The Night Circus Meme

[twistingkage]

The Night Circus Meme


"The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night." - Erin Morgenstern

As you wander the grounds of Le Cirque des Rêves, black and white striped tents on all sides try to catch your attention. Which tent will you choose? Who will you meet in the tent? Or maybe you're a performer, ready to dazzle your audience as they walk in.

How does this meme work?
1 - Post a comment with your character's name and canon in subject.
2 - Set a scene or give some preferences.
3 - Tag others.

The Choices (expanded!)


1 - Isobel - The fortune teller. The tent is dark and silent. As you walk in, the noise and laughter of the rest of the circus falls away. As you feel blindly along the velvet tent walls, you encounter a beaded curtain. Will the fortune-teller tell your future? Are you the one seated behind the table? Have you stumbled into someone else's session and now must apologize or commiserate? Or maybe the fortune teller has left for a few moments, leaving behind nothing on the table but a set of black and white Tarot cards.

2 - Tsukiko - The contortionist. The contortionist does not have a tent. Round a corner, follow the path that circles the tents and you are likely to find the contortionist performing feats of extraordinary dexterity and flexibility, slowly stuffing herself (or himself!) into a small glass box on the ground. Perhaps you're watching in awe with your friend, or you're trying to speak to the contortionist. Or you and your fellow visitors are trading gasps of wonder.

3 - Widget and Poppet - The animal trainers. The trainers perform outside of the tents, coaxing a multitude of black and white kittens to dance, to leap through hoops and run up and down curious and delighted audience members. Or maybe slip into the tent behind them, where two other animal trainers do similar tricks with leopards and panthers. Or perhaps you are the performer, and you and your partner have some unexpected tricks for the audience.

4 - The Illusionist - The illusionist performs in a small, black and white striped tent that holds no more than twenty. With theatrical gestures, the illusionist transforms a gentleman's scarf into a half-dozen white doves, produces flames that dance but do not burn, and even causes a tree to grow from an empty seat, pure white and silver blossoms blooming before the audience's eyes. Is it magic?

5 - Celia and Marco - The lovers. The fantastic circus and all its wonders are nothing but a backdrop for the forbidden love that has blossomed between the two of you. How will you keep your love a secret? Kisses stolen between striped tents? Bittersweet goodbyes as the sun rises and the wrought iron gates of the Night Circus close for another day?

6 - Cloud Maze - This tent is one of the tallest in the circus, and once you slip between the black and white striped flaps, you see a tower of fluffy white mist. As you touch the mist, it is soft and warm against your hand. The more you explore, the more you see hanging platforms, ropes, and ribbons hidden among the white clouds. Through them you can climb to the top of the tower of white cloud. Do not be afraid of falling or jumping off the tower or the platforms, for the white misty clouds will support your weight, catch and envelop you in white.

7 - Bedtime Stories - This tent is small, almost hidden among the rest of the circus. Within is a room filled with shelves and tables, and bottles and jars litter every flat surface. Open a bottle, and a scent escapes. Breathe deep, and a story unfurls for you, so real that you can feel every touch. Will you share the stories with your companion? Or dare each other to try ever stranger experiences?

8 - The Wishing Tree - There is nothing in this tent except a sprawling tree that bears candles instead of leaves. Many of the candles are lit, their flames flickering in the slight breeze that permeates the tent. A card on the tree instructs you to take a candle from the tree and make a wish on it, lighting it with the flame from another wish. What will you wish for? It's said that wishes lit on the Wishing Tree come true...

9 - The Ice Garden - Everything inside this tent is white, and it takes only a moment to notice that the sprawling garden within the tent is created entirely of ice. Every posy petal, every delicate branch of a tree. The 'grass' beneath your feet is pure white snow, and brushing by a tree will send another sprinkle of white onto your head. How will you and your companion explore this place?

10 - The Labyrinth - This tent is just like any other from the outside, but as you walk in, it changes. Perhaps you'll find yourself in a library that smells of leather and is lit by flickering candles. Or a valley full of fine white sand flanked by rolling hills. Or maybe you find yourself in a giant silver birdcage. The possibilities within the Labyrinth are endless, but there are always two constants:
1 - the way into each new part of the labyrinth is not the way out.
2 - there is always a way out.

11 - The Living Statues - Scattered throughout the circus are statues. Statues so real that they seem to be human, but so still that they cannot be anything but an illusion. The lovers. The angel. The ballerina. All of them seem to stand without moving, but by the end of the night, the lovers are embracing, the angel has offered someone a flawless white rose, the ballerina has pirouetted her evening away. Do you stand and try to catch the statues moving? Or do you try to provoke them into moving? Or perhaps just stand and speak with one of the others also doing the same.

12 - A Drop of Moonlight - The Circus' refreshments are as varied as its entertainment. Warm Viennese coffee keeps patrons awake through the night. Crackly, cinnamon sugar dusted pastries shower fingers with fine sugar and spice. Chocolate mice squeak in their bags when they are bought and melt away into nothing but the memory of chocolate on the tongue. Every visitor to the circus should try at least one delight, share a bite with a friend or a friendly stranger.

13 - Wild Card - There are more wonders at the Night Circus than the list above. Watching the acrobats or trapeze artists? Run through a Hall of Mirrors that shows uncanny insights? Eat delicious circus treats until dawn? All are possible!

How much of Le Cirque des Rêves can you explore before dawn?

Comments

[vinetrip]

[Most likely to be at the Cloud Maze, the Ice Garden, or the treats!]

[powerleveling]

[Probably at the Wishing Tree or the living statues! Other scenarios are welcome though uwu]

[goldenserenity]

[Probably stuffing his face, let's be completely honest.

Also likely to be an audience member for the illusionist, or he's at the Wishing Tree or ice garden.]

[doingthemistything]

[Fortune teller, animal tamer, cloud maze or the treats.]

[subharmonics]

[Audience member for the illusionist, also likely to be at the cloud maze or the bedtime stories.]

[markedviolin]

[Audience member for the animal trainers or illusionist; also could be found at the cloud maze, Wishing Tree, Ice Garden, or poking around the living statues.]

[braveredrose]

[Probably everywhere, let's be honest.

She might take a special interest in the living statues, though...]

[mindover]

[Probably at the Wishing Tree, bedtime stories, or the living statues!]

[ascetics]

[Probably everywhere, but most likely to be caught at the fortune teller's tent, the illusionist's tent, or around the living statues.]

[blazingcombat]

[Probably at the cloud maze or stuffing his face, but I'm open to other scenarios!]

[inhope]

[Likely to be an audience member for all the shows, possibly at the cloud maze or wishing tree.]

[evokedorpheus]

[... ALSO PROBABLY STUFFING HIS FACE.

Okay no but he can also be caught near the fortune teller's tent, the animal trainers' tent, the ice garden or the labyrinth.]

[bubblier]

[See above except replace "labyrinth" with "cloud maze".]

[recalcitrantrival]

[Silver's no fun, so he's probably just hanging around the living statues or getting coffee.

Why is he even here. Seriously.]

[pretentiouscoffee]

[COFFEE

Err. I mean. She can be found just about anywhere--]

[stager]

[It feels odd, to say the least -- to not be the one out there performing for once. Sayaka usually enjoys shows like this regardless, though; she's someone who can appreciate others' talents, most of the time. But like any other teenage girl, she has her moments of insecurity -- and with everyone's attention so far from her, she can't help but think about how fickle people can be.

All of these people, walking in and out of these tents like it's no big deal . . .

Heh. Well, it's probably the lack of sleep that's getting to her, too. It's late, and she really shouldn't be out here any longer, anyway.

In fact, why did she even come in the first place? Even though she doesn't know the answer, she can't resist peeking her head into one last tent . . . and she's greeted with a blast of cold air from inside.

Full of regret, she stumbles back, shivering. That was . . . unexpected.]

[practicenotrequired]

[He's just passing through when he spots her, a cup of coffee in hand as he wanders about.

Before he knows it, he's slipping his jacket off despite the chill, only to walk over and drape it over the girl's shoulders.] You okay there?

[... He's not entirely certain what came over him, either.]

[stager]

[. . . What.

That's even more unexpected. Through the weight of the jacket, Sayaka turns around, rather defensively -- but she visibly relaxes a bit when she actually recognizes him.]

Kuwata-kun . . . I- I didn't see you.

[She didn't even know you were here.]

[practicenotrequired]

[................. oh.

... You know what, play it cool, Leon, play it cool. Even if you totally didn't realize that was her from behind.]

Kinda makes the two of us, Maizono! I didn't think I'd see you around somewhere like this. [He chuckles, scratching the back of his head with his free hand.] How long have you been out here?

casually makes icons as i thread nbd nbd

[kibous]

[ honestly, he was just passing by himself like all the other people - not standing out really, but that's kind of how he prefers it in a big crowd... in fact, the only thing remotely eye-catching would be the glowy cotton candy that he's perfectly intent on eating while watching the shows. he's pretty wide-eyed and curious about all the sights going on around him since he doesn't go to these kinds of things very often -

so when he bumps right into sayaka stumbling back, he thinks it's entirely his fault for not paying attention - and the fact that he's got a large cotton candy in his face. ]

Ah...! I-.. Sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going...

[ he's so caught up in apologizing that he hasn't realized whom he's bumped into yet, of course. ]

[stager]

[ well, her surprise at how cold it had been wears off quickly at least. clearly she has other things to worry about now... so she turns around, equally as shocked as him when she hears his apology. it's kind of something she's used to, apologies. she's an idol, so it's obviously never her fault, is it? but regardless... the face that greets her is a pleasant surprise. ]

Are you alright, Naegi?

[ ...admittedly, the cotton candy gets her attention. because wow, that's bright. but the person holding them is obviously what she's more concerned about. ]

[kibous]

[ NO STOP isn't that what the guy's supposed to say..?? once he notices it's maizono, he can't help but get a little more flustered over it all - he probably looks really incompetent right now, huh? ]

Y-.. Yeah, I'm fine! [ flashing a nervous smile he tries to stand up a little straighter, rubbing the back of his head a bit awkwardly. ]

But what about you, Maizono-san..? I was the one that bumped into you, after all...

[ smooth, just smooth. ]

[markedviolin]

[They always seem to move when she turns away.

Marie's been at the living statues for a while, trying to catch them moving, but to no avail. It's only when she turns back that they've changed their pose. A little irritating but it's interesting all the same. She contemplates leaving for food or drink, but... how much would the statue move while she was away?

Anyone who runs into her will find her lost in thought, wondering if she should let curiosity or hunger win out.]

[fallendove]

Strange statues, aren't they? They seem to be perfect recreations of life... almost like they're alive themselves.

[Clive is standing right beside her, pondering the statues with a hand on his chin. Certainly this bizarre exhibit is just a puzzle... one that Clive will certainly solve. Sometime soon.

Hopefully.]

[markedviolin]

They do, don't they...? [She hadn't noticed his presence beforehand, but it was no surprise that she wasn't alone. She glances over and smiles.] They only move when you look away, though.