#ratja

[moran4444]

rat!kdj anyone?

[stormrider24]

@wyrmy Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, whatever you celebrate have a good one. This took me longer than I wanna admit but I enjoyed doing it!!

I used a base made by @Jasmiass on DeviantArt for the figures themselves, but all else is mine. I encourage checking them out!

[thetisming]

Ratja x Aranella yuri

[evelinadodge]

Behold, the ratja

[saratogaroadwrites]

For King and Country (103/122)

For King and Country | saratogaroad rating: T total wordcount:  280,466 characters: Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, Roland Crane, Aranella, Batu, Tani, Lofty, Leander Aristidies, Bracken Meadows relationships: Roland Crane & Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, Aranella & Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, Roland Crane & Aranella, Batu & Tani, Batu & Evan, Tani & Evan, Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum & Lofty, Rolander other tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Mother-Son Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Place Slowly Becomes Home People Slowly Become Family, Found Family, For Want of A Nail warnings: none

Pulled from his world by mysterious powers, former president Roland Crane finds himself caught in the middle of a coup meant to take the life of the young King Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum. Joining forces with Aranella, the pair of them set out to aid Evan in making his dream of a kingdom where everyone can live happily ever after a reality.

But the road to peace is a long and treacherous one and there is no promise of success in a world where darkness spreads ever thicker with each passing day. If they are to stand a chance, they must stand together, for king and for country.

(A retelling.)

=

"Get some water on those buildings!” Grimm shouted, “You three—check that shop! Make sure the basement’s empty!”

“Come along, loves," Ratja hurried past, herding a group of scared children—Grimalkin and Mousekind both—along the road out of the city. “That’s it, this way, quickly now. Stay together!”

“This one’s empty!” A soldier called.

“Then check the next one!” Grimm called back, hurrying along the road. Behind him, the castle continued to burn. Roland had missed most of the fight, but it had been impossible to miss the gigantic fireball that had been sent out of the foyer. Embers had rained down all over the castle grounds, setting the gardens alight. The back half of the castle, the kitchens and the wood stores, hadn’t been far behind. Now, anything flammable was burning, sending huge plumes of thick smoke into the winter sky. The river would keep it from spreading into the city itself, but they would be lucky if anything that wasn’t stone survived.

Glass shattered as another window gave way to the heat. Roland sighed heavily. They had been lucky enough to escape with their lives. The battle with Oakenhart had been a long one and they had snatched victory only by the skin of their teeth. They had returned to find the fire licking down the halls, a battered Batu and Leander stumbling out of the throne room and too hurt to carry anyone out. Thankfully, Grimm had managed to escape the castle in the chaos and returned with his soldiers. They had been the ones to drag the wounded Delegation and their King to safety in the lower plaza. Most of the group had collapsed in an exhausted huddle, but Roland, comparatively fresh thanks to the now exhausted Tove, stayed awake to keep watch. The castle doctor had looked over the others, prescribed rest and Soreaway, and declared them lucky to have not breathed in more smoke before scurrying off to help other, worse off patients.

Lucky. Roland didn’t feel very lucky. Watching the Dellians do their best to keep the fire from spreading, he just felt cold.

“…we failed.” Evan said beside him. Somehow still awake he was curled into a ball, face hidden in his knees. Roland reached down and adjusted the blanket that had begun to slip from his shoulders. “We couldn’t stop him.”

“Don’t beat yourself up about it,” Roland said soothingly, “You did the best you could in a terrible situation. Sometimes there’s just no way to come out on top.”

Especially in a rigged game. They hadn’t known enough and it had cost them. He looked up as a column of fire erupted from the back of the castle, a finger of flame curling into the gray sky.

“This was our last chance to stop Doloran,” Evan rasped despondently, “And we couldn’t…I couldn’t…” he tightened his grip on his legs. “This is all my fault.”

Roland blinked. He jerked his head back around to stare at Evan.

“What?”

“All of this.” Evan sniffled, gesturing with one hand at the shoddily organized chaos that was Dell, Mousefolk and Grimalkin and Humans rushing around. “This is my fault. If I had just talked to him sooner, if I had even tried, none of this would have happened!”

“You can’t know that,” Roland said, bending to try and look Evan in the eye. His king—his son, his poor, heartbroken son—turned his head away. “Evan, you can’t have known any of this would happen. And even if you had, you’re not responsible for the choices other leaders make!”

“But I am responsible for my choices, Roland, and I chose to keep running! If I had talked to Mausinger before, we could have come up with some sort of plan, some way to hold Doloran off, or—I don’t know!” He reached up, hands fisting in his hair. “Maybe we could have reached an agreement and he never would have needed to prove anything!”

“Evan—”

“He wouldn’t have had to—had to—” Evan’s hoarse voice cracked down the middle. “You could have died and it would have been my fault!”

No. Oh, no. This couldn’t stand.

“Evan, stop. Look at me.” Roland went to his knees in front of the boy, hands on his shoulders. When Evan still wouldn’t look at him, he cupped the boy’s face in both hands and gently lifted his head. Tears slid down Evan’s cheeks, slipping over his fingers. His heart ached at the sight. “Look at me. You didn’t force me into this. It was my plan—hell, you tried to talk me out of it, remember?”

“I still should have…” Evan sniffled. “I should have been braver. I’m responsible for all of you, but you still felt you had to protect me!”

“Of course I did,” Roland said gently, “You’re my son. It’s a father’s job to protect his children, no matter how kingly or wise they may grow up to be.”

No. Not just his job. His honor. He wiped a tear away as Evan stared at him. They had said it a few times in the heat of a moment, in a fit of terror, but now that it was out in the open between them…he pressed on.

“It’s okay, Evan. We’re okay.”

It was the final straw. With a quiet whimper, Evan threw himself forward, wrapping his arms around Roland’s shoulders and clinging with all the strength left in his tired body. Roland sat back, holding him close, cradling the back of his head in his hand. He may have been a King and wise beyond his years, but he was still only thirteen.

“I’m sorry,” Evan whimpered, “I’m so sorry.”

“Shh,” Roland soothed, “You’re okay. I’ve got you.”

Somehow, they had all pulled through. Things weren’t perfect—his aching shoulder was a fine reminder of that—but they had survived. Everything else they could deal with, somehow. They would find a way.

They had to find a way.

For a while, they stayed there, just as they were. The others slept on, recovering their strength, and the Dellians continued to rush back and forth. The castle continued to burn, anything not stone consumed by flames. It would be a while before it burned out, Roland thought. Maybe even the rest of the day.

Evan didn’t take nearly that long to calm down. Slowly, he pulled back. With a sniffle, he rubbed the heel of his palm into his already red eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he said again, “That was very unkingly of me. I shouldn’t have—"

“Don’t.” Roland said. “You don’t have to apologize for having an emotional reaction. It’s been…” He grimaced. “It’s been a very long day.”

And it wasn’t over yet. One of Evan’s ears flicked back, causing both he and Roland to look down the road. Mausinger was making his way towards them, hobbling, bandages wrapped tightly around his middle. He seemed in no shape to pick a fight, for which Roland was grateful. The curse hurt less, sapped less of his energy now that Vermine was gone and the Darkness with him, but he didn’t have another fight left in him. Neither did Evan.

Thankfully, it seemed that Mausinger didn’t either.

“Your Majesty,” Roland greeted coolly. Mausinger grimaced, gingerly lowering himself to the ground nearby. Evan sat back on his heels and watched him, a deep frown on his young face.

“You don’t have to call me that,” Mausinger said, “I have no right to the title, neither in rank nor in spirit. Not after I…” He looked up to the fire still raging in the distance. “…I have doomed the very Kingdom I once swore to protect. What right do I have to be called King after all I have done?”

It wasn’t a question that had an answer. Mausinger took a moment to stare at his burning home, then lowered his eyes to the stone road they all sat on.

“…Roland…I owe you an apology. My sincerest regrets mean nothing after what I nearly did to you, but…they are all I have. And,” he looked at Evan. “To you as well, King Evan, though I suspect my words mean even less still in the face of the pain I have caused you. Truly, I am sorry.”

Evan didn’t say a word. Roland shifted his weight.

“If you’re apologizing for what happened, does that mean you think you caused it?”

“I did cause it,” Mausinger said. ��You asked me how much of this was my decision, Roland. The truthful answer is all of it.” He sighed. “Looking back on things, I can see where Vermine might have manipulated me. Nudged me down a darker road than I would have taken on my own, but…the thoughts that he made worse were my own. My feelings, my doubts…they were born of my own mind, no one else’s. It was my weakness that Vermine exploited, nothing more, nothing less.”

Evan’s face softened just a touch. Roland eyed him.

“You were manipulated,” he said to Mausinger as Evan held his silence. “The Darkness got to you. It does that to all of us if we’re not careful.”

“Perhaps,” Mausinger nodded, “But this goes beyond chasing phantoms or courting whispers. The things I have done cannot be undone. I would have ended all of your lives for no reason other than a falsehood. I should have been more patient, more willing to see beyond my own doubts and fears.” He closed his eyes. “But I was not, and now, the Kingdom I claimed to love is doomed. It will be better off in the hands of another.”

Opening his eyes, he looked Evan square in the face.

“My life is yours, King Evan. Take it. It is your right, as your father’s son.”

Roland watched silently. He understood what Mausinger was saying. He was expecting Evan to react as he might have, with anger and hate in his heart. To strike out in vengeance for his father and his people, to pay Mausinger in kind for the lives lost over the last year.

Roland knew better. He watched with no small amount of pride in his own heart as Evan shook his head.

“No.” He said, “There has been enough needless death.” He clenched his fists tightly. “My father would not want your death. I do not want you dead. And Dell is not doomed. It will rise from the ashes, and it will do so because its people will work together to rebuild it. Cat and mouse, hand in hand.”

He gestured with both hands, trying to encompass the entire city. Mausinger turned, his eyes widening as he took in the sight. All around them, the Grimalkin were working side by side with the soldiers, paying no mind to the species divide in their number. Though the Grimalkin that had been in hiding had fled the city at the first sign of trouble that morning, they had seen the fire and returned to help as best they could. That was what Whiska had told Roland, passing blankets along to everyone who could not be moved just yet.

This was their home as much as it was Mausinger’s, and they intended to stay. Moving past the hatred their races had shared wouldn’t be easy, but if there was anyone who could overcome it, it was these hardy people.

“This is what my father would have wanted. Not more needless death and pain.” Evan took a deep breath. “He would have wanted us all to work together, and now, his dream falls to us. We must see that it becomes a reality.”

“His…dream…” Mausinger repeated slowly. He blinked a few times, the oddest expression on his face, then shook himself as if coming out of deep water. “You would. You would trust me with such an important thing now? Evan after all I have done?”

“I do.” Evan nodded. “I cannot say that I forgive you, not yet. Perhaps I never will. But…” His shoulders slumped. “…when I was little, I thought of you as family. You and my father were always close. That man…the man who shared in my father’s dream of a better Dell.” Taking a deep breath, he lifted his head. “That is the man I believe you still are, somewhere. That is the man I trust to look after our people, and the man that I choose to believe in, as my father once did. Will you accept that trust? Will you care for Dell?”

“I…”

Mausinger couldn’t seem to find the words. The seconds ticked by, though Evan never looked away. Almost a minute passed before Mausinger took a shaky breath.

“Yes.” He said, softly at first and then in a stronger voice, “Yes. To honor the memory of you father, and to make right what I did wrong, Yes. If it pleases you, King Evan of Evermore, I shall watch over Ding Dong Dell.” Though he didn’t stand, he pressed a hand to his heart and bowed his head as low as he could, one King to another. “Truly, you are a merciful and wise ruler. King Leonhard would have been so very proud of how you have grown.”

Evan startled. Another tear slid down his cheek before he could wipe it away.

“Thank you, your Majesty,” he said, and had to clear his throat, “I certainly hope he would be.”

Roland knew he would be. He’d never had the honor of meeting the late King, but one couldn’t look at Evan and not be proud of how far he’d come. He certainly was, sitting back on his hands and watching as Evan pulled himself back under control. The Evan he’d first met all those months ago never could have done this. To think, it had been less than a year!

“There is one thing we have left to discuss,” Evan said, clearing his throat, “With your bond with Oakenhart severed, Dell is under considerable risk should he awaken before you face the trials once more. I truly did mean what I said when I offered you all protection. Will you sign the Declaration of Interdependence?”

“For the sake of our people, yes.” Mausinger nodded. It was clear he no longer believed the Union was some tyrannical power grab. “And…it is what your father would have wanted. For our nations to work hand in hand, for the sake of a better, more peaceful world.” He took a deep breath, then grimaced. “Though I am afraid that it may…take a bit of time to draw up the paperwork.”

The three of them looked back at the still burning castle. Evan’s ears folded back, his teeth bared in a grimace of his own.

“Yes,” he agreed, “I…believe it will.”

Roland chose not to say they may not have had that time. Doloran had the last of what he needed, and something told him it wouldn’t be long before the Horned One made a reappearance. He had no reason to wait, after all, so why would he delay any longer now? He wouldn’t. Roland wouldn’t have, in his shoes. He closed his eyes.

“Let’s just take it one step at a time,” he said, “We’ll handle what comes up as it comes up. For now, I think we can all agree being alive is good enough.”

“Yes,” Evan agreed, “It is.”

[wyrmy]

It's that time of the year!

As usual the choices are:

Mausinger x Ratja my petship forever \o/

Leonhard x Mausinger (but this could also be platonic)

Vermine x Annabelle my guilty pleasure and self indulgent canon x oc ship c:

HAPPY DECEMBER FIRST. welcome to the FIFTH annual ni no kuni secret santa! five years and COUNTING BABY!!!!!

steps to enter under the cut, rules are the same as last year! if you haven’t been here before, just so you know: i’ll be reblogging a lot of posts to do with this event, including everyone’s gifts to each other on the day and after, so if you’re not here for that, please blacklist the tag #nnk secret santa. happy holidays!

to enter! please reblog or comment on this post saying that you’d like to enter and anything specific you’d like from your gift giver (specific characters/relationships/aus etc)! please also specify whether you want content for nnk1, nnk2, or either!

i will message you when your name has been entered! if i have your discord, i may message you on there instead of tumblr!

note: tumblr can occasionally glitch reblogs out of the notes. if i don’t message you within 24 hours of your entry, please message me letting me know so you can be sure i got it! (gale.)

dates for entering/making gifts are as follows!

1st - 7th december: enter your names! at midnight GMT on december 7th, entries will close! (if you got your entry in before then and i haven’t messaged you past midnight, you’re still in! i’ll message you as soon as i can!)

8th december: i will message you letting you know which name you drew, as well as anything they said they wanted! good luck!

8th - 24th december: make your gifts! writing, drawing, or anything else, really!

25th december: post your gifts, tagging the name of the person you made it for! if you could tag it #nnk secret santa so i can find it easier to reblog, that’d be great too :]

if you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an ask/message! have fun!!!!

[gustysartblog]

Slightly belated birthday gift for my wonderful girlfriend, @wyrmy of her otp. <3

[wyrmy]

The Blood Price

AO3 || DA || FFN

Fandom: Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom

Rated: T

Genre: Horror/Family

Characters: Mausinger, Ratja, Captain Buck, Doloran, Vermine, the Conductor, Annabelle and Aurelius Fielding (OCs), the other Four Rulers briefly, other minor OCs

Pairings: Mausinger/Ratja, Vermine/Annabelle Fielding

Summary: There is a spell that can bring the dead back to life but at a price. Set ten years post game.

Warnings: Minor depictions of blood/injuries and a decayed corpse, and whump of a minor

It’s Halloween!

Instead of some original content, why not (re)read this fic I did for Halloween last year? C:

[cannibalboogeyman]

Sorry this was pretty late but merry christmas @wyrmy ! I'm your secret santa and i hope that the @ works

[ladyanaconda]

I couldn’t help it after reading PowerOptix’s Ratja/Mausinger shipping list. Since there's not much fan art about Mausinger, who by now is amongst my favorite Ni No Kuni 2 characters, I decided to make some fanart myself. I share the headcanon that Ratja might have eventually ended up together with him, seeing as to how they seem to be quite... close in the game, particularly the DLC give hints that Mausinger trusts Ratja very much.

Anyway, I'll explain a bit about these doodles. In the left corner, they're having some intimacy. I drew them both with tails (though Ratja's isn't very noticeable). They must have tails underneath that long clothing, right? all micefolk have. Mausinger's tail is thicker, though, since he's a rat. In the bottom left corner, I drew them both when they were younger. I headcanon they must have known each other from way before their jobs at the castle; mice had to stick together, after all, especially considering the grimalkin constantly abused them. In the middle above they are embracing; I don't exactly know the circumstances myself, but I'd like to think it's the reconciliation after the whole issue with Doloran. As some saw in the DLC, she wasn't aware of the coup (probably Mausinger didn't want her to get involved should it fail, or maybe he wanted to surprise her), and she clearly was not happy about Evan getting almost killed. I added two drawings of Ratja during pregnancy. My favorite is the one with Mausinger as he's feeling the baby kicking. He's happy about being a father, but at the same time, he's... uncertain about it and fears he might not be a good dad. I mean, since some of us agree (looking at you, Poweroptix) he's a workaholic and takes his duty seriously, he wouldn't have much time to spend with his kids. And last but not least, the drawing shortly after the twins, Lilly and Leon, was born. What can I say? Mice in real life are known to have LOTS of offspring due to their status as a prey animal. Mausinger decided to name his son after Leonhard as a way to honor his memory, while Lilly was named after Ratja's mother. The reason I drew different clothing on Ratja in the last three drawings was that I don't think she'd wear the same maid dress after she and Mausinger got married. I mean, the Queen must look nice, right? I like how she looks like with loose hair. P.S: How does Ratjinger sound as shipping name?

[thetisming]

cansomeone. draw Aranella and Ratja for me. perhaps

[defiant-firefly]

Guess who finished the requeessstss from a while agooooo

Wolf Roland x Toy Poodle Leander for @pluestic

Wolf Roland x Griffin Bracken and Toy Poodle Leander x Snow Leopard Nerea for @aikomaliako

And finally, Mausinger x Ratja and lion Leonhard x teeny mouse Mausinger for @wyrmy (yes I know you've seen on the Discord but I'm trying to make a consistent post :P)

[wyrmy]

This is so cute omg! :D They both look absolutely adorable and you captured their likenesses really well. ^^

@wyrmy

Sorry I’m late-

I was your secret Santa for this year! I’ve been busy so I needed a little more time to finish it up but I hope you like it! <:

I’m not used to drawing animals at all, so it was a little more difficult for me 😅

Here’s also an extra Ratja sketch I made practicing

[saratogaroadwrites]

For King and Country (84/122)

For King and Country | saratogaroad rating: T total wordcount:  280,466 characters: Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, Roland Crane, Aranella, Batu, Tani, Lofty, Leander Aristidies, Bracken Meadows relationships: Roland Crane & Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, Aranella & Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, Roland Crane & Aranella, Batu & Tani, Batu & Evan, Tani & Evan, Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum & Lofty, Rolander other tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Mother-Son Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Place Slowly Becomes Home People Slowly Become Family, Found Family, For Want of A Nail warnings: none

Pulled from his world by mysterious powers, former president Roland Crane finds himself caught in the middle of a coup meant to take the life of the young King Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum. Joining forces with Aranella, the pair of them set out to aid Evan in making his dream of a kingdom where everyone can live happily ever after a reality.

But the road to peace is a long and treacherous one and there is no promise of success in a world where darkness spreads ever thicker with each passing day. If they are to stand a chance, they must stand together, for king and for country.

(A retelling.)

=

Dell was different than Roland remembered it being. Oh, it was familiar enough given that he’d spent only a couple of hours within the city before, and the obnoxious changes to the decor couldn’t do away with the “ripped out of a fairy-tale” look, but there was something rotten in the city now, something that made Roland very glad indeed that Tove had taken to sticking with him like a stray dog.

The Darkness in Dell was so thick that, had it not been for the loyal little Higgledy, Roland was sure he wouldn’t have made it two steps into the palace let alone lasted the past two days. As it was, the overwhelmingly sweet smell of rotting something was giving him a headache for an entirely different reason. With a frown, he rubbed the bridge of his nose as if that would do any good.

“Are you well, Roland?” Mausinger asked from where he sat in the plush arm chair across the desk from Roland, “You look a bit pale.”

And there was another headache to deal with. Roland closed his eyes. The plan to get him in to Dell had gone off without a hitch, but Mausinger was proving to be more of a problem. He had expected this, Roland told himself; it was no surprise that Mausinger hadn’t trusted him right away. A man who would so easily turn on one ruler wasn’t to be trusted. Disloyalty was a hard stain to wash away. Dropping his hand, Roland smiled tightly.

“Just a headache. It’ll pass.” He said casually. Behind him, the hearth crackled, eating away at the damp wood a mouse-maid had thrown into the fire. It could do little to fend off the damp chill that filled the palace. “It won’t interfere with my work.”

Mausinger narrowed shrewd eyes at him and sat back.

“Has anyone told you that your work ethic is quite impressive, Roland?” He asked, “You barely seem to have taken any time off of this task since you arrived. Why, Ratja tells me you took dinner quite late last night!”

“Just trying to be useful,” Roland smiled, turning his eyes back to the map spread across Mausinger’s desk. The Heartlands stared back at him, Evermore’s borders spread across nearly the entire area. It was an up to date map and that made his stomach give a little flip. If they had this, what else did they have? “I’d hate to make you think you bet on a lemon.”

“Yes…” Mausinger stroked his beard. His teacup sat abandoned by his elbow, and Tove hissed in Roland’s ear as the despot leaned a little closer.

Roland kept his eyes forward, but had to wonder why Tove was so vehemently upset. Was it the Darkness? If Doloran had gotten to Mausinger, surely it was thickest in his presence. Or was it something else? Filing the thought away for a chance to at least try and get answers from the little creature, Roland eyed Mausinger instead.

“Though I must say,” Mausinger said, “You have provided us with quite the dilemma. They are watching the western wall, you say?”

“Yeah. West and north have the heaviest patrols,” Roland replied, tracing a finger down the sketch of the walls. They had the heaviest patrols, and if Bracken had had her way, the brightest flood lights. He hoped so, anyway. “South’s a little more open, but Goldpaw runs patrols up through the Calmlands every week.”

“The timing there will be the most difficult.” Mausinger hummed. “Perhaps…”

The creak of his study door opening pulled Mausinger away from the map. Tove hissed again, the back of his head bristling against the side of Roland’s ear. He didn’t have to turn to know who had come in this time.

“Ah, Vermine!” Mausinger smiled, “How fares the city, old friend?”

“As well as ever, your Majesty,” Vermine bowed his head. His eyes flicked to Roland, glanced over him, then he said, “Grimm sends his regards, and his assurances that the soldiers can hold the line in the sewers for some time yet.”

Sewers? Roland raised his head.

“Excuse my intrusion, your Excellence,” He turned to Vermine, “but what’s going on the sewers?”

“A small problem with the local wildlife getting out of sorts,” Vermine waved a hand in the air, “Nothing to concern yourself over, I assure you. The soldiers have the matter well in hand.”

Well, that wasn't good. When it came time to leave, would he be able to escape through those tunnels as he had last time? Things in Dell were quickly escalating out of control, and he didn’t want to be here when they went sideways. With a deferential nod, he returned his attention to the map.

“Grimm is quite well versed in such things,” Mausinger said, “We need not worry. Now, Roland,” He leaned back across the desk, hot breath ruffling Roland’s hair. Tove hissed once more, and for half a second Roland was sure that he would be heard. “You were telling me about the walls?”

“Yes,” He said, shifting his position to allow Vermine to draw near. The headache between his eyes pulsated painfully; it took effort to speak past it. “Your best chance to get a small squad in to the city would be through the river grating here,” He tapped a spot in the north wall, one that he knew was truly the weakest in the area. It was why Gao Jia had three of his men on it at all times. “The grate will come out easily enough, and they can slip in. Just…” He grimaced. “Make sure they’re better equipped than Jack.”

Mausinger and Vermine shared a confused look. Tilting his head, Mausinger contemplated Roland.

“Beg pardon,” the despot asked, head tilted, “But…to whom do you refer?”

Roland blinked. He stood up, looking between then. “Monterrey Jack?” When no recognition dawned on their faces, he leaned back, a little stunned. They really didn’t know? Had Jack really been acting on his own after all? Wow. Talk about moronic. He held his hand up to about level with his head. “This tall, black hair, green eyes?”

Finally, recognition dawned in Mausinger’s eyes.

“Ah, Monty!” He exclaimed, then nodded. “One of my newest aides, yes. Yes, I do recall…Vermine, did you not tell me that he was missing after I took my throne?”

“Yes, your Majesty,” Vermine nodded, “He seemed to simply vanish after you took your rightful place. I assumed him lost in the chaos, but…” He turned to Roland. “He ended up Evermore?”

“He tried to make off with Evan, actually,” Roland replied, and had to work his jaw to avoid clenching his teeth. The anger sat hot in his belly. “Got as far as the western forests before Evan got away.”

“Well then,” Mausinger sat back, “That is quite impressive. Did Miss Aranella finish him off after such a stunt?”

“We dealt with him,” Roland hedged. Let them make of that what they wanted to. At his side, Vermine scoffed.

“Monty always had delusions of grandeur, but I never expected he would try and off Tildrum himself!” He shook his head. “A shame he did not succeed. We would not need to have this discussion if he had.”

The hot anger in Roland’s stomach quickly became an all-encompassing fury that rolled up his spine. It took a deep breath and remembering that Evan could both handle himself and was in good hands to calm down before he said something he would regret.

“I suppose not, but the past is the past.” He smiled tightly, Tove bristling like a rather angry cat on his shoulder. “I’m sure you’ll get another chance.”

But heaven help you when Aranella catches you, he added in silent, vicious thought. Mausinger leaned forward.

“So we shall. Now—” He picked up a pin from the nearby pile and stuck it into the north wall on the map. “A small group could slip in here, but if we were to attack in force, where would you suggest?”

“Honestly?” Roland shrugged, “The south wall. If you attack on the evening of the seventh day, the guards there will be relaxed from seeing Goldpaw’s forces come through without any problems. You’ll still have to get over the mountains, but.” He idly scratched the back of his neck. “Should be easier than mountains and then the forest.”

“Yes…” Vermine said pensively. Reaching across the desk, he picked up a second pin and put it in the south wall. “I shall inform Grimm of this. He will need to plan for such a route if they are to achieve our goals.”

The world seemed to stop breathing. Roland looked first to Vermine, then to Mausinger who had sat back and was now stroking a hand through his tuft of beard.

“Goals, your Majesty? Would there be something I could help with?”

“Oh, but you already have.” Mausinger’s smile was more of a sneer. “You see, Tildrum has something that belongs to me, and I mean to take it back.”

The Mark of Kings, Roland didn’t say. Mausinger had no idea it was still in the castle! He could still salvage this somehow.

“Of course,” Vermine chimed in, “there is hardly any point in speaking to a Grimalkin and simply asking them to return something they have stolen, so the plan is simple.” He grinned at the map, all disconcertingly white teeth. Roland’s heart skipped a beat. “We will simply crush the upstart and make him regret ever being as stubborn as his miserable father in the first place.

He was talking about a full on assault, exactly what they were trying to avoid. Evan was doing everything in his power to keep them from heading into a war, while Mausinger was running fill tilt towards it! Damn. His worst fears were beginning to come true, and he had no way of getting a warning back home. He would have to put his faith in Batu and the others this time. He swallowed hard, fighting to keep his voice even.

“And what happens when you have what you’re after,” Roland asked, though he feared he already knew the answer. “Will you leave any survivors this time?”

“Hardly.” Mausinger picked up a pin, twisting it between his fingers. “No, no. Once we have retrieved what it is I seek, there is only one end that is appropriate for Tildrum.”

Without warning, he lunged forward and plunged the pin into the mark that signified Evermore Castle, the motion so violent that the desk rattled. Roland went deathly still.

“I will end him myself.”

[simsicals]

sim dump

norman / stella

tom / jasper

sierra / erica

sage / eric

origin ID: ratja

dl

[sweetpea-sprite]

You got any lore on that whole mouse and cats thing in ding dong dell? Like mortal enemies live right in the same spot and then in nnk2 they're still living together but from what I remember it's way more less mortal enemy ish then before but still not good enough for that mouse guy to not try and kill a child

GENUINELY no clue. there's nothing on how the grimalkin v mousekind thing started. instincts left over, if they evolved from normal cats and mice, maybe? as of wotww the battle has apparently been raging for centuries. something interesting though is that the wc says that grimalkin have taken control "recently". which implies mousekind had control of ddd at some point? i don't know. there's no lore. sorry

also: nnk2 still had them living in the slums before the events of the game, iirc. and mousekind weren't able to get any kind of good jobs. the only reason mausinger and ratja and the rest of the mice in the palace were employed there is because king leonhard insisted. they're still very much enemies