Coye 6.24

Feeling a bit better, feel like it's going well now.

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Chapter 24 - Pressing Issues

This was it. The mood was right. Shayla and Dorothy were getting along great, Dorothy was okay with keeping her secret, and her relationship with Coye was now official. She'd support the both of them in any endeavor, meaning there was no better person to ask what needed to be asked. Without further delay, Coye held back his excitement and explained the situation.

"You've probably figured out that whenever I cast magic, it's really Shayla doing all the work. Well, things have been changing a lot relating to that. Eschal explained during my appointment that other people like me have existed throughout Karnalle's history- people with symbiotic relationships with fairies. He showed us this scroll and everything and made it seem like I was gonna start getting magic powers. Jumping ahead to my fight with Auguris, that's exactly what happened... the thing is, we still have no idea what we should expect. Eschal said that fairy knights are an actual class of adventurer that the Association has on record, so we were hoping you could use your connections and do some digging for us?"

Coye was almost winded by the time he finished delivering his request. He sighed heavily, hoping he didn't leave anything out. Dorothy nodded intently as she listened but waited until he was fully done to speak.

"...That wouldn't be a problem at all," Dorothy announced. "On the contrary, it'd be rather easy. All I'd have to do is send a request to the main branch, and they'll loan me anything I wish from the Association's archive. It might take them a few days to process the request, but I could probably answer some of your questions in the meantime. I'm not an expert, but I've read a book or two on the topic before, actually..."

"Finally...!" Coye slumped back as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"I can't believe it," Shayla shook her head, staring up at the Guild Mistress with a look of uncertainty. "It really was just as simple as asking you for help, huh...? I hate to admit it, but now I'm gonna owe you for a lot more than just standing on your hand for a while. Seriously."

"No, you don't need to feel like you owe me anything... all you've done is ask me to do my job," she giggled. "Helping adventurers is what I'm here for, after all! Ask away."

"Should we get the most important question out of the way?"

"Don't see why not," the pixie shrugged. "Was there anything in those books of yours that implied fairy knights could change the size of their partner?"

"...What do you mean?" Dorothy tilted her head.

"Come on, isn't it obvious? I'm talking about making me human-sized!"

"No, I mean, um... can you not already do that? How strange." Dorothy cupped her chin, falling deeper into thought by the moment as she recalled the knowledge she'd absorbed years before. "The range of powers that a fairy knight possesses varies wildly depending on the type of fae they're bonded to, as far as size-changing goes, that was commonly reported. I assumed you've been in your smaller form this entire time because it was more natural... am I mistaken?"

Dorothy waited for an answer, but an answer didn't come. Silence stretched on in its stead, every second that passed making her more and more anxious that she might've offended her new diminutive friend. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to talk down to you- er- poor choice of words... what I meant to say is that the last thing I wanted is to imply that there's something wrong with you for not having that ability, I-"

The tension dropped as soon as Shayla's excitable mind was finally done processing the fantastic news. She and Coye were so surprised by the revelation that it took them a moment to work past the initial shock. "So it's possible?" She asked, ignoring everything that came after. "I didn't hear you wrong, did I? You're really saying it's possible?"

"Dorothy, don't get our hopes up like this..." Coye bit his lip, giving her an adorably hopeful look as his bright eyes shined with expectation.

Their reactions made Dorothy realize how much this meant to them. She knew full well the body of a fairy was flexible in a certain sense, but Dorothy guessed that wasn't enough for her. As someone who also suffered from self-esteem issues regarding their body, she felt sympathy for the little fairy, which made delivering the good news all the sweeter.

"I'm not getting your hopes up. It was well-documented, and I recall reading multiple accounts describing the phenomenon. Fairy knights often went around with their partners swapping between their natural form and a human-sized one, depending on the situation. I can't tell you how this power was achieved or when you'll achieve it, but I can certainly say that it's definitely a thing."

Wasting no time whatsoever, Shayla jumped from Dorothy's palm and flew to hug Coye, digging her face into the soft black silk of his tunic as she nuzzled against his chest. "Fuck yeah! You hear that shit, baby?! Best news I've ever heard!"

"I think I can agree with that," Coye laughed softly and returned the gesture, wrapping both hands around her and applying slight pressure to simulate a hug. "It feels so much better, just knowing it'll happen eventually..."

"I'm still unhappy over the lack of timeframe, but it's good enough for now..."

Dorothy smiled at the heartwarming display. She didn't feel jealous in the slightest, only happy for her new friend. "If I find anything else in my research, you'll be the first to know. Was there anything else I could potentially answer for you beyond that?"

"That was the big one, but there are a few little things here and there... if you really don't mind, that is..." Shayla pulled away from their hug, suddenly conscious of stealing what was supposed to be Dorothy's special night.

Dorothy must've picked up on her concern because her smile was pure. "I don't. Please."

Coye spoke up with the biggest one on his mind. "I'd like to know more about the mana transfer thing. That was only the third time we've done it, and it seems potent but totally unusable on my side of things."

"Ah, yes," Dorothy adjusted her glasses, a sure sign of an oncoming lecture. It was good that she had a measure of self-restraint that night, or else she would've spent even longer on it than she did. "What you're describing was covered in detail, actually. The connection between you is specifically known as a Faelink. The long and short of it is that it's a form of soul-bonding similar to what mages do with their familiars, only on a much more intimate level. Most witches don't tend to-"

"Fuck their black cats and marry their owls?" Shayla smirked.

"Pretty sure that's more of a druid thing..." Coye added half-seriously.

"Ahaha... well... you said it, not me..." Dorothy smirked unprofessionally, then continued. "Anyway, the establishment of a Faelink is the intended usage of fairy dust, as far as our current understanding of the phenomenon goes. Whether this is simply to increase their odds at survival or something more meaningful, I'm afraid such speculation is beyond me..."

Giving his trusted partner a teasing side glance of suspicion, Coye pointed out the obvious. "You're almost making it sound like fairies are parasites."

"It's symbiotic!" Shayla quickly defended herself. "Like those weird mushrooms that control bugs after they... okay, yeah, I've got nothing..."

Dorothy smiled at the banter and then joined Shayla's cause. "She's right- a parasite only takes. You're gaining just as much from this relationship as she is. Regarding powers, what all do the two of you know about your bond?"

"Eschal gave us a cool scroll with some art, but we couldn't understand a word..." Coye shrugged. "Best to assume we know absolutely nothing and start from there."

"Understood. To further the familiar comparison, in time, you should get a grip on performing the most basic skills that anyone with a familiar is capable of. Things such as summoning Shayla from anywhere, seeing through her eyes, experiencing what she's feeling, the list goes on."

Shayla and Coye's pointy ears perked up simultaneously- specifically at the bit about summoning Shayla. Dorothy thought seeing them so in synch was adorable, unaware of how such an ability would alleviate many of the pixie's fears. Despite their interest, they kept quiet and allowed Dorothy to continue speaking.

"What makes this different is that a familiar specifically draws power from their master, making them subservient, whereas I just established the two of you are in an equal, symbiotic relationship. Shayla can draw on your power to increase her own, and after you have more practice, you should be able to do the same. As to why it's so hard for you to use, Coye, well... hmm... let me get a clearer picture, here. You first achieved Faelink during the battle with Auguris, yes?"

"Yeah," Coye nodded, enraptured by the explanation and at the edge of his seat. "I sent her some of my mana, which got us to the finishing line."

"I see..." Dorothy took in this knowledge and narrowed her eyes, performing calculations in her head and remembering what she saw that day and what she knew about pixies. There weren't many ways she could picture an ordinary pixie being strong enough to do what Shayla did to Auguris's armor, but she had a decent guess. "I'm assuming you jinxed his metallocoat with an astronomical amount of bad luck, and that's how it cracked?"

"Geez..." Shayla shied away, cringing at how open her secrets were before Dorothy's scrutinizing analysis. "Has anyone ever told you you're a little scary?"

"Annoying, mostly. Scary is a new one, ahaha... as to why you're having trouble getting used to the transfer, Coye, think about it. Your mana isn't anything special for Shayla, whereas your body treats hers as a literal drug. If absorbing pixie dust through skin contact is enough to develop an addiction, what would injecting pixie mana straight into your circuits do? The answer is that it triggers a monumental high- though the descriptions I read were more charitable and called the resulting state a transformation. Sylvan Shift, I believe it was?"

"Sylvan Shift?" Coye repeated vacantly, judging the mouthfeel of his new ability. Not bad.

"And what, he becomes some sort of super pixie during this transformation?" Shayla scoffed at the sheer ridiculousness of it all as if everything that had happened until then wasn't already one long string of utter ridiculousness.

Upset that her recollection only went so far, Dorothy frowned. "I would need to refamiliarize myself with the topic. I don't know all that much about the specifics other than that. If it's any consolation, controlling yourself while in Sylvan Shift should grow easier over time, and any aftereffects you suffer should clear up as soon as the mana is spent."

"I don't know about that last part," Coye mumbled, uncomfortably shifting around in his seat. He noticed that Dorothy was looking at him with worry in her eyes and Shayla with a knowing understanding if not sympathy. "Don't mind me. Keep going. How do we improve this Sylvan Shift thing?"

"The same way you'd improve any other power sourced from Shayla- by improving your Faelink. There really isn't anything I can tell you that you don't already know regarding how you might do that. The stronger your bond, the stronger your Faelink, the stronger your Sylvan Shift."

"Let me get this straight..." Shayla cupped her chin, narrowed her eyes, and bounced off a question. "You're saying we get more powerful by hanging out with each other, fucking, and having fun little slice-of-life moments that further our relationship? That all this magic bullshit is literally fueled by the fucking power of taking it one day at a time?"

Coye had to laugh at the irony. "Guess I'll never have to beat myself up again for wanting to take a day off training. I'm just glad to hear Sylvan Shift will be more useful and that I can eventually control it. I really like what it does to me, but..."

"Right now, all it does is make you a twitchy, overly-excited sex pest."

"As if that's my fault-"

"Coye is right. It isn't his fault in the slightest," Dorothy smiled weakly, readying herself to spout off some potentially upsetting facts. "Sylvan Shift is a power directly correlated to the type of fairy the knight is Faelinked with. The blazing mana of an inferno fairy makes its partner hotheaded, an aurora fairy's more calm and collected, and so on. Naturally, a pixie would make their partner more mischievous, overstimulated, and, yes, aroused. Rather than teasing Coye, perhaps it would be best if you remembered that how he acts under your influence says more about you than it does about him, ahaha...?"

Though frustrated by the deepness of Dorothy's cut and the implication that Coye would be having a much easier go of things if she were anything but a pixie, Shayla was more impressed than annoyed. Her grin took on the same mischievous quality that was just described as she asked, "Well, well, well. Look at you, Dorothy. Am I mistaken, or did you just take your first jab at me?"

"W-What? Jab? I, um, n-no, I was only-"

"You did, didn't you? Heh. I'm not even mad, nope. Good on you. Showing some spine, not afraid to call me out... I like it."

Dorothy didn't know how to handle what little praise she received in the first place, so this playful bantering from the pixie caught her unguarded and uncertain. "...Thank you?"

Coye was pleased he had someone to cover for him. It didn't fully ease his guilt over what happened but it was a pleasant reminder that things weren't entirely his fault. Overall, he was pleased with everything they learned. Sylvan Shift sounded powerful, but training to use it seemed a hassle as his side effects got more intensive and more difficult to ignore.

Shayla figured Coye was having problems, but he did an excellent job hiding them initially. Now, though, his face occasionally betrayed a hint of ache, and he sat with his hips tilted back subtly to prevent a specific area from pressing down against the bed. As interesting as learning about their connection was, Dorothy's knowledge wasn't so expensive that they couldn't wait to figure out what needed to be done with Coye.

"Any other questions?" Dorothy asked.

"Nah, but there does seem to be a pressing issue at hand..." Shayla put her hands on her hips and floated closer to Coye with a teasing frown of disapproval. "You're having some aftereffects, aren't you?"

Shame colored his cheeks after having been called out so directly. "Not anything I can't handle..."

"Wait, really? Coye... if you were uncomfortable this entire time, you should've said something... oh, dear..."

"There's a rather sensitive reason for that, isn't there...?"

"Shayla-"

"Are you gonna tell her, or should I?"

His decision was obvious, given a choice between embarrassing himself or letting Shayla do it for him. He had to swallow his shame and admit to it because there was no telling what she might say while speaking on his behalf. "There are some sexual side effects after using Sylvan Shift."

"...Oh," Dorothy blinked, recalling the sexual cost of his addiction. "Oh, my. Is this similar to, um... h-how it feels when you go without sex for a few days, or something else?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Coye grumbled, lowering his head even further. "They're a little sore, but it's no big deal... either way, it's good we ended up with some answers tonight. I'm really thankful for that. We should've come to you for help sooner."

"W-Well... the important thing is that you did. Now that I'm in the picture, I can start helping you in whatever way I can... whenever you need it, I-I'll be there for you..." Dorothy gulped, but her mouth was dry. There was more she wanted to say, but nothing came out past that.

Her meaning was lost on Coye, who smiled gratefully and said, "You've done enough, and it's getting pretty late. I should probably take you back to the Guild before it gets darker and I start aching even worse down there."

"Coye..." Dorothy whispered, forcing herself to meet his eyes. "I don't think you understood my meaning."

Coye's brain struggled to process the situation in total silence for a moment. Implications made themselves known, and the truth was revealed. The woman he'd been in love with for two years offered to help him quell his lust. When faced with that reality, Coye opened his mouth in slack-jawed stupidity. His reaction made Dorothy fidgety and even more nervous than she already was.

"Dorothy, I... I don't think that's a good idea. Not right now. Whenever I get excited, I'm not myself, and I never have much self-control... especially not when I'm this worked up." It pained Coye to say it, but he promised Suzette he wouldn't hurt Dorothy, and there was no guarantee he could keep that promise if he blindly acted on his desires.

"Yeah, not to tell you what you should or shouldn't do, but I'm with him," Shayla agreed. "Most of the time, he's this cute, submissive little thing-"

"I'm starting to like being dominant, too!" Coye interjected, his ego forcing him to point out as much.

"Exactly. I'm saying you're even more likely to act uncontrollably and do something stupid than usual!" She shook her head at him, dejected.

Neither of them expected Dorothy to react the way she did. Her nervousness eased up, taking on a stern expression as she looked at them with severity. "Coming from me after the week I've had may not sound all that convincing, but... I'm not as delicate as you think I am. I said what I said, and I'm not taking it back."

Coye was unsure where this came from, and it took him a moment to say anything back due to his surprise. "It's not like I don't want your help, but we just agreed to go out with each other not even an hour ago. We don't have to rush things, and I think your first time-"

"Coye," Dorothy raised her voice, summoning a measure of authority he'd never heard from her before. "Just because I like it when you tell me what to do doesn't mean I'm incapable of making decisions for myself. It doesn't matter what you think my first time should be like. That's something for me to decide. You're in pain, aren't you?"

Coye looked to Shayla, who was equally stunned and didn't know what to say. She shrugged, gesturing for Coye to go along with it.

"Yes?"

"And if you take me home, you're just going to go find Suzette or Byng to take care of you, aren't you?" She asked, already knowing Shayla wouldn't be any help. It would be like multiplying zero by itself.

"Also yes?" He answered, feeling a little bad about it.

"T-Then, if that's the case..." Dorothy was having trouble keeping up the serious act. It took a lot out of her, especially with what she was trying to say, but it was important to her, so she trekked on. "I would much rather it be me. We've missed out on so much time together, and... I... I won't let you push me away right as I'm finally able to give something back for all you've done for me."

Coye's heart raced out of control as it became more difficult to deny this was happening. Dorothy was saying she wanted to have sex with him. Not in as many words, but it may as well have been that direct. The aching in his balls grew more pronounced at the thought, as did his erection. True to form, it was painful in such a state, and he had to lean further back to alleviate his tension. Doing so only made the problem more noticeable, but Dorothy paid it as little mind as she could and remained staring straight at Coye to show her resolve.

"Look, I get it. You're your own person, and maybe we were a little patronizing... but he'd still need to drop me off at Suzette's first. You're obviously gonna want some privacy, so-"

"You don't need to go anywhere, Shayla..." Dorothy cut her off. Again, the pair were surprised by her sudden decision. "On the contrary, I'd, ah... I'd prefer it if you were here... maybe?" She sounded unsure of herself again, but Dorothy shook off her concerns before they consumed her. "I've never done anything remotely like this before, and you do this sort of thing all the time with Coye, right? It's just, well, I was thinking... you did say you'd owe me for digging around about fairy knights, and-"

Shayla didn't need to hear another word- she'd caught the drift and loved it. "You want me to teach you how to fuck, Dorothy...?"

Coye looked at Dorothy in amazement, barely able to keep up with this insane development. Having her implication spelled out to her before she could say it herself took its toll on her nerves. She lowered her head and gave the pixie a meek nod.

"I don't know if I'll have the confidence to do this alone..." Dorothy admitted. "Sorry, Coye. I wanted to-"

"Fuck-" Coye exhaled through his teeth, his balls throbbing with a dull and consistent pain. Both the girls looked at him in concern, but he hung his head and reassured them. "Sorry, I'm fine, it's just that... fuck, that idea is so hot..."

"Unsurprising, you little hedonist..." Shayla clicked her tongue at him, teasingly unamused.

"No objections there, it seems... ahaha... so what do you say, Shayla? Would you consider guiding a poor, inexperienced girl like me so I don't mess this up?"

"Not like the bar is set very high..." she laughed. "He'd be happy with just about anything you did..."

"This is true," Coye admitted, wanting to help reassure Dorothy however he could.

"Even so..." Dorothy stared and bit her lip, waiting.

Shayla stared at Dorothy in silence as she contemplated what to do. The emotions she sensed coming from her were dizzying. One moment she'd swell with confidence; the next, she'd circle back to anxiety. Dorothy was right. She probably couldn't do this by herself, but what she could do was work up enough courage to extend her hand and ask for help.

"...Promise you're not gonna regret this, babe?"

After taking a deep breath, Dorothy revealed the depths of her conviction. "Of course not. I've been serious about this since I knocked on Coye's door. I, um, expected... m-maybe even wanted something lewd to happen while I was here... and I'm even wearing something special underneath my outfit in case it did. Yet here I am, so terrified I can't even think about taking my top off without help!"

Hearing that took a toll on Coye's sanity. What amazing secrets were lying hidden beneath Dorothy's clothing? He desperately wanted to know but also felt bad about the current situation. "I'm sorry I can't take the initiative like you might have wanted... you wouldn't need the help if I could set the pace, but-"

Dorothy placed her hand on his knee and smiled softly. "Don't. I'm happy it's happening in a way that I can help you. I knew what I was getting into, Coye."

As the two lovers exchanged heartfelt looks, Shayla took in the sight of this nervous girl so afraid yet eager to help the boy she loved no matter what it took. The pixie felt all sorts of things as she watched. She admired Dorothy's courage, the depths and purity of her love for Coye, and then there was the sheer honesty of her request...

What chance did Shayla have in resisting such a plea? She'd always had a weakness for naive, nervous little things with big, round, innocent eyes begging for someone to take their hand and show them what's what. Even though she was a year older than Shayla, Dorothy radiated 'please help me, big sis' vibes to such an extreme extent that the pixie couldn't ignore.

"Fuck it, fine. This is happening. You want a sex tutor that'll teach you how to pleasure yourself a femboy? Look no further- the expert is here!" Shayla smirked, took a dramatic pose, and snapped her fingers. Fireworks shot off behind her, which would've made her look heroic if it weren't for the topic at hand.

Dorothy clasped her hands together, overtaken by wholesome gratitude. "Oh, thank you... thank you so much, Shayla. I don't know how I'll ever repay you...!"

"I don't think you'll have to, babe. Not if the show you're about to put on is half as entertaining as I think it'll be..." Shayla grinned in a way that almost made Dorothy regret her decision, but it only lasted for a moment before it was gone.

"Ah... I-I see...?"

"Shayla, don't tease her like that..." Coye made a frowning face at her, but she dismissed him summarily.

"Why not? Should we be teasing you instead?" Shayla placed her finger on her bottom lip and looked down at him with an expression of mock pity. "Poor guy. You must be positively aching right about now, aren't you? You know what you have to do before anything else, Dorothy?"

"N-No..." Dorothy hung her head. "That's why I asked for help... ahaha."

"Rhetorical question, silly, but that's neither here nor there. What you need to do is calm that raging cock of his down a few times before he even thinks about putting it inside you. You know, take the edge off?" Shayla fluttered down to Coye's magic tent to emphasize her point and gestured to it with her hand. His legs were spread wider now, not even trying to hide it despite the fact that his face was flushed. The fact that Dorothy was the one staring at it did a lot for Coye.

"In... side... me...?" Her imagination got the best of her, and she had to forcibly snap herself out of it. "Uh... when you say take the edge off, what exactly do you mean?"

"I mean that you need to give the kid a couple rounds of service, or he's gonna lose it again and jump you!"

"I am not!" Coye defended himself.

"Baby, I'm trying to steer things so that the nice lady you crush on does very nice things to your dick. You can give me lip, or you can stay in your lane. What's it gonna be?"

"I am very liable to lose control of my inhibitions and jump you if you don't follow the pixie's advice word for word." Coye sang a different tune immediately and with a shameless lack of hesitation. Coye's sudden backpedaling helped ease Dorothy a little more, getting her to giggle from how bad he wanted this. She was still wondering whether or not getting jumped would be that bad, though.

"That's what I thought," Shayla nodded approvingly. "So, about that service..."

"If, um... if that's what it takes, then I'm ready for anything..." Dorothy said, wondering if she could back that up. "How many times does he need to, um... r-relieve himself before, um..."

"Before he changes your world forever and introduces you to the pleasures of a stuffed pussy?" Shayla fluttered back to Dorothy's face, her hands behind her back and a wicked smile on her lips. "Two or three, I'd say. That should probably get him to chill out enough to take the lead, wouldn't you say, big guy?"

Coye was almost as impacted by that mental image as Dorothy was, barely able to think beyond simple agreement. "Y-Yeah, um... sounds about right..."

Aside from the fact that she had to grapple with the pictures Shayla painted in her head, Dorothy was stunned by the implications of Coye's stamina. "T-T-Two or three before even having sex? That's, um... that sounds impractical..."

Shayla laughed darkly. "Babe, if you wanna talk impractical, just wait till you see how much he..."

"What?" Dorothy leaned in, curious and fearful. "How much he what?!"

"Eh," the devilish pixie shrugged. "Some things are more fun if you leave them as surprises..."

"You're really pushing it here," Coye sighed.

"Am I? I feel like I'm not teasing her any harder than you do..." Shayla stuck her tongue out at him, and despite the childish gesture, she had a point. "Now, then... what do you say, Dorothy? Are you ready for your first lesson?"

Dorothy contemplated this in silence, wondering if she'd made a mistake, before remembering this was just how Shayla was. She'd seen enough of Coye and Shayla's dynamic to know that the pixie meant well, regardless of whether she said and did otherwise. That was enough for Dorothy to trust her wholly, so she bit back her nervousness and nodded.

"As I'll ever be. Please take good care of me, Shayla..."

"Oh, I will..."

If someone could sound both ominous and full of loving support at the same time, Shayla found a way. Flying closer, she perched on the shoulder of someone besides Coye for the first time. Shayla licked her lips from eagerness, then rubbed her hands together, ready to go.

"Glasses off, babe. There's your first lesson. It's gonna get real messy in here real fast, so-"

"Can I maybe, um, advocate for skipping this lesson, or-" Coye ruined the moment sheepishly.

"...Really? A glasses fetish?" Shayla raised a brow, taking his complete silence as confirmation. "I'm utterly shocked that hasn't somehow come up before now. Well, whatever. It's not like I can't clean them, anyway." The pixie shrugged, then looked back at Dorothy in all her blushing glory. "You heard the boy- lesson one is optional."

Dorothy looked from the reassuring fairy on her shoulder to the nervous face of her boyfriend. Then, after summoning up all her courage and giving him a smile, she pushed her glasses further up the bridge of her nose where she intended them to remain.

"Alright. I guess you can skip ahead to lesson two, then..."