Juniper wasn't great at reading the fine print, was aware of that personal flaw, and was fine with it. So, when she'd come across a posting offering some vague and kinda cryptic meeting for people interested in some kind group with a tag line of "Where all your wildest dreams come true" in fancy bold Gothic lettering, she presumed to know what it was without reading any further. Big group meeting where everyone got what they wished for?

Definitely an orgy.

And she was so in.

The directions to the place led her out of town quite a bit, off toward the waters edge and finally to a large, cement opening to what looked like sewer tunnels. Neat! She'd played in some of those as a kid and they were fun to get lost in for a while. Though, the rats tasted like sh*t. 

She hopped from rock to rock as she approached, barefoot and dressed in a yellow pullover hoodie from an Indiana Community College and (for the first time ever) green khaki shorts. A red backpack was slung over one shoulder as well, as she had felt the need to bring some supplies with her. What was in the bag? You don't need to know, that's what!

She hovered around the entrance for a bit, turning her phone on silent for the most part and making sure she had her sound tracks ready if no one else had brought music. 

Zek was not feeling good.

When he’d left the city he was fine, but as he drove cross country he’d started getting nauseous. Could it have been that wedding cake he’d eaten? Nah. He’d only gotten through half of it before the bride and groom showed up.

Which reminded him.

Zek licked some frosting from around the edges of his mouth.

Could it have been the chocolate pudding and candy apple he’d had for breakfast? Nah. Apples were healthy and chocolate pudding was basically a vegetable.

Zek turned off his four wheeler as he approached the meeting spot. And he was feeling so much worse. He stepped off and dropped a golden ball on it before trundling down the slope.

“Oh hey Juniper. How’s it goin’? One sec,” he said when he saw his pal down by the sewer. He pivoted smartly, bent over, and proceeded to toss his cookies into the water.

Which reminded him.

Zek wiped his mouth on a silk handkerchief he’d rescued from some old rich guy and balled it up to leave on the ground. Then he pulled a sandwich bag full of chocolate chip cookies out of his pocket and stuck his arm out to Juniper after snagging one himself. “Cookie?”

And then the first mouthful of cookies hit his stomach and he wanted to toss the bag. Zek sighed. Well, at least Birdcat was around or he’d be making some snide remark at his expense.

Which reminded him.

Zek took out a red light and tossed it a couple yards upstream. It flashed and then a guy with wings and a tail appeared, several feet above the water and ground. Immediately the nausea began clearing up.

“Hey pal. Wanna cookie?”

The shifter appeared in a ball of light wings fully open, he never understood if it was because of his abilities or because Zek somehow always knew the proper placement for him but he appeared and flapped once keeping himself airborne, ”**k sakes at least let me grab me clothes....” he just had finished shifting back and was moving to his clothes when he saw the light.

However when he appeared he looked down realized he was naked, without his clothes anywhere in sight and it was dark now made more than anything he snapped, ”No I don’t want a cookie... and what’s that smell? Smells like a clown threw up a rainbow?” he landed out of the vomit and folded his arms at Zek before he realized there was mixed company.

”J-Juniper? Hey love, you know him too? Sorry to hear that.” his face started turning red and he used his wings to cover himself. ”Now, mate. Tell me ya grabbed me clothes at least?” he looked around, ”Next question, where are we and why are we here.” he paused for a second then looked up, ”Follow up, how long did ya ball me for?” hopefully it wasn’t long enough for his mothers over at SUPER to get upset. Technically he was kidnapped.

Was that an engine?

Juniper stopped before entering, hovering over the gross looking water tricking out of the tunnel with her legs splayed on either side. Mid waddle.

And then Zek, of all people, appeared and... aww, @#$%, this wasn't actually an orgy, was it?

"Oh hi, Zek." He stepped away to barf out his guts and she just stood there awkwardly, half turned and wanting to throw her prepared backpack in frustration.

Ooh, but cookies. Nothing Zek had ever given her was a disappointment! She snagged a cookie herself and nibbled on it while ek juggled his balls again and then suddenly, oh, hey, was that Carrick? Good god what a small world.

"Yep, definitely not an orgy now."

She heaved a heavy sigh and chewed on delicious chocolate and dough, while Carrick tried to compose himself. "Who, Zek? 'Course I do. He's one of my besties." Whether or not Zek agreed with that, she didn't care.

Slinging her pack around, she dug through it to try and be helpful for what the current situation entailed. Carrick had no clothes? She had clothes! And they would probably stretch to fit just fine.

After stretching them like a rubber band, she shot a pair of hot pink and black lacey undies at her winged friend.

"There you go!"

So helpful.

"So what are y'all doing here? And since my plans were just ruined, can I join you?"

Zek shrugged as Caspar rejected his cookies. Eh, more for him. And Juniper, probably. Which was fine because he hadn’t paid for them or anything. “Yes, that’s exactly what happened,” he said deadpan as he nibbled on a cookie.

And oh look, Juniper and Eric already knew each! Great, that would save him the task of making introductions. “Yep, we go way back,” Zek added. Like five whole months. “There was a pool party and everything.” Fun times.

Then the interrogation. He rolled his eyes. Carl did this every time. It was annoying. Slightly endearing, like it was their thing. But still. “I grabbed your clothes at least.” He had not. But he was doing as he was told. “We’re here to make all of our wildest dreams come true.” Beat. “Pretty sure it’s a cooking class, maybe a dance party, either way admissions is free so like, why not.” And the last one. “And I balled you for like…” Zek glanced at his bare wrist, then squinted at the darkened sky. “...twenty hours? Twenty one? Somewhere in there. Pretty sure I slept between then and now.” He shrugged.

And now Chris had some clothes. Oh. Well it looked like Zek wouldn’t need to pull that wardrobe out of his pocket dimension to help his pal out then. Which was all well and good because he’d staggered for a bit after he caught it earlier and didn’t need to go through that again.

“I’m here for the cooking party. Or the dance class. Or whatever it is. I want my dreams to come true,” Zek told Juniper. It seemed like the sewer entrance was a popular meeting destination. Heh. Weird. He jerked a thumb back at Kent. “Don’t know why Craig’s here. Hey Creed, you and Junie wanna join me at the cooking dance off?” He didn’t bother for answers from either of them. He just walked into the dark tunnel and figured they’d follow.

A glowing light appeared in his hand to lead the way.

Five seconds later it vanished. So Zek made a new one.

It vanished five seconds after that. So he made a new one.

And on and on an onward he went.

The shifter smirked at Zek having a bestie, he also had the scary thought that Zek happened to be one of his best friends. Best friends capture you in a pocket dimension all the time right? He didn’t voice his thoughts but reached out to whatever was launched at him. He held on to it for a second then looked back to Juniper and then dropped the underwear his face going red.

”I can wait, lace chafes...” he said looking over to Zek. ”Actually give me yer trench coat. Ya won’t learn to grab me clothes unless ya realize that it pays to bring me clothes after a shift.” he said holding out his hand for Zek’s trench coat. ”Gimmie.”

Carrick reluctantly followed to where ever Zek and Juniper were going. He took last because he was still naked and didn’t feel like giving either of them a show and well they were going underground and he didn’t like to go underground. At least the way he came he knew was safe so if there was a cave in on the way to a dance party or cooking class he knew which way to go.

All he knew was it was a strange place to have a cooking party and because he was with Zek, ”I see a cage, I’m outta here.” his voice slightly weak from the fear of being underground. He followed close to whoever was in front of him. Burrows were fine, caves and sewers not so much.

Carrick didn't want the underwear, which were perfectly good and clean, but whatever. She shrugged haplessly.

She turned to follow Zek, taking a middle position between both men (there was a dirty joke there and it was entirely ruined with the both of them involved), and started humming 'Love Sandwich' under her breath as Zek led the charge.

"Cook-off dance party got it." She didn't. Not even slightly. "Think there will be a really angry British chef there?" She hoped not, she cried easily in kitchen environments.

Carrick said something about cages and she whirled around to walk backwards and face him, regardless of his presumed nudity.

"Don't worry. I'll just break us all out if anyone tries to cook you." She offered a big grin, which was probably lost in the darkness, "Do you know the one I'm humming? Sing with me!"

She picked back up with her song but was now gesticulating with her hands at him.

"This ain't the kinda snack you get from your mommy, your mommy ain't never seen such a whole salami~!"

As if Zek would ever give Casto his trenchcoat. It was his trenchcoat. And who knows where the featherhead had been? Zek didn’t want the dude’s naked bits all over his stuff - the dry cleaning bill was bad enough since Zek kept forgetting to tell the cleaners about all the little sharp things he kept in it.

Zek was still shaking his head about it as he got bored playing with his balls and let them wink out, producing a headband-mounted light and sliding it on carefully so as to not muss his fantastic hair. And it wasn’t his fault that Canton didn’t keep his clothes on when shifting. Although Zek couldn’t really fault him for ditching the panties. The lace was pretty tacky.

He passed out similar headbands to the others if they wanted them. And if they didn’t, what did he care?

And Karen had a fear. Which, to be fair, wasn’t unreasonable. “I doubt it will be like last time,” he said. At the very least there’d be less fire. “I highly doubt there are many recipes for birdcat-boys.” And if there were, Zek was very interested in them. Talk about exotic cuisine!

And then their tunnel joined another one, a T-juncture. One the wall ahead of them were two signs. The left said “Welldrinkers” and the right said “8th Avenue Methodist Church Ladies Book Club”.

Zek stopped. “Sooo….which one do you guys think it is?”

Zek ignored his request to lend him his trench coat. Carrick probably could have taken it from him if he wanted, he’d seen Zek fight but that’s a good way to get stuck back in the pocket dimension and he’d just escaped from there. The smell of something burning wafted down the sewers which was causing him to fight a gaging sensation. Was it sage? So he focused on the other smells, one coming from Juniper as she tried to distract him by singing and gesticulating.

”Don’t think anyone would try to eat me, more of being stuck in a cage again or... underground. Fire’s nothing!” he opened his wings a bit as he yelled it and his wings smacked the sides of the walls and he felt like the walls were closing in on him. He closes his eyes and took a breath trying to think of something else. Like how he was naked... underground.

”G-irl, I’m gonna take you on a superfantastic trip. Baby you haven’t had nothing till ya had me Miracle whip.” he said trying not to show off how uncomfortable he was in the given situation. ”Thanks Mayo.” he said to Juniper.

”Anyway but towards the sign that says ‘WellDrinkers’ don’t know why anyone would burn sage fer a dance-off or a cook-off.” he said pulling his wings tighter around his body so he didn’t have to have them brush up against the walls.

Carrick sang, but his heart clearly wasn't in it. Juniper pouted but relented. "You're welcome, salami."

"Again? Someone put you in a cage at some point before this?" That wasn't kosher. People didn't belong in cages. Heck, animals didn't even belong in cages. "Whose ass do I need to kick?" She would, too. So long as they weren't one of those freaky adapteds.

She fiddled with the light Zek had given her and strapped it on her head. Then took pity on Carrick's poor uncomfortable nude-ness at her own expense and pulled her large hoodie off. "Want me to stick this on you? A sorta-skirt is better than having the sausage and berries free, right?" If agreed, she'd help him get it on without like, invading his boundaries or whatever.

"What do you mean 'like last time'?" She was unaware of what shenanigans Zek got up to with other people.

They came to a fork in the dark, moist, and algae-filled road, and she looked both ways while options were weighed.

A book club sounded boring, even if they had a secret sign in an old sewer tunnel for some reason.

Without waiting for either of them to choose, she slipped on ahead and went in the direction of the 'Welldrinkers' club, or whatever. Maybe it was a group of hippies who were super into natural water sources and not relying on city pipes?

"Oh! right! ZEK!"

Her shout echoed in all three pipes as she whipped back around and speared him in the light of her headlamp. "I have a gift for you!"

Her pink backpack was wriggled around, and she phased her arm to reach inside. There was a metallic jingling, something vibrated for a moment, what sounded like a bag of chips crinkled, and then she ripped her arm back out with a bucket, no, a Bucket!hemlet! in her hand.

"I stole the murder bucket from you and made you a knight hat!" She had no idea what they were supposed to be called.

It was a metal bucket with crude holes carved in it for eyes, parts around the nose and mouth cut and bent away with sharp-looking edges. Nails had been driven into the top and sides for a crude imitation of hair, or spikes, and there were two twirly, spiral drinking straws that popped up at the top and curled around down to where his mouth would be. She tossed it to him via the totally-was-once-a-belt chin strap.

"I looked up a tutorial online and then ran it through google translate a few times until I thought it resembles something you'd like!" She was very proud of herself and it showed through the wide grin she sported as she kept walking, backwards, through the tunnel.

Catbird opted for sage and Welldrinkers. After he practically roared down the tunnels. Well, Zek figured the ladies at the book club were going to have something interesting to discuss. “Clearly you’ve never been to a kitchen rave before,” Zek said dismissively. Despite being able to fly and stuff, Zek really felt like Kramer needed to get out more.

And maybe put on some clothes, but only because the guy’s paleness was practically lighting up the tunnels on his own.

Juniper solidified their direction with a devil-may-care attitude and Zek just shrugged and followed along. Even odds it was exciting as the book club. He’d have to ask Mary tomorrow what he missed while he took the Welldrinker’s path.

And then Juniper once again demonstrated why Zek liked hanging out with her.

“Oooo! I love it!” Zek gushed as he clapped his hands together giddily and his eyes practically glowed with glee. His headlight splintered off the tiny glass beads and bedazzlements on the exterior of the helmetbucket and cast little stars all over the rounded ceiling-wall of the tunnel. “It’s perfect! Hold the light!” he said as he caught his bestest new hat! He whipped his headlight off and tossed it in Juniper’s general direction.

And then he was wearing it. It sat nicely on his head due to what felt like some foam padding on the inside, had good visibility (he assumed, since it was dark), and he inserted the straws in his mouth and OH MY DEAD GODS WAS THAT ROOT BEER AND LEMONADE!!! “Oh my dead gods, is that root beer and lemonade?!” he said.

He sniffed and fanned his face. “I think I might cry.” And those vaguely Latin and ancient Babylonian chants coming from up ahead really just made it all that much sweeter.

The burning sage and the sewer was a bit annoying though.

Carrick gave a smirk in the dark to his nickname better than the ones Raine and Zek could come up with. It didn’t even start with a ‘C’. His smirked widened even more when she offered to kick someone's ass for him. Did he have another mom now? Or is this one of those things were she thought he needed someone to stand up for him? Either way he knew who to call if he needed a quick escape now. Zek’s track record often put him in the cage.

”Long story, love. We just got a life time ban from a circus is all. Thankfully no one died... because of us...” he said feeling it was important to point out. Carrick accepted the sweatshirt, not because it looked warm but because he was tired of moving his wings to cover everything. Unfortunately for Carrick having the hoody also meant it be harder to move around in. ”Thanks.” he said now just keeping his hands in the pocket and pulled over everything that needed to be covered.

Pulling the hood up and glad for it’s ability to act as a blinder he just focused on the two lights in front of him that were Juniper and Zek. He winced when the light was thrown having the beam go into his cat like eyes a few times.

”I don’t know what I’m looking at but I’m happy fer ya.” he patted Zek on the back and took a few steps forward till he was further along the path. ”So... chanting in a sewer, burning sage... and being in a sewer.” Carrick said counting on his fingers. ”Is there like a flyer board ya find these events at? Good thing I’m hungry though.” he said just hoping that the other end of the tunnel opened up into a large room. It did, oh and there was candles and a fire pit.

She caught the tossed light with minimal flailing and soon had two lights on her head. Both pointed in different directions. She felt like a living lighthouse.

"It is Rootbeer and lemonade! Isn't it great together? I'm glad you like it! It's the more horrifying thing I've ever made." She said it with pride, too. She was proud of that.

The seriousness of what Carrick alluded to went right over her head. "You guys went to a circus?! What was it like?! Were the clowns really scary? Were there real lions and elephants?" Oh man, her mom would have had a fit!. She would have straight up asked to speak to the manager of the whole ass circus.

"I mean... I did find a post about this place online." She blinked, still wandering a bit ahead as the sound of chanting and the smell of sage grew stronger. "Thought it was for something different, but whatever."

The tunnel ended. Her headlamps landed on a cement wall capping the path off with a heavy-looking metal door. There was a little shut square toward the top, which she assumed was some sort of peep window.

"Knock knock!" She hammered her small fist on the metal for a moment, before giving up when it started to smart.

The chanting stopped, footsteps echoed from inside, and the metal flap slid open. The angriest looking pair of bloodshot eyes, hooded and set under thick salt and pepper brows, peered out at them.

"What... is the password?"

Juniper sniffed at the air. "Is that white sage?"

She full-on flinched when the eyes zipped her way and squinted in suspicion.

"...That is correct."

The metal window snapped shut, and a moment later the sounds of the door unlocking could be heard.

"I knew it. Mom used to use white sage all the time."

The heavy door started to creak open. Whisps of smoke creeped out as the dark, candlelit interior became visible. The man with the scary eyes stood before them, dressed in a heavy-looking white robe with a crimson sash tied around his waist, and the hood up to obscure the rest of his head.

"Come i-" He caught sight of Zek's Helmet hat, and then the bare legs of Carrick behind him, and immediately sought out the most normal looking one of the group.


"Come in." He stepped to the side and waved Juniper in first, scowling at both males. "...I guess you two can come as well."

The robed man turned and headed after Juniper as she hurried in, sweeping an arm out to usher her from behind without actually touching her.

"You three were almost late. Are you new?"

The potent smell of sage and... was that sweetgrass?... hit her like a brick of homesickness she didn't know she had. "Yup! I saw the ad online and... here I am!"

She was too distracted to pay attention to what both of her friends were doing.

A bunch of other hooded figures cloaked in white with red sashes were gathered toward the center of the large room, where a huge, contained bonfire was going. The walls met the ceiling in a gentle curve that sloped up to a large open grate, where you could see the light of day peeking through.

"Hurry along and change into your robes." He handed her a white robe as well, but without any sort of sash. Juniper shrugged and pulled it on over her head to replace her missing sweater. She was short enough it covered her feet and dragged on the ground.

"Could you turn the lights off? Kinda ruins the mood." The man grumbled while handing robes to Carrick and Zek as well.

"..Oh, uh... sure." She pulled them off, fiddled with them until they turned off, and then set them on the table where all the extra robes were.

The chanting started up again at the middle of the room.

Zek calmly and happily slurped at his lemoot beeraid as he trailed behind Juniper. He had some of the bestest friends, that’s for sure. It was hard to find people who’d go exploring sewers with him, or possibly attend literally underground dances or cooking classes or whatever they were supposed to be doing down here.

Zek simply shrugged and slurped. “I thought the clown were amazing. Or at least I was. Still got the costume, too!” he said. In fact, it was in his wardrobe in his pocket dimension, only slightly charred and vaguely smelling of smoke. Not that it mattered since his pockets were airless. Probably.

...he’d never actually checked.

“I actually did use a flyer board. Local grocer. They have everything there,” Zek chipped in. Normally he swiped such flyers so he could refer to them later but his hands were full of rice (don’t ask) at the time and he didn’t want any of it to spill in his trench coat.

And then they were at a really old-looking cool door and Juniper already knew the password? Zek nodded in approval, although it was highly unlikely the dude behind the door could really see. Yeah, the white and sparkly helmet probably stood out in the dark, but there were no other lights and he was pretty sure Juniper had practically blinded the dude with double headlights. Even so, Zek’s helmet and his own posturing physique probably blocked any significant view of Catbird.

Not that anyone would care about such things.

“Sweet,” he said as he strolled in behind Juniper. He took his own offered robe and momentarily slipped out of his trench coat and bucket helm so he could get his white robe on. They the helmet and coat returned to their rightful spots. Zek wished he’d stored a full-length mirror that morning - he was certain he cut quite a figure.

He snatched up the headlights and returned them to his pockets and then, when in sewers, do what the sewer people did.

Zek walked right up to the group of chanting people and stood behind them, chanting along with them. “Wah Tehrr Mell Oon Bruh Sull Sprow Tsss.” It was entirely possibly he was saying the wrong words but Zek felt he definitely had passion behind his speech.

Whenever the subject of ‘his’ circus came up he always did the same thing some jump up and down and discuss everything that the place had. Unfortunately for everyone Carrick was still pooh-bearing with Juniper’s sweatshirt so he didn’t do as much jumping and more of a dance. One that still kept things covered.

”Oh, it was a gas! Always is, no animals just people like me who can shift inta something. The clowns were alright, Zek helped fill in. Wasn’t just a clown, he was the whole circus.” Carrick said giving Zek a thumbs up in the dark still trying to figure out the lemonade and Root Beer thing and the bucket. Carrick hated not being part of inside jokes. He however kept smiling despite the smell of white sage. At least it didn’t smell like sewage now.

”Well if ya guess.” he repeated and looked to Zek, ”Guy sure knows how to make ya feel welcome. Must not need any new members didn’t know cooking dance offs were a thing but here I am. Once again in the dark.” he gestured to the sewer. Then brushed past the doorman with more swagger in his step than when they were alone.

That’s right he didn’t' have pants but was elated when he got a pristine robe. Was this a collage toga party? He always wanted to be at one! ”Pars tempus!” Carrick said going through his selective memory from when he was in catholic school as a kid. He fist pumped after he changed into his robe. Offering Juniper her hoodie back. ”Might want to wash it before ya wear it again.”

His wings fit a lot better in the robe they weren’t even exposed! It was like he just had very large shoulders or two ungodly humps on his back. He looked backwards at them and then did a little twirl revealing his tail before looking down at it. ”Little breezy but I think I’m pulling it off. Just need me a red sash and I think it completes the look.” he said grinning and following Zek to the group.

Instead of chanting right off the bat Carrick had to find his groove and put his dance lessons to good use and started to bounce to the chanting.