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castle_perrault[[ Event information and discussion can be found here. ]]
Once again, it is midnight when the chill sets in.
A bitter wind picks up, circling the castle island, rattling the windows and branches of the trees. Within moments the wind is bringing in heavy, wet snowflakes, which cover up everything outdoors in thick white layers. The river and fountains all freeze up, as clear and solid as the glass hill in the middle of the courtyard. Frosty ferns glaze the outside of the windows, the leaves vanish from the trees, and by morning the exterior of the castle has transformed into a sparkling winter wonderland.
The interior of the castle has transformed too. Somehow by morning the structure is in much better condition than it usually is, and while many rooms are freezing cold, somebody kindly seems to have lit fireplaces everywhere in the castle, keeping most of it at a pleasantly warm temperature. Furthermore, it's clear there's a seasonal celebration of some sort going on: the castle is decked out everywhere in greenery, ribbons, candles, baubles, dried fruit, colorful paper, all kinds of cheery old fashioned decorations. The ballroom and kitchens are filled with delicious food: juicy roasts with stuffing, plum puddings, mashed potatoes with gravy, fruit cakes, hot apple cider, pies of mince and pumpkin and apple, cookies of every sort imaginable, and on and on and on.
The air is thick with sweet and savory scents and sometimes, one might even catch the sound of people singing in the distance- but no matter how hard you try, you won't be able to find the source of the music.
And when they wake up, many of the castle residents won't be the same people that they were when they fell asleep.
* * *
In a remote corner of the castle a small child lying on a discarded curtain shivers themselves awake.
They blink sleepy eyes at their surroundings, trying to make everything out from behind their bangs. Their name is Chara, although they don't know that yet, being only six years old. What they do know is that this isn't their room, or anywhere they recognize. It's somewhere big, and made of stone, like the church except it isn't the church, it's some sort of hall. And they don't remember coming here or putting on their coat and scarf beforehand. Even when they try really hard to think back all they can remember is changing into their PJs for bed, and everything after that is fuzzy and slips away, like they're trying to hold water. It's frustrating!
Feeling fidgety, Chara tries to sit up and- ow. They wince. Right, their dad spanked them for getting into trouble last night, and it still hurts. Especially when they try and sit on something hard, like the floor. Even if somebody dropped a curtain on it.
The worst part is, they'll probably get in trouble all over again once they're found. Except this time it'll be for disappearing instead of spilling the eggnog on the carpet.
Well the floor's uncomfortable, and the hall is so cold their breath forms little white clouds, and they don't know where they are so... there's no point in sitting around, is there? Chara gets to their feet and begins to wander down the hall. They're not sure what they're looking for, but they'll probably be found sooner or later, right?
Eventually they start to feel a little warmer, and they wander down a staircase, past several windows overlooking a snow-covered garden, and through another hallway before they catch a whiff of something smoky. Following their nose leads them to a big wooden door, and when they push it open they find the source of the wood smoke scent.
It's a kitchen- they can tell, by all the pots and pans and by the apple pies that someone was making on the table- but there isn't an electric stove or fridge, just a big brick fireplace with a metal stove attached to it. They can see there's a fire inside the stove, so that must be where the smell's coming from.
They're still a little chilly, so they walk over to the stove and stick out their hands. They haven't had breakfast yet, but they try to ignore the food on the table. Taking things without asking is a good way to get in trouble, and the cook will probably return soon.
Once again, it is midnight when the chill sets in.
A bitter wind picks up, circling the castle island, rattling the windows and branches of the trees. Within moments the wind is bringing in heavy, wet snowflakes, which cover up everything outdoors in thick white layers. The river and fountains all freeze up, as clear and solid as the glass hill in the middle of the courtyard. Frosty ferns glaze the outside of the windows, the leaves vanish from the trees, and by morning the exterior of the castle has transformed into a sparkling winter wonderland.
The interior of the castle has transformed too. Somehow by morning the structure is in much better condition than it usually is, and while many rooms are freezing cold, somebody kindly seems to have lit fireplaces everywhere in the castle, keeping most of it at a pleasantly warm temperature. Furthermore, it's clear there's a seasonal celebration of some sort going on: the castle is decked out everywhere in greenery, ribbons, candles, baubles, dried fruit, colorful paper, all kinds of cheery old fashioned decorations. The ballroom and kitchens are filled with delicious food: juicy roasts with stuffing, plum puddings, mashed potatoes with gravy, fruit cakes, hot apple cider, pies of mince and pumpkin and apple, cookies of every sort imaginable, and on and on and on.
The air is thick with sweet and savory scents and sometimes, one might even catch the sound of people singing in the distance- but no matter how hard you try, you won't be able to find the source of the music.
And when they wake up, many of the castle residents won't be the same people that they were when they fell asleep.
* * *
In a remote corner of the castle a small child lying on a discarded curtain shivers themselves awake.
They blink sleepy eyes at their surroundings, trying to make everything out from behind their bangs. Their name is Chara, although they don't know that yet, being only six years old. What they do know is that this isn't their room, or anywhere they recognize. It's somewhere big, and made of stone, like the church except it isn't the church, it's some sort of hall. And they don't remember coming here or putting on their coat and scarf beforehand. Even when they try really hard to think back all they can remember is changing into their PJs for bed, and everything after that is fuzzy and slips away, like they're trying to hold water. It's frustrating!
Feeling fidgety, Chara tries to sit up and- ow. They wince. Right, their dad spanked them for getting into trouble last night, and it still hurts. Especially when they try and sit on something hard, like the floor. Even if somebody dropped a curtain on it.
The worst part is, they'll probably get in trouble all over again once they're found. Except this time it'll be for disappearing instead of spilling the eggnog on the carpet.
Well the floor's uncomfortable, and the hall is so cold their breath forms little white clouds, and they don't know where they are so... there's no point in sitting around, is there? Chara gets to their feet and begins to wander down the hall. They're not sure what they're looking for, but they'll probably be found sooner or later, right?
Eventually they start to feel a little warmer, and they wander down a staircase, past several windows overlooking a snow-covered garden, and through another hallway before they catch a whiff of something smoky. Following their nose leads them to a big wooden door, and when they push it open they find the source of the wood smoke scent.
It's a kitchen- they can tell, by all the pots and pans and by the apple pies that someone was making on the table- but there isn't an electric stove or fridge, just a big brick fireplace with a metal stove attached to it. They can see there's a fire inside the stove, so that must be where the smell's coming from.
They're still a little chilly, so they walk over to the stove and stick out their hands. They haven't had breakfast yet, but they try to ignore the food on the table. Taking things without asking is a good way to get in trouble, and the cook will probably return soon.