Recap: When we last left the Suna Suna Clan, they were sitting down to their first dinner together in a very long time. 

"Eric, you have a job yet?" Kebi asked, as they started to eat.

"Ah, yes, the joys of re-entering the workforce." Eric doffed his hat and spoke to an invisible interviewer. "Well, sir, I'm not so good with figures but if you need someone who knows sabotage, subterfuge, and mischief-making, I'm your man."

Everyone laughed, surprising Vivi.  Was that a real problem? Did her father know about it?

"Well, you have it lucky.  You've got the inn," Kebi said to Okame.

"Lucky? Yeah right. You try moving back home after two years on your own.  It's 'Okame, do this.' 'Okame, do that.' And if I don't?  Then it's one big guilt trip about how worried they were." She rolled her eyes.

That statement let loose the floodgates. Everyone begin talking at once.

"Never letting it go - "

"They've been treating me like I'm some exotic flower - "

"Like some invalid who can't take care -"

"Pretending like nothing happened - "

Kebi interrupted everyone by standing up and crying, "I propose a toast!"

"To?" prompted Eric.

"To taking care of ourselves!" Kebi said.

"I'll drink to that," Okame said.

The group of five, friends since childhood, cried cheers and toasted each other.

The second bottle�Elt;br>
They were almost finished with dinner.

"Let me get that." Kebi held out the wine bottle, offering to fill Vivi's glass.

"No thanks.  It goes straight to my head," Vivi said. 

Kohza made a mental note.

"Come on.  One more." Kebi grinned. "Or didn't you know?  This was all an elaborate plot to get you snockered and then pump you for information."

Vivi flushed, even though she knew Kebi was joking.

"Leave her alone," Eric ordered.  "She doesn't want to talk about it."

"No.  It's okay." Now was as good a time as ever, Vivi decided.  She downed the rest of her glass of wine for an extra bit of liquid courage.  "Right.  So what do you want to know?"

"Let's start with where you were," Okame suggested.

"Where I was.  Well, most of the time, I was with Igaram. But the last couple of months - I was with pirates."

Kohza choked on his food.  Kebi pounded his friend on the back but that only earned him a round of ear-scorching curses from his recovering Leader.

"Pirates?" Eric sputtered.

Okame squealed with laughter.  "That's so cool!  Tell us more!"

And Vivi started telling some stories.  She kept to the less outlandish ones, which still earned her snorts of disbelief.  She couldn't blame them.  Lethal nose-pickers, teenage hypnotist bounty hunters, giants, prehistoric islands, witch-doctors, monsters with human hearts, humans with monsters inside and that wasn't even the tip of the iceberg - which the GMG had almost hit while sailing away from Drum Island�Elt;br>
They talked.  They ate.  And they drank.

A lot.

The third bottle�Elt;br>
Okame had gone to bed, saying that someone had to be sober enough to get breakfast tomorrow.   The others were still trading stories.  They'd moved into a private parlor usually rented out for meetings.  The carpet was thick and there were plenty of low, overstuffed chairs to lounge on.

Kohza topped off Vivi's glass. "Seriously?  Your dad?"

"They all peeked in."

Eric quirked his eyebrow.  "Pirates I understand�Equot;

Kebi pulled a face.  "Your dad's a perv."

Vivi found her tongue loosened; she was saying things tonight that usually made her blush just thinking about it. "I think he was interested in Nami.  He gave her practically the entire library.  I was like, 'Haven't those books been in our family for generations?  Aren't they rare and one of a kind editions?' But he didn't listen to me."

Kohza laughed.  "Maybe it's a good thing they left; if they'd stuck around any longer, your friend might have been your step-mom."

Vivi turned red. "Leader!"

The fourth bottle�Elt;br>
Eric had taken his leave, stating loudly that perhaps they too should go to bed.  They had ignored him and were now debating the merits of each of the vintages they had had that night.

"This wine is crap," Kebi declared.

Kohza read the label. It took him awhile to focus. "It must taste bad because it's old.  Veeeeeerrrrrrrry old."

The logic sounded off to Vivi - the palace wine cellar had bottles that were hundreds of years old and they were supposed to be very good.  But what did she know?

Her head felt funny and she couldn't feel her fingers.  Oh well.  "We should drink more of it so that Okame's dad will have to buy some new bottles.  Better bottles," Vivi said.

"Good idea, sub-leader!" Kebi grabbed the bottle out of Kohza's hand and guzzled it, finishing the last dregs off. He burped loudly then held it up. "Next."

The fifth bottle�Elt;br>
Kohza's glasses had slipped down his nose.  He peered over the rims, trying to focus on who he was talking to.  "I wanna see 'em."

"What?" Vivi asked thickly.

"Your thingies."

"My thingies?"

"You know. The whirring and the be-heading." Kohza gestured in the air vaguely and managed to find another adjective. "Your string thingies."

"Oh. Oh. Those.  I dunno.  What do you think, Kebi?" Kebi was no help.  He was passed out on the floor. Vivi shrugged. "Sha.  Whyna? Hang on."

Definitely hangin' on, Kohza thought.  The room wouldn't stop spinning.  Vivi came back and carefully began spinning her peacock slashers around her finger.  It was making him kinda sick.

"Okaaaayyy.  See that candle?"  She nodded at the candleholder on the windowsill.  "Watch this."

The window exploded.  Glass tinkled on the street outside.

"Oh, Vivi, Okame's gonna kill you," Kohza said.  For some reason, he found that very funny.

"No, doofus, look at the candle."  She tossed it to him.  It hit him in the forehead and dropped into his lap.  The wick had been cut neatly in two.

Kohza whistled.  "Good shot."

"I've practiced," Vivi said proudly.  The thick rugs gave way under her toes.  It felt good.  She felt good.  "I know lots of other stuff too," she said slyly.

"Like whut?"

"A dance."
"Yah?" Kohza reached for the wine bottle. It seemed much too light so he looked inside.  It was empty!  All the wine had evaporated!  He knew it was hot but that was amazing.  He held up the bottle to show it Vivi, but it bounced off her�Elt;br>
Thingies.

"Huh? What?" he asked and ducked.  But the right hook never came.

Vivi was much too close for his comfort.  She leaned in even further, until their noses were almost
touching. "I know a sexy dance."

Kohza gulped.

"Ya wanna see it?"

Bits of him were heartily cheering for the 'Yes' side, but his brain screamed that 'No' was the right answer.

Vivi smiled sultrily. "Well?"

Yes, yes! Do the dance! shouted bits of him.

His brain countered with a mental image of Igaram, Pell, and Chaka.

He gulped again. "No. Definitely not."

Vivi pouted. "Why not? Everyone else saw it."

"Whaddayameaneveryoneelsesawit?" Kohza sat up so quickly that he knocked Vivi off balance.  She landed on her butt on the floor.

"Everyone. You know. The pirates saw it."

"Oh, well. They don't count," Kohza said disdainfully. 

"Whaddayameantheydontcount?"

"Well, they don't. Rebels are so much better. Rebels have passwords and codenames."

"What do you know?" Vivi stretched out languorously on the pillows and sighed.

Kohza knew he was drunk.  He would never entertain thoughts like the ones he was having if he were sober.

"Pass me my glass," Vivi ordered imperiously.  It might have sounded more princess-ly if she hadn't then started giggling like a hyena.

Wine goes straight to my head.

"My glass," Vivi repeated, then dissolved into giggles again.

I know a sexy dance.

She looked around and saw that the bottle in Kebi's hand was almost full.  "Fine.  I'll just drink it straight." 

He tried to tell her that it was not a good idea to drink out of the bottle.  There were so many reasons.

Vivi tipped it back with one hand and at the same time yanked her ponytail holder out of her hair in one smooth motion.

Kohza blanched.

Alright! shouted bits of him. 

His brain hiccuped and gave him a discrete thumbs-up.

Encouraged, Kohza grabbed his half-full glass and downed it.  Here went nothing.  "Vivi?"

"Yes?" She looked up at him, the wine bottle just at her lips.

"Er�E�Eou�Ehat is�Equot; Kohza lost his train of thought when Vivi licked a drop of wine from the mouth of the bottle.

She patted the spot on the carpet next to her.  "Come down here and talk."

He swallowed nervously.  This was it.  Two long years and now everything was coming together.  They were together and alone...kinda of alone.  Kebi was unconscious so he didn't count. 

Wahoo! shouted bits of him as Vivi flipped her hair behind her shoulder and took another drink.

Kohza stood up unsteadily, took a step forward.

Then he crumpled to the floor, landing at Vivi's side.

"Leader?"  Vivi frowned and poked him with the bottle.  He didn't move.  She tried again.  "Well, you're no fun."

She took her cue from him and passed out too.

=======================

A/N: Awwwwww.  Poor Kohza couldn't handle the wine and the symbolism at the same time.  Better luck next time, Leader!

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