As eager as he was to start his experiment, Szayel forced himself not to rush to Orihime's room. If there was anything he prided himself on, it was his self-control. A group of low-level Arrancar eyed him, rightfully worried at the sight of an excited Octava Espada. He ignored their gazes, his anticipation growing as he reached his destination. He was nearly to her room when someone stepped in his path.
"Szayel," said Nnoitra, offering him a grin. "What are you doing up here in the land of the 'living'? I thought you didn't leave your lab except when Aizen-sama ordered you up here for meetings."
Szayel glared up at the Quinta Espada. "That's really none of your concern. Move." He tried walking around, but Nnoitra stuck out his arm, effectively blocking the door.
"Hey, don't be like that! What's got you so antsy you don't even want to have a friendly chat? After all we've been through."
Szayel didn't reply.
"Say, this is where Pet-sama is being kept, right?" Nnoitra asked, taking in their surroundings. "And Ulquiorra's out on a mission. Rumor has it she's got a replacement guard now, so I bet whoever it is will be coming any minu—" He stopped in mid-sentence, his grin growing even wider. "I get it. So, that's why you're here. You're the replacement guard."
"Technically speaking," said Szayel, "yes."
Nnoitra needed to move, by force if necessary. Time was of the essence. Ulquiorra wouldn't be on his mission for long, and Szayel had hoped to get as much information from Orihime in this session as possible.
"But why?" Nnoitra asked, in a half-interested tone. "Didn't you say you'd be bored stiff if you had to babysit some 'woman'?"
Szayel smirked. "Experimentation, of course." He held up his clipboard to accentuate the point.
"Experimentation," repeated Nnoitra, chuckling. "How the hell did you convince Aizen-sama to let you experiment on her? More importantly, will there be anything left when you're finished?"
"I'm afraid I'll have to collect my data using more…roundabout methods than usual," Szayel said, holding back a sigh. "If she were harmed in any way, Aizen-sama wouldn't be the only one out for my head."
The image of a silently fuming Ulquiorra came to mind.
Suddenly the board was ripped from Szayel's hand. Before Szayel could take it back from his fellow Espada's grasps, Nnoitra started reading the information he had gathered. Szayel glared while his 'comrade' nodded in certain places and scoffed in others.
"The hell? You didn't write anything about her boobs!" Nnoitra exclaimed, shaking his head. "How do you miss that? Either you're blinder than Tousen or gayer than Luppi."
Szayel snatched the clipboard back from Nnoitra. "Yes, how dare I find other attributes about my subject—besides than her chest size—more appealing. But I'll remember to amend her physical characteristics to include your…astute observation."
He could practically feel the seconds tick by. Fed up with Nnoitra's antics, Szayel pushed past the tall Arrancar and made his way to Orihime's room. His hand hovered over the handle, ready to push the door open, but Nnoitra wasn't finished.
"Hey! Why don't you let me and Pet-sama spend some quality time together? You know, for old time's sake."
Szayel's eyes narrowed as he turned back to Nnoitra. "I don't recall owing you any favors. If anything, it's the other way around. Besides," he said, "I can't risk any extraneous variables ruining my experiment."
Half an hour had passed since Ulquiorra left on his mission. At least this time Orihime wasn't bored out of her mind. She had hoped—although, truthfully, she hadn't expected—Szayel to keep his promise. And yet, the day after he visited, she found a pile of books and games stacked in a corner of her room.
How had he managed? Orihime giggled at the mental image of Szayel going from store to store, the bags in his hands threatening to overwhelm him. She shook her head. As amusing as that sounded, she doubted it.
The door creaking open pulled her from her thoughts. She looked up from the book she was reading to find Szayel walking in, a clipboard held in one of his hands. Orihime stared at it curiously, but didn't question him as he shut the door.
"Good morning," she said, marking her place before setting the book on the table. "Or…would it be good evening?"
"Hello, Orihime-san," said Szayel. "I see you approve of the materials I gathered for you."
"Yes. Thank you very much," she said as she bowed. "I'm not sure how you managed to get everything here, but I really appreciate it."
Szayel laughed, waving a hand dismissively. "It was nothing! That is what Fraccion and low-level Arrancar are for." He waited for her to respond, but she said nothing. "And otherwise you're doing well?"
"Yes."
"You don't feel confined, being in this room all the time?"
"Yes," Orihime said, and jumped when she caught herself. "I mean, no! I mean—I'm not saying this is a bad room! It's definitely bigger than my apartment. And I'm sure it's one of the nicest rooms in Las Noches!"
She continued rambling while Szayel studied her. Such an unusual reaction, he decided, scribbling down what he saw onto the clipboard.
Once Orihime had calmed down, she noticed the Espada's frantic writing. "Szayel-san?" She walked over to him, in the hopes of catching a glimpse, but he pulled the board close before she could read anything. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing important, Orihime-san. Back to what you were saying about feeling confined. If you're up for it, I thought perhaps we could walk around Las Noches. Give you something to see other than your room for a change."
She blushed. "I…"
"We don't have to go, if you don't want to."
"No, that's not it! I would love to," Orihime said, more certain than before. "It's just weird to have you offer. When I first arrived at Las Noches, I would ask Ulquiorra if I could walk around a bit, but he refused. He said it was too dangerous."
Szayel nodded. "If you went by yourself, yes, it certainly would be. This time you'll be with me. No Arrancar in their right mind would dare attack." He headed for the door. "Stay close, and you'll be fine."
Orihime deliberated briefly before giving in and following him out of the room. Last time she and Szayel were out, she was too focused on getting acquainted with the Espada to appreciate her surroundings. Now she could soak in any details she had missed. Not that there was much variation in the architecture. Every hall looked the same, with the same white walls and floors—but Szayel seemed to know where he was going.
"Szayel-san?" she asked hesitantly.
"Yes?" He watched her out the corner of his eye, surprised she had handled the silence for so long. But then, when her only companion was as talkative as a statue, it made sense.
"I don't know." She laughed, scratching the back of her head. "I didn't speak with a topic in mind. It's just...the silence was becoming too oppressive."
Szayel resisted writing his observations, knowing if he did, she would ask to see them. He glanced at his clipboard. This meant he would need to remember as many details from their interactions as possible and record them later, or else risk rousing her suspicion.
How inconvenient.
"How about this? I'll ask you a question," said Szayel, "and then you can ask me one. We'll keep going until we can't think of anything or until we get bored."
Orihime considered his proposition. "Sounds good to me. So, who'll start?"
"Why don't you go first? You're our guest, after all."
Orihime frowned at his remark. After a beat, she asked, "Have you ever thought about changing your hair color?"
A nerve near Szayel's eye twitched. Of all the questions she could've posed. At least it was slightly better than asking why his hair was pink.
"Some days more than others," he answered, forcing a smile. "How old are you, Orihime-san?"
Orihime didn't know what questions she expected him to ask, but she hadn't thought it would be one so normal. "Sixteen. Actually," she said, her voice taking a far-off tone, "that's when I met Ulquiorra."
Szayel gave her a confused look as they rounded the corner.
"My most recent birthday," Orihime said. "That was the first time I met Ulquiorra."
"I see."
"Now that I think about it, how old are you, Szayel-san?"
"Very old and very young."
Orihime looked down at her feet, the wheels in her head turning. She was so deep in thought she failed to notice a pair of Arrancar until she nearly ran into them. "Sorry!" she called after the pair, who muttered something about stupid humans. "I don't understand, Szayel-san. How can you be both old and young?"
"I believe it's my turn to be asking the questions."
"I-I wasn't asking a question," said Orihime, blushing. "I just wanted clarification."
Szayel chuckled. "I was only joking," he said, and her blush deepened. "I'm young because my current form as an Arrancar just recently came into existence. But I'm also old because the Hollows that form me in this new form have been around for centuries. As such, I'm very old and very young."
"Oh," Orihime said, not sure how to react otherwise.
Another group of Arrancar passed them. This time Orihime was able to walk around them. The group glared at the two with perplexed, disgusted looks, not that either of them noticed—or cared, in Szayel's case.
"What about your family, Orihime-san? I don't think you've ever mentioned them before."
A forlorn expression crossed her face. "I have a couple of distant relatives who help support me, but besides them I'm on my own. I used to live with my older brother, but he—" She stopped, fighting back tears. "He died a couple of years ago. I don't really remember my parents. I don't know if they're dead or alive."
Szayel wanted to ask her more, but he had obviously hit a nerve. And rather than risk her closing up, he decided not to press the issue.
"Do you have any friends here in Las Noches, Szayel-san?" Orihime asked softly. The Octava Espada stared at her. "You know, companions? Confidants? Comrades?"
"I know what you meant." Truth be told, he hadn't expected her question to catch him off-guard. "Friendship isn't very…common…among Arrancar."
"In other words, no."
Szayel grinned at her directness. "Well, yes. Now, now! Don't look at me so pitifully, Orihime-san. You can't miss what you've never had."
"I suppose," she agreed, frowning. "But it's still sad."
They finally arrived at their destination, standing in front of a large ornate door. Orihime stared up at it in awe, at the carvings in the marble-like substance. She couldn't make out what any of the engravings, but it was beautiful nonetheless.
"This leads to the world outside Las Noches," said Szayel, anticipating her question. "I thought you could do with a change in scenery. The same walls and floors tend to get repetitive, don't they?"
Orihime nodded. "I'm surprised Aizen-sama would allow me to go outside, but I can't complain."
Szayel grabbed the handle of the door. With seemingly minimal effort the door cracked open, revealing the sandy desert of Hueco Mundo. To Orihime's disappoint, the color palette outside Las Noches wasn't much different from than the one inside. Szayel walked out first, Orihime not far behind.
"Wow!" She glanced up at the sky. "The moon looks different out here than it does through the window in my room. It's so big and bright! Does that mean it's nighttime now or…?"
"So much for 'you ask a question, I ask a question,'" he said humorously, watching her absorb every aspect of the environment.
Orihime looked further out on the horizon and pointed at something in the distance. "Say, Szayel-san," she said, tugging on his sleeve, "what is that over there? It can't be—Is it a tree? When does it blossom? Does it produce any flowers?"
Szayel stared at the object. "It is indeed a tree, but it's not quite like the trees you're familiar with."
"Why do you say that?" She stood on her tiptoes, a hand above her brow to help her see better.
"Unlike the trees from the human world, trees in Hueco Mundo are made of a substance similar to quartz. As a result, these trees cannot bloom, nor can they produce flowers." Noting Orihime's confused look, he added, "They aren't alive."
Orihime stopped what she was doing. "Oh," she said, lowering her hand. "I see."
No longer interested in the tree she knelt down and started playing with the sand, making patterns with her finger that resembled a sun and some flowers and trees. When she was done, she took a handful of sand and sifted it through her hands a few times, a small frown on her face.
Szayel watched her, confused to no end. She was supposed to be happy being outside in this new environment. And yet, she seemed even more disheartened.
He cleared his throat. "What's wrong, Orihime-san?"
"Nothing." She stood, brushing some sand grains off her dress.
"Except?"
Orihime hesitated, her gaze fixed on his boots. Eventually she faced him, her eyebrows furrowed. "There's nothing alive here in Hueco Mundo, is there, Szayel-san?"
"No," he said, considering her carefully. "Well, except for you."
Orihime's face flushed at his comment. "Yes."
But Szayel didn't hear her. He was focused on a familiar reiatsu re-entering Hueco Mundo. He grinned, amused at the speed with which Ulquiorra finished his mission. Apparently he didn't approve of Szayel spending time with 'his' woman.
"Come, we should return to your room. I think we will find a familiar guard waiting for you."
Ulquiorra said nothing of Orihime being outside her room, although the looks he sent Szayel clearly said if the Octava Espada pulled another stunt like that, he wouldn't be lucky.
In the meantime Szayel decided to amend the information he obtained from his subject, also adding the results of his first experiment. He had hoped to gather more data, but it was no matter. There would be a next time.
Subject: Inoue Orihime
Species: Human
Age: 16 years old
Sex: Female
Height: 157 cm
Weight:
Family: Mother and Father (situation unknown), older brother (deceased; seems to have been the substitute parental figure during development), distant relatives
Physical Characteristics: Soft orange hair held back with two blue clips, brown eyes, smooth skin, heavily endowed chest
Szayel refrained from rolling his eyes. Trust Nnoitra to be the pinnacle of class amongst the Espada.
Other characteristics: Blushes easily, intelligent, observant, inquisitive, amusing sense of humor, frequently apologizes (submissive?), very warm, uncomfortable with familiarity, eccentric, radiating light/life from her entire being...
Experiment 1: Exposure to the world outside Las Noches
Null Hypothesis: There will be no change in the subject's behavior.
Alternative Hypothesis: The subject will exhibit behavior characteristic of happiness and/or elation.
He tapped the pen against his lips. Somehow both the alternative and null hypotheses were incorrect. But then, he never would've figured her to react with such melancholy. The stimulus should have made her happy.
What peculiar reactions she exhibited.