More Soulmate stuff, because I'm bored! :D
(Note: All the gifs are just grabbed from the gif thing. I didn't look into who made 'em, lol. So if there's an issue, please let me know.)
Soulmate Mechanics: Soulmates are your 'person(s)', connected to you by your very souls, someone destined to be by your side, no matter how many hardships you might face. Love is possible without a soulmate(s), of course, but a soulmate bond is special. Everyone with a soulmate(s) develops wings and tail feathers, which appear like a specific species of bird, determined by the person's personality and traits. The wings start naked, flightless, and they're without tail feathers, but the closer the person gets to meeting their soulmate, the more feathers will grow, gaining fully developed feathering the day they meet. When soulmates meet for the first time, they'll suddenly be able to fly. If one soulmate ever dies before the other, the surviving partner(s) loses their outer flight feathers and can never fly again (Like clipping bird wings, get it?) unless their soulmate somehow gets resurrected or something.
Blurbs below the cut! :3 (Using only f/os that I have a s/i story/idea for, lol.)
Note for those of you who aren't familiar with me: My S/Is are male, and go by He/It pronouns. Not They.
Blake/Copycat x Loki - Cardinal x Magpie
(Trigger Warning: Mentions of familial abuse/neglect.)
Everyone expected Thor to have wings and Loki not to. It was an unspoken expectation that everyone shared. However, everyone was shocked when Loki began developing wing stubs as a child, while Thor had no sign of wing development at all.
Loki was told from a young age what it meant, and though the idea of having no say in this person was unnerving, it was also intriguing. As time went on, Loki's wings remained featherless, even into adulthood. Because of this, Loki covered them with their clothes, finding the naked wings unsightly, and perturbed by them seeming no closer to feathering.
Rumors over what the lack of feathers might mean spread pretty quickly, and though Loki tried to ignore it, the rumors only added to their self-consciousness, as their family and people still neglected them in favor of the golden child, Thor.
Loki stopped thinking about it after a while. It wasn't until one morning that Loki felt itching, pin feathers sprouting up. Of course, Loki was relieved to have a shred of evidence that they really had a soulmate somewhere.
Loki wanted to hide them, but covering them only made the itching worse, so they had to use illusionary magic instead.
Days went by, and Loki checked their wings in the mirror nearly every day for signs of more growth, eager to meet their supposed 'destined love'. Though, it was only around the 1900s that Loki's wings developed enough that they felt comfortable showing them.
It was clear by that point what bird Loki's wings and tail feathers were - a magpie. Black and white, with gleaming iridescent purples and greens. Loki kept very close watch of their wings, their internal loneliness and eagerness for acceptance making them more and more eager as the days passed.
By the time Thor was banished to Earth, Loki's wings were nearly fully feathered, with only a few feathers yet to have grown completely. Then, when Loki arrived in New York, it would be only a matter of days before Loki met this mystery person. Though the mind stone's manipulation and the situation involving the Avengers, Thanos, etc, made it hard for Loki to think about that.
It wasn't until the morning after Loki was 'captured' and brought onto the SHIELD helicarrier that Loki's wings were fully feathered. But it was hard for Loki to notice that, given the situation.
Copycat finally arrived on the helicarrier, flitting his red cardinal wings every time he met someone new, hoping to feel his feet lift from the floor, or strength to fill his wings. It wasn't until Copycat noticed Loki and did some research of his own that they finally met.
Copycat went down to the cell where Loki was held, and they had their conversation. Copycat realized Loki was under the mind stone's influence, and with some hesitation, joined Loki's side purely to help Loki break away from its control.
Things go about as normal, neither of them even attempting to fly until the battle itself, when Loki realizes they can suddenly fly. (It's over, brother, I have the high ground!)
Loki has a battle with Thor, The Hulk breaks the mind stone's hold on Loki, and Copycat manages to yoink Loki away before they're recaptured by the Avengers.
Copycat had realized he can fly during the battle, too, and uses that to his advantage while they escape. After Loki finally regains their bearings, they realize Copycat is their soulmate. Loki was amused, since their soulmate's first act to Loki was throwing away everything for their sake.
Blake/Plague Rat x Arkham!Scarecrow - Cardinal x Crow
(Trigger Warning: Human experimentation.)
Jonathan never really cared about the whole 'Soulmate' thing. Although the idea of a doggedly loyal assistant obviously appealed to him, he focused far more on his fear-fixation than anything else. The only times it ever became relevant were times his test subjects' fears would involve soulmates or when someone would make a comment about how they 'didn't expect Dr Crane to have a soulmate'.
Feathers grew in pretty late for him, one reason he didn't think too much about his soulmate. Black feathers sprang up in the twilight years of his time as a recognized psychologist, surprise to nobody: His wings and tail feathers were that of a crow.
After becoming the Scarecrow, Jonathan mostly only paid attention to his wings and tail feathers when he was using them to his advantage. His fear toxin seemed to twist them into horrifying shapes, it seemed.
Blake finally entered the scene around this time, initially kidnapped by the Scarecrow as a hostage so Batman wouldn't catch him, Scarecrow realized his wings were actually working when he flapped them. Before Batman could react, Scarecrow grabbed Blake and took off with him, like a bird of prey carrying off a mouse.
This new development made Scarecrow change his plans, realizing Blake was his soulmate near-instantly.
Scarecrow and Blake talked, realizing they had a lot in common, and they ended up forging a bond that was... oddly healthy?
Blake became Plague Rat soon after, returning from a violent kidnapping and terrible bout of being experimented on by crazed scientists. Then, after a brief lull of relaxation, Scarecrow gets kidnapped by Killer Croc, (Can we all stop getting kidnapped for five minutes?!) going missing for a long swath of time, when everyone assumed he was dead. ...Everyone except Plague Rat.
Plague Rat's wings remained flightable, so he knew Scarecrow was still alive somewhere, hiding from everyone as he scoured for signs of his soulmate.
Eventually, Plague Rat found Scarecrow before Halloween in Gotham, finding him torn up, needing to use a ventilator, and all. However, whereas Scarecrow assumed Blake would react negatively to his appearance, Blake was more concerned with his health and finally seeing him again.
Blake also realized that one of Jonathan's wings was missing, rendering Jonathan unable to fly. Plague Rat was outraged, very close to hunting down Killer Croc and turning him into a handbag.
Blake was happy to have Jonathan back, either way, and even after Jonathan was overdosed on fear toxin - breaking his mind and filling him with insanity and paranoia - Blake stayed beside him, doing everything possible to care for his love, even in his weakened state.
Blake/Kabel x Aaravos - Cardinal x Reverse Pheonix
(Trigger Warnings: Major spoilers for The Dragon Prince seasons 1-6)
Aaravos's wings were... an odd situation. For the longest time, 'Startouch elves can't have soulmates!' was just common knowledge. No Startouch elf ever developed wings, nor tail feathers. ...That is until Aaravos.
Aaravos didn't have them at first; there was no 'time' wings would develop, since he's immortal. So, Aaravos assumed he had no soulmate, and Aaravos was okay with that. Being a single father wasn't that bad.
Then, Aaravos started feeling aches in his back. He brushed it off at first, but it kept happening, and after trying every remedy possible to alleviate this mysterious ache, and trying everything possible to find the source, Aaravos finally realized it when he felt them - wing nubs, the beginnings of wings.
To call it a shock was an understatement. Aaravos wasn't sure how to react, and he barely had time to even process it before the fateful day when Aaravos's world crumbled, emotions shattered, his daughter gone.
Over the time he was imprisoned, stewing on his plans, Aaravos watched as his wings and tail feathers grew, finding it bittersweet. In fact, Aaravos hated them at first.
Many, many years later, while Aaravos was busy dealing with Viren, he felt dark magic radiating from a single spot in the woods of Xadia. Aaravos, of course, investigated as well as he could - using ancient magic (With Viren's unknowing help to do it) to tap into the dreams of whatever used that dark magic, to find: His soulmate.
It was a pitiful thing. A lonely thing, alone in a cellar, left with nothing and nobody. ...It was familiar, actually. Aaravos was especially curious about his appearance - this 'Kabel' had five fingers like a human, but was clearly also a Skywing elf. His normal Skywing... wings in their proper place on his hips, while his soulmate wings were on his back.
Kabel was a physical, living being, stitched together with dark magic, a hybrid of human and elf. A being made of dark magic - a fully realized living creature with its own mind and spirit - was dangerous! Unlike a simple homunculus, it would require feeding on the magic of others to survive.
Kabel was on his last legs. Isolated and left to rot in a cellar, like he was a prisoner simply for existing. Aaravos could feel that Kabel was ready to give up, to stop looking for more magic to feed on.
So, Aaravos whispered into his dreams, telling him to be patient and wait. He'd be rescued soon. Kabel was on the verge of giving up, and that gave him enough hope to try a little longer. Dreams of Aaravos barely flickering past Kabel's mind each night, before, after many more months, some years, Kabel finally heard voices.
Viren, Claudia, Homunculus, and Terry found him. Terry and Claudia immediately were ready to help him, as Kabel looked slightly emaciated and sickly. Viren, however, was hesitant, noticing the telltale signs of that horrible dark magic.
Each night, through each leg of the journey and story, Aaravos kept popping into Kabel's dreams, becoming more and more clear the closer Kabel got to his prison. Finally, when Aaravos was freed, their wings finally surged with life, and he flew into Aaravos' hand, marveling at the sight of Aaravos - a startouch elf with massive, sparkling wings that looked like they were made of ice and starlight.
Blake x Imhotep - Cardinal x Ibis
Imhotep had his wings for a while, obviously. However, his wings never developed their feathers. It wasn't clear why to anyone, but after a time, Imhotep met the wingless Anck-Su-Namun, and the two ended up falling in love. (I mean, Imhotep being in love with her is scandalous already, what's adding potential polygamy with Imhotep's future soulmate to that?)
Imhotep tried for the manacle of Osiris and failed, becoming mummified alive, and later resurrected by the wingless Colin Weasler. After being resurrected, Imhotep passively noticed his wings began growing feathers. There was a slight confusion, but at that point, Imhotep basically decided: 'Alright, this might as well happen'.
After everything involving the O'Connell's, Imhotep's wings developed slowly over all the adventures. Large white wings with black tips and black tail feathers.
Imhotep went after another time travel artifact. The O'Connells and Ardeth Bay arrived to stop him, and Weasler was obviously there with him. But something went wrong, and the artifact broke while it was glowing and spinning, breaking into ruin, never to be fixed.
Then, when they left the caves, they realized things were... different. The artifact stranded everyone in the present day!
Imhotep grew far more frustrated now. First, he had to adjust to the 1920s, now another time?! Imhotep ended up heading for Egypt to look for something else that might be useful, and when he arrived, Imhotep only then realized his wings were fully formed.
Within one tomb, Imhotep spotted him - Blake, a man who was supposed to be with a tour guide, who discovered an unnoticed hole in the side of a pyramid and went inside to investigate. With large red wings, fully formed now. Blake found an artifact Imhotep thought was destroyed, now wearing it around his neck: The amulet of Anubis. An artifact that Imhotep was told that the pharaoh destroyed, but was actually hidden.
As soon as Imhotep's presence was known and Blake turned to see him, Imhotep could feel the surge of strength in his wings. This man was his soulmate. ...Damn.
Keigo x Blake x Shigaraki - Red-tailed hawk x Cardinal x Snowy Owl
It's not unheard of to have more than one soulmate, but it's also not common. A big indicator is that your wings might develop at different rates, but that's not always the case.
Keigo's wings are a special case. Only while he was getting trained by the HPSC did they realize his developing tail feathers weren't part of his quirk, and that he actually had a soulmate. Of course, Keigo's wings were fully formed because of his quirk.
Meanwhile, Shigaraki's wings were recognized immediately, though it didn't make much of a difference until All For One. All For One noticed he had soulmate wings, and immediately planned for what was going to happen.
Blake and Shigaraki technically met long before the events of the anime, since they met online as kids while playing an online co-op game. The wings only count real-world meetings, though, so their wings gave no indications of their soulmate bond.
Because of Keigo's wings, the HPSC had Keigo pretend his tail feathers were also just a part of his quirk, not wanting to give information like a potential weakness as a 'soulmate' out to the public.
Blake finally met Shigaraki after leaving Chisaki and the Yakuza. Having basically adopted Eri, Blake wasn't sure where to go, and found the league of villains. From there, Blake met Shigaraki, his one fully formed wing feeling stronger, now, and one of Shigaraki's wings felt the same sudden strength.
If you told Shigaraki that his soulmate would have an adopted daughter by the time they met, Shigaraki probably would've pulled a weird face and said something about thinking kids were brats. ...But, Eri grew on him after a while, and it doesn't hurt that Eri literally looks like she could be their daughter, honestly. (Same blue hair and red eyes like Shigaraki, a horn like Blake?) Eri went from being tortured and isolated by her older brother to being raised by a pair of villainous gamer dads.
But, of course, they have two wings. Shigaraki actually meets Keigo first, as he joins the League undercover. Little did Keigo know that he'd actually be meeting both of his soulmates at once. It wasn't fully obvious to Keigo at first, given his circumstances, but the moment Shigaraki realized his other wing was strong enough to let him fly, he knew what happened.
It was an interesting meeting, and Keigo - being an undercover agent - was unsure how to feel or react to this situation. Sure, he knew he'd have a soulmate or soulmates later, and that might cause complications with the HPSC, but... villains?! Especially Shigaraki; the leader of the league, and Blake; a well-known criminal?!
This complication only got more apparent when he met Eri, and learned about her trauma, and how Blake protected her. Learning how Eri considered the League her family, and how Blake and Shigaraki were her fathers. Keigo felt more guilty about it as time went on, and he hadn't even done anything yet. ...Uh-oh.
Blake x RZ!Michael - Cardinal x Bearded Vulture
Michael being born with wings was something his mother would often defend him about. Ronnie made many crass comments about Michael growing up to be a pussy for being involved in the soulmate bullshit. Basically implying Michael would be some "bleeding heart bitch wrapped around some bitch's finger". (That's a direct quote)
Michael's mom (Deborah) would tell him that having a soulmate and wings were good things, and Michael took that to heart more than Ronnie's bullshit spewing.
Obviously, Ronnie ate his words on Halloween, when Michael slit his throat while he was asleep. Being in the Sanitarium, Michael's wings were a hopeful sign, as Deborah assumed that if he had a soulmate, he'd heal and be released back into society, right? ...RIGHT?!
Deborah didn't know what to think when she realized Michael's wings were fully formed one morning. Large black wings and tail feathers. At first, she thought maybe he'd see his soulmate across the street while they strolled the grounds again... but then the truck drove up.
Oh, how terrifying it was for Deborah, when she saw another troubled boy being pulled from a truck and brought into the sanitorium - with large red wings - and saw Michael's wings flutter with strength as soon as the two boys locked eyes. She desperately went to Loomis, hoping that she was wong, that there was still a chance. ...Then she learned the boy's story.
The boy, Blake, was locked in a root cellar by his family, left there in isolation for years, until the day he escaped. Blake was found by the police, having stabbed his parents to death, and simply let the police take him. Eerily similar to how Michael simply let them take him away. That was the night Deborah took her own life, drained of all hope.
The ward kept Michael and Blake separated, since realizing they were soulmates, and decided neither were stable enough to be in each other's presence. This only made Michael more tense and upset with the Sanitorium staff, since... well, his mother told him his soulmate was supposed to be with him, and they're keeping the two of them apart.
It wasn't until the night Michael escaped that they'd meet again. Michael looked for him, and basically picked him up and walked away with him.
Blake x Remake!Leon Kennedy - Cardinal x African Grey Parrot
Leon looked forward to meeting his soulmate, like anyone else would, but he went about his life as he normally would. He knew most of the relationships during his dating life wouldn't ultimately last, but it was less about the relationships themselves and more about the experiences.
...Didn't mean it hurt any less when the relationships would end, though. So Leon still ended up getting drunk and avoiding the whole zombie outbreak in Raccoon City either way.
Everything was basically the same, as Leon's wings grew more feathers by the time he, Sherry, and Claire escaped. The feathers growing out into a deep grey color, and his tail feathers a blood red.
Leon was pulled into training, becoming an agent, and that was when things changed. In some rural town in Scotland, people were reporting sightings of mysterious creatures living in the woods. Large wolves, enormous bats, someone even claimed they saw an alien creature draining some local livestock of their blood. Initially, only soldiers were sent, but after they stopped responding, the government realized Umbrella corp was behind whatever happened, and sent Leon to investigate.
Find whatever creatures were out there, report back his findings, and keep the people of the local towns safe. That was Leon's mission. He found himself quickly in the middle of what felt like Jurassic Park - genetic hybrid creations made in some bastardized attempt at mimicking ancient creatures, creating living weapons, and perfect soldiers. All abandoned by Umbrella, their facility left behind to be reclaimed by nature.
Leon came across Blake as he investigated. A genetic hybrid, almost a Frankenstein's monster, created by mashing together human DNA with that of multiple animals, all to create a living weapon, the closest thing Umbrella got to what they wanted. ...And Leon's wings suddenly grew stronger and flightable as soon as they locked eyes.
...Well, shit.
Blake/Sparkburst x Starscream - Biplane x Jet
The whole 'Soulmate' thing, for cybertronians, works a little differently than how it does for humans. Instead of feathers, their wings slowly build on themselves over time. (Imagine wires and a basic frame slowly being built up into fully built metal wings.) not to mention, they're called 'sparkmates', not soulmates.
Being a seeker, Starscream always could fly, regardless. His jet form made that possible, as transforming built up his wings fully, only returning to their un-built state when he turned back into his normal cybertronian form.
Having a sparkmate wasn't seen as notable in cybertronian society. That is, until Sentinel. Whether it was out of jealousy since Sentinel didn't have a sparkmate, or a further attempt to cause in-fighting, nobody knows. But Sentinel 'Prime' spread the idea that sparkmates were 'weak' without each other, and thus, cybertronians with sparkmates are weaker than those without.
This idea was obviously wrong, since Starscream was the strongest among the high guard, and he had a soulmate somewhere. And after being beaten by Megatron, Starscream could see his wings were nearly built. It sucked that his sparkmate wouldn't get to see him as the leader of the high guard, but... oh well.
It wasn't until later, when Megatron finally renamed the faction to the 'Decepticons', that Starscream would finally meet his sparkmate. Starscream noticed someone, a spy perhaps? He followed whoever it was, only to realize this mystery person was... not normal. He wasn't like any cybertronian Starscream had ever seen - insecticon? Predicon? But... that was impossible. Predicons were extinct, for one, exterminated by the Quintessons long ago.
Before Starscream could consider this further, though, he felt his wings shift, filling with energon - like butterfly wings pumping full of blood before first flight. It was clear, obvious, and it was confusing as hell. ...Starscream, the strongest warrior in the high guard, is sparkmates with... what could only be described as a cybertronian abomination? Why? That made no sense!
But Starscream saw something in the creature's eyes. The moment he realized Starscream was his sparkmate, this stranger looked at him like Starscream was sent by Primus himself.
...Okay, now Starscream could see why.
Blake/Avac x Broly - Cardinal x Harpy Eagle
Broly grew his wings only after he was banished. Paragus was glad for it, knowing this must certainly mean that they'd eventually be able to leave this rock of a planet.
Broly wasn't sure how to feel about it, honestly. Just about everything was beyond Broly's control, so the idea of even his future partner being already chosen for him? On the outside, Broly shrugged it off. On the inside, Broly wasn't happy about it. But Paragus kept saying it was a good thing, so he went along with it.
By the time Cheelai found him, though, Broly's wings and tail feathers were fully grown, and that same day, Frieza's forces set course for earth.
Avac had arrived in the icy wasteland before Goku and Vegeta, attempting to gather the dragon balls for himself. Frieza's appearance immediately put Avac on-guard, and that's when Broly arrived on the scene.
Paragus instantly knew Avac had saiyan blood, but because he was only partially a saiyan, Paragus instantly felt disgusted by this 'half breed abomination'. Considering Avac's very existence an insult to the saiyan race.
Before Paragus could ask Frieza if he 'wanted a demonstration' of Broly's power, though, he realized Broly's expression. Shock, amazement, confusion, and Paragus realized what was going on as soon as he saw wings on Avac's back, too.
Frieza was amused, Paragus was angry, Broly was shocked, and Avac was mostly confused. By the time Goku and Vegeta showed up, Avac and Broly were already locked in combat. Though Broly didn't want to fight him, Paragus basically forced him to.
Avac's abilities are less centered on brute force and more on powering up over time while chipping away at and weakening his opponent. This meant Broly was at a disadvantage, since saiyans are, by design, mostly brute force fighters. Avac is weak, but because he grew stronger and weakened Broly over the course of the fight, they were pretty much on equal footing the entire battle.
Goku and Vegeta stepped in pretty quick. Vegeta still saw Avac as an enemy, so turned his attention on Avac while Goku fought Broly. This resulted in an odd scenario, where Broly and Avac basically ended up being 'enemy of my enemy' and fought back against Goku and Vegeta together. Fighting alongside each other, Avac jumping in at a few key moments to help Broly, and both Broly and Avac realizing they had similar 'anger-based feral states' all immediately sparked a bond between them.
...Maybe having a soulmate wasn't so bad after all?