Ayako seemed a touch guarded as Chiemi approached, as if she expected some kind of reprimand for intruding. Truthfully, for a long time, she had a poor opinion of the actress, believing her to someone that got involved in trials disruptions frequently. She gave leeway to most other people at first, but for some reason Chiemi’s actions were particularly grating to her.
A lot of things changed between the fourth trial and the fifth – it had been in that period that Ayako promised herself that she couldn’t let anyone be alone, no matter how much they lashed out at others. So when Chiemi disrobed during a trial and showed the extremes that her grief had driven her to, showed just how few people were keeping an eye on her wellbeing… Well, Ayako still had trouble coming to like her, but she felt like she understood Chiemi a little better. Regardless of the things she said, she didn’t deserve to have every rare friend and every precious light snuffed out week after week.
Three months of waiting on those who stayed and relying on them for the hope that maybe there was a future after all had worn down the ill will Ayako felt towards them – they really could have just left, and Ayako wouldn’t blame them from not wanting to stay in this hell pit for any longer than they had to. (Now, those who felt the need to claim the dead were just digital clones that weren’t even sentient, on the other hand…) But they chose to stay, despite the risk that they would die here. And Ayako respected them for that.
So, even though she still hadn’t quite come around to like Chiemi, she greeted her with shy civility. She stayed, and she helped friend and foe alike find their second chance. And that alone meant so much to Ayako.
"Um… Yes, I think I have time to stop by! If I’m interrupting anything, I’ll make it quick."
She carefully shook Chiemi’s hand, following her into her room. There, she quickly noticed who else was in the room, even before she was introduced, and she couldn’t help but smile a little.
"Hon—Fuyuu-chan, hello! I’m doing…good enough We’re alive, so I can’t say I’m unhappy! Have things been well for you?"
Ayako wasn’t much more than amicably acquainted with Fuyuuko: She enjoyed her company during the impromptu sleepover, and she had tried to give her some medical attention when she fainted during a trial. Ayako hadn’t been able to check on Fuyuuko since then, but she seemed to be alright… Judging by the occasional glimpses of her, she was with Usoko a lot, and now she was with Chiemi… Yes, she wasn’t alone. So she must have been alright.
(No one should be alone, was what Ayako had to tell herself every day.)
When offered some hair clips, Ayako couldn’t help but stare in admiration at Chiemi’s collection, and she nodded.
"I couldn’t find my old one, and I don’t have any others… But these are all so pretty!"
Ayako had a pretty good idea where her orange sakura clip was, but after half a year of being on a chilled corpse, it was surely a lost cause now. She could easily replace it with one of the other flower barrettes, or the ones studded with rhinestone, or the ones that had ribbons or feathers or lace… Ayako truthfully wanted to take all of them! But that was just plain rude.
After some browsing, she picked up a few that really caught her fancy: One with a yellow rose, another with flowers made of crystals and rhinestone, and a cutesy, cartoonish cone of ice cream made of cloth. Hopefully this wouldn’t be too much to take, though she’d be willing to put one back.
"I love these ones… What do you think?"
She held the blue and beige dessert clip to her hair, hoping that the colors worked. Ayako would have to adjust her wardrobe colors now… Or maybe just dye her hair again.