Coye 4.24

Chapter 24 - A Hell of a Drug

Coye and the group followed Eschal into his examination room. Inside, they found a large table, a desk with a fancy leather chair, several less impressive chairs for guests to sit on, and even more bottles and medicines lining the walls. As was standard procedure, Coye got on top of the table while Byng and Suzette set themselves on the guest chairs.

Shayla remained nervous. She was fidgeting and would've preferred to be anywhere else.

Everyone was full of questions at that moment. After Eschal seated himself at his desk, it was just a matter of waiting to see how this turned out. Coye hoped for the best while preparing for the worst.

Eschal regarded Coye, turning his chair toward the boy. His height and wiry frame made it so that he looked like he was looming over the rest of them, even though he remained sitting. "Where would P-Soft Boy like this discussion to start?" Eschal asked.

Coye gulped and looked to his lovers for support. Suzette nodded at him while Byng fidgeted and frowned. Shayla remained silent, so it was up to him to move forward. "I guess you could start by telling me how you immediately knew what was wrong with me."

"There are signs. Signs most people won't be aware of- worry not. I just happen to be familiar with Pixie Dust and its side effects. I'm not at liberty to discuss details, but I've treated a patient outside the Guild who abused the substance before."

"I didn't know Guild Healers treated anyone but adventurers," Byng tilted her head.

"There is a significant spike in the cost of treatment, but it is not forbidden by any means for me to accept clients beyond adventurers and the staff here."

Coye didn't care about any outpatients. He was currently floored. Hearing everything spelled out made it sound so obvious in retrospect. To find out the source of all his problems was Pixie Dust- the powdery sparkles coming off of Shayla's wings- well, that would certainly explain some things. Unfortunately, the revelation came with just as many questions as it did answers.

"What signs are you talking about?" Coye asked, just to be sure.

"P-Soft Boy's overall disposition is much rosier than last we met. There's a sparkle in his eyes, a touch of Fae that wasn't there before. Enlarged pupils, brightened saturation in his irises... and then there's his skin. Youthful. Fresh- even by Half-Elven standards. Then, we have his significant others, plural," Eschal turned his eyes to Byng and Suzette. "The fact that he has any at all goes against my notes. P-Soft Boy's last visit was a month ago, suggesting his romantic successes to be a recent development likely brought on by an increase of confidence often associated with Pixie Dust. Additionally, his personality leads me to believe he wouldn't have brought them to a potentially embarrassing checkup if this somehow didn't concern them. Factoring in all of this, I cannot prove that P-Soft Boy is taking the substance in question. Still. I can make reasonable deductions based on my experience as a professional, and those deductions- as well as my experience- have rarely proven me wrong."

'Fucking damn it,' Shayla grumbled. She didn't feel safe. As quirky as he was, this Healer was way too wise for his own good. There was no way he wouldn't piece things together if enough clues were dropped.

Coye was astounded. Everything Eschal had listed sounded correct. When faced with the insurmountable evidence, there was no other option but to acknowledge that Pixie Dust was the root of his condition. "Well," the boy sighed. "You're right. I'm here because of Pixie Dust, I guess."

Eschal focused on that last bit. "P-Soft Boy sounds as if he was unaware of his own Pixie Dust usage. Elaborate."

"I'm not gonna be in trouble, am I?" Coye interjected with his fears. "This might sound strange, but I was in a situation where I may have been exposed to the, um, substance without my knowledge. I would really appreciate it if you took this at face value and didn't ask me any of the hows or whys."

"Pixie Dust is an illegal substance-" he stated. "In the sense that it's illegal to harvest it from living Pixies or to attempt to domesticate Pixies for its production. I am P-Soft Boy's physician. I treat problems, not report them. Even if I did, I would have to prove P-Soft Boy didn't acquire the substance consensually from a Pixie."

"That..." Suzette raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like one of the most exploitable loopholes I've ever heard."

"And exploited it so often is," Eschal confirmed.

'Well, at least he's not gonna rat us out...' Shayla sighed. The conversation about harvesting and domesticating sat poorly with her. Her voice was on edge, and Coye could feel her fidgeting nonstop.

"So. Let me get this straight." Byng scratched her head. "Short-stuff over there is a drug addict?"

"The evidence is certainly pointing that way."

Coye was sweating as he gazed down at the floor. He wasn't the sort of person who did things like drugs. He wasn't like Tiph, who strolled around high out of her mind more often than not. "Am I really an addict? I-I didn't think I was taking that much of the stuff..."

"We will find the answer, one question at a time." Eschal was jotting things down on his clipboard, but his cold professionalism helped calm Coye a reasonable amount. "How long has P-Soft Boy been taking the substance?"

"Two weeks, on and off..." Coye said before forcing himself to give a more accurate estimation. "Maybe almost daily."

"And if P-Soft Boy had to guess, how much would he say he typically snorts on any given day?"

"It might be a lot, I think..." Coye mumbled, his shame increasing. He was nervous, even though there was no hint of accusation in Eschal's clinical voice. "But... what do you mean by snort?" Coye blinked.

The note-taking stopped as Eschal looked up. Inhaling Pixie Dust was the primary method of consumption, with ingestion in the form of edibles following close behind. Either of these allowed the substance to pass naturally through the body's system, though the effects were less intense compared to riskier methods of intake.

"If not through the nasal cavity, how does P-Soft Boy typically ingest the substance?" He asked, his voice a tad more grave.

Coye closed his eyes and thought about it. It wasn't like he went around sniffing Shayla's wings or putting them in his mouth. At best, he might've inhaled some dust whenever she flew close to his face. "I... don't think I've ever really ingested it?"

This was undoubtedly a puzzle, Eschal thought. His mind raced for the next most logical explanation. "Is P-Soft Boy perhaps absorbing it through skin contact by way of an alchemical lube, lotion, or oil with Pixie Dust mixed in? It's an expensive aphrodisiac, always in demand if one knows where to look. P-Soft Boy wouldn't be the first to stumble upon a bottle of the stuff while strolling through the red light district looking for something to spice things up without knowing what they were getting into."

"N-No," the boy blushed as he imagined himself doing such a thing in such a place. "Nothing like that. I'm not using any products, but... I guess it would have to be through skin contact, mostly?" Coye admitted. He was starting to sweat. There was only one direction this was leading, and boy, would it be hell to come clean about.

"Where?" Eschal's featureless white eyes scrunched up.

Coye's head hung lower, pressure rising. "I-I guess it kind of gets everywhere?"

"It's important that P-Soft Boy tells me precisely which part of his body absorbs the most Pixie Dust. So important that I can't help stressing it again." Eschal warned. "And again. If I didn't make it clear, this is me stressing it for the third time."

Everyone in the damn room knew where Coye was most absorbing the substance- Eschal included. Rather than making it easier to admit, this knowledge only further embarrassed Coye. The frequency of his sweat increased, and his face sunk into his hands as he sighed for a long, long time. The poor boy was on the verge of trembling.

He wasn't getting anything out of him, so Eschal looked to Coye's lovers. He didn't say anything- didn't need to. Byng and Suzette just nodded their heads in confirmation. Not good.

"A moment," Eschal announced as he stood up and glided like a wraith back into his office, cloak wavering behind him as he went. This sudden departure disturbed Coye, but he wasn't gone for long. He returned with three scrolls, each yellowed and tattered by the passage of time. Despite that, there wasn't a trace of dust on them.

Everyone watched as the Healer hunched over his desk and unfurled the scrolls, the tip of his index finger running through line after line as his eyes soaked in the ancient wisdom. Eschal was merely confirming what he already knew- a physician need always be thorough. It didn't take him long.

He jotted down a few more notes and then looked back at Coye. "In summary, P-Soft Boy unknowingly began consumption of Pixie Dust daily and in large amounts two weeks ago as of today. Substance is non-diluted. Absorbed via skin contact, primarily concentrated in the genitalia and the right hand. His any of this information false?"

Shayla's stomach was in knots. No one had said anything about Coye's right hand, but it made sense that no one needed to. Eschal was a master of drawing conclusions from even the most basic pieces of information given to him. If he didn't know precisely how Coye was getting his fix, he would've had to have been dumber than a sack of rocks.

The other girls shared Shayla's concerns, and as for Coye, it took every ounce of fortitude he had within him not to curl up into a ball right then and there on the examination table. Sympathy washed over Suzette, and she quickly comforted the boy while urging him to speak the truth.

"Darling, I understand how difficult this is for you. Truly, I do, but we're here to learn the truth. We won't get anywhere if you can't confirm the basics."

It was enough to prod Coye into nodding his head. "Yeah, I know... everything you just said is true, Eschal."

"Excellent. I suppose I should start with the good news. Patients typically prefer that."

"Nice!" Byng pumped her fist into the air a little prematurely. "Good news is, well, good. Right?"

'Not when you imply there's bad news waiting just around the corner!' Shayla countered, shutting her up with a healthy dose of cynicism.

"Either or," Coye frowned. "Just go and get on with it."

"The good news is that if P-Soft Boy were going to die, he already would have," Eschal revealed, sucking all the air out of the room for the second time. There was having terrible bedside manners, and then there was this. 'Not mincing words' didn't cut it. Eschal just sort of threw words out there and left it at that.

For a while, the room was silent. What they'd heard technically was good news, but... it implied much more than anyone was comfortable with. Especially Shayla.

Suzette coughed. "Well, I'm... glad we've ruled that potential out of your diagnosis, Darling."

Coye didn't hear her. "You're saying I could've died?!"

"I'm sure P-Soft Boy has more than a few inquiries,"

"You don't fucking say?" Byng raised her voice, only for Suzette to place her hand on the girl's shoulder and calm her.

"Given the patient's unique circumstances, referring to his lack of awareness regarding the properties of the substance he has been making use of, I believe an overall summation of Pixie Dust and its effects is required of me." Eschal sat down his clipboard and rubbed his forehead. He was a man who prided himself in his professionalism, or perhaps it was all he had. The subject might require him to be tactful- a skill not present among his many talents.

"Please," Coye pleaded. "I need to know everything you can tell me."

"Very well," Eschal nodded.

Before the description even began, Shayla felt as if she were tied up and being held over a campfire. The guilt of her ignorance roasted her like a flame. Shayla knew Pixie Dust was highly valued in the human world, but no one ever told her why. Perhaps they didn't know, or maybe it got lost among all the pranks and mischief they filled young Pixie's heads with.

Whatever the case, Shayla wasn't sure how she would live with herself from this point on. She could've put a charm on his body that repelled the dust like she did with his hair and hat. But she didn't. Her mana was used on better things, Shayla believed. Knowing that she might've just ruined Coye's life all because she was too lazy was enough to destroy her.

There was still hope, however. She resisted the urge to cry. They were going to learn the truth about Coye's current condition, and they would plan their next moves from there.

"Pixie Dust is a glittery powder generally seen by most who consume it as a magical aphrodisiac and little more. It is gathered from the wings of a Pixie, and its potency varies wildly depending on the Pixie it's sourced from. A happy Pixie produces the best quality of dust, whereas a Pixie locked up in one of Mithimere's dust mills might as well be producing sawdust. Lucrative sawdust, but sawdust all the same."

The explanation had only just begun, and already Coye was unsettled. It wasn't because of his condition, however.

"What?!" He rose from the table, a fit of unnatural anger in his eyes. Coye was horrified. He felt the need to punch something harder than he'd ever felt the urge before. "What the fuck is a dust mill? Do people actually-"

"Officially, no," Eschal responded flatly. "But the Mages of the Tior province are granted many hidden privileges from the Crown that the rest of the Realm remain unaware of. Besides. There will always be a supplier if there is a market for something. However, the legality of Fae farming is of no concern to P-Soft Boy's condition. Please. Remain seated."

Call me himself was easier said than done. Byng and Suzette both tried to relax him, but their words seemed to pass straight through one ear and out the next. It wasn't until Shayla spoke up after her long silence that he was able to pull himself together.

'It's all right, baby. This isn't worth getting upset about. Not right now. And if you're worried about me, don't be. It's not like I didn't know a lot of this...' for that, Shayla could thank the way adult Pixies loved to scare children with stories of what would happen to them if they got caught. It was funny how those same adults always brushed aside those same stories whenever the next Midsummer rolled around.

Shayla's reassurance did its job. Coye stabled, taking a deep breath as he sat back on the table. "I'm so sorry," he frowned at his behavior. "I didn't mean to-"

"No offense was taken, P-Soft Boy. Heightened emotions and sudden mood swings are just some of the many side effects common with Pixie Dust consumption, especially at the volume the patient consumes. While under its influence, impulsiveness and fleeting spikes in confidence are a regular occurrence as well. Has P-Soft Boy experienced these symptoms?"

Coye thought about how he felt that morning, how overwhelmed with love he was just from being around his harem. He brushed that one off. What man wouldn't feel happy to wake up to that? But the impulsiveness and the increase in his confidence? That was harder to ignore.

"Yeah," Coye was forced to admit. "All of those sort of come and go... but... does that mean-"

"P-Soft Boy is not being changed on a fundamental level. The substance is helping to bring out what the patient's heart wishes it could do, mimicking the lackadaisical way in which a Pixie lives its life. Any decisions P-Soft Boy has made as of late," Eschal purposefully looked towards Suzette and Byng. "Would not have been possible if he didn't desire to make them-whether that be consciously or subconsciously."

This was the biggest relief to Shayla thus far. She was terrified that Coye would start believing none of his choices were his own and that all of the changes he'd made to his life these last two weeks were because he was high on glittery wing powder. Still, it was something they would need to discuss.

Coye was feeling a bit of relief, as well. Enough for him to move the conversation forward. "What other side effects are there?"

"As I have said, while the substance has many alchemical uses, Pixie Dust is primarily used as an aphrodisiac. By all accounts, sprinkling large, non-diluted doses of the substance over one's genitalia should leave an ordinary man dead within a day or two. The inexhaustible sex drive, coupled with the magically amplified semen production and the drastically increased sensitivity, leads to one common path among many men- heart failure. Unable to keep up, it quite literally explodes."

Coye clutched his beating heart, too terrified to say a thing.

Suzette took the chance to cut in here. "But you're saying there's no risk of that?"

"That's right," Byng nodded. "You said if he was gonna die, then he already would've, right? You get around to explaining that, y'know! And hey, what about us? We're getting dicked down left and right over here-"

Eschal picked up Byng's folder and jotted that fact into his notes. "While his dick is covered in the stuff, spreading it right where you're saying it almost killed him!"

"I will answer both questions. First, P-Green Predator. There is absolutely no concern to be had. Pixie Dust only affects the opposite sex of the Pixie it is sourced from. Without getting into details on where or how P-Soft Boy acquired the substance, if it works on him, it is merely a sparkling powder to any other female the patient makes sexual contact with. On top of that, the substance is absorbed by the skin hastily."

Shayla mentally chalked up another win, telling the group, 'Alright. Me being the source of a magical STD is de-confirmed. Good, good.'

"Guess that explains why your dick isn't shiny all the time, gahaha!" Byng laughed. The situation was slowly revealing itself to be less and less dire, allowing her to inject a bit of levity. It wasn't received very well, though. Byng sank and frowned as her joke fell flat.

"Indeed. Why P-Soft Boy has not succumbed to heart failure is a more difficult topic. One might be tempted to assume the patient's physique as a well-trained adventurer has something to do with it. That is not the case. The problem is that there are multiple, verifiable accounts of others with matching conditions to P-Soft Boy. Like him, these people not only survived but thrived."

"Um," Coye tilted his head. "Why exactly is that a problem?"

"It is a problem because the explanation for their survival is... unscientific," Eschal's tone of voice changed for the first time, spitting out that word before resuming his dreary monotone. "Without delving into folklore and superstition, the best I can tell you is that some people are merely more compatible with Pixie Dust than others. That is the only truth here which I can present. I would rather leave it at that, but I can't imagine 'just trust me' is satisfactory. On top of that, we are talking about a magical substance. It would be ignorant of me to rule out the possibility that the theories posited have no merit whatsoever. I prefer providing verifiable facts instead of going on long, mysterious, unnecessarily vague rants."

Coye looked at his lovers and then back at Eschal. "I think we'd like to hear about the folklore and superstition," he said, speaking for everyone in the room.

"I was afraid of such. Very well, P-Soft Boy. Let us start with the simplest of questions. Has the patient noticed a pattern among his side effects?" Eschal proposed.

That got the boy thinking harder than he'd thought in quite a long time. Hard enough that his brain was on the verge of developing a headache. This was a puzzle, a dire one. Coye considered all of his side effects. Mood swings, fits of impulsiveness, an inexhaustible libido coupled with magical semen production, heightened emotions and sensitivity, surges in his confidence level...

Shayla figured it out first, but Coye wasn't very far behind.

"I'm becoming more like a Pixie," Coye stated as his mouth gaped, and his eyes opened wide.

"Hypothetically, yes," Eschal confirmed. "Before I continue, I would like to stress once again that wherever you are getting your Pixie Dust from is of no concern to me. I am not interested in turning you in, nor am I interested in exposing any secrets you might be trying to keep. Is that understood?"

Coye felt a lump in his throat, whereas Shayla felt much worse. Nonetheless, Coye nodded.

"Good. The common link between all others who have survived your condition is that they took Pixies, or other types of Fae, as lovers. The dust of other Fairies has similar yet significantly weaker properties, but what I'm about to say applies to more than just Pixies. It is said-" Eschal paused. Those were his three most hated words, and it pained him to use them. He remained silent for so long that everyone thought he was setting the mood until he shook his head and dispelled the notion.

"My apologies... lost my train of thought. As I was saying, some theories posit that dust from the wings of a Fae is a substance meant to mold a mortal into a more ideal lover for the Fairy who produced it. This would explain the disparity between dust consensually given and dust harvested. When gifted to the Fae's chosen mortal, it is... proposed that dust establishes a magic, unbreakable bond between the pair. As their love deepens, the symbiotic link creates a feedback loop that causes both parties to grow stronger and stronger. Many powerful Fairies among Karnalle's folklore were said to have had human consorts, so I see how some believe that gives credence to the theory. And then there are those whose accounts I have right here," Eschal picked up one of the scrolls he brought in and tossed it to Coye. "The magical warriors they call Fairy Knights."

With great interest, Coye opened up the scroll as Shayla read its contents alongside him. Her mother used to tell her stories of the Fairy Knights when she was little. Shayla wasn't interested in them at the time, but her fondness developed over the years, as did her appreciation for her mother and all she did as a whole. This was one of her driving motivations to bond with Coye in the first place. She wanted a bond like a Fairy Knight and his love for herself, and all the fear and anxiety Shayla felt within her started to melt away as she realized the childish dream she coveted might actually be possible.

Evidently, Shayla wasn't the only one raised on such stories.

"Fairy Knights?" Suzette blinked. "I thought those were-"

"Fairy tales told to children? Not in this case, no." Eschal interrupted. "They are very real. So real, in fact, that the Association of Adventurers actually has 'Fairy Knight' registered as a class one can qualify for. Something to potentially keep in mind for the future, P-Soft Boy..." he lingered on that for a moment.

"Wait... the Guild has a class that specifies you're a drug addict?" Byng scratched her head and raised an eyebrow.

Eschal dismissed it and continued speaking to Coye. "Tell me. What does the patient see in that scroll?"

What Coye saw was everything he'd ever wanted. A significant volume of text was written in a flowery and flowing script that he couldn't read, but that wasn't what caught his eye. That would have to have been the countless illustrations of Knights wielding magical powers alongside Fairies. Some of these Knights flew high in the sky beside their Fairy lovers. Others were casting sparkly spells that looked similar to Shayla's. Indeed, there were all sorts of abilities on display, but the one that spoke to both boy and Pixie most was the one drawn at the very bottom.

It was a drawing of a Fairy Knight and his paramour holding hands- both figures rendered with glowing auras and at a similar height.

"What do I see?" Coye laughed, the sparkle in his eyes growing more prominent as hype ruled over his senses. "I see that my day just got a whole lot better, for one."

"Let me get a look at that!" Byng hopped up and scrambled to his side.

"Darling? What do you mean by that? Let me see-" Suzette followed after her, and they both expressed surprise at what they saw on the page. Their secondhand happiness for Coye and Shayla was evident by how big their smiles lit up.

Eschal couldn't smile because of the immense crow's beak mask sewn to his flesh, but even he felt a little joy on P-Soft Boy's behalf. If only he had better tact.

"If the patient recalls, I have bad news to share as well," Eschal reminded them, killing the growing sense of optimism.

Byng looked up from the paper and said, "Wait, wasn't that shit about the side effects the bad news?"

"If only that were the case," he shook his head. "No. The bad news is that just as you may very well develop abilities similar to those in the scroll, your pre-existing symptoms will continue to increase in severity."

"Can't he just slow down his consumption to a more reasonable amount?" Suzette asked.

"Oh, no. Not in the slightest. That is absolutely not an option from this point forward. I can't possibly stress harder that you must never, ever slow your consumption or be separated from the source of your dust. You can't get it from any other Pixie if the tales are to be believed, either. It simply won't work now that you've already bonded-" Eschal paused. "If you have indeed bonded with a Pixie, which is none of my concern on top of being something I'm not even convinced is a real phenomenon."

Coye was tempted to tell him how real it was, and even Shayla didn't care as much about Eschal's knowledge of her existence as she did at the start of this appointment. Regardless, they respected his dedication to ensuring they knew where he stood on the matter. More than that, though, they became concerned over the severity of his words.

"Um, why is it that I can't stop taking Pixie Dust?" Coye asked despite his fear of the answer.

"Pixie Dust isn't a common street drug like steezweed, mellowmilk brew, or anything else you might buy from P-Potion Queen. It is a magic drug. One that a person can't just slather immense quantities of all over their genitalia over the course of two weeks and not expect it to fundamentally change the structure of their entire body. In the simplest terms, P-Soft Boy has crossed a line that cannot be uncrossed. His body now depends on the substance beyond what can be compared to non-magical substances."

Somehow, this didn't disturb Coye too much to learn. Partly because he was still excited about the developing magic abilities thing, but mostly because he already figured it was the case. "So, what? I'll die if I stop taking it?"

"No, not at all. In fact, P-Soft Boy might make a full recovery." Eschal could see how confusing his statement was, how it contrasted with what he'd said up until that point. "I believe a demonstration might be in order. A moment." He left the room again before returning with a small container of salt and one of the creepy jars from his many cabinets. This one contained what looked like a slug possessing an eerily human mouth with teeth that just so happened to be the size of a potato.

Eschal took the creature out of the drawer and held it in his hand for all to see. Slimy, wriggling, quite gross to take in. "This Scremollus represents P-Soft Boy," he declared, causing Coye to feel insulted. In no small amount of time, the insult was the least of his concerns. "And this represents Pixie Dust withdrawal." Eschal began pouring salt all over the little creature.

"Wait," Byng pondered. "If you're trying to make a metaphor here, then shouldn't you not pour powder on the-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The Scremollus screamed as its body started to shrivel and shrink, its Human-like mouth gaping until its teeth fell out one by one. It was so unbelievably loud that Coye, Byng, and Suzette's visions blurred, and they became lightheaded. Shayla recognized the monster for what it was and blocked her ears off moments before it happened, thank the Gods, but she didn't have time to protect anyone else. The screaming lasted only a few seconds before the creature was reduced to the size of a grain of rice.

"Was... was that entirely necessary?!" Suzette fumed as she rubbed her ears.

"What?!" Byng shouted, confused and scared over her sudden bout of deafness.

Eschal followed up his demonstration by releasing a green vapor from a vial stored in his sleeve. The mist wormed its way through the air into everyone's ears, relieving them of the pain. "I am not one for theatrics," he informed. "That was quite literally an accurate portrayal of what will happen to P-Soft Boy should he go without Pixie Dust from his 'supplier' for an extended period. Exactly how long, I know not. My professional recommendation is not to try testing that limit."

"I... I thought you said I wouldn't die if I stopped taking it!" Coye looked at what remained of the shriveled slug monster in fear.

"It isn't dead. In time, it will make a full recovery. Just as P-Soft Boy would." Eschal put the monster and the salt shaker into his pocket. "Toxicology is not my strongest field of interest, but I would wager a Half-Elf like the patient would be able to pull through after roughly fifty years of screaming, writhing in pain, and drying out."

Shayla was feeling a whole new level of guilt. On the off chance that Coye was mad at her over everything she'd unintentionally done to him, he was shit out of luck. They were inextricably linked now, and being separated would tear him apart seam from seam. In a cruel twist of irony, Shayla supposed this was what she deserved for wanting to be the most special woman in his life.

"Okay," Coye sighed. "Don't stop taking Pixie Dust. Got it. Anything else I need to know treatment-wise?"

Eschal briefly looked over Byng and Suzette before regarding the boy again. "As I said, your symptoms will continue growing more severe. In time, P-Soft Boy's lovers may be unable to relieve the mounting pressure caused by his increased libido. Not alone, anyway."

"Are you seriously giving short-stuff a medical excuse to expand his harem?" Byng laughed.

"Like he needed one," Suzette muttered under her breath.

"Not specifically. Brothels offer the same result. For financial reasons, I recommend finding more willing volunteers, however. On top of brothels adding up over time, I guarantee that P-Soft Boy will not find the price I charge for healing a pair of magically-imploded testicles agreeable."

Again, Eschal left the room in stunned silence. Stunned silence and phantom pain in Coye's balls.

"Any other loose ends I might conveniently wrap up?" Eschal asked in what might've been a joke if it weren't coming from him.

"Just one," Coye spoke after managing to fight down the vision of what Eschal had just described. "Many of my symptoms feel worse whenever I'm in the Gnarled Woods. Why is that?"

"If I had to guess, it's because that forest is a place full of magics new and old. P-Soft Boy's body is now more sensitive to such magic, again, like a Pixie. However, he hasn't grown accustomed to that sensitivity yet in the way that a Pixie who lived their entire lives in those woods likely has. Give it time. This specific symptom may grow more bearable, or it may not. This is merely speculation, as I've said."

"I think it might be best if we have the room to ourselves for a few moments, Mr. Paracelis." Suzette suggested. There was so much for them all to take in, and she had a feeling no one wanted to wait until they were home.

"Absolutely," Eschal politely bowed, but before he could leave, Coye spoke up.

"Wait, I lied! I have just one more question. So... these magical abilities..." the boy was fidgeting with excitement as he dreamed about the possibilities. "Do you think they might develop faster if I start increasing the amount of Pixie Dust I take?"

Suzette cradled her forehead in her palm, and Byng laughed heartily to the point where she almost collapsed. Someone had taken the entirely wrong message here, clearly. His innocent tunnel vision would've been amusing if it weren't for how serious his question was.

'WHAT-' Shayla exclaimed in fear. Now she was the one with the phantom pain between her legs.

"Maybe, maybe not," Eschal responded flatly. "The only thing I know for certain is that this consultation cost 20,000G. As always, payment plans are available with premiums corresponding to your rank and level of Venture-On coverage. With that, I leave P-Soft Boy to discuss matters with the ladies in his life."