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by Saless
Chapter 85
Sarah smiled viciously down at her handy work while everyone else in the room gasped in surprise. Sarah's father had become a petite read-headed teenage girl, and the injuries he'd received at Mary's hands carried over to his new form. Jill quickly checked to make sure she was still okay, as the injuries looked a lot more severe on her smaller frame. Shaking her head she looked over at Sarah. "He's still not in any danger, I think, but you could have killed him doing that with his injuries!" Jill said angrily.
"I wasn't about to heal him and then inflict the injuries all over again after I girlified him!" Sarah replied. "And he needs to know what it's like! Not just being in a body of the wrong gender, but of being beaten to a pulp and being helpless, too!"
"Well, I guess I can't call the police, now!" Mike said, looking at Sarah's father.
"We wouldn't have let you anyway." Erica said, pointing at Sarah. "If Mary's magic is becoming active, then we don't want to attract attention to her."
"She's got a point, it's hard to believe Mary could have done all this without magic." Jill said. "Bringing the police into it would be dangerous for all of us."
"So what do we do?" Mike asked.
"How's your mom?" Tiffany asked.
"She's sleeping, but he beat her up pretty bad." Sarah replied, glaring at her father again. She suddenly turned around and walked back to her mother's room. Erica and Tiffany hurried after her. She stepped up to her mother's bed and placed one hand on Mary's forehead. She closed her eyes and stood there like that without moving for some time.
"Wh" Tiffany started to say, but Erica put her finger up to her lips to stop her.
"She's doing something!" Erica whispered excitedly. Tiffany looked back at Sarah and saw that her hand, the one on her mother's forehead, was glowing slightly. The glow expanded to Mary for a moment, and then faded out. "You did it!" Erica exclaimed excitedly.
"Did what?" Tiffany said.
"She managed to copy the affects of the healing water and use that on her mother! Her injuries are all healed." Erica explained.
Moving closer, Tiffany could see it was true. Other than the dried blood, there was no sign she'd been injured at all. "Wow, that's great!" Tiffany exclaimed.
"We should let her sleep." Sarah said. The others nodded and they returned to the living room. Mike had gotten the couch upright again, and was in the process of putting Sarah's father on it.
"What happened?" Jill asked when she saw Sarah walking in.
"She healed her!" Erica replied proudly.
Jill's eyes widened at that, "You can heal now? That's great!"
Sarah smiled, "And that's not all! When I healed her I could feel that her 'condition' wasn't a medical condition at all!"
"What?!" Mike exclaimed. "Then what was it?"
"It was her magic. It was too weak to manifest properly, and that resulted in her 'episodes'. Now that magic is getting stronger and her power has awoken, she won't have that problem any more!" Sarah replied.
"What about the episode that trashed this room and your father?" Mike asked.
Sarah shook her head, "That wasn't an episode like before. Remember, Mom said she'd killed Dad. Before she never remembered what happened, but this time she did. I'm not real clear on what her powers are, but this was a manifestation of them, not an out of control episode like before. And she didn't kill him, so she has some control."
"Okay, but what are we going to do about him?" Mike asked, glancing at Sarah's father where he lay on the couch.
"Nothing, for the moment. Once Mom's feeling up to it we can decide what to do. Whatever we do, we can't leave him in a position to hurt Mom again. I don't want her to be in a position to have to kill him to defend herself, either. And if he did hurt Mom again, I'd probably hit him with a fireball instead of girlifying him." Sarah said.
"We definitely need to avoid that, I don't want you to have to deal with the guilt of killing your own father, no matter how justified!" Erica said.
Sarah's father groaned and shifted, but didn't wake. “I think we'd better be prepared to deal with him ourselves, he may wake before your mother.” Jill said.
“Aren't you going to heal him?” Tiffany asked.
Sarah looked torn as she gazed at her father. Finally she growled, “Oh, all right!” and knelt next to the couch. She put her hand on his forehead and soon all his injuries were healed.
Erica wrapped her arm around Sarah's waist and said, “Pain's not going to change his mind, anyway.”
Sarah sighed sadly, “No, I guess not. I don't know if anything will.”
Sarah's father slowly opened his eyes as Sarah stepped back from the couch in Erica's arms. “Wh-what?” he squeaked. His hand shot up to his mouth and he looked down at the rest of his body. “What have you done to me?!” he shrieked.
“She just gave you a taste of what she had to deal with all her life.” Erica said with no trace of sympathy in her voice.
“Change me back at once!” he screamed.
Sarah flinched, but Erica held onto her. “Give her a good reason to!” she replied.
“I'm her father, that should be reason enough!” he said angrily.
“You do realize that she can leave you like that for the rest of your life and there's not a thing you could do about it, don't you?” Tiffany said angrily, her violet eyes almost glowing as the shadows pulled in around her.
He shrank back from Tiffany and said, “You wouldn't do that to your father, would you?” He didn't sound nearly as confident, and kept glancing wearily at Tiffany.
“Why not, you refused to allow her to be herself all her life, and beat her whenever she didn't live up to your expectations. Why shouldn't she keep you like this?” Erica asked.
Mike and Jill both watched in amusement, and Mike decided to get in on the act and shifted to his giant wolf form. He sauntered casually over to the couch and bared his teeth at Sarah's father and then curled up at Sarah's feet and rested his head on his paws.
Sarah's father shrank further back into the couch and looked around wildly, finally beginning to realize how precarious his position was. “P-please ch-change me back?” he begged haltingly.
“What's going on in here?” Mary asked as she sleepily stepped into the room.
“We've just been trying to figure out what to do with Dad.” Sarah replied, smiling happily to see her mother up and healthy.
“He's alive?! Where is he?!” Mary exclaimed.
“He's right here.” Sarah said, pointing him out.
“I'm glad to see he's alright, but did you have to change him into a teenage girl?!” Mary asked, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
“Considering the other options available to her, maybe we should be glad that's all she did.” Jill said.
Mary seemed to consider that, “Yes, I suppose you're right.”
Sarah's father yelled, “Would you get your son to change me back now?!”
“I don't have a son, George, I have a daughter. And all things considered I'm not particularly inclined to act on your behalf right now.” she replied.
“But I'm your husband!” he said weakly.
“You don't look much like my husband right now. But that's probably for the best, since the last time I talked to him he decided that beating me up would somehow convince me that he's right.” Mary said angrily.
George looked around wildly, but found no help. Jill was indifferent, Mike was amused, and the rest were angry. Tiffany was cleaning under her fingernails with a throwing knife and Sarah's hands were glowing blue. “Are you going to kill me?” he asked weakly.
“Tempting.” Erica said, pulling her dagger out and inspecting the blade speculatively. Sarah shot her an annoyed look but she just shrugged. I thought it would be useful to keep at least one weapon on hand. You do tend to get yourself into trouble, after all. she thought.
“You might want to consider apologizing before one of these ladies lets their temper get the better of them.” Mary said.
“B-but...” he stammered, before sagging in defeat. “Alright,” he sighed, “I'm sorry.”
“For what?” Erica asked.
“For...for hitting Mary. I never should have done that.” George replied.
“And?!” Erica growled.
“And for hitting Se...uh, Sarah?” he said.
To Be Continued…
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Comments
Sincerity
"Daddy" seems to be lacking in sincerity in "her" apology. I think they out to leave him as-is until after her first period, then see if she wants to try a bit harder.
They know they can survive
Gee, you really don't think
Gee, you really don't think he's sincere? ~_^
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
But... he said he was
But... he said he was sorry.
Heather
We are the change that will save the world.
Heather
We are the change that will save the world.
And your point is?
I don't believe him. Yet.
Faraway
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
But Ex-Daddy Dearest forgot to say the magic words ..
"pretty please with sugar on top?"
Sarah is a good soul and Erica doesn't want to see Sarah hurt by something happening in anger. Sarah would regret hurting/killing her sperm donor, um Dad, even if it was justified at the time. Hum,as to thesuggestion to change ex-daddy back after his, now HER first period. I think change Ex-daddy back after her first few pregnancies. He needs to show true understanding of his crimes and honestly repent.
We know now mom's *episodes* were related to magical teething trouble. Now are any of Ex-dad's related to or exacerbated by the emerging magic in the World? Was he beaten or abused in some way as a child or is he a self-made ass?
Seeing as this is a TG story site, we often assume an involuntary sex change makes a villain a better person, what if that is not true here or even has a neegative impact? What if Ex-daddy becomes obsessed with revenge or that irrational hate gets redirected as irresponsible sexual activity? Okay revenge likely won't work for Ex_Daddy Dearest as Vash, Jill and Sarah can smell the ex-his thoughts a mile off but would, if the new girl is not repentive illogically think that by promiscuously cheating on mom it will hurt her, not that as a man he didn't cheat already. Ooh, wouldn't it be ironic if Tiffany is dad's bastard child, a half sister to Sarah? Anywho, as a teen girl can get pregnant but in the ex-dad's angry and warped mind SHE doesn't see that risk as a serious one. So she acts like Sarah put the stereotypical *slut* spell on her as punishment but in fact it is all ex-dad's twisted logic driving it?
Fun to speculate the horrors ex-dad's life will become but likely Sarah will save her from that. She's almost too good for her own welfare but given her huge and still expanding powers that humility is a damned good thing. What else could restrain her? Even her love for Erica might not be enough. Think the first Star Trek classic story with Captain Kirk and the people getting godlike mental powers.
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
Pregnancy
It might sound like a good punishment/consequence, but pregnancy involves another person -- a very innocent person.
So very true
but if it made ex-dad into good person then no one would be hurt and the world would be better off.
Plus it may well not happen, just the threat might be eough to get ex-dad on the path to repentance.
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
Nu- uh
Don't you dare turn him back just yet. At least a week I reckon as a little girl surrounded by bigger and 'nastier' people, even if they are 'his' daughter and friends.. and wife. Miserable bugger, I think I'd have left the pain for a small while too as an abject lesson, but... shrug.
Nice to see the development of learning too.
Kristina
I think I might have been
I think I might have been inclined to have Tiffany use one of her knives and get it over with, but then I can be a little unforgiving at times... ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
Daddy-Girl
Is only sorry that he was changed. NOT for anything else. I say send her to work for Hooter's to teach her about what he put Sarah through.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Only Hooters? You must be
Only Hooters? You must be in a good mood! ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
Clothing changes?
Could the clothing be changed magically also? Maybe a nice spangely pink crop top, denim mini, and strappy sandals with 3" heels? "Come on, sweetie, we're going out for pizza! Don't forget your purse!"
I went outside once. The graphics weren' that great.
I don't know about magically
I don't know about magically changing his clothes, but a quick trip to the store will accomplish the same thing! ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
That it might; but
That it might; but I think a better idea might be for them to take a trip to some of the shops on that deserted world. that way Daddy Dearest could get a new wardrobe without anyone having to fork over their hard-earned money!
Jenny
Jenny
I wonder...
If it is possible to transfer the memories of Sean being beaten into the Daddy's mind?
The pain, the helplessness, the despair... Everything. And then leave him stew in female form for quite some time (no less than a month). I think that would be punishment enough.
However, Daddy Dearest does have a job, so how should the group resolve this particular problem? After all, Mike has to work as well so he can't emulate Daddy Dearest for the time being. Of course, one can always resort to mind control, though it is on the extreme side.
Faraway
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Jill transferred some of
Jill transferred some of those memories for Mary, so there's no reason why Daddy Dearest couldn't get the full treatment! ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
A partial memories transfer has merit
But several caveats.
Have Vash and Jill scan the artist formerly known as Prin ... Daddy Dearest ... to see if HE was abused as a child, a female soul trapped in a male shell, cursed? Not a defense but it would explain a lot, offer a key to effectively treating him or if that fails, punishing him. IE is no-longer-a-daddy a jerk or a twisted former victim?
Daddy needs to feel ALL the pain, fear, helplessness and humiliation and without it numbing his senses. IE he must experience all of Sean, Sarah's Mom's fears and anybody else he hurt and without knowing it is only memories.
Then if he doesn't clean up his act, dump him in some pimps brothel or maybe as a middle eastern harem slave, still female and a young teen of course.
Maybe even if he repents he needs to stay a woman as a reminder, maybe even a second chance. Sarah or mom could use a sister? I doubt if mom want to be a guy and as to dads job, Sarah and Co. are filthy rich and can get richer as needed. Work? Only needed as a cover for the tax authorities. Hum, if magic emergence problems explains mom's episodes, any parallels to dad's actions, perhaps made worse by his own magical problems? Will changing form and sex fix this thus he is better off as a woman. Talk about your parallels to Sarah! Maybe dad was meant to be a man only long enough to sire Sarah and his being stuck as a man warped his female soul. Now I've gone all softy, on dad, yuckies!
LOVED your explanation for mom's episodes. Not mental illness, not due to dad inuring her brain or drugging her but an unstable/uncontrolled early manifestation of emerging magical powers. A fine parallel to Sarah and the awakening of her portal powers.
Hum, Mom as She Hulk? She Hulk, particularly the later versions is a total babe, go Mom!
Oh my Earth will be a mess for a while as magic reemerges.
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
Thanks John, I was rather
Thanks John, I was rather happy with that reason for Mary's episodes, myself! :)
The good thing about the emergence of magic, is that it's happening slowly. Just imagine if magic went from essentially nil to everybody having Sarah's level of power all at once! ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
I just cannot
believe that Sarah would even contemplate changing her father back any time in the near future, After the upbringing that her father (and i use that term in the loosest sense!!) gave her, You cannot help but think if anything, Sarah has been rather nice to her bully of a father....After all she did change him into a TEENAGE girl....No!!! Daddy dear!!! should consider him (or should it be her?)self lucky that Sarah does not seem to have the power to make anyone she changes old....Now that really would be a punishment!!!!
Kirri
Yeah, I was seriously
Yeah, I was seriously tempted to go a darker route, but I just didn't feel that was consistent with Sarah's temperament. If he'd left her mother alone she probably wouldn't have done anything to him at all. I think that was pretty much the definition of a tactical error! ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
It's a start.
Daddy dearest is starting to realize that he is essentially at Sarah's mercy.
I like the idea of letting her feel all of Sarah's old memories of being helpless and being beaten. As a nice topping on the cake, she should also get a taste of Mary's beating. Whether or not his actions are a result of past experience, he needs to feel the pain that he caused. If that brings back some memories of how he was treated as a child, so much the better. In his current form, he will be more inclined to actually feel sympathy/remorse.
If he really is a girl inside, and was deterred from acting on that by his father, he may sincerely believe that his father did him a favor, and that he was doing the best thing for Sean. The fact that he failed was, I am sure, a bitter pill.
But why did he fail? Is it because he was ineffective as a father, or because his son is such a nancy boy? We know what he wants to believe. If he can shove the blame off on Sean, he can justify his feeling of disdain.
So... Dad is messed up.
I like John's idea of having Vash scan him. Revenge may seem to be satisfying, but healing/redemption is much more satisfying.
As for Daddy's job; Mary can always call him in sick. How much sick leave and vacation time does he have saved up? If he can stay out of work for a month or so, that'll give Sarah and company enough time to decide what needs to be done.
If Daddy needs to make an appearance anywhere, Mike can always play his part. I wonder if he can shape-shift, then fake an illness -- or maybe shift into an ill form.
Teenage girl
This could get very interesting if she keeps Daddy in 'his' new form - especially if he's now in his early teens (say, just starting puberty).
As well as learning about his new body, its associated functions and appropriate clothing, you could add to the indignity by sending him back to school (after all, if he's let out of the house alone in his new form during term time, if he's met by any authorities, the first thing they'll do is ask which school he goes to...)
-oOo-
But in the meantime, get him signed off on sick leave for the next few days while they develop their final strategy. Even if he has (or will) say what appears to be a convincing apology, given the length and severity of the abuse I'd think very carefully before changing him back. Has the leopard really changed its spots? If they revert him, then he'll be living under the constant fear of either being killed by Mary or changed back into a girl by Sarah, and given he's already been exposed to magic, it could prove potentially dangerous for his own powers. If they leave him as a teenage girl, then he physically won't be able to inflict damage and abuse, so (despite the 'learning experiences' I mentioned above) needn't worry about being killed himself. Besides, although he's understandably very angry at the moment, he may grow to like/love his new body and life... :)
--Ben
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
Sincerity
Sarah, Vash, and Jill are all capable of determining just how sincere she is.
I agree
John's idea of deep mind scan has merit.
Your idea of 'back to school' has merit as well, but it requires something they all lack - paperwork. If he is a transfer, there must be records from her previous school, IDs, and the like.
And a minor point - the new girl has to be transported by mundane means only. We do NOT want a superpowered bigot-made-teenage-girl as a recurring villain.
Faraway
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Procedural concerns
Proper IDs and such is very easy, given their combined abilities. One of the biggest problems with fake IDs is getting them to look real. Sarah can open a portal to a near-earth where everybody is gone, and they can use the official equipment there to make real IDs and paperwork. Back on our Earth, Tiffany can wrap herself in shadows and place the documents where they need to be, both electronic and paper files. Piece of cake, our new girl suddenly has an existance, say as a transfer student come to live with her aunt after being abused at home.
I went outside once. The graphics weren' that great.
So Sarah's Magic...
...appears to be hereditary on her mother's side, at least in general terms. Sarah's original portal-opening ability doesn't seem to extend to her mother, at least not so far, but we needed a reason that this whole world-changing routine started with Sean/Sarah, and now we have one.
Changing George to a teenager is interesting -- there's been no indication until now that Sarah could change anyone into anything but their opposite-sex equivalent, even unconsciously. I'm assuming it wasn't a conscious decision on Sarah's part, since she presumably didn't know she could do it. I guess it beats changing him into a paraplegic...
Somebody brought up Mike replacing George on the job. I suppose it's just a matter of personal preference, but I'm hoping Mike can't change into other humans' doubles; like the ability to implant false memories (which I'm glad we haven't seen yet), it just makes things too easy. (FWIW, I can come up with a reason why he can't or wouldn't want to -- human minds, as opposed to dragons, critters and mythical beasts, may be so similar to his own that his existing thoughts and memories could be impaired. It's likely that when he transforms he does more than change his appearance, since he inherits, for example, a dragon's fire-breathing ability, which probably isn't reflexive the way flight would be.)
Eric
too easy
There is nothing wrong with a particular plot point being too easy. It isn't necessary that everything be a challenge, nor is there any problem with an unkillable protagonist.
Conflict and challenges are all a good part of a good story.
If a person is born with a birth defect that keeps him from walking, learning to walk can be one of the challenges that drive the plot. If walking turns out to be 'too easy,' something else can be used do drive the story. If Mike can shape-shift to any human, and the three telepaths can implant memories, the group will still face challenges. If the characters can't be killed, there are still things that they care about. (After all, there are plenty of stories where the protagonist is never put into mortal danger.)
Why is everyone so keen to be cruel?
They have all the tools they need to show the Dad the error of his ways without forcing him to be something he isn't.
Have him experience Sarah's growing up and the beatings he administered from Sarah's point of view. Have him feel what Mary felt when he hit her, after a lifetime of love. He must love Mary, or he wouldn't have taken care of her when these episodes came to light, and stayed with her. And in his own stupid way, his beating of Sean was only what he thought he needed to do to make Sean into what he thought Sean was supposed to be. He wasn't motivated by cruelty -- he was just frustrated and didn't know any other way.
My father would spank me with his leather belt when i was little, usually in response to crimes my mother reported to him that had happened while he was at work, or sleeping. He didn't want to hit me, but that's how his parents raised him, and he couldn't see past what they did to find an alternate solution. I could never hate him, because I KNEW he hated it. I could see it in his eyes, every time he had to take the belt off his pants. He still loved me.
George isn't an idiot. He can see reason, and they can use their powers to make him feel the pain he's caused others. Do they really NEED the overkill? Or would that just send them down the path of "absolute power corrupting absolutely?"
What next? Change the FBI man into a pig and throw him into the tiger enclosure at the zoo? Solves the problem, doesn't it?
Randa
Hey, don't look at me!
Okay, so I do want to see him suffer a little. I never suggested anything more than a month's penalty, and even pointed out it had problems of its own.
Okay, so John is a little over the top, but he is to be forgiven - he actually has a vindictive streak to live with. No offence, John.
And nobody did suggest anything worse than that.
Besides, I do not approve of 'no second chances' policy, and prefer to deal with it on a case by case basis. The idea is to give... Okay, 'fess up, who has thought of a name for a newest girl in the cast? Let's have a vote!
My vote: Grace.
Faraway
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Maybe not
Some of the rest of us don't see that good side you mention. Not knowing any better is not usually considered a good defence for committing a crime, particularly a brutal one like beating his wife and son. The fact that he hid his actions indicates he knew his actions were considered wrong by contemporary standards, yet he continued. At best he had an anger management problem he would not take steps to control except when forced to. Like when he had to stop beating Sean up after Mike took Sean under his protection.
At the heart of the American Criminal Justice System is the intent to punish people for their crimes. Rehabilitation comes secondary. Making the SOB walk a mile or ten in female shoes doesn't hurt him, but it does punish him. Much the same as making a white racist into a poor black man would punish him. And hopefully both would actually learn something. Perhaps at the end when restored to his old apprearance he will remember and learn.
If he was dumped into the criminal justice system there would be no learning, only punishment. Not much chance for him to come out the other side a better person, is there? Simply turning the other cheek requires an ample supply of both cheeks and the means to mend them.
KJT
"Being a girl is wonderful and to torture someone into that would be like the exact opposite of what it's like. I don’t know how anyone could act that way." College Girl - poetheather
“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus.” - Turkish Proverb
Before this day, he never touched his wife ...
... in anger. That must tell you something about the man. I'm not saying he's blameless, but punishment for the sake of punishment is wrong. It's easier to punish than it is to redeem. That's why American prisons are overflowing, and why the land where capitalism is king has spawned the "career criminal." *grin*
Randalynn
Agreed.
I have seen mentions of a Roman saying. It goes along the lines of:
"A wise man does not punish because a crime was commited, but so it would not be commited again in the future"
That is why I suggested him having memories of his wife and daughter implanted. He considered himself right. He was forced to apologise. But did he really understand why was it wrong, did he really turn over a new leaf and became better? These are the questions I doubt can be answered affirmatively at the moment.
Faraway
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
It says to me
That up until now he has been able to control his wife without having to resort to force. The first time she refuses to bend to his will, he starts to beat the crap out of her, same as he did to Sean all those years. Not much good there, IMHO.
Having to be the girl he is now physically would be a learning experience.
I went outside once. The graphics weren' that great.
A learning experience?
Yes, it would a learning experience for George to be a girl -- he would learn how to be a girl. That's not particularly useful when it comes to teaching him anger management. Or do you think teenaged girls don't get angry?
What you need to ask is, "does the punishment fit the crime?" Hmmm. He needs to learn what it's like to be powerless and under the thumb of those who are bigger and stronger than he is. I know! Maybe he should go through a similar experience to Sean's! Every few days, one of our "heroes" could beat him to a pulp, until he learns to be exactly the way they want him to be! After all, it worked SO well for Sean -- oh, wait, not so much. Hmmmm.
Still, it would be so viscerally satisfying to have him beaten senseless in every other chapter. Folks could take turns! Slow the story down some, but gee, it's just another type of fan service, right? Give the people what they want, and they'll keep coming back for more.
Yes, by golly, an eye for an eye would be just the thing! (I'm sorry, is the sarcasm too thick in here? Let me open a window. *grin*)
Randalynn
In other words
You are saying he is incapable of learning what it is like to be smaller and defenseless? What it is like to be part of the 50% of this planet that is treated with disdain and contempt by people like him? What a feeling of vulnerability it gives somebody to be in that position? You may be right, I have no idea if he is capable of learning from his experience. So I guess we shouldn't even try, just pop him in a jail cell.
Sorry, I missed where I suggested he (or she) should be beaten at anytime, much less "Every few days". Is this perhaps a fantasy of yours? Give the fan what she wants, right?
Disgusted,
Karen J.
(Sarcasm off)
"Being a girl is wonderful and to torture someone into that would be like the exact opposite of what it's like. I don’t know how anyone could act that way." College Girl - poetheather
“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus.” - Turkish Proverb
Your Signature
Karen,
Isn't the meaning of your sig the exact reason they SHOULDN'T force him to be a girl?
Hugs
Frank
What I want is ...
... for people to take a step back, take a deep breath, and stop thinking about "teaching Dad a lesson."
What I was saying in my post (in a roundabout sort of way) was that I KNOW it would be emotionally satisfying to torture and humiliate Dad for a while. I'm just thinking maybe it's not the best way to go about making him see the error of his ways. I'm just worried about where this story is heading, and i don't want it to turn into the revenge fantasy bestseller most folks seem to be pushing for.
No more sarcasm from me, Karen. I'm sorry my post disgusted you.
Randalynn
Punishment vs. Lessons
As I pointed out earlier, some lessons are hard.
If we accept your thesis that he was trying his best to do what was right, but was misguided, we need to find a way to teach him the effects of his mistakes, and the feeling of helplessness that his actions fostered in others.
In other words, teach him a lesson in the true sense, not just as a euphemism for seeking revenge.
Will talking patiently to him work? If so, by all means do it that way. Will a simple transfer of memories be sufficient to give him a taste of the pain he caused? If so, stop there.
Considering his attitude and the way he demanded his due as husband and father, I suspect that it'll take a while as a helpless teenager to fully bring the lesson home.
No, he doesn't need a weekly beating, or anything like that -- though I see no reason to reassure him that beatings won't be forthcoming. He knows how angry everyone is at him, and he knows that he is at their mercy. After a while, he may come to understand that he doesn't deserve any mercy. The sudden realization that they are being merciful might then cause that breakthrough that turns her into someone lovable and trustworthy.
But some people genuinely refuse to change. If that happens, they need to remove her as a threat. Then, she can go on a one way trip to Gor, some uninhabited paradise, or maybe the planet Athos in the Vorkoverse (after being changed back to a male).
To me the "lessons"
Would be YOU did this to me and increased dislike/hatred. Also the ripping away of his sense of self/identity. I hope Jill and Vash will be the voices of reason and talk Sarah down. In this case might does not make right and I think would breed more hatred and resentment. There are no lessons to be learned if the person in question isn't ready or willing to learn.
Frank
What do you suggest?
What will bring the lesson home?
Yes, he may hate them all for ripping away his identity. If he can be reasoned with -- if he is capable of learning, the hard lesson might do the trick.
Turning him back and saying, "Oh, that's all right" simply isn't going to get the job done. After he has 'gotten his due' from all those upstart people who should be giving him his due respect instead of flaunting their magical powers, he will be the same as he always was.
He is entrenched in his attitudes. Cognitive therapy isn't likely to cause a true change.
Sometimes, a two by four is necessary -- painful, but necessary. Think of it as bitter medicine or painful surgery that's necessary to save the patient.
Really, I don't expect him to look at everyone, smite his forehead, and say, "Gee, How stupid I was! I can't believe that I was wrong for all those years and never even realized it. Thank you all for enlightening me!"
Nope, I think it'll take walking a few miles in their shoes to do it. I doubt if he has the empathy required to learn the easy way.
What should have happened is
They called the cops, he was arrested and either took a plea deal or had a jury by judge or jury. Although claiming "magic" may have got him temporary insanity. There is no objectivity in the group to be able do judge and punish him. Just because you CAN do something doesn't make it right. If my cat scratches me while we are playing I CAN hurt in her response, but wouldn't. The old cliche 2 wrongs don't make a right apply. Its easy to go from Superhero to abusing your powers "in the name of justice." That's what forced sex change would be in this case. He would just be a victim of their powers, not a true FTM and would hate them and resent them going forward, not just be docile and learn.
That's just my opinion...I could be wrong...
Hugs
Why "bring the lesson home"?
Who said it's Sarah's job to teach her father a lesson in the first place? One of the reasons for a justice system is to avoid everybody "teaching lessons" to everybody else.
They can't hardly call the police on this case any more, but they can still leave "daddy" alone. Just go away and let him stew in his own juices. Maybe watch him and keep him from hurting others, but don't make contact unless he comes around and truthfully apologizes.
If he harms others after "his" family is gone, or if he tries to harm Sarah or Mary again, he'll get caught sooner or later, and the justice system will deal with him. If not, he'll just be gone from their lives - good riddance.
--- Martin
Redemption
If they can help him become a better person, but they don't, it's like leaving an accident by the side of the road.
If they let him go his own way, they are allowing a rabid dog to remain loose in the world. They are allowing others to become victims. Unless, or course, they watch him every minute.
It sure worked well so far, eh? They were literally watching him every second when he attacked Mary.
They have a moral responsibility to remove him as a threat. They don't have a responsibility to go easy on him. They need to determine the best way to get the job done -- no excuses.
But ...
In all modern justice systems, including the American one, the victim of a crime never determines or executes punishment. I think there's a good reason for leaving these tasks to a neutral party: Self-administered justice isn't really justice but poorly disguised revenge.
The criminal justice system might not be overly successful at making people learn better ways, but personal revenge is much worse.
--- Martin
But . . .
Not nearly as satisfying.
The victim's impact statements can exert a large amount of influence on the penalty handed down by a jury, so the victims do have some say in the court's decision, which is only right, IMHO. Fair and just, I couldn't say.
I went outside once. The graphics weren' that great.
But ...
Is it really satisfying to know that you can be just as cruel in your revenge as the original perpetrator was in his actions?
Of course, but it's still the job of judge and jury to determine the penalty. And if the victim's statements influenced the decision too much the penalty would depend more on the victim's eloquence than on the crime itself.
--- Martin
Cruel
I have noticed that a lot of the community here is very impatient with bullies and abusive parents. I attribute that to the fact that a whole lot of us have been on the bad end of bullying -- from peers, parents, and other authority figures.
When I was reading the comments in Something Feels Strange, I noticed that a lot of the readers were extremely suspicious of everyone, even the parents. I found that strange, until I realized that a number of the people here have been abused or abandoned or disowned by their families. What seems horrendous and extremely unlikely to me has happened all too often.
I make it no secret that I am a big advocate of redemption. Still, there are people who simply won't be redeemed. We all have free will, and some people simply choose to not mend their ways. If that's the case with daddy dearest, sending his feminized tail to Gor wold be an appropriate consequence for his obstinance.
Hopefully, he can be redeemed -- if not for his own sake, for Sarah's. She'll definitely be happier with a loving dad.
Meanwhile, Dad has had years in which to become entrenched in his attitudes and behavior. Harsh measures will probably be necessary -- powerful and bitter medicine, as it were. Taking it easy on him would be false kindness. He needs to know, not just in his mind, but deep in his heart, that what he did was wrong. He needs to, on his own, form the conviction deep within himself that he will never treat anyone the way he did before. In fact, he needs to avoid even the temptation of acting the way he did.
So, a good look at the pain that he caused, along with some time as a helpless teen girl, will drive the point home. Then, once our three telepaths have seen a sincere change in him, he can change back if he wishes.
If he becomes a loving and trustworthy person, a few trips through the portals will make him yet another member of the group.
Perhaps Sarah and
Perhaps Sarah and Cathy Watts could get together and open up a healing clinic, with the added benefit being that Sarah could also perform true sex changes for those who desire it! Just think of the possibilities such a partnership might present!
Jenny
Jenny
Interesting idea.
Perhaps they could also, at some point, port into the Whateley universe and lend a hand with defeating The Bastard - just don't get too near The Wild Bunch...or Tennyo!
Oh, and get powers tested while they're at it - although we've probably got enough information so far to assign tentative powers classifications to the group...
(In case you hadn't gathered, Whateley is my latest 'catch-up' reading 'project'...since I'm now up to date with SFS, Gaby, Bike, P&P, and of course VC!)
--Ben
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
Very interesting episode.
I read the story and comments. One thing I see missing is Dad's reaction to being forced to experience the pain and anguish he inflicted on Sarah/Sean and her Mother. One option that was never breached was that Sarah's dad could decide to opt out. This is not an outcome that Sarah would desire. Having him/her feel the inflicted pain, would require Jill, Vash, or Sarah to monitor his mental state so they would be able to detect and stop her/him if s/he decides to op out. I lean toward a positive resolution.
I agree that Jill, Vash and Sarah can and should scan his/her mind and determine the sincerity of the apology. It should not be taken at face value. They should also look for any mental shielding that s/he may have. Their look into her/his soul should focus on uncovering whether s/he is truly sorry or just faking it. If they can't do that, then a trip to Hogwarts to get some veritasium (Truth serum)would be in order. They need to determine his/her real being character before passing judgment. Is s/he beyond redemption? Is s/he truly repentant?
Once Sarah's dad's true character is determined then the punishment can be tailored to achieve the desired results. A possible solution is implanting just enough of the pain and misery inflicted to always act as a reminder of his unacceptable behavior. Or use the KARMA approach, make it so if he tries to inflict any pain or suffering on on anyone he will immediately experience 10 times the pain and anguish he is inflicting. (In real time, as he tries to inflict it). This way he becomes the instrument of his own punishment. I favor the karma approach.
Very intriguing dilemma, how did you solve it Saless? I know it will be in the next episode, so I'll stay tuned...
Hugs,
Trish-Ann
~There is no reality, only perception~
Hugs,
Trish Ann
~There is no reality, only perception~
Maybe....
Mary needs to have a 'niece' visit her for an extended period. As long as she can afford to not have her "loving hubby's" income for a period of time.
This would also let everyone monitor the new girl's reaction and sincerity.
Just 10 minutes with the Troll.
A while back, I would have liked to spend just 10 minutes with my own stepfather like that. Now days, I finally realize that he was the weak one. It is pitiful actually. I frightened him so much that he beat me to run the boogy man off. He felt cornered and threatened by me. Some have even said that he was sexually attracted to me and that is brought on the attacks.
Nice Story.
Khadija
As of this comment
The comments to this chapter are roughly 4 times as much as the chapter itself. Talk about heated discussion! :)
Faraway
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Yeah, it's amazing! And I
Yeah, it's amazing! And I haven't even contributed all that many. I'm loving it! :)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America