Runaway to the Stars: Page 248
Posted on March 5, 2026 by Jay Eaton

Cheevwut is watching this office drama and eating alien popcorn.

Transcript

Talita grips her neck, horrified.

Talita: What??

Cheevwut: Mel wanted it to be a surprise. Looks like it worked.

Talita slumps on top on the cubicle wall, holding her head and staring off into space, dazed. Cheevwut seems amused by her anguish.

Cheevwut: Haw haw.

Idrisah: Are you… alright?

Talita: I–

Idrisah's computer, which isn’t packed yet, begins to ring. It's a call from someone named "Ranni Powell." Cheevwut leans over to peek at the monitor.

Cheevwut: You're getting a call from the orbital station? Weird. They only do that for urgent stuff.

Runaway to the Stars: Page 248
Posted on March 5, 2026 by Jay Eaton

Cheevwut is watching this office drama and eating alien popcorn.

Transcript

Talita grips her neck, horrified.

Talita: What??

Cheevwut: Mel wanted it to be a surprise. Looks like it worked.

Talita slumps on top on the cubicle wall, holding her head and staring off into space, dazed. Cheevwut seems amused by her anguish.

Cheevwut: Haw haw.

Idrisah: Are you… alright?

Talita: I–

Idrisah's computer, which isn’t packed yet, begins to ring. It's a call from someone named "Ranni Powell." Cheevwut leans over to peek at the monitor.

Cheevwut: You're getting a call from the orbital station? Weird. They only do that for urgent stuff.

151 thoughts on “Runaway to the Stars: Page 248”

  1. Sen

    The surprise worked about as well as seeing Norman Bates enter your bathroom, while you shower.

  2. tyrone

    Aw Cheev U so funny…Let me tell you about my hankering for spit-roast Chicken with salted Fries….

    1. Trees

      From what we’ve seen of the reader Q&A sessions, Cheevwut might be into threats like that.

  3. holly...!

    oh god talita’s gonna have a panic attack for real this time…

  4. JoB

    I’ve been thinking about Talitas issues with human-made technology some more, in particular, how much of it makes noises getting on a centaur’s nerves. You know what else was originally human-made? The Runaway. How much retrofitting did Ngilicks clan have to do to make that ship into a suitable centaur home?? Or was she built as a centaur¹-compatible multi-sophont passenger craft from the get-go (which then would necessarily have happened less than 70 years ago) … ?

    ¹ I note that the “World” background info pronounces the hearing of both bug ferrets and avians to be rather inferior to humans’, so I guesstimate that “centaur approved” is the only relevant certification-to-have in this matter …

    … Lord, can you imagine what bug ferrets with their IR vision have to say about nowadays-human-tech devices’ heat sinks and “optimized” airflows? Assumed that they don’t shrug it off as “interesting changing background texture while I watch TV” or somesuch? Imagine, as a human, if all those grilles and louvers instead had floodlights installed behind them …

    1. Bartimaeus

      I mean, isn’t that just your bog-standard gaming PC?

  5. uzhitsa

    Wow. Everything’s going to the obliteration station huh

  6. Coldest Lew

    It’s all going down 😀

  7. Eux

    ough…good expressions. ALSO GODDAMN EVERYTHING HAPPENS SO MUCH. NOW THE STATIONS CALLING!!

  8. Redacted

    Cheevwut toxic and problematic arc? Cheevwut cancelled arc? (/j)

    1. Redacted

      Can’t wait for the dozen YouTube thumbnails going like, “It’s Over,” “It Got Worse,” “They’re Done”

    2. Viashino_wizard

      I mean we already knew from the AMA that they’re at least somewhat queerphobic

      1. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

        tbh cheev has always been clearly kind of just a bully, they’ve just been getting a free pass because they’re a cute funny haha clapback bird that activates people “aww funny pet animal thinks it’s people” reflex and because their usual favorite victim is everyone’s mean shitty boss.
        it just finally feels obvious enough to be able to acknowledge it openly without getting jumped by two thirds of the comment section.

  9. pouoobobobobobobs

    talitinuinely I think the only reason Cheevwut doesnt GAF is because they don’t seem to be aware of Mel’s evil fucked up Mel mind tricks, mostly because they are too busy creating their own Ohwitiil torture chamber in their head to get involved. If they knew about Mel’s complete inability to do anything to help Talita in a way that matters, they would probably be the kind of person to like tell Adam to eat shit, but Cheev is also very much the type to go “Not my department, not my problem, LMAO”. And the only person who -would- be able to tell them would be Idrisah, who probably wouldn’t tell anybody ANYTHING about talita’s ongoing situation. Unless the other party seemed genuinely concerned for her well-being or something, but everyone here seems like they’re too busy to do that. :(. I wonder if/when they will ever find out…

  10. mustarjil

    i see people theorizing on cheev’s intent, and whether they’re tactless on purpose or not, /despite/ the transcript laying it out for us very clearly that they’re amused by talita’s anguish. and tbh, you don’t even need the transcript to see that given what we know of cheev—they’ve always been a dickhead, but that’s fun! that’s characterization! i love this mean bird.

    1. Guest

      YEAH theyre a bit devious!!! Coworker who lets the drama play out bc they love the tea… and, content to let people interpret them as basically ‘just a littl guy’ as the saying goes, lol. but cheev absolutely knows what theyre doing here and enjoys spectating on these other alien’s lives at the end of the day

      1. Redacted

        God forbid duns do anything

  11. kaittzie

    If Mel didn’t intervene when Talita reported the last temp who harassed and disrespected her, what ever will they do when these new temps are cold and disrespectful towards her? (Nothing. I predict nothing.)

  12. Fevvy

    And after all the benefit of the doubt Talita wanted to give Mel over the whole Adam-yanked-my-ANTLER business… Now it’s like Mel just can’t stop throwing it back in her face. THEY DONT LOVE U LIKE U NEED, TALITAAA

    1. Fevvy

      And by benefit of the doubt I’m referring to the bit of dialogue Talita said to Idrisah about how Mel was basically her parent and the only other “close” relationship she had on Dirtball and etc etc. Wonder how that train of thought is gonna be holding up over the next few pages

  13. Arcstone

    So I’m guessing that avians dont actually laugh like humans do, and that “haw haw” is just sort of a thing they’ve picked up to help smooth things over when humans hear news they dont like?

    1. 1d4-nadg

      Or to let humans know that they find something funny, since their laugh response is more of a head shake

  14. harley

    why everybody on cheevs ass lol. if I was them I wouldn’t give a gaf either they don’t know her like that

    1. HAL9000

      ikr? even if cheev was actually a mega dick (which ftr i dont think they are being so yet) so what theyre literally pretend. its fun to have characters be mean as hell

      1. austroraptor

        to me, it’s less about anything that cheevwut has actually done (yeah they’re being callous here, but they’re literally not close with talita whatsoever and has no way of knowing about her personal problems) and more about A: people grossly overestimating just how much cheevwut actually CARES about. literally anything lmao and B: the fact that people only seem to notice/care now that it’s being directed at talita. as much as I would like to just sit back and enjoy characters being Mean As Hell… some of yall couldn’t even handle the temps 😭 and atp I’ve stopped reading the comments entirely on the pages where mel or adam are onscreen because, while they’ve both done their fair share of Not Good Things, some of the shit ppl say about them genuinely makes me so uncomfortable. like saying you hope adam gets stomped to death by one of the new centaur temps is NOT the woke take you think it is…

  15. Asternautilus

    i think people are jumping the gun on cheev being horrible here. they are coworkers, Talita never really made friends with them, she even talks about this when bip asks about calcery. Idrisah and Gillie are possibly her only real adult friends who know her struggles. Mel is supposed to be close to her (but isnt) so why would Cheev or any of the coworkers mistrust that mel is genuinely trying to help her?

    We, as ghostly third parties, know this is horrible, but in Cheev’s pov, the surprise that Mel- a higher up and person who is close to their coworker- set up went off without a hitch! Surely her shock is just temporary, since it was a surprise! why would this be a problem? ദ്ദി(˵•̀•̀•̀≫✧ Good job team!

    1. xXGundamfan087Xx

      Ohwitiil told me they’re also high as fuck during shift

    2. evileeyore

      Yeah, Cheev isn’t recognizing Talita having a meltdown. They probably think she’s just being excited, like most humans would be to see more of their kind, since Talita most acts like a human… ad when humans wave their limbs about like that they’re usually excited.

    3. Viashino_wizard

      The transcript specifically says Cheev “seems amused by [Talita’s] anguish.”

      1. Asternautilus

        1. Not everyone reads the transcripts. 2. Have you never seen a coworker freaking out and not been amused? They are not friends, in their POV this is juicy coworker drama, of course its amusing.
        What Im saying is people are acting like cheev is adam-level here for finding amusement in a coworker they arent very close to freaking out over a surprise that another coworker set up. Thats a pretty normal reaction all things considered, thats all.

  16. Gar G

    Oh she’s surprised alright

    And yuh oh

  17. cinna

    ooofff THIS page is somehow the most anxiety-inducing for me this scene, what with the ominous call interrupting an already stressful moment, like what an absolute sandwich of dread right here

  18. zaratustra

    Now here we see Cheevwut is truly an alien, because if they were human they’d punctuate that sentence with a little hand wave and a “surprise!”

    1. Gar G

      X’DDD

    2. Athelind Llewellyn Long

      Now I wanna see avian jazz hands

  19. Feather

    Hmmm, this is almost certainly going to be an issue with Bip’s plan to get off dirtball. I wonder if that comment about them having issues asking for wormhole travel themself, without a crew, is going to come back to bite them? If only there was someone who also wanted off dirtball and could help with that….

    1. JoB

      Ohwitiil: “You let Talita leave with that mysterious ship??”
      Cheevwut: [opens door, sans knocking, and walks into Ohwitiils office]
      Ranni: “Well, we aren’t allowed to let a ship fly out with neither a biological crew nor an AI, and she offered to pilot it.”
      Cheevwut: [hands Ohwitill a sealed, centaur-sized envelope]
      Mel: “And you didn’t think to ask us before letting her through!?”
      Ohwitiil: [looks envelope over]
      Tyler: “Mel, we may effectively function as Dirtball’s border patrol, customs office, and traffic control, but we’re not your police or HR department!”
      Ohwitiil: [actually it looks like the envelope has been opened and re-closed, with some avian popcorn crumbs caught in the new glue]
      Mel: “Uh … OK … but do you, per chance, have an idea how long it’ll take her to be back?”
      Cheevwut: “Funny that you should ask …”

    2. Teod

      My bet is on the opposite. I think it’s some kind of problem that makes it impossible for Idrisah and Gillie to leave normally.

      1. Varyon

        That’s my guess as well. We know (or at least strongly suspect) the author’s plan is for the three of them to go on the Runaway, but changing ships to that basically the day of their planned departure is a bit extreme. Honestly, before this page I thought maybe it was going to be the case that Talita would get on the Runaway alone (aside from Bip, but Bip’s already on board, and in a certain sense has never left) and meet up with the couple later, with them boarding then. But if something has gone awry that means they can’t leave on the planned shuttle, that gives them a reason to hitch a ride with Bip (Talita just had Mel give her a small herd of reasons to do so, which in turn gives Idrisah and Gillie a very large additional reason to tag along). Or maybe it’s something else entirely.

  20. HDrer

    You know… The more I learn about Cheevwut, the more I like Ohwitiil of the two. Coupled with Cheev’s lack of empathy and work ethic (Coming to work under the influence of drugs and taking them on the clock.)

    1. austroraptor

      I’m glad someone is finally saying smth even vaguely positive about ohwitiil lol, because I thought their AMA response about their life history was genuinely FASCINATING. them being from uunraashi city, researching resource extraction from icy moons, and knowing like three languages minimum was so interesting to me. I feel like they’ve got to have so many interesting stories…too bad we’ll probably never hear them haha. honestly both ohwitiil and cheevwut are kind of asses in their own ways, it’s just that for a while cheevwut’s version of that was more “palatable” for most people lmao

  21. Ruby

    Orbital Sapphic Grandma Polycule to the rescue?

  22. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

    you know, i’m starting to feel like people haven’t been giving cheev enough credit for being actually just kind of an asshole in general

    1. Eggs

      I think it’s because they’re a cute little bird dude. If they were human more people would be going UGH

    2. austroraptor

      don’t get me wrong, I like cheevwut as much as the next guy but people literally give them so much slack just because they’re a “cute funny bird that makes epic clapbacks” or whatever lol. I guarantee you that if they were human people would NOT find their attitude to be even remotely as funny or entertaining. I also have no idea why so many people seemed to think they would be a secret carnalist (which is, in-universe, a VERY extreme and controversial form of avian counterculture that is in no way equivalent to just “being a punk”),,, they’re LITERALLY just some guy

      1. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

        i wonder if in-universe people letting avians get away with shit they would despise a human coworker for because “funny cute little bird man go haha” is a thing

        1. Chase Wanderstar

          I feel like in person it’d be more annoying, but still to some extent probably so.

  23. Vinemaple

    This cartoon is starting to feel exactly like the last few days of my own life… except my own plans to run away are really not ready yet.

    1. AnaKaye

      Oh jeez, you too?

    2. Dahsun

      Good luck with that, but maybe think through some other options in the same gravity well before checking out space ships and signing up for SETI’s outreach team.

  24. $ilverware

    thank you Cheevwut you’re really helpful, lil exposition bird you
    also poor Talita is gonna have a meltdown 🙁

  25. hessian

    shit is really hitting the fan out here 😭😭😭😭

  26. Quad

    Cheev’s amusement contrasted against Talita’s imminent breakdown is really funny. Poor girl…
    I’m guessing Ranni is how we’re interfacing with the orbital crew, seeing as they’re the only one mentioned on the characters page. I wonder what the call’s about! Maybe a date for the Runaway to lift off? (Maybe not a good call for Cheev to eavesdrop on if so…)

    1. RockstarRaccoon

      …unless Cheev is going to be running off with them: he doesn’t seem to feel like he’s living his best life there either.

      1. Minaerva

        You probably don’t mean anything by it, but avians don’t do gender the way humans do, so all avians including Cheev use they/them pronouns (afaik) in Jovian English. I’m also pretty sure that the two main avian genders of dun and bright would map closer to female and male respectively, like with terrestrial birds, though they’re alien bird-people, so “closer” doesn’t mean much.

        1. blythe

          duns are males and brights are females actually, their gender roles arent quite the same as humans though aside from duns being stereotypically stronger and brights being stereotypically “sexy”

        2. Jay Eaton

          From a human cultural perspective: if you go by gamete size and material parental investment, brights are female. If you go by pregnancy and post-natal parental investment, duns are female. Within this setting, different human cultures gender them differently. Jovians put them in their culture’s catch-all neutral third gender category (which, in practice, is not actually neutral or catch-all, but that’s a different can of worms). I usually encourage readers to not refer to them as male or female because it forces us to think outside of the binary gender box, and recognize that avians have different physiology and cultural norms than us.

  27. kaittzie

    I suppose thats the call to say that Idrisah and Gillies ship can’t use the loop and so can’t pick them up… :3c if only a nice mousey AI had a ship they could use to escape dirtball instead

    1. Vinemaple

      More like Ranni has found one of the little “data entry errors” Idrisah used to hide the Runaway in an outgoing shipment.

  28. RockstarRaccoon

    Lemme guess, they’re gonna say that the Runaway needs to get going soon or they’ll lose the window, forcing Talita to make the choice to stay here or immediately quit to “Run Away to the Stars”?

  29. JoB

    Panel 1: Talita has switched to neck-wringing now.

    1. Athelind Llewellyn Long

      Panel 3: the READERS want to switch to neck-wringing. Specifically, Cheevwut’s.

  30. S0glet

    The contrast between Cheevs silly bird face and Talitas distraught expression in the third panel omfg

  31. Darian

    Talita just doesn’t seem to get a break does she? Que the panic attack.

  32. Napkinkat

    Cheevwut That was mean 😭 (I assume/hope they’re just not able to read Talita’s face very well.) Cheevwut why do you enjoy bullying.

    1. Napkinkat

      ALSO one of the cases on the floor I assume is cord storage is so cuteeee
      Everything is 1000% better when you put a silly little cat on it :]

      1. Napkinkat

        I need to give Talita a hug
        Hugs for Talita for one thousand years. She is going through it 😭
        Apologies for this not being all in one comment I am about to fall asleep my brain is mush lol

    2. Undercooked Mothman

      Well, we did know they liked to bully Ohwitiil. It seems this extends to Talita 🙁

  33. spess mureen

    remind me: do centaurs speak with the mouth or the trunk, or somehow both?

    1. creetur

      Trunk, the mouth isn’t connected to any part of their respiratory system

    2. Vinemaple

      Talita has been mimicking Human facial expressions since she was an imago. She does stuff with her eating mouth simply to express her emotions.

  34. birdie

    talita I’m so fucking scared

  35. EveryZig314

    Plinko noises intensify

  36. Ellindsey

    Talita is, in fact, not alright.

  37. cypr

    TALITA’S EXPRESSION IN THAT THIRD PANEL GIRL NOOOOOOOOOO

  38. Mica

    So, when Mel says “She’s needed this for a while, but you know how she is. You’ll die waiting for her to ask you for help” what was meant by that was that Mel has decided that Talita needs this, without consulting Talita at all… and if they had, they’d have known that people presuming Talita needs more Centaur/Homeworld contact is one of Talita’s most hated assumptions that people make about her.

    Which is how we know why Mel’s children never call them.

  39. Gheesfellow

    Oh wow would you look at the time it’s SKEDDADLE O’ CLOCK

    1. boxesofboxes

      PERHAPS! One might want to…. Runaway???

  40. un_pogaz

    Oh dear. What could possibly make this already pretty shitty day any worse?

    1. JoB

      To quote Mr. Protocol, “about the only grim statistic that didn’t happen was Invasion by Flying Saucers”.

      (About the state of affairs in 1900, and how it upped fears as Y2k approached.)

      1. john

        Described quote does not seem to be present in linked article

        1. JoB

          That’s why I put the link under the name and not the quote; I tried to find a scan of the exact article of the series it was in, but drew a blank. (And frankly, I suspect that the actual quote worded “didn’t happen” differently.)

  41. Wren

    Anyone else afraid that this phone call is Idrisah and Gillie’s plans to leave getting delayed or cancelled 😱

  42. beth

    “The surprise was indeed a surprise” does not mean it “worked.”

  43. EnchantressEmily

    The way Talita’s trunk shoots out straight in panel 1 is so effective – like a more realistic version of a cartoon character’s hair standing on end with shock.

    1. bug

      plus the wide eyes, small pupils, tensed lips + visible teeth, bristling neck feathers = pure and utter shock and horror. i love how jay depicts talita’s expressions,,

  44. radish

    ack i hope the alarm isn’t anything horrible

  45. oodl

    is cheevs laughter a natural expression, or an acquired one in communicating with humans? i’ve been assuming the sophonts laugh, but do they?

    1. HAL9000

      according to supplemental lore, only humans, ferrets amd centaurs have laughter responses. humans laugh, centuars whuff and toss their heads, and ferrets scream and wriggle. avians do not have any apparent laugh response but they can mimic other species if they want, i guess cheev knows enough about human culture to get the idea of it.

    2. NotOkapi

      Checking the blog “…avians might bob their head and flick their ears forwards in amusement, but do not have a vocal reaction.”

      1. HAL9000

        would that count as laughter? to me i interpreted that to be more like smiling since there’s not an actual sound involved

        1. NotOkapi

          The expression sheet says that the “happy” avian expression is ears forward with the tusks bruxing (tooth grinding, rats also do it as a comfort signal). So the movements are more equatable to laughter because they’re less conscious I would guess? https://www.tumblr.com/jayrockin/738531089122000896/some-avian-alien-expressions-their-ears-can-tell

        2. Oodl

          I would consider that a laugh yes.
          Thank all for the encyclopedic responses : )

    3. Rose

      iirc the spoken “haw haw” laugh is something learned from interacting with humans. avians do express amusement but don’t laugh, per se. i can’t remember if it’s in their sophont information or buried in the lore tags on Jay’s tumblr

  46. Green Heron

    off topic but ooh cute cat drawing in panel 2

  47. Zuorai

    I wanna smack Mel with a glove like in an old movie
    Also :3 kbity

  48. bug

    talita.. you can blow up.. its ok to explode

  49. gigithebear

    PICK UP GRANDMA’S PHONE CALL

    1. bug

      the grandma polycule needs an answer NOW !!!

  50. MonstieMunchies

    If they are her new temp crew, does the clan have custom protective/oxygen suits like Talita? On that topic did the Runaway’s crew have them as well? I know there would be a difference in using one planet-side vs being in space, as space is a vacuum

    1. kaittzie

      Talita had to make her EVA suit herself. I wonder if Mel thought of THAT

      1. NotOkapi

        We were talking about this when the temps first appeared, hopefully they’ve got PPE from past jobs or they’re actually here to replace internal temps. Especially since, as I said then, if they have to make their own PPE Talita will have to work them through that and therefore will be even more responsible if something goes terribly wrong for potentially orphaning the clan’s children and locking them into the same shitstorm she lived through. As if them being hired wasn’t enough!

        1. MonstieMunchies

          From what I remember Talita’s suit is a modified human-taur one, so theres a chance there are other centaurs out there who have had to do the same thing. A definitely think a standardized centaur one should be in production considering first contact with them was 70 years ago but maybe there just isnt enough demand yet

      2. Darian

        Just thinking since I was reminded about it by this comment, Do the stations ever have to deal with issues regarding cross species diseases as I’d imagine (given how in real life bacteria that is harmless to animals can be harmful to humans) that there would be a lot of diseases that some species would be immune to but others might be more susceptible to due to lack of contact with it.

        1. NotOkapi

          I’d assume since everything but water and for some species sugar is poison, cross sophant disease transfer is unlikely? But Talita did get her shots updated to prepare for this.

        2. 1d4-nadg

          Aliens species are luckily too different from each others to catch an other one’s disease. After all, viruses cannot use your DNA machinery to reproduce if you don’t have DNA!

  51. Bug

    *distant screaming*

    1. bug

      oh hey we have the same username. hello there, im also screaming distantly

      1. bug

        hi bug hi Bug

        1. bug

          oh my god theres another one. hello

        2. edenmachine5457

          .hi Bug, bug, and bug (with pfp)

        3. Bug

          It’s a veritable bug convention

    2. Enai

      This thread bugs me.
      Is that a feature or a bug?
      Or maybe it’s buggery
      …
      No, that’s a different thing, my dictionary says.
      I’ll just bug out now.

  52. bug

    yep. this is THE final straw for talita. im scared and excited to watch this unfold. jay eaton you have killed it with this writing

  53. Commander Ledi

    tale about how talita broke the records of highest stress hormone levels ever reached in the entire galaxy by concerningly wide margin

    1. bug

      true !

  54. Lilac

    CHEEVWUT READ THE ROOM PLEASE GOD CHEEVWUT CHEEVWUT NOOOOOO

    1. bug

      I think Cheevwut doesn’t really… *care* about Talita as much as Idrisah or Gillie cares, since Cheevwut doesn’t work with her — and frankly, they’re just coworkers. Acquaintances at best. Beyond how this affects their job, I think Cheevwut has little to no reason *to* care.
      It still hurts to see their unfazed reaction to Talita’s agony, though.

      1. EricaMZDM

        Also, Cheev just…likes being a chaos goblin shit-stirrer. Like, our primary introduction to them is “likes tormenting their elderly boss/recurrent spring-partner”.

        It’s just that *now* we’re seeing that flip/cruel sense of humour being directed at a character we-the-audience are sympathetic towards.

        1. the Inmara

          We kind of even read Cheevwut’s “Haw Haw.” as directed at Mel’s foolishness, and not exactly at Talita’s terror. Like, it’s bordering on sarcasm. As if to say, “And we could all see that that wasn’t going to be the kind of surprise that Mel wanted, but now you’re blowing up in his face. Isn’t that funny?”

          But that still doesn’t mean they care, or fully understand the psychological needs and reactions of humans and centaurs.

    2. Liza

      Literally came to the comments to say this lol.

    3. evileeyore

      I love Cheev so much. They’re completely failing to understand Talita’s meltdown and are just “Oh, isn’t it sooooo exciting! You’ll have all your own people to hang with now!”

      And Talita is on the verge of ugly crying because her only actual friends are leaving and she has nothing in common with these weirdo centaur aliens.

      1. SNUFFGURLL.

        the transcript points out that cheevwut is amused actually. they kinda suck but thats ok

        1. JoB

          Technically, the transcript only says that Cheevwut “seems amused” …

  55. tankwraith

    Talita in that third panel oh my godddddddd😭😭😭😭😭😭

  56. ttt

    98% sure the reason calcery quit is over this shenanigan. maybe mel got everyone involved to sign NDAs or some shit.

  57. Tentament

    :3

  58. JoB

    My, what urgent issue could the polycule have all of a sudden?

    “We have to send the old temps back down to you. One of them insulted the long-distance ship’s captain to the point that they were denied boarding, and we wouldn’t keep them around much longer if we could¹, either. They’re en route to the skyhook as we speak. Tell their former supervisor they have some more social-edu work to do with them, will ya?”

    I’m a bit surprised that while Idrisah’s packing, there’s still a fully-operational computer sitting on the desk (suggests it’s company-owned) that still accepts calls for her (so she still has a working login on it) … is her packing an activity still on the clock?

    ¹ The station is where passengers transfer between wormhole-going ships and the local surface ferries, but I haven’t read about it being equipped to house anyone besides its actual crew for an extended time.

    1. PersonMcPerson

      boss makes a dollar / i make a dime / that’s why i’m packing / on company time

    2. Havlock

      My guess is Idrisah’s replacement hasn’t arrived yet, so she’s still has to fill the job position until then, so she still has her login active.

  59. Chunderous Fritz

    Bip, play “Radiohead – No Surprises.”

    1. Solidago

      Love that song <3

    2. zofifi

      “A heart that’s full up like a landfill
      A job that slowly kills you
      Bruises that won’t heal
      You look so tired, unhappy
      Bring down the government
      They don’t, they don’t speak for us
      I’ll take a quiet life
      A handshake of carbon monoxide ~🎶

  60. PersonMcPerson

    cheevwut is so funny in this scene lmao

    reacting to two incredibly important plot developments with a shrug

  61. Claire

    I like to imagine that, inexplicably, Cheevwut sounds exacltly like Nelson there for a moment.

    1. Vinemaple

      I cannot, CANNOT, avoid hearing the Avian “haw haw” intentional analogue to Human laughter as Nelson from The Simpsons. I hate it but it’s embedded in my brain.

  62. luvbird07

    Talita standing on beach with “man” caption.jpg

    1. bug

      i hope we get art of this

      1. luvbird07

        https://www.tumblr.com/pinkajou/806133788050702336/idk-if-this-has-been-done-before-jayrockin?source=share
        Its apparently already been done twice!
        HURRAH!(in a pained way somehow)

  63. HAL9000

    honestly cheev i can’t lie i would react the same way. not my circus not my monkeys or however it goes
    talita girl hang in there, let this be the moment you finally have enough.
    also… urgent orbital station call?? is the transport ship for gillie & idrisah / the temps not coming??

    1. JoB

      > not my circus not my monkeys

      Funny how that old adage avoids claiming applicability to escaped lions and stampeding elephants, hmmm? ;-3

      1. Claire

        What?

        1. Chase Wanderstar

          Adam and centaur temps, respectively, I am assuming, with regards to snarly attitude and tusklike-appendage-based comically-intentioned speciesism.

        2. JoB

          The point I was trying to make is that the situation sketched is one where the bystanders can choose not to get involved. I’m not sure that the same is going to hold for Cheevwut, or anyone on applicants-strapped Dirtball, over the next couple pages.

    2. NotOkapi

      I mean Cheev is part of administration so this is, in fact, their monkeys. Payroll will be affected by Mel doing something to upset the external mechanics manager (Talita)

  64. Raydfil

    oh my god. wow. oh the utter rage i feel for talita in this situation. the way not a single person realizes how detrimental to her this entire situation would be. the way cheev brushes it off with a laugh and doesnt realize anything is amiss. talita looks so horrified. the expressions on this page are absolutely incredible. wow.

    1. bug

      we’re all screaming internally alongside her. I’m surprised Idrisah isn’t charging her anger beam at Mel (maybe she is internally, maybe as more details come to light since everyone BUT Gillie, Idrisah and Talita know about the temps), but that wouldn’t help Talita in this moment. all we can do is feel for her. pure and utter ouch

      1. Bramble

        I think Idrisah has her priorities in order – check in with the wronged party, then get incandescently angry at the party responsible. It’s just that before she could do step two, she got sidetracked by her own developing crisis.

        1. bug

          exactly! though she could only partially get through step one before a third party shows up (the orbital grandma polycule)

        2. Eggs

          I honestly don’t think Idrisah gets how upsetting this is to Talita or why yet. Remember, Jay said Talita is the first centaur Idrisah’s ever met. She probably doesn’t get the full scope of how hard it will be for Talita to face or communicate with these centaurs simply because she doesn’t have a reference point. She knows Talita was raised as a spacer and a cross-species foster kid, but that’s more normalised for humans in this setting, and I’m pretty sure there’s usually input from humans in raising these kids.

    2. Gar G

      Well in Cheev’s defense they don’t really know how bad it is for her

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