Her new attitude changed it all.

Orihime was no longer the girl she had been before the Hueco Mundo incident. She was a woman now, confident and steely in her will. And everyone came to know this very quickly. Now, she walked tall in the hallways, unafraid of whoever may come. Aizen had given her consent to walk freely, and without a guard to come along after she displayed Tsubaki's unbridled power. Without hesitance in her heart, the destructive force was multiplied many times over. She was given permission to walk alone, and that anyone deciding to attack her could be dealt with in her discretion. And after the first one lost his head, the other Arrancar knew that she wasn't one to be messed with.

At the moment, she was returning to her room, quite tired from the walk. Las Noches was enormous; she had a feeling that she hadn't even seen a quarter of it. As the door opened, a particular group of reiatsus hit her like a ton of bricks. So familiar. She hadn't felt them in years.

They were her friends. And they were coming to save her.

Her hand lingered on the door a moment, before she walked in as if nothing at all had happened. And really, it hadn't. So what if they were coming? The group of five would no doubt be decimated anyway; Orihime knew the strength of her once-captors. Even if they did somehow survive long enough to get to her, then what would they say?

"Oh, sorry we didn't get here earlier. Not to our convenience."

Orihime muttered, sitting down on her bed with a hard glare focused on the wall. They had lost their chance a very long time ago; she was her own woman now, and Orihime wasn't the 'princess' they remembered. How would she live in the human world again anyway? Five years of looking over your shoulder, five years of matching violence with violence, five years of hatred and silence. How does one go from that world to one where a person is expected to be kind and nice to everyone by default?

"They may come if they wish. I'll be more than happy to see them."

She laid on her bed, now thinking back to her once-love Ichigo Kurosaki. She didn't want him any longer, not really. There would always be that flame there, embers that just wouldn't smother. But it was nowhere near love any longer; she didn't want him anywhere near her now. Rukia, the woman she once secretly loathed for taking her Kurosaki-kun? She didn't hate the woman anymore for that reason; now it was the question of why a shinigami with the power to enter Hueco Mundo at any time waited five years to do it. Abarai and herself weren't too close; she didn't speak with him often and they didn't seem to mind not speaking to each other. The same for Sado. Ishida, he was a special case. Orihime had seen him staring now and then, watching her bounce around and do this and that. But he was as guilty as the rest of them.

She heard her door open and rolled over a bit to look up at Ulquiorra Schiffer, who was standing before the normal food tray. It was much more decadent nowadays, seeing as Orihime was playing right into Aizen's plans perfectly. She sat up, standing a moment after and beginning to walk towards the food.

"You have noticed?"

He queried in monotone. She didn't pay him a single look.

"Of course I have. Those idiots are making a suicide run for a woman that no longer wishes to be saved."

She gathered her food, turning around and walking back towards her bed to sit down and begin eating. Ulquiorra remained the constant still statue, watching her with his thousand yard stare of the damned.

"They will die. You do not mind?"

She stopped eating for a moment, not looking up from her soup. Tomato, a kind she had found to rather enjoy.

"Not in the least. They are not my friends any longer; why would I care what happens to five strangers making a moronic decision?"

Her logic was as cold as his; she honestly didn't give a damn what those five did here, or if they lived or died. It wasn't her decision and it wasn't her problem. She twitched her head to try and flip back her long hair. It had once been the symbol of her trust in Tatsuki Arisawa and her other friends. Now it was cumbersome.

"Ulquiorra, I need a haircut."

It was a statement, not a question. Ulquiorra observed the thigh-length hair.

"Very well. I will have someone arrive later to cut it."

Orihime sipped the soup quietly, before taking a drink of her tea.

"No, I want you to do it. I don't trust anyone else here more than you."

Ulquiorra observed the woman with renewed interest. She had begun adapting, and had never stopped since that fateful day. His own visit had changed her life, apparently. He found that his soul was content with the knowledge of changing her life. Even though, in truth, Grimmjow was the one that started her evolution, Ulquiorra didn't know about it. He gave credit to himself.

"Very well, I will return at a later time."

She was done with her soup quickly enough; the bowl was put upon the tray and rolled away, while Ulquiorra lingered.

"Inoue-san. What will you do if by some fluke, you come face-to-face with them."

Orihime was sitting down again, but at that question, she began to smile. Not an insane Nnoitra grin, or a bloodthirsty Grimmjow expression, but a soft, demure smile. Raising her head, she closed her eyes and continued smiling.

"Well, I'll kill them."

It was a horrific statement spoken in an angel's voice. Ulquiorra merely watched her for any bits of trickery or deception, and upon finding none turned to leave.

"Good."

The door closed behind him, and Orihime stretched out as if the entire encounter hadn't happened.

"Well, I think I'll take a shower and a nap."