#tagging for spoilers just in case

[archmage--khadgar]

"Rumor Has It..." You intentionally blew every last drop of magic in Atiesh 'because' you knew the Dark Heart was a siphon. You sly fox. Burning as much of it as you could to deny it to an enemy.

"Oh, well now that would be telling, now wouldn't it?" He winks. "What's that they say about magicians never revealing their secrets because they've an ace up their sleeves? Or... is that two different sayings? Bah! The sentiment is the same either way. Mana strudel?"

[starrysnowdrop]

Why is Shadowbringers awesome?

Because the main villain, Emet-Selch, is a villain with some heroic qualities, while one of the most prominent heroes, the Crystal Exarch, is a hero with some villainous qualities. Subverting expectations, villains mirroring heroes and all that.

While it’s widely discussed in the fandom about Emet’s subversion of the villain archetype, the Crystal Exarch’s subversion of the hero archetype is not brought up nearly enough, and that makes me sad.

[mintsdraws]

so i went to a restaurant...

[bookofmirth]

Hi! You can wait to answer this if you want when you get back! I’m just curious and wanted to get it out before I forget because you seem to have a very good read on where the series are going! 

I know you don’t like talking about ships, but after reading HOFAS, who do you think Azriel is more likely to have his book with? You don’t have to answer this btw I’m just so curious. We know it’ll have two pov’s so it’s not just Azriel’s POV and though I’m a Gwynriel shipper I just wanted your kind of unbiased take on it. 

Hello friend, I don't mind talking about ships! I took a break for a while from talking about my notp (e*riel) because I had nothing new to say, but I still have the same feelings I did when acosf came out.

I wouldn't call myself unbiased, but I do really try to see things objectively, so I appreciate that. If there was anything to make me think that Azriel and Elain would be together, I would admit it. See this post that I made after acofas came out. (Side note, the person who sjm told about elucien's date chimed in on that post.)

I do think that Azriel's love interest is still Gwyn, but not because of anything that happened in hofas. It's still based on what happened in acosf. HOFAS didn't really have anything that confirmed or ruined ships. Saying something on the internet doesn't make it true, unfortunately for people who are claiming otherwise. So all the evidence we have from before, the spark in the chest, the ribbon, the way he treats Gwyn with actual respect (and admiration), all of that was true two years ago, a year ago, last week, etc.

The thing that I am more convinced of after hofas is that Azriel's book is next. I know that saying implies that gwynriel and elucien are happening; it's not a neutral statement, but someone has to be next. (Saying who you think is next is akin to declaring a political party in this fandom.) I also know that even if Elain were next, Lucien is her mate and Sarah loves mates. So to me, it's either gwynriel is next and I have to read about Azriel even though I don't like him, or it's elucien next and I... well there are no downsides for me, then haha.

I am sitting on a longer post about why I think Az is next, to add on to my original one, and I think I still want to wait until hofas actually comes out and we have the extra chapter with Az and Nesta. There could be more material for me to work from by then. But I promise, it is coming!

[meanlesbean]

link post-totk telling zelda and purah about all the cool shit he learned how to make by stealing the yiga clan's schematics

[emberglowfox]

birds of a feather

[egophiliac]

you know, I've been thinking about it, and there is actually one single scenario in which I would be okay with not getting a big ol' "Silver Vanrouge" out of Lilia.

(just kidding, I still need some "call me Silver, Mr. Vanrouge is my father" in my life, please don't let me down on this one Twst)

[withered-tears]

[oddthesungod]

Essek: I want to study you Ashton: haha, like... carnally? ;)

[awetfrog]

wow they solved it

[slowburncowboy]

[starrysnowdrop]

The girl who was named after the ocean travels to the bottom of the ocean and sees all its wonders up close and personal. 🌊🐬

[nesperus]

protocol predictions

[7roaches]

sorry that took like an hour i stopped to eat dinner heres my idea

[yeah-thats-probably-it]

Hot take maybe but I think Bertie would be FAR more likely to survive the first two months of Dracula than Jeeves would be. Bertie has a healthy sense of self-preservation. Jeeves consistently underestimates how dangerous a situation might get (Steeple Bumpleigh, the club book) because he’s overconfident about his level of control over any given situation. He'd handle Dracula masterfully if they faced off in England, but on Dracula's home turf? Much more doubtful.

I realize this might be a tough sell, so I will explain further (or it's not a tough sell, and I'm going to explain further because I want to). (criteria taken from @canyourfavesurvivecastledracula) Without further ado.

Would Jeeves and Wooster survive Castle Dracula?

Jeeves

Jeeves' survival will depend on how long Dracula finds him more entertaining than irritating. On that basis, I don't think he's long for this world. On the one hand, he has a huge wealth of knowledge about English society and culture that he can recite perfectly from memory. That should buy him at least a little time with noted teaboo Dracula.

On the other hand, he would be absolutely no fun as a vampire plaything. Jeeves cannot be got. Sneaking up on him while he's shaving will yield zero reaction (though that's at least good for his short-term survival--given that, although he DID take the crucifix from the old woman out of politeness, he certainly isn't going to wear it. The rules of fashion don't go out the window just because you're in a spooky castle). Then, although managing the whims of rich jerks is not an insignificant part of a valet's job, Jeeves usually does this by bending his employers to his will. Dracula is not the sort of employer this will work on. It'll just add insult to injury when on top of being impossible to scare, NOW Jeeves is telling Dracula that his favorite cloak is several centuries out of fashion and he's not allowed to wear it anymore.

Jeeves will 100% go exploring in the areas he was told not to go-- though to be fair, he MIGHT actually get away with this, what with his superpower of appearing in rooms without being seen or heard. Said superpower might save him from the brides as well (though this is by no means guaranteed). Since I find it doubtful that Dracula would come to rescue his annoying ass, not being noticed is his best defense.

There are a couple other things working in Jeeves's favor; the question is just whether they'll be enough to save him.

He DOES know shorthand, and could try to send coded letters. He might even have the foresight to squirrel away some extra stationary where Dracula can't find it. But could he get them posted? Would it even do him any good?

He certainly has enough cultural literacy to figure out what his new boss is pretty quickly. If he didn't chuck the crucifix out the carriage window, he might start carrying it around in his pocket.

Psychology of the individual, sure, but the individual in question is a 400-year-old vampire who lives in an isolated castle in a foreign country and is regarded as a terrifying mythological figure in the surrounding villages. Jeeves has never come up against anything this alien before, he's cut off from his normal resources, and opportunities to play people against each other are limited.

He probably has enough upper body strength from all that shrimping and fishing to climb the wall, so he COULD escape if he wanted to, if he survived long enough. It's just, again, that overconfidence, and also Dracula has a vast library full of rare old books that are entirely at his disposal. He's keeping his eyes and ears alert for potential escape strategies, of course, but I don't see him being as desperate to get out as Jonathan was.

There are just a lot of "depends on"s here, and I'm not convinced that luck would shake out in Jeeves's favor, all things considered.

Bertie

Bertie is so perfect for the job of Castle Dracula Prisoner it's like it was made for him. Think about it. Being held against his will in big manor houses comes more naturally to him than breathing. He's afraid of things that are scary. A lifetime of dealing with Aunt Agatha has made him the world's preeminent expert in "curl[ing] up in a ball in the hope that a meek subservience [will] enable [him] to get off lightly." He will NEVER go exploring in places he's been warned away from if nobody is forcing him to (Rev. Aubrey Upjohn's office notwithstanding. There were biscuits in there). He's both fun to talk to and easy to toy with (and extremely English). A+ prisoner. Dracula adores him.

In my opinion, Bertie is at Castle Dracula either because Aunt Agatha got some wires seriously crossed and thinks he’s going to meet an eligible potential bride (I mean, there are certainly brides there), or because Dracula has something Aunt Dahlia wants him to steal (far less likely, given that one of Dracula’s THINGS is famously not owning anything silver). Either way, he's shown himself entirely willing and able to escape down drainpipes if a sitch gets too scaly.

He DOES take the crucifix, and DOES wear it (which is what will save him during the shaving scene, because you KNOW he's going to jump a foot and cut himself like the dickens). He's read enough supernatural goosefleshers to be genre savvy about terrified old women cryptically pushing crucifixes into one's hands. I also think his sunny disposish endeared him to the villagers, and they were particularly vehement about urging him not to go. He doesn't speak German or Romanian, but he's empathetic enough to recognize Pure Terror. So by the time he actually gets to the castle, his imagination is already running wild and he's plenty aware that he is in imminent danger.

I think the biggest risk to Bertie will be the brides; whether or not he's susceptible to trances, if he thinks they're trying to marry him, it's against the code of the Woosters to turn them down. But that only becomes an issue if he comes face to face with them, which, luckily, I think is unlikely on account of the aforementioned "won't go exploring" (and if he did, Dracula would definitely rescue him).

I'm inclined to say due to his drainpipe-escape habits that he WOULD be able to climb the wall and MAY attempt to sneak into Dracula's room to look for the keys if his desperation grows to outweigh his fear. Whether he does or not, though, he does NOT have the stomach to attempt shovel murder, and therefore won't get magic brain fever, and may very well simply walk out the front doors when the people come to take the boxes away. OR he climbs his way out like Jonathan did. Either way.

When Bertie tells this story at the Drones later, Tuppy will say that no doubt it's been greatly exaggerated and all that probably happened was that he spent a couple months in an oldish house entertaining a weird loner.

[zkyeline]

Just wanna draw them all getting the Flapjack tattoos :’)

Edit: now with accompanying comic!