#but i'm not fanatically opposed or anything lol

[gjdraws]

Ho ho ho! CK secret santa here. 🎅 Tis the season for wishes and magic. While I do have the start of a wishlist I'd like to check it twice and ask some follow-up questions. What are some tropes or things you don't see often that when you go hunting for in a story you don't always find or find rarely or haven't found or even just always love? Depending on the capabilities of ...well me, I'd like to make sure I attempt to hit a few of those at least to sprinkle in. No matter what it is, (spicy or not) I'll try my best to fit some in beyond the main things which are semi-rare you already mentioned in your wishlist. (Those I got on my list and they're underlined.) There's quite an ensemble of cast to assign parts to beyond our headliners, would you like them all? Or does it depend on the tale as it unfolds? (Chozen, cobras (all?), Miguel, Robby.) I ask because cannon has put some of them beyond the grave by the time our other friends hit the center stage or are er...indisposed (sad harmonica jail blues) but I can fetch them because the fun thing with this is that canon and time don't have to be abided by thanks to ~Santa magic~ Speaking of cannon, or really set design. Would you like a seasonal piece or would you rather to avoid winter holidays? An AU or something set more closer to cannon? (Does the setting matter? Not everyone celebrates or likes the winter holidays and they can be avoided) *pushes a snow machine off the stage* I'd rather not give you something you don't want on accident. That's it for now -your CK secret santa 🎅

Ooohhhh hullo CK secret santa! First of all no obligation to hit tropes, I realize my tropes may not be your tropes and that's okay!

What I go looking for in stories shbdsdbakdjgh uh well uhhh look it's obvious I'm a johnny simp okay so I'm going to apologize for that right off the bat

But ok - big sucker for any sort of Johnny trying to be a decent adult/mentor/parent for once esp. if the kids are involved (Miguel, or Robby or Sam). Unlearn the way of the fist king

Also massively in love with the friction of Sam preferring teacher Johnny and Robby preferring teacher Daniel and all the issues (and learning) that causes?

Another fun one is people standing up for CK Johnny. I see a lot of Mr. Miyagi trains TKK Johnny, or any sort of reforming TKK Johnny where it's easier for people to see why he's a trashfire. It's harder to feel sympathetic for CK Johnny because hey man you've had 35 years to be better, which is why I think it's easier for people to miss when he tries as an adult. It doesn't help that he's very bad at asking for help. basically let ck johnny realize he has friends who aren't one (1) Miguel

Ensemble cast HmmMMMmm, well clearly big fan of Robby or Miguel or Sam. Also in love with John Kreese and his weird fucked up dad vibes. And hilariously in love with any Terry Silver interaction with Johnny bc of their shared rich kid fucked up by kreese history. he really did that two whole times huh

I do not care about any sort of winter holiday setting, if that helps! Anything that serves the story is all I care about, so you do you in the style of you!

I also sent in a message to the ck santa mod about a better way of communicating in case you had more Qs!

[rainbowolfe]

The Goats Reign

I don't think anyone came to any solid conclusions on this, so imma take a crack at it. They told us to put our detective hats on, and I assume they're referring to this. Didn't see anything else on their Twitter that could be sleuthed. No secret alt text or anything. So...

When the Lamb is drowned and torn asunder, It awakens the G.O.A.T from their slumber. To fight tooth and claw; Side by side. What's alone and lost, now aligned. The stare, a look and dead behind-the-eyes grin. Let the Goat's reign of suffering begin.

[BG Music] Pestilence. Kill the light.

"Drowned and Torn Asunder" = DATA "Greatest of All Time" = GOAT "Tooth and Claw" = TAC "Dead Behind the Eyes" = DBTE "Reign of Suffering" = ROS

Now, I tried a few different ways to try and decode these letters using ciphers and such, but to no results. So I'll tentatively check that off as "not that kind of puzzle".

However.

All of these are song titles. This would not be the first time they've referenced lyrics to hint at the story/what's coming next. The other time was to a poem called "The Phoenix and the Turtle Dove". Theory on that still pending.

Five songs. Five points to a pentagram. Five portents of doom. Five siblings. Five gods. Five becomes four becomes three becomes two becomes one becomes nothing. Nothing at all.

Its five, always five. These five songs likely relate back to the Bishops, but they could just as well be referring to the Five Gods I theorized about here. As I hold firm that the five siblings weren't the original five bishops. They themselves were usurpers.

But for the sake of simplicity and organization, I'll just label with the Bishop's names lol. I'll do speculation another day, but I just wanted to share my findings with everyone! The order I'm using here is based on the order Shamura/The Fanatic lists them in. (Its also the order you're intended to fight them in)

//also if anyone more deeply familiar with metal music has knowledge or suggestions for songs that have these titles, please let me know!

Methodology

Some of these songs had duplicates. Some had more than others. >_> I tried to narrow things down based on certain criteria. Mostly cross-referencing for any similarities with songs 1 and 5, which didn't have any duplicates.

A pattern I was able to find was: A) The genre (metalcore or its relatives); B) Their 'presence' in Australia (even though some originate in the US); C) The use of religious iconography/imagery in either the album art, album name, or music video; and D) It being the band's first album (some of them are technicalities). Bonus points if any goat imagery is used anywhere.

Let's dive right in!

1 - Leshy Drowned and Torn Asunder

By Trivium, from the album Ascendancy.

Force-feed them your ways Dictate up a blinded swarm Society's afraid

A song about revenge set in the midst of a conflict. Sounds like the opposing side is winning/otherwise has the upper hand, but the POV character intends to turn things around.

Deconstructing their hold Our vengeance will be tenfold; Our enemies will be drowned The opposing torn asunder

2 - Kallamar G.O.A.T

This one actually has me pretty stumped. Because there are, quite literally, only two options. And both of them are entirely different genres from the rest of these songs. And I'm pretty heavily leaning towards the one by Polyphia, even though it doesn't have lyrics.

It checks most of the criteria boxes, but I'm not actually sure if this band has a presence in Australia. And it's also not from their first album.

The one by Theory is. Technically. See, they were originally called Theory of a Deadman, but they changed their name. And "Wake Up Call" is their first album released under that name. They also have a presence in Australia despite being Canadian in origin. (They're actually under the same record label as Trivium!)

Polyphia

The MV presents us with two locations that mirror each other. A church represented with red and white banners. You can already see why I'm so inclined towards this one. In the "upright" reality, there are angels depicted in the stain glass window, and the performers wear black. In the "reversed" reality, the plain/clear windows show instead the nature outside, and the performers wear white.

The two sides are doing a (wordless) duet that has the same underlying melody but different vibes. The upright side presents a brighter environment where things are upbeat/triumphant, even though those present are dressed in dark colors. While the reversed (or mirrored) side presents a dark environment with a solemn/serious vibe despite those present being dressed in light colors.

Theory

A rather... triumphant/reflective song despite its gentler, sad-sounding beat. Sort of like, things were super good and the POV character accomplished a lot. They were the greatest that ever was. Emphasis on the past-tense.

Props to the gods as they watch from above Your enemies line up for miles You crush them all with your hope and a smile When you win, put your fists in the air Your fans cheer you on while your victims stare

Despite opening with a list of accomplishments, telling the tale of a Hercules-esque hero who did everything they set out to do, the song transitions into accepting what they have and preserving that. Since, you know. They did it. They crossed the finish line in first place, so to say. They don't have to keep running to prove they were the best.

You never settle for less than gold You're the best that the world will know No one'd ever guess how far you'd go You're the greatest, the greatest that ever was

3 - Heket Tooth and Claw

I'm pretty confident it's the one by Ghoul, but there's another that was a close second. It tells the story of a group of townspeople being shown an eye that corrupts their minds and inflicts them with an insatiable hunger that drives them to compulsive cannibalism. They can't actually keep it down, which means all of this death and violence ultimately amounts to nothing. They're all still hungry.

Shattering glass in the throne room As the multitudes seek to be fed The Basilisk flees into the swamp His acolytes are ripped to shreds

A Basilisk is the opposite of a Cockatrice. A toad or serpent egg incubated by and hatched from a cockerel. It's incredibly venomous and looking it in the eye kills you.

But in the context of this song, he's a sort of overlord responsible for the fall of many pseudo-deities (which is what Crown Bearers are). He broadcasts a transmission (the aforementioned eye) with the intent of controlling the minds of all the citizens of the land. It does not go as planned.

Really, I might need to go back and analyze the entire album for this one. Skimming the lyrics of the tracks before and after this one, there are mentions of fungoid tunnels, an unwilling sacrifice turned unwilling god, cultists, decay, and rot.

4 - Shamura Dead Behind the Eyes

This one I'm also between two. They're both about self-destruction and giving up, just expressed differently.

Oceans Ate Alaska

It breaks the established formula I was using for literally all the other songs, but if this isn't the intended song then this is the most brutal coincidence I have ever had the misfortune of discovering. Because what do you mean the song that perfectly describes Shamura isn't about Shamura.

Web-weaver You are weak, as hollow as those words you speak All for show with a lack of backbone The biggest hypocrite I have ever known You are weak, tangled in the webs you weave Parasite takes control of my mind

I can't tell if it's heaven or hell with you I'm paralyzed, dead behind the eyes

The very first line of the song being "web-weaver". Lyrics about letting the parasite win. Themes of self-hatred and regret. Also the line about being tangled in webs is a sentiment reflected in the album 'Tooth and Claw' comes from.

Soulfly

The only criteria this one breaks is that it's their eleventh album, and not their first. However, they were also under the same label as Trivium and Theory, so there's yet another connecting piece. It's also sung by Randy Blythe, who's from a band called Lamb of God. So that feels. Pointed.

Endless, deathless A cryptic inner fear What’s left, the wretched And those who speak in your ear Eviscerate your own impressions Die along with your transgressions Menace, penance Horrific path to ascension

Cenobites I know your kind Dead behind the eyes

This song is explicitly about/inspired by Hellraiser. It's a cliffnotes of what the Cenobites represent. They are former humans turned demons (though they just see themselves as higher beings) that exist in a version of Hell. They're masochistic hedonists to the extreme who stopped differentiating between pain and pleasure.

5 - Narinder Reign of Suffering

By Malevolence, from the album of the same name. Like the first song, it presents a conflict the POV character is in the middle of. They are dishing out a punishment in line with what they believe to be a righteous cause. And nothing's going to stop them from doing it. Not even death.

Down with the weak One chance to make a stand The hooded reaper will meet you at your end Unveiling wounds of whispered lies I am the proof of living hell

And as for the music at the end... it doesn't exist yet. It seems to be an (unreleased) original piece created for Cult of the Lamb by Pick Up Goliath. The COTL Twitter wouldn't answer any questions regarding what the song is, but he can be seen in the comments being coy.

Joined August 2024... seems he made this account solely to repost this amv/teaser. Has no tweets before OR after it.

Anyways, what we're given seems very straight forward. "Pestilence" is being told to "kill The Light".

While the axolotls regard Lamb as The Light once they fix the lighthouse, Monch says outright that they aren't that. She seeks "the truth and the light". Based on the info we have now, 'the truth' is the Ancient Tablets. And by extension, The Fanatic. Monch's statement is vague enough that I can't say whether she's looking for one or two people. Lets assume the Light is someone else.

This entity is associated with fire, which may suggest a connection to the Cursed Crusade Fleece—a damaged fleece with a fire-pattern. But could just as well be connected to the Fervour's Favor fleece, as Fervour is often depicted using fire imagery.

Whoever this entity was, Kallamar killed them. Directly? Indirectly? Who's to say. But he is Pestilence.

Aaand that's all I got. For now, anyways.

[blue-mint-winter]

Reading Fire and Blood: Rhaenyra Overthrown

Rhaenyra is reaping the consequences of taking bad advice from Celtigar and Mysaria. She lost Velaryons and the city is turned against her. The idea to tax people for children born out of wedlock was particularly deranged as it basically promotes infanticide on wide scale. And Celtigar knows that. Is he a demon? His previous advice at the start of the war was to burn King's Landing to the ground.

Helaena's suicide is a matter of much speculation. GRRM in his recent deleted blog post said that she killed herself because Mysaria revealed the truth about Maelor's death to her. I'm not sure if he wanted that version of the story to be the one they use in the show or it was his overall true, book version. I'm going to argue with that version though, because it doesn't make much sense to me. For all Helaena knows, one of her children, Jaehaera is still alive and safe. Same with all her brothers. Why would she kill herself after hearing only about Maelor's death? It would make more sense if she did it after losing all her children. Not to mention, what is even Mysaria's motive for sharing the news? Why would she want Helaena to kill herself, they have no personal history and Helaena's death harms Rhaenyra's cause. Mysaria's death after Rhaenyra leaves the city shows that Mysaria wasn't in league with Larys Strong who was behind the anti-Rhaenyra rumours that caused the riots. So, Mysaria didn't get anything out of driving Helaena to suicide.

Additionally, what suicidal person chooses to throw themselves on spikes? It's a painful and gruesome death. There are other, more common and less painful ways to kill yourself. Even if Helaena as a prisoner didn't have any sharp objects, so she couldn't slit her wrists, she could still probably make a rope from bedsheets and hang herself. Compare that with lady Caswell's suicide last chapter - as she hanged herself, she asked Ormund Hightower to spare her children - and it worked. Last reason against Helaena's suicide is the lack of suicide note.

The other theories - she killed herself because she was pregnant with a bastard or because she saw the hanging of Corlys' attempted rescuers (one could have been her lover?) - are rather farfetched. I don't think pregnancy would cause it, unless she was scared of Celtigar's new tax on bastards (lol). Helaena having a lover just has no basis in the text and there's no proof of any connection between her and the two hanged men.

The murder theory is the most probable in my opinion. Someone pushed Helaena out of that window, maybe Mysaria, maybe someone else. We know it wasn't Luthor Largent who had an alibi. Realistically, in the bad situation Rhaenyra got herself by losing Velaryons and all her dragonseeds, the best motive for Helaena's murder is freeing Dreamfyre to be claimed by a new dragonrider. The Blacks needed more dragons to defend the city besides Syrax and small Tyraxes. Dreamfyre is the second oldest dragon and she's large, she could fight Vermithor or Silverwing. Finding a new dragonrider would be problematic because of Rhaenyra's distrust of dragonseeds, however if it was Mysaria's plan all along, she might have been able to convince the queen to let her claim Dreamfyre. Mysaria had Rhaenyra's trust as her master of whisperers, additionally she might have learned more about claiming a dragon from Daemon and/or Nettles. Unfortunately for Mysaria, if this was her plan, it didn't work because of the riots and the killing of all dragons in the King's Landing.

The riots and the storming of Dragonpit felt apocalyptic. It was chaos, anarchy, pandemonium, madness. Rhaenyra watching it all from the roof, losing her son, seeing her reign crash and burn into ashes before her eyes. Great stuff.

Shepherd as the leader of religious fanatics is similar to High Sparrow. Both of them oppose the queen (Cersei/Rhaenyra). It seems that this part of the Dance gives clues to what might happen to Cersei when Aegon VI will march on King's Landing. I see a possible parallel between Helaena and Margaery - both are queens beloved by smallfolk. If Tommen dies, it could be similar to Joffrey Velaryon. Then the situation with 3 kings in the city: Trystane, Gaemon and Shepherd could be more foreshadowing. I wonder if Gendry as the former king's bastard, or anyone else, will show up as a puppet ruler. Perhaps Littlefinger has hidden a child from Cersei or could simply proclaim one to be Robert's.

I have a theory about Shepherd's identity. He's armless and described: "Mushroom names him “the Dead Shepherd,” for he claims the man was as pale and foul as a corpse fresh-risen from its grave". I think Shepherd isn't some random Poor Fellow, but Silver Denys. Silver Denys was a dragonseed that tried to claim Sheepstealer, but the dragon bit off his arm and killed him and his sons. If Denys survived or came back from the grave, then he has all the reason to want revenge on Rhaenyra and all dragons. It just explains Shepherd's hatred and fanaticism.

Someone hacking off Joffrey's foot is only more proof that Larys is behind the riots, like a killer's "business card". It's very possible that Joffrey survived the fall but was killed by Larys' men. Syrax was flying low because stones, arrows and spears could reach her and madden her. Joffrey didn't fall directly on the street, he fell on a steep-pitched roof and slid down on tiles. How could his own sword pierce his belly during the fall? Wasn't it in the scabbard? Joffrey needed both hands to hold on to Syrax, so he probably wasn't holding a naked sword in one hand when he fell. It's more probable that he was stunned, maybe broke some bones during the fall and whoever found him first took his sword and pierced him with it.

Hugh Hammer following a vague prophecy and thinking it's about him (it's not) - he truly has Targaryen blood (lol).

If Addam went to the Isle of Faces, then he could have met Daemon who was waiting in Harrenhal for Aemond. The timeline is fuzzy, but it makes sense for Addam to try appealing to Daemon as Rhaenyra's consort and the only one capable of convincing her that Addam is still loyal. After Addam's escape Rhaenyra issued the orders to kill Nettles. So there's enough time for a meeting between Daemon and Addam before 13 days pass and Daemon fights Aemond. I think it would also make sense for Daemon as the main war strategist on Black side to give Addam a battle plan to win at Tumbleton and instruct him about gathering the army of riverlords.

I hope Daeron wasn't killed by Black Trombo because that's just too lame and embarrassing. An unknown soldier or dying in fire is better than Black Trombo.

Hobert Hightower used a gentle poison in the wine to kill Ulf the White, causing him to die in his sleep. This could be the answer to some murder mysteries in this book, like High Septon's death during Maegor's reign. Even Viserys' death is suspect again, as he died at a very convenient timing for the Greens, before Rhaenyra's sons and their dragons were fully grown.

Rhaenyra's decision to return to Dragonstone when she had other, safer options with her allies like the Vale or White Harbour, proves that she wasn't thinking straight. Even if she hatched a dragon, it would be too small to help her in the war. Claiming Grey Ghost or Cannibal had extremely low chances of success. Rhaena literally had 3 dragon eggs in the Vale with her! In addition, the garrison at Dragonstone was made of dregs and men of questionable loyalty. So going to Dragonstone was all around pointless and the worst option Rhaenyra could have picked.

Speaking of Dragonstone garrison, the description resembles Night's Watch. Even Alfred Broome sounds like Alliser Thorne.

I kind of like Aegon and Sunfyre - they're both survivors.

Baela - brave, but foolish. If she ran away and warned Black allies about Aegon, this could have ended very differently. Having a dragon really makes people overconfident.

Sunfyre became a true cannibal by eating Moondancer and then Rhaenyra.

It is rather poetic that Rhaenyra hurting and exploiting people in various ways during her rise ultimately leads to her downfall. The smallfolk in King's Landing suffered her taxes and executions, Helaena's and her sons' deaths destroyed Rhaenyra's reputation, Corlys was unjustly imprisoned, people on Dragonstone lost relatives to the Sowing, Shepherd/Silver Denys was taking revenge for his sons, Hugh and Ulf weren't suitably rewarded, Alfred Broome was passed over and didn't get a deserved promotion. Rhaenyra didn't receive help at Rosby because she didn't give the inheritance to the older sister but to her baby younger brother. Others in Crownlands weren't eager to help her because they lost relatives that were loyal to Rhaenyra or their castles became too weakened after Cole sacking them earlier.

Rhaenyra dying at the age of 33 just punctuates the tragedy. She was still so young.

All in all, this was a terrific chapter.

[hologramcowboy]

A lot of people use the theory of Jensen and Danneel being in an open marriage combined with Jensen’s supposed ambiguous sexuality as justification when speculating about him being with men (be it Jared or Misha or any male costar he looks at twice lol) but when others use those same reasons to theorize about Jensen potentially being with another woman who isn’t Danneel it’s often seen as outlandish and disrespectful. Why do you think that is?

Because some people are still close minded. They care more about appearances than about people's happiness. At least, that's my view. I don't see anything wrong with divorce if a couple is unhappy especially if once someone falls in love with someone else, it's time to let them go instead of putting them on a tighter leash because doing the opposite creates very painful family dynamics. Every relationship runs it's course. Besides, most people are hypocritical when it comes to Danneel and they will drop her as fast as they "adopted" her once there will be even more definite proof Jensen is no longer in love with her.

A lot of LGBTQ+ people want to see themselves in Jensen and wish nothing more than for him to be similar to them, I can get that, what I have trouble with is the fanatics who are set on forcing a sexual identity unto him as if they didn't know how painful that is when someone does that. Those fandom fanatics aside, LGBTQ+ people are more modern and open-minded as opposed to people who are over-invested in tradition. So they can theorize about things without being scandalized because their objective is to create a more open world. "outlandish and disrespectful." because there are a lot of rabid Jenneel fans who stan them blindly and never look at reality, it's the same phenomenon as the AAs who get twisted over any opinion expressed about Jensen. The reason claims about Jensen seeing another woman are so "disrespectful" is because a lot of "stans" view Danneel as a self insert and as a result they project unto her. So when you wish Jensen happiness by finding an ideal partner, like I always do, they feel offended because it's as if I am saying they are not enough because they identify with Danneel. Convention is another reason, they have fixed notions about marriage so they believe that if you theorize about another partner then you are disrespecting that.

I'm the opposite, tradition no longer serves people at some point and needs to be modernized and reinvented so it doesn't scandalize me when people theorize things, when done respectfully it can open many interesting conversations(like the one you opened with your ask) and I fully believe each person should tend to their own happiness and health above convention, tradition and patriarchal notions. One of the main reasons people are so sick nowadays are societal limitations, getting caught up in them and what other people think instead of choosing one's own path and happiness. For the record, I hope Jensen does find a partner that makes him truly happy, I see no reason for anyone to be bound in an unhappy situation at home, especially when the world is full of loving people who appreciate authentically and deeply. What a great ask, Anon, you think deeply and that's something to admire and the way this question was worded also shows me you have very high intelligence. I'd love to learn your view on why people get scandalized over what you mentioned. Have a wonderful day!

[irista]

It's too bad you're so blind in your "religion" (lol) you can't see the truth about it. Like name one, one sane person who'll say Greek gods in general were anything but wishy washy, temperamental, egotistical bitches that loved to rape people and smite them for pleasure. And someone said they never said I was Christian... Ok Then why'd you mention that religion only? There are tens of other religions, why that only? Oh I know... You just take everyone who opposes you to be white idiots... And I'm quite happy actually... The fact you guys can't take criticism tells me how people like Trump and putin and bolsonaro get elected... I mean is clear how much you prefer abusive men to put a foot on your neck and dick your life down... Calling me ignorant won't change the truth. Only proves how fanatical and dogmatic you are in your blind faith. But sure, go on, if you're telling me bulfinch is the father of accuracy when he has himself quoted that he tried to write each story as a "backdrop" for modern folklore... As I said, y'all are fanatical af. If you wanna write more odes to my "ignorance" go ahead. At least I'm rational. I mean it's no use hollering back at dogs right? Can't teach em the alphabets whether you get a Harvard or not

The Romans: *adopting Greek gods into their pantheon with different names*

The Romans: