An Evening of Truth

Scarlett waited for them at the restaurant.

The long-haired redhead held a breadstick between two fingers. “An echo of past vices,” John commented as he approached the table. “Having cravings?”

“Mhm,” Scarlett responded only with an enigmatic hum. She shot him a glare when he took the breadstick from her, then rolled her red eyes when he dangled it before her lips. Chomp! Chomp! Chomp! In three bites, the CEO of Fusion’s largest conglomerate of companies devoured the little appetizer. “STFD,” she remarked after.

“Sit the fuck down,” John explained.

“Why the acronym?” Layla wondered. “You don’t usually use them while talking?”

“It’s one of the habits I picked up from my old man,” Scarlett stated. “Now get to sitting so we can get to ordering. My time is a lot of money.”

Layla glared at her chair, while John settled down on his. The table was round, the seats equally spaced out, and the design of the table legs did not allow Layla to change that fact without making eating very awkward. “You planned this?” she hissed.

“I did,” the Gamer admitted; there was no point in not doing so.

“You’re expected to know to hold back at some times,” Scarlett put the nature of the trial to a point.

Layla sent both of them deeply unhappy glares, but plopped down regardless. Her first instinct was to reach for the knife, twirling the instrument around her fingers at a rapid pace. The annoyance of the brunette was not missed by the other customers.

They were in an expensive restaurant in Abyssal Boston. White sheets for oak tables, walls painted in various scenes of the western mythos, from Odysseus to Churchill, and expensive silverware all came together in a quiet atmosphere. They were over a dozen stories up, overlooking the rural landscape through a dark-tinted window.

The city had recovered well from the Lorylim attack and the business interests that had always been strong in the Amaca Coast were largely to thank for that fact. The locals had made the wise decision of being very helpful to Jane which tied them deeply into the emerging Rail Barrier network.

The New Hudson Barrier had been chosen as the initial centre point of that network, connecting it and DC. The people of the Amaca Coast were happy to let that trial run be the trial run. Once the building was streamlined and norms established, they were first on line to get connected. John did get the feeling that Boston would win out over both as the East Coast capital in the long run.

Which was all fine with John. He was happier than ever before to concentrate power in himself and the Imperial Choir, but he didn’t want ALL the power to be concentrated in them, especially not economic networking.

The service of the restaurant also noticed Layla’s annoyance. “Is something to your displeasure, Empress?”

The knife stopped twirling in Layla’s hand as a smile instantly bloomed on her face. “No, everything is peachy!” she chirped. “Thank you, thank you very much!”

The mood swing had the woman confused, but she was too well trained in manners of customer service to ask any questions. “If I can do anything for you, do not hesitate to ask.”

“Actually,” John raised his voice. “Can you bring me a peach? The mention of it has given me a craving.”

“You will have plenty of peach tonight,” Layla cooed.

The waitress managed to keep her reaction to that open flirt to a light blush. Everyone knew of the Gamer’s lifestyle, but seeing it in person was still a bit of a culture shock to many. “I will be right back.”

“And bring whiskey,” Scarlett added. “Whatever is the most expensive. Malty.”

“At once!” the waitress promised and stepped away.

“Empress… hihiihi…” Layla giggled sweetly.

“Not yet,” Scarlett put a damper on her mood. “How has the date been so far?”

“Very good,” John reported.

“Perfect!” Layla was a lot more enthusiastic.

After the movie, they had teleported to Hawaii to do a bit of reef diving with Eliana. That had been entertaining, but ultimately had mostly served as a time killer. After John had satisfied his excessive desires with the pretty little psycho’s body, they had then moved to this restaurant for dinner. It was the last stop in their date before returning to the Palace for good.

“Then it’s time for me to rain on the parade,” Scarlett drawled. “I insisted on being the last woman to share the day with so I could test you some more.”

“But… my joining was already decided?” Layla asked.

“And I agreed to it,” Scarlett stated, “but that doesn’t mean I have to like you.”

“I… thought it did?”

“When I joined the harem, I was a loner in it,” Scarlett grabbed another one of the breadsticks, snapping it in half with her doll-like fingers. “It was a really fucking different time, sure, but there are some things that don’t change. Just because we all get along doesn’t mean we all will always get along. Siena keeps stirring the pot and sometimes that lands her on someone’s bad side for a week. I just don’t get what makes some people emotional. And you…” Scarlett pointed at the brunette with half a bread stick, “…are very emotional.”

“…So, what? Are you saying you will never like me?” Layla’s voice trembled, knuckles turning white as she clenched the knife as hard as she could.

“No,” Scarlett gave that reassurance, then fell silent as the waitress placed a pre-sliced peach in front of John and a glass of whisky in front of her. “If I thought I couldn’t stand you, I wouldn’t have agreed to you joining. This is my effort to see what makes your crazy, fucked-up brain tick.” After eating both the bread stick halves, the redhead reclined in her chair. “Have you worked out how you will be of help to the Imperial Choir?”

“I-“ Layla started, then immediately stopped and took a look around. Everyone around was politely keeping to their own conversation. Still, it was an expensive restaurant, used by a few people who could and would act on any insider info given to them carelessly. “Are you sure we should discuss that here?”

“Wouldn’t be much of a test if I gave you all the room you needed,” Scarlett responded plainly. “Choose your words carefully. Let the rumours spread on who Layla Viorica is and what she will do as one of the voices in the Imperial Choir.” The swirling of the whisky glass in her hand came to a stop as she raised it slowly to her lips.

“I want to be useful,” Layla said.

“Disgustingly unspecific,” Scarlett stated. “My window cleaners are useful, my cobbler is useful, even that nepo-baby Trev that I stuck into accounting is useful enough. Am I going to exist next to someone that’s just ‘useful’?”

“I’ll be excellent!” Layla insisted. “How could I not be? With peers like you, I can’t afford being anything besides my best! I refuse to be anything else! For John and for the entirety of what we are.”

“Better,” Scarlett stated, “but still vague. What, specifically, are you going to do? Fight?”

Layla shrugged. “If I have to, I’ll make sure that our enemies will be more holes than people.”

Entirely unmoved by the declaration, the redhead took another sip of the whisky. “Can you craft?”

“I have some experience, but nothing compared to you.” Layla gave the redhead a long stare. “You already know that.”

“I already know most things.” Circuit lines of mana travelled from the unseen corners of her eyes to the edge of her pupils. Faint electronic humming from her pointy, robotic ears filled the air. “What I don’t know is a challenge. Hailey’s creations, your future, the edge of my own understanding, I will not stop at any of them. I’ll rip the mask off every last secret in the universe.”

“Why?” Layla asked, always so curious about what her fellow haremettes were thinking.

“So I can wear the knowledge myself, of course,” Scarlett drawled. “Acquisition, expansion, innovation, repeat. Forever and ever, without pause. That’s how I am spending my eternity. All the other people in this room will be broken down into nutrients and recycled into another form of worm food and the three of us will still be solving problems.” Smiling elegantly into her drink, the technomancer mumbled, “That’s how I intend to spend my eternity in this harem. Building what I know, without end.”

“Here I thought that was more Momo’s shtick,” Layla commented.

“Momo is the other side to my coin when it comes to this bullshit.” Tilting her head back, the New Yorker downed the rest of the whisky, then held the empty glass up. Immediately, the waitress came running, topping it off. “Good choice on the liquor,” the redhead provided a short compliment. “You get a raise.”

“I, uh… do you own the restaurant?” The waitress seemed genuinely unsure.

Scarlett let out a singular, low laugh. “Directly or indirectly, my decision will come to fruition.” The circuitry in her eyes flared up for a second. “Check your email in… about 12 minutes. Come and take our order then. Got it?”

“Yes!” The waitress didn’t even question whether Scarlett had this power or not. Only the truly ignorant would still be sceptical of the reach of Thorne.

The filled glass was placed on the table with a deliberate clack. “Is the quality of answer I expect clear now?”

“Crystal.” Layla took a deep breath, her shoulders pulling back. Prepared for another one of her crazed rants, John was surprised by her slowly letting out that breath. “I want the world. All of it. Not to dominate it or extract any value from it. I want every last sapient being in the universe to look up and understand that there is them and then there is us and then there is John.”

The Gamer let out a silent sigh and shot the people around an apologetic glance. No one met it, but he knew what went through their minds. ‘Oh Gaia…’ they must have been thinking, ‘…he found another crazy one.’

While everyone normal adjusted their calculations to account for another ageless empress lording over the land, Scarlett’s finger traced the rim of her glass with her index finger. The motion was mechanically perfect, tracing the rounded crystal. “And how will you go about this? What is your function?”

“I don’t have a specific function, besides finding what needs to be found,” Layla answered. “I’ll support everyone. The cards said it and my heart has been saying it long before then. I’ll learn everything I can about everything you do and then help whoever I can. Why would I narrow myself down on being with one of you if I can be with all of you?” The brunette smirked all devilishly. “I’m going to have it all. Simple as.”

“Finally.” Scarlett picked her glass back up and smiled widely. “A good answer.”

_______________________________________________________________________

After dinner, it was a slow return home.

In the Palace, the Imperial Choir sat as one, awaiting the trio’s arrival. No maids awaited him behind the door, no offering of a bath or a meal or a woman was made. It was not the Gamer’s apartment where they all met, for that place felt like it had too little grandeur for this occasion.

The throne room echoed softly with the steps of the harem, streaming out of their alcoves and joining him and Layla by the throne that John had once rejected. Scarlett became part of the semi-circle that stood on the steps that surrounded the throne. For this occasion, for this special moment, they made themselves lesser than the one who would become their peer.

Layla had been vibrating with excitement on the way there. Now, she was still, completely focused. Her expression was beyond lust, beyond love, beyond even obsession. She was there, present, adoring the moment and drinking it all in. She was the remembrancer and the one who played out the scene simultaneously.

John knew because he felt the same. He was both there and beside himself with heart-thumping joy. “This is the end of our date.” He put a hand on her chin. The brunette was already looking up at him, wide-eyed with the need for the next second to arrive already. “Any last words you want to speak before you are marked as mine?”

Layla laughed. It was every bit as unhinged a sound as it was pure, like an ancient glass vase smashing against a concrete wall. “No!” she declared with absolute certainty, then puckered her lips. No more games, no more delays, no more tests, just him bowing down and executing the simple, infinitely profound act of kissing a lady love.

The first kiss with a woman was always something etched into his mind. Some were awkward, some were fumbling, some were short, some had been long, all had been wonderful, all had been fulfilling, all had been a prelude to more – this was no different.

She had some experience in kissing. Once their lips met, she slowly opened her mouth, matching the speed with him. Already, she knew exactly how he liked his kisses. Her tongue pushed against his, barring him from conquering her fully. An initial resistance that crumbled as soon as the magic of the Gamer activated, flowing through where they touched.

It was always a pleasurable experience for the woman, to have his mana make its way into her and finding a willingly given spot in her very soul. For Layla, it was ecstasy. A quiet, anticipating moan rapidly swelled into a scream. A spasm broke their first kiss. John grabbed her around the waist, pulling her short frame against his chest, and claimed her lips for the second time immediately. No playful resistance was put up this time. His tongue invaded as his mana was integrated. She hugged him deep. She trembled. She came. She grinded against him with her whole body, orgasming even more as she felt his erection press against her abdomen.

Their joining as one household was entrenched in the sweet ecstasy. It was pure in its intentions yet slathered in lust in its execution. It had to be, for this was who they were as people and they laid all of that bare to each other. The gathered harem swooned and cheered, witnessing the physical proof of love manifest.

When the mana flow seized, Layla suddenly broke the kiss. She stumbled back a half step. Knees trembled and threatened to give, pussy juices still soaking through her pants in rhythmless gushes. She grabbed the collar of her tank top and tore the entire fabric apart. When she found the deep blue mark upon her womb, her legs gave out completely.

Squirting and screaming and babbling with endless lust, she framed the mark between her hands and presented it to them all. With its little hooks and vine-link additions, it was certainly the Wild variant.

The blissful confirmation was swiftly followed by another need. Layla’s eyes traced the air, following a thread only she could see, and then crawled up to John. She took his left hand and found on the index finger there, along four other marks, the one that belonged to her.

“Mine.” Layla’s gaze snapped up to him.

“Yours,” he confirmed and put a hand on her brown hair. “Mine.”

“More…” Layla shook her head intensely, then tilted back. She put a hand on her womb again. “Yours!” she exclaimed.

In his pants, John’s cock pulsed with the need to make this offering a reality.

“If I may,” Lorelei ever so subtly interjected. “The bed is just a short walk away.”

“You are so right,” John agreed and scooped up his newest woman. Layla’s eyes threatened to roll up, but she managed to keep herself from cumming even more. This was her breeding night. It would be a shame if she passed out before he even got her to the bed. “Let’s make you complete.”