Affirmation: True to Life
Botan (Keiko)
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or Savage Garden.
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Humans, in the twentieth century, were strangely vain creatures. They
Had to look the best no matter what it seemed.
In a sense of a phase in every woman's wardrobe, a sense of self identity emerges. TREND. Nothing but trends it seemed became these innocent dolls of society's toy box, the Barbie's of God. One became a manufactured product of their time.
Part of a production line of doppelgangers of the real souls of those who did not adhere to fashion in times of life.
The magazine Botan held in her hands seemed to be the tasteless propaganda of the factory where it came from. In all truth, she hated dealing with the way humans turned out to be so vain compared to the many generations back when she dealt with humble people.
For the moment due to Yukina's request, Botan was staying at Genkai's temple to help with her nieces, Satsuki and Celes, while Yukina went to school with Keiko and the rest of the merry Reikai Tantei school-goers. As far as Botan was concerned, Hiei's ass had his katana or her oar stuck so far up in that dark region that he had no idea of where up and down was. Mainly, she needed the break since Hiei was being difficult, once more.
Right now, she was bored. Everyone had gone to bed and the magazine she was reading was Keiko's. Yukimura had decided to spend the night like usual. Yukina, Keiko, Shizura, and Botan had grown close and usually went to Genkai's temple to talk and mostly just hang out while watching Satsuki and Celes.
Pausing at hearing the door of her niece's room open, Botan immediately decided to get up to see what she could do for either of the children. She just hoped it wasn't Satsuki. Satsuki was the worse one of the two insisting her way often, headstrong but responsible.
"Celes?" A door was thrown open at the name and the aforementioned child looked to aunt. Her ice blue hair shaped her face into a cherubic euphoria. Expressionful ruby eyes showed curiosity. "What are you doing up?"
"Bathum." The child still couldn't pronounce her words right but at was encouraging to hear Celes answer for once. Pausing in self-thought, Botan returned to her quarters, throwing away the stupid propaganda of trends.
That was when she began hearing the soft cries of a broken spirit. Broken hearts were one thing, but a spirit was different. Only a few seconds later, Celes ran into her room, stark white skin parched of the normal rosiness. Red eyes wide in fear or shock. The sound of retching came down from the open door of the bathroom.
"Bathum!" Celes pointed, unsure of what she witnessed. She wanted it not to be a demon, even if she was one herself. Her sincere shock or fear caused Botan to sigh in resigned continuity. As they neared the bathroom though, it was not the same story.
Entering the bathroom, a human was laying against the rim of a toilet seat, brown hair pushed aside as she puked a little more. The night's dinner, dessert, and midnight snack coming into view via the mouth. Botan knew who it was.
"Keiko? Celes! Get your mother here, now!" The brunette did not respond. She had no strength to answer the death bringer. Botan cursed herself. Had her cooking not been to par? Raising Keiko from the vomit covered bowl, she flushed it down. The girl felt very light and seemed to be thin.
"Keiko!" Holding the girl close, Botan raised a hand to the girl's limp forehead. The forehead was cold and clammy, weak limbs against the force of gravity. Shaking the weakened human, Botan got no response. Keiko's normally clear eyes were in a haze of delirium. Celes rushed in with a tired and annoyed looking Yukina.
"This better be an emergency unlike last time, Cele-" Yukina gasped at the sight, unsure of what to say until Botan nodded sadly, confirming to Yukina that it was indeed the girl who had been laughing and smiling earlier. "What happened!" The ice demon rushed forward, kneeling beside the deity of death.
"She was puking. That's how Celes found her." Botan's hushed words enclosed the truth. Yukina's energy gave Yukimura the strength she had lost. Patience was all that was needed as a blue glow began to wash away from Yukina and Yukimura.
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(The Next Day)
Keiko stared at the ceiling. So her terrible secret had been found out. It wasn't anything too bad; at least she hoped it wasn't. She hadn't killed herself after all.
"Keiko, why?" Botan's voice raised out of nowhere caused brown eyes to fall upon her serious and frowning form. Botan never frowned unless it was serious enough. Obviously the death dealer had stayed in her room with Satsuki and Celes. Yukimura hadn't gone to school because of her extremely weakened disposition.
"Yusuke……." Keiko shook her head, hiding her eyes before she felt a cream hand lift them into view. She saw kindness in her face and her dam of emotions were torn away. "He……He said that…….He said that…..my legs…..that…..I…..I was getting………'big'…." With those words, Keiko felt a cry tear her throat as water fell down her cheeks like a waterfall. "I'M NOT PRETTY ENOUGH FOR HIM! I'M NOT!"
"And?"
"Some of the other girls at school have been doing the same since the beginning of Jr. High school……..I….I want to be the woman he'll love always…….I…..I was so happy when he complimented me…….a few weeks ago…..I….I couldn't…..I couldn't stop…….." Gripping the deity of death's hand, Yukimura ended her tirade of tears, sniffling here and there. Smiling gently at Botan, Keiko seemed so calm and maternal somehow. "He told me they were model quality."
"MODEL QUALITY?" Botan blanched, mouth gaping as anger burned brightly in her eyes. "You mean those skinny things from the magazines!"
"Yes……"
"Why compare yourself to them? They're nothing but superficial!" Scowling, Botan admonished the girl with a few shakes of her head and only growled in the pathetic weakness of the human fashion trend.
"I'm not as pretty as any of them! I want to be beautiful for Yusuke!" Her statement was immediately stopped by a sudden stinging to her cheek as she raised her head up to look in astonishment to Botan. Botan's scowl was irreplacable in the hall of fame of anger management. The red mark, marring the pale skin of the human throbbed in pain as Botan snarled.
This wasn't like the woman of whom Keiko had come to respect and even envy at times.
"I think you need to reorganize some priorities. I know you don't think that this conversation has any meaning right now but it will later. Your beauty magazines are stupid. Yusuke only needs one reason to be with you and that is because he loves you." Keiko's brown eyes widened, confusion settling over her expression as she looked at the fuming diety of endings.
"You…..You don't read them?" Botan's gaze sharpened exponentially as she placed her gaze into those brown orbs of despair and brokenness. Sighing, and slightly frowning less, she placed her hands on her hips.
"I don't read them because I believe that beauty magazines cause low self-esteem. You don't have to listen to everything Yusuke says about you. Most of the time that joker has no idea what he is saying."Getting up, Botan thought out to a certain someone who she hoped had gotten that stick out of his derriere.
"What should I do then? His opinion matters a lot to me." Botan grumbled as she thought out her instructions to her husband. Turning around to the hopeless and lost child, Botan's eyes softened.
"Get some help. Go to a remedial program from your doctor, but for awhile, stay at Yukina's. She'll appreciate helping you when she must and it is always all right to have a friend with you in your darkest times. You won't have to worry about Yusuke. He's going to be taken care of, Keiko. Don't worry and just get healthy once more." With that Botan promptly left the room so that Keiko could think over Botan's words of help. Once outside in the warm spring courtyard, she started convincing a demon husband of hers to shape up a certain spirit detective.
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OMG! I finally got a laptop back! Yay! I actually wrote down all twenty chapters in a notebook and have been waiting to type them out. I'll update this story every two-four days. It matters if I have any homework at my art school.
Good news, I'm going to the Rhode Island School of Design for awhile and until I get back, typing is going to be sparse but I'm going to try and update as often as possible with really awesome chapters.
LOVES TO ALL! And please review! AND I'M SORRY IF BULEMIA OFFENDS ANYONE BUT IT IS A COMMON EATING DISORDER AMONGST YOUNG WOMEN WHO TAKE STYLE seriously!
Harbinger Loki OUT