"We think the flower on the precipice is beautiful because our fear makes our feet stop at its edge, instead of stepping forward into the sky, like that flower." — Sōsuke Aizen.
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The empty sky above was draped around a wan moon that looked as lonely and somber as most who would gaze upon it. It spoke a story many would relate to, but not one most would dare to tell.
"Still fascinated by the moon, I see?" Starrk asked, sitting beside Itachi, who kept his eyes fixed on the sky where a murder of crows circled beneath the pale glow.
"What's there not to be fascinated by?" Itachi replied. "It stands alone, even when surrounded by stars and darkness, yet it remains free of judgment. It's enough to make one envious."
Starrk laughed—a low, vibrating hum rather than a true laugh. "Free of judgment, sure. But have you ever considered that the reason it's so lonely—yet so free—is because no one truly looks its way? They admire it for a passing moment before turning their heads. Not so enviable, is it?"
"People assume they understand its journey," Starrk mused. "They never see it as just the moon. To them, it's part of the night, part of the dark sky. Not an entity of its own, but a fragment of a whole. In that case, why should it be special?"
The wind stirred, shifting the sands beneath them. It was the same eternal dance, the unchanging rhythm of Hueco Mundo. Like its wan moon, nothing new ever graced these barren lands.
"Perhaps you're right," Itachi conceded. "Maybe that's why it feels so ethereal—a renewing sensation every time you truly pay attention to it."
Starrk tilted his head back, wondering how many times, just like this, he had stared at the moon. He'd lost count long ago. And yet…
"You're right," he admitted, chuckling more out of amusement than humor. He let himself fall backward onto the sand, arms sprawled. "There's always something new when you keep looking."
"Is that why you're here, Itachi? Just to admire our moon?" Starrk asked, his voice laced with dry amusement. "I was under the impression Soul Society had a nicer view."
Itachi glanced at him, the ghost of a smile touching his lips. "I came to visit a friend. The moon is merely a pleasant bonus. And yes, Soul Society has its own moon—but the two feel different."
"Different, huh?" Starrk muttered. "Yeah, that sounds about right." His gaze drifted to the crows still weaving their intricate patterns overhead. "What about them? Are they new?"
"No, not really." As if summoned, one crow broke from the flock and descended, perching gracefully on Itachi's knee. "You could say I'm simply being more expressive."
Starrk's eyes flickered between the crow and Itachi before settling on the bird's crimson gaze. Though it lacked the distinctive pattern of Itachi's Sharingan, its eyes were an unsettling, uniform red. Starrk's lips curled into a genuine smile.
"Good for you."
Itachi offered no response. Instead, he asked, "How are the other Hollows faring?"
Starrk exhaled heavily. "After the whole Aizen debacle? Better. It's nothing they can't move past, but right now, they're…"
"Lost?" Itachi finished. "I understand."
"They're managing," Starrk said with a half-hearted shrug. "They've got Tier with them, so they're not completely adrift. They just need direction." He barked a laugh. "Hollows needing guidance? And here I thought I'd seen everything."
Their conversation was abruptly cut short by the raucous cries of the crows—a warning, moments before the unmistakable pressure of approaching Reiatsu made itself known. Starrk groaned.
"Starrk, you idiot! Why didn't you tell me Itachi was here?" Lilynette's voice screeched as she landed in a flurry of motion, launching herself at Itachi with enough force to bowl him over—if he hadn't caught her mid-air, bracing against the impact.
"Eh… I forgot," Starrk replied, utterly unrepentant. The predictable result was Lilynette scrambling off Itachi and lunging at Starrk, hands outstretched to throttle him.
She hadn't come alone. Behind her stood Tier Harribel and her fracción—Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun—all eyeing Itachi with varying degrees of wariness.
"Hey, Starrk! Since when do you host guests without telling us?" Mila Rose demanded, her stance subtly shifting closer to Starrk's side.
Starrk sighed. "Maybe because I was trying to avoid this exact scenario?"
Mila Rose's frown deepened. "That's not an excuse!"
"It's the one I'm using, so it is," Starrk shot back.
Unfazed by the brewing argument, Lilynette reappeared at Itachi's side, poking his ribs insistently. "This is the second time! Why don't you ever tell me when you're coming?" she whined, her lower lip jutting out in a pout.
For a brief moment, Itachi seemed genuinely at a loss. Then, reaching into his sleeve, he produced a neatly wrapped box. "I wouldn't have left without letting you know," he said honestly.
Lilynette's grievances evaporated instantly. She snatched the box, tearing into the wrapping with glee. Inside was a bento—just like the one he'd brought her before.
"Hey, don't hog it, you midget!" Mila Rose was on her in an instant, and soon the two were locked in a tussle over the food, Mila Rose's distrust of Itachi momentarily forgotten.
"That idiot," Apacci groaned.
"Honestly, she humiliates herself—and Lady Harribel—with these antics," Sung-Sun sniffed, her nose wrinkling in disdain.
Harribel fixed Starrk with a look of thinly veiled exasperation. "You should have informed us of the Shinigami's presence. It would have prevented unnecessary tension."
Starrk waved a lazy hand. "Come on, you know Itachi's careful. Half the time, even now, I doubt most could sense him if he didn't want them to."
Harribel's frown didn't waver, but she let it go. Her lie about the other Hollows panicking had been transparent, but that didn't mean she was comfortable with a Shinigami—especially this one—coming and going as he pleased. A warning would have been courteous.
She understood that neither Starrk nor Lilynette viewed him as a threat. And truthfully, neither did she—not entirely. But wariness lingered.
The memory of Hueco Mundo's near-destruction, her own swift defeat, and Aizen's demise at Itachi's hands was still fresh. Worse, the way he carried himself—calm, detached—unnerved even those who should have been his allies.
"Captain Itachi," Harribel said, her voice measured, "I would appreciate it if you announced your presence next time."
"I won't." Her frown sharpened, but she held her tongue as he continued, "My visits are brief, and I'll be leaving soon."
"Eh? Already?" Lilynette protested, her mouth half-full. "You're a Captain! How busy can you be?"
Itachi shook his head. "More than you'd think. I don't know when I'll return, but it won't be soon."
"…Oh." Deflated, Lilynette plopped down beside him, hugging her knees. Itachi's hand settled on her back, rubbing gently. The scene was so incongruously tender that the others shifted awkwardly, caught between discomfort and something softer they couldn't name.
The remainder of Itachi's time passed quietly, Harribel and her fracción gradually relaxing enough to join in. To her surprise, Harribel found herself drawn into their conversation, even enjoying it.
It was also startling to realize that Itachi showed no trace of bias toward them as Hollows—no lingering resentment from their past battles. It didn't erase her caution, but it was… something.
As for Mila Rose? She'd already warmed up considerably, lounging beside Lilynette, who had all but claimed Itachi's side as her personal seat.
When the time came, Itachi departed for the Seireitei—but not before an ambiguous promise to bring more lunches next time.
---
"Look who finally decided to stop playing hide-and-seek." A blur of motion launched itself at him, and on reflex, Itachi caught it.
"I told you I'd be gone for a while," he said to the cat now nestled in his arms.
"Oh, I heard. But curiosity got the better of me. Can you blame me?" Yoruichi purred, batting playfully at his cheek as he tried to fend her off.
"Come on, tell me—where'd you sneak off to?" She gasped dramatically. "A secret rendezvous? Itachi, you devil! Who was it? A fellow Shinigami? A noble's daughter? Some pretty little thing from Rukongai?"
"No. And it's none of your concern, Yoruichi," Itachi replied evenly.
Yoruichi's feline eyes gleamed. "Oh, but it is, you silly crow." When Itachi glanced down, her smirk widened. "As long as they know a cat's already got her claws in you." She flexed a paw, bursting into laughter at his unimpressed stare.
"Haha—okay, okay, I'm joking!" she wheezed, though he continued to ignore her. The temptation to shift back to her human form just to scandalize him again was strong—but she resisted.
(The last time she'd done that—perched naked on his desk—both he and Soi Fon had been so mortified that he'd refused to speak to her for three weeks.)
But she was a cat. And cats always found their fun.
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