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[judicialassistant]

choose your own adventure.

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[judicialassistant]

(( ren amamiya | << continued ))

[ She suspects that he's overplaying his reaction for laughs, but the grin is still present on her face as he straightens. ]

Oh? But when you secure a route to the treasure, do you not also draw a map, for your own benefit?

. . . What have you heard exactly?

[ Now she's curious. ]

[masqueraid]

( ren laughs at that, one that shakes his shoulders.
she's a quick learner! he's maybe even a bit impressed. )

For my own benefit. ( and there's a playful wink to follow that up. )

Moving passages, shadowy walkways... And the flowers, well— you can hear them speaking a different sort of language all together even from just outside the borders.

( entirely separate from the language of flowers they touched upon here, mind you. )

[judicialassistant]

...! A different language?

[ The flowers speak? Well, of course they do. This is Songerein, and anything is possible. ]

That does sound intriguing... Though if the passages move and change, I suppose a map might not be very useful.

Either way... definitely tell me what it was like. When you come out, maybe we can play some games together.

[masqueraid]

Mm. Almost sounds like some kind of serenade.

( music, singing... the language of l o v e, perhaps? )

But, then again, it could just be another distraction tactic. I'm sure you and Kazuma-kun together will be able to handle whatever they might throw at you, though. Pollen or otherwise.

( there's a nod at her proposal, an affirmative that he'd be more than up for some games later on, if she is! )

Have you two known each other long?

[judicialassistant]

[ There's a twitch of her lips. She seems pleased that Ren agreed to take a raincheck of sorts, and now she's imagining Kazuma, wielding the Karuma against those pesky vines as they move to trap them in. ]

Why, our whole lives, just about. [ Or close enough to it. At the very least, it feels that way to Susato, and she hopes Kazuma would give a similar answer. ] We grew up together. I was raised to be his assistant when he was still studying to become a defense attorney, but... that feels like at least two lifetimes ago, now.

[ She says this with a fondness, despite everything. Perhaps a strange sentiment, coming from someone so young. ]

[masqueraid]

( what she says catches ren off-guard, but the only indication of it is a quick flick of his gaze towards her, as he moves to push his glasses up to catch the light's reflection while he digests it.

they were friends before this, childhood friends, no less. and both wrapped in the long arm of the law.
kazuma had seemed like a decent enough guy, though. did futaba know about this...? hmm. )

I had no idea, no wonder I never stood a chance.

( he's teasing, really— and not at all trying to deflect. )

You both either look remarkably young for your age, or you must have taken your studies seriously even as kids...

1/2

[judicialassistant]

[ They did take it very seriously. For Kazuma, his reasons for doing so were even more obvious now than they were before, but what Ren says makes her realize how strange it must have sounded. She looks thoughtful. ]

Well... I am 17, so that would make Kazuma-sama... [ 24??? She trails off though, because then she remembers: ] Oh, but then he was in the Realm of Stories, so would that mean...?

[judicialassistant]

[ 27? When did he become a man, she wants to file a complaint--

Wait. ]

Sorry, a chance at what?

[masqueraid]

( he might have guessed that they were around the same age, but the whimsical way she spoke of days long past had left him guessing for that brief moment.
ren softens, smiling warmly as she reminisces, and chuckling as he raises a hand— )

We can talk about it more later.

( he's quick to shift the conversation, trying to make it seem natural: )

The Realm of Stories is actually where a good friend of mine met him, originally. Were... you there also, by chance?

( from the way she'd said that it doesn't really sound like it, but. he doesn't want to assume... )

[judicialassistant]

[ It is so natural that Susato finds no reason to question the topic change, though there is a curious tilt of her head before he continues. Then, despite her interest in learning more about Kazuma's life in the Index (details that he would perhaps never openly discuss himself), she finds herself deflating just a tiny bit.

Her gaze flickers down towards her display of cookies for just a moment before she's able to brush off the feeling. ]

No, I wasn't. I was actually shocked when... when I found out he was there for so long.

...Who might your friend be?

[masqueraid]

( there's a slow, understanding nod in response. truthfully, he knows that feeling— the one that momentarily takes the wind out of her sails. he felt it too, when he'd heard... )

Futaba Sakura.

( normally, giving up the names of his co-conspirators so easily wasn't ren's thing, but perhaps being so easy with it is a testament to the trustworthy vibes susato gives off. )

We, ah— have the same legal guardian. Back home.

( not quite siblings but... close enough, it seems like. )

[judicialassistant]

[ There's no reaction when Susato hears the name, but later on, perhaps, she may find a shy, red-haired young lady, sleeping peacefully among the flowers. Until then, she seems to nod in understanding.

Not quite siblings, but close enough. Ah... If only she hadn't complicated things with her feelings. ]

We do, too. Or... we did. His father and my father... they were friends, but his father died unexpectedly while they were together overseas. I was too young to remember it exactly, but... I know I've been following Kazuma-sama around ever since.

[ He's never not been a part of her life. Except those months when he suddenly wasn't. ]