A zookeeper. That was all that this worthless job boiled down to, wasn't it?
Just watching over this interesting little exhibit and feeding it from time to time, keeping it alive until the entertainment factor for it's audience waned to the point where it was rendered worthless once more.
Yes, Ulquiorra mused. Orihime did indeed make a good little caged pet for his master. She had been known to get a little 'emotional' at times, but that was nothing the dark and desolate desert of Hueco Mundo couldn't wring out of her, inch by inch.
It hadn't been in his original job description to listen to her ranting and ravings, to constantly put up with her defiance and the small tinge of hope in her eyes- and so it shouldn't be anyway.
Fourth espada and what to show for it? He was an animal handler.
The thought that his time could be better spent doing other things had indeed sprouted in his mind, though none of the espada were stupid enough to question a direct order from their 'master'. Disarming smile and welcoming voice aside, the knowledge that Aizen wielded lethal power and at the same time remained a ruthless leader was a given- and any betrayal was harshly punished.
With a small sigh, Ulquiorra glanced in front of him, not surprised to find himself standing before the woman's cell door again with the food on a cart to keep the animal quiet for another day. Such a boring and tedious task.
Animals were meant to be played with, weren't they? Toyed with?
Humans loved to play with animals, from what he heard- though when he had observed this, there was always the notion that the owner was superior to the pet, enforced by teasing it and messing with its mind. Perhaps it was something an innocuous as holding a snack just out of reach, or taking away an object that the animal particularly enjoyed.
Ulquiorra thoroughly approved of this. When in the presence of his little charge, he had often tried this out on her, the thought of having his own small 'enjoyment' with her somewhat appealing in the midst of dreary work.
He baited her with knowledge of her friends making futile attempts to save her; and she took it.
He teased her by revealing just how useless any attempts to escape were; and she accepted it.
He tempted her by pretending to be partial to her, playing on her human emotions of hope and forgiveness; and she grasped it, hungrily
Slowly, he was enforcing his own superiority onto an inferior being, just like the humans and their 'pets'. She would look up whenever he entered, thinking perhaps that she could try and empathize with him, to turn him over to her side. Little did she know, that she was the victim of her own game- and today, Ulquiorra had decided, through the haze of boredom between feedings that his existence had become, those rules were going to change a little.
As usual, he entered the spacious cell without any prior warning, merely opening the door and pushing the cart in with the same nonchalance he attached to any action, coat tails trailing behind him. A flash of orange, and a head turned expectantly to look at him, turning from her place on the lone sofa in the room- just as he had predicted. She didn't look at him with as much fear anymore, but rather with uncertainty- though that was bound to change, soon enough.
Silence passed between them, as it always did, his serpentine eyes boring into her weakened grey ones, until he decided to announce his presence formally.
"Your food is here, woman." The espada commanded, his voice suitably level and emotionless. "Eat."
Shakily, his little animal got up from her seat and moved over to him, looking disdainfully at the fare that he had brought. There was no longer the defiant resistance from her that there had been when she had first arrived, and subsequently tried to starve herself. Instead, he had slowly whittled her into submission in his own twisted way, much to his own pleasure.
He could teach 'an old dog new tricks', after all.
"I…"
Oh, so it had decided to speak?
This was new and intriguing. Perhaps his game had been progressing faster than he had thought. Interested in where this was going to go, Ulquiorra decided to stay silent and fix her with the same look he always did, wondering if she would gather up enough courage to finish what she had started.
"I, er…" Another silence. Then again, his glares had proved imposing in the past. "… Thank you, Ulquiorra."
Unexpected gratitude! This most certainly was a development in the show she put on for the espada, and though this gave some kind of sick enjoyment to the arrancar in front of him, there was no change in his facial expression at all. His pet had finally learnt to be completely submissive- or so he thought.
As he considered the animal that stood in front of him for a couple of seconds, he decided that there would only really be one way to find out.
How little she knew- the misplaced trust that he would protect her, like a loving 'owner', and that he cared what happened to her- oh, quite the contrary. Aizen had no qualms about what happened to the exhibit as long as she was kept alive and functioning for his uses, which gave Ulquiorra plenty of leeway to conduct his little experiments into his charge's persona.
"Why do you thank me?" Best to play to what she thought most of him- misdirected. Naïve to her.
Orihime shifted uncomfortably, as if she almost regretted saying it now. "I, just… you always look after me."
Like a stray no-one else wanted. "It's my job. Nothing more."
"I know… I… wanted to say it, though."
"Strange thing to want, woman. Compared to, say…"
Now was the perfect time- there would be none other like it to see if she was suitably 'trained', wrapped around his little finger. It was now that he would crack the whip. In a flash of movement, the espada's arm shot out and the cart next to him sailed gracefully to the floor, a metallic clang echoing through the room as it landed and spilt its contents.
Fear flashed through Orihime's eyes briefly before Ulquiorra took a step towards her, thoroughly unsure of what the espada was doing or what she had done to provoke such an outburst.
Like a 'kicked puppy', or however the analogy went.
A small rustle and suddenly the exhibit found herself pinned against the white door Ulquiorra had just entered through, pale fingers and black nails prohibiting any kind of escape from the disturbing nearness he had forced her to succumb to.
Faces mere inches away from each other, Orihime daren't move a muscle and instead froze in position, staring nervously up at the tear-streaked face that was regarding her with the same calculating gaze as it always was. She could feel the cold, inhuman breath from the espada brushing past her cheeks and almost felt scared at what could come next- perhaps she'd been wrong, thinking that he could change.
It was, by far, the most uncomfortable silence she had ever shared with him and she wished with all her heart for it to end, if only she were able to escape the look coming from under the haphazard black locks in front of her.
"Say… your freedom." Ulquiorra repeated, though his voice had become much quieter than it usually was. The grey eyes shot up questioningly, her wish apparently granted- but not before the 'price' was dictated to her. Oh, how he loved toying with this little being- it provided him with such entertainment.
'It' was pretty enough, as far as humans went; though her face had seen better days. What normally would be rosy cheeks were hallowed from sleep and depression, grey eyes shadowed by the portent of things to come and a womanly figure withered away by starvation, to a point.
Decadence to the point of perfection in captivity, in the espada's eyes. Such a pretty plaything.
The arrancar took a lock of the dull orange hair between his fingers, appearing almost affectionate in his actions, though he never deviated his gaze from his target.
"You know I could grant it for you, woman." He murmured softly to the trembling animal pinned against his own figure, the tone he took so uncharacteristic for his persona. "The question is… how far are you willing to go to get it?"
There was a brief pause whilst Ulquiorra considered letting her reply- but then he decided that pets should be 'seen and not heard', as normal. It would distract him from his little test, though it was already clear that Orihime was completely submissive to his will.
Dipping his head, he grabbed the exhibit's chin harshly in his thin hand and pressed his lips flush against hers in what could be called a kiss, completely devoid of any kind of love or affection. It was, instead, a claiming action- at least, in Ulquiorra eyes- to assure her that he was still in control of her fate, and anything that was to become of the Las Noches stray. Orihime first tensed sharply in his grip, but slowly relaxed as time passed, accepting the advances of the espada upon her.
Though he wasn't complaining, he would never really understand how she could've given into him in such circumstances- whilst in enemy territory, at the heart of war operations with an elite member of the striking force, how could anyone believe that there would be any kind of benevolence or mercy?
The animal shuddered against his cool lips almost as an afterthought, her cheeks slightly flushed as Ulquiorra meant to pull away. He could go further with this faux 'courtship' later, after he waited for her to build some fantasies on whatever soft spot he had in his heart for her- and then he would claim her, for himself, body and soul.
The espada was slightly surprised when he found lithe fingers tangling themselves behind his neck and tugging him back towards his charge, mouths connecting fiercely for a second time- though, thoroughly unprompted by any kind of motion from the arrancar.
Well, he would put up with it for now, though he was firmly set on leaving within the next few minutes. Better take it a little at the time; tease the creature by leaving something just out of it's grasp, by taking away something that it enjoyed- or needed, as it seemed in this case, with the desperation Orihime seemed to be holding him with.
He was just going to break her, like he would've anyone else that he had been charged with- like a good animal handler.
And hard.