me: I'm gonna plan and write an entire slow burn, with a long time frame and a bunch of chapters
My brain: hey what about a modern au but with spellcasting and like, vampire elements
Me: ...OK fine au notes let's go.
People have varying amounts of innate magical talent.
There are all sorts of magic types and spells. Spells are usually incantation-based.
Everyone is human, at least mostly.
The university is not on Motunui but on a larger island which is part of a chain or cluster, close to the mainland. There are ferries available, however.
Moana is a college student. She's a political science major, as she stands to inherit Motunui's chiefdom, and is on the rowing team. She shares a freshman physics lab with Loto.
Loto is also a college student, but is already an accomplished engineer and model boat builder. She works part-time maintaining, repairing, and designing boats at the local marina three days a week, and fulfills model boat commissions another three days. She's known locally for keeping to herself in her standalone studio apartment and befriending a flock of crows that follows her around.
Maui is a popular influence, world-class athlete, and minor celebrity, but will drop everything for his adopted sisters. He drives a minivan for no apparent reason, at least when he's around.
Moni is a storyteller and children's librarian.
Kele is still a farmer, and still as grumpy as ever.
Tui is the hardworking matai of Motunui. His main concerns are preserving his people's way of life in the face of modernization and the wellbeing of his family.
Sina, while not officially employed in the local government, often supports and aids her husband, taking on whatever minutiae she can while raising Simea. Fortunately,
Gramma Tala is alive! Modern medicine amirite? She is a storyteller, a prominent advocate for maintaining the old ways while allowing for change, Moana's confidante and Simea's favorite minder. She has a driver's license.
Matangi is a research scientist and occasional performer. She has two cars thanks to an out-of-court settlement with Nalo, a chic violet sports car and a jeep that always smells faintly of guano. Moana calls her when she requires transportation and utmost discretion.
Tamatoa is an expert appraiser and collector turned influencer. There's a popular theory that he and Maui are exes, even though Maui keeps showing up to pride in aroace blue and orange.
Nalo is in prison and considerably poorer. Matangi really went after him for all he was worth without even stepping foot in a courtroom.
Te Fiti is an environmental scientist and conservationist.
Loto is getting by. She works and studies and goes to the GP and checks in with the social worker and avoids going out when she can, but it's a new semester and she has to attend her physics lab in person. Also in that lab section is Moana, someone she knows of from the boat shop as an unusually friendly canoe racer.
Moana could've sworn that Loto from the boat shop was like, high school age, but here she is in freshman physics. Moana knows her as shy and secretive, but Loto accidentally started infodumping to her one time and Moana was intrigued. She's gonna sit with her and try to befriend her.
First group project and Moana basically calls dibs on Loto, who has no idea how to refuse and kind of doesn't want to? But she shouldn't she shouldn't she shouldn't
From there Moana figures out just how alone Loto is and worms her way into her life. Loto doesn't really know how to stop it, and she swings between trying anyways and letting it happen. Moana remains determined, even past the end of the semester.
They get closer, and closer, and closer, and “like” turns to “love platonically.”
Loto wakes up one day with a killer migraine.
Ask questions, share theories, point out your favorite bits, do literally anything and I will be happy. I know there's probably not much to say yet but there will be things later.
