The Yuletide Festival [Event] [Open]

[Emily]

Part 1

Arms crossed, the King of the Zora nodded. He watched the Ujua before him with an obvious wariness- who wouldn't be wary when someone had such a tense response to their presence- but his demeanour was relaxed and confident. Those who were close to Sidon, be that his wife, his father, Link, or even his closest advisers, would know it to be a very practised stance. Sidon was the type of Zora who believed the best form of diplomacy was to appear calm until the moment an attack was necessary. And so he did.

Though he put on a calm front, bystanders would notice the king's sharklike features becoming more obvious as the tone of the conversation behind the conversation changed. His grin was a little too wide, his teeth a bit too prominent. It was hard to know what he was thinking, of course, but Sidon was trying to find a way to navigate the stormy seas of this particular situation.

Finally, he took a breath, and visibly relaxed. His smile returned to something one might see on a normal day. "Lyall Ke Húm, you say? I've heard that name, though I admit I am not as acquainted with our history as I should be. And would you believe it," he chuckled, "I've heard your name as well, though I doubt it was you who wielded it. Tell me, are you related to the renowned scholar who wrote a treatise on the history of the western Lyall and Ujua clans?"

Sidon's voice dropped, a mild plea coming through as only Sin could hear. "Whatever the tension between us, believe that I am happy to see an Ujua in the east of Hyrule. This is an event for people with disagreements to come together, and I would like to honour that if possible. What do you say?"

Part 2

If things were slightly heated in the vicinity of Naydra, the skies were entirely clear around the sculpture of the sages and champions of Hyrule. Tulin's eyes became increasingly wider as Malon spoke, though it ultimately culminated in him shaking his head and holding his wings up in front of him. "Aw no, all of us are doing our parts!"

After regaining his composure, the Rito rubbed the back of his head and looked back at the sculpture. "Isn't it weird that Link, and Zelda, and Sidon though not as much, that they can all remember things from a world we can't even imagine? I think about that sometimes."

He knelt down, looking at Revali from different angles, his expression almost reverent. "Revali has been gone so long that, like, my grandpa didn't even have stories about him, you know? But, heh," he hesitated. "I, um, I saw him once, in a dream. When I was a little kid, just after Link and my dad calmed Vah Medoh down. I'll never forget it, which I know is weird because it's a dream, but he told me that carrying the pride of the Rito was a burden, but that he believed I could do it.

"Anyway," he stood up and gave Malon a huge smile. "He looked exactly like your sculpture, so I think you did a really good job. I know right now isn't the best place for it, so would you be interested in hanging out later?"

[El]

The notion that Ariadne wouldn't accept any payment for her labour hadn't crossed Gao's mind - the concept a troubling and confusing one. Just because it'd been a quick fix, didn't mean a lot of work hadn't been needed to craft those skills to begin with. Arguably, the easier something looked, the greater the amount of dedication it had demanded.

But thankfully he had back-up on this matter! The two other women were quick to remedy the situation, voicing determined insistences that the doc held onto the rupees. Though, yes, them not getting anything out of it either plucked a frown upon Gao's features, it was better than the TWO HUNDRED RUPEES being handed right back to him. (For what...? Lunging at two strangers...? Shouldn't he be the one compensating the twins?) He would accept this compromise. This time. For now.

"You can be happy to help and be paid for your work, Miss Ariadne. They aren't mutually exclusive." The Sheikah eagerly chimed in, a forceful edge to an otherwise friendly tone. A wonky smile punctuated the end of his reprimand though - it wasn't as if he couldn't empathise.

"And if that doesn't sit right with you... perhaps we can view it as an investment?" He proffered. "Insurance for a likely future where another surprise incident occurs but compensation isn't on the table at all. Don't let a heart of gold run you ragged." Said the kettle to the pot, eh... Gao scoffed a little at himself at that, hit by the sudden realisation of his hypocrisy.

Something made him pause then though - and it wasn't just his usual introspective rabbit holes. He regarded Ariadne with a quiet, thoughtful look. An observant moment that was interrupted only by the Hudson artisan responding to his question of the other lady's name. So they were friends, huh? Alyson dashed off too quickly for Gao to do anything other than give a grateful nod and small grin in response however, let alone comment further. Mabel. He'd remember that.

"...And then there were three."

A light laugh later he added, "Thanks again, you two. It's time I exit the stage now too." Where exactly...? Hylia knew. Up, he guessed. Maybe he could chill out HA for a while up by the Ancient Tech Lab, watching the few errant clouds drift by and give them shapes, maybe even some names. Anything else felt a little too overbearing right now. He needed some time to decompress.

"'Til next time then! Let us meet under better circumstances though, yeah?" His laugh was louder and heavier this time, richer with sincerity. But as he passed Ariadne a large hand reached out, ruffling her cropped locks with a rough but warm touch. "Make sure to rest, little lady."

Maybe it was just the light making her look a little paler than usual. Maybe it was a stupid thing to do, messing with a woman's hair. Maybe she'd read his affectionate nickname as demeaning and scorn him for it. Gao put all of those thoughts out of his head and quickly shuffled away, back turned so he couldn't see the potential consequences of his actions - let alone be there for them.

...

.........And yet, all of a sudden, barely several yards of distance gained... Gao found himself excited at the thought of meeting Micah again later: the loneliness that had abruptly seized his heart put at ease by his impulsive promise from earlier.


Ciel had been completely clueless about the little exchange Link and Queen Zelda had shared earlier, nor aware of the initial glances they'd pointed in her direction either: her attention being fully on her brother at the time. The horrifying thought that she'd been overheard - bratty snark and all! - still bore heavily upon her conscience, and though indeed, she WAS approached, nothing about the monarch's elegant friendliness gave her reason to suspect she'd been caught. ...Or perhaps that was all just wishful thinking on Ciel's part.

Either way the young lady Beaumont promptly swept down into a flawless curtsy, her radiant smile a futile but nonetheless sincere attempt to return Zelda's warmth. It was at times like this that she really did feel like she was just an actress on stage... a gaudy imposter attempting to mimic the noble grace she so admired and yet which was never hers to begin with. A shoddy imitation whose fake paint and hollow heart were easily proven grey when displayed alongside the vibrant white of the genuine article. She could never be as radiant as Queen Zelda. But then, truthfully, who could?

A wistful smile strained the corners of Ciel's eyes as she watched their Queen depart, reuniting with the flock of Champions as they continued making the rounds. She would've sighed, but Ashley was too close - he would've heard. Then there WAS no time for sighing for almost immediately as Lady CiCi was free, there appeared Arthur! Bounding across the snow like an energised puppy, tail wagging and jaw yapping as he went on and on about how cool that whole meeting was, and did you see that he talked to THE King Sidon, and did you hear what they said?!

"-Not only did THE Queen Zelda comment on my academic performance, but King Sidon was even open to writing me a letter of recommendation?!" The young boy practically squealed and almost fainted on the spot, his whole face flushed with nervous pride, a giddy buzz trembling his small frame and the little fists curled at his puffed chest. Heh. Ciel didn't have the heart to tease him. The image - this moment - was far too adorable to risk ruining. She'd let him bask-

"But wait, who's this man? Do you have a new lover alre-"
 
THWACK!!!

And there it was, a prompt fierce flick to the forehead. A reflexive cry nearly escaped Arthur but he winced it back, gritting his teeth with furious irritation. Rubbing at his already sore-red forehead he glared up at his sister.

"WHAT WAS THAT-... Oh." Oh indeed. Somehow Ciel's smack to his head had jarred something inside that big skull of his, clicking a cog into place. She saw the light turn on in his bright blue eyes and pursed her lips with cautious anticipation for whatever words were about to come out next. Anxiously she wound her arm around Ashley's again, resting her hand there just in case - for whatever wild, unexpected reason - they suddenly had to make a break for it. Ciel couldn't risk displaying any more violence - playful or not - with this sort of royal crowd after all. That was just NOT appropriate for her image.

"OH I KNOW!!!" Arthur snapped his fingers and pointed at the fantastically dressed, colourful man-

Pointing is RUDE, Arthur.

...-Timidly he reeled the finger back in and cleared his throat. "You must be Mister Ashley, right?!" Quickly regaining his confidence, Arthur proudly placed his hands upon his hips and beamed. "Ciel's favourite artist! She would not shut up about you, you know? I feel like I heard more about your commission than you probably did! Every single morning, the instant the Postman was due to make his rounds, she'd be all 'Oh I wonder if today is the day', or 'Do you think I should send more funds', or 'You should have SEEN the design sketch he made!' as if I hadn't already had it burned into my memory and then-"

THWACK!!!

This time it was Ciel's turn to clear her throat, though she never let the gloved fist fall: her bright red face poorly covered the silken fingers curled at her mouth. Great Fairy Kaysa forbid. Could she bear to sneak a glance at Ashley's reaction...? Absolutely not. But in summoning every morsel of practiced arrogance she'd perfectly crafted over the years, she eventually lifted her chin - high! - and proclaimed in beautiful cyan script with a haughty flick of her wrist:

It's time we took a look at the rest of the sculptures, no?

Hopefully it wasn't too late for her to witness whatever drama was simmering in her peripheral between the two notable Zora! Or the adorable exchange of the two heartfelt Rito. She tugged at Ashley's arm and led both him and her brother away to continue enjoying the last of the event. Arthur was looking far too smug with himself, but he was suspiciously obedient and friendly after that.

[Emily]

Ariadne found herself marvelling at how Alyson practically ran down the hill, back toward Hateno. She had only just silently remarked on it to herself, but seeing two different Hateno natives both rushing around full of energy was amusing. Perhaps that was a good sign for the festival, that everyone would be willing to put in time and effort to make the event as great as possible.

Neither Alyson nor Claria had wanted anything to do with the rupees. She looked at the silver rupees in her hand again. Ariadne had a hard time fathoming 200 rupees, it was so much more than she was accustomed to, and she didn't know what she would do with them. She received a small stipend while attending the healing school, though her meals and quarters were supplied already. It was just assumed that Hylians needed an income and that she'd most certainly have something to do with them. So she spent the 5-10 rupees she got here and there on extra food, and had at one point saved up to get her new outfit. But 200?

"You can be happy to help and be paid for your work, Miss Ariadne. They aren't mutually exclusive."

She supposed that made sense. She already planned to charge a small amount once she was fully trained and out on her own, but it wouldn't hurt to start working on that now. Right?

"And if that doesn't sit right with you... perhaps we can view it as an investment? Insurance for a likely future where another surprise incident occurs but compensation isn't on the table at all. Don't let a heart of gold run you ragged."

Ariadne looked to Gao at that, and squinted her eyes. Funny, there was this faint memory she had of him refusing assistance and payment for things some months back. She smiled at his follow-up scoff, as if he had realised how that came across. Very well, she could be gracious in turn. "I suppose. Very well, I'll find something to do with these. You're quite right, of course. I shouldn't be so uncomfortable with this." Her eyes found Claria, and she grinned. Hopefully the Zora would see this as personal growth. And hopefully she'd know they were definitely going to share in her winnings.

"Make sure to rest, little lady."

She smiled at Gao as he ruffled her hair and left. Probably not the most cut-and-dry doctor's call she would ever be brought in for, but she thought it was appropriate for one of her first. And she had done a good job, if she did say so herself. He was clearly feeling better as he left, the Sheikah gaining a noticeable pep in his step as he travelled onward down the path.

Once they were gone, she let out a sigh, pocketed her blood money, and approached one of the trees on the hillside. The far side was snow-covered, but that was nothing to her. Ariadne sat and leaned her back against the tree, looking over the village. She could see the judging area, though it was a bit far away to make out the details. It looked as if the judging was well underway though, and the main thrust of people watching had already taken their leave, working their way back to the main festivities of the town.

Though the people here were so energetic, Ariadne found herself appreciating the relaxed tone the town itself seemed to inspire. It was clearly a population centre- there were a lot of houses and businesses and the people here were doing decently well. But at the same time, she could see the farmhouses spread out around the edges of the village; this wasn't like, say, Castle Town. Or Zora's Domain. Somewhere people travelled to in order to spend money and look prestigious to their peers. At its heart, Hateno felt like a quiet village.

"Did you know," she looked to Claria, voice bright, "when I was growing up, I thought this is what big cities were like? The only 'city' I'd ever seen was Rito Village, and I thought it was massive. I could never have imagined living there, too many people. But when my father told me there were bigger cities, this would have been on the large side of what I could imagine. Isn't that funny?" It was left unspoken that Zora's Domain, aquatic metropolis that it was, was the thing to dispel those thoughts.

"Now I think this would be a lovely place to live. Can you imagine? Look at all these people coming out to cheer each other on for some fun games. They're excited and energetic, and everybody knows one another. I'm sure there's conflict, disagreement. But the idea of a community of people who would enjoy spending time with each other and assisting without even the slightest thought of what they could gain from it."

She forced herself to stop, a practised, not-exactly-forced smile on her face as she looked out over the town. She always got like this when she was tired, it was a bad habit. Introspection and weariness didn't become her, and that was a fact. But it was true, when she was tired she just kind of felt burnt out. She'd spent the last few years with every moment committed to learning healing. Claria was the only friend she had, and Claria was eminently employed, always out adventuring and doing things. Sometimes she found herself hating Zora's Domain, the stuffiness, the expectations, the etiquette rules. And they all seemed so comfortable doing it. Claria had said the Zora were a very communal and community-oriented people, but Ariadne rarely felt it outside of the polite graciousness they all seemed to have for her.

Sometimes she just wanted to be somewhere like this. A small place where maybe she wouldn't have to take the entire world on her shoulders every day, and she could just have a lie-in. Not every day. But it would be nice some days.

Maybe it was about time for her to take a break.

"If you're not feeling too cold, I'd like to sit here for a minute, and then maybe we can go get a nice, big Yuletide feast."

"Happy Yule, Claria."

[LuckyBlackCat]

Micah didn't know what surprised the Zora more, his sodden state, or the money he returned. By the sound of it, the customer's bemusement wasn't just due to the fact that he'd forgotten his Rupees - he seemed to have little experience with transactions. If that were the case, Micah could relate to the struggle to adapt to a new situation. "S-Sorry I didn't c-catch up with you right away! I-I get why y-you needed to hurry though!" Through the mist his breath formed as he exhaled in awe, he beheld the expertly sculpted dragon likeness in front of Sin. As someone used to sturdy sculptures of stone and clay in his hometown, it fascinated him that people could work something as fragile as this snow stuff into such masterpieces. He couldn't imagine building anything out of it without reducing it to mush. "D-Did you make that? It's quite some amazing c-craftsmanship!"

It was the Rito who responded first, tugging off his crimson cloak and throwing it over Micah's shoulders. Oh no no no... The warm fabric wouldn't stay that way for long, damp seeping into it. And wouldn't the Rito be cold? Even with his feathers and his second cloak, a visible shiver ran through his body. "Thanks, b-but... You don't have to!" Micah gripped the edges of the garment, an offer to give it back, but the birdman headed right back to his spot. With a sigh, Micah let his arms droop under the many waterlogged layers.

As for the Zora, his attention was elsewhere. Namely, on another fishlike figure, whose silver crown glinted in the sunlight as he approached with an eminent crowd in tow to offer his praise. The copper-scaled customer wasn't the only one to tense up with nerves - Micah shuffled to the side, all too aware of his dripping hair, beard and clothes. His eyes darted around as if looking for a way someone of his size compared to most others could slink out unnoticed.

That was when he spotted two instantly recognisable figures on Malon's snow-map. He moved closer. Not only was that a perfect miniature of Boss Yunobo, the carving of the bigger, hairier Goron resembled a monument back in the city, representing the famed hero Daruk. Although he took a step back as the judges approached, he listened to the silver Rito, who remained ever cool and confident while he explained the creative process.

Trying to muster the courage to speak in front of the Sages, Micah scraped his teeth against his lower lip. "C-Can confirm", he finally piped up, "the one of Ch-Champion Daruk looks just like a statue we have in Goron City. G-Good job!"


Finally, someone had accepted the rupees as theirs. "That's a good way to think about it," Claria replied, backing up Gao's suggestion of viewing it as an investment, before returning Ariadne's grin with a little smile. "Or funding for your future studies."

She noted the liveliness in Gao's step as he turned and strode up the hill. "Take care," she called, wondering how long it would be before he let a heart of gold run him ragged again. Ariadne, conversely, showed clear signs of strain as she sighed and trudged through the white blanket to a hillside tree, sagging against it. Claria followed, sitting beside her, taking in the view of the village and its ongoing festivities.

Ariadne was right. Sometimes it was nice to spend a moment taking it easy.

The introspective chatter from her friend about the cosy, cooperative nature of Hateno Village, which started out cheerful but took on a melancholy note, further evidenced her exhaustion. Upon hinting at underlying discomfort with some aspects of Zora's Domain, Ariadne abruptly stopped, as if she feared she'd said the wrong thing. Claria simply nodded, to reassure her that not only had she taken no offense, but she got it - for all the cultural norms of community and outward politeness, it became downright lonely when you didn't quite fit in.

"You know, Kakariko Village seems similar," Claria told her. "I only stayed there for one day, just before investigating a chasm, but it's another small, humble farming community where people look out for each other. Slightly more formal than Hateno, yet still overall relaxed and welcoming."

An ache of sorrow welled deep in her chest. In a few months, Ariadne would leave for Kakariko Village to continue her studies. Despite the joy Claria took in the apprentice's excitement, despite supporting her dreams and knowing they'd still get to visit each other on occasion, she'd miss her. It had been a long time since she'd had a friendship like this, and she'd accepted that people naturally grew apart, but that wouldn't make the day of Ariadne's farewell any less bittersweet.

She leaned her back against the bark, draping her tail over the shell-scale shoulder of her armour, as Ariadne suggested food after a quick rest. "A feast sounds like a good plan. And there's no need to worry, you're talking to someone built for cold deep water after all." Her features mellowed into a smile much warmer than usual. "Happy Yule to you too."

The relaxing moment, of course, was short-lived. Claria leaned forward, muscles stiffening, at the sight of trouble brewing in the competition area. She couldn't fully glean the details from this distance, but said trouble took the form of Sin, the red pinpoints of his stingers shifting as he raised his tendrils in a hostile stance towards King Sidon. "Should've known something would come up," she murmured, rising to her feet. "So much for a friendly festival."

She glanced from the scene to Ariadne, then back. It would take a whole other level of stupidity for someone to actually start a fight with the Sages present, but her duty to protect her people meant she couldn't just ignore this - Sin needed to get it into his head that posing a threat to the King would not be tolerated. And yet... The thought of turning away from Ariadne right after having agreed to stay with her for a minute didn't sit well with her either. Goddess knew her work often left her feeling like a terrible friend as it was.

"Things shouldn't escalate, but you never know." She advanced a step towards the contest site, taking stock of the situation, and gave a long, heavy sigh. "So if you'll excuse me a moment. Then we can meet up for that Yuletide lunch."

She cast an apologetic look behind her and strode down the hill, into the fenced expanse, where she stood tall beside King Sidon, a gesture for Sin to back down as she silently scrutinised his mannerisms for any further sign of confrontation.

[Rex Draco]

While Sin wouldn't deny the favour done for him by the Goron, he wasn't sure what much he could say. The male had made all the effort to meet with him and return it, despite not having to need to. In his error he thought he would have to pay him for services rendered, regardless of what services they were. Mayhaps he misunderstood, somewhat, of how money worked in this world. This was his first time having to manage dealing with rupees and he has, repeatedly, found himself with nothing when he needed to get food or find an inn to sleep for the night. Maybe he would have to reconsider how, or if, he would use money in the future.

For now he was focused on staring Sidon down. His arms were at his side, but tense. It was as if the ronin was ready to draw his weapon at a moment's notice, but that didn't seem logical. After all they were at a festival where fun and good tidings should be had by all. Had Sidon done something to the Zora that they felt threatened? Maybe it was the red scales that had him on edge. They were quite bright and stood out so all in all it could have been how Sidon held himself. The man was often much too energetic for some to handle. Sin felt his tendrils stand and even the scales near his cheeks became darker as the threatening visage of the king became clear to him. He pulled his own lips back in a strained smile, his body neutral, but his arms were certainly too close to his sides and hands too near his blade's sheath.

Sidon repeated the name back and declared have no knowledge of his family's history. This struck a chord with the proud Zora. How could he not know of the proud warriors of Ke Húm?! There were no other arts as perfect and no greater techniques within the repertoire of land and sea skills so attuned to the two realms. At the male's question Sin would turn his eyes up for a moment as he searched his brain for the thought. As far as he knew he didn't have any direct relation to any scholarly sorts. His family was strangely divided and he didn't see many of his relatives because of their reclusively being far greater than that of even the Ujua clan.

"Not that I'm aware... I am named after an important ancestor, but I don't have any direct relations to scholars." If he was he would have ended up in that covenant...

Hearing the male's words, Sin's shoulders relaxed. It didn't seem that the King would abide by any grudges today, which was fine by him. He took a step back and allowed his hands to fall from his belt, his cloak fully closing around him.

Though he was a trained fighter and excellent warrior, Sin wasn't sure he could face someone like a royal who had likely years more of training. He was still young and had yet to finish his pilgrimage. If he died today he wouldn't be able to be baptised. He settled back and looked over towards Malon in question, but the bird seemed — ah, preoccupied? What had his thoughts so deeply.

[Chaosome]

Despite what the Goron may have thought, the cloak that Malon had thrown around him didn't seem to be getting wet or cold at all. The remnants of water tried to cling to the fabric sure, but it mostly just wicked away and dripped from the edges. Whatever the warm cloth was made from didn't seem to hold water very easily. Handy to be sure!

Malon was often not the best at paying attention, his mind would drift and flit about one thought to another and he'd chase that one til another caught him. But right here, right now, his entire attention was on Tulin. Well, 90% of it. He was, after all, still a Sheikah, he had to pay SOME attention to his surroundings. "It's not weird at all." he was quick to say. "Dreams aren't always just dreams. I have no doubt in my mind that it really was a message from him. You're doing him and your people so proud." Malon nodded firmly. It was so endearing how modest Tulin was, but he couldn't let the other Rito sell himself short!

"O-oh? Yeah! I mean, sure. Yeah it would be my honour." It had taken a second for Tulin's question to actually settle into his suddenly ringing ears. It was like a dazzlefruit had gone off in his head. Heart pounding like a drum. It took every bit of training to not hop about excitedly. Luckily for him and his cool and calm demeanor, the Goron's compliment reached him, and the Rito would turn his head to Micah with a smile. "Thank you! Maybe sometime when I have the chance and the materials, I'll make a less impermanent version of this." his eyes turned back to his work with pride. If mostly to keep himself from being weird and continuing to stare at Tulin for overlong.

[Emily]

Part 1

A parallel arose between the two distinct standoffs happening on the field, surrounded by whimsical and often crudely-crafted snow individuals. Malon and Tulin, smiles and warmth, came from distant homes, their known culture quite different from one another. Likewise, as Claria approached Sidon, there were now three Zora in one place, all from different cultures, all from different traditions. As he saw her coming, the king flashed Claria a disarming smile and waved. "Claria, how delightful to see you! I wanted to tell you how impressed I was by your snowsuit of armour! Come, come, let's go take a look. Oh, and my new Ujua friend," he smiled, warm and sweet, at Sin. "Excellent craftsmanship, truly. I hope we can see you around the Domain sometime." He gave Sin a toothy smile, his teeth glinting.

 If anyone were to notice Sidon deflating as they walked away, it would be Claria, who had spent so long around him. The king of the Zora often appeared larger than life- not, perhaps, in the way his father was, but certainly in terms of personality and charisma. After tense deliberations and interactions, he often seemed to deflate back to his actual, still quite tall, size. And yet, he was still perfectly relaxed, everything with Sin just water under the bridge. He almost seemed ready to say something to his guard, but a dull thud announced his foot hit something, knocking it through the snow in front of him. The Zora laughed, stepped forward to pick it up. "Clumsy me," he chuckled, holding the stone up to look at it. As it happened, the object wasn't a stone at all, but an amulet. He stared at it for a few seconds, then shrugged and continued onward.

At that point, they had returned to the suit of armour sculpture, which now held his attention. Sidon looked first this way, then that way, nodding and making quite the show of his admiration before finally turning to Claria. "This is very good! Who put you up to it?"

Part Two

Eventually, all remaining Sages of today and Champions of old reconvened to discuss their feelings. Between them, they seemed to come to a consensus, though it was closer than any of the contestants might have imagined. After half an hour, Zelda emerged to address the crowd once more. "Everyone, thank you so much for entering our snow-individual contest! The deliberations and judging might have taken a mite longer than we intended, but we have finally come to a decision. The winner of this year's snow-individual contest is Malon of Kakariko Village, with his truly wondrous depiction of friends Link and I greatly admire, as well as friends we haven't been able to see in such detail for a very long time."

 A child in the crowd started crying, their half-crumbled snow-individual's smile having become more of a pained grimace. Zelda paused graciously, and a father swooped in to shush and comfort his child. With all dissent quashed, the child quieted with reassurances of sweets and ice cream, the queen continued. "I hope everyone has enjoyed today's festivities. The night market and festival will continue for the remainder of the week. Meals and drinks will continue to be provided free of charge at the inn. Thank you again for coming!"

 And with that, the event was over. All competitions were at an end. Everyone was free to continue the week as they wished. Later that evening, Tulin would locate Malon using his extreme tracking skills, which equated to looking for a Rito like veins of silver, gold, and precious gems, and finding him pretty easily. He would invite Malon to get lunch with him and his friends. His friends in this case happened to be Link, Yunobo, and Riju. They would happily talk about everything through the rest of the afternoon, with plenty of food and drinks to be had.

 Throughout the week, villagers could see Link and Zelda spending their evenings quietly walking through the market, talking to each other in low, conspiratorial voices. Occasionally they'd laugh, Zelda hiding her mouth behind her hands. They made a point to stop at each stall and shop, complimenting everyone who had dedicated their time and effort into making the Yuletide festival excellent. Everyone seemed to glow a little brighter after they'd visited. Every night, they had dinner at the inn, where they talked to as many people as they could before retiring to their home for the night.

Part Three

Ariadne did not come down from the hill for quite some time. After Claria left, the doctor spent some quiet time enjoying her quiet vigil over the town, before she drifted off into a short nap, finding herself too tired to bother walking all the way back to town. That evening, stiff from the cold but otherwise well-rested, she had returned to the inn, where she ordered all manner of food, and shared it with the Zora she had befriended so suddenly all those months ago.

They would talk about many things, as they always did, Ariadne returning to her relaxed and relatively carefree posture. But something had changed, and it would certainly have been obvious to Claria. At the end of the night, a couple drinks in and inhibitions somewhat loosened, she would tell Claria of her plans. She would not be returning to Zora's Domain. She planned to take the west road out of Hateno, to walk herself and her belongings- those she had with her, the rest she didn't mind leaving behind- to Kakariko, where she would begin her lessons there early. As far as she was concerned, Ariadne had no compatibility with the way that Zora did things, and despite her great respect for their culture and the way they were able to effortlessly heal any wound, she would not be happy there.

Fortunately, this would not be goodbye, Ariadne was confident in that. She had spent a lot of time thinking that afternoon, before sleeping on a hill overlooking Hateno, and things had become very clear. While she might not be a clairvoyant, not a bone in her holding interest in divining ancient truths, Ariadne was confident in the future. If anything good had come from her time in Zora's Domain- and time would reveal that there were many good things from that time- it had been a dear friend.

(And now it's your turn. Feel free to continue for as long as your characters would interact, wrap up any loose threads, and enjoy this extra-long Yuletide season. You, and your characters, have earned this time.)

[LuckyBlackCat]

With considerable relief, Micah noted the fabric didn't seem to be soaking through at all as he gripped it. The water simply trickled off of the edges, dripping onto the frozen ground. Well, that was one fewer thing to worry about.

In any case, the cold didn't seem to bother the Rito too much any more, his attention entirely fixed on Tulin and the invitation to hang out. Were all of the Sages this humble, Micah wondered. Yunobo certainly was, making no secret of his discomfort at special treatment, but up until now, he'd imagined the others as larger than life, barely approachable figures. Maybe, just maybe, he'd muster the courage to talk to some of them at some point.

It took the silver birdman a moment to respond to the comment, not that Micah could blame him. "Oh! I'd love to see a version in stone or clay!" He could already picture it, a permanent rendition immortalising the Champions of old and honouring the Sages of today.

When Queen Zelda announced Malon as the winner, it came as no surprise. "Congratulations! Y-You really did a spectacular job!" Micah's smile only faltered when a child began crying over his collapsed snowperson. His mind reeled over what to do - the wellbeing of children being the entire tribe's responsibility back home - until the kid's father quelled the sobs with promises of snacks.

Now the highlight of the day was over, Micah decided there was no point in keeping his stall open any longer. He wouldn't exactly be able to do business over the next few days if he became sick, after all. He'd need to dry off somewhere, and what better place to so so than by a blazing hearth? He wasted no time in packing up and heading to the inn, all too thankful for the warmth of the fireplace that dispelled his shivers, listening to a brown-and-red feathered Rito strumming and singing Yuletide songs as he waited.

Sure enough, Gao kept his promise, joining him for banter over more spiced cider later that afternoon. Business hadn't gone as he'd hoped, to say the least, but he'd met some friendly and encouraging people that day, which counted for something.


As it turned out, Claria need not have worried. King Sidon, ever his usual charismatic self, de-escalated the situation with smiles and compliments, walking away before Sin even had the chance to antagonise him. Following close by her king's side, Claria cast one more cautious glance in Sin's direction before inclining her head, the tension leaving her shoulders. "Thank you, Your Majesty, I'm flattered. It's no design of my own imagination though. Rather, it's a recreation of ancient craftsmanship from the Depths."

In the time it had taken her to shift her attention, King Sidon had taken on a much more visibly relaxed demeanour, signalling that he'd put the standoff behind him. He turned his head as if ready to make conversation, only to inadvertently knock something through the snow with his foot. The stone - no, amulet? - glinted in the winter sun as he picked it up. He didn't seem to afford it much importance even as he held on to it, but if nobody claimed it as a lost belonging, Dento the crafting expert would be able to figure out its value and properties back at Zora's Domain.

As they stopped by the armoured sculpture, Claria tried not to focus on its flaws and rough edges, although King Sidon, respectful as always, gave his praise.

"This is very good! Who put you up to it?"

"That would be Ariadne," she replied, with a quick look up at the hill, and another pang of guilt at having left her side. "Who has rather more experience with snow than I do, but nonetheless... It was an enjoyable experience."

Huh. There was a rewarding aspect to seeing the end result of one's work, imperfect as it may be. And the process, however fraught, had given her more of a buzz than she'd expected. Maybe there was something to taking part in festivities, rather than merely observing them from the outside.

Even when the winner was later announced - Malon - losing didn't sting as much as she'd imagined. As she congratulated him, she took the time to admire his tribute to heroes past and present, the misunderstanding-fuelled rough start between them well and truly behind them.

Shortly after the closing of the competition, she returned to check on Ariadne, only to find her dozing under the tree. She sat next to her in silence, gazing out over the cosy little village as activities wound down and crowds dispersed, Naydra drifting over the scene through a sky that gradually changed from soft blue to violet-streaked pink. Once the apprentice stirred awake, the first thing Claria did was treat her to some warming and energising lotus tea from a nearby stall, the kind she often brought Ariadne in Zora's Domain after a rough day. After that, it was time to head to the inn.

Something was clearly on Ariadne's mind as the two of them chatted over their meal. It was only after a few drinks that she let on what Claria had suspected - she wouldn't be heading back to Zora's Domain after this. Her apprenticeship in Kakariko Village, a place that would hopefully prove more welcoming to her, was to begin early.

With a mix of sorrow and joy, Claria raised her glass - voltfruit wine, which the establishment of a certain Sable had given her a taste for - to Ariadne's new beginning. Selfishly, she knew she'd miss the apprentice's presence, the chaotic energy she brought, the way she viewed her as a whole person and not some broken has-been like so many others did. Yet expecting Ariadne to stay in a place she didn't feel fully welcome wouldn't have been fair. And, as her friend made clear, this wouldn't be goodbye.

Memories of the past were something to cherish, all while embracing the future and the opportunities it would bring.