The Yuletide Festival [Event] [Open]

[El]

"Anytime." Gao assured, the warmth of his voice filling the platitude with sincerity. He quickly found that it was hard not to smile in Micah's presence: the Goron's easy amiability heating back up the sooty coals of his tired heart.

In all honesty he hadn't expected the chef to actually take him up on his offer of more company later. It had been an impulsive invitation. A throwaway statement. One wrought by Gao's own experiences of solitude and isolation, knowing full well how deeply the kindness of a passing stranger could be felt - and remembered. But instead, here he was, the comfort he'd extended for another instead coming back to comfort him. All of a sudden Gao wasn't just running from time, biding the hours until he could make an escape: he had something to look forward to. It was a pleasant surprise.

"Keep at it, mate." The Sheikah grinned, feeling his own smile more naturally now. If the stall hadn't been between them he would've clapped the Goron with an encouraging pat on the shoulder, but alas, he had to settle with a full display of his not-so-pearly whites. "Fortune favours the persistent.

"BUT-!" He quickly paused, hastily adding on a suddenly stern warning, "Take care of your health too, bud: there'll be no fortune to farm if you're curled up somewhere with a nasty cold." Poor guy. Gao was glad the cider was giving him some reprieve, but it looked like he should've taken the whole fire with him too while he was at it. Some actual flames would've done him some good.

"Later then!"

With that - and a farewell nod - the scholar could quickly scamper away.

Well, scamper was probably the wrong word for it: his frame was too large to be doing anything remotely erratic. Yet, his bearing was undeniably lithe, an almost primal elegance to the strength he exuded that allowed him to slink into the bustling crowds and prowl through the tides with quick-footed, long-legged strides. He weaved and dodged and slunk his way through, until finally he could break free of it all with an almost audible gasp for air. He shook free some errant snow from his hair and began the upwards hike.

It felt good to feel the heat build in his legs. To move and to do rather than think.

As the muscles churned through the motions, fighting the increasingly steep incline, a sweat began to swelter down his back and kiss his cheeks a subtle red. A good few minutes in and he'd begun tugging at the constriction of his fur robes, loosening the layers for his skin to breathe and sting against the frost that greeted it. His breath misted into steam.

The festivities were behind him now but-... the memories did not fade with them. Not yet. Subdued as the jovial noise had become, it was still present enough to tickle at the fragments of his treasured childhood. It kept them hooked, strung out there on the line, with a connection tenuous but still tangible. The open food stalls. The sizzle of fish. The jangle of exchanged rupees. The giggling children. His father's wide, proud smile and the big hand in his hair. His Old Ma chastising him for the sticky fingers on her favourite dress, only to sigh into a laugh as she used it to wipe him clean anyway.

Once upon a time.

A shudder swept down his spine, but he tensed his jaw, gritting his teeth. Deep breaths. Slow breaths. His distance was growing and the sensations were numbing. One foot in front of the other. Higher. Forwards. Onwards. His chest swelled and the fractured heart within it throbbed. But the air was there, and it was crisp, caressing where it stung. The gorgeous vista of snowcapped mountains drew up into open view and with it - finally - Gao found that he could breathe again. Properly.

His pulse raced, pounding at his eardrums as he came to a pause.

...

Honestly, he could've happily collapsed right there and then. Just succumbed to the snow, with arms and legs outspread to the elements, soaking it all in. A cold nap would've done his head some good. But... something in that moment of clarity caught his eye - an inconsistency. Once he focused, downwards, he noticed the fresh tracks: footsteps, two pairs of them at that. Yet no sooner had Gao begun to raise his head and trace how far up they went did it occur to him that the answer was far closer than anticipated. As a matter of fact, it was coming for him. STRAIGHT at him.

SHIT

Gao's first instincts were to dodge. But no. Bad idea. Don't do it. What if the sled crashed into any of the craggy rocks behind him? What if they soared over the precipice? What if Zelkoa Pond was frozen solid?!

BUT HE COULDN'T JUST STAND THERE EITHER!

A head-on collision could prove just as dangerous - maybe even fatal. All it'd take was one unlucky jerk in the wrong direction. A weakened old plank of wood. A little stone in the wrong place. No. Don't run. Don't freeze. So that only left-

Gao pounced.

For a split second he thought he saw the telltale sparkle of magic - a frosty glitter and sheen of fresh ice below foot - but there was no longer any time to pay it heed. He was in the air. Soaring. The two colourful, young Hylians fast approaching. He couldn't anticipate how they'd react but he'd try his best to ensure their safety first above all else: his brawny arms outstretching only to circle around them, a hard shoulder narrowly dodging their necks, then two rough hands bracing their heads, folding them up in his warmth and protective shell as off the sled they were jerked by the impact, tumbling down the incline in a violent flurry of snow instead. Gao bit back the hiss of pain as scrapes and bruises pounded at his back, but he held on, cautious of both of his weight and his strength as he shielded the duo from the worst of the fall.

When gravity finally relented and the roll slowed to a halt, leaving the Sheikah laid beneath them both, all he could think was: Thank Hylia he'd left his halberd in his room. Imagine if it'd been sheathed on his back?!

[Sav'saaba]

So far, so good! The twins had cleared the first part of their downhill descent without hitting a snag, the toboggan keeping a steady trajectory along the trail. But this early success would hardly predict that the rest of the run would turn out record-breaking; last year's attempt had gone just as swimmingly at its outset, yet they still had hurtled straight into the pond moments later.

She'd had the chills for days after.

This gentle slope was easily managed, its slant not creating much velocity, not even with Mabel optimizing the condition of the snow -oh, drat, hopefully old man Tokk would not come up here today with his cuccos and slip and break a hip on all this ice- before the sleigh's bow through magic. It was after this that the trail would straighten out and the slope steepened, and where things started to get interesting.

Reaching far into the unsounded depths of magic, Mabel concentrated on growing the blue flames -she shouldn't close her eyes, she really shouldn't!- fluttering above her upturned palms yet at the same time tried her utmost to keep the spell restrained, her heart thrumming with exhilaration as they sped down the slope.

Faster, faster, faster!

The next turn in the road was coming up, and Mabel flung her flames at it with a flourish, where they skittered and bounced to crystallize into an icy, concavely curving bank to change the toboggan's trajectory when it would careen onto it.

Smooth as could be, they swooshed along the bend, neatly onto the next and final stretch of the course, with the treacherous hairpin turn and Zelkoa Pond beyond coming up.

Old nemesis, we meet again! No, no way, this year they were going to make it! She got this!

Drunk with hubris, Mabel cackled and the snow underneath their vessel swelled into a rushing wave, a tiny, extremely local avalanche now propelling them forth, momentum multiplying every few units of distance.
What fun is there if the stakes aren't high?!

Misschief crinkled her features, until... until a person making their way up the path rushed into view.
There was hardly time for another breath to be drawn, let alone for shrieking a warning.

They were going to bowl that person right over.

She closed her eyes and held her breath, bracing herself for the imminent impact.


...That never came.
Not how she expected, anyway.

In the mere second that followed the shocking realization, somehow a strong arm wrapped itself around her, pressing her close to a warm body and Ashley and down they tumbled in a disorienting twirl, snow enveloping and rolling all around them.

Finally having come to a stop, Mabel groaned, not entirely sure which way was up or down just yet, until she became aware of the... the... MAN SHE WAS ON TOP OF.
Even through the furs he was wearing Mabel could tell that his was a muscular frame, and she was acutely conscious of the absolutely chiseled arm that was protectively curled around her waist.

Hateno's farmers had recently endeavored to cultivate hearty radishes, and managed to make them grow even bigger than those found out in the wild. Mabel imagined that right about now, as she dumbfoundedly stared into the crimson gaze of this dark and handsome stranger, the colour on her cheeks would put last Harvest Festival's prize winning specimen to shame.

This... this was eerily like in her stories. The ones she kept in a small, unassuming box, hidden in a hard to reach dusty corner under her bed, to keep them out of Ashley's reach. Hylia forbid he'd ever find them; they'd make for some embarrassing ammo in their spats. She still hadn't forgiven him for orating her diary entries.
At the breakfast table. As if it wasn't bad enough he had READ them!

"Is... is everyone alright?" she squeaked, having found her voice again, barely, her fists balled up and resting upon the guy's chest.

Was that the hiss of melting snow?

[El]

...Ciel had underestimated their competition. However, as unnervingly quickly as she had become aware of that fact, her lips only sealed firmer: never would she admit it, especially not after it took so much work to bolster her precious brother's spirit. He'd already felt self-conscious about being out of his depth here.

And so, with great care and effort did Ciel keep her concentration locked onto their own endeavours. It proved to be a frighteningly difficult task, considering the myriad of interesting sculptures - and even more interesting techniques - which took life around her. USUALLY she wouldn't have hesitated a single heartbeat before poking her pert, curious nose into everyone's business: to ogle at the details all up close and prod some biceps and clap with encouragement in the hopes that they'd exaggerate their performances to even greater heights. Alas, priorities today were different. No impulse of whimsy was of greater importance than Arthur's own enjoyment; a resolution that only steeled once her affectionate gaze returned to his little, soft face - the concentration etched deep upon it was downright adorable. With fiercely resolute determination his small hands continued to pack snow, brow twitching whenever he noticed an uneven bump that needed some extra attention or when a chunk dropped off unbidden.

Just as the young boy stepped back to take in his work so far and judge its symmetry in case revisions were needed, the peppy Rito from Ciel's flatbread encounter emerged and-... greeted them? With a compliment in tow too! Both of the Beaumont siblings blinked at him. But while the older sister smoothly responded with a sweet, polite smile of gratitude, her younger brother had yet to master such social arts. What was at first just a blank dumbfounded slate quickly scrunched up with anger as Malon smoothly departed: continuing on to sing praises at an imposing - but incredibly fascinating - odd Zora nearby who had been busy demonstrating his slick sword skills. My, that IS impressive~!

"...Wow, cocky much, eh?" Arthur scoffed, a sniff wrinkling his nose with distaste. Apparently now that Malon was out of earshot, he had found the courage to badmouth him.

Ciel giggled. It perhaps amused her a little too much how poorly the sweet Rito's first impressions were on her family - was this becoming a pattern? Goddesses forbid if the same happened with their parents! The lovesmitten couple were nearby in the gathered crowds, hot chocolates clutched in their hands while they cheered their children on with proud glee. ...Nevermind. I'm not sure those two are even capable of annoyance.

Is that how you always react to compliments, dear Arthur?

The boy snorted. "He must be REALLY confident to be wasting his time praising his competition. Didn't that upset you too?" The accusation he pointed at her wrinkled under a frown of confusion. Ciel couldn't blame him, if it hadn't been for the incident yesterday she would've felt much the same.

He's actually a very sweet bird.
I can assure you he was being genuine.

A stain coloured Arthur's cheeks at that, but he huffed and turned away, pretending to bury himself back in his work. "Still though..." He mumbled below his breath, "...it hurts my pride. He's so talented he even has time to take a break and not be worried about it, tch."

A thoughtful hum chimed up Ciel's throat as she mulled that statement over. She didn't respond immediately, instead busying her hands putting in the last touches of their sculpture - two slender, thorny branches for the ears. 

Don't you think you're also being arrogant?

"W-What...?!"

You just presumed he was innately talented.
Did you not consider that he's put in a lot of work too?
I know you saw how prepared he was.

"Well-... I guess..."

With a soothing smile, CiCi dusted off the snow from her gloves and extended a hand to cup one of her little brother's burning cheeks. He scowled at the touch, but didn't move away, instead acting as if her palm was not even there to begin with.

Put in the time, little one.
Every master of their craft had to start somewhere.
Besides, I still think our sculpture is the best one.

"Pft. Of course you do. Not like you're bias at all." He tried not to grin - he really did, he tried so hard - but once his lips started to twitch it was already game over. Especially when his older sister started grinning too - it was infectious!

Now then, hands together!
If you want to see some magic I expect some ardent wishes.
I won't accept anything less!

"Now who's being the arrogant one." Arthur grumbled under his breath with a snicker. But he did as he was bade to, closing his eyes to press his palms together. Ciel mirrored him. And so, together they stood, heads bowed in reverence to the adorably rotund Blupee sculpture before them, perked to attention on its hind legs.

Great care had been taken to carve out its distinctive features, but considering they had no way of adding colour they had opted to sacrifice a few golden, sugar candies to symbolise its eyes. They were heart-shaped - sculpted as such to symbolise Yuletide's sentiments of love and gratitude - which wasn't at all accurate, but it was a compromise Ciel adored nonetheless: it made it even cuter! Besides... it'd make the last little addition of sparkle all that much more magical.

Three...
Two........

"One...!" Arthur whispered. And as he peeked open his eyes they glittered with delight, watching as their handmade Blupee came to life. For from within swirling ribbons of cyan and gold emerged ripe buds of light, blooming pop-pop-pop one after another all the way up the twigs! And like confetti, as the ruptured cocoon of magic descended, evaporating into soft sparkles, a hum of vibrant charm lit up the Blupee's once hollow gaze. It was a simple trick really, but still an impactful one - especially to a child's heart. It was as if the carefully packed lumps of snow had been gifted a spirit all of their own, Arthur thought.

[Emily]

"Gnnnn... ah!" Ariadne puffed and groaned as she lifted the final, packed snowball onto the top of her snow-individual. She stumbled back a couple of steps to take it in, wet, snow-spattered gloves on the equally wet and snow-spattered knees of her dark blue trousers. She panted at the exertion, her breath creating a fine mist in the cold late-morning air. What she saw before her was perfect, the absolute magnum opus of all snow-individuals, the creation of a lifetime. She'd still have to decorate it, of course, but that was for later, now was for admiring her expertise at work.

She had, of course, looked around at everyone else during the process, while packing and then rolling a snowball around her area (and a bit of Claria's area, don't tell anyone). They were doing such intricate and prestigious-looking snow-sculptures. She admired their creativity and drive. While rolling a second, smaller sphere, she had watched how things were taking shape. Specifically in the distance, where King Sidon had summoned an ice wall to keep people from seeing what he was doing. Royal prerogative, she assumed. Regardless, there were sprays of water occasionally rising over the wall and into view for a moment before settling back down. Water magic seemed to be quite the advantage in a situation like this.

While rolling the last, smallest snowball, she mused on everyone's reaction to that dragon. Naydra, she assumed, though nobody had said anything. It was indeed an incredible and humbling sight, to see the immortal, disinterested pacifists wandering through the skies. She remembered the first time she had seen it, when her parents took her as a child to the edge of Tarangar Canyon, where they occasionally came to watch Dinraal fly by. They had introduced her to the great dragon at that point, and she'd felt a strange comfort in knowing there was an agreement between them, that no harm would come to pass during these scant, sacred moments.

But now, here she was, among artisans and mages as nothing more than a healer. And yet, she had created the perfect snow-individual, something worthy of excessive pride. Of course, it wasn't particularly fair to the other contestants- where she grew up, it was snowy all year round. Snow-individual crafting was a thing she had done since she was a kid, and she had all year, every year to practice at it. So here she was, three stacked snowballs, the bottom one approximately 88cm in diameter, the entire thing approximately 1.8 metres tall. If she had to estimate, there were a couple hundred kilograms of snow in the creation's entirety. Certainly that second ball had been about as much as she could be expected to lift, probably more than she should have done on her own.

But that was enough admiring, the snow-individual wouldn't impress anyone if she didn't get some decorations. She began searching around for sticks, dark rocks, and most importantly a single carrot. What was the point of existence if you didn't just do something silly to have some fun once in a while?

[LuckyBlackCat]

This was proving tougher than Claria had thought.

With precise jabs and slices, she carved the details as finely as she could, but occasionally part of an ear or hand would crumble off of the figure, and she'd have to pack more snow onto the area to start over. Mindful of the child building a Blupee with Lady CiCi's help nearby, she bit back swears. It didn't help that she only had vague sketches and memories as reference. Lips pressed tight in concentration, she patted down rough areas and set to work etching the spiralling patterns across the figure's armour. Did these symbols have any particular significance, and if she got them wrong, would it be disrespectful towards an ancient civilisation?

Malon's compliment, at least, bolstered her spirits. Maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't embarrass herself in front of the Sages after all. Briefly, she shifted her focus from the snowperson to him. "Thanks. Turns out it's not too difficult once you get the hang of it," she replied, downplaying how much of a sheer learning curve it had truly proven so far, the painstaking amount of effort she'd put in. Her gaze followed him as he strolled around taking in the competition, praising the others' creations.

Impressive creations at that. The rotund Blupee on its hind legs bore the same intricate sculpting as any professional-made statue, enchanting in its whimsy. Meanwhile, at Claria's side, Ariadne put her all into crafting a perfectly proportioned, precisely measured classic snowindividual, stacking smooth spheres on top of each other. The kind that the children in the school would probably enjoy the most out of all the snowpeople here.

"You alright there?" Claria asked as Ariadne grunted and panted. She'd help out if Ariadne wanted, but at the same time, she respected her friend's capabilities and strong independent streak. Sure enough, Ariadne set the heavy snowball in place, and regarded her work with well-earned satisfaction. "Good job." The corners of Claria's mouth pulled into a small smile. Ariadne, as well as having confidence in her skills, looked to be thoroughly enjoying this, refusing to take it too seriously despite the audience.

And, as her friend would no doubt remind her, the point of this contest was fun and relaxation after a busy year. Wasn't that the entire reason why Ariadne had talked her into taking part? Sheathing her sword and using her hands to flatten down the last few ridges, Claria sighed. The drive to make a good impression coursed through her, fierce as a river's flow, and if she could get some Depths study in at the same time, all the better. Still, maybe all this overthinking was holding her back...

The sun glinted off of crystalline horns in the distance. If the flawless likeness of Naydra that someone had already finished crafting, with a coiling serpentine body, smooth scales and sharp claws, didn't awe the judges, nothing would. The competition really was steeper than the cliffs of Lanayru. And the tension spiked even further when Claria spotted the figure's creator.

Rust-coloured scales. Stinger-tipped tendrils. A crimson cloak.

Her fins twitched. Her lights pulsed ever so slightly. She couldn't say she'd expected to see him here of all places. If he won, and if he noticed her, going by his attitude during their Depths expedition, he'd surely rub it in her face. All thoughts of relaxation left her mind. It was time to up the ante.

She pulled small glass jars from her belt pouch, each one containing dried samples of grasses from the Depths. There'd be just enough to spare. Once she'd set clusters of curling fronds here and there in the snow around the pedestal, she took a leafy seed, which gave off a soft green glow much like her own. Brightbloom seeds weren't something she often relied on, for obvious reasons. Yet it proved useful to carry at least a few around, in case she ran her lights down from overexertion, or needed a clear view of something outside of their radius. For all the hardiness of the brightbloom plant, known for thriving in inhospitable conditions, she wondered it it would take root here, in the frozen ground. There was only one way to find out.

She flung it in front of the pedestal. Leaves like kelp unfurled and spread wide as the seed burst into flower at the base, its luminosity glimmering off of the figure and deepening the shadows in crevasses. Stepping back, she cast one more look over the finished sculpture. Now to await the opinions of the judges.

[AmJanky]

Ashley

What in the triple full frontal somersault was that?

With Mabel at the throttle, Ashley couldn't do much but try to keep up with steering. At the speed they were going it was much more muscle-memory than actually reacting to the bends and turns, he hadn't time to process what it was that was in front of them.

They were pulled off their sledge before Ashley could call out that there wasn't a boulder there before, was that a Goron or a bear - or worse still - a moblin in Hateno? They tumbled and slid and bumped a fair way before roughly coming to a standstill.


"Ding Dang Darn It!" He swore exclaiming every capital with a force that his mother would be proud of, after getting up on his hands enough to see their finish line. A few feet in front of them was the unwelcome view of Zelkoa Pond. "Not even our record too, what the actual Depths!"

Wait.

His hands weren't cold, they were not touching snow. He squeezed his fingers exploratorily a couple of times, feeling something warm, incredibly sturdy yet supple - definitively not Goron. Could still be a bear for the amount of fur that covered it. A moblin out of the question as it surely would not have 'saved' the twins from their 'predicament', and would by now have chewed off their heads.

No, no, all of that is wrong, your hands know fabric and fur, Ash. The better part of his still reeling brain called out. No beast or monster would wear a fur lined cloak, 't was a man, sure enough. Be it one still hairy enough to be a bear.

"Oh? OH." Retracting the hand, while keeping his eyes on where it had been. He blinked a couple of times - whether in disbelief or to commit the view to memory, was anybody's guess - before getting up posthaste, straightening his vest, his coat, his hair (for what it was still worth) and basically his everything. "Excuse me for the-" he coughed "Well, basically assault... but you started it, if we're being trivial about it..."

It seemed the whole vision had entered Mabel's brain even before Ashley's could even catch up. Her face would put ripe tomatoes to shame. She was living the.. well a dream, certainly. Perhaps not unlike the little secret stash of smutty novellas she nicked off their mother. He left her in that dream for a bit while he looked around for his glasses, he lost them in the tumble somewhere - if only for a reason to drag his eyes off the bulky bear-man.

"Is... is everyone alright?" She meeped while Ashley found his glasses and attempted to put them on his nose.

"Purely based on looks, I'd say absolutely Fiiine." Ashley raised an eyebrow, the glasses set on his nose crooked, "But would you need attention, mister?" he took the glasses off again and tucked them in a pocket, before making an addendum,

"Medical attention, that is."

[El]

Sharp but restrained, an inhale seethed through Gao's gritted teeth. His chest swelled with the bracing breath, his heart pounding with adrenaline, but it was the throbbing of his back which he was more concerned with: nasty bruises were coming, that was for sure. Nothing I can't walk off though. So he sucked it up, and sucked it in, the resulting exhale blooming into a thick cloud of silver when he let it all go. It smelled of goron spice.

"Ding Dang Darn It! Not even our record too, what the actual Depths!"

...Oh.

Oh no. Well that didn't bode well for the rest of this surprise encounter.

Flinching in anticipation of more caustic complaints, it was with hesitation that Gao opened his eyes - peeking one first, before the other. A persistent tickling at his chest tried to entice a snort of laughter out of him, but he forced it down, nostrils flaring with a clear of his throat. He had not expected the groping, but it did ease his tension. Supposedly the stranger was enjoying himself too, considering how long it lasted-

"Oh? OH."

Gao regarded the flamboyant young man on top of him with silent bemusement, watching as he scrambled back up onto his feet. 

"Excuse me for the-" An awkward cough. A trip and a pause. But he was quick to collect himself and put his elaborate ensemble back together.  Gao didn't really know anything about fashion past how it was spelled, but even he could tell the Hylian was remarkably dressed. Colourful too. Were his eyes and hair natural...? "Well, basically assault... but you started it, if we're being trivial about it..."

HA! Deflecting his embarrassment with an accusation, eh? A toothy grin peeled apart the Sheikah's lips. He couldn't really argue against it though: split-second decisions had been made, and they had potentially been completely unnecessary. Maybe he was in the wrong here.

The deepening furrow of his brow was distracted by a much softer, second voice however, and as his eyes snapped to its source he realised the young woman had been staring. In the same moment he also twigged that the duo he'd just tackled were related. (Thank Hylia he hadn't just interrupted a lovers' moment!)

"Is... is everyone alright?" The woman squeaked, and for a second Gao feared he'd squeezed her too hard - the arm around her waist instinctively and immediately loosening. She was very flushed too. Hmn. Concerning. At least her brother(?) was evidently doing well, crooked glasses aside. ...I'm going to have to reimburse him for those aren't I...?

"Nah, I'm all good." Gao assured, clearing his throat when the first syllable came out coarse.

An amiable grin naturally found its way upon his lips as he then hefted himself upright, the young woman still in tow. Sitting on a stranger's lap probably wasn't something most people were comfortable with, but Gao was reluctant to remove his grasp entirely in case she suddenly fainted or something. Of course, if she tried to move he'd let her though: his arm was there largely for support, not for imprisonment. And in all honesty her bodyheat was appreciated. She wasn't just fluffy-soft but warm too: a welcome reprieve from the stinging cold of snow and ice.

"I er-... sorry 'bout that." He continued, a clipped laugh escaping him. He raised his spare hand to scratch awkwardly at the back of his neck but-...

Ah.

The hand lingered a touch too long. His slanted smile faltered for a fraction of a second. "I acted on reflex but perhaps I could've done better: didn't mean to spoil your fun an' all that." He tugged up the collar of his robes and curled the hand into a fist, retreating it into what he could of his sleeve only to realise the effort was futile - considered he'd rolled them up prior. So instead he set the spare hand far behind him, leaning upon it 'for extra support'. The bodypaint of his forearms had been chipped and nicked in several places, but the cuts were shallow scrapes at best - barely perceptible on his dark skin. The fingers however were warm. Wet. ...Thankfully the scent of blood was numbed by the cold and now out of sight. Hopefully. "I hope I didn't break anything...?"

Taking care not to draw any attention to the soiled hand by NOT looking back at it, Gao instead cast his gaze across their surroundings. Initially he was searching for their sled - to see if it had broken into a heap somewhere - but his attention was caught by the frosty sheen of sheet ice. Ice in itself wasn't unusual - not at this time of the year - but something about its formation and quantity struck him as odd. It was tough to see in detail from all the way over here though.

But that wasn't important right now.

"Are you OK, miss?" Gao threw the Hylian woman a look of evident concern. Again he was reminded of Rito plumage: the vibrancy and colours of this pair were curiously pretty, but he tried not to stare. "Perhaps if you both want to try another go I can stand guard at the bottom of the hill." He quipped, with a soft, rumbling laugh.

[Sav'saaba]

...And as for the reception, they could serve éclairs and those tiny bite-size cheesecakes in a hundred different flavours! The only question left then would be if Ashley could be trusted with designing her dress.

The warm baritone that rumbled from the stranger's throat and him adjusting his pose to put the both of them into an upright position did not help her battle the notion that she must accidentally have ingested a cloud of winterwing butterflies during the ride down the trail.

How she sat there in his lap, looking up at him with her face positively glowing, rosy-cheeked and starry-eyed, her legs folded beside her as she appreciated the rugged handsomeness her 'saviour' possessed. His scent reminded her of Goron spice, and everything nice.

Use your words, Mabel.

"Uhm. Uh."

You are supposed to say something NOW, Mabel. 

"I'm freezing my backside off," she giggled -always a lady-, "but apart from a few nicks and scrapes, I'm fine! Those will heal! And we can always try again next year. Honestly we're getting a little too old for these games, anyway," Mabel chirped as she cast a quick, guilty glance at her twin who had already gotten up and she took notice of his missing spectacles, then leaned in a little closer to Gao who had settled on the arm that was regrettably not wrapped around her.
Trying hard not to melt into a goopy Chu jelly under his friendly, open gaze, she spoke quietly, as if she was sharing a secret.

"Don't feel bad about his glasses, he only wears those as camouflage. My brother can see fine without them, and he owns a bun-..." she trailed off, a breeze of realization blowing the rot induced by fairy tales and romance novels from her brain and knocking free her sense of reality.
A trail of blood was trickling down the side of the man's neck. She sucked in a breath.

"Oh no, you're bleeding."

Producing an unused, floral-patterned handkerchief from a pocket, Mabel sprang to her feet and moved to his back, not waiting for consent to investigate where he had injured himself, her fingers gingerly parting the man's lush mane as she half-expected to unearth a  gorey head wound or something just as grody. When she found the gash on the back of his neck, it wasn't anything quite that bad to her untrained eyes, but she judged it still would be wise to have a professional's second-opinion.

"I think this cut might need some stitches. At the very least, it needs to be cleaned," she stated as she pressed the handkerchief down onto the wound in an attempt to stymie the bleeding.

"Ashley, did you see any Zora around town? They're supposed to be good at healing magic."

[Rex Draco]

Sin | Hateno| Arc III
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Sin gripped his scabbard with his free hand and sheathed his sword. The blade slid into its home without the slightest sound. If not for the holt of the weapon meeting the metallic locket around the throat it would have never been known he had even locked it in place. Adjusting the casing so it rested against his hip, he pulled his cloak back around his shoulder so his body was once again concealed from the frosted air. When he put his swordsmanship on display it also had the effect of jostling the cloth, making it flutter behind him like a kite in a typhoon. With no backwind from his swings to keep the cloth aloft it was once again peacefully fluttering against the passing gusts that came from the wintry downcast. The Zora raised his head and stepped back. He allowed himself to look over his work of art, admiring the visage of Naydra on display in the public. It was more than he felt they were allowed to behold, but given the festivities even the snowy dragon god deserved to be worshipped appropriately.

A poisoned tendril reached out and brushed against the underside of his chin, his ruby gaze drifting along the snow sculpture's serpentine body as it posed upon its pedestal. The Zora was not immune to his own poison so could feel the prickle of the toxins brushing up against his hardened scales as he tapped the tentacle against his chin. He moved to rest his hand against his hip, the fish's collected blades clattering softly in their sheaths against his movement. He admired the horns and eyes he carved from the icier blocks of frost. The body was smooth and fluidly coiled onto the mound that served as its perch. The 'scales' along its spine all appeared to be sticks that he had formed snow around the tail with some leaves he pressed out into a fan-like shape that mimicked the feathery fluff that could be seen from afar.

His attention turned to Malon who seemed to praise his work. He puffed out his chest, unaware of the dagger sharp stare being leveled at him from nearby, though it was not unfelt. He brushed his hand against his covered shoulder, trying to flake off the sensation while he answered the amicable artist. His lips pulled back over his fangs as he spoke.

"Of course."  He had done well because it was expected of him. Naydra was watching after all. "If I am noticed above all others, I may not need to traverse to the top of Lanayru for meditation." He nodded to Malon's work. "Though not a depiction of Naydra, certainly your efforts must please her." He praised, though the fish was no artist himself and was not sure where the bird was going with their masterpiece.

He knew little of the works. The only reason he was able to craft such a thing was because they had to make their own pottery in the monastery so he was quite used to shaping the earth for the more basic necessities within the sacred halls.

"With all this said and done -- I need to get something to eat. Once you are done will you come with?" Though his invitation was only out of hearing others doing so throughout the festival. He really had no reason to invite Malon otherwiase.

[Chaosome]

It honestly delighted Malon that he wasn't the only one so enthused, so caught up with festive spirit — or for some, religious fervor — everyone here was. If he had all of the time in the world he'd go from station to station getting to know everyone's though process on their work, what inspired them to make what they were, why they chose how to work on it like they were. These little things that made people tick were just so fascinating, and really gave you a glimpse into how someone's brain functioned. Or dysfunctioned he's found in some cases. Though at least on the surface, everyone here seemed to be pretty functional!

If one were to peer over Malon's shoulders as he delicately worked with the snow, one would be able to see among the pictures and papers he had were a few familiar faces. Zelda, Link, the Sages. Along with a few sketches of another Zora, Rito, Gerudo, and Goron. While the bird's gaze was intense and his wings steady, a grin still came to his beak at Sin's praise. "Thanks! Having someone that big and important happy with you is bound to have its pluses!" he'd chime chipperly. He always found the trio of dragons interesting, but way above his pay grade into researching. Plus he'd freeze his feathers off trying to get close to her! Let alone the other two frying him inadvertantly.

The first of his painstakingly carved snowpeople were finally brought to light. Taller than the basic snowpeople he had deposited in the map and posed in such a way that gave them the look of building the snowpeople, a Snow Link and Snow Zelda were carefully placed at the center of the 'map', by Hyrule Castle. Coloured ashes were carefully dusted and worked into the snow to give them the right colour to make them truly pop. Glancing over with an even brighter smile to Sin, Malon settled back in to start on the next set. "Some lunch? Absolutely! I rarely turn down food, specially with company. Once the competition's done, we'll see what they've got cookin out there!" with a little thumbs up, Malon turned back to his work.

The second set he seemed to be working on were the pair of Gorons. One was clearly Yunobo while the other was larger and quite a bit more bearded. As before the bird carefully worked in little bits of coloured ash into the snow to give the Snow Gorons their distinctive looks. He repeated the process at a steady pace for the pairs of Zora, Gerudo, and Rito as well — paying extra attention to making sure he got the Snow Tulin's details JUST so. Placing them carefully at their respective positions along the map he would gather his picture and paper collection up and step back, looking over his work with a satisfied nod. "I hope I did them justice." Malon looked over the sketches again. "Even bothered Lady Impa for eye witness descriptions of them."

[AmJanky]

Ashley

At least the man was nice about it but he had taken the brunt of his own actions. Ashley was surely gonna be sore and bruised some time in the future, but he wasn't wounded or harmed badly. And Mabel didn't look like she was either, nor did she look very concerned with remaining in the stranger's arms.
There were bound to be cheese cake hors d'oeuvres involved in his sister's train of thought somewhere, not their father saying she shouldn't trust strangers.
Still, for a second, just one tiiiny little second, Ashley wished he was the sibling wearing the fur coat. That was until he heard his sister suck in a breath and dare utter the words;

"Oh no, you're bleeding."

Nope. Good feelings gone.

"I think this cut might need some stitches."

She continued while having found the bleeding culprit on the man's neck, and dabbing at it with a handkerchief.
Ashley was about to dramatically panic and say he knew stitches, but not those kinds of stitches, thank yoou. Before Mabel - perhaps wisely - asked him if he'd seen a Zora around town. While having been in town the evening prior he didn't remember right now if he actually had, but if anything anyone else in town could be of more help than him.

"Can do." He had already started taking a few steps back, but broke into a jog down the trail.



And, oh shoot, the snow build competition was in full swing.
Everyone had worked or was working on some amazing sculptures. Even though Mabel might think they were getting too old for games, no one was ever too old to play with snow. If it hadn't been for their unfortunate mishap, the siblings would have swooped in and could have participated with the rest.
But now he had to swoop in and make a mess of their fun.



"Lady CiCi!" He zeroed in on the only face he knew, she stood out from the crowd with her bright hair and gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous coat. From the depths of his entire being came a squeal as he saw it on her, it looked so good.

No, bad Ash, you have important things to do.

"First of all, you look ravishing! And I would be all over and gush and be proud, but -secondly- my sister and I done a big booboo. There's this man we kinda ran over, or -well- he was suddenly just there and didn't think to get out of the way? -Like, who does that? Why!?- Oh! Me and my sister tried to sleigh from up at the lab to down here - we do it every year, but this year went kinda more wrong than usual and we accidentally hurt someone. -Shit, I didn't even catch his name, come to think of it.- Anyway, Mabel is still up there with him, making sure he stays okay, but he is bleeding. Not terribly or anything, but bleeding nonetheless. She sent me to go see if there's a Zora? Because they usually know healing, but -let's be frank- if that's not the case, isn't that kind of a hurtful thing to ask? I don't know, does seem like kind of a prejudice to have. Not a bad one or anything, but wouldn't you get tired of being asked if you're a healer simply because of what you look like? Have I told you you look amazing, by the way? Right, no, I was doing important things." He took a big breath when he finally realized he hadn't done so for that entire rant and probably no one understood that, "Point is, I was sent to find-."

Now whether it was the adrenaline rush running out, having just rushed into town in a matter of minutes, or the fact that he hadn't breathed properly in a bit, he started to feel lightheaded and staggered slightly.
Raising a finger and blinking slowly to try and indicate he might need a second, he looked confusedly at it as it started to tremble and sat down on the spot. As luck would have it not on any sculptures, but the Dragon one was looking very intimidating from his new vantage point.

"Help." He finished in a breath. Blinking against the stars he was seeing.

[Emily]

"Good job," Claria said as Ariadne had completed the canvas for her creation: the greatest, most powerful snow individual to ever grace this half of Hyrule (equally valid whether speaking on a north/south basis or an east/west). Ariadne turned and grinned, giving her friend a thumbs-up. "Thanks, I thought I'd see how big I could make it. Probably a bit more than I should've done, but it all worked out in the end."

Now that she had a moment, though she really should work on getting the details completed before focusing on anything else, she looked over Claria's work. Wow, it wasn't at all what she had expected. A statue of some sort of armoured figure. The edges were still rough, but she wasn't finished with it, and honestly the figure was quite impressive. Especially for someone who had expressed so little confidence she actively resisted coming here today. Though it was an honest reaction, Ariadne almost cringed internally at hearing her own "Oh wow, look at that!" She had been the one to convince Claria to participate; Ariadne could only hope her compliment didn't come across as cloying or false. "This is really impressive, are you sure you haven't done this before?"

As if to say 'hold my voltfruit wine', Claria popped down some sort of seed Ariadne had never seen before. Seeing it quickly unfurl and give off a brilliant light was like magic. "Holy-" she stole a glance at the child nearby, "moly. What is that? That's so cool! Where did you get this? I simply must have one!"

"Lady CiCi!"

Sometimes, everything happens in the moment you're not looking. The insanely intricate snow sculptures had popped up in the blink of an eye. Claria became a pretty solid snow-individual builder. And to top it all off, a guy with all the dapper charm of a model was running to one of the nearby building slots to chat with a woman who looked far too pretty to be participating in something like thi- oh, she was with the child, that made more sense. But these two impeccably-groomed individuals were close enough that she was able to hear the entire conversation. Well, the rant? Either way, someone was hurt and needed medical assistance, and they had somehow ended up next to a proper doctor.

"Hold that thought a moment, actually," she said, shooting Claria an apologetic glance. "Back in a flash."

Ariadne approached the pair gingerly, trying not to appear too eager, despite the growing excitement in her gut at showing off her growing skill at patching up a poor, down-on-their-luck traveller who got hit by a runaway sled? "I'm a doctor," she said, maybe exaggerating a little bit but what was a title when she knew she was good enough to claim it? "My bag is in the makeshift inn, but if we can grab it along the way, I'll come along and see what I can do."

[El]

Oh how sweet her name sounded! It bellowed and echoed and while it was certainly a startling surprise, it was nonetheless a welcome one: especially when Ciel saw who had cried out for her! Her eyes peeked open from their prayer to watch as the dashing artist came-... dashing towards her, bounding down the hill with an impressive gait - the desperation in his voice just as evident in his face.

Something about that made her blush.

...Why?

Ciel was still trying to process the meaning behind her reaction when the young man arrived, grinding to an abrupt and breathless halt before her. All manner of words gushed forth from his lips, flooding her ears with so much garbled information that eventually the pressure of it all got the better of her and she laughed, widened eyes crinkling in bemusement. Forget his speed, his lung capacity was the most impressive of the new discoveries! She would've applauded his performance even, but then the poor bird collapsed, the severity of his feats quickly claiming their cost. That one little word - 'Help' - plucked at her heartstrings, and with a twinge Ciel found she didn't want to tease him anymore. The silly cutie had clearly already gone through enough.

Deep breaths, Darling.

Swift - and large - she wrote those words upon quickly crouching down in front of him. It was apparent that some form of dizziness was affecting Ashley, so she sacrificed the usual beauty of her cursive script for bolder and more uniform letters. He was SHAKING too! A condition which would surely worsen by sitting directly on snow of all things!

And so, edging closer, Ciel wasted no time in sweeping up the excess of her mantle and bundling it across his shoulders, tugging the furs and feathered lace gently about his broader frame. With matters of warmth attended to, she moved then onto dabbing away his beaded sweat with the back of her gloved hand. His exertion burned. His heat against her touch and the strength of his pants against her face almost gave her pause.

Ah. Ah she understood now. She knew now why her name cried upon his lips had made her blush so.

She wasn't accustomed to it: this sincere desperation. Not from someone she actually cared for, and from someone who didn't have ulterior motives. Being called for when he was in genuine need of help, to be the one he had sought out in the midst of this frazzled state like a flame in the dark, felt-... nice. Really nice, actually. It did odd gooey things to her insides.

...Was this why there were so many good deeds done in the kingdom? It was certainly a high of its own merit.

Take your time, Sweetie. Breathe.
Words are wiser spent with care, rather than rushed.

She could understand his desperation though: from what she had managed to gather, clearly whatever had transpired needed medical assistance of all things. Something to do with a sleigh. Blood. A joyful family tradition gone awry with an unprecedented accident.

Ashley might not even be able to read her words in his current state though, so with an affectionate smile Ciel made sure to maintain her comforting touches. She had moved onto brushing back his beautiful teal locks now. Honestly he had done a remarkable job of fixing them in place - as she soon discovered by the texture of his hair (chuchu jelly?) - but it was no longer flawless: and she knew he liked flawless.

"I'm a doctor."

Nursing fingertips pausing on the tailor's cheek, Ciel glanced up at the young woman who had declared her profession. There was a nautical air to her aesthetic, and a proud glitter of excitement in her green eyes: and she almost looked familiar, though she couldn't place why or where. Regardless, while Ciel wasn't immediately convinced she was a veteran in the field, time was of the essence: they were fortunate that anyone with medical expertise had been so close by!

Lady CiCi gave the doctor a firm nod of agreement, a grateful smile curling her lips more boldly.

Not certain that Ashley would be able - or ready - to get back up onto his feet she extended a slender arm around his waist for an extra bit of support. She wasn't the strongest woman out there, but every little helped, right? She'd firm her grip if need be and add another arm to the cause, though in the meantime she cast a speaking glance back at the alarmed mind of her brother.

Arthur, sweet, would you mind if I attend to this?
This one's my favourite artist.

The child balled his fists up at his chest and gave her a determined nod in response. "I've got this, Sis!" He assured with so much adorable courage, Ciel felt her heart melt all over again. "And mother and father are right nearby! I've got it from here!"

You most definitely have, my little champion.

---
MEANWHILE...

The words died halfway up Gao's throat. The muscles there had swelled, his lungs full, all ready to assure the dapper gent named Ashley that all was well but-... well, he was gone now. Honestly, with surprising speed too. Gao didn't even get a chance to stop him before he'd turned tail and dashed downhill like a startled hare.

Fighting a gormless gawp, the Sheikah meekly pressed his mouth closed. This-... really didn't sit well with him. His own silence coiled in his stomach like a barbed snare, pricking at his conscience and needling his limbs with anxious discomfort. His bloodied hand clawed in the snow. It was sweet that the duo had such caring hearts - for a stranger that had leapt into the middle of their fun too - but...

Gao's lips twisted, his brow furrowing.

Admittedly a small, scorned part of him wanted to stay there. It was nice - really nice - to be tended to so earnestly. The young woman staunched his wound with such a delicate touch, and she'd leapt to his aid so hastily - impassioned - that he had lost the heart to deny her before he could even give voice to the thought.

Healing magic, huh.

A soft breath quietly huffed from his nostrils. As he sat there enjoying the tender nursing of the young woman - and resisting the urge to lean deeper into the comfort of her warmth - it struck him that he really didn't have time to waste. The colourful man had looked so panicked and taken off with such desperate drive that no doubt he'd alarm whoever he came upon. And once he got rambling on about needing a healing mage...? Eugh. So much for happy festivities, eh. No. No, Gao would not be the one to spoil that.

This was completely unnecessary. It was just a bit of blood. It'd heal.

"Thank you, Miss, but I'll be taking my leave now."

Pulling away from the woman's touch Gao felt the sting of loss both emotionally and physically as the cold bit the back of his neck. But the distance was mandatory. He forced down the temptation of a forlorn grimace and instead pasted on a grateful smile. In no time at all he had hefted himself up onto his feet, his crimson gaze already flashing across their surroundings, scouring them for the wisest course of escape.

Southwards towards that windmill might've held promise with its sharp incline of a path, but he knew from experience that it only led to a series of stark cliffs. Eastwards would only lead up to the lab and leave him cornered in the dead-end of a peak. While going West was also out of the question, for obvious reasons - since it led back into the village. That only left the North: he was pretty sure a large farm of livestock resided there, but he should be able to circle around it easily enough, then maybe he could wash out his wounds by Lake Sumac if it wasn't already frozen. Heading towards Zelkoa Pond might be wiser though, since then he'd be able to get more distance from Hateno - Ovli Plain wasn't far from it. Yeah. Yeah, that'd do.

Escape plan solidified, the Sheikah's eyes flashed back to the young woman, the smile upon his lips slanting in apology. It didn't feel great abandoning her up here by herself, but she'd have company again shortly and things would only be far worse if he stayed - this was the lesser of the evils.

...He wasn't convinced she'd be warm enough though. Yes, she had been very soft, and yes her own cape definitely covered her well - pretty AND practical - but his Old Ma had taught him that ladies often ran colder and were more sensitive to this season.

"Sorry about the pretty handkerchief, Miss." Gao rambled with haste, suddenly removing his outermost robe of furs as he did so. As soon as he got it loose enough he impatiently tugged it free - ignoring the faint whine of fabric ripping - and swooped it around the woman's small shoulders: two layers of warmth would always be better than one! Besides, it wasn't as if he was totally shirtless without it either. His typical Sheikahn vest would give him enough cover, and the winter wind would sober him up. "I'll find a way to repay you for it - the glasses too."

He might not have gotten her name, but he'd caught her fashionable brother's: that should be enough to question Prima with later, when he returned to the inn. ...Not that either of the two twins needed to know he was coming back. His nose twitched at the thought. No doubt that would just restart this whole saga of trouble.

Anyway, time to turn tail and run depart!

One curt, hasty nod of his head later Gao spun on his heels and darted north.

[LuckyBlackCat]

In between recharging the drones around the village, and checking the decorations for maintenance issues, Alyson kept venturing back towards the snowperson competition. Although Purah would tsk-tsk if she caught her slacking, it would be worth it to see the designs in progress. Two distinctive-looking people she recognised from the Dragon's Roost Pub, namely Claria and Lady CiCi, respectively put the luminous finishing touches to an armoured figure and an adorable chubby Blupee. A red-haired girl clad in sailor's attire worked on a painstakingly-measured classic snowperson, consisting of three perfect spheres. A silver Rito she vaguely remembered from Castle Town sculpted tiny, colourful figures around what looked like a map of Hyrule, chatting with the Zora who'd introduced himself as Sinnie Nex Ujua XXIII or Sin, whose sculpture of the dragon Naydra bore an impressive level of detail.

Alyson could just imagine how awe-inspiring this would all look to the children in the school once classes resumed. A joyous scene like this was what children should experience around this time, she thought with a twinge of wistfulness, rather than merely gathering with remaining family for small celebrations that they'd survived another year, and praying that they and their loved ones would live through another.

She startled as a frantic yell cut through the peace. "Ashley?" The fellow craftsperson she'd known during her time in Hateno sprinted towards Lady CiCi, words tumbling out of his mouth in a rush as he explained there'd been a sledding accident. Wincing, Alyson hurried over. She remembered the twins' legendary sledding mishaps well, having had to fix up the sledge afterwards on several occasions, but she'd never known the incidents to get anyone badly hurt before.

"Ashley... You alright?" She stared, eyebrows furrowing in concern as Ashley, flushed, trembling and struggling to catch his breath, slumped and sat on the ground. Lady CiCi, for all the detachment she'd shown in the pub that summer, showed a rather different side, wrapping her elaborately crafted fur and lace coat - one of his creations for sure - around his shoulders. "Here, don't have an energy crash on top of the actual crash." As Lady CiCi helped him stand, Alyson took a bunch of courser honey candies from one of her belt pouches and handed them to him. The stamina-boosting snacks came in useful while working, and although she didn't know whether or not the belief that sugar helped with stress was an old wives' tale, they'd provide energy at the very least.

As luck would have it, the redhead approached, eyes shining with eagerness as she claimed to be a doctor. The situation would hopefully be resolved faster than Ashley had expected.


As Claria looked over her snow sculpture for any remaining issues to fix, Ariadne's comments eased her concerns. The earnestness and enthusiasm in her voice sounded like she really meant them, rather than just saying them to be polite. "Thanks, it's not too different to carving on stone," she replied, putting away the reference slab, even though it absolutely was. She only hoped Ariadne had been too absorbed in her own project to notice the false starts.

"You seem to be quite the veteran though. And this?" She glanced at the flower, which only gave off a soft glow in the sunlight, but the full effect would set in once night fell. "This is a Brightbloom. They're pretty common in caves, but certainly unique as far as plants go..."

She turned at the sound of a cry, followed by panicked babbling from an impeccably-dressed Hylian. Babbling to Lady CiCi about a sledging accident, an unlucky passer-by, a bloody wound. A worried frown creasing her mouth, Claria approached, close behind Ariadne, who announced her title with deserved pride. That genuine confidence in her skills was admirable, especially in a situation like this.

"Well shit. You're not hurt too, are you?" Claria asked the young man who sagged into the snow. He bore no visible injuries, his condition seeming to be a matter of stress, exhaustion and breathlessness, but if there was more to it, Ariadne may have her work cut out for her. It was Lady CiCi, however, who rushed to his aid, along with someone else she recognised from that night - Alyson. Not wanting to crowd him, Claria held back slightly from the others.

Would they expect her to know healing too, and be in for a disappointment? Although she couldn't exactly fault this guy - many Zora did indeed specialise in healing magic - the number of times she'd assisted in finding an injured person during a search and rescue mission in the Depths, and seen the hope on their face dashed when she'd been able to provide nothing more than basic first aid, was beyond disheartening. She probably wouldn't be able to do much at all here, other than help transport someone if needed, yet she couldn't just ignore something like this.

[Sav'saaba]

Of course it was a sweeping generalization to make, of course Mabel was aware that not every single Zora would be adept at magic, let alone at something as niche as their healing arts. But she had to say something, some airy remark or offhand request, to get Ashley to move away and to have him focus on something other than the stained snow where upon the stranger's hand rested.

Despite Ashley's swagger, her twin was a sensitive soul, one that was awfully squeamish around blood. The mere sight of it had made him faint on multiple occasions, with the absolute worst instance during their birthday party only a few years ago.
Let sis handle it for you. If she wouldn't look after him, then who would?

It was this protective instinct that made the girl so resistant to the stranger skedaddling just like that, and not even the gesture of him surrendering his furs to her which would otherwise have melted her insides could temper that defiance.

But how was she going to have this hulking man freeze in his tracks?

Clearly he had no interest in whatever argument she would make, as her calling out after him had fallen on deaf ears. If she were to jog up to him and jump in front of him with arms spread, one of those big paws would easily brush her diminutive frame aside with the remote, contemptuous interest one might give some sort of crawling insect.


Turn the ground beneath his feet into a solid sheet of ice so he would skitter like marbles on glass? No, too dangerous, he was likely to slip and break an arm, and that would not at all be helpful to what she was trying to achieve here. Or in a twisted way it would be, but she wasn't out to injure him worse.

What if...?

Swallowing back any trepidation, Mabel turned over her hands as she summoned her magic once more, two azure fluttering flames taking shape above her palms.
Focus, Mabel. This one has to be on point. You mustn't harm him, not a single split hair! Keep it under control. 

With a graceful sway of her entire body, she thrust out her arms and watched the magical flames twist up from the snow around her quarry's legs and up to his knees, hemming them in mid-step with cloudy ice as it twirled and crystallized into being.
The young mage cocked her head, examining her handiwork as she approached.

Oh, oh dear... The barrier wasn't supposed to be quite so thick and solid though, there was no way he would be able to kick himself free and break out of it on his own if he really wanted to, as had been the intent when she had conjured it. She didn't mean to trap-trap him like this.

Oops. Overdone it again, Mabel... When would she learn?

As she marched up to her target, she began to speak.

"I know I can't force you to do anything, and I don't want to. But I ..." What was that word again? Oh, right!  '"...insist you reconsider about getting that cleaned up. You don't want to come down with an infection this far from home, do you? And don't say you're from around here, I've lived here my entire life and I know every single local, and you're not one of them," she remarked pointedly, her head tilting like that of a curious cat as she looked up at Gao, a hand planted in her side.

"And what if the scent of blood on you gives you away to a monster camp or send a 'blin into a frenzy? Their sense of smell is as good as a hound's!" Not that she knew that from her lived experience, it was just something she'd picked up from her father's bestiary manuscripts that she'd admired slack jawed since she was very young, the illustrations of Hyrule's fauna by his hand enchantingly beautiful. 
At times, she felt a little envious that all that artistic talent had evidently been inherited by her brother alone.

Thinking she had gleaned something from Gao's comment about reimbursement, she continued.

"If it's the doctor's bill you're worried about, don't be. I think we owe you that one for almost running you over."

Postponing the start of their Grand Tour of Hyrule so she could replenish her savings was no biggie, and she could always pick up some more hours at both the East Wind and the Ton Pu Inn to hurry the process along. Hoping to assuage any harsh feelings he might bear her from what she had just done, she presented Gao with the sweetest smile in her arsenal.

Try and wiggle your way out of this, mister.