Soon enough, the group enters the assembly hall so they can get their sleds and other materials.

Marja says, "All right, time to prep your sleds. I'd like you all to pick out some fabric you like from this pile."

Jade and Sebek are confused, "...Huh?"

"What's the fabric for?" Briar asks.

"We'll use the fabric to make the stuffed animals that pull the sleds," Epel answers.

That's when Sebek remembers, "Oh, right. This race involves stuffed animals rather than real ones. I'm seeing a lot of bright reds and checkered patterns... They're all rather showy."

"They're also different sizes and lengths," Jade says.

"And they're very colorful too," Sereia adds.

"This is a pile of odds and ends that each household in the village contributes to," Epel says.

"...So it's scrap fabric," Idia replies.

"We're not cheapin' out, just to be clear!" Epel sternly says.

He then explains, "The idea is to show we care about our things by finding ways to repurpose 'em. The stuffed animals are made from a patchwork of pieces, so pick as many as you like."

"Must we choose from this selection...?" Sebek asks.

He thinks for a minute and says, "Then again, I suppose it doesn't matter, since this won't have any bearing on the sled's speed."

"Actually, it will," Epel answers.

"What?!" Sebek asks, shocked.

And Epel explains, "Different materials have different levels of air resistance. And hydrophobic fabrics don't get weighted down in the snow. The fabric makes a world of difference on the sled's speed and durability."

"Is that right...?" Sebek asks.

Soon, Idia chuckles, "Whee hee hee, I've made my picks."

"That was quick," Sebek says.

"I looked up what fabrics previous winners used," Idia says, "This combination's gonna get me a high-performance plushie, guaranteed!"

"Wow, you really did your research," Epel says, impressed.

Idia snickers, "Whee hee... Just call me the Character Creation Samurai."

Then Sebek says, "I'll go with these snowflake and polka dot patterns for the base, with a touch of this orange for an accent."

"Fascinating. So that's how you normally dress outside of school," Jade says.

Sebek shouts, "NO! I just based my fabrics off of what Idia chose," He then asks, "What about you? Have you made your selection?"

"Oh, yes, I should do that... Give me just a moment," Jade says, and tries to think, "He then picks out his fabric, "...All right, I've decided on the green and brown snowflake design and the blue stripes."

"Took you long enough," Sebek replies.

"All the patterns are so lovely, I had trouble narrowing it down," Jade says.

"...Didn't look that way to me," Idia replies.

"The white and and light blue one look nice," Briar says.

"And these blue stripe ones are good too," Sereia says.

Epel looks around, "Hmm, what should I go with..." But soon notices, "Oh hey! I used to wear clothes with this pattern all the time when I was a kid! I loved it. I'll go with this!" And picks the fabric.

"Epel must have been a charming child," Jade says.

And Marja says, "He was a real bundle of energy. He'd play outside all day long if you let him."

"There weren't any kids my age around, so all the old folks would play with me instead," Epel says.

He then says, "Tag was one of my favorite games. There's a lot of space to run around here. But since I was so much younger than everyone else, no one ever wanted to tag me. I wanted to be 'it', so I'd go toward them and try to make them tag me, but they'd just run away and avoid me... So I guess I was 'it' by default, and the others who were supposed to be 'it' did the running."

"...Reverse tag. How odd," Sebek replies.

Jasper chuckles in response.

"It sounds like everyone around here was very kind to you," Jade adds.

"They were," Epel says, "But once I started elementary school in another town...I got into a lotta fights with my classmates."

Marja giggles, "Heh heh heh. Used to be he'd come home in tears."

"I was real little then, okay?!" Epel replies, "That all happened when I first started school... But I just kept facin' down anyone who gave me guff, even the older kids. I showed 'em what's for in the end!"

"That must have been exhilirating," Sebek says.

And Marja says, "They used to call him the Poison Apple of the Felmier Family. Ahh, that takes me back."

"The Poison Apple?" Jade, Briar, and Sereia reply, confused.

"I guess it's supposed to mean that even though I don't look intimidating, you need to watch out for me," Epel says, "Why couldn't they call me something cooler, like the Rising Dragon of Mount Moln, or Harveston's Ragin' Bronco?"

"I think it's a lovely nickname," Jade says.

And Idia says, "Epel... If you ever start gaming online, I strongly suggest you run your names by someone else before picking a handle."