One Moment
Chapter 8: Machinations
Characters/Pairings: Starrk, Lilynette, Grimmjow, Harribel, all of the non-traitorous Captains except Mayuri, Yachiru, and Isane. Hints of Shunsui/Starrk, but primarily gen.
Rating: PG, I think.
Words: ~9700
Chapter Summary: Proposals are put forth by both sides for their own purposes. Lilynette finds a new friend while Zaraki hunts for a fight.
Warning: Nothing but plot and talking for nearly ten thousand words.
"Court is now adjourned," the old man slammed his cane down onto the ground. "With the exception of the current Captains, you are all dismissed. Kyouraku, Ukitake, the two of you bring the traitor Aizen back to his cell."
Starrk closed his eyes, sagging a little bit more into his seat even as all those around him began to stand and leave. The Visoreds' and Kurosaki's testimonies had taken a very long time, though none of the information had been particularly surprising. So the Visoreds were made into what they were due to Aizen's experiments… Starrk had really expected nothing less.
He couldn't help but wonder if he was the only one who wasn't made into a hybrid due to Aizen's machinations. Perhaps Neliel…? But he dismissed the thought eventually: jpossible threads of similarity didn't assure that a connection could be made. To wish for it was simply to set himself up for disappointment and hurt.
That was another lesson he had learned well.
"Hey, Aizen!" Grimmjow's voice rang out suddenly in the air. Starrk blinked, turning his attention to the man.
Grimmjow was grinning, his teeth sharp in the fading light coming through the windows. "How does it feel to be tossed away like trash by the very tools you thought you can used, eh?" he taunted, lifting a hand to give Aizen a middle-finger salute.
Before anyone could reply, Grimmjow laughed harshly before he swept out of the room, with Neliel in her child form napping in his arms. She had turned back sometime during the flood of testimonials, and fallen asleep to Kurosaki's voice. Starrk watched Grimmjow's back, and turned his eyes away when he saw Harribel approach him.
He knew what she was going to offer to the former Sexta. And it took some effort before he could stamp down the instinctive resentment he felt at the three of them standing together like that.
Did Grimmjow even understand what it was he had? What he could have if he just reached out a hand?
"You're making yourself sad again," Lilynette observed. "Stop that!"
She crawled back to his lap, her knees between his thighs as she grabbed his face and smacked her mask fragment right over his nose.
"Ow!" Starrk yelped. "What do you keep hitting me?"
"Because you keep being dumb," she rolled her eyes. Jumping down, she grabbed his stone-covered wrist, tugging. "Come on, let's go already. I'm sick of this place."
Starrk looked at her for a moment before he nodded. But as he made to stand, a hand fell onto his shoulder. He turned around to meet Kyouraku's smiling face.
"Starrk-san, are you alright?"
Blinking, Starrk cocked his head. "Why won't I be?"
"You were… drifting away during the proceeding," Kyouraku said. "I was worried."
Starrk's eyes widened for a brief moment before he ruthlessly quashed the rising hope inside him. Was that true? Or were they were just another form of manipulation for some purpose he didn't yet understand? Starrk couldn't tell; the troubled darkness in Kyouraku's eyes didn't seem false, but he didn't know that particular emotion well to know for sure.
He couldn't trust this man.
Slowly, he shook his head. "Don't you have duties to tend to?" he asked wryly instead.
Kyouraku shrugged. "Aizen can wait a little longer," he said carelessly, waving a hand. "I simply wanted to know if you're alright, Starrk-san."
Was the Captain afraid that Starrk would go on some sort of rampage the moment he left? Did he fear for the lives of the near-powerless Shinigami who might end up meeting Starrk by accident?
He shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'm fine," he murmured. "Lilynette and I will just head back to your Division."
Kyouraku peered into his eyes for a long moment. "Are you certain?" he asked.
"Just let us go already!" Lilynette demanded, huffing impatiently. "Jeez, you're really persistent."
Starrk placed a hand on her shoulder.
"If you're worried about where we are going, you can follow us with your senses to make sure that we head back to your Division directly," he offered. He paused before shrugging. "Though, I'm sure you're already planning to do so."
The smile on Kyouraku's face faltered, becoming sorrowful at the edges. "That's not what I was worried about, Starrk-san." His hand left Starrk's shoulder. The chill set in almost immediately.
"But if you are sure that you are fine…"
"I'm fine," Starrk said firmly. "Both of us are."
Kyouraku looked at him for another moment more before he nodded, stepping away.
"Then I'll leave you be."
Lilynette pulled at him again, and Starrk followed her lead as they headed towards the wide double doors of the courtroom. But he stopped right at the doorway, nearly crashing into her, as he turned around and sought Kyouraku's eyes again.
"I'll see you later, then?" he asked, trying his best to keep the insecurity from his voice. He couldn't help thinking that Kyouraku might not want to have anything to do with him anymore after all that he had revealed during the trial.
But Kyouraku merely waved at them.
"Definitely," he said, smile widening. "The very moment this meeting ends."
"I'll be counting!" Lilynette said by his side. Starrk glanced down at her, seeing his own insecurity mirrored in her eyes, barely hidden by false belligerence. "Don't try to fool us."
Starrk opened his mouth. Oddly enough, he wanted to say that he would be waiting as well, but he swallowed back the words and nodded instead.
"Let's go, Lilynette."
Watching the scene, Grimmjow's nose twitched. He could practically smell the interest the Shinigami had in Starrk from here, and it was almost as disgusting as the stench from Aizen's very presence.
He turned around, making to leave.
"Grimmjow, wait."
Yanking his arm out of Harribel's grip, he made sure that he wasn't jarring the sleeping Nel as he turned and narrowed his eyes.
"What the hell do you want?"
Harribel wasn't looking at him, but at some Shinigami Vice-Captain who was returning her Tiburon. Grimmjow grunted as he snatched Pantera back, sliding it back into his hakama's sash without needing to look.
"I need to talk to you," she finally said.
"Here?" Grimmjow raised an eyebrow. His tone perfectly conveyed his opinion of Harribel's stupidity.
"No. In Hueco Mundo."
"I'm not going back to Las Noches." He knew that was where Harribel had set up her den with her fraccion.
"In neutral territory, then," she offered.
"I'll pick the place," Grimmjow challenged.
She merely nodded, which annoyed him even further. He really despised just how quiet she was; sometimes he wondered if she had a personality under all that bone.
Grunting under his breath, he secured Nel even more firmly in his arm before he ripped open a Garganta. The passageway would lead far from his own den, but his injuries had nearly healed – he would be fully healed if he had taken up that Shinigami Captain's offer, but he wasn't going to owe the bastards more than he already did – and sonido would get him back quickly enough.
When the three of them stepped back onto the grey-toned world of Hueco Mundo, Grimmjow strode towards one of the rocks. He sat down, legs splayed open. Nel murmured in her sleep, and he placed a gentle hand on top of her mask fragment to soothe her.
"You're good to her," Harribel said after she took a look around the surroundings.
Grimmjow growled under his breath. "She's mine," he declared, sending out a hard pulse of reiatsu to back up the claim. "Don't think that I don't know that you wanted her for yourself."
Harribel's eyes crinkled upwards slightly – the only hint of her smile – before she shook her head. "She has made a choice," she shrugged. "And I respect it."
His eyes narrowed even further. "Then what do you want to talk to me about?"
They were both Alphas, and conversations between Alphas rarely happened unless they were belonged in the same pack or when they were fighting over the same Beta. They weren't part of a pack – being part of the Espada didn't count, because Aizen had never been a Pack Alpha, no matter how strong he was – so if Harribel wasn't trying to contest his claim over Neliel, then what the hell was she here for.
"I want to offer you an alliance," Harribel said.
Grimmjow stared. "What?"
"You have your own pack, I have mine," she explained in the same calm, almost flat tone. "But if you and yours are threatened, me and mine will come to your aid. And the same vice versa."
"Have you been spending too much time with the Shinigami?"
"It's precisely because of the Shinigami," Harribel's eyes narrowed. "They don't trust us. I don't trust them either. We don't know when they would come and attack us again. And Aizen has shown how vulnerable single packs are against a stronger threat. If the Captains all come after us, we'll lose."
Grimmjow's eye twitched, but she didn't give him a chance to interrupt.
"There are only six of us left now. If we ally together, there will be a lesser chance we are overpowered, whether by the Shinigami or anyone else in Hueco Mundo."
Six? If he included Harribel's fraccion, then…
"What about the pathetic bastard and his annoying tagalong?"
Harribel raised an eyebrow at him, most probably due to the names he used. "I don't think they'll come back to Hueco Mundo," she shook her head. "And even if they do…"
Grimmjow understood her point instantly. Only Alphas could form packs, and if Starrk wasn't a Beta, then Grimmjow would eat his own left arm. The rawness and strength of his power practically screamed it. If the two of them came back to Hueco Mundo, they would have to wait for an Alpha to invite them to the pack or they would be alone again. And Grimmjow had no interest in having the two of them.
"You're not going to invite them?" he raised an eyebrow.
Harribel chuckled, the sound muffled by the high collar of her shirt. "I have no interest in men," she said dryly. "And Lilynette won't leave Starrk."
There was no way that Starrk and Lilynette would come back then, which meant that this issue was one between Harribel and Grimmjow alone. But there was clearly something wrong about Harribel's idea.
"It'll be stupid to leave them out," he pointed out. "If you're afraid of the Shinigami turning on us, then they'll be the first the figure out." If only due to the fact that they were right there in Seireitei while he and Harribel were in Hueco Mundo. "Why don't you ask him?"
The other Alpha gave him a considering look. Grimmjow rolled his eyes.
"There's no way that he'll disagree. He'll probably just fall over agreeing because he thinks you see him as a comrade or something."
Harribel snorted into her shirt, and Grimmjow couldn't help but agree with that assessment. Comrades were a thing only for Shinigami and humans; Hollows had no such things. There were mates who walked beside you, packs with whom you run beside, and both were temporary and formed for the sake of combined strength for survival or even the having of children. For Starrk to want to have comrades for the sake of it just proved just fucking weird he was.
As if there wasn't enough proof already.
"You make for a good case," Harribel acknowledged with a nod. "But I'll have to discuss it with Apacci and the others first."
Grimmjow snorted. "Yeah, like I don't have to ask Neliel about this," he said. "It won't be just me who'll be fighting if we join this alliance of yours."
Harribel cocked her head. "You're surprising me at every turn," she murmured.
"I'm not fucking stupid," he sniped back. "And if you keep thinking so then this whole thing will just go down the drain."
"That's not what I mean," she said. "I just never thought that you would be a good Alpha."
"I'm not Nnoitra. And neither am I weird like you are."
Harribel's Betas were all weaker than she was – weak enough to be her fraccion. Usually, it was the other way around. But then again, he supposed that she had no other choice. Betas were rare, and females even rarer. She probably just took whatever she could. Which really did explained her shitty taste in Betas.
She waved a hand. "How long would you need to decide?" Impatience was all over her words. Grimmjow knew what her rush was; none of them knew how long the Shinigami's charitability would last, especially now that the reason to keep them alive – the trial – was already over.
"You're at Las Noches, right?" She nodded. "I'll find you once I figure it out."
He meant what he said: he would try figure this out. As much as he disliked the thought, she had a point: Grimmjow had been made to serve one asshole already, and he had no wish to serve another, much less get killed because of some bastards' idea of righteousness.
"Alright," Harribel said. Then she was gone.
Grimmjow stood up, looking around him. This was a familiar place: he and his pack, when the useless idiots had still been alive, had used this place as a landmark for this area of Hueco Mundo. The sands and rocks and bare trees were the same as everywhere else, but there were also the ridiculously high mountains of bones.
There were three here, and they weren't the only ones. There were mountains like these dotted all around this area of Hueco Mundo.
That very first time Starrk had walked into Las Noches, Grimmjow had known precisely just what he was. And though Starrk's power would be attractive to any Alpha, Grimmjow wasn't stupid.
Neliel might be able to kick his ass once in a while, but she wouldn't end up killing him by just thinking about it like Starrk could.
Shunsui swallowed back a sigh, pulling the straw hat down over his eyes.
The sun outside had set long ago, casting long shadows into the meeting room beside the courtroom where all the Captains were still arguing regarding the testimonials that they had heard for the day. Although Shunsui wasn't surprised – he knew that a group like this would take almost half of forever to make a decision, especially since all of them were used to their word being absolute law in their own Divisions – he wished he could pull a Zaraki and Kurotsuchi and just abstain from voting entirely by storming out the very moment the meeting had begun.
Especially when the arguments turned almost immediately from Aizen and Ichimaru's punishments to whether or not the word of the Visored and Arrancar – particularly the latter – could at all be trusted.
He sighed under his breath. Soi Fon and Komamura were still arguing heatedly: the former was under the impression that everything that had been said needed to be thoroughly investigated before it could be trusted, while the latter insisted upon trusting their word so that they would not be alienated. Although he could see that both sides of the argument had truth in it, he wished they would stop repeating themselves.
"Shunsui," Yama-jii said, his voice cutting through the rising voices like a knife.
Opening his eyes fully, Shunsui tipped back his hat, meeting the sharp eyes of his old teacher.
"Can the Arrancars' word be trusted?"
Shunsui sat up, biting back a finally. Yama-jii sure liked to take his time.
"In all honesty, Yama-jii," he drawled, sitting up. "I think we're just wasting our time with all this arguing."
Before anyone could interrupt him, or even take issue with what he just said, Shunsui continued, "There is no way we can investigate the truth of anything they might say. They are the only ones close enough to Aizen left alive. The only other who might be able to give a testimony is Ichimaru, and you will have the same questions about his honesty as well."
Across from him, Komamura winced, no doubt thinking of Tousen's death. Though Shunsui did feel sympathy for the other Captain's grief, he honestly had no idea how Tousen's survival would have helped with their current situation.
Pushing away those thoughts, he shrugged. "I say that we trust them," he said, carefully avoiding Ukitake's steady and piercing gaze. "None of them have lied to us so far."
Soi Fon narrowed her eyes. "And you are, of course, absolutely sure about that," she stated dryly.
He smiled pleasantly in reply. "A thousand years of experience made for a pretty good lie detector," he told. Of course, the very same millennia also meant that it was incredibly easy for him to lie, but he hoped that only Yama-jii and Ukitake realised that.
Besides, he wasn't lying. Not this time. Not about this.
"Even if we take their word as truth…" Yama-jii said, interrupting Soi Fon before she could speak. "How much can we trust them to not be threats?"
"Haven't we already gone through this before?" Shunsui raised an eyebrow. He definitely remembered that very long meeting regarding whether to let the hybrids go free, to imprison them, or execute them.
Yama-jii frowned at him. "We were unaware of Jaegarjaquez and Tu Oderschwanck's existence at the time," he said severely. "Not to mention Coyote Starrk's… abilities. He is far more dangerous than we first thought."
Shunsui winced. He should have known that his old teacher definitely wouldn't have allowed the sheer power implied by story of the mountains of Hollows to pass without comment. Though… there was something strange, now that he was thinking about it: when he fought Starrk, the raw power he felt from the other man didn't seem to be able to destroy Adjuchas by complete accident. Not even in their merged form had they felt that powerful.
Had Starrk been subconsciously holding back? Or was that part of what Aizen had done to him? If so… then why hadn't Starrk mentioned it during his testimony?
His hands were starting to twitch. He hid them in his lap so he wouldn't start fidgeting. Only long years of experience allowed him to keep his conflicting thoughts from showing in his eyes.
"Genryuusai-sensei," Ukitake spoke up, leaning across the table to catch the Captain-Commander's eyes. "I have a proposition to make."
Yama-jii waved an imperious hand. "Say it, Jyuushirou."
"We should not think of the Arrancar as potential threats," Ukitake began cautiously. "But as potential assets."
There it was: Ukitake's brilliant mind, perfectly capable of turning everything, including his innate compassion and perception, into military strategies. Kyouraku hid his grin beneath his hat, watching as Yama-jii's eyes slowly opened a fraction wider.
"What do you mean?"
"From what they have said, Jaegarjaquez craves sanctuary, Tu Oderschwanck to rise above her innate instincts, Harribel safety for herself and her fraccion, and Starrk companionship."
"I propose that we give them that," he continued, folding his hands in front of him as he smiled. "We give them what they desire, and, in the process, we gain their loyalty. Not only does this reduce the chance of their striking back against us, we will be able to call upon their power in any future conflict we might have."
"Ukitake," Kuchiki murmured, his voice soft but clear. "How are you so sure that giving them what they want will ensure their loyalty?"
"Because they used to follow Aizen but now hold no loyalty towards him, Byakuya," Ukitake replied easily. "Each of them, in their own words, followed Aizen because he promised to give them what they desire. And each of them turned from him when they realised that he betrayed them."
His smile widened. "In that way, they are little different from us, aren't they?"
"You believe that these… Hollows are similar in any way to the Shinigami?" Kuchiki asked, his scepticism perfectly expressed in one arched eyebrow.
"They carry swords," Ukitake pointed out. "They speak. They have desires. I have witnessed for myself Starrk's capacity for curiosity."
Kuchiki still looked doubtful, and so did some of the other Captains. Shunsui decided that it was time for him to stop watching the show and start participating in it.
"They know what it means to feel hurt," he stated, tipping his hat up and grinning at his colleagues. "I was the only one close enough to Starrk and Harribel to see the looks on their faces when Aizen betrayed them, and it is clear enough that they understand what it means to be betrayed."
"You weren't the only one, Kyouraku," Hitsugaya interjected suddenly. He didn't even flinch when all eyes in the room turned to him. "I was close enough to Harribel to look in her eyes."
He fell silent, dragging a hand through his hair.
Shunsui smiled. "Does she remind you of someone important?" he asked, careful to keep his tone light.
Slowly, Hitsugaya nodded. "Aah."
Retsu-senpai had been silent during the entire discussion, watching the rest of them through unreadable eyes. Now she spoke up: "You are suggesting quite a radical thing, Ukitake-taichou, Kyouraki-taichou," she mused. "You suggest that we look upon Hollows as more than just mere beasts, but creatures capable of humanity."
There wasn't a single shred of incredulity in those dark eyes; there was only expectation. And Shunsui knew Retsu-senpai well enough to understand precisely what she was driving at.
"I'm not suggesting, senpai," he laughed. "I'm stating it."
"You are absolutely certain?" she asked in the same gentle voice.
Exchanging a glance with Ukitake, Shunsui's smile widened as both of them turned towards Yama-jii at once.
"Enough to stake my Captaincy upon it," Ukitake declared.
"And mine too," Shunsui added.
Yama-jii's eyes widened, and the table broke into an uproar. Shunsui couldn't help it; he laughed, loud and loud, and the sound silenced everyone as they stared at him, incomprehension thick in the air.
Ukitake shook his head, having the grace to hide his own laughter behind his hand. "You young ones are really shaming yourself," he chuckled. "If the two of us old fogies are capable of being open-minded, then why can't you do the same?"
"Besides," Shunsui continued, stifling his amusement with some effort, "it's not as if giving a chance to a former enemy is without precedent. Hasn't our dealings with the Kurosaki boy proven just how well it might work?"
"That was different," Kuchiki countered immediately, a frown creasing his brows. "Kurosaki Ichigo was never really our enemy; we were only fooled into thinking so by Aizen's machinations."
"Is it truly different?" Shunsui raised an eyebrow at the other Captain. "These Arrancar would not have been our enemies if not for Aizen's efforts."
"Kurosaki is a human," Kuchiki pointed out. "They are Hollows."
Sliding his eyes to Ukitake once more, Shunsui found the confusion he felt at Kuchiki's insistence mirrored in those familiar brown eyes. He leaned back, letting Ukitake field that particular comment: his friend knew Kuchiki far better than he himself did.
"We had never imagined that a mere human could have the power that Ichigo holds," Ukitake said gently. "Likewise, we had never thought Hollows to be capable of gaining sentience and humanity."
His eyes scanned the table, hardening slightly. "It's long past time that we stop perpetuating our own ignorance out of sheer stubbornness, isn't it?"
"This whole war against Aizen should have taught us to not take what we think we know and understand at face value, if nothing else," Shunsui drawled, because he knew Ukitake was far too nice to ever put things that bluntly.
Soi Fon leaned forward, clearly about to protest. Her mulish expression was almost identical to Kuchiki's, while Komamura looked thoughtful and Hitsugaya uncomfortable.
Then Yama-jii knocked his cane against the floor. "Enough," he rumbled, and all of his Captains turned to him instantly as one.
"I have heard your arguments," Yama-jii continued once he was sure that he had their full attention. His heavy gaze turned towards Shunsui and Ukitake, looking at them as if they were no more than schoolboys.
"We will follow your suggestion, Shunsui, Jyuushirou," he said, eyes immediately darting towards Soi Fon when she seemed to want to protest. "But if this gamble of yours fails… both of you will pay for it with your current positions."
Shunsui chuckled. He knew Yama-jii well enough to know that the threat was actually a promise, but was undeterred nonetheless.
"Have you known us to be wrong, Yama-jii?" he asked, grinning widely. "When Ukitake and I agree on the same issue, we are usually right."
He deliberately didn't mention the whole issue with Rukia-chan's execution. Yama-jii could only be pushed so far.
"Do not be impudent," Yama-jii said, his lips thinning into a line. "Only time will tell if the two of you are right."
"Three," Ukitake corrected mildly. "Retsu-senpai agrees with us as well."
As usual, Retsu-senpai doesn't even seem to feel the weight of the eyes that were suddenly turned towards her. "I do agree with Kyouraku-taichou and Ukitake-taichou," she said in her smooth, gentle voice, hands folded demurely in her lap.
"If there are Shinigami who are monstrous," her gaze fixed pointedly upon one specific empty seat: Kurotsuchi's, "then why can't there be Hollows who are human?"
The room winced nearly as one at the incisiveness of her observation, though Shunsui couldn't help wondering if Retsu-senpai was talking about herself as well.
"Then it is decided," Yama-jii intoned, inclining his head to Retsu-senpai to concede her point. "Shunsui, Jyuushirou – the two of you will lead the efforts to turn the Arrancar into assets for the Gotei Thirteen."
What are momentous task. But one that Shunsui was pretty sure could be accomplished if they stepped carefully enough. He had already begun to make some headway with Starrk, though it was for his own purposes.
… At least, he hoped that he was making some sort of headway. He found it nearly impossible to read the man.
"Now," Yama-jii said, pulling Shunsui's attention away from his own thoughts back to the meeting.
"Let us discuss the issue of Aizen and Ichimaru's punishments."
Starrk was rather sure that they were supposed to be back at the Eighth Division right now. In fact, he was absolutely certain of it.
But somehow, Lilynette had met the pink-haired girl – Yachiru, he reminded himself – and was dragged away. And, really, what could Starrk do but follow her, especially when he saw that hulking man with the torn haori?
Though he had seen the man and the girl before, he knew nothing about them – all he had was a single glance before he stole Inoue Orihime away according to Aizen's orders. He wondered if the Captain would blame him for that. He didn't seem the type, but Starrk didn't know him at all.
Pushing away those thoughts, he watched Lilynette with her new friend. His other half was caught up in some sort of game in which they were supposed to pile leaves together before jumping on them, scattering the leaves before doing it all over again. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips when he realised that Lilynette was enjoying herself despite her frequent and loud complaints. Briefly, he wondered why the trees were shedding leaves – he had seen one fall from a branch. It just seemed to create a mess without any reason for it.
"Oy."
The nearly-unnaturally tall man finally spoke. Starrk slanted his gaze towards him; he had been waiting.
"You're the Primera, right?"
Starrk shrugged, using the gesture to hide his instinctive discomfort at the title. "I used to be," he admitted. Then, he asked cautiously, "What's your name?"
"Zaraki Kenpachi," came the grunted reply. "Hey, if you're number one, then you're stronger than number five, right?"
"Number five?" Starrk blinked, cocking his head to the side. He knew who Zaraki was talking about; he was asking in a half-hearted effort to prevent what he knew was coming.
"Guy with long hair, and a white eyepatch here," Zaraki gestured towards his left eye. "Tall, really skinny, has six arms once he released his sword."
"You mean Nnoitra."
So it was this man who killed the Quinto, then, instead of Kurosaki. Somehow, Starrk wasn't very surprised – he felt strong enough to give Nnoitra exactly what he wanted and needed in the end.
"Yeah," Zaraki nodded jerkily. "He gave me a hell of a fight."
Starrk hesitated for a moment, turning back to watch Lilynette and Yachiru. The older girl had some leaves stuck to her yukata, not to mention mud and grass stains. But she was rolling in the leaves even more, wrestling with the other girl with a snarl on her face even as her single eye glittered with laughter.
"I guess I'm stronger than him," he admitted finally, because it seemed that Zaraki wasn't going to say anything else until his question was answered.
There was suddenly a sword right in his face, tip nearly bisecting his nose. Starrk didn't move, raising an eyebrow as he looked down the length of the metal to meet Zaraki's eye.
"Fight me then," the Captain challenging, his grin wide and mad. "We don't have to just watch them. We can have our own play."
"I can't."
"What?" Zaraki's eye narrowed. "Why not?"
Starrk held up his hands. "These aren't decorative," he said simply. Not for the first time, he was thankful for the restraints the Shinigami had insisted that he wore. "They cut off more than three-quarters of my power. I won't give you a better fight than the one you had Nnoitra with them on."
"Keh," the Captain said. He didn't lower his sword, instead pressing it even closer to Starrk's throat. "So take them off."
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Starrk sighed. "I can't," he repeated, resisting the urge to run a hand through his hair. He was uncomfortably aware of the cold steel that was nearly close enough to the skin to cut.
"Hey!" Lilynette had noticed the situation. "What the hell are you doing, Shinigami?!"
"Stay there, Lilynette," Starrk said immediately. Out of the corner of his eyes, he watched as Lilynette stopped mid-lunge at the commanding tone in his voice – Starrk very rarely ordered her to do anything. "Don't come any closer."
"Yachiru, distract your friend," Zaraki said, his gaze fixed upon the pink-haired girl. "Me and Primera here are having a conversation."
Lilynette's gaze remained on his, heavy with her clear worry, and Starrk didn't say a word.
"Why can't you take them off?" Zaraki demanded once Starrk's attention was on him again.
He considered telling him that he was considered to be too dangerous by the Shinigami to go around without them on, but he suspected that would just excite him. So he shrugged instead.
"Only taichou-san and the the white-haired taichou-san can take them off," he said instead. "And both of them together."
"Who the hell are you talking about?"
"Kyouraku and Ukitake."
A frown appeared between Zaraki's brows, and he slowly lowered his sword, hand dropping to his side. "Keh," he said again. "Those two, huh?"
There was a sudden look of apprehension in Zaraki's eye that Starrk hadn't even known until now that he was capable of. He blinked, cocking his head to the side, wondering just what those two had done – if they had done anything – to make a man like Zaraki hesitate. He had thought that Zaraki would immediately disappear back to the First Division to grab them; he was planning to make his escape then.
But it seemed that it wasn't necessary.
Suddenly, he was very aware that he might just be lucky that those two had chosen to be his and Liliynette's sponsors. Was that why none of the Shinigami had tried to attack the two of them, especially Lilynette? Starrk knew that Kyouraku was stronger than the short, white-haired Captain, but was he stronger than Zaraki here? Strong enough to make the man falter?
He should find some answers as soon as it was possible. Because he now suspected that he might just owe those two Captains more than he thought he already did.
Zaraki was leaning against one of the nearly-bare trees, crossing his arms and scowling. Starrk looked at him for a long moment before dragging a hand through his hair.
"I don't think I can give you the kind of fight you are looking for, taichou-san," he said quietly. "But I think I know someone who might be able to."
"Who?" Zaraki turned towards him immediately, a bright, unholy gleam appearing in his eyes.
"His name is Grimmjow," Starrk offered.
"Which one of you is he? I ain't good with names."
"The one with the blue hair."
Zaraki's eyes narrowed slightly. "The one who was shouting insults at Aizen when he left."
Starrk nodded.
"Which rank is he?"
"He was Sexta," he said. When he saw the brief confusion in Zaraki's eyes, he translated. "The sixth."
"Hah," Zaraki said, sounding thoughtful. "You think he'd give me a good fight even though I killed the one above him?"
Starrk shrugged slightly. "Aizen ranked us according to reiatsu levels," he told the Shinigami. "I don't think it says anything about actual fighting ability."
Honestly, Starrk sometimes wondered if he could actually win a fight against Grimmjow, much less Ulquoirra and Harribel. He barely knew how to fight – all he knew came from the few months of training Aizen had put him through, and he had only learned reluctantly. Compared to those three, who had been fighting the entire time they were alive, Starrk was a complete amateur.
All he had for an advantage was raw power, but his defeat at the hands of Kyouraku showed just how little that truly mattered. He was rather sure even Grimmjow could pound him into the ground without much effort if he tried.
Briefly, he wondered if he should start training… no. His mind skittered away from the thought. He had no wish to learn how to fight better. And, more importantly, he had no wish to make the Shinigami even more wary of him than they already were.
Zaraki crossed his arms, brows furrowed with thought.
"Do you hate this Grimmjow guy?" he asked suddenly.
Starrk blinked. "Huh?"
"If I go to fight him, he might die," Zaraki pointed out. "I don't hold back against someone who is strong. Do you want him dead?"
Dragging a hand through his hair, Starrk sighed. "I don't hate him." In fact, he actually liked Grimmjow despite his tendency to let his damned mouth run off on him. "I know that he'll appreciate having someone to fight, that's all."
Being surrounded by Shinigami and forced to not attack them no matter because Neliel's health and memories were being held hostage… Starrk was surprised that Grimmjow hadn't started lashing out already. If Zaraki went to him specifically looking for a fight, then Grimmjow already had a ready-made excuse to let loose.
Zaraki was starting to grin, his lips stretching to bare his teeth. "Someone who actually likes fighting, huh?" he said slowly. "I can understand a guy like that."
He turned towards the girls, raising his voice. "Oy, Yachiru! We're going!"
The little pink-haired girl lifted her head from where she was half-buried underneath a pile of leaves. "You're not going to fight Pri-chan, Ken-chan?"
Starrk twitched. 'Pri-chan?' Where the hell did that come from?
"Nah," Zaraki said, swinging his sword over his shoulder. "He's got those restraints on. 'Sides, he told me about someone better."
"Oh, oh, who?" Yachiru bounded over to him, climbing his body like a monkey before perching on his shoulder.
"Some guy named Grimmjow," Zaraki told her. "He likes fighting."
"Oooh! Ken-chan's favourite kind of guy!" Yachiru chirped. "Let's go then!"
Zaraki nodded, making to run off. Starrk was turning away from him when the Captain spoke again.
"Oy, Primera! Where is this Grimmjow guy?"
Looking over his shoulder, Starrk waved a hand. "The last time I saw him, he was at the Fourth Division."
"Fourth, eh?" Zaraki nodded decisively. "Let's go then, Yachiru!"
Looking at their retreating backs, Starrk wondered if he should tell Zaraki that he was headed in completely opposite direction from where the Fourth Division was. Then he chuckled under his breath.
The Captains were having a meeting. If the two of them got themselves lost, then maybe the meeting wouldn't be interrupted and Starrk would be able to hear about Aizen and Ichimaru's punishment later instead.
Lilynette walked up to him. "They're weird," she complained.
Starrk looked at her, smile widening involuntarily when he took in the mussed and leaf-strewn hair, the dirt nearly covering her entire body, and the fact that she was, for some reason, chewing on a stem of grass.
"You're a mess," he told her, shoulders shaking with muffled laughter. "Did you have fun?"
She stepped closer to him, taking his hand in hers. Her eye was shining with something like hope.
"Yeah."
Reaching out, he flicked a leaf off from where it was trapped between strands of her hair.
"Hey, Starrk?" Lilynette asked. "This place… it's not that bad, right?"
Starrk turned away from her, looking towards the high gates a distance away. "I don't know, Lilynette," he said softly. "But maybe… we can find some friends here."
Maybe they already had. He wanted badly to hope, but the empty thing in his chest didn't know how to hold such a thing. Long ago, he had drained the insides and gave it to Aizen, and though he had tried his best to cut that particular bond during the trail, it didn't mean his heart was full again.
All he had left was an aching emptiness, perfectly fitting for the hole in his chest.
"If we can find friends, then it's already not that bad," Lilynette pointed out, sounding a little irritated. She pulled at him. "Come on, I want to shower. I feel icky."
"Okay," he said, following her. "I can walk, you know."
"Then walk faster. You're being slow."
He thought about telling her that he could move faster if she let go of his hand, but her fingers were gripped tight, and he didn't want to let go either.
"Hey, Starrk?" Lilynette broke the silence again after they had walked together for long moments.
"Mm?"
"Do you know why the leaves drop from the trees?"
Glancing down at her, he shrugged. "I have no idea," he said.
She nodded, falling silent once more. Starrk knew her far too well to push, so he simply waited.
"Do you think…" she started hesitantly once they were reaching the Eighth Division. "Do you think we can find out from books?"
He brushed over the top of her mask fragment with one hand. "I think we can," he said softly.
"Good," she nodded. "Because I really want to know."
"Yeah. Me too."
"Say, Starrk-san."
Kyouraku was leaning against the door of the guest suite, holding a large brown jar between his fingers. He grinned, shaking it a little. Starrk could hear its contents swishing.
He didn't move from where he was lying on his stomach on the tatami, though he kept his eyes open.
"Mm?"
"Can the Arrancar eat or drink? You see, I have one of my prized jars of sake right here, and no one to share it with…"
"What about the white-haired taichou-san?" Starrk arched an eyebrow.
"Well, he's all over at his own Division," Kyouraku drawled. He toed off his waraji, leaving them right at the door before he stepped into the room. "And you're right here."
He looked around. "Where's Lilynette-chan?"
Starrk eyed the other man for a moment, watching as he sat cross-legged just a distance away. There probably wasn't any way for him to chase him away right now, so Starrk sat up, stretching his arms above his head.
"Not here," he answered succinctly.
At the sight of the raised eyebrow, he continued, "She's out exploring, trying to make a map."
"A map?" the other eyebrow went up.
"Don't look like that, taichou-san," Starrk drew his legs up, dropping his head on his knees. "The map will be in her head. There is no chance that it'll be stolen or lost."
Kyouraku didn't reply, seemingly busy with popping the cap of the jar. He retrieved two small porcelain dishes from his sleeves; Starrk looked at them curiously – they resembled the saucers that Aizen had used to hold his teacups.
"Sometimes you're rather scary, Starrk-san," the man said eventually, looking at him from beneath the shadows of his hat. "I almost think you can read my mind."
Starrk closed his eyes. "Like I said, you're not a difficult man to read."
The sound of porcelain clinking filled the air. Starrk's nose twitched as the smell of something sharp and sweet filled in air. Slowly, his eyes lifted open just a slit, watching as Kyouraku pick up one of the dishes – filled with some kind of transparent, water-like liquid – and sipped at it.
"I take it that you've never had sake, Starrk-san?"
"I know what it is," he murmured. "Ichimaru used to drink some of it during meetings. But I've only ever had tea."
One of the dishes slid across the tatami floor – miraculously not spilling a single drop of its contents – before stopping right in front of Starrk.
"Try it," Kyouraku urged, sounding encouraging.
Starrk stared dubiously for a long moment before he swept it off of the tatami. The scent reminded him of leaves, and he looked at the Captain across from him over the rim of the dish.
"If you're going to poison me, you wouldn't be so obvious about it," he commented. Then he took a sip.
… Sweet, lingering on the tongue, and without the subtle hint of bitterness that was present in every single cup of Aizen's tea. Warm, spreading outwards from first contact, surrounding him when it hit the back of his throat. Starrk lidded his eyes, letting out a surprised, heavy sigh.
"It tastes good, doesn't it?"
"Mm," Starrk hummed. "It's not bad."
Kyouraku barked a laugh, leaning forward. "This is one of my most precious private stores, you know," he teased, grinning wide. "And all you can say that it's 'not bad'?"
"Am I supposed to say something else?" Starrk cocked his head lazily. "I'm not a connoisseur; you know that."
"Ahh, but anyone with a refined palate would be able to appreciate good sake!"
"And what would I have refined my palate with? The different types of sand that were caught between my teeth, perhaps?"
"What about all the Hollows you eat?" Kyouraku asked, dark smile half-hidden behind his sake dish. "Doesn't each of them have a different taste?"
Starrk snorted, completely unsurprised. "I didn't realise that you have the bad habit of licking the blood of your enemies off your sword, taichou-san," he drawled.
A chuckle burst out of the other man. "What makes you think I do that?"
"Many Shinigami believe that Hollows are food for other Hollows," Starrk pointed out, dryly. "But only a particularly perverse one will imagine that Hollows taste differently."
He put the dish down, chasing the odd, sweet taste to the sides of his mouth. "Do you always play such dangerous games?"
"Only with people who can tell that it is a game," Kyouraku replied, swirling the liquid in his own dish. "And only those with the weapons to fight back."
His smile widened slightly "It has been a very long time since I've played a single round."
Starrk blinked. There were implications hidden in the creases of those lips that he could not understand.
"What about the white-haired taichou-san?" he asked. "Or even the smaller one, the one with all the ice; didn't you call him a genius?"
Kyouraku didn't answer immediately, simply pouring more sake for himself. "Just because Ukitake understands the rules don't mean he wants to play," he said thoughtfully. "Or that he can."
He took a sip of his sake. "As for Hitsugaya-kun… ah, it's such a terrible tragedy that there are different types of abilities that one might be a genius at," he shook his head mournfully. "If only being a genius means being a genius at everything."
"Are you?"
"Am I?" Kyouraku cocked his head.
"A genius at everything."
"Well, 'genius' is a terribly strong word to use," Kyouraku said, tapping his smirking lips with the rim of his sake dish. "I suppose I am above average at everything. Though I leave the kido work entirely to Nanao-chan; she's so much better than me at it."
Rolling his eyes, Starrk drained the sake, feeling the warmth burst in his chest. "You're like the shadow on the wall," he noted. "In the middle ground between ground and sky, and therefore perfectly unpredictable."
Kyouraku pointed at him. "Except for you."
He raised a silent eyebrow.
"I'm not very unpredictable to you, am I?" the Captain asked. His eyes were oddly bright and solemn as they rest on Starrks' face.
The Eighth Division's sigil was engraved on the bottom of the porcelain dish in his hand, Starrk realised. It was coloured a strange mixture of pink and purple.
"You defeated me," he said eventually. "Doesn't that prove that you are as unpredictable to me as you are to everyone else?"
"Does it?" Kyouraku hummed quietly under his breath. "Say, Starrk-san… how long have you been fighting?"
Starrk raised an eyebrow. "You're asking a lot of questions for a man who promised to give answers, taichou-san."
"Is that a warning?"
"A reminder." And also a diversion, but he knew that Kyouraku would understand that without any need of hints.
"Mm, so it is," Kyouraku said. He slumped abruptly, his back hitting the tatami mats with a loud thump before he pulled the straw hat over his head.
"Aizen has been convicted of treason and sentenced to twenty thousand years in the Muken," he murmured after a long while, dragging out nearly every single syllable. "Ichimaru has been convicted of a whole bunch of boring things, and his sentence is to have his powers removed, and he can't ever move beyond the gates of Seireitei."
Kyouraku flashed him a grin. "We took your suggestion regarding Aizen," he said.
Starrk cocked his head to the side, slowly raising an eyebrow. "I didn't say to imprison him for twenty thousand years," he pointed out. Though… was it even possible for Aizen to live that long? Was it possible for the Hogyoku to last that long?
But the whole punishment reeked due to a whole other reason.
"Is it that they're Shinigami?" he asked, tone deliberately casual.
"Mm?"
"That none of you are willing to dirty your hands with Shinigami blood," he dropppd his head into one hand, eyes piercingly sharp upon Kyouraku beneath the heavy lids. "Are you waiting for Ichimaru and Aizen to die by themselves… or to take their own lives?"
Kyouraku's lips curved up into a wide, mirthless smile.
"Or are you all waiting for someone to lose their control and kill them in your stead?" Starrk continued, gaze still fixed on the other man. "Is that why you let all of us Arrancar go, so that we will do your dirty work… so that, in the end, all of you feel much better about yourselves, for you only executed a Hollow instead of a Shinigami."
He reached over, meaning to pick up the jar of alcohol. But Kyouraku's hand came down immediately upon his wrist, closing tight around the stone restraint. Starrk lifted his eyes to meet dark shadows cast by a tipped-down hat.
"You're terrible, Starrk-san," the Captain drawled. "Insulting me like this and then shamelessly drinking more of my sake…"
"You offered the sake freely," he pointed out. "And is it really an insult if it is true?"
"Are you so sure that it's true?"
Sword-callused hands poured and handed him a filled dish. Starrk took it, eyes flickering at the liquid for a moment before he shrugged.
"It is a guess."
Kyouraku hummed thoughtfully for a moment before he chuckled. "The middle ground, Starrk-san," he said, grinning out of one corner of his mouth. "You are half-right."
Picking up rhe small dish, he held it between splayed fingers, staring into the depths of the alcohol. Starrk wondered what it was that he saw.
"It's unfortunate, but Aizen can't be killed," he murmured. "The instrument of execution that might have succeeded in killing him has already been destroyed." His grin twitched, slightly. "As a result, imprisonment is the only option."
Sighing, Kyouraku drained the alcohol. "Since we can't execute Aizen, we can't execute Ichimaru either," he sighed heavily. "Therefore, their punishment will have to be for them to live."
Starrk lifted the sake dish to his lips, sipping slowly. "So soutaichou-san, along with the rest of you, had already decided on a punishment, and you were all simply waiting for us to give you some sort of justification to use?"
And Starrk had delivered, right on a silver platter. His lips curled into a bitter smirk.
"Here I thought you were simply testing our loyalty."
Kyouraku's smile mirrored his own. "You have a little too much faith in us," he said, mirth twining around every word. "Not all of us are as clever as you are."
That might just be a feint, but Starrk recklessly took the bait anyway. "There is you, taichou-san," he murmured. "No doubt soutaichou-san and the white-haired taichou-san are as clever," he gave the word an ironic lilt, "as well."
"Ukitake would be pleased that you think so well of him," Kyouraku chuckled.
"I'm not a fool," Starrk replied wryly. "Who else?"
There was a moment when Kyouraku hesitated, eyes hidden by his hat and mouth by his sake dish. Then he smiled widely, with caution half-hidden in the corners of his eyelids.
"Retsu-senpai," he said. "The Fourth Division Captain."
Suddenly, all the pieces clicked together, and Starrk understood just what Kyouraku was trying to nudge him towards. His eyes narrowed, very slightly.
Kyouraku tipped his hat back, and smiled. "Quicker than even I had expected," he said.
Starrk shook his head. If, as Kyouraku had implied, there were three Captains who were not just clever but also cunning enough to play manipulative tricks to get what they want… and all three of them had sympathies of one sort or another for the Arrancar. Ukitake and Kyouraku had already made their intentions clear by being sponsors, but the female Captain was more subtle: Starrk realised now that the fact that all of the Arrancar were at full health because of her. Not to mention Neliel's recovery.
His eyes narrowed even further. "Why are all three of you on our side?" he asked.
"Ah, who knows?" Kyouraku gestured expansively with his sake dish, managing to somehow not spill a single drop. "I can't speak for Ukitake or Retsu-senpai, but… perhaps it's simply that I would like to be a better man than Aizen."
"What," Starrk snapped out the word, "does Aizen have to do with this?"
"The soul of a Hollow is meaningless," Kyouraku said, deliberately lowering his voice in some sort of strange imitation. "There is nothing cruel in giving meaning to its existence."
Starrk closed his eyes.
"He was speaking of the Wonderweiss creature," the Captain continued, his voice gentle. Starrk felt the weight and warmth of his hand rest on his shoulder. "Still, it is a cruel thing to say. An even crueller thing to do."
Shaking his head, Starrk's fists clenched by his side. "I can't believe that you would do anything to prove Aizen wrong, taichou-san," he said, voice tight. "Even if you might say that it is your character to behave uncharacteristically."
A soft chuckle ghosted near his face, and Starrk could smell the light, almost-there sweetness of the alcohol on the other man's breath.
"Perhaps I want to provide a catalyst for a revolution, then," he said, amused.
"A revolution?" Starrk repeated, definitely sceptical.
"Mm," Kyouraku nodded. "It's long past time that we try to understand each other, isn't it? The Shinigami and the Hollow, that is."
His face was perfectly serious, as was his voice… but Starrk couldn't help but notice the slight upward crinkle in the corner of his right eye. He watched, fascinated, as it widened as Kyouraku chuckled.
"Besides, there's a good argument to be made that you hubrids are akin to the children born between the two races, and good parents know better than to fight in front of their children!"
The final statement was delivered with a sweeping flourish that had Starrk staring. Gathering his own sense of logic and holding onto it with his next breath, he decided that he had to address that level of ridiculousness.
"Taichou-san…" he began slowly, brows furrowing. "Are you suggesting that, given the similarities between us, I might just be your son, born from some liaison with some Hollow?"
He kept his features perfectly stern: eyes concerned, brows furrowed, shoulders slumped… even as Kyouraku choked on his sake and nearly slammed his own face into the floor. Starrk picked up his own dish, lifting it to his mouth. He didn't drink a single sip, simply using the prop to cover his twitching lips.
"That was cruel, Starrk-san!" Kyouraku finally regained enough coherence – and breath – to cry out.
Starrk shrugged. "Only as cruel as your suggestion deserves, taichou-san," he said, suppressing his smile ruthlessness.
Kyouraku looked at him, still chuckling, before he shook his head.
They fell into an oddly easy and comfortable silence, the two of them with their eyes still fixed upon each other's faces as they sipped the sake. Starrk knew why he wasn't speaking – he wanted to concentrate on the burning sweet taste and the heat the liquid spread throughout his body – but Kyouraku's reasons were still unclear to him.
It didn't matter. This silence fitted around them well enough.
But when Kyouraku reached forward to pour them more alcohol, Starrk found himself breaking it.
"Is the offer still open, taichou-san?" he asked, knowing that Kyouraku would know immediately what he meant.
The grey eyes were knowing and hopeful when they were lifted to meet his, and Starrk finally allowed himself the smallest of smiles.
"Of course," the Captain said.
"Then Lilynette and I will take you up on it." Starrk placed the dish on the tatami-covered floor, nudging it over.
"We'll like to learn how to read."
Isane was rushing towards her the very moment Retsu reached the Fourth Division barracks. She stopped, folding her arms into her sleeves – she knew why the younger woman looked so harassed, but she would wait until Isane had found the words.
"My deepest apologies, Unohana-taichou," the words tumbled out of her Lieutenant in a rush. "But Zaraki-taichou and Kusajishi-fukutaichou are here and they…"
Retsu waved a hand, continuing her leisurely walk towards the barracks; more specifically, towards the sound of one man's loud yelling.
"Do not fret so, Isane," she chided softly. "The other officers will panic at seeing you in such a state in our own Division."
Isane flushed immediately, and she gave Retsu a low bow. "My deepest apologies," she said again. But her gait was far steadier as she fell into step behind Retsu, and Retsu allowed herself a small smile as they walked towards the source of the noise.
Zaraki Kenpachi was standing in the middle of the hallway, Kusajishi on his shoulder as always.
"I know you're hiding this Grimmjow guy somewhere!" he was yelling. But, Retsu noted, he wasn't laying a hand on any of her people. "So where the hell is he, huh?"
Retsu raised her reiatsu slightly, just enough for it to push against Zaraki's always-unrestrained power. The man instantly turned towards her.
"I believe that Grimmjow-san and Neliel-san have already returned to Hueco Mundo," she told the other Captain pleasantly, her small smile never budging. "Neliel-san no longer requires our aid."
For the day.
Zaraki's eyes narrowed. "Yeah? And when will he be back?"
The very next day.
She resisted smiling wider. "We at the Fourth Division do not keep watch over our patients like they are prisoners, Zaraki-taichou," she murmured, which was absolutely true. Giving their patients appointments, after all, was nothing like trapping them.
"Keh," Zaraki's scowl deepened. "If Grimmjow isn't here, then what about that Primera guy? Where is he? He owes me a fight."
Ah, so that was who had led Zaraki here. Retsu made a mental note to talk to Kyouraku-taichou about his charge as soon as possible. She would talk to Starrk-san herself, of course, but she didn't think it would be as effective.
"Starrk-san has already returned to the Eighth Division, I believe," she said lightly.
The scowl was practically eating Zaraki's face now. "Keh," he said again. "This has been a complete waste of time."
He strode down the hallway towards Retsu, clearly heading for the exit. Retsu waited until the man was at the doorway, and she stifled the widening of her smile as Zaraki looked back at her.
"Thanks for telling me, Unohana," the Captain said gruffly. "But your people really need some toughening up. I was just asking a few questions and they were pissing their pants."
Retsu did allow her smile to widen now.
"Are you advising me on how to run my Division, Zaraki-taichou?"
Zaraki looked at her for a moment before he barked a laugh. "Nah," he waved a hand, chuckling. "I like my balls where they are, thanks."
Bowing slightly at his departure, Retsu watched as Isane flailed slightly before she followed the motion.
"Bye, Braids-taichou!"
Looking at the child who now carried her old name from under heavy eyelids, Retsu hid a smile. Honestly, she would have loved to see the fight between Zaraki and Grimmjow; just not in the vicinity of her Division.
After all, Zaraki had been fascinating ever since the very first time Retsu had met that nameless boy.
Notes: I've been trying to find a term that describes the way Starrk and Shunsui interact in the second to last scene. I came up with 'verbal tango' and a friend of mine suggested 'murder banter'… I don't know which one is better, or if there is anything else.
Suggestions?
That scene is likely the favourite out of all I've ever written between these two, and sums up just why I ship them so much. Yes, I really like writing intelligent characters being intelligent (and manipulative) and playing word games. There's a reason why my favourite characters are Starrk and Shunsui. Writing them let me do stuff like this.
Talking about pairings, I have some favourites here and there other than the ones I've made 'canon' for this fic. So yes, any implications you spot are entirely deliberate.
Also, one last chapter until the next arc when things speed up more. Yes, there will be a next arc. I said that this is an epic, didn't I?