Phantom Thoughts pt. 40
Dec. 2nd, 2020 10:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
zellephantom Well, it's been *checks calendar* almost two years exactly, and we're finally at part 40! It seems like we're finally out of the Apollo's Lyre scene, and I'm no liar XD (Side note- I really love the wordplay in Hadestown when Orpheus says he plays the lyre and Eurydice responds with "Oh, a liar, and a player too! I've met too many men like you ". It's just *chef's kiss*.)
{A cold sweat poured from his temples. Two eyes, like blazing coals, had appeared at the foot of his bed. They stared at him fixedly, terribly, in the darkness of the night.
Aww, he really does care about his brother!
Also, stars??? Raoul, that's a terrible excuse if you were trying to make one. What about 'I think a stray cat got into the house and it was bothering me so I shot at it'? Sure, it makes you seem very unkind to cats, who are majestic animals that do not deserve such treatment, but it makes much more sense and sounds less mad than trying to shoot down some stars that were bothering you.
{Raoul was leaning over the balcony with his candle: "Aha!" he said. "Blood! ... Blood! ... Here, there, more blood! ... That's a good thing! A ghost who bleeds is less dangerous!" he grinned.
Acting this happy at the sight of blood just makes you seem like a serial killer, Raoul XD
Also, cute/bittersweet headcanon that bby!Raoul did have a problem with sleepwalking and that Philippe or one of his sisters had to get out of bed and wake him up and gently get him back in bed like Lucy taking Linus home from the pumpkin patch at 4 AM in "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown".
{"You can see the blood for yourself. I thought I had been dreaming and firing at two stars. It was Erik's eyes ... and here is his blood! ... After all, perhaps I was wrong to shoot; and Christine is quite capable of never forgiving me ... All this would not have happened if I had drawn the curtains before going to bed."}
Yeah, maybe ask Christine before you decide to shoot Erik on sight if you ever see him? And absolutely draw the bed curtains and the regular curtains before you go to sleep- I for one absolutely cannot sleep unless it's pretty dark. Or maybe invest in a sleep mask, Raoul?
{The count's valet said:
Whatever you're paying the servants, Philippe, they deserve a raise after dealing with all this nonsense in the middle of the night.
{"My dear fellow," said Count Philippe, "you have fired at a cat."
And he's already in a somewhat delicate frame of mind especially in regards to Erik, so when he's actually stuck in the torture chamber, it makes things that much worse for him :(
Probably overthinking things, but I wonder if this passage, with the confusion between Erik and a cat, is the basis on which several adaptations give Erik a pet cat, like Ayesha in Kay's novel? I haven't read Kay, so I don't know if she covers this scene, but perhaps Erik with a cat adaptations interpret this as Erik's cat doing his bidding by bothering Raoul?
{A cold sweat poured from his temples. Two eyes, like blazing coals, had appeared at the foot of his bed. They stared at him fixedly, terribly, in the darkness of the night.
Raoul was no coward; and yet he trembled. He put out a groping, hesitating hand toward the table by his bedside. He found the matches and lit his candle. The eyes disappeared.}
Yeah, not gonna lie, I would also be super freaked out by that. Also, wow, if that really is Erik, it is really weird to just be at the foot of your rival's bed and stay there staring at him like some kind of sleep paralysis demon.
{"She told me that HIS eyes only showed in the dark. His eyes have disappeared in the light, but HE may be there still."
Yeah, not gonna lie, I would also be super freaked out by that. Also, wow, if that really is Erik, it is really weird to just be at the foot of your rival's bed and stay there staring at him like some kind of sleep paralysis demon.
{"She told me that HIS eyes only showed in the dark. His eyes have disappeared in the light, but HE may be there still."
And he rose, hunted about, went round the room. He looked under his bed, like a child. Then he thought himself absurd, got into bed again and blew out the candle.}
There are other things that look like they have eyes that glow in the dark- deer, cats... and that's all I've got. At least it's not a deer in your room!
I would totally check under the bed if I were you, Raoul. Who knows what kind of terrifying mutant dust bunnies might be lurking there? (Also, it would be super awkward if Erik did duck under the bed to avoid detection, and then Raoul checked under there and they made eye contact and Erik was like *finger guns* 'Hey, fancy seeing you here, Vicomte'.)
{He sat up and stared back at them with all the courage he possessed. Then he cried:
There are other things that look like they have eyes that glow in the dark- deer, cats... and that's all I've got. At least it's not a deer in your room!
I would totally check under the bed if I were you, Raoul. Who knows what kind of terrifying mutant dust bunnies might be lurking there? (Also, it would be super awkward if Erik did duck under the bed to avoid detection, and then Raoul checked under there and they made eye contact and Erik was like *finger guns* 'Hey, fancy seeing you here, Vicomte'.)
{He sat up and stared back at them with all the courage he possessed. Then he cried:
"Is that you, Erik? Man, genius, or ghost, is it you?"}
Two of those three things are not mutually exclusive, if he means genius like 'look at this genius cat who can play the piano'. And what is he expecting in reply?? 'Yes, Raoul, it's your brilliant nemesis Erik here to taunt you about how Christine loves me and only me and we're going to be together forever and take long walks on Sunday and sing better than anyone else in the world- and if you weren't awake, I was just planning to whisper that in your ear and try to get the message through subconsciously'??
{The eyes were still there, at the foot of the bed. Were they between the bed and the window-pane or behind the pane, that is to say, on the balcony? That was what Raoul wanted to know. He also wanted to know if those eyes belonged to a human being... He wanted to know everything. Then, patiently, calmly, he seized his revolver and took aim. He aimed a little above the two eyes. Surely, if they were eyes and if above those two eyes there was a forehead and if Raoul was not too clumsy ...
Two of those three things are not mutually exclusive, if he means genius like 'look at this genius cat who can play the piano'. And what is he expecting in reply?? 'Yes, Raoul, it's your brilliant nemesis Erik here to taunt you about how Christine loves me and only me and we're going to be together forever and take long walks on Sunday and sing better than anyone else in the world- and if you weren't awake, I was just planning to whisper that in your ear and try to get the message through subconsciously'??
{The eyes were still there, at the foot of the bed. Were they between the bed and the window-pane or behind the pane, that is to say, on the balcony? That was what Raoul wanted to know. He also wanted to know if those eyes belonged to a human being... He wanted to know everything. Then, patiently, calmly, he seized his revolver and took aim. He aimed a little above the two eyes. Surely, if they were eyes and if above those two eyes there was a forehead and if Raoul was not too clumsy ...
The shot made a terrible din amid the silence of the slumbering house. And, while footsteps came hurrying along the passages, Raoul sat up with outstretched arm, ready to fire again, if need be.
This time, the two eyes had disappeared.}
I'm amazed at Raoul's ability to, presumably, manage a steady shot when he's A) only just woken up and B) has been trembling.
{Servants appeared, carrying lights; Count Philippe, terribly anxious:
I'm amazed at Raoul's ability to, presumably, manage a steady shot when he's A) only just woken up and B) has been trembling.
{Servants appeared, carrying lights; Count Philippe, terribly anxious:
"What is it?"
"I think I have been dreaming," replied the young man. "I fired at two stars that kept me from sleeping."
"You're raving! Are you ill? For God's sake, tell me, Raoul: what happened?"}
Aww, he really does care about his brother!
Also, stars??? Raoul, that's a terrible excuse if you were trying to make one. What about 'I think a stray cat got into the house and it was bothering me so I shot at it'? Sure, it makes you seem very unkind to cats, who are majestic animals that do not deserve such treatment, but it makes much more sense and sounds less mad than trying to shoot down some stars that were bothering you.
{Raoul was leaning over the balcony with his candle: "Aha!" he said. "Blood! ... Blood! ... Here, there, more blood! ... That's a good thing! A ghost who bleeds is less dangerous!" he grinned.
"Raoul! Raoul! Raoul!"
The count was shaking him as though he were trying to waken a sleep-walker.}
Acting this happy at the sight of blood just makes you seem like a serial killer, Raoul XD
Also, cute/bittersweet headcanon that bby!Raoul did have a problem with sleepwalking and that Philippe or one of his sisters had to get out of bed and wake him up and gently get him back in bed like Lucy taking Linus home from the pumpkin patch at 4 AM in "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown".
{"You can see the blood for yourself. I thought I had been dreaming and firing at two stars. It was Erik's eyes ... and here is his blood! ... After all, perhaps I was wrong to shoot; and Christine is quite capable of never forgiving me ... All this would not have happened if I had drawn the curtains before going to bed."}
Yeah, maybe ask Christine before you decide to shoot Erik on sight if you ever see him? And absolutely draw the bed curtains and the regular curtains before you go to sleep- I for one absolutely cannot sleep unless it's pretty dark. Or maybe invest in a sleep mask, Raoul?
{The count's valet said:
"That is so, sir; there is blood on the balcony."
The other man-servant brought a lamp, by the light of which they examined the balcony carefully.}
Whatever you're paying the servants, Philippe, they deserve a raise after dealing with all this nonsense in the middle of the night.
{"My dear fellow," said Count Philippe, "you have fired at a cat."
"The misfortune is," said Raoul, with a grin, "that it's quite possible. With Erik, you never know. Is it Erik? Is it the cat? Is it the ghost? No, with Erik, you can't tell!"
Raoul went on making this strange sort of remarks which corresponded so intimately and logically with the preoccupation of his brain and which, at the same time, tended to persuade many people that his mind was unhinged.}
And he's already in a somewhat delicate frame of mind especially in regards to Erik, so when he's actually stuck in the torture chamber, it makes things that much worse for him :(
Probably overthinking things, but I wonder if this passage, with the confusion between Erik and a cat, is the basis on which several adaptations give Erik a pet cat, like Ayesha in Kay's novel? I haven't read Kay, so I don't know if she covers this scene, but perhaps Erik with a cat adaptations interpret this as Erik's cat doing his bidding by bothering Raoul?
