As Vast As Oceans (Tier/Ignacio)

Ignacio was not one to often find himself seeking the companionship of others, even amongst the Flaming Rings he did enjoy his solitude. Yet recently he had found himself in the company of those that he would call comrades, those few whose goals aligned close enough to his own that he was prepared to draw swords alongside them. Another species might have referred to these relations as friendships, but an Arrancar was not weighed down with such burdens.

Finding himself within the ruins of Las Noches, somewhere that he had spent centuries shunning ever since the rise and fall of Aizen, Ignacio could not help but feel out of place. But this was Tier's home now, the one that she had made from the ashes of that which came before, and she had wanted him to be here today. He could only imagine why, but seeing her in this new attire certainly gave him an inclination. Times were changing once again in this endless desert, and he could either ride the wave or stand against the tide.

"Is this an auspicious meeting, Tier Harribel? It has been a short while."

His appearance had changed little since that meeting on Earth, still dressed plainly in robes of black and white with little equipment but the sword and his hip and little decoration beyond the two metal fingers that stood apart from the rest of the ordinary flesh on his body. The single oddity is like a single blemish against an otherwise blank canvas.

Ignacio had mused upon similar philosophical questions before, of why they existed in this state and what drove them to continue on without any real attempts at progress. He understood well enough that Tier was not looking for an answer from him, they were matters that could hardly be discussed in a timely manner and only sources of further conflict, but the question she did posit left him momentarily stunned. Not that he wore such confusion upon his face as anything more than the cocking of an eyebrow.

"No."

He had thought as much before the question had been asked, the pause had stemmed from the consideration that she might think such of him. But Tier Harribel did not seem like the type to form such bonds quickly either. Their interactions as comrades had been, for the most part, purely functional. Only Hawaii had been different, and he could not help but admit that it had been something else entirely.

"Friendships are not a common luxury amongst our kind, especially when we are so fond of killing each other even after all these years. You are interesting to me, I cannot deny that, but it would be ignorant of me to call that a friendship."

"Just because I do not yet consider you a friend does not mean I consider you an enemy, Tier. You speak as you did before, of hope and ambition. Of a brighter future, not just for yourself but for our kind as a whole. That is someone who I could eventually see myself considering as something more. For no true bond was built in a single day."

He felt those outbursts of anger, like a raging storm that threatened to consume everything around her including him, but he did not flinch. Did not reach for his blade nor shift into a defensive stance. If his words were not enough for her then it was unlikely that his sword would be so, instead, he remained standing there before her. He did not offer himself to her, but nor did he seek to leave. His own Reiatsu built up slowly, though its strength did pale in comparison to her own, as he did want to let her know that he was still there.

"If it costs me only my pride, then I offer it gladly. It has done me little good before now anyway. So, as you find me in your path, I offer what aid is within my power to grant to your quest to change our world."

That was the measure of Ignacio Vega. That he was more than willing to compromise for another to achieve their goals if he believed that their goal was for the benefit of the many, not the few. Perhaps Tier was that person who would finally make him bend, rather than fail to break him.