I. Young Love
Diveria is a large world with many places to call home; however, one region in particular is special, unique. Deeply surrounded by cavernous walls lies the city of The Quo, home of the Quorians. With 30 habitable levels, the city is as wide as it is high. On the outer limits of the eighth floor live the Jruks, a small family of three – Draka, the eighty-seven years old father, Birvena, the seventy-five year old mother and Jarvie, the thirty-three year old son. To those outside of the Quorian race, the ages may be surprising. Their race ages at an increased rate compared to others in Diveria. One year to a Quorian is the equivalent of six months to the other races.
“Heading off to school Mom. See you after,” Jarvie shouted, walking out of the house.
“Meet us at the restaurant right after school. We have a busy night ,” Birvena replied. Jarvie agreed and walked to school. The parents owned a successful restaurant on the fifth floor in Restaurant Alley called Draka’s Diner. It was a humble eatery, but reliable and well-known in the city. The family had run the restaurant for over twenty years. It was a dream for Draka – so much so that he named it after himself.
On his way to school, Jarvie noticed Saune walking alone. He quietly crept up behind her and yelled.
“Boo!”
“Jarvie! You know better than to scare me like that.” The couple laughed. Quorians have a unique blue skin pigmentation. Their skin color can vary from one Quorian to another, some being extremely light while others are a rich, royal blue, appearing almost purple. Any given variation isn’t indicative of anything in particular; the pigment one is born with is random.
“I just couldn’t resist. You look too sweet when you’re scared.”
“That line doesn’t work on me anymore,” she laughed.
“It’s beautiful to watch you look at me and be at peace knowing I’m here to save you, protect you.”
“You know you would see the same face if you just didn’t scare me! I’m usually happy to see you.” She paused. “ Also, I can protect myself, but you know that.”
“It isn’t the same.” Jarvie laughed as they shared a kiss and walked together to school. Jarvie and Saune were the “it” couple at their school. They were both well-liked, had a good group of friends and were genuine, good Quorians. Jarvie stood slightly taller than Saune at 3’5″ while she was 3’0″. Jarvie was considered tall for a Quorian as the average height was three-feet. When they arrived at school, Jarvie and Saune attended their mandatory classes and maintained good grades. Jarvie never cared much for academics, but he put the effort in, knowing the information was necessary. Saune was a devout student, ensuring all her grades were the highest in their class. It came easy to her, so it didn’t put much strain on her personal life.
After the school-day ended, Saune and Jarvie said goodbye to their friends and walked home together. Saune did not have a job, since her parents didn’t require her to work but Jarvie did. The couple would routinely visit Draka’s Diner after school to help out. Out of respect for Draka and Birvena, Saune would assist Jarvie, as long as she didn’t have any pending schoolwork. Her main reason for going to the diner was to spend more time with Jarvie, and if she had to work a little, she didn’t mind. Her love for him was real and she felt the same in return. Draka and Birvena questioned Saune frequently attending the diner, but after talking to her parents, they didn’t mind. She was maintaining her grades in school and completing all her work. For the remainder of the school year, Saune went to Draka’s Diner with Jarvie. With every passing day, Saune’s loyalty to the business grew and grew. It was a well-respected restaurant in the Alley, and she started to fall in love with it.
Eventually, the school year came to an end and both students successfully graduated, – Saune at the top of their class. Jarvie did well but still never fully applied himself because he knew the end result. His parents always expected him to take over the restaurant and Jarvie was very interested in doing so. As long as he graduated from school, they promised to teach him everything he needed to know to run their successful business. Saune’s parents had a different idea for her, with plans to possibly become a medical Quorian, but her desires shifted. Jarvie truly loved Saune and she could feel his passion, his admiration.
Their shared love caused Saune to make a couple decisions that truly upset her family. First, she abandoned her parents’ dream of going into medicine and joined Jarvie at Draka’s Diner. This was an epic failure from her parents’ perspective. They wanted the biggest and best for their young daughter. They couldn’t accept Saune’s veering from her bright future. Further disappointment came when Jarvie and Saune announced they were moving in together, and proclaiming love for one another over The Enchanted Reservoir. Draka and Birvena couldn’t be more excited for the kids, offering their services to cater the event and help with planning. Unfortunately for Saune, her parents did not accept the news in the same light. They actually didn’t accept it at all. Once she told them about their Proclamation plans, her parents refused to attend the service. They couldn’t support or understand the choices the young couple were making. Saune was heartbroken and although she felt alone, Jarvie and his family were there to welcome her into their lives.
3 Responses
Intriguing! Although we’re not dealing with “humans,” these characters really come to life in a way that I can identify with. I want to turn to the next “page!”
I absolutely love it…not gonna lie, you broke my heart a little there…was not expecting that to turn out in such a way!!
This line has me asking what comes next. 🙂 ““My mother asked me when can she expect grandchildren.” Saune instantly felt a jolt in her body that caused her to twitch but Jarvie didn’t notice it.”