#3073: Tariffs

[Ponytail walks over to Cueball while looking at a phone in her hand. Cueball, sitting in an office chair, is leaning back on the chair and turns his head towards her. He is at his desk with his laptop open in front of him.]

Ponytail: You know how I blocked all news sites at the start of 2021 to avoid spoilers for Avatar 2, and then forgot to start checking them again?

Cueball: Yeah, we've been meaning to talk to you about that...

[Ponytail, still holding the phone, stops in front of Cueball and looks at him. He has turned his chair around to face her, having his back to the desk with the laptop.]

Ponytail: Well, I just checked the news for the first time, and why is the economy tanking?

Cueball: Uh, the president is mad at other countries and imposed lots of tariffs.

[Zoom in on Ponytail's head. Cueball's reply comes from a starburst on the right edge of the panel.]

Ponytail: Wait, who's the president now?

Cueball (off-panel): Donald Trump.

Ponytail: ...Still??

Cueball (off-panel): No, again.

[Back to the previous setting, Ponytail is no longer holding the phone.]

Ponytail: OK, fine, what's a tariff? Why is he doing this?

Cueball: You know that pizzeria your company orders from? They don't buy anything from you, right?

Ponytail: Why would they? We do geotechnical landscape surveys.

[Zoom in on Cueball who holds both his arms out wide. Ponytail's reply comes from a starburst on the left edge of the panel.]

Cueball: Right, so they're ripping you off! You're paying them tons of money, and what are you getting for it?

Ponytail (off-panel): I mean... pizza?

Cueball: See? They're not helping your business at all!

Cueball: What a ripoff!

[Back to the previous setting, Ponytail has her hand under her chin.]

Ponytail: What would they even buy from us? I guess we could survey a pizza...

Cueball: Yes, perfect! You refuse to let the delivery driver past your security desk unless they Venmo you for an equivalent value of LIDAR scans.

[Zoom in on Ponytail's head. Cueball's reply comes from a starburst on the right edge of the panel.]

Ponytail: Wouldn't they just stop taking our orders?

Cueball (off-panel): Perfect, balance restored!

[Back to showing both of them in the same position but the desk is not shown.]

Ponytail: OK, but I still want pizza.

Cueball: Can you just make one? You have all that gear.

Ponytail: I don't think pizza made with LIDAR diodes would be very good.

Cueball: Ugh, why is everyone so picky about toppings?