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

[deductiongeek]

He grits his teeth as a pain like liquid fire runs through his bones.

"I promise," he says in a strained voice. "I refuse to die from this. Not until I've explained."

And then, finally,mercifully, he slumps into unconsciousness.

[singlefaith]

It's not nearly quite as merciful for Ran. At least before he was still there, could still speak to her, which, at least in her mind, was some reassurance that he was still okay enough. As long as she had that contact with him, that thread, she could almost (almost) convince herself that there was a possibility that this could still be okay.

"Shinichi?" His muscles have slumped, gone lax. Trembling fingers shake his shoulder. "Shinichi??"

Oh, god. She's been stupid, an idiot -- why didn't she follow her first instinct? Her fingers fumble for the SCA, shaking almost too badly to get any purchase on the controls. Someone has to be there. Someone who can get here quickly.

[deductiongeek]

His skin is terribly hot, so much so that the heat radiates out even through his clothing. For a terrible few seconds there is no change. And then, slowly, he begins to shrink.

[singlefaith]

Fiddling with the SCA, trying to get her fingers to work, it takes a moment for her to catch this -- that the hand that she's never quite let go of feels different. Not just burning hot, but different, even if she can't quite place how.

More than that, his body seems different -- not quite occupying the same place in the snow that it was, as though somehow, subtly, it's moved, shifted.

She tries to pause. Tries to breathe, though her lungs don't quite seem to want to work either. "Shinichi," she tries again, though she knows it won't work, won't reach him.

Light. She needs more light.

[deductiongeek]

Conan's watch is laying half buried in the snow nearby, where it had fallen out of Shinichi's pocket earlier.

[singlefaith]

Finally her eyes catch the glint of it as they whisk vainly around her, and she stretches to seize it, still not willing to let go. His hand is feeling stranger by the moment--

. . . Smaller?

That's not possible--

Her heartbeat is still a roar in her ears as she manages to get the small light on, twist it to shine down at him.

[deductiongeek]

He is already noticeably smaller. His hands are half covered by sleeves that barely reached his wrist a few minutes ago.

[singlefaith]

Not possible.

On the train things like this are possible. She's certainly seen the miraculous at this point -- people who gleam with light, who juggle orbs in the air, who cling to the ceiling.

In her world, these things aren't possible. People live their lives mostly quietly, mostly unremarkably save in the small miracles and bumps that life normally brings as it's lived. Metamorphosis only exists as a child grows, turns into an adult.

No one goes the other way.

Yet it's increasingly hard to deny that this is what's happening. His hand is normally close to the size of hers, just a little larger . . . already his fingers only reach to just the first joint. And now that she's aware of it, focusing, there are sounds wet pops and light snaps of muscle and bone as the body pushes inward on itself, as ribs push inward around organs and tissue.

Her breath shudders in her chest. She wants to cry out, call out, but there's no sound, no air.

[deductiongeek]

Shinichi's breath hitches with soft moans of pain as the change continues. He was noticeably too small for the clothes now as his arms vanish inside the sleeves.

[singlefaith]

She can't move. Can't look away. All Ran finds herself able to do is sit in the snowbank, the narrow beam of light shining on a face that seems to be growing younger by the moment. Every other part of her has gone numb.

[deductiongeek]

Even unconscious, his expression creases with pain as he struggles through the pain of a rapidly reshaping body. The shape of his face begins to take on familiar lines, until he finally settles in the shape of a child she knew all too well.

For a long moment there is silence. Waking up after the change never came to easy to him, and it takes several moments before he begins to stir again.

[singlefaith]

Ran's breath hitches, quivers in her lungs. There are no thoughts in her mind, no sound in her ears. Somewhere, some distant part of her recognizes that she's trembling, but it seems far away.

Everything seems far away as she watches that face. Watches thin shoulders rise with breath.

[deductiongeek]

He peers into the darkness for a moment, obviously disoriented from the experience, then his expression shifts to panic and he quickly tries to sit up. There is a clumsiness to his movements, combining the lingering shakiness from the change and a momentary uncertainty as to how long his arms and legs were.

"Ran," he breathes out. "I'm sorry, I never wanted you to have to see that."

[singlefaith]

Her breath hitches again, once, as he speaks, and the tremble quivers through her harder, then harder again. Abruptly her face crumples, and she pulls all of her limbs inward towards herself, burying her face in arms and knees.

She cries like she can't quite get her breath, shoulders heaving.

[deductiongeek]

It hurt, seeing Ran like this. Something he'd done to her. She'd only been forced to watch him change, because he hadn't hidden the truth well enough. And now she was hurting because she knew that he'd lied so often and so long.

He knew that there had been good reasons for the lies, but right now it felt like it had never been enough.

But even if she didn't want comfort from him right now, he couldn't let her go through this alone.

He hastily crawls over to her, the sleeves and long legs of his clothes dragging behind him in the snow.

[singlefaith]

Having folded inward, lost in tears, she only barely hears him move, the muffled crunch of crawling through the snow, coming closer.

It's instinct, not thought: She flinches, twists away, pulling herself tighter.

[deductiongeek]

Seeing her turn away from him was painful. He flinches back and doesn't try to get any closer. If she wanted space away from him, the least he could do was give it to her.

[singlefaith]

She cries for some time, a small, tight ball tucked away from the world. The world had broken in the last few minutes, and in that moment she's not sure how it all fits back together again -- or even if it can. All the rules that she had thought she had understood have been betrayed.

For a few minutes the rest of the world can wait.

He'll find that the intensity eases after a while, though her shoulders still shake. Her face doesn't emerge from the barrier of her arms.

[deductiongeek]

Very hesitantly, he crawls a little closer.

"Ran," he calls softly.

[singlefaith]

She doesn't move. Doesn't say anything. But something about her shoulders says that she's heard him. That she's listening, in between periodic tremors.

[deductiongeek]

He is silent for a moment as he struggles to find the words he needed to say.

"I'm okay now. The change is... painful and I know its difficult to watch. But I survived it." He presses his lips together as he feels the overpowering guilt of the situation. "I know you probably hate me right now, and you have the right to. But please, before you go I need to explain, to tell you why it isn't safe to know. I don't want you to get hurt by the people who did this to me."

[singlefaith]

There's silence. Long silence. To the point that it seems as though she may not respond.

Then the words come. Thick with the aftermath of tears, muffled.

"I was happy a few minutes ago. Really happy. You were finally there. You were with me. I thought maybe . . . I could even tell you something. Something I've wanted to tell you. But you probably already knew it -- I told Conan-kun, didn't I? You already took it when I didn't even know I was giving it."

"How could you do that?" Her voice has gone high, small. "You're . . . one of the most important to me. How could you do that?"

[deductiongeek]

"Because your life is more important to me than anything!" he snaps out, his voice cracking from the stress. "I'll take your hatred. I'll take living as a kid because its the only way I could still be in your life. I'll take it if you never want to see me again." His voice drops into a quiet tone. "As long as it means that you're still alive. That you didn't get dragged into the mess that my stupidity has stuck me with."

[singlefaith]

She flinches again, her shoulders tightening. The voice is Conan's, the tone is Shinichi's; it's both and neither. Up until a few minutes ago, she had both, now she doesn't quite have either.

One never existed. One she loved very much never existed.

At another time, Ran would be asking all the questions that needed to be asked. She'd be trying to understand what happened, how it happened, why it happened.

In that moment, though, there's only the void of loss. Grief. Shock. Fear. All are so loud in that moment that they block out anything else.

[deductiongeek]

At any other time, Shinichi might have been able to see that she was reacting to the shock of the moment, to all the revelations of the past few minutes. But as he was right now, with months of worries and nightmares wearing him down, all he can see is confirmation of his worst fears.

So she hated him after all.

He honestly couldn't blame her. He'd chosen between her life and her trust, and lied to her for all these months.

His gaze drops down to the snow as his shoulders slump. He doesn't make any move to get closer, but his voice drops into softer tones.

"I know there isn't anything I can do to make this better. And I'm sorry, that I didn't tell you the truth."