Adventures in Yiyisitting

>Sipping the last of her orange juice, Natsuki reclined in her chair and flipped through the pages of her book.
>Her Anon had gone off to work, and with her day off, she planned to relax to the fullest and catch up on the latest volumes of Parfait Girls.
>Finding the page in which she had left off, she reached toward the end table for her phone, intending to turn some music on.
>However, as her hand extended toward the phone, it began to buzz.
>She thought for a moment as she snatched it up. Who could be calling?
>Anon? He didn't forget his lunch, and she made sure to swap 'I love you's with him before he left. So, probably not.
>Sayori? Maybe. Natsuki did tell her it was her day off, so maybe she wanted to hang out, but she also thought that she was busy.
>Monika? Unlikely, but she was trying to learn how to bake for her Anon. She could be calling for some tips.
>She flipped the phone around in her hand to see the screen, and the purple-eyed face on the caller ID.
>"Yuri?" she spoke aloud, slightly confused. It was unlike her to call so early in the morning, or... often at all, really.
>Swiping her finger over the answer button, Natsuki brought the phone to her ear.
>"Hello?"
>"Good morning, Natsuki. How are you?" Yuri spoke through the receiver, a faint hurry to her voice.
>"I'm doing good, just kicking back. How about you?"
>"I'm, uh, in a bit of trouble, actually, and I was wondering if you could help."
>"Oh? What's up?" Natsuki said, her tone getting a bit more serious.
>"I'm supposed to be at work in twenty minutes, and I need someone to watch Yiyi."
>"Doesn't Sayori usually do that? Or what about your Anon?"
>"Anon is already at work, and Sayori and her Anon apparently purchased tickets for a convention months ago and forgot to mention it."
>"Oh, damn. Well... I guess I could do it."
>"Oh, thank you! I knew I could count on you, I'll bring her over right away." Yuri exclaimed happily.
>"Yeah, yeah. But, there is one condition!" Natsuki said, raising her head as she triumphantly thought of her prize for undergoing such a laborious task.
>"How much do I owe you?" The purple one sighed.
>"Just a pitcher of that tea you made that one time. Y'know, the red one, with the kinda punchy taste?"
>"Oh, hibiscus tea. Of course, I'll make it as soon as I get home." She said, relieved at the simple bounty.
>"Great! I'll see you in a bit!"

>Sure enough, after a short wait the lavender lass and her equally violet daughter arrived in their minivan.
>Natsuki stood in the doorway and greeted them as Yuri helped the small Yiyi into the house.
>"Thanks again, Natsuki. You're a life saver." Yuri said as she prepared to make her exit.
>"Don't mention it! Anything I should know about taking care of her? Allergies or stuff like that?"
>"Hmm..." Yuri thought as she looked toward her watch. Noticing the time, she hurried to her vehicle and began her drive. "Sorry, I have to go! But try to avoid giving her sugar, it makes her energ-"
>Listening to Yuri's warning trail off as she sped away, Natsuki made a note of the sugar issue before closing the door and turning to the sleepy young girl sat at her kitchen table.
>"Morning, kiddo! How are you doing?" She said warmly.
>"Good morning, Mrs. Natsuki. I am doing well, but I am hungry." Yiyi responded.
>"Oh? Have you not had breakfast yet?"
>"No, ma'am. Usually, Mrs. Sayori makes me breakfast, or mother when she does not have to work."
>"Gotcha. Well, anything you want in particular? Your auntie Nat's a pretty good cook, y'know!"
>The child thought for a moment. "Could you make pancakes?"
>"Can I make pancakes? Kiddo, I'm the pancake master! Sit tight, and I'll make a pancake that'll blow your little mind."
>"Please do not hurt my mind, Mrs. Natsuki." Yiyi said with a small fear to her expression, causing Natsuki to stifle a laugh.
>"It's an expression, kid. It means you'll like them."

>The breakfast went without much issue, aside from Natsuki having to decide whether or not to use the sugar she usually used in her recipe.
>Such a small amount surely wouldn't make the kid have an energy spike like Yuri was implying, so she decided to go ahead with it.
>After the pancakes were finished and the hunger successfully slain, Yiyi requested to watch the 'Bob of the Sponge,' and Natsuki complied, turning it on in the living room as she turned to the dishes.
>Humming idly to herself as she scrubbed the plates, she thought about the child sitting in the living room.
>She'd met her a few times in passing, and she seemed like a good kid, if a little stiff.
>Took after her mother, that's for sure. Picturing the two sitting in armchairs and reading novels, Natsuki smiled.
>Finishing up, Natsuki turned off the water and returned to the living room, finding Yiyi standing in front of the bookshelf.
>"You looking for something to read, kiddo?" Natsuki asked, walking over and squatting down next to the girl.
>"Yes, but most of these seem to be art collections with notation. Are any of these just text?" Yiyi asked.
>"Hmm... This is me and Anon's manga shelf. Sorry to say, but they're pretty much all gonna have pictures. Still, they have some nice stories, and the art goes well with them! Want to try one out?"
>The purple child thought for a moment.
>"Very well. I have enjoyed a picture book from time to time."
>Natsuki grinned at the picture book comment before grabbing a stack out and splaying them carefully on the ground, only half paying attention to the contents.
>"See anything that catches your interest from the covers?"
>"Hmm... How about this one? 'Berserk?'" The child bent down and picked up a book, a grisly looking man with a crossbow and cape on the cover.
>"Oh, uh..." Natsuki took it, and flipped through. This volume was pretty tame compared to some of the other events, but it was still a bit violent. "This is a good story, but you should probably wait until you're older. It's mostly for adults."
>"Ah, I see. Do you have any suggestions for one more appropriate for me?"
>Natsuki held her chin for a moment, thinking, before a thought popped into her head.
>"Hey, you'd probably like Parfait Girls! It's pretty cute, and the story can get surprisingly deep while staying nice. How about that?"
>"It sounds interesting... okay!" The young girl nodded, as Natsuki searched the shelf for her first volume.
>Seeing it on the top shelf, Natsuki grumbled before going to grab a chair.

>The next couple of hours passed by quickly, the two women enjoying each other's company on the sofa as they read through the manga. Any questions Yiyi had were answered quickly by Natsuki, and soon enough they had read through several volumes.
>"Miss Natsuki, I have to use the restroom." The young girl spoke after closing another book.
>"Alright. It's down the hall and to the right, right by the kitchen." Natsuki said, looking up from her own.
>"Okay. I will be back shortly."
>"I'll keep your seat warm for you!" Natsuki said with a smile, kicking her legs up onto the couch and into Yiyi's spot.
>"Thank you."
>With that, the young girl almost sprinted down the hallway, a speed that made Natsuki raise a brow.
>Was that little amount of sugar really too much?
>'Maybe she's just gotta go.' She thought, returning to her book.
>The kid really seemed to be enjoying herself, and that made Natsuki happy. One day, she and Anon would have a kid of her own to share their manga with, and if it was like to this, it was sure to be nice.
>A few moments passed, Natsuki alone with her book and her pleasant thoughts.
>She smiled at the thought, before a high-pitched sound pierced the air.
>A screech?
>She hopped up from her seat, and ran down the hall.

>Yiyi had just washed her hands and exited the bathroom, when her gaze peered out the window.
>A small creature was standing in front of a tree, the fur around its eyes making a mask.
>A raccoon! Her mother's favorite animal!
>And it looked so fuzzy and cute. Yiyi thought to herself, and her speed.
>Maybe... she could catch it as a present for her mother?
>She ran to the door, and opened it quickly yet silently. Miss Natsuki did not need to be involved at the moment, and she would be impressed at her self-sufficiency.
>The creature saw the door open, and skittered up the tree. Giving pursuit, Yiyi sprinted straight up the tree, chasing the creature onto a branch.
>Holding onto the branch, Yiyi scooted toward the fuzzy being. It seemed a lot bigger up close, and as she scooted toward it, it seemed to get more and more panicked.
>Finally, it turned toward her, and snarled.
>She stopped, watching it. She noticed its sharp teeth, and the crazed look in its eyes. Her mouth opened in fear.
>It snapped forward toward her, its claws extending.
>The girl screeched loudly, the earshattering sound stunning the animal, causing it to almost fall off the branch.
>She scooted back quickly, desperate to reach the trunk to climb back down.
>Regaining its balance, the raccoon climbed back onto the branch and advanced once more toward its apparent captor.
>It was a mere foot away from Yiyi when it happened.
>A shoe, much too thick, too heavy, and too rough to be a woman's, flew through the air, blindsiding the creature and knocking it from the tree.
>"Yiyi! You get away from her, you fuzzy bastard!" A high-pitched voice yelled. Yiyi's eyes turned to the house, seeing Miss Natsuki arcing back another shoe to toss.
>The raccoon, dazed and confused and now quite a ways down from where it once was, shook its head clear and skittered out of sight down the lawn.
>"Yiyi, are you alright?" Natsuki shouted, running out of the house and under the tree branch. "You can drop, I'll catch you!"
>The girl looked down at the worried woman, and slowly let herself off the branch, falling into Natsuki's arms.
>"I-I'm alright. I just thought... they seemed so nice, and my mother likes them, and..."
>"Shshshhh, it's alright. Let me get Anon's shoe, and we'll go inside, and we can talk about this."
>Carrying the brave little trooper, Natsuki retrieved the footwear and returned inside.

>A few hours later, there was a knock at the door. Sensing it was about that time, Natsuki and Yiyi both got up to answer it together.
>Behind the now opened door was Yuri, who seemed relieved to see the two girls in good shape.
>"Mother!" Yiyi stepped forward, hugging her mother's leg.
>"Heya, Yuri. How was work?" Natsuki said with a smile.
>"It was good. And how were you two, today? Was she good for you?" Yuri said, patting her daughter's head.
>"Yeah, she was, and I'd say we had a lot of fun. How about you, kiddo?"
>"It was a very nice day! Miss Natsuki introduced me to manga, and there is a series I like a lot! She even lent me the next volume!"
>Yuri raised a brow, to which Natsuki gave a small shrug and grin. The inquisitive look faded to a soft smile.
>"Well, thank you, Natsuki. I'll be sure to get that tea to you in the next few days."
>"Hey, no problem. If you ever need a sitter and I'm off, just give me a call. Oh, and one question... what exactly happens when she has too much sugar?"
>Yuri's inquisitive look returned.
>"I didn't give her any, but I was just curious, y'know?"
>"Hm. Well, her energy almost completely drains if she has too much. If she had a sugar crash in the day, it would completely ruin her sleeping schedule, you see."
>Natsuki thought for a moment about the sprinting child, and was dumbstruck.
>That was normal for the kid?