Redemption.

Perfect—how ‘bout that.

it's been a while since I last drew him

so here he is :3

@cuddlesforerik I am honored.

Favorite color: Honestly, black. It’s so beautiful to me. Very classy/elegant. But if that doesn’t really count, I also like a dark red, almost burgundy.

Currently reading: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas (1846); The Collected Works of William Wordsworth (1793-1850); Fear and Trembling by Søren Kierkegaard (1843); AND I am about to start Le Fantôme de l’Opéra by Gaston Leroux (1909), for the first time in the original French (so incredibly excited).

Last song: “Talking About Hope” by Snow Patrol

Last film: 2005 Pride and Prejudice (in theaters, I might add. Gorgeous.)

Last series: “The Walking Dead” (original)

Sweet/salty/savory: Sour. (Guess that falls under sweet most of the time?)

Tea or Coffee: COFFEE. Black. Though, I can be persuaded to drink a flat white now and then. But only when in Europe. Which leads nicely to my last point…

Working on:

Currently: Getting home from a trip to England (lovely, lovely country, home to many of my favorite authors).

In general: Writing a novel, learning French, and preparing for grad school (daunting but full of promise and reward).

No-pressure tags: @fdelopera @forever-and-whats-left @dailykafka @mournfulroses @waistcoatntails @coatntails

Nine people I wish I knew better

Thank you for the tags @meilas and @dj-triumph!

Favourite colour: Green, especially dark forest greens

Currently reading: The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor and an ongoing read of Les Miserables by Victory Hugo. Almost finished both!

Last song: There Are Other Ways from the Circe Saga of Epic: The Musical by Jorge Rivera-Herrans

Last film: The first half of Chicken Little before bailing on it

Last series: Andor

Sweet/salty/savoury: Always a toss-up between sweet and salty for me

Tea or coffee: Coffee, but always decaf!

Working on: Goodness, a few things, and I am excited about all of them!

A new oneshot about @rose-margaritas’ bartender!AU, based on this piece specifically

My next multi-chapter fic, which is another collab with @brendadaaedestler that we started for NaNoWriMo 2024

The third and final part of Heaven Is Not Fit to House a Love Like You and I

A multi-chapter fic expanding on The Blackened Rose, my 1920s Phantom AU oneshot

Tagging: @brendadaaedestler @ablatheringblatherskite @rose-margaritas @erik-carriere @xcspy @les-gnossiennes-fantomatiques @achillmango @angel-with-paper-wings @blackghostm2o (apologies for any double tags/tagging people who’ve done this already! 💕)

John Russell

Portrait of Vincent Van Gogh

Paris, 1886

One great scene in Phantom of the Opera is in the torture chamber when Raoul and the Daroga hear Erik menacing Christine and first it sounds like she’s crying

- but it’s not her, it’s Erik full-on sobbing while he’s threatening her, and if that doesn’t describe his character perfectly what will

the real true purpose of having a brain is to think about fictional characters

Any other lit nerds out there always associate this quote with Erik?

“Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on earth.”

Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Not just obsession, not just lust, people. That man was in LOVE. “…and love of the most exquisite kind.” What else could have prompted him to give up his one hope for life? It was an act of selflessness, aka divine love. Just read “The End of the Phantom’s Love Story,” I beg you; just look at that forehead kiss.

(Don’t even get me started about the plain gold ring.)

The Phantom of the Opera IS a love story btw. It's inherently a story about love. A lot of people still find it hard to accept it, probably because they're busy with their "I'm smarter than this beloved classic" Edgy Hot Take, this is why it's always important to remind.

It's a story about a man that, because he was abused and denied of love his entire life, he was forced to live with everything he knew about: survival.

It's a story about a man that craved so much for love, that he thought he could buy, or force it, throught talent and lies.

It's a story about compassion, redemption, and most importantly, love. Because Erik loved Christine. The ending is impactful because he loved her. His love for her didn't make him immune to be obsessive nor to hurt her. And if you don't believe Erik loved Christine, you're the one that misunderstood the relationships between these characters and why the story is the way it is in the first place.

Why. Just, why. This is a beautiful horror tragedy following a murderer skeleton who sleeps in a coffin and writes his musical scores in blood—a story of obsession and sorrow—NOT a story for YA adaptation. That’d be like turning Dracula into a YA story—oh, wait, they did, it’s called Twilight.

I hate this world.

You know when I said I wanted more original Phantom of the Opera adaptations, having the director of High School Musical making a YA version for Disney + really isn't what I had in mind

May your day be psychologically torturous and filled with existential dread.

You’re still the best.

all i wanna do is lie in the sun!!!! read my books!!!! daydream about fictional scenarios!!!!! love without fear of abandonment!!!!!! smell like vanilla!!!!!!! cry over great poetry!!!!! sit on the grass for hours on end!!!!! not care about how others perceive me!!!!!! find god in the smallest of things!!!!! be free of guilt and shame!!!!