One little bird...

1: On failing to find your soulmate

A/N: This one was partly inspired by "Mismatched" by katydid (http://archiveofourown.org/works/5179619/chapters/11932445). It was also only supposed to be about 1000 words, and talented me managed 5000. The others will mostly be shorter, I promise.

When Michael brought home the little girl – named Sang, of all stupid names – the first thing she did was check her soul mark. They were so telling; you could at once see what the child was going to be like. Her darling Marie had a nice black soul mark marching up her right arm. My name is Jared, and I've been waiting a long time to meet you. So polite. Clearly, Marie's Jared would be an asset to the family. Sang, though... Well, Sang had nine soul marks. Nine! They twisted and turned across her chest, forming hideous patterns. Well. It was quite clear that Sang was predisposed to grow up a slut and a shame to the family. She would have to take care of that.

*****

Sang grew up knowing that nine soul marks was a bad thing. Marie had one – that was a good. Cindy's Mom had two, and she lived together with her two soul mates – that was good. But nine? Clearly, she was going to be a whore. Mother thought that was a bad thing, though Sang didn't quite understand. Nine soul marks meant nine soul mates meant nine people to love. Surly it was better to love nine people instead of just one? Mother had loved her soul mate, and father had loved his, but they didn't love her, and that was very sad. Sang thought that being able to love only one person was stupid.

*****

When Sang was in second grade they went downtown Chicago and listened to a concert. There was a big stage, with a small piano and a tiny boy playing it. His name was Victor Morgan and he was also in second grade, teacher said. Sang thought he looked too small to be in second grade, all alone up there on the stage. 

But then the boy started to play. The music was so big, unbelievably big and filled her up to the very core. How could such a small boy have so much music inside him? 

Sang wondered.

*****

Marie was part of a special class that got to learn to play instruments, and that class got to go visit the boy after the concert was done. Sang was not part of that class, but she was Marie's little sister and Mother didn't want to have to pick up her children at different times, so she got to go along as well.

 They pulled their chairs into a big circle and then everyone was allowed to ask a question. 

Sang was last. "How are you so good at playing the piano?" She asked. "You're just as old as us, but you are playing real concerts and Marie isn't." 

He smiled at her. "The trick is to practice," Victor Morgan said. "If you believe you can do it and work hard enough, you will always succeed." 

Sang pulled up her t-shirt and looked at the words curling on her stomach. It was tricky to read upside-down, but they were there: The trick is to practice. If you believe you can do it and work hard enough, you will always succeed. 

Sang grinned. She found her first soul mate! Now they could be best friends and Mother couldn't say she wasn't allowed to invite him home to play, because soul mates were always allowed to see each other. 

She looked up, still grinning, but her soul mate was gone and Mother was there to pick them up. She didn't believe Sang when she told her she'd found her soul mate. But Sang was sure, and since she wasn't allowed to go back to the concert place to find him, she was convinced he'd come and find her instead.