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The first time that Veronyka had visited Costa del Sol, it had been a very brief visit, to catch a ferry that would take her to Vesper Bay and unknowingly to her future home. The second time had been when she had been sent on a wild goose chase to gather the ingredients to create a lavish feast in the honour of Solar, the free company that she had come to view as her second family. But now... well, now the day was saved, the realm was safe (for now, though the smarter ones among the Scions like Urianger and Papalymo were still investigating the source of that strange roar that they'd heard after the fall of the Praetorium), and Tataru had decreed that the Scions simply must go on a holiday.
And so it was that Veronyka now found herself sitting on a beach towel, watching Yda and Ronja splash around in the water. She had to laugh as her taller roegadyn friend successfully managed to splash Yda hard enough to send her splashing down into the water.
"You should join them," Minfilia, her girlfriend, said from her own towel beside the miqo'te.
"I want to," said Veronytka. "But... I don't normally like to show off my body." She was still wearing a lighter wrap which, while showing the form of her body, didn't show too much skin.
"Oh? And why is that?" Minfilia asked, lifting her sunglasses and twisting to face Veronyka, sitting up.
"I... I dunno, I guess because people see a miqo'te and think..." Veronyka trailed off. Minfilia gently tipped her girlfriend's face up.
"Does it truly matter what they think?" Minfilia asked.
"Yes," said Veronyka. "I don't want anyone looking at me like that, Min, only... only you."
"I see," said Minfilia. "Your swimsuit is hardly revealing, though."
"It still shows off my arms and legs," said Veronyka. She'd managed to find one that even concealed cleavage, to her delight.
"And they are beautiful," said Minfilia.
"Not as good as Yda's," said Veronyka.
"Oh?" said Minfilia, a smile blossoming on her face.
"And look at Y'shtola in her bikini, she's stunning and... and here I am," said Veronyka, folding her arms across her middle. "And then there's you..." She trailed off, gaze roaming Minfilia's body. Minfilia laughed, gently pulling Veronyka closer to her.
"Oh, Nyka, you need not be jealous of others," said Minfilia. "You are beautiful just the way you are, as I tell you each and every day."
"Even with my smaller boobs?" Veronyka asked. Minfilia glanced around, then leaned in and nuzzled Veronyka's chest, to her girlfriend's gasp of shock.
"Of course," said Minfilia. "Much easier to hug you that way."
"Well, when you put it like that," said Veronyka, her ears slowly perking back up. "But we're supposed to be here having fun and here I am worrying about my body."
"Then let's not worry," said Minfilia. "We should join the others, unless you're afraid of water."
"How can I be afraid of water when I grew up around it?" Veronyka asked. "I grew up in Limsa, remember?"
"So you did," said Minfilia. "Where I grew up in Thanalan where water was rather hard to come by."
"Wait, did you learn how to swim?" Veronyka asked. "Is that why you're not in the water?" Minfilia laughed.
"My dear, I can swim as well as any other. Well, aside from Alphinaud," said Minfilia. "I am simply taking the chance to enjoy sunbathing. I'm sure that you'd enjoy that too, wouldn't you?"
"Maybe," said Veronyka. "Just... I really hope nobody looks at me."
"Should anyone dare, I feel that your father will be having words with them," said Minfilia. Veronyka giggled, at last fiddling with the tie of her wrap.
"Well... okay," said Veronyka. She unwrapped herself from the cloth, patterned with red flowers, and revealed a body that looked like what one would expect from a black mage who did not need to move much.
"You're beautiful," said Minfilia, the tone in her voice one that could not be falsified. Veronyka's ears twitched as she looked at her girlfriend, blushing.
"Sure you're not just saying that?" Veronyka asked.
"I mean it with my whole heart," said Minfilia, touching a hand to her chest. "And I dearly hope that, in time, you will grow to see your beauty too."
And, with Minfilia's gentle urging and assurances, Veronyka did eventually join her friends in the water. Minfilia joined her too, her heart growing wings at the sheer joy that radiated from Veronyka as she beamed up at her girlfriend.