ā he's my man, we're hand in hand, to hell and back - and i love him like nobody else can. ā
šāؾš¢Ö“ą» your husband is the loveliest man that's ever lived. how could you possibly let him go?
yan! fem! reader x yan! reinhard van astrea // yan! julius juuklius.
part 1 // part 2 (you are here!)
Silence was normal in the Astrea household.
Ever since Reinhard's mother had been cursed - thus promptly never woke up - it was as if the whole world of the divine Sword Saint had shrunk to him, his blade and the duty he swore to uphold.
However, the universe had some different plans for him.
Silence was indeed normal in the Astrea home, yes.
But that silence had been broken on one warm spring night, when Reinhard had brought back a blushing bride to be by his side. Oh, what a scandal it was for every resident and staff member, but no one dared to say a word to the young lady, as most were afraid of being the subject of Reinhard's ire.
She had heard how the maids and butlers gossiped amongst themselves, the kitchen was always busy and buzzing as the meals were being prepared. Hushed whispers were exchanged amongst everyone as the lady crept around the walls, careful to not be spotted.
Her husband to be had caught her spying once.
It was a bit embarrassing for her to be seen so blatantly, but Reinhard understood her curiosity.
As a matter of fact, it was that same trait which he found to be so utterly irresistible.
This was so unlike him... Doing something so unprompted, he could only imagine how difficult it was for his staff to keep quiet about this, as his grandfather had given a strict order that no one was to say a word about this outside of the household.
People are perceptive, and no matter how much of a monster Reinhard may be in terms or raw power, deep down he was nothing but a man.
A silly man, whose heart soared at the thought of spending a quiet evening with his beloved. His favorite past time was sitting beside the fireplace, the soft warmth of the flames illuminating the room as his bride to be practically danced around the various, oak styled bookshelves.
She was like a little butterfly in his eyes - so pretty, so vibrant, so full of life.
So easy to crush.
The thought made Reinhard shudder. He'd sit silently in his chair, the leather underneath him creaking as she picked out a book he had likely gone through a thousand times before, but would gladly let her read to him as many times as she wished.
She could be so vulnerable, his sweet thing. The witch cult was running rampant, and while brave men like Subaru were always there to help out and save the day, that did necessarily guarantee that she would be safe before the brave men arrived.
Reinhard never felt sick, the feeling had become foreign to him years ago. But the thought of his bride to be being tortured, beaten and torn to shreds made him want to vomit on the spot.
It was such a horrible, heavy feeling.
As if a witch had purposefully targeted him, to damage and hurt the Sword Saint on every possible level.
Whenever he would feel himself slipping into the darkness, he was always brought back by her walm palms being pressed against his, a beaming smile on her red tinted lips as she squealed with joy, begging him to let her borrow the book she had picked out.
Silly girl... He would do anything she asked him.
Anything.
It was strange how he got into such a situation. He was initially going to arrest her a few months ago, because making poison and giving it to anyone was a serious crime, let alone to the Sword Saint.
This was no regular poison though - it was a love potion.
And a rather potent one at that.
Naturally, it had no effect on Reinhard at all. The moment the sickly sweet scent hit his nostrils, he knew exactly what he was up against. Those baby blue eyes of his zeroed in on the barely visible specks of pink in the otherwise blood red wine which was offered to him, not to mention that she could have done a better job at masking the scent.
Well, if this was given to a normal man, he would have been under the influence of the spell the moment he drank the wine.
But Reinhard was not a normal man.
In that moment, he made a decision. He would play her wicked little game, as he heard various rumors about the witch cult running around the area she was living in.
He had almost killed her that night. He thought about it.
He was glad that he did not do it.
As it would turn out, this wicked little thing was not a cultist, but rather just a foolish girl who had fallen for him. Fearing that she could never have him, she opted for the most powerful and desperate thing she could come up with.
In a way, her love potion had worked. The concoction itself was like water to him, but these past few months he had found himself genuinely enamoured with this wicked butterfly.
The world was already afraid of him, and she was confident that the potion had worked.
Was it so wrong of him to play along?
Reinhard, he... He was not a selfish man. There was not an ounce of wickedness in his body, but he would always feel his bones rattle whenever his beloved would wrap her arms around him, and all of a sudden, he became the happiest man alive.
It felt so good to be alive - to be loved.
That was all he ever wanted.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Julius felt how his spirits were trying to fly back to him in a frenzy, their frail, little bodies surely exhausted with the amount of surveillance he had them conduct on his wife.
He could not help but to feel ashamed for doing such a thing, let alone conscripting these poor spirits to ease his frantic mind.
Julius was a knight - the best one at that.
So, what was he so afraid of?
His wife could take care of herself, this he was sure of. While Julius admired - and adored - her pure nature, he was no fool.
A darkness lingered in the lady, its claws and fangs hiding in the shadows and there was a small part of him that hoped that he won't be ever on the receiving end of her anger.
Julius could not imagine her being mad at all, it felt wrong.
Taboo even.
Back when the pair first got engaged, Julius ended up conducting a thorough background check on his then bride to be, his need for clarity too strong for him to ignore.
He also wondered if he was hexed somehow, because he was not acting like himself at the time - his heart felt as if it would leap straight out of his chest whenever he locked eyes with his beloved, and whenever they would part, all he wanted was for the ground to open up and swallow him whole.
It was wrong.
What he is doing right now is just wrong.
The wedding was perfect, in every way imaginable. Merely thinking about it was enough for Julius to blush on the spot, a most unusual sight to see if anyone spotted him lurking in the shadows.
This whole investigation should not be on the table to begin with... And yet, there was no coming back from this.
Julius needed to keep an eye on his wife, lest she become a danger to anyone, and perhaps herself.
But most importantly, the one who was most endangered was Julius himself.
He was not sure what would happen to him or his beating heart if his wife just ceased to exist one day.
This is why he must do what he does.
Even if it kills him just a little, with each passing day.
These two sure are something, aren't they? The men of this series are disgustingly underrated, and I am so sorry for how long I didn't post this!
I hear your cries and weeping, my Re Zero darlings!! Our men should not have to suffer from the lack of content - it's up to us to fix this injustice!
Divider credit goes to @uzmacchiato .
Up next for this series - Phainon, Mydei and Anaxa!
Thank you all for reading! If you ever have any comments or idea, don't shy away from sharing them!
Please do Platonic!yandere!Subaru where the reader keeps on dying horrifically. Their deaths are worse than the others, for whatever reason.
Even better if they're loyal to him, or help him out on a difficult moment.
āĖā”ā” Iāll save you with every life ā^. .^ā
Platonic!Subaru x reader
This is set in arc 4 (where Elsa is killing Subaru at the mansion in s2) with reader having a similar relationship to Subaru as Betty and Petra do!!
TW: Gore, death, stomach cutting, detailed description of organs falling out, angst, no happy ending
Once you heard Subaru was due to come back, you rushed to the front of the mansion along with the others of Roswaalās maids, Petra and Ram. Your light footsteps echoed around the grand hall, rushing towards the large, mahogany door. As Ram opened it, both you and Petra rushed out excitedly, waiting at the bottom of the stairs for the older teenager.
Your posture was perfect, hands behind your back, and uniform sat neatly on your body. You were rigid from the excitement of seeing him once again. Though it hadnāt been long, you had missed your friend dearly.
The sound of your heart beating filled your ears as you saw a carriage drawing ever closer, being dragged by the black-scaled land dragon who seemed to hold Subaru in equally high regards as you did. The wheels crushed against the gravel below it, slowing to a stop as Subaru clumsily stepped out with a wonky smile. Immediately, he rushed towards you and Petra, pulling you into a tight hug.
āYou have no idea what Iāve been through! Itās so good to see you guys again!ā He gushed, voice filled with emotion. He pulled back, examining the two of you. āSo cute!ā He practically squealed, pulling you once again into a tight hug. Your giggles were muffled by his shoulder as he pushed you into himself warmly.
Unfortunately for you, this heartfelt, affectionate reunion was short lived as Ram shortly gave orders to go back to cleaning. So while she got to spend her precious time talking to your dear friend, you were stuck cleaning with a pout on your face.
āSheās so lazyā¦ā You murmured to yourself angrily. Truly, you did love Ram, though she did seem toā¦ āshiftā the workload quite often onto others. Your broom swept against the wooden floors, collecting the dust as you moved.
Your methodical sweeping continued as you made your way further down the magnificent halls of the large mansions. The workload felt as if it would never endā¦
At the sound of clicking heels, you looked behind you curiously, however, before you could see what was behind you, they grasped you at inhumane speed.
Fearing that a single movement may lead to your horrific demise, your breath hitched. You heard someone lick their lips before the sensation of something pressing against your stomach caught your attention. Your gaze lowered as a pain grew like flames throughout your whole body. Through your shaking vision, you could see pools of red collapsing out of your body, which was growing weaker by the second. In a pathetic hope to stay alive, you gripped the warm organs, blood flowing over your calloused hands from work, though you had never worked as hard as you were right now to keep yourself alive. The sensation of your bowels hitting your hand was something that you had never thought you would feel. Nausea climbed its way up your throat, though you were unable to let it escape from your mouth. Your panicked eyes avoided the bloodied mess surrounding you as you were laid down on top of it. A low moan emerged from the purple figure standing above you.
āMy, what lovely bowels~ā
Despite your vision fading rapidly, you could see her wide grin on her blood stained face. Your eyes slammed shut, fearing the woman above you so desperately that you couldnāt even look at her.
Your hearing was giving out along side your vision, though you could faintly hear the clumsy footfalls of the idolised young man approaching.
Subaru ignored the violent woman, deciding to focus solely on you as he crouched down and grasped your head, not caring for his clothes that were now soaked in your own blood. Fighting against your heavy eyelids, you looked at the boy. His lips were moving, though you couldnāt hear any of it. Your eyes shut for the final time.
A pout was present on your face as your aggressive sweeps moved further down the hallway, removing the constantly growing dust.
āSheās so lazyā¦ā An annoyed sigh left your lips as you thought about the stoic pink-haired demon who always gave you more work than herself, despite being older.
The silence of the hallway was being broken by the sound of your broom sweeping against the wooden floor and your gentle footsteps. You paused in your sweeping and looked up, feeling somethingā¦ off. Your eyes widen in fear as your grasp on the broom slips ever so slightly.
You were met with a raven-haired woman with captivating purple eyes and an off-puttingly wide grin stretching unnaturally on her beautiful face. Her heels clicked against the expensive wood and you finally notice the large blade in her hands.
Your legs acted before you could process, survival instincts kicking in perfectly. Your once gentle steps were now rapid, miscalculated, and clumsy. You were falling over yourself as you desperately clung to the freedom of living. Though, no matter how fast you ran, it wouldnāt have saved you.
Cold skin grasped your own as you heard the sound of lips being licked beside your ear.
āWhat fun prey~! I canāt wait to see your insides~ā The woman teased in a voice that was far too playful for the threatening situation you found yourself in. Though, you suppose this wasnāt dangerous to her and may in fact be a game. You shivered at the thought as you felt the blade graze you lightly.
āM-my insi-ā You cut yourself off with a desperate scream, deep and primal emerging from your core.
The burning of your throat was an incomparable pain to whatever the woman had done to you. Trying desperately to grip at the pain to reduce it, your hand went straight inside yourself. Your tear filled eyes wondered down as you took the sight in.
The wetness of your blood.
The squishing of your organs.
The bloodcurdling screams escaping your throat.
The consuming smell of iron.
Your organs were falling out of your body.
You immediately fell to your knees, the delicate and detailed dress splattered in dark red as you heard a small moan from behind you. Drifting your gaze to meet your killer weakly, you saw her smearing your blood over her face as she gripped her large smile. A final, small smile grazed your face as you saw your hero rushing towards her.
Panic struck his face as he saw he was too late, though he didnāt falter. His sprint only got faster in the slight hope that he would have a chance to save you. His loud and clumsy running quickly caught the attention of the woman.
You saw her swift, agile steps move towards the inexperienced boy with a large smile. His eyes widen in pain as he collapsed beside you. His organs and blood flooded from a matching deep cut, mixing with your own that had trickled to the floor. Your screams had died on your tongue, no longer having the energy to yell, though Subaru was still filled with the desperation to live, to save you. He stared at you with wide, tear filled eyes. Apologies were written all over his face as your body grew weaker, paler, colder. Life was quickly escaping the two of you as your insides blended on the wooden floor beneath your bodies.
āI was too late to save you.ā He choked out apologetically. With your last ounce of energy, you took his larger hand in your own.
āYou did save me.ā A gentle smile remained on your face as your eyes fluttered shut.
You angrily sweep the floor below you, as if it had personally asked you to sweep it rather than the lazy maid who gave you the larger workload almost daily. Just as you were about to complain to yourself, you heard a shout. An eyebrow quirked up in confusion, though realisation quickly flooded your face as you recognised Subaruās voice.
The broom clattered to the floor and you quickly fled towards the noise. You heard angry shouts from a voice you recognised to be Subaru, and a low, gentle voice from someone that you had never heard before. Your lungs ached as you ran closer to the scene, needing to save the person you looked up to; needing to save your friend.
Finally, you reached the two. Subaru was stood in a defensive stance, grimace present on his face. Opposing him stood a beautiful woman with a calm, half lidded smile present on her face in pleasure. A subtle movement from her was all you needed to act.
Your muscles ached desperately for the need to stop, but you picked your pace up once again, throwing yourself in front of Subaru in order to protect him.
You felt a strange sensation on your stomach, hearing something fall to the ground in an odd squishing sound. You saw the woman beside you, licking her lips with a bloodied blade in her pale, slender hands. You began to piece the situation together as your pupils dilated. Subaruās desperate, tearful screams started, though they were muffled by a ringing in your ears.
Your dilated pupils moved down to the pile of organs beneath you. Red was escaping you like a waterfall of blood, painting the wood and carpet and pooling at your feet. The pain was finally processed as you began to fall, though before you could hit the ground, Subaru wrapped his arms around you in a familiar manner that you had felt just a few hours prior. The warm liquid of blood trickling down the two of you mirrored the warm liquid falling from both of your eyes as you drew in what you knew would be your final breaths. Subaru clung to you, sobbing, begging that you grasp to your last moments of life. Blood gushed from your mouth as you coughed violently, spots appearing in your vision.
With your remaining energy, you smiled and spoke softly.
āThank you for letting me save you, Subaru.ā
Your eyes shut once again.
Thank you for the ask this was super fun to write ā(įµįįµ)ā I hope I managed to capture what you envisioned (,,Ā¬ļ¹Ā¬,,)
Crush on me OR Crush me (Reinhard van Astrea and his long time crush)
The ambient noise of the bustling tavern faded the moment the heavy oak door clicked shut behind Reinhard.
It was supposed to be a casual celebration orchestrated by Felix, Julius, and Subaru to mark the end of a long campaign. But looking around the lavish, dimly lit private suite, Reinhard realized the tavern was completely silent. The only other person in the room wasĀ herāthe woman he had harbored a quiet, consuming crush on for years, keeping his distance out of a fierce desire to protect her from the chaotic danger of his life as the Sword Saint.
On the low table between the velvet couches sat a beautifully cut crystal decanter filled with a shimmering, amber liqueur, alongside a note in Felixās handwriting:Ā āTo the two most stubborn people in Lugunica. Relax a little. Drink up! ~ Nyah.ā
Sharing an amused, slightly relieved laugh, they drank, the liquid sliding down their throats like warm, spiced honey. It didn't take long for the trap to spring.
Within minutes, the air in the room grew suffocatingly thick. Reinhard, whose Divine Protections usually kept him immune to poisons, felt an unprecedented, heavy flush spreading beneath his collar. Across from him, she let out a ragged sigh, her cheeks darkening into a deep crimson. The substance wasn't a poison; it was a potent, concocted aphrodisiac designed specifically to strip away inhibitions and amplify existing, repressed desires.
Reinhard moved to the couch, pinning her wrists gently beside her head. The drug burned in his veins, but his eyes were piercingly clear.
"If I take you tonight," Reinhard whispered, his voice a low, gravelly timbre, "there is no returning to the shadows of decorum. The drug in our veins will fade, but what I feel for you is an eternity. I need you to know the depth of the gravity pulling me to you."
"Then tell me, Reinhard," she cried softly. "Don't hide behind the Saint anymore. Give me the man."
Reinhard leaned down, his breath hot against her skin. "I have loved you since the moment I realized you were the only soul in Lugunica who looked at me and didnāt see a weapon. To the world, I am a shield, an immovable force. But to you, I am just a man. I love the fierce, quiet grace with which you walk through a world that terrifies me. I love the way your laughter silences the endless noise of my Divine Protections. I am a creature forged for war, yet your gentleness is the only thing that has ever truly conquered me."
Tears pricked her eyes as she cupped his face. "And you think you are a monster of burden. Reinhard, I love that your heart is larger than your myth. I love the quiet sorrow in your eyes when you think no one is looking, and the blinding warmth that takes its place when you smile at me. I don't want a flawless hero. I want your doubts, your fears, your heavy hands, and your beautiful, unbroken soul."
As their breathing hitched, the poetic romance melted into raw, unadulterated lust. The language of the soul became the language of the flesh.
"I want to feel every heavy inch of you," she whimpered, her hands moving down to claw at his uniform, exposing his broad chest. "I want you to ruin me, Reinhard. I want to be filled by you until I can't think of anything else."
"You have no idea how much I've starved for this," Reinhard groaned, his polite demeanor shattering completely. "I want to hear you scream my name. I want to taste you, to mark you, to bury myself so deeply inside you that you'll never forget who owns your body."
They stripped each other shamelessly, casting their clothes onto the floor. Reinhard pinned her back against the plush velvet sofa, his large hands gripping her hips with a fierce, possessive hunger. When he drove into her in one deep, unyielding thrust, she let out a loud, uninhibited cry of pure ecstasy.
Guided by the raging aphrodisiac and their own unchecked passion, they lost all decorum. Reinhard moved with a fierce, punishing power. The leather and velvet sofa groaned under the force of their movements. Every thrust was deep, heavy, and frantic. They came together violently, the intense friction driving them to multiple, explosive climaxes. Over and over, they rode the waves of delirium, shamelessly sharing their bodies, coming a lot as the room filled with the heavy scent of their sweat and raw desire.
Hours later, the fever of the drug finally broke. The room was quiet save for their ragged breathing. As they came to their senses, the reality of what they had done began to settle in.
Reinhard looked down at her, his heart pounding against his ribs. He gently brushed a damp strand of hair from her forehead.
"Did we..." Reinhard started, his voice soft and laced with a sudden, anxious vulnerability. "Everything we said, everything we just did... was it something you really meant to do? Or was it just the drink?"
She looked up at him, her eyes tired but shining with absolute truth. "I meant every single word, Reinhard. I meant every touch. I love you. It was never just the drink for me."
A profound wave of relief washed over him, but it was quickly replaced by a sudden, jarring realization. Reinhard froze, his eyes widening. He had spilled his cum inside her a lot of times during their unbridled passion. As a knight, he is a meticulously careful man , but in his haste and the madness of the drug, he hadn't wished for a Divine Protection to prevent him from impregnating someone.
"What is it?" she asked, noticing his sudden tension.
Reinhard swallowed hard, his hands trembling slightly on her waist. "I... I just realized something. In my desperation, I didn't ask for the protection to prevent a pregnancy. I spent myself inside you completely, so many times tonight." He looked into her eyes, his heart in his throat. "What... what will you do if I got you pregnant?"
She blinked, processing his words, but instead of panic, a soft, incredibly tender smile spread across her flushed face. She reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I am fine carrying your baby, Reinhard. As long as it is fine with you, nothing would make me happier."
The sheer devotion in her answer struck Reinhard to his very core. He leaned down and captured her lips in a deep, desperate kiss that lasted for almost a minute, pouring every ounce of his gratitude, relief, and profound love into the embrace.
When he finally pulled back, his eyes were burning with an absolute, unshakeable resolve.
"I will marry you," Reinhard promised, his voice ringing with the gravity of a sacred vow. "Right here and now. We are going to be wed immediately, before we even get the news that you are pregnant. You are my wife, and I am yours, from this moment until the end of our days."
Guys Who Get on My Nerves (Re:Zero Modern AU: Reinhard, Julius, Subaru, Garfiel, Otto)
Mom's friend's son Reinhard
ā¢ You're moving to another city for college. Finally.
ā¢ You want to break free from your parentsābe your own person, strong, self-sufficient.
ā¢ You've already pictured it: living alone, doing whatever you want, answering to no one.
ā¢ You even bought a mug that says "My home is my castle." You're ready.
ā¢ Then your mom casually drops: "Oh, how perfect! Aunt Luanna happens to have a house in that cityāshe'll give you a big discount!"
You: "Mom, I want to do this on my own."
Mom: "Well, Reinhard lives right nearby, he can help if anything comes up š"
You: "Mom, seriously."
Mom: "He's such a sweet boy. And actually, he asked about youāhow you were doing."
You: "We haven't spoken in two years, and even then it was just a couple of random sentences."
Mom: "He remembers you! So thoughtful. And I'll feel so much better knowing you're not alone."
You: "Fine."
ā¢ You move in. The house is brand newārenovation, furniture, everything fresh out of the box. You start suspecting that "discount" is really just charity in disguise.
ā¢ On the table lies a note: "If you need anything, I'm just over the fence. Neighbor. R."
ā¢ An hour laterāknock on the door.
ā¢ Reinhard stands there with a plate of your favorite pastries. "Welcome to the neighborhood! I brought you these. Baked them myself, so I can vouch for the taste. You must be exhausted from the tripāwant me to help unpack?"
ā¢ Turning him away would be a crime. You let him in.
ā¢ Another hour passes, your mom calls: "So, how's it going? Is Reinhard helping?"
You: "I'm handling everything myself" (in the background, Reinhard is washing your dishes because "you must be tired after the move").
Mom: "Reinhard, thank you for keeping an eye on her. I'm counting on you!"
ā¢ Your life turns into a full-blown nightmare.
ā¢ You tell yourself: "I can do this alone. I'm strong. I'm independent." Reinhard: "Don't worry, it's no trouble at all to help."
ā¢ You start college.
ā¢ First classāyou scan the roster and Reinhard's name isn't there. You breathe a sigh of relief.
ā¢ Then he appears at the entrance.
ā¢ With coffee.
ā¢ "I was passing by and thought you might get cold."
You: "How do you know my schedule?"
R: "Your mom sent it."
You: "Of course she did."
ā¢ You take the coffee because it's hot and you really are freezing. He smiles and leaves. You watch his back and think: "I hate him."
ā¢ Your mom calls every day: "How are things? Has Reinhard stopped by? He's such a good boyāyou look after him too!"
You: "Mom, he's older than me and he's a CEO. He doesn't need my supervision."
Mom: "Well, what if he's eating dinner alone? Invite him over, it'd be rude not to!"
You: "Mom, I'm not inviting him to dinner." Mom: "Suit yourself."
ā¢ You strike up a conversation with the neighbors, determined to prove you're fully capable of building your own social circle without him.
ā¢ Neighbor lady: "Oh, you're the new girl living next to Reinhard? He's such a great guy, isn't he? He helped me carry my groceries last week."
You internally: "Of course he did."
Neighbor: "Are you two together? You make such a cute couple!"
You: "No. We're just neighbors."
Neighbor: "But the way he looks at you..."
You walk away mid-sentence.
ā¢You don't admit it, but his thoughtfulness is often a pleasant surprise, so sometimes you buy him chocolates.
ā¢ (I can just imagine how long he stares at this Kinder Surprise, quietly rejoicing)
Your Childhood Rival, Julius
ā¢ Does he know he's your enemy?
ā¢ Absolutely not.
ā¢ He probably thinks he's your future spouse.
ā¢ Here's how it started.
ā¢ He was a transfer student in school.
ā¢ Had to repeat a couple of years (two, to be precise) because he moved from abroad and was still learning the languageāso academically, he was behind.
ā¢ He took a liking to you. Immediately.
ā¢ The teacher announced pair work for a group project.
ā¢ He was literally walking toward youāand then you picked someone else. Your friend.
ā¢ That stung.
ā¢ He spent the entire week using every free minute to perfect and upgradeĀ hisĀ project. Just to prove you should've picked him.
ā¢ Your groups competed. You and your friend lost.
ā¢ By a landslide.
ā¢ He said:Ā "You should've tried harder. Or picked a better partner."
ā¢ In his head, he added:Ā "Like me."
ā¢ But you only heard what came out of his mouth.
ā¢ Which was basically: either you're stupid, or lazy, or your friend is dead weight.
ā¢ Your friend walked off humiliated.
ā¢ You were absolutelyĀ livid.
ā¢ And he didn't even realise he'd just shattered your friendship.
ā¢ So you spent years grinding to beat him in key subjectsāmaths, English, anything that matteredāand completely neglecting everything you didn't care about.
ā¢ He spent years trying to match your standards.
ā¢ Vicious cycle.
ā¢ Of course he wanted to go to the same university as you.
ā¢ He even asked his mum (who, luckily for him, is friends with your mumāand neither of them knows you're enemies) where you were applying. And he applied there too.
ā¢ Your jaw hit the floor when you saw his name on the group list. And then again when he walked into the lecture hall.
ā¢ There he is. All elegant and mysterious in that beige jumper, coffee in hand, tapping away at his laptop.
ā¢ He's not working.
ā¢ He's mindlessly scrolling the uni website while staring at you.
ā¢ Don't get him wrongāheĀ didĀ learn from his school days. (His mum told him why you hate him, because your mum told her in confidence.)
ā¢ Now he's going to beĀ more empathetic.
ā¢ The absolute bastard even figured out your cycle. (You opened that app once. He was sitting right behind you. He memorised everything.)
ā¢ So now he gives you chocolate duringĀ thoseĀ days, compliments you during ovulation, invites you out during the follicular phase, and fusses over your comfort during luteal.
ā¢ In short: he's basically started copying Reinhard's insufferable hovering.
ā¢ Speaking of Reinhard.
ā¢ Julius noticed him. And drew his own conclusions.
ā¢ Doesn't your mum realiseĀ heĀ is the obvious frontrunner for your heart?
ā¢ I mean, he'sĀ better, right?
ā¢ Julius is kind to everyoneānot just you.
ā¢ Is Reinhard richer? More successful?
ā¢ Julius's family is plenty rich and successful, thank you very much. So that's bollocks.
ā¢ Unlike Reinhard, this gentleman is far more socially adept. He quickly hijacked the rumour mill, and now everyone's whispering:
"[Your name]? Oh, isn't she dating that lovely bloke with the lilac hair?"
ā¢ Ha. Three times ha.
ā¢ And nowāwho'sĀ yourĀ knight in shining armour, exactly?
The Childhood Friend Who's a Total Hikikomori and Embarrasses You in Front of Everyone ā Subaru
ā¢ Look, back in the day, he was yourĀ coolestĀ friend. No debate.
ā¢ Like, unreasonably cool: knew every dinosaur by name, could recite all the Greek myths, Egyptian mythology, space facts...
ā¢ (TheĀ onlyĀ thing you couldn't stand about him was tag. His legs were absurdly fast. But he always let you win, so fine.)
ā¢ Plus his parents were absolutely legendary.
ā¢ As in, they let him decorate his own room however he wanted ā and the absoluteĀ cheekĀ of it, he had his own room with a lock... (Anyone with siblings will understand the pain.)
ā¢ And when they'd take you and Subaru on trips ā camping, petting zoos, all that wholesome stuff ā it was peak childhood.
ā¢ That's the Subaru you remember.
ā¢ And now? What do we have?
ā¢ Well... for starters, exams are around the corner and he hasn't evenĀ thoughtĀ about revising.
ā¢ His parents, bless them, are 110% convinced he just needs a girlfriend to sort his life out.
ā¢ No.
ā¢ He needs a therapist.
ā¢ Also:
"Mum, Dad, please don't... I love you, but this is absolutely cringe."
ā¢ You can't exactly find a girlfriend without leaving the house... so they've askedĀ youĀ to keep an eye on him. And very thoughtfully rented him a place on the same street.
ā¢ Forced independence willĀ obviouslyĀ fix him, right?
ā¢ Subaru is mortified that they dragged his childhood friend into this mess.Ā "Oh my god, why do I have to embarrass myself in front of someone this fit?!?!"
ā¢ Life isĀ so cruelĀ to Subaru.
ā¢ So now you're making sure this walking disaster actually eats properly, showers (oh my god Subaru, that's rank), and occasionally āĀ occasionallyĀ ā steps outside.
ā¢ You're even more cruel than life itself, so you've resorted to exposure therapy: shoving his face into every grotty corner of his rented flat, filming it, and threatening to send the footage straight to his parents.
ā¢ You also drag him along for jogs, which soon attract Reinhard and Julius like moths to a flame.
ā¢ Unlike you two, they run like actual athletes, so you and Subaru end up looking like two dying dolphins that washed up on the beach.
ā¢ Glorious.
ā¢ But ā credit where it's due ā it actually works. His body slowly returns to something resembling a functional human being.
ā¢ The real kicker? His parents are nowĀ insufferablyĀ smug about it. "See? A pretty girlĀ doesĀ fix everything!"
ā¢ Right.
ā¢ Well.
ā¢ You're not about to argue.
ā¢ (Especially since they slip you pocket money for these little visits)
.
ā¢ Bonus 1
ā¢ Well.Your usual entourage āĀ Prince CharmingĀ andĀ Mummy's FavouriteĀ ā tend to intimidate him. But thank god they're not as nerdy as he is.
ā¢ He's theĀ onlyĀ one you trust to recommend a good game or film.
ā¢ (Subaru is a seasoned pirate, so whenever you can't be arsed to pay for a subscription, he downloads the film for you ā complete with a sudden casino ad in the middle of a tense scene, which works like a screamer, and you both nearly jump out of your skin.)
ā¢ Bonus 2
ā¢ He's an absolute beast at cosplay. Need something hemmed? Need to look stunning for a project presentation? Need flawless makeup? Go to him. He'll sort you out for a bottle of Coke.
ā¢ Or a kiss.
ā¢Ā "No, obviously I'm joking. It's not like I've been harbouring a secret crush on my childhood friend for years or anything. What do you think this is ā an anime?"
ā¢ Yeah, he's harbouring it.
ā¢ Your adorable little tsundere <3
Stupid schoolboyy Garfiel
ā¢ You're already sick of this pack of schoolchildren trailing you.
ā¢ You did a lap around the block just to check.
ā¢ Yep. They're following you.
ā¢ One of them darts ahead, all red in the face, and blurts out:
"Oi, so... I like you. Wanna go on a date?"
ā¢ The lads behind him are snickering like a pack of hyenas.
ā¢ He's absolutely crimson.
ā¢ Is he serious? Is this truth or dare? Is it just banter?
ā¢ You don't really care.
ā¢ But for some reason, you suddenly didn't want him to get roasted at school for this.
ā¢ So you gave him your number.
"Look, if this is some daft dare or a card game punishment, I'll play along. Here's my number. If this is a real confession ā my answer's no. I'm not a nonce."
ā¢ You hand him the note with your number.
ā¢ He's gobsmacked. You walk off, smirking to yourself.
ā¢ A minute later, your phone rings. You can hear a bunch of teenage lads losing their minds in the background.
"Hello~ Is this that fit bloke who asked me to the cinema?"
ā¢ The call drops instantly. And from the next street over, you hear:
"OMG SHE ACTUALLY GAVE HIM HER NUMBER AND SAID YES TO A DATE?!?!?!"
ā¢ Garfiel is now officially the coolest lad in school. Why? Because he's got an older, cool-as-hell (you still have your Labubu, by the way), ridiculously fit "girlfriend."
ā¢ Honestly? You even play along. You pay for laser tag and treat him to pizza one time.
ā¢ He brags about it to theĀ entire school.
ā¢ It reaches the teachers. Then the parents.
ā¢ And now his sister is standing in front of you, telling you to stopĀ groomingĀ her underage brother.
ā¢ You invite her for tea, because God forbid Reinhard catches wind of this and decides you haveĀ problems.
ā¢ You show her the messages. You'veĀ very clearlyĀ told Garfiel you're not dating. This is all for show. A bit of performance art for his parents' sake.
ā¢ Your entire knowledge of each other boils down to how long you've played Minecraft together (you even griefed his house once, and you've got a couple of cats between you ā most of your messages are about naming them).
ā¢ Frederica sighs and says Garfiel's going to get an absolute earful for this.
ā¢ She's mortified. She apologises.
ā¢ You tell her you'd have done the exact same in her shoes.
ā¢ You swap numbers. Because ā hey ā you've got a friend now. A proper girl friend. (Platonic, obviously.)
ā¢ Eventually, by mutual agreement, Garfiel "dumps" you. His reason? You're notĀ with itĀ anymore. You refuse to memorise every single bit of brainrot with him.
ā¢ In Minecraft, you take all your shared cats with you and break his pixelated little heart.
ā¢ Only for him to realise, a week later, that he's actually fallen for you.
ā¢ He confesses. Immediately gets blocked.
ā¢ Then he calls from Frederica's phone and yells:
"BLOODY HELL, I LIKE YOU. I KNOW YOU'RE OLDER, BUT WAIT FOR ME!"
ā¢ He finds out where you live. Leaves you flowers. Chocolate. Sometimes orders you pizza.
ā¢ And ā to his parents' delight ā he starts actually studying, so he can "provide for my tigress" later.
ā¢ Sometimes you genuinely consider giving him a chance.
ā¢ And then he asks you to look at his phone, so you can scan your face for biometrics ā just so he can access theĀ adultĀ version of Roblox.
ā¢ At this moment you remember exactlyĀ whyĀ you said no.
The One You Keep Chasing - Otto
ā¢ He was just this shy, awkward introvert.
ā¢ (Poor lad got laughed at as a kid for being into entomology. Bugs. Because of course.)
ā¢ You probably wouldn't have even noticed him ā until one day you bumped into him and he dropped a stack of papers.
ā¢ Sounds like a rom-com meet-cute, right? Except they didn't go flying everywhere, and your hands definitely didn't touch.
ā¢ He did, however, bend over to pick them up. And you got an absolutelyĀ crackingĀ view of his arse.
ā¢ A few classmates helped you track him down. Turns out he's the starting central midfielder for your uni's football team.
ā¢ Wouldn't have guessed it, honestly.
ā¢ Well... his legsĀ mightĀ have given it away, if you know what I mean.
ā¢ Anyway, you started hanging out. And bloody hell ā he's just...
ā¢Ā Normal.
ā¢ Talking to him was refreshing. Comfortable. No drama.
ā¢ And for him? It was pure bliss just having someone to talk to. Usually people don't even notice he exists.
ā¢ Sweet, shy little doughnut.
ā¢ Otto didn't even wait. He just left.
ā¢ Later you found out he figured you'd forget about him anyway. That's what everyone else always did.
ā¢ He apologised afterwards, but the damage was done...
ā¢ The man has zero self-confidence.
ā¢ Anyway, you introduced him to Subaru, and now they're besties. But...
ā¢ Otto has putĀ youĀ in the friendzone.
ā¢ Because, bless him, he's not blind. He's seen the blokes circling you.
ā¢ (HeĀ isĀ blind, though ā he only noticed Julius and Reinhard's interest. Hasn't got a clue about Subaru.)
ā¢ When you finally cornered him for a proper one-on-one conversation ā which took ages because he's juggling uni, football, and a part-time job at his uncle's ā you got interrupted.
ā¢ By Julius.
ā¢ Who, as it turns out, had helped Otto out before. Otto started thanking him profusely, only for Julius to completely ignore his existence.
ā¢ Again.
ā¢ So that's the cycle:
ā¢ You occasionally manage to catch him, things seem good, and then one of the other lads shows up ā and he bails. Every. Single. Time.
ā¢ Bonus 1
ā¢ His shattered little heart pieces itself back together by recreating your virtual family in The Sims. He rehearses conversations with your Sim-self, hoping one day he'll have the nerve ā and the time ā to actually confess.
ā¢ Bonus 2
ā¢ When he finally worked up the courage to tell you about his bug obsession ā and you didn't judge him at all ā he proper broke down crying. You spent ages calming him down.
ā¢ Even if nothing ever happens between you, you've got a permanent spot in his heart. You helped him close that childhood wound.
The neon glow of the city streets always seemed a little softer whenever she was around.
For the past year, Reinhard van Astrea had encountered her in the most mundane, beautiful ways. A shared umbrella during a sudden July downpour, a mutual nod across the aisle of a cramped subway car, and eventually, regular coffee dates at the corner bistro where theyād talk about everything and nothing. To the rest of the world, Reinhard was the flawless, red-haired gentleman who excelled at everything he touched. But to her, he was just Reinhard.
And Reinhard was desperately, secretly in love with her. He kept it buried, terrified that confessing would shatter the delicate, wonderful acquaintance they had built.
Then came Valentineās Day.
The local acoustic lounge was packed, buzzing with the low hum of chatter and the clinking of glasses. Reinhard sat at a small corner table, his eyes fixed on the small, dimly lit stage. When she stepped up to the microphone, an acoustic guitar slung over her shoulder, his breath hitched. She caught his eye in the crowd, gave a small, nervous smile, and adjusted the mic.
"Happy Valentine's Day, everyone," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "This next song... it's for someone very special in this room. Someone I've been falling for, even if I was too scared to admit it."
She struck a gentle, melancholic chord on the guitar. When she began to sing, Reinhardās heart stopped.
Before I fall too fast
Kiss me quick
But make it last
So I can see how badly this will hurt me
When you say goodbye
Reinhard sat up a little straighter. Her voice was raw, stripping away the casual armor she usually wore around him. He listened, entirely captivated, as she moved into the pre-chorus, her eyes locking onto his.
But tonight I could fall too soon
Under this beautiful moonlight
But you're so hypnotizing
You've got me laughing while I sing
You've got me smiling in my sleep
And I can see this unraveling
Your love is where I'm falling
But please don't catch me
A shockwave of realization hit him.Ā Sheās singing to me.Ā The casual encounters, the lingering glances over coffeeāshe had felt it too. But as the song transitioned into the second verse, he could hear the deep vulnerability and fear woven into her words.
See this heart
Won't settle down
Like a child running
Scared from a clown
I'm terrified of what you do
My stomach screams
Just when I look at you
Reinhardās hands tightened around his glass. He knew what it was like to carry a burden, to feel too much, but hearing her admit her terror of getting hurtāof how much power he inadvertently held over her heartāmade him want to cross the room right then and hold her.
Run far away
So I can breathe
Even though you're far from suffocating me
I can't set my hopes too high
'Cause every hello ends with a goodbye
The chorus hit again, bigger this time, filled with a beautiful, tragic yearning. The crowd in the lounge had gone entirely silent, mesmerized by the sheer honesty of her performance. Reinhard felt a warmth blooming in his chest, melting away months of his own doubts and hidden longing.
As the song reached its bridge, her voice grew steadier, shifting from fear to a profound sense of acceptance. She was laying it all on the line.
So now you see
Why I'm scared
I can't open up my heart without a care
But here I go
It's what I feel
And for the first time in my life, I know it's real
The guitar swelled, building up to the final, emotional climax of the song. Reinhard couldn't take his eyes off her. The modern world around themāthe city traffic outside, the glowing string lights of the barāall faded into background noise.
But you're so hypnotizing
You've got me laughing while I sing
You've got me smiling in my sleep
And I can see this unravelling
Your love is where I'm falling
So please don't catch me (oh-oh)
If this is love, please don't break me
She let out a soft, shaky breath, the final chords lingering in the air as she looked right at Reinhard, delivering the final, breathless plea:
I'm giving up
So just catch me
The lounge erupted into applause, but Reinhard didn't hear it. He was already on his feet. As she stepped off the stage, setting her guitar aside with trembling hands, he met her halfway in the dim lighting of the aisle.
"Did you mean it?" Reinhard asked, his voice softer than it had ever been, his blue eyes searching hers.
She offered a small, vulnerable smile, the nervous tension finally leaving her shoulders. "Every single word, Reinhard."
Reinhard smiledāa genuine, radiant smile that could outshine the city lights. He reached out, gently taking her hand and closing the distance between them. "I promised myself I'd keep my distance to protect what we had," he murmured, his thumb brushing over the back of her hand. "But if you're falling... I'll never let you hit the ground."
ā ļøĀ Explicit Sexual Content ā ļøĀ Dubious Consent ā ļøĀ Domination/Submission Dynamics ā ļøĀ Creampie/Unprotected Sex
The manor library was quiet and serene - the perfect place to escape the bustle of the day. Julius Juukulius was flipping through yet another report that the Vice-Commander of the Royal Knights had dumped on him when a disheveled head poked through the doorway - Subaru Natsuki.
- Oh, Julius! There you are. Perfect.
"Has something happened, Subaru?" Julius set down the parchment and adjusted his spectacles.
"Not really, just dropped by for a word. Remember I told you about that acquaintance of mine who helps me with... well, various literature, letters, and writes poetry for Emilia?"
"Vaguely."
"She's in the city now. Quite a well-known author. Romance novels, you know, are quite popular these days. Rather...Ā specificĀ ones, admittedly."
Ha. Was he joking? Julius was devoted to serious literature. Well, except for that one little novel... Someone had seen fit to besmirch his honor and written a tale about a certain "Juli-Juls." With a succubus, no less... He frowned at the memory of that creation.
Subaru turned to the doorway and waved someone in.Ā A young woman entered the libraryāa sly, almost wicked smirk on her lips, possessing a keen gaze that instantly assessed her surroundings. SHE.
"This isĀ her," Subaru introduced. "She makes her living writing romance novels, quite popular ones, actualā"
Before he could finish, she clamped her hand over his mouth.
"What are you doing!Ā That's supposed to be a secret!" she hissed, glancing sidelong at Julius.
Subaru twisted out of her grip: "But he's my friend! He's not going to judge you for something like that."
"Actually,Ā no.Ā HimĀ especially, you shouldn't have told!"
"Whyā" Subaru began, but froze, noticing the change in Julius's expression.
There was panic in her whisper, and while Subaru was apologizing, the pieces were falling into place in Julius's mind. Even with her embarrassment about her hobby, the only possible reason for this could be...
The Spirit Knight slowly set down the parchment, rose, and looked at the young woman with an unreadable expression. His voice was even, but there was steel in it:
"So you are Lavender Smoke?"
She went pale as if she'd seen a ghost. Her reaction confirmed Julius's suspicion.
She stood there in a daze, panicking inwardly:Ā "No. No. Please. Not this. Not here. Not now. How? HOW did he know? No one knows. No one! Even Subaru wasn't supposed to... Wait. Subaru. I'll kill him. I'll actually kill him. He gave me away, damn it. Loose-lipped fool!"
She shifted her gaze to the composed knight and understoodāit was over. The mask was torn off.
Julius stepped forward.
"I believe your acquaintance and I should speak privately..." He turned his head toward Subaru, and in that single word was a command that brooked no argument: "Subaru, would you leave us?"
Subaru, who had caught the atmosphereāand he knew how to read a room after everything he'd been throughānodded silently and disappeared through the door faster than expected. He threw her an apologetic glance before he left.
The door closed with a soft click.
She stood at the threshold, feeling like a rabbit before a python. Julius did not rush to speak. He walked to his chair, sat down, adjusted his collar with care, and only then raised his gaze to her.
"Sit," he nodded toward the chair opposite.
She sat. The silence stretched.
"I... I can explain," she began in a trembling voice. "It was an accident. I never thought anyone would realize that... that the character was based onā"
"On me?" Julius finished for her.
She squeezed her eyes shut and nodded.
"A year has passed," Julius said thoughtfully. "A year since 'The Knight and the Twilight Lady' was published. Three hundred and thirty-one pages. Eighteen chapters.Ā One particular scene on pages two hundred and twelve through two hundred and nineteen.Ā "
She opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.
"You... you remember all of that?" she breathed in a hoarse voice.
He pushed his chair back and moved it back into place after she sat, beginning to pace the room behind her.
Julius slowly, very slowly, pulled a small book in a worn cover from his inner pocket and placed it before him. The spine was bent as if it had been read many timesāthough the paper was barely twelve months old.
"I am the only knight in Lugnica who might be called 'Juli-Juls,'" he said quietly. "Quite reminiscent of my name, is it not? And, pray note, in that very scene, the succubus addresses the knight by that very nickname.Ā Thrice.Ā "
She shrank into the chair.
"At first," Julius continued, and something strange flickered in his voiceāa mixture of anger, admiration, and, it seemed, embarrassment, "I was furious. I searched for you. I intended to... demand satisfaction. But then..."
He fell silent. The fireplace crackled softly.
"But then I read it. From cover to cover." He raised his eyes to her, and in those golden irises burned something that made her breath catch. "And I must admit:Ā damn it, that succubus scene was incredibly hot.Ā "
She stopped breathing.
"And I..." Julius swallowed almost imperceptibly, "I liked it."
The silence rang. She stared at the most elegant knight in the kingdom, who sat before her with a dog-eared book in his hands and the expression of a man who had just confessed the most shameful sin of his life. Or the most wonderful. She hadn't decided yet.
"You... you're saying thatā"
"I use this book for personal purposes," Julius cut in, his ears turning crimson. "And for a year now, one question has gnawed at me."
He cleared his throat, embarrassed.
"Will there be a sequel?Ā "
She blinked.
Then again.
And then a bewildered smile bloomed on her face.
"You know, Julius," she said, suddenly no longer afraid, "I actually have a draft of the second part sitting in my desk. The succubus returns. And there's a scene in a tower..."
Julius immediately leaned forward, drawing closer to her.
"I'm listening," he said, and there was not a trace of his former coldness in his voice.
"...I lack the inspiration to finish the tower scene. So forgive me... I think I'll be going..." she finished, not taking her eyes off him.
The firelight danced on the walls.
The knight and the writer looked at each other.
Julius didn't move. Only his fingers, resting on the armrest of the chair, tightened almost imperceptibly.
"Inspiration, you say?" he repeated in a voice that had suddenly dropped half an octave.
She had already half-risen from her chair but froze. Something in his tone made her inner author prick up her earsāand her inner woman, to be honest, pause in hesitation.
"Yes," she said cautiously. "You know how it is. The muse is a capricious lady. Comes and goes as she pleases. For a week now, I've been staring at a blank page and..."
"And nothing comes," Julius finished in a falsely understanding tone.
He rose from the chair. Slowly. Smoothly. The way only knights trained in the finest academies of the kingdom could moveāor very well-trained peopleāevery motion precise, economical, and yet incredibly graceful.
She suddenly felt that the chair beneath her was uncomfortably low.
"What a pity," Julius said, stepping toward her. "And I confess, I was awaiting the continuation. I reread the end of the first part... where the knight remains alone in the tower, and the succubus promises to return."
He circled the table and stopped right before her. Now no more than an arm's length separated them. He smelled of sandalwood and something elseāsomething bitter, like wormwood.
"And here you are," Julius said, leaning down slightly. His voice had become almost a whisper. "Alone. Saying you lack inspiration..."
Her hands gripped the armrests so tightly her knuckles turned white.
"...and you're about to leave?" the knight finished.
The fireplace let out a particularly loud crackle.
"Julius," she breathed, "are you suggesting that Iā"
"Suggesting?" He tilted his head slightly, and a strand of lilac hair fell across his forehead. "No, Lady Lavender Smoke. I am not suggesting."
His hand came to rest on the back of her chair. The other on the table beside her, effectively trapping her in the seat.
"I am creating material,Ā " he said, and his lips curved into a smile she had never seen beforeāand which, she would swear,Ā no oneĀ living in Lugnica had ever witnessed. "For inspiration, naturally."
"Naturally," she echoed in a hoarse voice.
Only now did she noticeāhe had leaned in so close that mere centimeters remained between them. His breath touched her cheek. One movement, and she could have...
"Do you remember that scene," Julius whispered, "on page two hundred and twelve?"
She nodded, unable to utter a word.
"Then perhaps you might find it useful to know..." His hand moved from the table to the armrest on the other side, and now he loomed over her completely, "that I found certain details...Ā insufficiently accurate.Ā "
"What?" she breathed.
Julius drew back just enough to see her face.
"For instance," he said thoughtfully, "there was a moment when the knight utters the succubus's name beforeā" He coughed delicately. "In practice, you know, it plays out rather differently."
She slowly parted her lips.
"You mean to say thatā"
"I mean to say," Julius interrupted, leaning toward her ear, "that if you areĀ trulyĀ stuck, I might offer...Ā consultation services.Ā "
His voice vibrated a millimeter from her earlobe.
"Exclusively in exchange for the right to read the sequel first, naturally."
She felt a hot wave travel down her spine. And it wasn't from the fireplace.
"And if I refuse?" she asked hoarsely, testing the boundaries.
"Then," Julius straightened, and his face resumed its impassive, statue-like composure, "you are, of course, free to go."
He stepped back several paces.
"But," something dangerous flickered in the corners of his eyes, "I wager that when you return home and sit at your desk..."
He extended his hand toward the door, clearly inviting her to leave.
"...you will remember this evening. And the inkĀ will flowĀ of its own accord."
She rose on unsteady legs. Walked past him toward the exit. Grasped the doorknob.
She turned back and took a breath, gathering her thoughts.
"At midnight,Ā " she said. "In the library. Bring your 'remarks.' I shall read them, that I might incorporate them into the new book."
Julius bowedāperfectly, precisely, outrageously courteous for the situation.
"With anticipation, Lady Lavender Smoke."
She exited. The door closed.
Julius stood for a moment, watching the fire. Then he walked slowly to the desk, took out a clean parchment, and wrote a single sentence:
"After all, I make a rather fine editor," he said to the empty study.
Somewhere in the corridor, Subaruāwho had heard nothing distinct but had noticed her fleeing with burning cheeks and a strange smileāpondered the seriousness of his life choices.
"I should have kept my mouth shut," he sighed. "I should have just kept my mouth shut..."
She arrived. There were barely five minutes until midnight.
She wasn't sure what to expect from Julius, but just in case, she had put on her most "dangerous" lace lingerie. She wore her usual white short-sleeved blouse andāsurprisinglyāa pleated skirt just above the knee, rather than her usual practical trousers. The ensemble was completed by black nylon stockings with silicone bands. If this turned out not to be a "dangerous" occasion, they could pass for tights.
She closed the door behind her. He would be arriving soon, so she settled comfortably on the sofa. Then, after a moment, she stretched out her legs and relaxed her shoulders.
The door opened without a knock. Julius entered so quietly that she jumpedāeven though she'd been waiting for him, even though she'd been listening to every rustle in the corridor. He simply moved like a predator. Like that very knight from her bookāonly alive, only here, only looking at her as if reading every thought...
"You came," he said, closing the door behind him. The click of the lock sounded deafeningly loud in the library's silence.
"You invited," she replied, trying to keep her voice steadier than her pounding heart.
Julius paused for a second, his gaze sweeping over her. She sat on the sofaāblouse unbuttoned at the top, skirt revealing her knees, stockings she'd specifically worn tonight though she usually didn't wear them under trousers. And beneath it allālace, black, the very set she'd bought six months ago for the mood and had never worn on herself.
"Dangerous,"Ā she thought.Ā "If anything, he'll appreciate it."
He appreciated it.
Not that Julius showed it. His face remained as impassive as a statue's. But his gaze lingered on her legs a moment longer than etiquette required. And when he approached, sat in the armchair opposite, and placed a thick folder of notes on the table, she noticed that his fingers trembled slightly before releasing the papers.
"I brought my remarks," Julius said, opening the folder. "By chapter. With marginal comments." He raised his eyes to her. "And something else."
"What exactly?"
Instead of answering, he drew from the inner pocket of his cloak a small book in a leather binding. Worn. Well-read. His personal copy.
She recognized the cover.Ā HerĀ cover. "The Knight and the Twilight Lady." That very one.
"You brought," she said slowly, "my book."
"I never put it away," Julius replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It lives in my study. And sometimes... under my pillow."
She opened her mouth. Closed it.
"Under... under your pillow?"
"I told you: I use it for personal purposes," Julius said this with a perfectly straight back and the expression of a man discussing the weather. Only his ears betrayed himāthey were once again crimson. "But that's not what I meant."
He flipped the book to a page with a folded corner.
"I refer to the inaccuracies I promised to illustrate for you."
She suddenly realized she was sitting with her legs tucked, and her skirt had ridden up above her knee. Should she adjust it? Not adjust it? She left it as it was.
"You know," Julius said, setting the book aside and rising slowly from his chair, "in your book, the succubus always dominates. She leads. She seduces. She dictates the rules."
He took a step toward her. One.
"The knight submits. Reluctantly at first, thenāeagerly."
Second step. Now he stood a pace from the sofa.
"I thought long and hard about what exactly captivated me in this book," his voice grew quieter. "And I understood."
Third step. He lowered himself onto the sofa beside her. Not too closeāsome twenty centimeters separated them, but that space was enough for her to feel the heat of his body through her blouse.
"I liked beingĀ led," Julius said, turning to her, looking straight into her eyes. "That evening when I first read the tower scene, I imagined myself in the knight's place. And I realized that... I wanted this."
She swallowed.
"But," Julius continued, and a faint smile touched his lips, "you wrote the succubus as wild, willful, untamed. As if femininity were about force, aggression..."
"Domination?" she offered.
"Yes." Julius tilted his head. "But what if femininity isn't only that? What if it can be quiet, patient... yet no less dangerous?"
Oh... Was he serious? Fantasies about a submissive demon girl? He was joking.
He turned fully toward her, but made no further move. Didn't touch. Didn't lean closer.
"You're saying," she said slowly, feeling her own pulse tap-dancing somewhere in her throat, "that my succubus is too... straightforward?"
"I'm saying," Julius answered, "that sometimes seduction begins not with action, but with anticipation. With a pause. With one of the two pretending that nothing is happening, though everything has already occurred in their mind."
Oh... He meant he wanted to be teased... That was doable. She seemed to have been overthinking this.
He reached out his hand. Not toward herātoward a strand of her hair that had fallen across her face. He tucked it behind her ear. Gently. Almost weightlessly.
"Like this," he said. "Remember that. For the tower scene."
She sat, not breathing. The tips of his fingers still touched her templeāor so it seemed? Between them there was nothing, and yet everything at once. Every nerve in her body was taut as a string. She wantedāgods, how she wanted!āfor him to take the next step. But he didn't. He waited.
And she understood.
"You're... you're testing me," she breathed. "You want me to make the first move."
Julius withdrew his hand and tilted his head slightly, neither confirming nor denying.
"Your book," he said softly. "Your rules. I'm merely a consultant."
Silence. The fire was dying, casting dancing shadows on the walls.
She slowly exhaled, squared her shoulders, and did what instinct told her.
She reached out and placed her palm over his hand. The one that had just touched her hair.
"Then," she said, and her voice dropped lower, deeper than a moment ago, "allow me toĀ showĀ you what wild femininity truly is, consultant."
Julius's fingers twitched beneath her palm.
"I would be... most grateful," he said, a slight rasp in his voice.
She smiledāthat very smile she had described in her book: slow, dangerous, promising everything at once.
"Your hands, Julius."
He obeyed without hesitationāextending them before him, wrists together. Eyes closed. Breath slightly uneven. She could see his lashes trembling, the tension in his jaw.
She removed his tie. Black silk slid through her fingers. One loop. Two. Not too tightāthis was a game, not captivity. Besides, she wouldn't want to leave marks on his beautiful wrists...
She checked the knot. Julius didn't move. Only exhaled sharply when she pulled the ends, testing the security.
"Good," she said in an even tone. "Relax. I won't bite. That wasn't in the plot."
She climbed onto the sofa with her legs, then settled onto his lap, feeling the firm muscles of his thighs beneath her. For a second she froze, aware ofĀ what she was doing. Whom she was sitting on. What she was wearing. And what lay beneath it all.
Oh god, I'm actually doing this.
A fire was burning within herāembarrassment, delight, fear, excitement, and anticipation. How far could this go? Outwardly, she hoped, there was only the calm and confidence she'd described in her book. The confidence she'd thought she could never replicate in real life.
She leaned toward his ear and began to whisper:
"You thought you would hunt me, my knight... but I have been leading you to this from the very beginning."
Her lips brushed the lobe of his ear. Her teethājust slightly, as she had written on page two hundred and fourteen.
Julius flinched. Just for a moment. And froze.
"Every step of your journey..." she bit down a little harder, and he exhaled sharply, strangled, "...every victory and defeat..."
She drew back just enough to run a finger along the collar of his shirt. The fabric was thin, expensive. Beneath it, she could feel the warmth of his skin. She moved her finger slowly, lazily, almost carelessly downwardātoward the first button. Hooked it. Pulled.
The button slipped from its loop.
"...were orchestrated by me."
The second button. Her fingers trembledājust a little, only she could feel it. Or could he? Julius bit his lip, and that small movement told her he hadn't noticed her nervousness.
The third button. Now his shirt collar fell open, revealing his collarbones. She caught her breath and leaned toward his neckājust to touch with her lips, lightly, almost weightlessly, as if playing. She trailed the tip of her nose along his jawline, then her lips along his neck, where his pulse beat.
Fast. Too fast.
She forced herself to slow down. As her book taught her. As she herself had written:Ā "Temptation does not tolerate hasteāit loves to torment, to promise, to make one wait."
"From this moment forward..." she breathed into his neck, feeling his skin break out in goosebumps, "...you are mine."
Her heart pounded somewhere in her throat. Her cheeks burned. Her hands trembled.Ā She had never in her life been so embarrassed and so aroused.
Julius was silent. His bound hands rested on the right armrestāfingers clenched into fists so tightly that his knuckles were white.
She drew back a little to look at him: eyes squeezed shut, lips slightly parted, chest heaving beneath his unbuttoned shirt. He looked as though he were fighting himself. As though his fragile self-control was hanging by a thread and the remnants of a knight's discipline. So pitiful and so alluring.
"Now you," she said in a hoarse voice. "Your remarks, consultant. What am I doing wrong?"
Julius slowly, very slowly opened his eyes. In them burned something that made her breath catchāand she suddenly understood that her game might be more dangerous than she'd thought.
Because the knight she had bound with his own tie did not look defeated at all.
He looked as though he hadĀ allowedĀ her to win.
"Your primary mistake," he whispered, leaning forward slightly despite his bound hands, "is that you forgot..."
He tugged at the tie.
"...I am not merely a knight from your book."
His breath touched her lips.
"I am the one who has reread it seventeen times.Ā "
She froze.
Seventeen?
Before she could respond, Julius did something that wasn't in any scene she had written.
He freed his hands. Julius looked at his wrists and rubbed them, restoring circulation. The tie still wrapped around his wristsābut loosely, not restricting movement. He could have unwound it in one motion. He could. But he didn't.
"Ha?" She tilted her head, genuine interest flickering in her eyes. "I suppose I didn't tie that knot very well."
She didn't get off him. She still sat on his lap, feeling the warmth of his thighs beneath her, and watched with curiosityāthat professional, writerly curiosity that somehow functioned even when her whole body trembled with adrenaline.
"Do we continue, or stop here?" she asked quietly.
She needed his answer. Now. Because what came next... next in the plot was the explicit erotica she had dressed so dangerously for. If he said "yes," she would cease to be Lavender Smokeāthe writer playing out a scene from her own book. She would becomeĀ her. The succubus. Mistress Lilith. And she would do things that would make her blush at every future encounter with him in the palace corridors.
But was that what she wanted?
Yes. Gods, yes. She wanted it desperately.
Julius was silent for several seconds. His chest rose and fell heavily beneath his unbuttoned shirt. In his golden-yellow eyes burned something primal, something he was clearly restraining with the last of his strength.
"If you leave now," he said hoarsely, "I will follow you. Either way."
She exhaledāand that breath was enough for the veil of doubt to dissipate.
"Then," she leaned forward and bit his lower lip, just slightly, tasting him, "close your eyes, knight. I do not repeat myself."
He closed them.
She unbuttoned the rest of his shirt slowly, almost ceremoniously, baring his chest. Muscular, with barely visible scarsāthe marks of real battles, not imagined ones. Julius breathed rapidly and unevenly, but he did not move, did not try to seize the initiativeāhe had promised, and he kept his word.
"Good boy," she whispered, running her palms over his shoulders, down to his chest.
She remembered this scene by heart. Page two hundred and eighteen.Ā "She played with his nipples like a cat with a mouseānow caressing, now pinching, making him arch and moan."
She ran the pad of her thumb over his left nippleājust to test. Julius jolted with his whole body and made a sound she hadn't expected from him. Strangled. Almost plaintive.
"Sensitive?" she smiled, leaning lower.
She licked his nippleāshort, one quick stroke of her tongue. Julius exhaled something unintelligible. His bound hands twitched, as if he wanted to grab her hair, but he restrained himself. Clenched his fingers into fists.
She repeatedānow on the other side. Played with her teeth. Felt the muscles of his abdomen tense beneath her mouth.
"Don't hold back," she whispered into his chest. "I want to hear you."
And he stopped holding back.
She slid off his lap onto the floor, settling between his thighs. The sofa was low enough that her face was directly level with his groin. She could see the strain in the fabric of his breeches. How heavily he breathed.
"Do you know what comes next?" she asked, looking up at him.
Julius nodded. His eyes were dark, almost black.
"I... yes." His voice broke, dropping to a whisper.
She smirked and began unbuckling his belt.
"Then don't be afraid to ask."
And he stopped enduring.
She slid off his lap onto the floor, settling between his thighs. The sofa was low enough that her face was directly level with his crotch. She could see the fabric straining there. Could hear how heavily he was breathing.
"You know what comes next?" she asked, looking up at him.
Julius nodded. His eyes were dark, almost black.
"I... yes." His voice cracked, dropped to a whisper.
She smirked and began unbuckling his belt.
"Then don't be afraid to ask."
She freed him from his breeches and underwearāand paused for a second, staring at what was revealed. This was her book, her fantasy, but the reality was... more imposing. Hotter. She swallowed, gathering her resolve.
"It's just like... like in my book," she whispered, taking him in her hand.
"I... know," Julius exhaled, throwing his head back against the sofa.
She started slowly, lazily moving her hand up and down, studying every reaction. He moanedārestrained, through clenched teeth, but he moaned. And when she leaned down and ran her tongue over the tipābarely, just the tip, like a cat grooming itself without any hurryāhis hands gripped the armrest so hard the upholstery creaked.
"Please..." he whispered. "More..."
She continued. She licked, circled, teasedābut never took him fully in. It was a game. His torment. Her fingers, still moving at the base, found that spotāand when she pressed against his perineum, massaging his prostate through the thin fabric, Julius arched off the sofa and groaned through pursed lips.
"Mistress Lilith..." escaped him hoarsely, brokenly.
She froze.
Mistress Lilith.
That was what the succubus was called in the book. Not by nameājust Mistress.
She looked up. Julius was looking at herābut as if through her. As if he didn't see her, but the one she was currently portraying.
And that knowledge hit her like a hot wave of arousal.
"Do you want more?" she asked, not recognizing her own voiceālow, insinuating, dangerous.
"Yes," he exhaled. "Please... fuck me."
She laughedāquietly, a throaty laugh, the same one she'd described in the book. Playful and cruel at once.
"Fuck you?" she repeated, running her nail along the inside of his thigh, making him flinch. "In what sense, my knight? Take your ass, or..."
He swallowed. His face flushedāfrom desire, from embarrassment, from something else.
"The second," he whispered. "The second. I... I want to be yours."
He opened his eyes, looking at her face pleadingly.
She straightened up, smoothing her skirt. She took off her shirtāslowly, button by button, never breaking eye contact. Then under her skirt was that very laceāblack, dangerous, barely enough fabric to conceal, but enough to emphasize.
She rose on her knees, guided him ināand lowered herself, slowly, feeling him enter her inch by inch.
Julius moanedālow, drawn-out, burying his face in her shoulder.
"Mistress..." he whispered.
"Shhh," she replied, beginning to move. "Don't interrupt me... while I'm feeding."
At first she moved slowly, getting used to the size and position. Adjusting to a faster rhythm.
Then she rode him. Furiously. Desperately. Forgetting everythingāthe book, the scene, the fact that she had written these very lines. Something huge, hot, and unstoppable was building inside her. She could feel him tense beneath her, trembling, gripping her thighs with his bound hands, trying to speed up, to deepen...
"Don't you dare," she hissed, pushing him back onto the sofa. "Don't you dare come without permission."
"I... I can't..." his voice broke into a sob. "Mistress, please, I..."
"Endure."
She cut him off harshly.
She sped up. Everything inside her tightened into a knot, and she knew he felt the sameāhow she pulsed around him, how her body demanded release. But she wanted it to last longer. Wanted him to remember this. Wanted to bring herself to the edge and pull away at the last second. She wanted...
He came first.
Sharply, unexpectedly, crying out the succubus's nameāLilithāand she felt a hot, thick wave flood her from the inside. She tried to lift herselfāshe had planned to pull him out before he came, that was canonābut his hands, still bound, suddenly clamped down on her hips with all their strength and held her in place.
"No," Julius exhaled, opening his eyes. There was no restrained knight in them anymore. Only darkness and hunger. "You... you will take all of it."
He came inside her for a long time, in pulses, and every movement made her arch and moan, feeling him fill her to the brim. Warmth spread through her belly, her thighs, her entire bodyāthick, hot, too much.
"Too much..." she whispered, but didn't stop him.
She couldn't.
She didn't want to, but damn it felt good.
When he finally collapsed back onto the sofa, exhausted, she dropped on top of him, breathing heavily, feeling his semen leak out of her, coating her thighs and his stomach.
"You..." she whispered into his neck, "you broke canon."
Julius chuckledātired, satisfied, still breathing hard.
"Enjoy your meal, Mistress Lilith."
They lay there for several minutes. The fire had nearly died. The book lay on the floor, open to page two hundred and eighteen. The tie had finally fallen from his wrists.
"That was a plot correction. After all, succubi feed on the life force released at the moment of orgasm. Isn't that right?"
This dude is literally a bitch hungry for a fight and deliberately rage-batts everyone in sight.
Just imagine a warrior woman. She's proud that she's become so strong, etc. And then some strange guy scratches his ass and says to her: "Wow, that's a nice ass, are you free tonight?"
On the other hand, he was groping Shaula in such a way that it was definitely not only because of Reidbite hd
While reading the battle between Julius and Reid, I noticed that, as Reid said, Julius fights with practiced techniques and often inadvertently uses what goes along with spiritual arts, although they are the ones that donāt work. Even when Reid says outright that he's disappointed by it.
At the same time, Emilia... I thought Emilia's battle against Reid was very well drawn: first, an attack from one side, then from both sides. Then she attacks in melee. Then she combines the melee attack with two ice blades flying at Reid simultaneously from his supposedly blind side. And then that close-range attack, which should have taken him down (considering that a man's center of gravity is in his chest, I don't know how he pulled off that fake-fall trick). In any case, I think Reid enjoyed this "meaningful" fight. In which Emilia isn't shocked by unsuccessful strikes like Julius, but tries again and again, coming up with ever more complex tactics.
I think he gave in on purpose. Moreover, I think he's a very bad actor, acting out pain and so on.
My main conclusion is that the test is a sham. I don't think anyone could have defeated Reid. (We're not counting Reinhard, since whoever designed the tower hardly expected someone like Reinhard to exist. The same goes for a group of people. They won't defeat Reid. They need to impress him.)
"Gain his forgiveness, by hand of the Fool who has reached the Heavenly Sword..." not āwinā, but gain his forgiveness.
It's also not a given that historians lied about Reid's generosity. It's also possible that we're simply seeing a young, lustful, puerile Reid, not the mature and conscious version of him that was seen after the victory over Satella..
And when I see his cheekbones and chin, it seems to me that he hasn't eaten much... I'm glad that they made him less angular in the anime.
In general, I would sincerely like to go for a walk with him somewhere and finally feed him. š„ŗ
I hope I've attracted attention to this post, and this time you'll interact so I can understand what to write about.
I'm defending my thesis in nuclear physics, and I have a few unfinished works that I'll list here.
I'll briefly divide them into 3 categories: Platonic, Romantic (possibly hot, but not necessarily), and LEMONS.
What I already have drafts for:
Where's Puck? (Platonic)
No Longer the Main Heroine (pairing: female OC / yandere Emilia, not sure if it'll be platonic or romantic) (yay, I managed to generate a picture for this chapter)
Continuation of "Kidnapped by Natsumi Schwarz" (Hot romance)
Tivey and Hetaro's First Love (strictly platonic, light comedy)
That's MY Grandma! (AU where Theresia loses her memory and lives in the forest until you stumble upon her ā again, platonic)
Oh Sweet Sweet Sugar (genderbend Anastasia Hoshin, hot romance, might turn into several parts, with other candidates for the throne of Lugunica)
Let Sleeping Beauties Lie (awkward romantic comedy with awakened Louanna, who sees a female isekai'd person living in Reinhard's mansion and mistakes her for her son's lover)
Monster Musume AU Part 1 (first part is sweet and hot, but further on ā LEMONS) (I even drew the picture for this one myself)
Continuation of the Cat World (again, the chemistry is just beginning, lemon content will come later)
A Boy No Longer (15-year-old Reinhard confesses to a 20-year-old heroine and gets rejected, but soon everyone finds out, and she gets sent far away for a long time as a seductress ā which is technically correct, even though she's innocent. Then, at 20, he finally finds her in a remote village and takes her with him forever ā hot and lemon content. I'll say right away that I don't support such an age gap for Felt and Reinhard, hence the idea.)
Platonic yandere Felt / female isekai'd heroine / romantic yandere Reinhard (but loyal to Felt as a candidate and friend ā absolutely) (platonic/romantic ā important note: Reinhard's feelings are mutual)
Some asshole doesn't know the word 'no' and is stalking me, but three handsome guys from the student council go to deal with him (yes yes yes... that same April Fools' ad that stole my heart ā obviously romance, because they're schoolkids lol)
Put It All on Reid (a story from the perspective of my thoughts on how I would try to defeat this guy ā platonic/romantic)
Also, a couple of fantasies on these themes:
Love triangle with Roswaal and Echidna
Other love triangles
Omegaverse AU
Soulmates
Your memories of the world got eaten by gluttony, and you wake up next to...
Actually, there's also a collection of works, but for now it'll remain a secret...
Just leave in the comments the numbers of what you liked. (The poll only allows 10 options.) If you decided to choose something from the last section, then specify the characters or even your own ideas.
I'm writing this because I dreamed of a pool party with Reinhard, and he said I should write something. (I'm not kidding.)
Don't make Beatrice wait too long for your answers!
restarting my page, and i dedicate my first new post to Reinhard ! i hope u enjoy it and have a nice day <3
. Thinking of a parallel world where you reincarnated into Lugunica with your childhood friend, Subaru. The two of you walked into the alley, trying to find a way to get back home. Yet, luck was not on your side when the gangsters showed up in front of you guys. Neither of you was trained in martial arts, anyways. Sure, Subaru had better physical strength than you. But would he be able to handle all 3 of them? You could not stand watching Subaru getting beaten up by the men further. Out of desperation, you called out for help.
. āāThatās enough.ā
. A voice so clear cut through the tension in the alley. And that was your first encounter with the red-haired young man, Reinhard Van Astrea.
. You could not thank him enough. But you did not even have a penny with you. All you had was a plastic bag filled with snacks you had last bought in the convenience store before you were teleported to this strange, new world. Still, you decided to gift Reinhard with one of your favourite chocolate bars as a token of appreciation.
. Reinhard, being the "knight amongst knights", gladly received your gift with the most charming smile you could imagine. Yet, you noticed something off with that smile. It was too perfect. It was as if the curves of his lips were calculated to be at a certain angle. Plastered, Void and Unnatural. It just lacked depth.
. "Reinhard san. Please take care of yourself as much as you take care of others. Don't fret all alone."
. Before you could think twice. Your words have slipped out of your mouth. You only just found out his name. You were basically a stranger to him in the same way he was to you. But something in your soul insisted you do so. You looked up at Reinhard's face. He sure would be confused; he sure would be disgusted. Yet, despite your expectations, he now had the face of a lost, lonely child. He gave you a bittersweet smile.
. "āThank you."
. You then headed to the trading street with Subaru to find the silver-haired girl he was talking about. Unaware of those piercing blue eyes on you.
. It was night already, and the two of you soon arrived at the loot house. Subaru insisted that you wait outside and never come in, no matter what. It was weird of him, really. But you decided to place trust in your childhood friend.
. It was that moment when you felt the floor against your cheek and realised that you had collapsed on your face. This is bad. You did not even have time to run away. The pain came to you soon. The ground had been dyed red.
. "Help! Please! Can somebody... please!!!" You did not care about the identity of the person who took your life. All you cared about was your childhood friend's safety.
. Clumps of blood spilt out from your mouth each time you pronounced a syllable. Your vision is getting blurry. Your consciousness started fading.
. You suddenly felt the comforting warmth of a human around you. A pair of arms wrapped tightly around you. It was as if someone was holding you oh so dearly, so despairingly. You saw a faint red colour within your dim field of view. No, it was not the colour of blood. It was blazing inferno red. The red that reminded you of the young man you encountered this afternoon. Reinhard Van Astrea.
. "Rein...hard?" You forced your disappearing consciousness to return for a moment.
. "...!! Yes, that's me! So please, just hang in there, I willā"
. At that moment, your life slipped away. You were relieved. Someone like Reinhard would definitely be able to save Subaru from any possible danger ahead. You had no regrets. Your dear childhood friend has found his first love, and you have met a kind soul like Reihard on the very first and last day here in Lugunica.
. But what about Reinhard? What about Reinhard, who finally discovered the feelings of love he had never experienced before? What about Reinhard, who has finally met the person who would view him as a mere human instead of the 'sword saint' or the 'knight amongst the knights' ? It was his first time being genuinely cared for. And he is going to lose all this soon?
. This must not happen.
. The sweet sensation inside him instantly grew into a twisted fixation for you. Despite being the almighty 'sword saint', all he could do now was to cling to your body for dear life. If only he had healing abilities like Ferris...
. But there was something only Reinhard could do. Reinhard closed his eyes and wished for another divine protection from Od Laguna.
. The divine protection of ā ā ā ā
. "You don't need to suffer alone anymore. So, let's go back to the time when we first met. And this time, I would like to know your nameā"
. ā I love you.
. āāThatās enough.ā
. A voice so clear cut through the tension in the alley. And that was your first encounter with the red-haired young man, Reinhard Van Astrea.
. Thinking of a greed IF au where you were a close childhood friend (maybe you were a maid in House Astrea) of Reinhard.
. He would definitely bring you with him to the Roswaal manor (yes, you do not have the right to refuse).
. You feel bad for him, honestly. Lady Felt is nowhere to be seen now. You know Heinkel well and could imagine the lengths he would go to mock his own son.
. "A failed knight", they say.
. All you could do was bring comfort to Reinhard. To be a safe space for him. To be the only place he could stay as a normal man.
. Subaru had prepared a lovely guest room for you, yet Reinhard insisted that you stay in the same room as him. He even gave you those puppy eyes. Could you ever brush it off oh so ruthelessly?
. Reinhard did his best to act as the Emilia camp's protector. He wouldn't dare to fail his personal duty again. Reinhard wouldn't want to disappoint Subaru when he had so generously placed trust in him.
. Meanwhile, you were not allowed to leave your (or perhaps Reinhard's) room without his permission. You had once tried getting out of that excessively decorated and spacious room out of boredom, and you swore to yourself that you would never ever do so again.
. You still remember clearly how Reinhard appeared out of nowhere, like a bolt of lightning, when you stepped out of the room. He should have been accompanying Subaru at this time of hour. Yet those piercing blue eyes of his threw darting, frantic gazes at you. You could see how the many hints of life drained away from his pretty face. His grip on your wrist was so painfully tight that you could already imagine the red outline of his fingers forming on your skin.
. "Please, never leave me again. You are the last grain of hope I have left in this world. I cannot bear to lose you."
. He gifted you tons of books, art supplies and luxuries, basically anything you could think of, for you to kill time, and all you had to do was to wait for his return in the room.
Karma is the law of cause and effect, often described by the phrase āyou reap what you sow.ā
So, what exactly did you sow last April Foolsā Day?
A new trend for harmless pranks. Orā¦ maybe not entirely harmless.
You, you little shit, brought a brand-new holiday to Lugunica. And although you didnāt do anything particularly cruel - just some light-hearted jokes - it still affected a huge part of your social circle.
Now youāre reaping the āfruitsā of your own actions.
Whatās it like to wake up in the morning, set a mug on the kitchen counter, pour in sugar and tea, then turn around to find the mug completely gone? And while youāre searching the shelves for the tea, the mug itself suddenly disappears too?
Damn it. Out of everyone, you made the most short-sighted mistake - you taught Reinhard how to prank.
You only realized this after thirteen minutes and twenty-three seconds of trying to make tea.
At one point you thought you were just really sleep-deprived or straight-up losing your mind. Then you glanced at the calendar, heard a quiet laugh right behind you - very close behind you.
Reinhard: Sorry, sorryā¦ We all really liked your japes from last year. I believe you called them āpranksā? So we decided to team up and prank the āmaster tricksterā themselves.
The light morning embarrassment from being so close to him instantly vanishes.
Wait, what?
Reinhard: Last time you warned all your friends before āFoolās Dayā and even asked how far you could goā¦ So I thought you deserved to know about this āAlliance to Prank the Ultimate Tricksterā.
This sweet guy looks genuinely guilty.
R: I also donāt know if Iām allowed to warn you about this, soā¦ can you keep it a secret?
He presses one finger to his lips in a shushing gesture and waits for your answer.
Still in shock, you nod. He smiles, says goodbye, and leaves to carry out his duties. Heās even kind enough to put everything he āhidā back in its place and leaves the cup of tea you had started making.
Oh shit. This is definitely going to be a crazy day.
Emilia: Huh? Looks like my sugar-for-salt trick didnāt work.
Emilia walks into the room.
You: Nice try, Emilia-sama. I almost fell for it.
Puck: Meow! That was my idea.
Puck floats into the room, and you immediately give him a high-five - a gesture the spirit had grown very fond of. Besides, you can never resist touching those soft little paws.
You: By any chance, do you remember how many people want to get back at me for last yearās pranks?
Ram enters the room.
Ram: All I can say is that you wonāt be able to hide in your room today.
Ram: Roswaal-sama listened to my request and gave you a mountain of tasks in the city. Of course, I myself wonāt be participating in such childish nonsense. But Iāll gladly watch you eat the porridge you cooked yourself.
You: You donāt even have a reason to be mad! I didnāt prank you last year, Ram-san!
Ram: As if you would have dared.
You: Youāre so cruel, Ram-san.
Ram: Not that much. Watch out for Subaru and Beatrice. They seem way too excited about getting revenge on you.
The moment you step out into the garden, you spot a carriage.
You: Oh no.
Ferris: Siha!
At the same instant, a water ball flies straight at your poor backside.
From around the corner comes running Ferris, looking extremely pleased with himself. The equally cheerful Pearlbaton triplets jump out after him, shouting:
She peed herself! She peed herself!
Joshua, who had come to escort the triplets, tried to calm them down, but the corner of his mouth kept twitching upward. He clearly enjoyed the fun, even if the jokes were beneath an aristocratās dignity. Wilhelm was also present, standing silently beside Ferris and staring into the distance, making it very clear he was neither participating nor enjoying this.
You: I didnāt expect this from you, Wilhelm-sanā¦
You tried to look disapproving, but soon burst out laughing and joined in the fun anyway.
Then you heard Garfielās voice.
Otto, I found our āprankerā. Launch it.
A low hum. No - buzzing. In that moment you realized it was time to run.
You: Aaaargh! OTTO, WHY DO YOU HATE ME SO MUCH!?
Otto: SORRYYYY! I THINK I WENT TOO FAR! I THOUGHT THEREāD BE FEEEWER!
Garf and Mimi: RUN, DIVA, RUUUUN!!!
You ran. A swarm of giant beetles flew after you.
You: Somebody help me!!!
Felt: How did you manage to set up a prank before me?
Reinhard: My apologies, Lady Felt.
About thirty seconds of silence passed.
Felt: Are you sure sheāll run this way?
Reinhard: Absolutely.
Felt: And one is enough?
Reinhard: Yes, Lady Felt.
Felt: Oh. There she is. Butā¦ whatās behind her?
Felt: Huh?! Where did all these bugs come from!? Not the bugs!
Reinhard: Understood.
What the hell are they talking about?
The world flipped upside down.
Classic banana peel prank. The last thought that crossed your mind was:
Reinhardās calculations are terrifying.
You were already bracing yourself to land hard on your wet ass when Julius caught you. One hand held your arm, the other supported your back between the shoulder blades. For a few seconds you hung in an unstable position before finally opening your eyes.
Julius: Careful. You could have hurt yourself. Are you alright?
He helped you regain your balance.
You: Thank you for catching me. Iām fine. Iā¦ I didnāt prank you last year, right?
Julius: Correct. You were wise enough not to put me in an awkward position.
You: Phew.
Julius: However, you did say you wouldnāt mind if someone pranked you, didnāt you? I decided to go first. After all, weāre close enough friends for such jokes now, arenāt we?
A sly, triumphant smile appeared on his face.
Incredibly attractive.
You blinked, pushing the thought away.
You: I knowā¦ This is some kind of bluff. Youāre saying youāll prank me so Iāll get paranoid and scared, but you wonāt actually do anythingā¦ You canāt scare me, ha-ha.
You kept watching him, but all you saw was that mysterious smile.
Julius: Who knowsā¦ who knowsā¦
He turned away.
Julius: Please excuse me. I have business with Lady Emilia.
He left in a hurry.
Aaaghā¦ I shouldāve at least told him his shoelaces were untiedā¦
You headed back to the mansion and passed Frederica, who immediately turned her face away.
You: Do I have something on my face?
Frederica chuckled softly and nodded.
You: When the hell did Julius manage that?
What is it this time?
Frederica: You look like a cat.
She handed you a mirror. Indeed - cat ears, a little nose, whiskersā¦ It was actually kind of cute.
You: I think Iāll leave it like this. Let him enjoy the fact that I didnāt notice right away. Sighā¦
The moment you walked through the door, you dodged a bucket of water, then swerved away from a shower of glitter and feathers.
Subaru: How did that miss!?
Beatrice: It didnāt work.
Subaru: Why not!?
Beatrice: You shouldnāt have dodged the glitter, Betty told you. Donāt space out, Subaru. We still have a second chance. Shamak!
Darkness swallowed the world as water poured over you and glitter and feathers settled on your head.
You: Pffffā¦
You spat out a few feathers and some glitter.
You: Are you satisfied now?
Beatrice: Betty is satisfied.
Subaru: Victory!
A pink-haired silhouette flashed down the corridor.
You: Ram-san! They made a mess in the entrance hall! We have guests coming back from Emilia soon!!!
Fairy, I once read from a source that Reinhard is the type of person who treats others the way he sees/thinks of them. Do you think Reinhard's love for darling will be obvious? I mean, from the way he treats darling and others like her.
I'm a bit curious whether he can hide his feelings (if they're obvious) and what if, for some reason, his feelings are socially inappropriate (for example, people expect Reinhard's partner to have a high social status) Can he hide his feelings? š¤
That's all, hope you have a nice day, Fairy ā”ā”
hii bby!! ohh youre right now that u mentioned it, i forgot that even rezero has this social norms going on with these royal families and what not. lets get into it.
as an outsider, you hold no significant influence in the re:zero world of politics. as a person who wasnt even aware of her whose name shall not be spoken (satella) and who acts so carefree with people regardless of their status, most aristocrats and nobles actually look down on you with scorn. hence, you're someone not worth paying attention to in their eyes. Reinhard is definitely aware of this.
from birth, reinhard is aware of his fate, lay his life on the line for this kingdom and dedicate his sword to the next candidate of the throne. In this case, thatd be felt. i believe tappei also said that reinhard will most likely be involved in an arranged marriage. and he accepts these with no rebuttal.
all this was before you came flying down into his arms.
reinhard is a person with firm beliefs. he knows there is no place and time for him to be dilly-dallying along with his fantasies, that you're better off and happier with another man, that he should be offering his life to his queen instead. at first, it was due to pity and genuine kindness that he offers you a place at his manor. you'll leave eventually, navigate your own way in this god-forsaken world and maybe you'll come back to visit him occasionally.
but you're someone out of his reach.
his relatives would look down on his decisions and all his fellow knights would surely object to his relationship with you. hekins already pokes fun at him for bringing in a 'stray' to the astrea manor. and you...you deserves someone who can fully devote himself to this sickness called love. your social standings are too different and he believes he can't offer you the life that you deserves. it's a dead end on both sides.
so he throws himself into duties and patrols more than ever, hoping to avoid interactions with you even when his heart begs for more glimpses of your face. Each chat from you is quickly cut off by his sudden need to go catch another criminal and he sprints unusually fast from you while his whole body aches to do the exact opposite, leaving you puzzled.
so when you finally starts getting jobs and interacting with more people, why does his heart feel so heavy? His throat feels heavy like something is choking him when you begin gushing about making new friends. he'll put up a smile and tell you 'congrats, im very proud of you!' but you dont see the way his fingers are drawing out blood from underneath the table. hes tried to stray away from you, he truly tried.
but there's something so different about you..it's fresh. you don't hesitate in anything, you're someone always willing to learn, fairly composed for someone whos been randomly transported into another word. despite all the odds, you always maintain a beautiful smile that he cant get enough of. and most of all, your unconditional kindness knows no bounds. someone, anyone says jump and immediately, you say how high.
how can he ever let go of someone like this out into such a dangerous world?
he wants to keep that kindness all for himself.
these arent thoughts an honoured authorized figure should be having. one could say that his desires are very taboo. this predicament keeps him up at night and it shows. everyone took notice of the way he constantly looks dazed. so, when you finally approach him in concern of him looking exhausted, he can't contain it anymore. in his feverish state, he mistakes your figure as a willing participant in his dream and pulls you in for a kiss.
social expectations be damned, you'll be spoiled and treated like the highest royalty you deserve to be. treat him like your guard dog, he'll be solely yours for the rest of eternity.
Fairy! Do you think Julius is the type who would ask his darling for soothe if his pride was bruised? š Or is he too proud for that?
I'm eager to hear your opinion ><
By the way, good luck catching up on Re:Zeroš„ There's a lot of material. I tried reading the light novel because I heard that some important scenes were cut from the anime, but when I saw how many volumes there were, I immediately shrunk back š
hi anon!! aijsjaja thats such a hard question for me bc believe it or not i havent actually read his backstory yet and ive only read some snippets online so my interpretation of whether hed ask darling for consolation or not may not be accurate so forgive me.
what i get from it is that julius can be deeply insecure at times, especially when it comes to reinhard. whenever u argue with him about not letting u go outside without him and locking you in his estate, he retorts back by saying that theres just too many threats right now and that you arent ācapableā of taking care of yourself. obviously that pisses you off because while hes being truthful in his mind, it just comes off as condescending to you.
so imagine a scenerio where youre in trouble regarding the threats of gluttony or that archbishop of greed force taking u as his wife and he needs to go and save you. maybe reinhard or subaru would help him out and one of them beat him to it. this could also be after subaru and julius had their little beef at the palace and subaru has his own agenda for helping him (plus saving u) or smth. either way, id imagine itd sting bc in ur head, either of them was there to get to you and escort you to safety before julius could and thatd make him feel like hes failed as your forced lover. thats a huge blow to his pride :)
before u could engage in anymore conversations with them, hed swiftly tag you away and just..hold you close because youre safe. and alive. even if he wasnt the one who āsavedā you. the julius from this particular moment is showing you such sincerity and genuine that you cant help but decide to let him have it for once.
subaru is also suspicious at this bc damn ur girl just got kidnapped and almost had to marry this dumbass incel and ur here mopping bc shes expressing her gratitude at her saviors?? he almost protests before reinhard puts his hand on subaru to give them some space, with an understanding smile. though, why would he do that.. he seems a bit too natural when it comes to waving any worries thats directed at juulius and his darlingās relationship.
if youre still reluctant to his affections, id imagine that hes not rly going to open up and taint his image of being your captor protector and he fears being seen as āweakā in your eyes. he doesnt want u to think that hes not able to take care of you, save your life after this incident so he will try to avoid a conversation about that at all costs. he might try to cope with this by training more excessively too! although there will be times when hes lingering a bit too close to you, a little too silent and theres this look on this face that u dont see often, something that screams that he has so much to say ā only for him to get up abruptly and excuse himself.
if youre deeeep in the stockholm syndrome phase though, i think he will be more willing to let loose and tell you whats on his mind. his chest feels instantly lighter when you pull him close to your chest and pat his head and just assure him its okay to not be perfect, its okay to be you, youre perfect just the way you are. he might actually start crying on the spot. hes basically a puppy so if u give him even any validation, imaginary tails pop up and start wagging lolll.
well thats my take on it anyways so its def not accurate xD. id love to hear ur thoughts anon! :D
THIS GUY IS SO UNDERATTED ITS CRAZY YOU ARE LIKE THE ONLY PERSON THAT WRITES ABOUT YANDERE JULIUS AND I LOVE YOU FOR THAT
tw. suggestive
JSNJSDJDS there were so little yandere julius content that i had to take the matters into my own hands and put my own little headcanons of him into a blender that is my blog <33
but ovulating darling with julius,, oh my god
its a matter of cat and mouse game w him honestly. he'd catch on to what you're feeling because he's just so in tune with your behaviour and characteristics that he can tell what your body needs with a glance almost immediately. he's just that in love obsessed with you. but of course, hes still a bit of a bastard so he'd want you to come to him and tell him that you want him and need him to satisfy you.
during this kind of phase, he'd make sure that you'd be unable to see any other men (just making sure, he says,,,) but your daily life consists of him mostly, occasional tea parties with anastasia hosin (begrudingly) , mimi and hetaro. you will also find anastasia asking slightly(very) suspicious questions,
"hm, so you've never thought of having a child with sir julius?"
You choke on your tea, "Excuse me?! Of course not!"
"Well, I suppose that children do cost a considerable amount of money." She shrugs off your disbelief with nonchalance.
Julius will also try to be sneakier and initiate more physical contact with you, smiling down at you from a too close view after helping you reach smth or helping you up just to place an arm around your waist when you know that it's completely unnecessary. oh you know, he knows, everyone knows whats going on.
when you both cant handle the tension anymore and it all comes crashing down on the both of you,, iN HIS OFFICE JASNAJNSAJ. one second you're rambling to him about how pushy anastasia is towards you (shes pushing youxjulius agenda shhh) and how inappropriate she can be while hes sitting in his chair filling out those documents and humming along to whatever youre saying and another second you're both passionately making out on his desk with all the papers sprawled around.
and he acts so cocky and teasing during these moments that you genuinely almost gets turned off and leave if you dont see the way too noticable red tints on his ears. everYONE knows that hes been waiting for this day and hes trying to act like yoR'Re the one who wants him while hes smiling down at you with so much lust and greed in his eyes that are barely contained. despite that, he still makes sure you have the best first night with him ever and that is evident in the way you practically limp the day after.
In the midst of your endless dwelling, something wet drop against your cheek.
You make the mistake of gazing up to find the aggressor only to be splashed with another waterdrop against one of your eyes. And so, more droplets of water begin fall from the sky. Gradually, they become more and more insistent.
It's raining.
And you're soaked. You've been so excited to finally escape from the one of the windows from the high building that you forgot to take into account the necessities. And you're regretting not bringing a blanket or extra clothing because not only are you wet but the air around you are feeling significantly colder and no doubt, you're going to be very sick.
You take a look at your surroundings. You're still in one of the massive gardens that usually serve as a tourist attraction. Various shades of flowers that so many efforts were put into are now tousled with liquids. Despite having lived here for a while, you still cannot get used to the massive landscape that is the Juukulius household. You're sure sooner or later one of the maids will see you out in the field and drag you back to that man. The now gloomy atmosphere does not help your mood at all.
"Meow." A sound breaks you out of your thought.
It's a cat. An adorable one.
You're aware that there's not many animals in the Masion so most likely, this one is a stray.
You gleefully smile. "Well, aren't you cute?"
Its body won't be able to shield itself from the unforgivable rain but yours can. You beckon it with your fingers. Thankfully, it senses that you aren't someone who is looking to inflict harm on it, so it steps towards you slowly. The longer it takes to get to you, the more your damp hair starts failing in front of your eyes.
It feels like your eyes are becoming blurry as you struggle to main control of your body. It takes you a while to lift the little feline into your arms and stand up ā every bone in your body too stiff and painful to corporate.
"Okay! Let's go backā" Your face runs straight into a firm chest, and it takes a while for your sloppy brain to register that you're no longer in the vicinity of the downpour. You're taken back to reality by the evil loom of the shadow from an umbrella.
It'sā
"Sir Julius..." You drawl with a soft gulp. He looks down at you with furrowed eyebrows and his long eyelashes illusory as always. His gleaming yellow eyes shine with something that tethers between worry and displeasure. His annoyance with your attempted escape does not deter him from placing an arm around your figure to try and keep you warm. Begrudgingly, you admit that the heat he admits from his body through his clothes and cape does wonders. You try not to cozy up into his embrace.
"It's Julius for you, dear. Next time, please don't jump from any of the windows. I will gladly come for you had you decided to call for me. And you're soaked all over, what if you get sick?"
"Hmph, your presence is as infuriating as ever, Sir Julius." He only sighs.
"Hm? Who's this little creature?" He finally addresses the adorable feline.
"Ah, I found it while I was...walking in the garden. I'd like to take it back with me and raise it."
"A cat...?"
"It's rare that you allow me to go out without you, Sir Julius. And you don't even let me go near the earth dragons because you deem them dangerous...A cat does no harm."
"Those dragons can still be reckless and overly affectionate at heart, beloved. I cannot have you being a klutz and have you get stomped by them."
"Seriously..? That's what you were worried about? Anyways, I'm bringing it back with me whether you like it or not."
Julius lets out his seventh sigh of the day. "When can I ever stop you? Then I suppose if my beloved wishes so. Do be aware of the responsibilities that comes with taking care of a pet."
"I'm aware! In fact, I should be learning from you the way you keep me chained." You snap, suddenly wanting to start an argument with me and praying that he finally listens to you for a change.
He rests his cheek on your head. "You're making a lot of assumptions about me today. Believe it or not, I don't think of you as a pet at all. Matter of factā"
"Meow!" The little feline in your arm lashes out and slashes its claws at Julius's face. Thankfully, he dodges it in time.
"...That will need to be trained." Julius glares at the creature in your arms but what truly shocks him is the sound coming out of your mouth.
You're giggling and they feel like music, soothing his heart. He's thankful that the shadow of the umbrella is covering his face or else you would see the blush that creeps up on his face.
"Good kitty." You rub behind its ears as a reward. Maybe you could train it to attack Julius whenever he enters your room from now on.
"..Well then, let's head back, shall we? We have a lot to talk about regarding your habits of breaking windows and getting food for the cat."
Hiiiiiiii fairy, i have something in mind.. What if someone asks Reinhard what are those red scratches on his back.. š
tw. suggestive?? unedited as always
omg anon i love ur brain
now im just conjuring up scenarios in which his uniform gets torn apart from a rather tough battle and he's resting up for the time being until Emilia catches glimpse of the red scratches on his back which is strange considering that although sir reinhard has had moments where the opponent's weapon almost slashes at him, he still has the divine protection which does deters any blades from touching him so there is no reason for the injuries to be there. and so out of sheer concern and oblivion, he asks
"Sir Reinhard, may I inquire about the scratch marks on your back? They seem rather painful..."
Reinhard freezes. Emilia almost feels uneasy at her own innocent question.
What an unusual sight it is. The usually composed Reinhard is now beet red all over his body and he looks rather taken back as his mouth struggles to form coherent words.
"W-well-"
"Emilia-taaaan! What are you guys talking about- yo, Reinhard?! How did you get those mar-" Subaru stops in his tracks after witnessing Reinhard practically having a meltdown.
Oh.
Oh.
Those red marks that look like they were hand drawn by long nails. They look raw and passionate. Almost as if the person did not want to let him go.
Eventually Subaru puts two and two together. You both definitely went at it last night.
At this moment knowing that Subaru eventually found out, Reinhard finally turns his front to him to shield his guilty pleasure of your love marks and faces away in shame.
"Aha, well, I suppose Reinhard is resistant to all injuries but one huh?" Subaru shoots Reinhard a suggestive wink causing him to flare up even more.
"Oh, is that so?" The oblivious Emilia just stares at the knight in wonder.
'Yup, gotta protect this girl, always.' Subaru makes a mental note.
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