Becoming Monsters Chapter 55: Birth Day Party
The pause that followed was...pregnant.
"How much time do we have?" Shilo asked, her usual playful mien replaced with the somber professionalism used to dealing with medical emergencies.
"Minutes." Honoka had never seen her uncle this worried, his face in her memory always so sure and calm. Without preamble, he strode to Padmava as he pulled out one of those arm pumps doctors tested blood pressure with. "Padmava, I remember from your medical history you had preeclampsia from a previous pregnancy. I was planning on running more tests for everyone next week, but I have to test you now to see if..."
"I'm fine, Honoka already took care of it." The rest of the women in the room looked like deer in headlights, Padmava was a sea of calm, taking long and deep breaths. "Girls, try and match my breathing rhythm. You'll thank me later."
"I thought we had more time," Honoka muttered, returning to herself as she finished allocating Abra's parts back. "You told us we would have years."
Akisame stopped and turned, hearing the worry and anxiety so very common in his niece. "You're about to become a mother, Hono-chan." Akisame put his hands on Honoka's shoulders, staring deep into cobalt blue eyes. "This is happening now and I can't do it alone. Will you help me?"
"I..." Honoka threatened to hyperventilate, fighting to match the pace Padmava led the other wives in. However, she was tired of being afraid. Straightening her back, she womaned up and set her jaw. "What do we need to do?"
"Believe it or not, outside of the warehouse I converted into a Racial birthing theater, there isn't a better place to have a baby than inside a dungeon. Dungeon's eat everything, including bacteria and parasites. The number one risk from a home birth is gone down here. All we have to worry about now is unexpected complications, Racial complications and pain management. Childbirth is much less dangerous since Status came into the world." Pointing to the large door leading into Padmava's bedroom, the Japanese doctor ran in the opposite direction, his wife and nurse following him. "I'll gather my equipment. You need to get them into the bath while they can still move under their own power. Remember, Legendary births are not normal, forget most of what you think is about to happen."
Easier said than done,
Honoka thought, sweeping the room with her eyes to assess options. Five pregnant women, five non-pregnant woman: the math should have been simple, yet it wasn't. Seven of those women were adjusting to Harmony changes, four of
those
to new Races. Three of the preggos were large enough to require cranes to move them if they couldn't move themselves, one now weighing over ten tons (9072 kg)!
Gwyneth put an ossified hand on Honoka's shoulder, the coldness of her bones giving Honoka goosebumps. "You're overthinking it." Walking forward, the Lich took on an imperial note to her voice. "Ladies, you are all about to be in a lot of pain. Hot water is going to help with that
and
it will speed up the entire process. So unless you want to be out here in more pain for longer, pick yourselves up and march."
It worked. Five women picked themselves slowly up and started their wobbling march - well, Banda crawled to keep herself from hitting the ceiling, two other girls helping Eve. Honoka flushed and fiddled with the temperature controls of the large bath to hide her face. She did tend to overthink. The former architect thought in terms of Rube Goldberg instead of William Occam, and Honoka's hesitation gnawed at her. Better to focus on what she could do, which was heat the water. Without safety regulations and the various tolerances Status brought to the world, the water could be set anywhere between twenty to two hundred and fifty degrees. Unsure what to do, a quick DiFi search got her informed enough to set it at ninety-two degrees and then looked around for the next thing to do, pushing away her lingering embarrassment.
"I know I'm supposed ta be nervous an' all, but is anyone else a tad relieved this is happenin' right now?" Quinn lounged in the same position as the other wives took, leaning back against the edge of the tub, splayed out front, stomach rising and falling with deep diaphragmed breaths.
"Amen!" Eve shouted, the last to splash into place as Dolly and Gwyneth heaved her a scootch against the edge. The hobgob gave the massive Banda a quick fist bump, sitting next to her friend.
"Except for Diane, you have all been pregnant for three days," Padmava admonished, half her snake body looping out of the tub to make room for everyone else. "You should deal with this for at least six months before you are allowed to complain."
"Is anyone else feeling...hot?" Dolly asked, standing behind Eve and idly rubbing one of her nipples. "I mean, you're all sexy and naked and I didn't think pregnancy was a kink of mine but...I'll shut up now."
"No, there's something going on here," Diane stated, peering around the room with narrowed eyes. "You're all more horny than normal, especially Dolly and Gwyneth. The only one with normal aura is Eve."
"What?" the lich in question exclaimed, her voice surprised while absent hands ran up and down her ribcage like a xylophone concert. "How am I aroused? I can't be aroused...? Can I?"
"Two plus two equals four," Honoka said from the side of the pool, pulling up her Status and phone DiFi at the same time. "Hobgoblins are common, eldritch types are not. Not a lot on the boards for your new Racial Features, though
Spellz Eatz!
lets Eve literally devour spells, gaining magical bonuses from those spells.
Seez Abyzz
gives her unnatural magical vision to see through mundane or magical effects. No idea what
Thaum Thaum
or
Gobz Needz