(no subject)
Not quite complete... And not quite certain how to complete it. Hmmmm...
ED next day: Ah!! Kimura is Natsumi's (the nurse) friend! The Shouwas already knew one of the other siblings... I was thinking Ichijou or Nadeshiko from a money standpoint, but now I'm thinking Hikari (whose husband doesn't want kids). Kind of a peace offering from her husband. Maybe he's a scientist who works at the same university as Dr. Shouwa... This might work... But it will have to wait until tomorrow or later to be modified. Time to pack the car, check out, and try to find my way to AG's. Maybe with a stop for food on the way. Haven't had breakfast yet, but it's so close to lunch time...
Title: More Family
Author: Raya
Theme: Outers / Foster Family
Genre: Drama / General
Version: Manga (pre-arc)
Rating: G
Word Count: ~TBD
Disclaimer: Meioh Setsuna was created by Takeuchi Naoko for her series Bishoujo Senshi SailorMoon. I’m too brain dead to think of a fancier disclaimer today.
Canon, spelling, grammar, and punctuation corrections are appreciated. So is constructive criticism and general comments. Please let me know if you see something that you like or that should be corrected. Thanks! - Raya
More Family
Setsuna stood quietly beside the social worker and studied the street with a blank face. It was a neat, tidy place, but very busy with the hustle and bustle of commuters and school children. A delivery van with a very loud engine was stopped right behind them, idling and filling the air with the smell of diesel fumes as the driver waited for the light to change.
“You will like it here, Setsuna-chan,” the social worker said with a reassuring smile. It wavered a little as the fourteen year old turned her blank garnet gaze to her face, and then steadied again as she reminded herself that this was in the girl’s best interest. “Really. And you’ll be much safer than living on your own. Your brothers and sisters will not need to worry about you, and you will not need to worry about changing schools so often.”
Setsuna nodded politely to show that she had heard, and then turned her attention back to the noisy, smelly street. She refrained from telling the woman that she had not changed schools since she had been accepted at Green Middle School in Minato nine months ago. That was just a minor consideration when compared to what the woman and her siblings believed to be the most important reason for this change: stability and her safety. After the fire incident, even Saori, her next older sister, was against her.
The social worker shifted uneasily, trying to think of anything else to say to reassure the girl, and then shook her head and rang the doorbell once more.
“I heard you, I heard you,” a heavily accented voice grumbled from inside. “Just give me a moment why don’t you.” The social worker frowned as the muffled sound of rattling chains faintly reached their ears and lifted the piece of paper in her hand to double check the address she had been given.
“Yes, what can I do for you?” a wizened old woman asked as the door opened.
“Um, good afternoon,” the social worker said politely with a bow. “I am sorry to bother you. We are looking for Doctor Shouwa or his wife, Mrs. Shouwa.”
The wizened woman gave her an interested look, and then glanced around her to see the teenager’s back. “The doctor’s not available, and Mrs. Showa stepped out for just a moment. She’ll be right back. You would be Kimura-san and Meioh-san?” As the social worker nodded, she stepped back and swept her arm towards the hallway behind her. “We were expecting you. Come on in, please.”
Miss Kimura murmured her appreciation and stepped into the building. Reluctantly, Setsuna turned and followed her. The old woman closed the door, and then walked around them. “I’m Adelaide Weiss, the housekeeper and the doctor’s assistant,” she said as she led the way to a small sitting room. “Please make yourselves comfortable. Would you like something to drink?”
“No thank you,” Miss Kimura replied as Setsuna turned her attention to the pictures that dotted the tables and shelves of the room. “You said Mrs. Shouwa would be back soon?”
“Yes. She had to go get some glass and paper for the doctor, but she will be back at any moment.”
“I am so sorry to have kept you waiting,” a soft voice interrupted from the doorway. Something in the formal phrasing caught Setsuna’s ear, and she turned quickly to look at the speaker. An older woman dressed in a dark blue kimono bowed politely when she realized that she had the attention of everyone in the room. “I am Shouwa Yuri. It is very nice to meet you.”
Miss Kimura stood and bowed in reply, trying to hide the dismay on her face. “How do you do, Shouwa-san. I am Kimura from the Central Family Services Office. And this is Meioh Setsuna.” She gestured to the teenager, who bowed formally to the elderly woman.
“How do you do, Shouwa-san, I am Meioh Setsuna. It is an honor to make your acquaintance.” Keeping her gaze modestly fixed on the floor in front of her, she used her peripheral vision to watch her new foster mother’s reaction to her formal greeting. The surprised, pleased look she saw eased a little of the tightness in her chest. Perhaps this would work after all.
“We are very pleased that you have agreed to take Setsuna-chan into your home,” Miss Kimura continued. “But… um…”
“We are very pleased to have her,” Mrs. Shouwa said as she gestured for her guests to be seated. “It has been very quiet since our grandson moved away to college last year.”
“Your grandson?” Miss Kimura asked, a little startled.
Mrs. Shouwa nodded her head. “He has decided to study medicine at Keio University,” she replied softly. “He lived with us from the time he was ten, and the house has felt very empty since he left.”
“I… see…” Miss Kimura said hesitantly. “Um… Shouwa-san… Are you certain that you wish to foster a young teenager? The demands on your time and patience…”
Mrs. Shouwa gave her a cool look. “You are concerned for my age? You need not be. The doctor and I are quite able to care for Meioh-san.”
Miss Kimura shifted uneasily. She knew that the Shouwas had been screened by the department before their application had been accepted, but she also knew what a handful teenagers could be. Granted, Setsuna-chan appeared to be quiet and mature for her age, but appearances were often deceiving, particularly with foster children.
ED next day: Ah!! Kimura is Natsumi's (the nurse) friend! The Shouwas already knew one of the other siblings... I was thinking Ichijou or Nadeshiko from a money standpoint, but now I'm thinking Hikari (whose husband doesn't want kids). Kind of a peace offering from her husband. Maybe he's a scientist who works at the same university as Dr. Shouwa... This might work... But it will have to wait until tomorrow or later to be modified. Time to pack the car, check out, and try to find my way to AG's. Maybe with a stop for food on the way. Haven't had breakfast yet, but it's so close to lunch time...
Title: More Family
Author: Raya
Theme: Outers / Foster Family
Genre: Drama / General
Version: Manga (pre-arc)
Rating: G
Word Count: ~TBD
Disclaimer: Meioh Setsuna was created by Takeuchi Naoko for her series Bishoujo Senshi SailorMoon. I’m too brain dead to think of a fancier disclaimer today.
Canon, spelling, grammar, and punctuation corrections are appreciated. So is constructive criticism and general comments. Please let me know if you see something that you like or that should be corrected. Thanks! - Raya
More Family
Setsuna stood quietly beside the social worker and studied the street with a blank face. It was a neat, tidy place, but very busy with the hustle and bustle of commuters and school children. A delivery van with a very loud engine was stopped right behind them, idling and filling the air with the smell of diesel fumes as the driver waited for the light to change.
“You will like it here, Setsuna-chan,” the social worker said with a reassuring smile. It wavered a little as the fourteen year old turned her blank garnet gaze to her face, and then steadied again as she reminded herself that this was in the girl’s best interest. “Really. And you’ll be much safer than living on your own. Your brothers and sisters will not need to worry about you, and you will not need to worry about changing schools so often.”
Setsuna nodded politely to show that she had heard, and then turned her attention back to the noisy, smelly street. She refrained from telling the woman that she had not changed schools since she had been accepted at Green Middle School in Minato nine months ago. That was just a minor consideration when compared to what the woman and her siblings believed to be the most important reason for this change: stability and her safety. After the fire incident, even Saori, her next older sister, was against her.
The social worker shifted uneasily, trying to think of anything else to say to reassure the girl, and then shook her head and rang the doorbell once more.
“I heard you, I heard you,” a heavily accented voice grumbled from inside. “Just give me a moment why don’t you.” The social worker frowned as the muffled sound of rattling chains faintly reached their ears and lifted the piece of paper in her hand to double check the address she had been given.
“Yes, what can I do for you?” a wizened old woman asked as the door opened.
“Um, good afternoon,” the social worker said politely with a bow. “I am sorry to bother you. We are looking for Doctor Shouwa or his wife, Mrs. Shouwa.”
The wizened woman gave her an interested look, and then glanced around her to see the teenager’s back. “The doctor’s not available, and Mrs. Showa stepped out for just a moment. She’ll be right back. You would be Kimura-san and Meioh-san?” As the social worker nodded, she stepped back and swept her arm towards the hallway behind her. “We were expecting you. Come on in, please.”
Miss Kimura murmured her appreciation and stepped into the building. Reluctantly, Setsuna turned and followed her. The old woman closed the door, and then walked around them. “I’m Adelaide Weiss, the housekeeper and the doctor’s assistant,” she said as she led the way to a small sitting room. “Please make yourselves comfortable. Would you like something to drink?”
“No thank you,” Miss Kimura replied as Setsuna turned her attention to the pictures that dotted the tables and shelves of the room. “You said Mrs. Shouwa would be back soon?”
“Yes. She had to go get some glass and paper for the doctor, but she will be back at any moment.”
“I am so sorry to have kept you waiting,” a soft voice interrupted from the doorway. Something in the formal phrasing caught Setsuna’s ear, and she turned quickly to look at the speaker. An older woman dressed in a dark blue kimono bowed politely when she realized that she had the attention of everyone in the room. “I am Shouwa Yuri. It is very nice to meet you.”
Miss Kimura stood and bowed in reply, trying to hide the dismay on her face. “How do you do, Shouwa-san. I am Kimura from the Central Family Services Office. And this is Meioh Setsuna.” She gestured to the teenager, who bowed formally to the elderly woman.
“How do you do, Shouwa-san, I am Meioh Setsuna. It is an honor to make your acquaintance.” Keeping her gaze modestly fixed on the floor in front of her, she used her peripheral vision to watch her new foster mother’s reaction to her formal greeting. The surprised, pleased look she saw eased a little of the tightness in her chest. Perhaps this would work after all.
“We are very pleased that you have agreed to take Setsuna-chan into your home,” Miss Kimura continued. “But… um…”
“We are very pleased to have her,” Mrs. Shouwa said as she gestured for her guests to be seated. “It has been very quiet since our grandson moved away to college last year.”
“Your grandson?” Miss Kimura asked, a little startled.
Mrs. Shouwa nodded her head. “He has decided to study medicine at Keio University,” she replied softly. “He lived with us from the time he was ten, and the house has felt very empty since he left.”
“I… see…” Miss Kimura said hesitantly. “Um… Shouwa-san… Are you certain that you wish to foster a young teenager? The demands on your time and patience…”
Mrs. Shouwa gave her a cool look. “You are concerned for my age? You need not be. The doctor and I are quite able to care for Meioh-san.”
Miss Kimura shifted uneasily. She knew that the Shouwas had been screened by the department before their application had been accepted, but she also knew what a handful teenagers could be. Granted, Setsuna-chan appeared to be quiet and mature for her age, but appearances were often deceiving, particularly with foster children.