AURORA SPELLMAN.

The night was surprisingly clear. It always started to get cold around this time of year, but it wasn't unbearable yet. It would be a little while before they needed their scarves and gloves. "Howdy," Aurora repeated back with a slight chuckle. "I don't think anyone has ever said howdy to me before. I kinda like. I'm well, though. Thank you for asking." As well as a cursed girl could be. "How are you?"

Aurora would have preferred to stay far far away from Deidre Tremaine. The way that she treated Elodie was absolutely unacceptable, but Aurora had promised her friend she'd bite her tongue when her friend's stepsisters were around. It took everything in her to roll her eyes and not comment on the blatant rudeness. "Deidre," Aurora plastered on a smile. "Have you seen Elodie?"

So, when she got a text message asking to meet at their favorite burger spot in Atlantis Pier, Elodie didn't hesitate to skillfully sneak out of the house and out into town. It took her a little longer than she would have liked considering she was on foot, but when she finally entered and saw her friend sitting at their booth, she couldn't help the grin that spread across her face as she slid onto the seat in front of the other blonde. "Aurora, hey-- It's been so long." She was almost going to say something else, but the sight of dark bags under her friend's eyes derailed her entire train of thought as she frowned. "Are you okay?"

The sight of Elodie's familiar blonde hair instantly caused Aurora to perk up even as she waved off an errant yawn. "Too long," she agreed before instantly plastering the smile that appeased her parents on her face. "Of course. My sleeping schedule has been terrible lately. "Turns out the gift of beauty only goes so far against eye bags." Elodie was one of the few people outside of Phillip and Aurora's family who knew about her grace gifts. "But that's boring. You. How are you? I've missed your face. I'm sorry for not calling. My parents have been all over me lately."

"What'd you need with her anyways?" Aurora paused before backtracking. "I'm sorry, that was nosy. You obviously aren't obligated to tell me anything."

Aurora's eyes drifted back to the darkening sky and the colorful hues that blended together to complete the picturesque scene. Her life was divided in two: there was the time she spent isolated with her Aunt's and her current life in Walt's Landing. Before, she'd had more time to look at the sky. There'd been no supposed curse, no exhaustion always weighing her eyelids down. It had been easier even if she had been in the dark about so many things. "I should thank you for encouraging me to look at it. I've done an absolutely terrible job appreciating nature lately."

The request was made mid yawn. Aurora was in the middle of stifling the exhale, her ears still slightly plugged. "Hm?" It took a second to click before she winced. "This is the part where I apologize for not paying attention. Sorry about that. There's not much time left before sundown so I'm guessing every second is precious right now."

Desperation, it turned out, could do funny things to people. The life of solitude that Aurora had once lived with Fiona, Flora and Mirriam had far from stunted her. If anything, she found herself to be more willing to reach out to others as a response to the years that hadn't been possible. Even though she wished for a simple social interaction, Aurora knew this potential connection was needed. "I seem like a stalker, don't I? That's not my intention. I think I've spent the last five minutes trying to get the courage to come over here." Not because Zoey was a vampire, though. Aurora just didn't know how to vocalize what it was she required. "People talk in this town. I'm sure you know that. They say you're knowledgable about, well, most things. I hate to listen to gossip, but I was hoping it was true in this case."

“Once Upon a Dream” serves as the film’s main theme, and as the love theme of Princess Aurora and Prince Philip. It is performed in the film by a chorus as an overture and third-reprise finale, as well as in a duet by Mary Costa and Bill Shirley, who voiced the roles of Aurora and Philip, respectively.

Aurora had been doing more dozing than reading. Her head had been resting in her hand, but she did her best to straighten up when addressed. "It's school, actually, for my English class." She was homeschooled, but her mother was rigorous in the lesson planning. "Candide." It was relatively short. That was the compromise: Aurora would read in French if the text wasn't long. Her mother wouldn't hesitate to pull out the you've been blessed by magic, you know you're intelligent enough to do so card. Those talks usually ended in headaches.

She really needed to get home. It wasn't dark quite yet, but sundown was nearing. Aurora was in no danger of turning into a pumpkin or anything of that matter. She just didn't need her parents worrying unnecessarily when she gave them enough concern as it was. Looking both ways to make sure that she was being spoken to, Aurora paused. "That's really flattering, but I promised my mother I would be home an hour ago." She had accidentally gotten caught up talking to Elodie before her friend's stepmother had come home. "I hope you find your muse, though."

Aurora had still been living with her aunts a few years ago, blissfully unaware of the life she was meant to have in Walt's Landing. Her time at WLH had been all too short, but she had enjoyed it while it lasted. College sounded like a dream. "That's exciting, isn't it? Can I ask what you're majoring in, or does it totally seem like I'm prying into your life?"

"You didn't have to. You just have that annoyingly dopey look on your face."

"I think it's exhaustion, actually. I'm guessing that doesn't it make it any better."

"No, no. It's not you, I promise." Aurora rushed to reaffirm her. "I'm usually a great listener, believe me. But please, keep going if you want to. I'm just a little tired." That was an understatement. "It'll pass."

"Ha. Tell that to my mother." Leah oscillated between never wanting Aurora to leave the house and telling her she needed to get out for some fresh air. "Do you have a job other than critiquing the fashion choices of high schoolers?"

Tiana frowned softly at the blonde in the booth below her and rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. She looked like she was going through it, and Tiana could understand the feeling. She rarely had any time off from working herself to the bone all day and night. "We're closin' up here in a few minutes, sugar. I've gotta close out your tab."

A yawn was stifled. Had she dozed off? There was a chance she had. It was becoming more and more frequent. Even though Aurora knew she had to tell her parents, she was reluctant to lose her last iota of freedom. "Of course." Aurora sat upright and pushed a few strands of blonde away from her face. The restaurant was now empty except for herself and the server. "How long have I been in here?"