"Shiro-chan! Kimono-chan! Get some tissues for Starrk, he's full of gross stuff!" Juushiro looked up at that call, surprised. Lilinette was running towards them and Starrk was behind her, rubbing his nose and sniffling.

"Lilinette." The Coyote said, his usual, half-hearted admonishment. Lilinette completely ignored him, also as usual. "I have this thing about breathing, I like it – uck." Starrk pause to cough, a thick, wet sound. Then he drew in a breath and spat a wad of phlegm into the bushes.

"Oh kami!" Shunsui said with a laugh as Juushiro blinked. Had he just seen what he thought he'd…? "Are you sick? I didn't even know arrancar could get sick!" He asked merrily and Starrk grimaced, running a hand through his hair. The Espada looked like he hadn't washed or changed in weeks, which was likely the case. Hollows didn't technically need such things but they developed an interesting funk when they didn't have them. Juushiro was willing to bet that Starrk had a very good case of it. He wasn't getting close enough to make sure.

"Only when we're badly hurt. I had a run in with the Visored and the other survivors." He said and Shunsui's cheer dropped away as Juushiro felt his stomach clench. Starrk was clearly alive. Were they…? "I think I might have killed a few of them but I'm not sure. Lilinette did something stupid and caused a rather massive explosion."

"Oi! Blaming it all on me. You're dumb too Starrk!" Lilinette retorted and he smiled, patting her head. "Tissues! Before he does it again!" She complained and Juushiro searched through his pockets. He usually had kleenex's for his own problem. Starrk accepted them gratefully before blowing his nose, then coughing out another wad of mucus. It was much better when he had a tissue over his mouth.

"Have you been to Unohana to check on that?" Juushiro asked, vividly remembering his stupidity as a boy. If only he hadn't been so determined to just wait out the sickness, it might not have taken such a deep hold in his body. Starrk nodded.

"Yes, I wanted to be sure it wasn't serious. She says it's just a virus that took advantage of my condition and my bodies' fighting it off well. I can anticipate a month of misery and then I should be fine. She said it was a cold, which is odd, I don't feel chilly." He said and Juushiro smiled. That was adorable. "When is Marishiko giving birth?" He asked, concerned.

"In just a week." Juushiro answered. He'd been following the pregnancy closely. "The twins… one of them isn't healthy." He said softly and Starrk stiffened, looking stricken. "But Szayel and Unohana both think they can save him after the birth. It's a heart defect." As soon as the baby was born he would immediately be operated on. Starrk swallowed hard before nodding.

"I'm glad we have two then." He said quietly and Juushiro winced. But from a hollow perspective that was likely just practical. Adjuchas often had multiple litters. Vasto lorde didn't, and for them a child with such a problem would just die, causing the parents much distress. "I need to take a bath. I feel disgusting. Lilinette, you need a bath too." The Coyote said severely and his other half pouted, crossing her arms at him.

"But I want to play with Kinomi!" She protested and Starrk gave her a narrow eyed look. "Oh alright, alright! I'm going!" She said before running off. Starrk called after her.

"Make sure you actually wash. I'll be checking!" He said and Juushiro blinked before glancing at Shunsui, meeting his gaze. Something was… different about Starrk. He seemed more energetic? More alive, somehow. "Excuse me, I should go. I must smell terrible." He said apologetically and Shunsui laughed.

"You do have an interesting odor. Go wash, we'll wait for you." He said and Starrk smiled for a moment before leaving. "Does he seem different to you?" He asked as they returned to their tea and Juushiro nodded.

"He seems more… awake." He offered and Shunsui nodded with a frown. "I'm not sure why." But Lilinette didn't seem at all alarmed by the change so it couldn't be a bad thing. And he was still Starrk, just more focused, less sleepy. Juushiro wondered though. What had happened to cause it? Maybe he would ask Lilinette. Starrk might not even know, it was difficult to see changes in yourself.

He knew that from experience.


"We're not telling them the truth?" Lilinette asked as she dipped a hand in the bathwater. Starrk was deep in a bubble bath, as his other half-lounged on the side. She had gone first and was completely clean, dressed in a white cotton robe. Although nakedness did not concern them. Even with their human memories, they were still hollows. Starrk closed his eyes for a moment before shaking his head.

"If they know nothing they can betray nothing. I imagine we'll need to tell them eventually, but not yet." He said quietly and Lilinette looked dubious for a moment before nodding.

"Okay, that's fine but they're going to notice you're different. You're not lazy anymore." She said and he snorted before laughing.

"Oh, I'm still lazy! Remember how I always – ow." He rubbed his head where she had swatted him. "I know, I know, it's different." He wasn't sleeping twelve to sixteen hours anymore. He was sleeping more like six to eight and feeling just fine with that. "I can't hide the change from them, but I think I should try to hide it from Aizen." He said after a moment's reflection. Lilinette blew a raspberry at him.

"You really suck at acting Starrk!" She said, which was absolutely true. The Coyote sighed as he thought about it.

"I'm not bad at lying though. Acting is just lying with my body. I'll master it." He assured her and she frowned. "I have to. Hmm… I'll just make sure to spend my extra time here, with you and my pets. If I tell them to keep the changes to themselves, they will." Juushiro and Shunsui would see the value in being underestimated. "Then when I'm around Aizen I'll keep falling asleep or try to look lost in my thoughts. I'm good at that." It had driven his father mad, often enough. Lilinette nodded.

"Okay, we sort of have a plan. I wonder what the cat's doing?" She asked and Starrk shrugged.

"It's hard to say." They would only find out when she came to them for a trip back to the Living world. Espada were allowed to go to and fro on their days off, as long as they took no pets, so Starrk wouldn't have too much trouble. He'd asked the Visored to get him some novelty glasses. Toys for Lilinette and Kinomi, they would be his excuse for the trip. Starrk only hoped he wouldn't need to use it. If he did, it would mean someone was questioning his actions.

Being the lazy Coyote had many advantages. Being underestimated and disregarded, primarily. He didn't want that advantage to vanish too soon.


Ichigo frowned as he studied his book of healing kido.

Healing kido was actually the hardest kind, for him at least. It seemed to depend on making a connection to the other person through his reiatsu. With his vast reiryoku, though, that was very difficult. When he was on the lower settings he could manage it but eventually, he was supposed to be getting rid of the bracelets entirely. Right now he could go reasonably high on them with offensive and defensive spells, but not healing.

A lot of the book, though, was devoted to anatomy and general health. He loved that, it reminded him of his plans to be a doctor someday. Right now he was reading about how to treat gout with kido. Apparently shinigami could suffer from it, and often more than the regular population. Something about too much saki along with rich food. It sounded very painful and the kido method of drawing out the crystals didn't sound like much fun either…

"Well, well! Turning into quite a bookworm, aren't we?" Ichigo started violently and almost dropped his book at the sound of that familiar voice. His gaze went to a nearby black cat who was idly washing her face.

"Yoruichi!" He kept his voice down, mindful of Grimmjow's hearing. The Espada wasn't here right now but he could come home at any time. "Are you alright? Oh my god, how did you get here?" He couldn't believe it. It had been so long, he'd practically given up hope.

"I can't tell you that." She said very seriously as he frowned at her. "You don't need to know. Now, how are you? Your father is very worried." She asked and Ichigo's stomach lurched. He swallowed hard for a moment, thinking about what to say. "We know about the Hollow Claim, Ichigo." Yoruichi said, her tone compassionate.

"Oh." That… sort of helped. At least he wouldn't have to tell them although he wished he could have just left his father ignorant of this. He dropped his gaze, thinking about it for a moment. "Tell Goat Face that I'm fine." He said softly, lifting his eyes to meet Yoruichi's golden ones. "It's been kind of rocky but it's going better now." It hurt to think about how it had been, when he'd still been a slave. He still was, technically, but Ichigo didn't think of himself that way anymore. And he knew Grimmjow didn't. The change in their relationship was profound. "I'm gay. That helps." He admitted and Yoruichi blinked slowly before chuckling.

"I did wonder… but I thought you just might not have really hit puberty yet." She said and Ichigo blushed. "But I know Renji isn't gay. How is he holding up?" She asked and Ichigo winced before laughing.

"Oh, just fine. Apparently, high level hollows are made of male and female souls so they can switch genders." He said and Yoruichi's mouth dropped open. It was hard for a cat to look shocked, but she managed it. "Renji loves it." He was amused but also irritated. He honestly didn't like sharing his 'mate' that way. "I…" The door to the backyard suddenly opened and he went silent as Tigre stepped out.

"Itsy-papi? Who are you talking to?" He asked before noticing the cat. "A kitty! Can I hold her?" Ichigo grinned at the thought. And it would serve Yoruichi right for all the times she'd appeared naked in front of him.

"I don't see why not." He said as he looked down at the cat. Yellow eyes blinked, looking from him to Tigre. His boy was looking very good today, wearing a white t-shirt with a silhouette with a stalking cat. His pants were grey sweats and his hair had just recently been cut and styled. The bright orange spiky arrangement was very cute on him.

"Awesome! Thanks!" He picked Yoruichi up, who squirmed pathetically. Ichigo smiled and corrected his cat holding technique, teaching him to support her legs properly. The look she gave him was less than friendly but she could hardly protest in front of Tigre. "Can we have a cat, Itsy-papi?" He asked wistfully and Ichigo blinked. He hadn't really thought of getting a pet… "Maybe this one?" Tigre asked and he had to laugh.

"I think this one already has a home. But we can ask Grimm-papi about it maybe." Ichigo wondered if Grimmjow would want a pet. As far as he knew, the Espada hadn't even considered it and until now it hadn't come up. "Why don't you let her go?" He suggested as Yoruichi squirmed, giving him a look that promised death at a later time. Tigre sighed but set her down, patting her on the back.

"Bye kitty." He said and she ran off, before leaping up onto the wall around the garden. She looked back at them for a moment before flirting her tail playfully and vanishing. Ichigo wondered where she was going but then resigned himself to not knowing. It really was better that way.

"Would you like a cat or a dog?" He asked his son as they went back into the house. The wonderful smells of supper cooking filled the air. Tigre thought about it a moment, a frown on his little face. Ichigo felt his heart melt all over again at that. His boy really did look like him.

"I want a dog! Then I could take it over to Auntie Inoue's and me and Casamir could play with it." He said happily and Ichigo smiled at the thought. Although…

"You'll have to wash it and pick up after it." He cautioned and Tigre nodded enthusiastically. "…" Ichigo sighed to himself as he considered the boy. He gave it three to one odds that he'd be the one caring for the dog before the year was out. Did he want one? After a moment he decided he did. He'd only had a cat as a child and he did like them, but he would like a dog too. Of course, Grimmjow would have to make the decision. He couldn't bring a pet into the house if the Espada was against it. "We'll ask Grimm-papi when he gets home." He said and Tigre nodded again before chattering about what kind of dog he would like. Ichigo listened, smiling.

He was pretty sure Grimmjow wouldn't be able to resist his son's entreaties. They would be getting a dog soon.


Starrk glanced over the two taichou in his custody, considering how to do this. The one with the kimono was frowning at him while the white haired one just looked hopeless.

In truth, he wasn't particularly comfortable with Aizen's decision. He understood the logic, though. Claimed, the taichou would be safe to use. And shinigami were important to the functioning of the three worlds. Despite their great power and shinigami properties, arrancar were still hollows and lacked proper zanpakuto. They simply couldn't take over the shinigami's duties. So they needed to be brought to heel, and these two would be Aizen's instruments.

Of course, that depended on Starrk controlling them for him. A low, shameful part of him desperately wanted to do it. They were both strong, these two, and would easily survive his power. That was a very rare thing. The little white haired taichou couldn't take his reiatsu and the others were all fukutaichou, absolutely out of the question for him. Still… for a moment he hesitated. Starrk was unusual in that he didn't much care for rape. He hadn't done it as an adjuchas, and once he'd made vasto lorde it had become impossible. His power had devoured any hollows that got too close, preventing any kind of sexual relationship. So he was very nearly a virgin, except for Halibel, although he assumed he'd had some experience in the human life he couldn't remember.

"I'm going to give you a choice." He said, his voice impressively even. He didn't know it, but his face showed no nervousness at all, no hint that he was not in control. "Aizen has decreed that any remaining taichou must be Claimed by arrancar if they are to be allowed to live." He said bluntly and the dark one frowned as the white haired one just looked confused. "You don't know about Claiming, do you?" The Coyote asked, mildly apprehensive. He really didn't want to have to explain it.

"No… what is it?" The white haired one asked and Starrk paused. He'd been rather distracted at the time so maybe it was no surprise he'd forgotten.

"I remember your friends' name, but forgive me, I've forgotten yours. What is it?" He asked. After he received a quick reply, he continued. "Juushiro, Claiming is a way hollows have of dominating each other. Essentially, the reiatsu of the stronger fuses with the weaker and is pulled back, creating an unbreakable bond. Think of it as a reiatsu net. The dominated hollow cannot strike out at the stronger and must obey any reiatsu enforced command faithfully." Starrk paused for a moment, glancing down before speaking quietly. "The Claim is accomplished through sexual intercourse. It is extremely pleasurable." He lifted his gaze in time to see the shinigami give each other a horrified look.

"No! This is insane. Aizen actually condoned this?" Shunsui asked, sounding horrified. Starrk sighed.

"He requires it." He corrected and both the shinigami looked sick. "As the Primera, I was allowed to have first choice. The two of you are the only ones here who can survive my power… but I will give you a choice. If you don't want to be Claimed by me, you can refuse and I will take no one." He said softly, wishing he could simply bend them over and take them. But some part of him found the idea repulsive. "Then you will have to take your chances with the rest of the Espada." It wasn't much of a choice, but it was a choice.

"No! Forget it. We'll – " Shunsui started to say but then Juushiro spoke, interrupting him.

"I'll do it." He said and Starrk met his eyes, seeing determination there. Shunsui went pale, looking at his fellow taichou in shock.

"Juushiro?!" He sounded disbelieving. Starrk just nodded his acceptance. "What are you – stop!" Starrk ignored him, grasping the shinigami's bonds and pulling him to his feet. The white haired man went willingly, with only a bit of discomfort on his face.

"You will have some time to think about it." Starrk said to him before taking Juushiro with him. He ignored the other taichou's protests, taking his prisoner to a slightly hidden part of the ruins. There were no really good places for this, no beds or other amenities, but it had to be done and he was damned if he'd let anyone watch.

Later, of course, he would understand why Juushiro so easily submitted to him. Shunsui was outraged and confused, not thinking logically, but Juushiro was calm and composed even in defeat. He'd quickly realized that the only hope they had of remaining together was if they were Claimed by the same Espada, and Starrk was offering to take them both. And his action would force Shunsui to accept unless he wished them parted. Starrk knew none of that, though, and lubrication was not something he habitually kept about himself. He did his best with fingers and saliva but it wasn't too good. That hardly mattered, though, when the Claim began.

For the first time in a long while, Starrk was allowed to set his passions free. The feeling of being inside another's body was incredible. The tight heat, the wetness, the way Juushiro gasped and arched as he poured reiatsu into the man… it was good, he could not deny it. Starrk struggled with himself, forcing himself to use only the minimum reiatsu necessary for the Claim. This shinigami could tolerate his power but not easily.

Finally he could take no more and Starrk's fangs tore into his shoulder, the spot he preferred. He drank back the blood and the reiatsu, feeling a pleasure like nothing he'd experienced before in his life. The orgasm was prolonged and intense. When he was done, though, he could sense the pain of the man beneath him. It wasn't too bad but his preparation had been inadequate and Starrk winced as he slowly pulled away.

"I apologize." He said softly, running a hand down the taichou's side. The man looked over his shoulder at him, his brown eyes filled with tears. "I will have Orihime heal you as soon as possible." The taichou nodded before pulling up his hakama. The movements were stiff and Starrk could feel the pain echoing back through him.

When he brought Juushiro back, Shunsui glared at him helplessly, clearly wishing he was dead. Starrk just met his gaze calmly.

"Have you come to a decision?" He asked, fully prepared to hear the shinigami tell him to go to hell. But Shunsui surprised him.

"I accept your 'generous' offer." He spat the words with venom and Starrk flinched a little at the tone. It almost made him not want to take the man – he really didn't need negativity in his life – but he'd already offered. Taking a deep breath, the Coyote nodded his head before taking hold of his bonds.

It wasn't the same. Claiming Juushiro had been effortless on his part, except for the work he put into not overwhelming the man with his runaway reiryoku. Shunsui was completely different. He encountered resistance as soon as he sank into the other's body, felt that powerful reiatsu fighting against him every inch of the way. It activated a completely different instinct in him and Starrk growled, asserting his dominance with more and more of his reiatsu. This was a feral, instinct driven mating, as he fought to Claim the man while not killing him. Shunsui didn't help him at all. Every moment was a struggle…

But the outcome was never in any doubt. Finally, fangs tore through the man's shoulder and Starrk drank back the blood and sweet, heavy reiatsu. The feeling of so completely dominating someone else, so unwilling, was a strange thrill. But as the pleasure wore off Starrk felt sick. Swallowing hard, he pulled away and winced as he saw a bit of blood. He'd been rough, in his fight to Claim the man. Shunsui jerked away from him, yanking up his hakama as he breathed heavily.

"I hate you." Starrk flinched as he felt that hatred, like iron in his mouth. It was an alien emotion to him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd hated someone, and he thought perhaps he never had. Grey eyes met grey for a brief moment before he looked away.

"You can if you want, but I wish you wouldn't." He said quietly before offering the man a hand. "Come, your friend is waiting." Now that this task was complete they could go to Soul Society and begin the next phase of Aizen's plan. Shunsui ignored his hand and walked past him, limping slightly. The Coyote sighed to himself as he followed.

Was it better to be alone, or in company that hated? He wasn't sure, but Starrk knew one thing. Hatred could eventually change. Being alone never could.


Starrk started awake, a violent jerk that caused someone to murmur a sleepy protest. For a moment, he had no idea where he was. His mind flashed back to his long ago prison and he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood.

Then he blinked and swallowed as reality came back to him. He wasn't in that long ago time, or even the more recent memory of Claiming his two mates. No, he was warm and loved, in the safety of his bed. But… not entirely. Tears built in his eyes as guilt suddenly threatened to overwhelm him. Carefully leaving the bed – he had plenty of practice – Starrk paused to pull on some pants. Then he left, intending to go to the roof. Perhaps seeing the sky would help to clear his mind.

Soon he was on the roof, standing and looking at the growing dawn. It was early in the morning, very early. Starrk rubbed his face, flinching as he flashed back again to his time in his cell. How many times had he looked out of his little window and watched the sun rise? Too many to count.

"I'm not that boy anymore, not that man. I'm Coyote Starrk, the Primera. I'm strong and free. No one will ever cage me again." He told the world. There was no answer. "…Damn." Sitting down on the roof he buried his face in his hands. "I need to get past this." It was easier said than done. There was a reason why his heart had desired forgetfulness above all things. And now he had so many other things to forget.

Starrk was so deep in his private despair that he didn't notice someone else joining him on the roof. He did notice when a pink kimono was draped over his shoulders. He looked up in surprise, grey eyes wide as Shunsui took a seat beside him.

"Starrk, what is wrong?" He asked, his tone gentle. Starrk met his eyes for a moment before looking down at the pink kimono. He reached up to touch it, feeling the soft fabric between his fingers.

"It's just… I…" It seemed too overwhelming to explain. His emotional turmoil was too massive. And the kimono reminded him of his more recent pain. Tears built in his eyes before he blinked. "When did you forgive me, for what I did to you?" He asked softly, to Shunsui's surprise.

"When?" He asked, scratching his chin and looking at the coming down. The sky was getting brighter, the soft light trickling and illuminating the clouds with a soft pink glow. "Well… I think I started to forgive you as soon as I spoke to Juushiro about it." He said softly and Starrk watched him, his profile. He looked so handsome like this, in the light of the dawn. "He was right to take your offer. It was the best we would get, at the time. And you would have preferred not to Claim us at all, true?"

"…Yes, that's true." Starrk whispered. He'd felt bad about it even at the time. Now, with his memories restored, he felt like a rapist. He really hadn't felt that way when he'd only had his hollow memories. Hollows just didn't look at rape the same way. "I'm sorry." He looked down, pained. Then he looked up as a warm hand clasped his shoulder, giving him a squeeze.

"There's nothing to be sorry about. Still, I didn't forgive you then." Shunsui went back to his thoughts and Starrk nodded. He knew his pet had carried bitterness for a long time. "You were still forced onto us, into our bed. It was our duty to keep you satisfied." Starrk flinched as his own words were flung back at him. He'd just been explaining the place of a pet, he had hardly even meant it, but he had said that. "I think I really forgave you when you refused to eat our officers. That cost you a great deal of pain, Starrk."

"Yes." He'd done it to keep his pets from even more pain. Starrk drew a deep, unsteady breath as he remembered. "It was worth it." The pain of devouring a bit of himself, then the pain Aizen had visited on him… all worth it. Shunsui smiled at him and it was beautiful to the Espada.

"But why is this coming up now? What has changed with you?" He asked and the Coyote sighed, looking down.

"Lilinette… the explosion. I was badly hurt and I remembered." He said, aching with the pain of it. "I remembered everything… my heart's desire was to forget and I can't anymore." He almost wanted to, but not quite. Remembering had brought back unimaginable pain, but Starrk could tell that without his memories he wasn't complete. Broken, like any hollow. Then Shunsui's voice brought him back to reality.

"What happened?" The honest concern in his voice made him sniff, then rub his face for a moment before he told the story again. This time, though, he allowed his emotions to come forth. The Visored had been enemies, at the time. He hadn't wanted to reveal the depths of his pain to them, not the way he could with Shunsui or Juushiro. And there were other things… "They never came to see me. Others got visitors – I could hear them sometimes, talking through the doors – but I never did." Tears slid slowly down his cheeks as he remembered. "My mother, my father… did they really hate me so much? Why didn't my mother ever defend me? She knew the hollows were real, she knew…" That had been the cruelest betrayal. His mother had to have known the truth. Why had she done nothing for him? "All I had in that cell was my rosary but I had no sins to atone for." That was the one thing the nuns had given him, a wooden rosary. He'd worn it and sometimes played with it, enjoying the clink of the beads, but he'd never used it for its intended purpose. What need did he have for god's forgiveness?

"Starrk." Warm arms suddenly enfolded him and Starrk willingly sank into the embrace, hiding his face against Shunsui's neck. "That was long ago and far away. You're not that man anymore." He said comfortingly and Starrk sniffled before nodding slightly.

"I know. I'm the Primera now. I'm strong and free." He could have added brave to that, but Lilinette still seemed like the brave one to him. So many times when he was feeling down, she'd kicked him and asked him to draw for her or play one of the absurd little games they'd made up. Those long years, he thought that little Lily had kept him sane. "It's just going to take some time." Healing would not take a single night, or even several nights. He'd lived quite a while in Hueco Mundo and he'd never come close to healing. But then, hollows couldn't heal. They simply existed, in the endless twilight of their forgotten world.

"Hmmm." Shunsui sounded a bit doubtful and Starrk lifted his head, wondering what the shinigami was thinking. But he was only given a smile. "I'm curious now. What was your name, when you were alive? Do you remember?" He asked and the Coyote blinked, thinking about it. His name? He had to fight for it but finally the answer came to him and he suddenly smiled.

"Lupe. I was Lupe." He said, then laughed and Shunsui's puzzled look. "It means wolf." So many things about his hollow existence went back to his life as a living man. He'd loved wolves, loved the things his books said about them, but there had been no wolves where he lived. Only coyotes, which he had called little wolves. He'd always been sad, when his father killed them for coming close to the manor. "I loved to read books about gunslingers…" It hadn't really been that long ago. "People forget so quickly, what sanitariums used to be like." He whispered to himself. The modern world wouldn't recognize the place he'd been consigned to, but it hadn't been that long ago. "Lupe and Lily, we were such a pair." That was the one thing that didn't hurt to remember. Lily had been his joy in that barren place. He let go of Shunsui with a small sigh, sitting up. "Juushiro will be waking up soon. We shouldn't let him wake alone." He would be worried to find them both gone. Shunsui nodded, glancing at the sunrise. It was more beautiful now, the clouds glowing brightly. Starrk wished he had something to capture it with. Perhaps he would have to get some paints. He thought about it as they flew down then went back inside and finally decided he would.

His pain was already here. There was no point in avoiding it anymore.