#sholmes would theoretically tolerate this but not in front of Iris

[pbaintthetb]

Burya Role Reversal au- full DGS/GAA2 spoilers

Aight, so now that I've finally finished the game I thought I might note down some of my thoughts of key points that would happen in this theoretical role reversal au, armed with the knowledge of what Kaz's goddamn secret was

Cut for length and/or spoilers for both games

Ryunosuke dies- so the first difference is that after Ryunosuke eats all the chicken legs there is a chicken shortage for dinner. Kazuma eagerly signs up to not have chicken for dinner as a confirmed chicken hater, and thus is the one to eat the drugged portion whereas Ryunosuke is awake to see Pavlova and get murdered

Ryunosuke is a stowaway, while being in a first class cabin does suggest the occupant is aware of his prescence maybe it was also a coincidence. Or perhaps Ryuonsuke actually met his sticky end in the corridor. Regardless the crew decides the neatest end to cover up the murder of a man who isn't even supposed to exist is actually to just dispose of the evidence rather than set up a frame job. Ryunosuke's corpse is thrown overboard* Sholmes, being the only other person who knew Ryunosuke was there, eventually helps Kazuma prove it

*undecided if in this role reversla Ryunosuke is actually dead, because regardless if youre dead when you get chucked into the ocean it's unlikley to end well. However if this is also a fake death as in canon then a few options, one, Sholmes sets up the lie (unlikely he doesn't ahve the same motivation as canon) OR a series of unlikely lucky coincidences, i.e. they're not that far from HK coastal water and a fishing boat happens to be there pretty much as Ryunosuke drops and somehow falling into the freezing ocean from height actually just gives him the shock to regain conciousness instead of, idk, breaking his ribs, accidentally breathing in water and drowning

Sholmes, knowing of both Kazuma and Susato and having been unsuccessful in suggesting Kazuma should return to Japan as a result of his friend's untimely death is very, very, eager to keep an eye on them both. Aside from the assasination threat they are the child and ward of a dear friend and Sholmes is quite worried that Kazuma is going to spin out because he's not doing so well

Kazuma never stops wearing his headband in this, it's the closest thing he's got to a memento of Ryunosuke, after all. Well, other than copies of their identical uniforms. No armband or katana inheritance here

Post McGilded Stronghart makes subtle noises aboout Kazuma killing Gregson already. Kazuma, who in his mind has so very little left to lose now (rip Susato), points out that he came to England to learn get revenge on Van Zieks and the point of the visiting students is to get sent back once done. Stronghart angrily concedes to let Kazuma attend precisely three trials before he needs to do his duty... or face a sticky end of his own

Now this is a problem with timeline in a ryunosuke lives because it implies Ryuonsuke somehow gets to england like, nearly a year before kaz does, but I like the idea that in this au Ryunosuke doesn't wind up under Van Zieks like Kazuma does, but with no memory and a fondness for literature and the english language winds up with Natsume (in his second trial) goes off looking for a lawyer for him,,, and finds Kazuma and Susato

Around the time of the Eggert Benedict trial Ryunosuke eventually (accidenally) wanders his way off to Stronghart- he is curious about British law after alll, and winds up being co-counsel for Kazuma (perhaps after Susato leaves?). A development Ryunosuke is thrilled about and Kazuma is horrified by. Especially when Stronghart comes to personall tell Kazuma actually, 3 trials is not enough, why doesn't he defend a few more :-)

Kazuma cracks and confesses to Sholmes after the eggert trial, he would tell Ryunosuke but he just got him back and doesn't want to lose his trust so soon. Sholmes bundles Gregson off ASAP, Susato is recalled to Japan

See after the Eggert Benedict Trial Kazuma's grace period is up and he's meant to start assasinating so there is a gap in trials... unfortunately Gregson has gone awol (huh how funny). Still Stronghart has leverage and Kazuma is still in a very sticky position

In the gap Kazuma is desperately trying to get Ryunosuke to return to Japan (without telling him why), Ryunosuke refuses- he may not know what's going on but Kazuma is his best friend and he made a promise. Simultaneously Sholmes is trying to get Kazuma to return to Japan (telling him why) Kazuma refuses. (He hasn't done what he came here to do yet.) Sholmes is this close to drugging him and stuffing him on a steamship, but somehow he suspects Kazuma would find a way to come back and at least Sholmes can keep an eye on him this way.

Anyway those are some of my ideas, I'm torn about a. if ryunosuke is alive and b. like while i really do like the idea of meeting him via natsume, it also is kinda too ealry so idk. Also this whole thing was actually originally meant to be about how I felt Kazuma would deal with Ryunosuke's death way worse than the other way around becuase a. he's so angry b. ryunosuke dying is much more his fault than kazuma dying being ryuonsuke's fault and c. he's so much more isolated in it becuae susato doesne't know ryuonsuke so they can't grieve together and stuff?

I also originally considered kazuma not being intersted in 1-5 but i love gaaac 1 gina so much so, BUT kazuma in this au kind of gives up on trust but that's when ryunosuke is dead. Anyway i had a lot of fun thoughts about kazuma nad gina interacting in 1-5 where Kazuma refuses to trust people nor accept anybody's trust. But if Ryuonsuke is alive.... Similiarly, the lack of interest wasbecause initially before I knew much about spoilers Kazuma was honestly just moping and working on his plan (to take down van zieks) and like didnt actually care about trials. But now where the only way he's pushing back his assasination mission by doing trials he might care more. My first thought was he holds off on trials becuase 3 isn't many... but Stronghart probably wouldn't like that. So now we have kazuma strongarmed into trials for people he might genuienly feel bad for (gina). Also gina's complete lack of trust in people and systems could mesh really intrestingy with this jaded Kazuma

Alternatively, Ryunosuke does come back in 2-3,, not 1-4/2-2 and perhaps the only thing he does remember is this guy with a katana and billowing headbands who constantly talked about reforming courts or... tldr amnesiac Ryuonsuke makes his way to Stronghart trying to chase his memories. Stronghart is like the cat who got the cream (it's not hard to see Kazuma has been spinning out about something and now this guy shows up who dresses the same...) So stronghart lets Kazuma have an extra trial, perhaps, just to push leverage

either that or around 2-3 kazuma figures out gregson had something to do with his father's death/snaps a little further and calls gregson back to london to ask about it on the pretext of thsi case. (Sholmes is... uh not happy, to put it lightly, when he finds out)

anway great thoughts