The Future of Sulani | 15

Noelani never thought the day would come when they'd grow used to hearing their music on the radio, but having now released a string of successful singles in advance of the release of their very first album, it's become a more and more frequent occurrence. Even Nani has grown bored of the novelty of it, so absorbed in her work that she barely even registers the sound.

Being moderately famous comes with a whole slew of side effects that Noelani is slowly adjusting to. These days, it's hard to even go for a morning jog without someone recognizing them, and they never know quite how to react, especially when that person, like the girl who is clearly following them today, seems hesitant to approach and instead just continues to stalk them - and not very stealthily - from afar.

By the time Noelani loops back around to where they started, the girl is still there, pretending to be extremely invested in her cup of coffee while also remaining incapable of tearing her eyes away from Noelani for more than a few seconds.

Even though they feel disgustingly sweaty and hardly in an optimal state for their picture to surely be plastered all over social media, Noelani offers to take a selfie with the girl, and she excitedly accepts. It feels good to know they're making someone's day with such a simple gesture.

Meanwhile, Nani feels like she's destined to live a professional life devoted to cleaning up graffiti that reappears overnight without fail no matter how high up the political ladder she climbs. It's like her own personal version of Groundhog Day, where she's doomed to repeat the same monotonous task over and over again.

Still, she's technically in a better position than she was a few months ago. Fresh off a campaign that resulted in her candidate being handily elected, she was recently approached by a prestigious ecologically-centered nonprofit to be their lead community organizer, which puts her in a more powerful position to enact change but also allows her to see firsthand how woefully underfunded and short-staffed the organization really is. So until more donations start flowing in and she can finally hire a couple interns, she's left to do half a dozen different jobs in one all on her own.

Still, she's determined to keep pushing forward even when it seems impossible to navigate the tangled and tedious web of the political world. Standing in front of a newly-installed installation of protest art in the Casbah Gallery, she feels the fire reignite within her. One day, she will run for city council, and she will be elected, and, finally, she'll be able to introduce policy that can make a tangible difference, first in San Myshuno and then, hopefully, everywhere. She refuses to accept failure as an option.

Lately, Noelani is always about to hop on a plane and spend a few days away for one thing or another. It's funny: ever since they got married, they only seem to spend less time together as a couple. Nani knew Noelani's profile was rising, but she hardly expected she would be taking on the role of a highly in-demand celebrity's spouse so soon.

"Don't tell me you're off again already," Nani says, even though she penciled the date of Noelani's latest departure into her calendar weeks ago and has been gloomily crossing off the days ever since.

"Yep, my flight to Windenburg leaves this afternoon," Noelani replies distantly, so absorbed in their phone that they've barely touched breakfast. "Theo's booked a couple dates there to test the waters for a full tour."

Nani forces a smile, trying to convince not only Noelani but herself that she won't be lonely at all. "I'm sure it'll go great. You'll be touring the entire world in no time!" Already, her heart sinks at the thought of how long they would be separated if that actually happened.

The first couple days without Noelani aren't bad. In fact, sometimes, Nani even enjoys having some time by herself in the apartment. She sings to her plants while she waters them without having to worry about Noelani teasing her over her shoulder for being tone-deaf.

She practices the yoga moves Malia's been teaching her over video chat without fear of judgment and even holds a handstand for more than two seconds without falling.

She celebrates the small successes, like fixing the near-permanently jammed garbage chute in the hallway all on her own. Who needs a landlord or a handyman when brute strength will do the job as well as anything?

Before leaving for work, she rehearses her speeches to potential donors in the bathroom mirror. She's got a whole docket of important meetings lined up that, if they go her way, could lead to a major financial windfall for the organization.

When Noelani arrives in Windenberg, it seems like such a quaint, sleepy town that they can hardly believe they have enough fans in the area to play multiple shows. But Theo claims all the demographic research his team has been doing behind the scenes (none of which Noelani understands at all) has led them here. Somewhere, there's a booming electronic music scene that's head over heels for Noelani's stuff - apparently, it's just very well-hidden behind the town's tourist trap exterior. They snap a selfie when they arrive and send it to Nani but don't get an immediate response. She must be busy plugging away at work.

Noelani has a few hours to kill, so they stop in at a local cafe to grab a coffee and a pastry. When Noelani pulls out their wallet to pay, a pink-haired guy next to them unexpectedly speaks up. "Don't worry. I've got you covered."

"Oh." Noelani blushes in surprise and gratification. "You really don't have to do that."

"Please, it's the least we could do," the woman next to him adds. "Until we can buy a hundred copies of your album, we'll have to settle for buying your coffee instead."

Oh my god, they're fans! Noelani definitely doesn't want to get into the habit of accepting handouts, especially since they're making more than enough in streaming royalties and ticket sales to pay for their own coffee by now. But just this once, they'll accept the offer.

"We'll see you at the show tonight!" pink-hair exclaims as Noelani collects their order.

"Be sure to tell all your friends to come, too," they reply.

It puts a spring in Noelani's step to see the guy immediately start chatting up the cafe's other patrons, excitedly telling them all about this awesome show at The Narwhal Arms tonight that it would be a real crime to miss. Suddenly, they aren't worried about their ability to fill up the venue at all.

Even if pink-hair's free advertising doesn't come through, Theo has rounded up a whole group of his music business friends and colleagues in the area to fill the place out and get Noelani's music into as many influential ears as possible.

The performance goes off without a hitch, and the crowd is loving all the brief teasers of unreleased material they throw in. After the show, Theo tells Noelani that if the rest of their Windenburg run goes this well, he might be able to get the album release bumped up even earlier.

Back in San Myshuno, Nani enjoys a far more leisurely evening. It's just her, a calming eucalyptus face mask, and an entire bottle of lavender-infused bubble bath she picked up on the way home from work.

Another bottle she picked up on the way home from work: her favorite variety of semi-expensive white wine.

She finds herself downing one glass in just a few quick gulps and then two. Somehow, it isn't quite as fun to drink alone. She catches a glimpse of Noelani's photo on the TV stand and feels a sudden sharp tinge in the vicinity of her heart.

There's no denying it: she misses Noelani deeply. She wonders what Noelani is doing right now and if they're starting to miss her, too - or if they're even thinking about her at all.

What Noelani's doing right now is playing their second show in a row, this time at a more modern and upscale club in Windenburg's commercial district called Discothèque Pan Europa. The crowd is even bigger, and Theo hires a photographer to take some action shots they can use for promo purposes.

It's hard not to feel a rush of confidence when you've got an entire crowd screaming your name after the music finally stops. Noelani exits dramatically, pausing every few steps to allow their adoring public to snap a few photos before finally disappearing backstage with one final bow.

Still, being a superstar is just as exhausting as it is exhilarating. All Noelani wants to do when they're finished performing is have a couple drinks, get a cab back to the hotel, kick off their boots, and pass out until the next afternoon. But they only manage a minute or two of privacy, as it isn't long before a tenacious fan wanders in, oblivious to the fact that Noelani clearly wants to be left alone.

Noelani obliges the fan's request for a hug, if only to make her go away as quickly as possible. One side of celebrity they're learning they could do without: the complete obliteration of any semblance of privacy. All of a sudden, they don't just want to get back to their hotel but out of Windenburg entirely. They want to fall asleep in their own bed, comforted by the warmth radiating from Nani's slumbering body (and the security of their double-locked front door).

When Noelani arrives back home, they're more than a little jet-lagged, but they also have too many exciting stories to share with Nani to succumb immediately to sleep. Nani is glad to hear that the shows were even bigger and better than expected, but she also can't help wondering if one day she'll lose Noelani to this thrilling new world of fame and accolades. She's just steady, old, reliable Nani, after all. What does she have to offer that can compete with all that? "Did you even miss me at all?" she wonders, not realizing until late that she's voiced her subconscious concern aloud.

"Are you kidding me?" Noelani is up and wrapping their arms tightly around Nani's waist with record speed. "I missed you like crazy! I can't lie and say I'm not enjoying this crazy fast whirlwind of success, but sometimes it just starts to feel like too much, and the only thing that keeps me going through it all is the thought of coming back home to you."

And, suddenly, it's just like they've never been apart at all. For now, Noelani's nap will have to wait.