Cast[]
Transcript[]
- Panel 1
Roy and Serini are climbing out of a trapdoor in the floor, with Serini's staff holding it open.
Serini: Now this next monster is going to be a bit tricky.
Roy: Did it break free of the suspended animation? We can-
Serini: No, no, it's still stiff as a triple gin.
- Panel 2
The panel focuses on Serini.
Serini: But the monster is... well, we call it an Indescribable Horror.
Serini: It's sort of a...well, it's kind of like... You know what, don't worry about it.
- Panel 3
Serini: The big point is that it's so difficult to grasp what you're looking at that one glance will drive anyone totally cuckoo.
Serini: Even while it's frozen. 'Cause I'm a little stinker, heh heh.
- Panel 4
The panel shows Roy with closed eyes holding the trapdoor open as Haley climbs out of it, followed by Elan. Meanwhile, Serini walks to the left with her eyes closed.
Roy: Got it. OK, everyone, we're going to close our eyes and form a chain.
Serini: The animals will be fine, but someone should throw a blanket over Sunny.
- Panel 5
The Order of the Stick forms a chain as they walk left, with Roy leading it, followed by Haley, Elan, Minrah, Belkar, and Vaarsuvius. Mr. Scruffy walks to the left of Minrah, looking at the off-panel monster frozen in the red rings on the floor, while Bloodfeast rides on Belkar's head. Serini walks in front of Roy, not being part of the chain.
Roy: Great job, just stay up against the all as you pass by and we-
Serini: Shush, I'm counting paces! I need to find and disarm the next trap blind-
Serini: -unless we want the floor to open up and dump us and the Horror into a spiky pit.
- Panel 6
The panel focuses on Roy and Serini as the latter stops in front of a line on the floor.
Serini: ...28, 29, 30...31.
Serini: OK, here. Everyone, stop!
- Panel 7
The panel shifts to the right to show Haley and Elan inbetween Roy and Minrah.
Haley: You know, back in the first dungeon, I would've been so weird about holding hands with you.
Elan: Oh, like you would've winked at me, and I wouldn't have noticed.
Haley: Ha ha, we were so afraid of our feelings back then.
- Panel 8
Haley and Elan stand there, not saying anything.
- Panel 9
Elan: I mean... I wasn't. I just didn't have any.
Haley: Yes, you did. You told me you realized you had feelings for me when you were trapped in Cliffport.
- Panel 10
Haley turns around to face Elan.
Elan: Right, but like...those only started because of all the stuff we'd been been through together.
Haley: So...you're saying you didn't feel anything when we met? Anything at all?
- Panel 11
Elan: No, I meant-
Haley: Not even base level attraction, like, "Oh hey, a cute redhead." Nothing at all.
Elan: I don't know!
Haley: How can you not know??
Elan: I didn't think about it! You were my new co-worker!
- Panel 12
The panel zooms in on Haley alone.
Haley: Hmmm, Ok...we can solve this:
Haley: It's entire possible-probable, even-that you were deeply, passionately attracted to me from the first time you saw me-
Haley: -but your respect for our professional status prevented you from acknowledging it consciously.
Haley: Is that a fair thing to say?
- Panel 13
The panel zooms out to include Elan again.
Elan: Uh, sure. Maybe.
Haley: Or to put it another way, you were scared of breaking workplace norms with how you may-or may not!-have felt.
Elan: ...I guess?
- Panel 14
The panel zooms out even more to include Minrah, Roy, and Serini again.
Haley: Great! Then we agree, we were both so afraid of our feelings back then.
Elan: Huh, I guess so.
Haley: Glad we could clear that up.
Roy: Trap disarmed?
Serini: Avoided, for now. Sometimes, all you can do is remember where the pitfalls are and try not to stumble into them next time.
D&D Context[]
Trivia[]
- The concept of a monster so horrible, so eldritch that drives the viewer insane is a staple of H. P. Lovecraft's "Chulhu Mythos" cosmic horror setting, including the classic, award-winning RPG Call of Cthulhu