Prompt: sharing physical sensation

Izzie's first experience with soulmates was when she felt like she was being ripped open and fell over screaming. The Philosopher had come immediately, lifting the thrashing girl onto his lap. He summoned a bucket for when she vomited in agony and held a wet cloth to her head otherwise. Delirious with pain, Izzie barely comprehended that it wasn't just herself dying.

She came to in her father's arms. The smallest worry on his face. "What.. What happened?"

"Your soulmate's pain was shared with you, but you passed out from the agony."

"That's.. That's terrible.. Did they die? Can you check?"

"Always worried about others.. No, they're fine now. Recovering as you are. Whatever has happened, you'll likely be feeling some of it for a while."

"Can you pet my head? I want to share some good feelings with them."

"Of course."

Yuo only felt human warmth when his soulmate did. Hugs, forehead kisses, headpats. They came often, and he had begun to realize they were doing it to themselves so he would feel them. They were encouragement from afar. Love from someone he didn’t know. He felt so guilty that all he could offer them was pain, and that pain came often. Every scar became a reminder not of his own failure, but that he was hurting someone else with every battle. Nobody cared about this but him. Mie scoffed about it, claiming he shouldn’t worry about people he can’t help. If his soulmate really existed, they’ll have to get used to it, she said. Yuo hated that. Once he was out on his own, he made sure to show himself a little affection, just so his soulmate could have it. They deserved that much.

...

Yuo had no trouble dispatching the raptors of the Wastes. He had no trouble slaying beasts and following his quarry. The little aberration amused him. Another dog trying to remove their chains. He was pleasantly surprised to feel blows land on him, and then he was shocked. The little wannabe maid was cringing and suddenly screamed “Stop! Stop! Don’t hurt him!”

“Lady Izzie are you mad?!”

“Th-that’s my soulmate! You’re hurting me too!”

Yuo tripped up and felt his face guard get rent as he dove back. The bull stopped his assault with a snarky comment. Yuo felt like his world had slowed to a halt. His soulmate was her?!

Izzie pinched herself hard and sure enough, he clutched his arm. He felt it. They were soulmates. Yuo broke into a laugh. Of all the twisted things fate could do to him, it tied him to her. Izzie jumped into his arms and he dropped his sword to catch her. The doubled sensation of the hug was something he’d need to get used to.

“I-I can’t believe it! My soulmate is an Architect.. But you’re so handsome and strong and fast! I’m sorry about this misunderstanding! Oh, I can flash-cook some soup for you, hold on!” Izzie wiggled out of his grasp to quickly make him something.

Yuo started to smile, and let it drop. He’d have to get her out of here. They couldn’t actually be together. Orenoch would stop at nothing to see her captured or killed. He was her enemy. Izzie shoved a bowl in his hands. Izzie refused to accept anything he said, but the others convinced her it was for the best. She promised they’d see each other again. He had a feeling they would..

When Orenoch tried to execute him, he laughed as his consciousness faded. Izzie had to feel that blow, and she’d probably convince herself that he was stronger than that. Or maybe she’d burst into tears in an instant. It was so liberating to know her, and liberating to know in a few seconds, she wouldn’t be cosmically tied to the Architects anymore.

Of course, then he woke up with a very understanding Philosopher.

Prompt: your soulmark appears when you fall in love, but you have to wait until they fall in love to see if its a matching mark

The man standing on the dragon corpse was so cool. He was here talking big and trying to kill her, but still incredibly cool! The gun, the sword, that skill! Leto had broken his mask and she saw tired gray eyes like her father’s and white hair like her dear mentor Mizuko. Her heart throbbed for these features that reminded her of her other favorite people. She ran up to him and fed him soup and only when he left did she notice it. Her soulmark was on the back of her hand. An eye flanked by angel wings. Fitting, though were the angel wings symbolic or literal? Perhaps it really is him? Or perhaps it's a sign she’ll fall in love with someone else later who fits her mark...

...

She had been so anxious. What if it wasn't him? Who else would be worthy of angel wing symbolism? It just couldn't be. The odds weren't in her favor. She had to tell him though, before something happened. She had to see what his mark is.

Yuo was panicking internally. Leto was dead and here he is with a mark on his hand he knows too well. He took a deep breath and thought about how he got here. Izzie had been so sweet and kind, and he was afraid for how she'd take this. She was innocence incarnate being sullied by their journey and was so, so brave and kind over and over. I mean, asking to talk to Orenoch alone after what he's done? She didn't even sound mad at him. Not to mention the soup, the bread, the handholding.. Leto had died, and he couldn’t help this feeling in his gut. What if it had been Izzie who fell? What if it was Izzie who died? These thoughts were unbidden, unwarranted, and that’s when he realized he had the mark. But then they had to deal with the kids, and Izzie just seemed to be everywhere but where he was looking for her. He decided to ask Faram, and that turned into an entire conversation. He had told him to follow his heart and live without regrets. He'd regret if he didn't try..

Izzie served him his beer and just when she nearly confessed she saw the mark too. "Y-you're my.. Do you even feel that way towards me?"

He smiled a bit and pulled her close. "Do you feel that way towards me?"

"I do!" She kissed him, and he kissed back. Such an injection of confidence, that mark. They linked hands and they matched.

Prompt: a meter of how in-danger your soulmate is. Soulmates are linked by a red thread of fate visible when they're close to each other.

She was so excited to leave the tower. She had her eyes peeled for that thread, but not one of her companions had it. She hadn't had a chance to get close to the mysterious man during their battle, but after she gave him some soup it appeared.

Everyone froze as she looked at the glowing red thread linking their pinkies together.

"So, you're my soulmate?"

Izzie nodded and smiled wide "I guess so! And that means you have to come back to me!"

He laughed a little "I suppose so."

…

Izzie felt a strange twinge of pain in her wrist and looked at it, seeing the little danger meter completely maxed out. “Oh no, Yuo! Guys, we have to do something! Yuo is in danger?”

“And how do you propose we find him? You want to go back and comb the whole desert?” Leto said sarcastically

“I’m afraid he’s right, Lady Izzie. We’ve not the faintest where he is, and a mission ahead of us. I’m sure he can handle himself.”

“Oh.. Okay…” Izzie says, dropping the issue. She didn’t sleep that night. The meter ached for as long as it was maxed out, and it didn’t drop until morning had already come.

“Lady Izzie?” Roe asked, having watched her feign sleep to the best of her ability.

“He.. He finally stopped being in maximum danger.. After all those hours.”

“I’m sure he’s alright, lass.”

He was alright. Until the day Izzie wasn’t..

It only took a single moment. Their hands unlinked and she vanished, and his soulmark throbbed in agony. Maximum danger. Fatal-level danger. He had to find her immediately! But she wasn’t in Aleheim anymore. She wasn’t anywhere. A week on and his mark still ached fiercely. It meant she was still alive, he just didn’t know where. Surely if he combed the skies..

He saw the False Hydra first, followed by the red thread nearly yanking him downwards. Nobody had ever seen the red thread reach so far before, but this was the result of his meditation and ability to follow soul-links. He let the binding between him be his guide as he took flight and followed it down, down, down…

And he saved her. Just like he promised he would.

Prompt: I fell in love with you three lifetimes ago and I’ve been looking for you ever since, but I’ve been starting to give up and my friend's new crush has your eyes.

Life had a way of being cyclic in a terrible way. He had been blessed (cursed) to remember his past lives as some sort of penitence for what happened in the one where he had his soulmate. He remembered that he gave up his immortality to save her. He remembered that she gave up her very life and essence to save everyone ever. Sometimes he’d see her depicted. Stories, statues, paintings, and remember what it had been like to have been hers. They were together for over a hundred years. His past self was sometimes depicted alongside hers. By this point, his name was slowly being lost, but not hers. He was mostly just called The Consort, now. Maybe that was better. Who would want to remember Yuo Miruhai, when Izzie Miruhai was so much better?

For his sacrifice for her that allowed her to save everything and everyone, she, in her new form that existed beyond mortal understanding, had blessed him to remember so he could find her anew. She would never be the whole of what she once was. All that fate and destiny had become entangled with whatever she was now, but what she could spare would be there for him. He would be given a new fate alongside her, again and again, as long as he could find her. It had become his curse more than his blessing over the crushing weight of time.

In his first attempt, he failed to find her. A hundred years of searching was wasted as an aasimar named Sairu. He did find Mie, alive and well and despairing at how history refused to remember her friends as they were. It took her some time to believe him about the reincarnation business, but she caved in time. She said she’d search for Izzie’s reincarnation, between his own attempts. He was so focused on his goal, he hadn’t even considered trying to extend his lifespan.

His second attempt, he was Riruna, a tiefling in purple tones. He searched and searched to the point of begging the gods for aid. None of them would help him. He extended his life as far as he could and eventually banged on the gates of The Philosopher’s Tower. He had no idea where Izzie was either. Riruna never managed to leave that desert.

And he tried again, and again. There were simply too many people and places in the planescape. Too many who would never believe him.

He was Yuuta now. Far too much time had passed between his lives, and he had no freedom to find Mie yet and ask how things had gone in the search. Seeing his new friends dating (and oh irony, how they were clearly his old friends) left him wanting. Here in the school Izzie had convinced Le’Faye and Alden to form (and oh, how mad she’d be that she missed the wedding) he sat down in the courtyard to rethink things. Maybe he could ask Acamar for help? Or maybe-

“Hey, Yuuta! Come meet Bella!” Bashi yelled, snapping Yuo- Yuuta from his thoughts.

Yuuta came to the little gathering, and sure enough, an absolutely tiny girl bashfully half-hid behind Bashi. Blue-violet hair cascaded over her round face and nearly covered her pale yellow eyes.

He was flabbergasted. It was Izzie! It had to be! Almost a one to one of what was once her favorite disguise form, other than the choice of colors that favored the real ones-

Bashi laughed “Enchanting isn’t she? Makes me wish I’d taken magic classes so I could’ve met her sooner!”

Yuuta nodded, mentally swearing he hadn’t thought to look there. Izzie had always relied more on psionics than the arcane, but of course a reborn Izzie would favor magic since she wouldn’t be an aberration-

He snapped from his thoughts “H-hey Bella, I’m Yuuta, you let me know if this knucklehead gives you any trouble, alright?”

Bella nodded furiously as Bashi started on a rant about his recent good behavior. Thankfully, the bell for class saved both Bella and Yuuta’s ears from the onslaught.

Yuuta was too focused on Bella for class, however. ‘I can’t just steal his girlfriend because it might be Izzie, right?’ he thought to himself ‘It’s Izzie, she’ll probably leave him anyway when he acts like a sleeze, right?’ and then he started biting on his eraser absentmindedly ‘But she was always really innocent, what if she doesn’t? I’m gonna have to play this smooth, somehow..’ he held in a sigh. He really didn’t want to do this to the reincarnated Keanu, but he had to. For Izzie. He had to know.

Each day at lunch he ate with Bashi, Bella, Kiika, Joseph, and Lavender. Bella was terribly shy, and as he learned, was an aasimar related to the Shards of Selune and raised by Selune’s high priestess Tahti. Of course she’d still be tied to the stars. Everything made too much sense for it to be anyone but Izzie. He had to sit there and watch Bella and Bashi act sickeningly sweet with each other. Their wandering hands, their stolen kisses. He couldn’t focus on anything but Izzie. She was so close, but so far.

Then, Bella invited him to join a club with her. Astronomy. She smiled “Lavender is reforming the astronomy club this year. None of the guys seem interested, but you’re different, right?”

Yuuta nodded furiously “Yeah, I could probably name most of the stars in the Starlight Constellations.”

Bella smiled warmly “Me too! Lady Izzerozi’s contributions to the sky are some of the best things to happen to the stars, or at least that’s what Mother Tahti and Her Divinity Selune are always saying. The Lady of The Night Sky says they met once, and she weaved such lovely illusions of young Izzerozi!”

Yuuta remembered when Izzie told him about that, weaving illusions from the opposite perspective. He tried to not smile too much. “That must have been special. That meeting was when Lady Chantie began her worship of the night, too. And when they gained the Demigod Aes-Cernach of the Winter Bloom.”

“Oh, I’m so glad someone else is a scholar of the Starlight Legends! I was born under Izzerozi’s wandering gaze, so they’ve always been special to me!”

How does he tell her? That she’s *Izzie* and just doesn’t remember? How does he explain anything at all, when he could barely get Mie to believe him? There is a clack, clack, clack. The sound of the most uptight ‘teacher’ in the entire school and his stupid, fancy boots.

“A-acamar..” Yuuta stutters. He has so far avoided him this year. Afraid of what he might say of his failure. For letting Izzie die at all.

“Yuo.” he says, plain and to the point.

Joseph croaks out “Huh? S-sir, his name is Yuuta.”

“No. Yuo.”

Yuuta shrinks in his seat. He doesn’t know how he’ll explain this later. “Er.. You know?”

“I do. All souls are laid bare to me. It's too bad Sister doesn’t remember, but it's clear that you do.”

“What gave it away?”

“You don’t study. You know stories of the Starlight Legends that were never told. Quirks too intimate. If you wanted to be reunited with your love, you could have come to me and wished.”

“Wait, what? Seriously? You can do what the gods can’t? You’d help me?”

“...” Acamar looked away. “..Sister died when I should have. To grant your wish is my penitence.”

Yuuta rubbed the back of his head “Can you help me now, then?”

Acamar snapped his fingers and Bella, who had been looking between them confused, froze as her eyes grew wide. Yuuta waited with baited breath, and suddenly Bella latched onto him.

“I-I’m.. I’m really.. You.. And me.. I’m so sorry!”

Yuo held her, patting her back “What do you remember?”

“Oh, it's horrible! I was Izzie, and then I was nothing, and I kept trying to be anything! And then, I was with you! You were Hiro, and I was your kirin! Tsukimi!”

“You were Tsukimi?!”

“I was! And I knew everything! It was horrible!”

Yuuta groaned “That IS horrible. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“I’m sorry you had to wait for me! I missed so many cycles of reincarnation! So many lifetimes! And- oh, I have to break Bashi’s heart too..”

“It’s okay, I’m not mad. I’m just glad to have you now.”

“Me too! I told you that soul-binding marriage was worth it!”

Yuuta laughed “It was.”

Bashi clutched his head “I’m.. Keanu?! He’s the worst legend, ugh!”

Yuo and Izzie realized Acamar gave them a terrible monkey’s paw. But it’d work out, because they were together.