Me, strays, and some old dude (Fukuzawa x adoptive daughter reader)

Chess

I entered the skyscraper with the ginger cat sitting on my shoulders. I walked past the reception desk, glaring at the old hag sitting behind it. I entered the elevator and hit the button for the floor third from the top. A young girl with blonde entered the elevator. She wore a victorian style dress with a red base coat and white frills at the bottom. She had long blonde shiny hair and crystal-like blue eyes. She turned to me smiling.

"Is that your kitty?" she asked.

"Not exactly, he kinda just follows me around." I smiled at her in return, "Do you wanna pet him?"

"Can I?" she asked excitedly.

"Yeah, just be gentle he might be nervous" I lifted the cat off my shoulder.

"Okay," she petted the cat and scratched behind his ears. He purred rubbing into the girl's hand.

"I like your dress." I complimented the girl. She looked up at me and returned my compliment. 

"Thank you, you're really pretty" she smiled, "and nice. My name is Elise."

"My name is Y/n L/n" I introduced myself. "This seems like a very professional building. Are you visiting someone?"

"Yeah, I'm going to visit Rintaro," she said in an exhausted.

"Well is he nice?"

"Yeah, he's just annoying when we go shopping. He's all, Elise try this out, Elise this style suits you better, Elise your dress is torn lets go buy a new one." She complained

"Can't say I relate to you." I looked down at the cat, recalling fond memories of the past. "I loved shopping with my dad we bought matching hats. My mom would always yell at me cause I was wearing a yellow sundress with a white winter hat."

"You should come shopping with me the next time you visit" the girl grabbed my hands looking into my eyes with hope.

"Yeah, that would be fun."

"Great I'll tell Rintaro so we can be ready for the next time you're here."

The elevator dinged I looked at the screen above the door. 

"This is my stop see you next time Elise!" I walked out of the elevator and waved to the blond girl as the doors closed. I walked down the hallway until I came to the third door on the left. I knocked on the large black door. The door looked to be a type of quartz, with metal handles on each door. 

"Enter" I walked into the door to see Ane-san sitting at the desk in the office. She looked up from her papers, her eyes softening from her working gaze. "Hello, child." She got up from her seat and walked around the desk.

"Hello Ane-san" I set up my portable easel and pulled up my stool. "How are you?"

"I'm fine" she said exauhsted 

"Just fine?" 

"Yes I suppose if I'm being optomistic" I began painting the unfinished painting, Ane-san sat down on a couch behind me.

"Why did something happen?" I asked.

"Yes, my apprentice, she disappeared after on of her field assignments."

I halted my painting to turn around and give Ane-san a sympathetic look."Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I hope she's alright"

"I'm sure she'll be safe, she can defend herself, she was a flower that bloomed in darkness afterall." 

"Hey" I paused, "Ane-san if I hear anything I'll let you know." I tried to reasure her.

"Thank you for that dear but don't get yourself into any trouble for my sake."

"I won't, I promise" I added the finishing shadows to the painting and backed up to compare it. "I think I'm finished Ane-san." 

She got up from the couch and walked "Is that so? Let me see, oh my this is quite nice dear." she marveled at the painting.

"Thank you, I'm glad you like it."

"I'm very impressed, when I heard of you being so young I expected you to be a little less skilled but you truly have exceded my expectations." she patted my head.

"Thank you, that really means a lot to me" I said

*Knock**Knock*

"Come in" Ane-san called out to the person in the hall. I tall man with black hair and a black coat walked into the room.

"Good Afternoon Kouyo, I was hoping I could-" The man shifted his gaze to me, noticing my prescence. "Kouyo, who is this young lady? You know we can't have a bunch of children running around here. we already have enough one more might be the straw that breaks the camels back." I stood besides Ane-san.

 She said "She's just a painter. She's painting my office"

"Yes, I'm sorry if I was intruding, I'll leave now sir."

"Not at all, why don't you stay for a little while"

I glanced over at Ane-san and she nodded to me. "ok"

"I'm Mori Ogai"

"I'm L/n Y/n"

"Have you ever played chess before"

"Yeah! I used to play with my dad it was one of our favorite games." I spoke fondly reminiscing.

"Follow me, I have a chessboard in my office."

"Ok" I entered the office, a long dark wood table was in the middle of the office, and red velvet seats lined the sides of the table. I looked to my left and looked out the window wall and looked at the landscape of the sun setting over Yokohama. I walked over to the red couch and sat down. A glass chessboard sat on the glass coffee table. The man sat down across from me.

"Would you like to make the first move?" The man asked.

"Sure" I moved the white pawn forward starting the game.

TimeSkip

"Checkmate" I slid my rook to right, knocking over the black king and claiming victory.

"My, my, you beat me. I wasn't expecting such strategy from someone of such a young age."

"What can I say I'm full of surprises"

"Yawn" I looked past the man and saw the blonde girl from before walk up and rub her eyes.

"Oh hello Y/n" she said voice still muddled from her grogginess.

"Hey Elise, I didn't know you knew Mrs. Kouyos boss."

"Yeah he's-"

"Her father" the man interrupted Elise, "I'm glad to see Elise making some friends"

"I'm glad to be her friend too, I don't know many people here in Japan so its good to meet new people."

"Why don't you and Elise go on a shopping trip sometime."

"I'm not sure I can pay for a shopping trip"

"I'll pay for Elise and your clothes and food for the whole afternoon."

"Alright, deal I'm free on Saturday"