Mindlink Mates: Difference between revisions

{{quote|'''Luke:''' You know, when we were fighting those sentinels down there, something happened to me. To us. We were so close in the Force that it was like we'd become a single person. It was... it was something very special.

'''Mara:''' Really? How special?

 

This is a romantic trope where lovers share not just their lives and beds but actually [[Psychic Link|their consciousness]]. Most often they're from an already [[Psychic Powers|telepathic]] race but this telepathy goes even further; maybe they're always aware of the other, not just when communicating but ''always'', or they actually feel exactly like the other, or something like that. Sometimes successful reproduction is tied to it. Sometimes [[Morality Chain|the sanity of one,]] usually the male, or both partners depends on the mindlink. Often the link is not unsoliticious. [[Synchronization|It goes both ways, so if something bad happens to one of them...]]

 

This is a subtrope of [[Fantastic Romance]]. Also see: [[Mental Affair]]

{{examples}}

* One episode of ''[[Kino's Journey]]'' touched upon this concept, with less than desirable results.

* Makoto Mizuhara does this with Ifurita at the end of the ''[[El-Hazard: The Magnificent World|El Hazard the Magnificent World]]'' OAV. He's capable of [[Synchronization|synching]] with El Hazard technology, and she's a [[Ridiculously-Human Robots|battle-gynoid.]]

* The protagonists from Seo Kouji's oneshot, ''[[Half And Half]]'' get linked this way by the local variant of Kami-sama as part of a life-extension deal in which they had to decide which one would die. This system was partly to keep them from trying to off one another and partly so that the one to die would have more miles under the metaphorical belt. There seems to be a feedback filter implied somewhere.

* Kouichi and Keito from ''[[Cat Street]]'' are a little like this.

* Played straight with Lalah Sune and Amuro Ray from ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]''. Both became attracted to each other because of their mind link connection, and were noted as the first of their kind to become Newtypes. Even after Lalah's death, Amuro was still strongly connected to her. It's also said Lalah was Amuro's first great love.

* In ''[[Psychic Academy]]'', Ai and Mew form a mental link due to their auras being 100% compatible. This causes considerable awkwardness due to the fact that Ai is dating Orina, Mew's roommate and Ai's childhood friend (The most extreme point being an evening at a [[Love Hotel]] being ruined because Ai realizes that Mew is in danger). The psychic who is able to measure aura compatibility does make a point of mentioning that aura compatibility is not the same thing as personal compatibility, citing two classmates whose auras are only 30% compatible but are utterly smitten with each other as an example. {{spoiler|He eventually does choose Mew over Orina - but only just before she dies}}.

* ''[[Dragon Ball]]'': {{spoiler|After Vegeta's [[Redemption Equals Death|self-destruction to stop Majin Buu]], his wife Bulma is shown to sense his death before having it confirmed.}}

 

* The elves of ''[[Elf Quest]]'' are telepathic, but they can form an even closer bond where they somehow see the soul of the other. This leads to the affected pair mating like bunnies, so possibly the body is involved as well as the soul.

** Technically, ''Recognition'' (as it's called) happens when the "reptile" part of the brain—left over from millennia ago, before the elves evolved to their current form—psychically connects with another "reptile" brain and the two realize that their offspring would be better equipped genetically than either parent (e.g., one has hearing problems but good eyes, the other has normal eyesight but good ears, so the kid would have good ears ''and'' eyes). The reptile brain then "persuades" the rest of the body to get together with the other elf (you go have sex "or I'll make you ''so'' sick, I promise!"). Oh, and this can happen multiple times—either with the same partner or with completely different partners. So, yes, genetics may override an individual's desire for monogamy.

** Scott and his [[Strangled by the Red String|instant replacement interest]] Emma Frost have a version of this .

* Coagula and Robotman in the Rachel Pollack run of ''[[Doom Patrol]]''.

 

 

** In Vegeta's case, this idea came from a scene set during the Buu arc where Bulma seems to sense that something bad has happened to him... he blew himself up.

* Frequently used in [[Fan Fiction]], especially in the ''[[Harry Potter (novel)|Harry Potter]]'' fandom.

** Harry/Ginny is also a popular target - [http://dukebrymin.livejournal.com/43809.html someone made a list], and it's long.

* There are several ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' fanfics involving this, usually between Shinji and Rei. One of them has the couple sharing not only thoughts but sensory information as well, up to and including ''sexual stimulation''. [[Power Perversion Potential]], anyone?

** K/S and S/Mc fic, in particular, make a Very Big Deal out of the "mindlink" aspect - in K/S, Kirk is generally portrayed as very enthusiastic about the bond. In contrast, S/Mc often makes an issue of McCoy's distaste of the mind-meld and his eventual acceptance.

* This is quite common with ''[[Doctor Who]]'' fanfiction too, particularly with Doctor/Master. Their {{spoiler|recent mind meld}} hasn't hurt matters.

** Actually most people just assume that any Time Lord marriage-relationship-thing of more than a passing nature must needs also involve a mind-meld-y telepathic Bond which tends to be Capitalized. There are legions of Rose/9 or /10 fics in which this is the case.

* The Horseshoe Nail series for ''[[Firefly]]'' had {{spoiler|River accidentally pulling one of these with Jayne. Neither were amused when they found what had happened.}}

* ''[[My Inner Life]]'' gives "[[Psychic Link]]" a whole new, disturbing meaning.

* In the ''Snapped'' offshoot of ''[[Team 8]]'', this is implied—Naruto is killed, but manages to hook his consciousness onto that of the Kyuubi as it leaves his body for Itachi's, and then when this kills Itachi both enter and inhabit Hinata (who is still young enough, unlike Itachi, for her chakra coils to stretch enough to survive the Kyuubi's chakra). Later it is stated that Hinata "always has very interesting dreams".

* In ''[[Total Drama Comeback Series]]'', [[Crack Pairing|Ezekiel and Heather]] have complimentary dreams about each other. In this case, is not explicitly supernatural, it just sort of marks their growing feelings and [[Character Development]].

 

 

 

 

* Trip Tucker and T'Pol on ''[[Enterprise]]'' had a psychic bond and were in love (largely due to T'Pol's damaged emotional control from drug abuse.

* Troi and Riker from ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' were like this early on, talking to each other telepathically a lot. Then I guess they decided it was stupid and dropped it.

** Picked up in the novels, especially [[Peter David]]'s ''Imzadi''.

** Much later, in the seventh season episode "Attached", Captain Picard and Doctor Crusher are mind-linked for an episode due to neural implants. During this time, they come to terms with their feelings for each other and (in a mild subversion) decide to keep things professional (because of personal history and because [[Status Quo Is God]]). The [[Series Finale]] does show them <s>hooked up</s> divorced in the future however.

* Subverted in [[Star Trek]] TOS ''Amok Time''. Spock had a mindlink placed in him as part of an [[Arranged Marriage]] when he was a child. This mindlink was suspiciously easily overcome.

* Another example was in the live action ''[[Beauty and the Beast (TV series)|Beauty and The Beast]]''. Vincent and Catherine could usually tell when the other was in trouble. When the mind-link broke, it almost drove Vincent crazy.

* On ''[[Fringe]]'', Oliva and John Scott have this {{spoiler|even after he's dead}} via the sensory deprivation tank.

* In an early episode of ''[[Babylon 5]]'', a telepath says that having sex with another telepath invokes this trope, comparing it to mirrors endlessly reflecting one another.

* Played with on ''[[The X-Files]]'' between Mulder and Scully, though oddly (given the paranormal premise of the show) never truly explored. The most overt of this implied "link" is the fact that they dream of each other while the other is abducted; Mulder dreams of Scully being tortured in season two, while Scully does the same in season 8. In fact, this becomes so regular that Scully panics when she stops having the dreams, for fear that Mulder's death might be the reason.

 

== Music ==

 

 

* Kevyn in ''[[Schlock Mercenary]]'' while bantering with his sister made [http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2005-05-07 a dirty joke about her cyborg husband and AI]. Later [http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2011-12-22 Petey facilitates mind-to-mind communication] between Elf and Kevyn, during which the idea is (briefly) discussed.

 

== Web Original ==