White Pedal: Hi Chocolate:) Do you have any headcanons for pharaoh Atem and queen Teana?
Hey there. ‘u’ I never tire of your questions; they always help me in sorting through the mess that is my mind haha.
My headcanons regarding Vanish/Statushipping are kinda different from those I generally see, tbh. First off, because I’ve never seen Teana as a queen — that is, as the Pharaoh’s Great wife. Teana would be a badass queen, but I’ve always found her dynamics with Atem to be more interesting if she occupies a different status from his. Whether Atem is the one at the social ladder top, or Teana; the differences between their social standing is what make their relationship/friendship precious in my mind. Teana doesn’t have to be a commoner for that matter; just her being a dancer, a noblewoman or a priestess could do the trick. Of course, a reversal universe where Teana is the high Queen and Atem’s a priest/nobleman/dancer would be positivilicious, too. In the same respect, I prefer having Téana of foreign nationality because of the interesting contrasts in cultures and mindsets; you know it’s my thing. ;)
My favorite AU where I like to explore my 10kGB headcanon pool has Teana as a foreign royal/dancer/Atem’s waifu. A pretty common plot setting, except in there, Teana isn’t Atem’s queen, but rather, his favorite wife. Pharaohs had seldom only one spouse in ancient Egypt.
Now, regarding the relationship itself;- Teana is one of the few people who don’t fear disagreeing with the Pharaoh and expressing it straightforwardly (in private, of course, since she isn’t stupid.). Teana has a lot of controversial ideas and has no problem discussing them with Atem, challenging him and his beliefs. The two love to indulge in random discussions (and arguments) about random things. - They both long for something in life: true freedom and adventure. Excitement. However, Atem’s duty prevents him from leaving his kingdom to explore the world, and the daughter they both have needs a stable environment at the palace (or so says Teana as *cough* a partial excuse to stay besides the friends she’s made in Egypt and the affectionately called weirdo who happens to be her husband). On Teana’s initiative, both content themselves with going out, in disguise, to the city to just experiment what it’s like to live as commoner.- Also, both feel a sort of kinship toward each other, due to being royals and knowing the burdens that come with it, though they don’t share the same views on the importance of duty. After all, Atem was shown in canon to be intent on always doing the ‘right thing’ — defeating Zork and sealing himself for Egypt’s sake, always respecting Yuugi’s boundaries and wishes in the modern world, never occupying his host’s body longer than necessary, and in the end, leaving for afterlife as expected of him. Anzu is another different story. While generally following the rules, she doesn’t mind breaking them for a greater purpose — much like illegally saving money to fund her trip to America. A lawful neutral character with a neutral good one; pretty much an interesting difference for interesting conflicts!- Because of the harem thing, the main conflict between them is of course focused on the complex nature of their relationship, which begins at first as super sexual to become a little deeper and, ultimately, difficult to pinpoint. As time goes on, Teana and Atem grow fond of each other, but the current circumstances surrounding them — his status as a Pharaoh; natural reserve and fear of endangering his kingdom by falling for someone (and thus making his wife and himself vulnerable to potential threats); while she is herself super confused about the nature of their feelings, makes it nearly impossible to evolve into real love. (Teana also kinda resents Atem for having other wives). Their relationship is the ultimate challenge for trust, acceptance and completion.
Thanks for your ask! Answering it was particular helpful to write this little drabble. I wish I could say more on the relationship, but my mind is too messy right now. `~`
