acting wise very typical portrayal, I think you can tell he’s done the role not even a handful of times, he did however have a lovely voice very strong!

Zoe was on for Carlotta again and she wa amazing again!

Samuel was on for Andre and he’s always great!!

All in all I had a fabulous 2 shows, I did take audio of both shows so please drop me a message if you’re interested in a trade and I’ll try my best to get back to you in a reasonable time!!

[angel-with-paper-wings]

Seeing POTO Live: Part 2 (Show Review)

This is my personal review of my first time seeing a live production of The Phantom of the Opera, on the West End on May 20th 2024 (see Part 1 of this post for that crazy story). The main trio cast was: Lily Kerhoas as Christine, Jon Robyns as The Phantom, and Joe Griffiths-Brown (I will list the rest of the cast as I mention their characters).

Act 1:

Auction/Overture:

JAMES GANT HIMSELF WAS THE AUCTIONEER 🤩🤩 TWO PHANTOMS IN ONE NIGHT, I CANT BELIEVE MY LUCK 

He was totally channeling the Phantom when it got to the “Lot 666…” part, I got chills

I was watching Raoul (Joe Griffiths-Brown) like a hawk during the auction scene because I wanted to study his acting, and he did not disappoint. When the music box came out, he leaned forward and touched it longingly with his fingertips 🥺 And he spoke in this hushed, gravelly old man voice that was so accurate. No notes.

THE OVERTURE

SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP

ITS JUST AS MAGICAL AS I ALWAYS DREAMED 😍😍😍

I totally got flashbanged by the chandelier 😂😂 (the sparks and pyro effects in this musical are BRIGHT)

Hannibal/Think of Me:

Both Carlotta (Lily de-la-Haye) and Piangi (David Kristopher-Brown) SLAYED, not only with their singing but their comedy bits were perfectly timed

Guys these costumes are SPARKLY 😍😍✨✨ like I didn’t realize until seeing it live but almost EVERY costume has sparkles and it makes everything look gorgeous under the stage lights

This Andre (Adam Linstead) and Firmin (Matt Harrop) were SO FUNNY OMG

Andre was such a little fanboy over Carlotta, and Firmin was like a grumpy old man

Lily’s “Think of Me” was DELIGHTFUL, her voice is so smooth and sweet! When she started her “audition” her voice was VERY quiet (barely audible), but once she got going she had such a beautiful crystal-clear tone.

Again, I was watching Joe Griffiths-Brown a lot during “Think of Me” because I wanted to watch his reactions. For a while, Raoul didn’t really look at the stage to see Christine playing Elissa, he was too busy looking at his programme and greeting the managers when they joined his box. But eventually he saw her, and then he looked back down at his programme to search for her name and check if it was really her! I loved it and thought it was such a neat acting detail!!!

Angel of Music/Little Lotte:

While Madame Giry is scolding the ballerinas for being “a disgrace”, Christine was talking with… some dude?? I couldn’t really tell who it was, but I’m almost certain it wasn’t Raoul or either of the managers. It looked like a stagehand. Does anyone know who this is and why she was talking to him? I’ve never noticed this detail before in other productions.

OMG BRUNETTE MEG NATION RISE UP

Meg (Maiya Hikasa) has a few extra lines during the show that I haven’t heard before, and the one I remember best was a little frustrated remark after Madame Giry told her to go off and practice: it was something like “There’s always more practice.” I thought it was cool that they gave her a bit more character!

Okay idk if this was intentional, but during the beginning of “Angel of Music”, Christine’s dressing room set was covered by a curtain but illuminated from the inside by a lamp, and the wardrobe mistress was in there arranging her dressing gown. But since Christine was singing about her father at the time, I thought that part of the stage was like a “flashback” scene to show us what Christine was remembering in her mind. Idk if that makes sense, but that was what crossed my mind. 

Idk if this was intentional either (or maybe it was just the angle from where I was sitting) but you could see the actual conductor of the show reflected in the mirror from the orchestra pit, which I thought was cool and tied things together thematically

Lily’s Christine was quite hesitant and timid when Raoul came to see her in her dressing room. I liked this choice because to me, it showed that even though she is happy to see him, Christine is aware that the Phantom is listening and she is afraid for Raoul’s safety.

And Joe was just so sweet and charming the whole time!! He didn’t seem too demanding when he said they’ll go to supper, which is a plus for me.

HEEHEE JON ROBYNS HAS A PERFECT PHANTOM VOICE AND NO ONE CAN TELL ME OTHERWISE

He has a very mixed range which I like in a Phantom, going from a higher goblin-y voice to a really low seductive growl on “I am your Angel of Music…”

Title Song:

God I just love the scenery changes that happen during this song, they are nothing short of STUNNING

Lily’s and Jon’s voices sound SO GREAT together

When the candles started raising out of the stage, Christine leaned forward in the boat and looked so enraptured (same), and I don’t think the Phantom took his eyes off of her once during the whole song (again, same)

Unfortunately, there was no cape swirl because poor Jon dropped the cape 😭😭 I felt so bad for him but he recovered very well (let’s just say he was so awed by Christine’s singing that his hands stopped working)

Lily’s high notes at the very end had almost no vibrato and were very choral-sounding, if that makes sense. They kinda reminded me of Emmy Rossum’s high notes in the 2004 movie. Overall very nice.

Music of the Night:

Jon Robyns made this song look EASY. His vocals and acting choices were top notch, it was a treat to watch.

In the pause after “abandon their defenses…” when Christine looks away from the Phantom and towards the audience, he gasped and touched his mask as if ensuring it was still there. SUCH a great detail 🥺

He WHIMPERED when Christine touched him during the portcullis sprawl (after that, I wasn’t sure I would survive PONR, the horniness was too strong)

Lily’s Christine seemed quite unsure about the Phantom’s sensual touches at first, especially when he went in for the iconic pose, but then she relaxed and just fell against his arm

His “touch me” was the lowest sensual whisper I— 😩🥵

Christine touched his mask for a good couple of seconds during “savor each sensation”, but then it looked like her thumb went underneath the edge and was about to take it off, and that was when the Phantom pulled her hand away. Great stuff 👍

I know why they don’t do it anymore, but I miss the catch 😭 Christine fell to the floor and Jon’s Phantom reached out for her, before grabbing the cloak and covering her up. Then he knelt down next to her with his hands on his knees (like a lil kid) to say “you alone can make…” it was adorable and so sad 🥹

Stranger Than You Dreamt It:

When Christine first lays eyes on Erik’s deformity, she doesn’t flinch until he lunges at her. But then later, after she returned his mask, she flinched right away as if expecting him to lunge at her again 🥺

She even pushed herself as far away from him as she could when he began STYDI

He dragged—and I mean DRAGGED— himself across the door on his belly

Also he gave this like angry grunt before “repulsive carcass”

Jon’s voice sounded so scary, but his “dreams of beauty” and “oh, Christine” were WHIMPERS 😭😭😭

PATHETIC LITTLE MEOW MEOW ENERGY

After “oh, Christine”, he covered his face with both hands and sat on his knees with his back to the audience. When Christine handed him the mask, he ripped it out of her hand and put it back on.

Notes I/Prima Donna:

Excellent chemistry between Adam Linstead and Matt Harrop as the managers, I couldn’t get enough of their antics

This scene was where Joe Griffiths-Brown began to show his colors as a more aggressive Raoul, akin to Hadley Fraser in the 25th anniversary. Whether you prefer this portrayal of Raoul or not, I think it worked well here.

While the managers are busy singing “Prima Donna” with Carlotta and Piangi, Raoul was seen chatting with Madame Giry (Francesca Ellis). There were a couple more moments in the show where they are seen talking together or sharing a knowing look, which I’ve never really noticed before when watching recordings/bootlegs. It makes their little one-on-one discussion after “Masquerade” seem less random because we know they are already familiar with each other.

Also, Joe Griffiths-Brown’s voice is STRONG, like it cut through all the rest of the voices and could be clearly heard at the end of “Prima Donna”

Il Muto:

Lily de-la-Haye’s croaks were kind of strange… like I know it’s a strange part of the musical, but they sounded less like croaks and more like big yells. Idk

Guys. Jon’s Phantom laugh. 😳😩 Deeper than the Mariana Trench. Sent chills up my spine.

After hearing the Phantom’s voice, Raoul starts searching for him around Box Five

Guys, Adam Linstead is HILARIOUS as Andre. He was shaking like a leaf when he had to go out and announce the change in plan, flipping through his programme nervously. And his antics with the ballet dancers seemed so naturally clumsy!

“the ~BALLET~” 😂😂😂

When the scary silhouettes of the Phantom were showing up during the ballet, they were spotted by the shepherd dancer (Jacob Hughes), and he looked SO SCARED. He had on this huge nervous smile, you could tell he was thinking “oh shit god please no”, it was just a good piece of acting

All I Ask of You:

Lily’s Christine was very up-front about what she wants from Raoul in this song. During “say you love me every waking moment…”, she had her hand out to him as if saying “these are the terms, you can either agree to them or be done.” This, along with some other moments later in the show, made Lily’s interpretation refreshingly strong and assertive.

Joe Griffiths-Brown was BORN to sing Raoul. His voice suits AIAOY so well

He did a lil twirl with his arms out during AIAOY as he said “then say you’ll share with me…” and it was the sweetest thing ever 🥹

THE KISS!!! 😍😍 Raoul kissed Christine first (it was a little earlier than I was expecting), but after he pulled away Christine leaned in and gave him a bigger kiss back!

AIAOY Reprise:

Behind me, a girl went *gasp* “SHIT” when the Pegasus turned and revealed the Phantom, and that alone was worth the price of admission. (Btw, that moment of shock is exactly why you wait to reveal that the Phantom is eavesdropping until AFTER Christine and Raoul leave the rooftop… unlike SOME versions *glares at 2004 movie 😒)

Jon made me cry with his “I gave you my music…”

HIS WHIMPERS WHEN HE HEARS RAOUL AND CHRISTINE SINGING, Y’ALL I AM UNWELL

The horse statue is center-stage during this part, and the Phantom is perched right on top (VERY high up, holy shit). As he sang “you will curse…” he looked down at the audience and istg STRAIGHT AT ME 😳 (I was sitting dead center). Even though he definitely wasn’t staring at me in particular, I felt like we had a moment.

Act 2:

Masquerade/Why So Silent:

THE COSTUMES

SO SPARKLY ✨✨✨✨✨

AND SO DETAILED

AAAAAAAAAA MY EYES CANNOT HANDLE SUCH MAJESTY

If you’re like me and have only ever seen photos/video of the Masquerade scene, let me tell you that it does NOT do them justice

Speaking of which… I would like to formally apologize for hating on Christine’s “Star Princess” dress. It is a LOT prettier in person. I understand the hype now.

There was another moment where Raoul was seen chatting with Madame Giry about something. Again, this makes their convo at the end of this song make more sense since they already know each other.

Omg the Phantom’s entrance was STUNNING

Y’all how does he balance his big ol’ hat??? It’s just a big red puffball on top of his head lmao

Some people in the audience laughed in shock when the skull mask’s jaw started moving

Got flashbanged so I didn’t see the Phantom go down the trap door (which I guess is the whole point of the flashbang lol)

The convo between Raoul and Madame Giry was kinda rushed. Madame Giry reveals some important information about the Phantom’s backstory here, but Raoul was talking over her at some points and it was hard to hear.

Notes II:

I kinda wanted more acting-wise from Lily (Christine) during this scene… I was hoping she would get more angry at Carlotta and the managers, but she seemed oddly quiet. I think she was trying to convey how Christine is tired of all the bullshit happening around her during this scene. She was just done with everything.

Her “I cannot sing it, duty or not” and “I can’t. I won’t do it.” were certain and final.

Again, Joe’s Raoul was rather aggressive during this scene when he was coming up with the plan to trap the Phantom. Of course he was still gentle with her physically, but he was not hearing any arguments against the plan.

Having both a stubborn Christine and a stubborn Raoul seems like a difficult thing to make work, but I think it did in this show! Their clash during this scene makes Christine’s storming out more realistic—she has lost all her patience and just needs to be alone.

Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again:

Lily really shone here. This was her moment, and she did not disappoint.

“Little Lotte thought of everything and nothing…” sounded so defeated and sad 😔

Her voice is just very nice to listen to. It’s not as classically operatic as some other Christines, it has more of a modern musical theater flair, but it suits the role very well imo.

When it got to “too many years…”, she let out all of her repressed anger and frustration in a powerful final chorus. It was very satisfying.

Wandering Child:

“Far-reaching gaze”

Damn these three sound SO GOOD together!!! Their vocals blend perfectly with each other

The sparks from the staff were cool! I’m always worried that they will look cheesy (and yeah, they kinda do), but Jon Robyns was selling it

GOD that fire effect at the end is HOTTT 🔥🔥🔥

Point of No Return:

Oh boy, this one was fun

His “preeeeeeey” was so long and creepy 😳

Maybe I’m just a simp, but I kinda wanted their acting to be a bit more sexy… like I don’t think Lily’s Christine was into it as much as I’ve seen some other Christines get into it, but it was spicy enough

You could tell the moment Christine realized it was the Phantom under the cloak, a look of understanding passed over her face. In the pause before she starts singing her verse, she was thinking for a bit… and then her “decided…” was so long and sultry.

Based on how she acted during this song from that point on, my theory is that she put together her own plan to trap the Phantom by using his lust for her against him. She went along with the seductive choreo in order to expose him to the audience… her hand touched his mask, and it looked like she was going to pull of the hood then and there before he flinched away.

Once they were singing the final chorus, they were straight up arguing with each other. Christine was already letting out her spite and frustration ahead of the Final Lair, and sje was letting the Phantom have it.

After the hood is off, it is Christine who calls off the guards by holding out her hands. This didn't seem like a protective move to me, it seemed like she was just saying “not yet, it’s not the right time”.

When he said “Say you want me”, he patted his chest (like calling a cat lol)

OMG Raoul’s jump into the lake is HIGH like how is that even safe??? Massive props to all the Raouls, that looks scary as shit

Final Lair:

Holy. Shit.

No notes whatsoever.

It was perfection.

CHRISTINE LET ERIK HAVE IT

SHE WAS DONE PLAYING GAMES, SHE WAS SCOLDING HIM WITH ALL OF HER ANGER

And Erik was done too. He had so much disdain in his voice when he talked about his backstory, his bitterness felt so real and justified

When Raoul came in, Erik’s mood switched COMPLETELY to being a cocky lil shit 😂 He was having way too much fun teasing Raoul and mock-bowing to him and being a lil goblin

He also said a line I haven’t heard before! Instead of “I had rather hoped that you would come”, he said “I did not think we would be so blessed” or something like that. Idk if that’s a recent change or what, but it was hilarious because he said it dripping with sarcasm

After “tears of hate” when Christine ran back over to Raoul, she held both her hands out, one to protect Raoul and one to hold back Erik

Lily’s “You deceived me, I gave my mind blindly” was so angry and accusatory (as it should be, because it’s true)

“Make. Your. Choice.” Chills 😳🥶

THE KISS 😱😱😱💀💀💀 (I’m dead)

The first kiss surprised Erik…he held his arms out to the side, unsure what to do with them. Then during the hug he wrapped them around Christine’s waist (with his hands still splayed out). Then the second kiss he kept his arms where they were and ACTUALLY KISSED HER BACK, HE LEANED IN AND EVERYTHING

GOD I AM DECEASED 😭😭😭😭

He pulled away first, looking SO SHOCKED. He stumbled over to the other side of the stage, touching his lips with his fingers 🥺🥺

After he let Raoul go, he had to chase them out of the lair. His “go now and leave me” was the DEFINITION of heartbreaking 😭😭😭 I still haven’t recovered.

When he saw Christine had come back he looked SO HAPPY, but then he looked down and saw the ring, and you could see him just deflate 🥺🥺 she handed him the ring, and he just held her hand for a minute.

His “Christine, I love you” was LONGGG and it just ripped my heart apart further

Lily did NOT want to leave him. She lingered there for several seconds, before turning and running away, leaving Erik’s arm still outstretched 😭

GOD the little sobs he let out as he watched Raoul and Christine leave on the boat 😫 and he covered his ears again like in AIAOY reprise

Overall reflection:

It was SO GOOD. Like I cannot describe how perfect it was in so many different ways. The cast and crew were nothing short of PHENOMENAL and I already cannot wait for a chance to see it again, however long that takes!!

I am an unapologetic RAH 25th anniversary stan, and the Ramin/Sierra/Hadley trio will always hold a special place in my heart (it’s more like a chokehold but I digress). I bring this up because I was SHOOK with how similar the current West End cast sounded to the 25th anniversary cast. Some of the acting choices were also quite similar, especially Joe’s Raoul and Jon’s Phantom. Overall, the three complimented each other very well vocally and the directions in which they took their characters worked together very nicely to tell a cohesive story.

I didn’t really know what to make of Lily Kerhoas’s Christine at first. I kinda felt like I wanted a bit more from her acting-wise, but as the show went on and the more I thought about it, I started to understand the journey she was taking with her Christine throughout the show. She starts out very shy during the Hannibal audition scene and “Little Lotte”, and only during MOTN do we start to see her come out of her shell a bit. Over the course of the show, she learns to become more confident and to stand up for herself and her needs against Joe’s very assertive Raoul and Jon’s very needy Phantom. I really liked this, because too often Christine is written off as another sweet innocent ingenue who is seduced by the Phantom, but Lily’s Christine was nothing like that. She had her own goals in mind and held onto them stubbornly, which led to her having the upper hand  in a lot of scenes. Perhaps not my favorite portrayal of Christine, but it was a refreshing change!

Joe Griffiths-Brown plays a very serious and determined Raoul that reminded me a lot of Hadley Fraser’s “out for blood” portrayal in the 25th anniversary production. He has his moments of sweetness of course, and he is very protective of Christine during AIAOY and the Final Lair. He definitely wasn't the sweet, golden-boi Raoul from the original novel, but alongside Lily’s very courageous Christine and Jon’s emotional Phantom I thought he was a great fit. Plus, he was pretty to look at. 🤭🫠

Jon Robyns NAILED IT. He mastered the balance between a terrifying force of nature and an emotionally broken man. His emotions felt real in the way that he said/sang each line… he meant every word he was saying. I think I would have liked a bit more physical sensuality from him (his Phantom Hands™️ were not as special as others I’ve seen), but other than that I cannot fault his portrayal. He ripped my heart out of my chest and stomped on it, and I said thank you.

Bonus:

My parents were waiting to meet me outside of the theatre after the show ended. According to them, the first person to leave the theatre was a teenage girl—she exited the doors with her hands stretched to the dark London sky, tears in her eyes, and said “OH MY GOD, I FEEL LIKE MY SOUL HAS BEEN RAPTURED!!!”

Same, girl. That pretty much sums it up.

[roadtophantom]

Zhao Chaofan (POTO China Raoul) caught Phantom in Seoul last November!!

Finally I heard the Phantom's music again, finally I saw the Phantom's stage again, I didn't cry this time, but I wanted to go up and act (just kidding).

The moment the lights came on, the auction scene brought me back to Phantom.[Tears] I still want to cry...although the language is not clear, but it is incredibly intimate.

Phantom of the Opera's first feeling after watching it is incredibly silky (silky smooth?), the Phantom's inner struggle, Christine's growth, the Viscount's defiance, everything is so perfect, I hope that their final show on the 19th will not leave any regrets~!

(machine translated)

His cast was Jeon Dong-seok, Son Ji-soo, and Hwang Gun-ha.

[ceaselesslyinlove]

ted keegan's last (scheduled) phantom performance 😭 i'm uploading the final lair to also include john, since he's back for his last couple weeks as raoul 🥰

some finale notes for anyone who cares for it: - audience was lit tonight. clapping and cheers all over the place. - ted and julia are aggressive coming onto the stage. he's really tugging her and she's heavily resisting. - "which poisons our love" the way he gently holds up the veil to her is so sad, you want to weep - he gets so gleeful when raoul shows up lmao "and now, my wish comes true..." ted's opens his arms wide with a mockery welcome - john is back to breathe life into raoul again, i missed you riddle <3 - ted's acting feels so desperate, especially once raoul is in the noose. he really grasps julia tight during "start a new life with me..." - he does a higher pitched "this is the choice!" yessss!!! - "why make her lie to you..." ted is full on cradling the veil and throws it at julia when she touches him. - the kiss is so so good wow. he's in so much pain and shock when she kisses and hugs him. by the end of the second kiss, he's almost eased into it, then pulls away very slowly. they both softly look at each other for a prolonged moment, then he walks away holding his hand to his lips. - NO CANDLE 😩 i was so excited when i heard it was back but i guess it was a one night thing? or maybe i was just on an off night... - ted crying after "go now and leave me" omfg 😫😫😫 - he's so happy and has his chest almost puffed out when he thinks she's coming back to him 😔 - he says his classic three "i love you"s. you can hear the third one after julia sings the first line of the aiaoy reprise. - he took the veil and smoothed it out gently before cradling it, it was so sweet and pathetic i teared up 😢 - anyway, he's an icon and a legend for a reason. we love you ted <3

[rawmeknockout]

If you are cook with writing threesomes then could I please get some sweet sweet Raoul/Tracks/Reader fucking, possibly with some body worship for that big beautiful bot?

You had honestly thought Raoul was joking at first, another jest where you are the butt of the joke, but his face was anything but kidding. Inquisitive, expectant, but not mischievous. It was clearly going to be a bad idea, something that would haunt you for years, but you couldn't pass up the offer. You won't ever say it to his face, but your friend is always so... Stupidly cool. Effortlessly so. Raoul's biceps gleam with a layer of sweat, grease caking his fingertips from where he had fiddled with your cars internals. Fingers that must fiddle with Tracks' internals all the time. You feel stupidly desperate when you respond way too quickly.

Tracing up the segmented shaft with soft licks, Raoul meets you with his mouth when you finally reach the tip. Your best friend, your closest confidante, is kissing you with entirely too much passion to be accidental. This is a mistake, you think, but return the kiss with as much fervor. Your chest feels tight and your stomach flutters when your fingers wind through his hair. You yank him closer, his own hands landing, skittering, on your waist and back. He moves to follow when you pull away, but there's still a very attractive mech burning hot beneath and between you.

Tracks has a smile stretched wide across his flawless faceplates, soft and warm and entirely vulnerable compared to his usual posh demeanor. You only know Raoul's mech friend from his unreal alt-mode and snobby attitude, but he's been your savior more than once. Given you a late-night ride home more than once. And he's so damn pretty. How did Raoul of all guys manage to snag a boyfriend so pretty? It's not fair. You paw at his pressurized spike, pink fluid dribbling harmlessly over your hand. He looks entirely too natural like this, proud to be the center of attention. Perfect metal shining in the lowlights of his habsuite like a cellophane angel. And for once he truly looks tender at spark, noble; a gentle expression that fits the well-intentioned mech you know.

You follow Raoul's lead when he gives Tracks all his attention, watching with a keen eye as your friend kisses down the shining metal of the Autobot's chassis. It's overwhelming to finally get what you so desperately want, to be able to touch not only Raoul but also Tracks. To finally have their hands on you, but also get your hands on them in a way that's more than friendly. Your hands slide up Tracks' thighs, fingertips spreading across smooth armor. The sensual sigh, slightest flicker of his thighs moving apart. He could ignite devotion in the coldest of hearts; no wonder they get on so well.

Raoul taps your forehead with a quiet " 'ey ", laughing at your dazed, distracted expression, before shaking a bottle of lubricant in hand.

"You want first ride?" He cocks an eyebrow in your direction, obnoxiously casual. Your heart twists painfully in your chest, affection filling your stomach and all your veins. You still nod hurriedly, afraid of looking so immensely uncool in front of them, but even more afraid of missing out.

[theink-stainedfolk]

OC Music Taste Tag

Thank you for the tag @willtheweaver

I hope ya'll don't mind me using multiple ocs. And pardon me for going into too much depth. But i think music sometimes works as a medium to see through people too. So I'll also explain.

Fated to Defy

Han Joon-oh / Juno

Given Joon-oh’s struggles with self-worth and his emotional, almost melancholic nature, he’d probably gravitate towards a mix of emotional ballads and introspective indie tracks. Expect him to listen to:

Phoebe Bridgers for those reflective, self-examining lyrics that hit too close to home.

Troye Sivan because his open LGBTQ identity would resonate with Joon-oh, especially with tracks like “Bloom” or “My My My!”

The Weeknd because let's be real—Joon-oh’s seductive new appearance post-transmigration demands something with a sensual edge, so “Earned It” would be on repeat. Lol

He might even listen to Eyes Don't Lie by Isabel LaRosa, given that it's already stuck in your head and would perfectly fit his vibe.

Melian Draegonhart

Melian’s initially aloof but deeply emotional personality would lead him toward something more intense, dark, and dramatic:

Hozier would suit his dramatic flair, with tracks like “Take Me to Church” speaking to the deep longing and complex emotions beneath his villainous exterior.

Deftones for the brooding, sultry, and borderline obsessive side of his character. Think “Change (In the House of Flies)” with its moody undertones.

Classical music – I can also see Melian listening to something haunting and dark like Rachmaninoff or Beethoven when he's alone, reflecting on the burden of his existence and fate.

Surprisingly, Melian might have a soft spot for Lana Del Rey. Her hauntingly glamorous yet tragic aura would appeal to his yearning for something beautiful and unattainable.

Crimson Threads

Rosaire Fabyan

He’s charismatic, calculated, and loves controlling situations while maintaining a flawless image.

Pop Hits & Dance Tracks – Think Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, or The Weeknd. Something upbeat that matches his effortless charm and can keep him energized.

Smooth Jazz & Lo-fi – Rosaire also enjoys music that he can relax to in the background while working. Artists like Tom Misch or lo-fi playlists would suit his cool, intellectual side.

Vintage Classics – Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin—music from the classic crooners that speak to his sophisticated side. Something timeless and effortlessly suave, much like Rosaire himself.

But for something surprising… he might secretly listen to 2000s emo bands (My Chemical Romance, Panic! At The Disco) for those rare moments when he’s not feeling as in control and needs a throwback to release tension.

Leisle Harpham

Leisle is emotionally raw, blunt, and overpowered.

Alt-Rock/Indie – Leisle might like bands like Arctic Monkeys, Tame Impala, or The Black Keys. Something with a rebellious, confident vibe that mirrors his own chaotic energy.

Rap/Hip-Hop – Artists like Kendrick Lamar or J. Cole. Leisle appreciates lyricism and emotional depth, and rap would let him vibe with songs that speak to real-world grit and power struggles.

Acoustic/Indie Folk – For those rare, quieter moments, Leisle might enjoy music like Bon Iver or The Lumineers. Something raw and reflective, matching his emotionally intelligent side.

The surprise? He might be the type to have hyperpop like Charli XCX or 100 gecs secretly tucked away in his playlist for those moments when he wants to let loose and shock Rosaire with something unpredictable.

Eclipsed Hearts

Shion Kisaragi

Shion probably has a soft spot for unexpected genres. Despite his cool, charismatic demeanor, I could see him secretly enjoying something soothing or laid-back, like indie pop or alternative R&B. He might surprise everyone by listening to artists like The Weeknd or Tame Impala. He'd also appreciate something with a bit of edge, like The Neighbourhood or even Deftones for those intense, introspective nights.

Raoul Kiràly

Raoul, being newer to the vampire world and still grappling with his humanity, would gravitate towards something soulful or reflective. He might listen to Sampha or James Blake, something that lets him sit with his thoughts. But when he's feeling energized, he could be into some retro-inspired pop, like Dua Lipa or even The 1975—songs that remind him of simpler times but with a modern twist.

Whispers of Shadow & Love

Vesperine Chevalier:

Given her adventurous spirit and how diving is part of her life, Vesperine might surprise people by being into high-energy pop hits and electronic dance music (EDM). Songs like “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd or “Levitating” by Dua Lipa might make her feel energized and free when she’s in or near the water. However, she might have a guilty pleasure for mellow indie pop on calm days, like “Sea Girls” or “Florence and the Machine.” Arkyn Fontaine:

Arkyn, despite his intensity, probably listens to very chill, almost zen-like music when no one’s looking. He'd have something like lo-fi beats playing to help him stay calm and keep his mind sharp, especially while working or plotting. He might also surprise people with a love for classic rock or 90s alt-rock bands like Radiohead or Nirvana when he's feeling more introspective or needs to tune out the world. Cleo: Cleo would absolutely have the loudest, most energetic playlist. Think upbeat pop-punk or fast-tempo alternative rock. She’s all about girl power anthems, so she’d jam out to Paramore, Avril Lavigne, and Billie Eilish. Her Spotify is all about that “good vibes only” energy, with a hint of rebellion. When in a really good mood, though, she’s blasting feel-good bops from Lizzo or Doja Cat. Caden: Caden seems like the kind of person who’d have an eclectic taste, but he'd secretly be a sucker for 2000s R&B or acoustic singer-songwriters. Think John Mayer or Leon Bridges. He likes soulful tunes that make him reflect. But don't be shocked if he also listens to nostalgic 90s and early 2000s hits, or has a few guilty pleasure cheesy pop songs like Backstreet Boys or Bruno Mars thrown into the mix.

---

I'll tag @finickyfelix @leahnardo-da-veggie @illarian-rambling @winglesswriter @paeliae-occasionally

@the-golden-comet @thecomfywriter @roarintheheavens @drchenquill @wyked-ao3 @the-inkwell-variable

[skelleste]

2023 Art Summary

Some of the many things I worked on over the past 365 days. More details below.

Happy New Year!

Just like last year, 2023 was full of even more character art, including a brand spanking new OC. You haven't seen much of the comic yet, because it's not done, but there's been progress on that in the background as well. I also started commissions last March. None are featured in this post so I could focus more on original art, but I wanted to give a special thank-you to all my past commissioners. Not a single one of you were a customer service nightmare, in fact it was quite the opposite. I appreciate everyone who's been kind enough to give me work and treat me well.

The rest of this post is going to be some of my favorite pieces by month, and a little about them. I usually spare my followers from most details in my posts, because there's often not much of interest to the public to say, so this is mostly self indulgent.

January

I decided to revisit Tom and Maudlin, as I hadn't drawn them much since creating them. Whenever I make a new character of importance, I try to go out of my way to put them in varied poses and expressions so that I am able to understand how their bodies work by the time I need them for a real project. It's also a great way to explore their personalities, although I feel that I'll have to push Tom's emotional side more in the future.

February

Props for the comic! It sucks to have to design things on the fly, so it helps to have notable objects designed beforehand. Especially if it's important to the plot. Some of these appear in more panels than others, but it smooths out the comic process nevertheless to have ample references on hand.

March

More character designs to spare me from designing mid-comic production. If they don't have lines in the comic, then I ask random people to assign names to them to make it fun, and because it's easier to keep straight who's who when they're not named Man 1 and Man 2. Left to right, they are Johnifer (you can already see why I name the ones with dialogue myself), Wanda, Jean Vincent, Booker, Charles, Maribelle, and Gertrude.

April

It'd be silly of me to pretend as if 90% of my output isn't shitposts. When you dedicate most of your art time to a project, then you're not going to end up making any other art unless you satisfy primitive monkey brain somehow. In my case, that's usually addressed by drawing funny shit. Early this year is when I discovered how easy it is to crack jokes with Scatterbrain. This goofiness is now embedded into her personality permanently. Expect more of this.

May

April-June is when I do my Art Fight preppin', which usually consists of me making a list of my most neglected OCs and giving them some attention. I also try to get around to eventually making all of them a reference sheet in this style, just so they have something standardized between them. This year, Walla Walla had her turn. She's a shitpost character, so I won't be drawing her much again, but she's a good excuse to draw some J-fashion doodles. My interests outside of cartoon stupidity don't really make it into my art often, so she's a minor outlet for some of it.

June

I've made even more character designs this year than last year, but they were all background characters, making Raoul the only new important one. He's been officially-unofficially written into the story since 2022, but it's very hard for me to make OCs that are written before they are designed. Everyone else was designed first and assigned a role in the plot later, so he got put off for a good while. I finally got around to it though, after I killed some darlings. He is now an all-new species, and I modified the chain design to something less clunky compared to what would be historically accurate.

July

July is, of course, Art Fight month. All other art is put on pause. This year, my favorite attack was a drawing of Enchanted Bones for my friend Bugles. I drew the character independently from the background, which is why the lighting situation is as unfortunate as it is, but we don't talk about that. Thank you to everyone who attacked me and made awesome art, I'll revenge you maybe in a few years. Sorry for the wait, but the backlog is mighty long.

August

Stanson got a slight redesign in the last year, so he can fit with the style of the comic better. He's actually the oldest character out of the bunch. I had no purpose for Scott when I made him and threw them together in the same folder. I had a few one-off designs that I figured I'd keep around in case I ever did an OCT, but these two got yoinked out of it when I started getting story ideas for the them. Stanson is a cowboy (not really), so it became a western setting to make sense of it. I plan on giving him the same sketchpage treatment the other characters have gotten, but I've been putting it off purposely for a while. You'll just have to wait.

September

And there it is, the inevitable page of Raoul getting into various mischief (and subsequently getting his ass beat half of the time). He has a very abrasive personality that gets him into trouble. I don't want the comic to be heavily action-based, but he naturally lands himself in these positions and it lets me draw characters in new situations. His introduction to the story is still a long way off at this point, but I can't wait to pit him against Scott in some slapstick shenanigans.

October

Spooky month is incredibly busy for me in real life, so there isn't as much time for art as I'd like there to be. That's why I dedicated all my time that month to trying to get Halloween art done in time. I've been a fan of Homestar Runner since childhood, and as soon as I thought that Raoul would pull off a Jigen Daisuke look, I knew I wanted to do a full Homestar-esque set of costumes. The other ideas quickly fell into place. My version came out way more detailed than theirs usually are though. The spirit of Halloween possessed me.

November

I started going full gear on the comic around this time (I think 28 hours in one week when I stayed home), so there's an absence of polished personal art here. Scatterbrain eating some spaghetti is my placeholder art for "I worked on a website a bunch instead". It's far from done, but I've made major strides since then.

December

A secret santa gift for my friend, Toby! I continued doing mostly comic work, but I also made room for a secret santa and scheduled a bunch of art trades to complete between December and March. The rest still have to be completed, so you'll see that throughout 2024. Anyway, Toby's OC, Thomas, is based on the state of Michigan. I plastered him on a postcard in front of a highway sign with some Robins because they're the state bird.

There were many more drawings of course, and you can find them scrolling through my Tumblr, or on my DeviantART (I switched to Tumblr as my main site in late August). I hope the new year brings many improvements and happiness for everyone. Last year my goal was simply to start on the comic, which I did, but it was also to get it uploadable, which I didn't. I'm gonna have to aim for the same goal again. Life things were largely fine but still tumultuous enough to throw me off-course, but now my most dangerous family member has moved out and it should be somewhat safer to live here. Not 100% safe though. It never will be. I generally avoid talking about the comic extensively as I won't have a solid release date for some time, so this is the last you'll hear of it for now outside of the rare WIP screenshot. Wish me luck and have a wonderful new year!

[azaleapaperpad]

Red Curtains and Chandeliers

Phantom of The Opera (Broadway version)(Merik) x GN! Reader (Part 5) Final(?) Part WC: 1632

As the final act started, with Christine dancing on stage, you and your friends watched in anticipation, just waiting for the show to be over. You looked around for your friend, to try and tell them your plan to help him so they policemen and Raoul wouldn’t catch him. You squeezed between a few of the other dancers, trying to get to your best friend. They spotted you, and their eyes lit up. They gracefully maneuvered around the other ballerinas and went behind the group, meeting you. “Hello mon cher! I’m so sorry for leaving you earlier, but that officer offered to take me out after the show!” They whispered excitedly. You smirked at them, shaking your head. “Oh, darling, don’t rain on my parade.” They whined. You giggled as quietly as you could muster, and gave them a genuine smile. 

“I'm excited for you!” You whispered excitedly. Fuck. I can't ask them to help me out and ruin their night. Your smile faltered a little, bit you decided to tell them your plan anyhow. You ushered them further back so none of the other dancers could hear you, and to further make sure the audience couldn't hear you two. You ended up stepping out into one of the halls. 

“What's going on?” They inquired. 

“Well, I wanted to tell you… I'm going to attempt to confess to the Phantom. And I may need your help, actually. I'll try to make sure it doesn't affect your outing, but I certainly need your help.” You said, looking around to make sure no one else could hear you. They beamed at your idea, excitement radiating off of them. They nodded excitedly. You held onto their shoulders to ground them a bit, but their energy started to affect you, and you two were raising your toes in excitement. 

“Okay, so what is the plan?” They asked after calming down a bit. You took a second to recount how you would do so. 

“I was thinking of going to his lair. Tonight. But I need a distraction so I can get there without anyone noticing… maybe that outing could be a good distraction! See if you can get the other dancers, Christine and Raoul out there too.” You nodded, letting the wheels turn in your brain. 

“Brilliant, I’ll do my best!” They nodded excitedly. Then, unexpectedly, they pulled you in for a hug. “I’m so proud of you, darling. You’re going to show him what he’s missing!” They said as they hugged you. You felt your heart warm at their words of encouragement. 

“Thank you, I would never be able to do anything for myself without you here.” You thanked them. They truly were an amazing friend. As you two separated, you lead them back towards backstage to watch the finale, so as not to look too suspicious.

As you were watching, you noticed Sir Piangi seemed off, much like earlier. You made a mental note to check on him once all was said and done. The diet must have been messing with his stage presence. As the slow and sultry song of  “The Point of No Return” started, you watched intensely as Piangi commanded the stage, and Christine’s voice was smooth and buttery. Your insecurities started flaring up at the thought she’s been doing so well because of The Phantom’s aide. Your friend nudged you, noticing a worry line forming between your brows, and gave you a look that said ‘Are you okay?’ You shook off your insecurities and nodded slightly. 

The crescendo almost scared you as crashed through the theater. And then it hit you. That isn’t Sir Piangi. There’s only one presence that commands such an audience as grand as the Opera Populaire and all its patrons and staff. Before you could even react to your own revelation, The Phantom was revealed, in his pristine white mask. The audience, the staff, the dancers and singers, were all in shock. You looked over to your friend, and their shock was the same as everyone’s. Once they gained their consciousness back, they darted their head and gaze to you and mouthed;

“Run.”

You slipped out of the crowd relatively easily as you heard The Phantom begin to serenade Christine. Your heart ached, but as soon as you were out of earshot from the main stage, you bolted into a sprint as fast as you could. It wasn’t until a few seconds later, just as you were exiting the opera house that you heard another bang and you couldn’t hold back the scream you let out. You looked back and hesitated for a moment. Surely they couldn’t have gotten him. All impulses to run back vanished, and you continued, running as fast as you could to his lair. You remembered the path well, being careful with your steps. You ended up taking a bit of a longer path, but you were still faster than the mob you could hear in the distance. 

You entered and saw The Phantom and Christine, Christine herself berating him for taking her. You froze. You didn’t know what to say. He was begging her to stay, explaining that his ‘curse’ denied him a normal life and your heart ached more. Adrenaline and sorrow flowed through your veins before you could take it anymore. 

“Phantom! I’ve come to speak with you…” Your voice died down at the last few words. Both Christine and The Phantom looked at you in surprise. He wasn’t expecting you. 

“Let her go… please.” You begged as you approached them. 

“Christine isn’t going to love you, but I will. I’ve loved you from the day we met, and I’ve always been too scared to tell you. But if you stay here, you will get hurt. They’re coming for you, and I’m more afraid of seeing you hurt than I am of anything else. I’m…” tears started flowing down your cheeks, burning with hurt and love from the months of repression. 

“I’m sorry. I left you when I needed you most and I can’t stand to watch you like this anymore.” You choked as you got closer. The Phantom, still grasping the idea that you were here was still frozen. You wouldn’t know it, but your leaving hurt him more than you could imagine, and it drove him to the impossible extent to get Christine to drive his mind away from you. 

“Please… I love you.” You finally choked out, now closer to him, almost right next to him, just as you used to be. You reached for his hands, and held them, albeit you were both shaking. Christine took the moment to flee and found Raoul at the top of the stairs, stopping him from coming any further. 

“(Y/n), my dear… You have no idea how long I’ve missed you.” He said tenderly as he reached to wipe away your tears. You noticed tears starting to well in his eyes as well. You smiled up at him, a bittersweet smile and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around you as well, holding you tightly as if he were afraid you’d leave again. Once you let eachother out of the embrace, you looked around and noticed Raoul and Christine were gone, but you could still hear a mob outside. 

“We need to leave, they’ll find you here…” You said softly. He nodded at you and took your hand, leading you to a secret exit. You followed him and noticed the pattern as the one you would use to get from your room to the lair and vice versa when you were running late for your lessons with him in the past.  As you realized, you picked up pace with him and before you knew it, you were back in your dorms. You noticed that your best friend wasn’t there, and you immediately go to lock the door. Just as a safety precaution, in case they came to your room next. 

Once you two settled in, there was a palpable… sort of awkwardness in the air, before he broke the silence.

“I… I apologize, my angel. I was foolish to drive you away, and to try and follow Christine. You were… absolutely right. I had absolutely no right to put you both through what I did.” You softened at his words, and reached for his hand to comfort him. 

“You’re not the only one who needs to apologize, my dear Phantom-”

“Erik.”

“Pardon?”

“Please, my angel, call me Erik.” He said softly, as he took your other hand. You felt your heart melt at him now trusting you with his name.

“You’re not the only one who needs to apologize, Erik. I shouldn’t have been so overcome by jealousy as to leave you. I should have told you sooner that I loved you.” You apologized. He held your face gently as your apology came out. 

“And I love you too, (Y/n). I should have seen it sooner.” Erik confessed. You gave him a small smile as you leaned into his touch, a touch you’ve missed for a long time. 

“May I kiss you, Erik?” You asked, looking up at him. He shared your smile and leaned down to meet your lips. It was perfect, the way his misshapen lips connected with yours, filling the room with such love and devotion. 

Once you two broke the kiss, he looked deep into your eyes. “I promise to love you, and to protect you for as long as I shall live. I will never let my true angel feel like they aren’t loved ever again.” He promised, tears starting to form in his eyes again as he sealed his promise with another kiss. 

The End <3

Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm really sorry if the ending seems really rushed, but I've been trying to crank this out for a couple weeks and I wanted to end it a little better, but my procrastination and want to start on other works started taking over. I hope you enjoyed it! (Also, I've gotten a request to write a spicy end scene, so if that's something you guys would like to see, please let me know c;)

[glassprism]

Hi, Glass! It’s been a while now, but what are your thoughts on the Broadway performance you got to see? 😊

Oh yes, my review.

To be honest, I think there's little to be said about the cast that hasn't been said a thousand times already, by better writers than me. So I thought I'd switch it up by giving you a review as given by... (drum roll) ...my sister, a total Phantom newbie!

So here is the April 12, 2023 Broadway performance of The Phantom of the Opera, starring Ted Keegan as the Phantom, Julia Udine as Christine, John Riddle as Raoul, and I believe the rest of the principal cast in the supporting roles, as quoted directly by my sister (with some asides).

Before the show began: "Tell me when there are going to be any loud parts, okay?"

Overture: "AH. LOUD."

Hannibal: "Everything is so sparkly!"

'Think of Me': "Her voice is so strong! It's so loud! It's a bit heavy on that vibrating thing-y, but she sounds so good! She's so clear!"

'Music of the Night': "THE PHANTOM SOUNDS SO GOOD! His voice is like butter! It's so smooth but so powerful!"

After the First Lair Sister: "Wow, I didn't know the Phantom was so... so..." Me: "Hot? Scary? Elegant?" Sister: "...Pathetic." Me: *laughing* Sister: "He was crawling on his belly!" Me: "That's the appeal! He's hot but he's also scary but he's also pathetic! It pushes all the buttons!"

Rooftop scene: "The Raoul is so good too! His voice is amazing!"

Chandelier Crash Little boy sitting behind me: "Daddy why was the chandelier falling in slow-mo?"

Intermission Sister: *turning to me with wide eyes* "I forgot the Phantom kills a guy." Me: "And he'll do it again!" Sister: "What?" Me: "Nothing."

Why So Silent: "GAH I'M BLIND"

'Wandering Child': "GAH I'M BLIND AGAIN"

Still 'Wandering Child': "OMG FIRE"

'Seal My Fate': "AH LOUD AGAIN"

'Point of No Return': "Lololol look at how she's spreading her legs. It looks so derpy."

End of the show Me: "So, what'd you think?" Sister: *sobbing loudly* "This was the greatest thing I've ever seen!"

Sister: "Wait, where are we going?"

Sister: "ARE THOSE THE ACTORS COMING OUT???"

Sister: "Was that the Phantom??" Me: "Yep!" Sister: "I didn't even recognize him!" Sister: "And he's so... so..." Sister: "Old." Sister: "...That's really cool."

Sister: "You got all their signatures?!? Aaahhhh so lucky! I could never do that with BTS!!!"

THE END

[cyber-streak-2]

Victory Kakuryu, IDW Fulcrum and G1 Tracks finding out their SO was domesticated

(Victory) Kakuryu, (IDW1/MTMTE) Fulcrum, & (G1) Tracks discovering their Cybertronian S/O had been domesticated:

Fulcrum

{The last time he’d seen you was before he got sent to Styx. So, this was certainly an... interesting, way to see you again after all that time.}

{The Scavengers had landed on a planet in hopes of finding anything useful- and, unknowingly to them, this was where you’d just been dropped off and left after the domestication was done.}

{He’s in an old building- unfortunately with none of the other Scavengers- and that’s when you appear. It takes him a second, but he instantly recognizes you. Despite his attempts to talk to you, you’re just hostile, and try to attack him.}

{Thankfully for Fulcrum, Crankcase had came to his aid- he was also just the closest. Although Fulcrum hurriedly requests that he doesn’t offline you or anything, Crankcase still knocks you out, at least.}

{With Crankcase’s help, he takes you back to the WAP, and Spinister, upon seeing you and figuring out (pretty quickly) what was up, offers to fix this- although it’ll take him a bit.}

{Fulcrum quickly accepts it. He wants you to be helped, and he definitely doesn’t know how to fix this.}

Tracks

{He’d been out for a drive with Raoul when you appear, and start attacking.}

{Tracks is pretty quick to realize that it has to be you- although he’ll still defend himself, he doesn’t want you to hurt Raoul.}

{He calls for backup pretty quickly, and everything is pretty smooth from there- until the group, including you, get back to the base.}

{He learns that you’ve been domesticated- and immediately guesses it’s the ‘Cons doing, and becomes upset. Ratchet doesn’t exactly know how to fix this- none of the others do.}

{The decision is made to lock you up until this can be fixed so that you won’t hurt anybody. Tracks splits his time between Autobot duties, Raoul, and watching over you.}

Kakuryu

{He hadn’t seen you in a while... but that wasn’t a reason to start thinking something horrible has happened, was it? You were probably just busy!}

{Kakuryu got dragged into something with Hellbat, and as the two were walking through a forest, the two of them run into you, who’d been walking around—and you almost immediately start attacking.}

{Both Kakuryu and Hellbat are screaming and panicking, and running away from you—and then they both literally run into Leozack and the rest of the Destrons/Decepticons, minus Deathsaurus.}

{Despite all of the panic, you manage to get stopped—Kakuryu realizes it’s you, panics even more, while Hellbat is suggesting that they take you to Deathsaurus.}

{That’s exactly what the group does- and you almost immediately try to attack him- which Deathsaurus, in return, makes everybody lock you up in a cell.}

{Kakuryu is the main one that watches you, even as you repeatedly try to attack him through the cell. He doesn’t know how he’s going to do it, but he promises that he’ll try to help you.}

[mazm-imagines]

Alan since you get along so well with Raoul, what do you think of Christine?

"Of Christine? Why I think she's just the sweetest! Raoul's a lucky man! Although I think if I said any more he would kill me-" Alan wasn't intending on smooth-talking Christine as he would with any other that catches his eye. After all, she was already in love with someone.

But knowing Raoul, perhaps it would do him good to lay low on the compliments unless it was on Christine's terms.

[nerdywriter36]

Notes - Phantom Broadway - Monday, March 20 (evening)

Notes courtesy of my best friend @brendadaaedestler (I can tag her now, she's on Tumblr 😂)! These are long, so enjoy the read if you're up to it. I'll put them below the cut!

Act One

The trio was Jeremy Stolle, Julia Udine, and Paul A. Schaefer

Paul’s old man Raoul sounded like he was three seconds from keeling over.

Ted’s Piangi was really funny. Also, his top notes? Stunning.

Ted’s Italian accent has improved.

During Think of Me, Paul stood up really quickly to excitedly applaud Christine.

He looked around at everyone else in the box like, “Why aren’t you clapping?”

Julia and Sara had real bestie energy, their hug before Angel of Music was so sweet.

You could tell Paul’s Raoul enjoyed joking with Christine during the whole “Little Lotte, where is your red scarf…” bit.

Paul and Julia’s shared giggles were so sweet; they seemed so happy to see each other.

Jeremy spat out his “Insolent boy…” lines, and we got a really good “fool”

Jeremy’s HAND when the mirror closed!!!

Paul had a very good, very confused, “Angel?”

For the title song, they had a bunch of tech issues, which meant Jeremy and Julia had to do a bunch of improvising. The candles didn’t totally move aside, so the boat didn’t completely come out. They stayed in the boat until just before Jeremy’s last “Sing for me!”, when he walked around the candles to then lift Julia out of the boat.

The organ and mirror bride didn’t make it out at first, so Jeremy took his hat and cloak off during the whole “I have brought you…” bit and had to lay the cloak on the floor.

He just had to Strolle™ around the stage a little at the beginning of Music of the Night, as the organ and mirror didn’t make it on to stage until a little before his top note on “soar”.

When the organ finally came out, Jeremy Strolled™ over to smoothly pick up the cloak from the floor and then draped it over the organ.

The first time they nearly kissed, Jeremy pulled away with an audible intake of air, as though very overwhelmed by the proximity to Christine.

The portcullis didn’t come down, but Jeremy is incredible with his improv, so instead of a portcullis sprawl, he briefly wrapped his arms around Julia’s waist.

Jeremy’s voice was so rich throughout the whole song.

He looked so amazed at Christine’s presence during the whole “you alone can make my song take flight”, and we also got a voice crack, which just made it heartbreaking.

Jeremy really chose to be anger in Stranger Than you Dreamt It, and I was so here for it.

The candles were still out, so they had to run around them. Jeremy half hopped/half tripped over the boat at one point while chasing Julia.

He had to take a moment to compose himself before going into “Stranger than you dreamt it…”

His crawl was so smooth.

We got some growls in his singing, some voice cracks, all of the good stuff.

“Oh, Christine” sounded so devastated.

You could see the confidence visibly return once he had the mask back on.

Craig and Nehal had such great chemistry during Notes and the beginning of Prima Donna. Nehal did his usual frantic gesturing to Carlotta to get Firmin to join him in his groveling, and Craig sounded like he wanted to throw up at having to say “we need you too.”

Jeremy acting on the proscenium was fantastic. His “Madame, perhaps it is you who are the toad.” had Cherik sarcasm vibes. He was absolutely killing himself laughing; they weren’t evil laughs, it was laughter of pure amusement.

He yanked the chandelier so hard that it was still swinging well into All I Ask of You.

Paul’s All I Ask of You was so comforting. He did the little lean over and head tilt thing at the beginning when standing in front of her.

Paul’s vocals were incredible, as always!

He gave Julia a good spin at the end.

Jeremy shattered me with his Reprise. He was a broken man throughout the whole thing.

When Paul and Julia started singing, he immediately shoved his hands over his ears and seems so tormented/broken-hearted to hear her with Raoul. His voice got really low on “no” and he sounded so broken.

Jeremy went off on “You will curse the day…”

Act Two

Paul’s dancing in Masquerade was absolutely phenomenal. Him lifting Julia was sooo smooth and honestly really hot.

Julia’s dancing was also super good! You can tell she’s done ballet.

Nehal had a solid catch when Jeremy tossed the Don Juan score. Great job on both their parts.

Paul is really soft in Notes II when he kneels in front of Christine.

Julia’s Wishing was absolutely stunning. Up until now, her Christine was sort of generic for me, but she went off from this point forward.

Wandering Child was absolutely gorgeous.

Paul really put his back into that belting.

Jeremy went up a note on “do not shun me.”

The way Jeremy hits the last “angel” really does things to me.

Julia’s Christine stood there very entranced during Jeremy’s “Come to me, Angel of Music” and was genuinely shocked to turn and see Raoul standing there.

Jeremy shuts the curtain in a really sexy way when he appears as Don Juan.

His voice was soooo rich, and the choreography was super smooth. You can tell he’s been playing this role for years.

PHANTOM HANDS!!!

The way Jeremy sings “soul” is sooo sexy.

He went progressively lower on “what rich desire unlock its door?” 👌🏻👌🏻

How he hits “seduction” might actually be the sexiest thing in this show, and it should be illegal.

Julia’s vocals and acting were stunning throughout the whole song.

After Julia starts singing, when Jeremy got up from the bench to walk around it and sit down on the other side, he was super sexy in his movements. HANDS.

The bench acting was phenomenal. He started out not really moving, and then the hands started going up and down his thighs, and he touched some ahem other things a couple times.

He went rigid when Christine put her leg up on the bench.

We got a fully body reaction when Christine touched him.

Julia scooped her hands really low when he was on the bench and she was standing behind him. You can draw your conclusions about where the hands nearly were.

When Christine was feeling the mask, Jeremy tried to turn his head away like he was trying to stop her.

They both startled at the same time and ran from each other.

When Jeremy noticed Madame Giry, he stood up straighter and looked very resigned, like he’d just realized: “wow, so you betrayed me too.”

His proposal was shattering. He was so pleading, and he got really breathy on “save me.”

The POWER in his voice when he got to “anywhere you go…”

Down Once More was so full of anger and betrayal. “Christine, why?” sounded genuinely confused and so hurt, and then the second “why?” was angry.

Jeremy gave Julia a good shove forward when they entered for final lair.

Jeremy turned into such a sad Mama’s boy at “this face, which earned a mother’s fear and loathing…”

He immediately switched to being angry when he got to “Pity comes too late…”

Jeremy was very sarcastic when Raoul showed up, while also seeming frustrated that Raoul came to throw a wrench in things.

Paul’s vocals when begging at the portcullis? chef’s kiss

Paul looks like he’s actually choking to death when he’s caught in the lasso. I was concerned for this man for a second there.

At “raise up your hand to the level of your eyes,” Jeremy just kinda Strolled™ over and held his hand up and stared at Paul for a moment before walking away. Had vibes of “are you dumb?”

You could watch the plan form in his head during the whole “nothing can save you now…except, perhaps, Christine.”

Jeremy did the “This is the choice!” opt up!!!!!!!!

The whole “You try my patience. Make your choice” was very low and a bit growly at the end.

Julia’s Christine sounded sooo sad singing, “Pitiful creature of darkness…”

THE KISS!!! Jeremy’s arms sort of hovered around her like he wanted to hold her to him but didn’t really know how, and then he just kinda froze when she hugged him. When Christine kissed him again, his arms reached up like he didn’t know what to do with the situation, but then he melted into it and brought them down around her, almost holding her (he may have actually held her very briefly, but I don’t 100% remember).

I once again feel the need to state that Paul’s acting in the noose is so amazing. It really does look like he’s dying, and then his collapse when the Phantom lets him go is very realistic. Props, man.

Jeremy’s “take him, forget me…” lines sounded so broken.

He sounded so sad when yelling at Raoul and Christine to leave him.

When he got up to face Christine when she came to return the ring, we got a little snuggle before “Christine, I love you.” He held on tightly to her hand for a moment before she pulled way, and they stood there looking at each other for a moment before she turned to leave.

Jeremy seemed so dejected when she left and after a moment of standing there by himself, he went over to shove his face in the veil.

His final line was absolutely breathtaking, and I love the way he looks around at his lair, taking it all in before he disappears

[ofglories]

[ HAIR ] + arsène and bors!

|| Romance Prompts ; accepting!

[ HAIR ]:          sender slowly reaches out to catch a loose strand of the receiver’s hair and tuck it gently and securely back behind their ear, letting their touch linger afterwards. (if the receiver has short hair, then the sender reaches out and gently runs their fingers through their hair to smooth it back.)

The gentle touch of another person was once something Bors had felt almost entirely unfamiliar with.

Not by entirely his own choice, or out of any disdain towards other people, nor any aimed at his own person. That was something he understood clearly. It was something that had been present his entire life, only growing more noticeable once he had become a knight. And then, upon journeying to Camelot, it had been an unavoidable fact. To be known as a holy knight meant he felt as though he were behind a pane of glass at all times. Able to be near the others but always kept just out of reach.

Sometimes Bors had wondered if Percival or Galahad had felt anything similar.

But they all had different experiences.

Memories of the only time someone not of his family treating him as an ordinary man still lingered. A young man, a smith's apprentice with a smile that now reminded him of his beloved, so much so in fact that he couldn't help but replace the foggy memories of the youth's face with Raoul's features instead. Bors had liked sneaking out of Vivian's hidden palace, slipping into the village to spend time with his friend. The last time they had met had been the day before he had left for Camelot.

A brief and final meeting, ending with the first and only kiss between the two young men.

The only time that distance between himself and others had felt fully bridged.

Until now. Until Heaven had granted him a second chance at life and someone he could well and truly love. A blessing from God, his beloved Raoul was. Something Ruler always told Caster when they were wrapped up in each other like now. Raoul resting his head in Bors' lap as told him of the beauty of the Lady of the Lake's realm. Of a castle made of pearl and crystal, at the bottom of a lake as clear as glass but hidden from all eyes on the surface of the water.

Of treasures that could no longer be found by ordinary people, but Arsène Lupin was no ordinary man.

"The trees were made of silver and gold, and their leaves sounded like tiny bells in the currents," he chuckled, shaking his head as his hair fell free from loosened braids, "I do believe you would have found it a marvel, my love." As he opened his mouth to speak more Raoul raised his hand, making the knight pause before a fond and bashful smile formed as his fiance gently tucked those loose strands of hair behind his ear.

Such a tender touch!

The warmth of his beloved's hand lingering as Raoul continued to cup his face made Bors want to melt. And melt he did, curling down to kiss and kiss and kiss the other man.

"Have I ever told you, my dear Raoul, how dearly I love you?"