Soulmate Marks - A Pair of Bunnies

The bunnies in MDZS are so cute!  When I saw this image of them, I thought of soulmate mark stories where each person has some image or symbol on their body that links them to their partner.  What if Lan Wanji had a black bouncy bunny with a playful twinkle in his eye, while Wei Wuxian had a solemn white bunny so adorably shy?

Appearance and placement of the marks could be a plot point.  Maybe they don't appear until a cultivator's golden core reaches a certain stage?  Perhaps the normal progression is in the mid to late teens.  Both Wei Wuxian and Lan Wanji are brilliant young geniuses, so I think theirs may appear a bit earlier.  This could be a point of jealousy for Jiang Cheng.  Maybe some cultivators don't develop one at all - if their soulmate is not reincarnated during the current generation, or is not a cultivator at all (both people have to have a golden core for confirmation to occur). 

As to placement, I like the idea of it being somewhere private.  Not somewhere that everyone sees all the time.  Soulmate relationships should be something respected and honored, not mocked or ridiculed based on what images appear and when they appear. 

An outline of the shape starts to appear first, then slowly comes into full imagery as the golden core develops further.  Perhaps it even animates once the soulmates have met in person and touched spiritual energy.  That spark is what animates the image.  The image's behavior is a reflection of the person's emotions and an indicator how their soulbonded partner is faring.  

Whether or not the image includes factors that could help identify the partner is up to you.  For example, the white bunny could have a forehead ribbon thus indicating it is a Lan.  Or, the image outline could be blue which indicates Lan Sect, while Wei Wuxian's in black indicating a rouge cultivator.  This could be confusing since shouldn't it be purple if he is really part of the Jiang Sect?  Maybe he was never added officially or recognized as such, so he is considered a rogue cultivator.  Or, each image could have a character of the person's family name - Lan, Wei, etc.  It could be on the bottom of the bunny paw and the bunny decides when to reveal it.  Make it as hard or easy to determine the soulmate's identity as you like. 

I would like it that not everyone has a partner.  So, you don't have to pair up all characters.  Maybe only 2-3 pairs maximum with others at earlier stages or not yet meeting their partner.  I think Jiang Cheng would lag behind in readiness, then be one of those that has not yet met his partner.  Lan Xichen would maybe have an outline, but not the image since he has not met his partner.  Lan Qiren has none, thus he finds it difficult to relate to when his nephews develop marks.  

This could be an interesting deviation to the default Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli pairing if desired.  Their childhood betrothal could be a source of contention - why didn't their parents wait to confirm their soulmates upon cultivation development?  What if they are matched to someone else?  The fact that Jiang Yanli's cultivation does not develop enough to prove a soulmate exists or not could be an interesting debate area too.  Did Madam Yu do that purposely (held Jiang Yanli back) because she wanted to force the match of her and her martial sister's son?  Or, did Jiang Yanli knowingly not progress herself?  

It should definitely be WangXian as primary in the story.  Whether other plots exist (Yin Iron, Wens, War, etc) is up to you!

Bunny Image Source:  https://www.deviantart.com/adonagonzalez/art/Mo-Dao-Zu-Shi-Bunnies-V2-844725422 

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