The aftermath (Stella/Veralia/Ehefra)

Hearing Stella asking her to be careful, made Veralia nod solemnly.

"Yeah, I'm pissed, not stupid. It's gonna take work to get her, but we'll get her one way or another."

As much as Veralia wanted to go in guns-blazing, emotion alone wouldn't be enough to assure a victory. Piecing together everything they knew was imperative to making sure her wrath wouldn't be wasted or go wrong.

However, before Veralia could return to Eherfa's request to meet her outside the hallway, her eyes darted back to Stella and softened for a moment. Holding her hand gently, Veralia wasn't sure what to say or do, so her instincts took over, and she kissed Stella's forehead.

"You are welcome. I played hell getting here, but it was worth it to see you weren't killed or crippled."

With one last smile and soft laugh, Veralia walked outside to meet Ehefra in the hallway. She took a deep, tired breath, her exhaustion and relief evident.

"You've got my full attention."

Regaining her composure, she locked her eyes on Ehefa, unsure what to make of the woman.
"
"Didn't mean to bleed my heart out like that, but eh, these situations are rough."

"There are a lot of things I want to do right now, but above all else, I needed to know she was okay."

Veralia's gaze drifted away from Ehefra, her eyes betraying the turmoil within. This wasn't an easy situation to deal with. There were bodies of the Vandereich left in the wake of this encounter, Stella was seriously injured, and her assailant was still on the loose. Add to the fact that Veralia was in a foreign land with unknown people and her own emotions churning up a storm within her heart, and it's hard not to be distant.

Exhaling a long, exhausted breath, Veralia grounded herself back in the present as her eyes bounced back to life when the Quincy before her started speaking of her plans to deal with this threat. Raising a curious eyebrow, she was intrigued by the notion of her not wanting Veralia to slay her, but it was understandable if they still had information to be beaten out of them. But the potential tie to the Gotei added another layer of complexity to an already tangled situation.

With her eyebrows furrowing in anger, Veralia grasped the grim situation and addressed it promptly.

"Let me make it clear: I want to scorch the woman until nothing is left, but I'm not blind either. If what you are saying is true, then Stella is in a world of shit."

Speaking bluntly and with anger behind her voice, her aura once again bled a warmth to it, but she kept her fury under wraps for now.

"I don't wish to make her life any more hellish than it is at the moment, but I also can't idly sit by and do nothing."

Veralia met Ehefra’s gaze with unwavering intensity as she continued speaking:

"If you’re coordinating an attack, let me in on the plan so I don’t screw it up. Right now, think of me as a loaded gun—once you have the target in sight, point me in that direction, and I’ll take care of the rest."

Veralia closed her eyes, feeling irritated at the circumstance. Her heart and body were telling her to hunt down and torture this assailant who hurt Stella, but all the red tape and complexities of the situation were making that a more complicated reality to make come true. So, she folded her arms and gripped her arms until a clawed mark was left. Then, an exhale left her breath as she opened her eyes again and looked back at Stella's room.

"This is a lot to take in."

Speaking frankly, she wasn't pleased with the answer given. Her gaze shifted back to Ehefera, reflecting an irritated but accepting answer.

"But I will keep her safe. I want you to keep me updated if things change."

As much as Veralia hated everything, and despite her envious nature wanting to cause hell, for the time being, she knew it was better to comfort Stella rather than leave her in her time of need. There would be time later to get her blood, even if she had to do it on her own time.

"You’re not the only one worried. I've always known a day like this would happen since that girl....is too sweet."

Hesitating for a moment, Veralia sucked her teeth, forcing herself to continue.

"It was bound to lead to her getting hurt."

Turning away from Ehefera, Veralia’s thoughts returned to Stella. She needed to be there, to offer comfort in this moment of need.

"While it was nice meeting you, I think I do need to do what I can now to help her through this. As you are right, I need to be there for her."


With a final passing thought, Veralia's eyes briefly lit up, and she nodded toward Ehfera one more time.

"Oh, and if you need a name for your reports, the name's Veralia."

If there was nothing left to say, Veralia would turn on her heel and walk back into Stella’s room. She pulled up a chair beside her, offering a warm smile as she sat down. Her tone was gentle, and she focused her attention entirely on Stella.

"Sorry about that, I had to take care of business."

"Course. I'm not going anywhere yet."

Not missing a beat, Veralia chuckled softly as she gingerly pat Stella's head. She came rushing here so fast that she almost forgot about the fact that she will need somewhere to stay for the night.

"Got any ideas for where I should stay? I didn't exactly make any travel plans."

Settling her head on Stella's lap, Veralia looked up at the redhead, her mind quietly turning over the more pressing matters at hand. But for now, she wasn’t in any hurry—Stella had been through a brutal ordeal, and this moment of calm was just as important.

"I'll survive."

After a chuckle exited her mouth, Veralia's voice softened. Looking up warmly at Stella, who was stroking her head, she smirked and kept on speaking.

"Hollows have slept in far, far shittier places than a cold hospital room."

Closing her eyes, she remembered when she slept on the dull sands of Hueco Mundo. Always wondering when the next person was going to attack, the loneliness of fending for yourself, and the constant uncertainty of life were hellish experiences, to say the least. In contrast, the comfort of having someone close, even in a time of crisis, felt like a luxury—one she wasn’t used to, but certainly appreciated.

She opened one eye, and her free hand instinctively found Stella's, holding it gently as she rubbed her thumb over her skin, lost in contemplation.

"Yeah, my instincts are telling me to guard you until you get better. So don't worry your pretty little head."