What could I say?

What should I say?

It took all my words and my fantasy worlds,

And at the heart of all there was nothing!

Nabiki finished speaking and Ryouga noticed that in his absorption in the tale, the sundae had been eaten and Ranko was downing her first drink and Nabiki was already calling over another waiter. Ranma looked fuzzily up at him. He looked down. There were a couple of glasses there. Maybe that wasn't the first one.

"Ranm-ko, you… felt like that?"

"Yeah yeah, Ryouga, laugh it up." She scowled.

"I… wasn't laughing." He said, confused.

"Yeah but don't tell me it didn't cross your mind." She said waspishly. He looked to Nabiki, not really able to deny it, but not really understanding why she was so off all of a sudden.

"…I guess so. Sorry."

"Ah, s'alright." She looked unhappy. "Hate feelin' weak, even now. Mom says it's fine for a lady to feel weak as long as she don't believe she is."

Ryouga took another sip of his own drink, noting it was still the first. He shrugged. "I don't think it's weak." He said, "Wanting to be happy."

Ranko nodded, laying her head on her folded arms, lips pursed. "I know that now, Ryouga." She said, tapping her head. "But I've still got damage here from how Pop raised me that's real ingrained." She looked at him and smiled, and his chest tightened. "Still a work in progress. Ain't all of us?"

Nabiki stood up and went to the bar again. He wasn't sure where she was putting all these drinks. She returned with something multicoloured and sharp smelling. There was even one of those cocktail umbrellas.

Ryouga wondered idly if he could get one of those weighted for his cursed form.

Ranko sat herself up and looked uncomfortable. "I think Nabs has the right idea, I'm way too sober for this next bit."

They were both silent for a while until Ranko walked off with an order for him to not move, then returned swaying a little and with two new drinks. She put one down next to him, then sat back down. She took a long drink, made a face, then took another.

"Right." She said. "Tellin' ya about my introspection month. Well, Nabs was as good as her word."

Ranma went down to breakfast the next day in girl-mode. He was testing some of what Nabiki had said, but partly it was because he couldn't be bothered the night before to grab a bath. He'd slept well for once.

He still wasn't sure if it was the body or the thinking or having an ally who just seemed to understand.

Akane eyed him as he sat and picked at his food. That worried her; his usual vacuum cleaner of a mouth would've inhaled seconds and thirds by now on a normal day. But normal days seemed to be going to the side more and more frequently.

Soun and Genma weren't even in the room, the panda appearing to have taken a several-day training trip after his wife's last visit. Soun was still… somewhere.

When he left to go and change, Akane looked at her sisters. Kasumi simply smiled, but looked worriedly after the redhead, while Nabiki had her usually inscrutable face dialled to eleven this morning.

"Akane," the girl with the bobbed hair finally said after looking thoughtful, "Mind if I borrow your fiancé to walk to school this morning? He owes me money, and I figure it's best to press him then. Might even get to the bottom of whatever funk's got him today." She shrugged. "For a price, of course."

Akane would've said something cutting but her own worry for Ranma overrode her usual response and she nodded, standing up and going to get ready for the day. She'd not been able to get much out of him. All they'd had is a number of shouting matches. Nabiki might be able to coax it out of him.

Kasumi looked at Nabiki sharply. "I hope you aren't going to be too cruel, Nabiki dear." The eldest Tendou sister said, eyes unusually harsh. Nabiki smiled at her big sister.

"I've got a plan, Sis. Might need your help with some of it, but you can't breathe a word to anyone else."

Kasumi nodded. "What do you need?"

Nabiki put down a chart. Kasumi looked at it. "This is what I'm calling the Chaos Engine." She said softly. "I've been mapping it for a while to… use."

Kasumi pursed her lips. "Use?"

"Yeah." Nabiki shrugged. "Originally for profit. But now I think our little brother needs some space."

Kasumi smiled proudly at Nabiki. "Little Brother?"

"He asked me for help." Nabiki hissed to her eldest sister. "Me! Either he was desperate or there really is no one else to turn to. And… he's family. Annoying, loud, obnoxious and with as much grace as a deflated beach ball but he's still family, and I won't let everyone else screw him up like they have been doing."

Kasumi nodded and looked the chart over. "What's your plan?"

As Nabiki began to explain her plot for the next month, Kasumi got the giggles.

When Ranma came down to the family room, still in girl-mode he found Nabiki and Kasumi talking lightly, Kasumi giggling as Nabiki explained with a chart she rolled up when he saw them. He stiffened until she gave him a nod.

"Saotome, I'm borrowing you this morning to get you to school." She said. "It's on the way to college, and we need to talk about your debts."

Kasumi's smile didn't flicker like it usually did and he stared a moment, then rubbed the back of his head. "What about 'Kane?"

"I asked her first; she's gone ahead."

"Alright." Ranma nodded.

"Would you like some hot water, Ranma-chan?" Kasumi asked. "I can heat some up for you."

"That's alright." Ranma said, shrugging. "I'd only get splashed on the way to school."

Kasumi eyed Nabiki and then schooled her features. "Alright then." She said with a smile. She handed a triple-size bento over. "I noticed you didn't eat much breakfast. You'll get hungry later."

Ranma blinked and seemed almost to want to say something to Kasumi for some time, but then looked down. After a moment he spoke. "Thanks, One- I mean," He pinked, "Thanks Kasumi."

"You're welcome to call me onee-san if you really want, Ranma-chan." Kasumi said gently. "You're family."

Ranma swallowed thickly. "I, uh… yeah. Alright." He said. The moment was broken by Nabiki tugging on his arm.

"Come on, squirt, let's get you to school before I'm sick from the display." She said with a teasing lilt to her voice. "You can witter on about things while keeping me company."

Naturally that wasn't what happened. Nabiki sucked at her teeth as they turned the corner from the Tendou house and stretched. "Alright, Saotome, I've got a plan mostly down to get you your space." She said.

"You do? That fast?" He sounded hopeful as he cradled the book bag and bentou to his chest. She'd never seen him this hesitant before. Had this just been the talk she'd had or was it something built up?

"Of course, I am a master planner." She said modestly. "Actually, I've been mapping the chaos you're the centre of for a long time. Now, I'm not going to give you details you can blab to anyone, and I've got a feeling telling you anything about this part of the plan will simply backfire and cause you worse problems." She shook her head. "I hate it when plans go awry in that kind of way. I've already got a couple of things in place, but I should have the remainder by tomorrow. The next day at the latest. You'll have your time to think."

Ranma stopped in his tracks and Nabiki eyed him. He suddenly bowed low. "…Thanks, Nabs."

She waved him off. "Payment for services rendered."

"What, you mean all those 'risky' photographs?"

"It's 'Risqué', you idiot." She said good-naturedly and they carried on walking. "Just enjoy the quiet and get that thinking done, alright? We only have one shot at this peace and it'll be a nightmare to keep juggling it."

"…Thanks, onee-san." He said again, so quiet she almost didn't hear it. She smiled and rolled her eyes. Maybe she should give Akane lessons on dealing with Ranma. He was way more compliant if you weren't bickering constantly.

For a price, of course. And after he'd sorted himself out in the head department.

Nabiki had been as good as her word. Kuno had disappeared, apparently on a quest to china to track Ranma down and bring him to pay for his crimes.

He saw hide nor hair of the amazons for the whole month. Apparently, they'd needed to go to a conclave at home that required all three of them to travel and stay in China.

Ukyo was still Ukyo, but after the wedding she'd backed off somewhat. She hovered in the background, an almost comforting presence. She'd seemed content to leave him his space after he'd spotted Nabiki having a talk with her.

Kodachi had been institutionalised. Not for the first time, but it at least kept her out of Ranma's hair.

Ryouga was off on his training journey; Ranma almost missed him as he'd been the only one to be decent about the wedding.

Ranma didn't know how Nabiki had done it and somehow, he didn't really want to know. It was like she'd tamed the wild storm of chaos that was his life, even if temporarily.

All in all, life was peaceful in Nerima.

He and Akane still fought but it almost felt rote by now and he kept trying not to goad her so much. Soun still sobbed but that was Soun for you. Genma didn't appear and his mother appeared to have taken a short holiday so there was little chance of an accidental meeting.

For the first time in his life, Ranma had peace and quiet. And he took advantage. He meditated from the moment he got home from school to when he went to bed. Sometimes he'd meditate over his homework, sitting with Akane and just having a companionable silence.

Sometimes he'd be boy-mode, other times girl-mode as he tried to piece himself together and reach his centre. Nabiki had scoffed about it but she clearly had never felt the need for meditation or believed in it much. Ranma knew some of the tricks. Finding your centre was one of the core parts of any martial art.

Akane seemed to have noticed but was holding her tongue and mallet more than usual. Like him she was glad for the respite. Almost invisibly the tension in her shoulders and his from the madness that normally surrounded them was starting to relax.

Desperately, Ranma searched within himself.

Two weeks later, Ranma knew. He knew with a sickening feeling that made him want to curl up on his futon and never wake up.

Two weeks of meditation and thinking and digging had let him reach the core of his being.

What he found terrified him.

Somewhere in the story, Ranko had moved them to another table and night had fallen. Ranko was talking about her struggles to see inside herself. Ryouga wasn't sure why she'd had such trouble. He found his centre most of the time. Sure, what was there was different at times, but his drive was always there.

Once it had been to kill Ranma, but time had diluted that, but he still knew who he was. What he wanted.

Ranko had lapsed into silence just before she'd started to actually say what she'd found, when Ryouga found himself being taken to the side by Nabiki. "Ryouga needs the toilet." She said to Ranko. "Wouldn't do to have him get lost and ruin the plan."

Ranko waved her off and returned to contemplating her drink. It was clear from her body language she really didn't want to talk about this next bit.

Nabiki led Ryouga over towards the restrooms and let him go in before grabbing his arm before he came out.

"We've got to talk, pig boy." The middle Tendou said, eyes sharp. He gulped and nodded.

"About P-chan?" He asked. "I-I know I-"

"No. About Ranko." Nabiki said softly and he looked over to where the petite redhead sat looking pensive, chin resting on her hands while she kicked her feet idly, the green heels skidding off the floor. "Ugh, I keep telling her not to scuff those, she'll ruin them for tomorrow's photoshoots…"

"Photoshoots?"

"We'll explain later. Look, I know you're kinda blinkered when it came to her old self, but are you sure you're not going to go off on one at her?"

"I haven't yet!" Ryouga said hotly. "What do you take me for, an angry moron?"

"Yes." Nabiki's tone was scathing. "Unless you've changed more than I thought on that journey."

Ryouga should have been offended but he saw the concern in Nabiki's eyes as she looked over at Ranko. "Look, pig-. Look, Ryouga. That girl's my sister in everything but blood. I love her like she is my own blood. And right now, she's feeling very alone, even with me here."

Ryouga looked curious. "Why?"

"Because she loves her friends and family, even if the chaos about her pisses her off. And thanks to the plan that we came up with, thanks to me, she's not been able to see or interact with them in a very long time."

"Why not?"

"It was necessary. I wanted her to have more room to move, to become herself, and unfortunately as you know, anything like that needs sacrifice." Nabiki sighed. "I wish it wasn't so, but it was needed so she can have a chance to find herself."

"…But it sounds like she already has?" Ryouga was confused. Was this some girl thing he wasn't aware of?

"No, not really, Ryouga." Nabiki said. "She's been Ranko and Himeko and a couple of other names, but they were made up people for a specific purpose. Ranko's her name but even finding out who she wasn't isn't enough to have found out who she is. That's why we've come up with a plan for her to have some time to do so, and that hinges around you."

"M-Me? Why me?"

"Because you've got something that no one else has. And, most importantly Ryouga, you're her friend. And you respected her wishes before. None of the others really did, not really."

Ryouga swallowed and Nabiki patted his arm. "Can I ask you to do something for her tonight?" She asked. "Can you stay with her?"

He went red. "St-stay?!"

Nabiki sighed. "Not like that… just… she's told me this stuff, but I don't think telling me has let her process it properly. Can I count on you to be a shoulder for her tonight, and when she's drunk and cried her little heart out, to bring her back to the suite of rooms we share?"

Ryouga looked uncomfortable. "I… well, I'd get lost?" Nabiki shook her head and proffered a keycard.

"Have Ranko direct you then. But I think I'm not helping her open up to you. I'm too involved."

Ryouga took the card. "…Alright. As long as she doesn't try to fight me."

"She doesn't do a lot of that anymore." Nabiki shrugged. "But that's her tale to tell. Now, while you two lovebirds are sharing drinks and stories, I'm off to do business in the lounge. No missing a good opportunity to network!" She pushed him towards the table where Ranko sat and grinned. "Go get 'em, tiger!"

Ryouga turned to see she'd vanished into the crowd and then back to Ranko, managing to make his way over to where she was and sitting next to her again. "Hey."

She jumped and looked at him. "Oh…" She said, rubbing the back of her head. "H-hey. Sorry, was in a world of my own."

"S'alright."

"Where's Nabs?"

"She went off to 'not miss a good opportunity to network'."

Ranko laughed. "Yeah, that's Nabs. I love her to bits but kami-sama she can be such a mercenary. Great manager though."

"She's a manager?" Ryouga wasn't surprised.

"More precisely, she's my manager." Ranko took a long drink from her current glass and swayed a little. "She's really good, if intrusive and occasionally annoying and way too fond of candid shots when I least expect them."

"Candid shots?"

"You know, taking a photo when someone's not expecting it. Still life an' all that."

The bandanna-wearing boy made a connection, "You're a model?" Ryouga looked startled.

"Sort of. Yeah." She looked almost embarrassed. "We hadta make our money to get here somehow. Mom might be independently wealthy, but she insisted we make the money for this dumb trip ourselves since we dreamed our plan together. So, we did."

"But why a model?"

Ranko shrugged, then she looked at him. "You're really confused by that?"

"Well, yeah, the Ran- Saotome I knew wouldn't even dare."

Ranko smiled, "Well, I ain't the same idiot, idiot. Just partly the same idiot." She said. She pushed a drink over to him. "C'mon, s'not that fun if you don't have a few yourself too. Plus, it'll make talkin' easier. And I know your birthday weren't that long ago, neither so let's just say dual 'emm ayy anythin' goes birthday celebration' and leave it at that."

He took the proffered drink and took a long sip. He blinked. "That's good!" He said, looking surprisedly at the redhead sitting next to him. She smiled at him and winked.

"Oh, I know what boys like you like~" She smirked, and he felt that hot and bothered feeling creeping up again. She shook her head and laughed. "You're so easy to tease, Ryouga. It's real sweet."

"Y-yeah w-w-w-ell, when a pretty girl-" He shut his mouth, blushing furiously.

"Oh, pretty am I?" She laughed a tinkling laugh and put her hand on his arm gently when he looked affronted. "I'm playing with you, Ryouga. It's like sparrin' but verbal. You wouldn't imagine the interesting skills I've learned in the last six months while I tried to escape the madness vortex."

He kept blushing and took another long gulp of his drink. The warmth seemed to settle into him, pooling in his stomach. "I… bet." He said, frowning.

Ranko sighed and motioned to a waiter, conversing in broken English a moment before nodding and handing some money over. She drained her current glass. "I am way too sober for this. Let's get a couple down us before I get into my deep, dark secrets." She eyed him. "Feel honoured, Ryo-chan, I don't just divulge that sorta thing to jus' anyone. But…" She smiled at him and he blushed again, "I guess you're one of my oldest friends."

Ryouga managed a smile. "…Thanks." He said.

"You're welcome, P-Chan." She smirked. Then she stretched and he looked away. "I don't mind you looking, you know. I ain't Akane." She said conversationally. "I'm sexy and I know it."

That sounded familiar to Ryouga, but he still looked away until she'd finished.

"Plus, I've been in very skimpy bikinis in some photoshoots. This dress ain't nothin' after them, believe me." He choked on his drink and she snickered. "Even I was kinda off about wearin' them sometimes."

They sat together in companionable silence for a while while Ranko was waiting for her next drink.

"Hey Ryouga?" Ranko asked after a moment. "What happened with Akari? You guys break up or something? She wouldn't say when I popped in on the way here but I could tell somethin' was up."

Ryouga looked down and took another long drink. "…Yeah. I got lost too often. We were in love but not in love I guess." It still hurt to think about, but at least he was still welcome on the few times he stumbled there.

Ranko patted his arm. "I'm sorry." She said sincerely. "You guys seemed good together."

He nodded morosely. "That's partly why I kept away so long; I think. Just needed to process."

Ranko smiled at him sadly. "Guess we both needed time to grow up, huh?" She asked.

"Something like that, yeah. We're still good friends and I still visit from time to time, but it's not the same."

Ranko sighed. "It never is, is it?" She picked her glass back up and sighed. "Finishin' school, leavin' home… I mean it's gonna be worth it in the end, but s'been a year of changes, more than that I guess if you include the insanity that was everything upta Saffron."

She ran a finger around the rim of her glass and shook herself. "Guess I should carry on, huh?"

Slowly, surely, moment by moment, Saotome Ranma peeled apart the core of his being.

It had finally 'clicked' with a combination of meditation methods across several martial arts. Principles even outside of the art that he'd cribbed together from dumb TV shows Akane had been watching.

At first, he imagined he was an orange, but that wasn't the best analogy. It was layered strata, like that drawing of the world that was in the science books.

The crust, the outside, leading to the outer and inner cores.

He looked out into his dreamspace, eyeing the vague flashes he saw there. Nothing felt quite real, but he centred himself again and began walking through the mindscape, pondering the questions he'd had running through his mind.

What do I want to be?

"The greatest martial artist in the world."

No, that was what he was. Part of that was ego, part of it was that after killing a kami as powerful as Saffron, there had to be some truth.

He dove deeper, moving from the crust.

What do I want to be?

"A man amongst men."

No. That was his father's dream, a dream to escape seppuku from a contract that was entirely too vaguely worded.

Ranma dove deeper into his mind, pulling his life to pieces and examining every facet, every piece with a speculative eye.

The Art. That was his father's dream, to raise the greatest martial artist. It was a wonderful dream, and the Art was sustaining in a way that he couldn't explain.

But it wasn't everything. It wasn't his drive, it was just what he did. As naturally as breathing, the Art was there, suffusing his spirit. He didn't have to live for the art because his every breath was sustained by it, every moment was a part of it, whether intentional or not. That was not his drive.

To be a man… What did that even mean? To act macho, to claim to be the greatest? How pointless, you either were or you weren't. It was an impossible goal, and worse it was a trap designed to hold him back. Keep him stupid.

"To marry Akane."

That rang hollow even as he spoke the words. That, too, had been his father's dream. His and Soun's.

Were his father's sticky fingers all over everything in his life? The attitudes, the misogyny, the stupid damned superiority that had been drilled into him all his life.

In the relaxed and objective space, he found himself in, he examined himself more and found himself wanting. He watched his memories of interactions. Places where his ego had gotten him into trouble. The arguments he'd had with Akane. Sure, it wasn't entirely his fault and she was far too volatile, but he could do better. He could be better than that.

Ego was important, pride was important, but he saw how it damaged him.

All of that being chased by the various fiancées while he tried to find a way that didn't dishonour them or him.

Diving deeper, and deeper he recognised things that he'd thought were drives were not, just reactions to events beyond his control. And how he was controlled.

Honour was a trap, he realised, and he was being led into an impossible situation where his honour would tie him down as thoroughly as any rope.

Shampoo who claimed to be his husband by way of laws that by rights shouldn't apply to a non-citizen of the Joketsuzoku.

Ukyou, his Ucchan, his best friend, who claimed to be his fiancée by right of his father stealing her father's okonomiyaki cart as a dowry, tarnishing Ranma's honour at the same time as he did so to poor Ukyou. But she, while not as bad as others, was still intent on Ranma paying her back.

Why? He hadn't stolen the cart; he'd been a small child who loved his best friend.

Back and forth, back and forth, like a toy being grabbed by sisters who all wanted to play with it and thought their claim legitimate.

Didn't he have a choice in his own life?

Every moment of this was agony, as he confronted the lies, the mistakes, the dumb things that had happened and all of the pain he'd both caused and felt.

Another layer through and he settled onto the ground of the dreamscape once more, a cold uncertainty washing over him. So far, he'd found nothing. Nothing that drove him but everything he reacted to. Nothing was his by choice, it had all been foisted on him by others.

He was so close now. He could feel it, like the beating of his heart or the calm in, out of his breathing.

Before him was the core of his being. That tiny, shrunken part of him that had wants and needs, that was his driving force.

What I want.

It was so small. Was everyone this small, he wondered, or did others have a building filled to bursting? What was Akane's centre like?

He knew she had dreams of acting professionally, of being her own person. He knew she drove herself and did what she needed, but also what she wanted.

Nabiki, his unlikely ally in all of this, she knew what drove her. It was obvious, but there was a subtlety to her actions he'd meditated on, especially after their talk and her help. Nabiki was driven but she was never forced to do something she didn't want to do.

Was it that simple?

Slowly, he reached out and peeled away the last layer and stared blankly. His eyes widened and a cold, deep terror lanced through his gut.

"This is…"

Ryouga was getting concerned. Ranko had started drinking more and more heavily as the explanation had gone on. She'd taken a long time explaining how she'd attained the waking dreamstate she'd found herself – cobbled together from martial arts and bad daytime TV shows. He'd snorted. Classic Saotome. Make some bullshit up, throw it at the wall and something'd stick.

He had to admit that if it had led to this redheaded girl sat next to him drinking and spilling her guts then it must have been effective. 'Anything Goes', after all.

As she'd spoken of her mental trip, she seemed to withdraw and need a longer pause between each sentence. She had a shame in her bearing so deep that he wasn't sure how to respond. Then she'd laugh, but it would be bitter, or slightly hysterical.

Ryouga reached out and patted her arm a few times and tried not to show how disturbed he was on his face.

"So, I'm running through all these layers. All these… yanno, facets of my being." She swayed drunkenly, looking miserable.

"You don't have to." Ryouga said softly, interrupting her train of thought. "Tell me, I mean." She gave him a look, sucked in a deep breath and shook her head.

"I gotta tell someone that ain't Nabiki or Mom. And you need to know." She took a long gulp from her current drink. "You deserve to know, given what we're gonna be askin' of you."

Ryouga nodded. "If you're sure." He said, not believing how soft he was being with his chief nemesis stroke rival. "So, what did you find?"

She was silent a moment, mouth working, swallowing as she stared and tried to force the words out.

"Sa-. Ranko." He said. "It can't be that bad, right?"

"Nothing."

"What?"

"You found… nothing?" He asked. She nodded. "Really?" Nod. "How?"

She was silent for a while longer. Eventually she sighed and closed her eyes. "…Yeah. Well I just…" She took a slurp of her drink and hiccupped a moment. Then she let out a very unladylike belch and giggled. "Scuse me." Her face went back to serious.

"I just… took a look at all of my arts, all of my words, all of my trials, all of my… manly... man… man… yanno, stuff… Everythin' that was 'me'. Everythin' I thought was me." Her face fell further and her voice lowered to a whisper of pain as she put her drink down and hugged herself. "And at the heart of it all there was nothing!"

Ryouga stared. Ranko was crying. Actual factual tears, not just crocodile ones or the few tears he'd already seen today.

She let out a choked sob that spoke of real, deep pain. "Nothing, Ryouga! I was an empty shell, just wrapped up in… in honour and duty an' an' bein' a 'man amongst men', whatever the hell that means! And to hell with my own wants and needs!" She took a longer gulp of her drink, almost viciously slamming the glass back down.

"Nooo I gotta sign the fuckin' seppuku clause while my mom wanders around with the family fuckin' honour blade for ten fuckin' years! Oh yeah!" She took another long gulp. "Which was signed with finger paints! Because I was FOUR FUCKIN' YEARS OLD AND TRUSTED MY PAPA!" The yell caused a couple of other patrons to look in her direction and she waved them off irritably.

"I don't…"

"And then, right in the middle of it all. Right where I should find what I actually wanted, what I needed, I found nothing at all!" She sucked in a shuddering breath and sobbed a few times, "jus'… Nothin'. An' it's not the kinda nothin' where you're fulfilled, there was jus'… jus' nothin'. The box was empty an' I was just confronted with this… this lie that I was someone."

She trailed off and just carried on sobbing into her drink. "Someone worth anythin'. But it was all a lie." She buried her head in her arms and cried. "All a lie."

Ryouga didn't know what to do. He had never been good with people; he'd never been good with Ranma especially. He'd never been good with pretty girls crying, and for all she was his rival she was a pretty girl crying in front of him.

He shook his head. No. No, there was someone in front of him, in pain. It didn't matter at that moment who or what it was.

Tentatively, Ryouga reached his arms out and put them around Ranko, holding her gently while she shook.

There weren't any more stories after that. Ranko alternated between crying and drinking and pretty soon Ryouga put his hand over the glass she was about to drink. "I think you've had enough." He said softly, one arm still around her to give her comfort. He was still blushing, but he managed to control himself to come across as serious.

Ranko looked at him blearily and he let go of her to let her sway in her seat. She blinked a few times and nodded. "Y-yeah, you're right. I can barely feel my fingertips…"

She held her hands in front of her and nodded, inspecting them. She tried to stand up and immediately fell down. Ryouga sighed and moved to her side, helping her up. She stumbled, then leaned on his arm. "…Sorry 'bout this." She said softly. He shrugged.

"S'alright, Ranko. It's your birthday. I think you can be allowed to be drunk on your birthday."

"And for cryin' on you all night. Guess I pent up more'n I thought."

He nodded. "I guess you did. It's fine." She stumbled, pointing the way, though they only got halfway before she slumped onto a bench on the deck. She took off the shoes and then tried to stand but fell back down. Ryouga sighed and she blinked at him. "Feet ain't co-op… co-op… workin'." She said a little plaintively. He sighed and squatted in front of her.

"Hop on." He said. "You can point me to the cabin."

She squinted a moment and then flopped onto his back. He straightened up and tried not to think about the two mounds of flesh poking him in the back as he settled her down, nor how close his hands were to her thighs. No sir, he was not thinking about those at all.

He kept his huge pack on one of his arms, but after all these years it felt like it barely weighed anything.

Ranko managed to get him pointed in the right direction and he simply followed her finger as she mumbled into his ear about nonsense. Eventually they came to a door and she pushed forward with a keycard she appeared to have filched from his pocket that opened the lock and Ryouga struggled in with the wiggly redhead on his back. He blinked at the size of the suite, a large bed to one side. This must have been a seriously luxury cruise.

"Th' bed'll do me, noble steed!" Ranko slurred and he made his way to the large bed, gently letting her down onto it. She slumped there a moment and then lay on her back to look at him. "Thanks, Ryouga, yer a gem." She grinned at him. "If I weren't half as drunk I think I'd find an interestin' way to thank ya, but right now it'll just hafta be 'thanks'."

He went red and she shook her head amusedly. After a moment she swears to herself and kneels up on the bed, reaching for her eyes. He watches as she struggles with two clear lenses that get put into a little pot on the side of her bed. "Fuckin'… lenses." She grumbled and then brightened. "Hey Ryo-chan, check this out!" She reached over and pulled a pair of sophisticated glasses onto her face, then gigglesnorted. "Just need that long wig an'…"

He blushed, embarrassed but looked confused. "You wear glasses now?"

"Yeah, only small presc… presc… strength, but it's a whole heap better." She patted the bed. "Hey, siddown, you're gonna be stayin' in here." She pointed to a pile of cushions and blankets on a sofa. "Figgered it's best to get you set up here an' look!" She pointed to string tied up around the place. "Nabs's made it Ryouga-proof too!" She leaned back.

"Oh." Ryouga said. She looked at him and grinned.

"What? Not happy ta sleep in a room with a pretty gal?" He sighed and shook his head as the drunken Ranko tried to sit up and failed, falling back. "Woof, I'm dizzy. Yanno when ya so drunk everythin's spinnin'? Got that real bad right now."

It was several more minutes of mumbling before Ranko's weight on the bed plopped down next to him. She looked serious a moment. "Ya mind… doin' somethin' else for me?" She asked. "Ain't got the right ta ask ya, but I'm drunk enough ta do so."

"What is it?"

"Could ya… hold my hand while I get ta sleep, before ya go over ta the sofa? Jus'… need someone ta do that. Get nightmares sometimes… C-C-Cats."

He smiled at her. "Sure. Let me get the lights too."

Ranko grinned as he did and while his back was turned, shrugged off the cheongsam dress and took her earrings out, pulling on an oversized shirt. Her tights went sailing somewhere over into the room, as did the bracelets. She stumbled back to the bed and fell on it face-first.

She lay there a moment while the lights went out and then a weight settled on the bed next to her. She held a hand out and a strong, rough, warm hand took hers. "Thanks Ryouga. Yer a gem." She said quietly, before dropping off and snoring almost immediately.

Ryouga chuckled to himself. Some things never changed. He looked at the small hand clutched in his own, the soft fingers flexing. He tried to extricate himself and failed. Sighing, he simply lay where he was and listened to her snores until they lulled him to sleep.