* Ryo opens the door slightly and slips inside, closing it behind him.
* Ao-Lang is on her bed. In the short time she's been there, she's pulled off
her boots and thrown them against the closed closet door, and now she's curled
up, face pressed against her knees.
* Ryo walks softly to the bed and sits down, watching Ao-Lang.
* Ao-Lang lets out a breath, but she doesn't lift her head. "Hi Ryo."
<Ryo> Hi. 
* Ao-Lang shivers. "Must think I'm a sore loser now," she mumbles.
<Ryo> No, I think she's kinda sorry about it.
* Ao-Lang tenses and snarls, "Of course she is," before she sighs again and
flops, ending up sideways on the bed.
* Ryo reaches out one hand and rubs Ao's shoulder gently.
<Ryo>You don't have to surrender it, you know.
* Ao-Lang squeezes her eyes shut. "What am I supposed to do? What else can I do?
I've already taken the team over. I've already led it in everything but name. We
won. But it doesn't matter."
* Ao-Lang pushes herself up and looks at Ryo. She's insistent.
<Ao-Lang> I don't *want* to be leader.  I never wanted to be leader.  But I'm
the best we got, and they fucking well know it.
<Ryo> Then why not let her try?
<Ao-Lang> What do you think I'm doing!
<Ryo> Why so angry, then?
<Ao-Lang> Because- it's-
* Ao-Lang reaches up, like she's trying to grasp at something, then gives up and
stands, pacing. "Because I don't know. Because I hate her. Because I hate
Karasu." She's starting to cry again. "Because I-" She sobs. "I don't know."
* Ryo pulls Ao-Lang up into a hug.  "I don't think you hate them."
* Ao-Lang tenses and stops, falling into the hug, but she doesn't hug back. "I
do. I hate them. I want to hate them."
<Ryo> Why?  What's the point?
* Ao-Lang cries into Ryo's chest. "'Cause I'd feel... I'd feel a lot better."
* Ryo squeezes gently.  "I don't think you could hate them."
* Ao-Lang sniffs and hugs Ryo back. She hiccups. "Why not?"
<Ryo> You're not that sort of person.
* Ao-Lang laughs a little, and then she sniffs again. "How'd you know?"
<Ryo> I had a feeling.
<Ao-Lang> Could be wrong.
<Ryo> Maybe, but I doubt it.
* Ao-Lang sighs. She's not sobbing anymore, at least.
<Ryo> Just relax, and do what you do best, and don't worry too much.
<Ryo> If she wants to be leader, just make sure she has the information to be a
good one.  I hear you like doing that.
* Ao-Lang shakes her head a little.
<Ao-Lang> Never wanted to be leader.  Just...
<Ryo> Just want to win?
* Ao-Lang shrugs.
* Ao-Lang doesn't say anything, either.
* Ryo doesn't shrug, just sits there on the bed, holding Ao.
* Ao-Lang sighs. "I knew this would happen." She sounds calm now, but very
tired.
<Ryo> Really?
<Ao-Lang> Didn't want to believe it, but I had a feeling.
* Ao-Lang pushes away from Ryo and looks up at him.
* Ryo looks down at Ao.  "You gonna be okay now?"
* Ao-Lang smiles, very faintly. "I did a lot for them, but in the end, the only
thing I can really count on is myself."
<Ryo> I think you guys need to get settled into a new order.  And it's probably
good that Mariah's standing up for herself.
<Ao-Lang> Yeah.  Good.
<Ryo> People who don't stand up for themselves tend to drop out.
<Ao-Lang> I know.  I never wanted her to drop out.
* Ao-Lang wipes at her eyes, sniffles again, then gets shakily to her feet.
<Ao-Lang> (then -> and)
* Ryo stands up with Ao, giving her a shoulder to lean on.
* Ao-Lang accepts the help. "Gotta ask something before I think about it." And
she walks over, probably with Ryo, and opens the door.
* Ryo wobbles along with Ao, making sure she doesn't fall down.