Renji listened to Keman's story; it was pretty much what Valyn had told him days ago, though with some new details filled in. He let go of his nose and sniffed experimentally; it seemed okay.

"A spirit thread's... kind of a way to look at your soul," he said. He decided not to mention the fact that it allowed him to track people as well. That, they were keeping mostly quiet. He grinned. "So I guess that's what a dragon soul looks like. Because it sure didn't look like a human's thread."

He'd already been resting one arm along the edge of the table, the one he hadn't been pinching his nose with. After a moment or two, he slipped it under the table so he could twine his fingers with Rukia's.

"Most people in our world don't know Shinigami exist. Because they can't see us." He shrugged. "They've trapped us in bodies here. Among other things."

Renji went back to picking at his lunch, one-handed. "Valyn's a really good kid," he said. "While I'm sorry that you and your friend are here, I'm glad he's got some people he knows, now." Maybe they'd be more of a comfort to him than Renji had managed. Valyn was hard to read.