Chapter 103: Chastised Schooling

Simon was sitting in the blanket produced by his maid eating a snack while the cat girl in question was having a snack of her own. Funnily she was the first one to go which was not the norm. That was normally reserved for the first of his bonded who did not seem to be herself for the moment.

But outside of looking slightly brooding, Amy looked fine so he moved to a conversation he should have had a while ago.

"Flora?" He asked.

"Yes?" replied the oldest and smartest of his bonded.

"How do I get a better handle on my powers?" He asked

"Oh. Did something happen?" Flora asked raising an eyebrow as she prepared a sandwich with absurd dexterity using her vine tentacles as additional limbs. In terms of pure speed and efficiency Stella was unmatched in any form of homemaking but Flora could bring a flare into any action she did regardless of how mundane.

"When I... When I was with my other team there was this moment in combat when I became not myself. And that version was a much better fighter and commander." He said flexing his arms, his fleshy fragile arms. Despite his supposed power, he realized that his transformation was much tougher than his human form even if he did not consider all the other benefits.

Flora placed the finished product on his plate as she quizzically asked.

"And you want to be that version all the time?"

Simon's eyes visibly widened as he vehemently shook his head.

"No! That dude might be good in battle but I get the feeling that he is very simple." He said wildly waving his arms

"I see... Well, I think I know what you are talking about." Flora said as she put her arms daintily on her lap. Simon could never sit with the same graceful posture she seemed to be able to so effortlessly. And it was not for a lack of trying, it was one of the things she trained him on. And this one never seemed to stick.

But something else currently took more precedence and it came out of his mouth in a surprised shout.

"You do?!?"

Flora gave no outward remark at his sudden increase in volume as she calmly went on.

"Why are you acting surprised? I have yet to let you down."

His eyes almost sparkled as he said.

"Then!"

He did not need to say more, because he was sure that his monster girl understood what he wanted. But the next word out of her mouth rapidly reduced his enthusiasm.

"No." She said with an air of finality

Simon's spirit rapidly dampened but he pressed on.

"What do you mean no?" He asked and something truly unexpected happened.

Amy spoke.

"Yes. What do you by mean no." She said looking at Flora with a strong frown which made Simon slightly unnerved because of how alien such an emotion was on her face.

"Amy?" He said blinking at his monster girl.

"Yes, master?" He asked her tone much more... Simon would like to say submissive but that was not quite right... he did not really hear enough of Amy to make any remarks.

"You are talking." He said trying to understand the peculiarities of her sudden vocal prowess.

"I mean... I can talk." She said, both her dog ears flattening in response to her falling mood.

"I know but it's just rare." Simon was so fascinated that his curiosity trumped his need to reassure his first.

"I see... Well, I can. And I think you need to gain more power!" She perked right up as she shouted her exclamation.

Flora did not look impressed and got on the expression she took when Simon fucked up badly in his studies.

She turned to the wolf girl.

"Are you sure you are not projecting?" Flora said her tone was even, too even, meaning Amy was about to get owned.

"Projecting?" One of Amy's ears flattened while the other stood straight up as she tilted her head in confusion trying to sound out the word.

"You know, when you have insecurities but instead of dealing with them you are pushing those thoughts on your master," Flora said with a sigh, looking at her fellow bonded with a dispassionate gaze.

"I am not projecting!" Amy growled back, the last part of her sentence quite literally coming out as a growl

"Is that why you have been brooding ever since you were so easily trounced by the Titan?" Flora fired back not giving the other monster girl an inch.

"Grr! That won't happen again!" Amy shouted, Simon could feel the feral violence from her. It was coming off the monster girl like a semi-visible aura.

"And what are you going to do when it does?" Flora seemed very unbothered by it and the next few lines of exchange was very very brutal.

"It won't! If master gets stronger!..."

"So now it is the master's fault."

"NO! That's not what I meant!"

"Oh. And what pray tell..."

"Enough!"

"Both of you stop it!"