As John wanted, they went home quickly. The flight was already booked, including the extra seat for Nia. Of course she wasn’t officially on the flight, but Scarlett had been careful to pick an airline that only cared that they got paid for the seat, especially if it was first class. If they had booked from a company that actively gambled on people missing their flights and sold more seats than they had, they would have had a problem. However, they hadn’t and so they didn’t.

One flight to DC and a teleport later, they were back home. It was Sunday evening and they had little more to do than throw a ‘welcome back’ party for Nia. Jack was working on arranging things, so everything was about ready when they stepped out of the teleporter.

It went about as expected.

“About time you swung your creepy ass back home,” Eliza cussed at the blonde, even as she came close to look at her fellow harem member. “Don’t think you changed at all, same blonde bi- birch as always.”

Nia didn’t answer immediately, instead staring at the thing the pretty little psycho was carrying in her arms. Having her belly scratched and purring continuously, Velka was getting cradled like a little baby. She even was about big enough for one, although even if half of that were feathers. “That is the Magryph – Velka?” the blank asked.

Turning her head at the sound of her name, the chick looked at Nia coming closer and warbled with interest. “Velka has taste, so she probably won’t like you,” Eliza declared, while putting down the little thing. She was immediately proven wrong as the Magryph, as if she had known Nia for the entirety of her short life, tapped up to the blonde and leaned on her legs with a trusting meow.

Bowing down, Nia let the birdcat sniff her hand. Velka was taken aback, likely by the lack of smell, proceeded to nibble at the hand and then rubbed the side of her head against it. The contact was established and Nia got to pick her up without problem. Just like Eliza, Nia cradled the chick in her arm, belly up and ready for some rubs. Which the blank immediately gave her.

“So much love,” Nia gasped, while her hand was attacked in a playful mixture of hug and scratching. “I want to drown in this feeling.”

John and Jack snorted, the Gamer remembering Eliza saying basically the same thing a few days back. “You shut the F up!” Eliza must have recalled as well. “Don’t even mentally compare me to her!”

“I apologize for taking this long for getting back,” Nia said and bowed her head a little bit. Like so often, she responded to something said earlier only once she had fully formed her answer. “I was training to make sure I could stay forever. I didn’t get what I wanted, but I got something close.” She tried her best at smiling. It looked clearly forced, not quite as creepy as in the past, but not as elegant as that natural smile she had shown a few times now.

“Blasted fucking shit, you can change the way your face looks.” Eliza was so stunned she forgot to not cuss for a second.

“No, I can’t,” Nia tilted her head in confusion.

“…Okay, for a second there I thought you actually had changed,” the blood mage snickered in relief. “Same moron as before, all is right with the world.”

“I am glad you are happy with the outcome?” The confusion rang in her voice.

“Ya gotta stop being so mean, Eliza,” Rave chimed in and threw an arm around Nia’s neck. “The gang’s back together!” After a second’s thought, she rephrased, “Complete harem re-acquired!”

Lydia stepped in as well. “Indeed, it is good to see you back, Nia. We were worried.”

“Thank you, friend,” the blank said, looking for a while at the queen. “Your looks improved.”

“Indeed, courtesy of our beloved.” Lydia nodded and gestured at John, who was there twice.

“A lot of things occurred while I was gone.” Regret slithered its way into her voice. Although, with the end of her training, her bag had been returned to her, Nia didn’t reach for the cards. Partially because she would have needed to let go of Velka. Mostly, at least how John understood it, because she genuinely wanted to be able to emote like a normal person. “Two Johns look nice. He also smells good again.”

“We did get the recipe for the old cologne.” John grinned, while Jack morphed back into the Mandala Sphere. There was, in theory, paperwork to do. That could wait for tomorrow though; he wanted to keep all of his attention to his girls tonight. “I haven’t been able to ramp up production speed beyond what I need yet. Wonder if I should sell some once I have.”

“I advise not to,” Lydia let her opinion be known. “In an idealistic world, rulers should treat themselves as an equal part of the citizenry. To keep the respect of that very same citizenry, making certain decisions to at the very least appear above the majority is also necessary. The respect required to govern will not be given to someone that is average.”

“That shit will sell for millions though,” Scarlett added. “The marketing practically writes itself and the product is,” she stepped close to deeply inhale his smoky and spicy musk, “fantastic.”

“I’ll think about it some more,” the Gamer stated with a smirk, while attention quickly shifted back to Nia. Most of the girls had already done their hugs and cuddles back in Florida. Of those that had remained in New York City, only Scarlett and Metra remained to say their piece. Neither of them were the sentimental type, and in the Technomancer’s case, she and Nia barely knew each other. Scarlett had still been in her sheltered phase by the time the pariah left.

“Compliments on getting some emotion on your face,” Scarlett stated while lighting herself a cigarette. She seemed willing to change the state of being relative strangers. If nothing else, the redhead had learned how the harem best ran smoothly and seemed to flourish inside that social setting. “Makes you look less creepy. I could probably set you up with a nice modelling career.”

Nia’s eyes drilled into Scarlett with the usual emotionless expression. “Ah,” a sudden dry sound, followed by the epiphany, “that is what Eliza meant with changing my face.”

“Congratulations, you dense cu-…tie.” The blood mage didn’t seem all too happy with her curse-dodging there, but John made her forget about it by coming over and giving her a deep hug. “Fuck yeah,” she mumbled into his shoulder. “Real John is best John. Give me all your love! Also kids!”

“I, too, want kids,” Nia chimed in. There was a moment of surprise in the harem, but not a particularly prolonged one. All of the present girls had already made the decision that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with him and even those that had previously said they weren’t overly interested in having children were, at the prospect of him as the father, caving in on that front. Peer pressure could have also had something to do with it.

“Get to the back of the line, paper face!” Eliza shouted. “Me first! I wanted it the longest, so suck it up and wait.”

“I will wait. I still want to be a mother,” Nia answered.

“That’s good, as long as we’re clear on that!” The pretty little psycho continued to glare, even as John picked her up and placed her in a nearby garden chair.

The Transport Station was located at the roof of the Palace, right under the feet of Lady Liberty. Where normally there was only a nice green law to accompany it, Jack had placed the proper number of chairs and loungers, along with a ludicrously sized contraption of a grill. Salamander grabbed the five-kilo sack of coals standing right next to it and emptied the entirety of it into the metal monstrosity. A barbeque for over a dozen people had to be well fed.

Sylph joined Salamander away from the main group, both tending to a quickly developing fire, and most of the harem, after getting in some appreciating words towards the blank, splintered into talking groups as well. Lydia and Rave were the ones that stayed with Nia, guiding her towards one of the round tables and keeping a conversation going. Velka, Copernicus and Stirwin were nearby, vying for the attention of Nia’s skillful belly rubs.

The usual trio of Eliza, Siena and Undine hung closely around, doubtlessly because the former wanted to be there whenever Velka grew tired of one kind of scratches and wanted another flavour. Scarlett and Gnome talked about something that made the autumn elemental blush softly and keep gesturing around in denial. Aclysia was moving around, making sure all of the eating utensils were present, Beatrice got the tables in symmetrical positions and Metra overlooked it all, mocking their efforts in the typically friendly fashion.

‘Only Nathalia and Momo aren’t here,’ John thought as he scanned the gathering of his women. The bantering and flirting between them continued even as he just stood aside. Sylph and Salamander made out in a very intimate fashion next to the fire of the grill, Lydia played with Nia’s hair like only two lovers would, Siena got downright sexual with the way she physically and verbally teased her conversation partners, and a verbal fencing between Metra and Beatrice escalated to the point that the two of them were wrestling in a lounger.

It was all casual and wholesome and John stepped over to the ensemble around Nia to join that conversation.

“…And that is why I advise that you look into starting relations with the Mandate of Heaven,” Lydia finished a little lecture.

“We’ve been so far ignored by their bureaucracy,” John chimed in before his girlfriend could give a more joking answer. Planting his butt down in the broad seat of an outdoor couch, complete with removable cushions, he put one arm around Nia and let the other open for whoever was quicker. Or, in this case, for Lydia, who was simply left to take the place. Something about leaving the rest of the harem an adequate amount of cuddle time, no doubt. “Apparently we’re too insignificant to get attention.”

“That is of little surprise, the Mandate of Heaven seldom engages with diplomacy with those that don’t start with the position of a tributary,” Lydia sighed.

“The bigger surprise is that ya managed to actually come here tonight,” Rave changed the topic.

Nia nodded, looking up from the crocodile hatchling in her lap to pay some more attention to the conversation. “You have difficulty removing yourself from work.”

“I do not, it is just that certain people make more work for me by chasing after cats,” Lydia defended herself while also delivering a small jab. “Forcing me to find workarounds and make other arrangements.”

“I still fail to see where I made a mistake there.” Nia made her most convincing expression yet (aside from those of sexual ecstasy) showing just how puzzled she was. “I arrived when I needed to and you won the tournament, did you not?”

“The ends don’t justify all the troubles in the meantime,” Lydia responded by changing a more common saying to fit the situation. “For someone that is so straightforward when it comes for battle tactics, you are oddly inadequate when it comes to obeying timetables.”

“Timetables are for cogs in clockwork, turning in set intervals to keep a machine running,” Nia responded in the usual neutrality, making the words almost sound harsh and scolding. “I am not a machine; I am a human with purpose. I arrive when I mean to.”

“Living in a societal structure requires that we sacrifice some of our individuality for reliability,” Lydia both pushed back and admitted that Nia had a point there with that statement. Before the discussion could continue, however, she just sighed. “I suppose you aren’t exactly a normal member of society. As long as you keep being present where you are required, I suppose there is no issue. To answer the question originally posed: it will somewhat meddle with my sleep schedule, but I wanted to see Nia again.” The auburn-haired queen reached over and took her fellow harem member’s hand. “I may have brought you into this for selfish reasons, but I do care for seeing you safe.”

Nia became a little bit red, a change incredibly pronounced on her fair face. “My thanks.” Her words were just that little bit stirred.

“God, you two are adorable,” John declared and pulled them both closer to himself. His lips pecked a quick kiss on their cheeks and then his lips were claimed by not so quick kisses on their initiative. It was incredibly sloppy, as three-way kisses tended to be. A whole lot more tongue was involved than in the usual variety.

“Grill is ready!” Salamander shouted. “If you want something specific, tell me now or I will just throw shit randomly on there.”

“Get me the pepper sauce covered turkey steak,” John responded out loud and Salamander ripped open the packaging. Usually, Aclysia would have prepared the meat for them, in cut and what it was marinated in before they arrived. With the weaponized maid still on the flight back, John had to limit himself to the store-bought stuff. High end but still store-bought. “I’m feeling spicy things today,” the Gamer whispered as he leaned towards Lydia, “are you staying the night?”

“I hardly have a choice in the matter, do I?” she asked, one hand gripping the package his bulging pants barely veiled. “I reckon you will require all the aid you can get to tame your urges tonight. The more of your harem present, the more voracious your appetite seems to grow.” Their lips met for a moment, and the Gamer then turned around to give attention to the blank softly tugging at his sleeve.

A deep kiss with her later, Nia said, “That is no theory, that is a fact.”

“I merely prepare myself to satisfy all of you,” John stated with a smirk.

“And that’s why ya need a blowjob service under your desk when ya do office work,” remarked his girlfriend in a semi-sarcastic fashion.

“Hey, you get off on it too!”

“Where would one become part of those services?” Nia asked.

“Do ya still have your old smartphone?”

“No.”

“We’ll get ya a new one tomorrow then; we plan that stuff via chat,” Rave quickly explained.

“Is my body good enough?” she suddenly asked, her gaze slowly wandering from Rave, to Lydia and then John. “You all have improved appearances. I’m so thin everywhere.” Her mouth shifted into a little bit of a scowl as she looked down on herself. “Legs and butt, mainly.”

“You’re still gorgeous.” John didn’t want any self-esteem issues to crop up when they weren’t warranted. “Even if my inner ass man does have to agree that you’re the least gifted of my girls in that apartment.” He was also honest. Lying to make her feel better in the short term wasn’t worth the long term issues it could cause.

“How did you two improve this much?” Nia inquired.

“Martial arts, for the most part,” Rave answered. “We have a suspicion that Lover’s Will may be involved, but that’s nothing we have evidence for. We both got a lot stronger through martial arts, Lydia in a bit more of a burst than me, so that’s what we managed to track.”

“That is a path I do not have access too,” Nia mumbled and Stirwin let out a bit of a whimper as the pats reduced in enthusiasm.

“Cheer up, buttercup,” the Gamer’s girlfriend laughed. “Ya aren’t doing any real exercise, right?”

“I keep my body healthy through long walks and a balanced diet.” Nia’s response missed the point by a bit. “The majority of combat prowess stems from efficient usage of my powers as a blank, rather than physical strength.”

Rave got up, turned around and presented her marvel of an ass. “Look, I may have won the genetic roulette as well but something like this ya don’t just get. Gotta do a lot of butt sculpting exercise to make an ass as good as it can be.” She winked over her shoulder. “Ya can hit up the gym with me some time and I will show ya some good workouts. Might shave an hour or two every day of you training your headache inducing void powers, but it will get ya closer to the wanted shape.” Putting her showcase back on the seat, she continued, “Will probably take a few months until ya see the proper results, but it should also make ya a bit better during combat. Well, if it’s the same for blanks as it is for regular people that base strength helps a ton with the supernatural increases. Dunno if your ‘anti-mana’ works the same way when it comes to muscle reinforcement.”

Nia didn’t have an answer for that, instead pondering about the proposal for about thirty seconds. “I shouldn’t do it for looks alone,” she stated, even while she nodded. “As I had trouble physically keeping up with opponents in the past, this will be worthwhile regardless of it.”

“Alright, we gonna get Aclysia to put some more protein in your meals then,” Rave declared and then blinked in confusion, something coming to her mind. “Huh, now that I think about it, it’s kinda weird how open you always were towards eating meat.”

Nia blinked back in the same fashion. “Why is that weird?”

“What with your relationship to animals and all that,” Rave looked upwards, seemingly more concentrated on looking inwards and going through memories than keeping eye contact with who she was talking to.

John also went through his mental archives. His were a lot more accurate and orderly. “I only saw you refusing meat once,” he recalled.

“Animals eat each other. When I have hunger and I crave them, I will eat them,” Nia explained her stance on the matter. “I refuse to eat the meat of animals that were slaughtered before adulthood. That is my only contention.”

“Hmmm, yeah, that makes enough sense,” John could certainly understand that. Personally, he wouldn’t do the same, he found lamb too delicious, but the issue itself was reasonable. “If you get stronger or get your figure to be even nicer - either way, I look forward to the results.” He smirked.

The second he had said that, Nia took Stirwin out of her lap, placed him on the table and got up. Her face was relaxed, which, thanks to the natural arrangement of her feature, made it look like she was about to rip holes into someone’s soul with her stare alone. With that, she walked up to Velka.

The Magryph was currently getting attention from nobody, a rare state of affairs. Instead she was standing on the seating of a chair and looked down. It appeared she wasn’t sure whether she wanted to jump or not. Slightly angled wings only underlined her uncertainty.

With a little caw, Velka commented on the fact that Nia picked her up. Raising her far above her head, it seemed, for a few moments, as if Nia would put the bird-cat on her head. Instead, the blank marched straight towards the edge of the terrace and tossed Velka over the ceiling.

That succeeded in causing a general commotion. In disbelief and shock, everyone ran on over. Nobody raised their voice in accusation just yet, they had too much trust in Nia. Sylph, Salamander and the Mandala Sphere went past the railing. Ready to catch the Magryph before she could hit the ground, they all stormed into the air and then stopped.

Velka beat her wings. At first desperately, barely doing more than slowing her fall, then her instincts kicked in and she spread them out far. Falling was transformed into gliding and Velka’s trajectory changed into a long curve. Then she beat her wings and gained a little bit of altitude. The whole harem watched in fascination as the chimera picked up speed and skill until she was high enough to aim at the crowd and fly back at them. Eliza caught her in her arms.

“That was amazing!” the blood mage complimented and kissed the adorable bundle of mischief and greed on her fluffy head. “How did you know she was ready?!” she then turned to Nia, demanding an answer.

“She looked like she wanted to fly.” It wasn’t the most assuring response, but who were they to second guess Nia’s handling of animals. Instead, they all just clumped together in a giant hug around the Magryph and the blank.

It was her evening and it was the life of the harem.