Chapter Text
“Hm… not strong enough… the measurements must be off again.”
Espresso adjusted the lamp, making sure he could see every small grain of coffee grounds.
“Espresso! I thought you were going to join the celebrations!” Strawberry Crepe complained as they suited up their waffle bot to carry decorations for the victory party.
“I am much too busy,”
“Ugh, you’re so BORING! Everyone's going to be there!”
Espresso sighed. “Perhaps I will join later, once I’ve finished my work.”
“You better! It's going to go all night, so don’t fall asleep before you get a chance to see the fireworks I modded into my wafflebots!”
“Fall asleep? Hah!” Espresso scoffed. “I would never.”
“Phbbbbttttt.” Strawberry Crepe blew a raspberry at him as they opened the warehouse gate, the Wafflebot stomping out.
Espresso couldn't help but smile. Strawberry Crepe was intelligent, but they were still a child. Ever since the stress of the war had passed, they had been able to go back to their usual demanding, inquisitive self. That included roping the villagers into playing games and analysing any stranger they came across.
Espresso was not the sort to slow down and enjoy the parties that were being put on almost every week. He had expended his magic candy to create a massive explosion, and was toiling away day and night to make a new one.
Espresso paced back and forth between workstations, occasionally stopping to grind, measure, tamp, and extrude a fresh shot of coffee to drink.
*Eeeeeeeeee- BANG! crackle~*
“Those must be Strawberry Crepe’s fireworks. Hmm. I wonder if I can see them from here?”
Espresso stepped away from his work and climbed up to the loft of the warehouse. He found one of the windows and looked out. The night sky was dark, until-
*Eeeeeeeeee- BOOM!*
Espresso watched the night light up with colorful sparkles, crackling as they fell back down.
“Looks like the party really is going all night.” He smiled. “Normally I’m the only cookie who would still be awake at this hour.”
He watched the fireworks for a few minutes, then climbed back down the ladder. He made himself a fresh shot of espresso and paused. Something about his coffee smelled somewhat different. He checked his grinder.
“Have the coffee beans gone stale? What a nuisance…” he mumbled. Espresso tutted to himself. He will get new ones first thing tomorrow. He would just have to tolerate the imperfect taste for now.
The hour passed on as he studied his diagrams again. “I’ll try refining the grind of the magic candy even finer this time. It should crystalize better. Just have to be careful it doesn't get too volatile-” Espresso broke into a yawn. “... Was that… a yawn?” He shook his head. “These stale beans must not be as potent. I'll just make a double shot this time.”
Espresso turned away from his work to grind, measure, tamp, and extrude more coffee.
Still, even after the double shot, and a quad shot to follow a half hour later, his eyelids were growing heavier as he tried to focus on his work. He leaned on the table and his head slowly lowered…
“- What!? Who’s there?!” Espresso’s head shot up. “Huh… Did I just fall asleep?”
Espresso scanned the silent warehouse. Something must have disturbed him while he dozed off.
*Eeeeeee- Bang!*
“Oh. Hahah… it was just Strawberry Crepe’s fireworks.” Espresso took a deep breath. He was feeling jittery, but not in the way his coffee usually energized him.
He rubbed his eyes, “Need more coffee…” he mumbled to himself.
He positioned himself in front of the espresso machine again and frowned. Surely the issue was with the beans he was using. He poured them into the trash.
“I know I have a backup stash… I hope I remembered to refill it before I left to join the battlefield.” He pulled open a drawer underneath his setup.
A blade, cold and sharp, pressed up against his neck as a large scythe wrapped around in front of him.
“Thats enough coffee for tonight.” A nasally voice warned. “If I have to watch you go through the same three steps again I’m going to rip my own hair out!”
Espresso slowly let go of the drawer and raised his hands up.
“If you’re here to steal, I should warn you these experiments are very dangerous to an inexperienced user.” He said calmly.
“If the experiments were our only goal, we would have slipped away with them already.” A female voice said, “We’re here for you, Espresso.”
Espresso turned around, careful not to make any sudden movements.
“You two are Dark Enchantress’s underlings.” he realized.
“WERE her underlings,” Licorice, the necromancer, corrected him.
“My dark master was defeated, due to your interference with her great plans!” Said the dark priestess, Pomegranate, her voice dripping with malice.
“Revenge, is that what you want?” Espresso asked. His voice wavered, despite every effort to stay calm.
“Kind of, yeah!” Licorice gripped his scythe, still keeping it close to Espresso’s neck.
Espresso glanced at the table where the components for his magic candy lay. They wouldn't be as powerful as a complete magic candy, but he was outnumbered. He could use a small boost, he just needed the right moment to make his move.
“Why show yourselves then? You had your chance to kill me when I fell asleep.” he asked.
“Ohhoho… we’re not going to kill you.” Licorice grinned.
“Killing you would not be enough!” Pomegranate scowled, “I want you to suffer for what you did! I want you to feel every moment of pain and loss and despair-”
“Woah- hey, Pomegranate…” Licorice waved her down.
“Ahem…” She regained her composure, “Of course, I must restrain myself.” She stepped forward towards Espresso. “Killing you would only encourage the Ancients to come after us. We simply intend to teach you a lesson, so you think twice before crossing the Cookies of Darkness again.”
“A lesson? Believe me, I can study enough on my own time-” Espresso kicked over the trashcan of coffee beans and ignited them with his magic.
Licorice jumped back from the scalding heat as the warehouse was filled with smoke and the smell of burning coffee.
“Oh, you're going to regret that!” Licorice yelled. “Licorice servants, after him!”
“You will not get away!” Pomegranate declared. She turned her mirror, creating a barrier in front of the door.
Espresso wasn't headed for the door. He ducked towards his worktable, tossing a bullet of coffee magic behind him. Licorice knocked it away with his scythe. “Too slow, heheheh…”
Espresso stumbled over his workstation, grabbing at the components. He surrounded himself with magic, superheating it to extreme degrees as the licorice monsters surrounded him.
“Stay back!” he warned. “Or be ground to pieces!”
“Get him!” Licorice ordered.
The licorice monsters waded into the swirling flow of magic, noxious fumes rising as their bodies melted and tore apart in the hot grinding coils of magic.
Espresso choked as it filled his lungs.
“Heheheh, not so tough now are you?” Licorice jeered.
“Licorice. Do you intend to suffocate us with this poisonous gas, as well?” Pomegranate asked angrily, her sleeve pressed over her face.
“Ngh… uh… Servants, begone!” Licorice ordered.
The licorice minions melted immediately.
Espresso coughed, holding onto the workstation to keep himself up. He had intended to portal himself away once he set up his defense, but it would be too dangerous with his concentration impaired like this. “Why… Why am I so tired?” He gasped.
“Maybe because you’ve had nothing but decaf coffee for the last two hours,” Licorice snickered.
“Decaf?” Espresso repeated, his eyes widening in horror. “That's why the beans tasted different!”
“We took the liberty of swapping out your precious coffee beans with our own while you were busy enjoying the fireworks show.” Pomegranate explained, hiding her smirk behind her sleeve.
She raised her bell stick, ringing it twice.
Pomegranate’s dark magic took hold of Espresso and he winced in pain. He stumbled back, knocking over measuring tools and devices as he felt his remaining magic draining from him.
Espresso panicked. He attempted to open the portal anyways before his magic was gone entirely - he could deal with the consequences once he escaped - but the portal only fizzled out at his feet.
“No…”
“It's foolish to think that you can overcome the two of us when you are already weakened.” Pomegranate rang her bell stick again, removing the curse she had placed on Espresso. “And now that you are truly helpless… Licorice, make sure he is properly restrained.” She ordered.
“Mmhehheh, yes ma’am.”
Espresso was forced to kneel on the floor as Licorice tied his arms behind him. The necromancer’s scythe stayed by his neck at all times, and Espresso was not reassured that they did not actually intend to kill him after all.
“What are you going to do to me now?” Espresso asked.
“Eheheh… You’ll see. I've been waiting so long to finally get back at you for beating us!” Licorice said, giddy. He grabbed Espresso’s glasses off of his face.
“Ah! Hey! I need those-”
“Wow. You are BLIND.” Licorice scoffed, holding the large lenses up to his face. “Blinder than my BatCat.”
“Ngh…” Without his glasses, all Espresso could see was a blur of yellow from his lamp and a blur of red where the light illuminated Pomegranate’s robe. Licorice was practically invisible in the dark warehouse.
“Would you stop fooling around, Licorice?” Pomegranate scolded. She turned her mirror over in her hands, “Lets begin by delving into that memory of yours and see what makes you truly despair.”
Espresso gasped as his vision shifted. Through Pomegranate’s magic, he could see a memory being playing out before him, even without his glasses.
“What are you doing?!” Espresso exclaimed, watching as the members of the Republic’s law enforcement pilfered through his small apartment, accusing him of practicing dark magic. “You have it all wrong!”
Of course, they had already made up their minds before even entering, and everything they found could be twisted into “evidence” one way or another. They had embarrassed and humiliated him as he cleared his name without fail, again and again.
Worst of all, he had to remain calm and composed, while everyone else made accusations based on emotions and prejudice. It wasn't fair! He shouldn’t need to explain himself, his magic was coffee magic! Practical, but not evil!
“Hm… That's very interesting.” Pomegranate chuckled to herself.
Espresso blinked as the vision faded away, leaving him disoriented. His heart was racing from a sudden wave of stress brought up by the resurfaced emotions of his traumatic experiences.
“You had every right to desire revenge on the world that despised you.” she scoffed. “In another life, you might have joined us. Unfortunate.”
“In my opinion…” Espresso recollected his nerves. “It appears I didn't need to stoop so low.”
Pomegranate scowled. “I don't believe we need your opinion. Licorice, find a gag or some other way to silence him.”
“Uh, yeah! Here we go, this will do.” Licorice tugged off Espresso’s tie.
“That’s hardly the most efficient option…” Espresso complained. He didn't want his nice clothes destroyed this way.
“Eh, seems pretty efficient to me,“ Licorice balled the tie up, stuffing it into his mouth. He grabbed a roll of heavy duty tape to keep it there. “Damn… that looks like it's going to hurt to take off later.” Licorice commented, patting Espresso on the cheek. He looked back at Pomegranate for approval.
Pomegranate nodded. She flashed her mirror again.
Espresso shut his eyes as a new vision took hold, but it didn’t block out the magical sight that forced him to relive his worst memories.
He saw all the faces that perceived him as dangerous. Stereotypes impressed on him because of what he was made of. The eyes that never once saw him as an equal. The voices that always tried to keep him down, telling him he wouldn't amount to anything, that he was inadequate.
“Mhph…!” Espresso strained against his gag. They were wrong!
Espresso wasn't an emotional person, he wouldn't cry, but the memories wore him down all the same. By the end of all Pomegranate's visions, Espresso’s head hung low, his breathing ragged as he held back his tears.
“That should be enough.” Pomegranate swept her robe around her. “If you ever face us again, know that there is more of this in store for you.”
Espresso stared at the floor, the visions seared into the blur of greys he saw as he blinked his eyes.
“Licorice, do whatever you must. Quickly.”
“My turn? Mheheh…”
Espresso heard the rustling of papers from beside him.
“Mhhm!” “My research!”
“I’ll just slip these into my journal here…” Licorice said. “Ohoho… these are going to be VERY interesting to read later.”
“Indeed. Perhaps someday, we will obtain the very power wielded by those deplorable Ancients.” Pomegranate agreed. “All because of Espresso’s carelessness.” She laughed.
Espresso struggled, but he couldn't pull himself free of the ropes Licorice had tied him up with.
“Heh, not so powerful now, are you?” Licorice jeered.
“Please, no! You don't understand how dangerous those can be! Such magic can never fall into the wrong hands!” Espresso begged hopelessly in his head.
Everything Espresso had written down on soul jams and magic candies. It was falling into the hands of Dark Enchantress’s followers, and there was nothing he could do to stop them. That almost hurt worse than his own memories.
“If you are satisfied now, Licorice, we must be going.”
“Heh, just one more thing…” Licorice dragged one of the metal work chairs over in front of Espresso.
“What are you doing, Licorice?”
Licorice sat down and kicked off his shoes, “Just something that will *really* convince him to think twice before messing with us again, heheh…” he wriggled his toes in their socks.
“Ugh… Just hurry and catch up with the others when you're done.” Pomegranate groaned.
“Oh don't worry… I doubt he’ll last very long.”
Pomegranate slipped away, the red blur of her robe disappearing into the darkness.
Licorice looked down at Espresso, chuckling quietly to himself.
Espresso frowned, confused. What was Licorice doing?
Licorice slid his foot between Espresso’s legs, pressing up against the crotch.
“Mmmhh?!! Mhm, mmh!”
Espresso tried to pull away, but Licorice planted the blade of his scythe behind Espresso’s shoulder.
“You think you can get out of this that easily? Don't move!”
Licorice massaged the inside of Espresso’s thighs with his toes, then pressed back onto his groin softly.
“Mgh… mph…” Espresso shook his head. He pressed his knees together.
“HEY!”
Licorice kicked his foot forward, and Espresso flinched, curling over his stomach at the pain.
Licorice picked up his scythe and pushed the handle between Espresso’s legs. “Open up or I’ll rip your clothes off and let your friends find you naked instead.”
“Mmhh!?” Espresso’s skin crawled at the image of Licorice’s threat.
“So… if you want to keep your pants on, you're going to sit here, and you’re going to LIKE IT.”
Espresso shuddered as he shifted his knees back apart. The situation wasn't worth risking his life or his dignity over, but he was mortified at the realization that Licorice intended to give him a footjob for some inexplicable reason.
Licorice was surprisingly good at it too. He lifted his other leg, wrapping both feet around the bulge that was forming in Espresso’s pants and rolling his toes around it. Through the dark blur in his vision that made up Licorice’s robes, Espresso saw flashes of purple, and realized those must have been Licorice’s stockings.
“Why does an evil necromancer wear purple stockings?” Espresso wondered.
“Dont think I’m doing this because I like you.” Licorice grumbled. “Once we won the war, Dark Enchantress was finally going to notice me, but you ruined it. You cucked me!”
Espresso clenched his teeth down on the wad of cloth in his mouth.
“I thought about this for a while,” Licorice continued. “Sure I could just psychologically or physically torment you like Pomegranate did. But you'd get over that. So I thought I'd do something no one else would do. Something so embarrassing you’d remember it forever. ”
“Mmhhghhh…” Espresso groaned. He was embarrassed beyond belief. He could feel his body reacting to Licorice’s stimulation.
He wasn't exactly pent up, but he was usually too busy to masturbate. Sometimes if he got really frustrated with a certain… paladin… he would discreetly go to the bathroom to crank one out then get back to work.
Espresso’s cock stiffened and he realized he should not have let his thoughts wander. “Mphgh…”
He shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. He breathed heavily as Licorice massaged his erection, feeling it leak into the fabric that covered him.
“Heheh, just imagine… all your friends get here to save you and they see your pants completely ruined by your own cum.” Licorice jeered.
“Mhm! … Mhm!” Espresso shook his head desperately.
“You may have thought you were so powerful when you beat me in our last fight, but look at you now. Heheh… grovelling and begging on your knees.”
Espresso bit down hard on the gag. His cock twitched as Licorice played with the end of it, pinching the skin and fabric with his toes. He was ashamed to even think it, but he would grovel and beg if it would spare him from the degrading situation he was under. His pride was wounded, his calm demeanor destabilized, his confidence shattered to pieces.
“Ugh… Why are you so slow?” Licorice complained.
Espresso usually finished faster, but he was holding back as best he could. Desperate thoughts were running through his head: Maybe someone would come looking for him, wondering why he hasn't joined the party yet, and interrupt Licorice before it was too late.
“Ngh…”
What was he thinking? Espresso had to be practical. No one expected him to join the celebrations. He would have to get through this on his own.
“Just don't give up, Espresso. You can do this. Hold on until he tires and leaves you alone.” He told himself.
Licorice leaned back, sounding almost bored as he moved his legs.
“I’ll be honest it was kind of hot… how you slammed that magical orb into the wall with your bare hands.” he admitted.
Espresso could hardly listen. He was focused too hard.
“Just don't cum. By the swan, don't you dare humiliate yourself by cumming.”
“I want one of those magic candies. Heh… imagine a licorice magic candy…”
Licorice pressed his feet together around Espresso's cock, stroking it up and down.
Against his will, Espresso moaned through his gag, his eyes watering.
“Why does it feel so good…? I don't want this… do I?” he thought.
“Damn, you look so hot and sexy right now.”
“Mm?” Espresso wasn't expecting the sudden compliment. He wasn't used to compliments and never knew how to react to them, certainly none like THAT.
“Heh… you’re twitching like crazy.” Licorice noted. “You like being called sexy? Heheh… You’re really not too bad looking, I'll give you that.”
Espresso moaned weakly. He took pride in his professional appearance, but he certainly wasn't upholding that image now. Sweat was dripping down his face and his hair. His coat was disheveled from the fight and his tie was stuffed into his own mouth. And yet somehow Licorice found that attractive?
Licorice stroked his cock, pushing it until it was lying onto Espresso’s thigh.
“You’re a decent size too.”
“... mmhh… mm…”
Espresso couldn't hold back his moans anymore. He was close, his cock was stiff and leaking.
“The noises you're making are soooooo hot, you know.”
Espresso wished he could block out his own voice. He had never allowed himself to sound so undignified.
Licorice slipped one foot under his crotch, pressing up on his balls from below while the other foot continued to fondle the shaft.
“!!!”
Espresso’s eyes widened in alarm as he felt his cock twitch strongly, releasing his cum over his thigh.
“Ugh, finally.”
Espresso tensed up and let out a long moan as Licorice massaged out everything he had, the cum seeping into the crotch and thigh of his pants.
“Heheh… Not so full of yourself now, are you? All it took was a little sweet talking.”
Espresso trembled. His mouth was dry from the gag, and he was exhausted. So exhausted. He just wanted to relax and doze off now…
Licorice stood up, wiping his socks off on Espresso’s coat. He slipped his shoes back on and looked down at Espresso.
“Ya know… maybe if you make me one of those magic candies, I’ll come back and do this again sometime. I’ll even call you sexy as many times as you want, heheheh…” Licorice chuckled as he slipped away into the darkness.
—
“Espresso! Can you hear me, my friend?”
Espresso stirred from his sleep to find Madeleine shaking his shoulder.
“Ah, good! You are awake. Here, I will untie you, post haste!”
Madeleine grabbed a corner of the tape on Espresso’s face.
“Mph- AUGH!” Espresso flinched as the tape was ripped away. He dropped the saliva-drenched wad of tie from his mouth. “Ugh… Coffee…” he mumbled.
“Your coffee can wait. Tell me, who did this to you?” Madeleine asked, carefully maneuvering his blade to cut the ropes on Espresso’s wrists.
“Followers of Dark Enchantress… They ambushed me.” Espresso said. He pulled his arms around himself, drawing his knees together to try and hide the shameful stain on his pants from Madeleine’s sight before he could notice it.
“Those fiends!” Madeleine exclaimed. “The Light shall bring justice upon them!”
Espresso swayed, and Madeleine grabbed his shoulder.
“Steady there, Espresso. Are you hurt?”
“I’m so tired…”
“Tired?” Madeleine asked in surprise.
“... I need coffee…”
“My friend, I think - just this once - you may need rest.” Madeleine said gently. “You are very brave, but good rest is important for regaining strength and stamina after a battle.”
Espresso let out a long breath. He barely even noticed his head falling onto Madeleine’s shoulder, as Madeleine helped walk him to his room.
“I had hoped to find you at the festivities.” The paladin explained, “Guided by the Light, I am glad I went looking for you.”
Madeleine supported Espresso as he took off his coat, and laid Espresso out onto his bed, neatly made and hardly used.
Espresso was grateful his glasses were not available to him. He was certain he looked like a pathetic, sloppy mess and Madeleine must have seen his soiled clothes by now.
“Madeleine, don't let the others know….”
“What are you saying?” Madeleine puffed up his chest, “They must know about this attack! The safety of the innocent depends on it!”
“No, I meant- nevermind.” Espresso mumbled, “Of course you’d be blind to it.”
“Blind to what?”
“…”
“OH!”
“Ugh…” Espresso threw his arm over his face at Madeleine’s outburst, “If you would be so kind as to kill me now…” he said, burning up in embarrassment.
“Ahem- Ah, naturally- There is no shame in- It is nothing! Hardly noticable!” Madeleine stammered.
Espresso sighed. “Leave me alone.”
“Right, yes! Sleep well, I will handle everything from here!” Madeleine reassured him. He reached the door and hesitated, turning back to Espresso. “Why did…?”
“GO AWAY!”
“Of course!” Madeleine hurried out.