1 comments/ 13790 views/ 5 favorites Maxie Reckless and the Kith #01 By: RavynsLand "Shush... girls, shush," Kate says with a drunken, lopsided smile, raising up her bottle of Jose Cuervo like it was the flagon of an ancient Norse god. "I'd like to propose... a fuckin' toast." I resist the urge to clear my throat, letting it pass. Kate was trashed and she deserved this moment, she'd earned it. Honestly, we all had. "To fuckin' Dischord," Kate begins, lifting her bottle up in the air and swaying slightly. "To Dischord on the Dance Floor being a fuckin' silver record," she continues, now closing her eyes for dramatic effect. "And to Flesh Panties coming out in fuckin' June!" she squeals, letting out a loud, ecstatic 'woo' as she emptied the bottle over her face. I suspect about 35% of the stuff made it into her mouth but she made a good show of things -- the girls needed that. Kate was our front man, our lead singer, and our keyboardist; she was the face of the band. I nod and smile, raising my own flask of Blackheart to my lips and taking a swig. Fuck it, I'd earned it too. Just as long as someone else was driving this thing. What Kate had said was true -- Dischord on the Dance Floor had just been announced as a silver record, and as it had been our first album, all of us were... well, for lack of a more precise term, excited as hell. Sarah had proposed that we take her hybrid child of a four-wheeler and a four-door hummer out into the woods to celebrate, where we could get drunk, make out, and possibly die, and nobody would find our gorgeous corpses. So far the idea had been successful. Kate was trashed, Vicky was our designated driver (by "designated driver" I mean that she's restricted to only a single liter of hard liquor), Des was already passed out in the backseat with her shirt off, Sarah was as fresh-faced and optimistic as ever, and I... well I showed up. Hey, I was having fun, don't get me wrong on that. But I was a lot more excited for Flesh Panties coming out than I was for our silver record status. Call me old-fashioned but Dischord isn't about the money for me, it's about the music and it's about the art. When our next album comes out and touches more people, and our live shows start getting more people that come there just to see us, and the critics start seeing us as something more than an unusually-popular upstart punk band, I'll party harder then. "Why so glum, Maxie?" Sarah says, sliding up beside me as our car rumbles over dead logs and fairy circles, crunching the fresh leaves and splashing through puddles. Nature was all around us, and I was enjoying that as much as I was the rum in my stomach -- the place is beautiful. That's me, by the way. Maxine Harper, or "Maxie Reckless" on stage. I'm the bassist and the main songwriter for the band. "Not glum, love. Just mellow. I'm not as much of a squealer as Kate is." "I heard that!" Kate bellows from the passenger seat. I smile and lean back, glancing out the window. We were coming into an even more lush area that muddied the boundaries between "forest" and "rainforest". A lot more moss, a lot more flowers, and a lot more... well, just color. The entire place was starting to feel moist, and that wasn't just Sarah's breath on my neck. Before you ask -- yeah, we hooked up a couple times, Sarah and I did. Wasn't the best idea in the long run as it had kinda strained the overall band dynamic, but Sarah was hot as hell and after all of our openly-sapphic stage antics, it seemed like a natural progression. She was also accepting of my "differences", and the first time she closed those silky, black-painted lips around my dick I was sold on her. Would I take it back if I could? Eh. Probably not. "You didn't wanna come with us, did you?" Sarah asks softly, tilting her head and looking at me with those misty green eyes. I shrug. "I don't mind. But I certainly didn't have to. Kate's the star of the show anyway," I add, under my breath. "It's your basslines -- and fuck, your songwriting -- that got Dischord where it is, Maxie. And that was back when Vicky was co-writing with you. Now that you've taken the helm, Flesh Panties is gonna be our biggest hit yet." She smiles reassuringly, putting one hand on my shoulder. This is why my relationship with Sarah is weird; she wants us to be all public, and the rest of the band really shouldn't know what we've been up to behind closed doors. Every time I have to shrug her away, I doubt my judgment in dragging her backstage after the Detroit concert. "Yeah, I guess you're right," I say noncommittally, offering her a small smile to get her to back off. "Hey, when do we stop at the site? I'm getting a little carsick back here." "Almost there," Vicky calls back. "You guys're gonna fuckin' love this place." "Fuck yeah!" Kate jeers out. The thick, knobby tires of Sarah's off-roader easily cruise over a massive fallen tree, slick with moss and carrying us over the wide stream to a little "island" of sorts in the dead center of the forest. I had thought the rest of this place was gorgeous, but I was really amazed now. The kind of plant life growing here reminded me of a tropical island, with spindly, soft green fronds, enormous multicolored blooms dotted around, and a lush canopy of leaves above us so green it was almost blue. The entire isle was shrouded in a deep, hazy shadow that soothed my eyes and started entering me into an almost artistic, borderline-psychadelic state of mind. "Vicky, how the hell did you find this place?" I chirp from the backseat as the car settles. Kate had already poured out and started dancing around the island meadow, tripping only occasionally. "Friend told me about it, gave me this shitty little map," Vicky says with a chuckle. "I've never actually been, but the place looks bitchin'. I have no idea how big it even is." I get out, letting Sarah out behind me and stretching my back out, taking another deep swig from my flask and sighing as it corrodes its way down my esophagus. This place was amazing, and if I got another chance between tours I'd definitely find my way back; I was sure of it. "Oh my Goood, I'm so frikkin' horny," Kate slurs out, groping one of her tits and giving me the eye. I ignore her. While I don't like to brag about it, I hit that too -- and while Kate was as hot as any of us, she had a penchant for sloppy handjobs and then laying still on the bed for the rest of it. If I wanted to get my rocks off I'd fuck Sarah. Now, I say "as hot as any of us" but I realize that you don't actually know what I look like, do you? Well, I'll try to be concise and not ramble, because... well, fuck, I'm trying to tell a story here. In any case, my look was developed slowly over my long twenty-three years of life -- I was born a natural redhead (fair skin and freckles, the whole package) and hated my hair from a young age. Even shaved it off once, when I was thirteen, though that was admittedly worse. When I was fifteen I got into a car accident (losing my dad in the process -- yes, a bummer, but I've moved on), and got some savage scars on the side of my head, completely removing the hair and skin on the right side of my skull. While flesh got grafted back on at the hospital, they concluded that the damage was way too severe for me to ever grow hair again in that area. I was distraught. Not only was my only living relative now no-longer-living, my mop of kinky orange hair was now lopsided, and I was growing into a gangly, unloved teenager. That was when I found punk -- or should I say, punk found me. I lashed out at the world and transformed myself into what I wanted to be, and as I grew into a lithe, athletic adult, I also changed my outward aesthetics. I didn't need a full head of hair to look good. I had my ginger frizz straightened and dyed a dazzling pink, slashing it was crimson streaks. Got a few piercings, got a few tattoos, started dressing differently. And before anyone could blink, the awkward dork with the scars on her head became a sexy renegade that was too hot to touch. Dischord was formed the next year and I went from being Maxine Harper to Maxie Reckless. "Hey, hey. Maxie? You alive in there?" I blink to the sound of Vicky snapping her fingers in front of my face, and I lick my lips. "Yes, Victoria. I'm alive." "Good thing, thought we lost you there for a second," Vicky smiles and turns, "Kate and I are gonna go a little deeper into the woods and, uh... have some 'fun', so you kids take it easy, alright?" I nod, folding my arms across my chest and partially obscuring the logo of my Distillers t-shirt. "Have fun, you two. Don't let her vomit on you." Vic and Kate were already gone by the time my warning touched the air, but what was worse was that I could feel Sarah's arms slowly snaking around my neck. The tall blonde's nipples press against my back, and I could feel them clearly -- she wanted to play. However, it takes two to tango, and I have other plans. "Hey Sarah, could you go check on Des? See if she needs water or something? She's been out for a while now." I turn to face her, keeping one eye on the woods in the opposite direction that our drummer and lead singer had just scampered off in. "Sure," Sarah says with a small smile. "But you'd better be here when I get baaaaack," she coos as she slides back into the off-roader to check on our cellist (fuck yeah, our punk band has a cellist!). "Don't worry," I call out, before continued under my breath. "...I won't be." o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o As I walk deeper into the forest I can feel a slight lunging in my stomach -- a sensation of wonder and curiosity that I hadn't felt in years. I was exploring, like the hero in a fantasy story. Campaigning through uncharted and possibly dangerous forest, drinking in the scent of fresh flowers and running water. My very skin tingles with excitement as little bits of flower fluff blew by -- this place was pure, untouched by mankind. If I was a Disney princess I swear I'd feel a song coming on. I hear giggles coming from a good ways behind me, and figure Sarah found a way to amuse herself. Maybe she even joined in with Kate and Vicky, that'd be nice. Keep them all off my back for a while. I take a swig from my flask and start jogging down a little leaf-slick slope, careful to keep my balance as I weave between trees and flowering bushes. Interestingly, despite the sound of water ahead, what I find at the bottom isn't another stream -- but a large cave mouth, moss hanging down from its upper lip. The sound of water gets louder, a swift rushing, and I take a step closer, into the cave. That, however, is when it hits me. The sound isn't water... it's music. Not music I can say I'm familiar with -- it sounds acoustic and almost folksy, yet slightly alien to my ear, like it's using instruments I've never heard before. I glance behind me, back in the direction of the clearing where the other girls are. Why am I avoiding them? One dick in a mix of chicks, you'd think I'd be right at home in the middle of an annual Dischord orgy. But.... I turn back to the cave, and the sound of music gets stronger, finding a hold in my mind as I start to grasp the melody. I smile softly and walk into the cave, my knee-high tanker boots making a small splash in the entrance's rain-puddles. "Is there anyone in here?" I say softly, holding one hand above my face to let my eyes adjust to the dark a little faster. In front of me, the cave goes gradually deeper, with a dark alcove on the side and a loft of sorts just above the decline. The loft though, seemingly a natural outcropping of rock formed by rainwater, is... off, somehow. I arch a brow and take a few steps forward, as the top of the outcropping seems to be... squirming? Suddenly there is light, as dozens of tiny pinpricks open up. "F-fuck!" I stutter, taking a reflexive step back -- but in the glow of their own eyes, I see the source of the light. They're tiny creatures, bundled together, huddled like lemmings. Like little oddly-patterned crosses between kittens and ferrets, only fluffier, they wriggle overtop of each other and begin to emit a cacophonous purr. "What... the fuck?" I whisper, taking another step back. "Kal'za!" comes a voice from my side, and I stagger back again, now fully exiting the cave mouth. "Zann!" "What?" I reiterate, now more confused than ever. The source of the voice draws nearer, a flash of light heralding even more grumbling and squawking in a language I can't understand. "Oh... outsider," the voice now says. As the speaker steps out of the cave, I see it -- her -- in all of her glory. Short, barely five feet (if that), and... distinctly... not human. "...What." I say once again, though this time I am far more staggered by what I'm seeing. The woman who spoke is of a soft lavender hue, and while her shiny black ponytail may be something that is relatively familiar to my mind, the rest of her is not. Thin, segmented antennae explore the air in front of her, each hand has only two fingers and a thumb, and I'm pretty sure I can see a tail weaving around behind her. Her clothes are even bizarre, like if the 13th century had slutty bar waitresses (though I'm actually fairly certain they did, let's pretend "bars" and "pubs" are different things -- bear with me here). "Oh, don't act like you're the surprised one here. We haven't seen outsiders anywhere near the Glade in centuries -- you're the intruder." The girl tilts her head, examining me with eyes like pools of mercury. "Glade?" Now I really feel like the protagonist in a fantasy story. I'm seriously out of my depth, but unlike Harry Potter I don't have Hagrid to explain anything to me. "What... who... what the fuck?" The alien(?) girl folds her arms, furrowing her brow. "You've disturbed the ixlings." I stare blankly at her. "The little furry things." "And? The, um... they look harmless, right?" I mentally berate myself -- through all of this, shocking as it is, I'm starting to notice that this girl is kind of... well, hot. While she's certainly bizarre and alien to me, her body and facial features are more or less humanoid, with some small differences. "They are, until they imprint. They're born companions -- until you take one, they'll start going berserk." "What?" I considered myself a sharp student but this shit's too fucking weird. The bug-girl sighs softly. "Come with me," she grumbles, lighting her lantern up again and heading back into the cave. Dumbfounded, I follow behind, getting a decent look at the weird creature's round, perky ass, a short skirt not unlike my own concealing barely any of it. Bad thoughts, bad thoughts, bad thoughts. Think about Mother Teresa. Gandhi. Martin Luther King, Jr. Bradley Nowell. Other famous people who did nice things for other people. The little fuzzy guys (ixlings, apparently) are now tumbling over the little canopy, gangrushing me like single moms at a Black Friday sale during school hours. The chick with the antennae kneels down beside the swarm, though they are seemingly ignoring her in favor of crawling up me. "Pick one, outsider. They won't leave you alone until you do." I can barely hear her over the thunderous purring, but I actually do put some thought into this. Alien fairy girl tells me to pick a weasel-kitten out of the freakish mob, I'd better choose carefully because for all I know, I really do have to keep it. I glance down, trying to take a quick count of them, but there's too many. I smile, however, when I see one tiny, furry face pop out from between my modest cleavage, nestled inside my shirt. The ixling is mostly white with fat gray stripes laced across his tube-shaped body, and the pattern is pleasing if not uncommon. I stroke one thumb over its tiny, silky head. "This one work?" "Whichever one," the girl says. "Run your finger along its belly and the others will leave you alone." I nod and follow those directions, and as she says the flock starts pouring away, scurrying along the walls and crawling up to the loft where they had previous been, their purring ebbing as they settled back into a pile. The one I selected crawls up and curls on my shoulder like he's known me all his life. "Why didn't they mobrush you?" I question. "I used to have one, but my imprint died a few years ago. You can never have two ixlings in one lifetime." I shrug. I guess that explains it. "Okay, so... wait, we still have some stuff to talk about. Who the hell are you people?" The purple-skinned girl smiles, then beckons me deeper into the cave, towards the alcove I had initially ignored. "Come with me... I'll try to explain. My name's Zin... and you have just discovered the Glade. The home of the Kith." Maxie Reckless and the Kith #02 "So there is a world of fairies--" "Kith." "--Kith, that have existed alongside humankind since the beginning of intelligent life." I exhale, arching a brow. The girl, Zin, had taken me into the little alcove I'd ignored earlier and set up a large lantern that she'd claimed not to need. Even the lantern itself was a work of beauty, composed of polished and twisted wood that closely resembled that ubiquitous roots growing in the underground complex. The alcove, it seemed, was a house of sorts -- well, if not a house, a sort of watchtower. Apparently Zin was a kind of sentry for the Kith, and it was her job to monitor outsiders and keep the secrets of this strange people safe. Not that it seems like she's being doing a very good job, since I got in pretty easily. "More like... in spite in humankind. The Kith have been struggling to remain secretive and it's only our discovery of the Glade that kept us -- or at least, this particular sect of us -- from getting discovered and wiped out." Zin sits down casually at a small, lonely table, setting her feet (which I notice are also not-exactly-human) up on it. "And before you ask, yes, we tried to coexist centuries ago. It didn't go well." I furrow my brow, moving to sit down in the chair opposite Zin but having a hard time of it -- it's not exactly built for someone my size, and even though I don't think I'm quite a foot taller than Zin, it's an awkward fit. "But if you've coexisted before, why haven't I heard of the Kith before? You'd think there'd be stories." My little ixling, still currently unnamed, chirps peacefully and scurries easily along my body, seeming to explore me before finding a new place (along my upper back) to flop down and sleep. Zin's deep, alien eyes examine him briefly before turning back to me. "Have you ever heard of the 'Fair Folk'?" "Hah! So you are fairies, and you admit it!" I hold up one finger triumphantly. Having done some rudimentary studies in Gaelic mythology during college I know a thing or two about the fae, so I can actually sink my teeth into this now. Zin twists her deep maroon lips in a sort of grimace. "Not quite, outsider." "My name's Maxie." "You're an outsider until the elders decide what to do with you. And you're wrong -- the Fair Folk were based on encounters with the Kith, but between ignorance and superstition we were twisted into bizarre perversions of what we really are." Zin exhales, switching the placement of her legs and setting the right over the left now, heels still set on the tabletop casually. "After that, we started finding mystery places and guarding them, letting our own culture bloom without human influence. It's... better this way." I nod slowly, trying to take things in. This is fucking weird as hell but it's kind of making sense. I mean, it's as plausibly well-guarded as the Harry Potter universe, or something like that. So in theory, her story does add up. "Out of curiosity, if you're trying so hard to guard all the secrets of the Kith, then why are you telling me all of this?" Zin tilts her head to the side, her eyes widening in an expression of utter incredulity. "Wait... you don't think you're leaving the Glade, do you?" "I had kind of been planning to." "I hate to be the one who breaks it to you, outsider, but you're not leaving for a long time... if ever." Zin tenses up, then relaxes again. "I have to take you to the Eldest of the Faoikith, and see what she decides to do with you. I'll warn you now that it isn't likely to be anything good, but..." the small woman shakes her head. "Best of luck out there. Your ixling's going to be very distraught if you end up being killed." Why did I see this coming? Doesn't seem like you can ever discover some hidden alien paradise without being beheaded for it, at least not in a Mature Audiences story. And considering the amount of times I've already said 'fuck' I have a feeling that this may not have a kid-friendly ending. My eyes instinctively turn to the dimly-lit entryway I just came through. I can see the light from the entrance, back into the forest... if I can get back to the car-- "Don't bother with that, outsider," Zin says with a sigh, standing up from the table. "You can't escape if I don't want you to." "I don't suppose there's any chance of you changing your mind about wanting to." "Not really, no." It was worth a shot. I exhale slowly and stand up, as the black-haired fairy girl has now posed herself at the exit back to the main cave, and has picked up a staff of sorts that had been hanging on the wall. The staff is of the same implacably exotic make as most of the other crafted items I've seen, carved from some sort of polished white wood and decorated with ornate runic script that resembles a cross between the Norse alphabet and Tolkien's Elvish. "Come on, outsider. Who knows, maybe the eldest will take a liking to you, and you can be added to her harem as a... trophy. You are cute, for a human." "And to think I was going to say you were cute for an alien fairy." I fold my arms and pout my lips, still standing by the table. "Until you said you were going to take me to be executed." "It's nothing personal," the Kith girl says with a small, yet genuine frown. "And thanks. Maybe if you live we can get a drink sometime." I shrug, then start following behind the lavender-skinned sprite with heavy footfalls: walking, supposedly, to my demise. At least I have a nice view, though. As we go down through the massive tunnel that the ixling clutch had been hiding above, things get darker and darker (presumably to keep 'outsiders' away) before suddenly opening into a... well, opening. Things now become very, very different, and I realize what they've been trying so hard to preserve. This section of "the Glade" is still underground (I think), but is well lit and ripe with vegetation. Phosphorescent mosses and fungi dot the walls and "ceilings" when not being used outright as light-sources in tall, hanging lanterns, lighting the place light a full moon. The floor is of a deep scarlet moss, serving as a lush carpet to walk on -- I also note, as I suddenly become exposed to a lot more of the Kith, that none of them wear shoes. I presume that they are unneeded. Dark flowers and slim, soft vines crawl over everything, from pathways to buildings to fences and everything in between, making the place a subterranean paradise. Various Kith nod at me and Zin from time to time, with the grave look on their face that says 'Oh, I see you got another one.' It isn't a look I'm particularly happy with but I've more or less accepted what's about to happen, or at least that there's nothing I can do to stop it until I meet the Eldest, so I just observe for now -- drinking in an alien culture all in one gulp. I notice that all of the Kith -- literally all of them -- seem to be visibly female, even if I'm proof that looks can be deceiving. There are also no distinctive classes, unless they are segregated in another manner; all of them seem to wear similar styles of clothing (providing leeway for basic individuality) and none of them wear visible jewelry. I notice a lot of skirts, a lot of pastel skin colors similar to Zin's pale purple, and a lot of dark hair colors (which some more radical shades thrown in -- possibly dyes). I also notice one more thing I hadn't entirely expected -- they're all, well, hot. Like, very hot. While I still consider my current companion to be a spectacular specimen, it appears she is only slightly-above-average in comparison to the other Kith. Astonishing. My musing is brought to an abrupt halt when Zin stops, turning to face me with a heavy-hearted expression before directing my gaze to the building ahead of us. It's clearly the largest in the entire area (as far as my eye reaches, anyway), a massive overgrown dome that's lit up like a botanical Christmas tree. Bizarrely, what I can only describe as a deep violet halo encircles the rounded crown of the building, not attached by any visible means, nor serving any visible purpose. The majesty of the place almost overloads me -- I was willing to accept a mono-gendered race of sexy half-pint magical fairies who live in extraplanar subterranean cities that behead random passersby and, apparently, keep harems. I was willing to accept that. But this is just so... big, so majestic and so amazing that my mind starts having difficulty comprehending everything that's being forced into it. Kind of like spending a full night grinding for a test you didn't study for, the way your head just starts to... shut down. "What is this place?" I whisper, my neck starting to hurt from looking up. "The Citadel of the Faoikith, where our Eldest resides." Zin answers matter-of-factly. I rub my temples, shielding my eyes briefly to readjust before looking back up at the massive structure. "Cool. Also, why do you keep saying 'Faoikith'? I thought you were called just the Kith." "There are more than one sect of the Kith living within the Glade. The Faoikith -- in your tongue it'd be something like 'below-folk' -- are those of us that live underneath the surface of the earth. There are more of us; those living in the trees, by the lakes, and even in the sky. We all have different names." Fuck, well. Just add more details onto this, why doncha. I sigh deeply and shake my head. "Alright then, let's get this show on the road. I haven't got all day." "Yes you do," Zin said with a slightly questioning tone, as if unsure whether or not I actually had something I was waiting for. "It's an expression," I sigh. "A, um, 'outsider' saying." "It's silly." She states firmly. I shrug as a pair of guards holding spears (so much for their 'developed culture') open the massive double doors for us, and Zin walks in confidently, using her staff as a walking stick. I take one glance back behind me, noting that there are Kith (ahem, 'Faoikith') dressed similarly to those guards dotted around the 'city' -- more sentries, I guess. Which would make running for it a pretty fucking dumb idea. I inhale and walk in behind Zin, preparing myself for the worst. The inside of the Citadel becomes a blur of sorts, as I start retreating into my own mind. I find myself thinking about Dischord and the music we made, wondering how the band will do without me. They'll be fine, even though I'm confident Vicky will start layering in a pop influence to "gain a following". That's fine. Not like I'll be alive to see it. "Oh, Lord, heaven knows, we belong way down below..." I hum quietly to myself as my train of thought shifts amidst the unending blur of ornate woodwork and crystalline structures, the warm sound of feet against wood bringing me no comfort, even though I can hear the source of the music I'd noticed earlier growing closer. I hadn't put a lot of thought into God or religion -- my parents had been converted Buddhists so, while enlightenment was encouraged, there was no real punishment for avoiding it. Then again, what if that wasn't the answer? What if it was all fire and brimstone down there? If it was, it was pretty obvious I'd be going down when the big elevator came for me. I'd hoped to not have to think about this so early in life, but I guess it's my fault for not being prepared. "If it makes you feel better, outsider, I'll put in a good word for you. You've been pleasant so far." Zin says, trying to be helpful, though I don't really feel much better. I do suddenly notice, however, that Zin has stopped walking, and slowly lift my eyes from the floor to see what lies before me. The Eldest, ironically, doesn't look particularly old, which raises some immediate questions about immortality and sort of pisses me off (immortal creatures should understand the importance of permanent death, dammit!). In fact, the Eldest is pretty hot, and also appears to be a little bit... bigger, than the other Kith (or at least the Faoikith). She's about my height and has long, flowing silver hair that spills across her shoulders, complementing the silver-blue gown she wears (presumably a royal(?) garment of sorts) that, in keeping with the Kith's seeming desire to keep skin showing, has a nice amount of midriff exposed. Her skin is a few shades lighter than Zin's but of a similar hue, and her face has a compassionate sternness, like a mother who's not afraid to dish out a whippin' for the greater good. "Exhalted Eldest," Zin says quickly, dropping to one knee and holding her staff out in front of her. "I see your exile did not last as long as intended, Zin. A shame." The Eldest says, straightening her back and sitting up straight within her little throne, a fabulous slab of gemstone shaped into the nearest semblance of something that can be sat on. "Who is this outsider you have brought?" "So, in a row, they line up to die," I grumble, folding my arms. "A girl, Eldest, who calls herself Maxie. She has given me no trouble, and has also bound with one of the ixlings. If I may, I suggest you use what lenience is still in your heart." Well I'll be damned, Zin actually did come through with that whole 'good word' thing, and was even really forthcoming about it. Mention of my new pet reminds me of him, and I bend my neck to the side, stretching it and causing the little fluffy guy to instinctively roll over, draping himself across my right shoulder. Cute fella, gonna miss him. "Your suggestion means little, criminal," the Eldest snarls. "Now let the outsider introduce her own self." "I suppose asking for a little courtesy would be out of the question," I grunt, only to receive a surreptitious elbow to the ribs from Zin. "Figured." I straighten my back and put on my 'stage pose', setting one leg in front of me in an aggressive and confident stance, the kind I always used when Dischord was putting on a live show. "My name is Maxine--" I pause. Fuck being Maxine. "My name is Maxie Reckless. I graduated from Washington State University, co-founded the band Dischord -- which put out a silver record -- have no living relatives, and won a Seattle wine-drinking competition in 2012. Also, despite what Zin would have you believe, I'm only... sort of a girl." "What do you mean, 'sort of'?" the Eldest tilts her head, narrowing her black eyes down at me. "Humans have only two genders, no more." "My dick begs to differ," I say, reaching beneath my skirt and lewdly cupping my junk with one hand. Fuck it, if I'm gonna die I may as well have some fun with it. The reaction, however, is not exactly what I was expecting (even though I wasn't entirely sure what it was I was expecting). The Eldest mumbles something to herself, and even Zin stares at me with wild eyes, glancing from my face to my skirt, then back to the Eldest. "Eldest... I'm sorry, I had no idea." "Take her to the Interrogation Chamber immediately," the Eldest growls, seeming almost incensed that her plans have changed so dramatically. "Bring as many members of my harem as you want, but I demand you lead the investigation yourself. Confirm what she's saying... if her words are true...." She growls again and stands from her seat, grumbling to herself frantically but not fully finishing her sentence. "Don't be too long." Zin nods and turns to me, raising herself from her kneeling position and taking my hand firmly. "Alright, outsider -- it looks like we're about to get pretty close." Maxie Reckless and the Kith #03 "Any recommendations?" Zin says, folding her arms and surveying the harem of the Eldest. They came in all varieties (at least, all varieties of Faoikith, with a few others that I suppose may be of a different sect), with some being taller or shorter, slimmer or curvier, and coming in different shades and styles. "I shouldn't need any more than two." The girl Zin was talking to, a remarkably short but full-figured character in one of the trashiest dresses I've ever seen, taps a finger to her lips and gazes out among the masses. "Just two, hm? Well, the twins work quite well together if you're going for a quick decision. Hand-picking may take too long if the Eldest is in a rush...." I suddenly hear a joyous squeak from the back of the harem, two Kith girls breaking away from idly making out to reveal a pair of identical Kith girls, both nude but for loincloths. They have rosy pink skin like that of a rose, and handlebars of a deep Pacific-blue coloration. They're also both very slim, almost waifish in appearance, with small breasts and tiny waists -- if it weren't for their exuberantly seductive postures I'd be getting a bit of a jailbait vibe from them. "Yes, we'll do it!" One of the twins says excitedly. "Wait, what are we supposed to be doing?" The other twin chirps, touching one fingertip to her lips in a comically curious expression. "We have an outsider on our hands," Zin says solemnly, gesturing to me with a quick glance. "An outsider that claims some... anatomical differences to humans. She has to undergo an official interrogation and we have a deadline." I still have no idea why saying I have a dick got me into all of this. Am I supposed to be the chosen one or some shit? "Why am I getting the feeling that this is going to be really weird?" I say, folding my arms. "It will be," Zin admits, "I'll do my best to make the process... comfortable, though. Meet the twins, Elle and Ella -- they'll be assisting me." Elle and Ella, how imaginative. The twins wave excitedly to me with exuberant smiles and I exhale. Well, it's better than being executed, and honestly the twins are pretty hot in their own weird way. "Alright, enough with the vagueness -- assisting you in what?" Zin sighs softly and reaches out, taking my hand gently and leading me deeper into the harem room, past something I would attempt to describe as a door were I not certain that I'd fail. Inside the next room is a massive, oblong bed, with closets and and dressers on the sides, holding I know not what. "What you claimed is very rare for humans. As far as I know, it's unheard of," Zin tries to explain to me but she sounds a bit awkward. Either she's out of her depth or this is as weird for her as it's about to be for me. "However, it's common among the Kith. We need to run some... tests, some tests that you may find invasive." As Zin does her best to tactfully explain, Elle and Ella have gotten close to each other, caressing one another's lithe figures and tracing slim figures across tone stomachs. I have no idea what the rules on intimacy or childbirth are, when it comes to the Kith, but considering Zin's lack of reaction I can only assume that incest isn't a particularly large concern. I start speaking but leave my eyes on the twins, oddly captivated as they start gently kissing each other. "I noticed that all of you seemed female, but are you saying that all of the Kith have di--" My question is answered before I finish asking it, as the twins pull away each other's loincloths, revealing long, firm rods that have already reached full stiffness, leaning in to each other to press the spongy tips together. "...Oh." "Yes, we do," Zin says sheepishly, tugging at the bottom of her half-shirt a bit awkwardly. "And... in order to confirm some things, we'll have to get the exact details on your sexual anatomy." With a small shift of her hand, she lifts her shirt up, revealing a single full breast, slightly larger than mine (proportionately, of course). Folding my arms is now no longer enough, and I awkwardly squeeze them around my body. "Um, so... that means what I think it does, doesn't it?" "The twins and I are going to have sex with you, outsider." "And if I do this, I get to live?" Zin chews her bottom lip awkwardly. She isn't in charge of what happens to me and I can tell she doesn't want to make any promises she can't keep. "It will help your chances, yes, depending on the outcome." I nod slowly, glancing over to the twins. They're really going at it now, and Elle is pinned against the wall while Ella nuzzles her adorably-small breasts -- though I notice that her eyes stay on me. They're occupying themselves while they wait for the real fun to start, and I suppose it's up to me to get this show on the road. With a deep breath I lift my Distillers tee over my head, tossing it aside and revealing my own modest chest, not quite so boyish as the twins' but not so womanly as Zin's either, a comfortable B cup. Zin allows herself a weak smile. "Not bad," the Kith girl says, shrugging all the way out of her own shirt and tossing it aside before hopping onto the bed. She's nice enough to make a seductive show of things, crawling to the edge on all fours so that I can see a cute pair of white panties under her skirt. "We don't have much time, but I'll try to be gentle." "What do you need the twins for?" I ask, unbuckling my tanker boots and sitting up on the edge of the bed, my eyes lingering on the rosy-skinned minxes who are now watching me more intently. "Do they monitor us, or something?" "We need to test your full anatomy, outsider," Zin says. "That means more than just your genitals. Your breasts, nipples, anus; all of you must be inspected -- it will be faster with three of us." So it was to be a gangbang then. I can cope with a gangbang. And honestly, the twins' performance is getting me a bit stiff which will make this fun, and I've never been with a girl like me before. If I look at this the right way it can actually be fun, so why the hell not? I allow myself a small smile and slowly slide my panties off before tossing them at the twins, turning back to Zin and giving her a sultry stare. "Well, then let's do this shit -- this may be my last fuck so the three of you had better keep up." Zin offers a small smile and leans in to me, kissing me hard and pressing her chest against mine -- it's a little weird kissing a girl who's so much smaller than I am, but I acclimate quickly, lifting my skirt to expose my own full, pulsing shaft. While I realize that I'm a good bit bigger than the Kith overall, I still get a naughty thrill when I notice that my dick's a good bit heftier than Elle's or Ella's, and considering the bulge under Zin's own skirt, hers as well. I nibble gently at the lavender-skinned girl's throat, holding her against me for a moment to work myself up. They want to experiment on me, they have to warm up the oven first. It's a mild, but pleasant, surprise when I feel Ella's (at least I think it's Ella) hands slide along my sides, slipping in front of me to take a gentle hold of my breasts, rubbing them in slow circles, her thumbs flicking along the steel bars lacing my stiff pink nipples. I exhale a little ragged breath as she teases my sensitive nubs with her fingertips, relaxing and embracing the pleasure she gives me as I hold and kiss Zin, who is actually really getting into this. Her skirt tents as her cock pushes past the waistband of her panties, and I carefully lift it all the way with my free hand, nibbling her lip as I glance down to examine it. Her cock, as I suspected, is a bit smaller than mine but good for her size, the same pale purple as the rest of her, and very nicely shaped. I smirk. "Like it?" Zin coos, unclasping her skirt and tossing it aside before kissing me again gently. "Mhm," I nod, nibbling at her jawline as Ella teases me, before shifting my hips forward to press my rod against hers the same way the twins just had, grinding into the gatekeeper who had ushered me into this strange new world. I suddenly hear a giggle, a soft kissing sound, then a few more giggles coming from behind me, and Ella firmly twists both of my nipple piercings. I close my eyes, breaking the kiss with Zin and releasing a harsh gasp of pleasure, a little trickle of precum leaking from my cocktip and along Zin's. "H-hey, those are sensitive--!" I quickly exclaim. "Her body reacts like a woman's," Elle says with slight shock. "Her breasts are so tender and sensitive, and they feel so real...." I decide not to break the news that there have been medical breakthroughs in transgender operations that allow large changes in the sensitivity of breasts -- they don't apply to me anyway, and if it's that little tidbit that's gonna save my life she can just hold onto it. "That's because I am a woman," I retort awkwardly before glancing down at my dick squashed against Zin's and imagining how silly that would sound to most humans. Whatever. "It's alright, outsider," Zin says with a little smile, pushing me back lightly so that I'm laying in Ella's lap. "It's a good thing." Well, score one for Maxie I guess. But I wish she'd tell me the 'good things' before the results were already weighed so I can make up bullshit excuses if I really need to. Ella cranes her neck down, pulling me up a little bit so that she can kiss and lick at one of my nipples, which apparently still need testing. I release an intense, instinctive moan which only increases when Elle pounces me from the other side, closing her lips firmly around my free breast and beginning to suckle, her hands roaming over my stomach and arms. I could get used to this if I had to, to be honest. "What are you testing for, again?" I groan out between gasps of enjoyment. I'm beginning to feel a tense sensation in both breasts and my nipples are sticking out like tiny impaled top hats. Zin shakes her head, then kisses my stomach. "Don't worry about it," she coos, before getting on all fours and lifting my skirt again, folding the top back and stroking her long, slightly forked(?!) tongue over the underside of my shaft. "F-fuck!" I cry out, my body getting tense. "Hnn-n... I..." I babble, but it doesn't go much of anywhere. "Relax," Zin says again, kissing my tip before closing her lips around it, suckling at it like the first tastes of a popsicle, where you're still afraid it might freeze to your lips. I close my eyes and lean back, trembling very slightly -- between the twins outright nursing from each breast, and now the gatekeeper proceeding to go down on a dick that I'm pretty confident is too big for her to handle, death is starting to seem like it'll be worth it. "Look at how much she likes it!" the twins look up and utter in unison, before turning to each other and glaring briefly. "Don't copy me!" they both squawked, again simultaneously, before pouting. I'd laugh if Zin's lips weren't now closed around one of my balls, tenderly suckling at it. Hell, I let out a muffled giggle anyway, especially when Elle and Ella share a tiny make-up kiss before returning their attention to my nipples. "Oh look, the tip of this one is getting wet!" Ella says happily. "That's because you're sucking on it, you goof," Elle reprimands her sister. "Your mouth is wet." Ella shakes her head, flicking my nipple with her tongue and then rubbing it dry with her thumb. "Nuh uh, check yours. They're moist." I blush hotly, trying to ignore them. It had always been a 'fun' little thing -- while I can't honestly say I lactate I do get a little bit of moist discharge from my nipples from time to time, and I guess that's what the twins are noticing now. They redouble their licking and suckling and (occasionally) even biting, and I stop trying to contain my blissful spasms. "She's sooo sensitive," Elle remarks. "Girls, calm down," Zin says playfully, dragging her tongue back up along the length of my tool. "You're distracting her. We want the test to go well, don't we?" "Well technically we haven't tested everything yet, even if she does seem to be passing so far," Ella remarks, looking down at Zin with a thoughtful expression. She then shifts her weight (along with me, still in her lap) and wriggles beneath me a bit more, and a notice something sliding between my asscheeks before popping out. I furrow my brow and lean up, looking down -- Ella's dick has popped out from between my thighs, now resting along the underside of my own shaft and in front of Zin. "Can you be a dear and get me wet, Zinny? I'm in the best position to give the outsider her..." she giggles, "...invasive examination." Zin tilts her head to the side with an accepting expression. "True," she murmurs, before getting a naughty look. She wraps her lips firmly around the crown of my shaft and slides down a few times, getting the entire thing moist before grabbing Ella's cock with one hand and forcing it against mine and, with a great deal of effort, into her mouth. My eyes widen at the impressive display but I try to stay composed, despite the pretty fucking intense sensation. Ella's distracted from suckling at me but the feeling of her rod pressed flush against mine, Zin's saliva dribbling over both of us as she attempts a very messy and challenging double-oral, is absolutely fucking amazing. My eyes roll into the back of my head and I flop backward, only for Elle to embrace me. Breathing heavily, I glance up to the other twin with a questioning look as she gets close and kisses me firmly, giggling between sweet smooches. "I think we need to put this mouth to good use. It may not be part of the test, but Ella and I aren't always known for playing by the rules." I actually get a little nervous. While I had a brief "straight" phase in college that didn't go well, I'd never had a dick in my mouth before. Played around with them, sure. Even had one in my ass once. But my trysts with males were always too fleeting to include something like a blowjob, especially since they were generally all terrified of the fact that I had a dick too. I inhale uneasily but then nod, and Elle slides over to share a quick kiss with her twin sister before getting off the bed and standing up. I close my eyes briefly when Zin goes deeper, Ella's and my cocks firmly joined within the cozy embrace of Zin's throat. She splutters and then gags, saliva streaming down both of us now, before she pulls up with a gasp. When I can open my eyes again without risk of sensory overload, I see Elle's shaft standing imposingly in front of my face, and I shyly lean in to flick my tongue across the tip. It tastes nice actually, fresh and flowery and very reminiscent of all of the Glade I've experienced so far. "Elle, you know that's not part of the experiment," Zin chastises, kissing one of my balls. "You should be helping me down here." "Don't feel like it," Elle says with an evil giggle before setting one knee up on the bed, giving me better access to her rod. Stll breathing heavily, I take her tip into my mouth and start slowly moving back and forth, hesitant but getting a naughty thrill out of sucking the Kith girl's dick. "Besides," she continues, "You don't wanna overload the poor thing, especially since Ella's itching to start fucking her." Oh shit. I forgot about that. I cough slightly and lean back, nuzzling Elle's dick and looking down between my legs. Ella's cock isn't there anymore, and I suddenly feel that peculiar sensation between my asscheeks again... though this time it's a good deal wetter. "Whoa there..." I begin, but Zin shakes her head. "This is part of the test, outsider," she warns, but then offers me a smile. "Here, why don't I try to make it up to you?" I lazily slurp at the tip of Elle's crown as Zin lifts her weight up, kissing my smooth, pale stomach again before lifting her tits with both hands, gently sliding my slick cock between them and pressing the plush, silky globes together. I gasp quietly, starting to close my eyes and relax -- and then immediately opening them again and letting out an excited squeal when I feel Ella breach me. It happens all at once, honestly, or at least it feels like it. Her wet tip presses against the smooth pink rink of my asshole before sliding upward and inside, drilling in a good few inches on the first go and stretching my backdoor around her. Now, while I mentioned that the Kith had smaller dicks than I did, and it was true -- mine is bigger than average, and so are theirs. Ella's seems to be around the seven inch mark and now about half of that monster is in my butt. While this isn't... entirely unwelcome, it also isn't something I was totally prepared for. I let out a few harsh squeaks, spluttering my saliva over Elle's prick and twitching spasmodically, my hands making fists in the sheets. "Hmmm... interesting," Ella notes, letting her cock lay against my face as I continue my silent scream of pure feeling, still unable to decide if what I'm feeling is pain or pleasure. "Her reaction isn't entirely negative. Keep going, sister... I think she's coming around to it." Tears form in my eyes and my breathing goes from heavy panting to spastic huffing, my entire body shaking like a leaf in the rain. It's Zin's tits that start bringing me around -- seeming concerned, she starts to move them up and down, slowly at first but quickly gaining speed. While her breasts aren't huge they're big enough for this, and at a quick glance I notice that she's toying and tugging at her own nipples with her fingers... Zin's enjoying this. "Fuck, ffffuuuuuu-uuck," I mewl out pitifully as Ella increases her pace, now slowly sliding her dick in and out of my snug backside, causing a renewed spasm with each rotation. I tilt my head in an attempt to distract myself and shove Elle's cock into my mouth, sucking at it more deeply now, more desperately as the heat in my body builds. I'm being assaulted from three angles and honestly, my nipples are still buzzing from the attention they'd received earlier. Elle's warnings about overloading me may have been valid, as I'm starting to feel like I can't handle any more of this without exploding. Ella is increasing her pace even further, and with each thrust I pump my hips upward instinctively in a simultaneous effort to "escape" her cock drilling in my ass, and shove my own shaft between Zin's breasts again. "She's pretty good at this when she tries, you know," Elle says with a little giggle, taking a fistful of my hair and sighing contently, working her hips in smooth tandem with the bobbing of my head. While I don't want to admit it, this is all starting to feel amazing -- whether it's individually or simply as a group effort, even Ella's increasingly ruthless sodomizing is starting to be a huge turn on. Zin leans down to flick her tongue over my crown, but then hesitates. "She's not pulling away anymore," she notes idly. "Hm?" Elle chirps. "She used to pull away when Ella thrusted into her -- now she's backing into it." Zin leaned back, her face splitting into a huge smile. "She likes it." "G-good sign...?" I whimper, drool leaking from the corner of my mouth. "Very good sign," Zin doesn't drop her grin, flicking her tongue along my cock again and then sliding up beside me, pressing her shaft back against mine. "You're doing well so far, but we do have one more test, I think." "Whas'that?" I groan, nibbling at Elle's foreskin idly. "You've already tested every part of me...." "Individually, we did," Elle begins. Zin finishes for her. "But not every combination. We need to see if you can get off from stimulation of your ass -- without simultaneous stimulation of your penis." I manage to find enough lucidity to arch a brow. What the fuck? I'm starting to feel like I'm some kind of porno. How can my destiny really be dependent on whether or not I can experience an anal orgasm? Maxie Reckless and the Kith #04 When my senses start slowly sifting back, I start to develop the sensation of being lifted and carried. My eyes slowly drift open, still stinging from the tears of my recent trials (fun as they were), and I see that I'm being carried by the twins, who are... deceptively strong for their size and build. So, half-Kith. And half-human, I suppose? It raises a lot of questions, honestly. My mom died early on which explains why I never got any "talks" growing up. I can only assume that my biological "father" was Kith, meaning that the man I spent the majority of my life with was not actually related to me at all. Ain't that a kick in the fuckin' head. Big question is, why haven't I shown any other signs? No purple skin, no antennae, no shorter than average. I share no characteristics with the Kith I've seen so far, and the only "unusual" inherent traits I've ever expressed are my unorthodox genitalia, and being naturally flexible (I was a prodigy in gym class). "She's coming to," one voice says. Now that they've switched up I can't tell one twin from the other. "Oh, she is," this voice is a little cheerier. I try to think back to what I've heard the twins say. "Hey there, Maxie!" Okay, that's Ella. Which makes the other one Elle. "...'Sup," I grunt wearily, starting to squirm slightly. My "ride" comes to a quick end as I'm set into a deep pool, my sore, stretched backside hitting a natural shelf of sorts that acts as a seat. The water is warm, almost hot, and it tingles delightfully against my skin -- it's effervescent. As full sight restores itself (my eyes were never that great anyway) the room around me starts to get clearer. Like all of the other Kith architecture I've seen so far, it's magnificent in an earthy, natural way -- the walls are dark, polished wood, though they keep a sort of natural curvature that makes it almost seem as if the wood were still alive. A dense, hammock-like canopy of slate-blue moss hangs lazily high above us, forming a sort of bizarre ceiling. The pool I'm in sits in the very center of the room, but lining the walls are what I can only attempt to describe as cabinets. Everything in this world is different to me, the product of hundreds of years of slow advancement, independent from the influence of anything I've come to know in my daily life. Whether the Kith use technology or some sort of magic I'm not sure, but honestly I-- ooooh. My train of thought goes stale when the twins get into the pool with me, tracing their small, silky hands all over my body. They don't seem like they're particularly frisky after our so-very-recent romp in the harem room, and are much more interested in giggling to each other as they "pet" me. In spite of the warm water a small chill ripples through my slim figure as Elle's fingertips trace curiously along my tattoos. "They don't wash off," the blue-haired faoikith murmurs, glancing up at me. "What are they?" "Tattoos," I mumble, my faculties finally buzzing into place more fully. I sit up slightly in the pool, spreading my arms out to encompass the twins. Elle cocks her head to the side, arching a brow. "What are those? Some sort of human birth-markings?" As Ella's lips close gently around one of my nipples I release a small puff of a sigh, exhaling and trying to relax before answering. "They're permanently penned into my skin." "Like a brand?" "No..." I furrow my brow. "They're drawn into my flesh with ink in the pattern I want. Then they never fade away." "Permanent woad," Elle's perplexity shows clearly on her face. Together the twins have washed most of the spunk off of my body now, and Ella is still enjoying my breasts to her fullest capacity. From what I can tell, she's the simpler of the two sisters. "Kind of," I admit, glancing down at myself. Each tattoo means something, a symbol of some part of my life. Erratic tribal tattoos across my left shoulder were meant to symbolize my heart, and the stains on it. I got those right after my dad died. A "punk-slashed" gossamer pattern crawling across my right hip and side to mark my lost innocence. "You have so many," Elle whispers. "They all mean something?" "Most of them do," I croak. The interlocked star-and-ring on the back of my right hand I just got because I really dig Nintendo. Our brief conversation is interrupted before it goes much of anywhere, by an ecstatic prrrrp! sound. I turn my head towards the sound's source, only to see my own little gray-striped ixling galloping adorably towards me. I allow myself a little smile. "Hey, big guy," I say, extending one hand which he immediately crawls along onto my shoulder. "Oooh, you have an ixling!" Ella says, looking up and beaming, reaching out to stroke the little guy's stubby tail. "How long have you had him? I've always wanted one but the Eldest doesn't let harem-girls imprint." "Not long," I admit. "I got him right before I came into the Glade, so... maybe three hours?" I snicker quietly. The ixling had started purring contently, nuzzling the back of my neck. "Have you named him yet?" Elle inquires. I bite my bottom lip, looking down at him. "I haven't, actually. I've kinda had a lot going on, if you couldn't tell. What with my life hanging in the balance." On that subject, it seemed like my life was a bit less endangered. If I really am half-Kith, these guys wouldn't behead one of their own, would they? That also raises the question of whether or not I'm immortal like they are... or at least maybe have some sort of longevity. "Let's name him!" Ella squeaks, scritching the little guy's chin with one finger. "What about something like Eloxan?" I arch a brow. "What? Um. No. Nothing like that. If I'm gonna name him his name has to have some kind of meaning. Or," I slide a bit deeper into the pool, acknowledging what I'm more likely to do. "At least be some kind of cunning music reference. Like "Filistata" or something like that." Both twins look at me with blank stares. "Stolen Babies? Doctor Filistata?" They shake their heads in unison. "And I thought I made obscure references back in my own world. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised that you two have never heard of Stolen Babies." Another blank look. I shake my head slightly and start lifting myself out of the tub. The water has revitalized me to a great degree (causing me to suspect that there may be some funny business) and I'm ready to go find out exactly how I'm going to survive in the Glade and what I'm going to have to do to do it. Though.... I glance around me. The room's empty besides the twins, those cabinets, and me. My clothes are who knows how far away. "Guys... my--?" "Clothes?" Elle says intuitively, nodding. "We left them. If you're going to be going native you have to stand out at least a little bit less. With your human clothes there's no way you'll be able to blend in. "And you expect Kith clothes to fit me?" "Ha ha," Elle says dryly, sliding out of the pool herself. Water drips off of her in little rivulets and her handlebars cling to the sides of her neck, and it's just now I realize that Elle (and by extension, Ella) is really, really beautiful. Maybe too slim for a lot of peoples' tastes but I consider myself very open-minded about stuff like that. Maybe if I get another chance I'll have to give her a proper spin later. "You aren't that much bigger than we are, Maxie, and our clothes do come in varying sizes." As she moves to one of the deep wood cabinets, opening it almost out of the wall itself, Ella starts hesitantly crawling out of the pool, not having anything important to do but also not wanting to be far from her sister. I fold my arms across my chest and pop a hip out, observing the pair. "Okay, what's your favorite color?" Elle chirps, starting to rifle through articles of clothing that she thinks will fit me. "Black, pink, purple, blue..." I rattle off, waiting to see what she comes up with. Little Filistata (what the hell, I'm going with it) scuttles up onto the top of my head, peering out at the twins as if curious to see what I'm looking at. "How about... brown?" Elle asks hopefully. "No fucking way." "Seriously?" "I'll go topless before I wear brown." Elle looks at me for a long moment, her mouth half-open. "...Why do you hate brown so much?" "Brown... killed my parents." I lie, stifling a giggle. Ella gasps. "Oh, you poor thing!" "She's kidding, love," Elle drones. "Honestly though," I admit. "It's just a terrible color. When I... reinvented myself, I swore I'd never wear brown again. It's not who I am." "Weirdo," Elle chirps, turning back to the cabinet and tossing a few things back at me. "Try those on, I think they'll fit. Hope they aren't too brown for you." I chuckle to myself and check what she tossed out for me, figuring out how each piece of clothing "works" before finally putting it on. The bottoms are actually quite to my taste, resembling an unusually short, black utilikilt. Kinda has a "gothic warrior princess" thing going on and it fits, so I'm good to go. The top is more questionable. It's dark lavender and resembles a cross between a halter top, a battle harness, and a sari; like everything in this world though, it's curiously alien. It takes me about three minutes and help from Ella before I manage to get the thing on, though when everything's in place I have to admit that the ensemble works well on me. "You realize you're going to need to get my boots, right?" I say as I slide on a pair of mid-thigh stockings. I'll put my own slashes in them later. "But we're trying to give you Kith clothi--" Elle starts. "I'm not going anywhere without my boots." I'm very attached to my tanker boots. They're among the only shoes that have ever properly fit me. The twins nod, and Ella rushes off to grab them. Filistata perches triumphantly on my shoulder, standing up on his hind legs as if he understands what just happened. It's a few minutes before Ella returns, and meanwhile her twin gets dressed in a sort of skimpy, pale blue gown, picking out a matching pale red one for her sister. The three of us get ready and we start to vacate the pool area, heading back towards the "throne room". I'm integrated and ready for action. Time to figure out what lies ahead. Maxie Reckless and the Kith #05 When I reach the throne room (the twins at my heels), I can hear the voice of the Eldest before I even show up. That shrill, matronly tone isn't one I'll soon forget, so I take pause, lingering outside the entrance for a moment to hear what's being said. "We still can't trust her." The voice of the Eldest. I can only assume she's talking about me. "She's Kith!" came the fast retort. It's also a voice I recognize, one I've become intimate with in the past few hours - Zin. "She's half-Kith, if that. And we don't even know what faction she's from - she could be Folakith! That would explain why she hasn't expressed characteristics of any specific Kith." The Eldest again. Ella squeaks softly, and I elbow her in the ribs to be quiet. Zin raises her voice, taking a tone I've never heard her use before. "You would dare accuse someone of being Folakith?" she snarls. "You don't even know this woman, and you would-" She's abruptly cut off, though I can't see by what. It's a few moments before someone speaks again, and it's Zin. "I... I just think she deserves the benefit of the doubt. The Kith aren't executioners, we never have been. And we certainly don't execute our own." Her tone is more mild now; she's trying to be reasonable. There's another pause, a palpable tension and anger. I hear the voice of the Eldest again. "If you, fugitive, advocate for her..." "Eldest-" Zin attempts to interject. She fails. "If you advocate for her then she shall be your responsibility," the Eldest continues. "Expose her to the Bondings until you find which family she belongs to. If you cannot find a family she belongs to, or if you give up, then she will be named Folakith and put to death." I turn to the twins with a mildly constipated look. "This doesn't sound good," I whisper. Elle nods at me. "Zin's an exile. To carry you across the Glade might spell her doom if she is... accused." She's holding something back, that much I can tell. But I'm also smart enough to tell that the thing she's hiding isn't something she's going to open up about if I ask. I decide to let it slip. The eavesdropped conversation between Zin and the Eldest ends abruptly and I hear fast-moving footsteps moving back down the hallway, toward the twins and I. I clear my throat and try to look natural, backing up before starting to walk towards the sound, as if I had just started sauntering over and hadn't yet heard anything. As I quickly see, the source of the footsteps is Zin herself, looking... well, I'd say "the worse for wear" except for the fact that she looks like she'd just as soon kill me as talk to me. "You, outsider," she grumbles as she comes near to me. "Are going to get me killed." "Are we giving up on the "Maxie" thing and going back to the "outsider" thing? Because while I think the latter would make a great name for a superhero or something, I don't really feel like it's me, if that makes any sens-" "Now isn't the time to be flippant," Zin says, her voice grave and death in her eyes. "In case you've forgotten, your life is on the line. The Eldest wants to pronounce you Folakith." "I don't know what that means," I say matter-of-factly. These Kith chicks really need to keep up with the fact that I have no fucking clue what's going on. Whether or not it's embarrassing, I need to have my hand held on this one. Zin opens her mouth to respond, but hesitates. Elle intercepts and answers for her. "Folakith are... they're called the Blood-Folk. Evil Kith with no true form, they take on the characteristics of another type of Kith. They integrate into our cultures, to cripple us. A single Folakith can bring disaster on a myriad of scales - whether political, economic, or something worse." I furrow my brow and fold my arms, momentarily taking notice of the fact that Zin has yet to comment on my new outfit before realizing that she is, indeed, a bit preoccupied. "Wait, no," I say, shaking my head. "What's the point of evil Kith? You guys have a paradise here, why is there an entire species dedicated to fucking it up?" "Many times, we have asked the same of your humans," Zin grumbles. "Some humans have a darkness inside of them, a lust for power or a fear of acceptance that causes them to be violent and destructive. It is so with the Kith, as well - some Kith are born with a darkness in them. They can be born into any clan, to any family, but within them is madness and evil. Greed. Rage." I shake my head. It still doesn't add up. "No. With humans, they're still humans, they're just awful. They aren't a different species that can be identified." "Because your kind relies so strongly on science, rather than magic. The Kith invented the Bondings, rituals that grant us natural abilities based on the inclinations of our clan. Most Kith undergo these in their earlier years, but the Folakith - the Blood-Folk - cannot partake in them. Their souls are tainted. They are not true Kith, and the ritual can detect it. This is often how we detect Folakith among us, though some of them flee before they take the rites." Zin inhales deeply, looking distinctly troubled. "These outcasts created sects in the wildlands of the Glade, and they created Bondings of their own. The Folakith are monsters, Maxie. They're evil." I nod and try not to look too blank-faced. There's still a ton that I don't know about these people and I figured it's probably best to just accept that they say rather than trying to debate them. I exhale heavily, nervously chewing at my bottom lip. "So it sounds like I'm toast." Zin lowers her eyes, no longer letting them meet mine. "You needn't be. I've convinced the Eldest that you're half Kith, and she's made me your official guardian. It's my job to guide you through the Glade and introduce you to the Bondings until you find the one that works for you. If none of them work... then there won't be anything I can do to save you." "You sound kinda pissed, Zin," I observe aloud, keeping my eyes focused on her as the twins shuffle awkwardly behind me. Filistata, my little ixling, chirps idly in my ear and then drapes himself over my shoulder casually. "I thought the Glade was this amazing place, it shouldn't be hard, should it? Hell, couldn't it even be fun? Road trip, just the two of us girls?" "Not all of the Glade is pleasant, Maxie," the Faoikith girl says, sighing softly and still not meeting my gaze. "There are wildlands we will have to go through, and rites you'll have to go through to even be considered for a Bonding. Plus I'm not exactly... popular with most of the Kith, which is better than how they'll react to an outsider like you. It won't be easy, it will be hell." I chew the inside of my lip, folding my arms. I then smile, leaning down to gently bite Zin's earlobe and whisper to her. "I can make it worth your while?" What? My life's on the line, and it isn't like I haven't already been fucked silly by Zin. It's worth it if it means I live. Besides, I'm a big girl and I can make my own decisions about who I do and don't fuck and get fucked by. Zin's cute in the scheme of things. She looks up at me, not smiling but managing to look just a little less dour. "Yes, perhaps you can. Have the twins take you to one of the harem guest rooms and... and I'll pick you up in the morning. The Eldest has offered to let you attempt the Faoikith Bonding as a freebie, so who knows? Maybe this will end easy. If not... we'll have to head aboveground, and things are gonna get rough. I hope you're ready." I swallow, hard. "Like, super ready." As the twins start leading me away, I hear Zin call out from behind me. "Hey, Maxie?" "Yeah?" She smiles. "Your clothes look nice."