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

[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...