All for a Cup of Coffee

"Harrold?" Ava asked and broke me out of my thought. I started and opened my eyes, looking down at her quickly.

"Yeah, Ava? What's up?" I asked, uncrossing my arms and standing upright. My eyes flicked to the pot, worried it had started to burn and somehow I hadn't smelled it. It wasn't, it looked like it was still amid a perfect simmer.

"Are you okay? You looked like you were in pain there. Your face was all tense. Is your head alright?" Ava asked, raising up on her toes to put a floury hand to my cheek.

I smiled and leaned into her hand, "I'm fine, Ava. My head just hurts a bit and I'm really trying to think about how to do magic. It always looks so easy and I can feel it there in me, but it won't do anything."

Ava smiled and patted my face before turning back to the oven. Her naked butt bounced a bit as her tail twitched about. "Well don't ask me about that. I'm as magical as a rock. Always thought it would be useful but I've never had the ability."

"Oh! I could help!" Berry exclaimed eagerly from where she was working in the fridge. She was moving things around and making space for the next order of ingredients. She came out and closed the door, rubbing her hands together as the warm air touched her skin.

I smiled and gestured to her, "Alright Berry. I'm game. What's the secret?"

Berry stood with her hands on her bare hips and her huge tits bouncing a bit. Her nipples were stiff from the chill inside the fridge and she smiled broadly, "First, change how you think about that magic in your head. Make it into something you can hold or move about. I picture my power as sand and I imagine gathering it into my hands and..." She held out her palm and a sparkling candle flame appeared.

I stared at it and said, "Berry, that's... I... Hmmm." I closed my eyes again and moved my mind back into that space near the power. But I tried to think about it differently. Think about it like sand? God no, that was wrong. Think about it... What could I control and use?

In my mind's eye, the power began to shift. It went from an intangible, amorphous thing to something more sensible. It started to come into focus. But as I tried to keep focus on it, it began to slip apart again.

My eyes opened and I gasped. My focus broke and the power fades back into its incoherency again. I wiped my face and shook my head, "No. No good. I can't think of what to imagine it as."

Berry's shoulders slumped and she let the fire go out, "Oh. Sorry. Well maybe you just need to work on it."

"Maybe." I agreed with a nod. I looked down at the pot and gave it a slow stir, "We have dinner to serve anyway."

"And you're serving it naked. We're going to have to beat them off with ladles." Ava said, glancing down at my bare cock.

I grinned at her, "You all walk around naked often enough. I try not to distract you all with my body, but tonight seemed like a good night to give in. We're serving one dish instead of our menu so I want to give them something else to feast on too."

"Gods know they will." Ava licked her lips and I saw the struggle it took her to tear her eyes away from me so she could attend to the ovens.

"Alright. Let's get the bowls and biscuits ready and start serving." I said and walked over to the cupboard.

It was a short time later that I was pouring steaming servings of chicken and dumplings into bowls. We gathered them up four at a time and walked them out to the bustling room.

When the town had heard I had fallen ill today, there had almost been a riot. Women flooded the High-Tail to try and offer every kind of help imaginable. So that meant that when dinner came around and Ro'Lin informed them I would still be serving, we had a packed house. And my God did they go crazy when I came out with the first batch. They all stopped to stare. The room went quiet and women everywhere gasped and cried out in delight. Soon they were all whooping and cheering. I set the bowls down and stopped to dance a little. I shook my hips and very nearly pranced back to the kitchen.

They. Went. Wild.

*******

Three hours later, I had been forced to put on one of the kilts Cherry had bought me. The women had grown to rowdy and wild. They'd started masturbating openly and many had to be wrestled out the door by Berry because they tried to grab hold of me. After the last one that threw herself on me bodily and Lizzy had to remove her with magic, I decided maybe working up an entire room of horny women with my supernaturally beautiful masculinity was not the best idea.

"Gods, what were you thinking?" Cherry laughed as she counted coins on the bar. The sun was down and only a few of the calmer and more well known patrons had stayed to have a few more drinks before bed.

I shrugged, "I thought it would be fun. I didn't think it would break four of our chairs, two tables, a window, and dozens of glasses." I said as I watched Ro'Lin drag a broom across another pile of splinters and glass.

Saffron was also doing her best to help, but she'd been practically catatonic half the night from the flood of lust and emotion that had psychically overwhelmed her.

Berry came back in after carrying a broken table outside and dusted her hands off. She smiled brightly, "Fun though! Really fun!"

"Fun for you, Berry. You got to drag naughty ladies off Harrold and toss them out on their butts. How's your face, Ava?" Cherry asked as she turned and looked at the small woman. She sat on the other hand of the bar, beer in one hand and cold rag in the other. She had a nasty black eye from when she got elbowed on accident in some of the confusion.

"It's fine, Cherry. Just a bump." Ava said and drained her beer. She set the glass down and hopped off her stool, "Harrold, I'm going to bed."

I blinked in surprise at that. One of the girls going to bed without even trying to proposition me? She really must be worn out from all this. I smiled and waved, "Alright Ava. Sleep well. Saffron, maybe you should go lay down too. You could sleep with her."

Saffron looked up from the table she'd been slowly scrubbing and her face fell, "Am I doing a bad job?"

I shook my head, "No, not that. I saw you earlier. You're strung out and frazzled from today. Go rest and we'll take care of it. Plus Ava likes having someone to cuddle with."

She looked both unhappy and relieved at the same time. I walked over to her and smiled down at her. With just the tips of my fingers, I brushed her cheek. She shuddered softly and her eyes swirled with warm colors. A soft sigh escaped her lips and she nodded to me, "Th-Thank you. It has been more... Intense than I thought it would to be around people all the time."

Ava stepped around me and took Saffron's hand, "Come on cuddle buddy."

I couldn't help the laugh as I watched Ava walk Saffron up the stairs and out of sight. I turned back to where Lizzy was picking up glass with her magic and said, "Hey, where's my phone? We need some music."

She pointed a wing at the bar where my phone say up on a shelf behind it. I went over and turned on some soft fantasy music with lots of pipes and soft strings. The few guests left in the bar looked curiously up at where the music was coming from but they must've shrugged it off as some kind of magic.

Glancing back to Lizzy as she carried the shards in a tumbling little orb in the air, I asked her, "Hey Lizzy, how do you picture magic in your head?"

Without missing a step she said, "Like wind under my wings or a breeze at my back. I heard you and Berry talking. To me, the power is ethereal and fluttering. It dances over my feathers and swirls at my command. It's why I find telekinesis and air magic to be the easiest to use."

I blinked at that, "But... How can you imagine controlling air?"

She dropped the glass in a waste bin and said, "I don't. To me, the power flows on its own and I simply guide it like I turn my wing to catch the ocean breeze. It's hard for someone without wings to understand but to me the movement of air is as plain and simple as script on a page of parchment. Your own power must be something you are incredibly familiar with, something second nature to you." She gestured a wing at Berry, "She grew up in her mom's inn which is surrounded by all that lush sand towards the other side of the port. She probably played in it all the time and it's a deeply held memory for her."

Berry nodded, "Uh-huh! Exactly! I have built and dug and played so much in the sand! I just can't help but build and play with magic the same way!"

I leaned on the bar and brushed at my beard. My mind churned and I said, "Something I am familiar with, huh? Well that leaves... Women... And cooking."

Cherry laughed warmly, "I think there's a little more to you than a two page book, my love."

"Maybe. But I've rarely spent time learning anything else so well it's second nature. Let me think about this while we clean up some more." I mumbled and reached for my cleaning rag.

--- Chapter 12 : Old Fashioned Cocktail ---

The next day found me at the Mage's Guild again early in the morning. I had barely slept and it wasn't at all because I was in bed with Ro'Lin and Cherry. I couldn't stop trying to tinker with my magic. I still couldn't bring it into any kind of focus or do anything with it and I was growing frustrated.

I marched through the door of the guild. I was wearing only a pair of soft poofy pants today and had my bare chest on display. The dusty, library-like quality of the place hit me and I slowed my step. I looked around for Cartaline. This early in the morning, the guild was very quiet. She was bent over a rack of scrolls, organizing and arranging them. Still in her flowing blue robes, her ass looked quite nice bent over like that. I stepped over behind her and grabbed a handful of her rump.

"Hey! Hey... Oh, Harrold. Goodness, I thought I was being assaulted." Cartaline gasped and turned on me with a blush in her cheeks.

"You're too cute when you're startled." I said and I crossed my arms over my bare chest, "I want to take you up on that offer of training. I don't have a lot of time but I'm stuck and I want your advice."

She blushed and frowned, "And you think flirting will help?"

I shrug, "If that's not enough I can always bring out the big guns." I slung my thumbs in the waist of my pants and drew them down far enough for her to see my pubes and the curve of where my shaft met my crotch.

"H-Harrold! What of all your other women? Surely you can't just-" Cartaline stammered in a fluster until I leaned down to kiss her on the lips.

"Calm down. I just want a teacher today." I said.

She bit her lip and smiled, "Very well, Harrold. Come with me and we'll see what we can do."

She led me behind the counter and into a small cozy study. A table and chairs sat on one side near some stained glass, and two other walls were covered in large bookshelves. It took me a minute to realize the stained glass couldn't possibly be on an exterior wall so the light shining through it had to be enchanted.

"That's cool." I said with a glance at the magic window.

"I like making homey little enchantments like that. Alright. So what are your questions? Did you want to begin magic training in earnest or..." She trailed off slowly.

"I need to know how to grasp my power. Both Berry and Lizzy told me that I need to imagine it as something to be worked with. Berry thinks of it as sand while Lizzy thinks it's wind. I can't seem to focus on anything to get it to shape in my mind. Clay or sand or water or whatever. None of it sticks long enough to give me any kind of control." I explained with a hint of frustration.

"Hmmm..." Cartaline said, leaning against the table and folding her arms across her ample bust. She stared at me thoughtfully and said, "Well, both analogies for magic are accurate to their users. But do you know what I do? I hear music. To me, magic is song and when I hear it, I hum along and the tune shifts to what I desire. You need to find not just a physical form but something that fits who you are. I bet Lizzy does not truly think of air so much as she thinks of flying in it. Berry is much more straight forward and simple and that works for her. For you... This is the hardest part of unlocking talent. You need to find what resonates with the very deepest part of your self."

"I told Lizzy, I'm only truly good at two things: cooking and women." I said with a groan. I rubbed at my head and tried to think. Should I imagine it like dough or something and imagine tossing a pizza dough?

Cartaline waved off my worries, "That's fine. Completely fine. Perhaps magic is a recipe to you, or perhaps it is foreplay. There are many ways you can imagine and turn it to something for you."

My mouth fell slack. Foreplay. Love. Sex. Actions, and not things necessarily able to be held. It felt so good and I felt so stupid for not thinking about it more abstractly. I'm not the smartest at times. I looked inward at my power, at the amorphous thing that radiated energy inside me. But instead of trying to grab it or mold it or command it, I tried to caress it. I tried to put my mental arms around it and embrace it. I thought about my lust and passion for sex as I made contact with the power.

It reacted. It shifted and my power melded against my mind like the press of a woman's warm body against my own. I imagined it in the shape of a lovely feminine form, rubbing up against my mind. It was soft and sweet and it flowed through me like the caress of a lover. Kisses and phantom touches coursed over my body where the power went. I imagined the power as a woman sliding her breasts down my arm and kissing along the way. Power flowed through my mana veins and I felt each one of them where they burned within me. I tried to shift the power into a flame in my hand and...

It all fell apart. The magic's shape shattered and it coalesced as an incoherent cloud in the back of my mind again. I sighed heavily and felt my legs wobble.

"That was... Holy shit..." I gasped and stepped over to a chair by the table. I flopped into it and Cartaline looked down at me. There was a touch of concern on her face. My chest heaved and I looked down at my shaking hands with a smile.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Okay? I'm amazing. That felt phenomenal. The power was moving. I was controlling it. I tried to cast something and it all went away, but it's something!" I said excitedly. I looked up at her and I'm pretty certain I looked like a happy fool.

"What did you see?" She asked.

I glanced up at her and then smiled. Getting slowly to my feet, I stepped closer to her. Her face blushed softly and she looked up at me. I slipped my arms around her and bent down to kiss her lips. She gave a muffled gasp and then melted into my embrace. I held her body against mine and kissed her more heatedly. I kept it up until I thought she was going to collapse and I slowly broke off with a gentle peck on her lips.

I pulled back and said, "I saw a lover. I embraced magic like a woman."

"Oh my." Cartaline whispered, her face flushed and her eyes dilated from pleasure.

"You should let me show you first hand." I said with a smile. I really, really wanted to see under these robes. I'd gotten bits and pieces of the shape of her body but little more. The modesty, here in this world with such openness, was very tantalizing to me.

"I appreciate the offer but... How much will it cost me?" Cartaline asked.

I shook my head and said, "Nothing but more magic lessons sometime."

"Really? You sure? Okay. I don't mind teaching you. I haven't had a man in years." Cartaline said with a bright smile.

"Years? Come on, now that's criminal." I said and kissed her again. This time I cupped the underside of her heavy breasts through her robes. Cartaline hummed softly and reached her arms around my bare back.

I broke the kiss and said, "How does this robe come off?"

Cartaline grinned and stepped back. Her fingers grasped the collar of her robe and she undid a clasp there. She worked down the inner fold, undoing little ties or clasps. The front of it fell open and she let it slip from her shoulders. Her body was spectacular. I just leaned back and smiled down at her, taking it all in without shame.

Her breasts were large and heavy. They hung with a bit of sag but they were plump and rounded with the hard pink tips of her nipples standing out. Her hips were wider than I expected and her tummy was soft and supple. She had a thick bush between her legs and her thighs were shining with a bit of wetness. Her canine ears had a matching dark tail drooping low over her ass.

"Wow." I said with a smile.

Cartaline blushed and I stepped over to her. I swept her up in a hug and pulled her up against me. Her breasts squashed on my chest and her hard nipples poked me. I kissed her again and guided her back towards the table.

"Mmmff~! Harrold!" Cartaline squeaked as I set her on the table's edge. I laced my fingers behind her back and looked her in the eyes.

"What?" I asked innocently.

"This is-I haven't been with a man in so long. Please, be gentle." Cartaline blushed.

I laughed, "I'll do my best."

Reaching down, I undid the tie on my poofy pants and let them drop to the floor. I figured I'd might as well join her in the nudity. No reason to make her agonize over seeing me naked. I raised my hands in the air and danced a bit for her, shaking my cock about. She was instantly mesmerized.

"Oh my." Cartaline gasped. Her pussy was visibly wetter and I stepped forward, sliding my hand between her legs. She twitched but let me slip my fingers over her folds. She was wet and supple. With a quick rub, I parted her lips and plunged a couple fingers inside. Her gasp was sweet and melodious.

"A little eager?" I commented quietly as I slowly fingered her.

She swallowed and took a breath, "Have you ever known a woman who wasn't eager for a man?"

I nodded at that, "Fair. So how would you like it?"

"I'd like you to replace your fingers with your penis." She said bluntly and I laughed heartily at that.

"Obviously! Alright, if that's how it's gonna be." I said, still chortling softly. I spread my legs and positioned myself in front of her, hips cocked and cock at the ready. She looked down at the edge of the table, where her bare wet pussy was poised to receive me. Her eyes were wide and her chest was rising and falling a little faster.

I gripped myself by the base and pressed my cockhead to her folds. Cartaline inhaled sharply and I pushed it inside her. Her insides were warm and inviting. I slipped deep into her and she squeezed down around me, her voice catching in a sharp gasp. I rocked my hips and started a nice, gentle rhythm. Cartaline leaned back on the table, resting on her palms and she let her head fall back.

"Oh Harrold. You're so big. Oh goddess." Cartaline moaned sweetly. I kept up my pace and I took a moment to admire her. Her breasts jiggled and swayed and her belly quivered with my thrusts. She was delightfully soft and I reached forward to grab her by the waist. Cartaline yelped as I pulled her against me suddenly. She grabbed my shoulders and wrapped her legs around my ass.

"Harrold!" Cartaline gasped into my ear and I smiled, kissing her cheek. Her moans picked up and I kept a firm hold on her. I fucked her on the table, humping my hips into her. Much to my relief, this world without cheap particle board and plywood meant sturdy tables were much more common. It barely rocked as I fucked her atop it.

Cartaline orgasmed first, obviously. She whimpered and squeaked into my ear. Her nails dug into my shoulder and her legs tightened around me. Her pussy flexed and squeezed me in waves and I just fucked her through it. I could see the look in her face as her consciousness threatened to slip. I would never tire of how easy the women in this world were to please. I slowed and focused more on working my own cock with her pussy rather than trying to directly pleasure her. It made little difference to her but my balls tingled with the extra sensations. It wouldn't take long for me to cum and the sound of her blissful moans helped push me along.