Corroded Spirits

Corroded Spirits: 6

Chapter 6: Piercing Stare
 

Staring at something, with a hard, calculating pierce, would take an incredible amount of patience to do. Especially if one was staring at that certain something for a long period of time. Byakuya, was grateful, that he could do both.

 It was a week later, prior after Captain Hitsugaya's first week of assessing Orihime Inoue's health, mental and physical. And like the  young captain had warned him, he absolutely had no good results, as of yet, to show for. 

The girl, as Byakuya stared at her, was also, in her way, staring back. Her head was laid against the wall she was leaning on. One could call it a staring contest, for all the noble captain cared. But the whole charade was starting to unsettle him.

So far as he's been observing her, the girl's eyes never left his. And what was even more nerve-racking, was how long it took her to blink her eyes. It's been about 17 minutes since Byakuya started their session (not bothering to ask her a question, since Toshiro had told him he'd be wasting his time), and within that time, Orihime had only blinked 3 times. 

That was almost 5 minute-intervals between her blinks. Sure it wasn't really all that disturbing. Byakuya has heard many unusual 'talents' that humans could do, through Rukia, and he was positive, that what this human girl was doing right now was one of them. Though, the longer he looked at her, the more it didn't seem so.

The way how her sclera was slowly forming red lines, and getting watery, was a sure sign that her continuous, unblinking stare towards him was starting to hurt her eyes. And overall, it was starting to irritate the captain. 

He closed his eyes and sighed inwardly. He had no affiliations with this girl. In fact his only official encounter with her was the time, when Rukia had asked her to heal him, after his battle with Ichigo Kurosaki when they infiltrated Soul Society. And the two of them didn't even spoke a word at that time. But Byakuya knew, through Rukia, that this girl, was a dear friend of hers. 

Ever since Orihime Inoue has turned out like this, Rukia's usual air of joy has reduced to a cold breeze.

And, seeing as this girl was so close to his younger sister, there was no way he would let her deteriorate like this. Even if it meant, having to sit and stare at her for several weeks.

 "I missed it when you stared at me like that." 

Byakuya slowly opened his eyes to look back at the girl. Now it was she who had closed eyelids, but it didn't bother the captain in the very least. What he needed to focus on, was the statement the girl had just said. She was still staring, but at what Byakuya wasn't sure anymore. But he was positive, the stare wasn't being directed at him.

 Rather, somewhere, over his shoulder.

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 "He's starting to make me nervous." Orihime thought to herself, as she began to fiddle with her fingers like she usually did. She wasn't doing anything, which had been her completely tedious schedule, hobby and activity since she came to Hueco Mundo. 

She was a prisoner, so she was forbidden to leave her room. It was also clear that asking for books to read, or paper and pencils to draw and write on were highly unlikely. All in all, Orihime was bored, and there was absolutely nothing to quench it.

 Unless she counted the unblinking stare of the Arrancar in her room.

 She's not so sure, but Orihime guessed, that since he was her caretaker, it was his job to oversee her. Which was probably why he stayed in her room for long periods of time in a day. Probably as some sort of way to observe her, or maybe make sure she wouldn't escape or try something, as what Ulquiorra would probably state: 'foolish'.