[Log Start!]
[Last time, on Battle High, Ao-Lang burst into tears and ran away after Arthur
made some unknowing remarks regarding Isaac, and Ryo chased after her.  THe
camera follows Ao-Lang, as befits the main character.]
[Mini START!]
* Ao-Lang is running! And crying. This will so be hell on her reputation if
anyone really catches her doing it. She moves quickly, navagating the halls and
not really paying attention to where she's going, though she's definitely not
heading back towards her room.
* Ao-Lang bursts out of the castle into the full noonday sunlight, apparently
that last door was one of the side doors out of the castle.  Luckily, she's in a
small recess in the castle wall where nobody could see her unless they were
practically on top of her.
* Ao-Lang slows, squinting in the sun, eventually coming to a stop at the edge
of the wall and leaning her elbows against it. She sniffs - not exactly a pretty
sound - and rubs at her eyes.
* Ryo slams into the door from the other side.  The door, in response, makes a
loud crack as it slams into the castle wall, letting Ryo come barreling through. 
He skids to a stop on the grass, then slips and falls flat on his arse at
Ao-Lang's feet.
<Ryo> WaaaaaahOOF!
* Ao-Lang blinks down at Ryo, sniffs again, and laughs a little. She reaches a
hand down to help him up.
* Ryo reaches his hand up.  "I did that on purpose, you know."
<Ao-Lang> Yeah, you just wanted to cheer me up.
* Ao-Lang takes Ryo's hand and pulls him to his feet.
* Ryo nods soberly.  "Exactly.  I never slip."
* Ryo tugs gently, pulling Ao down onto the grass.
* Ao-Lang nods and is tugged down even as she pulls. She doesn't fight it, and
she ends up sitting next to Ryo in the grass.
<Ryo> He didn't know, Ao.
* Ao-Lang curls in on herself a little, wrapping her arms around her legs. Her
eyes are still tearing. "I know."
* Ryo reaches one arm out and wraps it around Ao's shoulders, pulling her in
close.  "It'll be okay.  We'll figure out who did it, and they'll pay, and then
we'll figure out how to get Kairi back."
* Ao-Lang is pulled, and she uncurls to turn and hug Ryo, burying her face in
his shoulder. Her words are muffled and between sobs: "Not coming back."
* Ryo pats Ao-Lang gently on the back.  "We'll figure something out, even if we
have to go into hell and pull him out by the earlobes."
* Ao-Lang cries, clinging to Ryo as she does so. "No. 'S death. It's *over*."
She sniffs. "Wished... seemed so safe..."
* Ryo reaches his arms around and gives Ao-Lang a gentle hug, and really just
seems kinda lost.
* Ao-Lang hangs on and keeps crying for a good amount of time, which probably
seems to crawl for Ryo. She starts to calm down, though, her jagged sobs
eventually disappearing, and when she next speaks, she's softer and definitely
more with it: "That's what happens. People die."
* Ryo nods a little and whispers softly, "Not even Battle High can prevent it,
if they're determined.  We'll find out who did it, and they'll pay.  I promise."
* Ao-Lang shudders and shifts her position so she's sitting a bit more
comfortably. She turns her face so her forehead's against Ryo's neck. "I didn't
even like Kai that much."
* Ryo nods a little.  "Yeah, but he never did anything to hurt anybody, really."
<Ao-Lang> I don't know... I never thought-  Kai didn't have any enemies.
<Ryo> It doesn't make any sense, but that doesn't matter.  We'll find out who
did it.
<Ao-Lang> Yeah.
* Ao-Lang lets her eyes drop closed. "I was just so fooled. Feel like I shoulda
done something. Took Kai out to dinner again or something."
<Ao-Lang> Stopped them.  I don't know.
<Ryo> You don't even know how it happened, how could you have stopped it?
<Ao-Lang> I don't know.  I just wish I could.
* Ao-Lang sniffs. "Like I wish I coulda saved Grandma. This is what we have to
look forward to."
<Ryo> Your grandma?
<Ao-Lang> Yeah.  She was gonna train me.  Never was gonna go to a fighting
school or- or anything.
<Ryo> How did she...?
* Ao-Lang says, dully, "A fight. She was decapitated."
* Ryo winces.
<Ryo> Were you there?
* Ao-Lang flicks her right hand, bringing Bolt into it, and she turns, spreading
it open for herself and Ryo to see. The golden clouds shine brightly against the
red, setting sun backdrop. "No."
<Ao-Lang> These are hers.  They didn't take them.  I don't even know who did it.
<Ryo> That's terrible.  You don't even have a clue to go on?
<Ao-Lang> Nope.
* Ao-Lang sighs. "Grandma had a lot of enemies. Anyone who's any good will."
<Ryo> You'll find them someday, too.
* Ao-Lang closes her tessen with a sharp snap. "If I do, I might try to kill
them."
<Ryo> I'll be there to keep you sane.
* Ao-Lang blinks. "You'd do that?" She shifts again, pulling away and turning to
look at Ryo; she's not crying anymore, though her face is still streaked with
tears.
<Ryo> Of course.
* Ao-Lang looks vaguely confused.
<Ao-Lang> You don't even- I mean, it's only been a few months.  I'm not nice
like Mariah.
<Ryo> You're not?
* Ao-Lang grins a little. "Nah. I don't go out of my way to make people like
me."
<Ryo> That's okay, I don't think I'd like you as much if you did.
<Ao-Lang> And I wasn't... When we started going out, I didn't really think I was
gonna be with you for very long...
* Ryo laughs.  "I don't think I did, either."
* Ao-Lang blinks in surprise. "Why not?"
<Ryo> Because my mom always said your first love never lasts.  She was a
little...
* Ryo makes a little swirly in the air with his index finger, near his temple.
* Ao-Lang chuckles, then stops. Abruptly. And stares at Ryo. "You love me?"
<Ryo> Think so.  I've never done it before, you know.
<Ao-Lang> Oh.
* Ao-Lang tries to puzzle that out for a moment, then laughs, almost nervously.
"I don't know."
* Ryo squeezes Ao-Lang a little.  "It's okay.  It's not like you have to know
immediately.  Mom always said love at first sight was a delusion, too."
<Ryo> Mom said a lot of crazy stuff like that.
* Ao-Lang huffs, but she leans into Ryo's squeeze. "You did not love me at first
sight. You just wanted to duel me before anyone else did."
<Ryo> True.
* Ao-Lang sighs. "I'm not even used to having friends. Or anything kind of like
a friend. Or a boyfriend for more than a week."
<Ryo> Yeah, but you're a Battle High now, and you're normal here.
<Ao-Lang> Not in my team.  I bet Mariah and... Kai...
* Ao-Lang takes a deep breath, then continues, "And even Hope. They all had
friends."
<Ryo> Maybe.  I'd bet Mariah did.  Hope, not so much.
<Ao-Lang> Maybe she did.  We got along okay until I decided I couldn't take
orders from her anymore.
<Ryo> Maybe, but I doubt she had many... or very good friends.
* Ao-Lang chuckles. "She's going back to them now." Pause. "I didn't mean to
chase her off."
<Ryo> Is that why she left?
<Ao-Lang> Yeah.  Yeah, she... came back, and I tried to fill her in on the work
we did for the fight and her role in it.  She laughed and said that I'm taking
the fun out of it, and that fighting isn't about planning ahead."
* Ao-Lang keeps going, her voice picking up some anger, "She said I'm not a
fighter, and I don't know what fighting is."
<Ryo> That doesn't make any sense.
<Ao-Lang> It doesn't!  She said that weapons and the stuff we were planning...
those are crutches.  She said all *I* care about is winning.  Well, maybe I do
want to win!  Maybe I do want to be the best.  Maybe sometimes, there aren't any
fucking second chances.
<Ryo> Well, she just wasn't cut out for Battle High, is all.  She broke, and now
she's gone.
* Ao-Lang sighs, losing some of the anger. "Woulda thought Mariah'd break first.
Hope was... good, once she got in a ring."
<Ryo> She's a quiet one, but she's got a lot of power.  You'd almost think she
belongs in another hall, really.
* Ao-Lang opens her mouth, then pauses before she asks, "You know how the halls
work?"
<Ryo> Huh?
<Ao-Lang> You said she belongs in another hall.  You mean Musashi?
<Ryo> No, I just woulda figured she'd go someplace beside Great Al.  That's
where they put weak people.
* Ao-Lang chuckles. "Thanks."
<Ryo> You don't count, they just stuffed you wherever.
<Ryo> It's not like they had a choice where to put you, really.
<Ao-Lang> Nah.  I bet there were some withdrawals before the girl I replaced
did.  Right?
<Ryo> I don't remember any.  There was Atsuko, who you replaced, and... I
thought that was the first.
<Ao-Lang> I dunno.  I guess it doesn't matter much.  Someone who didn't even get
into Battle High'd probably belong in that wing.
* Ao-Lang grins a little. "I'm a first, you know?"
<Ryo> Yeah, soem of the upperclassmen said there'd never been a transfer before. 
I was glad I was your first fight.
* Ao-Lang laughs and leans up to kiss Ryo below his ear. "Technically, you were
the second. Sorry."
<Ryo> You coulda just let me have the illusion.
<Ao-Lang> Hey, you were a lot better than her.
<Ryo> Small consolation.
<Ao-Lang> Oh.
* Ao-Lang pulls away, then grins. "How about this?" And she moves in, this time
kissing Ryo full on the lips.
* Ryo stiffens a bit, then loosens up and really gets into it.
[Let's leave our little lovebirds alone, shall we?]