...Yeah, this was never going to go well.
Transcript
Mel: Is that it?
Talita is taken aback.
Talita: Well he did it, like, maliciously! He was trying to hurt me!
Her face begins to bristle in frustration, and she grips her neck, back hunched to keep her head from knocking the ceiling.
Talita: And he’s– he’s been– saying really rude things “out of earshot,” misgendering me, not listening to instructions in the field–
Mel: I’ll talk to him about it tomorrow.
Talita's eyes widen.
Talita: No! Don’t– That wouldn’t help.
139 thoughts on “Runaway to the Stars: Page 231”
mdhughes
Part of this is that Talita doesn’t know/think to make a full written report. Get every incident time-logged and it’s probably on security cameras. Submit *that*. Don’t come in breathlessly huffing that Adam touched you, even if that should be enough to get him ejected from the job.
It doesn’t help that Mel’s actively useless, the personification of “HR exists for the company’s benefit, not yours”. But at least a report solidifies the event so when Adam dies horribly screwing around, it’s a pattern of bad behavior instead of sudden event.
Smooti
Oof. On the one hand, Talita isn’t communicating what exactly happened well – almost minimizing it with the way she describes it.
On the other, as someone who has been both a parental figure *and* supervisor, Mel should realize that’s what’s happening and ask more follow up questions. *Especially* when Talita mentions Adam not following instructions in the field! They work in a vacuum, not following instructions could mean someone dying out there.
The thing about Mel is how realistic they are. So many people who think of themselves as nice and caring, but don’t actually listen to what the problem is, so end up doing things that make a situation worse, not better.
Smooti
Forgot to add, it says so much about Jay’s writing that these characters and conflict feel so grounded and natural, in a setting with advanced space flight, technology, and aliens, the problems here are just so… human. Sophont? Ugh, I hope you get what I mean! Comic good!!!
Will
Oddly small thing but Tatia panicking and covering her throat kinda buzzes in my head as a “primal defence panic” thing, like… “i am in danger, protect the critical bloodlines” kinda thing. Could just be me trying to “discern the cosmos when in reality the curtains are blue” if yall know what i mean
pobobos
Mel’S #1 AT DOING NOTHING AWARD -> 🥇
Fig
It feels like talitas reliving some trauma right now.
We’ve seen in comics abt talitas childhood (specifically Talita’s Middle Finger) that her humam peers see her body as a novelty, and when her human peers violate her body the human authority figures around her never take it seriously. Its not hard to imagine that that was a regular occurrence throughout her childhood, with authority figures being dismissive of her complaints or punishing her for defending herself. Growing up and experiencing the exact same violence & dismissal at her job must bring back some painful memories.
Also how fucking crazy is it to work for your fostor parent?? It seems pretty clear to me that Mel still views Talita as a child. “is that it?” is what you might say to some kids who got into a trivial squabble, not the adult woman being physically harassed by her subordinate. Though, Mel is a bit notorious for being dismissive in general.
Genko
You ever see an interaction and know, in incredible detail, what someone’s divorce was like?
The Opossum Witch
God, yeah
dokki
HAAAAAA
OhGollieItsOllie
I went back to find the AMA where they mentioned it, but yeah, Mel is divorced and they have to pester their kids just to get voice messages.
Gee I can’t imagine why!!!
pinkytoothless011
Of course Mel is not understanding how much of an issue Adam’s actions are… to say nothing of it being a huge overstep in boundaries. Poor Talita deserves better than this…
(Btw been following your webcomic for a while now and I’ve been enjoying it immensely. Wish I had commented before now!)
Mechie
I find it becomes especially apparent on this page that Talita’s normally wide eyes are on a centaur with centaur upbringing a “scared look”.
Vinemaple
Note the angle of her nicitating membrane in panel 3, too… she doesn’t even have it rotated rn…
Pixy
It’s really hitting me that this is just another level of depersonalization. Mel may understand that Talita feels and acts like any person but they cannot see her beyond her physically imposing alien presence. Adam grabbing Talita is a non-issue to Mel because in their eyes, Talita is too large and powerful for Adam to truly pose a threat.
It’s extra upsetting because of Mel’s history with fostering Talita. They should know better.
Enai
Everybody knows that one cannot hurt imposing people’s feelings. They are too large and intimidating, so the aggression one hurls at them gets scared and runs away
/bitterest sarcasm
Eux
very impressed with the first panel, how despite being so different as a centaur, i can read Talita’s expression so well, which i interpret as: dumbfounded at how Profoundly the other person has just Not Computed what you just fucking said.
Gheesfellow
To add salt on the wound, Mel isn’t just any detached manager, they’re Talita’s FOSTER PARENT. Even if they haven’t been too long together, they should’ve learned a thing or two about her by now, let alone her character-defining issues. Lousy.
Honeysprings
Mel when I get you mel
Mitta
Anyways, I love Talitas little feets in the 2nd frame
HullScrap
I feel like there was probably already an answer for this but, the job we currently call ”Human resources” would have to renamed in this world right? Would it be like ”Sophont resources”? Its already a very dystopian sounding term in the current day and sounds worse when its broadened to apply to all intelligent life. Regardless, Mel isn’t a good fit for it as far as we’ve seen.
Septemberdale
In an earlier comment section it was agreed that “Hired Resources” seems likely.
Enai
It used to be called “personnel”. In the real world, I mean. Personnel would be a good word to use, to remind everyone involved that personnel deals with _persons_.
Take note, Mel.
FuzzySpiderPawz
I’ve never understood how people can completely undermine something like this especially when someone is coming to you to tell you that it bothered them greatly. When like if someone just yanked on your face you’d be upset too.
Floofers
Oooughhh Mel straight up even interrupted her oooooughghghhh
Rose
uuuuUHGHGHGHG MEL!!! do your dang job better!! this is why Cal left!!!
(Jay your writing is so good!!! all of your characters feel so real!!!)
Napkinkat
RAHHH i want to gush about how good this is and how bad Mel is at this but everyone’s already said everything I wanted to say but in better wording lmao <3 hell yeah
I hope Talita gets to run away to the stars soon 😭 I’m afraid the foreshadowed centaur temps might be the final nail in the coffin for Talita continuing to work on dirt ball.
Also question how do we change our picture in the comments? I have no clue how lol maybe it’s just cause I read it on mobile so I don’t have the full comment formatting thing or something?
ryn
do you mean the silhouette icon you get? it’s based on the first letter of the name you input! so for example, i get a purple centaur because my name starts with R
Napkinkat
That’s so cool! I like that system hehehe gives a lot of variation
Jay Eaton
Custom avatars are provided by Gravatar, you need an account with them.
$ilverware
this is why talita’s gonna runaway to the stars
MissZena
AUGH this is reminding me of a time where a manager I worked with went on this massive transphobic tirade at me until I felt genuinely unsafe and when I complained to the boss he pulled us all together the next day and basically outed to her and everyone else working that I had been the one to complain with a half assed “We should all just get along” speech that resulted in me getting harassed out of that job
It is so frustrating how stuff like this is so often minimized or swept under the rug because its “easier” or “not a big deal” or you get exposed as the person to raise concerns which just makes the harassment worse
Cause lets not mince words as to what this was, it was deliberate assault towards Talita due to her race, and it should be taken seriously but the fact she’s the only centaur there (combined with how iirc centaurs aren’t really as commonly seen as other races like Avians?) puts her in such an awkward spot I just want to see her get out of there 🙁
whales0ng
ugh i’m so sorry that happened to you. it’s always the worst when you want to trust and have faith in someone and they let you down, been there. wish you all the best
Vinemaple
Yeah, that right there is exactly why I don’t usually make complaints. All this “management training” and nobody teaches people not to escalate by singling out the accused.
Gar G
Poor Talita…
(why does this feel so familiar/relatable to me…)
egg
OugHH I just noticed they’ve started doing their paperwork mid-conversation. As if Talita isn’t worth giving their full attention to. (Charitably, they could be writing down the details of the incident but I doubt it)
halley
goddammit mel
cytricacid
i love how talita explains things here, you can tell she’s still really upset and can’t describe the whole incident objectively, rather bits and pieces of the worst parts that stick out in her mind first. you’d expect someone in Mel’s place to tell her to take a deep breath and start from the beginning but they don’t seem to want to know. that communication breakdown– and Mel’s ignorance or negligence to pick up on her distress, is soooooo well depicted here.
SheTheTDE
TARS
Take All Reports Seriously.
Better to waste time being cautious than allow people to come to harm because you ignored them.
Honestly if this happened to me I’d finnish that spaceship I was building and leave.
winged monkey
I suspect you and Talita will be of the same mind…
SheTheTDE
I dunno it’s called “Runaway to the Stars” not “Ran Away to the Stars” so I assumed they’d be going through stuff like this for most of the story and it ends when they leave.
IncompleteMachine
oh no, this is just the preamble to actually running away; don’t worry they wont be in this place much longer.
Jason Myers
“Runaway” is the name of the ship!
izimb
It’s a cool name and I adore it. Makes me think of the Electric Youth track.
SheTheTDE
Now I can hear the song.
Enai
Luckily, Bip is working on refueling her right as Mel and Talita speak. I predict a launch during one of these conveniently open outgoing slots soon.
What’s missing is a reason for Idrisah to come with – I bet Gillie is ready to ditch this place just for the hell of it.
mossrabbit
mel this is why your kids dont call you back
halley
GET their ass
WoomySans
LMAOOO
IncompleteMachine
100%
petshopper
I’m exploding them with my brain, that dismissal hurt. the way Talita answered is just so accurate to how it feels to be in that situation
TeethBurglar
Talita is about to have the most justified crash out of all time. I hope she complains to Gillie and Idrisah and gets the comfort and support she actually deserves.
Stray Cat
The sad part is, Talita actually has good reason to worry that Adam might try to retaliate – between Mel’s track record of handling this sort of thing (namely, the teenagers who DID react by retaliating back when Talita was in college), and Adam’s behaviour. So just as well we already know the plot leads to Talita leaving Dirtball. It’s a dysfunctional place to work.
(Mel, of course, is not helping.)
LizardWizard
I mean yeah, I think in the first chapter (the first time we got to see the stations interior) her AI friend basically told her as such and that she ought to get outta here. I sense this is probably just her making her way up there.
Ruby
*sigh* And then Mel goes “Then I don’t know what you want me to do about it.” And Talita will say something like “I dunno, prevent this from happening with future temps??” And then Mel will say “Weeeeell, I wanted this to be a surprise buuuut. Ta-da! We’re hiring centaur temps! Surely they won’t be as insensitive and they’ll be more prone to listen to a fellow centaur!” And thus Talita is going to have full blown crisis.
IncompleteMachine
I hate that you’re right. I hate that some (frankly most) people are just smart enough to do extremely stupid shit but not intelligent enough to see whay its extremely stupid. people draw a line between emotional and practical intelligent but honestly, there isnt one. this is just mel being kind of a moron.
zims
I see it happening the other way, Talita trying to say “Look, I know you’re bringing in other centaurs, so you need to be more conscientious of this sort of species-specific harassment,” but Mel cutting them off after she mentions centaurs “Who told you?!” and being WAY more upset and reactive that the surprise is ruined than her legitimate complaint.
jax psylla
making a serious comment for once to say that i had to write a report about unwanted touching in the workplace once and i cannot believe they are brushing this off. the touch doesnt have to be harmful or inappropriate. it doesnt even matter if every other person in the workplace is allowed to touch you. you learn in 5th grade to keep your damn hands to yourself and touching people without their consent – in ANY way, whether you meant it maliciously or not – is a one way ticket to getting kicked to the curb. talita girl get a new job im so serious GET OUT OF THERE!!!!
mocha
im a 5’2” woman and once at hd a coworker, who was like 6’11” army vet picked me up without asking on the work floor, and when i told HR about it i was told i had to talk to him about it myself alone or nothing would be done about it because he obviously “ment well” . so
jax psylla
yes because im sure confronting someone twice your size about that will definitely go well 👍
Vinemaple
Yet another thing that matters, that our society pretends doesn’t matter. I mean, yes, it can be weaponized against someone, but that doesn’t make it innocuous.
blythe
mel this is why your kids dont FUCKING love you /ref
Jason Myers
This is the kind of HR that whether they realise it or not, shows that they don’t care to actually fix the issue and only care about maintaining the status quo. What happens if somebody like Adam shows their true colours while visiting young Centaurs from their homeworld arrive? Is their first experience with a human/mixed species station going to be this kind of xenophobia? And would Mel take it more or less seriously, since it’s not Talita? All of these are serious questions that need answering before we can trust that Mel can manage a situation like that.
Talita is not communicating clearly- but Mel’s job as her boss is to ask the questions. “Is That All?” Is a conversation ending statement, not a real question.
Enai
Yes, this looks like Mel wanted to say “It’s late in the day and I want to go home. Leave me alone with temp nonsense” but doesn’t, because that’s unprofessional and wrong. So, they go with a softer dismissal. I really hope they pull it together for a better reaction, but it doesn’t seem like Mel has learned from the incident of the destroyed dorm room.
jade stormcloud
Darn it. 🙁 I was afraid of that.
Even if Mel is trying to play the impartial boss here, they still really aren’t being a great listener (and not a great manager either). They seem to be trying to jump to the end of the conversation and come up with a “fix” without even bothering to get all the information on the problem they’re addressing. -What exactly happened with the antler? What specific things have been said? What issues have there been in the field?- All of that needs to be addressed to understand the scope of the issue and to document the behavior for the records. If they jump the gun like that any time a work problem comes up, I’m surprised things haven’t fallen completely apart before now.
I hope Tailta gets some sympathetic friend time STAT.
Mr. Son
“Is that it?”
I mean the most charitable reading of that sentence is “is that the only thing, or is there more?”, but that’s giving Mel MASSIVE benefit of the doubt when we already know Mel… isn’t great with handling interpersonal disputes or people mistreating Talita.
So ignoring that, it’s like. Mel. MEL. Someone /grabbed part of Talita’s FACE/. It wouldn’t be cool if a coworker yanked on your beard or ear, would it? How about we get Adam in here to say snide things about you and yank your beard and see how you feel about that?
petra
love the perspectives in all these panels accentuating talita’s size and thus visually representing how she ‘doesn’t fit’ in her environment, both socially and physically.. also i dunno why but i cant get over that wall shelf. the angles of it make it feel like a real background object that belongs there, and not something that was just drawn in to fill space. (if that makes sense???)
Light_In_The_Fog
yesss theyre so good!! Especially in the second panel where u can see the pipes in the ceiling and with mel looking up at talita, it gives such a ‘walls closing in’ feeling thats really cool
Light_In_The_Fog
Mellllllllll 🙁
I feel so bad for Talita in the way I interpreted the tone on the part about misgendering. I know from personal experience that that is such a hard thing to correct people on without support, and Talita really must feel like that support is being pulled away 🙁
Mitta
The humiliation of having to run to your boss to report an assault, a boss who was also legally your parent for much of your teenhood, and being treated like you just told them that a kid at the playground wouldn’t let you on the slide. One of the main themes I have taken from this comic is the way corporations and society treats marginalized individuals and takes advantage of them. And this arrangement with Talita working for Mel feels ethically questionable at best, almost like Mel is still letting their parent-dependent relationship overshadow the severity of the situation. Looking at Talita like “Thats not a big deal Talita, be the bigger person, run along now sweetie”
PostMortem7571
This is probably going to be the kick in the pants Talita needs to leave. It’ll be good in the long run, but I’m certain it will get much more uncomfortable first. People are about to hurt each other’s feelings much more badly, I’m sure. Mostly Mel’s fault, I predict. I know they mean well, but they seem to be the kind of person who simply hasn’t endured enough bullying to understand how bad it is or how best to handle the situation.
PostMortem7581
Aw shoot, I mistyped my name…
Jackie
It occured to me that even if we ignored the nonconsensual grabbing, Adam could have very well caused Talita to accidentally injure him by doing it. We all know she’s nonviolent but imagine how easily she could have accidentally scratched him or even poked out an eye if she happened to jerk in surprise when he grabbed her. I bet Mel would not be so dismissive if that happened instead (Adam probably would be the biggest whining baby if it did and not shut up about it either).
Septemberdale
Heck, even if she just knocked him off his feet with the force of being huge and startled, that could still leave a bruise. Not that he doesn’t deserve it, but he’d definitely whine about it.