Aahh, Thank You For Thinking Of Him, @greenfinchwriter 😭

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

SO many hearts, for you. You incredible person.

Aaaaahhhh, thank you very much!! Right back at you, friend <3<3<3<3

(Loosely related fact: I always thought <3 was supposed to be a really scrunched-up looking sideways smiley face, never occurred to my Undead Victorian brain that they're hearts)

I was making my characters miserable in my writing, and now I'm miserable (because of unrelated life things), so now I'm going to go back and wallow in said character's misery some more.

I'm sorry, Pierce, dear, I promise it will get better for us both.

Phantom of the Opera (1990), you did Erik proud

Alternate title: Christine, we have beef!

(Meme inspired by this post.)

I have not a bad word for this Erik (and not just because I can feel a certain friend of mine holding a chandelier over my head). The 1990 adaptation made some big changes to the story, but it perfectly captured the childlike soul of Leroux's Erik that is often lost in translation but vital to him. (When I was explaining POTO to someone outside the situation, i. e. my mum, two things I kept using as comparisons were a child and Gollum - not because he's a chaos gremlin, I was trying to describe how he has a skewered perspective of the world that isn't evil but doesn't follow the accepted moral system. But that's for another time.)

I found myself trying very hard not to resent Christine - a first time for me. I will defend her choosing the Compte de Chagny over Erik, she doesn't owe Erik love, no matter what he did for her. The problem is that she took on a responsibility she couldn't possibly carry.

Never, ever assume to fully understand someone. Especially someone like Erik, who thinks and exists on a different pane as most people. Christine was wrong, terribly wrong, to assume she 'knew his heart.'

When faced with a person so sensitive, so particular, when you are the one person trusted by someone who trusts no one, don't make huge gambles like that. She shouldn't have assumed she knew what Erik needs better than he himself does - if he told you he is happy with where they were, then stay there with him! Instead, she pulled the 'I can fix him' and shattered him completely. I don't hate her for being unable to catch Erik when he falls, I hate her for blindly promising to catch him and failing him.

(I do realise how much of the above describes myself and my worries about how people treat me, so fair warning, I may be a bit biased.)

An opinion: in most versions of the story, Erik emotionally manipulates Christine, but here, Christine is the one who is emotionally manipulative. ('Manipulative' may sound malicious, but manipulators aren't always aware of what they're doing.)

In the second part of the series, she said at least three times 'If you love me...' Now, that is one of my least favourite sentences to see and hear in the best of times, but this is somehow even worse because Erik DOES do everything because he loves her. In other versions, there is the question of possessiveness against love when it comes to their relationship; in that context, I would accept her saying this, to remind him that he should love and not obsess over her. But here, Erik is not possessive.

As for Monsieur Carrière, I have beef with him, too. It's an even bigger, tougher slice of beef. He is irresponsible: not once, but twice, he got in relationships and then left his partners when they have children. The first time could be a mistake; the second time, especially when kept Erik's mother in the dark about his marriage, is inexcusable. Yes, he stayed with her till the end, but then left their son in a basement. Yes, he reached out to Erik in the end, but too little, too late. If Erik is emotional and irrational, it's because Carrière never gave him the guidance he should have.

Christine and Carrière love Erik, I don't doubt it. But it's still painful to see Erik fall down through everyone and everything that should have caught him: his talent, his parents, Christine.

If you'll excuse me, I need to cry in the catacombs and draw something miserable.

I talk about several other adaptations here!

I love you in every universe? No such luck for Joseph Buquet.

Moment of appreciation for the chibis.

Who is the silliest chibi? Most voted chibi gets a Treat.

More POTO cats here!

What to do with Santa when you summon him

(Justice for Vampire Teddy! Look at the poor little chap.)

Red isn't the colour for breaking and entering.

You expect us to know what to say to strangers?

Right, gang?

In answer to urgent questions, those are my ideas for a good summoning, I mean, Christmas party. Passing the mic to @blackforrestpunk and @vladimirsangel - I insist that I not be entirely culpable for this.

It started out as a chicken joke, and then Aiden decided it deserves a place in my printable Christmas Advent, so now it seems doomed to be a running gag. The lil summoners are as follows: batty ears is Aurik, Vlad's Nosferatu, masked cat is Aiden's Punk Erik and the dummy in the bowtie is my Pierce.

@blackforrestpunk made me do it.

(Enlarge image if you actually want to read it. Good luck, I have trouble with it myself)

Anyway, Aiden, why did you set a bad example by putting your height? I've been told I was tall all my life, and now I'm the smallest of the three of us (hi, Vlad). Got to invest in platform boots.

WIPs. I sure hope we never see any Phantoms other than a cat Phantom wearing duck swimming trunks because, oh boy, is that cursed!

None-cursed (or at least less cursed) cat phantoms here!

I just want to say how much I adore and love the way you draw your cats. And how much I adore YOUR phantom cats.

And Cherik. I love your Cherik! AAAAAAAAAA

May I perchance hold your Cherik please?🥺🙏

Here you go! Please take Kitty Cherik out sparingly, he likes peace and quiet. Picnics in woods are very welcome, though.

Would you people like to hold Cherik? If you send an ask with a photo, I can give you a Cherik to hold like I did above (you can see why I complain about short sleeves now, haha)

Thank you so much for this lovely ask!

Thanks for the tag @achildsfirstsorrow @frommarshtheycome and @angel-with-paper-wings , I'm honoured!

Last song: "A Milion Gruesome Ways to Die"

Favourite colour: I grew up among Plantone books and paper samples, there's no way I can choose ONE, my inner amateur graphic designer will curse me.

Last movie: Nosferatu 1922. Made my family watch it, they showed me a puppet from hell that supposedly looks like Orlok, and now I can't unsee it.

Last TV show: It's been a minute, Arcane...?

Sweet/savoury/spicy: Sweet>savoury>spicy

Relationship status: On my way to be a crazy cat lady. Sans cats, but I'll fix that.

Last thing I googled: "Do people still say hip?" My inner Victorian is showing, isn't it?

Current obsession: Drawing things that make me anxious into as silly vampurr comics

Looking forward to: Like ACFS, I'm waiting for Del Toro's Frankenstein, finishing my vampurr book, posting my writing (at last), and menacing my friends when they wake up.

I think we've gotten into the PoTO artists' end of Tumblr, so we're probably double-tagging like mad, but I'll do it anyway. @leader-of-grandys @blackghostm2o @wowyzowy3 @lokislynx @windforkthewriter @thedrawingduke @v-jack-v @vladimirsangel @blackforrestpunk (I already know you two but there's always "better")

10 people I want to get to know better

Omg thank you much for tagging me! @dearwormw00d :3

Last song: You're not alone, Allison Russel

Favorite colour: dark green

Last movie: Lord of the rings: The fellowship of the ring

Last tv show: The Gilded Age

Sweet/savoury/spicy: Sweet>Savory>Spicy

Relationship status: Single

Last thing i googled: hand holding pencil brush reference

Current obsession: One Piece, Nosferatu, Ethel Cain, my fem erik, Epic, Critical Role, studying the Enneagram again, Castlevania Nocture, The Apothecary Diaries, Witch Hat Atelier

Looking forward to: season 2 of the one piece live action, the oscars ( I want to see my beloved Fernanda Torres win), my necklaces that I've ordered, hadestown live recording, Superman, my next RPG session, Percy Jackson season 2! @insanely-creative-things @lepetitghostcat @fishing-rob @erik-christine @muirin007 @klausscrimshaw (ik it's not 10 but idk who to tag anymore, sorry ;-;)

Fanart as penance. More to come 😈

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra | Phantom of the Opera & Related Fandoms, Phantom of the Opera - Lloyd Webber, Phantom of the Opera (2004), The Phantom of the Opera (TV 1990), The Phantom of the Opera (1925), Phantom - Susan Kay Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Erik | Phantom of the Opera, Nadir Khan, The Persian (Phantom of the Opera) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Multiple Eriks, Humor, Hobby Store AU, There’s nothing that annoys Erik like another Erik, Fights Summary:

Months go by and still nobody has given you an explanation for the higher-than-average number of customers seemingly dressed for the cabaret. It’s almost becoming a hobby in itself for you, watching the comings and goings of the five masked men.

@purrlockswatson is to blame for this

@blackforrestpunk you’re not blameless either