LPN Deep Dives: HOSAB / Episode 14: Creepin' n Reapin'

Summary

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LPN Deep Dives: Crescent City – HOSAB / Episode 14: Creepin' n Reapin'

Date: September 9, 2025
Hosts: Natalie Jean and Jackie Zebrowski

Episode Overview

This episode, titled "Creepin' n Reapin'," continues LPN's hilarious and insightful exploration of Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City: House of Sky and Breath (HOSAB). Hosts Natalie and Jackie dive deep into Chapters 23 and 24, blending their signature irreverence, cosplay antics, and genuine book nerdery as they follow Ethan and Tharion's investigations, dissect Bryce and Ruhn’s sibling bonding, and provide a play-by-play of a harrowing (and comical) run-in with supernatural reapers. The episode is both a close reading and a rollicking hangout, full of speculation, vulnerability, cultural commentary, and a healthy dose of monster thirst.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Costumes & Reaper Cosplay Shenanigans

[03:01–06:14]

• The episode kicks off with Natalie and Jackie both revealing they’ve independently dressed as reapers for the recording. Much delight ensues over Natalie's “shrimp fingers” and Jackie's “slutty reaper” persona.
• The hosts riff on reaper fashion, mesh robes, and impractically sexy afterlife attire.
  • Natalie Jean: “She was a baddie. Is that she could throw it back." (04:06)
  • Jackie Zebrowski: "You’re a slutty reaper." (04:02)
• They embrace the absurdity, laughing about mesh, glowing eyes, and see-through robes—creating a vivid visual for listeners.

2. Conventions and Fandom Etiquette

[07:21–10:07]

• Discussion shifts to fantasy events and recent controversy at a dark fantasy ball where boundaries were crossed with hired performers.
  • Natalie Jean: "It’s not gropes o'clock ever. Unless you and a person have had a long conversation about doing gropes o’clock… Don’t grab people, please." (08:22)
• Both highlight the importance of community safety and distinguish between fantasy balls and fetish or adult events.
• Natalie and Jackie announce upcoming appearances at Enchanted Realms Book Festival (Los Angeles, Oct. 11), Starfall Ball (San Francisco, September), and Dreamers & Readers Festival (March 2026).

3. The Ethan & Tharion Selkie Crime Scene

[13:49–19:22]

• The book content begins in earnest: Ethan joins Tharion investigating a gruesome selkie murder on the Isros; the team dynamic is tense, and Ethan feels like a tagalong.
  • The murder was especially violent: “She was shot with a Gorzian bullet so she couldn’t shift into a seal and then… repeatedly sliced in the femoral artery…” (19:05, Natalie)
• Tangent on selkies: what they are in myth and in Crescent City, plus a detour into (literal) selkie dresses and fashion.
  • Jackie Zebrowski: "I got lost looking at selkies… I want one of these dresses." (15:22)

4. Pack, Exile, and Powerlessness

[23:57–24:23]

• Ethan’s status as an exiled wolf informs his reluctance to shift—"He can’t bear shifting now that he’s been exiled..." (24:07, Natalie)
• Tharion and Ethan piece together that Emile (the child) and Pippa (the antagonist) were at the scene—a theory reinforced by scent, banter, and Ethan’s growing sense of his outsider status.
  • Jackie and Natalie empathize, discussing how group exclusion shapes character.

5. Sibling Dynamics: Bryce & Ruhn

[34:00–44:06]

• Transition to Bryce and Ruhn walking through hot city streets, bonding awkwardly but deeply as siblings.
  • Riff on sword vs. gun symbolism:
    • Jackie Zebrowski: “Swords could mean hope, resistance, strength. Guns meant death.” (36:17)
    • Natalie Jean: “Guns only exist to kill." (36:40)
• Family traditions are unpacked—postcard apologies after fights, feelings about step/real moms, and what it means to “not peak in middle school.”
• Touching moment as Bryce invites Ruhn to join her for Winter Solstice, extending their emotional bridge.

6. Prophecy, Power, and The Chosen One

[44:06–48:25]

• Discussion on why Bryce won’t wield the Star Sword, her feelings about legacy, and the subversion of “chosen one” tropes.
  • Bryce’s rationale: “I have the star in my chest already. I like Ruhn being the chosen one.” (45:05)
• The conversation speculates on fate, immigration (fae history), and cosmology in SJM’s world.

7. The Reaper Attack – Action & Revelations

[51:05–66:54]

• The episode peaks with Bryce and Ruhn’s ambush by reapers (dragged into a sewer, echoes of Pennywise!).
• They “cosplay” the reapers, hamming up their lines and making light of their own “floppy skeleton fingers.”
• Cormac’s timely rescue and the revelation: Bryce, not Ruhn, can kill unkillable reapers with the Star Sword.
  • Notable reactions:
    • Jackie Zebrowski: “It just sucks because she literally was just like, Run, you behave. It’s yours, it’s your thing… And then immediately it’s like, bitch, that shit is singing for your power." (66:54)
• Plot analysis: What does it mean for Bryce to wield the sword? Speculation on what motivates Prince Apollyon, foreshadowing future conflicts, and the weight of being “chosen” by fate.

8. Humor, Darkness, & Vulnerability

• Throughout the recap, Natalie and Jackie freely mix trauma jokes, horror asides (top 10 most painful ways to die!), and pop culture tangents (Police Academy, Birdemic, xenomorphs).
  • Jackie: “We’re not here to save the earth… we’re here to the earth into a bunch of feathers.” (32:10)
  • Natalie: “I’m just here for giving everyone intrusive thoughts.” (25:48)
• They openly discuss their own familial baggage, boundaries, and how Crescent City themes of pack, exile, and found family connect with their personal experiences.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On cosplay & friendship:
  • Jackie: “We did not plan to both be reapers, but that’s the fun… Natalie and I both went, ah, reaper to you.” (04:50)
• On con safety:
  • Natalie: “It’s not gropes o'clock ever… Don’t grab people, please.” (08:22)
• On sibling bonding:
  • Natalie: “He still needs a mom to kick his ass sometimes. It’s this sad recognition he didn’t have parents." (40:23)
• On fate & prophecy:
  • Bryce (via Jackie): “Maybe the knife is somewhere in the universe meant for her.” (47:45)
• On emotional growth:
  • Jackie: “She’s not really that adept with emotional communication… she was just frozen after such a traumatic experience.” (43:45)
• On power & destiny:
  • “What it can kill the unkillable. That’s so awesome. It just sucks because she literally was just like, run—you behave—it’s yours…” (66:54, Jackie)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:01 – Hosts show off their reaper costumes, riff on cosplay
• 07:21 – Discussion of convention boundaries and dark fantasy ball controversy
• 13:49 – Beginning of book segment: Ethan & Tharion investigate selkie murder
• 19:22 – Forensics scene and selkie lore tangent
• 24:07 – Ethan’s exile and reluctance to shift
• 34:00 – Bryce & Ruhn’s walk: sword vs. gun, family dynamics
• 44:06 – Prophecy, sword, and Bryce’s star power
• 51:05 – The reaper attack: sewer scene, action, and humor
• 63:22 – Cormac’s rescue, Bryce unleashed with the Star Sword
• 66:54 – End of Part One; stunned reactions and implications for the next section

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Tone & Energy

Irreverent, heartfelt, and inclusive, Natalie and Jackie balance serious deep-diving and emotional intelligence (trauma, family, pack) with comedy, cosplay, and monster thirst. They keep things accessible to non-readers while offering enough literary insights and world-building speculation to intrigue deep fans.

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Summary for the Uninitiated

• This episode covers key emotional and action moments in HOSAB Chapters 23–24: Ethan grappling with packlessness and traumatic memories while investigating a murder; Bryce and Ruhn deepening their sibling relationship amidst threats; and a climactic attack by supernatural reapers, culminating in Bryce inadvertently proving herself as the sword’s true wielder.
• Side conversations center around convention etiquette, trauma, growing up awkward, and the joys and pitfalls of fandom community.
• Humorous cosplay and pop culture references make the darkness fun, but meaningful insights into the book’s themes—and the cast’s own journeys—emerge throughout.
• The episode ends on a major plot twist, foreshadowing even greater challenges ahead as Bryce’s destiny shifts and her power awakens.

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Next episode:
Beginning of Part Two, chapters 25–28—"Please read up until chapter 28 for next week!" (67:09, Jackie)

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Transcript

[Natalie Jean]

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[Jackie Zabrowski]

We're excited to announce that we're going to Prythian and Vaalbara and Basgaeth.

[Natalie Jean]

If you're nasty and you can too.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Join us in spring of 2026 at the Dreamers and Readers Festival. A three day event chock full of choose your own adventures.

[Natalie Jean]

Multiple Fae balls, fashion shows, photo shoots, high teas.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Everybody.

[Natalie Jean]

At least 6, 15 different events at the otherworldly Gaylord Texan Resort that you can customize to make the perfect trip fit your Fantasy Dreams.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

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[Natalie Jean]

Dreamers and readers Night 1 and 2.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Mythical Creatures, Masquerade, Fantastique, Starfo Ball and the Farewell Fae Bash.

[Natalie Jean]

Not only that, but if you use our code faybays at checkout for those events, please, you will receive an exclusive swag bag from the Weeknd.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'll do anything for a swag bag, Natalie.

[Natalie Jean]

Give it a swag. Give it to me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes, that's right. Use our code Faybase F A E B A e [e-mail] to get your $10 off of any of these events.

[Natalie Jean]

Dreamers and readers Baby, I cannot wait for this.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Gimme, gimme that sweet. Welcome to Crescent City with your hosts, Natalie Jean and Jackie Zabrowski. I won't keep this on the entire day, but I did want everyone to see. And also I feel like we should really give it up for Natalie's look. I love what you did.

[Natalie Jean]

My shrimp fingers.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I love your shrimp fingers. I love it when a finger ain't hard. You know I want that finger to be long.

[Natalie Jean]

I love it when it gives a little flop at the top.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. I lock my fingers like, I like my man flopping all around.

[Natalie Jean]

Very, very Beetlejuice. Unintentionally fingers.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It is. Yeah. But I. I was really excited about this mask that I. And I was excited about the eyeballs.

[Natalie Jean]

It's really effective.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Thank you. But I really. My eyes are up here. Huh? Oh, Natalie. My eyes are out here.

[Natalie Jean]

I can't tell. I was looking at your boobs.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

What? It is a weirdly see through robe that I'm wearing for some reason. I don't know why it is see through. I was like, good thing I have clothes on underneath, because it's for hotties. Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

Obviously, both of our reapers were certified baddies in their lifetime.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes. And this reaper only wears mesh. Yes. Bitch. Whoa. You're a slutty reaper.

[Natalie Jean]

I was.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. I am judging her. I am slut judging her. Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

She was a baddie. Is that she could throw it back. Okay.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Whoa.

[Natalie Jean]

She didn't want to go to death.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh. So she. So this reaper is really. You're coming at reaping, like, with hate in your heart, and so maybe that makes you a better reaper.

[Natalie Jean]

Am I filled with hate? I don't know. I feel like I'm.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

If you didn't want to die, like, what are you filled with? Like, yeah, Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

I think the reaper dom in general will fill you with hate just because you are fighting against nature.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But what about the mesh robes, though? Like, have they been. I feel like they're not thinking about the fits because, like, look at Natalie and I. Honestly, we look great. Oh, my eyeballs.

[Natalie Jean]

We did not plan to both be reapers, but that's the fun.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It is the fun of never telling each other and showing up. And Natalie and I both went, ah, reaper to you. Yes, Reaper to you. Yes, we are. I guess I'll just take it off. I guess I'll take it off.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm going to take my little head. I'm taking my fingies off because it is a bit hot.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, yes. We're watching. Keep the feet.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, there's skitting under my bones.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Bones.

[Natalie Jean]

There's skin under my bones.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Peel the bones back.

[Natalie Jean]

More skin.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, it's like the peelers. Is that what's going on with peelers? Have you tried. Have you tried any of the gummies?

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, I know of them because of you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, I am because of you. You know every snack in the aisle. Yeah. And it's because of me. Thanks, Kelly, but. Oh, I could keep these on, though, at least. There we go. Now that's how you that's how you do it. I love this.

[Natalie Jean]

You know, it doesn't work as well under.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Bright. Bright. Yeah, you can't see filming lights.

[Natalie Jean]

It kind of looks more like you just have red dots on your face first, and it's kind of hard to know why.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Ah. But when they're glowing. Oh, you're scared.

[Natalie Jean]

You know what it actually kind of looks like. It looks like old school cartoon blush cheeks.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It does. Maybe I'm just a rape. Oh, don't look at my see through robe. Oh, no, my nipples are under there.

[Natalie Jean]

I know. That was Betty Boop's favorite line.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, my. Don't. Yeah, I know what everybody was going after. And they're really looking.

[Natalie Jean]

And they're really looking. She was hot. She was a hot. She would be a hot reaper. Tell you that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, man. Or. Yeah. How would you feel if someone was dragging you away, but they're going like, boop, boop?

[Natalie Jean]

I would be into it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. I guess it would be scarily. I'd be scarily slippery and be like, oh, God, what does it say about me? But it's like as you're getting dragged off by a reaper, so, like, you really can't deal with the, like, psychological ramifications of it.

[Natalie Jean]

You know, you're gonna die. You might as well enjoy it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

May as well. This is why we should all be turned on by monsters. So then if you are killed by a monster, at least it'll be like a pseudo psychologically sexual situation.

[Natalie Jean]

Speaking of which, I don't know if you caught wind of the controversy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No. Controversy, yes.

[Natalie Jean]

I do feel like this goes without saying, but if you attend balls, like fantasy balls.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, you were talking about. Oh, I thought you meant don't Benois balls.

[Natalie Jean]

Don't grab the men. The. There was a recent ball for the more dark fantasy community. You know that, like the Haunting Adelaide.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Adelaide, yeah, the haunting.

[Natalie Jean]

That whole world.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes.

[Natalie Jean]

Not really my bag, but it is.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It is the darker world of fantasy. That is not for everybody. No.

[Natalie Jean]

Apparently a lot of things happened at the last one that were not cool. So I feel like as get out.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Of our community, this is not what we fucking need.

[Natalie Jean]

No. And also I think some women maybe think because they're women or because they're dorks or something.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They can grab.

[Natalie Jean]

They can grab. It's not gropes o' clock ever. Unless you and a person have had a long conversation about doing gropes o' clock groups. Gropes o'. Clock. Don't. Don't grab people, please.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I. I think it's insane that you have to say it. I think it's so, like, especially honestly, what I loved so much about going to the Fantastic Ball is that it felt so.

[Natalie Jean]

And I would love to tell you that if you want to join us at either of the Fantastic events we're coming up to going to, they are not like that. I know they work very hard to make sure it's a safe environment.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It is a safe environment.

[Natalie Jean]

It doesn't feel like that vibe at all. But I think. I guess some people are not fully understanding that even if it's a dark fantasy ball, it's not a fetish ball, and it's not avn. It's not even then you're not supposed to grab people. But why does this need to explain? There was a guy, a performer, hired performer, who was being sa. Like, literally hands down his pants. I put a tracker on him to follow him to his hotel. In what world do you think that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That'S such a fucking creep? You were a creep. It doesn't matter what gender you identify as if you are doing that.

[Natalie Jean]

You.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You are a creepist and you shouldn't be allowed. You know what? At that point. Not allowed in public.

[Natalie Jean]

No.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You are under house arrest there.

[Natalie Jean]

And technically, you might need to go to regular arrest.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, don't do that. Yeah, please don't do that.

[Natalie Jean]

I bring it up just because one of the character performers who works with Fantastic a lot, who is a man, made a statement about it and asked people to please remember that they are human beings. That. That sucks. Don't do that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But I will say we are going to be coming up at the Enchanted Realms Festival, and I am already looking into getting guys, finally. I'm getting Jeff his wings. And by his wings, I mean technically they're going to be for me.

[Natalie Jean]

Is he coming for it?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, dude. And you know, if he's coming, he's wearing those fucking wings. Oh, yeah, baby.

[Natalie Jean]

He's not.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm saying this as if he doesn't want to. He's like, hell, yeah. Dress me. And he's like, whatever. So we were driving. We were driving home from Vegas, and he's like, well, if I'm going to be dressing up as Cassian, why don't you explain to me the. The world and. And the interworkings? And I was like, okay. And I told him everything about the world of sjm. And I will say he did. He's like. I kept apologizing. I was like, I'm sorry. I'm talking about this so much. I'M sorry. And he's like, I am asking you. Like he was asking further questions. He's like, it is an interesting, cool story. I just. It's not really my b. So explain to me what you love so much about that specific character and like that world. And honestly, it was just really a beautiful conversation that we had and I'm excited because yeah, we're gonna start entering into the world of book cons, guys. So come hang out with us. Enchanted Realms Book Festival is gonna be in Los Angeles and it's in October. It's a one day show, but we're gonna be hopefully doing more in the future. So we'll be out there hanging out, meeting people.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Salin. Some fucking horny shit.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, it'll be something.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, it'll be something.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, we're that. I think that's the first announcement, right? We haven't even made a post or anything about that yet.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, I mean, maybe. I think by the time this comes out.

[Natalie Jean]

Nevermind. It's not.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Or maybe it could. We can. We'll make it exclusive.

[Natalie Jean]

What are the dates of that one?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

October 11th.

[Natalie Jean]

That is in Los Angeles. And then we will also be at the fantastique Star Football in San Francisco in September. The end of September. And of course we will be at the Dreamers and Readers festival three day live.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

In March.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So excited. I'm so excited. You can use our code buy a gown.

[Natalie Jean]

You can use our code fabs to get discounts on a bunch of events at it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Get on it. Come join us. Yeah, it's like a pick and choose your own adventure con. So come hang out with us. Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

We won't be reapers.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Or will we? I don't know. I'm kind of really digging this fit right now. And I kind of love double eyes. I think say. I think the amount of times I could say, hey, my eyes are up here, would really.

[Natalie Jean]

You're reclaiming the trauma of being called four eyes. But I guess you didn't have glasses.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I did. I. But I lied about my glasses.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, right, you wanted glasses.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I wanted glasses. So I would have loved it if they called me four eyes. If they would only just look at me. No, they were looking at me and they were throwing food. So that's fine. I didn't want them to look at me.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, no, totally. Yeah. I wish, I wish that I had not looked as awkward as a child and had been ignored. That would have been great.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You say that, but also, I'm glad I didn't peak in middle school either. Like, I'm kind of glad that I look so busted, you know, for such a long time, because now people are like, how do you look so much better? I'm like, I think I just looked so bad that, like, literally anything I did, it would be considered a glow up.

[Natalie Jean]

No, that's.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's how you live your life. If you're young, make sure you look really bad so that later on when you really need the compliments, you get them.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, it's not a bad plan, to be honest.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm just saying it's a long con, but long con, baby.

[Natalie Jean]

Life is a long con.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You're damn right, Natalie. You're damn right.

[Natalie Jean]

We're with ithan at chapter 23, and he has apparently decided to take Tharion up on the offer to come join him on figuring out where Emil is doing the River Queen's bidding. And they're at a scene. A crime scene. The beginning. Here the two of them are on the Istros. They have traveled on Tharion's wave skimmer out into the Styx. True detective style. Far away from Lunatheon.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But time is not a flat circle where they are at.

[Natalie Jean]

Or is it times a quadrangle? Oh, is that a real shape?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It could be. Geometrists get at us.

[Natalie Jean]

Leave a note in the chat.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Is a geometrist a thing? As I said, I was like, I don't think that's a word.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm pretty sure that would be a mathematician.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, is that what they do?

[Natalie Jean]

Honestly, a shape to anything we say?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, it's some kind of shape person.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, a shape decider. The shape decider. Where the.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Where are all the shape deciders? I don't know.

[Natalie Jean]

We've lost them over time.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, no.

[Natalie Jean]

So they're away from Lunathion when this body was discovered. It is a female selkie body, and it was discovered deceased in the blazing summer heat. And Ethan is feeling sick at the smell.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Did you also think that you were going to dress as a selkie and then looked into dressing like a selkie and realized it was actually very difficult to pull off?

[Natalie Jean]

I didn't. Just because selkie is one of my very favorite dress brands, bro.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Have you purchased? I was looking into selkies. I have got lost looking at selkies. And I was like, I had never heard of selkie clothing brand before I started looking into it, and then I was like, I want one of these dresses. And then I started doing reviews, like looking into reviews to see if it was A legitimate company. And then there was just like it was all across the board. But you liked it.

[Natalie Jean]

I have like 15 dresses from them.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Whoa.

[Natalie Jean]

You've probably seen me wear them repeatedly.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Whoa.

[Natalie Jean]

I may be wearing one at the Starfall Pole in San Francisco.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But. Yeah. So I did get lost in the selkie clothing company. But also a selkie is a mermaid esque. But on land, they wear the skin of a seal. So, like you would have to dress up like a seal seal, but also a mermaid.

[Natalie Jean]

Is that the real, real life?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

At least that's what I was looking up in the world of Crescent City. But I didn't look into the history of selkie.

[Natalie Jean]

I think that there's like a mermaid. We gotta look now.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's a mer. Yeah. Because I just looked up Selkie Crescent City. But they. They come from federal Icelandic, Scottish and Irish myths. They live in the seas as seals but shed their skin to the mound of the land.

[Natalie Jean]

Is that the wait is connected to. What is it called that you. They used to think were mer people?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Manatees.

[Natalie Jean]

Manatees. Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Maybe that does make sense because they do look a little seal esque. Although there weren't manatees in Iceland.

[Natalie Jean]

I don't think we're coming hard and fast with the facts today.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We are all facts. And. And this is where you come for all your information. And we know it. Did you use like a stencil for your mouth? It looks really good.

[Natalie Jean]

Thank you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Really good job.

[Natalie Jean]

Thank you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

My.

[Natalie Jean]

My makeup hoarding can come in.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

In handy. Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

At times my makeup and costume hoarding.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It'S better than all the whoring she's been doing.

[Natalie Jean]

She's proud of her. Her herself and her work.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes. This Reaper Sl.

[Natalie Jean]

Because she kills.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She kills people. Ah, yeah. Yeah. It's only 15 minutes in. Hook in or hook out, y'. All. That's what we say about whoring.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, a selkies. That's kind of. That's cute.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

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[Natalie Jean]

Sometimes an identity threat is a ring of professional hackers. And sometimes it's an overworked accountant who forgot to encrypt their connection while sending bank details.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I need a Coffee.

[Natalie Jean]

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[Jackie Zabrowski]

That sucks.

[Natalie Jean]

I don't think that's cool at all. Ethan speaks up, suggesting it was not just for torture reasons, but perhaps because someone was trying to get information out of this selkie. Oh God.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The group. Three of Tharion's people turned his way. He'd been brought for one reason. To use his nose. Apparently that hadn't included speaking.

[Natalie Jean]

So it's like the. The team doesn't really want him there. And they're kind of like, why is this boy get to sniffing son and Tharion? Because Tharion's the one who wanted him there. But Tharion nods appreciatively at Ithan. In this moment, as Tharion directs the group and they disperse, one of the other males recognizes Ithan and begins to grill him about Sunball. Cuz you know, it's an awkward thing that he's known for and he doesn't want to talk and he's like, why'd you stop?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But also we're gonna have this conversation at a crime scene. This is the time to talk.

[Natalie Jean]

Was it because your brother got murdered?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Makes me think of Ice Cube in War of the Worlds when he wants to talk about being a bad father. When she's trying to run away from the monsters in War of the Worlds.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm sorry.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And she literally goes right now we have to talk about this right now.

[Natalie Jean]

That character should be in prison. He is a creep.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Imprisoned, stalking.

[Natalie Jean]

Stalking children. His daughter going into her DMS and.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Reading her text message. Ew. I need. I know that you were also forced that out.

[Natalie Jean]

You know what?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

This was a travesty that was done to both Natalie and myself. Henry forced both Natalie and I to watch. Made more of the world's he made us watch it so that we could talk about it. And now we have this in our brains. And you're gonna hear about it, too.

[Natalie Jean]

It was an Amazon commercial.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It was just bad.

[Natalie Jean]

That is one of the most insane. It's. It's almost like at the level of the room. What's the other one? Birdemic. It was almost like. Birdemic.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes. Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes. But good for all those actors for never having to leave one room doing that whole movie.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Well, it was during quarantine. They did it. They. They shot it during 2020.

[Natalie Jean]

I also think Ice Cube just said, I'll do this movie if I don't leave my house. I'm not going anywhere. Oh, I tried. I can't get out. Oh, man.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Doors locked.

[Natalie Jean]

I tried.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I've been laughing. But I also watch it by myself, so that's why I keep bringing it up randomly on episodes of podcasts, because I feel like I don't. Yeah, you need to test out. Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. And in that way, it's effective because I remember it, and I'm pretty mad. Yep. So Tharion nods at Ethan's, you know, maybe theory there. And this guy shows up in front of Ethan is like, hey, do you stop playing stoneball because your brother got mauled?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Sucks, man. You know, your brother's dead, and do.

[Natalie Jean]

You know your bro, remember you and your brother died?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Whoa. It's like, so crazy. Like, are you sad? Does that make you feel weird?

[Natalie Jean]

So Ethan tries to brush this off. He wants to disappear as his traumas are brought up for entertainment, you know, during this crime investigation.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Theory isn't sensitive much. Right.

[Natalie Jean]

Theory. And calls him over, getting him out of the scene that was forming around him as all of the other people come over. I mean, like, oh, yeah, you. You have that dead brother and you still like playing some ball, but you don't anymore.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Odd. Crazy.

[Natalie Jean]

And so he goes over to therapy because he's a.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He himself is a himbo. And even he knows it's like, maybe we shouldn't be doing that. Do you think it's appropriate maybe right now?

[Natalie Jean]

So he calls over to Tharion, who is asking him to scent the air around the body to see if he could sense something that they couldn't. The whole purpose of him being invited to the scene. After a moment, he finds two human scents under everything else. Tharion mauls this over, silently, flipping a stream of water between two fingers as he thinks about it, which is cool. Ethan carefully walks the area, seeing if he can find anything else. And Tharian Asks him if it would be easier if he would just shift into wolf form. And he says no. No, wouldn't. It wouldn't be because he doesn't want to tell Therian he can't bear shifting now that he's been exiled. Or I guess he can't wolf.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, bear shifting. Ah. Cause he can't bear shifting. Bear. He's a wolf, Natalie.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, he's been exiled, and he doesn't want to do it anymore. It's painful, I guess, you know, because the wolf part of him wants to be in the pack, but he's not in a pack anymore.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Sad. But he can still help. It's like you have a different kind of pack, you know?

[Natalie Jean]

Not yet.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You can make your own kind of pack.

[Natalie Jean]

Maybe he'll find a way to make his own pack. I don't know. He asks Ethan to join him in the Blue Court to debrief on his. His thoughts about the crime scene. Not his underwear. I knew you were gonna say it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So, yay. Then he took his.

[Natalie Jean]

Come over to my office to debrief.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

So they leave the scene, they head back to under the water, and shortly thereafter, the two of them are in Therian's office. But now we're with Therian's pov. He can tell Ethan hasn't been under the water before based on the wonder of his. His, you know, on his face, looking through the big glass wall out into the river life. Which is pretty sick. I want to go.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I mean, I don't. Because I would be absolutely terrified, but I like the idea if I could have, like, the bubble where, like, you're definitely not gonna run out of oxygen. Yeah. Then I'd be fine.

[Natalie Jean]

Have you ever gone through one of the aquariums that you walk through the tunnel?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes.

[Natalie Jean]

I love those.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And I do think about the video that you showed me every time I see a large aquarium now. And I think, just exploding. And in fact, there. I feel like there's a lot of those aquariums.

[Natalie Jean]

Like, which horrible video?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, the one that you showed me about the largest aquarium completely exploding. And I think about it every time I see one of those big ones now. So, technically. Thank you, Natalie, for giving me a new fear.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm just here for giving everyone intrusive thoughts.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Honestly, that's great for us. Yeah. Thank you, Reaper. You are killing it.

[Natalie Jean]

That's what I do as a reaper. I don't actually kill people. I don't drag them away. I just give them new worries. I, like, implant new worries into their hands.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Is that why I'm so anxious all the time? Am I corrupted with reaper?

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Hello.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But it. Although, how would I feel if I, you know, staring back at me wasn't the reaper that I thought I saw in the mirror, but it was you because you were corrupting me this entire time.

[Natalie Jean]

You mean you look at yourself and it's me?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

That would be weird.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That would be weird. I hope that doesn't happen.

[Natalie Jean]

Me too. So Ethan is not having intrusive thoughts. He's filled with wonder. Looking out at the river, Ethan says to Tharion that he believes the two human sense were Emile, who was likely assisted by the selkie, who probably just happened upon him by chance. Because if you'll recall, Emil escapes the ophion ships.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes.

[Natalie Jean]

Gets away. Gets away from Cormac, goes out into the wilds. And he probably had, like, a place to go towards from his sister, but probably needed help. And probably the selkie just was plopping along sun in themselves. And they see this little boy. This little boy's like, hey, can you help me out? And so they also think that the other human scent is probably Pippa. Oh, Pippa, who was tracking a meal and tortured the selkie to get info about where he went. Because Pippa has lost the plot. She's gone mad.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She just has such a great fun name, and she's like, totally not fun.

[Natalie Jean]

No, she's not. I know it does. The only Pippa I can think of is that British one. Isn't that, like one of the. Isn't that one of the ladies who was gonna marry somebody?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The pig?

[Natalie Jean]

Was it Prince Charles?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, I don't know. I'm thinking of Peppa Pig.

[Natalie Jean]

And she's gonna marry into the royal family.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I mean, honestly, she made a name for herself. She's got her own balloon in the Thanksgiving Day parade.

[Natalie Jean]

Middleton. Pippa Middleton, British socialite.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes.

[Natalie Jean]

Author and columnist. She's the younger sister of Catherine, Princess of Wales.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Whoa. It's gotta suck to have your older sister be a fucking. Gonna be a queen someday. I'd be so annoyed. I'd be like, why? Who is that girl I see staring straight back at me?

[Natalie Jean]

I wouldn't want to be queen. I'd be like. Like, sorry, good luck, I guess.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I.

[Natalie Jean]

No, thank you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, but that's the thing, Natalie. That's why we need you as queen, because you don't want to be it.

[Natalie Jean]

Well, I'm just gonna slack off and probably screw up a lot of stuff. I think we'd lose electricity and like.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. But, like, aren't you, like. But at that point, you're, like, above God. So, like, it does. If you make a mistake, it's like, but did I. But can I.

[Natalie Jean]

My life's goal. Just to manipulate the masses.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Exactly. It's what we've been trying to att from the beginning. Why do you think we dress like this?

[Natalie Jean]

To give.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

To seduce you, master manipulation. Yep. Are you manipulated?

[Natalie Jean]

Are you frightened?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think they are. I heard them.

[Natalie Jean]

So. Yeah. Don't be surprised.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Don't be hating.

[Natalie Jean]

No. Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, because you're just the reaper from the block.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Get those rocks out of your cloak, bro. I think you would have a better time reaping if you got rid of the rocks.

[Natalie Jean]

Sometimes I have to throw them.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, okay. All right. Yeah. To get, like, so that you can read them. Oh, it's like. It's so difficult.

[Natalie Jean]

You ever think about stepping accidentally off the. What if you back off the. The subway track accidentally?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Get back in.

[Natalie Jean]

It's right there.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Get back in, boy.

[Natalie Jean]

What if you just decided to jump.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

In front of it? I unfortunately saw a podcast clip of someone talking about the top 10 most painful things a human being can experience. Oh, cool. And getting hit by a train, I think was number two.

[Natalie Jean]

Well, you gotta hope that you hit the top part first, you know, Being.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Burned alive was the number one.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, I would imagine. Yeah, I would imagine.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I feel like it was the kind of thing that I ended up watching the whole clip, and I was upset that I watched the whole clip because I was like, I don't want to think about, like, I never thought about getting hit by a train as painful. Like, I feel like it was one of those things that, like, I always just assumed, oh, you just explode into smithereens and, like, never thought about it.

[Natalie Jean]

It would depend on where you got.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Hit first, though, I guess. Yeah. And if it's like a long, drawn out thing or not. But I'm just like, man, that sucks. Like, I just assume you. You turn into feathers.

[Natalie Jean]

I do that to myself too. Sometimes I'll end up on, like, one of those most disturbing movie icebergs.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

Like, why did I.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Why am I doing this?

[Natalie Jean]

Why did I just watch this? I'm. Now I'm just upset.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm just upset. Yeah, I'm just upset. And it's like, that's why I've turned my TikTok algorithm into piggy videos and puppy videos and sometimes donkey videos. And honestly, Natalie, after our cow conversation, not that long ago, I think that I said the word cow in front of the phone and I've been getting these like that cows are just big dogs and that like if you, if you just treat a cow properly, that they're just like having a big wonderful dog. And now I've lost myself into cow tick tock.

[Natalie Jean]

They're so cute. They play with balls and stuff. It's cute.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Anyway, I'm like, yeah, yeah. Then I want you to stay calm.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, you know, if you think, if you think about them in a little bit, you might take some meat out of your diet and that's good for the environment.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes, I do eat a lot less meat than I used to. And honestly it is because of a lot of the tick tocks. Because I just look at them like, oh God.

[Natalie Jean]

It's also good for the environment.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It is.

[Natalie Jean]

So. But we're not here to save the earth.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, we're here to the earth into a bunch of feathers. That's where the feathers come in. Yep.

[Natalie Jean]

They speculate that if Ethan is right, this theory. Therian and Ethan both have this theory. Both Emile and Pippa are somewhere near Lunatheon and have been been tracking closer over the last two days. So they're gaining ground towards Lunathian. Ethan wants to go find Pippa and take her out. Tharion tells him that Ethan is underestimating Pippa for being a human and just a girl. No, I don't think Ethan's actually sexist at all.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't think he's got the brain for it.

[Natalie Jean]

He does. I will say that the wolves are very equal rights, equal fights. And he doesn't talk about women in a way that's demeaning at all, actually.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And you know what? I strike.

[Natalie Jean]

What?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I said reverse it. I think that he actually has, weirdly, too many brains to be sexist because there we go. Actually is a stupid, lazy way of thinking.

[Natalie Jean]

It's true. You're right. Tharion, you know, warns him about this. And Ethan is insulted that he that Therian's kind of challenging Ethan's abilities. But then Therian gets him to laugh when he tells Ethan he can't risk him getting hurt and losing access to Bryce's underwear drawer. They are interrupted by one of Tharian's agents telling him he is being summoned by the River Queen. Therian's stomach drops out, but he tells Ethan to kick back, wait in his office, get a snack while he handles whatever's about to be dropped upon him. We cut over to Bryce, who was walking down the street on the edge of Old Square in Moonwood, with Ruhn heading for the Ox training facility. It's a hot day.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And then just us.

[Natalie Jean]

Who us?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We're not creepy.

[Natalie Jean]

Spoiler.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We need. I mean. Oh, yeah, I know. I know. It's about to happen. And that's why I'm saying we're Creepy Reapy in the shadow. Yes, we are.

[Natalie Jean]

Very subtle with my neon pink.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Why'd you wear that? Why is my robe see through? Oh, God. I feel like we're not doing a good job of reaping right now.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, he's cute.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She's the sexy one. I'm the dopey one.

[Natalie Jean]

No, you're doable. You're sexy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Thank you. That's what I was asking for. Tell me how real sexy I am.

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[Natalie Jean]

So, yeah. Ruhn and Bryce are walking down the street heading towards the Ox training facility. It's a hot day and Bryce is amazed that Ruhn is wearing a leather jacket. As her thighs stick together with sweat, Relatable Rune tells her he has to cover the weapons up so tourists don't freak out, which is why he's wearing a big, thick leather jacket. I think he also just likes, like, looking super tough.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. And also I imagine he's not like a disgusting, sweaty mess because he's Faye, so. Right. I would assume.

[Natalie Jean]

And he's just like, so hot.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And he's so hot that even if he was sweaty, everyone would be like, can I live?

[Natalie Jean]

And then he'd say, no. And they respectfully say, thank you, thank you, sorry.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But then they faint, which is just out of. Yeah, pure lust.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, they just collapse on the street. So he. Yeah, he's trying to cover the weapons up. She points out that he only carries a sword, not a gun, which is not as scary to people. But he tells her that a sword has a different impact than a gun.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

True. Randall had taught her that a long time ago. Swords could mean hope, resistance, strength. Guns meant death. They were to be respected, but only as weapons of killing, even in defense.

[Natalie Jean]

I've referenced this paragraph before because it's true and it's good to remember. It is guns only Exist to kill.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But I do think that you are allowed to be scared if you see somebody carrying a sword at the Ralphs, I think that you have every. No, you go to go to your knees. No. It is a meeting of hope. It is. Resilience has just soared about the fucking grocery store spearing the apples.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, don't bring a sword to the grocery store. But it can be used as a utility weapon. It has purpose. And it also is a symbol in many ways, in a way that guns just aren't. Which I just think that's a very poignant thing to say. So Bryce checks her ringing phone as they're talking before shutting the sound off and pocketing the phone. She doesn't answer. And the air in that moment has kind of shifted. Storm clouds have appeared. And as people begin making their way towards shelter because it seems a storm's brewing. That's how it is in Florida. I didn't grow up there. Obviously you did. But the rainstorms that happen there are so different than most other places because it'll just be sun and then it's just like. And then drops rain for 35 minutes and then it's just like, dies.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Well, it's also because my. My parents live like right on the coast. So it's the way that they're brought in from the Gulf. So it happens so fat. Like the Gulf winds bring it in fast and move it on fast, which is great in some ways, but then bad when with hurricanes. And so it's like, like good for some. Really bad for other things. Yeah. But the way that it just like ravages through. Oh, my God. That's why I became obsessed with the power of storms. Because watching them just come in with such a force, it was just like the. This power that I always. Oh, I just. I love it. I respect it, and I'm horny for it.

[Natalie Jean]

That's why you like hunt made lightning, baby. So this storm is kind of appearing out of nowhere. And as they're watching, people sort of like decide, oh, we're gonna probably to take shelter. Run. Asks who she was just avoiding on that phone call. She admits it's her mom and then pulls out a postcard. He. He's like, what is. What are you talking about? She explains that she and her mom have a long standing tradition when they have big blowout fights, because moms and daughters tend to. They have.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Back in the day. Because I feel like you're not a screamer. Like you're not. Or did you.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, as a teenager, I Was, oh.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, my mom did the more of.

[Natalie Jean]

Like, I'm gonna avoid you completely rather.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Than screaming, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

Just like.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That was more of our vibe too. Is more of that. Of just like, I'm not gonna. Because you're being like that.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, there's a lot of that. Because they've had so many fights in their lives, Ember and Bryce, they have a long standing tradition. And if you'll recall, they had a big ass fight the other night that ended with Ember hanging up on Bryce. And neither wants to speak to the other. But their tradition is that they start initiating contact via postcards where they just bring up random things instead of discussing the fight, which is very sweet.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's actually very sweet.

[Natalie Jean]

He asks if she is going to tell her mom about all the stuff that they've learned from Tharion and all that stuff, and about the ruse of the engagement. And she's like, no. Ruhn laughs and says that he wishes that he had a stepmom in Ember. And Bryce rightfully points out that he's several decades older than her mom.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, but Ember's Ember. And of course he would want an Ember. He never had an Ember.

[Natalie Jean]

No. And he does laugh and he says he still needs a mom to kick his ass sometimes. And it's kind of this really sad recognition that he didn't have parents and.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The one he did have was horrible to him.

[Natalie Jean]

And he has a mother, but his mom is sort of almost a concubine or something for his dad. It was, you know, one of those royal connections where she didn't really have much say. And she's care. She's tended to, but she is just like left in, like a property somewhere. And at this point in his life, he kind of takes care of her more. She's sort of like out to lunch a little bit. She's kind of detached from everything. So even though he loves his mom, he didn't really have an Ember in his life.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It just sucks that it's like, for forever. So you're just gonna live like that forever and you're gonna keep going because. But you're just in this shell of.

[Natalie Jean]

A life for, oh, for his mother.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Hundreds and hundreds of years. Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, not my desires for certain. Bryce decides to just go for it and asks Ruhn if he would want to join her and hunt for winter solstice in Nidaros. Which is cute.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So cute.

[Natalie Jean]

She hopes that she and Ember will be speaking at this point. At that point, after this but she's not really being serious, so she has plans, especially since she has now decided she's not waiting till winter solstice because you don't want to be at mommy and daddy's house for that. That blowout.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, no. Get a hotel. Ye.

[Natalie Jean]

But since they're not waiting till then, now she's like, well, I guess I'm gonna go home for winter solstice. And she's invited Ruhn with her, which is adorable.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Rain splattered the pavement, but Ruhn stopped, his eyes filled with such hope and happiness that Bryce's chest hurt. Buddy said, bringing Hunt home, huh? Which is cute thing for a brother to notice. It's cute. Yeah. She's bringing Hunt over Christmas. I'm sorry. Winter solstice.

[Natalie Jean]

So they're having this sort of, you know, bonding experience. They're still kind of developing their relationship because they didn't speak for years, and they're sort of sussing each other out in a lot of ways. They decide to wait out the rain under an awning instead of running to the ox. And as they wait, Ruhn asks her if she really meant inviting him home. When she says yes, he tells her, like, over casually that he, you know, he, like, usually goes to Declan's family, but they probably wouldn't mind if I decided to skip or whatever.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's so cute. Oh, my God. It just makes you mad if you already had a crush on Ruhn. This scene of, like, him just connecting with her and wanting to, you know, be there for her and get to know her more and just. Oh, my God. Oh, I know. Their brother's sister. She doesn't feel that way. I'm saying we feel this way.

[Natalie Jean]

But she. She is very touched by the vulnerability and just has a lot of emotions about, you know, re. Reacquainting herself with her brother. But it's always awkward, you know, in those moments, and she doesn't know what to say. So they both kind of just wait there for a little bit.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Well, she's not really that adept with emotional communication just yet. Like, I feel like she's just starting to thaw. Oh, yeah. Being able to, because she was just frozen after such a traumatic experience that this is getting to know, like, a. A new version of her as well and how she communicates, for sure.

[Natalie Jean]

So they both just kind of sit there in silence for a little bit. And for whatever reason, in that silence, Rune decides to ask why she doesn't want to use the star sword, which is the star, you know, as you recall, he's the one. He pulled that out from the Cave of Princes over on Velen. It's his, like, birthright.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

And it connects to his star heritage. That also means that it connects to Bryce's star heritage. So Ruhn kind of throws that in the mix. For some reason, this makes Bryce tense up as though there is a weighted meaning in that question.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And obviously. There is.

[Natalie Jean]

There is. Technically, she has way more star power than Rune. And they've just all found that out, basically that she's been hiding this power. The same lineage, which means the same sword. But she backs away from him as though the sword was going to jump into her hands when he asked. She tells him that's his, that he earned it it. And that she has Danika's sword. She doesn't need it. She gently adds that she has the star in her chest already. She likes Ruhn being the chosen one. And he asks why? Honestly, I think you don't know how special you are. Ruhn.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

His blue eyes flickered.

[Natalie Jean]

Thanks. She takes his hand. Gross. Do siblings do that a lot? I've never took in my brother's hands.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

In my life, man. And bro, I was talking about this yesterday. We were watching. We were trying to watch the second episode. We watched the second episode of Alien Earth. And there is this. There are these brothers. It's a brother, sister character. And it was just like the way that they were standing so close to each other. The way that the. The lingering hug between. And what is it? Alien Earth is like a new alien. Like xenomorph alien show, like television show. But it is. I mean, I'm not saying that everyone should watch it. I will just say if there's a xenomorph in it, I'm at least gonna watch a couple of episodes of it. And I did.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, I know what you're talking about now.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes. And it really just yucked me out, honestly. Part of the reason why I was like, I don't like these brother. And this brother and sister, I know that one is technically a cyborg, but like this, the way that this brother and sister character is written really yucks me out. And I. I know it's like. But she's supposed to be a child. It's like. Yeah. And it still yucks me out.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. And I'm not saying this grosses me. I feel like I'm being from dysfunctional.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, we are dysfunctional. I know that. We are just. We come from a no touch family. We. I can't like Henry and I. I think we hugged at our father's church. You just have like I think we did.

[Natalie Jean]

You have just this disgusting on stage moments on like murder fist level. That's the only way that you've been like physically connected.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And that's why we touch each other. No, never any other time. But you also don't have a touchy touch relationship with your brothers either. Oh, and I guess some people have it and you know, I basically have.

[Natalie Jean]

Raised my baby brother because he's 10 years younger than me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So you were parent.

[Natalie Jean]

I was.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So that is.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, I loved him as a baby and like did all that stuff. But then after, you know, he's six or something, it's just like, oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, it's just too much. And then, then they're a child and then they're always with the info dumping. So this dinosaur does this and I'm just like, oh, you don't even have all the facts. Which ones had feathers?

[Natalie Jean]

Anyway, she takes his hand. She tells him that she truly thinks the sword was meant for him. And that with the prophecy and all that maybe you know, when sword and knife come together so the world's maybe or whatever. So she says maybe the knife is somewhere in the universe meant for her.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But.

[Natalie Jean]

But this is his sword. She tells him she thinks that there may be some bigger force at play with all that's happening. That there is some larger thing guiding her. Ruhn doesn't seem convinced. So she points out that, you know, Hel turned out to be another planet, not some magic liminal space. She wonders if hell comes here, do their gods follow? Which is super deep. And I like the thought of that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's an awesome question, technically.

[Natalie Jean]

She also points out that the fae were themselves immigrants to Midgard. And what does their home planet have to do with the cosmic order of all of this? Ruhn's like, whoa, that ship is this.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She shook her head and closed her eyes, unable to suppress the chill down her spine.

[Natalie Jean]

I just have this feeling.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Ruhn said nothing. And she opened her eyes again. Ruhn was gone. Hello. Hello. Didn't mean to creep reap. Yes, we did. Oh yes we did. I forgot. I am the sarcastic one after all.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm the little one. I'm very dried humor, yes, but also.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Dry to the touch. Do not touch your skin. Crinkly, crackly. You wouldn't want your bones to be wet. That would be very weird. Very scary. We never moisturize.

[Natalie Jean]

That's right. He was not gone. But being dragged down the street by gross stinky reapers I mean, sexy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes, sexy, but sexy emissions. Yeah. Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

It's like these are charming.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Fleshed out. Whoa. No pun intended. Fleshed out reapers. And these are the ones that have. Have full lives outside of just this. Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm not just a reaper who just shows up. I had a life. Yes, I have autonomy. Not really. I don't really have autonomy anymore, but I did at one point, and my. I used my autonomy to give away my autonomy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. You know, seasons don't fear the reaper when the son of the rain. But you should fear the reaper. Actually, it's the opposite. Take that, Blue Oyster Cult, and you flush it down the fucking toilet.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, you shouldn't fear the reaper. That's just not a good. Yeah, you're right.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

In fact, you know, go back. You don't go back. I think that technically, yes, you fear the reaper. Are you scared? We're coming for you.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, my fingers are gone.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, God, I wish your fingers were floppier.

[Natalie Jean]

They will be again. Don't worry.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You're not upset when your fingers are hard.

[Natalie Jean]

So she realizes in that moment, from the rain or the reaper's approach, she's not sure, but the street has gone completely empty.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Cool.

[Natalie Jean]

She also realizes she was having these chills down her spine. All this stuff was happening. She thought she was feeling connection to the universe, but actually, maybe you are feeling the reapers approaching.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It was my reapy fingies.

[Natalie Jean]

In a panic, she flings herself across the street towards where she realizes the reaper is dragging Ruhn.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But she was too late. The reaper shoved Ruhn into the gaping sewer drain with two long fingers ended in cracked, jagged, ragged nails, floppier than you would expect, and slithered in after him.

[Natalie Jean]

Can you get my flash?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Ew. I hate them. Natalie. Ew.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. So Run has been dragged into a sewer drain, much like it. Pennywise at chapter 24. Run is fighting for consciousness. He recalls being with Bryce. And then there was darkness. Suddenly, Daybright's voice is projecting through his head.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

What night?

[Natalie Jean]

She calls out, still confused. He responds through his thoughts, trying to shake the cobwebs out of his brain. Something has happened. He knows that he doesn't have the comms crystal with them. How is Daybright's voice coming through?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

What?

[Natalie Jean]

She doesn't seem to know either. Only that she suddenly felt the draw of their mental bridge and there was some kind of danger. She tells him she doesn't know anything else, but that he needs to get up now. He groggily tells her in his thoughts. He's trying to she shouts to him, more urgently this time.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Get up now. Something familiar echoed in her voice. He couldn't place it. And then she was there. Burning flame, as if the link between their minds had solidified, bright as a bonfire. Her hair floated around her head like they were both underwater.

[Natalie Jean]

Does that sound like a fire?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. Wow. I was just like, why am I so soothed? Oh, my God, I feel like I'm at a campsite right now.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm like that guy from the 80s.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes, you're the police, and we're scared of you.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, I'm the police. That is, if you are not a millennial or I don't know if you know what I'm talking about.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Police Academy. Everybody knows Police Academy. I'm sure I've referenced Police Academy in here. And maybe they didn't know what it was then, either, but, man, that cop was zany. Making all them sounds.

[Natalie Jean]

They were all zany in their own ways.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, grabbing. And there's a lot of molesting. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

So she urges him awake, but all you can think about is that her voice sounds so familiar. He thinks he knows her. He says, I recognize you. Irritated, she tells him he does not. Even when he says he can scent her. A familiar scent coming from her.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

What?

[Natalie Jean]

He starts to argue further when she screams loudly to open his eyes. We cut over to Bryce as she's peering into the darkness, trying not to cringe at the sewery sewer smells where her brother had been dragged. So we cut from the same moment, moment we're with Ruhn for that time in his mind when, as he's gotten knocked unconscious trying to fight out of it. And at the same moment, Bryce has jumped into the sewer after him, and she's. You know, a lot of the masked women end up in sewers.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They really do. And maybe it is just a naturally creepy place, but I feel like there's always, like. And if it's not a sewer, it's a crypt. Like, there's always something underneath, that's all. But, I mean, it's a.

[Natalie Jean]

It's a. The travel. It's a hidden tunnel system, essentially.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

To be fair, sewers are always scary. I mean, the idea of getting dragged into a sewer is scary. The idea of having to go in after somebody into a sewer is scary. Giant bugs get out.

[Natalie Jean]

Giant spiders, alligators. Poop.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Lots of poop. And also, yeah, a lot of wet that you don't know what kind of wet it is.

[Natalie Jean]

It is slimy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And I feel like that I, I, you know, I'm not like the other girls. Like, I don't like mysterious wet.

[Natalie Jean]

Most girls love mysterious wet.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I know.

[Natalie Jean]

They love it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And they go, ew. Oh, it's viscous. Oh, why? Where does it come from? And they like. Yeah, they bathe in it, but not us.

[Natalie Jean]

I had to really come to face a human thing when I was a little kid, from first time I saw Temple of Doom and that scene where the lead woman is in the bug room.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Ah.

[Natalie Jean]

And she has to stick her hand in a thing to save Indy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

And he's gonna get spiked if she doesn't. And as a kid, I was like, oh, I have to decide if I'm ever gonna be the person who would.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Be able to do that. To be able to do that, you have to.

[Natalie Jean]

In that moment, you'd have to. And. But as a kid, I had, like, a existential. Like, could I.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Could I do that?

[Natalie Jean]

Stick my hand in the slime to get the lever?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I guess it really depends on who it is, because I feel like at the time, like, I feel like if you're not thinking about it and, like, I saw it was you on the chopping block. Like, I think you just.

[Natalie Jean]

The panic would just.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, I think just do it.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, I would hope so. I would hope. I would hope you'd feel real dumb.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Afterwards, and then it'd be like a lifelong trauma.

[Natalie Jean]

So she is down there trying to see through the darkness. There's no sign of the Reaper Arun in front of her. She doesn't really have control over her starlight yet, but she focuses with all her might, and it seems to work. Light pours out of the scar on her chest, and when it blooms across the space, she realizes she is in an underground chamber of sorts, that this sewer grate leads to this big room, and her brother is, in fact, in front of her, surrounded by spooky, sexy, intelligent skeletons.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Hello, Bryce. Oh, did you find us in the middle of our mission? Hello?

[Natalie Jean]

Ew.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Flappy fingers.

[Natalie Jean]

Five are there, to be exact. Ruhn is.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Or only two really good ones.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, like, two good ones. Three, like, you know, NPCs. So Ruhn is slumped over, unconscious, being held by them, still armed with the Star Sword. And the Reapers don't seem to be trying to disarm him, which Bryce finds confusing. The Reapers begin to speak in unison, much as the Asteri do. And they tell.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And they. They tell. Bryce, you can look at the paper instead. No, I want to look at your lips. I want to do it so that I get. I guess what you're saying.

[Natalie Jean]

And they. They tell Bryce, I lost my plot.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh. Oh, is this. Does this take you off your game and reading it with you?

[Natalie Jean]

They tell Bryce that they have come to relay.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Message. I won't continue.

[Natalie Jean]

She pulls towards them, but they threaten to drop Roon in the water. She stops because he's unconscious. He would start to drown immediately, even though. Then she goes through this thought process in her head, which I feel like is something. Something that SJM just thought about in the moment being like, could a fade. Drown? And then she was like, well, the healing would happen, but then they'd start drowning again. So they would just start drowning, healing, drowning, healing over and over until eventually the magic would give out.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Whoa.

[Natalie Jean]

So they start to drop him. Then she stops as she. You know, they're basically like, don't come any closer. But she notes that when they start to drop him, the star sword brushes one of them and it hisses. As if in response to Bryce's aggression, five more reapers appear from the shadows.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Come on in, boys.

[Natalie Jean]

Ah, see?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, we got other ones. Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

They tell her that they have been sent by Apollon, not Apollonian. They tell her.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Also, it is weird because earlier when you were saying Emile, there was something about you just written out, because I think I listened. I only ever listened to it that I was like, Amelie. And I like, that's another character. But then if you look at Emile, it could be like, you could see how your brain would say Amelie instead. Oh, sure. And then I just like, man, the brain, huh? Really does weird things.

[Natalie Jean]

She also chooses a lot of creative spellings, which is why I called the Throne of Glass character Yurine in my head. But then you told me it was Irene, and I like Yurine better, but.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I mean, Yurine probably makes more sense. Sense in the world, like, even of where she got. But we're not talking about.

[Natalie Jean]

I guess maybe it's too close to urine for some people's liking.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, it's like, get over your piss.

[Natalie Jean]

Get over piss. So they have been sent not by the under king, but by the Prince of the Pit. This confuses Bryce because the reapers belong to the underworld, the under king, and he is a being of Midgard. As far as she knows, the Prince of the Pit is from an entirely different planet. Why have the reapers come for him? She challenges them with that, and they're like, oh. They have no answer, really, for her. They continue the message that he is trying to get to her, the Prince of the Pit is that he is, quote, ready to strike. That does not help Bryce at all.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But also, there's so many ways to give me a message, guys. Like, if we could, you know, you could. Look, my mom just sent me a postcard. There's so many ways to get a hold of me.

[Natalie Jean]

And we, as the reader, know a little bit more than Bryce does. In this moment, she asks if they mean that Apollyon is trying to start a war, because at this point, she has gotten some information from Aidas, but she doesn't know the dream meeting that Hunt had with Apollyon in the previous chapter. So Hunt knows a little bit more than Bryce in this moment. She's, like, trying to keep up with it, but. But they're only going to offer more riddles to muse about.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You mangy sphinx. Not a sphinx.

[Natalie Jean]

They suggest that the notorious Pop, it's the Prince of the Pit, wants her to be.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I bet that he loves being called Pop. Pop. Can I just call you Pop?

[Natalie Jean]

I don't think he does.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No. I don't think he'd like it.

[Natalie Jean]

He wants her to be at full power in that she's not there and not doing enough to get there. This is like a message. It's kind of seeming. We don't know for sure, but it seems like the Prince of the Pit has sent these reapers as a test for her strength to see if she can handle it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's like, then come train me, bitch. Like, give me the montage that I crave.

[Natalie Jean]

They can't really come other than in. I guess Aidas can come in a cat form. It'd be hard to train somebody as a cat.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, unless you're like Puss and Boo Boots. Because then it would be cute.

[Natalie Jean]

Would be really cute. They also suggest that Apollyon is searching through the bone quarter for a powerful weapon. They don't say Emile, but she's like, really? They're also searching for a meal.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Great.

[Natalie Jean]

This kid is good at hiding.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Thank God, or else he would have been in trouble by now.

[Natalie Jean]

She taunts the reapers, which they do not care for.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, we don't like your jokes. We don't like pranks.

[Natalie Jean]

No, no pranks. And lunge at her. She notes, however, that they don't drop Ruhn. And to an extent, their attack seems performative.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

As mentioned, it's a bit of a dance. Is it? Oh, are you enjoying us?

[Natalie Jean]

It's a bit of a flash mob.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Ew.

[Natalie Jean]

Ew.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

If the reaper started flash mobbing at me, I definitely would, like, keep him. You may have him.

[Natalie Jean]

She notes. She flares her light at them and they hiss. Before they can attack again. She sees an explosion of night next to her.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Bryce shouted as Cormac appeared out of nothing, hovering over the river, arms around another reaper, and vanished once more. Again he appeared. Again he took another reaper with him and vanished. Finally. Maybe he woke up for me. Maybe woke up for me. What was already dead could not be killed. But they could be removed or whatever the fuck he was doing.

[Natalie Jean]

Okay, pop off, Prince Cormac.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes, Take me into the night.

[Natalie Jean]

He screams at her when he comes back from one of his taking the reapers away thing and screams at her to use her light. She sees where he's looking and understands that he's going to go for Rune in that moment. She blasts her light at the reaper, still holding Rune, and Cormac grabs the unconscious Rune before he falls into poop water. He zaps, offs him away somewhere and within moments returns to the sewer, holding only the star sword.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He must have taken it from Ruhn. Bryce didn't stop to think as she unsheathed it. It starlight erupted from the black blade, like its metal had been kindled with iridescent fire.

[Natalie Jean]

She swings the blade wildly, but blade.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Met cloth and rotting flesh and ancient bone. And for the first time, perhaps the only time in that world, a reaper bled. My blood.

[Natalie Jean]

Where's my blood coming from? I'm a skeleton.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I hate this. I don't like it.

[Natalie Jean]

There's skin inside of my bones.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Different and weird.

[Natalie Jean]

Bryce feels her light flooding into the sword.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Awesome.

[Natalie Jean]

A power boner. It's like the sword is an extension of her body.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Cool.

[Natalie Jean]

It becomes easy as walking through space to slice into the next reaper, who screeches as black blood pours out of it. My blood. The reapers, enraged, converge on her. But just then, Cormac reappears and grabs Bryce around the waist. She has the sensation of being sucked through a windy, liminal space. And then she's on the floor of the ox training facility where she was trying to go in the first place.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

Ruhn is next to her, regaining awareness, coughing sewer gunk out of his lungs. Bryce exclaims in shock to Cormac that oh, wow, Mr. Teleport, over here. Thanks for telling me. He's staring, however, in disbelief at the sword Cormac that is seemingly also astounded that it was able to kill a reaper while in Bryce's hands. He's silent and pale.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

With shaking fingers, she put it back into a sheath, dimmed its light. But the star sword still sang, and Bryce had no idea what to make of it? Of the blade that had slain that which was unkillable. What? It can kill the unkillable. That's so awesome. It just sucks because she literally was just like, run. You behave. It's yours. It's like your thing you are are the best with it. And then immediately it's like, bitch, that shit is singing for your power sawy. It's definitely your fucking sword, bitch.

[Natalie Jean]

And that's the end of part one, when we learn that she has a weapon that might be of use to the unkillable.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes.

[Natalie Jean]

So join us for next episode will be the beginning of part two and.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And maybe we'll be creeping on you in between episodes. Look to the shadows. Please read up until chapter 28 for next week.

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