LPN Deep Dives: HOSABE / Episode 26: Buttata Dentata

Summary

Podcast Summary

Podcast: LPN Deep Dives: Crescent City
Episode: HOSABE / Episode 26: Buttata Dentata
Hosts: Natalie Jean & Jackie Zebrowski
Date: December 2, 2025

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Overview

This episode of "LPN Deep Dives: Crescent City" features hosts Natalie Jean and Jackie Zebrowski as they serve up their signature witty, irreverent, and deeply engaged breakdown of Sarah J. Maas' "Crescent City" series, focusing on the events in Chapters 49-51. The discussion is full of banter, pop culture references, and diverging rabbit holes, but it also delivers sharp insights into character motivations, power plays, and the morally gray choices at the heart of the novel.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Snake Woman Bit and The Nature of Announcing Trouble

• Segment [02:52 - 07:00]:
  Natalie and Jackie riff about the concept of a "snake woman" announcing bad news, contrasting it with the idea of "the good news monkey." This quickly spins into humorous territory—pirates, orphan tropes, and ragamuffin history.
  • Quote: "I actually think I prefer bad news coming from a snake woman." – Jackie [02:55]
  • They joke about masks, body horror, and the social utility of announcing your own dubious intentions.
  • Memorable tangent: The creepy overlap between pirates and orphans.

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2. Ragamuffin Day, Orphans, and Cultural Cannibalism

• [05:11 - 06:27]
  • The hosts recall "ragamuffin day," a predecessor to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade where children dressed as beggars, touching briefly (and darkly) on child hardship and cultural attitudes:
  • Quote: "Sad Halloween where you're trick or treating to stay alive." – Natalie [06:12]
  • Connects to orphan tropes in fantasy, setting groundwork for Emile’s situation.

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3. Masks, Body Horror, and Beauty – Satirical Dig at Kris Jenner

• [07:00 - 10:00]
  • They talk face masks, aging, and the construction of identity — lampooning celebrity facelifts.
  • Quote: "It looks scary. It looks like uncanny valley." – Natalie [07:50]

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4. Bryce Quinlan: Queen of Lying and Secrets

• [10:23 - 12:04]
  The conversation pivots to Bryce, the protagonist, known for her secrecy and manipulation to protect those she loves.
  • Quote: "Natalie, you know who’s really good at lying? Because she does it all the time? Bryce Quinlan." – Jackie [10:23]
  • Hunt’s increasing frustration is addressed: Bryce’s independent actions strain their partnership.

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5. Return to Plot: Submarine Adventure Hangover, Four New Roommates, and Fey Boys

• [12:04 - 13:44]
  • Recap of the immediate aftermath: Ruhn (prince of the Fae) returning home to find his apartment overtaken by three sprites and Ariadne, the dragon, in various states of undress.
  • Quote: "So they now have four new feminine roommates." – Natalie [12:57]
  • Comic beat: The dragon refusing clothes, "She lived inside of a ring!"

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6. Morally Gray Choices, Nepo Babies, and Pump-and-Dump Breastfeeding

• [13:44 - 16:03]
  • Fun detours about privilege and the meaning of 'pump and dump,' leading into darkly humorous body horror jokes.
  • Quote: "If it’s chewable, you’re right; I’ll get the teeth out of my asshole then." – Jackie [14:44]

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7. Buttata Dentata — Title Reference and Body Horror

• [16:09 - 17:11]
  • Play on “vagina dentata” (teeth where you don’t want them): a metaphor for hidden danger, which becomes a running joke (“Buttata Dentata”).
  • Quote: "What? Like vagina dentata, which is what they call the teeth in that one movie." – Jackie [16:13]

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8. Bryce’s Catastrophic Decision-Making: The Hunt Confrontation

• [18:21 - 20:15]
  • Hunt confronts Bryce about her secret deal with the Viper Queen in the search for Emile, revealing her actions led to the Queen killing humans and veneer.
  • Quote: "That was a stupid fucking thing to do." – Hunt (read by Natalie) [20:04]
  • They agree her willingness to go it alone is both her strength and her achilles heel.

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9. The Viper Queen’s Lair: Ostentatious Evil, Tacky Glamour

• [21:48 - 23:29]
  • Description of the Queen’s lair as “velvety, special, trashy, hopefully fancy office."
  • Quote: "I do hope it’s like, very tacky, like there’s big columns like in the Sopranos bedroom." – Jackie [21:52]

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10. Meeting Emile, The Non-Thunderbird Twist

• [23:41 - 34:45]
  • They finally meet Emile, the supposed Thunderbird weapon, who is revealed to be a normal (albeit traumatized) kid with no powers. This key twist undercuts much of the previous drama:
    • Quote: "Emile doesn’t have any powers, Hunt." – Natalie as Bryce [33:59]
  • The show questions the ethics of all sides treating Emile as an object or “bioweapon.”
  • Quote: "He has inherent value to all those who love him." – Natalie [35:08]

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11. Bryce’s Bargain, Adoption, and Agency Debate

• [35:55 - 53:44]
  • Bryce reveals her plan to adopt Emile into the Quinlan-Salago family without consulting him or Hunt.
  • Quote: "Wouldn’t it have been great if the child also could have met these people first … And it’s just like … I know she’s like, and I did it, and you’re part of my family now" – Jackie [51:13-51:36]
  • They discuss issues of autonomy, boundaries, and emotional fallout for both Emile and Hunt.
  • Pop-culture comparisons (Jim and Pam from The Office, Christmas car commercials) punctuate the critique.

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12. Sprites, Dragons, and the Price of Freedom

• [55:28 - 59:25]
  • Cut to Ruhn’s house: the sprites are moved to hear of Lehabah’s sacrifice; the dragon (Ariadne) is coveted as a priceless “asset.”
  • Key Moment: Ariadne's line: “I am far too expensive for even a rich prince.” [59:22]

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13. Jesiba, Alliances, and Owing Favors

• [62:33 - 64:06]
  • Bryce calls Jesiba for help buying the ring/freeing Ariadne, racking up more debts.
  • Quote: "Get in line, Bryce said, and hung up. It’s kind of crazy how much Jesiba does help them." – Jackie [63:39-63:48]

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14. Dragon Fire: A Weapon Against Princes of Hell

• [65:17 - 65:45]
  • Jesiba delivers materials on dragon fire, foreshadowing it as a potential weapon in the war.
  • Quote: "Dragon fire is one of the few substances proven to harm the Princes of Heaven." – Narrative [65:17]

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15. Hunt’s Brooding, Celestina, and the Hind’s Mind Games

• [66:09 - 72:59]
  • Hunt reflects on the strain in his relationship with Bryce and the necessity of partnership and trust.
  • He meets with Celestina who congratulates him on his change in mating scent (awkward!) and gets new assignments.
  • Hunt confronts the Hind, who dodges and deflects, sending him to witness the grisly aftermath of the harpy’s “message.”

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16. Blood Eagle Atrocity – Power Plays Escalate

• [72:59 - 75:56]
  • Detailed discussion of the Norse “Blood Eagle” execution displayed on rebels—an act designed to terrorize and send a message to all, including Hunt.

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17. Threats, Guilt, and the Shadow of Violence

• [76:24 - 76:58]
  • Discussion about public fear of Hunt and the moral ambiguity of the city’s “protectors.”
  • Comic banter about Henry and Ellen DeGeneres’ infamous pranks.

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18. Rune and the Arrival of Hypaxia

• [77:17 - 78:14]
  • Rune, still hiding from mounting side-quests and criminal entanglements, gets a surprise visit from Hypaxia, throwing another chess piece onto the board.

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19. Recap of the Board

• [78:14 - 79:03]
  • Lightning round summary from Jackie and Natalie of all the dominoes now set up: Emile’s fate, sprite and dragon twists, Hunt’s precarious role, and the looming threat of violence, with Hypaxia’s reappearance promising more drama.

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20. Dudes Grappling With Erotica – Bonus Reading

• [79:19 - 85:57]
  • Ross Bryant and Ed Larson dramatically read a steamy gym scene from the book, blending humor and genuine appreciation for Maas’s spicy prose.

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• "I actually think I prefer bad news coming from a snake woman." – Jackie [02:55]
• "What kind of mask would you want to put on that you would never take off? Would it be snake woman?" – Natalie [07:09]
• "Women all lie. That's what I've learned. The snake taught me.” – Natalie [09:54]
• "That was a stupid fucking thing to do." – (Hunt, read by Natalie) [20:04]
• "Wouldn’t it have been great if the child could have … met these people first?" – Jackie [51:13]
• "Dragon fire is one of the few substances proven to harm the Princes of Heaven." – Narrative [65:17]
• "She is far too expensive for even a rich prince.” – Dragon/Ariadne [59:22]
• "You gotta delegate." – Jackie [21:12]
• "Shut up, piggy." – Jackie [29:53] (comic aside)

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Memorable Moments

• Jackie’s extended riff as a British orphan/Emile, blending comedy with dark social commentary.
• Sidebars on body horror, snacks-as-love languages, and “pump and dump” breastfeeding.
• The "buttata dentata" joke as an irreverent metaphor for hidden threats.
• Dynamic discussion of Bryce’s leadership flaws––her good intentions constantly undermined by her refusal to collaborate or consult.

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Flow & Tone

The tone is snarky, fast-paced, and full of quick wit and sibling-style bickering. The hosts maintain a balance of deep-dive literary analysis and pop-culture-infused tangents, ensuring the episode is accessible and entertaining both for Crescent City fans and casual listeners. They do not shy away from critiquing character choices, often highlighting both emotional and ethical impacts. Their recurring use of voices/accents and meta-commentary adds extra layers of engagement.

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:52] – Start of core episode / Snake woman bit
• [10:23] – Bryce as master of secrets; lying in Crescent City
• [12:04] – Ruhn and the new roommates, sprites & dragon
• [18:21] – Hunt confronts Bryce about Viper Queen
• [23:41] – Emile’s reveal (no powers), adoption plan set in motion
• [35:55] – Bryce’s secret plan for Emile, Hunt’s reaction
• [55:28] – Reunion at Ruhn’s place, sprites, and dragon
• [62:33] – Bryce calls Jesiba for help, more deals/favors
• [65:17] – Discovery about dragon fire as a weapon
• [66:09] – Hunt’s brooding, partnership rifts, Celestina
• [72:59] – Blood Eagle atrocity, violence escalation
• [77:17] – Hypaxia's return
• [79:19] – Dudes Grappling With Erotica: book passage dramatized

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For Next Week

Read up through chapter 54. More drama, magic, and sexytimes to come.

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This summary offers a compact but rich guide to this episode, highlighting its major beats, insights, and the hosts' infectious energy. Perfect for anyone who wants the essence and flavor of the podcast without sitting through ads, tangents, and all 85 minutes!

Transcript

[Natalie Jean]

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[Lowe's Advertiser]

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[Jackie Zabrowski]

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

[Natalie Jean]

If you're nasty and you can too.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Join us in spring of 2026 at the Dreamers and Readers Festival. A three day event chock full of choose your own adventures, multiple Fae balls, fashion shows, photo shoots, Hoteez everybody.

[Natalie Jean]

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

[Jackie Zabrowski]

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

[Natalie Jean]

Dreamers and Readers Night one and two.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

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

[Natalie Jean]

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

[Jackie Zabrowski]

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

[Natalie Jean]

Give it to me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

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

[Natalie Jean]

Dreamers and readers. Baby, I cannot wait for this.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Gimme, gimme.

[Natalie Jean]

Give me that swee.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

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

[Natalie Jean]

Is that okay coming from a snake woman?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I actually think I prefer bad news coming from from a snake woman.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh yeah, yeah, I could see that. Just like a slithering up to you and saying the snake woman's here and then you know it's bad news and then you can prepare for it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I do like that she thinks that she would have to announce herself. As if I wouldn't see this enter a room.

[Natalie Jean]

She says it when she's around the corner still.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, snake woman.

[Natalie Jean]

The snake woman's here.

[Narrator/Reader]

So.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, it really brings about an air of mystery, huh?

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. And then you go bad news coming.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But then you're the bad news snake. Oh God.

[Natalie Jean]

What's it, what's it now? Give me another one.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The good news monkeys A.

[Natalie Jean]

It was hard. I think if a monkey was there I'd be like, that's already the good news for me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I I mean unless if they're in.

[Natalie Jean]

Your car or something that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Or they're coming at your lips and they want to rip your lips off.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh sure, sure.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Which also, man. Cuz when they're smiling, when monkeys eyes are smiling, you better run for your life. And in this I guess I'm a pirate because I just did a hook hand. But I'm also Irish and I don't know if there's a big Venn diagram of the two.

[Natalie Jean]

I think that pirates came from Ireland sometimes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. You think that they were out there.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I do believe the Reilly and all about. We can still be. We can still say these things about the Irish.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh sure. I believe that a lot of the thieves of the sea were from Ireland.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Thieves of the sea. Yeah. Tell me all about them. Especially if this. I mean the thief would maybe be wearing a creed shirt.

[Natalie Jean]

This is. I love your. Your choice of costumes today.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

20, 25 Creed shirt.

[Natalie Jean]

And it. Yes, she's wearing a. From the concert that she did not attend.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I didn't attend.

[Natalie Jean]

It has the shirt. This is a very thought out costume. And I really loved your breaking down to me what's going on here. And I think it makes a lot of sense.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, I'm just a dirty boy. I got.

[Natalie Jean]

No, no, he's not British just because he's an orphan.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think all orphans immediately become British.

[Natalie Jean]

Only I guess the scrappy ones.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And if they die, they better do it. Decrease the surplus population.

[Natalie Jean]

What was that holiday they used to do with all the ragamuffins? Ragamuffin day was ragamuffin muffin day.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It was. Yeah, man. Those scraggly ass kids. And we're like take a bath.

[Natalie Jean]

That's what we learned on an old pop history episode that we did together about Thanksgiving.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, it was about the Macy's Thanksgiving parade.

[Natalie Jean]

Correct.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And I believe that it used to be called ragamuffin day. And they did just like soil themselves and mosey about.

[Natalie Jean]

Wasn't it also like, was it connected to them feeding the homeless children one day a year?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, you mean feeding them each other?

[Natalie Jean]

Yes, they ate each other.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I mean, somebody's got to eat something.

[Natalie Jean]

Do you know that dark history about the Macy's Thanksgiving parade at you to be cannibalism? Child cannibalism is actually how that started.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, I say stuff that kid now. It was the Thanksgiving tradition that where children would dress in rags and masks, go door to door begging for money or food and eventually participate in parades. So it was kind of like sad poor man's Halloween.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, like sad Halloween where you're trick or treating for to stay alive.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And I keep doing this after the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. I get drunk while I watch the parade and then I try to do this to my neighbors and they're not giving me anything and I'm like, please.

[Natalie Jean]

Have you put this outfit on?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, I'm always dirty when I show up at their door. They don't know who I am, if I'm clean. Right. And how are you feeling with keeping this snake mask on? Actually, it feels like you're vibing with it.

[Natalie Jean]

I feel it's now it's just my face. I don't know if it comes off anymore. Remember that goosebumps? Yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

With the snake woman that always announced herself around every quarter and I was like a snake woman. I don't want to be here anymore. Leave me alone. Stop announcing yourself.

[Natalie Jean]

No, obviously I'm talking about the one with the mask that didn't come off their face.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, yeah, I remember that one.

[Natalie Jean]

No, you don't.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, I do.

[Natalie Jean]

Don't placate me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But I would love. What kind of mask would you want to put on that you would never take off? Would it be snake woman?

[Natalie Jean]

I'm not. I mean, I'm not opposed to this one. I kind of like it then because then I can be my. I can dance around.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Honestly, I think it's good because you look like Kris Jenner. Just because I'm glad. I can't see any crack on your face. No wrinkles, which is good.

[Natalie Jean]

Tight.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I mean, it's why I just started like, I'm going to start c clamping the back of my head.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And they do it with your neck. But I wish I could do it my whole head.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, that's old school stuff. That's how facelifts used to work.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think that's how they should still.

[Natalie Jean]

No, not anymore. Why they do it underneath now. That's why Kris Jenner looks like that?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

God, man, she don't look 70.

[Lowe's Advertiser]

But.

[Natalie Jean]

But she looks. It looks scary. It looks like uncanny valley.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Who needs lips to be a good Jenna?

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, oh, I want to you so bad right now.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I know.

[Natalie Jean]

All right, I gotta take this off. Here's some body horror for you. What if you peeled somebody's skin off and there was just hair underneath it?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, and it's a wig. Very surprising.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, my nose is quite red now from the rubbing.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Where did you get this outfit? Because you guys can't see the rest of this. But if you could give a little bit more. You give us a little bit more.

[Natalie Jean]

You want me to take my clothes off?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, if you give us a little more. That's all you gotta say to your sister in law to get her to take her all her clothes off. It was. Oh my gosh. It's half sided on one side, but each side is a different side.

[Natalie Jean]

It's a snake dance costume.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, were you put in a basket?

[Natalie Jean]

No, it was actually at my Halloween performance show last two Halloweens ago. One of the girls in the. It's a costume from her piece.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Wow. Not in a basket at all. But I think I could get you out of that basket.

[Natalie Jean]

She was portraying the snake of knowledge that makes that put the periods in us this allow that gave women the.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The desire to thank you snake. Gotta always give it up to snake.

[Natalie Jean]

Thanks, snake. Oh, my nose is all red now.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Do you feel different now that you don't have the head anymore? Do you feel like I feel less powerful?

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Cuz I'm gonna cut your head off. Whoa. Why? Well, because I thought you were a snake and then I found out you're a woman. And if I thought you were a snake and I found out you were just a woman, I'd definitely kill you because I feel like you're probably bad.

[Natalie Jean]

Like I'm a magic.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I mean, you lied to me. You said snake woman around the corner. And then you're just a human.

[Natalie Jean]

Women all lie. That's what I've learned.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Hell yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

The snake taught me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's what the snakes always teach us. We bleed and women lie.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, lies, lies.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

What kind of lies are we gonna say today? Who knows? Bach is not white, black is red.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, I love to know. I love to just be surprised about what black is.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Not what. That's not even a lot like. That's not a lie.

[Natalie Jean]

You're not good at it. You're better at lying.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

All right, I'll start working on it.

[Natalie Jean]

Natalie, you know who's really good at lying? Because she does it all the time? Bryce Quinlan.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's like, but is she good at lying? Because I feel like she does get away with stuff. But oftentimes they're like, bryce, did you do this?

[Natalie Jean]

And she's just like, but she does lie. Leading up to that point, she lies about stuff. All they do is lie. Right now, the entire crew has to lie 247 because they are. They have a lot of different hands in different crimes happening at the same time. Bryce has a little bit of a secret.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Can you keep it? Oh, that's.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, what are we on TikTok right now?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's Pretty Little Liars.

[Natalie Jean]

I know, but it's used so much on a stupid app. Everything. My brain's broken by the Internet. I'm sorry.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's okay. We're all in it together. I like to be broken. It's better than being fixed that way. Then you have nothing to work towards.

[Natalie Jean]

And nobody expects anything out of you. She can't work. She's broken.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm a baby. In total control of herself.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm a baby. So she has so many secrets. Specifically this time, Hunt seems to have cracked the code on her conniving because he has guessed what she's done. Where we last left off. She's like, we're finally alone. Let's copulate again because they have gotten back to her apartment. But Hunt has guessed something. That she knows where Emil is. And that Play me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm just a dirty boy. I'm sorry. Oh, I'm just a dirty boy.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm British. It's not British. I mean, I guess he could be. They don't say specifically. There's no Britain there.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

As far as we know.

[Natalie Jean]

He could be of the persuasion of. So, yeah, he is somewhere that is seemingly not a great idea, but apparently that's where he is at. Chapter 49. We're first with Ruhn as he's faced with the surprise new roommates that he has just accrued. Flynn and Declan are their usual fanciful selves in the scene. And tell Ruhn, who has just arrived back home from their crazy submarine adventure and Bryce's apartment last chapter, that they have some fun updates, because as you recall, that was happening simultaneously. We were switching back and forth between the submarine and the boys, the fey boys and the wolf, figuring out what to do with these. What do we do with these sprites?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

And this dragon.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And the dragon.

[Natalie Jean]

So they now have four new feminine roommates. The three sprites first appear To Ruhn coyly introducing themselves, followed by the stern and fiery Ariadne. Ariadne, who is only covered by a blanket. So she's just the naked lady in his room. His front room. And he's like, hey, buy me dinner first. Classic Rune.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But also like, why does she have to put clothes on? She lived inside of a ring.

[Natalie Jean]

I think it's nice that they at least offered her clothes, but she said no. And they. They're like, okay.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I guess it was nice that they gave her a choice to be clothed.

[Natalie Jean]

The choices tell me what to do.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes.

[Natalie Jean]

Not really sure where to start asking questions. Roon inquires if they are at least here in his house legally. Nope.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Flynn said cheerfully.

[Natalie Jean]

See, this is the kind of Nepo baby entitlement that we, we need in this world. We should see in real life committing acts of freedom.

[Narrator/Reader]

Yes.

[Natalie Jean]

And knowing that they can probably squirt out of it. But that's never going to happen. Huh? Just promoting pump and dump bitcoin scams and doing sex crimes for our depo babies.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Unless you're pumping and dumping because you want to get hammered. You don't want to give that milk booze to the baby and that kind is fine.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, like breastfeeding?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. Yeah. Then that. I'm pro that. Pump and dump. Like, you get yours, bitch.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, of course.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But also, I guess with the dumping, it's like you are wasting and you could be giving that baby a good time.

[Natalie Jean]

I thought pump and dump meant you put it in a bottle.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, you pump it. That's when you. Like if. When people that are lactating go get drunk, they gotta like get the boozy milk out. So they gotta pump it and then they gotta dump it because they can't, after they drink, give the boozy milk to the babies.

[Natalie Jean]

Got it. Got it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

I think you should at least have one or two chances to do that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. And it's like, why do you think we pour Diamond Tap down there throats? To give him that grape. Grape liquid courage.

[Natalie Jean]

Diamond Tap?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, man, I used to suck. But I think it's because of the grape Tylenol Chewable Tylenols that I was obsessed with. That got me hooked on artificial grape.

[Natalie Jean]

Were you just chomping on them?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I. I always asked for them. I was asking for them all the time. But then it's like. Because they taste like candy.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, like the Flintstone vitamins.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Exactly. But it's like, you're not really supposed to eat that many. It's like, how does she Always have a belly ache.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, I think. I think that was bad for your liver.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I do it all for the Tylenol. The what? The Tylenol. The what? And you better make it chewable and stick it up your ass. Stick it up your ass.

[Natalie Jean]

Well, that seems kind of redundant if it's.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

If it's chewable. You're right. I'll get the teeth out of my asshole then.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, boy. Speaking of body horror.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But at least it's kind of nice. I gnash it up here as it goes in and I nash it down there. Or as it comes out. It's a double nash.

[Natalie Jean]

I guess so. Don't want to think about it too much. I'm just gonna pretend like I didn't hear that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Okay, so. But. Tata dentata.

[Natalie Jean]

What?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Like vagina dentado. Which is what they call the teeth in the. In. In that one movie.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, yes. Whatever that was called. No, it's like bite.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Bite. Thank you. Oh, you didn't want to just hear us just make up?

[Natalie Jean]

Just our editor. Slash film connoisseurs. Like, I'm gonna.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We gotta. We. You gotta keep it going. I love you, Adam. And yes, T, thank you so much because it would have driven me mad. Vagina tintata.

[Natalie Jean]

I said bite. I was technically closer to correct.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You are right.

[Natalie Jean]

We cut over to Hunt, who is rightfully pretty pissed at Bryce for this thing that he's guessed. He still follows Bryce to the meat market because she apparently has taken a meal to the meat market. Though he's certainly not giving up the butt for a minute because she. She was already to go. And he's like, look at it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Smiling at me. Are you looking at the teeth down here? I feel like we should do something about this.

[Natalie Jean]

No, it sticks away now.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Okay. It's for the best.

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[Jackie Zabrowski]

So brand new.

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[Natalie Jean]

Done.

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[Natalie Jean]

She cautiously asks how Hunt figured out her secret, and he snaps back that he could read her reaction to Pippa. When Pippa brought up being in the company of snakes specifically, she said, you're too coiled up in your own snake's nest to see the truth or to see who among you has a forked tongue. That was something Pippa said on the island when they confronted her about the the exoskeletons. That's from chapter 43. Hunt asked her if that was who was killing the humans. Not Pippa, but in fact the Viper Queen. Bryce looks sheepish, but admits just like that, that it was the Viper Queen's people leaving those bodies that Tharion investigated looking for Emil. So indirectly, Bryce has caused the the deaths of all of these people and veneer because the Queen was searching for Emile on her request. Bryce.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, that's like a lot.

[Natalie Jean]

Bryce quickly tells him she didn't know that the Queen had done this. She. But she does admit that she told the Viper Queen to find him by any means necessary.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And what did you say that means, Bryce?

[Natalie Jean]

Like, that's kind of Bryce's fault.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I feel like this is Bryce being like, I Do you think that he would kill all the people? Like, yes, she's the fucking Viper Queen. Morally gray queen of them all. What are you talking about?

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, it's not great. I feel as though this is brushed over kind of a little bit, but she did kind of cause the deaths of people. It's messed up. She reaches for Hunt's arm. That was a stupid fucking thing to do.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Hunt snarled and immediately hated himself for the bruised look that came into her eyes. But he continued toward the door, pulling out of her grip.

[Natalie Jean]

She honestly deserved that, in my opinion.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Uh, yeah. I mean, on top of the fact that she already keeps doing things behind his back and it's like, okay, we're all supposed to be working together on this. And not only do you keep going behind her backs and yeah, it's for good things. We understand that you're like, your machinations are technically for good in your brain, but could you just at least accept what you're doing here for a minute? Oh, no, you're just gonna compartmentalize and.

[Natalie Jean]

We'Re just gonna keep going okay, yeah, there's that. And then the obsessive control issue, which unfortunately a lot of us can relate to, is like, I need to be in control of everything. I can't delegate something else. I can't let people in. Yeah. Which is a very obnoxious trait to have. Not that I would know.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, I would.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. I don't have it. And it technically ultimately prohibits your success a lot of the time. Because you do need people to help you. You do need to delegate.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You gotta delegate.

[Natalie Jean]

So she deserves this anger. She did something super terrible. The two of them reach the Viper Queen's first level of guards, who let her in without question. Then they both enter into this, like, private area of the Viper Queens. And they're in this sort of multiple rooms. It's almost like a layer of the Viper Queen. So we've seen some of the other meeting rooms she has there, and they're very shabby. They're sort of, like, superficially supposed to look, there's no money here. We're just all paupers. Right. And then you get to her actual offices, and they're like, lush.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Go off, bitch.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, they're, you know, marble and velvet.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I do hope that it is kind of like, very tacky. Like, there's big columns, like, in the Sopranos bedroom.

[Natalie Jean]

I hope so.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You know, like, I want it to be, like, gold lame. Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, she dresses like that, Right.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So I would assume it would be fun that in her private quarters, it is. So you walk in, it's like, I could think this would be nice. Like, I know this is expensive, but girl, look at a magazine or something. Yeah, yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

No, I like that. I hope so. In fact, this lair, this velvety, special, kind of like trashy, hopefully fancy office is an entire. Almost like it's floor, it seems like. And as they make their way towards where apparently the Viper Queen is sitting, Bryce quietly gives Hunt an explanation of her thought process about everything that she's lied about thus far regarding a meal.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, so you're finally going to talk about it. You know, it also helps to talk it out before you do these things.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. It's unfortunate, too, because she didn't even reveal this. Hunt confronted her, and that's why he's there with her.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

So she's trying to explain everything. But Hunt seems unmoved, which is fair. Remember when she made them all look around the meat market? That's kind of what she's explaining. So she had already known at that point what was going on, like, where Emil was. But she tells Hunt that she needed the Viper Queen to get a good view of her and Fury and Hunt together. So that she remembers that there will be hell to pay if she doesn't hold up her end of the bargain with a meal. So basically just like causing. Basically doing intimidation stuff. Being like, don't fuck around with the meal.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, just a boy. That queen now stood. You want me to do it? As that queen now stood before him.

[Natalie Jean]

No, we're not even with him yet.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That queen now stood before them, a slim female in a neon green silk jumpsuit beside a large plush couch. Her glossy black bob reflected the golden flames from the fireplace to her right. And seated on the couch before her, small and thin and one eyed, was a boy, dirty from head to toe, wishing his mummy would die so he could get a Christmas shoe.

[Natalie Jean]

Uh oh, crossover.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm just a dirty orphan in my brain. If I'm playing a dirty orphan. They're all the same.

[Natalie Jean]

If you guys aren't familiar with the page 7 obsession with the song Christmas Shoes, take a look over at page seven and hear about it. It's a. It's a song. It's a song about Christmas. It's a real song.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And sometimes Jesus chooses to take your mommy away on Christmas Eve and all. You gotta bring that mommy while she dies.

[Natalie Jean]

He gives and takes away. Exactly. She dies, but she gets new shoes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And what a way to get them. That's what I'm always saying. Not getting what you want. Do something about it. Yep, do something. Put your money where your mouth is.

[Natalie Jean]

Manifest your destiny. That's not good. That's not good to do.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So just manifest, I guess. Yeah, yeah, just manifest. Just ended there. Yeah, yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

I. I wish that she was a snake. She was like in her snake form sometimes, which is what I am right now.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I feel like though, what I love about the Viper Queen, I think why I'm also weirdly attracted to the character herself is that like. But she is always the essence of snake.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No matter what. So it's like she doesn't even need any of that shit.

[Natalie Jean]

I want to see her all snake except for head. Whoa. Human head, snake body. Whoa.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Would you still kiss? Yeah, yeah, yeah. What if it had a rattler on it? What if it was a rattler all wound up?

[Natalie Jean]

What do you think she. That. What do you think rattler can do?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't know.

[Narrator/Reader]

Oh.

[Natalie Jean]

Rattles. Do they kind of vibrate?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Not the only monster on this show, am I?

[Natalie Jean]

What? Yeah. Maybe you're rubbing off of me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's oh, I'm not touching her. Don't tell HR I'm not rubbing on anything.

[Natalie Jean]

Not on that green shirt. So we finally get eyeballs upon Emil Renast. We have heard about him for hundreds of pages, and finally, he's here. Also, apparently has not been given a bath yet.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, I never been given a bath. And for some reason, Viper Queen thinks I like green. And that's because she's right. With arms wide open under the sunlight. Welcome to this place. I'll show you everything with arms with it.

[Natalie Jean]

Thank you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I just needed that moment. I needed to encapsulate what Scott Stapp was able to bring to our world. And just a little bit of hope.

[Natalie Jean]

So we are with a meal.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Unfortunately, they would leave his ass there if he was sitting there singing Creed songs in a fake British accent. Like, you know what? Never mind. Bryce, why'd you kill all these people?

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, can you imagine this if he was just like, problem child that whole time?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Hey, guys, I'm here. Holden McNeely. And you're like, you know what? Never mind.

[Natalie Jean]

The young Holden McNeely.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, gross. No, thank you.

[Natalie Jean]

We killed people to save you, man.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Should we shove him back inside of a parent somewhere?

[Natalie Jean]

Maybe the snake would probably swallow him.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, my God, please. Then we turn her back into the snake. But we know that Viper Queen's not allowed to touch a ha on this perfect Char's head.

[Natalie Jean]

So they all exchange guarded greetings. Bryce smiling down at a meal. Who doesn't answer them right away. He seems scared.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I mean, you know what it is? I think that in my head, I am Ariana Grande in reality, but dressed as a young boy. Like, how she's so, like, oh, look.

[Natalie Jean]

In all the, all the interviews.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, yeah. So I feel like in the wicked interview, I, I, I ain't got no parents.

[Natalie Jean]

She does have a mom.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She does.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Did exploit her pretty hardcore, but, you know, got children or four. It's true. So Hunt glares at the Viper Queen and tells him he has not forgotten what she did to compromise him on the barge. So he's talking all the way back. In book one, Barge. The Viper Queen is like, I mean, I've done 20 dastardly things since this morning. Like, I don't even know.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She don't give a.

[Natalie Jean]

They're about to go at it and fight when Emile finally lets out a tiny. Hunt's heart breaks, and his anger recedes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That sound.

[Natalie Jean]

Again, you're giving parrot. It's a lot of parrot core.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think that's what I hear when I. When I hear children sometimes, you know.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Bryce requests that the Viper Queen leave them with a meal for a moment. And to everyone's surprise, she gets up without question. Bryce sits down on the couch next to the boy and he asks her if his sister is dead.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Bryce's face softened and Hunt said, yeah, she is.

[Natalie Jean]

We're so sorry.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, thanks. Good. I don't gotta say nothing now. Shut up, piggy.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, no, no. That's the. The words of our. One of our leaders. You don't say that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I've been saying shut up, piggy to everything in my. My regular life. Every time something doesn't work out, I go, shut up, piggy.

[Natalie Jean]

He is a tast.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, you gotta make it ad.

[Natalie Jean]

Yep.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Sorry. The mic just down.

[Natalie Jean]

He. We have to get through this chapter. Okay? Bryce puts a hand on his shoulder and tells him what a badass brave Sophie was. Hunt can only note how frail and fragile the boy looks. He shudders to remember that this is mere weeks after he was detained in a concentration camp camp. His anger recedes even further, realizing that Bryce may have been the only one of all of those looking for him. Who really saw a child. A scared little boy and not just a potential military weapon. Yeah, look at. That's what I see. I see weapon of war. Give me a parent just clears the battlefield, being like, you know what?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Why are we doing this? For this. All of this.

[Natalie Jean]

For this thing. I don't think you're a thing.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I just don't. I don't think any child deserves any, you know. You know, anything untoward. But if they were acting like this.

[Natalie Jean]

Maybe that would end a war. He watches Bryce gently explain how she lost a sister too, referring to Danika. And Hunt wants to comfort her and Emile, but they are sort of in a fight. Hunt cautiously asks if Emile was made to sign any contracts by the Viper Queen. The boy looks confused, as though he doesn't understand why someone would make him sign a contract. Also, can 11 year old sign contracts? I don't think you can. I mean, who knows what goes on in Lunathian, right?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think you usually need like an overseer. No, I got one. But I guess the Viper Queen would be bad. Might sign off on it anyway.

[Natalie Jean]

But is that legally bound?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think there's still a human being, right?

[Natalie Jean]

I think 18 is still like Midgard's adulthood. So I don't think if you're under 18, you can't sign a contract legally most of the time without your parent.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Or would they like bump that age up to, like, 45, you know? Because they should.

[Natalie Jean]

I wish they would.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Here. Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

I feel like I'm just a baby.

[Narrator/Reader]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Let's just bump it up.

[Natalie Jean]

I don't know what to do.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, we're not. We're babies until we're 45. Yeah. We've got some time.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Live it up, everybody, please.

[Natalie Jean]

Hunt explains that a lot of people would pay a lot to have someone like him in their servitude. Why? And he says, actually like us. And he goes on to show Emile some lightning. Go. Coming from his hands to be like, see? I have a similar power that you do. I'm not a Thunderbird, but I'm similar.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Because I'm an orphan.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes. Hunt is also an orphan. Technically.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They can. He could connect on that.

[Natalie Jean]

Big brother. Big sister.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

Volunteer.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Start taking me to basketball.

[Natalie Jean]

Pay it forward. I don't know. Emil, take him to basketball. Emil looks at him in wonder, but then goes, what do you mean?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Hunt slowly, slowly turned to Bryce. Her face revealed nothing.

[Natalie Jean]

Your Thunderbird power. The power that downed those Omega boats.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

The kid's face shuddered. That was Sophie. Accent, please.

[Natalie Jean]

I have to be British, too? Yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yep. That was Sophie. Thank you.

[Natalie Jean]

That was Sophie. There it is.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

There it is. Stick the line. Landing. Bryce lifted her chin in challenge.

[Natalie Jean]

Emile doesn't have any powers. Hunt.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oops. All sucked out. I got no power.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, you got sucked out.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, it got all sucked out of me. So this, by God.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, God took it away. That's true. So this is a revelation.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We sucks.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. So Hunt's like, what are you talking about, bro?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Think about all the people that you just got killed.

[Natalie Jean]

So we switch over to Bryce's POV at this moment. And she's looking at Hun's betrayed face. She has the decency to feel slightly ashamed and tells him she didn't know for sure that he wasn't a Thunderbird, but she suspected it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, God. She just immediately slices the boy's throat. It's like, thought he. Dad, Bowers doesn't.

[Natalie Jean]

Next.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Gone.

[Natalie Jean]

Sheesh. No, that's what she was doing to protect him from that happening to him. Him. She explains that she had guessed that Sophie had spun this tale about him having powers to keep him from being killed in her absence. That the veneer would only think to protect him if they served. If he served their needs.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I mean, she's right.

[Natalie Jean]

She's correct. Bryce says that it doesn't matter because obviously Emile's in the room. She's talking about him like this because he has inherent Value to all those who love him. They argue. As Bryce explains, she carefully worded her bargain with the Viper Queen so that Emile could leave at any time. Because obviously Hunt is still furious that she would consider leaving this boy with this snake woman who, like, holds a fighting ring and, like, drugs all over.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And I'm all dirty.

[Natalie Jean]

And he apparently has not been given a bath yet.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But I do like Creed now, and I am upset about that.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, that's not better.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She thought she was torturing him, but really just was making a Scott torturing herself.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, yeah, it bounced back upon you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's what you get, Viper Queen.

[Natalie Jean]

But, you know, Han's still angry about all of the deception and also the recklessness of this idea of bargaining with a Viper Queen. Because even if a meal safe, this now means that Bryce is in a debt.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, dude. No goods.

[Natalie Jean]

Bryce feels her temper rising a little as she reminds him that she knew what it is to be human and vulnerable to the veneer. That she did what she felt she had to.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm very proud of you. And you're right. Even though he doesn't have powers, he doesn't mean that he deserves to get his neck slit. However, again, the amount of people that had to die. Oh, for this one kid where it's like, you could just make another one.

[Natalie Jean]

Don't mind me. I'm just reapplying my lipstick while you talk.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, yeah. I mean, honestly, there's no way the Viper Queen would ever let her. Can you imagine how she would scream if she found out? No one told her? Like, oh, ma', am, ma', am, the lip. Ma', am, the lip. But not.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, but if you also. If you did tell her, she'd also be.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, I mean, you're fucked either way. If you're working at that level with the Viper Queen, I mean, she's gonna stall in you at some point.

[Natalie Jean]

Whoa, whoa. I think that's pretty even. I can't tell.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think you look great.

[Natalie Jean]

That's what I just did. So you guys got ready with me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Thank you.

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Adobe Acrobat Studio.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So brand new.

[Adobe Acrobat Advertiser]

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[Jackie Zabrowski]

Done.

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[Natalie Jean]

So they are fighting. Still, Bryce is angry. She's trying to defend her decisions that they weren't bad necessarily, but she did a lot of bad things in the process of doing it. Also not not once you are mate. You decide to mate with somebody. You can't not include them in certain things. It's just a part of the deal when you become in a partnership with somebody. Just saying.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And also like Hunt and Bryce are barely ever alone, so they can barely even talk about these things.

[Natalie Jean]

Hunt realizes that he might be scaring the boy because he's raising his voice and his lightning is sort of flaring. Oh my God, Emil.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

How annoyed the viper queen is with this boy at this point.

[Natalie Jean]

You know, so he's he's realized it seems to realize because she's watching. Hunt likes his temporizing and he looks over at a meal and turns to Emil and apologizes to him for, for. I'm sorry, you know, I'm glad you're safe. This is not about you. He then gently starts to ask Emile some questions and Emile tells him that the meat market was supposed to be where he went anyway, even if Bryce didn't interfere. So this is some new information. He says that this is where Sophie told him to go. In their last moments, Bryce thinks back on the coded language used in the emails between Danika and Sophie and that one line where the weary souls find relief. They had thought they meant the bone quarter, but in fact it's not. It's where you could go to ride the midnight train, get a little high with him, dance with Mr. Brownstone.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Whoa.

[Natalie Jean]

Get up. So that's where the weary souls of Lunathian go to find a different kind of relief that's not quite death. So Danika had apparently planned similarly to Bryce. She advised Sophie to tell Emile to go there. Hunt asks Emil if his sister told him anything to report or a secret maybe about the Asteri. Before they parted ways. Emile thinks about it real hard. And he says no, that Sophie didn't tell him to relay any messages. But then he says, I know about that chick Danica you mentioned.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Emile shook his head.

[Natalie Jean]

No, but wait. British.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

British. Natalie.

[Natalie Jean]

But Sophie told me more orphan.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

More orphan about her.

[Natalie Jean]

The night we separate, you, you're sad.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You're sad about it. You don't have no parents. Your sister's dead.

[Natalie Jean]

A blonde wolf who died a couple years ago.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, there it is.

[Natalie Jean]

With the purple and pink strikes in her hair.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, good. Yeah, that would know. That was perfect. Oh, that was all a meal with.

[Natalie Jean]

The purple and pink streaks in her hair. Nope, that was kind of Australian.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I liked it.

[Natalie Jean]

I.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

As a meal, I approve.

[Natalie Jean]

Okay. But this is actually a surprise thing that he said.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Okay.

[Natalie Jean]

Okay. So we have to focus on that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, we're paying edition.

[Natalie Jean]

So he knew who Danika was. Bryce. And this is the end of chapter 49. Bryce is shook at the start of chapter 50 and tries to hide her anxiety as she asks Emile how his sister knew Danika. So we're gonna get a new reveal, like, how those email exchanges started happening.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Maybe it is really crazy because I just feel like Emile. I wish they had had, like, a code word or something. It's like. Like, how do you know you can trust these people? And I feel like you've been put through so much and you're over here acting. I just feel like I. I don't know if you should be trusting these people.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, but he's 11, you know, it's like, what do you do? He's. There's a lot. There's a lot of going on. So they're kind of just. I think they're all just winging it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And he's just a human. Just a boring.

[Natalie Jean]

Just a little old boring human. No lightning. So she asks him about how Danica and Sophie knew each other. He explains that Sophie told him that Danika had tracked her using her super sniffer powers. Sophie told him that Danika needed Sophie to do something important that Danica herself couldn't do because she was too recognizable. So she needed, apparently, track down Sophie. Dedica tracked on Sophie to do a task for her that she couldn't do because people would recognize her.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's like everybody's obsessed with me and everybody knows me, so it's like I could even possibly. But also, she's right.

[Natalie Jean]

She's right. She's too hot. Sophie had the disguise of appearing to be simple human that people aren't going to necessarily pay attention to. And so she had asked, knowing that they were both on the side of, you know, not necessarily on the side of Ophion, but, like, were trying to go against the Asteri. So they needed to do this thing together. But Emile doesn't know what that special thing that she asked Sophie to do was, unfortunately.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It sounds like nobody trusts me. And they shouldn't.

[Natalie Jean]

No, I don't trust them.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No. Kid's not gonna withstand enough torture.

[Natalie Jean]

I know. It's the worst thing about kids.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's just, like, get stronger.

[Natalie Jean]

God, it's so annoying. She notices Hunt's anger has dissipated as he pulls out the paper where the code is jotted from Sophie's arm and asks Emile if he knows what this code means. And they say in a way that's like, you could. You didn't have to tell him. They're like, this was on the corpse.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Of your sister, like, carved into her body. Yeah, probably while she was still alive. I imagine drowning, though. And actually, she did it to herself. Could you imagine doing that to yourself?

[Natalie Jean]

Your sister must have.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And suffering and in the salt water, you know. Oh, ouch. Give him all the details.

[Natalie Jean]

You could have just said, do you recognize this code?

[Narrator/Reader]

That's it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's all you have to do. That's all you have to say.

[Natalie Jean]

He doesn't. Regardless. At Emil's fallen face, kind of feeling like maybe he failed or he's disappointing them. Hunt tells him he did a really, really good job. Emil is clearly in distress, talking about his recently murdered sister.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, what, are you upset about something?

[Natalie Jean]

Get over it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Being kidnapped and everybody's taking you and your sister. Your family's dead. Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

A lot of stuff's happening. Okay, take it. They can't even have sex right now.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. Think about how difficult it is for them.

[Natalie Jean]

So they try to limit what they ask him because of his obvious distress. Her mind is spinning as Hunt gestures to her to walk away from a meal. Basically ask, saying we need to go talk in the other side of the room, even though obviously he's still going to hear them. They want to convene together. He asks her what she's going to do now, because they're not going to leave a meal here. We're not leaving a meal with the Viper queen. What is your plan? He's in this den of debauchery. They apparently don't whisper very well because, as they mentioned Pippa during their argument and the danger she carries for the boy. Emile pipes up that Pippa is a bad woman. So he also does not want to be With Ophion. Obviously, we know that already, because he escaped them in the prelude part of the book. But even if he is trying to help save the humans, he also doesn't want to be anywhere near Pippa. Bryce tells him how smart he is that he got away from her and assures him that they will keep Pippa far away. Bryce glares at Hunt and tells him she had obviously planned for post meat market boy exchange. That's not a good word to say.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, there's a lot of boys exchanges happening in the meat market. I think they just might be a little bit different.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, we're not going down that pathway. So Hunt can't hide his surprise when Bryce gets phone on the phone with Fury, telling her to bring the car around. So Bryce basically says, obviously, I'm not leaving him here. And then just immediately is like, fury's here with a car. And Hunt's just like, okay, well, anything.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Else you're not telling me?

[Natalie Jean]

How are you supposed to trust this woman? Emil looks scared because he's being moved again. But Bryce assures him that she's taking him somewhere safe and to go and use the bathroom because it's a long drive, which is big. I did in the bathroom, in the toilet.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm doing it now.

[Natalie Jean]

Damn it, Emil, get a diaper on him. I guess.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

As if he's not 11 as long it was 11 years old. So he's shell shocked.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, no, it's. I. I do think it's cute Bryce is doing a big sister energy thing, or being like, you need to go to the bathroom before you eat in the car. Which is foreshadowing, by the way, big sister energy. As it turns out, Bryce and Hunt escort him to the curb outside the meat market, and the viper queen does not stop them. She allows them to walk through as per their deal. We're with Hunt now, and he's feeling his temper returning because for a moment, he'd felt kind of of, like, softened that Bryce had, like, cared about this boy like a. Like a child. But now his tempers rising again, knowing that remembering the viper queen is now likely owed a very large favor from Bryce. And that could be a lot of really bad things. After a quick hug between Bryce and Fury, Fury gestures for a meal to get into the back seat of the car. Bryce tells her to go get him junk food on the road, which Fury rolls her eyes at.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I probably could use a nutrient, though. I bet I could use a vegetable or something.

[Natalie Jean]

You know, that he needs cookies. Come on. He's been through stuff. He needs to put on weight. So that is any calories at this point is okay.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

God, that was never a problem for me as a kid, man. Nobody was looking at me being like that. Kids need. That kid needs to put on some more weight. I wish.

[Natalie Jean]

It's almost like sometimes the food was a way to show love in our homes. That. What?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Just like, nom flashbacks.

[Natalie Jean]

So.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But it's just meatloaves and roast chickens and lasagnas.

[Natalie Jean]

We had mostly just like a lot of snack cakes and stuff in our house.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

Being like, sorry, both of our. We have to both work 60 hours a week to feed all of you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Have another little death cake.

[Natalie Jean]

So. So through Hunt's irritation in all of this, he's obviously irritated. But his heart breaks watching Emile enter the back seat without so much as a book bag full of belongings. He has nothing, Hunts.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But at least I've got my style. Oh, no.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, now he thinks he's a fashionista, huh?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's good he's building his confidence.

[Natalie Jean]

You're right. It's life. Nice. Hunt's childhood wasn't so very different than this. He tells Emile not to let fury boss him around. And as Emile looks at him with those wide little kid eyes, just like that, the innocence. Look how pure. He realizes that Bryce was the only one of any of them who really remembered that he really is just a baby. In the same breath, he realizes that Shaharch, who would have never risked everything to save a random human kid.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, don't we gotta start. You know, the comparisons. I know she was the last one, and I know that that'll happen in your head, which is fine to happen. Oh, yeah. I also don't keep it. He don't put it out here.

[Natalie Jean]

No, he doesn't. He doesn't say it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, yeah. Oh, I know. Because I think that would have been a much bigger fight. Oh, yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

Even if he was saying it in a positive way, it's like, yeah, I don't want to hear about.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't hear better. I'm obviously very different from her.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. It is interesting, though, when you get out of, like, you maybe a little bit of an unhealthy relationship, and you start going like, oh, what they did was really bad. Messed up.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, no. After Hunt gives his, like, basically, like his send off, Bryce then leans over the car window after Emile's all strapped in and tells him gently that his adoption papers are all signed. What? Both Emil and Hunt look mystified.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Bryce grinned winningly at the kid.

[Natalie Jean]

You're a part of the Quinlan Salago clan now. We're a crazy bunch, but we love each other. Tell Randall to make you chocolate croissants on the Sundays.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I have a couple of things to say about this that I feel like this is one of those times that I also really did not like Bryce Quinlan. She is helping, and it is very appreciate. Obviously, he needs a place to go. Wouldn't it have been great if the child also could have, like, met these people first? Or, like, if we could have talked about this for a second or if you could just. And I know that it's like, it's already so scary for a kid to have no control over anything, which you don't. And think about the situation that this kid is in. And then it's just like. And I know that she's like, and I did it, and you're part of my family now, and everything's great. I wish we could all talked about this for sure.

[Natalie Jean]

I think that that is definitely fair.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But I also know. Where else was he gonna go? I know he's like, what's he gonna go into the foster system?

[Natalie Jean]

Like, you know, tracked as a bioweapon. Yes. So there's that side. But yes. Her just doing that presumptuously and not discussing it with anybody else.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's just this kid has been so traumatized already that, like, thinking about him going to this house. And they are good people. Thank God. What if they weren't?

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Like, maybe you could have. At least. Maybe you could have phrased it as like, I'm sending you to my family there. You guys get along. We'd really love to have you in our family if you would have us, like, kind of thing. Right. That probably would have been.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm sorry, Maybe this is too nitpicky over a book. I just feel like I get what.

[Natalie Jean]

You'Re saying for sure.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Offended. It's just more of a, like, in my brain why I think I'm like.

[Natalie Jean]

Why people get irritated by Bryce.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Irritated by Bryce Quinlan. This is definitely, I. I think one of the moments.

[Natalie Jean]

Sure. And she is criticized for it in the book.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes.

[Natalie Jean]

But maybe not as much as she should be. Hunt is completely moved that Bryce would go so far as to take him into her own family. It's that kind of thing that's like. I always think about that. That episode of the Office where Jim buys his parents house for him and Pam and doesn't tell her. And it's perceived as this grand gesture. And that she's like, you Bought us a house. Maybe it's just a personality thing, but to me, I'm like, that's psychotic.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's like the Christmas car commercials when someone's like, honey, I bought you. It's like you made this huge financial decision for the two of us and you didn't even ask me about it.

[Natalie Jean]

I don't get any input on what kind of.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

What I want or what kind of home or what kind of of that kind of crazy ass. Even that. Or it's like giving somebody a dog that didn't ask for one. You know, it's like for a holiday. Oh.

[Natalie Jean]

Okay.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Thank you.

[Natalie Jean]

I guess I've decided to keep something alive.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

People are crazy.

[Natalie Jean]

So definitely that mentality is kind of where she's. What she's doing right now. And not fan. Not a fan.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No.

[Natalie Jean]

So. So Hunt is, however, completely moved that Bryce would go so far as to take him into her own family. Okay, I. I see the. The conflict there. As they see the car leave, Hunt is ready to make up. But now Bryce's anger has spiked. They argue. Bryce tells Hunt she doesn't need his permission for things just because they're funking.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Girl, I think you need a couple of lessons about what a relationship is.

[Natalie Jean]

And Hunt snaps back that he thinks it's a little more than fucking.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

And he's correct. He realizes they can't have this fight on the street in front of the meat market. And they both tell the other they have to get back to the work. And they do the whole, fine, fine, fine, fine. It's fine.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Okay, fine.

[Natalie Jean]

We go back to Bryce shortly after, and she is now at Runes doorstep step. So we cut in time a little bit. Apparently sidelined by Roon as she's walking back to work from that fight, he calls her up and says, you need to get over to my house right now. She's already feeling a little guilty on this walk over to Runes about snapping at Hunt after her cooling off and Run had called asking her to come to his house right away. So she's a little annoyed because she's already behind at work from doing all of these other things.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But too many side quests.

[Natalie Jean]

So many side quests. And it's almost like work is the side quest at this point. So she comes and she's like, this better be important. What's going on? But she stops chastising him after she looks past him in the front doorway. She is then gawking at the nude woman leaning against the wall in their front room.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And I know she's not gawking at her like a wolf with the. But I mean, can't take that out of here.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, I'd watch that tape.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

Not with the brother. Brother leaves.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No brother leaves. But bring in, like, you know, let me.

[Natalie Jean]

Let me talk to the dragon. Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Declan throw in there.

[Natalie Jean]

All right, so although Declan's gay, I think he's a gay one, Right?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, but that's why. I mean, I. I'm saying we're. We're all having a good time.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's just. It's just an afternoon time.

[Natalie Jean]

Just having an afternoon. They're all stressed out. So she hisses at Ruhn to get the dragon clothes. And Ruhn hisses back. They have been trying to get her to put clothes on. And she refuses because, like, obviously, also Ruhn. She knows her brother wouldn't have just been like, fuck, yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, Rune's not like that. No.

[Natalie Jean]

He's a gentleman that likes to fuck.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. That's a gil. Fucking get bomb. Oh, yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

Gentlemen, I'd like to fuck.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Absolutely.

[Natalie Jean]

So the being then, this creature then speaks. And this dragon person, or she doesn't know she's a dragon yet recognizes Bryce. Bryce is like, what. Who are you? The dragon's like, I saw you at the astronomers. And Bryce is really confused because she's certain that this creature, this nude woman, is not one of the mystics. But then her attention turns to the three floating orbs of light nearby. Her mind flashes to Lehiba, and her heart hurts.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, we love you, Labor. You live on within us.

[Natalie Jean]

We should bring our. Our sprite back over now that the other sprites are back. Yes. Rune gives her the rundown of what happened and why they're now here, just basically explaining everything that happened with Ethan. She chews out Ethan, who says, I just. Just. I. I gotta know where Car is.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

God, he's dead.

[Natalie Jean]

Ethan.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He's dead. Wherever he is, he's dead.

[Natalie Jean]

Maybe she should have given a meal to Ethan. The two of them can go on adventures. Yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Give him a little brother. Let him be the big brother.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, he gets to be the big brother. Bryce looks at the sprites and asks if they knew a sprite named Lehiba. They don't. She tells them all about her and how she was that she claimed to be a descendant of Queen Ranthia. Dral, Queen of Embers. She is asking them because she wants to know more about Lehabah or just like, yeah, just who she is. And they don't. But they don't know who she Is. But they are impressed that she's a descendant. She painfully tells them of Lehiba's sacrifice after Bryce.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Full sacrifice. Creed. Yeah, it's a. I'm in. It's the Creed shirt.

[Natalie Jean]

You gotta get it off.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I have to. What? You want me to take my clothes off?

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, I'm not.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm a boy. I'm a little boy.

[Natalie Jean]

Natalie. No. The. No, thank you. I don't.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I just thought. I was trying to. I was just trying to trap you. Snare ya. I wanted to get the clip.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, no, no. Not from. But what about my political career? Actually, that would get me a political career. Us.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You're welcome.

[Natalie Jean]

So the sprites tell her that they will call Bryce an ally of their people because Lehaba obviously thought so. Bryce speaks to the. And you know, she's very moved. It's a very sad little scene. And they like pay their respects to Lehipa. Bryce speaks to the Fae boys about how they're all going to deal with this situation. She's like, what are we doing here? Dec and Flynn are basically saying we're gonna go through the diplomatic method, AKA buying the astronomer off. At least for the sprites. The sprites, they can probably figure out how to pay for the dragon. The dragon says with disdain that she is far too expensive for even a rich prince.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I know I don't want to be owned or sold, but God, it's gotta make you feel really good to know that you're are very expensive. That's awesome.

[Natalie Jean]

It's at least a method of taking your power back in that moment.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh yeah. I mean, and also, you were kept inside of a ring for a really long time. So. Yes. Know your worth now.

[Natalie Jean]

Yes. I don't know if that's empowering or not, but apparently she tells them she was a gift from an archangel to the astronomer and won't expand as to why she was given or what the. The astronomer did for the archangel. I feel like it's not good. Whatever it was. Bryce tells her they'll make up some reason why the dragon was commandeered for the Fay people, blah, blah. So they're trying to like basically workshop some ideas about how to get the dragon to not have to go back into the ring, even if she's so expensive they can't afford her. Like, well, maybe we can say like we needed her for like a military mission or something. When the dragon asks Bryce after this why she's trying to help her, the room learns of Bryce's mating to hunt through their Conversation. She tells Ariadne that slavery is not cool.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, my God.

[Narrator/Reader]

Wow.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Brave.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, super brave. And that her mate was once a slave himself.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And that's how you know I'm not slavist. Because I mated to one.

[Natalie Jean]

Exactly. My wife or a friend who's one.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. I met one one time at a Ralph's.

[Natalie Jean]

And I thought I said, I like your shirt. Yeah. So the boys are like, what? Oh, she got mated. Which means sex. Apparently, the Autumn King is going to lose it, is what they're all saying after. They're like, whoa, she got mated. The Autumn King's gonna be so big.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, man. The whole Cormac thing is really. It's a. It's a bit of a rip in it now. Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

Bryce is about to head out when the Spray Knights stop her and ask her to tell the tale of Lehiba's bravery to their current queen. Eurysthe's, I believe. Yeah, Eurythes. So they want to. They say, like, bryce, you need to go tell this brave bravery tale of Lehaba to our queen. Our current queen. Bryce seems overwhelmed at the idea and tells them she's kind of busy right now. I don't know if she can do that. Then they stop her again, and they say, princesses need allies. Essentially saying, you're a princess of the fae, and she's a queen, and you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Need to make that your business.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, they're correct.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

She kind of just, like, sighs and was like, great. Another thing I need to do. So she realizes they're probably correct, but.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Being a princess is wasted on her. Get me in there. Let me do it.

[Natalie Jean]

You want to do that?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, I'm ready for it.

[Natalie Jean]

It.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I was made to rule.

[Natalie Jean]

Are you. Are you speaking as Emile? Let him be the princess. Okay.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. If he even wants that. Yeah. But I think he's got a lot of learning today.

[Natalie Jean]

I think Emil might be queer, so I think, you know, maybe he's gender fluid.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Thank you.

[Natalie Jean]

So she realizes they're probably correct, but continues out onto the street, calling Jesupa on the way back to work. It's time to ask Jesiba for another big favor. Jesiba shares, you know, the House of Flame and Shadow with the Astronomer after all. So she's kind of gonna, like, Maybe Jesper can help with all this.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Like, she. Yeah, put your neck out for us again.

[Natalie Jean]

She guesses pretty quickly that Bryce was the one who stole his rings. Apparently, the story has already made its rounds through the house. The astronomer's been talking about it. Oh, Jesper says she knows of the dragon and that she's priceless. If Bryce is calling about borrowing money, the dragon's worth so much, you can't even imagine. She tells Jesica that she's actually asking her to try to convince the astronomer to accept the money from her friends for the ring. So basically saying, like, can you sweet talk him? Jesiba thinks about it and says she'll try, but now Bryce owes her a big old favor.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Get in line, Bryce said and hung up. It is kind of crazy how much Jesiba does help them.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, but then we don't. Like, is it because Jesiba is trying to help them? Like, we don't know what Jessica's deal is? Or is she secretly trying to, like, throw cogs in the wheel?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We don't know.

[Natalie Jean]

Wheel. Cogs in the wrench. We wrench in the cogs.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Pipes.

[Natalie Jean]

Yep.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Turns in them. Pipes.

[Natalie Jean]

Turns in the pipes. We don't know. So maybe she is doing it because she. Even though she's, like, fighting against it because she wants to. Or maybe she's trying to hurt them. We don't really know.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Problem is that she's just another one of those, like, a viper queen that just is so hot that it would be so difficult that it'd be like, yeah, I guess I'll do whatever you want me to do. Okay, sure, I'll definitely do it. And that shows how weak I am as a human being. But I'm okay with that.

[Natalie Jean]

No, you're not.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I never claimed to be strong.

[Natalie Jean]

You're strong. You're strong. Jackie. Am I not a meal? Bryce gets back to work and is about to consider texting an apology text to Hunt, when she sees an envelope was left on her desk. It turns out this envelope was from Jesiba in its literature on the powers of dragon fire. Cool. Okay. Interesting. It makes her realize that the astronomer must have kept Ariadne as a source of protection. So there's a lot of things that dragon fire can do. But then she sees something else in the description.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Among its many uses, the ancient scholar had written, dragon fire is one of the few substances proven to harm the princes of Heaven. It can burn even the Prince of the Pit's dark hide. You talking about that big ass?

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, yeah. Well, that's.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Burn it.

[Natalie Jean]

It's hard to do to a Prince of the Pit.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I know. And he's begging for it.

[Natalie Jean]

He's pleased.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

This is awesome.

[Natalie Jean]

It's an interesting development.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes.

[Natalie Jean]

So this dragon fire. So is Ariadne something that they can then utilize in war. Again, just another thing being like, oh, I can use like a gun. Cool. So she thinks about how she has to make sure regardless that the dragons stay out of the astronomer's clutches. Because she doesn't think the astronomer is on the good side of things.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, no, no, no, no.

[Natalie Jean]

Hunt is stewing a chapter 51 on his way to check in with Celestina. He's so good at brooding. He really is. He needs to feign serenity and normalcy in front of her in order to keep up all of their multiple ruses. But he's reeling over all that has just occurred. Feeling foolish that he expected Bryce to be upfront with him. And I feel him. I feel for him in this because I would also be like, do I even know this person? Like, they're just make. They're just lying to me all the time.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Right.

[Natalie Jean]

And you can sense his hurt. He thought that they were a team. And I again am with him. She needs to let go of total control in order to have a partner. You can't be a woman in total control of herself, which. With a partner. But it's okay. You're both. If you're with a good partner, you can still be in control of yourself, but you have to be able to.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I mean, no. Should have control over each other. It's like you work as a team.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. He enters Celestina's office and she immediately points out that Hunt and Bryce. So that's the thing your boss shouldn't say to you. But apparently their mating sex has changed Hunt's scent enough that Celestina can tell she congratulates him and seems genuinely happy for him.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, you make nut, huh? Yeah. You're getting that nut out. Oh yeah. But you're making good nut this time. Not like the bad nut like last time. The bad nut, I guess you would call it bad nut. If you're someone that's not your mate, would you call it bad nut?

[Natalie Jean]

I thought you meant because he was bleeding.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, I mean, yeah, he did bleed through many a torture.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, well, remember he was bleeding when he was finger banging her.

[Narrator/Reader]

Oh, yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You know, not kink shaming here. I guess it lubes it up.

[Natalie Jean]

Gross. Okay. Hunt feels guilty about lying to Celestina, but he does just that when she asks how the visit to Bryce's parents went. He also tells her that Rune and Cormac joined them on the trip, helping to account for the females whereabouts routes while they were all on the island.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Love this.

[Natalie Jean]

He asks if he Missed anything important. And she sardonically, sarcastically tells him, yeah, a lot of planning for the Equinox party. Missed a bunch of it. And then remembers herself and goes like, because I, of course, am thrilled at the chance to be a vessel for our great leadership of the asterisk. And it's like looking around for, like a microphone. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to mate for our kingdom.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's a bad nut right there. Yeah, right there.

[Natalie Jean]

She tells him to check with Vaccine after this. So she's. She's just planning for this thing she doesn't want to do. She's like, I don't really have anything to catch you up on, but go check with vaccine.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Don't worry, we're having a party, so I can be a bag. But everything's great here.

[Natalie Jean]

We love it. She tells him to check with vaccine. And that sends a shiver of dread down Hunt's spine. Because just thinking about all of that side of things, that the Heinz power over them right now is overwhelming. He doesn't know what Vaccine's deal is, but he hides all of his trepidations in front of Celestina. Mostly she does see that there's like a shadow over his face. She asks him what's wrong? Seeing the worries. He says, nothing and changes the subject, asking for this day's commands. We cut to shortly later, and Taunt is thinking about the tasks that Celestine has given him as he makes a beeline looking for the Hind. She has tasked him with basically doing intel and reviewing the alerts they've gotten in this other part of Midgard called Nina, where there seems to be sightings of demons. And so he's got to deal with that. But before that, he's like, I'm going to find the Hinds. He finds her putting on makeup in the barracks bathroom. So she's like, doing the, like. It reminds me of like a mid. Like a high school thing where, like, the mean girl's, like, in the mirror putting her lipstick on and she won't look at you while you're talking to.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Her specifically as you did this. I just had a memory. I haven't seen it since I was a child. Is there a moment in Little Mermaid where Ursula takes a fish and squeezes it and uses it?

[Natalie Jean]

It. It's. I don't think it's a fish. I think it's. But it's something she does right?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Does she? Yeah, so that. I'm also thinking of that too.

[Natalie Jean]

She puts on her lip.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Very good, darling.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Also, I Mean, sure, yeah, anytime.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So I'll be the flotsam at different times. We take our pl. We take our times. Yeah, we're scheduled.

[Natalie Jean]

So he decides, apparently to just confront the hind head on about everything that's happened. It's a little meatheaded, but also sometimes being a meathead can come in handy. Just. Just ask her because this is going to be this, like, tango that's gonna suck.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Why all the time saying anything? Why isn't she doing anything? Is she like. Is she calculating a move? What's happening?

[Natalie Jean]

I feel insane when I don't know what somebody's thinking. And I hate the idea of like. Like mind games or anything like that. I just, like, want. Please explain to me what's happening, because I don't understand.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I. I need it a spell.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm so d. Out for me. I'm so dumb.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I can't.

[Natalie Jean]

Please help me. So he's like, what are your plans for what happened yesterday? He doesn't say what it was, but he's like, what's. What are you doing? She's all pithy and like, oh, you mean yesterday when I. Pollux in the shower? And he's like, like, yeah, that's what I mean.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, she's putting on her lipstick.

[Natalie Jean]

She said, I know. Naomi saw us. I did invite her in.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You're such a.

[Natalie Jean]

But I wish that they weren't so mean because, like, yes, otherwise of Pollux and the hind invited you into the shower. You'd be like me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I just think maybe the Triari would be working better together if they all came together. Yes. No one listens to me.

[Natalie Jean]

I know, I know.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Is it because I'm dirty? Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

I mean, it would help if you took a bath. All right, probably.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

All right, fine.

[Natalie Jean]

She continues to apply makeup as Hunt fumes because she's obviously being a douchebag on purpose. He tries to ask her again what her game is with everything that happened yesterday. And she's like, what do you mean? What game? I don't know what you're talking about. He watches her and thinks about how truly evil she is, how many lives she's taken, including Sophie's. She finishes her makeup and as she walks away from him, tells him to check out what the harpy did at the angel gates. Yikes. We cut to later where Hunt is finding out what the harpy did.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It had been a long while since Hunt had seen anyone. Blood eagled. The corpses wore black stealth clothes or shreds of them. Rebels. That was the ophion crest on their Red armbands and the sinking sun of the Lightfall Squadron above it.

[Natalie Jean]

So, like Blood Eagle.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Maybe it's like. Like they get to go on a roller coaster. No. And maybe they sees them on a roller coaster.

[Natalie Jean]

No.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Now he. Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

So I don't know if any. If you've heard the term Blood Eagle before, it's technically from myth, from Norse storytelling. There's an argument whether or not it actually has happened in the real.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Got those knives. Yeah, he's got the knives.

[Natalie Jean]

But it's very gruesome. And this is. Seems to be a message, obviously a message from the Harpy, but also from the Hind to hunt. So they have gone after Pippa's squadron. This is a show of force. A show of like. This is. What do they call it? Whenever they like, show the celebration. A celebration. A celebration. So they basically are showing you this is your fate, if you with us. Yes. Obviously this is sending the people of Lunathian into hysterics. So if you're not familiar with a Blood Eagle, this is a Norse storytelling device. Some people think it's a real execution method they used. A lot of experts have said it's not really something that can happen, as it would be incredibly difficult in the.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Person saw through a person's back and spine. What do you mean? You just get in there and they.

[Natalie Jean]

Would be long dead before you would get to the theatrics of it because you are pulling their lungs from out of their back.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's not fun. They're already dead.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah, yeah. They actually did one in Midsommar.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Hell. Yeah.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Which is, if you're not familiar, a very, very good horror movie, but you do not watch it. If you have a.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Any trauma or if you have any family trauma, if you have any family drama, just don't watch it.

[Natalie Jean]

Family trauma for you. Fantastic movie. I love it. I love it. But yes, there is very gruesome scenes in it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And.

[Natalie Jean]

And there is a Blood Eagle scene. Well, at least the. I don't think we see it. We see the aftermath of it. Han feels betrayed by Celestina, who he assumes allowed this to happen, which is like. Yeah, he just saw Celestina and she didn't mention this, so she must know it's her.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She's a busy angel. She's got a lot on her mind.

[Natalie Jean]

I feel like this might need to go to the top of the pile.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, yeah, about the lobby. Yeah. I forgot about what was going on. Oh, yeah. You see that?

[Natalie Jean]

Man?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Nuts, huh? Just imagine.

[Natalie Jean]

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Wow.

[Natalie Jean]

It's very creative.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Wow.

[Natalie Jean]

If she did know, she didn't even warn him about it. In their recent meeting, he looks around and realizes the citizens of Lunatheon are all staring at him and whispering, not in adoration, but going, oh, he's one of them. He's basically. He might as well be the harpy to them. They're all on the same unit, so they're like, is he also doing this to people? They're afraid of him. He doesn't try to defend himself. He understands.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But it's also good. People need to be scared of him. He's younger, Mortis.

[Natalie Jean]

I know, but you don't want to be afraid in the sense that he's gonna come rip off your family's heads for no reason. You know what I mean?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Or maybe people like Pip should be afraid of it.

[Natalie Jean]

Sure. Like Pippa. But not people just like going to brunch.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, if you're going to work, also live in fear. I think you're more productive if you're actively scared.

[Natalie Jean]

Okay, great. I'll. I'll talk about that with the CEOs. So we do a quick Henry.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And Henry just starts terrorizing us while we're in the middle of recording.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, God. Things jumping out of the ceiling.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh, God. Oh, please don't do that Ellen thing. Jesus.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

What? Henry making us dance with him.

[Natalie Jean]

No, she would make people. She would do jump scares. Oh, yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That hated being scared. Yes.

[Natalie Jean]

I actually hate that shit so much. We do a quick cut to Rune, who's just gotten off the phone with Athelar, who has just informed him that thus far they've managed to keep their story together. And, like, nobody suspects anything right now. So everybody has bought the story. They were all at Ember's house over the weekend. Rune feels a light sense of relief, but knows there are about seven other huge crimes he's in the middle of. So it's barely a needle move, frankly. He just re enters the living room when there is a knock at the front door. Always ready for a shootout, Rune sort of moves his hand towards the butt of his gun as he approaches the entryway. He then smells a familiar scent just as he's opening the door and is surprised to see Hypaxia smiling on the stoop. So there's a whole other side of that. Remember Hypaxia? We haven't gotten to her in a minute.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, yeah, bring it back now, y'.

[Natalie Jean]

All. We've discovered Emile is with just Viper Queen.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Bit boring child.

[Natalie Jean]

And now he doesn't have powers he's now being sent off. Off to Embers to, I guess, live forever. Then we have over on the the side. Now Bryce is in on the sprites and dragons. They're all trying to figure out how to deal with that whole thing. She gets Jesupa involved. Jesiba's like, now you owe me something too. And then we learn about Dragonfire. Then we also get Hun trying to deal with the Hind and figuring out what they're going to do about all of these secrets. And now there's a bunch of violence in the middle of Crescent City streets. And does that mean Celestine is also a bad one? We don't know.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We don't know.

[Natalie Jean]

We don't know. And now Hypaxia's back. Got it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

All right. And we're not gonna blood Eagle the child, even though I think he might have fun with it.

[Natalie Jean]

Snake lady's here.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No announcing yourself.

[Natalie Jean]

The episode's over.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And now dudes Grappling with Erotica Featuring Ross Bryant and Ed Larson reading from chapter 27.

[Erotica Narrator]

She ate more of her apple than.

[Narrator/Reader]

Changed the song, something she'd first heard in the hallowed place of the White Raven Dance Club Club. A remix of a slower song that somehow managed to combine the song's original sensual appeal while a driving beat that.

[Erotica Narrator]

Demanded a dancing the corner of Hunt's mouth kicked up. You're trying to seduce me with this music. She met his gaze as she chewed on another mouthful of apple. The gym was empty, but the cameras.

[Narrator/Reader]

You're the one who snuck up to fondle me. He laughed, the column of his throat working. A droplet of sweat ran down his powerful length, gleaming among all that golden brown skin, and her breathing itched. His nostrils flared, no doubt scenting everything that went hot and wet within the span of a breath. Death.

[Erotica Narrator]

He tucked in his wings, leaving the earbud in place as he took his leaving the earbud in place as he took a step closer.

[Narrator/Reader]

Bryce leaned slightly against the counter, the marble digging into her overheated spine, but.

[Erotica Narrator]

He only took the apple from her fingers. He held her gaze while he bit in, then slowly set the core on the counter.

[Narrator/Reader]

Her toes curled in her sneakers. This is even less private than my bedroom.

[Erotica Narrator]

Hunt's hands slid onto her waist and he hoisted her onto the counter. In one easy movement, his lips found her neck and she arched as his tongue slid up one side as if licking away a bead of sweat. Best be quiet then, Quinlan, he said against her skin. Lightning skittered around the room.

[Narrator/Reader]

She didn't need to look to know he'd severed the camera wires and likely had a wall of power blocking the door. Didn't need to do anything other than enjoy the sensation of his tongue on her throat, teasing and tasting. She couldn't stop the hands that slid into her hair, driving through the sweaty strands all the way down her head until they landed on the nape of his neck.

[Erotica Narrator]

She drew him closer as she did so, and Hunt lifted his head from her neck to claim her mouth mouth. Her legs opened wider and he settled between them, pressing hard as his tongue met hers.

[Narrator/Reader]

Bryce groaned, tasting apple at that stormed kiss. Cedar scent that was pure Hunt, grinding herself his demanding hardness with his gym.

[Erotica Narrator]

Shorts and her skin tight leggings. There was no hiding his erection or the dampness that that soaked through her pants. His tongue tangled with hers, hands dropping from her waist to cup her ass. She gaped as his fingers dug in, pulling her harder against him, and she hooked her legs around his middle.

[Narrator/Reader]

Oh, she couldn't taste him deep enough, fast enough. His shirt came off and then she was running her fingers over those absurd abs and side abs and peck down the shifting muscles of his back, frantic and desperate to touch all of him.

[Erotica Narrator]

Her tank top peeled away and then his teeth nipped at the swells of her breasts above the seafoam green of her sports bra, the fabric almost neon against her tan skin. He bracketed her waist, calluses scraping her skin as he tilted her back and Bryce let him lay her on the counter.

[Narrator/Reader]

She propped herself up on her elbows as he pulled away, graceful as in ebbing tide, hands running from her breast to her sweaty stomach.

[Erotica Narrator]

Hunt's fingers curled over the waistband of her black leggings, but paused, his gaze lifted to hers in silent request at.

[Narrator/Reader]

The black fire she beheld there, the sheer beauty and size and. And perfection of him.

[Erotica Narrator]

Hell yes, she said, and Hunt grinned wickedly, rolling down her leggings, exposing her midriff, then her abdomen, then the lacy top of her amethyst thong.

[Narrator/Reader]

Her pants and underwear were soaked with sweat. She didn't want to imagine what they smelled like, and she opened her mouth to tell them so, but he had already known.

[Erotica Narrator]

He pulled off her sneakers, then her.

[Narrator/Reader]

Socks, then the leggings, and gently, so gently, he took her right ankle, kissed its inside and licked at the bone, then at her calf, the inside of her knee. Oh. Oh God, this is gonna happen right here in the middle of the building gym where anyone can could fly past the wall of windows 20ft away. He was looking down on her right here and she needed it more than she'd ever needed anything. His tongue trace circles around the inside of her thigh, higher and higher until she was.

[Erotica Narrator]

Shaking, but his hands slid up, looping through the waistband of thong.

[Narrator/Reader]

He pressed a kiss on the front of her underwear and she could have sworn he shuddered as he inhaled. Bryce went liquid, unable to stop her writhe of demand, and Hunt huffed a warm laugh against her sensitive place, kissing her again through the fabric of her underwear.

[Erotica Narrator]

But then he came, kissed her left thigh, beginning a downward trajectory, pulling her underwear away as he went. And when the thong was completely gone, when she was bared to the world, Hunt's wings splayed above him, blocking her.

[Natalie Jean]

From the world's view.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Please read up until chapter 54 for next week.

[Adobe Acrobat Advertiser]

SA.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Hi, I'm Jenny Slate, and believe it or not, someone is allowing us to have a podcast. I'm Gabe Leadman, I'm Max Silvestri, and we've been friends for 20 years and we like to reach out to kind of get advice on how to live our lives. It's called I need you guys. Should I give my baby fresh vegetables? Can I drink the water at the hospital? My landlord Lord plays the trombone and.

[Natalie Jean]

I can't ask him to stop.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You should make sure that you subscribe so that you never miss an episode.