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Cassie: Have you ever tried? I'm sure you just need a little patience, the deer are very gentle.

Cassie: Unfortunately, sometimes there's no other way to learn them, it would seem. At least you'll never have to learn them alone.

Cassie: That's true. At this rate, do you think we'd even be INVITED to their wedding? I'd hate to have drifted apart so mcuh that we weren't even there to share in their special day.

Cassie: I suppose it depends on the circumstances. Does Tim seem to be interested in anyone else that he'd rather attend with? Or does he want to distance himself from you so other romantic possibilities realize he's available?

Zoe: I have tried! I don't know what it is - I wonder if I smell like a shark or something :(

Zoe: That's very true

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Cassie: Oh, I'm not sure there are any other clubs that I would be well suited to. Unless there was like, a club where we could feed animals during lunchtime.

Cassie: Do you really? I feel like you've grown so much this year, it's been incredible to watch on the outside, at least.

Cassie: Why, thank you, although I wouldn't want them to experience that kind of physical pain on my behalf. Not that opinions are physical entities but I was imagining some physical representation of an opinion going up there and -- oh, Merlin, please ignore me, I don't want to ride this thought train any longer! We could... Would you want to? Is it too strange? Or too... calculated?

Cassie: Do you really think anyone at the wedding would be unsupportive of his... whatever it is that he's in with Maya? And I'm sure you could have Tim escort you just as friends, your breakup isn't common knowledge, after all.

Zoe: That would be such a cute club! I'm no good at feeding deer but birds at least aren't afraid to fly close to me.

Zoe: I don't know. Learning lessons the hard way isn't fun, but being stronger kind of is. :) Thank you. I think you've grown quite a bit too, my dear

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Cassie: Perhaps we can start by having some sort of club meeting at lunchtime until it's simply natural for us to not be there, and no one questions our absence?

Cassie: I think life's always been uncertain; we just didn't acknowledge it until we got older and stopped having our parents take care of so many things on our behalf.

Cassie: I do miss my friendship with Will, but I'm afraid people will always suspect ulterior motives of me if I spend time with him :( And you and Blake don't have much in common, do you?

Cassie: Oh! Is he still dating Victoria? That could be possible, wouldn't a wedding in the family be glorious even if you two aren't all that close?

Zoe: Brilliant! And once more art club comes in handy! Unless you think we should form another club together so that no one else could even try to interfere, which I'm not opposed to!

Zoe: Words of wisdom, Cassie :( I wish I could go back to not acknowledging it lol

Zoe: People can shove their opinions of you right up their butts :P You're a lovely lady and he'd be lucky to be your friend again. Blake is decidedly an individual. But he was a good person to talk to and put things in perspective when I was going through Gwen issues, and I'm sure he'd be thrilled if I volunteered to photograph him jumping off a vine or cliff into water or something like that. We could make time for them, if you wanted.

Zoe: He still is *eyes emoji* I do not know how she's stayed with him so long but it must be love. I suppose a wedding could be lovely. If I had a date :-P Which I won't. I do hope if it happens that Zac won't bring You Know Who. It would cause such unnecessary drama.

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Cassie: Oh, that's brilliant, Zoe! Thank you, thank you, thank you. And it's not impossible to slowly transition lunch tables, either, I mean, Becca largely left us behind!

Cassie: I know that was meant to be a commentary on ow the picture is already set for other people but... that just made me remember that maybe the picture is set for us too. At least I have 30 with you to look forward to since my picture's all blurry between now and then :-p

Cassie: Well, I'd assume Will and Blake might be first, wouldn't you? But... I don't know that we fall close enough to be really involved on the inside of that wedding :(

Zoe: Of course

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Cassie: What if someone... befriends her? Like they did with Leo and Kelsey? I'm not sure I could handle having to share a lunch table with her!

Cassie: I wonder if they'll be pairing up amongst themselves or with other people from Auradon. It's hard to fathom, we've spent our whole lives imagining who would find their way to each other out of the pool of people we already had to choose from!

Cassie: I haven't, no! I was saving it for whenever our first friend got married but we could always watch it a bit early :)

Zoe: She's been pretty anti-social so far, hasn't she? It's hard to make friends when you're so intimidating, but if she does end up scoring a seat at our table, we can start hanging out in the art classroom during lunch. No one's going to tell us we can't, we're the school artists lol

Zoe: I feel like if I were from the Isle I'd want someone else from the Isle, too; it's not as if anyone here could ever pretend to understand their struggle, you know? And besides you're right, I feel like most people have pictured themselves with someone that we've already known all our lives and aren't really open to changing that picture.

Zoe: Oh! That's a good idea, actually. I haven't watched Bridesmaids too for that same reason.

Zoe: I wonder when our first friends will get married. I wonder if we'll have long to wait.

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Cassie: I don't know that I'll be able to ignore her forever, I worry that people will think I'm unkind if they notice. I just... hope they can go on not noticing for a bit longer.

Cassie: If you're sure! I suppose Harry might be a bit like Tim in that way; I'm sure he'd be very sweet in his efforts to woo you but if you two lack the spark, then there's not much to change that! Maybe you could make a list - pick out all the things you like best about being with your friends to know what you'll like about being with your future significant other? I don't know, maybe once they've seen us doing it for a while they'll get ideas to try?

Cassie: I've heard Say Anything is a film that you can't miss, perhaps we should watch that?

Zoe: I doubt anyone would ever have the gall to call you unkind, but I understand. You haven't had much of a reason to interact with her, it definitely doesn't seem like straight up avoidance.

Zoe: I'm very sure, thank you! He does remind me a bit too much of Tim, I think, which isn't a bad thing but which has proven not to work. That's not a bad idea, Cassie, thank you! I'll work on that :) Maybe so? I'm sure once everyone else starts pairing up it'll make sense to them right?

Zoe: Consider it done! I haven't seen it but I adore John Cusack so I must. Have you seen Bride Wars???

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Cassie: I'd hate to know the kinds of lies Lauren would be telling about my family in that situation, can you imagine? Mother and I are both so sure Maleficent's invitation to her christening was only lost in the mail, and she went to such measures to punish us for the postmans mistake!

Cassie: Well, it's not as though you've spent much time with Harry ALONE. Would you like to? I can conveniently make myself scarce the next time you visit, if you'd like. She must know, but perhaps they just do things differently over there. Maybe they're ALL like that - after all, Stella ruined Melanie's relationship and I haven't heard a whisper of her making an honest woman out of her for it.

Cassie: Or I suppose it's like a stock photo, too - it looks nice on the outside but you realize these people are just posing for it, there's no real fun or meaning to what's in the image. Of course that's all right! Just the two of us!

Zoe: I'm sure Lauren grew up hearing the wrong account of reality :( I'd say I hope she listens to the truth but honestly I'd rather she just never talk to you at all.

Zoe: Oh no, that's totally fine! Truth be told, I already know I much prefer your company to Harry's, and while I think you're lovely I have no romantic aspirations on you so that's probably a sign. Any boy I make worthy of my time should be at least as fun to be around as you, I like that as a filtration method. That's true! Do you think any of them are going to end up being the kind to settle down? That's so hard to picture in my head.

Zoe: What a beautiful and tragic metaphor

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Cassie: Perhaps you could and you could just be an anonymous writer! Or he might use it as a chance to get closer to Maya, the villain children have such... interesting perspectives on Auradonian legends.

Cassie: Why shouldn't perfectly lovely and brilliant and kind be his type? You're entitled to your feelings, and I certainly don't think you're mean for them. Even if she weren't... who she is, it seems that she's taking him for granted a bit.

Cassie: I just feel silly, I suppose, for not seeing it sooner. He didn't even hesitate to agree that we weren't well-suited romantically, you know? Well, it wouldn't hurt to invite them - perhaps Amelia could come too?

Zoe: An anonymous writer could be fun except for the constant worry that someone would find out my secret identity O: Someone less anxious should do that lol. You're right. I fear he'd use basically anything as an excuse to get closer to Maya, and that is what it is, but their versions of our Auradonian legends are sure to be upsetting

Zoe:

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Cassie: You might also want to begin in anonymity so as not to offend your fans too much right off the bat :-p Isn't Zac good at such things? He could help you with your very own radio show podcast!

Cassie: If you fell madly in love with my brother tomorrow I'd be completely crazy happy for you both, don't worry! And I meant no offense towards Zac, of course, you've just mentioned how enamored he is with Maya.

Cassie: It's all right, I suppose it's not worth talking about. I'd love that, actually! I'd feel more comfortable knowing that I'll have a friend who's willing to unmask and meet me afterwards.

Zoe: I'd be too afraid of being found out and hated, actually, now that I'm thinking about it, so perhaps it isn't for the best :-P I could suggest to Zac a segment about conspiracy theories though! He'd handle it better.

Zoe: I appreciate the support! I doubt it'll happen though, while Harry is absolutely lovely, I don't think I'm his type :-P Zac and you would be so much better than Zac and Maya ugh is that too mean to think?

Zoe: Anything's worth talking about if you need to talk about it. And yay! I'm completely willing to unmask and meet you afterwards

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Cassie: It sounds as though the best people to ask would be the dwarves, their memories of the matter might be the most accurate. People seem to enjoy conspiracy theories very much these days, maybe you should share with a wider audience :p Beast, it's still so sad to even talk about, I really should make sure Trevor's holding up all right.

Cassie: With all the lovely things you've said about your brother, I'm sure I'd be happy about that match :-p At least I'd get to be your sister really and truly, though, although my brother is much more single and marriage-material than either of yours, no offense intended.

Cassie: Well... that person is officially not Mason. I talked to him about the things we discussed and we decided to go our separate ways before tonight's masquerade ball after all :(

Zoe: You're right! I feel like they might be offended if I asked, though :( For some reason that made me want to start a podcast about conspiracies but I think I'd need more than one theory to be able to do that. It's still so hard to BELIEVE but then you see them at school, so separate, goodness.

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Cassie: That was quite a long time to be asleep under anything but magical means! No air for so long would have caused brain damage, I think. I suppose as hard as it is to accept, sometimes people really and truly do love each other and then grow apart. I mean, look at some of the relationships around us. God forbid they break up, but if they do does that mean Becca and Oliver never loved each other at all, or Gwen and Amelia?

Cassie: All I might ever be is a vassal for my brother, helping Harry watch over Auroria instead of ever ruling anywhere for myself. And that's all right; I wasn't interested in the ruling, after all, it was the person.

Cassie: I'm sure there must be someone more moderate out there, just waiting for you to see them for the very first time - either literally or metaphorically, of course. Well, fortunately your friends are never planning on leaving you alone

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Cassie: That seems a bit farfetched, though; if there was a poison apple lodged in her throat then it sounds more as if she'd choked to death rather than being poisoned, and if she'd choked she wouldn't have been able to be resuscitated as such. I know you want to believe the worst of him and his family but I don't think that story rings very true.

Cassie: But he doesn't even want a wife, he wants a husband! And no offense intended to Blake but he's certainly not who anyone would expect to help rule the country, either. Perhaps all these values we've been taught our whole life just... mean nothing. Maybe doing things the proper way doesn't guarantee that we're going to be loved by a handsome prince or become a fit queen someday :(

Cassie: It seems that you tried two extremes and now you just need to search for someone somewhere in the middle. Apparently the best advice is to just learn to love yourself and someone else will love you for it, and not rush it, but that seems too simple and entirely too difficult all at the same time.

Cassie: I have that very same feeling, Princess Zoe

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Cassie: Or extremely well adjusted for not being bothered by your mother's tormentors son being here :-p I don't know, my mother and father of course had already met and were quite certain they loved each other but weren't... you know who's parents much more of an unknown? Although it hardly seems like they're true love these days so maybe it counts if it's true love at the time but needn't be true love forever?

Cassie: Status is just a societal construct; I don't think that really counts as being opposite. It's more about interests and values and priorities - and in a way they both wanted to be free, didn't they? Emma's lovely! It's just that their bond came out of nowhere, and they do seem to have maintained that unexpected camaraderie even if it's no longer playing at faux romance.

Cassie: You really feel as though you're not? It seems clear that you don't need someone self-absorbed, who's going to try to squash your passions and mold you into what he wants, but it also seems clear you need someone who will challenge you in ways Tim was too kind and timid to. Or at least that's how it sounds to me, perhaps I'm trying too hard to make meaning out of my observations and your words.

Cassie: Oh, no, a full day sounds frightful, twelve hours already sounds like far too much consecutively! Well, the wedding would be lovely, of course! I just wanted to make sure you weren't just doing it for the wrong reasons, because we could live perfectly amicably as just friends :-p

Zoe: You give me too much credit

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Cassie: I'm so sorry for not asking you how you felt about him being here. You were just going through so much else at the time, it didn't seem like it was much of a priority. Except then we're right back to the part where we have no idea who the right person is, since I guess it's not actually my boyfriend :(

Cassie: Maybe! But if they are that's up to them to figure out, isn't it? Opposites do seem to work but I'm sure the other can work too - after all, Gwen's parents are a bit similar, aren't they? Maybe growing up with them gave her a different perspective. I didn't want to be intimidating, I just... wanted to be the queen. But not just to be queen, I'm sure you're sick of hearing that by now, though. Can you believe it's been a year since the engagement to Emma? Sometimes that feels like it was all just a strange dream.

Cassie: Or perhaps not trying is the biggest failure of all, since they're letting precious opportunities pass them by? I wish you wouldn't pity yourself so :( It hurts to see you so down on yourself when you've really done nothing wrong to deserve that sort of criticism.

Cassie: Of course

Zoe: I'm rather glad you didn't ask, actually - with everything going on I scarcely noticed and it would have made me feel horribly selfish :) it could be! I could be wrong and you two could have a softer quieter more subtle kind of love. Do you think true loves kiss only works if you know who your true love is, or would a kiss from someone who would be your true love but its still unknown work as well?

Zoe: Gwen's mother grew up a princess and her father grew up on the streets, they each wanted what the other had - but I suppose in personality they were similar to an extent. I know you didn't want to be intimidating, its just a matter of the numbers, I think. I'm not sick of hearing anything from you, hush :p I honestly have so much trouble remembering that part, it was too bizarre for my brain to fully grasp it lol. Honestlythe fact that he chose Emma should have keyed us in to the fact that he was hiding something much sooner.

Zoe: Perhaps. I don't know, having dated Dudebro and Tim, I don't feel like I'm any closer to knowing what kind of person I belong with, so did they really count as opportunities? :( I'm sorry! And I thank you for putting up with it, I know its unbecoming and not a good habit but its so easy to slip into. Kind people like you remind me to be kinder to myself and I hope I do the same for you.

Zoe: I vow as your friend to make sure you never sleep longer than twelve hours :-p Or maybe a full day, if you need the rest. I don't think I'd be unhappy, honestly? I love you and I feel inspired by you and spending time with you is always lovely and you're one of the best people I know. And imagine how aesthetically pleasing our wedding would be! You're a catch :-p but of course I'd never marry you against your will lol

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Cassie: It's just been so hard since SHE got here. She's not even that friendly, you know? Kelsey and Leo at least tried to make friends, Lauren's so... spooky. Intimidating. What if she just wants revenge on me the same way her mother wanted it on mine? I don't want to go to sleep and wake up in a hundred years and realize you're all gone.

Cassie: As long as you're still glad Gwen is happy and think there's some part of Amelia that's good for her I think you're plenty supportive :-p Will and Blake are very different, they're childhood best friends and they're so opposite, Gwen and Amelia have much more similar personalities. Do you think it's my fault? That people don't get a chance to get to know me better?

Cassie: Well, if it makes you feel better, remember that there are people like Gavin who have clearly slept around trying to find the right person for them, that's sort of like failure, isn't it? And Will went on so many dates and even had a broken engagement before he ended up with Blake, there are certainly other people who can relate. And I may be about to have my first breakup, too, and everyone pitied me when Will got engaged to Emma, it may as well have been one.

Cassie: You don't ever have to apologize to me, Zoe. You're allowed to feel what you're going to feel

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Cassie: Truly. And her wand's not all that far away, the masquerade is close to the museum... unless it falls into someone else's hands now. Beast, I'm being paranoid, aren't I? I think you'll be a lot happier if you stop comparing your life to other people's and just enjoy it for what it is in the moment - perhaps that's advice we both need to take.

Cassie: Oh, well, I was referring to Gwenmelia but I suppose the same is true for Wake as well. I guess that's the thing - is it really holding me back? Maybe people just see me as this... person whose life lacks passion?

Cassie: I'll try your approach, then. Honestly is really the best policy. I doubt anyone would have pitied you, Zoe. Just because breakups don't happen a lot in Auradon doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you. Do you think Tim's found his soulmate and just doesn't know it yet? It wasn't whiny, and even if it were this is a safe space to whine in :-p Tim at least deserves a soulmate, don't you think?

Zoe: *hugs* Paranoid is a strong word, and the truth is all groups of people have better and worse ones. I think focusing on the better people within any crowd is bound to make you happier, though. There are people and checks and balances meant to deal with the alternative, it doesn't have to be you

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Cassie: They teach them to break rules over there, you never know what they might be capable of? You're right, I guess she probably wouldn't do something just because it might make him happy. Oh goodness, I see you've been looking. Are you sure that's healthy for you? Although Gwen's right, he never appreciated your photography, so it's no surprise that he's quite terrible at it himself.

Cassie: They're really so cute together, aren't they? I'm so glad you came around, your friendship with Gwen seems much stronger for it. And... mine and Mason's looks kind of like yours and Tim's, doesn't it?

Cassie: I... don't know. I don't know how to break up with somebody! What if I try to do it and it turns out Mason's not actually on the same page as you and I are at all? But true, I suppose you could slowly transition from your former beau to your new one without seeming like a floozy

Zoe: Fairy Godmother is going to be there, isn't she? If anyone can keep everything calm, it's her. I look at everyone's photos, it would be unhealthy if I excluded his, wouldn't it? They don't make me want to cry anymore. Mainly I just feel foolish. And wistful. Because he's closer to his happily ever after than I am and that isn't ideal :(

Zoe: Whom, Wake or Gwenmelia? I'm still not totally sure Amelia is deserving of Gwen but she seems to be willing to try and I have to respect that, and besides, if it means Gwen stays in my life, it's a good choice lol. :( You look like really good friends, which is never a bad thing, unless its holding you back.

Zoe: You could ask him what he thinks of your relationship, maybe? See what page he's on? See if he considers you two serious and then see if he'd like to, I guess? I don't know, breaking up with Tim was easy, I'm sorry :( We just look at each other and kind of knew.

Zoe: I should've just told everyone when Zotim ended but the idea of everyone looking at me, everyone knowing and pitying... it was too much. It made me cry just thinking about it. I'm sure Tim's better off for it at least. Maybe he'll find his soulmate next since that's the effect I have :p

Zoe: I'm sorry, that was whiny :/

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