Drink Me

(CW: use of drugs and alcohol, therefore some light dubious consent)

"A rave?! You must be raving mad."

"Ha. Ha. Clever, but it's not a rave. It's a music festival."

"At night."

"Yes."

"In the woods."

"Well technically-"

"And there will be body painters."

"I don't know-"

"No, I'm telling you there will be. I looked up the website to this thing. It's a rave. A drug-fueled, dangerous, sex fest."

"Oh Elle, come on. Don't be so dramatic." Alice was used to her sister's dramatics, but usually she was a spectator to them. Unfortunately, this time, she was the subject as she sat on the stool at the kitchen counter. Her sister launched into her morally superior speech.

"Alice, I can't believe you even thought of going, let alone actually purchased a ticket!" Eleanor paced the kitchen again. Her third or fourth lap, Alice couldn't remember. She tried to listen calmly to her sister's rant, but her mind drifted away as it usually did. Eleanor and Alice had been quite close growing up. Only three years apart, their mother had given them equally old-fashioned names, then promptly left them to the foster care system and disappeared.

Eleanor had internalized the rejection and took on the role of mother. The two girls were kept together as much as possible, but there were some periods of separation. The minute she turned eighteen, Eleanor got her license, got a job, and got custody of her little sister. That was six years ago. Of course Alice was grateful for everything her sister had sacrificed, but she sometimes regretted that Elle couldn't just be her sister instead of mother too. Alice sighed.

"...And on top of all that, you are going alone? ALONE ALICE?! Have you lost your mind? Are you listening to me?"

Alice reluctantly tuned back in, "Elle, I will be fiiiiine. And I'm not going alone. I'm meeting Kyla and Fernanda there."

Elle wilted, "Your internet friends?"

"I've met them in person before!" Alice protested.

"Fine fine, but when you die in a mosh pit or get murdered at your campsite, don't come crying to me!" Eleanor stomped out of the kitchen and Alice heard her bedroom door slam. She sighed again. She'd have to make up with her sister before she left and find some way to reassure her of her safety.

For the moment, it was best to let Elle cool down. Alice plodded to her bedroom and started pulling clothing out of her closet to pack. She had an old duffle sitting on her bed ready.

To be fair to her sister, the outfits she had in mind for the weekend were absolutely "rave outfits". She didn't have a lot of money for clothes, after helping with bills and groceries, but she'd saved enough for a few things. Plus it helped that she was petite and could often still find items in the girls section. Her shoes for example were from the youth section of the local department store.

Alice threw several pairs of underwear, socks, plain t-shirts, and shorts into the bag first, then added her more risqué clothes. These included a blue romper with short shorts lined with white lace and lace spaghetti straps, a white crop top with a sweetheart neckline, and a pleated skirt with hearts on the hem. She also had white fishnet stockings and a stack of ribbons to weave into her blonde hair if she found the time.

Gathering her stuff from their small shared bathroom, she dumped the necessities into the duffle. An array of wild-colored makeup followed. Finally, her pillow and a few blankets since she didn't own a sleeping bag. Her friends did have a tent they all planned to share at the festival campsite.

After packing up her pride, Alice made up with her sister. Elle was still unhappy, but took some comfort from Alice's reassurances and promises to call often.

_ _

The festival site was already bustling when Alice's ride share dropped her at the gate. After her ID and ticket were scanned, she threaded her way through the field of people to her campsite. Kyla was instantly visible with her wild, red hair and lanky build. She was puttering around the site, setting up chairs and putting out a cooler. Alice adjusted the strap of her duffle on her shoulder and trudged toward her friend, who did a twirling leap and started to dance a jig when she saw Alice.

"Alli, Alli, Alli!!!" She rushed over to intercept her friend. Kyla had on a purple romper with a huge sun hat covering her red hair and fair skin. Her makeup consisted of green eyeshadow, green lipstick, and long, fake purple lashes. She was as fabulous as she was ridiculous.

"Hi Ky, nice hat!"

"Thank you. Can't risk sunburn you know." She grinned and tipped her head so the floppy hat flounced over her eyes then back.

Alice looked around, "Where's Fern?"

"Over there," Kyla gestured to a nearby campsite. "She made friends already."

Fernanda could be spotted in a throng of other ravers, laughing and passing a blunt. Her all white outfit stood out among the more colorful crowd. She had on a white, fishnet top which showed off her sports bra. Her white bike shorts came down to about mid thigh and she topped off the whole ensemble with long, white rabbit ears affixed to a headband.

She caught her friends' stares and broke into a wider smile, "Alice! Ky! Come meet our neighbors!"

Kyla nodded and waved before turning to Alice, "Get your stuff in the tent and then let me do your makeup!" Alice smiled and followed her bossy friend's instructions. She then submitted to Kyla's creative whims and twenty minutes later found herself with red eyeshadow, glittery mascara, and strangely, a line of hearts, spades, clubs, and diamonds painted down the side of her cheek in black and red.

"Why the designs? I love it but it's odd isn't it?"

Kyla grinned, "Not at all, Alice. It SUITS you!" Then she took off toward Fern cackling away.

Alice rolled her eyes, but followed. She'd chosen the powder blue romper with lace to wear for the first night. Its femininity contrasted with her black combat style boots. According to Kyla, serious shoes were more important than fashion because of mud.

The crowd Fern was standing with had shrunk a little, so when Alice joined, she was introduced to them quickly. The first was Rod, a tall man with skin so dark and smooth it was almost reflective. He wore more lime green than anyone had a right to own and when he smiled, it lit up the whole campsite. Jenna was far less flamboyant in her choice of rave outfit, just a pair of red overalls and a yellow baseball cap. She had a wicked glint in her eye as Alice said hi, but the uneasiness faded as the rest of the odd group were introduced.

"Rod has graciously agreed to share his joint with us as long as I share my stash too." Fern held up a baggy of pale, pink pills and grinned.

"Fern!" Kyla grabbed her hand and shoved the bag down out of sight. "We don't need to get arrested to make this weekend count! Keep your pharmaceuticals out of sight around the masses please."

The group laughed as Rod lit another joint and began passing it around. Alice wasn't much of a smoker, but she took a polite puff and followed the conversation silently. Suddenly, music blared from the next field over and squealing festival goers began making their way toward the cacophony.

"Let's go! This first band is supposed to be shit, but I want to experience said shit from the mosh pit!" Fern gripped her friend's arms and steered them away.

The festival grounds were already filling with half naked bodies and litter by the time they'd made it through security. Fernanda slipped a pill to each of her friends, ignoring their shocked questions about where she'd hidden them during the search.

"What is it anyway?" Alice eyed the innocent looking circle warrily.

"It's just a little E. It'll only last a few hours." Fern whispered a she popped one in her mouth. "Oh! But the come down is gross. Try to hit a little something else once you start feeling irritable or you'll feel like shit the rest of the night." With that, she trotted off ahead of them, leaving her friends scrambling to keep up.

"Are you going to take that?" Alice whispered to Kyla as they followed.

Kyla shrugged, "Yeah. Fern is studying to be a chemist, right? She wouldn't give us anything really dangerous."

Alice nodded, but stuffed the pill into her pocket for later.

It was still fairly light out as they made their way closer to the stage. People were busy taking pictures together and buying drinks or merch at the many tents. Alice saw the body painters her sister warned her about. They had a massage table set up and were currently painting a sun on a woman's stomach. A few other people walking away had flowers, clouds, and seascapes painted across their torsos. One of the women, she noticed, was completely topless with the paint being her only covering. Navy blue thunderheads covered her nipples and swirling gray clouds stretched down across her thick stomach. It was sensual and a bit alarming for the blonde.

The three friends bought some drinks and danced together to the first band. They weren't great, but it didn't matter to the soon-to-be inebriated crowd. As the sun went down, Alice got back in line for another drink. Kyla and Fern had danced away with Rod and the other new friends after taking their pills. She had kept an eye on them for a bit, but the alcohol in her system was rendering her pretty useless too.

Just as she reached the final queue for the beer tent, a bright smile and vibrant eyes caught her attention. Her mouth fell open in a little 'o' as she watched the owner of the smile, a gorgeous young woman, turn and laugh at something. Alice continued to stare as the line moved. The woman's tan skin glistened with glitter and sweat. As she shifted, Alice clocked her long brown and blonde braids littered with metal beads and hooks...and purple cat ears on her head. Her top was a bright purple halter with various things dangling off the bottom and her black cargo pants looked ready to slip off her small waist.

Probably feeling Alice's stare, the woman turned and their eyes met for a second. She cocked her head questioningly.

"Next! I said, NEXT!" Alice was jostled forward and she lost eye contact with the beautiful stranger.

"Sorry," she muttered to the man behind her. She ordered her drink and made her way back to where her friends had been dancing. Fern was fully out of reality with a serene look on her face as she swayed and twirled with the music. Kyla was hanging on to Jenna's shoulder and both women were watching the light display with awed expressions.

Feeling bold, Alice decided to take her pill. She swallowed it quickly with a swig of her drink, then she panicked, wondering if she was supposed to let it dissolve in her mouth. "This is why you don't take drugs, Alice," she chastised herself. Her body and mind became jittery as she waited to feel the effects. She didn't know exactly what she would feel, but she was rapt with anticipation.

The current band finished their set with all the fanfare from the drummer as the crowd applauded and whistled. Alice clapped and finished her drink. The sound team blasted some music from the speakers as the stage crew piled on the platform to swap out equipment for the next group. Some of the crowd dispersed to the different vendors or sat in the grass to give their feet a break. Alice chose to sit too as it was getting dark and she didn't want to wander far from her friends.

She was just wondering when the E would start to take effect when a butterfly walked by her. Its wings were light blue and the antennae glowed brilliantly. "I've never seen a butterfly like that before," she said to herself. A minute later two large bears lumbered by, discussing the weather. "Hmm, I wonder why I'm not afraid."

In fact, Alice wasn't feeling much of anything except curiosity about the menagerie around her. She sat up straighter to get a proper view. There were more butterflies walking around the bottom of the little hill she sat on and a few foxes played by the side. Leaning back again, the clouds above her swirled and undulated with the music. "Did I see a living cloud today? I'm sure I did."

Suddenly, her vision of the clouds was blocked by a large, green caterpillar. He smiled, "Alice!"

"Oh! Hello!"

"I found her!" The caterpillar called over his shoulder. "She's taking a nap."

"I wasn't napping," the blonde protested, "I was thinking of clouds."

"And what do you think of clouds?"

Alice pondered her answer, "I think they're alive."

The caterpillar nodded, "Of course they are. Watch," then he blew a long cloud out of his mouth. It rose quickly to join those moving in the sky.

"Alice!" A white rabbit appeared, its ears slightly askew. "Darling, what are you doing?"

"We're discussing the clouds," answered the caterpillar.

The rabbit grimaced, "I hate the clouds, I much prefer the sun."

"Not me!" piped up a new voice. This one apparently belonged to a large hat. "The sun burns!"

Alice got to her feet to better see the creatures around her. "Strange," she remarked as she noticed the sea of bodies wandering around her little group. "I feel as though I've woken up in a zoo."

"Can't be a zoo," the caterpillar countered. "Where are the cages?"

Alice looked around. "You're right, no cages. Where do you suppose we are then?"

The caterpillar smiled, "A circus? There's lots of performers."

"But where's the ring? And the tent! You can't have a circus without a tent."

The rabbit adjusted its ears, "The tent? It's back at the campsite. You don't want to leave already do you?"

"Oh you can't leave now, Alice!" cried the hat. "There's so much more to the show!"

The caterpillar eyed her critically, "I'm not sure, ladies. Little Alice might have bit off more than she can chew already."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Impossible! I haven't eaten anything so how can I have bit off too much?"

"Oh Alice," giggled the rabbit.

The blonde twirled a piece of hair around her finger, "I did have quite a lot to drink though. Maybe that's what you meant? I've drank much more than I can handle? Drunk? Drinked?"

"What are you on about?" The caterpillar sighed.

"I've drunk."

"You're drunk."

"No no, not that-"

Just then the rabbit laughed and took off away from their group. She hopped down the hill and off into the crowd. Alice tracked her as she wound her way toward the large stage in the distance.

"Fern!" The hat called, exasperated. "Come on, Alice. We should catch up to her." Grabbing her forearm, the hat pulled Alice down the hill and into the crowd to follow the rabbit.

Once in the crowd, Alice's senses were overwhelmed with sights and smells. A tall woman with stringy curls smelled of cinnamon as she brushed past the blonde while a man with one metal leg and colors all up his arms turned to give her a beaming smile. She smelled something thick and smokey, then light and citrusy. Then the world went dark for a moment before bursting into violent color. An omnipresent voice announced something as music surrounded her body. Her heart pounded with the drums and her head rang with the keys.

"I feel as though I'm inside a radio," she muttered to herself.

"There she is!" shouted the hat as she lost her grip on Alice's arm. The poor blonde was quickly swallowed up by the throng, separated from her friends again. Looking up to the sky, she noticed how the flashes of intense color sprouted from black tubes suspended in the air. One particular band of color was pointing out behind her. She turned her body while her eyes followed the beam.

Just then, Alice ran smack into a pair of tits.

"Well, hello there blondie! Aren't you going to buy me a drink before you motorboat me?"

Alice looked up from between the smooth mounds and saw the face of a woman with wine red lips and dark eyeshadow. Her fire-engine-red hair was curled around her gorgeous face and topped with a golden crown. She allowed her eyes to trail down the woman, taking in her red choker, red bra, and black pleated skirt. The woman also had on tall, shiny, leather boots covered in a multitude of buckles and chains. They were part of the reason she was able to tower over Alice.

"Aren't you adorable," the woman cooed. "Someone is sure sorry they lost you. I'm Regina." Her warm hand closed around Alice's upper arm and steered her around.

"Alice," she managed to squeak.

"Nice to meet you, Alice." Regina's long, claw-like nails dug into Alice's arm as she was led down a seemingly random path through the menagerie of creatures. "Let's get to know each other better, shall we?"

After a stumbling walk, Alice was plopped onto a thick blanket, far from the stage. A busy beer tent was off to her right and several other figures on blankets surrounded her. On this particular blanket was a man also in shades of red and with a golden crown perched crookedly on his head. He lounged lazily without much interest even as the blonde was deposited next to him.

"What have you found, my dear?" he cooed at Regina.

"A little Alice. She's positively adorable, don't you think? Now, dear," she sank gracefully in front of Alice until they were eye to eye. "Tell me how you are enjoying yourself."

"Oh, um, it's- well uh-"

"Don't stammer! Out with it. How are you enjoying the festival?"

Alice swallowed thickly, "It's good. Um, there's a lot of things here." She watched as the queen's brow furrowed.

"Things?" she asked slowly.

"Yes, uh, creatures. And- and lights?"

The queen in red eyed her suspiciously, "Now, tell me what you are on little Alice."

"On?"

The king sat up much more interested, "Oh I see. Look at how dilated her eyes are, dear. What have you got on you, girl?"

Alice's head swam, "N-nothing."

The queen leaned in and kissed her hard on the mouth. A hot tongue pressed open her lips and delved inside her mouth. Alice choked a bit.

"Well, certainly weed didn't do all of this to you," she muttered as she pulled back from Alice. "Aren't you going to share with us?"

The king's fingers had found the edge of her romper and were busy pushing at the lace ends. Alice felt hot breath on her neck. "What do you want?" she whispered.

"Whatever you've got that has put those stars in your eyes, dear," the king murmured against her neck.

"Hm..or maybe she can get you off with some head?" the queen chuckled.

"Off with my head?"

"No no, give head," the king corrected, "Are you sure this one wasn't just slipped something?"

The queen seemed to ponder it, "Possibly." She turned back to Alice, "So what can you get for us, dear?"

"I-I can go get you a drink?" she squeaked. The king and queen pouted.

"Fine, let's start there," the queen's red claw trailed between Alice's breasts. "A drink."

Alice nodded and with some help from the royals, rose from the blanket on shaky legs. She tottered to the line waiting outside a tent. Yes, a tent with drinks. This is where she got her drinks, drunk. Drinked?

"Oh why can't I get that right?" she muttered to herself. "Drunken?"

Losing sight of the two red-clad individuals on their blanket, Alice followed the line. Her head was fuzzy. The people who milled about her were loud and the voices began to grate on her as she waited. It was madness. All of the din and color, the shouts and movements. Alice was jostled to the side by a large man in purple leather. Then she was pushed forward by a nun. As she tripped over her feet, a beautiful face caught her eye.

Vibrant brown eyes bordered with thick, fuchsia liner flashed in recognition. Brown and blonde braids clicked with beads as the woman turned to fully face Alice. She smiled to reveal a row of perfect, little, white teeth.

"Hello."

Alice grasped for words, "C-can I buy you a drink?"

"No, I don't really drink. I'm actually diabetic," she pointed to a device on her tricep. "And the only types of drinks I like throw my sugars way out of whack." She grinned again as she adjusted her bag on her shoulder.