afternoon dress, 1870-75 by Grace King

this dress is made of burgundy silk, decorated with burgundy and turquoise bows

"Henry? Could I talk to you about something important?"

"Whatever it is, it can't be that important, when it's coming from you."

"I thought... it bothers you so much that the girls are always home, maybe we should send them to school. So you can have your rest?"

"What? Are you stupid? Do you know how much school costs? They'll need books and backpacks and lunches and all that expensive shit, and then those horrible people will report us to CPS, and the kids will get taken away and I'll lose my job. You're so fucking stupid, I can't believe it."

"I'm sorry, Henry."

"You'll better be."

"Henry? I think Grace needs to get seen by a dentist. Her teeth..."

"Do you think I'm made of money, you stupid bitch? How am I supposed to pay for that?"

"It's really important, Henry..."

"I don't care if it's the most important thing in the world, I don't have the money for that. You're just such a greedy bitch, all you want is my money, just fleecing an honest, hard-working man dry until he can't even afford a vacation anymore. If you weren't so useless, maybe I'd get promoted at work! Marrying you was the worst thing I ever did, you ruined my life!"

"Henry, I'm so sorry about this, but the girls need new clothes."

"And why is that my problem?"

"Because I don't have any money, and..."

"Stop right there. It's your fault you don't have any money because you always get your lattes and your stupid shit at the grocery store and all those stupid expensive vegetables. If you were better at budgeting, then you could afford clothes for your brats."

"Henry, they're your daughters..."

"And how do I know that? None of them look like me, they're all red-headed little sluts like their mom. You were probably cheating on me left and right every time I went to work, and now I'm raising your baby daddy's kids!"

"Do you want a paternity test?"

"Damn straight, I want a paternity test!"

A few weeks later...

September is over, but it brought stories with it!

Through the Eyes of the Opera Ghost by Davyne DeSye is a retelling of the original story from the perspective of the Phantom. This isn't DeSye's first work, but it's interesting to get a retelling instead of a series of romantic sequels!

The Phantom Coloring Book by R. Dubs is, unlike most Phantom-related coloring books found on Amazon, apparently actually composed of a consistent set of original pieces of art instead of a bunch of stolen black-and-white or lineart fanart. The preview only gives us a couple to look at, but if adorable tiny doughboy Phantom sounds up your alley, you might enjoy it!

Magical Masquerade by Hilary Gilman is a Regency romance featuring a heroine forced to marry a terribly scarred man in order to save her family, with predictably romantic results. It's ringing more like a Beauty and the Beast tale than a Phantom one, but with the mention of masks and scars, it's worth a look!

The Phantom's Protege: A Score to Settle by Lucian Haverly is the story of a beautiful musical protege falling in love with a sexy detective investigating a Phantom who is murdering people around the theater... and also these are both men, so another in the MM romance category!

Phantom No More: Kiaria by Grace King is another in King's series of alternate universe takes on the original story, this time with the Phantom transplanted to New York (fear not, Phantom of Manhattan haters, it may be influenced but it at least isn't a direct adaptation of that novel - he appears to have left France before the Garnier was built and to be running a small theater in midtown Manhattan) where he falls in love with a young woman on the run.

Unveil by Greer Rivers is a modern-day version in which the main character is a New Orleans ballerina, torn between her "white knight" fiance and her "masked stalker" who is determined to protect her from some sort of army of malcontents? The Phantom's name is Orion Fury, if that helps anyone out.

With the character they are least close to.

How to Rock: Episode 26 - How to Rock Christmas

Original air date: December 8, 2012. Directed by Neal Israel.

Purple Silk Afternoon Dress, 1870-1875, American.

Designed by Grace King.

Met Museum.

We wander through old streets, and pause before the age stricken houses; and, strange to say, the magic past lights them up.

Afternoon Dress

Grace King

1870-1875