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Prompt 9: Small custom shops and stalls always seem to open up this time of year, and Destiny City has no shortage this year. Several seasonal themed shops have already received raving reviews, and among them is a small cafe. Outside it looks like a cute vintage cafe, but inside, the shop has been decorated so convincingly that you feel like you've just stepped into a snowy northern forest. They have an array of delicious, cold drinks, and the trip would be worthwhile for that alone--except, shortly after the first sip, anyone who has ingested the drink will find that they sneeze a flurry of tiny snowflakes. The more drinks consumed, the longer you will find you are sneezing little snowflakes. It feels like there is a tickle up your nose for an hour or longer, depending on player choice; drinking more can also lead to longer effects. There are no negative impacts--just the need to sneeze often, and a little burst of cold snowflakes along with each one. Surprisingly, the shop still doesn't have any bad reviews.
Tochi was always one for checking out anything that seemed cute and appealing to her interests, and the holidays were great for fulfilling those requirements. From cute jewelry (especially anything starry), to cute clothing (also starry), to good food, there wasn't really anything that didn't appeal to her tastes during the winter holidays. There was just something about the general aesthetic that came with the seasonal decorations, that really fit the 'theme' she had going on for herself. Tochi had found a cute pair of snowflake earrings, that she planned on gifting to Morie, as well as some cute accessories for both Rune and Hina. She needed a break, though, and thus, the teen started looking around for somewhere to stop and grab something to drink, maybe also a bite to eat as well.
A cute cafe soon caught her attention, and a quick glance online showed that it had been receiving a lot of praise and positive reviews, as one of the many pop-up seasonal shops appearing around Destiny City for the holidays. Her mind made up, Tochi decided that this would be the place that she would go for a quick pit stop; if the reviews were so great, then surely their drinks must taste amazing! Opening the door and stepping inside, Tochi was absolutely wowed at the scenery before her. It was so cute! The owners had really gone out of their way to decorate the cafe to look like a winter wonderland in a snowy forest, and Tochi was certain this had a part to play in why this place had such good reviews. Getting in line, Tochi waited her turn to make her order, and upon reaching the counter, she ordered what the reviews said to be the most popular drink they sold.
Later on, exiting the cafe with drink in hand, Tochi intended to continue with her shopping spree. As she took a sip from her drink, though, she soon began to feel a little bit funny... and found herself sneezing... a flurry of snowflakes? It was weird, but didn't discourage her from continuing to consume her drink, especially given that she hadn't quite made any sort of connection between the two. Such was how Tochi was, really; she tended to miss the forest for the trees, or something like that. No doubt Morie would scold her later, as always, when she would later recount this tale to her older sister, but Tochi wasn't one to ever learn her lesson, if ever.
For the rest of her shopping trip, Tochi found herself occasionally with an urge to sneeze, and each time, would be amazed at the snowflakes that would appear each time. Not once did it ever occur to her that she should have tossed her drink, or be more cautious in general, and instead, she continued to dismiss the idea that the cafe could have had anything to do with it. After all, all the reviews were positive, so it must have been something else!
(502 words)
