I'm about to go crazy with these updates... Some Starribel for the fans ;D
Chapter 5: The Ol' Western Blues
"A trade, Kurosaki," Harribel offered, "These Vizards for ten minutes of your time."
Ichigo paused, letting the situation settle like a blanket of mist in his mind. He wasn't afraid, no, but this was certainly a different experience. No outlaw in the right mind would barge in and demand such a petty trade. There had to be something he was missing. Renji swallowed dryly, reaching for his shot gun hidden beneath his desk. Rukia shifted uncomfortably, noticing Renji's hesitant reaction. "Alright," Ichigo replied to ease the tension.
Starrk untied Love and Rose and they rubbed at their raw wrists. "How unnecessary," Rose uttered.
"Next time don't shoot at Lilynette," Starrk snarled, a growl erupting in his throat like a rabid wolf. "You're lucky I didn't kill you! You'd better be thanking me, heartless bastards. She's just a girl!"
Love shook his head, recalling the brief history he had with Los Lobos, "We're not the ones who brought her into the war in the first place."
They were testing his patience. "Neither was I," He shot back, reaching for his revolver.
"Starrk," Harribel coerced, "Remember why we're here."
"I didn't know to begin with," He muttered, folding his arms back against his chest. If he didn't keep his hands to himself he would shoot up the place and increase his bounty.
"What did you want to talk about?" Ichigo questioned, sitting behind his desk. "Rose, Love, leave." The Vizards stared at him for a moment, uneasy, but then they acknowledged his request and left. Love made sure to bump his shoulder into Starrk's, earning a snarl. "Now then. Red Star, explain to me what your problem is."
"Ulquiorra's gathering the Espada," she told him, "He discovered that Aizen's back, and he's making a new army of Arrancar. Night Wing believes that if we don't act now the whole Mid-West could be in peril." She removed her hat, examining the red band that wrapped around the brim, "I was on my way here when I ran into Starrk. Aizen has a plan, we don't know what it is, but form Ulquiorra's Intel he believes that Starrk and the rest of the Espada are in danger. Once the Espada are out of the way that leaves your town: Vizards, you, and everyone else who stands in his way."
Ichigo failed to respond-he was caught trying to decide whether to believe her or not. Well, she didn't kill the Vizards and she really only needed one for leverage... but they were dangerous. They were bandits. They were... Arrancar... Espada, no less. This would take some evaluating. "Hm..." He needed to ponder this carefully. "Well..."
"We understand if you're skeptical," Harribel avowed.
He had every right to be doubtful of them, but for some reason his instincts were screaming for him to just accept their story. "I believe you."
"But, Ichigo-!" Rukia exclaimed, shooting up out of her seat, but he held his hand up to silence her. She frowned and sat back down, gripping her pistol awkwardly. She met Renji's timid stare.
"Anything else you want to tell me?" The Sheriff asked, his calculated amber gaze studying them.
"Yes," Harribel cleared her throat, "Ulquiorra figured the Espada should meet here. We were wondering if we could stay until we met up with the others. This is the only place closest to Hueco Mundo, after all."
Ichigo was silent for another moment. "...Fine. But I'm going to have my Vizards on full alert-you try anything and they'll shoot, got it?"
"Understood," Starrk admonished, taking Harribel by her elbow, "We'll stay at the Inn if you need us." He practically dragged her out, meeting the curious stares of the girls sitting on the front steps. "We're in the clear for now. Try not to start any tavern fights, OK?"
Harribel won back her arm with a punch to the gut, "Come on, I'll get us two rooms." She untied Tiburon from the post and they tailed behind her to the Karakura Tavern, which was a combination of a bar, an Inn, and a stable which was in back to keep the horses. "You girls will have to share a room for the night, Starrk and I need to talk alone."
Mila poked Apache in the ribs playfully, raising her eyebrows suggestively. In return, Apache snorted in failed attempt to hold back a laugh, but she instantly glanced away when Starrk shot her a quizzical look. Sun-Sun was instructed to stay with the horses outside. In the Inn, an Employee named Chad Yasutora glanced up from behind the counter where he was serving a shot to Hirako. Shinji cast a cold stare over his shoulder, "Oh, you guys..." He shrugged, "Guess this means your got on Kurosaki's good side, didn't ya?"
"Ain't none o' ya business," Apache hissed.
Harribel touched her shoulder, "Actually, it is his business. The Vizards are going to watch us if we try to pull anything."
"They've got nerve," the Fraccion uttered, crossing her arms.
Starrk cleared his throat, "Listen, we need a place to stay. You got two rooms open?" Silently, Chad nodded. "Much obliged. Can we stick our horses in the stable?" Once again, a silent nod.
Chad glanced over to the corner, "Inoue, show them to their rooms for tonight."
"He speaks!" Lilynette mused, but Starrk tapped the back of her head to get her to shut up.
A girl named Orihime Inoue emerged from the corner where she was cleaning a table. She soothed down her dress and smiled, "Hi, I'm Orihime Inoue as you already know!" She was addressing Starrk. "Follow me please!" This girl was of Aizen's interests, and just when things seemed clear and that she had been saved from his grasps by her friends, he ordered that Starrk kidnap her again. The thought went over Starrk's head and they followed this bubbly girl to the second floor. She gestured to the first room, "Here's one with the single bed! And across the way is another which has two beds!" She pointed to the second door, "Make yourselves at home! You can pay at the end of each day if you think you'll be staying longer." With that she strode off.
Starrk cleared his throat, "Harribel and I will take this first room. Apache, Lilynette, can you do me a favor and help the other girls with the horses? You can come back up and get settled in your room when you're done."
Lilynette saluted, "Yes, sir!" She took Apache's wrist and dragged the girl off, much to her dismay.
Harribel was the first to enter, noticing that the curtains were draped over the window panes to keep out the sunlight. She heard Starrk lock the door, a soft click that echoed off the virtually bare walls. "Starrk I was-" When she faced him she met his aggressive kiss, crushing his lips into hers. She hesitated, unsure how to react or if sh should react at all, but then she melted into him. Her heart fluttered as he pulled away. "Starrk..."
"I've missed you..." He admitted, kissing her again. This time they held longer until he forced himself away, taking both side of her face to gaze into her crystallizing green eyes, "Tia, I've missed you so much..."
She smirked, flicking off his hat and then her own, "Mmm... Prove it."
Wordlessly, he knocked her on the bed, lips to her neck.
That night, Starrk awoke with his arm around Harribel's bare waist. He trailed kisses down her shoulder, careful not to arouse her into consciousness, and stepped out of bed. He dressed and moved outside the Inn, noticing Kurosaki was sitting with a woman from Seireitei-Soifon, he believed-on the front steps of the Sheriff's station. They were exchanging drinks and information.
"I was supposed to head back," Soifon told him, exhaling sharply. "I noticed the Lobos and Stars were here, so instead I kept a low profile and let you sort everything out. I couldn't head back to Seireitei empty handed."
"So you want to know the whole story?" Ichigo figured, shining his badge. The light from the starts was enough to reflect a blinding beam into his eyes, but still he rubbed at it with his raw thumb. She didn't need to answer him, for he continued anyway, "Our dear friend Night Wing has some kind of Intel and wants to gather the Espada so they can get in on his plan. Red Star told me what she knew, so I'm letting her and Los Lobos stay for the time being."
"I don't want Seireitei gettin' the wrong idea about any of this," Soifon mentioned grimly, "I should talk to 'em in the mornin'."
"Or you could talk to me now," Starrk remarked as he approached them, lighting a cigarette (even though he promised Lilynette he'd quit since she didn't like the smell it left on his breath).
"Coyote Starrk," Soifon muttered, sliding over to let him sit beside her. She grunted after realizing she was now wedged between both men. "You got a big bounty on your head. Gimme one good reason why I shouldn't shoot you."
"Because you know Kurosaki's right," He said, offering them smokes. They waved him off. "I'm honestly just going with whatever Harribel does. She ran into Night Wing before I did, so she acquired all the information. I'm the third wheel, and I'm merely waiting for him to show up." He sighed, "It's hard for me. I never wanted Lilynette to get involved again after the war, but I guess some things can't be avoided."
"She's just a girl," Ichigo hissed, staring with an unfocused gaze, "How'd she get into this in the first place?"
"Let's just say..." Starrk thought about it for a moment, "I'm all she has left. Despite the numerous times I've tried to shake her she chases me. It's my fault really. I let her get too close to me. So, now she just goes where I go and I make sure I don't leave her behind."
Soifon felt a pang of resentment and glanced down the street at the Urahara Shop. "So what're ya here for?"
"Aizen's leading another revolt of Arrancar," He supplied carefully, careful not to say anything that differed from Harribel's version, "Ulquiorra is gathering the Espada to stop him. I figure we can use all the help we can get, though."
Soifon stood, feeling a little claustrophobic, and brushed off her pants. "Alright, I'll be going then. That's enough of an excuse to keep Seireitei from sendin' goons after you. Omaeda! Let's go!" Her partner was fast asleep nearby, but he jumped up to her words and drowsily untied Suzumebachi from the post. He mounted his own horse. Soifon jumped on Suzumebachi.
"Be careful!" Ichigo called out.
She waved and they left off, hooves pounding like the sound of thunder against the sand.
Starrk crushed out his light and stood, "I'll leave you alone now, Kurosaki. Have a nice night."
"You, too, Starrk."
He tipped his hat and trekked back to the second floor of the Inn, gently pushing open the door to the girls' room. They were sleeping two to a bed, Mila with Sun-Sun and Apache with Lilynette. He crept over to Lily, silent so the floorboards didn't creek beneath him. He stared down at her peaceful form, brushed a bang out of her face and tucked the covers under her chin.
"We're not the ones who brought her into the war in the first place." ...Shut up.
He stalked back out and into the other room with Harribel, who was now sitting up and fully clothed like she had been waiting for him. "Where'd you go?"
"No where, just to get some fresh air. I ended up talkin' to Kurosaki and Soifon from Seireitei. They wanted to clarify a few things, and Soifon said she's gonna try to convincing her town to not send their blasted gunslingers after us for a while." He removed his boots and his vest, and then his pants. He pulled her under the covers with him, her head on his chest.
There was a silence. "Harribel?"
"Hm?"
"I love you."
"I love you, too, Coyote. Now go to bed before I knock your lights out."
His mind at ease for the mean time, he felt himself doze to the sound of the coyotes howling in the distance.
Next Chapter Preview: Starrk felt the barrel of the gun press against the back of his head. Despite his current situation, he smirked, "It's been a while... Grimmjow."