Where Gods Fear to Tread
It all starts somewhere
It all starts with one
Everything comes from something
It all starts with one
It all starts somewhere
It all starts with one
Nothing comes from nothing
It all starts with one
… Starts with one
– Ane Brun
One question
"Orihime" It wasn't a question. Neither was it a request to acknowledge the speaker. This call to attention is an imperative. Suffer His wrath if she dares act otherwise.
Grey eyes slowly lift from their focus from the reflecting green tiles of the floor of Las Noches. She gazes at the figure sat on the dais. The ex-shinigami captain of the fifth division smiles back benevolently at her, with a touch of amusement in his eyes as he observes her from his perch above. Not for the first time, Orihime thinks that Aizen has the smile of Budha but the heart of a … scorpion (the metaphor doesn't seem to go far enough).
"Yes Aizen-sama?"
"What do you think of my handling of Soul Society?" The silence in the throne room pressed down hard. It seemed no one, Arrancar, Shinigami-turned-traitor, or human was breathing.
Orihime swallowed, wishing there was some saliva. It was clearly a trap. The question is: why? What does Aizen (remember to add –sama!) have to gain from this? A test in loyalty? But Ulquiorra had already witnessed me pledge my body, power and soul to Aizen – (Aizen-sama – need to remember the –sama!) So why? She hoped her eyes and face were not giving away her inner stream of thoughts. With Tatsuki-chan and her other friends, they hadn't noticed. They were never privy to the underlying monologue running through her brain, just the stories and daydreams she spins up for general amusement. They didn't know about her observations – too much observations which she has to store away somehow, which would have drove her mad if she didn't turn them into fantasy and stories.
It was like all five of her senses were running on overdrive.
There was a twitch of Nnoitera's fingers. It was from the slight jangle of the three steel bracelets on his wrist.
There was a snicker from Loly. The pitch of the pleased giggle could belong to no one else.
She can feel Ulquiorra's gaze firmly chilling the back of her neck.
She wonders if the other Espada can smell her anxiety, her confusion, her vulnerability.
"Well Orihime?"
She needs to understand so she looks him straight in the eyes. Don't glower, don't frown, don't mess up!
His grin is wider now. He finds her amusing. A curl of irritation wells up inside her but she shoves down that feeling into a box with a lid. She places a mecha gundam on the top to prevent the lid from flipping open.
"…I'm afraid I don't … understand…Aizen-sama."
An indulgent brow arches with a twitch of impatience at the end.
"When I left the Seireitei, I left Soul Society in disarray. What do you think of my actions?"
A quick impatient intake of breath.
"Repulsive? Immoral?"
He's goading her, taunting her. Don't respond, don't blurt out anything. He's testing my loyalty so what can I say?
"Aizen-sama does not need to account for his actions to anyone," she tries to state clearly, desperately hoping she was not giving the wrong answer. She cannot predict him. She barely knew this man save for the confrontation on the Soukyouku and his ascent into that black gaping maul in the sky. There were clawed hands, large as an elephant's, which cradled him. Black hooded creatures with white faces and pointy noses had shrieked and clamoured at the borders of the Garganta. Whatever comical features they had like a drawing done by a two-year old lost any drowl or clownish aspects from the inhumane, non-animal sounds they made.
"And yet, I want to know, Orihime." Stop saying her name so intimately! "Will you deny me?"
Now this was blatant cat-and-mouse toying. He knows that she knows this. However negligent her intellect may be, in his opinion, she would be sure to recognise this saccharine threat for what it is.
So what can she say? Is there a way she could show her allegiance without compromising her feelings, her morals? That would be the cream on top of the cake, wouldn't it? A wonderful way of besting him … if she could… She wanted to. She knows what she wants.
So apply your mind to it, whisper the Rikka in her mind, in her heart, reverberating in her soul. Beat him in this little game. She could even hear Tsubaki's prodding 'C'mon Onna – think!"
"I think…"
Aizen was about to say something. There is silent surprise accompanied with minor irritation. The entire room was staring at her. Interest is universal. NOPE - Focus! You can gloat or whimper about it later!
"I think that if the path to Hell is paved with good intentions, then the path to Heaven must be paved with…deception, murder and blasphemy."
There was a gasp from Menoly and the restless Fraccions stirring behind their masters. There's a different gaze on the side of her head. Through her bangs, her peripheral vision scans wild blue hair. Grimmjow-san?
She quickly flicks her eyes up at Aizen. He's staring at her, trying to discern any mockery or blatant insubordination in her. He won't. She had stated it in a matter of fact way with no disrespect, a bland monotone.
"Aizen-sama, let me deal with that treacherous little bit–" a shrill voice spoke up, shattering the silence like an offensive predator relishing to torture and punish.
A glance of disapproval from brown eyes was enough to make her cower and drop to her knees in submission.
Aizen regards the human girl again. Interesting. She seems to be waiting for his response, expecting a barrage of other questions that put her through the wringer. She was pale but not trembling like Loly. Her hands were clenched to a skeletal-white in front of her, fisting into the fabric of her dress.
"I see."
He enjoys stretching the silence, to use it as a weapon to intimidate his opponents. But this Onna is not cowed. Uncertain, wary, even fearful but not babbling broken like Hinamori-kun or simpering shaking Loly.
He wants to play a little longer. She's entertaining. The others are starting to bore him now, with the exception of Gin. Tousen and the rest of the Espada were so predictable.
"I see." He states again with a certain pleasure. So she is still not broken. Ulquiorra must be told to strengthen his vigilance. And as for you, Inoue Orihime…
Let's play a game shall we.
A/N Because we all suspect more went on behind the walls of Las Noches than Kubo sensei went into detail about. (And there's always more room to include Orihime. :3 ) I'm planning to make this a three-part interrelated one-shots.
Ane Brun's song is awesome, especially when it was used in The Borghias. Do watch all three seasons of the original crime family that The Godfather was based on.
The reader's forgiveness in my lack of updates shall be asked. Very busy but hoping to be able to update more frequently. Had writer's block.
Does anyone share my view that Orihime may be a closet-genius? Generally, geniuses are portrayed as nerds, distant, emotionally-callous and eccentric (last three characteristics cue in Sherlock [BBC version]). But what if Orihime acts the opposite of typical geniuses? The vast amount of observations she makes plus her over-sensitive emotional awareness may instead push her to keep her observations to herself, but to deal with so much data, she makes them into little stories in her mind.
We know that she's not foolish. She ranks third in class and her observations of Hachi's barrier are good deductions. It wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for her to have a really active stream of consciousness. Plus, she has an additional six voices from her Rikka to contend with in her mind! That's a lot to bear. Anyways, please review and tell me if you agree or disagree with my theory?
And hallelujah, Byakuya lives! (Ah Kubo, you didn't lose a few marbles after all! :P )