Byakuya's grey eyes widened slightly at what he'd just heard from the girl in front of him. The purple glow left his hands and he inquired, "you mean someone's tried to kill you?"

Tama nodded and opened the front of her kimono just enough for him to see the scar that was near the center of her chest, but slightly to the left, where her heart resided. She allowed a quick glance before closing her kimono over and elaborating, "I was easily overpowered, couldn't even last thirty seconds against them. Then they pierced me, bound my mouth with kido and left me to bleed out. I couldn't scream, I couldn't move—I was more exhausted than I can put into words. Closed my eyes, and somehow I woke up with life in me again. The wound had scarred over."

'Unohana might know more about this,' Byakuya thought to himself. He looked to her with a small smile as he told her, "well, if that happens again I'll be able to show up and identify the perpetrator. So there's no need for you to worry. However long it takes, this terror you've been living, it's going to end. It'll end in your favour too. I'll do everything I can to see to that."

Tama gained a small blush on her cheeks and nodded. He couldn't help but smile at her response, he went over to one of the walls of her room and revealed it was in fact a door. Sliding it open she was greeted with a room that was decorated in cherry blossom designs.

He looked to her as he announced, "my room's right next to yours and there's a door that joins them. So if you have a nightmare, can't sleep, or really anything just come over."

Tama blinked and as she stammered out, "uh—that's umm—that's nice of you but—err—well-"

Byakuya's brow furrowed in confusion before the light bulb switched on in his mind and he almost slapped the palm of his hand to his face, realizing what she was likely getting at as he assured her, "don't worry about it. I'm not going into details about why, just—don't worry. It'll be fine. Unless you mean yourself then—I don't know—slip off to the toilet—just please wash your hands after."

He froze when he heard her voice cutting through his ramblings with, "what are you talking about? I mean your grandfather and the rules and-"

Byakuya relaxed and laughed heartily as he hastily replied, "oh that! Still nothing to worry about, Father has already explained to him what was decided. It's best if I'm the one you primarily go to about this because—well for one Father and Unohana think that it'll be easier for you to talk to me about this stuff—and two sometimes Father and Grandfather get called away for missions for days or weeks at a time. I don't—not yet. One day, when I've completed my training and I join the Sixth Division—but that's a long ways off yet."

Tama glanced at him from the side of her eye as she clarified, "so you actually don't want to do any of this? You're just going along with it because the adults want you to? How wonderful!"

"Huh? No! I didn't mean it like that—I—ugh—Father's right, I am awkward," Byakuya admitted. He ran a hand over his face before reaching behind his head and removing the ribbon that tied his hair back. She was surprised to see that his hair easily reached the middle of his shoulder blades.

He sighed heavily as he attempted to clarify what he'd meant, "It was their idea initially, yes. You're correct about that. However, I could've elected to not go along with their plan. Nobody should go through what you have. Regardless of what social class they're from. I can't help every single person in Rukongai—neither can Father. What we can do is help you. Help you heal from what happened, help you relearn to trust, and to form bonds with others."

He turned to face her as he added, "It's obvious you care about people—if you didn't, you wouldn't have stopped that hollow from hurting the kid that day. I'm not exactly like you but—I understand how difficult it can be to relate to people when you're different."

He stood so his back was against the desk in his room, his hands coming back to rest on the edge of it while he concluded, "there's four greater noble families in the Seireitei—and I'm the youngest heir to any of them. The others are all grown up and most don't bother with a teenager like me. I'm just a punk kid to them. So if I'm honest—I can't truly say that I've ever had a real friend. Maybe I'm not the best choice, but I am the closest to you in age. Maybe that'll help bridge something, I don't know. I do know I'm willing to try, if you are?"

Tama blinked as she took in the information before a soft smile came to her face and she nodded in agreement while voicing, "we'll see how things go. One day at a time."

"That's fine with me," Byakuya agreed gaining a smile of his own. Tama walked into his room cautiously before sitting at the desk, her back was to him as she asked, "what were you going on about toilets, washing hands and telling me not to worry about it?"

Byakuya visibly tensed at the idea of explaining what he'd thought she was nervous about. He didn't anticipate ever having that talk with any girl, unless he had a daughter one day and even then he'd likely let her mother do the majority of the talking. He gave a slightly annoyed groan as he replied, "please try to forget I even said any of that."

She twisted her body and glanced at him through her eyelashes, noticing that he was once again blushing. She smirked a bit as she taunted him, "you know you blush a lot?"

"Hey! I don't blush a lot, you do," he shot back instinctively then stopped himself when he saw she was covering her mouth and lightly laughing at his reaction.

'Huh? Oh—is this what father calls "playful banter"? Hmm. I suppose maybe it is,' he thought to himself as he observed her. After a moment he relaxed and lightly chuckled at how defensive he was. Yes, he was blushing. Blushing at the idea of having to have that sort of talk with her, and at how beautifully that kimono suited her hair, eyes and skin tone. Then again maybe the blushing was just because of the idea of having that talk with a beautiful girl in his age range. He gave his head a small shake, trying to rid the thoughts from his mind before an issue took root.

"You are a strange one," she mused.

"Hmm. Perhaps I am, but no more so than others," he offered.

"True enough," she conceded. He crossed his arms over his chest before asking her, "so—what do you think you'd be up for training in?"

"Training?"

"Yeah, combat training. It's my idea, and Father is behind me on it," he pressed with a bit of a nod.

He glanced over and added, "with what we've learned of you, I'm thinking if you learned a combat skill or two you could better your odds at evading more attacks from whomever it is that seems to target you. I'm decent with hand-to-hand but it's not my best talent. I'm more proficient with flash step, kido and swordsmanship, but it's up to you. Whatever you decide I'll teach you what I know as a foundation. Figure the rest out for yourself."

A smirk grew on his lips as he jested, "can't have you copying my style after all."

Tama quirked an eyebrow at him before asking, "do you have any hobbies or do you just train and learn etiquette?"

"I like Calligraphy, and reading," he disclosed.