Comic Excerpt: Idrisah Confronts Shyam
Added 2022-09-17 22:53:30 +0000 UTCCW: blunt self harm and ableist slur
I'm working on scenes from the wrong book again, but ironically since RttS Book 3 isn't under NDA, I can put it here. I redid an older doodle comic version of this scene and it's a lot more intense now because apparently I needed some Autism Catharsis very badly this week. The prelude to this is Idrisah interpreting Shyam's lack of a response to Talita's fawning over the course of the book as rudely ignoring her feelings, which is definitely not what's actually going on.
Since the rough pages for the first book are complete, I've been compiling all the random scraps I've written of the next three books. It's weird to think that by the time all four books are done, I'll probably be the same age as some of the main characters.
Comments
made me cry 😭
Flo
2024-04-17 08:18:26 +0000 UTCthis hit a bit close to home and made me cry, all good though and I love how Idrisah responded with given actual pointers for reading Talita once she realized what was up /gen
kirkevaren
2022-12-17 13:45:43 +0000 UTCThe meltdown really resonates. I've been there too, with a lot of similar behaviors. I'm glad Idrisah's reaction and response was helpful for Shyam.
RareBirdAlert
2022-09-28 23:19:10 +0000 UTCSWEETIES. I love them.
Kristen King
2022-09-26 23:23:35 +0000 UTCThe meltdown hurts so good and makes me feel Seen, like I have been *exactly* there more times than I can count. I love the expansion of this whole scene so much
marineVerdancy
2022-09-21 01:44:28 +0000 UTCAs someone who is autistic as well you seriously did a really great job depicting how intense and painful and overwhelming a meltdown can be. Happy to see Idrisah handle it so well too, shes a great friend :-)
butchzilla
2022-09-20 12:09:27 +0000 UTCOof this was a hard one to read. Really cathartic to see myself in Shyam so directly though. This is really well done!! Thank you for posting it Jay
Krangis
2022-09-19 22:03:56 +0000 UTCI love this so much. This project is my newest favorite thing and since I started reading and engaging with these characters i've come to expand my knowledge and apreciate so many things about gender, identity, disability, etc; and it's helping me to know myself better. I'm so thankful for having found this project, it has highly impacted and benefited my life.
Guillermo Ferrada Venegas
2022-09-19 10:42:09 +0000 UTCIt’s so great seeing all this come together! Very exciting to hear you talking about multiple RttS books and planning how the bits of narrative you’ve shown us so far fit into a larger whole.
pinglederry
2022-09-19 03:23:12 +0000 UTCGoddamn... this page just absolutely broke my heart I'm not autistic, but I can definitely relate
Zi
2022-09-18 22:03:01 +0000 UTCgod even though you added a content warning that slur hit me in the face. that is some amazing emotion you put into those first few pages, good job!
petra
2022-09-18 07:49:56 +0000 UTCMan, that was really harsh, but I know that it is accurately depicting an autistic meltdown. I appreciate that Idrisah didn't panic or leave, or even try to stop Shyam from hurting herself (which would probably have been my first response), but patiently waited for her to calm down so she could explain.
Origamigryphon
2022-09-18 03:04:10 +0000 UTCOof, that lash out and then melt down, I felt that. I also really like how her tail moves around a lot when she's upset, twining around her like it's trying to protect her. It's cool to see you draw characters emoting in ways that Humans can't and it still being easy, even for folks like myself, to interpret. Also I love how much Idrisah cares about her friend. That she knows all Talita's ways of emoting well enough not only to interpret them correctly but to explain them to someone else so concisely really shows that she pays attention to Talita and cares about how she feels.
Topknot
2022-09-18 01:59:12 +0000 UTCoof, that use of the r-word hits hard, knowing she's repeating what others have called her. poor shyam.
Frankie Pigeon
2022-09-18 01:56:48 +0000 UTCI think I relate to Shyam more then I have any other fictional character. That meltdown was just so REAL. I am also a autistic woman-ish mechanic with an inability to read faces and understand other people's feelings towards me. It's wild to me to see a character so specific. Thank you.
Rodith Snow Leopard
2022-09-18 00:10:55 +0000 UTCI LOVE THEM SO MUCH. TT_TT they're so sweet.
Sarah McNeal
2022-09-18 00:02:19 +0000 UTCReally awesome to see this exchange done up in detail... Shyam's facial expressions are really really amazingly done and it's comforting to sss adult neurodivergence depicted with such honesty and sympathy too. Idrisah explaining Talita's ways of expressing was really cute too!!
Gerome
2022-09-17 23:55:06 +0000 UTCI love Shyam so much ;;;;;-;;;;;
Amber Miller
2022-09-17 23:47:07 +0000 UTCoh man, the change in shyam’s response is even more devastating than i thought it’d be…it hits hard, but in a cathartic way. we’ve seen the way talita’s insecurities manifest and create conflict in her relationships, but it’s compelling to see shyam’s in contrast. they may not be going through the same thing Exactly but they both have experienced ridicule and cruelty for things they can’t control and that don’t warrant the type of treatment they’ve received. that crying scene in particular reminded me of the scene where talita is crying about sorrel’s rejection. the loneliness, the despair, the isolation - they both know what it’s like to feel so utterly alone because of they ways they struggle to connect to others around them. seeing them come together, and seeing them make meaningful friendships with others as well, is really soothing. i can’t wait to see the story fully come together!
Ray
2022-09-17 23:38:27 +0000 UTCIt's somehow really relieving to see an autistic meltdown that's much like my own. Curling up, only getting through half of several frantic sentences, upset noises, pulling on hair to avoid hitting yourself instead... It's all so familiar (even if it does differ a bit, which is normal - we're all individuals after all). I'm "supposed" to be high functioning too, but there's a lot that "high functioning" doesn't take into account. Thank you for depicting such a relatable yet compassionate situation <3
linorva
2022-09-17 23:23:46 +0000 UTCGod the expressions on shyam in this are fucking amazingly rendered
Valentina José
2022-09-17 23:21:21 +0000 UTCOh man, I'm not autistic, but i do suffer from depression and I've had similar responses to Shyams when I get super self loathing. It's frustrating but at some point you have to do little things in order to stop yourself from doing something worse as far as self harm goes. So it's nice to see I'm not alone in that behavior, as terrible as it is. Anyway this is a great comic and I really love the way Idrisah talks with Shyam, she just treats her like anyone else and is so patient it's great!
Speedy_Weedy
2022-09-17 23:13:53 +0000 UTCIt's nice to see someone not reacting negatively to obvious neurodivergence, even if it's fictional
squishiepeepz
2022-09-17 23:12:31 +0000 UTC
