A Subjective Frame of Mind

Cast:
Cure Peach, Momozono Love - age 14
Cure Berry, Aono Miki - age 14
Cure Pine, Yamabuki Inori - age 15
Soular, Minamu Shun - age 14

April, 2009

In this world where there is no such thing as magic, Tarte is Love's pet ferret. He is not a fairy, nor is he able to speak. As for his love of donuts...

He still loves donuts. Is there anyone who doesn't?

Unfortunately, Inori fears ferrets. Even a cute and friendly one like Tarte sets her on edge by his very presence. She cannot ask Love to give up her treasured pet. She cannot talk it out with Tarte. She does not want to stop spending time with Love, either.

This calls for drastic measures. With Love and Miki backing her up, Inori has sought out a specialist.

"You were right to come to me," Soular tells her. He is wearing an outfit that resembles Setsuna's Eas costume in theme and iconography, though with a green palette instead of red. It is not revealing, as Setsuna's is, and he wears actual pants.

"You can cure my phobia?"

"Fear is only in your mind, and hypnotism has been used to vanquish it since ancient times." Soular holds up a green gem that hangs at the end of a chain. "Behold! When you look into this swinging emerald, you place yourself in my power."

"Sounds fishy," Miki says. "How do we know this isn't some dirty trick?"

"You don't." He says with a smile. "Inori, you are under my control. When I snap my fingers, you will switch bodies with the ferret, Tarte."

"What?!" "What?!"

Love and Miki object, but Soular snaps his finger anyway. Inori freezes. Her eyes widen, then she begins looking herself over.

"What is this? I can talk? And is this... a human body?"

The color drains from Miki's face. "Inori? You're acting weird. What's with that sketchy accent?"

Soular shakes his head. "That won't work, Cure Berry. Tarte, she was speaking to you. You're in Inori's body."

"Oh, so that's how it is? Everything looks so much smaller like this!"

"What about your accent? It does sound kind of sketchy."

"I don't know what you mean," Inori answers. "Everyone talks like this back home."

"What, at the pet shop?" Miki glares at Soular. "You'd better turn her back."

Soular holds up his hands apologetically. "Just a little longer, please. This is good stuff."

Inori opens Tarte's cage and pulls the ferret out. "I sure make an attractive specimen, if I do say so! What do you think, Inori?"

Tarte bites her.

"Ouch! I thought you were a kinder girl than that, Inori!"

Love grabs Tarte and holds him close. "She is! I'm sure she's just confused!"

"Tarte, Inori is afraid that you'll hurt her," Soular says. "Like she just did to you."

"But I'm a kind ferret!" Inori protests. "I wouldn't do that on purpose!"

"And neither would Inori."

"But she just- oh! You mean that it was an accident, right? Maybe animals just feel things differently than you humans do!"

"I think we've learned enough now. When I snap my fingers, you'll switch back."

Then he does.