A healthy dose [daidai]

Oh, look, it was awake. After only about 10 pokes, that was almost acceptable. For a normal soul, maybe, but Shizuka had higher standards when it came to Shinigami. He really should have gotten up right away; no member of the 11th with any self-esteem would be so careless.

“I could, technically. But it is actually somewhat fun.”

Despite replying that, she quickly ceased the prodding after a few more times, and put herself upright again. At least now she’d been able to confirm that he was, indeed, a member of the male gender, even if not a particularly impressive one. In fact, he kind of appeared to be somewhat out of it, no doubt due to his poorly chosen sleeping spot.

“Nothing, really. I was just making sure you were really sleepy and not a corpse. Well, as much as you can call a dead Shinigami dead in the first place, that is. Anyway, this isn’t a place to sleep, or don’t you have a real place to crash, poor, poor boy?”

Okay, maybe that was a little mean, but hey, he deserved that. Kind of. Besides, she gave him a genuine smile while saying that, to indicate that she was only teasing, not trying to insult. Not that this would stop anyone with a short temper from feeling insulted, but at least she tried. She even put her zanpakuto back in place, to not appear threatening. Not that she, as a person, could even appear threatening in the first place.

Okay. That was weird. Top three reactions to someone poking you of a nap, in no particular order: shout, kick, ignore. But asking the poking person to take you home? That was actually somewhat new to Shizuka, hence she arched a brow at that and gave him a suspicious look. Was this some kind of prank? Or was he serious? This was utterly weird, but she did not see any harm in obliging to this.

“Well, are you hurt anywhere? I did not poke you that strongly, so you that can’t be it. You’d be in luck either way, because I am actually a healer, you know? I will get you back in shape in not time. Unless it’s only a headache.”

Because, if the problem was pain, she could not really help it with more pain. Then again, that wasn’t exactly her problem. Smiling, she offered her hand to help him up for the moment, just basic courtesy.

“Although I am not too keen on taking in strangers, so I would at least need your name. That’s the least one can do, after all.”

„Well, they were supposed to be an annoyance. But either way, Seta-kun, it that headache should not come as a surprise to you. Sleeping on such an uncomfortable place leads to little else, especially if one did not feel well in the first place.”

Shizuka sighed after having said that and pondered over a course of action. This man did not seem all that wounded, yet still somewhat roughed up. She was not exactly sure if she could do anything for him, but given his behavior so far, she couldn’t let him there like this, either. From the looks of it, he was some kind of low level Shinigami and had most likely gotten himself wasted or something. She did not care much about other divisions, especially those who would see no use in her, and therefore had no clue who she was talking to.

“Anyway, I am Shizuka Kobayashi. I won’t carry you, but you may follow me if that makes you happy~”

Nothing that, she continued walking on, quickly regaining her chipper mood.

Really? Well, she had not expected that guy to be this touchy. Okay, he grabbed only her hand, but still, most Shingami were not that brazen. But, alas, it was not brazenness that guided him, but rather weakness, as it appeared. Well, that or laziness. Shizuka was not exactly sure what was going on, but she could not just have someone slump onto her like that. What would the neighbours say?

“Okay, okay. I support you for a bit. But you owe me one, do you understand, grasshopper?”

Yeah, by now she had decided that he had to be some lowlife Shinigami that had messed up on his job or something. That would explain a lot. Yet, whatever the reason, she stopped once more, only to allow him to put his arm on her shoulder, while she did something similar to his back. This was her free day, and still she acted as if she was transporting a wounded combatant off the battlefield. And this peaceful, nice riverside was as different from a true battlefield as one could imagine, really.

“You better not make promises you can’t keep, though. But I a simply girl, I am happy with just a little.”

Bit of screaming. But he did not need to know that. In fact, she did not really bring that up all too often. But if that poor sap did not find anything to repay her, she would gladly accept an hour of target practice with him. A girl had to refine her skills somehow, after all, and getting some fun out of the experience too was always great.

Either way, they managed to get going like this, and he wasn’t too heavy on her. They did make at least some progress, and there weren’t too many people around to watch and judge them. If nothing else happened, they would arrive at her place in a reasonable amount of time, so that she could dump him before he could become too much a strain.

“Here we are. Don’t expect too much, though. I have a reputation to uphold in the 11th, so I don’t have much stuff around.”

She would have kicked him for any other answer, of course. No one wanted their place to be looked down upon, after all, even if it was both rather small and sparsely decorated. In Shizuka’s case, that was intended after all. Anyway, he had given the right one, so she opened the door for him with a sigh.

“Ah, home sweet home it is.”

Of course she said that. Everyone who first brought someone to their house was contractually obligated to say that. The thought made her snicker, but she quickly went into a thoughtful mood again, when she tried to remember when she’d last had a male in these four walls. Had to be at least a few dozens of years, really. Weird. Either way, she helped him further, until she could put him on her large, western style bed.

So what? It was incredibly comfortable, and being in the 11th did not mean to hate things like this.

“See? This is a place to sleep in. Now let’s see what’s wrong with your head.”

Saying that, she nonchalantly went through his hair, searching for any possible wounds, just in case. She had propped him onto the bed face first, after all, so that was easy.