Racing along the rooftops, the two could see all the way out to the rukongai, which got Mai thinking. “Hey, Kik,” she said, slowing down as they approached the forth squad’s barracks, “should we invite people from the rukongai?”
“Um, no?” Kiki replied.
“I meant people that shinigami know.”
“Oh! Not strangers, then?” Akiko asked.
“Not strangers,” Mai clarified.
“Hmm...” Akiko murmured, sliding down one rooftop and jumping onto the balcony opposite it, nearly giving Hanatarou a heart attack. Mai slid down after, with slightly more caution, but only because she was still half asleep.
“Fifth seat-”
“Akiko, Akiko interrupted, before Hanatarou could finish the formal title. He turned to Mai and stared in shock and disbelief.
“Fourth seat-”
“Mai,” the brunette replied, cutting him off as well.
“Mai-san,” the boy finished.
“No honorific. Mai-chan, if you must.” She crossed her arms. “How are you, seventh seat Yamada-san?”
He didn’t answer right away, and Mai waited for him to take the hint. “H-Hanatarou,” he said, injecting a tiny bit of backbone into the statement. With twin grins on their faces, the girls rushed forward and gave him a big hug.
“Good morning, fourth seat Watanabe-san, fifth seat Saitou-san. How are you?” asked a soft voice from somewhere over Mai’s shoulder. Akiko jumped away and bowed hurriedly. Mai and Hanatarou turned and bowed as well, though with slightly less panic.
“I am well, Captain Unohana-san,” Mai replied. When Hanatarou stood, she slung an arm around his shoulders. Captain Unohana raised a thin eyebrow.
“What are you girls up to?” she asked, still with her signature gentle smile.
Had Akiko been behind Unohana, she may have been waving her arms frantically at Mai in an effort to prevent her from saying something stupid. She was not, so she had to settle with smacking her palm to her forehead when Mai responded with, “we’re just bullying your little seventh seat.” She was equal parts fearless and oblivious.
“Oh, really?” the fourth squad captain asked, “and why are you here?”
“We actually have ot request your aid, Unohana-san. Mai and I thought that it would be fun to throw a Christmas party this year.” When the captain’s gaze shifted to Akiko, the little blond hastened to add, “Only if you have time, of course.”
“I think that’s an excellent idea!” Hanatarou piped up, a smile stretching across his face.
“Perhaps you three might join me inside?” Unohana suggested, turning her back on the three seated officers to open the sliding door on her right. She held the door open for them, and Mai finally clued into the tension that had been radiating from the captain outside. She really was protective of her squad members.
“I do have to check on our patients, so you can ask me your favour while we walk, Akiko-chan, Mai-chan,” the woman said, not even looking back to check that she was being followed.
“We’re going on an adventure,” Mai murmured to the two on either side of her. They snickered.
Upon entering the hospital wing, Mai took one look at one of the patients and immediately jumped on their bed. “Big brother Ikka!” she cried. The man was startled awake by the cry, but still managed to recover in time to give the younger girl a hug.
“Hiya, Mai!” he replied, a big grin on his face. Akiko joined them, nearly choking Madarame with her hug.
“What are you in for?” the petite blond asked once she’d finished strangling – um, hugging Ikkaku.
“My lucky dance saved my life once again!” he replied, smiling with pride. “Without my luck, I’d be dead!”
“But you’ll be fine,” Mai stated, “because you’re the luckiest man ever!”
“Damn right I am!” the bald man agreed, giving the girls another hug, “otherwise I wouldn’t have you two around to keep me in check.” Akiko and Mai beamed up at him.
“Yo, Madarame!” a gruff voice called. Looking to the door, the assembled group caught sight of Captain Kenpachi. Lieutenant Yachiru was dangling from the back of his neck as usual.
“Captain Kenpachi-san,” Unohana spoke up, “how nice of you to check on your subordinate.”
“Yeah, gotta make sure he’s healing fast, otherwise I’d disown him,” the imposing man informed him, a sadistic grin stretching across his face. “Yo, Mai, Akiko. Good to see you girls wreaking havoc like usual.”
“Oh!” Akiko exclaimed, sitting up. “Unohana-san, our favour!” All eyes turned to her immediately, including Mai’s, although she already knew what was going on. “We were going to ask you if squad four could cook the food for the Christmas party.”
“Christmas party?” Kenpachi asked.
“I want western food!” Yachiru chirped, and vaulted off of Kenpachi’s shoulder onto Mai lap. She fisted her hands in the girl’s kosode. “Mai-chan, you can cook western food, can’t you?”
Mai pondered for a minute, and then replied, “of course I can cook western food.” Yachiru cheered and hugged Mai, half strangling the poor girl.
“We’ll need ingredients. Why don’t we borrow some food from Byakuya-kun’s manor?” Unohana suggested.
“Sure, I’ll go talk to him,” Mai said.
“I didn’t mean talk to him, he’ll definitely say no. I meant... borrow,” Unohana said, her smile seeming a little mischievous.
“I can’t do that!” Mai cried.
“Mai-chan, who’s higher, a captain or a seated officer?” Unohana asked.
“A captain, of course,” Mai replied, not seeing where this was going. Kenpachi, Yachiru and Akiko were all grinning.
“In that case, I order you to go and get some food from Byakuya-kun’s over-stocked manor kitchens. Your shikai is manipulating shadows, right? Use your shadows to sneak the food out. Akiko will be a distraction. We’ll bribe the cooks.”
“Unohana-san, what are you suggesting?” Mai demanded, staring in disbelief.
“It’s alright, I’ll just pay off the cooks before you get there,” Unohana informed her, turning around. “Get us the supplies; we’ll make your food. Hop to it,” Unohana said, and then turned and left. Mai was shell shocked. Ikka lifted her off the bed and set her on her feet.
“Well, if we’re going to have food, I think you’d better do as she says,” Ikkaku said, “before the cooks think no one’s coming.” Akiko and Mai nodded, and then jumped out the window and ran along the rooftops again to Byakuya’s place.
