Jack & Jill, Phase 8 - Part 8 + Bonus Pinup
Added 2022-09-01 12:13:43 +0000 UTCRyan has his first taste of Mason's special cocktail...
Phew. This episode covers a huge chunk of time. By the end, over a year has passed since Holly helped capture Ryan. His body is changing, but his mind is still in open rebellion about what he's becoming. Still, little by little he's beginning to more resemble like the lovely person that Jill encounters in the future.
I hope you like it!
Any guesses about who the "consultant" might be? π
As ever, I can't wait to hear what you think.
Comments
Is that true about the Romans, Greeks Japanese etc?
Jessica Thence
2023-10-04 13:14:16 +0000 UTCOof bleak.
Jessica Thence
2023-10-03 13:02:27 +0000 UTCCanβt wait for the next episode! I hope itβs soon.
Kirsten Roberts
2022-09-12 11:49:42 +0000 UTCMaybe! It's also for a little bit of entertainment in his room... But it is much smaller than a normal ball. π
Emory Ahlberg
2022-09-04 21:38:03 +0000 UTCThanks so much, Rex! I can't wait for you to see it... A lot more will be happening to Ryan. After all, we still need to see his change from "resigned" to "seething with rage."
Emory Ahlberg
2022-09-04 21:36:39 +0000 UTCAren't they thought? Despite his best efforts, Ryan is becoming truly beautiful if I do say so myself. Thanks, Arty!
Emory Ahlberg
2022-09-04 21:35:29 +0000 UTCThank you so much, Robert! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I really wanted to capture the emotional roller coaster Ryan is experiencing. His whole life has been upended and he's trying to make sense of a world gone mad. He never in a million years thought he'd be in this situation, and I hope that comes across in his expressions. The signatures on the wall is one of those images that popped into my head but was unable to show in the comic until now. We have actually already met Tom / Tanya! She is one of Holly's "companions" who seem to have made it out okay... https://www.patreon.com/posts/second-dawn-tom-64026275 And, yes, the final image is indeed not a pinup. I wanted it to be a confronting image that would make us think about our role in this story, as readers. Are we complicit in Ryan's changes? Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful comments! π
Emory Ahlberg
2022-09-04 21:34:35 +0000 UTCThank you, Storm!!!
Emory Ahlberg
2022-09-04 21:25:24 +0000 UTCYou make a good point, Tiki! Jill has successfully (and correctly) realized that she is stronger than Jack ever was. As the changes to her body forced "Jack's" life to become more and more of a distant memory, it helped her realize things about her past self that were either shitty or not true. She's no longer the person she was before--and she believes she's become a better, stronger individual. Does that mean what Second Dawn did was ultimately a good thing? No! But Jill can (and will) use this experience to empower herself and others.
Emory Ahlberg
2022-09-04 21:25:14 +0000 UTCThanks Patrick! One could say that Ryan's story is a testament to the strength of the human spirit. Although he was taken and altered, he has remained strong and kept his sense of self.
Emory Ahlberg
2022-09-04 21:20:57 +0000 UTCPoor Jill, getting stuck between a rock, a hard place, and Davis...
Alyson Greaves
2022-09-03 21:30:52 +0000 UTCThank you, Alyson! And, yeah, Jill is really beginning to understand that although the sets are fake, the actors are real. And, sure, she remembers her time in the "dungeon" and it was long and traumatic and awful -- but not as awful as what Ryan underwent. Mason may have started off tough (Jill did BITE him lol), but he quickly became tender and caring. What's crazy to think is that, for at least a while, Ryan and Jack were on the same floor, undergoing the same "treatment." Their timelines are fairly synchronized, and they were taken around the same time. But then, Jill gets boosted up to her "penthouse" and Ryan gets put into yet ANOTHER concrete room with a fake sun. Poor guy. Jill "knew" there had to be some kind of dark shit happening behind the scenes. But she has been kept isolated for so long that it's been hard for her to really conceptualize or understand the true scope of things. That's what Ryan is trying to do -- help her understand that this place is even worse than she thought. Yes, she encountered Nikki, but she was able to "save" her and get her out in the best way possible. But now she's realizing there are so many more people on the island who are suffering. Oh, and now Xu is asking her to join in on the fun. π¬ In my mind those scrawled names are real, for the most part, and definitely encouraged. Tom and, then, Tania are there! Of course, they don't clean them off on purpose, so the list just gets longer and longer. Hudson is so, so awful. I hate writing him... But also love writing him because I know how he'll meet his end. π The time-lapse was so fun! Honestly, any time I get to create a transition timeline, I'm so happy. I wanted to show the subtle changes in Ryan's appearance and demeanor. It's hard to believe he's only half "finished" by the end. He's already so pretty. When this is all over, Jill will have so, so much to process. How can she POSSIBLY become part of Xu's organization after everything she's seen? But then, if she doesn't, what happens to Ryan and the rest of them now that Holly is "retiring?" Without her, will there be even a little compassion and softness in this place? You can imagine the thoughts going through Jill's head. She's so torn!
Emory Ahlberg
2022-09-03 20:35:45 +0000 UTCLove the random little football in pic 14.....is that to remind him of his fading masculinity LoL x
stacy C
2022-09-03 10:04:21 +0000 UTCGood job Emory, Iβm on pins & needles for the next episode. β€οΈ
Rex
2022-09-02 13:00:40 +0000 UTCSlow transformation is always the best.
Artemesia
2022-09-02 01:13:59 +0000 UTCSuperb episode, Emory, to ensure that this phase goes out on a high. The expressions on Ryanβs face, starting with anger, then moving through a range of emotions, from disbelief, to horror, to resignation, the signatures on the wall, Tom scrawled out and Tanya added. And that final pinup? Well, itβs not a pinup, is it? Ryan is looking us in the eye, shaming and accusing us as voyeurs. Itβs really chilling. Youβve taken things to an entirely different level now, Emory, both with the art and the psychology.
Robertlouis
2022-09-01 21:01:59 +0000 UTCoh very cool
Stormfries
2022-09-01 13:54:45 +0000 UTCBy hear Ryan story, Jill is going stay strong. She will break in sadness, but promise her formal identity that they will break free. I bet Xu let her down here on purpose to see break mentally as a test. Jill is the strongest form of Jack. I got a feeling she will not break easily. She can use this knowledge to her advantage somehow.
Tiki D
2022-09-01 13:31:23 +0000 UTCSince Ryan is letting his story out, now it all depends on if he is willing to stay strong
Patrick Hunt
2022-09-01 13:11:28 +0000 UTCOkay, live reaction time. God, the bruises on Ryan's body never don't get me. The poor guy. And his description of a scene like something out of a horror movie, with the main sobbing and wailing around him, contrasts beautifully with Jill's contempt for the 'horror movie set' decor. It's still a horror movie, Jill, even if the grime is painted on! Love him bringing the history lesson, too. Jill's face! This is DESTROYING her. (And her lovely new clean shoes, forward in the shot. Yes.) "Cooperate with our plans to sell you and we'll let you use a sink." Nice try, Handsome Hudson. Looking forward to seeing what happens to you... Privilege Level One! Once again, the contrast with Jill. She really didn't understand how much worse her hell could have been, if she hadn't been favoured. Gorgeous rendering in all these, by the way. "I DON'T REMEMBER" Jesus. Absolutely chilling. Giving 30/70 chances on these being fake versus being real but 'encouraged'. Every new victim helps, in a small way, to demoralise the next one. "Nice and quiet, exactly how I like my women." REALLY looking forward to seeing what happens to you! God. Wearing him down so the fear becomes monotonous. Yes. Love the subtle changes in the time lapse, too! "We think of masculinity as being immutable... Now I think of it as something that needs to be maintained..." (If I may be allowed a little self-indulgence:) Aunt Bea, reading this and officially disapproving, permits herself a small chuckle. Also, god, yes, people's thing about how 'powerful' testosterone is, currently causing problems IRL for trans women. Testosterone sucks! It can be defeated with a pill. Garbage hormone. The horror vibes are IMMACULATE. "You sure you ain't, like, secretly into this shit?" Ryan stares at the camera like in the office. (So does Hudson.) God, I'm so sad for Ryan here, crying over his bed with his sad little football and his two dozen books. My GOD. This update. Yikes. I almost can't wait to see the effect this has on Jill. Incredible job as usual π
Alyson Greaves
2022-09-01 12:33:38 +0000 UTC
