LPN Deep Dives: Crescent City

Episode 29: It's a BRO-thel!

Hosts: Natalie Jean and Jackie Zebrowski
Release Date: December 23, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of LPN Deep Dives: Crescent City delivers Natalie Jean and Jackie Zebrowski's signature mix of raucous humor and thorough fandom analysis as they plunge into chapters 56 and 57 of Sarah J. Maas's House of Sky and Breath (HOSAB). It's high drama, emotional vulnerability, and a lot of sexually charged banter as the ladies recap major character developments, trauma responses, and the highly anticipated build-up to the Fall Ball—all with their trademark wit, improv, and honest friendship.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Masks, Balls, and Horny Chaos

Segment: 03:07–08:19

• The hosts open by riffing on masquerade attire, Ruehn's emotional issues, and getting "tithilated" by beaks (yes, really).
• They poke fun at the genre's tendency toward heavy-handed sexual tension, bringing in playful non-sequitur about animal anatomy.
• Notable recurring bit: The "bridge" (refers both to plot setting and the "mental bridge" of communication).

“You're given... Like Mr. Fantasy right now. Someone help me. Someone help me. You're gonna try and find my daylight holes?” – Jackie (05:00)

2. Brotherhood, Male Touch, and Boundaries

Segment: 08:20–13:39

• Dive into the Crescent City "bro squad"—Ruehn, Flynn, Declan—contrasting male and female group dynamics in both the books and real life.
• Conversation expands to social boundaries: why people touch pregnant bellies and tattoos without invitation.
• They argue that male-male affection is often more overt, but more easily sexualized in fiction.

“I have watched different men interact with him [Jeff] differently in a way of, like, being like, man, you're big... It's not shamed to grab on a big dude no matter what you are or who you are.” – Jackie (10:25)

3. Recap: Ethan’s Screw-Up and Trauma Processing

Segment: 13:47–23:13

• Picking up in Chapter 56, Ethan is in recovery after a botched mission. Jackie and Natalie pile on him for being “annoying,” even as they understand his trauma around Connor.
• Empathy for Ethan is balanced by eye-rolling at his inability to move forward—a refrain for much of the segment.
• Hypaxia’s kindness and Ethan’s self-doubt are highlighted; the hosts identify Hypaxia as “too good” for the group.
• Notable insight: Trauma is universal in Maas’s world, but some characters (like Ethan) get more sympathy than others.

“Everybody in this world has really bad trauma. Okay, Ethan... so be less annoying about it!” – Natalie (19:49)

4. Pack Dynamics, Found Family, and Fae Bro-Bonding

Segment: 23:14–25:12

• Deep dive into Ethan’s realization about the difference between wolf pack severity and the more supportive, if sarcastic, Fae friend group.
• Found family theme resonates: the Fae boys let Ethan in—“Why not?” as Declan says.

“Why they'd brought Ethan into their little circle was beyond him.” – Natalie (24:31)

5. Power, Titles, and The Princess Plot

Segment: 25:24–29:37

• The trauma and weight of titles for Bryce: her new status as a “princess” and Hunt’s as a “prince.” The hosts draw real-life comparisons to British royalty—never sexy, always fraught.
• The burden of inherited power and the complicated feelings that follow are unpacked, laced with sarcasm.

“If daddy wants a princess, that's what he's going to get.” – Jackie (26:13)

6. Therian and Hypaxia: Unlikely Friendship and Witch Politics

Segment: 29:37–36:12

• Natalie and Jackie explore the friendship between Tharion and Hypaxia, reminiscing about how their own support group might look like for “people forced to be engaged while loving other people.”
• Hypaxia’s tension with her coven is set up for later drama.
• The pair riff on the need for designated support groups for the romantically doomed.

"Tell me about your problems. You sound real fucked up. And that means I want to be your friend." – Jackie (27:52)

7. Masculinity, Hot Tubs, and Cold Plunges: Satirizing Fantasy Male Culture

Segment: 30:34–36:12

• Mock discussion of the “tough guy” antics of the Dread Wolves (Hammer and Mordoc), jokily picturing them in cold plunges and boas.
• Cold plunges become a metaphor for toxic masculinity—and the hosts make no secret of their preference for “hot tubs” instead.

“Listening to someone being like, 'You gotta be in the cold plunge'… It is just that mansplaining.” – Jackie (32:21)

8. Fall Ball Anticipation and Power Plays

Segment: 36:12–63:33

• Setting up for the ball, there’s elaborate discussion of Hunt and Bryce’s preparations—their outfits, the absurdity of etiquette training, and how stress is channeled into sex.
• Bryce’s bold move: announcing her mating to Hunt as a political maneuver, upending her father’s (the Autumn King’s) plans.
• The Asteri (godlike rulers) appear—virtually—at the party, setting an uneasy mood; anticipation and dread are palpable.

“She played their butt and their father, who hated public scenes. He could either risk calling his own daughter a liar, thus embarrassing himself, or play along.” – Natalie (61:35)

9. Ruhn and Day: Brain Bridge Banter and Masquerade Rendezvous

Segment: 41:01–51:18

• Ruhn and “Day” continue their mysterious mind-bridge flirtation, negotiating trust, friendship, and possible in-person rendezvous at the ball.
• “If you crap on your friends, they'll usually forgive you if you buy them a beer”—Jackie, turning the philosophy of friendship into literal toilet humor.
• Building up massive tension for an imminent reveal at midnight.

“She hesitated. Then she said softly, ‘Yes.’ Her flames seemed to reach for his stars and shadows. Midnight, she faded into embers on the wind. Midnight, she promised.” – Natalie & Jackie, quoting (51:18)

10. Closing Moments: Fan Theories, Sibling Sarcasm, and the Looming Threat

Segment: 54:00–64:36

• Sibling banter between Bryce and Ruhn is celebrated—“He tells her he's really glad she's his sister.” (62:52)
• The hosts joke about the “brothel” (BRO-thel) as a home base for emotional men.
• Fallout from Bryce’s public display remains, with the Autumn King fuming and the Asteri watching everything. A cliffhanger with palpable tension as the ball continues under their shadow.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• [04:55] Jackie: "Tithilated? Yeah. I don't know."
• [10:25] Jackie: "It's not shamed to grab on a big dude no matter what you are or who you are."
• [19:49] Natalie: "Everybody in this world has really bad trauma. Okay, Ethan... so be less annoying about it!”
• [24:34] Natalie: "Declan just kind of says, 'Why not?'"
• [27:52] Jackie: “Tell me about your problems. You sound real fucked up. And that means I want to be your friend.”
• [32:21] Jackie: “Listening to someone being like, 'You gotta be in the cold plunge.' It is just that mansplaining."
• [40:34] Jackie: "Who? Bryce. She's always got an idea full of them."
• [51:18] Natalie & Jackie (quoting): "She hesitated. Then she said softly, ‘Yes.’ Her flames seemed to reach for his stars and shadows. Midnight, she faded into embers on the wind. Midnight, she promised."
• [62:52] Natalie: "He tells her he's really glad that she's his sister."

Important Timestamps

• 03:07 – Episode proper begins: banter about masks and character cosplays
• 13:53 – In-depth book recap starts: Ethan’s recovery and recap of previous action
• 21:13 – The Fae friend group offers Ethan emotional support
• 23:24 – Contrasts between wolf pack and Fae support/friendship
• 25:24 – Bryce’s new title and its emotional cost
• 30:34 – Tharion and Hypaxia’s unlikely friendship; political maneuvering
• 41:01 – The mental “brain bridge” and the heated build toward a masquerade rendezvous
• 52:18 – Preparations for the Fall Ball, including Hunt and Bryce’s outfit admiration
• 59:07 – Bryce’s act of defiance at the ball, throwing off the Autumn King
• 63:33 – The Asteri appear at the ball, tension ramps up
• 64:36 – Episode content concludes

Tone and Style

• The hosts deploy a mix of racy humor, fangirl energy, and deep character empathy.
• Their improv veers between irreverent (beak fetishes, animal anatomy, smutty bridge jokes) and heartfelt (processing trauma, found family themes, boundaries).
• They are affectionate with Maas’s world, but unafraid to call out annoying tropes or character behaviors.
• Sarcasm, mutual ribbing, and inside jokes abound, especially about “the bridge,” the sexual fumblings of fantasy men, and the traumas endemic to Maas’s universe.

Episode Takeaways

• It’s a BRO-thel! is both a pun and a fitting theme: this episode is about the spaces where men in Crescent City can be vulnerable and affectionate with each other, in contrast to their society’s expectations—mirrored in the hosts’ own honest friendship.
• The fall ball looms as a crucible for secrets, sexual tension, and power plays—with Bryce’s chess move redefining her fate in front of the entire city.
• The impending masquerade meet-up holds promise for major reveals and fan swooning—but danger from the Asteri (and family drama) remains ever-present.