Drunk senpai's

I love the blocking for this conversation.

It starts out with Ulquiorra seeking her out immediately after Aizen gives over command of Las Noches to him.

His first act as the official leader of Hueco Mundo is to ask Inoue if she's scared she'll die there, and ends stating he'll kill the intruders, but "let" her live until specifically ordered otherwise - ie: his whole purpose in this conversation was to assess her feelings again and reaffirm he'll continue protecting her even if Aizen isn't offering her his umbrella of protection anymore.

The conversation itself is very interesting, and telling (Ulquiorra asks about her likelihood of dying there, acknowledging it's dangerous even as he's about to promise to defend her)

But the BLOCKING. The way the panels show them getting ever closer. The great distance shrinking because HE'S closing it and she's waiting for him to come literal, but also figuratively. He's asking questions and she's answering, closing the metaphorical distance between them by opening up to him and opening him up a bit more at the same time.

They start the conversation with Ulquiorra as a distant, tiny figure in the background and over the course of speaking they draw closer and closer and end with them nearly side by side, him standing in front of her defensively, preparing to defend her and Las Noches from the intruder that just arrived.

They also switch locations on the panel - Inoue is on the right for the entire conversation until Ichigo arrives, then Ulquiorra takes over that spot as he starts to speak to Ichigo.

Maybe I'm reading into it, but I feel like him literally taking her place in space and taking over her role of being the one doing most of the talking is significant.

like. you could easily pretend he's been thinking ab her for a month, especially since Aizen was like "okey dokey the plan is to take Orihime Inoue to start a war, in idk a month ig" and the fact Ulquiorra made a weird smile when he saw her abilities and thought she was interesting