Echoes of the Damned [Lilynette, Ignacio]

There was a familiar distortion as Lilynette's summons was answered, a Garganta appearing in the air before her. It tore open with a splitting cry to reveal a single figure, garbed in robes of black and white. Ignacio was easily recognisable, given even a loose familiarity with him, that he need not even loosen the string on his energy to let her know that he was here. He stepped forward, dropping down the small distance from the portal to the ground below, and the grass beneath his feet seemed to immediately wither from the heat that came with him. Each step scorched the soil and left a neat trail of blackened footprints in his wake.

"It is good to see you, Lilynette."

There did seem to be a genuine level of care to his greeting. A rare familiarity that perhaps suggested that they had built up a little rapport, and was certainly an uptick from their first meeting all that time ago. His hand did not linger upon his weapon, for starters, and he did wear a polite smile on his face. Not anything as excessive as a toothy grin, but enough to show he was willing to make at least an effort to be sociable.

"Is there business to be handled?"

It was not that Ignacio lacked in control or finesse, but rather that he cared little for the thoughts of the grass as it burned beneath his feet. Perhaps that was why he had spent almost all of his time living out in the deepest depths of the desert of Hueco Mundo, rather than finding a nice little cottage to settle down in here on Earth. Though perhaps it was a lack of training that made him so unrefined when it came to these situations.

"Ichigo Kurosaki must reevaluate his own motives for seeking the Rings. Once he has done so, I will determine whether the Powder Hunters continue in their current state."

Ignacio had promised to aid him for as long as Ichigo's motivations remained aligned with his own. That might well no longer be the case now that he had been reunited with the person that he thought once was dead but fate had returned to him. Regardless, Ignacio would continue the search alone if need be. For the good of all the realms, he would see this power sealed away for good. At the mention of Africa, though, his golden gaze turned to the horizon.

"As for Africa, it is an opportunity if we wish to take it. So many eyes have fallen upon it that our actions so far have almost fallen by the wayside. If we are to continue then it would be quite remiss to let this chance pass us by."

"His original motivation was to use the Rings to bring his woman back to life, yet it appears that she is still very much alive. The goal he once sought has already been achieved."

Ignacio's brow furrowed, wondering if perhaps there was something else that he did not know about. They were hardly thick as thieves, any of them, so he was hardly so foolish as to assume that he had a perfect understanding of their situation, but he had always thought Ichigo to be the type to speak his mind with little care for who heard. LLilynette was the chatty one, with a louder mouth than he would have liked but a good enough shot for him to get over it.

"As for the presence of another Ring in Africa, I would have to investigate the matter a little more intimately than could be managed subtly. It was not something I wished to do alone, given the activity by both the Gotei and the Vandenreich in the area. It would be troublesome to become caught in the crossfire."

The two rings indeed lingered on one hand, stored on metal fingers bereft of the flesh that they would so ravenously consume. It was a statement as much as it was practical. Most onlookers would not think twice about them, only those who knew what they are would be drawn in closer, and that was exactly what he wanted. Her last remark drew something of a snort from him, though. He was not the type to be invited for dinner by anyone, so perhaps it was the surprise.

"Dinner? Very well. I was not expecting such an offer. Are we dining on Earthen cuisine, or have you something else planned?"

"If his motivations are unchanged then all the better. We have made more progress together than I have in centuries of searching, and it would be a shame to lose that avenue."

Ignacio had not spent any significant amount of time around this Princessa, only long enough to determine that she was not herself in possession of a ring, but Lilynette was certainly right about her significance. There was an energy that she carried with her that was like no other. Not Ichigo nor even himself. He did not want to admit that he was growing curious, as such an attachment was unseemly, but the questions did linger without answers making themselves apparent.

"Oh, you are too busy to join me on such a venture? I did not think that you were one to turn down a good time."

His delivery was rather flat, and typically Ignacio-esque, but there was a certain amusement to the man as a playful fire danced across those vibrant eyes. She was inviting him over for dinner, after all, so he was quite confident that she was simply pulling his chain. He had not intended to make such a trip unless it was asked of him, of course, but it did seem to be the implication that such a thing was coming. Either that or Kurosaki would take matters into his own hands and leave them to pick up the pieces.

"Pizza? I would have assumed this was a local delicacy, but your tone implies it is something else. Regardless, let us feast upon it."

A cursory glance passed over the gathered wolves, Ignacio much less perturbed by their presence than he had been in their first meeting, as he took off after her without much need for further wrangling.

Ignacio's brow furrowed at that convoluted description of this pizza, still trying to dissect exactly what the word meant and how it would taste because of it. He was not used to the idea of eating this human food, but he had seen bits and pieces before. A fleeting visit here and there but never staying around for long enough to feel any desire to consume such things.

"Is 'awesome' a suitable descriptor for food? What other awesome foods do humans possess?"

His curiosity was genuine, though he was quite well aware that he was opening himself up to being exploited by Lilynette. Such was the price for him spending so much of his life in one realm whilst ignoring the others. He could tell from that little spring in her step that he had opened a door that would be hard to shut again. Still, he found himself kneading the palms of her hands as she called his ability into question. Perhaps this was an element of the art of pizza eating.

"My coordination is rather precise, I would be a poor swordsman without it."

Lilynette's house was actually closer to what he had expected than he had imagined it would be, which was a pleasant surprise. The increasing number of wolves was equally surprising and a little less pleasant, but he understood these creatures well enough that their presence alone did not set him on edge as it once had. He focused enough to stop his feet from scorching the floor, a display of polite courtesy for the other's home, and let himself actually relax.

The idea of making himself at home was not one that came easily to Ignacio. He did not know exactly what that meant, it wasn't like he exactly had a home of his own beyond a base of operations that served a purpose rather than as a place to settle down in. What he did have was a great deal of respect for Lilynette for having all of this. He stood for a while, perplexed by the idea of the couch whilst also watching the wolves move around him, before finally settling down to perch awkwardly on the edge. Taking off his swordbelt, he laid the weapon across his knees and busied himself with a little maintenance.