Chapter 28 of 48 · Book 1, Dungeon Crawler Carl
Chapter 28 — The green room
Book: Dungeon Crawler Carl · Part: The Second Floor · Previous: Chapter 27 — After the arena · Next: Chapter 29 — Odette off air · Floor: Floor 2 — The Second Floor · Series: the series
Opening
“Okay,” Lexis said as I sat down on the couch, my head spinning.
Summary
The green room is blue, the fruit basket is real, and Donut, who asks for just one Purrfect Cat Treat, eats at least six. Donut interviews Lexis like a professional — live or taped, editorial or fluff, 'or should I just let Carl be Carl?' — and tells him that this is her world the way punching goblins is his. Odette is a naked crab-taur in a praying-mantis helmet with breasts the size of satellite dishes on the desk, and the audience is every species in the galaxy.
She makes Carl say his catchphrase after a montage of fifteen 'Goddamnit, Donut's. Donut invents an elective feline monarchy, winks, and promises the crowd that she and Carl will not just kill things — they will kill them with style. Carl sees the hunger in her face as the audience screams and knows it is going to be a problem.
Characters
- Odette — The on-camera Odette: crab body, bug head, the desk.
- Lexis — The briefing; the invisible walls.
- Princess Donut — A natural; 'kill them with style.'
- Carl — Says the catchphrase; 'These people aren't our friends.'
Locations
- Production trailers — The green room and the holo studio.
Motifs
- 'Goddamnit, Donut' — Made official on air.
- The show — The most-tunnelled private program; the treats, dosed as Odette admits in chapter 29.