It begins millennia ago. With a Pharoah and a young citizen who meet in secret every night to play games. They are best friends, despite every social rule that says they should not be together.
Fast forward over five millennia. Two high schoolers walk home, hand in hand, each grinning from ear to ear. They are new lovers that have finally confessed after years of obvious pining. Their one week anniversary is today, and they have just shared a chaste kiss behind the school. This new ground of their relationship is something so new, yet so easy for them they fear it might be too good to be true.
Go back one hundred and fifty years, to a small cottage atop a hill. Two lovers watch as the crowd marches closer along the path. Their relationship has been exposed, and the Christian townsfolk are not happy. One asks -begs- the other to leave. One of them could escape, after all, but he shakes his head. Where would I go? he asks. And when the mob finds and murders them, they will have died in each other's arms.
Move forward thirty years. Two teenage girls run away together into the night. One of them is to be wed the next day, but she cannot do it. Her best friend is at her side, gripping her wrist so tight that it aches, pulling her along before their families can notice their absence. They can change their names. Move into a house together far away and never have to be forced to marry a man for the sake of family names. They can grow old together. Always.
Go back to the Pharoah and the citizen. They lay on their stomachs in the Pharoah's bed comfortably, a Senet board between them. The rest of the world sleeps while they play and laugh and chat. There is a calm air around them and the Pharoah lazily makes his next move. It is just a facade of calm, however. Inside, he is calculating and sharp, trying to figure out what the man in front of him will do next. He is so focussed he almost misses the other man's question.
"What would you like to be reincarnated as, Pharoah?"
Go forward over four millennia. An artist paints their muse with such dedication and striking detail, he looks as though his life is on depends on it. And perhaps, in a way, it does. The artist pours their love into every stroke, their soul into every scrape of the knife. And the muse will love it with all their heart. For the muse has always understood the artist, even when society did not.
Move back two hundred years. An old man places his hand over his lover's. They are both wrinkled with age. They sit outside on wooden chairs and watch their crops grow. They hope this place will continue to thrive long after they are gone. Maybe one of their children will come home and look after the place. Maybe it will be sold to another farmer. Or maybe to a businessman who will build over it to make a market. A troubling thought, indeed. For now, though, they sit in the sunset and bask in the joy that they have -that they have felt over the many years they have been together.
Back to the Pharoah. The question has caught him off guard. He thinks it over for a long time and takes in the look on the man before him. He knows he is looking for something more than some animal or another life. So, he considers his words carefully. Finally, answers:
"Should the gods allow it," he says looking right into the man's eyes, "Yours."
Move forward six millennia. On a human space ship that is about to launch into a historic mission. One pilot takes a deep breath and tries to steady her rapid heartbeat. Her partner reaches over and places a hand on his shoulder. Their gazes lock and they give each other a tentative smile. If this mission goes wrong, they will always know that they died among the stars, with their friend beside them.
Back with the Pharoah. This is such a monumental confession; a Pharoah admitting weakness. However, he does not feel weak. In fact, he has never felt more secure and confident. Staring into this man's eyes, he sees a warmth and comfort that would never betray him. Would never leave him. And he knows the man feels the same. At that moment, they feel they can see each other's very souls.
"And I yours, my Pharoah." The man whispers.
And the gods hear.
Always and forever, together.
साथी
cónyuge
夥伴
l' époux
相棒
partner
I literally just shoved "partner" into google translate I'm so sorry if those words do not mean what they were supposed to mean. All those stories were just Atem and Yugi as different reincarnations, in case it wasn't clear. I'm also very tired ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
