Beyond Rubies #17

[Daphne]

Appentently the issues are not available at 12:01am EST, different time zone perhaps? Or it's not automatic, someone you allow assess to after your morning coffee and read the paper. 

The whole site runs on US Pacific time.

[timothylustache]

Very good finish. Hope we'll see more like this! (and I can't wait for more HMB art, too! - when's the next issue of Vector coming?)

[crazydorian]

Nice epilogue!  And the possibilities of...I guess Surpassing Sapphires in the future

Does make me wonder if any of this will ripple out to The Hidden Knowledge eventually, if they're ever going to share more than cameos.  Looks like things were stopped before that large-scale shipment went out, but the impression here is that either it was enough to change society, or that the Rubies still went out with only physical changes going forward

I'll say I am a bit sad that Andrea seems to be just a sex-maid now.  I guess that means Gabrielle never was able to fix her after they were forced to make her an Andrea-bot near the end.  I had the impression there wasn't much of Shanti's mind left either.  The 'new' Quine seems to be somewhat more ethical.  A lot of the sex-culture seems to have remained, but in a more consensual way.  The ladies who weren't droned just seem to be finding outlets for their expanded libidos.

I like Laura/Julie as an exec/admin pairing, and seems nice that Nick took over with Charlotte from Monsonis at work.  

I wasn't sure if we saw Miri come back, but I'm guessing that's her in the kimono on page 9.

Well handled with Monsonis' transformation.  Pretty clear what happened, but just seeing her as a drone in the epilogue will probably be easier for anyone who's not fond of TG content.

If we do see a sequel series, it seems at the end here that it is going to focus on Jorge, Marina and Estella.  I'm okay with that, but I do hope the original crew (or Gabrielle with Quine's backing at least) is able to make some progress with the women who were mind-wiped.

Oh, a shout-out as always to HMB's amazing work.  That party scene might be some of the boobliest work in the whole site, not to mention all the great hairstyles on display.  BR just wouldn't be the same with any other artist.  PortalComic's colors are fantastic as well.
Congratulations on a great end to a fabulous series Daphne.

Congratulations Daphne, HMB, PortalComic (and waranghira for the early colors) on an amazing 8+ year journey

[lifmcs]

I was coming in hot with, Beyond Rubies is... Aquamarine, but got beat to the punchline.

[crazydorian]

I like that one too

[crazydorian]

Just thinking about it a bit more, I'm surprised Nick got off relatively easy.  It makes sense that he didn't seem to want credit though.  He did the right thing in the end after all, but it is funny to think that Quine's whole plan was foiled because Nick was greedy and horny early on.  I think in similar circumstances, I wouldn't want credit either.  Glad Julie seems to either have forgiven him for earlier issues, or simply didn't care once everything settled down.

Thinking more of The Hidden Knowledge connections, it would be interesting to see a future series contain elements of both.  Post Ruby-Event, Daffyd's harem would probably be a lot less conspicuous.

[gromit]

I'm not entirely sure whats going on. Gabby and Elaine maintain free will, and are able to remove the Rubies if they want, but prefer to wear them most of the time. The Rubies changed there views on sex, I guess the sex drive is a such that they are no longer interested in monogamous relationships. Looks like a most women were turned into Rubies girls, if not outright mindless sex slaves. Only two women pictured are not wearing Rubes, but I guess it's possible the one lady on page 10 has a wrist version, she certainly has the bosom of a Rubies girl. Only the lady on page 11 and 12 isn't a Rubies girl, no explanation of why not, after all if would just take any man who desired her to put one on her neck and no more free will, possibly instant slave. You would think she a little more concerned about that. Mass enslavement of other women is perfectly acceptable, so long as it doesn't include you? Not sure if the sex-toy singled out on Page 13 is suppose to be George Monsonis, the hair color is right, but the eyes aren't exactly the same and Monsonis had a wrist version ruby, not a necklaces type. So we have a world of enslaved Ruby women without world domination by Monsonis.

I would like to see more of the Rubies world, sorry to see the series ending.         

[neogeo]

This is not the end, my fellow subscribers.

My vote for the next in the rubies series title? Thrones of Sapphire.

[tineon]

Extra props to Portal Comic on this one. I think it took a few issues to really bring the colors up to the standard of the line art in BR, but this issue delivered.

[Haight]

Loved how Andrea ended up. Wonderful outfit.

[John]

Im confuse, who is Jorge?
It's been so long I might need to re-read the whole thing.

Wish we could see what happened to Miri while everything was happening to the main character.
Also who did Nick recognised? She kinda looked like how charlotte looked before
Maybe in a bonus?

[Tony]

Im confuse, who is Jorge?

That was one of the few things I figured out. Jorge is the husband of the maid that Marina met in George's office in Chapter 13. It seems that Marina borrowed something related to the Rubies and gave it to Jorge since then.

I also think that George is the tall girl with the silver hair on page 12 and 13. (The one with the huge tits that doesn't remember her name.)

I think that there is a very good chance that that was Miri at the dinner.

[dwcomics]

Thank you so much for finally posting the conclusion to this story.  Very much enjoyed the sense of closure that came with, though I was surprised George didn't get turned into a woman; so what's he doing at the end, creating Sapphires?

[crazydorian]

Thank you so much for finally posting the conclusion to this story.  Very much enjoyed the sense of closure that came with, though I was surprised George didn't get turned into a woman; so what's he doing at the end, creating Sapphires?

Monsonis did get turned into a woman, or that's the implication.  He's the tall, white-haired server at the dinner. The one who says she's a waitress and a sex-toy.

Jorge is a new character, the husband of Estella, the cleaner who was with Marina the security guard who was in Marina's office.  He'd been mentioned by Estella previously, but not by name.

[HarryManBack]

Few things to clear up:

Yes, that is Miri in the party on page 9. Miri wasn't in the script, but it felt wrong not having her at least appear at some point.
Helena is the blond next to her. (The wife of the douchebag Oliver from 8 who turns Beverly.)
Claire, and Alice both appear on page 9 as well.

Yes, that's Estella's previously unnamed husband Jorge who likes his boobies quite large.

Ladies on page 10 can be seen previously in issue 15 on pages 4 and 5.

Women on page 12 from left to right:
-Mizz Amanda Marie (some might recognize her from Girls Gone Hypnotized)
-Trishbot, writer/artist of Metrobay Comix (also one of the security guards from issue 16)
-"Findingmywayforever" from Tumblr
-?
-Emily (Monsonis' original secretary)
-Elizabeth (woman transformed on video on page 1 of issue 13.
-The female managerial employee is someone I know from Instagram.  She's also on the cover of my 2018 sketchbook.

I think the only named character that doesn't appear in this issue is Lizzy, the main security guard from issue 14/16 because she'd left the mc community and it didn't feel right putting her in.

Surprised to see people feeling bad for Andrea, considering she started the series being an adulteress with her best friend's husband.

Gabby and Elaine maintain free will, and are able to remove the Rubies if they want, but prefer to wear them most of the time. The Rubies changed there views on sex, I guess the sex drive is a such that they are no longer interested in monogamous relationships.

If you remember, Gabby already had 3-4 different partners before (she'd had a 3-some with them) and offered to call a couple of them over while she and Elaine were having their marathon session in issue 8.
Apparently they were all quite smitten with each other.

but I guess it's possible the one lady on page 10 has a wrist version, she certainly has the bosom of a Rubies girl.

I assume you mean panel 3?  She's Tari, a cameo from The Hidden Knowledge, so no no ruby for her...yet? I guess that's up to her date Daffyd.


Glad everyone seems to have liked the issue.  Took for-ev-er to draw.
Maybe a few more surprises down the road?  I dunno!  I just work here.  Sorta.