Ali has had this 'tattoo' since he was just a baby. His parents were confused, almost horrified even. As hard as they tried to remove it, it won't go away, to the point when they stopped trying. So, Ali has lived his life hiding a little crescent moon tattoo just on the underside of his wrist. Out of all the things he solves this wasn't one of them, and he hides it under his watch.
He lived with this secret until he saw tattoo's on almost every person he's met during their journey. He shrugged it off at first, thinking that social norms are probably different from where they're from. Until he saw a tattoo peaking out under Seli's crop-top when they were hanging out.
Ali pulled down his sleeve, "you have one too, or did you get that one?"
Seli looked surprised, "no, I had it since I was born" she claimed, thinking about the lovely assortment of Lillie's on her belly.
"Mine too," he showed her his moon tattoo, "do you know what it means?"
She shook her head, "no, unfortunately".
Months went by until their next adventure, but everything was in chaos, he had no time to research. Until they met the twins. He saw it, he saw the tattoos on each of their shoulders, one was on the right, one was on the left. Ngglangeran had butterflies, Ngglangeram had honeysuckles. They couldn't have used modern tattoo machines a thousand years ago, right? The art of tattoo has existed for a long time but in a more traditional way of making, his and all the other 'tattoos' he's seen looked like it was done by a machine.
The time that they were trapped there, Ali spent a lot of time hanging around with the twins and worked up the courage to ask them about it.
"Hey, I was just wondering, I'm not, asking any, any tech related stuff, but, I have to ask, what are those marks on your shoulders? I mean, I know what they look like, but, uh, what do they mean, exactly?" He said as he pointed at the twins.
The twins exchanged surprised glances at each other before turning back at him,
"These are soulmate marks," they answered in unison.
Ali's face shows a trace of confusion and disbelief.
"The marks represent a certain trait or important information about your soulmate," Ngglangeran explained as he touches his butterfly tattoo, while a ghost of a smile appears on his face.
"These marks appear on the people of our clan, and perhaps, on every superpower descendant on each clan," Ngglangeram finished, placing a hand on his brothers back to reassure him, "I'm surprised you didn't know this Ali".
Ali was floored. He rushed to tell the girls, Seli seemed excited, meanwhile Raib, he didn't understand the face she made when he broke the news. To be simple, Raib shut his and Seli's request down of showing her soulmate mark, said that it was on a spot she prefers it to be covered.
When Ali took off his gloves, the twins saw his little crescent moon. As Ali said goodbye to the twins, Ngglangeram leaned down and whispered something in his ear.
He didn't know what he's supposed to do with the information. His mark could be about anyone, hell, it's probably something common in Klan Bulan.
Ever since Seli knew his mark and it's meaning, she's been acting rather suspicious. She teases him and Raib far too often now, and he doesn't know why. He asked her if it had something to do with what he did or say, or of it has something to do with his mark, she said no, but she's not a very good liar.
Time does things to you, sometimes it changes what you think about someone as you get closer to them. Time changed the way he see's Raib as their relationship develops. She was not just 'the-girl-who-can-disappear-next-door' to him anymore, no, she was the girl he wishes his tattoo was telling him about.
To Ali, it's just a dumb crush, but, he couldn't stop hoping. But as he starts thinking that the stars have aligned, one little fact can destroy everything. He doesn't know her mark yet. She might be his soulmate in his mind, but is it him that is drawn on her skin?
It made him worry, made him rather selfish. She doesn't belong to him, never has, and he knows that. But the thought of seeing her with someone else stirs up an ugly feeling on his stomach, and it feels like he's choking on bile. Jealousy is an ugly feeling, it makes him sound even more sad when he doesn't even know who he's jealous of. He can't decide who is worth it for her, because that is a decision she'll make for herself. Doesn't stop him from hoping though.
He'd stare at the crescent moon on his wrist, the mark taunting him from it's place. After all, the moon on his wrist might not be her all along.
"How pathetic, I've made myself a fool" he'd whisper to himself.
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It's been years. They won the war. He told her how he felt. She accepted with a smile. With her hand in his, everything felt at peace to him.
And as he braided her hair, he saw the tattoo on the back of her neck. He smiled.
It was a tattoo of the Ursa Major constellation, connected together.
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An AU because why not? This one has nothing to do with the previous narratives of the story, so its not really following the story. Think of it as a little intermission (its just me having writers block).
I doubt the ending is coming soon, and I don't even know if Raib and Ali are actually going to end up together, but it's all I can come up with at the moment.
Notes:
The Ursa Major constellation is told to look like a giant bear (and I'm also following the myth surrounding it).