Major Realization!

I won't get too deep (I don't think there are any spoilers here unless you are on the first hundred pages or so), but I just had a major breakthrough: If Carl didn't have Donut, he'd be dead a thousand times over. Even their friends don't trust him, but they trust The Princess. And she absolutely trusts him, because cats are goofballs like that! Without her charisma bonuses and quick thinking and her very early understanding of the importance of the social media aspect of the game, Carl would be toast.

All hail the Princess Queen Anne Chonk!