The cursed present out of sight, and thus, out of mind, Rina sat at the backseat of her mother's car, listening to the joyous Christmas music fill the air. While her mother and Angel were clearly bonding in a much more efficient way since the Cures' visit to China, Rina felt herself sinking into the meat of the seat she sat on. RIna watched as how the heated air gathered in the form of cloudy blinders on the car windows, not allowing for much to be seen, but after she had lived her entire life in this town, a mere blurry image was almost enough for her to tell where she was.
Mochi was left to stay home.
Rina could only assume she stayed to do whatever was necessary regarding that package Mochi growled at.
The scent of pine overwhelmed the whole outdoor area, but it was made up for with all the smiles and children laughing around a make-shift snowfall. Not to mention the couples hanging around and cuddling near a recently installed ice skating rink. A canopy and tables were set up for hot drinks. The sweet euphoria of hot chocolate graced the grounds like the season's own special kind of perfume.
Rina had forgotten about the Christmas season. Her existing title as a Pretty Cure being a good instigator for the fact. After all of it, it felt wrong to be enjoying the simple joys of Christmas joy.
Walking through the aisles of different kinds of Christmas trees, Rina noticed the strangest variety of environmental assorts. From large trees that had to remain outside, to the small ones on little display tables under the canopy, Rina felt herself be whisked away to a whole other world– one where everything was somewhat normal. She noticed Angel walking around, side by side with her mother. "Angel– I mean, Father," Rina called out, grabbing the sleeve of the priest's cassock. "Do you think you can go with me to get some hot chocolate?" She requested, looking up at the taller one, adjusting her grip on her bag.
Mrs. Hirasaki brought her attention to her daughter, hand against the green needles of a tree. "Do you want some money?" She offered, moving to pry open her purse. A nice gust of wind blew past her willowy being, her colorful scarf billowing gracefully in the wind.
"No need. I have some," Rina shook her head, soon making her way down the pine-scented aisles and to a nearby canopy that had sugar cookies and cups of hot chocolate on display. Walking over to stand in line, Rina crossed her arms, staring into the back of the head of the woman in front of her. "Any clue as to what Pierre's problem is?" She bitterly spat a stark difference to the rest of the visitor's tones should she decide to eavesdrop.
Angel veered their attention to the teenager beside them. "He's not human. Unlike Andrei where he got indoctrinated into the villain's deeds," They explained, thrusting their hands into the pockets of their trench coat. "Pierre was made exactly for his master," They finished, uttering a sigh. Their breath released into the air as a small flurry of white vapor.
"And his wife?" Rina brought up, nuzzling a bit further into her coat and moving closer towards the priest to keep warm. Her shivering body finding no need to complain or act against the deed for the sake of her temperature. She was going to ignore any conflict of interest for now.
"That veil she always wears. It prevents me from being able to calculate what she is," Angel replied.
The speakers overhead sang the songs that demanded their troubles to be brushed under the carpet. If only until they were back inside, from the prying eyes of other people.
Rina breathed in. "All of this gets tiring. I'm quick to focus on the bad side, and even quicker to say it's not worth it. Mochi, Ashlynn, Avery... Even Andrei?" She looked past her shoulder to her mother who was now talking to a clerk about a tree. "Well, I guess they all made their impact on me. Not to mention mom. You make her happy..." She scratched her neck, having to dig under the raised collar of her coat to do so. "Am I going to be a big sister soon?"
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History Protection PreCure
FantasiaA Pretty Cure Fanseries "To live is to suffer. To survive is to find some meaning in the suffering." - Fredrick Nietzsche Rina Hirasaki is hurled into the mess of protecting the world she grew to know and love all the while also trying to figure ou...
