All things considered, being thirty-six weeks pregnant is fairly awful. You can barely fit in the shower, you can't lace your boots, you huff and puff whenever you venture out into town, and your ankles are so swollen that the only relief you feel is when you're using one of Konro's cooling pads. You have to go to the toilet every ten minutes, and your back has been aching continuously for two days.
The only plus side to the situation, you think, is how the whole of Company Seven – and, by extension, Asakusa – has taken to waiting on you hand and foot, as the anticipated arrival of your due date draws ever nearer. Every encounter with a villager in Asakusa prompts questions about the baby: his due date, his name, his sex.
You've long since been taken off your firefighting duties in Company Seven, and made to relax. The only work you can actually do is paperwork; not that there's much of that around. Beni's workload hasn't lessened in the least as he puts Infernals to rest almost every day, but actually makes an effort to be more attentive to your whims. He's determined to make sure that you're comfortable and resting upon a mound of pillows, rather than out wandering the town. The baby has developed a craving for sweets, and your every meal is accompanied by a small portion. Beni is almost constantly by your side, kissing you hello and kissing you goodbye again if he has to leave, and you find yourself indulging in his affection.
You're startled out of your light and intermittent dozing by the sound of a loud clanging erupting from the town center. The room is empty, and painfully devoid of Beni's presence. You wheeze, choking on your breath – the sound of the bell signals the presence of an Infernal, and you can already hear the boisterous cries and shouts for the festival to begin.
You can't stay here, not while Beni is out there. The desire to do something, anything, is strong, and it launches you out of the futon. Your movements are too quick and too hasty for the bulk of your frame, and you stumble, your feet tangling up in the sheets, falling to the floor on your hands and knees.
"Ow," You hiss on a pull of pain, glancing at the sliding doors and hoping that no one has heard you. Konro, you know, has a penchant for hovering, and the twins cannot be relied on to keep secrets.
You stay bent over on all fours, focusing on the breath entering and leaving your lungs as your heart rate returns to normal. Slowly, you push yourself to your feet, keeping a bracing hand on the curve of your belly. You push open the noren, and leave the cool interior of the house into the warmth of summer.
The atmosphere in Asakusa is celebratory, shouts and cheers echoing into the bright afternoon, which can only mean that the Infernal is gone. Fireworks are lit, fingers of brilliance stretching into the endless arc of the sky. Drummers create fierce rhythms, beating furiously on taiko drums. The sun is hot and unreal, the world a raucous cacophony of unbearable color and sound. The baby seems to like the noise, if his frequent kicking is anything to go by.
"Alright you guys! Let's get to fixing this place!" Beni shouts, his words undulating. The crowd responds with enthusiastic cries of their own, drunk now upon the atmosphere. "Those left homeless by the mourning will move into the Guardhouse! We'll take care of you before we complete the restoration!"
"Daddy's busy," You say, inhaling sharply on a particularly hard kick. "But let's go and see if we can help, okay?"
Another well-placed kick, delivered to your ribs this time. You take that as a yes – albeit a painful one – and retrieve the first-aid kit from the chest of drawers, where it sits collecting dust. A box is scrounged up for you to sit on, and you maneuver your bulk into it with a pained groan, calling for the wounded to come to you for treatment. The baby keeps up a constant stream of kicking all the while. There are the usual burns and scrapes from falling debris, but those are easily treated with creams and gauze. Thankfully there are no life-threatening injuries, especially since you're unable to use your ignition ability.
