pishirogane | prismatica

[Yeah, she thought that might happen. In preparation for this, she'd done extra reading. When it came to the pain, her body would be prepared to try compensating for it somehow, but due to their mental connection, she hadn't been sure how it might be for Kanji. He was fine, but... there were four other eggs after this one.]

It shouldn't be too long...

[In fact, aside from the initial push out of her womb, most of the effort came from getting it out. Even that wasn't so bad because the shell still required hardening. So, with a few more pushes, the first soft egg would land in Kanji's waiting hand. How strange this was...]

... I think I understand. Since I'm an Iris, I can tolerate the pain, but not everyone marked Ostella was also an Iris, were they?

[Wow, this... this is it. One of five. Happy birthday, little dude. He handled the shell so delicately, and set it within a waiting blanket, wrapped securely.]

I've gotten pretty good at pickin' out blessings n' scents. I've picked up Sanguis, Cordis... the signs weren't picky.

[He lifted the wrapped egg into view.]

Check it out. Y-you did it. Here's the first...

They'll need the hospital more than I do. If anything, we can have the eggs examined later if we're concerned about their health.

[But just saying that aloud made her irritated. She didn't really want anyone besides Kanji handling her eggs. Blinking, her anger ebbed at the sight of the first egg wrapped up, and she smiled faintly.]

I'm glad... There don't see to be any issues. Now, there's a matter of four more...

[The second which was making itself known to her.]

[He could sense that irritability and it was palpable, something he understood. To feel so covetous, something that burned in the mind was something he battled with all the time. It was kind of a relief to know he wasn't alone in it.

He eased and nodded. Egg looked healthy. Just needed to toughen up. As he set it aside, he reached for a second blanket. Cramps were building...]

A-ah... whoa. Yeah, I felt that. But I gotchu, Naoto! Whenever you're ready.

[He took a moment to breathe and steeled himself. He was pretty damn sure it'd be more involved if they weren't eggs, but he was totally okay with the two of them rocking this.]

[He was already grabbing the second blanket. God, his preparations for this - even if so sudden - made her love him more.]

Thank you, Kanji-kun. Let's get this second one out...

[Leveling her breathing again, she proceeded to push. This was a little more of a struggle - perhaps the egg was larger than the first one. Right, she should've considered that.]

[A spark of concern flit through his mind. This one was having a bit of trouble, but from the look of the shell alone he could see it was different. Bigger. Wait, would the rest be like this? Was the first one a 'runt'? Was this one going to be more like him considering how much bigger he is?

...He hoped this one took after Naoto more. It'd just be right.

He grunted in frustration at the device and left a callback number. The constant ringing noise was getting annoying. He settled himself as he got back into position, shell to palm, other hand secure with hers. Keen on the sensations shared, he found himself breathing as she was, an inadvertent coach.]

You're kickin' ass, Naoto! I'm so proud of you!

[He kissed her fingers. He told himself he wouldn't cry, but his eyes were stinging. He scolded himself inwardly. Let's get the five out before you became a mess, Kanji, huh?]

[Sensing the spark, Naoto almost shook her head. Instead, she managed to catch herself and send back some reassurance - that she doubted all the eggs were large and this one just happened to be bigger.]

[Able to hold his hand again, she squeezed down tight as she pushed, moving the egg along.]

Hah... Thank you, I think.

[She felt her eyes stinging, but knew that couldn't be her. It took several more pushes with deeper breaths before the egg - roughly a few centimeters bigger than the last - finally passed and she could properly look Kanji's way.]

[Whoa. His hand dipped from the weight of this one and he blinked at it. But after a quick shake of his head for focus, he went to wrap this one up and set it next to its sibling.]

A'right, that's two down. How you feelin'?

[She could squeeze his hand as much as she wished. But he wondered if he should have thought to bring water in here; he knew he'd be parched were he in her position, but... this was happening all suddenly!]

[There was relief after that egg passed. Naoto was feeling the urge to shift a little from her current position; she'd been in it for a while and was feeling numb.]

Hm... I could probably use something to drink.

[The other eggs were shifting around, but she think she had a small reprieve before the third egg.]

Sure thing. Maybe we'll do some little stretches, too.

[Because he could definitely tell that wasn't his tailbone going numb. Kanji pulled away to grab the carafe and get some ice water going. Goodness knows if laying eggs or even having babies did something for hydration, but it was feeling a little warm in the room.

He'd chosen the carafe for how pretty it was, seeing it on display at a glassworker's shop one afternoon. He'd bought it and a set of glasses to match, feeling very adult indeed to be purchasing glassware. He returned to set it on the nightstand and pour a glass for her.]

Man, I wonder how the others are doing...? I don't see anybody like Yosuke bein' calm about any of this, especially if Souji's bein'... Souji about it.

"Take responsibility~"

[With the breathy falsetto and a smirk, he offered the glass.]

If I can manage that much.

[She appreciated the encouragement. Maybe when he got back and she had a little to drink she would try standing up. Getting up right now just seemed precarious.]

[Still, when he did return and pour some water for her, she gladly accepted it and took a long drink. She had been more parched than she realized.]

Mmm... If they're going through this. We should try calling them later. Er, well, you might have to call them, or wait until I sleep this off.

[Because she could guarantee she was going to be tired after this.]

No rush if ya can't, but my ass is goin' TV static... that's probably comin' from you, heheh.

[He didn't normally get the numbness or cramps, but he got it in his neck a lot from his posture. Whoops. Kanji had a little water himself, down like a shot of whiskey before.

He offered his hands next.]

I got ya. Just a little stand n' stretch, get the blood pumpin' again.

[Did he read a library's worth of books on the topic? Sure. Maybe he was a worrywart, but he knew better after his time being thrown into the TV than to not take any opportunity to learn something new. What'd that really badass doctor say, 'Be a perpetual student'?]

I'll definitely give the others a call later, see what's up.

It can't be avoided right now.

[But did he have to put it that way? Her face turned pink.]

[Still, with his hands proffered, she took hold and rose to her feet slowly, feeling the remaining eggs shift, but not move down yet. It was getting there, but until it did... and there was the feeling coming back to her legs.]

How long has it been since this started?

[Until he learned the proper name for the tingles, Kanji could only be apt. He helped guide her up and felt that gradual relief, the static wearing away as nerve endings breathed that sigh of relief.

With the question, he craned his head to peek at the alarm clock.]

Ah... gettin' close to an hour. But that second one came pretty soon after the first, I think.

[He turned pink. He remembered a passage involving sex in the late-term possibly encouraging labor.]

Y'think what we did this morning, uh... m-may have...?

[The only problem would be how those nerves decided to come back. It was not in the fun, cannot move because it's tickling sort of way, but at least that meant the recovery was sped up before it became another problem.]

Hm... and there's still three more.

[She knew labors could be long, but she wondered how long it would be with the eggs. So, one hour mark, two eggs, three more to go... Blinking, her eyes grew, but then closed as the red on her cheeks became more brilliant.]

... Quite possibly. I was close to being due even if that's not the case.

Ah... w-well, if it helped things along...

[Live and learn. With a shy chuckle he stooped and kissed her. He brought her hands to his shoulders and reached down to rub her back, mild fire chroma coaxing a little extra heat to his hands as he smoothed over the muscles. It was a slow knead, coaxing circulation to such taut areas.

He didn't fault her for being so tight here, and the least he could do was help Naoto maybe not feel like fresh hell later or tomorrow.]

Let's see if we can't get some help from ol' gravity, too.

[She nodded, not saying anything. If anything, she was glad to push her due date forward - the sooner the eggs were out, the less stress there would be waiting for them. All that was left was the stress of raising them.]

[Kissing him, she hummed at his hands, feeling Chroma and heat seep into her skin, helping her muscles unwind from the knotted mess they'd become from her tensing. Oh yes, she would need more of this after everything passed too... Though, recovering muscles meant letting other ones get back to work.]

It's not going to take that much work.

[He'd be more than happy to offer more once everything was finished. But right now, he could feel something and her words just confirmed it. One last rub for good luck, and he nodded.]

A'right. Round two.

[He helped ease her back onto the bed, ready to offer back-up again. It was nothing to get back to it, and he smiled when he grabbed the next blanket.]

Time for your handiwork to shine! Your first blanket.

It would be nice if this could be the final round.

[Getting back onto the bed, she positioned herself as before the make the delivery easier. The third egg was almost in position, but she looked up when Kanji mentioned the blanket.]

Ah... We'll see if it holds.

Would that I could make it the final round for ya, but we can't push it.

[They could try, but he wouldn't forgive himself if anyone was harmed. As for the blanket, that'll totally hold, he wagered. Time would only tell how straight his hunch is.

But until then, he was prepped for number three, four and five. It looked like the first had gained its pearly luster, protective shell given that time to harden. Second wouldn't be far behind. He wondered if looking like large pearls had to do with her oceanic blessing...]

No, we can't... Well, I can't. Unless an egg gets stuck, this should move without aid.

[She doesn't want to think about an egg getting stuck, but it could happen. If they weren't eggs, babies being naturally delivered were documented as getting stuck in her research. They didn't need to worry about a breech occurring, or umbilical cords either, but now she unnerved herself.]

[Shaking her head, she focused on the third egg - finally in position that she could push. It felt smaller than the second, but no smaller than the first. Likely, the first and third were the around the same size, but she wouldn't know until it passed. She focused on her breathing for now, steadily inhaling and exhaling.]

All smooth. Let's five for five it!

[Whoop, maybe not the best topic to be on. He smoothed his hand through her hair and offered a little reassurance. Nothing should go wrong. It'll be fine.

Same as before he moved to catch number three, making sure to secure it in the blanket Naoto made. Aw, this one was real lucky... whoever was in there got to be all wrapped up in her first sewing project! That's a huge milestone. But he could coo about that later, entering a synched breathing pattern in the meantime. Another one down, two to go!]

[Closing her eyes at his hand, she could put the thoughts out of mind a little better.]

[The third egg passed and Naoto shifted again. The fourth egg was close, but not yet in position to be pushed out so she was hoping to encourage it into position. That, and being back in this posture was asking for a cramp tomorrow. She grabbed her glass and drank a little more water, setting the glass back once the egg did finally ready itself.]

Man, you'd think somebody would invent a comfortable seat for stuff like this...!

[Casual wrap-up off number three and he was ready for number four. But now that this was happening, he understood why car seats and buggies were so elaborate and crazy complicated. But... where was mom in this? No, like, birthing chairs? He can't imagine hospital benches with stirrups were any good.]

Should I put on some tunes- whoa, okay, I see shell, nevermind-

[Blanket! Here we are... four's a sneaky devil, and just as pearly as the rest.]

They could have, but they're available at the hospital...

[That, and she didn't know if Prismals laid eggs themselves. Maybe some of them? It seemed like it was the dragons that just laid eggs and no one else... how curious.]

[The fourth egg didn't take long at all to come out. A few pushes and it was there, but now was a matter of the fifth egg...]

prismatica | Overflow

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