Search & Bangaway [Ichigo, Lilynette]

Ichigo knew it was plenty easy to contact Lilynette if he needed to, and while most people might have found that uncomfortable or bothersome, he didn't care much. It was a combination of apathy and a more general willingness to have something like that in his life, and so as he walked along the empty shores of southern Namibia, Ichigo simply spoke out in a voice that was more forceful, more confident than was typical for him these days.

"Lilynette."

Even his stride was different as he walked along the sand. His gait was straight, his stride firm. His sword rested over one shoulder, rather than simply dragging through the sand. It would be quite an exaggeration to say that there was a fire in him, certainly, but one might say there was an ember at the least.

"Yeah, a few things."

Rather than continuing to gaze at the sea in a melancholy, Ichigo turned to face Lilynette, a decided intensity to his presence that was undoubtedly some measure of what he had once been like. It was not so much confidence, or will, but rather purpose. He simply knew what he wanted, knew what he would do, and there was no doubt in his mind about it.

"I don't think I need to tell you about the hole that opened up. I want you and Ignacio to go. Make sure there's not a ring down there, and if there is, take it. Try and cause some trouble if you can, too. I'd rather the Gotei and the Vandenreich have to deal with this for as long as possible."

He paused, then, his eyes still studying his much shorter companion for a few moments, before his expression lightened into the faintest possible echo of what might be called a smile.

"Please."

"We were going to all end up in the public eye sooner or later. It's inevitable if we're chasing every ring. And traveling with me isn't going to help anyone keep a low profile, either."

Ichigo's gaze turned back to the sea for a few moments, thinking about the full situation. Or, well, what little he knew about it. It wasn't as if he exactly got much in the way of news, so he tended to just pick things up traveling.

"She'll be with Tier. She and I don't see eye to eye, but I've already made my decision. I'm not going to step off the path I'm on just because she doesn't like it."

Lilynette may have said she wasn't going to pry, but Ichigo was willing to tell her. If anything, her willingness to let the matter rest only added to his inclination to tell her. Of course, it wasn't as if he had any ill-will toward Orihime. He couldn't, really. But he'd chosen this to bring her back to life, and knowing the full extent of what she was like now, that wasn't any different. It just changed the specifics of what would happen at the end.

"Requests? Keep an eye out for anyone in the Gotei or the Vandenreich who seems like they might be a problem down the line. Get them out of the way if you can. And try to come back without getting too beat up."

"I trust Tier. I wouldn't drag her into this other than that. If something happens, she's free to say she saved Orihime from me."

After all, Ichigo wasn't going to trample on Tier's dreams after she'd helped him onto the path he was walking now. He'd still be lost in the sands without much aim if not for their battle, and he was more grateful for it than he imagined either of them really felt like discussing through words.

"Yeah. I've been meaning to train, but it's not as easy as it used to be. Don't quite have many people willing to take some hits other than you guys, but I don't mind pushing myself with you when you're through with that hole."

He appreciated Lilynette's demeanor, if only because it was so lighthearted that it added levity in a way he really wasn't much capable of. It was nice.

Ichigo genuinely didn't really know how to parse some of what Lilynette had even said to him, but he took it in stride like he did everything, if only because he wasn't much the type to respond in any other way. He simply nodded in response, though he did take a moment to correct her.

"Near death isn't the right way to handle it. If they'll be a problem later, kill them."

That was the reality of all this, after all. It was going to come to that one way or another, and Ichigo didn't much want to have problems to deal with down the line. of course, he knew that there were people who would probably be able to get out of a fight. Anyone at a high level usually had some way to escape. But he wasn't here to make his enemies stronger.

"Thanks. I'll keep it on me."

He tossed it onto his wrist fairly absently, not exactly the type to worry too much about where he put it. It sounded like a useful thing to have, so he'd be an idiot not to use it.