September 2: Tell the baby a bedtime story about identity
Ai is sitting on xyr bed, watching. Today, xyr parent came back from "school and end of vacation stuff", which means...
Xyr mother smiles at xem.
"Ready for more of the story?" she asks.
Ai nods.
"Alright, so...
Once upon a time, a seventh son and a second prince left their kingdom to become traveling warriors, due to unfortunate circumstances. They made many meetings along the way, such as an old lady who offered them kindness and a family."
Ai taps on xyr tablet, and holds it up when xe sees xyr mom noticed.
"What do you mean, "many meetings"? We only saw one."
"Well, yes, but they travelled a lot since! Plus," she adds with a wink, "it's more dramatic that way!"
Plhum thinks yet again that has xe have eyes, her little egg would be the deadliest ever with xyr glares.
"Fine, fine, they had one important meeting, and along the way afterwards, they had just regular meetings, like a farmer transporting them in his to the next town, or Gertrude, the tavern owner, and André, the guy who kept offering drinks to everyone because his crush told him yes."
Ai seems satisfied with the answer, and settles back comfortably in xyr bed.
"Actually," xyr mom continues, "André that evening started a chain of events that led to our protagonists current predicament. Indeed, with all the alcohol and camaraderie, it became harder to hold the truth in, and the seventh son -or was it the second prince?- let slip that one of them was of royal origin, and even showed the prince's precious sword as proof.
The next morning, they left the tavern with happiness in their mind, unaware that by that point, all the thieves in town knew of the walking moneybag hidden in their duo.
By the end of the day, all criminals of the region were planning on how to capture the prince.
That night, the second prince and the seventh son stopped in a forest to camp. The next day, they would take the time to explore it, as they've heard many strange tales about this forest, said to inhabit bad spirits and witches. Most of the time, those stories were only that, but they desperately needed the help to become known."
Plhum stops. She looks at Ai with a smile. The egg raises its inexistent brows.
"Ai, if you had to imagine them, how would you say the second prince and the seventh son each look?"
Ai thinks. Then starts to scribble on xyr tablet, hit a button, scribble again. To Plhum's surprise, a text to speech voice rises after the button hit.
"I think the son has dark hair, and blue eyes. He's shorter than the Prince, but more muscular because if the farm work. The prince has long white hair and dark eyes."
"I see, I see..."
Ai this time only shows xyr writing, not using the voice.
"Why are you asking?"
Xyr parent does this annoying "you'll see" smile. Ai used to be a bit uneased by it, but now xe knows that with xyr mom, the "wait and see" attitude was playful rather than... whatever it was back there.
"In the morning, the one with the short dark hair got up. Strange, his friend should have woken him up in the night to take watch instead, but maybe Louis wanted to let him sleep? But then, the white haired beauty wasn't around, and no food was prepared. Manu decided to look around for his friend, and found a note:
"give us one million gold, and we'll give back the prince"
No name, no meeting place, and no date. How was Manu supposed to give them the money? Nevermind finding it too.
No, instead he'd have to go fight for his kidnapped friend.
Taking the sword the second prince gifted the seventh son on his 15th birthday, a beauty with a handle sculpted with a dragon and a blue hue to its blade, Manu went deeper in the forest, tracking for the kidnappers who came discreetly by night.
On his way, he saw strange apparitions, warning him away, and one even tried to kill him. But despite it all, he never faltered, and decided after losing the tracks that the more ghosts appeared, the closest he must be to where his friend was held captive.
And so, he found a manor."
"Where is the identity thing? Please don't tell me it's because you revealed their name, and so their identity."
"Patience, Ai, patience!"
The egg pouts.
"In the manor was hiding a terrible villain, the king of all criminals of the region. His identity was kept secret, but Manu and his family have had the theory in a while that he was none other than the duke of the region... and when after battling many thieves and murderers, he found his way to the king of criminals (which was a name Louis and Manu would criticize when hearing about him, as it was lacking un je-ne-sais-quoi to make it sounds truly terrible), Manu knew he was right. He had seen the face of this man before.
"Are you here to pay for your prince, lackey?" the king asked.
"I think you already know the answer. Give him back!'
The king stared. Then, let out the most boisterous laugh he could.
"Do you think I'm afraid of a servant? You're nothing but a peasant, if I defeated the prince, I can take you easily."
At this, Manu smirked.
"You are right, in a way, as the prince is better at fighting than the son. But it's only because Louis always puts more care in his studies of the world than his studies in the art of fighting."
"Have you lost your mind? No son of His Majesty is named Louis!"
"Indeed, but his godson is. His son's names are Richard, Emmanuel, and Albert."
The dark haired man took out the sword of his friend.
"Generally, they call me Manu."
Shocked by the reveal, the duke didn't immediately react, and the second prince easily defeated him.
His sword against the throat of the king of criminals, Manu tells him:
"You let your expectations of our appearances deceive you, and let our swords mistake us for more than we are. We have no money to give, and we grew as one. You may think has it been my friend facing you, you would have won, but I know you played unfairly. You use tricks to make people run away from your manor, you can't write a ransom note, and if it's so easy to defeat you, then sending too many men is the only way you can win."
Then, in a last, threatening whisper: "Where. is. he."
Of course, the duke faltered and told the second prince where to find the seventh son. When the blade left his neck, a trait of blood was drawn.
Manu easily found Louis, as well as the royal sword, the criminals surely waiting to sell it after the ransom.
The two left under the gaze of the Duke, who swore to take revenge on the two.
"At least now, we'll get to be known as the guys who found the true identity of the King of Criminals," the second prince laughed. Or was it the seventh son?"
Xyr mom stopped her tale with a satisfied smile. Ai thinks in silence for a minute.
Finally, xe writes something on the tablet, and shows it to her.
"So... I'm guessing the identity theme isn't just about the king of criminals?"
"Yes! I'm glad you're starting to think outside the box!" she says, and with it pokes at where she thinks his nose would be.
"I mostly know YOU think outside the box. I'm not there yet."
"Well, that's the first step!"
Ai decides that arguing longer about it would be useless. Xe still makes sure that xyr mom understands xe isn't agreeing.
"Alright, I got it," she starts, and for once she seems to be more serious than usual. "I'll stop annoying you with that."
Hm.
Ai looks to the ceiling with hesitation.
"What IS the out of the box reasoning?"
Plhum smiles. She's glad to see her kid let xemself be curious about the silly things.
"Well, for starter, names, so identity reveal!"
Ai gives her a mortified look.
"But, more seriously, it was the identity swap. The second prince and the seventh son were raised almost together, and at this point of the story, they could look like the prince is the son, and the son is the prince. So they can swap who is who. Even in the story you have moments when the doubt is put on which one has done or said which. To add to it, they are no longer going to be just nobodies, so even their identity as traveling warriors is getting known! So many identity."
Ai thinks about it. There's... some sense to it. And at least, this time there's an obvious tie in to the identity theme. And xe has to admit, it was enjoyable.
Xe gives a nod of approval, which makes xyr mom smile brightly. Who's supposed to be the child, here? Ai amuses xemself.
Xyr mom cups xyr head. Kisses gently xyr face. Whispers good night.
And yes, Ai will likely dream of a white haired peasant reading books alongside a dark haired prince.
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