Chapter Twenty-Five

The next day Yasu found herself relaxing on a blow up raft in the middle of the pool, watching Hanataro.

Hanataro picked up empty cups and trash, putting it into a garbage bag that he had tied to his back.

"I like this pool." Yasu adjusted her sun glasses. "I didn't really get a chance to enjoy it last night."

"The First Captain wants you to get rid of it." Hanataro informed her.

"That's because Saiko forgot to invite him to the party." Yasu shook her head. "Did you come last night Hana? I didn't see you."

Hanataro thought back to his adventure, flying over the tree tops carried away by the beach umbrella.

A little British child ran through a park, waving his arms to the sky. "Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins, come back!"

"Who?" Hanataro called down to him, holding onto the beach umbrella for his life as he was blown along with the breeze.

"The Chimney Sweep is looking for you. Chim-chimanie-chim-chim-charoo!"

"Are you from a satanic cult or something?" Hanataro watched the child call out to him.

"I want to go flying up the banister again, Mary Poppins!"

A large gust of wind came and blew Hanataro away.

"No." Hanataro answered Yasu's question simply.

"That's too bad Hana, if it makes you feel better, I spent most of the night with the Sixth Captain."

"Wh-what? Why?" Hanataro questioned.

"Someone tried to poison him." Yasu shrugged, running her fingers through the water.

Hanataro got a large net and began to fish garbage out of the pool. "What is that…?" He poked a floating clump that looked somewhat like Yumichika.

"Oh… is it dead?" Yasu leaned over to get a better look.

Ikkaku opened the door to Yumichika's room. "Hey, it's time to get up." He kicked his Fifth Seat.

The blow up Yumichika doll flipped over.

"Wait… If the doll was the one that came back last night…"

Hanataro rolled over the floating mass.

Yumichika took a deep breath. "I did it! Stop the timer! I, the beautiful Yumichika have proved to you all, that I hold the world record for longest breath holding ability!"

"Uh, there's no one here…" Yasu pointed out.

Yumichika looked around. "My record…my beautiful record." He pulled himself from the water revealing a really pruned body.

"Oh my gosh." Yasu squealed, covering her eyes.

"My skin… I… I'm… ugly." A single tear flowed down from Yumichika's eye.

Hanataro continued to pick up trash.

"I have no reason to go on living…"

"Good! You can help us clean up then! Hana!" Yasu called.

Hanataro handed Yumichika a poker stick and an extra bag.

Yumichika tried to take the stick but it slid out of his wrinkled hand.

"You're terrible at this," Yasu shook her head.

"I'm not built for this kind of… ugly work." Yumichika looked around at the trash. "I'm going to go lay in the sun and dry out."

Hanataro sighed because he had to clean up alone again.

Saiko walked to the mess hall looking annoyed. "Nothing happened."

"It's not fun for me if you don't give details." Matsumoto pursued.

"I'm not giving details because there are none to give."

"But you would give them if they existed?"

"No," Saiko said.

Matsumoto crossed her arms. "You're a bad friend."

"And you're a nosy one."

"Well, when you get married, I demand to be credited in your speech." Matsumoto grabbed a plate of food. "So, what are your plans for today? Have time to tease Ikkaku with me?"

Saiko grabbed some breakfast as well. "Yeah, I mean, I have some work I need to do, probably a patrol with Abarai, other than that, I'm free to tease whoever."

"Oh good. I'm supposed to be doing work today too but… If I can avoid my Captain I'm free to—"

Renji sat down at the table Matsumoto and Saiko had migrated to. "Free to what?"

"Fantasize about you, big boy." Matsumoto winked at him.

Ikkaku came running in. "HE DIED!" He threw the blow up doll on the table. "THE REAL ONE DIED!"

"Hana, why are we always the ones on cleaning duty? We have 300 members below us and we never put any work on them." Yasu pointed out.

"I like cleaning…" Hanataro spoke, unsure.

Yasu shook her head. "Let's go Hana, breakfast is waiting, someone will clean this up if we let it sit here long enough… right?"

"Are there going to be donuts?" Hanataro demanded.

"Maybe," Yasu smiled at him.

Hanataro dropped his stick and the bag of garbage, hurrying from the pool area.

"Someone has to help me find the body." Ikkaku pleaded.

Saiko looked at the blow up Yumichika doll. "The poor unfortunate person that just had Yumichika's soul for a child…"

"No! I refuse to believe it!" Ikkaku covered his ears. "Please, help me look for him!"

Renji, Matsumoto and Saiko exchanged glances. "Nah."

"You're all so cruel!"

Yasu walked into the mess hall with Hanataro.

Hanataro rushed to the food table in hopes of something sweet while Yasu looked around at all the people awkwardly.

"Saiko, please!" Ikkaku continued to beg.

"What's in it for me?" Saiko questioned.

"I won't hit on you for a whole day."

Saiko jumped up from the table. "See you guys later!"

"She's got a nice backside, huh?" Matsumoto admired.

"Wh-what?" Renji stammered.

"Saiko. I saw you staring at those swaying hips."

"I wasn't staring! Loo-glanced, maybe but not... staring… or seeing anything, really, even."

"Of course," Matsumoto nodded.

Renji glared at her.

Hanataro ran back over to Yasu. "Yasu look! Look! I found one!" He held up a donut. "Isn't it beautiful" He took in the scent lovingly.

Yasu nodded. "I'm so happy for you Hana!" She stroked his hair.

"Hey, there's Yasu, Yasu! Over here!" Renji waved.

"There's not enough room, Saiko's going to be back in a second and she'll be upset if we let someone take her seat." Matsumoto warned.

"What are you talking about? Saiko's not going to care, she left, Yasu!" Renji called again.

"Oh look, there's Renji, come on Hana." Yasu took his wrist and walked over to the group. "Good morning."

"I thought you were cleaning the pool all morning, finished already?"

Yasu shook her head. "Donut break." She pointed to Hanataro.

Hanataro made his orgasm face as he continued to breathe in the donut.

"Oh…" Yasu looked at the blow up doll sitting in one of the chairs. "What are you doing here? I thought you went to dry out in the sun… you're looking better."

The Yumichika doll didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry for making you clean, but you don't need to be rude."

"That's not Yumichika…" Renji pushed the doll out of the chair.

Saiko ran with Ikkaku on the roof tops. "Are you sure you just didn't run into him? This place is pretty huge."

"No, I know when he wakes up. He didn't come back last night he." Ikkaku froze. "What. Is. That." He pointed to Yumichika sprawled out on one of the roofs drying out in the sun.

"It's… horrible…"

The two of them crept closer.

"OH MY GOD!" Ikkaku shouted.

"MY EYES!" Saiko exclaimed.

Ikkaku grabbed Saiko's wrist and the two ran back into the mess hall, panting for breath. "That… was…" Saiko breathed.

"Oh… My… God!" Ikkaku shouted.

Renji made a face. "Why are you two so out of breath?"

"Oh, Saiko, you don't need to slum it like that…" Matusmoto pouted.

"Were you guys out training together?" Yasu suggested.

Hanataro licked his fingers.

Saiko shook her head. "No… Worse… It was… Disgusting…"

Ikkaku laughed a little. "Nah. It was… Awesome!"

"SAIKO! I was kidding about slumming it! You didn't!" Matsumoto looked horrified.

"Did you find Yumichika or not?" Renji asked, playing with his glass of orange juice.

"You were looking for him? I think he was going to go lay on one of the roof tops." Yasu looked at the blow up doll wearily.

Ikkaku kept laughing. "Oh no! Why didn't I get a picture of it? No one will ever believe me!"

Saiko picked up Matsumoto's water glass and took a sip. "No one needs to know. That was too disgusting. It's better to forget about it."

Ikkaku shook his head. "Never."

"Oh Saiko… since you're here, when did you want to plan the next party?" Yasu asked.

Matsumoto grabbed Saiko's arm. "Saiko answer my question! Did you or did you not?" She nodded toward Ikkaku.

"I'm offended! Of course not!"

"Why of course? What's wrong with me?" Ikkaku gasped.

Saiko looked around the table noticing all the seats were taken up. "They need bigger tables in this place…"

"The next party better be an awesome party." Matsumoto said.

"Let me know when you want to get together and plan." Yasu smiled at Saiko.

Saiko glanced at Renji. "I have patrol at some point today… I don't know when?"

"Twelve, but I can get someone to cover for you if you need to plan this with Yasu, no problem." Renji took a sip of his juice.

"So Twelve then?" Yasu looked between Saiko and Renji.

Saiko frowned at Renji. "Yeah… That'd be great… Thanks…"

"Awh, so no teasing men today?" Matsumoto pouted.

"Sorry,"

"I'll let you tease me all day long." Ikkaku winked at Matusmoto.

"It's not fun when you know that it's coming." She sighed.

"Okay well… I'm going to go get something to eat before it's gone. I'll meet you outside the women's restroom Saiko, at twelve." Yasu nodded before walking to the food table.

Hanataro followed her obediently.

"I'll walk you there, Saiko." Ikkaku offered.

"I thought you said you wouldn't hit on me for a day?" Saiko looked at him.

"I'm not! That doesn't mean I wouldn't like to sneak a pea—"

Renji smacked Ikkaku on the back of the head. "Don't you have actually work to do?"

Ikkaku thought about this for a moment. "No… Not really."

"What do you think Hana?" Yasu asked as she caressed a bagel.

"I think that I would like another donut." Hanataro answered honestly.

"That's not what I'm talking about." Yasu picked up a rice ball.

"Oh… then I don't know."

Yasu nodded. "Me neither." She glanced back at the table a moment before taking a blueberry muffin and putting it in her sleeve.

"Now that I think about it… Shouldn't we all have more things to do?" Saiko said.

Everyone glanced around at each other.

Matsumoto scratched her cheek. "Yeah… You would think so…"

"Yeah… I mean even us…" Ikkaku motioned to himself and Saiko.

"Yeah… How strange." Saiko agreed.

"We could all go help Yasu clean up from last night…" Renji scratched the back of his head.

Matsumoto laughed at him. "Yeah, that's a good one Renji!"

Hanataro picked up three more donuts and stuffed them into his pockets.

"Hana, don't be gluttonous, save some for the other children." Yasu scolded.

Hanataro looked up at Yasu like a guilty child.

Yasu stroked his hair. "I won't tell. Let's go eat outside before someone finds out we're not at the pool."

Ikkaku laughed. "If I wanted to clean, I'd have joined Squad Four! I have other talents to lend to the Thirteen Court Guard Squads… Like my stunning good looks." He smiled.

Saiko made a face. "That can't be true."

"If that's what you're relying on, you do belong in Squad Four." Matsumoto said.

Ikkaku clutched at his heart. "How dare you!"

"Squad Four isn't that bad… I wouldn't force Ikkaku on them." Renji added.

"Nobody loves me…" Ikkaku made a sad face.

"No squad is sad enough to need an Ikkaku. Well… maybe Thirteenth…" Saiko looked over to Ukitake who was handing Shiro piles and piles of candy and shuddered. "So creepy…"

"Captain!" Matsumoto called, bouncing over to him.

Saiko looked to Renji. "Why don't you treat our Captain like that?"

Renji grabbed his chest. "Not enough bounce."

"Hmm… I'd do it, but I don't want the Captain to slice me into a million pieces… I've seen what he does to my panties if I forget to separate the laundry."

Byakuya walked into Saiko's room and dropped a bag full of multi-colored cloth scraps. "You left these in the laundry."

Saiko opened the bag. "My panties! ... They were expensive too…"

"So that's where the confetti on my birthday came from…" Renji realized.

"Luuuuucky! Saiko! For my birthday party I want panty confetti too!" Ikkaku sang.

"No way, that cost me a ton! All that lace and silk… And there really isn't much to panties, they're quite revealing… In order to get that much cloth the Captain destroyed every pair of panties I owned." Saiko sighed sadly. "I had a nice collection too…" She looked over at Ikkaku who had fallen onto the floor from the force of his nose bleed. "You okay down there?"

"F-fine…"