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