#1990 phantom

Ok, so the worms finally got to my brain but I've got some theories on how he'd look under the mask;

Either 1: a terrifying combination of all of them, possibly either flesh coming off or simply not being there in patches

Or 2, and probably the least likely but with some possible story depth: nothing. A face. Now WHY on earth would the phantom not have a deformity under the mask? Why would Christine faint? {Who knows why Christine fainted that poor little opera ghost does NOT deserve that}

What if his face was just, normal? A regular guy, who can't see himself in the mirror without being terrified and enraged, There could be SO MUCH FUCKING LORE FOR IT. Maybe his mother hated him for looking like his father? Maybe he's just struggling with his self image, either way there could be something to him to make him terrified of himself-

And what if he did something about it? Cut, tear, pull, get angry at his face and start removing pieces, and then wearing the mask to hide it? We'll never know, but I love speculating

Beyond the Boundaries of Life and Death

Erik sat alone in the Opera House, his thoughts consumed by the haunting melodies that echoed through the empty halls. He had always found solace in music, it was the one thing that made him feel alive.

But today, his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of crying. It was faint at first, but as he focused, he could hear it growing louder and more frantic. He followed the sound to the grand entrance of the Opera House, where he found a young girl huddled in the corner, her body shaking with sobs.

She was soaked from head to toe, her clothes clinging to her skin. Erik's heart ached at the sight of her, for he knew all too well the pain of being alone and afraid. This wasn’t like him, he usually never cared for other people..but she looked so helpless..so pitiful 

Without a word, he walked over to her and crouched down beside her. She flinched at his presence, her tear-stained face filled with fear.

'It's alright, my dear,' Erik said softly, his voice surprisingly gentle. 'I won't harm you.'

She looked at him with uncertainty, but she didn't move. Erik could see the bruises on her face and arms, and his heart clenched with empathy and sadness for the girl 

'What happened to you?' he asked, his voice filled with concern.

The girl looked down at her hands, still trembling with fear. 'I-I ran away from my family,' she whispered. 'They were hurting me, and I couldn't take it anymore.'

Erik's heart shattered at her words, for he knew all too well the pain of being mistreated by the ones who were supposed to love you. He reached out a hand to her, offering comfort.

'Come with me,' he said, his voice full of compassion. 'You can stay here for the night’

The girl looked at him in disbelief, tears still streaming down her face. 'But I don't even know you,' she said, her voice shaking.

Erik gave her a small smile. 'My name is Erik,' he said. 'And this is my home, the Opera House. It may seem intimidating, but I assure you, it is a safe place. And as for getting to know each other, we can do that in time. Right now, what's important is that you have a warm place to stay and can feel safe.'

The girl hesitated for a moment, but then nodded slowly. She took Erik's hand, and he helped her to her feet. As they walked inside, Erik felt a sense of purpose he hadn't felt in a long time. He knew that he couldn't fix all the wrongs he had committed, but he could start by giving this girl a safe place to sleep.

Erik took her to a dark underground place under the opera house. ‘I know it’s not the most flattering place..but-, she stopped him ‘no no, this is perfect..anything’s better than..’ she went quiet and stilled her movements ‘sorry I-..it’s just’ her eyes welled up with tears again at the thought of her home ‘it’s alright your safe now..’ he reassured

She smiled slightly ‘now If you are staying here just know this isn’t full term..and I have rules to set.’ His voice became stern and more serious. She nodded ‘ the first rule is you can’t leave this area without me knowing . I can’t risk people coming down here and finding me- ‘ she was confused but nodded ‘second rule, absolutely no asking about my mask or my past…that is information that shall never be revealed’ she thought these rules where odd, was Erik hiding something? Why can’t anyone know he’s down here?

‘Third and last important rule, Do not enter my chambers without permission or after 8pm’

She wanted to ask why, but she couldn’t make him angry, she needed a place to stay. ‘Yes, I’ll respect these rules’ he walked over to his organ ‘if you are to stay here I do require you to work for me, of course I’ll pay you until you have enough money to leave and get your own place to live’ she nodded ‘yes yes of course thank you!’ She smiled , Erik showed her where she was to sleep and left her for the night.