Here we are, guys. The last chapter, with attached epilogue, of All The
World's
A Stage. It's been an interesting journey, that's for sure. Thank you
section is
at the end, but I'm going to go ahead and dedicate this complete fic here
and
now.
To Mary Annie, who's been there from the beginning and understands the way my mind works. And to wintercreek, the best beta and friend a girl could hope to have.
Disclaimer: If I owned anything interesting, my credit card bill wouldn't be something I would dread.
All The World's A Stage by Lyra Matsuoka Rated PG-13
Chapter 10
Most parties in life are at least mildly entertaining. One can usually locate one or two people that one can hold an intelligent conversation with and can move from there. Open bars and decent food can be considered a bonus, as they are not always provided. This is Category A, and Christmas parties thrown by the friend of a friend, and formal employment get togethers three days after one is formally employed are classified as such. Even better are parties wherein one knows the vast majority of those in attendance and can laugh, talk, and eat late into the night. This is Category B, and high school/college reunions, graduations and wedding receptions fall into this category. Then there are parties so stupendous, so amazing that people whisper about them in envy for the rest of the year, otherwise known as Category C. The Academy Awards and Golden Globes fall into this category.
The Three Lights had managed to create a new genre. Category D, a party filled with laughter, eclectic music, an open bar, sparkling decorations and a large dance floor. It was the party of the year, no doubt about it. The fact that everyone was arriving in masks only made the evening more entertaining.
The best part, Serena decided, was attempting to interpret costumes. Some people went for obvious...she had seen Robin Hood and Marian, Zorro, three astronauts and a Queen Elizabeth. Others went so subtle that they could have been anything. A man in a toga could have been anyone from Caesar to Euripides. Her favorite thus far was a woman with a floor length sequined dress, green eye shadow, green body glitter and spiked green hair.
"She's Envy," Raye decided, watching the as the stranger sparkled and
shimmied her way across the dance floor and toward the bar.
"She could be a Sour Apple martini," Chad suggested.
"Or a jalapeno pepper," Serena guessed.
The table dissolved in laughter as they all began looking around for the next likely victim. Upon arrival, the whole group had nabbed a large table near the dance floor for better viewing purposes and for a place to dump their stuff. Chad, Raye, Serena and Michael remained at the table while Sheridan and her date strolled hand in hand to the bar. At last check, the couple hadn't actually made it to the bar. They were engaged in dancing cheek-to-cheek, single-handedly
making three quarters of the room gag at their cute couple-ness.
"Check this one out," Chad said, pointing toward the door. A man in ice blues, whites and silvers stood next to a flame haired woman in golds, reds, yellows and browns. Icicles dripped from his mask, leaves covered hers.
"Autumn and Winter. No brainer," Raye said.
"Impressive," Michael said, sizing up the leaf jewelry the woman wore. "Expensively impressive."
"I may be wrong, but I surmise that the name of this game is 'impress
people you have never met and are unlikely to meet again'," Serena quipped.
"Don't knock that game. I like that game," Chad muttered as he rose. "The time has come for a bar run. Can I get anyone anything?"
"I'll come with you," Raye said, rising.
"I'm fine," Serena said. Michael nodded and gave his order while Serena surveyed the room. She watched Chad and Raye walk toward the bar, Chad's arm curled around Raye's waist. Amazing, but Raye didn't seem to mind. Serena smiled slightly. Ruby and Shadow, an unlikely couple.
She chatted idly with Michael for several minutes, but her eyes kept straying toward the door. Michael continued pointing out costumes - the outrageous, the costly, the tasteful and the astounding.
"The firecracker is my favorite."
"I like the conquistador."
"Why didn't we think of Masquerade Bingo? We could have sold the cards at the door and made a bundle."
Serena was watching the firecracker adjust her headdress when Michael
pointed toward the door.
"The faerie prince. My evening is complete."
Serena turned in her chair to see Darien, framed in the doorway and surveying the surroundings.
"He looks like he belongs in a VR game," Chad said, returning with drinks.
"He doesn't look the least bit ridiculous in that getup. Astounding. That decides it. He's not human. Any normal human being would have the decency to look bizarre," Raye muttered.
"I think he's looking for someone," Michael said.
"And I think he just found her," Chad continued. Serena smiled brightly as Darien turned toward their table. Quickly and quietly, Michael, Chad and Raye walked off. Serena didn't even notice.
Darien approached slowly, as if attempting to gauge her reaction, or possibly her mood. Or possibly whether or not she was concealing a weapon of death and/or destruction in her skirts. Serena watched with interest as Darien drew closer. He stopped just short of the table, and stood stiffly with his mask clutched in one hand.
"I stopped by The House," Darien began. There was a brief silence.
"I left you a note," Serena offered. Nothing like a statement of the obvious to break the ice...
"Yes, I found it."
"I thought a neon sign might be a bit obvious." There was a pause while the two of them smiled at one another.
"That is quite the outfit," Serena muttered, looking it over. For some reason she couldn't explain, that outfit seemed familiar. Was another guest
wearing it?
"You said that the last dance was mine," Darien said, his voice quiet and even.
"If you want it."
"How about the first dance?"
"As yet unclaimed," Serena said quietly. She watched as Darien tugged the plain black mask over his features.
"Not anymore," Darien said as he pulled her to her feet. Serena grabbed her mask and slipped it on just as they crossed onto the dance floor. The band struck up a swing tune and Serena laughed as she and Darien spun around the
floor. The man could really dance. Serena made a mental note to ask him where he had picked all this up. Raye and Chad joined them on the floor, and what they lacked in grace they made up in enthusiasm. They weren't bad though, Serena
noticed as her friends added a hip twist to the jitterbug. The floor filled up quickly with party guests swinging wildly, laughing and spinning through the song. High class executives and high priced lawyers hobnobbed with regular folk as partners were exchanged several times.
A cheer went up, starting at the door and creating a wave effect throughout the room, as the Lights made their grand appearance and joined the party immediately. Mina and Seiya swung quickly through the crowds to the center of the dance floor to the applause of an appreciative crowd.
Now this was a party.
From that point on it seemed that nothing could slow them down. Drinks flowed freely, food was passed around by waiters in spangled silver masks and the band was taking requests. Serena felt Darien's arm anchor itself around her waist, and she smiled as he led her towards an alcove.
"I apologize for not calling you," Darien began.
"Good to hear," Serena said, her eyes sparkling.
"And for the scene this afternoon. I don't know what came over me. I don't usually..."
Serena cut him off by wrapping her arms around his neck and molding her mouth to his. She sighed as one of his hands caressed her neck while the other made itself comfortable in the curve of her waist. His tongue swept along her lips and she parted them willingly. Which led to a rather extensive tasting
expedition on both sides. Which in turn led to a brief loss of time. Slowly, the rest of the world was tuned out as the two of them entered their own little
world.
'I've done this before. This same thing - the party, the music, this man...all of it - this is so familiar.'
In the middle of kissing the man she loved, Serena glimpsed a sparkling gown, a marble palace and a man with hair the color of midnight and eyes the sapphire blue of the ocean. The clothing was the same the expression was the same - full of love and hope and a bright promise of the future. Other brief pictures followed, but that still frame full of love remained central to the rest of the collage.
The images were like a dream - scattered, fragmented and over quickly, leaving no physical impression. But it confirmed the rightness of her situation, and Serena broke the kiss to smile slowly at Darien.
'This is perfect.'
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The rest of the night progressed smoothly, helped along by laughter and a lively band. Beryl arrived briefly, clutching the arm of an unknown and icily elegant blond, whom Darien identified as a junior executive in her father's
firm. She looked over toward Darien once or twice before throwing herself into the party with an overabundance of enthusiasm. Raye shook her head and made a few catty remarks, which Serena heard but didn't absorb. The woman wasn't worth another moment of her time.
The Three Lights basked in the glow of their success, showering their
friends and technicians with gifts. Hats, t-shirts, and towels emblazoned with the tour logo were given away as door prizes, and each member of the crew received a windbreaker with the tour logo and the word 'Crew' silk-screened on the back. Laughter accompanied the gifts, especially as the jackets didn't coordinate with formal wear. The band struck up again and the crowd dispersed, leaving a handful of people on the floor. The bar was crowded, and the tables were filling up as Darien and Serena circulated through the crowds. They mingled, introduced one another to various groups of friends, chatted and generally socialized. After all, Serena pointed out, that was the point of this party.
Various local celebrities came and went, and slowly the party began winding down. Finally the band announced that this would be the last dance and consulted their request list, looking for a suitable conclusion to a dazzling evening. Serena watched Seiya close the distance between his group and the stage to whisper in the lead singer's ear. The singer nodded and turned to the band. Serena raised an eyebrow at Seiya, who simply grinned and returned to Mina. The band struck the opening chords and Serena gasped, and then she laughed.
The Time of My Life (Medley/Warnes)
Now I've had the time of my life No I never felt like this before Yes I swear it's the truth and I owe it all to you 'Cause I've had the time of my life and I owe it all to you
I've been waiting for so long Now I've finally found someone To stand by me We saw the writing on the wall As we felt this magical Fantasy
The pair had moved on to the dance floor without giving it much conscious thought. They moved as a unit, giving themselves over to the moment and the
music. It was eerie, Serena thought, how the songs they danced to always seemed to reflect just how she was feeling. She opened her eyes to see Seiya and Mina smiling at her before they turned away. She grinned as she closed her eyes once more. Not a coincidence after all. Seiya was going to be insufferably smug after this. He was going to start playing matchmaker with all his friends. But she couldn't argue with the results.
Now with passion in our eyes There's no way we could disguise it Secretly
So we take each other's hand 'Cause we seem to understand The urgency just remember You're the one thing I can't get enough of So I'll tell you something This could be love because
I've had the time of my life No I never felt like this before Yes I swear it's the truth And I owe it all to you
"Come home with me tonight," Darien murmured against her hair.
"Why?" she teased, tilting her head upward.
"I'm not ready to let you go," he said, and her heart melted. "That's the G-
rated version, in any case," he finished, and her melting smile took on a wicked edge.
"Sounds like a plan to me."
With my body and soul I want you more than you'll ever know So we'll just let it go Don't be afraid to lose control Yes I know what's on your mind When you say, "Stay with me tonight" Just remember You're the one thing I can't get enough of So I'll tell you something This could be love because
I've had the time of my life No I never felt like this before Yes I swear it's the truth And I owe it all to you
Serena and Darien drifted toward the door, smiling and waving their farewells. Raye and Chad looked up for a moment to wave in response before returning to their own universe. The pair stepped out into the night and as
Darien opened the passenger door for her, Serena looked up at the stars with a wink to whichever one of them had granted every wish she'd ever made.
*~*~*~*~*EPILOUGE*~*~*~*~*
TOKYO (Jap) Dr. Darien Chiba received an award last night for his genetic research. In his speech, he thanked his partners, assistants, parents for buying him his first chemistry set, and Serena Tsukino, his fiancée, for 'making him believe in miracles'. The pair intend to wed within the year, though they aren't making any definite plans. 'We might elope, we might have the wedding of the century,' Tsukino says. 'We're in no rush to decide.' Dr Chiba was named the third most eligible bachelor in the world by People magazine earlier this year, and there's more than one heart broken by news of his impending marriage. For better or worse, this eligible bachelor is off the list!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
FIN
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
There you have it. All The World's A Stage, completed. Took me long enough,
didn't it? Mwa ha. To those who have stuck with me from the first installment - It's been quite a ride since March of 2001 when I started writing this little fic, and I appreciate your support and good wishes more than I can say. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Lyra Matsuoka November 15, 2003
To Mary Annie, who's been there from the beginning and understands the way my mind works. And to wintercreek, the best beta and friend a girl could hope to have.
Disclaimer: If I owned anything interesting, my credit card bill wouldn't be something I would dread.
All The World's A Stage by Lyra Matsuoka Rated PG-13
Chapter 10
Most parties in life are at least mildly entertaining. One can usually locate one or two people that one can hold an intelligent conversation with and can move from there. Open bars and decent food can be considered a bonus, as they are not always provided. This is Category A, and Christmas parties thrown by the friend of a friend, and formal employment get togethers three days after one is formally employed are classified as such. Even better are parties wherein one knows the vast majority of those in attendance and can laugh, talk, and eat late into the night. This is Category B, and high school/college reunions, graduations and wedding receptions fall into this category. Then there are parties so stupendous, so amazing that people whisper about them in envy for the rest of the year, otherwise known as Category C. The Academy Awards and Golden Globes fall into this category.
The Three Lights had managed to create a new genre. Category D, a party filled with laughter, eclectic music, an open bar, sparkling decorations and a large dance floor. It was the party of the year, no doubt about it. The fact that everyone was arriving in masks only made the evening more entertaining.
The best part, Serena decided, was attempting to interpret costumes. Some people went for obvious...she had seen Robin Hood and Marian, Zorro, three astronauts and a Queen Elizabeth. Others went so subtle that they could have been anything. A man in a toga could have been anyone from Caesar to Euripides. Her favorite thus far was a woman with a floor length sequined dress, green eye shadow, green body glitter and spiked green hair.
"She's Envy," Raye decided, watching the as the stranger sparkled and
shimmied her way across the dance floor and toward the bar.
"She could be a Sour Apple martini," Chad suggested.
"Or a jalapeno pepper," Serena guessed.
The table dissolved in laughter as they all began looking around for the next likely victim. Upon arrival, the whole group had nabbed a large table near the dance floor for better viewing purposes and for a place to dump their stuff. Chad, Raye, Serena and Michael remained at the table while Sheridan and her date strolled hand in hand to the bar. At last check, the couple hadn't actually made it to the bar. They were engaged in dancing cheek-to-cheek, single-handedly
making three quarters of the room gag at their cute couple-ness.
"Check this one out," Chad said, pointing toward the door. A man in ice blues, whites and silvers stood next to a flame haired woman in golds, reds, yellows and browns. Icicles dripped from his mask, leaves covered hers.
"Autumn and Winter. No brainer," Raye said.
"Impressive," Michael said, sizing up the leaf jewelry the woman wore. "Expensively impressive."
"I may be wrong, but I surmise that the name of this game is 'impress
people you have never met and are unlikely to meet again'," Serena quipped.
"Don't knock that game. I like that game," Chad muttered as he rose. "The time has come for a bar run. Can I get anyone anything?"
"I'll come with you," Raye said, rising.
"I'm fine," Serena said. Michael nodded and gave his order while Serena surveyed the room. She watched Chad and Raye walk toward the bar, Chad's arm curled around Raye's waist. Amazing, but Raye didn't seem to mind. Serena smiled slightly. Ruby and Shadow, an unlikely couple.
She chatted idly with Michael for several minutes, but her eyes kept straying toward the door. Michael continued pointing out costumes - the outrageous, the costly, the tasteful and the astounding.
"The firecracker is my favorite."
"I like the conquistador."
"Why didn't we think of Masquerade Bingo? We could have sold the cards at the door and made a bundle."
Serena was watching the firecracker adjust her headdress when Michael
pointed toward the door.
"The faerie prince. My evening is complete."
Serena turned in her chair to see Darien, framed in the doorway and surveying the surroundings.
"He looks like he belongs in a VR game," Chad said, returning with drinks.
"He doesn't look the least bit ridiculous in that getup. Astounding. That decides it. He's not human. Any normal human being would have the decency to look bizarre," Raye muttered.
"I think he's looking for someone," Michael said.
"And I think he just found her," Chad continued. Serena smiled brightly as Darien turned toward their table. Quickly and quietly, Michael, Chad and Raye walked off. Serena didn't even notice.
Darien approached slowly, as if attempting to gauge her reaction, or possibly her mood. Or possibly whether or not she was concealing a weapon of death and/or destruction in her skirts. Serena watched with interest as Darien drew closer. He stopped just short of the table, and stood stiffly with his mask clutched in one hand.
"I stopped by The House," Darien began. There was a brief silence.
"I left you a note," Serena offered. Nothing like a statement of the obvious to break the ice...
"Yes, I found it."
"I thought a neon sign might be a bit obvious." There was a pause while the two of them smiled at one another.
"That is quite the outfit," Serena muttered, looking it over. For some reason she couldn't explain, that outfit seemed familiar. Was another guest
wearing it?
"You said that the last dance was mine," Darien said, his voice quiet and even.
"If you want it."
"How about the first dance?"
"As yet unclaimed," Serena said quietly. She watched as Darien tugged the plain black mask over his features.
"Not anymore," Darien said as he pulled her to her feet. Serena grabbed her mask and slipped it on just as they crossed onto the dance floor. The band struck up a swing tune and Serena laughed as she and Darien spun around the
floor. The man could really dance. Serena made a mental note to ask him where he had picked all this up. Raye and Chad joined them on the floor, and what they lacked in grace they made up in enthusiasm. They weren't bad though, Serena
noticed as her friends added a hip twist to the jitterbug. The floor filled up quickly with party guests swinging wildly, laughing and spinning through the song. High class executives and high priced lawyers hobnobbed with regular folk as partners were exchanged several times.
A cheer went up, starting at the door and creating a wave effect throughout the room, as the Lights made their grand appearance and joined the party immediately. Mina and Seiya swung quickly through the crowds to the center of the dance floor to the applause of an appreciative crowd.
Now this was a party.
From that point on it seemed that nothing could slow them down. Drinks flowed freely, food was passed around by waiters in spangled silver masks and the band was taking requests. Serena felt Darien's arm anchor itself around her waist, and she smiled as he led her towards an alcove.
"I apologize for not calling you," Darien began.
"Good to hear," Serena said, her eyes sparkling.
"And for the scene this afternoon. I don't know what came over me. I don't usually..."
Serena cut him off by wrapping her arms around his neck and molding her mouth to his. She sighed as one of his hands caressed her neck while the other made itself comfortable in the curve of her waist. His tongue swept along her lips and she parted them willingly. Which led to a rather extensive tasting
expedition on both sides. Which in turn led to a brief loss of time. Slowly, the rest of the world was tuned out as the two of them entered their own little
world.
'I've done this before. This same thing - the party, the music, this man...all of it - this is so familiar.'
In the middle of kissing the man she loved, Serena glimpsed a sparkling gown, a marble palace and a man with hair the color of midnight and eyes the sapphire blue of the ocean. The clothing was the same the expression was the same - full of love and hope and a bright promise of the future. Other brief pictures followed, but that still frame full of love remained central to the rest of the collage.
The images were like a dream - scattered, fragmented and over quickly, leaving no physical impression. But it confirmed the rightness of her situation, and Serena broke the kiss to smile slowly at Darien.
'This is perfect.'
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The rest of the night progressed smoothly, helped along by laughter and a lively band. Beryl arrived briefly, clutching the arm of an unknown and icily elegant blond, whom Darien identified as a junior executive in her father's
firm. She looked over toward Darien once or twice before throwing herself into the party with an overabundance of enthusiasm. Raye shook her head and made a few catty remarks, which Serena heard but didn't absorb. The woman wasn't worth another moment of her time.
The Three Lights basked in the glow of their success, showering their
friends and technicians with gifts. Hats, t-shirts, and towels emblazoned with the tour logo were given away as door prizes, and each member of the crew received a windbreaker with the tour logo and the word 'Crew' silk-screened on the back. Laughter accompanied the gifts, especially as the jackets didn't coordinate with formal wear. The band struck up again and the crowd dispersed, leaving a handful of people on the floor. The bar was crowded, and the tables were filling up as Darien and Serena circulated through the crowds. They mingled, introduced one another to various groups of friends, chatted and generally socialized. After all, Serena pointed out, that was the point of this party.
Various local celebrities came and went, and slowly the party began winding down. Finally the band announced that this would be the last dance and consulted their request list, looking for a suitable conclusion to a dazzling evening. Serena watched Seiya close the distance between his group and the stage to whisper in the lead singer's ear. The singer nodded and turned to the band. Serena raised an eyebrow at Seiya, who simply grinned and returned to Mina. The band struck the opening chords and Serena gasped, and then she laughed.
The Time of My Life (Medley/Warnes)
Now I've had the time of my life No I never felt like this before Yes I swear it's the truth and I owe it all to you 'Cause I've had the time of my life and I owe it all to you
I've been waiting for so long Now I've finally found someone To stand by me We saw the writing on the wall As we felt this magical Fantasy
The pair had moved on to the dance floor without giving it much conscious thought. They moved as a unit, giving themselves over to the moment and the
music. It was eerie, Serena thought, how the songs they danced to always seemed to reflect just how she was feeling. She opened her eyes to see Seiya and Mina smiling at her before they turned away. She grinned as she closed her eyes once more. Not a coincidence after all. Seiya was going to be insufferably smug after this. He was going to start playing matchmaker with all his friends. But she couldn't argue with the results.
Now with passion in our eyes There's no way we could disguise it Secretly
So we take each other's hand 'Cause we seem to understand The urgency just remember You're the one thing I can't get enough of So I'll tell you something This could be love because
I've had the time of my life No I never felt like this before Yes I swear it's the truth And I owe it all to you
"Come home with me tonight," Darien murmured against her hair.
"Why?" she teased, tilting her head upward.
"I'm not ready to let you go," he said, and her heart melted. "That's the G-
rated version, in any case," he finished, and her melting smile took on a wicked edge.
"Sounds like a plan to me."
With my body and soul I want you more than you'll ever know So we'll just let it go Don't be afraid to lose control Yes I know what's on your mind When you say, "Stay with me tonight" Just remember You're the one thing I can't get enough of So I'll tell you something This could be love because
I've had the time of my life No I never felt like this before Yes I swear it's the truth And I owe it all to you
Serena and Darien drifted toward the door, smiling and waving their farewells. Raye and Chad looked up for a moment to wave in response before returning to their own universe. The pair stepped out into the night and as
Darien opened the passenger door for her, Serena looked up at the stars with a wink to whichever one of them had granted every wish she'd ever made.
*~*~*~*~*EPILOUGE*~*~*~*~*
TOKYO (Jap) Dr. Darien Chiba received an award last night for his genetic research. In his speech, he thanked his partners, assistants, parents for buying him his first chemistry set, and Serena Tsukino, his fiancée, for 'making him believe in miracles'. The pair intend to wed within the year, though they aren't making any definite plans. 'We might elope, we might have the wedding of the century,' Tsukino says. 'We're in no rush to decide.' Dr Chiba was named the third most eligible bachelor in the world by People magazine earlier this year, and there's more than one heart broken by news of his impending marriage. For better or worse, this eligible bachelor is off the list!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
FIN
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
There you have it. All The World's A Stage, completed. Took me long enough,
didn't it? Mwa ha. To those who have stuck with me from the first installment - It's been quite a ride since March of 2001 when I started writing this little fic, and I appreciate your support and good wishes more than I can say. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Lyra Matsuoka November 15, 2003