For Jill 2013-10-17

[jwhouk]

ALL THE FEELS!

[zachariah]

Paul was very right about taking time to tell this segment correctly. I am sorry I said anything about the story being delayed for this arc. If anyone is likely to be disturbed about this be warned parts of this are not going to be very nice. The internal guilt and responses are going to be tough to deal with. Monica will need a lot of strength to help Jet as these events will echo through her life and now need to be dealt with. There will be several places where this this will affect her actions and how she responds to others. Both to protect Jill and herself. Jet became the guardian and would be very ruthless about carrying this role out. As the TAR gained a foot hold and strength Jet's actions will become harsher to perceived threats to her and especially to Jill. This will take a lot more than hugs.

[jwhouk]

Monica's up to it.


Say, do you wonder now what note Jill was putting in the little Elf House on Lake Calhoun all those years ago?

[TheDOCTOR]

After this is over, do you suppose Monica goes BACK To SCHOOL to take some Psych. courses to become more prepared in the future? As for now M's doing what she needs to do, Let Georgette "Spill her guts".

[txmystic]

I'm guessing she found the strength to support her sister by suppressing her trauma with anger and hate...hence they were the only entities that could keep the tar in check.

[jwhouk]

I'm guessing she found her strength to support her sister by suppressing her trauma with anger and hate...hence they were the only entities that could keep the tar in check.

I'd guess Pablo would give you a cookie for that observation.

[Sidhekin]

BACK To SCHOOL to take some Psych. courses

Umm ... somehow I doubt it.

[ChattaStarhawk]

After this is over, do you suppose Monica goes BACK To SCHOOL to take some Psych. courses to become more prepared in the future? As for now M's doing what she needs to do, Let Georgette "Spill her guts".

And telling her "It was not her fault;" and keep telling her until she can let herself believe it. There will be no quick endings to this arc, but Monica is doing all that needed at this point.

[DilyV]

Survivor's guilt is a hard thing to deal with... It's worse when you have no control over the situation whatsoever because of a decision you made that takes you from any perceived control you thought you may have been able to exert. Jet, hun... you need to realize that if you'd been in your seat the chances of you being killed may just have been that much greater. You survived the crash because something horrible happened to you otherwise. It sounds like she's accepted that she had no control over her parent's not surviving... but she wrongly feels that she's somehow let her sister down... Monica needs to sit her down calm her down and get her to start from the beginning and analyze each step of the way to get her to see that nothing she did would have made any difference... except that if she'd stayed in her seat, she might have died along with her parents.

[zachariah]

Survivor's guilt is a hard thing to deal with... It's worse when you have no control over the situation whatsoever because of a decision you made that takes you from any perceived control you thought you may have been able to exert. Jet, hun... you need to realize that if you'd been in your seat the chances of you being killed may just have been that much greater. You survived the crash because something horrible happened to you otherwise. It sounds like she's accepted that she had no control over her parent's not surviving... but she wrongly feels that she's somehow let her sister down... Monica needs to sit her down calm her down and get her to start from the beginning and analyze each step of the way to get her to see that nothing she did would have made any difference... except that if she'd stayed in her seat, she might have died along with her parents.

Yes that is the logical rational way to view the event. But logic has nothing to do with it as this is purely an emotional response from guilt and shame. At Jet's age it is very normal for her to feel that somehow it had to be her fault and this is very hard to get past. Even harder if a lot of time has passed. As the TAR took over more and more this fixation would become even worse as the TAR would think this a wonderful tool to push Jet into acting to strike back at the world and others. Monica also have to overcome the linger effects of the TAR trying to steer Jet into darker feeling as actions as well. This logic will help once Jet is helped past the self doubt and blame she is carrying. But until then it won't make much impression.

[Dave]

Monica needs to sit her down calm her down and get her to start from the beginning and analyze each step of the way to get her to see that nothing she did would have made any difference... except that if she'd stayed in her seat, she might have died along with her parents.

Yup. Futility and frustration are the best you can hope for, if you insist on comparing the way things actually are, to the way things might have been if you'd made a choice that wasn't actually available to you.

Sad to say, but the painful way that things turned out for Georgette and Jill might have been the best outcome that was possible, and not the worst. "Two alive, injured, one raped and traumatized and Tar-ridden" vs. "Both dead." No way to know, of course... and that uncertainty could leave room for Jet to reinterpret the past and let go of her guilt.

I just love Paul's artwork style in today's strip. It really carries the feeling of the moment.

[Yamara]

This will take a lot more than hugs.

Monica's up to it.

Yes, I believe she is. Just as her Astral Fire and Poit powers developed over time, the Busty Mom Hug power is leveling up to god mode here: safe space, no interruptions or judgements, comfort and guiding only at her charge's pace.

And made nigh invincible by Listening.

Say, do you wonder now what note Jill was putting in the little Elf House on Lake Calhoun all those years ago?

Oh yeah.

[TheOtherOne]

Except maybe for the tar thing, I don't see why jag girl needs to be involved in all this. I mean, what's going on now is nothing that would not be going on in ordinary psychotherapy. Even the tar could have probably been delt with that way too. Tina could have used her demon power of suggestion to get G to go to a shrink. I don't see the urgency on Tina's part. Was G going to go crazy at any moment? Maybe unleash some devestating supernatural power or something? Looks like G has been like this for a long time so a slower pace with a therapist would have worked as well. Why the rush right now to get it all done in one day?

[Fairportfan]

The problem is: What if Jet is a paranormal of some sort?

Granted, she's not at all likely to be on Monica or Shelly's level of power ... but any strong paranormal ability suddenly manifesting itself in a person with her issues - well, last time it happened, the person(s) in question were rather more powerful and destroyed and entire civilisation and almost humanity as well.

What if Jet is a ticking time bomb and she's getting closer and closer to her "use by" date?

[My2Cents]

Except maybe for the tar thing, I don't see why jag girl needs to be involved in all this. I mean, what's going on now is nothing that would not be going on in ordinary psychotherapy. Even the tar could have probably been delt with that way too. Tina could have used her demon power of suggestion to get G to go to a shrink. I don't see the urgency on Tina's part. Was G going to go crazy at any moment? Maybe unleash some devestating supernatural power or something? Looks like G has been like this for a long time so a slower pace with a therapist would have worked as well. Why the rush right now to get it all done in one day?

G won't open up for a shrink to ger at the problem, and it is so deep seated that effective treatment may be like what Monica had to go through. Monica's abilities allowed her to bypassed G defenses, dealt with the guilt directly, and is now left to handle the more minor job of reintegrating her.

Going to be interesting how G handles all this back in the real world. Bound to be some major personality changes. Plus Monica either has some major explaining to do ... or duck.

[illiad]

The problem is: What if Jet is a paranormal of some sort?

Granted, she's not at all likely to be on Monica or Shelly's level of power ... but any strong paranormal ability suddenly manifesting itself in a person with her issues - well, last time it happened, the person(s) in question were rather more powerful and destroyed and entire civilisation and almost humanity as well.

What if Jet is a ticking time bomb and she's getting closer and closer to her "use by" date?

well thats what tina saw, and had to get monica to help out... tina is not confident enough for the rest, she has no memory of her capabilities...

[zachariah]

Except maybe for the tar thing, I don't see why jag girl needs to be involved in all this. I mean, what's going on now is nothing that would not be going on in ordinary psychotherapy. Even the tar could have probably been delt with that way too. Tina could have used her demon power of suggestion to get G to go to a shrink. I don't see the urgency on Tina's part. Was G going to go crazy at any moment? Maybe unleash some devestating supernatural power or something? Looks like G has been like this for a long time so a slower pace with a therapist would have worked as well. Why the rush right now to get it all done in one day?

Monica deals with the demons and spirits. Jet is a very damaged spirit from her experiences and her demons were damaged by the TAR and this was reflected into Jet as well. All of this makes the recovery part of what Monica has to deal with. This is not only for Jet it is for her demons as well. If this isn't dealt with the when the demons, who have regained their freedom, start acting on Jet it will be a real problem. I think this is part of bringing the two sides together in the least harmful way.

[TheSkulker]

I just had a thought (yeah, it happens).

What if Tar was the manifestation of the guilt Jet felt for the death of her parents?

I doubt Tar existed before the crash which means he was born out of the crash.
The rapist may or may not have violated Jet prior to the crash but in either case the strong aftereffect emotions of rape would be anger, hate and guilt. Anger and hate are accounted for and guilt is commonly felt by rapees, especially children. Add to that the guilt Jet felt for the death of her parents and the injuries to Jill and you have one powerful birthing. And Jet was his mother!

Throughout our lives we make choices - some big, some small - but the emotional choices we make, especially as babies or children, have far reaching effects. And like a lot of other choices those choices alter our perception of reality to reinforce our decision - we set our perception filters to see what we expect to see. If you decide people are cruel and dangerous - that is what you see. And vice versa.

Whatever evil was inside the rapist didn't jump across to Jet. The evolution of Tar was much more insidious than that. Jet made a decision that she was responsible for her parent's death and became fixated on protecting Jill. Over time that decision was probably reinforced (in her mind), by feeling guilty about her modeling success or anything else good that happened to her. The result of which Tar grew stronger and was taking over her entire psyche.

Although Tar was depicted as a separate (spiritual?/non-demon) entity, he existed only inside Jet. Where do our demons come from but out of our minds? Where else could Tar have come from but the creation of the mind of a guilt-ridden, traumatized child?

Our biggest fear is losing our identity and Jet is losing hers. If Tar was the manifestation and personification of her guilt she has lost the very basis of her identity: "I am guilty"! To lose your identity, to really not know who you are is an extremely vulnerable and scary place to be. Monica must provide the rock of safety for Jet during her transition.

[zachariah]

Had a thought about helping Jet. Monica can speak to the dead. It's possible she will bring up Jet's parents to comfort Jet and absolve her of some of her guilt that this happened. The 12 year old Jet memory will probably listen to them more than anyone else. She might also vent on her parents for abandoning her and Jill. This would provide a way to easy the internal distress Jet is going through.

[Sidhekin]

Had a thought about helping Jet. Monica can speak to the dead. It's possible she will bring up Jet's parents to comfort Jet and absolve her of some of her guilt that this happened. The 12 year old Jet memory will probably listen to them more than anyone else. She might also vent on her parents for abandoning her and Jill. This would provide a way to easy the internal distress Jet is going through.

And if the "man" was her father, as some seem to suspect? Oh my ...

One of my old favourites, The Tale of One Bad Rat, emphasised the need to confront the abuser. That tends to be difficult if the abuser is dead. Monica could perhaps provide. If it would ease Jet's distress, I'm less certain ...