Envious Tides [Veralia/Catherine]

Veralia wasn't used to being probed, but it did beat lamenting in her angst earlier. Her eyes held Catherine's stare as she nodded and reflected on how she even became an Arrancar. At that moment, a slight sigh of irritation exhaled from her mouth. Not by anything Miss Reed did, but more so by her mind being filled with nothing but a burning sensation at the recollections of her evolution.

"Well, it wasn't pleasant changing. I barely remember much from my human life, but I think whatever sins I carried in my heart bled over into my life as a hollow. I could feel it burning in my body, and it took time for it to develop, but I knew I had to evolve."

Her voice was calm, but filled with bitterness; it was apparent she wasn't too happy with her past, but she continued speaking nonetheless.

"In Hueco Mundo, you fight through wins and losses, picking up whatever lessons you can along the way. Eventually, you reach a point where you just rip off that mask to gain this human-like form and some extra power."

As she held her arm up, blocking the sun from her view, she squinted slightly before lowering it and returning her gaze to Catherine.

"It still took time after becoming an Arrancar to tame my power, but the increase in strength, intelligence, and the change in my physical appearance was worth the pain."

Kay, that was a good start, the redhead nodding as she wrote details down. That seemed to be a common element in the transition - she'd only met one or two Arrancar who expressed some regret over transforming, not that she could understand missing being a stupid animal. The broad consensus so far seemed to be a preference to their current state. Made her really wonder why more hollows weren't Arrancar, but maybe it was just the case of not knowing you wanted something until you had it.

"Seems like a typical occurrence to it being a feeling rather than an active decision..." She'd mumble under her breath - though it didn't sound like a comment for Veralia she did expect some form of response, "You got any companions you left behind as a hollow? How'd you get on your feet as your new self?"

Veralia took a moment to recall her memories and reflect on her journeys as a hollow. After the memories started to flood to the surface, Veralia's eyes locked back to Catherine and nodded.

"I wouldn't say friends, but more like....associates. It's convenient to sometimes form packs when you are weaker as you can gather more resources, fight off threats and there is sometimes safety in numbers."

She rolled her shoulders, a gesture of slight discomfort, and let out a discontented sigh. Resting her right hand under her chin, Veralia gazed toward the calming waters of the ocean, her thoughts drifting as she continued.

"But no, not anyone I'd consider worth holding my breath for. It wasn't until I became an Arrancar that relationships started to be a feasible thing. It's probably not the same for all hollows though."

When she finished speaking, a chuckle escaped her as an amusing thought crossed her mind, prompting her to close her eyes as she entertained it.

"Almost sounds like you should be dumped in Hueco Mundo so you can view all this first-hand."

Her tone was light and teasing, suggesting that perhaps the best way to understand her world was to experience it directly, albeit the idea carried a hint of jest.

Nothing to say about the prior thing it seemed, whatever. It was a reliable observation to be sound, but she wouldn't let any confirmation bias muddy her sampling.

"I see..." She'd mumble, the scratch of pen on pad being a near constant even through lulls of silence. There was plenty about this woman she was picking up and writing outside of words, even analyzing what she could of what she sensed of her. It was annoying working with a subject that was tighter lipped, but she had to play along if she wanted to form anything resembling trust.

"If I ever see the opportunity to, I definitely will. But I don't got the prep ready for it now," She'd huff at that comment, rolling her eyes, "Last place i'd wanna go unprepared."

What a nerd~

That passing thought crossed Veralia's mind as a knowing smile crept across her lips from observing Catherine. Despite that, she still didn't fully trust the woman; it was obvious she was hyper-engrossed in whatever research she was conducting. The constant scratching of the pen against paper, grumbles, and moments of silence indicated to Veralia that she was a researcher.

So she could proceed with less... wariness.

"Huh, you want to know all about us, yet are afraid of our home?"

Joking, she kept her tone light and teasing, and a chuckle escaped her lips. With her eyes still on Catherine, Veralia tilted her head to the side and smirked.

"I can always escort you if you are worried about being ill-prepared."

It wasn’t as though she had pressing matters to attend to today. Why not see what peculiar pursuits this oddball was up to? Sometimes, even a hollow found amusement in the quirks of others.

She looked visibly taken aback with the hinting of her being afraid of going there, furrowing her brows as she offered to escort her. Shortly after the arrancar finished her sentence, she composed her voice and would cut in rather sharply, "I'm not a little girl that needs an escort. If i'm traversing a land as perilous and unknowable like Hueco Mundo, I would want to be prepared for that kind of trip."

Her gaze darted to the side, considering that she should be careful how she words this next sentiment, ignoring the crawling sensation up her spine at the mere thought of trusting this woman with her only way out with nothing incentivizing her not to ditch her, "Besides, how am I to know you'll be able to be with me at all times? If we ever get separated, i'm stranded in a wasteland with no food or water."

Even if she was stranded, eh, she was certain she'd find her own way to survive and make it out. There wasn't a lick of fear of it, if anything she seemed a bit prideful in her imaginings,

"Let's just focus on the here and now; how's the land of the living treating you, exactly? Got any new... Buddies?"

Oooooh, touchy~

Veralia wriggled her nose as she could tell by Catherine's outward expression that her words struck a nerve with the woman. Was it envy? Weakness? Or just annoyed the questions are being posed back on her? She wasn't sure, but as a chuckle left her mouth, she knew the ginger was right not to trust hollow like her.

"I was thinking of taking you into my territory to reduce that chance and I could always keep my garganta opened. Of course, you are wise not to trust our kind."

With a coy voice, she was amused by the situation as her right hand rested against her cheek. Eyes narrowing, she figured she'd add another fact.

"But if you are concerned for your safety, how do you trust me not to gut you where you stand now? I could just be saying whatever to get your guard down, after all."

With a thoughtful nod, Veralia closed her eyes, momentarily reflecting on Catherine’s question about her connections.

"I've got pals up here, and Earth has treated me well, but why is that important to you?"

With her inquiry, her tone indicated that while she might entertain this conversation, the depths of her alliances were hers alone to know.

The offer was mighty tempting, but still, "..Maybe another time. I have other jobs to get to right after this anyway."

Which, was the truth, but she was willing to put up with that old rotting flesh bag yelling in her ear for an hour about 'brand' and 'timely work' when her clients seem happier they get their weapons or ornaments at all with the quality she provides. Being late on execution and delivery's never bitten her in the ass in this line of work.

"If that were a worry of mine," She wrote several more notes as she spoke, tapping the page with her writing instrument, "I wouldn't be all cozy sitting next to you. For all I know, you could boil the air and fry me up... But then again, you'd be doing it in front of so many witnesses..."

She looked to the other beachgoers with a knowing expression, "You'd never be able to relax here again if you did a stunt like that in front of all these people. Word spreads quick in the affluent circles, after all. Surely a woman of your talk and stride isn't that dumb, right? Would hate to have misjudged you."

Though she spoke with a flat tone, she wanted so badly to put more sarcasm into her tone - but this was an exercise of leverage, not flat mockery, "I'm just curious of how Arrancar adapt to this calmer environment's all. Nothing more than that."

Rather than irritation, a knowing smile crept across Veralia's lips as the two continued to play chicken with one another. Glancing back over at the people Catherine referenced, it would be trouble if they were brought into the mix. But....

"An interesting theory, but one that falls short if I'm able to outrun you, grab you, and take you back swiftly with me, no?"

As her voice filled with coyness, she tilted her head to the side as her gaze never left the sight of Catherine.

"It's a gamble all the same for the both of us."

Veralia added, her tone acknowledging the stakes of their little game if it were ever to come to such a violent conclusion.

After speaking, she would take a moment to close her eyes, rest, and take in the warm air around her as her long raven locks blew against the breeze. As a few more moments of silence passed, she exhaled a relaxed sigh and spoke up again.

"But you are right. Adaption takes time and the beauty of earth can dull the aches of the aspect of death."

While musing, she spoke thoughtfully. Turning her gaze back to the sun, she smiled, relishing the warmth on her skin—a welcome respite that momentarily softened her fiery envy.

"I do love how it eases the soul."

She clicked her teeth. What, this was hardly a gamble? Even if she grabbed her and yanked her into a gate, it'd be enough commotion to attract attention of some level. But she wasn't interested in being argumentative - she was trying to be on this one's good side, after all. Save the corrections, hold your tongue, you lose if you're the first to lose cool.

The sustained silence was met with Catherine's own most neutral expression as her emotions were held at bay, watching the Arrancar carefully as if she were to spring to life with even a mote of harmful stimulus... And then her inner motions relaxed with it's conclusion. So she was on that end of the theorem, huh... She kept writing notes upon notes with the smidges and disconnected splatters of information she could extract.

"..Yeah, I guess it isn't so bad here. Least compared to what I know about that desert."