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The Tickets (1): Entrance to the Crystal Hearts Gallery is $50 per person, or $75 per couple however there have been a surprising number of businesses, big and small, offering free tickets. These can be won through raffles, games, loyalty programs, promotions, or just by being in the right place at the right time. Even if you hadn’t planned on going, can you really turn down a free trip like this? Access to an exclusive venue, a scenic trip through a crystal garden, an art gallery, and a free buffet? Not to mention the advertised lottery program, where just showing up grants you a ticket to win a souvenir. Plus, vendors–just in case you wanted something a little extra special for Valentine’s Day? The Crystal Heart Gallery claims to be for a good cause–all proceeds are going towards Destiny City charities. The event is open from 10AM to 10PM so there’s plenty of time in the day to visit.
Esfir hadn’t left the apartment this morning intending to win herself a ticket to the Gallery, but here she was. More specifically, she had tucked herself away into a quiet little corner of the street to breathe and try to figure out what the heckbutts had just happened. Sure, she’d been saving up her allowance in order to buy herself a ticket, the idea of seeing the Crystal Garden had just been too good to pass on, but the moment she’d gotten near the gallery, a way-too-cheerful hawker had ambushed her and a handful of other pedestrians entreating them to come and spin a wheel to win free tickets.
Naturally she’d tried because why not, but never had she expected to actually win. Come to think on it, everyone in the little group she’d been part of had won. Which felt like the hawker had just wanted to get rid of as many tickets as possible in the most efficient way possible. And she had benefitted. So… cool. She could use her ticket to see the Garden now. And the money she’d intended to spend on that ticket could be put to another use now. Maybe she could find something fun in the little market attached to the gallery? Maybe find a bauble for Cuan’s collar or something. Really, the sky was the limit.
And… it would be nice to do normal kid, well pre-teen, things. Not that she’d been busting her hump to power up and patrol for a while now. Somehow, spending several days trapped in a nightmare world and then visiting outer space only to be confronted with a nightmarish vision she did not understand hadn’t exactly been conducive to getting her job done. Almost like she had a trauma block or something.
So weird.
But Cuan had been a champ through the whole mess and hadn’t been too judgy. Which Esfir appreciated so much, holy s**t. Growing up and having her body feel wrong was hard enough without adding the senshi stuff into the mix. And Cuan got it.
Could she sneak Cuan into the Garden? The little cat would probably enjoy it. Or… her mind trailed off as she spied an older couple walking by, the man holding a tiny crystal flower and loudly admiring it’s perfection. Did the marketplace sell flowers that were like those in the Garden?!? Mind blown she knew exactly what she wanted to spend her money on now. She wouldn’t risk trying to sneak her cat in, but she’d sure as s**t buy Cuan the prettiest crystal flower she could find. It was the very least she could do for the person who’d been her best friend and confidant the past few years.
Just thinking about giving such a pretty thing to her guardian cat made her heart feel warm and fuzzy. Which in turn gave her a little sting of guilt. Cuan had been amazing and patient and not made Esfir feel bad about not powering up in… well. In a while. Maybe she could do so tonight and suggest Cuan patrol with her. She had a feeling the cat would be over the moon with that one.
Mind made up, Esfir clutched her ticket tightly and darted for the Gallery entrance. She had things to see and buy, after all!
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