Tagged by: @comprisedofdeath
Full Name: Erik, generally, is as close to a full name as it gets. His mother never named him, nor did she inform him that the family surname was Boisbriand. When it comes to affairs regarding purchases or banking or any sort of unavoidable legal factor, he has quite a list of surnames that he uses. Often, it’s Casavant or Morisot.
Gender & Sexuality: Cis male. Heteroromantic, grey-asexual.
Ethnicity/Species: White, and human.
Birthplace & Birthdate: The northern region of France, though he does not know the name of the town specifically (for convenience’s sake, I say Canteleu). He was born sometime in early July, though he is also unaware of the date. If it should ever happen that he would need to give his date of birth, he’s randomly selected September 8th.
Guilty Pleasures: He has a very deep fondness for Romantic poetry. William Blake is a specific favorite, and it isn’t unlike him to slip references or quotes into casual conversation. On occasion, when he’s not lost in the depths of his own mind, he fixes up and decorates his entire home for company to come over, even though he never has company. Sometimes, he lets himself give way to his fancies; when he goes out shopping, he purchases a few things he thinks Christine might enjoy, and pretends to be buying presents for his wife.
Phobias: No true phobias, per se. He has minor fears, such as being discovered, or Christine’s imminent rejection, but nothing extreme.
What they would be famous for: Erik, had he been blessed with a normal visage, normal childhood, and subsequently a normal life, could have been famous for music or architecture. Of course, had he lived like any normal man, he might not have discovered the talents he possessed or acquired the skills he has—so really, who’s to say?
What have they / would they have gotten arrested for: Murder, assault, arson, destruction of property, stealing, disturbing the peace, stalking, kidnapping.
Character You Ship Them With: I mean, I mostly ship him with the abstract concept of getting some serious therapy. Canonically speaking, I don’t ship him with anyone. For the sake of roleplay, where relationships can be different, I ship him with Christine. Depending on the verse, I might be tempted to ship him with an OC, but it would take a lot of discussion beforehand.
Character Most Likely To Murder Them: Raoul de Chagny.
Favorite Book Genre: He’s very fond of history, a great lover of Voltaire. Poetry is right up there.
Least Favorite Book Cliche: He considers basically every romance novel to be cliché, but it’s more likely that he’s bitter.
Talents and/or Powers: As his social life has been pitiful for the past fifty or so years, he’s had plenty of time to work on his skills. He has a natural talent for singing, composition, and architectural design. Throughout his youth, during his travels, he spent his time learning as much as he could: sleight-of-hand, illusions, pyrotechnics, innoventions, construction. . . and, however unfortunately, he also learned how to kill.
Why Someone Might Love Them: He is not easy to love, but to say he is entirely without good qualities is unfair of me. If he were to experience true love—that is, not obsession or infatuation—then he has the capacity to be very tender and caring. Certainly, he would spoil the object of his affection to bits, and do so gladly. He is a fierce protector. In his own awkward, inexperienced way, he somewhat knows how to be charming.
Why Someone Might Hate Them: He has a truly volatile temper, can be come murderous and destructive when angry. He sees himself as separate from the human race, as they seem to have rejected him from the start, and therefore suffers no qualms for ending another person’s life. Despite knowing of his blatant flaws, he also holds himself in high regard, intellectually speaking. This can make him very obnoxious to be around.
How They Change: Canonically speaking, Erik changes when he is shown compassion by Christine, whom he loves. While he had previously been determined to marry her or else kill everyone within a ten-mile radius, once Christine had given him a taste of the love and affection that he had so craved, he is able to find it in himself to free her and her beloved.
Why You Love Them: As far as characters go, Erik is deliciously complex. He is someone with such an air of mystery to his backstory that it gives me the liberty to apply my own ideas and research to what I think his life might have been like. Further, in Leroux’s novel, we see so much of Erik-the-Ghost that slowly turns to Erik-the-Man, but at that point in the novel we really only see him once he has become unhinged. Much of my interest lies in writing Erik-the-Man in the most casual sense. I love exploring his day-to-day life; how he conducts his business, what he gets up to in the evenings, whether or not he leaves his socks laying around his bedroom.
. . .And, honestly, it’s very fun to write him in embarrassing situations. Strip away all the mystery and prowess, and the muse of mine that you’re left with is a major dweeb.
Tagging: @vxntriloquist, @ofsoprano, @littlclctte
