Rowen always had trouble describing the circus to people. La Cirque de la Perte wasn’t like a normal circus, it was different. It opened when the sun began to set, typically around 5pm, depending on where they were, and remained open until the last person left, or until the sun began to rise, dependant on which came first. Though on the rare occasion it would be open during the day.
Rather than a single big top, there were multiple tents, varying in size depending on what they were used for, and the were all black and white striped. Suspended between all the tents were garlands of bright white fairy lights that seemed to make the night sky so much more magical. There fairy lights draped down to wrap around the silver coloured clockwork trees that were dotted around the circus, the lights wrapping around the metal branches. Sometimes on these trees, patrons would find caramel apples, or hard boiled sweets, all wrapped and hanging from the trees as though they were the tree’s fruit. Occasionally around these trees patrons would find small makeshift performances. Perhaps the fire breather would do some small tricks, or the contortionist would bring a suitcase to fold herself into, or the illusionist would interact with the crowd making bird appear under hats, or the acrobats would maneuver up and down the silver trees.
Each tent holds a different attraction. Theres a strong man, illusionist, acrobats, a fortune teller, contortionist, fire breather, fire dancers, belly dancers, jugglers, tightrope walkers, aerial performers, and many more. The performers typically wear modern iterations of victorian clothing, and many performers incorporate steampunk styles into their outfits, always in the colours of: black, white, red, and/or silver. Additionally, many of the performers wear masks whilst they perform so that they are free to roam the circus between their performances without being noticed. The clothing and masks of the performers seem to give an almost timeless quality to the circus, as though it is a place separate from time.
In the centre of the circus there is a large clockwork tree, similar to the smaller ones dotted around the grounds, but much larger in scale. All the fairy lights from around the circus come to a centre at the large tree, practically making a canopy of lights. The tree is known as the L’Arbre à Souhaits due to people believing that if you lock a padlock onto the tree and wish upon it, the wish will come true. Further, if a person were to lock a padlock onto the tree one night and return the next, they would find that their padlock had turned the same colour as the black clockwork tree, with no sign of paint, patterned locks turning to an eerie greyscale.
Rowen’s uncle, Gabriel Moreau, worked tirelessly to make the circus into what it is. He started when he was a teenager, planning everything down to the finest detail, the trees, the lights, the costumes, masks, everything. Since he was a child he dreamed of the circus, and he loves what he made. He can usually be found playing New Orleans-esque Jazz music with the band on a variety of instruments, whilst wearing one of his many hats. Or you will see him around the circus in casual clothes, looking happier and more joyous than any other patron, even though he had seen it almost every night for close to two decades.
