LPN Deep Dives: HOSAB / Episode 33: Pieces of She

Summary

LPN Deep Dives: Crescent City – HOSAB 33: “Pieces of She”

Hosts: Natalie Jean & Jackie Zebrowski
Date: January 20, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of LPN Deep Dives: Crescent City dives into (mainly) chapters 65 and 66 of House of Sky and Breath (HOSAB) by Sarah J. Maas, exploring new reveals in the hunt for the truth behind Danika’s secrets, Sophie’s code, and the core crew’s next high-risk, high-stakes plan. As always, Natalie and Jackie bring signature chaotic, hilarious tangents, wild theorizing, incisive critique of character motivations, and a lot of very explicit jokes.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Banter, AI vs. Magic & Pop Culture Tangents

• [02:37–13:00]
  • Natalie and Jackie riff on everyday magic vs. AI, with some classic “Beauty and the Beast” references and a detour into Elon Musk’s Grok AI.
    • Jackie: “Are you bringing him [Elon Musk] into our magic world?” (03:25)
  • The meaning behind Palantir’s name and problematic tech overlords.
  • Extended riff on cryogenics, Walt Disney’s urban legends, and “juice on tap” (a running joke about what happens if you only save one body part in cryo).
    • Jackie (about Walt Disney’s remains): “Just leave just the penis working. And it’s on a continuous pump. It’s like a spigot. And you go, you don’t want to know what happens when you get to the bottom of that well.” (06:42)
  • Jokes about sex, ‘69’ and ‘420’ codes, the energy and workload involved, and why sex is (sometimes overlooked) work.

2. Recap and Literary Analysis – Danika’s Secrets

• [11:50–16:31]
  • Natalie recaps where the story left off: Bryce revealing the truth about Emil, new “brother,” to her friends.
    • Jackie: “She’s really making choices for other people.” (12:49)
  • Discussion of Bryce’s tendency to choose for others: “Let him pick his own new name!” (Jackie, 12:54)
  • Review last episode’s cliffhanger: Baxian claiming he is Danika’s mate.
  • Amusing aside on what constitutes “princess behavior.”

3. The Big Baxian Reveal: Is He Danika’s Mate?

• [17:35–27:29]
  • Walkthrough of the tunnel conversation: Bryce, Hunt, and Baxian.
  • [18:46] Quote: “I met her two years before she died,” he said quietly, which is very sexy. (Jackie)
  • They compare the trope of revealing major secrets at inopportune times (“It’s like releasing a bunch of files on Christmas Day.” – Natalie, 14:12)
  • Bryce is furious and refuses to accept Danika would keep this secret.
    • Jackie: “You realize you are very self involved, right, Bryce?” (14:44)
  • They analyze the dynamic: Danika’s legacy is a web of secrets. The possibility that Danika masked her mating bond due to bloodhound abilities.
    • “She hid it from everyone.” (Natalie, 23:58)
  • Critique of the “I can fix him” romance trope (Natalie, 24:44)
  • Extended, very explicit and playful tangent into man-shaped sex dolls, their stats, and what “Spartan Lover” or “Ethan” might offer to the lonely masses.
    • “They’ve come very far and they come very far.” (Jackie, 20:04)

4. The Danika–Sophie–Baxian–Secret Number Connection

• [27:29–38:30]
  • They piece together the significance of Sophie’s carved code and Baxian’s knowledge of it.
  • Discussion on whether wolves and dogs mating is “incestuous,” running joke becomes whether “wolves are just advanced dogs.”
    • “Wolves are advanced dogs... maybe they would be scared of fucking somebody so far in the past.” (Jackie, 26:25)
  • Examine Danika’s investigation into old bloodlines and rare shifters—what spooked her into secrecy?
  • Theorize the political dangers of wolf succession and why Sabine would want to keep all this buried.

5. The Number Sequence and its Meaning

• [36:32–38:30]
  • Sophie’s coded numbers: Baxian instantly recognizes them as Asteri archive room codes.
    • “It’s a system of numbering rooms used only in one place on Midgard, the Asteri archives.” (Natalie, 37:13)
  • Baxian’s origin story: He memorized the code after seeing Sandriel shaken by whatever she saw.
  • Suggestion that Danika’s mission—and what Sophie found—concern core secrets that could undermine all of Midgard.

6. The Crew’s Next Step: Hacking the Asteri Archives

• [38:30–51:27]
  • Declan tries to hack the Eternal Palace system.
    • Jackie: “Are we two computer heads? Basically Angelina Jolie.” (44:49)
  • The news’ coverage of the recent attack, and the political spin in play.
  • Insight into the camaraderie of the core group as they share info and strategize (“I would do anything to have a gaggle of fire sprites... roll up, be like, oh, Jackie and her fire bitches are here.” – Jackie, 47:58)
  • Declan unable to fully hack the archives, but gains access to security cameras: they see Sophie entering and leaving the secret room—visibly changed.

7. Planning the Heist: “We need to break in.”

• [53:06–54:11]
  • Bryce declares: “They need to break into the Eternal palace and get in that damn room.” (Natalie, 53:45)
  • Debate the possible dangers, logistics, and which connections they need to leverage to even attempt this.

8. Emotional Fallout, Relationships & Closure

• [54:18–59:59]
  • Check-in between Ethan and Tharion: “bro-coded” talk over videogames about nerves, love, and accepting risk.
  • Strong vibe of “get your affairs in order before bad shit goes down.”
  • Joking comparison to Twilight and imprinting.
    • “I guess I’m the Renesmee.” (Jackie, 57:33)

9. Jackie’s Dating Sim Announcement

• [59:47–61:18]
  • Plug for Jackie’s voice acting in upcoming dating sim/visual novel “Slash Fic,” with all the murder-or-kiss energy fans love. “I play one of the characters you can get killed by or romanced by, and yes, I will be a Harlequin clown of sorts...” (Jackie, 59:48)

10. Fury’s Role & The Palace Blueprints

• [61:22–66:44]
  • Bryce meets Fury at a bar, asks for Palace layout help.
    • “Bryce said simply, we want the truth.” (Natalie, 65:29)
  • Fury agrees to help, and to get Juniper/Syrinx out of the city for safety.
  • Riff on what the archives’ secret room could actually be: maybe just “playing Two Girls, One Cup on a big projector”?!
  • Dog vs. wolf hair-splitting continues in full comedic force.

11. Tharion Calls Off His Engagement

• [66:44–69:36]
  • Tharion has a frank, overdue, and awkward breakup with the River Queen’s daughter.
    • “He tells her he does want to end the betrothal.” (Natalie, 68:15)
  • They debate if the move is noble or self-serving.
    • “It feels like less like amends and more like I’m getting this off my own chest.” (Natalie, 68:59)
  • Discussion of how SJM handles “male stupidity” and her “one smart male per series” policy.

12. Ethan Faces Sabine & the Prime

• [74:44–80:52]
  • Ethan and Hypaxia march to confront Sabine & the Prime about the shifter in the astronomer’s tank.
  • Prime’s reticence, Sabine’s sneering. Ethan appeals to the Prime’s Alpha pride.
  • [80:10] Quote: “Because Sabine is not the only Fendir heir.” (Natalie)
    • Jackie: “Where you sticking that dick, Prime?” (80:17)
  • Suggests a new legitimate alternative heir exists—high stakes for the wolf pack and Sabine’s hold on power.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On tech overlords:
  “Peter Thiel named his company Palantir after the evil in Lord of the Rings. Oh, I thought it was like when you cry during a palindrome. Like you have a Palantir.” (Jackie, 03:49)

• On Walt Disney’s remains:
  “Just leave just the penis working. And it’s on a continuous pump. It’s like a spigot. And you go, you don’t want to know what happens when you get to the bottom of that well.” (Jackie, 06:42)

• On Baxian’s confession:
  “I met her two years before she died,” he said quietly, which is very sexy. (Jackie, 18:46)

• On the sex doll search:
  “They’ve come very far and they come very far.” (Jackie, 20:04)

• On wolf/dog politics:
  “Wolves are advanced dogs, and maybe they would be scared of fucking somebody so far in the past.” (Jackie, 26:25)

• On their own podcasting style:
  “Almost like — sounds like you’ve done 600 episodes together.” (Natalie, 27:38)

• On hacking:
  “Are we two computer heads? Basically Angelina Jolie.” (Jackie, 44:49)

• On Bryce’s determination:
  “They need to break in to the Eternal palace and get in that damn room.” (Natalie, 53:45)

• On teamwork:
  “I would do anything to have a gaggle of fire sprites that I roll with... Oh, Jackie and her fire bitches are here.” (Jackie, 47:58)

• On romantic closure:
  “Fuck off. Yeah, it feels like less like amends and more like I’m getting this off of my own chest.” (Natalie, 68:59)

• On SJM’s male characters:
  “She has openly said, like, I make all the scenes fun for the women. And then my notes always come back: you have to make the guy do more than just be like, duh, I’ve been an idiot. Oh, God.” (Natalie, 72:28)

• On wolf succession:
  “Because Sabine is not the only Fendir heir.” (Natalie, 80:10)

  • “Where you sticking that dick, Prime?” (Jackie, 80:17)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• 03:25 – Why AI is not “magic”; Elon/Grok/Palantir riff
• 06:42 – Jackie’s take on Walt Disney cryo-urban legends
• 11:50 – Recap: where the plot left off
• 18:46 – Baxian’s big confession: “I met her two years before she died...”
• 23:58 – Danika hides her mating scent (“She hid it from everyone.”)
• 24:44 – “I can fix them” romance critique
• 27:29 – Danika’s research, wolf lineage
• 37:13 – The code is for an Asteri archive room
• 44:49 – “Are we two computer heads?”
• 53:45 – Bryce declares: “We need to break in”
• 65:29 – “We want the truth.”
• 68:15 – Tharion calls off his betrothal
• 80:10 – Prime: “Sabine is not the only Fendir heir.”
• 80:17 – Jackie, re: Prime’s sexual history

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Tone and Style

Natalie and Jackie keep the energy wild, irreverent, smart, and unfiltered—living for detours, savvy cultural critique, sex jokes, and heartfelt (if rowdy) analysis. Their comedic commentary and on-the-fly theorizing make for a take both raucous and insightful, for readers looking to laugh, think, and revisit the Crescent City world in good company.

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Summary

This episode progresses the plot deeper into Danika’s enduring mysteries, intertwining relationships, and the “heist planning” energy that defines the late stages of HOSAB. Amidst their signature comedic digressions (cryogenics, man-shaped sex dolls, “advanced dogs,” and pop culture lore), Natalie and Jackie carefully parse character motivations, new clues, and the emotional burden of leadership, love, and legacy. The crew preps for their boldest move yet, Fury is roped into aiding them, and a major secret about the wolf pack is dropped—hinting at even more fireworks to come.

Fans of the book will benefit from both the sharp analysis and the humor; those who haven’t listened will feel ready to jump into these crucial chapters, with all the context and snark they could want.

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Next reading: Up through Chapter 69 – Nice. (Instructions given at [80:56].)

(Advertisements, intros, and outros omitted.)

Transcript

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[Jackie Zabrowski]

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[Natalie Jean]

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[Jackie Zabrowski]

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[Natalie Jean]

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[Jackie Zabrowski]

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[Natalie Jean]

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

[Jackie Zabrowski]

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

[Natalie Jean]

Give it to me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

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

[Natalie Jean]

Dreamers and readers baby. I cannot wait for this.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Give me, give me that swag. Welcome to Crescent City with your hosts Natalie Jean and Jackie Zabrowski.

[Natalie Jean]

Did I just start talking and expected the microphone to appear in front of me? Yeah, I did.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm glad the microphone didn't just appear because then we're living in beauty and the Beast.

[Natalie Jean]

See, I was just imagining like a hellish AI world where the things were sentient. I would prefer it to be magic.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, it's always magic, Natalie. It's never AI. Maybe that's how we need to change and accept AI. Just see it as magic instead.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, I think the magic magic.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You never have to use your brain ever again. You never have to be creative ever again.

[Natalie Jean]

It's broken, Natalie.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You never have to write a text message ever again.

[Natalie Jean]

I don't know.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The robots.

[Natalie Jean]

You'll.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The robots do it.

[Natalie Jean]

I don't know if you've seen what Grock's been up to, but it's not going well.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, I don't know what Grock's from.

[Natalie Jean]

That is Elon. I hate even saying his name.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Are you bringing him into our magic world?

[Natalie Jean]

Well, you're saying the AI is magic, and I. If Grock is the magic, I think we're in or in trouble. We're in big trouble.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I thought Grock was, like, the himbo from Emperor's New Groove.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, they're all naming all their stuff after, like, Peter Thiel's. He named his name it after the.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Guy from Emperor's New Groove because that's quite a crossover.

[Natalie Jean]

Peter Thiel named his company Palantir after the evil in Lord of the Rings. Oh, I thought. Nobody's questioning that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I thought it was like when you cry during a palindrome. Like you have a Palantir.

[Natalie Jean]

That's also. I wish that was why he named it that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They need to be bringing me in there to help me name things.

[Natalie Jean]

You have not. I don't want to say this in a meet.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You are beautiful. What are you about to say?

[Natalie Jean]

You look like you're wearing Steve Bannon's jacket that he wears 24 7.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm a maniac. You better watch out, everybody. I'm sorry, Natalie, but you're a beautiful version. I am a beautiful version, but maybe it's because I had to hide what's been gouged into my arm. And, yeah, this side says 69, 420, and this side says 24601, because I think that this corpse was actually a Les Mis reference.

[Natalie Jean]

So it's two separate codes?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, it's two separate codes. One's the VAL gene, and that one, you don't know. It's like, is it to steal candlesticks or is it to, like, I don't know, loosely adopt a child that's dirty that wants to live in the clouds? Center to the clouds. I'm sorry. Also, I need to be more frozen. Wait, Natalie, is that you?

[Natalie Jean]

Is that you?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's how they found her. She was frozen. Sophie let my corpse go. Let my corpse go.

[Natalie Jean]

Sophie wasn't frozen.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Frozen?

[Natalie Jean]

Well, you look like the Star wars guy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Well, No, I think that she was under the water. Yeah, she was like, wasn't she like crystallized? I thought she was frozen. Can we have our sofonators? Tell me. She was frozen.

[Natalie Jean]

You think whenever they were all grieving over her body, she was laid out like that?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Ah, yeah, I thought that she was like Han Solo.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, listen, it's your imaginations. You can imagine.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Anyway, like, thank you very much. And I do feel she was suspended in ice because, like, I feel like.

[Natalie Jean]

They would have been cold.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, it would have been cold. I just feel like maybe they wanted to give her the Disney brain treatment, you know, good old head, put it in the cryogenic chamber.

[Natalie Jean]

Is that Disney treatment? Oh, like the Walt.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Walt Disney. We know his head is somewhere. We gotta go find that body. We gotta go reanimate it. I want to find out what goes on in those synapses. Is it another Robin Hood?

[Natalie Jean]

Did he. Did he put his body. He didn't. His body's gone.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You want to ask.

[Natalie Jean]

I think this whole thing is a myth, by the way, but why would he only freeze his head?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, I think they have the whole body because I think they want to, you know, make pork more mickeys out of them. You know what I mean?

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, make some more amusement.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Just leave just the penis working. And it's on a continuous pump. It's like a spigot. And you go, you don't want to know what happens when you get to the bottom of that well, like it's.

[Natalie Jean]

On a hot dog heater. Yeah, yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But I actually was more thinking of like a. Like I feel like the dick would be hooked up into sort of like we were just talking about a nitro cold brew tap in your home. But that's what you tap into because, I mean, that's the juice penis. Yeah. Okay, well, not to say the juice is loose again, because I did say that on another episode recently, but we gotta loose that juice.

[Natalie Jean]

Can we take that back now that he's passed?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think we can take it back. I've taken it back. Yeah, because, you know, I did get Henry years ago an actual juices loose shirt that they had sold after the juices loose. But then he said he wouldn't. He's like, I can't wear this anywhere. And I was like, you wear it everywhere.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, you will strike conversations. And that is not what you want to do with your T shirt, is begin conversations with strangers.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And you want them thinking, is that guy pro J? And I don't know, who knows in this world. We are what we make of it. And that's why we believe in magic.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And that's why we think things will become sentient and we will have sex with them consensually. Yeah. Because they're sentient. Yeah. Hopefully they're consenting.

[Natalie Jean]

Well, Grok is not being consensual. Let's just say that. Shocking coming from the. The. The gentleman that it came from.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Cronk was his name. Cronk.

[Natalie Jean]

Ah, Cronk. Who was that again?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, from Cronk is from Patrick Warburton from Emperor's New Groo. And I am very attracted to the voice of Kronk because he's got, like, a big Himbo voice in it. And Jeff does the Kronk voice for one of his D and D characters. So it gets me all talk about the Jews being loose. Whoa. But it's very different, and you shouldn't use it in that context. Unless you're referring to Walt Disney's cryogenic nitro cold brew tapped penis.

[Natalie Jean]

And yet, see, here's all the headlines about Grok. You can't even read them off on our show. And I would prefer you didn't, but.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That is what it says, man. And it's too bad, you know, every time you think about Grok Rock, think about Kronk instead. You're welcome. Rebranding Elon, Bring me on board.

[Natalie Jean]

No, please don't.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm ready go anywhere in the world. I'm ready to sell my body to billionaires. Natalie, let me go.

[Natalie Jean]

That's fair.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm a corpse. I'm just a corpse. Where? I'm just a corpse. And I'm sitting here waiting to live.

[Natalie Jean]

Okay, well, let's see where we are in this world.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

69 for 20. This knows. Whoa. Where is that going? What is that? What are those numbers gonna get you to?

[Natalie Jean]

You know, if you. 420, are you really going to feel like six signing is my question.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I mean, yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

Really?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

It's a lot of work.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, it is. But, you know, honestly, let's be real. Sex is a lot of work, and I feel like that's not the kind of thing that is discussed often enough. Like, sex is work.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Like, it takes. It's gotta get in there about this.

[Natalie Jean]

Sixing and the nineing that or the ninety sixing. Whatever you want to do that. I don't mean nine.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Is that butt to butt? No, I mean it's the same 99ing. Well, then that's just all top, no bottom now. 66 now.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's what I'm talking about.

[Natalie Jean]

66.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, but. But. But. Give me that. Heated rivalry. Did you watch any of it, Natalie? Did you watch any of.

[Natalie Jean]

I have not, but I need to. We. Where? There's no hockey boys here.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Bring them here. Bring them home. Let them. Let them. It's more Les Mis. I'm not gonna sing Les Mis just because I have 24601 on my arm. I'm not gonna sing it the entire episode.

[Natalie Jean]

It's almost like you did it to yourself and to all of us.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

If, you know, Natalie, if you take out your red lip stick and you think, what numbers are gouged into this corpse's arms? What am I just gonna write random numbers?

[Natalie Jean]

Yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That is interesting. But I did get Adam to write 69 on this arm because I couldn't do it, and I thought double 69 in case they missed it on the other arm.

[Natalie Jean]

They didn't catch your fun joke.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, they don't know which one's a joke.

[Natalie Jean]

That wasn't you writing that. It's very squiggly.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I know. It's very. Well, he was very nervous. He was like, I don't want. He didn't want to mess up my lipstick. And I was like, this is workman's lipstick. I was like, you can use. I was like, get in. Do it.

[Natalie Jean]

Just one of the many fun tasks the employees at Last Podcast Network get to participate in.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, man. How many times, like, we can't get out of our wings. We're like, help. Can you help us for a second?

[Natalie Jean]

They don't. And they shouldn't know. Where we last left off was with Bryce, as she had told the boys all about a meal while they were at the ox training facility.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

New brother.

[Natalie Jean]

New brother Emil. Oh, her new brother. Yes, brother, AKA Connor, which I will say I did not until very recently put together that Connor was named after Connor.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's just like, do we need to do this? He's already asking everybody who will listen if they can bring his brother back. You're going to do that to him too, Bitch.

[Natalie Jean]

I didn't put it together.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, man. Yeah, yeah. It's. I. I feel like already, it's like, we're not gonna ask you. We're just gonna adopt you. And we're just. And, you know, I know the kids gotta have a home. You don't want to send them to the foster system, but, like, just Bryce is really making choices for other people.

[Natalie Jean]

She does. She makes a lot of choices for other people.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Let him pick his Own new name.

[Natalie Jean]

No. No way. Not. Not away. Good. She wants to name him after the guy she was almost having sex with. Yeah, no, hate. Whatever. So Ethan and Hypaxia, also in the last episode, were attacked and escaped The Under King, who had had the core, who then told them to get the core crew of people to Earth's Temple to have a little meeting. Guess what? Attack. Why attack, dummy. The Under King sells them out to Pippa and the Lightfall Squadron, and Bryce gets a message to the Triari in time, who then battles with the Rebellion, while Bryce and Hunt escape through a hidden tunnel with Baxian in Urd's Temple. In the tunnel under Earth's Temple, Baxian has just claimed to be Danika's mate. What? Excuse me very much.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I just wish that I had the ability when like a bunch of shit was going down to be also like. And I've got this secret, you know, I.

[Natalie Jean]

Maybe that's a good time to tell.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

A secret, I guess, because then they're not going to think about it, you know, all the way through or not have the. But it's just. That's so crazy to me. Like, that's such a crazy choice to make.

[Natalie Jean]

Swell. It's like releasing a bunch of files on Christmas Day. I'm sorry. I mean, I'm trying to get out of my spun.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Get out of spun head. I'm trying to be horny. I know. I'm sorry.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm ruining it for everyone.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Keep spun out of here.

[Natalie Jean]

I know.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Get out. Boo yo. Ban it from here.

[Natalie Jean]

Banished. Banished. Okay, so it's chapter 65. Bryce is not buying this piece of news, apparently about vaccine and Danica. Certainly Danica wouldn't have kept yet another secret from her crazy. Oh, yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No way. There's no way there's going to be more secrets coming out now. I've heard everything and every time she acts as if it's the craziest, it's like, yeah, bitch. You realize you are very self involved, right, Bryce?

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, she is for sure.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

Who wasn't in the 20s, I guess.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Also, if I were a princess.

[Natalie Jean]

I would probably be a monster. Like I not like a monster monster, but I would be insufferable even more than this.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Would you be like like a Mary Queen of Scots?

[Natalie Jean]

I would just be like in like a carriage all the time and just like wearing gowns when nobody is wearing gowns and just being like, hello.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, yeah, Very. Oh, very flowery with your language too. And you just make everybody speak very slowly. So Everybody has to wait for you to finish.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes, very much so furiously, Bryce.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Like, QE2, I feel like, well, I think that's the ship. But I'm calling her only the ship, because that bitch ain't never being brought down by no iceberg. Different ship. But I love that she was like, I don't like onions. No one's allowed to eat onions in here.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, that. See, that's the kind of thing I would do.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It is what you do.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, you're kind to do that. I don't demand you keep onions out of my.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Every time I cook, she goes, and there are no onions in it.

[Natalie Jean]

Not even in it. I said, in this home.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

In this home. And I go, oh, yes, Natalie. Yes, Queen Natalie. Anything for you.

[Natalie Jean]

Yep. That's what I do with my reign of terror in my home.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I mean, you are dressed like a bitch.

[Natalie Jean]

I am true.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You came in. I would definitely hide your onions.

[Natalie Jean]

Hide your onions, boys.

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[Jackie Zabrowski]

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[Jackie Zabrowski]

We've all been there. You hold onto a coupon, hoping to cash it in at the store. But then you forget about it and suddenly you've got a mountain of useless expired coupons. Do you think this one's still good?

[Natalie Jean]

Free milk?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, mate, that expired in 1993.

[Adobe Acrobat Advertiser]

Dang it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Fortunately, there are better ways to save money. Like by switching to Geico. You could save about 900 on car insurance without ever touching a coupon. Ooh, how about this one? Half off floppy disks. Now you should try a bit of spring cleaning.

[Natalie Jean]

It feels good to save big.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It feels good to Geico.

[Natalie Jean]

Okay, so Bryce is aiming a gun at Baxian in the dark stone tunnel, who has returned into his humanoid form. Although I sort of wish he was still in dog form, being held at gunpoint with his little paws up. That would be cute. Baxian insists to them that it's true that he is Danica's mate. And Sabine knows about it. That's why she left Bryce's apartment. He tells them the last time when she had barged in and Baxian was there. And he also informs them that's why Sabine didn't stay at the Equinox Ball, because she fears him and he knows how she treated Danika, so she's afraid of vaccines, specifically because allegedly he is her mate. Poor played once again, Bryce screams that she would have known if Danika had a mate. And Baxian retorts, oh, of course she would come home and. And brag about being mated to one of Sandriel's Triari.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Baxian walked up to the gun, to the barrel, push it down and against his heart, right up against the tattoo in Danica's handwriting.

[Natalie Jean]

I met her two years before she.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Died, he said quietly, which is very sexy.

[Natalie Jean]

I have a strong image of someone doing this in a movie or. But I can't. I could not place it in my mind, but it's somebody taking the barrel of the gun and pushing it against their chest to, like, show dedication. Dedication. But I can't remember. Does anyone remember what I'm talking about? She tries to push back, but then starts to recall memories in flashes, you know?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

God. But she sings it. No, it doesn't turn into a musical episode, so. Although if SJM could write just like a couple of musical chapters where you have to like, you know, sing it yourself. So it's like your own tune. I mean, there is a choose your own tune adventure.

[Natalie Jean]

Isn't there a song in one of the Acotar books? Yeah, pretty sure there is.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Me a fairy man, you're not a man, you're a male. But me anyway.

[Natalie Jean]

Man shaped. Manish.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Man shaped. So man. I love having sex with a man shaped object.

[Natalie Jean]

Sure.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. Talk about cronk.

[Natalie Jean]

They don't make the. Do they make those sex dolls that are guys instead of when they're sex women? Sex dolls are very, very popular. But are there guy ones?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They've come very far and they come very far.

[Natalie Jean]

You have. You've seen those?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm sure they've got them. There's lonely rich women, too. How do you think Taylor Swift got a husband? She fashioned him. He's made out of parts. He's our. He's Edward. Ballsy has. All right, I'm going. There they are. Give me these male sex dolls. Look at these male sex dolls.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, I don't care for that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't care for it. Spartan love. He's a Spartan. Wow. If you look up Spartan lover, He'll take your. Oh, my God, look. Look at the first one's name, Ethan. Oh, my God.

[Natalie Jean]

This is the one I pulled up. His name is Ethan.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, you can look at him to oral entry or. Oh, you can get implanted head hair.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, is this one's named. Oh, I thought his name was Iron Tag.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Okay, so you can ask if you want it always flaccid. You can get that.

[Natalie Jean]

Ooh, that's my favorite. They have one with a chin strap. Look, look at that one.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Wait, where's the chin strap on his chin? Oh, the hair. I thought you meant the dildo. I was like, natalie, I don't see a chinstrap dildo on that sex doll. I thought you meant dick up top and dick on bottom. I was like, whoa, doubled explosion.

[Natalie Jean]

Wow. This is. I'm sorry, I know you guys need to hear about the chapter, but I, I, I don't.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You know, I know that you want to look up these dolls, so if you wanna go to Honey Love.

[Natalie Jean]

No, I'm actually gonna say that maybe I shouldn't promote the website.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, we're looking at two different ones that. Wow. Oh, that many?

[Natalie Jean]

Look, it looks like what's his name? The guy from the movie. The claws. Oh, the client. The claw. The clients.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Edward Scissorhand. No, Wolverine. Wolverine. Hugh Jackman. Huge look.

[Natalie Jean]

What huge?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Jackpot. What are you looking at? I think go out and watch Song Tsung Blue, I guess.

[Natalie Jean]

But that is supposed to be him. Look.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Is that supposed to be him?

[Natalie Jean]

Yes, look, he's got the things.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh. Cause, oh, he's got the Wolverine claws. But his face and the everything else about him doesn't look like Hugh Jackman. Well, now you're just looking at women's sex dolls.

[Natalie Jean]

So my eyes have turned into, like.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I can't believe you thought male sex dolls wouldn't exist.

[Natalie Jean]

I just had never seen one. I was just, I was being curious.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

All kinds have money, you know, I was being curious.

[Natalie Jean]

And it's good to learn things.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It is good to learn things. And if you have an extra three to four thousand dollars, you jump right on here and get one of them. They're on sale right now. Oh.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, January is boring month.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

This is that. You got to torque it up. You know, it's a dry January, but we want to make it a wet January. All right, we have.

[Natalie Jean]

We're 20 minutes into this episode, and we've gotten through one page. You did this.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You did this to us. You brought us down this rabbit hole.

[Natalie Jean]

We both, we're both not doing a good job staying on track here, okay? So where the even am I? Oh, yes, we're talking about vaccine.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We're talking about. But you know, we're talking about Sabine.

[Natalie Jean]

Memories. Memories and flashes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You did start with me wanting to sing. Memory. Thank you.

[Natalie Jean]

Okay, so Danika is. She's going back in her mind.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She's.

[Natalie Jean]

Because she's like, there's no way she had a mate. She's been out and about on the town, meeting gentlemen callers the whole time we were friends. But then suddenly she's like. Actually, the last couple years, she starts flashing back. She was making fun of Danica for not going on dates. And she was with her, partying, but not remembering her going home with random guys for the last couple years.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Never asked.

[Natalie Jean]

No.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Didn't think about it.

[Natalie Jean]

Pained back scene admits that they were both shocked and a little horrified when they felt their mating bond at first.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Didn't they smell the stink?

[Natalie Jean]

Well, on. On Danika. Yeah. Well, they talk about how because she's a bloodhound, she knows how to mask sense. It's like her specialty. So she hid it from everyone there.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You know, having a squirt out extra stink every day.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, that's what you do for love. Yeah, but Baxian says that her love changed everything for him. Which to me, in the real world is a little bit of a red flag that. But, you know, having a good partner can allow you to find the good parts of yourself or. Or give you a safe place to like fall and put yourself back together. But no one should become necessarily better due to a boyfriend or a girlfriend. That's the. It's the sort of the I can fix them mentality a little bit.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Sure. For sure. But also it's like, did he go all this time without having a mate?

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So it's like also a huge red flag if you're like hundreds of years old, possibly, and you've never had a mate.

[Natalie Jean]

Some people. Some people never get mated. Ever.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm victim blaming here. I think, I think that. And what's wrong with them, Natalie?

[Natalie Jean]

They were waiting for their mate.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, interesting. And that's why you gotta go out and take life by the balls. Don't just wait around waiting for it to happen. Waiting to mate.

[Natalie Jean]

That's fair.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Go find a mate. You go get one.

[Natalie Jean]

My, my. More concern with it is that he was kind of a bad guy and he was not healthy mentally, working under Sandriel, according to Hunt, although he didn't ever place vaccine as like one of the evil, evil ones, but he was not a good guy. Until he mated with Danica. And he's saying, but then I changed after that. And it's like, I don't know.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

What is this, the movie Green? You know, it's like, I don't trust you. What, do you want me to get into your car and fly into the sunset?

[Natalie Jean]

Well, that's the. That's the pot. That's when he's already changed.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I know. That's what I'm saying. It's like, I wanted to do that. Oh, yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

You're taking me over to the Scientology building. Cool. Thanks a lot. So regardless, I don't know. They're a wolf and a dog, so maybe they have different priorities in life. I. I'm not. Who am I to judge? But Hunt matters.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

How I feel like, is that not incestuous in some way? Cases dogs.

[Natalie Jean]

Well, wolves and wolves get mated.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. But I just feel like wolves and dogs, it's like, that's like. Isn't that some sort of like, biblical? Like, they shouldn't.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, so not incestuous, but like.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, like cross. Yeah. Like, you know, in a way that I feel like it's like, well, one's. I'm saying it. Aren't wolves advanced dogs? I don't know. I'm saying it right now. Wolves are advanced dogs. And maybe they would be scared of fucking somebody. So far in the past.

[Natalie Jean]

I think that is disinformation. Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Actually, weirdly enough, one of my best friends. Ex. From a very long time ago is a. One of the top wolf researchers. And it would be funny if this is what I hit him up about. Like, I know that you're, like, weirdly, like, internationally known for being a wolf researcher, but what do you think about this?

[Natalie Jean]

That wolves are advanced dogs.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. And that they shouldn't fuck each other.

[Natalie Jean]

Hunt and Bryce are an angel and a fae.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. But that's like. That's magic. Having sex with magic.

[Natalie Jean]

The wolf and the dog are magic.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, I guess it is magic. Having sex with magic. All right. I'll allow this wolf and this dog to have sex with each other.

[Natalie Jean]

It's been allowed.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's been a oooed.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, no. I'm making an awoo joke in a second.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Damn.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, my God. We are. We're synced.

[Natalie Jean]

Almost like. Sounds like you've done 600 episodes together, so.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And you know exactly what I'm gonna make jokes about, so.

[Natalie Jean]

Hunt mutters as. He's like, bringing up all of the. They're bringing up these points like, maybe this is real. And Hunt mutters Loud that it's right around when he was sent away to Lunathian when Danika and Baxian met. So Baxian's great change in behavior, if this is all true, happened after Hunt left. Hence his confusion about Baxian seemingly big attitude adjustment when he came to Lunatheon. Despite Bryce's fury, he continues on that they had met when Danika had gone to an international wolf assembly. Like the Awoo.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And I can say it right. Ooh, and thank you. Thank you. Give it with gusto. I know it's the second AWU joke, but I needed it. Thank you.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So double A, wood you.

[Natalie Jean]

Baxian was doing his tri thing. Danika gets called to this wolf. What do you call it? Symposium.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Sounds made up, but all right.

[Natalie Jean]

It's where they all get together.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I swear. We went to this little wolf body and. And then I met it. It was crazy.

[Natalie Jean]

Jesus. Shamed.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, I just feel like it's like. Yeah, I'd hide. Go into a wolf assembly, too, probably.

[Natalie Jean]

Wow. Wolf hating over here.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

So she went to this big thing.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And then the dogs allowed it.

[Natalie Jean]

No, the dog wasn't there. Dog, they. It was near Sandril's territory. And so she sought vaccine out because she had been, as we know already, researching rare shifters. Apparently, vaccines, shifting abilities are that, for some reason, we don't know yet. We know a little bit about Danika's though, pursuits because we know about how she, like, went in. They saw the footage of her in the library. She opens the book and clicks the picture, and they find out she's, like, looking up ancient lineages. And so she's doing this kind of research. And apparently the same pursuit she had sought out Baxian for is what she was looking for in those books. She wants to know about these old lines. So that's how they met each other initially, because she sought him out to find out information about him. Bryce was shaking with anger at this point, most of it directed at her. Kind of herself, at her naivety. And uncovering yet another thing Danica has kept from her. But resigned that Baxian might be telling the truth, she asks Baxian if Danika was killed because of something to do with synth. Like, oh, if she's your mate, tell me something I need to know. He says, no, it wasn't because of the synth. He believes it was because of the information that she had been pursuing about the old lines. He continues somberly, that she had an intuition that she wouldn't live very long. Like, to an old age and she was seeking out these lines, hoping to find an alternative to Sabine to lead the wolves into the future.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So they got together this, like, corporate retreat of wolves for her to go sniff about. Literally.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, she sniffed and she snarfed.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm sorry for Baxie. And I guess he liked it at least.

[Natalie Jean]

Yep. He likes. He likes a good snarf every now, now and then. But then after she met Baxie and mated with him and fell in love with him, she began to expand the idea of not only trying to find a replacement for Sabine, but the idea of maybe she can stop the. You know, the path. The Rolling stone that is happening on this planet. And there can be a way where she can be with her true love. And we could only. Could they could all be free, you know?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So okay with your hope.

[Natalie Jean]

I know it's hard.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Sounds like you choked on that hope to death.

[Natalie Jean]

It's hard these days, Jackie.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Jesus Christ.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, she was. Oh. So, you know, she's thinking in this bigger. Like, maybe we can make this world different. Re Haul it. And no archangels. And you know where that's going to lead to the Asteri. So her death may have signified actually the asterisk. Fear of her. Like, if you're worried enough about her to kill her. Maybe she was on to something.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

Bryce can't believe that Danika told Baxian that she loved him. Because Danika had always told Bryce that she was the only person she had said those words to. Just another little slice vaccine. Continues gently. That Danika wanted to tell her about the two of them. But Bryce is like, shut up. I don't want to hear. I don't want to talk about this. Don't. Don't patronize me. In her anger, she tells him, if you want to talk about his secret little meetups with Danica, then he can tell them why she was meeting with Sophie Renast. Jackie's making the face.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I was doing. The frozen face that she frozen made.

[Natalie Jean]

Up in her imagination. It's really good.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Again. I. I know that one thing from a Star wars is that there's one. I don't even know why. I don't know how. Is that forever? Is that like the end of Han Solo? I have no idea. All I know is that there's that with him and something I'm going to say.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm pretty sure that's the middle. Like, he comes back.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, I should. Like. I know it's. It is fun.

[Natalie Jean]

I have seen them all. I don't remember that much. Sorry. Guys.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So my head is filled with different kinds of erotica.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. There's not enough. The only sexy thing is the siblings kissing it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I know. And I just like, I feel like if there's going to be that amount, like Darth Vader was definitely having sex. Right.

[Natalie Jean]

I think. Well, in the prequel Jabba the Hutt, in the prequels, isn't he just all scar tissue?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't know.

[Natalie Jean]

Isn't he all burned up underneath there?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't know.

[Natalie Jean]

Pretty sure he is.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That means he is having sex just very gently.

[Natalie Jean]

I think his gentle is burnt off.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, that's why he's so upset.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

If they had started with that, I'd be like, I get it.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm much more familiar with Spaceballs, the parody. Yes. By Mel Brooks.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So I think that that is what is brought up every time I bring up literally the one thing I know about Star Wars. That and Jar Jar Binks, of course.

[Natalie Jean]

Jar Jar Binks.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm not going to act like Jar Jar Binks for the rest of the episode.

[Natalie Jean]

You really went through a phase.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I did. Yeah, I did. Between that and also I remind myself of how often I used to say get in my belly and I don't say it as often anymore. And is that something that be brought into my vernacular?

[Natalie Jean]

I think it's time to bring it around again.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Thank you.

[Natalie Jean]

Do a Chili's ad in there. It's great.

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[Jackie Zabrowski]

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[Jackie Zabrowski]

Well, the holidays have come and gone once again. But if you've forgotten to get that special someone in your life a gift. Well, Mint Mobile is extending their holiday offer of half off unlimited wireless. So here's the idea. You get it now. You call it an early present for next year. What do you have to lose? Give it a [e-mail] Switch limited time. 50 off regular price for new customers. Upfront payment required. 45 for 3 months, $90 for 6 months or 180 for 12 month plan taxes and fees. Extra speeds may slow after 50 gigabytes per month, when network is busy see Terms.

[Natalie Jean]

So she's like, tell me something I need to know. I'm trying to figure all these things out. Vaccine tells them that she came across Sophie the same way that she had come across Vaccine himself, researching lost bloodlines. But he insists he doesn't know how they got involved in Ophion together. He only knows that he. That she initially sought Sophie out to find out about. She could sniff her out before she was frozen. Oh, to sniff her out, like.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, she's probably going, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Don't. Oh, oh, oh, no. Remember that?

[Natalie Jean]

No.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But she wasn't making squishing grapes with her. Her feet. She was getting tortured.

[Natalie Jean]

Sing the classic. Right.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Was that. That one?

[Natalie Jean]

Yes. Oh, man, that's an oldie.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. Baby still lives in my brain, though.

[Natalie Jean]

Very funny still. So I hope that lady's okay. Maybe she had. Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I hope she wasn't tortured and fake frozen.

[Natalie Jean]

We don't know though Know. No one knows to this day what happened to her, so. But much like every other person Bryce has spoken to in the last few chapters, she asks if he. He knows why Sophie would have a sequence carved into her arm. Not expecting much, but it does say.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

69, 420 on it. And that's. She must have been a good time.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, she was a great time. But before she can even rattle off the numbers back Scene recites the sequence back to her perfectly. He's like, oh, you mean 6, 9.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

4, 2, 024, 6, 0, 1. Like in Les Mis.

[Natalie Jean]

Both.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

My God, he's also a musical boy.

[Natalie Jean]

I feel like he would be.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, he would.

[Natalie Jean]

Both Bryce and Hunt are instantly on edge, demanding to know what this is. He knows what the sequence is. Baxian tells them.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Baxian's eyes flashed.

[Natalie Jean]

It's a system of numbering rooms used only in one place on Midgard, the hysteria archives. We have the info about what is on Sophie, what is carved, what she carved into herself with her last breaths. And.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, this was difficult for me to do. All right. To make this, I. I also carved this into my arm.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Dedication.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Yeah. She's bleeding. It's pretty. We're gonna have to go to the hospital probably after the episode's over. Baxian says he knows these sequences of numbers because he was the one who gave Danika the info. What does that mean?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He's evil, Secret.

[Natalie Jean]

Good. It sounded more and more like it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But also he was given this. I feel like at least he was giving this beforehand. Like, if this was like a. A Whoa. It's like, no, you were already thinking this. So I feel like. I'm glad that this is how the characterization of Baxian came about. Like, I do, because I feel like. Like, in these stories, SJM Loves a. You know, a swap. Yeah. You know, one of those. Of, like, oh, I thought he was bad, but he's good. You know, one of those. So I like that this was more of like a. Oh, you think he's good, and he actually may be good.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. The opposing thought would be, this is all a manipulation tactic, and he's gonna, like, do something real, Matt. Like, bad. So, yeah, I'm glad that it just seems to be right now, we don't know. But he goes on to explain that he had learned those sequences of numbers and letters when he accompanied Sandriel to the Asteris Palace. Once she was led into a room that Baxian could not enter by the Asteri to have a meeting. So he kind of stood outside of this room guarding for her. And when she came back out from this one room, this room with the sequence of numbers and letters above it, it. Sandria was pale and uncharacteristically subdued. It was so much of a difference. He burned the marker sequence of the archive room into his memory because of the reaction he saw on her face, like they had just shown her something. He then passed this information to Danica because they had already been made it at this point, who then appears to have passed it to Sophie. He thinks that Danika had researched what could have been in there somehow. And though she didn't reveal to him what she may have found, it had shaken her and told him it was something that could alter their entire existence in that room.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Bryce put up just a bunch of angels smoking weed in 69ing, though, and that's what changed her. She was just like, oh, my God. I didn't know the possibilities.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Or that they weren't actually doing anything bad. They just, like, wanted to chill.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They want to have a good time. And I went in there, I got. I was hitting dad abs. I was ripping them. I laid on a chase, got eaten out.

[Natalie Jean]

It's a rumpus room.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. Whoa, yeah, baby, yeah. Give me that bumpus room. Come on.

[Natalie Jean]

Bryce puts one of the puzzle pieces together here as he's telling her this, that this is what she had Sophie do that Danica couldn't. That, you know, they have this information that she needed Sophie for, something that Danica couldn't be seen doing. And this was to go into the asterisk territory and find out what was in that room unnoticed and undetected. Baxian reveals that it took years of missions and efforts for Sophie to make it into the palace wall. So the last few years, they have been working together. By the time she did, Danica had already died. So Sophie made it into that room, according to Baxian. But Danica was dead already.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She was licking, and she was sucking. Whoa. Sophie found out, wanted everybody. I carved in my arm so everybody could enjoy the party.

[Natalie Jean]

Go in, bro. It's like. It's like a pass to, like, a rave.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, my. We almost went to an EDM festival when we were in Vegas because there was one across the street from our hotel. And we're like, is this what we need in our life? You want to go back to being 22?

[Natalie Jean]

I don't know if you would have liked it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't think we would have, and I'm glad that we didn't.

[Natalie Jean]

It would have been like, you guys in that. Remember that old sketch with the. The coked out.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, exactly. Yes. But loving it, I guess.

[Natalie Jean]

I don't know.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So the Roxbury.

[Natalie Jean]

Night of the Roxbury. There you go. But Sophie apparently found out what was back in that room, and she was going to use it to the advantage of the rebellion and of the people. When Baxian explains that the Eternal City structures and buildings aren't available online to look through for layouts or blueprints, because they're immediately like, where is this? How do we get there? He's like. Like, there's no real way to just, like, find out. There's not, like, a Google Maps store.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. There's big, bad evils. You think they're just gonna give you a map?

[Natalie Jean]

I feel like. Isn't that the same way with the. What's it called in. In Rome? The.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't know, Gladiators?

[Natalie Jean]

Where the priests live.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Rome.

[Natalie Jean]

Where the priests live.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Pope.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. What's it called?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Catholic enchanted chalice.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, my God.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Vatican.

[Natalie Jean]

Vatican. Thank you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I remember there was that movie, the Vatican with the smoke, and they got to put the smoke up. That's about.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. When you know there's a new Pope.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

That's it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's all I know.

[Natalie Jean]

I feel like this is. Isn't the Vatican also like that? Like, nobody can know what's in the building?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Of course. You think they don't have secret boys rooms?

[Natalie Jean]

Well, they. Even beyond that, they have, like, a trove of wealth. I'm pretty sure.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But also, maybe they have their, like, craft rooms.

[Natalie Jean]

I hope so.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's where they gotta make the candles. They got the money to go out and buy those candles. Everybody's in there being like, oh, I gotta remember somebody. Oh, candles.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. No, they definitely. The problem with them is they don't have enough money. That's for sure.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's like the nuns making the cheese.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Remember the nuns making cheese, Man.

[Natalie Jean]

Last time I went to Universal for the Christmas stuff where there's making cheese, there were nuns on the mummy ride with me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Did they love it?

[Natalie Jean]

They did. They were really cute. On.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Honestly, back in the habit, they were.

[Natalie Jean]

I have not seen a lot of that recently, but there were two women in full habits wearing little puffer jackets on the Mommy Ride.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Over the. Over the habits.

[Natalie Jean]

They had the. Just the head thing and then they had, like, a dress and, like, a puffer vest. It was very cute. And then they said.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Assumed nuns had heavier habits that they would wear, you know, like for. Oh, my God. Like in Narnia. Like the. You know, like the witch where they just come out. But they're in these, like, full fur Jesus capes.

[Natalie Jean]

That would serve, but I don't think that they get those. I think they're mostly forced to wear thin linens and things like that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's like, if you're married to Jesus, you'd think you'd get some bennies.

[Natalie Jean]

I think the benefit is that you don't have to have sex with a man.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Historically, you can just be a lesbian girl.

[Natalie Jean]

No, I know, but I mean, that's not true for all nuns. I'm nuts.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm not saying that, but hashtag, not all nuns.

[Natalie Jean]

Not all nuns. So, yeah, we know, obviously. But Vaccine points out you can't just walk in there and find this room. But Bryce and Han know there's one way they could attempt to gain access.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Hacking.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Those are the sounds of computers.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, my God. Are we two computer heads?

[Natalie Jean]

Basically, Angelina Jolie.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, my God.

[Natalie Jean]

Had cut to.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

In Girl. Interrupted.

[Natalie Jean]

No, in hackers.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, and hackers. In the movie Hackers.

[Natalie Jean]

Matthew Lillard, anyone?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, yes, please.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes, please. Cut to later. And they're with Declan. So they've gone back to the frat boy house. After this information was gleaned, they got out of that tunnel, got away from the fight. They're like, you guys deal with it. We're gonna peace out. And. Which is appropriate and fair. And so they had left through the tunnel and gone straight to Rune's house. And they are now With Declan, who is hard at nerd work, trying to decode the Asteris system because, you know, he's like the top tier hacker guy, but he's a good guy. You know, that's what you need in the world. Not a bunch of these baddies trying to hack in to people's personal phones and stuff.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't know what the hackers do. I feel like there's. I thought they were still just like downloading movies off the Internet.

[Natalie Jean]

Internet. I don't even think you have to be a hacker to do that. Really?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

People keep telling me how to do it and I just don't understand.

[Natalie Jean]

I don't. Like.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I.

[Natalie Jean]

No, don't. That's. Are. We're in the union that loses money from people doing that. Please don't.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They're all streaming them anyway. Doesn't matter. Natalie.

[Natalie Jean]

I know, but the actors. There are actors who live off of those residuals. And it's.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You know who. Nobody in.

[Natalie Jean]

Most people are stealing. All the residuals are gone, baby. Some are left still. It's true. The residuals I get the most money from are the ones that are from like 10 plus years ago.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. No, there's no residual. Yeah, it's gone. They don't do it anymore.

[Natalie Jean]

I get some. There's not very good ones.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, you have to work with someone really evil to get it. You know, I think that's how you get the residuals.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. My.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Honestly, my Dizzy black theme.

[Natalie Jean]

The most murders.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Also Disney show that. That, you know, because Disney is evil.

[Natalie Jean]

Yep.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But they'll give residuals, so that's great. Anyway, we gotta get through this.

[Natalie Jean]

So they're now back at Rune's house. The fight has ended. Apparently. We're hearing this through the thoughts in the chapter that the fight has ended and is already being highlighted on the news everywhere. Sandriel's Triari is being celebrated as heroes. And the battle was being categorized on the news as an attack by Ophion. No mention of the Under King's involvement, of course. Pippa escapes in the carnage because she's gonna throw bodies in front of her because she's evil. Rune joins them on the couch as Bryce and Hunter, watching Declan and hands Declan a nice little whiskey. Ethan and Hypaxia are also in the room. They are all entrenched in all of this information, especially because they knew about the Under King meeting since they were the ones who got attacked in the olive grove. So now they're all joining here to kind of learn about what they're gonna Find everyone has been caught up with all the new revelations. They've all shared information. And also in the room is Flynn with the three fire sprites. Kind of now just become as little Bryce calls them his cheerleaders who are just flocking him constantly as he flirts with them.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I would do anything to have a gaggle of fire sprites that I roll with. I don't want to own the fire sprites. I just want to be homely. Fire sprites? Yeah. I just want show, like, roll up, be like, oh, Jackie and her fire bitches are here. Yeah, you better watch out.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, you watch it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I should be threatening people more.

[Natalie Jean]

Well, I mean, if you go out right now with all this blood on your face, you would be threatening people, I imagine.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. I'm going to the grocery store after this.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, nice. Really scare everybody.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So, yeah, I do have open wounds, but I. They're not. Oh, they're not weeping all over the carrots. Carrots. But they are crying all over the tomatoes.

[Natalie Jean]

Okay, come on. Come on now. So there it's mentioned.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I had a thank you. I had to pause. I needed to pause. I needed to get my accolades. Thank you.

[Natalie Jean]

So it's mentioned that Tharion is there also, but upstairs asleep. You know, since he's also kind of moved into the house. House. Many pieces of information were surprising to many people as they share what they know. Ethan had no idea that Danica was mated as well, let alone to Baxian. Her bloodhound abilities. Here is when we learn she allowed her to mask her scent change. They all ponder why and how she hid this info from even her own pack. Flynn and Bryce start bickering in a sibling type way. And hypaxia comments on how strange of behavior this is for royals. We're supposed to get sort of a camaraderie feel from the scene. They're really becoming a unit at this point. Leading to one of my favorite art pieces from House of Sky and Breath, which is Mads Schofield, who's like been one of SJM's go to illustrators for many years at this point. But I love this image of them all together on the couch looking at the computer. And that's from this scene. If you ever see House of Sky and Breath imagery, you probably see this one come up pretty close to the top.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Top.

[Natalie Jean]

After a time, Declan announces that he is not going to be able to decode the archival systems security and kind of gushes over the complexity of it, but because of course, it's the most guarded secret that they have, obviously. So they're not going to be able to just. You're not going to be able to tap into the security camera.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, it's not Walt Disney's penis.

[Natalie Jean]

It's not. I mean, that's covered with the security tap right in. They're like, he's covered with security, though.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You're right.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes. Declan is sort of excited by the. The way that it's encrypted. And they're all like, okay, shut up. We don't care. We want to get in there. But he tells them that he can get into the. Hack into the main security system for the Eternal palace outside of these rooms. And so they can at least try to go through that footage and confirm that Sophie did in fact go in that room and trace the pathway she got to that room using, like, the cameras and. Which Baxian didn't memorize and only went there once with Sandriel. So later that evening, Therian joins them as they wait to see what Declan has uncovered with. As regard in regards to the security footage, Bryce is pleased to get an eyeful of a just awoken, shirtless Therian. She's like, thank you. She notes that Therian comes to the side of hypaxia and throws his arm around her. If she didn't know better, she would have guessed that they had a thing going if not for what she and Hunt had walked into on at the ball.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, I remember that.

[Natalie Jean]

Apparently, they have some sort of close relationship. Bryce wonders whether their closeness is bothering Roon. Little does she know what he's got cooking on the side.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's a thing? Yeah. She ain't gotta worry about him.

[Natalie Jean]

They've called Therian in because Declan has detected Sophie on the security footage. Yep. And she's just literally frozen. They're like, are you okay? And nobody helps her. It's weird. So, as a mercy offering, Bryce has also tried to contact Cormac to get him to be able to come over to watch this footage. Because even if she kind of hates him, she does know that he truly loves Sophie. And so he wanted to, like, let her see, but he doesn't answer his phone. They all watch. Other than Cormac. They're all together in this room now. And they watch with rapt attention as Sophie's form appears on Declan's laptop. They see her in a somehow procured uniform that matches those who would work in the specific Asteri library. So she's just kind of blending into the employees. They then spot the series of characters that had been carved into Sophie's arm above this one door. And then watch Sophie slide inside of it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It.

[Natalie Jean]

Declan tells them there's a 15 minute gap, which he skips through, and then she comes back out. Nothing is apparent in her hands. There's not really a shade of fear or shock on her face, which I imagine would be part of her responsibility. Yeah, that's she. You go in looking crazed. You look crazed when you come out. They're like, oh, she's the same.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

It's a beautiful face you're missing if you're not watching. Watching.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So check out the YouTube, though.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Which I imagine, you know, that would be. Yeah, her responsibility. Except. Declan slows the footage and points out she may be calm and placid, but just like Vaccine saw Sandriel, her face has lost all color at whatever she saw in there. Declan concludes the footage by telling them that this was captured only two months prior, right before she went into the hysteria death camp. Bryce already knows what needs to be done, and she can feel the uneasiness spread through the room when she announces it. They need to break in to the Eternal palace and get in that damn room.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Get in that room.

[Natalie Jean]

We're all with.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

What if it's like the tiki room? All the birds sing. Woods and the flowers. And she comes out, she's like, there were so many birds. Did you see when I got a cocktail? There was a thunderstorm.

[Natalie Jean]

She was just amazed.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Wonder again. Wow. I'm really pro Disney this episode. I didn't even know.

[Natalie Jean]

I know. You really are.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think she needs more birds in her life. She didn't know that birds could look that beautiful.

[Natalie Jean]

It's the beauty of what's in there. That's what making them look like they're about to pass out. So we're with Hunt's POV here, and his entire body is rocking with dread. They all point out the immense amount of danger, the near impossibility, the chances that they would survive if they go into this room, if they go into the palace, and the chances are not good. Bryce knows all of this, but tells them she needs this info. It's something important enough that their friends and loved ones have died to attain it. Hunt goes into a sort of roiling ptsd and he can feel Bryce sense it at his side. She leans into him, knowing this is deeply traumatic to him him, because he's already been tortured for decades, but is also being firm in the decision that she is going in. And so if she's going and they all Kind of have to go in. Rune points out that if she wants to do this, they still don't have a clear layout of how to get to that spot. Bryce responds that she actually does know someone who has the blueprints quite memorized.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Whoa.

[Natalie Jean]

We cut to whoa. That's another old thing.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh yeah, it's a Joey Lawrence reference.

[Natalie Jean]

Cut to later. And Ethan and Tharion are the only ones left in the frat house. Everyone else having dispersed to various tasks in true form, they are discussing their feelings while keeping their eyes forward on a video game they are playing. Very bro coded, but at least they're talking and that's good. It's good they're in action. Asks Ethan if he's as calm about all this as he has been appearing over this evening because he's not really pushing back. Ethan says, oh, what are you gonna do, Therian? Therian delic.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Play video games, huh?

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. I mean, hey. I say dissociate. It's a great, great way to do it. Tharian delicately points out that he must be used to high pressure stakes due to his past in the Sunball world. Ethan's like, yeah, I guess I was pretty awesome at Sunball. He presses Ethan a little further and Ethan eventually is like, I've. I haven't had a normal day in years at this point. So what's the difference if we go into the Eternal palace and like kind of get it? Like I get that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

After they play silently for a while, Ithan asks Tharion about the River Queen's daughter. I'm like, what do you. What's your guys' deal?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They're connecting.

[Natalie Jean]

Therian explains the betrothal and responds, nope. When Ethan asks if he loves her, Ethan sort of just goes, bummer. Therian asks if Ethan's seeing anyone in. Ethan sort of goes like, no, don't.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You know I love Brian.

[Natalie Jean]

Therian's like, yeah, dude, everyone knows you're game face doesn't work in the face of love. So everybody can see him being like being a real Jacob over here.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh my God. But did you say that I'm in love with that werewolf? I'm not in love with this werewolf. They're not the same wolf.

[Natalie Jean]

But the one in the book.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Not the one in the book, not.

[Natalie Jean]

The one in the movie, not the one Darian's like.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And not the one that loves her eggs and wants to bang the child either.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, I mean, do you love him truly if you really read all this book?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I guess I'm the Renesmee.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I guess I'm from her perspective then. Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

Well, I guess it's good then you're into him. Because we never have asked her whether or not she wants to be with him.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And we never will.

[Natalie Jean]

We never ever will. Except that book's coming out, isn't it? Yeah, it is. Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, that book's gone.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, God.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh. What do you do when you have to wait 18 years to romance a child? You have to wait till she's an adult and we will. Will pout.

[Natalie Jean]

It's really, really unfortunately true to Mormonism, because that happens still to this day.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And Natalie, at least he waited. Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

You just sit there and you stare at it from across the room.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Are you feeling out yet? Countdown clock. You know, the whole thing set up. Yeah, exactly. I want to know the exact second item of my painting and I.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm part of the problem.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm going to read it. Yeah, of course I'm going read it.

[Natalie Jean]

Darian's like, okay, yeah, dude, we know you love her. He's like, I don't love her anymore, though. Darren's like, okay, Broseph. Message received. It's cool. Then, on a more somber note, he quietly tells Ithan that even Bryce wouldn't want to put the idea in his into people's head that he's going to say, but. But he would recommend maybe trying to get some closure with anyone you hope to before they all go to the Eternal City. Essentially saying, probably some of us are going to die on this mission. Tharion knows the odds are against all of them. For some reason, as Tharion is saying all this, Ithan's mind, including about if you're seeing anybody, his mind goes to the wolf in the tank at the astronomers.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Hmm. Ethan sighed, set down his controller, got up from the couch. Therian arched a brow. Ethan said, there's something I have to do. But also, speaking of video games and if you do like, if you love erotica, you might love dating Sims. And I do want you to check out soon. I'm going to be a part of a sequel of a dating sim. The dating sim already exists.

[Natalie Jean]

Exists.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's called Slash fic. You are able to romance or get killed by slashers. And they are big hunky men in the original. And now there's a sequel coming out where I play one of the characters you can either get killed by or be romanced by. And yes, I will be a harlequin clown of sorts. And yes, I will be a Southern woman. And if you want all of that.

[Natalie Jean]

To be Romanced by Jackie Zabrowski or.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Killed by me or you know, whatever.

[Natalie Jean]

A little both.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Check out Slash Fic. And it's actually a really great company that helps creators keep their IP when they create it, which is something that's almost unheard of in the world of gaming. So check it out. I really enjoying this woman owned video game company that we are working together. And I just thought if you guys hang out here, maybe you might like that because you do listen to at this point, many hours of me speaking. So maybe you want to hear more of it and maybe you want to be sliced or kissed.

[Natalie Jean]

I was gonna say slut.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Slitted. Yeah, It's very. It's fun and upsetting and it's very cheeky. It is very. It. It's funnily. It's written by a funny woman, so.

[Natalie Jean]

Hell yeah, I know. It's so fun. I'm so glad you're living your dreams.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Thank you. Check out Slash Vic.

[Natalie Jean]

All right. Chapter 66.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

All right.

[Natalie Jean]

Where with Bryce, who has just revealed her plans to a pissed off Fury. They are at a dive bar sipping drinks. Later on, Bryce has called Fury here after being unable to shut her mind off that night, even after Hunt had exhausted her thoroughly. So many more pieces of Danika. She had to listen to Ashley Simpson for hours. I forgot.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Whoa. Pieces. Pieces of Jennica. Oh wow, that works out much better.

[Natalie Jean]

So she was laying in bed, that song rolling through her mind over and over. And she's like, I can't go to sleep. I gotta get up. I gotta talk to Fury. She's trying to appeal to Fury, but Fury is. Is, well furious. She tells Bryce that she is utterly insane to try to get in to the Asterisk Palace. That they will make everyone she's ever loved suffer when she's caught.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Do you remember the top of this book when they literally were like, you're fine, just don't with anything. And then the. It was like. It was just immediately that they're just. It's like, yeah, Fury. She knows this. At this point. She knows she's fucked no matter what. So you may as well go help people.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm gonna reapply my lipstick while we're talking.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, get it, bitch. Oh, so bitch wants to get all glammed up. She wants to make sure Ethan knows he's gonna be alone forever. And that's fur with a U. Yeah, cuz they're wolves.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, got it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And if you want your brother, go find fake new brother. Over with with Ember and daddy. Okay?

[Natalie Jean]

Randall Randall.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's the thing. He can go. He has a new Connor. Go get him.

[Natalie Jean]

He has.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You want to raise him? Go get him. He has no powers. Go get him.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, it's not important anymore now that he hasn't any powers. Well, why don't you sit with that for a while and think about it?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So at least he knows that brother will never bang Bryce. I hope not.

[Natalie Jean]

So. So Fury is trying to talk her out of doing this, essentially. But this is who Bryce was referencing in the previous section, that who knows about the layout of the palace. This is why she is called Fury that same evening. And she says, basically, I'm gonna do this, so help me. Help me not get caught. You can. But even Fury doesn't know exactly how to navigate that library and certainly hasn't seen inside of the room that's causing everyone to come out out a ghost. Maybe it's just playing two girls, one cup on like a big projector. Like a wall projector.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes. Or not. Tub Thumper. Oh, tub girl. Tub girl. Although maybe she was listening to Dub Thubber. I don't know. I don't know.

[Natalie Jean]

Perhaps. Yeah, it's just a collection of upsetting 2010s Internet clips. Party. The one with the light bulb.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Which one wasn't that bad? No, Lemon party was the one with all the old man. Old man's sucking on the other old man.

[Natalie Jean]

I say good for them.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, they were having a good time.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, I'm proud of them. So she tries to appeal to Fury's love of Danika, asking her whether she wants to know what Danika fought so hard to learn, gave her life up for. Fury slugs her drink back and says, save it. She's a mercenary. Of course we know this. She has done bad deeds, probably for every side, every party. And tells Bryce, why do you even want to stop them? Like they everybody sucks. Like everybody's bad who runs the government. But I think this is a little bit of a cope, because obviously the Asteri are by far the worst. They control people, like, through like all kinds of horrible ways. Bryce corrects Fury that she and the crew, they're not working for a side. So you can say all the sides suck. We're not working for a side. She asks what Bryce is working towards, then truth.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Bryce said simply, we want the truth.

[Natalie Jean]

Fury watches her for a moment, appears to make a decision. She tells Bryce she's taking Juniper out of the city. Bryce approves of this. She asks if Fury will also take Syrinx with her and she says yes. Oh, and frowning, she tells Bryce she'll get her whatever intel she can on on the layout.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes. At least this book can be on thedogdoesnotdie.com.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, it can be. For sure.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes. Not that. I mean, I don't want Syrinx to be offended by me referring. And I don't want Back Scene to be offended. I don't. I want Danica to be offended. I just, you know, I think that.

[Natalie Jean]

Wolves would be offended being called a dog. So, you know, so you wouldn't have you one. Right.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'd say to Daninger, you fucking song.

[Natalie Jean]

That's right. Yeah. Get her. Get her.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

If I were a wolf friend. Oh my God. Especially Sabine. Can you imagine what Sabine said when she found out she was not only vaccine, but also a doll?

[Natalie Jean]

Jokes on Sabine. The more she hates him, the more Danica's gonna love him.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Of course, tale is old as time.

[Natalie Jean]

So Fury has basically signed on to help them do this mission. This very scary, dangerous mission that we're coming towards. The end of the book, you know, is going to be some shit.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes.

[Natalie Jean]

So we cut over at this time to Tharion, who seems to have given himself the advice he gave to Ithan and he's applying it now. He is walking towards the River Queen's daughter who is sitting on the edge of the water, lounging near the bone quarter. He has called her here.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

My date with the Rebecca Queen.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, many dates. Ten years.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Think about it all the time. I always think about that song.

[Natalie Jean]

He feels weighed down by the fragile beauty of her. Her long flowing hair. Instead of the desire that got him into the situation. Her appeal fills him with dread as he approaches her. He thanks her for meeting him and he said an otter.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Cute.

[Natalie Jean]

She turns towards him smiling and he feels guilt rack him thinking about the happiness he saw on her face when she was dancing at the ball the other night. He tells her he needs to talk to her. Her smile fades.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Her look turned wary. He could have sworn the Sobex drifted closer. Taurus spotted them and began snapping photos along the quay. Saw the River Queen's daughter and began snapping photos of the beauty too.

[Natalie Jean]

Before he says anything more, she guesses correctly why he's there, that he wants to end their betrothal.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Instinct had him fumbling for soothing lies to comfort her. But if he was going to die, either at the Asteris or her mother's hand, he wanted to do it knowing he'd been honest.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes, he tells her he does want to end the betrothal.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I Feel like this is very like. Did you have to do this, Tharion? I feel like this is a little self serving to be like. Cause I might die. So I want to be honest with you while he's just, you know, you're just. I'm sorry. You're hot, but you a slimy ass merman being it.

[Natalie Jean]

I still want to.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

How's he doing right now?

[Natalie Jean]

I still want to kiss.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, I still wanna. Just because we still wanna doesn't mean he's good for us, Natalie. It's just like I feel like this is like. Why'd you have to do this? To put this into River Queens so that the River Queen's daughter, like if you die can be like. But he did come to say fuck off.

[Natalie Jean]

Fuck off. Yeah. It feels like less like amends and more like I'm getting this off of my own chest.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I feel bad for. It makes me. It makes me feel bad for the River Queen's daughter. We don't even know her freaking name yet.

[Natalie Jean]

We don't. We don't know her name. No. That's how little he thinks of her, I guess. But yeah, I think the only way you could argue that it is making amends is that if he does die, she won't mourn him for like the rest of her life, thinking that they were gonna get married or something. So I guess you could argue that side of it a little bit.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He thought she was so dumb that he had to be like, look, I banged you that one time.

[Natalie Jean]

But like.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Like, I really don't want to marry you because of it. It's like, yeah, this bitch knew this. So it's like it's just one more stab.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, it's not. Yeah, I imagine.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Sorry, am I being too anti theory?

[Natalie Jean]

I'm not disagreeing with you, certainly. And he is underestimating her intelligence. He is slightly taken aback when she responds with bitter amusement at his thinking that he had hid his distaste for the Blue Court this whole time or spending time with her. Exactly. She essentially says, you think I or anyone else was fooled into thinking you wanted this? You think I'm some kind of dumb.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's like my mother had to come and force you to hang out with me. You think that makes me like not have an ick for you?

[Natalie Jean]

The truth is that, well, he. She's that torn thing of like a young heart where the truth is he has taken her to be a foolish person. Maybe not as much as he had projected onto her. He might. She might not be as foolish as he thinks he dares to ask her why she didn't call it off herself. Then, over these 10 years, and she snaps that she is a fool in some ways, a fool in love, praying to the gods for him to come around to see her.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Finally, she stood somehow towering over him, even though she was more than a foot shorter. Her words were a chill wind skittering over the water.

[Natalie Jean]

You want to stay here amid this filth and noise? He's like, yeah, I kind of do. She says, I should have listened to Mother.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, girl.

[Natalie Jean]

Tharion feels a bit of relief at her rage. He wants her to hate him. At least that was real. She goes to enter the water, and he tells her that they should talk about this further. When he. He gets back from a task far away, he doesn't apologize. What are we gonna talk about?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Like, what? You just said you didn't wanna be with me, so, yeah, let's.

[Natalie Jean]

Let's get. Let's get sushi when you get back.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Let's get lunch off.

[Natalie Jean]

She commands him to come underneath and talk with her. Now he backs away, telling her he can't. He's like, in his mind, he's like, I'm not going down there. River Queen's gonna cut. Cut my. Something off. Cut my clamp off.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Whoa.

[Natalie Jean]

So she bares her teeth and reports that she's going straight to her mom now. Oh. And then she's gone back into the river.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Tharion debated jumping in after her. But why? His palm slickened with sweat. He had 30 minutes, he supposed. 30 minutes until he was hauled beneath by his fin and he'd never, ever leave again.

[Natalie Jean]

Standing himself on the edge of the water, panic rising, he looks around, trying to devise a plan. It's clear he hadn't anticipated this. I'm not sure why. Why he didn't anticipate this.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I. You know, it's not that I think that SJM thinks that men are stupid. You know, it is. There are times, though, that, I mean.

[Natalie Jean]

She has openly said, like, I make all the scenes fun for the women. And then my notes always come back. You have to make the guy do.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

More than just be like, duh, I've been an idiot. Oh, God. And that. It just. You know, it does. Somewhere in my chest, it does make me feel good. But it is kind of funny. Everyone, even I'm like, I mean, he's. He must have more thoughts than that. You know what I mean?

[Natalie Jean]

Like, Rizan's smart.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, Hunt is smart at times. God, is it only raisoned.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, there's like. Like Dorian, I think is smart.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Is Dorian smart?

[Natalie Jean]

Like, oh, my God. What's the mean guy in thr gloss?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Sam.

[Natalie Jean]

No, the. God.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Do you remember as I was putting on the. In my. When I was thinking about the. Let the numbers in her arm, I was thinking about Sam. And then when she had to go. And then she had to see. And then she had to look at his body.

[Natalie Jean]

I know she had to look at his.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And I know we're probably never going to do Throne of Glass because there's a million of them. So good.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, it's fantastic. It's so good. Rowan's not stupid.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He's not. Yeah, you're right. There's allowed one every book, one book, there are a million characters and one of the males may have at least a thought in his head.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Have I not thought about that? How would I never really. It's kind of.

[Natalie Jean]

It's.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I promise it's not why I read these books. I'm not like, I'm not. Not honestly a I hate all men type of woman.

[Natalie Jean]

I don't feel. I don't get the impression either that she hates men or that I think.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That she just thinks they make really stupid decisions. And also I think that she. Which she's not wrong. But I think that a lot of people are driven by their fuck, you know, And I don't think it is just things with penises, you know? Yeah, I'm calling them things.

[Natalie Jean]

Things. Oh.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, so I'm a corpse. You know, it's like, what are you.

[Natalie Jean]

Gonna get mad at a corpse?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They're flesh bags at this point.

[Natalie Jean]

So he has not planned for this. He considers quickly and then rejects appealing to Celestina. She is an archangel and she's not going to be wanting to be involved with Blue Court drama. He doesn't think he can summon the depth charger in the scant minutes he has before the River Queen's rage begins. So it's not gonna. There's not enough time. There's only one person who he thinks of who is nearby who would dare go against the River Queen and was near enough to reach before the River Queen's wrath is unleashed. And it's someone who loves a good fighter. We cut up. So we cut to Ethan, who has been escorted by Hypaxia to the Wolf's Den. So he's really. Again, Hypaxia is now guarding him. So he just not. It's not good.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I feel like at this point, Hypaxi is like. I mean, I Guess somebody's got to stop you from continuing to make stupid decisions. So I guess you'll watch me as I take care of your stupid ass. Yes.

[Natalie Jean]

Although in defense of Ethan, in his thoughts, he feels defensive.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Ethan.

[Natalie Jean]

Whoa. We're so mean to him. I know.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We're very mean to him.

[Natalie Jean]

He has a thought of feeling very proud walking into the den with a strong female at his side, which I think is nice. He's not intimidated.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He's not. And it's because he's.

[Natalie Jean]

He's like.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Because I know I'm weak, so it's got some strong around me.

[Natalie Jean]

That is acknowledging who you are. And that is.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It is good. Yes.

[Natalie Jean]

It is growth. It's good. He leaves her in an outer office and appears before the prime and Sabine, whom he has called to a meeting. Which is why Sabine is wearing a onesie in this episode.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And not because Natalie wanted to be comfortable.

[Natalie Jean]

Definitely not that. I was like, please, I want to put on a corset right now.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I know. And I was like, no.

[Natalie Jean]

Nope.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Today's a comfort day. I'm a corpse and you're a bitch.

[Natalie Jean]

What else is different?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

What is it, a Thursday?

[Natalie Jean]

Sabine, of course, immediately is sneering away at him. But the prime greets him kindly and asks what he'd like to speak about.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I mean, do you remember my prime costume? Do you remember how good my prime costume was? Yes.

[Natalie Jean]

I loved your interpretation. It was insane and a thing that I would not have thought if he's.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Got to come back at some point. I guess I've got the costume.

[Natalie Jean]

I love the Prime. Jackie's version.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[Natalie Jean]

So, yeah, Sabine's not getting dressed for this meeting with this asshole who she already tried to kill. And he's not even supposed to be here anymore. So why would she get dressed is all I'm saying.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm scared of you.

[Natalie Jean]

So Ethan tells them about the wolf that is trapped in the chamber inside of the astronomers, whatever that would you call office building. Sabine snaps that it's not their business. But Ethan pulls some of the Alpha out of him that he always holds back and stands up his ass, I guess get out of. Yes. And stands his ground telling the prime that it is a wolf. So it is their business. An Alpha, no less, is in that chamber.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, okay.

[Natalie Jean]

But Samin doesn't want to deal with it. She's like, I whatever. I don't give a. About that. That this dumb wolf in there. It's not our problem. We have enough going on out here. And she Actually says there are plenty of Alphas and. And basically tells him to F off. This leads Ethan back to a memory. It's like almost something clicks in his head at that point of her appearing at Bryce's and warning her to stay out of wolf's business. Almost like she was afraid. He thinks that she is worried someone will challenge her place. And this. This leads back to, is she afraid of whatever this wolf is? He goes head to head with Sabine, arguing that Danica would have fought to retrieve her. And Sabine is like, yeah, my daughter's.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Stupid and I hate my daughter. And it's like. Again, Ethan, it's like, come on, think better. Think better. They need more than that.

[Natalie Jean]

He does. He doesn't really have another.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, of course he doesn't, Natalie. You see? Think he planned this? Do you think he. You know, maybe if you had talked to Hypaxi about it, maybe you guys said like, two heads are better than one hun. All right? And think with the one up here, not with the one down there.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, it depends on what kind of night it is, but this night.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Discuss a plan before you go in there.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, probably. The prime stays silent through all of this. So after a while of arguing back and forth with Sabine, Ithan walks out of the office. Office. At least he tried before he left. He thinks he's just getting back to where he left hypaxia when Sabine passes by. Both of them going back to her office, snorting in disgust. Then, as they're about to walk out, the prime is at the door. He looks to Ethan and asks what this wolf looks like. Brown hair. Medium brown, I think. Pale skin.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

A common enough description.

[Natalie Jean]

And her scent, Was it like snow and embers? Ethan shook. How does the prime know the old.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Wolf bowed his silvery head.

[Natalie Jean]

Because Sabine is not the only Fendir heir.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Where you sticking that dick, Prom? Where you sticking that dick, Prime?

[Natalie Jean]

What?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Ethan rocked back on his heels at that. Was that why Sabine had come to the apartment that night? To warn off Bryce? Not to keep Ethan from becoming the Prime Apparent, but to scare Bryce away. Because she could discover there was a true alternative to Sabine. A legitimate one. Because Bryce would stop at nothing to find that other A. And Sabine would kill them to prevent it.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, Wood. I want to be in charge. I'm the boss.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Go off, bitch. I'm just a corpse. I don't give a shit. Go off, bitch. My problem is with the angels. Don't give a fuck about the wolves. I've got other things to do. So get your wolf and take your trash and get out of town. It doesn't rhyme. It doesn't need to be. Please read up until chapter 69 nice for next week.

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[Jackie Zabrowski]

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