With a bottle of cheap wine in hand I pondered the hill covered in fog. I didn’t usually drink but I’d had a hell of a week. There were rumours that those that reached its peak could have their greatest wish fulfilled or vanish from the face of this world. I swirled my bottle before deciding that I have nothing to lose.
“I’ll take the mysterious fog over this backwards town.” I mutter as I walk into the fog.
As I stumble deeper into the fog I hear whispers pass me by mocking my large bulky body and gravelly voice,
“Haven’t I been mocked enough?” I grumble as I take another sip of my drink.
“I am not mocking you,” Someone ahead of me says in ethereal voice,
“Then what am I hearing?” I ask,
“Nothing, the fog whispers and your mind fills in the blanks left it’s wake,” The person replies without a hint of emotion,
“Yeah that tracks,” I sigh dejectedly,
“So, what do you seek?” They ask as they come into view revealing their tall androgynous figure with dark grey skin and short golden hair,
“I don’t know, escape I guess.” I say flopping down onto the ground,
“From what?” They asked apathetically,
“My awful body and this bigoted town, I guess.” I reply taking another sip from my bottle,
“It is a shame the town took such a turn,” They say, “While it was not much better in my time it looked like it was improving and it did but only for a few centuries.”
“Huh have you always been here?” I ask,
“From my birth till now this valley has been my only home,” They state, “But I can give you what you seek,”
“You sure?” I ask, “Tickets outta here ain't cheap,”
“I need not buy tickets for transportation is well within the power of a skilled cloud weaver,” They say, “Nor is body transfiguration.”
“So you could give me a small petite body?” I ask,
“If that is what you wish,” They say,
“It kind of is, it’s just it’s, I don’t know, it’s complicated.” I stutter out,
“Then tell me, I find people's problems to be nice puzzles to solve.” They say still without emotion,
“No it’s fine it doesn't matter,” I sigh,
“Even if it does not matter to you I would like to know, as I said I find people's problems to be nice puzzles to solve.” They reply seeming insistently,
“It won’t change anything, I mean this is probably a drunken dream,” I complain throwing my arms up in the air,
“Then what is the problem with telling me?” they asked growing more insistent,
“I- I don’t know! Shame I guess,” I answer eyes welling with tears,
“Just tell me and it will go no further,” They say even more insistent,
“Okay fine, I think I have a fetish for trans girls,” I blurt out before cringing and waiting for the mockery,
“And why do you think that?” They ask voice once again emotionless,
“What?” I ask, confused, “Why aren’t you mad?”
“I wish to figure out the puzzle of your problem,” They say, “And if you can recognise this town's faults I’m sure you aren’t too bad, so why?”
“I want to be with them?” I respond unsure of where this is going,
“Or do you want to be one of them?” They ask,
“I don’t know but I know where you're going and I can’t be trans,” I answer with a sigh,
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. I guess because I haven’t… suffered enough?” I reply,
“I have not suffered from being trans and yet I still am.” They say, “So why?”
“Why are you trying so hard?” I ask try to change the topic,
“I enjoy solving peoples problems,” They say before getting right back on track, “What would it take for me to prove that you are a girl?”
“I don’t know a girl's body?” I say,
“So if I give you a female body you will admit you are a girl?” They ask offering me their hand,
“Yeah sure,” I say, grabbing their hand and the fog condenses around me.
I wake up later in a bed with no memory of how I got here and a killer headache. Slowly sitting up I look around the empty room and see a women with light grey skin and long silver hair,
“Um excuse me miss but where am I?” I ask before frowning at the sound of my unusually feminine voice,
“Did Inquisitive not tell you?” She asks, “Oh and also not a girl I’m pangender, they/them.”
“Oh okay, but who is Inquisitive?” I ask, once again frowning at my seemingly more feminine voice, “Also why is my voice different?”
“Okay so Inquisitive is the person in the fog back in your home town on earth, and why your voice is different,” They gave a tired sighed, “They gave you what you sought, a new body and an escape from that town.”
“What?!” I say in panic. I try to jump out bed but instead trip and hit the ground, hard, “Ow”
“Are you okay?” They ask as I hear their chair squeak,
“I’m fine… I’m sorry, what's your name?” I respond picking myself off the ground,
“Oh I’m Kasumi,” They reply, “I’m sorry Inquisitive can be a bit..”
“Strange?” I respond reaching to rub my sore chest,
“Yeah,”
“I’m sorry but why do I have breasts?” I ask panic seizing my body,
“Hey it’s okay,” Kasumi says try to calm me down,
“Sorry!” I squeak out before I ran for the door. Upon opening it I see a city with all manner of people roaming the streets under a blue sun floating through a lavender sky, “Oh.”
