Disclaimer: I don't own DCMK
A Curse Marked Fate
43: The Choice Foundation
The lady who appeared in the waiting room was blond and coldly beautiful. She smiled and gestured for Edogawa Takashi to follow her down a long, carpeted corridor lined with potted plants and through an unmarked door.
Having expected an office or a conference room, all three Edogawas were surprised to find themselves looking at a set of plush armchairs situated around a glass coffee table. The room itself felt far larger than it really was because one entire wall was made of glass. Through it, they could see that the building had an interior courtyard that resembled a small but well-kept park.
"Please, make yourselves at home," the blond woman said, gesturing at the armchairs. "Would you like something to drink? Tea perhaps? Or juice?"
"O—oh, uh, thank you, but that really isn't necessary," Professor Agasa stammered.
"Well, feel free to let me know if you change your mind," the woman said, moving to an armchair as well. She waited as they seated themselves. Her gaze lingered on Kaito for so long that Shinichi was beginning to grow nervous, but then she returned her attention to their 'dad'. "My name is Sharon Vineyard, but please call me Sharon."
"Edogawa Takashi," Agasa said. "And these are my sons, Taoki and Conan."
The boys said their hellos, and the woman nodded back to them.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all," she said, gaze returning to Agasa. "I understand that you wish to learn more about the services we offer here at the Choice Foundation. Is that correct?"
Agasa stole a glance at Shinichi before he squared his shoulders and met the blonde's gaze. "It is."
She nodded encouragingly and waited as the older man collected his thoughts.
"No one in my family has ever had a Curse Mark," he began, carefully sorting through the history that he, Ai, and the boys had spent the past few weeks constructing. "So when Conan here was born with one, we… Well, we didn't know what to do. But our family doctor told us that Curse Marks don't tend to begin manifesting their powers until children turn ten. Of course, he also told us that there are exceptions, but, in essence, we felt there would be time to learn more later. Then my grandfather passed away last year. We came back to Japan to help put his affairs in order, and we decided to move back permanently—we were in America before. It's where my wife and I met."
Agasa paused, looking very much the troubled father (although, in truth, it was his nervousness at the act rather than the tale that was putting the crease in his brows).
"Take your time," Sharon murmured. She rose from her seat. She moved to a small refrigerator in the corner of the room and returned with a bottle of water, which she handed to the professor. He took it and nodded gratefully.
"We enrolled Conan in school, naturally," he continued. "But, well, we decided we would just keep his Mark a secret. Since it had never caused any trouble, we didn't think it would do him any good to have attention drawn to it. And that was fine for a while, but…"
"But then stuff started happening," Kaito cut in, expression grim. "Weird things kept happening around Co-chan. His classmates would lose things, get into accidents, make strange mistakes… People started saying right away that it had to be a curse. Since Co-chan was the only new kid in class and from out of the country to boot, it didn't take them long to figure out it was him. That was when things started getting really bad."
"We had to transfer Conan to another school," Agasa filled in, heaving a sigh so heavy it could have sunk ships. "But it just started all over again. We noticed the signs early though, so we took steps. We're home schooling him now, but…"
"It isn't fair," Kaito cut in with a vehemence that startled Shinichi with its realism. "He should be able to go out and make friends and play and do all that other stuff kids his age are supposed to do without being blamed for every damned thing that goes wrong in his vicinity!"
"That sounds like a very trying situation," Sharon agreed, tones soft and soothing. "If you don't mind me asking, how old is young Conan?"
"I'll be turning nine soon," Shinichi lied.
"I see," the woman murmured, sounding sympathetic. "That is a little young, but, as your doctor said, not unheard of. Tell me, when these incidents began and you realized they might be related to young Conan's curse, did you attempt to have his Mark identified?"
Agasa shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "We…tried to identify it ourselves. But we haven't had much luck."
"What about his doctor?"
"We haven't found a family doctor here in Japan yet," the man admitted. "And, well, since he wasn't born here, his Mark isn't registered, and we would prefer not to have to change that until it's necessary."
"When he turns thirteen and is required to begin taking magic lessons."
Agasa nodded, managing a good impression of embarrassed defiance. "I've always felt that Curse Marks are private. Whether a curse bearer wants to share about it should be his own decision, especially since it's inevitable that other people are going to judge him by it the moment they know. Children especially can be…unwise in such matters."
"I understand," Sharon assured him. "We are not here to tell you if or when you need to get Conan's Curse Mark registered. Nor are we here to tell you how you should choose to share that information. It is our purpose here at the Choice Foundation to help you figure out for yourselves how you can continue to build your lives towards your dreams in spite of your Curse Marks and all they entail."
"That is what my children said your people told them," Agasa said, nodding to the boys. "They saw your information booth at that charity play the other week. They said that the representative there told them that your organization could actually take Curse Marks away."
"She said they couldn't yet though," Shinichi cut in with his best disappointed child voice.
Sharon flashed him an amused smile. "Well, she was right. We cannot, at this time, remove Curse Marks. But we do offer plenty of other services that may be beneficial to you. Before I go into that, however, could you show me Conan-kun's Curse Mark?"
The Edogawas traded wary, uncertain looks that were not entirely feigned.
Sensing their unease, Sharon pressed on. "I know you said you consider such things to be private, and I agree with you. I promise that I will not share anything about his Mark with anyone outside this room until and unless you tell me that I can. But remember, in order to figure out how we might be able to help you, we will need to know what problems you face. And to know that, we must first identify then study and understand your Curse Mark. It is even possible that we already have information on file that would be pertinent to you. But I will not be able to share that information with you unless I know that that is what we are dealing with. Without that knowledge, well… Let us just say that the range of powers Curse Marks can have is, quite literally, infinite."
It was a valid argument, and they all knew it. In truth, they hadn't really come all this way to argue against showing the Mark anyway. Even so, Shinichi couldn't help the sense of trepidation that settled like a block of coal in his stomach as he stood up and shuffled over to his pretend father, where he turned and let the man tug down the back collar of his jacket and shirt to expose the dark blue birth mark.
Kaito tensed imperceptibly as he watched the woman like a hawk. She was keeping it professional as she leaned over Shinichi to peer at the birth mark, but Kaito didn't miss the gleam in her ice colored eyes. It was everything he could do not to push himself between the woman and his best friend turned love interest and demand to know what she had realized.
Sharon returned to her seat and folded her hands in her lap as she leveled Edogawa Takashi with a calm, reassuring smile.
"Your son has, what I believe, is a very unique Curse Mark. And no, that is not something you need to fear," she added when she saw the way Agasa stiffened.
"So…what is it then?" the old man asked.
But Sharon only shrugged. "I have seen some like it, but none that were the same. If you would allow me to take a picture, I could begin making comparisons and find out for you how other, similar Marks have operated in the past."
"I…I don't know…"
Seeing his reluctance, the woman changed tact.
"Forgive me. I am getting ahead of myself," she said. "Let me tell you a little more about the services we offer."
Agasa nodded, relieved. "Please."
"As I said before," Sharon began. "The types of powers possessed by Curse Marks is, as far as we are aware, limitless. While the various parts of certain Marks have been identified and, in some cases, even become famous, there are still many, many others that are a mystery. It is unlikely that we humans will ever be able to put a description to every Mark. That being said, we at the Choice Foundation do not believe the Curse Marks are things to be feared. Instead, we like to think of them as possibilities. After all, though some are harmful, it is also true that many are capable of performing miracles."
"Then why are you studying how to get rid of them?" asked Shinichi.
"A good question," the woman said smoothly. "The answer would be that we also believe in choices. Every human being, Marked or not, is born with potential for different things. However, just because you can excel at something doesn't mean you have to want it. Someone with a talent for music can still dream of being a computer programmer. There is no right or wrong in choosing not to cultivate a talent."
"Except it'd be kind of a shame," Kaito muttered. Shinichi wasn't sure if the Sky Mage had intended his comment to be heard, but Sharon clearly did hear, and she smiled.
"Yes. And that is why the majority of our services focus on helping children learn to cope with and even use their Curse Marks. Many of our clients come to us not knowing exactly what their Marks mean. So the first step we take with all new clients is to pair them with a specialist who works with them to identify and understand the nature of the Curse Marks and the scope of the associated powers and side effects. This usually involves some experimentation and training to find and learn to control each Curse Bearer's unique ability and its applications. All basic. At that point, some are satisfied and decide that they no longer need our services. But many wish to actually develop their abilities. And we help them with that. At this point, clients are also matched with a councilor who can help them work through what role, if any, they want their Marks to play in their future lives."
"That…sounds very ideal," Agasa admitted a touch hesitantly. "But that sounds like a very intensive process. A lot of work and research and time spent."
"Indeed."
"So, um… How much would it cost for us to avail ourselves of your services?"
"We are a nonprofit organization, as you know," Sharon replied and tones most likely meant to reassure. "We primarily acquire funds through donations and fundraising events such as the one your sons attended. We are happy to offer our services to any child we feel has the need. But we do expect our clients to put real effort into cooperating with us. After all, resources are finite, and only those who truly seek to grow can do so."
Agasa was nodding along by the end of the woman's speech. "Very true. I must admit, this all sounds very practical. But, if you don't mind my asking, how do you decide who qualifies for your services?"
"Ah yes. Let me clarify. We offer identification services to all cursed children," the woman said. "Whether further services are needed is determined by what we learn in phase one."
"I see." Agasa frowned slightly. "So…you say you can identify the Mark using a photo?"
"In the best case scenario. But I am afraid that things rarely go that smoothly," Sharon replied, looking apologetic. "If you agree to enroll Conan-kun in our program, we would begin by giving him a general physical examination by one of our doctors. Nothing intrusive," she added, noting the way the elder Edogawas tensed. "It would be like going in for your annual physical. We take a blood test and discuss any biological anomalies he may or may not have experienced. Many Curse Marks affect their Bearers' physical traits and abilities, so this is often a good source of clues as to a Mark's true nature."
"And after the physical?" Kaito asked.
"Then he will be assigned one of our Curse investigation specialists who will work with him to figure out what oddities in his life or experiences, if any, might be related to his Mark. These specialists have a great deal of experience working with people with different Curse Marks, so they often have an intuitive sense for what a new client's skills or areas of influence might be. They can also help you find and hone the abilities granted to you by your Mark. Once you find that ability, it often explains what the Mark was to begin with."
"That sounds a little confusing," Conan piped up. "And it seems like my Curse Mark hurts people. I don't want to learn to do more of that."
"You may learn that you can control it," Sharon promised. "Or you may learn that it is merely a side effect beyond your ability to control. But either way, once you understand, you will know better how to coexist with it."
The child looked down, large eyes somber with unwelcome memories.
"It is natural to be afraid," the woman continued, voice softening in what sounded like genuine sympathy. "But to solve a problem—any problem—you must first understand it. We can help you with that." Her gaze flicked from the child's bowed head up to Kaito then over to settle on their 'father'. "If you would like, I can introduce you to some of the Mark bearers we have worked with. A few of them are here now counseling newer clients. I can also give you a tour of our facilities. I am sure that once you see what we have accomplished, you will find your decision much easier to make."
Shinichi kept his head down to hide the sudden thrill of excitement that shot through him at the woman's suggestion. This was what they'd been hoping for, but it would be suspicious for him to show such a sudden interest. So he waited until he was sure that he had his expression under control before looking over at Agasa.
The professor had a look of surprise on his face. He was probably expressing his amazement that they had succeeded in wrangling a tour for themselves so quickly, but, fortunately, his surprise could just as easily be interpreted as a remark on the offer.
In any case, Agasa managed to turn his startled expression into one of hesitant hope. "I wouldn't want to impose, but, if it's really all right, I'd appreciate that. I think meeting another Mark bearer would be helpful," he added, nodding towards Conan. "Like I said, we've never known any others—or at least we don't think we do. If possible, I would really like Conan to be able to meet someone like him."
"Of course," Sharon said, rising to her feet. "I know our appointment was only scheduled for an hour, but if you have the time…?"
"We have the day free," Agasa replied with a sheepish smile.
"Perfect. Please, follow me."
TBC
