Scene

[bcholmes]

LIGHTS UP.

BC is standing in her local comic shop. She's looking for Identity Crisis number 2 because number 1 was really engaging. Only a few of her favourite titles are out since last time: Strangers in Paradise, Planetary, and Powers. This is the store she's been going to for at least four years, possibly more. Several of the owners of the store know her well enough to have a pretty accurate idea of her taste in books.

As she browses the stacks, she overhears this conversation between two patrons and one of the store owners at the cash register:

Voice A: "Thing is, you can't call them the Wachowski Brothers any more. They're the Wachowski's.

Voice B: "What's that?"

Voice A: "One of them, Larry Wachowski's come out as a transsexual."

Voice B: "Like Jeff Jones? He's had like surgery?"

Voice C: "Yeah, they changed sex."

Voice A: "No, Larry Wachowski hasn't done it all yet. He's dressing like a woman in public. 'Course, he's probably been pumped up full of more hormones than a dairy cow."

Voice B: "Is he going to have the operation?"

Voice A: "Yeah. That's why some people say that there were two sequels to The Matrix. To pay for Larry's big surgery."

Voice B: "Huh."

Voice A: "I gotta say that Larry Wachowski makes a pretty ugly woman."

Voice B: "Well, of the two of them, at least he's the more feminine of them."

Voice A: "That's not really saying much."

Voice B: "Well, there's only so much you can do."

At this point BC walks to the front of the store, offers her hand to one of the patrons and says: "Hi, I don't think we've been introduced. My name is BC Holmes, and I'm a post-operative transsexual."

Patron (looking uncomfortable): "Right. Right."

BC: "And I just want to say that I think that what you're saying is coming from a place of ignorance."

Patron: "I wasn't saying anything negative. I was just saying about the Wachowski's. I have friends who're... who're... I wasn't saying anything negative."

At this point, BC returns to her comic selection, and picks out a few more books. The voices seem to go on to other topics. When she finally cashes out, the two patrons have left. The cashier is one of the owners, who knows BC as a regular customer.

Cashier: "So, how are you today?"

BC: "Fine, thanks. You?"

Cashier: "Good. Can't complain. Do you like manga? We're giving out a free sample."

BC: "No, I'm not really into manga."

The rest of the exchange is formulaic. A price is mentioned. An Interac card is offered. We take a moment to roll our eyes about John Byrne trying to reboot Doom Patrol.

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