Chapter 65

Fortunately, Maddy didn’t know how much of an embarrassment Zoey had made of herself. Zoey returned to the training room mostly composed, and after a brief bout of awkwardness—both of them knowing Zoey had been pleasured, but not addressing it—they resumed their studies.

Maddy spent some time teaching Zoey how to read spell formulas using the notations in her spellbook. It was straightforward, but not easy. She made decent progress. Or, so Maddy said. Zoey didn’t get close to manifesting the spell. It always fizzled. But it ‘fizzled less than at the start’, according to Maddy’s semi-encouraging words.

Working on a new spell meant more mana wasted ... Zoey needed to be topped off a few more times. Fortunately, they weren’t as much of a disaster as the first. Rosalie attended to her eagerly, whenever her cock sprung up—with suspicious speed, even, as if she were waiting around for it to happen—but Zoey made sure not to get hard until she reached the bathroom.

As the practice day wrapped up, Zoey found herself broaching a subject she’d been considering asking Maddy for advice with.

“So,” Zoey said. “This is off topic, but can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“I’m ... going on a date. And since,” she waved vaguely at her head, indicating her amnesia, “all of that, I need some advice.”

Maddy blinked rapidly, then a grin split her face. “A date!” She shuffled up to Zoey with bright eyes. “With who? What’d’you have planned?” She leaned forward eagerly, hanging on Zoey’s response.

It was a more excited reaction than Zoey had expected. It was a good thing Maddy was that kind of girl, Zoey supposed, who loved talking romance. She’d be able to help Zoey out. Plus, the enthusiasm was hard not to match; Maddy’s outward excitement was exactly what Zoey felt whenever she thought about her upcoming date with Rosalie, even if Zoey wasn’t the kind of person to be vibrating like Maddy was.

“Rosalie,” Zoey said. “The other teammate. We mentioned her, right?”

Maddy’s eyes widened. There was a brief pause—Zoey couldn’t guess why—but the enthusiasm surged back a second later. “That’s so fun! You two are girlfriends?”

“Well,” Zoey said, cheeks coloring at the word, “no, not yet. This’ll be our first.”

Maddy gasped.

“So you can see why it’s important,” Zoey said, a bit amused at Maddy’s theatrics. Except they seemed genuine reactions, not exaggerated in the slightest. Or, not intentionally exaggerated. “And I have a few plans, but I’m a bit lost. It’s hard to plan a date when I can barely remember how the world works.”

“Yeah, I bet.” A steely determination crossed Maddy’s face, which had Zoey blinking with how fast it appeared. “Then, I’m at your disposal. Ask anything.”

Zoey had thought it the moment she’d seen Maddy’s bright and innocent face, but the image had been cemented throughout the past few hours: Maddy was just a cheerful, enthusiastic person. She wanted to help, genuinely. It was disarming how free she was with her kindness, and it was enormously endearing.

Zoey had had a side-mission with these training sessions to determine if Maddy would be a good fit on the team, personality wise, and her answer—so far, at least—was a resounding yes. She supposed a few hours wasn’t enough time to get to know someone for real, but how couldn’t Zoey like Maddy?

“I’ve got a few things planned out,” Zoey said. “Rosie’s a bit ... uptight.” She loved that girl, but—

Er. Loved? Where had that word come from, so easily? Zoey liked that girl. Best to avoid ... that other word ... for now. Moving way too fast.

She liked that girl, Zoey rephrased, but she wasn’t blind to her flaws; she was definitely uptight.

“So I want to do something relaxing,” Zoey continued, the ‘L word’ only making her stutter for a moment. “A picnic at the park, I’m thinking, for the main event.”

“So cute,” Maddy groaned, seeming almost mad when she said it. “Which park?”

“That’s one of the things I wanted to ask. Which’s best, for a date?”

“I haven’t been in Treyhull for super long, but I guess I know better than you.” Maddy popped up; they’d been seated as they practiced. “C’mon.” She held out a hand. “Time to go scouting.”

“Scouting?”

“Better to find an answer in person. We’ll look around.”

“Oh,” Zoey said. “I didn’t mean—I didn’t want to take up your time like that.”

Maddy seemed almost offended. “There’s nothing more important than a first date. I can spare a few hours.” She wiggled her hand, and Zoey took it, rising. The short, petite girl had a surprising amount of strength in her grip; she was third advancement.

“And I was planning on doing some clothes shopping,” Zoey admitted. “Having a second opinion would be nice there, too.”

“Totally.” Maddy snorted. “Not that you need to dress up, but sure.” A second later, she blushed at what she’d said—as if the words had barreled out of her mouth without verifying with her brain, first.

Maddy had done that a few times: said something without meaning to. It was never overly inappropriate; Zoey didn’t think Maddy could be overly inappropriate.

Which was, if Zoey were honest, maybe the one problem with her joining the team. Maddy was cute, and definitely attractive, but she was so wide-eyed and innocent that Zoey hesitated taking her into the kinds of shards they’d been venturing to. Zoey was protective of her, even, despite knowing her only a few hours ... even though it wasn’t Zoey’s place to be protective of her. She was a grown adult, same as all of them. And as old, or older, than Zoey.

“Let me get changed,” Maddy said, brushing past her accidentally too-frank compliment. “Meet up in the lobby, ‘kay?”

“Sounds good. And thanks again.”

“Thanks? Nuh-uh. No thanking me. First dates are class one emergencies. I’m doing my civic duty.”

Maddy had been wearing her adventuring gear when they’d been practicing spellcasting, but when they met up again to head out into Treyhull, she was dressed up in an everyday outfit. The flowing gray robes had been replaced with a frilly white blouse and a long skirt that went down to her shins. Zoey had to stop her lips from quirking; it made sense Maddy liked frills and pleats.