Amber and I are BACK this August for a fun new readalong! We're about to start our monthly discussion for our July Adult book (recommended by those 18+), Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong!
As a reminder, from now on, our monthly discussions will be both here on the OwlCrate blog AND on The Nest! Go check out Amber's discussion that will be full of fun extra content!
On each day we'll read a section of Immortal Longings, both on the blog and in The Nest's group, and then discuss in the comments our theories and predictions. This means there will be spoilers for each section! Beware!
Just a reminder that this will be a SPOILER discussion for chapters 13-15 of Immortal Longings, so make sure you read or are finished this section before continuing.
We're about halfway now....how are you feeling?
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Chapter Thirteen:
Calla meets up with Anton in nothing but her leather jacket and underclothes. August is already up and sending Calla messages to be careful.
They head toward the Evercent Hotel, the largest building in Er. When they arrive, they head in separately, Calla going first. The front desk attendant asks them if they're checking in when they spot the player they're looking for, number 79, coming through the door surrounded by ten other men with knives. Experienced men.
Calla and Anton are surprised that the player has avoided the reels. Calla suggests retreating but at that very moment, their wristbands tremble.
Player 79 whips his head in their direction as Calla and Anton run. They take refuge in one of the hotel rooms and have accidentally cornered themselves. Anton suggests that Calla instead pose as a courtesan and hide her sword and wristband. Calla does so and straddles Anton, positioning herself in front of him. They pretend to embrace as the footsteps draw nearer and two people burst into the room. Calla immediately plucks knives out of Anton's pockets and plants them into the men's necks.
They fight their way down the hallway, killing more men and barging into the lobby. They make their way to the street and go back to Anton's apartment.
Anton is in the kitchen boiling water when Calla joins them. They flirt as Anton makes instant noodles.
They discuss the games and eat. Calla asks Anton about Otta, insulting her. Anton is about to hit Calla when they hear an alarm. It's the flood siren. San-Er is flooding.
Chapter Fourteen:
Calla remembers the last time San-Er flooded and tells Anton that she needs to go. She makes her way out of the apartment and goes to the rooftop. Calla makes her way to Yila's and Chami's diner.
As soon as she steps into the open space, someone pulls her hair and throws her back. She moves toward the attacker but is thrown back by an invisible hand. Suddenly there is a knife at Chami's throat and the attacker slashes it. Yilas screams at Chami to jump.
Chami jumps before her qi leaks. Chami jumped into the attacker and suggested that everyone get inside the diner.
Calla asks Chami if her new body has a wristband and she says no. Calla asks if Chami would jump into Yilas for a moment to test a theory and she does.
When she does so, the attacker drops right to the floor. It's an empty vessel. Calla heads for the door and tells Chami and Yilas to lock the shop and not open it for a few days.
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Elsewhere Pampi plugs her portable computer into a jack socket watching the monitor feed. It was she who triggered the sirens.
Pampi turns off the siren and hears a bang on the rooftop. She turns off her computer and waits. A person appears, a woman with long hair who prods at the siren speakers.
She has yellow eyes and gloved hands. Pampi whispers under her breath, "Princess Call, how fascinating".
•·················•·················•
Calla returns home to see a broadcast about the sirens telling everyone that San-Er has been infiltrated by rebels, but to remain calm as the palace is handling the situation. As the sun sets, Calla eats dinner on the couch watching the news. Calla ponders the situation as it doesn't make sense.
Suddenly a stranger steps out of her bathroom and Calla throws her plate at them. It's Anton. He's tracked her. Calla introduces Anton to her cat, Mao Mao and they discuss the news.
Anton tells her that he came to check on her safety and Calla fills Anton in on what happened with the vessel. Anton tells her that he's tried to jump without light himself but failed.
Calla tells Anton about the first time she jumped, he asks about her second but instead of answering him, she shuts herself in her bedroom before Anton can say anything else.
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Chapter Fifteen:
In the palace, King Kasa is organizing the game's celebratory banquet while August looks on in disgust. August considers King Kasa's death and the power vacuum that will erupt when it happens.
August asks Kasa if he'd like him to check on the food delivery and the King agrees. August finds his way to the kitchens where the chef offers him food and he finds Galipei eating. He asks him what the situation is at the hospital and Galipei in turn asks August what Otta has on him.
August slaps the bowl Galipei is eating from out of his hands and chastises him about questioning him in public.
They leave the kitchen and make their way to a quieter corridor where Galipei urges August to tell him why he wants to kill his half-sister.
August responds that he fears that Anton will one day find a way to wake her but does not tell Galipei what he's most afraid of. Instead, August asks Galipei what more information he needs. Galipei does not answer and leaves.
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Meanwhile, at the diner, Yilas tells Chami that she is going to go check on Matiyu. Upstairs, Chami's birth body is resting and healing from its ordeal.
Chami warns Yilas against going to see her brother as he's warned her against it. Yilas tells her that she really wants to go to get pendants that ward against jumping. Chami reassures her that they'll be okay but Yilas goes to the Hollow Temple anyway.
When Yilas enters the Temple she sees two men arguing but turns away. She doesn't see Matiyu either and wanders to the back of the Temple. She finds an empty dark room cast in yellow. Papers are scattered and she picks some up. They are second by second screenshots of palace surveillance. Yilas sees that numbers 57 and 86 are marked with dots in the corner, circled in red.
Before Yilas can leave, something comes over her face turning her world dark.
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I can't decide if I like Pampi or August less...
Questions:
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🤥Do you think it's cheating for player 79 to have an entourage fight for him? -
❓ What will happen now that Pampi has identified Calla? -
🔪 How would you have distracted ten hired killers?
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