Goldenrod City Christmas Market

[indigo_league]

Who: Everyone
Where: Goldenrod Christmas Market
When: December 1st - December 31st
Summary: Ah, Christmas time! A time of joy, family and... commerce?


Like every year, the Goldenrod Christmas Market is opened on December 1st by a Santa (not the Santa, but certainly a Santa) with a merry Ho-Ho-Ho and a jolly tinkle of sleigh bells. And like every year, the stalls are stacked to the brim, overflowing with everything you might wish to buy this Christmas season. Every few stalls, the items make way for hot food and drink -- waffles, hot chocolate, cider, you name it and you can most certainly find it.

Just like last year, you too can open a stall at the Christmas Market. If you've got a special talent for creating things, why not drop by Goldenrod, and see if you can sell your creations for a bit of extra money. Stalls can be rented by the day, the week, or even for the whole month, so even if you've only got a small stash of items (or pokemon eggs or food or whatever) to sell, why not come by and try and make a buck.

Comments

Jane Crocker | Homestuck (OTA)

[cyan_maid]

[Jane, of course, is one of the first to sign up to open her stall - it was such fun last year, and she can't not get things absolutely jazzed up once more to run

FLETCHER GYM'S SWEET TREATS

Many of last year's selections are on offer again, as well as a new idea that seemed to drop into her lap by happenstance. It feels like something you'd share with a good pal over a big mug of coffee, ya know? Which, hey, there's not too far to go for you to get yourself and your pal some good coffee! Or you could get perfectly serviceable coffee from Jane, she has that too. And no matter what, she always has time to chat - at least one of her gym's trainers is on duty with her for shifts, and seem quite happy to let their boss relax with friends. A gym leader/independent private eye needs some down time just like everyone else - what better time for that than the Christmas Market?]

[bloodysnarky]

Ah, there’s a delectable treat. And her table full of them.

[Astarion recognized the sweet girl from the network and decided to put on the charm immediately. He’s in a good mood and he’s enjoying the market. Something something, Christmas spirit. He smelled the scent of coffee and went on over to see what there was. But he was in a chipper mood and the world was gonna see.]

I remember you from my little bat problem.

[cyan_maid]

[Jane's brain just kind of. Stutters confusedly at the, uh. Compliment? Because for half a second she's damn sure it's more about her baked goods than about her, but then she realizes, hold up, take in the entire statement.

So forgive her if she takes a few seconds to blue screen before deciding we're just going to process this later.]

O-Oh! Yes, you had the Zubat issue! How did that turn out, by the way?

Shiro | OTA

[shiro2hero]

It is never too early to get a start on spoiling his friends, in Shiro's opinion. He's here at the start of December - leather jacket, boots, scarf decorated with little red and green Miniors. He arrived by Skarmory, and may have brought someone along with him - the big bird not included. For this trip, he's accompanied by his Spheal, Europa, who rolls around delightedly in the snow.

... and eventually, his Incineroar, who is gleefully assisting in carrying bags.

Shiro can be found at various gift stalls, all sorts - from candles, to snacks, to clothing. He'll end up with quite a few bags, and may have to hide one from whomever runs into him.

He's also in the food court, gravitating to hot drinks. Fancy coffees, specifically. And food for his pokemon. But still.

[a_sin_for_him]

Shiro isn't the only one lured to the fancy coffee stalls. Lust always drops by the holiday market when the season rolls around. There's so many people to get gifts for, and even more this year. There's already two large bags hooked over her arms, and she has her Houndoom out with her to carry more if need be.

There will likely need be.

But right now, she needs something hot, caffeinated, and full of chocolate.

Upon spotting Shiro she waves and calls out as she hurries over, bundled in a black faux fur trimmed wool coat that reaches below her knees. There's a green scarf tucked into her collar.

"Shiro! Happy holiday season." Her smile is bright as she greets him.

Re: Shiro | OTA

[bloodysnarky]

“So, what’s this super cute thing you must show me all the way out here?”

Astarion was wry but somewhat excited all the same. The last month had been very eventful and taking the time to hang out with Shiro while he could. Everyone in his team was secure in their balls for once while they flew. And what a time that was too.

He was a bit cold, wearing his dark turtleneck, a jacket, dark gloves, and a scarf. He’d made enough money for things. But he looked like he fit in well with the upper city folk. Still though, upon these tall buildings and asphalt, he wrinkled his nose.

“Smells a little dreadful here.”

[nastyboy]

Good luck hiding your bags from people when one of those people is at a stall that you may be browsing, Shiro!

To be exact, it's a stall with colorful little toy swords made out of wood, the hilts decorated with different little carvings of various Pokemon. Dimitri has made sure that they're all type-oriented as well - fun bright red swords with Charmanders and the like, blue swords with Totodiles, et cetera. He doesn't have things for ALL Pokemon, but he made sure to get a good variety.

Upon seeing Shiro passing by, Dimitri - situated behind the stall with the tiniest Furfrou in the world on his lap - gives a wave. "Shiro! Hello!"

Shadowmaru | OTA

[sassymaru]

The Christmas Market.

This is the perfect opportunity to find something... extra special this year. He has people to please more than ever. Maybe he should look in housewares? This year, as usual, Shadowmaru sports a fancy coat, complete with hat and scarf. Heavy boots, gloves, all matching.

He's easily identifiable by those colors, and by the fact there are Growlithe, a Rockruff, and Electrike bouncing around at his heels. Anyone he knows, he may stop to ask a question -

"I'm looking for a gift for someone who has just professed his love. Have you any suggestions?"

Which, you know, is one hell of an opener there.

[singlespacedad]

"I don't need anything."

Whoopsie, look who just snuck up on you, Shadowmaru! Mando doesn't know who you're talking to, but he certainly has some opinions about this topic!

"Unless someone else has confessed their love recently?"

[nastyboy]

Dimitri, who's just been manning his own little stall displaying so many colorful toy swords made out of wood, looks.... the most fish out of water he has ever been.

This is such an opener.

It takes him a brief second. "A... a dagger?"

Listen. It's Faerghan tradition. He can't help himself here.

[mywayistheway]

It is one hell of an opener and it makes Bo-Katan visibly stiffen, her expression hardening a little bit.

"No, I don't."

Truly she doesn't. She's never had such a person in her life, but she does fold her arms and raise a brow at him.

"Though I suppose this would be a good opportunity to train your pokemon if you're still up for it."

Scar | OTA

[officerdown]

Tall, Broad, and Nameless is perusing the stalls with all the subtlety of someone clearly not comfortable with large public crowds while being inevitably Quite Visible due to his stature. The sunglasses are still on, even in the waning light of late Fall.

[Candles]
His aimless roving is utterly derailed by an impressive spread of scented candles. Several shelves sprawl before him, each aesthetically pleasing jar entirely unique from the rest in a wonderland of aromatic offerings previously unknown to a man who has done very little Normal Shopping in his adult life.

There's only one thing to do, really.

He's gonna sniff them.

All of them.

Scar will be easily caught in this act of what he would personally describe as unbridled hedonism, working his way down one row, then the next, then the next, his judgement of each ranging from Skeptical Frown to Impressed Frown.

[Christmas??]
Winter festivities in Pokemon Wonderland have always given Scar some wildly mixed signals. There's an old man with a beard involved. There are fur trees and gift giving. The old man seems to be directly involved in the gift giving, though his involvement seems to be predicated on the moral behavior of the recipient. Sometimes there's coal.

Most baffling of all to a man from a world where Christianity fell out of the cultural body multiple centuries ago, is that the old man's entire shtick involves breaking and entering via... chimney?

Scar is holding one such artifact right now, the handmade ornament cartoonishly small in his hand. It's charming in its whimsy, but...

"Why is he in there...?"

The question is murmured to nobody in particular, a hypothetical one more than anything, but plenty audible to any passerby who happens to notice Scar's complete bafflement.

Christmas??

[no_ufo_ending]

Scar's question falls on a pair of ears nearby.

Henry, all bundled up in a scarf and hat, had been inspecting wreath with little burlap ratattas peeking out of the bushy green fronds. Their plastic eyes twinkled at him, reflecting the string lights smothering the owner's booth.

He glances over to find Scar only a few steps away, a tiny Santa in his hand.

"Oh, that's where he goes in..."

Candles

[bugbeverage]

Scar would be left to his sniffing session in peace for quite a little while. It wouldn't last though.

He would feel a pointed tap on his shoulder. If Scar was to turn, he would find a tall, fat red and white striped candle wrapped in a bow being thrust towards him, thankfully unlit.

"If you like those, get a load of this one!"

It's peppermint scented. Also, there is a bite taken out of it.

[Candles]

[gobetween]

Scar wasn't the only one browsing the area, which perhaps wasn't all that surprising in a populated market like this. But, like Scar, Gobo was going through every single option, even doubling back every now and then. There were just so many to go through! It didn't help that after a while, some of them were starting to smell just like others. What was the difference between Vanilla Wonderscape and Fresh Cookie Dreams, anyway? And some of them tickled his nose in a different way, threatening a sneeze or two. Man, making this decision was hard...

Couldn't miss the tall and imposing figure also looking through them, of course. Ever the friendly one, Gobo lifts one candle with his statement, "Hard to pick just one, eh?" He sniffed it, recoiled from the sheer perfuminess of it, and put it down. "I'm not even sure which one my friend would like best, and even then there's a dozen more options on top of those possibilities."

Bo-Katan Kryze | OTA

[mywayistheway]

Bo just got back into Goldenrid with every intention of challenging and defeating Whitney. What does she find? Some huge market and festivities. To say she’s confused is an understatement. This wasn’t here before!

Looking somewhat disinterested she walks around the market, eyeing all the things that are for sale. This whole thing is completely foreign to her. Christmas? What even is that. Though the TMs and held items offered do get her interest somewhat. She can be found looking those over while an Eevee pokes it’s head out of her bag.

Fluttershy | OTA

[shiningkindness]

[ Just like last year, Fluttershy has two tables pushed together. The first table carried an assortment of color in the form of various knitted items; from accessories like bows or headbands, different kinds of gloves and winter hats, socks, sweaters, and many other kinds of apparel to keep warm, for humans and Pokemon alike. Her Audino, Allegra, is standing behind it, wearing two green knit bows on her ears, as well as some of her other Pokemon around the table also modeling the various knitted accessories. There were also various styles of bags, egg cozies, and even plush Pokemon dolls. Displayed on a sign hanging from the table were prices for the items, as well as offers for commissions for anything that people might not see at the table, or for something in a different color.

Fluttershy herself, though, usually could be found behind the second table. Though she could be seen knitting while at this table, it didn't display any of the knitted wares, but instead held a sign. ]

Pokemon Translation Services
Having trouble understanding your Pokemon partner? Let us help!
Prices to negotiate

[mywayistheway]

[Now this gets Bo-Katan's attention. This is something that she's needed for a few months, and seeing that someone can actually help gives her a glimmer of hope. So have one fully armored Mandalorian as she walks up to Fluttershy's humble little booth. Her helmet turning as she looks between the table of knitted wares, Fluttershy, and her sign.]

Can you really translate what Pokemon say?

[That glimmer of hope coming through in her voice, even through her helmet's vocorder.]

[bloodysnarky]

[Astarion left his Pokemon all out of their balls. Around him was a Litten on his shoulder, a Yamask hiding in his scarf, a Shuppet following his head around, a Murkrow fluttering above him, and an Impidimp on his trail.

They were all eating special biscuits and were really keen on…protecting him. They were chattering among themselves as Astarion was sipping his coffee. His Yamask was unsure if it could protect Astarion but it seemed to be trying as he poked his head out of the scarf to look him over.

Something happened over the fourth wall weekend.

”I don’t want to see you burn up again.”

And various things were said of that nature. He walked passed Fluttershy’s stall and looked at the wares. Knitted things, how quaint.]

[gobetween]

[The knit things had caught his attention but it was the sign that held it. Gobo read through it twice, then looked up curiously.]

Any Pokemon?

[Float-bouncing along with him was a super-sized Pumpkaboo, currently bedecked with a glowing ornament from her top curlicue. At his question she stopped and looked up, drifting upwards a little to look at the goings-on herself.]

[pennyloafer]

[Prices to negotiate.

Of course, of course she would--!

Dang it, Louie knows Fluttershy is just... like this. She's too generous and cares far too little about money. And look, he knows he cares more about money than most - some say "too much," but they're wrong - but there's a difference between not caring about wealth and just-- She's not playing it smart! Sure, she's in that big house in Sevii with housemates right now... But Louie, he pays attention. That's his whole thing. It has not escaped him that quite a few people who used to live there just aren't around anymore. It just happens here, and it sucks when people vanish... But you gotta be ready!

Louie, himself, is ready! If the others living at Pelagic Gym were just not there anymore, he is in a position to keep lights on in the gym and all that. Has he done the exact calculations or factored in all of the relevant aspects? Well, no. But in his mind, Louie is totally prepared.

And this isn't even his problem! He kind of misses when he wouldn't have cared, but he also... Doesn't, in the moments where he's honest with himself. In a weird way, he has come to consider Fluttershy his (present) best friend-- Present in the sense that it's always going to be Rei, he feels, even if he never sees her again... But also in that the cynical part of him doesn't expect that to always be true with Fluttershy. They're maybe too different for a longterm "best friendship," so of course he hasn't acknowledged the best friend thing to her: Because if that stopped being true it would be awkward, not because he has no idea if Fluttershy thinks of him on remotely that level and he'd be embarrassed by that.

...Anyway.

The point of the matter is he does care, both about Fluttershy and about money, which is why after spotting the sign from some distance, Louie hurries over to her second table and puts his hands down with a tired sigh.]

Fluttershy. Hi. We gotta talk.

Harry Potter | OTA

[phoenixwiz]

(Harry has been at Goldenrod City for some time following his victory in gaining the Hive Badge from Bugsy and his Tinkatink catch, hoping to train up the team he will be using up against Whitney and praying that his Plain Badge battle plan will work out for him. Well regardless of how it will pan out for him, Harry is here to check out the Christmas Markets again.

This time he is here to find some iron balls for the Tinkatink who has been giving most of the team headaches from her constant rattle hitting on furniture since she got into the team. As he spies around for that one, he is also interested in finding some TMs and HMs for some of his Pokémon as well. It never hurts to find some good moves to make his team ready for anything.)

Boober Fraggle

[soupguy]

Market Stall | Open

[soupguy]

[This year, Boober has once again rented a stall in the market! Just for two days this time, as the convenience of living in Goldenrod anyway is not a thing for him now. But for those two days, the soup stall is open.

The offerings are generally straightforward soups and stews. The recipes are not limited at all to what's simple, nor entirely to seasonal produce-- Boober likes cooking with fresh ingredients best, it's what he's most used to, but there's nothing wrong with using frozen! The main thing is that very few of the offerings include meat: Just a hearty corn chowder that includes chunks of ham, and a blended bean soup with bacon crumbles.

And there are a few more unique options, as well: Boober's cream of red radish soup is on offer again, once again looking a bit like melted strawberry ice cream with it's pale pink color. Despite the weather being cold, there is a chilled cucumber soup available, with a warning of spiciness-- One that, for most, will likely oversell how spicy the soup is to a large degree.

Boober is also selling breads this year, thanks to the countertop breadmaker he was gifted in November. These are all more simple, from beginner-friendly recipes. He's never used a machine for this before! Additionally, despite Boober not generally being one to encourage the consumption of sugary treats... There are cakes at the stall, small ones that look made with a loaf tin mold in the oven. The paper sign labels it a "root cake", and it does look rather like fruit cake. Not the kind you hear about when people say fruit cake can be good, though. It somehow looks unpleasantly dense and heavy. There are red, purple, and orange candied bits visible, and this is where the root over fruit comes in: they are candied carrots, beets, and of course, red radishes.

Feel free to stop by and make a purchase, ask questions, or just strike up conversation!]

Mistletoe | Closed to Riz

[soupguy]

[Boober's glad Riz came along for this. The help, of course, is appreciated. Riz may not be at all strong, but he's still an extra set of hands for setting up - and Gobo is also there for lugging heavy soup pots. And of course, Boober is also glad and grateful that Gobo's here!

But there's a lingering separation anxiety, after Riz was away. Well, no, that's not quite the right way to put it, is it? Riz was still there the whole time, even if in body only. They weren't separated, per say. Still, Boober missed him fiercely, and while the two have been able to do their own activites and go different places, Boober wouldn't have relished being in a whole different region than Riz for two whole days while he had his stall going.

And now the first day of sales had wrapped up... And despite it being cold and dark, Boober was in no rush to return to the hotel. The city of Goldenrod was decked out with lights this time of year, and they were beautiful at night.]

Hey, what do you think about taking a little walk?

[Boober offered Riz a hesitant smile. He knew he didn't care too much for cold, but... Some time just for the two of them sounded nice. And at some point after cleaning up, Gobo had kind of disappeared on the rest of them. But a quick check in on the pokegear and Boober had learned his friend was exploring and not a victim of a kidnapping. So there was no reason not to at least float the idea.]