WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.359 --> 00:00:08.320 This is an Unspoiled Network podcast. This is spoil Me 2 00:00:08.880 --> 00:00:16.800 covering Dungeon Crawler Carl Book five, The Butcher's Masquerade, chapters 3 00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:25.440 thirty through thirty four. In these chapters, Carl goes to 4 00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:33.280 a con and manages to utilize everybody there far better 5 00:00:33.679 --> 00:00:40.479 than I was even expecting, and nothing that I thought 6 00:00:40.600 --> 00:00:44.039 was going to happen a certain way did. But overall, 7 00:00:44.079 --> 00:00:46.320 I must say I'm very satisfied with how all of 8 00:00:46.359 --> 00:01:09.599 it went. Welcome to spoil Me, Welcome to the show everyone. 9 00:01:09.799 --> 00:01:13.599 I am Natasha. Thank you very much to Jackie for 10 00:01:13.760 --> 00:01:18.239 commissioning this episode. Jackie, if you're out there, appreciate you 11 00:01:18.519 --> 00:01:26.840 very very much. So this is, in my opinion, one 12 00:01:26.879 --> 00:01:30.519 of the best sections of the of the books so 13 00:01:30.719 --> 00:01:36.239 far in terms of sheer personal enjoyment due to the 14 00:01:36.519 --> 00:01:41.879 interaction that Karl gets to have with other people who 15 00:01:41.959 --> 00:01:45.879 are not directly involved in the krawl. This sort of 16 00:01:46.040 --> 00:01:49.879 world building shit is my entire jam. When it's like, 17 00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:54.920 when it's structured like this, world building, as we all know, 18 00:01:55.439 --> 00:01:58.879 is a very tricky thing. You can overdo it. You 19 00:01:58.920 --> 00:02:02.519 can from load way too much information and kind of 20 00:02:02.680 --> 00:02:06.239 overwhelm your audience, and you can make it so that 21 00:02:06.599 --> 00:02:08.680 we're sort of sitting there going yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 22 00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:10.560 Get to the point, though, get to the point, you know, 23 00:02:11.599 --> 00:02:21.280 And I just really love that it's Carl alone. There's 24 00:02:21.400 --> 00:02:27.759 no Donut to act as the audience facing part of 25 00:02:27.800 --> 00:02:32.879 the duo, so he is forced to like engage in 26 00:02:32.919 --> 00:02:35.280 a way that often he can sort of like step 27 00:02:35.319 --> 00:02:38.400 back and just let her completely take the reins. And 28 00:02:38.599 --> 00:02:45.000 even later when he is drugged, I can't help but 29 00:02:45.080 --> 00:02:48.960 feel like that was the right call though, because I 30 00:02:49.080 --> 00:02:52.800 understand Carl's reticence in all things, you know, he keeps 31 00:02:52.840 --> 00:02:55.439 on being like I don't want to give them the satisfaction. 32 00:02:55.599 --> 00:02:59.319 I don't want to engage in such and such level 33 00:02:59.639 --> 00:03:02.919 because I know that's what they want, and I fucking 34 00:03:03.240 --> 00:03:09.560 get it, totally get it. However, on the other hand, 35 00:03:11.039 --> 00:03:13.840 there is something to be gained by engaging on that 36 00:03:13.960 --> 00:03:18.280 level for you as well. That's oftentimes how they get you. 37 00:03:18.840 --> 00:03:21.479 Is the thing that's good for ratings is good for 38 00:03:21.560 --> 00:03:27.199 you in a sense as well. So I will get 39 00:03:28.080 --> 00:03:31.560 like kind of twisted up myself about like whether or 40 00:03:31.680 --> 00:03:34.159 not you should have done things this way or that 41 00:03:34.240 --> 00:03:37.159 way because of the ethics of it, because of your 42 00:03:37.159 --> 00:03:44.080 personal your personal feelings on being used in this particular way. 43 00:03:45.159 --> 00:03:47.240 But this is one of those times where I think 44 00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:50.520 that like ensuring that he is off the leash, so 45 00:03:50.599 --> 00:03:53.319 to speak, was the best outcome, and there was simply 46 00:03:53.360 --> 00:03:56.800 no way they were going to get the type of 47 00:03:56.919 --> 00:04:01.680 display from Carl that they got without this. Had Donut 48 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:06.879 been there, sure I could see it, But they wanted 49 00:04:07.039 --> 00:04:10.479 only Carl for reasons. I don't know. If there's like 50 00:04:10.879 --> 00:04:13.599 maybe it's expensive to pull him and so they only 51 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:17.959 could pull him and not Donut. If like he is 52 00:04:18.199 --> 00:04:21.079 I think still number one, so it might just be, 53 00:04:21.240 --> 00:04:23.079 you know, we're just we just want the number one guy. 54 00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:26.560 If there was a tactic to it where we want 55 00:04:26.600 --> 00:04:31.519 them separated for some reason, I don't know what all 56 00:04:31.639 --> 00:04:37.800 the thinking was here, but I really think that it 57 00:04:37.839 --> 00:04:40.360 was for the best. And it's also funny to me 58 00:04:40.439 --> 00:04:43.160 the way that Carl is not picking up on what 59 00:04:43.319 --> 00:04:46.000 Zev is trying to put down because this there's this 60 00:04:46.040 --> 00:04:49.240 whole conversation later where she tries to be like, it's 61 00:04:49.279 --> 00:04:51.839 in your best interest to maybe hang out a little 62 00:04:51.839 --> 00:04:56.399 while after to get what I'm saying. And I like 63 00:04:56.600 --> 00:04:59.439 when he got the invite to the con that's Immediately 64 00:04:59.439 --> 00:05:01.319 my thought was like, oh, there's going to be somebody 65 00:05:01.319 --> 00:05:03.040 there to talk to him, like I bet that you know, 66 00:05:03.839 --> 00:05:08.160 and he's not getting it and there isn't. I mean, 67 00:05:08.240 --> 00:05:10.360 there there are people there for him to talk, but 68 00:05:10.399 --> 00:05:12.600 it's not like none of it went the way I 69 00:05:12.639 --> 00:05:17.079 thought it was going to go. So I think that 70 00:05:17.600 --> 00:05:22.600 there's some interesting Maybe there were some things that were 71 00:05:22.600 --> 00:05:25.319 supposed to happen with his visit that didn't or just 72 00:05:25.360 --> 00:05:27.839 maybe some stuff didn't go to a plan. I don't know, 73 00:05:28.600 --> 00:05:33.120 but uh I am I really really enjoyed this segment 74 00:05:33.399 --> 00:05:35.639 just to see how he is on his own, because 75 00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:38.680 like this is, I want to be clear, not a 76 00:05:38.720 --> 00:05:44.480 criticism of the writing. It's more like just acknowledging a 77 00:05:44.639 --> 00:05:49.319 reality about the way that writing this probably goes that 78 00:05:51.000 --> 00:05:56.000 there's a certain when you involved Dona to a certain degree, 79 00:05:56.040 --> 00:05:59.560 when you're doing this sort of social part of the story, 80 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:03.800 it's an easy button. You know, she's funny, she's likable, 81 00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:07.120 she smooths things over, she knows what questions to ask 82 00:06:07.199 --> 00:06:10.839 and what to say, and it takes some of the 83 00:06:10.920 --> 00:06:14.560 tension out of things, not because you're sure everything is 84 00:06:14.600 --> 00:06:17.680 going to go well, because that's not necessarily true, but 85 00:06:18.319 --> 00:06:21.920 you know that whatever's going to happen is probably going 86 00:06:21.959 --> 00:06:26.040 to at least be amusing, whereas with Carl that's definitely 87 00:06:26.079 --> 00:06:32.600 not a guarantee. He isn't amusing like steadily. Sometimes he is, 88 00:06:33.079 --> 00:06:35.519 but it's not his intent, not the way that it 89 00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:39.600 is with Donut. So it feels also like this was 90 00:06:39.680 --> 00:06:42.680 probably maybe a little bit more of a challenge on 91 00:06:42.759 --> 00:06:50.160 a certain level. So oh, get into this, but on 92 00:06:50.879 --> 00:06:54.839 oh sorry, Michael says, I wanted to say Jackie's evil 93 00:06:54.839 --> 00:06:58.000 for stopping these episodes on these particular cliffhangers, and like 94 00:06:59.040 --> 00:07:01.319 agree because I want to read more. But also it 95 00:07:01.439 --> 00:07:03.720 was very well done. This is a perfect stopping point, 96 00:07:03.759 --> 00:07:06.560 So I have to acknowledge that Seraphim says the ticket 97 00:07:06.600 --> 00:07:08.720 here was from a fan box, though it being an option, 98 00:07:08.839 --> 00:07:10.759 was likely to do the producer's thinking him going would be 99 00:07:10.759 --> 00:07:12.600 a good idea. But I don't think there was much 100 00:07:12.600 --> 00:07:15.319 of a real plan here beyond send it top ranked 101 00:07:15.360 --> 00:07:19.879 crawler to the con for pr And like, maybe I 102 00:07:19.879 --> 00:07:22.399 don't think that the fan boxes are immune to being 103 00:07:22.759 --> 00:07:26.519 played the way somebody wants them to go. Probably there's 104 00:07:26.519 --> 00:07:28.720 all kinds of ways that you can fix that. But 105 00:07:28.839 --> 00:07:31.040 also the plan doesn't have to be from the from 106 00:07:31.040 --> 00:07:33.240 the get go that he got the ticket just so 107 00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:34.839 that we could do the thing. The plan could be 108 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:36.879 we know he has this ticket, and so now we're 109 00:07:36.920 --> 00:07:38.639 going to do a thing because we know he's going 110 00:07:38.720 --> 00:07:42.040 to be there. You know, it could go, it could 111 00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:49.839 start in the other direction. But anyway, so chapter thirty, 112 00:07:49.879 --> 00:07:52.639 you know, he has been pulled into the security checkpoint 113 00:07:52.920 --> 00:07:55.360 and all he knows is that he has just been 114 00:07:55.399 --> 00:07:58.480 taken away from Donut, who is in the same place 115 00:07:58.600 --> 00:08:03.480 as Luciamar. And it's granted, I believe that she was 116 00:08:03.480 --> 00:08:06.720 in a safe room, but I don't really know if 117 00:08:06.800 --> 00:08:09.839 they were, like they weren't actually in it in it, 118 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:14.279 I don't think so. I believe that she was still 119 00:08:14.399 --> 00:08:19.920 very much at risk immediately speaking, and he gets to 120 00:08:19.959 --> 00:08:24.839 find out from Zev without too much time time elapsing 121 00:08:25.279 --> 00:08:28.360 that for now, Dona is okay, but as we find 122 00:08:28.360 --> 00:08:32.440 out later, like it's there, she's clearly in a tight position, 123 00:08:32.919 --> 00:08:35.080 and everything is being set up in such a way 124 00:08:35.080 --> 00:08:39.120 that Carl is going to be jumped almost instantly wherever 125 00:08:39.159 --> 00:08:42.480 he winds up being dropped off, which there's a very 126 00:08:42.519 --> 00:08:45.440 funny fake out, and I will talk about it because 127 00:08:45.480 --> 00:08:51.600 I actually did laugh. But so he is being handled 128 00:08:51.639 --> 00:08:56.039 by this null from security, and he tells Carl, my 129 00:08:56.159 --> 00:08:59.159 grandpop's name is Lis. I would consider it a personal 130 00:08:59.200 --> 00:09:01.840 favor if you look approvingly on her and her entry. 131 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:05.240 I can't backscratch you directly, but I am in charge 132 00:09:05.240 --> 00:09:08.919 of security, and I know you steal from trailers, and 133 00:09:08.960 --> 00:09:12.039 I can just overlook that if you do this for me. 134 00:09:13.320 --> 00:09:16.240 And Carl says, what in the flying fuck are you 135 00:09:16.360 --> 00:09:20.960 talking about, which it's sort of a weird response to 136 00:09:21.080 --> 00:09:24.159 me because I think it's pretty clear what he's talking about. 137 00:09:24.600 --> 00:09:28.480 And also Carl seems to get it once he's in 138 00:09:28.519 --> 00:09:33.679 this situation. There's no moment of like, oh, here's Lex 139 00:09:33.879 --> 00:09:36.840 and she's the girl that he mentioned and that must 140 00:09:36.840 --> 00:09:38.639 be what he meant and blah blah blah. It's like, 141 00:09:39.080 --> 00:09:42.519 here's Lix, and I'm gonna give her the good grade 142 00:09:42.559 --> 00:09:44.559 to do this thing for this guy. So it's just 143 00:09:44.600 --> 00:09:46.879 an odd like he acts like he has no idea 144 00:09:46.919 --> 00:09:49.159 what could possibly be meant by this, and then later 145 00:09:49.240 --> 00:09:52.159 he's fully on board and in it and gets it. 146 00:09:54.440 --> 00:09:59.320 But anyway, so he gets dropped into this production trailer 147 00:09:59.399 --> 00:10:05.159 here and there's no porthole or anything. And there's a counter, 148 00:10:05.399 --> 00:10:09.799 a bathroom, a couch, but it's made of metal. Below 149 00:10:09.840 --> 00:10:12.000 my feet, I heard what sounded like a crackle of 150 00:10:12.039 --> 00:10:16.279 a spell being cast, followed by cheers and laughter. And 151 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:19.639 then here is Zev and she says that was quite 152 00:10:19.639 --> 00:10:25.679 the fight, but Dona is okay, and he keeps wanting 153 00:10:25.799 --> 00:10:28.919 Zev to tell him what happened. And he's being really 154 00:10:29.000 --> 00:10:32.559 stupid here. He's just so incautious, and I get it, 155 00:10:32.600 --> 00:10:35.000 like he's worried about Dona, and so his better judgment 156 00:10:35.039 --> 00:10:37.759 is sort of flying out the window. But it's just 157 00:10:37.840 --> 00:10:40.000 tough because in this situation, I would urge you to 158 00:10:40.039 --> 00:10:42.679 be even more cautious than usual. If you're really genuinely 159 00:10:42.720 --> 00:10:44.840 worried about Dona, I need you to be like more 160 00:10:44.960 --> 00:10:48.159 aware than ever about the way you speak. And he's 161 00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:52.399 just really letting his like agitation get in the way 162 00:10:52.399 --> 00:10:56.879 of his good fucking sense. And he had like he 163 00:10:57.000 --> 00:11:01.320 starts to say something about, I want to go back 164 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:03.799 there immediately. If Donut as trapped, I need to get 165 00:11:03.799 --> 00:11:06.240 there as soon as possible, And this is when she says, 166 00:11:06.279 --> 00:11:08.480 it might be in your best interest to linger if 167 00:11:08.519 --> 00:11:12.600 you don't get it trust me. You need your rest, 168 00:11:12.679 --> 00:11:16.000 That's all I can say. And he says, I thought 169 00:11:16.080 --> 00:11:22.360 you guys plugged up the communication. Stop talking. Zev said, yeah, dude, 170 00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:27.000 what are you fucking thinking? Come on, man, like Jesus. 171 00:11:27.879 --> 00:11:33.919 So anyway, this is when he goes He's told try 172 00:11:34.039 --> 00:11:38.279 not to swear for this one. They're children, and I 173 00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:41.919 love that. The next sentence is the next chapter's opening line, 174 00:11:42.200 --> 00:11:47.519 and it's my dad says, you're the cat's bitch, which 175 00:11:48.440 --> 00:11:54.360 honestly isn't really like, not true of anybody who owns 176 00:11:54.399 --> 00:11:57.919 a cat. Let's all be very for real. If you 177 00:11:58.039 --> 00:12:01.840 own one, you're that caitch, and there's really no ifans 178 00:12:01.919 --> 00:12:03.960 or buts about it, and you have to accept it 179 00:12:04.039 --> 00:12:09.240 before you and get involved with said cat, or you 180 00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:13.039 think it won't be that way and are very quickly 181 00:12:14.480 --> 00:12:18.919 disillusioned by the time things actually begin to shake out 182 00:12:19.000 --> 00:12:22.320 the way they inevitably will. So I don't think that's 183 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:28.240 an unfair assertion. I'm just saying. My mother always said 184 00:12:28.759 --> 00:12:32.679 that dogs are like, oh my god, these people feed 185 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:36.039 me and keep me warm and safe. They must be gods. 186 00:12:36.600 --> 00:12:38.879 And cats say, oh my god, these people feed me 187 00:12:39.000 --> 00:12:41.480 and keep me warm and safe. I must be a god, 188 00:12:42.279 --> 00:12:46.279 and that has always felt very deeply true to me. 189 00:12:48.360 --> 00:12:52.480 But yeah, this kid draws him being attacked by a 190 00:12:52.519 --> 00:12:56.759 grindle grub, a brindle grub, and I love Carlo says, 191 00:12:56.840 --> 00:12:59.080 ask your dad why that other guy is always coming 192 00:12:59.159 --> 00:13:02.440 over when he's not home, which is honestly such a 193 00:13:02.440 --> 00:13:06.080 beautiful line because it's he doesn't even have to assert 194 00:13:06.600 --> 00:13:09.000 anything here, He's just like, why don't you ask your 195 00:13:09.039 --> 00:13:14.000 dad that question? And if the kid does, just out 196 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:16.279 of a like he won't even really know what it means. 197 00:13:16.320 --> 00:13:19.840 It will just insert this weird uncertainty and it is 198 00:13:21.080 --> 00:13:27.720 truly diabolical, like anything that it just instills a drop 199 00:13:27.919 --> 00:13:33.600 of doubt enough to like poison stuff that's really difficult 200 00:13:33.639 --> 00:13:36.440 to fight against. Man, Like, that's a really good that's 201 00:13:36.440 --> 00:13:39.399 a good bit, Carl. I can't be mad at you 202 00:13:39.480 --> 00:13:47.240 for that one. Oh God. So apparently the Crawl Coom 203 00:13:47.360 --> 00:13:50.639 was happening in an actual physical location, and the adults 204 00:13:50.639 --> 00:13:52.840 were walking around and visiting booths, and they had a 205 00:13:52.919 --> 00:13:54.879 daycare where they could drop off their kids. For an 206 00:13:54.879 --> 00:13:57.879 extra fee, they could participate in an art contest. Each 207 00:13:57.960 --> 00:13:59.679 day of the three day con had a different panel 208 00:13:59.679 --> 00:14:02.679 of so called celebrity judges. The kids were given art 209 00:14:02.720 --> 00:14:06.600 supplies from digital tablets to nano self learning sculpting clay 210 00:14:06.639 --> 00:14:10.200 to the alien equivalent of paper and grands, and they 211 00:14:10.200 --> 00:14:12.320 get to judge on a level from one to thirty. 212 00:14:13.440 --> 00:14:17.919 And we wind up finding out from herk who is 213 00:14:17.960 --> 00:14:22.639 sitting next to him, that this particular event is considered 214 00:14:22.919 --> 00:14:26.440 either you are a beginner in the circle of like 215 00:14:27.039 --> 00:14:36.000 players in the celebrity sphere at this convention, and so 216 00:14:36.200 --> 00:14:39.759 this is like where they sort of introduce you, or 217 00:14:40.759 --> 00:14:45.240 you are the one that they are obligated to include 218 00:14:45.360 --> 00:14:48.399 to a certain degree. But you're on your way out. 219 00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:52.200 Nobody really probably like even knows who you are unless 220 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:54.759 they see your name. They don't recognize your face, that's 221 00:14:54.799 --> 00:14:57.679 for certain. And even if they see your name. There's 222 00:14:57.720 --> 00:15:01.600 this one dude who's a one of the camel creatures, 223 00:15:01.639 --> 00:15:04.759 and he had to have a qualifier under his name 224 00:15:04.799 --> 00:15:07.720 explaining what it is that he wrote because he doesn't 225 00:15:07.720 --> 00:15:11.279 even really have name recognition anymore. So that guy is 226 00:15:11.320 --> 00:15:16.039 particularly salty on that point because he really like, it's 227 00:15:16.159 --> 00:15:20.679 just insulting, you know. So I thought that was very 228 00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:24.320 funny and also has a definite ring of truth to 229 00:15:24.360 --> 00:15:26.120 it in terms of the way that like a lot 230 00:15:26.159 --> 00:15:33.600 of cons seem to work. I don't go to many cons, 231 00:15:33.600 --> 00:15:36.600 I'll say that, but you know, I understand how they're 232 00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:39.120 structured and the way a lot of this goes. I 233 00:15:39.159 --> 00:15:45.639 often wonder how a lot of celebrities feel about doing cons, 234 00:15:45.759 --> 00:15:48.519 because I'm sure, to a degree it can be very 235 00:15:48.559 --> 00:15:53.240 like tedious and shitty, depending on like what your relationship 236 00:15:53.320 --> 00:15:56.279 is with the property that you're representing and the way 237 00:15:56.320 --> 00:15:59.639 that people's attitudes are. But also there might be days 238 00:15:59.639 --> 00:16:02.679 where it's super fun, really cool to do, you know, 239 00:16:02.879 --> 00:16:08.000 So I, like I said, I'm sure it varies and 240 00:16:08.200 --> 00:16:10.879 also probably just varies by day according to like your 241 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:16.840 personal mood. But I can't help but like think about 242 00:16:17.399 --> 00:16:20.840 the reality behind a lot of this stuff, because it's 243 00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:26.639 so there is a certain amount of sadness as a 244 00:16:26.679 --> 00:16:29.679 fan of anything that comes along with the concept that 245 00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:32.840 when you meet a celebrity, they're not happy to meet 246 00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:35.080 you and don't really want to be here. That's always 247 00:16:35.080 --> 00:16:40.440 like a bomber, you know, and I part of me 248 00:16:40.639 --> 00:16:44.399 really wants to be like that. Maybe that's not always true, though, 249 00:16:44.440 --> 00:16:48.159 maybe it's sometimes just nice. And I realize that to 250 00:16:48.240 --> 00:16:51.919 a great extent. This is just me, you know, huffing copium, 251 00:16:51.919 --> 00:16:55.960 I guess, as the kids would say these days. So 252 00:16:58.320 --> 00:17:03.440 he talks with guy as they are as these kids 253 00:17:03.480 --> 00:17:07.480 are filing through, and there are some weird, little like 254 00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:13.759 moments here. There's one group of caprids that comes through 255 00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:16.960 that don't have any art and they just demand to 256 00:17:17.039 --> 00:17:22.720 be judged. Which there's like a very strong reaction from 257 00:17:22.799 --> 00:17:27.200 Herk regarding these guys, and he is like, these things 258 00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:30.440 are freaky. I don't like them. Do whatever you need 259 00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:33.960 to do to get them out of here. And they 260 00:17:34.079 --> 00:17:37.400 give there they're just yelling like judge us and Carl 261 00:17:37.480 --> 00:17:41.680 gives them a five, and they like walk away and 262 00:17:41.799 --> 00:17:45.240 just say I accept your judgment or something like that, 263 00:17:45.720 --> 00:17:49.160 but seem like a little sad about it. I think 264 00:17:49.720 --> 00:17:52.880 it's such an odd moment. And Herk himself is like, 265 00:17:52.920 --> 00:17:57.039 I've seen a lot of weird shit, and that particular 266 00:17:57.640 --> 00:18:01.880 group is the weird. They have a TV show where 267 00:18:01.880 --> 00:18:05.440 they just basically like yell, I don't get it. It's 268 00:18:05.559 --> 00:18:08.039 just they're they're they're fucking strange, and I just wanted 269 00:18:08.039 --> 00:18:14.160 them out of here. And eventually we get Licks showing 270 00:18:14.279 --> 00:18:20.200 up and she's drawn a three D stick drawing of 271 00:18:20.240 --> 00:18:23.599 a knoll with a truncheon beating on an orc and 272 00:18:23.640 --> 00:18:26.400 she says, it's my pup pop, but he's helping rid 273 00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:31.880 the universe of tax avoiding scum, and so they give 274 00:18:31.920 --> 00:18:34.240 her like a perfect score, which is likely going to 275 00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:40.319 ensure that she winds up winning, and she like later on, 276 00:18:41.759 --> 00:18:45.960 uh zev is like, I've been looking at this thing 277 00:18:46.480 --> 00:18:49.960 that you guys voted for number one, and I don't 278 00:18:50.039 --> 00:18:52.720 get it. Is this like a bit you're doing? Is 279 00:18:52.759 --> 00:18:57.559 this a joke or like what's going on? And Carl 280 00:18:57.720 --> 00:19:00.799 just completely side steps that because it's super nih, but 281 00:19:01.079 --> 00:19:03.480 he is grateful that they won't have to be there 282 00:19:03.880 --> 00:19:06.519 for the moment when she is declared winner, because there's 283 00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:08.759 no way that people aren't going to realize that there's 284 00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:10.720 some kind of fixed because her winning does not make 285 00:19:10.759 --> 00:19:13.640 any sense. But doesn't care. He's ultimately just like, got 286 00:19:13.640 --> 00:19:14.799 to do what I gotta do, and I don't want 287 00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:16.559 to get on the bad side of the man who 288 00:19:16.599 --> 00:19:19.119 is in charge of some shit that directly affects me, 289 00:19:19.400 --> 00:19:26.960 which I think is a good call overall. And let's see, 290 00:19:27.319 --> 00:19:32.119 uh oh right, there's a mention of this other kid 291 00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:39.119 who won yesterday, who is iber and he is? He like, 292 00:19:40.359 --> 00:19:45.200 apparently they win usually and when they don't, have a 293 00:19:45.240 --> 00:19:48.559 little bit of like a tantrum over it. And I 294 00:19:48.599 --> 00:19:51.000 remembered the portrait. It was a perfect likeness of Dona 295 00:19:51.079 --> 00:19:53.680 and she would have absolutely loved it. I'd given the 296 00:19:53.759 --> 00:19:57.480 kid some sort of slug thing a twenty six. So 297 00:19:57.759 --> 00:19:59.559 I'm wondering if this is going to wind up being 298 00:19:59.599 --> 00:20:03.160 something like an issue for him, But I have to 299 00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:05.920 imagine it's going to be something like or else. Why 300 00:20:05.920 --> 00:20:13.720 would it be mentioned, you know. So he is about 301 00:20:13.759 --> 00:20:17.160 to take off and Herk tells him to be careful 302 00:20:17.160 --> 00:20:21.920 and he's like, careful, come on, and Herk's like, yeah, okay, fair, 303 00:20:22.759 --> 00:20:25.960 I understand it's a stupid thing to say. But the 304 00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:29.480 line to attend your panel is like literally out the 305 00:20:29.519 --> 00:20:32.240 door and like going around the building. It's a big deal. 306 00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:40.839 And he says something about the nova display and Carl 307 00:20:41.000 --> 00:20:43.400 is like, what does that mean? And he's like, did 308 00:20:43.400 --> 00:20:45.440 they not tell you? The panel you're going to be 309 00:20:45.440 --> 00:20:48.440 on is moderated by the mother of one of the 310 00:20:48.519 --> 00:20:53.079 hunters you killed, and I love that. When he meets 311 00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:56.400 with Zev, she's like, it's probably best not to like 312 00:20:56.519 --> 00:21:03.920 mention her government or anything. She owns an amusement park, 313 00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:12.119 which what that is so odd? But okay, sure, why 314 00:21:12.119 --> 00:21:19.000 not Zindi VA's sister. It was her very first hunt. 315 00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:22.559 The Mantis people are overly dramatic about everything. The woman 316 00:21:22.680 --> 00:21:25.880 is a hive queen, which means she probably has ten 317 00:21:25.960 --> 00:21:29.680 thousand children. Try to avoid talking about her government and 318 00:21:29.720 --> 00:21:34.119 there won't be any problems. So that's very interesting to me. 319 00:21:34.559 --> 00:21:39.359 Is like, you can talk about killing her daughter and 320 00:21:39.400 --> 00:21:47.039 that's probably fine, just not her government specifically. I'm not 321 00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:50.759 mad at that, but I do think it's surprising, you 322 00:21:50.799 --> 00:21:58.440 know what I'm saying. Yeah, anyway, so this uh the 323 00:21:59.599 --> 00:22:01.880 I'm sorry, I just saw the chat, and Michael says, 324 00:22:02.079 --> 00:22:04.319 I'm sure it varies from day to day. William Shatner 325 00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:06.920 supposedly loved doing cons because of the love he got, 326 00:22:07.160 --> 00:22:09.400 but he still had a couple of infamous bad days 327 00:22:09.400 --> 00:22:11.240 where he snapped at fans who kept pushing him with 328 00:22:11.319 --> 00:22:13.480 nitpicky details from the show where there would be no 329 00:22:13.559 --> 00:22:18.200 way he would know anything about that's that would be 330 00:22:18.240 --> 00:22:21.359 something that would drive me insane. Anytime somebody is like, 331 00:22:21.400 --> 00:22:23.680 well but this doesn't make sense, Who fucking cares? Like 332 00:22:24.519 --> 00:22:26.920 I can. I can do this on my podcast and 333 00:22:27.039 --> 00:22:29.839 nitpick about shit. I'm not gonna like bring this up 334 00:22:29.880 --> 00:22:34.319 with the actors. I'm not fucking insane. They don't you 335 00:22:34.359 --> 00:22:36.799 know what I'm saying. Like just a weird behavior, guys. 336 00:22:38.160 --> 00:22:40.920 Michael says, honestly, Lix makes me think of a wandering 337 00:22:40.960 --> 00:22:44.279 in character Mercia. Oh my god. Yes, always got to 338 00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:46.039 have a cute puppy kid and you have human animal 339 00:22:46.079 --> 00:22:48.920 hybrid races in your world. Sarah him says, we heard 340 00:22:48.920 --> 00:22:51.400 about the park before they run a hunting camp. Oh, 341 00:22:51.400 --> 00:22:59.200 it's part of that. Oh okay, gotcha. I guess uh 342 00:22:59.519 --> 00:23:02.319 what I think of as amusement park is what she 343 00:23:02.480 --> 00:23:05.160 meant by that. But when you think about it, amusement 344 00:23:05.240 --> 00:23:09.079 park is It's a very vague term in the most 345 00:23:09.119 --> 00:23:13.519 literal sense. So I guess that makes sense. Michael says, 346 00:23:13.519 --> 00:23:15.400 I do wonder how things like being a hive queen 347 00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:18.920 who has thousands of babies affects familial affection. Stuff like 348 00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:21.160 if we crack anti aging, I wonder how that would 349 00:23:21.160 --> 00:23:22.920 affect family love as well when you don't need a 350 00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:26.200 kid to carry on your genetic imprint. And Michael, I 351 00:23:26.359 --> 00:23:28.519 was actually thinking that same thing about like, well, she's 352 00:23:28.559 --> 00:23:31.880 got like, you know, thousands of children, and a part 353 00:23:31.880 --> 00:23:35.359 of me was kind of like, so does that mean 354 00:23:35.359 --> 00:23:38.079 that she just doesn't get to care about her kids? 355 00:23:38.720 --> 00:23:44.680 Because I feel like that attitude with us as humans, 356 00:23:45.200 --> 00:23:49.440 we definitely can very much be like there's tons of 357 00:23:49.480 --> 00:23:52.680 the things so it doesn't matter, which is very revealing 358 00:23:52.759 --> 00:23:56.000 about our attitude. But that is not necessarily how other 359 00:23:56.359 --> 00:24:01.400 species operate, you know. But I understood what Zev meant. 360 00:24:01.480 --> 00:24:03.960 I just sort of thought it was like kind of 361 00:24:04.920 --> 00:24:11.640 an interesting point that said something about her as a 362 00:24:11.680 --> 00:24:18.480 person more than anything. So let's see, I'm trying to 363 00:24:18.519 --> 00:24:24.920 find the bit here. Oh right. She says that there 364 00:24:24.920 --> 00:24:26.920 are other people that are at this con and like 365 00:24:27.039 --> 00:24:31.480 Carl is only doing three things, which is actually pretty brief, 366 00:24:32.119 --> 00:24:34.279 and that there are others who are doing a bunch 367 00:24:34.319 --> 00:24:38.359 of stuff. I'm trying to find the bit. They've only 368 00:24:38.440 --> 00:24:41.519 let four active crawlers attend this one. Five crawlers actually, 369 00:24:41.559 --> 00:24:44.240 since the Popop Brothers are really two. You're lucky you're 370 00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:47.200 only doing three events because you got here from a fanbox. 371 00:24:47.200 --> 00:24:51.400 The Popops are doing something like ten and the others 372 00:24:51.400 --> 00:24:54.880 are a guy named chireg Ali and Surrendel gore, you 373 00:24:54.920 --> 00:24:57.000 won't see either of them, but you're scheduled to be 374 00:24:57.039 --> 00:25:02.839 sharing autograph tables with the brothers tomorrow. And I've don't 375 00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:07.119 remember chirag Ali al though he says that he remembers 376 00:25:07.319 --> 00:25:13.759 the name. And he mentions that Lucia not being here 377 00:25:13.759 --> 00:25:15.960 as surprising, and she's like, yeah, she's not really doing 378 00:25:15.960 --> 00:25:21.440 this stuff anymore because she's sort of unpredictable. And finally 379 00:25:22.119 --> 00:25:27.240 Carl says, are you doing okay, Zev, which, in my opinion, 380 00:25:27.279 --> 00:25:29.400 it's taken him a little too long to ask her this, 381 00:25:29.559 --> 00:25:33.559 but I also get that he like he you get 382 00:25:33.640 --> 00:25:36.640 that sort of fatigue at caring about people who are 383 00:25:37.039 --> 00:25:41.279 in more control than you are, to a degree of 384 00:25:41.319 --> 00:25:45.960 being like, I really resent even feeling like I have 385 00:25:46.000 --> 00:25:48.880 to worry about you. You know, I'm not mad at him. 386 00:25:48.880 --> 00:25:51.799 I'm just saying I would probably have asked already. But 387 00:25:51.960 --> 00:25:55.319 she says, I'm doing as well as I can expect. 388 00:25:55.720 --> 00:25:58.960 My home system has gone entirely dark, and we don't 389 00:25:59.000 --> 00:26:00.839 know if we'll be able to go home after this 390 00:26:01.000 --> 00:26:03.839 or if we're going to get executed. Plus, you know, 391 00:26:04.160 --> 00:26:07.680 my entire family was slaughtered because I refused to wear 392 00:26:07.720 --> 00:26:14.839 a pin, which I'll say with no reservations, y'all, I 393 00:26:14.880 --> 00:26:18.279 would have just worn the pin. And this is not 394 00:26:18.599 --> 00:26:22.640 me at all. I want to be clear. This is 395 00:26:22.680 --> 00:26:29.039 not me calling Zev out. It is me asking the 396 00:26:29.240 --> 00:26:35.240 question of whether something is worth it or not, you 397 00:26:35.279 --> 00:26:39.720 know what I'm saying, Like, there are times where sticking 398 00:26:39.759 --> 00:26:43.640 to your principles, no matter what it feels like a 399 00:26:43.759 --> 00:26:49.640 fucking baller move, that is very principled, and you are 400 00:26:49.839 --> 00:26:52.839 putting your foot down and refusing to be bullied. And 401 00:26:54.200 --> 00:26:57.880