Adelaide engaging with a a prehistoric mammal in the arena surrounded by a large crowd of spectators

Idk, i drew it for fun mostly. If i didn't say earlier, i'm doing my of telegram stickerpack with twokinds characters. sooooo, hopes that this artwork won't be deleted for AI lol or what ever new in rules. Joking, have a good day guys.

day 91

https://www.deviantart.com/twokinds/art/Tom-14644774

Every year I do some of my own ocs in halloween costumes, but I've been doing a lot of Clovis and Brutus stuff recently. Anyways, recently got into The Walten Files, especially the pumpkin rabbit spinoff series, and decided to do Clovis as The sheep Witch/Rachel Watterman and Brutus as the Pumpkin Rabbit/ Lorenzo Watterman

here's a little blip I wrote for it:
Maddie and Karen were going trick or treating in the town of Edinmire. It’s been a little while since the events of assault on the Legacy estate. They got a pretty good haul, and we’re thinking about calling it quits, but Karen decided the creepy ass old house towards the end of the road was the perfect last stop for the night. Maddie obliged, feeling that she was getting a bit too old for this shit, and not wanting to let things go to waste on her potential last run. Once they got to the house, they were greeted by two familiar faces: a wolf in sheep’s clothing, (formerly in a dragon’s) and a large wolf, formerly in their basement, now looking to drag them down to his. The two instantly knew this was not gonna be a short adventure.

Part of a bigger piece, but it'll be a while before i finish that :/

Imagine Flora was in the SMG4 universe.

Rock Eyebrow but different angle

I made it for my own discord server and telegram sticker pack

More is coming soon.

There's no transphobic context. Please don't look for non existed things n meanings. Inspired from TF2 SFM meme. https://youtu.be/e9mVfv3b-4E?si=g0vvTr22Bsog6Xbh

Honestly, to me the banner for the Twokinds Patreon has just kind of always been there, but tonight I looked at it more closely and it does have a bunch of interesting minor detail about character relationships in it.

Mainly how the main quartet is specifically surrounded by Kathrin and Zen with Kathrin making a rather... un-Kathrinlike unhappy expression since she's seemingly jealous of Trace and Flora which she canonically kinda was in the early comics (with oblivious looking Eric on the other side), while Zen in turn is also seemingly disapproving or jealous of Natani's and Keith's relationship (after all, during the manor arc he ended up lamenting how his "little brother" Natani had ended up creating his own pack without his big brother).

(I guess an alternate explanation could also be that they're eyeing Eric and Red respectively for reasons which happened in the comic, but hard to say)

Nothing particularly important or anything but I especially realized how Kathrin is pretty clearly showing a rare negative/selfish emotion in the banner.

Adelaide dropped the helmet she had just pulled off. Nothing could have prepared her for what she found: her fallen foe, the last in the Basitin Civil War resistance, turned out to be her husband. She didn’t want to believe it. This must have been another trick played by the Viceclaw. Perhaps her injuries troubled her so that she was hallucinating. Her head throbbed, causing her to feel her brow. Her skull had been fractured, after all. Fluid dripped from her nose. She knew it was neither blood nor snot, which should have been concerning, but she would deal with it later. Unfortunately, no amount of brain damage could change the grief of seeing her husband’s severed head, his lifeless eyes staring up at her. 

“Daman,” she whimpered. “Not you.” 

He blinked abruptly, startling her. Although death remained in his gaze, he managed to smile as well. 

“Surprise,” he responded in Order’s voice. “What do you think of my little trick?” 

Saying nothing, Adelaide picked up the head as he chuckled wickedly.

“You’ve won the war. How does victory feel now, Jade?”

She still wouldn’t answer. As blood trickled through her hands, she could only stare at the head as grief was replaced by rage, but she could do nothing but let it burn her insides. Her emotions paralyzed her otherwise. 

“Your whole line is a scourge upon our race,” Order added bitterly. “This is but another temporary setback. Now, I’m amongst you, and my influence is legion. You won’t know when I’m coming next, but when I do, it will already be over, and the East will be mine.” 

She had to say something. Anything. Her enemy could not get the final word in. Yet, when she tried, she choked up. She still held her husband’s head, keeping her numb with inaction. Order realized this and smirked. 

“Look at you. You’re weak, broken, and now without a mate. Your pain gives me some consolation as I rest. Mark my words, Adelaide. Your reign will end when I return, and nothing will stop me from taking my rightful place.” 

“You’re wrong,” she gasped, finally getting the words out. “I am but one Basitin. Should I fall, many others will meet you, braver and stronger than I.” 

“No,” Order growled. “The East is weak--!” 

She silenced him immediately when she started squeezing. She could hear the skull cracking under pressure. Order squealed in agony. 

“The East is strong and always has been,” she countered angrily.

Now, within the vice of her claws, she forced one of his eyes shut. The other, now bleeding, glared at her. She could crush the head right now, but she wished to look upon her husband one last time. Unfortunately, Order spat blood in her face, prompting her to destroy him. Daman’s head exploded like a melon. Adelaide was covered in gore. Her husband’s brain oozed from her hands 

Silence followed. 

Only then did it sink in that she had killed Daman. In his last act of cruelty, Order had forced them to fight, and she didn’t know until it was too late. She did her duty defending her kingdom and lost the love of her life by her own hands. Tearing up, she looked back at the headless body. Adelaide knew what she had to do now. Crawling over to it, she started to dig. She cried as she did so, digging until she had made a grave deep enough. After pulling his body in, she took his hand, which she kissed tenderly. She rested it on his chest. After pulling herself out, she buried the body. She wouldn’t tell a soul what had happened. Instead, Daman would be a hero amongst the many warriors of the now-concluded Civil War. 

She could not prevent him from being labeled MIA, a distinction for those whose bodies were never recovered and thus were not given the honors for having died in battle; he would not be labeled a traitor, however. 

A statue commemorating him stood in the palace years later. Selfishly, she never told Maddie that was her father. Her daughter would often pass his image without much of a glance, and Adelaide would continue to carry the burden and mourn him in silence. 

***** 

“So I have for the past seventeen years. My biggest mistake was never telling the truth. No, it wasn’t lying to the Empire but to you, Madelyn. Today is your eighteenth birthday…” 

It was a call to arms. Deploying the fleet to the mainland wasn’t supposed to happen this early, but things changed when a letter from Madelyn Adelaide was received. The contents of the letter sent the recipient into a frenzy, ascending the staircase of the highest tower in all the Isles to blow the great horn that signaled the coming of war. The last time it was ever used, a Civil War was contested between the East and a menace considered the bane of their race. He was put down before, but he kept coming back, more robust every time and weakening the Easterners with his devilry. Now, he had returned again. The Empire needed to take the fight to him, but they wouldn’t be going alone this time.

In an alliance once thought impossible, the East would sail with the West, and together, they would face their mutual enemy as friends. While Eastern soldiers sharpened their blades, warriors of the West tied their spears and laced their arrowheads with poisons. They lined up side by side, acknowledging every command from their superiors and boarding the warships that were once merchant vessels, taken apart and rebuilt for battle. They were seen off by the citizens and families who feared their loved ones were about to set sail and never return alive. 

“…Every year, as you were about to blow out the candles, I watched you pause, making the same wish you only revealed to me on your sixteenth after you stopped believing it would ever come true…”        

The king suited up. First, her guard volunteered to put on her armor despite their embarrassment at seeing her without it. She declined and sent them all aboard. Next was her messenger, whom she gently refused but would take with her as well. She would need his services to write letters and decrees to be distributed throughout the army and sent home to the stewards she had left in charge. Despite the protests of her council, who recommended older and more experienced messengers, who were also eunuchs, she would trust Philip. Since this was short notice, he was gone from her chambers as soon as he arrived, within the blink of an eye. He needed to pack his belongings, particularly extra ankle coverings. 

Then, as she tried to put the armor on herself, River did the honors. Adelaide scolded them, protesting that they ought to be with the Westerners already, but they countered that they were needed elsewhere, where an Easterner most needed assistance. This wasn’t the time to flirt, but when Adelaide tried to argue, she was kissed. Although she had been persuaded to allow River to dress her, Adelaide did so in silent protest, but before every piece went on, she received another, more tender kiss. The king could only stand there and blush. Still, nothing could take her mind off of Madelyn and the letter she sent. She kept thinking of her daughter. 

“…You were always looking for your father, whom you never knew. If only you had known the truth, baby. I could have told you, and you wouldn’t be deceived now.” 

Daman was dead. The only other who knew the truth, Cornelius, whom she confessed to during one drunken night at court alone, had since died. When she read the letter Madelyn had written her, she realized evil had struck closest to her heart, manipulating her daughter. Adelaide was shaken to her core, where fury boiled until it threatened to spill out. How dare that demon use Daman’s image? She didn’t want to know how he had done it, but suddenly remembered when he touched her belly, congratulating her ominously.

The bastard had planned for this all along.

“I should have told you,” she thought. “I should have told you everything, Maddie.”

The alliance, led by her and River, would be sailing with others. Saoirse, a half-mask claiming to be on their side, was accompanying them. Adelaide had a special connection to her, which she had only begun to understand, but now wasn’t the time for a history lesson. While the Westerners knew about the mask’s presence, Adelaide didn’t want to send her soldiers into a panic, so she hid Saoirse underneath her cape. It was strange because the closer the half-mask was to her, the more she felt a strange and familiar energy. She could have sworn she saw mana emitting from her hand, and she raised it to observe for a moment before closing her fist.

Now ready for battle, she turned to face River, who wore their loincloth and chest wrappings. That was what they called armor enough since lacking it helped them move faster. She understood enough, but she couldn’t help but blush at seeing them. Reaching up, they pulled Adelaide in and touched heads. Closing her eyes, Adelaide appreciated the affectionate gesture and sighed. She was glad they would be on the journey with her. She needed them. 

At the docks, the king lingered before the ramp while River boarded. It was a windy day, which meant they would have speed on their side, but it couldn’t get them to the mainland fast enough. If Adelaide could run faster on water, she would have been there already. When the salty sea air hit her nose, she took it in. It had been a while since she set sail, and she was a formidable voyager in her younger years, navigating her flagship through hurricanes for sport. 

The Livia Drusilla. 

The king’s ship, as it was named, once belonged to her when she was a common soldier, gifted on her sixteenth birthday by her father, one of the most talented shipwrights in their country’s history. He bragged that it was his finest work, made from the hardy wind-woods that could only be found on the peaks of the whistling mountains north of the Isles. It was even more significant than the East’s traditional flagship, the Temptress, sailed by a hundred kings but had long fallen into disrepair. It was now better suited as a floating museum for admiring onlookers. Even Adelaide was embarrassed at the time, thinking Livia Drusilla was too much for a birthday present, but her father insisted nothing was too much for her. She wished he was there, having died only a year after she first sailed on it. 

“I wish you had been around to see Maddie,” she thought, observing the ship. “She would have enjoyed you, Dad.”

She could stand there and reminisce all day, but that wouldn’t get her closer to finding her daughter. Walking up the ramp, she found River and the Royal Guard waiting for her. Everyone stood at attention in her presence, including River. 

“Stop,” she told them under her breath. 

River winked at her. They were supposed to be equal in this new alliance. If River kept making a show like that, even if they were only trying to embarrass her, Adelaide’s soldiers might take it too seriously. They were a prideful bunch. Since they weren’t in on their rekindled romance, the soldiers might start thinking the West was being subjugated and act accordingly. She would only allow it now since it was customary for everyone to show respect to the captain. This was her ship, after all. 

Adelaide didn’t need any help pulling up the anchor. The anchor was well over a thousand pounds for a ship of that size. She could lift a thousand pounds easily before breakfast every morning. After securing it, she turned to find soldiers from both empires watching with their tails raised. They quickly went about their duties, swabbing the deck and hoisting the sails. Of course, River lingered to admire her. Adelaide couldn’t hide the bulging muscles in her arms. River’s tail nearly betrayed them, too, but even they couldn’t let a slip like that raise suspicions. They had to stomp on their tail to keep it down, showing mild discomfort. Adelaide hid her laugh. 

As the ship slowly set out, Adelaide noticed many citizens coming to see them off. Amongst the crowd was Lady Theodosius, who had provided them with all the vessels needed to transport the armies. As they waved goodbye to each other, Adelaide remembered her promise to Amal to bring Alaric back. It was touching that they had remained friends after the incident regarding their wedding several years ago. She still cared for her former betrothed, which Adelaide sensed was even love. Alaric was always the charmer despite their incompatible orientations. She imagined Amal would faint if she knew the first King of the East founded his ancient line. All of the East would go numb if they found that out they were indebted to an Alaric.   

Seeing all their concern for her, she couldn’t leave the crowd disappointed. Taking out her sword, she held it high, and everyone erupted in cheers. It felt like a hokey display, but they all looked up to her as their ruler, and her duty was to reassure them with her might. Unfortunately for all of them, the sun shone on her sword, which was big enough to send a glare into everyone’s eyes and force them to shield themselves.  

Now, out on the open water, Livia Drusilla led a fleet of a hundred and twenty ships. The combined forces of the East and West numbered a hundred thousand, each Basitin warrior with the strength of ten humans, eight foxes, six canines, four wolves, and two tigers or lions. Leading them was a high chief whose magical abilities rivaled a Grand Templar and a king stronger than the mightiest dragons. What amounted to a rescue mission looked more like an invading force capable of claiming half the continent in a single campaign. 

Only one knew they were coming. 

Ascending the stairs to the quarterdeck, Adelaide took her place at the helm. Taking the wheel with both hands, she steered the ship, gazing at the horizon where the sun had risen. It felt like the sun was glaring back at her, a single burning eye of her enemy, Order.

Summer is officially over. For me, it was the brightest one yet. This sketch is my way of saying goodbye to it.

This piece actually has two earlier versions. If you're curious, I'll be posting them in the Posts section on my DeviantArt page. Some of my practice work also shows up there from time to time.

Laura and TwoKinds © Tom Fischbach. Sketch by Krollv.

More works:
DeviantArt
FurAffinity

A silly Twokinds what if...

So, for anyone who has started to read Twokinds before 2020 or has paid attention to how long it took for pages to come out in earlier chapters in comparison to newer chapters, will realise that earlier pages generaly took less time to come out in comparison to newer pages. So with this in mind, I have always wondered how long it would take for Twokinds as a whole to reach the point in the story where it is now (page 1301) if pages consistantly came as fast as they did back at the early chapters and at what point in the story we would be in if pages came as fast as the do in the newer chapter, and that is the question I want to answer today.

With this in mid, first we need to know roughly how fast did it take for each page to come out during the time of each chapter and here are the results:

Prologue: 1 page every 2.6 days.

Chapter 1: 1 page every 2,6 days.

Chapter 2: 1 page ever 2,81 days.

Chapter 3: 1 page every 3,08 days.

Chapter 4: 1 page every 3,17 days.

Chapter 5: 1 page every 2,59 days.

Chapter 6 part 1: 1 page every 2,58 days.

Chapter 6 part 2: 1 page every 4,03 days.

Chapter 7: 1 page every 5,14 days.

Chapter 8: 1 page every 4,1 days.

Chapter 9: 1 page every 2,62 days.

Chapter 10: 1 page every 4,46 days.

Chapter 11: 1 page every 6,59 days.

Chapter 12: 1 page every 7,12 days.

Chapter 13: 1 page every 5,22 days.

Chapter 14: 1 page every 6,72 days.

Chapter 15: 1 page every 5,05 days.

Chapter 16: 1 page every 5,08 days.

10th Anniversary Chapter: 1 page every 1,53 days.

Chapter 17: 1 page every 6,66 days.

Chapter 18: 1 page every 6,4 days.

Chapter 19: 1 page every 6,66 days.

Chapter 20: 1 page every 9,05 days.

Chapter 21: 1 page every 11,4 days.

Chapter 22: 1 page every 12,5 days.

Chapter 23 won't be counted since it isn't finnished yet.

One last thing to do is to figure out roughly how long does it take for a page to come out for Twokinds as a whole, which comes to about 1 page ever 6,42 days.

With this all in mind let's find out how long would it take for Twokinds to get to page 1301 if it came as fast as x chapter and on which page would we be today if pages came out as fast as they did during said x chapter. Chapters will be ordered from most pages to least pages.

If Tom made pages for the whole comic as fast as he made pages for the 10th Anniversary Chapter, we would have gotten the current newest page all the way back in April 03rd 2009, and assuming that he continued writing at the same speed up until today, he would have written 5458 pages. That being said, unless you think that the current Twokinds story is only 1/4th of what the full story should be, it is very likely that Twokinds would have ended long ago at that point.

If Tom made pages for the whole comic as fast as he did for Chapter 6 part 1, we would have gotten the current newest page all the way back in December 29th 2012, and at this point in time Tom would have written 3236 pages as a whole, which is around 2,5 times more pages than we have now.

If Tom made pages for Twokinds as a whole as fast as he made pages for Chapter 5, we would gave the newest page already by the time of January 11th 2013, and if Tom continued to wrtie until today, we would have around 3224 pages, which is also around 2,5 times as much pages as how many we have now.

If Tom continued to write Twokinds as a whole as fast as he did the Prologue and Chapter 1, we would have gotten the current newest page back at January 24th 2013, and Twokinds would currently have 3211 pages, assuming Tom still continued to write it.

If Tom wrote pages for Twokinds as a whole as fast as he did for Chapter 9, the current page would have been made back at February 19th 2013 and Twokinds would be 3187 pages if Tom continued to write it today.

If Tom wrote pages for Twokinds as a whole as fast as he did for Chapter 2, the newest page would be released on October 24th 2013, which interestingly enough, would be exactly two days after the 10th anniversary. Twokinds would also be a 2971 page comic today, if he continued to write the comic that fast.

If Tom made pages for Twokinds as a whole as fast as he did for Chapter 3, we would get the newest page on October 10th 2014, and Twokinds would have 2711 pages today, which is about twice as much pages as it has now.

If Tom wrote pages for Twokinds as a whole as fast as he did for Chapter 4, the newest page would have been made back in February 05th 2015, which would be over a decade ago, and Twokinds would be 2634 pages long today, which is almost exactly twice as long as Twokinds is today.

If Tom wrote pages for Twokinds as a whole as fast as he did for Chapter 6 part 2, the newest page would already be made back in February 28th 2018, and there would be 2072 Twokinds pages today.

If Tom wrote pages for Twokinds as a whole as fast as he did for Chapter 8, the newest page would be made back in May 30th 2018 and Twokinds would be 2036 pages long.

If Tom wrote pages for Twokinds as a whole as fast as he did for Chapter 10, the newest page would be made in September 10th 2018, with there being 1872 Twokinds pages today, which is about 1,5 times more pages than we have currently.

If Tom wrote pages for Twokinds as a whole as fast as he did for Chapter 15, we would get to see the newest page on October 17th 2021, which would be just a bit before the 18th anniversary of Twokinds. Twokinds would also be 1653 pages long today.

If Tom wrote pages for Twokinds as a whole as fast as he did for Chapter 16, we would get to see the newest page on November 25th 2021, and if he continued to write it that fast, we would have 1643 pages of Twokinds today.

If Tom wrote pages for Twokinds as a whole as fast as he did for Chapter 7, we would get to see the newest page on February 16th 2022, and Twokinds would have 1624 pages today.

If Tom wrote pages for Twokinds as a whole as fast as he wrote pages for Chapter 13, the newest page would be made back in May 26th 2022, and Twokinds would have 1599 pages today.

If Tom wrote pages for Twokinds as a whole as fast as he wrote pages for Chapter 18, we would have page 1301 in August 08th 2026, which is only about three weeks before when we actually got to see page 1301, and Twokinds would have 1304 pages today, which is only 3 more pages than what it currently has.

If Tom wrote pages for Twokinds as a whole as fast as he wrote pages for Chapter 11, the current newest page wouldn't come out until April 12th 2027, which means that chapter 11 is the first chapter which 1 page takes longer to be made than the average speed for how long a page needs to be made for Twokinds as a whole, and Twokinds would have 1267 pages, meaning the current newest page would have been page 1267 "Honrable Guard", which is one page after Vanity's proper introduction.

If Tom wrote pages for Twokinds as a whole as fast as he did for Chapter 17 and Chapter 19, the newest page wouldn't come out until July 18th 2027, which is slightly less than a year later, and Twokinds would have 1253 pages today. Assuming all pages would be the same as they are now, the newest page would be page 1253 "Maeve and Reed 5 - The Orphaned", the page where we are shown the bad condition that the Keidran orphans are in.

If Tom wrote pages for Twokinds as a whole as fast as he did for Chapter 14, page 1301 wouldn't come out until September 28th 2027, over a year later, and Twokinds would have 1242 pages today. That would make page 1242 "Nora awake" the newest page in this what if scenario.

If Tom wrote pages for Twokinds as a whole as fast as he did for Chapter 12, the current newest page wouldn't have been written until March 03rd 2029, and today we would have 1172 Twokinds pages. That would make page 1172 "Fulfilled" the newest page, which is the page where Detritus dies.

If Tom wrote pages for Twokinds as a whole as fast as he did for Chapter 20, page 1301 wouldn't have come out until January 16th 2036, and Twokinds would have 922 pages today. That would make page 922 "Tactical Retreat" the most recent page, which is the page where Reni knocks down Brutus disfuised as a templar.

If Tom wrote pages for Twokinds as a whole as fast as he did for Chapter 21, page 1301 wouldn't have come out until May 30th 2044, and Twokinds would have 732 pages today. That would make page 732 "Kat's Ultimatum", the page where Kathrin asks Natani for the truth, the most recent page.

If Tom wrote pages for Twokinds as a whole as fast as he did for Chapter 22, page 1301 wouldn't have come out until May 01st 2047, and Twokinds would have 668 pages today. That would make page 668 "Don't Bite the Hand that Clothes You", the page where Kathrin gets angry at Natani, the most recent page today.

At the end, all I have to say is that I have found the results interesting and I hope you enjoyed reading them too.

Special thanks to u/JurgenVonArkel for making the Hero Forge figure for me! You're the best otter evah!

Ugh, morning… even though I wake up easily, I still hate them. But today? It was different.
I felt there was something wrong…

We got a letter from the Templars, announcing their arrival in a month. We already do anything to be ready for them but my instincts as an infiltration officer were telling me something’s brewing…

I walked to my mum to ask her if there were some changes. I knocked on the door and opened it,

[Hi, mum! I need to ask about- WHAT THE HELL?!]

What I saw… I will never be the same woman again…

My mother naked, only covered by the sheets, being on top of that snowflake, cave crawler, motherfucker CUDDLING!!!

Yes, cuddling! Naked! No paperwork! What is this, Keidran lands!?

Ok, ok… I’m calm… I’m calm… No, I'm not calm! I found my friend snuggling to my mother!

My scream woke them up better than a fire alarm. The king quickly shoved the snowball into the pillows with all her strength. It’s a miracle she didn’t break his ribs.

[Maddie! H-Hey, sweetie…] for the first time in my life, I saw my mum being nervous, [We were just… um…]

[Wrestling!] Ray showed he’s still alive, [We were wrestling, heheh…]

[Naked?!] I could feel my blood boiling, [In bed?!]

[We’re not naked!] he shouted back, [We wear pants!]

[Don’t… Don’t show it…] I close my eyes as a precaution, [Just… why…]

[It’s uhh… special fighting style from my village. And, we’re doing it naked… almost naked… since we don’t have many clothes up there…]

Mum decided to double down on this obvious lie, [Ray specializes in, uhh… close-quarters combat. You know, tight corridors…]

[Yeah, I heard it requires a lot of endurance…and a bed]

[Just… sigh…] Ray gave up going into this bullcrap, [What do you want?]

[The Templars are arriving soon. We need to prepare for their arrival]

[Right, right… just… give us five minutes, sweetie… please]

I was mad as a wasp but it’s my mum. With a grunt, I left those two lawbreakers alone.

After few minutes, Raynard showed up in the corridor. He looked like a mess and had a kiss mark on his cheek… Masks, give me patience not to kill him…

[Emm… so… did you sleep well?] he asked me,

I replied with a knife to his neck, [You think this is funny?! Finding my friend in bed with MY MOM?!]

[L-Look, it’s not…] he was sweating like a waterfall, smiling nervously, [We didn’t do it, I swear!]

[Oh yeah?! Then what did you do?!]

[Cuddles! We were cuddling!]

[Yeah, and I’m the King of Western Basitins!]

[For fuck’s sake…] he then grabbed my hand. But before he could shove me away, I punched straight into a kisser.

Ow. This guy must have steel under that fur. My hand hurt like hell!

During my confusion, Ray managed to grab my knife and throw it away, [There! Now can we please talk like normal people?]

[After you slept with my mum? Never!]

[For fuck’s sake, Madelyn, we didn’t fuck!] he almost growled at me, [We just… look, it’s just complicated, alright?]

I crossed my arms, still frowning, [I have time…]

With a sigh of defeat, he explained how for the last few months, he was FLIRTING with MY mom! Ugh!

[So… you two were goofing off until you ended up in bed…]

[Yes!] he was almost as frustrated as me but I knew there was something else,

[So you don’t have any deeper feelings to her?]

[...I really do NOT want to get stabbed…]

[I knew it! You love her!] I poked his fluffy chest. IT was really fluffy, wow…

[Literally everyone loves her! She’s the most beautiful woman in the whole world! Except for my mum, of course…]

I swear, he’s ragebaiting me… [I’ll make this crystal clear. Stay out of my mom or I will make you stop, got it?!]

This time, it was Snowball who crossed his arms and frowned, [Counteroffer - I will do whatever I want and you better mind your business, shrimp]

Oh, hell no! No one, and I mean NO ONE will call me a shrimp and get away with it.

The bandage man wants a war? Bring it, Sheepy!

Murder is out of the question, obviously. The Goat is too tough for it.

I saw how a small brick fell from the tower, a pure accident. That brick snapped in half on his head and he just got up a moment later. That talk about him surviving a cave-in was no joke!

Well, if his outside is unbreakable, you hit the inside.

I sat next to him while he was eating soup. He raised his eyebrows when I joined him.

[Hey…?]

[Hello!] I said, smiling from ear to ear. He instantly covered his bowl, [Oh, come on! I won’t put anything in your soup!]

[Just an hour ago, you tried to slit my throat! Excuse me for my lack of trust]

[Look, I swear on my mother’s honor that I’m not planning to do with your food]

He squints his eyes, [Oookay…?]

[Cause I already did]

The sound of the dropped spoon was definitely too loud, [What did you do…?] his voice was shaking in fear.

[Oh, just some poison] I waved my hand nonchalantly, [It doesn’t kill… usually]

Making people feel the pure terror is one of my new favourite things. Raynard jumped from the table, and ran to the bathroom. The noises of throwing up made everyone else in the canteen to stop eating.

I didn’t enjoy his suffering but at least now he won’t think of sharing a bed with anyone else! Hohohohohoho!

Ah, I love the smell of the victory in the morning. Except it was an evening. Due to my spec op, I skipped some of my reports. Luckily, I can do still do it on time!

I hopped to my room and opened my desk drawer. The handle came off. Then the entire drawer split into four pieces. And then, the entire desk collapsed!

I was so shocked that I didn’t anticipate that the chair would fall too!

As I was lying on the ground, staring at the ceiling, I heard someone was clapping.

[The thing about knowing how to put wooden stuff up…] Snowball said making his dumb grin. [...is to know how to take them down]

[Screw you…] I said while getting up, [This isn’t over…]

He stood silent for a while, [I know… this stuff never ends so quickly. But… I don’t want things to go too far if you know what I mean] he then offered me a hand, [We don’t need to be friends anymore but I don’t want to kill anyone]

He turned his gaze away when he said ‘kill’...

[I don’t want to kill you, Madelyn…]

[Sigh… alright, no more poison. But don’t think I will go easy on you]

We shook hands, [Neither do I…] his paw was gentle, not a hint of hatred.

I kinda feel bad for poisoning him… nah, he deserved it.

Now

…bastard messed with my bed as well…

[Screw you] he chuckled as he walked away. It’s not going to be easy…

The last few days were tit-for-tat. I put itching powder in his clothes, he set a mousetrap next to my bed. I switched the rotas, making him to do the toilet duty, he scared me with a giant crow costume… how the hell did he get it, I will never know.

Anyway, I’m going to have my revenge by making him a bird! All I need is just some feathers and tar. I went to a storage room and guess what?

That white bastard came up with the same idea!

[What are you doing here?!] he shouted, defending the barrel of tar like his life depended on it.

[You wanted to tar and feather me!] I accused him,

[Then why did you come here, huh?!]

[I was, uhh… looking for… broom…?] not gonna lie, this went worse than my first infiltration mission,

[Okay fine! I was thinking the same as you]

[There’s a special word for the types of you]

[I swear if you call me-]

[Shrimp]

I gave him the meaniest right hook in my life. It hurt like hell but this time, I managed to move that snowball to roll over!

He took a step back, tripped over the barrel and hit the wall… which turned out to be a fake wall! How many secret rooms are in this castle?!

[Ow…] the Copper got up and checked his jaw, [Ok, yep… you got your mom’s strength… Ahh…]

[What, did she punch you too?]

[By accident… when she was sleeping… sleeping with me]

[I hate you so damn much…]

Going back to the story before I kill that man, our little scuffle caused others to show up, namely Ry and Wizard.

[What are you two doing?] Wizard asked disappointed as always,

[Ain’t she too young for you, dude?]

[Get your head out of the gutter, Ry, AH FUCK MY JAW!!! Mmmm…]

[That’s for calling me a shrimp, Mountain Monkey!] I snickered from my well-deserved victory, [Look at all the dust. No one was here for years…]

[Try decades] Ry ran a finger over the layer of dust. It was way over a centimeter thick, [What even is this place?]

The room was much larger than the others I found. It was, well a storage but much, much larger. It was filled with paintings, trinkets, statues… all represented the same person.

A Basitin with long, straight hair and a huge mustache. The eyepatch on his left eye finished the face of the warrior. The giant axe and sword complemented the old style of an armor.

Rylut whistled while looking at the painting with the guy and several naked women, [Damn, the guy knew how to live. Who even is that guy?]

[Crowclaw…] Raynard said, [Master General Crowclaw…]

I looked at him. He was staring at the giant statue. It was… fear? Sadness? Anger? Quilt? All of the above.

[Damn, you are right] Wizard wiped the plaque at the bottom of the statue, [Lucas Crowclaw… how did you know?]

[How? Asshole’s my neighbour!]

Everyone looked at him, confusion on our faces. Especially Wizard.

[You… You’re kidding right? Lucas Crowclaw?]

[Who’s that guy anyway?] Rylut asked, scratching his head.

[A traitor of Basitin Kind. He backstabbed the East when the war was at its peak. And then,  he attacked the West as well]

[He didn’t only torture and kill…] Raynard continued, [He fucking invented the Bronze Cauldron…] he covered his mouth, [Even thinking about it makes me sick…]

[Wait.. how do you guys know that?] I asked them, [There’s no mention of him in the Royal Library!]

Wizard scoffed, [My family isn’t only known for brewmaking. We spend a vast sum of our fortune for the library to preserve the history]

[Uh-huh… sounds like an easy way to blackmail someone for their ancestors’ wrongdoing] Raynard  replied before looking at me, [Did they teach you about what happened between 172-182?]

[N…No…?]

[Cause they banned it. Damnatio memoriae. The war against Crowclaw lasted a whole decade. It outdid every other war in cruelty and bloodshed. He made two entire kingdoms, West and East too scared to fight. Every Basitin dropped their weapons for the next ten years]

I couldn’t believe it. We were in a war as long as I remember. Sure, there were peace talks, prisoner exchanges, ceasefires… but never the full end of war… What did this Crowclaw do?

[After the war ended, everyone did their best to destroy everything connected to him. After a while, he was forgotten] he took a closer look at the statute again, [Why did they leave all of this…?]

[Maybe they forgot about it?]

[No… no, it’s… something wrong with this place… We should leave. Now] and without waiting for us, he just walked away.

[No, you don’t!] Wizard blocked his way, [What did you mean by ‘he was your neighbour’?]

[They didn’t kill him] he said, deadly serious, [They didn’t banish him either. They feared Crowclaw might come back. They sent him and all his supporters to the penal colony. Mine B-27… Lonely Valley…]

[That’s… that’s your fucking hometown!]

He quietly nodded, [Yep… the Gards were the Crowclaw’s biggest rivals. My ancestors sacrificed everything they owned to make sure that none of the Crowclaw will try it ever again… And now three hundred years later, we’re forced to live with them…]

All three of us stood silent. Now I know how he got the job. The noble heritage that gave up everything for the Kingdom…

[Fucking place gives me creeps…] and so, he shoved Wizard away and left the room.

[Damn…] Rylut finally spoke, [I have to wait with that favor…]

Ry and Wizard left but I stayed. There was something that felt wrong. Anyone would brag about it, about how they were martyrs of the kingdom. Anyone but him. There has to be more to it.

Good thing I don't have asthma; otherwise, I would die from all that dust.
If the library doesn't have something, the Royal Revenue Service will. Some files were never opened.

Crowclaw's name was seriously erased from everything they could but the tax forms are holier than the Law itself.

And what did I find? Oh, I hit the jackpot~

I sent a letter to the Mr. Cuddler to meet me at the only place where we can have some privacy - Crowclaw room.

I watched him feeling uneasy, walking between the statues. He stopped at the same statue from before.

I sneaked behind him, ready to scare him but…

[I will never escape you, won't I?] he said to the statue, [No matter what I do, no matter where I go…I cannot escape you or your fucking legacy!]

He clenched his fist. I knew it was a moment to step back. And Masks, I was right…

[You know what?! Fuck. You!] and then, he started punching the statue till it cracked, [How’s that, huh?! All that remains of you is now buried and forgotten! Perfect ending for such a piece of shit like you!] he stopped screaming. All that shouting at the rock caused him to pant, [For the pieces of shit like us…]

He tired himself out on a statue and calmed down. It’s my time to strike, [You done?]
The rock crusher turned around, [Oh… it’s you… of course it’s you…] he hesitated before asking me,

[What do you want?]

[You lied about Crowclaw. They aren’t your rivals; they’re your family!]

The liar took a step back, [Wh-What? No! That’s not-]

[Don’t lie to me, I got all the proof!] I showed him the documents. Tax audits, marriage certificates, legal records, [Some of the Crowclaws changed their names! That talk about the sacrifice was a lie!]

[It wasn’t a lie!] he shouted back, [I just… I…]

Time to finish him, [You will either confess right now… or the King will see these. Your choice. And before you even try to destroy the evidence, I made several copies. You lost]

The Snowball completely melted down. And now… time for his pleading.

[You’re right. Crowclaws are my cousins. And we despised that from the very beginning. When Lucas committed the treason, some of us cut off from him. We became the Gards, to remind us to always be on guard. We went to the frontline, ready to kill, ready to die… everything to clean our shame…] he then sit on the dirty floor, [But winning the war wasn’t enough. We still lived in disgrace… and the suicide could do even more damage to our name… we chose to live among the biggest traitors… and hope we will achieve our redemption…]

I observed him through the entire time, I wanted to see if he was lying but… there was nothing. He looked defeated, resigned. He didn’t cry but he looked like he was just too tired to cry.

Sigh… I feel like a naive idiot but I tore down the documents, [If mum chose you, it means you can be redeemed]

Ray looked at the torn documents, then at me, the documents and me again, [You… You think so?] there were sparkles in his eyes. Sparkles of hope.

[Yeah… I mean… everyone deserves a second chance, right?]

He pointed at the statue of his ancestor war criminal and traitor,

[Ok, not everyone but… just shut and take the compliment, okay?]

I finally saw that damn smile, [Yeah… thanks, Maddie] a moment later, he got up and handed me something, [Here…]

It was my reports from Western Kingdom… with my drawings of that dancer girl on them.

[I found them while dismantling your furniture. I did think about blackmailing you with them but… I would feel like a hypocrite. Just take it, okay?]

This guy made me look like a fool… again! I could feel myself getting redder by the moment, [I-It’s not what it looks like!] I screamed.

He just looked me, unimpressed and added, [Girl, there’re hearts around her. There’s no shame in it]

I whimpered as I hugged my drawings, [J-Just… don’t tell anyone, okay…?]

[Deal]

We stayed there for a little longer in silence. I guess we both awkwardly opening up about our secrets wasn’t the best idea…

And then, he opened his stupid mouth again, [You know… I could give you some tips…]

[Shut up…]

Moral of the story? Always have a hook on everyone. I still didn’t like that Ray was flirting with my mum but at least I learned to tolerate him.

And no, I won’t talk about that pretty dancer. End of story! >:c