LPN Deep Dives: HOSAB / Episode 15: Down Where It's Wetter

Summary

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LPN Deep Dives: Crescent City

HOSAB / Episode 15: Down Where It's Wetter

Hosts: Natalie Jean & Jackie Zebrowski
Release Date: September 16, 2025

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Main Theme & Episode Overview

This episode "Down Where It's Wetter" continues the hosts’ irreverent, sharp, and deeply enthusiastic breakdown of Sarah J. Maas's "Crescent City: House of Sky and Breath" (HOSAB), focusing on the latest underwater court dramas, power plays among the river queens, and a heavy dose of romantic antics both swoony and snarky. Natalie and Jackie remix pop-culture references (especially The Little Mermaid), character deep-dives, and wild speculation with the book’s plot, all in their signature unfiltered, comedic tone.

Key themes include:

• The River Queen’s manipulations and parenting style (and her daughter’s predicament)
• Rune’s fraught relationship with his father, the Autumn King
• The team’s strategic efforts to locate Emil and deal with the Reaper threat
• Bryce and Hunt’s deepening romantic bond (with a major "I love you" moment, mate talk, and steamy gym scene)
• The group’s camaraderie and emotional fallout from Danika’s secrets

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. River Queen, Her Daughter, and Tharion’s Ordeal

Timestamps: 03:10–22:34

• Natalie and Jackie riff on the River Queen’s daughter as a character, imagining fun/absurd alternate versions (e.g., “Jackie’s version of River Queen’s daughter—she fucks!” – Jackie, 03:24).
• Discussion of the River Queen’s sheltering, overbearing parenting style—“She has a helicopter mom who won’t allow her to become an adult. And so she doesn’t even know how toxic she is...out here putting her radiation out into the river.” – Jackie, 05:32.
• Parallels drawn to The Little Mermaid and Ursula: the River Queen’s court is quirky, menacing, and full of threat (with her flotsam-and-jetsam-coded Sobeck guards).
• Tharion is being punished and humiliated for his entanglements with the River Queen’s daughter—relegated to riverbank trash detail as a public shaming (“You were thinking with that mer dick of yours, bro.” – Natalie, 21:09).
• Amid the jokes, the dynamic is examined as both tragic and darkly funny—a gilded, destructive cage for the daughter and Tharion’s longing for the surface and autonomy.

2. Power Struggles & Motivations

Timestamps: 12:01–18:39, 16:15–17:26

• Why does everyone want Emil? “So bad under there. But I mean, can’t it conduct?...this is what happens when you don’t let your daughters have education.” (16:00)
• River factions: The four rivers and their queens, Greek myth references, and how boredom and vanity create new power games.
• Natalie and Jackie discuss the typical mythological underpinning—“Who wants to live forever because you get bored eventually. Maybe it is just that they want the Thunderbird. Just because, like, I want to be involved in the conversation.” – Natalie, 16:37.

3. Rune, the Autumn King, and Sibling Power Games

Timestamps: 23:38–31:13

• Rune confronts the Autumn King about the star sword and recent events, with his father oscillating between scorn and sudden interest when sensing power shifts.
• The Autumn King’s view: sibling rivalry is inevitable; all interactions are power contests.
• Notable exchange:
  • “Perhaps the reapers...were reacting because the star sword is said to be made from the metals of another planet.” – Jackie, 28:11
  • “It’s like, man, Autumn King can come up with something to be upset with Ruhn about. That’s crazy.” – Natalie, 31:42
• The segment is rich with fantasy politics but filtered through Natalie and Jackie’s sarcasm, e.g., questioning why all these immortals are so empty and competitive.

4. Relational Fallout & Romantic Bonds

Timestamps: 36:19–88:34

A. Cormac, Bryce, and Teleporting/Fae Powers

• Cormac’s teleporting (a.k.a. wormholing or "winnowing") is revealed, much to Bryce and Hunt’s shock.
  • “Hans Shook. And if you’re an Acotar reader, you might know this phenomenon as winnowing. But since we are in cyberpunk land, it’s called teleporting here. Cool.” – Jackie, 43:41
• Cormac will teach Bryce to teleport—uncertain, but a test of her starborn potential.

B. Group Camaraderie and Danika’s Lingering Secrets

• The group strategizes: Declan and Ethan dig through surveillance footage for Reaper activity and Danika’s secrets. The hosts lean into the sadness of withholding/found family (“It’s a little trash that Danica maybe kept some of it from her…” – Jackie, 55:10).
• Humor and pain blend as they discuss missed opportunities for closeness, the “bean-counting” of power among the Fae, and Rune’s protective brotherly concerns.

C. Sunball, Group Dynamics & Ethan’s Longing

• The crew decompresses while watching sunball; Ethan’s trauma/nostalgia for his brother and sunball career emerges in a moving exchange:
  • “What would you have picked?” “Bryce.” – Rune & Ethan, 64:30–64:34
• Natalie and Jackie mock the idea of men having deep heart-to-hearts like this, but acknowledge the earnestness and vulnerability permeating the scene.

D. Bryce & Hunt: Steamy Gym Scene and The "I Love You"

• Gym antics segue into major emotional revelations: Bryce blurts out “I love you” during an intimate moment, stunning Hunt, who reciprocates, noting he hasn’t heard those words since his mother (“Shahar was cold, man...I feel like I hate to break this to you. I think she loved the cause...” – Natalie, 81:48).
• The weight of Fae “mate” terminology: Hunt proposes “mate” instead of boyfriend/lover. Bryce explains the permanent and cosmic connotations for the Fae, making this a huge threshold.
  • “If he’s not her mate, then no one is.” – Jackie, 87:09
  • “His mate. His. And he was hers. It wouldn’t have surprised him if her name were stamped on his heart.” – Natalie, 87:39
• Both joke and swoon over what a “sunball home run” of intimacy might finally look like for Bryce and Hunt.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “This bitch, Jackie’s version of the River Queen’s daughter—she fucks.” – Jackie (03:24)
• “She has a helicopter mom who won’t allow her to become an adult, and so she doesn’t even know how toxic she is.” – Jackie (05:32)
• “You were thinking with that mer dick of yours, bro.” – Natalie (21:09)
• “I don’t know these things, Mom. I don’t know how the electricity gets in it in the water, how it goes through it, goes in it with it or around.” – Natalie, (16:00)
• “No, no. All brains in there. No matter how big that head is.” – Jackie, (21:24)
• “You could sell me for $5. That’s what being a wife is, isn’t it? Being an annoying, beautiful irritation.” – Jackie, (22:04)
• “It’s like, man, Autumn King can come up with something to be upset with Ruhn about. That’s crazy.” – Natalie, (31:42)
• “Game or girl? Game or girl? That’s the age-old question.” – Jackie, (63:42)
• “What would you have picked?” “Bryce.” – Rune & Ethan, (64:30–64:34)
• “If he’s not her mate, then no one is.” – Jackie, (87:09)
• “Maidhood doesn’t have one definition, so they’re not sure how to tell, but it feels right to them.” – Jackie, (87:23)
• “His mate, his. And he was her. It wouldn’t have surprised him if her name were stamped on his heart.” – Natalie, (87:39)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• River Queen’s Daughter & Tharion: 03:10–22:34
• Emil’s Importance & Factional Power: 12:01–18:39, 16:15–17:26
• Rune & Autumn King’s Power Struggle: 23:38–31:13
• Cormac, Teleporting, and Bryce: 36:19–47:12
• Group Dynamics/Footage Review: 49:43–63:42
• Sunball vs. Reality TV & Ethan’s Longing: 56:14–64:37
• Bryce/Hunt Gym & Love Confession: 66:07–88:34
• Mate Discussion: 86:27–88:12

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Tone & Style

Expect gleeful irreverence, a blend of pop-culture and high fantasy banter, and a willingness to veer into raunchy or tender territory in seconds. Both hosts keep the energy high, riff on each other constantly, and are unafraid to break the fourth wall to connect with listeners' own emotional investments or fannish frustrations.

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Summary

This episode is a quintessential LPN Crescent City experience: hilarious, packed with offbeat pop references, wildly tangential (yet always returning to the book’s core), and surprisingly heartfelt as the hosts analyze power, family dysfunction, and romance. The show covers some of the most emotionally significant plot beats yet (Tharion’s humiliation, Rune’s confrontation, escalating romantic stakes for Bryce and Hunt), all filtered through Natalie and Jackie’s unique, unfiltered lens.

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Next Week:
Read up to Chapter 31 for the next episode.

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Transcript

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[Natalie Jean]

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[Jackie Zabrowski]

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[Natalie Jean]

Pumpkin spice or hyped for Halloween, one thing's for sure. The autumnal bitchquinox is upon us and we're celebrating the harvest with a whole new crop of bituations at the bottom. Call Bitch A Thon 2025 on Thursday, September 25th. We're taking your calls live from 4pm to 7pm Pacific Time, 7 to 10pm for you East Coasters, it's all going down on our YouTube channel, YouTube.com who's the be? Subscribe now for updates and kick off spooky season with us at the fall bitch a thon 2025. See you bitches there. We're excited to announce that we're going to Prythian and Valbara and Bezgaeth if.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You'Re nasty and you join us in.

[Natalie Jean]

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[Jackie Zabrowski]

Multiple Fae balls, fashion shows, photo shoots, hoteez Everybody. At least 15 different events at the otherworldly Gaylord Texan Resort that you can customize to make the perfect trip fit your Fantasy Dreams.

[Natalie Jean]

Visit fantastiquecollection.com and use our code Faybayes at checkout to receive $10 off of.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Any of these dreamers and readers.

[Natalie Jean]

Night one and two, Mythical Creatures, Masquerade, Fantastique Starfo Ball and the Farewell Faybash.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Not only that, but if you use our code Faybay's at checkout for those events, you will receive an exclusive swag bag from the weekend.

[Natalie Jean]

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

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Swag. Give it to me.

[Natalie Jean]

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

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Dreamers and readers. Bab. I cannot wait for this.

[Natalie Jean]

Gimme, gimme.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's swag.

[Natalie Jean]

Welcome to Crescent City with your hosts, Natalie Jean and Jackie Zabrowski.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The glasses convey that you are sensual.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, well, they convey that I don't give a fuck.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, my God, she's such a rebel. Except she's not a. That character's not a rebel at all. But maybe Jackie's version is.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, thank you. This is Jackie's version. I'm just like, tay. And I am taking back the River Queen's daughter. Don't you make that face at me. I'm taking it back because this bitch, Jackie's version of River Queen's daughter, she fucks.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She's got two ed.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, she's got two ed. And she doesn't even need full sunglasses on. She just needs the kiss, the whisper of a sunglass.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I do love those sun. They're not sunglasses.

[Natalie Jean]

I love those. No, they're not. I guess they're face accessories.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Frames.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes. But they're not even frames because they're not framing anything.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So face triangles.

[Natalie Jean]

My face triangles. Thank you for seeing my face triangles. And I feel like I'm just, like, the kind of, like, slit ass that looks over at there and go, oh, hey, big boy. Oh, yeah. You want a little slip of this scale?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Interesting, because I see those glasses. I see more of like, a Jane Lane, where you're just like, yeah, whatever. Like, I know.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm like, yeah, whatever. I guess I'll give it up to you. I don't give a. Why don't you go clean for my mom, you piece of garbage?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's kind of the glass vibe I'm getting.

[Natalie Jean]

Okay. You want me to do that instead? I'll be definitely one of those, because I. For Finn. Yeah. Will fall, Finn. Will fall, Finn. Thank you. Thank you. I just. Yeah, that's why I was saying she's not in this chapter, necessarily, but her essence is. And I just feel like, like, what kind of a would have destroyed Tharion? Because here's the thing. In reality, most likely, she's just a. Ooh.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Ooh.

[Natalie Jean]

I didn't even.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh.

[Natalie Jean]

It just happened, you know?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

But what if she was, like, really going after it and she's kind of trying to destroy some lives out there?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I could see it going that way, or I could see what? I think the truth is, is that she's been raised so sheltered and such. Like, sheltered.

[Natalie Jean]

Natalie hates all of the puns, but I. And Will not allow them to pass that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She has a helicopter mom who won't allow her to become an adult. And so she doesn't even know how toxic she is. Oh, but she's just out here putting her radiation out into the river. She doesn't know. I will say radiating this headdress thing you're wearing is amazing, but I do feel like we're missing live crabs. Like, crabbing around.

[Natalie Jean]

Right. I do need to be crabbed out. Especially if I'm a little under the sea.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. I don't mean the std. The pube kind. I meant actual river crabs.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh. I kind of meant all of it. I feel like then it's like, what if she's got the crabs? And that's really. Maybe that's how her mother found out. Because I was trying to go get some shell pills, and I was like, bitch, yeah, I got crabs. And not the juicy, buttery kind.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I would like to think that she has not only had sex with Therian and then just never again. Even though that's in. That's sort of inferred, what they're inferring, but I think that she's been throwing it back.

[Natalie Jean]

I being a rain.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She's got all those sexy guards who, like, are obsessed with her. Are you telling me they don't hook up?

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, I feel like, oh, I'd treat those men like they were barnacles.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But they would like it. They'd say, yes, mistress, please. More.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes, they would. And I feel like right now, you know, maybe shell turd. But I feel like there is a future for the River Queen's daughter. And it's bitching.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think so, too.

[Natalie Jean]

Thank you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, she's gonna have, like, a little dazed and confused moment where she, like, comes into herself.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes. And rebel. Yes, I did do these things. I am. I have bodily autonomy, thank you very much.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Well, now that's not happening.

[Natalie Jean]

That's not what's happening.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Because we are in part two, the.

[Natalie Jean]

Abuse, and I'm not talking about map.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I hope not.

[Natalie Jean]

Well, River Queens.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The River Queen is an abyss.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. My own mother.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Wow. You shouldn't be saying that stuff about your own mother.

[Natalie Jean]

Pissed at my mommy. I'm pissing my mummy right now.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Do you think the. Do you think the daughter is pissed at the River Queen?

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, I bet she's very like, don't do that, Ma. No, don't. Like, I feel it is more of that. Of just like, he really liked him. I really liked him. And then. But I'm assuming she Went crying to her mother, when that's what I'm saying about town. And then she's like, I made a mistake, Mom. I made a mistake.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think she plays like she wants to leave. But she loves her little gilded cage but she needs to break free.

[Natalie Jean]

God, I'd love a gilded cage. Put me in one. Why does this cage bird sing? Because she likes being in it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We should have married Italian royalty or something.

[Natalie Jean]

I tried to watch House of Gucci to get inspiration, but it just wasn't given it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Instead, you married a handsome farm boy.

[Natalie Jean]

God, that loves me. Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

What a pain.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, it's nice.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's a scam. So Tharion is being shamed by the River Queen for asking the daughter to go to the surface with him.

[Natalie Jean]

I don't want him to go to the surface. Maybe she does.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She does want to go to the surface. Because remember, he had to explain the concept of a double date to her. But really he was just trying to shake her off whenever he was working on his jet ski and he's like, yeah, we'll. We'll hang out soon. I'm just so busy right now. But maybe we'll do double date with.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm just sitting there flapping my legs, but I've got legs. And I know you said you like me down where it's wetter, but up here it's kind of nice and dry.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Ew. I hate it. Ew.

[Natalie Jean]

Downwards wetter. Get out of here.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He's standing before her arguably sick ass throne. It's covered with corals and anemones and eels. And she has. Not to bring up the Little Mermaid again. Two Sobecks, who are very flotsam and jetsam coated.

[Natalie Jean]

It is difficult to not talk about the Little Mermaid when in reference of talking River Queen. If we're talking river. I mean, the fact that, like, even River Queen's daughter only referred to as River Queen's daughter as of right now. So it's like, that's all. You know her. I was like, no. This is a cartoonish depiction of what's going on here.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's like if it's a very Ursula character. Yeah, but I kind of like that this Ursula is a little bit more, what, morally gray.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, is she good?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She bad? We don't know.

[Natalie Jean]

Who knows all? I love it about all the queens. Just like, I think they're all bad. I think.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Are they?

[Natalie Jean]

I don't know. We know that at least they're bad towards Therian, but also the fact that she's got these sobecks are so badass. Oh yeah. I would do anything for a flotsam and jetsam.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Also I do have to again say he did sort of reap what he sowed by having to get in them clam. He had to open that clam.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Shuck it out baby. I'm the pearl now. Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So the Sobecks are now kind of a threat full time. They are meant to show. Oh I can just like have you ripped apart at any moment. And which is what Tharion is saying. Standing in front of but also kind of sexy. Sure. He's in trouble. So sexy. And now he is burying his chest. His hands are clasped behind his back. Because that's the way the queen likes her men. Submissive.

[Natalie Jean]

Wow.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The River Queen is po'd. Therian invited her daughter to the surface. If you again recall this is the him trying to brush her off. Just go like yeah we'll do something later.

[Natalie Jean]

My maidenhood. But you said that you loved me. Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah baby. I love. I.

[Natalie Jean]

God. I'm great at being forlorn with you're being very mysterious. Thank you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The so he tells the queen he only wants to please the daughter and that's why he invited her to meet his friends. And like a true overbearing parent, she snaps back that he knows how overwhelmed she gets outside of the river.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She's so fragile that it's like Colin Craven's disease. Oh, he's got the humors.

[Natalie Jean]

Yep. You know that's really what it is. It's just the fact that the River Queen's daughter is a woman. That's really what she suffers from. Being a woman.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Being woman. Therian suggests. Well she was fine at the summit.

[Natalie Jean]

When she went old woman when I saw her last. I tell you what.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't think that's what you should say to the River Queen.

[Natalie Jean]

No.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But this doesn't do him any favors. And her smother.

[Natalie Jean]

Thank you. Got.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Got her.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, you did.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Insists that Lunathian is a filthy den of sin that will get her daughter hooked on synth and selling her fins for mirth root living.

[Natalie Jean]

Your fins. You don't get too far. But I do have legs.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You can slip those fins for a pretty penny. Knowing that she very well might kill him in this moment and would be to as the Queen. Tharion just apologizes instead of trying to argue.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean he is like tied up. You know. I guess he. We're really. What is he gonna do at this point?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He's just mentally tied up at the moment. Oh emotionally. This doesn't seem to put him in her good graces, but at least she changes the subject. After he apologizes, she asks him about the progress with the Renaust boy. He tells her minimal information, but thinks to himself that they are thankful that they haven't found any more bodies since the one that he and Ethan had worked on earlier that day. If you'll call.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh yeah, ripped up body. Yeah, I was pretty ripped it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But they haven't found any more since. He hopes Pippa doesn't have a meal, but also realizes that even if she does, it doesn't look like his other fate option may be that great either. Being trapped under the river, he also wonders again, silently, was that like under the sea? Yeah, yeah, it started it. And then I was like, that doesn't sound right.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, I'm just gonna keep making under the sea references, so, you know, I. I welcome it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's secretly my favorite Disney dark ride, even though nobody else. It's like, not a favored dark ride. It's not one of the classics.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, it is. It's just one of those ones where it's like, oh, am I just in a boat? And it's the story of the Little Mermaid.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You're in a seashell she show. You're in a she show. Yeah, it's story Little Mermaid. We really kind of outdated animatronics. I love it under the sea.

[Natalie Jean]

It's. Honestly, it's always cold.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It is. It's always a nice chilly ride.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh yeah. Nobody cares about it except for this old gal. Oh, I'm sorry, Natalie.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So he also wonders again, silently, just what the River Queen wants with this boy. But he verbally only assures the River Queen that he will make sure he gets him before Ophion does.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, God.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She mentions making sure she gets him before the other river queens as well. And Therian surprised that this is even a consideration for her. They're not sure why all these people want the meal. Like, nobody really like the. The base team, Emile. I mean, Therian and Ruhn and Hot and Bryce. And they're not really sure what everybody's deal is.

[Natalie Jean]

Just know everybody wants him.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Everybody wants him.

[Natalie Jean]

So that means we want him too.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, I want to go towards wherever the crowd's going.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm gonna go fuck that little Thunderbird.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No. And then he's gonna be.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, he's gonna be owed to my mummy. Yeah, that's what they're gonna do.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

See.

[Natalie Jean]

No, don't, don't. If I him as a Thunderbird, it's fine.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't think so.

[Natalie Jean]

Right?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No.

[Natalie Jean]

Aren't thunderbirds eternal?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No. No. All right, well, you know, you got.

[Natalie Jean]

You miss all the chances you don't take.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Okay. Yeah, that's a. Yeah, that's a good. That's a good way to look at it.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm a baby, too. Okay, you're just a girl.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You're a big baby. You're like a big adult baby.

[Natalie Jean]

Say that because you see how big my diabetes are.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I seen your diabetes. So why would any of the other river folks want this Thunderbird? It seems like kind of a bad weapon to have underwater because it's just fire elect. What's electricity?

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, but so bad under there. But I mean, can't it conduct?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You should know. See, this is what happens when you don't let your daughters have education.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, I don't know these things, Mom. I don't know how the electricity gets in it in the water, how it goes through it, goes in it with it or around.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Around it touches.

[Natalie Jean]

Never goes through it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The four great rivers each have a court and are ruled by their own queen. And we have the blue court in the Istros River. The black court in the Melanothos River. The white court in the Nevenias River.

[Natalie Jean]

Also cool.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The red court in the Rubellus River. I forgot to. I wanted to check on what these words meant.

[Natalie Jean]

Almighty and gifted with magic. All vain and ancient and bored. Which, of course. Man, I guess. Who wants to live forever because you get bored eventually. Maybe they. It is just that they want the Thunderbird. Just because, like, I want to be involved in the conversation.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Okay, so it is looking like some more Greek mythology, cool references, some Odyssey references. We got Homer Simpson. Rubella. Isn't that a disorder or something?

[Natalie Jean]

I think rubella is one. No, this is a monster species of earthworm. Ew. Natalie, why are you making me look at this?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Rubella is a viral infection. That's fun.

[Natalie Jean]

But anyway, anyway, so I was just parking my car, and then I saw you. The gecko. Huge fan. I'm always honored to meet fans out in the wild. The honor is mine.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I just love being able to file.

[Natalie Jean]

A claim in under two minutes with the Geico app. Well, the Geico app is top notch. I know you get asked this all.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The time, but could you sign it?

[Natalie Jean]

Sign what? The app. Yeah, sure.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, that means so much. Oh, it rubbed off the screen when I touched it. Could you sign it again? Anything to help, I suppose.

[Natalie Jean]

You're the best. Get more than just savings. Get more with Geico for a limited.

[Commercial Announcer]

Time at McDonald's get a Big Mac Extra Value meal for $8. That means two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun and medium fries and a drink. We may need to change that jingle.

[Natalie Jean]

Prices and participation may vary.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm going to pay attention to this story now. Though he has no clue why they want him. He presumes that they are simply all vying for some kind power. There's one thing control. All the time. The thought tires him and he unconsciously looks up towards the distant surface and the sunlight streaming into the water where he wants to be a part of their world. The River Queen catches him.

[Natalie Jean]

Mommy wants to be a part of their world. Mommy wants to be a part of their world.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh she just in the.

[Natalie Jean]

That's her. I'm just about her back just like.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Making like tattling look at him stare off mother. So yes.

[Natalie Jean]

Is he not dreaming of me? That's actually really what it is. I think I'm finding this I you know I want wanted to go against type with her but I think that she is.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think she realistic behind her.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. He's not thinking about me mommy. So she asks him because she catches him wishing he was up there and she asks is it so wonderful that you dream to go away from us? He chooses his words carefully, aware again of the Sobecs at her feet. And he knows better than anyone they'll eat anything and they are famous for waiting for the boats to overturn in a sailing. Cool. It's your last great humiliation as an unworthy for the bone quarter getting chomped up by Sobeck.

[Natalie Jean]

Cool.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think that sounds fun.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. I honestly what a way to go.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I know I'd rather feed the creatures of the sea.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Circle of life.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He asked whether both realms can be wonderful. Kind of going like can they both be. He keeps his hands clasped behind his back awaiting his fate. She just seems to have grown weary of his presence and dismisses him, telling him to keep her alerted of any updates with Emile. Before Tharion can breathe a sigh of relief, however, she calls him as he is exiting when he turns she's smiling viciously just like that Jack. Yes. Very scary. She tells him that he should see firsthand the disrespect the above world gives the under people.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Cut to shortly after and Therian has been relegated to picking up trash from the river shore community service style with a spear in a bag.

[Natalie Jean]

Let him dream of me while he picks up Trash money.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Is that what you want to associate yourself with?

[Natalie Jean]

Yes. I want him to think about me when he looks at the trash money.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

All right.

[Natalie Jean]

Known mummy. Not because I am trash mummies. For other reasons. I was to see me in every little.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Cartman.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, it is cheesy poofs. It's getting to cheesy poop territory. He was her captain of intelligence. How many of his people had already noticed him here or heard about this? I mean, he is. This is. It's rough it like he is. But bro, I'm sorry. You're captain of her intelligence. Why'd you. Her daughter.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm saying.

[Natalie Jean]

Idiot. You were thinking with that mer dick of yours, bro.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

A little clam.

[Natalie Jean]

Good Lord.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I guess that probably big. I imagine his clams pretty big. But he was thinking with it. He shouldn't be.

[Natalie Jean]

No. No brains in there. No matter how big that head is.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You got to use that top. That top mush. What is the clam insides called?

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, man. Yeah. The fleshy innards, membranes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't know.

[Natalie Jean]

Sure. Yeah. Yeah. The flesh fingers of the clams. Better beware the fingers of the clams.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Do you know a pearl is a piece of sand that gets like. Yeah. It's basically like a wound.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. It's what I mean. That's what marriage is. Ew. That I feel like that's. Eventually you annoy them until you've become a pearl to them and you've like, created. They're so rashy and they're so upset about it. But you're like, but look at me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You could sell me for $5. That's what being a wife is, isn't it? Being an annoying, beautiful irritation.

[Natalie Jean]

And river queen's daughter. You should realize that before you think that you want this. Okay.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yep. And maybe she's. You know, this is nothing but a humiliation and a punishment. This is a punishment to him. And she knows. He knows. Everybody knows. This is not to teach him a real lesson. It's to make him feel embarrassed.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

For having any love for the land folk. And maybe she's right because he is lost in thought as he's cleaning up his trash. And a passerby, a drunken reveler, a blonde woman, of course.

[Natalie Jean]

Whoa.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Karen chucks a bottle at him in mockery, which is very dumb because he's a magical merman. So he uses his magic to shoot water up at the group of rowdy youths, dousing them.

[Natalie Jean]

I do love that. I honestly. Please go after these. It's like, why would you throw trash at Someone that's picking up like what?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Well, yeah, that's monstrous.

[Natalie Jean]

What a. Yeah. Monster you are.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But also stupid.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Because it's like a powerful magic being and you're probably just some dumb old dumb idiot.

[Natalie Jean]

Karen.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

As he makes his way through the trash, he thinks about how it's time for a change for himself. But we don't really know what that means. Beyond that. We cut over to Rune, who has asked for the attention of his father, who, he notes, looks like he may have just been interrupted by Ruhn doing something that has his hair must and his shirt half open.

[Natalie Jean]

God damn it. Don't you be all hot, Autumn King.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. Did I stop. Did I stop and look at fan art of the Autumn King for a while after this? Oh, I know.

[Natalie Jean]

We all know he's hot.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's none of your business what I did.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes. Did you see any with him with the shirt open?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, some of them, but not from this scene, I don't think. But, like, there's some good iterations of him. There's some good because he's not. I mean, he's still basically supposed to look like a contemporary to, like, Rune.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. See if there's anything with the Autumn King and.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Ember trying to look at what he's looking. She's looking. Oh, with Ember.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. I just want to see if there's any pictures there. I just want to see. Well, there's some. Yeah, there's. I mean, I wish the pictures were naughtier. I guess it's fine. No, not good enough. Somebody send me some.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, bad.

[Natalie Jean]

Someone tell me. Where can I find it on a Patreon. Somebody tell me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I haven't seen any of that.

[Natalie Jean]

I think because will pay for smut.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Because of his reputation. It's hard to.

[Natalie Jean]

He's got a bad reputation.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Especially because he was physically.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes. No, he's bad. I know he's. I know, I know it's all bad. It's just that if I could see a snapshot.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I know. I mean, just.

[Natalie Jean]

It's just I also look at Ember and Randall, too.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, that's really, really giving of you.

[Natalie Jean]

Thank you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes. Also, I would love to see that, please. So as a reminder, we concluded the last section of this book, Part one, with Bryce and Ruhn in the sewer. And the Autumn King is. Now Ruhn is standing from the Autumn King directly after this. And Autumn King is noting him with disgust that Ruhn sinks. He still covered in sewer water and he swallowed a bunch of it and.

[Natalie Jean]

Barfed like in the Middle of something, Daddy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, thanks for your concern, Papa. So. But he hasn't come to get comfort from Daddy. He never gets comfort from Daddy. No. He wants to get any info he can to pry out of him about the Star Sword. That. The Star Sword. Which again has just killed the unkillable in the last chapter.

[Natalie Jean]

Yikes. And done killed the unkillable by somebody else. That wasn't him, Daddy. I know it was my sword. Ah. Daddy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Well, he better not be telling Autumn King. That is not good. So the Autumn King looks him over with disdain that he would suddenly be interested in his sword after all the decades of ownership. Ruhn won't be telling him much of the backstory that just happened. So he's going to have to try to finagle info out of his father using as limited info as possible to protect Bryce more than anything. But his father can clearly see something has happened and tells Rune so. Hey, dummy. I can tell you're covered in sewer. You're covered in sewer. Yuck.

[Natalie Jean]

It's like the one time you look at me. Daddy. All right.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So Ruhn goes so far as to say that reapers attacked him and that the sword had a reaction. He thinks in horror at what the whole truth would do to somebody like his father or Cormac's father. Power hungry people. The thing that could kill the unkillable. Any maniacal leader would destroy whoever you know has that sword to get to it. Suddenly his father becomes very interested in his son after 80 years. Isn't that interesting? He tries to pry info from Ruhn, but Rune only gives him the slightest kernel of truth. The sword glowed and the reapers retreated from it. Doesn't tell him that he killed him. The Autumn King studies the sword for a moment and then turns to the massive solar system model that occupies the study there.

[Natalie Jean]

That's so cool.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I know. I want a big solar system model.

[Natalie Jean]

Like one that like, is just like held up and done with magic too. I don't want like a.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Do I have to become a bad parent first?

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, definitely. That is the first step.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

All right.

[Natalie Jean]

Seven planets around a massive star. Seven Asteri. Technically six now to rule Midgard. Seven princes of hell to challenge them. Seven gates in this city through which Hel had tried to invade this spring. Seven and seven and seven and seven. Always that holy number. Always.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

His father interrupts his thoughts with his own.

[Natalie Jean]

Duh.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But I'm in the middle of thinking.

[Natalie Jean]

About something really big, dad.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Well, I don't think the Autumn King is super concerned.

[Natalie Jean]

No.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Perhaps the reapers. He Thinks were reacting because the star sword is said to be made from the metals of another planet.

[Natalie Jean]

Cool.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

From a meteorite, allegedly. Before Rune can ask further, his father seems to send Bryce on him, realizing they were together recently, and chastises him, calling or chastises Bryce, calling her reckless, asserting that she must have somehow caused the Reaper attack.

[Natalie Jean]

You always know what to say just to piss everybody off, huh?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I guess he just likes to needle in. Yeah. Sometimes that's the only way people can get attention from others.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. And it makes him feel important.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They argue over Bryce as the Autumn King throws out insults and Rune deflects them. The Autumn King takes a slug from the crystal decanter in his study that looks like it's filled with whiskey, Jack Donaghy style. He tells Ruhn he's surprised she hasn't come to attack him since the news of the betrothal, because, you know, he's kind of her over big time. Ruhn snaps back that she's smart enough to know a bait when she sees one and is smart enough to know it's not worth it. He suggests to Rune to keep the sword away from his sister if it's quote, acting up. He tells him smugly, he's already tried to give it to her because essentially, the I'm King saying, well, you need to be, like, fighting for power against your sibling, so don't let her have the sword, because she'll probably be able to overtake you. And he's like, we're fighting. We're siblings. We're fine.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. But also, it's because he's been trying to keep them disparate, like, since the jump, too. And so he doesn't like that they're working together. He doesn't want them getting along. No.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And he doesn't understand anything except fight for power. So he can only imagine two siblings who both have power would want to kill each other.

[Natalie Jean]

Right. And both have star power, too. So it's like, wouldn't you inherently want to kill the other one because that's your competition. No. Daddy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, Autumn King. Ruhn thinks, with a wave of love washing over him, that she had chased after the reapers into the sewer to come save him.

[Natalie Jean]

His father poured himself another glass of whiskey, the only sign that something about this conversation rattled him. But the Autumn King's voice was bland.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

As he said, in ancient times, starborn rivals would slit each other's throats, even those of the children. She is now more powerful than you and I are. As you like to remind me.

[Natalie Jean]

It's Great. Because it's like Autumn King. Nobody's saying that aloud. It's all coming from inside of the house, son. But I guess if that's me just. Oh, your son just showing up is him reminding him of how his sister has sh. Keep looking at your fucking little star things. All right, dad. Maybe come up with a better comeback. I guess.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I thought it was really good.

[Natalie Jean]

Thank you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I feel like Autumn King would have.

[Natalie Jean]

Been like, oh, no, not my star things.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Blood running gold. Ruhn asks if he's suggesting that he kill Bryce. Some may have tried to deny this and been embarrassed by it, but the Autumn King simply insults Ruhn further, saying that if he were better than a second rate prince, he would have done it already. Okay.

[Natalie Jean]

It's like, man, Autumn King can come up with something to be upset with Ruhn about. That's crazy. It's like, I can't even believe you haven't even done it. Why didn't you do it, Daddy? If you say it's like they even slit the throats of the children. Why didn't you slit the throats of the children, Daddy?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Seems like Autumn King and the River Queen. Maybe we should get together and talk about how great they are. They are parenting.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, man. All of them. Therapy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Nope. They ain't gonna get it. Ruhn is used to this, however, even if it still does wound a tiny part of him. The Autumn King continues to muse that Bryce's well of power is what drew the umbra mortis to her and that he wouldn't want to see what would come of their joining. Which makes Ruhn realize the father forced the. Likely forced the union of Bryce and Cormac, partially as a muzzle on her power, out of fear that the idea that Bryce would link up with the Umbramortis and like, what power they could hold. But all you can think about is power. His little powers. Oh, who's gonna be stronger? I don't, you know, get. What if they are?

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. And being a little bit of a Putin over here, how all of your little whinys does absolutely nothing. Autumn King, it doesn't.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Ruhn accuses him of locking Bryce into this union to keep a watch on her as if she were his enemy. The Autumn King is like, I don't know if she's my enemy. She might be. Ruhn blurts out that the Autumn King shouldn't have some pre supreme power in this way. But that's something that he probably shouldn't have said because he watches his father go still and predatory at that threat in his mind, it's. He can sense that Rune is sort of challenging him. Run. Pushes it a step further. Suggests that the Asteri will always have a hold over his power. The Autumn King, ever expecting someone to come take his throne away, can only assume from these words that Ruhn is trying to steal the crown.

[Natalie Jean]

He's such a idiot. Oh, no. Not mine. It's. It's like, you're so hot, Autumn King. But you're so. Like, you're all ick.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It is so ick. So it's just like. Can you just come up with some other personality trait? You can only think about this. Then what? Like you get all the power and why you just sit there? Like, what are you gonna do with it? Nothing.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Just so. I think he. Just so that he can invite Ruhn over to be like. Did you see my. Like, okay. That's it. You ain't got no friends. Yeah. You can't even be like a real housewife. Yeah. You're not even going to Morocco. Nobody wants to go to Morocco. Go with you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Just looking in the mirror the night going, who am I?

[Natalie Jean]

And he's not. 24601 Les Mis. Oh.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh. I'm very sorry.

[Natalie Jean]

It's okay. It's okay. You're a Phantom girl.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm a Phantom girl. And I know.

[Natalie Jean]

But. But we. We understand each other.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He keeps his hand at the level of his eye. That doesn't make any. I don't know what that means.

[Natalie Jean]

Like this.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's what the. Is in the song Phantom of the Up. One of the songs. And it's.

[Natalie Jean]

I think that Autumn gang was like him. Just him. Like, dad, put your hand down.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

What does that actually mean?

[Natalie Jean]

What is it?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

One of the songs. When they're going to find the Phantom. They say, keep your hand at the level of your eye to see into the dark. But I don't.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, yeah. It's this. This see in the dark that helps me see in the dark. Right. Hello, Dark. Hello.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Is that. I don't know.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm sure somebody knows though. Let us know.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

His eyeball.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Put your finger. Put your fingers on your eyeballs. That's how you see. Put your fingers. Or is it like you're shielding yourself so that you can't see your hand at the level of your eye?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't know.

[Natalie Jean]

We don't need to get into it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Don't we?

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[Natalie Jean]

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[Jackie Zabrowski]

So Rune is aware that his father is constantly threatened, and he shrugs it off, saying to his dad that he doesn't want the crown and best of luck with his pursuit of immortality or whatever. He leaves before his father can lash out further. Chapter 26 is with Bryce as she and Hunt face off against Cormac at the Black Dock. Hunt's not sure what's going on, and it's because Bryce called him immediately after the sewer incident, and he could only tell by her voice that something had happened, and he didn't ask any other questions. She just, like, appeared. Because he's a little, little boy.

[Natalie Jean]

No, because he loves her and because he can feel her energy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Being in love sometimes makes you into a bitch. Boy or girl?

[Natalie Jean]

You are right.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's okay. So now they've tracked Cormac to a shady alley because she basically was like, I need to go find Cormac. Right now, he's in the docks, where I guess he just hangs out all day looking for Sophie Namil.

[Natalie Jean]

I wanted to dress up as Cormac again, but honestly, I'm so. I haven't rebought the wig, and I'm scared to come in. I liked the wig. We all know the wig was bad. It was a bad wig for Cormac.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's fine.

[Natalie Jean]

It's a fine wig for many other characters that we explored during that episode. But I am now scared because I don't know how to find a foppish blonde wig.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Well, a guy's wig is actually hard, and a lot of times you have to buy a very expensive one that. To make it not look like Jason's mother.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. And that's.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So it's. You know. Do you really want to throw down that kind of money?

[Natalie Jean]

No.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's interesting because it's typically less hair, but it has to be sculpted very specifically for it to look.

[Natalie Jean]

It should be styled like it needs to be Styled and. And spending, you know, getting a very cheap wig styled really kind of breaks my spirit.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Also. It'd be hard. I mean, you need better, like, because cheap wigs are usually very synthetically based hair, and so that's not really gonna.

[Natalie Jean]

I don't know what you're talking about, Aaliyah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I mean, I'm not wearing a fancy wig.

[Natalie Jean]

Me. Oh, me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I wouldn't want you to spend $700 on a wig for a podcast.

[Natalie Jean]

I need real human hair for every single character that, ah, cover comes upon your screen.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Listen, that's you and Jeff's issue.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. So, yeah, I've just been shaving Jeff and just trying to glue the hair.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But I do like that you're just using his hair.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, I'm using his hair. Then.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So they're. Now they've tracked him down to this alley, and Cormac is not scared or he doesn't impress him much that they're there, and he asks, what? But Bryce is there for what she wants. You can teleport.

[Natalie Jean]

Bryce said, voice slow.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Whoa.

[Natalie Jean]

Uh. Oh. It's kind of cool, though.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's cool. She found this out during the last scene in the sewer. But this is news to Hunt in this moment. And he's like, whoa. They're still trying to all, like, unravel what's just happened, man.

[Natalie Jean]

If I just found out that Jeff ends, like, Jeff is betrothed to someone else, and then I find out that the person that he's betrothed to can teleport, that would really upset.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Very specific.

[Natalie Jean]

If you like. If you like, right? If Henry was, like, gonna marry some hot cousin is. And then you think about that. Think about that. We'd have to go out, find his cousin. But then what would you do? You know, that, like, oh, she can teleport. What if she teleports into his bed? What if she teleports into his dreams?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Honestly, if he's wanting to hook up with his cousin, I feel like I have to just kind of step away from the whole situation.

[Natalie Jean]

You think? So I'll try to stop him.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Jeff?

[Natalie Jean]

My Jeff?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes.

[Natalie Jean]

He's gonna have sex with Jeff. No, I don't think they should. No, I don't think they're each other's type. I'll offer if you're offering. I will offer.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I do hope that you get mad at Jeff for this thought later on and you question him about if he would have sex with his cousin, if they could tell him.

[Natalie Jean]

Your cousin, if they could teleport. I just wanted I just. Should I just.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You tell.

[Natalie Jean]

Text him that? Apropos of nothing?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think so. I feel like it's a good fight to have tonight. So Hunt is like, what's happening? Hun stands by as Cormac and Bryce have a confusing conversation, for those who don't know, about the scene in the sewer that just occurred. She asks where he put the reapers when he teleported them out of the sewer. And he tells her he left them high up in the sky, which is pretty funny.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, it's kind of funny.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Just dumped him off in the sky. Do you think. Do they. Do you think they fall, or do you think they float up in the sky and they have to, like, find their way back?

[Natalie Jean]

No, I think they fall, or at least I imagine they probably. I would assume it would be done in a way where they could, like, grab onto something really fast.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Like what? Like a tree or a bird or like a.

[Natalie Jean]

Or a light fixture.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They're described as being left half a mile up in the sky.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, a bird.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Sky. A bird. Okay.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, it's like, just seagull. Please don't. Please don't. You scary me. Especially as a river queen's daughter. I mean, I feel like, definitely, I'll find a bird. I'll find a bird.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

River queen's daughter didn't get teleported into the sky.

[Natalie Jean]

I know. I'm just saying, if she did.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Okay, that's. Again, another. Another very specific scenario. So Cormac goes on to explain that he needs to know the location pretty accurately in order to do it, because Bryce is like, how does this work? Like, what. How. How do you start teleporting? And what he describes is essentially a wormhol. And now I could explain that to you.

[Natalie Jean]

Please, Natalie.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Science and I don't want to overwhelm you. Overwhelm you with the complex breakdowns.

[Natalie Jean]

That's why she's not gonna do it. Thank you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The equations, wormholes, and the physics geometry.

[Natalie Jean]

Because I know about wormholes. They go in the ground because that's where the earthworms go. And that's a hole right there.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's technically wrong.

[Natalie Jean]

That's how that worm gets in there.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's a wormhole. You're right. Good job.

[Natalie Jean]

And that's where Cormac goes. He gets all the way down that and goes, oh, let me in. I'll tunnel alongside.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He just. Tunnels. He's not actually teleporting.

[Natalie Jean]

He's tunneling. He is. He is digging it. Yeah. He's covered in dirt. How'd you get here. Just c this wormhole through the ground.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's what you mean by wormholes, right?

[Natalie Jean]

I do love any kind of. Try trying to explain. This does throw you back into like a flubber esque 90s movie or like a multiplicity of like a. Yeah, there's multiples of them.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Whiteboard.

[Natalie Jean]

Dumber every time. But sometimes he gets misogynistic. Don't worry about sometimes the science.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You know, when you come through, you never know which one you're gonna get.

[Natalie Jean]

He's still stupping all of his wife.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So the.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, so get lost in multiplicity.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, for sure. Hans Shook. And if you're an Acotar reader, you might know this phenomena as winnowing. But since we are in cyberpunk land, it's called teleporting here. Cool. Bryce tells Cormac that he will teach her how to do this. He agrees to do it because she's basically like, I want to learn. Teach me how to. Teach me how to do it. Dougie. Yeah, remember that.

[Natalie Jean]

You remember. You guys remember. We're not old.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, you're old. That just happened. That's so recently.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, it just happened.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Hunt's confused and asks if all Fae can quote, just do this shit. Cormac retorts that he can do this. And Bryce may possibly also be able to do this because of her. Well, of star power. He does agree to teach her if she's able to do it. Cormac is still being sort of cold and standoffish, but they seem to have a tenuous alliance happening. And so he's like, yeah, I'll teach you. I'll teach him his skills. Cormac continues that the teleporting is sort of a gift of the starborn Fae, though it's not always predictable. He, for example, has a strong teleporting ability, but a disappointing amount of star power.

[Natalie Jean]

Talking about that. Ick.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You think it comes out of his pee?

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. I feel like if I had star power, I imagine it's either gonna make you harder or make you come faster or something.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You don't think it would make it more pleasurable and powerful?

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, like calm and harder. Where it's just like, ah, you're like coming. Everyone's like, but like, maybe it's really good.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Gross to think about. To be honest, I'm upset at that idea. Why? So Bryce asks Cormac how to train for this. And he smirks and basically is like, you see if you can disappear and then you reappear.

[Natalie Jean]

All right, Cormac, we're just trying to have a conversation.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Better be able to do both. You only do one. Nice knowing you.

[Natalie Jean]

Good for you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The two speak about what just occurred with the Reapers. Bryce doesn't know if she believes what the Reaper said, which was that they were sent by the Prince of the Pit. The Reapers were known only from the Bone Zone, not Hell. But she knows that regardless. If she could have teleported Rune out of there, it would have been a lot easier. They agree to meet at the Ox the following night to begin her teleport training, which, again, I don't really know how you teach it, but they.

[Natalie Jean]

Star power. And, you know, it's. It's. It's that. Those points. It's like these kind of things in the Book of Just go, don't worry about it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Don't worry about it.

[Natalie Jean]

She'll watch a YouTube video.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, that's fun. Their conversation turns to Sophie and Emil, and Bryce mentions that it sucks that they now also have to contend with Hell, apparently wanting the Thunderbird powers. Also. Cormac stiffly tells them their powers are rare. The Thunderbird powers are rare and useful. It's not surprising they're being hunted by everyone. It's why the Asteri exterminated them, or thought they had. As Hunt got into a conversation with Cormac about Declan's assistance in looking for them, Bryce pulls out her phone and calls Jesiba. She immediately asks Jesba if she has any death marks in her possession. This makes Hunt stop his conversation and gawk at her. Oh, Bryce, what are you getting into?

[Natalie Jean]

Now that she doesn't explain it, she just gets on that phone call and it's good. Make everybody confused and worried.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Jesupa is amused and tells her she might have some, but she's gonna have to pay for them. This time, acknowledging that Bryce stole one from her before Bryce tells her to send the bill to Ruhn, which is very thoughtful.

[Natalie Jean]

The sorceress said a shade gently, you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Won'T find any traces of Danika left in the bone quarter.

[Natalie Jean]

You know, this cut also shade gently. It's that for Jessica. I know, but like, Jesiba is. Oh, God, I'm so. I'm so into Jessiba.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, yeah, of course.

[Natalie Jean]

Great. It's just like, even. Just that she's such a fucking ice queen. And then like, even saying things like that, just like kind of trying to connect with her, that she shows a.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Little bit of care through that hard exterior.

[Natalie Jean]

She's so hot.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. This, you know, cuts into Bryce because she didn't Mention Danica. Jesper brings it up, and she defensively asked why that has anything to do. Anything. Jesiba suggests that maybe it means that Bryce is finally starting to look at Danika through a more critical lens. Maybe even questioning why Danika was always poking around Griffins. Bryce is like to visit me to say hi.

[Natalie Jean]

Sure, Jesiba said and hung up.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

More riddles, more mysteries.

[Natalie Jean]

If you could just like, nod, hang out, like you could just say a little bit more. Okay. No, no. All right, great, Great. But also, that's kind of what you get Bryce for calling someone in the middle of nowhere. I feel like usually you want to give, like a heads up, or maybe that's just in this day and age. I feel like that not everybody feels that way, but I feel like I got to prepare someone for a phone call.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, I know. Ugh.

[Natalie Jean]

Ugh. Jeff is a big phone call. Like, he's like a. Why text? We could just call and then. And then the conversation is done. I was like, call on the va.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Va, va, va v. It is just.

[Natalie Jean]

He is right. I mean, it takes ridiculous.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

My anxiety towards phone calls is unhealthy.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, truly.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Thanks phones. Thanks phones. So Hunt is staring at Bryce as she gets off of her phone and promptly informs her that they are not going to the bone quarter.

[Natalie Jean]

Come on.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Bryce informs him that yes, they are. And she wants to learn anything she can about what those reapers were doing in the sewer before they go the next day so she can confront the under king. Okay, just go ahead and confront the undead king of the cemetery.

[Natalie Jean]

Good idea, Bryce. This is going to be easy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She thinks about the hint that Jesiba just gave her and tells Hunt they're going to need to ask Declan for another favor. Which turns out to be like searching through all of the old Griffin's security footage. Boy, every instance that Danica was down.

[Natalie Jean]

In there, tech boy's got attack.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We cut over to Rune's POV that evening. Bryce and Hans have joined Rune at Bryce's apartment, as well as Declan and Ethan. Rune turns on a sunball game as Declan taps on a laptop seated next to him. Ethan is also on a laptop, but is sort of mashing the keys.

[Natalie Jean]

This is. I know I got paws, but yeah, he's a dumb wolf boy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You have hands you could switch out. It's like.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, right.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, they don't say that. They say. They acknowledge that Ethan actually took some very high level computer classes in college. Okay.

[Natalie Jean]

So, yeah, well, I also, you know, I took a lot of things in college. All Right. Not all of it sticks.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, no, no, no, no. Most of it goes away.

[Natalie Jean]

All gone. Except for my mask work. Natalie.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Well, that's what you needed for your career. Ultimately, my career. Thank you. So they're there. So Ethan is actually, because he has some skill, is. Is helping Declan. Because Bryce has now asked the second favor of Declan. So Declan is now searching for reapers as well as years of surveillance footage from Griffins to track Danica's movements, making Ethan take over the Black Doc footage from earlier that day. Because they are trying to seek out if they can find when the reapers had appeared, when the. The ones that were in the sewer. They're like, maybe we can figure out if they actually came from the bone quarter.

[Natalie Jean]

Right.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Because we'll see them come to the dock. We all together?

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Let's go get. Find out where the reapers are coming from.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So they all admire Declan's genius that he's managing to run these two separate programs. And Bryce mulls over why perhaps Jes only mentioned Danika. Now, in regards to this, Ruhn can tell that she's troubled and reaches out to her over mind freak. I would like some kind of lightning or something. James, please.

[Natalie Jean]

Please, James. Or at least Chris angel coming down and showing us his abs and having his flotsam and jetsam, but they're just like sexy women. And he goes, yeah, wait. Wait till I let loose my flotsam and jetsam. But like, the girls don't realize they're talking about it. And she's like, ass. Should we be will come. And we're like. And he's like, yeah, know I'm doing magic and got it. Criss angel puts on a hell of a show.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She tells him that she's sort of over how many times she has to deal with the new Danika. Surprise. So they're talking mind to mind. She's like, I know I didn't know her, but every day is a new series of surprises that are really heartbreaking to me. Ruhn assures her that Danika loved her no matter what she was keeping to herself. Bryce knows this, but wonders how much info about the books in the basement Danika already had that Bryce is desperate for now. And it's, like, understandable. She's really trying to find out some very difficult things. And the idea that her best friend knew the whole time is probably a little bit. You know, it's like if you. You passed away and I needed to know all about the Real Housewives, and I'd be like, she was right here. How Would you have never told me you could?

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, I could. Do you want me to tell you more?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No.

[Natalie Jean]

You want me to tell where. Where I'm at right now? Because I'll. I'll tell you about where I'm at with Real Housewives right now, because I am in season seven of Real Housewives in New York.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't want it.

[Natalie Jean]

She just threw that prosthetic leg. It was her own. It's fine. We're not talking about Real Housewives, though.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't even care. I don't want to know anything about.

[Natalie Jean]

The only thing fake about me is this. And she pulls off her fake leg, and she's. She throws it at the other woman.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That was staged.

[Natalie Jean]

Natalie Jean?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes.

[Natalie Jean]

I do not think so. She.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's not even a fake. That's her real leg that she just took off.

[Natalie Jean]

And in the reunion, she said there's a secret button, and nobody knows where the button is to hold the prosthetic leg on. And so that's how she's able to do it that fast. So when they all said it was obviously scripted, and she said, no, I can rip off my leg really fast and throw it out a.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So I don't believe her.

[Natalie Jean]

But, see, you could have asked me while I was alive, Natalie.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm sorry. So.

[Natalie Jean]

And you're gonna come back to this episode someday.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, God, don't know.

[Natalie Jean]

And then you're gonna start having a rewatch. You're gonna watch.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

God, why did you do this?

[Natalie Jean]

And you're gonna think of me. Think of me naturally when you watch tv.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That is a much more like, laid back version of Phantom of the Opera. So if he had just been asking.

[Natalie Jean]

Her to think about it while he's watching tv, I feel like Christine would have been like, all right, yeah, I think you want to watch tv.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

If you would have had a tv, you wouldn't have been walking around the walls.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Haunting women in their dressing rooms.

[Natalie Jean]

I guess he is a little problematic, huh? A little bit. So morally gray.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's mostly not. I feel like he's actually quite villainous, but, yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

For the time period, women barely had rights. So it's kind of like she was sort of like half property.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, she was owned anyway.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Okay. So she. She's now just kind of mulling over all of this new Danika information. It's kind of feels it's a little trash that Danica maybe kept some of it from her run. Watches her interact with Declan now and thinks about the revelation that Cormac believes She may be able to teleport because, you know, runes getting filled in on this information, too, and that she's about to start learning this. He can't help but worry that with the addition of this skill, if she can do it, their father is going to be even more threatened by her because all he's doing is counting his little power beans. He must have, like, little jars and he puts little beans in for everybody who gets a little bit more power inside of them.

[Natalie Jean]

I hate their beans. I hate their beans.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The beans are gonna be all filled up.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

On Bryce's little jar. And so. So he's worried about what that's going to do to maybe incite violence in their father.

[Natalie Jean]

I'd worry.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. Ethan starts to make comments on the ongoing Sunball game that's on TV in the background. And Rune Marvel.

[Natalie Jean]

Game. He's so talented and so beautiful, you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Know, and ruin Marvel is at his knowledge of Sunball and also how he still. Still jacked somehow, even though he stopped Sunball training.

[Natalie Jean]

Wolf in him.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Got that wolf in him. Oh, that wolf gets.

[Natalie Jean]

Wait, that guy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The guys get into a game conversation that has Bryce yawning and asking if she can switch the TV to a reality. A reality show called Veiled Love.

[Natalie Jean]

Get you, Bryce. I see you, Bryce.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes, it is a little stereotypical, but also. I agree. I would also be bored if a sunball game was on and would ask to change the channel. So I can't really.

[Natalie Jean]

I feel that I. I don't even feel that it's necessarily a gendered thing. I think she just hates Sunball, and I think that's fine. I also would hate Sunball. Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So there they started getting this spirited sunball conversation with Ethan, who is giving them, like, these very, like. I think you'd have to be, like, a very smart sportsman to make the predictions he is about the game. And they're all like, what do you mean?

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, we know about that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And I'm going, wow. So interesting.

[Natalie Jean]

What are they going to do with their balls?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And so Bryce is like, can we switch? And the entire room says in unison, no. Bryce calls Hunt a traitor. And he grins and tells her Sunball wins over reality shows every day. Sorry, baby.

[Natalie Jean]

Whoa. I mean, he is in front of his boys.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They can't be all cucked.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Ethan laughs and notes that Bryce certainly seemed to be into sunball in college. Knowing all the players and their stats. She tells them that that had.

[Natalie Jean]

I also used to watch football, too. You know, we all go through. We all. There is a Season for a lot in your life, you know, never went.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Through a jock phase, really.

[Natalie Jean]

I was honestly going only because I liked that it encouraged me to be drunk in the morning.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Hey, I get it.

[Natalie Jean]

And that's really why I was like, oh my God, maybe I do love football. But then I realized I never watched the games, didn't give a. But I was just, you can do it without the.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The sports.

[Natalie Jean]

That's the thing. I mean, that's the thing. You could apparently just get day drunk.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's just more socially acceptable if you're like, well, there's a game. So she's like, yeah, I didn't learn the stats because I care about sunball, bro. And the room laughs, Run included. But there's a bittersweet feeling in Run's thoughts, knowing that he missed so many of his sister's formative years that he can never get back. He's a good brother. Ethan announces that he's in to the footage that he needs for the the Black docks for that morning. They all look over as he's reviewing the footage and there aren't any reapers that have come to shore that day. They check for the day before and find some reapers have come in, but it's not the ones that they saw in the sewer. So now they're like, wait, where the hell did these reapers come from? The program is trained to find, I guess, reapers faces or something. I don't understand the program.

[Natalie Jean]

And all of them are just like. I was like, I guess that one's different.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Well, yeah, I don't know how they tell the difference, but I guess his mind had lingerie on last week.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, yes, right? And yeah, I did have the glasses on, so maybe some have glasses.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The red dots.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. So Ethan spots another one in a different part of the city and points out to Bryce. She gasps and confirms it's the one from the attack. But they all realize that this one hadn't shown up at the dock, that he found it appearing kind of almost in the the out of nowhere in the middle of the city. So maybe they were there for days or came. They don't know what. What this means that they couldn't figure out when these reapers appeared. The group ponders the possibilities and wonder if perhaps they had been hiding out in the sewers. And that's why they seem to appear out of nowhere in the video footage. So they're hopping from sewer to sewer. Bryce, too, casually mentions that she'll get answers from someone who knows tomorrow, saying, don't worry, I'm going to ask the under king, the Lord of the Cemetery.

[Natalie Jean]

She's gotta know, right?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And he won't be pissed that I'm asking. Roon is not amused. He did pay for the marks, like Bryce said that he would to Jessiba, but he didn't want to. And he really doesn't want Bryce doing this. Sensing the apprehension from both Rune and Hunt, she points out that that's why they're doing all of this. She's not going in there just to make. Make random accusations. She's like going in with evidence and that really makes a huge difference. Reassuring Bryce to the under king. Certainly the under king will be reasonable.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, he's just like. He's gonna be a lot like. Like a district attorney.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, he'll be like, interesting. All right, let me. Let me think about this for a while and really rationalize it out. No, look, I'm give my little. What are these things called in the law?

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, yeah, the scales.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Scales of justice. Justice.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. I'll get one of them. You know what? I'll send you an email about it. I'll circle back.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Let's circle around. So as she paces around the room going over what she's going to. To do the following day, Run refrains from speaking. The thought he has, which is that she looks eerily similar to their father. In that moment, Ethan remarks on the sunball game again. His earlier prediction coming to fruition on the screen Run again is like, kind of like, jesus, this guy is good at sunball. And he too casually kind of asks Ethan if he ever thinks about playing sunball again. Geez, everybody's up his ass today.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, can we just not. Can we. You run. You know, that's a loaded question. You weren't thinking.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Ethan's like, no, I never think about it.

[Natalie Jean]

Smash from the hatch.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He sees. He's. He sees Bryce look at Ethan with something like pity. But Ethan doesn't take his eyes off the screen and to see the. The pity thankfully run just decides it. And he tells Ethan, hey, listen, we play a pickup game with Declan and Flynn and some of the Ox members on Sundays if he ever wants to come join or whatever.

[Natalie Jean]

It is very. That is sweet.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It is sweet, but it's. Can you imagine? You have like a. A fun neighborhood game and you. Your friend brings like a. One of the most amazing players on the earth to the gaming. Like he's just gonna step in. Guys, I'm sure that's not at all pressure.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. What?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Dude, I don't know anything about sports. Maybe they wouldn't care.

[Natalie Jean]

Maybe they'd like it, but I don't think they would.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I would be like, okay, cool. Let me just feel completely ridiculous.

[Natalie Jean]

Maybe they all know that he might need to play through his trauma. And maybe they want us to support a friend. Support a friend.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Bryce and Hunt fake outrage at also not being invited to this game. Run tells Hunt he'd gladly have a reason to kick his ass if he wants to come play. They're all joking around. But then Ruhn sees Bryce's eyes lock on Declan's computer and he realizes that's because he's sorting through the hours now of Danika at Griffin and hyper fast speed. So you're just seeing your dead best friend running back and forth across the screen a bunch. Bryce, maybe in a little bit of a panic, jumps up and announces she's going to hit the gym. Run watches Hunt look. Between the game that he's completely engrossed in and the hallway where Bryce has retreated to change, seemingly torn between two premises for the evening, you can like.

[Natalie Jean]

Hear the cogs smoking in his brain of like, do I game or girl? Game or girl?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's the age old question. After a few moments, his choice has been made. He tells the others he's gonna go change for the gym also. Rune, Dec and Ethan are left alone in the living room then, and the game is playing in the background. When Ethan inexplicably says, Connor would have picked the game.

[Natalie Jean]

Rune raised an eyebrow.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I didn't realize it was a competition.

[Natalie Jean]

Between them between a dead male and a living one. Ethan just typed away mash, mash, mash. Eyes darting over the screen. And for some reason Rune dared ask.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

What would you have picked?

[Natalie Jean]

Ethan didn't hesitate.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Bryce.

[Natalie Jean]

Jeez. It's just like, bro, I'm sorry, son. Like, I know you pine.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Leave some of your heart off the table, why don't you?

[Natalie Jean]

Body Pines, man. Do you remember the pine, though?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh my God. I just. I lived to pine.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But it's loaded. Talking to the. The Pines brother, who also was in.

[Natalie Jean]

Love with your brother, talking about the.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Sunball and is in a relationship with another guy. It's a lot.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Boys will be boys.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Guess you can't help with your heart once.

[Natalie Jean]

I do know a hundred percent that no male we know would have that conversation. This like sensitive little conversation. Can you imagine Henry's being like, what would you have been? It is funny sometimes where it's like, not that I'm saying. I'm not saying hashtag all boys, not all Boys. I just think that it is funny because every time, you know, we have theme gals, and we're all confessing to each other. And then I asked Jeff, what did all the boys talk about? He's like, I don't know what we talked about. Talking about Crank, the movie Crank.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Hey, we talk about crank too. We do.

[Natalie Jean]

We'll. We'll talk about Crank as well.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Theme gals is our friend group that gets together.

[Natalie Jean]

Theme gals gets cranked. Okay.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, we get cranked. So Bryce is waiting in front of the elevator at the beginning of chapter 27, knowing that Hunt was going to follow her. So. So she didn't see that he was changing, but she knew he was gonna. She knew he was gonna choose the gym, and she's not going to the gym.

[Natalie Jean]

Do you guys go have sexy. Do you have sexy at the gym, you and Henry?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Do you want me to talk about the kind of sex that Henry and I.

[Natalie Jean]

Well, at the gym.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. We don't go to the gym together.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, Separate. Separate workouts.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I mean, I mostly work out at home now, or I'm at the aerial studios.

[Natalie Jean]

Okay.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't go to. I don't actually have a membership anywhere right now.

[Natalie Jean]

Whoa. Crazy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I like to.

[Natalie Jean]

I like to watch him watch me get a punk.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's actually not true. I belong to a yoga studio, if that counts.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, that counts.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Okay. Well, it's different than what he does. Yeah, it's different than what he goes and does. Boys workouts. Only boys do them.

[Natalie Jean]

It's a lot of grunting.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They do grunt a lot as we. That's pretty gross. So they're not going to the gym right now, however. No, no. She is once again lied to people. It's off to the meat market for them, and I don't mean the exotic dancer club. She tells him they need to be looking for a meal, and they can't waste time. Shortly thereafter, they're walking through the meat market, and this whole time sounds like, wait, what? We're not going to the gym. What are we doing? What is happening? And she's like. She basically says, we didn't. We're wasting time. We can't help them go through surveillance. We can't help them mash the keys. So let's just check another thing off to make sure he's not here.

[Natalie Jean]

Man can't even take an afternoon off. I mean, I feel you, bitch.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I mean, I would like to say I feel you, bitch, but I don't know if I would go to the meat market in this moment especially because I know she wants to make out. Huh?

[Natalie Jean]

I know. But I also feel like. I guess it's like a child's life is ticking away.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Also think it's pointless. This is a stupid plan. Maybe I'm tell her that I ain't trying to get in a pants. So they're off to the meat market. And they are walking past shady stalls of all types in their workout gear, leaving them even more noticeable than usual. She defends her choice to come here to hunt as making sure, you know, they have all the boxes checked off on all the possible places Emil could be that they're not helping Declan and Ethan search the footage. So might as well make sure the expression where the weary souls find relief, which is what was in the coded emails talking about where they should go doesn't mean the meat market because they assumed that meant the bone quarter because where the weary souls go for relief. Graveyard. Yeah, but it also could mean the meat market and expand its expansive collection of recreational activities.

[Natalie Jean]

Anything you want, you can get at meat market.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Find some relief there. When Hunt challenges Bryce on why a kid would want to come to the meat market, she retorts that he is a thousand years old, so why would he even know what a child wants? And he pinches her butt and she goes, stop it. He insists that this isn't helpful and they don't have a way to search everywhere with just the two of them. And she explains they're not alone. Don't worry. She waves at Fury and Juniper in the distance. Hunt is again like, oh, geez, what.

[Natalie Jean]

Is going on now? I just thought we were gonna go to the gym.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I just wanted to with lift my weights. They all greet each other and Fury looks aghast at their gym clothes. Hunt is like, I thought where we were going.

[Natalie Jean]

Imagine him walking behind her. Babe, Babe.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't. I'm wearing my muscle tank. Babe. This is what I lifted.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. I can't be just walking around the me market, babe.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Bryce ignores this and directs each of them to take a different direction to look for any sign of him. I'm with Hunt that this seems to be a dumb plan, but whatever.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They each go north, south, east, west. They take a quadrant and they go look around for 30 minutes. And half hour later, Hunt and Juniper are the first two to arrive back at the meetup point. Hunt can sense Juniper's discomfort as she looks around the space and kind of rubs her chest. She admits that she finds this place abhorrent, that it's crazy, that no One puts a stop to all of this and all the bad deeds that occur here. That not even the governors challenge the VIP Queen.

[Natalie Jean]

I love you, beautiful Juniper. But, you know, in. In a world where peace is only. What is that? Is where we can have no meat market. But in the time period that we live in. Gotta get it somewhere. They're always gonna find it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Do we need a meat market? Will that help?

[Natalie Jean]

I think we have. I'm sure there are meat markets. I think they're islands. I hear that they're.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

I think I've heard tale that there's a couple out there.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No. This is not their little St. James, is it?

[Natalie Jean]

No. No, it certainly is not.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So June expresses her hope that someone will put a stop to it. And Hunt can see that she's quite affected by this place. Place. But he doesn't know much. This is. They don't really have a lot of private conversations. He's not really sure what exactly this personal feeling is for her. Yeah. Fury approaches and unsurprisingly, also has nothing to say about finding the boy. They go seek out Bryce and find her near the Viper Queen's quarters, chatting with a stall attendant and carrying a bag. When she sees them approaching, she waves, explaining that the bag is filled with lamb bones for searing, and then apologizes to June, who is their vegetarian. June says, I don't care. It's for seaweed. I'm just a deer shifter.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm just a deer shifter.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, she's not a shifter.

[Natalie Jean]

Not a shifter. I always say shifter. Just a deer.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Just a deer.

[Natalie Jean]

Man, don't say that to her, though. That would be mean. You're just a deer.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Also, I think she's not a deer. She's a fawn, which is different than a fawn. Deer fawn.

[Natalie Jean]

Mr. Tumnus.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes.

[Natalie Jean]

So I always feel like in my head, I can't. I. I think only dear. Because I can't, like. Un. Extricate. Is that the word?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

Mr. Tumnus for like. I just. And I'm like. Juniper's not that she's not a Mr. Tumnus. Ass bitch.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Maybe she is. You don't know.

[Natalie Jean]

You're right.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We don't know enough about her hooves. Hooves. When they all explain they found nothing to one another, Bryce goes into planning mode for the next day's bone quarter visit. Even though Hunt doesn't want to make this trip, he can't help but get a thrill at Bryce's assertive voice.

[Natalie Jean]

Especially when she's in her gym. Oh, yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

His thoughts Turn to more carnal activities as the others lament over a scared little boy. Which sounds about right.

[Natalie Jean]

It's okay. Intrusive thoughts happen.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, it's fine. I get it. He is as blue as they come.

[Natalie Jean]

He needs it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

As they begin to leave the space, Bryce and June take the lead. And after they get ahead a little bit and Haunt and Fury are left a little bit behind, he asks Fury why June is so shaken by this place. Fury reveals that Juniper's brother. A fighter in the pits. That's right. She used to have a brother named Julius.

[Natalie Jean]

Not of the orange persuasion.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, of the resting in peace persuasion.

[Natalie Jean]

Rip.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Fury goes into a terrible story about Julius and how the Viper Queen sought him out for his strength, made him promises only to get him hooked on Venom, used him up, and when he died, his corpse was left on their parents doorstep with only a note saying memento mori.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, it's kind of badass.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's horrible.

[Natalie Jean]

They got the body back.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Just left it on the door.

[Natalie Jean]

She said, thanking the Viper Queen.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's horrible. It honestly makes me think of the ufc, which is really how they treat fighters in ufc. I worked with a lot of MMA guys in the stunts.

[Natalie Jean]

Get him hooked on Venom.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Well, they definitely don't. Not encourage them to take a bunch of drugs. But also, they barely pay MMA fighters, even though it's one of the most lucrative sports on earth. It's very, very exploitative.

[Natalie Jean]

It's not just for the love of the game.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, no. Dana White's a pretty big piece of shit. Oh, I don't know. That's gonna stun you. Stun listeners out there. Yeah, he sucks.

[Natalie Jean]

The captain of the. Of MMA is that. I'm assuming he's the CEO of ufc.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And he's very close friends with Rogan and Trump. They're all best friends. It's great fun.

[Natalie Jean]

And then they all go to their meets.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Billionaires hate you and hope you die.

[Natalie Jean]

We're not talking about that here, though. No.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't want to get into that too much because I'll start talking for too long about it. Don't make me start talking about Beyonce and Ivanka. Beyonce, Ivanka were sitting at a table together the other night.

[Natalie Jean]

But then you think about that sweet, sweet Venom and you think of how great it could be.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm not thinking about that.

[Natalie Jean]

All of you billionaires, you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Not you out there. Unless you're a billionaire listening. But I doubt you are. But also, if you are you.

[Natalie Jean]

No, but like, if you are, like, what do you want? We'll put on a show for you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, I don't. No, you don't simper their money.

[Natalie Jean]

Money.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No.

[Natalie Jean]

Okay, I take back what I said.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Boo. Anyway, Fury informs Hunt that she'll burn this place to the ground for June one day, which is very hot. And Hunt doesn't doubt that she will. Later that evening, Bryce and Hunt are actually at the building's gym. So they didn't totally lie to everybody else.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Bryce is planking and hating it.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She expects her post drop body to be able to hold at least a five minute plank, but she's struggling at two.

[Natalie Jean]

Makes me feel better about myself.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Honestly, I can't imagine holding five minute plane.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, if you've made the drop, then I would assume.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Well, she's not doing it that night. She's got other stuff on her mind, I think.

[Natalie Jean]

Other ways of getting in shape. Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Working up a sweat. She thinks about how she did want to go to the meat market for a meal, but also she did in fact have a mini freak out. Seeing Danica really just needed to get out of the room.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm proud of you for showing, sharing that, Bryce.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It was just to us in her, in her brain.

[Natalie Jean]

But still, she's acknowledging.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She's acknowledging it. Working out often helped her clear her mind out. So she really did want to go work up a sweat. In the gym. Tonight though, she only gets to 2 minute 15 seconds on the plank and then collapses. Sometimes you kind of have a oh, well, kind of workout where you just go, I give up. Today I am done. And that's okay.

[Natalie Jean]

Yep.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She feels Hunt's shoe prodding her side and looks up at him. She's blown away at how hot he is. She pulls her earbuds out and watches as he dries his face off with his shirt. Definitely not subtly showing his abs off or anything.

[Natalie Jean]

He offered her a hand and Bryce took it, her sweaty skin sliding against his as he hauled her to her feet. Feet.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He turns back to his workout. But now Bryce is thoroughly distracted. She's kind of struck dumb by how hot he is, and she can't help but stare at him like a weirdo and think about their tryst the other night.

[Natalie Jean]

I did that. Jeff was bent over trying to put something into a suitcase at the air airport. And I ran over and went like on him and really scared him. And I was like, you didn't expect. I was like, you were bent over. You didn't expect me to do that? He's like, why would I expect you to do that? When we're in a public place and you were in the restroom, so I didn't know that you were there. That's love, though. You got to keep them on their toes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Were you trying to have sex with him in the airport?

[Natalie Jean]

No, I was trying to grab on him. I was trying to make him feel like a piece of meat.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I like to.

[Natalie Jean]

I grab. I like going after it, you know?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And so he's going back. She's just now gawking at him and thinking about what happened the other night and how much she enjoyed it. She decides she's not being able to focus on her workout. Just goes over to get some water from the cooler.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The idea of doing planks suddenly absurd to her. She also grabs an apple from the basket at the water cooler and turns to look at Hunt, only to find.

[Natalie Jean]

Him gone, hands wrapped around her waist. And Bryce shrieked, nearly leaping out of her skin.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Is that what Jeff's on that?

[Natalie Jean]

It was just like that. Light erupted from her chest, but with the music thumping in her ears, she couldn't hear anything.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He laughs and tells her he was just checking in on his shadow skills.

[Natalie Jean]

God, I would love to have control of the shadows. And I would definitely make them sexually menace.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

My husband. Actually menacing.

[Natalie Jean]

Go get him. Go get him.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Consensually, sexually.

[Natalie Jean]

He's always consenting.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Consensually, Sexually menacing. So he takes one of your earbuds after revealing he only listens to audiobooks when he works out.

[Natalie Jean]

Cute.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And they both put one in. Curious to what? He wants to know what she's listening to. She changes the song, and the song that she puts on has Hunt accusing her of trying to seduce him.

[Natalie Jean]

He tucked in his wings, leaving the earbud in place. As he took a step closer. Bryce leaned slightly against the counter, the marble digging into her overheated spine. But he only took the apple from her fingers, held her gaze while he bit it, then slowly set the core on the counter.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Uh oh, what's gonna happen?

[Natalie Jean]

Like, everyone around them was like, can you guys just, like, leave the gym? Like, whatever is happening here, it's palpable.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They're alone.

[Natalie Jean]

Nobody else is just walking past. It's just like, yikes. Wow.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That is unconsensual kink. Being drawn into things. That's not cool.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Not.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Okay.

[Natalie Jean]

No, I'm not talking about them fucking. Just them staring at, like. Like, when you walk in and someone is having, like, a sexually tense moment, and you're just, like. When you get, like, hit with a wave of it, you're like, whoa. Okay. Sorry.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Whoa.

[Natalie Jean]

Sorry, guys.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I believe they're alone. I think it's because it's their private gym in the building, and it's late. I think it's just them. But you know what time that is.

[Natalie Jean]

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So we have the whole scene, right? But an interesting turn of events during that scene is that Bryce happens to cry out I love you. The I love you words at a very specific moment. And though Hunt is stunned, he also reciprocates it later that night, after all of the adventure, they lay together in bed, and Hunt marvels about how no one since his mom has said those words to him.

[Natalie Jean]

Him, which is like, damn, Shahar was cold, man. That bit, like, I know. I feel like I hate to break this to you. I think she loved the cause. I don't know if she ever loved you. She loved the cause, and she loved what you both could do for the cause.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I could. Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

I think maybe she cared not love in that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think she cared for him. I don't know that she loved him and she never.

[Natalie Jean]

Or was she capable of loving him.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He said it to her.

[Natalie Jean]

To her.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And she didn't say it back. What the. God, that's horrible. Neither of them have brought it up since the. So the two of them are laying in bed. They said it during the moment.

[Natalie Jean]

They're not bringing it back up.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And they're not bringing back up. Finally, he can't take it, and they decide to discuss this interesting turn of events. He's like, hey, you said you loved me, remember? And they're both like, yeah, but like, only if. Like, if you didn't really actually.

[Natalie Jean]

In the moment, you know, Hunt, in this.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Moment, he is overwhelmed with this feeling, but he still can't get the rush of desire out of him towards her. He also, though, is interested in if she meant it or not. They both admit their feelings, and Bryce Floyd flirts back with him. Her marveling at the special trick he did with his lightning in the previous scene can take a guess what that means.

[Natalie Jean]

Tingles.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Bryce reveals that she's never said I love you to anyone beyond her family. Hunt is surprised and asks about Connor.

[Natalie Jean]

Wow. These guys are just fine with asking really difficult questions.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Seems like some people.

[Natalie Jean]

Maybe we are laying in bed and now. But don't get me wrong, you know, especially when you're first getting to know each other and you do have those kind of like. Like, oh, I guess we're talking about this right now. Okay, well, then I guess.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But it's A lot.

[Natalie Jean]

It's a lot.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But she's.

[Natalie Jean]

She answers earlier today with the other conversation. It's just like. It's a lot.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

There's a lot of emotions brought kind of at the surface right now. But she answers him. She. She says, no, I never said that to Connor, but maybe if things had progressed over time. But then she suggests that maybe she was just waiting for Hunt. Oh, my God. Nervously, Hunt reveals his deep feelings for her, stating that he has been in love with her for some time now. Sealed in his heart during that time with the UP slideshow where Sandriel was forcing him to look at the smiling moments they had together before he was gonna probably die.

[Natalie Jean]

Man, there's no way they could ever have one of those frames where the picture's always changing. I feel like they could never have a collage in their home because then.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It would just be like ptsd.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Every time you see, you know that. What are those little stupid little frames called?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think they are sponsor of the.

[Natalie Jean]

Network, so they're amazing, awesome frames. I don't know what they're called, but I know, I know that they are wonderful frames.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I do. I have one up. I love.

[Natalie Jean]

I know. And I like looking at the pictures on it, but I'm just saying Hunt can't be sponsored by triggered.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Can't do it. She says for her, it was a different moment. It was when he was searching for her dildos and ended up finding jelly jubilee. And it was because he treated her with such care. So very different moment. They lament over being blocked again. The seventh time in the series. That night. Because they really want to have. Have full sex. Spoiler. They didn't do that in the last scene. But.

[Natalie Jean]

But they did do something.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

This is something. Can you guess which one goes in where? You know, they're kind of like flirting. They're like, oh, my God, I wish we could be together. It's very sexy. And then Bryce suddenly stops and says, what should I call you in public? She thinks, boyfriend doesn't sound serious enough. And partner isn't sexy enough. And partner can be very sexy. I know, I know. That's. That's kind of what I think a lot of millennials use as their terminology.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes. I think I like the term partner. I like that it's not like an, like an oh, like any kind of ownership. Like, I like that it's something like, oh, we're living this life together.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes, very much. But not for Bryce. And lover sounds too old fashioned to her. Hunt suggests the term mate.

[Natalie Jean]

Interesting.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And Bryce gasps. We know if you're. Listen, if you read the other SJM books, we know how weighted that terminology is. Hunt isn't quite understanding. He thought Fae had mates like angels do, which is angels, as we learned earlier in the books. It's just sort of the synonym for married.

[Natalie Jean]

Right.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She reminds him that the Fae version of matehood is much more serious and even more permanent than marriage. That it's believed to be of the stars. Neither of them are sure matehood occurs between species, like they themselves are angel and Fae. But Bryce tells him if he's not her mate, then no one is.

[Natalie Jean]

It would explain a lot. How intense things had been between them from the start. And once they crossed that last physical barrier, he had a feeling the bond would be even further solidified.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Maidhood doesn't have one definition, so they're not sure how to tell, but it feels right to them. They both mull it over and decide that they are happy to make that declaration, even though it will have heavy implications. Her star begins to glow.

[Natalie Jean]

His mate, his. And he was her. It wouldn't have surprised him if her name were stamped on his heart. He wondered if his own were stamped on the glowing star in her chest.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They make a promise to get a hotel room the following night, away from prying ears, so they can really seal the deal. And I'm sure nothing is going to stop it.

[Natalie Jean]

No way, no how.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They've been emotionally mated now.

[Natalie Jean]

It's big. It is big. We don't know if it means anything further.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't know if they're gonna know until they go hit a home run.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Wonder what it's called in sunball.

[Natalie Jean]

No. Yeah. A flame out star.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Shooting star.

[Natalie Jean]

Starburster.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, like the candy.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You gonna be bursting. Please read up until chapter 31 for next week. I don't mean to interrupt your meal, but I saw you from across a cafe and. You're the Geico Gecko, right? In the flesh. Oh my goodness. This is huge.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

To finally meet you.

[Natalie Jean]

I love Geico's fast and friendly claim service. Well, that's how Geico gets 97% customer satisfaction. Anyway, that's all. Enjoy the rest of your food. No worries. So are you just going to watch me eat? Oh, sorry. Just a little star struck.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'll be on my way.

[Natalie Jean]

If you're going to stick around, just pull up a chair. You're the best.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

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[Natalie Jean]

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