Chapter Text
Braedyn–2181 CE
“I’m really looking forward to this, Kyle.” Braedyn Ryder zips her backpack closed and puts it on. “We’re just a few weeks away from shipping out for basic training, and they’re not sending us to the same place. It’s kind of our last chance to do something just the two of us.”
Kyle smiles, adjusting his own bag. “Same, sis. And…I don’t know. It feels weird being on the Citadel for something like this. I’d rather go to the Sierras for a little bit. Unwind, celebrate our 18th birthday…maybe learn about our soulmate?” He shrugs. “And if we don’t, at least we’re together. Right?”
She nods. “Right. Let’s get going, the ship to Earth is leaving soon.”
By the next day, the pair are unlocking their family’s cabin. There’s a nervous energy in the air as they get settled in and cook dinner before curling up at the fire pit on a couch.
“Nervous?” Braedyn asks, stretching out a foot to nudge her brother and get him out of his head.
“A little. Seemed like a good idea when we planned this to get away from everything, but now…” He trails off.
Braedyn sits up and slings an arm over her brother’s shoulder. “It’ll be fine, Ky. You’ll leave a letter, they’re free to roam the cabin and look through whatever you’ve decided to lay out. And you’ll get to learn about them! And it’ll be great.”
Kyle chuckles, leaning into his sister. “Be serious: are you not nervous?”
“Nah I’m terrified. But whatever in the universe decides this…it works out. So. Stressing about it too much isn’t worth it.”
“Right as always.” He stretches and yawns. “You sure you’re okay sleeping out here?”
She waves him off. “You know I prefer it. Have fun with your creature comforts, and I’ll be sleeping under the stars, enjoying the crisp autumn air.”
They separate and Braedyn gets herself comfortable. She knows they’ve got time–the body switch always aligns with your time of birth. Once you adjust the time, the swap should happen at 10:03 in the morning for her; a minute later at 10:04, so would Kyle. That is if whoever their soulmate was, was of age. Otherwise, you’d stay in your body.
Their plan was that after an hour, Kyle would come to find her. They’d talk about anything they saw, and if the other couldn’t see the fingerprints that accompany this whole process, help find them.
This is exactly how Kyle finds his sister at 11:04 A.M. the next day. She’d dragged a chair as close to the fire as she could manage and curled up in it. There's a blanket over her lap and her eyes fixated on the flames.
His enthusiasm dies as he approaches and rests a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Dyn?”
Braedyn sniffs and rubs at an eye with the hem of her sleeve. “Ky. Tell me all about it.”
He knows she can read the uncertainty on his face as he squishes himself onto the chair next to her. “Their name is Gil. Looks like they’re on an outer world, fixing up ship engines.”
She gives him a little nudge. “I hope you didn’t touch anything, you’re hopeless with tech.”
“Haha. Left them a note introducing myself, promised them I didn’t touch anything, and wrote down my birthdate so they could plan for my swap. They did the same: February 22nd, 3:43 P.M. Said…said they looked forward to meeting me one day.” Kyle wiggles his right hand in front of his sister. “Apparently we’re going to be stupidly formal the first time we meet.”
Braedyn laughs at seeing the arrangement of fingerprints on her brother’s skin–they line up perfectly with a handshake. “How romantic of you, brother.”
Kyle shakes his head and wraps an arm around her shoulders. “...Well? We gonna talk about it?”
“Nothing to talk about.” She gives an awkward shrug. “Watched the clock until 10:03 became 10:04 and nothing happened. I can’t tell where my fingerprints are, so I decided to…curl up here. Hoped the wood smoke would soothe me.”
He squeezes her tight. “Did it?”
She snuggles against him. “A little.”
The pair sits in silence for a time before Braedyn finally says something. “I’m glad you got to see them. Gil, that is.”
“Thanks, Sis.” He untangles them, barely preventing Braedyn from falling out of the chair. He grabs her hands and tries to pull her up.
“Kyle what are you doing?!” A smile has finally broken out over her features as she gets her feet under her.
“We’re gonna find your fingerprints. Shirt off.”
“Ky!”
“What, you don’t have anything I haven’t seen before, you’re my sister!”
“Ugh you’re the worst.” Braedyn pulls at the hem of her shirt, revealing her sports bra underneath. “Well?” She gives a little turn, letting her brother inspect her.
“What the…” Kyle mutters as his eyes land on her lower back.
“What?!” Braedyn starts to spin in a circle, trying to look at her back. “Kyle Scott Ryder tell me right now!”
He grabs her hand and yanks on it, dragging her back towards the cabin. “You…you need to see it.”
“See what?!”
She follows him inside and to a mirror in the living room. “Look.” He grabs her shoulders and spins her so her back is visible in the mirror as Braedyn twists her neck to look.
Braedyn takes in the odd set of fingerprints gracing the lower left side of her back. Three of the deep purple prints are so close they’re practically fused together, like a drell’s second and third digits. The other two prints are oriented like a thumb and finger, but they’re some of the largest prints she’s ever seen. “I…I don’t recognize this print structure. I don’t know of a race that has the last three digits fused and oriented like that. And most that do have pretty thin fingers, these are far too thick for something like a Quarian or a Salarian. There aren’t many races that have this large of prints in general.” She locks eyes with her brother. “Ky…what does this mean?”
“You’re the scientist, not me.” He pokes a finger into her hip, grinning for a moment before his face turns serious. “I really don’t know, Dyn. I guess…I guess we’ll see how things go? Maybe there’s more to the galaxy than we think.”
“Yeah…” Finally, there’s a little spark of excitement about the prospect of her soulmate.
Jaal–2801 CE
“Jaal, stand still!” Ivvea laughs while watching her little brother pace in front of a mirror. “Pacing will not make time move any faster.”
“I am just nervous, yaleon .” Jaal finally pauses for a moment. “What will they be like? What planet are they on? Will it be easy for us to find one another? What if we already know each other?”
“Patience, dear brother.” She crosses to him and grabs both of his hands. “Please, do not get your hopes up. It is very common that one only gets their nari-anj on their birthday.”
“I know.” He gives her hands a squeeze. “I just…I have a good feeling about this.”
With an affectionate smile, Ivvea releases one hand and reaches up to pat her brother’s cheek. After a moment, an alert goes off in the room. She watches Jaal’s eyes fill with excitement, so much so that he misses the odd look that darkens her features. He goes to turn to the mirror but his sister’s tight grip stops him.
“Do you see something? Let me see!” He tries to pull away again but her soft voice stops him.
“Jaal…” Gently, she runs the pad of her thumb over his cheekbone before gripping his chin and turning his head to better catch the light.
“I do not like the tone of your voice. What is the matter, why won’t you let me look?”
She releases him with a start. “Of course.”
“I suppose they must not be of age, but–” Jaal’s voice stops as he catches his face in the mirror, finally noticing the small deep blue swirls that have appeared on his cheekbones. Four more of the swirls follow the curve of his face and jaw on either side. “I…I don’t understand.” Tears soon gather in his eyes as he slumps into a nearby chair.
Ivvea kneels next to him and rubs a hand along his back. “I don’t know what to say, Jaal.” Her mind is already racing, trying to figure out what they will do.
“Please don’t say anything.” His voice is thick with emotion.
“I can make an excuse–”
“No.” He reaches down for her other hand. “We will already have to make enough of those.” He gives it a squeeze. “Stay. Please. I would like this one moment of weakness before facing our people.”
“Of course.” Ivvea leans in and presses her forehead to his shoulder. “You will always have me, olaon .”