It was a shame that he had to return to Soul Society that evening. Still she could not help but feel happy despite everything that had happened. She was now allowed to call him Byakuya so long as they were sans company... and she felt a little less silly around him. Of course she could not dwell upon that. When they had finally returned to the shop, Uruhara launched into questioning her at length about what she wanted her gigai to look like.

"Of course it will look like you Eri-chan. However you have the opportunity to get rid of any scars you do not want to remember the causes of as well as make any minor changes. Things that would not be blatantly noticeable to have people question how that changed over night... But any little insecurities you might have had... those sorts of things." He explains.

"Well I want my mother's family crest to remain... As for the scars... I've lived with them so long... I don't even really notice them anymore. The only person that would know if they were gone or not is Dr. Kurosaki since he's the one that treated them... and I haven't been back to see him since I moved closer to campus." She muses. She was half tempted to ask Uruhara to leave the scar from the first Hollow attack, but then she thought better of it... She would only have wanted to keep it because it reminded her of Byakuya saving her... but that wasn't really necessary... so she said nothing.

"Other than that, I am happy as I am." She adds. No one could blame her for taking the opportunity to get rid of the scars her father had left behind. Sure, her spirit form still bore them and always would but at least her gigai would not have to. Uruhara was a little surprised. Most young women would have jumped at the chance to change the little idiosyncratic things such creatures seemed to find even if they weren't visible to other people.

"Once you are accustomed to the gigai you won't really even notice it. It will be just like your normal body. Of course we'll go over all the details later." Uruhara says as he excuses himself to go into his lab and begin working... Once he copied the finer nuances, like the tattoo, he would make certain to get rid of the formerly living body so that no one would ever be able to tell anything happened to the girl... It was safest that way.

The rest of the day passed. It was decided that Erisia would be safest staying at the shop until the gigai was ready... which she could not argue... It would give her time to get used to this spirit form. She wished Byakuya had not had to return to Soul Society... still she understood he had work to do... Once he left, Uruhara and Tessai went over things with her...

Things that would finalize what her spirit form was going through so that she was not at risk for turning into a hollow and that would make the next phase of all this go much smoother. Once all those things were explained, it was time to rest... So strange to be a spirit and yet still require these things. Of course they had explained that as well. Being dead was nothing like any wild dreams had ever dared to imagine.

She laid down and noticed something in the shadows of the room. "Panther?" She asks quietly. Those glowing eyes came forward and there it was... the shadow panther.

"I did say that I would tell you my name if we got through that mess." Comes that purring voice.

"I was not sure if that still held considering that I am... not the me I was." She says with a soft sigh.

"But your desire to save those innocent people kept you here. You fought back the grasp of that peaceful rest to become what you are. As Uruhara-san explained you would not have been able to train in physical form anyway... You will have a gigai, likely by tomorrow at the rate the scientist is working... we have gotten through the attack... you did well, Erisia."

"You are not mad that I... did what I did?"

"No, Erisia... I am not mad. I am proud to be part of so noble and courageous a soul. You are stronger than you realize... Not all strength is physical Erisia. There are times when strength of heart and strength of will is far greater than any physical strength. Though you were afraid, though you knew that you were most likely going to die... you did not turn and run as many would have. Instead you asked me to drop the one thing that was offering you protection from it... Purposely drawing its focus to you so that the other people there could be spared. A noble sacrifice Erisia and do not let anyone tell you otherwise."

"Thank you, Shadow Panther."

"My name is Kumori Kurohyou." The panther says with the feline equivalent of a bow.

"It is a pleasure to finally know your name honorable panther. Thank you, Kumori." She says with a smile. She was trying to be respectful.

"It will still be a while yet before you and I can truly work together. But you have earned knowing my name... and soon enough you will see what knowing my name can do..." the panther says with a smirk. "Rest well, Erisia..." It says as it fades back out.

She wanted to ask what it meant by all of that but then again there was time for that... and suddenly she felt so very sleepy. Her dreams were thankfully neutral enough that they did not disturb her sleep. She needed a good, deep rest after everything that had happened. It wasn't ever day you died and... 'lived' to tell the tale after all.

She had already been informed that Sunday was hardly going to be a day of rest... There were many things to do in order to prepare for what was ahead. Then there would be learning how to get into the gigai... and showing her how to use the Soul Candy to get out of it... tedious and boring explanations a plenty and then when Uruhara was sure she would be fine... only then would he allow her to return to her apartment... And then, every day after her time at the University, she was to come to the shop. They were going to make the most of the time she had left before graduation to give her some background in what she would learn at the academy. Maybe it wasn't fair. But since when had Uruhara cared about fairness?