Pains of the Heart (Active, Open)

[jigglingkeys]

WHO: Lucy, whoever wants to help her out
WHAT: Having heard about the fate that may have befallen Gray, Lucy's feeling rather helpless, and so she tries to find a way to get out some pent up emotion.
WHERE: By the Fairy Tail household
WHEN: Dusk

Comments

It's okay, Lucy, Auntie Shirobara is here to help. <3

[sei_what]

The hug was not unexpected, but the motion was quick enough she barely had time to brace herself for the weight her arms were taking in. Through it, though, she managed to remain upright, and returned it, tightly. Not the sort of desperate tight almost clinging Lucy was doing, but tight enough to let the other girl know she was here for her, she felt for her. She was surprised at the lack of tears shed, however.

And that... that spoke of Lucy's inner strength more keenly, she thought, than anything else.

She doesn't know what to say... Sei pondered over that one for a short moment, piecing her next statement together carefully. She didn't want to push Lucy over any edges, after all.

"I will admit," she began, slowly, quietly, murmuring from somewhere near Lucy's ear. "That while I am aware something has your entire household upset... I don't know what it is. Don't feel obligated to say anything you don't want to or don't think you can handle at the moment, but perhaps that would be the first place to start. And don't worry about

[sei_what]

"Well..." She thought about that for a moment, a smirk tugging up the corner of her lips. "That all depends on how they react when I... do the things I do." She looked down a bit, noting their position. "Unfortunately, I can't demonstrate since I'm already in the position that seems to make so many of my dear classmates uncomfortable. Even if they're not the ones in the situation."

Then she grinned again, tugging Lucy closer in a manner that was a little more suggestive than friendly. "And the more people I can affect by that, by extension, the better."

[jigglingkeys]

Sei's words made Lucy suddenly aware of how their position would look to a outside observer, and flushing she wiggled in Sei's arms. "I'm not sure it's the situation that makes them uncomfortable so much as how you make it seem."

This time the suggestiveness was not lost on Lucy, and she found her heart rate picking up slightly. "Y-your classmates must be uncomfortable a lot."

[sei_what]

"Ah, that could be," she pondered, sounding as though she hadn't given that part of it much thought. Truth be told, she probably hadn't.

"Not usually the classmates, it's usually just the Yamayurikai," there was a mischievous glint in Sei's eye, though it wasn't directed at Lucy. "And by that I mean mostly just Yumi. Don't feel alone; you're not. Oh and..." She loosened her grip a bit. "In case you want to make a grand escape."

[jigglingkeys]

Lucy was worried that if she kept giving Sei exasperated looks at the rate she currently was, her face might become stuck that way. Had she honestly not realized that?

"Yumi?" Lucy asked, curious. This was the first she'd heard of the girl, but if Sei made a habit of flustering her then Lucy felt that she was a kindred spirit. Feeling Sei's arms loosen, Lucy was both relieved and secretly a little disappointed. "I'm fine, just no groping, okay?"

[sei_what]

And Sei could do nothing but sort of half-smile in return. Unfortunately, for all of her advice and apparent wisdom there were some obvious things Sei missed that surprised a lot of people; and she never even realized it until it was pointed out to her.

"Ah, Yumi-chan," she spoke in a somewhat sing-song voice, as though recalling a fond childhood memory. "The other half of the Rosa Chinensis pair I do so love teasing. One of those types that couldn't keep their thoughts secret even if they wanted to... so it was fun seeing where I could send her mind."

There was a thoughtful pause, and Sei's eyes came to focus on Lucy's face for a moment. "You're quite a unique person, Lucy. Can't say I know many people who would say that."

[jigglingkeys]

Sighing, Lucy just gave Sei a look that was a mixture of amusement and an utter lack of knowledge of what to do with her.

Yep, Yumi certainly sounded like a kindred spirit. "Sei, you shouldn't do that! Who knows how you might have traumatized the poor girl!" Lucy lectured, putting on her stern face, which happened to look a lot more adorable than her irritated face.

"Really?" Lucy tilted her head, "Don't most girls not want to be groped?"

[sei_what]

Not the first time she'd received that look... would not be the last time, either.

"Oh don't worry, she had Onee-sama Sachiko to protect her," of course, the way Sei snickered told quite obviously that... was precisely what she was going for. "It's not that bad is it, Lucy?"

Sei laughed suddenly as though Lucy's response had taken her by surprise... then shook her head. "No no, I mean the part where you're not making a grand escape while you have the chance... with the condition of no groping."

[jigglingkeys]

"Not always, but you can get a little..." Lucy paused, searching for the right word, "overly friendly. Sometimes people need their personal space to feel comfortable." Though Lucy had to admit, it was nice to hang out with someone who actually listened to logic, even if Sei just ignored it whenever she felt like it.

Sei's comment did catch Lucy off guard, and she paused a second to contemplate it. Why wasn't she moving away? After all, if Loki or one of the Blue Pegasus boys were trying to hold her like this she probably would have slapped them a while ago. To her consternation she realized she couldn't come up with an exact explanation, just that right now hugging Sei felt nice. Given all that had happened recently, between her arrival, the truth about Gray, and Erza and Lluvia's reaction to that revelation, it wasn't all that strange that she would want a little comfort, for someone to let her know she still had something she could count on in this world.

Finally she just shrugged and held Sei closer. "A girl can't like

[sei_what]

"I wouldn't do it if I thought I couldn't get away with it," Sei pointed out, giving a somewhat ironic chuckle. She knew she could likely talk her way out of trouble if she had to, but her greatest strength was knowing right where the boundary was, and to step right up to it without crossing it.

Lucy's pause gained her full attention and she turned to study the threads of thoughts as they chased each other around the other's expression... or at least what parts of them she could catch. Lucy wasn't quite Yumi; Yumi went through all the stages of life and then some when she was trying to think of the answer to even the most simple question.

And the conclusions Lucy arrived at seemed to belie the expressions entirely.

"Of course she can; more to my benefit anyway," she stuck her tongue out a little, a silly gesture, before happily allowing herself to be pulled closer. "Oh and 'overly friendly?' You haven't seen me really pushing it, yet."

[jigglingkeys]

"Someday that attitude is gonna get you slapped," Lucy pointed out dryly, even if she already knew that Sei could probably talk her out of such action in a heartbeat if she really wanted to.

Being the mature young lady she was, Lucy promptly stuck her tongue out at Sei in return. "And you haven't seen how hard I can smack someone."

[sei_what]

"Someday, perhaps," she shrugged as though she didn't find it much of a threat.

In fact, she was reaching for a completely left-field comment now.

"Besides, what if that's what I like?"

[jigglingkeys]

And there was Lucy's blush again, brought back in full force. Really, how did Sei always do this to her?

"Then you might be better off flirting with Erza," she insisted in a flustered voice.

[sei_what]

"After you went through all the trouble of telling me how hard you can hit?" She mock-scoffed. Her look turned amused as she imagined the situation. "Besides, I feel Erza would get a little kill-happy with the hitting. Emphasis on the 'kill' part."

Her eyebrow cocked suddenly as another thought hit her, and she leaned in toward Lucy's ear. "And besides, I think Sachiko might kill me in my sleep in a jealous rage."

[jigglingkeys]

"Keep pushing your luck," Lucy grumbled with a glare. Then she began to sweat, remembering poor Levi-chan's fate. "Y-Yeah, she, uh, might."

Something about the way Sei's voice tickled her ear made Lucy blush, and she fidgeted. "Why would you say that?"

[sei_what]

She gave a sort of wry, half-smirk. "Therefore, I think I'd much rather it be you doing the hitting."

She leaned back very slightly, thoughfully. "Mnn, and I might say that because ever since Christmas or so, Sachiko seems to have developed... oh... something of a crush on Erza," her tone made it clear there was much more than just 'something of a crush' there, and, at the same time, she was finding the entire situation utterly amusing. "Which..." she continued, in something of an appraising way. "I can't blame her for." And really, Sei couldn't - however...

"As much as she's not exactly my type, personality-wise." A nonchalant shrug. "I rather prefer the kind who fluster easily."

And, just as she had done to Yumi before, on the tail of that last comment, she pressed her lips quickly, lightly, almost a passing brush over Lucy's cheek.