Bathing In Envy [Veralia/Stella]

A mild sense of surprise overcame Veralia as it was a pleasant reaction to see that Stella accepted her offer to come to the hot springs after their training day.

Stepping out of a fiery vortex, Veralia motioned for Stella to follow her as she went through the front gate. She handled the formalities efficiently, opting to pay in cash to expedite the process. While exchanging a few polite words with the staff at the front desk, her demeanor was cordial and businesslike.

When she finished paying, she received a white set of towels for her to cover herself with and her hair if needed. Looking back toward Stella, Veralia smiled and motioned for her to follow through the gate into the hot springs.

"OKAY, that headache is taken care of. Why don't you go in first and I'll follow, cool?"

Regardless of Stella's response, Veralia then made her way to the changing room, preparing herself for the soothing embrace of the large hot springs that awaited her friend. The atmosphere was set for an evening of unwinding and rejuvenation, a well-deserved respite for both after the day's exertions.

As Veralia wrapped herself in a towel, preparing to unwind in the hot springs, her path to Stella was momentarily distracted by the physical allure of those around her. The men, with their well-defined abs and rugged features, drew a momentary admiration and some arousal, but it was the presence of the women that stirred a deeper, more complex reaction within her. Each woman seemed to embody a perfection that poked at Veralia's inherent envy—fully figured, strikingly beautiful, each exuding an effortless charm that Veralia found both awe-inspiring and irksome

With her face becoming more reserved and sullen, Veralia sighed and rubbed her temple; trying to just make it to Stella without ruining the evening since she knew these feelings were just petty. When Veralia came out, there was a look of mild irritation in her eyes before they softened looking at Stella.

Hearing Stella's words of invitation did encourage Veralia to make her way over, stepping into the warm depths, and swimming over to her companion. And then, in a flash of a movement, she sat on her lap in the water to comfort herself. Resting her head to the back of Stella, she would look up at her and poke her chin.

"I bet it does feel incredible~"

As Veralia chuckled, a more sincere smile washed over her face. Between the warmth of the water and Stella's presence, her body was relaxed enough to close her eyes; revealing a trace of vulnerability that blended in with her usual tough demeanor

"We both probably need this, Stellie. Hard not to grow envious of some of these women around."

Veralia closed her eyes, loosened her muscles, and allowed a long sigh to exit her lips as she decompressed. Feeling Stella wrap her arms around her center brought a feeling of comfort. The closeness of their bodies brought no sense of shame to Veralia because it's natural to find connection through touch and she was no different.

"Hard not to feel that way, but your words do help. Feels like I should be more developed, but eh, people still have their niche taste I guess."

While there were currents of irritation in her voice, they were dissolving and being replaced by a sense of calmness that the peaceful moment brought. So, Veralia twirled her fingers around in the water before using her fiery abilities to begin making the water bubble up around them; creating a makeshift hot tub around them as she leaned back against Stella's chest.

For a few seconds, she was lost in her thoughts before her face lightened up and a simple question was posed to her companion.

"Tell me: how can you trust someone like myself?"

There was no malice in her thought, only curiosity as she continued.

"Baffles me how you can trust a creature filled with envy and bitterness with your life and affections."

"That's certainly something to think about..."

Talking in a low voice, Veralia closed her eyes once more as if lost in thought. Stella mentioned there may be something beyond bitterness and envy within her, and that was an interesting thought. It made her mind contemplate the nature of their kind; pondering if she should go along with the whims of her flame, or guide it to turn that fire into what she desired.

But hearing the name Sabriel paused those thoughts. Looking at her as if she had seen a ghost, Veralia was perplexed about how Stella even knew of that woman. With a raised right eyebrow, she then prodded her.

"Sabriel? How on gods green earth do you even know that woman?"

"Yeah, she is an ally of mine back in Hueco Mundo."

Veralia wasn't sure how to initially take this news as her face remained puzzled. Internally, she struggled with whether or not she felt envy, concern or anything at all. Furrowing her brow to straighten out head mind, she put her hand on Stella's shoulder and spoke.

"Be careful with other arrancar and hollow. Not everyone is like me. You are a hot piece of meat to most people....and I guess that worried me."

Scoffing a bit after her light scolding, there was a bit of disdain heard in her voice. Not at Stella, but at herself for feeling much of anything. Arrancar and hollows are hard to gain trust, yet here she was concerned with a quincy's wellbeing.

Leaning back into Stella, Veralia allowed herself a moment of vulnerability, closing her eyes as she contemplated the complexities of their situation. Despite her conflicted feelings, she maintained her embrace, offering both comfort and seeking it in return.