The Future of Sulani | 12

Noelani and Nani return to San Myshuno to find the city much as they left it: bustling, vibrant, and energetic no matter the time of day or night. Now that Noelani has officially signed on with Theo's talent management firm, they've been advanced enough money to put toward rent for a much nicer apartment than they might have been able to afford otherwise.

The freshly-engaged couple's new address is 122 Hakim House Apartments, which means they're nestled right in the heart of San Myshuno's Arts Quarter. The apartment seemed intimidatingly sterile when they first walked in, but it begins to feel more and more like home as they add their own personal touches. It's especially comforting to fill the shelves and walls with photos of friends and family. It makes them feel like they're still connected to Sulani despite being so far away.

Since they still have a few days before they both have to hunker down and get to work, they take some time to get to know the city together, as there's still so much they weren't able to discover on their previous trip.

As they're exploring, they pass a group of people chanting and holding up homemade cardboard signs. "Protestors!" Nani exclaims, the politically-charged side of her brain clicking into high gear. "You would never see this in Sulani. People just don't get as fired up there. I wonder what their cause is."

She tries to engage one of the protestors when she sees that the group seems to be environmentally motivated. "Hi there! My name is Nani Kealoha, and I'm going to be working in environmental policy here in the city soon. I would love to hear your concerns so that I can pass them along to some people who can really make a difference." But the woman only looks at her skeptically, rolls her eyes, and continues with her chanting. They don't trust politicians, that much is clear. Nani will have to start brainstorming more organic ways to interact with the public so that she can go into her first day on the job full of exciting new ideas.

They move along and stop for lunch at an outdoor food stall. The only utensils provided are chopsticks, which Nani struggles hopelessly with, having never used them before.

Noelani chuckles at her ineptitude, having somehow already mastered the art. "You know, you look kind of adorable when you don't know what you're doing," they say playfully.

When Nani finally does get the food to her mouth, she immediately regrets it. It's so spicy that she feels like her face, quite literally, is on fire. "We've got to work on building up your heat tolerance," Noelani tells her. "Luckily, I know just the thing to do it."

It turns out the Spice Festival is in town. As soon as they arrive, Noelani signs both of them up for the Spicy Curry Challenge. The dish is so fiery that even the plates themselves appear to be flaming.

"Ahhhhh," Noelani sighs, taking a big whiff of their food. "Don't you just love how it immediately clears your sinuses?"

"I'm definitely going to regret this, aren't I?" Nani asks, forcing a smile.

Her prediction is spot-on. The dish leaves her feeling like a fire-breathing dragon, fully scorched and desperate for a glass - or 10 - of water. "I can't feel my tongue," she says, sweat beading on her forehead. "I don't think I'll ever be able to taste anything again."

The next morning, Noelani is preparing breakfast when suddenly they hear something they can't quite believe: their own song playing on the radio! Ever since the positive reception of their San Myshuno show, Theo's been calling periodically to tell Noelani about his aggressive promotional tactics and complicated strategies for boosting their international profile, but Noelani never imagined they'd see the fruits of that labor so soon.

Noelani cranks the stereo up as high as it will go, not caring in the moment that everyone in their entire apartment building and possibly the entire block can hear it. "Well, that was a rude awakening," Nani mumbles, stumbling out of the bedroom.

"Babe, it's my song!" Noelani exclaims, giddy with excitement. "They're actually playing me on the radio! Who even knows how many people are listening around the world right this moment? I'm famous!"

As if on cue, the moment the song ends, their phone starts buzzing with a call from Theo. "This is it, kid," he tells them, "the make it or break it moment. I just got off a call with Dinky Beats. They're impressed by how quickly the streaming numbers have gone up since your last gig. They want another single out ASAP. They're even talking about financing an album. You need to give them the best you've got."

"Don't worry," Noelani responds, maintaining a cool-as-a-cucumber demeanor even though they're doing cartwheels in their head. "I've got a few ideas I've been toying around with. Just give me a few days, and I'll do my best to deliver another hit."

Luckily, it's a rainy day in San Myshuno, which means there are no excuses for Noelani not to immediately get to work. They've already got their home studio set up in one corner of the apartment. They pull up a couple of the demos they've been playing in DJ sets that never fail to get the crowd pumped up and begin experimenting with taking the most exciting portions of each and smashing them into one undeniably danceable song.

Meanwhile, Nani is giving some TLC to the plants she had shipped from Sulani in the hopes that they will survive their migration to the city. Although the inside of their apartment isn't an optimal space for growing, she wants to keep them close at hand until she's certain they're healthy enough to withstand their new environment.

In the afternoon, the rain lets up and the sun comes out, which means Nani can finally get to work at her new job. Right now, she's only a lowly campaign intern, and she imagines it will be much harder to climb the ranks of influence here than it would be in Sulani. At the same time, the ceiling for growth is much higher whereas in Sulani she was already close to hitting it. For that reason, she's happy to perform some of the menial tasks no other staffer wants to take on, like painting over graffiti on the sidewalk murals to back up her candidate's promises to keep the city clean.

She's also been charged with creating a new mural, and while she's no artist, she can hardly say no when she's only one day into the job. Every once in a while, an interested citizen stops to offer a hand, and she begins to believe that maybe San Myshuno's residents aren't so unfriendly to politicians after all. They just need to be engaged by projects that matter to them instead of regaled with meaningless buzzwords and empty sloganeering.

Nani persists, even as the rain starts back up. She can only hope that the spraypaint is as waterproof as it claims to be.

Eventually, she can't help calling Noelani and begging for some help. Otherwise, she might be out here all night.

While they're working on the mural, a man suddenly rushes over, excitedly shouting Noelani's name. They look up and are surprised to recognize him immediately as the extremely pregnant guy in the front row at their last gig. Apparently, he delivered his baby sometime between now and then. "Oh my God, I can't believe it's really you!" he exclaims. "Please tell me you're playing again soon? I'm dying for another show!"

It's surreal to Noelani, the idea of actually having fans, people who might recognize them on the street. He asks for a hug, and even though they aren't sure how the feel about it all yet, they oblige. It's the least they can do to thank him for being so supportive of their work.

"So is this just going to be our new normal?" Nani asks once they've stepped into the bar across the street to finally get out of the rain. "Am I just going to have to get used to random people stopping you to tell you how much they love you all the time? You know, I might start to get a little jealous."

"You don't have anything to worry about," Noelani replies. "No matter how many people tell me they love me, there's only one person I want to say it back to."

When Nani stands, her waterlogged cardigan squelches uncomfortably. "Ugh, I needed to get out of these clothes hours ago," she complains. "Let's go home."

On the way back, they pick up a pizza and a bottle of wine then immediately change into their pajamas and settle in for the night. "It's amazing how much better I feel already," Nani marvels, savoring her generously-poured glass of wine.

In the safe, warm, and dry coziness of their apartment, the rain that's still pattering heavily against the windows begins to stoke a more romantic mood. Of course, the wine quickly helps it along, too.

It isn't long before Nani's arms are draped around Noelani's waist, creeping lower and lower, her face nuzzled into Noelani's shoulder. It takes all of Noelani's effort to hold the woozy, flirtatious weight of her upright and keep them both from tumbling over.

"I can't believe you're already drunk," Noelani teases her. "You're such a lightweight."

"Hey, I'm not drunk!" Nani counters, though her speech contains the slightest tinge of a slur. "I'm just deliriously high on our unrivaled love for one another!" She's gearing up to a highly melodramatic monologue, which means she's most definitely at least a tiny bit tipsy.

Noelani silences her with a kiss. "I think it's about time we break in that new bed of ours, don't you?"

The suggestion shuts Nani up entirely and sends her practically running for the bedroom. Afterward, the feathers still flying around them, they sink into their pillows for what is certain to be a very good night of sleep.