Page 203
KimLuster on Sept. 13, 2014
My skill level, along with the multiple styles I've tried, means that I haven't been consistent enough with faces for anyone to recognize a character not seen in a while by face alone. The mystery soldier is Jack Caleb, the head of Synprovision, the organization who performed the dreamed experiments that got Kimber Lee started on this ride.
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Don't expect a new reader to go read all the backlog instantly, or a current reader to remember it all, so here's a synopsis of Jack's appearances, if anyone wanted a quick background filler…
First appearance: pg 25-26
Second appearance: pg 44-45
Kidnapping Kimber: pg 77-82
Dinner Date pg 84-91 (J.Caleb gets seemingly infected on pg 90)
Conversation on Helipad: pg 106-110
Phone conversation: pg 140
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This story is ultra first-person perspective, and so far, I've kept it personal with Kimber Lee. Something extraordinary is happening to her and she's still largely clueless as to the reason (and so the reader is as well). With the coming pages, I hope things will become a little clearer, but a touch of mystery will probably always be there.
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Thanks for reading everyone!
skyangel at 12:46AM, Feb. 13, 2015
Consistency with faces is something I've struggled with too when introducing new characters but I decided some time ago to start using real life actors for role models so that at least if I need to do that character again I have a more solid base to work from. The wonderful thing about the internet is that there are no shortage of celeb photos to get different angles from.
KimLuster at 5:01PM, Sept. 18, 2014
@PaulEberhartd: ha that doesn't bother me because I'm easily deceived - if I'm lied to by anyone with a half-straight face I'll believe 'em :D
PaulEberhardt at 1:08PM, Sept. 18, 2014
It sometimes frightens me, when I realise I'm dreaming. You see, I pride myself on not being easily deceived, at least not for long, but my subconciousness seems to manage all the time. ;)
KimLuster at 5:34AM, Sept. 18, 2014
@PaulEberhartd: Gotta admit - I love dreaming! And it is a strange sensation when you realize something is not 'quite right' and then it dawns on you that it's a dream. Sometimes it's humorous - other times, disappointing! As for revelations, a good bit is going to be revealed in the coming pages, but you're right - it may make it more mysterious!
PaulEberhardt at 5:12AM, Sept. 18, 2014
Had a very realistic, but pleasant dream last night. However, as usual, I could soon spot it as a dream by all the little details it got wrong. Funny thing they do, actually - after all, whose head is it that produces them?
PaulEberhardt at 5:11AM, Sept. 18, 2014
It's him! I'm already curious about what he's going to reveal. Knowing a bit more about what's going on could as well make things even more mysterious, for all I know. ;)
KimLuster at 4:18AM, Sept. 17, 2014
@jgib99: Thank you!
jgib99 at 9:19PM, Sept. 16, 2014
Finally caught up. Great work as always.
KimLuster at 6:16PM, Sept. 15, 2014
@tupapayon: Haha, I lucid dream on occasion as well (extremely realistic flying dreams here and there, where I actually have difficulty controlling altitude and crash into trees and powerlines!) I certainly intended some of the 'overcoming sickness' symbolism in this story, and let me reiterate that I HATE! stories where it all ends up being 'just a dream' and that is the only resolution. If handled well it can work (see the excellent movie 'Inception'), but often it's just lazy writing. I hope everyone keeps in mind how I feel about that as the story further develops....
tupapayon at 5:49PM, Sept. 15, 2014
I say you have managed the suspense excellently... My "clues" that got me thinking is not a dream include my personal experience with lucid dreams... And also the fact that after all these events it'd be kind of cheap to have like "it was all a dream" after all... And still it could also be a symbol of her defeating her sickness... Woah... I really should go easy on these drugs..
KimLuster at 3:56PM, Sept. 15, 2014
@Banes: I started to put actual links back to those pages, but... I do have a lazy streak! :)
KimLuster at 3:55PM, Sept. 15, 2014
@tupapayon: Thanks! Well, it's only relatively recently that Kimber Lee has decided to 'believe' this wasn't a dream and just go with go with it - come what may! Prior to that it was a page-to-page doubting wrestling match haha. And... I suspect it'll rear its head again, hopefully in a way that readers will find entertaining (and in a way Bravo won't throw a book at me haha)
Banes at 3:22PM, Sept. 15, 2014
I know what you mean KL - but a little refresher in the comic and/or the advantage of links back to the earlier pages make up for that to some degree. Eidetic Memory! Cool term! S'nice to learn something new! XD
tupapayon at 3:08PM, Sept. 15, 2014
I like this heroin... Woah... Gotta stop using drugs ... I like this heroine... It's kinda obvious to me this isn't a dream.... But you could introduce some doubts into our minds about it... That'd be fun...
KimLuster at 12:30PM, Sept. 15, 2014
@Banes: maybe one of my better ideas haha... even if you'd completely caught up on the archive, it's been over a year in real time since we've seen Jack Caleb. It'd require eidetic memory (that's photographic memory in common vernacular) to remember everything about him :/ -- one of the downsides of the nature of web comics I suppose... Anytime I resurrect characters or loose-ends from earlier in the comic I'll try to do this.
Banes at 11:00AM, Sept. 15, 2014
I didn't expect it to be someone we'd met! Aha!! Thanks for the footnotes; that's a good idea in a longer form story like this (I'm still catching up on the archive!)
KimLuster at 5:56AM, Sept. 15, 2014
@VinoMas: I meant to include you in with my comment back to Peipei... My intent is to portray Caleb as a handsome charmer - glad that came across a bit :)
KimLuster at 3:52AM, Sept. 15, 2014
@Call Me Tom & Plymayer: hehe I know I've been moving the story along pretty glacially, but the next dozen pages are so will bring an answer to many of these types of questions ;)
plymayer at 9:55PM, Sept. 14, 2014
@ Call Me Tom, How do we know he hasn't?
plymayer at 9:55PM, Sept. 14, 2014
Kind of guessed it was going to be Caleb. Not until just at the last moment, when he began to unmask. It fell right into place. Dreams often do go in cycles. Oh and I see how things are, sneaking a Sunday update in like that :)
Call Me Tom at 8:55PM, Sept. 14, 2014
Well atleast Mr. Caleb hasn't been makeing an army of "Godstrain" soldiers. I feel a little better for that.
KimLuster at 4:18PM, Sept. 14, 2014
@Peipei: Yah a handsome charmer - and some of the biggest A-holes I've ever met hid behind a pretty face and charming veneer ;)
Peipei at 10:15AM, Sept. 14, 2014
Hmm, well at least he had the decency to show his face! He actually seems quite decent now that he isn't hiding behind a grunt helmet.
VinoMas at 9:57AM, Sept. 14, 2014
I always love seeing a handsome face!
KimLuster at 9:30AM, Sept. 14, 2014
@FC: I promise all loose-ends will be addressed before this story finishes, including Eli...!