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// 75 - Meet the Family 
// Story: Perchance to Dream 
// by David Silver 
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Starlight took the initiative, spreading her hand with fingers pointed at herself. "I am Starlight Glimmer and this is Trixie Lulamoon."

A sudden high-pitched giggle came from the right. A glance revealed it to be one of my nephews. The rest of my family was more... fruitful... than I had been. Tod, I recalled his name to be. He came rushing forward towards the new guests. "Are you furries?"

I could see Starlight and Trixie were both a bit baffled by the question, and took quick action before interesting answers resulted, "no, but they do love the show."

"Still counts," Tod retorted. "S'ok, I like it too. Nice cosplay!"

Father shooed Tod away. "That's not how you greet a guest. Sorry about that. I'm Harold, nice to meet you both." He put out a hand towards them.

Trixie placed her hand in his. "Trixie looks forward to amazing you."

Dad looked so very confused, and I wasn't too far behind him. Was Trixie waiting for a kiss on her hand or what? That was no shaking stance. Fortunately, Starlight gently nudged her out of the way and came up to give a real shake. "Trixie marches to her own drumbeat. Speaking of that, she really wants to put on a performance at the party."

"What sorta show?" Father asked, uncertain about the third person speaking odd-behaving lady that he had just met.

Trixie's hands went wide. "The greatest you've ever seen! She will amaze and delight with acts of astounding magic." She looked in her element then, speaking of her show. "Trixie never leaves an audience wanting, and what better way to mark the day as a special one."

I rested a hand on Father's shoulder. "She's been looking forward to it for a while. It should be a good show, and harmless, and free."

"Well, if it's free..." My father had a frugal bone or three. Appeals to saving money usually worked well. "Welcome to castle Frohein. If you need anything, just let us know."

Mother's head peeked in from the stairs. "Are you coming?"

Ah, right. "This way." I got the girls moving, hauling our luggage up the stairs after my mother and following her into what was once my room, turned into a guest room it seemed. It was done up nicely, but it only had one bed, a twin at that. There was a futon mattress on the floor, likely dropped for this particular emergency. Still... "Well, looks like you two have to decide who gets which."

Trixie moved for the bed and sat on it as if she belonged there.

Starlight tapped a foot on the ground. "I seem to recall someone promised a favor after being rescued from an explosive green thing that was chasing her."

Trixie cringed. "You wouldn't..."

Starlight raised a brow silently.

"Very well..." Trixie rose from the bed. "To her savior." She gestured at it. "But this makes us even."

Mother was baffled into a snort. "Dare I ask what 'green thing' we're talking about?"

I shook my head as I answered, "I got the two of them into Minecraft on the flight over. It was a bonding experience."

"Never did quite get that game," she admitted as she turned away from the two back for the door. "Dinner will be on in about half. I'll give a shout."

Her absence was apparently all that Tod was waiting for, since he slipped in so fast he almost crashed into her. "Hey! So what are your real names?"

Starlight smiled at Tod, eyeing the clearly young boy. "I thought we already said that."

He shook his head violently. "No way. That's just your 'costume name', c'mon! What's your real name?"

Trixie flopped back on the mattress, getting a feel for it. "Trixie is Trixie, that is what she always has been."

Tod swung towards me. "Tell your friends to playing pretend," he hotly protested, throwing his hands down.

Starlight lifted her shoulders. "It's not our fault or problem if you don't believe us."

Out came his phone. Why did someone that young need a phone? I felt old even asking it. Everyone got a phone. It was practically included with your social security card, it seemed. I saw nothing good coming from it and made a grab for it, but he was younger and faster and danced away easily. Flash! He took a picture of a suddenly starting Starlight. I managed to yank it away before he could get Trixie. "Tod! That's just rude." I tucked the phone into a pocket. "You can live without this for a while."

He made a few angry sounds, but I tuned him out and he fled from the room, likely to appeal to some other adult.

Starlight stood up from the bed. "That was a picture, right?"

Reminded, I fished out the phone and casually deleted the picture. One problem nipped at the bud. "Yes, it was."

Trixie's pudgy hand waved from where she was laying down. "He has seen the show and is amazed at how similar we look."

Starlight nodded. "I'd put money on that bet. I assume we are... keeping it up while we're here?"

I could see the waggle of her brows in suggestion and it clicked quick enough. "Yes. I hope that isn't too big of a deal?"

"I'll cope." Starlight waved it off. "Go ahead and give the kid his phone back. Not like pictures of us really mean anything anyway. People dress like this, I've seen it."

Trixie suddenly sat up. "She has seen it as well. People of all sizes, even male or female! She did not know she had such an adoring fanbase on another world, but she thinks she is alright with the idea. If dressing like Trixie makes them feel better, than they are welcome to try, but there is only one true Trixie, and she will outshine the rest."

I smiled at that as I headed out of the room. I found Tod talking to his father, trying to get a sympathetic ear from the man that seemed not entirely convinced. He saw me though. "Linda! It's been a while. You have Tod's phone?"

"Here you are." I surrendered it to him. "He was taking pictures of my friends without asking. Nice to see you too." I gave him a half hug that was returned. "How are things?"

"They're working me good," he said with a laugh. "But I got time off for this, so I'm trying to enjoy it. Tod, no more of that. We don't take pictures without asking."

"Yes, Dad..." He accepted his phone back and took off with the energy of youth.

"Did they promote you to manager yet?" I asked.

"Oh, uh." He looked quite cagey suddenly, and I had a good feeling that did not happen.

"Don't worry about it."

"Easy for you to say." He sighed out, slouching a little. "You're a big lawyer. Compared to you..."

"Don't do that." I put a hand on his shoulder. "You're you, not me, and that's alright." I squeezed lightly. "You have a great family, something I don't have."

He laughed a little. "You could get one if you wanted."

I gave him a shove at that. "Why do married people always think that? Romance is a lot trickier from this side of the field. It just looks simple once you're in. Anyway, I mean it. You're doing fine."

"Thanks, Linda." He glanced towards the stairs. "So, hey, people are talking about your guests. Are you, uh, related? I mean... it's legal now... so...?"

Oh god. "No! No... Besides, both of them?"

He shrugged. "Who am I to judge? Are they related related? I swear they look a bit like you."

"You weren't even there?"

"Sure I was." He gestured to the living room where a big television was playing a movie. "I was in there, saw the lot of you come in. I figured I'd give you a moment to park your luggage before I ambushed you."

"Thank you for that." I considered a moment. "So, ready for the anniversary?"

He gave a nervous laugh at that. "Ready or not, here it is. I can't believe we've been together so long..."

I hiked a thumb at where Tod had gone. "Living proof just ran off. How're his grades?" That was a thing adults asked about family's children, right?

"Oh,  he's going alright," he answered tamely. "Mostly Bs. So, hey, California?"

"Yep."

"What's it like?"

I felt a smirk coming on, but did my best to suppress it. "Despite the rumors, there is not avacado in everything."

"Never really tried that," he admitted with a shrug. "Any good?"

"It's alright." It was small talk, possibly the smallest I've had in awhile. It was... comforting in a way. We were just two adults talking about nothing. The fate of people's lives did not rest in our back and forth. No jobs would be gained or lost in it. Neither us were secret aliens from another world. Just two cousins, chatting about nothing. "Some people there really do love it to pieces, but I don't think it's that good."

"Food's on!" came Mother's cry from the dining room, and that is when the great migration began. People poured in from all corners of the house. Some of them I hadn't seen in so long I couldn't immediately remember when the last time was. Polite talk came from older and younger members of the family as we filled up the table with hungry souls. There were about five young ones, enough for a 'kid's table' just for them.

Trixie and Starlight were scattered around the table, neither sitting by one another, or me. Trixie was beside the cousin I was just speaking with. "So you are the groom, are you not? Trixie will make your special day extra fantastic with her amazing feats!"

I couldn't pick out his reply among the excited chatter that was going on, only for it to suddenly cut off. Mother was on her feet, calling for order. "Now, this is the first time the whole family's been together in too long. I'd like to thank Linda for coming across the country to join us." Polite clapping sounded as people nodded and made little noises of approval. "Of course, if she hadn't gone chasing that hollywood dream, this wouldn't be needed." Laughter rippled across the table. "She brought two friends with her." Mom gestured to Trixie and Starlight. "They'll be joining us. Trixie here is even promising a performance during the party. Dear, do you mind if I ask what sort of show it will be?"

Trixie spread her hands as best she could while wedged between people. "It will be a performance of magic and amazement! She will bend your perceptions and challenge your knowledge of reality itself!"

"Oh, a magic show, how nice." Mom nodded, seeming satisfied with the description. "Enough of that, you're all starving, so let's get to eating." A cheer of agreement rose up as people said their thank yous and complimented the chef on her work.

The food was good, and the conversation was nice, at least until my uncle pointed a fork at me. "So what made you run all the way over there, anyway? Some big time fancy business?"

Well, actually... "That's not a bad description. My company was given a contract to build an entire town." That much wasn't a secret. "It's a huge project."

Soft noises of amazement came as a result. Uncle wasn't entirely convinced. "What, are you building it yourself?"

"No, but I did have to see it personally." Also not a secret. "It's a fascinating project, and one I mean to see through."

Uncle's wife nudged him. "Don't pester her. She's doing it for work and she takes pride in what she does. You should be try to be half the worker." She gave a big smile at me. "You just keep at it. It sounds like they really value you. Did I hear right, that they gave you an entire house for moving out there? I might be tempted with an offer like that."

Agreement seemed to be in the majority as people talked about wishing they were paid in houses for their work. The meal continued.