His cane announced his presence as it made a clacking sound against the floor when he walked. He should have covered the bottom with felt or put some kind of charm on it or something. But he hadn’t. And now there was no way he could sneak up on anyone if he wanted to. Well, he could always just carry the cane but that would be more annoying than walking with it the rest of the night.

But he needed the cane to complete the effect of his costume. It wasn’t the type of cane used by an old man for walking purposes. No, it was a sophisticated kind of cane, one a gentleman would be seen using. And for as disfigured in both physique and personality, the Phantom of the Opera couldn’t be seen without a cane.

Nor could he be seen without a mask. And that he most certainly had. It was white and covered up the left half of his face, stuck to him with a very convenient charm. A charm, several actually, were used to create the grotesque features of his face that were not covered up by the mask.

He sauntered into the masque like he owned the place, like it was his own opera house to haunt and linger in, one of his face mangled and discouraging, the other cool and classic.