“So what have you been doing for The Woods?” Jenny said, through a mouthful of a juicy steak. While the beer steins were half-empty, Jenny did give the wine a try and, from the way she sipped on it occasionally without making a face, enjoyed it as well. Theo paused, trying to decide between sticking to the brief overview on proper dining etiquette Fred had given in Persuasion, and ignoring it entirely.

“When in doubt, copy those around you.”

Theo stuffed some roast potatoes in his mouth as he replied. “Well, it started off with the first chest the Coins found. That was with The Dancing Wind, Mercy of Death, Crysantheus, and Esther. That’s where we found the message from Libera the Kind, but also what was supposed to be herbs.”

“They…” Theo speared some more potatoes onto his fork, waving it around as he searched for the right words. “They weren’t herbs by the time we got to them. Could have been their age, could have been how rough we were handling the chest while running away from The Woods, any number of things really.”

Theo’s fork faltered as he saw the look on Jenny’s face. He wasn’t quite sure how to describe it, except it was an intense look of fascination and curiosity. It suddenly struck him that he was very casually talking about going on an adventure with seasoned practitioners of magic, an adventure that had frankly been terrifying to live through. A small voice in the back of his head wondered if he sounded cool to Jenny.

Theo brought a piece of steak up to his mouth as he blushed. Chewing it gave him a moment to collect himself, which wasn’t helped by Jenny continuing to stare at him. “Anyway,” he continued, “The almost powder that was once herbs was a source of mana that had been infusing into The Woods for centuries, and we pretty much ruined it.”

Theo took a swig of beer, his grimace completely unrelated to its taste. “Mercy of Death suggested another priest to try and somehow grow them from their state, and The Dancing Wind put me up to infuse mana into the surroundings. So between the two of us that would make up for the herbs, hopefully. The priest they suggested was Francis, who you’ve met. We managed to exceed all expectations, and The Woods said we’d paid off the debt.”

“So you’re done now?” Jenny asked.

Theo shrugged. “Sorta. We ended up making a pretty nice space here, so we asked if we could keep spending time on Fesdays doing whatever to keep access to it. So we do some terraforming for The Woods and…yeah.” Theo stopped himself before explaining the defensive nature of the fortification, and all the less than savoury business that had happened in the process.

“What’s the space?” Jenny prompted.

A smile slipped onto Theo’s face. “Francis managed to grow the herbs, somehow. It’s a lovely clearing. Quiet, pretty, high in ambient mana.”

Theo paused. “I should ask Eva if I can bring people there.”

“Depends on who you’re intending to bring.” Theo almost jumped, as Eva replied from over his shoulder. He looked over at Jenny, who was trying very hard not to laugh. It was infectious, and he found his body unconsciously relaxing.

“Right now, just Jenny.”

Eva looked over at Jenny, and her demeanour shifted from ‘helping a friend’ to business. If anything, it felt more natural, for her to be looking almost through Jenny, in a way that made Theo think he should never bet anything if they ended up playing cards.

“I can help with the terraforming to pay for access, if that helps.” Jenny supplied helpfully.

“We don’t need more help.” Eva dismissed her suggestion with a shake of her head. Theo’s thoughts drifted back to the Tools of God, but looking at Eva it was clear this wasn’t up for discussion.

“Would you like a refill?” And just like that, she was back in smiling service mode.

---

They walked out of the Guild of Magic, back into the embrace of The Woods. Theo took in a deep breath of the crisp, night air, and he could almost taste the mana. The twinkling glow still lingered around every tree and bush, and Theo could tell that Jenny was still entranced, eyes scanning everything, trying to take it in. For a moment, he had the urge to just take her to the clearing, consequences be damned.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“Sorry, I’m sure you’re wondering what the clearing looks like if this is just the outskirts. But-“

Jenny cut him off with a kiss to the cheek. “You’re plenty magical for me.”

He was starting to hate how easily she could shut down his brain. Well, not actually hate (because every kiss still sent his stomach fluttering in an admittedly pleasant way), but he was starting to wish he didn’t react so easily. Then again, Theo thought as Jenny reached her hand out searching for his, it was worth it.

And maybe she genuinely didn’t care too much about seeing the clearing as long as she was with him. He did make a note to start infusing mana into and around his shack, and see if anything interest grew, but that was a thought for the future, so he brought his focus back to the current moment.

Jenny was walking very slowly just in front of him, taking her time to inspect each and every plant on their way. It was almost like she was doing anything she could to stop the date from ending.

Theo paused, thinking of whatever else they could do tonight. It had to be before his set at The Pub, however, as-

“Hey, how about we finish the night with some music?”

---

“You’re late.” Alan greeted him as he opened the door, eyes scanning The Pub as he polished a glass.

Theo knew it would be rowdy from how much noise bled out of the door into the street, but even so it was a bit of a shock to see the throng of people inside, packed side by side like mossy cobblestones. They were ruddy and red-cheeked, clearly having a good time.

What wasn’t evident from outside The Pub was the sheer smell of beer in the air, that sickly-sour stench of yeast that lingered in cloth. He looked over at Jenny in concern, worried if this was rather overwhelming, and found a wide grin on her face, standing up and filled with energy. Even though today was their first day, it was hard for Theo to remember that she was, at the end of the day, a rough-and-ready warrior who’s willing to shoulder explosions just to move fast.

People turned to greet him, and the usual yells turned to jeers and whistles.

It was loud, and overwhelming, and he had no idea why they were responding this way.

He looked down.

At this moment, Theo realised that he was still holding hands with Jenny, and hadn’t let go. She realised at the same time, and as Theo went to release her hand, she pulled him in by the arm, and kissed him. Then she lifted him onto her shoulders like a prize, fast enough for him to not register exactly what had happened.

If he thought the crowd was loud before, then this was enough to make his ears ring. The sensitivity gained from Bat’s Ears was not helping right now, even as he used it to mitigate the consistent damage he was experiencing.

As Theo got used to the volume, he realised that they were chanting something over and over.

He turned a deep red as he realised what, exactly, they were chanting.

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

He looked down to see Jenny grinning and having a wonderful time teasing him, before she let him down…and before he could get any distance to breathe she pulled him back in and covered his lips again.

At the very least, when they kissed it made the rest of the world fade out of focus. His ears no longer hurt, there was no shouting bouncing through his head, just their bodies linked together.

They let go, time snapped back into place, and the cheers were as loud as ever. Even worse, he found everyone’s eyes on him. Absolutely everyone, in the entire fire hazard mislabelled as a building.

How the fuck was he going to perform now? Theo realised his hand was shaking by his side, as the worst case of nerves he’d ever felt ran rampant through his body.

“Here.” The Pub grew silent as Alan said a single word. Theo knew that was calling to him, but what he held wasn’t a mug of beer, or even a glass of wine. It was a small thimble of something brown.

He looked at it, and then back to Alan, who raised his eyebrows and mimed drinking with his other hand.

No matter what was in the cup, it could only make the night better.

Theo grabbed the glass, felt the hairs in his nose burn, and before he could hesitate he threw it down his throat.

It burned.

Not unpleasantly. If he had drank it before he’d known what it felt like to swallow a backfire, then maybe it would have left a stronger impression. He felt a warmth spread into his chest, but that was it.

Alan looked…almost disappointed, at his lack of reaction. He waved him off, returning to bar duties, as the crowd began chittering once more.

As the warmth spread through the rest of his body, Theo felt more confident. He pushed his way through the crowd, and assumed his rightful place on the stage.

“This one is dedicated to someone special.” He looked in Jenny’s direction, before he could regret the words that had just come out of his mouth, and began to play.

---

They left The Pub, a few hours and two brawls later. Jenny, of course won them both. She had also started both of them, accidentally bumping into people as she moved. In fact, the only reason it was only two brawls is that after the second time people started giving her a lot more space.

Theo yawned. “We’ve got audits tomorrow morning.” He groused, rubbing his eyes.

Jenny chuckled. “It was worth it. Tonight was lovely! I had a great time.”

Theo couldn’t help but agree, nodding. “Yeah, I’m glad you did. N-not to imply that I didn’t, I did-“

She shut him up with one last, savoured kiss, and walked off, humming something he’d played that night.

Theo stood there for a moment, staring at her shrinking figure, smiling like an idiot.