Malus Story 3. A Bond Forms?It was afternoon. Agamennone and Vionte were pying a board game in the balcony outside the tter's bedroom, sitting at a small table.

  "It is a nice afternoon, isn't it? Warm, sunny, a light breeze caressing and cooling our skin. The right weather for a game..."

  The half-succubus had a warm smile on her face as she entered her bedroom through the french window. In her bedroom, she took a deck of tarot cards and then she returned at her seat outside. The young man observed her with a confused look on his face.

  'Does she want to read the cards? I don't believe in such childish things.'

  "Do you want to py a particur game?"

  The girl sat down, then she started to look the deck, removing every major arcana she found. She also was searching knights to remove as well.

  "Why are we using tarot cards?"

  "Because they are the first i've found. They have a lot of cards and cards can be removed to make the deck the same as other standard decks, so i didn't bother to search for any other one."

  The man was watching her with a still confused expression.

  "And why do you have tarot cards in the first pce?"

  "They are my sister's. She bought a couple of tarot cards decks to do some divinations for fun with her friends. She also gave a deck to me when she left."

  "Ah... So... You have a sister?"

  The girl nodded.

  "Yeah, i have a sister. I also have 2 half-sister and a half-brother. Sadly, I'm only close with my sister. My half-sibling are way older than me... when i was born they already had their own life... I think i have a couple of nephews that are actually older than me."

  The young woman turned her head towards the view of the city that could be observed from the balcony. She sighed, her smile faltering for a bit. Meanwhile, Agamennone frowned, his eye twitching. After a couple of moments, the girl turned towards her housemate, reprising her previous actions while also recovering her warm expression.

  ''So... Do you have any sisters?"

  "I have no sisters."

  The man replied in a dismissive manner. The girl smirked.

  "What about brothers, do you have any?"

  Agamennone rolled his eyes.

  "Yeah, i have a brother. We are as close as Aska and South Africa..."

  The girl was confused.

  "Aska? South Africa?"

  "Yeah... Those are pces frome where i come from. The former is actually a part of a bigger federation of nations while i have no idea about the political structure of the tter... Not that any of these infos is important to you... The important info is that those pce are very distant. Almost as distant as us."

  "That's sad..."

  "The only thing that's sad is that i had to live with him. Honestly, if he suddenly disappeared not only i wouldn't shed a tear for him. I'd throw a party to celebrate."

  "I... Know i should refrain from comm-"

  "Then refrain."

  The man's tone was cold and aggressive. Vionte was not pleased by the reaction.

  "I'll refrain then... Let's just hope your words are only an hyperbole."

  The atmosphere grew colder between the two. Vionte, after removing all the useless cards and putting them in the pocket of her trousers, started to shuffle the deck.

  'I made a blunder, i should not comment other people's retionships...'

  The girl started to smile again.

  "So... What game do you want to py?"

  "Huh... What games can you py?"

  Agamennone was still using a cold tone.

  "Well... I could say... We can py a game of strip poker. I know how much you want to see my soft boobs. They also want to officially meet you..."

  The half-succubus was blushing.

  'Why do i like to tease in such a shameless manner...'

  "W-why are you still thinking i can be seduced by you?!"

  The girl giggled as the man was slowly becoming upset.

  "Now that i have your full attention... Do you want to py poker with me? We could make this a point game. Every hand won is a point and the first of us to reach 10 points wins."

  "Fine by me."

  The girl stopped for a moment, finishing to shuffle the deck. Her expression changed to a sad one.

  "I... Made a mistake. Sorry... I didn't want to upset you..."

  "I'm fine, don't worry."

  Agamennone reply was cold and quite apathetic. Vionte's expression become one of anger. Such anger was genuine and not subtle at all. The boy noticed it and was slightly scared.

  "I said i was fine. Why are you acting like that?"

  "I want to py together with you, yet we're arguing. That's not what i wanted..."

  The girl made a couple of deep breaths. She then started to smile again.

  "So... Are you ready to py poker?"

  Agamennone nodded.

  'She's kinda scary.'

  "Five cards or two cards variant?"

  "Huh? Whatever you prefer."

  The girl started to deal the cards. She handed five cards to both of them by distributing them alternating between the pyers. Both pyers picked up the cards. Agamennone took them as soon as they were delivered while Vionte only picked them up after dealing the cards. The half-demoness had a queen of clubs, a eight of cups, a eight of swords, a six of clubs and a three of coins, while the demon lord had a king of coins, a queen of swords, a seven of coins, a four of clubs and a two of coins. Vionte's composed yet unnatural expression was in stark contrast with Agamennone's btant unsatisfaction.

  'I have absolutely nothing. three fifth of a flush which means nothing'

  'A pair... '

  "How many cards do you want to change?"

  "Huh... two..."

  Agamennone discarded the two non coins cards, receiving instead a three of clubs and a seven of swords. His expression still conveying a lot of his thoughts.

  'Great...'

  "I'll also change two"

  Vionte discarded the two lowest cards, getting a jack of coins and a five of clubs. Her expression still the same.

  'Meh...'

  "Show your hand."

  The girl's expression rexed.

  "Couple of sevens..."

  The boy's expression was full of frustration as he put his cards on the table. The girl smirked in response, before also putting her cards on the table.

  "Couple of eights!"

  "REALLY!"

  Agamennone smmed his hands on the table.

  "One - Zero for me. I'm sure i'll win before the eleventh round."

  Vionte grinned, her expression mischievous.

  "Someone's getting overconfident!"

  The half-succubus giggled.

  "As a succubus, it would be easy for me to do that actually... I just need to charm you and make you my subservient puppet. Do you think it would be high treason?"

  "I have no idea about how high treason is defined in this country, and i don't really remember how it's defined in my own... Still..."

  The man's face suddenly paled.

  "... Do i have to study the ws?!"

  "I think in the future you will have... You should really ask the regent though."

  "Well, i'll just avoid talking with him about such issues and hope he doesn't bring it up."

  The girl sighed, but didn't reply.

  "About your 'succubus powers'... I'm sure i am enough of a man to resist them. I don't fall in love easily. I never had, actually."

  The girl winced.

  "I call them 'succubus powers' but they are actually spells that everyone can learn. Succubi just have a natural inclination towards them, like some sort of innate ability, but it wasn't unheard of succubi struggling to learn such spells. Succubi also tend to have more reasons than other to use such kind of spells, usually."

  The young man scratched his head.

  "Do you mean i can become a succubus too, or an incubus... A cubus..."

  "In a broad sense, yes. You can learn these spells and act as pseudosuccubus, or pseudoincubus, since you are male, but you can't change the species you are member of, obviously."

  "Ok... Not that i'm interested..."

  The girl smiled mischievously.

  "It seemed to me you were interested..."

  "Maybe... But not with the idea of becoming a promiscuous person... More about gaining political power..."

  The girl looked at him with half-lidded eyes.

  "You really can't raise your position anymore at the moment... You should try to gain consensus instead."

  Agamannone did a facepalm.

  "True... And to think i remembered my role just seconds ago..."

  The woman giggled.

  "So... Wanna still try if you can resist me?"

  The young man shook his head.

  "Now that i know it's about magic i've changed idea... It is me that has to deal the cards now, right?"

  Vionte nodded.

  ---

  The game of poker didn't st long. The couple put their hands on the table at the same time. Vionte smiled while Agamennone scoffed.

  "Three sevens"

  "Jack high card."

  "And with that I've won fair and square. 10 - 6. Now it's time for you to do your part of the bet."

  Agamennone smmed his hands on the table.

  "There was no bet! Don't try to fool me!"

  The girl's expression was a mischievous one.

  "I know... But these reactions of yours are delectable..."

  Then she started to behave more mature.

  "Do you want to py another game or do you want to do something else entirely?"

  "I don't really know."

  "Hmm... Are you interested in pnts? I collect them. I like to see them grow. It's satisfying."

  The half-succubus was being passionate about her hobby. Agamennone scratched his chin.

  "If that makes you happy."

  "It would."

  The girl graciously stood up, contrasting Agamennone's clumsiness that almost made his chair fell as he stood up. The girl instinctively tried to grab his hand, only stopping inches away.

  'Ah... I need to control myself or he'll get annoyed!'

  The half-succubus, with her radiant smile, started her tour of her pnt collection.

  "I'll keep it short, since you're not a fan."

  The girl started her tour with a bunch of succulent put over a chainmail forniture.

  "These cuties are the succulents. They grow from slow to deceptively fast and have various colors and shapes. They also possess different magical proficiency. Some of them needs to be handled with care because they can use annoying spells..."

  Agamennone's eyes widened.

  "Wait... Pnts use spells too?"

  "They do. The usually are quite weak and since they also have slow reflexes they can only use spells that gives them some passive advantages. They won't throw magical stuff at you, but they'll try to protect themselves. Usually a small magical impulse is able to overwhelm their spells for some time. Also some specutive researches seems to imply that pnts can recognize their caregivers and will lower the strength of their spells if they get closer... That research is still very far from giving definitive results, but that would be cool, because it means my pnts could trust me..."

  Agamennone was slightly confused.

  'That's very specutive indeed in my opinion... Why pnts would do that. Pnts are already weird on Earth, but here seems to be on a whole new level...'

  Then he became shocked.

  '...Wait... Does that mean my magical proficiency is lower than that of a common potted pnt?!'

  "Does that mean my magical proficiency is lower than that of a common potted pnt?!"

  The girl smiled.

  "I'm mostly sure yours is only a temporary setback."

  "That 'mostly' doesn't give me much relief."

  Agamennone's reply was deadpan. Vionte replied in a warm, motherly tone

  "Sadly i can't exclude the Magicless Agamennone's outcome, at least without an external stimulus... I can only think positively and help you trying to control magic."

  "Ok..."

  The girl then approached other potted pnts. They were a lot, occupying two thirds of the balcony's railing.

  "These are my decorative pnts. Half of them are grown for foliage while the other half are grown for flowers. If you're interested i can give more details about each species i own."

  Agamennone observed the pots.

  'Most of the flowering pnts are making purple or blue flowers.'

  "Maybe another day, i don't think you'll end your expnation by the end of the day."

  The boy replied with eyes at half-mast. The half-succubus giggled.

  "You're not wrong..."

  The girl, who was walking while talking so that her companion could observe every pnt she had. She then arrived at the final section.

  "This section is about vegatables, spices, herbs, and even some fruits. Some of them can also work as decorative pnts."

  She continued to walk until the balcony's end was reached. Agamennone observed the pnts with a bit of interest.

  "Do pnts who are repeatedly cut or picked become angry at you and strengthen their spells?"

  Vionte scratched her head.

  "If that research i mentioned is indeed true then your question might hold true too. Still, you can always overwhelm them. Their spells can't be too strong though because since these spells are always active they are also energetically expensive, so their magical output is always less than their average energy intake. Otherwise they become exhausted, with horrible consequences."

  Agamennone scratched his chin.

  "Are you saying that using too much magic gives you exhaustion? Even for people other than pnts?"

  The girl nodded.

  "Animals can train though, both their magical output and their magical endurance... Pnts mostly relies on their growth and the amount of nutrients they're able to get."

  The boy was again surprised.

  "Animals can use magic too?"

  "Yes, but they usually aren't really proficient. They also, like us, mostly only use magic when strictly necessary, like while fighting or when there's an emergency. It's quite rare to see animals using magic and even more rare is being a victim of their magical attacks."

  The girl's tone was still warm. The boy was instead slighlty frustrated.

  'I'm worse at magic than a cat...'

  Vionte then returned to her bedroom, followed by the boy.

  "I hope you liked the tour."

  "It was... More insightful than i thought...."

  "Good for you, still... I'd like to give you a st piece of advice."

  Vionte's expression turned from a warm one to a cold, aggressive one.

  "They are my precious pnts. Mess with them, even as a prank, and i'll turn you into fertilizer. Am i clear?"

  The young man gulped.

  "... Clear..."

  The girl's expression turned cheerful again.

  "Sorry if i came out too aggressive, but i though that was the best way to convey my motherly love for them and the hate i'd experience from their suffering to you."

  Agamennone was slightly perplexed.

  "It... makes things clearer this way."

  "I think the same. And there's nothing better than to be clear with each other, right?"

  "Yes, i think?"

  Vionte looked at her companion.

  "You can reflect on that if you want a better opinion of what i said."

  The boy nodded.

  "Do you still want to py with me?"

  "Yes..."

  As Agamennone replied to Vionte's question, a faint, genuine smile appeared on his face.