Fluffy covers, warm covers. Why did her bed have to feel so comfy in the morning? Orihime didn't want to have to get out of her bed, nor open her eyes.
She wished she could sink into these covers forever. Sadly, as a twenty-one year old, she had a job to do. She let out a long yawn before her eyes fluttered open…
Only to be met with a blank roof. When did her roof color change? Lighting, must be.
Slowly, she shifted to her side on her bed, only to be met with a stomach sinking feeling of falling right off her bed.
Orihime shook her head and looked up. "Was I really that close to the edg-" Her pupils shrank, taking in the bland grey couch. The bland grey walls.
"W- What?!" She squeaked, jumping back and scooting away from the couch, only to bump into a hard marble chair. She let out a scream and quickly stood up, then looked down at herself.
Black and white outfit… She went pale. No.
No.
Orihime quickly turned around, and felt her own eyes widen at the sight. An indefinite backwards crescent moon in a starless night sky…
She stumbled back a few steps, staring up at that foreboding silent moon, and felt a tear ripple down her cheek… no…
That wasn't possible. She was saved…
Silent tears fell, and she was so caught up in the crescent moon, she didn't hear the door open or the monotone voice announcing its owner's arrival.
Ulquiorra pushed in the cart to the woman's room, due to the servant getting brutally ripped apart by Grimmjow earlier that evening while trying to heal him. He couldn't help a scoff as he looked at her staring at the window, a bit more caught up in it then usual.
After a moment, he spoke. "Woman, your meal is here. Do not make me remind you of the consequences of ignoring my arrival and refusing to eat your food."
Orihime slowly turned her head, suddenly feeling like she was ascending to the clouds at the sound of that voice. 'No… It couldn't be."
Ulquiorra watched the woman slowly turn her head to look at him with mild interest. 'She is distressed. More than usual.' he mentally noted.
She turned her body towards him, her face almost as pale as he was. Her mouth was open as if it were frozen mid way through talking.
The two had a long stare-off, as Ulquiorra couldn't help but slowly raise an eyebrow. Orihime stared at her once again captor, unsure of what to say.
Finally, the silence was broken. "Ul.. Ulquiorra…?" she asked carefully, as if she spoke too loud he'd disappear once again.
He almost rolled his eyes at her antics. "Woman, eat your food. You mustn't disobey-" before he could finish, she screamed.
"W- Where's Ichigo?!" a pause of terrified breaths. "W… Where's Kazui?!" she yelled, backing up against the wall from him.
Before Ulquiorra could even think of speaking, she continued. "Why did you kidnap me a second time?! How are you alive!?" she screamed, as she hit the corner of the room with her back.
He slowly began to approach her in even slow steps. "Woman, you are hysterical. You will exhaust yourself, or pass out from shock. I order you to stop." he hissed.
Orihime clenched her fingers. "G- Get away from me!" she screeched, tears beginning to fall again.
He took his hand out of his pocket and grabbed her wrist roughly. "I said stop!" he hissed, causing Orihime to freeze up.
After a moment of staring, Ulquiorra let go of her wrist and backed up. He was too short-tempered from Grimmjow to deal with the woman's antics today.
He let out an exasperated sigh and stood in the middle of the room, shoving his hand back in his pocket. "Woman, I have informed you already that your friends are alive. Lord Aizen has kept them alive to do further research and reforming." he explained monotonously.
"W- Where's Kazui?!" she yelled, causing him to shoot her a stern look. "There is no 'Kazui', woman. Have you slept? What has brought you to such a state of distress over myself and this 'Kazui' character?"
"What.. what did you do to him…?" she asked quietly, still glued to the corner, trying to get as far away as possible from her former captor.
"Woman, you must rest." he paused. What were those fake visions the human brain made up? Ah, yes, dreams. "You must be confused with a dream. Sleep, I will return in an hour."
But before Ulquiorra could even turn around, she had lunged at him and gripped him by the collar. His pupils narrowed to slits as he dangerously stared at the woman.
When had she gotten so strong? Ulquiorra stared at her as she breathed heavily. "Where. Is. Kazui." she said under her breath, venom dripping from each and every one of her words.
He brought his hand up and gripped her wrist. "Put me down." he ordered, but she didn't budge. He began to squeeze her wrist with a force that would've crushed it, but she appeared unaffected, and her gaze didn't waver and she didn't flinch in pain.
"No! Where is he?! What did you do to him?!" she yelled at him, tightening her grip on his kimono collar.
Ulquiorra's eyes hardened. "Woman, this 'Kazui' you speak of, does not exist. You have only spoken to me, Lord Aizen, and the servant that once served you food. You have not spoken to anyone by the name of 'Kazui'." he said, his words hard and thorough.
Orihime felt tears begin to prickle her eyes, and she roughly let go of Ulquiorra. She took two steps back and stared at him in utter despair. "No… he was my own child! No! H- He was here!" she wailed, collapsing to her knees.
Ulquiorra furrowed his eyebrows a little. Had she finally mentally collapsed? That didn't make any sense, she was confident, defiant and hopeful not even an hour ago. How was this possible? "Woman, rest. I will speak with Lord Aizen about this new… 'development.'" and with that, he turned on his heel away from the sobbing woman.
Slowly, he shut the door to her room and let out what felt like the millionth sigh that day. What had just happened? Why did she look, seem, sound and feel so different? Why was she so emotionally attached to this Kazui character?
He felt an ache around his hollow hole as he heard her wail out this character's name. When had such a person become more important than Ichigo Kurosaki?
No matter, he would report it to Aizen.