Vita et Mortuus

𓆩✽𓆪 I saw something invisible in you The slight warmth between you and me Rapport / Tatsuya Kitani

Her words linger within him longer than they should have.

Death shouldn’t be desolate.

For most of his existence, desolation had been all he understood. Hueco Mundo was not merely a place hollows inhabited; it reflected them. Endless hunger and emptiness, an eternity spent clawing through silence in search of something capable of filling the void inside their condemned souls.

Ulquiorra had once believed that this was the natural state of existence, cold, isolated and utterly meaningless. 

Emerald hues fixate upon her with an intense fascination.

Inoue Orihime stood amidst death as though she did not fear it, appearing to mourn its loneliness. Even now, her compassion remains frustratingly incomprehensible to him, an enigma he is always just out of reach from cracking open.

“Warmth is foreign here...Hollows are born from absence and loss, we know only regret and hunger.”

Ulquiorra falls into another contemplative silence, mulling over his response carefully. Though he may have crafted his own opinion of the metamorphosis unfolding before their eyes, he cannot claim it to be fact.

"But since the war ended, I have witnessed them begin to change as well."

They formed allegiances, tenuous ones, but allegiances all the same. They protected territories they once wouldn't have given a second thought to destroying. Some were even starting to resemble something akin to…a human.

Finally, he manages to tear his focus away from her, turning his back so he could better gather his words--Distracting, that's what she is, brighter than any of the sprouting buds, blooming with impossible colour.

"You ask what I think of this..." A pause follows, softer than usual. "I think Hueco Mundo is reflecting you."

❛   ━━━━━━━━   FOR   AN   INSTANT,   ORIHIME   IS   AT   A   LOSS   FOR   WORDS,   a   rare   occurrence   when   dealing   with   Ulquiorra,   whose   icy   utterances,   imbued   with   lunar   detachment,   usually   elicit   some   riposte,   a   smile,   or   a   query.   Yet   this   time,   his   words   strike   a   chord   so   tender   within   her   that   she   is   compelled   to   remain   silent.

Hueco   Mundo   is   reflecting   you.

Perhaps,   it   has   found   its   heart.

Flush   of   warmth   spreads   across   cheeks,   not   quite   the   blush   of   embarrassment   but   near   enough   to   make   her   avert   her   gaze,   lashes   trembling   as   she   focuses   her   eyes   on   the   grass   at   their   feet.   Blades   tremble   against   the   pale   sand,   delicate,   incongruously   green,   as   if   unaware   they   shouldn't   thrive   in   such   a   place.   They   persist,   growing.   ❝   I   don’t   think   a   heart   can   belong   to   just   one   person,   ❞   She   replies,   fingers   curling   lightly   against   the   front   of   her   dress.   ❝   If   Hueco   Mundo   has   found   one,   then   maybe   it’s   because   everyone   here   has   begun   to   change.   Even   if   only   a   bit...   ❞   Caramel-hued   eyes   rise   to   meet   his.   Ulquiorra   averts   his   gaze,   as   though   to   shield   her   from   the   intimacy   of   his   words,   but   the   effect   is   lost;   she   still   understands.   ❝   Including   you,   Ulquiorra.   ❞   Slowly,   Inoue   steps   closer,   standing   beside   him.

❝   You   say   warmth   is   foreign   here,   but...you   recognized   it.   ❞   Smile   finds   roseate   lips,   sincere.   ❝   You   noticed   the   grass,   hollows   changing.   You   noted   that   this   place   feels   different   now.   ❞   A   palm   extends   and   attempts   to   reach   his.   ❝   Maybe   that   means   warmth   isn’t   as   foreign   to   you   as   you   think.   It   only   feels   strange   because   you’re   meeting   it   slowly.   ❞   A   tremulous   giggle   escapes.   ❝   If   this   dessert   really   has   found   a   heart,   then   maybe...maybe   you   too   have   found   one.   ❞

[ tug ] sender tugs receiver behind them during a tense moment

[ pull ] sender pulls receiver out of harm's way at the last second

[ tuck ] sender stares at receiver and quietly reaches up, tucking a fallen strand of hair behind receiver's ear

[ yank ] sender yanks receiver closer to them, ending up in semi-suggestive close proximity

[ steady ] sender grabs receiver's arm to steady them before they fall over

[ walk ] sender moves around receiver and walks closest to the street as they travel down the sidewalk, keeping receiver away from any potential danger in the roadway

[ untied ] sender drops to their knee and starts tying receiver's shoe for them

[ spoon ] sender lifts a spoon towards receiver's mouth, encouraging them to eat

[ trace ] sender traces receiver's lips with their thumb

[ pin ] sender pins receiver to a tucked-away spot in the shadows to avoid being caught

[ neck ] without a word, sender dips down to receiver's throat and kisses them soundly

[ handheld ] sender slips a hand behind their back and grabs receiver's fingers as they stand behind them

[ carry ] without asking, sender takes receiver's heavy bags from them and carries them

[ lock ] sender and receiver lock eyes across the room

[ drink ] sender brings receiver a drink and holds it to their lips, insisting they take a drink

[ reload ] sender reloads receiver's gun for them in the middle of a fight

[ shelter ] sender uses their body to shelter receiver from an explosion or attack

[ carry ] sender picks up receiver and carries them off the battlefield and into a safe spot before running back to the fight

[ toss ] from a secret hiding spot only receiver and sender can see as they avoid an enemy, sender silently gestures to receiver to toss them (their gun, something valuable, etc.)

[ stairs ] sender offers out a hand to help receiver ascend or descend a staircase

[ cover ] sender covers receiver's eyes so they don't witness something gruesome

[ fix ] sender comes up to receiver and fixes their collar and/or tie

[ shake ] to convince receiver not to do something, sender hastily shakes their head from a distance

[ watch ] from a distance, sender taps on their watch to show receiver they're running out of time

[ i'll go ] sender gently pushes receiver back, taking charge and insisting they will handle the dangerous task

[ reach ] through a locked gate, sender reaches for receiver's hand

[ ship ] as receiver's ship takes off from the planet, sender waves to them from the ground and watches them leave

[ protect ] after someone threatens receiver, sender rushes over and gets right in their face to protect them

[ punch ] after someone attacks receiver, sender rushes over and punches them in retaliation

[ nip ] sender playfully nips at receiver's neck

[ knuckles ] sender kisses receiver's knuckles in a polite gesture

[ squeeze ] sender gives receiver's butt a playful squeeze from behind

[ danger ] as an all-powerful receiver is about to lose control of their powers and cause massive damage, sender finds their eyes and tries to talk them down

[ goodbye ] without saying a word, sender approaches receiver and kisses them goodbye

[ wipe ] sender wipes a tear from receiver's face

[ location ] without saying anything and giving away the surprise, sender takes receiver to a secret spot

[ hold back ] sender has to hold back receiver from attacking someone

[ game ] sender lets receiver win a game they're playing

“  i don’t want you here.  just go.  ” 

“  you ‘didn’t mean to hurt me?’  yeah you did.  like it or not,  i know exactly who you are.  ” 

“  why won’t you even look at me?  ”

“  i’m not angry at you.  i’m angry with myself for trusting you.  ”

“  i wish you’d stop trying to destroy yourself in some misguided effort to feel worthy.  ”

“  i know it’s not fair to say this,  but i don’t have anything without you.  if i don’t have you i have nothing.  ”

“  you can’t love me.  not the way i need to be loved.  ”

“  i’m broken.  and i don’t need anyone to try to feed me white lies about it.  something inside me is broken and it isn’t just going to be put back like it was.  ” 

“  sometimes being broken isn’t about trying to put things back together like they were before.  it’s about picking up what pieces are left and building something new.  ”

“  okay,  so you’re a monster.  so am i.  lets be monsters together.  ” 

“  because of what they/you did i’m damaged.  ”  

“  what the hell is wrong with you?  ”

“  what the hell is wrong with me?  ”

“  i can’t fix you.  you can’t expect me to know how to fix you.  ” 

“  yeah,  i’ll be here.  i’ll be here when you’re ready to stop running.  ”

“  my world is just falling apart.  it’s like everything is just crumbling around me.  i don’t know what to do.  i just want it to stop ”  

“  you’re the only thing that makes sense right now.  everything else is just—  the world is so loud.  and the only time it feels quiet is when you’re here.  ”

“  i don’t know how to talk about shit okay?  it’s too hard.  but i do care.  i need you to trust me that i care.  ”

 “  stop punishing yourself.  you wanna make up for what you’ve done?  get off your ass and do something about it.  ”

“  whatever it is you think was going on between us,  you’re wrong.  ”

“  it didn’t mean anything to me.  ” 

“  you should move on.  i did.  ”  

“  i feel like i’m one bad day away from becoming everything i’ve fought against.  ” 

“  stop pushing me away.  i’m not going anywhere,  asshole.  and as soon as you get that through that thick skull of yours,  the better.  ”  

“  i don’t need you in my life.  i don’t want you in it.  ”  

“  i can’t trust myself.  if i let myself get comfortable enough,  when i try to be happy,  people get hurt.  ”  

“  people like me don’t get to have peace.  ”  

“  i’m not the person you want.  i know you think i am.  but it won’t take long for you to realize this is a mistake.  ”  

“  you want the truth?  the truth is when i love people it burns inside me like a poison.  it infects every part of me until it feels like they’re in my goddamn soul…and then i fuck it up.  and it’ll destroy us both.  ”  

“  i’ll always choose you.  that’s the worst part of it all.  i’d choose you over and over, even though i know you wouldn’t do the same.  ”  

“  you never had to be perfect.  you just had to stay.  ”

“  will you please just stay for once.  just.  don’t walk away.  ” 

“  if i loved you less,  i might be able to talk about it more.  ”   

“  just tell me something real.  tell me something i can remember no matter what happens to us.  ”

“  when you look at me,  i feel seen.  i feel like you see past everything i’ve always surrounded myself with to try and protect my heart.  no one has ever looked that deeply at me.  ”  

“  how can you uncover so much about someone,  make them let their guard down and lay themselves bare to you.  and then just throw it all away?  ”

“  if you walk out that door don’t bother coming back.  ”

“  why are you so afraid of trusting this—  trusting us.  what’s making you hold back?  ”

“  will you still be here?  will you stay even after you’ve seen all the ugly parts of my heart.  ”  

“  i don’t care how willing you are to die for me.  i want you to fucking live with me.  live for us.  ” 

HURT/COMFORT

[ DISCOVER ] for one muse to find the other crying alone. 

[ COMPANY ] for one muse to sit with the other so they don’t have to be alone while they’re upset. 

[ EMBRACE ] for one muse to suddenly hug the other one for their own comfort. 

[ OFFER ] for one muse to suddenly hug the other one to comfort them.

[ SETTLE ] for one muse to comfort the other and end up cuddling. 

[ SHOULDER ] for one muse to rest their head on the other’s shoulder while they comfort them. 

[ CARRY ]  for one muse to find the other injured and carry them to safety.

[ SECURE ] for one muse to carry the other to bed after they fell asleep. 

[ STRUGGLE ]  for one muse to resist being hugged but then break down and crumble against the other. 

[ CLEAR ] for one muse to wipe the other’s tears. 

[ BREAKDOWN ] for one muse to ask the other if they’re okay prompting them to finally stop bottling things up. 

[ BRUSH ] for one muse to run their fingers through the other’s hair while they open up or cry. 

[ NURSE ] for one muse to tend to the other while they’re recovering from injuries. 

[ TRUST ] for a scenario where sender’s muse is the only one receivers muse will let close. 

[ COAX ] for scenario where receiver’s muse knows they’re the only one sender’s muse will let close. 

[ CALM ] for one muse to subdue the other during an outburst. 

[ CLARITY ] for one muse to help ground the other back in the present  (i.e. after nightmare, breakdown, battle etc)

Physical prompts based around some of my favorite tropes / physical actions in threads. Send this   + reverse   to change which muse does which action.

tw for implied violence in some

❰❰ PIN ❱❱ sender pins receiver during a fight/training

❰❰ HURT ❱❱ sender is hurt protecting receiver

❰❰ CARRY ❱❱ sender carries receiver bridal style

❰❰ LIFT ❱❱ sender carries receiver over their shoulder

❰❰ MEDIC ❱❱ sender bandages receiver’s wounds

❰❰ SUPPORT ❱❱ sender comforts receiver after a loss / traumatic event

❰❰ THREAT ❱❱ sender holds a weapon up to receiver as a threat

❰❰ SAVE ❱❱ sender saves receiver’s life

❰❰ CRY ❱❱ sender cries in front of receiver

❰❰ DANCE ❱❱ sender invites receiver to slow dance

❰❰ HAND KISS ❱❱ sender kisses receiver on the hand or wrist

❰❰ CHEEK KISS ❱❱ sender kisses receiver on the cheek

❰❰ HEAD KISS ❱❱ sender kisses receiver on the forehead

❰❰ EMBRACE ❱❱ sender embraces receiver

❰❰ HANDS ❱❱ sender’s fingers graze the receiver’s fingers

❰❰ CUDDLE ❱❱ our muses cuddle

❰❰ BED ❱❱ our muses share a bed

❰❰ BRUSH ❱❱ sender plays with / brushes receiver’s hair

❰❰ GAZE ❱❱ our muses make extended eye contact

❰❰ ALMOST ❱❱ our muses almost kiss but don’t or are interrupted before they do

❰❰ ARGUE ❱❱ sender ends an argument with receiver with a kiss

❰❰ ARM ❱❱ sender puts their arm around receiver

❰❰ PULL ❱❱ sender pulls receiver close to them

❰❰ BACK ❱❱ sender touches receiver on the back

❰❰ SHOULDER ❱❱ sender touches receiver on the shoulder

❰❰ LEAN ❱❱ sender leans against receiver

❰❰ CARESS ❱❱ sender caresses the receiver’s cheek

❰❰ HAIR ❱❱ sender pushes receiver’s hair away from their face

❰❰ TILT ❱❱ sender tilts the receiver’s chin with their hand

❰❰ CHIN ❱❱ sender tilts the receiver’s chin with their weapon

❰❰ LEG ❱❱ sender’s leg touches the receiver’s leg under the table

❰❰ FOOD ❱❱ sender feeds the receiver

❰❰ WALL ❱❱ sender pushes the receiver against a wall

❰❰ FREE ❱❱ sender frees the receiver from restraints

❰❰ TACKLE ❱❱ sender hugs the receiver so hard they almost fall over / do fall over

❰❰ DYING ❱❱ sender finds the receiver near death

His curious gaze falls upon the daffodil dancing between his former captive's fingers.

He remains silent, for silence had always suited the Cuatra better than comfort he could not conjure even if he tried. The hem of his coat flutters faintly in the dry wind as emerald hues shift from the flower to her visage, studying the frustration encrusted within her expression. Human emotions remained perplexing things, but hers had always been strangely easy to read.

"They are not looking at you as though you are a freak."

His voice emerges low and even, carrying across the silent desert as he nears closer, footsteps soundless upon the sand. Surrounding them were yet more traces of impossible life starting to sprout from the stone ruins, thin vines threading through cracked pillars, small blooms nestled in the hollows of dead trees. Hueco Mundo itself seemed to exhale differently when she was present.

Oddly, Ulquiorra can relate.

Once, in the not-so-distant past, he would have dismissed such a phenomen as meaningless sentimentality, a temporary irregularity. But death has a way of altering even the most stubborn of perspectives.

Or, near death.

Aizen's defeat had left Las Noches fractured and collapsing around itself. Ulquiorra remembers little of the events ensuing his rooftop battle with Ichigo Kurosaki. Only a blinding white light, disintegration, and the strange warmth of Orihime's voice calling after he'd already turned to ash. By every law governing hollows, he had vanished.

Yet, enough particles of him remained that it did not spell his demise, and his consciousness returned piece by broken piece deep beneath the ruins of Las Noches.

And for the second time in his meaningless existence, there had been nowhere for him to go. Nowhere for him to belong anymore.

Until she began returning here.

"Hueco Mundo is changing because of you, it responds to your presence."

LOW,   RESONANT   TIMBRE   INTERRUPTS   THE   SILENCE,   pulling   Inoue   from   her   crouched   posture.   She   rises,   hesitant   to   disrupt   the   meditative   stillness   that   has   descended   around   her.   How   long   had   he   been   standing   there,   she   wonders?   Perhaps   she   had   been   too   deeply   immersed   in   her   own   thoughts,   entranced   by   the   fleeting   miracle   occurring   before   her,   to   notice   his   presence   at   all.   Auburn   filaments   sway   with   her   silhouette.   Surely   he   must   think   her   to   be   mentally   ill;   a   young   woman   murmuring   to   flowers   hoping   they   might   answer   back.   And   perhaps,   in   some   small   way,   they   had.

❝   I   don’t   know   what   is   happening,   ❞   Repeats,   tone   influenced   by   wonder,   focus   settling   upon   the   vast   horizon   before   them.   The   once-barren   desert   had   begun,   little   by   little,   to   transform.   Where   there   had   only   been   aridity,   now   there   bloom   petite   flowers   in   delicate   pigments,   tiny   tufts   of   grass   pushing   through   the   earth.   She   doesn't   understand   where   they   came   from,   nor   why.   Death   is   not   meant   to   be   aesthetically   pleasing,   but   in   her   hands,   in   her   presence,   it   begins   to   take   on   a   gentler,   warmer   aspect.   Perhaps   it's   because   she   is   no   longer   afraid   of   perishing.   Soft   acceptance   tucked   away   within   her   has   begun   to   shape   the   world.   Gentle   palms   embrace   demise   without   resistance.

A   pensive   breath   leaves   her   as   she   watches   the   changing   environment,   something   contemplative   softening   the   lines   of   her   countenance.   ❝   I   can’t   say   I   dislike   it...   ❞   Admits,   feathery   timbre   gliding   through   the   stillness.   ❝   It   feels   warmer   this   way.   Death   shouldn’t   be   desolate.   ❞   Caramel   hues   lowers   briefly,   before   lifting   again   toward   distant   blooms.   ❝   Even   for   those   who   come   here.   ❞   As   if   tenderness   alone   might   somehow   soften   the   weight   of   souls   passing   through   such   a   place.   It   cannot   absolve   darkness,   nor   undo   the   sins   they   carry   with   them,   but   perhaps   it   can   offer   a   fleeting   comfort,   a   final   gentleness   where   none   had   been   expected.   She   wants,   perhaps   selfishly,   to   believe   that   her   presence   here   is   not   causing   negative   effects,   but   something   good.   ❝   What   do   you   think   of   it?   ❞   Asks,   wanting   his   opinion.

As though the blood in his veins did not, at least partially, descend from monsters.

His gaze drifts briefly toward her fingertips brushing against his fang, both curious and absurdly gently.

"Are they? Can't say I've noticed." It's not as though he pranced around comparing the length of his canines with other vampires. He doesn't share that kind of camaraderie with his father's people.

The corners of his mouth twitch slightly, not quite a smile, though bordering on one. He leans back just enough to reclaim the space she doesn't seem to realise ( or care ) that she's invaded, though remains within arm's reach, caught somewhere between caution and reluctant indulgence.

"Yes." He answers quietly. "I have."

The admission comes with no further context or history behind the who or why.

A shadow darkens his visage then, subtle as clouds floating over an argent moonlight. Many memories lingered there, the weight of over a century of survival, and acts committed to achieve it.

"A vegetarian?" He repeats, swift and keen to move on from the subject. "That is certainly one way of putting it." A dry sort of  amusement threads carefully through the words.

"I do not hunt humans, if that is what you mean. Not for food at least."

As a Dhampir, he is fortunate enough that he does not need human blood to sustain his own life. Alucard could live off the bounty of the land just as easily as a wild hare could…If he had to.

FASCINATING,   YES.   FRIGHTENING,   NO.   He   can   be   many   things,   perhaps,   but   frightening   is   not   one   of   them.   Amber   hues   witnessed   horrors   no   mortal   gaze   should   have   been   forced   to   endure;   carnage   perpetrated   by   vampiric   hands,   family   massacred   by   the   inhuman   hunger   of   creatures   like   him.   By   all   accounts,   fear   should   curl   cold   fingers   around   her   trachea.   She   should   recoil,   and   she   should   flee.

Despite   this,   for   some   strange   reason,   she   doesn't.   Perhaps   it's   because   of   what   she   has   heard   of   him   or   maybe   Inoue   is   simply   negligent   enough   to   seek   gentleness   where   others   only   see   fangs.   Audacity   blooms   within   her,   softened   by   innocence   and   brightened   by   curiosity;   the   sort   of   mortal   spirit   becoming   increasingly   rare   in   a   world   so   prone   to   devour   anything   tender.   Even   after   he   confesses   that   those   pearlescent   teeth   once   pierced   another's   neck   column,   she   doesn't   falter.   Instead,   from   velvet   lips,   a   smile   blooms,   unclouded   by   fear.

❝   I'm   reckless   sometimes.   ❞   Admits   sheepishly.   ❝   At   least   that’s   what   people   call   me.   ❞   And   maybe   they   are   right.   Unafraid   of   the   things   she   should   dread,   drifting   closer   to   peril   with   hands   open,   heart   exposed.   A   fragile   creature,   some   might   call   her,   ignorant,   perhaps.   Compassion   persists,   undaunted   in   a   society   eager   to   extinguish   it.   ❝   I   didn’t   mean   to   invade   your   space,❞   Orihime   continues,   adjusting   herself   upon   the   wooden   bench   with   a   small,   apologetic   shift.   ❝   I'm   glad   you   don’t   see   me   as   a   meal,   though!   ❞

A   ldelicate   butterfly,   testing   the   air   around   a   rose   still   festooned   with   thorns.   Fate   seems   fond   of   toying   with   her.   In   an   attempt   to   escape   those   who   hunt   her,   she   finds   herself   in   this   place,   sitting   beside   the   very   sort   of   being   most   mortals   would   name   a   monster   without   hesitation.   Those   men,   her   captors,   have   misinterpreted   what   she   is   capable   of;   they   deem   her   existence   a   blasphemy   to   be   extinguished.   How   wrong   they   are.   Orihime   is   no   affliction,   no   wicked   thing   worthy   of   punishment.   She   is   an   empathic   soul   trying   to   survive   in   a   universe   where   darkness   lurks   around   every   corner.

How   strange   it   is.   How   interesting,   that   a   being   so   luminous   has   found   some   semblance   of   solace   beside   one   so   solitary.   They   are   different   in   every   conceivable   way,   a   dichotomy   forged   by   destiny's   hand.   Caramel   gaze   drifts   toward   the   vast   castle   looming   behind   them,   its   silhouette   cutting   into   the   sky   like   a   monument   to   all   that   had   been   lost.   For   a   moment,   she   wonders   how   lonely   it   must   be   to   live   in   a   place   so   vast.   How   lonely   it   must   be,   survive   everything   and   still   have   nowhere   that   truly   feels   like   home.