The Evergreen Birdcage [Ichigo, Tier]

Things were moving. Whether good or bad, that was something Ichigo didn't much care to think about. He'd begun to walk with purpose, to look forward knowing fully what he wanted. Did that mean he was at peace with himself? No, certainly not. Every day was still a struggle, but he'd committed to this path. And now, today, he was here to speak with the woman who'd given him the first push down this path.

It seemed she'd been busy. Her focus on Hueco Mundo and its people was something Ichigo knew he should have appreciated, but it meant fairly little to him now. After all, he only had one thing in mind, and while he'd have liked to speak to Orihime, he'd long since accepted that the two of them wouldn't be speaking any time soon.

So be it. He was here to speak with Tier, nothing more and nothing less.

"I came to see how things are."

With the situation on Earth right now, there was far more attention than usual. Ichigo could certainly have run rampant across the planet if he wanted to, but that wasn't his intention in this search. He had to act quickly and surely, strike when he was sure there was something to be found, or at least something worth looking into. After the City of Lights, cutting a violent path through everything had proven inefficient.

"I won't stay long, but I'll be in Hueco Mundo for at least a little while. I thought I should stop by, considering what you've done for me."

There was confidence in Ichigo's presence that had once been lacking, even in their last meeting. After all, he'd grown resolved in his aims, and Tier herself had been no small part of that. He didn't really expect her to give him the warmest welcome, but few did these days.

"Everyone's wary of me."

Ichigo knew who and what he was. Regardless of what had been in the past, he was a Hollow, and ultimately, Hueco Mundo was the realm of Hollows. He didn't really expect himself to suddenly start spending his time on Earth, even if everything blew over out of nowhere.

"I'll send ahead next time, then. It'd be good to have a way to keep in touch."

He'd have liked that, at least, but it was what it was. He gestured off away from Tier's settlement with a tilt of his head, and began to walk, assuming she'd follow given the obvious sense that he ought to stay further from that place.

"Didn't answer me, though. Things going well here?"

"Things have changed. I would've said Arrancar being allowed to live so peacefully with people was a good thing back then. We all would've. But I guess back then, I didn't really understand what Arrancar were."

He'd been young then. Naive, headstrong, optimistic. In all of that, he'd seen the best in the people around him, even knowing well what kind of people they were. The Gotei had taken advantage of him, and the Arrancar had been fully prepared to kill him. But despite that, Ichigo had been willing to give them some chance to be more than just his enemy.

That had been then, though. Becoming Hollow wasn't like growing up. It was more than that. Worse.

"You're a better leader than the rest who've tried. At least you actually want to help. That goes a long way."

"Guess you're right about that, yeah."

Ichigo wasn't going to argue with Tier about the nature of hollows. She knew more than he did on the topic, and besides, it wasn't like he really had it in him to argue on much of anything these days. All his mental fortitude was directed toward a single aim, and the rest of the world around him could do as it pleased. Maybe that would change one day, but not right now.

"I don't want to get in your way. You've done a lot to help. If they come to try and cause problems with you, I'll be here."

He paused, then, and glanced over at her for a moment. There was still that faint glint of confidence that he'd regained in the past weeks, something resembling the young man he'd once been. But it was clouded deep in the regrets of being hollow.

"If you want."