The Future of Sulani | 16

For the first time ever, Nani and Noelani are celebrating Harvestfest all on their own. It's more stressful than they imagined, being responsible for everything, including a perfectly-executed holiday feast. They figured they would go the expected route with a turkey, since they're in San Myshuno now, but if they were back in Sulani, they'd more likely be enjoying kalua pork and vegetables seared and roasted to perfection beneath a pile of smoldering banana leaves. Thinking about it makes their mouths water, but, mostly, it just makes them miss their friends and family even more.

Maybe next year, they can make plans to celebrate back on the island. For now, though, they'll have to make due with sending holiday cards to their parents and maybe calling them later, though they still haven't quite adjusted to the time zone difference. Half the time, they end up sleeping through each other's calls.

"Wow! Not to boost my own ego, but this turned out pretty well after all," Nani exclaims as they sit down to dinner.

Noelani laughs. "You've only tasted the wine so far."

"And it is a wonderful wine. I think I might've spent longer picking this out than cooking the turkey."

They dig into their meal, but it isn't more than ten minutes later that Noelani's phone starts vibrating with what seems to be an endless bombardment of texts and calls. "Sorry," they mutter, stealing a moment to glance down at the screen. "I meant to put that on silent."

"They don't even have the decency to leave you alone on Harvestfest of all days? Don't they have families of their own they should be celebrating with? What's so important that it can't possibly wait one more day?"

"It's just some last-minute details about my trip to Del Sol Valley. Nothing that merits an immediate reply." They make a big spectacle of silencing their phone and placing it at the far end of the table where it isn't within immediate reach.

Nani sighs and downs the rest of her wine in a single gulp. "Oh, right, that," she says, not even trying to hide the exasperation in her voice.

As always, the days leading up to Noelani's imminent departure fly by far too quickly. Most of the time, Nani puts on a happy face, but she can't help letting a little of her disappointment seep through. It seems like they're only just beginning to settle into a comfortable domestic life together before Noelani is whisked away once more. But then she feels disappointed in herself for even desiring a comfortable domestic life. Noelani is out there living their dream, and Nani is just as invested in her rising political career, and they're both supportive of each other's goals. But sometimes Nani just can't help yearning for a world in which their only ambition in life is to grow old together.

"I promise I'll be home for longer next time," Noelani reassures her. "I've told Theo that these back-to-back trips are getting ridiculous. Besides, the album will be out soon, and then it either performs well or it doesn't. But, either way, I'll demand a break from all this crazy promo."

For now, they take in one last view of San Myshuno at night while they can. Tomorrow morning, Noelani will get on a plane, and Nani will be left alone in the city once more. Somehow, it loses so much of its luster without Noelani there.

One insanely early flight later, Noelani's first impression of Del Sol Valley is dimmed by fog and rain. The palm trees dotting the landscape remind them of Sulani, though, even though that's just about the only thing the two places have in common. But it's nice to feel even the smallest sense of familiarity in an otherwise foreign city.

Their primary reason for being in Del Sol Valley is that they've been booked for their first-ever magazine cover, to be shot by a photographer who's worked with some of the musicians they admire most. They quickly find the hipster coffee shop where they're supposed to meet up with his assistant and duck inside for cover from the dreary rain.

They also take advantage of the opportunity to inject a much-needed shot of caffeine into their veins to stave off the effects of jet lag. They've got a long day ahead of them, and they can hardly afford to look like a sleep-deprived zombie in their first major photo spread.

Soon enough, they see a friendly-looking woman in a hijab waving them down from across the balcony and determine she must be either the photographer's assistant or an eager fan. More and more of them seem to accrue by the day, and they grow less and less hesitant about approaching Noelani.

"Talia, I presume?" they ask, taking a seat at the woman's table.

"Yes! Hi! It's great to meet you, Noelani."

"I've never done a big shoot like this before. I'm not sure if I'm excited or nervous or both."

Talia smiles. "Don't worry. Jasper is very low-key. He's all about getting clean shots without any extra fluff or distractions. We actually have a pretty modest set-up. He rents out a studio space when he needs it, and it'll just be the two of us there with you. I'm sort of his sidekick-of-all-trades so I take care of scheduling, hair and makeup, wardrobe, food, pretty much everything! You ready to head over there now?"

Despite Talia's downplaying of it all, Noelani is still impressed by what they see when they follow her into the studio. Talia leaves them alone in the fitting room to pick out the perfect outfit from racks and closets full of designer pieces. "I've done a bit of sleuthing online, and you already dress like a bad-ass," she tells Noelani, semi-admiringly. "I tried to give you a few options that I thought fit your style. Have fun!" Noelani doesn't even know where to start.

After a painstaking half-hour, they finally settle on a fitted jacket embellished with silver studs and spikes and a pair of plaid trousers that miraculously fit like a dream. They're seriously impressed that Talia managed to nail not only their style but their measurements through some cursory online searching. They feel so confident in the ensemble that they snap a quick selfie to show it off to Nani.

However, Nani is a little too busy to look at it right that second. Although she never expected it to happen so soon, the sudden vacation of a city council seat has prompted Nani to throw her hat into the ring to fill it. She's still a newcomer to San Myshuno by any metric, but the council is sorely lacking a strong perspective on climate and environmental concerns, and her background might just give her the edge she needs, especially with the full-throated support of the nonprofit she works for behind her. Now, she just needs to convince the city's residents that she's the right person for the job. She starts small with the fellow occupants of their apartment building, who at least seem willing to hear what she has to say.

Next, she widens her scope by reaching out to those whose voices have too frequently been ignored - like the vendors who tirelessly operate the city's many food stalls. Other politicians are quick to dismiss these workers as unimportant and even mindless, but Nani soon learns that they have a lot to say when given the opportunity. They have so many refreshing and smart ideas about how to make the city a better place for everyone to live and thrive, not just those with cushy office jobs and six-figure salaries.

Surprisingly, she even finds potential supporters at the gym. It turns out San Myshuno is practically overflowing with people who care deeply about their surroundings and want to play an active part in improving them but simply have no idea where to start. The politicians in charge of the decision-making have been focused on appeasing millionaires and fulfilling corporate interests for too long. Nani thinks she sees a path to victory if she's able to position herself as the first real voice of the people to occupy a city council seat in who knows how many years.

Every once in a while, Nani returns to the podium Noelani once used to convince her she could truly make a difference in San Myshuno. For the first time, the dream of giving a speech there to a packed, enthusiastic crowd feels within reach. In her head, she's already semi-consciously composing her victory speech. But she can't get too ahead of herself. If she's to be a representative for every single citizen of San Myshuno, no matter their economic standing, it won't do her any good to get a big head. It's important for her to stay grounded and genuine.

After Talia finishes helping Noelani with their makeup, the photographer, Jasper Zapata, arrives. Talia was spot-on about his laidback vibe. In his striped beanie and simple t-shirt and jeans, he hardly looks like the flashy, celebrity-adjacent, too-cool-for-school type Noelani was initially expecting. "All set?" he asks casually.

"Just one second," Noelani replies, taking one last look at their phone, only to find no new notifications on the screen. They had been hoping to receive a reply from Nani before the shoot started for a last-minute confidence boost. Instead, they hastily post the selfie from earlier to Simstagram, where it instantaneously receives a dozen likes. That'll have to do for now.

Jasper sets Noelani up in front of a digital backdrop programmed to show a nighttime cityscape that vaguely resembles San Myshuno's skyline. They ponder internally why they had to fly all the way to Del Sol Valley to pose in front of a fake rendering of the city. Surely, it would've been more authentic - maybe even cheaper - to shoot in front of the real thing.

But Noelani is only the talent. It's not their place to question the decisions of people with much better brains for business. All they have to do is show up where they're told to and strike a few alluring-but-not-too-alluring poses. It isn't long before their body goes on autopilot, allowing their brain to wander, cycling through half-formed song ideas and filing away the best ones for later.

They're only halfway through the shoot when Noelani's stomach starts rumbling embarrassingly loudly. Suddenly, they realize they haven't had a bite to eat since getting off the plane. "Didn't you say you were in charge of the food, too?" they ask Talia.

"Oh, crap," Talia mutters. "I knew I forgot something!"

"I'll order us a pizza," she says, punching quickly at her phone. "It should be here by the time we're finished."

"Just give me half a dozen usable shots, and we'll call it a day, all right?" Jasper says casually. "I'm not in the habit of forcing my subjects to suffer in pursuit of absolute perfection. We've got plenty of good stuff already."

"I appreciate it," Noelani replies. Now that it's made itself known, the hunger feels like its gnawing at their stomach from the inside out.

Despite the discomfort, they do their best to remain professional, though this half of the shoot is decidedly more low-energy than the first. Hopefully, in print, it reads as disaffected cool, which is a key part of what Theo calls Noelani's "brand," a term he seems especially fond of lately, as much as it makes Noelani feel like a bag of potato chips on a grocery store shelf.

Afterwards, the three of them devour an entire pizza in record time. "I think this is the greatest pizza I've tasted in my life," Noelani mumbles through a full mouth. They call a cab and take one more slice for the road. When they get to their hotel room, they fall into a deep, restorative sleep. Almost every day has started feeling like a nonstop rollercoaster ride. They need all the rest they can get before jumping back on for another round.