This Ascent to Divinity is Lewder than Expected (A Futa LitRPG)

1.05 ❤ Self-Care

"Well," Rosalie said. "You're better than most novices. If you keep out of the way, you might be able to help. In ... some small way."

It was far from glowing praise, but it meant Zoey wouldn't be forced to stay out of the action entirely. That was a win, in her book.

And why the hell was spellcasting—utilizing her Rune of Arcana—so difficult? Hadn't she been summoned to this world by a literal goddess ... shouldn't she be a prodigy at everything she did, or something? Instead, Rosalie seemed distinctly unimpressed, even after Zoey had spent an hour clumsily crafting together one-circle spells, and the same one again and again: a simple ice spike given velocity.

"Now," Rosalie said. "For your mana situation."

It's called lust, actually. Zoey had picked up a thing or two about how this world worked, by now, during the lessons Rosalie had provided her. Mana was what normal mages used to fuel their spells, but Zoey's resource system had been replaced by 'lust', which was recharged by ... well, by things such as what she and Rosalie had done in the coffin, which had been what topped her off in the first place.

"I'm running low," Zoey said with a nod. "It's time for us to recharge."

Rosalie stared. "Us?"

Zoey blinked. She realized the assumption she had made. "Well, I just mean, uh, it says bonded targets provide more ... and I figured—"

"You are perfectly capable of jerking yourself off, thank you very much," Rosalie's incredulous reply came.

It seemed Zoey's earlier assumption—that their intimacy in the coffin had been a one-time thing—was true.

"Right," Zoey said. "Right. Didn't mean to assume—uh. Anyway. So, like, I should do that now, then?"

"Unless you're waiting on something?" She made a shooing motion. "Do it in the corner. And don't let me hear you."

Zoey paused, feeling a bit demeaned. "I know this is an odd situation, but—"

"A disgusting one, actually."

"Disgusting?" Her temper flared; Rosalie's snippiness was getting to her. "You didn't think that an hour ago, did you?"

"Excuse me?"

"You were just as into it as me, princess."

"I was not." The words were two full octaves higher than normal.

"That body wracking orgasm was ... an act, then?"

"Orgasm? I absolutely did not. Are you—are you insane?"

Zoey stared incredulously. She was denying that? "Okay. The fact you joined in, then? Or are you denying the humping, too?"

"Because I wanted it over faster, pervert. And you told me to."

"There's no need for insults."

"And there's no need for you to be propositioning me to jerk you off, either. But you did that, didn't you?"

Zoey realized she needed to be the mature one here. Rosalie's embarrassment over sexual matters was even higher than Zoey had thought it would be. And while the harsh rejection and insults stung, she could tell Rosalie needed to be able to deny what had happened—for her own comfort. Zoey could do that, at least.

"Fine. Fine. I'll go ... take care of it. Alone."

"Don't take too long."

Zoey bit her tongue on a retort. Rosalie had been otherwise pleasant—if serious and domineering—up until this point. She'd only been rude when sex had been brought up.