She didn't know how long she'd been kept within these blank walls, incarcerated by the creature that had come from nothingness and drew her away from everything she loved. It had taken her friends; Ichigo's face as she was taken away the perpetual stab that broke her heart into pieces. It had taken her away from them, separated her from the very people she loved. It had murdered the citizens of the city she and her friends had to flee; it was the king of the monsters that fed off the misery of her kin. She didn't know what she was doing here; donned in a beautiful white dress that served to enhance the size of her bust.
She felt dirty wearing the garments of a lady of status; the queen of war and pestilence. That was what he wanted her to become when he took her away from her friends. That was what he promised she would be when he caught sight of the eyes of a human woman with a strength of will all her own. She didn't know what she could make of it, confused or rather bewildered by the attentions of something that could not love. She didn't understand the appeal she had, why it had bothered to take her instead of another female that had wandered across his path.
He never answered her questions, choosing to remain silent and dissect the woman that had caught his morbid attention. She wanted to cry again, to plead once more to be reunited with her friends that she so valiantly cared for. He didn't understand what he was doing to her by bringing her to such an empty castle; imprisoning her within her room and donning her with attire that suited someone completely different from herself. She didn't want to be here, trapped within a home that held no warmth within its walls; she couldn't bear to be separated from the boy that was probably forcing himself to search for her.
He loved her as he loved all his friends, and he would not tire until he was reunited with the last member of his group. She was a part of his pack and she refused to be held within these castle walls by a creature that did not understand what emotions even were. She had hoped that he would release her if she begged; if she cried out to arouse his guilt and empathy for her case. But he had none; he cared nothing for the beings that resided outside of his castle walls.
She had been so distraught at the outright refusal he'd given her, his expression unchanging but his denial resolute. He cared nothing for what they meant to her, all he wanted was her. She didn't understand how something so cold and callous could ever become so engrossed in her. Some nights, she would lie in her new bed chamber and wonder what is it that he had brought her for? What is the purpose for why she was forced to be alone in such a desolate place?
She at some point had refused to eat her meals, sometime in the beginning of her stay at Las Noches. At first he ignored her actions, not completely sure of how humans handled sustenance but after a week of dinner being spurned; he'd come upon her and force fed her. He strapped her down after his first threat had been made, and stuffed her mouth with meat. He made sure that she swallowed whatever was given, unless she wanted to have him find other methods to get her to eat. After that time, she did everything in her power to avoid him. She ate her meals relatively quickly, went to sleep when she could and made sure to hide in different parts of the castle.
It was the most cowardly thing she'd done but she couldn't bear to be within the same room as him; to look at him would bring a sharp image of her humiliation. She'd been stuffed till her cheeks began to hurt; his fingers cold and unyielding as he held her mouth open and used his free arm to shove pieces of meats of all types in her mouth. She'd never expect him to come on her so fast; she'd been too shocked to put up too much of a fight. She'd already been secured before she'd even thought to struggle and his arm had already grabbed her chin before she could so much as clench her jaw. She still remembered how cold his fingers were and how mortified she was that he had touched her. It made her hate him all the more; her humiliation and mortification spurring her anger on at the memory.
But nothing could be as humiliating as what his look did to her. His eyes proved too much for her to even battle; they captured her grey orbs and held them hostage for much too long. They beat her fire to submission, but also seemed to light it. It was like staring into the eyes of a dangerous animal that was just about to devour her; his lips licking his fangs as a prelude. She didn't understand why the hairs on her arms would stand on end at the mere prospect of catching his eyes; even accidently. She feared what it did to her, what it made her feel. She didn't understand what it was, this burning flame that seemed to light from just a glimpse into those verdant oculars. She didn't understand him at all, and as weeks began to pass she began to plan her escape. She had locked herself in the library, annotating plans and routes she could take in order to leave the facility. She couldn't bear to be trapped within those bleached walls, but even more so, she couldn't bear to be alone with Ulquiorra any longer.
If she couldn't escape, she knew this state of being would well up inside her and blow over. It would drive her into a madness she was afraid to collapse within; she didn't want to discover just what the emotion was. She wouldn't be able to live with it; not when her friends were probably desperately searching for. She had to get out and let her friends know that she was okay. She couldn't live with the guilt that ate at her as she sat in her beautifully embellished bedroom. She'd been living comfortably since her capture and her friends were probably facing multitudes of horrors in her honor. Orihime shook her head then, her hands clasped together in nervousness as she continuously tortured herself with images of her friends in danger.
She had to escape and let them know she was alright. She didn't want them to torture themselves in her name. So she planned, holing herself in different parts of the castle as she mulled over where to go and what to do incase Ulquiorra were to be alerted of her plans. She knew the front door was out of the question, unless his presence was absent for just long enough that she could sneak away quickly. She sighed tiredly; her pale skin accentuating the dark circles that had become present since she started her planning.
The sudden clicking of the door made her jerk involuntarily in surprise, her clasped hands tensing when the door opened and revealed the figure of her jailer. His hands were tucked in his black slacks, posture relaxed but somehow retaining elegant qualities as he silently entered her room. His hair was in tamed disarray, almost as if he'd recently risen from his bed and decided to seek her out. Orihime refused to look him the eyes as she quickly scanned his appearance; noting how the door shut once he'd entered.
She basked in the silence that followed quickly after his entrance, her body tense and her eyes glued to the strange hole in his chest; trying not to squirm from the heavy gaze he had on her. She wished that the floor below would swallow her hole and spit her out in an entirely different location. She couldn't stand to feel his eyes on her; it was almost like he was dissecting her and exposing her for the entire world to see. She felt a heavy pressure in her chest when he stepped further into the room, the sound resonating infinitely within her bedroom as the stare grew more uncomfortable and she felt her body shake from his closeness.
She didn't know why she always felt like hands were squeezing her head; pressing and pressing till it became so painful that she could almost scream from it. She felt her heart beating rapidly, and she squeezed her hands together when she felt him close in on her. He wasn't touching her; but she could feel his aura bleed through her clothing and touch her overheated skin. Sweat was beginning to gather in her palms, clammy and cool as she involuntarily looked up and finally caught his gaze. She wishes she hadn't given in to the impulse that swelled beneath her breast, but she couldn't avoid it any longer. She couldn't ignore it when his presence in the room demanded her to look and expose herself to him.
His eyes seemed to hypnotize her, her mind freezing and seeming to shot off momentarily as he analyzed her visage. She couldn't fathom why he had such an effect on her and felt her shoulders relax as he began to move again. He loomed above her; looking down at her sitting form as she felt her eyes unable to move away from his own. He seemed to lean over her then, his body bending seeming to bend uncomfortably as he finally broke the spell and dragged his eyes to survey her sitting form. She couldn't control the shiver that escaped her when his eyes ran slowly from her throat to her breasts; moving lower until his eyes caught every single detail. She couldn't move, and she found she didn't know if she even had the will to.
She almost whimpered when his arm was suddenly pressed against her cheek, the movement too sudden for her to expect. He lightly caressed her cheek, his touch more questioning than romantic. But Orihime didn't know why she didn't shove his hand away, she wanted to turn away from his touch; reject his presence but found that she was unable to. She gasped when his hand rose from the swell of her cheek bone and pressed gently on the corner of her eye. "What…are you doing?" she finally spoke; her voice breaking the silence that had fallen between them since he had walked into the room.
His face revealed nothing, unchanging as he moved higher on her face and touched her lower eye lid. She was compelled to remain, curious and yet hesitant to find out just what he was doing. He never touched her, he always seemed to avoid all opportune moments that would lead to physical contact. But this time he seemed to seek it out, and Orihime just didn't know how to respond to it; corpses were more animate than she was at that particular moment. And just as quickly, he crouched in front of her. His gaze catching her eyes again and she found her lips opening in surprise. What? She was perplexed, her brow quivering with her confusion as the sudden closeness brought mobility to her form.
She felt herself jerk away, the seat clattering to the floor from her sudden haste to move away from him. She heard the loud clack that came from the chair falling on the stone floor, and ignored it to continue moving as much as she could from him; her back never turned to him. "Stay away from me," she finally found the courage to say. Her voice trembled, weak but firm with her request. She'd let him sweep her away, her consciousness had collapse to the authority he imposed upon her. He seemed to register her request, and slowly rose to his normal stature; just a few inches taller than her.
"This makes you uncomfortable," he finally spoke, his voice making her think of snakes crawling all over her body. She rarely heard him speak, and it always discomposed her when he did; he did not have an overtly deep voice nor did it ever rise just above a whisper, but somehow it was compelling and commanding. It was the voice of a man that was never defied; the voice of a leader that sought obedience from his subordinates. It made her want to submit; a reaction that was both unwarranted and startling. She never liked it when he spoke directly to her, even if to state a simple question. She jerked her head, making sure to face a corner not too far off from where she stood. She didn't want to let him catch her eyes again, so she glared at that spot to her left; the corner close enough that she could see him through her peripherals.
"Stop," she heard herself utter; shocked that it came suddenly from her lips. She never outright spoke to him, not since the time that he had kidnapped her and force fed her. It had been a particularly long time since she mustered the courage to voice her feelings; it almost felt dangerous to do so. And somehow she found that it indeed was dangerous, if the sudden step he took in her direction indicated. She felt her hands clench into tight fists, a shallow breath escaping her as she automatically took a step back. It felt like it triggered something within in, and suddenly she couldn't stop the trembles that came over her. Orihime didn't want him to come any closer, her eyes straying from the corner and glimpsing into his stoic face in discomfort. But that seemed to spur another few steps from her tormentor, and she couldn't stop her body from responding on its own; backing away so quickly that she stumbled on the chair she had toppled in her rush to get up. She didn't look away from him as she moved, and he seemed to quickly follow her; till her back finally met the stone wall of her room.
She didn't turn her head to confirm her fears; she couldn't afford to let him out of her sight. This is dangerous! Her mind suddenly screamed within her, finally taking form into blind panic as Orihime felt her eyes water. She heard rather than saw as he closed the space between them, and Orihime couldn't help the small yelp that emanated from her. No! Stay away! She pleaded internally, finding that her tongue was caught in her throat.
She was cornered; she couldn't run away from him even if she managed to step around him. He'd imposed his presence on her and she felt so weak and helpless. She didn't have Ichigo to snap her out of her inane panic or even the will the squash the doubts that started to torment her. "You're just like the rest of them; trash," he finally said; catching the few hairs that had fallen in her face softly. His words didn't fit his actions and she couldn't think of what to say again. She always felt this way around him, like a weak fool that couldn't protect herself. She found the courage to glare at him then, feeling anger surge inside her like a rapid river from his words. Then why take me!? She wanted to yell, her eyes warm from the fresh waves of fury that overcame her then. Her hands clenched harder, a throbbing pain spurring her on as her fingernails cut her palms into moon shaped scratches.
"I hate you," her voice harsh, grating and almost unrecognizable to her own ears as Ulquiorra seemed to slowly release her hair. She didn't know why she did it, or what compelled her to finally snap; but she found her arm moving without her accord. Her palm stung from the sudden action, a loud smack resonating within the room as her hand made contact with his cheek. She couldn't take it back, and she found she didn't want to when his head jerked from the sudden slap. He didn't say a word; composed and adamant as his eyes caught her angry orbs.
"It's because you don't hate me, that you wish to escape my presence," was all he said before he stepped back from her. His words crushing her until tiny flecks of sand, as he turned to look at her once more before he left her room. Was it true? Orihime couldn't bring herself to think about it.
