"Just sit still. It'll sting"
"Like always?"
"Yes."

A white haired young woman jolted from her bed, panting heavily as she felt sweat dripping down her forehead. She looked around her room, the messy place with papers and clothes strewn around as if it was a child's room, before settling on looking outside. She lifted a shirt from the ground and wiped herself dry from all the sweat. "They're happening again..." She sounded genuinely afraid as she tossed the shirt away. These terrible dreams have been plaguing her for a while. She couldn't tell exactly when, but she knew it was recently. It was always in such a dark place, blue screens all around, and she was always strapped down to some bed. She always woke up before the needle could be stuck into her, though. She wanted them to stop, but they just wouldn't. Tears welled up in her eyes as she held herself for the rest of the night.

When morning came, the girl washed herself with a washcloth so no one would notice the sweat stains on her. She dressed in her usual Shinigami garb and walked out of the messy room. There was a sign on the door she tacked on herself. It read: 'Kuromi's Room' with a little fox drawn in the corner of it. She walked out to her captains office, awaiting orders. "You're up this early?" A short, white haired boy looked up from his paperwork at the equally short girl. She smiled a bit and nodded. "The sun hit my eyes. I couldn't back to sleep." "Your bed isn't in the line of the sun, Kuromi." He seemed annoyed as she flinched. "Fine. I was eager to get up! You know how it is." She smiled happily as her tail wagged slightly. It showed that she wasn't telling the truth, but the boy wasn't going to press further. "I'm setting you up with a mission. You and Suiren will be going to the world of the living, scoping out a few towns. Understood?" Kuromi's fox like ears perked slightly at the mention of the silver haired girl. She wasn't too familiar with the girl, to be honest. She wondered how good she was at fighting. The girl bowed with a smile. "Sure thing, Toshi-taichou." "Don't call me that! Suiren, get in here!" He ordered and as if by command, the girl walked in with a wide smile on her face.

She was a few inches taller than Toshiro and Kuromi were, but her size was nothing to really laugh at in any case. She was very good at what she did and didn't screw up very much, like the other girl did. "Kuromi, right? I'm Suiren. Relatively new here. Please treat me well." She outstretched her hand for a handshake and that got Kuromi a little confused. She was so used to the traditional Japanese greeting. She took her hand though, and smiled a little confused. "Come on, lets go." She tugged her long, making her nearly trip a few times. "A-Ah, Suiren-san, please slow! I can't keep up!" She tried correcting herself, but it didn't seem to work all the time. "You can't? Why not? I thought you ran all the time." "W-Well yes, but not on the days I need to work." She rarely worked, anyway, thanks to Rangiku's influence on her. But that didn't matter! She felt like she was going to fall before they got to the gate!

Suiren seemed to giggle and just pick up speed. "Slow down!" She started running now as they eventually ran into the white light of the gates leading to the world of the living. Once there, Kuromi panted again, working up a sweat she had spent all night trying to get rid of. "Not so bad, right?" The silver haired woman looked down at her with a wide grin. "You act just like Gin-taichou...except the running." She nodded before stretching a bit to get herself ready for anything else the girl may or may not do. The girl laughed before looking around. "I don't sense any hollows around here. Is Toshiro-Taichou sure that everything is not okay?" Kuromi straightened herself up and let her ears rotate on her head. They were long yet almost slender fox ears covered in white fur. They sat atop her head, giving her perfect hearing of the surrounding area. Suiren raised a brow as she stared at the weird act. "What are you doing?" "Sensing Hollows. My ears can do so much amazing things." She told her with pride in her voice. Her left ear twitched before she looking in the direct. "I sense something over there. Come on." She flash stepped her way over to the area, sometimes over shooting herself while other times going somewhere she shouldn't. Suiren had to wonder if she really was qualified for something like this before following after the fox eared girl.

Kuromi led the girl ahead towards a building, looking down below it to see if she could see something. Her ears were ringing so much by now. There had to be something. "It's here, I swear it is." "Maybe it's a false alarm?" "My ears never get a false alarm..." She looked around before stepping out of the way as something tried tackling her. She drew her zanpakutou from the sheath and glared down at it. Suiren tilted her head, wanting to see what this girl could do. She was so clumsy with running and her flash step, how the heck could she fight? The hollow looked up at them and roared. It looked almost like a frog. A very large, green monster with webbed hands and feet. It's mask looked like a frog's face nearly grinning with it's front teeth showing. The girl was quick to race towards it and begin to fight it. She's fought plenty of these things before, it wasn't anything new. "This way, this way." She smiled at it as it swiped at her. She kept flash stepping behind it whenever it faced her. It was the one time she got to control it so well. "Which way am I?" She giggled and kept evading it. 'Kuromi! Take care of it!' She flinched as her Zanpakutou yelled at her for playing with the hollow instead of killing it by now. She sighed before nodding and sliced at it.

However, it caught it with it's hand, not seeming to be bothered by it. She gulped and smiled a bit. "Oops?" She slashed it's thumb off, letting her get out of the hold. It roared again and chased her. "Lets see...tough skin...lumbering bafoon...has mostly powerful attacks. I just need to get it from behind." She analyzed as she ran from it. Suiren was sure this wouldn't end well and just simply sighed as she watched. Kuromi glanced behind before stopping and flash stepped behind it again. It seemed confused and looked around before screeching as she stabbed it through it's stomach. "Forgive me for a dirty attack like this. But you'll be okay now." She smiled and sliced upward, letting it evaporate right before her eyes.

She sighed lightly but continued to smile at her work. She soon heard clapping and looked over at Suiren. She blinked in surprise, but smiled. "What's that for?" "You amazed me! I didn't think you'd be able to do it." The golden eyes woman told her and walked down to her. "R-Really? You're amazed?" The woman nodded and smiled at her before patting her head. "You did great! Honest!" She grinned. Kuromi's tail began wagging behind her before she started to grin widely like never before. She's never gotten so much praise for killing one hollow before! She loved the attention! Suiren chuckled before tilting her head as she felt another pressure. Kuromi didn't seem to notice. She was so busy relishing in the happiness and praise she had gotten. Her tail continued wagging even as a larger hollow appeared behind her. Suiren's eyes narrowed before flash stepping at the side of it. It screeched before sliding in half and the eventual evaporation of both parts occurred. Kuromi's ears perked a bit and she seemed more nervous now. She looked behind her, seeing how Suiren took such good care of the hollow. "Ahh..." "You need to pay more attention. I didn't think you'd be that surprised by all the praise I gave you. I should be careful with it." She nodded, trying to not get the girl upset by her incompetence to notice the large hollow. She nodded and scratched her head, feeling much more nervous now. "It's all right. It's my fault. Sorry for that." She bowed again, still nervous.

It took them a few hours, but the girls got their work done and walked back to the Soul Society. "So, you were just born with those...?" The golden eyes woman gestured to the others ears and tail. She tilted her head, a little confused, before realizing what she was asking. She smiled and tugged her ears a little. "Well...I think so! I mean...I'm not entirely sure. I've had them for as long as I can remember." She told her honestly as she let her ears go and let them perk up again. "What?" The woman obviously didn't understand what she meant by that. Wouldn't she be able to remember regardless? What about her parents, didn't they say anything? Kuromi tilted her head before sighing with a small smile. "I woke up from a coma...and these were the only things that defined me." She told her simply, not sure why she felt upset just by recalling that so suddenly. It's never happened before, but she was sure it was nothing. Suiren blinked before looking away, finding it suddenly awkward to talk about those things. She was sure it was just a birth defect. Sajin Komamura had a case just like that, however, much more severe than Kuromi's was.

As they walked back to the Tenth squad barracks, Kuromi's ears perked as she noticed a silver haired man walking down the street. She blinked and tilted her head before glancing at her partner. "Ah...You can tell Toshi-taichou everything right? Thanks!" She grinned and ran off to catch up to the man. Suiren blinked, not sure what just happened. "Huh?" She noticed the man, and immediately smirked. It seems that someone was smitten. She giggled mischievously before heading back to the barracks. Suiren walked into the office, still smiling, even though Rangiku, an orange haired, large chested woman, was sitting at the couch and drinking sake so early in the day. "Ah? The new recruit came back~" She announced, smiling at the girl. Toshiro looked up, not seeming happy to only see her there instead of two of them. "Where's Kuromi?" "We did our job, the hollows are gone for now. The little weirdo...I think she's off with someone." She giggled again, but it caught Rangiku's attention more than their captain's. He groaned and ruffled his hair. She was just so damn troublesome sometimes! Why couldn't she behave and come back like a good 12th seat? He muttered and shook his head.

Rangiku walked over to her and smiled, just as mischievously as the young woman was. "Come with me~" She took her hand and walked out of the office with her. Suiren was a little confused, but followed nonetheless. Once they were out of earshot from everyone, the woman turned on her heel and looked down at her. "Well? Who was it? Did you see?" She started asking her, smiling wider with every question. "Huh? Kuromi? I dunno...some creepy guy. He had gray hair. Does she like old guys?" The orange haired woman blinked as she wracked her brain to see who that could be. "Oh my goodness..." "What?" Suiren got more and more confused as the woman's mouth gaped open at realization.

Meanwhile, the little fox girl was hanging around this mysterious silver haired man. She seemed happier just talking to him, and he didn't mind at all that she was there. "Then, she just cuts this hollow in half without a problem! It was amazing!" She outstretched her arms as she talked about her mission with Suiren. She was truly amazed by her strength and capability. "She sounds like quite a woman. But you should give yourself credit, too." He nodded and looked down at her. His eyes always seemed to be shut while he was always grinning. It wasn't a mystery that everyone seemed to be on edge whenever they talked to this person except a select few. No one could ever tell what he was thinking or what emotions he had on at the moment. And quite frankly, he didn't mind that. He didn't want emotions getting the best of him when he didn't want them to. "Huh? But I kept running from it..." "You analyzed the situation, didn't you? You're a strong young woman with smarts. That's rare around here." He continued grinning as he walked down the road with her. She smiled a bit and scratched her ears. "Well...I guess. You're really nice to say those things, Gin-taichou." She nodded and looked up at him. He chuckled and shook his head. "Don't be silly, I'm not that nice." He knew she wouldn't agree, but if she knew his, Aizen's, and Tousen's plans, she would absolutely hate him. He was sure of that.

He'd keep it a secret until the time came.