#sorry about the blurry bit they were in the crease of my sketchbook

[rhinocio]

why are you like this

[Image ID: A two page monochromatic comic featuring Taako, Lup, Angus, Magnus, Lucretia, Barry, and Merle from The Adventure Zone: Balance podcast.

In the first panel, Taako is standing at a stovetop sprinkling something into a frying pan, and is looking over his shoulder to ask, “What’cha reading over there, pumpkin?” He is an elf with long ears and a high ponytail of colourless hair, and is wearing an apron.

In the second panel, Angus is looking up from a massive book, saying, “A book of folk tales that Mister Kravitz gave me.” He is a dark-skinned human boy with a curly hightop haircut and round glasses. He is sitting at a table with Lup and Magnus, the former of which is peering at his novel with her chin in her hand. Lup is an elf with long ears and a long undercut hairstyle, wearing a hoodie. Magnus’ face is not visible, but he is wearing a flannel plaid shirt.

In the third panel Angus continues, “Based on the age alone it’s no surprise it’s full of inaccurate rationale, and that’s excusing the blatant RACISM...”

In the fourth panel, Angus has one hand pressed thoughtfully to his chin, and says, “It spends three chapters blaming murders on elves eating people, which--” Lup, with one arm slung over the back of her chair and a disbelieving look on her face, interrupts, “Oh, that’s totally true, though.” In the fifth panel, Angus stares deadpan at Lup, clearly unimpressed with her commentary, and she stares blandly back.

In the sixth panel, we see Taako cooking. His back is turned, but he says, “Oh yeah, no shit. I had to do some real inventive cooking to make human meat any sort of palatable.” Barry, a pale-skinned man with slicked back hair and square glasses, is cringing, and adds, “Yeah, those first few meals were BAD.”

The seventh panel shows Barry, Merle, Magnus, Lup, and Angus sitting at a long table. Barry has his hands folded and pressed to his lips. “We hadn’t known starvation until that cycle. It was a terrible but necessary evil,” he says. Merle, a dwarf with a topknot, solemnly nods and comments, “Shame.” Magnus and Lup both look rather cheerful, and Magnus excitedly says, “I didn’t mind the charcoal taste!” Angus sits at the far end of the table, looking extremely exasperated.

In the eighth panel, Angus rises from his seat and collects an empty plate and fork from in front of him. “I KNOW you’re all trying to goof me. You aren’t subtle,” he says. Magnus is a medium-skinned man with pale hair and a beard that is fuller through the sideburns. He has his eyes closed, with one hand pressed over his heart and the other doing a Boy Scout salute, and sternly says, “Angus! We would NEVER goof about such a serious and traumatic time in our history!” 

In the ninth panel, Angus is leaving the table, a prim and unimpressed look on his face. He calls over his shoulder, “Uh-huh. It doesn’t make biological sense  for any of you to eat people. And I’m sure that would have come up in the voidfish song.” Behind him, Merle is grinning, and Barry appears to be smothering laughter.

In the tenth panel, Angus approaches a sink, where Lucretia has been washing dishes. She is standing still, and gripping the rim of the sink. Her back is turned. She is a dark-skinned human woman with white hair, wearing a high-collared shirt with long sleeves. Angus prompts, “I’m all finished with my plate, Miss Lucretia,” and looks concerned when she doesn’t respond. “...Miss Lucretia?”

In the final panel, Lucretia’s face is visible, and she wears an extremely stern expression. She appears to be seeing something beyond the present moment, and has one hand clutched to her abdomen. “It was the most god-damned horrible carnage I’ve ever seen,” she says, “Promise me, Angus. Promise you’ll never let Taako become that hungry again.” Angus is groaning at the humour with his plate pressed to his forehead. Taako is visible in the background, doubled over in laughter with a hand pressed to his face.]