internet, meet [insert title of glam's webseries]

[mxglam]

To Glam's continued delight, more kissing sessions happen on the following days (when they're feeling like a boy). They haven't met her parents as her official boyfriend or girlfriend or whatever yet, and don't mind it too much.

News about Purity's escape surprises exactly no one, but the Protectorate's reputation suffers a blow because of the attack; after all, the heroes were beaten on their home turf. The PHO forums are abuzz, though rumors of Glam's death at the hands of Hookwolf (probably started by same) prove largely unfounded.

And Glam really should get to their webisodes and start building a steadier rep. And that's (one of the reasons) why they're in Lorica's workshop a few days later.

"So what should I do? I haven't posted anything since Purity, should probably make this more of a habit."

Comments

[thinkering]

"You remember all the everything, I take it?"

[msglam]

"Nnnot... exactly. Vague memories. There was a forest? But mostly," she gestures at the remains of destroyed things.

[thinkering]

"Yep. I'm very glad I told you it was a forest. The example I was working from said beach and you'd probably have flooded the workshop."

[msglam]

Blink. "Wait, I actually conjured it?"

[thinkering]

"Yeah. And you did a space distortion effect to make it fit, too, which I did not know was even on the table - it was so squintable I'm not sure it'll be useful for much but it's still impressive. Do you just want video of the entire time between me coming out of fugue and you coming out of trance?"

"The space distortion was not traversible," reports the bot. "It was an illusion, but when I tried to send a chassis to investigate the ceiling was where it normally is."

[msglam]

"Yeah, a video would be cool. Did you record the illusion from up close?" she asks the bot.

[thinkering]

"Yes." It projects several cameras' views of the entire thing, overlaid with Lorica's voice as she talks the forest into existence and the bots start to investigate.

[msglam]

It's an illusion alright. A very well done illusion, but one nonetheless, an effect similar to a curved mirror, almost as if Sadde had conjured light itself to behave in a way consistent with what she'd been 'seeing.'

She notes the suggestion at the end. "So... Then it could actually work, now. Wow."

[thinkering]

"I don't know if the suggestion about stripey copies will hold up out of trance, especially without being reinforced, but - yeah, your power amps up considerably when you're under, looks like."

[msglam]

"Which basically means my own expectations are holding me back."

[thinkering]

"Yeah, there was nobody else who even knew we were doing this."

[msglam]

"...I wonder if I can harness that. Maybe induce something like a trance or whatever on myself, at will."

[thinkering]

"I think self-hypnosis is a thing."

[msglam]

"Yeah, I should definitely look into that. But worst-case, you bring me under and we send lil' stripey me to give Behemoth a hug."

[thinkering]

"I'd probably make it a bigger stripey you, but yes."

[msglam]

"Other people's expectations might still be a problem, though. The Siberian is not in fact big, it might break their suspension of disbelief."

[thinkering]

"Well, the Siberian also doesn't come to Endbringer fights and is not you," Lorica says. "Maybe start with a small one and make it bigger if it seems like the problem is nobody can see it?"

[msglam]

"Yeah." Pause. "Is there a particular reason why this copy should look like me instead of the Siberian herself?"

[thinkering]

"So you don't scatter the front-liners besides yourself who don't think she'd honor the truce and then have to solo the Endbringer. But you could try it that way if you think the recognition boost is worth it? As long as the stripes are there I think you're set, nobody knows what her nose is like..."

[msglam]

"Well, I don't mean the fine details, mostly the overall shape, the long hair, et cetera."

[thinkering]

"Yeah, any tweaks you make in that direction make it more likely someone will think it's the real Siberian and this has both drawbacks and advantages. Maybe people trust the truce enough. Not sure."

[msglam]

"Yeah, but if they don't think it's the real one they're less likely to expect it to be as unstoppable and unmovable as the real one. I'm sure I'm not the only cape who can create an illusion like that."

[thinkering]

"Yeah. So maybe do make it look like her."

[msglam]

"All I need is one public display of Siberian to become Eidolon levels of notorious- er, get Eidolon levels of notoriety, anyway. Should be enough to at least convince people I can do that, then it doesn't need to be Siberian-shaped anymore, and I can go ahead and kill Endbringers and stuff."

[thinkering]

"Are you planning to show this off on the Internet? I mean, I somehow doubt the Siberian hangs out on PHO, but I'd still worry about it."