-by: the Yarnspinner- the_yarnspinner@yahoo.com http://strands-of-moonlight.my3gb.com -or- http://strands-of-moonlight.6te.net A Sekkushiaru Roman featuring characters from the anime "Sailor Moon" > Chapter 67 - Planning and Preparation < Mamoru, Usagi, and Ikuko entered the baby superstore. All three looked around in a bit of wonder. "There were no stores like this around when I had you, Usagi," Ikuko said. "But I'm told they offer just about everything you could need." "But the baby isn't due until sometime next summer, Mom," Usagi said. "You can't start too soon, honey," Ikuko said. "It takes time to decide how you want to decorate your baby's room, and when you get into the eighth and ninth months, you're not going to want to be on your feet for an extended period of time walking around stores." Usagi nodded, knowing this was an area where she had to rely on her mother's experience. "Besides, I know your grandparents will want to buy baby gifts for you," Ikuko said. "And your friends might enjoy throwing you a baby shower." "A baby shower?" Usagi asked. "Yes. They each buy you a gift that you or the baby will need. It's often done with games. It can be quite fun," Ikuko said. "Smaller items, like clothes, bath sets, bottles, and things like that are good ideas for shower gifts." She led them to the back of the store, where an overhead sign said furniture was located. "These might be too much for your friends to afford, unless they all chipped in for one item." "And furniture is heavier," Mamoru added. "It should probably be assembled or ordered well in advance." "Yes. That's right," Ikuko agreed. "Now, Mamoru, is there anything from your family that you would want to use? A cradle, or baby chair, perhaps?" Mamoru shook his head. "No, Ikuko-san. My grandfather's old house has been closed up for years. If anything like that was still left, I'm sure it would need too much work to be practical." Ikuko nodded in understanding. "OK. Then you just need to consider how you want to decorate the room, and choose items that fit that," she said. "Of course, you can get higher end furniture than what they have here if you want... and if you prefer to go with more traditional Japanese styles, you will probably have to go to a specialty store. I found I liked the convenience of this style, and most of what they have here looks pretty good." She shook the side of a crib, then tested the drop mechanism. "And here everything is out where you can look at it and see how it works." "What's the difference?" Usagi asked. "Isn't a crib just a crib?" "Not quite," Ikuko said, shaking her head. She gestured to one. "That one has built-in drawers at one end. Others can convert to a toddler bed as the baby gets bigger. That can be nice since you can use it longer." She reached for the side of the one she had first tested. "There are also differences in how the sides are lowered. On this one, the side unlatches by pushing the bottom of it with your knee. That is nice for when you have the baby in your arms, because you only need one hand to raise or lower it." She turned to another one. "For this one, you lift the side rail up, pull it toward you and then it should lower." Ikuko tried it with one hand, but it did not release. "You can't be sure it would release if you had your hands full... and if it is tricky to unlatch, it might not latch fully either." She looked around, then stepped over to a third crib. "This one is probably the most secure in terms of the side rail staying locked in place, but it has two pull-tabs, one on each side, that you have to use to unlatch it." She demonstrated. "I know that never would have worked for me with either you or Shingo." Usagi tried it herself, finding it quite awkward. "Yes. I see what you mean," she said. Mamoru tried the knee-release crib. "It is convenient, but it feels loose." He slid the gate up and down a few times. "I think it just wasn't tightened enough when it was assembled." Usagi looked around. "On some of these, both sides will lower, but for most, only one side does." "That's true," Ikuko said. "It depends on where you plan to put the crib. If you will have it in the center of the room, you might want both sides to lower, but if you will have it with one side against a wall, you only need one side to lower." "I guess that does make sense," Usagi admitted. She turned, looking at one of the dressers. A pad was fastened to it. "What is this pad?" "That's for changing the baby," Ikuko explained. "It's soft for setting the baby on it, and the outer layer is waterproof." Usagi looked up in surprise, realizing what her mother was saying. Ikuko lifted the pad. "But it comes off, both so you can clean it, and so you can discard it after you no longer need a changing table." "Very convenient," Mamoru agreed. Usagi walked past several more dressers and cribs to several long rows of chairs and ottomans. She pushed gently on one of the chairs, finding it was a glider rocker. "Are these all rocking chairs?" she asked, testing another. "I would think so," Ikuko said. "You're going to find it your favorite piece of furniture in the last few months, and once you've had the baby." Usagi looked at her mother doubtfully. "A rocking chair?" Ikuko nodded. "Sit down and put your feet up, honey," she said, pulling an ottoman out to a comfortable distance. Usagi sat down, slipped off her shoes, then put her feet up on the ottoman, which also had a gliding rocker mechanism. "Not bad," she conceded. "Now, imagine that you're at the end of your eighth month, your back hurts because you feel like you have a bowling ball strapped to your abdomen, your legs hurt, and your feet are swollen," Ikuko said quietly. Usagi grimaced as she looked up at her mother. Ikuko softly patted Usagi's shoulder. "I told you it's not all fun and games," she said. "By that point you will be happy for every chance you get to put your feet up. It can also be a nice place for a nap, especially since you may have difficulty sometimes sleeping lying down." She saw Usagi's questioning expression and nodded. "Yes. And I used to nap in a rocking chair quite a bit." Mamoru crouched next to Usagi. "Then we definitely want to find one that is comfortable for you, Usako. I think some of these models not only glide, but also recline." "Really?" Ikuko asked. "That is even better. You can adjust the back somewhat for increased comfort." She turned and indicated the next chair, which had pockets suspended from the armrest cover. "You will definitely want one with pockets like these. After the baby is born, you will probably want to feed him or her in your rocker. Since the baby should quickly go to sleep, the pockets give you a good place to keep a bottle, an extra burp cloth and blanket, telephone... things like that." "You make it sound like I'll be taking up residence," Usagi said. Ikuko smiled. "Well, if the baby has just gone to sleep on your chest or is being fed, you aren't going to want to move." Usagi nodded and sighed, standing up. She moved to another chair and sat down. Finding a lever on the side, she adjusted it, with the back of the chair promptly lowering partially. "Oooohhh, this is nice," she said, putting her feet up. "I could get used to this." Mamoru smiled, glancing over at Ikuko. "I guess we'll be buying a reclining model," he said. Ikuko nodded. "But there's still more," she said, gesturing to another section. "You will also want a bassinet." Usagi raised the back of the chair, then stood up. "I thought we were going to get a crib." "A bassinet isn't a replacement for a crib, honey," Ikuko said. "It has the advantage of being portable. You can put the baby down for a nap wherever you want, close enough that you can still see. Also, for the first several months, you will probably want to keep the baby next to your own bed at night, especially if you're recovering from a caesarian section and can't move that well." "That does make sense," Mamoru acknowledged as they walked. A number of bassinets were on display. "Some of these will rock if you flip the wheels up," Ikuko explained. She indicated one in particular. "And this one has a removable mesh cover, which is recommended for families with cats, to keep the cat from jumping into the bassinet." Usagi glanced at Mamoru. "Ah, I really don't think we need to worry about that with Luna, Mom," she said. "Well... that has to be your decision," Ikuko said. She then gestured to the end of that aisle. "Down here are diaper bags. In addition to extra diapers and a changing pad, it's a good idea to carry a change of clothes, a packet of wipes, and perhaps a baby bottle. A baby can't go as long as you can without food and changing. A good diaper bag lets you carry the necessary supplies with you." Usagi spotted a pink bag with white bunnies on it. "Oh, how cute!" she exclaimed with a giggle, picking it up. Mamoru smiled at her enthusiasm. Ikuko paused at Usagi's behavior, which seemed very much to display how young she still was, but then recalled that, even without mood swings, she had been very excited doing her own early baby shopping. Behind them, she noticed two young women, apparently in their mid-twenties, who seemed to be just as excited about their own shopping expedition as Usagi was about hers. "Uhm... Usagi, you and Mamoru might want to consider one a bit more... plain," she said. "Afterall, he will have to carry it, too." Usagi glanced back at Mamoru. "Oh... I guess I see what you mean," she said. "Maybe we can choose one when we decide how we'll decorate the baby's room," Mamoru suggested. "That sounds like a good idea," Ikuko agreed. They continued on to the next aisle, where carriers and car-seats were on display. "There are so many," Usagi said. Mamoru looked at several labels. "It looks like there are different models based on the size of the baby," he said. "That's right," Ikuko confirmed. "A larger baby can sit upright, but a newborn should be in a reclining position." Mamoru picked up a carrier. "This one has a detachable base." Ikuko nodded. "The base can be secured in the back seat of your car and left there. The baby carrier can be detached so that you can take the baby with you." She indicated a large switch on the base. "Some cars now have latching hooks for fastening car-seats with special straps," Mamoru said, setting the carrier back down. "Mine isn't one of them." Usagi looked over at him. "Does that mean we can't put a car-seat in your car, Mamo-chan?" Mamoru shook his head. "No. All car-seats can still be secured with the seatbelt," he said. "But I was also thinking that my car doesn't really have that accessible a back seat, especially for having a baby back there. So... we'll probably want to think about getting something new, perhaps after New Years, when I have full control of my trust." "But I like that car, Mamo-chan," Usagi said. "So do I, Usako," he said. "It's fine for a couple, but not that practical for a baby." Usagi sighed and nodded as they walked along the aisle. Turning a corner they came to the back corner of the store where formula and baby food was on display. Usagi looked at the various cans of formula in confusion. "There's so many," she said. "What's the difference?" "Mostly they are just different brands," Ikuko said. "Some are already mixed, while others are powdered. The powdered ones are usually less expensive, and easier to store." Usagi nodded. "That makes sense." "The major difference in formula is that some are milk-based and others are soy-based," Ikuko explained. "Is one better than the other?" Usagi asked. "Not necessarily better," Ikuko said. "But milk is harder to digest. You never had any problem with it, but Shingo had quite a serious reaction to it. I switched him to soy formula, and the problems cleared right up." "How do you tell if the baby will have a problem?" Usagi asked. "I don't know if they have a way to test for it now," Ikuko said. "They didn't when I had you and Shingo. You might ask your doctor about it... and isn't Ami-chan's mother a pediatrician?" Usagi nodded. "She would probably know about this sort of thing," Ikuko said. "But if you're concerned about it, the safe thing would be to just put the baby on soy formula from the start. After a few months, the baby's digestive system should have developed enough to be able to handle dairy products." "But some people always have problems with milk," Mamoru pointed out. "That's true," Ikuko acknowledged. "And if the baby continues to have problems with milk, you should let your pediatrician know." Usagi came to a shelf of packages, each containing six small glass bottles. She leaned closer. "These are single serving bottles of formula," she said, surprised. "Really? That is a really good idea," Ikuko said. She picked up one of the packages, seeing it also came with two twist-on nipple caps. "Yes. This is really good. You keep one or two of these in your diaper bag, then when you need to feed the baby, you remove the top, replace it with this nipple cap, and you are all set." "Why couldn't we just use these?" Usagi asked. "Well, the powdered formula is still less expensive," Ikuko said. "You also have more control of portion size, and it's easier to heat. The powdered formula you just mix with hot water from your thermal pot. The bottles you have to heat on the stove top since they have metal tops and can't go in the microwave." Usagi nodded in understanding. They walked back toward the front of the store, passing through the clothing section. Mamoru stopped, picking up a pink dress with a bunny image on it. "Usako. A nice dress for going to visit grandma," he said with a grin. Usagi grinned and giggled. "Very cute, Mamo-chan." Ikuko smiled as well. "Uhm, you don't know the baby's gender yet, do you?" Usagi looked over at her mother. "Ah... no. Not yet," she said, knowing she couldn't explain their expectation that it was most likely to be a girl. "But I know we can't choose clothes or the room design until we know." Ikuko nodded in agreement. Mamoru glanced around as they headed back toward the door. "Ikuko-san, is there anything else we need to be considering early on here?" Ikuko thought for a moment. "Well, when you decide on the room decoration, you will want to look for bed linens that go with it. At some point, you will also want to think about a carriage or a stroller. Then there are all the small things, bottles, cleaning racks, brushes, bath supplies, a diaper bin, baby toys, things like that." At the front of the store, she stopped to pick up a registry book and a baby shower booklet. "These should give you some ideas, and registering here is a good way for your friends and your grandparents to get you gifts, since they can call the store and ask for your registry." She handed the books to Mamoru. "It also says they can order from a registry list online," Mamoru said, reading the back of the book. "And your friends may not know what to buy for you," Ikuko said. "So having a list of items to give them will be helpful." They walked past the registers and out through the door. "Thanks, Mom," Usagi said, giving her a hug. "Thanks for all the help." "It's my pleasure, honey," Ikuko said. Yamashita, the political editor of The Rising Sun weekly, entered a small bar down the street from the magazine's offices. He knew the place well from his own days as a reporter. In a back corner, he spotted Genda and Nagata. He moved toward them and took a seat. "Thanks for coming," Nagata said quietly. "What's going on?" Yamashita asked. "Why are we meeting here?" "Because we have stumbled across some information that the privacy laws say we can't have," Genda said. Yamashita raised an eyebrow. "You need to know what we're doing," Nagata added. "But we also have to be able to keep the magazine out of this." "What have you found?" Yamashita asked. Nagata set a folder on the table. "We found out what Hino Tadamichi was doing at that Catholic school." "His daughter attends there?" Yamashita asked. Nagata and Genda glanced at each other in surprise. "It just seems logical," Yamashita said. "But how does that put us afoul of the privacy laws?" "We have her name," Nagata said. "And even though she is still underage, we are certain she is not living with her grandfather at the present." Yamashita took a breath. "Well... under the circumstances, I wouldn't blame the grandfather for wanting to shield the girl from this mess. That's the whole purpose of the privacy laws." "Right," Genda agreed. "Do you know where Hino's daughter is staying?" Yamashita asked. "No," Nagata said. "Don't try to protect me on this one," Yamashita said sternly. "I need to know exactly how much you have." "We got her name from a birth record that published the girl's name," Genda said. "I happen to know a person who is a part-time secretary at the school. She gave me a copy of last year's first year Junior High class roster, which gave us her address." "Does anybody else have this?" Yamashita asked, leaning forward. Genda shook his head. "No. This woman thought she was doing me a favor. I guess she imagined she was contributing to the story," he said. "I warned her that she was violating the privacy laws, and could lose her own job, and endanger our positions as well. I'm confident she understands the implications of this." Yamashita closed his eyes and rubbed a hand across his mouth. "You haven't brought any of this into the office, have you?" "No, of course not," Nagata said. "Well, that's good," Yamashita sighed. "The prosecutors are still sniffing around for information on Hino. If they pick up even the slightest hint of this, we're all out on the street. You understand that?" Nagata nodded. "Of course we do." "Have you put this on your personal computers?" Yamashita asked, scrutinizing them closely. "No," Genda said. "I have a hard copy of the roster in this file." "That confirmed that Hino's daughter is a student there," Nagata said. "We found out she is not living at home by watching the Hickawa Temple. The grandfather, who is the priest there, appears quite eccentric, but that is probably just an act because he was very careful not to give us any solid information." "What did you ask the priest about?" Yamashita demanded. "Not his granddaughter I hope." "Certainly not," Genda said. "If you did, that would end it all," Yamashita said with a scowl. "We only asked about his late daughter, if he had had any recent contact with Hino, and if he could offer any insight on Hino's breakdown," Nagata said. "The only definite information he shared was that his daughter was 'with her ancestors', as he put it. The rest of it, I think, was a bunch of tidbits on the history of that shrine, and of the Shinto tenets for sound living. He spoke in a very jumbled and archaic dialect, so I couldn't be entirely sure." "Yes," Genda agreed. "I said afterward he sounded like Yoda from the 'Star Wars' movies." "And we didn't say even a word about his granddaughter," Nagata said again. Yamashita paused, considering. "Destroy your information on this," he said. "Do it today. As soon as possible. So far the prosecutors have been satisfied with the files in your office and what you have in the computer system, but that could change at any moment. Make sure there is nothing in your private files on the Hino story that doesn't match with what you've filed with the magazine. You have to do it before the prosecutors request your private files." The two reporters exchanged a glance and nodded. "We'll take care of it," Genda said. "Make sure you do," Yamashita said. "And it's good you asked me to meet you here. If Tsukino-san should happen to ask about this, you've never had this information." "Check," Nagata confirmed. Yamashita rose to his feet. "I'm sure I will see you at the office," he said. Mamoru and Usagi entered their apartment. "Would you like some tea?" Usagi asked, as she slipped off her shoes. "No, thanks," he said. She nodded, then walked into the kitchen. Taking down her tea pot, she put a scoop of tea leaves into the metal strainer inside the top, then moved the pot under the spout of her thermal pot. She pushed the button on the thermal pot, which pumped out hot water from its reservoir. A standard appliance in Japanese kitchens, the thermal pot was electric, and had a reservoir of water that it kept heated to a preset temperature, providing hot water on demand. Usagi and Mamoru's had a three-liter reservoir, and if they didn't have classes, she usually left it on all day. With the tea pot filled to the correct level, Usagi set it aside to steep. She then checked the reservoir on the thermal pot, adding more water to it. Taking down a cup, she poured herself some tea, pausing to breath in the aroma before taking a sip. She hadn't been much into tea before, but was now finding she liked it, and green tea did have the added advantage of helping to settle her stomach during the occasional periods of queasiness she still experienced. "Are you feeling alright, Usako?" Mamoru asked as she emerged from the kitchen. She nodded. "My stomach is just a bit upset," she said. "I've been trying not to use the crystal as much... Only to offset the more significant symptoms." "I understand," he said, caressing her back softly. "I kind of suspected you were getting a bit tired before we left the baby store." "Yes," she said quietly. "A bit. And I was feeling the chill in the air today." "Would you like a warm bath?" he asked. "That would be nice," she agreed. He steered her toward their bedroom. "I already have the water running," he said. She took another sip of her tea, then set the cup down. Pulling off the sweater she was wearing, she set it down on the bed. He quickly helped her unbutton her dress and slip it off, then unfastened her bra. His hand gently caressed her breast. "I think you're enjoying yourself," she said. He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Why shouldn't I? You are absolutely the most beautiful woman." She turned and kissed his lips. "And you are the most handsome and most wonderful man," she sighed. "And all yours," he added. She grinned. "That's the part I like best, Mamo-chan." "So do I, Usako." Mamoru stepped into the bathtub and helped Usagi in after him. Together, they settled down into the water. She sighed happily at the feel of the warm water swirling around her and his arms enfolding her. "You make me so happy, Mamo-chan." He smiled, enjoying the feel of her naked body against his own. "That's part of a husband's job, Usako," he said softly. She nodded, grinning. "And a wife should make her husband happy." "You most certainly do," he said. "I'm glad, Mamo-chan," she said. "I just wish we could make it official." "I know," he said. "So do I." He ran a hand down over the gentle swell of her abdomen. "I love you, Usako." "I love you," she sighed. He began softly caressing her breast, rubbing her nipple with his fingertip, and brushed his lips along her earlobe. "Oh, Mamo-chan," she sighed. She gently rubbed her body against his own, feeling his penis swelling. Her insides grew warm with arousal. She took a breath, trying to decide if she really felt up to this. Slowly, she raised herself up. "Usako?" She felt his penis, moving herself over it. Rubbing his tip along her nether lips, she heard him groan softly. "Usako? Are you sure...?" His question was silenced as she pushed down, taking his shaft deep within her warm, snug embrace. "Oooohhhh," he sighed. She grinned, even as she reveled in the wonderful sensation of his bulging manhood filling her up. "Oh, Mamo-chan," she whispered. "So nice." His hands were already firmly grasping both her breasts, adding to the pleasure radiating from inside her. Slowly, she began to lift herself up while tightening her inner muscles around his shaft. She groaned softly in delight. "Usako," he sighed, stroking her nipples with his fingertips. The tight grip of her inner muscles was driving him crazy, trying his reserves of control to hold himself in check. Their link was already deepening, matching their physical intimacy, and he let feelings of purest love drift through to her. She could sense his love, and his struggle to maintain control. Being with him was just where she was meant to be, and she let her love for him flow back through their link in response. She was happier now than she ever had been before. He kissed the side of her neck as she raised herself up again, and he pressed his fingers into her nipples. She thrust back down and he groaned as her inner muscles tightly stroked his manhood. As her pace increased, he slid a hand down over her abdomen to rub the top of her opening. She gasped as his fingers pressed against her hyper-sensitive jewel while she thrust up and down on his shaft. Shifting position as she moved, she felt herself soaring ever higher, until finally she soared to climax, being swept away on a wave of raw pleasure. "OOOOOHHHHHH, YES!!" she cried out. He focused his concentration to hold himself in check while her inner muscles were pulling strongly on his manhood. She turned her head and he caught sight of the crescent moon glowing brightly on her forehead. "So beautiful, my princess," he whispered. "You are the most wonderful man, my prince," she sighed, resuming her motions astride him. He smiled. "I want nothing more than to make my beautiful princess happy," he said, cupping her breast in one hand and rubbing the other hand over her pubic mound. "Oh, yes," she sighed. "You make me sooooo happy... and I love you sooooo much." "I love you," he said, leaning forward to kiss the side of her neck. She braced herself, thrusting up and down faster and harder. Raw fire course through her as she moved, the exquisite sensation of his penis within her driving her steadily toward another magnificent peak. His hands continued to caress her, only adding to her pleasure. She gasped for breath, still in awe of the incredible beauty in joining themselves this way, giving physical expression to the love they shared. Their link was growing still deeper, and she could feel his complete agreement. They fit together so perfectly, and not just in a physical sense. He kissed her again, sensing them both fast approaching their peak. Her motions were now becoming a bit frantic. He thrust up to meet her next motion, sending her over the edge. As her cry of pleasure rang in his ears and in his mind, he was swept away in climax himself. He groaned softly as he poured himself into her. "Oh, Mamo-chan," she sighed blissfully, leaning back against him. He wrapped his arms around the base of her ribs, suffused in a satisfied pleasure. Usagi reclined on the couch, wearing a bathrobe. A fresh cup of tea sat on the table next to her. She closed her eyes and the ginzuishou appeared, floating just above her chest, bathing her in its pink-tinged silver glow. As the crystal's energy swept over her, she let her senses expand. Quickly, she saw the seeming chaos of swirling, discordant energy patterns that was the city. With some concentration, she was able to screen most of this out, sensing the tremendous natural magic that existed where the city was located. All of this appeared to be as it was supposed to be. She felt a sense of joy and relief to know that everything was still quiet. Hopefully it would remain that way now that the Dark Kingdom had been destroyed. She wanted to devote her attention now to being a wife and mother, but if any new menace dared to threaten the peaceful future she wanted for her family, it would have to face a very angry senshi and princess. Mamoru sat down next to her. "Is everything alright?" he asked. She nodded. "I'm not finding anything unusual." "That's good to hear," he acknowledged. "I've heard from Atana. He has looked at a number of artifacts that Luna and Artemis have recovered recently. There is only one that he considers to be any sort of a danger, and he plans to hand that one over to Geoff since his ability should neutralize it." "That makes sense," she said. "And there was a message on the machine from Ami-chan," he said. "She says she wants to have a group meeting in the next few days. Apparently she had discovered something, but she wouldn't talk about it over the phone." Usagi let her awareness again become more localized. Glancing over at Mamoru, she noticed an energy pattern she couldn't recall seeing before. As she focused on it, she found an identical pattern throughout herself. It appeared to be energy from the ginzuishou, but wasn't responding to her current use of the crystal. He saw her puzzled expression. "What is it, Usako?" "I'm not sure," she said quietly. "I'm sensing a strange energy pattern in each of us. I think it has come from the ginzuishou." "Well, that doesn't seem too surprising," he said. "We've combined energies quite a few times, you know." "I know," she replied. "But this seems to have become a very stable, steady pattern. It doesn't react to me using the crystal right now." She closed her eyes and focused her mind, working to bring out the memories of Princess Serenity. "I can't even recall anything like it from the Silver Millennium," she said. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "This sounds like something that would be more of Atana's specialty," he said. "Serenity and Endymion certainly knew more about magic than you and I do, but neither was trained as a wizard." She nodded, slowly opening her eyes as her perceptions returned to normal. "I guess that means we'll have several things to discuss at our meeting." * * * * * * * * * * * * NOTE: More to come. Hopeless Romantic and I now have a message group to notify our readers when we post new stories/chapters. Those who are interested can sign up at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/strands_of_moonlight/ . Always remember, good gentles, that a yarnspinner works from and within existing legends and stories. The characters of "Sailor Moon" belong to others. In spinning my yarns, I do not seek to infringe on their rights of ownership, but merely to join with other fans to spread the legend still further. "The moonlight carries a message of love." Enjoy. -10.22.2004 |