___________________ ღღ ___________________
Maddie
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ •.¸ ¸.• ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
[ - Wednesday, September 11, 2019 - 5pm - Dawn’s Car - ]
I lounge on one of the smaller loveseat sofas in front of the viewing screen in my mind. To my right is the big eyes-shaped projection hovering in the air, which is currently airing The Ellie Show. Or in other words Ellie’s out fronting and controlling our body.
We’re currently with Dawn in her car on the way home from school. She and Ellie are talking about the days they’ve had, but I’ve mostly tuned them out for the moment. I know what kind of day I‘ve had, and it has been exhausting.
It had been brutal getting up this morning after such a late night, we’d barely gotten two and a half hours of sleep. But we’d managed to pull through somehow. Ellie and I had ended up tag teaming fronting during our classes today, trying to give each other space to rest while still getting our education. I’d taken our second and last classes, Ethics of the Self and Data Structures, while Ellie fronted during our first class Calculus I and our third class Statistics.
Having to rush to get to school on time meant that we’d had no time to talk to the Andersons about what I’d learned from Spar, Leahna, and Anialah. So having that conversation is at the top of our to-do list once we get home. Er, get to the Anderson’s house, I mean.
I turn my attention back to the viewing screen, and listen in on the conversation Ellie and Dawn are still having.
“I definitely want to tell Sky tonight, if that’s okay?” Ellie’s saying, looking to Dawn’s amber eyes for approval.
We’re at a red light, and said eyes hold Ellie’s gaze firmly and steadily. “Of course, they should actually be home tonight rather than staying at Eve’s like they’ve been doing occasionally lately,” Dawn says.
“Awesome, thank you so much Dawn,” Ellie replies.
“Of course hun,” Dawn says with a smile, before turning her attention back to driving.
Hope that’s okay with you, love? Ellie asks me a microsecond later.
Totally, I think, Sky is trustworthy and incredibly smart. They’ll make a powerful ally indeed.
Agreed, nerd, Ellie says.
Good, beloved, I shoot back with a grin.
I actually feel Ellie’s cheeks heating up in a fierce blush. B-beloved? she thinks flusteredly, that’s gay as hell.
My smile only widens. I lay back on my loveseat, kick up my legs on the far armrest, and say aloud, “I’m very gay for you, if you haven’t noticed. You and Dawn.”
Dawn glances over at us as she drives. “You okay cuties?” she asks.
“Yes!” Ellie answers quickly, “Yep! Everything’s totally fine!” Her burning cheeks only highlight her fib.
“Uh huh,” Dawn says skeptically. “You’re not very good at lying, huns.”
Ellie materializes in front of me with her arms crossed and looking vulnerable. She glances back at me and I send her a wave of love and affection. She nods at me with gratitude, then steps back out into the body.
“Yeah...” Ellie says slowly, “Lying’s not really my thing I guess. I like being open and honest with people.”
“You leave all the lies and subterfuge to little old me,” I say to the viewing screen.
Maybe I do, is that okay? Ellie asks sincerely.
Absolutely, I’m happy to help, I reply with a grin.
“That’s fair,” Dawn says, as we enter our subdivision.
It’s quiet for a moment, before Dawn asks, “But how are you doing, really?”
“We’re both good, I’m serious,” Ellie says, “Maddie’s just been teasing me relentlessly.”
“Oh have they?” Dawn asks curiously, arching an eyebrow. “It’s a shame I can’t hear them.”
Truly it is, I say to Ellie.
“I think that’s perfectly okay actually,” Ellie says cheekily. “I don’t need both of you teaming up on me.”
Awww, you’re no fun! I think.
“To each their own I suppose,” Dawn says.
Ellie watches the houses go by out our window.
“In all seriousness, it would be amazing if we could communicate with you the way we do with each other, thought-to-thought,” Ellie says.
A glance back at Dawn reveals her smiling as she drives. “The thought has crossed my mind that that would be pretty neat,” she admits with a blush.
“Aww,” Ellie says sweetly. “Well with magic, who knows what’s possible?”
Dawn looks thoughtful as we turn onto our street. “True that,” she says.
We pull into her parents’ driveway five minutes later. Dawn and Ellie get out of the car and grab their respective backpacks from the back seat with practiced ease. While Ellie slings hers onto her back, I feel myself getting restless.
I decide to take some time to focus on my lighthouse island sanctuary again. I try to perceive both my body sitting cross legged in the lighthouse and my body laying on the loveseat in the viewing tree. I can picture both in my head simultaneously to some extent, but sooner or later something grabs my attention in one world or the other and I get drawn more fully into that world.
This time it’s a BOOM! of thunder from my sanctuary world, which causes me to flinch away from the windows. I get to my feet in the circular lighthouse room and survey the area. The big wrap-around windows on the west side of the room are again filled with roiling storm clouds, but something about this storm feels different, fiercer than the ones before. I rush over to the spiral metal staircase that leads to the roof of the structure and take the stairs with dream-like speed, arriving swiftly at the top metal door.
When I try to push the door open I find it takes significantly more force and focus than I’d been anticipating, as if storm winds really are buffeting it closed. Once I force it open rain pours in, and I feel myself getting soaked immediately. My shirt clings to my skin in all the right places though, and I end up laughing into the howling wind of the storm. My life is fucking wild.
Tell me about it, Ellie thinks at me, though it’s nearly lost amidst the primal fury of the heavens that surrounds me on nearly all sides now. I walk out onto the viewing balcony of the lighthouse summit, completely drenched and invigorated by the visceral experience.
I raise my arms up towards the sky, root myself in place against the buffeting winds, and reach out with my thoughts to calm the raging weather pattern. I figure it’s good practice to keep changing things up and experimenting with what feels right in my sanctuary.
To my surprise, I feel a strange resistance as I try to disperse the storm. It’s as if the storm’s got a mind of its own and doesn’t want to be dispelled. I stop fighting it after a few subjective minutes of rallying my will and trying to tame the beast, and decide to let the storm be for now. It’s something I’ll have to ask Anne about later.
I have a bit more fun in the rain, then I let awareness of that body fade in exchange for the comfortable feeling of lying down on a comfortable loveseat.
The viewing screen shows Ellie just walking in the front door, following closely behind Dawn.
Jay and Aiden are both home and I can hear them talking in the kitchen as Ellie hangs up our backpack and coat alongside Dawn’s. Ellie and Dawn wordlessly move towards the kitchen, and the anderdads’ voices become fully audible.
“A toast to our beautiful children,” Aiden’s saying.
“Speaking of,” Jay says.
Dawn enters the kitchen first, with Ellie following close behind. Both dads are seated next to each other on the far side of the kitchen table, watching us come in.
“Well well well,” Aiden says, “Look who’s still alive.”
“Hey dads, we’re home!” Dawn announces.
“Hello Dawn, Ellie, Maddie,” Jay says, grinning.
“Hi Mr. and Mr. Anderson,” Ellie says, glancing from Jay’s cool blue gaze to Aiden’s soft brown eyes as she speaks.
Aiden rolls said eyes. “If you don’t mind me asking, what kept you both out so late last night? Session run long?” he asks with some concern.
“That and we had another friend come out to us so we stayed up late talking to her,” Dawn says
“Oh?” Jay asks with interest.
“Yeah, she might be here after school tomorrow if that’s okay with you both? She’s in a similar boat to Ellie and could use some friends and a safe space,” Dawn says.
Aiden’s and Jay’s eyebrows rise.
“Of course you can have a friend over,” Jay answers, “hell I’m always down for being a port in the storm for other trans folks, especially you young ‘uns.”
“Thanks dad, just wanted to check,” Dawn says.
Dawn and Ellie both stand behind their respective chairs and lean on them.
Would you like to talk about everything Anialah and company told us? Ellie asks me.
Yes! Thank you, I reply.
Of course cutie, she says with a flare of compassion.
We dance around each other as she slips back into the viewing tree and I slide into the pilot seat of our meatmech. I blink a couple times, then pull out the chair in front of me and sit down.
“Hey everyone, Maddie here,” I say matter-of-factly, “I come bearing news from the other side.”
Aiden and Jay both perk up while Dawn takes her seat next to me.
“Do tell,” Aiden says.
“There was a meeting last night between us and Anialah, the system we’re connected to, and her sister Leah and their friend Spar,” I explain. “They had some advice for us, because they believe we’re under potential threat from people hunting folks like us. It’s happening in their world and we’ve all come to believe it could be happening in ours too. Clearly magic exists, yet that’s not common knowledge here anymore and I want to know why.”
I pause for breath. Nobody makes a move to interrupt me, so I continue. “Spar advised us to seek allies, learn to defend ourselves as best we can, and begin discreetly gathering information on anyone who might be hunting us. Leah asked us to look into this world’s histories and mythologies for references to bonded pairs like us, because her world has no record of a bond quite like ours.”
“What’s different about your bond?” Aiden asks curiously.
“There’s only Anialah and Ellie and I,” I begin, but I stop short, feeling a twinge of unease.
“Well, a better way to put it might be: ‘there’s only our two systems’,” I clarify, and the unease lessens. I shake my head a little, trying to focus. “Anyway, what I mean is there’s no third party in our bond, whereas in all the myths in Anne’s world the bonded have goddesses and gods, ancestor spirits, or some other spectral beings to guide them and tell them what their mission is. Leah wants to know if there are any clues in our mythologies as to why we are bonded to Anialah the way that we are.”
Jay and Aiden both look thoughtful. They’re both nursing cups of hot cocoa, and Aiden takes a sip while keeping his eyes focused in my direction.
“Fascinating,” Jay murmurs, then he says louder, “I can help you with that research if you’d like. Weird myths are definitely in my wheelhouse.”
“Thanks dad,” Dawn says with a smile, “we’d really appreciate your help.”
“Are you kidding? This is the most excitement I’ve had in years,” Jay says with a wry grin.
Aiden smiles. “So what are you planning to do with these folks’ advice hun?” he asks me curiously.
“Um,” I say, feeling myself blushing under his gentle gaze, “we’re going to try and learn a martial art maybe? And specialize in information security at school, so we’ll know more about protecting ourselves in that dimension of life. As for allies, we’re thinking maybe letting Sky know about everything, so they can help come up with ideas for what to do next? And maybe our newly realized trans girl friend from last night too.”
“We wanted to ask your advice on that,” Dawn adds from beside me. “About possibly telling Sky and or our friend.”
Jay rubs at his chin while Aiden sets his mug down.
“I don’t know for sure if it’s a good idea to bring new friends in,” Aiden begins slowly. “If there really are people ‘hunting’ supernaturals like you, we might be putting them in danger. Sky I agree we should tell, since this involves our family now and they’ll figure it out eventually either way,” he says.
I nod. “Sorry to drag you all into this,” I say with a lopsided smile.
“Nonsense,” Jay says.
“We’re happy to help,” Aiden says.
“Maddie come on, you must know we all want to be here for you,” Dawn says.
I feel like a turtle trying to huddle back into my shell, away from all the kindness on display in these people’s words and faces.
Dawn’s hand slides into mine under the table, and I grasp it like a lifeline, drawing strength from her physical presence. Love and warmth radiate from Ellie as well. She stands before the viewing screen with a pensive frown on her face.
Damn, do we need therapy, she mutters.
[ - content warning: child abuse - ]
“Sorry,” I say again, then clear my throat and try to find the words to explain myself.
“Um, I guess I know you all always say you care about me,” I mumble, “but that doesn’t stop the years of childhood trauma Ellie and I experienced at our parents’ hands from telling me I’m doing something wrong by asking for help.”
“Oof,” Dawn says, “you got us there.”
“That’s fair,” Jay says.
[ - end cw - ]
“Thank you for sharing that,” Aiden says softly, “I’m so sorry you and Ellie had to endure that.”
I sniff, feeling my eyes well up with tears.
“Thanks,” is all I can say.
“Oh you poor thing,” Dawn says, as she half-stands, turns, and wraps her arms around me.
I lean into her touch gratefully, though I feel myself blushing at being so openly cuddly in front of her dads. They don’t say anything though, and I’m not about to ask. I just wrap my arms around Dawn’s midsection and hug her back.
“Thanks,” I mumble again.
It’s not nearly long enough before the hug is over and Dawn sits back in her seat.
We talk with our girlfriend and her parents for a good half hour more, mostly about our school and their work. Aiden’s job at Fermilab has been demanding a lot from him recently, and Jay’s job as a high school history teacher hasn’t been any easier. They both commiserate with us about the unending slog of thankless labor that is life under capitalism.
Dawn, Ellie and I then get our homework out and start doing that at the table as well, and for a while it seems like a normal evening in the Anderson household.
After a few hours, Sky comes downstairs and asks about dinner, and Jay announces he’ll be cooking chicken kievs for everyone. Sky then joins Dawn and I at the table while Jay and Aiden set about getting dinner ready.
“Hey girls,” Sky says, sitting down across from me, “whatcha up to?”
I feel a smile tugging at my lips as I glance at Dawn and find her looking at me. She nods ever so slightly, and I return it.
“Hey Sky,” I say, “just doing some homework. How about you?”
Sky’s deep blue eyes narrow slightly, glancing from me to Dawn and back.
“I just finished mine. So what’s going on?” they ask, looking curiously from one of us to the other.
“We... have a bunch of things to tell you,” I say slowly, feeling Ellie encouraging me in the background, “and some of them might be difficult to believe.”
Sky’s eyebrows rise. “Do tell,” they say.
“First off, are you familiar with plurality at all?” I ask.
Their face screws up in concentration. “Sorta kinda? Why? What’s it mean to you?”
“Well,” I say, then I take a deep breath. “I’m plural. My name is Madelaine, Maddie for short. Ellie is my headmate. She’s here listening, but I’m doing the talking at the moment. We uh, share this body.”
Sky looks surprised and intrigued. “Holy shit really? That’s awesome!” they exclaim.
A look of caution flashes across their features and they add, “Er, well, is it awesome for you?”
I smile. “It’s alright,” I say, “It’s really nice to be open about it though. Hiding it feels kinda similar to hiding in the wrong gender.”
“I can totally understand that,” Sky says, “so is it just you and Ellie?”
I hesitate. “As far as we know,” I say.
Ellie raises an eyebrow at the viewing screen, but doesn’t say anything.
“Cool!” Sky says, “That’s really not so hard to believe y’know.”
“That’s only the tip of the iceberg,” Dawn says with a small smile.
“Yeah, the other thing is there’s a magical girl in another world that we’re somehow mentally connected to, and she’s done real magic here in this house twice now.”
Sky stares at me. "For real?" they ask.
"For real," I say.
They look alarmed, their eyes darting to the right towards where Jay's preparing dinner.
“The dads know all about it,” Dawn says.
“Sure do,” Jay chimes in, “they’re being one hundred percent serious Sky.”
"Okay, fair, that is a pretty incredible thing," Sky says slowly.
"We've got proof, thanks to Jay," Dawn adds.
"Oh?" they ask.
Dawn pulls out her phone and brings up the little video that Jay had sent us on Sunday of Anne's second magic trick. She makes the video full screen and sets it on the table in front of Sky.
“Watch this,” Dawn instructs.
“The magical girl, Anialah, did a simple light spell she knew,” I explain, after the screen flashes white.
“Holy shit,” Sky says quietly. “This is uh, a lot to take in, but how are you all handling it? Dealing with this stuff on top of coming out as trans? That’s gotta be fucking wild.”
I smile weakly at them. “It’s been a hell of a ride so far. We just had a meeting with our magical girl and some of her friends, and they recommended we get some more allies on our side,” I explain. “You’re one of the smartest people we know, so you’re the first person we’re coming to about this, you and your dads and Dawn.”
Sky smiles. “I appreciate your trust Maddie,” they reply. Then they take a deep breath, and with barely contained excitement they say, “This is absolutely incredible! Magic is real?!”
I nod. “Yes, apparently some form of magic is real.”
“That’s awesome!” Sky exclaims.
“It is,” I say with a grin.
Then I get serious. “Unfortunately, we’re thinking there might be people hunting folks like us, so getting involved could be dangerous.”
Sky blinks in surprise, then waves a hand at me. “Puh-lease, I’m not about to sit on the sidelines while y’all experiment with actual magic,” they say firmly. “If there’s danger, I’ll run and hide or something.”
“I figured as much,” I say with a wry smile. “So our next steps are: to learn ways to defend ourselves from physical, technological, and maybe even magical attacks, to gather allies who’ll have our back if things go south, and to research everything we can about the people who might be hunting us.”
“Also we need to look into the histories and mythologies of our world to determine if there’s precedence for anyone bonded the way that Ellie, Maddie, and Anialah are,” Dawn says.
“Right,” I say, giving her a grateful smile.
Sky looks back and forth between us both. “So this is really happening huh?” they muse. “Clearly you’ve put a lot of thought into this already. Just point me to where I can help.”
“I could certainly use your help researching bonded folks,” Jay says, as he loads a baking tray full of food into the oven.
“The other thing you might be perfect for is scouting around the internet and trying to figure out if anyone else like us exists currently,” I say.
They nod eagerly. “Yeah, I can totally set up some web scrapers and do that!”
“Thanks so much Sky,” I say warmly.
“You’re so welcome, Maddie,” Sky says, and I’m touched that they keep using my name.
I let them know so, and they’re overjoyed to learn their hypothesis was correct. When we ask them about that they explain they’d guessed we had a need for being called our separate names as much as trans people have a need to be called their true names.
We chat with them for a while longer about that, before eventually having to return to our assignments. We’re falling a little behind in Calculus, so Ellie and I make a point of studying that in the short time before the food’s ready.
Dinner is a pretty standard affair, except this time it’s filled with Sky asking questions about Anne and her world and Ellie and I answering as best we can. The breaded chicken kievs are delicious, as are the mashed potatoes that Jay whips up.
Dawn, Ellie and I turn in just after eight, the three of us exhausted.
At this point the ritual of getting ready for bed beside Dawn is second nature, and we get into our pajamas, brush our teeth, and slide under the covers on the family’s upstairs couch while Dawn settles in on the air mattress beside us.
I’m tempted to ‘accidentally’ roll over into her space some time, but Ellie advises me against it since we’re all so tired already.
To make up for it, Ellie and I end up cuddling together on one of the viewing tree sofas, me sitting with my back to the armrest and her nestled in beside me on my right. I nuzzle her mousey brown hair with my nose.
Good night cutie pie, I think.
Sweet dreams love, she replies.
We both fall asleep cuddling in headspace.
___________________ ღღ ___________________
Maddie
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ •.¸ ¸.• ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
[ - Wednesday, September 11, 2019 - 5pm - Dawn’s Car - ]
I lounge on one of the smaller loveseat sofas in front of the viewing screen in my mind. To my right is the big eyes-shaped projection hovering in the air, which is currently airing The Ellie Show. Or in other words Ellie’s out fronting and controlling our body.
We’re currently with Dawn in her car on the way home from school. She and Ellie are talking about the days they’ve had, but I’ve mostly tuned them out for the moment. I know what kind of day I‘ve had, and it has been exhausting.
It had been brutal getting up this morning after such a late night, we’d barely gotten two and a half hours of sleep. But we’d managed to pull through somehow. Ellie and I had ended up tag teaming fronting during our classes today, trying to give each other space to rest while still getting our education. I’d taken our second and last classes, Ethics of the Self and Data Structures, while Ellie fronted during our first class Calculus I and our third class Statistics.
Having to rush to get to school on time meant that we’d had no time to talk to the Andersons about what I’d learned from Spar, Leahna, and Anialah. So having that conversation is at the top of our to-do list once we get home. Er, get to the Anderson’s house, I mean.
I turn my attention back to the viewing screen, and listen in on the conversation Ellie and Dawn are still having.
“I definitely want to tell Sky tonight, if that’s okay?” Ellie’s saying, looking to Dawn’s amber eyes for approval.
We’re at a red light, and said eyes hold Ellie’s gaze firmly and steadily. “Of course, they should actually be home tonight rather than staying at Eve’s like they’ve been doing occasionally lately,” Dawn says.
“Awesome, thank you so much Dawn,” Ellie replies.
“Of course hun,” Dawn says with a smile, before turning her attention back to driving.
Hope that’s okay with you, love? Ellie asks me a microsecond later.
Totally, I think, Sky is trustworthy and incredibly smart. They’ll make a powerful ally indeed.
Agreed, nerd, Ellie says.
Good, beloved, I shoot back with a grin.
I actually feel Ellie’s cheeks heating up in a fierce blush. B-beloved? she thinks flusteredly, that’s gay as hell.
My smile only widens. I lay back on my loveseat, kick up my legs on the far armrest, and say aloud, “I’m very gay for you, if you haven’t noticed. You and Dawn.”
Dawn glances over at us as she drives. “You okay cuties?” she asks.
“Yes!” Ellie answers quickly, “Yep! Everything’s totally fine!” Her burning cheeks only highlight her fib.
“Uh huh,” Dawn says skeptically. “You’re not very good at lying, huns.”
Ellie materializes in front of me with her arms crossed and looking vulnerable. She glances back at me and I send her a wave of love and affection. She nods at me with gratitude, then steps back out into the body.
“Yeah...” Ellie says slowly, “Lying’s not really my thing I guess. I like being open and honest with people.”
“You leave all the lies and subterfuge to little old me,” I say to the viewing screen.
Maybe I do, is that okay? Ellie asks sincerely.
Absolutely, I’m happy to help, I reply with a grin.
“That’s fair,” Dawn says, as we enter our subdivision.
It’s quiet for a moment, before Dawn asks, “But how are you doing, really?”
“We’re both good, I’m serious,” Ellie says, “Maddie’s just been teasing me relentlessly.”
“Oh have they?” Dawn asks curiously, arching an eyebrow. “It’s a shame I can’t hear them.”
Truly it is, I say to Ellie.
“I think that’s perfectly okay actually,” Ellie says cheekily. “I don’t need both of you teaming up on me.”
Awww, you’re no fun! I think.
“To each their own I suppose,” Dawn says.
Ellie watches the houses go by out our window.
“In all seriousness, it would be amazing if we could communicate with you the way we do with each other, thought-to-thought,” Ellie says.
A glance back at Dawn reveals her smiling as she drives. “The thought has crossed my mind that that would be pretty neat,” she admits with a blush.
“Aww,” Ellie says sweetly. “Well with magic, who knows what’s possible?”
Dawn looks thoughtful as we turn onto our street. “True that,” she says.
We pull into her parents’ driveway five minutes later. Dawn and Ellie get out of the car and grab their respective backpacks from the back seat with practiced ease. While Ellie slings hers onto her back, I feel myself getting restless.
I decide to take some time to focus on my lighthouse island sanctuary again. I try to perceive both my body sitting cross legged in the lighthouse and my body laying on the loveseat in the viewing tree. I can picture both in my head simultaneously to some extent, but sooner or later something grabs my attention in one world or the other and I get drawn more fully into that world.
This time it’s a BOOM! of thunder from my sanctuary world, which causes me to flinch away from the windows. I get to my feet in the circular lighthouse room and survey the area. The big wrap-around windows on the west side of the room are again filled with roiling storm clouds, but something about this storm feels different, fiercer than the ones before. I rush over to the spiral metal staircase that leads to the roof of the structure and take the stairs with dream-like speed, arriving swiftly at the top metal door.
When I try to push the door open I find it takes significantly more force and focus than I’d been anticipating, as if storm winds really are buffeting it closed. Once I force it open rain pours in, and I feel myself getting soaked immediately. My shirt clings to my skin in all the right places though, and I end up laughing into the howling wind of the storm. My life is fucking wild.
Tell me about it, Ellie thinks at me, though it’s nearly lost amidst the primal fury of the heavens that surrounds me on nearly all sides now. I walk out onto the viewing balcony of the lighthouse summit, completely drenched and invigorated by the visceral experience.
I raise my arms up towards the sky, root myself in place against the buffeting winds, and reach out with my thoughts to calm the raging weather pattern. I figure it’s good practice to keep changing things up and experimenting with what feels right in my sanctuary.
To my surprise, I feel a strange resistance as I try to disperse the storm. It’s as if the storm’s got a mind of its own and doesn’t want to be dispelled. I stop fighting it after a few subjective minutes of rallying my will and trying to tame the beast, and decide to let the storm be for now. It’s something I’ll have to ask Anne about later.
I have a bit more fun in the rain, then I let awareness of that body fade in exchange for the comfortable feeling of lying down on a comfortable loveseat.
The viewing screen shows Ellie just walking in the front door, following closely behind Dawn.
Jay and Aiden are both home and I can hear them talking in the kitchen as Ellie hangs up our backpack and coat alongside Dawn’s. Ellie and Dawn wordlessly move towards the kitchen, and the anderdads’ voices become fully audible.
“A toast to our beautiful children,” Aiden’s saying.
“Speaking of,” Jay says.
Dawn enters the kitchen first, with Ellie following close behind. Both dads are seated next to each other on the far side of the kitchen table, watching us come in.
“Well well well,” Aiden says, “Look who’s still alive.”
“Hey dads, we’re home!” Dawn announces.
“Hello Dawn, Ellie, Maddie,” Jay says, grinning.
“Hi Mr. and Mr. Anderson,” Ellie says, glancing from Jay’s cool blue gaze to Aiden’s soft brown eyes as she speaks.
Aiden rolls said eyes. “If you don’t mind me asking, what kept you both out so late last night? Session run long?” he asks with some concern.
“That and we had another friend come out to us so we stayed up late talking to her,” Dawn says
“Oh?” Jay asks with interest.
“Yeah, she might be here after school tomorrow if that’s okay with you both? She’s in a similar boat to Ellie and could use some friends and a safe space,” Dawn says.
Aiden’s and Jay’s eyebrows rise.
“Of course you can have a friend over,” Jay answers, “hell I’m always down for being a port in the storm for other trans folks, especially you young ‘uns.”
“Thanks dad, just wanted to check,” Dawn says.
Dawn and Ellie both stand behind their respective chairs and lean on them.
Would you like to talk about everything Anialah and company told us? Ellie asks me.
Yes! Thank you, I reply.
Of course cutie, she says with a flare of compassion.
We dance around each other as she slips back into the viewing tree and I slide into the pilot seat of our meatmech. I blink a couple times, then pull out the chair in front of me and sit down.
“Hey everyone, Maddie here,” I say matter-of-factly, “I come bearing news from the other side.”
Aiden and Jay both perk up while Dawn takes her seat next to me.
“Do tell,” Aiden says.
“There was a meeting last night between us and Anialah, the system we’re connected to, and her sister Leah and their friend Spar,” I explain. “They had some advice for us, because they believe we’re under potential threat from people hunting folks like us. It’s happening in their world and we’ve all come to believe it could be happening in ours too. Clearly magic exists, yet that’s not common knowledge here anymore and I want to know why.”
I pause for breath. Nobody makes a move to interrupt me, so I continue. “Spar advised us to seek allies, learn to defend ourselves as best we can, and begin discreetly gathering information on anyone who might be hunting us. Leah asked us to look into this world’s histories and mythologies for references to bonded pairs like us, because her world has no record of a bond quite like ours.”
“What’s different about your bond?” Aiden asks curiously.
“There’s only Anialah and Ellie and I,” I begin, but I stop short, feeling a twinge of unease.
“Well, a better way to put it might be: ‘there’s only our two systems’,” I clarify, and the unease lessens. I shake my head a little, trying to focus. “Anyway, what I mean is there’s no third party in our bond, whereas in all the myths in Anne’s world the bonded have goddesses and gods, ancestor spirits, or some other spectral beings to guide them and tell them what their mission is. Leah wants to know if there are any clues in our mythologies as to why we are bonded to Anialah the way that we are.”
Jay and Aiden both look thoughtful. They’re both nursing cups of hot cocoa, and Aiden takes a sip while keeping his eyes focused in my direction.
“Fascinating,” Jay murmurs, then he says louder, “I can help you with that research if you’d like. Weird myths are definitely in my wheelhouse.”
“Thanks dad,” Dawn says with a smile, “we’d really appreciate your help.”
“Are you kidding? This is the most excitement I’ve had in years,” Jay says with a wry grin.
Aiden smiles. “So what are you planning to do with these folks’ advice hun?” he asks me curiously.
“Um,” I say, feeling myself blushing under his gentle gaze, “we’re going to try and learn a martial art maybe? And specialize in information security at school, so we’ll know more about protecting ourselves in that dimension of life. As for allies, we’re thinking maybe letting Sky know about everything, so they can help come up with ideas for what to do next? And maybe our newly realized trans girl friend from last night too.”
“We wanted to ask your advice on that,” Dawn adds from beside me. “About possibly telling Sky and or our friend.”
Jay rubs at his chin while Aiden sets his mug down.
“I don’t know for sure if it’s a good idea to bring new friends in,” Aiden begins slowly. “If there really are people ‘hunting’ supernaturals like you, we might be putting them in danger. Sky I agree we should tell, since this involves our family now and they’ll figure it out eventually either way,” he says.
I nod. “Sorry to drag you all into this,” I say with a lopsided smile.
“Nonsense,” Jay says.
“We’re happy to help,” Aiden says.
“Maddie come on, you must know we all want to be here for you,” Dawn says.
I feel like a turtle trying to huddle back into my shell, away from all the kindness on display in these people’s words and faces.
Dawn’s hand slides into mine under the table, and I grasp it like a lifeline, drawing strength from her physical presence. Love and warmth radiate from Ellie as well. She stands before the viewing screen with a pensive frown on her face.
Damn, do we need therapy, she mutters.
[ - content warning: child abuse - ]
“Sorry,” I say again, then clear my throat and try to find the words to explain myself.
“Um, I guess I know you all always say you care about me,” I mumble, “but that doesn’t stop the years of childhood trauma Ellie and I experienced at our parents’ hands from telling me I’m doing something wrong by asking for help.”
“Oof,” Dawn says, “you got us there.”
“That’s fair,” Jay says.
[ - end cw - ]
“Thank you for sharing that,” Aiden says softly, “I’m so sorry you and Ellie had to endure that.”
I sniff, feeling my eyes well up with tears.
“Thanks,” is all I can say.
“Oh you poor thing,” Dawn says, as she half-stands, turns, and wraps her arms around me.
I lean into her touch gratefully, though I feel myself blushing at being so openly cuddly in front of her dads. They don’t say anything though, and I’m not about to ask. I just wrap my arms around Dawn’s midsection and hug her back.
“Thanks,” I mumble again.
It’s not nearly long enough before the hug is over and Dawn sits back in her seat.
We talk with our girlfriend and her parents for a good half hour more, mostly about our school and their work. Aiden’s job at Fermilab has been demanding a lot from him recently, and Jay’s job as a high school history teacher hasn’t been any easier. They both commiserate with us about the unending slog of thankless labor that is life under capitalism.
Dawn, Ellie and I then get our homework out and start doing that at the table as well, and for a while it seems like a normal evening in the Anderson household.
After a few hours, Sky comes downstairs and asks about dinner, and Jay announces he’ll be cooking chicken kievs for everyone. Sky then joins Dawn and I at the table while Jay and Aiden set about getting dinner ready.
“Hey girls,” Sky says, sitting down across from me, “whatcha up to?”
I feel a smile tugging at my lips as I glance at Dawn and find her looking at me. She nods ever so slightly, and I return it.
“Hey Sky,” I say, “just doing some homework. How about you?”
Sky’s deep blue eyes narrow slightly, glancing from me to Dawn and back.
“I just finished mine. So what’s going on?” they ask, looking curiously from one of us to the other.
“We... have a bunch of things to tell you,” I say slowly, feeling Ellie encouraging me in the background, “and some of them might be difficult to believe.”
Sky’s eyebrows rise. “Do tell,” they say.
“First off, are you familiar with plurality at all?” I ask.
Their face screws up in concentration. “Sorta kinda? Why? What’s it mean to you?”
“Well,” I say, then I take a deep breath. “I’m plural. My name is Madelaine, Maddie for short. Ellie is my headmate. She’s here listening, but I’m doing the talking at the moment. We uh, share this body.”
Sky looks surprised and intrigued. “Holy shit really? That’s awesome!” they exclaim.
A look of caution flashes across their features and they add, “Er, well, is it awesome for you?”
I smile. “It’s alright,” I say, “It’s really nice to be open about it though. Hiding it feels kinda similar to hiding in the wrong gender.”
“I can totally understand that,” Sky says, “so is it just you and Ellie?”
I hesitate. “As far as we know,” I say.
Ellie raises an eyebrow at the viewing screen, but doesn’t say anything.
“Cool!” Sky says, “That’s really not so hard to believe y’know.”
“That’s only the tip of the iceberg,” Dawn says with a small smile.
“Yeah, the other thing is there’s a magical girl in another world that we’re somehow mentally connected to, and she’s done real magic here in this house twice now.”
Sky stares at me. "For real?" they ask.
"For real," I say.
They look alarmed, their eyes darting to the right towards where Jay's preparing dinner.
“The dads know all about it,” Dawn says.
“Sure do,” Jay chimes in, “they’re being one hundred percent serious Sky.”
"Okay, fair, that is a pretty incredible thing," Sky says slowly.
"We've got proof, thanks to Jay," Dawn adds.
"Oh?" they ask.
Dawn pulls out her phone and brings up the little video that Jay had sent us on Sunday of Anne's second magic trick. She makes the video full screen and sets it on the table in front of Sky.
“Watch this,” Dawn instructs.
“The magical girl, Anialah, did a simple light spell she knew,” I explain, after the screen flashes white.
“Holy shit,” Sky says quietly. “This is uh, a lot to take in, but how are you all handling it? Dealing with this stuff on top of coming out as trans? That’s gotta be fucking wild.”
I smile weakly at them. “It’s been a hell of a ride so far. We just had a meeting with our magical girl and some of her friends, and they recommended we get some more allies on our side,” I explain. “You’re one of the smartest people we know, so you’re the first person we’re coming to about this, you and your dads and Dawn.”
Sky smiles. “I appreciate your trust Maddie,” they reply. Then they take a deep breath, and with barely contained excitement they say, “This is absolutely incredible! Magic is real?!”
I nod. “Yes, apparently some form of magic is real.”
“That’s awesome!” Sky exclaims.
“It is,” I say with a grin.
Then I get serious. “Unfortunately, we’re thinking there might be people hunting folks like us, so getting involved could be dangerous.”
Sky blinks in surprise, then waves a hand at me. “Puh-lease, I’m not about to sit on the sidelines while y’all experiment with actual magic,” they say firmly. “If there’s danger, I’ll run and hide or something.”
“I figured as much,” I say with a wry smile. “So our next steps are: to learn ways to defend ourselves from physical, technological, and maybe even magical attacks, to gather allies who’ll have our back if things go south, and to research everything we can about the people who might be hunting us.”
“Also we need to look into the histories and mythologies of our world to determine if there’s precedence for anyone bonded the way that Ellie, Maddie, and Anialah are,” Dawn says.
“Right,” I say, giving her a grateful smile.
Sky looks back and forth between us both. “So this is really happening huh?” they muse. “Clearly you’ve put a lot of thought into this already. Just point me to where I can help.”
“I could certainly use your help researching bonded folks,” Jay says, as he loads a baking tray full of food into the oven.
“The other thing you might be perfect for is scouting around the internet and trying to figure out if anyone else like us exists currently,” I say.
They nod eagerly. “Yeah, I can totally set up some web scrapers and do that!”
“Thanks so much Sky,” I say warmly.
“You’re so welcome, Maddie,” Sky says, and I’m touched that they keep using my name.
I let them know so, and they’re overjoyed to learn their hypothesis was correct. When we ask them about that they explain they’d guessed we had a need for being called our separate names as much as trans people have a need to be called their true names.
We chat with them for a while longer about that, before eventually having to return to our assignments. We’re falling a little behind in Calculus, so Ellie and I make a point of studying that in the short time before the food’s ready.
Dinner is a pretty standard affair, except this time it’s filled with Sky asking questions about Anne and her world and Ellie and I answering as best we can. The breaded chicken kievs are delicious, as are the mashed potatoes that Jay whips up.
Dawn, Ellie and I turn in just after eight, the three of us exhausted.
At this point the ritual of getting ready for bed beside Dawn is second nature, and we get into our pajamas, brush our teeth, and slide under the covers on the family’s upstairs couch while Dawn settles in on the air mattress beside us.
I’m tempted to ‘accidentally’ roll over into her space some time, but Ellie advises me against it since we’re all so tired already.
To make up for it, Ellie and I end up cuddling together on one of the viewing tree sofas, me sitting with my back to the armrest and her nestled in beside me on my right. I nuzzle her mousey brown hair with my nose.
Good night cutie pie, I think.
Sweet dreams love, she replies.
We both fall asleep cuddling in headspace.
