"Your name?"

The voice belonged to a seated member of the 12th squad. That day, the division was busier than the usual. The shinigami academy was recruiting, so that meant he had to work a lot harder. He wondered if he would be able to come back home that day. He was really starting to doubt it.

The girl opened his mouth and then closed it. Her name. She couldn't remember her name. She could remember anything about her life.

"I need to know your name. If you aren't going to-"

"Tanshin" she replied, cutting the man off. It wasn't really her name... but during her stay in Soul Society, she chose a new name for herself. She thought about thousand of names and meanings. For years she didn't even have a name. Who needs a name if you can't maintain any morsel of dignity? What use has a name, if people won't consider you worth of being called by it? A name don't deserve to be yelled in the night by cruel voices. No name should be pronounced with such a venom which can make you forget who you are. So, really, being nameless was better for the soul of the 84th.

And she was tainted. And every name she would have chosen would have been too. So how could she chose one of the popular names? Japanese female names had always graceful meanings, cherishing the beauty, the wisdom, the sweetness of a woman. But she... she didn't feel like that. Names like those didn't fit her. So, there was her name. Tanshin. Alone. Unaided. Condemned to never come back home. What a fitting name. A bitter smile touched her feature as she pronounced her name.

"Alright, get your reiatsu to your higher point." the shinigami requested.

She nodded, before trying to do as she was said. She didn't know exactly how did it work. She tried to concentrate. She had heard people were able to rise their reiatsu when they got angry. So she tried to get furious. She tried to think about everything that happened to her. But soon, she found out it was completely useless.

"You can go." the shinigami said.

The girl nodded again. Something said her the test didn't go good. Not that she cared.

The girl sat on the grass. She was in a meadow out of Seireitei. She didn't want to spend the night there, thinking about her "family". They would get so mad if they found out she was there... Tanshin lied on her back, looking at the sky over Soul Society. People said stars were brighter here than in the human world, that the sky was the most beautiful thing in Soul Society.

But she hated that sky.

She had passed so much time sleeping in the street, too famished to fall asleep, too scared to even close her eyes. So she had spent endless night gazing at the stars above. Without a roof on her head to protected her. Nothing could make her feel so helpless and exposed as the infinite dark blue sky of Soul Society, with only cold and distant stars watching over her. She felt so much like the little frightened girl she used to be, as a shiver ran through her back.

"Gotcha." a male voice sounded behind her and making her startle in surprise.

"Doesn't really count, rich-san." the girl replied, recovering from the initial shock. "I'm not even moving."

The man tilted slightly his head, even if she couldn't see him. "Sometimes stamina and perseverance are more worthy than speed and laziness. Ever heard about the rabbit and the turtle?"

She snorted, sitting straight. "Bullshit. I could ran off now and you'll never find me."

"I could always find you. Like I found you now. Have you ever heard of reiatsu, insolent brat?" his tone could seem impassible, but everybody who knew Byakuya enough, could tell his voice was mocking and he was secretly enjoying this.

"Ever thought of conceal it, wise fool?" she replied coldly, hiding her annoyance in her voice and features, even if it was evident from her words.

Byakuya picked a keen interest in her. There was something peculiar about her. She was teasing and cunning, but her face never changed expression. Her exterior and robes were humble and modest, but her attitude and pose were full of arrogance... not misplaced. Even her run was curious... Shunpo consisted in a row of little steps performed in rapid sequence. But her run was consisted in long range jumps, plus, she moved along curved paths, flexing her knees and it resembled vaguely the movement of a skater.

But with the grace of a punk hockey player, he mused. And the same fierceness.

And now, here she was, just a pair of feet divided them and yet, he couldn't feel her reiatsu at all.

The girl smirked with pride, tilting her head slightly. It was the closer thing to a smile he'll ever get from her. Byakuya's eyes widened for a second, before recovering soon. "I would have never expected something like this from the likes of you." he replied, needed to denigrate her, to put some distance. She was dead from just a pair of decades and yet, she was faster than him and could completely hide her reiatsu unlike the majority of Seireitei captains. People could lower their reiatsu... but she turned it off with no problems at all. It was like she wasn't even there.

However, she remained unfazed by his words. "So..." she began, "the Turtle and the rabbit? Your reading preference are unsual for someone who seems to have been around here for so much time, Mr Turtle." she replied at his comment, paybacking his insult using his own allegory.

He had to admit he couldn't really reply with some smart ass remark. "I've been a child too... two or three centuries ago."

She lifted an eyebrow, observing him closely. "Argh!" she groaned, before sprawling on the grass again. "I'll never get used to see people who are three centuries old and look like twenty!"

Byakuya was taken aback by that. He was the one who would never get used to see her. She... was smart and dead serious in a moment and... childish and relaxed the other. And yet, she still had something in her features he couldn't put his finger on. Was it her tense expression? Her tired air? Her firm lips which never turned up in a smile or down in a pout? Or maybe, it was the strange light in her eyes. Faint, pained and... resigned.

"You're staring."

"I was thinking. You were in the way." he replied. What else could he say? Sorry? Or a childish I wasn't?

She snorted. "I was expecting something closer to the line Kuchikis don't stare."

"This morning you didn't even know who were the Kuchikis and now you know their speaking habits?"

"I know yours, Byakuya-san."

He glared at her. Byakuya-san? Who the hell did she think she was??!

"Haven't they taught you glaring is rude, Byakuya-san? I'm quite sure there's a tale about this too." she teased him.

"Haven't they taught you good manners? Vulgars like you aren't supposed to speak to nobles like this and without a proper honorific. You should show me some respect." spatted with venom.

She gazed him with a tired and serious expression. "What have you done to gain my respect, Byakuya-san?"

His breath hitched and he was speechless for a moment. "How dare you, insolent brat! My title is a source of respect. You should not need any other reason."

"But I do." Was her simple answer.

"I could have you killed for that." he said. "Hope you're aware of this."

"You wouldn't." she replied calmly, before turning watching the sky again.

"What makes you say that?"

"Am I wrong, Byakuya-san?" she asked shrugging.

The sixth division taicho, turned angrily, his haori flapping behind him, before marching away from the girl's question. Both knew the answer, but no way in hell he was going to say that aloud.

Tanshin sighed. Tonight, she wasn't going to get any sleep. Especially not now, after that... man gave her so much thoughts.