Lost Soul - Part Four
By Seed
After a few minutes of silence, only broken by Ryogas slowly fading sobs Ukyo thougt it was time to take some action. Ryoga seemed to have the same feeling. He slowly pulled back from the embrace and wiped away the tears on his face with one of his bandannas not wanting to make eye-to-eye contact with the beautiful brown-haired girl which had been holding him for what seemed to be an eternity.
Ryoga was so ashamed of himself for crying in front of a girl that he almost started running out of the door, he was about to grab his pack and leave when he felt a firm hand grabbing him by the bandanna and pulling him back. "And where do you think you're going mister?" Ukyo stared at him with a expression that could only be described as mixture of worry and anger. She knew that if she would let Ryoga run off now she might never see him again because the jackass would try to solve his problems by running away, probably to the Antarctis.
Ryoga didn't even dare to look Ukyo in the face still to ashamed of his weakness. He just looked to the floor wincing at her next comment. "You're really a pain in the fanny sometimes. What do you think, that I'm laughing at you or teasing you because you came to me with a problem an opened up to me. What kind of mean witch do you think I am. If you knew how many nights I cried during my chase of Ranma, because I missed my family so much and I felt like a failure. A failure in defending my familys honour and in maintaining my own womanhood. I coulda have used a shoulder to cry out on these days but there was nobody there for me.
But now I can be here for you, you stubborn mule. This is what firends are for, to count on them in times of need. And we are friends or don't' you think so Ryoga because I know that you're a friend. So don't you dare to run of now because you feel that your stupid male ego is a little bruised." Ryoga lifted his head meeting Ukoys gaze at him. He stared at her a bit awkard and then smiled at her showing one of his fangs and nodded.
"Well when this is settled you get your butt back on that bar stool and we will figure out how to deal with this mess together." Ukyos statement left no place for discussion and Ryoga let himself be dragged back to the counter by the resolute young woman.
"Here take this", Ukyo had taken a bottle and two little saucers from a cupboard in the back and had filled both with the sake, she kept for special occasions, offering one saucer to Ryoga and taking one herself. "I didn't know you drink." Ryoga had finally found his contenace again and was almost back to normal, well as normal as he could be. "Hey you baka, this is a restaurant and besides I saw you stumble through the street at New Years Eve, you were full like a howitzer and singing something about flying pigs."
Ryoga blushed a deep shade of red, this was an evening he didn't want to remember. He had met some Americans and they had dragged him into somekind of drinking game in a karaoke bar. After twenty-six beers and one bottle of Wodka, Tequila and Bourbon, eyeryone had been totallly blitzed and Ryoga had been never so dead-drunk in his whole life, but on the same time he had never been this focused while walking. He had found the Tendo-Dojo sixteen times this night, an all-time record.
But improving his directional skills with excessive alcohol drinking had been not a good idea, the hang-overs were just too bad, it felt like bakusai-tenketsuing the own skull. Like the one time where he had wanted to go to a cherryblossom festival and had ended in Munich on the Oktoberfest.
He had won a contest where you had to drag your opponent over the table by locking the middle fingers together and pulling with all your strength. The prize had been a day-long of free beer in Munich. After the tenth liter his memory started to get very uncertain. But he could still remember that damn song they had played all the time. He didn't knew very much German but the vague translastion was "Men are pigs". *Pigs they seem to follow me everywhere goddamit.* One guy had told Ryoga that there even was a video to the song where the boys of the band got beaten up by some kind of computer super babe.
*Jeez all those crazy Bavarians with their Lederhosen, I still got the one they gave me as a present, if Ranma would see me in this thing I would never hear the end of it. But the beer was good and these blond girls and their deep decollteés...* Before Ryoga could nosebleed at the reminder of the well attributed Fräuleins, Ukyo snapped him out of his day-dreaming.
"Hey Lost Boy, still there." Ukyo frowned. *Sometimes I think, he not only gets lost physically but also mentally. And he really has these mood swings. And they say women are complicated, hah.* "Oh sorry Ukyo I just had to think of, äh." Ryoga desperatly tried not to look at the two attributes of his host and finished with ".and old journey, well kampai." He raised his saucer drowning the sake in one gulp. Ukyo did the same. "So sugar now that we could get calm you down a bit let's think what you can do with these." She pointed to the letters still lying on the counter.
Ryoga let his head once again hang low and sighed. But before he could get all depressed again Ukyo spoke up. "Tell me sugar, what you gonna do about all this, I mean what's your plan?" Now that got Ryogas attention. A bit confused he looked Ukyo in the eyes. "P-plan I don't really have a plan, I just thought you or Ranma or anyone I know guides me to this place and I tell them that there is nothing wrong with me and that it is all Ranmas fault anyway. Well and if they don't believe me I can still show them that I'm strong enough to take care of my own, perhaps I'll show them the bakusai-tenketsu, that will surely impress them."
Ryoga felt very pleased with himself, for not having a plan two minutes before he had come up with something that sounded not too bad in his ears. Ukoy however seemed not to be so convinced about his chances of success. "You, you what? You mean your whole plan is to just waltz in there say "Hey I'm Ryoga an all around nice guy" and you want to convince them by showing how you make the ground explode?!?" Ryoga nodded, but somehow he had the feeling that Ukyo wasn't convinced at all. "I think it will work out don't you think?"
That was it. Ukyo couldn't help but scream in frustration at the Lost Boys naïve and gullible attitude. She tried to calm herself remembering that Ryoga didn't thought in terms of "clever and smart" but rather along the lines of hoplessly simple categories like love and honour, loyality and bravery. "No you jackass I don't think that it will work out. This is not a plan it is a ticket to desaster. It's like convincing a jury in a war crime tribunal that you're a peaceful and innocent man while holding a smoking machine gun and standing in front of a burning village." Ryoga looked a bit hurt.
"But there is nothing wrong, I mean I'm not dangerous at least not to normal people, only to Ranma." Ryoga grinned a bit at this. "But that's not the point Ryoga. Gosh did you never watch any courtroom shows. It's not about right or wrong, being honest or lying, it's just about what you can proove and what not. Facts Ryoga. And the facts are speaking against you here. I mean I hate to break this to you honey, but you can be dangerous,I mean not on purpose but shattering walls and knocking over telephone poles screaming "WHERE ON EARTH AM I NOW!!!" can somehow be considered as violent and unstable behaviour. The people who know you also know that that's just the way you are but other peole don't know this and get the false impression.
And to convince this judge or jury or whatever you'll need a bit mor then just your own act of the honest honorable warrior. And please drop the thought of performing a bakusai-tenketsu in an official building." Ryoga looked really uncomfortable now, he had never thought that anyone could be scared of him. Well nobody besides Ranma of course. Sure sometimes he got a bit carried away here and there but this was no reason to be frightened of him, or was it.
*Maybe I am a little violent, but I am a martial artist, violence is part of the game. And compared to Shampoo, Mousse or the rest of the gang I'm not out of the ordinary. Sure violence is part of my life. But to control it and use it not for the false goals is the proof of the true samurai. I'm just following the bushido, maybe not always 100 percent but hey, everyone makes mistakes sometimes right? But Ukyo might be right with this, she surely has more experience with all this official stuff having her own restaurant and all.*
"But what do you think I should do then Ukyo. I'm really not used to deal with stuff like that. I-I'm just not bright enough for all that official mumbo-jumbo. You're always so smart with all the shemes and your business and everything. What would you do?" Ukoy felt a little flustered at Ryogas open admiration of her skills, but she had to admit, he was right. "Hell yeah I am smart, but that's no reason to get all sobby here, Hibiki. Now listen I will guide you to that damn hearing and then you will let me do all the talking, capiche? You can introduce me as your lawyer or something like a juristical support and then I will show them their little investigation and junk up their asses." Having finished her little statement she looked at the stunned Ryoga. "U-Ukoy I don't know what to say, thanks, you you're a real friend. I will always remember your kindness in my heart." Before Ukyo could stop him, Ryoga stood up bowing formally in front of her. Two small tears glancing in his eyes.
Then Ryoga looked up and smiled at her with an expression of pure confidence in his friend, his fangs fully showing. Ukyo just smiled back. *The big jackass can be so sweet and charming sometimes.* After Ryoga had taken his seat again he suddenly remembered something. "B-but Ukyo, the hearing is just in six days, I mean how am is supposed to get there with you. I mean how can you guide me if I get lost during the next days." Of course Ukyo, the practical thinking business woman she was, had already thought of this problem. "Oh don't worry sugar you just move in here for the time. I have a spare room oon the first floor and in this small house not even you can get this lost." Ryoga was once again overwhelmed by the hospitality of the female chef. "But I can't impose on you like that. It wouldn't be right." "Nonsense you can repay me by doing the dishes, or do you think you can sit on your lazy bum all day while I'm working mister."
"N-no of course not Ukyo. I will stand my man here. You're a girl you deserve a strong man to help you out with all this much work here." Ryoga had slammed his fist in his palm to strengthen his point. Determination visible on his hard features. "Oh please give the macho act a rest willya. I sewar sometimes I've got the feeling you and Ranma still live in the ninteenth century. Modern type women don't need to rely on males in business, sugar. I'm proof for it. Well this is setteld so what you say, shall we call it a night? I'll show you to your room and we can talk more tomorrow, okay?" Once again Ryoga nodded, that seemed to be all he could do, while Ukyo made all these logical suggestions and plans.
*Damn she really is smart, Ranma can be lucky so a girl is after him. Woah, where has that come from.*
Ryoga followed Ukyo upstairs not daring to think in a certain direction, just concentrating of not getting lost. But he had the feeling that with the decision to tell Ukyo about all this, his life had taken a turn. He couldn't place his finger on it, just the feeling in his guts that the kami had something in store for him, if a change for the better or worse he really didn't know.
After saying good-night to Ukyo he lay out-strechted on the futon she had given him, looking at the ceiling in his new room. *Maybe Ukyo is an even better friend that I thought. She really seems to care about me, as if she would want to fight for me. It's a good feeling that I'm not completely alone after all.* And with this thought Ryoga Hibiki finally found sleep with a smile on his lips, not nearly as afraid of the future as he had been the day before.
To be continued.
PS: The song "Men are pigs" mentioned by Ryoga is really "Männer sind Schweine by "Die Ärzte", so just you know I haven't made this one up. By the way the video is really great.
By Seed
After a few minutes of silence, only broken by Ryogas slowly fading sobs Ukyo thougt it was time to take some action. Ryoga seemed to have the same feeling. He slowly pulled back from the embrace and wiped away the tears on his face with one of his bandannas not wanting to make eye-to-eye contact with the beautiful brown-haired girl which had been holding him for what seemed to be an eternity.
Ryoga was so ashamed of himself for crying in front of a girl that he almost started running out of the door, he was about to grab his pack and leave when he felt a firm hand grabbing him by the bandanna and pulling him back. "And where do you think you're going mister?" Ukyo stared at him with a expression that could only be described as mixture of worry and anger. She knew that if she would let Ryoga run off now she might never see him again because the jackass would try to solve his problems by running away, probably to the Antarctis.
Ryoga didn't even dare to look Ukyo in the face still to ashamed of his weakness. He just looked to the floor wincing at her next comment. "You're really a pain in the fanny sometimes. What do you think, that I'm laughing at you or teasing you because you came to me with a problem an opened up to me. What kind of mean witch do you think I am. If you knew how many nights I cried during my chase of Ranma, because I missed my family so much and I felt like a failure. A failure in defending my familys honour and in maintaining my own womanhood. I coulda have used a shoulder to cry out on these days but there was nobody there for me.
But now I can be here for you, you stubborn mule. This is what firends are for, to count on them in times of need. And we are friends or don't' you think so Ryoga because I know that you're a friend. So don't you dare to run of now because you feel that your stupid male ego is a little bruised." Ryoga lifted his head meeting Ukoys gaze at him. He stared at her a bit awkard and then smiled at her showing one of his fangs and nodded.
"Well when this is settled you get your butt back on that bar stool and we will figure out how to deal with this mess together." Ukyos statement left no place for discussion and Ryoga let himself be dragged back to the counter by the resolute young woman.
"Here take this", Ukyo had taken a bottle and two little saucers from a cupboard in the back and had filled both with the sake, she kept for special occasions, offering one saucer to Ryoga and taking one herself. "I didn't know you drink." Ryoga had finally found his contenace again and was almost back to normal, well as normal as he could be. "Hey you baka, this is a restaurant and besides I saw you stumble through the street at New Years Eve, you were full like a howitzer and singing something about flying pigs."
Ryoga blushed a deep shade of red, this was an evening he didn't want to remember. He had met some Americans and they had dragged him into somekind of drinking game in a karaoke bar. After twenty-six beers and one bottle of Wodka, Tequila and Bourbon, eyeryone had been totallly blitzed and Ryoga had been never so dead-drunk in his whole life, but on the same time he had never been this focused while walking. He had found the Tendo-Dojo sixteen times this night, an all-time record.
But improving his directional skills with excessive alcohol drinking had been not a good idea, the hang-overs were just too bad, it felt like bakusai-tenketsuing the own skull. Like the one time where he had wanted to go to a cherryblossom festival and had ended in Munich on the Oktoberfest.
He had won a contest where you had to drag your opponent over the table by locking the middle fingers together and pulling with all your strength. The prize had been a day-long of free beer in Munich. After the tenth liter his memory started to get very uncertain. But he could still remember that damn song they had played all the time. He didn't knew very much German but the vague translastion was "Men are pigs". *Pigs they seem to follow me everywhere goddamit.* One guy had told Ryoga that there even was a video to the song where the boys of the band got beaten up by some kind of computer super babe.
*Jeez all those crazy Bavarians with their Lederhosen, I still got the one they gave me as a present, if Ranma would see me in this thing I would never hear the end of it. But the beer was good and these blond girls and their deep decollteés...* Before Ryoga could nosebleed at the reminder of the well attributed Fräuleins, Ukyo snapped him out of his day-dreaming.
"Hey Lost Boy, still there." Ukyo frowned. *Sometimes I think, he not only gets lost physically but also mentally. And he really has these mood swings. And they say women are complicated, hah.* "Oh sorry Ukyo I just had to think of, äh." Ryoga desperatly tried not to look at the two attributes of his host and finished with ".and old journey, well kampai." He raised his saucer drowning the sake in one gulp. Ukyo did the same. "So sugar now that we could get calm you down a bit let's think what you can do with these." She pointed to the letters still lying on the counter.
Ryoga let his head once again hang low and sighed. But before he could get all depressed again Ukyo spoke up. "Tell me sugar, what you gonna do about all this, I mean what's your plan?" Now that got Ryogas attention. A bit confused he looked Ukyo in the eyes. "P-plan I don't really have a plan, I just thought you or Ranma or anyone I know guides me to this place and I tell them that there is nothing wrong with me and that it is all Ranmas fault anyway. Well and if they don't believe me I can still show them that I'm strong enough to take care of my own, perhaps I'll show them the bakusai-tenketsu, that will surely impress them."
Ryoga felt very pleased with himself, for not having a plan two minutes before he had come up with something that sounded not too bad in his ears. Ukoy however seemed not to be so convinced about his chances of success. "You, you what? You mean your whole plan is to just waltz in there say "Hey I'm Ryoga an all around nice guy" and you want to convince them by showing how you make the ground explode?!?" Ryoga nodded, but somehow he had the feeling that Ukyo wasn't convinced at all. "I think it will work out don't you think?"
That was it. Ukyo couldn't help but scream in frustration at the Lost Boys naïve and gullible attitude. She tried to calm herself remembering that Ryoga didn't thought in terms of "clever and smart" but rather along the lines of hoplessly simple categories like love and honour, loyality and bravery. "No you jackass I don't think that it will work out. This is not a plan it is a ticket to desaster. It's like convincing a jury in a war crime tribunal that you're a peaceful and innocent man while holding a smoking machine gun and standing in front of a burning village." Ryoga looked a bit hurt.
"But there is nothing wrong, I mean I'm not dangerous at least not to normal people, only to Ranma." Ryoga grinned a bit at this. "But that's not the point Ryoga. Gosh did you never watch any courtroom shows. It's not about right or wrong, being honest or lying, it's just about what you can proove and what not. Facts Ryoga. And the facts are speaking against you here. I mean I hate to break this to you honey, but you can be dangerous,I mean not on purpose but shattering walls and knocking over telephone poles screaming "WHERE ON EARTH AM I NOW!!!" can somehow be considered as violent and unstable behaviour. The people who know you also know that that's just the way you are but other peole don't know this and get the false impression.
And to convince this judge or jury or whatever you'll need a bit mor then just your own act of the honest honorable warrior. And please drop the thought of performing a bakusai-tenketsu in an official building." Ryoga looked really uncomfortable now, he had never thought that anyone could be scared of him. Well nobody besides Ranma of course. Sure sometimes he got a bit carried away here and there but this was no reason to be frightened of him, or was it.
*Maybe I am a little violent, but I am a martial artist, violence is part of the game. And compared to Shampoo, Mousse or the rest of the gang I'm not out of the ordinary. Sure violence is part of my life. But to control it and use it not for the false goals is the proof of the true samurai. I'm just following the bushido, maybe not always 100 percent but hey, everyone makes mistakes sometimes right? But Ukyo might be right with this, she surely has more experience with all this official stuff having her own restaurant and all.*
"But what do you think I should do then Ukyo. I'm really not used to deal with stuff like that. I-I'm just not bright enough for all that official mumbo-jumbo. You're always so smart with all the shemes and your business and everything. What would you do?" Ukoy felt a little flustered at Ryogas open admiration of her skills, but she had to admit, he was right. "Hell yeah I am smart, but that's no reason to get all sobby here, Hibiki. Now listen I will guide you to that damn hearing and then you will let me do all the talking, capiche? You can introduce me as your lawyer or something like a juristical support and then I will show them their little investigation and junk up their asses." Having finished her little statement she looked at the stunned Ryoga. "U-Ukoy I don't know what to say, thanks, you you're a real friend. I will always remember your kindness in my heart." Before Ukyo could stop him, Ryoga stood up bowing formally in front of her. Two small tears glancing in his eyes.
Then Ryoga looked up and smiled at her with an expression of pure confidence in his friend, his fangs fully showing. Ukyo just smiled back. *The big jackass can be so sweet and charming sometimes.* After Ryoga had taken his seat again he suddenly remembered something. "B-but Ukyo, the hearing is just in six days, I mean how am is supposed to get there with you. I mean how can you guide me if I get lost during the next days." Of course Ukyo, the practical thinking business woman she was, had already thought of this problem. "Oh don't worry sugar you just move in here for the time. I have a spare room oon the first floor and in this small house not even you can get this lost." Ryoga was once again overwhelmed by the hospitality of the female chef. "But I can't impose on you like that. It wouldn't be right." "Nonsense you can repay me by doing the dishes, or do you think you can sit on your lazy bum all day while I'm working mister."
"N-no of course not Ukyo. I will stand my man here. You're a girl you deserve a strong man to help you out with all this much work here." Ryoga had slammed his fist in his palm to strengthen his point. Determination visible on his hard features. "Oh please give the macho act a rest willya. I sewar sometimes I've got the feeling you and Ranma still live in the ninteenth century. Modern type women don't need to rely on males in business, sugar. I'm proof for it. Well this is setteld so what you say, shall we call it a night? I'll show you to your room and we can talk more tomorrow, okay?" Once again Ryoga nodded, that seemed to be all he could do, while Ukyo made all these logical suggestions and plans.
*Damn she really is smart, Ranma can be lucky so a girl is after him. Woah, where has that come from.*
Ryoga followed Ukyo upstairs not daring to think in a certain direction, just concentrating of not getting lost. But he had the feeling that with the decision to tell Ukyo about all this, his life had taken a turn. He couldn't place his finger on it, just the feeling in his guts that the kami had something in store for him, if a change for the better or worse he really didn't know.
After saying good-night to Ukyo he lay out-strechted on the futon she had given him, looking at the ceiling in his new room. *Maybe Ukyo is an even better friend that I thought. She really seems to care about me, as if she would want to fight for me. It's a good feeling that I'm not completely alone after all.* And with this thought Ryoga Hibiki finally found sleep with a smile on his lips, not nearly as afraid of the future as he had been the day before.
To be continued.
PS: The song "Men are pigs" mentioned by Ryoga is really "Männer sind Schweine by "Die Ärzte", so just you know I haven't made this one up. By the way the video is really great.