Characters: Michiko Passos, Isamu, and Mika Miyaki
Setting: New Orleans, Michiko’s mothers home
Rating: Worksafe
Summary: Michiko visits her mother

Michiko hated the idea of having to visit her mother. They had just been on vacation for one week and she was already calling and harassing her to come visit. You live down the street and you spend all your time with those cousins of yours! What’s so wrong with visiting your mother for once! So with reluctance she packed the bag that Rowan had made for her and headed over to her mother’s house.



“Michiko,” Mika said with that false warmth that had always irked Michiko. “Oh and look at little… Isamu,” she said, making sure to keep her distance.

Michiko set the carrier down on the couch and removed Isamu. “It’s nice to know you remembered his name this time,” she said quietly. “So… what did you want?”

“A grateful daughter for once,” she said rolling her eyes. “Tea?” she asked moving swiftly toward the kitchen.

“Why not?” Michiko figured if she was going to be stuck at her mother’s house she might as well make it enjoyable. “What kind do you have?”

“Green, white jasmine, and tulsi,” she listed, know she had Michiko’s favorite.

“White jasmine,” Michiko replied without a second thought. She adjusted Isamu in her arms and went out to the kitchen. She took a seat at the table and sighed. “So… what’s up with Yori?”

“He’s fine, his first semester has been going really well. Top marks in all his classes.”

“Of course,” Michiko sighed. How could she get compared to her ten year old brother, the wunderkind, when there were almost seven years between them!

“So how are your grades this semester?”

“Better than before,” she said vaguely. Michiko was not the best student but there were certain classes which she aced, others which fell by the wayside a little. “Got an A in potions and magical biology.” She shrugged.

“And that terrible, beastly sport you insist on playing?”

“We’ve had a rough beginning to the season,” she said honestly. “We’ve been a little distracted. Some weird stuff going on at school. Missing kids, apparently found fingers,” she shrugged. “The usual drama,” she wondered what kind of reaction she would get from her nonchalance.

Mika sighed. “When is that school going to get it together?” she asked. “It’s as if they’re trying to get you kids killed,” she rolled her eyes. “So when are you finally going to ask me to transfer you to a normal school?”

Michiko sighed. “Never. I’m never going to muggle school because I’m not a muggle. I’m a witch. Even your precious Yori is a wizard. So just stop Mika.”

“When are you going to realize that I’m your mother and I deserve your respect?”

“When you deserve it,” Michiko said indignantly. “You know what? Forget the tea, I’m leaving,” she stood up and walked to the living. She put Isamu in his carrier and tucked him in securely before turning back to her mother who was standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room.

“So you’re suddenly an expert on being a mother?”

“Better than you ever were,” she said, her anger bubbling to the surface of her cool demeanor.

“You’re still a child, you’ll never understand the sacrifices a mother makes.”

“You’re an idiot if you don’t think I understand that,” she shook her head.

“And that’s how we win arguments is it? Calling someone an idiot? That’s exactly what adults do Michiko.”

“I don’t care, I’m not trying to win any argument. We’re leaving,” she grabbed her bag but the contents spilled all over the floor. “Fuck,” she said desperately trying to get everything back into the bag.

“So you’re smoking now? Really Michiko?”

“I can do whatever I want!” she shot back, getting everything in her bag. She straightened herself up.

“You’re a mother now Michiko Anna Passos! You can’t just act like a child anymore! Smoking and drinking, those are all things you need to give up to a proper mother!” Mika was always the first to point out when her daughter was doing something she disagreed with. It only got easier over time to find things that she disapproved of.

“You think I forgot that?” she screamed but immediately covered her mouth and looked over at Isamu who was still sitting in his carrier on the couch. “You think I forgot that I’m his mother and the only one he will ever have?” tears bit at her eyes. “I know what it’s like mother, I know how it feels to be alone in this world and I will make sure Isamu never feels like that.”

“It’s so easy Michiko, to say that you’re never going to be that mother, your own mother, but trust me, it never works out like that.”

“I don’t care what you say! I’m never going to be like you and I’m never going to abandon him.”

“Even if he turns out to be like you?” Mika asked unkindly.

Michiko’s stomach dropped. She knew it, there had always been something awful and terrible about her, she had been fearing it for years. She knew it had to be true now, it made sense, why else would her own mother leave her if it weren’t true? She took a step back. “Even if he turns out as wretched and terrible as me,” she wiped the tears off her face. “So… yeah. I’m always going to love him and I’m always going to take care of him,” she turned away from her mother and picked up Isamu from his carrier. “Come on Izzy, let’s get out of here.” Without another word to her mother she left the house and went back to her cousins.

Tags: !complete, michiko passos