Coye 6.9

Chapter 9 - Better House Guests

After Auguris demonstrated to Coco that he meant no harm, the protective pup allowed him to take his leave. Replacing him as Coye's guests were half of the Baddest Bitches. Coco wasted no time taking her first step inside Coye's home, barreling forward. Today Coco was wearing shorts and a cheap, oversized shirt with an illustration of a bone. While simple, Coye thought it suited her and was reasonably cute. It was much better than what she wore the last time she visited, at least.

She saw him and Byng over at the bed, which upset her slightly, even if she didn't understand why. Wanting to take her mind off it, Coco narrowed her eyes and started going around the room, sniffing objects randomly. The smell of sexual activity was present, but Coco didn't mind as much as usual. It helped that there were all sorts of new sights and sounds for her to focus on. Funnily enough, she didn't even greet him and just went straight to it.

In contrast, Marlie came in, scanned the room, and leaned against the nearest wall, shutting the door with her spade-tipped tail. It was as Coye suspected by the sound of her voice. Marlie was looking downright haggard today. Frail, even. Most of her cracks were covered by her leather jacket and tights, but the ones visible above her mask weren't burning as brightly as they usually did.

"Hey," Coye greeted them both. "Thanks for stopping by."

"It's no big deal. We were just running some errands, and it's not like your house is that much out of the way or anything..." Marlie joked.

"What? Weren't on errands... and house is far away from- oh!" Coco stopped her train of thought as she lit up at her cleverness. "Marlie was using sarcasm!"

"Dang. You got me." Marlie shrugged before turning her gaze back to Coye on the bed. "I'd ask how you're feeling, but you're not looking so hot today."

'Like she's one to talk,' Shayla scoffed. 'She looks like she drank something out of Tiph's purse that she shouldn't have.'

Taking her comment and running with it, Coye pointed out, "I could say the same about you. You feeling alright?"

"Couldn't sleep," she brushed his concern off and then looked straight at Byng. "Hope we aren't interrupting anything, by the way."

Feeling playful, Byng only smirked as she said, "Actually, you are. Coye's naked under the blanket, and I was just sucking his dick."

"Lewd!" Coco barked from her current position inside Coye's pantry, rifling through the food without permission and helping herself to some treats.

"Byng! Don't say things like-" Coye blushed as the blanket fell from his torso, revealing his bare chest.

Marlie raised an eyebrow at his girlish figure but soon looked at the door and then back and Byng. "And what, was Auguris watching?"

"Ew- no! He interrupted us first if you want to be a smartass about it... and now here you bitches are, just in time to cock-block me and keep short-stuff from the next vital stage in his recovery!"

"And what stage would that be?" Marlie mused.

Byng explained, "A therapeutic visit to pound town."

"Don't think mating will help make Coye feel better!" Coco interrupted her rifling to tell Byng off before thinking more about her words and correcting herself. "Um, not in that way, I mean!"

Coye gave up and fell backward against his bed, sighing as Shayla laughed at him and his embarrassment.

"What's wrong, not happy to see us?" Marlie asked.

"It's not that," he said, shaking his head. "I just wouldn't have expected either of you to visit. We aren't that close, so... it is a little weird for you to barge into my house and go through my food-"

"Wasn't me!" Coco insisted, her face and shirt covered in almond crumbs sourced from a bag still clutched in her paw.

"But that doesn't mean I'm unhappy to see you both." Coye laughed.

Shayla had her eyes trained on Coco, full of caution. 'Company is nice and all, but make sure she doesn't go around sniffing your hat...'

Byng didn't think there was any chance of that. Coco seemed pretty distracted by Coye's pantry and didn't look interested in anything else. She'd moved on from almonds to consuming an entire loaf of bread in only a few bites. "Geez. Did Britni forget to feed her or something?"

At the mention of Britni, Coco stopped her ravenous consumption and looked over her shoulder. "Went to bed early last night, and then bad mood this morning. Eat lots now to make up for it!"

Coye felt sorry that Coco was in a bad mood, so he gave her a smile and said, "You can eat as much as you want. Help yourself."

Coco looked at him straight on, the tip of her tail wiggled lightly, and she jumped onto his counter to start scavenging his cupboards with a sudden smile. "Will!"

"How about you come over here instead of stuffing your face and visit him like you wanted?" Marlie suggested, making Coco's tail droop in the process.

She wrestled with the thought momentarily before forcing herself to jump down from the counter and walk towards Coye's bed. Coye expected she might've gotten mad at him because he was shirtless or because she could smell sex in the air, but Coco kept her composure for the most part.

Coye gave her plenty of time to collect herself and speak, and after a while, she managed to look him in the face with a grumpy expression that was slightly less so than he was used to. "Yesterday, Coye was... um... really cool. Wanted to come and tell you that. Even though Coye was weird about Coco's... my tail, I'll forgive you!" The tail in question was wagging fiercely by the end of her declaration.

"Oh. Um, thanks, Coco..." Coye was over the moon at Coco's praise. He couldn't help it with his little crush on her- he was blushing even redder than she was. Byng found this very amusing, and if he only looked to his side, he'd notice she was giving him a shit-eating grin. "Was that all?"

"Yes! That's all!" She claimed, but as she awkwardly stood before his bed, Coco was overcome by a creeping sense of embarrassment. Her thoughts started trailing back to the day before, past the memories of discontent and disappointment, to the last time she was at Coye's bedside.

Coco remembered how it felt to have his face nuzzled up to her tail... the sensation of his breathing on her fur... the closeness between them, and how much she enjoyed it. As this awkward lingering dragged on, Coco felt out of place and believed she needed to justify her presence.

"Also, um... I just wanted to come and see Coye today..." Coco crossed her arms and looked anywhere but his face. "Coye said I can come here whenever I want, didn't you?"

Coye saw how hopeful Coco was for confirmation and wanted to comfort her. Thinking little about how forward it might've been, Coye reached his hand out and took hers. It was the first time he'd ever held a beastfolk's paw, and he was delighted to learn it was remarkably soft. He squeezed it with his failing strength, smiling warmly the entire time.

"I did, and I meant it. You can stay as long as you want, whenever you want."

"Really? Coye means that?" Coco's ears perked up, her blush increasing at his touch. His hand was soft and gentle but much more reassuring than Britni's.

"Sure he does," Byng clutched onto Coye's arm, squeezing it between her small breasts and causing him minor pain. "But don't expect me to hold back just because we've got visitors, gahaha! Wait'll you get a load of what I'm about to do to him..."

"Bad! Bad sex goblin! Stop hurting Coye!" Coco showed her fangs as her fur bristled and stood on end, evidently forgetting the time Byng explained she wasn't a goblin.

"Again with this shit? I didn't even throw a knife at anyone this time!"

"Will stop threatening sex goblin when sex goblin behaves!"

Coco's claws looked mighty sharp, causing Marlie to see the need for intervention. She left the wall she leaned on to come up behind Coco and place her hands on the more petite girl's shoulder, turning her around and patting her on the back. "Why don't you go sniff out the rest of this place, Coco? Look for rats or something."

Delighted at the idea of chomping down on big, juicy rodents, Coco couldn't hide her interest. "Might be good idea," she licked her lips. "Will check rat situation out and report back."

'Please don't tell me she actually fucking eats rats...?' Shayla shivered. If Coco eventually ended up part of the fold, they'd really need to train that behavior out of her.

Now that she was closer, Marlie took a chair from the table and sat a foot away from Coye's bed. "Sorry about her. Rough night. Try not to take it personally."

"It's cool," Byng shrugged. "I usually have it coming."

Coye frowned, looking over at Coco as she sniffed the edges of his cabin. "Any idea what happened?"

Marlie kept her tired voice down, hoping her powerful ears couldn't pick up what she was about to say. "Relationship problems, if I had to guess. She and Britni stayed out last night, but Coco returned alone. No idea what goes on when it's just the two of them, but I know Britni almost better than I know myself. I worry about the shit she puts in that girl's head."

"Hold up," Byng covered her mouth in mock surprise. "Are you implying that Britni is anything but the epitome of a loving, caring partner?"

"I would never," Marlie gave a dry laugh.

'The more we learn, the worse I'm starting to feel that this whole thing...' Shayla looked to Coco. Her emotions were so easy to read that she didn't need to rely on her empathetic abilities. Like most beastfolk, Coco's body was honest to a fault. If her tail and ears weren't giving her thoughts away, the sad, puppy dog look in her eyes did it just as well.

Shayla couldn't help noticing all of these tells seemed to vanish whenever Coye was giving her attention, which was as heartwarming as it was unsettling.

"How bad do you think it is between them?" Coye inquired.

"Are you asking if I think they're gonna last?" Marlie asked. "Don't tell me you're waiting for a chance to swoop in and adopt a stray."

Coye didn't appreciate the accusations that were being thrown against him. "Can I not just be worried about Coco as a friend?"

"I didn't know you had female friends you aren't trying to fuck." Marlie noted.

"T-That's... I'm not trying to..." Coye blushed, and a slight trickle of sweat dripped down his brow. "Just because I think she's cute doesn't mean-"

"I know, I know," Marlie sighed. "I suppose it's not fair of me to automatically jump to that conclusion. I'm sorry."

"Don't be too sorry. I'm not huge on animals, but I can't deny a dog might live in this place up a little, y'know?" Byng nudged Coye's elbow. "Am I right, or am I right, short-stuff?"

"I refuse to answer that," Coye grumbled, fighting against his innocent imagination as it tried showing him visions of what it might be like to have Coco around more permanently. To distract himself, he looked to Marlie and asked, "So, are you just here as a chaperone, or did you come to give me back my sword?"

Marlie was amused he'd figured her out so quickly. She extended her hand, fire and smoke erupting as she summoned the sword from her armory. "What, this old thing?"

"No wonder I couldn't find it..." Byng clicked her tongue.

'I had a feeling after Britni dropped those hints,' Shayla thought to herself.

"I told you what would happen if you mistreated it," Marlie clicked her tongue and began admiring the blade's edge, running her claw down the length. "It's not my fault you threw it away."

"I was barely conscious," Coye defended himself. "All I can remember is how I needed to punch Auguris in the face really, really bad! I might've tossed the sword away for a second, but it was only so I could-"

"That second was all it took. It's mine now." Her typically bright purple eyes continued scanning her prize, but her glow was dulled compared to the way she usually looked at weapons she fancied. Marlie failed to hold back a yawn in her tiredness that sent a puff of black smog billowing out of the holes in her mask.

"Something tells me you aren't gonna put up much of a fight if I come over there and take it back," Byng cracked her knuckles jokingly. "Short-stuff might not be able to get out of bed right now, but I'm sure he doesn't mind a girl fighting his battles occasionally, yeah?"

"By all means," Coye smiled.

"Damn. If only I'd thought about your willingness to flip gender roles before coming here..." tired of continuing this farce, Marlie spun the sword around and pointed its hilt to Coye. "Take it, but don't come crying to me if things aren't how you remember."

Her comment stuck out to Coye as he took back his trusty weapon, but what really stuck out was the sword itself. "Did you do something to it?"

He might've been imagining things, but it almost looked like Marlie was pleased he noticed. "Aside from fixing the damage you gave the poor thing, I don't know what you're talking about."

Coye narrowed his eyes, turning the sword around and studying it. It weighed less. Not much, but enough that a skilled swordsman such as himself could pick up on it. The balance had improved, yet the blade felt denser somehow. He had half a mind to test the sword's edge on his finger, but intuition let him know that would be a bad idea. It was sharper than sharp, and he was astonished at whatever treatment Marlie put his sword through.

His inspection was cut short, interrupted by his other visitor. Coco finished her rat patrol activities and invited herself onto Coye's bed. She started pacing around on all fours at the foot of the bed near Coye's feet, then scratched at the blanket multiple times enough that she almost ripped it up with her claws. Coye thought it was awful brazen of her to just come on up here, but more so than that, it was adorable. The animal skeptic in the room was less than amused but still reasonably open to whatever was happening with Coco.

"Uh, hey there. Can we help you?" Byng asked.

"No? Already helping myself." Coco thought it was apparent, and she scratched at the bed until she made it suitably comfortable enough to lie down. After yawning cutely, that's precisely what she did.

"Don't forget he's naked under there," Marlie pointed out.

Coco looked briefly in Coye's direction, her cheeks filled with flush but her expression resolute. "So? Coye just mated. Won't pounce on me..." she'd started off confident, but by the end of her sentence, Coco wasn't convinced that assumption was correct. Whether or not she cared went unsaid.

'Poor little puppy doesn't know about your infinite recharge yet,' Shayla clicked her tongue. 'Oh well. Give it time.'

Coye definitely didn't mind if Coco wanted to sit there. It was much better than allowing her to continue tearing up his cabin, but all the joking around worried him, and he wanted to make sure this was all right. "Britni wouldn't mind if you were in my bed like this, would she?"

"Nope," Coco laughed dryly. "She wouldn't mind if Coco... if I was in Coye's bed at all. Doesn't matter, anyway. Don't need permission to do what I want. Britni doesn't own me. I own me."

That was a troubling statement for many reasons, so Coye looked to Marlie for an explanation. All he got was another shrug of the shoulders. He wanted to know more about whatever was happening but didn't want to prove Marlie right and start probing about Coco's relationship. Not while she might've been in a vulnerable state. Whatever happened between her and Britni was fresh. He figured she needed time to process it, but Coye was all for it if she wanted to lay on his bed in the meantime.

He tried casually turning the conversation back toward the sword, asking Marlie, "So what exactly did you do to it? I can already tell it's stronger, but I'm curious how you pulled that off."

"Sorry. That's a secret I'm keeping close to my heart." Marlie looked away, seeming almost amused. Her tail was nowhere near as expressive as Coco's, but Coye witnessed the tip of it slithering like a snake behind the chair she was seated at.

'It's sounding more and more like she used some kind of evil demon magic, baby. That kind of thing isn't my area of expertise, but maybe take it to the church and get it blessed? I dunno. Hard to tell what this one has planned...' Shayla advised in her infinite cynicism.

He knew she was only looking out for him, but Coye couldn't imagine Marlie having bad intentions. What would be the point of fixing his sword and giving it back to him after powering it up when she could've just kept it for herself and pretended she never found it? Now that he'd gotten to know her somewhat better, he believed in Marlie and handed it back to her.

"Either way, thanks for, um... whatever it was you did. The sheath is in the wardrobe over there, I think. Would you mind-"

"Sure. Just don't say I haven't ever done anything for you." She teased and got the sword squared away.

"If it's anywhere near as strong as I think it is now, I'd say you've done a whole lot for me. I don't know how I'll be able to thank you, but-"

Before Marlie sat down, her tail suddenly shot out from behind her until its tip pointed at his face like a finger. It was close enough to the round, heart-shaped tip of a succubus tail that its proximity slightly freaked him out, but Coye could ignore it and keep his composure.

"You can thank me by taking better care of it. I'm not giving it back next time, and I mean it. That sword is something special, Coye." After it was clear she'd made her point, Marlie sat down again and looked pleased with herself.

'Shit, really?' Shayla recalled all the rude things she'd said about his sword the other day and how she'd advocated for replacing it altogether. 'I can't say I see it whatever it is that she sees in the damn thing, but now I'm starting to have second thoughts...'

A certain someone was unimpressed.

"You say that, but what does it actually mean?" Byng crossed her arms at Marlie and scoffed. "You're just giving short-stuff a bunch of cryptic bullshit. 'Your sword is something special,' blah, blah, blah!" she mocked. "So the fuck what? You can't take like ten steps in Karnalle without stabbing your elbow on some magic sword hiding in the bushes! Specifics, woman. If you're gonna insist on being cagey, you could at least try and tell him something halfway useful while you're at it!"

Marlie was unused to being called out in such a manner, and Byng's sassiness proved surprisingly effective against her taciturn nature. She turned away, hoping it would hide the smoke trailing from her cheek cracks. It did not.

"Fine," Marlie hissed under her breath. "You want something useful? Tell me, then. Do you even know your sword's name?"

"Its name?" Coye thought back to Marlie's ramblings during their hang-out session. She was being very obtuse back then, as well, but he explicitly remembered her going on about talking to weapons and mentioning how their names were a source of power or something like that.

It was embarrassing to admit, but he knew he had to be candid with her. "No, I, um... I didn't know it had one. Did you learn it when you talked to my sword?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Marlie instinctively acted aloof again, only to curse herself moments later.

"She's doing it again," Byng fake-whispered into Coye's ear. "More cryptic bullshit!"

"Does that a lot!" Coco added in. "Makes it hard for me to understand Marlie sometimes..."

"Ugh. Yes, I learned your sword's name," Marlie irritably tapped her slick, black leather boot on the floor. "Now, do you want to know it or not?"

"Obviously?" Coye tilted his head in a way that didn't help Marlie's annoyance.

'Try begging,' Shayla advised. 'Something tells me she's into that.'

"Um," Coye was briefly nervous about what he was about to do, but he pulled out one of his cutest pouty expressions and tried again. "Please? Not all of us are so lucky to talk to weapons like you, so... it'd be really nice if you told me whatever you found out..."

Even though he was laying it on pretty thick, Shayla was right. Marlie did like it when he begged. A little too much, in fact. If her heart was in better shape, it might've sped up at his pitiful display. Of course, she couldn't admit any of this. Marlie remained aloof and simply offered him one word as an answer.

"Gleamrender."

"Gleamrender?" Coye looked toward his wardrobe, thinking of his sword within. Something about the name felt right to him. He couldn't elaborate, as poor with words as he was, but it seemed to fit like hand and glove.

"Fancy," Byng whistled. "A little on the girly side of things, but hey, if that's not on point."

"Pretty name!" Coco barked, making sure her opinion was known. "Makes me think sparkle sword!"

Coye laughed at that, but Shayla had something to say on the matter. 'Sparkle sword would've been a better name than Gleamrender- seriously. Who the hell names a sword Gleamrender when you could've chosen, uh, I don't know... literally anything more threatening?'

He didn't pay her any mind and instead smiled wider. "Personally, I like it. Thanks, Marlie. Anything else you can tell me about it?"

"No," Marlie stood up and turned to the door. "I know someone here disagrees with me, but it really is better for you and your sword if you figure out the answers on your own. You'll grow stronger for it. I promise." As she walked away, she patted her thigh and signaled for Coco to follow.

"Going already? Don't want to!" Coco refused.

"You need to let him rest for now. Soon enough, you'll get restless. Then you'll be upset that he can't play with you. Better to leave now before you're a bother."

"Won't get restless! Will be good!"

"Hey, hey! If she wants to stay, that's cool with me." Byng draped her arm around Coye's midsection and teasingly ran her hand down his soft, silky chest. "Long as you don't mind what's about to happen as soon your Marlie leaves, y'know?"

Powerless to escape her, Coye whined as Byng's claw brushed against his nipple. "Byng, d-don't do that! Not in front of our guests!"

'You didn't seem to mind when Tammy was here the other day,' Shayla teased. 'You little exhibitionist.'

To that, all Coye could only bite his lower lip and feel ashamed.

This sudden sexual display had an effect on Coco. It made her more astutely aware of her lack of satisfaction, almost driving her mad. She stared at Coye like a hungry beast until she realized Marlie had a point. Staying here any longer than this was dangerous. Though she was rebelling against Britni, she wasn't ready to take things to the extent that might happen if she stuck around.

Her tail lowered and her ears drooping, Coco hopped off of the bed and started to follow after her friend. "Changed mind. Be back some other time!" Before leaving, she turned back to Byng and gave her a severe snarl. "And be careful during mating, damn it! Don't hurt Coye!"

"No promises, gahaha! Hasn't he told you? He's kinda into that sometimes!" Byng beamed as Coye blushed and wished he was somewhere else.

Coco looked somewhere between offended and deeply interested. Meanwhile, Marlie was mainly on the interested side of things but was content to leave Byng to her business. "Well, you both have fun with that. Hit me up if you figure out anything else with your sword. For now, I need to go and nap for a day or two..." with a yawn and a casual wave of her hand, Marlie left with Coco, and the two were on their way back to town.