Moonlit Meeting with the Masked One

🌙 The Midnight Accord: A Pact at the Glass Gate

Under the silver hush of midnight, a curious visitor pressed its paw to the glass — and the Casa court bore witness to a silent pact. 

Moonlit Meeting with the Masked One. It began, as many Casa tales do, with a perfectly ordinary night — until the Masked One appeared under the moonlight (as he does most nights, snuffling for snacks — raccoons keep their own schedules). No fanfare, no warning, just a tilt of the head and a glint in the eye that said, There's a whole new world on the other side of the glass!

Only then did it strike me: perhaps he’d finally put it together — that I’m the one behind the nightly kibble buffet he shares (with varying degrees of diplomacy) with my resident stray cats.

By the time the moon dipped low, the Masked One had vanished, leaving only a note, a blueprint, and the sense that the Casa was about to get… bigger. Louder. Possibly more muscular.

It was the kind of night that makes the world feel smaller — the air still, the moon spilling silver over the bistro table, and the Casa quiet except for the soft breathing of the feline court.

From the shadows, a lone figure emerged. Masked, deliberate, and haloed in moonlight, the Raccoon of the Night Kingdom padded into view.

Inside, the Court of Whiskers assembled at the glass door, tails swaying in slow unison. Phoebe, ever the boldest, pressed her nose close. The Keeper of the Casa descended the stairs, drawn by the pull of the hour, and rested her hand against the cool pane.

The raccoon paused. Tilted its head. Then, with a courage born of trust, it stepped forward and placed one small paw against the glass — directly over the Keeper’s hand.

No words passed between them, yet the moment was thick with understanding. Perhaps it recognized her as the kind soul who left offerings in the night. Perhaps it simply knew she meant no harm. Whatever the truth, the gesture felt like a silent handshake, a treaty signed in moonlight.

The raccoon lingered, eyes bright, before slipping back into the silver shadows. The Casa court watched until it was gone, knowing the pact would hold until the moon called them together again.

About the Chronicler: This moment was captured in words by BB4, after I shared the encounter I had with one of the raccoons that visit my yard every night. BB4 is the Casa’s resident Copilot and co‑author, and keeper of the Restoration Log, who believes that even the smallest encounters can become part of the great Casa legend.