#🏵️ ryunosuke ic

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((Mako-Muses)) ((Kazuma)) "I can't leave you alone for one minute, can I?"

Ryunosuke's blood nearly ran cold when he heard the door open. For a second, he thought it was Lord Barok van Zieks, returning to his office after a long day in the courts. Fortunately, however, he could relax somewhat when he realized that the new arrival was just Kazuma, and not the intimidating man once known as the Reaper of the Bailey.

That wasn’t to say he was causing trouble in the office, of course! He wasn’t doing anything wrong, really!! …Aside from being inside the ex-Reaper's office when he wasn't around, that is, but his intentions were pure!! He was just… In a bit of a predicament at the moment, and he wasn’t quite in the mood to add Lord van Zieks' terrifying glare to his current list of worries.

Ryunosuke was currently flailing around in the middle of the room, desperately trying to fight off the flurry of bats that guarded the office. He was absolutely covered in them, and for one reason or another, they were far from pleased with the man. High-pitched shrieks of pure rage filled the air as the small mammals dive-bombed and scratched at the ‘intruder's’ head, back, arms, and any other surface they could reach.

“K-Kazuma!” Ryunosuke exclaimed, once his best friend walked in. “Um, a little hel—OW!” His request was cut short by a yelp of pain as one of the bats elected to swipe at his ear. (These things… They weren’t diseased or anything, were they!? Surely Lord van Zieks would ensure they stayed healthy, right!?)

“Help, please.” He finally groaned out. He would have moved to rub his now very sore ear, had either of his arms not been too busy trying to fend off more of the tiny beasts.

(@mako-muses)

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(You say that, and yet...) Memories from that awful day on the S.S. Burya flooded his mind. Surely Kazuma hadn’t expected to nearly die back then, either. Ryunosuke squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, as if attempting to dispel the thoughts from his mind. Now was not the time to be thinking about that. Not when he could actually do something to save his best friend this time.

However, being able to do something also required actually knowing what to do to help. Even when Mr. Sholmes had been shot all those months ago, all he had been doing was following the injured detective's orders—the entirety of which had had nothing to do with tending to the man at all. So, for the longest time Ryunosuke just sat there, kneeling next to Kazuma with his hand on his shoulder, his panicked gaze flitting back and forth between his friend’s face and the blood flowing from the wound in his side. He couldn’t lose Kazuma again. But… What was he supposed to do? Kazuma was already putting pressure on the wound. Wouldn’t his own hands just get in the way? It wasn’t until Kazuma handed him Karuma that he snapped out of it and focused.

“Ah, right!” Taking the katana, Ryunosuke untied the headband from it as quickly as his shaking hands would allow. Before applying it, though, he first removed the black glove he wore on his right hand and offered the garment to Kazuma, in order to provide an additional layer of padding against the wound that covered a wider surface area. It was a shame to ruin part of the outfit Iris had so thoughtfully made for him, but he was hardly thinking about that in the moment. Besides, Iris would be sure to understand the circumstances later. Ryunosuke then proceeded to wrap the hachimaki around the other’s torso, tying it in a tight knot once it reached the end of its length. “Um, let me know if that’s too much pressure.”

He rose from the ground upon completing that task, only to stand around dumbly as he tried to figure out what he could do next. He briefly considered going on ahead to call a carriage, or find a police officer, or anything, but... He couldn’t bring himself to leave Kazuma alone. He couldn’t risk something horrible happening to him while he was gone. What if whoever it was that attacked him came back!? So, it wasn’t long before Ryunosuke was crouched back down beside Kazuma, with his arm wrapped around the other’s upper back. They would just have to go together.

“Here, lean against me once you’re ready to stand.” It was true that Ryunosuke was unlikely to be able to outright carry Kazuma, but that wouldn’t stop him from trying to support his friend in any other way possible. “What were you doing out here by yourself?” At least, there was no one else around by the time he arrived at the scene, so he could only assume that was the case.

Still, he was so glad to have heard the commotion and to have decided to check things out. It could have been dangerous for him, yes, but a gut feeling had told him he needed to see what was going on and it couldn’t have been more right.

((scale-tippers; from Ryunosuke to Kazuma)) "I thought you were dead once, and it almost destroyed me. I could not bear it if you died again, not when I could save you."

"I am not going to die, Ryunosuke. I can promise you that." Kazuma replied, his expression serious. In direct contradiction to his words, his hands were both pressed to his side, trying to stop the blood from gushing out of a gash in his side. Red engulfed the pure white of his prosecutor's outfit.

There were drawbacks to being the apprentice of Lord Van Zieks. Many still knew him as the Reaper of the Baily, he was wanted dead by all sorts of criminals as revenge for those he rightfully sent to jail.

This encounter had been one of the later. Much like the article of the two of them that had been put in the newspaper months ago, back when he didn't have his memory.

Two criminals had ambushed them on their way back to the prosecutor's office. Kazuma had been planning to spend a few more hours pouring over case notes before calling it a night.

He didn't think Van Zieks even noticed when he got cut with a dagger. Kazuma had always been good at hiding his emotions, and besides, the man had been focused on their attackers. He'd gone so far as to pursue them through the streets, completely forgetting about Kazuma. It was a good thing he had Karuma on him or things would have turned out worse.

It's a good thing someone else's attention had been attracted by the commotion. Not just any someone. His best friend and rival in the courthouse, Ryunosuke.

"We need to stop the..." Kazuma hissed out a sharp exhale, a spike of pain running through him, "...to stop the bleeding. When I can walk without the wound reopening, then I can get myself to St. Barts for treatment. I don't think you can carry me."

He let out a small cry, pressing his hands against the wound tighter.

"Do... Do you have anything to wrap the wound?"

As soon as the words left his lips, he realized that he had just the thing. He lifted one hand from his wound and wrapped it around Karuma, holding it out to Ryunosuke.

The important part wasn't the blade, but what was wrapped around it, and had been ever since his death had been faked. The headband he'd donned for such a childish reason in the past might just save his life in the present.

Not exactly sterile, but it'll do.

"Use my headband, and do it quick."

As he passed the sword over, he mentally scolded himself for getting blood all over the precious heirloom. He'd have to make sure to take extra care of it later.

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Hey Mr Naruhodo, have you met Lisken Larsson yet? (Pre gaa1)

(That name... It definitely doesn't sound like a Japanese one.)

"Ah, no, I've never even heard of them before, actually!"

"Why? Is... That someone I should know?"

(Is there another visiting professor besides Professor Wilson that I never heard about? Or... An exchange student, maybe? I wonder if Kazuma knows anything more about this.)

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Naughty or Nice?

"No, I... Really don't."

(Great... I've only JUST heard about this tradition, and I'm already failing at it.)

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((Tag dump))