metabolism

Main comic, one panel: A dark-haired woman leans over and points angrily at a man named Steve, who lies flat on the ground with his eyes shut, completely still. She shouts, "STEVE, I GOT A CALL FROM THE CREDIT CARD COMPANY AND YOU HAVE A BALANCE OF— HEY! NO! NO! NO MINIMIZING ALL METABOLIC PROCESSES! WAKE UP!" A caption below reads, "And so, the awkwardostatic organism will enter awkwardostasis until the conversation environment becomes warmer." The joke: Steve fakes a hibernation-like shutdown, like an animal entering torpor, to escape an uncomfortable confrontation about his credit card debt. Votey (aftercomic): a close-up of a person's distressed, skeptical face as the woman (off-panel) realizes the trick, exclaiming, "OH MY GOD HE BUILT A PILLOW FORT TO HIBERNATE IN! HE KNEW THIS WAS COMING!"—revealing Steve premeditated the escape.