The Great Babysitting Adventure (Complete)
My first attempt at a multi-chapter story that actually follows a plot, so to speak. :3 Set in Radiant Gardens, before it fell apart, a little after the events of Birth By Sleep. Critique or criticism is welcome, since I'm trying to get better.
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Kairi hastily straightened her bed sheets once she finished cleaning up her room. After she had considered her bed nice and neat enough, she glanced around the room to reassure herself that her grandmother wasn't looking. Seeing as her grandmother's attention was directed elsewhere, she decided to put a few toys under her bed. There was no time to put them back in the toy box yet, and she was going to play with them soon, anyway.
Kairi heard her grandma cough purposefully, meaning she'd been caught in the act. "I'll put them away after the I show the baby sitter, though, Grandma!" she pleaded, tugging her grandma's apron. "I just really really wanna show them those because they're my favorite and I want to show them!" The five-year-old was practically jumping with excitement as she continued to cutely beg with big eyes and a pouting lip. "Please, Grandma?"
Her grandmother didn't have time to tell her otherwise; her babysitters were supposed to arrive soon. She laughed amicably and said, "Well, I can see you're excited, Kairi."
Kairi nodded happily. This was her first time with a babysitter. She grinned as she looked around the house and saw how clean she had made it. Her new babysitter was sure to be impressed!
There was something missing, though. Kairi crossed her arms and tilted her head as she tried to figure it out. Something she needed to add to the living room, so the babysitter would be sure to see it.
"That's it!" Kairi ran back into her room and returned with a clay vase she made herself and a few of the hand-picked flowers she was given by Aerith. The vase was misshapen and the flowers were a bit withered by now, but Kairi still loved them both. She'd put a lot of effort into making the vase as a gift for her grandmother, after all, and the flowers were a gift from Aerith, even though Kairi didn't have any munny to give her at the time.
She set them on the coffee table proudly. "It's perfect! Right, Grandma?" she asked, looking to her grandmother for approval.
"Yes, they're lovely." Her grandmother smiled at the little girl and nodded. She was so energetic, always happy, bouncing around. Her granddaughter always thought she was mature for her age, too. She was starting to worry that the babysitter- who was late, she suddenly noticed- wouldn't be able to take care of her very easily...
The door bell rang, and Kairi happily ran to the door yelling, “I'll get it!” She had to stretch her hand up to reach the door knob. Her grandmother hadn't had the chance to get to the door before her eager granddaughter managed to tug it open. Kairi smiled as she opened the door and greeted her babysitter... Wait, two? She had two babysitters! She hopped giddily as she introduced herself. "Hi! I'm Kairi!"
A boy with spiky, bright red hair and bright green eyes bent down and ruffled the young girl's hair. "Hey, Kairi. The name's Lea. Got it memorized?" he asked playfully, a grin spread on his face. The boy beside him with odd blue hair rolled his eyes at the remark, trying to hide a humored grin. He muttered something Kairi couldn't quick catch, but Lea certainly could, and, in response, lightly slugged the other boy's arm.
Kairi made a pensive expression and chanted, "Lea, Lea, Lea," to make certain she had it memorized, as he had put it.
"So I can trust you to watch Kairi for the evening?" She looked especially at Lea as she said this, for he seemed to be the more wild of the two boys. A child watching a child never turned out well, but since Aerith and Tifa both had plans, she was stuck with these two, it seemed. "I have to step out for a few hours and I can't take her with me." Kairi's grandmother asked, looking at both of the boys carefully. Kairi continued to chant Lea in the background as she watched her grandmother scrutinize the two boys. "You're awfully young yourself."
Lea smiled. "Don't worry, I'm great with kids!" he bragged.
"Because you are one." His blue haired friend pushed Lea aside and turned to Kairi's grandmother, adding, in a more mature tone, "Don't worry. I'll make sure everything goes smoothly. Please excuse my friend, he's not very bright. Isa, at your service."
Lea was about to object, but Isa elbowed him lightly to keep him quiet.
"She can be a bit of a handful, though..." the grandmother warned. Kairi stopped chanting and pouted at the remark. She was very good, in her opinion.
"Nothing we can't handle!" Lea said, pushing Isa out of the way. "Trust me, I can take anything she throws at me!" He tried to make himself look bigger and stronger, but Isa and Kairi both chuckled at the attempt, while the grandmother frowned.
Isa sighed and shook his head. "We've got it under control. We won't fail you."
"I don't know..." the grandmother said, beginning to reconsider her decision.
Lea and Isa exchanged worried glances. They needed the money for this.
"Grandma, can I come with you, then?" Kairi asked. She wasn't even sure where her grandma was going, but she said Kairi absolutely could not come along with her. It made her really curious, actually. Maybe now she could go, if she wasn't allowed to stay with the babysitters.
"...Be good for them, Kairi," the grandmother decided. She really couldn't take Kairi along this time. She would if she could have. She wrapped her arms around Kairi and pulled her into a loving hug.
"I will, grandma! I promise!" Kairi said, giggling. She'd changed her mind really fast.
Kairi waved as her grandmother walked to wherever she had to go. "Bye, Grandma!"
As soon as she was no longer in sight, Kairi turned and curiously stared at the arguing teenagers.
"What kind of friend are you?!" Lea asked angrily.
"The kind that remembers why we need this munny to begin with," Isa shot back, glaring at him. "It was your fault in the first place, was it not?"
Lea recoiled and chuckled. Did Isa have to remind him again? "Oh yeah, that! Ehehe..."
"What?" Kairi looked up at the two boys in confusion.
Lea turned to look at her, just remembering she was there, while Isa sighed in exasperation. They couldn't explain something like this to a child.
"What's that?" she asked again, putting the same emphasis on the word they had, hoping it would get her an answer.
"Oh, that!" Lea said, chuckling a little. "Uh, you see, I-" Lea started, but Isa covered his mouth.
"It's nothing," he lied quickly.
"But you guys were talking about a that..." Kairi persisted, crossing her arms in frustration.
Lea pushed Isa's hand off of him and smiled down at Kairi. "Forget that, let's have some fun!"
"Right... what do you do for fun, anyway?" Isa asked. He'd never been too great with children, so he might have to follow Lea's lead this time...
Kairi glared, puffing her cheeks out. She didn't want to just back down that easily, after all. They were the ones that mentioned it, and she wanted to know, too! "But that!"
"There are toys somewhere around here for you to play with, aren't there?" Isa asked, annoyed of this already.
Kairi sighed but decided to let it go, for now at least. She took Lea's hand and tugged him towards her "Okay! Come on, I have really fun toys over here!" She pulled him back to her room, and Isa followed behind.
When they reached her room, though, Kairi closed the door behind Lea. "You can't come in, Isa!" she yelled. "Until you tell me that!" Kairi wasn't just giving up on that, yet.
As Kairi held the door closed, though, Isa pushed forward, with far more force than she could muster. "No!" she whined as she was pushed backward. "No Isas allowed!" Kairi pushed forward with all her might, but it only served to slow him down.
Lea laughed. "Just let her cool down, Isa. Unless you want the whole day to be like this between you two."
Isa sighed and slowly eased back on the door so Kairi wouldn't hurt herself. "...I guess I'll make snacks or something?" He said through gritted teeth.
"Snacks, snacks!" Kairi cheered.
"Yeah!" Lea joined in and cheered, "Snacks, snacks," as well, just to further irritate Isa.
"We'll talk about this later, Lea," Isa called before walking back up the hallway, towards the kitchen. He plopped in a chair and took a deep breath. This wouldn't be as easy a job as he thought it would be, but this was nothing he and Lea couldn't handle. Even if this little girl was being difficult and Lea seemed to be encouraging that. They just had to make sure nothing bad happened with her, after all. She didn't have to get along with him for that. Just an afternoon with this brat, and it'd be over.
"So, Lea, Lea!" Kairi cheered. "These are the toys I wanted to show you!"
Lea leaned against a wall and watched as Kairi groped around under her bed for something. He'd been against this whole thing, but this was going to be easy. And maybe even a little entertaining.
*Next chapter*
My first attempt at a multi-chapter story that actually follows a plot, so to speak. :3 Set in Radiant Gardens, before it fell apart, a little after the events of Birth By Sleep. Critique or criticism is welcome, since I'm trying to get better.
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Chapter 1
The sun shone brightly on Radiant Gardens, and a gentle breeze blew through the flowers. It was still early, so the town remained as peaceful and quiet as ever. That's not to say little disturbances didn't happen from time to time, however.
Kairi hastily straightened her bed sheets once she finished cleaning up her room. After she had considered her bed nice and neat enough, she glanced around the room to reassure herself that her grandmother wasn't looking. Seeing as her grandmother's attention was directed elsewhere, she decided to put a few toys under her bed. There was no time to put them back in the toy box yet, and she was going to play with them soon, anyway.
Kairi heard her grandma cough purposefully, meaning she'd been caught in the act. "I'll put them away after the I show the baby sitter, though, Grandma!" she pleaded, tugging her grandma's apron. "I just really really wanna show them those because they're my favorite and I want to show them!" The five-year-old was practically jumping with excitement as she continued to cutely beg with big eyes and a pouting lip. "Please, Grandma?"
Her grandmother didn't have time to tell her otherwise; her babysitters were supposed to arrive soon. She laughed amicably and said, "Well, I can see you're excited, Kairi."
Kairi nodded happily. This was her first time with a babysitter. She grinned as she looked around the house and saw how clean she had made it. Her new babysitter was sure to be impressed!
There was something missing, though. Kairi crossed her arms and tilted her head as she tried to figure it out. Something she needed to add to the living room, so the babysitter would be sure to see it.
"That's it!" Kairi ran back into her room and returned with a clay vase she made herself and a few of the hand-picked flowers she was given by Aerith. The vase was misshapen and the flowers were a bit withered by now, but Kairi still loved them both. She'd put a lot of effort into making the vase as a gift for her grandmother, after all, and the flowers were a gift from Aerith, even though Kairi didn't have any munny to give her at the time.
She set them on the coffee table proudly. "It's perfect! Right, Grandma?" she asked, looking to her grandmother for approval.
"Yes, they're lovely." Her grandmother smiled at the little girl and nodded. She was so energetic, always happy, bouncing around. Her granddaughter always thought she was mature for her age, too. She was starting to worry that the babysitter- who was late, she suddenly noticed- wouldn't be able to take care of her very easily...
The door bell rang, and Kairi happily ran to the door yelling, “I'll get it!” She had to stretch her hand up to reach the door knob. Her grandmother hadn't had the chance to get to the door before her eager granddaughter managed to tug it open. Kairi smiled as she opened the door and greeted her babysitter... Wait, two? She had two babysitters! She hopped giddily as she introduced herself. "Hi! I'm Kairi!"
A boy with spiky, bright red hair and bright green eyes bent down and ruffled the young girl's hair. "Hey, Kairi. The name's Lea. Got it memorized?" he asked playfully, a grin spread on his face. The boy beside him with odd blue hair rolled his eyes at the remark, trying to hide a humored grin. He muttered something Kairi couldn't quick catch, but Lea certainly could, and, in response, lightly slugged the other boy's arm.
Kairi made a pensive expression and chanted, "Lea, Lea, Lea," to make certain she had it memorized, as he had put it.
"So I can trust you to watch Kairi for the evening?" She looked especially at Lea as she said this, for he seemed to be the more wild of the two boys. A child watching a child never turned out well, but since Aerith and Tifa both had plans, she was stuck with these two, it seemed. "I have to step out for a few hours and I can't take her with me." Kairi's grandmother asked, looking at both of the boys carefully. Kairi continued to chant Lea in the background as she watched her grandmother scrutinize the two boys. "You're awfully young yourself."
Lea smiled. "Don't worry, I'm great with kids!" he bragged.
"Because you are one." His blue haired friend pushed Lea aside and turned to Kairi's grandmother, adding, in a more mature tone, "Don't worry. I'll make sure everything goes smoothly. Please excuse my friend, he's not very bright. Isa, at your service."
Lea was about to object, but Isa elbowed him lightly to keep him quiet.
"She can be a bit of a handful, though..." the grandmother warned. Kairi stopped chanting and pouted at the remark. She was very good, in her opinion.
"Nothing we can't handle!" Lea said, pushing Isa out of the way. "Trust me, I can take anything she throws at me!" He tried to make himself look bigger and stronger, but Isa and Kairi both chuckled at the attempt, while the grandmother frowned.
Isa sighed and shook his head. "We've got it under control. We won't fail you."
"I don't know..." the grandmother said, beginning to reconsider her decision.
Lea and Isa exchanged worried glances. They needed the money for this.
"Grandma, can I come with you, then?" Kairi asked. She wasn't even sure where her grandma was going, but she said Kairi absolutely could not come along with her. It made her really curious, actually. Maybe now she could go, if she wasn't allowed to stay with the babysitters.
"...Be good for them, Kairi," the grandmother decided. She really couldn't take Kairi along this time. She would if she could have. She wrapped her arms around Kairi and pulled her into a loving hug.
"I will, grandma! I promise!" Kairi said, giggling. She'd changed her mind really fast.
Kairi waved as her grandmother walked to wherever she had to go. "Bye, Grandma!"
As soon as she was no longer in sight, Kairi turned and curiously stared at the arguing teenagers.
"What kind of friend are you?!" Lea asked angrily.
"The kind that remembers why we need this munny to begin with," Isa shot back, glaring at him. "It was your fault in the first place, was it not?"
Lea recoiled and chuckled. Did Isa have to remind him again? "Oh yeah, that! Ehehe..."
"What?" Kairi looked up at the two boys in confusion.
Lea turned to look at her, just remembering she was there, while Isa sighed in exasperation. They couldn't explain something like this to a child.
"What's that?" she asked again, putting the same emphasis on the word they had, hoping it would get her an answer.
"Oh, that!" Lea said, chuckling a little. "Uh, you see, I-" Lea started, but Isa covered his mouth.
"It's nothing," he lied quickly.
"But you guys were talking about a that..." Kairi persisted, crossing her arms in frustration.
Lea pushed Isa's hand off of him and smiled down at Kairi. "Forget that, let's have some fun!"
"Right... what do you do for fun, anyway?" Isa asked. He'd never been too great with children, so he might have to follow Lea's lead this time...
Kairi glared, puffing her cheeks out. She didn't want to just back down that easily, after all. They were the ones that mentioned it, and she wanted to know, too! "But that!"
"There are toys somewhere around here for you to play with, aren't there?" Isa asked, annoyed of this already.
Kairi sighed but decided to let it go, for now at least. She took Lea's hand and tugged him towards her "Okay! Come on, I have really fun toys over here!" She pulled him back to her room, and Isa followed behind.
When they reached her room, though, Kairi closed the door behind Lea. "You can't come in, Isa!" she yelled. "Until you tell me that!" Kairi wasn't just giving up on that, yet.
As Kairi held the door closed, though, Isa pushed forward, with far more force than she could muster. "No!" she whined as she was pushed backward. "No Isas allowed!" Kairi pushed forward with all her might, but it only served to slow him down.
Lea laughed. "Just let her cool down, Isa. Unless you want the whole day to be like this between you two."
Isa sighed and slowly eased back on the door so Kairi wouldn't hurt herself. "...I guess I'll make snacks or something?" He said through gritted teeth.
"Snacks, snacks!" Kairi cheered.
"Yeah!" Lea joined in and cheered, "Snacks, snacks," as well, just to further irritate Isa.
"We'll talk about this later, Lea," Isa called before walking back up the hallway, towards the kitchen. He plopped in a chair and took a deep breath. This wouldn't be as easy a job as he thought it would be, but this was nothing he and Lea couldn't handle. Even if this little girl was being difficult and Lea seemed to be encouraging that. They just had to make sure nothing bad happened with her, after all. She didn't have to get along with him for that. Just an afternoon with this brat, and it'd be over.
"So, Lea, Lea!" Kairi cheered. "These are the toys I wanted to show you!"
Lea leaned against a wall and watched as Kairi groped around under her bed for something. He'd been against this whole thing, but this was going to be easy. And maybe even a little entertaining.
*Next chapter*
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