Nexus Spring Market Fair

[varnished_truths]

Seemingly overnight, one of the grassy areas edging the Forum has been taken over by a spring market and fair. Part state fair, part craft fair, part Renaissance faire, there are attractions for all comers. Tents and booths of every size, shape, and color are lined up more or less tidily, sometimes with wide avenues between them and sometimes with paths skinny enough to crowd a single person. Goods and treats from the far-flung corners of infinity are on display. The general organization has magic and alchemical goods grouped together and slightly separated from the other tents; arts and crafts fill the area around it. Goods such as clothes and jewelry, plants, and vintage and antique items are in the back. Food is front and center, between the entrance and the rides. This is perhaps not an ideal placement.

To one side is a brightly-lit collection of rides and games familiar to anyone who's been to a state fair. A ferris wheel, flying swings, and all manner of reasons to regret that last funnel cake are blaring tinny music and sporting blinking lights. Remember: rides first, then eat. Classic games that test strength, agility, and luck offer plush prizes sure to delight anyone until the fur rubs off. There are also some animal rides near the exit.

In the back of the roughly-fenced-in area are the exhibits. There's a petting zoo with creatures mundane and more exotic, all promised to be tame; practical demonstrations of new magical and technological wonders; a juried art show; and a stage hosting a variety of performers changing on the hour.

((This is an open event. If your character wants to have a booth selling wares or food, set one up. If your character wants to perform or provide other services, go for it! Please note what sort of service you're providing, if any, in the subject line of your top-level comment. Basically, just run with it and have fun!

I offer pictoral inspiration and ask that any pictures used in comments not be more than 300 px tall (and it looks better if you can keep it about the same height as your text). Code to have your text wrap around your picture below.))

<img src="blah.png" height="300" style="border: 0pt none; float:left; padding-right:10px; padding-bottom:10px">

Comments

More so when you're doing it in a rush. :) My imgur account has tons of things in it for that reason

[dealsnotwar]

Swindle peers down at the mouthy human with a tilt of the head. "I know this ain't Cybertron, but I've got some problems there and I still need to make a living." And besides some angry customers, Swindle is rumored to be very dead. But alas, that is neither here nor there.

And of course, Swindle doesn't always check the wires to make sure they're not live. But it maybe due to the fact it never is something he has to worry about. And he's not paying attention to the turbofoxes he bought along with him nor the petro-rabbits.

"Uh oh?" Swindle stops trying to lure customers into his shop and he turns around to look at the cages. "Oh, I figured these guys wouldn't cause too much trouble here. The last thing we need is something getting loose and causing unwanted havoc."

Well, I still like it anyway. ;)

[brave_heart_verity]

Robot, probably; and a poorly programmed one, if it can't change its script for a new location. But is that its fault? Probably not. She'll drop it.

Ver has to move to the end of the table to peek around at what's in the cages. The curse of being short strikes again. Robot animals? Not what she'd been expecting. But, really, what should she have expected? "What are they?"

I do too. :) I like the guy behind the counter. :p

[dealsnotwar]

Swindle peers down at the foxes and rabbits, and he wanders over to the rabbit cages. "These guys are petro-rabbits and the others are called turbofoxes." Sure, they're not the most creative of names, but Swindle isn't one to argue. He has kept both of the animals out of view from another, especially the foxes. "They're animals from my home planet, and despite my home being an utter wreck. These guys are still plentiful."

The foxes continue to pace and look at the people passing by the market. "I had a friend of mine help calm down the foxes, so you shouldn't worry about'em tearing out your throat. The rabbits ain't that much of a worry."

He is /clearly/ the trusting sort. :P

[brave_heart_verity]

Foxes and rabbits? Okay. She supposes they have some similarities. "I'm sorry to hear that," she offers quickly but with genuine feeling. "About your home."

'Shouldn't have to' is not the most reassuring phrase, especially not in relation to strange robot animals. Even if they are kind of cute. Her attention quickly shifts to the rabbits. "Petro-rabbits. What do they, um. Eat? Use for fuel?"

[dealsnotwar]

"Oh don't worry, at least the fighting has stopped and I can get on with my business." Swindle doesn't sound to upset, but then again war is good for business. And trying to avoid getting into trouble with the authorities has become something of a bother.

"Eeeh, they eat solar collector leaves." Swindle bends down behind the counter to grab a gigantic bag of the stuff. "If you need more, I can always sell it to you. As for the foxes well..." If he is capable of it, an optic roll towards the rabbits would be happening right now. "They're pretty much the same as Earth foxes when it comes down to eating things."

[brave_heart_verity]

"Oh. Well. That's good." Peace is good for business. Hasn't he read the Rules of Acquisition?

"Solar collector leaves?" That sounds worryingly like they'd go to town on her solar panels. But that's better than the foxes; she knows animals hunt, but she doesn't want that happening in her living room. So she'll look over the rabbits again, then up at Swindle. "What else do they need?"

[dealsnotwar]

Swindle plops the big bag of solar collector leaves and he plops it down on the fuax wood counter top. "They just need room to run, don't feed them after midnight. Just kidding, just kidding! But they're not too hard to take care of." He wanders over to one of the rabbit cages, and he goes to grab hold of one. Here's hoping the little bugger doesn't slip through his fingers.

[brave_heart_verity]

The leaves still make her curious, but Verity watches him closely when he approaches the rabbits. It's important to know how they've been treated and how they react to people. "Can they understand speech, learn command words, that sort of thing?"

[dealsnotwar]

The rabbits are no bigger than Verity's lower leg. And he is not paying a whole lot of attention to the cage he has left open as he reaches out to grab hold of one of the rabbits. "Oh they're smarter than a Terran dog if that's what you need to know."

He does fail to mention these things reproduce like tribbles, and they might be willing to any kind of electronic goodies that might taste good. "That reminds me!" He turns around with the cage left wide open, and he heads behind the counter to grab hold of some other supplies or crap. He has a bunny bed, pink leash, bowls, and things a dog might need but a petro-rabbit doesn't.