Half Sisters - Episode 17
Added 2022-03-14 02:19:51 +0000 UTCEmotions are running high as Nikki prepares to see her father for the first time since coming home...
This is a special double-episode (30 pages) of Half Sisters! In this episode, we witness a "day in the life" of Nikki and learn just how she ended up in that dress when she met Scott / Sofia a couple weeks back. 😀
I really loved creating the art and writing this episode and I hope you'll find it to be a satisfying conclusion to this part of Nikki's arc.
I can't wait to hear what you think! 💖
And next episode, we'll be hearing from Sofia again!
Comments
Thanks so much, Tim! I'm glad you're enjoying the journey. Nikki's story is as much about her internal transformation as the external one. The interaction with her mom is a key part of that -- it's (hopefully) filled with love, guilt, and longing. It's important to me that even in this wild scenario, the characters remain grounded in real emotions. Nikki was bullied for being who she was, and now she's being pushed into a role she never wanted - but she's also finding clarity in placed she didn't expect. Now you only have 29 episodes to go! I seriously can't wait to see what you think of the rest. 😊
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-14 03:24:57 +0000 UTCOkay, I just got back to the reason I subscribed to your site 3 weeks ago, Emory (you know the backstory). And while I put off launching into Nikki's and Sandy's adventures in Texas until now, I can honestly say that it was more than well worth the wait. I absolutely loved this sequence in Nikki's "adjustment" that just concluded with Episode 17. You took a phantasmagorical premise (star quarterback is abducted and forcibly feminized on a mysterious island by a murky organization funded by some of the richest and most powerful men in the world) and plunked the protagonist down to cope in the real world. While your portrayals of Lauren, the "obviously queer sales guy," and the two transphobic creeps (who I only wish Kris could provide to Bella as suitable "replacements"), may be a bit over the top, they were fun and believable and advance the story of the environment Nikki finds herself in. But it was the interaction between mother and child that was most real. You really made the empathy, love and emotion Nikki and her mom feel for each other come shining through (if, unfortunately, not fully expressed to each other yet in this episode). You really made this scene relatable to most all sons and daughters of loving mothers. I will no doubt be staying up late tonight to read about the continuing adventures of these two Texas beauties.
Tim
2024-03-14 03:04:16 +0000 UTCThank you so much, Stacy! I want to tell a fun and sexy story -- but also one with some heart!
Emory Ahlberg
2022-03-30 07:22:26 +0000 UTCWell that was emotional, as well as the art your prose has come on leaps and bounds.....some of it really pulls on the heart strings. Looking forward to seeing where things go from here x
stacy C
2022-03-24 00:47:31 +0000 UTCMe too! I’m very happy you are doing it! ❤️
Ella Cherry
2022-03-15 21:18:19 +0000 UTCI wish I could offer them every time, dov. ❤️The truth is I was up until about 3 AM most nights working on this one. 🥱
Emory Ahlberg
2022-03-15 21:06:09 +0000 UTCJudging from the extreme replies on this one, i think longer episodes each time would be appreciated by the crowd
dov
2022-03-15 21:00:01 +0000 UTCE, I believe that this "splendid" comes from the delicacy of the treatment of Nikki's life, we can even hear silences, music in the background, a lot of humanity and this power that you have been able to develop and confuse reality, to such an extent that for a moment I perceived Nikki to be not a character but the factual representation of a person. It is also the delicacy of the drawing which impregnates by its phenomenon a quality which is out of the ordinary. It happens that the drawing goes beyond the writing but in these paintings, these two languages work in balance.
France Day
2022-03-15 20:21:35 +0000 UTCYes, something like that right now would be devastating for Nikki's identity. Perhaps Mr. Hutchinson might end up imposing something like that -- or perhaps Nikki will need to live in the girls' dorms. 💖
Emory Ahlberg
2022-03-15 06:04:50 +0000 UTCThat's an actual shirt from Disney that's marketed to young boys. As in, he "protects" princesses. To me, that fits who young Nick used to be with his mom. In a previous episode, he talked about how -- once he got big as a teenager -- he was finally able to stand up to the creeps who hit on his mom when they went out.
Emory Ahlberg
2022-03-15 05:39:55 +0000 UTCckarya's original post! Wow, Emory! I loved this chapter, especially Nick's open-hearted conversation with his mother. It explains so much about the behavior of the two of them, especially his mother. I love the relationship they have and especially, I hope, will have. I like that struggle they both have, Nick wanting and fighting to keep who he is and wants to be and at the same time trying to understand and please his mother. And her wanting to help her son as much as possible and fight for him, but at the same time longing to be able to spend time with that desired daughter she could never have. What a change of look for the mother by the way, now I see the former Miss Texas! very very beautiful! and she is winning my heart, what a lioness! she is going to fight for her son with all her claws! I just hope that her desire to have a daughter doesn't overpower her son's well being, although I think she'll know how to handle it. One thing that was not very clear to me in the chapter, why both his mother and Nick agree so easily to continue taking hormones? And what is the reason for the change from just pills to also injections? I imagine you will be revealing it little by little especially the latter, but the former I don't remember that obligation. I hope Nick doesn't become as curvy as Jill, Janelle, Josie, Sophie..., I like them more stylized and not so busty and big assed hehehe ;) And Emory, let me some leading lady keep lusting after women and not men!!! there's not going to be a single one left and the stats don't hold up :D hehehe. Keep up the wonderful work!
Emory Ahlberg
2022-03-15 05:11:08 +0000 UTCOk, I remember now. But why the "Princess Security" in the shirt?
Pelicanboss
2022-03-15 02:56:01 +0000 UTCI was thinking the room change now would add to Nikki's hopeless about her fate.
Phil G
2022-03-14 23:27:25 +0000 UTC> as if Nikki on some level is embarassed by it but just can't bring herself to take it down. Tarzan: a connection to the innocence of her childhood, still just about allowable in the macho footballer days. > Just think what'll happen when she's on campus, hanging out with girls more than guys now, and starts meeting ACTUAL lesbians. I have plans. Oh my God 🥰 > Zach is probably almost as upset with Nikki's feminization as Nikki! "You could have sent him to the island that hypnotises people to be scared of footballs but nooooo, you HAD to send him to Girl Camp. That's like desecrating Michelangelo's David, Dad! You wouldn't desecrate Michelangelo's David, would you?" "I would if you were looking at him long enough." > my idea for the gene-tailored HRT is that it reverses male puberty much more effectively than traditional HRT. The virilization of the body is almost completely undone, and even the skeleton is impacted. I'd be jealous but honestly my skeleton was a huge wuss anyway. It gave in way too easily. > (Yes, this is wish fulfillment LOL) ❤ > I also can't help but love all Nikki's girly posters because now it feels like they're watching her as she blossoms into femininity. Nik dreaming that they all come to life and start giving her fashion tips. > LOL! I love Sofia being much, much "wiser" than Nikki when it comes to this stuff. But what are sisters for? I love their dynamic together SO much. Like, when Sofia insisted she's 'plenty smart' she wasn't lying, and she's very practical, too, and her intersecting with a Nikki who's finally realising that the One Tactic doesn't work any more is so good. > Your previous comment about "forced masculinization" remains sooo on-point. Nikki never had a chance to develop a natural identity! Who would she have been if society hadn't violently stripped away everything "soft" about her because it was seen as unmanly and weak? I love love love that if she plays her cards right and doesn't completely fall apart she can work this into a way to explore other ways of being, to be a more complete person. > Sofia is going to have some sisterly words about this in the next episode. That's an exciting prospect! Checking today's date, checking the date of the next episode, getting grumpy... 😛 > Jessica like, "Wow. How many trans girls are in this town!? Not that I'm complaining..." Jessica holding out two hands, weighing them against each other: on her left, the (presumed-cis?) girl who is friendly and interesting but has Guy Baggage and is all tied up with the fate of her dead best friend and love of her life; on her right, the hot, sexy and single presumed-trans girl who definitely likes girls but doesn't treat them too well and might just be having a massive identity crisis. Jessica, raising an eyebrow: puts her hands together. > To me, Nikki's mom is like a wilting rose and Nikki is (potentially) like a fresh spring rain... I do hope she gets to have a talk with Nikki and work things out. The question is, is Nikki able to articulate that she actually has really enjoyed reconnecting with her, or will she clam up completely now macho Dad is back in the picture? > she knows if she told her mom everything that mom would probably MURDER her dad, or at least there'd be no chance of them every getting back together. Nik's mum going online and buying Dad a sexy nurse costume. "It's wear this for a week or walk backwards off the roof. Your choice, mister." > I can't really describe how much I love this photo of them together. Especially, for some reason, Nikki's shirt. "PRINCESS PROTECTION." It reminds me of her story of the men harassing her mom, and how that must have made her feel as a child. She really was so close to learning how to draw strength from being her mum's child before her dad swooped in. 😥
Alyson Greaves
2022-03-14 21:46:54 +0000 UTCI don't think she's QUITE there yet, Phil... But a redecoration is definitely on my timeline!
Emory Ahlberg
2022-03-14 21:28:42 +0000 UTCI see the comment I made this morning has been lost, grrr...so I'll try to reproduce it again. Wow, Wow, Wow, now I do understand the title of Miss Texas from the mother. She's a beauty ❤ (love the "going out to dinner" outfit in the episode) and you can clearly see where Nikki got her genes from, they look so much alike. That's a great job on your part Emory, getting that mother/daughter resemblance. There are a couple of things that confuse me, why Nikki has to stay on hormones (I imagine because of Mr. Hutchinson) and why all of a sudden her medication is changed...I don't remember if you have explained it or it will be explained later. As for that hormonal change, I hope Nikki stays athletic and slim, we already have a lot of busty and big butts in the stories (Sophia, Jill, Janelle, Josie...)🤣😂😉 it's taste ;) Best part of the chapter the argument between Nick and his mother, I loved how Nick exploded and got all the shit out of his chest and at the same time felt bad for hurting his mother. And how the mother opened her eyes and came out of her reverie with the son's words. I'm a big fan of the mom, I love the internal conflict she has with wanting to fulfill one of her greatest longings (that daughter she could never have), with fighting and protecting her son like a lioness. I think it's becoming my favorite story...although then I read Homecoming or Jill and think the same hehehe. I only ask you to let some of the main characters continue with their attraction and passion for women... and if it can be Nikki even better, she'd be a cute "dyke"😜😁 ...yes I know I'm a pain, don't mind me -or yes-, and continue with your great story. 😉 I love your work Emory, I hope the muse and your art is never lost.
ckarya
2022-03-14 21:02:44 +0000 UTCIsn't time Nikki has her room recoated to something appropriate for her gender? Time for the pinups and trophies to go?
Phil G
2022-03-14 19:48:27 +0000 UTCThank you, Pelican! 💖 The idea is when Nick was younger, he was a sweet, kind boy who legitimately liked his long hair, singing, sometimes playing with his cousin's dolls (his mom mentioned this in a previous episode). This isn't abnormal or even all that girly. Nick was just a normal human child. He also liked to run around and play with bugs. But then other kids began to pick on him for being skinny and for his long hair and kindness. He started to get beaten up, even. That's when dad decided to step in and "help" his son become the kind of boy / man who does the beating, not the other way around.
Emory Ahlberg
2022-03-14 19:07:21 +0000 UTCThank you so much, France! Any favorite images or parts or ideas? 😀
Emory Ahlberg
2022-03-14 18:59:29 +0000 UTCAw, thank you so much, Ella! 💖 Nikki's routine was so fun to illustrate and, also, sexy 🤣. But I'm soo enjoying these characters and how they're growing. When I introduced Nikki in JACK & JILL, I never expected her to have her own spin-off, but I'm so happy she does!
Emory Ahlberg
2022-03-14 18:59:06 +0000 UTCThanks, Maggie! I can't wait to hear your thoughts! 💖
Emory Ahlberg
2022-03-14 18:55:09 +0000 UTC> The Tarzan poster! I just had to put it up there! I love how it's in the corner, mixed in with all the girls and action movie posters, as if Nikki on some level is embarassed by it but just can't bring herself to take it down. > On the running panel I'm struck again by a) how unique her face is, like, she's really pretty but she's also got so much character and personality in her face, you did such a good job, wow and b) how many sit-ups I have to do to get a belly like hers. Thank you, Aly! I unabashedly love Nikki's face. To me, it's the mix of cute / sexy that I love. And she's very expressive! LOL -- too many sit-ups... plus crunches... plus burpees... Ugh. > Nikki, master of the complexities of gender presentation, has Logged On. Just think what'll happen when she's on campus, hanging out with girls more than guys now, and starts meeting ACTUAL lesbians. I have plans. > Also imagining Zack getting these weekly nudes from a girl who used to be the guy he had a crush on... While seeing one of the, ahem, ATTRIBUTES that he most admired in Nick starting to shrink! Zach is probably almost as upset with Nikki's feminization as Nikki! > I'm sure this has nothing to do with going back on the tailored hormones. Nikki is going to be UPSET. As I mentioned in a comment up above, my idea for the gene-tailored HRT is that it reverses male puberty much more effectively than traditional HRT. The virilization of the body is almost completely undone, and even the skeleton is impacted. Basically, if Nikki continues on this treatment, she'll end up looking like she would've if she started to transition before puberty. (Yes, this is wish fulfillment LOL) > It's not like the old days, when good ol' American-made chastity cages were constructed out of cast iron and could survive a collision with a city bus. LOL! > Poor girl very nearly mimicking the girl on her poster when she puts her bra on. I'm sure Nick never imagined when he put up that poster than he'd one day understand the exact sensations that girl was feeling as she put on a bra! I also can't help but love all Nikki's girly posters because now it feels like they're watching her as she blossoms into femininity. > Sofia: "Just... do yourself a favour and get the sliced ones, not the whole cucumbers." LOL! I love Sofia being much, much "wiser" than Nikki when it comes to this stuff. But what are sisters for? > So sad that she's kind of getting used to being in girl mode around her mum and then, on an incredibly stressful day, suddenly no longer has that. Yes! Just as she was starting to feel a little "normal," getting into a rhythym, thinking "Maybe I can do this -- maybe I can wait it all out and be okay" now this goes and happens and throws her for a hell of a loop. And the fallout is still being felt (as we'll see). > I can't stop thinking about Nikki as a Tarzan-loving, long-haired choir boy, getting cooed over by all the mums at church like, "Isn't he the most precious thing!" and Nik's dad being like, "No. He shall be a MAN. Come, Nicholas, I'm going to throw footballs the size of your torso at you until they stop knocking you down." LOL! Your previous comment about "forced masculinization" remains sooo on-point. Nikki never had a chance to develop a natural identity! Who would she have been if society hadn't violently stripped away everything "soft" about her because it was seen as unmanly and weak? > And her dad just never getting in touch? Bad dad. Bad man. Bad role model. No pickle for him. Nikki's dad has a LOT to answer for. And although I understand Nikki's pain and trauma, she is seemingly directing ZERO of her rage at him right now. Instead, Nikki exploded, and Mom got hit with the shrapnel (which she genuinely feels sorry about). But, for God's sake, Nikki... Your dad AGREED to have this done to you, even if he didn't know the details! To save his own ass he was, at the very least, willing to sacrafice your football career! Sofia is going to have some sisterly words about this in the next episode. > Realising with horror that if Nik's parents know Mrs Ferris there's a small chance young Nicholas has met Jessica before and THAT could get awkward for all involved. Jessica like, "Wow. How many trans girls are in this town!? Not that I'm complaining..." > Pausing my comment to be stunned by Nikki's mum for a while. I really, really, REALLY loved allowing her to get all dolled-up again and feeling pretty. To me, Nikki's mom is like a wilting rose and Nikki is (potentially) like a fresh spring rain... > More glimpses of Nikki's dad being controlling. God, I want Nikki's mum to blossom so much. And we know Nikki's dad is "new money" and has a bit of a reputation for being a brute, at least with business rivals... > Nikki's moment of realisation in the mirror. "I'm handsome!" Uh huh, sure. "Handsome." > Nikki pushing back, finally letting out all this shit that's been building up inside And there's more, too! Nikki didn't even get into the escape attempt, the threat to castrate her, what she had to witness with Jill while wearing a humiliating "sexy nurse" costume thanks to Davis... Like, the sad thing is Nikki was holding back because, on some level, she knows if she told her mom everything that mom would probably MURDER her dad, or at least there'd be no chance of them every getting back together. So, for now, all she can talk about is how she's currently feeling, not the trauma she endured on the island. > And Nik's mum. Everything. Oh god. Poor mom has probably been looking for the "silver lining" for a long, long time, in more ways than one. > but also it's the voice her mum really wanted to hear, and it's a way to say sorry, to say she understands, to say how much she values the connection that's redeveloping between them. She's growing! Right!? Nikki chose to wear the dress and do the voice. She was fully committed to being a daughter for at least the night, and maybe more, because she realized how happy it was making her mom. For a moment, her false ego and bravado melted away and she was just... herself. But Mom didn't even get a chance to see her in the dress. 😢 > Final panel is such a bittersweet gut punch. They're SO sweet together. I can't really describe how much I love this photo of them together. Especially, for some reason, Nikki's shirt. "PRINCESS PROTECTION." It reminds me of her story of the men harassing her mom, and how that must have made her feel as a child. > I might like this story a lot. Thank you, Aly!!!
Emory Ahlberg
2022-03-14 18:53:30 +0000 UTCThank you, Rex! Although it's a lot of work, I have fun writing / art-ing all of my comics. But this episode felt particularly special. ❤️ And I'm sure Nikki will find herself in even more sexy dresses and skirts down the line!
Emory Ahlberg
2022-03-14 17:59:24 +0000 UTCThanks so much, Chloé! Indeed, Nikki is now receiving the same gene-specific HRT as Jill, Janelle, and Josie (so many J's!) had to endure. The changes will be dramatic over the next couple of years if Nikki is made to keep it up, but it looks different for each new girl. Basically, the idea is the gene-specific HRT undoes the male puberty more effectively than traditional HRT. So, in the end, the person taking the hormones will look like she would have if she'd transitioned early on in life. Plus, SOME enhancements. ❤️
Emory Ahlberg
2022-03-14 17:57:24 +0000 UTCJust one word, Emory: Splendid.
France Day
2022-03-14 17:26:58 +0000 UTCOk E, what are you up to with the last two images? It would seem Nikki's mom was trying to raise a daughter out of him, which would explain her fascination with dressing up Nikki now. Was she forcing Nick to be a girl growing up? What's the story there?
Pelicanboss
2022-03-14 17:07:23 +0000 UTCYou said practically everything... and I'm gonna sign off with both hands... maybe I'll add something else, but I need some time to collect my thoughts 🥰😍🥰
MaggieHeels
2022-03-14 17:01:25 +0000 UTCGreat episode again! I love to watch Nikki’s routine. And again, another excellent brick to build the characters and the story. I’m totally immersed in this one! Congrats Emory! ❤️
Ella Cherry
2022-03-14 15:19:09 +0000 UTCOkay so my appointment got pushed back an hour so I have time for some thoughts... *deep breath* The Tarzan poster! It was on the preview picture as well but but it's right there by her bed and oh my god Nik you absolute sweetheart. On the running panel I'm struck again by a) how unique her face is, like, she's really pretty but she's also got so much character and personality in her face, you did such a good job, wow and b) how many sit-ups I have to do to get a belly like hers. "I've seen dykes on campus who don't shave their pits" — Nikki, master of the complexities of gender presentation, has Logged On. Also imagining Zack getting these weekly nudes from a girl who used to be the guy he had a crush on and just being, "Oh, no, dude, he's getting even PRETTIER!" and running off to do some depression push-ups. Yes, Nik, the chastity cage is wearing out. That's what's happening. You poor, beautiful idiot. I'm sure this has nothing to do with going back on the tailored hormones. No, it's just shoddy engineering and cheap plastic. It's not like the old days, when good ol' American-made chastity cages were constructed out of cast iron and could survive a collision with a city bus. Poor girl very nearly mimicking the girl on her poster when she puts her bra on. Nik, I'm teaching you how to say (and spell) 'spironolactone'. But I guess at least if someone tries to get her to eat a banana suggestively she has an excuse not to do it. And, given the spiro: Nikki: "Soph, are you craving pickles?" Sofia: "No, why?" Nikki: "I ate every pickle in the house last night and I still want more." Sofia: "This isn't an oral fixation thing, is it?" Nikki: "What's that?" Sofia: *sigh* "You wanna stop by the corner store on your way home?" Nikki: "Yeah, definitely." Sofia: "Just... do yourself a favour and get the sliced ones, not the whole cucumbers." So sad that she's kind of getting used to being in girl mode around her mum and then, on an incredibly stressful day, suddenly no longer has that. Because Dad's back and Mum's having a crisis! I can't stop thinking about Nikki as a Tarzan-loving, long-haired choir boy, getting cooed over by all the mums at church like, "Isn't he the most precious thing!" and Nik's dad being like, "No. He shall be a MAN. Come, Nicholas, I'm going to throw footballs the size of your torso at you until they stop knocking you down." And her dad just never getting in touch? Bad dad. Bad man. Bad role model. No pickle for him. Realising with horror that if Nik's parents know Mrs Ferris there's a small chance young Nicholas has met Jessica before and THAT could get awkward for all involved. Pausing my comment to be stunned by Nikki's mum for a while. The hair! The makeup! The dress! The cleavage! The shoes! Simping hard for her now. And her excuse to put makeup on her new daughter is sensible and wise and TOTALLY just an excuse. I love how much ALL her advice makes perfect sense and is also, on some level, an excuse. More glimpses of Nikki's dad being controlling. God, I want Nikki's mum to blossom so much. Just get through the guilt quickly, girl, it'll be fine. Nikki's moment of realisation in the mirror. A little glimpse of what her mother saw, back in the store. And then the heartbreaking final few pages. I feel for both of them so much. Nikki pushing back, finally letting out all this shit that's been building up inside, all the stuff that should have been OBVIOUS and yet no-one seems to even think about. And Nik's mum. Everything. Oh god. "I missed that a lot more than I realised." ❤, Nik. And switching back to the girl voice, yes, because she's getting ready to go out and she's going to need it but also it's the voice her mum really wanted to hear, and it's a way to say sorry, to say she understands, to say how much she values the connection that's redeveloping between them. She's growing! Final panel is such a bittersweet gut punch. They're SO sweet together. I might like this story a lot.
Alyson Greaves
2022-03-14 09:37:34 +0000 UTCEmory, you’ve done it again. I’m speechless. And, I’m amazed at your sense of fashion. These dresses are really really HOT! 🔥🥵, and they look great too. Thanks for another great submission here. ❤️
Rex
2022-03-14 09:18:33 +0000 UTCHi, once again a masterpiece. The description évolution of Nikki evolution is absolutely marvelous. I want to believe that the syringe is made with a mixture closed to Janelle and Josie knew well. Then Nikki is far from being confortable with the next evolution of her body. I’m impatient to see it. And the pink cage…
Chloé1975
2022-03-14 08:55:48 +0000 UTC
