Idrisah's mom has not seen her kid in years, or even had a realtime phone call with her.
Happy 200 pages! This one is, uh... less fun than the 100 page milestone comic.
109 pages left to go, aaaaaaaAAAAA I CAN DO IT
Transcript
Idrisah's mom: We just want to see you. It doesn't have to be at the reunion. I only have so many years left in this world. I want to spend more of that time with my daughter.
Idrisah turns downward, crushed by guilt and regret. She has sunk down into a squatting posture on the side of the road.
Idrisah's mom: I know your work is important to you, but if it won't even give you time for that... I miss you so much. Please visit soon.
The message ends and the options for delete, replay, and record pop up. Idrisah immediately presses record.
Idrisah: I'm sorry, mom. I miss you too.
She ends the recording and holds her face in her hands. Gillie walks up and looks down at her, hands on her hips.
33 thoughts on “Runaway to the Stars: Page 200”
MissZena
In defense of Idrisah’s mom here, her daughter is taking a job on a space colony where if something goes wrong theres a chance everyone is getting sucked out into the vacuum of space or exploding or what have you
It’s the equivalent of someone working on the International Space Station and then just ceasing contact with anyone on earth, it’s going to make people freak out a little bit and start wondering if there was some kind of accident that no one has noticed yet because space is massive and it takes actual years for stuff like a star burning out to be seen from earth
Yeah Idrisah has her reasons for being anxious about family reunions and feeling uncomfortable going to one but her mom ALSO has plenty of reason to freak out a bit when her daughter just stops talking to her for ages while working on a distant planet where the list of potential things that could go wrong (both major and minor) are like a mile long and she would have no way of knowing if anything happened or not
This is just the boiling point of what happens when you choose to avoid a tough discussion and try to ignore it instead, people are going to get upset or feel hurt
thegriffin88
But then there was my Mom standing outside my building which has an intermittent black hole ðģïļ and freaking out that I was dead while I was watching stupid meme compilations until her call got through.
Her ðą
Me ðĪŠ
Oops. Now we laugh about it. Going for crepes today actually!
Robin
Maybe an odd observation, considering the gravity of the pagel’s other content… But I like Gillie’s ‘hands-on-hips’ pose. It’s not body language I immediately associate with ‘concern’, but it fits well. Interesting and unconventional detail!
Counterpoint
I guess her pose is a combination of a bunch of emotions: a part ‘concern for her friend’ is definitely there, part ‘ready for a hug’ (because by golly, Idrisah will need one very soon ðŦ…), and possibly some sign language/body language equivalent of ‘ just not knowing what to say’ is in there, too – something that probably doesn’t happen too often to Gillie…
Jackie
Gonna be the devils advocate and ask what is stopping Mom (and Dad presumably) from going to Idrisah instead? It’s a two way street Mom you can visit too. Yeah its not exactly an island retreat but I’m sure it wouldnt be the worst thing.
JoB
Hm … according to this page, visiting the other place is a three months’ production. Unless you’re in a spacefaring industry, I can see that being a problem with one’s employer. (He said, after getting officially frowned upon for taking 3.5 weeks in a row.)
Adrienne
While you’re possibly not wrong, it also doesn’t make as much sense. Travel to Dirtball is probably more difficult if you don’t work there, and once you get there, there’s really nothing to do. If Idrisah visits her family, I assume she can also visit tons of other people, go out to eat, see movies, explore museums, and go to countless parks. On Dirtball, you’ve got scenic launch loop and a patch of grass
Artor
Imagine them showing up just as Isidrah and Co. are taking off in their freshly-hijacked spacecraft. Would they end up joining the crew, or waving at them as they fly off the end of the mass driver?
lackia
ouchies. this one hit wayyyyyyyy too hard. I’m an east coaster on the west coast from a big sprawling family, and its bad enough when my mother does this to me. And this is a years long situation. Rough! I feel for Idrisah so much. what excellent expressions and body language on this page. Thank you so much for the 200 pages (and best of luck on all the future pages!!!! you’re an amazing artist!)!!!!!!
Spinland
The feels. We just lost my mom a couple of months ago and my dad’s not far behind. I left home in 1979, 17 years old, mainly to get away from them and in all honesty I didn’t do a whole lot in the 45-plus years since to visit them. Now it’s too late on one case, and getting there in another.
Here’s to Idrisah making good on not doing that.
anon
the line between idrisah’s mom being guilt trippy and her just being right is a thin thin line
i know i’m about to like vent-ish post in the comments but its related , my mom is refusing to my grandma (her mom’s) 90th birthday, and i just want to tell her that there is only so much time left and grandma is not going to travel down here, it is (almost literally) now or never
Zidane
Man this page really hit home for me, the dialogue from Idrisah’s mother genuinely made me really emotional as i’ve had very similar conversations with my own mother. amazing work on the paneling on this one as well
MyUniverseinaBox
Also while I understand some folks apprehension to believe that Idrisah’s mum is being genuine, because lord knows emotionally immature parents are SUPER common, I would know.
The way this is being framed just doesn’t seem like this is the case. Not seeing your kid in YEARS sounds rough, man. Especially being ghosted by them so you don’t even know if they’re okay!! It’s not like this is a scenario where Idrisah has gone no-contact with her family lol. This is different.
MyUniverseinaBox
This made me tear up a lil bit ngl..
Beans
OOooghhh,,, happy 200 pages,,,
I should call my brothers, I think
beth
Happy 200versary.
Why do I have the feeling Idrisah has a very good reason for not seeing her mom?
0xabad1dea
my interpretation of the situation is that Idrisah is experiencing crushing social anxiety and imposter syndrome from the fact that she’s not fluent in either of her parents’ native languages, which makes her feel like a fish out of water any time she sees her other relatives on either side, and she doesn’t want to explain this to her mother because she’s afraid her mother will take it as a rejection of the family, so it’s spiraled into being terrified to talk to her mother. I don’t think she took a job on this rock specifically because her mother is awful.
cinna
I bet the Runaway’s first stop is gonna be Idrisah’s mom’s place.
JoB
Considering that (as things stand so far) the Runaway will get out of the system seriously strapped for fuel, Ixion HQ is at Nexus Jovia, all three girls grew up there, and IIUC Idrisahs parents still live there, I’d consider that a safe bet entirely unrelated to the family issues …
Oods
I have a long distance relationship with my family and i often feel guilty about it. Its also freeing because i do not want to spend my whole life around them every day. The feeling of freedom from them and relief compounds the guilt sometimes. That is to say, it complicated, maintaining family relationships is hard work, and mood.
Oods
But also the yearning despite separating yourself is what makes space faring scifi so human
Zuorai
SAD SCI FI HOURS
Lilac
yowch !
Duke 1337-O
Poor mama Touati ð
Poor Idrisah!
Being stuck so far apart from the people you love is such an awful experience, especially when guilt, shame, avoidance, and frustration get thrown into the mix. Literally 1 (one) good hug and cry with her mom would probably fix everything. If only she had a ship…
ryn
wow this has already been publishing as a webcomic for 2 years, doesn’t feel like it’s been that long!
Adrienne
Moms asking their children to reach out because they miss and love them, a tale as old as time
Syric
109 pages until what?
Jay Eaton
The book’s done!
TotallySomebody
NOO IT’S NOT ENOUGH!!!!
Jay Eaton
There are four books planned ð
JoB
> There are four books planned
Booked solid, aren’t you. ð
Paroxysmall
only 109 pages left to go?!?! you CAN do it!!!!
Vinemaple
Also, Idrisah looks great on this page. We read your old tags, Jay… “Someday” is now!