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"CHEERS~!"
A chorus of clinking glasses and calls of congratulations echoed throughout the Kuwabara household as family and friends gathered to celebrate a triumphant occasion; Shizuru had opened her own salon! Becoming a beautician had been a lifelong goal for Shizuru and after years of training in established businesses and working her butt off to build herself a sound reputation, Shizuru had finally earned enough to purchase her own place. It was a small, quaint little shop, barely large enough to fit a dozen people inside at once, but it was hers and that's all that mattered.
Botan watched fondly as the woman of the hour sat surrounded by her closest friends, everyone chatting away excitedly about Shizuru's bright future and successful opening. Keiko, sporting an absolutely lovely new hairstyle that was wavy in length and gently curled at the ends, had been Shizuru's very first customer. The two had been close ever since their first meeting years prior, where Shizuru had serendipitously tidied Keiko's scorched hair. Not only had it been an honor for the younger woman to be the beautician's first official supporter, but Keiko had insisted it was her prerogative to repay Shizuru's kindness that day.
Yukina, her own hair woven into an impressive french braid, clapped her hands along with a boisterous song being sung by Kazuma over the karaoke machine. Yukina had acclimated well since relocating to the human world, having come to live with the Kuwabara household shortly after the first Demon World tournament's finale. And in that time it was clear she had come to love the family dearly, treating them as her own, though Botan was sure that would certainly be the case one day. While Keiko had been Shizuru's first patron, Yukina had insisted on joining the workforce, becoming Shizuru's first assistant. Her current duties were little more than washing and sweeping up hair while training, but Yukina was more than happy to be of help to her new family.
Botan sipped at her yuzu cocktail, the chilled beverage's alcohol adding to her already warm and fuzzy feelings. It brought her endless joy to see those she loved dearly, enjoying their lives after facing so much danger and uncertainty in their youths. Yusuke, who'd also set out on his own business ventures, sat alongside his mother, who threw her arm around his neck and pulled him in tight. Atsuko was surely teasing her son, over what Botan could not hear due to Kuwabara's serenading of Yukina, but the flush on Yusuke's face and Atsuko's laughter was more than telling. Botan giggled as Atsuko ruffled Yusuke's hair with her free hand before releasing and nudging him toward his "goddess".
The fragrance of fresh flowers wafted her way and Botan marveled at a beautiful display resting in the corner of the room. Kurama had been kind enough to decorate the shop's opening with a wreath of interwoven white and purple peonies, and a bouquet of roses for Shizuru herself, both of which had been relocated to her home after closing for the night. A part of Botan wondered if there may be some unspoken meaning behind his gifts, but those were thoughts better left for a clear headed night. Botan stifled a laugh watching as Kurama politely declined Kuwabara's repeated attempts to get him to sing a duet of Judgement Shinpan. Though if she had to admit, she would love to see that performance herself.
The pair of redheads had done quite well for themselves over the years as well, now that she thought about it. Kurama had joined his step-father's business just after graduating high school and since then, had begun to expand their reach by opening two new branches in the country. Kuwabara on the other hand, had successfully enrolled into college and began studying architecture and city planning like a man possessed. They'd come a long way from being a thief in hiding and a rowdy street punk, but Botan knew they would find all the success in the world if they kept putting in the effort.
Botan finished off her drink and set her glass to the side as she looked over the room once more. It was moments like these that they would hopefully remember for the rest of their days, full of love and happiness. She was just a touch disappointed that Koenma was too busy to join in the festivities, stuck behind a mountain of paperwork and souls waiting to be judged and Hiei… Hiei had probably outright refused their offer altogether. She was positive Kurama would have passed an invitation along, but Hiei's absence clearly reflected his choice. Botan sighed quietly to herself; He always had to be the outlier of their little gang. If anyone deserved a bit of love and happiness in their life, it was Hiei.
Leaning back in her seat, Botan stared up at the ceiling, losing herself in thought as the sounds around her dulled. She wondered what Hiei would do with the rest of his life now that things had settled down to some degree. She periodically encountered him while doing her duties; either to collect the souls of those who unfortunately passed while wandering into the demon world, or guiding the living he'd returned back to their civilizations. Would he continue to serve on Mukuro's Border Patrol that he seemed to detest so vehemently, or would he perhaps rule Demon World as king one day? Would he ever tell Yukina about their not-so-secret relationship and finally allow himself a familiar connection he so clearly craved? Or better yet, would he even show himself to them again outside of tournaments and choice encounters from work?
Who could even guess at this point.
Botan's mind wandered further, eyes drifting shut as the alcohol in her system began to make her vision dance and swirl.
What about her future, her happiness? She had been so focused on the livelihoods of her friends that she hadn't stopped for a second to think about what her own future held. Her life had taken a hard left turn the day she first met Yusuke. Before that day, she had been perfectly content to wake up, throw on her kimono, collect the souls of the departed, then head to bed when her work was finished. Would that still be the case if she hadn't been the one assigned to collect Yusuke? And after helping him regain his life, becoming his assistant, and getting roped into all sorts of crazy, life-threatening adventures, was simply going back to the ferrier life even what she wanted? Was there anything else she could even do? Was she even allowed to do anything else?
"Hey Princess," a warm voice spoke close to her ear. "Are you doing okay?"
Botan's eyes snapped open and she turned her head to see Shizuru settling in next to her on the sofa. Sitting up straight and shaking the blurriness from her vision, Botan smiled and nodded her head.
"Yeah, I'm alright," Botan hastily and unconvincingly replied. It was mostly true anyway. "Just… drank a little too fast."
"How unlike you," Shizuru pressed. Leaning back into her seat and making herself comfortable, Shizuru stretched her arm behind Botan, resting it on the back of the sofa. "Sure there's nothing on your mind?"
Botan silently cursed the Kuwabara family's innate ability for empathy and spiritual awareness; it seemed like Shizuru could always tell when she and others were feeling off. "It's nothing really," Botan waved off with a smile. "We're here to celebrate your big day! Don't you mind me one bit."
"Well I can't enjoy myself if one of my girls is feeling blue," Shizuru countered, wrapping her arm around Botan's shoulders and pulling her into a supportive half hug. "So spill the details and get it off your chest. Then we can party the right way."
Botan sighed in defeat, sagging in Shizuru's hold. She could never say no to Shizuru in the past, so why had she expected anything different now. Well... Botan supposed it was better to air out her concerns rather than letting them fester inside her thoughts.
"Oh, alright, you win Shizuru," Botan acquiesced. She fumbled with her fingers and toyed with the hem of her skirt anxiously. "It's just that… After seeing your success, everyone's really, I've been thinking about what it is I want for myself going forward. Kazuma, Kurama, Keiko, Yusuke, and now Yukina and yourself…You're all traveling down your own paths toward something great, and well, I suppose I find myself a touch left behind and jealous."
"You, jealous? Not something I ever expected to hear come out of your mouth."
"Don't get me wrong! I'm so very proud of you all, and nothing could make me happier to see everyone making the most out of their lives. But I suppose I want some of that happiness for myself now."
Shizuru patted Botan comfortingly on the back. "Hey, there's nothing wrong with that in the slightest."
"The most frustrating thing is… I wouldn't even know where to begin. All I've known are my duties to Spirit World," Botan sighed wearily. "I love my home, but I don't feel like I'm even needed there anymore."
"Come live here then, in the Human World," Shizuru suggested matter of factly. "Maybe you just need a change of scenery."
Botan smiled softly at the idea. It had certainly crossed her mind more than once in the past. Maybe Koenma would allow her a long term sabbatical to stay in the Human World and see how things went. Perhaps she could live at Genkai's temple, or some place outside the city? Botan decided she would bring the topic up with Koenma when the time was right.
"You two flirting over here or something?"
Shizuru and Botan lifted their heads to see Yusuke approaching, carrying a small tray of food in one hand, and a pair of beer bottles held carefully between his fingers in the other. Botan rolled her eyes at him before clasping her hands together in mock adoration.
"Yes Yusuke, Shizuru has swept me off my feet, and now we're to be wed," Botan teased, resting her head on Shizuru's shoulder. The brunette draped her arm around Botan's shoulders once more, giving her a little squeeze before they both broke out into laughter.
"Reminds me of a dream I had once," Yusuke reminisced, passing each lady a bottle. "That was a hot one."
"Oh shut up you perv," Botan demanded lightheartedly as she accepted a drink from Yusuke.
Taking a seat on the other side of Botan, Yusuke placed a tray of steaming takoyaki on the coffee table in front of them, each tantalizing piece drizzled reminding Botan she'd been drinking on an empty stomach. Reaching over, Botan grabbed a tooth pick from the tray, spearing a piece and gingerly biting into it.
"So what's this I heard about you living in the Human World?" Yusuke questioned, grabbing a piece of his own.
Botan chewed and swallowed down her piece quickly. "Oh, I'm… just thinking about changing things up."
"What, sick of picking up dead people all day?"
"I wouldn't use those words exactly," Botan refuted, "I've trained Ayame, Hinageshi, and some others to do our duties for years now. They can handle things without me."
"Oh yeah? You gonna jump back into fortune telling then?"
"Fortune telling?" Shizuru questioned, leaning past Botan to look over at Yusuke.
"Yeah, when I first got my body back, Botan showed up dressed up like a witch or something," Yusuke recalled, "Even brought out a crystal ball and tried to tell my fortune. Always wondered if she was bullshitting me though."
Botan paused, staring at Yusuke with wide eyes and a slack jaw. She had completely forgotten that she ever told Yusuke about her old fortune telling job. She hadn't done it for so long, just picking up some pocket money from time to time in both the Human and Spirit Worlds years prior. Though it had slipped her own mind, it wasn't something she could see bringing her the fulfillment she desired. Though…maybe it could still be of use! She'd just had a brilliant idea!
"I must say, I'm impressed with you Yusuke," Botan applauded earnestly. She was amazed that Yusuke had remembered that interaction, given how dismissive he'd been of her that day.
"Why thank you Botan, I am quite impressive," Yusuke declared confidently, "But what for?"
"I've been struggling to figure out what I want to do with my future," Botan confided, "But if I can't think of it on my own, maybe a bit of fortune telling will lead me in the right direction!"
Setting her food and drink back down onto the coffee table, Botan held her hands out in front of her in a cupped position. Summoning her spiritual energy, green colored bolts burst from her glowing palms, congregating and morphing into a spherical shape floating in the air in front of her face. With a flash, the energy materialized into a clear, crystal ball that fell neatly into Botan's still cupped hands.
"Ta-da!" Botan cheered melodically, "I haven't used this little beauty in so long, I'd almost forgotten how to create it!"
"You can just make things like that now?" Yusuke questioned, one brow raised in confusion.
Botan returned his look with a flat expression of her own. "I've always made things this way Yusuke. How do you think I can summon my oar, a bat, and change my clothes so quickly?"
"You learn something new every day, huh?" Yusuke said dismissively, shrugging his shoulders.
"Hey Urameshi! Get over here, it's your turn!" Kuwabara suddenly shouted from across the room, waving the karaoke machine's microphone above his head, "Kurama's being a baby and won't sing any songs with me!"
"Well, duty calls," Yusuke said, rocking forward off the couch and onto his feet, "If I don't keep the big lug occupied, he'll make us all go deaf. 'll catch up with you ladies in a bit."
"Thanks for the 'food/sacrifice' Yusuke," Botan and Shizuru called out in unison as he walked away, throwing his hand up in regards.
As Yusuke made his way across the living room, Yukina, Keiko, and Atsuko approached Botan and Shizuru, attracted by the crystal ball summoning light show.
"Hey you two, what's going on over here?" Keiko asked, kneeling down at the coffee table. Atsuko took a seat next to her, and Yukina settled in on the sofa next to Botan.
"Botan's been keeping her skills as a fortune teller secret from us," Shizuru replied, poking fun.
"I-it was never a secret!" Botan refuted, "I just… kind of forgot I could do it since its been a long time."
"Wow, I had no idea you could do that Botan, that's so cool," Keiko complimented, "Were you going to tell Shizuru's fortune or something?"
"Actually, I was going to read my own," Botan replied truthfully, "I'm a bit stuck on a big decision, and I was hoping it could point me in the right direction."
"Oh, is everything alright Botan?" Yukina questioned
"Of course sweetie!" Botan said easing Yukina's concerns, "I'm just thinking about what I should do with my future, that's all."
"You could help me with my future Botan," Atsuko cut in, a wide, cheeky grin spread across her face.
"Hmm? How so?"
"I just need you to tell me what horses are going to win at the tracks this weekend," Atsuko replied hopefully. Botan's face fell flat, and she turned away from Atsuko, focusing back to the crystal ball in her hands.
"Come on, I'll even split the winnings with you!" Botan ignored her still, and Atsuko pouted, snatching up Botan's barely drunken beer for herself. "Spoil sport."
"Let's give it a shot Botan," Shizuru encouraged, "I'm interested to see how this all works now."
"Yeah me too," Keiko agreed enthusiastically, scooching closer.
"Alrighty then!"
Reaching behind herself, Botan pulled out one of the sofa's throw pillows that she'd been resting against. Scooting the tray of food on the table to one side, Botan placed the pillow down in its spot, and then the crystal ball carefully in the center of the pillow. Moving to kneel on the floor, Botan scooted closer and placed her hands on either side of the orb. Taking a deep breath, Botan released it slowly and began to channel her energy into the ball, the crystal emitting an eerie green glow as it absorbed her spiritual essence.
"Crystal ball, I beseech thee… Gaze upon my soul and cast its reflection for all to see!" Botan recited, "Look toward my future, and allow us to bear witness to its truths!"
In actuality, she didn't need to say anything to make this work. Simply pumping the ball full of spirit energy and focusing her thoughts on a single person would do the trick, but having seen the others' excitement, Botan had wanted to put on a little show. And in response to the combination of her energy and concentrated thoughts of herself, the crystal's shine intensified until everyone present had to shield their eyes from its blinding light. With a final flash, the light dissipated slowly, leaving an image floating inside the crystal's clear center.
Everyone's eyes shot open wide, jaws dropping in stunned silence at what they were seeing displayed so prominently on the ball's surface. No one at that table, in that room, or in the Kuwabara household could have expected the scene playing out in front of the five women's faces.
Botan choked on her spit, falling back on her butt and face growing beet red in mortification.
"Is… is that…?" Keiko started, the words dying on her lips before she could finish them.
"I… w-what?" Yukina gasped. Having come from a society of only women, her knowledge on this subject was admittedly very limited, but she was positive that was a…
"Botan… What the hell hun?" Shizuru questioned, brows furrowed and squinting hard to make sure she was actually seeing what she thought she was.
"Whoa-ho ho ho!" Atsuko burst out, laughing hysterically and slapping the tabletop, "Now that's a mighty fine cock!"
Botan sputtered and panicked, head whipping up to see if Kuwabara, Kurama, or worse, Yusuke, had heard his mother's outburst. Thankfully, Kuwabara and Yusuke were still enthralled with singing some heavy metal song that Botan hoped and prayed had completely drowned out Atsuko's voice… but Kurama sat stiffened near the others with his head turned purposefully away from the women. If that was his way of giving them privacy, Botan was immensely thankful for it, but horrified that he seemed to know, at the same time.
"K-k-k-keep your voice down!" Botan shushed urgently.
Turning back to the ball, Botan pointed at it accusingly, "What in the hell is this!? W-why would you show me this…thing, you stupid ball! I wanted to see my future job, not this!"
Atsuko had not been wrong by any means. Staring back at their little group was the clear and crisp image of a man's erect genitalia. They could not tell who the beastly member belonged to, as the crystal ball's image was focused solely on the owner's lower half, but there was no denying what was being shown to them.
"Hey, you got your answer," Atsuko cackled, "Seems like you've got a big job in your future after all Botan!"
"A very big job," Shizuru corrected, clearing her throat awkwardly with a cough.
"Shizuru!" Botan squeaked incredulously.
"H-hey… something else is happening," Keiko whispered, unable to tear her gaze from the shocking image. Everyone quickly focused back on the ball, watching curiously as a pair of feminine hands moved into the scene next, the owner's delicate fingers reaching out to tenderly take hold of the man's member.
Botan squealed in abject horror.
She recognized those hands! Those were her hands! And no sooner had the squeal left her lips, did her very own head appear in the crystal ball's image, pressing her puckered lips against the man's bulbous tip. Botan practically felt her soul escape her body as her duplicate peppered kisses up and down the man's shaft, her tongue darting out to wet the rigid flesh, before enveloping him in between her lips. A hand came down, fingers curling in her loosened hair, and Botan's head descended further.
"Go Botan, go!" Atsuko cheered, popping one of the forgotten takoyaki into her mouth. The perverse apple apparently did not fall far from the tree, as Atsuko was fully immersed in the show.
"Stop, stop, stop, stop!" Botan demanded fruitlessly of her future self. "D-don't do that with some stranger, you…you hussy!"
There was something amusing about Botan literally insulting herself, but the others chose not to speak on it.
The vision began to morph again and Botan's oral love making scene dispersed like a cloud of smoke blown away by the wind, the colors swirling around inside the crystalline orb momentarily before reshaping itself into something else entirely
Botan didn't know whether to scream or cry.
Sure, the man's penis was invading her future self's oral cavity, but it had clearly been placed elsewhere as seen by her naked body frantically riding atop the unknown man. Her hands were planted behind her, balancing herself on his muscular thighs as his own gripped at her waist, guiding her along as she bounced, rocked, and gyrated herself against him. With every upward thrust, her chest bounced and although no sounds could emit from the crystal ball, Botan could tell her future self was singing her pleasures to the world given her ecstatic expression.
"Geeze Botan, you're really going at it," Shizuru muttered, rubbing at the back of her neck awkwardly.
"No I am not!" Botan adamantly denied, shaking her head so violently that her ponytail narrowly missed slapping at both Shizuru and Yukina. "T-That's not me! That cannot be me!"
"Oh that's definitely you hun," Shizuru disputed calmly. "You can be a bit of a perv yourself you know? But the real question is, who is that under you?"
The scene began to shift again and Botan wasn't sure how much more she could stand to watch without literally dying from embarrassment. She had been a tad overzealous when infusing the crystal ball with her spiritual energy, feeling she'd been out of practice in using it. Though try as she might to diffuse the energy stored within and cut the image off, the ball was acting like a runaway battery, unable to shut down until its reserves were fully drained. And as the swirling energy inside settled, a new image showed itself to the group.
Time seemed to stand still for Botan.
The panic and embarrassment that had flooded her senses mere seconds prior were all but forgotten, replaced now by genuine surprise and confusion. Her stomach flip flopped, both filled with fluttering butterflies and a queasy nervousness. Her already pounding heartbeat increased ten fold, beads of sweat forming along her brown, and yet she shivered as though she were freezing. There's no way she could be seeing what she was. It could not be true. All of this had to be some kind of insane, drunken fever dream.
But there she was, lying in post-coital, sweaty orgasmic bliss while snuggled up to…Hiei?
TO HIEI!?
Botan felt her legs go weak and her head got fuzzy, the edges of her vision blackening and then she crumpled, falling back onto the couch with a heavy thud.
"Oh shit!" Shizuru gasped, diving to catch Botan before she cracked her head on the wall behind the sofa.
Keiko tried to formulate any meaningful statement, but the words continued to escape her, her mouth opening and closing uselessly. Never in her wildest imaginations would she have expected Botan and Hiei to one day become a couple. It was just too far-fetched of a concept to wrap her head around; at first anyway. Her initial instinct had been to deny that what she was seeing could ever truly happen, but the more she thought about it, she realized that this must be how so many of their peers growing up had looked at Yusuke and herself. That there was no way a sweet woman like Botan could ever fall for a man many thought to be a monster at heart. But as she stared at the vision of Botan sleeping peacefully in Hiei's arms, she knew those instincts had been entirely wrong.
Yukina's nose crinkled as an unrecognizable feeling passed through her. She had never felt anything negative in regards to Mr. Hiei in the few years that she'd known him… but something about seeing his nude form, lying with Botan during and after the most intimate of acts, revolted her to her very core. It was though something on a biological level absolutely hated the fact that she'd seen any of this, and she turned from the crystal ball to tend to Botan. Reaching up, Yukina placed a chilly hand against Botan's face, trying to make the poor ferry girl regain some of her senses. But her odd feelings aside… She hoped that Botan and Hiei would be happy in the future together.
Atsuko propped one elbow on the coffee table and leaned her cheek into her palm, studying at the image of Botan and Hiei snoozing after their vigorous love fest. Botan may have been freaking out about what was sure to happen one day, but Atsuko could tell there was nothing to worry about. From the small smile on Botan's lips as she tucked her head into the crook of Hiei's neck, and the actual peaceful look on Hiei's face as lay quietly with Botan at his side… this wasn't some crazy one night stand. These were two people who truly cared for one another. Atsuko took a swig of her drink, and nabbed another takoyaki ball; well, she was sure they'd figure it out one day.
"Hey! What the hell is going on over there?" Yusuke suddenly shouted from across the room, the music from the karaoke machine having finally died down.
"Yeah, what's with all the screaming and light shows? Kuwabara tacked on, as they both made their way over to the ladies.
Before the guys could get too close to see what was still reflecting off of Botan's crystal ball, Shizuru snatched the orb up, and shoved it behind herself on the sofa and covered it with the pillow it had previously been resting on..
"Nothing you two need to worry about," Shizuru dismissed immediately, "Just having some girl talk, and you're not allowed to hear it."
Yusuke stared over at them suspiciously, eyes narrowed and rubbing at his chin with one hand. His eyes bounced from each of them, trying to suss out if there was anything they were hiding. Botan was clearly passed out drunk, Keiko looked flustered and sweaty, and his mother was stuffing her face with the food he'd delivered earlier…
"Yusuke,' Kurama interrupted, clapping a hand onto his shoulder as he joined the group. "I must apologize but I've suddenly found myself with a sudden craving for a bowl of your noodles. Could I bother you to make some for me?"
"Oh yeah?" Yusuke questioned, breaking out into a grin, "Well I can't say no a compliment like that, so order up! Kuwabara, let me use your kitchen."
"Uhh sure, I could eat," Kuwabara agreed, making his way towards the kitchen. "All that singing worked up an appetite!" He stopped suddenly and darted back into the living room. "Yukina my sweet! Would you like me to bring you anything!?"
"No thank you Kazuma, I'm alright."
"Of course my love!" He gushed before scampering off again.
Shizuru rolled her eyes at her baby brother's overly dramatic display, and then nodded her head at Kurama, mouthing a silent "thank you" for keeping the others off their backs. Kurama nodded back at her, giving her a sly smile before following Yusuke and Kuwabara into the kitchen to prepare more food.
Shizuru turned back to Botan, who was still slumped unconscious in her arms. Yukina had been gently patting at her cheeks trying to rouse her, but it seemed to be of no avail. The shock, insane adrenaline rush, and the alcohol in her system were too powerful of a combination to overcome it seemed.
"Well.. looks like she's down for the count. Let's take her to my room so she can sleep it off for now."
"Alright, I'll get her feet," Atsuko offered, standing up and moving around the table. Together, she and Shizuru carefully carried Botan down the hall, where they gently deposited her in Shizuru's bed to sleep off her insane ordeal.
Botan woke with a start, gasping for breath as she shot up in bed. Her room felt sweltering, her hair dampened with sweat clinging to her face and neck, and her clothing…uncomfortably sticky in certain areas. She groaned miserably, flopping back down into her mattress in frustration.
Nearly a week had passed since Shizuru's celebration party, and Botan had been in the most dire of straits since that evening. She'd already been dwelling over the fact that she wanted a major change in her life, to work toward something she could feel proud of, but after the debacle with the crystal ball showing her having sex with Hiei, she was a total wreck. Every single night since then, she'd dreamt about him. About him doing those things to her. About her doing those things to him. And every morning, she'd wake up in her bed, uncomfortably aroused, sweaty, and in need of fresh undergarments.
Botan whined as she rolled over, slipping out from beneath her clovers and trudging her way over to her dresser drawers. Pulling out some fresh clothing and a towel, Botan made her way to her bathroom to clean herself up. After rinsing and soaking herself in a very cold bath for the better part of an hour, Botan dried and dressed herself, getting ready to start another day of doing the same old things…
"Botan, please report to Koenma's office. Botan, please report to Koenma's office."
Botan sighed deeply, her shoulders sagging. "Great, just what I need." She didn't have the energy for any more nonsense today, and her day had barely even started.
Better to just get it over with.
Summoning her oar in her outstretched hand, Botan plopped down on the handle, and slowly lifted into the air, floating leisurely out of the closest window. It would take a few minutes to get to Koenma's office in her dispirited mood, but screw it, he could wait a bit. It would give her time to try and shake her blues away and build up the energy for a fake smile anyway.
She arrived at Koenma's palace in record slow time, dismounting and banishing her oar in front of the massive double doors. After announcing herself through the intercom, being let in, and traversing her way all the way to Koenma's office on foot through a maze of ogres frantically running about, Botan paused in front of Koenma's office door. Taking in a deep breath, she released it slowly. Plastering a bright and fake smile on her face, Botan knocked on the door.
"It's open!" Koenma's voice called out from the other side.
Botan pushed through and entered his office, barely crossing the threshold of the entryway before freezing in place, stiff as a statue.
No fucking way!
She had clearly not been the only person invited to Koenma's office that morning. Standing in front of the Prince's desk, hands shoved into his pockets, and staring back over his shoulder at her with his typical deadpan expression, was Hiei.
No, no, no.
"Well you sure took your sweet time getting here Missy," Koenma complained petulantly. "This is an important matter Botan!"
Botan didn't even look in Koenma's direction, unable to tear her gaze away from the man who'd been quite literally haunting her dreams as of late. Already she could feel the heat rising to her face as the memories clawed their way to the forefront of her mind.
"My… my apologies, Sir." Botan squeaked, her voice cracking. She slid into the room further, careful to keep her legs under her lest she start to grow weak again.
"Well, let's get right to it then, shall we?" Koenma said, pushing aside some paperwork to be seen more clearly in his younger form.
"As you wish, Sir," Botan replied.
"Just get on with it." Hiei ordered, speaking for the first time.
"Ahem!" Koenma noisily cleared his throat, "Botan. It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that I must inform you that your services as a ferry girl are no longer required. You're fired."
A moment of silence passed through the room, the words bouncing around inside Botan's head multiple times before she finally came to process what had just been said to her.
"Wha… Huh!? Fired!?"
"Yes, that's correct," Koenma continued, "I thank you wholeheartedly for your years of dedication, service, and friendship."
"Wait, wait, wait! Just what the heck is going on here!? "
"You fool," Hiei growled impatiently, "You haven't told her anything yet, have you?"
Botan turned to look at Hiei, her brow raised and head tilted to one side. "Tell me what? Have I done something so criminal that it's worth losing my duties over?!"
"Well I was getting to that, if you'd just be a bit more patient!" Koenma snapped. "Botan, you've done nothing criminal. But after some discussion and reviewing your work over the last six years, I've decided that you're no longer fit to ferry souls."
"But… I'm your most Senior ferrier."
"That you are. And be that as it may, your skills and usefulness in other areas are far too valuable for you to continue working solely as a ferrier any longer."
Botan paused her disbelief to think about what Koenma was saying to her; she was… too good to ferry souls any longer? What in three worlds was he on about?
"So.. so what does this mean? If I've been relieved of my duties ferrying souls, what is it you want me to do instead?
"This is where Hiei is involved, Botan," Koenma answered, motioning for Hiei to carry on with the conversation.
Hiei rolled his eyes, clearly agitated and fed up with anything involving whatever was happening already.
"Because of Enki and his cohorts' idealism, demons are migrating into the Human World at a steady rate, many of them being children and non combatants," Hiei explained, "But they have concerns that corrupt humans will exploit the the more vulnerable and weak demons and ruin all the groundwork for prolonged peace between worlds.
"Oh… that would certainly be unfortunate," Botan sympathized. "But, what does that have to do with me?"
"Botan, as you have worked so closely with both humans and demons during your tenure as assistant spirit detective, I would personally like to name you as Spirit World's first liaison," Koenma offered proudly. "And as Spirit World's ambassador, I would have you work with Hiei, who has been named as a liaison for Demon World in overseeing the safety of those migrating into the Living World.
Botan stood in stunned silence, trying to process all this new information in her weary mind. For months now she had been feeling so unsatisfied with many different things going on in her life… and in the blink of an eye, she'd been fired from her long standing position, only to be handed a new one on a silver platter.
"This is a lot to take in so suddenly, Sir," Botan began, "I-I don't even know what to think. Do you really think I'm the best fit for such an important task?"
Koenma nodded his head without hesitation. "Yes I do Botan, and I'm not the only one who agrees." Koenma then tilted his head in Hiei's direction, and Botan's eyes widened in realization.
"Hiei? You too?"
He scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away from them both. "Don't look too deep into it."
She assumed that meant yes.
"You were always going to be my first choice Botan," Koenma continued on, "But when Enki informed me that he had chosen Hiei to act as their liaison, I wanted to make sure the two of you could cooperate first."
"O-oh, I see," Botan said bashfully, those dreams coming back to her. She would never forget how well she and Hiei had cooperated in that vision for the rest of her life.
"Hiei has given his affirmation to your being Spirit World's ambassador so, as long as you're okay with Hiei, I think your things will progress quite smoothly.
Botan glanced back to Hiei, who was still turned away from her. She'd been offered a new job… and now she would work closely with Hiei? She swallowed thickly. A week ago, she had used her fortune telling skills in the hopes that she would find a new direction in life. It had shown her nothing but a future where she had seemingly found success in romance. Now, here she stood having been offered a new opportunity that directly tied her to Hiei. And despite the fact that she had not used her skills at reading fortunes in some time, it would seem that she had not lost her touch in the slightest.
Botan turned back to Koenma, allowing an honest smile to spread across her face, and bowed politely to him. "It would be my honor to work alongside Hiei as ambassador, Sir."
"Well then, this looks like the start of a brilliant new partnership!" Koenma celebrated, clapping his hands together in finality. "I'll contact Enki, and we'll begin setting things up immediately."
Botan turned her head to look back at Hiei, a shiver of excitement creeping up her spine and through her shoulders. She could feel her cheeks begin to grow hot as the scenes reflected in her crystal ball replayed in her mind for what seemed like the millionth time. Before that night, no one, not even herself, could have possibly believed that she and Hiei would find themselves working together, let alone embracing so passionately. She had no clue what would lead to that intense moment at some untold moment in her future, but now, she wasn't so terrified to find out.
She caught Hiei's eye as he turned to leave and she offered him a shy smile. He paused for a moment, meeting her gaze before nodding his head slightly. With that, he continued on his way, exiting Koenma's office.
Botan turned to watch him leave, and a wave of relief washed over her like a tidal wave. All the stress, all the weariness, and all the uncertainty she'd been bottling up; it felt like she'd finally be able to let it go now. Tears welled up in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks before she could even think of trying to prevent them from falling… but still she smiled. It was time to find her own happiness.