Through The Veil Of Envy And Sin [Veralia/Sabriel]

It all made sense to Veralia. If you can't overpower someone with force, use the route of least resistance to make sure the battle is one. Despite being a lustful creature, Veralia could see the tactician side of Sabriel more and chuckled in response to seeing that calculated side of her.

"The good ol trojan horse method, eh? Your a sneaky one. I'll have to keep an eye on you."

Tone drenched in amusement, Veralia let her little tease fly off the handle before taking a moment to reflect and come to an understanding.

"Finding my own corner in Hueco Mundo shouldn't be too much of a sweat. I might not be winning any beauty contests, but I've got the brains and brawn to snatch what I need, no fuss about it.."

With a casual snap of her fingers, an emerald flame flickered to life, a gesture that brought a sense of familiarity and comfort. Her gaze returned to Sabriel, curious about her long-term aspirations amidst the unpredictable dynamics of their world.

""And what's your game plan moving ahead? Hueco Mundo's crawling with big shots, and sooner or later, they're not gonna be too thrilled about you building your own kingdom. What's the move when they come knocking?"

A chuckle escaped Sabriel as Veralia complimented her on her tactics. A beautiful figure and the batting of eyelashes could only do so much, a fact that the dark haired woman was certainly aware of. It had taken a great deal of time to climb the ladder so to speak and many obstacles which had needed to be removed, one way or another. Still, it was all worth it in the end and her surroundings would be proof of that.

“Who said that you cannot win a beauty contest?” Sabriel asked in a sultry tone, briefly playing with her friends' clothing. “You are quite the charmer when you want to be. I bet you could win whatever contest you set your mind to. I would not want to mess with you…well, unless we were playing around.”

In reply to Veralia’s question, Sabriel would give a devious smirk. “Precisely the same as what I did to the being I took this land from in the first place. I will charm, bewitch and if I have to, bend them until they see things my way. If they are too strong for me to do so? Then I will become a minion of theirs for the time being, until I am strong enough to regain what is mine. In order to succeed, you have to be willing to bend sometimes, to know when to play submissive.”

Veralia was quite the looker according to Sabriel, huh? Well, that much was apparent if their last encounter was anything to go off. But, the smaller Arrancar glanced at Sabriel's chest before giving a playful shrug; remaining nonchalant as her tone did not indicate any malice.

"Hmmm, I can have a way with word, but it seems like most folks these days are after someone a bit more... well-endowed, if you catch my drift."

Though it gave Veralia time to think outside her whirlwind of envious thoughts. It was hard for her ever to feel such envy when compared to a man in the realm of beauty and attraction, so women naturally brought out the most of her envious nature. Even if Sabriel was an ally and friend, it was hard not to feel some form of comparison. The awareness of her own physical differences, particularly when it came to hip, ass, or breast size occasionally cast a shadow of comparison.

After coming out of her own head, Veralia then playfully flicked the chest of Sabriel; smirking a bit before she gathered her senses straight and did not let her envy linger on; a flare of gem fire was seen in her eyes.

"Ain't that the truth, huh? Back in the day, I had to pull off more submissive moves than I care to admit, and running was part of the daily grind. Seems like I'll have to channel that into being more charming, huh? And navigate through all the political BS that comes with staking out a spot in this wasteland

Her words, though lighthearted, carried an underlying acknowledgment of the harsh realities of survival and power dynamics within Hueco Mundo. Veralia recognized the need to adapt, to use her wit and cunning as much as her strength, to carve out her territory and establish her dominion amidst the endless sands and ruthless politics of their realm.

Considering how many of her recent encounters had ended up with physical contact, Sabriel could not argue all that much with what Veralia said. It seemed that nine out of ten individuals seemed to be magnetically attracted to her curves and while the Arrancar of course loved the attention, she did sometimes grow a little tired of it. Were there not people out there who had desires which did not involve having her chest pressed against their faces?

“I would like to think that there are people out there who focus a little more on the inside rather than out but it does seem that they are thin on the ground these days.” Sabriel agreed, verbalising her thoughts aloud. “Still, I most certainly appreciate you, as I hope our first encounter proved.” There was nothing but truth in her words there.

When the smaller Arrancar spoke about the politics of Hueco Mundo, Sabriel found herself agreeing once more. “Sometimes words are more effective than a Cero to the face although a little insurance never helps. We are in a ruthless world and sometimes we have to get down and dirty. I have no doubt that you can claim a spot for yourself though, if you want it.”

Hmmmmmmmm.

That comment did nudge something in the noggin of Veralia. Hearing Sabriel mention things other than outward lust for one's looks made her ponder if it was worth trying to get over her envy of others for that. It felt petty to her, but at the same time that fiery sensation within her soul when seeing others have what she lacked irritated her.

"Guess that makes sense. No one enjoys being looked at like a piece of meat, just as no one likes being only seen as a hired gun."

Snorting with a confident smirk, Veralia then jokingly flexed her bicep before a spark of fire exited her nostrils as if she were a dragon or something.

"And yeah, even if I was tipsy, the drunken mind speaks conscious thoughts. The only exception is when your blackout drunk since at that point it's just the body running, but the lights aren't home mentally."

Sitting her head against Sabriel's shoulder, Veralia seemed to take comfort in that momentarily. Mulling over things further, she looked at her right palm; forming a small bala of emerald energy in response to her thoughts. It served as a focal point for her thoughts—a symbol of her power and her struggle with envy.

"My envy's itching to turn the whole damn world against me as it always feels like others have more than myself, but I know better than that. Get ticked off and go blasting a cero every perceived blight against you? Yeah, that's a quick ticket to an early grave.

Her gaze, fixed on the bala, reflected a moment of contemplation; trying to absorb some of the feelings that were going through her mind. As she gently placed the harmless bala on Sabriel's lap, a gesture of trust and intimacy, Veralia continued to muse her thoughts aloud.

"Eh, maybe we shouldn't be slaves to our sins. We should steer them where we want it to go instead of the other way. Sounds about right, doesn't it?"

Smiling at the bala as it was placed in her lap, Sabriel would point a hand toward it before creating one of her own, a purple coloured form which would gently wrap around and combine with Veralia’s. The colour would change a touch as the emerald and purple hues fused but once it was finished, what would be left behind would be a symbol of their friendship. It was a rare event to find herself in the company of someone she dearly trusted but after what they had shared over their two encounters, she could not help but find herself feeling that way towards her friend.

Her other hand would wrap around Veralia’s lithe waist, appreciating the touch of her allies head against her shoulder, adoring the moment of closeness. She thought over the various points that Veralia had made, the last one more than most. It was difficult not to be ruled by their aspect, a fact that Sabriel knew all too well. To be constantly battling her more perverse desires was always a challenge, especially when she was with another who desired exactly the same as her.

“It sounds right to me although it is not an easy task to complete. I understand your struggle and it is always there for me too. Even now, sitting next to you like this, a part of me wishes to continue where we left off in the Forest of Menos. Yet, that would be simply allowing my own aspect to rule me and as much fun as that is, I know that I should at least try not to allow it to do so.” She finally replied with a smile.

"Well, ain't that pretty?"

Veralia's voice was drenched in a tone of satisfaction that filled the air around them. Her scarlet gaze lingered on the combination of their effort in the form of that bala that shimmered with a mix of fiery and purple hues. It was a moment of realization for her, the potential of their powers merging into something uniquely powerful and aesthetically captivating.

Despite that profound thought, her thoughts were gently guided back down to the carnal world as she noticed Sabriel's hand on her waist. Not long after that, a playful smirk played on her lips as she got more comfortable.

"I suppose those are the breaks of being a hollow, huh? We all struggle with our sins in one way or another."

Moving on to boop the nose of Sabriel, Veralia's expression softened into a smile, her playful gesture bridging the gap between serious contemplation and lighthearted camaraderie. And with her sense of self-feeling at ease in the other arrancar's presence, she continued speaking.

"But I have to ask, regardless of what we think about our aspect of sin and how we move in the world, do you think we get stronger by fighting against what we're naturally inclined to do, or do we just say screw it, dive into the mayhem, and see what comes of it? I've seen folks go both ways, and it's a crapshoot."

Her question was both a philosophical musing and a genuine inquiry, probing into the deeper mechanics of their strength and existence.

"Course when it comes down to it, I'll just burn whatever is in my way in a pure fighting sense."

“It is not an easy question to answer and I have no real idea as to what the right answer is. I have indulged in my aspect for centuries and honestly, I feel that it is a source of great strength. Not only has my granting the desires of others allowed me to gain many allies but it has also allowed me to develop my talents. Every ability I possess has something to do with capturing the hearts and minds of those I encounter.” The dark haired Arrancar answered truthfully. “If I tried to fight against that instinct, I feel that it may well be to my detriment.”

After a moment or two, she would then ask her friend. “What about you? If you tried to quell the fires of envy that lay within you, do you honestly believe that you would be better off? I do not know if your abilities are as tuned into your aspect as mine so maybe it is truly different for you.”

Glancing at Veralia, who seemed quite comfortable sitting with the centuries old Arrancar, Sabriel would briefly stroke one of her horns affectionately. “Accept or deny? What a choice we have to make.”

Veralia remained in silence for a moment before looking up at Sabrtiel and licking her lips slightly. The feelings of having her horns was an interesting one which caused her to chuckle.

"Feeling a bit horny, are we?"

Sure, it was a cheesy joke, but she was in the mood to be lax. It cut the tension as she reflected on whether it was better or not to fight against or with the instinct of envy within her essence. As she looked at their fused bala, Veralia formed another sphere of emerald fire and let it wander around the room; the ambers of its flame creating harmless particles of light that lit up the room like candles in the abyss of night.

"Acceptance sounds like the best approach. We are centuries-old creatures in some cases, so it always made sense to try and sharpen my flame to be as potent as it could be to keep myself safe."

After resting her head against Sabriel's shoulder again, she closed her eyes and reflected on what it took to become an Arrancar. Her memories were filled with relentless self-improvement, battles, and survival instincts—all necessary, yet exhausting. The endless cycle of fighting, killing, and surviving to see another day filled her with a sense of ennui.

""But... it's made me question if that's all there really is to living. Fighting, killing, living to see another day and growing envious of many things and people I see; it's been a constant loop that I guess I need to broaden my horizons a bit."

Her words, tinged with a hint of longing and weariness, revealed a desire for something more—perhaps a different way of existence that could offer new meanings and new challenges beyond the endless cycle of conflict and survival.

Another smile graced Sabriel’s features as she gazed down to see Veralia leaning against her, more than comfortable with the close contact. It was oh so rare that she found herself quite so close with another Arrancar, outside of Lirael and the dark haired woman was beginning to appreciate such sweet moments, where the result was something other than just rolling around. In the human world, she had met quite a few individuals where such a scenario had taken place but among her own? Not often.

“I would say that we are starting to do just that already.” She replied after a moment. “Your envy and my desire are both heavy burdens to bear but it seems that we are able to see past them when we are together. For beings like us, to simply be sitting like this, chatting away like a pair of humans, surely must be a sign that we are growing beyond what we were born to be. Our aspects will always be a source of our strength and to deny them is probably unwise but perhaps they are not the be all and end all.”

A chuckle escaped her then. “I, however, consider myself somewhat blessed to have been granted what I have. Of all the aspects out there, desire is one of the more enjoyable.”