puppycrush2 | week two

[She would hardly believe it herself, if it weren’t for all the strange things this show experience has enlightened her to. Anything might as well be possible, even strange oceans.]

Well, I hope you can find it one day. And for your sake, I hope it doesn’t end up being a terribly long journey. A search like that sounds dangerous enough, but adding the life of a pirate to it? I can’t imagine the sort of experiences it’s led you to.

[Sanji beams at the vote of confidence.]

Oh, it's not too terrible.

[Until it is, but he's not going to bring down the mood here. He helps himself to a morsel of fondue.]

We've gotten up to some grand adventures along the way. What about you? Are you interested in traveling at all?

[She'll just have to take his word for it. But the question turned toward her gets a nod and a somewhat contemplative look. ]

A little bit. Perhaps that's some small part of why I decided to leave the opera company for a while to enroll in the Officer's Academy. It's given me a chance at many new things, and seeing some of the world outside of Enbarr is certainly one of them.

Officer's academy? Are you training to join the military?

[That's what it sounds like, in which case . . . what a leap!]

Not with any real intention, exactly.

[She shakes her head, donning a little bit of a self-conscious smile.]

Truth be told, my dearest mentor at the opera company left to become an instructor there... I couldn't help but follow after her to see what the fuss was about. And the student body is filled with so many eligible bachelors and bachelorettes...

[Well, Sanji already knows that that's a rather important thing for her to chase, after their previous talk.]

[He lifts his head in dawning realization.]

Ah, I see. I have a mentor of my own, so I can understand wanting to follow in her footsteps.

[In any case, Dorothea's preferences don't escape him. Her heart is quite vast, isn't it?]

I know they're the reason you came this far, but is there anyone in particular back at the academy who stands out to you?

[She adopts a somewhat wistful look as she thinks back on her classmates at the academy. It already feels like an eternity since she’s seen them last.]

I admit, I find myself quite charmed by some of the ladies in particular. But they’re such important people that I fear it’s probably nothing but wishful thinking… I can’t imagine that a commoner like me could make for a tempting match.

[He so badly wants to hear more about these ladies who've piqued the interest of a beauty like Dorothea, but the latter's confession gives him pause.]

You can't control whose family you're born into; however, if you ask me, there are commoners who're worth more than some royalty will ever be. With a heart like yours, anyone with common sense should be able to understand that when they see you.

Oh trust me, we're in full agreement on that count.

[Still, she summons more of a smile because it remains heartening to hear.]

Anyone who can't see that doesn't deserve me. It is just a little aggravating how difficult it can be to get that through some nobles' heads. Too caught up in stagnant and useless tradition—even those that are more open-minded, sometimes.

[A little bit of a sigh, but she perks up, idly twirling her skewer between her fingers a little.]

So I certainly count myself lucky for the friends I've made there.

[He smiles anew at her confidence. She's worth more than her weight in gold. If she knows that, then the world's a better place for it.]

Nobles can be stubborn like that.

[He picks up another piece of bread with his skewer.]

Company like your friends' is the one that's worth keeping. What are they like?

They’re an eclectic bunch, that’s for sure. Some are excitable in different ways, another is so lazy I wonder how he can stand it. Strong, charming, determined, dedicated to their causes…

[It’s kind of a wonder they all get along sometimes. She likewise skewers another morsel for herself, brandishing it with a little flourish as she continues.]

And among them are even the Emperor and the princess of a foreign nation. A little unbelievable, isn’t it?

[So they're an eclectic, passionate bunch. Knowing what his own crew is like, he can get behind that. And while he can understand a princess in attendance, his jaw drops at the other mention.]

The emperor? Just what kind of institution is this officer's academy?

Her ascending the throne is a rather recent development, admittedly.

[And she prefers not to dwell for long on how that bit of news had been revealed to the rest of the Black Eagles. She shakes her head.]

But it’s the rather prestigious kind of institution. All the important heirs of all the important families make their way through there at one point or another. I lucked into enrolling at a rather… exciting time, it would seem.

[So that's what happened . . . When it's like that, he supposes it makes more sense. Dorothea's in a unique position to see history unfold before her dazzling eyes.]

It's that kind of institution, and you still made it in on your own? That's amazing, Dorothea!

Perhaps with a little help financially, but everything else that got me in? All accomplished with my own effort.

[A proud smile, because she had really worked her tail off to get there, and she wasn’t going to let the chance go to waste.]

Taking a risk on something new is always worth it, right? I mean, we’re all doing a little bit of that by being here, aren’t we?

[This is a woman who can move mountains. It's no wonder Dorothea's had to come this far for her romantic prospects: Nobody deserves her.]

Nothing ventured, nothing gained, eh? You've got that right. Even putting the wishes and matches aside, the experience of being here alone has been something else.

week two | dates

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