Momma time! (Stella/Hime)

THE FIRE OF ENVY NEVER DIES

THE FLAME THAT BURNS THE BRIGHTEST

So, that’s Momma, huh?

Veralia’s gaze lingered on Carla, a mix of curiosity and something sharper beneath the surface. As she watched Stella interact with her mother, a pang of envy stirred within her chest, a feeling she hadn’t anticipated. Memories from her own human life were a jumbled blur, distant and faded, with no faces or voices to recall. As far as she knew, she had no parents or family—no one who’d looked out for her, nurtured her, or shared moments of warmth and safety.

She sucked in a quiet breath, forcing herself to swallow the bitterness, yet it simmered all the same. That flicker of resentment had nothing to do with Stella, of course. If anything, she was happy her partner had someone like this—a piece of family, a piece of love, that Veralia had never truly known. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to have a mother who cared enough to be in her life, to be the anchor she could turn to.

"Lucky Stella~ Your mom seems nice."

Walking over to Stella from behind, she would give her a gentle hug to quiet her nerves and quell the small blubbing of envy growing within herself as her eyes darted to the side and then back to Carla.

"And my name's Veralia. It's a pleasure to meet you, Carla."

With a large, warm smile, she would then hold out her hand to shake Carla's after she had finished hugging Stella.

"I take it you have a million and one questions for me, hm?"

"Quite a few, in fact, but I think that sort of conversation would be best held at the food court. So you're Stella's girlfriend..."

Carla took a moment to let that sink in. She wasn't offended, of course. She trusted Stella's judgment. It just never dawned on her that... she would fall in love with an Arrancar. Time and again, she'd told Stella to be careful and watch herself around them, but now she was dating one. There always be some sense of worry about this, but Veralia could certainly earn her trust. Now was a golden opportunity. Pointing a finger at the food court, she'd walked alongside the two of them as she posed a question to Veralia.

"So, how did you two meet?"