Fading and glowing tattoo au. Children develop their soulmate tattoos at age 6 they start gray and develop colors the more you get to know your soulmate only turning fully colored when the soulmates have fallen in love. 

TW: classism a bit of homophobia and sadness 

"Mama! Look! It's here, it's here!" edalyn went racing down her stairs to her parents' study.

"Slow down owlet. Let's see." her father chuckles and lifts his daughter into his lap as her older sister followed slowly behind and finally entered the room.

Young Edalyn pulled her sleeve up and showed the gray tattoo on her lower arm.

"It's a Fox! I can't wait to meet them!"

Gwendalyn hugged her older daughter by the shoulder and let her youngest ramble to her father as she took herself and Lilith out of the room.

"I want it off." lilith said once again.

"I know little raven. We're working on it." she whispered. 

The clawthorn family, a middle class family composed of a beautiful couple and two perfect children. One was smart and grateful the other was athletic and kind. That's who they were on the outside. Their truth was much darker. A genetic curse passed down generations plagued the family. The clawthorn family curse turned one member into a horrific monster if not constantly treated or removed. This secret they take to their graves. 

The world was divided by classes, the lower class were seen as less than all, the middle class was left alone and the upper class kept to themselves but above them all were a select group of elites. Child prodigies and geniuses in every field. Soulmates played a big role in society. The better the pairing, the more encouraged it is of course not everyone meets or even wants their soulmate. For those who do not meet or want their soulmate are paired up with their perfect match. This match is decided upon by social class and skills. Most of them were fine, others were not. Within this group of elites we meet another special person. Raine Whispers. Child of a music teacher and a politician. A middle class born child who belonged much higher.

"They play beautifully. And they wrote their own song! At only 8! I say that they are worthy." one woman said with glee

"A child able to play at this level will do well in our society but the parents... they will never fit." one of them men scowled.

"Oh forget the parents! We cannot pass this chance up!"

"It is decided."

The four judges called this whispering family into their office to deliver their decision. 

"We have decided that Raine is eligible to join our junior elites." raines parents squealed in pure joy. "They will receive the best education we can offer as well as private time with world class composers and performers. And with the right teaching can become the top of the music world. But." The joy came to a halt. "The pair of you are not welcome amongst the elite."

"But our da- our child needs us! They are eight!" Raines mother yelled

"If they are old enough to decide their gender identity and mature enough to play like a world class performer they are mature enough to join the elites without you."

"We have someone who will act as a guardian. And we will keep everything else in check. You will receive updates about your child and will be invited to performances but nothing more." the man slid a contact towards the parents.

"You cannot expect us to-

"Clara. We cannot pass this up."

"Zander. You can't."

"We agree."

In only a matter of minutes raine watched their life be signed away and said goodbye to their old life. Their middle class clothes were scappred for a well tailored uniform.

"Um. is there a reason I need to cover my arms?"

"Yes. we don't need you distracted by that soulmate nonsense. Now come along."

This is where our story comes into play. A story of friendship, betrayal, of separation and secrets. This is the story of the Owl Lady and the Bard. 

(4 years later)

"Come on lily! Ask me another one!"

"Ok. The boiling point of water is?"

"100*C or 212*F Easy! Heads up!" Eda threw her basketball at her sister's face only for her sister to catch it with one hand.

"There is a reason I'm team captain edalyn." The two girls finally arrived at their school. Hexide Academy school for the gifted.

"Don't forget assistant principal bump needs to see you. Good luck." lilith said as the bell rang.

The girls went their separate ways as Edalyn happily went to the most common place to find her, the principal's office.

"Miss edalyn."

"Principal Faust, vice principal Bump. Can we make this quick? I have gym second period."

"Miss Clawthorn, do you know why you're here?"

"Hmm. setting fire to the chem lab? No, that was last week. Oh is it the bubbles in the girls locker room! No, that was yesterday. Ummm. for once no."

"It's about your grades." eda could only roll her eyes.

"Miss edalyn. You are a phenomenal student. You ace your tests! You're in most of our advanced courses of study. Yet your grades do not reflect this! You do not cooperate with teachers, you refuse to do classwork, you are putting your education at risk!"

Eda only stared blankly.

"Needless to say we have decided you will be one of our representatives at this year's course clash."

"What's that?"

"Every year the school sends their top students from each subject to compete, and the winning school gets a trophy. You will be competing in our science course. You have no say. The bus will be here in an hour. Dismissed."

Eda sulked in her next class just waiting for the bus being loaded on and given a change of uniform.

"What's wrong with my uniform?"

"They color code the event. Just do it edalyn." the vice principal sighed,

Sitting in the back eda sulked the entire ride looking at the other group of kids on the bus, some happy to be there others looked scared.

The event itself bored her, it was stands going over the basics getting points for correct answers. Eda left the group to escape her boredom and took some of the nasty punch they served.

"Bleh!"

"Yeah that stuff sucks. That's why you gotta bring your own." another person stood before her. "Here." the person passed her a juice box.

"Thanks."

"First time here?"

"What gave it away?"

"You're funny."

"Im eda, edalyn clawthorn."

"Raine whispers. Nice to meet you."

The two kids talked throughout the event sticking together like glue discussing their track and other topics. Hexide was in the lead when finally the guest speaker arrived.

"Hello students! I am miss Terra Snapdragon. And I am here for the final event of the night! The battle of the brains. Is that really the name? That is the stupidest thing i've ever heard. The rules are simple. You get one question for each subject and one chance for each student. Whoever answers the most questions wins! Hexide and St epidermis will be competing. Get in your team now we are about to begin." 

There were 9 topics. Math, science, history, english, art, music, technology, medical, and athletics.

Eda stood in line with the rest of her team waiting question after question. It was down to the last three. Hexide was up by one. Science, music and athletics was all that was left and they were down a teammate.

"The chemical formula of sugar is blank and is called what?"

"It's C6H12O6! Sucrose!" the st epidermis student yelled

"Wrong. Hexide."

"C6H12O6. Glucose." eda said with a smug smile.

"Correct."

"A double 'p' on music indicates what?"

"It stands for pianissimo and means very quiet! That's elementary!" raine yelled.

"Hexide wins."

Eda pulled raine into a hug as they celebrated. Before raine was called over by Terra.

"Well bump! I did what you asked. So does this mean I get out of detention?"

"Nice try. Oh congratulations by the way."

"Oh the contest? It was easy."

"I meant your arm. Get on the bus with the others."

Eda looked down at her arm seeing the tip of the fox's tail was colored in.

"Huh. well what do ya know."

"Hey eda! Wanna sit with me on the bus?"

"Definitely." The new friendship blossomed between the two as they grew closer though at the back of Eda's mind she could shake this feeling.

"Hey i know this may sound a little rude but what social class are you?"

"Oh I'm a member of the junior elites! I'm the music prodigy. What about you?"

"Middle class."

Social status wouldn't tear these friends apart, they just got closer within a few days eda went from eating lunch with just her sister to being invited to meet the rest of the junior elites.

"Guys i want you to meet edalyn and lilith clawthorn." waves and a few hellos were given from the elites.

"This is alador blight, he's an engineering genius." the scruffy brown haired boy waved before going back to messing with the item in his hands.

"Darius is an engineering master too. But he's actually on the path to become a possible government leader or major part in our judicial system."

"Nice to meet you.'' Darius had his hair tied back in a ponytail and shot a smile towards the girls. 

"Odalia is the youngest business woman in the country." The young girl didn't even look at the girls as she was on her phone attempting to sell something.

"And this is barry. He's a journalist."

"Nice to meet you!"

"Come sit!"

"So have any of you met your soulmates?" eda asked.

"Who has time for those?" odalia scoffed.

"We've met ours but don't know who they are." Darius said genering between himself and alador. Barry just shook his head.

"I haven't checked. I've been too busy." raine said.

Lilith sat nervously as her sister made friends with the entire table nose deep in a text book. 

Back at home Lilith laid into her sister. "I can't believe you! What are you doing! They are elites! Child prodigy! geniuses! Why the hell are you getting so close!"

"It's fine lilly! They're our friends! Besides raine is my best friend. It's only normal that I would meet their friends soon enough."

Lilith just glared at her sister before grabbing her wrist and plucking a feather from her skin. "Don't forget who we are edalyn. What are you going to do when you turn into a beast around them! What then!"

"I won't let it happen." 

Lilith let go of her sister with a glare and yelling for their mother before retreating into her room.

Gwendolyn rushed up the stairs with an elixir and led her youngest daughter to her room.

"I don't get it mom! Why does Lilith have the raven but I still have the beast!" eda complained as she drank her elixir.

"Your beast is more powerful than hers and much more stubborn. We tried edalyn but we have to wait before we try again. Now get some rest." 

Lilith had her beast removed many years prior, it lives in her room as a violent bird only dubbed 'the raven'  

It became a routine for the girls. Class, lunch with the elites, end with an argument at home about something. The arguing stopped as the girls got into their teens. At 13 edalyn was invited to raine's first performance with front row seats. 

She watched with wide eyes as raine stepped out on stage but her joy soon turned to fear as she watched raine freeze. Raine looked like they were barely breathing, and Eda jumped from her seat and yelled her friend's name, snapping them out of their trance. She switched seats with a nice rich man and sat as close to raine as possible. Raine smiled and with their eyes on eda finally began to play. Odalia waited by the door for the end of the concert to make more money as just as it ended eda ran backstage and lifted her friend into a hug.

"That was amazing!"

"Thanks." raine laughed. The two ran out the back door to get away from the crowd and laughed in the alleyways at their childish antics.

"So what was that?" eda asked as she paid for food they got at a street vendor.

"I have performance anxiety. It's never gotten that bad before."

"Well you've never had this big a crowd. Plus your social anxiety probably didn't help you."

"Ouch."

"Hey don't take it personally. Besides, you got your groove back!"

"Yeah... thanks for that." eda and raine smiled at each other in peaceful quiet. "Eda i.."

Without another word they began to move closer to one another, eda reaching up to put her hand on raines shoulder. Just as their lips were about to touch "RAINE WHISPERS!"

"Miss Terra!"

"What the hell was that!"

"I'm sorry my stage fright got the best of me. I'll try not to let it happen again."

"No matter. Let's go, the others are waiting."

"Yes miss Terra." raine looked back, mouthing sorry to eda.

Eda with a smug look didn't let it stop her. Later that night raine awoke to a knocking sound on their window. Grabbing their glasses they looked only to see the figure of edalyn mother fucking clawthorn. 

"Eda! What are you doing here!" raine hissed in a whispered voice as they flung open their window.

"Finishing what we started earlier." eda pulled raine close into a sweet moonlit kiss. "Ok i'll let you sleep. Night rainestorm."

Raine was dazed and confused on a bit of a high and could only smile as eda left.

"You good?" Darius asked from their doorway.

"Never better."

"Nice tattoo." was all Darius said before heading back to his own room.

Raine looked down to see their tattoo halfway filled. Maybe their hunch was right.

Eda and raine were nearly inseparable after the moonlight kiss. But neither would fully define their relationship for another year. Their sweet relationship became a staple of the group. Eda came to every one of raines performances and as raine became more popular it became a race to keep themselves secret. When they finally graduated hexide lilith continued her studies to pursue a greater career. Alador started a small business with darius while Darius began his career in law. Odalia started yet another company and was rising to the top and raine stayed an amazing performer only getting better.

Only a week before raine would finally make their debut as an elite and no longer be a junior elite the couple had ditched a performance to have a date on a hilltop far away from the city. Eda was laughing and playing a song for raine on the lute. Raine was laying on their side admiring their amazing girlfriend. Once she finished playing, Raine reached up and ran their finger through her hair taking hold of one of her gray streaks. "Your hair is already graying."

"Oh. that's normal. Don't worry about it."

"Don't lie to me eda. Please." eda had never told raine about their curse to the full extent. Only that she had something wrong with her that was passed down genetically.

"Really I'm fine. The curse just ages me faster. It happened to my father too."

"Terra is going to kill me for missing that concert."

"You make every single concert missing one won't kill you."

The couple laughed and sat closer looking up at the sky.

"I have a crazy idea. What if at my concert next week. We play that song I wrote?"

"The duet? You mean it?"

"Why not! It's my concert!" 

Moments like these were few but heavenly. Between Eda's small business as well as her trying to continue her education on her own and then Raine's schedule it was difficult to see each other. Eda missed the company of others, her sister and her were not speaking after the incident and eda ran away from home a couple years prior. Raine was her safepoint, her sanity.

When the sun finally set and eda returned raine home she was met by odalia and Terra when she began to leave.

"May I speak with you?"

"Sure?"

Eda ended up in odalia's office sitting across from her as odalia drank a cup of tea.

"Look I won't keep you here so i'll make this quick. You really need to stop."

"Stop what?" eda snapped back

"Oh eda. Don't play dumb. We all know what you're doing."

"I don't think you do. Enlighten me."

"You're holding them back." eda froze. "So you do know. I knew you were not that dumb. You couldn't possibly think you and raine were going to work did you?"

"Why wouldn't we! Were meant to be together were-"

"Eda. You have to be realistic here. Soulmate or not you're no good for them. They are an elite member of society. A musical genius, a prodigy. And you're a beast. Your worlds were never meant to cross. If you never got into hexide who knows where raine would be! Probably halfway around the world. But because of you they started slacking! Just today they missed a concert! Make the right decision. For them."

As eda left she began to really think about what odalia said when another person spoke from behind her. "Raine needs to learn how to be their own person. Think of them."

Eda went back to her home and began to sob. Owlbert came over to comfort her.

"They're right, owlbert. I think it's time." 

A week later as raine was getting ready to perform they couldn't find eda nor get ahold of her. "Alador, have you seen eda?" they asked as alador messed with the microphone.

"Not since last week? I think odalia saw her last."

"I haven't seen her in at least a week. And don't bother asking Lilith, they haven't spoken since she left home."

"Maybe she's just late."

The concert had begun, and still no eda raine was growing more anxious by the minute.

"Thank you all for coming. It is my pleasure to announce raine whispers! Elite musician!"

Raine walked on stage looking to the wings one last time and began to play their song they wrote for eda, eda's requiem. With tears in their eyes. Just outside the city eda took one last look at the concert hall before taking off into the dark woods with owlbert on her shoulder.

After the concert raine felt their heart grow heavy as they lifted their sleeves. Their tattoo that should have been almost all the way full was once again almost completely gray with only the smallest bit being colored.

"Eda..."

Eda looked at her own tattoo nearly full and the box in her hand before throwing the box in the river and watching the ring box sink to the bottom. "It's for the best."

That day eda pushed raine out of her heart and out of her life for good. Turning to a life fit for a beast like herself. 

(20 years later)

Cameras flashed as the red carpet was rolled out, the elite's ball. Run by the greatest of them all himself, belos. The most powerful man in their country. Limo after limo showed up with an elite in tow. Terra was first in all her glory walking alone as she had for many years. Followed by belo's right hand woman governess Lilith clawthorn with her was Belos's nephew only known as the golden child. Darius was next. The government's top lawyer no one knew law like darius. Walking with him was animal scientist Eber, top of their field a man of few words. The blights followed them, odalia stunned the world in her dress with her husband in tow. For once she even brought her children. Adrain arrives in style with Hettie sharing his entrance. Barry reports the entire event interviewing the elites as they arrive and finally Raine's own limo arrives. They looked at their faded tattoo once more before opening the door. 

With a wide stressed smile raine made their way inside taking their seat close to