Help Wanted: Resident farm hand. Milk production preferred, collar and childbearing optional.

"Ohkay!" I grunted as I settled back onto the floor against Xander's bed. "Sorry about that detour. What was the game again? Queens cup?"

"Sure." Xander grinned. "That's what it's called now. We're just waiting on one more."

I looked around. Ellen and Max were both here, so whoever we were waiting on would have to be a new guest.

I heard two very familiar taps before the door opened behind me. At this point I didn't even need to look. It was Carolyn, it had to be. Whether it was the clinic, my stall, or our own fucking bedroom she did that same two knocks before letting herself in.

I looked anyway. "Hey Carolyn."

"Greetings fellow kids." she did a barely controlled collapse on me, causing me to grunt in surprise as she settled on my lap. With a bit of fidgeting I managed to free my hooves from under her and I spread my legs so that she could sit on the carpet between my legs rather than directly on me. It was more comfortable for me, perhaps a little less so for her without the cushion of my thighs, but I didn't want to cut off circulation to my extremities.

Carolyn leaned forward and reached back to fix her shirt, not-so-subtly taking the opportunity to grope me before settling back against my chest. I fixed her hair so it wouldn't get caught between us before giving a playful wiggle to one of her horns and wrapping my arms around her.

"Welcome." Xander passed a sheet of copy paper to Ellen and I leaned toward her to read as Xander continued, "The game is fairly simple. Everyone will have their own drink, and we will take turns extracting cards from the ring around the center 'chalice'. Depending on what card you pull; you, or certain other people, will perform some sort of action."

"I… see." I eyed the actions for four and six, whores and dicks respectively. "Are there any other options for rules?"

"Tons. Just… so many. But I figured we could use this as a starting point to decide which rules we can stand and which ones should be replaced or removed-- and before you ask about the first ones a 'drink' means a mouthful of your drink. Not an entire cup."

"Ah." Carolyn tapped the page with a fingertip. "I think I might have guessed but I'm glad to confirm that people don't just shotgun cans of beer for every card. So we'll just use a normal deck? What do the jokers do?"

"I figured I'd remove the jokers, fours, sixes, and queens." Xander started riffling through a deck of cards. "That will shorten the game a bit and we could even remove entire suits if we are unsure about how far to take this."

Xander looked around but nobody made any objections. "Well then. All that's left to do is get our drinks and decide on the center cup." She stood and stretched before heading to the nightstand-turned-bar. "One option is to do a jungle juice sort of scenario where everyone picks something to add and then presumably it ends up being a disgusting but edible concoction. Oooor--" she held up a familiar bag of white liquid. "I can make rum-chata with this and we can have some real stakes to this scenario."

"Oh my." Carolyn rubbed her hands together. "You'd drink your own milk?"

Xander shrugged. "I certainly wouldn't enjoy it. I honestly considered just going ahead and putting it in a thermos so that it would be a mystery buuuut… yeah that sounds evil. Still--" she swung the bag around as she pointed around the room "I know everyone here has one or two people in mind that they would want to see drink this. So. Any vetos? This has to be unanimous."

I waited for Carolyn to speak up and say that it would violate the sanctity of our production or something but she shrugged. "I'm fine with it."

Ellen and Max both made non-committal agreements so that left everyone suddenly looking at me. "I guess if Carolyn says it's okay."

"Totally." Carolyn nodded "If Maddie or Xander gets it, just throw away the next day or so of production and don't tell Deyha."

Fuck.

I'd hoped that putting the decision on Carolyn would make her realize the reason she should put a stop to this, but now it was up to me if I was going to veto. Personally, I did not like the idea of watching Carolyn or Ellen partake, and drinking it myself wouldn't be repulsive so much as just embarrassing. That left basically a one in five chance each of seeing Max squirm or Xander inevitably provide a total non-reaction.

I'd never take those odds.

"Cool." Xander turned back to the table and dumped the bag in a cup. I opened my mouth to object but I couldn't seem to follow through. I had a really bad feeling about how my luck would go tonight.

Ellen stood and joined Xander at the table before turning to look back. "Maddie, Carolyn, what are your drinks of choice?"

"Maddie." Carolyn turned to look at me.

"Give me a second! I'm thinking."

"No," Carolyn smirked. "That's my answer."

"Oh my god." Max groaned and rubbed her face.

"Sorry," Carolyn turned back to Ellen. "Is that tequila? I'll do a cup of that." She did a big stretch and eased herself up out of my lap to instead sit next to me.

"Rum." I answered as Ellen filled a cup halfway for Carolyn. "With whatever makes sense to cut it."

"Alright. Max?" Ellen brought Carolyn and me our cups before turning back to her.

"I'm all set." She lifted a half-empty litre bottle of vodka that had been sitting beside her.

Xander had finished the dreaded beverage so we all waited as she sorted the deck removing the agreed cards.

"Another thing we can do is make a ring around the cup and end the game as soon as there's a gap. That way it also has a Jenga-like element."

I shook my head. "Please no. Its bad enough having a random element, if there is skill too I'm totally fucked."

I regretted the choice of word as soon as I said it, but nobody leapt to a sex joke at my expense this time.

"Fair enough." Xander placed the deck and cup in the middle of our little circle. "Who wants to go first then?"

"Dibs." Ellen answered before I could react and was already leaning forward to draw a card. "Seven!"

I looked at the sheet to check what that meant, but by the time I found it everyone else had their hand up.

"Damn it." I grumbled and took a drink. Seven meant 'heaven' so I was supposed to reach for the sky as soon as I knew what the card was.

"I guess we'll go clockwise then." Xander leaned down and drew a card. "King. Normally that would mean I add to the middle cup but I think we should probably just have that be a do-nothing card until the last one."

"And the last king drinks the cup?" I consulted the rule sheet just to be sure and Xander nodded.

"Yep, that leaves three more. Max?"

"Yep, yep." Max leaned in and took a card. "Eight. So do I pick someone or does the next person to draw an 8 become the 'mate'?"

"Next person to draw I think. Carolyn?"

She set her cup down and held a hand on my knee as she leaned in to draw a card, showing it to me before announcing it. "Nine. Soooo I pick a word and everyone rhymes or drinks?"

Xander nodded and Carolyn's smirk widened. "Orange."

"Fuck youuuu." Xander grumbled and took a drink.

"Damn it." Max grumbled and took a drink too.

Ellen didn't say anything and just took a drink. She didn't seem particularly bothered at the prospect of drinking more in the first place though.

"Maddie?" Carolyn looked at me.

"Uh… range?"

"Sure, I'll allow it."

"Wait, hey. The 'a' sound is different!" Xander pointed at Carolyn.

"Mhmm." She nodded and leaned back into the bed. "The whole joke is that nothing rhymes with orange, but none of you even tried."

"Ugh. Fine." Xander waved her hand. "Maddie, it's your turn then."

I drew an eight, much to Max's amusement. "I swear to god if you start throwing to make me drink too…"

She laughed. "I hadn't thought about that. It's a pretty good idea actually."

Xander swatted Max's head but she didn't seem put off.

"Okay." Ellen took another card. "Seven again." She raised her hand, and this time I was quicker, but Max only grinned wider as Carolyn and Xander's hands went up.

"You bitch!" My voice went shrill as she took a drink.

Everyone else thought it was unbearably funny too though so I decided to just suck it up and take another drink.

"Two." Xander held up a card. "I choose Maddie."

"Fuck all of you." I grumbled petulantly as I took another couple drinks. I was beginning to worry that I'd have to get a refill before the game ended.

Max had to drink too though and she got a little more than she bargained for when Xander 'accidentally' bumped the bottle with her elbow, tilting it up and causing Max to cough and sputter.

There was a brief shoving match between the two before Max gave up, wiped her mouth and drew another card.

"King."

"Thats two." Xander held up her fingers to reinforce the point.

Carolyn picked up a card, once again showing me before she spoke. "Another king. Who shuffled these anyways?"

Xander chuckled and held up a third finger. "Looks like the game can end any card then. Do you feel lucky, Maddie?"

"No." I pulled a card anyway. My heart was thundering in my chest but I let out a relieved breath as I read. "Three."

I was a little chagrined as I checked the rules and realized that meant two more drinks for 'me' but at least Max got to suffer with me. She leaned away from Xander this time as she drank to avoid another elbow.

Ellen reached in and grabbed a card. "Seven. Again? Seriously, who shuffled?" She laid it down beside her other two cards and then looked up to find that we had all raised our hands. "Aw fuck."

"Three sevens is pretty lucky." Xander reached to grab a card. "You should buy a lottery ticket. Oh, and it's three, so that's just me."

Max drew a card and groaned. She slapped it against her forehead before tossing it down where everyone could see. The final king.

"Damn it." She stared at the ceiling for a moment before sitting up straight again.

"And we have our winner!" Xander announced as she collected the cup and pressed it into Max's hand. "Make sure you leave half for Maddie."

"Hey! No, that's not fair!"

"Kidding, I'm kidding." Xander chuckled. And turned back to Max. "Do tell me what you think. There's more where this came from soon if you like it."

"Geeze." Max mumbled as she lifted the cup to her lips.

She didn't drink in any particular hurry, but it was still down in one go. The ice cubes rattled as she set it down and wiped her mouth.

"Well?" Xander leaned closer to Max. "What did you think?"

"The cinnamon kinda overpowered everything I think."

"Mmmm okay, I can try it with less of the cinnamon rice mixture next time."

I gave a sideways glance to Carolyn. "This is how it starts."

"What? No." Max was blushing furiously now.

Ellen nodded, frowning with the fakest somber look I'd ever seen. "She's gotten the taste of nectar, and now it will haunt her forever."

"No! Look, it's not bad but I promise I'm-- god damnit y'all." Max rubbed her face and shook her head. "We are not having this conversation."

Carolyn stretched and braced against the bed as she got to her feet.

"Well kids, it's been fun, but I have an early morning." She patted my head. "Ellen is welcome to the rest of your Irish cream, otherwise you should probably just dispose of it."

Max looked around. "We have Bailey's?"

Carolyn chuckled and headed for the door. "Goodnight." She waved goodbye and was out the door a moment later, leaving a very confused Max and two very mischievous grins on Xander and Ellen's faces.

"Irish cream, huh?" Xander smirked. "When did that come about?"

"Today." I leaned back into the foot of the bed as Ellen crawled toward me. "Ellen…" I tried to sound like I was giving a warning, but I couldn't help but think I sounded more like a cornered animal.

"Oh." Max deadpanned. "Right. Does any of Maddie's milk actually make it to the shelves?"

Xander chuckled as Ellen straddled my lap. She was so warm, and my weak attempts to fend her off only resulted in her pinning my hands against the bed

I heard a crumbling of paper. "Hey" Xander nailed Ellen with the harmless ball. "This is an orgy free zone, remember?"

Ellen released my hands and sat back, letting me cool off a bit from my already frenzied breathing.

There was a faint stinging feeling on my chest now and I could only assume it was the consequences of Ellen's actions.

"Whoops." Ellen climbed off my lap and held out a hand. "Looks like Maddie is due for another extraction already."

I let her help me up and I pulled at my shirt to check the damage and smooth out wrinkles. I'd barely even leaked, and the pattern on the shirt mostly hid the wet spots anyways. Still, I was feeling partied out despite the relatively small amount of actual partying that had taken place.

"Yeah, I guess I should go take care of that." I stretched, thinking I'd pretend to be sleepy before a genuine yawn bubbled up. "Thanks for throwing a little party, Xander."

I looked around, we'd made a little bit of a mess of her room, and I didn't know of anywhere to get a trash bag without going all the way down stairs.

"Where do the bottles go?" Ellen stepped over to the makeshift bar.

"In the cabinet below." Xander pulled open a door. "There's no particular organization."

"Oh shit, this is your personal collection? I was pouring waaaay too generously."

Xander laughed. "No, you weren't. Most of these bottles have been collecting dust for half a decade now anyways, so it's good to free up a little space."

"Still…"

"Seriously, don't worry about it, and don't even think of getting anything to replace what we drank." Xander began putting bottles away. "In fact, I know you liked that whiskey, you should take it."

"I couldn't" Ellen, contrary to her words, picked up the bottle and turned it in her hands. "Xander, this distillery went out of business during covid! It's irreplaceable!"

"It's old, and it gains nothing with age. Take it. I insist."

Max got up on her knees and shuffled over to the cabinet as well. "Is there room for this to fit in there?"

"Max!" Xander giggled. "I was literally just telling Ellen not to add to my collection!"

"I'm not, I'm not." She sounded a little sleepy. "I was just going to put it next to yours."

"I swear that's how half of these bottles have come to be permanent residents--"

"Same as how I've come to be a permanent resident." Max argued and placed the bottle in the corner, despite Xander's protests. " 'M surprised there isn't any mead in here, what with how much you like honey."

She did a controlled collapse to the side and leaned against the bag chair, sinking into it as it provided next to no resistance to her weight. "Phuck." her voice came out muffled from the plush mound.

"So you're permanently moving into Xander's room?" I tried to sound like I was teasing, but I realized a little late that some of the present company might be too inebriated to take a joke.

The bag chair shook as Max fought to sit up again and Xander had to reach in to free her from the tangle of blankets and pillows that had been dislodged.

"My hero." She drawled before she flopped onto the middle of the chair, this time pulling Xander down with her. Xander laughed as she became caught up in the tangle as well, unable to escape as Max held on. "Wanna stay forever." she mumbled, just barely audible.

"Okay, okay" Xander pet her head a couple times before looking up. "I guess it's bed time. Could you hit the light on the way out?"

"You're taking me to bed?" Max's voice had rapidly slipped toward full-on sleep talking, and her hands seemed to be wandering in ways that weren't quite appropriate for polite company.

"Yes, shush." Xander giggled and looked up. "Goodnight!"

"Good… night?" I let Ellen take my hand and pull me toward the door, and I'd almost closed it behind us before I remembered we were supposed to turn out the lights. The last thing I saw was Max pulling up Xander's shirt, and Xander looking completely happy with the development.

"Yeesh." I closed the door and looked at Ellen. "She makes a big talk about how my milk doesn't make it out of the farm and then she's going after Xander like that?"

Ellen shrugged. "If you'd tasted it, you'd know the pipeline is more of a water slide straight to the bottom. Its habit forming… speaking of~" she toyed with the hem of my shirt.

"Okay, okay, let's go."

"Yippeee." She took my hand and walked backwards toward her door.

"You're sure you haven't already had too much to drink?"

"I don't think there is such a thing, and when it comes to you, I am more than brave enough to find out."

"Right. 'Brave' is just the word I was thinking of too."