[quote=@Natsu]
God though, I can't believe some people don't find the bonding horrifying. 
 I mean, your self is the most personal and private thing about a person, no matter what, you are you. Sharing that with another would be a massive act of trust and probably scary. 
[/quote]

It is a massive act of trust. It's tying the souls together. You remain yourself, but you also have another person always with you. Because of this, its not unheard of for certain side effects to happen, such as increased empathy, thought reading, a desire to always be near your partner, separation anxiety, and even dream linking. It’s rare for more than one to happen to a certain pair, but they do occasionally happen.

And as pointed out before, this practice is cultural. It’s as normal here as losing baby teeth or celebrating a bar mitzvah or quincenera. There will be some who are unsure about sharing their soul with another person, but this culture has a profound emphasis on unity. The idea that it is not only healthy, but the natural state of the universe for mages and familiars to be bonded is the deep underlying motif here.

Also, [@TheHangedMan], [@Hammerman], there’s no need to be hasty, as you all are in the second group. If you’ll re-read the announcement, I ask that those in the second group please wait for everyone in the first group to have a chance to post once. Please be respectful of each other, there’s no race here. : )