Marshmallow and Honeydew
Author: Bitz
Title: Beauty is Everything?
Rating: Teen *slight trigger*
Marshmallow #28. a compliment
Honeydew #11. drastic measures
Topping/Extra: Caramel, Rainbow Sprinkles (Nariko Mizuno)
Story: Take Two and Call Me in the Morning
Summary: Nariko's mindset as she grows up is a tale of dark beauty.
Characters: Nariko, Aija, Hikaru, Cruz
Word Count: 793
A/N: Finally back after a break and paying my journal subscription (the ads were driving me bananas). I'm not too sure what made me want to write this. It's a bit darker than what I usually write. Enjoy!
The first time that she heard it and remembered it, she was three and she was sitting on her mother's lap while she put on her makeup. She had begged her to put make up on her face and after finally being persuaded, she proceeded to put lip gloss on her lips and the tiniest bit of blush. The two beamed huge smiles as they stared in the mirror and after stroking her face, her mother replied, "You remember what I tell you, Nari. You don't need an inch of make-up. You are beautiful just the way you are." Her heart soared from each of her words and she knew that she was beautiful.
When she was a little older at the age of seven, she heard it from her father as they danced to a song on the radio. "Do you think I will have a prince like in the Disney movies, chichi? Her father looked down at her and searched her eyes. "Hai, Nariko. You will because you have a huge heart and men...I mean, princes love princesses with huge hearts. She looked down for a minute then asked, "Am I beautiful like the princesses?" This time her father smiled and he easily picked up his daughter to hug her and stare in her eyes. "Yes. If not more." She smiled and once again she was reassured of her beauty.
At twelve, she sat at lunch at her father's medical office and as she bit into her sandwich she heard somebody say, "Wow!" Looking up she saw a random woman smiling down at her. After smiling back at her, she heard her reply. "You are beautiful! You should really go into modeling with a face like that." After hearing that, her mind was made up. She wanted to be a model. "Dad! Daddy! I wanna be a model!" She yelled running back inside the building.
Fifteen was different. The boy she was crushing on said she was beautiful, so why did it feel so wrong when he grabbed her breast like that or when he tried to force his tongue down her throat? Not that it didn't feel good in the beginning, but it seemed like this time...she was beautiful for the wrong reason. But not wanting to seem ugly, she let him do what he wanted to her. It was a very long night.
Sixteen was when she knew that she was beautiful. The agency accepted her! They wanted her face on billboards, on magazines...everywhere! She would have to put school to a halt for a while, but in her mind, it was so worth it. Everybody would soon know how beautiful she was.
The nineteen year old model paced along her apartment floor. She didn't understand it. She did everything the photographers wanted, she did everything the agency asked of her and still she was ranked lower than one girl who in her opinion was just mediocre. Didn't they know she was beautiful? Why were they torturing her so? There was no hope for her if she wasn't beautiful. What was the point of living like this?
It was a few days after her twentieth birthday as she lay in the hospital bed. The pills had done a good job, but she had been found just in time by her new boyfriend who now stared down at her with worry. "Why did you do that to yourself, Nari. Why would you try to leave me?" He asked, tears brimming his eyes. She just stared at him and her voice was monotone. "Would you want to be with somebody so ugly, Cruz? I wouldn't." Her boyfriend quickly grabbed the sides of her face, lowering his forehead to hers. "I don't care if you are in hospital tubes or in a burlap sack, I think you are beautiful- you as yourself, Nariko. Not because you're a model, but for your big heart. I love you for you!" The tears poured and she couldn't stop them. He still thought she was beautiful. So why didn't she?
She was twenty-seven and she watched with her mother and father as her children ran in the backyard playing loudly. Each one of them were beautiful and she couldn't have been more proud. Her modeling career was mostly over and she was happy for it. Her parents looked at each other then at her and her father asked. "Nariko. How do you feel?" She looked over at her father. "I feel ok. I'm healthy." Her mother shook her head "No, honey. He means, how do you finally feel inside?" Nariko thought about it and after glancing at her husband and kids she smiled and gave the only answer she could.
"I feel beautiful."
Title: Beauty is Everything?
Rating: Teen *slight trigger*
Marshmallow #28. a compliment
Honeydew #11. drastic measures
Topping/Extra: Caramel, Rainbow Sprinkles (Nariko Mizuno)
Story: Take Two and Call Me in the Morning
Summary: Nariko's mindset as she grows up is a tale of dark beauty.
Characters: Nariko, Aija, Hikaru, Cruz
Word Count: 793
A/N: Finally back after a break and paying my journal subscription (the ads were driving me bananas). I'm not too sure what made me want to write this. It's a bit darker than what I usually write. Enjoy!
The first time that she heard it and remembered it, she was three and she was sitting on her mother's lap while she put on her makeup. She had begged her to put make up on her face and after finally being persuaded, she proceeded to put lip gloss on her lips and the tiniest bit of blush. The two beamed huge smiles as they stared in the mirror and after stroking her face, her mother replied, "You remember what I tell you, Nari. You don't need an inch of make-up. You are beautiful just the way you are." Her heart soared from each of her words and she knew that she was beautiful.
When she was a little older at the age of seven, she heard it from her father as they danced to a song on the radio. "Do you think I will have a prince like in the Disney movies, chichi? Her father looked down at her and searched her eyes. "Hai, Nariko. You will because you have a huge heart and men...I mean, princes love princesses with huge hearts. She looked down for a minute then asked, "Am I beautiful like the princesses?" This time her father smiled and he easily picked up his daughter to hug her and stare in her eyes. "Yes. If not more." She smiled and once again she was reassured of her beauty.
At twelve, she sat at lunch at her father's medical office and as she bit into her sandwich she heard somebody say, "Wow!" Looking up she saw a random woman smiling down at her. After smiling back at her, she heard her reply. "You are beautiful! You should really go into modeling with a face like that." After hearing that, her mind was made up. She wanted to be a model. "Dad! Daddy! I wanna be a model!" She yelled running back inside the building.
Fifteen was different. The boy she was crushing on said she was beautiful, so why did it feel so wrong when he grabbed her breast like that or when he tried to force his tongue down her throat? Not that it didn't feel good in the beginning, but it seemed like this time...she was beautiful for the wrong reason. But not wanting to seem ugly, she let him do what he wanted to her. It was a very long night.
Sixteen was when she knew that she was beautiful. The agency accepted her! They wanted her face on billboards, on magazines...everywhere! She would have to put school to a halt for a while, but in her mind, it was so worth it. Everybody would soon know how beautiful she was.
The nineteen year old model paced along her apartment floor. She didn't understand it. She did everything the photographers wanted, she did everything the agency asked of her and still she was ranked lower than one girl who in her opinion was just mediocre. Didn't they know she was beautiful? Why were they torturing her so? There was no hope for her if she wasn't beautiful. What was the point of living like this?
It was a few days after her twentieth birthday as she lay in the hospital bed. The pills had done a good job, but she had been found just in time by her new boyfriend who now stared down at her with worry. "Why did you do that to yourself, Nari. Why would you try to leave me?" He asked, tears brimming his eyes. She just stared at him and her voice was monotone. "Would you want to be with somebody so ugly, Cruz? I wouldn't." Her boyfriend quickly grabbed the sides of her face, lowering his forehead to hers. "I don't care if you are in hospital tubes or in a burlap sack, I think you are beautiful- you as yourself, Nariko. Not because you're a model, but for your big heart. I love you for you!" The tears poured and she couldn't stop them. He still thought she was beautiful. So why didn't she?
She was twenty-seven and she watched with her mother and father as her children ran in the backyard playing loudly. Each one of them were beautiful and she couldn't have been more proud. Her modeling career was mostly over and she was happy for it. Her parents looked at each other then at her and her father asked. "Nariko. How do you feel?" She looked over at her father. "I feel ok. I'm healthy." Her mother shook her head "No, honey. He means, how do you finally feel inside?" Nariko thought about it and after glancing at her husband and kids she smiled and gave the only answer she could.
"I feel beautiful."