Ayeka stared out the window of her room, thinking. Thinking of Jurai, thinking of Yosho, thinking of Tenchi, of the other girls…thinking about this new life of hers. "Introspection," she proclaimed aloud, drinking from a small flute-shaped glass filled with a pinkish liquid next to her, "Is a very good thing."
It was late, and that was the perfect time to be doing this, drinking pink wine and thinking alone, peacefully, the Lady Night wrapping you in her protective blanket of black sky and silver stars. A haunting melody reached her ears, or was that just music from a memory from the past long gone? Ayeka wasn't sure how many glasses she had drank that night, but the wine bottle was half empty.
Ayeka laughed hollowly. "Half empty. Means I'm pessimistic. Ironic, a pessimistic person, sitting alone, drinking a gaijin drink in a house that they're just boarding with, oh, six other girls all vying for the attention of the one that they love. Ironic. Because then the pessimist will think that they'll lose. And they most likely lose."
On that thought, Ayeka became confused, her mind becoming more clouded with every sip from the glass that she took. "So am I an optimist or a pessimist? Or in between?", Ayeka's musical voice floated down to the living room, where a certain space pirate, who was lying awake on her rafter beam, heard and blinked.
Ryoko, hearing Ayeka's voice and recognizing it, floated up stairs and through the door. "Ayeka? What are you still doing awake?," Ryoko asked, not knowing that the Jurian princess was an insomniac, no, check that, an insomniac drinker.
"I could ask you the same question."
Ryoko laughed. "Princess, don't act like you don't know about my 'nightly adventures', as some are wont to call it." She was talking about Kiyone and Washu, of course.
"I did know. Nobody gossips with me, I just overheard them talking. Nobody gossips with the Princess of Jurai, gossip is for the commoners, me being a princess. I should be the one knowing all about everybody, but instead…I get left out because of my status." Tears started to flow.
Ryoko realized that despite all the people living here, Ayeka was lonely. Sasami and Mihoshi, of course, were friends -kind of- to Ayeka, but they were friends with everyone. If you really analyzed her relationship with everyone, she was detached from everyone. Or rather, everyone was detached from her. Her status, her mannerisms, the way she's protective about Tenchi…it pushes everyone away from her, when all Ayeka really wants is a friend. She has that shell so she won't get hurt, like she had gotten hurt with Yosho's disappearance.
Ryoko started comforting the sad, lonely princess. After all, they had somethings in common. They were stubborn, loved Tenchi, both insomniacs, and overall, just wanted a real friend. Ayeka wiped her eyes and started drifting off, and went to sleep, leaning slightly on Ryoko.
Ryoko filled up a glass of the pink wine and sipped, carefully as not to wake Ayeka. This drink was rather strong, and she reckoned that Ayeka was right. Introspection IS a good thing.