Big Girls Don't Cry

Big Girls Don't Cry
Date of Scene:	16 May 2013
Location:	Baron
Synopsis:	Alma and Helena both seperately try to find Seloria. They succeed, but then things go... just a little wrong.
Cast of Characters:	Seloria Delacreaux, Helena Celba, Alma Hyral

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Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
Finding Seloria Delacreaux is actually an adventure, of the WORST kind.

The erstwhile summoner has a capability to just completely, utterly disappear off of the face of the planet for anywhere from a few days to up to like, a month - and this is still following through on her agreements and deals - and that's probably the easiest way to find it.

Tracing Seloria's contact leads back to Baron - not unusually, one of its' ports, in specific. When asked anything more, the transporter shrugs, says she was paid to do it once, got the paperwork at the time, and hasn't seen Selly since.

Where do you go from here?

Helena Celba has posed:
Helena suspects torturing the contact won't net anything...and she really wasn't feeling random torture today...

Not with Selly gone, /again/.

On the streets of Baron she looks around...hmm...with things being so tight here, random violence against morons would probably net her into trouble Souji would have to fix... And would distract her from finding Selly...but hm....So she decides to think like Selly...she'd probably play around on the oceans, so she asks various people at the docks if they had seen her...making sure to WORK for the answers...a little cleavage if you will to loosen lips. A little bit at playing not so bright and bubbly to play on the weaknesses of man.

These fools were just tools to her.

Alma Hyral has posed:
Alma Hyral had spent a few days in Costa Del Sol, waiting for Seloria to return. After she woke up in front of Seloria's inn room to find herself covered by a blanket, with a key, and a note to watch over her things, she'd done just that.

In fact it might be said that she took that job way too seriously, given that she cleaned up Seloria's entire room, and organized her wares for the Levitani's future store. But after a few days of waiting around in the Shinra resort town, Alma realized that Seloria might be a while...

That's when she started looking for her, but how do you hunt a woman who moonlights as a mermaid and can swim anywhere in the World of Ruin that she puts her mind to? Simple, she started asking around in port cities.

It didn't take long until she traced her back to Baron, and the girl walked its streets... Unfortunately, she didn't know Selly as well as she wished she did. So she asked around in some of the tailors. The fashions in Baron seemed ancient... like Alma's usual outfit, that she was wearing right now. She fit right in, but didn't think Seloria would be browsing those shops for inspiration, so eventually she went down to the docks... and started to ask around. It might be about that time that Helena notices the girl...

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
Alma and Helena have their strengths.

Helena gets more answers from the fishermen, and those that are entirely too wrong to be on the planet; Alma gets more answers from the children running the streets and the mothers watching them. It is not an issue to describe Seloria -

Green hair, green eyes, and strange clothing, compared to Baron, definitely puts her off into a different area than the Baron citizenites.

However, they are both eventually pointed to a small inn, one of the closest to the sea. The inkeeper shrugs and points at the top room, which has a balcony with a death-defying leap into the sea. Perfect for Seloria, right?

If only she was in there...

Helena Celba has posed:
Helena met Alma...

"...Wait so you're looking for her too?" She asks...damn it, so much for...

Nevermind.

"Well, lets go to her room then." she suggests, and when they get to an empty room, she starts looking around, trying to put together signs of habitation and clues to where she might be.

Damn, and this bed looks comfy too..

Alma Hyral has posed:
Casual kindness to children always tends to work out for her. She even traded a few recipes while gossiping with their mothers, and had a single offer from a mother who remarked that she had a nephew about her age that could stand to meet a nice girl like her who could cook... She turned that down as politely as possible, out of embarassment.

Eventually she is directed to the inn that Seloria might be staying at. And there was Helena, she didn't actually seem all that nervous about her presence though, she knew Helena and her had some sort of friendship, "Oh, H-Hi Helena. Yeah.. I was w-worried. She s-stopped answering her r-radio during my m-meeting with Souji."

The innkeeper directed her to a specific room... which she'd noted to have a balcony outside. Being almost entirely guileless, she just knocks on the door, while stating quietly, "S-Selly? Are you t-there?"

And then Helena lets them inside.. where she searches the inn room with her.

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
So much for /indeed/, Helena.

The room has been lived in recently - there is that much. The inn keeper also would've volunteered it's paid up til tomorrow... so the question is, where is all of Seloria's stuff? And ... You know.

Where is Seloria?

Helena finds a piece of paper about a ship needing a fewllow crewmember - one looking for a cook. It runs out of Baron's port - and the meeting time in just an hour or so.

Helena Celba has posed:
Helena grabs the paper...

"Well." She says, and hands it to Alma, and looks towards the window.

She opens it, to get onto the balcony...

"Wheeeeee!" she says, after jumping off the side of the building and out onto the street/water. Wherever she lands, she starts booking it towards the port...after all, she is a monk and loves abusing her abilities.

Alma Hyral has posed:
Alma Hyral was tempted to follow in a way Helena would be familiar with /but/..

She has an hour.

That doesn't mean she doesn't hightail it out of there though. She only trips twice running through the streets of Baron towards the port where the meeting place is to be held. Really. Only twice. She'd just arrive.. a little out of breath.

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
Helena is crazy. Both of them show up to the port at or around the same time, well before the ship leaves, but there's no Seloria. How strange. About ten minutes after the boat leaves, Seloria herself shows up, clad down in nothing more than a short skirt, her bikini top, and strappy sandals, looking silently amused as she watches them from the crowd.

Roll Perception checks for me.

Helena Celba has posed:
Helena looks around...

She places a hand on her hip and looks back towards Selly. "You'd be late to your own funeral." She says, amused. "Or did you reconsider at the last moment?"

Alma Hyral has posed:
After she catches her breath...

She just approaches Seloria through the crowd and just hugs her.

Then after a time she whispers, "I missed you. Sorry that I couldn't be patient."

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
Seloria grins, almost awkwardly, even as Alma attaches herself.

"Hello, Alma. It's okay, dear - I figured someone would come looking for me." She arches an eyebrow at Helena after that statement. "No, I got another job."

Helena Celba has posed:
"Oh?" Helena asks, "Quitting Muramasa's employ already?" She sounds amused.

"Also, I dunno, a ship cook is mostly cramped in the boat, instead of outside on the boat."

Alma Hyral has posed:
Alma would eventually draw away, not looking embarassed in the slightest from her display of fondness for Seloria. She'd then reach into a leather satchel at her side, and withdraws a new radio for Seloria, offering it to her.

She figured she might need a new one after she'd cleaned up the smashed one in her room at the inn.

And then on the prospect of being a ship's cook, she just sort of states awkwardly, "I don't suppose they're hiring for two? I could... at least come with you for a few days. Souji generally doesn't mind, I can do my research on the ship anyhow at night. And Helena can attest to me being an alright cook."

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
"No, no." Seloria laughs, looking at them both.

"I just... needed to do something, important. For me. Something I can't... involve anyone else in. That was my job. It was temporary, so -"

"No, I'm not quitting Muramasa's employ, Helena. He and I made a deal, and I'm sticking it to it."

Seloria is offered a radio, and Selly gives her a kind smile, before she gently pushes it back across towards Alma. She doesn't want it. "I'll be home - er, back in Costa Del Sol - soon."

Helena Celba has posed:
"What's the matter?" Helena says almost automatically.

"You can fool her, but you can not fool me...we've known each other way too long." She says, very...seriously. It is...surprising how serious she was being right now.

Alma Hyral has posed:
"Oh."

She gives her a sheepish sort of look. "Nik may be looking for you too, I asked him to."

She'd take a deep breath, then sigh, her hands dropping to her sides, as she puts away the radio. "Well, Selly, you do what you need to do for yourself and come back to us. I'll be waiting... and I'll take good care of your things, I promise."

Alma had realized that something was wrong as well.. but she didn't want to pry. She didn't know Seloria well enough yet, so she sought to give her her space. It doesn't suprise her when Helena asks the question though, and since she's wondering the answer herself, she just looks between the two.

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
"Helena..." Seloria sighs when the monk immediately zeroes in on there being an issue. Then she blinks at Alma. "Nik knows and trusts me and it would take more than a couple of days of me being gone for him to come actually find me. He trusts me to..."

"You know, be capable and take care of myself."

Shen then nods. "Thank you, Alma." She then neatly doesn't finish the answer to the question.

Alma Hyral has posed:
"It's not that I don't think you can take care of yourself..."

She states quietly, "It's just that you don't have to. We're here to help you work through it whatever it is bothering you. Like.. how you help me. We care for you Selly, that's all."

Helena Celba has posed:
Helena looks at Seloria.

"You're right, you can. So can I." She says, suddenly and quickly turning away. She just starts walking off, easily abandoning the search as she started. "Later."

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
"Helena!" Seloria yelps as she starts walking off.

"Damn it, this is why I --" She stops and hurries after the monk. "Helena, I'm /sorry/." She mumbles.

Helena Celba has posed:
Helena turns, viciously. Her right hand moves to strike the side of Seloria's arms...the motion was fluid, and automatic, her eyes blazing with a moment of unquelled rage.

It was gone, the strikes, however...left no physical mark, but instead were there to cause /intense/ pain and restrict the movement of Seloria. Helena looks baffled for a moment...and then turns off. "Waste of time. If you want to go around sulking and being a baby, then cry like one. I have more important things to do for Master Murasame then to chase you around on my personal time."

Alma Hyral has posed:
Alma walks a little closer, but otherwise keeps her distance.

She isn't about to interrupt the pair right now.

She just takes a deep breath to reflect on the situation. While growing up, she'd only relied on her siblings. While at school, her siblings grew distant, and she found herself without friends having to stand on her own two feet.. which she tripped over, more often than not. And now once again, she had people to rely on...

Except one of those people didn't want to be relied on. Or was it something more?

Silently she cursed her own ignorance. Maybe if she'd had fewer problems, she'd have had more time to get to know her better.

And then Helena hits Seloria, and the girl's eyes widen in shock. Unbidden did a radiant yellow aura around herself come, and in a split second, she was behind Seloria, whispering something. Seloria began to feel warmth as a healing spell from Alma washed over her, seeking out to undo whatever Helena did to her.

"Please don't talk to her like that Helena, you know it isn't like that."

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
Seloria looks stunned when Helena's hand meets her arm, and then even as she gets accused of sulking and being a baby, and crying like one. She looks utterly puzzled - because unless Helena was listening in on Costa Del Sol the other night, then she hasn't acted like one at all.

She looks at Helena, then takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry if I came off at that way, I did not mean to act like such, I'm trying to be a big girl and not cry." She states, simply. "There are just some things I would prefer to take care of myself. I'm sorry if that comes off as cry-babyish. THank you for your words, though, I'll be sure to improve myself further as you've been trying to improve me for ages now."

Helena Celba has posed:
Helena is already turned...the magic being used...or rather the aura is making her more irritable..

Helena turns, looking at Alma, her gaze is passive...at first glance.

That mask of unfeeling again, "Shut up, do not involve yourself in affairs that are between adults." she says, with no viciousness in her tone...infact, it might be better IF there had been some venom there. She looks back to Seloria, no lightening of her tone or her looks.

"Maybe one day you'll actually listen." She says, and then finally walks off.

Alma Hyral has posed:
The aura remains, for so long as Helena is there. For a time the girl tenses, in expectation of a potential fight. She didn't want to fight Helena...as she came to understand her, she certainly didn't hate her anymore, though she disliked her treatment of her.

The girl would though, for Seloria's sake, if Helena struck again. When Helena was acting.. cold, detached.. she actually rather feared that almost as much as her anger. She almost wondered if this was the /true/ Helena, as compared to when she modulates between her floopish, capricious side, and her angry intensity, as she'd seen this once before.

She stares at Helena through the lens of her glasses as she condescends her, her expression unflinching. She had no confidence in herself except in matters where her friends were in danger, or at each other's throats.

And then once Helena walks away, the aura fades, instantly. And she's left there with Seloria, trying to gauge her reaction.

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
"The one time I try to be honest and adult-like I just get myself into trouble. Thanks, mouth of mine." Seloria mutters this as she looks after Helena as she walks off, sadness in her green eyes. "This is why you shouldn't get close to me, Alma." She says, to the girl next to her.

"No matter how much I try, everything and everyone always gets into some sort of strange and terrible trouble."

"I did listen." She finally mutters, more to herself. "Go back to Costa, and Souji. Be good, Alma. Please." She gives the girla quick squeeze, before she resolutely walks off again.

Alma Hyral has posed:
She listens to Seloria throughout all of that, and then as Seloria walks off... she follows after her a pace, "Selly, wait!"

If Seloria stopped, so would she, otherwise, she'd continue to follow. "I don't care, Selly! I don't care if you get me into trouble. I don't care if you say all the wrong things, or the right things..."

She'd close her eyes, "...you're my friend, and I don't care about anything other than that. You and Kyra... you're all I've got, but even if you weren't, I'd still love you. I'd still want to be a part of my life."

Then very quietly, "Please don't push me away... please."

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
Seloria stares at Alma for awhile.

"Please, dear." She whispers, finally drawing her into a hug. "Trust me. Go back; support Kyra, do your job. Try to keep people from arguing. For me?"

Alma Hyral has posed:
She returns the hug, but just gives Seloria that look. That look of complete and utter devastation. She doesn't know how to handle this sort of situation. She wants to try and ask her not to go, even for a short time, but she likes and respects Seloria too much to act so selfish.

After a moment she's sniffling, all of her previous calmness, that confidence, melting right out of her voice, "A-Alright, I p-promise, for y-you. J-Just promise me.. that w-when you come back, w-we'll talk. R-Really talk...and.. t-that you'll take me s-swimming. I b-barely know how..."

And then she's too choked up to say anything else.

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
"You... don't know how to swim?" Seloria sounds astonished, but then remembers not everyone is born Levitani. Then she blinks. "Don't cry, Alma, please don't." She whispers.

"I promise. I promise to come back."

Alma Hyral has posed:
"N-Not well. I... p-paddle."

She wipes away her eyes, still sniffling, but calmer, "A-Alright. I-I'll hold you to t-that."

She tries to manage a brave smile for Seloria, but it still looks quite sad.

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
"I'm sorry." Seloria whispers. "I really, really am." She squeezes Alma yet again- Squishy white mage gets hugged - then she kisses the top of the other girls' forehead, like she would a little sibling.

Alma Hyral has posed:
"D-Don't be.." She sniffles, wiping away her nose, accepting the hug with one of her own in reply, "I-I'm the o-one that's a-always so s-selfish. A-Always coming to y-you with all my problems. A-Always messing up. I s-should have b-been l-listening to you m-more... a-about your p-problems. I'm so s-sorry Seloria.. m-maybe if I'd just l-listened more.."

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
"You're not selfish. I wasn't saying anything anyways, so it's not like anyone knew."

Seloria points this out with a sigh.

Alma Hyral has posed:
She whispers, "T-Try it s-sometimes. Y-You don't have to s-shoulder e-everything on your own."

She'd then draw away, her smile becoming slightly more true to what Seloria might know. "I-I'll see you when y-you get back."

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
"Right. Have fun for me, Alma!" Seloria winks at her, then disappears into the crowd.

Alma Hyral has posed:
She stands there for a while, watching Seloria vanish into the crowd.

Fun.

Sometimes she wondered if she even knew how to have fun anymore. And then she'd melt back into the crowd of Baron. Just another white mage in a land where they're entirely ordinary.