Coye 5.18

Minor update, last time I said there was two chapters left. I split 18 into two chapters it turns out, so there’s one more to get through. Sorry for the lie but it's the same workload, nothing has changed beyond me splitting the material here so it flows better! This chapter is really long already and having the thing it leads into be its own chapter will be nicer.

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Chapter 18 - Making a Stand

Coye spent nearly his entire day leaning against Dorothy's door, talking and talking for hours on end. There was so much to tell her, so many things she'd missed out on. Aside from meeting Shayla, Coye shared nearly every detail of his recent journeys with his Guild Mistress. From his encounter with the pumpkin spirit to the owlbears and everything past that, Coye couldn't stop rambling.

Dorothy was engaged every step of the way, pausing to ask him for clarifications and details of the creatures he slayed, just as she always did. She was especially interested in hearing about the quests he undertook with Byng since Coye admitted those were what led up to his relationship with the huntress. Strangely enough, Dorothy asked more questions about the two of them than of the monsters they fought together.

Coye almost thought she seemed interested in the steamier details, but Dorothy never outright asked him anything of the sort. The Pixie-influenced part of his brain told him to tease her a little, but Coye's self-control won out, and he always kept things tasteful, even when Dorothy changed the subject from monsters entirely to ask how he and Suzette started dating.

Even though it was embarrassing to admit, Coye told Dorothy a version of the truth that was reasonably close to reality. He swapped Shayla out with a magic mushroom that increased his 'desires', then implied it kept getting worse until he had to find someone willing to help him with the issue. Dorothy got really quiet after that, leaving Coye to worry if he had shared too much.

Coye didn't know that she was struggling against a very awkward, intrusive thought- why hadn't he come to her for help?

Didn't Coye trust her, or... was she not attractive enough? Dorothy guessed it made sense he went to Suzette. That woman was so beautiful it looked like she stepped straight out from one of those classical nude paintings that noblemen hung all over their houses... then Dorothy snapped out of it, nearly dying of shame once she realized what she was thinking. At least Coye couldn't see her face, thank the gods.

Beyond her intrusive thoughts and all the uncomfortable feelings those brought to the surface, Dorothy felt tremendously happy for Coye. His last couple of weeks were full of one thing after another, and anyone could see he was much better off than before. Dorothy wondered if spending more time with Coye would lead to some of his good fortune rubbing off on her, then smiled, knowing she would've been happy even if it didn't so long as it meant more time together.

Despite her threat, Dorothy didn't keep Coye at the Guild all day. She started getting tired and hungry after seven, which was right around the time he finished recounting his stories, anyway. Coye agreed to leave her company for the night and promised to see her again tomorrow morning, with Byng and Suzette accompanying him.

Dorothy didn't want him to go, and Coye didn't want to leave, but she knew it was important to send him off. She needed time to dwell on everything now that he'd restored a measure of her sanity. She hoped to make better sense of things on her own now that she had a clearer mind, but it would still be a struggle to think straight.

That was okay.

Coye left Dorothy feeling inspired enough to make an attempt... an attempt which failed spectacularly. Dorothy crashed shortly after dinner, barely managing to sit the plate of food Tammy sent onto her nightstand before falling back on her mattress and clocking out. For the first time in a long while, the Guild Mistress dreamed, and whatever she saw during her long rest left Dorothy smiling throughout the night.

On his way out, Coye picked up Suzette from the front desk. She'd spent the day there beside Tammy registering quests, taking notes, and filling out forms. The work didn't prove challenging whatsoever to Suzette, but it wasn't without its annoyances. Male adventurers were by and large cocky pieces of shit who were more full of themselves than they could even realize.

Throughout the day, many of them tried hitting on the new girl. Each and every one had their hearts broken when they learned she was already dating a particular Guild member. The shattered expression these adventurers made was even more delightful when Suzette asked whether or not they knew Coye.

They were all thinking the same thing in unison- him?!

Yes, him. You miserable wretches. Suzette thought to herself behind a perfect smile that masked her displeasure.

As amusing as this was for Tammy, she was more grateful than entertained by Suzette's presence. Dorothy undoubtedly had it worse, but Tammy wasn't doing great that morning, either. Having someone more competent by her side helped her stabilize, and she looked much better than when she interrupted Coye's private morning affairs.

Coye caught Tammy up on how Dorothy was doing, which proved an even more enormous relief. Tammy left the desk to put in a kitchen order for a big plate of Dorothy's favorites, but before Coye and Suzette took off, she couldn't resist following up on what she saw that morning. Tammy congratulated Coye for bagging Suzette, calling her a real class act. Tammy admitted she wondered what the beautiful proprietress saw in him at first, but it made a lot more sense after getting a load of what he was packing.

Coye predictably blushed and rolled his eyes as Suzette played with her hair and refused to comment. At least she was polite enough to apologize for breaking in after the obligatory teasing. They forgave her for the circumstances, so long as she promised not to do it again.

Tammy shrugged and said she would try, but it was pretty entertaining...

"I only caught the grand finale. It makes me wonder what the whole show was like, killer." She told him, leaving it up in the air whether or not this was another one of her japes.

It was hard to know because of her indifferent expression and monotone voice, but Coye wasn't in the mood to stand around deliberating Tammy's intentions. He and Suzette were ready to go home, but not before stopping by a local tavern to pick up something for dinner.

When they arrived at the cabin, they found Byng and Shayla sitting at the table together, playing more rounds of A Peasant's Story. Neither looked like they were having a good time, but they brightened up as soon as Coye and Suzette walked in.

"Look who it is! Just in time, too. I was starting to get bored, like... five hours ago, maybe? Gahaha!"

"Fucking finally," Shayla groaned in agreement.

She and Byng spent the day together after informing the huntress about everything that transpired. Byng was tempted to rush off and try and help somehow, but Shayla convinced her to cool off and let Coye handle this. They enjoyed each other's company and talked about many things before settling into their current game, but there was only so much they could reasonably do before getting listless.

"So. What's the scoop? Did you get your dick wet, or-"

"No!" Coye grumbled instantly. "Dorothy and I just talked all day. I didn't even go in her room."

"Damn. Talk about restraint!" Byng nodded with respect.

"Restraint? Whatever, that's lame. I can't believe I said all that stuff if you weren't gonna make a move!"

"And who's saying I didn't?" Coye stated, capturing everyone's attention.

"...Did you?" Suzette wondered.

"I mean... we talked for like eight hours. There were definitely some flirty moments mixed in here and there... but I was respectful the whole time!" He looked to Suzette specifically for approval with a desperate and cute face. "Honest!"

"I didn't say you couldn't flirt," Suzette smiled and pinched his cheek on her way to the dinner table. "Just that you shouldn't do anything drastic, which I trust you didn't. If you had, I've no doubt you would've come running down the stairs with news of another panic attack..."

"Hmph," Shayla crossed her arms and snapped her fingers, causing the board game's pieces to float back into the tin box from whence they came. "Respect is good, sure, but..."

"Were you hoping something more exciting was going to happen?" Byng guessed.

"Me? Never! Dorothy needs lots of respectful love and care right now, sure... but it's not like getting fucked into the pavement wouldn't do her any good either, y'know?"

"Shayla-" Suzette stated sternly, only to be cut off by Coye.

"There'll be plenty of time for that kind of thing after she feels better," Coye declared, his face redder than ever as his eyes stared at the floor below. "Not now, but soon."

The three girls were each taken unaware by his surprising comment. Byng's eyes shot open like a cat's- complete with an open-mouthed smile. Suzette looked at him with intrigue and concern. Shayla gave him a reluctant yet excited smirk.

"Darling, are you saying..."

"I think he's saying we're going to need a bigger table," Byng cackled as she hit the four-person table. "Unless you wanna share your seat, Shay?"

"Just because I'm small doesn't mean I don't deserve my own spot at the table! I'm not sharing! Not my seat, anyway. My man, though? That's a bit more complicated..." Shayla scratched her chin and tried to seem disinterested and aloof, but her smirk wasn't receding. "Do you wanna elaborate, big guy? Or are you just gonna leave us in the dark?"

Coye prepared himself for his follow-up statement, taking a deep breath and looking at Shayla specifically as he said, "If Dorothy stays and things get better for her, I... I want to ask her out. Wait... no. I will ask her out!"

"Oh, shit..." Shayla remarked.

"Fuck yeah!" Byng cheered.

"Not that I'm against it, but-"

"Every. Fucking. Time!" Shayla grumbled and looked at Suzette. "Can we have a single group discussion without you interjecting some levelheaded bullshit?"

The older woman turned red as she looked away. "I-I actually wasn't going to say anything of the sort... I only wanted to know what led Darling to this drastic decision."

"Oh," Shayla scratched the back of her head. "Well... there's a first time for everything, I guess."

"Indeed," Suzette coughed into her fist.

"Gahaha! Can't wait for Dotty to get in on this- she's gonna fit right in. For real, though. Where is this coming from, short-stuff?"

"Well, I obviously still have feelings for her... I don't think I've ever denied that with any of you, but that isn't the main reason. The more I talked to Dorothy today, the more I realized I'm..." Coye hesitated and sat down on the bed. "I don't mean this to sound full of myself or anything, but... besides Tammy, I think our friendship is probably the only good thing Dorothy has in her life right now..."

"That is a pretty egotistical claim..." Shayla playfully clicked her tongue. "One which I'd give you shit for if I weren't convinced it was the truth."

"Is it truly so bad?" Suzette felt sympathy deep in her heart. "What about her family?"

"Even her family makes her stressed..." Coye admitted. "It's complicated, and I don't think I should really share everything she told me. It would be better if she told you herself, you know? Soon, hopefully."

"Hold on a second, big guy-" Shayla cleared her throat.

"What's this? Shayla, dear... do my ears deceive me, or are you about to interject with some- ahem- levelheaded bullshit?" Suzette interrupted, leading to a loud series of cackles from Byng, a soft smile from Coye, and one very red-faced Pixie who refused to acknowledge the callout.

"Anyone else hear that? No? Yeah, me neither. Anyway, I was gonna ask what makes you think Dorothy would be better off in a relationship with you, huh? You really think you can just solve her issues so easily?" Shayla asked, trying to test his decision and make sure he wasn't solely acting on impulse.

"No, of course not," Coye freely admitted. "But she keeps trying to do everything on her own, to the point where this is where it got her. What Dorothy needs more than anything else is someone in her corner and... and I won't stand for it if it's anyone but me!" His words grew heated and passionate the more he expressed his innermost thoughts, only for him to grow embarrassed over how worked up his exclamation made him.

Trying to downplay his selfishness, Coye followed up with, "And, um, Dorothy also needs a group of people who understand and care for her... I can give her that," he looked at Byng and Suzette momentarily before apprehensively returning his gaze to the Pixie. "Mostly, I think?"

"We'll see," Shayla smiled up at him. "I'm open to the possibility of maybe liking Dorothy, yeah. I'm glad that you really thought this through, baby. There's just one little thing."

"Anything," Coye tightened his fists. "Just say the word."

"Yoy have to introduce me before you make things official. You got that? Pixie first, confession second. I know I implied I was cool with you fucking her earlier, but I got carried away by all the craziness and panic... now that I've cooled off a bit, I want you to do this the right way."

Coye got up from the bed and picked up Shayla for a wholesome hug. "Got it. I'm just so happy you finally approve of Dorothy, Shayla!"

"I-I said I was wrong about her, not that I approve of adding her to your little collection, dummy! I only implied that part! She has to pass the inspection before I can say I approve..." Shayla blushed and tried wiggling out of his arms.

"I think that's pretty fair. How about you, Suz?" Byng looked to Suzette, who now busied herself with setting dinner on the table.

"I agree. As much as I want to help that poor girl and give her all the love and affection she so clearly needs, Dorothy is not currently a part of our little family. Shayla, however, is. Her wishes come first."

"Don't worry," Coye smiled at the Pixie, letting her fly back to the table. "That's not gonna be a problem. I'll do this however you want."

"You better," Shayla stuck her tongue out at him before taking her place after landing. "But enough about that... we can talk more about Dorothy after dinner- I'm fucking starved. I had one bite of the shit Byng tried passing off as lunch and threw up, like, all of my intestines!"

"Hey, c'mon now! I even held back on the salt just like you asked, gahaha!"

Coye laughed at Shayla's gastrointestinal misfortune and settled in for a lovely tavern-cooked dinner with his lovers. Once they were done eating, plans were made for the following day. Suzette and Byng would stay overnight yet again, and in the morning, all three of them would go to the Guild together.

If Dorothy felt up to it, they would have a little discussion on the state of the Guild and how the three of them might be able to help the poor Guild Mistress out. Suzette was also prepared to work the front desk again, if necessary, but only for tomorrow. She wasn't planning on making a permanent career switch and had to get back to the store one of these days.

Luckily, Suzette already had plenty of ideas about how she might be able to assist the Guild. Byng was fired up as well, as this gave her something to work toward while waiting for Kuhrkakk to ready up the first godly mission. Shayla didn't know the first thing about helping the Guild but was as supportive of the idea as she could've been- so long as Coye didn't buy more shit he didn't need from the catalog. Dorothy most likely needed structural help and not inflated sales numbers, anyway.

The rest of the night passed as one might expect. There was sex, but not as much as the night before. Coye was mentally and emotionally drained from chatting with Dorothy all day, so he only went a couple of rounds before falling asleep. That's not to say that the girls were left unsatisfied, only that Coye didn't get out of hand like he usually did.

Thankfully, that let everyone have a long and peaceful rest without waking up overly exhausted the following morning. Once they went through their morning routine, everyone dressed casually, Shayla got in the hat, and they all made for the Guild.

Tammy was there sitting at the front desk the moment they walked in. Already, things seemed off to a good start. The receptionist didn't appear overly stressed and fiddled with a Dwarven ring puzzle, smiling faintly as they approached.

"Morning, Tammy," Coye waved.

"Sup, killer? I see you brought my favorite part-timer. Ready to get back on the grind?"

"Not for much longer if I can help it," Suzette laughed.

"Shame. What about you?" Tammy looked to Byng. "You wanna make my life easier, Gobbo? I'll even see about getting you a cute little outfit and a name tag."

"You wish," Byng cackled. "How's Dotty?"

"Better," she said, relieving them all. "Comparatively speaking. She was just chatting with the kitchen staff a minute ago. Pretty sure she ducked into the bathroom after that. Feel free to go and wait for her."

"That's great to hear," Coye smiled and leaned over the counter, surprising Tammy with his familiarity. "What about you, though? Are you holding up okay, or are all the jokes a cry for help?"

"Heh," Tammy shrugged. "I could go either way, but the day's only just begun. Ask me again in a few hours if I'm not locked away in a closet trembling."

'Yikes, that got real dark, real fast...' Shayla commented.

"I won't let that happen," Suzette promised. "Not for today, at least. You'll likely be on your own again tomorrow."

Tammy sighed like she was being sent to the gallows. "Fair enough, can't blame you for not wanting to stick around..." she waved her hand dismissively at the group. "Go on, then. Don't keep the boss waiting."

Taking the hint, Coye led his entourage into the cafeteria. The place was more packed than it had been in quite some time. Coye recognized many familiar adventurers, some of whom glanced his way after sneaking in a quick stare at Suzette by his side. This only made the boy grumpy, so he held his lover's hand tight as they sat down at the nearest table. Byng and Suzette found his possessiveness adorable, while Shayla was more amused at how most of the gawkers backed down when Coye stared back.

Everyone went back to their own business soon enough. Orlandis and Milse were bickering several tables away about something stupid, a group of pasty-looking Mages in a corner table was enjoying a game of RealMonster, the party of four who Coye helped the other day were plotting their next quest, and the halfling rogue Tansy was sneaking glances at the ass of every waitress who passed him by. There were even a few illustrious Gold-rankers present that morning, too. The sleepy summoner Leah Wilmeyer rested her head on a pillow surrounded by her current party of what she referred to as 'normies', while Britni's only rival for the title of Guild's heaviest drinker, the self-aggrandizing Burkhart Hooper, regaled an unlucky group of newbies with his many accomplishments.

One group missing worth noting was a particular group of Bitches, which was likely for the better. Keeping Britni away from Dorothy seemed like an excellent idea to Coye for the time being. She and Tiph habitually used her as a verbal punching bag and were less subtle about it than anyone else who disrespected her.

Speaking of the Guild Mistress, it wasn't long until she peeked out of the bathroom and took notice of Coye and his girlfriends from across the room.

The room went quiet as everyone started taking secret glances at Dorothy. She hated being the center of attention like this, especially with so many people whispering who knows what about her. Determined to not let it bother her, she crossed the distance to Coye's table with clenched fists and her head held low.

When she got there, Dorothy saw Coye, Byng, and Suzette, each awaiting her with warm smiles. After all the effort it took her to get out of bed this morning, it was a welcome sight. Her deep brown eyes stared longer at Coye than anyone else. Dorothy was so happy to see him without a door in the way that she scarcely noticed this was the first time she'd looked him straight on without suffering from anxiety in over a week.

"Hey," Coye smiled and offered her the seat next to him. "You're looking better, I think?"

"I don't know about looking better, but I feel a bit better, thanks..." Dorothy laughed at his little joke and nearly took the seat before remembering everyone was watching. Wanting to keep things professional against her heart's wishes, she took the next one over.

'Gotta give her credit. I was expecting her to look ten times worse than usual. Instead, it's only like... two or three times worse.' Shayla thought aloud. 'Bonus points for not giving me a migraine just by looking at her.'

Not giving a single shit about how unprofessional it might've looked, Byng hopped up from her seat and took the one next to Dorothy. She threw her arm around the Guild Mistress's shoulder and said, "Yo, Dotty? I know we're not super close or anything, but you've always been cool to me. Hope it goes without saying that I got your back from now on, yeah?"

Dorothy was surprised by the sudden contact, blushing in response. She couldn't remember the last time someone hugged her. It would have to be the last time she went home, wouldn't it? Gods, that was three years ago now. Without even thinking about it, Dorothy awkwardly leaned into the embrace, starved for affection as she was.

"I-I, um, I don't know what to say, Byng..." she mumbled.

"Don't worry about saying anything, gahaha! We're here for you. Right, Suz?"

"That's right," Suzette smiled warmly. "You and I might be acquaintances at best, but my Darling is quite fond of you and I've something of a personal interest in you, myself."

"Um, you... you do?" Dorothy shrank as Byng's arm left her shoulder.

"Oh, yes. You remind me far too much of the way I used to be for your own good. Why I can barely resist the urge to come over there and fuss over you right this very moment."

"Ahaha..." Dorothy didn't know what to say, but it felt nice to hear aside from the self-conscious doubt her current appearance invoked.

"We're all here to help you, Dorothy," Coye smiled. "Just like I said we would be."

"I can see that... I just... still don't know what's going to come of this..." Dorothy looked away.

Her morning had been rough, if not as rough as yesterday's. Getting out of bed, getting dressed, and leaving her room were each still significant challenges in their own right. Dorothy overcame those hurdles solely by remembering her time with Coye and reminding herself that he was waiting for her. Being by his side changed things. Despite Dorothy's fears, it felt like everything was going to work out itself whenever she looked at Coye's smiling face.

"Didn't I tell you to stop worrying too much?" He asked, the smile she loved growing smaller as his expression tensed.

Dorothy stopped breathing and looked down, her hands clenching as she locked up. "Sorry. I must've forgotten. It won't happen again, Coye. I-I promise."

"Good," his smile returned, and a strange-looking one soon appeared on Dorothy's face.

Suzette and Byng instantly noticed the odd way the Guild Mistress was behaving. They'd seen her acting shy and awkward before, but this was something else. Something only Shayla could sense. For whatever reason, Dorothy acted submissive toward Coye, and her brain rewarded her with a pleasant feeling whenever she did.

Had this idiot gone and done it again? Did Coye come home and tell them 'nothing happened' while completely missing that he said something seemingly innocuous that actually changed the entire dynamic of his relationship with Dorothy? It was starting to look like the case because she'd never behaved like this around him before their private chat...

Shayla sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. Whatever. At least it looked like this new paradigm shift was doing Dorothy some good. They could confront him about it later.

"Are you really feeling okay, though? We can push this off if you want. One more day of rest wouldn't hurt." Coye asked.

Considering the option for only a moment, Dorothy shook her head. "I, um, I would probably just feel worse if I stayed in my room again all day, ahaha... I could go without feeling even more restless than I already do..."

"I can relate," Byng nodded. "Just got over a major bout of restlessness myself- that shit sucks Grahmvall nuts."

"You?" Dorothy turned to her adventurer and laughed. "I can't say I've ever seen you restless before, Byng. You don't strike me as the type... I would've sworn you're always up to something."

"Oh, I am! This was just a short funk I pulled through, funny story-"

'I've got an even funnier one. How about maybe we don't go telling the already overwhelmed, exhausted, and stressed chick about insane shit like talking to gods and going off on mythic quests?' Shayla suggested.

"...Eh. On second thought, I'll tell you later." Byng shrugged, seeing the point.

"Um... a-alright, I-" Dorothy was interrupted by the cafeteria door opening with a dramatic slam.

Everyone's attention was torn from their conversations and activities long enough to witness the Baddest Bitches enter the room. Each of them was fully decked out in their adventuring gear, intending to set off on a quest as soon as they had some breakfast. Rather than staring at the group of beautiful women like they had for Suzette, the men of the Guild pay them any mind. Each learned the hard way that gawking at any of the Bitches put you first in line for a fresh new set of broken ribs, or often worse.

That morning, Britni was hungry and irritable. She'd been 'sober' for several days now, and it was taking a toll on her, so when she saw Coye and the others sitting at a table together, it greatly pissed her off. This was the first time they'd seen each other since Vico's performance, and Britni was still holding a grudge toward Coye over what didn't happen that night.

Behind her was Tiph, hiding behind a fake smile to mask the annoyance and uncertainty she experienced upon seeing Coye. Coco couldn't even do that much- baring her fangs the second she saw him. The only one who didn't freak out over Coye's presence was Marlie, who acted as cool as ever aside from an occasional glance at the boy now and again.

When Coye noticed Britni was staring at him, he made the mistake of waving his hand instead of minding his business. The gesture infuriated her, little lightning shocks vibrating around her arms held back only by her gauntlets. Coye was momentarily startled, as was most of the Guild, but Britni forced her fury down and strutted past his table, heading to the counter to order breakfast with the rest of her party.

Unfortunately, there were no other tables, and the Baddest Bitches had to sit behind Coye's while waiting for their food.

'Heads up,' Shayla pointed out as she sat in Coye's hat, looking behind him. 'You guys might wanna take this to Dorothy's office. Your friends at the next table look like they're about to lose their shit any second now.'

Coye looked over his shoulder, inadvertently making eye contact with Coco. The puppy stopped scowling at him long enough to blush and look away before scooting closer to Britni for comfort. The boss bitch herself was still glaring at him even now, and Coye couldn't help thinking it strange how much angrier Britni seemed than usual. They hadn't seen each other in over a week, yet she acted like he'd recently pissed her off over something big...

"Hey, Dorothy? I think we should probably have this talk somewhere more private. I'm, uh, not feeling so good about this place anymore." Coye suggested.

"Yes, that would be for the best..." Dorothy sighed. There was no telling how she might react to Britni's cruelty when she was still weakened. She doubted Britni would start anything in the crowded cafeteria but feared the possibility she might be wrong.

"Why don't you all come back to my office, and-" Dorothy stood up from the table, only to become the lightning rod for Britni's passive-aggressive attitude.

Britni wasn't looking to start a fight, but if they thought they could slink away without acknowledging her presence, they thought wrong. She smirked at the Guild Mistress, calling out to her by teasing, "Is it just me, or is somebody getting a little too close to the help?"

When Britni spoke, people listened. Everyone in the cafeteria heard her thunderous, bitchy voice. A couple even laughed, whispering and pointing at Dorothy and Coye together.

"Careful, Dorth. From one massive bitch to another, that little punk you got there is, like, totally bad for your heart."

The room was quiet, wholly bewildered that Britni would go so far as taunting the boss over her recent troubles. Once the shock died down, the bad actors laughed even harder than before. Tiph and Coco were laughing as well, but Marlie only glared at Britni and nudged her with her elbow, only for her to roll her eyes and ignore the gesture.

Dorothy froze. She closed her eyes, pretending she was somewhere else. It was okay. They were just heading to her office, and then they'd be just fine... it was okay... it was okay...

'What an irredeemable bitch,' Shayla marveled.

"I'll say..." Byng grumbled, her hand just itching to draw the ordinary hunting knife she stashed inside her furry vest.

"So that girl really was Britni, hm...?" Suzette remarked, remembering her from some visits she'd made to the shop. She calmed Byng by taking her hand. "Her reputation precedes her. I didn't think she'd be quite as vile as I'd heard, and yet..." as things stood, the older woman struggled to see what Coye saw in her apart from her beautiful looks.

It turns out that Coye was wondering that, too.

He stood up from his seat and looked straight at Britni with a severe expression. "Are you kidding me? Don't joke about that! You heard about what happened to her, right?"

"Who hasn't?" Britni scoffed. "Coco?"

"Desk lady fell down because heart hurted! Right after big interview with stinky cigarette lady!" Coco barked and happily devoured the dog treat Britni flicked her way.

"Too bad, sooo saaaad..." Tiph snickered. "You should've called for me, Dorothy! I could've tooootally drugged you up nice and good, I guarantee you I've got better shit than the guy downstairs can hook you up with."

"What the fuck are you two on about?" Marlie grumbled at them under her breath. "This isn't like you- either of you." Her gaze was fixed on Tiph, but all the alchemist did was shrug her shoulders.

"See?" Britni smirked. "Everyone knows. The real question here is, who the fuck cares? I'll joke about whatever I want Unless... don't tell me you wanna try and stop me, milk-drinker?"

"...I will if you don't-"

'Hey! I know you can be pretty dumb, but you're smarter than this!' Shayla grabbed his hair and pulled back. 'Knock it off!'

Dorothy had the same idea. She forced herself to move again, coming up from behind Coye and placing her hand on his shoulder. "Coye, don't. I'm alright. Just ignore them, and we'll-"

"Hey, squirt? Is it true that you, liiiike, sat outside Dorothy's door yesterday like a sad little puppy dog?" Tiph spared a quick look at Coco. "No offense-"

"None taken! Not a puppy dog! Uh... or sad, either!" Coco stressed.

"Darling-" Suzette added her concerns to the chorus, but Coye wouldn't back down.

"Yeah, I did. So what?" Coye gave Tiph an even angrier look, surprising her deeply. She didn't know he had it in him- and it only made her want to break him harder.

"Nothing, nothing..." Tiph clicked her tongue, then pointed to Dorothy. "You know... I think you're onto something, Brit. Something totally happened between these two. Guess you really will fuck anything that moves, won't you? I mean... seriously, squirt? Her?"

More laughter erupted throughout the cafeteria until it drowned out the sound of everything else. Tiph hadn't been this mask-off in a long time and was having trouble keeping her nasty comments to herself. The toxicity of her words was surprising but not as much as Dorothy's refusal to stand idly by and be mocked.

"You're getting the wrong idea, Tiph. It's not like that at all. Coye was talking to me from outside my room yesterday, yes. I wasn't doing well, and like a good friend, Coye refused to leave my side while respecting my boundaries. If that's amusing to you, then-"

"So... you're saying you didn't even put out? Talk about playing the long game, squirt." Tiph tilted her head and inspired another uproarious round of laughing. It got so rowdy that Burkhart nearly choked on his drumstick, and one of the newbies at his table pissed his pants like a buffoon.

Shayla was growing more frightened by the moment. Coye's anger was reaching heights she didn't know he was capable of. It distracted her from the immense fury brewing behind her.

A whistling hunting knife tore through the air and whizzed only inches away from Tiph's cheek. Unlike so many of her peers, Tiph was an ordinary human. The brush with danger sent her into a panic. She rose from her seat and yelled, "What the fuck?! You could've killed me, you fucking green-skinned skank!"

"Don't tempt me, whore!" Byng jumped over the table and stood by Coye's side, where he nodded at her in approval.

"Oh, shit!" Britni laughed and delighted in the madness. "Don't tell me you're gonna take that coming from a smelly little Goblin, Tiph?"

"Tiph is nice to Coco, mostly! Don't hurt Tiph!" Coco hopped up on their table and kneeled on all fours, looking like an attack dog ready to bite the throat of anyone she deemed a threat.

Things had devolved into utter chaos, and they were only seconds away from being carried away past the point of no return. Dorothy closed her eyes in resignation. This was what she got for getting out of bed, she supposed. More stupid nonsense that only proved she should stop giving a damn once and for all.

Someone should try and calm things down. That job typically fell to the acting Guild Master, but Dorothy couldn't command others if her life depended on it. Especially not the Baddest Bitches.

Dorothy closed her eyes in resignation, hoping that this would all just end.

"ENOUGH-" Marlie stood from the table as fire burst from her cracks. Her distinct smooth voice was amplified by demonic power, becoming sharp, razor-like, and grating. It cut across the cafeteria, frightening every newbie adventurer and staff member and even startling Suzette, Tiph, Shayla, and Dorothy.

Britni might've had more charisma, but when Marlie wanted to be heard, no one could ignore her.

"Hmph," Britni crossed her arms and looked away. It was rare for Marlie to take things so seriously, and not even the mighty Viking felt like standing up to her Half-Demon friend. "You heard her, Tiph. Back off. I was just trying to joke around, and I didn't mean for things to get this out of hand."

"But..." Tiph caressed her cheek. "That bitch totally just-"

"Next time I won't miss, you loose-" Coye gagged Byng's mouth and then looked back to the bitches.

"Listen to Marlie," Coye begged. "All we wanted to do was leave the cafeteria, but then you guys went and made us the center of attention..." He looked around and saw how thoroughly entertained the Guild was by the full-on faction war that was narrowly avoided.

Tiph brought herself to look at Coye long enough to sour her mood even further before turning and sighing. "Whatever..." she mumbled, putting all this into the back of her mind to dwell on later.

"But-" Coco didn't like the idea of Byng getting off free after threatening her friend. Her tail lowered, but her fur was still standing on end.

"Coco. The food is here." Marlie pointed toward the nervous waitress carrying a massive tray with food for four.

"Food!" Coco immediately sat down in her seat like a good girl and stared at the food lady, saliva falling from her drooping tongue.

"You were so close, loser... so close..." she muttered, taking one last glance at the boy and narrowing her eyes. Coye stood up to her- in front of a crowd, no less. Britni should've felt proud of his progress, but she wasn't.

Not when she knew he could've done more.

It was hard to believe, but it seemed the crisis was averted. Shayla was grateful that things didn't escalate further, for once. She valued Coye's safety above her petty desire to witness chaos, and there was no guarantee he'd walk out of a dispute with Britni without any harm if he kept pushing back. And then there was Tiph, who Shayla thought was only getting worse every time she'd seen the bitch. At least Marlie had a good head on her shoulders...

Suzette watched everything unfold from the sidelines and felt drastically out of her depth. No wonder Dorothy suffered as much as she did if the Guild was always so hectic. Her motherly instincts kicked back in as soon as the danger passed, and she approached the others from behind.

"I don't know about anyone else, but I've had enough action for one day. I believe we were on our way, Darling?" Suzette asked, placing one hand on Byng's shoulder and another on Coye's. Someone among the crowd performed a wolf whistle at the gesture, which was promptly ignored.

"Yeah, that's right. Byng?" Coye looked to his lover for confirmation.

"If I have to," she grumbled. Back in Grurguhrohk, fights didn't end until they were well and truly finished. Letting Tiph off the hook like this didn't sit well with Byng, but she held back her distaste to not trouble Dorothy.

"Thank you, Byng..." Dorothy let out a stressed sigh and turned around to leave for the entrance hall. "It's not worth it."

"I dunno," Byng shrugged. "Kicking her teeth in would feel pretty damn worth it to me."

'If it were up to me, I'd say go for it,' Shayla added to comfort her friend, who smiled softly in solidarity.

The group started walking away together, painfully aware of how much they were being stared at. For better or worse, they were the talk of the entire Guild right now. There was an air of disappointment permeating through the cafeteria. Most adventurers were hoping for an entertaining finale, and this resolution didn't sit right with them.

It didn't sit right with Britni, either.

She couldn't let things go- not without one last jab. Maybe some other day, the boss bitch could've looked the other way, but... watching Coye go, smiling at his gaggle of gals like they'd just made it out of the frying pan...?

It'd be a crying shame if someone didn't throw them into the fire.

"Leaving so soon? Lame. I was just about to suggest we push the tables together and have ourselves some real fun. Whatever. Make sure she doesn't fall over and hit her head on that shitty little desk of hers, why don't you?"

Byng, Suzette, and Dorothy all continued to walk toward the exit. Only Coye stopped. The cafeteria went silent save for Marlie's flames which were flaring up again as she glared at her best friend, who couldn't fucking leave well enough alone.

'Don't even think about it,' Shayla pulled his hair tight again. 'You'd just be giving her what she wants!' She tried to sound sincere but couldn't argue that Britni was asking for it.

Coye was a gentle boy. He never got mad at others, generally turned the other cheek at all opportunities, and was by all accounts a shy, friendly person who kept to himself. When he turned around to glare at Britni, Coye was almost unrecognizable to most of the Guild. There was anger in his sparkling blue eyes, his face full of contempt.

Whispers started picking up frequently as the adventurers and staff pointed at him.

"...You ever seen him like that before?"

"Didn't even know he was an adventurer... thought he just showed up whenever there's a bard..."

"Britni's gonna kill him... she's basically already Gold-rank..."

"Just wait, he's gonna cower and back down any second now..."

There was a time when people whispering, pointing, and laughing at Coye would bring back unpleasant memories from his past. That time was only a few weeks ago, in fact. Now, he was different. Coye only saw Britni- the way she stared, the mixed signals she sent, the satisfied smirk she'd gotten after flaring his temper... he didn't have much choice but to react.

"Why are you always so mean to Dorothy?" Coye asked, his voice eerily calm. "What's she ever done to you?"

"Coye, please don't-"

"Shut up."

"Yes, Coye..." Dorothy hung her head, and despite the circumstances, she couldn't help wearing that crooked grin that kept cropping up.

Marlie let out a deep sigh. Things were about to get worse, and she had no interest in interfering further. Meanwhile, Tiph was suddenly in a much better mood. Britni was likely to beat Coye into the ground now that he'd gotten cocky, and while it wouldn't sate her desire for personal vengeance, it would be a fun show.

Coco's reaction was more potent than her other friends. Her jaw was slacking, her tail went utterly still, and she couldn't pull herself away from Coye's face. He was just so confident... and strong... and perfect... and he even stood up to Britni!

A smile started to creep across Coco's innocent face, only to be put down by Britni's words.

"That's funny. I didn't know I needed a reason to be mean to someone. Is that, like, a new rule or something?" Britni scoffed. "Sorry to tell you this, but the world is shit, and life isn't going to pull any punches. Everyone out there'll crush you under their heel the second you show them how weak you are, Coye. You need to be strong if you want respect- the same goes for her. If you really need a reason why Dorth pisses me off so much, it all comes down to that. Fuck- I've crushed so many weaklings in my life I've lost count of them all, but there's one thing I know for sure... that stuttering, nervous wreck you're trying to defend like some kind of hero? She's the weakest, most pathetic little bitch I've ever met."

Dorothy bit her lip and pretended she didn't hear a thing as the scent of ozone permeated throughout the cafeteria. Some of the weaker adventurers and waitresses familiar with Britni made for the hills, hiding wherever they could yet sticking close enough to see the action.

Britni stood up and, with a devilish smirk, slammed her furry boot on the table, leaned forward, and crossed her arms. "Well? Is that a good enough reason for you?"

There were so many things Coye could've said. Perhaps he still could've been the bigger man and just walked away while shaking his head. Maybe he could've given a simple comeback at most. Instead, his impulsive, Pixie Dust-addicted brain chose war. A spark of witty inspiration struck Coye, and he unleashed it in full.

"I'm gonna be honest," the boy shrugged. "I never pay attention when people start monologuing, and I probably never will. Next time, just save everyone the hassle and tell us you're a cunt. Same message, fewer words."

Everyone in the Guild stared at Coye in disbelief. His lovers, the Baddest Bitches, Dorothy, the adventurers, staff- everyone. Even Shayla and Byng- who both wanted nothing more than for Coye to put Britni in her place- thought he'd made a colossal mistake.

People were on the edge of their seats waiting for Britni's counterattack, but it didn't come as swift as lightning as they expected it to. She was too busy trying to keep calm, not out of anger, but happiness.

That's not to say she was blushing and struggling to make eye contact with Coye; she was still glaring like she was going to kill him, but on the inside? Britni was screaming with joy. This was everything she wanted to see. Better, even. Uncle Bjarte would love this sassy little fucker- maybe even grandfather Eirik, Odin forbid.

Just a little more, Britni thought. She had to make sure Coye wouldn't back down. "Me? A cunt? Hah! Guess you got me there. The big question is, what are you gonna do about it, loser? Are you gonna rough me up until I turn into a good little girl who plays nice with everyone else?"

Some of Coye's mental faculties returned to him after his impulsive declaration, specifically as Britni pulled out her enchanted axe and charged it with surging lightning. He wasn't afraid but dreadfully aware that he'd most likely lose in an actual confrontation with Britni.

Oh well.

"If that's what it takes, sure..." Coye took another step forward, everyone watching his foolish bravado refuse to falter. "I'll take on anyone who messes with Dorothy from now on. You hear me?" The boy looked around at the Guild and addressed his audience directly. Far from the same Coye who couldn't bear being the center of attention, he drew more onto himself and stated, "I mean it!"

'Oh, Gods...' Shayla cradled her forehead in her palm as she glanced backward at Dorothy, who was now blushing scarlet. It was getting increasingly hard to believe Coye wasn't doing this intentionally.

Suzette and Byng were of similar minds, making exasperated yet amused faces at each other. As for Dorothy, she had trouble parsing whether or not Coye had actually said what he said. When a couple of people started laughing at Coye's grand proclamation, Dorothy knew he truly did stand up for her honor in front of the entire Guild, as she feared.

"Coye, w-what do you think you're... ah... I mean... that is to say... y-y-you shouldn't say anything that gives anyone the wrong idea, or... something like that... I... I..." Dorothy's knees were wobbling, her smile was crooked, and she couldn't look anywhere but at her feet. She was so close to breaking, it wasn't even funny.

It took Coye a second, but he soon realized what Dorothy meant. Sure, it was a little misleading, and some might consider his gesture romantic, but... fuck it. Despite the blush on his face, he continued on.

"It is what it is. If anyone tries to start shit with you from now on, Dorothy, they answer to me. I don't care if that's you-" Coye pointed at Britni.

"You-" at Tiph, who stared back in confusion.

"Uh, probably not you-" at Coco, who was now wagging and drooling at him like he was the juiciest steak she'd ever laid eyes on.

"Or anyone else!" He pointed at the Guild at large, skipping the unproblematic Half-Demoness entirely. "You got that?"

Britni continued to stare him down for several moments before re-holstering her axe, sitting down, and looking away from Coye to hide that her cheeks were glowing and it wasn't just her heavy makeup.

"Hmph," she flicked her hair, trying to keep her cool. "Fine. You've made this more trouble than it's worth, anyway. I'll leave her alone from now on, if only a little bit..."

"Whaaat? Brit, are you, like, totally fucking serious right now, or-" Tiph didn't like the idea of easing up on one of her favorite punching bags, but when she saw the lovestruck expression on her best friend's stupid face, she knew there was no talking Britni out of it.

Marlie gave Coye a nod of approval while Coco stared, so lost in her newfound adoration for Coye that the poor pup didn't even realize half the things she was fantasizing about. The implications of wondering whether or not Coye's bed was as warm and comfy as Britni's were lost on Coco, but that didn't stop her from imagining it...

Satisfied with Britni's concession, Coye smiled and turned around. "Sorry about that," he laughed. "I, uh, got a little carried away..."

'More like you nearly avoided getting the both of us zapped into a pile of ashes!' Shayla bopped him with her fist. 'Don't forget that I'm up here too, you reckless idiot!'

As if he could forget the eight-inch tall Pixie sprawled out on top of his head, Coye smirked.

"I... I don't even know what to say right now..." Dorothy was still staring at the ground, unable to look at Coye yet unable to run from him.

Byng came up from behind her and clasped her back. "Just let it happen! No harm in letting someone stand up for you every now and again, right?"

"Um, t-technically no, but-"

Byng licked her lips and narrowed her amber eyes, whispering to her Guild Mistress, "C'mon. Are you really gonna tell me your panties aren't wet after all that? Really, Dotty?"

"W-W-What?!" Dorothy leaped away from the suggestive Gengaggi. "I-I-I don't see how there's any correlation between-"

Suzette exhaled a weary sigh. "Enough, already. Give her space, Byng."

Byng clicked her tongue but obeyed- for now.

Her exhaustion replaced with a gentle smile, Suzette turned to Coye and pleaded, "Perhaps I'm older than I thought, but I don't know how much more of this high-stakes drama I can suffer through. Reading about such things in a nice novel is fun, but living through them is a different affair altogether... please don't scare me like that again, Darling..."

"I won't have to, as long as everyone here got the message?" Coye looked over her shoulder at the Guild, most of whom weren't about to go screwing with someone that even Britni wouldn't. A couple adventurers shook their heads at him. Others avoided his stare altogether.

This made the boy feel smug, giving him a catlike grin, the likes of which he'd never before worn. With this innocent confidence, Coye couldn't help tempting fate one last time. "Good. Because I'm gonna have to make an example of the next asshole who tries picking on-"

A massive pillar of stone smashed the cafeteria door open, sending wooden splinters across the entire room, ruining people's breakfasts and digging into a few unlucky people's skin. The waitresses shrieked and hid. The rookies who weren't already hiding now ducked under their tables in fear. Everyone proficient in their abilities as adventurers either sidestepped the splinters, shielded themselves, or knocked them out of the sky.

Once the initial excitement was over, the pillar shrank until it was the size of a pebble. The Guild stared at the cause of the attack, witnessing a handsome man with short, cropped silver hair standing behind the broken doorway. Dust wafted around him as he stepped forward, his silver-rimmed square spectacles shining upon exiting the dimly lit entrance hall.

This man carried a severe expression of unspeakable irritation that undermined his elegantly chiseled facial features. His attire was no less elegant than he, as the man donned a long, flowing trenchcoat that shimmered like mercury arranged into a quilted hexagonal pattern and, beneath that, a fancy black suit and tie with brown leather wingtip shoes.

One arm held an ornate wand at his hip while his other was slung over his shoulder, carrying something that inspired primal terror in the hearts of almost everyone in the room- but none more so than Coye and Shayla. This man was dragging along a gigantic bundle of what could only be described as floating optic nerves and mysterious eyeballs. The source was obvious- belonging to the aberration they came across during Byng's Zurgarrah.

Auguris Aureo handled that unspeakable monstrosity's proof of kill like a sack of potatoes.

Blind to the horror his spoils of war inflicted on the many unsuspecting people nearby, Auguris marched up to Dorothy- Byng and Suzette reflexively getting the hell out of his way- and threw the gruesome bouquet at the Guild Mistress's feet where it landed with the most disgusting 'squick'. One of the eyeballs popped near her feet, oozing a viscous fluid near her shoe.

"Dorothy Whittle," Auguris spoke in a low, authoritative voice. "I believe we're overdue a particular discussion now that I've returned from my lengthy hunt."