Through The Trees [Veralia/Stella]

Location: Forest Grunewald, Berlin

Forest Grunewald was a lovely place to visit. Far from the city of Berlin, it was a densely forested area on the Havel River with lakes & ponds, and trails. A scenic spot to get away from it all on this warm evening.

Yet, even in such serenity, the shadow of death loomed.

One minute you exist, the next you are nothing.

That is the line of thought that flowed into the mind of Veralia as the horned Arrancar observed from the trees the death of a few stray hollows by Quincy hands. Below, the remnants of a hollow skirmish smoldered, extinguished by Quincy hands. She chose not to intervene, her presence cloaked in the foliage, yet the scene was a stark reminder of the supernatural world's ruthless reality.

Gazing at the burning blue embers of the hollow remains, the woman let out a gentle sigh as the other Quincy seemed to have deemed the conflict resolved and left the area. However, she could feel another still lingering around.

A rather hefty-built red-headed woman was lurking around. Intrigued by this, Veralia raised her eyebrow and looked down at the woman before speaking out.

"Well, you seem lost. I'd be careful since more hollow typically come after you kill em."

Stella seemed out of place to Veralia. Despite that, there wasn't much hostility to be had in the arrancar's aura. She found herself almost envying the perceived innocence of the Quincy, wondering if there was any truth behind her assumptions. Sometimes, she mused, life could be more tolerable with a bit of naivety.

"Strength isn't everything, sometimes the most cunning and envious of us all will stab you in the back to get a win."

There was a dry chuckle as Veralia seemed amused with herself before speaking further.

"Tell me, what brings you out here alone? Usually, a woman like yourself should have a man or something to accompany her. Makes it a lot more safe to be out, eh?"

With a low, playful laugh, Veralia smiled and clasped her hands behind her back, taking a moment to appreciate the calmness of the evening. Even if the stench of a scorched hollow coated the air, the constant aroma of death permeated through Hueco Mundo as well, making that odor normalized to Veralia. Hence, it did little to take away from the evening's wonder as she gazed at the serene beauty of the trees and grasslands around them.

"Mother-daughter time? How precious."

Tone drenched in playfulness and sincerity, a look of intrigue lingered in the blood gaze of Veralia. Much of her human life felt like a haze, so to recall what it felt like to have a loving parent must be a blissful experience. The Arrancar let out a soft sigh and bit her life as she almost felt envious the woman had a home to go to.

"Must be nice."

Her voice carried a mix of mild annoyance, longing, and a hint of defeat as she gazed back at the scenic park around them. Taking in the tall trees, lush grass, and serene nature of the park; these thoughts of natural wonder were enough to ease her envy as the world of Hueco Mundo was dead, barren, and cold compared to the warmth, light, and embrace of the human world.

When Stella called out and asked what Veralia was, she knew she was a stranger in a foreign world. So, a small laugh left the woman's lips before she spoke again.

"Does it matter what I am? What do you hope to gain from knowing that, hmm?"


Her nose wrinkled mischievously as she placed a hand on her hip, watching Stella closely.

"Why don't you just try and guess what I am?"

Teasing her again, Veralia was intrigued to see how Stella would respond to her challenge.

"Nope."

Veralia's response had been prompt. Soon after, a chuckle flowed from her lips. It was evident that Stella was in a state of confusion about what to make of the Arrancar before her. That delighted her as she could continue to have fun and toy with the Quincy for a bit. The realization of this caused her smile to widen with a hint of mischief behind it before speaking again.

"Try again."

Leaning back against a tree, she casually slid her hands into her pockets, her posture relaxed yet poised. Her gaze remained locked with Stella’s, piercing, as if trying to delve into the very soul of the Quincy before her, her playful tone belying the intensity of her stare.

If Stella knew she was an Arrancar would she freak out? Run? Attack? Freeze up? There were a multitude of different results and each intrigued her. And it's for this reason that The Living Realm offered a plethora of amusing encounters to Veralia. As it certainly beat roaming the depressing husk of Hueco Mundo.

"Negative."

Prompt in her reply, Veralia twirled her index finger around as she stuck her tongue out in a playful manner toward Stella. The girl had such hopeful naivety to believe she was anything less than an Arrancar. With a tilt of her head to the side, Veralia smiled as she was still amused by this whole ordeal and decided to poke a bit further with a question.

"Give up yet?"

As she straightened her head, her dry snicker filled the air. She folded her arms, observing Stella with keen interest, wondering how many more guesses it would take before the truth dawned on her. The setting sun then cast long shadows around them; easing the two into the abyss of the night as Veralia looked upward at the twilight sky and smiled at the twinkling of stars in the distance.