Based on a comment thread I had with an author over on AO3 where we joked about what we would do if we had a time machine and how Erik would react to phangirls descending upon him.
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There was a distant scream, which was strange to hear in the lower cellars of the Opera Populaire. The highest notes of a soprano couldn't even penetrate so far below. It was truly baffling that any person's scream could be so loud.
Wait…
Erik looked up from his organ, his fingers hovering above the ivory keys, having paused just moments prior to listen to the ever increasing noise. He looked around aimlessly, focusing on the scream–well, screams as he had determined, and wondering how in the world they were reaching him.
They grew louder by the second and he turned towards his gate to ensure it was lowered. It was, so he went back to his work. Just as his fingers connected with the keys, he heard splashing water. A mob was coming for him, he just knew it.
He stood quickly, knocking over the bench of his organ and walked to stand behind the candelabras near his organ. His hands were on his hips as he stared beyond the gate, waiting to catch sight of the mob, then he would take his leave once his suspicions were confirmed.
After a few moments, he saw them. Dozens of women trudged through the sewer water towards his gate. They were descending as if they were locusts and rushing through the water. The first thing he noticed about them was their clothing. None of them wore dresses, it was all garish bright colored shirts and breeches that looked even tighter than the ones he wore beneath his trousers.
Before he knew it, they were clinging to the gate. His only defense from the women screaming his name. How did they know his name?
Erik turned away, unable to look at them any longer as his face had heated and he knew he was blushing. He had never heard his name fall from a woman's tongue, other than Madame Giry, that is. The feeling excited him, but he couldn't think of it, not when he was potentially in danger.
His first instinct was to fight, but he wouldn't ever lay his hand on a woman. Next was to run, but to where? His life was under this opera house. He needed to be quick, as the old gate wouldn't hold under the pressure of so many bodies.
He glanced over his shoulder, seeing their arms were reaching through the gate, reaching for him…no they couldn't possibly…
"I love you!" several of them shouted at once.
He faced them fully and cocked his head and furrowed his brows. Surely they had the wrong man. There had to be a hundred men named Erik in Paris, they couldn't possibly love him.
Immediately, he was proven to be incorrect. He heard his song…the one he had yet to sing to anyone. Music of the Night rang through his lair. It was disorganized with all of the untrained voices dragging the melody into the dirt. But, he didn't care at that moment, as he felt strangely happy.
All of these women were saying they loved him and begging him to open the gate. Without a second thought, Erik walked down the steps and over to the lever that he used to operate the rusty old thing. His hand hovered over it for a moment as he debated if he was making the right decision, then he cranked it and the gate rose, releasing the locusts.
/
Taking sign ups for the time machine. Erik needs love and we are going to give it to him!