[he pauses briefly, sidetracked for the moment from agreeing with a bird who makes a VERY good point, because Ryuji went and said something that Old Man Dave doesn't immediately parse, seeing as his own timeline of internet jokes went the way of the dodo in 2009.]

Dude ... are you memeing at me? I kinda get the feeling you just went and dropped a meme bomb on my lap.

[is that from one of them vines he keeps hearing so much about??? god, you should have just rolled with it Dave, now you really sound your cosmic age.]

But, yeah, you don't gotta worry — I've always got an eye out for you. I mean, I don't really think you're actually worried about that, though. That's ... kinda the basis of the oath, right?

[the two gears on both their wrists probably wouldn't be working at all if there wasn't some level of deep understanding there. an understanding that there isn't anything that would ever stop Dave from throwing down for Ryuji, if he needs it.]

I got a shield thingy installed before we got shot out here, though. Remind me to use it next time something tries to take out either of our junk, and before I completely whiff sending said something into orbit.