Cirque Nocturne (cirquenocturne) wrote in cirque_rp, @ 2020-10-26 20:43:00 |
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Entry tags: | !event, !important, ac: october 20 |
For nearly a year, the gate of Le Cirque Nocturne were closed, the property dark. It sat silent and still, cloaked in shadows and secrets. Unlike most abandoned places, the Cirque wasn't subject to destruction or trespassing; humans in the area felt the strong sense that they should not be there when they came close. Even children, those with the strongest drive to explore, were never even able to wrap their small hands around the wrought-iron gates before turning and scampering away. Despite there being no signs of life in the property, there still seemed to be something there in the dark... although that was surely just the trick of overactive human imaginations.
In October 2020, in the days before Halloween, things began to happen on the grounds of the Cirque, away from the prying eyes of humans and former employees. Slowly, subtly, the circus began to come back to life. Cobwebs were swept away by unseen hands, paths cleared, trees trimmed back and leaves raked. Fresh coats of paint began appearing on buildings. Some of the attractions changed, others appearing or disappearing seemingly at will. If there had been anyone to see, they might have suspected that Management had awoken from a long slumber, but some of the changes had a feel completely uncharacteristic of Cirque's Management.
In the Frozen Gardens, a castle wrought of snow, ice, and stone appeared, glamoured so as not to be revealed to any human eyes. In the Menagerie, a similar structure flickered into existence, wound with vines and surrounded by lush gardens, a sort of fairytale castle. In the Plantation House, the chamber that had once belonged to the Cirque's Ringmaster was sealed, the doors closed with magic so strong that they were all but impossible to open. Other chambers appeared: The Summer Lounge, the Winter Parlor, the Room of Accords.
On October 30th, in the hours just before midnight, things seemed to accelerate in the circus. Warm and cold winds warred on the grounds, leaving sweeping changes in their wake. Lights were restored, decorations hung, stores stocked. The kitchens were cleaned and their pantries restocked; new costumes appeared on racks in the costume-shop, and new makeup in dressing rooms.
And in the center of the grounds, at the very heart of Cirque Nocturne, a roaring flame was kindled beneath the Cauldron. From this magical center energy began to pour, shifting in waves of color and power.
At the stroke of midnight, the true beginning of All Hallow's Eve, a ripple of magic seemed to spread outward from the Cauldron, moving through the world like the shockwave in the wake of an atomic bomb. It was powerful, but subtle, its effects gentle to those who fell under the spell. Those former employees who were still awake suddenly became very tired, most choosing to find their beds; those who didn't simply fell asleep where they sat or stood within a few minutes. Then, they... disappeared. Quietly, without any drama, they simply ceased to be where they had been, with the world around them continuing on as if they had never been there at all.
In the wee hours of All Hallows Eve, those former employees found themselves returned to the circus, to the beds in the rooms where they had once lived inside the Plantation House. Their belongings were all in place, down to their current wardrobes and toiletries. Cressida found her service dog asleep on the foot of her bed, furry muzzle resting on a bone with a crimson bow tied around it. Marcus woke with an iPad on his chest, linked directly into the systems of the Hub. Devon was provided with sheafs of new sheet-music, all propped neatly on an expensive piano in her rooms. In the moments after they woke, former employees found their quarters changing to suit their current needs and wants, aligning to them as if they had never left the circus.
In the Dining Room an impossibly long table was laid with a feast so large that the wood seemed to groan under its weight. Dishes both mundane and definitely not mundane were present, endless pitchers of drinks and bottles of wine, mugs of beer that refilled when half-emptied. The entire house was decorated for the season, lit with candles that provided spooky ambiance, hung with wreaths of bright fall leaves, scattered with interesting knick-knacks.
Again, it was as if they had never left, aside from the lack of a Ringmaster there to welcome them back. Employees attempting to find him would meet only the closed doors of his former chambers, impenetrable and silent.