![[0126] Secrets](http://www.sandraandwoo.com/comics/2010-01-04-[0126]-secrets.png "[0126] Secrets")
The current story arc started with this strip: Two Pieces of Cake.
- Larisa: I need a break, boys and girls. And I have to take my insulin.
- Sandra: All right. We should go back home soon anyway. Cloud and I’ll just have a last look at that room over there.
- Larisa: Hey Woo, exhausted too?
- Larisa: I guess…
- Larisa: … we all have our secrets.
- Larisa: {Sigh}
- Larisa: I wonder what yours is…
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Ok so I see…. insulin… allergy nasal spray… and I am curious what the pills are for. Any chance our esteemed writer will inform us?
Joanwrcute says: Ok so I see…. insulin… allergy nasal spray… and I am curious what the pills are for. Any chance our esteemed writer will inform us?
Yes, but you have to be patient. Larisa’s complete story will be revealed over the course of the next two or three years.
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This is totally bizarre. I’m typing/viewing this page via a Nintendo DSi. This large format comic was like waving a flashlight around in tight spots. Upper screen is too small and lower turns the whole image 8-bit. (BLOCKY.) I should shoot a YouTube video on the results. Otherwise, I’m impressed with how well it ports.
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I’m going to guess that it’s all nothing illegal, but assorted medication for ailments that she has, but doesn’t want others to know. (y’know, like that she’s weak or such). The insulin one is hard to hide.
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No, they know she has diabetes. I was guessing she also has asthma, but it could be something else.
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It could be a vitamin deficiency. Or medication for some major illness. I’m not familiar with diabetes, but it could be supplemental medicine if there are stages.
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Type 2 diabetics sometimes take insulin pills as well as injections, so that could be it as well.
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2 or 3 years…? That’s a tad too long, don’t you think?
I’m guessing a heart disease is what Larisa has. It wouldn’t be really unexpected (she’s /exhausted/, Sandra and Cloud are perfectly fine).
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I wonder as well. If she does have some kind of long-term disease or as organ transplant (organ transplants require a lot of medication) it would explain her personalty (to some extent). Character development is excellent; I love seeing her softer side but I don’t ever expect it to last very long.
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Perhaps this is part of why Larisa is so crazy. Perhaps she is seriously ill, and believes her time may come sooner rather than later..so she’s trying to get as much out of life as possible.
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makes sense to me. same situation with bobby darin. he knew he was going to die young and he wanted yo do as much as he possibly could with the short life he had.
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my question is, can woo keep it secret from sandra?
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Odds are those pills are not her insulin. She has syringes for that. And it’s unlikely they’re illegal drugs, as she’s made her disdain for those very clear in “2.8 Weeks Later”.
The nasal spray and/or pills could be for a medical condition besides the diabetes. Major transplant recipient is a possibility; either or both could be an anti-rejection med. Cancer treatment also comes to mind…
Whatever it is, though, it’s got to be something she has to take more often than once or twice a day; otherwise she’d take them first thing in the morning and/or at bedtime or dinnertime. Pain meds, children’s dose antibiotics,
There’s one other thing that comes to mind based on Novil’s hint, but I’m not going to say it, as it’s pretty extreme and thus hopefully unlikely, but I don’t want to put him in the awkward position of having to answer if that turns out to be it.
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Taking a break from Larisa, aren’t Woo’s facial expressions awesome?
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ritalin, sidrin, lithium, seroquel, zyprexa, prozac, tegretol, rivotril, lactrimel, lamictal and Electro Shocks. Currently Im in a New drug plus lamictal and seroquel (500 gm a day plus vitamins).
So she got the happy meal, its not so bad you cowards, but is frustraiting I know how she feels. Secrets sucks but is better that way. Being sick is awfull when you dont have the tragedy to make your disease an excuse, rather you just feel weak and pathetic.
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Why are we assuming the illness is one of the body in the first place?
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*Gasp* ASPRIN!
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Could well be meds for schizophrenia or anti-psychotics (whatever the term is) – you know – like psychotic killers were *supposed* to be taking when we hear about them…
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I think the nasal-spray means that she has an allergy or even asthma
and the pills are just for her thyroid (I hope that’s the right word…)
A lot of people with diabetes need to take those pills to so the thyroids are working properly.
Or the pills are allergypills. (are there pills for asthma???)
Of course I could be wrong… and I’m quite sure I’am…
I hope it’s nothing deadly… but it would explain her chaotic personality… *sigh*
Other thing:
What will Woo tell Sandra about this scene?
He looks really worried about Larissa.
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@Anteros
XDDDDDDD
Thx. Now I can to work with a smile ^^
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Oh hell no- you’re killing her off, aren’t you? Is that why she’s more assertive? ’cause she knows her time’s limited?
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Anti-depressants would explain why her behavior is slightly ‘off’ from the others. Then again, so would ADD or ADHD medications.
Poor girl; type 1 diabetes is an absolutely horrible ailment. On top of asthma and whatever the other medication is for, she must have lived an incredibly tough life…
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http://www.abominable.cc/2009/12/30/resolutions/
racoons are the best
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I simply adore this comic.
I’m amazed by how every character looks so alive and human.
Great job guys!
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@DanialArin:
Nope, the pills are not insulin. See the second frame, she’s having an insulin shot in her belly, the most comon place for diabetics.
I have to say, it’s great to see a strip that fullfills such ample spectre – from slapstick comedy to make characters more human and interesting.
Novil, keep the great work
DanialArin says: Whatever it is, though, it’s got to be something she has to take more often than once or twice a day; otherwise she’d take them first thing in the morning and/or at bedtime or dinnertime. Pain meds, children’s dose antibiotics,
I think this is an example that’s beyond the point of realism you can stick to as a writer or it’d be incredibly complicated to come up with emotional scenes like this.
DanialArin says: There’s one other thing that comes to mind based on Novil’s hint, but I’m not going to say it, as it’s pretty extreme and thus hopefully unlikely, but I don’t want to put him in the awkward position of having to answer if that turns out to be it.
You can send me a mail to novil@gmx.de
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Woo’s secret? His cuteness caused the diabetes. D:
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Seems like someone is a little bit depressed.
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I have a friend in Larisa’s boat. She’s a kidney transplant patient and has to take about a dozen different perscriptions to keep herself going each day (not including her own insulin shots). So I can feel for Larisa. Poor girl, no one that young should have to fight so hard to enjoy life.
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Maybe it’s Lupus.
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The pills might be anti-depresents
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It’s never lupus.
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Sometimes it’s lupus.
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Huh… I’ll admit that my first guess was that she was huffing in one variety or the other. There were kids in middle school who used to do white-out like that, stick the bottle in a nostril and sniff. I’m just now getting back to the strip after a break (I lost the URL, happens fairly often for me with webcomics) but the above comments about her being a bit too manic would fit in too with the loopiness exhibited by huffers.
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It could also be that she has PTSD. Just a thought
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Asthma+Diabetes+Thyroid, I belive It easy for Larisa to feel bad about her (really) weak body when having such animosity.
Also throw that mental illness away, few can manage to write about it, is dificult even for the ones who have it. Also no Cancer nor terminal diseace nor alien abduction, we all know this comic isnt about TV Drama.
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Is it just me, or does Larisa suddenly look much more boyish than she normally acts?
Just how long have Larisa and Sandra been friends?
Also, one doesn’t have to have asthma to be unable to breath properly. Chronic allergies can, and often do close off nasal airways quite frequently, the worse of cases can require several treatments a day.
The only thing that Larisa seems secrative about are the pills, as she was specifically drawn stopping to discuss having secrets right before taking the pills. The only question is what are the pills for… psychological treatment, health, or hormone contorl?
Some of the speculations in this comment section are r-e-a-l-l-y off. But it’s funny to read.
Gonzalo says: the comic is geting really sad its a really good story line but it really depreses me
Pixar movies are so great because they are funny AND touching.
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Valid suggestion with Anti-Depressants.
Living with a mental illness is never an easy thing.
You especially feel as though everyone you know would think lesser of you if they knew your secret.
Sometimes, telling your friends you have a mental illness is what makes living with your condition so hard..
But this isn’t about me,
It’s a web comic about a Girl and her Raccoon, and their circle of friends.
All will be revealed in time, so let’s continue to read and enjoy.
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A quote from Empire Records: “What are these, diet pills? Oh! Diet pills”
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She is actually an alien. She needs the meds so that our toxic atmosphere doesn’t kill her.
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I worry about Novil’s comment that
“Larisa’s complete story will be revealed over the course of the next two or three years.”
Personally, I can’t see something as simply explainable as what she’s taking meds for, to be drawn out over such a long period of time. Practically everyone takes SOME form of medication. Prescriptions, supplements, whatever.
Unless things are different in Germany, really, I can’t think of ANYTHING that she’d be taking to be that big of a deal… except maybe in her mind, of course, as she is a kid.
Of course, when one see’s a kid taking pills as a secret, and we are told we may not know for years, people are going to assume the worst things (either illegal drugs or prescription). Then again, we were never told that we won’t know what she’s taking, and what for SOONER than 2-3 years. But just that her full story won’t be revealed for that long.
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Man, this comic is getting serious…
fesworks says: I worry about Novil’s comment that
“Larisa’s complete story will be revealed over the course of the next two or three years.”
Personally, I can’t see something as simply explainable as what she’s taking meds for, to be drawn out over such a long period of time. Practically everyone takes SOME form of medication. […]
ATTENTION: THE FOLLOWING TEXT CONTAINS A MAJOR SPOILER FOR THE MOVIE THE SIXTH SENSE!
Yeah, they should have said right at the beginning of The Sixth Sense that Dr. Malcolm Crowe is dead. I mean, come on, that’s just some basic information and everyone would have enjoyed the movie just as much when knowing that from the start.
I have already written the concept for a HUGE story arc about Larisa (> 25 strips). I’m currently considering to publish it in fall 2011 so that you won’t have to wait as long as mentioned in my previous comment.
And “No.” I can’t publish this storyline much sooner, because some other stuff has to happen first and some additional character building has to be done.
RockstarRaccoon says: Man, this comic is getting serious…
I think this strip is less serious than strip Nr. 30 or strip Nr. 43 and not more serious than many other strips published before.
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I am really enjoying this comic. Especially this current arc. I also agree with Douglas, Woo has some spectacular facial expressions.
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She’s AERIS!!!! She’s gonna die!
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Both ahe AND the comic has: CERBERUS SYNDROME!
(The point named after the newspaper comic where a comic goes from gag-a-day to serious or at least a followable plot.)
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novil, don’t let nay sayers interfer with the stories you want to write, this has been story driven from the first comic and had a touchy subject at it’s heart (one most people agree on, true, but still touchy) even your gag a day comics make people think (for example the one-shot on jesus that you had to seal the comments board because it was getting a little hot)
I thank you and look forward to the next few months because I think it can only get better.
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I’m agreeing with altengal. Overall excellent comic AND art.
Sometimes I don’t quite agree with certain things, but that’s life. It’s still an excellent story!
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…and by the way, I love Larisa’s face in the second panel. It’s great she can look that way and be concerned for Woo considering what she’s doing to herself at the moment.
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I am putting my guess in with Birth control pills that would normally be taken by those who have their monthly visitor. I only guess that because the container was a circle as they tend to be in.
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McPoe: What, for someone of her age? Whyever for? The only reason I could think of would lend a deeeeeeep blackness to the comic that I just can’t see happening.
Though they don’t always get used for the intended purpose. Could be Larisa was born with a different name…
For what they really are, could be something as simple (and depressingly (agh!) common) as antidepressants. Her mood swings, and how over-prescribed the things currently are…? I’m glad of some of the comments in here though, it’s been educational
—
1/ injections in the abdomen, ok, never knew about that – thought it largely went in the thigh (nice big target, all muscle so well-ensanguinated even though you’re not punching into an artery/vein, and relatively small nerve density). The frame where she’s doing that looks more like pricking her finger with one of those automated bloodsugar level testers.
2/ nasal allergy spray. alright, that’s a relief, it looked like she was furtively sniffing glue or whatever. unless that’s ACTUALLY what’s going on (and the pills are morphine or ecstacy or something).
3/ no insulin in pill-form? (it was going to be my suggestion, too). presumably it’s something that’s unavoidably broken down by digestive enzymes and HAS to be injected?
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For those of you that missed the insulin shot in the picture, look at panel two. You can see the small pain star from her injecting her insulin into her stomach. There’s no scene for her checking her blood sugar either. So those pills wouldn’t be sugar pills right after the insulin.
The way that she talks and acts would assume a large scare in her recent past, but with how long Sandra has known her it is most likely a progression of a past illness or she would have known about it. Seeing how she keeps it a secret, its a better chance of that and issues with her liver, lymphnodes (ugh sp) and/or her heart. The bottle looks like your average nasial spray which may be linked to allergies or a sever allergy to dust which is more and more common in youth as the years go by.
Long time reader, first time poster. I’ve always been impressed with your comic and the C&H feeling I haven’t felt since the first time that tiger pounced Calvin. I just am surprised so many people missed the insulin shot in the second panel. Then again, I missed the inuendo in last weeks comic.
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Solution to your confusions.
Larisa is from the future.
those are future pills she just had
Future pills keep people from the future alive in the past.
She is in the past.
Therfore, she is here to change th future, and save it from the evil overlord tyrant Kaboondaloovakazoo, killer of millions.
Either that, or an organ transplant. :/
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i wonder how much Larissa would freak out if Woo said ‘Don’t worry, i won’t tell them.’
Now that face would be priceless.
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As a young adult reader who has type I diabetes, I can feel for Larissa. For those of you who aren’t familiar with diabetes in children, they often use a long-lasting or ‘basal’ insulin once or twice a day and then take a short-term/meal or ‘bolus’ insulin when they eat. Now, she SHOULD be checking her blood sugar before she gives herself insulin, but given her personality and the way she tries to downplay or draw attention away from her illness (remember, she also uses humor to deflect concern/pity which causes the school drama earlier) I’m not surprised she doesn’t check. It also would be hard to portray that in only a few frames, and would give most readers something even more puzzling to try to figure out what the heck she’s doing.
But as for her being more exhausted than the others, that could be a cover to take her meds without causing a ‘scene’ as she would view it, or simply she really is tired as well. Having a chronic medical condition like diabetes takes a toll on the WHOLE body, as well as the mind (depression is more common). Adrenaline-generating activities affect me more than others, and can actually cause a low blood sugar sometimes if I’m not careful. Which makes me wonder, I don’t recall seeing her eat something anytime soon, and basal insulin is taken 1st thing in the morning and then in the evening usually. Could she be having a low and not want to tell her friends? The shot could actually be a sugar-like solution used for when no form of sugar or carbs is available by mouth. Larissa said it was insulin but she’s not exactly the most squeamish person when it comes to lying or bending the truth I think.
Pizzasgood says: She is actually an alien. She needs the meds so that our toxic atmosphere doesn’t kill her.
Whew, I already thought nobody would get it right.
Konoton says: Both ahe AND the comic has: CERBERUS SYNDROME! (The point named after the newspaper comic where a comic goes from gag-a-day to serious or at least a followable plot.)
Regarding our poll, most readers should be happy that there’ll be several longer story arcs in the future.
I’m getting a little bit tired of pointing out strips to illustrate that Sandra and Woo has always dealt with serious topics.
altengal says: novil, don’t let nay sayers interfer with the stories you want to write […]
If 75 % of all people said X then you should think about it as a creator, but since everybody seems to have different ideas I’m happily ignoring most of them except for comments that point out real mistakes or that include really good advice.
McPoe says: I am putting my guess in with Birth control pills that would normally be taken by those who have their monthly visitor […]
I usually don’t want to comment on specific suggestions, but:
NO, seriously.
Gryphon says: There’s no scene for her checking her blood sugar either
This strip already consists of nine panels and her taking the insulin is not the main focus of the strip, so there was no need to show that on top of it. There’s also an arbitrary amount of time between the first and the second panel.
Roe says: […] For those of you who aren’t familiar with diabetes in children, they often use a long-lasting or ‘basal’ insulin once or twice a day and then take a short-term/meal or ‘bolus’ insulin when they eat. Now, she SHOULD be checking her blood sugar before she gives herself insulin, […]
Which makes me wonder, I don’t recall seeing her eat something anytime soon, and basal insulin is taken 1st thing in the morning and then in the evening usually, […]
I have read several faqs about diabetes, but it’s not possible for me to know each and every detail like someone suffering from the it and thus having year-long knowledge. Addtionally, when writing fiction you always have to leave out certain aspects of the subject when they are not essential to the storyline. Absolutely nobody wants to look at five boring additional panels about the process of the correct preparation of an insulin shot. And Powree was already quite shocked that she has to draw NINE panels for this strip.
It’s always nice when your story is absolutely realistic, but you have to sacrifice that when the story demands it. Unless it becomes complete nonsense like the analysis methods shown in CSI. Yet there are _still_ many people that like that series. And I believe that this strip contains no obvious mistake, just some necessary simplifications.
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I’m gonna shoot in the dark but… AIDS maybe?
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Anyone else noticed that it’s in the form of a pipe? (btw, there are girls who take birth control pills to control their periods because, for some, it’s pretty long and uncomfortable -and she’s not too young [but still not it, i know, just wanted to point that out]).
Lovely comic. The writing and art are both remarkable.
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You know, Novil, I’m really quite glad you brought up strip #43 in one of your comments, because I came across it too late to say anything about it in a relevant manner, and things like this have really been bothering me lately.
By “things like this” I refer to logical fallacies, and specifically the Appeal To Worse Problems, that is, the fallacious belief that: First, if someone is concerned about a trivial personal problem, they cannot simultaneously be concerned about larger problems for other people; Second, if someone was not concerned about their own annoyances, they could meaningfully ease the problems of others; And third, if someone were to ease the problems of others, they would no longer care about what was bothering them to begin with. Sometimes, but not always, conditions 2 and 3 are true. Condition 1 is almost never true outside of fiction. It’s a dishonest way to deliver a message, and I’m glad it’s not a recurring theme.
Sorry about that, but logical fallacies just trigger my pedantic tendencies. All that aside, it’s a bygone comic and I should just let it go now to focus on the present strip.
I wonder if what Woo saw was more informative than what the audience saw. To me, all “nasal spray plus pills” indicates long-term is either a drug addiction or allergies. Of the two, only one could be a secret. So… Larisa has allergies…? No, no, I’m on the wrong track here…
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Or allergies plus any number of possible illnesses. which would be more in character for Larisa anyways.
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I’m sorry to announce that Sandra and Woo has been struck by Rule 34
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@Novil:
Someone else suggested what I was fearing was a possibility, and you’ve explicitly shot it down. To my relief, I might add.
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the point that really gets me is that while everyone is blinded by the obvious foreshadowing. they are missing the lighter foreshadowing.
larisa is hiding something(we will leave the details for later) from her friends but didn’t prevent herself from doing it in front of woo, who’s secret is that he can talk and has the ability to rat larisa out.
mental image of the day: add a panel at the end and have woo lean on her and say something(anything really) and then imagine larisa’s face.
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So glad I am wrong, re-watched the episode of House where that happened and eww forgot that was what caused it. (if you don’t know good.)
I don’t think that Larisa is a boy or was a boy, I don’t think she has a horrible sickness that will kill her off since it was said her story would be unfolded over the next year or two, and I do not think it matters what the pills are unless she tells Woo what they are since, being not a doctor he wouldn’t know what they were just by reading them. Woo could talk, but I don’t think he will unless some one steps on his tail or he’s scared again.
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I don’t need to know what Larisa is taking meds for. We’ve already been told we’ll find out eventually.
I’m waiting to see if Woo “accidentally” answers her question with a spoken reply, like: “Guess” and then see how she reacts.
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Happy ending or tear-jerker, I look forward to this story.
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I hope she is ok!
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I used to think Larisa acts like she does to Cloud because she prefers short-time fun to a relationship that probably doesn’t last anyway. But now that she indirectly advised Sandra to fight for Cloud I converted to the camp that believes she might not make it. Or at least that she believes she might die young (even if the doctors are optimistic about her fighting her diseases).
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Allergy nasal spray, insulin, mystery pills… No, you wouldn’t, would you? No, it can’t be… hope not…
Nice character depth Novil, though I seriously hope its not what I think is ‘wrong’ with her.
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@Zekermeme: In strictest terms, that would be a formal fallacy, not necessarily a logical fallacy. Every reference I’ve seen attempts to use the latter to describe only faulty logic that is not a fallacy in an argument’s structure. No reference I have ever seen lists “Appeal To Worse Problems” as either a formal fallacy or an informal fallacy. A Google search for “appeal to worse” returns eight results, only three of which appear to be relevant. I believe the closest formal fallacy in this case would be a False Dilemma. You are claiming that the writer implies that the woman can only care solely about her own problems or solely about the problems of others. Other forms of “children are starving in Africa” are generally classified as simple Red Herring arguments. You also misuse capitalization and semicolons. If you’re going to be pedantic, be careful about it.
Further, that strip seems to be more about how people throw words like “persecution” around without really having a concept of what they mean. It wasn’t implying that the woman doesn’t care about the plight of the prisoner, more that she is completely unaware of it.
“Persecution” is a particularly overused word, especially in the United States. As an anecdotal example, someone I know backed his car into a shopping cart a few years ago. He claimed that someone left the cart there intentionally in an example of anti-Christian persecution. This sort of thinking is not atypical for the southern regions of the United States.
I also hear Nazi comparisons thrown around a lot. “Socialist”, “communist”, “liberal”, “Nazi”, “fascist” and so forth are all being bandied about by people who clearly do not know what they mean and are merely parroting what their favorite talking heads tell them.
By the way, this constitutes me claiming that your interpretation of the argument presented in strip 43 is a Straw Man.
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I’ve actually known a couple young girls who took birth control to control their acne, because of its effect on their hormones, and not for the normally assumed purposes, so it probably wasn’t as ‘dark’ of a suggestion as most people think.
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Just to point something out to those guessing off of her being tired:
Some people just have lower stamina, and that’s that. Some things contribute that are not in themselves breathing / heart problems. I get worn out relatively quickly, and a large factor is actually my diabetes.
Unless you have it or live with somebody who does, it’s difficult to understand how much diabetics go through physically, outside of all the needles. Hypo- and hyperglycemia can feel dreadful, and most type 1′s face both on a regular basis. Also, with the function of the pancreas gone, the automatic interplay between it and the liver cannot effectively compensate for physical activity levels. Diabetics have to deal with both the carbs they eat and their usage through insulin; with the energy that goes into your body requiring so much attention, diabetes is potentially wearing just in the having.
I’m not trying to rule anything out as far as the pills (see my comment on the next strip for my take on those), and I can confidently say the nasal spray is allergy-related. I just thought I’d point out another depth of diabetes and show how complicated, or else simple, her being tired is as far as any conditions she has.
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Also, in case nobody has clarified yet:
Type 1 (a.k.a. juvenile) diabetes is due to an auto-immune response where the body kills off its own pancreas. The loss of pancreatic function (production of insulin) causes a need for insulin injection every day for the rest of life, because insulin is required for cells to use the glucose (a form of sugar) in the bloodstream. This means both shots for food and routine shots for the liver’s regulatory glucose output. Some people take only set, routine shots and have to follow a strict diet to match, but most take a 24-hour routine insulin for the liver and additional fast-acting shots whenever they eat, calculating how much they’re eating and adjusting the insulin accordingly. They also take insulin when they have high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) in order to bring it down. Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is corrected by eating a certain amount of a simple, quick-to-work sugar source, such as apple juice.
I have this type.
Type 2 (a.k.a. adult-onset) diabetes is commonly found in older adults and is generally due to some degree of obesity. This is the type most people think of, where one has to abstain from sugar and may or may not take routine shots. Basically, the excess weight or fat of the individual lessens the effectiveness of the insulin they produce — rather, their insulin production is not quite sufficient. This is also the type of diabetes where one might take thyroid medication regularly, as the thyroid’s health can be affected by their weight. Type 2 can be remedied by getting one’s weight under control. They also may take insulin in the event of hyperglycemia.
I hope I made a clear and helpful distinction about these. As Larisa is obviously not overweight, she must have type 1. In “Addicted,” she probably was hyperglycemic. Her line in this strip suggests she otherwise takes insulin in a routine fashion, watching her diet closely enough to make that possible.
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I know what the pills are… I think… My friend takes them too.
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Personally, I’m going with insulin, laughing gas (ala the dentist from Little Shop of Horrors) and placebo pills.
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eh who knows. raccoon secrets are best kept by raccoons
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“My secret is that I know yours.”