Dear Risa,

  My big dumb brother is doing his damndest to not have a crush on Echo. We have been traveling together for three days now, and they talk non-stop. Echo apparently went through guard training so she could infiltrate armies easier or something, which means she and Maki can compare things like exercises and the horror of barracks food and what the people training them did to try and kill everyone.

  And Maki is over here like “yes, we are comrades” when I point out that every time she looks at him he smiles.

  A part of me kinda wants to warn Echo that his last relationship ended when the psycho tried to kill him. But that… I don't know, it isn't my place. Maki needs to figure this out on his own. If he isn't ready to trust anyone again, I get it. But Echo might think he doesn't trust her because she’s a Spy. Or because she’s a- not a neko. Which are things she can't change. I don't want her to think he’s racist or classist or whatever.

  In other news, Cali and I had a deep conversation about if it’s ok to charm babies today. She made a lot of good arguments about it. My main point was that it’s illegal, but once we got over that, it really is a complicated subject.

  And no, I’m not going to ever ask why she brought the topic up. Because while, yes, my cousin has used her charm magic in many illegal ways, and I would be obligated to say that in court, she’s never used it with bad intentions. She’s never used it to hurt anyone.

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  So IF she charmed a baby, I’m sure she had a very good reason and it brought the child no harm.

  Anyhow, Luke is neither traumatized nor a technical criminal, and I’m very happy about his lack of drama. Being around him is just so easy. He doesn't do things that could be taken as him being racist, and he doesn't bring up subjects which make me immediately think “I need to maintain plausible deniability”.

  Which I know you, Risa dear, would find unbearably boring. But hey, if we went after the same type of guys, our friendship just wouldn't have been sustainable. Especially if we both went after your type of guy. By Bonnie, could you imagine the drama…

  Actually, yes, you can imagine the drama, and you’re probably bemoaning it now. Meanwhile, I’m thankful Goldvale isn’t the smoldering ruin which it inevitably would have become.

  I hope you don't replace me with a friend who’s as much as a drama magnet as you are. The world would never recover.

  And no, I am not a drama magnet. I just happen to be around people who… kinda… have a lot of drama. I don't attract it, and I certainly don't create it. I just exist around people who tend to have drama unrelated to me.

  Whatever, oh look, I forgot to brush my teeth tonight, I should go do that!

  Dontyoudaresayanything Regards,

  Maeve Zee