Story
A society is depicted where the web of social connections is created and strengthened through ritual, and results in radical physical development and growth. Each adolescent is given four binding stones, representing (mother, father, truth, love).
Characters
Theo (Theorassin) - main character
act 1: childhood and self-respect
a factory worker admires his stronger more skilled male peers (perhaps they are sex segregated when young)
those mentors inspire and encourage them (perhaps though daily oration, trying to get followers)
perhaps the workers 'vote' each day on their preferred mentor - (symbolic for leadership)
members are periodically "promoted" out of their group, taken away somewhere else "better" and exciting (usually this is the stronger leaders, but not always)
these leaders are inspiring yet simultaneously surpassing them, leaving them disadvantaged
eventually our main character sees the repetition in the oration of leadership, and tries his own hand at it.. but he's no good speeches and gets no followers
finally, he votes for himself, and is immediately promoted out of the box (revealing the magic of self respect)
act 2: adolescence, infatuation
promoted to a 'better place' the world seems superficially better... there are women, there is less labor, there is less apparent hierarchy
a woman catches his eye.
In public he's only able to observe her from afar. her responsibilities in the group growing, and with them, her public work dominance
eventually, a move of desperation, he pledges the love stone to her (having never met her).
the next day, he miraculously meets her, and she notices him, approaches him, they interact.
in momentary privacy, she flirts and toys with him, abusing her asymmetric 'pledged love' power over him to get him to do personal favors for her. he's happy just to be around her because it makes him excited. each interaction, we are told subtle ways she is physically more beautiful, more sexy.
in public, she has a growing influence over the group, but not through leadership oration, rather through public displays and subtle undermining of leaders.
eventually she surprisingly comes to Theo at home, seduces him.. as she leaves the next morning, she makes it clear she takes no partner, but that if he wishes, she might repeat the event. she somehow seems even more attractive than the previous night.
in public, Theo proposes her as a leader, and makes an oration for her benefit. It sways the group, she accepts, and a ritual makes her the group leader.
she doesn't come to him at night for days. during the day she uses the leadership role for distance, and in stolen private moments tells him "soon"
days later, she comes to his home after he's asleep, seduces him... in the morning, she tells him she could come more often if she had a key to his home... which he gladly relinquishes
after the day he gives her the key, he sees her several times unannounced but then for a long while she doesn't visit him. her responsibility for the group grows, and ultimately everyone looks up to her. her physical persona has also progressed. she's taller, even more beautiful.
late one night he hears a sound, and sees her standing next to his bed. she's performing a stone ritual to herself with his stones! He challenges her "it is forbidden!", but she turns her seductive beauty on him. Up close, she's even more beautiful. Undeniable He verbally scolds her for stealing his ritual. She displays her dominance by suggesting he wanted it all along. "What is life without beauty to admire?" He wanted her to be so beautiful, so tall. "Do you not want to admire me?" She seductively advances on him, disrobing, teasing with her body. Thanking him for his ritual support. "but i did not give it!" she advances further, "didn't you? don't you give it still?" she does something provocative with her body. "if you wish, send me away and I will never return. However, perform the ritual yourself, and you may enjoy and worship that which you helped created. She hands him his stones, and encourages him to mock-ritual against her naked body.
The next day, she's gone. Promoted.
act 3: adulthood, love