Post by TinyTantei on Jul 23, 2016 6:11:50 GMT
Summary: Kisaki Eri has always been known for making things go her way. However, she still needs one thing to go through with the process, and it's the one man able to stop her. An oneshot on Eri, Kogoro and what it means to be a ‘parent’.
Prompt: As a lawyer, and more important, as a mother. There is nothing Kisaki Eri dislike more than child neglect. Finally had enough of months of Conan’s parents being AWOL and out of reach. She starts filing the papers of getting Edogawa Conan adopted as a permanent member of the Mouri Household.
I’m so sorry for whoever prompt belonged to. I really am sorry. You probably wanted something really fluffy, and you got me instead. I’m just.....okay, to be completely honest, I’m actually pissed off at the idea of Eri trying to adopt Conan (not at you, prompt maker), and I’m going to be using Kogoro as something of a proxy to explain why. They might not be particularly in character, but I’m not used to writing any adult characters aside from Nakamori-keibu. I'll still try my best, of course!
I might edit it sometime, too, if I have the opportunity and/or motivation.
(Note: I know nothing about the Japanese adoption process, so I'm basing this on Western norms.)
Other than that, enjoy!
Mouri Ran always preferred it when her father was sober when meeting his wife - still his wife, surprisingly enough - and Kogoro had awoken too early to grab a beer that morning, anyways. And while that put him in a worse mood than usual, perhaps it was for the better, as he was perfectly able to comprehend the piece of paper that was becoming increasingly crumpled in his hands.
“You’re expecting me to- to sign this?”
Kisaki Eri sighed from her spot across from him. “I don’t see why not. I mean, it’s not like it changes much.” Kogoro stared at her, aghast, wondering which screw in her head came loose enough for her to try and justify that.
“Doesn’t change much- Eri, these are adoption papers. For a kid, much less, not a dog. I might be responsible for taking care of Conan, but I never agreed to adopting the brat!”
“As if there’s much of a difference.” Kogoro bristled at Eri’s indifference as she continued talking. “Conan-kun’s parents are almost non-existent; you take care of him more than either of them probably ever have, so it’s not as if they’d miss him. Not to mention he’s probably more attached to you by now, all things considered.”
There was a long silence following her words, and Kogoro thanked whatever god existed for old drunks that he was sober for this conversation. After another moment’s worth of pause, he exhaled and reclined against the chair, slinging his arms haphazardly over the armrests.
“Fine, then I want full custody of Ran.”
Those eight words brought on exactly the reaction that Kogoro expected from Eri- surprise, followed by indignation. “Kogoro, I am her mother as much as you are her father!”
“Yeah,” Kogoro drawled, “but I take care of her more than you do, don’t I?” Eri winced as he continued. “How many times have you had to cancel a visit because of a case, or because of work? Oh, and before I forget, who’s the one who doesn’t pay support? Because last time I checked, forcing your daughter to live with a guy who can barely afford food and rent past his addictions isn’t exactly being a good mother.”
Another pause, in which emotions flickered across Eri’s face that Kogoro could easily identify; anger, reluctance, guilt, regret. He had struck the nail on the head, even if he only used it for his own argument. “Kogoro,” she said finally, having finished puzzling over her own response. “Stop being a child for just one minute and realize that it would be much better for Conan-kun this way.”
“And you stop thinking that you’re right all the time,” he snapped back, irritated with her attitude. Kogoro loved her, he really did, but her stubbornness was part of the reason they had separated in the end, and now it was just making the situation worse. “Do you have anything else for me?” The words, an apology, maybe? went unspoken.
“No,” Eri replied just as curtly. “It was good meeting with you again, Kogoro.” He snorted in reply, not denying it but not quite agreeing either. Either way, it had come to a close, with unresolved tension between them and most likely a push to get Conan adopted by Eri herself even if Kogoro wouldn’t agree to it. He knew how she worked, as much as he loathed to admit it, and he knew she wasn’t going to drop it. Well, he had put a wrench in her plans, and he just hoped she wouldn’t go too far trying to adopt a kid they still knew next to nothing about.
He stood up and brushed dust off of his pants, glancing at her before moving to saunter out of the room. “Oh, wait,” he paused right by the door and turned back one more time. “Eri?”
“What now?” She sounded resigned, and he felt the slightest hint of smugness, followed by guilt. Ah well, she owed him this much for making him visit just to waste his time like she did.
“I’m going down to grab a drink. Tab’s on you.”
Prompt: As a lawyer, and more important, as a mother. There is nothing Kisaki Eri dislike more than child neglect. Finally had enough of months of Conan’s parents being AWOL and out of reach. She starts filing the papers of getting Edogawa Conan adopted as a permanent member of the Mouri Household.
I’m so sorry for whoever prompt belonged to. I really am sorry. You probably wanted something really fluffy, and you got me instead. I’m just.....okay, to be completely honest, I’m actually pissed off at the idea of Eri trying to adopt Conan (not at you, prompt maker), and I’m going to be using Kogoro as something of a proxy to explain why. They might not be particularly in character, but I’m not used to writing any adult characters aside from Nakamori-keibu. I'll still try my best, of course!
I might edit it sometime, too, if I have the opportunity and/or motivation.
(Note: I know nothing about the Japanese adoption process, so I'm basing this on Western norms.)
Other than that, enjoy!
CUSTODY
Mouri Ran always preferred it when her father was sober when meeting his wife - still his wife, surprisingly enough - and Kogoro had awoken too early to grab a beer that morning, anyways. And while that put him in a worse mood than usual, perhaps it was for the better, as he was perfectly able to comprehend the piece of paper that was becoming increasingly crumpled in his hands.
“You’re expecting me to- to sign this?”
Kisaki Eri sighed from her spot across from him. “I don’t see why not. I mean, it’s not like it changes much.” Kogoro stared at her, aghast, wondering which screw in her head came loose enough for her to try and justify that.
“Doesn’t change much- Eri, these are adoption papers. For a kid, much less, not a dog. I might be responsible for taking care of Conan, but I never agreed to adopting the brat!”
“As if there’s much of a difference.” Kogoro bristled at Eri’s indifference as she continued talking. “Conan-kun’s parents are almost non-existent; you take care of him more than either of them probably ever have, so it’s not as if they’d miss him. Not to mention he’s probably more attached to you by now, all things considered.”
There was a long silence following her words, and Kogoro thanked whatever god existed for old drunks that he was sober for this conversation. After another moment’s worth of pause, he exhaled and reclined against the chair, slinging his arms haphazardly over the armrests.
“Fine, then I want full custody of Ran.”
Those eight words brought on exactly the reaction that Kogoro expected from Eri- surprise, followed by indignation. “Kogoro, I am her mother as much as you are her father!”
“Yeah,” Kogoro drawled, “but I take care of her more than you do, don’t I?” Eri winced as he continued. “How many times have you had to cancel a visit because of a case, or because of work? Oh, and before I forget, who’s the one who doesn’t pay support? Because last time I checked, forcing your daughter to live with a guy who can barely afford food and rent past his addictions isn’t exactly being a good mother.”
Another pause, in which emotions flickered across Eri’s face that Kogoro could easily identify; anger, reluctance, guilt, regret. He had struck the nail on the head, even if he only used it for his own argument. “Kogoro,” she said finally, having finished puzzling over her own response. “Stop being a child for just one minute and realize that it would be much better for Conan-kun this way.”
“And you stop thinking that you’re right all the time,” he snapped back, irritated with her attitude. Kogoro loved her, he really did, but her stubbornness was part of the reason they had separated in the end, and now it was just making the situation worse. “Do you have anything else for me?” The words, an apology, maybe? went unspoken.
“No,” Eri replied just as curtly. “It was good meeting with you again, Kogoro.” He snorted in reply, not denying it but not quite agreeing either. Either way, it had come to a close, with unresolved tension between them and most likely a push to get Conan adopted by Eri herself even if Kogoro wouldn’t agree to it. He knew how she worked, as much as he loathed to admit it, and he knew she wasn’t going to drop it. Well, he had put a wrench in her plans, and he just hoped she wouldn’t go too far trying to adopt a kid they still knew next to nothing about.
He stood up and brushed dust off of his pants, glancing at her before moving to saunter out of the room. “Oh, wait,” he paused right by the door and turned back one more time. “Eri?”
“What now?” She sounded resigned, and he felt the slightest hint of smugness, followed by guilt. Ah well, she owed him this much for making him visit just to waste his time like she did.
“I’m going down to grab a drink. Tab’s on you.”