Phantom Thoughts pt. 4
Dec. 8th, 2018 05:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
zellephantomI find myself in an overthinking anxiety spiral, so I yet again turn to the de Mattos translation of Phantom. Having an off day, so don't expect this to be a work of genius lol :)
Skipping to the chapter The New Margarita:
{"Impossible!" said Meg Giry. "Six months ago, she used to sing like a CROCK! But do let us get by, my dear count," continues the brat, with a saucy curtsey. "We are going to inquire after a poor man who was found hanging by the neck."}
Snarky Meg is the best (or at least that's my interpretation of this). I'd imagine a longer exchange going something like this:
Philippe: Oh, hello... little ballerina who is definitely not Sorelli. What are you up to on this fine night?
Meg: Oh, just being amazed that my friend is suddenly a brilliant singer. I'm in kind of a hurry to get by so if you'll excuse me...
Philippe: What's the rush? It's a fine gala tonight- enjoy it!
Meg: Well, you see, a man was found hanged here earlier, and my friends and I are going to investigate!
Philippe, distracted: Yes, yes fine- wait, A MAN WAS FOUND HANGED? In THIS Opera House???
Meg: Yep! See you later, Comte Chagny!
{At the time of the old count's death, Raoul was twelve years of age. Philippe busied himself actively with the youngster's education. He was admirably assisted in this work first by his sisters and afterward by an old aunt, the widow of a naval officer, who lived at Brest and gave young Raoul a taste for the sea. The lad entered the Borda training-ship, finished his course with honors and quietly made his trip round the world. Thanks to powerful influence, he had just been appointed a member of the official expedition on board the Requin, which was to be sent to the Arctic Circle}
Interesting. I'd never paid attention to this bit before, and now I want to know more. What are Raoul's sisters like? What are their names? Are they twins? Do they quarrel frequently? Why do they hold Philippe in such high esteem? Are they on good terms with their aunt? (Also, is this implying that the aunt gave Raoul a n inclination towards the navy, or was it his late uncle?)
Now I really want to read a backstory fic about Raoul's unusual upbringing including his TRIP AROUND THE WORLD (which is apparently only worth a casual mention- thanks Leroux- but SOMETHING interesting must have happened during it).
Skipping to the chapter The New Margarita:
{"Impossible!" said Meg Giry. "Six months ago, she used to sing like a CROCK! But do let us get by, my dear count," continues the brat, with a saucy curtsey. "We are going to inquire after a poor man who was found hanging by the neck."}
Snarky Meg is the best (or at least that's my interpretation of this). I'd imagine a longer exchange going something like this:
Philippe: Oh, hello... little ballerina who is definitely not Sorelli. What are you up to on this fine night?
Meg: Oh, just being amazed that my friend is suddenly a brilliant singer. I'm in kind of a hurry to get by so if you'll excuse me...
Philippe: What's the rush? It's a fine gala tonight- enjoy it!
Meg: Well, you see, a man was found hanged here earlier, and my friends and I are going to investigate!
Philippe, distracted: Yes, yes fine- wait, A MAN WAS FOUND HANGED? In THIS Opera House???
Meg: Yep! See you later, Comte Chagny!
{At the time of the old count's death, Raoul was twelve years of age. Philippe busied himself actively with the youngster's education. He was admirably assisted in this work first by his sisters and afterward by an old aunt, the widow of a naval officer, who lived at Brest and gave young Raoul a taste for the sea. The lad entered the Borda training-ship, finished his course with honors and quietly made his trip round the world. Thanks to powerful influence, he had just been appointed a member of the official expedition on board the Requin, which was to be sent to the Arctic Circle}
Interesting. I'd never paid attention to this bit before, and now I want to know more. What are Raoul's sisters like? What are their names? Are they twins? Do they quarrel frequently? Why do they hold Philippe in such high esteem? Are they on good terms with their aunt? (Also, is this implying that the aunt gave Raoul a n inclination towards the navy, or was it his late uncle?)
Now I really want to read a backstory fic about Raoul's unusual upbringing including his TRIP AROUND THE WORLD (which is apparently only worth a casual mention- thanks Leroux- but SOMETHING interesting must have happened during it).
no subject
Date: 2020-11-13 12:44 am (UTC)In my Christmas 2016 story, I featured a chapter in which Raoul finds himself off West Africa at Christmas-time, with the prospect of being posted to Vietnam (also French colonial waters) in the new year! He would also probably have seen service in the Mediterranean on the Arab coast, and apparently a visit to New Orleans was a feature much looked forward to by the cadets...
NB: the original text is clear, I think, that it is the aunt who gives the young Raoul a taste for the sea.
no subject
Date: 2020-11-13 01:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-11-14 11:57 pm (UTC)I didn't want to spam your blog with promotional links to my own stories, but that one was Christmas as it ought not to be -- a story which moves forward from December 18th to December 25th across a series of Christmases in Raoul's life.
If I Were Vicomte is a very AU childhood for Raoul ;-p
The Sons of Eleonore was my Philippe-fic, in which we see Chagny family history from the older brother's perspective.