Over the course of the next two days Andra was a pirate, a superhero, a spy, and a dozen other people. In between those strange alternate lives, she made her preparations for the dinner. Her parents had thankfully responded that they would be there, so it seemed that the plan was working. Andra had arranged to use one of the Guild’s private dining rooms and Riven was cooking dinner. Kaylen was setting the table and Fiona had prepared a dessert.

Meanwhile, Maxim had sent over four small vials of liquid as well as three syringes and instructions on how much blood to add to each vial. He had also sent his bill. Andra sighed when she thought about how many jobs it would take to pay it off.

When it came time for the dinner, Andra looked over Kaylen’s work. She had done a surprisingly decent job setting the table. Likely not enough to satisfy Andra’s parents, but it would suffice. Riven was still working on dinner, but Fiona and Kaylen were at Andra’s side when there came a knock at the dining room door.

Kaylen opened the door to reveal a short, pale, dark-haired middle-aged woman who was standing next to a slightly taller young man who looked remarkably similar to Riven.

“Ah, hello,” the woman said. “I’m here for some sort of… fake family dinner?”

“Yeah, that’d be us,” Kaylen replied, stepping aside to let the pair enter. “Riven explained everything, then?”

“Sort of?” said the man, uncertainly. “She explained that we had to pretend this was a team-building exercise in front of the parents of someone named Andra. It doesn’t really make a lot of sense.”

“But,” said the woman, suddenly becoming bright and cheerful, “we are delighted to finally get to meet our daughter’s teammates. I am Millicent Circe and this is my son, Thistle.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Kaylen replied. “I’m Kaylen, this is Andra and Fiona. Along with Riven, we make up Lady von Ekko’s Glorious Adventurer Brigade.”

“Ah, good, good, it’s nice to meet you all,” said the woman. Then her tone suddenly turned harsh and suspicious. “My daughter didn’t join the Guild for some weird reason, did she?”

Andra could see the mischievous grin crossing Kaylen’s face and gently shoved her out of the way. “I can’t imagine what you mean by that. Sure, Raven’s a little eccentric, but she’s a valued member of our team and passionately believes in the work we do.”

This seemed to put Millicent’s suspicions at ease and she smiled again. “She needs a lot of attention, or she easily becomes distracted by her… oddities. You do keep her focused, right?”

Before Andra could reply, Thistle cut in. “Mom, you know how open Riven is. I’m sure her teammates know way too much about her and obviously this woman knows how to handle her quirks.”

Andra was about to offer some more reassurance, but was interrupted by the arrival of Kaylen’s moms, Doris and Ellen. She made her greetings to the pair. Of the two, it seemed only Doris was a priestess, as she wore the same style of vestments as her daughter. Ellen was something of a handywoman, who helped the people of her village with repairs and other odd jobs.

There was little time to meet them before there was another arrival. A middle-aged man with a shaved head and a pince-nez perched on his large nose. He was dressed in a white lab coat, it seemed he was the sort who wore his career as a mark of his status. Curiously, he was carrying a large flask containing some sort of translucent goo. Even more curious, though, was the six-inch-tall girl with butterfly wings and a yellow sundress sitting on his shoulder.

“Seriously, Dad? You’re making another kid?” Fiona asked in a tone that was so uncharacteristically frustrated that it took a moment for Andra to recognize the voice.

“Yes, of course,” the man said, dismissively. “And I’ll continue making children until I succeed in my goal. I think I’ve figured out what needs to be adjusted this time. Some alterations to the ingredients and more isolation during the formative years.”

“Or you could, I dunno, try being a good Dad?” Fiona suggested sarcastically. Andra was loving this side of her.

“Coddling was the mistake I made with you,” he said, “and we can all see where that got us. Now, are you going to introduce me?”

Fiona groaned with annoyance. “Everyone, this is my dad, Paracelsus Atalan, and my sister, Melanie.”

“Hello, everyone,” Melanie said, waving cheerfully.

“Your sister’s a pixie?” Riven asked. At some point she had entered from the kitchen door without Andra noticing. “Fiona, you’ve been holding out on me.”

“She’s not a pixie,” Fiona explained. “She’s just tiny. I convinced her to grow the wings so that she could get around.”

Once again, Andra had questions about Fiona, but there was no time to worry about that.

“Did any of you see another couple wandering around? Dark hair, dark complexion… they look a lot like me if I were a rich snob.”

Kaylen opened her mouth, clearly planning some sort of snarky response, but one of her mothers, Ellen, answered first. “I believe I saw them. They were arguing with some woman at the front desk about a beetle they saw outside.”

Andra sighed. “Well, I guess that gives us about five minutes. Raven, is dinner ready?”

“Yeah, the soup is done,” Riven struggled to reply between her mother squeezing her and kissing her cheek and her brother tousling her hair.

Andra raised her eyebrows. “Soup? You made multiple courses? I’m impressed.”

“Um, I made jambalaya. And cornbread as a side,” Riven replied nervously.

Andra pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. That would not make her parents happy. “Fine. It’s okay. Everything will be fine as long as we get through this without acting like a bunch of idiots for once.”

“Honestly, Andrew, how have you allowed yourself to sink so far? Do you really work in this disgusting place?”

The voice that spoke grated Andra’s nerves so hard that she shuddered. She looked back to the door to see them, dressed in layers of stiff, dated clothing, not a mark on the skin or a hair out of place. Bertrand and Georgiana, Lord and Lady von Ekko. Her parents.

“Hi, Mom. Dad,” she said.

“Uh, who’s Andrew?” Kaylen asked.

“Our son, of course,” said Georgiana.

A wave of realization seemed to strike most of the people in the room. Riven was the first to recover and break the silence.

“Oh,” she said. “So that’s not okay.”

“So, now that everyone’s here, shall we get started with dinner?” Andra asked, desperately trying to fight off the awkwardness that was enveloping the room.

The group seated themselves and Riven stepped into the kitchen, returning with a tea cart full of soup bowls and placing one in front of each guest. Melanie politely declined a bowl and took a position sitting cross-legged on the table, between her father and sister, leaning against her father’s flask.

As Riven placed a bowl in front of Kaylen she said “Don’t worry, I made the vegetarian option mild because Baby Kaylen can’t handle it,” and Kaylen punched her on the arm.

Once the bowls were served, Kaylen picked up her spoon and Doris said “Kaylen, don’t forget your prayers.”

“Mama,” Kaylen whined, “you know mealtime prayers are considered optional when eating among non-Sanguians.”

Ellen snickered. “I swear, you only studied theology so that you could figure out which traditions you could ignore.”

The von Ekkos were also tasting their soup. A moment after taking a bite, Georgiana made a groan of discomfort and began gulping down water.

“You said this was mild?” she asked when he had recovered.

“I think it’s quite delicious,” her husband said, apparently unaffected.

Kaylen grinned. “So according to Riven’s spicy food theory—”

“Ah!” Andra interrupted hastily. “No, we’re not talking about anyone’s food theories or what they imply.”

Kaylen’s grin remained. “But—”

“So, Raven, I notice your brother looks a lot like you. Are you twins?”

Riven shook her head. “No, Thistle’s a changeling.”

“Oh, okay, that’s…” Andra paused. “Wait, so what you mean is that your biological twin was stolen by fairies?”

The three Circes all laughed.

“No,” Riven explained. “I was kidnapped by fairies when I was a kid and Thistle replaced me.”
    “But Thistle’s a terrible liar,” Millicent added. “I saw through his act right away and figured out what had happened. Had to go on a whole journey to save her. Faced all kinds of peril and hardship. Used every bit of strength and wits that I had. And once I finally found my child, tattered and worn and absolutely beside myself with worry, do you know what happened? She didn’t want to come home!”

Riven shrugged. “They gave me pretty dresses to wear and lots of candy when I behaved.”

Millicent sighed. “She’s been strange ever since.”

“In her defense,” Thistle added, his tired nasal voice making him sound like a professor lecturing a student, “I imagine it only awoke what was already there. She mostly kept quiet about it, but whenever Mom turned her back, she would beg me to send her back to the Fae Realms or at least change her into a girl. Of course, I’m terrible at magic, so I couldn’t do either.”

“Wait, I’m confused,” Doris said. “You kept the changeling who replaced your child, even after getting her back?”

“Yes, of course,” Millicent answered matter-of-factly. “He was only a child. I couldn’t send him back to parents who had left him in the hands of a stranger. Besides, he was pretty easy to handle compared to all the attention poor Riven needed. Very social, a good student, realistic goals. He works as an accountant in Parapet City, now.”

“I was really lucky to end up with Mom,” Thistle added. “I fit into this world so much better. Though it helps that I get to be a guy here. When we were kids, Riven and I looked identical, you know? It always seemed strange that she was so unhappy in a body that seemed so perfect to me.”

“So you’re both trans?” Andra asked.

“Yep,” Riven replied. “Though neither of us knew the word when we first transitioned.”

“Wow, two healthy, well adjusted trans children.” Andra shot a look at her parents. She needed to keep the dinner going smoothly, but she couldn’t resist making a jab. “I sure wish I had had a supportive figure in my life when I came out.”

Bertrand pointedly did not look at Andra. “Ms. Circe, it was mentioned that the fairies who kidnapped your child allowed your child to dress as a girl?”

“Yes, that’s true,” Millicent replied, sounding confused.

“And afterwards your child began exhibiting strange behavior? Behavior that’s best not described in polite company?”

“Yes, that’s also true, but—”

“Have you considered that these eccentricities might be the result of your child being permitted to dress and behave as a member of the opposite sex?”

Riven shot Bertrand a furious look and Millicent slapped her hand on the table. “Now see here, I will not allow—”

“Fiona!” Andra said frantically, grasping at whatever she could to salvage the situation. “You look deep in thought over there. What are you thinking about?”

“Oh, uh, I don’t want to cause any problems,” Fiona replied.

It couldn’t possibly be worse than the spiral the conversation was currently in. “Come on, spit it out.”

Fiona looked around at everyone staring at her silently. 

“I-I was just wondering how you got into Temple Station if you’re trans.” She winced for some reason. “Sorry.”

“Oh, that’s simple enough,” said Riven. “She must have transitioned differently from me. I keep up an enchantment to maintain my appearance, so it was picked up by the guards’ magic detection. I’m guessing Andra used a black market potion?”

Andra nodded. “You got it. One of the high quality ones, too, that you just have to take once.”

“I see,” said Fiona. “Then why don’t you just get a potion so that you don’t have to constantly keep up a spell?”

Riven grinned, excited to talk about a subject that interested her. “Well, there are some disadvantages to potions, too. First they’re illegal, so you have to find an alchemist who is willing to risk getting caught by the murderously vindictive ISA. That’s going to be expensive. Second, they don’t, ah, change everything. Which is fine for some people, and even preferable in some cases, but not for me. Of course, the disadvantage to magic is that you have to go through years of training to learn how to do it, unless you’re a fairy like Thistle, and then you hamstring your magical potential by constantly keeping up an enchantment on yourself, which makes it hard to be a career mage. There are a few other ways to transition, but those are the main two.”

Fiona nodded. “That makes sense. But if the Sanguians consider trans women so dangerous, isn’t it a huge hole in their security if it only checks for one of the ways they transition?”

“That’s actually the subject of a lot of discussion within the church,” Kaylen cut in. “First of all, it’s well known that a lot of trans women manage to make their way into the inner city. But you have to understand that there’s a difference between Sanguis’ word and the church’s. Sanguis says that men aren’t permitted within certain parts of Sanguian temples, but has never given any word about Paradise. Paradise being women-only is a result of the church attempting to follow Sanguis’ decree that we all strive to live our lives as independently of men as possible. So when a trans woman enters Paradise, she’s breaking the church’s rule, not the goddess’. It’s not blasphemy, it’s just a crime.

“Sex-changing potions are relatively new, so traditionally there hasn’t really been a reason to check for them. A lot of the older priestesses believe that we need to expand our security to catch trans women who use potions. However, among younger priestesses, there’s been an increasing movement to not only allow trans women into Paradise, but to treat them as women as much as possible without breaking Sanguis’ law.”

“The issue has become incredibly divisive within the church,” Doris added. “And the church has been slow to act out of fear of a schism. Meanwhile, it’s an open secret that many trans women can get into the inner city.”

“Huh, so the priestesses of a transphobic goddess want to start accepting trans people as much as they can without earning their goddess’ wrath?” Riven asked. “That’s surprisingly decent.”

Kaylen nodded. “I think even gods’ minds can be changed. If enough of her followers speak up, I believe she would listen.”

“Is that what you’re hoping for, Andrew?” Georgiana asked Andra. “You’ve abandoned the True House von Ekko to beg at the gates of the Lunar Garden?”

Andra opened her mouth to retort, but found herself unable to speak. Knowing that she would be denied entry in the True House von Ekko was one of the things that had hurt the most about leaving home.

Thankfully, seeing her discomfort, Riven came to her rescue. “So, Fiona, what’s up with you and your sister? Did you say your dad made you?”

“Yeah, we’re homunculi,” Melanie replied, gesturing to herself and Fiona with a tiny hand. “Fiona’s the first one. A miracle of modern alchemy made using samples from a slime as a base and a few other ingredients to make us grow and think.”

“They’re part of a project I’m working on,” Paracelsus explained. “I’d be happy to tell you about it. The von Ekkos in particular might be interested.”

“Dad, please don’t try to ask them for funding,” said Fiona.

“You’re made from slimes?” Riven asked. “Does that mean you can shapeshift?”

Fiona shook her head. “Only when we were young. As we get older, we lose that ability.”

“Likely a result of living in this world. If they developed in the Fae Realms, my hypothesis is that they might not lose this ability,” Paracelsus added. “One of many things I would be able to research if I only had more money.”

Bertrand shot him a glare.

“So, the goo in that flask is your sibling?” Kaylen asked, eyeing the flask where it sat next to Paracelsus’ bowl.

Fiona sighed. “Yeah. Basically.”

“Speaking of which,” said Paracelsus, “I brought the sample you requested, but who is making this potion you needed it for?”

“Maxim Nobody,” Fiona replied.

“Maxim Nobody,” Paracelsus repeated thoughtfully. “I know of him. Competent enough, but doesn’t really stand out in the alchemy community. Doesn’t publish often, doesn’t come to events. Kind of a, well, nobody.”

He laughed at his own joke.

“What potion?” Bertrand asked sharply.

“Uh, well,” Andra said, hesitating. “I was going to wait until after dessert to mention this, but as it happens the four of us have become cursed and the potion that will fix the curse requires the blood of our parents.”

Georgiana stared at Andra with wide-eyed anger. “Our blood? You asked us out here to ask for our blood? After everything you’ve taken from us, the work we put into raising you, the money you stole, the future of our family, you want our blood too?”

“Now, now, Georgiana,” said Bertrand soothingly. “Our son may have abandoned our family, but that doesn’t mean we should abandon him.”

He faced Andra. “I will give you my blood. And then hopefully, when you realize that there’s no future for you out here you will remember this moment and return home to us.”

Andra stared down at her bowl. “Under the circumstances, I think I’m going to need Mom’s blood.”

The room was silent save for Kaylen’s snickering.

Andra couldn’t see it because she was too busy staring at her bowl, but she could practically hear her father’s scowl.

“You ungrateful little… you know what? You can forget about having my blood or anyone else’s. We’re done with this little dinner. You can either live with your little curse, or you can grow up, come home, and accept your responsibilities. Georgiana, let’s go.”

Andra felt like she should be panicking. The one thing that could save her sanity was about to walk out the door. But instead she felt numb as she continued to stare at her bowl.

 

---

 

Fiona knocked gently on the door to room 405. It was answered by an annoyed-looking Riven.

“What is it?”

“I-if you could come down to the lounge, I have some important news to deliver.”

Riven sighed. “Can’t you just tell me here? I’m very busy.”

Fiona avoided looking in Riven’s eyes. “It’s very complicated, I’m afraid, and I have to explain it in front of everyone involved.”

Riven sighed again, but stepped out of her room, locking her door behind her. The two made their way down to the lounge where, as planned, everyone else had gathered. Fiona looked over the group, spread throughout the various chairs and couches of the lounge, and resisted smiling.

“Good. Everyone is here.”

“Finally,” said Andra, her various pieces of jewelry clicking together whenever she moved. “Now would you please explain what this is all about?”

This was Fiona’s favorite part. The part where she finally got to drop the shy act and reveal the truth to everyone.

“The reason I brought you all here is to tell you that I know who the murderer is.”

A collective gasp ran through the room.

“You see, from the moment Mr. Nobody’s corpse was discovered, I have been investigating each of you, and what I’ve turned up has shocked even a seasoned detective like myself. You see, while only one of you is the murderer, each of you hides a terrible secret. And I plan to reveal all of them today.

“I’ll start with everyone’s first suspect, Riven.” She pointed to Riven, all disheveled hair and uneven suspenders. She clearly had been working all night. She hadn’t even bothered to shave and sported a five o’clock shadow, a far cry from her immaculate appearance the previous day. “We all recall the events of yesterday evening, when Mr. Nobody loudly accused you of plagiarism in front of everyone in this very lounge. After the murder, while you were being interviewed by the police, I searched your room, discovering a telegram from your publisher. It seemed that Mr. Nobody had already contacted them and that they had begun an investigation into his claims. Indeed this would make you even more of a suspect, but a quick inquiry at the telegraph office proved that you were sending a reply at the time of the murder, clearing of you of guilt.”

Next she pointed to a large woman dressed in yellow trousers and a button-down shirt with rolled-up sleeves. “My next suspect was Bessen. When we first met, I noticed that you carried a dented cigar case, exactly like the one belonging to the villainous general described in Mr. Nobody’s fourth book, which led me to believe that his character, including the crimes he committed, were based on you. Indeed, on speaking with one of the maids, I discovered that you had brought a samurai sword, no doubt planning to recreate the dramatic climax of the novel. Of course, you never got your chance, as someone else ended up murdering Mr. Nobody first.”

The next target of Fiona’s finger was the woman in the dress with the too-loud jewelry. “Of course, such a dramatic demise for Mr. Nobody could only have been planned by our resident actress, Andra, who met Bessen while filming a movie based on Mr. Nobody’s third novel. Of course, that film had a troubled production, didn’t it? A call to the production company revealed that its script underwent several rewrites in order to give you more screen time before Mr. Nobody put a stop to the production, unwilling to see his work be corrupted by your ego. You sought revenge by convincing another of his enemies to murder him, unaware of just how many enemies he had.”

Fiona moved on to a person dressed in a frilly suit and wearing brightly-colored makeup. “Indeed one of them was right under your nose. Your own personal assistant, Atworth, was once a close friend of Mr. Nobody’s, until Mr. Nobody received solo credit for a play written by both of them. Indeed, the charred remains of the manuscript discovered in Mr. Nobody’s room were destroyed by Atworth, not Riven. However, that is the length of Atworth’s crimes.”

Fiona continued on to the final person gathered. “Kaylen is the real culprit. Mr. Nobody cheated you out of thousands of dollars by exploiting a loophole in his old contract with you, something you never forgave him for. I discovered this fact when I decided to investigate you after I found the murder weapon hidden in the garden.”

She held it up, a blood-covered knife with a sigil on the handle.

“This is your family’s crest, is it not?”

“You forget,” said Kaylen, smirking. “I was with you at the time of the murder. It couldn’t have been me.”

“Yes, for a time I dismissed you as a suspect. Until I heard a rumor that one of the maids had fallen for you. In fact, I believe that very maid is currently refilling my glass.”

The maid in question, named Nightingale, squeaked in surprise and made a dash for the door. However, Fiona was quicker and managed to grab her and hurl her to the ground, pinning her down just as the police burst into the room, exactly as Fiona had planned.

“Check that glass,” she told the inspector, indicating the one Nightingale had been refilling. “I believe you’ll find it’s been poisoned.”

 

---

 

Andra stared at the bowl of jambalaya in front of her. Somehow, that half-eaten overly-spiced bowl of slop seemed to anchor her, making it easy for her to remember who she was. And then remember who she was again.

Being around one’s parents, she thought, made it easy to revert back to an older version of oneself. Whether it was Kaylen whining to her mothers about loopholes in rules or Riven’s unexpected shyness around her mother or Fiona’s permanent annoyance with her father. It was easy to forget how much you had changed when faced with the past. But she was no longer Andrew von Ekko, who tried to appease her parents and beg for what she needed. She was Andra von Ekko, who took what she wanted and never groveled to anyone.

“Fiona,” she said, looking up at her friend. “Hold my mother down, please.”

 

---

 

After that display, none of the families wanted to stay for dessert, so Lady von Ekko’s Glorious Adventurer Brigade sat alone in the dining room, each with a huge slice of Fiona’s delicious strawberry cake.

“This is amazing. Our parents really missed out,” Andra said between bites. She held up the vial in front of her eyes. The red of her mother’s blood surprisingly hadn’t altered the clearness of the potion, and she could see a tiny Kaylen reflected inside it.

“Seriously, can you make dinner too?” Kaylen asked. “You should do that next time, so we don’t have to eat Riven’s crap.”

“Hey, I thought my soup was pretty good,” Riven said, pouting.

“I can make an alright casserole, I guess,” said Fiona with a shrug before popping a strawberry in her mouth.

“Well,” said Andra, pulling the cork from her vial, “shall we do this? No time like the present.”

Fiona and Kaylen removed the corks from their vials as well.

“Come on, Riven,” said Kaylen. “We should all do this together. It’s symbolic.”

“Oh, I’m not drinking it,” said Riven.

“What? After everything we went through?” Fiona asked.

“I never said I was going to drink it,” Riven explained. “I want to experience the madness. To know what it’s like to feel my sanity slip away.”

Andra stared at Riven. Was she serious? She actually wanted to be driven mad?

 

---

 

Ungrateful fools, every one of them. After everything, they seek to undo my work. I can see them even now through my window. They’ve come here armed with revolvers, prepared to kill me. But I won’t let them stop me, not now when my work is so close to completion.

Fiona is perhaps the biggest surprise. I healed her war injury, cured her deafness by giving her those beautiful new ears. Ears that can hear creatures from beyond the veil whispering the secrets of the universe. Those ears give her the gift of knowledge unknown to anyone in the world; how could she accuse me of cursing her?

Andra is no great shock, though it is hard for me to understand how she turned from ally to enemy. My one-time benefactor was initially passionate in her support for my studies and the truths they would uncover. She wanted to see the things from beyond the veil, yet when I brought those things before her, she turned away in horror and told me to halt my research. When I refused, she cut off my funding, and I was forced to seek resources from elsewhere.

Kaylen must have been the one to turn them against me. That fool of a professor believes that my work could bring about humanity’s destruction. If that were the case, would we not deserve it? I am working to bring forth creatures far superior to humanity. If they believe we should be wiped from this planet, then we should be wiped from this planet.

They’re pounding on my door now, trying to break it down. The simpletons don’t realize that they’re already too late. Right now I’m putting the final touches on my great work, the ritual that will make me like the creatures from beyond the veil. Once that is done, nothing will be able to stop me. No word or weapon. No spell or prayer.

 

---

 

The monster was standing right there before her! Andra jerked in surprise, reaching for her gun only to find it missing. Wait, what gun? And what monster? It was only Riven standing before her. She looked to her side and saw that Fiona was attempting to cower behind Kaylen, who in turn had backed into Fiona and was now pressing against her very hard.

Riven’s eyes were wide with shock. “Uh, okay, yeah, that was a bit much. I’m going to have to safe word that one.”

She removed the cork from her vial and downed it in a second.