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Ugh, today's training was a total mess. My feet are killing me!
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We need to stay in peak shape, though. You never know when we might get tossed into a battle.
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True. We've gotta be ready for anything.
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Hehe.
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Uh, Mercedes? You daydreaming again? Gotta say, you've been acting all kinds of weird lately.
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Have I? I feel perfectly fine, I assure you.
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You sure? Back when we had that tea party, you looked so, I dunno... Sad.
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I suppose I can't hide anything from you.
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Things like tea parties with dear friends, or seeing the trainees work so hard to improve...
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It reminds me of how things were before the war, if just for a moment.
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You mean back at the academy?
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Yes. And before that, when I lived with my mother and my little brother.
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It also reminds me of the time I spent studying with friends at the school of sorcery in the capital.
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Things may not have been easy then, but I would give anything to return to those days.
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Huh, I don't think I've ever seen you get this sentimental about something.
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The feeling surprises even me. All my years, I've gone wherever the current of life chose to sweep me.
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In truth, I used to think nothing ever went precisely how I wanted it to.
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But looking back now, I realize just how joyous all those moments really were.
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And yes, I'm aware it isn't good to dwell so heavily on the past. But I can't seem to help myself.
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There's no going back in time, though. It's better to focus your energy on the things you can control right now, in the present.
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Sure, we're smack dab in the middle of a war, but that doesn't mean you can't find joy in your day-to-day life.
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So keep pushing, and make the kind of decisions future Mercedes will look back on and be proud of.
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Thank you, truly. You're such a strong person.
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And that's totally fine. There's nothing wrong with getting sentimental.
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Nobody's gonna judge you for reliving one or two good memories every now and then.
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Thank you, truly. You're such a kind person.
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Still, you shouldn't keep all your emotions bottled up like that.
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We might not go back to the peace of the old days any time soon, but we can still have tea parties.
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I'm always here to listen if you ever need to get something off your chest, Mercedes.
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You mean that? I'm so glad to hear it. In that case, why don't we have one right now?
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Uh, sure, I don't mind...but why now?
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Because I used the money I'd been saving up to buy some more ingredients!
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Remember how we were talking about all those different kinds of delicious fruit desserts before? Well, I went ahead and whipped some up!
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I could never turn down an invitation like that. Can't wait to see what you came up with.