Between Theft And Envy [Veralia/Mura]

Veralia did love to have her envy appeased by those who did seem to like her for one reason or another. So, a soft smile formed across her lips as she patted Mura's cheeks. She could tell he was flustered and had a million thoughts about his mind. It was hard for her to believe this man was a wanted criminal.

"You aren't a bother I'm just teasing you."

Making herself clear in this instance, a soft chuckle escaped her mouth before she closed her eyes and continued to think. It was obvious the guy was exhausted, on the run, and finished training. So, as her eyes opened again, she looked up and rubbed his hair.

"I'm sure I can find somewhere safe for you to lay low until you're back on your feet. Worst case, I can stash you away in Hueco Mundo or something.

Moving her gaze to the side, Veralia tapped the air around them before a small flaming vortex ripped apart the space around them and reflected the darkness of Hueco Mundo before turning to the sunny shores of a random earth beach.

"Most Garganta's aren’t fiery like mine, but we can zip between Earth and Hueco Mundo pretty easily. So let me know what you want to do."

Veralia's attention turned back to Mura as her eyes locked with his. Squinting for a moment, she had a small bit of smog and fire escape her nostrils as if she was a dragon or something. When done having her moment, she cut to the chase and was blunt.

"You seem stressed. Don’t worry your little pretty head too much. Anxiety only leads to trouble."

Her words, though direct, were delivered with a touch of kindness, aimed at calming his fears and offering him a sense of security in the midst of his tumultuous circumstances.

She didn’t seem to mind his ramblings or presence. His company felt welcomed, too. Obviously, he’d grow to like her – it was a weird but fulfilling first encounter with an honest-to-God Arrancar. It was a relief… more than he was able to admit. It made his head and shoulders lighter and cast more light into his dry eyes.

“Hueco… I’ve never been there before,” he expressed, watching her manifest a vortex of emerald fires distort the air, change the landscape, and reveal pitch-black void all around him… until the scenery changed once again, showcasing a beach? So these were her so-called Garganta’s… portals, likely. So these Arrancars could use these portals to travel around, instead of relying on planes and cars like him.

Damn… he was genuinely jealous now. What the hell?

“Hmmh…” he kept humming with a shaky voice, silencing himself when she continued patting his hair, “I kinda wanna see what Hueco’s up to, but you said… that Hollows reside there too. I can defend myself, but maybe it’d be a hassle.” He didn’t know if Hueco Mundo had ‘safe areas’ or anything of that sort, but…

“But visiting a whole new world like that sounds pretty rad.”

Veralia tilted her head from side to side, chuckling to herself before ceasing her motions and patting his right cheek. It was clear she was amused by his concerns and she intended to cease them if she had her way.

"It's up to you to make that choice, as I can't make it for you. But if you are worried about defending yourself, do keep in mind my own strength."

As she briefly licked her lips, a veil of emerald flames reflected itself in her blood eyes; indicating that she had far more power under the hood and was ready to go at a moment's notice.

"But yes, I can take you there if you want to check it out."

Her tone was casual yet sincere, ready to support his decision while ensuring he understood the resources at his disposal.

… Ah, fuck it. Why not? Besides, he could just… no, he needed the sword. And that meant that Kyūken followed suit. But as Veralia clarified – all up to him.

She still seemed to have energy left to spare. Mura couldn’t really tell just how powerful she was, or if he was just an amateur with his own strength. Had he overexerted himself, or was she really in a league of her own? Her Spiritual Pressure was strong, but it wasn’t as overwhelming as… hmh, he couldn’t tell at all. Maybe he was just sleepy.

“Okay… let’s see Hueco Mundo. Maybe it’s not as nightmarish as my gut is telling me,” he decided at last, grinning a little.