EnsTren: My brain can't stay away from the Seth wishing he was a girl thing
EnsTren: it wants to DO something with it but doesn't know what
EnsTren: maybe creep Shaddah out?
Edmondia: ...we could scare Mahaado
Edmondia: Again.
Edmondia: But in a different way this time. ^_^
Edmondia: well, this is obviously a long-cherished wish, no?
Edmondia: so it's reasonable to assume it's been there since Egypt...
EnsTren: when he was younger I imagine that the wish had been plastered all over his soul room
EnsTren: esp after he came back
EnsTren: because if he were a girl he wouldn't have been kidnapped, they would have watched him very closely
Edmondia: exactly.
Edmondia: plus, there's that whole "Atemu! How I love thee!" bit
EnsTren: yeah, and the whole children thing
Edmondia: so as a young teenager...
EnsTren: also he doesn't want to be associated with "maleness" since that falls right into the can rape catagory
EnsTren: what would he do? cross dress?
Edmondia: probably would've been his fondest wish, and I'm not sure
EnsTren: fondest wish from 10 onwards I would think
Edmondia: so he'd have to express it in some way
EnsTren: A small shy child moved from corner to corner, shadow to shadow, edgily looking about--moving closer to the only priest he felt even close to trusting. Mahaado was slim so didn't remind Seth about the men so much as of a woman.
EnsTren: "Mahaado?" the child asked, keeping his distance from the priest and himself near a wall.
Edmondia: The priest in question glanced curiously about the empty room, before his eyes set upon the small boy. "Seth?" he questioned, rising from his seat and going over to the boy, kneeling down in front of him so he didn't tower and make him even more uncomfortable. "Is there something wrong?"
EnsTren: The boy still edged away to a more comfortable distance, closer to the door. "Mahaado," he said and blinked, question or statement, both then. "I want to be a girl, can I be changed into one?"
Edmondia: Mahaado stared blankly at him.
EnsTren: "I-I want to be a girl, even if I couldn't be a priest then. Cause it's the only way... only way I'd get to have children, and then I'd have to marry Atemu and people would have to watch me then."
EnsTren: "If I were a girl it would have never happened!"
Edmondia: Mahaado shifted uncomfortably. The child had a point... but... "Um... Seth, could you tell me why you're asking this? I... understand what you just said, but... you cannot change the past."
EnsTren: "They still don't look for me. And I like Atemu because Atemu is the only one my age who cares for me."
EnsTren: "If I were a girl they'd look for me because Atemu would have to marry me."
EnsTren: "And then I could have children, none of the girls will give me a second look except in disgust."
EnsTren: "So I want to be a girl."
Edmondia: Gah. "Um, Seth... being a girl isn't any easier than being a boy, if anything, it's more difficult."
EnsTren: "Cause they bleed? No one pays attention to me and I don't have beacon hair like Atemu, so I can... watch."
EnsTren: "And listen."
EnsTren: "But... if I were a girl and had... all of those things, I could have Atemu, and people would look for me, maybe I'd be pretty."
Edmondia: Mahaado refrained from telling him that he was pretty enough as a boy. "Life would be very difficult," he cautioned, "And... there would be those who would see you dead before wedded to the prince."
EnsTren: "I wish I were dead," he said mournfully, "The girls swelled with child and ruptured and sometimes they cut them open, but they got to die."
EnsTren: "And people would protect me if I were a girl. Would try to keep me alive so I could eventually bear Atemu an heir."
EnsTren: "If... If I were a girl everything would be better!"
Edmondia: Mahaado frowned. "Seth... do you want to marry Atemu?"
EnsTren: The child blushed and nodded, "Yes."
Edmondia: He blanched. It had just been a bizzare suspicion, but... gah.
EnsTren: "Atemu is nice to me and cares about me and plays with me, he's the only one. So how can I not?"
EnsTren: He tucked his arms around himself, fingers curling into his sides, sighing in his self embrace. "He's the only one who could like me back."
Edmondia: It made sense, in a rather bizzare way, now that he thought about it. Atemu was the only person that Seth fully trusted, after all... and he was getting to the age when such thoughts became common.
EnsTren: "Maybe if it were diffrent, if it didn't happen I might have liked Mana, even though you like her Mahaado," and he moved away out of his reach in case this admission angered the priest, "But I don't. I keep... seeing them."
Edmondia: He tried to will down the blush thoughts of Mana always brought him. "...then why are you so drawn to Atemu?"
EnsTren: "Because I'm close to him and he's nice. And he protects me and I protect him. And... even if I had to be cut open and bleeding and dying to give him a child at least... I'd be dead, and I'd have had one."
Edmondia: ...you poor thing. "Even so, how do you think Atemu would react if you suddenly turned into a girl?"
EnsTren: "...I dunno."
Edmondia: ...that makes two of us, little one.
EnsTren: "I want a family, I want children, and... No female will touch me that way, because of my eyes. But if I were female, royal blood... I could have Atemu as my husband and... children running around my feet and I'd take care of them, I'd be a good mother, really!" He looked up at Mahaado earnestly, blinking tears from his eyes but they stubbornly continued to fall.
Edmondia: He reached out an awkward hand, halting before he touched the child, unwilling to cause more harm. "I know you would be," he murmured soothingly, "I know you'd be a wonderful mother," no matter how utterly bizzare the prospect may be.
EnsTren: He stiffed under the hand, tense and still crying, but slowly trembling as he relaxed--fortunately not flopping over as he was prone to do. "I want to be a girl and be looked for and have a family! I'd be good, I promise I would be."
Edmondia: Mahaado cautiously stroked his hair in a movement he hoped was soothing. "I know you would be, you would be a wonderful queen." I cannot believe I just told a ten-year-old boy that.
EnsTren: Though trembling the boy gave him a watery smile, a hopeful one.
Edmondia: ...what do I do now? I don't want to dash his hopes... "...you realize that this may not be possible, even with all the magic you possess?"
EnsTren: "...You talk to the pharaoh about us, I know, can you ask him for me?" He curled in slightly on himself, he was terrified of his uncle.
Edmondia: "...oh most gracious and honorable pharaoh, how does one turn a boy into a girl?" Right. That'd go over well. "Oh most holy pharaoh, your nephew wishes to wed your son?" Akunamukanon would probably think he was crazy. But even so... "I will do my best, Seth."
EnsTren: And the boy smiled at him, something like joy on his face. For a moment he thought that the child was going to hug him. "Thank you Mahaado!"
Edmondia: He smiled back, willing down his uneasiness. "You are most welcome, little one."
EnsTren: Seth reached up, touched his hand, the first time he had touched any adult without meaning to hurt willingly. He pulled his hand down and hugged it to his chest, smiling and happy--despite the twisted reasoning.
Edmondia: He felt his smile become a bit more genuine, and resisted the urge to pull the child in for a hug. It was a start... but only a start, and only to him.
EnsTren: He laughed a little, he was so happy, and ran away, still smiling and waved goodbye.
Edmondia: Mahaado watched him go, then rocked back on his heels and stared blankly up at the ceiling.
Edmondia: ...now what the hell am I supposed to do about this?
EnsTren: I need to talk to Shaddah as well, perhaps the child's soul room would give insight into this... reasoning.
Edmondia: ...and then I have to talk to the pharaoh.
Edmondia: How the hell do I talk to the pharaoh?!
EnsTren: ...Carefully.
EnsTren: First... explain that Seth confided something in me, requested that I talk to him about it... and then have a bout of verbal diarrhea because that's the only way I'm going to get this out.
Edmondia: Then cower pitifully while the pharaoh looks at me as though I've grown a second head.
EnsTren: Pray a bit, and attempt to buy my life back with the fact Seth hugged me... sort of.
Edmondia: Actually... pray a lot.
EnsTren: Perhaps I should start now?
Edmondia: And tactfully dance around the fact that Seth seems to be in love with Atemu.
Edmondia: Very. Tactfully.
EnsTren: Explain it in terms of Seth wanting security--and being Queen, or Queen to be would certainly give him that.
Edmondia: Also mention that the match would be solid for the both of them. Old men like the idea of grandchildren, right?
EnsTren: ...Am I actually considering them as a pair? Actually fighting for the child's admittedly twisted wish?
Edmondia: ...I am a sentimental fool.
EnsTren: He deserves to have whatever he wants though.
Edmondia: Every child deserves happiness.
EnsTren: Though this is the oddest way I've heard or imagined about going to get it.
Edmondia: Is it even possible?
EnsTren: ...That's why I have to ask.
Edmondia: ...I wonder what the children would look like...?
EnsTren: Sweet Ra above, I am seriously considering it!
Edmondia: ...bet they'd be cute.
EnsTren: I must be insane.
EnsTren: They would be cute though, hair edges not as red as Atemu's, more Seth's cinnamin, perhaps purple eyes. Maybe they will take after their grandfathers?
Edmondia: ...I wonder what they'd name them?
EnsTren: Maybe after me?
Edmondia: He smacked himself on the forehead and flopped back onto the cool marble floor, arm draped behind his head as he stared blankly up at the ceiling.
Edmondia: I've officially lost my mind.
EnsTren: ...It's kind of fun.
Edmondia: ...I wonder what the wedding will be like...
Edmondia: Er, would be like.
EnsTren: I should really get an answer before I think about the future.
Edmondia: I really should.
EnsTren: I'm going to die.
Edmondia: The pharaoh is either going to laugh his head off our cut off mine.
EnsTren: ...But if he says yes... Pharaoh Mahaado has a nice ring to it, not me on the throne of course, but the theoretical child they theoretically might name after me.
Edmondia: ...and of course, they'll have plenty of other children that I can help raise, and when Mana and I get married, they can play together with our own children...
EnsTren: He smiled.
Edmondia: And life will be perfect.
EnsTren: Unless I get my head chopped off.
Edmondia: Then I'll be dead.
EnsTren: I hate double or nothing.

EnsTren: ((but would their children look like Yugis? some of them? I can see a few with squashed Yami hair in Seth style))
Edmondia: ((am not sure - I can see messy curly partially-spiked hair))
EnsTren: ((but I can see one chibiYugitype walking around... perhaps they had could conceive him/her just before Atemu died?))

EnsTren: ((what was Aku's reaction, anyways?))
EnsTren: ((stare like Mahaado has two heads))
Edmondia: ((that too))
EnsTren: ((and maybe want to talk to Seth himself, personally))
Edmondia: ((maybe. and have Shadah take a peep into his head))
EnsTren: ((posters everywhere of him being a girl))
EnsTren: (the big locked vault not yet locked, all the pain slowly being pushed in)
Edmondia: ((shrine to Atemu under construction))
EnsTren: (well already a shine to Atemu, but it's getting a rehaul to be a better one)
Edmondia: (more sparkly things)
EnsTren: (and being expanded)
EnsTren: (most of the toys destroyed in the...black sludge of his ordeal)
Edmondia: (black sludge still sticking to the floor)
EnsTren: (nasty things sticking up out of the morass)
Edmondia: (one has to watch one's step)
EnsTren: (and there are several beds, one is destroyed, and bloodied)
EnsTren: (and one is pristine and pure and is the royal wedding bed over in the Atemu shrine)
Edmondia: ((insert Shadah's O_O;; here XP))
EnsTren: (pictures are near the bed, female Seth, voices whispering "Where's Seth? We have to find him!")
EnsTren: ("I'm worried about Seth...")
EnsTren: (a picture of guards stooping down and reaching down to help the viewer up, or pick them up, smiling, grateful that the viewer is okay)
Edmondia: (a picture of being hugged by Mahaado)
EnsTren: (picture, many, of Atemu totalling the bandits)
Edmondia: (a picture of a beautiful shadow-draped woman)
EnsTren: (who is the shadow draped woman?)
Edmondia: ((either his mum or what he wants to be))
EnsTren: (and Shadah is all o.o 0.0 O.O >.< o.0 0.o 0.Ov@.# %_%)
Edmondia: (comes out with a truly bizzare look on his face)
EnsTren: (&____%)
Edmondia: (Mahaado: -_-;; "I knew it.")
Edmondia: ("...so, who votes we make him a girl?")
EnsTren: (Shadah: Even if I tried to alter his soul rom he wouldn't likely notice since most of it is completely covered with the same theme.)
Edmondia: ("Which is...?")
EnsTren: ("Him being female and having children and a family.")
Edmondia: ("Um, Shadah, out of morbid curiosity, how would you alter it?")
EnsTren: ("Black sludge is all over, I'd try to put it into that vault it seems to be going into--there's too much to dispell.")
Edmondia: ("...I see.")
EnsTren: ("He has a shrine to Atemu in there, and it's getting bigger, perhaps I'd move the bed out of it because frankly I find it disturbing.")
Edmondia: (A vaguely muttered, "Why did I expect that, and why am I not more disturbed by it?" wafted in from Mahaado's direction.)
EnsTren: ("It's the royal wedding bed.")
Edmondia: (The look on Akunamukanon's face was somewhere between utterly horrifying and utterly hilarious.)
EnsTren: ("There were... pictures there too, nothing too bad... Just wishes.")
EnsTren: ("And whispers.")
Edmondia: ("Whispers?")
EnsTren: ("Things he wants to hear.")
EnsTren: ("Things like "Where's Seth?" "We have to find him," "I'm worried about Seth," "Let's play together Seth," "No, you two aren't scary at all," and it's... all sorts of voices, I recognize a few of the the other high born children's voices, and also voices of the guards.")
Edmondia: ("...I see.")
EnsTren: ("He thinks if he were female these wishes might come true, at least some of them.")
Edmondia: ("...foolish child." But there was no venom in the tone.)
EnsTren: ("Would it not be true in small ways, however? If he was to be Atemu's wife would the guards not have protected him better, searched for him--HER more ardently?")
Edmondia: ("...one supposes.")
EnsTren: (A heavey sigh and shake of heads, "Atemu does need a wife, however.")
Edmondia: ("Are you suggesting we entertain this ludicrous idea?")
EnsTren: ("Atemu needs a wife, Seth wishes to be his wife with almost all of his heart and soul. He hates and fears all other males.")
Edmondia: ("We could always find him a wife as well.")
EnsTren: ("Are there any highborns who don't fear him?")
Edmondia: ("One could ask the same of Atemu.")
EnsTren: ("Exactly.")
Edmondia: ("Um, I have a question," Mahaado spoke up, "Does anybody have any idea how to turn someone into a girl?")
EnsTren: ("It is possible, if done before he reaches physical maturity, or starts to, he is still young enough...")
Edmondia: (Mahaado's nose wrinkled.)
Edmondia: ("...and who will explain this to my son?")
EnsTren: ("In all honesty Great Pharaoh, I do not believe your son will care. Though I have not seen his soul room he has proven his love of Seth already, has he not?")
Edmondia: ("...the mere fact that I'm even contemplating this is saying something about my own sanity, is it not?")
EnsTren: ("...Perhaps.")
Edmondia: ("And how would we handle the fact that up until now, he was definitely a boy?")
EnsTren: ("There are those who would kill any potential wife of your son, Holy Pharaoh, we may say we were hiding her by disguising her as a boy.")
Edmondia: ("Explain then, the rather spectacular failure of this that was her kidnapping.")
EnsTren: ("It wasn't an assassination attempt.")
Edmondia: ("That still does not explain why the intended queen was taken so easily.")
EnsTren: ("No one knows that she was the intended Queen. Even the guards think she is male.")
Edmondia: ("Even so, how could Atemu be expected to wed a damaged female?")
EnsTren: ("I do not believe anyone could stop Atemu from doing what he wishes to do. Further, we can lie about that if we must and silence those who know.")
Edmondia: ("...so we play off their fear of them even more.")
EnsTren: ("Why not? It is not as if we can erase it.")
Edmondia: ("We will have to start protecting her better, then.")
Edmondia: ("And make sure we're using the right pronouns," Mahaado muttered.)
EnsTren: ("Yes, that will be difficult, but, judging from the current pronouns I suspect we already have come to a concurrance on what to do?")
Edmondia: ("She'll have to start dressing appropriately for her new station.")
EnsTren: ("Aren't we going to continue to hide her as a male?")
Edmondia: ("For how long?")
EnsTren: (There were clueless shrugs all around, Aishizu rolled her eyes, "Until it's time obviously.")
EnsTren: ("And we need to talk to Atemu about this as well.")
Edmondia: ("I imagine that'll be a bit of a surprise.")
EnsTren: ("Which is why we must speak to him now. If he does not wish to marry Seth I doubt even you, Holy Pharaoh, could convince him otherwise.")
Edmondia: (Mahaado rolled his eyes. "Don't be stupid, of course he'll marry her.")
EnsTren: ("What makes you think that, Mahaado?")
Edmondia: (Mahaado gave them all a very bland look. "Maybe because I know them.")
EnsTren: ("That you do, Mahaado, but I think Atemu deserves a bit of forewarning.")
Edmondia: (He shrugged. "So tell him.")
EnsTren: (More shrugs all around, and they sent for Atemu.)
Edmondia: (And he came in and stared up at the ring of priests and his father with a faintly puzzled expression.)
EnsTren: (They didn't know how to start, Aishizu and Mahaado shrugged at each other. She crouched down and smiled at the little prince.)
EnsTren: ("Atemu, we're going to make Seth into a she so she can marry you and bear your children.")
EnsTren: (When in doubt, be blunt, the others resisted slapping their faces or face planting.)
Edmondia: (Atemu looked up at her, then at Mahaado. He frowned for a moment, thinking.)
EnsTren: (Mahaado crouched down and smiled a little at the prince and examined his face for a clue.)
Edmondia: ("...will that make him happy?" Atemu asked Mahaado seriously.)
EnsTren: ("He wants it very badly, he thinks it will, and I think it will too, but not as much as he thinks it")
Edmondia: (Atemu nodded once. "Okay.")
EnsTren: ("...Do you want to marry Seth?")
Edmondia: ("...um, I dunno. I guess.")
EnsTren: ("Do you want to marry any of the other high born girls?")
Edmondia: (His nose wrinkled. "Ew.")
EnsTren: ("So Seth is the best choice then.")
Edmondia: (Atemu shrugged again. "Okay. Can I go now?")
EnsTren: ("Sure.")
Edmondia: (He held his arms out to Mahaado, patiently waiting to be picked up.)
EnsTren: (Mahaado smiled and picked him up, cradling him against his chest.)
Edmondia: ("Shall we go tell Seth the good news, my prince?" he asked gently.)
EnsTren: (The chibi smiled and nodded, "Yes! It will make him happy.")
Edmondia: (And they left the circle of priests and the pharaoh.)
EnsTren: (And the Pharaoh pinched the bridge of his nose.)