Admiring the Light

Friendless and timid, Guinevere is stuck in her socially anxious shadow, content to let her sister lead and live a sheltered life. Without Natalie pushing her to break out of her comfort zone, she'd be trapped in fear. The world is scary, even her own family conflicts terrify her; she needs Natalie's support. But what happens when Natalie, her big sister, her mentor and only real friend, suddenly can't be there for every moment of her life?

Lola, raised to be a hardworking farmer, when all she wants is a bit of agency over her life, the freedom to do what she wants. And yet, she is perfectly willing to let Natalie handle conversations for her. For as much as she wants to be free, she wouldn't know what to do with herself, get meticulously caught up in planning the details and never end up doing anything.

And Natalie, who has no personal desires, simply living in moments and finding the best in whatever is going on. Freely engaging with her friends and helping them, as she lacks her own internal drive, the self awareness to know what she wants. After a long childhood struggle with her self esteem and valuing herself, that has become what she "needs," her coping strategy with rough situations. Being complacent with what happens to her and simply accepting, with no real goals of her own, no idea that her friends are just as directionless as she is.

When health complications arise for her, and her friend group is falling apart around her as she can't guide them, she'll have to ask the essential questions that she can't simply answer in a quick sentence. The questions that she has long dismissed as unimportant.

Is this what she truly wants, to be solely fulfilled by everyone else depending on her for support? And where does she draw the line?

This story touches on potentially triggering content, including the use of slurs, toxic family relationships, anxiety, anger, and death.

Any real people, brands or places are only used to further realize the environment.