Ohwitiil is holding a phone here. Many avian phones have a knob handle like this.
Transcript
Idrisah: Well… In my opinion, you should…
She glances back at Cheevwut.
Idrisah: (ASL) Also quit. Especially after that shit with Mel.
Talita: (ASL) Maybe… Not now, soon after you, Gillie, AND Cal. Management is angry, I think.
Ohwitiil walks past the cubicle.
Ohwitiil: IDRISAH! Keep packing, I’ve got someone moving into your desk space tomorrow! Maybe this one will bother to STICK AROUND!
Talita and Idrisah exchange a look of knowing exhaustion.
56 thoughts on “Runaway to the Stars: Page 243”
Tyrone
I wouldn’t bother. In fact, I would take a dump in your bird-feeder
Dahsun
I’m seeing ruffles round his neck reminiscent of Versailles and a cloak or cope that could have been draped over an indian temple elephant; (albeit a mega mimmoth sized elephant). Is this parallel cultural development, or have Avians been influenced by Earth fashions? If so I’d love to see what an avian costumier would do with ostrich feathers, cod pieces, farthingales, emo and punk.
HAL9000
there’s punkish avians! look under world > sophonts > avians > culture, theyre the carnalist group.
Sen
At least if something goes wrong with their tinkering for the Runaway, they’ll be gone already ^^
40
God I love the design of Avians.
Eux
amazing convo, amazing outfit, i don’t think cheev would care if they overheard this tbh. hhhghugh good luck to them all….
Lezzlebit
Do Avians have different social norms when it comes to, uh, yelling at people? I know this is probably just Ohwitiil being Ohwitiil (the characters page notes their bad habit of yelling at people), but I feel bad to admit that honestly I would have a much stronger reaction if a human was yelling at them… As a silly webcomic reader looking at a small cartoonized bird, it’s easier to find it funny rather than scary, but if I were actually in this situation it would probably feel more like an HR violation moment 💔
B
YEAH so real!!! Ohwitiil kind of a jerk….. even if it is novel and endearing from a comic reader perspective in a lot of ways, I bet it would get old quick to get spoken to in a way that many would consider verbally abusive from Idrisah and Talita’s perspective..!
malmo
It’s hard for me to be upset by it when I picture Ohwitiil sounding like the record-scratch voice of the King of all Cosmos from Katamari
Lezzlebit
LOL exactly, ’tis why I feel bad… cuz I wouldn’t be surprised if, on average, Avians had a tough time in human spaces due to humans potentially not taking them very seriously (with their warbly cat voices and funny looking faces)
JoB
Hmmm, dunno. Humans of today take a lot of screech from small birds (pet macaws) in stride …
Madame Thunderbone
Sure, but how much of that is that we don’t expect animals that don’t even wear shoes to act civilized?
Meanwhile, Ohwitiil has a frilly dress and a job, and should frankly know better than to be such a mean little jerk.
JoB
Pet peeve warning: I am under the impression that humans are heavily overestimating the ability to “use language” (which was once deemed one of the distinguishing marks of mankind, and I’ll refer you to humans’ fascination with “talking” birds, like macaws, gorillas learning sign language, other animals’ attempts at nontrivial communication with humans, like with cetaceans, etc., and, lately, LLMs), while they tend to pooh-pooh abilities that evolution had a bazillion years more to hone and put into far more species (like the ability to orient and move in the 3D physical world, a major focus of research into AIs before the public eye turned to LLMs).
Arcstone
I actually wonder if they dont get too many complaints cause humans have a little bit of trouble taking the little angry featherball dressed like early colonial era nobility that seriously.
Ellindsey
Love the switching to sign for the part of the conversation they don’t want anyone to overhear. Also love that Talita is now comfortable enough with sign to drop into using it for casual conversation. And I agree that when you are in a toxic work environment like this, management being angry isn’t a reason to not quit.
Talita’s bigger problem is a lack of anywhere immediate to go. How many worlds have a fully functional Centaur farm system ready to support her? She’d be living on nothing but printer paste again if she went back to Jupiter. And she has a lot of belongings to pack too.
EnchantressEmily
Nice touch to have Idrisah switching to sign language for the part she doesn’t want Cheevwut to eavesdrop on.
Sparky Lurkdragon
Yay! A sign I recognise! 😀
(“Shit” is what Idrisah is signing in the third panel.)
DasGanon
This comment made me go on a little rabbithole. Basically:
“Wait, ASL is related to French LSF rather than British Sign. Is LSF Merde the same as ASL Shit?”
The answer is no.
1d4-nadg
It’s bugging me out, I’ve learned LSF basics (and the most basics only) for a theater play, and Merde was definitely signed like that or very close.
1d4-nadg
Ooooh wait, the sign i’ve learn was for “to shit”, that’s why! Those 2 are definitely related
Sparky Lurkdragon
Looks like the alt text for an old version snuck in with Ohwitiil’s line.
Vinemaple
Specifically, the comic page says “someone who needs your desk space.”
Jay Eaton
Fixed.
Enai
What do you mean “stick around”, Ohwitiil?!? Idrisah and Gillie worked there for 10 Earth years didn’t they? That’s enough time for an avian youngling to grow into an entire avian adult?
…
Or did I misunderstand something about their tenure? They were at least there for long enough to not dispute Bip’s assessment of them as “deeply bored”.
Teod
Talita was there straight out of college, but Gillie and Idrisah seem to be quite a bit newer, considering that Talita only recently started to become friends with them. Although I think they were there for a couple of years at least.
momo
ohwitill you are so gorgeous you ornate tassel couch, you rich victorian drapery
JoB
Someone‘s gonna blow a pouf when Talita eventually gives notice.
un_pogaz
See the shit that Mel is preparing for Talita. I wouldn’t be surprised if she resigns immediately and without notice, she’ll be so angry.
JoB
I’ll have to refuse that prediction on grounds that it’d likely make us readers miss Ohwitiil’s (chain) reaction. 😉
creetur
Spectacular choice of descriptors, yes
Vinemaple
The beak bling is probably the most extra we’ve seen!
Ellindsey
She is decked out in magnificent upholstery today indeed.
Amanda/OwlBear
Ohwitiil being an alien and all xenogendered (bright is not man or woman) uses gender neutral pronouns (“they/them/theirs in Jovian English, xey/xem/xiers in Martian English” to quote the character page)
Teod
Tomorrow? Do I understand it correctly that it means that the transport with the next temps (and perms) arrives tomorrow and leaves five days later, instead of same day arrival and departure?
JoB
The actual vessel for the long-distance travel has passengers (dis)embark at the orbital station, switching to local “boats” to cover the station/surface leg. Which means that even with the skyhook offering a dozen slots a day (page 128), the leaving staff, if waiting planetside until their relief has arrived there, would be hard pressed to board the Wormhole Express the same day the new guys walked off it. They would have to make the trip to the station beforehand, and I’m not sure that there’s enough room – or patience – there to host two passing-through teams simultaneously …
The Apollo moon mission, minus the time spent on the lunar surface, took a little less than seven days. Assume a round trip station-port-station to take them about the same time (no using fusion engines that nearby!), add the five days delay, and we have approximately the two weeks it takes for the total settlement-to-settlement trip. I think they are syncing into the interstellar schedule there, just not that of a single round trip.
Squiggles
Frankly I would like to have a phone with a knob handle on the bottom. That would solve many problems I think.
Bug
nice to see talita doing more sign!
Felixscout
I really like the Avian adapted device since it makes sense for how their grip works.
Quinn
Yeah okay I can see why you love designing bird outfits. Ohwitil is KILLING it here, I would die if I had to draw that many ruffles lol. Also Talita scrunch!! I’m so happy to see her getting comfortable with expressing herself more (even if it’s just for ASL). Also she’s become so fluent!! I’m so proud of her!! Wish I was that quick of a learner XD
DOSRG
Talita im speaking into your ear from outside the fourth wall Talita it doesnt matter if management is angry if you’re Out Of There Talita you know this sucks you can just walk out its perfect timing Talita
theplushfrog
I assume Talita is partly just being overly anxious and overly empathetic, but also when you’ve been with a company/place for years, you make friends (even if not close) and acquaintances that you don’t want to wreck the lives of, or risk losing the relationship totally, due to your own actions, even if it’d be healthier for you. On top of the fact she’d be risking further damage to her parental-ish relationship with Mel (even if we the readers know it’s unlikely to get better due to Mel’s choices).
While I agree Talita should have left ages ago, I can understand her reluctance. Add on top of that that she needs SO MUCH supportive infrastructure (the farms and sewage tanks Dirtball has specifically for her come to mind) to go anywhere else, and that she thinks Dirtball would need to remove and recycle all that infrastructure built only for her… it’s a lot.
I get why she feels stuck, but also agree that I don’t think waiting will make it any better.
blythe
waiting for the cheev clapback
Heather
oh man sounds like Talita should totally run away
but to where…….??????????
galmetallic
to the stars, perhaps?
Heather
whoa what a great idea!!!
Lilac
Hmm I wonder what could possibly have given you the idea that management is angry I wonder where you could have ever got that idea from
1d4-nadg
Oh no the new crew is arriving TOMORROW??? Talita brace yourself girl
Athelind Llewellyn Long
I love that Talita is now fluent enough in ASL that they can use it for private conversations.
And, oh my goodness, Ohwitiil’s OUTFIT!
FuzzySpiderPawz
1. Love Talia’s angry face
2. Quit your job, Talita, join Bip’s emo band
Heather
Huge fan of Talita’s angry face as well!! Great visual storytelling to see her more comfortable with doing her own versions of the facial expressions for ASL.
gñfs
I mean, who cares if they get angrier once you’re out the door?
Felixscout
Dunno. How strong are the anti retaliation laws and do you need them for a reference for a new job?
Norway
Ohwitiil is dressed to the NINES today! Like a piece of nigiri!
Amanda/OwlBear
frankly, if you’re quitting over bad management, who cares if management isn’t happy about it
Adrienne
Truly. Hope we see Talita hitting Dirtball with one a these puppies before she leaves for good https://jayeaton.site/Art/RttS/Comics/talitasorrel_flipoff3.png
Redacted
Flyswatter phone lmao. Also love Talita’s rendition of angry. Wonder if a native centaur sign language would incorporate the S-shaped trunk. Interesting to see them switching into sign language to have a private conversation too.