What Happens Next

Intro

Elanea's POV
        Certain people have different means of finding their soulmate. There are some general concepts that are pretty common, such as clocks on ur wrist that countdown the moment till you meet them, or being colorblind up until you touch your soulmate. Another helpful few is matching lockets, tattoos of the first words they say to them, and whatever happens on your skin appears on theirs. Each pair is personalized to be given the connection that makes sense for the couples. Some people get connections so strange that they can't figure them out, and may never find their soulmate. The weirdest one i heard of was every injury showed up as a freckle or a cluster of freckles on their soulmate. People understand that the universe has specifically put these people together, and that they are the best possible match for them, so there isn't a whole lot of bigotry against same sex couples.

The one thing that bugs me is how people will center their lives around finding their soulmate, but never say what happens after. How do you introduce yourself? "Hey im Elanea and I'm your soulmate. Want to move in together?" It's just not practical. My soulmark isn't that common, but I've done some research into what it could be. Growing up, I've had a tattoo of a lioness on my left shoulder as long as i can remember. I believe my soulmate probably has a tattoo of a lion on their right shoulder, since more often than not the marks complement each other like that. I've never been that interested in finding my soulmate. It seems like a waste of time to devote everything to finding them. I'd rather focus on my work. I'm an archeologist. I like doing something where i'm being helpful to both past and present generations.
My dream is to eventually have my own team, and discover something really important, so that when you read about it in museums, it's my name that will be on the plaque. It's only a dream, but it's good to have a goal. Because of my work, I travel around alot. Maybe one day i'll meet my soulmate, but who knows. Who cares. I've been fine all this time. My parents probably care though. They are a bit obsessed with finding my soulmate. They carry around a picture of my mark on their phones so that they can compare it to strangers. It might be because I'm an only child. They just want me to be happy too, and i love them for it, but if I ever get another video chat of them trying to set me up with a stranger just because he also has a tattoo mark I will lay down with the bones I dig up and let the dirt consume me. And they don't travel much. Who's to say that my soulmate is going to live in the town, or even same country as me.

I currently work for John Bouvie. He is a bit famous in the Archeological world, and he pays well. We constantly travel around the world to look at the newest sightings. I've made good friends with my teammates. Marissa and Quill are probably my closest. I usually end of rooming with Marissa in hotels and such, when we can afford them. Quill will visit us every night, and we stay up talking and fooling around much later than we mean too. Marissa found her soulmate young, mostly because she was one of the lucky few to have the inked mark. The inked is a typically rare mark, and has the ability to have whatever one writes or draws on their skin, will show up on the others skin. Its extremely useful for finding then and communicating over long distances. I've met her soulmate once, a man named Brandon. He was tall and sweet, and helped even out her short and brash personality. Marissa is incredibly bold and brave. I always say that if we find a haunted tomb, Marissa would be the one to jump down the hole. She was a tad bit reckless, but that's what made her so incredibly fun. Quill could speak sarcasm like he invented the language, but is able to have a serious conversation. He is able to follow through on his actions, and prefers to take a stand. He spent a good gap year in between college and highschool to find his soulmate. He was a tattoo mark as well, but he has what I like to call a handprint mark. It's a tattoo that is pure black that shows where you soulmate will first touch you. Once you touch, the tattoo erupts into various and vibrant colors. His goes down the side of his left arm, which apparently was them being shoved together in a cramped subway. I haven't met Wren yet, but I can't wait to. I've heard such wonderful things.
Both of them were surprised when I revealed that I don't care much for finding my soulmate. Looking at the relationships they have, I'm not surprised. I know it's like my parents, and they just want me to be happy. Marissa and Quill haven't taken a picture of my mark yet, and least I don't believe they did. Either way I haven't gotten any video chats from them. Yet.
Our most recent site has been in Arizona, USA. It's just outside of a city, and we were given a generous gift from a recent sponsor, which means we get hotel rooms! The details of the site have yet to be revealed, as John is a bit paranoid. He only reveals information on the ride to the site. It does make the job a bit more interesting though, I must say.