01x19 - Muse Your Illusion

[bunniefuu]

- Citizens of Krapopolis,

I know that usually
when I call a town meeting,

it's about how many people d*ed
or are going to die,

but today, I'm here to unveil
the new Krapopolis flag.

[light applause]

And then afterwards,
we'll do deaths.

As you can see,
it is a bold cloth

dyed the color blue, which is
the most expensive color

because of how many snails you
have to grind up to make it.

These snails were from Crete.
[light applause]

Flags are a pretty new thing,
so I'll walk you through it.

This flag means us, and then

we have to protect it
with our lives.

Because if anyone takes it,

that means
we've become their prisoners.

That's just
how flags work apparently.

I'm still learning
about them myself.

[light applause]
OK.

I enjoy applause
as much as the next king,

but I also know the difference
between real applause

and the perfunctory kind.

And why are there so few people
here in the first place?

[laughter]

- Oh, mother,
you are my mother,

and I am a boy named Alexander,
not Tobias the Bricklayer.

- Oh, son, I am your mother,
a woman named Claire,

not Nico who milks goats.

- Why are they doing this?
That's Nico.

We can all see it's Nico.
- Shh.

- Mother, I am hungry.

I say this as Alexander
the boy.

Tobias has already eaten.

- This is the coolest thing
I've ever seen.

- Here is some bread to eat.
My hands are not empty.

They're holding bread.
I am a 30-year-old woman.

[crowd gasps]

- I'm sorry,
what are we watching?

- It's a brand new art form
I came up with.

I call it a play.

- The opposite of work.

- I am fed,
once again as Alexander.

- And I am happy as Claire,
even though you all know

I just lost my son
in real life.

- He did lose his son.
It's true.

[cheers and applause]

- Craig, what can I even say?

That was amazing.
- Oh, thank you.

Cool idea, right?
- Very cool idea.

How did you get it?
I mean, where did it come from?

How-- how did you do that?
- I don't know, I got inspired.

- Wait a minute.

When you say inspired,
do you mean the idea

just came to you
out of nowhere?

- Yeah.

- And you felt compelled
to just drop everything

and pursue it
and couldn't have let it go,

even if you had wanted to?
- Yeah, I guess.

- Run.
- Run?

Because a citizen was inspired?
- By muses.

[ethereal shimmering]

[crowd screaming]

- Oh, no.

Protect the flag.
Protect the flag.

[dramatic lyre music]

♪ ♪

[ethereal shimmering]

- Get out.
Shoo.

Make it go towards the window.
- All right. Everybody relax.

Science to the rescue.
- We're relaxed.

- This will keep them
from getting in our heads

and giving us ideas
we wouldn't normally have.

Muses hate copper.
- Everyone does.

Top five worst metals, easy.

- This'll buy me a little time
to come up with

a more permanent solution.

- I don't see
why getting good ideas

is such a big problem.

- Who said anything
about good ideas?

Most ideas are terrible.

- Anything that takes
one's mind off sex

is automatically suspect
in my book, my sex book.

It's a book about
sexual philosophy.

It's a very sexy book.
- You know what?

I'm sorry,
what is going on up here?

- Right?
OK, thank you.

Thought I was going crazy.

- Yeah, I wasn't
going to say anything.

Is this a bit or--

- I have neither the faintest
nor foggiest idea

what any of you are saying.

- Nor have I,
nor has any one of us,

yourselves included.
Most of all, in fact.

- Uh, all right.
[ethereal shimmering]

- Also, we live
in a society now.

Some people need
to be milking cows,

not suddenly dropping the udder
to start a modeling career.

Puts the city at risk.

- Hey, watch this.
Watch. OK. Wait.

Wait, hold on.
OK. See if I--

if I just do--
OK. Here we go. Here we go.

OK, I got to keep them
up in the air.

- Right, see?

Now we've lost the server
for the afternoon.

- And that's the least of it.

Muses do this so they can
consume our resources

while we're distracted.
They destroy cities.

- So what do we do?

- Well, if my calculations
are correct,

it should be possible
to catch and contain a muse.

- Go, get out of here.

[ethereal shimmering]

- This means something.

- Ah!

♪ And that is the story
of Deliria ♪

♪ The song I'm always singing
and doing this dance ♪

♪ Part 20 of 20,
then we start again ♪

- Off, sound off.

What's the command?
Is there a command?

I mean,
there should be a command.

Have you seen my husband?

Do you know anything
about this?

- May I speak?

- Well, unless there's another
way of answering my question.

- ♪ Well, the legend
of the mantitaur is ♪

♪ Known to the few,
speak of course ♪

♪ To the glories of the-- ♪
- I see.

No, speak, don't sing.

[dramatic lyre music]

- You're sure this will work?
- Oh, yeah.

These headbands
are pure copper,

and muses
cannot resist this bait.

Deploy couple on third date.

- So...

[ethereal shimmering]

- Here they come.
This is it.

Sealing exits.

[ethereal shimmering]

- We should spend
our lives together.

- I want to travel the world,
on my own.

- Now!
- [panting]

[air whooshing]

- Keep paddling, Stupe.

- Wait a minute, I got an idea.

- What are you doing?

- What if we built
a big house for the muses,

like a nest where they could
live and be comfortable?

Maybe bring food to them.
- Ty, she's been inspired.

- [panting]

[air whooshing]

- Sorry.
- That's all right, Stupendous.

It obviously wasn't your fault.

- I do still think we should
build them that house though.

- Of course, you do.

[insect buzzing]

- A metamorphosis?
Were you going to tell me?

- Well, it's only once
every 1,000 years.

- Well, it seems like
plenty of time to tell me.

- Who told you?
I'll tear them apart.

- Shlub, I get it.

You think I won't be attracted
to you during your process,

which is not unreasonable
for you to think

given what I've been told.

But as it happens,
the only part

I find unattractive
is you worrying

about being unattractive.

That's not the Shlub
I love and desire.

- And who said I was worried
about being unattractive?

To be perfectly frank,
the situation I wanted

to avoid was precisely this.

I'm far less attracted
to you when you're pitying me.

- I don't know if I've ever
heard you express

such a thing,
less attracted to me?

- I'm sorry, my darling,
it's just not the Deliria

I lie in sexual wait for,
like a jungle cat

stalking another
yet even bigger jungle cat,

except sexually.
- Well, in that case, go.

Metamorphose in private
to your heart's content

and know
that your devastating wife

is absolutely without pity
for you while you do.

- [growls]

- ♪ I thought this would be
a bigger story ♪

♪ But there's
nothing to solve ♪

♪ And nothing at all
to track or follow ♪

♪ Nothing at all to-- ♪

Molve? Uh, jolve?

ba-- ba-- ball-- ballve.

- Oh, they look mad.
- Yeah.

Well, we captured them
and have basically

been torturing them, so--
- What's this about torturing?

I'm not sure I--

- Now that we've
got them contained,

I've developed a way
to filter their inspiration.

Nothing but good ideas.
Check this out.

- Oh, hey, Gary.

I thought you got k*lled
in battle.

- Oh, no, I was-- I was able
to get my brains back in,

except for the part
that the dog ate,

and the parts
the ants carried off.

So I'm working
for your brother now.

- Right on. Very cool.
- Ready?

- All right, here we go.
- [inhales]

[ethereal shimmering]
Head, head.

Brain, brain.

Brain skull cover--

you could cover
soldier skulls with metal.

- So the enemy would
have to break two things

to get the brains out.
Interesting.

Oh, wait, that's helmets.

- But still not terrible
for someone with his brains

all over the place.

- This could be the thing
that gives Krapopolis

the edge over all other cities.
- So what do you say?

Are we gonna huff
these bodily fluids or what?

- [inhales]

[ethereal shimmering]

[dramatic music]

- A physical fitness regimen

could keep an army
ready for battle,

even when they're
not in battle.

[water gurgles]

♪ ♪

- [screams]

[grunts]

Huh?

♪ ♪

Whoa!

Drawings can be simplified
into standard shapes.

The shapes
could represent words.

No!
They could represent sounds.

That's how you do
a written language.

- [inhales]

[ethereal shimmering]

♪ ♪

OK, OK, this is good.

It looks like
a plan for governance,

representatives voting.
I like it.

And where do I sit in all this?
Are you serious?

[screams]

- What was your inspiration?
- Oh, nothing.

I mean, it'll be very useful,
but not--

you know, no big deal.
- All right.

Well, I'm excited
to go work on my thing.

- Yeah, me too.
You coming, Ty?

- Hm?
Yes, in just a bit.

You go ahead.
[inhales]

[ethereal shimmering]

There could be
several branches of government

so as to counter each other
so that no single one of them

becomes too powerful.
Oh, come on, this is stupid.

This is a stupid invention.

[ominous music]

[dramatic music]

- Let's try this again.

[inhales]
[ethereal shimmering]

Before arresting someone,
it should be upon us

to make sure the criminal knows

they have the right
not to tell us

whether they're guilty.
Oh, what's going on here?

Why is all my inspiration about
leaders not mattering anymore?

Can I get an idea that
doesn't put me out of a job?

[Muses speaking together]
Hey, nobody asked

for our opinion, but we could
have some insight about that.

We've been inspiring people
for a pretty long time.

- You can talk?

- [growls softly]

- Hm?

[screams]

Deliria?

- Shlub.

- [screams]

- Thank goodness I was here.

You're in no shape
to defend yourself.

- I believe that is
part of the appeal.

I'm incredibly tender.

My meat falls
right off the bone.

Predators can smell my molting
from a mile away.

But what are you doing here?

I thought we had agreed.

- I'm so sorry
for stalking you,

but I've decided
you can't be entirely trusted

to call your own sh*ts
during this process.

After all,
as you've just demonstrated,

you'd literally die
before accepting pity,

which is a risk
you're not allowed to take

because it intrudes on my right
to keep you alive.

- Well, I'm in no position
to disagree.

So as long as it's
what you really want to do,

you're welcome to stay here
and protect me.

But fair warning,
it gets gross.

Ah, mind the waspephants,
my dear.

[waspephant buzzing]

♪ ♪

[Muses speaking together]
It makes perfect sense.

Maybe a scientist or a warrior
can make do

with some watered down version
of what we do.

But for an idea
that will inspire a king,

you need the real deal.
- I knew it.

I knew it wasn't
something wrong about me.

- Remove the filter.
You're clearly a great mind.

You can handle the pure stuff.
- Wait a minute.

You're not just trying
to get in my head

so you can make me let you go
or something?

- [laughs]
Oh, wow, no, if only.

No, we don't want
to make you feel stupid.

Not everyone knows
all the muse rules,

but we can't make you
do anything.

All we can do is inspire,

whether that makes you
build a utopia

or k*ll your siblings
is entirely up to you.

- Well, here's hoping
it's the former.

[inhales]

[ethereal shimmering]

[creatures shrieking]

- [grunting]

At what point do they let up?

- I wish I could say,
but I'm afraid my memory

is fading,
another unpleasant side effect

of the metamorphosis.

It is possible
I'll forget who you are.

- Forget who I am?
- Yes.

And if that happens,
there's no guarantee

I'll have precisely
the same feelings for you,

or any at all
as a matter of fact.

- Well, that is a complication,
isn't it?

- Indeed.

But before I forget,
I should warn you

that in
the final molting stages,

I will emit an odor
that all magical beasts

will smell, and all will wish
to feast upon my pupal form.

It does rather attract
a higher order

of cosmic bogans.
- Oh, I'm fine with that.

But to clarify,
you will, of course,

eventually be back
to your old self?

- In other words,
you want to know if all this

is gonna be worth it--
the body horror,

the beasts, and the bogans.
- I suppose so, yes.

- That's a very
crucial question.

I regret to inform you that
I have forgotten the answer.

The good news is,
you're a sexy thing,

aren't you?

Perhaps we can get
to know each other.

What's your name?

[soft dramatic music]

- Hm.

- Um, what are you doing, Ty?
- Oh.

Hello, you're just in time.

I came up with
this incredible idea,

just really amazing.
- OK.

- Ready?
This.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

- No!

- Oh, my God,
I just realized something.

My entire life
has been a work of art,

and I finally know
how to finish it.

I'm beautiful.

♪ ♪

- When you got it, you got it.

[ethereal shimmering]

[people screaming]

[soft dramatic music]

♪ ♪

- I call this painting
"Pomegranate Man."

- Makes you think, doesn't it?

[ethereal shimmering]

- Hm.

[people grunting melodically]

- I'm a comment
on rampant consumerism.

Mmm.

- On the plus side,
some of these deaths

are absolutely gorgeous.
- Yeah.

I've seen a lot of guys die,
and none of them

were as thought provoking
as this.

- Did you see
"Pomegranate Man"?

- Yeah, you know, I actually
found that one disappointing.

- You did?
- But wait a minute.

Ty, why did you do this?

How could you let them
play you like this?

- I just kept getting
these visions

of how unnecessary I was
and how the best thing

I could do was make myself
even more unnecessary.

I guess I wanted to prove
that there was a role for me.

- Why didn't you tell us?
- I was ashamed.

- Wait a minute, shame.

The opposite of inspiration
is humiliation.

- Oh, yeah, like in the legend
of Inspo and Humil?

The whole point
of that famous parable

is Inspo and Humil
are opposites.

- That's it.
That's how we'll b*at them.

And by the way,
"Pomegranate Man"

was brilliant.
You're crazy.

[creatures shrieking

- All right,
you don't know who I am,

but you're still
the mantitaur I know,

whether you like it or not.
None of this is sexy or fun.

Well, not none,
the memory part has potential.

But either way,
I find I am here for it,

even the bad part.

- Marvelous,
because here that comes now.

[screaming]

[pulse booms]

[creatures chirping]

[creatures growling]

[creature roaring]

[creature roars]

[distant roaring]

- [gasps]

- [laughing]
- Ugh, well, all right.

We'll just--
- Mama.

- Oh, God.
[retches]

[people screaming]

[ethereal shimmering]

♪ ♪

[people screaming]

- Do I really need
to be on your back?

It doesn't feel
especially heroic.

- No time.
They've spotted us.

Go! Go!
- OK. Let's see.

- Now, Ty, now.

- I'm-- I'm terrified
of failure.

I'm-- I'm afraid
I won't be able

to do what anyone wants of me.

- That's what
I'm talking about.

- More, Ty, more shame.

- I hear myself
speaking sometimes,

and I just hear it how other
people must be hearing it,

and I want to fold into
the tiniest ball of nothing

and just cease to exist.

- You're doing it,
you pathetic idiot.

- You know--
- Keep going.

- Uh, um...

I tell myself I want to find
the perfect person

to spend my life with,
which, ironically enough,

if I'm being honest,
it's basically

mom and dad, what they have.

- [crying]

- But if I'm
really being honest--

- [crying]

- I'm not sure I even do care
about finding

the right person.
- No.

- Maybe what I really want
is for someone

to be dropped into my lap,
someone--

- Mama!
- Anyone...

- Get away
from my baby husband.

- And be with her forever,
no matter how we change.

- Mama!
- Oh. I'm here, love.

- [screams]

- Even if it would make
neither of us happy,

even if we knew
it was going to make

both of our lives worse
in almost every way.

- Mama!

- Because if I'm being honest,
the bottom line is,

I'm just terrified
of being alone.

- Mama.

- There, there, little one,
you're safe now.

[dramatic music]

- OK, just one left.

- Hit it with
some real nasty shame.

- Yes, I've got shame
in spades.

I tell, you I am--

wait, did you just get proud
about shame?

- No, I--

well, I guess I do have
a knack for it.

- [laughs]
You people have made me mad.

You could douse yourself
in copper sauce,

and I would still pick you down
to the bones.

- That doesn't sound good.
- Copper sauce?

- I got this.
- Ty, no.

- Don't worry, I have an idea.

Or rather, I don't.
- Huh?

Let me ask you something.

Aren't you a little tired
of having your whole thing

be in service to other people?

I ask because I relate.

Don't you think
you could market this?

Why don't you just
withhold inspiration

most of the time
and only give it to the people

who are the most grateful
for it?

That way, you can
make a name for yourself

and have leverage
over humanity.

All the credit,
they'll always give the credit

and none of the blame.

You can even ask them
for things in exchange.

Let them do the work.

- You know what?

That is the least inspired,
most obvious,

best idea I've ever heard.

It makes total sense.

I could be loved
by true artists

and poets, visionaries.

You're a lifesaver, chief.
Peace out.

- Wow, what do you know?

- All hail Tyrannis,
the patron saint

of mitigation, and compromise,
and second guessing.

[crowd cheering]

- Heh, all right.

- Well, this all seems
to have worked

itself out
without much trouble?

- Sure, and yours as well.

Actually,
what was yours exactly?

- Your father's metamorphosis.

- You look--
uh...

- I don't know
that I'd say it went well.

He did survive it, and he seems
to remember me again at least.

You do, yes?
Somewhat?

- Oh, quite a bit, my darling,
quite a bit indeed.

- But I became a mother figure,
and we bonded,

so we're never
going to have sex again.

- Oh, you hate to see it.
- End of an era.

- A real shame.
- Yes.

It was so
unsettlingly intimate,

it almost looped back around
into being sexual again.

- It did, didn't it?
- You tell me, mother.

[all screaming]

- How did it get grosser?

- You know, in a way,
I'm glad this happened.

The business
with the muses, it--

it was a lesson we needed.
- I agree completely.

My scientific brain just wanted
to control creativity,

which ultimately
should never be controlled.

- Yeah.
- You learn some things too?

- Oh, yes, of course.

But I--
I guess what I'm saying is,

this is a good thing.
No. You know what?

It's a great thing.
- I agree. I do.

It did end up working out.

- It sure did.

Do you think
I need to make a speech?

Do they expect that,
do you think?

- No, they're-- they're busy.
- Yeah, of course.

Carry on.
Don't mind us.

- [sobs]

[uplifting music]

♪ ♪

- Did you get any of that?

- Bento.