"Nee-chan, what are you doing?" Ui asked walking into her sister's room with a basket of laundry.
Yui turned excitedly to look at her sister. She was sitting at her desk a laptop open in front of her, her fingers hovered over the keys quivering with her excitement. "Ui, look, look!" She pointed at the screen of her laptop. "I'm doing a report for school and I want one! Aren't they cute?"
Hesitantly Ui stepped over to the computer, knowing that her sister's taste in what was cute could be a bit...odd at times. Setting the basket of clothing down, she paused, cocking her head at the odd animal on the screen. It reminded Ui a little of a monkey, but the face was the wrong shape for that, and its eyes were slitted, more like a cat's or even a snake's. Its fur was patchy in big splotches of an orangey-brown and white. "Nee-chan..." She started slowly, "what am I looking at?"
"It's called a black-spotted cuscus." Yui babbled excitedly, "They're on the endangered species list, which is why I have to write a paper, everybody in class is writing about an endangered species. And isn't mine so cute? They look so cuddly...I want one as a pet Ui."
"I don't think you can keep an endangered species as a pet Nee-chan." Ui whispered sheepishly, not wanting to upset her sister, who was obviously completely besotted with the fuzzy animal.
Yui turned to her sister, dejection apparent in her features. "You can't?" Her eyes flicked back to the screen, back to Ui. "Why?" She asked softly. Her gaze crept back to the screen.
Ui sighed.
"I'll take you to Australia with me to get one." Yui added; as if Ui's argument had been that she wouldn't be able to get it with Yui.
"Nee-chan," Ui began gently. "It's not that. If it's an endangered species, there already aren't a lot where it lives, would you want to take it from its home and its friends, just so you could have a fuzzy pet?"
Yui bit her lip. "I guess your right." Yui muttered disappointedly, then rather unexpectedly she patted the screen of her laptop. "You stay in Australia." She said seeming to be referring to the picture. "Be strong and have lots of friends." She turned away from the screen abruptly, tears pricking at her eyes.
"Nee-chan..."
Waving her hand behind her in the general direction of the laptop Yui stated, "Turn it off Ui. I'm going to play Gitah and feel better before I can even think of that assignment again."
"They are cute." Ui whispered finally answering her sister's question and feeling bad that she'd upset Yui so much.
Yui stood and stumbled blindly across the room for a moment, before she bumped into a low table and was forced to open her eyes. She picked up Gitah and began strumming bluesy type chords while sitting cross-legged on the bed.
Ui sighed again, knowing this would probably be a hard mood to pull her sister out of. "I'll go make some snacks." She murmured mostly to herself, and disappeared out her sister's bedroom door.
Ui sat down on the bed next to Yui. "Nee-chan, do you feel better now?" Ui asked a bit hesitantly, not sure if it was wise to bring up the cuscus yet.
Yui nodded vigorously and clutched Gitah close to her chest. "I always feel better after playing Gitah." She smiled at Ui. "You don't need to worry so much."
But I can't help it Nee-chan. Ui thought smiling at her big sis, though the smile wasn't as pleasure-filled as it might have been. "Do want to come down for dinner then?" She posed the question hoping Yui would respond well to food.
Yui's brightness spread into a wide grin. "What did you make Ui?" She asked intently. She leaned in close to her sister, their foreheads practically touching. "Did you make something I like?" Her tone was very serious, but Ui just wanted to laugh. Yui would eat almost anything and love it.
"Takoyaki." Ui responded, her lips twitching slightly as she fought not to laugh.
Yui reached out and clasped her sister's hands. "I love takoyaki!" She announced. She wrapped her arms around Gitah as she stood up. "Let's go eat!"
Ui was unable to keep her laughter back any longer. She gasped for breath nearly bent in half from her laughter for several moments before she was able to calm herself.
Eagerly Yui pulled on Ui's hand. "Come on, I'm hungry."
"You're always ready to eat Nee-chan." Ui teased lightly.
"That's because food is so good!" Yui exclaimed. "It makes me feel so good." She squeezed Gitah to herself for a brief moment.
Ui watched her sister smiling again. It was good to see Yui in such a good mood once more. "Onee-chan," Ui began carefully.
"Yes?" Yui asked her face still a mask of pleasure as she snuggled her guitar at the thought of takoyaki.
"I've thought of something you might be able to do for the cuscus even if we can't go to Australia to get you one."
"What?" Yui asked eagerly.
Ui smiled, a little nervously hoping her sister would like this idea. "You said the cuscus is endangered, and usually they have funds and things you can donate too for endangered animals. So even if you can't have one as a pet you donate money to them, and make a cuscus happy."
"Ooh, Ui," Yui took a big breath, "THAT'S AN AWESOME IDEA!"
Ui almost took a step back in her surprise, but really she should have realized that if Yui liked the idea she would probably be loud about it.
"I'm going to make a cuscus happy" Yui sang over and over again, even playing a few chords along to it on Gitah.
Ui laughed along to her sister's happiness.
Oh the story ideas that strike me when I should be packing :) I hope you liked it. If you enjoyed this one, also try "Fascination" by me, it's another sweet little one shot, regarding Ui, Yui, and a vaccuum.