Coye 6.23

Feeling pretty stressed about the current state of things. I'm still rushing to get through with the volume but there's 7 chapters left- two of which still need me to do short outlines for. I'm really hoping that the sex chapters pass quicker for me because I seem to be doing roughly a chapter every 2 days since I have to edit them too and I wanted to be done a lot sooner than this. I really structured this event poorly, but it's too late to cut some of the date and rearrange it. The fairy knight exposition in the next chapter easily should've been saved for a sit down in her office in the next book, but now I know. It doesn't help that I'm just not as into long talks about powers and junk. I struggled writing the earlier part in the volume where they were talking about the sword, too. Just less interested in doing big adventure stuff right now, I guess.

I cannot ever let a volume get this out of control again. I wish I was able to just get a different cover art and change vol 6 to be only 1-19, but money is shit right now and one of my dogs might need a tooth pulled which sounds expensive. Lot of reasons to be stressed,

Sorry that I'm venting but I really need to lol

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Chapter 23 - Three’s a Crowd

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...!!"

Coye wasn't out for very long. The impact was only enough to put him out of commission for around five minutes, and his body was already done processing the tiny drop of Shayla's mana he'd absorbed by the time he snapped out of it. Upon awakening, he prostrated himself on the bed before Dorothy- his head lowered, his shame even lower.

Dorothy was too distracted to know where to begin. Her eyes darted between him and Shayla but kept returning to Shayla first and foremost. Every time she tried to look solely at Coye, her attention snapped straight back to the little woman who jumped out of the pages of one of her bestiaries.

She'd seen countless illustrations of fairies before, both in her books and on RealMonster cards, but two-dimensional images just didn't do the real thing any shred of justice. The pixie was more radiant than any drawing- her sharp facial features and curvy body put even the most beautiful of human women to shame. Dorothy was taken with her, but who could blame the poor woman?

Dorothy expected all sorts of crazy things to happen during her nighttime visit with Coye, but meeting a pixie wasn't one of them. It was a dream come true. A member of the dreadfully elusive fae, right there in Coye's unassuming cabin!

Still, Dorothy couldn't endlessly gawk at Shayla even if she wanted to. Coye was miserable and apologetic, and comforting him came first. Wrestling her eyes away from the fairy, Dorothy addressed him directly.

"It's okay, Coye... it's not your fault you acted like that. Shayla explained a few things while you were unconscious, and I, ah... I believe I have a decent enough understanding of the situation. You wanted something to help with your anxiety, and that was the cause of your behavior a moment ago, isn't that right?"

"Yeah, but..." Coye gulped, unable to meet Dorothy's gaze without feeling his shame increase even further. "I knew it might fuck me up like that, and I still asked for it..."

"Well, I'm just as guilty for giving in to your dumb ass, too..." Shayla sighed and ran a hand through her hair, floating closer to him and tapping his forehead with her fist out of frustration. "I wasn't going to let anything bad happen, for the record. If the pan didn't knock him out, I would've tried something else! Just goes to show what I get for giving you the benefit of the doubt, baby."

"Shayla..." Coye grumbled out of embarrassment but couldn't summon any words that mattered.

"Please, don't be like this. Either of you. Coye, you weren't in a healthy state of mind when you asked Shayla for help, and Shayla, you were desperate to help Coye. No one here is at fault." Dorothy lied. She still believed it was her fault for causing all this, but drowning herself in self-pity wouldn't get anybody anywhere.

"It's easy for you to say that, but I can't just feel better after what I did to you..." Coye burned bright red, and so did Dorothy.

"About that..." Dorothy looked off to the side and started playing with her hair. "While it's probably best that Shayla stopped things from escalating, I, um... I need to point out that I wasn't exactly struggling..."

"Um..." Coye thought back to what he remembered. His recollection of their kiss was vivid, if slightly jumbled, but he knew for a fact that Dorothy tried kissing him back. Or tried to, anyway. "Are you sure that makes it okay?"

"I don't know how else to say it. Being pinned down like that wasn't the worst thing in the world..." Despite her shame, Dorothy forced herself to look toward Coye and give him a gentle smile. A smile which he soon returned.

"Unbelievable..." Shayla shook her head, amazed at how lucky he was to get away with this. "Whatever... at least you're doing better now, right?"

"Yeah, it's weird..." Coye sat up, scratching the back of his head. "Even though your mana already wore off, I feel... really, really different. Like something snapped into place, and suddenly everything makes sense."

"Great. That doesn't sound ominous, not at all, nope... on that note, I think that's your cue to run before he gets all grapey without the 'g' again..." Shayla crossed her arms and gave Dorothy a sassy warning, only for Coye to make a pouty face and Dorothy to giggle. "What? What's so funny?"

"Nothing, I just... think that the two of you are quite a pair, that's all. Are things always like this between you?"

"Most of the time, yeah..." Coye admitted.

"It is what it is. Now, what do you mean everything makes sense suddenly, huh? That sounds like the precursor to more egotistical rambling." Hands on her hips, Shayla narrowed her eyes and leaned in.

"I don't know. Maybe it's because there's still a trace of your mana left in me, but... thinking about the whole death thing doesn't really scare me. Even when I try picturing it, I don't feel afraid."

"What do you feel instead?" Dorothy asked.

"Determination..." Coye blushed, knowing how bad that sounded after all the crazy shit he'd said. "I know, I know. I was totally out of it when I said the things I did, but for as crazy as it all might've sounded, I still stand by every word of it."

"What about the part where you said you wanted to live forever and fill the realms with an endless supply of your immortal offspring, huh? Do you still stand by that part?" Shayla teased, making Dorothy uncomfortable and unable to look anywhere else but the floor.

"Don't make me answer that..."

"Afraid you already did, baby. Word of warning, Dorothy, he's got a huge impregnation fetish. No idea what's up with that, but he goes wild as soon as it's brought up. Thinking it might have something to do with the fact that he didn't have a mom growing up, and so now his subconscious is just doing fucking wonders on the poor kid. Your guess is as good as mine, though."

"Shayla, could you not say crap like that in front of-" Coye tried defending himself, but Dorothy raised her hands to defuse the tension.

"Don't worry, I'm, um... I'm not judging or anything, Coye! I think it's healthy that you know what you're into, but... ah... how do I say this...?" Her calmness rapidly deteriorated the longer she thought about the topic at hand. Her blush deepened, and she sweated harder as her body gave way to trembling. "I just think it's far too soon for anything like that!"

His shame getting the best of him, Coye raised his voice. "We're getting off-topic! I was trying to say that when I think about death now, I feel conviction instead of fear."

"R-Right..." Dorothy nodded vacantly. Encouraging his new development was dangerous as the things he wanted to accomplish weren't likely to happen. Still, she couldn't stop thinking about how convincing he sounded...

The middle road it was, then.

"Well, I think it's okay- for now, anyway. Clinging to that hope is alright while you continue to sort things out. Shayla?"

"Yeah, I suppose..." Shayla slumped over and flew to the windowsill, where she sat and sighed. "We'll figure it out as we go along, and I'll have your back no matter what happens, baby. Same as always."

"Thank you. Both of you." Whatever could be set of his character, Coye still had a smile that could melt the hearts of any woman into that sort of thing. Two such women were in the room at that moment, and both were deeply affected by the sight.

With Coye's troubles squared away, though, it wasn't long until Dorothy's attention was absorbed back to Shayla.

Shayla could sense the excitement permeating the girl's body, and it felt as if Dorothy would burst if she didn't get some answers. "You're good, big guy. I think we have more important things to talk about. Dorothy, if you have any questions, go right ahead and get 'em out of your system..."

"I don't know where I would even start..." Dorothy sighed dreamily. "I suppose I should say everything makes so much more sense now... the sudden shift in personality you've gone through, the lock you put on your door... there was no magic mushroom, was there? I thought at first you might've been referring to ataraxi erocilis, but no, you're addicted to pixie dust. Heavily addicted. Does that sound about right?"

As Coye expected, Dorothy had figured the whole thing out. He supposed that's what you get with such a knowledgeable Guild Mistress. "Yeah, sorry for lying to you. No mushrooms. I'm just a drug addict..."

"Well... we all have our vices, ahaha..." Her eyes briefly darted to the table where her pile of RealMonster cards rested.

"Again, most of this is my fault. He only lied because of me. Most of the time, I'm hiding up inside his hat because the idea of being seen by humans freaks me the fuck out."

"Oh, that's completely understandable," Dorothy lit up with sympathy and nodded to Shayla. "I can only imagine how rough it must be for you to live outside your natural environment."

"Nah, the woods aren't much better, either..."

"Well, your fears are justified all the same. Cransmere has a very poor relationship with the fairies of the Gnarled Woods. Most of them are pixies such as yourself, and, ah... how exactly do I say this..."

"Pixies are assholes?" Shayla offered.

"Hm. Yes. I suppose that's one way to put it..." Dorothy nodded. "While I've never been present from one of Cransmere's infamous Midsummers, I've read plenty of records to better prepare for whenever it next occurs. I can't blindly say I wholeheartedly believe that the pixies are innocent- not if half the things I read about them are true- but at the same time... the village's response is often barbaric and inhumane..."

"It's not pretty, sure..." Shayla shrugged. "But now you know why there's all this secrecy, lying, and hat-hiding."

"I think I'm starting to get the picture here," Dorothy turned to Coye. "Now... as for how all this relates to us...?"

"Well, you know about my condition. On top of getting magical fairy powers bit by bit, my sex drive will only get crazier and more out of control, or so I'm told..."

"Hold on a moment... that appointment you had with Eschal-"

"Yup," Coye nodded.

"So he knows?" Dorothy tilted her head and looked at Shayla.

"There's like... an absolutely zero percent chance he doesn't, but he's been polite enough to phrase things in a way that makes him sound ignorant of me?" Shayla shrugged. "Long story short, the good Doc said our lucky lad here will need as many hands on deck as possible- and my hands, I mean pussy. Out of all the lucky ladies in town, you're obviously the one he wants in his growing collection the most."

"...Ah," Dorothy merely bobbed her head and bit down on her lip, face burning away from the sudden inferno of embarrassment.

Pulling at his hair, Coye asked, "Did you seriously have to phrase it like that...?"

"Hey, if you want to take a swing at it, be my guest! She's right there, baby. Go on, mister poet. Astonish the girl with your romantic turn of phrase and razor-sharp wit."

Rather than falling to her teasing, Coye rose to the challenge and looked straight at Dorothy, who was amused by their bickering. The words came out of him without any hesitation. "Dorothy, I want to be with you romantically, but there are ongoing issues with my whole entanglement with Shayla. Issues that won't ever clear up. Things were a bit murkier a couple of weeks ago, but I have rules in place to stop me from acting too reckless and impulsive, thanks to everyone's help."

"Everyone? So Byng and Suzette both know about Shayla as well?"

"Yeah. They helped hammer out how things are gonna work from now on. The biggest thing is that I can't just randomly chase girls without Shayla's permission- she has to fully approve of them. Then, we have to introduce her..."

"Which is where we're at right now," Shayla helpfully clarified. "Kind of a weird and bumpy road to get here, but hey, you're not gonna be forgetting tonight anytime soon, are you?"

"Definitely not..." Dorothy managed a giggle. Then, her thoughts turned hopeful. "Shayla? Might I, ah... be so bold as to assume that because we're having this conversation, it means you believe I can be trusted with your secret...?"

"Well, duh?" Shayla made a funny face and tilted her head like she couldn't believe it even had to be clarified.

"Sorry if that was obvious. I'm overly excited at the moment about having your trust..." The smile on her face grew more expansive, her voice sounding far off and distant.

"Well," the pixie made a show of folding her arms and looking down on the Guild Mistress. "Good. You should. It's a privilege to have my approval, I'll have you know! I don't dish it out to just anyone, so... don't disappoint me."

Coye smiled. He knew that Shayla was full of hot air and that she was only acting uppity because she was nervous about this whole situation, but Dorothy took it at face value, which was somehow even cuter.

"I would never dream of it!" Dorothy made a resolute face and balled her fists. "Not a single word about your existence will leave my lips- mark my words. Your secret is safe with me."

"Counting on it," Shayla managed a grin, easing up just enough for Dorothy to notice a difference.

While Coye was glad to see all that transpired, he was ready to finally get his answer. He took center stage, addressing Dorothy directly with as much casual conviction as he could muster. "So... now that you know the truth about Shayla and me, can I get a definitive yes or no on the whole 'going out with me' thing? I know I made things pretty weird and then came out swinging with 'I have a secret third girlfriend who needs to approve of you before we date', but-"

Dorothy took both his hands and held them tight. "Putting a pin in all the strangeness, my answer hasn't changed. Becoming your girlfriend was already more than I could've asked for, and that was before you started dangling this adorable, amusing, and downright fascinating little pixie in front of my nose. Talk about a cherry on top, ahaha..."

"Hey-" Shayla was on the verge of protesting but realized that doing so would ruin their big moment. Averting that seemed well worth the hit to her pride, so she held back.

It was good that she did because Coye couldn't.

Two years of love and longing had paid off in spades. Not only did Dorothy notice him the way he always yearned her to, she fully reciprocated all his feelings for her and then some. Suzette was right all along. Dorothy was willing to love him despite his flaws, and, if Shayla could be considered a flaw, because of them.

Coye dived in, hugging Dorothy so hard she nearly broke. The air flew out of her lungs thanks to the sudden pressure, but that was fine by her. She couldn't restrain her joy, and little tears threatened to break from her eyes at any moment. Returning the gesture, Dorothy wrapped her arms around him, hugging the boy as tightly as her strength allowed.

"I'm going to make you so happy, Dorothy..."

"You already have..."

"Even happier."

"I, ah, really don't see how that'd be possible, but... far be it from me to tell you not to try..."

"Seriously. You just tell me what kind of weird monster trophy I can bring home for you, and I'll get it. No questions asked."

Dorothy giggled through her escaping tears. "I keep telling you you don't need to butter me up, Coye..."

"I don't care. Now that I don't have to hold back anymore, I won't be. Your office'll be filled with monster parts, trading cards, and whatever else makes you happy. Eventually, I'll make it so packed you can't fit anything else. I mean, things'll just keep piling up since we're going to live forev-"

"Foul!" Shayla whistled, diving off her seat on the windowsill to prevent his latest tangent. "I tried holding my tongue to let you guys have your moment, but that's enough out of you!" The little pixie tugged on Coye's ear hard enough to sting, pulling him away from his hug with Dorothy.

"Ow, fuck-" Coye swatted her away harmlessly on instinct, then rubbed his ear. "What was that for?"

"You have to keep yourself grounded, baby. Don't cling onto the immortality crap anymore than you have to."

"A moment," Dorothy raised her hand to Shayla, capturing their attention. "I wouldn't mind a little clarification before we dropped it. Coye, I want to hear you say it outright. How serious are you about wanting what you say you do?"

Coye clammed up nice and tight. He wasn't so far gone that he'd didn't know it was stupid, that it was just another form of denial, but that same pair of pesky words from before kept cropping up in his mind... so what?

"Dead serious. You can believe what you want, but I don't care how it sounds. I'm not ashamed of it. From now on, my goal is to secure immortality for everyone I care about." Though he announced his intentions in a soft voice, Coye left absolutely no room for doubt. The determination shined through, as did that same unexplainable charisma that took root in the girl's hearts, swaying them into believing there was a real chance of Coye making good on his word.

Both of them took a moment to process his declaration. Dorothy merely nodded while Shayla shook her head and came at him with the follow-up question of the century.

"So... what? All you want out of life is to live forever, have tons of sex, and make babies until the end of time?"

"Yes?" Coye blinked and cocked his head like a puppy who didn't understand. "I mean, I'll do other things probably, but still."

"Gods. That's the single most selfish, hedonistic, degenerate bullshit I've ever heard since..." Shayla paused, then rubbed her chin. "Since the last time you told me what your new goal in life was, I guess. Huh."

Thinking back to Coye's previous declaration, the night he and Byng first became entwined, he'd told her he wanted to chase new experiences and find out what he was missing. In actuality, that was just charitably-worded code for, 'I want to sleep with more girls'. What Coye wanted now was essentially a logical extension of his last transformation, only taken into its furthest and most implausible extreme. Coye had also become so shameless since then that he didn't even bother trying to make it sound like anything less than it really was.

"Nevermind. I guess that checks out." Defeated by Coye's simplemindedness and sheer stupidity, Shayla conceded.

"Um, if I may...?" Dorothy gave an anxious smile. "I think it's okay to lean into it as long as you keep a level head and don't treat it as some mythic quest of yours that trumps everything else in life. Just take it casually, alright? Look into little things here and there to see if anything comes of it, but don't obsess."

Coye nodded at Dorothy's advice. "Yeah, I was planning on it. I only got riled up because of Shayla's mana- doubt I'll get as manic again without it."

"Does all this junk about living forever really not worry you, by the by? You're taking this weirdly well." Shayla turned to Dorothy and crossed her arms. "Just making sure you know you signed up for."

"Ah... honestly? It's not as if I'm averse to the idea of what Coye proposes... unrealistic as it may be, I'm not particularly foaming at the mouth to retain my mortality and lose my- er- my good looks..." Dorothy forced herself to omit the word 'relative' so Coye wouldn't be upset with her, then continued, "Besides. Is it so bad that I find Coye's ambition to be, um... attractive in a sense?"

"I mean, if you're attracted to delusional-"

"It's not delusional. It's grandiose!" Dorothy clasped her hands together, her face taking on a far-off and dreamy expression. "Like something out of an old tale from the era of myths and legends... a brave knight questing to preserve the life he loves with the women he loves? It's so romantic, in both the classical sense of the word and otherwise, ahaha..."

While Shayla had trouble believing Dorothy was this innocent and naive, she decided to cut her some slack. If anything, she was happy that things looked like they would work out between them.

Coye naturally perked up after having heard Dorothy's support. He smiled and maneuvered behind Dorothy, wrapping his arms around her and surprising her with a new hug. "I'm better than all that. I'm real."

"Yes, you certainly are..." Dorothy closed her eyes, becoming in tune with the feeling of Coye's heart beating against her back. She placed her hands over his and let herself melt into their embrace. Now more than ever, reality hit Dorothy.

It really happened- she and Coye were together. Dorothy was no longer single for the first time in her twenty-six years, and her boyfriend was hugging her. Given all her heart had been through lately, she wondered if she could take such happiness.

Shayla was fluttering nearby, watching this transpire a satisfied yet subtle smirk. Dorothy didn't want to pry too hard, which was a little rich, considering how Shayla was apparently present during most of her interactions with Coye in the last month, but he was interested in his companion. For as close as she wanted to be with Coye, Dorothy wanted to get to know his inseparably linked partner.

"Shayla?"

"Um, yeah? What's up? If you want some privacy or something, Coye can run and drop me off at-"

"Oh, no. I-I wasn't about to ask anything of the sort, no..." Dorothy blushed and shook her head dismissively at the implications. "There's just something I wanted to ask you. A personal request, if you will?" As she talked, Coye gave her some space and loosened their hug. He wanted Dorothy to get to know Shayla and wouldn't stand in the way of any potential bonding between them.

Raising her eyebrow, Shayla gestured with her hand for Dorothy to continue. "Shoot."

"Well, I take it you probably know a lot about me by now...?"

"You could say I picked up a thing or two," Shayla undersold it. "Oh. That reminds me. I wasn't there the other day when Coye talked to you outside your door, by the way. Kind of felt you should know it was just the two of you at that moment."

Dorothy hadn't even thought to ask about that, but since Shayla revealed that she'd been sitting in his hat, she'd wondered. "I appreciate you letting me know that, ahaha... thank you. Now. What I was trying to say was that you're surely familiar with my interest in monsters-"

"Interest is a pretty mild word, but go on,"

"Ahaha... yes, well... ah, you've probably already guessed my interest extends to, um... oh, goodness. It's not shamefully offensive to refer to you as a 'monster', is it? It really is a dreadfully wide catch-all for those of us in the business..."

"I mean, kind of? But I'm also a gigantic bitch sometimes, so I won't hold the word against you whenever it's not inaccurate." Shayla smirked, purposely dragging herself down. She wanted to make Dorothy more comfortable and show she wasn't unreasonable.

"Dorothy laughed a little in relief. "Good to know. I was trying to say that I'm quite interested in fairies, and while I understand you're not comfortable with the idea at the moment, do you think it would eventually be possible to let me, um, hold you in my palm for a moment... maybe...?" She struggled to ask. It was such an exciting prospect that Dorothy could hardly even express it, but she instantly became downtrodden after noticing Shayla's expression turn grim.

Just as Shayla always stood up for him, Coye did the same. "Maybe don't push her on that, Dorothy. She's had bad experiences."

"Oh, dear. I didn't know that was the case... I'm sorry, I-"

The grim expression didn't last very long. Shayla was expecting the monster fanatic to ask such a question. It only caught her by surprise because of how fast it came. All the same, Shayla started spinning thoughts around in her head until an idea to make the most of it came to her.

"Nah, don't stress it. I'll do you one better- I'll let you hold me right here and now if you do me a favor, Dorothy."

Shocked, Dorothy looked at Coye, who didn't know what to think. "Shayla, are you serious? Where'd this come from?"

"Did you forget I had to sit on top of Byng's head the other day for a few hours after your fight?"

"No, but..."

"Byng was super chill about the whole thing, and this wouldn't be that different. As long as you respect my boundaries and don't go poking and prodding where you shouldn't, I'm cool with letting you hold me for a few."

"Of course I would act respectful! Nothing less!" Dorothy blushed at the implication, inadvertently looking at the pixie through a sexual lens. While Dorothy had no plans to poke and prod, Shayla was truly beautiful. Fairies were renowned for their attractiveness, after all.

"Really. I, um... I promise I have nothing but the purest intentions. I'll do whatever you wish in exchange, so..."

Seeing how flustered Dorothy got after a bit of teasing proved promising to Shayla. She was interested in taking it further but wanted to avoid giving the Guild Mistress mixed signals. There'd be time for that after she was more adjusted to being handled by others beyond Coye.

For now, simply establishing first contact would suffice.

"Alright, I trust you. Don't make me regret that."

"And you're absolutely sure about this?" Coye asked one more time, just to be on the safe side.

"As I'll ever be. Open up, Dorothy. I'll tell you what I want after we're done."

As instructed, Dorothy extended her palms. The nervousness she felt was immense. Making a good impression on Shayla was important to Dorothy, and the fact that she trusted her with this responsibility meant a lot. She waited with her hands outstretched, giving Shayla as long as she needed to feel comfortable before landing.

As Shayla floated closer, she looked down at the hands of this relative stranger. For as calm as she appeared, Shayla was still filled with a hint of anxiety. Her breathing was unsteady, but she was doing her best to not make things harder on herself. She'd pushed all the negative thoughts from her head, focusing on the positives. Dorothy was a good girl. She wouldn't do anything to harm Shayla, and Coye was right there if something happened.

Still, it wasn't easy to overcome trauma through sheer belief alone.

It took a little thinking on Shayla's part to really get through to herself. She forced herself to remember that she wasn't the only one here with trauma. Coye used to be afraid of being the center of attention, which wasn't dissimilar from her hang-ups. Despite all that, he took a step forward, stood up for Dorothy, and even starred in a massive public gladiatorial match for her honor, of all things.

The last thing Shayla wanted was to fall behind. If Coye could bring himself to do all that and make such enormous strides with the things that held him back, so could she.

Shayla landed on Dorothy's palms.

Dorothy's skin felt soft on Shayla's bare feet, and she gasped as the tingling sensation swirled around where they made contact. It didn't surprise her. Most fairies had some sort of an aura about them that made touching them feel strange but lovely. For pixies, that meant a warm, tingly sensation comparable to static electricity. Dorothy learned firsthand that text descriptions didn't do the feeling justice, and you had to experience yourself to truly understand.

It was a shame most people would never get the chance.

"So?" Shayla asked, breaking the ongoing silence. "Is it everything you thought it would be, or what?"

"Even better," Dorothy marveled with gratitude. "To think that I'm actually holding a real pixie! My mind is practically bursting with questions. I'd love to ask you about yourself and what it's like to be a fairy, but... goodness, I'm trying so hard to contain myself..."

Sensing her overwhelming passion made it hard for Shayla not to feel flattered, and she supposed having someone around who worshiped her for being who she was might be good for her ego in the long run.

"There's no rush. I'll answer everything you want- eventually. Remember, you're his girlfriend now-" Shayla pointed over at Coye, who watched the palm-holding with due diligence to ensure nothing went wrong. "And I'm part of that package. Sound good?"

"Yes," Dorothy smiled. "I'm looking forward to getting to know you, Shayla... thank you for this opportunity. Really."

As the faintest beginnings of a bond blossomed between his lovers, Coye's joy was palpable.

"Hope you know I'm super proud of you for pulling this off," he remarked, referring to her openness to being held and how genuine Shayla was in her interactions with Dorothy. "Guess I had nothing to worry about."

"I said it'd be no big deal, didn't I? Watch-" Shayla shifted her weight on Dorothy's palms, then walked around in a demonstrative circle to prove her capability. "It's just another hand, I guess. Maybe a little sweatier and not as soft as yours, but still."

Suddenly self-conscious, Dorothy lowered her similarly sweaty head in shame. "Oh. Um. I... I'm so sorry, I-"

"You're good, Dorothy. You're not any sweatier than he is, most of the time. I'm just messing with you."

"I'd recommend getting used to that as quick as possible," Coye offered. "It's going to happen a lot."

"Ah... ahaha..."

"Anyway, are you about ready to pay up?" Shayla looked up into Dorothy's eyes expectantly, smiling with eager anticipation. "You can hold me for a little longer, but I want to get a move on and talk about more important things."

In her excitement, Dorothy almost forgot she'd agreed to do something for Shayla in exchange for getting to hold her. After the fact, a bit of apprehension stung her, recalling how mischievous and playful pixies tended to be. Hopefully, it wouldn't be that bad. Shayla seemed rough but in a loving way, and Dorothy wasn't so ignorant enough to believe in the worst of a species she'd only just met.

"Y-Yes, certainly. I said I would do anything, so-"

"You're not gonna make Dorothy do anything weird, are you...?" Coye narrowed his eyes with suspicion as he regarded his pixie.

"Not this time, but I'm sure we'll get there," Shayla shrugged. "Did you really forget what we were gonna ask her, baby?"

Coye did, but that was only to be expected. A lot had happened that night. It came to him as soon as she brought it up, though. "Shit, yeah... that's right. We have a question for you, Dorothy. It's work-related."

"Oh," Dorothy blinked. "Well, ah... go right ahead, then. I'll answer you to the best of my abilities!"

"Take it away, big guy. It's time we get some answers."