Avians have a seahorse-mammal reproductive situation going on. Cheevwut and Ohwitiil have something... complicated, going on.
Transcript
Talita and Idrisah exit into the hallway and walk towards the plant exit while Cheevwut and Ohwitiil continue to scream at each other.Talita: Wow, those two can barely get through a shift together.
Idrisah: Just wait. They bicker all year but I swear— every spring they pair.
Talita: Really?? Cheev, NO…
Idrisah: At least Cheev’s not keeping the Ohwitiil eggs in.
BOTH: ewww
Idrisah: So are you excited for the party tomorrow?
Talita: Oh! I wanted to ask… I only know about the Jovian holidays, is there anything specific I should prepare for Eid-al-Fitr?
30 thoughts on “Runaway to the Stars: Page 24”
anon y mouse
The fact that Idrisah signs while speaking is a pretty neat worldbuilding detail! In our time, simcom is difficult and negatively affects language quality. I wonder if future English and future ASL have drifted closer together.
Jay Eaton
She’s just doing a couple signs as gestures while speaking, not fully signing everything she’s saying in English. Idrisah’s a very animated person.
anon y mouse
Oh, that makes sense. :>
zofifi
She speaks with her hands a lot, doesn’t she? I guess talking in sigh languge became a habit so strong she just desnt bother not to do it when she talks casually. Its such a fun detail.
TotallySomebody
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – this comic makes me EXTREMELY happy and makes by verbal stims go crazy
Viashino_wizard
Is Cheevwut also old, or do they just have a thing for sexy grandpas?
Viashino_wizard
Or I guess third option: a large age gap in pairing isn’t that noteworthy for Avians.
Internet Stranger
THE FACT THAT IDRISAH SIGNS EVEN WHEN SHE’S NOT TALKING TO GILLIE IS SOOO ADORABBLLLEEEEEE
silverware
as per usual, I love Talita’s faces (8>–
feesh
idrisah habitually signing even when its just talita around is so cute <333 also the ohwitil eggs thing got me wondering, do avians experience an equivalent to menopause? or are they just fertile their entire lives?
notanocelot
Fun to see Jovian holidays mentioned in passing now that so much worldbuilding has gone into them.
Snakespirits
Is Talita’s friend using sign language? Is this for communicating with an as-yet-unmentioned(or shown) species or just a common thing to do?
Origamigryphon
Spoilers!
Origamigryphon
Sorry, didn’t mean to be sassy before, but if you’re really curious, check out the characters in Jay’s website :3
eden
I’m sorry, can someone explain what idrisah means by “cheers not keeping the ohwitiil eggs in” mean? I am not capable of thought right now
Jay Eaton
The two avian sexes have an ovipositor and a womb-pouch. Idrisah is saying that Cheevwuut’s practicing birth control after coitus by removing the deposited eggs. If you’re very curious, there is a page on avian reproduction that can be found via their biology page on the worldbuilding site.
Origamigryphon
Avians have a similar reproductive cycle to seahorses, but there are contraceptives that allow the eggs to come out so they don’t develop. You can read more about it in the menu :3
xXPicsa_Con_PiniaXx
I love the eggs in the background of the third panel lol
Liza
Everybody knows that one “couple” who fight constantly yet hook up at every oppertunity and dread the thought of them actually having kids.
hirsch
i love your comic so much… just letting you know… it says “Ohwitill” in the third panel…
Jay Eaton
Woops!
Maia
I love the detail of Talita moving her trunk closer as she speaks, keeping the gossip private. Really nailing the non-human expressiveness of these characters while being readable.
ToothedMammal
Do Avians still work during springtime and pair off after hours, or do they need to take “spring leave” until it’s all out of their system?
Jay Eaton
Spring is kind of the main holiday season for avians. There is a lot of different celebrations around their globe that are excuses to take time off work and hook up. Work still happens during spring, but a lot less than usual. And if you’re upper class or rich enough, you probably don’t work at all (that’s for other people to waste their spring doing)
Boorango
love this page
Shane
I like the fact that although Talita speaks through her trunk, due to her upbringing, she still finds herself making human expressions.
tminusfiveminutes
How to Avian bodies figure out if it’s spring or not, especially when offworld?
hirsch
i think hormonal cycles keep on cycling regardless of where you are. like of course they are affected by the environment to a certain degree but like for example humans will still experience menstruation at a normal rhythm when outside of earth. so i imagine the same would go for avian “spring time”. it’s like an internal clock type of thing
Gar G
They might have some sort of internal biological clock
junkalopes
ah yes. the good ol coworker gossip mill. glad to see that’s still around in the future.