Playboy Cultivator in the Apocalypse

Evalyn gave the emperor a conflicted expression when he asked her to sleep with him, Crux, and Kiera. "Be honest, Kaze. Are you developing and growing a harem?"

"I'm not sure why you're making it sound like a bad thing, but yes." Kaze smiled charmingly, making her look away.

"You're so nonchalant about it." She chuckled breathlessly, "Between you and me, are harems a cultural thing in the upper realms?"

"Not particularly, no." He replied honestly, "They're not very common."

Evalyn turned to him with an unenthusiastic expression. "Then you're just starting a harem because you want to?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Kaze clicked hypnotically, shaking his head, "I'm starting a harem [because I can].

Surely you don't think that cultural acceptance of harems would make them common, do you?"

The blonde's expression crumbled, looking at his magnetic smile. "You led me into that trap."

"I did." He smiled.

"Why go through the effort?" Evalyn asked.

"To remind you of the context." Kaze replied relaxedly, "If I'm significant enough to have [a harem], not a dry, polygamist relationship, then the status of my women is elevated to my reputation.

If I am an emperor, each becomes an empress, and their achievements get recorded as royal triumphs."

"Isn't haremite a title attributed to all inside of a harem?" She asked, her eyes gliding to the left in thought, "It's hard to imagine that title would [improve] a military general's reputation, but it's easy to see it degrading it."

"A relationship is what one makes it." Kaze argued thoughtfully, "If a harem is comprised of 30 nameless women who live in a palace, then being a harem member isn't a good thing.

However, a harem of [emotionally connected] partners, each possessing talents and accomplishments, becomes an all-star team.

It becomes a badge of pride, like being part of a powerful, ultra-exclusive organization that accomplishes incredible feats. It's far more desirable than you think."

"Are you speaking from experience?" Evalyn mused with a wicked smile.

"Why must you ask a question that you expect to hurt you?" He asked with a mocking smile, "Such masochism is omitted from the Kama Sutra for a reason."

Her eyes gazed over, and she turned away. "I'm not sure I'm okay with being part of a harem.

Naturally, you're free to have one. However, as things stand, our relationship is separate from it."

"That's only natural." Kaze smiled mysteriously, "So does that mean that you will test whether you're okay being part of a harem? As you know, my bed is shockingly comfortable."

"Why do you make it sound sexual?" Evalyn asked bluntly.

Crux turned to her with a shocked expression and then turned to the emperor in a panic.

"Our sleeping together has thus far been platonic." Kaze chuckled, glancing at the panicked divine beast, "We share a bond and enjoy sleeping together periodically.

You needn't make it more complicated than that."

The shadow cat sighed a breath of relief. She would typically have demanded he clarify their relationship; however, she was happy and didn't want to threaten that unless necessary.

Evalyn panned the threes' faces with an internally exasperated expression. Her pride boldly refused, but her reasonable side found turning it down to be offensive.

After all, she had accepted him having a harem. So to refuse to sleep in a bed by his side when a platonic group was present was absurd.

When Evalyn saw his eyes, playfully waiting for her answer, she turned away and laugh-scoffed at herself, aggravated at her indecisiveness.

"Fine." She said dryly, "[Tonight], I'll join your [platonic] [sleepover]. I emphasize all those terms as the basis for my acceptance."

"Terms accepted." Kaze chuckled in amusement, "I look forward to it."

...

Evalyn grimaced, looking in the mirror of Kaze's bathroom. She was wearing white pajama shorts and a matching-colored shirt.

Beneath the shirt, a pink bra held her breasts up, which vexed her every few seconds. She didn't like sleeping in a bra, but she wasn't alone.

"Why did I wear pink underwear?" She asked herself in bitter self-deprecation, "He pointed out this toxic trait, and I jumped on it like I was eager to prove him right. God, I'm a fucking trainwreck."

As Kaze prophesied, she didn't wear that black bra and panties she picked out on their date.

It was her way of ensuring she wouldn't lose control and get undressed. However, naturally, that also meant that she'd have to suffer by being ultra-diligent and sleeping uncomfortably.

"Don't be dramatic; it's just a sleepover." Evalyn said to herself, "No... it's a harem.

Just admit it, Evalyn. You've fallen for someone who wants a harem and has an avalanche of women willing to make his wish a reality.

Whether you sleep there or not, you're part of his harem. The only way out is to leave, and... that's just not an option.

He's too good to me, I'm too toxic, and I'm hopelessly attached, so it's not even worth talking about."

Knock! Knock!

"Is everything okay, Evalyn?" Crux asked, concerned that the blonde was in the bathroom without running water for twenty minutes.

"Yes...." The blonde replied awkwardly, "I have social anxiety, so I'm giving myself a pep talk."

"Just making sure." The divine beast replied, "Just making sure you weren't having difficulties after the fighting. Take your time."

"Pep talk?" Evalyn chuckled to herself wryly, looking at her reflection after Crux walked away. "What type of [pep talk] involves savagely berating yourself for your toxicity? Gah. Fuck it, let's go."

She turned on the water and rewashed her face before confidently opening the door and shutting off the light.

However, she froze when she entered the main room and looked at the bed.

"Is this... the normal setup?" Evalyn asked in confusion, looking at the scene playing out.

Crux was on the far right side of the bed, half curled into a ball with a peaceful expression. She was nowhere near Kaze, in the center, but she seemed comfortable with that.

By contrast, Kiera was the opposite. She had curled onto Kaze as close as possible without spooning him. Her face was on his shoulder and chest, and his arm was wrapped around her.

The positioning was highly intimate.

"Mostly, yes." Kaze smiled, looking at the two, "Crux has enjoyed sharing the bed in that spot since she arrived.

Kiera started sleeping between her and me, but after waking up like this multiple times, she just started sleeping this way.

It's charming and comfortable. Would you like to try it?"

Evalyn opened and closed her mouth multiple times. Everything about his statement seemed to have glaring flags.

First, Kiera was sleeping in that position on purpose, and the blonde didn't know how she felt about it. She wondered how close they were.

Second, the thought of two women spooning him in bed created a harem image that felt borderline traumatizing to her ego.

Kiera opened her eyes sheepishly, sneaking a glance at the blonde's expression. It was giving her immense anxiety.

There was instant tension the second their eyes locked. The pink-haired teen had indignant eyes that screamed, [he's mind, just leave].

Evalyn looked away in exasperation. She had a raging urge to bitch slap the teen, who was one year younger than her but was exponentially more childish, unstable, and clingy.

However, she knew Kiera's expression bothered her because [Kaze was her man], and the teen gave her the expression she should be wearing.

"I...." Evalyn began, answering his question on whether she wanted to cuddle with him.

"Yes? Excellent." Kaze commented briskly, flicking his wrist, "Please, make yourself comfortable."

Her eyes widened in shock when an invisible force wrapped around her, picking her up in the air, and--

Thud!

--dropped her on the bed right next to him.

"W-What the hell was that!?" Evalyn cried, looking at him, shocked, "It felt like a person picked me up!"

"Elemental Qi is ubiquitous." Kaze smiled, "Since it's everywhere, and you can convert it into any form of energy, it's possible to do just about anything at a distance."

He flicked his wrist, and a lock of her blonde hair stood up, suspended in the air. The emperor then twisted his fingers, and the hair curled in real-time, fascinating everyone, including Crux.

"Right now, I'm just using a basic wrapping technique cultivators use to fly." He smiled, "However, you needn't wrap anything; if you stop halfway through--"

The lock of hair dropped with gravity. However, it abruptly stopped on a flat surface, and the end wrapped around the side. Evalyn's hair revealed an invisible box in the air, stunning everyone.

"--it creates a block of Qi or any shape you wish." Kaze continued in a hypnotic tone, "In your case, I created arms of Qi and used them to fly you over to me.

I thought it was enchanting, didn't you?"

Evalyn opened and closed her mouth, trying to find words to say. Thankfully, someone else picked up the torch.

"Cool? Yes. Charming? No." Kiera said definitively, "You just ghost-hacked the general--in the sketchiest way imaginable--to snuggle up to you. Do you actually think that's charming?"

"Normally, no." Kaze laughed heartily, "However, she was hoping I'd help her to bed, so I did it in a way that left her bewildered, and now she's comfy."

Evalyn looked down and saw her curled up in his arm and turned bright red. She didn't even notice because he placed her there and distracted her from start to finish.

"I always thought you were a con man but lacked proof." She said with a sinister smile, "That changed today, Mr. Sleight of Hand."

"I concur, Mr. Sketchy Wrist." Kiera followed viciously, "Your con game is waaaaaaay way-way-way to strong. Overpowered. Lethal. I'm afraid I'll go missing."

"Is that so?" Kaze mused, sitting up slowly, "I suppose I'm a threat to all of your lives. Therefore, I believe it's best to control my criminal urges and leave the room."

"Lay down, you prick." Evalyn scoffed, yanking his right shoulder down.

The pink-haired teen tried doing the same, but his left shoulder wouldn't budge. So she put both of her hands on it.

"Ghhhhhuuuh!" Kiera groaned, pulling his shoulder, trying to get it back to the bed, "Someone's been drinking their protein shakes!

Damn, bro! What do you bench? An elephant!? Ghhhhhhuuu--Eeek!"

Thud!

"Hey!" She cried in a panic when he abruptly dropped back to the bed, causing her to fall forward, crashing onto his chest, "Not cool!"

Evalyn's eyes widened at the comical sight, and she burst into breathless laughter. It was too much for her to handle.

"Not you, too!" Kiera cried, "I thought we were cool! We were on a roll calling out skeppyarts here for being a giga-Chad. What happened to that!?"

"I... I'm sorry... haha... it's just... hahahaha." The blonde giggled harder, triggered by the pink-haired teen's indignant expression and aggressive slang riddling.

Kiera huffed, looking up at Kaze with a [this is all your fault] expression before burying her face into his chest in protest.

Evalyn giggled a little longer before calming down with a smile. She forgot her anxiety alongside Kiera, who quickly fell into comfort again.

Crux watched the pink-haired teen fondly and snuck glances at Kaze with a strange expression. While conflicted about her feelings during the day, she felt comfortable on his bed, basking in his smell.

After surveying everyone's faces, the blonde looked up at her lover, who was casting a gentle smile upon her. He seemed to embody wholesome comfort and enjoyment.

Evalyn reevaluated the situation and realized how simple it was. Three people were in a bed to sleep peacefully and share Kaze's warmth.

There wasn't a complex relationship dynamic or an orgy taking place. It was just a simple, comfortable night sharing each other's company.

"This feels... nice." She whispered.

"I agree." Kaze smiled, gripping and pulling her close, "Now, let's get some sleep."

He flicked his wrist, and the light switch triggered, making Evalyn chuckle in amusement as she curled close to him and placed her head on her chest.

Within a minute of listening to his heartbeat, she fell asleep peacefully, enjoying genuinely restful sleep.