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((That will only happen if we do the Final Lair Scene. No one has suggested any alternatives to that ending, but I am still accepting suggestions *hint hint nudge nudge wink wink* for it.

However, there will be no changing the ending so that Christine chooses Erik instead of Raoul. It is an unfortunate ending for Erik, but it is really what makes it such a good story. Beauty doesn't always choose the beast, and not everyone gets to live happily ever after. Any other ideas will be considered...even ones that delve into fantasy and the supernatural will be looked at seriously.

Really, I've been practically begging for suggestions. One would think that people would like to inject their own ideas into the plot, but I digress.))

(( Here are some edits I made on our chars. ))

Meg waited at the top of te stairs. She was waiting for her mother and was wearing her white dress.

((Here goes!))

Antoinette stared at the small mirror mounted above her vanity. The yellow-black dress she had been saving for years was finally getting some use. The corset she had under it had slimmed her waist enough to give her the figure of a young girl again, as her updone hair pulled her wrinkles straight. She looked almost twenty-eight now, she thought with a smile.

All the years before Antoinette had celebrated the New Year by helping with the Bal Masque and then staying with her daughter the rest of the night. This year Meg was allowed to attend (though she wasn't sure if it was because she was at an appropriate enough age or the managers were just perverse) and both had been excited to know that the evening would be celebrated in full.

Even tonight she had disgarded her cane for a lovely fan that also doubled as a mask. Though she didn't doubt that her knees had the ability to give out on her tonight, she did not want to be stopped from having this bit of fun.

With a flick of her wrist, Antoinette opened the fan and moved out of the room to join the party on the grand staircase.

~~**~~

The festivities were already under way and had long been so since evening fell. The grand staircase had silk streams coiled about the banisters, every now and again stopped short to show a gorgeous large bow.

Tables off to the sides of the room were swarming with little trays of snacks, champagne bottles aleady filled and bubbling, and another table was brandishing quite a lovely collection of brandy, whiskey, and schnopps. The managers had gone all-out for this wonderful celebration.

There were men done up in gold body paint, standing still before the equally gold statuettes on the bottom of both banisters. If one merely glanced by, they looked real. But they were watching as the dancers moved about in waltz formation, some even being devious enough to twirl more than a 'one, two, three' allowed.

Men and women done up in various costumes, all donning some combination of gold, black, and creme white, whirled about the room. Some laughed, some jut merely smiled.

One man was dressed as a skeleton, a woman was done up like a jester. Another man sported a bat-like cape as his dance partner was dressed like a peacock. A few women were dressed like cats, a few other men were dressed as dogs and bulls. Animals, creatures, and outrageous costumes abounded all around the room.

But they all had one thing in common.

They all wore a mask.

And then, Reyer struck up his orchestra and the dancing continued.

"Masquerade! Paper faces on parade! Masquerade; hide your face so the world will never find you!

Masquerade! Every face a different shade--Masquerade! Look around there's another mask behind you!"

Down the stairs some Birds and Faeries and Angels came, waving their fans about as Cats and Mice and even someone dressed like a balloon walked up and around the bottom steps. All danced in celebration.

"Flash of mauve, splash of puce. Fool and king, ghoul and goose. Green and black, queen and priest. Trace of rouge, face of beast. Faces! Take a turn, take a ride on a merry-go-round (in an unhuman race!)!

Eye of gold, thigh of blue. True is false, who is who? Curl of lip, swirl of gown. Ace of hearts, face of clown. Faces! Drink it in, drink it up 'till you drown in light in the sound!"

A couple moved their masks away, "But who can name the face?"

All at once men and women alike open gold and black fans, waving them about in motions before covering their faces. A few moved them away and danced on as others did as they pleased by making more motions with the fans. A few women twirled away, flirting with the body paint-covered men. They only stared on.

"Masquerade! Grinning yellows, spinning reds! Masquerade; take your fill, let the spectacle astound you! Masquerade! Burning glances, turning heads--Masquerade! Stop and stare at the sea of smiles around you!"

The orchestra quieted as once again, the creatures on the steps hid their masked faces behind their fans. They still moved about as if dancing, others on the marble floor still dancing and twirling.

"Masquerade! Seething shadows, breathing lies! Masquerade; you can fool any friend whoever knew you!"

Reyer moved his arms in an upwards motion, the orchestra responding by letting the volume rise and the exciting music pour out once more. The guests in turn got louder with their joyous song.

"Masquerade! Leering satyrs, peering eyes! Masquerade; run and hide, but a face will still pursue you!"

Just then, Carlotta and the tenor, Piangi made a grand entrance walking hand-in-hand like true lovers. Carlotta held up a golden domino mask in front of her face, done up like a gold peacock. Piangi was matching only in color, looking like the sultan of Persia. Both laughed and greeted people as they descended the stairs, among the dancers.

"What a night!"

"What a crowd!"

Both Italians looked to one another, laughing.

((And here I cut off for the managers' lines. Sorry it took me so long. Haven't been feeling well all of tonight so I worked on this post on and off. The lyrics should be all right. Thank the stars for the PotO companion. ))

((I'm gonna take minor control of the managers since they have one or two lines left of this and I don't think it's that big o' deal. Sorry, Jurori. ^^; ))

Carlotta waved invitingly at both managers, smiling broadly and chuckling. Piangi gave the Italian woman a look before directing it towards the managers and their companions for the evening. It was ignored as passing couples waved and greeted them before dancing away.

"Watching us watching them!"

"And all our fears are in the past!"

All four laughed, finding the bottom of the stairs as Piangi whisked Carlotta off for a brief twirl. The managers looked about, both men quite pleased with the outcome of this party. Looking to eachother, they nodded and smiled pleasantly back at their dates who gave them in return, albeit not as enthusiastically.

"Three months of relief!"

"Of delight!"

"Of Elysion peace!"

"And we can breathe at last!"

A couple came to greet the managers and they shook hands, delighted they could make it. Carlotta was flirting with one of the body-painted men, who was dubiously ignoring her. Piangi was helping himself to a couple of weenies on a stick.

"No more notes!"

"No more ghost!"

"Here's to health!"

"Here's a toast to a prosperous year!"

A few champagne glasses were raised and clinked together. A great big 'cheers!' rose amidst the music. The dancing continued.

"To our friends who are here!"

"And may our splendor never fade!"

Just then, Antoinette and her daughter, Meg entered from the top of the stairs. Meg was dressed in white as a masqued angel and her Mother done up in an oriental garb. One woman who was part of the dancing and who worked as a costume maker, recognised the dress and gave the elder Giry a look that could burn firewood. The dancing mistress gave one right back tenfold. The woman looked away.

Both the ballet mistress and the dancer joined the managers and leading Opera singers down by the foot of the stairs, all smiles.

"What a blessed release!"

Antoinette waved her fan, shutting it.

"And what a Masquerade!"

((Cutting it here just in case Raoul & Christine wanted their little moment of the song. I wasn't sure if my total NPCing covered that.))

((Not a problem, Utakan. It would've been a pain to try and have us do those lines separately.))

Monsieur Reyer gave a twirl of his conductor's wand, then gave the signal for the music to quiet down slightly. Over the song, he could hear laughter and loud talking. His eyes were dazzled with colors and lights that would normally have set off a huge headache. But with the slight giddiness he'd gained from a glass of champagne and with so few stressful incidents over the past couple of months, all the flashiness did was make him smile and add a little flourish here and there to his movements.

Ah, what a night..

Meg whirled around on the dance floor with a stage hand. She was beautiful and tonight she was the angel of the opera.