#All sacrificed on the altar of Sweet Brother Love or whatever was going on there

[bonebabbles]

I remember when I was reading DOTC when I was around 10, and ever since Misty died I had been waiting for the moment where Birch and Alder learned about her murder, how everyone in their lives has kept it a secret. And then it just didn't happen.

I also remember obsessively re-reading the part where Quiet Rain blows up at Clear Sky.

Birch and Alder are two characters that are just so...

I WANT to say they were forgotten about, but that word doesn't feel right for how they're constantly showing up on the screen. Clear Sky occasionally feels guilty about how he murdered their mother, but for the vast majority of the time, that's described in passive voice. So you're not reminded of just HOW cruel he was, and still very much is.

It's like they're not allowed to be characters.

Like, how does Alder feel about Clear Sky, who seemed to be acting as an adoptive father until he beat her as a child? How did Birch respond later, when Clear Sky was so busy thrashing his sister that he was threatened by a dog? How do they feel about the man who took their mother away from them?

They keep getting cited as "Good Examples Of Non-Campborn Cats," dodging around the fact they were stolen and raised by Petal. Like a lot of the other "adoptions" in the series, she quietly stops mattering to them. But even this fact... like, they're being OTHERED when they were functionally raised SkyClan.

How do they feel about THAT? That their earliest memory is SkyClan, and yet, they'll never be considered truly, fully "clanborn."

Their whole life taken from them, by Clear Sky's cruelty, their formative years spent in his violent shadow, and the narrative is just not interested in that.

#birch wc #alder wc #I see a lot of people calling this arc So Very Interesting #Begging for more of it #but like... the more I think about this arc the more I hate it. #Both reading it and the deep dissatisfaction that settles over me thinking about how much potential it wasted #All sacrificed on the altar of Sweet Brother Love or whatever was going on there #Even people who go 'oh it was so exciting' like... when. did we read the same series #the entire thing is clear sky causing problems and then no one is allowed to react violently to them #because that makes us Just As Bad #what was interesting about 3 books of the moor cats doing NOTHING as clear makes the plot happen #And another 3 books of Clear just being a bastard and everyone feels bad about hating his guts #And here's Birch and Alder who have never really been explored ever #because it would require them to fucking hate the guy who ruined their lives #it doesn't JIVE with his exoneration arc. so it cant happen

[deancaskiss]

Tinsel and Tourists (A Hallmark Christmas Fic) Chapter Seventeen

Word Count: 1,047

Dean’s POV

Link to ao3 / Link to masterpost

“I’m sorry,” were the first words out of Sam’s mouth when Dean got out of the Impala at the crime scene.

“Seriously, I’m gonna be lucky if Cas ever talks to me again. That’s twice now I’ve bailed on him because of this case,” Dean said, sucking in a deep breath as an image of Cas’ hurt expression flashed through his mind as they ducked under the police tape and flashed their FBI badges. “The sooner I can rip this thing apart, the better.”

“Ripping might not work. Burning, though, that just might,” Sam said, raising an eyebrow before motioning for Dean to follow him into the woods and away from the PD gathered around a body they were zipping up into a bag.

“Alright, what do you know? What did you and Bobby dig up? And please say whatever it is can be killed quickly and efficiently.”

Sam threw Dean a curious look as they crunched through the compacted snow. “What’s the rush?”

“I might have told Cas I’d meet him at the diner after we were done here.”

“Dude, seriously? Come on. You know better than to make empty promises. I don’t even know if we can track this thing down tonight, let alone kill it within a time window.”

Dean sighed, moving to tuck his gun comfortably into the back of his waistband just in case he needed it. “I know. But Cas is-”

“Different? Yeah, I gathered as much,” Sam said. And then, softer: “You’re falling for him, aren’t you?”

Ignoring the question, Dean replied, “If you’re about to give me the ‘no attachments and don’t care about anyone’ spiel, I’m going to stab you in the face.”

“Dean,” Sam said cautiously.

“I know, Sam! You think I don’t already know? That I haven’t been thinking about it every second of every minute over the last few days. But I can’t help fall-” Dean cut himself off violently. When he spoke up again, it was with a longing tone. “It’s too late. It’s already happened.”

When Dean glanced out of the corner of his eye to look over at Sam, he could see the way his brother took in a sharp breath. Whether in surprise, disappointment, or approval, Dean wasn’t sure. Before he could ask, they’d stepped out into a clearing.

Jumping at the chance to change the topic, Dean spun around, taking in the scenery. “Okay, what is this?” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he saw it; the tree trunk shaped conveniently like a rounded altar, and the dried rusty stains that had dripped down the bark, bleaching the crisp snow a dark crimson.

“Sacrificial altar,” he muttered.

“Uh huh,” Sam said, moving closer to the ring of trees. “Tell me, what’s something you’ve seen around here a lot? More than you’ve ever seen growing in one place before.”

Dean pondered the thought for a second, eyebrows scrunching together as he searched for something out of the ordinary besides extreme Christmas decorations and bright blue eyes that had Dean weak at the knees. It was actually thoughts of Cas that triggered the answer. “Mistletoe,” he said, looking up at the massive tree that stood tall and proud next to the tree trunk altar; the tree absolutely covered in mistletoe in more bunches than Dean had ever seen in his life.

“Any idea what trees are around here?”

Dean shook his head.

“Oak. The whole town is basically overrun by them. And almost every single tree is bursting with mistletoe. I noticed it earlier, when I took a break from researching while you were out with Cas. Thought it was just the one tree outside the motel; turns out it’s all of them. So I called Bobby-”

“And? What did he say?” Dean urged.

“Well, we were able to narrow it down to something Celtic. Which fits with our theory of sacrificing for a God as opposed to actually being a God. Bobby needed more details about what the vic looked like after being killed, which was what I was on my way to do when the Sheriff called and told me about Ollie’s body being found.”

“Celtic? Why does that sound familiar?” Dean asked, voice trailing off as he wracked his brain, slowly pacing across the snow. Celtic. Celtic. Celtic. Sacrificial killings. Small town. Winter solstice.

“Dad’s journal. I think there might be something in there. I’m sure I’ve seen the word Celtic when I’ve been flicking through it,” Dean said, turning to look at Sam.

“Where is it?”

“In the Impala,” Dean said, already turning on his heel to walk back the way they’d come. Try as hard as he might, he just couldn’t bring the page in the journal into clarity in his mind’s eye. But he knew there was something there. Something about the mistletoe was ringing a bell, and Dean was determined to figure it out.

The sooner he figured it out, the sooner he could get back to Cas and kiss the daylights out of him; solely to prove to Cas that he couldn’t stop thinking about him. Okay, and maybe because Dean had fast become addicted to the taste of Cas’ lips against his own. Yeah. It was definitely too late; he was well past falling at this point. He was utterly besotted by Cas. Well and truly love-sick. God. How much longer until he could see Cas again?

As soon as they got to the Impala, Dean yanked open the glove compartment with shaking hands as he pulled out the journal. Flicking through the pages, Dean skimmed each entry, looking for-

“There, right there,” Sam said, hand darting out to catch a page before Dean moved onto the next one; his finger hovering over the word Celtic.

Darting his eyes across the page, he saw the little sketch of another tree stump altar, almost identical to the one they’d just left in the clearing. Scratched next to it were the words: Irish, mistletoe, oak, ritualistic human sacrifices, blood omens, sinners.

Tracking along the page as fast as he could, Dean finally caught the word he was looking for. “That’s it,” he said, tapping the page with his fingertip as everything clicked into place with startling clarity. “That’s what we’re hunting.”

Tag List Part 1 Below- (please let me know if you’d like to be added or removed from the list!)

Tag List: @cas-deserved-so-much-more @hello-x-sunshine​ @bibelphegor​ @likepurplemuses​ @expectingtofly​ @neo-neo-neo​ @shadowywerewolfqueen​ @a-sweet-indisposition​ @feraladoration​ @xojo​

@oganizediguana​ @paintdriesfaster​ @adsp-destielcockles​ @destielangst​ @im-your-huckle-berry @justa-crayon​ @dea-stiel​ @superduckbatrebel​ @destielfactory​ @miluiel-erynion​

@y-yo-a-ti-cas67 @cockleslovesdestiel​ @toxic-nebula​ @misha-moose-dean-burger-lover @enchantinghairdoherringwombat​ @proudace​ @galaxymysteryelephant​ @aelysianmuse​ @ramennoodles-dean-cas @you-changedmedean

@gmos-winter-wonderland @deansotherotherblog​ @trekkie24 @geo-val​ @dizzypinwheel​ @hermionevaldez9​ @gimmeprozac @iamsherlockedondoctorwho​ @dickspeightjrs​ @imbiowaresbitch​

@destielle​ @hopefuldreamers-world​ @organicpurplepants​ @dean-you-assbutt-cas-loves-you​ @shut-up-dean​ @sapphirecobalt-1​ @eshaninjer​ @spnobsessed50​ @mishka​ @holygoddessofvictory​​

@jayus-fandom-writer​​ @2musiclover2​​ @rainbowscas @bennedict​ @cassiecasyl​ @jensenacklesruinedmylife​ @can-i-just-stay-in-the-corner​ @chaoticdean​ @destiel-trash-asf​ @tlakhtwritesdestiel​

@bri-winchester​ @50shadesofcockles @trasherasswood​ @spittingpagan @castielstolemyheart @becky-srs @phoenix13 @jiminthestreets-bonesinthesheets @deancasology @top13zepptraxx

@love-neve-dies @good-things-do-happen-dean @tearsofgrace @thedirtytrenchcoat @a-porno-with-the-russian-mafia @on-a-bender @moi-the-bard @one-more-offbeat-anthem @naturallyathief @queen-rowenas

#casefic #dean winchester #sam winchester #christmas #destiel

[kairimina]

Episode Ignis: My thoughts (SPOILER WARNING)

IF YOU HAVEN’T PLAYED EPISODE IGNIS YET STOP READING! SPOILER WARNING!

After playing it yesterday and playing it again today, I’m yet not really sure what to think about it. But I can say one thing for sure: I don’t like the alternative ending.

I’ll split that thing in a more reviewish way to order my thoughts.

Gameplay: IGNIS IS SO GOOD! I love his playstyle, what a man. But yeah doesn’t really work in small areas. I can’t even tell how often I fell from one of those altissian roofs. Dang it you stup-- asinine (ravus pls) imperal sniper!

Music: 10/10. There isn’t more to say than perfect.

Story (real ending):

So where do I start. It was too short. It should have been longer and we should have gotten more Ignis. It was all nice trying to defend Altissia, but no, not like that. It was different yeah, but not in the way I want it. I would have loved to see more flashbacks of him and Noct. Imagine Ignis, trying to get to the altar, thinking Noct may be dead already and having flashbacks from their time back in Insomnia. We see the first scene with him and Noctis, getting introduced and becoming brothers. I want to see more scenes like that, not only because they are sweet but also to give all of it more depth and bitterness to their relationship.

The actual story was great. To start it the same way everything ended was perfect. Knowing Ignis was not only supposed to be his guarding but his brother was perfect. I really like what they did with the story. Ignis, knowing for ten years that Noct would die, whatever he tries, was cruel. Cruel not alone in a bad way. With that in mind, it gave all the actions in chapter 10 and onwards so much more meaning.

Remember that scene where Gladio screamed at Noctis for not being the king he should be? Remember how hard it was for all of them to see Ignis like that? And now think of how Ignis felt in that situations, always knowing Noctis will only be ten more years with them. And he couldn’t tell him that.

Also everything with Ravus! Finally we saw his scene with the ring (from the movie) and when he turned against the empire. Also that fight with Ignis! Perfect! One could really feel his pain over the loss of his sister. He always tried to protect her with all he got but couldn’t change her fate. So him, fighting Ignis who also knows how Noctis will end, but who also can’t change his fate, this whole battle was just pure emotion. Something in Ravus snapped at that point and all the pain just came out of him. He knew Noctis wasn’t at fault there, but he had to direct his suffering somewhere. That battle was so emotional and so good. Even if I was confused for a sec if I actually had to defeat him or let Ignis be defeated, haha.

And then Ardyn. We knew for a long time, not officially, but we knew it, that he was  at fault that Ignis got blind. Well I mean if we look at it accurate, it’s not his fault because he didn’t put the ring on Ignis. it was Ignis choicef and his alone. But he forced Ignis so much into a corner, that he didn’t have any other opporturnity to protect Noct. So yeah, that’s why his fight was really good. Seeing exactly how Ignis’ vision went black and then battling Ardyn, man that gave me chills (of anger and rage).

Story Part 2 (alternativ ending):

Hm. As I mentioned above: I don’t like it. It is a okay bonus but nothing more. It didn’t make any sense and just was to please fans who complained about the real ending. The real ending of the main game was perfect. Of course I don’t want Noctis to die but it was his fate to begin with. He had to die and so the Lucis bloodline had to end. Same with Luna and Ravus, the Oracle bloodline had to end as well. Why? Okay I’ll warn you that will take you a bit more time, but hear you go:

(Main Game Story digression. Jump to the next passage for more AE-thoughts)

Ardyn. Our wonderful lovable Ardyn. After everything that happend in his past when he was suppossed to be the first king of lucis, he screwed up with the starscrouge and was banished by the gods. Getting insane after those thousand of years, he wanted revenge (like, well he didn’t have anything else to do). And what did he want to do? Ending the oracle and the lucis bloodline. The thing with Ardyn is, he’s not just plain evil seeking revenge, he wanted to be defeated. He always wanted to end that. His own existence and the existence of the kingdom. He helped Noctis and the Bros a number of times but also got in their ways a number of times. It was all like he set it up to exactly fall in place. He never killed one of them, even if he could. Okay so you can scream “BUT WHAT ABOUT LUNA? DIDN’T HE KILL HER?”. Hm, no. No, he didn’t. He wounded her. He stabbed her, but did not kill her. She was alive after he stabbed her and she gave her life to Noctis, to protect him and to protect his destiny. To fullfill her fate. You can see that clearly in Episode Ignis. Okay so Ardyn never killed anyone (from the good guys), helped them to get in their place and Noctis needed to sacrifice himself to end it all with the power of all the previous kings. In the episode, Bahamut himself said it again that the true king has to give his life to defeat Ardyn once and for all. Even if Noctis would have survived all of that somehow, he didn’t have a real place anymore or not place rather.. purpose? Not only was that all to save the world from Ardyn (and the demons), but also to finally end this war of the gods. The war was long ago, but also seeing Ifrit still acting up against them and never being part of this whole “defeat Ardyn squat”, it never really ended. The Lucian Kings where the protector of the crystal until the one true king was born. He did come and he did go (wow that sounds poetic). The one last piece, or rather remain of that war, were those bloodlines and ardyn (well he is part of the bloodline too, sooo). Then all the remains were finally about to be whiped away and the world can start again. All this pain they experienced, all the sadness they encountered, all of what they had to deal with was for that one last final step to end it all. And yes, end it all was also to end Noctis in this regard.

Having that in mind, you can maybe guess what I think is wrong with that alternativ ending. I think it makes the whole story of the main game obsolete. If it just where to someone sacrificing himself for the true king, why didn’t Regis count? He even died for his son. Why was it enough for one to have the will to do so and not acutally doing it? Ignis tried to do it, yeah, but once Noctis arrived he was all like “I don’t let my Ignis die. Fuck off crystal heal him”. Why did Luna have to die? It was for nothing! She didn’t have any purpose to die there because the oracle bloodline continued on with ravus anyway. (Oh yeah Ravus, that beard, just why. ...) Prompto falling off the train and finally accepting his place in life and himself? Nah why would you need that when you can have a happy ending. And as I said earlier, Bahamut himself said the chosen King had to sacrifice himself. He has to give his life, after others have given so much for him. Even with knowing that, with saying that, they want to tell me that you just need to have the will to sacrifice yourself to have the gods will fullfilled? Oh come on you can’t be sure.

The real story is cruel and painful but also funny! You laugh with your Bros and you see them having a good time together was just great. That final campfire scene was extremely hard to watch, but that’s what made it so good. Noctis was at peace with himself and he was rewarded with Luna in his afterlife. The Bros survived and continued on what Noctis sacrifice gave to them. And all that was thrown away just for a: Here get a happy ending so that aaaaallll fans are pleased!

The only good thing about the alternativ ending was Ignis getting full rage with the ring.

Ignis is best boy. You heard it here first.

To sum it up:

I want more Ignis, we need more Ignis and I want more flashbacks with him and Noct in Insomnia. He looks strange but good with his hair down.

#final fantasy xv #ffxv #Ignis #Spoiler #final fantasy xv spoilers #Episode Ignis #episode ignis spoiler #noctis #ardyn #ravus #ravus with beard looks like regis #or santa #luna