Sophia was still chatting with Ari, and Anna had basically become the sole topic. Not only had the blonde the feeling that the princess had fallen for the jaguar, as well, but it also seemed like Maya was also helping Anna out with her approaches. From the sound of it, she was behaving exactly like the cat when she was going after Sophia, after all.

“Yep, I really think Anna might be actually interested in you~.” Sophia made a short recap on her evaluation of the situation around the princess.

“T-There’s just no way that could be the case… N-No way…” Ari couldn’t believe her.

“Why not?”

“Because she’s the first princess of this nation! Do you have any idea how many choices other than me she has!? Why would she ignore all of them to choose me instead?”

“Err…” The blonde didn’t know where to start. “You’re her childhood friend. In other words, you’re her oldest and best friend. The person she’s the closest with. She’s absolutely comfortable around you, and it’s obvious that she enjoys your company. She likes to cling to you, touch you, and is generally all over you. She mentioned multiple times how much she loves your personality and I, myself, have to heartily agree with that because I love spending time with you, too.” She showed no signs of stopping.

“…” The jaguar could only try to keep her blush in check.

“Also, even if we dumb it down to looks only, what other options would she have that could compete with you? Maya’s taken by me, and you’re the most stunning girl I met after her.” Sophia was a big fan of the girl, but her priorities were still crystal clear. “You didn’t like your hair for the most time, but everyone else, first and foremost, the princess, is really into them. The deep black with the shiny yellow accents and the pattern is beyond amazing, especially when combined with your yellow eyes that perfectly accentuate it. You hit the jackpot with that combination. Your fluffy tail that’s on the thicker side makes me super jealous, too! Your figure is great, too! Unless Anna’s into the big type, you should have no problems there, either! Seeing how she went after me, who’s very similar to you in that area, for a while, your chances should be excellent!”

“Uuhh…” Steam seemed to be rising from Ari’s beet-red head. Sophia praising her so openly made the jaguar very bashful.

“Any objections?”

“…” She needed a moment. “D-Do… Do you really think… think that she l-likes me…?”

“I think so, yes. Though… there’s no way I can be sure there…” Sophia didn’t want to make any promises. “She’s doing the exact same Maya did around me, but my sample size isn’t big enough to make any absolute statements… Sorry.”

“I-I see…” Ari hung her head. “W-What should I do now…? It would be amazing if she really l-likes me the same way I like her, but… but…”

“But?”

“Can I risk ruining our literal life-long friendship to find out how she f-feels about me…?”

“Ah.” The tiger wasn’t sure how to reply to something like that. “T-There’s just no way I could decide that for you…”

“I know… Still… what is your suggestion? What… What would you do in my situation?” Ari wanted to get as many tips as possible.

“I’m no help with that. I’d turn into a blushing and embarrassed mess that has no idea what to do. I’d freak out to no end and mess up wherever I could possibly mess up… Again, sorry.”

“Urgh…”

“You know, when Maya started going after me, I regularly turned into a mess, too. No, long before that already. Since the day we met, actually. I’ve had no friends for the longest time, and my experience with romance was basically negative…”

“O-Okay…?” While Ari looked like she was sorry for her, she wasn’t exactly sure where the tiger was going with her story in this situation.

“Even someone like me was able to get used to her advances. To some degree, at least. I know that you’re shy, too, Ari, but I’m sure you can get used to her clinginess.”

“P-Probably, yes, but… How is that going to help?” The jaguar was confused.

“Try to get comfortable with her way of doing things and return the favor. That’s what I did… Every once in a while, I managed to get bold enough and got closer to Maya, as well. It took me a ton of courage, but I eventually had a lot of fun going back and forth with her while playfully flirting a ton. Sure, I was still an embarrassed mess most of the time, but I enjoyed it.”

“I-Is that how it works…? So, long story short, I should get bold myself…?”

“More or less, yep.” Sophia nodded at her question. “It worked out for me.”

“Uuh… That’s going to be embarrassing…”

“Yep.” She gave her an even bigger nod. “It’ll take a lot of effort, but I think it’s worth it. You can get closer to her without risking your current relationship. You aren’t doing anything she isn’t already doing, after all. If you’re lucky, she eventually explodes over all the affection she receives and confesses to you out of nowhere.”

“T-That sounds oddly specific…”

“That’s what Maya did.”

“Ahh…”

“Alrighty~! Good luck with going on the attack!”

“E-Eh?! It’s already decided?!” Ari’s eyes grew wide in shock. “I-I’m not ready for that yet!”

“Why not? You love her, right?”

“Y-Yes.”

“You want her, right?”

“T-To be mine, yes…”

“That’s why, let’s a go!”

“S-So pushy…” The jaguar wasn’t sure how to feel about that side of Sophia.

“I would’ve loved a friend to push me along because I was behaving like an idiot around Maya for the longest time. Well, I still behave like that, but that’s a different story…”

“N-No, I am grateful! I really am!” Ari started panicking. “It’s just that it’s a lot for me to do…”

“Understandable. I would’ve complained a lot in that situation, as well.” She couldn’t blame her. “It’s not like you have to do it, either, but that’s my suggestion.”

“Y-Yes…” The black-haired girl paused for a moment. “What… What would you suggest me to do…? H-How should I show my a-affection for her…?”

“Do the same thing she does.” Sophia made it sound easy. “She wants to sleep in the same bed as you? Suggest it yourself before she has the chance to. Even better, simply go to her room in the evening. Invite her over to yours. She wants to cling to you or hold your hands? Grab her hand the moment she looks at you while you’re walking around. Stick close to her and get more into her personal space to get a reaction. Get cuddly while you're studying... Just be annoyingly flirty. Though, my personal recommendation is something else.”

“A-Annoyingly flirty…?” Ari didn’t like the sound of that too much. “Wait, what is your recommendation?”

“Lap pillows! Give one, receive one, it doesn’t matter. They’re the best thing in the world. Get Anna on your lap, and she’ll be yours~.” Sophia really liked them a lot. “Okay, it’s maybe not that easy, but still… do it! Bonus points for doing it in the evening after just having come out of the bath, still all warm and in your pajamas, while relaxing on the sofa.”

“O-Okay.” The jaguar was a bit overwhelmed. “Well, it does sound lovely, so it might be worth a try. Although…” Her face suddenly turned even redder for some reason.

“Although?”

“I think I’d prefer to lie on Anna’s l-lap… Her legs are really… Thighs especially…” Her voice trailed off towards the end.

“Oh my god, yes!” Sophia’s eyes started sparkling. “I love your taste. You are right, the princess is on a league on her own when it comes to those. That tall tiger of yours really has that going for her. Maya’s thighs are already super soft and comfy, and I bet you’ll be in heaven, too, if you can take a nap on her lap~.”

“Someone’s into legs?” Ari only looked at her.

“You have no idea.” The blonde had no intention to hide it.

“I can’t blame you.” Ari nodded in understanding. “I’m not sure if I prefer them over a nice chest, but I definitely appreciate them a lot.”

“Good thing you don’t have to choose with Anna, huh? She’s been blessed with both, after all.”

“Yes.” She didn’t hesitate.

“You sure can be frank.”

“C-Can you blame me?”

“No.” Sophia thought about the princess for a moment. “Not at all. Well, I am fortunate with my Maya, too, after all.”

“Absolutely. She’s a great catch.”

“Ehehe~.” She sounded strangely proud. “It’s great to be lucky, huh?”

“Well… I first have to get l-lucky, though…” As Anna wasn’t hers, at the moment, the jaguar still had some work to do in that regard.

“A-Ah…” The tiger awkwardly scratched her cheek. “W-We’ll get there! Also, the first thing we’re going to do then is to have a double date, so get ready for that! After that, the four of us will hibernate through the winter in front of the fireplace in our mansion. All huddled up and comfortably cuddling with our girlfriends!”

“I-I like the sound of that…” Ari showed her a small smile.

“Alrighty!” Sophia sounded motivated. “Let’s get the operation going!”

“Y-Yes!” The jaguar clumsily raised her fist to imitate the blonde.

“Perfect!”

“Soo… The bottom line for everything… I should try to go on the o-offensive myself? Imitate what Anna does, but also not overdoing it to make her suspicious of my intentions? Going as far as she goes should be safe, after all, but doing more could ruin what we already have…”

“I honestly think you could go further, but yes, that’s the best approach for now.” Sophia agreed with the plan.

“O-Okay, I’ll try my best! T-Thank you very much, Sophia.”

“No problem! I’m glad to help.” The tiger seemed to be in an excellent mood. “I’ve always wanted to have this type of girls-talk with a friend! I’m so happy that I finally have the chance! Y-You and maybe Anna are my first actual friends… I mean, one I’m not dating, and also look the same as I do, as you’re not a wolf, so I want to make sure everything works out!”

“T-Thank you…” Ari wasn’t sure how to react to that bit of information. “Yes… I also enjoy chatting with you a whole lot! Girls-talk with Anna is kinda complicated, but with you, it’s a bunch of fun!”

“Ehehe~.” Sophia’s mood improved even more.

Afterward, the duo kept chatting for a while longer, and a lot of time had passed since the two met up. In the afternoon, they decided to go looking for their girls because Sophia and Ari felt like their training with Eluna should be over soon.