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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.
Her free time was exceedingly precious. What little she had was typically filled with school work, or volunteer work, or work work. There were also her extra curricular activities like self defense classes and her senshi duties, so when she was given two free tickets to the event that the Crystal Hearts Gallery was holding Dawn was planning on passing the tickets along to someone else. Someone who would be much more appreciative of the gesture and the event. Or at least had a date they wanted to go with. But when asked by the couple who had given her the tickets in the first place Dawn found that she had promised to take ‘lots and lots of pictures’, and so her day was set. She was going to the event even if it meant that she would have to put off finishing that one paper for her class next week. She was also going to have to figure out who to use the second ticket with since it would be a waste of money otherwise.
It came as a bit of a surprise when a classmate from a different class than the one with the paper due mentioned wanting to go to the event. Apparently the crystal garden really was a sight to behold but the budget was tight so they couldn’t afford the ticket prices by themselves. Happy to have the company and with a classmate who was her ‘plus one’, or more accurately, her ride, since the classmate offered to drive them, Dawn handed over the two tickets to the venue the day of the event. She fumbled a bit when she got a pair of raffle tickets, as well as all the additional stuff like an informational booklet. The young woman was definitely not expecting it all but once everything was sorted out the pair quickly made their way inside. “Oh, wow,” Dawn muttered quietly, taking in the expanse of the venue. She could definitely understand how, and why, the ticket prices were so expensive.
A quick flip through the booklet let her know that there was not only the crystal garden, but also the art gallery and the buffet. There was even a vendor’s area to pick up local items, if her budget could afford it that is. It was all a bit overwhelming. She couldn’t believe that she got the tickets for free. “Um… Do you think, if either of us get something from the raffle we can give it back to Mrs. Smith? Since she was the one who gave me the tickets in the first place?” Dawn posed the question to her classmate who easily agreed. “Ok, neat.” That was a load off her chest. Between the cost of the tickets and the grandeur of the event she had started to feel exceedingly guilty. Just taking pictures didn’t seem like a fair enough exchange.
With that decided, Dawn slipped the raffle tickets into her wallet before going back over the booklet. “Should we see the crystal garden first or would you rather do the gallery?” The young woman asked her classmate, easily debating with him as to the best plan of action for their day at the Crystal Hearts Gallery.
