Coye 6.29

This woulda been done much earlier today but there was a power outage and it disrupted my motivation for after, and then I got wrapped up in other things. This one took so long because it had a *lot* of elements that weren't in the draft, but when I write scenes with so many characters bouncing off of each other like this, it's only natural to expect that.

One more chapter until I am released from this hell of my own making. I might change the final version from the draft a bit in 30 to tone down the Tammy stuff. There are already so many plotthreads, I don't want to immediately imply more interest from her just yet when it will just get in the way of others. Besides, Ch.19 planted tons of seeds for Tammy already.

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Chapter 29 - Welcome to the Family

Contrary to how these things usually went with him, Coye didn't wake up later that night, and no additional sex was had. Emotions were high, and things were peaceful in the aftermath, ensuring everyone remained passed out after the snugglefest ensued. Dorothy rested through the night, utterly tranquil and unbothered, Coye was happy as could be cuddled up in her tits, and Shayla was strung out from whatever their Faelink put her through. No one would've woken up the following morning as early as they did if there wasn't a distraction.

Such a distraction came like it always did- through a knock on the door.

His reflexes doing their thing, Coye jerked upright, wiping his eyes and re-familiarizing himself with his surroundings. Immediately, he caught sight of Dorothy sleeping by his side and was forced to smile. While nowhere near as sloppy as Byng's sleeping posture, Dorothy ended up in a much lazier position than she was when she went to bed. She looked even cuter than when she fell asleep at the front desk. Coye's concern peaked when he couldn't locate Shayla, only to subside when he noticed the glow of her wings shining through Dorothy's thick, black hair. She must've been somewhere beneath that tangled mess. In other words, she was fine.

The knocking increased in frequency and strength, causing Dorothy to stir and Coye to remember to address his visitor. More tired than usual, he raised his voice and slurred, "I'm up, I'm up... who's there?"

"Your woman! The green one, I mean. Gahaha! Also, the dark, brooding, big-tittied one is here, too."

Coye thought he could hear what sounded like Suzette sighing, followed by her voice. "I'm sorry, Darling. Byng insisted on stopping by, and I figured since it's already nearly noon..."

"Hey, at least I remembered to knock! Aren't you proud of me, short-stuff?"

"Sure?" Coye blinked, unsure of what was going on. Now that he knew there wasn't any danger, his senses dulled, and he shrugged. Yawning, Coye thoughtlessly added, "Let yourselves in, I guess. Still tired..." before plopping his head back down on his pillows.

Byng excitedly made use of the key she was given, the door swinging open and revealing Byng wearing her adventuring gear and Suzette wearing a casual, low-back tank top sweater and tight leggings, her hair done up in a bun.

Both visitors instantly noticed Coye's sleepy blunder.

"Oh, shit..." Byng scratched the back of her head, unable to resist an awkward grin. "Welp."

Suzette sighed, having the decency to look away. "You just couldn't leave well enough alone, could you? I knew this wasn't a good idea..."

"Hey, how the fuck is it my fault he said we could come in? Huh?"

"Mn...?"

Byng's scratchy voice summoned Dorothy into consciousness. The sleepy woman stretched out in bed, exposing more of herself to the onlookers at the door. Suzette continued to be polite, but Byng was predictably taking in the view as Dorothy's eyes fluttered open and she sat up. Her hair was ruffled, her babydoll lazily covered up one breast and not the other, and she could barely see between the sunlight coming in and the lack of her glasses.

Something about the green blob on the other side of the room bothered her enough to reach for the nightstand, where her glasses somehow ended up after they all laid down together. Sliding them on her face, Dorothy was met with visual clarity. The green blob wasn't a blob; it was a person.

"Sup, Dotty?" Byng raised a hand, flashing a sharp smile.

Dorothy blinked. The fairy struggling in her hair helped further stir her awareness, as did the morning air on her exposed breast- the very same breast that Byng was openly staring at. A few seconds passed until Dorothy realized she was having a strange dream. After making up her mind, she sleepily waved at the dream incarnation of Byng.

"Good morning, Byng..." she yawned.

"Dorothy, dear..." Suzette coughed to get the girl's attention but politely averted her eyes while covering Byng's. "You may wish to cover yourself. Your bra is-"

"Sexy as fuck." Byng whistled.

"...Compromised."

"...Eh?" Dorothy struggled in her sleepiness, pondering what the sudden appearance of Suzette meant on top of her suggestion. She fixed her bra, only for realization to set in and make her painfully aware of her current situation. Her face burned red. She covered her chest with the blanket, then yelped loudly from the shock.

"Gah! Fuck! Why are you yelling?!" Rudely awakened, Shayla tumbled out of Dorothy's hair and plugged her long ears.

Now believing there was danger, Coye woke up for real this time and performed a dodge roll out of bed. He scanned the area for Gleamrender, only to notice that the 'threat' was Byng and Suzette. "Oh, hey. Morning. What're guys doing here?"

"Hey, you already said we could come in-" Byng threw her hands up defensively at the naked boy, but then it dawned on her how Shayla was tangled in Dorothy's hair. She narrowed her brows. "Hey, wait a sec... how'd you wind up sleeping on Dotty, huh?"

"What's it to you?" Shayla snarked, snapping her fingers and summoning herself a cute, silky nightgown.

"Nothing, nothing..." Byng grumbled and crossed her arms, leaning against the doorway. "I just thought I'd get to be the one who got to touch you next, y'know? But hey, I wasn't expecting someone to cut in line!"

"I sat on your head!" Shayla defended herself. "And there was the whole handshake thing we did."

"Still, didn't expect someone else to cut in line before I got to do more with you!"

"N-No, I didn't, um..." Dorothy mumbled. She retreated further under the blanket. Having never had such a boisterous morning was taking its toll on her.

"Byng, now's not the time for an attitude," Suzette insisted. "Darling, Dorothy, did you need us to come back later? I assumed nothing happened last night since you didn't drop Shayla off, but clearly, I was mistaken..."

"Things sort of happened," Coye shrugged. "I'm cool with you guys coming in once I get dressed, but that's not up to me. Dorothy?"

"Um- m-me?" Dorothy peeked out of the blanket, considering her options.

"No pressure," Byng was quick to reassure, snapping back into her typical overly familiar persona with a reassuring smile. "Far be it from me to judge if you want some follow-up action the morning after, gahaha!"

Dorothy blushed. She felt called out, as she very much did want to continue the night's activities now that she was awake and somewhat reenergized. Even so, having Byng and Suzette over was important for their relationship, too.

"I, um, I wouldn't mind if everyone came in. It's your house, Coye. I'm just a guest, and they obviously have just as much right to be here as I do..."

Guessing at her intentions, Coye nodded. "You heard the lady. Give us a few minutes."

"Do we have to?" Byng played up her mock disappointment. "I'd rather jump in bed with you guys, gahaha!"

"Wow, what a surprise..." Shayla rolled her eyes, magically shutting the door in Byng's face. Then, she fluttered over to Dorothy's shoulder and sat herself down. "Sorry about that. Pretty sure you've met Byng, yeah?"

"Once or twice, ahaha..."

Glad to see her playing along, Shayla smirked. "That's the spirit, babe. She's harmless as long as you plug your nostrils. Are you really sure you're ready to meet the family, though? We can push this off, right, baby?"

"Yeah," Coye agreed. "Just say the word."

Dorothy was resolute, shaking her head. "I appreciate the two of you looking after me, but I insist. We have things to talk about as a group, don't we? Better to get that squared away while I'm still in particularly high spirits..."

"Oh?" Coye approached the bed before leaning into his lover. "And what's got you in such a good mood?"

"Nothing special," Dorothy smiled at him. "It's just that, um, one of my adventurers completed a quest he'd been trying to take care of for a rather long time now, and I'm quite happy for him to have finally finished the job, ahaha..."

"Yeah? Good for him." Coye insisted, then stole a kiss.

Dorothy expected the kiss this time and was prepared to return his affection, but she didn't expect to discover morning breath was another human drawback that elves didn't possess. Coye's breath was as fresh as the night before, whereas Dorothy could only fret about her own, especially after what she'd been drinking.

Despite that, he must've liked it well enough as he pulled away with a smile. Shayla was grinning at the sight of them, her newfound affection for Dorothy not having the same jealous streak as her love for Coye. As soon as they were done flirting, she levitated Dorothy a folded-up bundle of her clothes and tossed Coye a shirt and some pajama shorts, which they promptly changed into. After moving everyone's RealMonster cards into two of the empty boxes, they were officially ready for their guests.

Coye called them in, and Byng exploded into the cabin, Suzette frustratedly following along in her wake. Determined not to let Byng worsen things, she closed the door behind her and started the conversation herself.

"Congratulations, Dorothy," Suzette clasped her hands together, smiling. "I'm going to assume that everything went well?"

"Yes," Dorothy nodded meekly. "I'd say things went about as well as they could've, personally..."

"Is that so?" Suzette regarded Coye in particular, looking pleased with him. "That's wonderful to hear." Coye kept quiet but felt like he'd just earned some serious good boy points for that one.

"I'm happy to see you again, Suzette. Byng." Dorothy continued. "Sorry you had to walk in on us like that..."

"Uh, short-stuff?" Byng blinked and tilted her head, looking at Coye. "Did you not tell her about the part where we all get naked together and fuck?"

"No, Byng," Coye replied with a rare, deadpan tone. "Somehow, that didn't come up."

"Ah... ahaha...?" Dorothy lowered her head. She wasn't naive- she assumed that sort of thing was the norm around here- but until now, she hadn't even dared to dream of such things. The fact that she'd had sex with Coye was still so much to digest, and the thought of more of his lovers beyond Shayla joining in was more than she could abide in her current state.

"Weird," Byng shrugged. "I would've made sure to include that shit up front! So, yeah, gonna be seeing a lot of your naked tits from now on, so not sure why you think we care, gahaha! Wait, wait, wait. Going back a sec- did I forget to say nice tits? Because damn, Dotty. Nice tits!"

Coye sighed, Suzette rubbed her temples, and Dorothy came close to passing out from the ravages of her overactive imagination. "I'm... glad... you... like... them...?" She mumbled between deep breaths.

"The kiss marks are a nice touch, too. Really brings out the color of your skin!"

"Ah... um... I-I"

Shayla was the only one who took action, fluttering into Byng's face and pointing a finger between her eyes, firing off a zap that stung like a bitch. "Behave yourself, you wild animal! Dorothy's still adjusting to the life of deviant debauchery she unknowingly-"

"S-Semi-knowingly..." Dorothy squeaked.

"Semi-knowingly signed up for, and she doesn't need you making things any harder than they have to be!"

Rather than freak out about the stinging pain, Byng could only raise an eyebrow as she looked between Shayla and Dorothy. Something was up. When she looked to Coye for answers, he nodded in confirmation.

"It's a whole thing," he shrugged.

"No doubt," Suzette interrupted, taking the initiative as she walked toward the kitchen. "And I'm sure you'll catch us up to speed in no time. Perhaps after I've made everyone a nice brunch?"

No one had any arguments, so Suzette got to work as the rest found seats at the table. Despite Shayla typically insisting that she deserved a symbolic seat entirely to herself, she was sat without such a chair on the corner edge between Coye and Dorothy. On Coye's other side sat Byng, who noticeably didn't offer to help cook. Instead, she continually stared at Dorothy from across the table with a vast, catlike smile. The tension killed Dorothy the longer she stared, making the poor woman sweat until Coye intervened.

"Something you wanted to say, Byng?" He kept his tone light, knowing that Byng meant well whatever she was getting at.

"Nah, not really? Just taking in the sight, y'know? The sight being Dotty, gahaha! Feels like this has been a long time coming, and now that you're actually here at the table with us, it's like... wow! There she is, bam! Gonna take some getting used to."

"Okay," Shayla crossed her arms. "But what's the smile for?"

"Smile?" Byng cutely cocked her head.

"The one that looks like you're about to sip some wine because you just orchestrated the simultaneous death of all your enemies?"

"Hah! Nothing that fucking exciting, sadly. If I'm smiling, it's only cause I can't stop wondering how it went down..."

"H-How it went... down...?" Dorothy gulped.

"Yeah!" Excitement getting the best of her, Byng leaned over the table and stared Dorothy straight down. "How was it? How was he? My man is something else, right? Right? Gahaha!" She not so subtly interlocked her fingers with Coye's and squeezed, a gesture which he appreciated and didn't turn down.

"You don't have to answer that..." Coye blushed but couldn't hold back a slight smile of his own.

To his surprise, Dorothy did.

"I'd be lying if I didn't say it wasn't the greatest moment of my life..." she dreamily exhaled. Dorothy was just the latest victim of Byng's ability to drop the guard of just about anyone. All the teasing and over-familiarity made Dorothy wonder if this was what having a little sister was like.

Suddenly more serious, Byng smiled gently across the table after shooting an adoring look at Coye. "Believe me, I know the feeling! Listen, all jokes aside? I'm so fucking happy for you, Dotty. Been rooting for this to happen for a while. More than anything else, that's probably why I can't stop fucking smiling, y'know?"

"Byng... thank you. I, um, I don't think I can express how much hearing you say that means to me."

Dorothy was overly flattered by Byng's sincerity. She lowered her head not from shame or embarrassment but from the overwhelming love and support. Coye offered his hand to her, which she took and squeezed for. Because Byng was already holding his hand opposite, the three were connected. Shayla's pettiness couldn't stand for that, so she wordlessly scooted closer to where Dorothy and Coye's hands were a few inches away, sneaking her hand on top of theirs just to be symbolically included.

The moment didn't last, as Suzette finished cooking and soon started piling food on the table. Dorothy had to do a double take, as there seemed to be way more food than Suzette reasonably could've prepared in such a short time. Did all of it manifest out of nowhere when she wasn't looking, or was Suzette just that good? Whatever the answer, all of it looked amazing.

The chefs Dorothy employed at her Guild weren't the best in town but were quite skilled. They had to be. Her Guild sent people into a cursed forest that magically made adventurers hungry, and not capitalizing on that would be foolish. That's what made Suzette's breakfast such a big deal for Dorothy, as the last time she'd eaten a meal half as good was when she last visited her family three years ago. It was so impressive that she almost wanted to cry, but she held back the brunt, knowing that would've been a massively overblown reaction.

Still, everything tasted so good, and there was so damn much of it that Dorothy couldn't restrain herself. She kept digging in, for once dismissing things like maintaining her figure because she was at ease. That worked out well, as everyone else must've been just as hungry. There was little banter or conversation throughout their meal, and everyone focused on the food on their plate until they were done.

To no one's surprise, Byng finished first. She then put her hands behind her head and leaned her chair back, making it teeter dangerously close to falling over. She watched as everyone else finished, and as Dorothy finally scooped the last bite of her eggs in her mouth and wiped her lips, Byng stated, "I'm a pretty good cook too, y'know? No big deal, just saying. Don't make the mistake of thinking Suz has all the talent around here, gahaha!"

"Oh, is that so? Given your culture, I can't say I'm surprised, ahaha... I haven't ever had orcish cuisine, though. I'd love to try some of your cooking sometime, Byng... if you be kind enough to share, of course..."

"Course I would! Don't be so stiff, Dotty!"

"Hm," Suzette nodded thoughtfully, a small, knowing smile on her lips. "Fair warning, it's something of an acquired taste."

"Not how I would put it, but close enough..." Shayla shivered. Memories of the time Byng cooked lunch for her flashed before her eyes, her skin dehydrating just from thinking about it and her body aching with phantom pain.

Dorothy looked to Coye, confused over what was clearly an in-joke. She wondered how many of those she'd need to be brought in on.

"Just make sure you're in the mood for something salty," Coye warned as he pushed his plate in.

"Oh, don't listen to them... it's not that bad. Honest!"

If the copious snack bags hidden in Dorothy's bedroom and office were anything to go off of, she didn't mind salty food. Still, it was a big enough red flag for her to at least keep in the back of her mind. Dorothy smiled at Byng and pushed the problem off for another day before changing the topic.

"I'm still looking forward to trying it. Thank you, Byng. And, um, thank you, too, Suzette. Breakfast was lovely."

Suzette regarded her for a moment in silence. Naive and easily frightened as she was, Dorothy began to fear over what might've brought this on. While kind and beautiful, Suzette had a darkness to her that most people didn't, and her golden, hawk-like eyes seemed as if they could pierce a man's innermost thoughts.

All that came of it was Suzette cocking her head, amused, remarking, "You really are just the daintiest little thing, aren't you...?"

"Ah, um- I-I'm sorry...?"

"Why? I'm only saying that it's sweet how thoughtful and appreciative you are, Dorothy. You might understand why I'd welcome the change of pace your company provides..." Suzette didn't elaborate, but the implication was clear. Shayla and Byng looked off to the side, acting completely ignorant. "I'm assuming I can look forward to enjoying more of said company?"

Looking briefly to Coye for support, Dorothy found he was already smiling at her. His hand placed itself on her thigh under the table, which she took. It made her feel bold, reinforcing that feeling that made her think she could accomplish anything while they were together.

"Y-Yes," Dorothy forced the words out, "Coye and I are, ah, t-together now... so... I think we'll all be seeing a lot more of each other, ahaha..."

"Wonderful," Suzette exhaled, overcome with joy. "Simply wonderful..."

"Fuck yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" Byng pumped her fist, inadvertently sending her tumbling back in her teetering chair. Instead of hitting the ground and hurting herself, the skilled huntress turned things around. Performing the second dodge roll of the day, Byng made it look like she planned her silliness all along by hopping upright at the apex of her roll. "Ignore that. More importantly, are we gonna get some details now? Huh? C'mon, gimme something to work with over here! Was it steamy, or really steamy?"

Now deciding to appease her fellow troublemaker, Shayla grinned. "Definitely the latter."

"Niiiiice."

Dorothy didn't say a word, but the smile on her face became crooked from pressure. She shifted in her seat, blushing and fidgeting. Seeing the state she was in, Coye pouted and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Byng, chill already! You're breaking my new girlfriend!" He pointed out. True to his word, Dorothy was even steamier than the night before. It was practically pouring out of her ears, and she looked like she was sitting in a hot spring.

"N-No, I'm fine... I don't mind the playful banter or Byng's, um, eagerness... I'm just unused to this sort of social situation..." Dorothy insisted.

"Perhaps you could give a less explicit account, hm? No raunchiness or salacious details required, only what you're comfortable with." Suzette leaned in, continuing her best efforts to remain the mature one.

"I wouldn't mind that, sure..." Dorothy agreed.

"Hey, c'mon. Just a little raunchiness?" Byng pleaded but was summarily ignored.

"Would you help me with this, Coye?" Dorothy looked at him, her expression begging for aid. "I, um... don't know where to start."

"Sure. A lot happened, after all."

"So I've heard..." Byng grumbled.

"Cheer up, babe. If it makes you feel any better, I promise I'll try and ease up." Shayla wrestled with her conscience, and in the end, her newfound devotion to Dorothy won out over her natural teasing instincts. "And so will Byng." She added pointedly.

"I will?" Byng asked before dodging an orange peel that magically threw itself at her face. "Fine," she grumped, sitting back at the table after propping up her seat. "But I'm not gonna be happy about it!"

"Your happiness is irrelevant," Shayla smirked. "We're talking about Dorothy's happiness now, so shush!"

"Fair enough, gahaha!"

With that, Byng shut up long enough for the obligatory recap to commence. Coye started things off and did most of the talking. He repeatedly looked to Dorothy on and off for permission on what she was comfortable with him sharing, occasionally chiming in with her own anecdotes. When they got to talking about Coye's father and how he was relevant, the girls had a few things to say on the matter.

"Hold up for a sec, short-stuff. Muscled Mountain?" Byng raised a brow, slight worry in her voice as she ruminated on his father's epithet. "Don't get me wrong, your dad sounds cool as fuck, but... you're done growing, right? Listen, I'm not shallow enough that I'd pack my things, but-"

Coye laughed softly. "Pretty sure you don't need to worry about that. I take after my mother, or at least that's what I've always been told."

"Phew. Had me going for a sec, there... talk about a weight off my shoulders, gahaha!" Byng exhaled, pleased to hear the chances of her long-sought femboy morphing into the kind of man she'd left her homerealm to escape from were slim at best.

Suzette had different concerns, a bead of sweat pooling down her temple. "Darling, silver, gold, and platinum are just words to a layperson like myself. I have no frame of reference. While I understand that adventurers are stronger the higher their rank, I could use a better example to understand how big of a deal this father of yours is. Auguris is gold-ranked, and he was fairly strong, but-"

"If I may?" Dorothy adjusted her glasses. "This isn't an official metric by any means, but generally speaking, a skilled gold-ranked adventurer is more or less considered strong enough to defeat monsters capable of leveling an entire city. Platinum-ranked adventurers go even beyond that. They're the sorts of heroes called upon when an entire province needs protecting."

"...And how often do such apocalyptic scenarios take place?" Suzette wondered. Her hand was trembling.

"More than you'd think, but still not terribly common..." Dorothy admitted. "The gap between gold and platinum is wider than the void between realms. Arrark only has a handful of such adventurers, for instance."

"My. How... informative. Ahem. Darling, you don't think your formidable father would have a problem that an older woman such as myself took a liking to you, do you?"

"Are you actually afraid? You?" Shayla snickered.

"Me? One of the two people in this room who've never gone toe to toe with a monster? Why, perish the thought!" Her sarcasm delivered the point efficiently enough, but Coye could only laugh at her concerns.

"No? My mom is a couple hundred years older than him."

"Ah, that's..." Suzette lowered her head, blushing that she'd overlook such an obvious likelihood. She coughed. "Well, now I just feel silly..."

Dorothy smiled. She'd only ever thought of Suzette as an elegant and intelligent older lady until then. Seeing her make a silly mistake and fall victim to her anxieties helped break that illusion a little.

Now that Byng was done dreading Coye's non-impending growth spurt, she had a wildly different takeaway from the topic at hand than everyone else did. Her excitement was getting the best of her, and she was vibrating in her seat.

"Sherge be praised," Byng whistled. "I always figured I knew how to pick 'em, but damn, I had no idea how right I was! Between you and me, short-stuff, I've had this feeling in the back of my mind for a while now that said you're gonna end up as some real hot shit one day, and you've been doing nothing but proving me right lately. Guess I know why, gahaha! Man, I had no idea you came from such good stock..."

"Uh... thank you?" Coye scratched the back of his head in slight embarrassment. "That was a compliment, right?"

"You're damn right it was. Fuck!" Byng exhaled through her teeth suddenly and then ruffled her messy hair. "Shit- stupid fucking breeding impulse! You have no idea what hearing any of that shit just did to my poor, easily-influenced, mushy gengaggi brain..."

Shayla scoffed. "I can smell what it did to you. You and your pheromones, I swear..."

Dorothy smelled nothing, so she hoped that was meant as playful banter. Not long after that, the discussion continued until they explained most of what had happened. They detailed how the introduction to Shayla went but left out the immortality bit to focus more on the positive side. They'd have to bring it up later, but it helped to stay grounded as Dorothy adjusted to the new group setting.

With more of the situation laid out, Byng and Suzette were supportive and congratulated her even more than they already had. That they cared so much about her well-being surprised Dorothy, and she was deeply grateful to the point where she felt the need to express it.

"Um, this may sound strange, but... I feel as if I need to thank you both for how understanding and supportive you've been. I'm still so confused by everything that's happened. Happier than I've ever been, yes, but still confused..."

"Pft, no worries. That'll clear up after a few more dickings. Just wait." Byng cackled.

"What she means is that what you're feeling is only natural. You'll get more used to this. To us." Suzette added helpfully.

"I hope so..." Dorothy smiled and then lowered her head. "As the newest member of this harem, I- um, I ask that you please take good care of me from now on, and I want you to know I'll try to return the favor in whatever way I can. Thank you for accepting me."

Byng and Suzette shared a look of mutual understanding. The group dynamic would be quite different now that Dorothy was in the picture, and both of them were excited to see where it led. Coye was, too. He loved seeing everyone getting along, making him feel like his happy little family was growing stronger by the day. Even Shayla didn't have it in her to be sarcastic and was more supportive than anyone else.

She fluttered to Dorothy's shoulder and sat down, patting her hand on the girl's cheek. "How many times do we have to say it? You're one of us now, and that's final. You don't have to make a big deal about us looking out for each other, babe."

"Shayla's right," Coye nodded. "You're making this a much bigger deal than it needs to be. Just take things casually and let it happen, okay?"

"...Okay, Coye. I'll try my best."

As sweet as the tender smile the two lovers shared with each other was, Byng had questions that she couldn't contain any longer. Questions which only puzzled her harder when she saw Shayla perching on Dorothy out of nowhere.

"Speaking of big deals, Shay," she raised her voice. "What the fuck is going on between you two? I'm not the kinda person who can just roll with it! I see this weird shit, and I'm like, what the fuck? Answers, tiny woman!" Suddenly conscious of Suzette glaring at her from across the table, Byng hastily added, "Unless it's like... super private, embarrassing, or whatever."

"Ah..." Dorothy glanced quickly at her shoulder companion, finding her looking somewhat irritated. "Are you comfortable sharing, Shayla? I don't mind doing so, but if you have any objections..."

"I was waiting to see if things cleared up," the pixie crossed her arms and grumbled. "But I've been awake for a while now, and I still feel the same as last night, so... I guess this really is just part of me from now on?" Shayla shrugged. "Given how much I've rubbed off on him, I probably should've expected some influence to creep back the other way around. Whatever. So, what happened was..."

For context, Shayla's explained an abbreviated version of Dorothy's exposition regarding the whole Faelink deal and how they are intrinsically linked together on a magical, soul-bonded level. This primarily meant that Coye would keep becoming more pixie-like, but that didn't mean Shayla couldn't take on a trait or two of Coye's along the way.

Respectfully leaving out the sexual details, Shayla told them what she knew. She was feeling weird echoes of Coye's love for Dorothy all night, and when things got intimate, those feelings ingrained themselves deeper, leading to where they found themselves at the present moment.

"So..." Byng pondered what she'd just heard, then chose to phrase her thoughts in the most provocative way possible, unable to help herself. "You're saying you were turned on so hard from watching Dorothy cuck you that you magically fell in love with her? Gahaha!"

"Byng-" Suzette gasped, though she was trying not to laugh on the inside.

Coye and Dorothy looked to Shayla in panic, expecting some massive outburst from the vindictive little sprite. Worryingly, nothing happened. She only stared in total silence. Then, after this stretched on for several moments, Shayla's eyelid twitched almost imperceptibly. Something was about to happen, and it wouldn't be good.

Shayla's emotions were rising to dangerous heights, the magical aura around her body flickering. Temptation. A desire to get even in a way she wouldn't usually have considered. Had Byng used any other word, Shayla wouldn't be having such thoughts... but to be called such a grievous insult was several times more than the slighted pixie could stand.

"You think having foreign thoughts shoved in your head and influencing your personality is funny, do you?"

Byng realized solely by the tone of Shayla's voice that she messed up. It took a lot for Byng to recognize when her mouth had gotten her into trouble, but Shayla was so glaringly pissed that there was no way she couldn't have noticed. Feeling a slight tinge of regret, she looked to Coye for help.

He purposefully looked away, and he wasn't the only one. Suzette wasn't about to interfere if Shayla was actually upset, either. She might've also been a little morbidly curious about how the fairy planned to inactive vengeance. Just a smidge.

"Okay, I'm not that stupid. I'm getting the feeling I fucked up here, gahaha..."

"Fucked up?" Shayla tilted her head. "I wouldn't say that, no. It's only a fuck up if you don't learn from your mistake, Byng, and trust me... you're gonna learn." She snapped her fingers, the sharp sound echoing in the silent cabin.

Nothing seemed to happen. A few moments later, still nothing. The tension was unbearable.

"Shayla..." Coye started to voice his concern, half worried he would lose one girlfriend right after getting a new one.

"Oh, shush," Shayla waved him off. "She'll be fine."

Byng collapsed face-first onto the table, the sudden impact sending a cup falling to the ground and shattering to pieces. Everyone looked at Shayla for answers, but she remained as cold and calm as ice.

"I'm... I'm so stupid..." Byng sobbed, her hands reaching her scalp to pull her messy hair. Propping herself up on her elbows, everyone became acquainted with the desperate appearance of a blushing and crying gengaggi. She looked so dramatically different than any of them had seen her- so weak, vulnerable, and delicate, utterly unlike herself.

"I didn't mean it. I'm always saying stupid shit- they just pop out of my mouth, honestly! I didn't think about how it'd make you feel, and I can't stop hating myself for that because... b-because... I just love you so much, Shayla!" Byng's crying turned into ugly crying, her heart as heavy as lead. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!!"

"I know. Love you too, bitch." Shayla smugly smirked, then snapped her fingers a second time before anyone could comment.

Without transition, Byng suffered a dramatic mood swing and instantly returned to normal. Aside from the tears still streaming down her face, there wasn't any evidence proving the incident even occurred.

"What... the... fuck?" Byng blinked rapidly, feeling a little lightheaded.

"I'll second that," Suzette coughed into her fist. "Shayla, what was that about?"

"It felt like I was all sad and, uh... in love with Shayla for a second there...? What was up with that?"

Someone hadn't gotten the memo that everyone was supposed to be weirded out. Dorothy's eyes were sparkling after the display of pixie magic at work. "I know! You just manipulated Byng's emotions, didn't you? Oh, how intriguing! It's even more potent than I... ah..."

"Dorothy," Coye placed his hand on hers. "Not the time."

"Y-Yes, of course..." Ashamed, she sank into her seat.

Coye then turned his attention to Byng, asking, "Are you okay? That didn't hurt, did it?"

"Not really? I can't say I didn't have it coming, gahaha!" Byng cleaned up the broken cup and used a nearby tablecloth to wipe up the mess on her face. After that, it was straight back to smiles. If something was capable of bothering her, this wasn't it. "You sure know how to make a point, Shay."

"Yeah, well... you sure know how to force me to make one..." Shayla shrugged, but she had the impression that Coye wasn't happy with her. That was fair. Now that her temporary rage had subsided, she wasn't too happy with herself, either. "Sorry, though. I knew you were just talking shit, but I'm sensitive, impulsive, and stupid..."

"Where did that even come from?" Coye asked with a frown. "I've never seen you do anything like that before."

"And for a good reason. It's not a very good power to whip out habitually, you know? Even on monsters- though it's less effective on them, anyway. Like other pixies, I used to use it for pranks and stupid shit like that, but... I've seen how far some of them take it. That's not me." Shayla briefly looked at Byng, a look of shame on her face. "Or at least I don't want it to be."

Coye was sympathetic. He knew what the impulses of a pixie could be like by now and understood it wasn't a conscious decision. This new power of hers explained a few things, though. When he'd decided to move on Suzette, Shayla jokingly implied she could eventually hypnotize people and make the seduction process easier. Guess this was what she meant.

Not to mention, why else would pixies be so in tune with the emotions of others if not to manipulate them? It wasn't like they used their empathetic powers to better understand people.

"Seeing how it was just a little slip-up and that there weren't any malicious intentions, I'm hoping we can move past this so that it doesn't ruin the morning. Byng?" Suzette smiled gently, always trying to play the role of the composed mediator.

"I already said it's no big deal," Byng scratched the back of her neck. "All I meant to say is that the psychic imprinting thing or whatever is weird but not any weirder than any other shit that happens around here with the two of you."

"It is what it is," Shayla shrugged. "Thanks for not holding my heated pixie moment against me."

"And thank you for not holding my foot-in-mouth moment against me, gahaha!"

The two shared a quick smile, the whole messy affair blown over.

Relieved, Coye exhaled the breath he'd been holding. He was deeply worried there was actual tension between them. It would've been the first time that happened since Byng and Suzette confronted him about Shayla's existence, but it seemed everything panned out okay in the end. Thankfully Dorothy didn't have to witness a rare fight during her first morning with the group. Instead, she got a taste of how close everyone was here, and it only reinforced how lucky she felt to be part of this dynamic where despite all the teasing, everyone looked after each other.

"You know what is a big deal, though?" Shayla spoke up, ready to move along and continue the conversation. "The big guy's been making some interesting plans for the future- the far future."

"Er-" Not expecting that to come up so soon, Coye looked away. "I guess I should probably cover that, shouldn't I?"

"As long as you keep yourself in check, you should be fine..." Dorothy wanted to comfort him, so she touched his knee under the table. It went a long way.

"What's up, short-stuff? Got some new goals?" Byng smirked, ready to support her man. "Let's hear it! They better be ambitious!"

"Ambitious, huh? I've got some good news for you, then..."

Coye caught the others up with the last bit of relevant information from the previous night, getting into some of the more worrying details and explaining the mechanics of Sylvan Shift. Byng and Suzette were both upset to hear it, Suzette, especially, but the situation was too complicated for anyone to really be at blame. Things got harder to follow when Coye talked about how the experience changed his mind about death.

Getting some sleep didn't suddenly change his mind- Coye was still all about the whole immortality pipedream with all his heart. The important part was that, like Dorothy said, he kept himself in check. He didn't sound crazed when expressing his desires but was down-to-earth and casual about it as one could hope. It helped that he framed it around wanting to continue his life as it was, chasing new experiences one day at a time while treating this new pursuit of his as something he'd keep on the sidelines.

Still, it was a tall glass of insanity to ask them to swallow.

"Fuck, dude. Cool. That's a thing, yeah..." Byng nodded along after he was done. The look on her face was as starstruck as it was confused. "I mean, I'm into it, but I was just expecting... fuck, I dunno, that you were gonna say something a bit less crazy?"

"Nope," he shrugged. "Afraid I'm going all out on this one."

"Clearly," Suzette closed her eyes, deep in thought. As the oldest, she had a shallow appreciation for the idea Coye was expressing. "Darling, where do I even begin with this? Never let it be said that anyone can temper your expectations, I suppose. What you are suggesting is... no... perhaps...? Hm, no, not that, either. If there exist words fitting enough to describe your intentions, they're utterly beyond me."

"I can think of a few," Shayla suggested less than helpfully.

"Don't be too hard on him," Dorothy chided the fairy on her shoulder. "He's doing his best and isn't being weird about it, so Coye deserves our support."

"Bit of a low bar, but I guess you're right..."

Coye looked to Suzette, containing his impulse to act standoffish and his desire to express himself in a more grandiose and over-the-top fashion. "You don't need to tell me how stupid it is. I get it. I'm not defending myself, either, but at the same time, I'm going to do what I want."

"So that's how it's going to be, huh?" Byng gave him a sudden gaze full of scrutiny, looking straight into his eyes and not backing down. "You're serious about this, short-stuff? Like, for real?"

"How many times do I have to say it?" Coye stood his ground.

That was enough for Byng. She eased her expression and smiled softly in acceptance. She didn't need to know anything else if that's what he wanted. The implications might've been crazy, but she was a simple girl regarding what mattered most.

"I'm gonna say something that might shock everyone here-" Byng raised her hands and then lightly slammed them on the table for dramatic effect, looking at everyone else and drawing out the silence she had created. "But y'know what? I'm gonna stand by my man."

"Byng..." Coye smiled.

"Shocker." Shayla rolled her eyes.

"I know, right? Hey! At least I'm consistent, gahaha! Really, though. This is so fucking over my head that it's not even funny- but fuck it. I'm all for it."

"As am I," Dorothy spoke, though she didn't have it in her to do so as confidently on the matter as Byng did. She trudged on, knowing it was necessary to air out her thoughts. "Sure, it might've been a bit much for our first date, ahaha... but... I'm a Guild Mistress. My job is supporting my adventurers and seeing them achieve their goals. So, what I'm getting at is... oh, how do I say this..."

"You know how," Byng grinned. "Come on, Dotty. Say it- say it!"

Deciding that simpler was better, Dorothy sighed and got it over with. "I-I also stand by my man...?"

"That's not supposed to be a question," Byng clicked her tongue. "But, hey. Close enough!"

Dorothy was pleased with herself, and so was Coye. Surrounded by love and support on all sides, it was all he could do to smile. "Thank you. I can't say that enough. Really, I can't."

That only left Suzette's approval. As always, she was the most realistic one. Given Dorothy's childish infatuation with Coye that previously bordered on hero worship until outright becoming just that, it seemed that wouldn't be changing anytime soon, even with the new addition to their group.

Why did it always fall on her to be the voice of reason? It wasn't fair. Suzette wanted to blindly support Coye, too, but no one would ask the tough questions if she didn't. At best, Shayla would tease him for it before backing him with all her heart. Sighing, she reluctantly rose to the occasion.

"That's all well and good, Darling. I'd even say it's a noble goal- if I didn't know it was coming from a place of escapism. If you ask me whether or not I want to live forever and build a financial empire across all the realms, the answer is obviously yes, but that's not what I'm concerned about. No, I want to know how you can be sure this won't consume you? What's stopping this from becoming some overwrought drama in the future if- goddesses above and below forbid- something happened to one of us before you're successful? Supposing I had a choice between watching you destroy yourself for my sake or enjoying our unfairly brief time together to its fullest, I would choose the former... unless you had some way of convincing me otherwise?"

Coye read between the lines. Suzette wanted to be convinced, and he understood where she came from. Whereas Dorothy saw him as the hero of an old romantic story from the age of heroes, Suzette saw the makings of a tragedy. Two sides of the same coin. If it weren't for his recent change, it would've been easy to picture himself going down either path.

Most of the negativity had left him, however. Coye didn't imagine it would last long if it ever came back. Not with everyone who loved and supported him by his side. Sure, there might be a tragedy down the road, but that was life, and it didn't mean he had to just roll over and accept it. How to make Suzette understand, though... that was the question.

One he didn't have an answer to.

"That won't happen because I won't let it," he declared.

Suzette waited in silence for him to continue. "...And?"

"That's all I've got," Coye shrugged.

"I... see. So. In the event of, say... my untimely demise, you're just... not going to let it happen."

"Yes."

First, there was foolishness. After that, idiocy. Following idiocy, there was whatever the hell this was. Suzette didn't know what to think. She opened her mouth to speak, only to close it when nothing came out.

"What's up?" Shayla cocked her head. "Don't tell me you don't find him convincing? Personally, I thought that shit was fucking fire. Real motivational, baby. Keep it up."

"Doing my best, here..." he smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head, well aware of her pointed sarcasm. "Sorry I can't offer you anything better than that. I hope you understand I'm doing this one way or another, so..."

"I don't know what you're about to suggest, but you'd best think again before continuing," Suzette spoke harshly. "I have no intentions of giving up what we have, Darling. None. Just because I might be unhappy in the future because of your decisions, it doesn't mean I will stop you from trying. The only thing I'll say is this..."

Suzette picked up the knife she'd used to spread jam on her toast. She admired it momentarily, her golden eyes narrowing.

"If you can't convince me with your words, lay my worries to rest through your actions. Am I understood? Make me look like a fool for doubting you. I've waited so damn long for a chance at happiness- and if a man promises me forever, I damn well expect him to keep it! I deserve that much, don't I? Don't I?!"

Suzette drove the knife into the table during a sudden bout of mania. Dorothy yelped. Byng almost fell out of her chair again, while Shayla felt better about herself upon remembering she wasn't the only one whose crazy got the best of them.

Everyone was staring at her as Suzette became cognizant of her actions. Dislodging the knife, she let it fall limply to the table. Cheeks reddening, the older woman bit her lip and sank several inches into her chair. She coughed as the silence dragged on.

"Goodness gracious," Suzette fanned herself, starting to sweat. "I have no idea what came over me..." She forced herself to look at Coye and noticed he was no longer in his seat. Before Suzette could even wonder where he went, he was right by her side, smiling at her with a warm fondness. He kneeled down so they were level, and his face approached hers.

"Have I ever told you you're cute when you're like this?" Coye teased.

"...No, but I suppose that's better than the alternative."

Dorothy looked at Shayla, checking that she wasn't having a sudden fever dream. In a hushed tone, she asked, "Is... is this normal?"

"I mean... we joke about Suzette having her moments, but I've never seen her do anything like that. Probably nothing."

"Yeah!" Byng agreed. "Besides, the only person Suz ever hurt had it coming."

"I... I see... how reassuring..." Dorothy gulped.

Unaware of the others, Coye focused solely on the woman before him. "Thanks for understanding, Suzette. I'll do exactly what you said and prove you wrong. You do deserve that much. More, even, and I'll be the man who gives it to you."

"You should've led with that," Suzette nervously tried playing with her bangs, only to remember she was wearing her hair in a bun. Now she just looked silly. "That was much more convincing, Darling. That, or perhaps I'm just a hopeless romantic beneath my cynicism?"

"Nothing wrong with that," Coye closed the distance, kissing her softly to show his love. "I'm pretty hopeless, myself."

"Self-awareness doesn't make it any better, you silly boy..." Suzette purred. Her concerns were eased for now, so Coye returned to his seat, where Byng ambushed him shortly after.

She wrapped her arm around his neck and kissed the boy on his cheek, grinning wildly. "Don't forget he has me to keep him in check and stop him from getting all self-destructive too, y'know! I ain't about that shit. No moping, got it?" Byng asked, ruffling his hair.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be counting on you, Byng... you too, Shayla."

"Gee, how nice to be included..." The aloof pixie turned her nose at him and looked away, though her wings flapped with satisfaction. "By the way, Byng. Shouldn't you have offered to hit up a certain someone about all this by now?"

"Oh, for sure," Byng let go of Coye after slapping him on the back several times. "I was already planning to see what Kuhrkakk had to say about immortality whenever he fucking calls on me or whatever, if that's even still a thing."

"It's only been like two weeks, right? He said it would be a while." Coye cocked his head.

"Then he should've contacted me closer to when he actually wanted me to do the thing for him! All he did was build up hype with no payoff!" Byng folded her arms. "Stupid fucking-"

"Ah, um... can we pause here for a moment, perhaps?" Dorothy was looking more flustered than she had all morning. "I get that there are innumerable things I need to be caught up on, but can someone please explain why it sounds as if Byng is in direct contact with the Grurguhrohkan god of hunting? I've already swallowed a lot-"

"Heh." Shayla smirked.

"But this is a bit much, even for me!"

"Shit. I think I forgot to report all that to you, didn't I...?" Byng scratched her chin. "Whoops."

Like any adventurer, she was supposed to relay any significant changes in her development and skill set to her resident Guild Master. That a god was making promises of extraordinary powers and cool loot to her in exchange for favors was probably something she should've filled Dorothy in on sooner.

Welp.

No time like the present.

Dorothy listened to the entire thing, but by the time Byng was done, the only thing on her mind was, "...So you're saying that harvesting proof of kill trophies isn't against your religion, and it never was?"

Byng stuck her tongue out and scratched the back of her head.

Slumping over the table, Dorothy somehow managed to look up at Coye with an exhausted countenance. "Maybe I should take the rest of the day off, after all... I have so much to mentally process..."

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty sure we've got most of the weird shit out of the way." Coye gave her a supportive smile and placed his hand on her back. It helped her a good deal, and she smiled back.

Shayla swapped one perch for another, finally finding herself back on the shoulder she truly belonged. "There'll be more weird shit sooner or later. There always is. Better get used to it, babe."

"I will. At least, I think I will... once I've adjusted a little more, anyway."

"You're doing great," Coye reassured her.

"Yeah!" Byng hunched over the table, propping herself up by the elbows as she gave Dorothy an ear-to-ear grin. "Welcome to the family, Dotty!"

"We sure gave up on the whole 'not ready to call each other a family thing' pretty fucking fast, didn't we...?" Shayla commented.

Coye tilted his head. "When was that? I've been thinking of you guys as my little family for a while now. I don't remember anyone saying anything about it..."

"You were asleep, Darling. Nothing you need to worry about. It's better this way, anyway." Suzette laughed softly to herself and then turned to Dorothy. "We are what we are, why bother denying it? You're one of us now, and that's all that matters."

Before Dorothy could process her emotions, Byng chimed in with even further support than she knew what to do with. "Suz is right. You better get it through your head that Coye ain't the only one you can count on. Got it? You became my shurahkidha as of last night, and that's a big deal! I'm here for you whenever you need me."

"If it wasn't already obvious..." Shayla sighed, then fought back her bratty attitude long enough to give Dorothy a warm smile. "The same goes for me, babe. We're all in this together."

"I... um..." Dorothy thought to express herself, but her words caught in her throat, but it wasn't out of embarrassment.

Dorothy looked around the room at the three other women and her adoring boyfriend, experiencing feelings she hadn't felt in years. There was safety, reassurance, and even freedom through knowing she was no longer alone. Dorothy was lifted away into a new kind of tranquility and peace of mind by these wonderful people, and she couldn't get enough of it.

Things felt right, somehow. Like she belonged here. It was the best feeling in all the realms.

"Everything okay, Dorothy?" Coye scooted closer, wrapping his arm around her. Her hero's smile was the brightest, his love the deepest, and none of this would've been possible without him.

"Yes," Dorothy confessed, leaning into his touch. "I've never been better..."