Reality Intrudes (video)

[boldlydanforth]

"They say you shouldn't give out much identifying information, but honestly, fuck it, at this point even I believe I'm a fiction piece." Michael runs their hands through their hair and is sitting in some library-- the stacks are behind them and they're just... They're masked up and they're sitting there and they look.

So tired.

"I just... I got so many messages from people asking how I did it, what special effects I used, the wig I wore--" They paused. "I even got a job offer in post production for the Industry. I might still take it. But, uh--"

"Like, on the one hand, I remember-- I remember the CG work, the model, the voice changer--" they paused. "and. on the other. I remember it actually happening. the sharp moment of pain, and discontinuity. Walking among... people I didn't even know existed."

"... am I just losing my grip?" They take a deep breath. "That's enough of that though I came to talk about my classes."

"So I'm in nerd school for nerds, I'm understanding calculus..." They sigh. "I... I should start this over."

Michael should know by now, though, that it's hard to get badgernet to get rid of content.

Comments

[fashionable_yapping]

So BadgerNet has those really weird reality glitches and you were hit by one.

[boldlydanforth]

I mean-- I've been through hiccups. I. Think. But like-- not one where I bifurcated this hard.

[Michael washes their face with nothing in particular.]

... Yeah, I'm gonna take the show biz job. If nothing else it gets me some much needed 'nerves money'.

And yes, I realize how dumb that sounds given I worked six tens for 'nerves money'.

[fashionable_yapping]

Nerves money? What, you saving up for HRT and the works or something?

[boldlydanforth]

... More like I'm constantly worried there's some expense I've missed and everything is going to fall apart?

[They pause.]

... you're. not wrong about the other thing tho, I need to start doing something.

[fashionable_yapping]

Yeah, can't relate to financial worries, but best of luck becoming financially secure. I'd refer you to resources on the other thing, but we're in different worlds.

[boldlydanforth]

... Honestly, go ahead and shoot them to me anyway, I'll bet a google search will turn up something similar.

[For a moment, everything seems fine, and then--]

Aaand now I'm thinking about how all these things could go super wrong, thanks, brain,

[fashionable_yapping]

Can't help you with the worrying bit, though maybe a shrink could. Shrinks're pretty cool when you get a good one. I have a great one.

Anyways, here's some quick info I send to people who seem like they need it. Our worlds and tech levels seem decently similar, even if things're getting weird fast here with all those reincarnated super-tech geniuses and whatever.

[She's just gonna C&P a Transgender 102 type primer.]

[boldlydanforth]

Ha, that was quick. aaaand scroll to the first one, and tap--

[They lean back for a second]

Hoooooo, ok, yeah, let's.

Let's try that again with a google search that's.

That's a long-ass URL my browser cried uncle about.

--- yep that's better

[fashionable_yapping]

You seriously clicked on an URL from another world? Like, seriously? You're lucky your computer didn't blow up or something. I don't want to know how Badgernet handles stuff like that.

[boldlydanforth]

I mean, why not? The worst that happens is the browser crashes... which, to be fair, it kinda did.

Well, OK, if the browser doesn't have good memory overflow protection it might blue-screen your computer but a core dump will handle that.

But that kind of arbitrary code execution through URL directly was fixed ages ago.

[fashionable_yapping]

Or it could cause another hiccup or something weird. Like this dumbass network already has really weird bugs.

[boldlydanforth]

Remind me to tell you about the time I spend several hours hunting for a two-step verification problem only to realize that because I had both automatically logged out and never actually logged out, my browser was not liking any of this.

... maybe i should change my preferred name...

[nijistaryume]

I guess that's how this place works. It fixes the reality after for everyone around, but we still remember what actually happens. I guess talking about how it works goes into theoretical physics, and I don't know enough about that. Wish I did, though.

[boldlydanforth]

Well... if i had to take an engineer's guess--

Say you have-- two timelines, and they're the same except for one specific thing

and-- one sort of... intrudes, on the other, for whatever reason. Call it-- call it a blustery day in hyperspace, it doesn't matter how.

What's important is they got... Overlaid-- like when you put two filters on top of one another.

But nature abhors a vacuum, which is a fancy way of saying there's always stuff, right? So when the windy day is over and the branches separate, there's got to be some explanation. Those videos still exist.

Mind you what a roleplaying journal site is doing with that level of reality definition, I have no clue.

It's almost certainly just as likely that I've mixed up character-me with real-me, somehow. Behavior be weird yo

[nijistaryume]

Wait, you still think this is a roleplay thing after the whole universe-warping stuff? I thought that was the proof we were all telling the truth here.

[boldlydanforth]

Listen. I know my history. I am perfectly aware that incredibly bizarre happenstance is like... Last tuesday. There are things that have really happened that if you read them in a novel, you'd toss them at a wall and demand a refund from the publisher.

And-- nothing against any of you-- it's more likely I lost it for some reason and I really need to talk to someone than it is that reality suddenly whiplashed forward and back.

Though that said, you experiencing the same thing is... Hm.

Maybe I am thinking about this wrong, but like...

[nijistaryume]

Uh, no offence, but I think if you got sent to another world one day, you'd spend the whole time calling everything an illusion or thinking you were high.

[boldlydanforth]

Only if I woke up in my dorm room the day after that, in my same body, with no indication anything else was different.

Either that or think it was some weird-ass dream.

[nijistaryume]

I guess, but still. Most people accept the whole inter-world thing by now.

[boldlydanforth]

I mean part of it is I was on another site for RP until it collapsed, so I understand the conceit to have like... I dunno, uhhhhh

Mega Man talking with like--

[They wave their hand looking for the right reference--]

A pastel bear, or whatever.

[nijistaryume]

Okay, but that would actually be cool, and now I wanna see that here.

[boldlydanforth]

Ha! So would I.

[nijistaryume]

So you do that kinda stuff a lot? I'm not the creative writing type of person. Unless everyone is secretly, I dunno. The last time I had to do it for class, I got docked marks for using the wrong kanji.

[boldlydanforth]

Well, I did. Until aforementioned site's economy blew up, anyway.

been a couple years since then. I still write, but a lot less now.

[nijistaryume]

I guess if you're working so much, you probably have no time. I dunno how people can even manage the hours they expect on Earth. Guess I shouldn't say that, maybe not everywhere on Earth makes you work all day.

[boldlydanforth]

Thank fuck I'm well shot of that, honestly. If I never have to do that again, it'll be too goddamned soon.

[nijistaryume]

Yeah, it sounds like pain. Though I guess so's homework, especially since you're at "nerd school."

[boldlydanforth]

Surprisingly not? Despite taking 15 units i'm doin ok?

... better than when I was living in the same apartment with mom at any rate

[nijistaryume]

Uh, fifteen sounds like a lot.

[boldlydanforth]

It's five courses.

[nijistaryume]

Okay, I thought it was, like, one per class. That makes more sense, if you took 15 classes, you would die.

[She's 12, she doesn't know university.]

[boldlydanforth]

Yeah I don't think they allow anyone to take that many.

... I'm not even sure there are that many 1 unit courses...

[nijistaryume]

That's weird that they'd cost different amounts, though. How come?

[boldlydanforth]

Long story short? How many hours you're expected to take for the course.

Short story long? each unit is supposed to be like... one hour a week in class, not counting lab time. and then there's hours of study per week other than that.

[nijistaryume]

Huh. So you have long classes, and there's fewer of them. I always kinda wondered how it worked.