SS4 147 Shellshocked
skyangel on Sept. 18, 2012
Amber: you were right to be worried.
*stands on podium holding ‘most romantic’ award and squirming*We won just one trophy in the Duck Awards this year and it had to be this one didn't it!! lol
I'm cruel I know and tbh I've wrestled with this moment for a over a year but SS seems to write itself sometimes and the feeling that Janey's sexual explorations were getting out of hand just seemed to lead here anyway. They say that a forest fire allows for fresh growthand that's where we are now, in the ashes.
I have to give credit to Lunaris for part of the script on this page. She told me a story ages ago about a guy who was caught out by a mobile phone call and the thought fitted so well with this part of the storyline that I felt a desire to adapt it.
Next week: Sarah's reaction, Janey's guilt and Claire's last twist of the knife.
hope you have a nicer week!
Lunaris Victoria at 10:50PM, Oct. 7, 2012
@aceina I...am so glad someone recognizes that marriage is a universal -need- in the community. I mean, I've never wanted to be married, I'm actually against the idea of marriage altogether, gay or straight. It's not a universal concern. Some care about it more than others, and some don't care at all. That's what I said in my previous rant: We're all just people covering all opinions and all walks of life. Simply Sarah is, at its heart, a love story. Not a family story, not even a 'gay community' story. It's about a couple, plain and simple. It just happens to be that they're lesbians. And I take away a lot of happy moments from this comic. There is drama, but it's a plot device that gets us to our next happy mini-ending. I much prefer it to stories that are nothing but drama for dramas sake. This isn't gayngst. It was gayngst for, like, the first chapter. After that, the drama and angst had little to nothing to do explicitly with sexuality. Just enjoy the story. :) ~Liz
aceina at 10:38PM, Oct. 7, 2012
@lunaris yes its drama we can relalte to but what abotu other issues teh LGBT comunity face like marige having a kid raising said kid there is more to a realtionship than drama and this story has focused almost entirely on the drama just like all lesbian comics seem to do its what tv tropes calls gayngst
Lunaris Victoria at 9:44PM, Oct. 7, 2012
@didi From what I recall, it was a college student living in a dorm room with another guy. He comes back one day and sees his dormmate's door closed, and some wild noises going on. Getting in the mood himself, he decides to call his girlfriend up and invite her over for some fun too. Only when he calls her, he hears her phone ringing in his dormmate's room. That's about all I really remember of it. ~Liz
comic_didi at 9:41PM, Oct. 7, 2012
Ugh! I was hoping this wouldn't happen on the grounds it'd be too obvious! Guess there's a reason obvious things exist... I am ultra pissed at Janey. After all that Gerry drama, she pulls this shit?! *fumes* Oh but I'm very impatient now for the next page... I need to memorize your update schedule instead of checking everyday... P.S. I've heard that story about the guy. Or a similar one about hearing the phone in the bathroom... Do you know if there are any more details? Just curious.
Lunaris Victoria at 2:37PM, Oct. 7, 2012
@aceina We tropers call it earning your happy ending. :) The happiest endings come from the dramas and such. I'm all for a happy story, but if it's all happiness and sunshine then it doesn't make for much of a long read. SS may have a lot of drama, but it's drama we can relate to. There's one character in particular with a story that really strikes home for me with how close I can relate to them. And let's face it...Stacey's got a much happier ending than most of us probably figured after the Janey incident. Gerry has a nice girlfriend. And I remember one beach strip with a lovely bird at the top that I named Sparky, and I'm sure Sparky is dining on his weight in fish every day. :D ~Liz
aceina at 2:20PM, Oct. 7, 2012
i just read this entire thign today and ive loved it so far but 1 problem u rely way to much on drama and angst would it kill you t let teh chars have a happy moment that sticks it seems all lesbian comics rely on angst and such never just a nice happy story
DarkVisor at 11:02AM, Oct. 7, 2012
Stll waiting to see them doing something other than having sex (not ruling out being completely or partially nude though). Everyone seems to be expecting, nay, _hoping_ for them to be having sex. Whether that's because they really believe Janey is that kind of person who knows. Oh yeah, and "Claire's last twist of the knife" doesn't have to mean Janey and Sarah break up, it could possibly back fire and Janey finally sees Claire for who she really is
DarkVisor at 10:57AM, Oct. 7, 2012
Once again, pretty much agree with everything LV said (same things can be said about gay men, when, as a whole, it's straight people who are most likely to bang anything that moves, gay people tend, again as a majority, to find a mate and stick with them)
skyangel at 5:51AM, Oct. 7, 2012
Tabi: Hiya:) Believe me I've wrestled with the Geraldine/Sarah relationship since chapter two. I always like the idea that they were meant to be but never able too and this new direction now mean that for once Sarah will be the single, lonely one while Geraldine is the one with a good relationship worth respecting, so it'll be nice for once to see how Geraldine felt looking through Sarah's eyes instead. Sarah of course will now probably regret not having snapped Gerry up sooner, but as many readers have pointed out in the past, Sarah and Gerry would prob make dull reading as they would be so well suited!
skyangel at 5:44AM, Oct. 7, 2012
Amber: I wasn't at all disappointed with the awards.:) you guys were out there for us again this year and the nominations proved you still love us for so many reasons. The judges have a hard time as it is and it's nice to see a good variety of comics picking up awards. It just felt a bit embarrassing picking up 'best romance' in the year that Janey soils it! And yeah Cally's middle name is 'Sarah' after the girl who helped Stacey get her life on track. I had thought of making it her first name but it seemed a bit toooo sugary!
skyangel at 5:37AM, Oct. 7, 2012
What to say what to say! um LIz, yeah obviously very strong viewpoints there and total respect for them. Most comics are often lucky to get a couple of lines, but you guys leave whole paras sometimes! Yeah, no way is Claire a closet lesbian but as the events unfold we will find this situation stems more from affection and mixed emotions as well as Claires deepening jealousy of Sarah's 'perfect' relationship in the face of her own failed ones. I don't like stereotypical situations and as the excuses for this affair unfold I'll leave it up to the reader to follow their own feelings about the damage done . I'm also far more interested at this point in showing the harm done to the relationship than the excuses for it so I'd rather just listen to your voices for now and show my own feelings through the pages.
Lopriest at 2:28AM, Oct. 7, 2012
Guess it was only a matter of time... Great page.
BearinOz at 9:00PM, Oct. 6, 2012
Wrong sort of page for that innuendo, Ironside ! B-)
Tabi921 at 4:19PM, Oct. 6, 2012
As much as I always loved this comic & Janey and Sarah are so cute together I've been shipping Gerry/Sarah ever since she was introduced and part of me is hoping that it might become canon with this new revolution. XD
Lunaris Victoria at 3:56PM, Oct. 6, 2012
@DragonRider PQ'd hon :) @Swan Yeah, pretty sure it was Cally Sarah. :)
Little Swan at 3:01PM, Oct. 6, 2012
By the way (posting here so you're more likely to see it), did Cally's name bracelet say "Cally Sarah"? ((Or was I seeing things?))
dragonrider at 2:59PM, Oct. 6, 2012
LV PQ
Little Swan at 2:57PM, Oct. 6, 2012
I thought this might be coming, but I didn't want to be right! My heart is actually racing to think of how awful Sarah must be feeling. Poor dear... I know she had one kiss with Gerry, which they could overcome, but I can't see this being something they could get past. I'm wondering if the kiss between Sarah and Jerry will be Claire's extra knife twist! I'll spend the whole week worried about the fallout now! Well done for winning romance, I'm sorry you didn't get more awards, you deserve them... competition seemed to be really tough though! As a complete aside, I like that Janey has Leo's song as her ringtone, even though she never seemed to really like Leo's music.
oldironside at 1:06PM, Oct. 6, 2012
@LV: I think it's important that you say what's on your mind. People will agree, some others will disagree, but you have something valid to say. Also, I do feel mildly guilty about the flippant nature of my comments now.
Lunaris Victoria at 1:02PM, Oct. 6, 2012
It's when we give in to our liberated and baser instincts for the pleasures of voyeurs that we became real. I've only spoken a bit about it before in this comic, and only in relation to she comic itself...but...I can't just say nothing at this point. Sorry. I'm not trying to trample anybody's dreams or fantasies, but if I say nothing...I'm the one being trampled. I won't be that doormat. I'm not trying to sound pissy or anything, and if I am...sorry. Just trying to say...this scenario actually gets -less- realistic with the assumption that Claire is gay. At least for me, and I so pray I'm not the only one. If I am...I'll...just delete this whole little rant and apologize for being a stick in the mud. Not trying to offend...just trying not to be offended. ~Liz
Lunaris Victoria at 12:59PM, Oct. 6, 2012
And I suppose now I should offer apologies for those that had to read all that and have no clue where it came from. It's been a long time building. I don't know. One thing I love about Simply Sarah is that, yes, it -is- a realistic comic. The situations are real enough, and many are close to home. I love the characters, the settings, the details. The life. It's a lesbian comic, and it's never strayed into overt sex or pornography. Unlike every other major lesbian comic out there, it's shown that lesbians are human too. We're not sex-crazed sluts, we're not all wearing rainbows and marching in parades. We're not all short-haired feminists. We're people. We have our own lives, we have our own identities, and we're not universal. We're a fraction of a larger population. Just day by day, it irks me more and more to see that thrown out the window by the larger web populous. Because we're not real. We're fantasies.
Lunaris Victoria at 12:55PM, Oct. 6, 2012
The very next argument in line is 'they just haven't found the right men yet' and then we'll have the stereotypical responses complete. I don't find Claire being a closeted or long-standing bi/lesbian to be particular realistic. I do find the cheating realistic. I don't find Janey having a prior relationship with her believable. I do find her giving in to a moment of weakness with a long-standing crush to be understandable (though not exactly wise or encouraged). But maybe I'm wrong, and maybe I'm just having a fit over nothing. But really...alcohol notwithstanding, how many lesbians do you seriously, honestly, know, as in real life, that are sexually-amoral sluts building harems and cheating on a whim? As I said before...some are sluts, but give us some credit. Not every last one of us is in a hurry to drop knickers for a wagging tongue.
Lunaris Victoria at 12:51PM, Oct. 6, 2012
I'm still of the opinion that most of the 'Claire was les/bi all along' supporters are just lesbian fangirls/boys who believe all girls in lesbian comics should be closeted and/or outed and spend more time being naked and promiscuous. I know that's not the case with everyone, but it's amazing how many people are so eager to jump on any and every solution that leads to more lesbian sex. :/ Then, of course, it's considered realistic or true. While the odd lesbian or two may be on the sluttier side, the implications are extremely unfortunate in that way of thinking. All flying in the face of the simplest and, in my opinion, most realistic explanations: Janey is a repressed and neglected nymphomaniac, and Claire is a jealous, vengeful, and manipulative bitch with a chip on her shoulder for Sarah. Fantasies are fun, but I can't just say nothing when I feel like my own sexuality is considered something best exemplified in pornographic media.
tommym at 12:35PM, Oct. 6, 2012
Dear Sky, Claire knew Janey was gay before Sarah and Janey became girlfriends. I am fairly sure Claire did not want to hurt Sarah but rather Claire (who never was 100% straight any way) always had strong sexual feelings for Janey. In fact maybe Claire was just deep in the closet letting other people think she is straight or she was just open for it and this was the right time. Either way it is always a heart breaking event. To see it done in your own house, your own bed, your own strap on,maybe, is salt in an already painful wound. So sad to see Sarah go from being happy to breaking into tears. Your story is so true to life Sky, did this happen to some one you know? tommym
DarkVisor at 9:19AM, Oct. 6, 2012
Damnit LV, stop agreeing with me (but continue articulating the words better :P). Claire is not into 'girls', but still say she might be into Janey (figuratively, and, possibly next week, we can see literally) but certainly would do something like this to really hurt Sarah. But, unless she knew Sarah was coming home at that moment, really can't see this as anything sexual, so far we only have our own grubby little minds about what is actually going on