A bell rang and a small chorus of hand drums began to fill the room. Scarlet sat beside Libby, who was sitting next to Vega, who was sitting next to Piper. They say in a circle with maybe 6 other pretend Starlings. In the middle of the circle, there was a strange small stove. It reminded Scarlet of the small camper grill she used to cook her food the first year she lived on Wishworld. She then realized she hasn't eaten anything in a fucking long time and started to secretly hope this grill was going to be used for cooking food.

Scarlet turned when she heard a small group of pretend Starlings prepare tea in the corner. It looked like they were steeping the tea in a slow cooker. Using labels, they put the drink in a series of cups and brought them over on a tray. "No thanks" Vega and Libby declined when offered the drinks, but Scarlet took one.

Scarlet didn't actually know why they were all sitting here, but she was very happy to be present. Piper had come to her earlier and tried to explain to Scarlet what she was being invited to, but Scarlet couldn't hear anything over her own hysterical laughter. She had a dopey grin on her face as she examined the room of people. "You're excited, I can see it in your heart." A purple woman next to her said. "Man I'm just hoping I get to actually witness one of those batshit stories from one of these schizophrenics"
The purple woman gave her a smile, "Yes, I hope we all have fun on our journey."

"...What?" Scarlet felt her stomach drop and her heart beat stop for a second. She looked around at all the emotionally happy people eagerly drinking this specially made drink. Then she looked to the other side of the room where there appeared to be a small, disturbed shrine. Scarlet put the drink down stood up, "Oh hell no, not dying today." She said as she raised her hands and turned around. She heard Piper call out her name and follow behind her.

"Look, I've watched Heavens Gate, I know what journey is slang for."

"What's happening, what's heavens gate?" Libby whispered to Vega. Vega quietly answered, "A cult, they all committed suicide to catch a comet. Scarlet's enforcing a negative stereotype and comparing every cult to that again."

"Oh... Oh!!" Libby stood up quickly, "Then I can't be here either! I have two babies! Oh and Vega!" She hugged Vega tightly and began to tear up, "Vega I never knew you were so upset, I- I know that this must have taken a long time to think about, a-and I'm sorry suicide has become the only option for yo-" Vega pushed Libby off of her, "We're NOT dying!! Did either of you actually listen to Piper explain why she brought us here?"

"...No." they answered in unison.

"Scarlet, Ayahuasca is a drink drank by monks. And guess what? It's still kind of a poison. But that's cause it's a hallucinogenic. Libby, you might actually not want to be here cause there's going to be smoke."

The doors of the room opened abruptly and two cult members walked in, helping each other carry a large basket of green that was then all dumped onto the small stove. Libby was able to slip out of the door unnoticed. Once Scarlet made the connection that this was going to be a drug trip, she had already found herself sitting in the circle again. She chugged down the disgusting drink and then drank the one Libby left behind. Everyone in the circle chuckled to themselves and told her to take it easy.

"Let's go let's go!" Scarlet eagerly jumped up and down. She hasn't smoked a joint in two days and was eager for any kind of intoxication. Being this sober for this long was very tiring. Scarlet felt a hand on hers, then another on the other. She looked side to side and saw everyone holding hands in the circle. Scarlet was already impatient and wanted to skip straight to the implied hot box. She looked to her left and saw all the starlings were... glowing? Her eyes widened and darted side to side, witnessing as the fake Starlings appeared to be real. She stared in shock and terror.

Vega wasn't part of the circle and was watching from a distance, taking notes and studying them. Piper directed Vega to the small shrine where she found a barbeque lighter. "Light it for us." Piper spoke with a sigh and Vega awkwardly walked to the circle and stepped inside. She crouched down to the small stove and pushed a button that only seemed to cause a fan to turn on inside of the machine. She struggled to get the coals under it to light, but once she did she began to hear a genuine sparkle. She stood up and turned to Scarlet.

Scarlet was fucking out of it. She had her mouth hanging open as she was now genuinely aware of the weight of her jaw. Scarlet's eyes were opened wider than she's ever seen them and all around Scarlet, a bright, neon pink glow sparkled from her. "Uh, Scarlet you okay?" Scarlet didn't even react. Vega looked around and saw the other fake Starlings were still getting ready to be intoxicated. Each one casually sipped at their drinks as they awaited the smoke fill them. Vega slowly stepped back to the farthest corner and watched.