Hello All,

Thanks for stopping by my profile. A little bit about me: I love music, being out doors, learning, meeting new people and spending time with my loved ones, amongst many other things. And I love being a part of this online, mainly Opera Ghost oriented, community. You guys are awesome! I'm currently in school studying speech pathology with a minor in linguistics. Loving it so far and am planning on attending grad school in another couple years.

I have been a fan of FFN for a while now and created this profile to be able to review and list stories, as well as authors, whose work I greatly admire. I'm a huge PotO fan and lean more towards the morbid, dark/darkfluff, horror, suspense, and angsty Leroux-based fiction. I enjoy detailed, lengthy stories and one-shots, whether canon or AU, so long as they're well written and can come alive in my mind.

I was introduced to PotO in 1997 when I saw the ALW version in NYC staring Thomas James O'Leary. It was a breathtaking performance and needless to say left me speechless and crying like a baby. This wonderful story planted its seed in my soul that night and has continued to live and bloom there since. I enjoy the ALW, Kay, Englund, and Dance versions, but my heart belongs to Leroux. There are so many elements (way too many for me to list right now especially since I'm feeling rather lazy) to this story that are both timeless and unique to PotO. And to top it all off it revolves completely around music! It can't get any better than that.

Proud to say that I am an E/C shipper to the end. I can NOT resist the artistic, mutually-curious, dark, electrifying and magnetic bond between them. A lot of thought and analysis has been given to these characters and to the pros and cons of both pairings. And I have come to the conclusion that while Raoul satisfied Christine's youth and heart (and obviously was someone dear from her childhood), Erik roused her artistic and passionate soul; the part of one's psyche that isn't always understood, but that one loves deeply and can't resist the lure to fulfill. I tend to believe that Christine loved Raoul, but had Erik been less corpse-like and more well adapted to society Christine would have chosen him. And I surely don't mean to imply the circumstances were that simple or that Christine is a superficial person. No doubt the story would be completely different had Erik not been a maniacal and yet alluring recluse, it's just my two cents. I mean, with a voice, heart, style, intelligence, and creative mind like that how could any woman not? Likewise, I can appreciate and see the innocent charm in R/C, but the relationship doesn't compare.

There are so many wonderful pieces out there and I hope you will find some you have not already read. I've included some various non-FFN sites relating to the Opera Ghost below. Cheers!

~ Avernestar

http://www.phantomoftheopera.com/fifthcellar/index.php

http://www.youtube.com/user/PhantomReviews

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHZqATzgI5c

http://avernestar.deviantart.com/

http://club-fantome-roots.deviantart.com/

http://phantom-of-da-opera.deviantart.com/

http://my-daroga.deviantart.com/

http://www.phantomoftheopera.com/