Disclaimer: Don't own POTO, blah, blah…
Oh my goodness…the reviews have been pouring in! We're closing in on 100! (muffled voice from underneath the mail) Oh, my, Erik, there you are. Well, like I said I do have ideas for the girls' costumes but some of your suggestions have got me thinking. What do you think, Erik?
Erik scans suggestions, "Who is Britney Spears?"
You don't want to know.
depploverphan1: Welcome! Were you disappointed by Johnny's second Oscar loss? I have to admit I wasn't really miffed by this one…if he didn't win for bloody brilliant Captain Jack Sparrow then what's the point?
megan h: Hello, again! That's kind of funny about that line being from Mean Girls b/c my response (as I said) was from a movie too. It's called We're No Angels starring the absolutely wonderful Humphrey Bogart. (dons fedora and trench coat)
Phantress: (runs up to give a hug) There you are! I've been waiting for you! And your review was so awesome. I actually own Scarlett's drape dress and one of my friends has the BBQ dress. Love GWTW! I felt so bad! I'm not actually gonna be "showing" you the dance lessons. But since you love the idea so much I just have to fit a dance scene in another chapter somewhere (heck maybe I'll find some room for it in here…a little Anna/Erik fluff maybenot much cause I like very subtle romance) Hurrah for Gerry's bootylicious body!
Allison: Hmm, let's see Anna and Brooke could go as the chicks from Castle Anthrax and Erik could be that psycho black knight. Come back here you coward! I'll bite your legs off!
Mrs. Tom Riddle: I totally sympathize on the whole Gerard's dead sexy voice thing. And yes, Snape rocks. I (heart) Alan Rickman.
THELadyRedDeath: I always hated playing anything that went above that really high A flat. My poor dog…that little simile/metaphor/whatever was a tribute to Bailey and his poor ears listening to me practice.
Songwind: I love you back (warm fuzzies). You know the thing I love about Gerry, especially in "Wandering Child", is that his voice has soul, you know? (faints) But yeah that little idea at the end of your review might be making an appearance sometime in the near future.
childofthewilderness: Oh I love Munkustrap! And Mistofflees (how do you spell that? oh well). Rum Tum Tugger is my favorite though. Yeah, I know Erik is a little on the fluffy side but that's with the cousins, he has a soft spot for them. But Christine and Raoul are going to be showing up more and then we'll see some of Erik's darker sides (all in good humor of course)
Oh, yes, Erik?
" I think I've uncovered some exceptional concepts for Anna and Brooke's costumes. They're from Aurora, Cold Fate & enigmatic mystery."
Kewl beans. On with the show then. And if I do say so myself, this is gonna be a good one. (WARNING: This story is gonna go from major fluff to major chaos in, like, .5 seconds somewhere in the middle)
XXXXXxxxxxXXXXX
THE MASQUERADE AND A RAOUL HUNT
Brooke emerged from the bathroom in the Louis-Phillipe room. The girls were temporarily allowed to take back their old room in order to spare Erik the horror of sharing his private bathroom with two primping females.
"What do you think, Anna?" she said, turning in a slow, elegant circle. They had to rely on each other's opinions since there were no mirrors in the house by the lake. Anna stood back to admire her cousin.
The fabric of her gown appeared faded and almost decayed in some places. It rustled like paper when she moved. The petticoats all varied in length, each was a slightly different shade from the other, one tinged with smoky grey, another with fainting lavender, another dying yellow. Her hair was swooped back and held in place by tarnished gold combs. The soft slippers on her feet were worn. The neckline scooped low enough for a little cleavage to be seen. Brooke was painfully aware of this fact, but she maintained an air of grace despite her discomfiture.
Limp pink rosettes were spattered carelessly across her bodice. Shimmering on the longest skirt panel, written in delicate gold embroidery thread was Poe's "Annabelle Lee."
"You look fantastic! How about mine?"
Anna stood out in stark contrast with her cousin. She wore a black gown fashioned like something a Greek goddess might have worn, made of flowing and rippling fabric that appeared to have been fashioned from black water. A silver chain studded with smoky quartz girdled her waist. Her sandaled feet peeped out from beneath the skirts. She had dyed her hair black for the occasion but had managed to avoid appearing ridiculous. Indeed, the severe color suited her pale complexion. Silver and quartz sparkled dully on the bands running across the crown of her head. Strapped to her back was a pair of magnificent raven's wings, so well constructed that it seemed she might spread them and take flight at any moment.
Two panels of sheer black fabric extended from her shoulders and connected with cold silver bracelets entwined about her wrists. Upon the inner parts of these, in spidery silver thread, was written "The Raven."
"I love it. There's Erik knocking. Let's go," Brooke breathed. The cousins grasped hands for one last bit of reassurance before stepping out into the sitting room where their escort waited impatiently.
Erik had his back turned to the door when the girls came out. They heard him mumbling something about "bloody women taking forever," but they were too stunned to make their presence known.
There stood the Red Death. The golden warning blazed across the rich red velvet cloak. His head was crowned by a glorious hat, red as wine, plumed with vermillion ostrich feathers. He stood tall. His body thin but so graceful it nearly made them cry.
Anna's heart hammered against her rib cage. She shook uncontrollably. All this time she had seen him as their sweet, indulgent guardian, too tender to ever harm a fly, but now she realized with terror that she had been playing with a lion. He was the Phantom of the Opera! So carelessly had she used that title, only now did she feel the full impact of its deadly power. She was frightened by her revelation yet at the same time she felt an indescribable thrill. An astonished gasp escaped her lips and the Red Death turned to face them.
Erik's heart jumped. He hardly recognized the women standing before him. They were not the adorable, obnoxious children he had seen early that morning at breakfast. Here before his unmasked gaze stood a shadowy angel and an ethereal spirit. Hidden by their silk masks the young women were like creatures of a realm unknown to him. It was profoundly disturbing.
"Well, what do you think?" Anna's familiar voice coming from the Raven startled Erik.
"You are very beautiful, both of you," he replied.
"Let's to the dance then," the Spirit said in Brooke's voice.
Erik offered each girl a red-sleeved arm.
XXXXXXXxxxxxxXXXXXX
The Raven and the Spirit made their entrance alone. Red Death waited in the shadows. He had an urgent mission that he could not forget. Standing back out of sight he watched as the elite men of Paris fell over themselves to win a dance with the mysterious ladies clothed like death.
Whether by accident or on purpose, the Raven eventually came to stand back to back with a little black domino, anxiously scanning the room for her partner. Though they wore the same color, the contrast between them was astonishing. Deep inside, Erik had to admit that the domino looked pathetically childish alongside the striking Raven. What was he thinking? He shook his head. What was here for? Oh, yes…Christine.
The heartless chit had raised herself on her ballerina's toes to gaze above the heads of the crowd. He knew she was not looking for him. Erik was about to step out of the shadows to glide past her when an outburst of familiar giggling caught his ears. Apparently the Raven was enjoying herself enormously. She had moved away from the black domino and stood surrounded by admiring ball guests. She was putting the French he had taught her to good use, giggling and flirting her way into the hearts of those dull, moronic men. Erik was surprised to feel a pang of jealousy.
Forgetting the black domino and her ill intentions, Red Death emerged from his hiding place into the bright light of the ballroom. Gasps and cries arose from the decadent Parisians at his startling appearance. They parted before him like the Red Sea before Moses as he moved across the room with smooth grace. No doubt the black domino was shaking with terror but Red Death paid her no mind.
When he reached the Raven he stopped and held out a gloved hand to her, an invitation to dance.
A plump Viking sputtered indignantly, "I say, sir, the next dance is mine!"
Neither Red Death nor the Raven appeared to have heard him. She accepted the hand and he drew her out to the dance floor. Sweeping his cape aside, Erik took her into his arms as the maestro began the waltz. They whirled about the floor with such fluid motion that the onlookers thought they might be flying. Anna's head reeled. She desperately feared that her miserable dancing skills would mar the moment but Erik seemed to impart some of his elegance to her. His closeness and the pounding in her throat drowned out all sound except for the music. She felt herself giving in to a strange, wonderful trance.
The end of the dance jarred Anna out of her dreamlike state. Suddenly the opulence of the room seemed so ordinary. She was deeply grateful that the mask hid her disappointment.
Erik's thoughts cleared and he released the Raven. With stern indifference he glided away, aware that she still watched him.
XXXXXxxxxxXXXXX
The Spirit had not put so much effort into her flirting as the Raven had done. She stood brooding silently for so long that the other guests began to think she might really be a ghost. Her sulking green eyes stayed on the black domino. She was vaguely aware that Erik and Anna were dancing together. She observed them for a minute then she saw a white domino materialize beside his black counterpart.
All at once her eyes took on a crazed hungry look that Anna recognized from across the room. The Raven forgot her jilted feelings as she stole after the Spirit who quietly followed the two little dominos into the theatre.
Red Death followed as well.
XXXXxxxxXXXX
"What are you doing?" Anna hissed as she caught up with her cousin.
"I am stalking Raoul," Brooke announced. Anna almost felt sorry for the boy. He wouldn't know what hit him if Brooke found them. The Spirit had broken out of her aloof, sad character to march resolutely along the dark corridor, flinging open the doors of the private box seats. The Raven was close on her heels.
Brooke flung open the third door with vicious force. The cousins were greeted by a waft of reeking brandy. A fat sailor and a skinny gypsy sprang apart from what appeared to be a very intimate position.
"Heh, heh, care to join us, angels?" the sailor snorted. His partner let out a shrieking giggle. Anna slammed the door shut.
"Ew."
Brooke didn't wait to think about it. She was already heading for the fourth door.
"Raoul, Raoul, Raoul," she moaned quietly, sounding like the ghost whose dress she wore.
"Stop that or I'll slap you," Anna growled.
"But don't you think he has such a lovely name?" Brooke peered into box four…nothing.
"It has three vowels in it. All in a row."
"So? It's such a beautiful sound. Raoul!"
"It sounds like the noise my dog would make when he dragged his butt across the carpet."
They had reached box five. Brooke went to throw the door open when Anna laid a hand on her bare arm to restrain her.
"Wait. Let's just crack it open a little." The door opened soundlessly, just enough so both girls could peek inside without being seen by the box's occupants. The black domino was clinging to the white domino at the far end of the box.
"Ugh. She looks like a leech putting the moves on a—"
"A glass of milk?"
"Shut up. You'd think she'd be smart enough to choose a box not listed as among the Phantom's favorite haunts."
"That would seem to be the obvious logic wouldn't it," agreed a calm, cold voice. The girls were suddenly aware of a very tall, very red presence behind them. They turned slowly to face the Red Death. The faint gaslights threw sinister shadows across his imposing figure, but the Raven and the Spirit did not shrink from him. A distant observer would have thought the three strange apparitions to be equals.
"What is going on in there?" Erik asked desperately.
"Nothing," Anna answered quickly. A burst of shouts penetrated the thick door. Brooke leaned her ear against it.
"Oh, snap!"
"What?"
"He just called her a whore or a slut or something like that. Which is very true."
Erik raged, "That son of a—"
ZING!
"Ouch!" He rubbed his ear where the tip of a sleek parchment airplane had crashed. He picked it up to read its message.
Hullo, Authoress here. Let's watch the language please.
"Is that word PG-13 level?" Anna mused.
"Whatever!" Erik seethed. "May I go now?"
Yes! Let the chaos begin!
XXXXXXxxxxxXXXX
Christine screamed loud enough to wake the dead when the terrifying red specter thundered into the box and shattered her comfy R/C moment. Raoul nearly peed his pants.
Red Death lunged at the white domino, but the boy managed to duck out of the way, and went tearing down the corridor. Erik was close behind him.
Meanwhile Christine was unceremoniously freaking out. "He'll kill him! He'll kill him!"
Brooke joined her howling.
"SHUT UP!" Anna roared. "I have a plan."
Christine glared at the Raven, her huge eyeballs nearly popping out of her skull. "And what exactly is that?"
Anna hauled back one fist and belted the soprano straight on the nose.
Christine dropped like a rock. Brooke stood gazing admiringly at her cousin.
"You're my hero."
All at once frantic yelling and maniacal laughter issuing from the catwalks above the stage assaulted their ears.
"Raoul!" Brooke gasped in horror. She grabbed Anna's wrist and bolted out the door.
XXXXxxxxXXXX
Erik towered over the cowering white lump, basking in the awesome glory of his power.
"Let's finish this right now, fop!" he hissed.
Raoul poked his head out from behind his trembling arms, "What did you call me?"
Anna and Brooke arrived just in time to here the Vicomte shout, "No one calls me a fop…FREAK!"
"Uh, oh." They saw Erik reaching for the Punjab Lasso. Once that little cord of cat's gut twisted itself around the boy's skinny neck it was curtains for the Vicomte de Changy. Panic-stricken, Brooke sank her nails into Anna's arms.
"STOP HIM!"
"Ouch! How do you stop the Phantom of the Opera?" Anna cried. Her cousin jerked her close, the blue eyes glittering madly. Anna was seriously worried.
"JUST DO IT!"
"All right!...Here goes nothing." With a triumphant crow of "NEVER MORE!" the Raven bravely launched herself at Red Death, black wings snapping open so that she soared like a huge bat. She caught him around the middle and took him down.
"Let go! I want to kill him! Miserable little bugger!" Erik shrieked. He twisted and writhed. Anna clung to him for dear life. It was a long drop to the stage below. Anna hooted happily, reveling in the insanity of the moment.
Raoul looked stunned for a moment at the giant black bird that had been his bizarre rescuer; then began to scramble the opposite direction.
A loud whoop sounded from behind the struggling mass of black and red. Raoul glanced up to see a white blur sailing over the Phantom and his captor. Was it a bird? Was it a plane? Did he even know what a plane was? He did know it was heading straight for him!
Brooke tackled the Vicomte, flattening him against the catwalk. She giggled gleefully and snuggled against his chest. Behind them Erik stopped fighting against Anna when he saw the Spirit clutching her prey, figuring she would smother him to death in her blind enthusiasm. Quiet descended on the strange foursome.
Raoul stared at his ghostly attacker in shock. What do you know? It was that mysterious spirit lady he had been checking out in the ballroom just before he'd heard Christine calling for him.
Erik and Anna lay panting side by side.
"I don't believe it!" Erik gasped as Brooke reached up to plant a good kiss on the Vicomte's mouth.
"I do," Anna muttered.
Suddenly from somewhere below a creepy voice hollered, "Macbeth!"
All the color drained from Erik's face, "Oh sh—"
CRACK! The catwalk gave way, sending its occupants flailing for the surrounding ropes. Brooke and Raoul wailed loudly like kittens caught on a precarious tree limb, clinging to a thin strand of safety.
"Help meeeee!" That scream came from the Raven who had lost hold of her rope and was plummeting to the floor below. Erik and Brooke cried out in horror. Raoul joined them simply because it seemed the done thing.
Anna braced herself for impact but the painful smack of body meeting floor never came. Looking up in astonishment she saw her wings fully extended and carefully lowering her to the ground. Erik and Brooke shimmied down their ropes and came rushing to her.
"Are you all right?" they clamored.
"Yes, yes, let's get out of here."
"Wait! Don't leave me up here all by myself!" The trio turned to stare up at the Vicomte still gripping his rope in sheer terror.
"Really, Brooke, I don't know what you see in him," Anna remarked.
Erik sniggered evilly, "Let's leave him up there or better still, let's set the rope on fire."
"No! Erik, please catch him!"
"What!"
"Please!" Brooke pleaded desperately. Anna rolled her brown eyes. Erik rolled his blue eyes.
"Fine." Erik stomped beneath Raoul. "All right, fop! I'll catch you and I promise I won't try to kill you until both of your feet are on the ground."
"I don't trust you!" Raoul hollered back.
"A very wise decision." Erik began to walk away.
"Wait! All right!" Raoul gritted his teeth and counted to three before releasing the rope and dropping into the Phantom's arms. Erik dumped him on the ground as though he were diseased.
Raoul staggered to his feet, edging his way to the orchestra pit, but when he looked up to face those three frightening beings all he saw was a dark, empty stage.
XXXXXxxxxXXXX
Whew! (wipes brow) All right everyone take a bow! Red Death, the Raven, the Spirit and the white domino all bow.