Just call me Nella.

10. You have a clock that counts down until you meet your soulmate.

23. You can see the red string of fate when you close your eyes, which will lead you to your soulmate.

The concepts of soulmates was a highly contested one throughout all of Eorzea. In Ishgard it was frowned on, viewed as all-but spitting in the face of Halone and her guidance, but that didn’t mean that there weren’t stories. Whispers of the tales that came from their southern neighbors, of signs and symbols that they were taught to ignore. 

Like the red string that he spotted out of the corner of his vision. It was wrapped around his right pinky and always vanished when he tried to look at it too closely. He had mentioned it once, and had swiftly learned that he needed to keep those thoughts to himself.

He had never mentioned the numbers he saw to anyone. They flashed up every now and again, seemingly printed on his forearm, and they always seemed to be counting down. It was worrying, or would have been– but he never really had enough time to worry about anything.

The numbers had gotten low, though. What happened when they hit zero?

It was there again. The red string on her right pinky. The countdown on her forearm. Always in the corner of her sight, a flash of clarity and then gone if she tried to focus on them too hard. She was always more sensitive to the Elementals. As a hearer, she could hear their voices clearly if she truly listened. Yet this always escaped her. Gridanias were ever-listening to the wills of the Elementals, and so many thought the concept of Soulmates to be their doing. Nella hadn’t been so sure about that, but loathe was she to deny the romance of it.

Her other hand went to her pinky before the red string disappeared, and her eyes were able to catch how the numbers on her arm, always counting down, were almost at zero. Mere minutes away? Or was this now seconds? Oh seven hells what did the old stories say about the numbers running out? She struggled to recall as she examined her arm. However the moment she tried to focus on the countdown ticking away, they were gone as well.

She blinked, shaking her head. No time to worry about such things, least of all in front of him. “Forgive me the distraction...Ah, some of the older children in the New Nest have began to assist in gathering supplies for those rebuilding in the Firmament. There were enough supplies to go around that any task were half done when I got there.”

They’ll have to:

Rate on a scale of 1-10 how much they don’t want to answer that question.

“  last night was nice.  ” “  lets do this again some time.  ” “  i’ll leave my number.  ” “  i gotta go, sorry.  ” “  can’t you at least stay for breakfast?  ” “  i’ll make coffee—don’t go anywhere.  ” “  next time, maybe i’ll buy you dinner first.  ” “  if we do this again you better buy me dinner first.  ” “  i don’t think my legs work again yet.  ” “  i don’t wanna get up.  ” “  no don’t move, it’s too cold outside the covers.  ” “  there’s no way i can hide these marks…  ” “  this was probably a mistake.  ” “  this can’t happen again.  ” “  you always say that, and yet we wind up right back here.  ” “  are you watching me sleep?  ” “  you look cute all frazzled like this.  ” “  why are you looking at me like that?  ” “  keep kissing me like that and we’re gonna end up back in bed.  ” “  something wrong? ” “  i’d stay if i could, i promise.  ” “  so if i put my number in your phone, you actually gonna text me? ” “  i made breakfast.  ” “  how do you take your coffee?  ” “  fuck! i’m late—  ” “  did you turn the alarm off?  ” “  if you don’t turn that alarm off i’m gonna throw it out the window.  ” “  i can’t find my shirt.  ” “  babe, we slept in.  ” “  i know you’re awake.  ” “  i’ll stay.  ” “  why don’t you stay?  ” “  i like waking up with you.  ” “  i like having you here at night.  ” “  you know, if you moved in we wouldn’t keep having to say goodbye like this.  ” “  so when are we gonna actually go on a real date?  ” “  do i smell bacon?  ” “  you made pancakes?  ” “  come on, come back to bed.  ” “  you weren’t there when i woke up.  ” “  i thought you left.  ” “  do you want me to go?  ” “  just let me sleep for five more minutes.  ” “  you’re really beautiful/handsome. even if you drool.  ” “  you talk in your sleep, ya know.  ”  

Tease them, provoke them, put their head in the gutter – try to get them hot, flustered, and begging for mercy. Go!