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Look, before anyone asks, when I'm tired and stressed, I tend to take notions. Random, strange things that lead ... well, to things like this -_-; Though I'm partially blaming John Druitt for this, for that line in FKAC that helped spark this one: "Like a theater troupe". Which bounced me to the darker side of Victorian entertainment, and further, to the dark sides of circuses, and gave you ... this.
Title: The Great and Secret Show
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: Sanctuary
Characters/Pairings: The Five (sort of)
Summary: Roll up, roll up. Come, ladies and gentlemen. Come see the secrets at the heart of Empire - a very skewed view on the Five
Wordcount: 781
Warnings: Sort of dark? Ish? I don't know.
Disclaimer: Not mine
Title: The Great and Secret Show
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: Sanctuary
Characters/Pairings: The Five (sort of)
Summary: Roll up, roll up. Come, ladies and gentlemen. Come see the secrets at the heart of Empire - a very skewed view on the Five
Wordcount: 781
Warnings: Sort of dark? Ish? I don't know.
Disclaimer: Not mine
The Great and Secret Show
Roll up, roll up. Come, ladies and gentlemen. Come, one and all. Come see the secrets that lie at the heart of this great Empire of ours. Come see the dark heart of Britannia, the mages and monsters in our midst. Come see freaks of nature, mysteries of science and magic, illusions and threats to thrill your heart and dazzle your eyes. Come touch the shadows of Empire that live even here, and see for yourself the wonder of it, the madness, the dark desirability.
Walk with me into the Mad Magician's court, into the halls of lightning where the master showman plies his trade. Come watch him bow, come see the sparkle of electricity in his eyes, come watch him hold the lightning in his hands. Stand amazed as the thunderbolts arc above your heads, as the killing energy leaps to his command, as he stands at the center of the storm and laughs at you, untouched. Entreat him to weave bright illusions in the air for your delight, ask him to thrill you with his touch, coax the secrets of the lightning from his lips. Come, sorcerer's apprentices. Meet the Magician.
Come with me into the Hall of Ghosts, past the smiling, genial gentleman who asks your name. Come walk with me down spacious aisles, and quiver at the ghostly hands that brush your sleeve, at the invisible spirits that brush your sides, at the disembodied voice that whispers your name back to you, that murmurs it soft and low from invisible lips, and presses a phantom kiss unto your hand. Follow me through twilight halls where only phantoms dwell, and dare yourself to linger where the ghosts may not be so polite as this, most genteel of spirits.
Follow me through the shadows, into the gleam of mirrors and the shining of a blade, come see the Dervish, the Devil himself. Come see the blademaster show his skills, come watch the dancer at the center of the maze, the black-cloaked devil weaving between reflections. Come awe at the flash of brimstone at his command, come thrill in terror for the flashes of his knives, the dancing of his hands. Come look into the Devil's eyes, come see the darkness laughing at you there. Feel his touch feather over your heart, this pale, smiling Dervish, and breathe a prayer to remind yourself of virtue before his gaze.
Wend your way behind me, into the chattering, rustling realms of beasts. Walk with me to the Lady's court, the golden goddess of hidden things, and feast your eyes upon this regal personage as she walks between monsters, between gods. As she opens your eyes to the secrets of the world, brings to you strange creatures, invites you to look upon monsters and know them as she does. Speak softly before her, this woman who smiles a secret smile, whose eyes have seen strange sights, and known strange thoughts, and offers now to share her world with you, this world where beasts and monsters walk as men, and welcome you to step inside.
And at last, at last, weary and heart-worn at your travels, fetch up at last in the presence of the Fortune Teller, the Seer, a man who will see your most intimate secrets as you walk before him. A man who watches the world with all-seeing eyes, who uses not cards or crystals to ply his trade, but who looks upon your very soul, who sees your past and your present shining in every facet of you as you wait beneath his gaze. A man who knows your secrets, and may whisper them to you, for a price. A man who may guess your future, from that most intimate knowledge of your self. A man who will guide you from the wonders and shocks of all that has come before, and offer you instead your own future, your own life. A man who will take you forward, once more, into the living world, away from these secrets we call our own.
Come with me, proud ladies, gentle men. Come, walk these secret halls. Come, see this secret show. Come, understand what lies beneath you, around you, what rests in the shadows of the world with a flash of knives, what passes beyond your understanding with a ghostly murmur, what sears the world beneath a man's hands. Come see the monsters, so terrible, that live in the shadows of our world, and the beauties that walk among them, unscathed. Come find your souls, come see your own self, in the eyes of one who cannot be fooled.
Come, ladies and gentlemen. Come with me. Let us walk this path together.
Come. Come. And wonder.
Roll up, roll up. Come, ladies and gentlemen. Come, one and all. Come see the secrets that lie at the heart of this great Empire of ours. Come see the dark heart of Britannia, the mages and monsters in our midst. Come see freaks of nature, mysteries of science and magic, illusions and threats to thrill your heart and dazzle your eyes. Come touch the shadows of Empire that live even here, and see for yourself the wonder of it, the madness, the dark desirability.
Walk with me into the Mad Magician's court, into the halls of lightning where the master showman plies his trade. Come watch him bow, come see the sparkle of electricity in his eyes, come watch him hold the lightning in his hands. Stand amazed as the thunderbolts arc above your heads, as the killing energy leaps to his command, as he stands at the center of the storm and laughs at you, untouched. Entreat him to weave bright illusions in the air for your delight, ask him to thrill you with his touch, coax the secrets of the lightning from his lips. Come, sorcerer's apprentices. Meet the Magician.
Come with me into the Hall of Ghosts, past the smiling, genial gentleman who asks your name. Come walk with me down spacious aisles, and quiver at the ghostly hands that brush your sleeve, at the invisible spirits that brush your sides, at the disembodied voice that whispers your name back to you, that murmurs it soft and low from invisible lips, and presses a phantom kiss unto your hand. Follow me through twilight halls where only phantoms dwell, and dare yourself to linger where the ghosts may not be so polite as this, most genteel of spirits.
Follow me through the shadows, into the gleam of mirrors and the shining of a blade, come see the Dervish, the Devil himself. Come see the blademaster show his skills, come watch the dancer at the center of the maze, the black-cloaked devil weaving between reflections. Come awe at the flash of brimstone at his command, come thrill in terror for the flashes of his knives, the dancing of his hands. Come look into the Devil's eyes, come see the darkness laughing at you there. Feel his touch feather over your heart, this pale, smiling Dervish, and breathe a prayer to remind yourself of virtue before his gaze.
Wend your way behind me, into the chattering, rustling realms of beasts. Walk with me to the Lady's court, the golden goddess of hidden things, and feast your eyes upon this regal personage as she walks between monsters, between gods. As she opens your eyes to the secrets of the world, brings to you strange creatures, invites you to look upon monsters and know them as she does. Speak softly before her, this woman who smiles a secret smile, whose eyes have seen strange sights, and known strange thoughts, and offers now to share her world with you, this world where beasts and monsters walk as men, and welcome you to step inside.
And at last, at last, weary and heart-worn at your travels, fetch up at last in the presence of the Fortune Teller, the Seer, a man who will see your most intimate secrets as you walk before him. A man who watches the world with all-seeing eyes, who uses not cards or crystals to ply his trade, but who looks upon your very soul, who sees your past and your present shining in every facet of you as you wait beneath his gaze. A man who knows your secrets, and may whisper them to you, for a price. A man who may guess your future, from that most intimate knowledge of your self. A man who will guide you from the wonders and shocks of all that has come before, and offer you instead your own future, your own life. A man who will take you forward, once more, into the living world, away from these secrets we call our own.
Come with me, proud ladies, gentle men. Come, walk these secret halls. Come, see this secret show. Come, understand what lies beneath you, around you, what rests in the shadows of the world with a flash of knives, what passes beyond your understanding with a ghostly murmur, what sears the world beneath a man's hands. Come see the monsters, so terrible, that live in the shadows of our world, and the beauties that walk among them, unscathed. Come find your souls, come see your own self, in the eyes of one who cannot be fooled.
Come, ladies and gentlemen. Come with me. Let us walk this path together.
Come. Come. And wonder.
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