Session 25: Haunting Adeline & The Ritual— When Dark Romance Gets Real

What happens when love stops respecting boundaries?

In the season finale of Once Upon a Session, we’re stepping into the world of dark romance to explore boundaries, obsession, control, and the complicated line between intensity and intimacy.

Through Ryat Archer from The Ritual by Shantel Tessier and Zade Meadows from Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton, we examine relationships where desire is intense, boundaries are blurred, and behaviors that would raise serious concerns in real life become part of the fantasy on the page.

We unpack what these characters can teach us about consent, possessiveness, power, and why fictional relationships can be compelling without becoming a blueprint for healthy love.

Because you can enjoy the fantasy without romanticizing the reality.

And sometimes the most important boundary is knowing the difference between the two.

Disclaimer: We’re licensed therapists, but not your therapists. This podcast is for reflection and conversation, not a substitute for therapy.

✨ Follow Once Upon a Session as we close the book on Season One—and get ready for more stories, psychology, and healing in Season Two.

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:12

Okay, I have a question. Why do I feel like this is gonna get us canceled? If a client came into your office and described Zay Meta. No, I'm immediately making a safety plan. Okay, but then I'm at home reading chapter 15. Giggling and kicking your feet. Exactly. Which raises a very important question. Why do we know this would be terrifying in real life? But somehow we're screaming. That's my man. When it's fiction, it's my man. What is it about these stories that completely change the rules? Is it the fantasy? The danger? The more the green man? Or is it both that just gonna ail all of us?

SPEAKER_02 0:44

Today we're talking about boundaries, content, fantasy, desire, and why the line between fiction and reality matters more than we think. This is what's upon a touch in. Where two therapists turn their TBR pile into treatment plants, and every story becomes a touch in. I'm Vanessa, and I'm Teresa.

SPEAKER_04 1:01

I'm the one reading trigger warnings like their recommendations. And I'm the one wondering how many trigger warnings is too many. Apparently, the limit does not exist. Wait, speaking of trigger warnings, we have one of our own this week. Yes. So today's session includes discussions of dark romance, BDSM, kink, morally great characters, obsession, possessiveness, consent, and power dynamics. Some of these themes may not be for everyone, and that's completely okay. But if you've ever looked at a trigger warning and thought, hmm, interesting.

SPEAKER_02 1:33

Welcome. You're among friends.

SPEAKER_04 1:36

Yes, welcome. We are the friends for that. And as usual. And as usual, just a quick note before we dive in.

SPEAKER_02 1:44

We're both licensed therapists, but we're not your therapist.

SPEAKER_04 1:47

Everything we share here is for conversation, reflection, maybe a little inspiration.

SPEAKER_02 1:51

But it's not a substitute for therapy. If you're struggling, please read. Oh my god. Okay, New York.

SPEAKER_04 1:59

Please reach out to a mental health professional who can give you the care and support you deserve. Now that you're all checked in, have a seat on our couch. Hello. Hello on our couch for the last time this last episode. Sorry. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. What a journey it's been. Yeah, it's been nice though. It's been so good. I'm so happy we did this. I'm just so happy we did this. And for whatever it's worth, like it is what it is.

SPEAKER_02 2:25

Yeah, no, we had fun.

SPEAKER_04 2:27

We had fun. And we hope you guys did too. Those of you who are still here. And welcome if you're new here.

SPEAKER_02 2:32

Yeah, welcome. And catch up before we come out with new episodes.

SPEAKER_04 2:36

Yeah, catch up. Yeah. So that's what's going on in life.

SPEAKER_01 2:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 2:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:41

All right. Well, we're still reading. Um we're about to start Manicold. Yeah, after we're gonna restart Manicold after we finish my darling denim. My dreadful denim.

SPEAKER_03 2:54

My darling denim. My darling denim, like my jeans. My dreadful darling.

SPEAKER_04 3:02

Yeah, my dreadful darling. Mdd. My dreadful. Yeah, the next one is my darling reverie. So like my dreadful darling. My HD Colton. Colton.

SPEAKER_01 3:12

That was so funny.

SPEAKER_03 3:13

It was like my echo.

SPEAKER_01 3:15

We did that.

SPEAKER_03 3:15

To bleep. Echo. Oh my god, that was so funny.

SPEAKER_04 3:22

Like we would be on the phone every time. Every time. Just to mess with this person. And like she would say something, and then I'd be like echoing her.

SPEAKER_03 3:30

And then he would be like, I think something's wrong on the phone. We did it so many times. One time he was like, every time I call you, my phone does this thing. What is this?

SPEAKER_02 3:42

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_04 3:42

Oh my god. Yeah. That was so funny. That was so funny. We're such bullies.

SPEAKER_02 3:47

We're such bullies.

SPEAKER_04 3:48

No, but no.

SPEAKER_02 3:49

That was funny as hell. That was funny as hell. That's how we did it.

SPEAKER_04 3:51

Yes, exactly like this. Okay. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Just like that. Yeah. All right. Um, okay. Okay, now for our what's going on topic question.

SPEAKER_02 4:04

What's one scene that had you immediately texting your best friend?

SPEAKER_04 4:08

Okay. So the one I'm talking about is the one from the priest. Okay. That filthy book in the freezer. Oh my god. Kiss of the basket. Kiss a little basculates.

SPEAKER_03 4:20

Kiss a labasquat.

SPEAKER_04 4:22

Kiss of the basquat. Um, kiss of the basilisk too. But no, this one, the one from the priest is the one that came to me first.

SPEAKER_02 4:28

Yeah. Okay. Um, for me, it was haunting Adelaide.

SPEAKER_04 4:33

The gun scene.

SPEAKER_02 4:34

Pew, pew, pew. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 4:36

That was like, oh, but yeah. Yeah. And we were both like, oh my God, yeah. So hot. Like, whatever. Yeah, whatever. Don't judge us. Y'all like the two. I don't care if they two. Yeah, actually judge us. Yeah. But no, uh the moment I'm talking about is in the priest is when like they're having like sex. In the confessional? In the um, no, it was like on the main, I don't know what they're called. Um, I don't go to Catholic church. I don't go to any church.

SPEAKER_03 5:01

So I don't know in the front what they're called. Like the pews. Yeah, the pews. Thank you. You do play with the pews.

SPEAKER_04 5:07

So they're relying on the pews, and then they use anointing oils. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. As Libra. Maybe I'll revisit the pee. And I was like, oh, this I had to like put that down because like it's weird, it's a priest and they're in church, and it's so taboo. It's so yeah, she did. It's so taboo, but that was the moment for me.

SPEAKER_01 5:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 5:25

Yeah, you still have to read because the basket.

SPEAKER_02 5:27

Because it's the basilisk.

SPEAKER_04 5:29

Yes. Okay. All right. Today we're talking about something that sparks a lot of opinions: dark romance.

SPEAKER_02 5:36

For some people, it's an immediate, absolutely not. For others, it's their favorite section of the bookstore.

SPEAKER_04 5:43

Yes, and here's the interesting part. Enjoying dark romance doesn't automatically mean you want everything you read in real life.

SPEAKER_02 5:50

And for some people, certain dynamics like BDSM or power exchange can absolutely exist in healthy consensual relationships built on trust and communication. Yes, very well said.

SPEAKER_04 6:03

So today isn't about deciding whether dark romance is good or bad.

SPEAKER_02 6:07

It's about asking why these stories resonate with us, where we draw our own boundaries, and why fantasy and reality don't always play by the same rules.

SPEAKER_04 6:16

Because boundaries aren't about saying yes or no to everything, they're about understanding your own line and respecting someone else's. Yeah, just like oh, I love this already. Ooh, it's gonna be fun, people.

SPEAKER_01 6:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:29

Okay. All right. Tell us more. All right. Therapist hats on for a minute. Let's talk about why our brains are so fascinated by stories that would probably send us running in real life.

SPEAKER_04 6:42

Because honestly, some of it's just fun. It's exciting, it's forbidden. Dark romance gives us permission to explore things that feel dangerous, intense, or completely outside of our everyday lives.

SPEAKER_02 6:54

And our brains naturally pay attention to novelty. We're wired to notice what's unexpected, emotionally charged, or a little taboo. That's part of why these stories can be so hard to put down.

SPEAKER_04 7:08

But one of the most interesting parts isn't just what we're reading, it's how our brains experience it.

SPEAKER_02 7:15

Psychologists sometimes talk about something called psychological distance. In other words, our brains know the difference between imagining something and actually living it.

SPEAKER_04 7:24

It's why people love haunted houses, horror movies, roller coasters, or true crime podcasts. Feeling fear from a place of safety is a completely different experience than being in real danger.

SPEAKER_02 7:36

Dark romance works the same way. Fiction gives us a controlled space to explore obsession, power, vulnerability, danger, or surrender without experiencing the real world consequences.

SPEAKER_04 7:49

And for some people, certain dynamics like BDSM or power exchange aren't just fictional. They can absolutely exist in healthy relationships built on communication, trust, consent, and mutual respect.

SPEAKER_02 8:03

So two people can read the exact same book and love it for completely different reasons.

SPEAKER_04 8:09

One reader might love the emotional intensity, someone else connects with the devotion, another enjoys the suspense, someone else is fascinated by the psychology of control.

SPEAKER_02 8:19

Our personalities, attachment styles, lived experiences, values, and even the roles we play in everyday life can all influence what resonates with us.

SPEAKER_04 8:30

And that's why asking why do people like dark romance is probably the wrong question. A better question is what is this story allowing me to safely explore? Because curiosity isn't the same thing as desire. Fantasy isn't the same thing as reality, and understanding the difference is one of the healthiest boundaries we can have. Now let's bring it back to the books. One of the reasons dark romance has become so popular is because fiction gives us permission to explore parts of the human experience that most of us would never willingly seek out in real life.

SPEAKER_02 9:02

These stories dive into power, obsession, vulnerability, revenge, morality, desire, trust, fear, and they invite us to sit with emotions that can be uncomfortable, complicated, or even contradictory.

SPEAKER_04 9:17

That's what makes them so compelling. The emotional stakes feel enormous, the relationships are intense, and the characters often force us to wrestle with questions that don't have easy answers.

SPEAKER_02 9:28

But as therapists, one thing we always encourage is reading with curiosity instead of imitation. Instead of asking, would I date this person?

SPEAKER_04 9:37

Try asking, What is this story trying to make me feel? Is it creating suspense, exploring trust, challenging your sense of morality, making you question where your own boundaries are? Sometimes fiction isn't asking us to agree with a character, it's asking us to understand them.

SPEAKER_02 9:54

And understanding isn't the same thing as approving. We can recognize why a character behaves the way they do without believing their behavior is healthy or wanting it for ourselves. And that's why boundaries matter in fiction. Not because every reader should have the same boundaries, but because every reader deserves a space to discover their own.

SPEAKER_04 10:14

One person's absolutely not might be someone else's favorite trope. Neither reaction is inherently right or wrong. What matters is understanding your own comfort level and respecting someone else's. And maybe that's one of the greatest gifts stories give us. They don't just entertain us, they help us uncover what scares us and what excites us, what challenges us, and what truly matters to us. Alright, who's checking in today? I have a feeling HR would have denied these appointments.

SPEAKER_02 10:50

Consent forms have been strongly recommended.

SPEAKER_04 10:53

And a safe word has been established.

SPEAKER_02 10:55

Today we're putting two of Book Talk's most controversial men on the couch.

SPEAKER_04 11:00

Yes, we are talking about my daddy, Zay Meadows from Haunting Adeline.

SPEAKER_02 11:05

And Riot Archer from The Ritual.

SPEAKER_04 11:07

Yes. And today we're asking the question: where do fantasy, obsession, power, and boundaries collide? Yeah. All right. I go first this week. Okay. All right. So I'm going to be talking about Adeline Riley and Zay Meadows from Haunting Adeline by H. D. Colton. H.D. Colton? And she just announced she's making a movie.

SPEAKER_00 11:31

I think.

SPEAKER_04 11:32

And there were a little update. There were a few updates. I don't know if you saw them, but like it's gonna come out in next year, 2027. It's gonna be like two to two and a half hours long. They already got someone for Adeline. Adeline.

SPEAKER_01 11:42

Adeline Adeline.

SPEAKER_04 11:43

Um and like all the the scenes that we know are like going to be exactly as they are in the book. You know those scenes. So like I'm excited about it. And she's doing a graphic novel also.

SPEAKER_01 11:56

I'm here for it all because I love it. It makes me happy, so I can't wait.

SPEAKER_04 12:01

Yeah, and I think this was my first ever dark romance book. And I love it. It's my favorite. Alright, haunting Adeline follows Adeline Riley, an author who inherits her grandmother's gothic mansion while uncovering a family mystery that stretches back generations. Soon after moving in, she discovers she's being watched by Zay Meadows, a mysterious vigilante whose obsession with her quickly becomes impossible to ignore. As their relationship develops, the novel intentionally blurs the lines between fear and desire, dominance and surrender, obsession and devotion. Their connection unfolds within a dark romance framework that explores morally complex dynamics, consensual BDSM, power exchange, and psychological tension alongside themes of trauma, violence, and justice. This treatment plan does not evaluate whether their relationship is healthy or unhealthy in the context of real life. Instead, it explores the psychological themes that make their dynamics so compelling within fiction. At its core, Haunting Adeline asks readers to examine questions about autonomy, agency, trust, control, and the boundaries we create between fantasy and reality. So the presenting problems I'm gonna do for Adeline and then for Zaid. Um for Adeline, it's navigating conflicting emotions of fear, curiosity, attraction, and autonomy, struggling to understand where her own emotional and physical boundaries began and evolved, processing generational trauma while maintaining her sense of identity. Zaid's presenting problem behaviors is obsessive, surveillance, and hypervigilance presented as protection, difficulty relinquishing control even when emotionally vulnerable. Black and white thinking surrounded by justice, safety, and responsibility. God, we love him. I'm so glad Amy read this. Amy, I'm so glad you read this, and you love Zaid. Yeah. Alright, core themes obsession versus devotion. But like give me both.

SPEAKER_02 13:50

And all the time, give me both.

SPEAKER_04 13:53

Let her do stuff.

SPEAKER_02 13:54

Let her let her do stuff.

SPEAKER_04 13:56

That's our new like theme song. Yeah. Okay. Power Exchange, Dominance and Surrender. Autonomy, agency, and negotiated consent, trust, vulnerability, and emotional intimacy, and fantasy versus reality. Core belief for Adeline, if I lose control, I lose myself. And for Zaid, if I stop controlling everything, the people I love will get hurt. Yeah. Yeah. So for treatment goals and interventions, we're going to explore the relationship between control, vulnerability, and emotional safety, strengthen communication around boundaries, consent, and autonomy. Examine how trauma influences each person's understanding of protection and trust, and differentiate protective behaviors from controlling behaviors while respecting negotiated relationship dynamics. What progress would look like, both partners communicate wants, limits, and expectations openly. Power exchange becomes rooted in mutual trust rather than assumption. And emotional vulnerability replaces the need for constant control. So both individuals maintain their identities while building intimacy together. And that's what a healthy BDSM relationship is based on. Like those things, you know. So, like, again, like we said in the beginning, like people do this in real life, and that's where the boundaries and limitations are. That's exact thing. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:09

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_04 15:10

Yeah. So the outcome, Adeline and Zayd's relationship exists within the heightened world of dark romance where emotional intensity, obsession, and moral ambiguity drive the story. What captivates many readers is not simply the taboo nature of their relationship, but the constant negotiation between power and vulnerability. Throughout the novel, Adeline wrestles with maintaining her autonomy while confronting desires she never expected to have.

SPEAKER_00 15:33

Yes, girl.

SPEAKER_04 15:34

She had no idea. Zayd, meanwhile, demonstrates unwavering devotion, but often expresses it through behaviors rooted in control, surveillance, and certainty. Their relationship invites readers to explore an important psychological distinction. Control may create the illusion of safety, but trust requires vulnerability. The novel ultimately reminds us that fiction provides a space to safely explore complex fantasies and emotional extremes while still allowing readers to define their own personal boundaries outside the pages of the story. So, like, yeah, you're reading this and you're like, man, like this sounds interesting. And then like you decide, like, do is this something I want to like try out? Like, you know what I mean? Like, and you can safely do that with fiction with reading. Yeah. Yeah.

unknown 16:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 16:18

Yeah. And that book was good. Yeah. And it's not for everyone. And I know there's so many people out there who should talk her and what she's doing. And I hate that because like if you don't like something, just don't read it. Yeah. Don't read it. It's that simple. You don't need to bash somebody's style or what other people like because you don't like it. Just don't engage.

SPEAKER_01 16:38

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 16:41

And I love, you know, of course, we love all her other books too. And like when I mentioned her grandmother's gothic mansion, like her grandmother's story was like Phantom. Was it Phantom? Yeah. Yeah. Phantom. And then she did where's Molly? And it they're all connected with this world. Yeah. So, yeah, good stuff. Anything to add about Zaid or like whatever you anything you loved about that book?

SPEAKER_02 17:05

I just I just loved that book because I don't know where like I had no expectations of where it was gonna go. I just kind of went in on it or went into it. Like, okay, this is what um this is what we're reading now. It's gonna be a great book, whatever. And yeah. Yeah, and then here we are.

SPEAKER_04 17:20

Right. And that's how I feel like I'm kind of reading the book, her book now, like MDD, my dreadful darling darling. I'm just like, okay, I I let's see where this goes because it's it's interesting. You know, it's dark, and I just love it. I love it. It's dark, it's it's a little bit of romantic right now, but it's mostly just really dark, you know. Like, I don't even know. Anyway, yeah. All right, let's hear about Riot. Riot, Riot. We love Riot.

SPEAKER_02 17:50

So the ritual by Chantel Tessier or Tessier. I think it's Tessier, though. I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 17:58

Yeah, I like Tessier. You had said it the last time when we were on the phone, you were like Tessier. And I was like, Yes, please like that.

SPEAKER_02 18:06

It's the first novel in the Lourdes series, a dark romance set within the secretive world of Barrington University, where an elite society known as the Lords wield extraordinary influence over the school, the legal system, and the generations expected to follow in their footsteps. At the center of the story are Riot Archer, a future judge born into this powerful legacy, and Blakely Anderson, a young woman whose life becomes irrevocably intertwined within this after she enters the Lord's world. As their relationship develops, desire, dominance, secrecy, and loyalty become deeply entangled. Riot's need for control extends far beyond the bedroom. He closely monitors Blakely's life, dictates aspects of her appearance, isolates her from others, and repeatedly blurs the line between protection and possession. Throughout the novel, readers are invited to wrestle with the complicated intersection of consensual power exchange, coercive control, emotional vulnerability, and autonomy. What makes the ritual so psychologically interesting isn't simply the intensity. It's that beneath the rituals, the power struggles, and the dark romance is a man who has spent his entire life believing that control is the safest way to love and as a relationship that continually challenges that belief. By the end of the story, Riot makes a life-altering decision. Rather than accepting the prestigious j judicial position and powerful future that have always been expected of him, he walks away from those expectations to build a life with Blakely in Pennsylvania. Well, I don't need to say where, to build a life with Blakely, where they like get married and they start a family together, you know, because yeah. That's a lot. Yeah, that's yeah, that's kind of how it is. Okay. So the treatment plan for him presenting problems, difficulty tolerating vulnerability, reliance on control within relationships, emotional guardedness, rigid interpersonal expectations, and power-based communication. Core beliefs: control keeps me safe, vulnerability creates weakness. If I lose control, I lose everything, and love must be earned. Power prevents rejection. So some treatment goals and objectives, increased emotional vulnerability, improved boundary awareness, develop relational flexibility, increase insight into attachment, interventions, attachment-focused therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, CBT and interpersonal process like therapy, pretty much. Um, expected outcomes, improved emotional communication, healthier relational boundaries, increased tolerance for vulnerability, and stronger mutual trust.

SPEAKER_04 20:44

All right, treatment team meeting. Clipboards out. Let's dive into these gentlemen here. Okay, if and ladies, I suppose. If Adeline and Zaid walked into my office, I don't think our first conversation would be about BDSM, duh. I think we'd be talking about power, trust, and how each of them defines safety within a relationship. My immediate clinical impressions, I feel like clinically we'd see two people navigating an intense relationship where control, vulnerability, attraction, and fear all exist simultaneously. The psychology isn't simply about obsession, it's about what each person believes control is protecting them from.

SPEAKER_02 21:21

Yeah. Yeah. Alright. If Riot walked into my office, my first impression would probably be this is someone who appears incredibly confident, but doesn't easily let people see what's underneath. He'd likely present as composed, articulate, and emotionally contained. I'd immediately become curious about what happens when he's no longer in control. Um, he appears highly organized around that control, control of himself, his situations, his relationships. I'd also be concerned by behaviors that move beyond dominance into coercive control, monitoring a partner through hidden cameras, you know, like limiting autonomy, controlling clothing, using punishment outside of mutual. Negotiated boundaries. Yeah. Yeah. Um, those behaviors would raise significant clinical concerns because they're no longer just about preference or power exchange. They're about restricting another person's autonomy. And I'd want to better understand what emotional need those behaviors are serving and whether Riot can tolerate closeness without controlling it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:19

That's so true.

SPEAKER_04 22:20

He had a really hard time not having control.

SPEAKER_00 22:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 22:23

Yeah. Alright. Um, alright. So what they'd say versus reality. So Zay would probably tell us everything he does is to protect Adeline. Adeline would probably tell us she's trying to understand why someone who scares her can also make her feel deeply seen. Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 22:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 22:38

Yeah. Cause yeah, that's such a delicate situation. The reality is that both protection and autonomy matter, and healthy relationships require space for both. Alright, what about you? What would they say versus reality?

SPEAKER_02 22:54

So Riot would probably say the issue is trust, trusting others, trusting the system, trusting relationships. Um, but I'd wonder if the trigger if the trigger I'd wonder if the bigger issue is vulnerability. That's a trigger. Because people who struggle with vulnerability often mistake emotional safety for control. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 23:14

Yeah, that's so true. Yeah. Yeah. Alright, what do we work on first? We'd spend a lot of time exploring boundaries, not just physical ones, but emotional ones. How do each of them define trust? What does control mean to them? Which parts of their dynamic are intentionally negotiated, and which parts are assumptions?

SPEAKER_02 23:32

Yeah. Okay. So before exploring the relationship itself, I'd want to understand Riot's relationship with control. What happens internally when he doesn't know where someone is? What thoughts or fears show up when he isn't the one making the decisions? Because who wants to do the deciding for me? Sorry, I'm sorry. No, it's fine, because you're right. Because if control has become the way he regulates anxiety, taking away the behavior without addressing the fear underneath it isn't likely to create lasting change.

SPEAKER_04 24:01

Alright, counter transference. This would probably be one of those sessions where we constantly need to remind ourselves that we're discussing but discussion. We're having a discussion. We're having a discussion about fictional characters in a fictional world. Yeah, because it might it's gonna be distracting 100% sure. Because I'm gonna be like, yeah, Avalon, what's wrong with you? What's nothing's wrong with what he's doing? This is great. This is love. He loves you, you know. Um, no, but our job wouldn't be to judge the relationship, it would be to understand the psychology underneath it while recognizing the difference between fictional fantasy and real world, real world relationships.

SPEAKER_02 24:38

Yeah, yeah. I wouldn't really, I would probably wouldn't even know about what's actually going on because the Lords is this secret society, yeah. That's right. So, like if he was just coming in though, and I would just see him. I don't really know. Yeah, because how much is he gonna talk about? I would admire his confidence, like it would be like on a surface level, I think. Yeah, like um notice the moments where I feel like pulled into like seeing his way in the relationship. Because if he's telling me, like, think about it like this with this situation, this girl, his girl, there's layers to it, right? But essentially, she agreed to become like a possession. Yeah, like she did. So he's coming to me and he's telling me, Oh, my wife, my girlfriend, because they eventually get married, right? Right, like my girl, she agreed to do all this, everything's cool. This is what we're going through right now. We're going through this and that. Like, yeah, this is my life, this is my situation. I would be getting that information. I'm like, okay, well, she's consenting, right? Everything is cool. Like, so I don't know. So I would just That's so true though. I would just have to make sure that I remember that I'm only getting his side of right, like whatever it is. Because how do I know that he's not going too far? Or yeah, yeah. When when you have a relationship like that, I think it would have to be maybe couples therapy if you're gonna do that.

SPEAKER_04 25:51

For sure. Yeah, I agree.

SPEAKER_00 25:52

Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 25:53

All right, so intervention? All right. For intervention here, a lot of our work would focus on communication, emotional vulnerability, trauma, and agency. We'd also explore how power exchange differs when it's built through mutual trust, ongoing consent, and open communication rather than assumption or control.

SPEAKER_02 26:11

I'd spend a lot of time helping Riot differentiate protection from possession. We'd explore attachment patterns, emotional regulation, and healthier ways of tolerating uncertainty in relationships. I'd also introduce conversations around autonomy, consent, and boundaries, recognizing that healthy intimacy requires both people to have the freedom to choose, not simply the willingness to comply. Ultimately, I'd want him to discover that trust isn't built through surveillance or control, it's built through vulnerability, communication, and respect.

SPEAKER_04 26:44

Yeah, yeah. I agree. That's I mean, it's obviously very similar, right? Yeah. Yeah. Alright, the hard truth. So here is the hard truth. Control can create the feeling of certainty. Trust requires tolerating uncertainty. And vulnerability is often much harder than either. That's so true.

SPEAKER_00 27:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 27:04

Because control, trust, but like being vulnerable is a different thing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:10

Yeah. And I think control can create compliance, but it can't create emotional safety.

SPEAKER_04 27:16

Oh my god, yes. Yeah. Hell yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:20

But you know, with my if you remember, because I remember, like, we read this, but it w it feels like a while ago.

SPEAKER_04 27:25

It was so long ago. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:27

How long ago was it? Like maybe like four or five years.

SPEAKER_02 27:30

Yeah. But um, she like how she ended up with him, remember? Like, he she went to that party and then her boyfriend was cheating on her with some girl that was there. Yeah. And she was like saving herself for him because they're not supposed to have sex, like none of the guys, none of the lords. Right. They're not allowed to, you know, have sex. Or in Secola, so whatever was saying. Yeah. Sex.

SPEAKER_01 27:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:55

But she wanted it, you know, and she's like, I'm begging him for it, and he's over here literally cheating on you with someone. Like, what was that? But yeah.

SPEAKER_04 28:04

She was loving it. Yeah, yeah. Alright, bringing it back to real life. So whether you're reading dark romance or living your own love story, boundaries aren't about limiting connection. They're what allow trust, intimacy, and vulnerability to grow safely. The healthiest relationships aren't built because one person has all the power. They're built because both people have the freedom to choose.

SPEAKER_02 28:26

Yeah. Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 28:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:30

All right. So I think this is why dark romance sparks so so much conversation. Most readers aren't looking for relationship advice, they're exploring fantasy. Fantasy gives us permission to explore power, desire, danger, and intensity in a safe fictional space. But in real relationships, intensity isn't the same thing as intimacy. And one of the healthiest questions we can ask ourselves is Thank you. Can I express desire without sacrificing my boundaries?

SPEAKER_04 28:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:59

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 29:01

Yeah. Man. You know, it's a really interesting, like, oh my God, remember BDSM test.org.

SPEAKER_02 29:07

Oh my gosh. The BDSM test, I feel like, you know, you I definitely ask you for it every time, like, there's a new bleep town. Yeah. Yeah. I'm like, send me that test. And I always send it, and I like that my judgment is usually spot on because they're always exactly what you want. Is opposite or what is you know compatible with my situation. I love that test, guys.

SPEAKER_04 29:30

If you want to know what kind of sexual deviant you are, PDSm test.org.org.org. But like, yeah, I love that test. And I just love to see like you know what you are, right? But like just to see it, you're like, yeah, got it. You know, like I answered the questions like, yeah, truthfully. You know. Yeah, you gotta answer it truthfully.

SPEAKER_01 29:49

If not, then you're not gonna, it's not gonna be accurate.

SPEAKER_04 29:51

Right. Yeah, but yeah. Yeah. Uh even yeah, we've just got some uh good stuff. I'm just like living my reliving my life in my head. Yeah, relive your life in my head. Just experiences and just like testing things out and like you know, it was pretty dope. I don't know if it's like a full-time thing, but like, you know, you want to experience stuff, so like you should, everybody. Within your limits and comfort, obviously. But yeah. Guess what it's time for? Paint, paint, pain in the plot. Abe. Let her do stuff, let her, let it do stuff. So let her stop, don't you? Don't let it stop the pain and the plot. Yes. Don't stop, don't stop, because it's the pain and the plot. Okay, the moment I will be talking about one of haunting Adeline's most infamous and talked-about scenes occurs when Zaid and Adeline engage in an intimate encounter involving an unloaded gun. That's right, you heard it right, people. An unloaded gun. The moment dramatically escalates the intensity of their relationship and has become one of the most debated scenes in dark romance, exploring the complex intersection of fear, desire, power, and consent. Spot on. Spot on. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 31:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 31:08

The pain. Adeline is forced to confront that the tension between fear, trust, vulnerability, and the desire is emotions that don't fit neatly into one category. Zaid continues to blur the line between protector and predator, pushing both his own boundaries and Adeline's in ways that challenge their understanding of power and control. Their relationship is built on an imbalance of knowledge and power, making every intimate moment a negotiation of trust, autonomy, and choice. The shift, the relationship moves beyond obsession and pursuit into a deeper psychological and emotional entanglement. I don't know if I want that. I like the obsession and pursuit. Um, Adeline in the book. Not in real life. Do not be obsessed with me like crazy like that in real life. That's me. I'm the one who likes that.

SPEAKER_00 31:53

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 31:55

I like a different guy. Okay, but we'll get to it in the games. Hello. All right. Adeline begins confronting the parts of herself she tried to suppress while Zaid allows more of his emotional vulnerability to surface beneath his need for control. And their connection becomes increasingly defined by mutual risk, forcing both characters to navigate intimacy in ways neither of them fully understand. Yeah, like that seatbelt. Oh my gosh, now we're gonna see the Chris Crowe seat belt. Because I've always like pictured that. It's so funny. There's like TikToks of girls like just in the car, and you see them and they're like, How did this work? But I don't remember. I think like her legs were like in the two front seats and the seat belts were like tying her down, and then she was in the back seat or something. It was something crazy. I don't even remember. It was wild. Alright, read the book. Um read the book.

SPEAKER_00 32:42

Okay, the plot.

SPEAKER_04 32:44

The scene marks a turning point in the evolution of their relationship, shifting the focus from pursuit to emotional attachment. It reinforces one of the novel's central conflicts, the constant push and pull between control and surrender, fear and trust, autonomy and vulnerability. From this point forward, every interaction between Zaid and Adeline carries greater emotional weight.

SPEAKER_00 33:04

Zadeline.

SPEAKER_04 33:05

Zateline, yeah. Deepening the psychological complexity of their relationship. So I don't actually think this scene is about the gun. I think it's about what the moment reveals. It's the magnifying glass that brings all the power dynamics, vulnerability, and blurred boundaries in the relationship into sharp focus. But it's also a little bit about the gun.

SPEAKER_03 33:24

The gun, the gun, the gun, the gun, the gun, the gun, the gun. Oh my god, that was funny.

SPEAKER_04 33:30

But like that's not oh my god, I feel like we just had the gun, the gun, the gun. People are gonna think we're like murdering people. But it had to do with psych ward, our job. Yeah, yeah. Okay. That was so funny. Yeah, just tell them your song's suicidal. The gun, the gun, the gun.

SPEAKER_02 33:44

Exactly. Yeah. Okay. If you know, you know.

SPEAKER_04 33:46

If you know, you know.

SPEAKER_02 33:47

Okay. What you got? So for me, the moment throughout the ritual, Riot and Blakely's relationship exists in the space where desire, dominance, and emotional dependence consistently cause collide. As their bond deepens, the tension shifts from who has the power to what love actually requires. So my moment is basically when he falls for her and he decides, you know, he this was his mission, remember, to love her, like to choose her. Right. And she was like his nemesis girl. Yeah. Enemy. Yeah, his enemy's girl. So yeah, yeah. Anyway, okay. Wow. So the pain, fear of vulnerability, reliance on control as emotional security, blurred boundaries between consensual power exchange and coercive control, difficulty tolerating uncertainty in relationships, intimacy expressed through dominance instead of direct emotional communication. The shift. Moments of genuine vulnerability begin replacing emotional distance. Riot starts choosing connection over status. Control becomes less about preserving power and more about confronting what he's afraid to lose. So the plot. He walks away from the prestigious judicial position, waiting for him in New York, rejects the expectations of his family and the lords. Okay, so like he basically chose Blakely over that situation, like with the Lords. Like he always wanted to do it, and he chose her over that. But I think Rashe Reddit already told me something like the way it sets up. Here, let me just finish this. So um he chooses to build a life with Blakely in like out of the city where they marry and begin raising their family together. 18 years later, he's still a respected judge, still married, and now facing a new challenge. How to raise his own sons without repeating every tradition that shaped him. You know, so the thing is that's why I I put this in here because I mean that's why I can't say that the pain wasn't worth the plot here. Because we literally get a glimpse, a glimpse, uh whatever, uh sh look into his future. Yeah. So we see that it kind of was worth it because like I said, I haven't read the books, but if it's worth having more books like this, I I'd say yeah, something happened. I agree. I agree. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 36:04

I think her pain was worth was worth the plot too. Yeah. I'm not gonna say that's even if it's uh out of bounds. It was boundaryless and limitationless. And limitationless limitless.

SPEAKER_02 36:16

Limitless. Yeah, and lit, we lit and lit and limitless.

SPEAKER_04 36:22

What are boundaries? Limitless. Let her do stuff. Let her let her do stuff. Okay, where's your line? Where's your where's your line? It's game. It's time for our first game.

SPEAKER_02 36:33

Where's your line?

SPEAKER_04 36:35

We're about to find out just how dark our reading tastes really are.

SPEAKER_02 36:39

Hold on, but before we go, how dark they are, can we start like how innocent this was with the boundaries and limitations? Like how I had this as a um this was the it was the contact name name for bleep. Like when I just had to set boundaries and limitations with bleep. Like and I was like, no, every time he called, like I said.

SPEAKER_04 36:58

This was the emotional boundaries and limitations, not yeah, no, it wasn't a physical thing. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:03

But yeah, man, it was just like I had to remind myself, like, that's how bad I was I was in deep, deep, deep, deep. Yeah, that shit fed you up.

SPEAKER_04 37:11

Yeah, for years, for years. I still remember like the day you like cut. Accepted it, and I was like, Yeah, yeah, we were driving to Peak Skill, yeah, and you were just talking about. I still remember that day so clearly, yeah, because it was so bittersweet. Yeah. Oh, that was I love that love story though. I'm not gonna lie. I still love that love story. I mean, you must, yeah, you must, you must.

SPEAKER_02 37:34

He called me, I think, yesterday. Oh, really?

SPEAKER_04 37:37

Yeah, oh my god, I know he he reached out to you. Like, yeah, yeah, that was good. But that's where, yeah, that's where the boundaries and limitations came from.

SPEAKER_02 37:45

Yeah, so that's where it came from. It was just like anecdote. Yeah, yeah. All right, sorry.

SPEAKER_04 37:50

No, no, never be sorry because like they need to know.

SPEAKER_02 37:53

Okay, yeah. So I'm gonna throw out different characters, tropes, plots with, and relational relationship dynamics. And you have to decide where you draw the line. Remember, fiction only and no judgment.

SPEAKER_04 38:05

Well, maybe a little judgment. Okay. What are the choices?

SPEAKER_02 38:10

Give me more, depends, or DNF immediately.

SPEAKER_04 38:15

Alright, and DNF if you don't know what that means, like literally. You didn't finish. Yeah, not finished. Did not it's the DMX list. Yeah, the DMX list. Okay, go ahead, round one.

SPEAKER_02 38:25

Alright, round one, the men. Okay. Would you read a book where the MMC is a morally gray anti anti-hero? Give me more. Yeah. Yeah. A masked vigilante.

SPEAKER_04 38:35

I'm not really into masked men, so like maybe it depends. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:39

A serial killer. Give me more. Yeah. A mafia boss. Depends. Yeah. A monster or like non-human. Um depends again. Yeah. A villain who gets the girl. Give me more. Yeah, a stalker. Give me more. Hell yeah. A cult leader.

SPEAKER_04 38:56

I don't like I'll DNF that because I don't really care about a cult. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:01

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 39:01

Okay, round two, the relationship. Would you read Enemies to Lovers? Yeah, give me more. Give me more too. Uh Stalker Romance. Give me more. Yeah. Captor, captive. Give me more. Forced marriage. Uh depends. Okay. Yeah. Secret Society romance. I guess you could give me more. Okay. That's a DNF for me.

SPEAKER_02 39:21

I don't know. You know?

SPEAKER_04 39:23

I guess it depends. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:24

You know what?

SPEAKER_04 39:24

It depends. I never read a Secret Society romance, so I shouldn't judge it.

SPEAKER_02 39:27

I just know, like, I watch Secret Society, like this movie. Okay. It's a whatever movie. And it's like so good to me. So I said, oh, Secret Society. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 39:36

Well maybe you gotta check it out. Yeah. Alright, Forbidden Romance. Fuck yeah. Are we? Age gap? Frick yeah again. Hell yeah. And why choose? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:45

Yeah, give me more. Alright. Round three. The spice. Yeah. How dark are we getting? Praise kink.

SPEAKER_04 39:52

Give me more.

SPEAKER_02 39:53

BDSM. Give me more. Power exchange. Give me more. Daddy kink.

SPEAKER_04 39:58

Give me more. Mask kink. The bends.

SPEAKER_02 40:02

Weapon play. Yeah. Yeah, give me more. Give me more. Breeding kink.

SPEAKER_04 40:07

That's kind of weird to me. Yeah. I'm gonna do that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 40:11

Um, consensual non-consent. Yeah, give me more. Give me more of that.

SPEAKER_04 40:16

Wow, friend, we're around the same wavelength, but in such different ways. Yeah. Love it. Okay, round four, the plot. Would this make you keep reading? Um Anonymous Admirer.

SPEAKER_02 40:25

Yeah, give me more.

SPEAKER_04 40:26

Hidden Protector. Give me more. Give me more. Secret Identity.

SPEAKER_02 40:31

I don't know. I guess it depends. Depends.

SPEAKER_04 40:33

Revenge romance.

SPEAKER_02 40:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 40:35

Faded Mates.

SPEAKER_02 40:36

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 40:38

One bed. Yeah, definitely. Cat and Mouse Attraction.

SPEAKER_02 40:42

Give me more.

SPEAKER_04 40:42

Who did this to you? Yeah, give me more. Give me more.

SPEAKER_02 40:45

Seven. Seven. Seven. Seven. Seven. That's funny. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 40:50

The book talk wars.

SPEAKER_02 40:52

Oh, it's your turn. Book talk can't agree on these. Pregnancy trope. DNA. DNA. I don't give a fuck. Don't GNF. Yeah. Cheating trope. Cheating trope. Yeah, it depends, I guess. I don't really care for it. But if it's like a you know, a kinky side piece situation, you know, like just for fun. Not like, I don't know. Yeah, it depends. Yeah, it depends. Love triangle.

SPEAKER_04 41:17

Give me more.

SPEAKER_02 41:18

Yeah. Amnesia trope. Yeah. Yeah. I like it. Priest romance. It depends. It depends. Groveling MMC. Yeah, maybe. Give me more of that. Yeah. Cult romance. No.

SPEAKER_04 41:32

I'm gonna do enough that, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:33

And taboo family romance. Yeah. Give me it depends.

SPEAKER_04 41:38

Well, yeah, you're right. It depends on the dynamic. Yeah. Yeah, like if it's like your stepcousin or your step-something, like, you know, or your stepfather's sons. Yeah. Your stepfather's sons. Credence. Yeah. But like there's this book, you know, Dana Vipers. It's like the girl with the five brothers. And the five brothers are like, I think they're adopted or something. Like some are biological, some are adopted. But like it's the five brothers and like her. But then like the brothers are like messing with each other. My choice. Like the adopted ones are messing with each other while they mess. Yeah, because why choose? That book is filthy. I never finished it, but I'm gonna get there. We need to read more of that stuff.

SPEAKER_02 42:15

Give me, give me more, give me more, give me more. Okay. Okay, fiction hot, real life not. We've spent this whole episode talking about why dark romance works so well in fiction. So now we're going to do something very unfair. I'm gonna read different dark romance scenarios.

SPEAKER_04 42:31

And we're gonna decide how we'd react if they happened in real life.

SPEAKER_02 42:35

Book boyfriend goggles are officially off. Therapist brains only. Alright, your choices. I'm in love. We need to talk. Call nine one one. Alright. Because Alexa be listening. And yesterday she was like, Do you want me to call the girl? Okay. So stalker era.

SPEAKER_04 42:56

Now this is like if this was happening to us. I'm just like getting myself brain on.

SPEAKER_02 43:01

How we'd react if they happened to happen to us. Okay. Okay. So section one is the stalker era. He climbs through your bedroom window. I'm in love. We need to talk or call you know the po I just like. Do I know you're gonna climb climb through my bedroom window? We you know it might happen, but the first time.

SPEAKER_04 43:22

Let's just the first time I'm calling 911 because like I don't know who's coming through my window. I'm scared. Yeah, yeah. Um, yeah, what about you climbing through your bedroom window?

SPEAKER_02 43:30

Um, we need to talk. We need to talk, but I like it. Okay. He somehow always knows exactly where you are.

SPEAKER_04 43:36

All right, we we need to talk.

SPEAKER_02 43:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 43:39

Yeah. Like I like it, but we need to talk. Yeah, I'm not in love with that. Yeah. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:44

He memorizes your coffee order before ever speaking to you.

SPEAKER_04 43:47

I'm in love. Yeah. Thanks for paying attention.

SPEAKER_02 43:49

Yeah. He leaves anonymous flowers on your doorstep every Friday.

SPEAKER_04 43:53

I'm in love too. I like that.

SPEAKER_02 43:54

Yeah, we need to talk though. He knows your birthday, your favorite color, and your dog's name before your first. I mean, what's wrong with that? Yeah, thank you for your research. He somehow has a key to your apartment that you definitely didn't give him. No meaning it's a talk. It depends on how big his muscles are. Like for me, I need like if he's big and strong like that, then I don't give a fuck. Come in here whenever you want because I'm not gonna be like, you know what I mean? But like what if he just shows up and opens your door and you never gave him a key? Yeah, but once I saw that he was there all big and muscled, okay, you and there for me, like I would be like, Oh, thank god, yeah. Okay, thank you for coming home.

SPEAKER_04 44:34

You know, like I would be very satisfied with that. All right, so yeah, okay, yeah. We still need to talk, yeah, because I got anxiety and you can't just be showing up here paranoid.

SPEAKER_02 44:43

He leaves handwritten notes in places only you'd find them. I love it. I love it too. He says, You don't know me yet, but you will.

SPEAKER_03 44:52

That was really good. Yeah, thank you.

SPEAKER_04 44:54

Um, we need to talk because what would you mean? Exactly. Yeah, okay, section two, possessive men. Yeah, this is me. I'm probably gonna love every single one of them. Just a heads up. I'm in love with everything. Just let's even skip. I'm in love. No, I'm just kidding. Okay. He says, You're mine. Love it. He tells another man, touch her inside. Yes. He growls because someone flirted with you.

SPEAKER_01 45:17

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 45:19

He steps between you and another man before he even speaks to you.

SPEAKER_02 45:23

Mm-hmm. Oh, I remember when we did this.

SPEAKER_04 45:25

Yeah, you said we need to talk.

SPEAKER_02 45:26

Did we record that?

SPEAKER_04 45:27

No, but you had said we need to talk because what if the man is like my brother or my dad or something? Yeah. Yeah, that part. Yeah, I agree.

SPEAKER_01 45:35

Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 45:36

He puts his hand on the small of your back anytime someone gets too close.

SPEAKER_01 45:39

I love it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 45:40

He says eyes on me.

SPEAKER_01 45:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 45:43

Yeah. He introduces you as my girl before you've made it official. Yeah, I love it. I love that too. He silently moves you behind him the second he senses danger. Yes. Yeah. Absolutely everything.

SPEAKER_02 45:54

Okay. Alright, section three. Filthy. Ooh. He whispers, good girl. Good girl. Yeah, I'm in love. He calmly says, look at me.

SPEAKER_04 46:07

I'm in love. Yeah. He tells you, hands behind your back. I'm in love. I'm in love with that accent.

SPEAKER_02 46:15

He says, Y'all going to take everything I give you. I would be so nervous. I know. You're going to take everything I give you. I'm like, I'm going to be like, are you going to kill me? What's happening? No, but if he's like, you're going to take everything I give you.

SPEAKER_04 46:30

Oh my god, yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 46:31

Everything. He tells you, open.

unknown 46:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 46:35

He asks, Are you going to be good for me? Yeah, I'm in love. He says, use your words. I'm in love. He says, You're not done until I say you're done.

SPEAKER_04 46:47

Yeah, I'm in love.

SPEAKER_02 46:49

He tells you.

unknown 46:51

Beg.

SPEAKER_04 46:52

Yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 46:58

On this side of the room. He whispers. I'm blushing.

SPEAKER_02 47:01

He whispers. You can take one more. One more. What? You need to talk. But I love it. I don't know. Yeah, it thinks, yeah. Yeah. He asks, Who do you belong to?

SPEAKER_04 47:14

I love it. Yeah. We loved all of those. Yeah. Yeah. Oh my god, I'm blushing. Mission accomplished. Love it, love it, love it. Oh, I hope y'all are blushing too. This is so crazy. Okay. Oh, thank God I didn't have to do all that acting.

SPEAKER_01 47:26

What?

SPEAKER_04 47:27

You did a great job. You win an Academy Award for that performance.

SPEAKER_01 47:32

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 47:33

If anyone needs her to do dirty, whatever. It's just You're gonna do what? If anyone needs you to do dirty acting or dirty voiceovers, email us at info at onceupons.com.

SPEAKER_02 47:44

Yeah. And I'll leave your voicemail. I'll be like Okay. Oh what? I don't want it.

SPEAKER_04 47:48

Okay, stop. Stop.

SPEAKER_02 47:50

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 47:50

Section No, I'm cutting that up. Yeah. Anyway, go. Section four, Morally Gray. We love him. Okay. He lies to protect you. Uh, I love it, but we need to talk. Yeah, agreed. He destroys evidence after defending you.

SPEAKER_01 48:04

Yeah, I love it. I love it.

SPEAKER_04 48:05

Cause like, how would I even know? Yeah. He blackmails someone who's threatening you.

SPEAKER_01 48:09

Yeah, thanks.

SPEAKER_04 48:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:11

I love it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 48:13

He pays someone to disappear from your life forever without asking you first. Nah, we gotta talk. Or call 911 because you can't. That's crazy. What do you mean disappear? It's too much. It's too much. Yeah. Okay. He makes a life-changing decision for you because he believes you would never choose it yourself. I love it. She would love somebody to make all her decisions. See? Yeah. That's Rachel. And that who does she ask? Who took the job? Monica, me. Remember? When Rachel was like, I need someone to make all my decisions. And Monica was like, also it.

SPEAKER_02 48:44

Oh, that episode just happened. I guess.

SPEAKER_04 48:46

Yeah, but that's what I said. They remind me of me and you.

SPEAKER_02 48:48

Yeah. I was just watching that episode.

SPEAKER_04 48:50

Shit, that's so funny. Okay. Um, he threatens someone instead of reporting them because he doesn't trust the justice system.

SPEAKER_01 48:56

Yeah. I'm okay with that. Yep. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 48:59

He keeps a devastating secret from you because he thinks knowing would break you.

SPEAKER_02 49:03

Hmm. I mean It depends, you know, like I don't know, then Yeah, I trust him. So yeah, whatever. I love it.

SPEAKER_04 49:11

Yeah. If you know it's gonna break me, then don't break me.

SPEAKER_01 49:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 49:14

He lets every he lets everyone hate him if it means you'll never know what he sacrificed. Yeah, I love it. I love that. That's it.

SPEAKER_02 49:21

Yeah, eventually we'll need a talk because the truth always comes out. Yeah. But I love it. And I'll get it. I'll understand why. Yeah. Alright, okay. Last session they unhinged. Alright. Okay. He buys the apartment across the hall so he can keep an eye on you. Uh yeah, I love that. Yeah, sure.

SPEAKER_01 49:40

I love that. Anything to protect me. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 49:44

Perfect.

SPEAKER_02 49:45

He has an entire room dedicated to pictures of you. Sure. But like also we need to talk. We need to talk, but I'm okay. I'm okay with that.

SPEAKER_04 49:56

Yeah, let's talk first. Let's talk about it. Yeah, exactly. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 50:00

He followed you to another country because he couldn't let you go alone. Thank you. Thank you for your consideration.

SPEAKER_04 50:06

But you can just come with me. You don't have to like sneak to say I'm coming because I don't want you to go alone.

SPEAKER_02 50:11

Snaky Snake. We love that. Yeah. All right. He secretly paid off all your debt without ever telling you. I love you. Where are you? Hello? Come here. Find me now. Bring the youth super to me.

SPEAKER_03 50:24

Bring Aegon the Youth Supper to me. Bring the debt payer to me. Email us at once. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Just kidding not.

SPEAKER_02 50:36

He hacked your phone so he'd always know where he'd always know you were saved. Sure. I don't care. I don't give a shit. I have my location. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 50:43

Whatever. And check it. Yeah, just whatever.

SPEAKER_02 50:46

Yeah. And then argue with me if you want to know where I am because I love a little soxon. Exactly. Alright. He introduces you as his future wife the first time you meet his friends. Yeah. Absolutely. Fuck yeah. Love it. Yeah, he knows where he's going. That kid's going places. Okay. Drogo's going places. No joke. He has your name tattooed on him before you've even kissed. Sure? Sure. Love it. Yeah. Sure? Yeah, love it. He says, You can leave, but you'll always come back to me.

SPEAKER_01 51:17

Uh I love it. Whatever. I guess. Sure. Right. You know you know.

SPEAKER_04 51:22

Who am I to argue? If you know. If you know, you know. I'm just gonna stand there like a bobo, like Bobo.

SPEAKER_02 51:27

Maybe all right, and just like that, we've officially wrapped up season one of Once Upon a Session. Oh my god, honestly, it's kind of surreal. When we started this podcast, we just wanted a place to talk about books through the lens of psychology.

SPEAKER_04 51:45

What we didn't expect was finding so many people who wanted to come on that journey with us.

SPEAKER_02 51:49

So whether you've been here since season since it's it's since it sounded like that. So whether you've been here since session one or you just found us today.

SPEAKER_04 51:59

Thank you for laughing with us, learning with us, and letting us overanalyze your favorite fictional characters.

SPEAKER_02 52:05

And don't worry, this isn't goodbye.

SPEAKER_04 52:07

We got a few bonus sessions coming your way while we're getting season two ready. Trust us, our TBR isn't getting any smaller. No, it's not. We just added like 10,000 books today.

SPEAKER_02 52:17

And we still want you to be a part of this world with us. So send us your book recommendations, character obsessions, or topics you want us to cover and like do it, do it now because like we're getting season two ready. Yeah. You know, so we're gonna be recording, and it can be what you want. Like, do you want it now or do you want it never? I want it now. That's it.

SPEAKER_04 52:37

And you can all this all this and you can where did all this go? Albus Dumbledore. Albus Dumbledore. You can also find us on Instagram and TikTok at once upon a session pod.

SPEAKER_02 52:51

Or email us at info at onceuponassessionpod.com if you want to share thoughts, suggestions, or just scream about a plot twist with us. Or pay off our debt. Yeah. Yeah. Um, but like can we take a moment from like how good I got at that? So if you remember from season one, I could not fucking get that info at until that yeah, it's a one and done.

SPEAKER_04 53:15

I couldn't react email.com. It was too much.

SPEAKER_02 53:18

I don't know why. But yeah.

SPEAKER_04 53:20

No, I love it. Yeah. And just also our journey. Like, we literally just did this for fun and we love it.

SPEAKER_02 53:26

And thank you all for fucking watching, like listening through our bad audio, seriously. Yeah, no, yeah. We didn't know what we were doing, but like now we have we have our mics, we have our little setup, and yeah, I think it's nice hearing back. I think that's my favorite part, like when we hear back from listeners, because we are very early in our, you know, in our podcasting journey, and I feel like the the people who are listening now are the ones that are like, yeah, you know, just include more banter. So thank you for you, bleep, yeah, for saying that that's what the people want. And we started adding a little more banter into it, and I love it even more now.

SPEAKER_04 53:59

I know me too. I love that. And we want more of that. Give us feedback, give us what you want, and like video coming soon. Yeah, because we're just gonna do that.

SPEAKER_02 54:06

Season two is video, yeah, yeah, and also we have like new games, one featuring like our voice notes, right? So that's gonna make sense. It's going down. Season two is gonna be like, yeah, it's gonna be worth it. So just hang in there with us. Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 54:21

Go back, listen, re-listen, whatever you want to do. Be listen, be listen, be listening. We love it. We appreciate it so much.

SPEAKER_02 54:27

Yeah. Alright. So okay, wait. So did we do a takeaway? We didn't say a takeaway.

SPEAKER_04 54:35

I wouldn't takeaway.

SPEAKER_02 54:36

From this video.

SPEAKER_04 54:37

Oh, final thought. Yeah, we didn't do it. Oh, oh yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_02 54:40

I mean, I don't know that I have any.

SPEAKER_04 54:42

I just realized we didn't do it. We didn't do it last one too, but I feel like last one we had a lot of takeaway in the midst.

unknown 54:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 54:49

Alright, well, final thoughts. Do what you're doing, have fun. Just make sure that like whatever it is that you want to do is understood by the person you're doing it with. Yeah. That's it. Like, it should be fun for everyone, period. That's it. I think that's my only role. Like, it should just be fun for both of us or all of us or whatever.

SPEAKER_04 55:05

Yeah. And I just have to say. Oh, I just have to say. Um, no, but just to add to that, I just have to say, like, push your boundaries a little bit, but have your limits. Yeah. All right. And be safe.

SPEAKER_02 55:18

Be safe and have fun and fun all along. We're out of here. So are we charging for this session? Emotionally, always.

SPEAKER_04 55:29

You leave me to laugh at myself. Alright, we'll see you for a few bonus sessions.

SPEAKER_02 55:35

And then we'll save you a spot on the same couch for season two with the same chaos. Yeah. So that's what we're gonna do, and we'll see you later.

SPEAKER_04 55:46

We'll see you in the ball or something. See you on the future. Not because every reader should have the same boundaries, but because oh, sorry.

SPEAKER_03 55:57

Oh my god, it's because I got distracted and I moved my phone right here so it looked like it was on the things and the microphone for the word. It was literally like this.

SPEAKER_04 56:14

Oh god.

SPEAKER_03 56:14

Sorry, guys. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 56:15

And I saw M E S S A, and I thought it was me.

SPEAKER_03 56:19

Okay.