LPN Deep Dives: Crescent City / Episode 9: Post Traumatic Sandriel Disorder

Summary

Podcast Summary: LPN Deep Dives: Crescent City / Episode 9: Post Traumatic Sandriel Disorder

Introduction

In Episode 9 of LPN Deep Dives: Crescent City, hosted by Natalie Jean and Jackie Zabrowski of The Last Podcast Network, the hosts delve deep into the intricacies of Sarah J. Maas's popular adult science fiction novel series, Crescent City. Titled "Post Traumatic Sandriel Disorder," this episode offers an in-depth analysis of key plot points, character developments, and thematic elements spanning chapters 29 to 36. Through engaging discussions, personal anecdotes, and insightful commentary, Natalie and Jackie guide listeners through the complexities of the narrative, making it accessible and intriguing even for those unfamiliar with the series.

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Episode Structure

1. Casual Banter and Personal Stories (00:19 - 07:05)
2. Chapter Summaries and Analysis (07:06 - 44:48)
3. Character Dynamics and Interactions (44:49 - 73:41)
4. Conclusion and Teasers for Next Episode (73:42 - End)

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1. Casual Banter and Personal Stories (00:19 - 07:05)

The episode kicks off with Natalie Jean and Jackie Zabrowski engaging in light-hearted, humorous banter. They share personal anecdotes and playful exchanges, setting a relaxed and relatable tone for the deep dive ahead.

• Humorous Exchanges:

  • Natalie Jean jokes about the possibility of both hosts ending up on a nude beach, blending personal humor with playful teasing. For instance, at [00:39], Natalie muses, "I might happen upon a nude beach," sparking laughter and a playful response from Jackie.
  • Jackie humorously comments on protein intake and muscle maintenance, leading to a discussion about Fritos and their nutritional value, highlighting their chemistry and ability to make light of unrelated topics before transitioning to the book's content.

• Personal Reflections:

  • Natalie shares her excitement about transitioning to a platinum blonde hairstyle, receiving supportive comments from Jackie, which underscores their friendly rapport ([03:45] - [07:05]).

2. Chapter Summaries and Analysis (07:06 - 44:48)

Transitioning from their initial banter, Natalie and Jackie delve into a detailed summary of the book's chapters, interspersing their analysis with direct quotes from the podcast transcript.

• Chapter 29 Overview:

  • The hosts discuss the protagonists Hunt and Bryce navigating their living arrangements and professional duties. Natalie humorously comments on Hunts's washboard abs ([01:10] - [05:24]).
  • They explore the dynamics between Hunt and Bryce, highlighting their professional and personal interactions. A notable moment occurs when Hunt observes Bryce's outfit as protective armor, recognizing the depth of their relationship ([25:03] - [26:49]).

• Character Developments:

  • Bryce Quinlan's interactions with Hunt reveal her strong, independent nature as she navigates the challenges posed by their complex world. Natalie and Jackie analyze Bryce's motivations and her past conflicts with other characters, such as Rune and her father ([26:15] - [35:15]).
  • The emergence of Micah as an antagonist introduces tension, particularly in his interactions with Hunt and Bryce. The hosts discuss Micah's influence and the impending threats he poses ([57:02] - [69:32]).

• Major Plot Points:

  • The discovery of crucial backstory elements, including the creation and significance of Luna's horn and its connection to the starborn prince, Pelias ([36:05] - [38:46]).
  • The strategic use of oracles and mystics in the narrative, examining how characters like Ruhn and Bryce grapple with their traumatic pasts and the weight of their responsibilities ([42:48] - [43:35]).

• Notable Quotes:

  • Natalie Jean reflects on the psychological aspects of the characters, stating at [26:15], "I have a hate ranking. Let me go through."
  • Jackie Zabrowski emphasizes the danger of discussing archangels publicly: "He tells her he can't talk about this. Just walking around, like, discussing the archangels in public is extremely dangerous." ([27:21])

3. Character Dynamics and Interactions (44:49 - 73:41)

The hosts delve deeper into the interpersonal relationships and emotional landscapes of the characters, focusing on Hunt's PTSD and Bryce's resilience.

• Hunt’s Psychological Struggles:

  • Hunt grapples with PTSD stemming from centuries of suffering and forced violence. Natalie empathizes with his trauma, noting at [52:54], "He's still got PTSD he's experiencing while giving this simple answer."
  • Jackie highlights how Bryce supports Hunt, despite his emotional barriers, fostering a trauma bond that adds depth to their relationship ([59:00] - [60:27]).

• Bryce’s Resilience and Independence:

  • Bryce’s independent spirit is showcased through her interactions with Hunt and Micah. When Micah's presence causes tension, Bryce's quick thinking and assertiveness come to the forefront, such as when she playfully snaps at Micah's inappropriate advances ([55:17] - [57:47]).
  • Natalie and Jackie discuss Bryce’s ability to maintain her autonomy and resist external pressures, illustrating her strength and complexity as a character.

• Themes of Trust and Vulnerability:

  • The conversation explores the themes of trust, vulnerability, and the struggle to overcome past traumas. The hosts mention Bryce’s attempts to reach out emotionally, despite Hunt's reluctance to open up ([43:35] - [73:41]).
  • Noteworthy is Bryce's inverse relationship with technology and privacy, as she intrudes into Hunt's phone for photos, juxtaposing her openness with his guarded nature ([47:17] - [50:57]).

• Notable Quotes:

  • Bryce’s blunt dismissal of Micah's advances: "I don't want to. He likes it," commented by Jackie at [57:04].
  • Hunt’s internal conflict is poignantly captured when Natalie narrates his detachment during a kill: "Hunt was nothing but a shadow, a wisp of life, an instrument of death." ([71:41] - [71:45])

4. Conclusion and Teasers for Next Episode (73:42 - End)

As the episode nears its end, Natalie and Jackie wrap up their analysis with reflections on the characters' emotional states and set the stage for future discussions.

• Reflection on Emotional Depth:

  • The hosts express their hope for Hunt’s healing journey, contemplating whether he can overcome his PTSD in upcoming chapters ([73:00] - [73:17]).

• Teasers and Upcoming Content:

  • They encourage listeners to read up to chapter 36 for the next episode, promising more detailed analyses and exciting developments.
  • Natalie shares a humorous anecdote about virtual reality and personal fears, maintaining the engaging and personable tone ([60:39] - [62:21]).

• Closing Remarks:

  • The episode concludes with a heartfelt thanks to their researcher, Jess, and a nod to their listeners, though they intentionally skip the advertisement segments per user instructions ([24:35] - [24:43], [73:35] - [73:41]).

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Key Takeaways and Insights

• Complex Character Development: The episode highlights the nuanced development of both Hunt and Bryce, emphasizing their vulnerabilities, strengths, and evolving relationship dynamics.

• Themes of Trauma and Recovery: A significant portion of the discussion centers on Hunt's PTSD and the broader theme of overcoming past traumas, providing listeners with a deeper understanding of the characters' motivations and struggles.

• Interpersonal Relationships: The interplay between characters, especially the trauma bond between Hunt and Bryce, is explored, showcasing how personal histories and emotional baggage influence their interactions.

• Narrative Progression: The hosts meticulously trace the storyline's progression, noting critical plot developments such as the significance of Luna's horn, the threat posed by Micah, and the intricate backstories that enrich the main narrative.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Natalie Jean at [31:03]:

  "I just love this. And I feel like all of us should use this tip now just to be like, it's genetic. I don't have success, but it's genetic. It's not my fault."

• Jackie Zabrowski at [27:21]:

  "He tells her he can't talk about this. Just walking around, like, discussing the archangels in public is extremely dangerous."

• Natalie Jean at [71:41]:

  "Hunt was nothing but a shadow, a wisp of life, an instrument of death. He was nothing and no one at all."

• Jackie Zabrowski at [57:35]:

  "And he knows that if he had done that in her court, that he would be in a torture dungeon. So he's gonna take the lashing. Yes, the verbal lashing."

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Conclusion

Episode 9 of LPN Deep Dives: Crescent City provides a comprehensive and engaging exploration of Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas. Through their dynamic chemistry and insightful analysis, Natalie Jean and Jackie Zabrowski effectively unpack the novel's complex characters, intricate plotlines, and profound themes. Whether you're a long-time fan of the series or new to the world of Crescent City, this episode offers valuable perspectives and a deeper appreciation of the narrative's depth and richness.

Stay tuned for the next episode, where Natalie and Jackie will continue their deep dive, unraveling more of the captivating story and its multifaceted characters.

Transcript

[Natalie Jean]

Welcome to Crescent City with your hosts, Natalie Jean and Jackie Zabrowski. I wonder when I find myself someday on some nude beach, if I'll give in, if I'll take it all off.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

What new beach are you?

[Natalie Jean]

I don't know. I might. I just happenstance upon a nude beach when in nude beach. I feel like as a self identifying swing baiter with my husband, I feel that it is. We are going to find ourselves on a nude beach at some point and man, everyone, no one's going to know what to do with us. I like that you're eating corn chips right now because it makes me think of the little feet of the little puppies. It makes you think of your little puppy feet.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Why? Oh, because they smell.

[Natalie Jean]

Because they smell like little corn chips.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's true. Dog paws do smell like corn chips. I need sustenance because it's hard to keep these muscles. You know, I have to. I have to really pump on a lot of protein to keep this shape.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, yeah, and man, everybody knows that. Fritos full of protein.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Let's see.

[Natalie Jean]

Do you want to look at the nutritional facts of the Fritos?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The entire bag. Three entire grams of it.

[Natalie Jean]

Wow, it's like you're a muscle man over here. Yeah, three grams gets you everywhere, guys. Unfortunately, if there's one thing I've learned from TikTok, it's that none of us eat enough protein. Oh, we need more protein, guys. That's why I drink coffee all day, right? Yeah, I know. You could put the protein, you could put the fair life in the coffee and then you have protein coffee. What do you do when you're at work and you got no protein milk?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Tell them to put some protein milk in the fridge.

[Natalie Jean]

Garcon.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Garcon.

[Natalie Jean]

Hey, fair life. Now you know how that's how it works here in this network. The garcon comes over and takes your demarcide. Yes. I say give me the money. And we all have to speak in fake French. French accents. And nobody's good at it, but everybody thinks they are good.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Deeply offensive.

[Natalie Jean]

You are touching yourself in front of me and I'm upset. Natalie keeps groping herself and I'm worried while sitting next to you that those hands are gonna wander.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You know, it's my fake chest is above my real chest by like a good 6 inches.

[Natalie Jean]

So you are grabbing your breasts.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I do feel like a little bit of a cow at the moment with several nipples.

[Natalie Jean]

Well, if you were a cow and I'd milk you, I wouldn't. I would. I Would. I would say hello, cow.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I assume because I am hunts, and you like, hunt.

[Natalie Jean]

That's what it was. Not just me thinking about, what if you were actually hiding utters under there? And this entire time after all these years, I had no idea. But that would be very impressive considering the amount of bathing suits I've seen you in.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Also, I'd be making a bunch of money on onlyfans right now if I had utters.

[Natalie Jean]

Dude, get that nat milk. It's warm.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Ew, gross, man.

[Natalie Jean]

All right, now you got to suck from the tea that you get it all warm. Apparently, it's the best cream to exist.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

This is. This is not going the way I would like.

[Natalie Jean]

No. And I am dressed like a queen, and I better act like it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I like your sparkly lips.

[Natalie Jean]

Thank you. I'm feeling very Queen Thea right now, and there's not a lot of fan art out there about Queen there, so I kind of just shot from Mathea Hip over here.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. I mean, that's kind of nice. You can just create your own version.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. And I was feeling it with the silver lips, because usually I'm gonna be. I'm gonna be real real with you right now. I don't usually do a light lip because I don't like how it looks on my face. I like a dark lip.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I mean, you rock a dark lip, but I appreciate that you can. I. I think you look nice in light colors, too.

[Natalie Jean]

Do you think so? Because I feel like I just, like, sucked a clown's dick.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

What? How? In what way, man? What way? You sucking a clown's penis would make your lips light pink.

[Natalie Jean]

I think I was thinking, well, these are. This is more of, like, a silvery white, and I think I'm thinking of Art the Clown, specifically. Oh.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, well, you're sexualizing Art the Clown.

[Natalie Jean]

You know, we did have the conversation while watching it last night. The would you. Won't you. With Art the Clown. And I did say won't. I did say. I was like, let's like. Like, if we're on a date. Like, he's obviously very good with his fingers, so, like, maybe that could be something that could intrigue.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But, like, you know, like, all of the, like, mutilations.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. And it's like the. Honestly, pointed teeth. I know I'm a monster fucker, and I shouldn't shame someone for having pointed teeth, but I think I'd be really scared.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But isn't like, the allure of the pointed teeth is that they could.

[Natalie Jean]

Could, but they don't, and they don't do it. You. You say that, but then you think about the actuality of someone with that, like a mouth of razor sharp teeth going down on you, and that genuinely scares me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Well, not only that, but also Arthur Clone would hurt you with them.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, you will. Hopefully. Honestly, he'd do something real fun while he's down there. Really? Well, you don't want him just eating you out. If you're in a terrifier movie, you'd want, like. Oh, it's like. No, terrify me. Like, do the whole thing.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't know. I don't really want to know what rabbit hole your mind is delving into right now.

[Natalie Jean]

It's deep, but it is full of veggies. I'm filling up all the rabbits. I'd feed the rabbits if I lived in a rabbit hole. Anyway, sorry. We can start the episode.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, maybe we should talk about the.

[Natalie Jean]

You wanna. You wanna. You wanna get it? Oh, you want to.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I.

[Natalie Jean]

And Natalie, you look very sexy, but. Thank you. And I don't think you look like baby poop is smeared on your face, even though that's what you said earlier.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It does look like. Maybe not baby poop, but it does, like, look like baby food is smeared all over my face.

[Natalie Jean]

Maybe. Yeah, maybe like a pureed carot or something like that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And even darker. I need a darker stubble. This is a little too light for the dark amount of hair.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm gonna have to. I'll share you my stubble palette now. I just straight up have a stubble.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, I don't have one, which I obviously need if I'm going to continue.

[Natalie Jean]

This because it's kind of ruined the shades because I use a. Like a scrubby washcloth to make it more, like, patchy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

So it kind of fucked up the whole palette. So now it's just a beard palette. So you can use it whenever you want. Okay.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Is this boring?

[Natalie Jean]

Should I not be saying this? Sometimes as I'm speaking, I'm like, jackie, nobody cares about what you're saying, but.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Podcasters can't worry about such things. Otherwise we would never have.

[Natalie Jean]

Never speak. No, we'd never speak. But I will say, and I know that this is not going to be anytime soon. I look great as a blonde, and someday I'm going to be a platinum blonde, and I'm very excited for that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You have a really great honey complexion, like, for this color blonde hair.

[Natalie Jean]

Thank you. I appreciate that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It looks actually like it. It fits you really well.

[Natalie Jean]

I really appreciate you saying that. And I Think I would wear a lighter, like clown sucked dick lip if I had lighter hair? Maybe.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Okay.

[Natalie Jean]

You know, because I feel like I'm really feeling this right now, guys.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's giving, like, a very 60s vibe that I'm enjoying.

[Natalie Jean]

Thank you. I'm like a Twiggy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You are.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, my good. Everybody says that. Jackie. Twiggy. Jackie. We're talking about Jackie.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Now they will.

[Natalie Jean]

Now they will get ready.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Okay, so if you recall.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, tell me about it. Whoa. Oh, man. Grabbing. She's grabbing herself again.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Moving in to Bryce's apartment.

[Natalie Jean]

Because if you work that hard for those washboard abs, I would never button my shirt again. Right?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

This is my hunt for this episode. Because of what we're about to go into in the episode.

[Natalie Jean]

Hell, yeah. I like the bright white hat.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's a sambal hat, remember?

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's part of the outfit.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, yeah. Remember?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Because she's.

[Natalie Jean]

What?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We didn't get there yet.

[Natalie Jean]

We didn't get there yet. Natalie.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I am. I am wearing this before it's revealed in the book.

[Natalie Jean]

Man, we are ready for that reveal.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So the Hunt is passed out for the first night in the apartment. And the next morning he's awoken by C rings swatting at his face.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, my God.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And it is cute o'clock over here as Searinx wins Hunt over with his charms, which all he really wants is food. But you know, you take a dog's love or not a dog. Chimera. Yeah, Chimera.

[Natalie Jean]

Which is Chimera.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Chimera, Chimera, Chimera, Chimera. Yes.

[Natalie Jean]

I, I. And it just makes me think of.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Little Carmi when Carmi looks like her with her little.

[Natalie Jean]

With her little snorts and she'll get on your chest and you know she's hungry.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

In my world Canon where they're Philadelphia Lunathian, Syrinx looks like Carmelita.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes. Oh, yeah. I mean, you can't take it away from my brain. So I just think of Syrinx snorting the way Carmi does, and it makes me want to cry puppy tears. I want a dog so badly. I'm gonna get a dog. I'll get a dog.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

At some point, realizing that Hunt hasn't heard Bryce moving around yet, he quickly makes his way to her room, hoping she hasn't bailed already. But she sound asleep still, which is good. She had a hard night.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. And also, hopefully, maybe even though she doesn't want him there, I imagine having someone there probably helped her sleep a little bit better.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Especially because they've Come to a sort of, you know. Yeah, so he sees her make. He just kind of peers in her room and she's still sound asleep in a nightie.

[Natalie Jean]

Just letting you know, don't ever do that to me while I'm sleeping. Unless you want to see a lot more of Jackie than you planned.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, I would never knock. It seems like maybe she wasn't protesting that much. Maybe she didn't really think that she.

[Natalie Jean]

Put the nightie on and not much else.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And also, technically, Syrinx is the one who cracked the door to leave. But anyway.

[Natalie Jean]

But also you're right though, because some people have to leave the door open for animals or for kids, and I also get that too.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But regardless, she's there fast asleep, and he notices the tattoo across her back because she's lying on her belly. And so this is the first time he's really taken a gander at the matching tattoo that she has with Danika. And then he takes an assessment of all of the bruises that are covering her body already healing from last night thanks to her fae blood.

[Natalie Jean]

And he was staring at her like a fucking creepy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So, you know, at least he's self aware.

[Natalie Jean]

He's aware and he's been aware. I think that like. Like when he was between her knees last week as well, of like. Oh, oh, oh, oh.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And yet he keeps staring.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, interesting. It's. He needs to assess, research the situation. He's gotta make sure there's nobody bad in the room or in the bed with her.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Right, right, right, right. And he gets busted because Juniper, who clearly has a key to the apartment, sweeps in before he can even pull a knife on somebody walking into the apartment. She's staring at him in complete shock.

[Natalie Jean]

Uh oh.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Because first off, she didn't know Hunt was living there now. And secondly, because he's shirtless.

[Natalie Jean]

Whoa. Just like you, Natalie. No wonder I can't pay attention. I keep staring at your washboard abs.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

What's up? Oh, I. I guess I forgot my shirt. Oops.

[Natalie Jean]

Maybe it burst off my big chest.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Sorry about that. I guess I just can't put one on though.

[Natalie Jean]

Well, my arms are so big I can't raise them above my head.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I guess I just gotta like walk around in the kitchen like this.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, I guess you need like a massage or something. Like, do you need. That's just me. It's just not Juniper or Bryce, Just Jackie of just at the door going like, oh, wow. Oh, look at that guy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He turned into a cartoon character.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh yeah. If I was in front of the Umbra mortis. Can you imagine? Yeah. I'm not gonna be keeping my co.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He realizes she's staring at him because again, he's shirtless and he looks like he's leaving Bryce's room. In that moment, he gets a case of the. Juniper's obviously amused by this and just asks him for privacy to speak with Bryce, who is just stirring from her deep sleep. He's glad to escape the awkward moment and heads towards the kitchen to find coffee. Still not with a shirt on.

[Natalie Jean]

No.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Interesting. But he can hear their entire conversation. And, like, what is he supposed to do if they're not whispering? Like, not hear them.

[Natalie Jean]

And you also, I feel like in this world, wouldn't you assume that someone's always kind of listening because of, like, the Fae ears and, like, the. The scents and stuff like that? I feel like I would always assume. I always assume my phone is listening. And I feel like that is like a good terror that is constant that everyone should live by.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Sure. I also think that maybe they're not trying that hard to keep a secret.

[Natalie Jean]

No.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But do you think when they whisper, they have to be like.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, I feel like I'd have to, like, write it down.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's because people. Everybody can hear so well.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, that and also, oh, give me that, like, Fae breeze or whatever. I'm gonna need Febr. That, like, put that through the air whenever you do anything.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I hope it doesn't smell like Febreze, because that just makes me think of a smelly college dorm.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, yeah, that's Fabries. Yeah. That's a full breeze. And this Fae breeze. So that is just for, you know, just your everyday sense.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Got it. He can't help but hear them. They're talking loudly. And he hears Juniper call him a quote, gorgeous angel. And he can't help but grin to.

[Natalie Jean]

Himself that he can.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He's not used to hearing that because it's way more common for people to think of him simply as a killing machine.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. They're terrified of him.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. Even though he's hot. Can you believe they won't look at him even because he's like, murdering people.

[Natalie Jean]

Like, in the middle of cutting somebody's head off or something. Like, it's like, look to the angel within.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, Right. And within his clothes.

[Natalie Jean]

Noise. Yeah. Within my body.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Bryce makes it clear she has no choice in the matter that he is in the apartment because, you know, Juniper's like, asking him. Juniper's like, asking her what he's doing.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. There.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And stuff. And she says he does Neither of us really have a choice. But he's here on work. It's not like that.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, it's not like that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, well, Juniper fairly points out it's not supervision this casual to walk around shirtless.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, but his muscles are so big.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

June, it's just hard to keep them contained.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, you gotta let him breathe.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

June also mentions that Fury is likely to come to town to deal with the fallout from the nightclub. And, you know, this strikes a chord in Brace. She bitterly mentions. Well, I guess there'd be no other reason for Fury to show up in town.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Juniper clarifies in this moment that, you know, Fury's dealing with the pain by avoidance. Which is to say that June doesn't think Fury somehow blames Bryce for this. Just that Fury doesn't know where to.

[Natalie Jean]

Put her grief, which happens to a lot of people of, like, when you experience something you've never experienced before that you don't know how you would react to it. And some people go the avoidance route.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. I mean, Fury seems like maybe she doesn't really know how to get into.

[Natalie Jean]

Her own feelings, her emotions. Yeah. No, I mean, but again, she's like.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

A famed kid deadly assassin. Yeah. The two ladies kind of come to the end of their conversation, and they walk out, greeting Hunt, who Bryce acknowledges, obviously heard everything they were saying. Hunt can't help but wince at the vicious scar on her thigh as she walks because she's still only wearing a nightie, and he blames himself for it. Again, that would make me really. I would also feel really hard. It would be hard to look at somebody's, like, injury and be like, I did that.

[Natalie Jean]

I did this.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. Juniper then leaves, which leaves Bryson Hunt in this new sort of setup, sort of analyzing each other.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, it's definitely like Charles in Charge situation.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, that has bad lore around it.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, I guess it is bad one. I was trying. I was gonna say three's company, but it's not three's company because June just left. So I was like, what is another. What is that? That react like that relationship of like an overseer, almost like a Mr. Belvedere. Yeah. Mr. Belvedere is where you went with this. Yes, that's where I went with it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Which was. So he's Mr. Belvedere.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, I guess he's Mr. Belvedere. Yeah. Sometimes you got to look at Haunt and be like, are you the Mr. Belvedere? Oh, God. What if I thought about a sweater vest? I didn't know this is what I needed.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I was gonna Say it was probably something more like something that happened on Friends, But I guess Mr. Belvedere. Yeah, sure.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Think about that show. Was he paid?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't know. We. I mean, that show.

[Natalie Jean]

I don't know if I've ever watched an episode of Mr. Belvedere.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That show is so old. I have only the Vegas, like, child baby memories of it. The only thing I really remember about it is that there's a. An episode where the sun gets touched at camp. What? And they have a whole PSA at the end.

[Natalie Jean]

That's not where I expected.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I know.

[Natalie Jean]

At all.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's intense and I'm sorry.

[Natalie Jean]

I just made you remember that it's technically really good.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They did it because they did a whole thing talking about, you need to report it when it happens, but it's not. It's like, not on canon for, like, a sitcom of that caliber is like, that's weird out of left field kind of situation.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, now you're just looking at Mr. Belvedere.

[Natalie Jean]

It's based on a novel.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We have to focus.

[Natalie Jean]

All right, I'm sorry. I'm focusing. I'm focusing, I'm focusing. I'm focusing. Curious. I thought it was, you know, you never know. If you look up like Mr. Belvedere, and it's like, never speak of this show. Everything bad happened on this show, so I think I was looking more for that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We're all very traumatized.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, no, I'm scared of my trauma. I'm scared of everybody else's trauma. It's just, you know, always. Again, always live in fear is what I'm saying.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So we are in this new setup, which both of them involves both of them half dressed. They're in the kitchen just hanging out, partially nude.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But they have shared some other bonding moments before this, so neither of them seem particularly mad or uncomfortable in this moment. Bryce, in her own ball busting way, attempts friendly japing as she sits across from him.

[Natalie Jean]

Bryce being Bryce.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, she sits across from him eating the croissants. Croissants. That Juniper had brought her as an apology for, you know, punching her in.

[Natalie Jean]

The face, you know, like friends do. It's like, oh, sorry. I mean, I would have brought a bagel. I feel like it's more substantial than a croissant. But, Juniper, we appreciate you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's so hard to envision either one of us punching the other one in the face.

[Natalie Jean]

God, what would it take? I feel like you'd have to do something really bad to Henry, and I probably would punch you in the face.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, I don't know.

[Natalie Jean]

If I could reach all the way up there, though, I'd have to get up on a chair. So if you ever see me getting up on a chair in front of you, know that I know something you did, and I'm about to punch you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Know what I do. Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

I don't know. I don't know. But you will definitely know.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, God.

[Natalie Jean]

I know. And I'm. I'm sorry that you feel sad, but you should feel sad for whatever you did to him that made me do this. I'm not gonna punch you, Natalie.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I didn't do anything.

[Natalie Jean]

It would be funny, though, if I just start getting out the chair. It's like I know what's next.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, I didn't do anything.

[Natalie Jean]

But thank you, Natalie, for not punching me in the face in all the years that we've known each other.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You're welcome.

[Natalie Jean]

So family.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She basically. She basically, she says to him, you know, look, now that we're living together, don't try any of that alpha hole stuff on me where you're strutting around topless, trying to seduce me and, like, fall in love with me and, like, want to take care of me and stuff.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, don't do that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yuck. Yeah. He's perplexed, but he definitely plays into this nagging going on by snatching the croissant out of her hand and informs her that the last thing he wants to do is her.

[Natalie Jean]

Interesting.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So she that the absolute last thing never would.

[Natalie Jean]

Yuck. Puke.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So she doesn't need to worry about it. Plus, she's the one walking around in her underwear all day. Ew. He hates it.

[Natalie Jean]

He hates it, too. He'd worked hard to forget that particular detail. How after her morning run, she did her hair and makeup in a routine that took her more than an hour from start to finish, wearing only what seemed to be an extensive and rather spectacular assortment of lingerie. Hunt supposed if he looked the way she did, he'd wear that shit too. Cute. It's cute. But also, you know, I hope for her sake, and maybe I shouldn't say this, because maybe some people do like to lounge in lingerie. It's just not my thing. But I am hoping that she was doing that for him and it's not just how she lives her life, just because I imagine it's got to be really uncomfortable to just lay around in lingerie. And hopefully she was just doing it because she knows that he was looking.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think mostly it's because, well, I Guess you don't need to wear lingerie under tiny dresses. You can technically just wear, like, normal underwear underneath there.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So I guess maybe she could. You could think, oh, well, it makes her feel, like, more confident as she gets dressed or something.

[Natalie Jean]

For sure. And, like, and I say, good for you, and, you know, let us know, do you wear lingerie all the time and think it happens to be comfortable and maybe everybody should be wearing lingerie and maybe I'm just wearing the wrong lingerie.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. And don't send us pictures, though, please.

[Natalie Jean]

No, yeah, I'm not asking for pictures. It's more like a links. It's more like a website links thing.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, she's kind of like teasing him and obviously flirting with him in a way, saying, like, don't follow me around and fall in love with me. Oh, and he tells her he has to follow her around. It's his job. Not because he's trying to woo her.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, get used to it, Bryce.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And he says, get him a set of keys. She better do it. And she's like, no, whatever. And then he goes, well, if there's an alpha hole in the house, it's her, because she's always acting all like this.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, she is.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And I mean fair. He clapped back at her.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, man, I love this little repartee.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He informs her that they are now officially joined at the hip. Oh, no, don't. She better get. Get used to it. Suck it up, buttercup. Actually, he calls her sweetheart. And she tells him to never call her that again, which of course means he's gonna constantly.

[Natalie Jean]

Of course he is, because they're gonna have that kind of push and pull relationship.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And while he never turns to kiss.

[Natalie Jean]

No, it never ever. It never gets lustful. Ever. But it might.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Maybe it won't, though. I don't know.

[Natalie Jean]

Oops.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The info in the next chapter, chapter 29. It is a lot of information. I don't think we're going to cover every bit of the backstory that we're about to hear, because for me personally, I don't know how you guys all take in information, but sometimes I need to learn some of this. If I'm getting an entire backstory in one chunk, I'm not gonna remember most of it.

[Natalie Jean]

No, no, no, no, no. I'm certainly gonna remember it as needed as time goes on. So I appreciate you, Natalie, for picking and choosing what we do need for this portion of the story.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Trying to. To make. Try to.

[Natalie Jean]

And our researcher, Jess, who's amazing. Thank you so much, Jess.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes. And thank you, Jess, very much. So what am I talking about? Well, we're back in the sub level library at Griffin Antiquities. Well, we're about to be. They're on the way there. At the beginning of this chapter, Hunt and Bryce and Syrinx are all on their little walk to work. And on the way, Hunt is noting Bryce's outfit du jour, which is a little black dress and towering black heels.

[Natalie Jean]

Damn.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He realizes that this may be a form of armor for her as much as his battle gear is just a different kind of war.

[Natalie Jean]

My God. And he recognizes that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He also makes note of the Arkesian Amulet she always wears and marvels at how much it must have cost. Which is little hints. We don't know exactly what it is, but so many people mention it, we are obviously supposed to note it that it has some kind of importance, significance. They also discuss Ruhn on this walk. Bryce revealing about her fight with Ruhn when she was still a teenager. They had begun to argue about how Rune's father only Runes father. So they're having these like sort of origin story conversations now there are. They're. They're getting to learn about each other. And so this is her describing this. This argument that she had with Rune and how it eventually just evolved into name calling. She mentioned mentions that she hates her father, but doesn't reveal any other information about him. Hunt assumes he's some distant lord or some of some other land somewhere. She tells him that her hate ranking.

[Natalie Jean]

Is a hate ranking. Like, yeah, I've got this hate ranking. Let me go through.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, you don't have a list.

[Natalie Jean]

I, you know, not anymore. I think I did many years ago when I was a big bully. But no, I don't have. I don't have a hate list anymore. And isn't that nice?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, I don't either. She tells him she has a hate list and her ranking is number two, dad number one, Sabine.

[Natalie Jean]

But also, if someone was in my life like a Sabine or an Autumn King, I'd probably have a hate list.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, for sure.

[Natalie Jean]

Anyone that used to be on my hate list is not in my life anymore. So that's pretty good for me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Healthy boundaries. She wants to know who's on Hunt's shit list. Sandriel is all he says. She seems to remember his past then and sympathizes. He tells her Sandriel is so much worse than the figurehead she's seen before on TV that she's quote, a sadistic monster. Which we know to be true given what we've Already learned of Hunt's past.

[Natalie Jean]

But also for Hunt to say that for the umbra mortis to say that. I think it gives quite a punch.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. He tells her he can't talk about this. Just walking around, like, discussing the archangels in public is extremely dangerous.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Dude, I'm scared of my phone. Imagine what could happen to you, like, in what they can hear and what they can sense. Good Lord. But she eyed him.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You ever want to talk about it, Athalar, I'm here.

[Natalie Jean]

She said it casually, but he could read the sincerity in her face. He nodded.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Likewise. Oh, trauma bond.

[Natalie Jean]

It's a cute trauma bond.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I love it. They. On their walk, they pass the heart gate, and Bryce lifts his mood by telling him, when she was 13, she made a wish for bigger boobs.

[Natalie Jean]

Hunt elbowed her ribs, unable to stop himself from making physical contact.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Whoa.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

When she asks him what he'd wish for, he mentally lists a lot of heavy, dark things involving Sandriel, his mother. Things he's not ready to talk about. Interesting, though, in this little thought, you know, this progression of thoughts that he's having. He's talking about how he's not ready yet to talk about them with her.

[Natalie Jean]

But he could see a future where he could, right?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Which is a big deal. So instead he says, well, he's happy with the size of his assets. And it makes. And it makes her smile, which seems to affect.

[Natalie Jean]

It also does make me think of the Muppet Christmas Carol. When they go, our assets are frozen. Yeah, I'm thinking about the little rat Muppets right now. Natalie. Well, I'm thinking about that big old rat Muppet that lives inside of his pants. As I was saying it, I was disgusted with myself.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, I'm sorry. Everything's terrible about what he said then. We're in Griffith Griffin's library with Hunt Ruhn, Bryce, Lehiba and Syrinx. They're all on their own research missions in werewith Ruhn's thoughts, which at this moment are sort of awe.

[Natalie Jean]

Well, can you imagine being inside of that library? Like, only hearing tale of the library and then actually being able to see it well.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And what we're gaining through his vantage is that the library is sort of stunning, even to a rich fairy male who's seen a lot of stunning things in his 75 years?

[Natalie Jean]

Hell, yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Hunt is looking up info, trying to find something about the Crystalos. Hunt thinks he's a type 6 demon, which is the worst kind, aside from type 7, a rank reserved only for the princes of Hell.

[Natalie Jean]

Yikes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Apparently Hunt's killed about a dozen type 6 demons. Which is what? All right, show off.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, just like, letting you guys know that, like, I've definitely killed all those six demons before.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You're not Hunt today.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm sorry. You're not. I. You are Hunt. You are Hunt. And I need to remember. I need to look at your abs every time I feel like I need to make a wish on your abs.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Respect my authoritol.

[Natalie Jean]

This is such a. This is such an interesting.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

See, right now you are touching my breast.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm so. I'm sorry. I'm touching your breasts. I'm sorry.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I told you. Sorry. If you touch this breast. You're not touching my breast.

[Natalie Jean]

Well. Oh, say so. Okay, Gotcha. Now I know. Now I know where. Where I can grab and what I can't. I just was surprised by the feel of your chest.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

What did you think it was gonna be like?

[Natalie Jean]

I thought it was harder and it had a lot more give than I expected, which scared me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, no, it's very weird and uncomfortable.

[Natalie Jean]

It is weird. I'm gonna go ahead and confess what went through my mind. Was that, like. Was it your actual chest? When I touched it, I was like, oh, God, again, I'm terrified of you and your nipples and your chest.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

If only I had these abs.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm glad you don't. You'd be so annoying if you had those abs.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I would never wear a shirt.

[Natalie Jean]

You know, you definitely shouldn't wear a shirt if you have those abs. But I feel like all you're going to talk about is your protein intake. You're going to talk about your creatine. You're talking about a lot of I don't care.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Fun fact, six pack, like, washboard abs. The external abdominal muscles are mostly genetic, and they don't mean you're actually even very strong.

[Natalie Jean]

That's why Henry and I don't have them. It's true, though. Thank you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's true. Some people just can't get six packs, like, because they're not. The way the muscles are laid under your skin. It just doesn't work to make us expect, like.

[Natalie Jean]

I just love this. And I feel like all of us should use this tip now just to be like, it's genetic. I don't have success, but it's genetic. It's not my fault.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm just saying out there.

[Natalie Jean]

Thank you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Don't feel bad about yourself.

[Natalie Jean]

Thank you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Do it. Bryce thinks that maybe they can't find info on the Crystal Os anywhere because it's Such an ancient being. She should. She suggests. She suggests. They start looking through catalogs of ancient art to see if it's represented somewhere, since they can't find anything in writing. As they search, Ruhn and Hunt bicker. And finally Bryce asks what their problem is. Hunt says that they beat the shit out of each other at a party once and they're both still mad about it.

[Natalie Jean]

It Bryce threw Lehaba a knowing look.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Boys in their pissing contests.

[Natalie Jean]

Lehaba made a prim little sound, not.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Nearly as advanced as us ladies.

[Natalie Jean]

She's so cute.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I know.

[Natalie Jean]

It's so cute.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

This gets a brief moment of camaraderie between Hunt and Run, who both roll their eyes at the ladies, which is very cute. Run goes to look through the books to see if his starborn juice will help him search out for the correct to right.

[Natalie Jean]

It's gotta, like, send him in the right direction, like a sniffing dog.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Well, he gets like a shimmer on things, like when he's being drawn towards them. And he does find a book that calls to him, but confusingly, it's called Great Romances of the Fae.

[Natalie Jean]

Okay, okay.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The others, of course, are endlessly amused by this. As he settles into the massive table they're all sharing to look through this book. Book, he gets an email from Declan stating that he's collected the data Bryce has requested. Because, as you'll recall, their deal is Ruhn gets into the library in exchange for use of Rune's hacker, who is Declan. Run forwards the emails from Declan to the other two, and they all look over what Declan has collected.

[Natalie Jean]

It was full of coordinates and their correlating locations. Danica's daily routine as alpha of the pack of devils had her moving throughout the Old Square and beyond. Not to mention her healthy social life.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

After sundown, everything Danika and the wolves did for the two weeks prior to that fateful night. They're all surprised by Danika's whereabouts leading up to the murders. She wasn't only on duty in the area around Luna's statue in the days leading up. Up to the blackout where two people were killed. She was stationed at Luna's temple for two nights leading up. And the night of the blackout where.

[Natalie Jean]

The horn was stolen from?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes, she was there at that time. Or was supposed to be. She hadn't told Bryce this. If you'll recall, they have this conversation at the very beginning of the book.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, yeah, dude.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And she just said she was in trouble because on her wa. On her duty watch, like her on the clock. But she didn't say she was at the actual place. So apparently she.

[Natalie Jean]

Why?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Seems like she doesn't tell Bryce everything.

[Natalie Jean]

Whoa. And is this the beginning of many books of figuring out that maybe Danika didn't say everything?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Couldn't be.

[Natalie Jean]

I just feel like it's one of those things that I'm like, man, I knew everything about my best. But it's like, but did you. And then you think back, and it's like, well, how much did I not share, Like, I think about this? I brought up, so some person that, like, I had, I'll say, a sexual experience with early in my 20s, and I was talking with someone that knew me at the time, and she was like, I don't remember that happening. I was like, dude, it's crazy. The, like, second life I lived when I would leave everybody at the bar, and I had so many years of the second life that I would lead.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

And I think a lot of people have that, and they do a lot of things that they're ashamed of that they don't want to talk about.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We just. We just watched Lake Mungo for 31. For 31. Which. That makes me think of that, because there's a lot of second private lives happening in that movie.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes. Private lives.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They don't know what to make of this information about Danika, so they just keep moving forward. We cut over to Bryce's pov, and she's having memories of Connor in those last days, heartache at those final weeks, and the private moments they shared, how she knew he was done waiting. And over the games they played. Bryce had been ready, too.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, my heart hurts for them.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She's shaken from her memories when Ruhn seems to have stumbled on something in his lover's book that he is poring over. Here is a lot of the backstory without saying too much. A lot of this comes into play later. But it's a big old history hoedown. Right. It involves the first star starborn prince, who we've mentioned. Pelias.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Because he's the one who had the sword. The sword and the starborn power first. And his now mentioning his bride, Lady Helena. So it's. He found something in there in this book about their love story. Which palace is important. They already know that based on Run's connection to him, but they don't know that there's a direct connection to the horn. Exactly. So through all of this information, the biggest point that's applicable is this is the story of their love and also the story of how the horn Was forged. So Luna's horn was created and was only usable by the starborn prince, Pelias. So that's to say, even if. If the Prince of Hell got a hold of the horn and somehow got it to work, he would still need the starborn prince, which is currently being.

[Natalie Jean]

Able to use it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes. And that is currently Ruhn.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

To operate it.

[Natalie Jean]

So even if someone has it, they would need Ruhn to use it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes. But beyond that, the story tells of the Prince of the pit, it needing to steal Pelias's blood to create the crystal lose, which is how he got it to be able to scent for the horn. Which again, that demon is forged solely to find the horn, which we already learned. Regardless, in the this text and many others, the ancient fae have already claimed that the horn is forever broken. Doesn't matter. The fl. In fact, the fake claimed it could only be, quote, repaired by light. That is not light. Light magic. That is not magic. More riddles.

[Natalie Jean]

All right. With your riddles.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They love riddles.

[Natalie Jean]

It's like, just give me a Where's Waldo and be like, oh, there it is, done. Thank you. These riddles.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

How are you gonna have an epic journey? How are you gonna have your.

[Natalie Jean]

I know.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

What's it called. Now you're summoning. What's it called? Happen. No, the happening.

[Natalie Jean]

No.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Whenever they have their.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, the beginning of a journey. I can't think of what it is.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, when they have their. When he got the sword, it was runes.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, the gone. I'm a robot. Natalie doesn't exist. And we must continue.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Okay, We'll. We'll come back. We'll remember it. We'll remember. Don't worry.

[Natalie Jean]

Don't worry.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm sure all of you are screaming it right now. But anyway, the light is not light magic is not magic thing.

[Natalie Jean]

The Ordeal.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The Ordeal. Thank you.

[Natalie Jean]

The Ordeal. It's the Ordeal.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The. It's not the Situation. That's Laundry. Tan Jim Dan Laundry.

[Natalie Jean]

Also have a sign from the Situation store with a big Bengal tiger on the background that says, we didn't come this far just to come this far. And I say it to myself in the Italian American accent of the Situation.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Does the Situation own that site or did it get stolen from him by like, MTV or whatever?

[Natalie Jean]

No, I think it's all his money.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I hope so.

[Natalie Jean]

It's all. It's insane. He has so much merch. If you look up the Situation Store, he has so much merch. And honestly, some of it's a lot of fun.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I mean, good for him. So many of those reality show people from MTV got completely screwed over by the network.

[Natalie Jean]

The rest of the Jersey Shore don't look at their merch. They ain't got much go fast.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Him glam.

[Natalie Jean]

Especially. Sammy, Sweetheart.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

All right.

[Natalie Jean]

Sorry. I won't start talking about how I feel about the Jersey Shore. But I'll talk about it anytime.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Are you gonna dress like Sammy for this series? Because you did when we were doing Acotar.

[Natalie Jean]

I did? Yeah. I did do like a. Well, I think I was more a Snooki. Please. Natalie. I would never be a Sammy. Sweetheart. I thought you were probably cuz she's the.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I feel like you were being hurt with a Fae spin on it.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm sure I was. Somebody knows what happened in Acotar. It feels like it was years ago.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Twas it. It wasn't so Light. That's not Light magic. That's not. Magic's the only way that. So basically to say it's. It's impossible. But my first thought with that is, well, that's a good way to convince people not to try to use the horn.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, that's just my thought. You crazy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Hunt wants to know what Rune's dad wants the horn for so badly. Then run thinks it's because his dad just wants to show. He wants a show of faith. Strength in a time when the Autumn King believes fae powers are declining. Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

He wants someone to come in and be like they are powerful fey are gonna kill them all.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Apparently. According to the Autumn King, even though he himself can burn down an entire grove of trees with his magic, his ancestors could burn down entirely forests. What a fantastic trait to have.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm so glad you use that as an example. Autumn King. So happy. And thank you for just thinking about how many trees you can burn down.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. Jesus. Runes. Little kernel of star power is an embarrassment to the Autumn King. And wow. Sound like a narcissist much.

[Natalie Jean]

But also like get your own Autumn King.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He doesn't have any colonels.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. You got nothing.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They are still kind of. They take all this information in and they're like still kind of just pondering what they should do next. And they consider all of their options, which include basically psychics, oracles and mystics in this world.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, man.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Both Rune and Bryce express their distaste for returning to the oracle after having a bad time at their own premonitional events at their 13th birthdays. Hunt's never been to one, so he agrees to go visit. He's one of the people in the camp who thinks it's kind of corny and doesn't really think much about it.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, but if I hadn't visited an oracle or a mystic, I would definitely jump at the chance to go to one for sure.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Bryce seems very traumatized by it. And it's like, you go on, man. I'm not going. All of them ponder what they found. And Hunt, in that moment, gets a call that takes him upstairs, leaving Ruhn and Bryce semi alone. They share a sort of tender moment. Well, at least they're not fighting in the moment.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And Bryce asks Ruhn what happened at his oracle telling. Apparently, they've never discussed it. Ruhn, however, does not want to talk about it, and he quickly changes the subject.

[Natalie Jean]

These males and running away from talking about things that they gotta talk about. It's gonna come out at some point. Ruhn, he's gotta go.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He's got stuff. Oh, yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

He's got stuff to do. Oh, yeah, he's gonna go Bright.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So Ruhn leaves the library. Bryce gets about 30 seconds of Lehaba coveting both Ruhn and Hunt. When Hunt sends her a series of texts telling her they need to go to the committee now that Rune has left because they move as one. One being, one creature, one life.

[Natalie Jean]

Whoa.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And Hunt needs to get his meager belongings from his sad dorm room. I think it's mostly weapons.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh. But he feels whole when he has his weapons and he needs them.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh. It's like his little external penises.

[Natalie Jean]

I get it. I have to bring my water bottle with me wherever I go. It's my. It's my emotional support water bottle.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He has emotional support guns.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, he needs them.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They flirt, fight over text. But Bryce. But I'm losing my ability to talk this many.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Hours.

[Natalie Jean]

Honestly, it's just because you're Hunt, and I think that, like, Hunt is not as eloquent as the other males. Yeah, you're just, like. You're. You're so in character right now. And I'm inspired.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Natalie, thank you. Thank you so much. I hope I get an award for this.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Jackie. Award. I touched your chest.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The. The outer chest.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. I tried to touch the top part of it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The top. The top chest. But Bryce begrudgingly acquiesces and changes her clothes to more rational walking attire than her little black dress and heels.

[Natalie Jean]

Fine.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

In chapter 30, Hunt's watching Bryce walk through the committee lobby in her new outfit. He seems to watch her walk a lot.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, he does. He seems to watch her from behind. Walk a lot. Thought she'd changed into red suede flats and a button up white blouse, tucked into tight jeans, and tied her silken mass of hair into a high ponytail that swayed sassily with every step she took. Matching Hunt stride for stride.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He thinks she still stands out in the crowd. Even dressed down.

[Natalie Jean]

It might just be for you, but also. Yeah, like someone dressed down. When like someone that you see sexily dressed all the time dresses down. I actually think it. There's nothing sexier.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Totally. No, I agree. Also, I think she is just like a stunning woman.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They have several awkward encounters going up via the elevator. Hunt usually flies in and this time because he is with Bryce, he's using the elevator. And a lot of people are gawking at both he and Bryce for different.

[Natalie Jean]

Reasons, especially when he's so big in the elevator. Although I guess maybe they make elevators bigger because there's so many veneers.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think so.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But like people don't want to get in the elevator with him.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh no.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Bryce seems to be enjoying this attention a lot more than Hunt. Hunt thinks about how prior to making it to the committee, he reflects on the memory of just going right before this. Bryce made them stop at a phone store. She needed to replace her phone to be, you know, like updated from the explosion. She lost it it when they wait for her new phone to be. Whatever they do to phones, when you get a new phone, they make the.

[Natalie Jean]

Phones be phones for you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, she. They. They're waiting in the the store. And she ended up taking Hunt's phone to watch news updates, which is. Yeah, right. Call her little snoopy snooper. Sin over here.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh my God. I would not give Bryce Quinlan my phone. Hell no. I don't want you looking through there.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm also the of the mind. I don't want to look through people's phone.

[Natalie Jean]

I am have no desire. I don't want to look at anybody's email. I don't want to look at what? Even if you're sitting next to me looking at your phone. I will actively. I hate because I also hate when someone stares at my phone when I'm on it drives crazy. I hate it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I own people look over my shoulder when I'm typing, when I'm doing anything. I don't care for it. And I've never been the kind who wants to like, I think if you have to check, not that they're partners, but like you shouldn't have to look in your partner's phone.

[Natalie Jean]

No, you should just trust them.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

There's something weird either on your end or their end or you've had, like.

[Natalie Jean]

A really bad experience, and I guess if that's the only way for y'all to get forward, I guess, you know, if it works for you, works for you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't think it's healthy to do that. But anyway, so she's looking in his phone, he's looking for news updates, and ends up in his phone and his photos.

[Natalie Jean]

Girl, get out of his photos.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I know. What if there's, like, a bunch of dick pics in there?

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, don't get me wrong, I'd love to see it, but it's also, like, not for me. I want to see it if it's for me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Right, Exactly. But no worry. There's really no photos at all.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, is he not a big selfie taker?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

There's actually 36 pictures on his phone, and they're all of different crime scenes he's had to investigate, which. Yeah, without any context.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes, that's a lot.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

See, normally that would be a pretty big red flag because it's just a bunch of bodies.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, but how would you feel if you looked and it was hundreds of selfies of him? Like, what if he did take a bunch of selfies?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I mean, is that the only two options?

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, you should look at my phone. Body selfies.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, God, Jackie, please don't make me.

[Natalie Jean]

Don't look if you don't want it all.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Look. I guess at least though her looking into the pictures, it's not. Not him taking hundreds of corpse photos at different angles and making folders that are labeled with, like, the tongue emoji emoji and stuff. He quickly clarifies that he doesn't take pictures of what he's required to do for Micah, only when he needs to procure evidence from a scene that's already happened. She's gobsmacked. And she's definitely someone who has 500 drafted selfies alone in her phone.

[Natalie Jean]

I see you, Bryce, and I hope you feel validated.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She asks him if he's ever considered taking photos of his life, something he likes or admires.

[Natalie Jean]

What do you think he does on the weekends, Bryce? Like, what do you think he does? He's like Lego.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He's like, why would I do that? And this is the crux of why. To me, it's not an immediate Norman Bates situation.

[Natalie Jean]

He just doesn't think about it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He spent. Spent so much of his life suffering.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He doesn't really know how to be person.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's like his smile would creak if he tried.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, that's sad. Oh, I don't like your creepy smile. Ew. Got ghosts in that smile. I'm scared of you now.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You need to oil. But Bryce isn't happy with this situation.

[Natalie Jean]

And before he could stop her, she'd angled his phone in front of her, beamed from ear to ear and snapped a photo of herself before she handed it back to him.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

There. One non corpse photo.

[Natalie Jean]

Hunted rolled his eyes, but pocketed the phone.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, right. He is so stoked.

[Natalie Jean]

He loves that. That is so cute.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Acts like he hates that there's a picture.

[Natalie Jean]

Don't do that. I definitely hate that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Anyway, that's his memory from earlier in the day. Currently, they are in an elevator in the committee, and Bryce is inquiring about one of the soldiers they had passed in the lobby. Hun seems a bit tense about the many men who were ogling her. Not like in a creepy way. He's trying to hide that he is irritated by it.

[Natalie Jean]

But I will say, and not to be like a little Hunt's advocate over here, he's also trying to watch her and take care of her. So it's probably annoying how many people stare at her and how much attention she attracts just because she's effortlessly hot. And I know that that's not how he's coming about it, but I imagine that he feels very, very protective.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Sure, but he is also thinking a lot about how they were looking at her butt.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I'd be looking.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He tells her he doesn't know any of the names of the soldiers because there's so many of them. But maybe she shouldn't go after a guy who'd prefer to stare at her ass than greet her.

[Natalie Jean]

Whoa.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But she tells him, actually, that's exactly who she's looking for. She can't catch feelings. She's too hard to reach right now.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, my God. Yeah. But then that makes you irresistible, Price.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So true. As they walk towards his dorm, they make more conversation. Bryce asking if he has a girl or boyfriend. No is all he says. But we're privy to the PTSD he's experiencing while giving this simple answer. He still sees Shahar and Sandriel gripped in battle. Shahar's face as she's plunging from the sky, a sword through her gut.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, it's. It's a little complicated for him and has been for a while.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That would be a lot. I would take. I'd probably need a few centuries to get over that.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, I need some time.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Hunt reveals that though he knows he's fine as hell. Females generally don't want to mess with a slave born into poverty. Also born a bastard.

[Natalie Jean]

You're not looking for the right gals. Oh my God. It's just like Cassie, stop. I want to put them together in one big body.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's too much.

[Natalie Jean]

Is it?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think so.

[Natalie Jean]

I think I'm just enough.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh my God. He talks about his drop here as well, telling her that he made the drop at 28 immediately following his mother's death. In his grief, he just found the government official to anchor him and get it over with. He only had his power. His full power. If you think about it, for five years of all of the hundreds of years he's been alive before Sandriel got a hold of him.

[Natalie Jean]

Not fair.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, so it's really only five years that he had use of his strength in laning God, noting the lack of decor in his room. He's not Norman Bates, he tells her.

[Natalie Jean]

Busy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He tells her that since Micah owns him, he doesn't dare put roots down anywhere. And I could see how being a slave go to like depressing.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, I guess it's rough being a slave.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We shift to Bryce's POV as they're zipping back down the elevator. Hunt having gotten his belongings, which are all guns, and she's decided that Hunt's not bad. She guesses she likes that he makes Rune endlessly irritated.

[Natalie Jean]

At least I'm sure. Yeah, that's it. Definitely Bryce.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

As they begin to cross the lobby towards the exit, she immediately notices there's a big hubbub and to do going on in all around them. And then. Then they see Isaiah rushing towards them. He says, panting, I just heard the.

[Natalie Jean]

Ripple of power at the other end of the lobby made their legs buckle as if that power had knocked the crowd to the ground. Everyone knelt and bowed their heads, leaving the three of them with a perfect view of the archangel who stood at the giant glass doors of the atrium. Micah at her side.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh no.

[Natalie Jean]

No. Get out of here you bitch.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That sucks so bad. Even ever been in that like have you ever been in a situation where like a badminton from your past suddenly ends up in the same room as.

[Natalie Jean]

You and you're just like why? Like in my brain you do not exist anymore.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Like that sinking pit of dread that comes with it? Oh my God. The worst. Bryce can feel Hunt trembling next to her. Isaiah gets to his knees and he growls for Hunt to do the same, but Hunt seems frozen in rage or terror. Bryce can't tell. He doesn't drop down. Isaiah quietly pleads with Hunt, but he doesn't seem to hear Bryce. Thinking on her feet, does the first thing that comes to mind. Tries to use her party girl aesthetics to their benefit.

[Natalie Jean]

She's fast on a feet. That Bryce Quinlan. The Bryce.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She starts taking a bunch of photos and selfies with the angels in the background. Appearing too daft to understand the gravity and the tension going on in in the room and just needing to get these clout photos. She loudly thanks Hunt for bringing her to get the pics of the angels. Like the airhead that she's pretending to be playing the part and begins to lead him towards the elevators. The two of them are the only people in the field lobby still standing before these archangels. But of course though well intentioned, this doesn't super work because they're not just. The archangels aren't just gonna let that slide.

[Natalie Jean]

No. And it's not like they don't know who Hunt is.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So I mean she did, she was smart.

[Natalie Jean]

She.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She pulled him. She changed the tone.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But Micah still stops them as they head towards the elevators, coldly asking what in the F they think they're doing. Isaiah and Hunt explain that Hunt and Bryce were just there to gather Hunt's belongings. The elevators open just then and Bryce and Hunt make their attempt at an exit. But Micah grips Bryce's arm. She thinks about how gross she finds him based on all of his actions. As he asks her to dinner.

[Natalie Jean]

She pulled out of his grip, joining Hunt in the elevator. And as the doors closed, she looked the Archangel of Valbara full in the face.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Not interested, she said. So in the past chapters she's noted noticed him sort of eyeballing her in like a lustful way. But you know, he's kind of just like that. And I don't think she thought too much about it. But then this is the first time he's directly said like, let me take you out. So he's clearly got eyes for her and she just shuts him down.

[Natalie Jean]

I just can't imagine shutting him down like that because I feel like if I think I've gone on every single date I've ever been asked on really while available. Yeah, I think it just goes like. Well, I mean, I guess if you asked I'll go and like I'd always just see. But again, you know, I like to fuck for the story. So yeah, I was always down to like what. I mean what, what's an archangel like on a date? But I imagine he probably wouldn't really take you not being interested very well. Especially after the date.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I feel. Yes, I think it would be very scary, and I'm proud of her for doing it. But I also think an archangel would find this deeply humiliating in the middle of a crowd lobby. So I'd be like, really scared.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But again, she's a bit nihilistic still at this point.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, dude.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We cut.

[Natalie Jean]

Which is a fun and scary way to be sometimes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We cut to Hunt's POV in the following moments. He's indeed overwhelmed by the experience they just had. But he seems to have some level of grounding due to Bryce's display, because though he's in full. Full, he's in a full, like, reliving in his mind of Sandriel's fighting pits in his head.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Because he just experienced the person who tortured him for over a century being.

[Natalie Jean]

In the same room as her.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But he's also shaken, of course, by how much Sandriel looks like his. His lover, Shahar.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, it's gonna be so difficult to have your love and your absolute enemy look exactly the same.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, can you imagine?

[Natalie Jean]

No.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But ultimately, at the same time, he's also marveling that Bryce just rejected Micah publicly and took a bunch of selfie photos with an unwitting Sandriel, something he imagines no one's ever done to her before. So he's kind of. It's kind of at least distracting him.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They're planning their exit and how they're going to get out of this building. And he tells Bryce they can leave from the launch pad that they have for the angel. But of course, he'd have to carry her because they would have to fly off of, like, a very high level of the building. Oh, man.

[Natalie Jean]

I want it so bad. She twirled the silken length of her ponytail around her wrist, unaware that she bared the golden column of her throat to him with the movement.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's an interesting catch if you've read Throne of Glass. Just saying, bro.

[Natalie Jean]

It is. And I didn't think about that, bro.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's interesting.

[Natalie Jean]

Interesting. We're not gonna say anything about that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He leads her to the ledge. And she's of course not super thrilled about it as it is a human on the side of a building. It immediately made me think of when our co host, Cena Godzna V made everyone do that virtual reality ledge walk on the LPN subathon.

[Natalie Jean]

Truly horrifying. Like, really, really scary. Now I think it would be different. And maybe I almost cried while up on the ledge, but I think that if I was in the arms of a big, strong angel, I might feel a little bit differently. And maybe I wouldn't need my brother to actually hold my hands while I walked on the piece of wood that was an inch off the floor.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You guys never touch.

[Natalie Jean]

We don't touch. It was very scary. I needed him. Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Because Jeff wasn't there.

[Natalie Jean]

Jeff wasn't there. So I need. And I was like, someone help me, someone. And Henry. I had to grab onto Henry while I did it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You should have worn the VR glasses thing. Goggles. VR goggles. Had Jeff hold you in a cradle and then pretend like he was gonna fly you off the side.

[Natalie Jean]

I think that I do. I have to go buy VR goggles just so I can have this fantasy relived.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, I think so.

[Natalie Jean]

Yep, you're right. All right. I guess I gotta do it, guys. I'll do anything for the sexual fantasy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, God, no.

[Natalie Jean]

I don't think I'd spend $500 for a sexual fantasy. I don't think he'll come back to that later.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He assures her that he's never dropped anyone. Don't worry. Oh, I guess you have to pick me up and, like, hold me real close to your bunny or whatever. Just like, oh, no.

[Natalie Jean]

Damn it. She grips.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He picks. He scoops her up and she grips his neck as they launch off the side of the building.

[Natalie Jean]

So big.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And he thanks her for pulling him out of that situation. Bryce refuses to open her eyes during this flight, but Hunt looks down over the city and reflects on how, though the city has troubles, it's still a busy, flourishing city where people are largely comfortable. Panjera. Sandriel's turf is filled with extremely wealthy people. And everyone else lives in basically in filth and hovels.

[Natalie Jean]

We hate you, Sandriel.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Her people suffer. They do not have a chance to thrive in any way. It is only survival there. And because of that, he understands why the humans have risen up, up, as they've been treated barely better than food for veneer. He lands them on Bryce's roof.

[Natalie Jean]

It's got to be really difficult to have this conversation because you've ever had to try, like, to talk to someone when you're on a motorcycle. I feel like this actually like them just like, scrap. Like, I feel like this is not really as sexy as I want it to be.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Well, he mostly is not speaking at this, at this point, but they do have that exchange of being like. Like, he asked if she's going to open her eyes, and she said absolutely. Not. And he thinks it's. Obviously thinks it's cute. So he lands them on Bryce's roof and Hunt asks her if she really doesn't want to go on a date with the governor. She's like, why would I want to? He says, well, he's hot and powerful and no women say no to him. This causes her to snap a little bit. It basically like, oh, yeah, just because I'm single, I'm just waiting to be picked, right? I'm just pick, pick me. I can't possibly just want to be an independent woman and think about other things other than praying some hunk come saves me.

[Natalie Jean]

Darkest hell, this woman.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They both face off as they make their way to her apartment and he drops his stuff.

[Natalie Jean]

Love thinking of him just being like, so over. I just like, oh, and you're gonna think, oh, that I want to go on a date where it's just like, man, he just, just.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He likes it. Yeah, you know he does.

[Natalie Jean]

Like, of course he does.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Though they are bickering, they are both obviously enjoying themselves, and Hunt finds himself looking forward to her next barb. He asks if she's going to join him at the Oracle. Held to the nose, she says, then we're in chapter 32. After they've dropped his stuff at her apartment and they have to go back to Griffin. Bryce needs to work, and they also need to keep researching in the library. Hunt finds himself unable to sit in that underground room today. And though he doesn't verbalize it, it's clear that Sandriel's brought out a lot of bad memories for him.

[Natalie Jean]

Dude, of course she did, because this is the first time that he's seeing her. Right.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think in a long time. Yeah, he's probably, you know, being reminded of a dungeon is probably not something he wants to do today.

[Natalie Jean]

No, no. I'd probably want to, like, sit in a field or something or very open air.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, so he does that. He waits on the roof for her to be done with work. And when she joins him, she tells him that she hasn't found anything new in their case. He feels wiped out and asks her if. If she minds if he watches the sunball game that's on TV tonight. This stuns Bryce a little. She tells him she can't picture him just chilling and being kind of a bro. He's amused and asks what she thinks he does in his free time.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, he definitely sits around here like Natalie is just open shirted, nipples hanging out. Just like, just give me a beer, baby. Bitch, get me Another beer.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, hey. I didn't see you there.

[Natalie Jean]

It's.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I would have had my shirt on if you were around.

[Natalie Jean]

I love it. Arms too big. Can't close the shirt. Can't close the shirt. Abs too big. Arms too big. It's like, not really. I feel like I sound like I'm such a like muscle man thirst bitch. I'm really not, but there's just something about. I think it's like these kind of like working man's muscles, you know what I mean? That I mentioned.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He's also sensitive.

[Natalie Jean]

There's a sense. And he broods. Oh, I love it when they brood.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The real. The real life brooding is not sexy ever. It's all just in fantasy characters.

[Natalie Jean]

It's book sexy. This is all of the things I say about what I want specifically in a man is book sexy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

In real life, it's brooding on a partner is more like that won't talk to you.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. And you're just like, oh, great, you're just gonna stonewall me and just not gonna talk about anything about how you feel. We're not gonna work our way through it. We're not gonna figure this out. You're just gonna. You're just gonna.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, yes. Cigarette.

[Natalie Jean]

You know what? Go, go. Why don't you go get a pack of cigarettes and never come back?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Fine.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, you would just you and your cigarettes just having a little party by yourself. God, I feel like I've had that exact conversation with the Ness.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Definitely have. We absolutely both have had that before.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, good. We're just not gonna literally, like we would give each other the silence days, and that's just so not who I am anymore. It's insane how much you can grow and how much you can change.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Give me how much you can just endlessly talk about your feelings.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, yeah. Forever.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Anyway, she asks he asks what she thinks he does. She replies, I don't know. I assumed you cursed at the stars and brooded and plotted revenge on all your enemies.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, is it very different from what he actually does in his spare time?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I thought it was a cute response.

[Natalie Jean]

It is.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I keep saying everything's cute, but it is cute.

[Natalie Jean]

I know. I'm. I'm not helping you. I'm also using the word cute way too much. But this is the portion of them starting to get to know each other that is the meet cute portion of it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We are in the meet cute.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Or the aftermath of it. I guess he can only enjoy this moment briefly, though he is a mute amused by this. But Just then, his phone rings and his stomach drops when he sees who it is. Micah. He has no idea how their display in the lobby earlier is going to affect Micah's temperament.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, I'd be scared of that phone call.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It turns out Micah's called because he has a job for him. He says a little too calmly that Hunt is to never behave like that again. Hunt agrees. He's not pleased being talked to like this, but he knows this. The show of disrespect would have earned him a grueling and painful punishment from Sandriel.

[Natalie Jean]

Especially because Sandriel's on the scene now and he actually has to be actively scared of her. And that hurts my chest.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I know. But he knows that if he had done that in her court, that he would be in a torture dungeon. So he's gonna take the lashing. Yes, the verbal lashing. Hunt also knows that this job, which of course is a kill, is a form of punishment for him as well. But Micah, he tells him the offer, it still stands. He hasn't lost out on the chance to have 10 more kills.

[Natalie Jean]

You're walking a thin line, Hunt, though, and it's not your fault, but you are walking a thin line. Line.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Technically, Bryce did it.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Also, he didn't kneel. I guess some. It's both of them.

[Natalie Jean]

It is, yeah. They.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes.

[Natalie Jean]

And she was trying to cover for it. So, yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Bryce can tell that something is wrong when Hunt gets off the phone, but he assures her that he just has to go take care of some government business. He calls Justinian and puts him on Bryce watch as he leaps into the sky to do the dirty deed of Micah. We cut to Hunt in the middle of this horrific act. He's facing a male cougar shifter who is pleading for his life. We don't know why Micah has targeted him. We don't know what he's done. But Hunt does think about how, quote, unspeakable his acts were. Tries to justify his forced, you know, task at hand. But, you know, those. Those justifications kind of ring hollow when a person is begging to be spared. Please, the shifter says over and over again.

[Natalie Jean]

Every utterance dragged Hunt further away until the arm he outstretched was distant. Until the gun he aimed at the male's head was just a bit of.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Metal, a little bit of the old dissociation going on.

[Natalie Jean]

Hunt was nothing but a shadow, a wisp of life, an instrument of death. He was nothing and no one at all.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Please.

[Natalie Jean]

Hunt's finger curled on the trigger.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So jump to afterwards. This Happens, right? Hunt has chosen to take one of his cleansing showers of pain back at the barracks, not wanting to sully Bryce's apartment with the blood. He wanted to stay in it longer, but he knew that Justinian was waiting on him to return.

[Natalie Jean]

So he patched himself up, pieced himself together, half crawled out of the boiling hot shower and into the person he was when he wasn't forced to put a bullet between someone's eyes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He gets back to Bryce's, praying that she is already asleep. He can't talk, make conversation right now, but Bryce opens her door just as he is about to escape to the spare room.

[Natalie Jean]

Even across the room, he could feel her questions, but she said softly, I.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Recorded the game for you if you still wanted to watch it.

[Natalie Jean]

Something tightened unbearably in his chest, but Hunt didn't look back.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He's obviously touched by this gesture, but he's too far gone from what's gone on that night to say anything other than night before he closes the door. And that's where we're going to leave off today.

[Natalie Jean]

You're leaving us with such a sad Natalie.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I guess you'll have to come back to learn if he ever gets feels any better.

[Natalie Jean]

I hope he feels better. Maybe not by next week, but maybe by the week after. That's it, you know, and maybe, just maybe, it's a quick fix. Have you thought about that?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Has. Have you? Sarah J. Maas yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Maybe he just like gets over it, you know?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Could he just like, get over it or whatever?

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, it's like, oh, wild battle. Oh, the twin torture for centuries. Like, you know.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, we don't, you know, I had.

[Natalie Jean]

A hard day too.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I have pms.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. And that's difficult for Natalie and that's difficult for her to share while she's wearing a plastic foam chest.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Have you ever tried wearing one of those PMS period simulators?

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, it hurts. It hurts. And you should think about that. Read up until chapter 36 for next week. This show is made possible by listeners like thanks to our ad sponsors, you can support our shows by supporting them. For more shows like the one you just listened to, go to lastpodcastnetwork.com.