Anonymous asked: As a novice scientist, i must say, your work is quite astounding, Maxine. During your lunch break, have you ever used your test subjects as a way to keep yourself from getting bored? Such as using them as little game pieces in a game of chess, for example. I reckon you'd have to sate your hunger after or during the board game session as well.
Microkink Labs was deep into the holiday season, with sparkling lights and decorations (many made using one or more tiny volunteers) adorning every corridor and internal viewing monitor. Carols and wintery pop music streamed quietly through the walkway speakers, and in the cafeteria, the staff was buzzing with excitement over holiday vacation.
Maxine and Nathan were the quietest ones in the room, and neither being a fan of loud noises, had sequestered themselves to Maxine’s private lunch room across the hall. The single table inside the smaller dining room was covered in a silver and green cloth, on top of which was a translucent, glass chess board.
Atop this chess board, instead of the classic chess pieces, were twenty-nine tiny test subjects of every race, gender, sexuality, creed and code, each about two inches tall, and wearing cute little edible outfits to match their piece’s status. Knights carried horse-shaped animal crackers, while the kings and queens wore little gummy ring crowns.
Though they were mostly quiet, it was for survival’s sake. Two pawns had tried to run already, and one of them was currently being scraped off of the floor by a Roomba. The other may have still been alive, churning within Maxine’s stomach, but none of them wanted to think about that.
“Knight to E-5,” said Nathan, his piercing blue eyes focused on the backs of his players. Maxine’s players, all facing him, trembled and looked to the designated spot, which was empty.
Nathan’s cracker-toting knight moved meekly and obediently to her place.
Maxine observed this and chewed a bit on her pen in thought. As she pondered her next move, the door to the dining room opened and a woman, full-height, slipped inside.
“Hello, Bianca,” said Maxine without looking away from her side of the board. Then she added, “Queen to E-5.”
Bianca, apparently a colleague, paused to observe.
Maxine’s queen, a fierce, chubby little thing, strode forward and sucker punched Nathan’s knight in the stomach. The tiny girl collapsed with a guttural cry and dropped her horse cracker, breaking it.
“That’s totally barbaric,” said Bianca.
As the little knight struggled to catch her breath, Maxine tapped her little queen to stop her from kicking the knight in the stomach. Then she plucked the knight from the board and brought her to her face.
The gloved hand of Maxine lifted and grasped the girl as she was brought to the woman’s lips, the corners of which lifted in a smile before the goddess spoke the words which would echo in her mind for her next, final moments.
“That’s how I do lunch.”
Screaming, the little knight was pushed between Maxine’s lips and slurped inside.
“I see you’re packed,” said Nathan, nodding to Bianca’s rolling backpack on the floor.
“I see you aren’t,” she responded, a constant tinge of haughtiness in her trans-Atlantic dialect.
Nathan nodded, and stretched, stating flatly, “Change of plans. Maxine says she has an experiment in mind, and vacation spots are too crowded with idiots this time of year anyway.”
“Good,” said Bianca, reaching for the handle of her backpack. “You can help Maxine then. She’s been doing all of the work with those Asks and you haven’t helped a bit.”
“I’ve been answering what I’m sent.”
“Not to the same extent of detail.” With that, Bianca opened the dining room door. “Happy holidays,” she said, and left.
Nathan sighed and watched her go before looking back to Maxine. “I think you’re a bad influence on her.”
Maxine, who had her eyes closed as she enjoyed making her little knight come repeatedly against her tongue, did not hear him.