Chapter Text
Jason was certain that he wasn’t meant to have a soulmate. His mom didn’t have one and his dad didn’t either – so he expected that the same goes for him. Apparently, just because a pair of parents didn’t have a soulmate automatically meant that it extends to their child.
Around eighty years ago, a few people were able to manifest an animal companion as early as eight years old (and as late as fifteen). These so-called animal companions were named lienmaux, for they are a link to one’s so called ‘perfect’ match. Soulmate if you will. In recent statistics: one out of five people has a lienmaux.
Everyone’s lienmaux reflects their soulmate. Obviously, personality-wise; but there are also instances where certain physical features are mirrored too, like hair or eye color. It’s important to know that every lienmaux is only matched with the same species. For example: someone with an owl for a lienmaux is bound to be matched with someone who also has an owl for a lienmaux, maybe even a parrot or a cockatoo.
Seeing the cute, expectant ball of golden fur in front of twelve-year old little Jason, it seems to him that whoever his soulmate is should also have a dog for a lienmaux. The little pup tilted her head in curiosity at him. Blinking back at him, she sat on his lap as he sat on the floor. His back is against his bedroom’s door, his parents’ arguing screams can be faintly heard behind it.
Better late than never. He internally thought. He’s a little conflicted on what to feel at the fact that somewhere out there, he’s meant to find his soulmate. So, so, so many people. Aside from the lienmaux, how will he know if they’re the right one? He’s not optimistic about it, not with the mess of an example his parents’ relationship have already shown him. The fact that the lienmaux before him manifested in the middle of him locking himself in his room – to get away from his parents fighting – went to show that relationships aren’t as cracked up as they appear to be.
As if his lienmaux sensed his anxiety, she started to curl her form on his lap. Letting her weight steady him and keep him stable, even though she’s still so small. She snuggled right in – no room for a pause to assess the situation, just straight to providing him the comfort she knows he needs despite not voicing it out loud.
Jason rested his palm on her back, he allowed his fingers to get between the bright golden fur that seems to shimmer under the moonlight that leaks from his window. And he thinks to himself that if he already feels calm with just his lienmaux alone, he can suppose that maybe his soulmate won’t be too bad.
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Stephanie was over the moon when her lienmaux appeared when she’s ten years old. Absolutely floored with relief. A dog with black and rusty fur, pointy ears, and intelligent eyes.
She remembers her mother’s stories of how she wished she had met her soulmate. Crystal Brown had a ferret lienmaux when she was younger, but he suddenly died one cloudy Tuesday afternoon in October – only just five years after he came in her life. Crystal never told her directly, but deep down, Stephanie has a feeling that perhaps a part of her mother was taken the day her lienmaux died. How her voice lowers, her palm gently pressing on her chest every time she finishes her story about how her lienmaux was the most important being in her life. How she always needs to be away from her and her father during her lienmaux’s (and soulmate’s) death anniversary.
A lienmaux only dies when the person they are supposed to reflect passes away. It was a shame really, Crystal never got to know who was supposed to be her soulmate.
But not too long, at the age of nineteen, she met Arthur Brown right after. A passionate and charismatic man older than her by five years, far too charming with his game host persona and attempts to make her laugh at his jokes. It was a man making the most of his chance with a woman who is quietly mourning a love that was promised to her but never got to experience.
Arthur is boisterous and loud, exactly what Crystal needed to distract her. His words are captivating, and his promises made her sink onto him, hoping that on every turn that he disappointed her, he’ll still come back and fulfill the vows he made of ‘making you happier than fate has destined’.
But he didn’t. His pride took too much of a hit after he was fired from the game show he hosted. Now he’s in and out of prison for petty crimes, just trying to compensate for his failure of a career by getting money on easy jobs. Sadly, his work is too sloppy, which gets him caught basically every single time. Arthur can never make Crystal happier than fate, fate already took the one destined for Crystal before he came into her life.
Stephanie doesn’t want to end up like her mother and father. Unhappy, unfulfilled, discontent. So she clings on to her lienmaux, embracing it and hoping that her soulmate won’t leave her just like her mother’s soulmate did.
It broke Crystal’s heart to see her daughter this way. Knowing that no matter how much you hold onto something, death does not discriminate – it was her stories after all, that made Stephanie desperately hold on to her lienmaux.
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Jason Peter Todd became a Wayne at the age of fifteen. His dead-beat of a father ditched him and his mother two years ago after one too many losses from his gambling addiction that piled up too much for him to pay, and with the stress that came with it, his mother stuck herself with the wrong crowd and died from drug overdose. With no relatives or close neighbors to take him in, he knew he had to look after himself.
Maybe it was his luck, but one fortunate day, he attempted to steal the tires of one shiny limousine. One that was actually the ride of Gotham’s resident billionaire prince: Bruce Wayne. He remembers that day because it was the day he finally chose a name for his lienmaux.
She was the main reason his tire-stealing job was botched. The hungry dog went inside the diner Bruce was eating at, thinking she was slick enough, she tried to take one of the delicious smelling waffles from his stack. But a certain playful feline caught the golden retriever. So when she meowed loudly, catching Bruce’s attention, Jason’s lienmaux bolted to return to him.
“She tried to get a bite,” Bruce gently patted Jason’s lienmaux. The well-dressed man followed the dog in the alley where the limo was parked. “I would have given her something to really eat but she left. My name is Bruce by the way.”
Jason gulped, he hid his cross wrench behind him, in hopes that the older man won’t take too unkindly to him despite his attempts to steal from him.
Bruce asked, “Is she your lienmaux?” Not what are you doing? or what are you hiding behind your back?
“Y-yes.”
He chuckled, “Well she’s quite a little troublemaker. Gave one of the waitresses a fright that she dropped two trays.”
Jason’s lienmaux whimpered. I didn’t mean to, she told him through their bond.
“She didn’t mean to,” Jason repeated for her, “it’s my fault. I didn’t get to feed her this morning.”
“You don’t have to apologize; I happen to know that lienmauxes that stir a little chaos can be quite delightful in their own ways. I have one myself.” Bruce had such an endearing tone on the last part, and it was only then that Jason’s eyes landed on a feline near the older man.
A Burmese cat with a neat coat of black fur, her eyes exude a cunning glow that equally matches her playful aura. “Her name is Luna.” Bruce told him, “how about yours?”
There was no point hiding the wrench, and since Bruce seems all too nonchalant about the situation, Jason didn’t bother keeping it behind him anymore. He let his left hand drop to his side, his hold on the wrench loose, and his right hand scratched the nape of his neck.
“I never really assigned one to her. Never had the money to buy a collar. Just called her ‘girl’ or ‘goldie’ since…” Jason trailed off and Bruce nodded to indicate that he got what the boy meant. Since she’s a golden retriever.
“Well for starters,” Bruce finally knelt to the dog’s level and took out a tissue wrapped waffle from his coat pocket. “How does Waffles sound?”
While chewing, Jason’s lienmaux barked in agreement. Jason smiled, “Yeah, she likes that.”
Luna approached Waffles and put her paw above the dog’s paw, she let out a soft purr to which Waffles questioningly tilted her head to. But Bruce understood what Luna said.
“You’re right,” Bruce told Luna, “We should go collar shopping.”
So after a quick return of the tires to the limo, a shopping trip, and a swift agreement to the adoption process that the best lawyers in Gotham have officialized over the span of two weeks – Jason is now Bruce Wayne’s legal second son.
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At seventeen years old, Stephanie Brown had her first boyfriend. His name is Dean and his protective tendencies remind her of Joe’s protective nature. He also has a dog for a lienmaux. A spunky and noisy little cream-colored Pomeranian.
Joe would sometimes complain that Pammy, Dean’s lienmaux, is a little too noisy. In his words: Yaps as if there’s no tomorrow. With a follow-up of a: How can you see yourself in her?
Firstly: she likes to talk like Pammy.
Secondly: she’s easily excitable just like the Pomeranian.
Thirdly: if you were to base on the height difference, she is shorter than Dean; not that much but it’s the principle of it or whatever.
Fourth similarity: she does have some spunk in her too, she’s a badass (in her own way).
And fifth… well Stephanie doesn’t have a fifth but she’s sure she’ll see it soon.
It’s Friday night, and this marks her third date with Dean. Stephanie didn’t want to do the typical ‘eating out at a restaurant’ type of date. Instead, she invited Dean to help her volunteer at the local shelter to help feed the homeless. It’ll help them bond, see if he’s invested in helping others even if it’s a smidge, check if he can humble himself, and maybe see if he can cook or not.
“Thanks for volunteering tonight you guys,” the head volunteer told them as they put on both their hair nets, “we always need extra hands during Friday.”
Steph grinned at her and said that she and Dean are happy to be included. Dean nodded in support of her statement.
“By the way,” the head volunteer raised her index finger, “it’s sloppy joe and squash soup for tonight. So, yeah definitely saucy. Hope you guys are also ready to switch with dishes if needed.”
By the time the head volunteer left, Dean requested Steph. “Can I go with the soup and you go with the sloppy joe? I don’t really like them, too messy.”
Steph can only let out a distracted yeah to him. And with that, Dean took an apron and headed to the soup station leaving a questioning Steph.
She has flashbacks of one day back in elementary. When money was tight for her and her mom, they needed to budget their cash if they wanted to eat. And for two weeks straight, their meals mostly consisted of sloppy joes. Steph was convinced that if she vomits, it won’t be puke that’ll come out, but the meat part of the sloppy joe. But Joe didn’t share the same sentiment, in fact, it became his favorite food. The intimidating dog never got tired of it, and in the perspective of young Stephanie back then, it was only fitting to name him after it.
How can Dean not like sloppy joes? It’s literally where her lienmaux’s name came from. Oh I got it wrong. I got it sooo wrong I-
“Yow Steph! I changed my mind,” Dean exclaimed as he peeked out from the kitchen door, a familiar-colored sauce messily smeared on the sides of his lips. “Sloppy joes are great!”
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Why is it that everyone Jason liked, and has dated, never once had a lienmaux. There was Rena, which admittedly in his part is more of a puppy love and maybe wasn’t his best choice considering the scandal he attracted because of her involvement with drugs. Then there’s Rose, which was more of a friends-with-benefits arrangement that ended in bristling spite considering that their fathers are, to put it lightly, in bad terms with one another. Another notable mention is Kara, no dating phase with her just a summer crush that ended in a platonic agreement on staying as friends.
And lastly was Isabel. An attractive stewardess that he met on one of his flights. He was willing to throw away the whole lienmaux thing. Maybe there’s exceptions, right? Maybe there’s a change not a lot of people know about – that maybe a person can have a lienmaux but their soulmate won’t? Because only one of them needs a hint? Yeah, that wasn’t a thing. And it’s starting to become annoying, as if there’s a god-awful ticking clock just above his head.
He’s far from a romantic or anything synonymous to it, he just wants to meet his soulmate already. It’s just so weird to have a reminder that your soulmate is out there somewhere, represented by an animal that follows you every day, but not have a real proof about the existence of soulmates other than the stories and articles you read about. He doesn’t personally know any successful soulmate stories; with people having a lienmaux becoming less and less nowadays, the only ones he’s close to that has a lienmaux are his father, his younger brother – Tim (he has a curious, light tanned gerbil), and his best friend – Roy (he has a mischievous, black rabbit).
“Well you can look at me,” Bruce gestured to himself, when he found Jason brooding at the library with an irked look on his face while he was reading. Instantly sensing what’s bothering his boy and when Jason gave the confirmation, he quickly made a short speech in mind. “I only met my soulmate by the time I’m in my 40s.”
Jason shivered. He didn’t raise his voice, considering that Waffles is sleeping right on his lap. “That’s too long and so far away, old man.”
Bruce shook his head in amusement. “You’re only twenty-three, Jason. You got more than enough time ahead of you, son.”
The older man cringed a bit, regretting his choice of words because he got ahead of himself at the assumption that Jason feels he’s running out of time when in fact he feels the opposite: he has way too much time.
It was at this moment that Luna decided to make her presence known as she bit on the hem of Bruce’s pants to tug it for his attention. Bruce took her cue and picked her up.
She let out a stern meow. Tell him the other thing.
Bruce smiled and fondly scratched the black cat’s chin before returning to Jason. “Besides… all the best people in life are worth the wait.”
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The ‘D’ in Dean stands for dick . No that might actually flatter him – it stands for douchebag .
Lying, good for nothing, manipulative piece of shit-
Stephanie let out a groan of frustration as she covered her face in her palms. Too embarrassed to let her fuming red face be seen by anyone as she seethes in anger on the steps of her apartment building’s entrance. Four years. Four fucking years she wasted her time on him. Pammy wasn’t even a fucking lienmaux! She was a literal pet, not a soulmate link – he lied to her for four years. If you go under technicalities, they’ve only been together for two years and four months (which means that they had ‘space’ from each other in a grand total of one year and eight months).
Sureeee, they were on-and-off. The very definition of inconsistent. A goddamn Ross and Rachel type of parallel that Steph was too naïve to believe in. God, she groaned again, I’m just like my mother.
Joe huffed. I knew that her yapping was too much. Too much air and didn’t make sense. Joe’s angry growl can be heard both out loud and in his bond with Stephanie as he continued. I thought it was because only Dean could understand her through their bond.
Stephanie has been working part-time at the local bar, The Clawful, for the past five months. Her boss, Selina, has just met her soulmate about a week ago. The woman is tight-lipped about the details on who he was but there was one thing that caught Stephanie’s attention: Winston, Selina’s lienmaux, can understand her soulmate’s lienmaux.
And that has never happened between Joe and Pammy. When Stephanie confronted Dean about it, the stupid and smug son of a bitch , all he did was shrug and said something that made Stephanie want to break then and there.
“You never asked.”
How could she have been so blind? Why did she never listen to Joe every time he grimaces and never enjoyed Pammy and Dean’s company? It’s all starting to make sense now. How he acted so distant with her. The things he has been saying.
We should take a break.
We should see other people. We’re bound to be together anyways, right?
Let’s get some space from each other for a while.
Don’t you think we should let ourselves meet new people before we completely settle down?
Steph was so sure with Dean. Clung onto hope because they lasted this long already. He was so good to her at the start. He made it so hard for her to imagine herself with anyone else. To even try to be with someone that isn’t him.
She thought, how can he… how can I be so wrong. Her hands are shaky and her chest felt tighter than before.
Now here she is, still beyond frustrated and angry and sad as tears almost fell down her eyes. She might as well get up and get in her apartment already if she wants to wallow in self-pity. Joe whimpered and allowed his chin to rest in the space between her knees. His snout sniffed her hands, palms still covering her face.
Please open them, he told her through their link, let me see you.
Stephanie did as Joe requested, she sniffed and although no tears fell, Joe licked her cheek in his attempt to give her comfort.
“I wished I knew about it earlier,” Stephanie breathed out. “I’m twenty-one, I should be smarter than this.”
Listen, he softly commanded through their bond. His eyes full of concern and patience for her as he stared back at her melancholic sapphire orbs, you found him out and it wasn’t too late or anything. I doubt anyone gets it right the first time.
Stephanie nodded and Joe continued. It hurts now. But it’s better that you know it now rather than later, right?
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“And you’re sure you won’t need me there?” Jason asked Tim for what might have been the third time in the call. “I can cancel my flight – no problem.”
Tim pinched the bridge of his nose, “Yeah, Jason. I’m sure I can handle the shelter while you’re gone.”
Jason has been the head volunteer for Friday evenings and Saturday mornings in the local shelter for the homeless for nearly a full year straight. He never once missed his assigned hours. This week, Wayne Industries has a partner in Singapore that’s willing to make a generous donation to help improve the reconstruction of old orphanages in Gotham. Knowing that youth homelessness is a close cause in Jason’s heart, Bruce assigned him to meet up and talk to the interested partner. However, this Singaporean partner holds up a high standard with all their colleagues, so this isn’t something Jason can reschedule.
“And the new volunteers coming in today?”
Now this made Tim pause. “Uhhh,” he trailed off, “about that. I miggght have forgotten to send them the text remin-”
“Tim!”
“I know, I know!” Tim tensely exclaimed. “My phone died on my way here and I am literally charging my phone in the kitchen as we speak. And! This call isn’t helping me with speed-texting the new volunteers.”
“There’s only four of them, why are you still not finished with it?”
“I need to explain myself and let them know I’m sor-”
“Oh god you’re making a paragraph, aren’t you?”
Before Tim could defend himself, there was an audible knock that interrupted his train of thought. A pretty blonde was by the door along with a dog. “Hi, my name’s Stephanie,” is all that Jason heard before Tim hung up on him.
“Oh hi,” Tim stood up from the chair and shook the blonde’s hand, there’s a Rottweiler just behind her trail that he shot a quick smile at. He straightened his posture, “I’m Tim. Are you one of the new volunteers?”
Tim quickly fixed his head volunteer pin and Stephanie answered, “Yup.”
Stephanie isn’t a stranger to volunteer work. She stopped helping for a while to focus on her studies, but since this is her second to the last year in college and they’re required to do some community service to graduate in their final year, she decided that it’s as good a time as any to return. This will help her become familiar with the environment again so that she can do well in volunteering come next year.
Stephanie’s batchmate (and slowly becoming her friend), Kara Kent from journalism, recommended this shelter specifically because she personally knows the head volunteer for the hours Steph wanted to sign-up for. She was sold at the promise that Kara can easily convince him to put in a good word for her should any of Stephanie’s professors ask about her performance in volunteering.
Which is why it prompted Steph to ask, “I don’t want to sound rude but… isn’t a Jason guy supposed to be the head volunteer this Friday night?”
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Breaking News: Bruce Wayne’s second son and Gotham’s brooding prince, Jason Todd Wayne, was discovered in a plane crash last night. This flight was reportedly the one that was supposed to bring him home. Despite his serious and rough exterior, he has proven over the past year that he has a heart of gold as he represented Wayne Industries in multiple international meetings to help settle donations and partnerships that are all dedicated to improving Gotham City.
The cause of why the plane malfunctioned which led it to crash is still under thorough investigation. Five have died while eleven are severely injured with thirty-six having mild injuries. Update came in an hour ago that Jason Todd Wayne is currently confined at Genesis Medical Hospital – details of his state are still disclosed to us. Our sources informed us that Bruce Wayne is currently making arrangements to have his son be moved to Gotham General Hospital.
On behalf of the Gotham News Network, Gotham Gazette, and I am sure thousands of Gotham citizens: we hope that Jason is safe and wish him a speedy recovery.
“Oh, such a poor boy,” Crystal spoke out loud as she attentively looked at the news playing on her television. “He’s already doing some good but then this happened to him.”
Stephanie gave a noncommittal hum of acknowledgement as she continued reading her book on the couch, laser-focused on studying for her finals. Joe is taking a deep nap on her lap.
The older woman lowered the volume of her television and turned to her daughter, “You want any snacks, baby?”
“Yes please.”
Crystal got up from the couch to get a snack for herself and her daughter, she patted both Steph and Joe’s head on her way to the kitchen. Usually, Joe would immediately get up at the mention or hint of a snack. Oddly enough, he didn’t perk up at the offer, but Steph just shrugged it off and figured that maybe her lienmaux was just exhausted.
But if she were to raise her head to watch the news, just take two minutes to watch the clip about this Jason guy: she would’ve seen his lienmaux’s deep concern for him – a devoted golden retriever – quickly following him wherever he’s being carried by the medics, her golden fur so similar to her own hair color.
It might not be enough of a hint. And maybe she would’ve brushed it off and paid it no mind – especially since that was the day when Joe started to sleep so often.
It worried Stephanie to no end. He barely talks, barely eats, barely plays or anything. Sure a lienmaux isn’t an exact equivalent of a pet, they have a body and need to maintain a physical form – sure, but they don’t need to eat as much as an actual animal does so Joe not eating much isn’t that big of a problem. But sleeping for around nearly eighteen hours every day can’t possibly be a good sign, right?
A lienmaux is still a reflection of one’s soulmate. If they die, the soulmate they are linked to has died as well. So that can only mean one thing for Joe: something bad must have happened to Stephanie’s soulmate.