Skip to content
  • Home
  • Archive
  • About
  • Characters
  • World
  • Support
    • Patreon
    • Store

Chapter: Chapter 5: Construction

  • Talita starts responding to Gillie, but the construction noise starts again, obscuring her answer. Gillie looks down at her CC app in confusion as it transcribes nonsense. App transcript: Talita: Can't sure Talita: Make Talita: Spis Talita: All of Talita: An Talita: More SFX: RRRRRRRRRR Gillie: (ASL) Um, could you repeat that? The CC isn’t working. Idrisah: (ASL) Oh, it must be the construction noise… Gillie smiles at Talita. Gillie: (ASL) How about trying it in sign, then?

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 161

    May 01, 2025

  • Idrisah: I wouldn’t know what it’s like to grow up apart from my own species. But I don’t think avoiding them is a good strategy in the long run. Idrisah's laptop sounds out a ringtone again. She quickly slams it shut. Talita grins sardonically. Talita: Do you ever take your own advice? Idrisah: Shut up. Gillie gets up from the computer and stretches, then sits down on the arm of the sofa next to Idrisah. Idrisah: (ASL) Finished work? Gillie smirks. Gillie: (ASL) Wasn’t working. That was the wormhole transit authorities. The vessel’s been declared active. Does Bip have a flight plan yet?

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 160

    Apr 29, 2025

  • Talita: I don’t even know where to start. There’s a lot on the internet about the Shess languages… But ethnically I’m probably from one of the nomad groups? Panel background: The map of the centaur homeplanet looms above the two of them sitting on the couch, in a rectangular projection. The single continent forms a continuous loop between the two poles, with two divided oceans. A counterclockwise arrow shows the travel path of the nomadic ethnic groups as they circumnavigate the globe from one pole to the other, following the edge of the middle sea. Labels on the continent note the major settled ethnic groups: Biing, Pahk, Auolut, Bii, Chuchae, Shta, Daewirgh, and Shess. The Shess are positioned on the same large peninsula as the first contact site. Talita: And even if I share genetics, it’s not like I belong to any of those cultures. So researching them just makes me feel like even more of an outsider… Idrisah looks knowingly at Talita. Talita's cheeks bristle and she looks away shyly. Talita: Maybe you're familiar. Idrisah: Well…

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 159

    Apr 26, 2025

  • Idrisah: It’s like bug ferrets, right? Big families with lots of adults all married into a coterie? Panel background: A swarm of stick figure ferrets is labeled with "8-40" and combined male/female symbol. Talita: Er… it’s… closer to bees. Or meerkats, I’ve read? Clans have a matriarch responsible for bearing young, their partners, And the majority are caretakers, who don’t participate in reproduction. Panel background: A pyramid of centaur stick figures shows clan structure. On top is the "Matriarch," one female centaur with larvae on their back. below that are the "Entourage", a small group of mostly male centaurs married into the clan. Under them is a much larger group of "Workers" who are a mix of male and female, mostly consisting of the matriarch's children, but a few are married in. Talita: I didn’t run into other centaurs very often, living on Nexus Jovia. But their first question was always about my clan, and it gets awkward fast when I say I’ve never been in one. Inset panel: Talita is sitting in a public area in Nexus Jovia, looking up in alarm from her tablet as a pair of centaurs silhouetted in the foreground call out to her. Talita: That is, when they speak English. Idrisah: Have you ever tried picking up a centaur language?

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 158

    Apr 24, 2025

  • Idrisah: But leaving for 3 months… right after Cal quitting… is so hard on the rest of admin… Talita: It’s your right to take leave. The company can figure it out. Idrisah smirks. Idrisah: Ha. That’s rich, coming from you. When’s the last time you visited your homeplanet? Talita freezes, then looks away, rubbing her face with a hand. Talita: Oh. I’ve never been. Idrisah's eyes widen. Idrisah: NEVER?? Talita feathers raise in embarrassed agitation and she rolls her eyes, waving a hand dismissively. Talita: I don’t… mesh well with other centaurs. Idrisah: How so? Talita: Are you familiar with the clan system?

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 157

    Apr 22, 2025

  • Idrisah: I studied avian xenolingiustics in college… and I’m fluent in Tiiliitian! A bitonal language I can’t speak without a keyboard! Inset panel: The silhouette of an avian with their respiratory track in white is shown saying "Tiiliitwau" using their syrinx. Idrisah is shown using a recording keyboard to layer the tones of her natural speech to produce the same word. Idrisah: But studying Arabic and Urdu makes me feel so… fake? Like an outsider to my own family. Inset panel: Idrisah stares at a book looking anxious as basic Arabic phrases for tourists float in the background: "How much is this?" "Do you have any recommendations?" "Where is the airport?" "Do you speak English?" Idrisah: And I already stand out way too much in my family… I’m the 183 cm tall agnostic lesbian from Jupiter. Idrisah rests her cheek against her fist and rolls her eyes. Panel background: Little cartoon spaceships float by in front of Jupiter, including Idrisah in a spacesuit with alien antennae. She says a speech bubble full of cosmic gibberish. Talita: Does it make reunions stressful? Idrisah: They’re mostly lovely– I like the in-person stuff! But I didn’t go to the last one. So mom and dad have really been putting the pressure on when I call…

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 156

    Apr 19, 2025

  • Idrisah: With my mom’s side arguing in Arabic… my dad’s side arguing in Urdu…  Panel background: On one side, Idrisah's mom argues with several of her middle-aged and elderly family members. On the other, Idrisah's dad argues with his own family members. Idrisah: And me… who isn’t fluent in either… Panel background: Idrisah stands awkwardly in the background while the silhouettes of her family members argue with each other. Talita: Your parents never taught you? Idrisah: We mostly spoke English at home, when I was a kid… It’s always been easier for us to use translation apps for family gatherings.  Talita: What’s there to be anxious about, then? Idrisah: Well… I’m a linguist! I learned sign language as a kid to befriend Gillie… Inset panel: Kid Idrisah offers help in ASL to a crying kid Gillie, who has fallen off her bike and scraped her knee bloody. Idrisah has long wild black hair, a t-shirt, and cargo shorts. Gillie is has long fluffy white hair in a high ponytail, mystacial and supraorbital whiskers, and sparse white body hair on her arms and legs. She is wearing a quailicorn graphic tank top, short shorts, and flip flops. Her dropped purse is shaped like a cute penguin and her bike has a design with Saturn on the seat.

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 155

    Apr 17, 2025

  • Idrisah swiftly taps the decline button for the invite. SFX: WHAP There is a pause where Idrisah stares at her laptop and Talita stares at her. Then they both start talking at the same time. Talita: Should I– Idrisah: Ahaha you were saying– The laptop ringtone starts again, this time with a video forum invite from her Dad. Idrisah frantically taps the decline button while Talita looks on, wide-eyed and uncertain. SFX: WHAP WHAP WHAP WHAP Idrisah grips her forehead in her hands and hunches over her laptop screen, sweating. Talita: If it’s urgent, I can, er… leave… Idrisah covers her face with her hands. Idrisah: It's not urgent. My parents keep trying to get me to join these big family reunion planning calls…

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 154

    Apr 15, 2025

  • Talita: No, no, it’s not that! She waves her hand dismissively. Talita: I just wish Mel had ASKED. After 8 years living in dry storage,  I’m not opposed to moving… But by making it a “surprise,” Mel has made it non-optional. Panel background: The south curve of the habitat's circular road shows Talita's dry storage unit across the way from the apartment buildings. Talita: And because it was a gift, if there’s any issues with the remodel, asking for changes will upset Mel… Panel background: Mel holds up a gift box for Talita, smiling. Talita takes the lift off and grimaces at the contents. Idrisah: Sounds like you should tell them the jig is up. Talita: Then they’ll be upset that I guessed the surprise, instead. Idrisah: Sometimes you have to have to tell people stuff they don’t wanna hear! Talita: Ugh…… Suddenly Idrisah's laptop starts playing a ringtone, and a video forum invite from her mother appears on the screen.

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 153

    Apr 12, 2025

  • Idrisah: Well, they better figure it out. Gillie will need that for her half of the papers. Loud construction noises rev up outside the apartment window. Talita looks up, alarmed. SFX: RRRRRRRRRR Idrisah: I really wish they'd wrap it up before 17:00. Talita rubs her eyes under her glasses and grimaces in embarrassment. Talita: Ugh, sorry… Idrisah: Sorry? For what? Talita: Have you noticed that Mel has been weirdly secretive about this project? Idrisah: You don't think… Talita: They're remodeling it to fit me. Idrisah grins and nudges Talita with an elbow. Idrisah: That's so exciting! We'll be neighbors! Talita stares of into the distance, looking irritated. Talita: I guess… Idrisah: You... don't want to be neighbors?? Talita glances back to Idrisah and is shocked when she looks as if she might burst into tears.

    Runaway to the Stars: Page 152

    Apr 10, 2025

1 2 3 4
Promotional Banner
© Jay Eaton 2024