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The Rat King Archives
The Darknesses Love Can Transform, Part I
Character(s):
The Rest Of The Rat Pack
Author:
Laura Redish
Storyline:
Rat Kings: Calm Before The Storm
Title
of Post: The Continuing Education Of Skitch
"I do not understand the mysticism of
this po-kah," said Alphred, frowning at his cards.
Skitch inspected his seven cards.
"So," he said, much too casually, "which did you say was better,
a full house, or four of a kind?"
"Fold."
"Fold."
"Hey! I haven't even started betting
yet!"
"If I was a pit fiend I could win
this lousy game," sulked Fred.
"You could not," said Ebreth.
"I do believe Jack could run the devil dry. He's inhuman."
Jack flinched, but Ebreth was clearly
using the word casually. "Poker is probabilistic," he said.
"Seven-card stud," said Vas, his
eyes twinkling at his sister. "Jacks are wild."
She kicked him under the table.
Character(s):
Khyrisse, waking
Author:
Kristin L.K. Andersen (and stuff by Laura Redish)
Storyline:
Rat Kings: Shoot Me Now, Please?
Title
of Post: Coming Around Again
Khyrisse slid out of the dark green
oversized chair, and hit the floor of the library with a startled thump,
suddenly awake. Grendel on a pogo stick, she thought dizzily. Is that what
being the Sunfighter is like...? She reached up shakily and got her brandy, and
sat there on the floor for a while, sipping the last of her drink. You will
find the eye of worlds in the place you want to go least of all. Khyrisse could
think of a lot of places she didn't want to go. The thought made her sad, for a
moment-- when she'd left home at twelve, she'd wanted to go everywhere.
Rimbor? Cynystra? Dyved? Diaria? she
wondered, crankily. I dunno... Shannon's house? Where? An unpleasant thought
occurred to her, and her stomach lurched. NO. Not the Temple of the Weird
Sisters. The gate to Brytannwch is gone, Shannon told me s-- Listen to
yourself, will you? Shannon told you so. Khyrisse smacked herself in the
forehead. Okay, shelve that one and
figure it out later.
She leaned back against the side of the
desk and sighed. The fourth must be prevented. The future begins to unravel.
Well, that doesn't sound good, but apparently Flicker and Luthien are doing
something about it. Nice to know there's a reason for willingly traveling with
Norna. I think it would take something that bad.
Khyrisse sighed again and got up. She set
the empty glass on the desktop with a slightly shaky hand. I'll tell everyone
about this stuff later, after we finish with Odn. If they want to keep running
around, of course.
She shook her head suddenly, heading for
the door. It is happening again. What is happening again, dammit?
***
Khyrisse opened the door to the game room.
Her hair was a little rumpled. "Ebreth?" she said, tentatively.
"Could I, ah, talk to you for a minute?" Ebreth looked up at her,
looked at his cards, and put them face down on the table. "I fold,"
he said, and followed her into the hall.
Ariath turned over Ebreth's hand. Three kings and two fours.
"Men," she said, shaking her head.
***
Ebreth closed the door to the game room
behind them. "This-- isn't about killing me again, is it?" he said,
softly.
Khyrisse laughed a little, startled, and
covered her mouth with her hand for a moment. "No, nothing like that. Um,
I-- I wanted to talk to you about this morning." Khyri glanced over her
shoulder, obviously considering that there was a room full of busybodies behind
her. She grabbed Ebreth's hand and pulled him down the hall, back to the
library.
Character(s):
Jack Paris
Author:
Douglass Barre
Storyline:
Rat Kings: Calm Before the Storm
Title
of Post: Why To Lose At Poker
Jack watched Ebreth head off after
Khyrisse.
Weird, he thought. Ebreth should have had
a full house this hand. Jack quickly retabulated the odds. Without Ebreth in
the game, Val's flush should take the game.
Jack raised by five.
Character(s):
The Rat
Author:
Jeff Hersh
Storyline:
What the Rat Saw
Title
of Post: Let sleeping rats lie
The rat was still sleeping. No dreams
floated through his rodent brain. For the first time in a long while, the rat
was perfectly at peace.
A snake, smelling the rat, was working its
way up the pipe. It had been two months since its last meal and it was hungry.
If all went well, the snake would soon have a full belly.
The serpent rounded the corner and smelled
the rat. By the sound of its breathing the snake could tell it was asleep.
Good, an easy meal. The snake slithered up to the rat; one bite and it would be
over. It lunged back ready to strike.
Suddenly, a fierce yellow glow burst forth
from the rat's belly. It struck the snake under the jaw, disintegrating its
head. The rest of the serpent's body followed like ashes falling from a
cigarette. The rat didn't even stir.
Sometime later, the rat awoke. He supposed
it was sometime after dawn. He wanted to find Jack and the rest of the Rat
Pack. He didn't know why, he just needed to.
With this purpose in mind, the rat took
off down the pipe in a direction directly opposite to where the Rat Pack were
staying.
Character(s):
Ebreth in the Library with the Archmage
Author:
Laura Redish
Storyline:
Rat Kings: Waiting For The Storm
Title
of Post: Deja Vu
Ebreth was really starting to hate this
library.
He sat down and waited to be grilled about
this morning.
Character(s):
Alphred and the rest of the poker faces
Author:
Jeff Hersh
Storyline:
Rat Kings: Ya know when to fold em
Title
of Post: Never play poker with a jungle king
Alphred thought he was starting to get the
hang of this game.
"Give me two," said Val.
"One here," said Skitch.
"Alphred?" asked Jack.
Alphred looked hard at his cards.
"None."
"Are you sure?" Jack asked him.
If he was correct, Alphred should have been holding a worthless hand.
"Yes. None for me."
"Ok."
Jack dealt the cards and the wagering
started again.
"I raise 5," said Val.
"Fold," said Skitch, obviously
annoyed.
"I see 5," said Alphred.
"Then I raise 5."
Jack raised his eyebrow at this. What was
Alphred up to?
"It is 10 to me," said Jack.
"I see the 10."
"And I see the 5," said Val.
"What does everyone have?"
"Two queens and two eights,"
said Val.
"Three jacks here," said Jack.
"Alphred?"
Alphred squinted at his cards then laid
them down.
"Four kings."
"What?!" said Jack.
He looked at the cards. Yep, they were
four kings. Maybe Alphred was better at this game than he thought.
Character(s):
Hyix
Author:
Jeff Hersh
Storyline:
Mind Games
Title
of Post: Something approaches
Its name was Hyix. It was the identical
twin/offspring of the thing which now called itself Xyr but recently was
Xyrhyix. During their splitting, Xyr told Hyix what he needed to do. Xyr was
going to learn more about this Zzenith thing. Hyix was going to finish the
purpose for which they were brought into existence.
Hyix moved quickly from the tavern. He
knew that the purpose was only a rotation or two away. He had to be there at
the right time. It was his sole purpose for existing.
Character(s):
The Rat Pack, poker fiends
Author:
Kristin L.K. Andersen
Storyline:
Rat Kings: Calm Before the Storm
Title
of Post: Nosy People and the Sisters Who Hate to Love Them
"Vas," Valende said.
"I'm in for five," Vas said,
leaning backwards further in his chair, to bring his ears closer to the wall
between him and the library. Ariath pushed five of his chips into the pot.
"Not what I meant, Vas."
Vas sighed. "I can't hear anything
anyway." He hooked his ankle around the table leg and pulled his chair to
tilt at a less precarious-- and less informative-- angle.
Skitch stared in astonishment at Valende, who
was glaring at her brother. It was the
first time he'd ever seen her glare. Khyrisse did it better, because she was
pissier, but Skitch still wouldn't want to be Vas right now.
Vas met her eyes for a moment. He sighed
softly and turned his attention to his cards.
Ariath reached over with her free hand and
fluffed his bangs. "After this hand, I think I'm going to go for a swim.
Anyone else interested?" she asked with a smile.
Vas cheered up remarkably quickly. Valende sighed softly and
turned her attention to her cards.
Character(s):
Jack Paris
Author:
Douglass Barre
Storyline:
Rat Kings: Calm Before the Storm
Title
of Post: Jack Counts Cards
The tension in the room was getting worse.
Jack tried to distract himself by counting
out the cards as he laid them down.
"Swim time!" Ariath grinned
cheerily, sliding out of the robe and revealing the bikini.
Forty-eight, forty-nine, well, this is
going to be an easy hand, fifty...
Vas stood up. "I've got to, uh, go...
uh..."
"Try the pool!" Ari offered.
Vas was already heading off.
Val glowered at his back.
Fifty-one, fifty-two, it's going to get
ugly here shortly, isn't it, fifty-three...
Fifty-three?
There were fifty-six cards in the deck.
"Okay, someone's been adding
cards," Jack sighed.
Alphred looked innocently at the fox totem
sitting next to him.
"Are you accusin' me o'
cheatin'?" Asinus asked.
"Uncle Asinus, you're not even
playing."
"I know. I just like that
accent."
"I'm out of here," Val said,
stomping off.
"I need to go... commune,"
Alphred said, grabbing the totem and running off.
Jack looked around.
"Right. Supportive boyfriend
time," he laid down the cards and followed Val at a distance.
Janice was left in the room with Asinus.
"I've got to, uh, like... go do
something." She raced out.
Asinus chomped at his cigar. "Hey,
butler! Get some more of those cheese puffs in here!"
Character(s):
Khyrisse
Author:
Kristin L.K. Andersen
Storyline:
Rat Kings: Calm Before the Storm
Title
of Post: Not What Ebreth Expects, For a Change
Khyrisse leaned against the edge of the
desk, too nervous to sit down. Plus, she could keep an eye on the door from
here. If anybody sneaked in here this time, she was going to hit the ceiling.
After hitting them. She twisted her hands together, the black leather of the men's
glove on her left hand pleating under her fingers.
"Um, Ebreth... I wanted to apologize
for the way I was acting this morning," she said softly, looking down at
her hands. She was going to be red to the points of her ears as it was before
this was over. She didn't need to help it along by watching his expression.
"I think I sort of gave you the wrong impression. That, um," her
mouth quirked in amusement, "'going ice princess on your ass', it-- it
wasn't you. I was... really embarrassed by what happened in the Pyramid. As for
the rest of it, well... I always seem to run into my ex at the worst times, and
my nerves have been a little shot this past month." She took a deep
breath. Her face felt like it had been scalded. Some of that had to be glowing
through the stoneskin. Goddamn translucent alabaster. "Anyway, I'd like to
start over, because I hate the way we've been acting towards each other ever
since," she finished simply, risking a glance up at him through her
eyelashes.
Character(s):
The Not-So-Wonder Twins
Author:
Kristin L.K. Andersen
Storyline:
Rat Kings: Calm Before the Storm
Title
of Post: Turbulence
Valende and Vas stood in the upstairs
hallway, whispering fiercely at each other, Valende's hand on Vas' arm.
"Vas, you and I both promised--"
"Valende, which is the greater sin?
Breaking my oath or denying my nature? Would you like me as a monk?" His
eyes pleaded with her to understand. "This is different."
Valende shook off his hand impatiently.
"Oh, Vas, no it is not, I have seen you do this a thousand times!"
"I am genuinely fond of the girl.
Truly."
"You," Valende said softly,
"are fond of everyone."
Vas sighed. "Valende... I am deeply
sorry about what happened. But if I think about it every moment of the day, I
will go mad."
"I'm not asking you to! I just don't
understand why you seem so incapable of a little... constancy!"
Vas tilted his head and looked at her in
mild amusement, as if she had said she didn't understand why the sun wasn't
black.
Valende made an impatient exclamation and
turned away.
"Valende." She stopped, but did
not turn back to face him. "I am sorry."
"And your passenger?" she
whispered. "Is he sorry as well? Would you care to ask him?"
Vas rocked backwards as if Valende had
struck him, and the blood drained out of his face in a rush. "Was
he--"
"I don't know. You're the only one
who knows that." Valende wrapped her arms around herself and walked away
down the hallway.
Vas sat down suddenly on the bench behind
him and covered his eyes, feeling the tips of his fingers tremble against his
skin.
Character(s):
Jack Paris, Valende
Author:
Douglass Barre
Storyline:
Rat Kings: Calm Before the Storm
Title
of Post: Jack Asks Pack Backtrack
Jack knocked on Val's door.
"Val? It's me... uh, Jack."
There was no answer.
Jack shifted from one foot to the other.
Val seemed upset, but Jack was always taught not to go into someone's room
unless invited. Fortunately, a moment later, Jack heard a very quiet,
"Come in."
Jack
pushed the door open. Val was laying on her bed, her back to the entrance. Jack
shuffled in and shut the door behind him. "Uh, want to talk about
it?"
"No," Val whispered. Her posture
was calm, but the rapid intakes of breath indicated to Jack that she was
crying.
"Oh. Okay." Jack sat on the edge
of the bed and put a hand tentatively on Val's shoulder. After a moment, she
put her hand up to his. "I, uh, you know you don't have to, um, tell me
anything you don't, ah, want to... but sometimes it helps to talk. At least,
that's what people tell me."
Val rolled over and looked at Jack.
"Who told you that," she grinned through her tears.
"Um, Ebreth did, but that's not
really the point." Val chuckled,
then remembered her sadness, and the smile faded again. "I just want you
to know that I'm here for you, even if it's just to sit and stammer foolishly
at you while you cry."
Character(s):
Ebreth Tor
Author:
Laura Redish
Storyline:
Rat Kings: Pair Up Or Go To Hell
Title
of Post: Embarrassing Ourselves
"Okay," he assured her. "No
problem. I'm very good at starting over." She smiled shakily at him.
Ebreth paused. He had to know. "Why does this upset you so much,
Khyrisse?" he said. "Look at you. You're bright red under there.
What's so embarrassing? So you kissed Jack. You can't still be embarrassed over
that, can you?"
"You'd be surprised," she
whispered, touching her cheek with her hand.
"I don't believe you're blushing
because you kissed Jack this morning. Now come on." He hesitated, and
tapped his first two fingers against his other wrist. "Is it really that
awful," he said, "being attracted to me? I mean." He held up his
hand to cut off what she had been going to say. "I mean... I remember
years of that first Ebreth Tor, you know, and I know what a woman looks like when
she's attracted to someone she really wishes she wasn't. Don't you like me,
even a little?" He turned his shoulder on her, wincing. This was not at
all what he'd been intending to say.
Character(s):
Valende and Jack
Author:
Kristin L.K. Andersen (with help from Evan Haag)
Storyline:
Rat Kings: Going to Hell Anyway...
Title
of Post: No Fearstone Required
Valende chuckled again. "Well, that's
honest."
Jack grinned a little at her. "That's
me, foolish but honest. Really, though."
Valende's emerald eyes sparkled with fresh
tears as she looked at him. "Jack, you don't want to hear this."
"Would it help? Do you want to tell
me?"
"No, but I probably should," she
sighed, sitting up so she was facing him. She swept her free hand over her
cheekbones, wiping tears away. "You told me something that you didn't want
to, that you thought would make me not like you. It's only fair."
"I-- I don't think there's anything
you could tell me that would make me not like you, Val," Jack said.
"I know that you wouldn't do anything like that intentionally. Everyone
makes mistakes."
"Not like this," Valende
whispered painfully. Jack didn't really know what to say, so he just held her
hand and waited for Val to tell him... whatever it was.
"You know," she said suddenly,
"I never thought about it, but you probably weren't affected by the
Madness, were you?"
"Well... um, not really," Jack
confessed. "I, um, didn't mention it because..."
"I know." Valende smiled at him,
then sighed again. "My brother and I had... some warning of what was going
to happen." Jack got the creepy feeling that Valende had just leaped over
a large amount of ugliness, right there, with a single tactful phrase. "I
managed to plane shift us both into a borderline dimension. Not really of this
world, but not really unconnected to it, either. It's a bridge more than a
plane of its own, one that the elves use when they leave the mortal
realms." Jack nodded, not really
sure what this had to do with anything.
Valende took a deep breath. "So my brother and I should have been
only partially affected by the Madness. I--I don't know if we were. I have...
incomplete memories of what happened during those four days, but what I
remember..." She shut her eyes tightly.
Jack squeezed her hand in a comforting
way. "It's okay!"
"No, it's not. There was a large town
nearby, and some of their people ran away, and got lost in the forest that our
gate-plane mapped onto... and Vas and I... hunted them," Valende finished
in an utterly shamed whisper. "Like wolves would rabbits. For being human
and 'invading' our territory. I murdered over a dozen unarmed, terrified people
out of some sort of senseless bigotry."
Jack blinked at her for a moment in surprise, and Valende gently pulled
her hand out of his grasp. Not looking at him anymore, she sighed, and wrapped
her arms around her knees. "There's more, I'm afraid."
"O--okay."
"Jack, I'll understand if you don't
want to see me after this," Valende said steadily. "I should have
told you earlier... I know that the human societies regard this sort of thing
more sternly than the elven ones do. But Vas and I... We-- we slept with each
other." She sighed heavily.
"When we regained our senses, after the Madness was over, we both decided
that we should... restrain ourselves from now on, that our rather passionate
natures had led us into this behavior. We both took an oath to avoid such
things in the future. And now Vas, flighty as ever, has changed his mind and is
going after Ariath. It's as if nothing happened. I can't forget as easily as
Vas can, that's all, I suppose. I should be glad he's healing so
quickly." Valende put her forehead
to her knees. "I'm sorry, Jack. I didn't want to burden you with this, and
I didn't want to tell you for fear of your reaction. But I suppose I should
have. Please forgive me."
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