Where your other half shares your physical pain and injuries.
It's not something you broadcast in the 80s, especially with same sex pairs. Soulmates are romantisized in media but kept behind closed doors in the real world.
The first time Johnny Lawrence met Daniel Larusso, he kicked him in the guts and almost went down with him. He wrote it off as a fluke. The second time he landed a hit on Larusso, he grew suspicious. The shared black eye filled him with dread.
The knee was the final nail in his coffin.
He didn't tell anyone. Not Tommy, or Bobby, and definitely not Dutch. Not even his mother.
When Daniel Larusso kicked Johnny in the head in the All Valley Tournament, he almost blacked out from both the shared head trauma and the force of realisation. Second guesses and a side of denial were thrown out the window. He had a soulmate. His other half was an asshole. He'd just possibly given said asshole a concussion.
And then he'd watched Johnny almost die at the hands of his own sensei, unable to breathe with him, and wondered if that was what dying felt like.
He didn't tell Ali. Or his mom. He didn't need to tell Mr Miyagi. Mr Miyagi already knew.
"Always remember Daniel-san, Inyo is not only karate."
Daniel doesn't know whether to be relieved or sad when Johnny doesn't come back to school.
30 years later, soulmates are celebrated. There's even apps to help you find them, and 30 years and a marriage later Daniel doesn't know whether to be relieved or sad when Johnny Lawrence walks into his dealership looking like life had chewed him up and spat him back out.
It only takes about 5 minutes for him to want to give them both black eyes again, but they were older and arguably wiser now, right?
*Daniel in denial about pining
*Amanda being Done (TM) with all the idiotry
*Robby and Miguel Lawrusso 2.0
*Did I mention Johnny's gay crisis? It's about 30 years and a gut kick in the making.
I'll stop here before it gets any longer. Wtf have I done.
