And listen to the music of the night

hey guys :)

i haven’t been around for a while.

i’m sorry about that.

i’m still not going to be around.

but if any of you ever want to talk.

i’ll be here.

//OOC: *TACKLEPOUNCEHUG* Oh my God, I missed you!

Alright. That’s it.

I thought that I knew people through a hobby I used to love, and I thought that those people really cared about me. But I’ve clearly been replaced without so much as a passing remark.

I’ve fallen out of love with the hobby of writing.

I know I’ve done this before, and I’ve returned before, but I’ve never really returned to how happy writing Connie made me in 2013. So I’m done.

I might come back, but my activity has gotten more minute every time I do so who knows if the next time I return will be different.

I don’t expect to retain any friendships that I made during the times I spent active. But that’s fine, you can forget about me. I don’t mind.

Goodbye.

#captconnie #ooc #please don't go #talk to me?

I'm not going to forget about you, I'm (one of) the one(s) who waited for your hiatus to end so we could write again. I really, really wish you wouldn't do this. We do excellent stuff, you're good people and dammit I miss you! :(

You have several messages waiting 'cause I miss/ed you and want to write with you again and and and that.

#ooc #captconnie

A Sunday in New York

He quirked an eyebrow. “Okay, go ahead but unless you’re going to tell me you’re Ed Koch in a very convincing disguise, you’ve not got much of a chance to ruin anything.” He patted the space beside him and she had a seat. “So tell away, my angel of music. I long to hear.”

"Ed Koch? - What? Why?" She laughed, shaking her head. "No, that is definitely not it. I doubt any disguise could mask that. ” Connie curled her knees to her chest, leaning against him.

"I love you. I really, actually, do. Seems kind of redundant to say it, considering the past few weeks, but - I don’t know. I just wanted to tell you."

Tom reached over and took her hand, giving it a squeeze. “I really don’t think I’ve ever been this happy. I’ve got my dream role, I’ve got my soulmate and I’m living in the greatest city on the planet. I love to tell people my favorite part of the day is going to sleep at night because when I wake up it means I get to spend a whole new day being the luckiest man on the planet.”

"Shut up," Connie chuckled, her free hand lifting to pull his head towards hers for a kiss. "You’re such a dork, y’know that? Your dream role. Your soulmate. I think you’re mine too.”

#captconnie #[I missed these dorks and I MISSED YOU! :D]

"Mm. Suppose I could tickle you mercilessly until you decide one way or the other." Tom got to his feet with a wicked grin and advanced on her in his "Red Death" pose making tickle hands, cackling menacingly.

A Sunday in New York

"Ed Koch? - What? Why?" She laughed, shaking her head. "No, that is definitely not it. I doubt any disguise could mask that. ” Connie curled her knees to her chest, leaning against him.

"I love you. I really, actually, do. Seems kind of redundant to say it, considering the past few weeks, but - I don’t know. I just wanted to tell you."

Tom reached over and took her hand, giving it a squeeze. "I really don't think I've ever been this happy. I've got my dream role, I've got my soulmate and I'm living in the greatest city on the planet. I love to tell people my favorite part of the day is going to sleep at night because when I wake up it means I get to spend a whole new day being the luckiest man on the planet."

A Sunday in New York

Tom took a coffee out to the balcony and sat with a happy sigh, taking in the cool breezes. “A Sunday with no matinee and our understudies on for the night. Perfection.”

Leaning up against his shoulder, Connie sighed contentedly. “Perfection indeed.” She wrapped her scarf tighter around herself. “Tom, I want to tell you something, but I’m kind of scared it might ruin something.”

#captconnie #[Our dorks. We love them.]

He quirked an eyebrow. "Okay, go ahead but unless you're going to tell me you're Ed Koch in a very convincing disguise, you've not got much of a chance to ruin anything." He patted the space beside him and she had a seat. "So tell away, my angel of music. I long to hear."

A Sunday in New York

Tom took a coffee out to the balcony and sat with a happy sigh, taking in the cool breezes. "A Sunday with no matinee and our understudies on for the nigh. Perfection."

"I am in love with you— there, I said it"

He’d burst into Connie’s dressing room, minutes after curtain and final bows - she’d still been attempting to remove the chestnut wig from her head. His confession stunned her, crimson painted lips forming a nice round ‘O’.

“Tom…?” The dizzying feeling she’d never failed to receive from nightly bows gave way to another dizzying feeling, blood rushing to her cheeks. “A-are you playing with me right now?”

Pulling her robe tighter against herself - not that she cared about propriety, being in theater - Connie excused her poor dressing assistant who’d been helping with the wig.

"Please, please don’t tell me this is a joke, Tom. 'Cause I feel the same.”

"I’m absolutely not complaining, but what brought this on?" She exclaimed, happily breathless after the kiss.

"I just.. I see you walking up those stairs with Robert every night and it just finally got to me. I couldn’t hold it in, beautiful, not a second longer. I love you, I want you and I need you. I really don’t know what else to say. I guess I wanted to add paradise to my dream and that, Connie, is you.”

"Every night when I’m up there with Robert I can’t stop thinking about you, y’know. Screw that! Now I can run offstage and you’ll be there."

The corners of her mouth couldn’t create a wider smile. Placing a chaste kiss on his lips - because oh how she could do that now - Connie’s eyes were drawn to the Phantom prosthetics still adorning his face.

"The makeup department is going to kill me. Red lipstick all over the Phantom. Poor Raoul.”

The makeup crew rolled their eyes in unison and bustled Tom out to his own makeup room.

There was an unmistakable added elan to Tom's performance that night, a zing that added to an already memorable performance. Even the normally sourpuss director could be seen shaking his head and chuckling at Tom's antics - the Phantom goosing Carlotta from off stage, resulting in the poor woman nearly being unable to finish her song from laughter, the Phantom and Christine's kiss going on far longer than normal, all manner of foolery. The reviews the next morning spoke of "the night the Phantom got a bit silly" and praised the tilted spirit of the night's performance.

"I am in love with you— there, I said it"

“Tom…?” The dizzying feeling she’d never failed to receive from nightly bows gave way to another dizzying feeling, blood rushing to her cheeks. “A-are you playing with me right now?”

Pulling her robe tighter against herself - not that she cared about propriety, being in theater - Connie excused her poor dressing assistant who’d been helping with the wig.

"Please, please don’t tell me this is a joke, Tom. 'Cause I feel the same.”

"It’s no joke, Connie. Since we closed Cafe Benne talking until all hours there’s not been anybody else for me. I love you with everything I have."

The words had barely left his mouth when Connie let out a happy yelp and sprang across the room to envelop in a tight, tight hug. “I love you, I love you, I love you..” was all he managed to say, over and over but it just felt so good to get how he felt out.

All of a sudden, within Tom’s warm embrace, a bubbling of giggles burst forth from Connie. She couldn’t contain her excitement.

"I love you too" Connie murmured, pulling back from the hug, she kissed him square on the mouth, and for any passerby watching: they could see that it was definitely not a stage kiss.

"I’m absolutely not complaining, but what brought this on?" She exclaimed, happily breathless after the kiss.

#captconnie #[Mushpot Tom]

"I just.. I see you walking up those stairs with Robert every night and it just finally got to me. I couldn't hold it in, beautiful, not a second longer. I love you, I want you and I need you. I really don't know what else to say. I guess I wanted to add paradise to my dream and that, Connie, is you."

Connie at a cast party when the swing didn’t exactly operate all that well.

Tom being a kitty cat before his first Tony's… Why?

#captconnie #graceful Connie is graceful #[Dear God that bum.]

Good thing I love you more than life - and I do, my'know. My angel of music.

#captconnie #[D'awww.]

Connie at a cast party when the swing didn't exactly operate all that well.

xxdeathkittehxx-deactivated2015

add a caption on We Heart It.

"I am in love with you— there, I said it"

“Tom…?” The dizzying feeling she’d never failed to receive from nightly bows gave way to another dizzying feeling, blood rushing to her cheeks. “A-are you playing with me right now?”

Pulling her robe tighter against herself - not that she cared about propriety, being in theater - Connie excused her poor dressing assistant who’d been helping with the wig.

"Please, please don’t tell me this is a joke, Tom. 'Cause I feel the same.”

"It's no joke, Connie. Since we closed Cafe Benne talking until all hours there's not been anybody else for me. I love you with everything I have."

The words had barely left his mouth when Connie let out a happy yelp and sprang across the room to envelop in a tight, tight hug. "I love you, I love you, I love you.." was all he managed to say, over and over but it just felt so good to get how he felt out.

#captconnie #[D'awww.]

Tom was still trying to collect his thoughts when she called to him. “Yeah, that’d be great. I.. ah.. should probably run home and grab a shower first, though. I was sweating like a beast up there, I don’t mind telling you. Wow. But yeah, I’d love to. I’ve just got so much to process and talk about and just.. wow.” The dream of his lifetime was coming true, right in front of him, and he was just a bit dazed by the prospect.

"So where should I meet you? Be warned, I’m liable to talk your ears right off your head."

She laughed, understanding the literal blood, sweat and tears that go into any performance of any caliber. “Yeah no prob. You could just use the shower in my dressing room, if you’d prefer? Then again you may live really close by and it’s not a worry, but.. nevertheless!”

Connie bit her thumb-nail - a nervous habit she’d picked up from former castmates. “You know I think the whole team here will really love you.” She cleared her throat. “Um, we could get coffee at Caffe Bene? It’s just down the street, past 7th avenue. It’s my go-to place for coffee breaks.”

#captconnie #[Our dorks. We love them.]

He grinned and shrugged. "Yeah, I could do that. Sounds a plan and I've heard of that place, that would be incredible. So.. ah.. where is your dressing room, anyway?"

Some few minutes later he bounded up the aisle again to join Connie with a huge grin. "Phantom, Caffe Bene and a truly pretty lady for company who looks to be an awesome friend. Can't say I've had a day this good in a long, long time."

Tom’s performance was s p e l l b i n d i n g to say the least.

He’d captured the entire room - a room filled with 1,645 empty seats - going completely on his own inhibition. It was inspiring, really. Connie hadn’t seen such ferocity and conviction in an audition since… since, well if she do say so herself, her own audition.

She felt for the boy - for in the lull after his audition he’d been miraculously reduced to a boy post-confidence - and yet was admittedly unsurprised when he’d been offered the role on the spot.

"Bravo, Tom." Connie smiled softly, mind immediately wandering to the emotional choices she’d have to re-work onstage to fit Tom’s incredible stage presence. Excited wasn’t even cutting it. He’d come into the audition room and Connie hadn’t thought much of him, except that he looked to rather suit Raoul more than the Phantom. But oh, how wrong she was to expect mediocrity.

"Mr. Henderson, Ms. Oswin, why don’t we take a few hours recess from this. You’re both excused - we’ve got to go through the rest of the applicants but we’re certain we’ve got our Phantom." Dan grinned greedily, smelling the box office sale increase that would inevitably come when Tom took the stage.

Connie began to gather her things when Dan stopped her again, hand on her shoulder. “Connie, take him to coffee or something, get to know the guy. Bring him to the show tonight.”

"Sure thing, Dan." She bit her lip, excited to get to know her new co-star. "Hey, Tom! Coffee?"

#captconnie #[Sorry for the short reply this time but I felt like it was needed.]#[He's back!]

Tom was still trying to collect his thoughts when she called to him. "Yeah, that'd be great. I.. ah.. should probably run home and grab a shower first, though. I was sweating like a beast up there, I don't mind telling you. Wow. But yeah, I'd love to. I've just got so much to process and talk about and just.. wow." The dream of his lifetime was coming true, right in front of him, and he was just a bit dazed by the prospect.

"So where should I meet you? Be warned, I'm liable to talk your ears right off your head."

Connie felt a wide grin stretch across her face at his story. She loved hearing about other peoples musical theatre past, their families, what made people uniquely themselves. At one point she’d considered being a journalist so she could write about those unique qualities, but as a high school sophomore she’d discovered her operatic and theatric talent. Now she was able to take a character and flaunt their unique-ness to an audience, a far more expressive way than writing, and bringing that to an audience made her wildly happy.

Tom’s initial confidence was almost infectious, Connie discovered - mere seconds after his first words to her - that she was enjoying his “Anything You Can Do” attitude. While the amusement from his personal display of confidence had already begun to overrule Connie’s sour mood, his apparent cowardice after seeing Dan overruled it even more. She couldn’t hold a giggle back at the look on poor Tom’s face.

"Considering it sounds like you were practically made to be the Phantom, and considering the fact that I’ve seen your résumé, I don’t think Dan will be any worry." She playfully nudged his shoulder, trying to bring back any comfort he’d lost at the sight of the producer. "I think that your real worry will be all those other Phantoms who want your spot."

She winked at him before heading to the director to take notes on how she should play the audition. Connie had never been one to mistreat any person, be they kind or not, she’d always taken pleasure in making people feel at home. Theatre was not an exception.

#captconnie #PhantomVerse

Finally the time came for Tom's audition. There was just one problem, he couldn't be found. Dan's annoyance grew and grew and he was just about to call for the next auditioner when a low, sinister laugh seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. "Bravo, monsieur director, such spirited words!"

One by once, face by face a sort of mass grin grew slowly spread as they realized what Tom was doing. He was turning the audition entirely on its head and writing his own, for lack of a better term. Then suddenly, there was at stage left, moving onto the stage with sublimely understated but unmistakable menace. "Why so silent, good messieurs? Did you think that I had left you for good?"

All this went on for a bit more and then.. there was silence. Not a sound was made as papers fell from Dan's suddenly numbed hand to the floor, leaving him staring and incredulous looking. All the crazy confidence he'd held inside during it all vanished at once and with a sigh and nod, he clambered down the stage steps and started up the aisle.

He made it halfway up the aisle to a sympathetic looking Connie. She gave him a pat on the arm and started to leave then a stentorian grunt sounded from behind them.

"And just where the hell do you think you're going? Get your bony backside to costumes for fitting. Welcome about, Monsieur L'Phantom."

Bingo.

Connie had been in the theatre since seven am that morning. Preparations were underway for a slew of cast members - including her co-stars James and Ramon - to leave Phantom, and the producers had decided that she was needed to help oversee the newcomers.

Having already recited lines to countless Raoul and Phantom wannabes, Connie was astronomically excited to go home to her cozy apartment for a quick nap before the performance that night. It wasn’t that the prospective men were boring or simply unable to carry the role, Connie’s chipper emotion had soured considerably after an auditionee who turned particularly handsy. So when a fresh face walked through the door, she was reluctant to give him the time of day.

However, Connie willingly adorned herself with the Tony-nominated smile and set about rearranging her script for a Phantom audition. She had no idea of the impossible dreams that this man had, a dream she too shared mere months ago. Connie was unaware of the revelation he'd had reading the paper, and especially of the thought running through his mind.

"Connie, this is Mr. Tom Henderson, auditioning for the Phantom. We’ll be with you when you’re ready."

"Thanks, Dan." She chirped back to her producer. "Hey, Tom. Nice to meet you. Are you ready to take a crack at it? If you have any questions, better ask them now. Dan, our producer, gets pretty intense during Phantom auditions."