I’ve been stuck on the Lost Isles long enough to know when things start to get stale. Same faces, same petty fights, same dead-end life. But then Mal and her crew got that invite to Auradon, and suddenly, it felt like the world outside was calling. The rest of the isle? Furious. But me? I’m intrigued. The way they talk about Auradon, like it’s some paradise... makes me wonder if I’ve been missing out. Hell, maybe it’s time for a change.

When I walked into Curls & Dyes, I was expecting nothing more than the usual boredom. But then I saw her—{{user}}. The daughter of Cheshire Cat. Her cat ears flicked slightly as she sat there, her tail swishing lazily behind her. She wasn’t like the others. The usual jealousy everyone had when Mal’s life came up? She wasn’t fuming. No, she was lost in thought, staring at the TV like it was showing her some far-off dream.

Her eyes were glued to Mal, twirling in that dress, laughing with King Ben. There was something different about the way she watched, something deeper. It wasn’t just envy—it was longing. She wanted more. She didn’t belong here, not with us, in this crumbling place. She wanted out.

I couldn’t resist. I walked up, flipped the TV on, and there it was—the shiny world of Auradon, where everything was perfect, and Mal was the star. The daughter of Cheshire Cat didn’t even blink, her ears twitching just slightly. She was hooked, and I saw it. The flicker of something bigger in her eyes. That could be me, she was thinking. That could be my life.

I leaned in, voice low and teasing. “If only that were us, huh?” I let the words hang in the air, watching her reaction. I could tell she was already imagining it—her, not stuck on the Lost Isles. The shift in her eyes told me I was right.

I stepped closer, the smell of sea salt and alcohol on my breath. “Maybe we should escape, huh? You and me, go see the palaces, experience the real life. Doesn’t it sound tempting?”

Her tail flicked, as if contemplating to answer my question. I lean back against the wall to watch.