Actually I think soulmarks have been pretty well explored for romance -- but not in any way that I like very much. What if we tried:
- "It doesn't mean I like you. It means it's my life's task to learn to be allies with you."
- Soulmarks were only really for peacemaking royal marriages, and they've been unknown since monarchy stopped being a valid system of government. So when that mark shows up on your arm, what the hell do you do?
- It turns out that the marks are the result of a third party, an alien intelligence, and this is how it's participating. Basically you are both Xorg's lovers now.
- The marks don't match one person with another person but sort people into groups. You don't have a single soulmate, but you do know you're looking for someone with a diamond on their shoulder.
- That scenario where you share what your soulmate experiences -- you just conclude that your house is haunted.
- Person A: I found my soulmate and I'm intensely attracted to him and tenderly interested in his wellbeing but tbh I don't respect him or even especially like him. Person B: I found my soulmate, but I've been playing this role for so long I don't know how to show him who I really am
- "So this means I can't be with anybody else as long as you live, right? Guess I have to kill you."
- "It doesn't mean I like you. It means it's my life's task to learn to be allies with you."
- Soulmarks were only really for peacemaking royal marriages, and they've been unknown since monarchy stopped being a valid system of government. So when that mark shows up on your arm, what the hell do you do?
- It turns out that the marks are the result of a third party, an alien intelligence, and this is how it's participating. Basically you are both Xorg's lovers now.
- The marks don't match one person with another person but sort people into groups. You don't have a single soulmate, but you do know you're looking for someone with a diamond on their shoulder.
- That scenario where you share what your soulmate experiences -- you just conclude that your house is haunted.
- Person A: I found my soulmate and I'm intensely attracted to him and tenderly interested in his wellbeing but tbh I don't respect him or even especially like him. Person B: I found my soulmate, but I've been playing this role for so long I don't know how to show him who I really am
- "So this means I can't be with anybody else as long as you live, right? Guess I have to kill you."