Farewell to Days of Peace [Verdada, Amaranta]

Displaying what could only be described as a perplexed grin, Amaranta shrugged her shoulders. There wasn't much fuss since she agreed, but she certainly expected her to hit her with something philosophical. Or maybe even a fight. What the hell was a bathhouse supposed to achieve? Following the woman to their destination, Amaranta paused momentarily to soak in their surroundings. Come to think of it... this was likely her first time setting foot in a place like this. It looked familiar in appearance only. The type of stuff she saw on television. Naturally, as one out of her goddamned element here, she struggled to pick up on the way the whole process went, but after a walkthrough, she was quickly able to pick up on how things worked. Glancing at her every now and then, Amaranta tilted her head as she grabbed a towel big enough to wrap around her tall frame.

"Before you say anything, this is my first time bein' in a place like this. I've been to a beach or two, but a hotspring is foreign territory. Uh.... what do we do next?"

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, Glasses."

Amaranta rolled her eyes in minor annoyance, ensuring that her towel was wrapped correctly around her frame. Following her to the next part of her so-called surefire technique, Amaranta curiously peered back at the woman as she was guided into heated waters. Compared to a cold sea of water, these heated depths were far more comfortable. Possessing a natural affinity for fire, the hotspring fit almost like a glove. Maintaining her curious expression, the leonine woman followed her instruction with growing curiosity, aligning herself with the heated sea so that her body was positioned precisely as Verdada instructed.

Laying against the edge with her arms propping her head up, Amaranta once again traced her gaze back to Verdada with observational eyes. On one hand, she was a relative stranger, and the thought of them trying anything made her hesitate for a moment. On another, she figured nothing was gained from a half-assed venture. With the latter winning out, Amaranta sighed softly as she offered an affirmative nod with a shrug of the shoulders. What was the worse that could happen? She was strong enough if things went south...

"I can handle it. If I pulled out now, my mind probably wouldn't let me hear the end of it. Let's get this show on the road, Verd."

"Hmph..."

Foreign territory. That was the only way she could describe the current sequence of events. When she heard surefire technique, part of her definitely assumed the woman was going to throw some philosophical words out and impress her with some interesting language. Considering the overall lack of energy and fighting intent, she definitely didn't humor the idea of combat. Impatience should have likely been the initial reaction, but part of her was curious. Genuinely, without any pretense that she was treating this carelessly. It was less than anything she was used to, but she was here now, and following through seemed like the more reasonable option.

"Don't worry about it. You didn't approach me with an intent to kill, and I don't really get off on attacking every stranger I see unless they rub me the wrong way. Seeing as you've done neither, I didn't really feel a need to be violent... even if this feels new. I guess I can say I'm getting a nice massage and a hot spring visit out of all this if things go south..."

As she laid her upper body against the edge, slowly exhaled and inhaled, the soft touch of digits working to ease her tension as she rested her head against the edge. For a random lady, she had a few minutes ago, she was pretty good with her hands. Is this how it is to get a massage? Interesting.

"Something about myself? Okay, I'll bite. What is it you want to know in specific? My origins? What I think of myself? Who I am?"

There were so many ways she could answer that, it was simply a matter of pinpointing what Verdada was curious about most.

Thoroughly relaxed by now, Amaranta took a moment to reflect on the weight of her question. It was a simple one in nature, yet it meant so much more than anyone could imagine. Each movement of the hand that wandered, dancing against her body to ease her spirits, drew out a longer contemplation than she was accustomed to.

The Strongest...

Ever since her time here in the realm of the living, Amaranta wondered about that herself. In Hueco Mundo, combat was never in short supply. Opponents of varying sizes picked fights and killed each other off every day. Hollows. Arrancar. It was an entertaining cycle, but at some point... she wanted more. She found that Earth was nothing like Hueco Mundo.

An expected conclusion, to be sure, but... there were complications along the way. Khaana. Kanako. Sola. Santa. Various others stood out on that list, but there was something that amused her about all of them in their own way. The combat, the sense of connection, individuals that were nothing like what she found in Hueco Mundo. Each was special in their own way. Exhaling softly, Amaranta settled on an answer she found comfort in.

"When I was a mere hollow cub, strength meant everything to me. It was the law of the land in Hueco Mundo, after all. If you fell behind, you were fodder for some bigger bastard to devour and grow. If you grew, others were less compelled to attack, and some even followed you lookin' for protection. Being the strongest, to me, meant an easier life, a life where I didn't have to rely on anyone. I couldn't call it anything unique back then. It was always the classic case of survival of the fittest, but... I wonder about it now that I've tasted what being strong feels like."

"Wait a goddamn minute What the fuck did you just do-----"

What the hell!? Moments ago she was listening to the woman discuss her opinions on the matter. What followed next was the temporary compromise of energy being twisted back and forth. Unfamiliar. Terrifying. Fight or flight was the first emotion that kicked in. Her arms desperately tried to grab onto Verdada's to pull her off, but she found that her strength, at this moment, was a non-factor. The sole attribute she had placed so much stock in was currently of no use to her. She was being drowned. Through sheer force of will, she wondered if she could break through and force her away. For the first time, Amaranta didn't find anything pleasant about being overpowered... at least not to the extent she'd face actual death.

Where was up? Where was down? What the hell was going on here?! Of all the places to die, was she really going to bow out of the dance because she gave herself over to an Arrancar chick with glasses!? Frustrated screams followed for moments on end until she paused... and then her consciousness went to an unfamiliar realm of thought. As if several images were flooding into her mind.

The miserable struggles of her years as a mere cub. The determination to overcome that lot in life. The taste of glory. From hollow to Arrancar, until now... but were these the only images? No. As if her mind were playing tricks on her, the images of everyone she had met up until now appeared before her. Apparitions? Visions of things before she died?

Damn... am I really going to go out like this? I still have a lot to do... don't I?

There was a vision of Khaana, the first woman she met when she came here. There was a vision of Kanako, the overgrown woman who followed her simply because she thought she was cool. There was a vision of Santa. Ah, she was a pleasant lady. She hardly knew her, but she was probably unlike any arrancar she'd met. And then there was Sola. The goddamn prick who pulled one over on her. How was he progressing? Had he gotten any stronger? She'd whip him into shape if he didn't. And then... something else followed. A vision of a future that had not come to pass. A future where she was fostering stupid idiots who couldn't recognize their own potential. There were probably others that were missing, but proper thought was difficult right now. It was so hard... to breathe.

What does any of this even mean...?