cfiadw [ch. 3] [1/2]

 "catching fire in a devil's whisper" revision commentary
chapter three, part one

currently listening to: "adagio for strings and organ"
fic word count: 112,018

So we added about 1.5k to the entire fic in the last chapter alone; I'm excited to see what happens here!!

I'm not 100% certain where the chapter title, "lead me into temptation", comes from.  Could be from song lyrics, could just be from my own Big Brain and the religiousness I went through as a child and young teen.  Either way, I chose it because it fits perfectly, especially for the scene near the end of the chapter.

Once more, this one proved difficult to adapt from the musical.  This is the pivotal "The Phantom of the Opera/The Music of the Night" chapter, wherein our hero meets and falls for the dangerous masked man that's been obsessed with him and the opera house for years.  He gives into temptation, despite himself, and crosses a point of no return (heh).  For those who know the musical, of course, "Music of the Night" is beautiful, full of haunting music and vivid lyrics... but to adapt it into a strictly visual medium was challenging.  I chose to take the phrase "music of the night" and the rest of the more... pointed lyrics in a manner that's a bit more straightforward; instead of seducing Jeonghan with his voice and words, my Phantom seduces Jeonghan more explicitly, literally heh.  It was a creative choice I was happy and excited to make for the angst and tension it would cause later on.  Poor Jeonghan...

But before all of That (which will most likely be in part two of this chapter's commentary; I have work very soon hhh), we delve into Wonwoo's mind for the first time...

[Kwon Soonyoung was talking but Wonwoo wasn’t listening.]

I mean... what else is new, right?

[The man was glancing around like he was lost.  Or looking for something.  Peeking behind doors without missing a step and staring at every… blond person that walked by?  Wonwoo smirked to himself, remembering the way Seungcheol had watched the performance.  How he had seen Seungcheol, from his own vantage point on the catwalks, falling in love with Yoon Jeonghan.  The way everyone else was.

Of course, he knew how this could complicate things.  Quite easily, in fact, especially if Jeonghan found himself similarly charmed by the Vicomte.

Mingyu wouldn't like it.]

oh wonwoo, the things you know........

[Wonwoo sighed inwardly at the thought.  Mingyu wasn’t fond of much, but if there was something he hated above all else it was anything that threatened his relationship with his precious Yoon Jeonghan.  And if there was something he was indeed fond of, it was Yoon Jeonghan.  Jeonghan was everything to him, and Wonwoo could only wonder how the night would unfold for the two of them.  The last few weeks he’d had to listen to Mingyu’s constant plotting, constant blathering about how amazing Jeonghan would be in Seungkwan’s place onstage.  Watching the way his eyes lit up as he spoke about the object of his obsession, about the plans he had for him.

Glancing over at the Vicomte again, Wonwoo suppressed a smirk.  He’d wish the man luck but Mingyu, decidedly, would not approve.]

it's interesting that, at first, Wonwoo's almost rooting for Mingyu.  I think such allegiance shows how bad he feels about what happened, early on.  It kinda makes you think like "wow okay wonwoo wtf" (at least that's how I felt rereading it) and if I'm being honest, you're not really 100% supposed to like Wonwoo at first.  He's shady and he enables Mingyu and he keeps secrets from everyone, especially Jeonghan who he considers his adoptive brother... but in my opinion, he really redeems himself in the end.  Especially as the reader gets to know him and his past and his motivations.  I mean, he has twenty years' worth of dealing with Mingyu to... well, deal with; he has all this guilt and shame and he doesn't know how to make it better, how to make it go away - so he chooses Mingyu's side now, again and again, because he feels responsible.

[“I… believe I know your leading man,” Seungcheol responded softly and the gentlest of smiles touched his lips.  It was so nauseatingly romantic that even Wonwoo's heart squeezed.  “At least, I used to know him.  When we were children.”

“What a small world,” Wonwoo said around the lump sprouting in his throat.  Not from what he was certain was a love story to rival even the greatest of tragedies, but from dread.  Bitter and almost choking, he forced himself swallow back against it.  So Jeonghan and the Vicomte were childhood friends, then.  Perhaps more, if the gleam in Seungcheol's eyes was anything to go off of.

A gleam that disappeared the moment he looked at Wonwoo.  “Indeed.”  He turned his attention back to the owners and that smile returned.  It made him look his young age.  Like a boy, simply, in love.  “I was actually wondering where I could find him.  So I could congratulate him.”]

I think one of the saddest parts of this AU is the fact that Wonwoo could've tried earlier to put a stop to what he figured was going to happen.  Now, that's not to say that he should be to blame (god knows he does enough of that himself); on the contrary, I don't blame him at all and he wouldn't let himself believe Mingyu would go to the lengths that Wonwoo knew him capable of... but I think, once again, it shows so much of Wonwoo's character and the heavy, heavy guilt weighing him down.  Deep down, he knows that any relationship between Jeonghan and Seungcheol would result in A Lot of Bad Shit but he cares so much for the Mingyu he once knew that he ignores those warnings.  hhh it's just so sad I love this Wonwoo so much :(((

[“He doesn’t need you two to accompany him everywhere,” he huffed, watching as Seungcheol all but skipped down the halls, apologizing profusely when he accidentally bumped into some dancers.  “Let him woo Jeonghan in peace.”

Seokmin looked at him with a raised brow.  “He’s not - “

“Of course he is, Monsieur Lee.  You didn’t see the way he looked at him during the show.”

Nor had they seen the masked man watching Jeonghan, too, from the opposite box; as if Jeonghan was every breath he took, every star in the sky.

Soonyoung grinned wide, eyes almost completely closing, nose scrunching.  “That’s actually sort of sweet.  Childhood sweethearts reuniting after who knows how long.  All because a backdrop fell on top of Seungkwan.”

Wonwoo almost laughed aloud at the irony.]

I think it's also important to remember that not only is Wonwoo struggling with the grief and guilt and trauma he feels but he's also sort of kind of in love with Mingyu too.  He denies it, or tries to, especially because he doesn't want to feel jealous of Jeonghan, doesn't want to resent him... but I think a little part of him does.  It's a part of himself he, of course, hates, but I think it's also one of the reasons why he chooses to ignore the warning signs at first.  A mindset like "well, Jeonghan wanted to be with him, didn't he?" but it's cruel and unfair to think like that and he knows it.  Knows Jeonghan didn't ask to be held so high and so tightly by this man who can't see that the way he feels is wrong.  And in his heart, Wonwoo loves Jeonghan.  Adores him.  Most of all, he understands him and the way he feels for Mingyu.  If anyone does, it's him, and we see that plenty later on.  Seungcheol tries to understand but it scares him and makes him a bit jealous, but Wonwoo... Wonwoo gets it.

Wow okay obviously I could go on and on about cfiadw Wonwoo (and I know I will later on) but he's my favorite character for a reason.  He's so complex and it's been challenging in the best way to write him.  I'm thrilled to keep reading later on!!