week two | dates

[showhost]

You worked up your courage and asked someone out on a date! Good job!





Now you have to hope the producers are kind re: where they send you.

Comments

[rosethorns]

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.]

[hgeegh]

[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?

[rosethorns]

[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.

[hgeegh]

[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.

[rosethorns]

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.

[hgeegh]

[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?

[rosethorns]

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?

[hgeegh]

[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?

[rosethorns]

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.

[hgeegh]

[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!

[rosethorns]

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?

[hgeegh]

[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.