passing nearby, drawn in by the warmth of the fires, the kingpin came over, coat having begun to thicken in time for the winter winds to begin picking up. eyes squinted against a bitter wind, they shook their coat out, grunting at their swift shaking and unsteady standing. chuckling as they caught wuyi's voice, they turned their head towards xem, eyes kind, "hello wuyi, what do you have here? bobbing for chocolate covered apples?", they chuckled, having yet to look into the troughs with the snacks, and the snake-y surprise included. eyes darting to the banner above they smiled, noting the use of bright red color, turning their head back to the child, hearing pawsteps coming up behind them, "can you explain to me how to do this?", they asked for the hell of it. they had never done such a thing when they were a child or an adult before they were in the palace, or after.

United within a sense of curiosity, though stilled tongue held between closed points when query was voiced, those call had enticed. Yet total was the ignorance towards such practice as this, even as the very title ascribed held some inkling of expectations upon the participants, overshadowed even by the little Bai seemed to harbour. All the same there was a confidence unearned in each step drawing Sloan closer, between the various objects and attendees attention flicking.

"Why not just… Eat the apples." Slight the confusion that seeped into softly spoken remark, further exasperated as ze watched the apples lazily float on the surface of the calm water. Chosen one of the smaller, and thus spared the fox of the surprise awaiting those unlucky in their choice, over lip paws hooking so ze may peer within. Dark the depths, slight the illumination surrounding fires cast allowing the multi-hued confectioneries to briefly be entirely visible, no further clarification offered.

Outward did ze stretch a paw, about an apple curling until ze may draw it over to the edge with ease, smug hir growing smile as ze turned to Wuyi. "I did it." As xey wished to play by xyr own rules it had been taken further by Sloan, though the basis was ignorance rather than a desire to change things and make it a tad more interesting to fit the proceedings.