(❆ ) FESTIVE AND ALL, LET’S ALL MAKE THE MOST OF IT, SHALL WE? . . .

𝓶𝔂 𝓫𝓮𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓭?

Though it was still all new to her, Rinea had rather quickly learned to enjoy the holiday. The exchange of gifts, the special moments made with her newfound friends, along with the activities. There wasn't anything that could get in the way of how everyone just felt so festive. Even those mistletoes, though practical, they got a good laugh out of her. 

The hours of the day have calmed down, and so have the celebrations of the holidays throughout the monastery. As energetic and enjoyable as it had been, all things had to come to an end at one point, don't they? Every holiday passes, including the current one. But, there’s still some unfinished business that needs to be done before the day comes to an end! 

There was a certain someone Rinea hadn’t exactly been able to see all day. And she refused to go through a whole holiday without saying anything at all to him.

This is precisely why she spent time searching for him, hiding something behind her back as she wandered around the monastery hastily. It takes some time, the sky is starting to darken and night's fall will be coming along; she can point out a small twinkle in the horizon from the first star to show itself, but there’s still no sign of the other. Where could he be?

Though in the corner of her eye, she can see the familiar tint of brunette tuffs, along with that dangerously pointy ends of the headpiece that he always has on, she's never brought herself to question. And the second she turns around to see him, she breaks out into a grin and almost throws herself to hug him, but she remembers the item behind her back. “My lord! I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Forgive me for not being able to talk to you... I’ve been quite busy....”

After a moment of silence between the two, she brings a hand from behind her back, standing on her toes to hold up up something above their heads. It's one of the mistletoes that are usually found hanging from the ceilings of different places scattered around the monastery. Her other hand reaches to him, cupping his cheek as she can't help but stare at him because in her eyes, no matter the time of day or even the day, he was astonishing.

However, he was astounding to her no matter what was to happen. Elegant he was; kind though not to everyone, he was able to show his true self to her, and that's all she could ask for; even if she was in the most sorrowful of a mood, she could glance at him and it'd brighten her up in an instant. Rinea would and has always believed he had been her soulmate. There weren't enough words to express how much he meant to her, and what she would to for him if it all came down to it, she'd do anything for him. No matter the case, she’d have his back. There was nothing in this world he could do to make her hate him.

Rinea doesn't notice until now that a few tears are slipping from the corners of her eyes, and her now free hand immediately cups his other cheek before she leans into pepper kisses all around his face. His eyelids, his cheeks, the tip of his nose, and last but not least, she places a chaste kiss against his lips, lingering for as long as she can before pulling away. And at that very moment, she wraps her arms around him, resting her head against his chest as she closes her eyes.

(❆) FESTIVE AND ALL, LET’S ALL MAKE THE MOST OF IT, SHALL WE?

Family is a powerful word, people who are related or not, a sense of being close together, like relatives. Though there are many possibilities of ending up being family to one another, relations come and go. And though it wasn't her place to speak, she was able to accept Alm as a somewhat family bond, Celica also. It felt right. Besides, she had no particular reason to hate Alm.

Family. After all.

(❆) FESTIVE AND ALL, LET’S ALL MAKE THE MOST OF IT, SHALL WE?

The festiveness being spread was the key element.

Luckily for her, it seemed as though others were bypassing those mistletoes overhead. They were quite hard to see, almost in every nook and cranny. They didn't bother her too much, though. She just felt bad for those who were upset by them.

As she was looking around; she had inadvertently bumped into a familiar face and looking up; Rinea stepped back slowly. "Lord Lorenz! Oh, gods, forgive me, I wasn't looking at where I was going." Her eyes catch sight of the mistletoe above them. 

This again, it seems. 

(❆) FESTIVE AND ALL, LET’S ALL MAKE THE MOST OF IT, SHALL WE?

As she walked everywhere throughout the quaint room, and it had just dawned on her that she failed to notice the bright green plants hanging from the ceiling. It was quite childish and silly, but if it got others into a festive spirit, it couldn’t be that wicked, could it?

Now, who chose to hang these up everywhere in the first place?

It takes her a moment to notice the female beside her, who it seems she’s under the mistletoe with, and that does mean a kiss of some sort, which she can recall is a tradition of the sort. And it doesn’t take her long to remember what she has to do. With a giggle escaping her lips, she glances around.                        

(❆) FESTIVE AND ALL, LET’S ALL MAKE THE MOST OF IT, SHALL WE?

She had fond memories of meeting Cynthia, which was through a dance practice held a few days before her arrival to the monastery. Needless to say, Rinea considered Cynthia as a friend the moment she dragged her into a dance with here. Though, she's apologized before for startling the girl while doing so...

So she wasn't mad about finding herself under yet again, another mistletoe with the shorter female. She had shown a grin to the other girl.

(❆) FESTIVE AND ALL, LET’S ALL MAKE THE MOST OF IT, SHALL WE?

She was still considerably new to naming students from the other houses. So it wasn't as though she had spoken to every student, but she wished to get there one day. Perhaps it just isn't the right moment now? Everyone was spending time with close friends due to the festive season; she didn't mind waiting until that was all over.

Though, with a particular student, it seemed that the moment would come fairly early.

(❆) FESTIVE AND ALL, LET’S ALL MAKE THE MOST OF IT, SHALL WE?

The mistletoe hung right above the opening to the Black Eagle's classroom, and though Rinea wasn't quite paying too much attention to it, she was below it with one of her fellow housemates, Mercedes. She found Mercedes was a pleasure to be in class with; she was positively kind, so it's not like Rinea had any reason to dislike her. She found her comforting, even though they haven’t had enough time to have a conversation together. 

And she feels a tap on her shoulder, confusedly looking around until noticing the green plant dangling from a string in the doorway. And after a moment, she leans up to peck the other female on the cheek, smiling.