I don't own Re:Zero or any of the characters.
Friendly Gathering
Rem winced as she settled onto her and Ian's Ground Dragon, Ram likewise wincing as she climbed up in front of Rem. Ian hopped up behind them, smirking, and kissed both on their right shoulders.
"Sore?" he asked quietly.
"Very," Rem said. "Someone's too big to avoid being sore."
"Someone wasn't gentle enough," Ram said.
"Someone wasn't on top for yours, and is, therefor, not at fault for not being gentle enough," Ian countered, Ram flashing him a glare, only for him to steal a kiss.
Rem smiled. "He has a point."
Ram folded her arms across her chest, glaring forward as Rem reached around her to hold the dragon's whiskers.
"We're off!" Otto called over to them.
Ian waved and Otto flicked his reins, getting Patrasche and Frufoo running, Rem flicking their dragon's whiskers, their dragon following. The trip was going to be long, roughly twelve days. Ian wasn't exactly looking forward to riding a dragon for twelve days, but he wouldn't let the dragon know that. So, he settled in to enjoy the ride by holding one of his girlfriends tight and kissing her whenever he wanted, and kissing the other whenever she wanted. The trip wasn't really bad. Every night, the three of them would slip away from the others in order to bathe, either in a river or using Rem's magic to make ice by having her melt her water, and a couple of times for less wholesome reasons. Every so often, feral dogs or Mabeasts would attack, only to instantly be repelled, and in the Mabeasts' case killed, by Garfiel and Wolf, who was bored and looking for an excuse to use some of the mana he'd stored up from Ian. At one point on the fifth day, Ian even got so bored that he fingered Rem while they were riding a mostly safe distance behind the other' carriage, with Ram hiding the from view up front and Rem managing to keep quiet enough for Garfiel to not notice, though Elena definitely did, even with them hidden behind Ram.
"How much mana do all of your spirits take for your contracts?" Rem asked on the tenth day, for lack of anything else to talk about and out of curiosity, having never asked before.
"Well," Ian said. "My mana reserves have grown a bit after all the times I've used it, so...the Minor Spirits are like taking a cup of water from a stream, the Lesser Spirits are like taking four cups, Aria's like taking a dump truck...uh...hmm...about a Dragon Carriage full, and Wolf is slightly more, maybe a carriage and a half. It takes a while to fill them all, but I'm not in danger of running out. And with Aria and Wolf, they're simply stockpiling whatever they don't need to survive, so they're both ready for a fight, and I'll be able to use my emergency ace, Aria, if I run out without giving her more."
Rem nodded. "That's a good idea for a backup plan."
"I'm glad you approve," Ian smiled.
They fell silent again, enjoying each other's company. The rest of the ride was decidedly uneventful, and by the time they reached Priestella, Ian was simply glad for the trip to be over. The first thing they saw as they arrived were enormous, towering walls all the way around the city. Ian frowned, unimpressed.
"The inside had better be absolutely breathtaking, or else this city's going to feel like a prison," Ian said.
"Joshua said it's popular for tourists, so I'm sure it's not as bad as you're expecting," Rem said.
"We'll see," Ian sighed.
After a few minutes of reading over the paperwork required to enter and the extra rules it placed, they were allowed through the gate. The officer there panicked slightly when Emilia introduced herself, but ultimately allowed them into the city. And there, waiting to introduce them, was Anastasia. She climbed onto the carriage, greeting them all pleasantly and thanking them for accepting the invitation, and they continued across a second bridge to the city's inner gate. Then, as that gate opened, Ian's eyes widened in surprise. Subaru had said something initially upon hearing of the city about it reminding him of Venice. In all honesty, that wasn't too far off. It was shaped in a bowl, with large stone buildings lining the tears and the elevation dropping the closer you got to the center of the city. Large canals ran through the city, similar to Ian's understanding of how Venice was laid out, and there were four enormous waterways dividing the city into four sections. Ian looked around, seeing several gondolas making their way calmly through the water, and he had to smile. It was beautiful.
As they headed for the Water Plumage Inn where they would be staying, Anastasia explained the city's set up. She told them everything from the boats in the canals had priority over carriages, to the districts being numbered one to four in a clockwise circle starting at the main gate, to the fact that the boats were pulled by Water Dragons. About that time, one of them rose from the water, then got into a brief argument with Patrasche before slinking back into the water. Finally, they slowed to a stop outside the lodge and Ian sighed, reaching past his girlfriends to pat his Earth Dragon before they dropped to the ground. They all headed into the lodge together, Otto going with Anastasia to check them in and the others all waiting off to the side. Ian looked around in silence, Subaru doing the same, both sharing one thought. The building was more than out of place. Most of the city looked to have a more western architectural design. However, the Water Plumage Inn was oriental. Subaru called it a ryokan. Ian, having never been in one before, felt a bit out of place, but no more than everyone besides Subaru. As he was looking around, he was ignoring all of the others chatting.
Suddenly, Mimi burst through the door. "Ah! Garf is here! Miss, why didn't you tell me!?" Her face shone as she all but flew across the room to grab Garfiel by the arm and beginning to pull. "Welcome! You're tired, you're tired, so Mimi will guide you to your room! That's where you'll be staying! Hey, you're not budging at all!"
"H-Hey, wait, wait!" Garfiel tried to complain, only to follow her. "My amazin' self hasn't agreed...you're strong! What the hell!?"
Mimi continued to drag him away. "This way! That way! Hurry!"
Garfiel, despite being more than strong enough to break free of the small girl's grip, was rendered powerless by her airhead, hyperactive, overly cheerful personality and dragged from the room in seconds. Ian chuckled. Mimi had a crush.
Anastasia sighed. "Mimi has always been lively, but even so, I was a bit surprised just now."
"Ah, that's right." Emilia nodded to herself. "That's good. I thought you might have felt she left you alone."
"Not at all," Anastasia shook her head. "That wouldn't be a problem. However..." Her softened gaze left the door Mimi had gone through and returned to Emilia, who Subaru subconsciously stepped in front of. "I'd like you to tell me what kind of a child he is, the one who has attracted Mimi's attention."
Ian smiled slightly. Anastasia obviously cared about Mimi, enough to be protective of her with regards to her crush. Otto finally walked over to them, having finished getting them checked in. As they all headed for their rooms, Subaru and Emilia began to tell Anastasia about Garfiel.
Ian smiled as he ate his sweets. they seemed like something akin to donut holes, except they weren't glazed or flavored with anything Ian had seen used. Instead, they were soaked in some kind of sauce that tasted like thousand island dressing and soy sauce. To call them sweets at all was only possible because they were filled with a weird paste that tasted like vanilla frosting, but much, much sweeter.
"These aren't what I was expecting," Rem said.
"They're terrible," Ram said.
"Yeah, I'm not buying them again," Ian agreed.
There you are!" Subaru called out, walking over with Garfiel. "You missed the meeting."
Ian shrugged. "Anything pressing?"
"Well, not exactly," Subaru said. "Felt's here on a whim and Crusch is here for information on Gluttony."
Ian paused, narrowing his eyes. "So he did survive."
"I think we were all assuming that already," Subaru said. "Anyway, Garfiel wants to spar with Reinhard."
"Oh?" Ian smirked. "Sure you want your pride shattered that bad?"
"My amazin' self'll be fine," Garfiel said.
Ian nodded. "Fighting outside the city?"
"The courtyard," Garfiel said. "No dangerous blessings or weapons. No destroying the courtyard or hurting the opponent."
Ian hummed thoughtfully, then shook his head. "I want to go all out against him and see what he says the gap was. I'm going to ask."
Subaru nodded and Ian walked to the hotel with everyone, finding Reinhard in the courtyard.
"Hello Ian," Reinhard said. "Subaru and Garfiel said you might want to try your hand as well."
"Yes, but with some conditions," Ian said. "I'd like to be allowed to use a sword, and you do the same. Still keeping the rule of no severe damage, and I know neither of us will kill the other, but I want to test myself against you and have you tell me how close I was to making you work for it."
Reinhard chuckled. "That depends on whether or not Felix minds healing minor scratches."
"I won't mind, as long as you don't hurt Ian too much," Rem spoke up, Ian's shoulders sagging.
"Even though I'm definitely going to lose, it still hurts that you assume I'll be the only one hurt," Ian sighed.
"It's not even questionable whether or not you'll be able to scratch him," Ram said. "Compared to him, you might as well be Subaru."
"Hey!" Subaru complained as Rem, Ian, Julius, Garfiel, and Felix all laughed.
"I don't mind healing Ian," Felix said.
Ian rolled his eyes, then motioned for Garfiel to go first. As Garfiel attacked, however, it became painfully obvious that he wouldn't win. He couldn't land a hit on Reinhard, and Reinhard's feet hadn't even moved. And by the time he slammed Garfiel to the ground and placed a hand to his forehead to end the fight, they still hadn't. Ian sighed, drawing his swords and walking over, offering Felix's to Reinhard, who accepted it and hummed thoughtfully.
"A whip sword," Reinhard nodded. "You upgraded it?"
Ian glanced at Felix, who did not look impressed, and grimaced, shrugging. "The Bowel Hunter broke it, so when we got it fixed, we upgraded it."
Felix sighed and nodded. "Can you actually wield it?"
Ian nodded. "Took a bit of practice, but yeah. If you channel mana into it, it'll extend."
Reinhard nodded, readying himself while keeping it collapsed. Ian readied himself as well, and Garfiel counted them down. Then, as he gave the starting call, both slashed. Ian activated his magic for a speed boost, and their blades rang as they clashed over and over. The muted yet metallic ring from Ian's sword sounded almost musical, but the ring from Reinhard's sword was slightly distorted and warbling from the cables running through it. Ian was on the offensive, meaning that his Authority was useless to him, but even without that, he was able to press Reinhard as hard as he could, for all the good it did. No matter what he did, he couldn't get through Reinhard's defense. Then, in a strike Ian couldn't even see, his left arm split open. He skipped back, barely managing to deflect the blow, and countered, only for Reinhard to lean aside. Then he slashed again. And just like that, the procession of the battle had changed. Every strike thrown was suddenly a counter strike, and each of Reinhard's caused a use of Ian's Authority. Finally, Ian saw an opening. A particularly powerful slash from over Reinhard's left shoulder. He slashed, deflecting Reinhard's blade and, after four retries, managed to slice off a lock of Reinhard's hair and nick his ear. It barely qualified as a scratch, but it bled a bit, and it made Reinhard blink in surprise, looking down at the hair drifting through the air. He hummed, impressed, then before Ian could even realize he'd moved, he'd slammed the flat of his blade into Ian's cross guard to plant Ian's blade in the ground before his own blade was resting against Ian's neck over his carotid artery.
"Wow," Ian said. "Was I close? Aside from the hair?"
"I was using roughly fifteen percent," Reinhard said. "Although, I believe that if you and I were truly fighting to the death, I might need my own sword to defeat you."
"You overestimate me," Ian said, accepting his whip sword back.
"You underestimate yourself," Reinhard said.
Ian shrugged, then headed back inside. A few hours later, after the girls had all bathed, they had gathered in the dining room, the girls all still wearing yukata, except for Rem and Ram, who'd already changed back into their maid uniforms. After a short conversation that revolved whose turn it was to make fun of someone, dinner was finally served, Japanese food to go with the décor.
"I love ramen," Ian said, slurping some off of his chopsticks.
"I'd love to make some proper sushi," Subaru said, the two of them eating more than anyone.
Ian groaned in appreciation as he took a bite of sashimi. "I'd kill for a cheeseburger right now."
Subaru nodded vigorously. "Definitely."
"What's a cheeseburger?" Rem asked.
"God's gift to your tastebuds, and Satan's gift to your waistline," Ian said, Subaru snorting and nodding.
Seeing that they obviously wouldn't be getting a definite answer anytime soon, everyone instead chose to ignore the pair as they delved into a full discussion about the culinary options of their old world, a discussion that left Ian far more hungry than the food he was eating could satisfy. It wasn't a physical hunger. It was the kind of psychological hunger that happened when you thought of your favorite foods, even after a feast. Like eating a huge meal until you're ready to burst, then you think of ice cream and suddenly you have more than enough room to eat some.
Finally, dinner ended and everyone excused themselves. Rem and Ram told Ian they were heading to bed, but Ian decided to bathe first. The bath wasn't an open-air bath, which Ian was both happy about and a little disappointed about, having grown up in America with anime as his only source of knowledge about Japanese customs, and therefore wanting to go to an outdoor bath at least once, but it was relaxing, so he was satisfied. Once he'd pulled on his robe, yukata or kimono, or whatever it was supposed to be called in Japan, he walked back to the room he was sharing with Rem and Ram, only to stop as soon as he stepped into the room. He grinned as he slid the paper door closed, taking in the sight before him. Rem was standing with her arms wrapped around Ram's shoulders, Ram's left arm wrapping under Rem's right to rest in the back of Rem's hair, Ram's right wrapped around Rem's back and resting on the back of her waist, both sisters holding the other tight, their bodies pressed flush against each other's, and both sisters were watching him with a mischievous, playful expression. He could tell even from a distance, by both their slightly labored breathing, the slight tint in their cheeks, and the slight glistening on their lips that they'd just been making out.
"Did you enjoy your bath?" Rem asked.
"I'd wager I was having a decidedly less pleasant time than you two were," Ian said.
"What a shameful comment," Ram accused. "You insinuate that Ram was doing inappropriate things to Rem."
"Am I wrong?" Ian asked, walking over to them.
"The validity of your statement has nothing to do with it," Ram said.
Ian chuckled, kissing her, then turning his head to kiss Rem. As he did, however, each girl grabbed one end of his robe's belt, pulling it loose before pushing it off his shoulders. He smiled knowingly, pulling back from the kiss, and both girls obediently shed their dresses in seconds. Then, Ian lay on his futon and both dropped onto one of his legs, bending down to continue taking turns kissing him, one hand from each wrapping around his erection to make sure he was ready for what they obviously had in mind.
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