Comic for October 5th, 2018: Enjoying Freedom

[MuonNeutrino]

besides... maddie is the daughter of the king... and considering those basitin are VERY strict and put a lot into rank and everything... do you REALLY think anyone would have the balls to insult and abuse the highest ranking among them?

'King' isn't a hereditary position, it's a military title (remember, Adelaide had to win the position). Maddie is not automatically high ranking just because she's Adelaide's daughter. Officially, she's just a lieutenant.

[BadFoMo]

besides... maddie is the daughter of the king... and considering those basitin are VERY strict and put a lot into rank and everything... do you REALLY think anyone would have the balls to insult and abuse the highest ranking among them?

'King' isn't a hereditary position, it's a military title (remember, Adelaide had to win the position). Maddie is not automatically high ranking just because she's Adelaide's daughter. Officially, she's just a lieutenant.

True, but somehow I still feel it's not wise to insult the child of a high-ranking individual who could make your life very miserable if they wanted to do so.

However, this has led to a very forced/moronic idea; what if (assuming she was called such) it was her mother who called her a pint sized excuse for a Basitin? I think I could see it happening as simple teasing or motivation to grow up big and strong.


Anyway, is it just me, or does anyone else think that Maddie's speech bubble should've been placed over Evals’ boxers for Rockstar-ish humor/trolling for anyone looking for naughty bits in the speechless version?

[MuonNeutrino]

Anyway, is it just me, or does anyone else think that Maddie's speech bubble should've been placed over Evals’ boxers for Rockstar-ish humor/trolling for anyone looking for naughty bits in the speechless version?

I'm so very, very sorry.

[Warrl]

I like how the motion lines make it look like Maddie's eyes have a bit of a yellow flame to them...

[Technic[Bot]]

Well considering we have over a dozen major~medium characters under one roof I imagine the story is gonna slow down a bit, if that is even possible, specially if we keep shifting perspective every 4 pages.

Something tells me that Maddie's precise phasing of "pint-sized excuse for a Basitin" was something that she likely heard a lot, (or at least enough) back on the island, and now she's projecting it onto Karen.

I think this is more a lore friendly reference. I remeber Tom once did some FMA theme sketch not so long ago and if i am not mistaken he is a anime/manga fan so it is not unreasonable to think he inserted a small reference to one of the most popular show in the genre.
Nevertheless as some people point out since there is no such a thing as hereditary position on her homeland and it is likely that they have strict and enforceable anti-nepotism laws on the islands. So I do not think she was ever treated better for being the king daughter maybe she even had a harder time to advance the ranks. She had to prove her mom was not giving her an unfair advantage. Between all of this i do not think it is farfetched to say she got some name calling: both simple soldier banter and some real mean stuff. And since she is not particularly large even thought she came from that statue of a rabbit-woman the king is. Calling her small probably strucks a nerve for her.

Mike observes that he really shouldn't go with Evals back to the dogs' land, because (a) he's never - within his memory at least - lived anywhere but in human lands, and (b) both dogs and wolves are known to enslave foxes, where as a legally freed former slave he has at least a tiny bit of status in human lands.

As he himself said: culturally, he's human.

But he doesn't want to part ways with Evals, who is almost the only person he knows well (the others being Eric and Katherine).

Frankly, imho, his smartest course of action may well be to go to Eric and say "when you get another ship, are you planning on buying slaves to man it? No? Then you need to hire some sailors. I'm not the strongest, but I'm experienced and available."

Evals could do worse than that himself... but he has other plausibly-good options, where Mike doesn't have any that are readily apparent.

Well Mike situation is not really good but it is not like he is useless. He is probably a capable sailor and if he were not a fox he could probably get a decent gig at any ship specially now that war is on and manpower is scarce. Alas he is a keidran after all.
In my opinion he should try to find a job where he works for a Keidran in human lands, perhaps on those "nicer" towns like Edinmire (?) he is not a wolf so that will help him. Eric might not be such a good idea, he just lost his ship and if i am not mistaken his hometown got razed so he might be unknowingly homeless now. Or better yet go with the rest of the party to LynKnoll and find something to do there. A secret town probably could use a former sailor with any experience in selling stuff and with a human cultural background.
Also is it just me or the only now that has any to go back to is Evals? The rest of the party has lost their homes and families due to the war or can't go back or did not had any to go back to in the first place.

On a different topic a few comments about Mike as a character: I like the idea.The comic "meta" is about discrimination and a common idea on racist views is that people can be neatly categorized into groups, which they conveniently define. But this idea holds little if any water. In the story we have the Keidran and the human, lets ignore the rabbit/cougar people for a second. One would imagine is pretty easy to split all the population into these two groups right? But then there is Traces baby a future hybrid, and also Raine not human nor keidran nor a hybrid per-se as she can shapeshift and the we got Mike a human at heart and mind but he was born a fox.
What i am trying to say is that he fits nicely into the whole narrative of the story, or maybe i am simply reading too much into it. Which i do not think is a bad thing

[James Polymer]

Also is it just me or the only now that has any to go back to is Evals? The rest of the party has lost their homes and families due to the war or can't go back or did not had any to go back to in the first place.

Evals was abducted when he was just a pup, and he's been a slave for what, eight years or so? He might have a parent clan that he could return to, but his immediate adult family are likely elderly or dead of old age. His friends and siblings (if he had any) would all be grown up, and have probably changed quite a bit since he last knew them--and that's assuming they haven't left to seek their own fortune, been sold into slavery themselves, or been killed in fighting with other Keidran.

[aitaituo]

Also is it just me or the only now that has any to go back to is Evals? The rest of the party has lost their homes and families due to the war or can't go back or did not had any to go back to in the first place.

Evals was abducted when he was just a pup, and he's been a slave for what, eight years or so? He might have a parent clan that he could return to, but his immediate adult family are likely elderly or dead of old age. His friends and siblings (if he had any) would all be grown up, and have probably changed quite a bit since he last knew them--and that's assuming they haven't left to seek their own fortune, been sold into slavery themselves, or been killed in fighting with other Keidran.

Blood is blood. Even if they're all dead, Evals would have a claim to their estate. Mike's got...Evals.

[ZeroJinKui]

'King' isn't a hereditary position, it's a military title (remember, Adelaide had to win the position). Maddie is not automatically high ranking just because she's Adelaide's daughter. Officially, she's just a lieutenant.

well, either way, she is the king's daughter... if her daughter was being abused and mistreated, you'd think she'd do something.

besides, my point on her feeling inadequate to her mother could still be the issue.

her mom is a powerful giant, while maddie is a tiny brat.