this quiet little life / mynameisv

[arasakadogs]

(oda did not tell v when he planned to contact hanako. it is not for the sake of secrecy but he knows v by now and their situation and her pregnancy seem to only amplify her anxieties. if she knew when she would worry. he elects an early morning before v stirs to retreat to the study and make a very difficult phone call. oda bothers not with encryption; hanako already is well aware of his location.

she sounds surprised to hear his voice.

oda asks pointed questions, ones he has rehearsed for weeks. she answers some. others are met with telling silence. they talk. he is compelled to believe her, if cautiously. when the call ends a half hour later he cannot discern if he feels better or worse.

he pauses by the nursery on the way back to the shared bedroom. it would not be long now, just over three months left. it terrifies him more than any foe.)

Good morning, (oda mutters once he slides back into bed beside v, kissing her temple and fully expecting her to grump and bat him away.)

Comments

[arasakadogs]

Should I take offense to that? (oda chuckles before taking a bite of her offering.)

I think if it were anyone else...or if you were not carrying our child I would not be so doting.

[mynameisv]

[V mock scoffs and finishes the strawberry, lifting her cup of tea and taking a sip.]

So I wouldn't be treated like a queen if I weren't knocked up? [She laughs.] Well, I guess we'll have to have a big family.

[arasakadogs]

I would still treat you "like a queen", but I would certainly give you more pushback. (he teases, plucking another strawberry and bringing it just shy of offering it to v...before leaning in and stealing a bite for himself.)

Could you imagine it? More than one?

[mynameisv]

You're gonna make me too soft. [She laughs, moving for the strawberry and then scoffing again as he steals it. She sneaks a kiss to his cheek, though.]

Honestly, no. I never imagined myself with one, let alone more. Me. A mom. Oof.

[arasakadogs]

After the baby comes you can have your implants again...and we will not have to gamble with another blessed accident. (he notes, letting her actually take a bite.)

If that is your wish, of course.

[mynameisv]

[V chuckles. The birth control implant? A definitely. The rest... Is it weird that she's gotten used to living life...organic? She spent so much time being fitted with as much as she could that actually experiencing what her body can do is almost an entire new world.]

Maybe. Maybe some things.

[arasakadogs]

Just some things? (he questions, curious. oda remembers how v had felt when she realized all her implants were gone---something they still know little about---and when learning she was pregnant and would have to wait.)

[mynameisv]

Maybe. I mean... [She takes another sip, thinking, her gaze going inward. The thoughts are fairly deep, and she's unsure of what to share, what actually makes sense.] My body's pretty incredible on its own. Not a joke. I mean... baby. [She gently pokes her abdomen.]

[arasakadogs]

(oda listens quietly even as v searches for her words.)

I cannot presume to know how it feels but I do agree...you are incredible.

[mynameisv]

[V knew he would say something like that. Still, she blushes, sipping more of her tea, enjoying the spice of the tea and the heat, the slight sweetness. She watches him, her eyes warm.]

Flattery. But... If I don't have to fight, why would I need the mods, you know? Plus... I don't know how much it would risk.

[arasakadogs]

You make a fair point. And you could always change your mind later. (he smiles, the way she is looking at him making his heart skip a beat.)

Having a translator back at the very least...plus the contraceptive.

[mynameisv]

Hey-- [she points at him with a soft smirk.] I'm making an organic being here. I can't learn a language and do that at the same time. I have been trying, though, neh?

[arasakadogs]

You have, (oda concedes, hands raised.) And it is very different from English. You do well.

[mynameisv]

Arigatou, Dayu-kun. [V wrinkles her nose and leans in for another kiss, her tea almost gone and the babe finally sleeping well.]

[mynameisv]

Still. Easier with a translation device. And I won't embarrass you with my terrible pronunciation. [She smooths her hand over her bump, rubbing it idly.] The babe will definitely learn naturally first. Makes more sense, given... [She gestures at herself.]

[arasakadogs]

We will teach both, (he settles his hand over hers. it is getting so close now...)

More tea?

[mynameisv]

Mnm. I'm aces. [She's thinking, her hand brushing over her belly, pursing her lips and considering everything that's happened. Names are something she's thought of a lot. She wants to name the baby something to honor her friends, the ones who died to make all of this even possible.]

So. Johnny or Jackie. What do you think?

[arasakadogs]

(she had brought up the names before, but he had not been thrilled about such western names but oda does not want to outright veto them.)

じょん? (jonii. similar just also part of him too.) What do you think of that?

[mynameisv]

[V's insistent. She's stubborn. Bull-headed. She also knows she wants to pay tribute to the people who got her where she is.

Her eyes light and a slow grin spreads on her lips.] じょん. Yeah. Yeah, I love it.

[arasakadogs]

(it could have easily become a discussion rife with contention but oda's compromise seems to be well-received. v's smile and the way she seems to light up makes him quite happy.)

You do?

[mynameisv]

Yeah. I mean. [She laughs.] You did help make the baby, so... makes sense they should have a name that's a good mix of Night City and Japan. That's us.

[arasakadogs]

(he really cannot resist kissing her again. oda rests his hand again on v's belly and smiles.)

Then it is agreed. Hello, little Jonii.