Winter Faire

[voidtreckermods]

”Shortly arriving in World#5562102022. The dressing carriage is open for your convenience.” The announcement might be unexpected so late in the month, but soon enough further information arrives on their SCA’s.

World#5562102022: Home of the famous Winter Faire. Voidtreckers may spend the evening here. Please remember your Snowcoins. Enjoy.

The dressing carriage is open for characters to choose from an array of winter coats, hats, gloves and scarves. There are also ice skates in a variety of sizes and shapes, suitable for all passengers.

THE PLAZA

The Express comes to rest in a station roofed by sheets of ice. Streamers of light run up and along the arches overhead, sending flashes of colour through the structure at intervals. A wooden path leads through stands of sparkling trees to the faire proper.

The faire is a large one, mostly made up of a large market of wooden huts. The market is held outside; while it's dark when they arrive, there are floating lights twinkling in the darkness that illuminate the area. There is snow on the ground and a light flurry in the air, the perfect amount of snow to be atmospheric without anyone being too damp or cold.

There are both ice paths and ordinary wooden paths through the market. In the centre of the market there is a large ferris wheel, where guests can sit in glass bubbles filled with soft cushions and blankets as they view the snowy market from above.

THE ICE RINK

There are two large ice rinks, and ice paths weave through the market, with many of the eateries having 'ice gardens' where skaters can rest and drink before continuing their skating. Wooden railings run through the middle of the ice paths, both to form two one-way lanes, and to give new or wobbly skaters something to hold onto. 

There are benches at the entrance to the large ice rinks for people to change into their ice skates and cubbies for them to store their shoes; the ice paths connect to both rinks. There are also skate aids for those that need them, carved wooden animals to hold onto and push along the ice for balance. An animal that looks like a furred penguin dominates.

THE SLEDDING SLOPE

To the north of the market, there is a snowy field with a hill perfect for sledging, and sleds to borrow for any who want them. 

The whole field is deep with snow, with a well trodden path leading up the hill and sledding tracks leading down. To the side of the slope are snowpeople and snow animals, some better built than others, and plenty of snow to add to this collection.

THE WOODLAND ENCLOSURES

To the south there is a small woodland where a member of staff will allow guests through with warnings to be peaceful and not disturb the creatures. 

The trees are bare of leaves and white with snow, some with frost forming crystal snowflakes on the branches. There are indeed woodland creatures within the woodlands: deer, rabbits, strange white pompom-looking creatures. They are comfortable with people, and won't flee.

THE FERRIS WHEEL

In the centre of the market there is a large ferris wheel allowing guests to sit in glass bubbles filled with soft cushions and blankets as they view the snowy market from above. The ferris wheel moves slowly, allowing plenty of time to take in the view and enjoy the company, the soft seating, or both.

Bubbles can fit up to 6 people, though the attendants will allow groups from single guests up to six. The glass can be made one-way, so that guests cannot be viewed from outside.

THE MARKET

All the activities in the faire are free.  Everything in the market, from a mug of beer to a blown glass ornament costs one snowcoin, the snowflake tokens that passengers received on station day. Each passenger has ten to spend.

FOOD STALLS

The actual market sells drinks: hot chocolate, mulled wine, beer, spiced apple juice and cider amongst some more alien picks like a bright pink concoction that is delicious but very alcoholic; food: sausages, bread, cakes, roasted chestnuts, candied nuts, stroopwafel and a whole collection of unrecognisable but delicious things.

All are available to take out, though many of them also have a bar area where shoppers can sit, drink and people watch.

SHOPPING

The stalls don't sell much that would be considered useful, but are filled with trinkets, decorations, cute hats and other clothing, sweets, glassware, jewellery, toys… and much much more.

After a good few hours in the market, things are beginning to wind down and stalls start to close. The Voidtreckers will receive a message on their SCA telling them it is time to return to the Express. Once all passengers are on board the train will leave the ice-covered station and return back to the Void.

Comments

shopping

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Dark," Koumyou doesn't even have to think about it, glancing over at Senku. "The contrast is better with the white, don't you think?"

Luckily for Senku, the priest speaks Japanese by default, if in a dialect heavily influenced by time in China.

[10billionpercent]

Dialects were fun, and quite interesting to learn about, although for the most part he'd understand. He hadn't considered too much about his own and how his own language had evolved, but he also didn't think much of that came through with the translation aids. It was fascinating.

"Hm, that's true, although he usually wears something closer to the lighter colour."

[its_dad_sanzo]

A word here and there would undoubtedly be lost to Senku, but context should be more than enough for him to figure it out. Especially since he himself knew multiple languages!

Koumyou just smiles, and shrugs, "I'm no fashion expert!" Surely not, in his Sanzo uniform as he is, and has been every day for twenty-three years until the train rudely dressed him up. "But the dark one wouldn't just blend in, right?"

[10billionpercent]

"Ah, no, here we're stuck in that hideous orange and the mix of things we've picked up but his winter coat is just like mine, since we made it, black." Senku explained, holding them both up to his coat.

"Neither one seems to blend in, but you're right, I think that the dark one seems more vibrant maybe."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Orange isn't hideous!" Koumyou protests, "It's a beautiful color, especially against blue."

Contrast. Contrast is the good good shit.

"The train uniforms leave something to be desired, though," he adds after a second of thought. So, half a point, maybe.

[10billionpercent]

"Way too bright for me." Senku said, giving his head a shake. "I'd take blue over the orange. When I'm at home, I prefer neutral colours." He hummed. He didn't hate Gen's colour choices, but they were more in the pastel area too.

"Like. Beige." He suggested. It was just as boring as it sounded.

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Well, temple uniforms are usually in shades of orange, brown, and beige," Koumyou says with some thought, picking through another assortment of scarves at the same booth, "though the uniform at Taisouji was grey and black."

The priest shoots Senku a wry smile.

"So I can't really say much about fashion, I've always worn what I'm supposed to. Including this," a gesture at himself, in his proper Sanzo uniform, "for the last twenty-three years. The train rudely dressing me up when I first arrived, aside."

[10billionpercent]

"I had a school uniform, and then I had the clothes I made and I'm good with that." He could've dyed them, sure but why bother?

"I made this coat black because most people find my tastes boring, and I was making clothes for more than just me."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Well, black is always a safe bet, I think!"

Goes with everything, suits everyone's coloration, and so on.

"If nothing else, it's very dramatic."

[10billionpercent]

"Yeah, it's fine, I don't hate it or anything, I just didn't think anyone else I made a coat for would like it." If Koumyou saw a few other coats like this floating about, he now knew the source.

"Dramatic's not really my thing."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"So, what, you just dyed the materials in one big batch?"

That sounds likely, from what Koumyou's seen of Senku.

[10billionpercent]

"I would've but I didn't have the materials on hand. Some of that takes more time than we ever spend on missions. I bought some bolts of fabric at the last train shop delivery. This is suede. I had the other things though." Apparently he just walked around with things like bear pelts, bones and bear fat for waterproofing.

[its_dad_sanzo]

"I see!" Far be it from Koumyou to question what someone else happened to have on hand. It's not even a mystery how one would store a lot of materials; he already has an arms band himself, after all.

"So you're quite crafty, then."

Pun intended.

[10billionpercent]

Senku looked terribly amused by that. "Yeah, I'm a founding member of the Spartan Crafts Club, as Gen calls us." He grinned.

"I'd prefer engineer, scientist, whatever." He waved his hand.

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Spartan Crafts Club," Koumyou repeats with a laugh, "delightful!"

[10billionpercent]

"We've made so many things out of nothing, it's been a lot of work. Work I enjoy, but work nonetheless." Senku grinned.

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Well, at least you're keeping busy, that's important."

One less person Koumyou has to harass about getting a hobby.

[10billionpercent]

"I can't sit still, so I have to keep busy, although making coats and blankets is a lot more low-key than I'm used to." Senku hummed. "But no less important."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"You're not buying all your materials, are you?" That would be so many points, to keep Senku busy...

[10billionpercent]

"Nah, I collect what I can everywhere we visit and I have people helping me." Senku grinned. He's talked people into doing work for him, of all things.

"So for the coats, I bought a bolt of suede, but the inside." He flips his sleeve inside out a bit. "This is bear fur that we got from Inigo hunting bears. The leather strips for the ties are from some leather I picked up two missions ago, the toggles are made of bear bones and the waterproofing was done with bear fat."

[its_dad_sanzo]

A proper, pious, perfect Buddhist monk would have been horrified.

But not Koumyou, instead he's delighted at the ingenuity, "Oh! Bear fur, I bet that's super duper warm, well done!"

[10billionpercent]

A proper, pious, perfect Buddhist monk would've been told not to waste anything, because they had to eat.

"Yeah, it works perfectly. In my world typically we use a lot of deer since that's mostly what we have access to, but Inigo hunted some bears so this is what we've got."

[its_dad_sanzo]

Proper, pious, perfect Buddhist monks were absolute morons in Koumyou's opinion. Faced with having to kill to eat, they would try to fill their bellies with prayer. Just as they'd try to hold the dangers of the world at bay without lifting a hand to save themselves.

Sanzos didn't have that kind of luxury, even if he'd been inclined. But if he'd been inclined, he'd have also never become a Sanzo, who by definition must be ready to kill anything to protect the sutra.

Including their own hearts. Koumyou had failed at that one.

"I hadn't thought about that... these missions are always on planets? With resources?" Oh good, create another hoarder, why don't you.

[10billionpercent]

"So far!" Senku said with a pleased grin. "In fact, this was probably the one place with the least amount of visible materials, but that's okay, I kind of got talked into relaxing today."

[its_dad_sanzo]

It's an interesting idea, though. He has an arms band.

"...Well, relaxing is good, too."