(Untitled)

[fiendsoncue]

[OOM: On stage in the Ankh-Morpork Opera House, the two Ghosts face off... Most dialogue taken directly from Maskerade by Terry Pratchett.]

The door flies open.

There should, it seems, be a crash of thunder lit by a flare of lightning sillhouetting a dark cloaked figure in the doorway... But there isn't.

The figure is dark and cloaked, however,

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[buriedmybrother]

Antigone has finished her ice cream by now, and is frowning down thoughtfully at a notebook.

Her eyes widen in alarm as the figure bursts through the door nearly in front of her, and she can't help but think that the face is familiar--

[fiendsoncue]

Salzella, caughts off guard, staggers melodramatically, sword still caught under his arm, until he sees her face, and hate burns even through the automatic affronted glare.

"...Oh. You!"

[buriedmybrother]

The look in his eyes hits her like a slap.

Leaving the notebook where it lies, Antigone scrambles to her feet, keeping the chair between them.

"What do you want?"

[fiendsoncue]

"I can never get away, it seems!" he glares, advancing in a fury. "I die and no, it's another twist in the great and stupid operatic plot of life!! I will not accept it! There are always people like you in this place!!!!"

[buriedmybrother]

Antigone glances around for someone she knows, someone to help--

He's mad.

"Stay away from me," she warns, snatching up the nearest weapon available to her-- Saionji's notebook-- and wielding it desperately as she retreats.

[fiendsoncue]

"See! See!!!" he exclaims at passers by.

"Everyone in this place seems to think their life is some kind of performance, and they are the hero!!!"

And the rapier is raised, point unwaveringly level with her throat.

"...What do you think you can do with that book, you fool?"

[feintsoncue]

Ahahahahaha!!!!!

There's a flash of black from the rafters and down drops... The Opera Ghost! Complete with mask, and black cape, this one certainly looks more the part than the new arrival.

He bows dramatically to Anitgone, and spins to face Salzella, reaching for a sword...

...a sword that he's not wearing. A beat of hesitatiton and he pulls out the rapier from under his opponent's arm.

Aha!

[buriedmybrother]

Antigone stares.

What is going on here?

[fiendsoncue]

Salzella's attention is diverted. So.

So.

Dramatically, angrily, Salzella holds up a finger. He needs a moment. One must observe the... traditions of this kind of thing. Out of his pocket comes a small crumpled piece of white card. He unfolds it carefully and unhurriedly.

Damn creases.

Then he smooths is over his face, and it becomes not a mask, but a face. Only right they should both wear these.

He raises the rapier at his silent opponent.

En guarde!

[feintsoncue]

The Real GhostTM waits patiently for the mask to be in place, before flicking his rapier in salute.

En guarde indeed.

[buriedmybrother]

It's a duel, then.

Only the very stupid get caught in the middle of a duel.

Antigone backs away hurriedly, moving towards the growing crowd that the two cloaked figures have drawn.

[fiendsoncue]

And with a perfectly executed theatrical lunge, Salzella attacks.

He will not lose again! No!

Ahahaha!!!!

[feintsoncue]

And with a perfectly executed theatrical step back, the Ghost parries.

This one is not already tired from another duel.

[fiendsoncue]

Salzella fights oddly, a mix of perfect and showy moves, like something you'd see on the stages, and graceless rushes, filled with fury.

He wants to win. He wants to kill him, but that's not how things work.

The magic of opera works both ways, and now it's against him.

[feintsoncue]

Against him, for the Ghost. The Ghost that never misses a step, never failed to parry.

The Ghost that is not Walter Plinge. that has been away from his Mum for over a year. The Ghost that has lived in Milliways in all that time and seen things that Walter has never seen in his life at the Opera House.

The Ghost that fights fluidly and dramatically, like stage fighting, but with something just that little bit more determined.

[fiendsoncue]

And because Salzella thinks he can anticipate this Walter, because he thinks he knows, because he's tired from the first fight, he's not as good as perhaps he could have been.

After all, the villain can't ever win can he?

...

can he?