6.51 – Patron
"Certain requirents?" Sabina prompted.
Heat rose on Zoey's cheeks. "The skill uses up Holy Energy, which I collect through—all of the stuff involving Aria and the temple." She didn't need to specify. Seeing how Sabina was a bright woman, she could read between the lines. "And in doing so, it can move a person through advancents."
Sabina stared at her. As far as reactions went, that was her equivalent of gaping.
"Move a person through advancents," Sabina repeated flatly.
"Yeah. It's ridiculous, I know." She hesitated. "What advancent are you, anyway? That's a personal question, I know, but it's becoming relevant. Like I said, I want to use it on you, and it's gonna be more expensive the higher you are. At least, that's the assumption."
Sabina studied Zoey, obviously digesting the shocking announcent, before she answered as smoothly as ever.
"Fourth."
"Fourth?" She wasn't so rude as to say, that's it? But her tone probably gave it away.
Fortunately, Sabina only seed amused, not offended. "Craftsn-type classes advance slower than combat ones," she said. "Or rather, there's fewer ans to advance—and the best of them, obscenely expensive. I've been working with limited resources. I'm no scion of a noble family." An eyebrow went up. "Nor sponsored by a goddess. Fourth advancent is respectable for my circumstances."
"Sorry, yes, of course. I didn't an to imply it wasn't." She laughed abruptly. "My expectations are just way out of whack. I an, I'm also fourth in my alchemy rune." As Sabina already knew. "And you're like a thousand tis the alchemist I am."
"Mm," Sabina said. "You're developing competency quite quickly."
Which was a nice complint but not a rejection of what Zoey had said. Sabina was the expert here; she was intelligent, passionate, and had years of experience. The two of them weren't even comparable in the field of alchemy. Just, as Sabina had said, she had no goddess's patronage to cheat her way through ranks in re weeks of dabbling.
"And I suppose I'm indirectly about to be sponsored," Sabina mused. "Simply by an upcoming goddess rather than an established one." She waved her hand. "You ntioned requirents?"
"Right." Her cheeks colored, and she wondered how best to broach the subject.
"Sex?"
Zoey briefly choked on her reply. "Well … yes." Of course Sabina had made that deduction. "It'd be a ritual. Aria would have to help, I think."
"A religious rite," Sabina said, considering. "Yes, of course."
"I don't even have holy energy to use right now, but I figured I should make you aware of the situation sooner rather than later." Not the type of announcent she should drop in Sabina's lap the day of. She hesitated. "Is that sothing you'd want?"
"Would I want to be magically pushed through advancents?" Sabina asked, an elegant eyebrow arching. "No, I wouldn't turn that opportunity down."
Zoey considered how to express her actual concern. "You ntioned preferring giving rather than receiving, once." Hence why most of her interactions with Sabina ended up with her strapped to a table or rutting into a 'milking machine.' "So, you know. Aria seed to think the ritual would be pretty involved."
Sabina shrugged, more nonchalant than Zoey would have expected. "It's not that I have an aversion to, hm, more traditional thods. It's not that I dislike it. I just find it more interesting to have tools on hand. To extract reactions." Her lips twitched in amusent as she looked Zoey up and down. "But as I said, it's no problem. Besides the fact that my student will be cheating her way to her final reward."
"O-Oh?" she asked in surprise.
"That was supposed to be your prize for an exceptional performance on a quiz," Sabina tutted. "How am I supposed to motivate my student to stay focused without that?"
With heat rising on her face, Zoey managed to fight back on Sabina's straight-faced teasing. "You'll have to co up with sothing equally enticing, I suppose."
"Hm. Yes, I suppose I will."
Zoey tried to hold eye contact without growing too flustered, but those calm gray eyes and that utter lack of emotion won out easily; she coughed and looked away.
"Though, I'm not actually sure what the ritual would require," Zoey said. "We'll need to speak with Aria about it. I wouldn't want to, um, cheat my way to my reward, either. Maybe sothing else will work. Just a normal—" She coughed. "Handjob, or sothing, not to be crude."
"Ah, ever diligent and hard-working. Refusing to take the easy path. It's why you're my favorite student."
Her cheeks grew hotter. "That about catches you up," she said. "I'd stay and help you with all of this," she gestured around, "but there's a lot I have to do today. Have to catch Adrienne up, among all the headaches I've already ntioned." Plus whatever would be developing with Enzo and Rosalie's sisters. Zoey still had to et Elodie and Charlotte, which could happen at any mont, with one missing and the other on a shard expedition. There was also the matter of her lightning rune, which she wanted to practice. Alchemy was taking a brief back seat.
"Of course," Sabina said. "Lessons will resu once you're settled in. Though as I said, we will need to perform another extraction. My experints need supplies."
Over Sabina's shoulder, Mini-l nodded in effusive agreent. Seeing Zoey look over, the sli girl pointed down between her own legs, waggled her hips, then clasped her hands together in a begging gesture, making puppy-dog eyes. By the barely repressed smirk, though, it was more taunting than a genuine request.
"I'll figure sothing out for that too," Zoey said, managing to keep her voice level.
"Also, I have a few announcents of my own," Sabina said. "Then I'll let you run along."
"Oh?"
"Naly, recent formulas I've stabilized, which I think will interest you. Still refining the recipes, but they're in a functional state."
Zoey's heart rate picked up. When it ca to new potions delivered by Sabina, there had been few misses. Each one, Zoey had much appreciated using. And even if she didn't personally, having varied rchandise for their future store would be an obvious plus.
"Particularly the one I catalyzed using l," Sabina continued. Raising her hand and pulling filled glassware from her inventory, she displayed three vibrant green potion vials. "Duration can be improved, but as I said, I think you'll appreciate them as is."
Zoey took the potions from Sabina, inspecting them as she did.
[Potion of Gooey Transmutation]: Temporarily transmutes a living being's body into a gel-like substance.
"Ah," Zoey said. "I was wondering whether sothing like this would be possible." She had intended to ask Sabina to try to make one. "But you beat to the punch. Great minds think alike?"
"Seems like it might have various utility or combat applications," Sabina comnted. Her lips twitched. "Though I think you're interested in it for other reasons."
The ability to turn Rosalie, Delta, Maddy, or anyone else into a gooey creature like l? Yes, Zoey's thoughts had definitely not gone to the utility or combat uses of the potion.
"I'll take note of its effects and get back to you," Zoey coughed.
"Additionally, I've cracked those two stubborn reagents from so long ago," she said. She withdrew six more potions, three each, and handed them to her. They were both a murky white color, though different shades. "The latter will make collection sessions easier."
[Potion of Internal Stretchiness]: Allows internal organs to sustain significant stretch without damage.
[Potion of Virile Output]: Greatly increases the virile output of the consur.
"Ah," Zoey said, trying to fight down the fantasies that ca with both of those descriptions. The two reagents Sabina had referenced were the ones that had co from that oversized dildo they'd collected parts of so long ago. The one Delta had enthusiastically 'conquered.'
Zoey already had natural affinities for … accommodation and output, but these potions would take those aspects to the extre.
"You've been busy."
Sabina shrugged. "All there's been to do is work. It's what I prefer, anyway."
"Well, thanks. I'll put them to good use." Sohow she managed not to blush when she said that.
"I hope you do," Sabina said. "An alchemist wants her work to be appreciated. That's all I had for you. Don't let hold you up."
She could tell Sabina also wanted to return to her experints; she wasn't just letting Zoey go. She really was soone who preferred working more than almost anything.
So. Now, she owed Adrienne a short visit to catch her up, then it was back to Rosalie—and planning the rest of what was sure to be a chaotic day.
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