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Post by Asahina Momiko on Feb 17, 2018 22:48:55 GMT -5
Takano answered first, shaking her head, "Nuh uh. Well, I was for a year, before I went to primary school. And sometimes I get really sick and Mother needs to help me with built up school work a bit. But I'm going to be going to RHS next year! I already tested in, in fact! But I gotta graduate from RJHS first..."
Mei nodded, "She has been moat... stubborn on that point. As to myself, I was home schooled; No public schooling at all until I went to University in Phoenix lands."
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Post by Tamori Yoshi on Feb 17, 2018 23:00:12 GMT -5
"So, you... have that in common with Momiko-san... nearly," Yoshi observes to the imposing matriarch, making what he hoped wasn't too vain, or painfully obvious, an attempt to draw out some empathy for Momiko from the woman.
"I'm sorry to hear you get sick sometimes, Asahina-san," he continues to Takano, deciding to lead by example as well, with some of that empathy he wished for Mei to exhibit. "Some of the instructions Momiko-san gave me about coming here led me to believe that someone in the household was more susceptible to illness than most, but... if I was right about that and if it's you... I'm glad it hasn't prevented you going to school for the most part."
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Post by Asahina Momiko on Feb 17, 2018 23:12:19 GMT -5
"That's both mother and I really, for different reasons. She has weak lungs, and I have bronchiectasis myself. So what's good for her is good for me, in that sense."
Momiko nods, frowning, "The genetic restructuring I got seems to have kept any of those familial conditions from showing up in me, even if the eyesight is still imperfect."
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Post by Tamori Yoshi on Feb 18, 2018 0:06:04 GMT -5
There's not much else imperfect about you, Yoshi thinks, smiling at Momiko. And I meant that more than just physically! Wait... why am I clarifying my statements in my own head?
"That's... some pretty amazing science... that I'm sure I couldn't grasp," Yoshi says aloud rather than going with the somewhat cheesy, definitely more blatant compliment. However, with the offer of questions to Mei and Takano still on the table, and the subject of Momiko's origins fresh in their minds, he decides to brave a somewhat more delicate one.
"So... if I may ask, Asahina-sama... what prompted you to... make... Momiko-san?" he inquires, hoping this wasn't a can of worms he was opening. His only thought was that perhaps there would be some explanation for her coldness toward her elder daughter in the answer and, he even dared hope, a clue toward finding a method to penetrate it.
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Post by Asahina Momiko on Feb 18, 2018 0:25:19 GMT -5
"My health, actually. And..." Mei gave a small growl before continuing, "A man. I do not wish to go into details on the latter, the former... With my lung condition and my eyes, I wished to see if I could isolate the correct genetic code needed to fix my damaged parts. So I took my exact DNA and spliced in DNA from subjects with sterling health to try to change those strands through geno-replacement. The hope was I could develop a genetic therapy that would allow me to see over time. And perhaps material for organ transplantation if necessary. None of it worked out as I wished though... the code for the eyes was either corrupted or did not change how I wished. And I had forgotten that lungs would need time to grow into adult capacity. Which meant taking care of the resulting specimen. I also did not count on my daughter becoming attached to... her."
Takanao stuck out her tongue too, "Oh you like her too."
Mei's face would have shot daggers at Takano if it could.
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Post by Tamori Yoshi on Feb 18, 2018 7:50:20 GMT -5
"I understood that... better than I thought I would, thank you, Asahina-sama," Yoshi remarks, though a bit absently as he was still trying to completely work through it all. There was a point upon which Yoshi's brain seized, however, and he couldn't bring himself to let it drop or pass by again. "Especially... the fact that she has your DNA... which means she is your daughter; the circumstances of her creation... or what you got as a result... shouldn't matter." He's done with his soup and salad, but at this point, even more done with Mei's attitude. This is probably a good thing for the time being, as there's a more horrifying implication in her speech that hasn't quite clicked with him yet.
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Post by Asahina Momiko on Feb 18, 2018 18:09:30 GMT -5
"I thought you might say that. And I will not try to dissuade you from that view, Tamori-san. Tell me though... do you feel I am treating the girl unfairly then? That she is being mistreated?"
Mei did not betray any emotion in this statement, simply swirling the wine that was in her glass a little as she asked her question.
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Post by Tamori Yoshi on Feb 18, 2018 19:10:40 GMT -5
Yoshi thinks for some time on the answer to these questions.
"I don't believe children should be told that they're a failure or be disregarded, Asahina-sama..." he tells her finally, "...if the only reason is because they were born differently than their parents wanted... and especially not by those very parents themselves. If I am one day blessed with children, it will be my duty and my honor as a father to love them no matter what." He looks from his hostess to the pink-haired woman across the table.
"However...," he says to Mei while looking at Momiko, "...whether I think she is being treated unfairly or mistreated by you shouldn't be as important as what she thinks." He doesn't ask her directly of course, because he understands that she might not be able to answer honestly in the older woman's presence. Though he also hopes that maybe Mei herself might be the one to ask at his prompting, and actually end up actually encouraging an answer that could prove revelatory for them both.
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Post by Asahina Momiko on Feb 18, 2018 19:41:33 GMT -5
She is.
"Well, Momiko? What ARE your thoughts on the matter then?"
Momiko glances at Mei before looking back to Yoshi. She hesitates a moment, Takano even holding back from nudging her Nee-chan. Finally, Momiko speaks up, "Um... Well... I mean... I... am happy right now. And I certainly don't FEEL like a failure, even if I was a mistake. Maybe I don't have as much freedom to choose my life as some other samurai, but I've made a lot of friends, have neat super powers, a garden of my own, a school club I'm the head of, and a family that supports me. Not to mention a special friend that is willing to put up with all my faults and support me."
Mei gives no outward reaction. Takano, however, glomps her sister to the floor off her cushion, hugging and cuddling the pink haired girl in her light sweater and jeans, butt wiggling in Yoshi's direction as Momiko gives light squeaks of protest.
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Post by Tamori Yoshi on Feb 18, 2018 21:37:18 GMT -5
Yoshi's pleasure at the display before him has very little to do with Tanako's posterior and nearly everything to do with Momiko's happiness. He still spares a look at the impassive woman at the table's head, imagining that Mei feels she's responsible for everything that Momiko had listed, not yet understanding which of those Momiko had gotten for herself... or what she didn't even know she'd been denied. Yoshi decides he can worry later about whether she needs to ever be told about the latter, as long as she realizes the truth of the former.
"You earned a lot of that all on your own, Momiko-san," Yoshi tells her, "the Club captaincy, the friendships... my friendship. I'm glad you don't feel like a failure, because you're not." He was surprised at her feelings on this too, given how many times Mei had called her a failed experiment. Then he pauses.
"Wait... super powers?" he asks. There was something awful he missed earlier that he may now have totally forgotten, but this little something extraordinary did manage to reach him.
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