Sugarina's Tag
This is a WIP
The Cast
Character Summaries
Snippet
Location
AlquaPlot / Story Type
Short StoryRough History
Sugarina came from one of the smaller business families that is a Fa of Drahinuaw without really knowing that's what they are. She didn't know at least. They get mailed invitations to various corporate holiday events and the like, but it's always addressed to their family with a certain number expected to attend ( Drahinuaw is generally aware of how many in each Fa that is not Connected, so they hold these events with the invitation listing the number in the Fa that aren't Connected and thus expected to attend ). The red eyes and silvery-white hair runs in her family and a coveted trait of Drahinuaw, thus making her a highly desired match.Tasanakoe attended said functions as was expected of him as a Shpou and he made an effort to circulate around the vnou who had the physical characteristics desired by his family. Though they noticed one another, their initial meeting wasn't all that great. He's a bit of a smug douche and she had no idea who he was or why he thought he was so important. When she dismissed him out of hand to talk to someone she knew, he pursued her, much to Sugarina's irritation. Their snappy interaction has long been played up and has become one of the family's more amusing "how did you meet?" stories.
Next social function. Tasanakoe pursued her again. This time their heated exchange, outwardly, seemed closer to a fight but both of them were actually having a fair bit of fun. They would bounce off one another for a couple more events, drawing a scene and playing it up as a joke between the two of them, until Tasanakoe would seek her out outside of a holiday gathering. He Connects with her without chatting to his family first - because fuck'em - and brings her home
Structure
Exposition / Context
Sugarina’s Tag is essentially a story about how Sugarina and Nakoe end up Connected and how their relationship is solidified. It’s a way to navigate the complexities of how Drahinuaw operates, given their high level of secrecy, showcase just how little someone from the outside knows, and feature Sugarina’s ability to rise to the occasion and prove to be the perfect match for Nakoe, despite his family’s reservations and his less-than-ideal method of bringing her in.
Nothing about the situation is exactly sweet and the dangerous world of Alqua helps drive them close as they work together to meet the expectations of Nakoe’s family. There’s a level of frustrated resentment on Sugarina’s behalf since she is brought into all of this blind though she comes to accept it when she realizes the scope of the secret the noble vnou are and just how dangerous it would have been for Nakoe not to keep it. That family means something very different in this new world.
Conflict
The immediate conflict of Sugarina’s Tag is the interpersonal drama between Sugarina and her newfound family – meeting them and learning about the noble vnou. Adjusting to this new life. This is an overarching conflict that she deals with while learning about Nakoe’s actual job, which is that of a Drahinuaw assassin and being given the part she has to play to maintain his cover. There is no backing out, at this point, and no room for mistakes.Resolution
Given that present day has both of these two set much later in their life with an adult child, they are eventually wildly successful. Their life is not without its hurdles and the point of this particular short story is to show the initial rough start to their eventual comfortable life and the sharp, refined characters they become. It would be the true version of “this is how we met”, without any romanticized embellishments or skipping over the mistakes either of them might’ve made along the way.Goals
At the time of the story, the goals are relatively immediate. Nakoe has selfishly brought Sugarina into this crazy world because he wants to be with her and the only way to do so, he believes, without scaring her off and without his family denying his request ( he isn’t sure if they will or not but Connecting beforehand removes any chance for them to ). It is a brash action he’s made as a high Shra used to getting his way, under the certainty that Sugarina is the Bya meant for him.
In that same vein, Sugarina is determined not to become a liability for Nakoe. Though she is initially upset that she was brought in without foreknowledge of what exactly his family was, her Connection to him is not something she ever regrets and – if this is what it takes to be with him, then so be it. There isn’t a question about whether or not they should be together, only what they must do together to overcome the challenges the city and his family presents.
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