The Yuletide Festival [Event] [Open]

[LuckyBlackCat]

The Rito, ever cheerful even as his friend devoured half his snacks, slid over a piece of parchment on which he'd written a few recipes. "Thanks! Hmm..." Micah pored over the text detailing how to make a dauntingly complex-looking bread dish. "Foe-cackia? Is that what it's called? I'll try it out!" Of course, it would probably take a while until he got to that point - bread seemed to be a staple, but getting the outside crusty while keeping the inside soft was a real balancing act. Tucking the parchment away in a hip pouch, he listened and tried not to wince as the customer mentioned onions as one of the salt-preservable vegetables. That time he'd cooked one, not only had the fumes stung his eyes something fierce, it had turned out onions weren't meant to be fried with the easily-charred skins on.

His tense rictus deepened as the Zora placed a small handful of green and blue rupees on the table, asking for as many "tough meats" as they'd cover. "W-Well, you see..." There was no way he could accept the money until this guy knew what he'd be eating, especially considering how few rupees he had. "They may look like meat, but they're not. They're actual rocks, as in volcanic rocks."

At least this customer liked the mushrooms the Rito had offered. Although Micah had braced himself for the guy's face to scrunch up, he'd instead commented favourably on them. Did Zora typically like salty food? If many of them originated from the ocean, that made sense going by what he knew of the water composition - he'd never been around it, but Hylians sometimes visited Goron City to trade sea salt for rock salt.

Thankfully, this guy's feathered friend was willing to look out for him, offering to contribute towards supplies for his journey into the mountains. Ones completely unlike the balmy volcano Micah knew, by the sound of it. "Uh... F-For cold areas, the sunshrooms will be better by far," he explained. "And I s-suppose the upside of all the salt is they'll last a while." Oh dear Hylia, unless these mountains were as populated as the ones in Eldin, the trail would be the worst place to get sick from rock roasts.

[Rex Draco]

The Zora took a bite of the mushroom skewer. This texture was beyond anything he had expected. It was a little springy, but his fangs cut through them as if they were meat. Were mushrooms meat or were they plants? He had seen all sorts of mushrooms growing throughout the forests that saturated much of the hemisphere in a verdant shade. Before leaving the monastery had was told not to eat mushrooms growing on the side of the roads as many monks had found themselves dancing naked among faeries sometime during the dawn and a little before dusk. Come the following morning they were stripped of their weapons and left with nothing but their names somewhere on an unknown path. He had no idea there were mushrooms like this! It seemed perfectly edible, but he was able to temper his mood and not sprint off into the woods, dancing. After swallowing his bite he turned back to the Rock Roast.

Malon and Micah chatted about cooking. Sin had never cooked before, but he did know how to start a fire and boiled water quite expertly. He has heard there were some foods so difficult to make that one needed years of training in order to prepare them. He supposed there were other kinds of jobs in this world that needed a warrior's regiment. Micah was certainly on his way, if he had anything to say about it.

He didn't though.

His mouth was too full of rocks. The Goron had enlightened him on the fact that they were rocks. He didn't know he could eat rocks, but he had sometimes seen the older monks place an iron fish into the stew pot so maybe this was like that. Either way the Zora was inexperienced and felt he needed to travel more to learn. Volcanic rocks. If they were this tasty he couldn't imagine what else the Gorons were hiding in their sanctuary. But there was no time for that! So deep in his thoughts Sin pumped his fist, the other full of what was left of his Rock Roast.

"A challenge...." He growled, lips pulling back in a fierce grin. "Very well. I will seek you out next time. I will try anything else you make, in return I will show you my swords." For now he only had two, but he'd hope by the end of this he would have more.

That reminded him — that princess said the snowperson sculpting was a competition! That meant she may offer them a prize like before. Royalty may not be dependable for much, but their disposable income made sure that Sin wouldn't be bereft of new and shiny weapons.

"We need to return!" He gruffly stamped his foot, reluctant to leave the tasty stall. "Until we next meet — I expect much meat from you Goron." With those words spoken Sin turned on his heel and quickly bound through the snow back towards the main arena of snowpersoning.

Of course quickly wasn't quick with the Zora. He had a hefty frame so he mostly bound along like a fish out of water.

[Chaosome]

"Yup! Bread can take a little bit to get the hang of, so don't be discouraged if it doesn't turn out right the first couple of times! If you've got the passion to set up out here in the winter, I've got no doubt in my mind that you'll get the hang of it in no time!" Malon said, offering a thumbs up and a nod of his head before the sound of quiet cronching hit his senses. Slowly turning to glance at the Zora as he ate, Micah ended up explaining that the roast was, in fact, actually rock and not just fancifully named. It didn't seem to bother his fishy friend though, if anything that — and the prospective challenge of climbing a frigid mountain — had him in pretty high spirits from the sound of it.

"We need to return!"

Malon tilted his head slightly before his eyebrows perked. That was right! The competition! He had gotten so distracted talking shop with the Goron that he nearly forgot all about it! "Shoot right! Gotta get back to the snowpeople thing! It was nice meeting you! I'll be back with him later to help him sort out rations for his climb." Malon wasn't THE expert on mountain climbing by any means, but he did at least know generally what was good to bring. The shrooms would help, and the rock roast would... Possibly make for a good emergency bludgeon besides it being a snack for the fanged fish. With a little wave and a salute, the Rito turned with a flourish and skittered back off towards the competition area, passing by the likely still snacking Zora as he made his way back over to his sculpture.

With his hands on his hips, Malon looked over his work once more with an appraising eye. Everything looked to be in order and ready to go! The only thing he felt as a regret was the impermanence of his work today. But, in a way, that fleetingness was a part of the beauty of working with snow and ice! Plus the memory would last a lifetime.

[LuckyBlackCat]

"Eheheh..." Micah didn't have the heart to tell the Rito that he hadn't set up here in the winter out of passion. Rather, he'd been entirely unprepared for how bitter a chill the winter would bring. "Thanks for the encouragement!" Would he disappoint this customer, though, if they met again? Plain bread was tough enough to get the hang of, let alone this gourmet cheese and tomato one with various herbs.

The other guy continued to chomp away at the rock roast, despite knowing it was literal rock. There was no stopping him in his determination to finish the snack he'd started. Maybe it wasn't such a huge deal? Although Hylians, Sheikah and Gerudo had to politely explain they couldn't eat rocks when they visited Goron City, this Zora's teeth could manage the meal, so did that mean his digestive system could too? Micah could only hope so.

With a fanged grin full of stone crumbs, the Zora raised his fist, holding Micah to the challenge and stating that he'd seek him out again. "I-I'll try to have the recipes mastered by then!" Micah replied, as heavily as these expectations weighed on him. Pressure made diamonds, as the saying went, but it just made him want to curl up and roll somewhere far away.

Realisation dawned on the Zora's face as he growled that he and his friend needed to return. Without taking any more food - or his unspent rupees - he turned and ran towards the area where the snowperson contest took place. His feathered friend, after saying the two would return for rations, waved and hurried after him.

"W-Wait!" Micah stood, holding out the rupees. "You forgot your money!" Once he'd hastily asked the neighbouring vendors to keep an eye on his stall, he lumbered through the snow after them. Although the bulky fishman's pace wasn't fast, neither was his, but he couldn't exactly roll in all these layers. He trudged up the hill, towards the expanse where the Sages gathered around some rather mind-blowing sculptures - only for his foot to skid on a patch of ice. "Waugh!" His surroundings tilted. On instinct, he curled up into a boulder, his heavy clothing tangling and snagging on his limbs as he zig-zagged out of control down the slope.

SPLOOSH.

The shock of icy water stunned him. Dazed from the impact and the sheer cold, he uncurled to find himself waist-deep in a small pond. Uncontrollable shudders coursed through his body as he waded and clambered out, burying his face in his hand, his waterlogged cloaks dripping. Had Boss Yunobo and the other Sages seen that? He could barely bring himself to look at the crowd as he made his way back up the slope, taking much more care with his footing this time.

Thank Hylia the pond hadn't been deep. The situation would have been beyond embarrassing if he'd needed an entire team of Zora to inconvenience themselves pulling him out. And by some miracle, he'd managed to hold on to the rupees. Still, though... This wasn't his day.

"Uhh... Here you g-go." He could barely speak through his chattering teeth as he caught up with the customer and presented the unused rupees to him. "The m-money you didn't s-spend." It'd be best, he figured, to close up the stall once the two had returned to stock up on rations, and spend the rest of the day by a cosy fire.

[Emily]

"Ready or not, here I come!"

Despite using a phrase perhaps more useful in circumstances other than this one, the King of the Zora excitedly jogged up to the first snow-individual. This one was made by a child who had clearly seen Arthur's blupee and thought he could also make one. Sidon knelt down next to the sculpture, peering around it in one direction, than another, and then patted the child on the shoulder. "Excellent work, little one. I think you did a great job."

Sages by Luci

The child burst into tears.

As Sidon approached the next sculpture, Zelda and Link caught up to him, having been left behind by his unexpected start. They were gathered around Claria's sculpture, looking around to see if someone was around to explain it to them. "I believe this particular sculpture was created by one of your people, Sidon," Zelda said, looking at the tablet where she'd been taking notes. "Yes, Claria. She and a Hylian who made the snow-individual next to us ran off up the mountain due to an unexpected emergency."

"Oh Claria," Sidon replied, momentarily appearing discomfited by the news. "She's always running toward some sort of trouble. The sculpture is quite remarkable for someone who said she's never made one before. I'll pass along my congratulations when I see her next."

"This next one was made by the Hylian I mentioned earlier, though I fear I didn't catch her name."

"Ariadne, I presume," Sidon shook his head. "She's usually causing the trouble Claria runs off toward. It's a commendable snow-individual. But let's move on to sculptures made by people who are still in attendance, that way we can share in their success!"

"Sorry I'm late!" Tulin of Rito Village, Sage of Wind, touched down between Queen Zelda and King Sidon. Though not royalty himself, the young Rito carried himself with the confidence and familiarity to easily fit in with the two monarchs. He beamed up at Sidon. "Don't think you can judge snow-individuals without me! We know snow better than almost anyone."

The Zora laughed. "Indeed, how could I do this without you? Very well, let us move on to the next sculpture together."

Now a group of four, the sages and Link approached Arthur Beaumont. Obviously, quite a lot had happened, but as Lady CiCi had recently departed with a wobbly Ashley, the only one left to watch the sculpture was little Arthur. Fortunately, as she had spent quite some time living in Hateno, Zelda was more than familiar with the Beaumonts, and stepped forward to greet him. "Lord Arthur, it's so lovely to see you! Thank you for coming out and participating in the snow-individual competition."

Sidon gave the lad a winning smile. Some in the audience even swore his teeth glinted in the sunlight. "And what a lovely sculpture you've made. I can tell you are quite skilled not only in the art of building snow-individuals, but also the subtle magic touches necessary to make them really pop. Excellent work! Please, tell me a bit about your snow-individual and the process you used to make it."

(I'll give you a post to get Lady CiCi back to the competition if you like, El, since Ciel seemed interested in being present for the judging. We can also make sure we have at least one post of back and forth between the judges and each of the present contestants.)

[AmJanky]

The ginger doctor had looked apprehensive for a while, before assuring him his fear was entirely justified. Like his mom had assured him his fear was entirely justified. Just like his sister had. Just like everyone who was aware of it had assured him. He wasn't convinced.

While he could give himself credit for not entirely fainting, or disappearing from the face of the earth for that matter, he still felt self conscious about the whole thing. Heck, he hadn't even been able to do anything to really help the man. He was a fool and a fraud.

Now, his sister, she had the reigns, like on their sledge-ride. Like how she was far more aware of the victim's situation. Like she had worked her butt off to gather funds. He had only managed to gather small jobs mending rips and sewing buttons back on for the townsfolk .

In truth, he had been far more worried about the whole trip than her. He simply didn't feel as brave or as up to the task as she was. Ashley just hoped she wouldn't do anything... silly. Hylia-forbid Reeve had to prohibit Mabel from using her ice magic too. Then again, that was going to be one less problem once they finally set out of Hateno. He wasn't entirely sure of not being a problem himself.

Meanwhile, the rest of the people gathered had either sprung to action, or went to grab a bite to eat. Ashley had popped one of the honey candies he received from Alyson into his mouth and was contemplatively chewing it while during his self-flagalation ponder, not entirely aware that Ciel was still there until he read her sparkling words.

That won't do. That wouldn't do at all, he had to get his head out of his ass. Lady CiCi had gotten him out of a pickle, she had funded his wildest dream and there she stood, wearing his creation. And she looked so proud in it.

"And rob this magnificently dressed noble of more audience?" He grabbed her by both her hands, "You will have to forgive my transgression - and momentary lapse of sanity - we shall return to the judges." He had caused enough grief as it was. The coat - but more so the gorgeous model in it - needed to get back to her spotlight.

He led her back by the arm, towards where King Sidon, Princess Zelda and the whole rest of the consort were already at the site of the Blupee snow sculpture.

[El]

Hmn. Ciel was not convinced. Yet... suspect Ashley's rapid recovery as she did, she knew full well how valuable pride was to one's own mental wellbeing - especially in such a public setting. She would not question it. Not here. Nor now. Instead she rewarded his efforts with a wide, sweet smile and promptly nodded, happily placing her gloved hand upon the crook of his arm. Despite the unfortunate circumstances which had led to this outcome, she was honestly pleased with the current situation: having wanted to meet Ashley in her current garb before the day had ended. He deserved full rights to parade his masterpiece! And what better limelight was there for him to shine within than in the presence of heroes and royalty? In his own hometown no less!

But I will have to check in on him again later, Ciel decided, quietly marking down the promise for when the festivities drew to a more private, sleepy close this evening. Hopefully the artist's spirits would have truly recovered by then, and if not? She'd lend an ear and some therapeutic mischief.

They turned back towards the competition just as judgement was doing its patrol, (and some unfortunate sodden Goron shivered out of a pond clutching a bundle of rupees), with poor little Arthur stood stock-still beside his sculpture like a double-act of frozen hares. The silly sweetheart. Ciel felt her chest warm with protective affection, watching him like that, completely stricken with tensed fright and yet still standing his ground against the impressive retinue which addressed him! His small tight fists shook, the knuckles no doubt a stark white below the cover of his gloves.

"T-Thank you-!!!" He spluttered, going bright red in the face for a myriad of reasons. He swallowed, hard, and ignoring the wet gleam across his own eyes continued onwards, "-Thank you-... v-v-v-...v-very much-...your-.... Your..."

-Your Majesties and Honourable Heroes.

The adorable boy startled at the familiar 'voice' as it brushed against his rigid spine, but very quickly that shock melted into comfort. His relief was immediately palpable, softening the prickly, stumbling edges of his speech and easing the pain of his taut expression, "Thank you very much, Your Majesties and Honourable Heroes!" Taking an arm across his chest - the angle crisp and perfect! - he gave a respectable bow. It was dignified. Deep but not so low that it was ingratiating. Ha, he really had been paying attention during his lessons! "It's such a pleasure to-... to..."

Despite knowing better, his bright blue eyes flicked over his shoulder seeking out his saviour. Ciel smiled from the sidelines, her expression subdued with adoring resignation.

-be here today and present my work.

"-Be here today and present my work!" Arthur's attention snapped back to the royal assemblage, a proud grin now demonstrating his own pearly whites in response to Sidon's. Yes, perhaps the King's were far more impressive, but his charm was infectious nonetheless! And as intimidating as all the heroes' many feats and accomplishments were, the individuals themselves were so full of warmth the young Hylian boy quickly found himself relaxing back into his usual confidence.

Good. Relief washed through Ciel, and she realised with a small startle how tightly she'd been gripping Ashley's arm. Whoops. Hopefully that-... didn't hurt... She was too embarrassed to look him in the eye to check his expression however - her own burning with a blush - and too distracted by her brother to risk letting her attention stray any further. Perhaps she should've gone back to Arthur's side. Perhaps many expected her to. Yet this was HIS moment, HIS work - she'd merely been an assistant. Ciel's expiration was not that far off now: the young boy needed to find his courage so that he could still stand tall even when she was no more. He could do it. She knew he could.

"I have a long way to go yet before I reach your level, King Sidon!" the boy beamed, radiating delighted sincerity. "But you are an inspiration! I will be sure to do better next Yuletide, you shall see, Sir!"

Not that I am ashamed of my current work, of course.

-Ciel promptly corrected, with a wry smile.

"AH! N-not that I am ashamed of my current work, of course!" His youthfulness caught up to him then, an awkward laugh dancing up his throat. "It was my hope that a Blupee would-... would.. Well, er-..."

A soft sigh slipped from Ciel's curled lips, her brow furrowing just a smidge. He should've known THESE words especially! They had been his own! -

Bring about good fortune for all who gaze upon it.

"Ah-RIGHT! Bring about good fortune for all who gaze upon it!" Determination flared up in him then, a spark returned once more. He gestured with excited animation towards his snow-individual, "Blupees are often associated with wealth, but they can be seen as good omens too! I am hoping this one will serve as a blessing, not just for the local businesses in this-..."

-Renewed era of prosperity.

"-Renewed era of prosperity! But especially for the children at the nearby school so that they may pass their exams with flying colours!" A realisation struck him sheepish then however, some of the colour draining from his flushed cheeks. With reluctance - and wounded pride - he hurriedly glanced back at Ciel once again, his eyes communicating with ease what she suspected was the sudden issue.

She didn't answer him directly. She simply shook her head. She knew it wasn't the answer he had wanted to receive, but it would not change.

Arthur pouted at that: cute little Arthur and his puffed up cheeks! But - surprisingly! - with a stubborn, internal huff he decided to ignore her anyway, "I cannot take full credit for the magic!" He admitted, yet he straightened his back and gave a firm nod. "But next time I shall! I plan to enrol in Castle Town's Academy as soon as it is open to applications!"

Heh.

Ciel grinned despite the insolent brat's disobedience-

Ahem, excuse me, you adorable twerp?

He didn't respond. Not even a flinch of a reaction.

AHEM!!!

...Nope. Nothing.

This time Ciel was the one pouting, her painted lips twisting with playful displeasure-

Very well then, Little Lord. As my just revenge I shall be training you HARD for your appli-

...Wait.

Oh no.

OHnoohnoohnoohno. ...Oh dear. OH GODDESSES! HYLIA ABOVE AND DEPTHS BELOW! It wasn't just children who could hear her true voice... IT WAS THOSE OF PURE HEART!!! And if ANYONE was going to tick those boxes, surely it'd be at least one of these noble and heroic individuals?!! With all their selfless feats and compassionate hearts!

Fighting the urge to immediately clap a glove over her mute mouth, Ciel readied herself instead to IMMEDIATELY swoop down into a low-headed courtesy if any of the judges glanced her way. Goddesses forbid, if any of them overheard her she'd-...! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! Thank goodness Ashley was tall enough to hide behind if things got truly mortifying. Not that she should.  No. She really shouldn't. But STILL she could and that was nice.

[Sav'saaba]

After listening to Gao's closing remark to her ministrations, Mabel was quick to counter it, not in the least to take the edge off the strangely intimate moment they'd just shared as two complete strangers.

"Heroes are overrated. We have the Hero of Hyrule living right here, in Hateno, but I'm still desperate for a change of scenery," she giggled at his wordplay, fully disarmed by this beast of a man's apparent vulnerability.

"And so is pride. I scrub Moblin guts from inn rooms for a living."

Just then the Hateno Rescue Squad arrived on scene, a menagerie of mostly new faces to Mabel, and the young mage gave them a wide berth so as to not be in anyone's way. To Mabel's relief, Alyson was among the rallied troops, and the Hudson employee was quick to set about to work down the icy encasement enveloping Gao's shins.

"Hi, Alyson! I was hoping you were around. You always know just what to do. Too bad ice doesn't really taste like anything," she muttered with a chuckle at Alyson's quip, unable to come up  with something more clever as she reflected on how she had burst out laughing at Alyson's magical mishap with the apple tree and how she had sat rubbing her scalp while taking a big bite out of the offending fruit.
That had occurred some time before her friend had moved to Tarrey Town; how time flies!

It wasn't difficult to grasp from their address and the following conversation that her hapless victim and those who had leapt to his rescue shared some sort of history together, and Mabel could not help feeling like the country bumpkin that despite appearances, she very much was –freshly pulled from Hateno's rich soil as though a carrot.

When the doctor -doctor, wow, the redhead really could not have that many years on Mabel the underachiever- had cleaned up Gao's injury manually with something Mabel guessed was an antiseptic and some cloth, the young mage regarded the physician working her literal magic with craned neck.
It tingled Mabel's palms, crepitating like static, and by Hylia did she grow curious about the intricacies of this healing power.
But she couldn't linger and subject the good doctor to a flurry of questions: Ashley was probably still distraught.

The sight of blood, even if the source it had welled from was but a mere papercut, always got him upset and out of sorts.
His reaction to gore hadn't always been that severe, and had been nothing worse than what would be expected from a child really, not until after what the twins had been unfortunate witnesses to, way back when.

For some reason, that incident hadn't affected Mabel quite as much as it had her brother. That did not mean that, to this day, she could not still recall  with crystalline quality that vision of the boy limp in that old man's arms, his robes ruined with cruor and arterial spray across his cheek, and the acrid scent which had clung to the back of her throat.

She should go and find Ashley, to let him know that things were all taken care of thanks to him, and surprise him with some treat from a stall.
A cinnamon roll, fresh from the oven and with its icing still a little runny.  That would be perfect, she decided.

Digging into the purse sitting heavy against her hip, Mabel pulled out the two silver rupees she had originally  intended to buy gifts with, and she approached Gao again.
She took one of his hands into both her own to turn its palm up, and pressed the gems into it, only to realize to her horror she had forgotten all about cleaning the blood off his hand for him.
Oh, well. That would wash off. And off the rupees, as well. Biohazard, what's that?


"Here, take these. Keep the change! And if it's not enough, come find me to settle the remainder. I'll be working at the general store later today, and at the inn  all night," she stated matter-of-factly, "I really have to go find my brother now. We're both very sorry about what happened. Despite everything, I hope you will still get to enjoy yourself this Yuletide."

After thanking the members of Hateno's first official rescue squad and wishing them Happy Yuletide, Mabel started to briskly make her way down the trail.

As she moved through the throng of jubilant Hyruleans,she was about to pass an assortment of differently-sized boxes wrapped in glittering reds and greens and topped with ribbons. It wobbled her way, each of the gifts precariously stacked on top of the other. Someone had done some generous Yuletide shopping.

"Mabel! Just the person I was looking for!"

She cocked her head, and halted. From around the presents, a familiar face that was split in two by a wide grin under a parted pencil moustache peeked at her.

"Mr. Pruce?" Mabel stammered, not believing the sight before her. "If you're here, who's running the store?" 

"Oh, don't ya worry about that, it's Yuletide. East Wind can keep its doors closed every now and then, don't ya agree?" he chortled while struggling to retain the equilibrium of his burden, taking a step to the left, and then a half-step to the right again.

"I want to thank you for being such a wonderful employee this past year. The store wouldn't be what it is if it wasn't for your tireless efforts, so I'm giving you a raise."

Gobsmacked, Mabel just stared at him and wondered who had kidnapped the real Pruce overnight and replaced him with a perfect doppelganger. Perfect, but only in its appearance, really.

This wasn't the man that Pruce had been before.

"Here, here, I want you to have this too," Pruce said, turning just so towards her and gesturing for her to take a specific present off the stack.
"I know you've been preparing for your trip, and I was thinking this should help you along. But don't ya open it just yet, do so when you are exchanging gifts with your family. Happy Yuletide, Mabel." he said,and then his attention shifted quicker than his personality seemingly had, "Oh, mayor. Hold up, mayor! Reede! Just a minute! Oh, and here is the lovely Nikki, do I got something for ya! Is Nack with you? Happy Yuletide!"

Clutching the present between her fingers, Mabel stood there and watched her employer move on to hand out more of his goodies, a whispered wish of Happy Yuletide rolling off her quirked lips.

[LuckyBlackCat]

Despite his situation, Gao kept up the jokes and good cheer. The banter reminded Claria of the last (and first) time all three of them had conversed, over evening meals and mead at Woodland Stable, the mood amiable even after the rough start. It was a shame the reunion between him and Ariadne couldn't have happened under better circumstances, although by now, Claria knew well of his tendency to land himself in trouble.

Not that either of them seemed to mind the context too much, Gao expressing his gladness to be Ariadne's latest patient. Claria's concerned frown mellowed into a small smile. "Just try not to make a habit of it." Judging by his comment that he shouldn't say such a thing to a doctor, he was probably used to friendly admonishments - and not-so-friendly ones.

As Ariadne set about cleaning and treating the wound, Claria's attention turned to Gao's new crystalline boots. With his heavy clothing providing insulation, they hopefully wouldn't harm him, but they'd be a struggle and a half for even a capable fighter like him to break through. Positioning herself by his right foot while Alyson chipped away at the ice covering his left, she bent her knees and started slowly melting the encasement with a laser from her hand. A much thinner, weaker one than she'd use in battle, but it did the job, wearing down parts of the icy shell.

Once enough of it had thawed that he'd be able to kick his way free, she extinguished the pale green beam, the shining spot on the back of her hand dimming to its normal brightness level. Straightening her posture, she looked over just in time to glimpse Ariadne finishing the job, pulling away and rubbing the back of her own neck. "Are both of you alright there?"


"No problem!" Alyson grinned up at Gao. "The name's Alyson, by the way."

At Mabel's response, she guffawed. How she'd missed the twins, and their shared shenanigans, during her time away from Hateno Village. Who knew, though, with Ashley and Mabel planning to set out on their grand adventure, maybe they'd run into each other during their travels. "True, apples taste a lot better," she replied. "Well, I guess ice can be tasty if it's sorbet! We should try making that via magic some day. If I provide the fresh fruit off of trees, and you provide the ice, we'll be quite the dessert-making duo!" The others, of course, would have no idea what in Dinraal's name she and Mabel were on about, but these inside jokes always put a smile on her face.

As she worked on wearing away at Gao's imprisonment, Claria stepped in to assist, harnessing her bioluminescence into a beam that gradually thawed the ice around his other leg. Alyson's eyebrows raised. Huh, she hadn't known the Zora could use her lights that way - that had to come in useful in many a situation. Her gaze turned back up towards Gao. "Looks like you really do have a rescue squad! Between the two of us, we'll get you out before you know it!"

Clink-clink-clink. Icy fragments crumbled to the ground, the once-tough encasement now cracked and thin. She withdrew the hammer, observing what remained. There wasn't much more she could do without running the risk of injuring him, but he'd likely be able to break through the last of it on his own, assuming his feet weren't too numb and stiff from the cold. "There, try to move now."

With the situation mostly solved, Mabel pressed a hefty sum of compensation money into Gao's hand before excusing herself to check on Ashley. Alyson gave a slight wince - for all the time she'd known Ashley, he'd always grown panicked and woozy around blood, even tiny drops. A common fear, but considering the intensity of his reactions, she sometimes wondered if there was a deeper reason for them.

"Happy Yuletide to you too!" she called as Mabel headed down the hill, vanishing into the crowd. "And later!"

[Emily]

"T-Thank you-!!!" came the excited reply. As Arthur stumbled through his address, which sounded simultaneously practised and unpractised, Sidon smiled encouragingly. He nodded at the moments where little Lord Arthur seemed confident- "AH! N-not that I am ashamed of my current work, of course!" "Nor should you be!"- and patted him on the shoulder when he seemed to falter.

Sages by Luci

At -Your Majesties and Honourable Heroes, though her attention was correctly on Arthur, Ciel might have noticed both Link and Zelda's eyes flick momentarily toward her. In the same moment, however, they seemed to become fully aware of what was going on and instead met each others' gaze. Zelda placed a hand in front of her mouth, stifling the grin only an inside joke could bring about, and Link's gaze broke toward other snow-individuals for a moment. They had long regained their composure by the end of the conversation.

"But next time I shall! I plan to enrol in Castle Town's Academy as soon as it is open to applications!" the young lord had built himself up off the foundation of his sister's reinforced foundations, and come to a conclusion she clearly wasn't prepared for. But even as Lady CiCi attempted to regain his attention, Arthur wasn't showing any sign of a response. And, following his lead, neither did the queen or her swordsman. Instead, Zelda clapped her hands together happily. "What an excellent presence you would bring to the school! I'll make sure to check in on your progress once you are no doubt accepted! I hope the Academy prospers as much due to you being there as our school in Hateno did."

"Indeed," Sidon chimed in. "You are a credit to Hateno, and to the Beaumont family, Arthur. The thought you put into this sculpture shines through. I think you've done a wonderful job. If you require a letter of recommendation when you apply to that school, I would be honoured to write you one."

With that, the group continued on, though Zelda stayed long enough to approach Lady CiCi. "It's truly lovely to see you participating this year, Lady CiCi. I hope we can catch up soon, it's been too long since the last time I dined with you, Arthur, and the family."

The next sculpture to catch Sidon's eye was a massive recreation of Naydra. "Ooh!" he said, approaching it. "I imagine it took some skill indeed to mould this so properly. I commend yo-" and that was when he saw Sin. The skin around Sidon's mouth and eyes tightened, strain entering his smile, though he kept his composure. "Fascinating. It's been quite some time since I saw someone who looked like you. From where do you fare, brother?"

As if sensing the tension rising between the pair, Tulin looked around and finally noticed the delicately crafted depiction of him! And the rest of the sages of course, but him! He hopped over to look at it. "Wow! This is so cool!" he exclaimed, looking up at Malon with a huge smile. "How did you make this? It's amazing!"

[El]

Gao had been mulling over memories of Yaku - responding in the negative to Ariadne's question - eyes glazed with thought and nostrils flared at the sharp stench of alcohol, when a sensation he hadn't been expecting froze every muscle on his face. He didn't grimace. Nor did he wince. Not a single sound whispered from the pits of his throat. His habitual smile was captured in time, petrified upon lips and features too warm to be labelled as a stoic or stoney mask.

Was he being proud? No. It was simply habit. This wasn't about some inflated and hollow concept of 'masculinity' and sucking up pain, it was the result of a lifetime of being accustomed to it. Of learning how to settle into the burning thorns of its embrace with practiced comfort, relinquishing the instinctive tension until it evaporated entirely.

If you showed weakness in the wild amongst monsterkin, you were dead.

Still though... given the way he felt the skin on the back of his neck tighten, the itchy heat and the telltale prickles that punctured through the fading throb... this was magic, wasn't it? Impressive. Had Ariadne always been a mage, or was this a newly grasped art? It made more sense now why she'd sought teaching at Zora's Domain, if the more arcane methods were her focus.

As she stepped back to collect her belongings, Gao mirrored her movements, taking a hand to absently rub at the back of his neck. Huh. Even the bumps of healed flesh were already deflating, a ridge - that would've left a scar for a few weeks at least - melting below his touch. "My deepest gratitude, Miss Ariadne." He turned to her with an impressed grin, teeth gleaming. "Clearly you've been working as hard as I suspected you would!"

Thankfully, before the Sheikah's mind could then descend into a characteristic spiral of panic regarding her payment, the original sorceress herself leapt in to save the day! ...Again. Into his bewildered hands she thrust a pair of rupees, taking full advantage of his surprise to get her final words in before fleeing the scene with an almost panicked but nonetheless very determined grace. Her brother, right! Yeah that was sensible. Hopefully the young man was looking less pale now...

...

Oh. Oh SHIT-

It took Gao one beat too long before he realised exactly HOW MUCH she'd given him. Not just one silver rupee, but two whole silvers!!! Right there! In his hands! As if they were nothing but pocket change!!! And she'd offered more! If he'd been a younger man he'd probably have screamed right then and there and immediately dropped them as if burned by the hot coals of a fatal allergy. Mere 'discomfort' would be too mild an adjective. His heart sank and withered below a great - and only growing - weight.

...But she was gone. Long gone. There was no-one to return them to.

He stared after her like a despairing, lost puppy.

"There, try to move now."

-Then Gao remembered that he wasn't actually forced to stay put anymore. He was free!!! Or, well, could be. Honestly he probably - and very easily - could've made a dramatic show out of shattering his fancy glacial footwear, but instead he took his time to shake himself loose: the weakened ice naturally cracking against his dormant strength once the muscles began to shift.

"And an extra big thank you to the other half of my rescue squad too!" The scholar soon added, turning his struggle of a smile onto Claria and the newly-introduced Alyson. "I suppose er-... well. This is your payment covered, eh."

Awkwardly he pressed both rupees into Ariadne's possession, eager and itching to be rid of them and fully trusting her to know how best to deal with the 'issue'. He noted too late that they were slick with his blood and not so silver anymore, but with a bashful grimace he decided not to comment on it - running a hand through his hair instead.

And sighing.

One big, loooong sigh. He'd barely managed to get the wind back under his sails after the colourful young woman from before had stolen it, but very quickly he discovered there were still holes to patch up. He couldn't hold it. He could keep grasping at smiles - and manage them for a while - but they never lasted long.

...Now what?

So much had happened in the last few minutes that now that the adrenaline was finally running dry and the snow settled in the wake of its aftermath, he felt-... odd. Out of place. Almost as if this whole thing had been some crazy feverdream and if he pinched himself hard enough he'd startle awake at the bottom of Walnot Mountain with a heady concussion and a mouthful of bloodied sand.

"...Well, I probably shouldn't keep you all too long! I can hear the excitement of the Festival picking up - don't miss out on it on my account!" His tight expression softened a little then, a familiar warmth thawing his blatant discomfort - just a little. "I'm sure we'll all have an opportunity to catch up again later, though I'll be with a friend."

Perhaps he'd manage to snag that young lady's attention again too... She did say she worked sometimes at the inn he was conveniently staying at. It wouldn't sit right with him leaving things just like this, concluded with an ending that left a bitter tang in his mouth. The guilt was beyond irksome, though the idea of returning amidst the current riot of bubbling excitement was arguably even more so.

...And moblin guts...? Spilled across inn rooms...?

A dark shadow passed over the Sheikah's face, sharpening the edges of his expression. With great effort he shook away the thought, tucking away that line of investigation for another time. Instead, with a habitual smile, he presented one last question to his company before he attempted to force their departure,

"Before you all go though - and my deepest thanks again! - what was that young lady's name?"

[Emily]

Healing magic, according to the Zora, was an ancient tradition that required above all else purity of heart and diligence. A Zora, even one from the lowest background, could become a great healer by applying themselves to the art. And they all made it look so effortless, with even new students picking it up easily and healing their first wounds after mere days of training.

Healing magic, as observed by Ariadne, was an exceedingly precise science requiring excessive focus and strength of will. She had watched the Zora students speed ahead of her in leaps and bounds, and had nobody really to talk to about how that made her feel. Though non-Zora were taught the art semi-regularly, she was currently the only non-Zora being trained at the Domain. It was possible there were elements to the Zora culture that trained them for exactly this sort of task. It was more possible they had some sort of biological advantage because healing magic, by and large, was their unique ability. The worst part of all of it was that her teachers had been so patient and quietly reassuring. It was impossible to know if they were politely humouring her, or if she really was expected to take longer due to being a Hylian.

To her experience, even the slight amount of magic she was able to muster some of the time had been the culmination of everything she had learned over the last few years. Healing any wound, at least in the tradition she was learning, required an intimate understanding of the body and how it worked. Hours of studying the anatomy and physiology of different races in Hyrule, studying wound and illness patterns, how they affected specific areas not only of the parts of the body that were visible, but those hidden from sight. It required all of this knowledge so that, with the magic, you could focus on how that wound should, over time, heal naturally, and use that knowledge to will the wound to do that, but instantaneously.

To be imprecise or incorrect could-

"Are both of you alright there?"

"My deepest gratitude, Miss Ariadne. Clearly you've been working as hard as I suspected you would!"

She instinctively waved both of them off with a chuckle. "It's nothing, I'm happy I could help."

When Gao forced the bloody rupees into her hands, Ariadne had been caught off guard. She was holding her medical bag with a hand, so she accidentally used the hand that had been on the back of her own neck instead. She mused at the bloody rupees. Well, that was one way to handle the situation. "I... uh," she looked to Claria and Alyson, "Did you guys want this? I don't think I did too terribly much." If they didn't want the rupees, she would probably spend some of it on food; that was another thing nobody had told her about magic. It really took a lot out of her to do the spell, and she had to rest and recover afterward.

"Before you all go though - and my deepest thanks again! - what was that young lady's name?"

Ariadne looked off to where the mysterious woman had fled, down the mountain. Hateno was really quite pretty, but she didn't know about the people here. They were quite excitable. She, of course, had no idea who that person was, but judging by her parting words, she was off to tend to the man who had been faint about the sight of blood at the bottom of the hill. Hopefully everyone involved would be alright.

[LuckyBlackCat]

Gao, it seemed, was fine, apart from his stare of utter horror at the two silver rupees pressed into his hand. Claria, remembering his bout of panic back at Woodland Stable when she'd bought meals for the group, doubted it had to do with the amount of blood slicked all over the gems. Still, he brightened up quickly, shaking himself free from the remaining ice with no problem. Ariadne, however, had that tired look about her eyes she sometimes bore after leaving the infirmary - even while treating a minor wound, she'd put her all into it.

With a chuckle and a somewhat hasty, insistent claim that it was nothing - the kind of claim Claria herself had made on many an occasion while struggling physically or mentally - Ariadne offered over the rupees she'd just received from Gao. She'll be fine, Claria told herself, and in any case, fussing won't help. Despite the lingering concern, she wasn't going to pry, especially not in front of people. Instead, she shook her head. "You've earned them, so you keep them. Treat yourself to a good Yuletide feast."

The irony wasn't lost on her that the roles had reversed, that she was now the one encouraging Ariadne to relax and enjoy the festivities. Gao, too, reminded the group of the merriment they'd left behind, the excitement rising through the ever-expanding crowd that surrounded the competition site, as he made his farewell so as not to keep them from it. Not even his warm smile fully hid the tension that tightened his face.

"It's alright," Claria reassured him, with a quick glance down the path leading to the gathering. "The important thing is that you're ok. And I'm sure we'll be able to get back in time for the announcement of the winner." Even if they didn't, King Sidon was the understanding type, and they'd still get a chance to properly appreciate the sculptures.


"Yes!! Son and done!" As Gao broke through the ice boots, Alyson put the hammer back in her toolbelt and pumped her fist in the air. The crisis was solved in more ways than one. Now that just left the issue of nobody wanting to keep the silver rupees that passed from hand to hand at alarming speed, including the latest recipient, Ariadne.

"Thanks, but nah I'm good. I'd just end up impulse buying way more crafting supplies than necessary!" Alyson chuckled. "You hold on to them, you dealt with this like a champ."

It was Gao, however, who wore the more awkward expression, his forced smile fading, a lengthy sigh escaping his lips in a puff of white mist before he announced he'd be on his way soon. "Oh?" Alyson tilted her head. "You won't be coming along?" Was he too embarrassed to show his face around Mabel and Ashley? Or was he planning to meet up with his friend right away? Or did he simply dislike crowds and noise, preferring quieter areas? Or did festivals in general bring underlying discomfort? If that was the case, Alyson could relate more than she let on.

All that rejoicing as if everything were alright, even though it wasn't, not for everyone... The thought of fully participating didn't sit right with her, not when there were so many people who couldn't, who'd never even gotten the chance to see the rebuilding of Hyrule. Best to keep busy, focus on making the festival as enjoyable as possible for the other attendants. And put on a brave face while at it. Her muscles ached from the sheer amount of extra work she'd taken on, but she kept her shoulders squared and her head high.

For all Gao's unease and insistence on leaving, he asked one more question, about the name of the girl who'd cast the ice spell. "She's Mabel, she's a good friend. We go back a while," Alyson replied, fond memories of that peaceful time in Hateno Village resurfacing - although even then, after all those years of tragedy and uncertainty, there'd been that nagging doubt about how happy she should be. Even though that doubt persisted, she beamed, for Gao's sake. "And really, it was no trouble! I'll be heading off for a catch-up with her and her brother though, so later!"

With a wave, she turned and hurried down the hill, looking out for the two familiar faces in the bustling crowd. She had yet to gift Ashley a box of colourfully painted wooden beads he could use in his sewing, and Mabel a set of jacket pins in the shape of winterwing and summerwing butterflies - hopefully the presents would lift their mood after that misadventure.

[Rex Draco]

Sin wasn't in a rush to keep his rupees, but that was less out of selfless merit and more youthful incompetence. Though the fish was more than twenty-one summers, he had never lived life outside of the Monastery to know the deep influence money had on the everyday lives of people. Sure they often traded work for food and skipped the whole step, but the Zora only knew the basics of handling money which has led him, many more times than naught, struggling with an empty pouch. It would work out in the end for him. It wasn't as if he would starve easily!

That took time!

What was forefront on his mind was the prospect of being rewarded for his masterful work with the snow. Even if the prize was short of enigmatic, he would accept it! The Zora only originally joined because he felt it would bring him a little closer to his god by carving her beauty out for the world to see. There weren't many who have seen the Dragon up close, so could not directly judge any errors he may have made, or details he had missed. Sin couldn't say he knew Naydra's finer details either. He had only ever seen her from afar, sparkling in the sun just over the horizon. In fact this was his first time stepping foot in the Necluda region in order to see her first hand!

Joining the Snowperson's event did have its advantages it seemed! That royal rook would be handing out prizes and Sin wanted to be nearby in case he could endeavor to find himself an even better sword. The ones he had would do for the time being, but there was no way they would last for the future trials he had to face. He moved along with Malon and settled to observe things, but a familiar voice caught his attention. He turned to face his side only to be surprised to spy a soggy stalagmite.

"Money?" Sin held out his hand to accept the return of his unused rupees. "I get it back?" He was taken aback by this. He has never had rupees returned to him, some finding it in their nature to take advantage of the less than land compatible carp. 

What a commendable fellow!

With that out of the way Sin turned to watch the events, judges going about speaking of the sculptures. But during all the titterpations and gossip Sin was calm and quiet. Under his cloak his arms moved to fold behind his back. Though he stood beside Malon and could probably hear the bird if he was talking — Sin wasn't there, at least not mentally.

His dark eyes followed the outline of a certain princely figure, the pandering perch pomp and posturing, pathetically pedantic prude with an ego to match. He clenched his jaws tight and watched as the ruby rube roamed about reciting regurgitated rhetoric in order to please the masses, but Sin knew what their kind were really like. Royalty were all the same and those from the Zora's Domain were to be especially distrusted. Royals cared about one thing and one thing only...

The prince's voice finally flowed into his earholes, which were tucked away between the writhing tendrils that put his tension on full display with how they curled up like the heads of snakes ready to strike. His azure pupils focused on the prince, black sclera swallowing whole his sapphire gems. Sin pinched his eyes closed, lips pulling back in a grin, though it was no display of piety. The shark-toothed jellyfish seemed more than ready to fight. His body was tense and his arms were locked behind his back.

But such a posture could easily be mistaken for the nervousness a fan carried when met with their idol!

"The desert." Sin would admit. "My sisters are Gerudo and my brothers are Zora." Though he would not think the prince, of all people, would know of his clan. They were so far removed, many cousins through. "Ujua, I am the great~great grandson of Lyall Ke Húm." He relaxed his arms, allowing his right flipper to slide over the scabbards beneath his cloak.

[Chaosome]

Malon could at times be forgetful. Distracted even. He had entirely forgotten the rupees he had laid down to help pay for what his fishy friend was going to order. Initially he had expected the Zora to order what he needed, pack it away, then head back. But when they so expediently exited, so too did Malon's train of thought. He couldn't risk missing the chance to be there for the judging!

Usually that absentmindedness was mostly harmless, and when it wasn't it came to bite him, not others. This time thought it seemed it was the poor gregarious Goron that bared the brunt of Malon's meandering mind. While the Rito had been focused on the judges as they passed around the other contestants, his attention was pulled away by the sound of a nigh cacophonous splash and the arrival of the soaked-to-the-sediment shopkeep. When the Zora took the proffered rupees, Malon didn't think to correct him, it was fine. It was all going to the same place anyway, it was for the extra meat later! No, there were other pressing matters. Without a second thought, Malon removed his insulated cloak and moved to Micha, quickly throwing it over the Goron's shoulders. "Here, this should help warm you up a bit friend. I'll get it back from you later. That was very kind of you to come all this way, please feel free to go warm up by a fire." he said, patting the Goron's shoulder with a friendly smile and a nod before slipping back over to his position.

He'd have stayed longer to make sure that the shopkeep would be alright any other time, but there was a competition afoot and he wasn't direly injured, but boy would he catch a chill if he didn't warm up! Speaking of chill, Malon let out a small shiver. While he still had one cloak on, the pocketed one filled with all his tools, it wasn't nearly as cozy as the other. Still, the Goron needed it more than him right now. He could handle it!

It wasn't long before Prince Sidon had approached to inspect the sculpture of Naydra, the Zora had worked quite hard on it, so it wouldn't surprise him a bit if the Prince recognized that hard work with a bit of praise... Though it seemed there was some sort of tension between the two. The Prince somewhat off put, while the other Zora was clearly a tight spring. The tenseness in his neck, the pinch in his eyes, the slight shift of an arm beneath his cloak that most wouldn't notice. He was like an animal backed into a corner. But did he feel prey or predator? And why either way?...

Before Malon was able to give it much more thought, his attention was swiftly captured the moment he spotted the movement of white feathers from the corner of his eye. Tulin was checking out his work? And liked it?! To hells with the competition, the Rito already won in his mind. Malon beamed brightly and gave a bow to the Sage. "Thank you so much! The initial process was simply making the slab." he would motion at the base of his work. "From there I used these..." Malon tapped a couple of woodworking tools in a pocket by his breast. "To copy a map of Hyrule!"

Malon moved closer to his project, and by extension Tulin as well. Gods he hoped that no one could hear his heart pounding out of his chest. At the very least he kept a composed poker face being this close. Kneeling down near the map he'd motion at the Snow-Tulin and nod. "From there I used jewelers tools, along with ash and powdered dye, to get the intricate work done. The miniature snow people were the easiest part." he motioned at the little in progress snowpeople before motioning to Snow-Tulin again. "Followed by you and the other Sages. Having seen you all about on occasions, including here at the festival, it was a matter of memory. The hardest part..." he trailed his hand over to motion at Snow-Revali. "Were the Champions, save for Link. However..." Malon tugged a few pieces of parchment, both old and new, from his pockets. They were description of the Champions, as well as work in progress sketches that the bird had made. "I asked Lady Impa for what information I could get, thanks to her help I think I got them as close as I can!"

Malon stood and smiled proudly down at his work. "The idea was that time, nor distance, can erode the bonds that true friends have with one another." He motioned across the map where each of the little groups stood. "And that as we share the world with one another, so to do we share it with those from our past." he motioned at the vague snowpeople once more. "The idea of you all and the Champions building snowpeople together is meant to represent that the work that those of our past began, we continue on into now. And what wonderful work it is you all do." the Rito turned to Tulin and smiled fondly.