006. And all the people that you hate will love you just the same because you're beautiful

[drydrown]

Those of you that have received physical changes from Retrospec, how long did it take before they stopped seeming fundamentally wrong - do they ever, or am I just going to be handling being mentally inconvenienced every time I try to do anything that involves mirrors for the foreseeable future? I admit that I don't have much to complain about, in the scheme of things - especially since I'm not opposed to the results - but apparently I'm going to do so anyway, simply just because such is social media.

Then again, this particular identity crisis is brought to you by the realization that I haven't seen certain members of my family in two years, and if they were to see me now they wouldn't recognize me on immediate sight. So I think I have some right to be at least mildly distressed.

Comments

[windowdressing]

I don't exactly mind the change in eye color, but I definitely wear sunglasses more frequently than I used to when I'm out in public. I don't want to see any tweets from people thinking I'm trying to cosplay a teenage vampire.

On that note, I did invest in a supply of brown contacts to wear whenever I meet with my family so that I don't have to bullshit an explanation for them. That's worked well enough so far.

[maidofmistakes]

I guess. Especially when you're trying to figure stuff out.

[drydrown]

It seems so. Though I wasn't the best of people back then, unfortunately, so hopefully it's not as much of a connection as people seem to think.

[drydrown]

So far. Granted, I don't really believe in true no-win situations, so we'll see.

[drydrown]

Likewise. It's not as though it's anything terrible or disfiguring in my case, even, it's just something I don't care to look at or think about for very long.

[drydrown]

You know, that's an entirely fair move. I tried that for a while just for work's sake, because the eyes were more than a little distracting. The hair was a bit more inconvenient to deal with, so I ended up just dealing with it for a month until no one cared anymore.

[drydrown]

That's fair, really.

...How old are you, anyway? Through curiosity.

[maidofmistakes]

Me? I'm gonna be 16 in, like, a week. Is it important for something?

[drydrown]

Are you one of Nelson's kids? At the high school.

[maidofmistakes]

What, Mr. Nelson? I guess so, but that kind of makes it sound like we're related or something.

[drydrown]

Not quite what I meant, but that did technically answer the question.

[maidofmistakes]

I guess it probably is important, then. I mean with all the Retrospec stuff going on and who it affects, right?

[windowdressing]

Couldn't you have just dyed it?

[liberal_arts]

And of your other self? Are they the sort of politician people should trust, or no?

[promisedyou]

Hah.

That's not a bad way of thinking, actually. As long as our odds aren't impossible, then there's got to be a way to push on through.

[frostythehitman]

whatever
retrospec gave me some high tech prosthetic so i can basically do everything the same as before any of this happened
it's way better than i ever thought i'd be able to do again
but it's still not exactly comfortable

[redarm]

yeah most people dont.

dont worry, new arms are pretty rare. ive only heard it happen two other times?

[flowrite]

What happened to you, if you don't mind me asking?

[drydrown]

Something like that. Honestly, it's somewhat agitating that they're involving teenagers and children at all.

[drydrown]

He certainly liked to believe so.

[drydrown]

Precisely. And there are very few situations where the odds are truly impossible; most just require some creativity.

[drydrown]

I'm not concerned for myself; I've seen the end of my life already, and unless I'm really missing something important I'm fairly sure my arms were both still attached and reasonably fine.

[drydrown]

It doesn't sound it, no.

To be blunt, the memories have been harder on me than the physical changes, but I'd really prefer to not deal with those right now. It's easier to handle visible things, anyway.

[drydrown]

What was done to my hair and eyes was a little surreal, but generally acceptable; I'm not fond of the alterations in muscle mass and the like that's been done to my body.

[drydrown]

Simple things that most people seem to find standard, for the most part. Hair and eyes. Some alterations to my body.

I just don't like the notion that I can be altered in such a way, particularly when it isn't something I asked for or wanted done.