I woke up after a short nap on the couch in Bob and Peggy's living room, having arrived early in the morning and being admitted via the back door. After introductions were made, we talked the rest of the morning, while others made their way in.
Peggy had the good fortune to be essentially wearing her own face, though her body was toned and fit like a 20 year-old. Bob thought it was because the character Stilleto had been little more than a cipher that Peg had been experimenting with, so there wasn't enough "there" to change her as drastically as it might otherwise have. In fact, Peggy had slipped out of her costume, changed into regular clothes, and put her hair in something approximating her usual hairstyle. You'd hardly know there had been any change from the picture that graced the "Access Denied!" website, except for the blades that she couldn't seem to stop "popping" and looking at in odd moments.
She made a game attempt at being a hostess. But once we started talking, we couldn't really stop. As Cindy, Nogi, Hex and Alexis arrived, they joined in. We went on until late morning. The same questions kept coming up. 'Why did this happen?' 'How do you feel?' 'How did you experience the change?' 'What do we do now?'
Bob actually did more of the "host" duties, bless him. I had to admit to myself that it was kinda... fun. When I wasn't being gobsmacked by just how bizarre the whole situation was. Pretty much everyone else felt the same way, I think.
When the conversation lulled, I wasn't the only one who found themselves all of a sudden starting to doze off sitting up, or slowly falling over to doze on various couches and chairs. Peggy roused herself at that point to take charge again and roust us out and assign sleeping areas. I got one of the couches at my own insistence.
So, looking up at an unfamiliar ceiling as afternoon light filtered in, I lay there and let my mind wander. I'd idly wondered as many sci-fi/fantasy fen would, how I'd handle a change this drastic in odd moments in the past. What if... What if you became a cyborg, or a superhero. What if a radioactive spider bit you. What if you were a werewolf. What if you fell in a cursed spring in China? What if... Endless daydreams. I'd daydreamed of the possibilities and trials of many. Never once had I ever thought such thoughts would come in useful. But now...
I decided that I was still who I was. There was continuity of memory. How I expressed that would change. If later I would seem different to family and friends (aside from the obvious things) well... all people change. The "me" that I was at 10 years old was not the "me" at 20 or the "me" at 30. My personality and outlook _would_ change. Pretty drastically. And that was not necessarily a bad thing. "Adopt, adapt and improve."
And I felt approval from that part of me that was Lai. Kheldians had done this sort of thing many many times and Lai had gotten over this sort of existential angst before as part of fusions with other beings. S/he would help steady and center me. Reassurance. Acceptance.
(I'll try and edit this and add more later) I've already been working on it for 3 hours and need a break)-Logan
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"Wake up! Time for SCIENCE!"
-Adam Savage
-----------------
Peggy had the good fortune to be essentially wearing her own face, though her body was toned and fit like a 20 year-old. Bob thought it was because the character Stilleto had been little more than a cipher that Peg had been experimenting with, so there wasn't enough "there" to change her as drastically as it might otherwise have. In fact, Peggy had slipped out of her costume, changed into regular clothes, and put her hair in something approximating her usual hairstyle. You'd hardly know there had been any change from the picture that graced the "Access Denied!" website, except for the blades that she couldn't seem to stop "popping" and looking at in odd moments.
She made a game attempt at being a hostess. But once we started talking, we couldn't really stop. As Cindy, Nogi, Hex and Alexis arrived, they joined in. We went on until late morning. The same questions kept coming up. 'Why did this happen?' 'How do you feel?' 'How did you experience the change?' 'What do we do now?'
Bob actually did more of the "host" duties, bless him. I had to admit to myself that it was kinda... fun. When I wasn't being gobsmacked by just how bizarre the whole situation was. Pretty much everyone else felt the same way, I think.
When the conversation lulled, I wasn't the only one who found themselves all of a sudden starting to doze off sitting up, or slowly falling over to doze on various couches and chairs. Peggy roused herself at that point to take charge again and roust us out and assign sleeping areas. I got one of the couches at my own insistence.
So, looking up at an unfamiliar ceiling as afternoon light filtered in, I lay there and let my mind wander. I'd idly wondered as many sci-fi/fantasy fen would, how I'd handle a change this drastic in odd moments in the past. What if... What if you became a cyborg, or a superhero. What if a radioactive spider bit you. What if you were a werewolf. What if you fell in a cursed spring in China? What if... Endless daydreams. I'd daydreamed of the possibilities and trials of many. Never once had I ever thought such thoughts would come in useful. But now...
I decided that I was still who I was. There was continuity of memory. How I expressed that would change. If later I would seem different to family and friends (aside from the obvious things) well... all people change. The "me" that I was at 10 years old was not the "me" at 20 or the "me" at 30. My personality and outlook _would_ change. Pretty drastically. And that was not necessarily a bad thing. "Adopt, adapt and improve."
And I felt approval from that part of me that was Lai. Kheldians had done this sort of thing many many times and Lai had gotten over this sort of existential angst before as part of fusions with other beings. S/he would help steady and center me. Reassurance. Acceptance.
(I'll try and edit this and add more later) I've already been working on it for 3 hours and need a break)-Logan
-----------------
"Wake up! Time for SCIENCE!"
-Adam Savage
-----------------