Panic Room - Au/Ra
What do you do when you find out you've been raised like a pig for the slaughter so that your soul could be trapped for eternity in a candle while a goddess possessed your body? You run. You run, and you run, and you run. You run till the air in your lungs is gone, but no matter how far you go, the fear doesn't leave you. Desiree knows the White Cutlass is sailing nowhere near Altalab, but that doesn't stop her anxiety from flaring up every time a shadow flickers in the corner of her eye, and it certainly doesn't stop the nightmares from plaguing her. Though she has Faye to talk to, even Faye cannot fully understand the agony that Di experiences from knowing what was planned for her. Her panic attacks are not frequent, and Faye is generally able to quickly talk the cheetah down and ground her, but they are still terrifying. And yet, as far as she runs and as hard as she tries to forget, she can't escape the shadow of her past that is looming over her, and she hates that, because all Desiree wants to do is forget it all. Forget the responsibilities she once had. Forget the truth behind the rituals. Forget Keket, and Aunt Lunete, and her parents, and her brothers, and everything else about that accursed city. Forget Yves, and the guilt she felt about abandoning him and the rebellion group. It all haunts her; matter how far she runs, it's still there, hanging in the edges of her mind and tormenting her, but Desiree cannot bring herself to confront it. The fear is real, almost palpable in any conversation you manage to have with her on the subject. She puts on a brave face, but underneath it all, there's a scared little girl terrified of the consequences that would come with being caught, and living her life in terror of her past.
She's So Gone - Naomi Scott
Despite her fears about ever having to confront those from her past, if Desiree could have a conversation with them under circumstances that would ensure they could not take her back to Altalab and force her fate upon her, she would love to show them just who she has become. She is no longer the perfect daughter they raised, who felt that she had to conform to being like the princesses before her. The traditions that dictated her life were discarded once Di left, because she was free to pick and chose which she thought meant anything. With Faye's encouragement, she has grown to be her own person, not the puppet Keket had hoped for her to be, and although she knows they would do anything to trap her again in the mold they planned for her, Di can't help but feel some satisfaction knowing how mad they would be to see who she has become.
It's My Life - Bon Jovi
"It's my life." Desiree has finally learned the meaning of that statement now that she has left Altalab. Sailing as a member of the Scarlet Crew, Di has learned that she has to take hold of her life and live it. For too long, she let everyone else pick the direction of her life, and now, with Faye's support and guidance, she has been able to claim it for herself. She knows what had been planned for her; if the masters of ceremonies had had their way, she wouldn't have even had a life to live, instead being trapped and forced to live with the knowledge that someone else was out there living in her body. The whole experience has given her a new lease on the world, because every second she lives now is a second she was never intended to have. Moving forward, Desiree intends to live her life and live it to the fullest. Is she afraid? By gods, is she afraid. She's terrified. But Di is also learning that her fear cannot keep her from living her life. If she doesn't do what she wants with her life, then she may survive, but she won't live. If she just hid, she would still be allowing Keket and her family to control her life. To fully take it back, even if she's running from them, Desiree still needs to allow herself to live. Though she has yet to admit it to herself, a part of her knows that to fully live her life, she has to return to Altalab. If she wants to truly feel like she lived her life and lived it to the fullest, she has to go back to Altalab and face down those who tried to take her life from her. She isn't going to live forever, and if she has to go out, that's the way she wants to go out: her way. Sooner or later, she'll finally come to grips with that. Faye, of course, knows that someday Desiree is going to want to go back, and as badly as she wants to protect her friend, she isn't going to stop her from doing so. However, she also isn't going to push Di to realize that this is the case. She is going to let Di organically come to this conclusion, because it won't mean anything if Desiree doesn't realize it herself (and also, as selfish as it is, if Faye doesn't force her to acknowledge it, maybe Desiree will never consciously acknowledge that she has to return to feel she lived her life). Faye has helped Di come so far, and is so proud to see the former princess taking ownership of her own life, but she cannot take her the whole way. The final realization is Desiree's and Desiree's alone to come to grips with.
Walk With Me - Måns Zelmerlöw (feat. Dotter)
If there was ever a song to sum up Desiree and Faye's relationship, this would be it. Faye sees Desiree, flaws and all, and she has still stuck alongside her. If she hadn't had Faye beside her, not only would she never have made it out of Altalab, but even if she had, Di wouldn't have made it much further. She is still learning about herself and becoming comfortable in her skin, and Faye has been there every step of the way to support her as she learns more about herself. Having no one is a terrifying thought, and Desiree is so thankful that Faye is there to see her, every piece of her, and support her as she tries to better herself. She isn't who she wants to be yet, not by a long shot, but she is trying so hard to become the kind of person she (and Faye) can be proud of. After being essentially alone for so long, never having anyone that really understood the pressures of being the perfect princess and living up to all of the expectations placed upon her, having someone to stand alongside her and know just what she's overcoming now that she's left Altalab has done wonders for her.
This Goodbye - Beth Crowley
Faye is undeniably one of the few things that can stabilize Desiree. She has been the single constant in Di's life since the former princess fled Altalab, and she cannot imagine her life without her. If she ever had to say goodbye to Faye, it would devastate her. Faye has become her protector, and though Desiree has not really come to terms with the fact, deep down she knows that if it came down to it, Faye would sacrifice herself in a heartbeat for her. The only reason Faye possessed Di's body in the first place was to save her life; if it came down to it, she would gladly protect the young cheetah by sacrificing herself. But Faye has changed everything for Desiree. She is who she is today because of her friendship and support; it is thanks to her encouragement that Di is where she is today. She would never forgive herself if Faye gave herself up for her sake, never.
Remember How It Ends by Beth Crowley for when she eventually returns to Altalab if I win
