Momma time! (Stella/Hime)

Although Carla had told Stella she was an adult now and free to make her own decisions to some extent - as a mother who cared very deeply for her children, she would always inevitably worry about what those decisions entailed, and to a greater extent, how those choices affected her daughter's wellbeing. On the one hand, this particular visit was long overdue, something she intended to act on after her daughter's recent visit. On the other, recent events forced her to accelerate the process.

Even now, the horrific images of her daughter being brutalized still haunt her mind, to say nothing of the sheer anger it invoked in her heart. But this was meant to be a pleasant, albeit serious, reunion, and she wanted to see her daughter's smile more than anything else right now. As such, when Stella arrived at the mall for their outing, the crimson-haired woman would embrace her immediately. No words were spoken initially until she held her in her arms, to affirm that she was still alive and well.

"Stella! I'm so glad you're alive... I've been worried sick about you."

"Of course. After all, who else can match their energy but you?"

Carla humored, ruffling the woman's hair. It was nice to see her daughter in high spirits. It was a preferred and pleasant sight compared to those images. Releasing Stella from her embrace, she'd hold her hand as she looked around for where they might go first. Food court? To buy even more outfits? The possibilities were endless, but she'd let her daughter choose first while she asked her a few questions to keep the air eventful.

"Moving past the obvious elephant in the room, how have you been since then, Stella? Has your caretaker here treated you well? Natasha, was it?"

"From the way you describe her on the phone, she does seem like the type of woman I'd like to befriend. As far as making extra food, don't you worry. Your siblings are growing by the day, appetite included. Not to mention your father's work tends to make him pretty famished after a long day."

Carla chortled softly as her eyes started to navigate the mall. In the distance, she spotted a nice shop that had a variety of Vandenreich-inspired toys and collectibles. She wondered if her children would find these appealing, but didn't linger on the thought for too long. She did, however, walk toward it as she guided Stella along. Since she was here, it was important to ask any other questions that had been on her mind. What did she do now? How was her job going besides the harrowing event? So much to ask. How overwhelming. She didn't want to mire their outing with too much...

"And what about the others around you? Have you met any good friends?"

THE FIRE OF ENVY NEVER DIES

THE FLAME THAT BURNS THE BRIGHTEST

Veralia emerged from a fiery vortex by Stella; her long, black hair blowing against the warm breeze from her garganta. Blinking, her blood gaze turned back to Stella and her mother having a conversation and she seemed stunned as she wasn't sure what she walked in on.

"Uh, hey?"

Tilting her head to the side, Veralia didn't expect to see.....her mother? Sister? Aunt? Veralia had no clue who Carla was, but she knew she had to be related as the woman looked like an older version of Stella with bigger tits, longer hair and an older face. It baffled her, but she quickly turned her gaze to Stella with a warm smile.

"So, this is family, huh?"

Veralia chuckled, scratching the back of her neck.

"Sorry if I came in at a, uh... bad time, babe."

She tried to read the room, hoping her unexpected arrival wasn’t too much of an interruption.

"Far as I can tell, most of their focus still seems to be devoted toward their father and his livelihood. I don't mind that. Should they wish to become Quincy, I'm hardly but a step away."

Carla was hardly one to impose the techniques she'd inherited from her family. She took pride in her existence as a Quincy, but her family was anything but kind, and one of her vows, when she had her own and carved out a life for herself, was that she'd do right by her children and give them the freedom of personal choice. Which made her that much prouder of Stella in particular.

She'd done that and carved out a nice life for herself. Of course, as she observed the pictures and smiled, her focus was snatched away by the appearance of Stella's significant other - Veralia. The sudden appearance left her dumbfounded, certainly, but she quickly regained her composure as she turned to her with a tilt of the head.

"Hello, Miss. So you're the one my daughter is head over heels for? I'm her mother, Carla."