AN: I'm just leaving Tomoyo's father unnamed for the time being. Oh yes,
Eriol has a mother. I decided to give him a family. Also, since they are
in England, they will be speaking English. That means they will address
each other by their first names and maybe even use some words like
snogging.
Orli Thanks for the correction, I always assumed that okaasan was more formal than kaasan.
Disclaimer: I don't own Card Captor Sakura/Cardcaptors
____________________________________________________________________________ ______
"It's a rare case of liver cancer."
"Can it be treated?"
"Yes, we can try chemotherapy."
"Will I lose my hair?"
"Possibly. Not everyone does."
"How good are my chances?"
Silence.
"I see, thank you."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------
Nancy was tired and exasperated. She had been trying to make partner at her law firm for the past few months and it was trying her patience. As the senior associate, she was next in line for partnership and her family did need the money. Her efforts were paying off. People kept whispering behind her back and she heard snatches of conversation that sounded like, 'congratulatory party' and 'surprise'. Of course, to occupy her, the conspirators decided to give her some extra cases. At the moment she had to get her papers filed at the courthouse before midnight and she was working hard to make the deadline. She leaned back and rubbed her temples. A knock sounded on her open door. Nancy turned around and smiled at one of her co-workers. "Come in! What can I do for you?"
He smiled, "You mentioned a couple of days ago at lunch that your son was going to take Japanese lessons and I was wondering whether my daughter could also join the tutoring session and we could split the cost."
Nancy frowned, "I don't know if that will be a good idea. Eriol is mature for his age and has a hard time mingling with other children."
"Tomoyo is the epitome of calm and she is smart, so she won't hold back your son." Seeing that Nancy was still unsure he continued, "You know that I wouldn't ask you if I hadn't tried to look anywhere else, and I really need this for Tomoyo."
"Fine. We'll talk tomorrow, but you need to leave now and start planning my 'surprise' party that Tom is organizing."
He smiled. "Thank you." He was almost out the door before he turned and said, "Could you be kind to Tom's ego and at least act surprised?"
"I'll do my best, but leave." Nancy sighed, she knew Eriol was not going to be happy about this, but it would help to split the cost with someone else.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------
Eriol looked up from his book as he heard the door slam. His mother swept into the room and seemed to leave living energy in his wake. Nancy Hiiragaziwa was like that. She could just bring a burst of energy into the room, but Emma told him that when their father was alive, she was even more so. She dropped her briefcase onto the couch next to him and walked into the kitchen. He heard the refrigerator door open and close as she called to him while making dinner, "How was school?"
"Fine."
"Any calls?"
"Two."
"From who?"
"Emma and Daniel."
Nancy sighed, getting information from Eriol was like trying to pry a dog's favorite bone from it's teeth. "What did they have to say?"
"Emma's not coming home for spring break, she's spending it with Sam."
"I thought it was Alex."
"It was, until last week."
"Ah. And Dan?"
"He's getting married."
"That's nice." He heard his mother say absently. Eriol counted down in his head. 5...4...3...2...1... "What?" She came to stand in the doorway between the two rooms.
"I said, 'his friend is getting married.'"
She waved a ladle at him, "No you didn't."
"If you knew what I said, why did you ask?" He asked innocently.
"You just delight in tormenting your poor old mother, don't you?"
"Who, me?" He gasped with wide eyes. Then he smirked, "Your soup is burning."
"Damn." She said, frustrated. The conversation had ended and everything was peaceful until dinner was served.
It was a simple affair of cream of mushroom soup and salad. The meal was silent, Nancy had learned long ago that it was useless trying to start meaningless conversation with her son. Finally, the heavy but comfortable silence was broken by her statement, "Your lessons start tomorrow."
"I know."
"A co-worker asked me if his daughter could join you."
"And you refused." Eriol knew she didn't. If she had, his mother wouldn't have brought it up, but he had to follow the rules of conduct. Ask first before accusing and once stated, address the issue.
"Eriol..."
"She will pull me behind." It didn't matter if he said this, nothing would change his mother's mind, but it needed to be said if they were to reach a compromise later.
"She goes to your school, you will wait for her at the entrance tomorrow and walk with her to our house, the next day it will be at her house." At this point in the conversation any other child would whine and complain or give in and accept, but Nancy knew that neither of those things would happen, so she waited.
"I'll give her a week, if it doesn't work out you'll have to tell your co-worker that she can't come anymore."
Nancy agreed, it was a reasonable request especially since she had located the tutor first. "He says that Tomoyo is very smart and mature for her age."
Eriol looked up from his dinner. "Tomoyo Daidouji?" He asked, thinking of the pale quiet girl in his class. She was smart, mature, and, he personally thought, very perceptive. He didn't really know her, but no one really knew Tomoyo. He couldn't make judgments, the same could be said of him.
"Yes, do you know her?"
He nodded. This actually could work if it was Tomoyo, but then again...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------
Tomoyo sat in a large chair in across from Eriol. They walk to his house had been quiet. Neither wanted to talk and both obviously didn't want to be where they were at the moment. Eriol didn't want to have to escort her to his house and Tomoyo didn't want to be taking lessons in the first place. He had opened the door and politely asked if she wanted some tea. She declined and made herself comfortable at the dining room table and started with her homework. If they were going to wait for the tutor she might as well get something useful done. Eriol must have thought the same way because he was doing the same thing. She had been working for about half an hour and had gotten almost all of her homework done when the doorbell rang.
Eriol got up and opened the door to a woman with long auburn hair. "Hello." She said, "You must be Eriol, can I come in?" He stood aside to let her in and watched her. She had a magical aura, he could feel it. Her eyes found the other child and she smiled, "You must be Tomoyo." She set her a bag down on the chair next to where Tomoyo had been sitting. "My name is Kaho Mizuki."
Almost in unison, they replied, "Pleased to meet you Miss Mizuki." So polite, she thought. She had been expecting rambunctious nine year olds, not what looked like adults in the bodies of children. It was obvious that they were uncomfortable with each other. She would have to fix that.
She gestured to the seats, "Sit down, both of you. Let's get started." She spent the time trying to get to know them and get to know each other while teaching, but found that it was a harder task than she had originally assumed. Eriol wouldn't give anymore information than the bare minimum of what was required and Tomoyo was so proper that she never stepped outside what was considered polite conversation. Two hours later, when Kaho left, the two, by mutual agreement, didn't talk and just worked on their homework.
Eriol was still trying to figure out the mystery of their teacher when a quiet voice interrupted his thoughts. "Can I borrow your eraser." It was a simple question, nothing big, but it was the first time either had spoke outside of necessity or social custom.
"Here." He handed it to her.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." Nothing large, just a polite conversation between two strangers. The only polite conversation that would be had that night as Tomoyo's dad picked her up two minutes later, but it was still a conversation and possibly, the first step to something more.
____________________________________________________________________________ ______
AN: I don't know if Eriol has a family, but in here, he does. He also has siblings, but he doesn't see them too much as they are ten years older than him. There will be a very slight mention of Hogwarts, but that is just for necessity and I've decided to give Tomoyo a small magical ability because that would be the only way I could explain some things that happen in Tomeoda, but it will not involve singing in any way.
Orli Thanks for the correction, I always assumed that okaasan was more formal than kaasan.
Disclaimer: I don't own Card Captor Sakura/Cardcaptors
____________________________________________________________________________ ______
"It's a rare case of liver cancer."
"Can it be treated?"
"Yes, we can try chemotherapy."
"Will I lose my hair?"
"Possibly. Not everyone does."
"How good are my chances?"
Silence.
"I see, thank you."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------
Nancy was tired and exasperated. She had been trying to make partner at her law firm for the past few months and it was trying her patience. As the senior associate, she was next in line for partnership and her family did need the money. Her efforts were paying off. People kept whispering behind her back and she heard snatches of conversation that sounded like, 'congratulatory party' and 'surprise'. Of course, to occupy her, the conspirators decided to give her some extra cases. At the moment she had to get her papers filed at the courthouse before midnight and she was working hard to make the deadline. She leaned back and rubbed her temples. A knock sounded on her open door. Nancy turned around and smiled at one of her co-workers. "Come in! What can I do for you?"
He smiled, "You mentioned a couple of days ago at lunch that your son was going to take Japanese lessons and I was wondering whether my daughter could also join the tutoring session and we could split the cost."
Nancy frowned, "I don't know if that will be a good idea. Eriol is mature for his age and has a hard time mingling with other children."
"Tomoyo is the epitome of calm and she is smart, so she won't hold back your son." Seeing that Nancy was still unsure he continued, "You know that I wouldn't ask you if I hadn't tried to look anywhere else, and I really need this for Tomoyo."
"Fine. We'll talk tomorrow, but you need to leave now and start planning my 'surprise' party that Tom is organizing."
He smiled. "Thank you." He was almost out the door before he turned and said, "Could you be kind to Tom's ego and at least act surprised?"
"I'll do my best, but leave." Nancy sighed, she knew Eriol was not going to be happy about this, but it would help to split the cost with someone else.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------
Eriol looked up from his book as he heard the door slam. His mother swept into the room and seemed to leave living energy in his wake. Nancy Hiiragaziwa was like that. She could just bring a burst of energy into the room, but Emma told him that when their father was alive, she was even more so. She dropped her briefcase onto the couch next to him and walked into the kitchen. He heard the refrigerator door open and close as she called to him while making dinner, "How was school?"
"Fine."
"Any calls?"
"Two."
"From who?"
"Emma and Daniel."
Nancy sighed, getting information from Eriol was like trying to pry a dog's favorite bone from it's teeth. "What did they have to say?"
"Emma's not coming home for spring break, she's spending it with Sam."
"I thought it was Alex."
"It was, until last week."
"Ah. And Dan?"
"He's getting married."
"That's nice." He heard his mother say absently. Eriol counted down in his head. 5...4...3...2...1... "What?" She came to stand in the doorway between the two rooms.
"I said, 'his friend is getting married.'"
She waved a ladle at him, "No you didn't."
"If you knew what I said, why did you ask?" He asked innocently.
"You just delight in tormenting your poor old mother, don't you?"
"Who, me?" He gasped with wide eyes. Then he smirked, "Your soup is burning."
"Damn." She said, frustrated. The conversation had ended and everything was peaceful until dinner was served.
It was a simple affair of cream of mushroom soup and salad. The meal was silent, Nancy had learned long ago that it was useless trying to start meaningless conversation with her son. Finally, the heavy but comfortable silence was broken by her statement, "Your lessons start tomorrow."
"I know."
"A co-worker asked me if his daughter could join you."
"And you refused." Eriol knew she didn't. If she had, his mother wouldn't have brought it up, but he had to follow the rules of conduct. Ask first before accusing and once stated, address the issue.
"Eriol..."
"She will pull me behind." It didn't matter if he said this, nothing would change his mother's mind, but it needed to be said if they were to reach a compromise later.
"She goes to your school, you will wait for her at the entrance tomorrow and walk with her to our house, the next day it will be at her house." At this point in the conversation any other child would whine and complain or give in and accept, but Nancy knew that neither of those things would happen, so she waited.
"I'll give her a week, if it doesn't work out you'll have to tell your co-worker that she can't come anymore."
Nancy agreed, it was a reasonable request especially since she had located the tutor first. "He says that Tomoyo is very smart and mature for her age."
Eriol looked up from his dinner. "Tomoyo Daidouji?" He asked, thinking of the pale quiet girl in his class. She was smart, mature, and, he personally thought, very perceptive. He didn't really know her, but no one really knew Tomoyo. He couldn't make judgments, the same could be said of him.
"Yes, do you know her?"
He nodded. This actually could work if it was Tomoyo, but then again...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------
Tomoyo sat in a large chair in across from Eriol. They walk to his house had been quiet. Neither wanted to talk and both obviously didn't want to be where they were at the moment. Eriol didn't want to have to escort her to his house and Tomoyo didn't want to be taking lessons in the first place. He had opened the door and politely asked if she wanted some tea. She declined and made herself comfortable at the dining room table and started with her homework. If they were going to wait for the tutor she might as well get something useful done. Eriol must have thought the same way because he was doing the same thing. She had been working for about half an hour and had gotten almost all of her homework done when the doorbell rang.
Eriol got up and opened the door to a woman with long auburn hair. "Hello." She said, "You must be Eriol, can I come in?" He stood aside to let her in and watched her. She had a magical aura, he could feel it. Her eyes found the other child and she smiled, "You must be Tomoyo." She set her a bag down on the chair next to where Tomoyo had been sitting. "My name is Kaho Mizuki."
Almost in unison, they replied, "Pleased to meet you Miss Mizuki." So polite, she thought. She had been expecting rambunctious nine year olds, not what looked like adults in the bodies of children. It was obvious that they were uncomfortable with each other. She would have to fix that.
She gestured to the seats, "Sit down, both of you. Let's get started." She spent the time trying to get to know them and get to know each other while teaching, but found that it was a harder task than she had originally assumed. Eriol wouldn't give anymore information than the bare minimum of what was required and Tomoyo was so proper that she never stepped outside what was considered polite conversation. Two hours later, when Kaho left, the two, by mutual agreement, didn't talk and just worked on their homework.
Eriol was still trying to figure out the mystery of their teacher when a quiet voice interrupted his thoughts. "Can I borrow your eraser." It was a simple question, nothing big, but it was the first time either had spoke outside of necessity or social custom.
"Here." He handed it to her.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." Nothing large, just a polite conversation between two strangers. The only polite conversation that would be had that night as Tomoyo's dad picked her up two minutes later, but it was still a conversation and possibly, the first step to something more.
____________________________________________________________________________ ______
AN: I don't know if Eriol has a family, but in here, he does. He also has siblings, but he doesn't see them too much as they are ten years older than him. There will be a very slight mention of Hogwarts, but that is just for necessity and I've decided to give Tomoyo a small magical ability because that would be the only way I could explain some things that happen in Tomeoda, but it will not involve singing in any way.