Homecoming - Episode 24 + Bonus Pinup
Added 2024-03-12 07:00:47 +0000 UTC"We all wear masks, and the time comes when we cannot remove them without removing some of our own skin." - André Berthiaume
Wow. My brain is mush right now... But the Season 2 finale of HOMECOMING is here at an insane 53 pages!!!(???)
Please... I can't wait to hear what you think!
*collapses* 💖
Comments
Max, I'm so sorry I didn't see this comment until now. 💕 Yes, my intention was that when Kris woke up after her voice surgery - she was secure in herself and "alone." Whereas earlier in the story, Chris was using Kris as the persona he slipped into when he needed to "escape" now SHE was in control and Chris, as far as she could tell, was gone. Of course, they both have the same memories, but their closeness to those memories is what makes them different personas. For Kris, she's much closer to Bella's captivity and her relationship with Al than she is with Chris's former life as a med student and fiancé to Kayla.
Emory Ahlberg
2024-10-29 02:03:10 +0000 UTCHi Holly! With the conclusion of Season 2 of Half Sisters - which is coming up!
Emory Ahlberg
2024-10-29 01:53:47 +0000 UTCIs there any sort of timeline for when you hope to make Season 3?
Holly Schilling
2024-10-28 15:30:14 +0000 UTCWOW. Talk about an issue that changes the way you see everything that came before it. I feel like this adds a whole other dimension to each mirror conversations we’ve seen with Chris/Kris, and I love how you’d slowly built up to this stage. Your main characters often have a depth of feeling to their relationship with their identity that I feel is so rare in a lot of force femme stories like this, and Kris is such a wonderful showcase of your skill. She’s so terrified of each of the masks she puts on, and the moment she wakes up from voice feminisation surgery feels like her finally seeing the world more clearly. No more other voices feels like a tell that in that moment she is the most secure in herself she’s felt in years. Obviously I’d like to see where things go from here but I like where it’s been left for now. It’s nice to see Bella develop a deeper understanding of Kris and her apology was so cathartic after everything she’s gone through. All of your stories make me go “awww this is so sweet. Sooo fucked up…but so sweet” lol
Max
2024-07-06 06:34:13 +0000 UTCThank you, Stacy!
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-19 22:58:55 +0000 UTCGreat stuff Em....looking fwd to seeing what happens next :-) x
stacy C
2024-03-19 21:51:54 +0000 UTCThank you so much, fin! I'm so glad you picked up the details and symbolism in that image. It can really be a challenge to convey the layers of narrative and character through a single panel, but it's so fun when it's recognized and appreciated! And yes, Kris with long hair has certainly made an impression! Your reaction is exactly what I was hoping for. 😊
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-17 02:59:38 +0000 UTCThank you, Nina! I'm happy know the story is keeping you on your toes! I really can't wait for season 3, although I suppose Chris / Kris deserves a bit of a rest. 😉
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-17 02:57:55 +0000 UTCYou're absolutely right. There's a significant disconnect between the person Kris appeared to be with Alan - confident, settled into her femininity - and the person struggling with trauma who returned to Kayla. That was Chris. After his final choice, he wasn't around during the months Kris was with Alan.
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-17 02:55:31 +0000 UTCThank you!!! I promise we'll definitely be seeing them again.
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-17 02:48:26 +0000 UTCThank you, Elrod! Something to note... We don't know (yet) how much information was actually on the video Kris left for Alan. The only thing confirmed is the V.O. -- but we see a lot more flashback than is actually being related. That said, Chris had no problem telling both the police and Kayla what happened to him, generally. Although he left out lots of specifics for the police.
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-17 02:48:08 +0000 UTCClose! Ben's phone says Friday, May 7th. The last time May 7th was on a Friday was 2021. The pandemic doesn't happen in my writings. 😉 The only reason I mention this is because it's 2020 in Phase 9 of Jack & Jill. So, technically, Jill's story is already "over" when Homecoming happens.
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-17 02:41:49 +0000 UTCPretty please??? ;)
findesiecle
2024-03-16 21:48:54 +0000 UTCI loved every page! Too much excellence to comment upon as it would dilute how sincerely I enjoyed the entire issue! So, I will instead praise your work in a focused manner. Page #4 is remarkable. Staging the POV from Dustin's room was a master-stroke! It shows that he likes Pokemon, basketball, candy and suggests that Kris is an important part of his life, even if all of the details surrounding her are a bit fuzzy, like the focus on the Renn Faire pic! He wants Kris to marry his father and become his mom, but the tragic events that created her, embodied by "Benji's" position in the composition, stand in the way. The images of Kris with the long hair and wearing the lingerie...oh my... https://youtu.be/7qF67JplMDE?si=QHg5PDBTUaEHCGwX
findesiecle
2024-03-15 07:40:48 +0000 UTCahhhh and the story continues to unravel! i feel like im stuck in a web! this is one of the few times i feel like i have no idea what’s gonna come next, especially after reading all the theories!!!!! i can’t wait to see where this goes and as always, wonderful work emory!!!!!
Nina
2024-03-15 05:24:28 +0000 UTCYes indeed. Nikki has a long, long way to go. She’s been through her own trauma, but it’s not been at the existential, life threatening cliff edge that Jill and Kris have been negotiating on a daily basis. Choosing a dress for a date isn’t quite the same as choosing who gets to keep their balls, is it? 🙄
Robertlouis
2024-03-14 05:57:05 +0000 UTCOne more item just occurred to me (delayed reaction due to pain meds for neuropathy. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!) Kris/Chris nightmares and serious trouble when he reunited with Kayla, her extreme unease at a simple task like walking for donuts - that doesn't at all jibe with someone who'd been out of captivity for months and had adjusted happily to being with Alan.
Elrod W
2024-03-14 02:46:56 +0000 UTCGreat story telling! I love how you room for off shoots and growth here and there. Like, it'll be interesting to see when Isaiah and Hasan pop back in again.
non anon
2024-03-14 00:21:24 +0000 UTCMuse Emory, I shall say 2019 based on the Detective Pikachu poster. It was the Dr. Delilah Crowe©™ portion of my mind that figured this out, since neither Homecoming nor your overall Xuniverse mentions the pandemic. Please reply and correct me if I'm wrong.
Female-Bosmer-Always
2024-03-13 23:18:29 +0000 UTCAnd my mind is now racing in new directions to tie pieces together. One thing I suspected would happen did. Although I'm still skeptical of the whole 'confession' tape. Too convenient. To me, it fits into the category of "too neat unless this was near the end". It ties too many things up. And if under threat, watched by The Cunt and Bella, how would Kris have expected to get away with that? It's not adding up. And it makes me think of a detail I noticed when Ben talked to Cindy. It could easily tie into this whole thing. In dramatic stories and mysteries, things are not always as they seem. I think that's the operative phrase behind this entire story. I think there's some serious behind-the-scenes intrigue tying this all together. Too many occurrences to get away with, without some 'bigger player' assisting. It's left to see how the main players - Kayla, Ben, Kris, Alan, and Cindy - fit into the mystery - and which of them are merely pawns in a bigger game? And who, if anyone, is going to get happiness in the end?
Elrod W
2024-03-13 22:31:59 +0000 UTCShe's still lovable, just a knucklehead
Jade Diaz
2024-03-13 13:54:07 +0000 UTCIt is INCREDIBLE
Alyson Greaves
2024-03-13 06:43:00 +0000 UTCTim, thank you so much for the kind words and for your deep exploration of the "Xuniverse"! I love your theories and ideas about where things might be headed. I really enjoy sprinkling hints and connections throughout the stories. As for Season 3 of Homecoming, rest assured, the story is far from over. There's a lot more to explore with Chris/Kris, Bella, Camilla, and the others. I imagine people will be very interested in seeing what happens with Hasan and Isiah's current status. Kris would certainly like to rescue her college roommate, if possible! And who knows? Maybe some familiar faces from other stories will indeed show up. 😉
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-13 06:01:46 +0000 UTCYes! Chris fell in love with Kayla... But Kris fell in love with Alan. Talk about a love triangle! 😉
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-13 05:48:21 +0000 UTC...and then there's Nikki. 😉
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-13 05:45:40 +0000 UTCThank YOU Emory for all the careful thought and planning that you invest in your characters and narrative. It’s so obvious that you care for them too. It’s what makes them so appealing, and in Kris and Jill you’ve not only created two heroines for the ages, but women who are hugely complex, nuanced and have experienced almost too much, yet somehow survived with their indomitable spirits intact. It’s that, their belief, their amazing resourcefulness and their generous bravery that makes us love them.
Robertlouis
2024-03-13 05:44:13 +0000 UTCThank you, Jenny! Wow! Your words are incredibly encouraging. Honestly, the emotion scenes are the most fun AND the most difficult to write, but it's worth it. I also can't wait to share more Homecoming with you in the future. There's more story to tell!
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-13 05:37:09 +0000 UTCRobert, thank you! You've really grasped the characters and their motivations. Bella is indeed a contradiction - and she's evil - and Kris's (re)emergence has been such a fun, fascinating evolution to explore. The question of her identity and her struggle with her sense of self is ongoing. So, when we've seen Chris in Season 1 and Season 2, that was / is still "him." And Chris does have all of Kris' memories and vice versa. But they're vague and he experiences them very differently. When Kris woke up, she said she was alone in her head. No "Chris." It's almost like he had in fact "died" when Chris / Kris made the choice to help Dustin. Kris was with Alan for five months until she left... and something happened to bring Chris back out. The dynamic between Bella and Camilla is something I'm looking forward to delving into more in Season 3! And I'm really happy that the emotional depth of Kris came through. Sometimes it's hard with a 3D render! Your kind words about the art is really kind and validating. I want it to be as perfect as possible for you all! 💖
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-13 05:34:26 +0000 UTCGreat read and beautiful artwork, Emory. I'll be anxiously awaiting the premiere of Season 3... But in the meantime, it looks like the stage might be set for a possible crossover. Could we see Isaiah or Hasan showing up shortly at Clinic 12? Maybe Bella's Bordeaux is a Second Dawn franchise?... a destination for broken toys, perhaps? And is it just a coincidence that Mason hails from Chicago where he developed his revolutionary gene-tailored hormone therapy? Perhaps we'll get to meet Catherine Vaughn, Patient 0, when Homecoming resumes? I could go on-and-on with possibilities. One of the things I find most fascinating about your work, Emory, is how well you weave your stories together across your "Xuniverse." While Jack & Jill is your Rosetta Stone, so many of your captions, snippets from other stories, and narration/comments posted throughout your Patreon pages provide hieroglyphic shards of information that make the reading/viewing experience so much more enjoyable. I truly look forward to what lies beyond the next bend in the road of your "Xuniverse."
Tim
2024-03-13 05:29:03 +0000 UTCThank you so much, Bella! And me too. My characters always have better fashion than me. 😭
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-13 05:23:16 +0000 UTC💖😶
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-13 05:21:42 +0000 UTCGemma, thank you so much for your kind words and thoughtful analysis! It really means a lot to me that Homecoming resonates with you. Kris's journey has been one of transformation in more ways than one - although "Chris" still needs to find his place, as well. This episode definitely added new layers to the story and shifted expectations! Phew, yes, this episode was a massive effort, but comments like yours make it all worthwhile. 🥂
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-13 05:21:32 +0000 UTCOh... okay... I stand corrected 😏sorry for my mistake but it is hard to focus on such detailed nuances while my eyes are blasted with Kris looking like that 😎 Chris is into Kayla and Kris is into Alan and both personalities deserve to exist so... everybody on the "family & friends" photo needs to adapt... not only Chris/Kris or Kris/Chris... right? P.S. when i was saying that only Kris left Bella i haven't in mind it explicitly & literally... that was more kind of figuratively thinking but yeah your explanations makes much more sense thank you ❣️
Maggie Heels
2024-03-13 05:17:33 +0000 UTCThank you so much, Phil! I'm pretty proud of this one. 😊
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-13 05:13:44 +0000 UTCRight!? Hopefully she'll grow it out again.
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-13 05:12:42 +0000 UTCThank you, CK!! 😆 "Crazy fucker" is a pretty accurate description of Bella, I'd say. It's true that she's not quite as black-and-white as she first appeared - but she's still evil. And yes, Ben's character development has been an interesting journey, too! He was pretty dense to start out, but we'll see how he is in Season 3. You're right to be skeptical about the resolution of Chris/Kris's trauma. When we've seen Chris in Season 1 and Season 2, that was / is still "him." Also, Chris wasn't dissociating when he decided to help Dustin. In that moment, it was both Chris AND Kris together. It was the first (and so far only) time they were integrated and whole. Also, Chris does have all of Kris' memories and vice versa. But they're vague and he experiences them very differently. We know that when Kris woke up, she said she was alone. It was almost as if the male part of her HAD in fact "died." Then she was with Alan for five months until she left... and something happened to bring Chris back out. Bella's words about Chris being a woman are only because she hates men and doesn't believe a man would sacrifice his manhood to save someone else. And don't worry, I wouldn't dream of wrapping things up too neatly or quickly. There's plenty more story to tell, and as you've guessed, Bella and the Cunt are far from done with their schemes. 😉
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-13 05:11:45 +0000 UTCThank you, supermad! Hopefully you enjoyed the little twists and turns as much as I enjoyed writing them.
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-13 05:02:39 +0000 UTCThank you so much for your kind words, Bosmer! I'm really, really happy you liked the finale. It was a lot of work - but I like how it turned out, too. I appreciate your patience and enthusiasm! 😊 And what a tantalizing bit of dialogue you've shared! It's always a pleasure to see characters come alive through the words we give them. Speaking of the Coming Out dinner, you've mentioned a possible connection to Xu and Homecoming. You may want to check what year Homecoming takes place in, based on a clue I provided in this episode. 😉
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-13 05:01:00 +0000 UTCElla, thank you so much! I'm so happy you enjoyed it. Bringing it together took a LOT of pages, but I think it was worth it. And there's more to discover! Like, what happened that "Chris" took back control? 🤔
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-13 04:54:17 +0000 UTCThank you, Maggie! As always, I love your insights. Yeah, the relationships are so complicated. It's true that Kayla and Chris have a lot to work through, and Kris's connection with Alan is undeniable. Just to clarify, when we've seen Chris, that was / is still "him." And Chris wasn't dissociating when he made the choice to help Dustin. In that moment (and for the first time), it was both Chris AND Kris together. It was the first (and so far only) time they were integrated and whole. Also, Chris does have all of Kris' memories and vice versa. But they're vague and he experiences them very differently.
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-13 04:38:51 +0000 UTCEspecially with long hair, I have to say!
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-13 04:30:03 +0000 UTCI knew I wanted to show the real reason Kris was released early...
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-13 04:29:54 +0000 UTCPerhaps we'll find out. 😏
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-13 04:28:54 +0000 UTC😊 I'm so happy with how this came out! Aaaa.
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-13 04:28:41 +0000 UTCWouldn't you? 😉
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-13 04:28:01 +0000 UTCThank you, Tiki! Yes, hopefully it's gratifying to see the threads from Season 1 and Season 2 coming together. Kris's journey has been harrowing! Bella's role as the manipulator is definitely similar to Xu's, but I'd say she's less intentional about it.
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-13 04:27:50 +0000 UTCThis is a triumph! Outstanding writing, character development, plot twists, and you continue to excel with your emotional scenes. I’ll be patient in waiting for the continued development of this plot as I enjoy the upcoming chapters in your other stories. Your work is a gift to us all, and your writing creates such wonderfully woven tapestries of intrigue and beauty that I can't put your chapters down. Brava!
JennyAmara
2024-03-13 03:52:43 +0000 UTCSo much to take in here - the contradictions and complexities, to say the least, of Bella’s personality, the emergence of Kris as the dominant if not the sole element of her personality, the hanging question of why she returned to Kayla and tried so hard to become male again when all the time she was longing to be with Alan and Dustin, her strength and resolve and sacrifice to save Dustin with all that it could have meant for her. And hanging over everything is her remaining and unfulfilled debt to Bella, and the malevolent, driven presence of the cunt. Is she part of Bella’s empire or is she an independent player? We’ll have to wait for part 3 to find out, I guess. And you’ve excelled yourself again, Emory. The shades of emotion captured on Kris’s face, especially when she’s unable to speak, are just heartbreaking, and the subtle softening of face and body over the months is beautifully done. And the gorgeous long hair is in itself an expression of pure femininity. This chapter, to my mind, marks a new peak of artistic achievement which exceeds even the finale to Jill’s closing dive at the end of the most recent season of Jack and Jill. Wonderful xxx
Robertlouis
2024-03-12 21:39:23 +0000 UTCAwesome chapter! so jealous of a few of the outfits in there. lol
Bella Lime
2024-03-12 21:16:25 +0000 UTCI’m speechless. I need some time to gather my thoughts. But that was truly magnificent.
Robertlouis
2024-03-12 20:50:57 +0000 UTCOops, I mean end to season 2 of Homecoming
Gemma
2024-03-12 19:54:41 +0000 UTCWhat an amazing impressive chapter to close season one you have written Emory. Your story, its dialogue and the images you have created are so beautiful, authentic and real. Your characters are written with such depth and compassion. Visually this chapter is stunning and each image so nuanced as they capture the different elements of the characters and the story. I particularly love the beautiful, erotic and sensual images of Kris you created between pages 11 to 28. Wow! She is so sexy and pretty. Kris's character traits of courage and compassion are also so beautiful to witness. I had not appreciated or recognised how much Kris had embraced her femininity, nor the depth of her connection to and relationship with Alan and his son. It certainly has shifted the previous story arc I had envisaged for Kris's story. I can appreciate and understand how you must be fatigued after such an enormous effort. 'Mush' brain or not you have certainly have achieved creating an incredible chapter to end season 1 of 'Homecoming.' Well done Emory and thank you.
Gemma
2024-03-12 19:51:43 +0000 UTCBravo! Great work as usual!!
Phil G
2024-03-12 16:32:27 +0000 UTCKris with long hair... whoosh.
Thomas Tolliver
2024-03-12 15:02:29 +0000 UTCWow, what a season finale! As I always say, you're very G.R.R. Martin writing, you've done it again! Bella doesn't seem as dark as in the beginning (even if she's still a crazy fucker), it's starting to look like shades of grey... I like it! And 'Benji' isn't as much of a bastard as he seemed either, another grey character.... For now we only have one real villain in the story, Camilla 'the Cunt', we'll see if she stays in her role, or also surprises us with her motivations and actions, and her spectrum also becomes a lighter black... What really leaves me a bit 'with the fly behind the ear', is that knowing your other stories, in 'only' 2 seasons you have fitted so many pieces of the puzzle... I find it hard to believe that a trauma like the one Chris/Kris has suffered, is so easily resolved and it seems that he will 'eat partridge' with Alan and his kid and go on holiday with aunt Kayla and uncle Benji. I don't think so. Chris, although now as a co-pilot in his body, is still alive and kicking, and if I remember correctly, despite Bella's words, there's never been any hint in the story about Chris being unhappy being a man or suffering from any dysphoria, so at some point Chris will want to take control of his body and eliminate or co-pilot Kris. So I think personally it's not going to be a bed of roses for Chris/Kris. Besides, the Cunt and even Bella I don't think they've said their last word.
ckarya
2024-03-12 14:44:24 +0000 UTCIncredible story with a satisfying ending and a cliffhanger. Wow!
supermad
2024-03-12 13:22:28 +0000 UTCMuse Emory, if this is what I get after just day's wait...well let's just say every moment was worth it. A beautiful work of art, my muse. On behalf of myself and my characters whom you graciously allowed in your Xuniverse, I thank you. And quoting one of my fellow Canuck (Quebecois) novelists...the icing on the cake. Here is my own attempt at a quote/dialogue: "-We all wear masks, Dr. Crowe™©. But which one is real? The one that covers your face, or the one that is your face? You see, Mr. Xu and I know the truth about all those pretty serving girls on your staff at Eldermount Ranch...and I know a truth even your precious sisters don't know. Shall I tell them?" Davis attempting to make...what in his mind...is flirtatious conversation during the Second Dawn Halloween masked ball. "-Do be careful, Mr. Davis. Crows are not birds that take threats to themselves or their chicks lightly and neither am I. Surely all my Coming Out Dinner wins my sisters and I have so far are more than proof enough."
Female-Bosmer-Always
2024-03-12 12:25:41 +0000 UTCP.S. this story is DEEEEEEEEP ❣️❣️❣️
Maggie Heels
2024-03-12 11:59:28 +0000 UTCWow! A fantastic ending. Everything came together beautifully! And now I'm just thirsty for more!
Ella Cherry
2024-03-12 11:41:53 +0000 UTCFamily & friends photo someday in the future... Alan, Dustin & Kris, Kyla & Ben aaand Victor, and everybody has a genuine smile on the face... yes i love happy endings period.
Maggie Heels
2024-03-12 11:34:17 +0000 UTCOKAY I had the tiny hope that Kris will met Ben & Alan inside apartment... I adore that she came to him... ohhh Kayla... I'm sad to say this but your Chris never left Bella it is Kris who left her... so only I can see now you can still be BFF's but it kinda looks like you'll meet Alan sooner or later and... yeah... that will be awkward... but I wish you'll be friends too and yes... there are some real sparks between Alan and Kris...
Maggie Heels
2024-03-12 11:28:04 +0000 UTCHoly shit. I mean... Holy shit! ❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️
Maggie Heels
2024-03-12 11:16:48 +0000 UTCKris really looks beautiful as always. 😍
Tiki D
2024-03-12 11:00:37 +0000 UTCBen learning about more Kris' backstory as well as her relationship with Alan was main focus of the finale of Chapter 2.
Tiki D
2024-03-12 10:59:04 +0000 UTCI knew Hasan was going to be capture at some point by Bella's employees. I wonder what his female form would be like.
Tiki D
2024-03-12 10:56:57 +0000 UTCholy shit
Alyson Greaves
2024-03-12 10:55:06 +0000 UTCThe interesting part about this chapter was Alan was planning on marrying Kris.
Tiki D
2024-03-12 10:54:32 +0000 UTCThis finale of Season 2 answers a lot of questions, including connections to Season 1. We learn about Kris and Alan relationship from genuine perspective, Kris's forced feminine state (I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but not the eye of the prisoner physical and mentally), Her voice surgery not by choice, Bella's mental and physical manipulation simular to Xu (Jack and Jill). Also, we learned how Kris got out and eventually meeting with Kayla again in Season 1.
Tiki D
2024-03-12 10:53:17 +0000 UTCGod, thank youuuuuu 💖
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-12 08:02:02 +0000 UTCOn my obsessive re-read just now I noticed it, too... 😭 Corrected!
Emory Ahlberg
2024-03-12 08:01:46 +0000 UTC(also sorry but in pic 50 you misspelled "obsessed" sorry but I notice these things it's my curse)
Zoe Storm
2024-03-12 07:50:31 +0000 UTCThis is so good
Zoe Storm
2024-03-12 07:50:08 +0000 UTCEmory I am screaming
Zoe Storm
2024-03-12 07:49:37 +0000 UTC
