When Donna reappeared at the Blue Vixen, there were only a few people left in the green room. “Aww, is it closing time already?”
Rowan nodded. “If you want to help with cleanup, you’re more than welcome. Oh, and could we get a stash of crystals for later?”
Donna nodded absently as a minor whirlwind passed through the green room, putting everything back in its place and cleaning the various bits of clothing that had been left about. Creating and filling box after box of crystals to the point that the back wall of the Changing Room was covered in them was little more than an afterthought. “Done.”
Rowan looked about in wonder. “That was quick. Thanks.”
Donna smiled. “Any time. How did Cherry work out?”
“Ask her yourself, she’s upstairs.”
Donna headed out of the green room, Arwen in tow. Rowan locked up behind them. “You can let yourself out the back from the apartment stairs, okay?”
“Sure thing.”
Donna took a moment to scan the two previously empty apartments, and tapped on the one where she could sense Cherry. The busty redhead opened the door with a grin. “Rowan said you’d show. Come in, come in...”
Donna and Arwen entered. Donna had left the unoccupied apartments with very basic furnishings, so there were chairs for them to sit on while Cherry bustled in the kitchen making tea. “Is there any chance I can get a few little renovations done? The place is nice, but it’s not...”
“Not you?” asked Donna with a smile. She sipped her tea.
“Exactly. I’d love it if there was a lot more red, and maybe something a little more feminine to the bedroom.”
Donna giggled at the images she was getting. “You don’t want a little more feminine. You want aggressively, in your face feminine. Heart shaped beds are hard to find sheets for.”
“I know,” laughed Cherry. “But if you made a few sets, that wouldn’t be a problem.”
“True. And done. Go look.”
Cherry darted into her bedroom, whooping with glee at the change found within. She jumped onto the bed, bouncing on it like a little kid. “Oh my Goddess, it’s wonderful.”
Donna raised an eyebrow. “Was that addressed to me?”
Cherry shrugged. “Kinda. The others call you that. Vanessa most of all, but the others follow suit. With everything you’ve done, it does seem to fit.”
Dia bled out from Donna’s skin, turning their body crystalline. “We thank you for the gesture, and take it in the spirit it was meant. Playfully.” With a snap of their fingers, more red fabric appeared throughout the apartment. The plain kitchen chairs got recovered in it, the couch reshaped to become a heart-backed loveseat, and the loveseat a cardinal red chaise longue. Highlights of red traced the walls, and heart-shaped throw pillows appeared in every nook and corner.
Cherry bounced through the room, examining and gushing over every change. “Oh, it’s so perfect!” Her last bounce fetched her up against the crystalline Dia, who she hugged ferociously. “Thank you for everything. This is going to be amazing.”
“You’re amazing. How can you go from... well, you know, to this so easily?” asked Dia.
Arwen perked up at the question, studying Cherry.
Cherry shrugged. “Prior experience. Not having a lot of attachment to my old life, too. I wanted a change, and boy howdy did you deliver!”
Dia glittered at the compliment. “I suppose we did at that. Be well, Cherry. If you need our assistance, you know how to find us.”
“That makes it sound like you’re leaving already,” said Cherry, hiding a yawn.
“It is late, and we have a few tasks we wish to take care of at home before the Moon calls an end to this far too long and eventful night.”
Arwen gulped the rest of her tea. “Then let’s go.”
“You’re looking worse off than Cherry. Are you sure?”
“I’ve pulled all-nighters before for clients. And for poorer reasons. I’ll manage.”
As they walked out of the apartment, Dia asked if any of those all-nighters had been recent, and Arwen admitted that age was slowing her down. Duncan came out then to commiserate, as he’d been feeling much the same before the Moonstone had upended his life.
“Do you regret finding it?”
“No. This life has been confusing, and painful at times… But the gifts I have been given and the good I’ve done far outweigh the bad. With the ghouls gone, and Gwen on the mend, I’m looking forward to even more good things. I’m itching to dance again.”
“With her, or just in general?”
Donna answered, spinning a pirouette down the last few steps of the stairs. “Both, I think. I want to…” Her eyes unfocused for a moment. “There. A spare Donna-body racked with the others. Now I can dance any time, even if the Moon is hiding.”
Donna looked around at the parking lot once they were outside. “Right. I guess we’re flying home. I can drive you back once the Moon sets.”
“Sounds good,” said Arwen, suppressing a yawn.
A moment later her tiredness was forgotten as she started to shrink and rise into the air. Soaring over the city suspended by nothing more than will and magic thrilled her more than any roller coaster ever had. When Arwen alighted outside Duncan’s back door, she was giggling, giddy with glee. “That was amazing!”
Dia tinkled a laugh as she bypassed the lock and willed the door open. “You’re welcome. And thanks. We lose sight of how amazing all this is. Would you like a trip to orbit later?”
Arwen hopped up onto the doorsill, and walked through the towering portal. “Perhaps another time, after I get jaded of all the other wonders.” Arwen brushed her hand over a shoe taller than she was, feeling the coarse cables of the fabric. The bright colours marked it as a child’s shoe. “This is wild. I’m smaller than your daughter’s foot.”
Dia tinkled again. “This is close to our normal size. While we often appear to others as a crystal pillar, a cut stone about the size of a robin’s egg is how we usually spend the dark half of the month. When we are not remotely controlling this body or that, anyway.”
Arwen tilted her head, examining Dia. “Show me.”
Dia flickered, and a gemstone bigger than Arwen’s head floated over to her. She caught it in her arms and gave it a hug. “You’re beautiful.”
The crystal hummed in her arms, contentedly. “It is not a bad way to spend the time, on the whole. But we are running out of time, so...”
Arwen started growing while Dia stayed the same size. Eventually she was holding the gemstone in her hand and rolling it between her fingers. “I thought there was most of an hour left until moonset?”
The gem vanished, and Donna blinked into existence at full size. “There’s a big hill behind the house, makes the Moon set half an hour or so early. I don’t have much to do, though. First, a robot upgrade. Sidney didn’t care much for having a robotic version of herself around.”
As the Sidney-bot walked into the kitchen, Arwen nodded slowly. “I can see where having a robot doppelganger could be disturbing.”
“Yeah. For me it’s more needs must... but I’m also the one in control, you know? Not the same as having someone else run it.”
The Sidney-bot’s form simplified, losing its humanity in favour of simpler shapes – the ovals and tapered cylinders of Units Kate and Cobalt. The metallic skin took on a rich green shade. Last, a bright green glow appeared on the otherwise featureless head. “Unit Jade online.”
“Good girl,” said Donna softly. “I’ll train you later. Power down for now.”
“Affirmative.” Unit Jade stood in the corner and the light of her eye dimmed.
“Training?” asked Arwen, following Donna toward the living room.
“Instantiating in her body, but letting the AI run the show. It’s sort of like playing a video game, except you’re really interacting with the world and teaching the AI how to act like you. It’ll keep me busy when I’m not playing at being a Goddess.”
Donna waved a hand at the living room, and the coffee table faded away. Once it was gone, the couch, loveseat and matching chair followed suit, as did several other side tables. Dozens of toys and children’s books were revealed, and gathered themselves up in a flurry of activity that ended with the books on shelves and the toys stacked neatly in a box beside the fireplace.
“There. A mostly empty canvas, other than the bookshelves and display case. I’d rather not wake Sidney, so I’ll have to improvise a little.”
“And this is you playing at a Goddess?” asked Arwen.
Donna chuckled. “It’s doing something nice for my sweetie. Erasing people and rebuilding them anew... that’s when I worry a little. Reality has become too easy to treat as a plaything. And thinking of people as things... not just things, but ‘other’, and ‘not like me’... that feels like trouble. The Gods of Olympus treated people like spoiled children treat their toys. I don’t want to become that.”
“And yet here I stand,” said Arwen. “One of your playthings, who you’ve shaped before into literal toys... still human.”
“I’d hardly do that to a friend unless they asked.”
“Sooo tempted. But I’ll be good tonight. You need me here to talk you through moonset.”
Donna hugged Arwen. “Thanks. Tonight of all nights.” She sighed. “Time to finish up in here. What do you think, some nice neutral browns?”
Arwen held Donna close as she studied the room. “Not if you’re keeping the fireplace like that, all natural stone.”
“I like it. Sidney doesn’t, thinks the rock is ugly. Maybe with a little polish...” The grey stone of the fireplace was soon sparkling. “There.”
“Mmm. Better. I’d still go with lighter colours. Or... could you make the furniture recolourable without magic?”
Donna let go of Arwen so she could slap her own forehead. “Of course! Brilliant.” Furniture spun into being in the room, its upholstery sleek and silvery-grey. A small remote appeared on the new table. “Oh, and one more detail...” A silvery-grey headband appeared beside the remote.
“What’s the headband for?” asked Arwen.
“So Sidney can be the couch. The idea appealed to her when I mentioned I might accidentally turn her into one while pulling the design from her head...” Donna turned toward the bedroom, ‘looking in’ on Sidney. “Whew. Still human.”
Arwen laughed softly. “You thought you might have changed her accidentally?”
“It has happened. I wanted to be sure she was human before the Moon sets. Not long now. Less than a minute.”
Arwen offered a hand to Donna, and she took it. They waited in silence, until Donna counted off the last few seconds. “And... done. This is me for the next seventeen and a half hours.”
Arwen nodded tiredly. “Good. Can I go home now?”
“Sure, I’ll get Duncan-bot to drive you. If I leave here, the Moon ‘rises’ again, so...”
“Okay... Uh, where’s Duncan then?”
“In bed beside Sidney. Shoot, if I get him up, it’ll probably wake her up. And Unit Jade isn’t ready for driving yet... grah.”
“Just call a cab, it’ll be fine.”
Donna chuckled ruefully. “Sorry. It’s hard losing all that brainpower, makes me feel stupid. I’ll call.”
While they waited for the cab, Arwen asked, “So what are you going to do with the rest of the night? You don’t look tired.”
Donna snorted. “I never am after a full Moon. But after tonight especially... yeah, sleeping’s not on the menu. I’ll putter around on the computer, then make a nice breakfast for Sidney and the kids. Then Duncan has to go to work.”
“Really?”
“Not you too. Sidney wonders why I bother, given we’re now independently wealthy thanks to all the gold I made. I have to say I do see her point. The interest on the gold I’ve already converted is more than my salary.”
“But it’s a constant in your life you’re not willing to give up.”
“Exactly!”
Arwen patted Donna’s arm. “Then work. For as long as you feel you need it.”
*** *** ***
Six hours later, sitting at a desk and poking at buggy code with Duncan’s very normal mind, they were less sure of their answer. It was hard to stay focussed. Dia didn’t care about the project, and all Donna wanted to do was read about Toronto.
After work was over, and before Duncan-bot had made it home, Donna took a taxi to Arwen’s office. Arwen was with a client, so Donna waited until she was free.
Arwen smiled to see her as she was walking her current client to the door. “Oh, you probably remember Donna, right?”
The man smiled. “How can I forget the woman who gave me the body of my dreams?”
Donna took a few moments to recall the face. “Kevin! I haven’t seen you in months. Are you still happy with your body?”
“Happy?” the slim man asked, incredulously. “I’m so far beyond happy I can’t even articulate it.”
Donna tilted her head curiously. “Then why are you here?”
“I met someone recently. She’s really sweet, and we’re getting kind of serious, and I don’t know how to tell her about me but I have to and...” He looked over at Arwen helplessly. “I’m scared.”
Donna also looked to Arwen with a raised eyebrow. “You set this up.”
“More a happy coincidence. I thought you might come by after work, and I figured Kevin wouldn’t mind being interrupted by you.”
“Interrupted, but you only...” Kevin looked back to Donna, saw the pain in her eyes. “Oh. Oh my God. What happened?”
“Toronto,” whispered Donna. “All of it was about trying to kill me.”
Kevin impulsively hugged her. “That’s horrible. Are you responsible for the miracle of the tower, too? Oh, why am I asking, of course you are.”
Donna nodded. “I put the CN Tower back. As a symbol of hope, for one hurt little girl who needed it back... but it...”
“It’s like the whole city showed up to celebrate it,” said Kevin, wonderingly. “There’s even talk about making it a new holiday.”
Donna ducked her head. “I really wish they wouldn’t. I want to forget yesterday ever happened.”
“No you don’t,” said Arwen softly. “It hurt, but you did hugely important things, too.”
“And it’s not like forgetting would make the loss go away.”
“Loss?” asked Kevin.
“One of the people we love most in the world died. She was our anchor to what it means to be human, to be humane. We took desperate and dire measures to save her, but she’s in the magical equivalent of an induced coma. And we need her desperately.”
“I... have no idea what to say,” said Kevin. “I’m sorry for your loss. I’ll get out of your way.”
Dia pulled him more tightly into the hug, then let him go. “Thank you. For reminding us of the good people in this word.”
Kevin smiled at her from the doorway. “Any time.”
Before the door had fallen closed, Arwen had scooped Dia into her arms. “I thought you’d hold out until later tonight. Why is Dia in charge?”
Dia burrowed her head into Arwen’s shoulder, leaking tears. “Because Donna is a lie.”
“No she’s not.”
“Yes. Yes she is. Donna is my human part. But in case you haven’t noticed. We. Are. Not. Human.” Their voice cracked, gravelly with emotion.
Arwen pulled Dia with her into her office, and made her sit down. “Okay. You are not human, despite the body.”
“Rotting flesh,” spat Dia.
Arwen’s eyebrows sought her hairline. “What’s really bothering you?”
Dia growled, doing more violence to her body’s vocal chords. “We can’t keep pretending to be something we are not. It was a mistake to incarnate like this. The urge to rip ourselves out of this prison has been growing all day.”
“Why?”
“WE ARE NOT HUMAN,” shouted Dia, voice crumbling. “How much clearer can we make that? We are supposed to be a crystal, shining and pure.”
“Aren’t you?” asked Arwen gently. “I mean, inside that body. You showed me before you made it.”
“Imagine being in the belly of a monstrous beast. It ate you, though you managed to kill it from within before it digested you. You’ve been stuck in its belly for the past day, unable to escape. How would you feel?”
Arwen shuddered. “Is that really how you feel?”
Dia coughed to clear her throat. “Worse.” Another coughing spasm brought up blood. “Damn it, that hurts.”
“What did you do?”
Dia lowered her voice to a whisper. “Body doesn’t work right. Doesn’t sound right. Pushed too hard. We’ll survive.”
“I was hoping for more than ‘survive’,” Arwen soothed. “You deserve better. Can you... improve on this body?”
“By making it less human,” Dia replied, still whispering to save her tortured throat. “We can pass, or we can be ourselves. Can’t do both.”
Arwen snorted. “Of course you can. How many two-body solutions have you done, now?”
Dia chuckled painfully. “Clever Arwen. We have five bodies already. More won’t make it worse.”
“Is it bad to have many bodies, then?” asked Arwen curiously.
“Not bad... more like confusing.” Dia frowned. “We’re already suffering from too many identities.”
“That sounds like slightly more familiar ground. Though you don’t present like classic Dissociative Identity Disorder. You know your parts.”
Dia nodded. “It is easier when the parts have their own bodies.”
“And Dia doesn’t have a body right now. Is that what you need, a crystalline body?”
Dia considered it for a time. “It would be unhealthy.”
“And this is healthy?”
“Gwen was our link to humanity. Without that, we will need to forge new ones. Retreating into crystal is the wrong direction.”
“So you need to immerse yourself in humanity… Figuratively, anyway.”
Dia made a face. “Yes, we have had more than enough of literally. Once the Moon rises, we’ll become a pendant, and control our bodies remotely.”
“Didn’t you just say retreating into crystal would be the wrong direction?”
“Full-time in a crystal body would be trouble. Freeing our true self while also driving a variety of human-shaped bodies is another matter.”
Arwen chuckled softly. “And the nearest collection of bodies to drive is...”
Dia laughed weakly. “The Crimson Kitten. And the Vixen, but the restaurant will be open now, and the club doesn’t get active until later. Are you really suggesting that I go there?”
“I think I am. Take two humans, and see me in the morning,” pronounced Arwen with a big grin.
Dia’s giggle-fit at that was infectious, and emerged from Duncan-bot as well.
“What was that about?” asked Sidney.
Duncan grinned at her. “I have to incarnate at the club. Doctor’s orders.”
“Incarnate... so this you will stay here, and Donna-you will go?”
“That Donna is heading back here via taxi. Dia broke her by trying to talk like a crystal through a human throat. We’ll fix her up later. I’ve told you about the waitress bodies, right?”
Sidney nodded, touching the headband next to the couch. “Same deal as our couch, right? Put on a headband, control the body?”
“And since the body is controlled by a crystal...”
“You can take over any of them. So you’re going to be a waitress?” Sidney started giggling. “Oh, I want to see that. The Crimson Kitten is family friendly, right?”
“Until closing, yeah. After that we use it for fantasies that require a little more space.”
“C’mon,” said Sidney, getting up and pulling on Duncan’s hand. “Let’s go out for dinner tonight. It’s not like we can’t afford it...”
“Right, right. Still getting used to that. This should be fun...”
Soon Duncan was sitting at a table in the Crimson Kitten, with his family around him. Beth grinned when she realized who she was serving. “Hey Donna.”
Duncan grinned at the bunny-eared woman. “Hey Beth. This is my wife, Sidney, and my kids Courtney and Victor.”
Beth smiled down at them. Courtney was wide-eyed with wonder, but Victor was more interested in the toy he was playing with. “Bunny lady!” whispered Courtney.
“That’s me,” said Beth proudly. “Thanks to your papa.”
Beth took their drink orders, and promised to be back with them quickly. While she was away, Sidney marvelled at how real Beth seemed.
“She is real. The other waitresses with built-in ears are synthetic, but that’s Beth’s real body.” Duncan looked around and frowned. “The fake ears on hair clips, however, are just that. I’d have thought there’d be more modified waitresses.”
Duncan asked Beth about that when she returned with the drinks. “It’s a combination of things,” she explained with a shrug. “It’s early yet, so we try to keep things a little lower key. That, and we’ve been growing the staff a lot over the last month,. Only a few of us on tonight can even use the headbands.”
“Oh. Whoops. I suppose I should have helped with that last night.”
Beth patted Duncan’s hand. “It’s okay, you were busy. We all understand. Next month.”
Duncan snorted. “Next month? It’s just a bitty little crystal, hardly takes anything to make ‘em permanent. We could set up everyone here once the Moon rises, and any others you call in.”
“Really?” squealed Beth, ears canted forward excitedly. “That would be awesome.” She gave herself a little shake to settle down, making her ears flop comically in the process. “But for now I should take your orders.”
When the food arrived, Duncan realized that he’d brought a body that couldn’t eat. He covered up as best he could, the robot body could handle modest amounts of food, but he had no hope of actually finishing the plate of food in front of him. Courtney was only too happy to eat some bites of her father’s food, though Victor had no interest.
“Something wrong with the food?” asked Beth when she popped by to check on them.
Duncan shook his head. “I brought the wrong body to really appreciate it. Sorry, hun. It does taste and smell wonderful, though. Next time I’ll just order an appetizer or two.”
Beth smiled, and patted his hand. “No worries. The chef made that one special for you, I didn’t want him to be disappointed.”
Duncan smiled at her charmingly. “I’ll take home the leftovers. Donna will love it.”
“Oh, good. Will you be back as Donna, or...”
“I was thinking of trying one of the waitress bodies. Since there are some spares, and more over at the Vixen. I’m not sure I’d be competent to do more than bus tables or peel vegetables, though. I’ve never waited tables in my life.”
Beth’s grin got even bigger. “Oh, this will be fun... Oop, I see another table that needs me. Later!”
Sidney glared at her as she left. “Should I be worried about more competition?”
“She has Clarence, who’s also a total sweetie. He takes her shifts sometimes, they have a bunnygirl waitress body for him.”
“Sounds confusing.”
Duncan laughed. “You don’t even know the half of it. His real body is a comfy, fuzzy robe. But when you tuck a headband in the pocket, he can control a waitress body as well.”
Sidney pondered that for a while. Until Courtney asked if she could be a comfy robe, too. Sidney rolled her eyes. “Do you think that sounds like fun?”
Courtney nodded eagerly. “I like being fuzzy.”
“I suppose that part doesn’t sound too bad.”
Duncan raised an eyebrow. “Really? You’d be okay with being my soft, fuzzy bathrobe for a night?”
“Maybe not. But I’ll give the couch headband a try. The new couch looks awfully cozy.”
Beth came by a few more times, clearing their dinner plates then bringing dessert for the kids. When it came time to pay the bill, Beth informed them that it was on the house. Duncan tried to protest, but Beth pointed out that he’d done an awful lot for them without asking anything in return. He conceded that she had a point. Then left a tip that was bigger than the bill would have been.
Back at home, Duncan tucked the kids into bed, then gave his wife a hug. “We’ve got a little time until the Moon rises. Want to give the new couch a workout?”
Sidney giggled. “On it or in it?”
“I’m game either way.”
Sidney bit her lip, then scooped up the headband and disappeared into the bedroom. Just before she closed the door she waggled her eyebrows. “Make sure to show the couch a good time.”
Duncan brushed his hands over the surface of the couch. “Mmm. Should have given you the ability to speak.” Dia touched the back of his mind, and a few moments work set up a crystal relay to the stereo.
Sidney giggled through the speakers. “I’m going to end up being the whole living room, aren’t I?”
“That can be arranged,” said Duncan, lowering himself to the couch. “But for now...” He let his hands roam over the smooth fabric of the overstuffed couch, cupping curves here, tracing seams there. Sidney’s coos and moans guided him to find what worked best, and soon he had to turn the volume down lest she wake the kids.
Once she’d calmed down, Sidney’s giggles came back in force. “Did you just...”
“Get you off as a piece of furniture? I do believe I did.”
“This is so weird.”
“And?”
“I love it.”