Search the Community

(An older story, originally written for Valentine's Day.) ----------------------------------------- Buzz trekked through the dungeon; his wits were as sharp as the claws he sheathed, and twice as tough. The brave Luxray was stalwart, not letting his guard down for a moment. He knew that what awaited him on the final floor would be a treasure of the ages. After an arduous journey, he finally found a stairwell leading down to the next level. Soon his adventure would be over, and Buzz would be rewarded handsomely. He could hardly wait. As he came to the bottom of the stairwell, Buzz immediately realized he was in the lair of his greatest challenge yet. Scenic candles decorated the walls around him. The lights were low, perfectly capturing the atmosphere. There, at the edge of her bedchambers, sat the master of this domain. “BWAHAHAHA!” cackled Queen Venus. The Serperior before him was as wicked as she was beautiful. Her eyes were keenly locked on the daring intruder. “Welcome, intrepid adventurer. I see you have bested my dungeon.” The serpent villainess flicked her tail with a thunderous crack. “But your efforts will be for naught. You have no hope of escaping from here!” The Luxray took a brave stance, sizing up the snake Pokémon. “I beg to differ. Try to mystify me if you must, but I, Buzz the Luxray, will best you in combat and leave this dungeon.” Venus let out another thunderous cackle. “Ha! I see you are as confident as you are cute.” Twin vines sprouted from Venus’s back, her gaze sharpening. “But such lavish words won’t work on me. I am a lady of action. And you…” Within an instant, one of the vines snared around Buzz’s hindlegs. Venus pulled the vine back, quickly confounding the Luxray, sending Buzz falling onto his back. “…You are out of your league, little one!” Buzz cried out in protest. “Curses! You fiend! How could I be defeated so easily?” The queen didn’t answer his question. She instead chose to bat her eyelashes, feeling cocky. “Now you know what happens to those who challenge Queen Venus.” The queen rubbed a vine around the edges of Buzz’s cheeks. “But worry not. I will not let a specimen as dashing as you go to waste. Every story deserves a happy ending, after all. As a reward for being the cutest warrior to brave my dungeon…” From behind, the villain pulled out a package of the most unthinkable, most devilish, the cruelest item imaginable. The cursed items would no doubt be used to seal the adventurer’s fate for all of time. Buzz gasped loudly, dumbfounded by the package before him. “You can’t possibly mean!?” “You, precious adventurer, get to be my baby for all time!” She bellowed, tearing open a fresh package of extra thick diapers. “Prepare for your padded prison!” “Wow,” Buzz thought to himself, Venus is really getting into this. I was worried she was going to freeze up, but it looks like she’s really enjoying herself.” Buzz was laid splayed out, at the mercy of his captor. He brought his paws up in a desperate attempt to shield himself from this wicked villainess. “Noooooo! What a cruel twist of fate! It appears that even an adventurer of my caliber is no match for the majesty of the radiant Queen Venus.” Venus blinked, a blush rising on her cheeks. “I, um…” Her voice squeaked, Buzz’s words pulling her out of character. If she was an evil mastermind, she would have already been swooned by this dashing Pokémon ten times over. “Focus, Venus!” she thought to herself “It’s only part of the game. You know how much Buzz loves to flirt.” Venus shook her head, and she was back to her evil ways, “That’s right. Now you know the fate of those who cross me.” With that, Venus’s vines got to work. One shot out and swiftly coiled around Buzz, keeping him nice and snug. With another, Venus ripped open the package of diapers. She pulled one out, revealing its adorable design. The diaper was white with pink accents around the edges. Spread around the diaper, there were designs of ribbons and lollipops. The size was marvelous. The diaper was big enough to fit a Charizard, let alone a Luxray. His prideful stride would soon be reduced to an adorable waddle. The queen had spared no expense for him. “I hope you’re ready, little one. See this cushy pamper? It’s about to take permanent residence on your hindquarters.” Venus lifted Buzz’s legs, setting them back down directly onto the surface of an open diaper. “That’s right. Lie back, powerless to stop me.” The other vine fished behind the bed, revealing another item, another foul tool of torment. A full shaker of baby powder! “No! You can’t!” The adventurer whined, “Those flowery scents will clash with my heroic aroma.” Buzz put up a struggle—not faking, most certainly using all his might—and try to break free. Venus hugged him tight, not daring to let go of her precious little hero. Buzz soon gave up on his struggle for freedom. There was nothing he could do, except sit back and wait. “The only aroma you’ll have is that of a helpless cub.” The villain knew no mercy. Venus turned the shaker open, and soon the former hero was engulfed in a smokescreen of lavender and chamomile scents. After she had felt he was sufficiently powdered, Venus discarded the shaker, and began to work the vines on the diaper tapes. Buzz’s heartrate was rising, his body hot with anticipation. “No, please! Anything but that. I don’t want to be a baby!” Venus had no time for protests. “It’s too late for that now. I believe, in time, you will learn to love being my precious little one.” There was a pause from the villain, still working on Buzz’s impending diapered fate. “Now accept this—wait, no. Maybe like this…? Dang it.” “…Venus?” “Ugh! Stun seed!” Venus cried out in frustration. “I call stun seed!” Stun seed was the safe word the two had agreed upon. Buzz was surprised to hear Venus say it first, especially when their night was going so well. “Venus, is something the matter?” Venus grumbled, her cheeks puffing up. “It’s these stupid tapes. They won’t stick.” Try as she might, Venus struggled to close the diaper properly. Her lack of experience was showing, as the grip of her vines continued to slide off the slick surface. “Hey, it’s okay.” Buzz held one of Venus’ vines in his paw. “You want me to do this part? I have a lot more experience with this stuff.” Taping a diaper onto oneself was not usually something to boast about, but Buzz felt the need to lighten the mood. Venus shook her head. “That’s not how the story goes. The wicked queen of the dungeon—that’s me—is supposed to trap the cocky explorer—that’s you—in diapers and baby you. But the story doesn’t work if she can’t even put the diaper on.” Buzz tapped his chin, trying to brainstorm a solution. Venus was nothing if not dedicated. She truly cared about not compromising her role. “Well, maybe the explorer diapers himself this time? Maybe the queen orders him to, and he complies out of fear.” Venus paused, updating the story details in her mind. Would that be true for her character? This roleplay needed a rewrite. “I guess,” She huffed, “Sorry. This is our first time together. I just want everything to be perfect.” “This isn’t our first time together.” “You know what I mean. This is our first time doing it,” She waved a vine, gesturing to the room at large. “Like this. The roleplaying, the acting…the diapers. I know how much this means to you.” It was true that this was a departure from their usual date nights. It took a long time for Buzz to open up about his particular taste. Still, there was no one else he would rather share this experience with than Venus. He could never have imagined they would be indulging in this fantasy together. He couldn’t have asked for a better partner. Buzz hopped onto the bed, looking his partner into her eyes. “First of all, you’re what is important to me. Nothing means more to me than your happiness.” “Buzz…” “Secondly, I don’t care if we get things wrong the first time. You have already done an amazing job so far. We have all the time in the world to get it right. I’m not going anywhere.” “Really?” The kind words filled Venus with relief. “Did you like my decorations? The ones in the living room?" “Of course, my darling. The dungeon was an excellent touch. I thought the sticky notes with the skull drawings were very intimidating. I was almost afraid to come downstairs.” Buzz said, smirking. Venus chuckled, “Okay, okay. But can you do something for me first?” “Yes?” “Can we take you off the bed? You’re going to get powder everywhere.” Buzz looked down at the mess he had made. Some of the powder sprinkled onto him had landed on the bedsheets. “I’ll shake this out later.” He answered bashfully. “First time mistakes, and all that, right?” “Hehe. This is why babies should stay in their diapers.” She lifted Buzz up by the armpits, setting him back down on the open diaper. “I know. How about you talk me through it, so I know what to do for next time?” Buzz nodded. He tried his best to inform his girlfriend of the proper technique for taping a diaper. It took a fair bit of trial and error, with the couple having to resort to starting over, using a new diaper. Eventually, with enough coaching and practice, the process was complete. Venus laid Buzz on his back, as he rested over the padding. She sprinkled a liberal amount of baby powder on, before rubbing it in. The tapes were pulled over, one by one, closing the diaper around her boyfriend’s waist. “Done!” Venus exclaimed! “How’s that for a diaper change?” Venus couldn’t help but feel accomplished. She was not going to let something as silly as a diaper ruin their evening. “There we go.” He pawed at the front and inspected his girlfriend’s handiwork. “Nice fit. It’s not loose or too tight. You did very well.” Buzz took a few cursory, waddling steps. He stretched his legs, sat up and down on his padded rear. According to his evaluation, the padding had no chance of coming off prematurely. Their playtime could continue without interruption. For Venus, seeing her boyfriend of so many years taped up in a diaper was a sight to behold. She had plenty of time to mentally prepare for tonight, to absorb the mindset. Venus wanted nothing more than to be supportive of her partner, knowing exactly how much this meant to him. Venus looked down at Buzz, still inspecting her handiwork, and smiled. The way his hindlegs splayed out to the side. The way his gait was spread out. She was happy Buzz decided to confide this secret with her. Because the end result was so unbelievably cute. Diapers or not, Buzz was still her love. To think that he had ended up with her. Her! A lion and a snake! She had found someone to love, in him, and it felt good. Amazing. She had been saving up a lifetime of love and could think of no one better to spend it on. No one but her Buzz. Her dashing, daring, caring Buzz. Handsome, stoic, brave and heroic. What a feeling, to be in love. She knew it was out there for her. She never stopped believing. She had finally found it and could not be happier. “Venus? You still there?” “Ah!” Venus yelped. She shook her head, having let her mind wander in such a dreamy direction. “Sorry, sorry! Ahem.” Venus straightened her posture back up. “I’m ready to return to the scene, if you are, honey.” “Please continue, my queen.” “Gosh, he is such a little smooth talker.” And so, the story continues. The queen sneered at the helpless hero, still wrapped in her vines. “Much better. Now, it’s time to put those claws of yours away. I would not want my precious cub to cut himself by accident.” The queen then unveiled her next item of doom. A set of pastel blue booties, with white paw prints on the bottoms, perfectly sized for the paws of a Luxray. One by one, four booties were pulled down and tied tight. The fallen hero gasped at his new attire. The cushy diaper taped onto his hindquarters. His paws trapped in a covering of fleece and wool. Everything spelled babyish doom for the explorer. The thought made his heart race. Buzz gulped, the scene being almost too much to bear. He had to retain his composure. “Y-you will not get away with this, Queen!” “Oh, but I already have, my mewling little kitten. And I do believe you have lost the right to call me by that title. From this day forth, you shall only refer to me by one name and one name alone. Mama!” Simply hearing Venus say such a thing caused a shudder to wring out through Buzz’s body. Venus’ words cut through his armor faster than any blade ever could. “This is really happening.” The diaper-clad lion Pokémon thought to himself. “I…I will do no such thing!” The queen remained ruthless. “How adorable. My cute little kitty thinks he has a choice in the matter. Do you still not understand? You have lost. This is my domain, and my word is law. If I decide to keep you as my cub, then that is how it shall stay. Understood?” Buzz was quivering in Venus’ grasp. “Please.” Buzz begged through sharp intakes of air. “I want to hear you say it. Call me by that name and seal your fate as my baby. You haven’t a choice. Say. It.” Buzz let out an unsteady purr. His face was drawing up a furrow and a zig-zag lip. He had never felt this way before. Buzz yelled out the first thing that came to mind. “Stun seed!” Venus blinked. “What?” Her demeanor flicked like a switch, returning to her regular self. She loosened the grip of her vines, setting Buzz back to ground level. “Oh. Oh, honey, did I get something wrong? I was only going with the flow.” Buzz shook his head. “No! No, my darling, you were amazing!” Buzz fell to his side. Flush in the face, he took sharp inhales and exhales. “I needed to catch my breath for a moment. It turns out that the real deal is much more intimate than I expected. It is no cause for concern.” Buzz sat up, his demeanor improving. “I must say, you play this role very well.” “Well, you knew I was an actress when you met me.” Venus smiled, feeling faltered. “I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t loving this role.” Buzz nodded. “I can see that. I need to try and keep pace with you. Admittedly, I was fumbling my lines back there. My apologies. I hope this isn’t ruining the night.” “Oh, hon, of course not. All that matters is that we get to have fun together. Really, all I need you to do is be your adorable self.” Venus pressed her tail against Buzz’s diaper, sending off a few crinkly, powdery pats. “And you pass that test with flying colors.” When Buzz finally calmed down, and reflected on the scene, he realized how wonderful tonight truly was. His Venus, whom he loved with all his heart. She had opened her heart to him, given him her everything. There was no struggle, no hardship. Where these things were once commonplace, all dashed away by her. She made the foreign concept a natural reaction. Loving was as easy for her to give as the time of day. Her love was never a luxury, but it was absolutely priceless. “Are you ready, Buzz?” she asked lovingly. “I’m ready, Venus” he answered truthfully. “That’s Mama to you, cutie.” And so, the story continues once more. Queen Venus still had the heroic Buzz in her clutches. Was this truly the fate of our hero? Doomed to be donned in diapers for all eternity? “Say it.” The queen demanded once more. “I will not stand for any disobedience in my domain. Especially not from a hapless cub. Go on now. Call me Mama.” Buzz sighed. “A warrior knows when he is beaten. I concede. You have bested me in combat swiftly and thoroughly. I failed to receive the treasure. You win, Mama.” “Buzz is going to love this” Venus thought to herself, grinning wide. “My, my. It seems that my little one still has much he does not understand. You speak of treasure, yet fail to see the mighty boon before you.” “I beg pardon?” Buzz asked, his voice uncertain. He could feel the heat rising in his chest once more. Venus smiled tenderly. She set her kitten down, only to make her next move easier. She slithered around the lion, before coiling him snugly. Not tightly, as to constrict. Rather, securely, as to hug. “I have bestowed upon you a gift with no price. The gift that countless souls have fought over, and will continue to fight over, for all of time.” “What gift is that, Mama?” The coil of a hug helped him feel less tense. The touch all around him. It gave him a sense of calm and ease he had never known before. “I gift you, my lovely Buzz,” Venus smooched Buzz on the forehead. “The gift of acceptance.” “What?” Buzz was left shocked by the answer. Stunned, in the truest form. He had a hunch about what she meant. What she understood. Yet, that promise sounded too good to be true. “I accept you,” Venus continued. “As my baby, for all of time. I accept the needs that you have. To be loved and cherished and cared for, like the most precious of jewels. I accept the feelings you have. Your fears, your joys, your doubts. Your Mama will always be there to comfort you in those times. And, more than anything, I accept your love. The sweet and innocent love that only a baby can show to his Mama. This is a wonderful treasure. Wouldn’t you agree, Buzz?” Buzz’s eyes became puffy, absorbing the full weight of Venus’ speech. His hunch was right on the money. “But.” His voice began to crack. “I am a warrior. I must be strong. I must fight.” “My baby does not have to do anything he does not want to.” Venus’ answer was quick and resolute. “As long as you are in my care, I shall shelve all your battles for you. I promise. All you need to do is accept me as your Mama, your protector. Your one and only.” “I…I…” The former warrior was driven to tears. All he could do was nod his head in response. The truth was that a lifetime of battle had left him worn and weary. He wanted a better life. An easier life. A life filled with love and compassion. If Venus offered him that, why would he refuse? “There, there, my precious little one. You need not cry. But, if crying is what you want, I will be here to dry those tears.” Venus held her blubbering baby in a tender cradle. She reclined, still holding Buzz, now partially with her vines. Venus’ tools were not those of destruction. They were those of healing, misunderstood. With that in mind, her methods were easy to understand. With her vines, she pulled out the next tool. Sloshing with cool milk, there was no miscommunication. “Would my baby like his bottle now? I know he has worked up an appetite, playing the hero for so long.” “Yes,” Buzz threw his hesitation to the wayside. He had already agreed to his Mama’s demands. There was no reason to falter now. He took the spirit of a warrior he honed over the years and aimed it towards this new path! “Yes, Mama!” He eagerly pawed for the large baby bottle, like a hungry newborn kitten. Mama answered his pleas, guiding the bottle into his mouth. The lair was soon filled with the sounds of cutesy, satisfied suckling. “Adorable. My baby is such a fast learner.” Venus smiled down as she fed Buzz. The lost kitten greedily sucked up the sweet cream like it was the greatest feast in history. Despite its size, the bottle was soon empty, and the former hero was left sucking up milk flavored air. “Ah-ah. No use drinking from an empty bottle.” The motherly snake pulled out the bottle, leaving the overgrown lion cub waiting in anticipation. “Here you go. This is much better than an empty baba. It even comes with a special flavor, just for my little one.” Venus pulled out a suitable replacement for the bottle; a pink pacifier, with the emblem of a berry on the shield. The queen’s kitten eagerly took to the pacifier, and all the sweetness that came with it. “Did you enjoy your baba, my dear?” she asked, idly brushing her baby’s fur. “Yush, Mama!” Buzz uttered between carefree suckles. The sweet flavors of Mago berries filled him with bliss. “Fank you, Mama!” “You are welcome, my precious buzzy bottoms. But there is something else you need to know about your mama.” The mother was not finished with her kitten yet. With her tail, she held a colorful noisemaker, the sight of which filled her child’s heart with glee. “She is also a rattle snake!” A game was played between the two. The queen snake dangled the rattle overhead, shaking it with a musical rhythm. She continued to play, because she loved her cub. She loved sharing this feeling. This warmth buried underneath a cold outer front. The lion cub laid on his back, pawing high up to the rattle just out of his reach. A pacifier in mouth. Cozy booties on his paws. A soft, crinkly diaper on his bottom. The lion felt more safe and secure than ever before. It was pure happiness. The kind of happiness the warrior lion did not have the privilege of knowing during childhood. Eventually the rattle was dropped to his level, the little lion playing with it to his heart’s content. He shook the rattle with his bootie-clad paws. He treated the rattle like it was the most interesting thing in the world, not letting it out of sight. He was like a predator batting around his prey. After some time, Buzz put his playing on pause. His face scrunched up in a look of concern. “I know that face. My little buzzy bottoms needs to go potty, doesn’t he?” Venus interjected, rubbing Buzz on his back. Buzz nodded shyly. “Yush, Mama.” He could feel the twinges in his bladder growing more demanding. He knew the terms of his agreement, yet still hesitated. “What did I say before? I accept you as my baby, all the way. If you use your diapers, believe that I will always be right there to change you. Mama isn’t going anywhere. I promise.” It was all the reassurance Buzz needed. He relaxed his bladder, and the bedroom filled with the sound of soft hissing. Buzz’s diaper warmed at the front, taking on a yellow hue. It was all a natural process. No judgement. No rejection. The large kitten still found himself tearing up. “Shhh. Everything is okay, my dear. You’ve done nothing wrong. Only as a baby should. Now, let Mama change you for naptime.” The next diaper change went over much smoother than the first. The soggy wet padding was discarded with no issue. After Buzz was wiped clean, a new diaper was pulled out to replace the first. Buzz’s bum was lifted and rested. Powder was applied, and tapes were pulled soundly together, leaving Venus satisfied with herself. The change did not end there. For naptime, Venus had prepared a onesie, which perfectly matched her baby’s booties. The cozy garb was pulled over his head, the soft blue onesie buttoned over his thick diaper. Buzz kicked his legs gleefully, happy to have a crisp and fresh diaper. “Well, don’t you look adorable? Are you ready for Mama to tuck you in?” The kitten shook his head. “No. Wanna stay with Mama.” He wrapped himself around part of her long body, holding her tight. Venus looked shocked by the sudden burst of affection. “Oh. You want to cuddle up with me tonight?” Buzz nodded. He held his mama tight, sharing with her his own warmth. “You really are a sweetheart.” Venus wrapped loosely around Buzz, until they were both comfortable. She laid back with Buzz, a tender position she had not shared with anyone else. “No one ever wants to cuddle with a snake. They run in fear and judge me without ever speaking a word to me. Yet, you chose to stay, despite my appearance. Rather, you chose to embrace me, like no other. You treasure me in the same way that I treasure you.” The pair stared into each other’s eyes, sharing this sweet, pure love together. “I love you, Mama Venus.” “And I love you, my sweet baby Buzz.” *** “Hey, settle down. You know I don’t really care about that stuff.” The couple was exiting the station after another successful mission. A troupe of Pokémon had been causing trouble, stealing goods from the market. Buzz and Venus managed to track them down, besting them in battle with ease. After the dust had cleared, and the criminals were apprehended, they had many choice words for the couple. Many of which were directed towards the snake Pokémon. Many of which were very crass in nature. “It bothers me, is all. They had no right to say such horrible things.” When the troupe was brought to the authorities, they were delivered extra chard, still buzzing from tampering with high levels of voltage. “So? Let them talk. I’ve been called every name in the book by now. I don’t need the approval from a couple of goons, anyway. Besides, those thugs are probably just salty that they ended up getting caught, and having their tails whooped.” “I suppose you are right. Sorry for getting so worked up over it, my darling.” “Hehe, you’re fine, honey. I’m always happy to have a big, strong, warrior come to my side.” “You say that like you’re a damsel in distress. Back in the dungeon, you were much crueler to those criminals than I was.” “Those creeps were trying to sneak attack my Buzz! It was like they were asking to get spanked! They can enjoy a set of sore backsides along with their jailtime.” “I knew they were coming either way… Still, I am blessed to have a loving partner watching my back. Especially one as beautiful and strong as you.” He turned, shooting Venus a wink and a smile. “Oh, stop it, you little charmer.” Venus cooed, kissing Buzz on the cheek. “Feeling good today? You’ve been acting much livelier recently.” “I suppose so. I’ve been feeling very relieved as of late. I have you to thank for that. You have changed as well. You’re being spritelier. More yourself.” “Well, what is the use of putting on airs? I don’t need to prove anything to anyone. And, of course, I have the love of my precious buzzy bot—” “Venus. Not right now.” “Aww, c’mon! I was only teasing. You don’t have to give me the scary face. Okay. I get the picture. Not while we are still out and about.” Buzz nodded. “The sun will be setting soon. We still need to run some errands. Pick up groceries. Review our missions for the week. However, if we still have time left after dinner, and we aren’t too tired…” “Playtime?” “If the queen is feeling up to it.” “Oho ho! But of course! The queen always has time to play with her favorite hero.” “Wonderful. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for him tonight.” The couple continued their day. They did their work. They enjoyed the time spent together. They were courteous to all they had met. However, when night fell, a familiar tale would play out in their home. A tale of a hero searching for treasure. A tale of a queen with a wonderful bounty. A tale of healing the wounds that life had scarred them with. A tale of love. A tale of acceptance. A tale of uncoiled affection.

(Inspired by works of alteredstates14, with permission. https://www.deviantart.com/alteredstates14) “How much longer are we going to stand for this injustice!? I’ll tell you how long—not one more day! We are not little girls! We are not toddlers! We are grown women! And not even our mothers can take that away from us!” The women’s resistance group had all rallied behind Eri’s speech. Why shouldn’t they? Their country’s legislation was getting completely out of hand. Every day, it seemed like there was a new law being passed, all for the sole purpose of putting them down. No drinking, or smoking. There was even a nationwide curfew for women under a certain age. It was like a prohibition on their adulthood. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. Projected on the screen behind Eri was a newspaper article, showing one of their country’s young women dressed to look like an oversized toddler. Some of the audience recognized the young woman in the photo as one of their former members, who had been noticeably absent during their recent meetings. The article itself was nothing short of slander. It reports woman under a certain age will be mandated in the future to have their maturity officially tested. From doctor’s offices to government buildings, no place would be safe for them. The group knew they needed to mobilize their protest soon before more people got caught up in this ridiculousness. Eri banged her fist on the podium. “We are eighteen years old, not eighteen months! Pampers and playdates are parts of our past, not our future! I refuse to let these ridiculous laws turn that around!” The crowd of young women cheered, echoing Eri’s sentiments. They agreed to take their protest to the streets soon. In these trying and political times, the resistance meetings had become a beacon of hope for those attending. As today’s meeting came to a close, one young woman in attendance was feeling especially inspired. She had approached the group leader, Eri, at her podium while she was busy packing up. “That was an amazing speech you gave today,” said Hana. At her petite frame and short stature, Hana was the perfect target for the country’s propaganda. By the judging eyes of many, Hana didn’t look at all old enough to take care of herself. It was an unfortunate notion she found herself being reminded of frequently. “It needed to be said. I’m not going to let some new BS laws rule my life. These types of things don’t change unless someone speaks out against them. I refuse to have my voice be pacified by some pompous lawmaker.” Eri spoke with complete confidence. That was not a hint of doubt in her voice. Eri fully believed she was on the right side of history. It was that same sense of righteousness that struck Hana so deeply. Hana didn’t simply admire Eri. Her words were beacons of hope in these changing and confusing times. It was reassuring to hear someone echo her thoughts so brazenly. “To be honest, I was starting to have doubts myself.” Hana couldn’t muster up much courage and didn’t consider her turn of phrase nearly as compelling as Eri’s, so she decided to cut to the chase. “When I told my mother I wanted to study abroad, she nearly popped a gasket. All she would talk about is how I’m still too immature, or that I don’t know anything about the outside world.” Hana shuttered at the possibility of incurring her mother’s wrath. The thought alone made her uneasy. She shook her head, lifting herself back up. “But you’re right, Eri! I am an adult! I don’t need anyone’s permission to go out and see the world. This semester, I’m traveling overseas, whether she approves or not!” Just saying it aloud was like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She only wished would be around to join her friends when the protests took the streets. Eri nodded. “Hell yeah. That’s what I like to hear. That’s real progress at work. None of that baby propaganda they spout all day. You go for it, show your mama just how wrong she was about you.” Young women were finally gaining their independence back. And the mothers of this country would not be having it. It was clear a change had to be made. It was not clear how they found out about the meetings. Perhaps one of the young women had tattled to their mothers. Perhaps one of them had their clothing chipped the night before. Whatever the case, the parent soon formed together their meeting, to stop their children from plotting under their noses. One way or another, the resistance would fall. All the mothers in attendance promised to make sure of that. *** “Jun, could you come downstairs? There is something important I need to discuss with you.” Jun yawned and stretched, making a groggy descent downstairs. A year, and some change, of unemployment had made her used to waking and sleeping at odd hours of the day. She tried to be more organized, and more mature, like her friends had preached. The change proved a challenge to her, all the same. Deal with it tomorrow, she said. There was always tomorrow… “Yeah, mom? Did you need something?” As Jun climbed down the stairs, she could hear the voice of a familiar radio hostess entering through a clear signal. “…Yes, well that’s a great question. Thank you for calling us. I think oftentimes we, as parents, second guess our judgment the older our kids get. We’d like to think that their judgment improves with age, but that sometimes isn’t the case. To answer your question; no, you are not a monster. No, you are not out of line. No, there is nothing wrong with wanting to put your daughter back—” *CLICK* Her mother turned off the radio. A look of deep contemplation was etched on her face. She let out an exhausted sigh and resumed her work. She was folding laundry in the kitchen, nothing even turning or pausing to face her daughter. “Do I need something?” Mother’s tone was stiff. The casual question was shot back like a lethal round. “There isn’t anything you want to tell me?” “No…?” Jun’s voice trailed off thoughtfully. She tried to remember anything she had done recently to warrant such a reaction. Whatever she did, or did not do, she started feeling guilty. Mother was not budging. If anything, she looked more agitated, like her daughter was trying to hide something in plain sight. “You know how much I value honesty, Jun. I put up with your habits because I trust you will eventually grow out of them. And, that you will always be honest with me. I am going to give you one last chance. If there is anything you have been hiding from—anything—tell me now.” There was one thing she could think of, but that was… “Mother, please. I’m not hiding anything.” Mother didn’t respond. Not with words, at least. Instead, Mother decided to drop her retort on the kitchen table between them both. A laundry basket was overturned, and out spilled Jun’s discarded bedsheets. Mother slammed an open plan on the kitchen table. “So, you were never going to tell me about this? About how you’ve been hiding your wet sheets from me? You don’t even do your laundry, for goodness’ sake. I was going to find out soon enough.” Jun was floored. She was caught red-handed, sheet-soaked. She had gotten lazy, in this case, with her hiding, and was now paying the price for it. “I…ahh…” Jun wanted to say something, but the stained sheet said everything for her. Her voice failed her, delivering only weak gasps instead of clever lies. But before Jun could even fester up a retort, Mother sharply snapped back. “Don’t even try to lie your way out of this one. I know what bed-wetting looks like. This isn’t my first rodeo. At least when you were little, this sort of thing was expected. But now… Well, what matters now is we make changes for tonight.” Mother said, dropping a package on the table. The soft teal and white package featured a grinning young woman, who couldn’t have been any older than twenty, lifting her shirt, and flashing her underwear. Except, calling them underwear was giving them too much credit. The product she was promoting guaranteed easy checks, wetness indicators, and overnight protection. It was a package of Snuggles brand pull-ups. “These are what you will be wearing for the next few nights. I already have everything planned out, and I don’t want to hear another word. Snuggles brand has an entire regiment on their website for this sort of thing. I’ve been keeping up with the news, but I never would have thought that it would all be true.” Mother shook her head “Young women from this country are regressing, that much is true. I just never imagined it would happen under my roof. What is wrong with this generation? No matter. If this is what it takes for you to start acting right, then so be it.” Jun could feel tears welling up. Becoming like one of those diaper-clad girls on the street and the news was just what she was trying to avoid. Now she was being sent down the same slippery slope as them. “Shhh. It’s okay.” Mother came around the table, comforting her with a hug. “I know it feels like I’m being harsh, but this is for your benefit. I only want to protect you. Please trust me on this.” Trust or not, Jun did not have much of a choice. Her fate fell in the hands of her mother, like so many other women in their country. All the girl could hope was that this would end soon. “…Jun. Did you wet the bed this morning?” All the girl could do was sniffle and nod her head. After her daughter was dismissed and returned upstairs, Mother went back to her chores, her pace slowing. She still wasn’t sure if she had done the right thing. It was true that her daughter was one of the few reported to be attending the resistance meetings. It was hard to think of Jun as passionate about anything or having the motivation to start a great change. Whatever the case, she knew she had to keep her daughter safe. She wished she hadn’t had to resort to such tactics, like drugging her daughter’s dinners to jump-start the nighttime accidents. She was only doing it to keep her Jun safe. Just being caught going to one of those meetings was a serious crime punishable with jail time. If a few accidents were what it took, then so be it. When Jun realized the limits of her maturity, she would hopefully give up these resistance dreams. *** “…Baby? Are you up yet?” Mother creaked the door open ever so slightly, enough to hear a possible response. Still snoozing and snoring. Go figure. Her baby always was a heavy sleeper anyway. Still, the day had to start eventually. Mother tiptoed to her daughter’s bedside, illuminated only by the glow of the smiling night light. She pulled back the blanket and pulled up the waistband of the pink unicorn pajama bottoms. She stuck two curious fingers into the back of her girl’s nighttime underwear, giving Mother all the confirmation that she needed. Her baby was always a heavy wetter, too. A change could not wait, definitely not. Mother shook her daughter on the shoulder, whispering into her ear. “Wake up, dearie. It’s time to start the day.” And when that failed to raise her, Mother leaned in closer and said, “Come on, now. I know you’ll feel much better once we get you into some dry undies.” The persuasion must have worked. Not even a moment later, the daughter’s eyes popped open, and she was face to face with her grinning mother. “M-mother?!” “Rina!” “Mother!” Rina scurried back to the head of her bed frame, pulling her covers close. “P-please, stop doing that!” “Oh, calm down, Rina. You act like this is the first time I’ve woken you up for a diaper change. It’s not even the first one this week.” “M-mother! I asked you not to call them that!” Mother didn’t see anything wrong with her word choice. Diapers are what they were, after all. They were designed to catch accidents of those not mature enough to prevent them themselves. However, her girl was still insistent on pretending they were something else. It was cute. Even at her age, her daughter still got wrapped up in games of pretend. “Oh, pardon me. Your ‘protective undergarments’ need a change this morning. Now, I don’t suppose you plan on keeping them soggy all day, do you?” “No,” Rina replied with under grumble. Rina didn’t have the strength to argue this morning. She instead chose to lie back in her usual position, on top of her bed covers, while Mother got to work. “Pe-yew!” Mother said, pinching her nose and fanning the air. “When was the last time my girl bathed herself? Before we do anything today, we need to take a trip to the tubby-tub.” “Oh, come on now.” Rina wanted to scream into her pillow. She knew that needed protection during the night, which put her on the same level as a younger class. But did her mom need to make everything sound so infantile? “I’ll go take a shower myself, okay? Just leave me alone already…” “Rina.” “Like it or not, I am still your mother. Like it or not, you still live under my house, under my rules. And one of those rules is no back sass. Now, if that’s too much for you, I can exercise my right as your parent, and check you into a certain facility that excels at giving mouthy little girls an attitude adjustment. Is that what you want?” “That’s my girl.” “Now then. Starting today, Mother is going to bathe you, and I won’t hear another word about it. After all, how can I expect you to keep your little tushy clean if you can’t even walk it to the bathroom at night?” “Aww, don’t pout, sweetie. Mother will have you squeaky clean in no time.” For Rina, the words were no comfort. Neither was the act of being scrubbed down as a grown woman while sitting in a bath of lukewarm water. Still, that was what happened. “We’re going out today.” Mother confirmed. “It is fair too nice for you to stay cooped up inside all afternoon. Trust me, we’ll have a great time. Now, lift your arms sweet pea. There we go!” Her daughter sufficiently seen as squeaky clean, she was toweled off, and the pair returned to Rina’s bedroom. However, Rina soon found herself pushed back on top of her bedspread.” “Ah, ah, ah. We aren’t done yet. What kind of parent would I be if you didn’t replace your wet nappy with a fresh one?” It was at that point that Rina finally noticed her mother going for the package that now rested on her nightstand. The familiar pack of pull-ups was only meant to cover her nightly accidents. So why was her mother pulling out another one…? “But, you said I didn’t have to wear diapers during the day!” Rina yelled, sitting up in a panic. Mother’s hand came to her chest, pushing her back down. “Ah-ah. I’ve been paying attention to the news, young lady. New research shows that girls who wet the bed five nights or more in a row are twice as likely to have accidents during the day.” “That’s not fair! That stuff is all speculation! I haven’t even had an accident today!” Rina had to get her emotions under control. She knew these outbursts were not helping her case. How else was she supposed to put up a fight? “Well then, you should be more than happy to try and prove me wrong. I would be proud to have an outlier in her household. Until then, I am exercising my rights as your parent, and taking proper precautions.” Mother’s words were coated in sweetness, despite the sour look on her daughter’s face. Rina had no way to argue. Try as she might, she could not stop her mother from hiking the bulky pull-up legs. That also meant she had no way of stopping her mother from picking out her daytime outfit, a breezy sundress, and a pair of sandals. After all, why stop there? If she already decided how her daughter should bathe, she had enough sense to decide how her daughter should dress. And, after all, if she was in charge of bathing and dressing Rina, she should also be in charge of feeding her… “Mother, I told you can—urp!” Rina’s protest were being policed by spoonful after spoonful of plain oatmeal. She felt truly at her mother’s mercy during breakfast time. “Yes, yes. My big girl can do it all, I’m sure.” Mother replied, rolling her eyes. “But we don’t have time for you to wade through every single bite. I know how much you love your breakfast, but we have a schedule to adhere to.” Mother continued her feeding, smiling on the while. “Here you go, baby! Here comes the rest of your juicy-juice!” Mother shoved a sippy cup filled with amber liquid into her daughter’s mouth, not stopping until it began to drain. While breakfast was served, the radio was still on, filling in the family on the latest news story. A familiar radio hostess was live and laughing with her co-host, before returning to business. “In other news, COMFI has just previewed their latest line of summer wear for young women.” COMFI has been interviewing mothers across the country for notes and possible improvement. This year’s line promises better durability, more varieties of pastel colors, and adjustments to allow for easier diaper checks. These newest designs are the cutest! I know where I’m shopping for my niece’s birthday…” “Oh, that reminds me. We still need to seamstress soon. Those clothes I had mended should be ready now.” Mother thought aloud, the mention of easier checks lighting off mental fireworks. “We can swing by while we’re out today. Doesn’t that sound nice?” “Uhhh…bleh…” Rina was in no mood state right now. She was far too stuffed to put up a fight. She looked ready to fall straight to sleep in her car seat. All Mother could do was smile at her precious daughter. She simply couldn’t help herself! Sure, the circumstances that caused their relationship to shift so drastically were less than ideal. Resistance meetings were a big no-no in her household. She knew her Rina would never admit to such a secret. She knew just as well that she was so easy to read, and that she was more than ready to have another round of memories with her baby girl. This time, she was going you enjoy every second. “Tee-hee! I don’t even know why I bother asking.” Mother said ideally, whipping the food specks from her daughter’s mouth. It isn’t like you have a meeting to go to!” *** “Goodness, Mai. Will you stop fussing for one second?” Mai huffed and tugged her skirt down every few seconds. She had a hunch that her undergarments were peaking from under the skirt of her shortalls and did not want to give anyone a free show. Mother, please! You can’t be serious. You know I’m far too old the dress like this.” “How many times must I say this? There is nothing wrong with you having to wear a leash while we’re out. We already passed two other girls wearing them today. Besides, I can’t expect you not to wander off on your own.” Mother tugged the leash handle, causing her daughter to fumble forward. “Now stop dawdling. We’re losing daylight. You can grumble all you like, but it won’t change things.” Mother had no patience for Mai’s attitude. She was still steamed that her flesh and blood had been sneaking out to a resistance meeting, to plot heaven knows what. It was disgraceful. The face that was not willing to confess only boiled her more. Mai, on her end, was nearing her limits. She couldn’t wait for her friends to take to the streets and begin the protests. Soon enough, crap like this would be outlawed, and mothers like hers would be exposed for the tyrant they had become. The wait for that day was hell. Be she was strong enough to endure it. They finally stopped in front of a plain-looking storefront. Mother saw a nearby bench and decided to tie the handle of the baby leash to the bars, much to her daughter’s ire. “You wait here for a moment. Mother has to go inside and make a few reservations. Don’t go and try anything. Understand?” Mother commanded with a finger wag. She did not wait for her daughter to answer. She instead went to the store, leaving Mai alone with her thoughts. Tied to a park bench like a dog, Mai could only sit around and wait. She sulked, knowing that any passerby would see her as another helpless and immature girl. How bogus. How bogus and wrong and unfair and unjust. Call it what she liked. Mai was still stuck here. Soon enough. It would all change soon enough. Her attention was suddenly caught by a peculiar commercial playing on a set of TVs behind a glass window… We were there for her when this all started.” Glossy text over a white backdrop was how the commercial opened. Fade in, showing scenes of a mother playing with her baby daughter. Blissful music accompanied the pair as they went through the motions of life. “Now it’s time for her to go back.” The next set of scenes paralleled the first, with one key difference. Both the girl and the mother had been aged up considerably. The mother had aged fairly gracefully, with crow’s feet and spare gray hairs only noticeable by the keenest of eyes. Given a time gap of twenty years, the daughter was now college—age, a young woman. That didn’t change the fact that her overall aesthetic had not been updated. She was still crawling around her home without a care in the world. She was still being bottle-fed on the couch, cradled by her mother. And, for the purposes of promotion, she still had a pair of Snuggles diapers taped to her butt. A new scene was added, showing the woman asleep in her crib. Pacifier in her mouth, a nighttime Snuggles on her rear, the woman looked to be in complete. That was until a close-up of her face showed the woman grimacing, followed by a look of relief. Right in cue, Mother entered the nursery right on cue. A pat on her girl’s diaper, and a knowing grin, were the tell-tale signs of an upcoming change. The message was clear. “We know she’s not going anywhere. Neither are we.” This proved to be a perfect segway for the commercial to boast all the features the latest line of Snuggles would provide. Improved tape durability. Faster fading wetness indicators. Extra back lining for maximized rear support. The diaper promised to be the number one item for every young woman experiencing youth renewal. All the while sounds of coos, tapes scrunching, and diapers crinkling accompanied the soft music and vital information on screen. “SNUGGLES: GENERATIONS OF COMFORT” Mai’s blood ran cold. The commercial shook her to the core, all while being broadcast to homes across the country. She had no idea it had gotten so bad so fast. At this rate, would her friends even be able to make a difference? Her forehead was wet with sweat. Wet. Mai squealed, pawing at her diaper, realizing she had an accident during the commercial break. How had she not noticed!? Had a simple commercial made her that afraid? “Let’s go, Mai. It’s almost your lunchtime.” Mother said. Her eyebrows raised when she saw her Mai tug at her skirt, face beat red. “What’s the matter with you? Look, the park is right down the street. You are probably cranky because you didn’t eat enough at breakfast.” Mother was soon surprised to have her daughter so quiet for once. She did not fuss during the feeding, despite how crowded the park was that day. Still, Mother was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. “Yes, that’s right. No, that date is fine. For the price of shipping? What about the price of construction?” Mother was busy taking a phone, promising to play with her in the park after business was taken care of. Mai still needed time to digest her meal, after all. Any attempt Mai made to move was met with a swift pull of her lease. The repeat offenses were not doing her gut any favors. She could feel the tension growing. The urges grew and growled in her gut. She had to escape. The park restrooms were oh-so-close. “Mai!!!” Her mother howled, “You get back here this instant!!!” Mai stopped in her tracks, hunched over. Not because of her mother’s raging voice. It was the roaring in her bowels that she was too late to stop. The warm mess made its way to the backside of her diaper. Mother’s yells already turned all eyes on the young woman, currently in the middle of filling her pants. When the act was finished, Mai was on the ground, sobbing. “Well, do you feel better now?” Mother was already looming over the fallen young woman, diaper bag in tow. “It’s a good thing I didn’t change you when you wet earlier. That would have been a waste of a diaper. Now, come on. Let’s do something about that stinky bum of yours.” With no care for privacy, Mother changed the sobbing mess that was Mai right there in the middle of the park. The young Mai could not even produce words anymore. The only thing she had left was weak sobs to convey her shattered emotional state. “I swear, this is too much work. To think that my daughter would still be acting like a toddler in her twenties. You can’t be trusted to watch over yourself either. Today has sealed the deal for me. I think a long stay at Sunshine Bay is just what you need.” *** “Hello? I’m here for a pickup. My daughter is supposed to be released today.” The mother said, standing in front of the receptionist’s desk. She handed over her ID, already expecting the possible question “Which little cutie is yours?” In turn, the receptionist responded with an easy nod and a smile. She returned the ID, clacked away at her keyboard, and thumbed her clipboard at the schedule attached. A bright look of realization lit up her face when she saw who this lucky Mother was. “Ah-ha! You’re here for little Chie! She’s become quite the local success story around here. I think you are going to love her progress.” Smiling brightly the receptionist turned to the phone on her counter and began to dial away. “I’ll call up the doctor right now. You can go and take your seat over at the waiting area. While you wait, could you also sign this release form? Thank you.” The mother nodded and turned to the waiting area. Stiff metal chairs and white walls that dulled the senses. It made the entire area feel clinical. Why is it like this last time? Perhaps that was why Chie was so apprehensive in the past. It felt like only yesterday that she was sitting in this room with her girl next to her. She remembered the look on Chie’s face as the orderlies took her away. Back when she first checked Chie into Sunshine Bay. That look of shock, of horror. The way her yells instantly stopped when she crossed the double doors. That memory from ages ago, which felt just like yesterday. Everyone she spoke to agreed that she had done the right thing. When she researched online, the place had nothing but perfect reviews. Not a single parent had sent their child there, coming back unsatisfied. Her only regret was not visiting Chie during her stay. But even that choice was ultimately for the best, the mother believed. To think that her daughter was going to resistance meetings! She had to stop Chie before things got out of hand. That she wasn’t going to let her own child walk all over her. While she was busy with her paperwork, a TV was playing, suspended in the corner of the room. It looked to be a talk show, with all the hosts deep in political discussion… The woman in black opened. “Well, I think that this is an open-and-shut discussion. Mothers should be allowed to regress their daughters if they see fit.” “I concur.” Motioned the woman in red. “Statistics show that mothers with regressed daughters display better moods, have better health, and perform better financially. Furthermore, as the number of regressed daughters increases, there is an inverse growth in crime rates.” “Now, how do you think the government should be spending money towards this?” The woman in blue proposed. “They have already spent a lot of money, mainly from taxpayers, helping businesses and establishing facilities for regression treatments. It’s clear that they plan to support this lifestyle in our country for years to come.” “Can we have discussed the term ‘regressed’ for a moment?” The woman in green proposed. “I feel the word does not create a welcoming narrative and is often stigmatized. We need to be mindful of these things. Our girls aren’t going away anytime soon. We are doing everything to make sure of that We should be using terms that make the process feel more comfortable for them.” Black pressed Green, “What alternatives would you prefer?” Green answered. “I think the term ‘renewed’ and its associates are much more inviting. It is a ‘renewal’ process. It is not the end. It’s the ‘renewal’ of youth.” Blue agreed. “I quite like that. I think I saw that used recently. In a national report earlier this week.” Red mused. “We should have an official polling for mothers on what they find most appropriate.” Black nodded. She turned her attention to Green. “Now, your daughters have been going through youth renewal as well, correct?” Green answered, now looking very proud of herself. “Well, as you all know, I am a mother of two girls myself. They are both entering their second year of youth renewal and we as a family could not be any happier.” “That’s right. It’s very important early on that they know the process is completely natural, as well as non-negotiable.” “No, what do say about the claims that youth renewal causes long-term resentment?” “Resentment? No, I don’t believe so. There’s a reason the saying ‘mother knows best’ has stood the test of time. When your child is young, you must fight them on studying, doing chores, and going to bed on time. You do it because you know what is best for them. Convincing them that it’s time to go back to diapers, playtimes, and other fun things, is no different.” The women continued their one-sided debate. Their views and thoughts echoed across the entire country… She tried not to focus on the TV program, instead on the clipboard in her hands. While the ladies on the screen preached their piece, she had her paperwork to take care of. It was nothing worth noting. Simply require signatures to clear the facility of any possible legal backlash for what happens with her girl. Chie. She wondered if Chie would even want to her, after all this time. “Mommy!!” Bursting through the double doors like a bat out of hell, came a pure bundle of excitement. She was dressed appropriately for someone of her maturity. A pink shirt and blue denim overalls covered her body, with the skirt stopping short of her undergarments. Pink striped socks on her feet and bubble ties in her hair accessorize to further bring out her youthful side. She ran down the hallway—more of a waddle really, given the wide duck-like steps her padding forced her to take—her brightly colored sneakers lighting up every step of the way. “Oh-oh! Chie!?” She couldn’t remember the last time her daughter called her “Mommy.” She couldn’t even remember the last time her daughter hugged her. She could feel a burst of tender emotions bubbling up in her chest. She welcomed this return to form with open arms. She eagerly welcomed the idea of being “Mommy” again. “Yes, that’s right. Mommy’s here for you,” she said, wiping a tear from her eye. “Now, now, Chie. What did we say about running off?” The doctor strode past the double door and into the waiting room, approaching the family reunited. “I see you two have found each other. We told Chie she was going home this morning, and she has been a big bundle of energy ever since.” Mommy nodded. In truth, she could hardly remember the last time her daughter was excited about anything. Let alone seeing her. The thought alone melted her heart. “Well, I’m happy to see her as well!” Mommy hugged her daughter even tighter. “I hear that Chie was a good girl during her time here?” “Oh, yes. Chie got along famously with the other little patients. There was some trouble at first, but that’s to be expected. Nothing a few months at Sunshine Bay can’t fix.” From a white paper bag in her hand, the doctor pulled out an orange pill bottle. “Now, then. Chie will need to take two of these pills every morning. It’s only a nutritional supplement, to keep her healthy and regular.” “Regular?” “That’s right. Chie uses her diapers like clockwork. We already fed her lunch today. She’ll no doubt have a present ready for her mommy in an hour. Rest assured, she isn’t one to fuss over a change or a messy pair of Snuggles.” The doctor glanced at the girl, who was already dosing off in the cradle of her mother’s arms. “We packed your medication in the same bag. You’ll have to talk this over with your doctor, but the insurance will cover the refills.” “Medication? For me?” “Yes, that’s right. If I am reading your files correctly…” The doctor flipped through the binder, landing her pen on a page near the back. “You said in the past that you were interested in breastfeeding?” Mommy’s eyes lit up with the bright sparks of realization. “Oh! Oh, yes, of course!” She greedily snatched the medicine bag, clutching it like a priceless jewel. “Thank you so much, doctor!” Her voice peaked like she was on the verge of tears. “Oh, please, think nothing of it. Fixing families is what we do at Sunshine Bay! Just take one a day, and the lactation should start in a week. She’ll still need to eat solids, but a familiar treat will bring the two of you closer than ever.” Mommy and baby reunited, and the family left the waiting room, ready to start over. “They seemed so happy. Pickup days are my favorite.” The receptionist was still swooning over the heartwarming display. “With how well business is going, we’ll get to reactions like that all the time.” “I believe we’re planning on expanding soon. The number of parents turning in applications has been skyrocketing in the last few months. Still, I’m more than happy to do my part in getting our country on the right track.” The doctor and receptionist continued their small talk for a while before returning to work. All until the next pickup arrived. Business as usual for Sunshine Bay. “…Oh yes, of course! Little Mai is leaving us today. She’s one of our recent success stories. You’ll be happy to see the progress she has made. Why don’t you take a seat while I phone the doctor…” *** M-mother, please!” Hana squealed as her mother tugged by the arm through the clothing section of the mall. “I already said I was sorry! I promise I’ll do better next year!” Unfortunately for Hana, there wasn’t going to be a “next year.” Not if Mother had any say in the matter. And, given that their country’s laws had returned more power to the parents during Hana’s blunder of the semester, Mother most certainly did. Infinitely more than Hana. Enforcing her rights as a parent was exactly what she intended to do. “I’ve already made plans for next year, and none of them involve you running off to college. I don’t want to hear another word about it. “Here we are. We finally made it, despite all your squabbling.” Pink. Suffocatingly pink. Everywhere she glanced. It was as if the words “kawaii” and “adorbs” barfed all over the storefront. Design fit for Lolita cosplay hung on every rack. No self-respecting young lady to wear such designs willingly. But, that did not factor into the current arrangement. The pair went inside, one much more willing than the other. Mother pushed down on Hana’s shoulders, seating her on a fussy hot pink seat. “I have an outfit for you on layaway. Be a good girl for once, and don’t you go anywhere.” Mother said with a huff. Heels clacking, she strode off to the pickup desk. Hana was now left alone with her thoughts. Alone to think about her impending future. Mother had already told her she was having Hana’s room redecorated to “fit with the rest of the changes.” She had no doubts that a nursery was waiting for her back home. She sighed, now fully realizing how far she had fallen. She had left her country, hoping to prove its wicked stereotypes wrong. To be a trailblazer like a certain friend she admired. All she proved was fleeting her sense of maturity truly was. What would the other members of the resistance think of her now? Just as she was diving deeper into her pool of memories, Hana had the sinking suspicion she was being watched. She looked up, baffled when she saw who the culprit was. “…Eri?” The girl let a high—pitched “Eep!” and ducked back behind a rack of playdresses. Her pale face had turned beet red in an instant. She finally emerged from the rack when she realized there was no point in hiding. It was Eri. Tragically, her sense of fashion had a major overhaul since they last met. Gone was her make-up, her loose jeans, her small shirts that flaunted her midriff. Now was the age of frilly pastel dresses, buckle flats, and white stockings. Her distinct pixie cut had been downgraded to a girlish set of pigtails. There were two more subtle factors of Eri’s dress, that chilled Hana to the bone. The first was the harness, strapped and buckled tightly around her. It was a baby leash, sized to fit her perfectly, decorated not to clash with the rest of her ensemble. The crinkling. That noise sounded off like a siren warding off any sense of lingering maturity. From the spread of her stance, Hana didn’t have to try hard to figuring what her old friend was wearing down there. “Eri-baby,” Sang a mature and playful voice, “Where are you trying to waddle off to~?” Eri’s face turned pale. She let out another girlish shriek, with her leash being tugged back. Luckily, Eri fumbled back and landed in the waiting embrace of her smiling mama. “There’s my blushing bambina!” Said Mama. “Do you see another plushie to add to your collection? Maybe one to go with that big doggy you got the other day.” When Eri’s mama looked up at what grabbed her girl’s attention, she was left smiling ear-to-ear. “Well, well, well! If it isn’t little Hana! Your mommy said you would be coming back home soon. Guess you weren’t ready to leave the nest after, hmm? That’s okay! Plenty of little girls just like you make the same mistake.” Mama here was exceptionally eager. Like she didn’t see anything wrong with the current situation. Then again, why should she? Countless younger ladies here were getting the same treatment as Eri. It was the norm, the golden standard. If anything, Hana was the oddball here. She was the one who left home, wasting time on an ultimately pointless college venture. Before Hana could even make her case, She felt a familiar hand land on her shoulder. “So, you do know how to follow instructions. Good girl.” Mother said. In her arms, she carried several store bags of newly purchased clothing. Shades of pastel peaked out, leaving no doubt to anyone who they were for. Mother turned and politely greeted the other woman. “Good day to you, Ma’am. Fancy meeting you and your daughter here.” “Well, Eri and I just had to get out of the house today. I was very insistent on it. You know how hard our girls always try to resist.” Eri’s mama laughed to herself, which, indicated by Mother’s smile, was a natural response. Whatever the joke was, the two little girls in the room were not in on it. “ “Yes, that’s correct. I still need to go a pick out some new underwear. I forget to bring a diaper from home, what with me rushing.” “Oh, you can use one of Eri’s. I insist! She has plenty more back home. Plus, it’s always important to teach our girls about sharing.” “W-wait! I don’t need to—” One swift swat to the rear was all it took to silence Hana. “Hana! How many times have told you not to talk out of turn!? Now, you thank you properly.” Another swift swat was all it took for Hana to remember her manners. “Ahh! T-thank you for the diaper, ma’am.” “You are so welcome, dear! Now, why don’t I show you and your mommy where the changing rooms are? They are very modern. The benches have enough space to be used as a changing table.” The dressing process was just as mortifying as she imagined. She would be going in, for the final time, as a budding young woman, then coming out as Mother’s precious baby girl. Eri’s mama was right about the changing room. The two older women laid Hana on her back, making sure that the first of many future diaper changes went as smoothly as possible. The change was easy work for the two women. Mama had plenty of recent experience looking after Eri in her current state, evident by the brimming diaper bag she carried. Hana’s outfit was just as demeaning as her former idol. Her dress was just as gaudy and girly. Her socks were just as frilly. Her baby leash was just as tight. The diapers produced the same obvious crinkling. Hana always wanted to be more like Eri. She never imagined her dream would turn into such a nightmare. “Ah, would you look at time?” Mother looked down at her watch, smirking. “Hana and I have someplace we must be heading now. You don’t mind giving us a ride, do you?” “Oh, of course not. I have two car seats, after all. Besides, we’re going to the same place, no?” Mama said, snickering. Whatever the gag was, it was no doubt preplanned before Hana arrived. When they exited the mall, Eri put up no fight, no resistance as her mama strapped her into the waiting car seat. Hana herself was no better, once more following in Eri’s footsteps. Hana shifted in her car seat, not daring to mess with the buckles and straps. She looked over to her left, and still could not believe what the girl beside her had become. Pacifier bobbing in her mouth, hands idly swinging at the trinkets above. They did not speak a word to one another for the entire car ride. Eri was always one to speak her mind, but now Hana wasn’t sure if that had become a dead language to her. “Here we are! Right on time, too!” Hana looked out the window to her right, and her heart sank. Despite its colorful new paint job, she instantly recognized this building. It was the old rec center that Eri used to rent out for their chapter meetings. The once dull and unassuming building was now painted a bright and obvious sunny yellow, with large child drawings of barnyard animals on the outside. The inside was no better. The place had been turned into a daycare center, plain and simple. Toys, cubbies, marked play areas, childish decorations, changing stations. “Don’t be shy, dear. Look, all your little friends are here to play too. Don’t you recognize them?” She did, unfortunately, recognize her friends here. Jun was napping on the ground; her yellowing diaper bare to the world. Rina had her nose in the corner, clearly on punishment for something. She spotted Chie and Mai, rolling a ball back between each other without a care in the world. Their diapers were crinkling up a storm, all while the backs flashed obviously from their comfy playdresses. Hana took it in, her stomach churning, all while she and Eri were pushed forward, to go and co-mingle with old friends. This was it. Their special hideaway, the last beacon of their maturity, had been snuffed out and destroyed. The base had been compromised. The mission had intersected. The resistance had fallen. *** “Good morning, everyone!” A bubbly reporter began. “I am currently standing at the newest community daycare center, ‘Little Dreamers’. What used to be a run-down old shack, has been completely transformed by the hand of a few passionate parents. Despite being such a recent addition, Little Dreamers is already bubbling with new members. With a location like this, it’s impressive that this secret spot wasn’t found out about sooner. One thing is for sure. All the mothers who frequent here could not be happier. Their daughters spend all day here, under the proper supervision. After visiting here in my free time, I can safely say that these little dreamers won’t be growing up anytime soon. Oh, there’s a mother with her daughter right now. Let’s see if we can stop her for a quick interview…”

A short story spinoff by LittleFallenPrincess based on the Infernum Infantem/Parum Mortis universe I created. So to start off... I know it's a bit late. But thought I'd quickly sneak this in before New Year and the Christmas period is over completely, as I didn't want people to miss out on this small story update to one of my favourite stories that I've written so far, whilst also giving early access to those who support me on SubscribeStar. It's only short, at 4 chapters long, and probably a good indicator as to the length and quality of my soon-to-be commissioned short stories that will be exclusive to my SubscribeStar. It's a little light on the ABDL elements, but I hope you still enjoy it as it was a lot of fun to write. And if you're interested on reading more short stories from me, keep an eye out on my SubscribeStar as I hope to start a trial run of commissioned short stories in January, ideally taking on two per month from the following month if the interest is there. Chapter 1: Christmas Eve Infernum Infantem: Nativitas Reunionis – LittleFallenPrincess “Nia, we’re going to be late… YOU BETTER HURRY UP!” Vic shouted from the hallway. “IN A MINUTE!” I yelled, struggling to pull the zipper up on my new coat. “Do you need help?” I heard her ask, from the other side of the door this time. “Damn infernal mittens making everything so difficult…” I grumbled as Victoria opened the door. Her heels clacked on my wooden bedroom floor as she walked over and stood in front of me, quickly taking over and pulling the zip up. I now looked like an overgrown toddler with this huge puffy coat, thick snow pants, cute pink boots, and these ridiculous mittens which made everything a thousand times more difficult to do with them on. At least it was only the boots and mittens that were pink, I think I’d die and go back to Hell if my coat and pants were pink too, thankfully they were black so I only looked semi-ridiculous. But no, what scared me most was what was underneath this thick winter clothing. But hey, at least only those attending this thing will get to see that, and they’re all littles too and have seen me in much worse. “You ready, babygirl?” Vic asked me as she looked down at me with those gorgeous blue eyes of hers, wrapping her arms around me and pulling my body against hers. For a second I completely forgot how ridiculous I looked compared to the gorgeous Goddess that was my girlfriend, with her long, smart black coat and hella sexy sparkly black dress underneath it. For that second, I melted into a subby little pile of goo as I embraced the hug. Ignore the leg being raised behind me and the tail swishing, it means NOTHING, got that? “Won’t people get scared if they see me?” I asked, pulling away from the hug and pointing up at my horns and then turning around to show my tail to her. “We’ll be in the car for the drive over, and our windows are tinted. And you know the Sanctuary has that perception doodad thingy that the street has where Teles’ cafe is. Humans won’t be able to see you, don’t worry. I want you to be yourself today, both as my gorgeous demon girlfriend and also my adorable ickle babygirl…” Vic said, booping my nose before quickly kissing my cheek, making my already red cheeks even redder. “Stooooooop!” I whined, rubbing my cheek where she kissed it, but not-so-secretly hoping she would just replace the kiss again. It’s not like her lipstick would be noticeable, the benefits of having demonic red skin I guess. “Right, you ready then, baby?” “Uh huh. So can you tell me what this is yet?” She had told me that we were having an ‘event’ at the Sanctuary, but that was it. She hadn’t told me anything else, other than that it was going to be for littles and that all my friends would be there. I wondered if it had anything to do with this ‘Christmas’ or whatever it is that humans call it, as Vic had been so different this month, putting up fancy lights and sparkly decorations all around the manor and playing all sorts of music I had never heard of before. All it consisted of was ‘Christmas cheer’ and ‘love for all’ and something about decking some halls… which I didn’t understand… but I have to admit, it wasn’t too bad, and it was really nice seeing Vic looking happier than ever. Like seriously, I don’t think I’ve seen her this cheery in… well… ever. “Nope. Now get that cute padded butt in the car, and watch your tail in the door…” “THAT WAS ONE TIME!” I whined. “And I’ll continue to remind you.” She giggled, making my heart soar. “Now go on, off you waddle…” And so I did, off I waddled out of my bedroom and down to the car, Vic following close behind me, giggling every time my ‘underwear’ crinkled. Which was constantly. I was really excited to see my friends again. It had been a while since the last time I saw them, Susie and Beth had had another long trip away to help someone again, Lucy had become a bit of a shut in after a very brief attempt at dating again, Grim and Abby were busy with lots of stuff, and even Beatrice had moved out. That’s right, Beatrice was no longer Vic’s maid, now that her whole ‘setting me up with Vic’ plan went off perfectly. She has moved into the Sanctuary temporarily, whilst she finds a new purpose in life. So I was excited to see her again, as I must admit… I missed having a Nanny. She made changing time… yeah… Talking of changes! Brelgamur, or Belle as we have been calling her, also moved out. She found her own place and has sworn off returning to Hell. I did ask my sister if she was also one of our siblings, given Belle’s reluctance to return to Hell, but Lucifer insists she was a human originally. And no matter how much I whine and beg and brat, Lucifer still won’t reveal which of the demons are our angelic-siblings-turned-demon. But I swear, one of these days she’ll break… So yeah, mostly it’s just been me and Vic, which has made the manor feel a bit… empty, but at the same time it’s allowed us to get closer and more intimate. Our relationship has definitely blossomed and I love her even more and more each day. The only time we fight is when I’m a brat and even then that’s fixed with a quick spanking. She’s even learned how to tame my tail so she doesn’t get thwacked in the face whilst trying to thwack my butt! After a very anxious car ride in which I was worried people would be able to see my horns and skin through the tinted windows, we arrived at the Sanctuary in Vic’s latest sports car, pulling up in our usual parking spot. Yeah… we spend a lot of time here. When Susie and Beth are around, I’d usually be spending a lot of time with Susie, catching up after all this time apart, whilst Vic and Beth would sit together and chat. Victoria wanted to know everything about this supernatural side of the world, as her library only contains a very very limited amount of knowledge of it all and Beth is one of the most knowledgeable people we know, her library puts both of Victoria’s to shame. So we have our own little parking spot that we usually take. Waddling into the Sanctuary, through the entrance hallway, I was greeted by all my friends standing together in a group, all looking at me. “NIA!” They cried out, rushing over and pouncing on me, each one of them joining the hug puddle. “Hey you lot… it’s good to see you too, haha!” I laughed, trying not to get smothered by affection to the point I couldn’t breathe. “Aren’t you excited?” Lucy asked, being the first one to break the hug. “About what? Vic wouldn’t tell me anything about what is going on.” “What has she told you?” Susie asked, pulling away as Grim and Abby also did the same. “That it is an event for littles, that’s it.” “Oh then we’re not spoiling anything…” “Good girl.” Beth said, grinning down to her wife, making Susie wiggle and blush. “Yes, I’ve got the camera ready…” Vic said, ominously, as she held up her fancy, expensive camera that I got her for her birthday. “I knew getting you that would come back to bite me…” I groaned, rolling my eyes at her. “Come on, let's go!” Lucy announced, excitedly, as she grabbed my hand and escorted me through the lobby, which was just as well-decorated as our manor, with tinsel and fairy lights and everything. “Why are there decorations here? I wouldn’t have thought our world would celebrate such a silly holiday? If anything, maybe something a bit more… Pagan?” I asked. “Its origins are Pagan, but no, that's not why we do it.” Beatrice said as she rushed over and grabbed me, pulling me up into a huge hug as she lifted me onto her hip. “Missed you, kiddo.” “Missed you too!” Everyone else continued towards the play room, whilst Beatrice stayed in the lobby with me, bouncing me up and down gently on her hip. “Sorry I’ve not been about, been figuring things out.” She apologised. “Oh psst, shush, it’s okay! Managed to find your new goal in life?” I asked, as she continued bouncing me on her hip. “Not yet, but I’m sure I’ll find it. Anyway, yes, we celebrate because we like the cheer it brings. Sure, we don’t celebrate the religious part of it, but we do like the gift-giving and all the other silly human traditions. So we celebrate our own way, a bit of human tradition and a bit of our own. Helps those who used to be human, like Lucy.” “So you do this every year?” “Look, I don’t want to say this in front of Vic… but we haven’t done this in decades. At the sanctuary? Sure, every year without fail. But at the manor? No. Vic was in a very, very dark place, so she never wanted to celebrate a holiday in which everyone is with family. It was a bad time for her, so I spent most of my time keeping her attention off everything around this time of year.” “But now…?” “Now she’s got you. She’s worked on her trauma, and even though she’s got her own new brand of trauma from her trip to Hell… she’s doing better than ever. All because of you. So this year, she’s wanting to go all out. Like I mean… ALL out. So whilst I’m going to keep today a bit of a surprise, I will say that we’ll all be around yours tomorrow.” “Huh?” “For Christmas dinner, duh!” “Christmas… dinner? Do you eat… Christmas?” “Silly baby, it’s just a big family meal, in which everyone eats way too much turkey and roast potatoes and gravy, they wear stupid paper crowns from mini explosive satchels, and then play party games when everyone is in a food coma afterwards.” “And you’re all coming for it?” I asked, confused. “Who do you think is cooking it? Vic certainly isn’t a great cook!” Bea winked at me. “So… everyone? Wow…” “I know you don’t understand the big thing about Christmas, I don’t blame you. You’re a demon and you’ve spent most of your time in Hell. But just play along, okay? Even if only for Vic’s sake. She needs this. Let her spoil you, let her celebrate this.” “Don’t worry, I wasn’t planning on ruining it for her. I haven’t seen her this cheery in forever. It’s… really nice.” I smiled warmly thinking about my girlfriend being happy. “I’m glad. Now, you’re going to be extra blushy when I carry you through, so get ready.” “Huh… what?” I said, squirming and wriggling in my ex-Nanny’s arms as she carried me towards the playroom. The whole play room was decorated with the same kind of stuff the manor and the Sanctuary was decorated with, making it feel… festive? Is that the right word? Either way, it was… nice. Especially seeing Vic’s face light up as I was carried in and over to the centre of the room, where everyone’s eyes were on… me. I swear my face couldn’t get any redder as everyone smiled and giggled, before I noticed someone sitting in the centre of the room… dressed… like some of the decorations? A big human dressed up in a red suit with a big white beard… Beatrice carried me over to the strange human man and placed me down… on his lap! ‘WHAT THE HELL? Why am I being given over to this large human?’ I thought to myself as Bea walked away, leaving me on the lap of this strange man. “Hello there, little one…” A deep, booming voice came from behind the beard. Upon closer inspection… I noticed it was fake. “Umm… Vic? What is this?” I asked, nervously. “This, Nia, is Santa Claus. Or Father Christmas.” “So is there like a Mummy Christmas or a baby Christmas? Is there a whole family of Christmases?” “No, silly baby…” She sighed, laughing to herself. “He delivers presents to all the good children at midnight on Christmas day. You wake up to presents from him.” I knew it was a gift-giving celebration, but that’s pretty much the extent of my knowledge. “So…” “So here is your chance to tell Santa what you want!” She exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly at me. “I… umm… I ask this big guy for stuff… and he brings it to me?” “Pretty much!” Lucy said, smiling over at me as she looked adorable in her smartest ‘little’ dress. “I WANT A NEW GAMING RIG!” I yelled at this strange fat man’s face. “Ho ho ho… I think that can be arranged.” The bearded man laughed as he… jiggled. “So what, are you like a warlock or something? What is the extent of your magic? Because there are billions of human children, right? So that must mean you… yeah there is no physical way you could deliver that many presents in one night.” “I have my secrets…” He winked at me. “You’ve been a very good girl this year, Nia, so I’m sure we can find something for you, don’t you worry!” “You better…” I squinted at him, giving my evilest look and scrunching my face up at him. “I think that’s enough… got the pictures?” Beatrice asked Vic as she pulled me off Santa’s lap and started unzipping my coat, taking all these thick layers off me. “Yeah, I was surprised that she was that well behaved!” Vic giggled, walking over to me and planting a kiss on my forehead. “So that’s what you want? A gaming rig?” “I mean… I’m just happy to have my family here. That would have been my first wish. But now I’ve got you all… yeah, I want a freaking gaming rig!” I grinned up at her. “Well we’ll see what Santa brings you tomorrow.” Vic said, as if deep in thought. “Now, why don’t we get you into just your baby party dress and you can go play with your friends.” “We’ve got all day, right?” “Yep. Then we’re off home and you’re going to snuggle with me on the sofa as I show you Christmas movies that we’ve both missed out on, ones that Beatrice recommended.” “I have good taste, don’t worry!” Bea winked at me. “She does. And then after that, early night for you, baby! You’re going in your crib tonight too.” “Early night? Whyyyyyyy?” I whined. “Because we’ve got a busy day tomorrow, and Mummy has some things to work on. And most importantly… if you’re not asleep early, Santa won’t come.” “So no… no gaming rig?” Here came the puppy dog eyes. I was getting better and better at them. Vic will be powerless against them once I’ve mastered them. “Nope.” She snapped back at me, grinning back at me. “Fine. Early night it is. I better have at least 32gb of RAM though. And be water cooled. And have fancy lights.” “I’m sure he won’t disappoint.” Vic said, with both her and Beatrice laughing, making me pout and stick my tongue out at the two of them. Chapter 2: Christmas Day Infernum Infantem: Nativitas Reunionis – LittleFallenPrincess I woke up with an energy flowing through me that I had never felt upon waking up. Usually I wake up and need at least five energy drinks to be able to even string a coherent string of words together to form a sentence, but today… Today was different. The way they hyped up the arrival of this jolly fat guy wearing red, delivering presents… I can’t say I’m not excited to see if what they said is actually true. I know lots of entities in this world and other worlds, from vampires to trolls to Elder Gods… but I had never heard of this ‘Santa Claus’. He must have some pretty impressive magic if he manages to deliver all those presents in one night. Maybe I’ll hunt him down and find out his secret one day. For now though… I should have a fancy new gaming computer sitting there… just for me… So jumping up out of my crib with the agility of a cat, landing on my feet on the outside of the crib, with a thick, soggy nappy drooping close to my knees, I ran… or waddled… as fast as I could out of the nursery and towards the door. I wasn’t going to let a soggy nappy slow me down, I wanted my presents! As soon as I reached the door, I swung it open and dashed out, skidding across the floor as I turned down the hallway, running at full speed towards the living room. “Ah ah ah…” That voice stopped me in my tracks as I stumbled forward, trying my best to stop… but finding it hard as I barreled into the wall. “Oh dear! Are you okay, babygirl?” Victoria asked as she rushed over in her dressing gown and fuzzy slippers, bending down and helping me up. “I… I’m okay. Sorry. Did I wake you?” I replied. “No, but as soon as I saw you leap from the crib I knew I better get out of bed.” “You saw…?” “The baby monitor has a video function…” She grinned at me. “EEEEK!” I cried out, quickly hiding my blushing face in her chest. “Is someone excited to see what Santa left her?” “U… Uh huh…” “Well the rule is, you can’t open them without me being there.” “Wait, that’s a rule? Sorry! I didn’t…” I looked down at my feet, feeling really guilty all of a sudden. “It’s okay, my love. You didn’t know, and I forgot to tell you last night. I have to watch you open your presents! As if I couldn’t miss that adorable face as you see what you got…” I nuzzled further into her chest, burying my face deeper into her dressing gown, and wiggled my tail. “Still… sowwy.” “That’s okay baby, why don’t we go head downstairs and see what you got?” I broke free of our embrace and backed up, nodding up at her and smiling from ear to ear as she held out her hand. Grabbing it, I turned and followed closely by her side as she escorted me towards my new gaming computer. “This… this is… umm…” I said, awkwardly, as I sat cross-legged on the rug near the Christmas tree. There were dozens of little gifts, all wrapped perfectly, just underneath the bristly branches. And I had chosen the biggest one there, pulling it close and tearing the paper off without even thinking about how much of a mess I was creating. “I thought you wanted a new computer?” Vic said, looking confused from the sofa as I sat in front of this… gift. “I… it’s not really a computer, you know that? It looks like the babyish toys in my nursery…” I pressed the button on the fake, colourful keyboard and the monitor showed the image of a cow as a ‘moo’ sound came from the speakers on the back. “I thought…” That’s when she broke into laughter. “I’m so sorry, sweetie, I couldn’t keep it up… as soon as Beatrice suggested this prank I just had to…” “Beatrice… of course it was her…” I sighed in relief that this was just a prank. “Check behind the sofa. Be careful pulling it out…” Vic said, pointing behind her. Jumping to my feet, my even-soggier nappy weighing me down and sloshing about, I waddled behind the sofa to find an enormous box! And because I’m a good girl, I did as my Mummy said and carefully pulled it out from the sofa and around to the front so she could see me open it. “AHHHHHHHHHHH!” I screamed in delight as I tore the colourful paper off my huge present, and saw the multiple boxes inside it. Monitor, keyboard, mice… everything! Like… this was everything I wanted! “I did ask Lucy for some help picking out the things. You know how I am with computers compared to you two. Did she pick well?” “Wait…” I turned to face her, my own turning serious for a second. “I thought Santa brought gifts…” “I’ll explain it to you later, sweetie. It’s a very complicated system…” She giggled, making me feel like there was another joke being played on me. After my presents were opened, and after Vic had opened a cute little handmade bracelet I had made for her at the last little’s event, we snuggled up on the sofa, surrounded by Christmas decorations and the enormous tree in the corner. But I could feel my tummy rumbling, so I looked up at Vic as the noise reverberated around the living room. Yes, it was that loud. Demons get hungry, I can’t help it! “Is that a food thing or a succubus thing?” Vic asked. “A bit of both?” “Well your wet nurse is on holiday, so we could always… you know…” “Oh… fun big girl time?” I looked up at her, excitedly. “We’d have to be extra careful… But you need breakfast first anyway, and then we have family coming over, so I don’t know if we have time, you may have to wait til later. I told everyone to come over at twelve, apparently Beatrice doesn’t need much time to cook the turkey thanks to her magic.” “I could always take it to Hell… I’m sure the brimstone will add a nice… flavour…” I giggled. “No more trips to Hell, Missy! For either of us. Once was enough for me, thank you very much.” I giggled a bit more before snuggling back into her arms and relaxing. If our friends were coming over soon, I wanted to make the most out of this snuggly time with my Mama whilst I can. “I wuv you, Mama…” I whispered up at her, earning myself a squeeze and a kiss on the top of my head from her. “I love you too, baby. My little ‘Child of Darkness’.” That was her cute little pet name for me that she sometimes uses, due to her expecting to give birth to the bringer of the end of the world and ending up with… this overgrown baby. It made me pout, but it made us both giggle, and it was our special thing, so I loved it. “So you say our friends are coming over…” I began, before getting cut off. “I said family, but yes, friends too.” “Huh?” The doorbell rang, indicating that someone had arrived. “Wait… is it twelve already?” Vic yelled, jumping up and ruining our snuggly time. “I didn’t realise it was that late!” I had been too engrossed setting up my new gaming PC and opening all my gifts and snuggling to realise the time, so it seemed like neither of us were on the ball today. “I’ll go answer that…” Vic said, turning and looking down at me, as I sat on the sofa still. “You go get dressed, into something less babyish, okay baby?” “Less babyish? I thought you’d want me babyish today…” “No, our friends are okay with it, but I don’t know about family.” “You said family again, like it’s a separate thing… what are you talking about?” “Go! Go get dressed, quickly!” Vic pulled me up quickly, smacking my padded butt lightly, rushing me out of the living room. As I waddled up the stairs, I heard familiar voices coming from the main hallway of the manor. Beatrice, Beth and Susie had arrived by the sounds of it. I couldn’t make out any other voices, so Lucy’s house must not have arrived yet. As I was in the middle of taking the huge nappy off, managing one tape but getting stuck on the second, I heard a knock on the nursery door. “Hello?” Someone called out. “Occupied!” I cried out, desperate to stop them from coming in and seeing me like this. “I know, silly! Your Mummy said you may need a hand changing your nappy and getting dressed. And since Susie already needs a change, I offered. Especially as Bea has her hands full with Christmas dinner…” “Oh… Beth… sure… umm… come in?” I responded, blushing, as she and Susie walked in, pulling that ‘oh, doesn’t she look adorable?’ face at me. “Come on then hun, let's get you changed. Where are your big girl clothes?” “In… in my bedroom…” I replied. “That’s okay. Let’s get the nappy done first, then I’ll go get some clothes for you.” So I watched as she escorted Susie over to the changing table, lifting her up onto it and lifting up her smart, adult dress. I blushed and looked away, because even though I had been changed in front of other littles, including Susie, and they had been changed in front of me… I still found it embarrassing. Susie though… by now she felt no shame. It had been decades since she got introduced to all this, so she no longer felt the embarrassment of doing any of it in front of other littles and caregivers. “Any idea why we have to dress up smart?” Susie asked me as she got her nappy changed. “Nope. Vic won’t tell me.” “We’ve gotta pretend to be adults apparently. Non-kinksters attending or something like that.” “Non-kinksters? Who?” “Don’t ask me, I’m in the dark about this too…” Beth joined in, shrugging. And so as I waited for my turn to get changed, I wondered just who-in-the-Hell Vic invited. Shortly after I got changed into a clean nappy and a nice, appropriate dress, we headed back downstairs and I got to say hi to Beatrice, just in time for Lucy, Abs and Grim to arrive. They too were all dressed up all fancy, which surprised me. I thought it must be another big prank, but no… this seemed genuine, but none of us knew why and Vic was mysteriously absent most of the time. That was… until the doorbell went again. “Did she invite Meddy and Pandora?” I asked around the living room, but everyone shook their heads and shrugged. “GET THAT, WILL YOU BABY? I’M JUST GETTING READY.” Vic shouted down from the balcony, loud enough that I could hear it from the living room. “I guess I’ll answer the door… I hope they’re okay with demons…” I shrugged, knowing that my glamour hadn’t been applied, as this was supposed to be a day I wouldn’t need it. I shuffled off towards the front door as everyone continued to talk about presents and gifts and what their families are doing and stuff. And as I got nearer, I could hear multiple voices, ones that sounded familiar but I couldn’t place. ‘Maybe she did invite Pandora and Meddy…’ I shrugged, turning the doorknob and slowly opening the large front door. “MERRY CHRISTMAS!” Four people I had never seen before all looked at me in wonder, with great big smiles on their faces. Apparently not even demon-red skin, horns and a tail could scare these carolers away. (Yes, I had that experience earlier in the month. Usually the big, creepy manor deters random people coming up the driveway, but some carolers got especially brave, climbed the gate, and made their way to the front door. Safe to say… they won’t be coming back again. I nearly sent them home with nappies, they clearly needed them.) “I… sorry, you have the wrong house?” I replied to these… very beautiful people. Like seriously… these were like model-status gorgeous. They all wore white winter coats and looked immaculate, two guys and two gals, they all just smiled at me. Except one of the guys, who you could tell was pretending to smile. “NIA! AHHHHHHH!” One of the women thrust themselves forward, wrapping their arms around me and hugging me tightly. Despite the uncomfortable unconsenting hug, I felt a warmth from it that felt… familiar. But it was what I could now see behind them, that made things fall into place a little bit better. Or should I say… who. “Lucifer…” I croaked to the figure in the background, hanging out a dozen feet or so behind the group. I tried to sound normal, but you try that whilst having the stuffing squeezed out of you by this gorgeous woman hugging you! “Hey Sis. You seem surprised. Oh no… don’t tell me that lovely girlfriend of yours didn’t tell you…” Lucifer replied, sighing and clutching her forehead in disbelief. “Tell me… what?” I cried out, pulling myself away from the stranger who may have tried to end my existence on Earth by hugging me to death. “You don’t remember us?” The hugger said, looking offended as she flicked her gorgeous mousy-brown hair behind her shoulders. “I told you… her memories are slowly returning…” Lucifer said, before getting cut off suddenly. “Yes, but I don’t trust anything you say, viper…” She hissed at Lucifer. “Ugh, why don’t you go shove it up your angelic arse…” “Angeli…” I said, before getting interrupted. The four figures clad in white all turned back to me and smiled, before announcing in unison: “We’re your siblings, Nia!” “Sib…lings? Wait… are you… angels?” I asked, confused and bewildered. “Well duh, of course we are!” The black haired woman said. “Sorry… I… I don’t remember you.” It’s true, I genuinely didn’t. They felt familiar… but I couldn’t remember anything about them. My memories had been returning, but it seemed to be in reverse. Newer memories were returning, then ones from about a hundred years ago, then two hundred, and so on. I hadn’t remembered anything about my old existence as an angel yet, or any of my siblings aside from Lucifer. “That’s okay! We certainly remember you!” “Is… is that a good thing?” I asked. “Of course! We missed you, silly!” The brown-haired woman stepped forward and hugged me again, before backing off and introducing herself. “I’m Gabriel. We were as close as you and Luci were. But then there weren’t any angels who disliked you, hun. Everyone loved you. I don’t think it was possible to not love you.” The guy who had been fake-smiling before coughed awkwardly, looking around. Clearly he was the exception, whoever he was. The other guy, the one with long, dark hair stepped up next and hugged me. “Raph. Or Raphael. It’s good to see you again, Niazriel. I was wondering if any of you would break Father’s curse. But I think we all knew if anyone could… it was you.” He smiled at me. His aura just felt… he felt very ‘big brother’ to me… which felt nice. The other woman stepped forward, gave me a huge hug and waved at me. “Azrael. Angel of Death.” This woman looked different from the others, as she looked a lot more like Lucifer. Dark makeup and jet-black hair… This just made her stand out more with her white coat and white dress. Kinda like if you shoved someone pure into someone dark and edgy… this was the result. But she seemed nice at least. The last one, the snobby guy in the back, didn’t come and hug me like the others, they just nodded at me and turned their eyes away from me, before taking the lead and walking past me, straight into the house. “Oh my Dad… is this where you’re living now?” Gabriel said as she walked in after the snobby angel. Azrael and Raphael quickly followed them both, walking straight past me as if I wasn’t there. Thankfully, that’s when Luci walked up to me, put her arms around me, and hugged me tightly. “Yeah… that last one is Michael. He’s an ass. He was the only one who didn’t like you.” “He… didn’t like me?” I asked, feeling deeply hurt. “Well… he hated how much attention you got from the others. And how much Dad loved you. So when you sided with me, it just increased his hatred towards you due to his loyalty to Dad. He was the one who egged Dad on to give you all this curse and not just banish you to Hell, so excuse him. It’s been way too long since I saw him, he’s clearly not changed.” “Is… is this everyone? I thought there were loads of angels?” “Because of the date today, most of us are at Dad’s favourite son’s birthday party… even if he wasn’t born in December and it was just stolen from Pagans. But anyway, yeah, most couldn’t make it, and I’m not exactly welcome up there, so I was free anyway. I was going to just get drunk. Your girlfriend prayed for your family to visit, and Gabriel… being Gabriel… rounded up as many as she could afford to pull away. So you got us.” “You heard them?” “Hey, I’m still an angel. I can hear prayers too. And despite their disgust towards me, and my inability to deal with their Holier-than-thou bullshit… I wasn’t going to miss out on spending a holiday with my fave sis! Though I must say… I was expecting you to be more… infantile…” Luci winked at me, grinning, making me blush instantly. “Oi! That was… shush! She made me dress up nicely today.” I pouted at her. “I can hear the crinkles, sis. You’re not completely an adult. Don’t worry, the others won’t realise. Now, shall we go see how our siblings react to your non-human friends?” Lucifer said, putting her arm around me and closing the front door behind us. Chapter 3: Christmas Reunion Infernum Infantem: Nativitas Reunionis – LittleFallenPrincess Walking into the living room, I was still slightly in shock that not only were my family wanting to see me… but that they were here, for Christmas dinner. I couldn’t remember any of them exactly, but they felt familiar, like… home. But the stark difference between our appearances kept reminding me that I had apparently fucked up big time siding with Lucifer eons ago, as their pristine white dresses and suits they had hidden underneath their coats clashed with my dark purple dress and my red skin… and horns… and tail… and fangs… “Umm… come on through… umm…” I mumbled, showing them through the main hall towards the living room where everyone else was currently chatting happily. Opening the door, I hesitantly smiled at everyone. “Hey Nia, are you okay, sweetie? You look… nervous.” Beth said, holding Susie on her lap. Nia, Abby and Grim were all sitting on the sofa together, and Beatrice was in the corner with her back turned to me, pouring herself a drink. “I… I’d like to introduce our latest guests…” I replied, awkwardly. “Who did Vic invite this time?” Beatrice laughed, without turning around. “My… my family…” I heard the clink of ice dropping into a glass as Beatrice turned around, her face looking mortified. “WHICH… ONES?” She growled at me. “Um… my… angelic ones…” “Angelic ones?” Lucy asked, confused. “Nia… she used to be an angel. She’s Lucifer’s sister…” Beatrice explained. I’m glad Beatrice explained it for me, as it still felt awkward for me to say. I hadn’t told anyone, only Vic. But since Beatrice knew about the whole thing, as her and Lucifer were the ones to set Vic and me up to break the curse… of course she already knew. My friends though… none of them knew. I mean it’s not something I can just blurt out whilst playing with dolls or colouring something. ‘Oh hey, so I used to be an angel and tried to rebel against God himself and got turned into a creature of Hell forced to suck the life force from others for eternity.’ They don’t even write a greeting card for that kind of thing. “Nia… was an ANGEL?” Lucy looked back over at me with amazement on her face, her mouth open wide. “Makes sense. Demons were probably transformed angels after the rebellion.” Beth said, as if it was just normal for her to know these things. Susie, Abby and Grim all looked at me in surprise, but still… nowhere near as excited or amazed as Lucy was currently. She must have a thing for angels. “Nia… which ones are here?” Beatrice asked, looking angrier than I had ever seen her before. “Raphael… Gabriel… Azrael… Michael…” “RAPH, GABE… GET IN HERE, NOW!” Beatrice screamed, her voice echoing through the whole manor. I turned around to see Raphael and Gabriel shuffle guiltily into the living room, looking at the floor. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” Bea asked, crossing her arms the way Vic does whenever I’ve been bratty. “We… we didn’t know you’d be here… We honestly didn’t know you even knew our sister…” Gabriel replied, sounding nervous. “Yeah… what she said.” Raphael added. “Wait… so Beatrice knows two Archangels?” Lucy asked Grim, who just shrugged his shoulders. “Bea? How do you know my siblings?” I asked her. “How do you think…?” Lucifer said as she walked past us all, confidently, pushing past the two guilty-looking angels and walking over to Beatrice, where she began making herself a drink. “What does she mean by that?” Lucy asked, innocently. The rest of us had figured it out already. “It means they fu…” “ANYWAY!” Azrael said, cutting Grim off and walking in. “Hi, I’m Azrael. Hi Beatrice.” She said, nodding over to Beatrice, who just nodded back at her. ‘At least she hasn’t gone through my entire family tree…’ I thought to myself, rolling my eyes at my ex-nanny. “Azrael? The angel of Death?” Lucy asked, surprised. “I’ve met Death. You’re not them.” Susie spoke up, giving the evil eye to Azrael. “I… well…” Azrael looked around, nervously. Lucifer laughed, causing everyone to all look at her now. “She’s Death’s biggest fangirl. She’s probably the first ever fangirl of anything, ever. She saw Death once near the beginning of time and since then has been obsessed about copying them. Hence the edgy makeup.” Lucifer said, popping the olive from her drink into her mouth. “SHUT UP, VIPER!” Azrael snapped at her, making Lucifer laugh. “Oh hello! You must be Nia’s family, it’s lovely to meet you all! I’m glad you could come!” Victoria said, appearing in the doorway on the other side of the living room, looking absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. If she didn’t have me getting hungrier and hungrier by the minute just looking at her, I would probably yell at her for surprising me with all this. No, instead I was too busy thinking about jumping her bones to be angry right now. Thankfully, Beatrice had my back on that front. No, not the jum… oh nevermind, you know what I mean. “Vic… why didn’t you tell me you were inviting MY EXES?” Beatrice yelled across the room, towards my Mummy. “Your… oh. Sorry! I didn’t know! I just thought it’d be nice for Nia to have her family for Christmas…” Victoria looked really awkward now. Lucifer just laughed again, walked past me, towards the comfortable recliner in the corner. But as she passed me, she bent down and whispered: “Oh this is going to be the best Christmas ever…” ----------------------------------------------------------------- And so we all chatted in the living room. Trying to act like a ‘normal’ family. Whatever that is. Lucy kept asking Michael questions, but he kept looking at her with disgust. Lucifer explained to me discreetly that Michael is bad enough normally, but he despises the ‘creatures’ of Earth, ‘creatures’ being vampires and werewolves and undead. Humans he can stand… just about. It was adorable really though, because it looked like a toddler asking their Uncle question after question, and the Uncle has had enough but is trying to be polite and not ruin dinner. Azrael was busy talking to Susie about Death, about their experiences, all whilst Beth sipped her wine, happily listening to her wife ramble on. Grim and Abby kept to themselves mostly, they didn’t seem bothered by my angelic siblings. Vic got an earful from Beatrice, before our friend turned her gaze to her ‘exes’ and started having a go at the pair in the corner of the room, before dragging both of them out of the room to finish cooking Christmas dinner. It was hilarious, Gabriel and Raphael both following her heels closely, like a couple of submissives… It made me wonder just what kind of relationship they had had in the past. And… how many of my damn siblings she’s dated… Lucifer sat in the recliner, drinking slowly, happily listening to the chaos that had engulfed our normally-cosy living area. Vic… Vic seemed hesitant to even look at me. She could see how weird I felt about this, and I think she felt like she had fucked up. Which just left me, sitting on the sofa, awkwardly, not talking or interacting with anyone, just watching everyone else socialising or enjoying themselves. Twiddling my thumbs, squirming in place as my other hunger started rising… I was not exactly having fun. This wasn’t the reunion I was expecting. It was somehow better but also worse than what I had imagined. They weren’t at each other’s throats… or mine… but there was this awkward distance between Lucifer and the others, as if none of them could stand to even look at her, let alone be near her. Lucifer, however, didn’t seem to mind this, as if she was used to it… maybe even enjoyed it. So, taking the initiative, I took a deep breath and walked over to where Lucy and Michael were sitting and completely interrupted what moment they were having by sitting on Michael’s lap. It seems my inner brat was back, and I was going to take these fuckers down with me if they don’t start behaving like adults. “So do you have wings? Do they magically appear or are they squeezed under your suit? Can I see them?” Lucy asked him as I sat down. “Grim wants to chat to you.” I lied to Lucy, making her wander off awkwardly, sitting by Abby and Grim and chatting to them. Once she was out of earshot, I turned and grinned at Michael, who looked just as visibly disgusted at me as he did around Lucy. “What?” He snapped at me. “How’s it hanging, big bro?” I replied, my grin growing with each uncomfortable second. “Hello, Niazriel.” He was clearly an angel of few words. “So obviously correct me if I’m wrong, as the whole ‘having my memories stolen from me’ kinda ruins a reunion when you can’t remember even knowing them… but it seems you don’t like me. Why is that?” “I…” “Is it my red skin? Tail? Horns?” “That is just evidence of your betrayal.” He looked up at me and stared at me directly in the eyes. “But I don’t even remember doing it. And even then, it sounds like Dad wasn’t exactly ‘Father of the Year’...” “Don’t you dare talk about him that way…” Michael growled at me, trying not to raise his voice. “Or what? He’ll take my memories again? Oh what a shame. Plus I heard it was you who planted that idea in his head…” “He can do much more than that. What if he decides to take away your little girlfriend…” I laughed and put my hand on his shoulder, gripping tighter and tighter until I could feel my nails cutting through his suit. Any tighter and that’s not all that they would be cutting through… “Michael… don’t underestimate our sister.” Lucifer said, appearing behind me. It appears she had been listening the whole time and decided now was the best time to step in… probably for Michael’s sake. “You hear all the gossip in the Silver City, so I assume you heard about what she did when those cultists took her girlfriend away from her, right?” “I…” Michael rolled his eyes. “She. Is. Off. Limits. Got that?” I growled. Michael just grumbled at me. “GOT THAT?” I growled louder, gaining the attention of the other guests in the room. “Understood.” He muttered. “I don’t give a flying fuck what kind of beef you’ve got with Lucifer, monsters, and more importantly… me. You can come at me with all you’ve got if you want. But if you, or Dad, come for her… I will tear down the Silver City if you even lay a finger on her.” “She will. Not even Dad will be able to stop her.” Lucifer added. “Off limits. Got it. Now get your filthy claws off me, Hellspawn…” Michael replied, with venom in his voice. My anger subsided and I put a huge grin on my face and smiled at him. “Okay Big bro, good catch up!” I said with a chipper voice, jumping off his lap and skipping off to go sit with Vic. “What was that?” Vic asked as I sat on her lap and snuggled up to her, laying my head on her shoulder. “Just family squabbles. It’s nothing.” I smiled up at her. “You threatened him, didn’t you? Because he threatened me?” “Only a little bit. But wait… you could hear?” “No, but I saw your tail stand on end when he growled at you. Then I saw the vice-like grip on his shoulder and put two and two together.” “S… sorry…” “No sweetie, I’m sorry for not telling you about inviting them. I just thought… I wanted you to have family here for Christmas. And now that your memories are slowly returning, I was hoping seeing them would speed it up a bit and you could be happy. I didn’t even stop to think about the animosity between Lucifer and your other siblings… or you and them.” “Shush. You did a lovely thing, but it blew up in your face. Plus Gabriel and Raph seem okay with me! Az… she seems okay… I guess… and hey, Michael is a dick to everyone, apparently. And did you see Beatrice’s face when she found out Gabe and Raph were here? Priceless. That alone would be the best Christmas present ever.” I grinned up at her. “Well I’m glad you’re okay with it. Again, I’m sorry. But don’t worry, that’s not all your presents. I know you got the toys earlier and your computer, and now this… but there’s still one present later.” My eyes lit up upon receiving this news. I loved presents. “What is it?” “That would ruin it. You just enjoy your day. Food shouldn’t be too long now, then after a few party games we’ll snuggle up just me and you and have a nice evening together. That’s when you can have your present, okay baby?” “Is it a sexy present then?” “It’s… pretty sexy.” She smiled back at me. I clapped my hands, excitedly, wiggling on her lap as my tail swished back and forth behind me. “Now, baby girl… how’s that nappy?” She whispered. “I… umm… it’s a bit soggy…” I whispered back. “I can tell…” “Y… you can?” “Yes. But don’t worry, pretty sure your big brother couldn’t tell you were padded when you sat on his lap.” I blushed and nuzzled into her shoulder more, enjoying this closeness, surrounded by family. Even if it is a little dysfunctional. Chapter 4: Christmas Dinner Infernum Infantem: Nativitas Reunionis – LittleFallenPrincess “Who wants to say grace?” Gabriel asked as we all sat around the enormously long dining table in this lavish dining room. Everyone had their own places, with Vic and my friends sitting at one end, and me and my siblings sitting at the other end. I wish I was sitting next to Vic, but my family insisted on spending more time with me after wasting so much time being yelled at by Beatrice. “Seriously, Gabe?” Lucifer gave the hardest stare at our sister, and I quickly joined in. “What?” She replied, not seeing why we were so upset. “You want to thank Dad for this… when both of us were…” “You were cast down for rebelling! That’s on you.” Gabriel responded, sounding very ‘holier than thou’ towards us. “I don’t think it’s in good taste either…” Vic said, thankfully standing up for me. “But we are his loyal children.” Gabe argued. “You’re a suck up, that’s what you are.” Lucifer muttered, rolling her eyes. “SHUT UP SAMAEL!” Gabriel yelled across the table. “OR WHAT?” Lucifer shouted back. “OR I’LL SEND YOU BACK TO HELL MYSELF!” Michael joined in. The three of them started yelling back and forth at each other, picking up cutlery and threatening the other with it. Raph and Azrael hadn’t raised their voices or joined in yet, but I could see them eyeing Lucifer like they were ready to attack her. “Please… stop…” Vic muttered, sounding a little overwhelmed. Normally she’d stand up for herself, and especially for me… but these are angels, she’s just a human. I think she felt a little out of her depth around this celestial family feud, so her fight was just… gone. I could see how upset she was getting as Raphael and Azrael finally joined in the yelling, aiming their hatred at Lucifer. It was now four on one and my girlfriend was getting overwhelmed and Beatrice looked like she was ready to step in but Beth was holding her back, with her hand gripping her sister’s arm. “This… was supposed to be a nice Christmas… I haven’t celebrated since… her… and I just wanted Nia to…” Vic started quietly crying to herself next to me. And I lost it. “EVERYONE SHUT THE FUCK UP!” The scream violently filled the room, echoing through the whole manor, making everyone freeze in place, instantly losing their voices, looking terrified. As they all stopped and turned to look at me, their eyes widened in fear and shock (well, all except Beatrice, who had the biggest grin on her face right now), I felt my throat ache like never before, so I grabbed a glass of water from in front of me and chugged it down before looking back up at my siblings and slamming my hands down on the dining table. “STOP. NOW.” I coughed out, sounding scratchy after what was probably the loudest noise I had ever managed. “Can’t you see what you’re doing to my love?” I said, pointing at Vic who had stopped crying at this point and joined the rest of them looking up at me in shock. “I…” Gabe began. “NO! Shut the fuck up, Gabe. And you too Michael. And you Raph. And Azrael.” Lucifer smiled and began to open her mouth before I cut her off too. “AND you too, Lucifer.” They all sat down, awkwardly, giving each other menacing glances. “I don’t give a shit what went down thousands of years ago. Boo hoo, Lucifer rebelled. Maybe she did it for good reason, I don’t know, I CAN’T FUCKING REMEMBER thanks to the worst father of all time. But no matter what, that shit happened so long ago it should be in the past and forgotten about. People change. Look at me, I was torturing nerds in Hell until not that long ago. And now here I am, surrounded by the most wonderful family. And no, this doesn’t include any of you angelic arseholes. Look at my gorgeous girlfriend… She wanted the world to end for the past 40 or so years, but here she sits, trying her best to give me the best Christmas possible. People change. If you can’t deal with that, or at least play nice together, get… the fuck… out.” I growled, bearing my fangs at my ‘siblings’. Vic put her hand on mine and smiled up at me. “S… sorry.” Lucifer said, finally finding the courage to speak up. “I guess things have been left to fester for a while now. None of us ever even tried to move on.” “Yeah… I’m sorry…” Gabriel looked just as guilty as the rest of them, but managed to smile up at Lucifer with genuine kindness in her eyes. “Sorry, Sis…” Raph and Azrael chimed in next. Michael though… no, he can’t accept anything, being the righteous Daddy’s boy that he is… And so he left. Just took the napkin from his collar and dropped it on the plate, before screeching his chair back and walking out in a huff. There was an awkward silence lingering in the air as no one knew what to say once Michael had left. “More food for me!” We all stared at Grim, who had the biggest grin on his face as he reached over and grabbed Michael’s plate, bringing it over to his place and began devouring it. And so the silence broke. Tensions were relieved as everyone laughed at the wolf boy shoving a turkey leg into his mouth. “That, Beatrice… that was amazing.” Lucifer said, undoing the button on her waistcoat and patting her tummy. “I agree.” Gabriel added, gently placing her knife and fork on the empty plate. We had all eaten way too much food and collapsed back into our chairs, not a single one of us leaving a scrap of food on our plates. “Glad we can finally agree on some things.” Luci replied. “Like how we’ve got the best little sister ever?” Gabe smiled at Lucifer, before they both looked at me. “Agreed.” I quickly hid my blushing face behind my napkin. “Shame Michael couldn’t accept this new normal. But then he never liked me.” Luci shrugged. “Don’t mind him, he’s always been like this.” Gabriel said to Lucifer before turning to me. “Thank you, Nia, for all this. And you too Vic, I can’t imagine a better human… no, person, for my sister to be with.” Vic’s face lit up and found it hard to maintain eye contact with my sister. “Yeah, Nia… you’ve found yourself a really good human. And who knew these… What is the collective term for you lot? Monsters?” Gabriel asked. “We don’t really like that term…” Abby spoke up, after staying quiet for so long during that awkward family drama. “Sorry, what do you call your kind then? We’ve always called you monsters.” “We never really coined a term, though lately we’ve been going by ‘Monstrum’.” “That’s literally the same word we use but in a dead language…” Gabe looked confused. “Yes, but it doesn’t sound as mean.” Lucy piped up. Gabriel just laughed, making Lucy blush instantly. “Okay then, well it turns out we’ve been a bit hasty in judging these ‘Monstrum’. Okay… I can see it now, it doesn’t sound as horrible, I understand now. Anyway, yeah, I’m glad you’ve found a family of your own Nia. Though please never forget you also have one in the Silver City.” “And in the underworld…” Lucifer added. “Am I even allowed back in Heaven?” I asked. “I’ll have to talk to Dad. Maybe I can get you a visitor's pass?” Gabe laughed. “So what now?” Beatrice asked, changing the topic quickly, thankfully. “Games and a few drinks?” Vic suggested. “Brilliant! I’m a pro at that game where you buy property and build hotels.” My ex-Nanny grinned. “NO! I’m not playing with you again. I ended up owing you like twelve favours that one game we had.” Lucifer replied to her. “Yeah, I’m out already. Never play against Beatrice.” My other three angelic siblings all said, bowing out instantly. “I’ll play!” Lucy spoke up, stupidly getting herself into something she wasn’t prepared for. “Me too!” Abby and Grim added. Susie and Beth knew better, keeping their mouths shut, as did I. Vic was about to agree to play before I quickly reached over and placed my hand over her mouth, shaking my head violently at her, trying to signal to her not to. “The three kiddos then…” Bea’s grin grew wider… and more sinister. “We’ll have to get going, we need to get back to the Silver City and make sure Michael isn’t telling Dad too many lies about today. Plus you know it’s the ‘kid’s fake birthday, and we already got an earful for skipping out part of that.” Gabriel shrugged. “Awww, do you really have to go?” I whined. “Don’t worry, we’ll come visit more often now.” I climbed out of my chair and ran over to Gabe, pouncing on her and giving her the biggest hug. “I’m glad you’re back with us, Nia. And thank you for starting the healing process for our family. It may take a while, maybe even a few centuries or millennia… but I think we’ll get there eventually thanks to you.” “And Michael?” I asked. “I’m sure you’ll drag him along with us, kicking and screaming, if needed. Don’t you worry about him.” “Oh… Miss Gabriel?” Susie shouted from the other side of the dining room. “Yes, Susan?” “Can you tell my Grandma something?” “Sure. What is it?” Gabriel smiled at my reanimated friend. “That… I… That I made the right choice.” Susie said, blushing and burying her face into her wife’s shoulder. “Got it. I’ll make sure she gets your message.” Gabriel replied, smiling at her. “I’ll see you out. Luci… are you staying or going?” I asked my devilish sister. “I’ll… stay for a bit. If that’s okay. It was nice seeing you Gabe. Eww… I can’t believe I said that. Nia, you’re rubbing off on me.” Lucifer laughed. “She’s always been able to do that. On all of us.” Gabe said, squeezing me tighter. Once my more angelic side of the family had left, leaving just my ‘Monstrum’ side and my devilish sister left, we all moved back into the living room and broke out the party games. Of course Beatrice won her games against my friends, making them all quickly regret signing up for it. And because they lost… they’re all currently in the cutest, frilliest little baby maid outfits, waddling about, cleaning the manor from top to bottom with feather dusters and washing the dishes after our meal. I swear I have never seen Lucy’s face more red than it was during that humiliating experience. The rest of us all dodged a bullet. A very humiliating, blushy, bullet. Lucifer had a few more drinks before bowing out and leaving, but not before she teased my friends. I guess having the head honcho for torturing as a sister pays off, it makes her an expert at teasing. Though for some reason, she still pales in comparison to Beatrice, who kept the losers of their little game blushy for the rest of the afternoon and evening, all the way up to the point where they had to leave and go back to their homes. Nia, Grim and Abby were the next to go, thanking Vic and me for such an amazing Christmas and thanking Beatrice for the food once again. And I noticed as they all waddled out of the manor in their normal clothes… Beatrice hadn’t returned everything back to normal. That extra-wide waddle was not there before… Susie, Beth and Beatrice stayed for another hour, before announcing that they were leaving, but not before Beatrice handed a little wrapped present to Vic, planting a little kiss on her cheek and winking at me. And once the door shut… it was just Vic and I, alone together, again. “What did she give you?” I asked, desperate to know what surprise present Vic got. “A present. Isn’t that obvious, silly baby?” My girlfriend grinned at me. “Buh wha is it!?” I whined more. “Oh I see, as soon as your friends have gone, little Nia comes out to play instantly…” “I wanna knooooooow!” “I… fine. Come with me, demonling.” Vic said, grabbing my hand and escorting me into the living room, where it suddenly felt so… empty… so lifeless. All that was left were the remnants of the board games we had been playing, the empty glasses of alcohol that had been consumed, and the roaring fireplace keeping the room from freezing over. “So… what is it?” I asked again as my girlfriend led me to the fireplace, now holding both of my hands as she positioned me perfectly in line with the toasty hearth. “This… is a present for both of us.” She said, letting go of my hands and taking apart the wrapping on the small box. It looked like a jewellery box. “Is that…?” “It is. A new amulet of protection. Though this is enhanced with certain extra magical properties…” She teased. “Huh?” “Your wet nurse isn’t on Christmas break, sweetie. She isn’t needed anymore, so I gave her a hefty severance payment.” “Wait… so…” “If you ever need to nurse, or you want to feed through more adult means… this has got you covered either way…” I blushed and nearly melted into a little pile of demon goo on the spot at the thought of her feeding me like my wet nurse does… did… I mean, I was a blushy mess whenever she fed me, and I guess I needed to feed otherwise I’d have to suck on other people’s lifeforce, people who can’t regenerate. But it felt… less special. This though… This was my ultimate fantasy involving Vic. Or at least I thought it was… “But I have one last gift to be opened.” Vic said, reaching behind her back. “Ooooh! From who?” I asked. “From me… to you.” “Huh? I thought I got my presents.” “They were presents for little you. I told you earlier I had one more for you, so this… this is for my girlfriend.” “Huh?” And that’s when she pulled out another box, though this one was… smaller. Holding it in one hand, she used the other to open it, but at the same time… she knelt down, standing on one knee. “Wait… I… I’ve seen humans… oh…” My brain was piecing all my memories back together, the ones I remembered about all this, as I saw the sparkling great big whopping diamond on the silver ring in the box. “Nia, my love… will you marry me?” ======================================================== And there we have it. So... what did you all think? I loved writing it and so far I've made a number of my supporters on SubscribeStar cry, which I am very proud of. I just finished writing Little in Love 2, so after a small break I'll be starting Monster book #3, which will be posted once Little in Love 2 has finished (got months left of that, don't worry, it won't be for a while that we see monster book 3 on here). And as stated, this is going to be the rough length of most of my short stories that I'll be taking commissions for, starting next month. They will be exclusive to my SubscribeStar though. Don't worry, my main series stories are still going to be posted here, two weeks after they're posted on my SubscribeStar like usual. And lastly... Happy New Year! Expect more LittleFallenVerse and LittleFallenMonsterVerse (Name pending) in this new year! And maybe even MORE evil cliffhangers! 😈 Also if you haven't heard, I'm now up and running on Subscribestar! (Sorry, just trying to get the word out that I've found a new home now, trying to get my supporters back!) ======================================================== I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! Please leave likes and comments and all that fun stuff, I love reading them! If you want to read the next 4 chapters, thanks to two weeks early access to my main story and also soon-to-be exclusive access to short stories (or even have a chance at commissioning one when I add the tier for them!), why don't you check out my SubscribeStar! The basic tier gets early access and exclusive access to short stories (when they're written), higher tiers will be limited but get a short story each month (1-2 per month in total). Thank you to all my patrons for their support over the past couple of years! Seriously, your support meant the world to me, and I hope to be set up somewhere new soon. New chapters of Little in Love 2 every Wednesday/Sunday! Also just a quick note: I don't mind people saving this story for personal reading. But I'd appreciate it if people didn't post it elsewhere, even if you're just suggesting it to other people. If you want to show others, please send them a link to the first page of this post! Thanks!

I thought it was time for a Christmas story. I've got a good bit worked out already. This is just a teaser for the first chapter. Before every part I will try to post triggers that will appear. This will either go really well or really bad. If the latter happens I'll probably stop. These stories have all affected me in my past. My fantasy or fancy is that great can come from grave. We have to hold those things in our hearts, the things that are good. I won't call it easy or simple but when the world shows how cruel it is we can show the good. It's not to say scars won't remain, but we can use those scars to remind us of exactly what we refuse to ever be. -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- Everyone knows the story of Saint Nicholas. Yeah, yeah, jolly old man, with the jello belly. Laughs like he's insulting the world. You know the 8 tiny reindeer dragging around his overly puffy, wrapped in red velvet self. We all know that story, it's been drilled into us since birth. We've grown up on his kindness and his joy. His mystery feeds us as we try to understand how he manages such feats year after year. Truly, we all know that story. We may even recall his famous little Rudolph. With his nose all aglow. Guiding the sleigh to safe harbor in storms. His fame may even rival Santa Claus. He stands among the greats, saving Christmas time and again. Yes, even his accomplishments have breached the isolation of the north pole and made it to the mere mortals. These stories we know by heart, they sing us to sleep through the year, and for one night they rouse our excitement and refuse us rest. Yes we know these by heart…. But there is a story that is not told often, one that often is overlooked, or worse…. wrongly told. This is a story of another great good. For only good things are allowed at the north pole. Only pure hearts, honorable intentions, these things are allowed in this place of wonder. However, Selfless love is desired above all others in the North Pole. In reality, all of the greatest stories here are rooted and built on selfless love. The story, our story, is all about finding that one virtue. Finding it where it has held strong, held strong against tyrannical monsters, against overbearing circumstances. Where it has stood as a bastion of hope for the weak, refusing to die amidst the suffering. This story is about bringing that selfless love to the place where it will be grown and nurtured. Where it will be celebrated and cheered. Warmed and cherished, much to the dismay of the oppressive envious ones who witness the miracle of our story. It is true our story always begins in the ruins, it will, however, always end in a palace. You see, for those to be given the honor, there must be proof. It must be evident that their hearts do not waver. Even in the darkest nights, the lowest valleys, the coldest winters, or the loudest tempest. Yes, our story may not be widely known, nor is it famous from the songs sung by millions of children, but we know, yes we know the story. We know it all too well, we have lived it, and with each new face it is refreshed in our minds and hearts. Now you will know it too, hereafter, Yes you will know it too. You see, it is time we like all the other immortals tell the story, the great story, the story of our greatest benefactor. The story of Mrs. Clause...

The night was quiet. Dead quiet. But, every night was dead to Chelsea. And every day, even when there was life outside, was dead to Chelsea. After all, she did not have a life anymore. Dead was her only option. Being a ghost was not a life-changing experience. It was a death-changing experience. She had to learn to stop using the “L” word. It only made her sad and nostalgic. She still remembered how it all ended and started. She went to bed one Saturday, feeling particularly queasy. When she didn’t wake up on Sunday, she felt lighter than air. She was too busy sulking and coping to hear the coroner’s report. She was already dead. How it happened didn’t matter much now. The first few nights of her death were her experimental phase. Trying to see what movies and books and TV got right about ghosts. The possession stuff was mostly true. Moving people was still beyond her, but moving objects was a fun new hobby. She found a new distaste for loud noises and bright sunlight. They weren’t fatal. Just extremely annoying. It was not much of an issue. She was always a night owl at heart. Chelsea always did her best work at night. Tonight, she hoped, was one of those nights. She floated high above the city buildings, looking for a home she had not haunted yet. She was starting to become glad that she had died in a big city. She had more options than she knew what to do with in this next life. How funny, how dark. “Eenie-meanie…” The ghostly gal sang to herself, her finger dancing from building to building, “Miny…That one!” She found her target, dashing through the walls of a particularly fetching apartment complex. Ghosts did not have much for feelings, but Chelsea had a great feeling for tonight. She landed inside of a plain looking bedroom. She spotted a woman who was about Chelsea’s age (assuming she had not died some time ago) sitting at her computer screen. “Alrighty,” Chelsea said, cracking the nonexistent bones in her ghostly knuckles, “Let me see what I can do.” When you die, they can’t hear you, by the way. Anyone who says otherwise is a total liar. Chelsea found that out day one. A ghost could be screaming straight into your ear, an all it would translate to is an odd chill. Chelsea casually strolled over beside the girl, glancing at her computer screen. People always acted more interestingly when they thought no one was watching. The stories that ghosts could tell. It normally gave Chelsea a good idea on where to start. Chelsea waited a while, watching both the woman and her computer, until something interesting had happened. Here’s what she got. The woman’s name was Nora. She was in college, third year. Chelsea couldn’t tell her major, but guessed it was English. Nothing too amazing or surprising. She looked like a stereotypical bookworm anyway. Thick black glasses. A neat and tidy haircut. She probably thought that ghost belonged in the fiction section. Chelsea was getting ready to leave and to declare tonight as a bust. But all that changed when the nerd finally emoted, slumping back in her seat. She closed out her browser and loaded up a file on her computer. The woman and the ghost stared at the computer screen in anticipation, both unknowingly sharing a rush of excitement as the title card dropped. “POV: Mommy’s Special Punishment” This. Was. Perfect! Nerdy types were always a gamble. But when they hit, boy did they hit. When she was still alive, Chelsea had always considered herself an artist. She loved a good storyline, especially when it sprouted from real people. Nora here was a classic. Wallflower by day, deviant by night? This was her best pull yet! “Nora!” the ghost chided playfully, “You sneak!” Chelsea knew Nora could not hear her. The commentary was for Chelsea’s sake only. Even if she could, Nora was far too excited to stop what she was doing. Nora hopped off her seat to fetch something from under her bed on the other side of the room. Chelsea chose to watch the computer screen as the first scene played. Fade from black. The computer screen displayed a buxom blonde woman. Her apparel was in the style of a sexy librarian seen in hundreds of other smutty films like this one. She stared into the camera, looking rather cross. “You are in big trouble, missy, I just got off of the phone with your teacher, and I am very disappointed with you.” The story beats were nothing groundbreaking. The stepmother character was punishing her stepdaughter for missing school and having failing grades. Nothing Chelsea hadn’t seen before, but also… “Your homeroom teacher tells me you’ve been having accidents again. Honestly! I am so disappointed in you. You are already nineteen! Don’t you think you are too old for this. Apparently not, because you keep going potty in your panties.” This was…different. Had the humiliation game gotten an update while she was away? Chelsea was not sure how to get into whatever this was. Then again, ghosts were not “into” anything. Libido was for the living. Despite this, Chelsea was still confident in her ability to spot something niche and taboo. What was Nora watching? Chelsea looked over to the woman in question, and her surprise was renewed. Nora was sitting down, stark naked. That wasn’t the interesting part. What was interesting was the toys she pulled out. Diapers. Adult diapers. Adult diapers designed to look like baby diapers. Decorated head-to-toe with imagery of lollipops and gumdrops and candy corn. Even the package had a juvenile design to match. There were other appropriate tools as well. Baby powder, baby oil. A pacifier, with a size that bordered on comical. “If you are going to act like a baby, I have no choice but to treat you like one.” “But Mommy…” Nora replied in bated breaths. “No butts, little missy. Except for yours covered in powder. Now lie down.” Nora complied, seating herself in the open diaper as instructed. Chelsea knew she should jump in at some point, but this was all too rich. If she still had a working heart, it would be beating out of her chest. This was all so new to her. Yet it was all so exciting. Really! She wasn’t even sure ghosts could be excited until today. Perhaps it was due to the ether of everything, and Nora’s excitement was rubbing off on her. Chelsea didn’t know where to start. She looked at the young nude woman, who eagerly hung onto every word from the woman onscreen. Chelsea looked over towards the computer. The woman on screen was lying out an open diaper in front of the camera. Similar in size to Nora’s, but with a much more traditional white design. “There are going to be some big changes around here, little missy. You are going to do exactly as Mommy says.” An idea popped into the ghost’s head. Chelsea floated over to Nora, knowing exactly the role she needed to play. “I don’t want to hear any more of your mouth today. This stays in, no buts.” The actress held a pacifier up to the camera and pushed it forward, out of view. Both Chelsea and Nora got the memo, but Nora acted faster. She corked the pacifier in her mouth, eagerly suckling on it. Chelsea mused, “Alright, I can do that.” She snapped her fingers, deploying her first ghostly trick. “Mmmph!?” Nora gave a shocked shriek as the pacifier’s strap was tightened in place. “No, no, no. Don’t fuss. Mommy doesn’t want to hear any of your backtalk.” “Man, how can you even hear this thing,” Chelsea griped, “Did you set the volume to four?” Taking matters into her own hands, Chelsea snapped her fingers, and cracked the volume to max. She also took the liberty of floating the laptop next to Nora, so she could get a better view. Nora, all the while, laid there in stunned silence. Objects, Chelsea found out early, were very easy to levitate. And what were clothes, if not objects people chose to wear? Humans were not easy targets. But the clothes made them like fish on a line. If a human was wearing a heavy jacket or a pair of jeans, anything really, Ghost had a much easier time moving them to-and-fro. Nora tried to get back up, but Chelsea wasn’t having it. Chelsea had a solid grip on the pacifier and forced the girl back down with ease. “Hold your horses. I’m still figuring this stuff out. We haven’t even got to the good part yet.” “Now let me get you all powdered up. This is going to smell so much nicer than a pair of wet panties.” The actress drizzled a liberal amount of powder in front of the camera. Chelsea floated the powder over the girl’s crotch, trying to match the dosage. Chelsea tried her best not to be wasteful. She knew how easily college drained any excess funds. Chelsea was also glad the whole “Powder revealed ghosts” thing was a myth. “Mommy is going to rub that in now…there we go. Nice and fresh.” Chelsea looked down at Nora, still sweating and splayed out. Most of the powder managed to land on her privates, and was ample for rubbing in. Chelsea brought her palm down, mimicking the circular motions seen in the video. Ghosts still had the ability to move certain things with their hands, even if they were not technically touching. Ripples in the water. Waves in the sand. Basically, if the wind could move it, a ghost probably could too. Powder, baby or otherwise, was one of the lucky objects. For ghosts, it was an improvement, because they didn’t need to clean their hands from messes afterwards. “Now, time for the oil. Mommy wants to make sure you stay nice and soft.” Chelsea looked over to the baby oil and paused. It was not a matter of could, but rather of should. Applying baby oil was something of an invasive process. Chelsea felt like she was close to crossing a line. Fun was fun, but Nora had her rights. Before Chelsea had the chance to leave, her night partner decided for her. Nora was staring in her direction, eagerly holding up the jar of baby oil with both hands. Chelsea knew Nora couldn’t see her. She knew it. Not one person had been able to see her yet. But perhaps, maybe, Nora was able to feel her. Feeling was an entirely different game than seeing. If seeing was believing, what did that make feeling? Make-believing? Make-believing. Make-believing was for fairy tales and figments, and ghosts who found themselves in impossible situations. And the people who ended up near them. And Nora sure as hell looked ready to make-believe tonight. “MM-oil!” The young woman demanded behind the bulb of her pacifier. As an experiment, Chelsea tipped the oil onto Nora’s privates. She waited patiently for further instructions… “Mm-ub! Mub!” While her speech was garbled, Nora’s message was clear. Nora wanted a haunting, bad. A haunt with a willing participant. This girl was so full of surprises! Well, Chelsea definitely was not going to leave her wanting now! Best she could, Chelsea took her hand and rubbed the oil in. Oil was thicker than powder, but Nora wasn’t complaining. Quite the opposite. She squirmed and panted with every motion. Chelsea pegged Nora for the quiet type. That was probably true, on any night but this one. Between the pacified pants and the video’s audio, there was not a second of quiet in the small apartment room. “Good girl. Now let’s get this taped up. There we go.” “Mommy” folded and taped the diaper shut. Chelsea followed suit, pulling the tapes on Chelsea’s diaper together. They stuck together easily, leaving the ghost feeling oddly proud. Nora’s eyes sparkled when she stared down at the final result. Chelsea wiped off her hands, feeling satisfied. “I gotta say, Nora. You really know how to have a good time. Glad I could stop by.” “Ah-ah! Stay down, little lady. Mommy isn’t done yet. We still have to get all those naughty feelings out of your system.” While Chelsea looked confused, Nora was drooling at the sight on-screen. Just when Chelsea thought she knew the score, another curve ball came flying her way. “Don’t try to act innocent, sweetie. Mommy has seen it all before. Stuck thinking about boys? Girls? Hey, hey. It’s okay. Mommy knows how frustrating it can be, not being able to act on your feelings.” The woman shook a strange device in front of the camera. It vaguely resembled a microphone, painted white instead of black. The top(?) was also flat and smooth as well. Nora had one of her own and held it to the sky like the oil before. Chelsea floated it out of her partner’s hand and began to examine it. Right off the bat, she could tell it was electrical. No issue. Ghost had no problem flicking on electric devices. Lamps and light switches and the lot were all basic. After twirling the toy in the air a few times, Chelsea managed to click it on, producing a low buzz. While Chelsea was still in the dark, Nora knew exactly what it was for, signaled by her rapid nodding. Chelsea once again turned to the on-screen video for guidance. “That’s right. Let it all out. Mommy only wants to help.” The mommy was rubbing the device over the front of the diaper. Simple enough, right? Chelsea made contact. Nora curled her feet. All the pieces fell into place. As an artist, Chelsea should have known better. You can’t have a great story without a strong climax. “Mmmmph!” The college girl moaned behind her rubber nipple. Chelsea laughed. She found herself being struck with a giddy sense of excitement that she had forgotten from days alive. Hell, this might even be better than that. This was raw. This was scary and raw and exciting. Oh, this was alive! All the wonderful and beautiful feelings that told someone they were alive! Two strangers, sharing a night together. Two souls, knowing what it meant to feel alive. “Ooh! I think Mommy is getting warmer. Come on darling, let it all out. Mommy’s vibrator sped up, and so did Chelsea’s. The ghost did not need Nora’s help to find the next level of speed. “MMMMMPPH!” “That’s it! You are doing so well!” Chelsea rubbed and pressed the vibrator as best she could. Even without Nora’s muffled praise, she knew she was doing well. Better than anyone else could. Better, because she cared about this moment. This feeling. “One more. Almost there! Come on now baby!” “MMMph! MMpph! MMMmph!” The vibrator was at max level now. There was no stopping now. Their story was coming to an end, but the end was coming all the same. Chelsea was sure she was shaking herself now, at the very end. Faster. Faster! At the very end! “MMMPH!” “You can do it baby! Do it for Mommy!” This was it! They were here! She was— “MMMMMMMoOoOOOoOAh!!!” “There we go! Good girl! Mommy is so proud of you! We got all those naughty, sticky, pent-up feelings out! Mommy knew you could do it! Now, Mommy still has to punish you. Skipping school and wetting your panties is a big no-no. But don’t worry. I’m sure after this weekend, you will be ready to be the good girl Mommy knows you can be!” When she was still alive, Chelsea had considered herself an artist. She loved seeing stories sprouting, especially from people. A wallflower and a ghost share a night of unbridled passion? It was one she would not soon forget. People were often so hard for new ghosts to levitate, because of how much they tended to wriggle and panic and squirm. Nora, however, did not prove to be a problem. She was still enjoying her glaze, not willing to fight much of anything now. Especially not the ghost who had given her an unforgettable night. Chelsea took note of this, and gently floated the woman into bed, tucking her in. Chelsea undid the straps on Nora’s pacifier, but Nora still suckled on it all the same. Chelsea even went so far as to tidy up her space. She cleaned up all the changing supplies and sent the laptop, like its owner, to sleep. It was hard to tell how Nora would react when she woke up. After her hauntings, Chelsea never stayed to find out. It wasn’t her style. In both life and death, she never liked staying in one place for too long. “Well, that was certainly something. Looks like you had even more fun than me! First time for everything, I suppose.” Chelsea landed an invisible kiss on Nora’s cheek, and Nora smiled tenderly. “I hope you find a mommy who can give you nights just like this one.” Just as horny college students needed their rest, so did ghosts. Chelsea faded back into the shadows, off to find some dark nook to rest during the day. As she did so, she found herself looking forward to all the new experiences death could bring. There were so many fun and exciting people out there, just like Nora. Chelsea couldn’t wait to meet them all.

Bedtimes were the worst. Eleanor knew this to be fact, as she stared up at the clock that hung on the pastel pink walls of her nursery. The cartoon cat on the wall was almost taunting her with its Cheshire smile, as its eyes swayed back and forth with every ticking second. While the cat did not mind having the hours of the day plastered on its belly, Eleanor felt her gut sink as she saw the time. Seven-thirty. Bedtime was upon her. The fact that this disturbed her so much only fueled her further shame. She was a grown woman. She was! Even if everything surrounding her tried to prove the opposite. There was her room, drowned in pastel colors from the striped walls to the fluffy pink carpet. There was her toy chest, filled with plushies and blocks and other juvenile excuses for entertainment. There was her closet, ready to burst with humiliating outfits. Everything from rompers to onesies to overalls to frilly dresses that belong on baby dolls. Nothing she wore allowed any sense of maturity. Nothing at all… Eleanor kicked her splayed legs in frustration, causing a chorus of crinkles to erupt from her undergarments. There were diapers. The ones she was forced to wear at all hours of the day. The ones that puff out with an obvious silhouette. The ones that managed to peek under every skirt, giving the whole world a sneak preview of her underwear. But that wasn’t right. Calling them underwear would be an insult to real underwear. But real underwear was off limits, so Eleanor had to settle for the poofy imitations. Every day, from sunrise to bedtime. Eleanor’s blood turned to ice as she heard the door creak open. “Elly baby!” A booming and carefree voice sang, “It’s beddy-bye time! Let’s get you changed and ready for your trip to dreamland.” It was Mommy. The giant woman who was responsible for her new life. She had a real name. It just wasn’t one Eleanor was allowed to use. Many punishment sessions made that abundantly clear. She was so commanding. So dominant. So mature. She was all these things, and she hid it very well. Behind the veil of a sweet, innocent homemaker. Eleanor had not known what she had done to deserve to cross this woman’s path. In truth, there was no greater reason than fulfilling her desires. Elly was like a rare doll at a flea market. A little treasure too cute to pass up. So that’s what Mommy did. She took her. Far away from the troubles of her adult life. To be fawned over, like other countless Littles. By the Amazons. What other outcome was there? They were bigger, smarter, and had so much love to give. Amazons could not help but target these affections to Littles. Mommy came into Eleanor’s life, smothered her with all the love she never asked for. And she did it all with a smile on her face. Mommy was already well dressed for bedtime. Curlers rolled through her blonde locks. A soft pink nightgown that hugged her generous proportions. She looked ready to down a cup of chamomile tea and drift off herself. Now, seven-thirty was too early a bedtime for most grown-ups. Eleanor knew that, from back when she considered herself part of the same flock. Days when she was overworked and found herself crashing asleep on the couch right around five. Days long past her now. Maybe Mommy was having one of those days herself. Elly had no business in knowing, or in asking. “But Mommy, I’m not tired yet. Can I please stay up just a little bit longer?” Eleanor pouted her lips and looked up toward the mountain of a woman with her best pair of babydoll eyes. It was a weak gambit, she knew that. Eleanor was only delaying the inevitable. The gambit was more for Eleanor than anyone else. Eleanor wanted to prove that she still had some fight left in her. Even after the countless spankings, hours in corner-time, and mouthfuls of castor oil, she still had some fight left in her. Mommy shook her head and wagged a finger. “Uh-uh. We don’t want a cranky wee one on our hands.” Her tone stayed cheery, but Eleanor knew that her words were final and absolute. “But Mommy, I really—Mmmph!” Her protests were cut short as she was met with the familiar taste of a pacifier bulb. The rubber invader inflated and expanded in Eleanor’s mouth, ensuring that it could only be removed by a grown-up—a status Mommy had revoked from Eleanor long ago. “It sounds like my little girl has a lot of big ideas today.” Mommy chided, her tone becoming much firmer, “But bedtime cannot be pushed back any further. So, she will just have to keep them to herself until morning.” Elanor sunk her head, now swiftly defeated. She allowed herself to be lifted and cradled by the giant woman. Eleanor was the Little, after all. There was no strategy in the world that would help someone of her stature trounce an Amazon. None that yielded results, other than being scolded and having one’s bottom swatted repeatedly. However, any late-night randevu would not be complete with a quick visit to the changing table. The Amazon laid Eleanor on her back and prodded at the girl’s soggy padding. “Looks like someone had a run-in with the sog-monster,” Mommy giggled, a dainty hand clasped over her mouth. Eleanor could only lie back and blush. Teasing was customary, and never once did it not feel demoralizing. As Mommy finished assembling the changing supplies, Eleanor looked up and came face-to-face with a crinkling adversary. To call the diaper thick would be an understatement. It was a monstrous brick of fluff. The deep blue color was matched with designs of crescent moons and cartoon whales. A very appropriate design choice, as the thing looked prepared to soak up an ocean. The padding effectively stated that Mommy’s expectations of a dry night from her Little were as low as possible. Were a fairy tale, just like the ones she sometimes read to Elleanor before bed. There was simply nothing she could do. With expert aim, the beastly padding dove straight under Elanor’s bum. Her legs were dropped, and she rested on the impossibly soft surface below. Before she could even protest (with a pacifier-filtered scream), her nether region was cloaked in a cloud of powder. Any nasty smells that made their way into her diaper would be overpowered by scents of sweet vanilla. One of Mommy’s giant hands got to work, and liberally rubbed the powder in. Along with a heap of anti-rash cream, which had proved quite effective in the past. Sticky tapes scrunched and were pulled together, sealing the colossal padding. Eleanor felt her gait spread as the diaper closed, her movement now greatly hindered. Even rolling herself over would be a true test of strength. “Much better. Mommy knows how much her baby loves a nice, dry diaper.” The Amazon said, smiling softly. Was she truly innocent and well-meaning or did the act of controlling the smaller woman give or a sadistic sense of joy? Eleanor had no way of knowing, and neither theory gave her closure. “It’s going to be warm tonight, so we will skip over the jammies for tonight.” Mommy wormed off all for the little one’s evening wear, leaving Elly exposed completely, save for her padded privates. Of course. Babies did not care much for modesty, right? Eleanor was not averse to sleeping topless. But when that call was being made by another woman who did not even see her as grown, it became more humiliating than liberating. Even with her chest exposed to the elements, she felt less like an adult, and more like a hapless toddler. The crinkly mass on her butt and the rubber nipple in her mouth made it all too obvious. As they approached the gigantic crib, with its high bars and taunting mobile, Eleanor felt a bead of sweat run down her head. It was okay, she was a trooper. She had nothing to worry about. There was nothing she needed to feel guilty about. Eleanor had been on her best behavior. She hadn’t gotten into any trouble. She kept most of her backtalk to herself. She gave none of the other Amazons in the neighborhood a reason to complain. She had earned a quiet night. Did Mommy see that? It was the only question that truly mattered. The bulb in Elly’s pacifier was deflated, allowing her to suckle of her own volition. She set her Little down in the crib, the smile on her giant face never wavering. “Well, I believe someone has had a very busy day.” The Amazon narrated; her voice sounding almost melodic. “I know you’ve had a rough time adjusting to everything, but I believe we are over the hill now.” The Amazon paused, as if she could feel the intensity of Elly’s worries and wanted to savor every second. “That said, there is still room for improvement. But that’s okay. I love you and I know you are trying your best. I just need to give you a push in the proper direction.” Mommy clicked the mobile on, allowing it to spin to life. The mobile’s trinkets spun in a lazy stir, glowed like stars in a plastic planetarium. A dull and warn lullaby played on, being the perfect soundtrack to Elly’s growing fear. “This should help you sleep better. I know how much my Elly baby loves this song.” Those were the last words Mommy said, before leaving Elly to deal with her long night. They had to be taunting her, Elly figured. The dull plastic trinkets that spun on the mobile strings. The fat bumblebee and the ladybug smiled high above the helpless Little. The rocket ship rocked on towards the crescent moon, reminding Elly every night of how trapped she was. Every night. But the nights when the mobile sang were the worst. Every night, whenever that song played, Eleanor would lose something. A little bit of focus. A little bit of coordination and memory. A small piece of herself. A small piece of control. Small enough not to notice, until it was too late. Her mind was being toyed with, but she was told she was simply going through big changes. The Amazon saw only an improvement. Not growing up, only growing down. The note was coming, she knew it. “I can do this.” Elly thought, although even she was doubting herself. It was a war of attrition. She had to ration out her willpower, her reminders that she could still have an adult life to return to. But her reserves were running dry, and Mommy had so much more endurance. Amazons were built for endurance, for putting up with fussy mouths and wiping away teary eyes and swatting naughty bottoms until their hands had calluses. The lullaby was halfway through now. “I can do this. I am a grown woman.” She repeated the anthem in her head countless times. All the mental encouragement she could muster did not change the fact that she was suckling on her pacifier like a madwoman with an oral fixation. It did not change the fact that she was stuck in a crib, with only a diaper to cover herself, because the lady that clothes her and feeds her and changes her said so. She wanted to believe it. She needed to believe it. She needed to believe it and hold out for something. Hold out for what? “Hold out for what?” Her least favorite verse was about to play. What was she even holding out for anymore? For help to come. It was an idea yet to be stolen from her. The idea, at its core, was laughable. How many Littles were waiting for the same thing? How many had their prayers answer? The odds were stacked against her, higher than the bars of her crib. She was holding out for herself. But that was laughable as well. Elly’s views were, to simplify matters, at odds with reality. How did Elly view herself? A trapped young woman, with everything to lose? But how did Mommy see her? Baby. How did the daycare workers see her? How did the doctors and nurses and general population see her? Baby. Was it time to call it quits? Elly wasn’t getting any older. “But…I’m not a baby?” First came the high note. How did babies act? Did they whine and fuss when things did not go their way? Did they go on stroller rides during the day, play in the sandbox during and after school? Did they wait for bigger, more mature people to change their diapers, because they couldn’t use the bathroom for one reason or another? What goal was Elly working towards, anyway? She certainly was not on the road of adulthood, given her current track record. But the road paved to be Mommy’s baby? She was steadily on track. “N-no! I can’t be a baby! I need to go! I need to go home! I need—” Then came the low note. The impact was immediate. A torrent of warm mush rushed to the back of her diaper. There was no control, no stopping. All Elly could do was lie on her stomach and support the effort. Elly’s face scrunched up into a look of concentration and despair—a phenomenon that Mommy identified as “potty face”. Elly had to be grateful she was wearing a diaper of such thickness, because she was soundly putting it to the test tonight. The stinky muck caused the diaper to sag and strain for all its worth. As her nightly messing came to a halt, the divide between the strong, confident adult, and the whimpering tot in a crib could not be more obvious. The proof was in the padding. For Elly, like any other baby, any other Little, the next course of action was instinctual. “WWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!! MMMMAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMAAAAAA!!!!!!!!” It was the tell-tale crying of any helpless Little in dire need of a diaper change. Elly finally figured out what she needed, screaming it to high heavens. Luckily, Elly’s baby monitor was on standby, and the call was answered by her favorite listener. “Calm down, calm down. Mommy’s here, Elly-darling! Let me dry those tears.” Mommy sauntered through the door, as sweet and caring and innocent as ever. She clicked the mobile off and picked the flailing, wailing Little. Mommy gave an exaggerated sniff and an overdramatic gasp. “Oh dear! Did the baby make a boom-boom during bedtime? Shh, it’s okay. Mommy will have a fresh diaper on your mushy-tushy in no time.” Mommy reassured, completely undisturbed. Mommy knew that cleaning Elly’s stinky butt came with the territory. Trips to the changing table were a worthy price to pay to have such a precious little girl. “Pee-yew! That is one yucky diaper!” Mommy exclaimed, fanning a hand as she peeled back the tapes of her little one’s poopy diaper, rekindling Elly’s sobs. “Aww, don’t cry, Elly-sweetie. It is perfectly natural for babies to go potty in their pampers. Although, this certainly puts an end to our potty-training arguments, doesn’t it?” She chuckled, and continued the process of changing Elly’s diaper, business as usual. “It’s a good thing we didn’t listen to you and try to get a training potty. It would have been a complete waste of money! Yes it would, yes it would!” The giant woman wiped her hands and tickled the broken girl on her tummy, converting the sobs to giggles. That was how babies acted, after all. Crying one moment and cooing the next. It was a sweet moment between the pair—just the kind that Mommy had been vying so long for. The kind that she knew her, and Elly’s future, would be full of. The woman finished securing a fresh diaper on her baby, happy to see her in a better mood, nuzzling her closely. “Such a good baby! Now, how about a special snack before you head back to dreamland?” Elly nodded, like any sweet little baby would. The kind that suckles on pacifiers because they don’t want to stop. The kind that has big nightly accidents in their diapers and are helpless to change them. The kind that existed in countless homes the world over, waiting for Mommy and Daddy to swoop in and save them. Mommy sat down to give Elly her big special snack. It didn’t take long for her to latch onto it. She was a natural. The Amazon could only smile, satisfied. While a training potty would have been a clear waste of money, the breast pump she bought on sale would no doubt see much use in the future. Elly’s second wind was short lived, however. The Little had fallen to sleep before even reaching the second nipple. This quick meal would ensure that Elly’s second diaper would turn soggy during the night. No issue, neither party would be bothered by this. Elly was a baby now, having no right or sense to mind either way. Mommy was Mommy. She got exactly what she wanted, and nothing was going to change that. So much progress was made in one night. Bedtimes were going to be much easier in the future. *** Elly clacked her dolls together, making kissy sounds with her mouth. Prince Piggly and Ms. Dotty were supposed to be married, but Elly still needed to give them an extra push. Bedtime was surely approaching and spent all day getting every toy ready for the ceremony. She couldn’t really tell how soon Mommy would be here to stop her fun, but she had a feeling. Grown-ups apparently had something called “clocks” to tell them what time was. She knew she had one in her room, and even tried asking the wall-kitty with numbers on its belly for advice. No such luck so far. The door creaked open, and Elly whipped her head around instinctually. “Elly-baby!” Mommy sang, smiling brightly, “It’s beddy-bye time! Who’s ready for a trip to dreamland?” “I am!” Elly proudly announced, her arms outstretched, begging to be hoisted high into the air. Of course she was ready! The sudden and timely appearance of her beloved Mommy instantly made any other possible reaction vanish. “Upsies, upsies!” “Alright, alright. Come here, you little bossy britches.” Mommy lifted the eager girl, landing a big smooch on the cheek of her giggling Little. Her nose wiggled, before pressing a hand on Elly’s drooping diaper. “Just as I thought. Absolutely soaked. Baby can’t go to bed with a soggy pamper on, no ma’am!” Truthfully, Elly had no way of telling. One minute, she would be playing or eating or watching cartoons. The next, she would on her back, getting her undies torn off and replaced, before returning to business as usual. The only difference was that Mommy brought out the big guns for bedtime. The thick nighttime diaper still spread Elly’s legs out wide, but she had plenty of time to adjust. Cumbersome for playtime, but perfectly acceptable for napping. “It’s supposed to be quite chilly tonight. Winter sure did creep up on us.” Mommy thought aloud, while Elly was content to suckle on her thumb. Soon enough, Elly was dressed up in a soft pink footed sleeper. The buttons on the backdoor strained against the heavy-duty diaper but would hopefully last the night. Mommy descended Elly into her crib, leaving her with a kiss on the forehead. “Good night, my perfect little angel. Sleep well.” Before leaving, Mommy lit up the mobile, but chose not to turn the sound on. Her baby was already perfect at falling soundly asleep. Elly didn’t need more instruction than that. She turned over onto her stomach, still suckling away at her thumb, and let sleep soon overtake her. There was one more pressing order of business, however, before Elly could sleep comfortably. One, just like playtime, that required a Little’s push, which she was happy to provide. A wave of mush made way into Elly’s diaper. It hadn’t even been ten minutes since she left the changing table, but this Little had no sense of time anyway. While the diaper was holding up fine, the sleeper’s limits were being pushed until finally— *POP* *POP* The sleeper’s rear flap popped open, letting the loaded diaper sag and hang freely. As the full diaper settled, Elly let out a sigh of relief, and resumed suckling her thumb before drifting off to sleep. There was no fussing, no fighting. No need for punishment or auditory adjustments. Just a happy baby girl, sleeping in her crib. Just the way her mommy had envisioned. Everything was alright now. Being in diapers was no big deal. Being a baby was no big deal. Bedtimes were no big deal.

It was a peaceful Saturday afternoon, the kind not seen in some time. The sky was painted a clear blue and the air was warm and still. Not scorching hot like some summer days—just warm. On a grassy hill overseeing a quaint town, not a soul was stirring except for one tiger and her stack of books. By the day’s end, she hoped to have cracked through a couple of novels that have been wasting away in her backlog. “Let’s see...” Velvet pondered to herself. “Where do we begin? I really wanted to start ‘The Crow Files’ today…” This type of free time didn’t pop up every day. She had to make the most of it. With a clear schedule, there was nothing stopping Velvet from getting lost in a good book. “VEEELVEET!!!” “Oh crap.” Velvet thought. Her ears perked up; she turned her head to see the source of the familiar voice charging towards her. The giant, lion shaped nuisance she was hoping to avoid. “Yo, Velvet,” The nuisance began, “How’s it hanging?” “Baxter.” She answered curtly, “Is there something I can do for you? Did you forget how to open a picket fence or something?” Baxter laughed, interpreting her sharp comment as playful banter. “Naw, it ain’t like that. I just figured, what with it being your day-off and all, you’d be all types of bored. With me being such a nice guy, I thought I’d keep you company.” The lion flicked back his mane and shot a smirk at her. Ugh. “Well Baxter, that’s very…generous of you to think that. Fortunately, I have more than enough good company already.” Velvet motioned towards her stack of books. Baxter scoffed. “Seriously? You can read those books any day.” “Yes, and I want to read them today, idiot.” “I’m a busy cat Velvet. I’m really careful with my days off.” “Yeah right, busy bugging me all the time.” “I have to make my time off special. That’s why I’m trying to spend it with a special girl, you dig?” “Yuck. Gross. Barf.” Velvet’s poker face was beginning to crack. Her claws unsheathed and scratched the grassy hill, a sign that she was running low on pleasantries. What was supposed to be a day for reading had been shanghaied by this lovestruck loser. She struggled to think how this day could get any worse. “Come on Baxter. Isn’t there anything else you’d rather be doing today?” “Anything else?” That stupid smirk was back in full force. “That sounds like an invitation to me. If you wanted to skip the chit-chat all you had to say was—” “VELVET VELVET VELVET VELVET VELVET!!!!” “Oh great. It’s the other one.” Before the two big cats could even blink, someone else was already standing attention in front of Velvet. He was a cheetah, fur slicked back and bursting with energy. “Hello Flash.” Velvet groaned, “What can I d—” “Wassup girl!” Flash interrupted. “I didn’t know you were chilling out on the hills today!” Flash had a wide grin on his face and was hopping about like an overjoyed puppy. “Well, I was j—” “Me?” Flash interrupted. Again. “I was just getting some laps in, doing my thing, y’know?” Flash halted his hops, swapping over to a round of toe touches. “Then I spotted you looking all types of fine!” With just one line, Flash had upgraded from impatient puppy to drooling dog. “Actually, I w—” “Doing some reading? Yawn!” One extra quick look at the stack of books was enough to make Flash lose interest. “C’mon mama, that stuff is for schoolgirls! Here’s a better idea. How about we grab a bite and go somewhere a little more…private, if you catch my drift? Velvet wasn’t catching any drift. “One more stupid pet name and the only thing this creep would be catching is a black eye!” Why, oh why, did these two clowns have to flirt with her today? Over time Velvet grew use to the occasional wink and cheesy pick-up line during her work hours. But to her, free days were as sacred as they were rare, and she had two stupid boys to ruin that. “Hey spot,” Baxter snarled, “The lady is with me. Why don’t you skitter on back from where you came from?” Flash turned around to see Baxter looming over him, he could practically see the steam puffing out of the lion’s nostrils. Flash did a doubletake and started to snicker. “Velvet, is this hick serious? Is this joker giving you trouble? “He isn’t the only one, that’s for sure,” Velvet thought. If these two wanted to impress her, they could try acting like adults for once. “Seriously, do they think I’m some kind of airhead?” “You better watch your mouth, punk.” Baxter puffed out his chest, squaring up to the smaller big cat. “Great. Now they were fighting.” The oncoming display of macho attitude did nothing to excite the female feline. Quite the opposite. “You know, if they could keep their hands to themselves, or to each other, I might get some reading done.” Just as she let the thought cross her mind, Velvet felt the proverbial lightbulb click on overhead. “You wanna go, country boy!?” “Yes, come to think of it…” Velvet brewed up a plan, drowning out the incensement chatter a few feet away from her. The solution became obvious, as worked she out all the kinks in her mind. “Now, all I need to do is get those two bozos on board.” “Ready when you are, shrimpy!” “Hey! Listen up!” Velvet roared, raising her voice for the first time that day. It was enough to stop the two boys from maiming each other, as they both now stood attention towards her. “Now, it is obvious you two are obsessed with me. Now, I can’t have you two biting your heads off over me, so here is what we’ll do. We need a neutral third party. As such, I nominate my old friend, Lilac. She needs someone to help tidy up around her house, and I believe you two are perfect for the job. After that, she will tell me which of you did the better job.” Baxter and Flash stared at the tiger, a mutual look of confusion on their faces. Velvet rolled her eyes. It appears she had to retranslate the idea into a language two overly smitten kittens could understand. “I need a man that knows how to help a woman. If you can’t handle it, you two just aren’t worth my time. Lilac will be able to bring out your true character.” Baxter had a sour look on his face, like he was mulling over pros and cons. It sounded like she was trying pawn off her friend’s chores onto two able-bodied fellas. Before he could conclude, Flash arrived with his answer. “Now sweat, Lil’ mama! I’ll have her house so clean; you can eat off it.” The lion replied, not wanting to be one-upped. “You can leave the heavy lifting to me. Spot here will probably throw his back out at the front door. I say we skip the embarrassment and give the obvious winner his date now.” Velvet was not having it. “Oh no you don’t. The dates will come later. You two just need to worry about doing a good job tomorrow” Velvet gathered up her stack of books and took her leave. “I need to go warn her about your arrival. You can’t show up to a lady’s house unannounced.” To really sweeten the deal, Velvet looked over her shoulder, put on her best pair of babydoll eyes, and said, “I’ll be waiting for my winner~.” The teasing made the tigress gag internally. It was as degrading as it was effective. Velvet had no doubt Baxter and Flash would be outside of Lilac’s doorstep first thing come tomorrow. As soon as the dizzying duo were out of sight, Velvet let out a sigh of relief. Knowing Ms. Lilac, ‘the date’ would never have to come. It was nothing more than a fish to dangle for two hungry cats. The thought gave her small comfort. For now, at least, all Velvet had was faith in an old friend. Faith, and a stack of books she would very much like to read. *** Dawn had arrived, and so had the two big cats. Unsurprisingly, Flash showed up first, outpacing Baxter considerably. He looked very proud over this fact, smugly perched outside the front step. “Took you long enough. What, you had comb the bugs outta your mane or something?” Baxter exhaled sharply. He didn’t bother to shoot a comeback and start fighting. He had a job to do today, and he couldn’t let Flash disrupt that. His eyes were on the prize. Victory was in his lap—and soon, Velvet would be as well. “Why are you bumming out here? You could have knocked on the door already. What, you get lonely without me.” “I was just waiting to see if you were going to show up. You might have decided to ditch and leave me with all the work.” He was nervous. Baxter could tell right away. Flash was so easy to read. Although, Baxter couldn’t blame him. Lilac’s manor gave off major witch-vibes. He was happy to come here in the morning, and not on a dark stormy night. They didn’t even get a chance to knock. Their commotion had alerted the homeowner, as the manor’s wide double doors stretched open. She was a skunk, her fur a fine black with white stripes. They could tell she was an older woman. Both by the crows’ feet under her eyes, and her sense of dress. Her bonnet and checkered blouse looked as antique as the house itself. “Why, hello my dearies!” Lilac began, in a shrill little voice. “You must be those big strong lads who have come to help me? Velvet told me all about you two. Come in, come in!” She took the two big cats by their arms, dragging them inside. The front door shut behind them with a resounding boom, causing the lion and the cheetah to flinch. The skunk was unfazed, still tickled pink by her new company. “Are you boys ready to get to work?” Flash cut in, “Ready and waiting ma’am! You just show me where to clean, and I’ll mop to it,” he answered, finishing with a wink. The joke got a smile from Lilac, and an eyeroll from Baxter. “Well, we—"Before Baxter could say his piece, a strikingly strong scent hit his nose and cut through his train of thought. It was fruity yet flowery. Sweet yet mature. The scent traveled from Baxter’s nostrils to his throat, and he struggled to hold back his cough. Lilac wasn’t noticeably offended. She hadn’t even looked surprised at the reaction. “Oh, I see you noticed my perfume.” The skunk walked between the two younger workers, her big fluffy tails brushing their sides. “It’s an older fragrance. A family staple. It’s something I reserve for my most special guest. It is not the most popular scent. Girls your age probably find it too abrasive.” Abrasive was putting it mildly. Baxter looked over to Flash, and saw his eyes were watering. Baxter’s head was swimming in a perfumed sea. He weakly waved a paw behind himself, trying to find something to sit down on. That hadn’t panned out, and a large feline fell back on the floor below. In a rare occasion, Flash was second. He fumbled forward, falling to his hands and knees. Both big cats were drowning, desperate to find dry land. Instead, they found a lady skunk as their lifeline. Lilac wasn’t noticeably shocked. Her two newest guests looked on the brink of collapse, but her responses were unadjusted. Another dainty chuckle. Another sweet smile. Nothing out of the ordinary for this skunk. “I think I might have overdone it. You two are such big things. I wasn’t sure how much it would take to put you down. Still, I’m glad to have you around. You two are going to be very good workers for me. Is that understood?” “Yes, Madam Lilac.” Flash answered first, as eager as ever to heed a lady’s call. His gaze was vacant, his reply was thoughtless. Mentally, he had dived headfirst into a fog, and he had no clue how to turn it back around. Lilac’s instruction was his beacon of hope. Or a siren’s call. He hadn’t been able to tell the difference. “Such a fast learner,” Madam Lilac cooed. “I’m glad to have you aboard. But I need to have some muscle as well. Let us see what your friend has to say.” Satisfied with the cheetah, Lilac turned her attention to the much larger feline. Cupping his head in her paws, smiling sweetly, her tails brushing under his nose. Lilac knew how to persuade a simple mind. There was no shame in her game. “You still want to tidy up for me, yes?” Baxter’s body was sturdy and stable. His mind, however, was very open to outside interference. Whether it was the general atmosphere of the morning, or the impossibly strong scent that circled his senses, Baxter couldn’t say. Baxter could say that he felt comfortable in the hands of Lilac. That was enough to form an answer. “Y…Yes, Madam Lilac.” Madam Lilac smiled, having got the answer she wanted. “I’m so glad we’re all on the same page. Now, it’s time I put you two to work.” *** Baxter toiled away, a dainty feather duster in hand. He still couldn’t believe he let the library get this dusty. Had he been shirking off his duties? It sounded unlikely, and quite out of character for him. This morning had been such a blur, it was hard to say how he had been acting. So many oddities this morning, even his regular uniform felt foreign to him. Thankfully, there was nothing else out of the ordinary. *CRINKLE CRINKLE* He had to get his mind out of the gutter. His skirt swish freely as he walked through the library halls, trying to gain a familiar rhythm. He outstretched a gloved paw to dust a particularly high shelf, thankful his high heel shoes gave a slight boost in height. He pulled back his long white gloves and wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. He was lucky he didn’t need to stop for bathroom breaks. *CRINKLE CRINKLE* Keep the manor spick and span. Don’t complain. Don’t wince. That was code, day in and day out. That was your mission every day. Every day? Of course, every day. What else would he be doing besides this? “How is work going, dearie?” Before Baxter’s mind could fall into another stupor, his madame arrived to pull back his attention. Baxter paused his work and met her with a curtsy. “Good to see you, Madam Lilac. Everything is going well. Though, I have been feeling a bit dazed today.” “I’m sorry to hear that, my dear. Unfortunately, I cannot allow you to rest today. I have guests coming over today, and I need everything to be in order.” Without so much as a word, Lilac held Baxter closer, brushing her large, bushy tail against him. “You understand, don’t you? I need you be a good maid for me.” As Madam Lilac held him, Baxter felt all his troubles wash away. His dam had been broken, and the intrusive thoughts came flooding out. He felt a great sense of release as his mind finished draining itself. “…Yes, Madam Lilac. Forgive me. I will be a good maid for my Madam.” Madam Lilac got the answer she wanted, same as always. She left the maid to his duties. Baxter, now alone again, took a moment to examine himself in a nearby full-body mirror. He lifted the front of his skirt, taking a good long look at the pink disposable diaper that he wore. It was thick enough to endure a full workday, being as standard as the rest of his uniform. The diaper plainly read “PAT HERE” on the front and the back, in large cutesy lettering. It was a clear instruction that Madam Lilac often followed when checking on her maids. Baxter let out a relieved sigh, seeing that nothing was out of the ordinary. *CRINKLE SQUISH CRINKLE* *** Flash was on a roll today. He couldn’t remember the last time he had worked so hard. In fact, all his past workdays had become a vague blur to him. No worries. Just another smudge to wipe away. Nothing to lose pace over. His madam gave him a job to do, and nothing was going to change that. Including a glass half full of foggy memories. By the time he finished, this bathroom would be spotless. “Well, someone is working hard.” Without a sound, Madam Lilac appeared at the edge of the bathroom doorframe. The skunk smiled down at the cheetah, who was busy scrubbing down the tile floor. “Yes indeed, Madam Lilac!” Flash replied, as eager to please as ever. “Got to make sure everything is spic-span for you and your ladies tonight. Leave it all to me.” “As chipper as ever, I see. That’s good. My friends are going to adore that attitude of yours. I thought I would have to give you some encouragement, but you appear to be getting along splendidly. Carry on, my dear.” Flash wasn’t one to complain about well-earned praise. So, he carried on as instructed, being the best maid that he knew how to be. The marble tiles that clacked against his shoes were spotless. The mirror was gleaming, showing a clear image of his adorable reflection. He even made sure to clean the odd porcelain chair in the corner of the room. The one with water under the lid. He never found out what that was for. The madam had no doubt reminded him countless. In the end, Flash decided it couldn’t be that important. Certainly not worth committing to memory. Flash took a seat on the mystery throne, taking a moment to catch his breath. He noticed nature’s call and answered it on the first signal. He was a maid, made for efficiency. He knew that he couldn’t let such base urges disrupt his workflow. With that thought, his bladder finally let loose, a hiss echoing in the small bathroom. Flash felt a small kick of embarrassment deep down somewhere, and he had no clue as to why. He had relieved himself, flooding his diaper in the bathroom on top of the funny-looking chair. Nothing worth noting. Satisfied, Flash stood back up and continued his duties, not at all minding the new warm and wet feelings he had to deal with. It was all just another day’s work as a maid. *** It was progress report time. Madam Lilac’s maids had been called back to the foyer to discuss their next assignment. They both arrived early, still not caring for the other’s company. The two were growling at each other now, both feeling catty. “Well,” the lion scoffed, “I’m surprised the madam hasn’t fired you yet. She must enjoy watching you struggle and fumble around. Not that I blame her, given how cute and submissively you act.” “Oh, just stop it,” The cheetah spat. “You are just jealous that she likes me more. It’s because I’m not a total slowpoke, like you. Waddling around with that big bulky frame of yours. I’m surprised she found a dress big enough to fit your thick butt.” “Beatrice! Fiona! You two better not be fighting again.” Madam Lilac called out to her maids, walking down the stairs ready to greet her guest. “My friends are going to be here any moment now. I need my best girls to be on their best behavior. Is that clear?” The madam’s perfume was stronger now, both maids picking up the brunt of it as she held their heads under her paw. The pair’s growls had turned into guilty whimpers. “Sorry, Madam Lilac,” replied Fiona. “Sorry, Madam Lilac,” replied Beatrice. Their obedience had successfully been refreshed. Was Lilac overdoing her dosing? Not at all, she thought. These two kitties desperately needed to be trained. “Very good. You two had better play nice now.” “Understood, Madam Lilac.” Beatrice was so sick of having to put up with this shrimpy, petite thing. That Fiona thought she was so cute, the way she waved her hips around with every step. What she wouldn’t give to have five minutes alone with that little tease. “Yes, Madam Lilac.” Fiona had her own set of reservations. It was so distracting, watching Beatrice lean down to dust a vase or water a plant. She gave the whole world a perfect view of her thick thighs and fat diapered butt every time she did it. That big tease, it had to be intentional. The front doorbell rang, alerting the lady and her maids the guest had finally arrived. The maids whipped into action and opened the huge double doors in unison. They welcomed the new arrivals with a bow, and they all looked so happy to be here. They were all skunks, about Lilac’s age. They very easily could be relatives, or old family friends. Whatever the case, Beatrice and Fiona were to treat them all with the utmost respect, as any good maid would. Fittingly enough, all eyes were glued to the pair of padded maids. “Oh, they are just adorable!” “You sure do know how to find good help!” “What a precious pair of big cuties.” Madam Lilac chuckled to herself. “Yes, yes. My maids are very lovely. But please, give them some space. They’ve had a rough morning…let’s call it fatigue. Why don’t you take the discussions to the living room? That’s a much more appropriate place to catch up. And the maids will serve us while we talk.” Lilac had managed to corral her friends to the living quarters. The maids were commanded to set their squabbling aside and cater the guests. In time, the ladies were seated, and their topic of daily discussion was busy serving them, tending with tea and cookies. “I must say, Lilac,” One woman opened, stifling back giggles, “You have really outdone yourself this time. You certainly have an eye for quality.” She took a sip of her tea, admiring how much grace the lion displayed, despite the bright pink diaper she wore. “Oh, I agree! Finding good help these days is feels next to impossible.” The other woman patted the pink diaper of the cheetah next to her, as the print had instructed. “So submissive as well. I thought that trait died out in this newer generation. Don’t let these two get away now!” Lilac waved off the excited chatter. “Really, you must all stop with the flattery. My maids were eager to help me today, is all. As you know, the process is so much easier with a willing party. I had their services recommended by a friend and the rest worked itself out. They used to squabble all day with each other. But they have made great progress in such a short span of time. Observe.” Lilac rang a bell, and the maids instantly stood attention. Good. That was one less thing she needed to commit to teaching them. “Girls, I want you to show my friends how well you two get along. Now, face each other, and pay another a compliment.” The Madam’s command was law. As obedient as they were, matching blushes still rose to each of their faces. Beatrice had a collection of strange and conflicting feelings about Fiona that had been building up very quickly. Fiona, in turn, was afraid to admit how similar she felt. Madam Lilac clapped. “Hurry up now. It is very rude to keep a lady waiting.” Beatrice swallowed. She was strong enough to be the bigger person and make the first move. “Fiona. I have always admired how quick-witted you are. Having you around always makes me want to work harder. I think, on some level, I would be lost without you.” She spoke from the heart, surprisingly enough. Nothing she said was untrue. She just hadn’t been able to put them into words until today. Everything came automatically, without command. This was turning into quite a wake-up call. Fiona gasped; hands cupped over her mouth. Had Beatrice truly felt that way all this time!? Were all those rude acts simply a confused attempt for her attention!? “Oh my! Bea! You are too sweet! I love having you with me. I feel so safe with those big, strong arms nearby.” The emotional floodgates had been opened now. It did not take much to swoon the cheetah over. Beatrice had confessed, so Fiona saw no reason to hold back her spring of emotions. “I want to cuddle up in a crib with a big pretty kitty holding me snug. I cannot get you out of my head, Bea! All the ladies loved this show of emotions. Madam Lilac especially. While their words were not planned for, she was more than satisfied with the results. “Very good, my girls. But, before I release you, I need to make sure there are no pent-up feelings left over. How about you two kiss to make up?” Go on now. No point in being shy.” Fiona was the first to react, as usual. Fiona pressed her lips against Beatrice’s, unable to stop her feelings any longer. Tails were curling. Fiona had on leg kick high up, the back of which brushed by her padding. Beatrice certainly was not refusing. She wrapped her big, strong arms around her, pulling Fiona closer. Paws began to wander to places better left unmentioned. All that can be said is that their diapers had never been noisier until that moment. The living room space certainly came alive. The guests were hollering at the sight. The smooching became loud, more impassioned. Breathy pants began to emerge from the pair of passionate pussycats, neither one wanting to stop. The entire time, Lilac sat back silent and enjoyed the show. Of course, this would not be the only showing Lilac would be treating her friends to. Lilac said she would put these kittens to work, and the good woman never went back on her word. *** It took Velvet a while to realize why her days had been going so well recently. No one was hitting on here during work. Her phone line was much quieter recently. Everything had been peaceful. Nothing to bother her. No one to bother…No two to bother her. After a striking revelation, Velvet put her day on hold to make a beeline to Lilac’s manor. She was surprised that Lilac never gave her an update on the situation. Had something gone wrong? Better than expected? Lilac was always so punctual, so Velvet had no idea what conclusion to reach. But, when the wide double doors of the manor were pulled open, Velvet got her answers. She had been greeted by a pair of maids. Maids who, technically, Velvet was already familiar with. Maids with matching uniform, which fit the pair surprisingly well. Frilly blacks dress with thick pink diapers. It was a classic favorite of Madam Lilac. One was a lion, tall, sturdy and thick. Her mighty mane had been styled into rows of elegant curls. She was no doubt excellent at doing any heavy lifting her master required of her. The other was a cheetah, slender and petite. Her athletic frame would have scored her the attention of any mate she’d liked. The cheetah, nowadays, uses it for running up hallways and sweeping down floors and impressive speeds. They truly were a sight to behold, this pair. How awkward for Velvet, meeting them again for the first time. The maids curtsied for the guest, business as usual. If there were any lingering feelings of betrayal or bitterness, it certainly did not show on their faces. Certainly not behind the pounds of makeup caked onto their faces. “Um…hello.” Velvet blushed. Did they truly not recognize her? It sounded too good to be true. It was most likely better this way. She didn’t need a pair of bitter big cats on her tail. She had a blank slate to work from. “Is your master here today? I would like to speak with Madam Lilac. Before the maids could say anything, the lady arrived with her own response. “Velvet, darling, is that you? Oh, come in, come in!” The lady skunk ran to the front door and embraced her old friend. “I wish you had called me beforehand. It is so lovely to see you.” Lilac whipped her head back and looked over at the maids, who were awaiting instructions. “Girls, prepare a spot of tea for me and my guest. We have much catching up to do.” The maids curtsy and follow orders without a second thought. Velvet wanted to decline the offer, but she knew Lilac rarely took no for an answer. Still, Velvet was impressed at how effectively the maids worked together. No fuzzing or fighting. It was almost as if the pair enjoyed the company, giggling at each other’s jokes and mannerisms. They certainly had made quite a turnaround. “Very good, girls. You two are dismissed. You may have one of your breaks while me and friend converse.” Lilac smiled as her maid gave leave, returning attention to her old friend. “So, what brings to my corner of the world, Velvet? I must say, you look to be in good spirits today. You are practically glowing.” It was not the first time Velvet heard that sentiment recently. Her mind had been much clearer, and reason for just waddled away upstairs to take a break. Velvet was not sure how to attack the subject. The diapers, the dresses. The cheetah and lion Velvet knew would never be caught dressed in such a fashion. Lilac certainly knew how to turn a problem into a positive. “I’ve just been taking more time for myself. Getting my work done. Catching up on my reading. Not letting small things distract me.” “Thank you again, for coming to visit.” Lilac replied. “It has been wonderful having my two pretty kitties around.” The delight in her voice was palpable, and it had rewritten the tone of the entire conversation. “It has been so lively here since those two arrived on my doorstep. All my friends simply adore them. I apologize for not updating you earlier. When I saw how well they were getting along, I knew I must keep them. I suppose I too got lost in all the excitement. I cannot thank you enough.” Velvet was at a loss for words. She finally could close the case on the mystery of the disappearing doofuses. It was good that Lilac planned on keeping her set, because Velvet surely did not want them back. Velvet never imagined her plan would go down this well. She could rest easy knowing this was the best choice for everyone involved. However, the visit did not end on a note high enough yet. She always had to give her guests a show. Lilac knew her maids well and had no doubts about what they were getting up to during their break. Lilac walked her friend to the maids’ living quarters, creaking the door ever so slightly so that Velvet could peer inside. One thing was for sure, they were not resting. It was impressive how much fun they were having together, while keeping their diapers on. Beatrice was on top, unsurprisingly. Fiona, submissive as ever, was on the bottom. A whole lot of gasp and squealing came from her side, while Beatrice was busy huffing and puffing. The sounds of their diapers bumping together, grinding back and forth, was not the only sound of passion tonight. Lilac sighed. “There they go again. This helps to tucker them out before their second shift. I love giving them something to look forward to every day. I just love it when my workers get along.” Velvet was once again left speechless. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined her former sappy suitors in such a position. Did she feel bad for her old acquaintances? Not really, no. She much prefers them on each other’s back rather than on hers. If Lilac saw them suited as maids, Velvet had to reason to stop them. Especially not after seeing how much fun they were having with each other. However, there was one thing that Velvet couldn’t deny. “They make quite a cute couple, don’t they?”

Captain’s log: Entry 440 Name: Ellen Huxley Date: Indeterminate Mission Status: Accomplished As I write this most pivotal and anticipated entry, I can only think of pitying all the foolish souls who had doubted me over the years. History has a habit of giving its geniuses occasions to rise to, as well as obstacles to overcome. So, in my ocean of piety and wisdom, I extend my hand in forgiveness. Do not wallow in your foolishness. It only served to make my story better. My story began one crisp Autumn morning, a day before I was born. However, going back that far will take far too much time. The wonders of my upbringing will no doubt be covered in both the novelization and feature-film of my life story, both of which destined for critical acclaim in themselves. For brevity’s sake, I will summarize the important parts. I was born to a loving family of two humble enterprise-owners/entrepreneurs. I made top marks in all my classes, only threatening to fall short in supplementary subjects like gym or art. My success continued into college, where I missed making valedictorian by two points (one of many injustices I will not be able to elaborate on). I had been accepted into my country’s esteem space program, thanks solely to my natural wit and tenacity. Those quick to slander my good name might suggest that it was instead due to my father funding the program with literal bags of money. My father is simply a man who cares deeply about the development of space science. The fact that he was unable to name a single astronaut over the course of several interviews, you may cite, is completely irrelevant. It is simply another vicious slander tactic propagated by my life’s most persistent villains: jealous poor people. My time spent learning and training for the space program was unforgettable. Unforgettable, and rather boring. While I choose not to bore you with excess details (you are welcome) know that my supervisor always used me to set an example for others, which is always a good thing. I bet you are raring to hear the exciting accounts from my space voyage and interdimensional travels. Well, I was just getting to that part, so calm down already. My supervisors implored me to be careful during my first solo mission, but I knew what I was doing. They told me to not travel past a set range of lightyears, but I knew better. They continued to blather on about protocols and safety hazards and other boring babbles that didn’t concern me at the time. I was out looking for discovery, not safe test flights. That became much easier when I put my supervisors’ communications on mute, not letting the background noise drown out my train of thought. Admittedly, this next portion of the story is not one I am proud of. I know you’re simply dying to know how I came about the discovery of interdimensional travel. With a heavy heart, I must admit that the circumstances of that discovery are—for lack of better terms—foggy and random. Shortly after muting my supervisors, I found myself well beyond the measured range of distance that, upon a gut dropping reflection, they might have warned me about. To clarify, I was not lost in space. More accurately, I was temporarily directionally challenged in space. I felt the air in my lungs become tight. I didn’t even have the air to shriek in panic. Not in panic. In a controlled and dignified spree of emotions. I had everything under control. And, in my spree of controlled emotions, I must have hit an unfamiliar combination of important buttons. Before I knew it, I had activated the hyper drive—or perhaps the warp drive—I had activated some type of drive, and the ship was rocketing off deeper in the unknowns of space. Admittedly, not the best way to open space journey. I awoke in a daze, my head rattling like loose change in a bum’s coffee can. What was left of the computer’s display showed the atmosphere was breathable outside. I suited up and took one small step onto this strange new world. And that was when I met them. I had not even made it five feet outside of my ship before I made my first discovery. A pair of long, firm, gigantic legs. After that, I made my second discovery. The equally gigantic woman they belonged to. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by more women of equally tower-like stature. All eyes were on me—a trend not too different from my daily life. Even in the far reaches of space, my greatness was as plain as the hairs on my head. I suppose these are the consequences of being so special. I don’t believe these people have a name. At least, not one that translates easily. Not one I’m liable to give. So, using what I know now, I give them one myself. I will dub them the Amazons, as decided upon right now, as I write this. Not to be named after that forest that I read about that one time in middle school. No, it is a reference to those tall ladies that I read about that one time in a comic book in middle school. They look damningly similar to us. Only, as stated before, much taller. In fact, to the untrained eye, someone like me might even be confused as one of their children, as preposterous as that may sound. Unsurprisingly, they had strength to match their size. They lifted my rocket ship like a child’s toy off the sidewalk. After that, one of the massive maidens proceeded to lift me up like said child. When I felt the giant woman’s hand start to wander to places it dare not go, I responded with a few choice words. More than a few, actually. Tone must be a universal language, because she quickly pulled her hand back. I turned my head to see what the other giant space ladies were doing. The ones holding my ship seemed rather…unimpressed? Like my craft was as flavorless as yesterdays’ tomatoes. An idea crossed my mind, sometime after that, that I was not the first traveler from the stars to come their way. Perhaps my stellar entrance had some fierce competition from the past. To think, other lifeforms with space travel technology that put us to shame. It was rather disheartening to think about. Now, based on media you may have consumed before reading this, you may think that a species of ultra-intelligent, ultra-powerful, giant aliens are something to fear. But I assure you, as you read on, you’ll find that the Amazons are nothing to run from. Even if you tried…sorry, I am getting ahead of myself. Let me continue my case. At heart, the Amazons are a gracious and curious people. After our initial meeting, they immediately took me in and examined me for what felt like hours. On that note, hours are apparently not a standardized unit of time here. I am still unsure how the Amazons record time here. This planet seems to have a regular day and night cycle, albeit one the looks to run longer than our own. I have since developed a new method for tracking time, which I will delve into later. After a thorough examination, I was carried off to meet with the leader of these people. Now, while I am an expert on many subjects, architecture was not one of them, alien or otherwise. Still, I could tell this place was important. The building was like a fairy-tale castle that was made with modern sleek sensibility. I am not a fan of the term “futuristic”. How can you capture an aesthetic choice that does not exist yet? But everything about the Amazons screams science-fiction, leaving me at a loss for words. It is truly an indescribable place, and you will just have to see it for yourself. I met with the queen, and she was immediately enamored by me. She was quick to take me into her arms and shower me with affection. She smiled brightly, bombarded me with kisses, hugging me tightly against her very, very large bosom. I can confirm that love at first sight is very real. Even if it was being shared by an interdimensional alien queen and a prodigal space explorer. In hindsight, it should have raised a red flag when the queen treated me, a foreign invader, like one of her kin. If my government had an alien land on our proverbial doorstep, we would have squashed it like a fly on the wall. Yet the Amazons took me in instantly and insistently. Oh well. Analyzing afterthoughts does me no good now. I doubt the end result would be any different. From that day on, I never left the queen’s side. Not that she would have let me. The queen had an eye for quality. She always had me wrapped around her giant fingers, like a precious jewel. I had a front row seat to all the major happenings of Amazon society. True, I could not understand most of it. But that didn’t matter. What mattered was that I was the queen’s special little space explorer. I was hand-fed the most extravagant meals by the castle staff. When the queen saw it fit, I was strolled around the castle grounds and even on the streets of the Amazon people. All eyes were on me, and I would not have had it any other way. The Amazons had made a room for me, instantaneously. On my first day, the queen and her men took me to an empty room. A blank canvas. They fashioned me with a flashy-looking helmet, which beeped and hummed as stereotypically as a sci-fi device could. I stood there, while the queen held a tablet, quickly tapping away at a screen whose contents were invisible from my angle. The queen squealed with excitement, while I was left sitting in quiet confusion. I still remember how excited she looked on that day. How her smile threatened to shine brighter than the room itself. And the room did shine. It glowed like the inside of a lightbulb, engulfing everything in a white flash. I was unable to tell if it bothered the Amazons as much as it did me. I had to keep my eyes shut to stop my corneas from being burned. I do know that the queen reacted before me, as I heard her let out an excited squeal. When I finally opened my eyes, I could not spare the same reaction. It was a gigantic nursery, plain and simple. A supersized slice of home décor, fashioned executively by Amazon sensibilities. There were walls generated of pastel blue and pink stripes that did not make this room look any slimming. There was a window that generated a view of the outside world, made only so I could have a familiar perspective of time. There was a crib, with bars that rose like pillars meant to hold up old important buildings. They were unscalable by design, to prevent any poorly plotted escape attempts. The crib’s mattress was soft and wide, big enough to comfortably accommodate four people my size, but I slept inside alright. There were toys upon toys. More toys than I knew what to do with or would ever ask for. As many as there were, I all lacked in the fine details. Bunny rabbits with too many eyes. Duckies with misaligned wings. It would have been more noticeable had I not been swarmed with options. Too many, I was spoiled for options, but I was entertained alright. There were books. Giant books in the language I still do not understand, that would have to be read to me during the day and before naps. My understanding of their language was still infantile at best, but I was learning alright. There were diapers. So very many diapers. Diapers that puffed and piled out of their drawers, demanding to be worn. Diapers with coats of countless colors, always perfectly matching my current outfit, despite never staying on for long. Diapers with tapes the strength of industrial glue, that the Amazons could peel away with ease. They were thick and poofy and waddle-inducing, but they fit me alright. The queen’s design was made to give her newest guest an unforgettable stay. And everything fit her alright. Better than alright. Everything fit me perfectly. That was just how she wanted it. Now, at first, I did not appreciate this design. The reasons why currently escape me. The picture of my timeline from denial to acceptance is drawn with washed and faded markers. I know that I disobeyed the queen. I think that I yelled and screamed. I think I tried to escape, which sounds foolhardy as I write it down. I know that I was carried into another room, which was colder and menacing and obscure, I think. I know there was a machine there, I think was like a tanning bed. A scary, foreboding tanning bed. I know that I was placed inside. After that, my thoughts truly became jumbled. When I came to, I was feeling much more appropriate. Much more appreciative. My thoughts were much less foggy afterwards. It was decided that I was ready to give my new room a second try. I knew the result, and the burst of excitement I felt when looking upon my room the second time. This time, I said to myself “Hey, self, this place isn’t that bad. In fact, this place is wonderful!” The queen must have seen the sparkle in my eyes, because she shared the same one. I may not have been a communications expert, but we were both on the same page. Who knew I was this great with foreign relations? The queen took great care as she laid me back for my first diaper change. My bare bottom was laid on an open diaper, that had to be a few inches thick. Softer than a cloud, the padding was a tricolor mishmash that demanded attention. Just like its wearer. The powder she poured filled the air and dulled my senses further. It smelled of the sweetest flowers and worked wonders at masking any bad smells that came near that region. She pulled together all three tapes on each side, nice and snuggly. It’s funny. Perhaps the problem was (this may be hard to believe) me. Perhaps I had thoughts about staying out of diapers? As nonsensical as those sounds. I understood then what had transpired in that room. My queen had bottled away, or severed, or blocked all the rejection I had. And, in her ocean of piety and wisdom, left my mind with all the other thoughts that made me so special. Even alien machines fail to snuff out my award-winning personality. And, to make sure I stayed this way, the queen and her men added another special present to my room afterwards. In the corner of my room sat a box. At certain times during the day(?) the box would turn on automatically. Every day, that box flashed swarms of bright color. Colors that don’t exist in normal circumstances. Colors that are transcended beyond green and blue and red primary hue. The best colors in the world. The room would fill with sounds that match the colors in evolution and captivation. I lie on my tummy and watch this display of a lifetime, every day. I had lost countless periods of time watching that box. When I awoke, signal by the box turning off or the interjection of a staff member, I was always found in dire need of a change. Oh, right! The changes! Here, the passage of time is as persistent as it is undecipherable. My lessons on the subjects have been deemed the by queen to be supplementary. Still, having an idea for the length of my stay would be helpful. Clever girl I am, I have been tracking my time spent here, not in meals or steps, but in diaper changes. It was the obvious choice, seeing as how they happen so consistently and frequently. The increased frequency of diaper changes in recent times, however, may end up distorting my perception of my time here. Additionally, there are times, commonly after a nap, where I cannot confidently confirm if a diaper change has occurred or not. Currently, I have been on this planet for three hundred and forty diaper changes. That number will soon increase to three hundred and forty-one. My diaper has taken quite a soak since I first began writing this entry, and a servant may come and check on me. Despite my advanced wit, I am not always able to tell when I have wet myself, or if I am ready for a change. The ones larger than me are much more adapt at telling when I need one. At the current moment, however, I am confident that my padding is sufficiently soggy enough to warrant one. Now, I know that I thoroughly made my case for why living with the Amazons is a wonderful experience. Given that, I perfectly understand if all who read this would want to share it with me. Well, you are more than welcome to accept my humble invitation. I insist. Playtime was starting to get boring anyway. The trip really isn’t all that complicated. The Amazons are much more learned than us when it comes to space travel. After I arrived, it did not take them long to find the exact location of my old home, lightyears away. Lightyears were like inches to them. I told the queen, best as I could, about a few familiar faces I thought should be aboard the first flight. Ones who are no doubt reading this. Ones who I will not list, so as not to spoil the surprise. Sure enough, she was able to pull them up on a display in real time. Lightyears away, but the picture was crystal clear. I don’t know how the Amazons will come. It still feels too early for a mass invasion. Though, they are no doubt equipped for one. In a war of the worlds, Amazons come out on top, in every simulation. I imagine one-on-one abductions would be the likely answer. Perhaps in the dead of night. Maybe even in broad daylight, if someone here is feeling impatient. Imagine minding your own business when poof! You find yourself in the arms of a loving Amazon who knows what they want and will never let it go. Speaking from experience. I believe it will become a reality sooner than you can predict. Prepare yourself for culture shock. Amazon adoptions will send you for a whirlwind. Abductions or adoptions? It’s just a matter of perspective. That is the other reason I am writing this address. I am expecting a slew of new playmates. When you finally get here, you all better be on your best behavior. There are plenty of jealous Amazons here who want their own little Ellen Huxley to hug and coddle and pamper. When you eventually get here, don’t make me look bad. Do what your Amazon says. Let them dress you, feed you, change you. They all clearly know best. They would not have been able to find us so easily otherwise. When you inevitably get here, get comfortable. I have a hunch that the trip is one way. You might as well enjoy this new age of space travel. If not, well, Amazons have ways of pulling out combative urges, and pushing the sweet dispositions to the front. Again, speaking from experience. To end this entry, I will leave with a tutorial that will prove exceptionally useful during a lifetime in the Amazon’s world: messing your diaper. Now, don’t shy away from this. A full diaper will find its way to you before you know it. You might as well get some pointers from an expert while you still have the chance. The trick is to distract yourself. Don’t focus too hard on the mechanics, less you psych yourself out. When your body gives the signal, if your body gives the signal, hunker down and get ready. Stare off at a spot in the distance. Fancy wallpaper. An old toy. A patch of flowers. It does not matter exactly what. Your body only needs one push before everything falls into place. Remember to breathe, take a minute to recompose yourself if needed. And voila! A full diaper, ready for changing. Believe me, it gets easier, and will soon become a thoughtless action. Something to note: While the powder easily masked the scent of a full diaper, it does nothing for the weight or the feeling. Now, I must bid you adieu. It appears my instructions proved too effective, and my need for a change has become much more dire. Nothing to worry about. Dropping off important cargo is all in a day’s work for a prodigal space explorer. I will wail into my monitor, alerting the staff to pick up the pace. Just remember, when face-to-face with your new Amazon, use every trick I taught you for an easy adjustment period. And when you finally realize how much good a lifetime spent with an Amazon can do for you, tell me all about it during our latest playdate. Seeing you soon, Ellen Huxley

Kaycee McNeal - Lawyer for the Mob Part 1 Kaycee McNeal looks nervously at the legal pad in front of her on the table. She doesn’t dare look to her left at the defendant in her current case but she “feels” him staring at her. She shifts uncomfortably in her seat and tries to fight the panic that she knows is making her cheeks flush… Looking up at the Judge presiding over this case Kaycee gets even more flustered because the usual patient Judge Harken looks like she is ready to throw her gavel at her.. Her cheeks are also flush Kaycee notices, but she’s sure that it’s because she’s been sitting there like a bump on a log for 5 minutes now instead of beginning her argument against Jerome Giovanni. She finds herself looking over at him when she says his name in her mind and sure enough; the large “enforcer” for the mob is staring at her and smiling. She darts her eyes down just as he nudges his attorney Joseph P. Dismissed and they share a knowing chuckle. Kaycee cringes at the thought of Joe. Sleazy Lawyer to the underworld from LA to Houston. He actually had his last name legally changed to “Dismissed”.. “Ugh!” She mutters under her breath. For all of the fear that Jerome has instilled in Kaycee, her disgust with Joe still finds a way to break through. “Councilor?” Judge Harken practically barks.. “Yes your honor, excuse me.. I am ready to begin.” Kaycee begins to stand when suddenly she is overwhelmed with nausea.. she feels lightheaded and holding up her hand the Judge rolls her eyes with a “Oh my God just go!” dismissing the young prosecutor to step out of the courtroom. The only sound you can hear in the hallway is the click-clack of Kaycee’s fashionable heels as she rushes to the nearby lady’s room. She opens the door and heads for the nearest stall while quickly unbuttoning her navy blue blazer afraid she will vomit before she has a chance to reach the toilet.. she makes it, but just barely. “That sounds rough.” A voice says behind her. As sick as Kaycee feels she is embarrassed to know that someone is standing over her while she’s on her knees holding her light brown hair leaning over the toilet bowl. “It is.. I’m so sorry you had to hear that.” She apologizes to the stranger. “Hey it’s ok. Big case, big nerves.” The voice says handing her some toilet paper. “I.. I guess so..” she responds meekly “That or you drank way too much for a pretty little thing like you last night right Kaycee?” Kaycee suddenly feels a twinge of fear mixed with anger.. “Here, let me help you.” The voice says reaching down and grabbing a handful of the nauseous lawyer’s hair and quickly snatching it back forcing Kaycee to look up into the large woman’s eyes. “Don’t worry dear… the drugs will wear off soon. We just wanted you to know who owns your ass from here out.” She says pulling her to her feet. “Let me go!” Kaycee whimpers as the woman grabs her by her waist and pulls her from the stall shoving her over to a sink with a tight grip on her hair. “Come on now, you know what to do.” The woman says shoving her foot between Kaycee’s heels and then quickly sliding her foot up sliding her skirt up her thighs. “Spread em.” Kaycee starts to tear up.. the memory (or what she can recall) of last night flooding her mind. “That’s a good girl, now show me.” Kaycee looks at herself in the mirror. At 27 years old she is a natural beauty. Her green eyes and perfectly pouty lips under a button nose give her a sexy girl next door appearance. Her white blouse is strained against her 34D breasts accentuated further by her arms being pinned behind her back by her tormentor. The navy skirt she wears is hiked up to her upper thigh exposing the cream colored panties beneath. Her attacker on the other hand is a tall blonde woman that would remind you of a Swedish masseuse stereotype. A large woman with broad shoulder, matching bust, a tapered waist and floating hips. She easily stands a foot taller than the 5’4” lawyer she has pinned against the sink. She releases Kaycee’s wrists and as the first tear rolls down her cheek she starts unbuttoning her blouse to expose a matching cream lace bra. “Didn’t even try to wash it off… Good girl.” She says laughing at the black sharpie words on Kaycee’s chest. “Now be a dear and read it.” Kaycee blushes as she stares at the black writing across her cleavage… “Hurry up! Judge is waiting!” “I’m…” Kaycee stutters “I’m a dumb slut…” “Let me help!” The Amazonian sized woman reaches around and grips the front of her bra before ripping it from her chest exposing the smaller woman’s ample breasts. “Now you can read it all.” “I shouldn’t look… look… for di… dick like a little whore…” Kaycee’s voice breaks and she starts sobbing. “Oh Jesus..” the woman says yanking her away from the sink spinning her around by her waist and then ripping the two remaining buttons of her blouse out of the way exposing the lawyer’s entire torso. “It says. “I’m a dumb slut. I shouldn’t look for dick like a little whore. Now I’m a Mob Owned Bitch.” Kaycee sinks to her knees as her previous night comes in flashes.. She’s at a bar having a drink. She sees a man looking her way. Three drinks later she decides that it’s *his* lucky night as she invites him to her place. She blushes as she remembers how she reached for his cock as she fumbled to open the door to her condo. Once inside she quickly starts stripping her work attire off and telling him how wild she was going to get with him. Fast forward and she’s on her knees before him taking his erect penis into her mouth and wondering if she can fit this big a thing in her tight slit. She remembers hearing laughter. Then the lights come on and she’s surrounded by several men and a few women. They tell her to keep going as they snap pictures of her and video her now less enthusiastic blowjob of Paul from the bar. He grabs her hair and starts throat fucking her for all she is worth ending with him pulling out and shooting his load all over her face and chest. “Good work Paulie!” A man says stepping from the shadows. It’s Jerome. The mobster she is supposed to prosecute the next morning in court! “Now check this out bitch” he says pulling her to her feet. “Tomorrow you are going to drop this case or us releasing these pics and videos will be the least of your fucking worries.” She doesn’t remember much else from the evening other than the warning that she better not try to clean off from the night. Kaycee slowly stands in the lady’s room and faces the large woman.. “I gotta get back before they send someone..” “Fine, but let me help you with your clothes first.” She steps close to Kaycee “Can’t let you go in there looking like a slob right?” She pulls a box cutter out of her pocket and quickly slices the straps to Kaycee’s lace bra then quickly pulls it away from her and drops it on the floor. “This shirt is ruined.” She says looking at the ripped buttons. She smiles at the scared lawyer and then rips the shirt from her small frame leaving her topless. Kaycee gasps at the way she is being handled and then quickly covers her exposed breasts. “Here put this back on, maybe it will cover your body art.” She says tossing her the navy blazer she had been wearing. She then leans close to Kaycee’s exposed chest and seeing the dried semen gives her a knowing wink. “Good girl, quite the listener. That’s good.” Kaycee quickly buttons the three buttons and notices that while it hides her “art” she definitely doesn’t look like a professional lawyer, more like a woman looking for some action in a professional office. “Go!” The woman says smacking her across her ass and pushing her back into the hallway. “And remember, we fucking own your ass now.” Kaycee wipes a tear off her face as she adjusts her skirt and then enters the courtroom.

An impossibly awkward silence hung in the office as Theodore sat patiently, waiting for a response. While it had been some time since he had been employed, he was sure that he had filled out his resume without any issue. He wasn’t sure what was causing his potential employer to hesitate. Although, given the circumstances, he did have one leading theory. “Theodore, yes?” Lydia asked, an eyebrow raised, “You are sure you want to work here?” Theodore tilted his head, the lioness’s question taking him off guard. Especially since her tone was bordering on disbelief. Was that really the first question on her mind? “Yes ma’am. Is there something the matter? I am sure I’ve met all the necessary qualifications.” “Theodore, you may not be aware, but this department,” Lydia paused, carefully considering her words. “All the other employees of this department are…” “Women?” The mouse asked innocently. “Queens.” The lioness replied bluntly. “The felines of this department tend to all have a preset mindset on rodents such as yourself. You may find them to be rather…overbearing.” Theo shook his head. He wasn’t going to let something as trivial as species work him out of a good job. “That won’t be an issue for me. All I ask is that you give me a fair shot.” Even after that admission, Lydia’s face still showed signs of uncertainty. “It’s not that I don’t want to hire you. In fact, I think you are perfect for this position. Overqualified, even. But the workers of this office can prove to be a very intense bunch. I only thought it my duty to give you fair warning, is all. Few people apply for your position. Especially not with such eagerness.” Theo held back a scoff. Lydia spoke as if they were plotting to tear him apart. He knew that this was a place of business. He believed that he would be treated with the upmost respect. And the position of office counselor sounded easy enough. “Believe me, ma’am. I am sure I’ll get along just fine. Who knows? I might end up becoming quite popular.” His words must have struck a chord with her, because her unsure grin had shifted into an easy smile. “I suppose that settles it. I look forward to having you in my office.” Lydia extended her paw for a shake. “You’ll start on Monday.” *** While Theodore was more than grateful to have his own office, he wasn’t very keen on how everything was laid out. Right off the bat, he noticed how juvenile the place had looked. The walls were painted an unflattering pastel blue. The furniture was also very colorful, including his desk and a few small chairs strewn about the room. The multicolored cabinets in the corner were rather tall, better suited for an animal much larger than himself. He even noticed that the carpet was a lighter shade than the rest of the office. The office felt like that of a social worker. One who worked with very young children. Maybe many of the workers here were mothers and felt more at home here. Maybe the previous employee liked this style. Whatever the case, Theodore was not a fan. “I might have to do a bit of redecorating later on.” Theodore mused to himself, still giving the place a once-over. Just as he was in the middle of taking mental design notes, Theodore’s ears perked up at the sound of the door opening behind him. “Oh my gosh.” Said the surprise guest. It was a female cheetah, dressed in a trendy fashion, who could not have been more than twenty years old. “No way! I can’t believe Lydia actually got one!” Got one? What an odd way to refer to a new coworker. Lydia did mention that this position was hard to fill. Maybe she was excited to have a new “office counselor” or however it was called. “Umm, hello. I’m Theodore. I would love to get better acquainted, but I’m still getting settled in at the moment. Do you mind coming back later?” Apparently, that was not an option. The cheetah closed the door behind her and walked over to Theodore, a giddy smile on her face. She kneeled down to meet the mouse at eye level, staring him down. The mouse said nothing, taking a cautionary step back. “Umm. I really am—" She stuck a paw under Theodore’s chin and began to scratch. With the other free paw, the cheetah began to rub the back of his neck in a smooth circular motion. She had soon worked into a natural rhythm, patting him down tenderly. It felt quite nice. “Aww, you’re such a sweetie. I can tell, it’s gonna be so much fun having you around the office!” The cheetah’s bubbly tone remained as she scratched and petted the new hire, not seeing anything inappropriate with the treatment. “You can call me Ms. Shari, okay?” Theodore couldn’t even muster up a nod in response. The sudden comforting motions had already molded him like putty. He knew this type of behavior was not appropriate for the workplace and was surprised that Shari already spoke with such a sense of familiarity. Despite not wanting to stereotype, it was very clear Shari was a fast-moving woman. “M-miss Shari…” The mouse mumbled, “I don’t think we should be doing this at work. Maybe after we get to know each other better?” Theodore protested, but his pleas were as ineffective as they were half-hearted. Shari had already scooped Theo up and cradled him tenderly. Shari simply smiled down at him. “You really are too sweet. You remind me of those cute talking dolls. The ones that say little phrases when you squeeze them. But I suppose it’s scratches and pets in your case. I would totally love to take you out after work. But I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves,” Shari stuck a claw down Theo’s trousers, and pulled at the waistband. The elastic snapped back as she pulled her hand away, her mental quarry being answered. “Looks like I am the first one here. Don’t worry, Teddy. I’m not going to keep you all to myself. I just wanted to be the one to break you in.” Very gently, Shari laid the mouse on his back atop his new desk. She ran a claw through the side of his briefs, tossing them aside after rendering them useless. Shari shot the mouse a wink, and crouched behind the desk, as if to retrieve something. Was this really happening!? This was a scene pulled right out of a smutty film. When Theodore had landed this job, lewd acts such as this never once crossed his mind. Yet, here he was, getting “broken in” on his first day of the job. All the while, Theodore did nothing to stop it from happening. Why was that? Maybe it was a case of idle curiosity. If this cheetah—this young queen—wanted to show him her idea of office hospitality, who was he to stop her? No. Deep down, Theodore knew why he didn’t resist. The dopey smile on his face was clear evidence of that. Theodore’s excitement quickly shifted into confusion as the big cat reemerged. In her paws, the cheetah now held something white and fluffy. No doubt intended to replace the khakis and briefs she had cleanly discarded. “It’s been a minute since I’ve done this. The last guy ran away in such a hurry. But don’t worry. It is just like that old saying. Changing a mouse’s diaper is just like riding a bike. After you do it once, you never forget how.” Shari leaned in closer to Theodore, their noses and whiskers only inches away from each other. Shari saw his tiny chest move up and down rapidly, and smiled, “And believe me, I have done this more than once.” Theodore’s body was now running hot and cold. Really, it was more accurate to say that he was running hot and hot. This dream had suddenly shifted into an odd nightmare. Theodore couldn’t stop all the excited feelings built up moments ago. At the same time, he had never felt so embarrassed before. This woman, a total stranger really, had said that she plans to dress him like a baby. Him, a fully grown mouse! Even worse, this office was already perfectly equipped for such a task. All the while, Shari did her job with the upmost efficiency. She hoisted his legs up, sliding the padding under him quickly. She plucked his swaying pink tail and fed it through the back hole gently. Powder and oil were rubbed liberally into Theodore’s skin and fur. The skin-on-skin contact served to raise the mouse’s heart rate even further. Theodore panted and gripped the desk while Shari hummed a simple tune. In the end, the diaper was taped up, nice and snug, hiding all of Theodore’s excitement behind a wall of white fluff. “Perfect. I always thought that if this office gig didn’t work out, I could go try for childcare. Of course,” Shari grabbed one of Theo’s cheeks for a quick pinch, “I don’t think any of those kids could be as cute as you, Teddy.” Theodore squirmed on the desk. “Ms. Shari!? You put a diaper on me!” It was an obvious statement, but the only one he could muster. He was still utterly bewildered. “That’s right, Teddy! Standard procedure for any cute little mice that scurry into our building. But you already knew that didn’t you?” No, he didn’t! In what world was it normal to treat co-workers like overgrown infants!? Not one Theo had any intention of staying in. He tried to get his bearings back, but his sense of movement had been greatly crippled. If it wasn’t already obvious, Theodore was not used to having diapers taped over his rear. He eventually worked his way into an upright position, but it ended up helping Shari more than him. She took the opportunity to swiftly pull off his dress shirt, leaving the new hire’s chest bare. “Gah! You can’t do—Mm mph!” Theodore’s protests were cut short, as he felt something cold and rubbery invade his mouth. Shari held a finger to his mouth, making it known that whatever she put in there was meant to stay that way. What could she possibly be using to pacify his— Oh. “I was so excited to meet you today that I popped my head in here earlier. I know, I know. It spoils the surprise. But I couldn’t help myself! It has been ages since we’ve had a little mousey to play with! Especially one so adorable!” Shari accented her point with an Eskimo kiss, rubbing her nose against Theo’s. The mouse blushed hard and whimpered behind his pacifier. “Besides, it gave me a chance to pick the perfect outfit for your first day.” Just like the diaper before, Shari pulled out something fresh and babyish for Theodore to wear. Theodore didn’t have much time to look at it. Shari had already pulled off Teddy’s sock and shoes, and was feeding his legs through the new outfit. The transaction was as easy as the diaper change. Theodore was too stunned to fight, and Shari’s paws were too quick. Within two minutes flat, Theodore had been dressed snuggly in a new ensemble. He had been dressed in a footed sleeper, designed to resemble a tabby cat. His entire body was covered in orange fleece, leaving only his face visible. There was even a hood fixed with pointed ears on top. His eyes shot downward and saw a thick roundness around the crotch. It was a perfect outline of his diaper. Any queen working in the quiet office would perk her ears to the distinct sound of crinkling and know exactly who was responsible. Theodore turned around, and saw the trap door on the back, designed as a way to give easy checks and changes to actual babies. He could even see the white of his diaper peeking out underneath. All Theodore could do was stare down at himself, his mouth agape. “Aww, you’re speechless! I knew you would love it.” Shari hoisted the mouse up with ease, carrying him on her hip like an actual toddler. “Come on, let’s show you off. I’m sure the other girls will love your padded tush just as much as I do!” Theodore did not doubt that. Unfortunately, that’s what he was most afraid of. Theodore buried his head in Shari’s shoulder and quietly suckled on his pacifier. The amber nipple bobbed rhythmically in his mouth. At some point, he had begun suckling on it of his own volition. Shari forced the pacifier upon him, and he was taking to it like a duck to water. Theodore kicked his feet restlessly, the diaper sounding off its crinkly anthem, and hoped that this was the only babyish habit he would develop today. The pair came to a sudden stop, as Shari arrived at a door on the other side of the office. “Oh Naomi!” Shari began in a singsong, “There’s someone very special who wants to see you!” There was a pregnant pause after that. The pair waited, Theodore growing more confused and antsy. “Shari,” A dry voice from the other side of the door finally answered, “You don’t have to do this every morning. You can come in if you want.” The cheetah chuckled to herself. “I know that. But I’m with someone. He makes very good first impressions!” There was another pause after that, although, one not nearly as silent. From the other side, Theodore could swear he heard heavy breathing. Panting? Purring? He felt himself shrinking in the cheetah’s cradle, the sounds prompting a primal sense of fear. The sounds finally subsided, and the two were once again waiting in silence. “Come in…” beckoned a low and deep growl of a voice. The party reacted accordingly. Theodore whimpered softly, and Shari walked inside. Her fur was a fine shade of black that shined cleanly under her violet pantsuit. Her deep yellow eyes stayed tracking Theodore from the second he and Shari entered the room. Her facial expression and demeanor gave her an aura of poise and precision. An aura that matched perfectly with the tight and orderly den that was her office. Despite her outward composure, Theodore could tell there were more intense feelings lurking behind her eyes. “Good morning, Shari. Who is your adorable little friend?” Her words sounded friendly and warm, even while her sights stayed pinned to the pacified prey that was Theodore. Theodore nuzzled even closer to his feline captor. Given the circumstances, he was starting to feel much safer in Shari’s paw than anywhere else. Between the two big cats in the room, the one cradling him seemed far less imposing. “His name is Teddy! He’s the new guy Lydia emailed us about.” With a quick flick of her paw, Shari plucked the pacifier out of Theodore’s mouth. “Go on. Introduce yourself!” While the spotlight that beamed on him was only metaphorical, he still felt an intense heat shining on him. It was not because of the sleeper either. The pressure of having these two office ladies stare down at him was a lot. Naomi was giving him no quarter. She sat on the edge of her desk, patiently waiting for Theodore’s pitch. His arrival was no doubt the highlight of her day, as Lydia had apparently taken the liberty of alerting everyone in the building beforehand. “M-my name is Theodore. I was supposed to start working here today…” There was a small drop of confidence that had not yet been drained from Theo’s body. Unfortunately, while it was enough to get him to speak, there was none left for his voice to use. The result was Theo speaking in a quiet, mousy voice, and two felines cooing at him. “He’s a total sweetheart. As soon as I met him, he tried to ask me for a date. A date! Isn’t that precious?” Naomi chuckled lightly. “I suppose some men cannot help themselves in the presence of beautiful women.” Naomi fixed her gaze back at the mouse. “Does that sound right, Mr. Teddy? Are you going to be our little office flirt?” Theodore responded by burying his head in Shari’s arm, like a toddler being cooed at by his aunt and uncles. “Aww, feeling shy? Maybe Shari is more your type? Into younger women, I take it.” “I think he likes you! He just hasn’t got the chance to know you yet. Why don’t I drop him off here so you two can get acquainted?” The very notion caused Naomi’s eyes to swell and grow huge. She let out another low purr that was only muted by the sound of her claws scraping at her desk. In an equal reaction, Theodore buried himself deeper into Shari’s carriage. He wished so badly that he could scurry away back to the hole he called home. But he couldn’t do that, still stuck in the grasps of a women much stronger and faster than him. He was only able to stare back at the predator, and he saw that his fear was perfectly reflected in her deep black pupils. “Oh!?” Naomi pulled herself back and began to regain her lost composure. “I mean, are you sure? You are the one who saw him first. It wouldn’t be right for me to steal him away from you.” Shari scoffed, “Don’t try and act all restrained. You were the first one in Lyn’s office after this little cutie finished his interview last week. I bet good money that you probably lost sleep over him this weekend.” Oh dear. Theodore hadn’t yet considered the weight of the fact that his arrival was already common knowledge. Lydia might as well have sounded the dinner bell. Judging by the reactions of these first two co-workers, he was going to be a very popular addition. “You always read me so well. But I really shouldn’t be playing right now.” “Come on, you’ve earned it. You’ve worked so much that you could take two days off with the little guy and still be ahead of everyone. Here, watch.” And without warning, Shari had pulled Theo away, and forced him into Naomi’s arms. Theo was sweating bullets, subjecting his pacifier to a flurry of panicked suckles. With her stoic gaze, Naomi was much harder to read. But she clearly was not complaining about the new arrangement. “See? I know you two are going to get along great together.” Shari glanced down at her watch. “I gotta run. If you need to change him, all the stuff is still in the old spot. If you want, I can tag back in at lunch time.” Shari waved and left in a hurry. “Have fun you two.” The door was shut, and Theodore had traded one predator for another. “Don’t speak. I want to enjoy this moment.” Her words were firm and confident, and her gaze had relaxed to a stoic state. “I can tell this all must be very shocking to you. Most men who end up in this office don’t do so willingly.” There it was again. That familiar sentiment. He had only been “working” for less than a day, but it was easy to see why this role was so hard to fill. “You are different, little Teddy. You signed up for this. You applied to this position like any other, not knowing any better.” Naomi paused, watching as the timid little mouse averted his gaze in order to dodge the question. “I thought so. You have such honest eyes, little Teddy. Unfortunately, you still managed to end up in my den all the same. I have a special way of greeting little rodents who find themselves here.” Naomi brushed the hood of Theo’s sleeper down. She leaned in closer and closer, until finally— “Mwah!” Naomi had planted a kiss on Theodore’s bare cheek. She didn’t stop at one. Soon, she was raining down blows of affection on his cheeks again and again. Theo fussed and squirmed, but he was no match for the predator’s precision. This panther’s passion persisted, as she had plenty of love to give. “Well?” Naomi asked in a playful tone. “Did I change your mind? Or do you still prefer younger women?” Naomi pulled the pacifier out of Theodore’s mouth, finally allowing the mouse to speak. It took Theodore a moment to find his bearings, but he managed to formulate a response. “I…I don’t understand! Why are you all treating me like this? Why do you think it’s okay to treat a grown adult like this? I’m not a baby!” “That is true. Babies are too young to appreciate this. That is why having little mice like you is much more fun. We get to spoil you rotten, and you get to appreciate every second of it.” “But I don’t want to be spoiled! I want to be treated as an adult! I want to work!” “Work?” A wry smile grew on Naomi’s face, “Well, you shouldn’t worry yourself over something like that. This office has plenty of hard-working grown-ups as is. But I do have something to keep a cutie like you entertained until lunchtime.” Naomi, as punctual as ever, had prepared for this meeting beforehand, like a scheming villain. She didn’t expect to meet with the mouse so early, but was happy with the end result all the same. From behind the corner of her desk, Naomi kicked out something made to accommodate Teddy. It was a baby walker, colored a garish shade of pink all over. There were many different toys and doodads designed to catch the attention of someone much younger than Theodore. Younger, but not much smaller. Before he could even protest, Naomi had shoved the mouse right into the open seat of the walker. Theodore immediately noticed how easily he sank into the seat. He also noticed, by anxiously kicking his feet, that he was unable to reach the floor below. To get out, he would need the help of someone much taller than him. “There we go, all nice and snug. This is a little something I like to have around when I want to spend time with any mice in the office. Watching you play gives me that extra jolt I need to get through the day. Much more interesting that fish swimming around in a glass tank.” Naomi set down an activity book and a packet of crayons in front of Theodore. “You can work on coloring in-between the lines. There’s even a couple of math problems in there, if you are feeling extra clever today. If you do a good job, I’ll even tear out the page and hang it on the fridge in the breakroom.” “This is ridiculous!” He yelled, “Let me out of here this instant!” He fuzzed and bounced, desperately trying to free himself. Naomi slammed her paws down in front of Teddy. She bared her fangs and let out a low growl. Teddy immediately recoiled, his eyes wide with shock. “Do not try my patience, little one. By my account, I gave you the appropriate treatment for a mouse in this office. I can take you out now, but it will only be so that I can give you a spanking on your bare bottom. Now you sit here and play, because I won’t ask twice.” It was all too much. The dam had finally broken, and Theodore was wetting his diaper out of fear. Both parties perked their ears at the sound of a wet hiss hitting the once white padding. Theodore whimpered and shut his eyes tight. A small part of him wished he still had a pacifier in his mouth for comfort. He might as well have something to suckle on. There was no way now that he would convince Naomi, or anyone else in this office, that he was anything more than a helpless kit. “And you were trying to tell me that you weren’t a baby. Well, us grown-ups can’t drop everything to please fussy little brats like you. You will just have to sit on that soggy tush of yours for a few hours.” Naomi offered up Teddy’s pacifier back into his mouth. This time, having learned his lesson, he graciously accepted the rubber nipple and began to suckle. It only took one stern talking to, but Theodore learned quickly not to challenge the queens of this office. He shuffled to a random page, grabbed a crayon, and tried his best to look busy. Naomi smiled down at him and continued her own work. Theo gulped, knowing he was in for a long first day… … The activity book was doing a poor job at keeping Theodore active. He managed to finish coloring a page depicting young children playing during recess. However, he didn’t feel accomplished at all after he had finished. The other parts of the book didn’t treat him any better. The math section was nothing more than basic addition. The numbers barely even passed the double digits, and he felt his attention begin to sway. “That’s enough fun for now, sweetie.” Naomi said, jolting the mouse’s attention, “It’s almost lunchtime, and we need to get you fed and ready for your nap.” Naomi pulled away the activity book. “Did you make sure to fill up a page for me, hmm?” “Yes Ma’am.” He responded quickly, “But I hadn’t packed a lunch this morning. I don’t eat very much, you see.” “Oh, don’t worry about that. I’m sure we can find something for you to munch on.” She waved him off, still pawing through the activity book. “Excellent work, Teddy.” Naomi must have found his effort satisfactory. He didn’t feel accomplished, but Theodore nodded, nonetheless. It was better to just grin and bare it for today. As soon as five rolled around, he would be home free, and ready to quit this awful job. Theo allowed himself to be lifted out of the baby seat, and cradled like before. However, he felt a new wave of anxiety, as Naomi stepped out of her office. He kept his head down and his eyes closed shut, but still heard a chorus of new voices cooing his way. “Is that really him?” “Lydia did say he was coming today.” “That outfit is so cute!” “Shh, I think he might be sleeping!” “Naomi must have tuckered him out!” “Hey, save some for the rest of us!” Theodore did not dare make a sound. He hadn’t yet braced himself for another humiliating meet-and-greet. Heels clacking. Doors creaking open. He was still blind to the world and had to rely on his other senses to help him. Eventually, he realized Naomi had come to a stop, and she began to rub his back. “Hey, we’re here.” Theodore popped up his head and scanned the room. He gathered that he was in the break room. He saw a fridge on one side of the room, along with a sink and a small microwave. His eyes landed on another big cat sitting in the corner of the room. And he immediately ducked his head down again. “Oh my gosh! I’m sorry sweetie. I didn’t mean to spook you.” “He’s just shy. I think I was too rough with him earlier. I had scolded him for misbehaving.” Theodore heard an unfamiliar voice going “ha-rump!” followed by the sound of a low growl. “Naomi, you have to be gentle with the little ones. You probably scared the poor dear senseless.” “I didn’t mean to. I just got carried away. I’m sure he’ll be fine. I’ll be more careful next time.” The tiger nodded, and turned towards the cowering mouse, “Hello there, sweetie. You can call me Ms. Sophie. I’m going to look after you now. It’s very nice to meet you.” Theodore peeked at the new figure. He had noticed a colorful blouse, covered with a flower petal design, over a large orange body with fine black stripes. She was a tiger and was rather well-built. She not only towered above Theo but was plainly a foot taller than Naomi herself. Despite this, Sophie didn’t invoke the sense of fear Naomi had earlier. This was the opposite. Her smile was warm and inviting. His nose twitched to catch the scent of the flowery perfume she wore. “Sophie is very experienced working with little ones like you. She is also much nicer than either me or Shari. You be good for her, okay?” “I’m sure that won’t be a problem. I can already tell he’s going to be a peach.” This transfer was much smoother. Theodore easily allowed himself to be passed off to Sophie. Her grasp was just as warm and inviting as advertised. “I’ll make sure no one bothers you two,” Was all that Naomi said as she made her leave. “Hey there, sweetie. Naomi tells me your name is Teddy?” “Y-yes, my name is Teddy—Theodore! Oh, dear.” That awful nickname was starting to get to him. Every single aspect of today was wearing him down. He had at least managed to make it to lunch time. All Teddy needed to do was grin and bear it. “It’s quite all right, darling. I think Teddy is a very cute name. More importantly, how about we get some grub in you? You’ve probably worked up an appetite since this morning.” The special accommodations made for his arrival had not yet let up. Amongst a series of plain look furniture, there stood one wooden high-chair. Just like before, he fit inside perfectly. He wasn’t even surprised anymore. He was buckled in, tray pushed back, and about to be fed like a hapless infant. He was not impressed by his “lunch” either, which appeared to be a bowl of oatmeal and a sippy cup filled with juice. He reactively turned his head as the tiger brought a spoon to his mouth. “Um, I’m sorry but this is—” “Too hot?” Sophie paused, blowing on the warm spoonful before resuming. “There we go. Now, open wide, Teddy.” Teddy shook his head. “No, that isn’t the issue. I—” “Not hungry? That can’t be right. It will be much harder for you to sleep if you have an empty stomach.” “I can feed myself.” He didn’t give her another chance to cut in. The mouse made sure to not raise his voice at her, having learned his lesson from the last queen. “Yes? I’m sure you can, Teddy. But this is just how things go in the office. It really isn’t that big of a deal.” Sophie spoke in sweet tones, though she didn’t sound all too sincere. Her mental image of Teddy trying to feed himself was likely akin to a toddler mashing food everywhere. Theodore sighed. In truth, he was already expecting answer such as that. He just wasn’t willing to accept this treatment without a fight. “Very well.” “Thank you! If you want, you can hold and drink from the sippy cup all by yourself. Most of the other ladies would have opted for a baby bottle, but I trust you.” Trying again, Sophie stirred the oatmeal around, and brought a spoonful to Teddy’s mouth. He didn’t try to fuss or squirm. He didn’t need Sophie to pretend it was a plane or a train. He simply accepted the warm bite of food. It was…good. Better than good. Theo picked hints of brown sugar, as well as smartly chosen fruit flavors. It was sweet, but not overbearingly so. While oatmeal was more of a breakfast food, a nice homecooked meal was welcome given the current circumstances. “How is it? I hope my cooking isn’t too plain for your taste. It’s been some time since I tried to cook for a mouse’s palette.” “No, it’s good. You made it perfectly. Thank you.” Sophie squealed, “You are so very welcome! I’m glad I could make you something you like.” The feeding continued without complaint. Theodore readily accepted every bite of his homecooked meal, and Sophie was more than happy to supply him. Theodore was even allowed to treat himself with a few swigs of juice straight from his new sippy cup. The cup took more effort than he initially expected, forcing him to actively suckle at it to get the sweet nectar inside, but he managed. The familiar taste of cool apple juice was a perfect match with his hot meal. “There we go. I bet you feel much better now.” Sophie scooped up the dishes and walked over to the sink to let them soak. “I wish Lydia told us more about you. You really are a treat.” Theodore perked up. Just hearing her name spoken again sent a reverb through his system. He was reminded of how simple everything started, only a few days ago. Lydia said she had given him “fair warning” about this position beforehand. What a load of bunk. She really believed her handwave of a warning was fair? How about saying “your office is basically a glorified nursery” or “every person in this office will try to baby you” instead? Teddy swallowed, “Excuse me, Do you think it’s possible that I could meet with Lydia later today? “I don’t think that is such a good idea Teddy. Ms. Lydia is very busy, so she probably doesn’t have time to play with you. Besides, we need to get you ready for your nap.” Theodore frowned. Sophie was somewhat more reasonable than the other ladies of the office, but not by much. The highchair feeding should have made that obvious. Still, Theodore had to at least try to get his voice heard. He had some very choice words he needed to share with his employer. When Sophie came back, Theodore was hoisted for the umpteenth time today, and cradled into her arms once more. Teddy whimpered as the two approached the break room door. “I’ll be quick, Teddy. No one is going to bother you today.” Even though the trip was nonnegotiable, Sophie still tried her best to soothe him. Teddy instinctively buried his head into the big cat’s shoulder. “Just make it through today” He thought to himself, “Just a few more hours, and we’re home free.” He didn’t hear as much commotion as Sophie walked him through the office. He did hear a few scattered snickers and giggles, but not much else. It seemed that Naomi had kept her promise. When he heard another door creaking and felt Sophie come to a stop, Teddy suspected that they had arrived at their destination. When Sophie rubbed his back and said, “We’re here, sweetheart,” The mouse finally perked his head back up. They were back in his office. Well, office was giving it too much credit. He realized now that this place was meant to be his playroom. The layout made much more sense with that in mind. They really spare no expense when it comes to babying him. It would be flattering if it weren’t so humiliating. “Ready for your nap, Teddy?” As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he was feeling rather tired now. A full meal tended to have that effect. Even so, Teddy was not ready to drop out just yet. He was still curious about a few things. Namely, why every person in this office was so obsessed with treating mice like babies. “Could we skip the nap, Ms. Sophie? I would much rather we talk. Perhaps, get to know each other better?” Really, Teddy was looking for an opening to probe. But Ms. Sophie shook her head, “I’m afraid not, dear. I’ve already used up all my time with you today. Besides, we have a schedule to follow.” Time? Schedule? That was different. He remembered the other ladies saying something similar. Was this treatment an organized effort of theirs? It would make sense, in some twisted way. Before Teddy could come to a conclusion, he felt the buttons on the sleeper’s trap door being popped open. “Hey, what are you—eek!” He felt a large paw squeeze the back of his diaper. Immediately Teddy was reminded of the big accident he had in Naomi’s office. The padding had become cold and clammy since then, and Teddy had somehow gotten used to the feeling. “Oh my,” mused Sophie, as she continued to grope Teddy’s soaked pamper, “You did a number on this one. No wonder you’ve been so squirmy. Let’s get you freshened up.” Sophie laid Teddy back onto his new desk (which was becoming his new changing table. Teddy was spared no modesty. The tabby sleeper was unzipped, and Teddy was left completely exposed, aside from the soaked diaper he was still taped in. Sophie brought her large paws to Teddy’s chest and leaned him down gently. Teddy clamped his eyes shut. He already saw one big cat fit him into a diaper. He didn’t need an encore performance. Luckily, Sophie didn’t mind, and quickly got to work. “Just grin and bear it. Nothing we haven’t been through before.” Teddy shivered as his exposed crotch was hit by a blast of cool air, courtesy of the office’s AC. He gripped his desk as his exposed crotch was met with a cool wet wipe, courtesy of Ms. Sophie. His legs were lifted, then dropped again. The feeling of something hard and wooden was replaced his something smooth and soft. Once again, the diaper crinkled as it was folded over. Tapes scrunched as they were pulled together. Teddy’s mobility, and his pride, was shot as the diapering was finished. “All done! Thank you for cooperating. You are such a good boy.” When Teddy looked up, he saw his diaper was not only dry, but had been size up considerably. This new fit would not even allow him to close his legs. “It’s so thick! Why do I have to wear this one?” “Because this is an overnight diaper, sweetie. Little ones have a tendency to dripple in their diapers during bedtimes, yes?” It was only now that Teddy realized how little Sophie thought of him. Every other woman in this office already thought of him as a baby, and there was no good reason to think she was any different. “Don’t you think this is overkill?” “Really?” Sophie asked, her tone playful, “Well, a certain mouse almost leaked into his sleeper today. I think that’s a good reason to be cautious.” Teddy blushed, knowing that he had no way to counter her point. “Can I at least have something to wear?” “Well, I think that sleeper of yours needs to be washed again. But, I do have something just as good.” Having said that, Sophie pulled out a new juvenile outfit to replace the old one. “I picked it out myself. Isn’t it charming?” It was another kitten themed outfit, unsurprisingly. This one was a calico-themed onesie. The coat was white with splotches of orange and black all over. Considering the fact calicos were usually female, he wasn’t a fan. His legs were exposed, and the thick overnight diaper peeked out from the sides, leaving nothing to the imagination per his diapered-status. “There we go. A perfect fit. Ready for your nap?” Teddy sighed, “Very well.” He was as ready as he was going to get. At this point he would be fighting Sophie, as well as his body’s natural need for rest. The best course of action was to fold for now and persevere. All he had to do was run out the clock, after all. “Do you have a blanket or…” This day never stopped throwing surprises at Teddy. From a closet that was behind his desk, Sophie had rolled out a crib. Small and low to the ground, the crib was nothing special. Just a simple design that you’d see in any baby aisle. Still, it was the perfect size for a certain mouse. Sorry about the size. It was all that we could manage to fit into the closet. But there is more than enough room for you to fit in, and it doesn’t even take up much space.” Sophie prattled on, but her concerns and Teddy’s were not one and the same. “I’m going to sleep in there?” Teddy asked. Although, the question’s answer was obvious. Obvious, and staring him dead in the face while rolling on four wheels. His well of disbelief had not dried completely. “It is a lot cozier than it looks.” Sophie reassured him, missing the point entirely. “C’mon, up we go.” She hoisted the mouse up in her arms once again and walked him over towards the crib. “Ms. Sophie, this really is not necessary. If you only let me—Mph!” His words were cut short by a rubber teat once more. Same room. Same day. Same pacifier. Different predator. What a roundabout trip. “This will help you sleep. You’ve already taken such a liking to it.” With a smile, Sophie lowered the mouse into the crib, paying no mind to the cranky look in his eyes. With one swift motion, a “Woosh!” and a “Click!” The cribs bars were raised high up and locked into place. The mouse’s grouchy expression had been swapped up to a wide-eyed one. “Don’t be nervous. Someone will be back to check on you in a while. You focus on getting your rest, okay?” As Sophie left, she clicked the lights off and locked the door, leaving the mouse unattended for the first time in hours. As soon as Sophie left, Teddy roused himself up. Even when standing on his tippy-toes, he had no chance of reaching the top of the crib. After a meager effort, Teddy fell back on his cushy tush, easily defeated by his own lacking height. Teddy laid his head back, gave his pacifier a cursory suckle, and noticed how heavy his eyelids felt. Just like how he could not escape the queens in the office, he could not escape the nap that he had been sentenced to. *** “Wakey, wakey sleepyhead.” Teddy did not want to wake. Sleep was treating him well. The soft clouds below him were treating him well. The sweet flavor in his mouth was treating him well. Wakey, wakey can wait, wait. “Mmont wanna…” “It’s time to get up. We have to leave now.” Teddy did not want to leave. For the first time today, he was enjoying himself. No overly motherly big cats. No threats of spankings. This was the life. “Mama…Sweepy.” Teddy mumbled. He was making an educated guess when he called out for Mama. The feeling of peace and serenity felt like they were ripped straight from his childhood memories. “Aww, that’s sweet. But my name isn’t mama.” The voice laughed, “It’s Ms. Lydia.” Teddy was finally woken up. Rather suddenly, in fact. That familiar name was all he needed to rejoin the world of the waking. There stood his boss, the leader of the pack, leaning over his crib with a smug smile on her face. “You were right, Teddy.” Said the smiling lioness, “You’ve become very popular around here.” “W-wydia!” Teddy paused, spitting out the pacifier still lodged in his mouth. “Lydia! I demand an explanation!” “Who gave you permission to take up that tone with me.” Without warning, Lydia leaned over the crib, and popped the crotch buttons on Teddy’s sleeper. The diaper shifted, and Lydia pressed a paw against Teddy’s exposed diaper. “If anything, you should be demanding a diaper change. You desperately need one.” Teddy cringed as the lioness felt his soaked padding. All the juice he drank from lunch had made a transfer from his gut to his pampers overnight. It had happened so naturally, that he wasn’t even roused by it when he was sleeping. But he could not dawdle on that right now. He had to leverage what little power he had in this situation. Teddy had to make a stance, even if it was on wobbly feet. “D-don’t change the subject! Why didn’t you tell me this was going to happen? Why didn’t you tell me this entire office was baby crazy!?” Lydia rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. “You know, when you came in for that interview, I really did not see this working out. I thought that reintroducing a mouse into the office so soon was going to cause more problems. But I am happy to be proven wrong. Everyone here is doing such a good job banding together to make this work. It is truly a shame, however, that you will need to be punished on your first day. But I suppose that is what happens when you talk out of turn.” “I do believe I am very much in turn!” Teddy was sitting up now. He slammed a fist against the mattress below. “What kind of office turns workers into babies!?” That had done it. Lydia yolked up Teddy by the back of his collar and bared her fangs at him. If the mouse had anything left in the tank, he would have wet his diaper a second time. “The kind a mouse like you belongs in. You seemed to be confused. No one made you wet your diapers. No one made you throw a temper tantrum. The only thing I am making you do is accept your punishment, like the mouthy kit that you are.” With her free hand, Lydia had forced a new pacifier into Teddy’s mouth. This one was different, as it featured straps to keep it from being spat out. Satisfied, Lydia carried the mouse out of the room, and deeper into the office. Where was Lydia taking him? From what he had gathered, it was time to leave. Had a really slept to five? If that was the case, he should be heading home now. Teddy noticed how quiet it was. Everyone else must have gone home for today. Lydia opened the door to the conference room. Theodore’s jaw would have dropped if not pacifier firmly wedged inside. A clowder of queens sat in attendance. It was as if the entire building crammed into one conference room in order to greet the new blushing baby mouse. “Ladies, I would like you to meet Teddy.” Lydia gestured to the red-faced mouse for all to see, “Teddy has taken up the reins of being our office console. I want you all to try your best to make him feel welcome.” All the other workers clapped at the announcement. Teddy spotted a few familiar faces in the audience, including a certain panther, and a cheetah dressed in a trendy fashion. Lydia looked down at the frightened mouse, finally ready to cure him of his confusion. “Many queens are willing to put in a few extra hours just to play with a cute kit like you. We have an entire system in play. Ladies who work extra get the choice to spend time with you on their days off. They even get to spend time with you during break hours. It’s a very effective system. Office productivity has been observed to go as high as forty percent when a well-managed mouse is introduced. Statistics from our other branches support these numbers even further. You have a very big role to play here, Teddy. Be proud that you get to fill it.” It was all so absurd. Yet, not a single person here seemed to see it that way, except for Teddy himself. Teddy could not see a single snickering face, or any one holding back laughter. He did not get the vibe that they were acting, either. There was no hint that this was a cruel and elaborate prank. He really had signed up to be their plaything. “Unfortunately, he did not make good marks on this first day. He has a very clear problem with talking out of turn. As such, we will be ending his first day with a punishment.” Lydia’s announcement left a wave of disappointment in the meeting room. Sophie especially, who had grasped her paws over her mouth in shock. If it was any other context, Teddy might have felt horribly guilty. “Ultimately, this serves to encourage our little mouse to do better in the future. Please, do not be disappointed. Instead, let us take advantage of this opportunity to show our new employee how much we desperately want him to do better.” While Teddy was shuttering at the word “punishment” it was coming to him faster than he could react. Teddy was flipped over on his stomach, his nose to the ground. The buttons on his onesie popped, and his soaked diaper was pulled down, leaving his tush and tail completely exposed. She couldn’t be…? “Teddy,” Lydia spoke in a calm and serene tone, “This is Julia. She is from the accounting department.” Lydia brought a paw to Teddy’s chin and pointed his head upwards. His eyes landed on a young serval cat, dressed modestly. She had an awkward smile on her face, like a bookish girl who had just been asked out for prom. “Hi, hello.” Julia began. Her voice was quiet and polite. “I’m not really use to dealing with mice. I think all the other girls have more experience than me. Still, I hope I can make a good first impression.” She flashed an honest smile, and walked past Teddy, out of view. Teddy noticed that everyone else had lined up behind her. Before the mouse could begin to question why, the answer came crashing down. WHAM! Something had struck Teddy’s backside. Something hard and cool and flat and wooden. It only struck once, but it was enough to leave Teddy shook. “Ooh, Was that alright, Lydia?” “That was perfect, Julia. You are excused for today.” Teddy’s fear had become fact. The nightmare that started this morning was not ending easily. The muffled cries from behind his paci fell on deaf ears, as the next lady stepped forward. “This is Celine. She is our acting receptionist.” Celine was a lynx. A smidge older than Julia, her demeanor was much more confident than the cat before her. “You know, you look a lot smaller than the last guy. Not that I mind.” Teddy shook his head, but that did not stop the cat from circling behind him. Lydia had the mouse pinned down easily, leaving him no choice other than to accept his punishment. WHAM! He was still reeling from the previous swat, but another came all the same. Celine’s strike was even harder than the last. “This is—ah, that’s right. You already met with Shari today, yes? The youthful cheetah stared down at the whimpering mouse. Even in the late hours of the afternoon, her chipper demeanor was still present. “Hey there cutie! I really thought you were going to get the reward today. I was looking forward to smooching those cute cheeks of yours.” Shari shrugged, “Oh well! Better luck next time.” Out of sight, but not out of mind. The sight of a familiar face did not give him any hope for the next paddling. WHAM! The spankings were only getting better. Meaning, this third strike was the hardest yet. The ladies had ordered themselves by age and seniority, by right now it felt like it was by strength. To think, all these women had stayed after work just for once quick smack against his backside. Just imagine what they would do to spend a few hours with him. The same way Naomi and Sophie apparently had. If there ever needed to be proof that cats love to play with their prey, look no further than to Teddy’s tanned hide. “Chin up, Teddy,” Lydia, “You still have a lot more people to meet. There we go. Now, this is Dorothy. She works…” “…Oh dear. Did I do all right?” “You did fine, Missy. Thank you.” Missy was a snow leopard, and one of the oldest ladies in the office. She had met with her fair share of mice and had very high expectations for the newest hire. After four spanks, he had gotten the message. He did not fight back. He didn’t hiss or try to squirm away. He simply lied back and accepted the spankings he had earned. Teddy really knew how to grin and bear it. Such a fast learner. That level of intuition is so rare nowadays. This Teddy had a bright career in his future. Missy kept these thoughts to herself, however. She simply bowed and left as instructed. “You see how much life you bring into the office? Everyone here was willing to stay overtime to give you a,” Lydia brought a swift paw against Teddy’s redden backside, “Warm! Welcome. You better do your best to appreciate it.” She hiked the mouse’s still soaked diaper up back up and cradled him out of the room. “Come on, let’s get you home.” Teddy had been left utterly defeated. Before, he was actually doing quite well at avoiding his co-workers. Now, at the tail end of today, they had all banded together to give him a proper greeting. He was completely exhausted, his vision still blurred by tears. Teddy whimpered softly into his pacifier, glad to have it as a comfort. Teddy felt a cool breeze on his cheeks, along with the sound of cars driving by, and figured out that Lydia had taken him outside. Was Lydia escorting him to his car? Teddy felt himself being set down, and straps being pulled over him. Teddy felt a door shut by his right side. Confused, he rubbed the tears out of his eyes. He now realized that he was strapped into a baby seat, of an entirely unknown vehicle. This wasn’t his car! “I would have changed you before we left,” Lydia said, now sitting in the drivers seat, “But I like to try and conserve office supplies when I can. Don’t worry, I have plenty of cute prints for you to wear back home.” Teddy gave a panicked cried from his pacifier-filled mouth, “Mmah tar! Mhah tar!” “Oh, that?” Lydia glanced nonchalantly out of the driver’s side window, and saw Teddy’s car in the lonely parking lot. “I’ll be sure to have it towed later. Thank you for reminding me.” No, that’s not what he meant! Teddy groaned a defeated cry behind his pacifier. Forget a career adjustment. Teddy was getting a lifestyle adjustment. And this was not something he would be allowed to quit. “I never told you how the last guy got away did I? It was a rookie mistake on my behalf. I had left the window in his nursery open for a few minutes. He managed to scurry away, we never found him after that.” Lydia smiled and buckled her seatbelt. “Nothing you need to concern yourself with. You won’t have to be on the lookout for any cracked windows in your new nursery. Especially not since I’ve had those metal bars installed over them.” And so, Lydia drove out of the office parking lot, Teddy in tow, after a successful work day. Teddy’s interview was more of formality than an actual test of his compatibility. The real test was seeing how well he gelled with his co-workers. Unfortunately, he had passed with flying colors. Many of workers went home and plotted ways to pamper Teddy on their off-days. All that the mouse could do was guess what that entailed, using today’s experiences, and his sore bottom, as hints. One thing was for sure. This was one office job that would never get boring.

Hello! I've lurked on this forum for some time and haven't posted before. I've wanted to try my hand at writing ABDL stories, so I finally buckled down and finished one. Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Feedback and critique is welcomed and appreciated! ----- Mama Bear Syndrome Scott Dawson crept into his home, not daring to make a sound. He tip-toed across the violet carpet with peak stealth–as much stealth a man his size could muster. He was tall and well-built, which, unfortunately didn’t help much for producing quieter footsteps. Slowly, he peaked his head pass the door frame to the kitchen. Not a person in sight. That was a good sign…right? his wife–a woman so punctual she made the Sun jealous–was always there to greet when him arrived from work at 5:15 PM on the dot. She had made a point of it every day with one trademark greeting or another prepared. “Welcome home darling!” was most commonly seen in the first few years of their marriage, eventually proceeded by “Oh, your back already?” Before recently, Scott was used to being met with a command or chore as his greeting, reserving all the sweetness for their son Julian. “Did you take out the garbage yet?” was not quite as loving, but compared to today? He wasn’t sure which he preferred. “That’s weird,” Scott whispered to himself. “I don’t think she’s home yet. M-maybe I can just hide out in the garage or– “What are you doing?” Minerva asked. Scott nearly jumped out of his coat. Like a ghost, his wife appeared right before him without a sound. Minerva’s usual distant apathy was absent. Instead, he retained a more wide-eyed and concerned demeaner. “Wah!” Scott shrieked out. “Jeez mama, don’t sneak up on me like that!” Scott’s wife laughed and moved closer to him. She cupped his cheeks in his hands, not at all minding his personal space. “Aw, did I make you jump? I’m sorry sweetheart. Did you have a hard day today, dearie?” Minerva asked, still smushing her husband’s cheeks. “I wouldn’t want you stressed on your big day.” Scott wanted to scoff at the sentiment. He hardly considered his birthday to be ‘big day’ like it was some type of annual promotion. He didn’t see growing old as achievement—it was more of a heads up for all the grey hair he’d be expecting. Minerva, however, had the most romantic ideas when it came to birthdays. Cake, confetti, those pointy striped hats (a tradition that always confused Scott)—she spared no expense for hers truly. The parties were always private, as the pair both shared a mutual dislike for cleaning up after groups of people, despite to two never doing anything mischievous on those days. Minerva magically managed to make Scott feel younger year after year, and today was no exception. “C’mon mama,” Scott whined, “Can’t we just skip the party stuff this time?” Minerva shook her head. “Certainly not. I already have the whole day planned. Today is very special occasion. You only turn two once!” Scott had room to argue otherwise. This year, however, was already making him feel a too much younger. With his attempts to escape birthday time foiled, Scott sighed in defeat. “Yes dear,” was all he could say as let himself being led to the bathroom to be cleaned up so the ‘fun’ could begin. He thought about how worried he used to be about growing old to soon. Right now, those thoughts were the farthest thing from his mind. Minerva’s symptoms were always flaring up during the holidays. Whether it was time to celebrate Saint Paddy or Saint Nick, holidays were the perfect occasion to put Minerva in a motherly mood. Easter time that Scott got his own personal Easter egg hunt around the house, dressed as the cutest little bunny. Just last Halloween Scott wore a black-and-yellow onesie with a fussy headband for his bay-bee (get it?) outfit. New Year’s Eve? Pretty self-explanatory. A birthday like this was just par for the course. Sitting in the bathroom were the usual suspects. A large changing mat already unfolded on the bathroom floor. A diaper bag fitted to pamper any grown man. And a large package of adult diaper. Calling them adult was more than generous as they decorated with anchors and cartoon fish. It didn’t matter how long they had been married. Scott never got used to diaper changes. Minerva unzipped the front of Scott’s work jumpsuit, revealing a white t-shirt stained with dirt, and a white diaper stained with urine. Scott had wet himself on the bus ride home, and the padding had gone cold and clammy since then. He was not incontinence, it just felt easier to let go sometimes. “You poor thing. Come on, let’s get up cleaned up.” There was genuine concern in Minerva’s voice. She hated the idea of her baby boy having to squirm in a wet diaper all day. Having to wear a diaper at work was a lot easier than it sounded. Sure, the conversion with his boss was embarrassing, but the diaper was easy to hide under his jumpsuit and no one gave his any flack for it. Boxers and briefs were off the table at this stage of Minerva’s condition, and Scott had made peace with that. Scott was not in a fighting mood. He let himself be stripped of his ‘big boy clothes’ and laid on the changing mat. Minerva hummed a tune and got to work. He wrinkled his nose involuntarily as Minerva shook the baby powder over him, sweet scent never failing to make him feel small. Lavender and chamomile certainly did not scream ‘man of the house’. Scott lifted his bum and let Minerva slide the oversized padding under him. He always wondered where Minerva bought such big diapers from. Maybe there were specialty store online for people with her condition? Scott was never the most tech-savvy guy. He could barely check his email, let alone find a store where they sell giant baby diapers. While Scott was busy musing, Minerva had already finished taping his up, a few gentle pats on the front grabbing his attention. Minerva was always so gentle during diaper changes. It was one parenting duty Scott was more than happy to let Minerva take the reins on whenever it came up. She took her time and was never rough when rubbing in the powder or wiping mess away. It was a fact their son Julian was always too young to appreciate as well as something Scott would have a hard time forgetting. “All done!” Minerva chimed. She pulled Scott upright and gave him a kiss on the forehead. “Arms up now,” Scott lifted his arms and Minerva pulled a white shirt over him. Scott tugged at shirt and saw navy blue collar with a matching anchor on the front. A sailor suit? A small patch of his belly was exposed, showing a patch of baby fat at his midriff. This was no doubt intentional; Scott had not put on weight recently and Minerva knew his measurements by heart. Scott quickly picked up the maritime theme. Of course, There was always theme with Minerva. He wasn’t sure why she picked a naval theme though. The idea probably just popped into her head, and she stuck with it. “Is my little sailor ready to set sail for birthday fun!?” Minerva asked. Scott nodded, trying his best to fake enthusiasm. Minerva didn’t seem to mind either way. The living room was decorated to the nines. Blue and white streamers were hung from the ceiling with care. Plush sharks and fish were set up in empty chairs as party guest. There was a big banner across the wall that read: “HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCOTTY!!!” The whole arrangement must have taken hours to set up, But Minerva didn’t look the least bit tired. She must have been working on it since morning. She was still wearing her robe and pajama bottoms. “I bet my little sailor wants to open his presents now, doesn’t he?” Scott didn’t mind jumping straight into the present. From his ‘Mommy’s’ perspective, he had been tired from playing in the sun all day was excited to get home for his birthday party. Work was tiring more often than not, so she was not too far off. Maybe Mommy was just too tired for playtime today, it was hard to tell. Scott looked around the room and walked—waddle was more like it, with way his diaper made him walk—toward the pile of wrapped packages. Scott got on his knees and lifted a rectangular package. He gave to box a few shakes, and it barely made a sound. He squeezed the box, and felt the contents push inwards. Scott wasn’t sure why he did this when it was plainly obvious what was inside. He carefully pulled back the edges of the wrapping paper, because he knew Minerva would want to reuse it next year. Inside was a package of—get this— ‘adult’ diapers. More specifically, they were a package of Snuggles: Teddy Edition brand diapers. He had become intimately familiar with Snuggles in the past year. A glance at his backside proved that much. The diapers he wore to work were simple and white, designed for people who actually incontinent. Snuggles brand was always decorated with cutesy cartoon animals or baby paraphernalia Snuggles brand was clearly designed for an audience of giant babies. Unfortunately, he had become their prime demographic. The diapers were comfortable, but Scott didn’t like to think about it. He didn’t like that he could now tell difference between two brands based on feel alone. He didn’t even like how beginning to develop a preference for certain ones. No man this age should a favorite brand of diaper. As Scott turn around, ready to open the next package, he saw Minerva waving at him and holding a disposable camera. “Don’t worry Scotty. Mommy is just taking a couple pictures for your baby book. Go on now!” Scott sighed. With all the picture Minerva took, his baby book would be a four-part series. He turned around and was on to the next package. There was a thin yellow gift sitting to the last one. He pulled back the paper to reveal a series of onesie all in his size. Minerva had probably sewn half of them herself. Minerva snapped some pictures. Next gift. There was a small green box by his foot. He lifted the top, and inside was a trove of pacifiers. There were enough colors to fill three different rainbows. Minerva snapped some more pictures. Next gift. There was a giant plush shark with a bow on it. Scott pulled off the bow a gave it a squeeze. It was sufficiently soft. He never cared for stuffed animals though. More pictures. More gifts. Pictures. Gifts. Pictures. Gifts. “Okay honey, that’s everything.” Minerva chimed. “You had a big haul this year. My little sailor got a lot of treasure this year!” Scott was just glad to be finished. Scott stood up and stretched. “Welp, that fun. Guess it time for me go beddy-bye, right Mama?” “Since when you do want to turn in early? Did my little boy get bit by the good-manners bug? We still haven’t had dinner yet.” Minerva walked up to Scott and started rubbing his tummy. “I know you worked an appetite today! You can go to bed after din-din and cake.” Yup, another attempt to dodge birthday humiliation foiled. Scott was bad when it came to exit strategies. He gave his hand to Mama and was led to kitchen. Birthday time wasn’t over just yet… The kitchen was much less decorated. The only thing birthday related he could see was cake sitting on the kitchen counter. When he saw the number two candle on top of it, his mind started to drift. Two years. So much had happened in just two years. Two years, Minerva had been her normal self. It was true that they were growing apart, but it was better than her acting like Mother Goose. Two years ago, they had been a normal family. The have an actual conversation with one another. Two years ago, their son was still— *click* Scott snapped back to the present. He looked down and realized he was already settled into his highchair; the tray being locked in place. Scott groaned. The diapers were definitely the worst part of his new lifestyle, but the highchair was a solid runner-up. Even when it was only sitting in kitchen, the giant white chair looked a joke, like it was a lost movie prop. Was that all he was now, a big joke? Some giant manbaby stuck in an unfunny comedy? The worse part was that it made him feel stuck. As soon the tray was locked into place, he couldn’t get out until Mommy said so. He hated how high up it was, forcing his feet to swing freely midair. The tips of his toes just barely missed the kitchen floor. All he could do was wait like a good little boy. No wonder babies hated those things. He didn’t even try to struggle like real baby would, less he risks breaking something. “Dinnertime! Eat all up, then when can cut your cake.” Minerva placed a plate of fish sticks and mac-and-cheese on top of the tray. His silverware was plastic and tinted blue. It wasn’t any special, but it stayed with the theme well enough. Minerva probably would have breaded the fish herself if she had the time or the energy. As Scott looked down at his tray, he the sound of stomach rumbling. Yet, he didn’t feel anything, and had not been that hungry. He looked over to Minerva—not just as a glance, he gave her a real in-depth onceover. It was the first time today that he noticed the bags under her eyes. Her face had looked so tired, so worn. He was right about her working on his party since morning. Had she even stopped to eat? She didn’t need to push herself like this for him. He didn’t want to do that, to starve herself, over something so stupid. He was supposed to look after. He wanted to hold her in his arm, forget about all the fighting, and just let her rest. “Does my special guy want his Mommy to feed him?” Minerva asked, not missing a beat. No way! Minerva needed to eat something. “No! I can it myself!” Scott hastily picked up the plastic spoon before Minerva could react. He scooped a bite of mac-and-cheese into mouth, “I can do it, see!?” He shoveled down his dinner, leaving crumbs and specks of cheese on his shirt. Pride be damned, his wife needed a break. Minerva chuckled, “My, someone’s an eager beaver all of sudden! I didn’t even get a chance to tie a bib on you. You’re going straight to the tub after dinner.” It was clear to Minerva that her baby didn’t need help feeding right now. Minerva walked over to the fridge and pulled out a small salad. It was after watching her baby plow through his dinner, Minerva realized how hungry she was. She sat next to Scott, only turning to him to help wipe some of the food stuff off his cheeks. Baby or not, Scott was always such a messy eater. Soon enough, the two had finished their dinner. Minerva had taken their plates to the kitchen sink to be washed later. Now was the time for cake. Minerva dimmed the lights and lit the birthday candle. Happy Birthday to you… This was it. This was the main event. This is part where the birthday boy gets a big slice of cake and a standing ovation. It was truly a one-of-a-kind experience, watching children with grow and nurturing their limitless potential. Everyone would look on awe of the little one, so excited to see him grow up. What kind of man would he grow up to be? Happy Birthday to you… What kind of man had he grown up to be? It was hard for Scott to say. Of course, when he was a baby, an actual baby, he didn’t have think about such grand questions like that. He was kind to other and tried to help when he could. But, when he young, he didn’t have any great ambitions beyond that. If there was one thing he had to have to life, it probably had to be… a wife. Not just someone to lean on, but someone to care for in turn. Scott like to help and be held. He liked to be needed. He followed that thought, that need, intently and it led him to Minerva. Happy Birthday sweet baby… Minerva was just like Scott. Whereas Scott always wanted to be needed, Minerva always needed to help. It was almost a tick for her. She would always push herself for others, drive someone to the moon and back, not even expecting a thanks in return. She would have worn herself to the bone a long time ago if things had stayed that way. But she met Scott, and life didn’t have to go that way. When Minerva needed to rest her weary head, Scott was there. Whenever there was too much work, Scott would pitch in. He was like a big teddy bear that you squeeze and make all of life’s problem go away for a while. Were they in love? It sure felt like it. Why not stay that way forever? That was exactly what they did. That feeling was why they would marry each other. That feeling was why they had a son. Happy Birthday to you. Julian. Scott had missed a lot of things from the past, from his old life. He missed flirting with Minerva between classes in high school. He missed the long chats the two of them would share at night. He missed stroking Minerva’s hair when she was tired. But most of all, he missed their son Julian. For Scott and Minerva, there had been many mistakes in marriage, many reason for the two to drift apart. Julian was no one of them. Julian was a constant joy in their lives. It was so exciting, watching him grow up and blossom into a strong young man. Every birthday of his truly was a happy one. Come on now Honey! Blow out the candles! Julian was different from parents. He lacked their codependent tendencies. Julian loved his folks, but as he got older, he saw that there was something off about his parents’ relationship. There was certain air of neediness that he couldn’t deny. It was practically symbiotic, the way his parents doted over one another. If mom had a smudge on her face dad would wipe it away. They finished each other’s sentences, talked together like twins in a horror movie. It was sickeningly sweet. It was downright disturbing. It was what Julian want to be away from them. Hurray! Let me cut of a big slice for the birthday boy! He confronted them about it. His folks just laughed it off. When he yelled and cursed and bawled at them during dinner, they were not laughing. Having mister and misses Rogers as your parents just wasn’t cool when you reach high school. When you lived in a small town like theirs, it made you liable to get your ass kicked. If the fighting had done for Julian’s parents, it had been a wakeup call. Attaboy! Such a good eater! The house was a lot quieter after that. Scott and Minerva had lost something after that night as well. Were they doing something wrong? Was there a wrong way to fall in love? Maybe. Truthfully, Scott and Minerva had never taken the time to work out their own issues. The spark the two had nurtured had been replaced with doubt. Whatever love was it wasn’t supposed to feel this guilty. Slow down kiddo! We have to get all this on tape! Julian avoided his all throughout high school. There was no bonding, just short bullet point conversation. Just deflated sighs and rolled eyes. Julian wanted to be away from his parents. He wanted out. He kept to himself and spent most of free time researching place to go after high school. He had lots of options, all far from home. All he had to do was pick one. He didn’t even have a party of his eighteenth birthday. The day after he graduated, he backed his bags and joined the Navy and left his family behind. The gap between Scott and Minerva had widened even more after that. I bet he can’t wait for next year! Julian never came home. *** “Mother bear syndrome?” Scott asked, “I’m sorry doctor, I’ve never heard of it. It is bad?” Scott almost kicked himself for asking that question. Nothing good had syndrome attached to the end of it. This is why Scott hated hospitals. You can on top of the world one day, then walk into a hospital and leave with a disorder, or a disease, or a syndrome. “To be honest, I’ve never seen a case myself. “Dr. Lambert explained, “It was first documented only a few years ago. The name comes from the feeling of overprotectiveness some women experience during trauma. I’m sorry to ask this, but how have you two been coping recently? Scott stiffened up. He knew the question was coming. Scott still hadn’t come terms with what happen to Julian. The wound was still fresh, and it was like there was an invisible knife being twisted in his chest every time he thought about it. Scott sighed. “I’ve just been taking it one day at time, y’know. I thought Minerva was starting to turn around. When we first got the news, Minerva just…” Scott lost his words, wasn’t sure what to say. Was it right to talk about Minerva like this? She was only a few feet away in the lobby, it felt like his was talking behind her back. What else could he do? She was in no mental state to give her side of the story. “Mr. Dawson, your wife is experiencing extreme levels of trauma. So far, mother bear syndrome has only been present in patient with a history of psychological abuse. Now, her file says she had issue during her childhood. Was she ever treated for that? Scott must have not heard the doctor, because he picked up right were he left off. “Minerva just stopped. She stayed in bed all day; she wouldn’t even talk to me. I couldn’t even bring out of bed for the funeral.” “Mr. Dawson, what happened to you and your wife is perfect understandable.” The doctor actively avoided using words such as natural or normal. There was nothing normal about good men dying so young. “What should I do doctor? Is there some sort of treatment?” “Scott was ready for facts now. The couple was well off, but they were not wealthy. Still, he was willing to work himself to the bone to make her well again. The doctor paused for a moment, trying to find the right words. He pulled a leaflet from his desk and handed it to Scott. “At the current stage, there is not much we can do for her. Mrs. Dawson would need to be monitored further until we could we say how to treat her. Scott looked at the pamphlet. It showed different picture of young adult helping elderly citizens. It was sprinkled his buzz phrases like ‘we are here for you’ and ‘help is closer than you think’. He read the name: “Pleasant Valley Behavioral Health Institute”. It was a brochure for a mental hospital. Scott felt his blood start to boil. He wanted to leap over Lambert’s desk, slug him right between his glasses. He wasn’t even man enough to tell it to Scott straight. ‘Sorry that your wife is broke, better ship looney bin’, right? He couldn’t take it. He could not take losing his family in such a rapid-fire succession. But he also could not afford to blow up right. He needed to cool down. Scott stood up, placed the pamphlet on the desk, and began to walk out of the room. “I’m leaving,” was all he said he closed the door behind him. He didn’t know if Lambert called after him, and he did not care. All wanted to do was leave with his wife. He made his way to lobby, took Minerva by hand, and left the hospital. “Is everything alright honey?” Minerva asked sweetly. “Were you a good by for the doctor.” Scott simply nodded; he was too drained to talk. He didn’t know how, but Scott would find a way to help Minerva. Whatever it cost, he would stay beside her. He had too. “I know you don’t like going to the doctor sweetie, but it’s all over now. Come on, let go home and you can talk a nice long nap. Doesn’t that sound good?” At the time, it really did. *** After dinner, it was bath time. Bath time was okay. It was the only time when didn’t have crinkly padding strapped to his butt, diaper changes notwithstanding. It felt good, just to zone out in tub after a hard day of work. It was like a spa day, if it wasn’t the troupe of bath toys, he had to share it with. Minerva would coo at him like usual, but he was not expected to do, apart from moving sometimes so she could scrub the hard-to-reach places. It was so close to being normal, being like the old days. It only lasted for half an hour on most days, but Scott cherished bath time none the less. It was late, and bath time was now over. Minerva dried her baby boy off and changed him into a nighttime diaper. Scott got to wear one his birthday presents to bed, a warm footed sleeper that was blue and decorated with white fluffy clouds. “Since it’s such a special day, how about you cuddle up with mama for tonight,” said Minerva. Scott did not really have say in matter, but he would not have refused either way. The couple got into bed and snuggled under the covers together. Minerva squeezed Scott tight, nuzzling her head on his chest. Scott stroked her hair nice and easy, the way she always liked. It was Scott’s turn to coddle her. Minerva murmured wearily. “My baby… Mama’s never letting you go again…” A few seconds later, Minerva was snoring, something she only did when she was exhausted. She really had been working all day. Scott hugged her close, until he himself drifted off. In the morning, Scott would go to back to work. Minerva would strap Scott in the highchair, make him breakfast and pick out clothes for him. She would walk Scott the bus stop and wave him off for day, business as usual. Right now, Scott didn’t have to worry about that. Right now, they were sleeping together again. Right now, it felt good to be Mama’s baby.

Christmas in Aeyuivia A Christmas Short Story by LittleFallenPrincess So for Christmas, I figured I'd try my hand at my very first short story. I have only ever written long stories (which a lot of you may have already read), and I've wanted to try writing short stories for a while now, and I thought what better time than Christmas? No artwork for this one, as it's just a short story. I hope everyone likes it. And whilst you can enjoy this story by itself, those who have read/are reading my other stories will be at an advantage. If you haven't, go read them! Links to them at the bottom of the post! Please leave comments and all that fun stuff! Thank you to all my patrons for their support! Don't forget, early access to my stories, including any short stories I write, are available on my Patreon, which can be found here if you go for the second tier. You get two weeks early access to chapters of Glitch in Nanny and Thief in Service. New chapters of Thief in Service every Wednesday/Sunday! Glitch in Nanny on Monday/Friday! Once upon a time, in a far off Fairytale Kingdom, there lived a King and a Queen. They ruled together over the Kingdom of Aeyuivia. And during their reign, there was peace and prosperity. Queen Rhea was a beautiful Queen. Both in her beauty and her personality. The people loved her, adored her even. She was benevolent and often seen out of the castle, attending people in need as best she could. She was such a generous soul and always put the needs of others before her own. Born in Aeyuivia, she was the only child of the previous King, who passed away when Rhea was young. The previous King was dying, and to ensure both his daughter wouldn’t be lonely, and to ensure the Kingdom’s safety and prosperity, he organised a marriage for his daughter to a Prince from a neighbouring Kingdom. Shortly after the King passed away, Princess Rhea took the throne, marrying Prince Maxwell from the Kingdom of Zodopis when they were both 24, becoming Queen and King of Aeyuivia. For two glorious years, the Kingdom thrived more than it had ever done under the previous rule. Those within the Kingdom would attribute this to Queen Rhea’s diplomacy with other nations and the way she ruled the Kingdom, whereas those outside the Kingdom would rather attribute this to her husband, as he was the King, and even in this fairytale world, Kings were seen as more important than Queens. The King wasn’t as favoured amongst their subjects as the Queen was. He seemed cold, calculated, and manipulative. Not being a native to Aeyuivia, he was treated like an outsider by many, which made him that much more harsh when it came to how he treated others. And whilst the Kingdom prospered, whilst the people were happy, and whilst the King ruled how he wanted... the Queen continued on, doing her best, not saying a word, not putting her happiness above that of the Kingdom. But the people noticed. The King noticed. And there was much unease about the castle one night, just a couple of days before Winter Solstice, or as you may know it, Christmas. ------------------------------------------------- “Dear, how was your day?” Maxwell asked, sat at one end of the long, extravagant dinner table. The snowfall that could be seen through the windows in the dining hall was illuminated by the roaring fire that kept this room of the castle warm. “It was okay. I helped the baker with her sign.” Answered Rhea. Maxwell spat out his food at this information. “What? Why would you do something like that?” Rhea rolled her eyes at her husband for what seemed the billionth time since they were married. “Because she needed someone to hold the sign whilst she pinned it back. I was the only one around, so I offered my services.” “But you’re Queen. Not some... peasant.” You could hear the disdain in his voice. “And?” “In my Kingdom, you wouldn’t even leave the castle, let alone go and risk your life... and your reputation, by helping the commoners!” “That’s why my Kingdom thrives, and yours no longer exists, dear.” Rhea smiled. “OUR kingdom.” Maxwell reminded her. “Yes. Ours. Whatever. Just eat your dinner, the staff have worked extra hard on tonight’s meal and I’d hate to see you waste it by letting it go cold.” Maxwell was visibly frustrated, but shut his mouth as he quietly ate his evening meal. Rhea was happy in the silence that followed, the only noises being made were that of cutlery being used. The castle staff were all gone for the evening, Queen Rhea had seen to that. They had all refused, telling her they were happy to stay and serve them, but she had insisted, telling them to enjoy as much of Yule with their families as possible. So the staff reluctantly all went home. Well, all but one. Lydia had stayed, refusing the leave the Queen alone with no one to assist her. And she wouldn’t take no for an answer, so Queen Rhea allowed her to stay, but made sure that the kitchen staff had made a portion of the same meal the Queen and King were eating just for her. King Maxwell wasn’t happy that she was getting the same food as them, but he was at least content that he got his way in regards to her eating with them. Rhea insisted that Lydia dined with them, but he refused, so in the end she ate in the kitchen whilst the King and Queen dined together. ------------------------------------------------- Shortly after finishing, Lydia popped her head in the doorway, looking around. “What is it, girl?” Maxwell was irate at the sudden interruption. Interruption of what, I have no idea, but he was annoyed nonetheless. “Sorry to bother you, your highness, but I was just wondering if your meals were okay and if you needed anything... seeing as the rest of the staff are gone.” Lydia asked, nervously. She seemed like a shy little door mouse in comparison to the disgruntled, well-fed cat that Maxwell seemed to often play the part of. “We’re fine...” Rhea started to reply, but was hastily cut off by Maxwell. “Good. At least one of the staff knows their place. Go get me a bottle of red wine. Not the fancy stuff, get one of the higher shelf bottles.” Lydia nodded and smiled, glancing at Rhea who smiled back, weakly. “Why did you let all the staff go early?” Maxwell started the conversation back up with Rhea, who rolled her eyes yet again and looked towards her husband. “Because it’s two nights before the Winter Solstice. It’s for spending time with loved ones. Their families, partners, children...” As soon as she said children, she quickly regretted it. She regretted it because she knew what that would start. “Speaking of which... why haven’t we had a child yet?” Maxwell asked, as if on cue. Rhea’s muscles tensed as she repeated the same thing she told him every week. “No idea. It must just not be in the cards for us.” She explained to him, yet again. “I don’t accept that. There must be a reason.” “Maybe one of us can’t have them?” she suggested. “Well it can’t be me. My family were all healthy and fertile!” Maxwell boasted. Rhea just rolled her eyes and carried on eating, but was pleasantly surprised when Lydia walked back in with a bottle of wine, offering it to King Maxwell. “Good girl. Now leave us. Actually...” he stopped the young woman before she could move a single step, “prepare our bedroom for us.” Rhea knew what that meant. Maxwell would try for a baby with her again. They’d ultimately fail and she’d just have to pretend to be sad. You see, Queen Rhea was happiest when she was around other people. People that weren’t her husband. She hadn’t wanted to disappoint her father, and even after the Kingdom of Zodopis fell into ruin, she kept up the happily married appearance to everyone, not wanting to affect the Kingdom. To her, her people were the most important thing, and if her loveless marriage meant the Kingdom prospered, she would put up with this oafish, selfish man. And just like every month, the King tried for a baby with her. Every month they failed, not knowing what the cause of this failure was. The Queen would show no interest, and the King would storm off for the night, having a temper tantrum at how little interest she shows in him. ------------------------------------------------- As Rhea lay there in bed, trying to forget about Maxwell and this whole ‘male heir’ thing he was so focused on, she wrapped the silk sheets around her body as she called for Lydia. Popping her head in first, Lydia shyly stepped in. “How can I help you, Ma’am?” she asked, shyly. “Run me a bath, will you dear?” Rhea asked with her sweetest voice. “Of course!” Lydia nodded, rushing into the bathroom and turning the water on. Getting out of bed, making sure to keep her modesty using the sheets, Rhea created a makeshift dress with her bedding and strolled across her lavish bedroom. The cold winter night outside the windows contrasted against the warm, cosy sleeping area that was full of pillows, exotic materials and a large fireplace similar to that found in other rooms of the castle. Stopping in the doorway to the bathroom, Rhea leaned against the wood and smiled as she watched her personal maid run her a bath, making sure it was the perfect temperature. As she stared at Lydia’s face, Rhea’s heart was racing, her knees felt weak. But by now, she was used to this feeling, she knew how to control it. Ever since Lydia started here, Rhea learned how to keep her feelings in check. ‘Kingdom over feelings’ she would often remind herself. “Sweetie...” her sultry voice carried itself across the bathroom, over the sound of the running water. Lydia looked up at Rhea and smiled, her cheeks turning red. “Yes... Ma’am?” “You take care of me all the time. Cleaning, running my baths, helping me dress... when are you going to let me take care of you?” Rhea asked. “Ma’am... you’re my Queen. I’m supposed to take care of you. It’s my job, and my honour.” ‘One of these days though...’ Rhea thought to herself as she continued watching Lydia work. ------------------------ Earlier that evening ------------------------- “We found one, your Highness.” The guard said, saluting as he bowed before the King. “Where?” Maxwell asked, impatiently. “In the tavern. She isn’t local, she was just visiting, but the rumours are that she’s legitimate.” “So she can do real magic?” “Yes sir. Healed some of the sick, created things out of nothing. I wouldn’t have believed it myself if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.” “Take me there. Now.” The King ordered, stepping into his carriage as the guard saluted and climbed up, sitting next to the driver. Whipping the reins, the horses took their orders and sped off into the night, taking the King to where he believed the fix to all his problems sat, probably getting drunk. As they sped through the cobbled streets, the city was mostly silent. Crime wasn’t an issue here, and people were orderly and happy. The water over by the docks reflected the moonlight, illuminating the streets as the horses galloped towards the tavern at the other end of the city. “This is where you saw her last?” The King asked the guard. “Yes, your majesty. She was here. By the sounds of it... she’s not left yet.” The tavern was more lively than usual, or at least it sounded like it from the outside. “Come on then. Let’s go have a chat with her, shall we?” The guard escorted the King into the tavern and pointed out the woman they were looking for. “You. Come with. The King wants to speak to you.” The guard ordered the woman at the bar who at this point had gathered quite the crowd. She nodded and took a swig of her drink before wandering over to the King who stood by the exit. “Yes, your majesty?” She asked. The woman wore a long, black cloak, her face mostly hidden by the hood attached to it. “You’re a Witch, correct?” Maxwell asked. “I am. And how can I help you?” “I... I have a private matter that I’d rather discuss with you elsewhere...” “Would you like to talk in your carriage, my Lord?” The Witch offered. King Maxwell nodded and they walked out together, getting into his carriage as the guard closed the door, ensuring no one heard their conversation. “So, what can I do for you?” the Witch asked casually. Maxwell was not impressed by the way this woman spoke to him, but he knew best not to annoy a Witch, especially one who’s help he needed, so he pushed past the disrespectful nature of the Witch and continued. “My wife... she... she can’t have a child.” “And you want her to?” “She... she says it’s me. And I see the way she looks at me in bed. She’s not interested in me. But I don’t care about that. I want an heir. So I want her pregnant.” “Is she okay with this?” The Witch raised an eyebrow. “I don’t care. She is the Queen. She is there to provide me with an heir. That’s it.” “So you’re happy to force this upon her, against her wishes?” “Yes, now can you do it or not?” The King demanded an answer. “I... can. For a price.” “Name it.” “I want whatever expensive piece of art you have in your castle. Just one piece, of my choosing.” “Is that it?” The King was relieved at this offer, he was expecting a blood sacrifice or a soul or a large amount of land. His art collection, which was really his wife’s, meant very little to him, so he was happy to part with one piece. “Yes. And for that, I will give you a baby.” “Deal. How long will it take?” he asked. “One night. You will have your baby by... what do you call it? Yule? Winter Solstice?” “That quickly?” “Oh yes. Just get me to the castle so I can perform the spell.” “Then do it. I want that baby.” The Witch shook his hand and smiled as the King gave his driver orders to return to the castle. The King strode through the castle, excited by what the next couple of days had in store for him, for his future, and for this Kingdom. He’d finally have his heir, and that way he would ensure his bloodline continued to be in royalty. He didn’t care about Queen Rhea, but then she didn’t care about him. The Witch followed behind him, looking at each piece of art along the way, trying to decide what to take. The guards had been ordered not to stop her from taking one item, whatever that may be. Her long black robes flowed as her head darted from side to side, examining each piece. “She should be upstairs, in the bedroom. Go work your magic. It better work, otherwise my guards will hunt you down...” Maxwell threatened her. But the Witch seemed unfazed and shrugged her shoulders as she deposited something in her satchel and glided over to the stairway up to the next floor of the castle. Slowly opening the door, she looked in to see the Queen in a silk sheet watching someone else run a bath for her. She couldn’t see their faces, but she knew which was the Queen, and what their relationship was. She didn’t make a noise, she didn’t alert them to her presence, and they didn’t suspect they were being watched. The Witch just stood there, watching the pair for a few minutes. Smiling, she waved her hand, a black haze weaving itself around her fingers, as she cast her spell on the unsuspecting target. ‘I’ll give you your baby, your majesty...’ ------------------------------------------------- The next morning, the King awoke earlier than usual and rushed to the Queen’s chambers to see if the spell had taken effect. He was expecting the Queen to be pregnant, ready to give birth for Winter Solstice, as the Witch had claimed. But Queen Rhea lay in bed, asleep, with no visible signs of pregnancy. And at the foot of the bed, was a crib. A crib larger than any he had seen before. A crib that would probably be large enough for him to fit inside of it. And from inside the crib, he heard movement. A rustling noise, a suckling sound. ‘Is this my heir? Is this my son?’ He thought as he crept over to the crib excitedly. ‘Did the Witch give me my son without the birth?’ But as he looked inside, he was surprised by what he saw and fell backwards, knocking a small table over and waking up Rhea. “What on Earth?” Rhea yelled as she shot up out of bed. “It’s... it’s...!” he couldn’t get his words out as he pointed to the large ornate crib that wasn’t there last night. “What is this crib doing there?” Rhea asked. “Is this some way for you to tell me I need to be pregnant?” “I... no... look!” he said. Rhea wrapped her sheets around her like she did last night and stepped out of bed, walking around towards the new crib. She didn’t fail to roll her eyes at her husband as she walked past him though. “What are you talking about...” Looking down, she saw Lydia, her personal maid, lay in the crib, in nothing but a large, soft cloth nappy and sucking on a dummy. “L... Lydia?” Rhea asked nervously. Lydia just suckled on her dummy and rolled about, kicking her feet. She looked just like a baby. Not an actual baby, she was still herself, still her normal body, but the nappy she was wearing and the behaviour she was exhibiting... she looked just like an infant would look if they were aged up 24 years. Rhea couldn’t help but stare at the infantilised woman’s breasts as they were exposed for all to see. “What did you do to her?” Rhea turned around and you could tell by her face that she wasn’t messing about. Something within her turned the once normally shy, reserved, polite Queen into someone with enough anger to burn a village down. Or an entire nation. “I... I...” Maxwell stuttered, unable to tell her the truth. “SPIT IT OUT!” Rhea’s voice filled the castle and everything came to a standstill. Even Maxwell was taken aback by this version of his wife, a side of her he had never seen before. “I... I saw a Witch last night. She said she’d give me an heir. That I’d have one by Winter Solstice. I thought that you’d just be made pregnant with my child and then we’d have a son in a day or two!” “You... did this without my consent? You want an heir that badly? And what about poor Lydia here?” “The Witch! I bet this is her joke! She’s given us a baby, that stupid little maid turned into a big baby!” “GET OUT!” Rhea screamed, causing Maxwell to grab his nightcap and run out of the room, scared out of his mind. Suddenly there was crying coming from behind her. “Lydia!” Turning around quickly, she bent down to aid the crying woman, and quickly found that she could lift her with ease. It was if she weighed the same as an infant. “I’m sorry sweetie, its okay, Mummy’s here now...” That word. That name. That... title. Something within her awakened and that word that previously never impacted her, suddenly made her feel... complete. Holding the infantilised woman in her arms, as Lydia wrapped her legs around her new Mummy, Rhea started gently bouncing Lydia up and down, shushing her gently as the crying slowly came to a stop. “Mummy’s here, babygirl. Mean old Maxwell can’t hurt you. I won’t let him. You’re not stupid. You’re my little bundle of joy. You’re my adorable little baby. And until I find that Witch... I’ll make sure you’re loved and protected.” She kissed Lydia’s forehead. “Maybe now I can show you how much you mean to me...” Rhea said as she snuggled Lydia against her. Lydia suckled her dummy and snuggled against Rhea’s chest. She seemed happy now that she was in her Mummy’s arms, which made Rhea happy too. ------------------------------------------------- “Get me that Witch. Drag her in if you have to!” The King screamed to his guards. Afraid of what he may do, they all nodded and followed orders, flooding out on to the streets, looking for the Witch who had tricked him. Pacing back and forth in the great chamber, the King was full of anger but was also still feeling the after effects of his wife’s rage. Never had he seen her act so defensive of another person before. Sure, she was protective of her subjects, of her Kingdom, but not on this level. With Lydia it was almost... primal. “I knew it. I knew she cared about that stupid wench more than me...” The door opened, instantly diverting Maxwell’s attention. “And this is Daddy... for now. But if he keeps calling you names and saying mean things about you, he’ll find himself sleeping outside with the horses...” Rhea said as she walked in with a giggling Lydia in her arms, resting on her hip. “What are you doing with her? Put her down!” Maxwell ordered. Rhea just ignored him and carried on walking around their large seating area, giving little Lydia a tour despite her having worked there for years. Neither Rhea nor Lydia minded, as they both seemed to enjoy all this. “Rhea. Put her down. Now. She’s your maid dressed like a stupid baby! She’s not actually your child!” Maxwell threw the book he was holding on the ground. “And you’re not actually the love of my life, but I pretend you are.” She snapped back, instantly shutting Maxwell up. Storming off out of the room, Maxwell left Rhea and Lydia alone together. “Ignore him sweetpea. I know you’re not actually my baby. But... surely you’ve seen the way I look at you. I’ve wanted to take care of you and love you for so long... and now I finally can. I know we’ll find the Witch eventually, and we’ll get this spell reversed, but I’m going to enjoy this special time with you as my baby whilst I can. You okay with that sweetpea?” Lydia looked Rhea in the eyes, as if she understood it all, and nodded. “Wait... can you understand me?” Rhea asked. Her face turned a deep red as she just realised she had actually confessed her love to her. Lydia nodded and smiled. “Can you speak?” “Bla blah babababa...” As Lydia tried to speak, all that came out was baby babble. “So no speech, but you can understand me and think somewhat like an adult?” Lydia nodded again. “Are you... okay like this?” Lydia took a second, looking at her new ‘Mummy’, before nodding and nuzzling into her chest. “I’ll look after you sweetheart. Mummy’s got you. Ignore my husband, he’s... not a very nice person.” That’s when Lydia looked up and kissed the side of Rhea’s cheek, causing her heart to melt. “Oh baby!” Rhea kissed Lydia’s dummy and rocked her back and forth. “No matter what, I’ll take care of you. No force can keep us apart now. I’m... I’m sorry I didn’t make my feelings known sooner.” In Rhea’s mind, she couldn’t believe how lucky she was. She had the person she had loved for many years in her arms and for some reason, she actually liked that she was her baby, even if only for the time being. Something about the infantilised woman interested her, and she wondered if this could be a thing, even after she’s cured. ‘If I have to, I’ll be your Mummy forever and ever...’ Rhea thought as she stared into her crush’s eyes. And unbeknownst to her, in Lydia’s mind, very similar thoughts were swirling around that baby brain of hers. Being touched by the woman she’s had feelings for all these years, being held and kissed by her... having all this care and love and attention... she was in heaven. She wasn’t sure what was going on regarding a Witch and a spell and all that, she had just gone to sleep last night and woke up this morning dressed like this, in the crib at the foot of Rhea’s bed. And for some reason, she kept her adult brain despite the baby babble, but it seemed to have cravings. Cravings that a baby or infant would have. To play, to snuggle, to nurse. It was like she was in control of herself, but her voice and her needs weren’t her own. Or at least weren’t her usual ones... ‘If it means spending my life like this... as long as I get to be with you like this, I’ll be happy.’ Lydia thought as she rested her head on Rhea’s chest. The two seemed inseparable. Walking into the kitchen, Rhea and Lydia surprised the staff, who were busy cooking breakfast for the King and Queen. “Y... your Majesty...” The chef said, nervous to say anything about the former-maid-turned-baby in the Queen’s arms. “What... what can we do for you?” “Have you got anything suitable for Lydia here?” Rhea asked, bouncing little Lydia up and down gently. “I... can I speak freely, Ma’am?” he asked. “Of course Jacob. You know you can always talk to me about anything.” “May I ask why Miss Lydia is dressed like... that?” Lydia’s face was bright red at this point, she was obviously embarrassed to be seen like this. “I’ll be honest with you. With you all. I trust you won’t say a word outside this castle?” “Of course, Ma’am, we are all loyal to you.” “Thank you Jacob. Well you know my husband wants an heir?” “Yes Ma’am, we are all well aware...” “Well he thought he could trust a Witch to give us one... without consulting me first. And apparently as either a joke, or a way to get back at my husband, she has cast a spell on poor Lydia here, turning her into our baby. But as you can see, only in clothing and language. She’s still mentally herself, so please don’t make fun of her or judge her, she had no say in this either. I couldn’t let the poor girl go without a Mummy, so until we find the Witch, she’s to be cared for and treated as if she is my actual infant daughter. Is that a problem for anyone?” The whole kitchen staff looked and smiled at the cute couple. Jacob stepped forward and smiled. “Your Majesty... motherhood suits you. And we’ve all seen the way you two look at each other. We won’t say anything and we won’t judge. I take it the King isn’t happy though?” “Not at all, but I don’t care. Now, I’ve never had a baby before... what... what do I feed Lydia?” “Does she eat adult meals or does the spell require her to eat like a baby?” “Oh. I didn’t think about that. I purely thought of her as if she was a baby. Maybe I...” The staff all looked at the Queen and some of them smiled and giggled. “What?” Rhea asked. One of the serving girls at the back spoke up. “Umm... she may need to... nurse?” Rhea looked down to see Lydia trying to nurse through Rhea’s nightgown. “Oh... umm... but I don’t...” she stopped before finishing that sentence as she saw her gown develop a wet patch on the other side of her chest. “Must be the spell, Ma’am...” Jacob suggested. “Right. Nevermind. Umm... usual breakfast then I suppose, I’ll go... nurse... I suppose...” Rhea said, blushing as she quickly exited the kitchen. ------------------------------------------------- “Here you go, Ma’am. Your breakfast. I see Lydia has latched...” Said the serving girl from before. Rhea looked up, coming out of her own little world and smiling at the girl. “Thank you for the advice. It must be the spell, making her want to nurse. Though Lydia seems... happy?” “You both do...” she replied, causing Rhea to blush. Lydia seemed otherwise unfazed as she carried on nursing from Rhea. “Thank you. For understanding. I... it’s weird, I know... but it’s as if its... normal? I don’t know. Anyway, you may go now. Take the afternoon off, go spend this last day before Winter Solstice with your family. We’ll only need basic kitchen staff over the next couple of days.” “Thank you Ma’am.” The Serving girl smiled. “Oh sweetheart... my little Lydia...” Rhea said as the serving girl left the two to it. “WHAT ON EARTH?” Maxwell yelled as he stormed in, confronting his wife and... his newly adopted daughter? “She needed to nurse. So that’s what I’m doing. Got a problem?” Rhea asked. “A problem? Of course! She’s a grown woman!” “Who is stuck acting like a baby until you find that Witch and get things fixed...” “We’re looking, okay? Just... stop that!” “No.” She gave a short, sharp answer. “I’m ordering you...” Maxwell was trying his best to be in control, but his wife was having none of it. “You can order all you want, you’re not stopping me...” Rhea wouldn’t back down. Maxwell stormed back out again, before returning with two of his most loyal guards. “Take her. I’m sick of that woman. Always giving my wife those long looks. And I’ve seen the way you look back at her!” Maxwell ordered his guards, one grabbing Rhea and the other wrapping his arms around Lydia, pulling her away from her Mummy. “GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!” Rhea ordered. Whilst most of the guards and all of the staff were loyal to Rhea, Maxwell kept these two guards nearby at all times, as they were only loyal to him. And he knew that. He knew they’d do anything for him. So as one took a crying Lydia out of the room, her kicking and screaming at being torn away from Rhea, the other held Rhea back, who looked ready to start a fight. “This is for your own good.” Maxwell said. Maxwell followed the guard who was carrying Lydia out, as Rhea fell to her knees, crying. Lydia didn’t know what was happening as she was carried out of the castle by this large man, followed by the King. One moment she was nursing from Queen Rhea, slowly coming to terms with the fact she actually enjoyed it, the next she was torn away and being dumped in a carriage with the King, as it rode away into the city. “You stupid girl. You ruined everything. That Witch ruined everything. All you women ruin everything. Rhea... ugh, she ruined my life!” Maxwell was having another of his long rants. ‘Yeah yeah... you ruined hers, jerk!’ Lydia thought to herself as the carriage bounced around due to the cobblestone streets. “It should be me that the people love, not her! I mean she can’t even produce for me an heir! All I wanted was a son, and that stupid Witch cursed me with not only a daughter, but... you! An adult! You’re not even mine by blood, you’re just dressed like this... Of course it was you though. The woman who stole my wife’s heart. I remember the day you started working at the castle. My wife was entranced. Her whole attitude towards me changed as soon as you arrived. Sure, maybe she never really loved me when we first got married... but before she met you she at least pretended she did! And who knows, maybe one day she will? But you... you ruined that! Temptress! Whore!” Wanting to give in to this spell, the one that made her want to act more babyish, but not wanting to show weakness in front of this man, she fought her hardest not to cry. She held on to her emotions as he rambled on and on about ‘women this’ and ‘women that’ and ‘my country wouldn’t be in ruin if I wasn’t King of this dump...’ ‘He really doesn’t shut up, does he? No wonder Queen Rhea isn’t in love with him...’ Lydia thought to herself. “And you... you love her, don’t you? Well too bad, because we’re never going to find that Witch. We’re never going to reverse this spell. You’re going to be stuck like this, like a baby, for the rest of your life. You’re not actually my baby, so I don’t have to keep you. So we’re taking you to a place that takes care of people like you, weird people. They’ll lock you up and keep you there, out of my way, so you can’t cause problems.” Lydia gave in to her emotions at that point and started screaming, like the baby she was dressed as. “AHH, SHUT UP!” Maxwell screamed as the carriage came to a stop. “Your Majesty...” the guard said as he opened the door. “Take her. Book her in under a false name. Don’t give details, just say she’s crazy. King’s rule, she stays here. I’ll see you back at the castle...” ------------------------------------------------- Hours passed. Rhea had been kept in that room for hours by the other guard that was loyal to only the King, unable to call out for help to any of those loyal to her. She couldn’t escape out of the window, it was too high up. She couldn’t scream, the castle was too big and most of the staff were out until later this evening. She was alone, and as the minutes passed, the separation hurt more and more. She needed her baby. She needed Lydia. At the very least she needed to know if she was okay, if she was safe. But after the first hour, she became more and more sick with worry. After a few hours, she was ready to fight. So around dinnertime, when her husband returned, she was ready. “Hello dear...” Maxwell said as he walked into the room. Much to his surprise, a book flung past his head, hitting his guard that stood behind him square in the face, knocking him out cold. “I... It was for the best...” Maxwell cowered and tried to weasel himself out of all of this, but Rhea wasn’t having any of it. “YOU! TOOK! MY! BABY!” Rhea ran at him like a raging bull, charging him directly on, hitting him and pinning him to the wall. “WHERE IS SHE?” “I... I’ll never tell! You’re never going to see her again!” he grinned. “Oh... I think she will...” A voice from behind the pair cackled by the fireplace. Turning around, Rhea saw a woman clad in dark clothing, staring at the fire. Maxwell recognised the woman as the Witch who had screwed him over. “YOU!” he yelled. “Wait... this is the Witch?” Rhea asked. “This is the bitc...” his mouth shut instantly. He started screaming, but he was unable to open his lips to say a word. “Sorry about him dear. You really should pick better. Maybe a certain... maid?” Said the Witch, who had still not turned around to face them. “How did you...?” Rhea was about to ask when the Witch cut her off. “I knew it from the moment I laid my eyes on you both. You two were meant to be. I... just gave you both a slight push. But then this joke of a man decided to ruin my plans.” “You... were trying to help us?” Rhea asked, becoming more at ease around the strange woman. “Of course, I hate to see people wasting their lives with the wrong people. So I gave you two a nudge.” “But... why the baby thing?” “What did you do as soon as you found her like that?” the Witch asked. “I... I looked after her...” “And?” “....and confessed my feelings. Of course. But how did you know it would work?” “Trust me. I could tell you had a maternal side. You’re destined to be a Mummy. And she makes a very cute baby.” “That she does...” Rhea smiled and laughed. Maxwell was still screaming and yelling behind his stuck lips, and the two women were just ignoring him, which infuriated him more. “Now, I know where she is. You better be quick though, it’s nearly Yule or whatever you call it.” The Witch handed the Queen a map that had a large X above a building. “But what about Maxwell?” Rhea asked. “What would you like me to do to him?” “I... I’d like him gone, to be perfectly honest. Wow, I can’t believe I said that. After all these years. Yes, I’d like him gone please.” “Where? I’m happy to assist.” “Somewhere that he deserves...” “I know just the place...” The Witch grinned. The Witch waved her hands and conjured a portal out of nowhere. Grabbing Maxwell, she pushed him through the portal and waved as his face turned from rage to fear. “There. He’s gone. Your life is your own now. Don’t waste it, go get her!” The Witch opened another portal and stood by it, before turning around. Her face was still obscured by her hood. “Seriously. Go get her. You two are meant to be. Stop worrying about what others need, and go do this for you, and for her!” “Wait! I don’t even know your name!” Rhea said just as the Witch was stepping through the portal she had created. “...Dahlia. And you’re welcome.” And in an instant, the Witch was gone. Grabbing her winter coat, Rhea instructed the staff and guards that were returning to keep the two guards who were loyal to her now ex-husband in the dungeon. She would have words with them both later and regretfully inform them they are no longer employed. She’d also have to inform the Kingdom that the King was... gone and wouldn’t be coming back, hopefully. But for now... she had to rescue her baby. ------------------------------------------------- Lydia lay on the cold, hard bed of whatever this place was. Was it an orphanage? Was it a hospital? Was it some kind of ward? She wasn’t sure, but whatever it was, she didn’t like it. The windows were barred and there was no heating. The sheets were scratchy and she still couldn’t do anything for herself, so she was relying on the staff here to look after her, but they weren’t sure what was up with her or why the King instructed her to be kept here, so they weren’t much use. She was scared, but what scared her most was not seeing the Queen again. So staring out of the window, hoping that maybe the Queen would be able to find her and rescue her, she watched as the snow fell outside in the cold, dark evening before Winter solstice. As the hours passed, hope of rescue dwindled gradually, until there was very nearly nothing left. But just as the last flicker of hope faded from her heart, a light appeared in the dark, distant streets. The dark winter night tried to drown out the light, but it fought its way towards Lydia, getting closer every second. The light snowfall had turned to a full snowstorm, yet the light burned brightly, refusing to give in to the darkness of the pitch black streets. ‘What... what is that?’ Lydia thought as she fixated on the light at the end of the road. The closer it got the more of the street it illuminated. At a certain point, it was clear that it was a lantern being held by someone. And that little remaining flicker of hope burst into an inferno within Lydia’s soul as she spotted the outline of someone getting closer. And closer. And closer. ‘Please. Please be her...’ And as the light reached the opposite side of the street where Lydia was being held, she noticed the long robe that she had been washing for so many years, the dress that she had always admired. The woman she had always loved. The dark figure stormed through the front doors to the building, and all Lydia could make out was a lot of screaming and shouting. Followed by a lot of apologising. Shortly after, the same men who had put her here rushed through and freed her from this bed, putting her in a wheelchair and wheeling her out to the entrance. “BABY!” Rhea yelled as she rushed over and picked Lydia up, squeezing her tightly and kissing her. As their lips connected, something rushed through them both, and suddenly Lydia was too heavy for Rhea to carry, so she had to let her down quickly. Stumbling a bit, Lydia got her balance back and stared at the Queen. “I... I think... I can speak!” She said. “You... you’re back to normal!” Rhea said, gasping. “I... thank you. Ma’am.” Lydia blushed. “No. Not Ma’am.” “...Thank you... Mummy...” Lydia ran at Rhea and wrapped her arms around her, kissing her lips and squeezing her. Rhea squeezed her back and repeatedly kissed her face. “You. Are mine now. And no one will ever take you away from me again. I promise you that. Now, how about we go home.” Rhea suggested. “H... home?” “Yes dear. To the castle. Your new home. You’re my baby. No matter whether magic is affecting us or not. I... I love you.” Rhea said as she held out her hand. “I love you too. Mummy.” Lydia responded, grabbing hold of Rhea’s hand with both of hers. The Queen and her baby walked out to the carriage that had finally caught up with them, hand in hand, fingers entwined. ------------------------------------------------- The Kingdom continued to prosper, it continued to thrive, despite the loss of its King. No one knew where he went, as the Witch never appeared again to divulge that information. No big loss if you ask anyone, the only two people still loyal to him ended up in the same place they tried to dump poor Lydia. But the Kingdom gained a new member of Royalty, as shortly after that Winter Solstice, Queen Rhea married Lydia, but instead of making her Queen too, she decreed that she would be known as a Princess, which Princess Lydia seemed all too okay with. They’ve lived happily ever since, and if rumours are to be believed, they both continued those roles that brought them together. According to visitors to the Kingdom, there is a nursery set up in the castle, just for the Princess. But if you ask any in the Kingdom, they won’t tell you a thing, as they are all loyal to their Queen... and their ‘Baby’ Princess. The End ========================================= “So, did you enjoy that story, baby?” Charlotte looked down and smiled. “Uh huh... but... wait... Dahlia?” The cogs in Olivia’s head were turning. “I was thinking the same thing, Liv.” “But... she gave us the book.” “I know, she said we’d like it as a cute bedtime story...” “Isn’t that her though? It seems like that’s her. Magic, portals... flowery names... Maybe this isn’t a fictional story. I mean... she has told us about all the different places she’s visited in the past... surely this can’t be another pair?” Liv scratched her head. “Maybe it is. Which means...” Charlotte smiled. “Dahlia though? Isn’t that a bit too... cheesy even for her?” “Hey, I can’t talk. I would have picked something similar if I were her. I mean... I kind of am her.” Charlie laughed. “Who wrote it though? She said she got it on one of her travels.” “Must be one of the people from that Kingdom?” “Which means there is a Princess... and a Queen... and wait, did she send the King here? That’s mean!” “Seems so my love. Maybe we can ask her next time we see her. She should be stopping by sometime soon, it’s been a while since she last dropped in with Ellie.” “Yeah. We’ll ask her. If we are right though, that’s so cool! She helped another pair! Plus a Queen and a Princess!” Liv was excited at the thought of there being a Princess variant. “I know, now... my little princess needs her nappy changing and you need to get snuggled up, otherwise Father Christmas won’t come. I’ve heard from reliable sources that he’s got some extra special fun toys for extra special good little girls...” Olivia got up, the plastic of her nappy crinkling as she climbed off the large sofa and started waddling towards the nursery. Charlie just sat back for a second, admiring her wife as she waddled out of the living room. ‘She’s so damn cute. That padded little butt makes my heart melt every time...’ Charlie thought to herself as she stood up and followed her wife to the nursery, patting Liv’s butt gently. Lifting her in to the crib, Charlie tucked her little baby in and pulled the side of the crib up, taking extra care to give Liv a quick kiss on the head as she did. “Now, off to sleep quickly sweetpea. Babies can’t stay up late on Christmas Eve. Night night my love, sleep well.” “Nini Mummy!” Olivia said, as tiredness overcame her. The light turned off and the nightlight activated as Olivia yawned and snuggled up with her newest stuffie, Flopsy. “I... I’m a Princess...” she smiled as her eyes closed and she fell asleep.

Did she really just do that!? She looked down at the ill-gotten gains she had stuffed into her coat. Sure enough, it was still there. She looked back at the old store she had pilfered moments ago. There was no one chasing after her. Be it police officers or angry store clerks. It was looking like a clean getaway. “Oh, Lisa, you are so bad!” Lisa picked up the pace, her brisk walk turning into a brisk jog. It was risky, stealing from a place she lived so close to. Then again, this wasn’t something she had planned to happen. Lisa was no cat burglar. It was a spur of the moment job. She finally made it back to her apartment room. Home base. She hurried into her bedroom, excited giggles escaping between bated breaths. She made her way back to the bedroom, locked the door behind her, and dropped her stolen goods on the desk. It was such a lovely looking sketchbook, too. The deep pink cover, the way the pages felt. Something about them was refined, and yet so familiar. Quality, it must have been. The feeling of quality. It wasn’t stealing, really. When she had more disposable income, Lisa would gladly pay it back. She already had the perfect apology planned: “Excuse me, sir. When I was here a few days ago, I had left your store without paying for something. I’m terribly sorry. Here is the money for the sketchbook. I hope you can forgive me.” The only question now, was what to draw. That’s what sketchbooks are for, after all. There was one idea in her head that kept jumping the queue. Heaven knows why. Maybe she was feeling extra naughty today and had to ride out her hot streak. Her doors were locked. She wasn’t expecting anyone. Lisa bit her lip. Now was the time to indulge her fantasy. She started drawing the background first—location was everything. What color should the wallpaper be? Baby blue? Cute, but too boyish. Bubblegum pink! Perfect. Even in her wildest fantasies, Lisa would never want to be stuck in a room like that. Now for the extra details. A few stripes along the walls there. And let’s draw a window here, with clear blue skies outside. Right here, this wall should have… Lisa bit her lip. “A potty chart.” Lisa thought, feeling oh-so mischievous. This was clearly not a room designed for an adult. No reason not to make that fact even more obvious. While we’re at it, why not fill it up? Lisa wanted to give this place a lived-in look, and a blank chart simply would not do. No, this chart would be filled out, and decked out with rain clouds. It was an easy way of adding personality to her unknown guest. Can’t forget the flooring. Make the carpet soft, fluffy, and white. Make it look extra comfy, good enough to take a nap on. More options were good, however, and there should be another, more traditional spot for naptime. A big wooden crib fit snugly in the corners of the room. Wooden spiral bars stood tall above ground level. Have to make sure our unnamed resident stays extra safe during bedtime. A changing table was the next logical step. Wooden, sturdy, and with a smooth pink varnish. The table should also stand high above the ground, dizzyingly so. If regular changing tables were high up for babies, this one should be high for the standards of, say, an adult woman? Speaking purely hypothetically. The undercarriage should be well stocked with changing supplies. Of course, that meant diapers. Have you seen the woman’s potty chart? Not a dry day in sight. She had done a great job at earning them. Lisa giggled to herself, “Looking good so far.” She truly was losing herself in the fun. Each pencil stroke drew a more gripping picture. She should have felt bad, staying locked in her room on such a beautiful day. But the art bug had bitten her, and Lisa needed to scratch that itch. “I still think I’m missing something.” It was true. The basics were there, but the room still looked quite bare. A room was more than a place for an endless cycle of naps and diaper changes. “How about we add something fun?” A toy chest should liven things up. While we’re at it, why not add some toys in the mix? Some more, age-appropriate fun. Let’s throw some dolls here and there. Not the plastic kind. The felt, raggedy kind, with round faces and button eyes. Anything else was clearly outside of her age-range. A few teddy bears too. Now there were more than enough plush peoples for tea parties and playtime. Some foam blocks would be good. Although, Lisa sincerely doubted that the person who lived here could spell words with more than four letters. With the toys done, next came the toy chest. Lisa liked the idea of the chest being very big. Big enough that she—or anyone else her size, really, might fall inside if they were not careful. The big, wooded chest sat there, with no one’s name assigned to it. “Hmm,” Lisa began to wonder aloud, “Should I?” Typically, toy chests had names on them to declare ownership. Given that this space was clearly lived in, the chest must belong to someone. As uncreative as it sounds, only one name came to her mind. In puffy, colorful, font she wrote down four familiar letters. “LISA” Lisa smiled. “A little self-insertion never hurt anyone.” She paused to admire her handiwork. The giant crib designed to keep big babies safe and secure. The tell-all potty chart with a miserable score. The changing table, which no-doubt had countless embarrassing stories to tell. Infantile toys strewed about the carpeted floor. She had created the perfect nursery. Such a pretty picture, she almost wished she could jump inside for an afternoon of fun. Almost. Lisa was still an adult. She knew fantasy and reality were separate for a reason. She felt bad, however, leaving such a place empty. Lisa then realized that it didn’t have to stay that way. If she couldn’t jump inside, this was the next best thing. “It’s been a while since I’ve done a self-portrait.” Lisa mused. She had already come this far. Put her own name on the toy chest, filled it with relics from her childhood, making it her own. She was only cementing the idea as fact. Linework was done. Lisa had already known well what her figure looked like. She even knew what outfit she wanted to wear. Funny how picking clothes came easier when drawing them. Maybe there was less pressure. If she drew herself wearing something embarrassing, there was comfort in knowing that no one had to see her wearing it. Thoughts like that were what made art so tempting, so special. Lisa could put herself in as many suggestive situations as she wanted, and never had to worry about feeling any real anxiety. Humiliation without the drawbacks. It was the perfect escape. Soon, another piece of the drawing was complete. Call it narcissism, but Lisa loved how she looked. Hair in pigtails, tied together by sparkly ribbons. A bright blue shirt with star patterns. She always struggled drawing stars, noting a few on her sleeves were misshaped. It didn’t matter too much, since most of them would be obscured by the pink overall dress she wore. Peeking out under her skirt, for all to see, was the most iconic piece of babyish attire. Lisa could almost hear the diaper crinkling now. It looked almost cartoonishly thick, with the way her legs widely splayed out. She drew a few prancing ponies on the front, making sure no one would confuse it for a regular adult diaper. This was no incontinence brief. This was a real diaper, plain and simple, designed specifically for big babies. Big babies who gleefully played with toys in oversized nurseries, like Lisa’s likeness was doing now. “I make this fit look good…” Lisa said in a low voice, immediately stifling a laugh afterwards. The nursery was full furnished. The resident was all dolled up. There was still one thing left to add. One final piece. The last step before her fantasy became fully realized, became its own reality. Long, firm legs, like tree trunks planted behind her. A pair of bright blue high heels gave them an extra boost in height. The legs were mostly concealed by a powder blue blouse, decorated with polka dots. Even if Lisa couldn’t see the woman’s upper half, she already had a perfect mental image of all her features. Soft, warm features. Chubby cheeks and a bright smile. Was she a red head? Possibly. That possibility felt the most right. The important piece was that her drawn counterpart knew her quite well, even if they couldn’t understand one-another. Someone sweet and caring to hold her tight. Someone big and imposing to put Lisa right where she belonged. A caretaker—no, a nanny—no, a mommy. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath, only noticing now how fast her heart was pumping. This naughty streak had gripped her hard, now making the young woman all hot and bothered. The best thing to do now was to finish up and go about her day. Her mood died instantly when she felt the smooth, crinkly plastic below. Her eyes shot open, and she looked down at herself in horror. From the blue shirt to the adorable pink overalls, it was all there. Lisa had become the spitting image of her drawn persona. She tugged on one of her sleeves and counted all the different misshapen stars. She ran her hands through her hair, subconsciously unsurprised to find ribbons on each side. Lisa leapt from her desk chair and turned around. Her feet sunk into the soft white carpet. It was all there. It was all real. The changing table that towered above the ground. The crib with bars far too tall to climb. The wooden chest with her name on it, in puffy lettering. This was Lisa’s room, exactly as she imagined it. She screamed, a gut-wrenching fear shaking in her. Fear of this strange, impossible scenario. She fumbled over her bootie-covered feet and landed on her backside. The diaper crinkled loudly as it broke her fall, still not drowning out the panicked screams. The large, wood door of the nursery creaked open, and everything slid into place. There she stood, the final piece of the puzzle. She was a skyscraper of a woman. Lisa’s eyes traveled up and up, taking in each detail of the woman’s outfit. She had thought that the housewife style dress was overkill when drawing it. Now, Lisa didn’t know what to feel with it making the leap to reality. Fashion sense was in the farthest corner of her mind right now. Lisa struggled to make out the upper half of her. Something about it was disorienting, headache inducing. There had to be something up there, but Lisa couldn’t see it. Should there be? She hadn’t drawn that part, and yet… “Baby? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” The giant had kneeled down to be at eye-level with Lisa. A redhead with plain curls. Chubby cheeks and a bright smile. The woman looked just as she had imagined her. Lisa scooted backwards on her padded bum. The shock was all too much for her, and she soon felt a wet warmth rush into her diaper. She sat in stunned silence as the diaper filled with urine. The padding soaked up every drop, and Lisa whimpered as the waterworks began to dry up—dry, perhaps, not being the operative word. Lisa couldn’t remember the last time she had a genuine accident. Yet, the feeling of a soggy pamper taped to her waste was not a new sensation. It felt familiar, in fact, on the same level as eating breakfast or brushing her teeth. Lisa had never indulged in her… desires in that way before. She didn’t even know how to tape a diaper, on herself or anyone else. But this felt natural. “Buh?” Lisa tried to explain her case. She immediately ran into a critical error. She could no longer speak. There was nothing wrong with her physically. Her tongue was not numbed. All her teeth were present and accounted for. The issue was her mind. Words connected as thoughts clearly in her brain, but they remained as thoughts. The art of talking was something unlearned by her. Unlearned. Something that was once known and did not stay that way. Just as one sensation enter her mind, another feeling left it. She thought again about mundane tasks. Eating breakfast, brushing her teeth. Had those always been done alone? That didn’t sound right? Was someone of her stature fit for such tasks? More awkward babble escaped her mouth. She pointed and waved her arms frantically, trying her hardest to figure out the communication barrier in play. “Aww, I see what’s wrong.” The woman smiled and looked at a clock in the corner of the room. “It’s already lunchtime. Come here.” She lifted the young artist with ease and walked over to a large chair in the corner of the room. Another detail Lisa hadn’t drawn. Did the magic of the sketchbook fill in the blanks for her? Was its goal to recreate a practical version of the nursery, not a mirror image? It was certainly a faithful adaptation, for better or worse. Lisa babbled senselessly as they approached the room’s corner. More failed sentences. Other thoughts lost in translation. “Momma’s coming, sweetie.” The giant cooed, interpreting Lisa’s cries as impatience. She took her seat and began to unbutton her blouse. Lisa pupils shrank, as she laid on the biggest nursing bra she had ever seen. “Open wide!” The busty giant sang, prompting more incoherent babble from the girl. Lisa tried to pull her head away but was no match for the gentle force of the large woman’s palm. Surely enough, she latched onto the nipple without another complaint. Once the first drop of milk hit her tongue, it was all over. The milk was too sweet, too rich for her to pull back. A primal, long forgotten urge had reawakened inside her. The simple need for Momma’s milk. She lapped up every single drop that the woman had to offer. When Lisa felt the well dry up, she patted the giant’s chest for more, mewling desperately. The giant didn’t say a word. She simply readjusted, allowed the baby to latch the other nipple. It was all routine to her. Lisa was more than ready for seconds. Lisa was losing herself in infantile bliss and didn’t care one bit. She already had a flow worked out. She wasn’t going to let something as small as shame con her out of a free meal. She greedily lapped up more of the milk, like a starved kitten. Truthfully There was no need to rush. She had countless days to perfect her technique. Another teat drained; the giant tugged the little one off with a quiet ‘pop’. Another quick reposition, this time over the woman’s shoulder. Lisa felt herself being hiked up before a few rhythmic pats hit her back. Lisa knew what this was! She was being— “Urp!” She was paying her compliments to the chef. “Excuse you!” Said the giant in a sing-song voice. “That was a big one. I bet your tummy feels much better now, huh? Better out than in, as they say.” Lisa blushed, the line reminding her of her diaper’s sodden state. The woman descended Lisa back to the carpet below. “Now, I’m going to go back to my cleaning. You stay here and be good, okay?” The giant smiled down at her, before leaving and closing the door behind her. Lisa stood alone again in the giant nursery. Her gut was full, her diaper was wet, and her adult mind was in grave danger. She had to destroy the sketchbook. It was the logical next step. She shambled across the room, diaper crinkling and squelching with every awkwardly wide step. Lisa silently prayed to herself that it hadn’t remained on the other side, leaving her stranded. After a short search, Lisa spotted the book by its familiar pink cover. It was a coloring book. The white pages were no longer blank. Now, they were filled with outlines of cutesy imagery. Puppies playing in a field of flowers. Kittens batting balls of yarn. Fish blowing bubbles underwater. A mother bird feeding her young. A familiar picture that made her stomach turn, it was fully colored in. This had to be the sketchbook. She could tell by how the pages and cover felt. The feeling of quality. Pages after pages were ripped to shreds. One of them had to be the right one. It didn’t matter how long it took to find it. As long as Lisa ripped the right page, she would be sent home. Her body grew tense as she heard the giant’s footsteps from behind her. Thundering, imposing. She was getting closer, coming back to check on her little one. Why, why wasn’t it working!? If Lisa didn’t act now, she could be stuck here forever. Lisa’s frenzy slowed to a frighten stop. Every single page had been pulled off the spine. She looked up, and Lisa was still sitting in her nursery. Her heart sank. “Lisa! What has gotten into you!” The giant had return sooner than expected, now with a much colder expression on display. “I thought this naughty phase was behind you, but I guess I was wrong. You still need discipline.” Lisa was hoisted up and carried back to the familiar chair, this time feeling much worse. Guilt or despair; she couldn’t decide. Neither one was getting her home. “I’m sorry, sweetie. But you must learn that what you did is not okay. This hurts me more than it hurts you.” Lisa’s toes curled as the first spank came down on her ass. It was so much louder, so much harder than she had fantasized. Her reaction didn’t stop Mommy’s onslaught, and another spank soon followed. Only two spanks in, and tears were already welling up. Three spanks crashing down, and the tears were pouring. Four more spanks and the wailing started. Five extra spanks, and Lisa had truly caved. She deserved this. For taking what didn’t belong to her. For ripping up the coloring book, which wasn’t even hers. For being such a naughty little girl. Mommy paused for a second. Lisa thought the worst was over, and that she would be blessed with a moment to rub her sore bum. That wasn’t the case. She was only making a readjustment, fixing her posture. Mommy raised her hand up high, and another sharp spanking soon came down. Then another. And another. And another. And another. And another… Mommy had run fresh out of spanks. Lisa had run fresh out of tears. “I know how much it hurts,” Mommy began, her tone softening, “But I need you to understand that what you did was not okay.” Lisa did not say anything. She only nodded her head while trying to stifle back hiccups and sniffles. With her butt now a striking shade of red, the large woman had some sense into Lisa, as well knocking a few adult thoughts out of her mind as well. “I’m sending you to bed early. Don’t think you’re off the hook yet. You’ll still have to clean up all those papers when you wake up.” Mommy descended the girl into the large wooden crib. Lisa did not put up her fight. The one comfort of this ordeal was that the crib’s mattress was as soft as it looked from the other side. The tall bars made sure she wasn’t going anywhere. Certainly not home. This was her home now, for better or worse. Lisa’s new mother figure clicked off the lights, leaving the artist with her thoughts. A startling new idea entered Lisa’s mind. What if she wasn’t supposed to destroy the book? What if she was supposed to return it? Was an “I’m sorry” all it took to send her home? It stood out as a possibility. Now she would never know. Lisa was all too eager to escape and ended up shredding her return ticket in the process. Lisa felt an ominous rumble in her gut, informing her that the worst part of her punishment was yet to come. There was a saying that came to mind. About how truth was stranger than fiction. Because of one misdeed, Lisa had made them become one and the same. This was her deepest fantasy, true to form. From the giant overbearing mother figure to the impossibly thick diaper on her waist. A yawn escaped her, and Lisa knew she would not be able to stay awake for long. How much of her past life would she remember when she woke up? How many new, babyish feelings would become common knowledge to her? She didn’t know. She had no way of knowing the answer to that question. One thing was crystal clear. Lisa couldn’t have ever picture herself in a place like this. Epilogue The familiar chime of the front door’s bell sounded off in the small art supplies store. “Good morning, Mr. Martins!” greeted the bubbly redhead. “Howdy, Martha.” Replied the gray-haired shopkeeper. “I didn’t expect to be seeing you again so soon. Weren’t you here a few days ago?” “Yes, yes. That’s actually why I wanted to talk to you today,” Martha followed-up, her tone becoming more serious, “When I was here the other day, my baby grabbed one of your coloring books, and I left without paying for it.” Martha took out a few bills from her clasp and placed them on the counter. “Here’s the money for it. I hope you can forgive us.” Mr. Martins rubbed the back of his head bashfully. “Aw shucks. Don’t worry about it. Those books were only for the kiddies anyway. Is there anything else I can get you today?” Martha thought about giving her girl a new book to replace the old one. She felt like she had been too hard on her the other day. However, she still wanted to make her statement stand firm. Such dilemmas were one of the many trials of motherhood. Suddenly, a bright idea popped in her head. “Do you have one of those big crayon packs? The ones that have about twenty or so colors?” The shopkeeper nodded, crouching down behind the desk. He quickly reemerged, placing a twenty-four-set box of crayons on the counter. “Like mother, like daughter. The art bug must have bit her too.” “Maybe. It’s good to know that I’m rubbing off on her, in some way.” Martha smiled, paid for the goods, and waved the shopkeeper good day. She leisurely strolled out, feeling much better as she left. Martha looked down at the crayons, a small part of her feeling jealous of her daughter. Lisa didn’t know how lucky she truly was. She had all the time in the world to make as many drawings as she wanted. Even if they would never be as engaging, and inviting, as she hoped.

The world of scientific progress is a fickle mistress. Many different people jump into the world of research for many different reasons. Some do it for family, to carry the torch of their and their forefathers’ forefathers. Some people start young, wanting to turn the spark kindling during childhood into a flame of progress. And some people, like Bruno Bear, only do it for money. “When do I get paid?” The gruff grizzly asked. “You’re promising a whole heap of cash, and I still haven’t seen one cent yet.” “Well, Mr. Bear,” the persnickety poodle began, flipping through notes on her clipboard. “You still have not started the testing phase yet. Now, I feel the need to remind you that these tests are still highly experimental. We don’t know what effects they may have on your psyche.” “…Powder, was it?” The bear asked, an annoyed grin showing on his face, “Listen, I already signed all your papers and contracts and whatever. I just want to go in, get paid, and get out. Can you make that happen, huh?” Powder thought back to all the paperwork that Bruno had to sign. Procedures like this were barely legal, and the whole stack of documents was a foot thick. When Bruno started to breeze through each piece of paper in seconds, carelessly signing away, Powder started to worry. “This? I’m a speed reader,” Bruno had said. Powder didn’t believe him. If he had read even one paragraph of those papers, he would have run for the hills like countless others before him. Bruno didn’t carry himself like a man with a death wish either. He carried himself like one who only saw dollars signs, no matter the cost. Powder let out a heavy sigh, “I suppose scientist can’t be choosers. Very well then. Follow me.” Powder turned and began to lead the subject through the halls of the research building. After some time, the pair finally arrived at their destination. It was a giant white room. There were no desks, no furniture. Anyone who stayed here for too long was bound to get disoriented. When Powder saw visible confusion on the subject’s face, she figured now was the time to begin explaining. “This area is a top-of-the-line testing facility. There’s a console in another room that allows me to manipulate the contents of this room.” Powder fished around in her lab coat pocket and pulled out a remote controller. She clicked a button, revealing a door and a one-way mirror on one of the walls. “I will be monitoring from that room,” She accentuated with a point of her finger, “And the test will begin shortly. Now, I’m asking you one final time. Are you sure you want to go through with this?” Bruno was nodding, still playing catch up in his mind. Finally, he waved a paw and said, “Yeah, I got it. After you taps some buttons, I get paid, right?” Some people couldn’t be saved. Powder’s gaze had now shifted towards the door. “Yes Bruno. I’ll go press my buttons, and then we’ll pay you.” She made way for the exit, leaving the bear alone with his decision. Bruno stood in the test room for a moment, twiddling his fingers. Soon the room began to change as various devices slid from behind the wall panels. A large TV monitor hung from the ceiling and displayed static. Below the screen was a plain-looking set of earbuds. An intercom speaker had popped out from the corner of the ceiling. The speaker buzzed to life, and the familiar voice of a certain poodle came through. “Bruno, can you hear me? The program will start shortly. I need you to put on the earbuds and look at the screen. Once you’ve started, do not look away. Understood?” Bruno shrugged and made the ok gesture with his paws. He picked up the earbuds and inspected them for a moment. After he got paid, maybe he should buy a pair of these for himself. Concerns for later. He popped the buds into his ears, took a seat, and waited for the show to start. Powder watched intensely from the one-way mirror as the program began. Without the audio, the video was safe to watch. Right now, however, she was more interested in watching Bruno’s reaction than anything else. The tape had only been running for a few seconds, and he was as stiff as a statue. He probably couldn’t stop watching now even if he wanted to. The hypnosis had a way of coiling around the patient’s attention early, trapping it like a snake and its prey. Just the thought of being forced to watch it made her shudder. Still, the bear had made his choice, as ill-informed as it may be. All she could do now was sit back and reap the benefits. Powder pulled out her clipboard and began her work. “At the twenty second mark, the pupils begin to dilate…” *** A door slid open, and Powder walked through. “Alright, Bruno. The video portion is over. How do you feel?” Bruno fumbled to his feet and stretched his arms. “Me? I feel super.” “No headaches, or any nausea?” “Nope,” Bruno shook his head. “Ah-hah…” Powder made note of this on her clipboard. “Do you recall what happened earlier?” Bruno scratched the back of his neck. “Uh, yeah? I came in, watched some flashy cartoons, then you came back. Easy peas.” Bruno looked around the room, still feeling more disoriented than he liked to admit. “Hey, doc. Can I ask you something?” “Yes?” Powder replied, still jotting down notes. “Where’s my diaper?” Powder stopped, a look of knowing on her face. “Your diaper? Bruno, what do you need a diaper for?” The question made Bruno double take. “Because? I’m a big baby. If I don’t have one on, I might make a boom-boom in my pants?” Bruno whined, shaking his not-padded rump. “Are you sure you feel okay doc? Maybe all this scientific mumbo jumbo is making you screwy.” “My apologies. I have to make sure all your thoughts are in order.” Powder continued to scribble down more notes as she turned back towards the door. “But I’m happy to say that everything is as it should be. I’ll go and get that nice, big diaper for you now, okay?” Just like the first time, she disappeared behind the white door and got to work on her console. With nothing better to do, Bruno sat back down and suckled on his paw. What was that science-lady’s problem? Didn’t she know Bruno was basically an overgrown cub? He certainly wasn’t ready for the potty, let alone big boy undies. It was a good thing those silly cartoons didn’t influence him. That would make getting his money all the sweeter. Moments later, metal coils with white gloved hands appeared from behind the wall panels. Soon the hands found their target and slithered towards Bruno. The hands got to work fast and began undressing the big baby bear. His jacket was taken. His shirt came clean off. His belt was unbuckled, and his pants? Hit the road. It was all no issue. Those grown-up clothes looked silly on him anyway. The hands laid Bruno onto his back as the pair of briefs he was wearing came off. The second they came off; he began to feel more like himself. As the hands whisked the briefs away, Bruno waved with his free paw. “Bye-bye undies.” “Okay Bruno. It’s time for that diaper you requested. In addition, I’ve picked out some new clothes that should be more to your liking.” More hands entered from the walls, this time, carrying a set of items that should have been familiar to the colossal cub. One extra-large shaker of baby powder. One ultra-thick diaper. A plain white classic. Just what the doctor order. Despite their goofy appearance, the hands were very coordinated. A pair of hands lifted his legs and slid the hefty pamper underneath. A bear-sized portion of powder was sprinkled on his groin. Two hands worked together to carefully press down the tapes, making sure the subject was nice and snug in his padding. One hand gave Bruno’s new diaper a few pats on the front and finished with a thumbs-up. Bruno was lifted by the armpits as more hands appeared, carrying a much more fitting set of attire. The hands lifted Bruno up once more and got to work. This all still felt natural. Bruno was still much too young to dress himself. Whether an adult dressed him, or a swarm of mechanical hands did it, made no difference to him. When one hand carried down a large full-body mirror, Bruno finally got a chance to see himself. He now wore a baby blue t-shirt with a pair of red shorts. The shorts did a decent job at covering his diaper…but the bulk made its presence oh-so obvious. The bear was also wearing half-socks and a pair of sneakers. After a few curious stomps, he found the sneakers lit up when he moved. Cool! The intercom came on once more. “Well, don’t you look charming. I’m going to change the scenery now. Wait one moment. The entire room’s structure began to shift and shuffle. The bear could hardly keep track of the organized chaos. Bruno’s mouth gaped opened when everything was finally in place. There was colorful wallpaper all around. The floor was littered with various playmats. There were toys strewn about the floor, giving the place a lived-in feel. Multiple cribs of many sizes lined the walls. A few changing tables also lined the walls, their compartments fully stocked. It didn’t take long for the bear to realize where he was. Bruno was in a giant nursery! A small desk rose from the ground under Bruno. The hands descended him into it, forcing him to take a seat. From the front door of the classroom entered Powder, now holding a strange looking tablet. “Alright Bruno. Now is the time for the Q&A portion. I’m going to ask you some more questions. This will help me get a better understanding of your mental state. While we do that…” Powder tapped on the tablet, and soon another pair of hands appeared from the walls. They stopped at Bruno’s desk, dropping a stack of papers and a packet of crayons, then quickly left. “…you can draw me a pretty picture. How does that sound?” Bruno crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at the scientist. “Alright, But I’ve got one strip-you, um…” “Stipulation?” “Yeah, one of those. If you get to ask questions, so do I. We clear?” Powder blinked, not expecting that response. Honestly, she was expecting Bruno to speed through the questions, like he had with all those contracts and wavers. Even while dressed as a big baby, this bear still believed himself to be in charge. While the hypnosis impacted his mental age, it did nothing to change Bruno’s unruly personality. “Scientists can’t be choosers. All right, I accept. You have no issue with a lady going first, right?” “Floor is yours, doc.” Bruno plucked a crayon out of the box and began to scribble away. “Very good. Now Bruno, how old are you?” The bear shrugged, not even bothering to look up from his coloring. “Dunno.” Powder tilted her head in confusion. “You aren’t sure? You can’t even guess?” “I said I don’t know. I signed it on one of those papers, right? Just look at one of those.” “I am asking, Bruno, because I want to know what you believe your age to be. I’m not trying to see what Bruno wrote. I’m trying to see what Bruno knows.” “Well, Bruno doesn’t know. And besides, isn’t it my turn to ask a question?” “I…fine. Bruno, what is your question for me?” “Why did you become a scientist?” “Oh? Oh! Well, I wanted to make a change in the world. I wanted to help maintain the fight for greater progress and help make a difference.” Before Powder’s speech could continue, Bruno’s hand shot up, as if to ask another question. “Yes, Bruno?” “I thought we weren’t supposed to lie with these questions.” “Excuse me?” A frown grew on the poodle’s face when she realized what he meant, “Bruno, I am not lying. I want to be here.” The bear simply rolled his eyes. “Riiight. Listen lady. Just because I’m a baby doesn’t mean I was born yesterday. I know that grown-ups tell white lies like that because the truth doesn’t sound as sweet.” Bruno tapped the butt of a crayon under his chin in a thoughtful gesture. “I don’t think this was your first choice. That’s all I’m saying.” “And why do you think that?” A cocky smirk rose on the bear’s face. “Because. You are too pretty. Besides the lab coat, you don’t seem like the nerdy type to me. Just look at your perfect fur. Your perfect makeup. It’s in the way you carry yourself. You seem more like a show dog than anything else.” Powder couldn’t stop the blush from rising to her face. But it was there, and Bruno had no doubt spotted it. This was why she always hated working with children. They always found a way to spin the conversation around and make her feel foolish. She shouldn’t have to take this third degree. Especially not from a diaper-wearing dunce. The worst part was that she knew, on some level, he was right. Powder stopped to take a sharp inhale. “Fine. I hadn’t always planned on this. But that doesn’t mean I do not enjoy my work. You know, you could stand to be more polite. It will make this interview go a lot smoother and faster.” “Hmm.” Bruno smug expression had turned into a bored one. He crumpled up the paper he was scribbling on, tossing the first sketch aside, and started on a fresh one. “Now then. Bruno, do you—” “It’s my turn,” The bear interjected. “What? No, it isn’t.” “Yes, it is. You asked why I thought you were fake, and I told you. Now it’s my turn, and I’m still thinking.” Thinking back, Powder realized that Bruno was right. She had spoken too soon and was now paying the price. The gruff bear was now looking more like a clever fox. Another sharp inhale, this time a few seconds longer. “Okay Bruno. What is your next question?” “…How did you land this gig? When I said you weren’t the nerdy type, you didn’t even try to deny it. On the other paw, this isn’t the type of job they give to interns. So, you must have done something to land a job like this. How did ya do it?” Why did her subject have to be so annoyingly curt? “Bruno, that’s something of a personal question.” “So, give me something of a personal answer. Or are you the only one allowed to ask invasive questions? If you don’t plan on pulling punches, I shouldn’t have too neither. That’s only fair, doc.” He was right, in his only childish way. Powder knew it to be true. Moreover, she knew she couldn’t proceed unless she told him the truth. This was one of the reasons she hated working alone. Then again, she couldn’t tell her lab partner, Gus, about this experiment. Not before she had her results. It wouldn’t be fair to drop that on him, not after everything he had done for her. Her response was swift, “A friend helped me out. He pulled some strings and let me work in the lab with him.” Powder knew she had to choose her words carefully with this one. “I’m going to proceed now.” “Oooooh, a guy helped you. What’s lover boy’s name?” Bruno had shot a smug look at her earlier. Powder shot him one right back. “It’s my turn to ask a question now, Bruno.” She shouldn’t have gotten a rush from the line, but she just couldn’t help herself. “…Feh.” Bruno mumbled. He returned to his drawing, his face now featuring a look of concentration. “Bruno. What do you remember about the cartoons you watched?” It was a tense and volatile question. But it was also the most important one. “I don’t.” When Bruno saw the poodle stare at him with anticipation, he grumbled and said, “I don’t remember it. It’s a blank page. I can’t even remember one word of it.” That was unexpected. On paper, he should have remembered every single second of it. Had they made some severe miscalculation? If only Gus was here to help sort this out. “What’s your favorite toy here?” The reply was instant, as if he had already settled on his question before this conversation started. Moreover, it blocked Powder from asking any follow-up questions. “Out of all the stuff here, which one would you play with.” Another surprising question, one which sounded quite innocent. Powder still couldn’t tell which parts of Bruno’s mind were pacified and which were still grown. “Bruno, Adults don’t have time to play with toys. I’m too big for such things.” She was annoyed at what the baby bear was insinuating. But she was also annoyed at how fast he had changed the subject, and some of that heat bled through. “Too big,” He scoffed, “Well, I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m much bigger than you.” Bruno craned his neck and looked around the room. “And a whole lot of stuff here looks like fun to me. Especially those blocks over there.” The bear pointed to one corner of the room, where a bucket of toy blocks had spilled over. It was obvious to Powder that she was getting nowhere fast. Her best bet was to play along. Maybe then Bruno would start being more cooperative. Powder took a quick walk around the room, looking over all the toys. Finally, after some consideration, she had her answer. “The dollhouse.” She said, “If I was your age, that’s what I would pick.” “Ooooh, I gotcha.” No question was complete without a dose of attitude. Regardless, she still needed to pick her words carefully if she hoped to get any real work done. “I am under the impression that you do not believe me.” “Oh, I believe you. In fact, I would have bet money on you picking that.” “Don’t say why or what.” She thought. “Don’t phrase it like a question.” “I need you to elaborate on that statement.” Bruno paused, as if he were impressed by how well Powder was able to dodge question marks. “Control freak.” He replied bluntly, “When you tell those dollies what to do, they won’t talk back. I say something, and you get all hot and bothered.” Was that the issue? Was the way Powder conducted today’s experiment bothering him? No, she thought. Powder was simply doing her job. It was Bruno who was not doing his. “Bruno. I need you to understand that we are not equals. I am the adult, and you are the child. Your negative attitude isn’t going to change that.” “You really think that you are so much better than me?” A sharp hiss cut through Powder’s train of thought. Her ears immediately identified the sound, as it came from behind Bruno’s shorts. Her snout was next, picking up the scent of fresh urine mixed with baby powder. She could see the padding subtly swell behind the shorts, Bruno’s gait spreading automatically. Bruno still looked at her expectedly, as he finished peeing his pampers. Maybe he didn’t notice. Maybe he didn’t care. If he was a baby, flooding his diaper was as normal as taking a breath. “I…I think there is a certain divide in our status that you seem to be ignoring.” “Hmm, that’s interesting. By the way,” Bruno turned his paper over and held it up to the scientist, “Here’s that pretty picture you asked for.” This was an art piece Powder wished to forget. The crude doodle displayed Powder, sucking on a pacifier, wearing a fully loaded diaper. It was unflattering, to say the least, but at least it gave her an idea of how Bruno really felt. Powder certainly wasn’t looking forward to submitting this piece to records later. “See, those are stink lines.” “I see that, Bruno.” “Because you made a stinky.” “I understand the implications, Bruno!” She couldn’t let this experiment get any more out of control. She expected the interview to be the easy part. There had to be another way about this. Something she was missing. “Okay, I’m done.” Without hesitation, Bruno wiggled free from his desk and began to waddle to another play area. The pee-soaked state of the diaper forced him to take wide, duck-like steps. “W-wait!” Powder called, but the bear waved her off. After a moment of consideration, Bruno sat down with a wet squish, and landed in front of a bucket of blocks. “Bruno! We aren’t finished here!” “I know. It’s your turn, right? Ask away.” Despite being so many questions in, Bruno sounded so bored of it all. From his perspective, the colorful blocks were much more fun, and much less fussy, than the angry poodle lady. “I will!” Powder wanted nothing more than for this interview to be over. But her research forced her to put up with this overgrown child for a while longer. The only comfort in all of this was that after today, he wouldn’t be her problem. She would let the boys in the lab play babysitter and see how much they liked it. “What do you plan to do after you receive payment!?” “Huh, that’s a good one.” Bruno replied. He hadn’t made eye-contact with Powder and was steadily building a large tower of rainbow-colored blocks. “I don’t know yet. Probably take a nap. Maybe have a snack. What about you? Finally, a painless answer. This was how the procedure was supposed to go. Not this sass-filled back and forth. Powder was happy to get things back on track. “I am going to compile the data from the test and send it over to my superior. Now then—” “Sorry, maybe I wasn’t clear. What I mean is, what are you going to do after work? Like washing your hair or playing with dollies.” Ah. Powder should have known things would not be that easy. “Bruno, I do not play with dolls.” “Dollies,” The bear corrected, “And there’s nothing wrong with you if you do. Lots of grown-ups still keep dollies and plushies around when they get older.” “I am aware of that Bruno. But I am not one of them.” Powder shook her head and blurted back, “And they are called dolls.” “Okay? You still didn’t answer my question. And when you’re my age, you call them dollies. Right?” Playing along was not going to get any easier this way. Powder knew that, but still hadn’t accepted it yet. She thought back to when she was still in school, still just a puppy. Her favorite teachers were always the ones that talked to her on the same level, not above her. Maybe she needed to try that approach. And that is just what she did. Powder found a comfortable spot next to Bruno, sat down, and told the truth. “You probably won’t believe me if I tell you.” “Try me.” And she did. “Don’t tell anyone, but when I get home, I like to sit on my couch and watch old cartoons.” Bruno had stopped working on his tower and turned to face Powder. “Really?” The look of surprise on his face was plain to see. “Yeah,” She continued, feeling bashful. “It keeps me calm. Takes me back to a time when things were easier. Hey, maybe after this is over, we can watch some together?” Bruno didn’t say anything. All he did was smile at Powder, for the first time this session. This was good. This was what she wanted. Sure, the smell of stale urine was off-putting, but scientist can’t be choosers. “Ms. Powder? Could you do me a big favor?” “What is it?” “I’m trying to stick my flag on this tower, but I’m worried it’s going to fall. Could you hold her steady for me?” Bruno must be really invested in his game. A result of the hypnosis? It was too early to say. Either way, Powder was happy that Bruno was starting to warm up to her. Maybe today didn’t have to be such a struggle. “Sure thing,” Powder said, returning his smile with one of her own. She set the tablet down, only for a second, and held the building block tower with both hands. “Like this?” “Perfect.” Bruno wobbled to his feet. He had his eyes on the prize now. He steadied himself, made one quick motion with his paw… And swiped the tablet clean off the ground. “There we go.” The petrified poodle gulped. Powder’s heart had stopped. Her eyes were as wide as dinner plates. An awful feeling was writhing in her gut. One that was screaming at her, saying she had just made the biggest mistake of her life. It wasn’t until the tower of blocks came crashing down that she broke free from her daze. “Bruno, h-hold on! Let’s not do anything hasty!” The poodle scrambled to her feet, rushing towards the bear without thinking. She tried to take the tablet back, but there was no hope. Regardless of his mental state, the burly beast still towered over her. Bruno was an expert at playing keep away, which meant that it was game over for Powder. “Come on! How about we go back to playing!? I won’t even ask you anymore questions, okay!?” The bear was unmoved. “Sorry, doc. I found something that’s more fun to play with.” The tablet’s interface was quite easy to understand. Child’s play, really. The screen displayed various icons for various functions. The hand icon seemed as good a place as any to start. Within seconds, the familiar white hands shot out from the walls. Their aim was set to Powder, and they hit their target dead on. Two arms lifted her by the armpits, and she was soon kicking for dear life. “P-please! I’ll give you anything you want! I’ll double your pay! I’ll call the whole experiment off! Anything!” Desperate promises. Ones she had no way of fulfilling. What other choice did she have than to make them? The soundproof walls of the testing grounds made sure nobody would hear her cries. Nobody except for the person whose life she ruined. Despite everything, she was still responsible for turning his brain into a shallow husk. While Bruno was the one who agreed, it was ultimately Powder’s decision to go forth with the testing. She could have told him about the risks. She could have called the whole thing off. She could have done a million things different, to avoid this fate. But it was much too late for that. Somewhere, deep inside Powder knew it to be true. Such a simple fact, yet it scared her so much. “Now that you mention it, there is something I want.” “Yes!?” All her hopes were packed into that one three letter word. “A playmate.” All her hopes were crushed in three seconds flat. In a flash, the hands ripped all the clothes off Powder’s body, and she was a bare as a newborn babe. Bruno didn’t even look interested. Simply happy to see Powder humiliated. The only comfort was that the hands didn’t harm a single fur on her body. And yet, that deadly precision only served to fuel her fear. “N-no!” Powder screamed, one final time. New hands shot at her mouth, turning her pleas into muffled suckles. The culprit? A pacifier-gag strapped snuggly into her maw. That wasn’t the end of her worries. Despite only having the tablet for two minutes, Bruno was a fast learner, and quickly found an interesting new feature. Her heart stopped for the second time today, as a wicked new tool dangled before her. A giant wooden paddle came into view and began to circle behind her. Powder continued to kick helplessly. The fact that the paddle was now out of view was even more terrifying. Bruno was only bluffing, right? This was all an act to intimidate her. There was no way he hated her that much. There had to be some mercy in— *WHAP* *WHAP* *WHAP* With each swing of the wooden paddle, a thunderous crack sounded off. Each swat resulting in a muffled yelp from the bound hound, each one an unanswered cry for help. The bear led a truly grizzly assault on the poodle’s poor posterior. Twenty swats. Forty? Sixty? Both parties soon lost count. The only certainty was that Powder had been reduced to a crying mess. “Aww, the baby got a boo-boo. Don’t worry, I’ll get you something soft to sit in.” Bruno was like a kid in a candy store. Bringing the arrogant poodle down a peg was the sweetest treat he could ask for. Powder didn’t need to look up. She already knew what he was alluding to. Yet, through tear-stained eyes, she saw it all the same. In one hand, held a large bottle of baby powder. In another, an oversized baby diaper. While not as wide, the size of the diaper was still comparable to that of Bruno’s. The diaper was a garish shade of pink and was decorated cover to cover with prancing white unicorns. When she saw it, the cheeks on Powder’s face became as red as the ones on her backside. All the fight had been drained out of her, as the hands forced her onto the changing table with ease. She winced every time her sore bottom made contact with the mat below. The powder came first, dosing the dog’s white nether region with a torrent of lavender scented snow. The talcum blended in with her white fur, but it was there all the same.” “Look at that,” Bruno cooed, “Now you smell just like your namesake.” Powder just let the comment hang. All her bark was gone, and her bite was equally useless. She had been stripped, spanked, and gagged in a matter of minutes. She had lost this battle the second she let go of the tablet. Her opponent was simply taking a victory lap. The diaper was slid under Powder, and her bottom landed on the cushy surface below. The hands taped up the padding and gave her diaper a few pats. Just like the bear, Powder was trapped in a padded prison she had no hope of escaping from. Every nervous squirm and wiggle rewarded her with a chorus of crinkles. Powder could not deny her feelings now, her back on a changing table while taped to a giant diaper. She truly felt like a big baby, an overgrown puppy, much like the overgrown bear cub who was now in control. “Wow, Powder. Pink is your color. Let me see here…” More icons were being tapped by her captor, and Powder was still completely in the dark. Her new attire soon hung above her, and she missed the time when she was blissfully ignorant. It was a pink baby doll dress. The sleeves were short and ruffled, and the entire outfit was adorned with several tiny bows. The arms also carried a set of matching booties and mittens, to complete the ensemble. While Powder should be happy to have some coverage, she didn’t quite feel that way. The hands got to work, and Powder allowed herself to be dressed like Bruno had been. Show dog was right. Powder looked like she was ready to compete in a baby pageant. If the sheer bulk of the diaper wasn’t enough to stop her from walking, the booties sealed the deal. Like it or not, crawling was now her only option for getting around. When she was finally returned to the nursery floor, Powder fell on all fours and let loose. She couldn’t stop herself from crying. All the stress and humiliation of today was too much. She could hear something happening outside her field of vision, as Bruno tapped away on his stolen tablet. She was too distraught to look up, to see the truth. Her only hope was that one of her colleagues would come to check on her and stop this whole ordeal. Even if she had to be found dressed as a big baby doll, it would still be worth it. Before she could continue her miserable stupor, Bruno snatch Powder up and carried her across the room. “Wah…” Powder was confused. Wasn’t the point of all this to humiliate Powder, make her feel as small as she made Bruno? What was his next move? She looked up, and the horrifying answer to her question became obvious. The hypnosis monitor was back, and about to start an encore performance. “What’s the matter, doc? I thought you like watching cartoons.” No. Anything but that. She could handle the diapers. She could handle the spankings and the humiliating outfits. But this was too much. Bruno was about to chuck Powder’s mind down a hole she could never crawl out of. “You know something, doc? I’ve got this theory I’ve been working on. You see, ever since I watched those cartoons earlier, you’ve been acting real dodgy towards me. At first, I didn’t think much of it. But as soon as you started asking all those questions, I realized something. There’s this gap in my memory that I can’t seem to fill. Why was I dress like an adult? Why can’t I remember my age? Why shouldn’t I be acting like a baby? Every time I rack my brain for an answer, it all comes back to this video. So, I figured, if I saw what this did to someone else, I can finally get my answer.” “Pwease… I sowwy.” There was nothing Powder could do to break free from Bruno’s bear hug. All she had left to bargain was a literal cry for help. “No, no. Let’s not start any of that.” The bear stuck the earbuds into the poodle’s ears one after another. “The Q&A isn’t over yet, right? It’s my turn, and I still have a big question about what this program does. And this is the only way to answer it.” The bear found a comfortable spot to sit in and plopped down on his padded rear. He held Powder tight, and pried her eyelids open, preventing her from looking away. “So how about we sit back and enjoy the show.” The fears from before proved true. The second the program started; she could not look away. The audio was the first to strike, rewriting her identity as a baby between unending lullabies. Between every note of “Rock-a-bye Baby” and “Twinkle Little Star” was a hidden voice, a quiet scream, reinforcing how small and helpless she was. The TV screen was a mess of warping colors. It was a blistering rainbow that bullied her senses. But every other frame featured some form of subliminal messaging. The audiovisual experience tag teamed her brain and reduced it to a shatter pulp. It was intense. It was unrelenting. It was what she deserved. *** Gus scrambled through the halls of the research facility. He knew that he should have never told Powder about this project. The Labrador now had to track down his colleague before she did anything rash. To think how quickly things were spiraling out of control. He had told Powder that their new hypnosis program’s only hope of getting funding was if their superiors had seen tangible results. Obviously, this put a giant wrench in their plan. “No one in their right mind would be willing to agree to a program so dangerous.” Gus had said, “Not unless it paid a fortune.” After he said that, the smirk on Powder’s face should have been his first clue that she had a nasty plot in the works. While Gus was disappointed to have to shut the project down, Powder didn’t look fazed at all. Gus had figure that she was just coping in her own way. When a few of his co-workers had congratulated him on getting funding, he was confused. When they explained what had happen, and what Powder had done, he almost fainted. That’s where he was now, racing to stop Powder before she made a huge mistake. He had finally made it to their testing room, the one the others saw her walked into. He could hear muffled noises from the other side of the door and braced himself. When he opened the door, he soon realized he hadn’t braced himself well enough. The testing room had taken the form of a giant nursery. Powder had quite a few adjustments made while Gus wasn’t looking. How did she even manage to pay for all this? He saw a bear dressed like a little kid? What was he doing here? Amidst a sea of doll sat one that looked scarily like Powder—Powder! “Alright then Madame Woolsworth,” Powder said, speaking directly to a sheep plush, “I expect everything is to your liking?” The doll didn’t reply. All it did, all it could do, was stare back at her with unblinking eyes. For Powder, silence was golden. “Excellent. Now, there seems to be some business to attend to.” “Powder!” Gus yelled, scrambling over to his lab partner. “What happened? Why are you dressed like that?” “Hello there, Gus. While I would love to stay and chat, I have some company to attend to,” Powder gestured toward the circle of stuffed animals she was conversing with. “If you want me to talk with you, I need you to check the waiting list.” It was hard to make heads or tails of this ‘waiting list’ she displayed. Mainly because it looked to be a series of notes on her clipboard that Powder scribbled over in red crayon. “Powder, are you feeling well? You’re starting to worry me.” “There’s no use talking to her,” The bear yelled from across the room. “Unless you plan on having a tea party. “You’ll have to excuse him, Gus,” Powder explained, “He insists on acting like a poppyhead today.” The poodle stuck her tongue out and returned to her circle of plush friends. “Sorry for the delay, everyone. Where were we?” Unfortunately, it looked like Powder had her hands full now. Her state of mind was questionable, to say the least. Maybe talking to the bear would yield better results. He seemed to have some understanding of what had happened. “Excuse me, sir?” Gus called. Judging by the bear’s outfit, he wasn’t certain if ‘sir’ was correct. “Can you explain to me what happened? The bear didn’t look up. He was busying rolling a rubber ball back and forth between his paws. “That girlfriend of yours is a real handful. I watched that funky cartoon and she started asking me a whole bunch of questions. Had a nasty attitude about her too. My brain’s been in a rut ever since.” The bear paused and leaned over his shoulder to face the Labrador. “She’s a clever one, I’ll give her that. Too bad she couldn’t handle a taste of her own medicine.” A funky cartoon…The hypnosis tape! Powder had really done it! But why did Powder decide to watch it herself? She knew how dangerous it was. Maybe this bear coerced in some way. Or perhaps it was the other way around. “Oh yeah. Before I forget,” The bear leaned over, and handed the control tablet over to Gus. “You can have it. I don’t want to play with it anymore.” What was this stranger doing with the control tablet? There was no way Powder would hand over such an important device. Gus would have to check the security tapes later to learn the full story. “Thank you?” Gus said, still feeling puzzled. “Listen, I don’t know what happened between you and Powder, but I hope she didn’t do anything to upset you. I know she can come off as rude to some people, but she’s actually a nice person once you get to know her.” “Huh.” The bear mumbled. Before he could formulate a reply, nature arrived with a better retort. The bear got on all fours and began to grunt. It didn’t take a doctorate to figure out what he was doing. Mushy lumps invaded the back of his already soaked diaper, causing it to sag further. The fact that his shorts managed to stay on was a miracle, but more of the stained padding peeked out from each angle. Finished with his work, the bear let out a few breathy pants. The bear finally sat back down with a thud, squashing the mess against his plot. “That’s all I have to say to that.” The bear had said, returning to his ball game as if nothing happened. “Ugh!” Gus cringed. He wanted to distance himself from the rank bear as soon as possible. Gus made his way over to his lab partner, who was hopefully now in the mood to talk. Powder was laying on her back, suckling on the sheep plush from before. She had a tired look in her eyes, which was standard after a long day of work. “Hello again Gus,” Powder said, waving a tired paw to her lab assistant. “I’m sorry, but I am spent after today. If you have anymore complaints to voice, you’ll have to wait until after nap time.” Just like that, Powder was out like a light. Gus had said something, but she was done answering questions for today. Powder felt her leg twitch, as a warm flood rushed to the front of her diaper. Her work here was done. Now the rest was up to Gus. *** Several months later “Alright. I’m sending you guys the shape puzzle again. Your time yesterday showed improvement, but today you two will be working individually. Bruno. Please try not to distract Powder. It messes with the numbers if you do.” Bruno yawned and made the ok gesture with his paws. He would give the princess a break for today. Gus was a nice guy, a cool adult, and he didn’t mind listening to him. Besides, Bruno wanted to beat his time from yesterday. He was surprisingly good when it came to putting in most of the blocks into the correct holes, but there was still room for improvement. The square one always left him stumped. When their superiors had found what had happened, Gus expected all the shock and dismay they dealt out. What Gus had not been expecting, however, was how impressed they were with the results of the tapes. “Powder,” Gus instructed, “Try not to suckle on the blocks this time. When you do, it always adds a few unnecessary minutes to your time. If it would help, I can send you in another pacifier. Powder pouted, “Gus, that will not be necessary. I am more than capable of holding back my urges for a few minutes.” Powder crawled over to the block station and got to work. Everything was smooth sailing. Triangle goes there. Square goes here. Star goes in that one. She picked up the circle block. And couldn’t help but notice how tasty it looked. “Maybe just a quickie,” she thought. But before she had a chance to second guess herself, she was already laying on her back, gnawing on the foam cylinder without a care in the world—without a care for scientific progress, or anything else. Powder felt a familiar rumbled in her gut and pushed automatically. The result was that a messy diaper soon hung from her hips. She knew that would happen. It was well past the point of being only a theory that she continually tested for consistency. “A full diaper,” Gus thought aloud, “That’s not going to be good for her time.” It was a blessing, too. Gus needed all the funding he could get if he ever hoped to pay off Powder’s renovations to the testing room. She had taken many loans out to make those changes, and now, as her sole caretaker, the responsibilities fell on him. Thankfully, Powder was helping pay these changes off, one dirty diaper at a time. Gus had had a crush on Powder since high-school, and he always wanted to become more than friends. However, those feelings, and his views of Powder, quickly became outdated. Seeing said crush poop herself daily, while dressed as a giant baby, was bound to have that effect on anyone. Gus wanted to spend more time with Powder, and he had gotten his wish. But he always imagined them as dates, rather than playtime. Gus sighed, watching from behind the one-way mirror. “Oh well. Scientist can’t be choosers.”

Waiting sucked. Having to get up early in morning sucked even more. Having to get up early in the morning to wait around sucked to an infinite degree. Blair knew she shouldn’t have waited so long to schedule her annual check-up. Now she was paying the price, as all the afternoon slots had been taken. Things were so much easier when she still had her mother setting up appointments for her. Blair’s mother had argued that if she was old enough to drive to the doctor, and old enough to work, she was old enough to set up a doctor’s appointment. With nothing better to do, Blair slumped in her seat and pulled out her phone. No new messages. She thought about calling her friends and striking up a conversation to pass the time. But they were all probably either at work now or asleep and didn’t want to be bothered. She tried to connect online and check her social media, but the internet connection here was lousy. Even when she got online, opening another tab would greet her with a dreaded white background and a long loading time. Blair let out an annoyed sigh. They didn’t call these places waiting rooms for nothing. Was she really going to be stuck here, counting each boredom filled second, all morning? She even considered calling her mom or dad, just so she would have something to do. Getting lectured by mom wasn’t fun, but at least it was stimulating. Just as she was about to dial her parent’s home phone number, her phone buzzed, a new notification popped onto her screen. “Advanced Mental Age Quiz – Discover Your True Age Today!” It was a news headline. Something about an advanced personality quiz. It must have been a slow day in the journalistic world. She had seen, and taken, countless online quizzes during her formative years. Everything ranging from “which superpowers would you have” to “what’s your fantasy race” to even “which tropical fruit are you?” She remembered, sometime at the age of 12, being so disappointed when she got papaya instead of mango. Nostalgia aside, it did sound like a perfect way to kill some time. These were no doubt more fun when she was a teenager, but it wouldn’t hurt to take one for old times’ sake. The page loaded surprisingly quickly. The web design was quite basic, featuring plain black text on a white background. Whatever. It made the page load faster, even with the waiting room’s rocky connection, so she had no reason to complain. When taking this quiz, remember not to think too intensely about each question. The point of each question is to discern your natural point of view. Answer each question honestly and openly. Your answers will be record, for research purposes. However, your personal information, such as your email address and phone number, will never be recorded. Blair rolled her eyes. It all seemed so overdramatic for an online quiz. Maybe this was just how the site owners wanted to set the mood? She bit her lip and looked at the time. There was still a long way to go before her appointment would be up. “It should be fine,” She thought. She tapped the start icon, an anxious twinge sitting in her chest. Question 1: It’s okay to rely on others when times get tough. Blair read the question and looked at her answer choices. There was an option to agree or disagree, as well as a “strongly” variant for both. Standard stuff. However, there wasn’t an option to skip or stay neutral. She was somewhat surprised, as she always liked to pick that option when there was a question she didn’t understand or didn’t feel too strongly on. Blair thought to herself, “Is it okay to rely on others?” She would have to say yes. New to adulthood, she was very use to relying on her mother on many things. Some trivial, like cooking and cleaning. Others more major, like taking her to the doctor or setting up a schedule for her. Even her friends from school were a constant source of help over the years. She couldn’t imagine how many assignments she would have failed if her girls weren’t there to study with her. It sounded like she had no objections on this one. Agree. Right before she scrolled to the next question, she thought about the message from the start. About how she agreed to answer honestly. Blair groaned. It was just an online quiz, no reason to be bashful. Strongly agree. Question 2: I work better when I am on a routine. This one was also straightforward. Routine was something that Blair was quite familiar with. However, the more Blair thought about it, the more she realized those routines were never set by her. Always her parents or her teachers. That was probably worth factoring, right? Right. She was noticeably less confident in this one. Agree. Question 3: Hardships are unavoidable parts of life. “Hmm,” Blair mumbled. Was it really that cut and dry? She didn’t want to think so. In her mind, she pictured the life of someone who always got what they wanted. The life of a spoiled rich girl who never had to worry about things like taxes or finding a job. It sounded plausible. It even sounded compelling. Blair liked to think that some hardships in life were avoidable, with a little luck and good fortune. Whether she could vouch for it personally was another matter, but that wasn’t part of the quiz. Disagree. Question 4: Complexity is inherently more appealing than simplicity. This one was weird, Blair had to read it out loud to herself a few times. It was also vague as well. Complexity could mean many different things based on the context. Was that the point? Was that part of the question? Ugh, this one was annoying. Disagree. Question 5: Growing up is too hard. Now things were getting weird. There was a pit forming in Blair’s stomach. A gnawing suspicion of foul play. It was as if she on a candid camera show and the host was in an unseen location, waiting to jump out at her for the grand reveal. Confetti would rain down; Blair would look a fool in front of hundreds of viewers. Was she being paranoid? Unsure. While not an option on the quiz, Blair didn’t have to abide by those standards on her own time. Still, she had other personal questions she could answer with those confines. Was she starting to feel uneasy? Agree. Was the idea that a random internet poll was somehow aware of her thoughts, farfetched? Strongly Agree. Was she ready to stop clicking answers and do something else with her time? Disagree. Blair sighed. The question was a coincidence. Obviously. Agree. Perhaps the part that bothered Blair most, was that she wanted to click ‘Agree’. Say there was a way to skip the journey to adulthood. An alternate route that skipped all the awkward years. All the drama, all the embarrassment. All the mean comments about her hair or her face or her body. Say it was all true. Blair would certainly not be the only person to want to walk that route. Say someone actually found this ultimate lifehack. Would that person be liable to share it? Blair didn’t think so. She certainly wouldn’t herself. Ponce de León certainly wasn’t searching for the fountain of youth to help charity. Blair would keep it close, keep it nice and hidden. Had she figured out a way to avoid it herself? Disagree. Strongly disagree. Did she want to believe it was possible? Agree. Was she feeling hopeful? Agree. Final answer? Agree. The next set of questions began to load. A spinning red wheel on a white backdrop. It was almost hypnotic, like watching food cook in the microwave. Blair might just waste the entire day watching it, let the seconds trickle by. Was that why loading screens were designed that way? So that you didn’t notice how much time you were wasting? It wouldn’t surprise her. If that was the case, then it was working. How long was she going to watch this wheel go? Maybe just a few more seconds? No, she should check the time. Pulling her head away from the screen was a true test of willpower. Even after she did, she still felt slightly dazed. She could still see the bright screen clouding her vision, as if she had just come back inside on a bright sunny day. Maybe she was just tired… The waiting room hadn’t changed much since she started. There was still no one else waiting here besides her. There were still a few toys piled up by the corner, for the little kids to play with. There was one of those wooded toys with the wires and beads. The ones that never failed to materialize in waiting rooms across the world. There was a clear bucket filled with Lincoln Logs and Lego blocks—the really thick off brand kind. There were even oversized foam blocks that would have looked right at home at a daycare. None of them really interested. Blair was well past the age of sucking and stacking blocks. A couple posters hung on top of the plain wallpaper. A cat was hanging on a tree branch, trying his best to hang in there. One was detailing the skeleton and all the bones of the human body. She never could remember the lyrics to that song. What bone connected to the hip bone? Blair remembered seeing one poster at the vet that listed all the different breeds of dogs. It was sort of random that she remembered that right now, but it was still very cool. Still, Nothing out of the ordinary. “Sweetie, are you okay?” Blair turned and looked over at the front desk. She saw one of the attendants staring back at her with a worried look. “I’m fine.” Blair said. “Just waiting for my appointment. Do you know when Dr. Thomas will be available?” “Dr. Thomas had to deal with a family emergency. He had to stepped out for a moment. He should be back soon enough.” Great, Blair thought, more waiting. She knew something had felt off, like she had been here for too long. Like the gods had turn the clock back an extra hour just to mess with her. But a family emergency seemed much more likely. “I understand. Thank you.” The attendant smiled as she leaned on the front counter, “Do want me to stay and keep you company? It’s a slow day today, and I really don’t mind.” Blair fidgeted in her seat. The attendant seemed nice enough. But as much as Blair complained about being bored, she wasn’t in the mood for small talk. Even at her age, she was still awkward around strangers. Logically, she knew nothing bad was going to happen if she struck a conversation with this nurse. It was a gut feeling, and those tended not to be logical. “I’m fine, thank you.” The nurse frown, “Alright dear. I just don’t want to see anyone giving you trouble. There’s lots of bad people who might snatch up a little cutie like you.” The nurse pointed to her nametag. “If you have any problems, just shout out for nurse Tia, alright?” With a wink, Tia left the stand and went back to work. Blair felt her cheeks light up. Did she really look that young? She looked down at her outfit, suddenly feeling a lot smaller. The overalls she was wearing might have been the culprit. But she had a good reason for picking it today. She wanted something cute to wear to the doctor’s office. It sounded like a good reason, Blair thought, even if it wasn’t hers. No, of course it was hers. It’s not like someone else picked clothes for her. Blair was big now, more independent. Sure, she would struggle with the snaps sometimes, but those were minor setbacks. She had to be more responsible since she was growing up so fast. The lady behind the counter was probably just being nice. Maybe she had kids of her own, and her motherly instincts just so happened to kick in. Glancing back at her phone, Blair saw that the next set of questions had loaded. This next section is designed to test your consistency. Please continue to answer the questions quickly and honestly. Afterwards, that data will be compiled to build a final set of questions custom to you. Blair felt nervous. Why was she feeling nervous? It’s not like she was going to be graded for this. She chose the perfect time to lose all that quiet anticipation from earlier. “Come on Blair,” she thought, “Just suck it up and finish this quiz.” This really wasn’t something she should have to hype herself up for. Blair had many questions on her mind right now. Those could wait for later. The only questions that mattered right now were the ones on her phone screen. Question 6: I like to be looked after. Agree. Don’t focus on the wording, just pick the first answer that makes sense. She liked having mom look after her. She like having her friends from school look after her. Obviously, Blair could look after herself. But that wasn’t what the quiz was asking. Question 7: Other people might describe me as energetic. Agree. It never took much to get Blair started. A cup of juice in the morning, and she was on the move. In time, juice would be replaced by coffee. In time. Mom always said she was a little hellraiser. Mom had enough embarrassing stories to prove that claim as fact. In her younger days, Blair had a reputation for being a streaker. As soon as she figured out how to take off her diaper, she would run around the house stark naked. Time after time Dad had to chase his little girl around the room and remind her of common decency. It must have happened so long ago. And yet, the memory was so fresh in her mind. It was silly, really. She knew better now. Question 8: I am a social butterfly. Disagree. Blair had a few close friends, but that was it. Social butterfly was a stretch. Blair couldn’t help it, being so reserved. Many of the other girls in school were so mean. Calling her names, pulling on her hair. She been thankful when Mom pulled her out of school early, even if it was for a doctor’s appointment. Blair blinked. Had she done something wrong? Maybe she was misremembering something, despite how unlikely that had seemed. The day had been pretty unnoteworthy so far. She was having a fun day at school, enjoying reading time. The teacher got a call from Blair’s mother saying she had a doctor’s appointment. She remembered sulking in the backseat of mom’s car, still feeling embarrassed about her outfit. Oh, her outfit! That was the problem. She was wondering earlier why she had picked it out. Truthfully, she hadn’t. Mom said she was still too little to choose what to wear. This spiraled into a heated discussion—a ‘temper tantrum’ as Mom called it—on the subject of Blair’s maturity. Blair argued that she wasn’t a little kid anymore, but a big girl with growing responsibilities. “I’m not going to be a little girl forever!” Blair had boldly claimed. Mom had countered, “Regardless of how old you are, you still need to listen to your parents.” She had even used Blair’s recent accidents to leverage her claims, “The only reason we’re going to the doctor, is because someone keeps wetting the bed.” It was true, but still a low blow, nonetheless. Just thinking about that made Blair squirm in her seat. She tugged at her skirt, hoping that nurse Tia hadn’t caught a glimpse of her pull-up earlier. The nurse lady had been so nice, and Blair hated the idea of being seen as a big baby. It was probably nothing, no reason to feel so antsy. Blair just wished her mom would come back from the bathroom soon. It was getting lonely out in the waiting room. Blair looked back at her phone screen. She should just hurry up and finish. Mom hated it when she stayed on the phone for too long. Question 9: I keep my emotions on a tight leash. Blair let out an annoyed groan. Were online quizzes always so invasive? Truly, the question was a humility test. If she said no, she would be telling an obvious lie. Most people don’t get flustered over online questionnaires they’ve spent fifteen minutes on. Was it fifteen minutes? It had felt longer than that. She wasn’t sure what time she had started. Losing time was the goal, but the fact that she had lost it so easily worried her. “Stop being paranoid.” Blair thought, “Focus on the question. It’s just a webpage. It’s not going to hurt you.” If she said yes, that would fall in line with her spree of unyielding honesty. If she said no, then she would obviously be lying. And she just ­couldn’t do that now could she? And what better time to start being bashful than the ninth question? Blair had slowly realized that she was more honest with an online quiz then most of the people she knew. Just looking at the last few questions spell out her personality was eye-opening. Was this worth getting worked up over? Disagree. Question 10: I look forward to growing older. Blair knew the answer before she even moved her finger. She just didn’t have the heart to admit it. It was painfully obvious. What was this quiz for again? Mental age? Blair scoffed, thinking back on all her choices thus far. She would be surprised if her age even reached the double digits. If nothing else, she probably got the high score for lowest age without even trying. What a humbling day this turned out to be. “Fine.” Blair thought, “You win, quiz. I could learn to be more mature.” Whatever. It’s not like any of this mattered. It’s not like taking this stupid quiz will change anything. As soon as she hit confirm, she would still be stuck in the waiting room, feeling mad and lonely. Was there any real point in fighting with herself? Strongly disagree. Another loading screen. Another round of ‘follow the spinning wheel.’ Another flash of stilted confusion. Blair felt a trail of drool run down her lips as the seconds peeled by. She snapped her head back, dropping the device to the seat that was beside her. Mom was right. Staring at screens for too long was bad for you. She was relieved to look back up at the hospital waiting room. Yet, her relief quickly turned to sadness, as she realized her mother hadn’t come back yet. She was still waiting, still alone. Her head sunk into her knees. When was Mom coming back? It must have been forever ago since Blair had last saw her. She hadn’t left Blair and then run away, did she? Why did they have to fight? Why couldn’t Blair be a good girl, and just listen to her mother? Blair sniffled, and tears threaten to leak from her eyes. “Blair, honey?” A familiar voice called to her. “Is everything okay?” It was her. Same beautiful golden curls. Same full cheeks. The same wonderful person who always be there to hold her tight and make everything better. The same one who, Blair knew, would never hold a grudge over a silly argument. “Mommy!” Blair shouted. She leapt from her seat, snatching Mommy up in a great big hug. “I missed you!” Mommy let out a surprised laugh, “Blair, calm down. I was only in the bathroom for three minutes. You don’t need to be dramatic.” Mommy took her hand and brushed some of her daughter’s hair aside. “Hey, can we talk for a second?” “Yes, Mommy?” Blair looked up at her mother, both sets of eyes the same shade of ocean blue. Blair was ready to hang onto her mother’s every word. Even the big ones she didn’t know. Even if it meant Mommy was still mad about before. “It’s about what happened this morning.” Mommy began, her tone softening, “I’m sorry about what I said before. About your condition. I know how hard you’ve been trying lately. Even with how hectic everything has been lately; you still been making excellent marks at daycare. I’m very proud of you, and I’m sorry for yelling this morning. Even grown-ups can make mistakes.” “It’s okay, Mommy.” Blair said, her head nuzzling up against Mommy’s chest. Going to the doctor was a good idea. Blair should have just listened to Mommy from the start. There was a saying like that, something about moms knowing best, but Blair couldn’t remember it. “I just get protective, is all. I’m a mom, it’s in my nature. You’ll always be my little girl. No matter how big you get. Never forget that, okay?” There was something hidden behind Mommy’s words. A sense of commanding, or finality? “Okay Mommy.” Blair agreed. She didn’t stop to analyze the tone. Everything in her world felt correct. “I’m ready for my appointment now.” Mommy familiar smile had returned, “Well, that’s good. But before that, there’s still one other appointment you need to go to….” Mommy turned in her seat, the confusion on her daughter face was plain as day. “…. One with the tickled monster!” A second later and Blair was a giggling up a storm. The ‘tickle monster’ was as surprising as she was effective, and the poor girl was no match for her quick fingers. A small burst of pee splashed into her diaper, but Blair was too distracted to notice. She was having fun. Mommy was having fun. Those feelings mattered more. “Feeling better?” “Uh-huh!” Blair tugged on her mother’s shirt sleeve, “Mommy, can I have the tabby back?” Mommy stood up, now noticing the device she had been sitting on, “Whoops. Here you go.” Mommy stood up and handed the tablet to her daughter. “There’s still some time left before your appointment. You play and I’ll tell you when it’s time to go.” The tablet featured an ocean blue case decorated with a sea of cartoon smiling fish Not exactly a marvel, but it suited Blair fine. Besides, she more important things to worry about. She had a quiz to finish. Congratulations on making it this far into the quiz! I’m so proud of you! Before we give the results, we a few last extra-special questions for you. Thanks for stopping by! Yay, more quiz! Blair was already having so much fun. She couldn’t remember all the details, but the warm feeling running through her was a good sign. She needed to hurry and finish up before it was time to see the doctor. Question 11: I enjoyed this quiz. Just like before, there were four options for Blair to choose from. Two smiley faces and two frowny ones. The question sounded very gen…something. Gen-nary-ich? Some word she knew or heard one time. A word that meant ‘not different.’ But that couldn’t be true, the questions were all made ’specially for her. The quiz said so! Besides, Blair had enjoyed the quiz. It kept her company while Mommy was away, help clear up the confusions in her head. Smiley. Question 12: I would ask a friend to take this quiz. Yup! Blair knew lots of other kids at daycare who love to play games on their tabbies. She could even show it to one of the teachers she got the chance. Big smiley! Question 13: I am okay with the results of this quiz. Big smiley! Blair knows that she tried her best, and that’s what mattered. Blair tapped the flashing arrow, excited to see her results. There was no waiting this time. No load screen was needed. Instantly, the result screen was staring her dead in the face. You are right where you need to be! Your mental age perfectly matches your outward age. Test accuracy: 97% Honesty rating: 94% Likely of mental age increasing: 4% “Blair, sweetie, it’s time to go.” Mommy tapped her daughter on the shoulder, “The doctor is ready to see us now.” It was a statement of fact. Not an order, more than a suggestion. Blair had finished her game, she was satisfied. “Okay, Mommy.” Blair knew the routine well. She handed the device off to her mother. It was okay for the tablet to go bye-bye for a little while. After this, she had the whole afternoon to find more fun games to play. The doctor’s office was the same as ever. Same colorful wallpaper adorned with polka dots. The same informational posters taped over said walls, some of which had words that see didn’t know yet. And yes, the same jar of candy that teased her at every visit. There it was. Her pot of gold. “Hello there, Mrs. Winters,” Dr. Thomas said, “How are we doing today?” Blair recognized the man almost immediately. She had come to see him with Mommy or Daddy one or two times before. Blair liked him because not just because he gave her candy, but also because he was nice. His beard was fluffy and white, and it made him look like Santa Claus. Except Santa wasn’t bald, she thinks, and Santa wasn’t skinny, she knows. “We’re doing just fine, thank you. I’m bringing Blair in for her checkup today.” Mommy glanced down at the girl, her precious little one, while rubbing Blair’s shoulders. Mommy made idle chatter as she helped Blair on the exam table. The rustle of the exam table’s paper cover mixed with crinkle of her diaper, producing a symphony of white noise. “How are you today, doctor? The nurse told me you had to deal with a family emergency today. “It was nothing too serious.” He waved a hand nonchalantly, “Just a little trouble with my youngest, William. He’s about Blair’s age, actually. “Oh, William Thomas? Yes, he’s in Blair class right now. Are you and Will friends, Blair?” Willy was okay, sometimes. But some he was jerk head and horded all the blocks during playtime. Blair thought, but thought didn’t say. Thoughts like that were inside-thoughts, ones not to blurt out in public, and those didn’t help her get candy. Blair nodded, “Uh-huh, Willy is okay.” The doctor continued, “My wife couldn’t get him to eat carrot sticks today. She thought he might have an upset stomach or something. Turns out the only reason he was acting fussy was because he didn’t have his tablet. I don’t know if it was right to buy him one so early.” “They’re a blessing and a curse. Blair’s been more complacent ever since we got her one. But I’m worried that she may be spending too much time on it. We’ll have to wait and see.” “I guess so…” Dr. Thomas tapped his clipboard with a pen. “Alrighty then. Now, how old is Blair?” Mommy had knowing smile on her face. “Go on Blair. You know this one. How old are you?” How old… Oh! Blair did know this one. She learned how to do this one yesterday ago. She took her left hand and pointed up two fingers. Two, but not just two. Two was too small. She hadn’t been two since forever. She took her right hand and made another two fingers. Two twos. 22. Yup, she was two twos old. Much more than two or one two. “This many!” Blair said, feeling proud. “Wow!” Thomas said, no doubt impressed by sight of a no-so-grown woman remembering her age. “That’s very good Blair. Watch out, mom. I think we have a gifted child on her hands.” Blair didn’t know exactly what he meant. But she heard the word ‘gift’ and figured it had to be something good. Mommy chuckled. “She’s a quick learner. I’ve been told she was turning heads at Daycare. Who knows? Maybe if she ever grows up, you two might be colleagues.” Blair didn’t comment. Playing doctor didn’t sound like much fun right now. Blair had p to play her stacking games now, making towers and towers of blocks. Crashing them down with satisfying sounds. Maybe she could be a monster when she grew up. Or one of those people that make old buildings go boom. Thomas went back to tapping his clipboard. “I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Okay then.” The doctor turned his attention back to his patient, “Blair, have you been eating well?” “Uh huh.” Blair nodded, “I always eat all my food when Mommy makes it. I even eat all the veggies and Mommy doesn’t even have to ask me to.” “Three square meals? Plenty of fluids?” “Believe me,” Mommy cut in, patting down Blair’s diaper bag, “She been drinking plenty.” “Glad to hear it. Now then…” Dr. Thomas’ voice began to trail off. “You wanted to discuss her condition. Her condition. The reason Mommy and her were fighting. The reason she was felt so bad today. She shook her head trying to find the answer, came up with nothing consistent. Something important. Something obvious? Her condition… “I think it might be hearing lost.” Mommy sharply cut in once more. “She keeps having these dizzy spells. Her teachers say that sometimes she’ll zone out and won’t saying anything.” “Hmmm…” The doctor pondered, stroking his beard. “Okay, give me a moment.” The doctor walked over to his drawers on the other side of the room. Blair couldn’t see what he was doing, could only hear metal clattering against metal. She had hoped was doing well so far. Blair answered all her questions honestly, didn’t overthink any of them. “Alright, let’s take a look.” Dr. Thomas returned, holding up a strange looking device. The looked like someone glued an oil can to a stick. The silver sheen made the tool look cold and unfriendly. But Blair was familiar with it and recognized it as the ‘ear-thingy’, one of the many complex tools doctors used to make people feel better. True to its name, the doctor leaned over, stuck the device into Blair’s ear, and peered inside. “Well, everything looks in order. I don’t think—hey, look at that!” The doctor shouted in faux surprise, “You’ve got a bird nest in here. Coo, coo, coo.” Blair wasn’t impressed. She has fallen for the ‘fake bird’ bit a few times before and had wised up since then. She wasn’t a total baby. Dr. Thomas cooed a few coo-coos before getting back to business. The check-up was as routine as ever. Dr. Thomas’ jokes? As lame as ever. Blair was unfazed when he pretended her heart was a jackhammer. When he used the hammer-thingy to tap her legs, Blair didn’t laugh at being called an ‘up-and-coming kickboxer.’ There was a chance it hurt her odds of getting candy, but Mommy always told Blair it was bad to lie. “I can safely say that Blair has a clean bill of health. I think the only thing she’s missing is a good sense of humor.” Dr. Thomas winked. “That’s a relief. Blair, are you ready to go?” Blair squirmed in her seat, her eyes still on the prize. Should she say something? After all, she hadn’t endured the world’s worst comedy routine for nothing. “Ah, ah! There’s one last thing.” The good doctor returned, candy jar nestled like a newborn babe, “Every special patient deserves a special treat.” Dr. Thomas popped open the glass lid open, presenting Blair with a sea of possible prizes. The Reese’s cup was the obvious choice. She snatched at the orange delight and unwrapped it in an instant. In just one bite, her taste buds were in a peanuty-chocolatey bliss. “So good!” Blair thought. So worth it. *** “Hi nurse Tia!” Blair blurted out, happy to see a friendly familiar face at the front desk. “Hey there, little lady. Where you a good girl for the Doctor?” “Yeah! I got a piece of candy and everything!” Blair had already eaten the evidence, so Tia would have to take her word for it. “That’s great honey.” Tia’s sincerity was as plain as the smile on her face. She turned over to Mommy, carry over the same warm expression. “Are you ready to check out now?” Mommy nodded, “Yes, that’s right. Now, when can we schedule or next appointment? I was thinking maybe sometime in December…” Blair proceeded to drown out all the boring grown-up talk. She had other thoughts on her mind right now. What would she do now that she was out of school early? Was there anything good on TV at this time of day? She could only wonder. Another, much more immediate query, was also being asked of her right now. What to do about the rumble in her tummy? It was a question Blair’s body posed time and time again, one she was ready to answer automatically. She squatted down, still clutching Mommy’s hand, and got to work. Cheeks puffed out; all it was one push for the landslide to start. A wave of mush landed inside her diaper, accompanied by the sounds grunts and crinkling plastic. A brief pause and another round of sticky mush arrived, the diaper now sagging under its new weight, threating to touch the floor. Just after, a growing hiss came from the front. Her bladder got the memo, decided now was best time to let loose. Blair let a sigh of relief. Ready for potty training? Disagree. The state of Blair’s diaper was clear evidence of that fact. She was already such a natural with diapers and saw no reason to stop now. It was a tried-and-true solution to an everyday problem. “All done?” Mommy asked, that same warm smile on her face. She had squatted to meet Blair at eye-level. At this point, seeing her daughter poop herself hardly came as the surprise. It was more of a matter of ‘when’ rather than ‘if.’ “How about we get you cleaned up?” Mommy took Blair’s hands in her own, stood back up and… Upsy daisy! She lifted her back up, a wobble in her step thanks to some recently added weight. Mommy held Blair’s hand and the pair walked off to the bathroom together, a telling waddle in Blair’s gait. They entered the bathroom, Mommy lifted Blair onto the changing table, as effortless as the last dozen times. “Tabby?” Blair asked, pointing at the diaper bag. Sure, she was about to get her bum wiped by Mommy. But that didn’t me she couldn’t play a game while she waited. Blair wasn’t the one doing the heavy lifting. At least, not once the diaper came off. “Well, you have been good today.” Mommy rummaged in the diaper bag, pulling out the tablet. Blair greedily accepted, already forgetting about her status on the changing table. The screen came to life, and Blair was flicking through the home screen, looking for new games to play. Blair struggled to read the app titles; whether it was because the text was too small or because they were made up of words she didn’t knew, she couldn’t be sure. Blair simply picked the one with the most fetching icon. She picked one, and soon saw a funny looking animal roll through a dessert. The animal unfurled and introduced herself. “Howdy partners! My name’s Amy Dillo! I’m glad you’re here! I’ve gotten myself in a real pickle today. All my shapes broke out of their pens this morning. I need you to help get all my shapes back in the pen before sundown. Think you can handle it? The screen displayed a set of corrals, each with a sign displaying a different shape. The game seemed simple enough. Drag all the shapes into the correct pen as quickly as possible. Tapes scrunched and peeled back as Mommy got to work. Meanwhile, Blair got to work in her own way. Blair was an expert when it came to shapes. A fresh diaper and a high score were great notes to end the morning on. Blair shivered as she felt something cold rub against her tush. Still, that didn’t stop her, as she drag a circle across the digital farm. Triangle goes there, square goes there… “Bum up,” Mommy requested. Blair complied automatically. She hoisted up her rear, her focus still on the game. She tapped on a new icon, one that looked like rope. It was power-up! With her new lasso, she could now wrangle up three shapes at once. Victory smelled so sweet…or was that baby powder? Either way, Blair felt satisfied. The digital sun began to set as the screen took on an orange hue. A score board pulled up showing a set of big numbers and three gold stars. “Great job! But we’re not done yet. It looks like while we were busy, all the colors got out. You up for another round?” The colors had escaped too? Amy must be really bad at her job. New sets of corrals scrolled onto the screen. Signs in front of them colored red, blue, green, and yellow, respectively. While Blair’s bum landed on something soft and familiar, different blobs of various colors floated on screen. More tapes scrunched and peeled, more colors to wrangle. Mommy huffed. “I really hope this isn’t turning into an addiction.” Mommy nudged the distracted adult-baby on the elbow, “Come on honey, time to go.” Blair was felt hands on her shoulder, was pretty sure she was standing up now. She was well-acquainted with the feel of a fresh diaper and knew everything had gone well. There were still colors to catch… It wasn’t until she heard the snaps of the car seat that she paused the game. They must have made it back to the car while Blair was playing. “How about we take a break,” Mommy suggested, “You’ve been playing all morning, and it’s getting close to your nap time.” As if on cue, Blair stretched her arms and let out a big yawn. “Okay Mommy.” She handed over the table shifted in her seat, trying to find a comfortable spot to rest. Amy and she would have to play another day… Mommy strapped herself into the driver’s side seat. Looking down at her daughter’s device, she started to worry. Was it really a good idea, buying this for her? All this modern technology was so confusing. Who knows what ill effect being overexposed to a screen all day could have on Blair? If nothing else, Blair needed some good physical activity to balance herself out. “Since you’ve so good today, how about we swing by the park? School hasn’t let out yet, so it shouldn’t—oh!” Blair was already fast asleep, a trail of drool running down her shirt. It seemed her naptime had come earlier than expected. No matter. Mommy had all the time in the world to spend with her precious little girl. “Never mind,” Mommy said, “No more questions for today.”

Hey guys. This is just a quick one-shot worldspace I came up with. Like and Comment! Please enjoy. PDF and ePub versions are available on my Patreon. Please consider supporting Pudding and myself! -------------------- Dependent by: Sophie “John!” The middle-aged woman raised her arms and wrapped them tight around my chest, pushing her face into my uniform. If she had touched me one second sooner, I would have flipped her over my shoulder and pinned her to the tile floor of the grocery store. But I had time to suppress my training - Mrs. Anderson wasn’t a threat. “It’s so great to see you,” she said with a bright smile. You could read her sincerity like words in a book. “It’s great to see you too, Mrs. Anderson,” I told her. Though my own inflection carefully hid my intent, I was truly glad to see her. It had been almost a month, since… “How’s Tanner?” “Please, call me Beth.” She took my hand and led me around the corner, past the aisle of frozen peas, until I came face to face with a boy in a stroller. He looked up at me with recognition, with panic, and started to wail. “Oh goodness, Tanner! Be nice to Mr. Maxwell!” She reached between the boy’s legs - forced apart by the thick diaper hidden under his overalls, and picked up a green pacifier. Beth popped it in Tanner’s mouth and he started to suck and settle down. “I’m so sorry about him,” Beth apologized. “It’s alright,” I assured her. “I get that a lot.” “I suppose in your line of work…” Beth trailed off, looking forlorn. Five years ago, younger generations began inhibiting American progress. Millennials weren’t getting married or buying houses. Birth rates were down. The diamond market crashed. Corporations lost millions to trendy boycotts. Every governmental process was slowed by protests and allegations. At first, it was just a joke: catchy headlines for second-rate news sites. Then the Pandemic hit. Pharmaceutical companies launched a new flu vaccine, after buying their way past FDA regulations. The country was again divided: half the population took the vaccine and the younger generations refused in protest. Eight weeks later, a new flu devastated the nation. It mutated in the bodies of those who weren’t vaccinated and everyone was at risk. A pharmaceutical company ultimately found a cure, but only after Millennial ignorance killed thirty-five thousand people. With no explanation for the younger generations’ thoughtless actions, the United States government concluded that those that displayed immature, reckless behavior after the age of seventeen were mentally ill. They were sick and they needed care. Two years ago, the Dependent program was the answer to all the country’s problems. Adults with a revolutionary presence or rebellious histories were reformed into good little boys and girls. The process took only a few weeks, after which the Dependents were a foot shorter, thirty percent lighter, and happily compliant. They were assigned willful caregivers and taken to a loving home. To date, 6% of the United States population was Dependent and other countries had started adopting similar policies. Of course, there were places that thought the Dependent program was unethical, but the United States had always been an innovator. Tanner - once a twenty-eight year old man - sat in the stroller and sucked his pacifier, quiet and content. Last time I saw him, his eyes were bright and lively. Today, they were dull and glossy: the mark of a Dependent. “I’m so glad I ran into you,” Beth said to me. “Last month, Tanner was such a bad boy. I wanted you to see what a little angel he really is! And that’s all thanks to you.” “It’s no trouble,” I told her. “I was just doing my duty.” The boy in the stroller started whimpering through the pacifier. He squeezed his eyes tight and started to grunt. Beth and I watched as he strained and pushed, finally settling back into the stroller with a warm smile on his face. “Looks like this little soldier just did his duty too,” I laughed, patting Tanner Anderson on the head and ruffling his shaggy blond hair. He looked up at me with those innocent glossy eyes. Then static filled my right ear. “Maxwell.” I rose my hand to touch the earpiece. “Here.” “We have an 84-Bravo. The director wants Peters, but you’re closer.” I turned my attention back to Beth, who had been looking on with amazement. “I’m sorry,” I told her. “I have to go.” “Of course, of course! Go on now!” Beth Anderson practically shoved me out of the store. I had been halfway through grocery shopping, and now I’d have to start all over. But work took priority. I climbed into my car and started it with the push of a button. My headset paired with the vehicle’s wireless interface. “Maxwell, you there?” “Yeah, Skip. I’m here. Send me the coordinates and all the target information. Deploy my team - I want six of them geared and ready to go in twenty minutes. I’ll meet them on site.” “You got it.” A map popped up on the car panel with new directions. I switched on my siren and pulled out of the grocery store parking lot. Cars moved out of the way as I sped down the street. A chime rang through the car and a notification popped up on the interface. I pressed a button on the steering wheel to open the file, but I wasn’t prepared for the face staring back at me. Long, auburn hair, sky blue eyes, pink cheeks, photographed without a smile… Amanda Summers. Corporal Amanda Summers. I swerved into the shoulder of the highway and slammed on my brakes. Was there a mistake? This had to be a mistake. I swiped the file to the next page and read through the notes. ‘…after the initiation of her sister, Summers became uncooperative. She led a political resistance group against the Dependent program, using her resources as a paralegal to undermine the efforts of…’ Yeah, that sounded like Summers. I sat back in my seat and ran my fingers through my hair. Fuck… “Maxwell? You alright? The tracker says you stopped. Do you need backup?” “No,” I sighed. “I’m alright. I thought I hit a cat or something, so I was checking it out.” “Such a softie,” Skip laughed. “Your team is inbound. They might beat you there.” “We’ll see about that.” I peeled off the shoulder and onto the highway, heading uptown. Summers and I had been in the military academy together, years ago. She was spunky. Irritating. Asking questions, pushing limits. She wanted to be better than the system. She didn’t want to be a punk with a gun. She wasn’t a soldier at heart; she was a leader. She could do more with a soapbox than I could with an arsenal. It didn’t help that she was drop-dead gorgeous. She made men uncomfortable, with her rosy cheeks and her shimmering eyes. Her perky breasts. Her firm ass. Guys always wanted to show off; they had to “prove themselves” or something. It got her a lot of attention and caused her a lot of trouble. If she had learned to bend, just a little, everything would have been so much better for her. Maybe none of this would have happened. I pulled up outside the two-story colonial and turned off my sirens. Red and blue lights flashed over the vinyl siding. Neighbors were standing around, fear on their faces. Someone had taped off the area. I kicked open my car door and hurried toward the black truck in front of the house. “John, good of you to show up.” Liam was already dressed in full tactical gear, black from head to toe. On his shoulder - emblazoned in white lettering - was the word: SWAT. “What’s the situation?” I asked, pulling a bulletproof vest out of the van and over my head. “One Dependent. Female, twenty-nine, ex-military. The house was locked down twenty-two minutes ago by Emily Brookfield.” “Caregiver?” “Yeah. She has a wife - Margo - but there are only two readings in the house. Maybe this girl killed the caregiver? She has a military background.” “I doubt it,” I sighed. Summers wasn’t the killing type. “Check with the neighbors, see if anyone has seen her. I’ll talk to Michael.” “You got it, boss.” Liam took a few steps away, backwards, so he could get one last word in. “Get your gear on. Don’t go in there half-dressed trying to look like a badass.” Who had time to get dressed? Full tactical gear took forever and a day to put on, and I knew better than to give Summers more time to set up her defenses. If Peters had gotten here before me, if he had been the one to go in that house, she might have gotten away. I silently thanked Skip for the heads up. “Any breaches?” I asked Michael, strapping an ammo pouch to my hip. Tranquilizers, of course - Caregivers weren’t allowed to have registered guns or weapons. The most Summers would find in that house was a kitchen knife. “No, sir. The perimeter is secure.” He spun the screen to face me, so I could see for myself. Every Caregiver house was surrounded with a perimeter fence. Dependents had a small chip that would signal when and where they crossed through the fence. Lockdowns were different. Once initiated, it would call the SWAT dispatch, and any Dependent that passed through the fence would activate their tracking protocol. The only way out undetected was to get a Caregiver to turn off the fence, and Summers knew it. “LET ME GO! I live here! Let me through!” I turned to find a woman pushing past my team, toward the house. I hurried to intercept her before she got too close. “Woah, woah, slow down,” I told her, catching her by the shoulders. Her hair was straight and brushed, but her eyes were puffy with tears. “This is my house! My daughter is in there! Please, let me through!” “Margo Brookfield?” She nodded, trembling in my arms. “I’m John Maxwell, the leader of this team. I promise, everything is going to be just fine. But you need to stay calm.” “She’s a good girl! She’s the sweetest, most wonderful, cutest little girl, she didn’t do anything wrong! She didn’t!” “Ma’am, please,” I went on. “Your wife put the house on lockdown so something is wrong in there. We’re just going to figure out what it is.” “Please don’t hurt her, please don’t hurt our Amy, she’s such a good girl…” Margo was in shambles, tears dripping down her cheeks. Poor woman, I thought. Caregivers were always like this. They were as innocent as their charges. “We aren’t going to hurt her, Mrs. Brookfield. I promise.” A promise I knew I would have to break. But it was all part of the job. “Sir,” Michael called from behind me. “The team is ready.” After escorting Margo behind the perimeter, I grabbed my gun and met with Liam at the front gate. He looked me up and down, at my lack of equipment, and shook his head. “Not even a helmet?” he asked. “Don’t worry about me,” I told him. “You’re taking point.” The plan was simple: Liam, Thompson, and Reggie would take the front door. I’d slip through the back door with Kingsley. Liam would scout downstairs and I’d take the back staircase to the second floor. Easy as pie. But we hit our first obstacle when the back door was locked. “Break it?” Kingsley asked, staring through the darkened glass with his flashlight. “No, let’s stay quiet.” I took out a little glass cutter from my hip pouch and cut a circle out of the doorwall. Kingsley reached in to unlock the door, and let out a sharp scream. “Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck!” He ripped his hand back through the glass door, spilling blood all over the deck. A huge gash went straight through his hand, soaking his glove in blood. I turned my attention back to the doorwall to see a shadow move across the glass. I clicked the button on my comm. “Go, go, go!” And then, to Kingsley: “Head back to Michael and get patched up.” With a hand like that, he wouldn’t be any good to me anyway. Just as I heard the front door busting open from the other side of the house, I kicked in the glass door and shattered it onto the kitchen floor. My flashlight scanned the dark room, across the counters, under the table, and along the ground. Around the shards of glass were… marbles? Before I could react, I heard a sharp snap, loud rattling, and a scream from the front room. Fuck. “Sir, Reggie’s down! A knife came out of nowhere, and—” “Get him outside,” I whispered into my comm. Apparently I hadn’t been giving Summers enough credit… I hesitated at the bottom of the stairs. If I were in her shoes, small narrow corridors - like staircases - were great for traps. I shined the flashlight over the wood panels until a glare reflected back at me. Fishing line. As I ascended the stairs, I stepped over it. When I got to the upstairs landing, I turned off my flashlight and tip-toed down the hall. “Sir,” Liam’s voice filled my ear. “Downstairs is clear. I sent Thompson with Reggie, so it’s just me.” I tapped my comm once, so he would know I received the message. “Should I come up?” I tapped the com twice. No. “I’ll guard the doors.” Then I heard a voice that wasn’t Liam’s or Michael’s. I heard a voice I hadn’t heard in a long time. “Please,” she whispered. “I know you think I’m this little girl who you need to care for, but I’m not. I’m not.” “Amy, sweetie…” “I’m not Amy, I’m Amanda.” “You’re confused,” the other voice said. Emily, probably. “No, I’m not. I’m not confused - I’ve been brainwashed, turned into a baby, just to keep me quiet. To keep me from stopping them. Please, you have to turn off the lockdown. Please, before they find me.” “They’ll fix you,” Emily told her. “They will.” A floorboard creaked under my foot and the voice stopped. Damnit… I heard shuffling and made my move. I busted through the closed door and scanned the room, gun drawn. A woman, in front of me. Older. Emily. And then, before I saw her coming, Summers appeared from behind the door and disarmed the rifle from my hands. In less than a second, she’d turned the barrel on me. Then, surprise flashed on her face. “Maxwell?” “You always were fast,” I chuckled, raising my hands in the air. The last thing I needed was for her to shoot me with tranquilizer. “You’re… SWAT?” “Yeah, moving up the food chain,” I told her. “And you’re…” I looked her over. She was so much the same. Beautiful auburn hair, but it was cut short and tied up in pigtails. Sky blue eyes, filled with confusion and anger. Undeniably attractive, though she was so much smaller. No wonder I hadn’t seen her coming. But the most surprising thing about her was the dress: fluffy and pink and designed for a little Dependent girl. “Maxwell,” she said again, quieter this time. Taking it in. And then louder, with certainty, she said: “Hear me out.” “I’m listening,” I told her. She had to make one mistake. She had to lower the rifle a fraction of an inch. I only had to bide time. “None of this is what you think, John. The Pandemic? That was all planned! The government let that vaccine through, knowing how unethical it was. They started the public backlash. The protests. Everything. And when half the world was so wrapped up in fighting the system, they made them the bad guys!” “It’s a nice conspiracy theory,” I told her, glancing sideways at Emily. She stood in the corner, frozen to the wall. Her face was stark white. She was so scared. “It’s not a theory! I saw the file myself! After Renee was taken away, after they turned her into a mindless little baby, I did my research. My coworker got me into a server at Pfizer. They created the cure to the flu virus because they’re the ones that made the virus in the first place! I have all the data, I do. I can prove it. You just have to get me out of this house.” Was she serious? Or was she delusional? Obviously the latter. But some of what she said… “John, please…” “Okay,” I said softly, with a sigh of resignation. I reached up and tapped my earpiece. “Michael, I got her. You can end the lockdown.” A panel on the wall - on the other side of the room, near Emily - beeped and flashed green. I gave Summers a nod. “Everyone else already fell back,” I told her. “You’re quite the soldier still.” “Thanks,” she said, shuffling her way to the door. She never lowered the rifle. She never gave me an opportunity. Then, like the wind, she was gone. Out the door, down the stairs, to her freedom. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!” Emily shouted at me, trembling as she stepped away from the wall. “You have to go after her! You have to bring her back!” I held up a finger at her. A second of silence. Then a gunshot. If I was right, Liam had been waiting by the door. I hurried downstairs, to the back door, where glass and marbles littered the floor. Sure enough, Amanda Summers was curled up against the wall with fear in her eyes. Liam had his rifle pointed at her and my gun had been kicked across the room. “You let a little girl like this disarm you?” Liam laughed. “I’m not a little girl!” Summers shot back. But the dart, sticking out the side of her leg, had rendered her unable to walk. “Good shot,” I said to Liam and patted him on the shoulder. Summers looked up at me, betrayed. “Don’t…” she whispered, under her breath, but her voice was filled with hopelessness. I picked her up off the floor and sat myself in a chair at the kitchen table, pulling the tiny girl over my lap. She kicked and squirmed and tried to fight me, but someone her size stood no chance against me. I lifted the back of her dress, exposing the seat of her crinkly pink diapers. “Don’t!” she said again, louder. “Please, don’t! It’s a conspiracy! They’re using you! They’re—” SWAT! One swat shut her up. SWAT! Two made her tremble. SWAT! Three, and tears dripped down her cheeks. SWAT! Four, and I could feel the warmth on my hand as her diaper grew wet. SWAT! Five, and it was over. “MOMMY!” she screamed, bawling her eyes out. “Mommy!” Emily didn’t care about the broken glass. She ran across the kitchen floor in her bare feet and took the sobbing girl in her arms. “Shh, shh, it’s okay sweet girl, shh… Mommy’s here…” Summers curled up to her Caregiver’s chest and cried like it was the end of the world, and Emily cooed and played with her hair. Finally, she looked up at me in the darkness and gave me a tired smile. “Thank you,” she mouthed. “I was just doing my duty,” I told her. Amanda looked up at me with big, scared, glossy eyes. Distant, lost. The Amanda Summers I knew was gone, and if there came a time she when she returned, I’d have to swat her diapered bottom all over again. That’s how things were. But something was still bothering me. I climbed into my car and sunk into my seat. Looking out at the house, my thoughts drifted to Summers’ story. One line in particular… “I have all the data.” If that was true, then the data was still out there somewhere. Hidden. I should have asked where she put it, but Emily was in the room. I couldn’t trust her. I couldn’t trust Liam. One wrong move, and I’d end up just like Amanda Summers. A shudder ran up my spine. But what becomes of a world where good men do nothing? No, this warrants some investigation. [End.]

Hello! Here's another short story I wanted to share with you all. Hope you get a kick out of it The faint scent of pee drifts through the waiting room air. I think it’s coming from the blue-hair sitting directly across from me. She’s gone to the bathroom three times in the twenty minutes I’ve been sitting here. Every time she’s bolted out of her chair like there’s a tack in it, clutching her purse to her chest. Or it could be the guy in Carhartt cutoffs and a Porter Concrete shirt. He's wincing and shifting a lot. The bulge in his crotch looks suspicious. But it could just be the way his shorts are bunched up... I lean forward a bit to get a closer look. He clears his throat and glares at me. I lean back in my chair and pretend to be engrossed in the People magazine draped across my lap. The last thing I need is some guy thinking I’m eyeing his junk. Explaining the truth probably wouldn’t help much, either. I turn to Becca. She’s sitting with her hands folded in her lap, legs crossed. She’s not looking at her phone or a magazine or anything else. “Can you believe this?” I say, showing her a photo of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston frolicking on some tropical beach. “This thing’s an antique. Could probably sell it down at the flea market as a collectible.” I’m careful not to lift the magazine too high, as I still need it for cover. The jeans underneath bulge outwards. Not like Carhartt guy’s shorts, where it could just be the way they fold and wrinkle. And not like I’m some 80s rockstar packing a massive cock, either. If anything it’s the opposite—my manhood is entirely buried under a dome of soft padding. Becca counters my grin with a frown. “Have you looked at the literature over there?” Should've kept my mouth shut. She nods at the plastic rack next to the receptionist’s desk. It’s the second time she’s mentioned it. I pretended I didn’t hear her the first time, when we walked past the rack. I really don’t want a stack of incriminating evidence in my lap. I mean sure, it’s a urologist’s office, but I’d prefer people think I’m here for my prostate or something. Hell, even ED might be better than the truth. She stares at me like she’s waiting for me to come up to the white board and solve an equation. I drop the magazine onto the table between us. Aside from some muted typing sounds in the receptionist’s alcove the room is silent. I stand up carefully, my legs as far apart as I can reasonably manage. The more space in my jeans, the less room there is for things to rub and fold and collide and crinkle. Or at least that’s my theory. It’s part one of my two-part plan for stealthiness. Part two involves scuffling my way across the room like an old geezer, dragging my sneakers across the mustard-colored carpet. It was a little trick I read about in a forum. It looks stupid, but it masks the worst of the rustling sound. Or maybe it just adds to it. I can’t really tell. But it feels like I’m doing something. I feel better imagining that half the people here are wearing diapers too, and I haven’t heard them crinkling like a bag of last year’s Christmas wrapping paper. Then again, they probably wear those terrible cloth-backed medical things—the kind with “discreet” and “undergarment” all over the package. The kind that bend over backwards to convince you they aren’t actually diapers. The phonebook-sized monstrosity I’m wearing harbors no such delusions. It knows what it is. And so do I. At least it’s plain white—that was the one saving grace of this whole thing. I can only imagine what Becca would have said if she’d found a bag of diapers with cartoon dinosaurs or something on them instead. Or the ones with teddy bears I bought last month. We might be talking to a divorce attorney today instead of a doctor. I quickly snag a few brochures off the rack and scuttle my way back to the chair. Once I’m comfortably seated on my padded throne, People magazine back in place, I scan the room to see if anyone noticed. My heart beats far faster than it should. I’m not sure what I’ll do if anyone makes knowing eye contact with me. Luckily, blue-hair and Carhartt dude seem engrossed in their own little worlds. Becca plucks one of the brochures off my lap. “Your body after pregnancy?” “Must’ve picked it up by accident.” “Why aren’t taking this seriously?” she says in her best disappointed voice. She’d used that voice a lot, lately. I rapidly flip through the rest of the brochures: kidney stones, menopause, bladder cancer. I hold up the last brochure like it’s a carnival prize. It has a black and white photo of an old couple holding hands on the beach, smiling. ‘Managing Incontinence’ it shouts in comic sans. Becca looks at me and shakes her head. “I am taking this seriously,” I tell her. I lean closer. “I just don’t want the whole friggin’ world to know about it too.” Her eyes search mine for a full minute and a half. “What?” I finally ask. “Why not?” “Why not what?” “Remember last year, when you broke your ankle skiing?” “Uh, yeah?” “Were you embarrassed then?” “No.” “Or when you had strep three years ago? You begged me to drive you to the hospital and whined to everyone in the waiting room about how miserable you were.” An all too familiar knot twists in my stomach. “This is just...different.” “I know this is uncomfortable for you. Speaking of which…” she raises an eyebrow. “What?” She looks meaningfully at the old denim backpack in front of her chair. I’d never seen the stupid thing before today, probably because it’s too small to hold much of anything. But it is large enough to carry one item, I’d learned. “Oh, no.” I glance around the room again to see if anyone was paying attention. I don’t know why she had to keep talking about this. We’d discussed the topic in excruciating detail this past week. How often did I wet? Was it better or worse at night? Did I do—ahem—anything else in my diapers? I lied through all of them. Except the last one—messing wasn’t my thing. Never had been. Sure, I’d thought about it. I think we all do at some point. But the smell—and the thought of it mushed against my skin—was just too much. “Are you wet?” she asks. I feel a flush of heat in my cheeks. “No.” She looks down at her phone. “It’s been at least two hours since we left home.” “So wha—” I stop myself dead. Right. Two hours since I’d changed into this diaper. In my off-the-cuff brilliance, I’d told her that I was frequently wetting a little. Plus some random, more severe accidents. It was a stupid explanation for a bunch of reasons, not least of which it locked me into this situation. It beat telling her the truth, of course, but now if I didn’t wet every little bit she’d wonder what was up. “Just a little,” I whisper. Her expression softens. She slides the bag toward me with one foot. I pick it up and eye the bathroom door. The tapes on these premium diapers are the size of an envelope and as sticky as Loctite. Pulling them off will sound like someone shooting off a pack of cherry bombs. She just keeps staring. I stand up and head towards the bathroom door to escape that gaze as much as anything. “Grant Andresen?” I stop halfway between my chair and the bathroom, frozen in place like I’m caught in the prison yard spotlight. The nurse smiles at me from the hallway. She’s clutching a clipboard I’m sure is packed with embarrassing details about my little problem. Becca hops up. “That’s us.” She gives my butt a gentle pat as she walks past. Carhartt dude definitely smirks at me this time. I hope the bastard’s prostate is the size of an overripe cantaloupe. I follow Becca and the nurse down the hallway, holding back as far as I can and scuffing my feet the whole way. How anybody gets off on wearing these out in public I’ll never know. Every step feels like I’m waving a neon sign that says “hey, look at me and my big fat diaper.” We step into the exam room and the nurse wheels over a stand with a laptop on it. “You don’t have to stay here,” I tell Becca. I’ve told her that five times, at least, but she insists. She doesn’t say it, but she thinks I won’t listen to whatever the doctor says. And she’s right, because I’m not actually incontinent. This is a bit of theater to get her off my case. Answer some questions, discuss some options, and go home. In a few days, my little issue will magically clear up and that will be that. Diapers can go back into the closet until her next business trip. She reaches out and squeezes my hand. “It’s okay, I want to be here.” “OK, Mr. Andresen. I’m going to step out of the room for a few minutes,” the nurse says. “There’s a gown on the exam table. Please strip down to your underwear.” “I think there’s been a mixup.” I laugh nervously. “I’m just here for an initial consult.” The corners of her mouth draw down slightly and she looks at her laptop again. “It says here that you’ve been experiencing bladder incontinence. Is that right?” “Yes.” “Both daytime and nighttime accidents?” “Yes,” I croak out. She gives me the self-satisfied smile of someone who does all of their tinkles in the potty. “Well then. Dr. Siegler will want to examine you. Standard procedure.” She closes the door behind herself. I stare at the thin, baby blue gown sitting on the table. “Do you want to change your diaper before the doctor gets here? I can ask them to wait,” Becca says. “Why would I want to make any more of a production of this than I have to? It’s bad enough the doctor is going to see me sitting in a diaper.” “I just thought you might want to be dry when you get examined,” she says. “Oh, right.” Oh, shit! I’m supposed to be in a wet diaper. Becca would notice. She noticed everything. If I was sitting there in a dry, pristine diaper she would want to know why: why it was dry, why I lied in the waiting room, and so on. Why why why. The problem is, I have a shy bladder. That went double when I was wearing a diaper. I’d spent the last seven years sneaking a diaper session here and there, when Becca was out of town or had a girl’s night out. It didn’t leave many opportunities to practice actually using a diaper. It also didn’t help that I had a raging hard on most of the time when I was wearing one. After an embarrassing event in a crowded movie theater restroom, I read up on a little technique for shy bladders. Push almost all of the air out of your lungs and then hold your breath. Thirty seconds or so later and the floodgates will open. A little fight-or-flight response that evolution probably didn’t intend for public diaper wetting, but hey, I’ll use what I can. But Becca will notice if I’m standing here, red in the face. “Can I have a little privacy to change?” I ask. Becca sighs. “Grant…” “What?” I glance up at the clock ticking away on the wall. “This all started because you weren’t sharing things with me. I just think—” “So what, now you’re going to follow me into the bathroom? Make sure I brush my teeth? Wipe my butt?” She frowns. “Have you been having those kinds of accidents too? You know...number two?” “Jesus. I told you no. I was just making a point.” I hear footsteps in the hallway and I hold my breath. They walk on past. “I just want you to…” she shakes her head. I don’t have time to ask her to continue that thought. I make a show of walking over to the counter and looking at the shelves above it. Really, I just need a little space between us. I push the air out of my lungs. “What are you doing?” she asks. I get up on my tiptoes to look at some stuff on the shelves. It occurs to me that pretending to look at my phone would have been a better option. Too late now. My lungs are starting to burn as my body tells me to dump the C02. “Grant?” Spots flit back and forth in my vision, but I keep holding it. I hope it comes soon or I might black out. Then it happens—that warm, naughty trickle. More than a trickle, really. Two coffees worth, at least. The warm stream hits the front of the diaper and flows back and over my dick, then my balls, and finally into the seat of the diaper. “Are you ok?” Becca is standing next to me now. She squeezes my arm. I realize I have a stupid half-grin on my face and quickly clear it. “Yeah, just looking at what they have for, you know, diapers or whatever. In case the news today isn’t good.” It was half a lie. I had a shameful, lifelong habit of looking at whatever stack of diapers they had on the shelves at the doctor’s office between the chux and bandages. Usually something ridiculously thin. Diapers had been a secret part of my life for so long—the stuff of late night internet sessions and the occasional indulgent weekend—that seeing them in the wild was a trip, like a lion walking down Main Street. “Okay,” she says. She looks concerned. I feel like a piece of shit for the hundredth time since she confronted me with the bag of diapers. She’s really worried about me and I just keep piling lie on lie. But if I can make it through just a few more, then we could put this behind us. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just not excited about the doctor seeing me in—” There’s a knock on the door. If I hadn’t just emptied my bladder I think I would have wet myself. The door swings open and in walks Dr. Siegler. Call it misogyny. Call it whatever you want. I just assumed the doctor would be a balding old guy in horn-rimmed glasses. He’d be world-weary. Over it. He’d have seen it all before—including grown men in diapers. This...this was more difficult. Prime universe Dr. Siegler is a woman. She looks like she can’t be more than a few years out of med school—tall, cute, and definitely not balding. She stands in the doorway, no doubt wondering why I’m examining a jar of cotton balls. “I’m sorry. Debbie was supposed to give you a gown,” she says. Yes, let her think it’s Debbie’s fault. “She did,” Becca says. Ugh. It was like she was trying to make all of this as difficult as possible. Becca looks at me. “Grant just…” “I, uh...I’m just a bit embarrassed Dr. Siegler,” I say. “That’s not necessary.” Dr. Siegler smiles. “I’ve seen it all before. And you can call me Andrea.” I sincerely doubted she’d encountered my exact situation before, but if I kept myself together she wouldn’t need to know that. “I have some questions about these notes.” She looks down at the tablet in her hand and I see the hint of a frown. “Why don’t you change into the gown while I review them again.” She doesn’t give me time to answer, but instead pulls a curtain along a track in the ceiling, closing off the exam table from the rest of the room. Becca, thank god, is on the outside. The last thing I need is to give her a little stripshow. I have some questions about this file. That’s disconcerting. I hadn’t expected to get caught—no one does, I guess—so my explanation to Becca probably didn’t jive too well with real-world incontinence. I didn’t worry about it in the moment—it was all about steering the conversation away from the truth—but she obviously paid very close attention. Now I’m standing in nothing but a diaper with a soggy, yellow splotch adorning the front. The diaper is still warm, which is a contrast with the cool air and downright chilly floor. Goosebumps break out across my arms. I quickly slide the gown on and do my best to lace it up. As expected, my butt hangs out the back. What I didn’t expect was that it would look like I have a basketball tucked down the front. The gown hangs off the bulging diaper like a curtain. My heart’s racing. I picture both women standing on the other side of the curtain, arms crossed, waiting for me to emerge. I peek around the curtain. Becca’s eyes glance down at my bulbous midsection and then quickly back up. She gives me a smile I’m sure is supposed to be comforting, but comes across as pitying. “Okay, I’m ready,” I say to the doctor. She pulls back the curtain. I count to five in my head, giving her time to process the sight of me, then turn around. Doctor Siegler’s eyes dart to my midsection, but they linger longer than Becca’s. “Please have a seat and we’ll get started,” she says. I lower myself onto the exam table, the diaper crackling almost as much as the paper covering. Doctor Siegler sits on a stool and wheels herself closer, her knees almost touching mine. My heart thuds faster in my chest. “So according to the notes you provided—” “My wife provided,” I interject. “Excuse me?” she says. “My wife called.” Now that I say it out loud, it sounds ridiculous. Like I’m a child. “I’m not sure exactly what she told you.” She looks down at her tablet. “Ah yes, it says here that your wife scheduled the appointment. I understand you were resistant to the idea?” “Well, I—” “He was,” Becca cut me off. “But I felt it was important.” The doctor’s eyes travel back and forth between us, then she shrugs. “I understand incontinence is a challenging topic for many. There’s a social stigma attached. But you need to understand that it’s nothing to be ashamed about—you can’t control it, after all.” Her smile is warm and understanding. I sink a bit deeper into the exam table. “You’re right.” “So let's talk about these symptoms. The notes say that you are leaking urine regularly throughout the day, but that you also sometimes experience stress incontinence?” I nod. “Yeah, that sounds right. Things at work have been tough lately. I just got a new boss and—” “Oh, no. Stress incontinence means you leak when you cough, or laugh, or engage in exercise.” “OK.” Her brow furrows. “So you’ve been experiencing stress incontinence?” I nod, hoping that’s the right answer. She taps some notes on her tablet. I try to see them, but I can’t make anything out. “Is that...okay?” I ask. She looks up and opens her mouth, pauses, then continues. “It’s not common in men your age. We most often see it after a man has had prostate surgery, or when there is some other underlying health issue.” “I’m pretty healthy. I don’t floss as much as I’m supposed to, but otherwise…” I chuckle. “Mmmmmhhhmmm.” She’s still staring at those notes. “When did you first begin to experience incontinence?” she asks. “And did it begin with the overflow or stress incontinence?” About a week ago, when Becca caught me red-handed. “It’s been a couple months now.” “If I’d known, I would have brought him in sooner,” Becca says. “But he kept it secret.” I can hear the disapproval in her voice—like I’m some delinquent child who found an injured barn cat and decided to keep it as a secret closet pet. “Mmmhmmm. And how have you been managing it?” the doctor asks. She’s trying to be polite about the massive, plastic-backed elephant in the room, but in doing so is going to make me say the ‘D’ word out loud. “I’ve been wearing...diapers.” She cocks her head to the side a little. “Diapers?” I feel a flush of heat up my neck. I nod, afraid that if I say anything it will just come out as a squeak or a croak or some other unmanly sound. “Most of my patients prefer to call them ‘briefs’ or ‘protection.’” “Oh. Well, diapers are what they are, I guess. So…” “If you feel more comfortable with ‘diaper,’ then that’s what you should call them.” She smiles at me again. I wish we were here to deal with something easy, like a brain-eating amoeba. “Now I’d like you to undo the laces on the back of the gown and recline on the table,” she says. I reach back for the laces. The first knot comes apart easily, but my fingers are shaking and the second one is difficult. I twist and fumble awkwardly as the two women watch and wait. “Here, let me help,” Becca says. I immediately drop my hands and my eyes. Her soft fingers graze my back and a moment later the gown loosens. “Thanks,” I mumble. I lie back on the cool table and stare at the tiled ceiling. I shift a little and get a whiff of urine—can’t blame that one on blue-hair, can we? Doctor Siegler looms above me. “I’m going to move your gown aside and touch your abdomen. Is that okay?” I nod, the paper covering crackling beneath me. She gently moves aside the thin material and I’m fully exposed from the chest down. I don’t look at her, just at the ceiling. Her hands begin poking and prodding. “Let me know if anything hurts,” she says. “Okay.” “I’m looking for any masses that could be impinging on the bladder,” she says. She’s turned to Becca. I should be glad she’s ignoring me—the last thing I want right now is a conversation—but it feels condescending. “Like cancer or…?” Becca asks. “That’s a possibility, but I wouldn’t want to jump to conclusions. Even if there is a mass, it wouldn’t mean it’s cancerous.” Her hands trace lower, poking and prodding. They’re dangerously close to the top of my diaper. Then she stops. “Okay, you can sit up now, Grant. The good news is, I don’t feel anything abnormal.” I sit up, shifting the gown back into place. Good thing you can’t feel fetishes with a medical exam. “I’m happy to see you’re taking steps to manage your incontinence responsibly. You have no idea how many patients refuse to wear any kind of protection. It can really have a profoundly negative impact on their lives and relationships.” I nod. Yeah, responsible patient of the year, right here. “Did you buy these briefs—I’m sorry, diapers—at a medical supply store?” “I, uh—” “He purchased them from an internet drug store. Right, Grant?” “Yeah, an internet drug store.” Two of those three words were the truth, at least. “I’m going to write you a prescription for a more discrete product. You can purchase these at CVS, Walgreens—pretty much any pharmacy. In person or online.” “A prescription?” I ask. “But can’t anyone just, you know, buy them?” She chuckles. “Yes, but if you want your insurance to cover the cost, you’ll need a prescription.” Insurance cover the cost... “That’s great!” Becca frowns. Doctor Siegler purses her lips, her pen frozen above the prescription pad. Fuck. That was not a normal reaction. “I mean, we pay so much in premiums, right Beccs? It will just be nice to actually get something for it, you know.” “That’s a great attitude, Mr. Andresen,” Dr. Siegler says. “I wish everyone looked at it like that.” She hands me a slip of paper. The golden ticket. Our godawful insurance company would be paying for my diapers from now. Better yet, I had cover—a piece of paper saying I needed to wear diapers. This was amazing. “This will help you manage the issue until we get some additional testing,” Dr. Siegler continues. “Excuse me?” “I’m going to schedule you for a CT scan. Next week, if possible.” “I, I—” “Oh, don’t worry,” she says, it’s not painful. They will give you contrast liquid and then put you through a machine. The liquid makes you feel warm all over, like you might have wet your pants, but it’s not that bad.” “Do you think that’s necessary?” I ask. “Of course it’s necessary!” Becca says. “What if there’s a tumor?” “Well, it seemed like—” “Do you want to be wearing diapers your whole life?” She throws her hands up in the air. Yes. “No. You’re right. Let’s schedule it,” I say. “There is an alternative to diapers,” Doctor Siegler adds. “I typically don’t recommend them, but for some patients they are the best option.” “What would that be?” Becca asks. “In-dwelling catheter. Also called a Foley catheter. They are sometimes recommended for patients with overflow incontinence.” “That’s okay. I don’t think we need to explore—” “Could we get some more info about that?” Becca cuts me off. I turn around to face her. She’s staring at Doctor Siegler, pointedly ignoring me. “Absolutely. I can provide some information for you two to go over together. They do come with a risk of infection. And they aren’t appropriate for all types of incontinence.” Becca nods. “Thank you.” Doctor Siegler nods. “The front desk will reach out to you for scheduling. Also—” “Which kinds aren’t they appropriate for?” I ask. “Excuse me?” “Which kinds of incontinence aren’t they appropriate for?” “We typically don’t use them for…” I zone out as she begins her explanation. Whatever she says, I can’t change my story at this point to match it. It’s flimsy and inconsistent enough as it is. Becca is listening to every word as if it's the most fascinating thing she’s ever heard. A future of expensive medical exams and catheters for my nonexistent incontinence is sickening. A cruel, ironic joke. There is one option—one out. The trump card that will take catheters off the table. But I’m not sure I can do it. I look down at the slip of paper in my hand. A doctor telling me to wear diapers—telling me that my insurance should pay for it. I’ll never get another opportunity like this. I take a deep breath, bend my knees slightly, and bear down. For a second, it seems like it’s going to be difficult, but then the two coffees help things along. I feel the mess come out of me and push against the seat of the diaper. There’s resistance, so I bear down harder and the mush spreads throughout the diaper. There’s a lot—more than I could have imagined—but at least it’s quiet. Then it’s done. There’s no going back. I burned the bridge and took a dump on the ashes. Becca and Dr. Siegler are still talking, unaware of the war crime occurring a few feet away. How do you interrupt someone to tell them you filled your pants? In unison, both of their noses twitch. Then it hits me. It smells bad. I smell bad. Awful, actually. Like a bag of trash left to bake in the summer sun. And with every passing second, it gets worse. “Ummm…” Becca turns to me. Her eyes go wide. “Grant…?” “I’m sorry. I think I…” “Oh,” Dr. Siegler says quietly. “That’s...not a problem. Let me get some wipes and a chux pad.” Becca just stares at me, jaw slack. Her eyes dart from my face, down to the mess trapped around my waist, and then back again. “I’ve put some supplies on the—” “I’m sorry,” I say again. “There’s nothing to be sorry about,” Doctor Siegler says. I’m not talking to her. “Thank you, doctor,” Becca says. “You have the room as long as you need,” Dr. Siegler says. “See the front desk when you are done. This indicates a more significant issue might be at play, so I want to get that CT scan scheduled soon, okay?” She gives me one last pitying look, then lets herself out. Becca and I stand a few feet apart, staring at each other. The stench has filled the room now. I want to get this thing off me, but I don’t want to do it with her here. Tears brim in the corners of her eyes. “Beccs, it’s okay. I’m okay.” She just shakes her head, then stares at the floor. “I…” the elaborate story I’m about to spin collapses in my mind. “I don’t need to wear diapers.” She looks up at me. “This whole thing...it’s...I’ve been lying to you. I’m not incontinent. I haven’t been having accidents. There’s no tumor or anything else. I just...like to wear diapers.” I brace for the response. Becca isn’t a screamer. At least I don’t think so. But I have no idea how she’ll react. Storm out and leave me stranded here? Melt into a puddle of tears and confusion? Demand a divorce? “I know,” she says quietly. “What!?” She dabs the tears away with the back of her hand. “You forgot to clear your browser a couple months ago and I found...a lot. Everything. At least I hope it’s everything.” The room is spinning. I sit back on the exam table to steady myself and immediately regret it as the mush squelches up my crack. “You...then why?” I throw my hands up in the air. “Why all of this?” “I wanted to give you a chance to be honest with me. To tell me the truth. Nothing was working, so... here we are.” “You aren’t mad? Or grossed out?” She laughs. “What?” “I mean, you shit your pants at the doctor’s office instead of telling your wife about your fetish. That’s pretty gross.” “Sorry.” It sounded lame, even to my ears, but it was sincere. She shrugs. “It’s okay. I don’t mind the diapers. I think I can get used to them, anyway.” “Really?” “Really. Just no more secrets, okay?” I nod. She wraps her arms around me. She’s warm and soft and smells like lavender and vanilla. Far too good for me, standing half-naked in a loaded diaper. But she doesn’t let go—she just keeps holding me. So I hold her too. She steps back. She has that look again—a bit stern, a bit condescending. “Now get yourself cleaned up before they call in the hazmat team, okay?” There are a million things I want to tell her. A million things I want to share about the little world I’ve been hiding from her for years. But there’s no rush—she isn’t going anywhere. Did you enjoy this story? If so, check out my books on Smashwords.

Thanks to my friend QueenJunoKing for encouraging me to write this, she gave me the initial idea and it just kind of lit my brain on fire. I know petplay isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I hope you enjoy it. -=-=-=-=-=- She trembled, looking at the tangle of leather and rivets, buckles and straps that laid on the bed. Her heart thundered in anticipation, a bird desperately thrashing against the bars of her ribcage. It was something she had dreamed of for so long. She had been playing with him for years, had dropped many hints in that time - he had too. And this was the coup de grâce, the ultimate fantasy. The contract was signed, there was no going back. She was going to be his pet. Forever. Every inch of her skin felt electrified, she wanted so badly to pick up those straps, to handle the harness that would force her to crawl around the house. With an unerasable, stupid grin on her face she squeezed the padded knees and elbows. She had gotten to play with it a few times, but this was different. This was forever. No more working. No more stress. She was giving it all up, signing it all away. The life of a fuckpet, her ultimate fantasy, was less than an hour away. Her only responsibility would be pleasing him - no cleaning, no cooking, no commuting, just love and play and sex. And he was insatiable. They had been living together for eight months now and the sex was even better than it had been before she moved in. A shiver ran through her as her fingers touched one of the buckles. She wanted to wear it now. She wanted him to strap her into it, to force her nose to the ground in the beautiful mask, to draw the moans and whimpers from her, to lovingly humiliate her until she was so horny they didn't even need the lube when he finally took her. With an incredible effort, she tore her mind away from that fantasy, one that had been a reality more than once, and back to the problem at hand. She had about half an hour left to finish coming up with her ten words. Hungry. Thirsty. Horny. Bored. Yes. No. She had come up with six in the past thirty minutes, but that was all she had so far. He was giving her ten buttons to be programmed with her voice, ten words to express herself. In another thirty minutes, he would take her voice. He'd affix a collar to her neck, a new one, a shiny one. Oh how she wanted it. But she also knew it was designed to hurt her if she spoke words. The ten buttons on the board, placed on the floor for her to activate with her elbow - her foot in the bindings - that's all she'd be able to communicate with outside of body language and whimpers, yips, and whines. Biting her lip, she stopped her hand from reaching the button of her jeans. The entire idea of it was so exciting, so exhilarating, that she could barely contain herself. More. She'd definitely need that word. She said it frequently when he was with her. More. She couldn't get enough of him, either. She dropped to her knees beside the bed, her head awash in images of him leading her around, him sitting on the couch and patting his leg, beckoning her to him. Fantasies of just being his pet. She shifted on her knees slightly, rhythmically, the need in her demanding that she move her hips. She had to move her hips. Hurt. Sometimes he went too hard and she needed time to recover after. Tired. She knew that she could convey that one with body language, laying down and curling up, climbing up on the bed and flopping over. She shook her head, scratching that one. She needed the words to be things she couldn't easily make known... Walkies. She giggled to herself, at the thought that "walkies" needed a word when "tired" didn't. But it was cute and she wanted it. Somewhere in the back of her mind, the more rational part of herself was screaming that this was important, that she couldn't waste one on being cute... But wasn't that the point? Trusting him to make all the decisions, trusting him to take care of her. That rational part had been screaming when she signed the contract too, but it had also been screaming when she moved in, when she had begun considering quitting her job. She tingled at the thought of looking her boss right in the eye and quitting, telling him simply, "I'm nothing but a fuckpet now, I don't need this job." One more. Just one more word. She heard him walking closer. She wished she had a real tail, one that could wag. "Sweetie, your time is almost up, have you thought of what words we're putting into the buttons?" His voice was the darkest of chocolate, rich and luscious, washing over her, drowning her thoughts. It was so hard to focus when he was around, when that rumbling voice spoke to her. His fingers were in her hair now, touching, stroking. And she knew. "Yes sir, I just thought of the last one." The entire room got warmer with the happiness in his voice. "You're such a good girl." He sat on the bed, grabbing her by the wrist and wrapping an arm around her, sitting next to the very harness she wanted to wear so badly. He pulled her into his lap, grabbing the button panel and fiddling with it. She couldn't help it, she started grinding against him, rocking her hips in his lap, drawing a soft chuckle from him. "Shhh, down girl." The words sent a new thrill through her. "Be calm, this is important. These are the only words you'll have from now on. Forever." There was that word again. Forever. She loved it so much. Never as much as from his lips. The word in her own mind was resonant, the word from his lips was earthshattering. A moan escaped her as she leaned forward, gripping his knee between her legs. The need was becoming an ache. "Sir... " His gentle laugh brought a blush to her face. "Now sweetheart, I know you're excited. We've been building you up to this for a long time, haven't we?" He barely paused for her hurried yes sir before continuing. "That's right. All that training you've done was all for this. Now, when the button lights up, I want you to say the word you want it to have." He pushed it. It lit up. Everything lit up to his fingers, she lit up to his fingers. "Horny." He held his laughter until the button's light was gone, pressing it again. "Horny", the button sounded so needy. She sounded so needy. Her cheeks were warm, her grip tightening on his leg. "Oh goodness, sweet pet. That's the word you think you'll need more than any?" "Y-" He put a finger to her lips. "Shh. No more words from you except what we give the buttons. These are the last words of your life as a person, soon you'll be my precious pet. Forever." Another moan tore itself from her lips, bursting into the world as she shuddered from its exit. "Ready?" The next button was alight moments later. She struggled to find the word. Any word. "More." The button went dark. "Horny. More. More. Horny." He teased her with the buttons, with her own words, her own voice full of longing, full of desire, full of readiness for him. She groaned in frustration, grinding against his thigh, humping him desperately. One strong arm wrapped around her waist, stopping her, holding her firm. "No." An order, a command, and as strong as steel. With a whine, she stopped, biting her lip. She was a good pet, she wanted to please him. She wanted nothing more in the entire world than to please him. She wasn't quite sure when he had become the center of her world, but he was beyond any doubt. "Next word." He spoke firmly. The button lit. "Yes." That word was easy. Her breathing was heavy, ragged as the button echoed her, before he lit the next one. "No." Again, he laughed at her choice. "Oh I see, you want to still be able to say no to me, hmm?" His beard tickled her as he kissed her cheek. "Well it wouldn't be fair for me to censor you now, would it? After all, these will be your only words." "Fo-" Again, a solid finger pressed to her lips stopped her. "No. You have to get used to not speaking except through the buttons, which means no words except what's going in the buttons." The gentlest iron turned her back to face the buttons, his fingers as unyielding as his will. The next one lit. Her mind went blank. She searched for the word... "Hungry." "Oh, someone doesn't think she's going to be fed enough, hmm? Hungry and more. Do you think I won't take good care of you?" She reached out and pushed the fourth button, hearing her own voice say, "No." He laughed and lit the next one. "Bored." She could feel his smirk as he kissed the back of her neck. "My poor pet, bored already. Well, I have so many new toys to give you. Just four more words to go." Lit. "Walkies!" The world shook with his laugh, she bounced in his lap, which drew a fit of giggles from her as well. "More. Walkies!" He tapped the buttons with a smile. "I think you've made some good choices so far. Are you ready?" She pressed the third button, "Yes." A small worry formed that she wouldn't remember which was which, but she knew she'd have plenty of time to memorize them. The next button awaited. "Thirsty." Another. "Hurt." "Oh, my poor sweetie. I'll always take care of you when you're hurt. Better than ever before, my beloved pet. You'll never have to worry about a thing, once I seal you into this... " He shifted, picking up the mask and holding it in front of her. "You want this, don't you?" Her hand moved practically of its own will, smashing the button. "Yes." It didn't convey how badly she wanted it... "More." "More?" His golden, rumbling laughter warmed her inside and out. "My greedy puppy. Only one button left. What shall it be? What's the last word you'll ever need?" The button lit. The whole world became this one moment, where she was giving everything up to him. Her identity, her life, her will. "I love you." Before the button was dark, she was on her back on the bed, his body crushing hers. He was so much bigger, so much stronger. The fingers of one hand wrapped around both of her wrists as he pulled her arms above her head, his teeth going straight for her neck. The primal growl that came from his throat was more than she could take, she let out a long, desperate moan. She bit down on her tongue hard, needing those three words to be her last, her gift to him for all his generosity. And from the grip of his hands, the scrape of his teeth, the weight of his body... it was a gift that he readily accepted. He was terrifying in his precision, her clothing torn from her one article at a time. Always one hand on her, holding her - her wrists, her waist, her chin - as he ripped her shirt away, her bra, her jeans, and the panties soaked with her longing. The urges were growing too strong, she desperately wanted to beg. He did the kindest thing possible, the gag went between her lips, buckled around the back of her head, which hit the pillow shortly after. The rough skin of his fingers split her lips as he took her clit between two fingers, gently, lovingly, tugging ever so slightly just the way she liked. Another moan burst into the world from her throat, muffled by the gag. A line of drool escaped the corner of her mouth, her hips rocking wildly. He laughed, and she heard an unexpected sound. The unmistakable crinkling of a diaper. Her eyes shot wide, her body sitting upright as she looked in surprise. He enjoyed them, but they had never been her thing, she'd worn one for him a time or two, even wet for him before, but she ignored his encouragement to explore them. They were so thick, they made her walk funnily, and it made it harder for her to get the sensations she craved. "Why so surprised?" The amusement in his voice was a new torment. Her mind spun, her hand going to the gag so she could protest. Her head spun from the speed with which he shoved her back down. "Someone didn't bother to use any of her words to ask for the bathroom... and you're going to be in this lovely bitchsuit nearly all the time... so this is just practical." His smirk was that cruelty she craved from him so much, that twisted brilliance that constantly took her by surprise, that tickled every corner of her imagination with its wicked ways. "Forever." The word shredded her resistance, she was barely coherent from the tiny electric orgasm that sped through her. "My pretty diapered pet, I did tell you that you should learn to love them." She was stunned as he lifted her hips, sliding it underneath her. And her head cleared just long enough to sit up, pushing him away momentarily. But she wasn't nearly strong enough to escape him. He dropped the diaper, the pink, fluffy, crinkling thing as he forced her face down onto the bed, running his finger along her glistening sex once more. "Oh now she's just being naughty. I suppose I can diaper you after... " The resistance left her again as she felt her right hand shoved into the leather mitt, the buckle tightened with tantalizing speed. Her arm was bent, her fingers placed on her own shoulder as he cinched another buckle. Her left hand shot out, grabbing the bed, grabbing for anything she could, somewhere in a tortured state between bliss and fear. The left hand was secured shortly after, and all too easily he threw her onto her back, pinning her to the bed with a knee as he began working her legs into the bindings that she had wanted so very, very badly. And she still wanted them. The sensation of the leather on her hands, the smell of it, the way her arms were restricted, this was the stuff of her every fantasy. Before she could finish that thought, her knees were bound, bent, her feet tangled in the straps that went around the ankle, over the sole of her foot. Moving a knee pulled her mitten taut. He had her. She was helpless. And there was nothing she could do to stop him from taping that first thick, fluffy diaper around her waist. She moaned into the gag over and over and over as he rubbed her padded crotch, writhing and barely noticing when he snapped the shiny metal collar closed around her neck. Locked. Active. Moments later she was on all fours - her elbows and her knees, now her "pet feet", the buttons of the board staring at her from the ground in front of her. "Anything you'd like to say, my precious diapered pet?" The board had all the words she'd ever need. Forever. "I love you."

I awoke lying on my back naked, staring up at the ceiling. Noticing an odd sensation in my hand, I lifted it and saw that I was still wearing my wedding ring. I smiled, admiring it on my hand. ‘Lily’s Husband’ had a nice ring to it, I thought. Just then, the door opened, and I turned to see the woman in question entering the room. “Oh, Aaron! You’re finally awake!” “Finally?” I asked, starting to sit up, but she pushed my chest back down with one hand. She was holding something in her other hand - if I didn’t know better, I’d say it was a diaper. “Impatient for more loving?” I smirked. “No, Aaron, don’t you remember?” She said. “We got into an accident on the way back from the wedding. You’ve been unconscious for months, and the doctors say you’re going to be paralyzed for the rest of your life.” “Accident?” I said. “We didn’t have an accident. And I’m not paralyzed, look!” I lifted my arm. She took my hand in hers. “Oh, I’m afraid you are. Look, you can’t move your hands at all.” At those words, a peculiar shock went through me, starting between my shoulder blades and running down both arms. I felt a heaviness go through them, and when she gently set my hand down, I couldn’t move it anymore. Or the other one, lying on the bed beside me. Panic flooded through me. “What’s going on? I can’t move my hands!” I cried out, and kicked, trying to leverage my legs to sit up. “I told you, you had an accident.” Lily said, and stroked my leg soothingly. “You can’t move your legs, either.” This time, the tingle started in the small of my back, and shot down both legs. They went limp, the bent one flopping against Lily, who gently straightened it out. “Lily, what’s going on? Why are the things you’re saying coming true?” I asked. “Because they are true, honey.” She said. “I’m your wife, would I lie to you?” “Can I talk to the doctor?” I asked. “I want to see the doctor.” “Of course.” Lily said. “I’ll just get you dressed and in your wheelchair.” I lay there helplessly as she dressed me, my mind racing. What was happening? How was this possible? Had I actually had an accident, and I was just not remembering things right because of a head injury? When she picked me up, cradling me in her arms like an oversized, ungainly baby, I yelped, thinking I was going to fall. But her grip was firm and strong. “How?” I asked, staring at her. “How can you pick me up so easily?” “I’m your wife.” Lily said. “It’s my job to look after you.” She set me down in a wheelchair and started strapping me in. As she did, another problem came to my attention. I really, really needed to pee. “Um, Lily. Before we go, can we stop off at the bathroom?” I asked. “I need to pee.” “Are you sure?” She asked. I scoffed. “I can tell when I need to pee.” I said. She started stroking my crotch, and I was surprised to feel something thick and crinkly, muffling the sensation from her hand. Was I wearing a diaper? I hadn’t been paying attention when she dressed me, but I should have noticed that! “No, you can’t.” She said. “Ever since the accident, you can’t feel when you need to pee, it just happens.” “No!” I exclaimed, and tried to pull away, but I could already feel a tingle traveling from my dick up into my core. As it faded, I realized the sensation of needing to pee was gone. And in its place, I felt a warm, wet sensation growing in my crotch area. I was wetting myself, I realized. It was such a strange feeling. I couldn’t feel my bladder or the muscles that controlled my pee. I couldn’t really feel it coming out at all. All I could feel was the wetness against my dick and balls, soaking into my pubic hair. “How are you doing this, Lily?” I asked. “Taking care of you?” She asked, flicking some sort of lever on the side of the wheelchair and wheeling me out. “I’m your wife, in sickness and in health.” I shook my head. “Whenever you tell me something the accident did, it comes true.” I said. “You’re doing this somehow.” “Oh, no, honey. You’re confused. You suffered a head injury, you know.” She said. “You were in a coma for months. The doctors sent you home, they said you might never recover. I’m amazed you’re even awake, I’m not surprised you’re disoriented.” I shook my head, but didn’t say anything. She was right about one thing - I was confused. My instincts were screaming at me that something was wrong, and somehow, she was doing it. But how was that possible? She pushed me to the kitchen. “Let’s get you fed, first.” She tucked my wheelchair up against the table and took out a cloth to cover my front, and then poured a bowl of cereal. “Eat up.” I hated being fed like a baby, but it wasn’t like I had any choice in the matter. I certainly couldn’t feed myself. So I opened my mouth and let her spoon the cereal in as I chewed unhappily. She didn’t say anything as I ate, seemingly focused on her task. But when she brought the last spoonful up, she steadied my face with one hand and directed the food in with the other, and she spoke. “It’s so sad that you can’t even talk.” She said. “It must be so frustrating for you, not being able to do anything.” I swallowed so fast I nearly choked, as the tingling started in my throat and permeated my mouth and cheeks. “Please, nnnn.” I said. “Mmuh.” It was too late, I realized. I couldn’t even get one last sentence out to beg her to stop. She wiped my face clean, then pulled me forward against her torso. “I’d better check your diaper. I know you can’t control your poop anymore, and you usually need to poop right after a meal.” As the tingle in my butt faded, I let out a grunt as I involuntarily pushed out a mess into my diaper. I was vaguely aware that I’d also started peeing again. “I knew it! Phew-ee! You’re stinky!” Lily said. “I’d better get you changed right away!” I tried to ask her why she wanted me to be messing myself if it was so gross. “Um-muh.” Right, I couldn’t talk. She wheeled me into the living room and laid out a plastic sheet, then lifted me onto it. “Don’t worry, Aaron. Even if you never recover, I’ll always be here to take care of you.” She said as she opened up my diaper and started wiping me clean.

Jared spent most of his time at the gym training for a fitness competition and after a while had grown extremely popular in gym circles. Every time Jared would walk in the gym, everyone would turn and look. Women would give him serious looks as he’d strut to the weights and perform his morning rituals. But of course he was taken. Never far behind him was his training partner. She’d walk in a few minutes after he did and do her own thing. But if you looked closely, she’d always go and check on him, giving his bicep a light squeeze or slightly grazing her hand on his butt. She’d remind him (and the ladies or men) who were ogling that they were a pair. They were the ultimate couple, equally strong, both gods in their own right. But when he’d return home around 6PM she’d pull out a blender bottle and ask if Jared wanted to keep his muscles. The conversation was always the same. He’d have to say yes. Because the last time he said no, she reminded him what the consequences were. His muscles vanished. His waistline grew, his chiseled features vanished and his hair grew thin and wispy. He became weak and unattractive. His voice became weak. He looked like a shell of the man who was at the gym just that morning. She’d push him out the door and say, “Good luck.” She wasn’t cruel, she’d let him back in if he said the magic words. Jared could decide if he wanted to really live life as an average person. Live life as someone unremarkable. Someone who didn’t turn heads. Within an hour Jared would come back and beg. “Please let me back in.” She’d tell him to say the words. “Please.” He’d beg. “Put me back in diapers.” And so she’d bring him back inside, undo her top and place the nipple of her breast in his mouth. He’d suck gently and with each sip, his muscles would return. The chiseled confident man all the ladies at the gym knew would return. Next she’d have him crawl to the shelf and pull a plain white diaper out. Lying on the floor, she’d sprinkle powder on his balls, lotion him up and wrap the soft caressing plastic around him. But this time before she pulled up the diaper, she pulled out three suppositories and inserted them inside of him. “Someone needs to be punished for rebelling.” she’d say matter of factly. “You came to me all those years ago a weakling. A pathetic man, and I gave you self confidence. I gave you power. So I’m going to remind you, no matter how strong you get, you’re still pathetic.” Jared held still as she placed a few stuffers inside the diaper and tape it shut. “And this time, it’s diapers all the time. Not just at home. Seems like you need a reminder of your place.” Jared started to whimper. “Please no… can we go back to the way it was before?” “You’re the one who decided to act out. Each time it’ll get worse.” She patted the front of his diaper one more time. “Now it’s time for bed.” So there he’d lie, in the nursery, special made for him. The shelves were adorned with colorful diapers, soft music playing. Containers of protein powder were on the shelves, weights in the corner next to plush toys and bottles. And there was Jared, in the oversized light pink crib, on his back, preparing to mess his diaper for the second time that night. Each time he’d rebel, she’d make sure he spent the night in a messy diaper, to remind him that he was hers. She’d up the stakes. He’d now be wearing his thick crinkly diapers to the gym because he rebelled. She looked down at him smiling. “You’re so cute in diapers.” She gave him another squish and said darkly. “Next time I’m taking your bladder control. So unless you want to start wearing diapers to the gym, I’d try to be good from now on.” Jared let a few tears escape. His vanity trapped him in this plastic prison of his own creation. He couldn’t leave when he wanted. He was trapped. He had made this deal. She’d give him muscles. She’d make him a god and in return he’d be her baby at home, where no one could see them. That deal could last as long as he accepted his place. He wanted to be a god in real life, he’d be a baby when he was with her.

A national TV Network was having a Reality Show. They were calling it "The Great Mom Swap!" The Idea was not to see who could do the best job as mom. This had a twist, they were trying to see if they could get one mom to cheat on their spouse. It was something along the lines of a show called Temptation Island! They had ran a few years ago. But with actually married people. They recieved over 100,000 aplications. They also had a questionnaire to get a type of feeling of the applicants. They went through each and every application and took the most likely candidates. Soon they had a 100 aplications left. Each family member was asked if they were 100% happy in their relationships, parents with kids, kids with parents, spouses with spouses. This was done in private, they were all told to be truthful! They narrowed it down to 16 moms. Then they started matching the husbands and wives. Thre were 2 families that stood out the Denning's of Phoenix, Arizona, and the Redmond's of Antimony, Utah. Currently the kids hated the moms they had now and the spouses were not happy with each other. There were others but they just seemed that the mother in each family was the total opposite of the family they were currently in. Mrs. Redmond caught a flight to Phoenix Arizona from Salt Lake City, Utah. Mrs. Denning caught a flight from Phoenix, Arizona to Salt Lake City, Utah. Mrs. Greta Redmond was thinking, "It's so dammed good to get out of that fucking little town, away from her loser kids! For hopefully the next month she would be in the big city of Phoenix." Mrs. Nancy Denning was thinking "Ah, to get out the big city and back on a farm, where she grew up at, at heart she was still a small town girl. Hopefully the next 4 weeks in a small town away from her kids that hate her, she had never been that outgoing. Shd had always been a quiet girl. That was what her husband loved about her, and now hated about her! He was a Former Drill Instructor tough as nails, ran his home like he was still a D.I. his kids loved it She hated it! She was looking foreward to being in a small town. Everybody tended to be more laid back. You were a friend until you caused problems then forget it! Greta Redmond was thinking just the opposite. She used to be in the military she wished she still was. She fell in love with Dave Redmond. He was quiet. He was respectful. How did she know he was a wimp bedwetter and all their kids from the oldest to the youngest would be bedwetters! The youngest still wore pullups to school and was wet everyday he came home from school! Whatever I get it has to be better than I had. Nancy was thinking the same thing word for word, except for her it was how do l tell this new family their temporary mom is a lifelong bedwetter, and after having 5 kids is a daytime leaker now as well. Did I make the wrong choice by going on this show?

When she first moved into the college town, all the college students took notice. Well the men anyway. One by one they’d flirt with her when they saw he around town or in class. If you asked the boys why they liked her, they’d all have a different reason. It could be her perky breasts, the way she has that soft smile with a hint of something mysterious. Whatever it is, it didn’t take long for them all to one by one ask her on a date and then, the boys would grow silent and withdrawn. Soon he found out why. After dinner she brought him back to her place for some fun. She’d tie him up. Giggling she’d explain how it’d be “more fun that way.” After all, you’re not afraid of a little roughness right? Then she’d edge them over and over, smiling as they struggled against the segufix bondage that kept them locked on the bed, unable to move a muscle, try as they might. Their cocks would beg for release. They’d be dripping, but never cumming. It was all a game after all. They’d get release eventually… right? But then the darkness would come out. She’d pull out an ice pack, staring deep into their eyes as she deflated their cocks. She’d pour baby oil on him and to their horror force them soft. Next came the cock cage, trapping their manhood inside. The key would go in the drawer next to the bed. By then he’d be yelling, begging her to stop. But that wasn’t all. There was no way for anyone to expect the diapers. She’d unwrap a pink MegaMax, tell them to lift up and fasten the plastic prison over their locked cocks. Then she’d take a photo. After, with a pat she would tell them to pull up their pants and go home. They could come back in a week. But they’d better be diapered. She’d point to the door where a stack of diapers sat teasing the young men. “Take as many as you need.” She’d say with a breatthy smile. “I’ll see you around town.” And then she’d issue a warning. “Each time I see you, you’d better be diapered. If you’re not, that’s an extra week that the cage stays on. If you’re diapered each time I see you, I’ll unlock you for a bit.” So he’d have no choice. Each boy in turn would grab as many diapers as they could, desperate to try make it through a week where they’d crinkle through class, try and avoid others and squish their way to dinner each night. Sure, they weren’t sure when they’d see her, but she’s everywhere. You never know when she’d knock on your door at night for a diaper check. At that point she’d slide her hand into their jeans, checking for the tell tale sound of plastic and wetness or something messy. She’d control their cocks through diapers. They were hers. And what the boys didn’t know, she had no intention of unlocking them anytime soon. They were trapped.

The first thing he noticed was that he couldn’t move. And then he heard his girlfriend's voice. “Does this feel familiar?” she taunted. He tried to speak up, but all that escaped was drool and a garbled noise. “Aww poor baby, you can’t speak can you?” His girlfriend’s voice was laced with sweetness. But he was feeling anything but sweet at this moment. He had made a critical error in his thinking. Just the other night his girlfriend had asked him if he had any kinks and he’d said no, deciding now was not the time to reveal his diaper fetish. He was scared that she’d recoil, move backwards or even break up with him. But it turns out she had asked him because she knew. She knew he wanted to be a helpless drooling baby. Wanted to become her plaything. Forced to sit in his bulging diaper until “mommy” came to change him. “I guess you didn’t think I’d find out did you?” She sat on the bed next to him and patted the front of his bulging diaper. Strangely enough, he hadn’t remembered wetting it. But then she explained it to him. “Last night I put a pill in your post workout shake. It reduces your body to that of an infant. No control over your legs, arms, anything really.” She continued to pat the front his his heavy diaper as he tried to sit up, get any motion in his arms and legs. “The pill lasts 24 hours. And then all function returns. Oh and you can forget about bowel and bladder control.” She giggled. “When I found out you wanted to be mommy’s helpless drooling baby, I decided to help you along for a bit. Now you can know what it’s really like.” He tried to speak. Tried to tell her that this isn’t what he wanted. That it was only a game, a fetish. Something to do for fun. But he couldn’t speak, only drool escaped his mouth. “Because you wanted this so badly, I put three pills in your drink, so that should give you about three days of fun baby time. Don’t worry, I know this weekend you wanted to hang out with the guys, but I know you’d much rather be doing this instead. So just lie there, I’ll bring you a new bottle every hour. Who knows..” she said grinning before shutting the door. “There might be another pill in there at the end of the weekend. I might want you to be my baby forever…” The door shut and he gurgled some more. He was trapped…

Okay, here's the disclaimer: This is a one-shot. I have no interest in trying to make a full-sized story out of this, I'm not subverting any tropes, this one is really straightforward and cliché. This is not a work of art, this is not a greater message about the nature of man - if you want character growth or deeper meaning, go read one of my other stories. This is tropey garbage, and it's intended to be just that. @Jj7988582 (come on man, that's too many numbers :P) posted this in the Idea Adoption thread and it tickled my fancy, so here we go. Wishes Do Come True Felicity Morgan hated her birthday. She absolutely loathed it. Every year, her mommy made her wear the poofiest, frilliest, most ridiculous dresses. Every year she invited the same six people to celebrate and every year she had to put up with a clown, or a piñata, or mandatory dancing, or a day at the pool. Her life was bad enough under normal circumstances, but her birthday was the worst. She had been turning three years old every year for the past six years. And tomorrow, she would be two years old again. There was no growth, no advancement, no hope that she'd ever be out of the diapers that her mommy kept her in, day in and day out. She was resigned to it, mostly. She was a Little, she had known from a very early age that this was the most statistically likely outcome. She was born with naturally curly blonde hair and big blue eyes and rosy red lips... she had been doomed from birth. She had actually made it farther than she expected before she had been snapped up. All the way to her twenty-third birthday. Poop, I'm twenty-nine years old now. I'll be thirty next year! But she wouldn't. Next year, she would be three... for a whole day. Just like today. She toddled down the hall, the skirts of her dress flouncing overtop the ruffled petticoat. This year she was Bo Peep and all of her "friends" had been dressed as sheep and they hated her for it. "It's not my fault," she said defensively to Janie in the hall. "My mommy picked the theme and called everyone else's Amazons!" "Yeah well," Janie said in her woolen sheep costume that bulged out at the crotch - the other Littles were all given extra thick diapers to compensate for the fact that no one would be able to see their diapers under the sheep costumes. "You still suck, Felicity." Janie bumped into her on purpose as she walked by, knocking Felicity to the ground... unfortunately, her diaper was so thick and so heavy - she hadn't been changed in hours and had already been fed four bottles - that she couldn't manage to stand up again. And so her birthday continued to get worse. "Mommy!" she called helplessly from her spot on the ground, wiggling and kicking her feet but unable to do so much as roll over in the ridiculous pink monstrosity that was her dress. The dancing sheep on the skirt stared up at her, mocking, as she flailed. "Mommy help!" "Did my little baby fall down?" her mommy cooed. Penelope Morgan was the pinnacle of "soccer mom" despite the fact that her own kids were grown and left years ago and she'd never let Felicity even think about joining a sport. She wore yoga pants year round and whatever blouse style was trendy at the time. Right now it was "cold shoulder" and she was wearing a dark blue blouse with tiny flowers all over it... with big round holes where the shoulders should have been. Her sandy blonde hair was tied up in a high ponytail and her sunglasses rested atop her head, despite the fact that she probably wouldn't be going outside at any point during the party. "Help Mommy," Felicity held her hands out for help, but her mommy only crouched nearby to tease her. "Such a little baby," she cooed. "Are we sure you're turning three this year? Maybe you should be turning one. Cora's mommy decided that she was turning one this year and she got put back in crawler diapers. Maybe that's what we should do with you! You'd be so cute crawling around all the time... " "No mommy, please!" she began, feeling flustered and helpless, but she remembered Penelope's weakness. "If you did that... I wouldn't be able to wear dresses!" "Oh pooh," her mommy huffed, scooping her up. "You're right, my sweet little baby. I guess you're turning three after all. I'd hate for all of those lovely skirts and dresses to go to waste." Felicity hated dresses. She hated frills. She hated the color pink. She had hated it all long before she had been "adopted", she had been a strictly t-shirt and blue jeans woman, athletic, outgoing. A tomboy through and through. But Penelope had put a stop to all of that the moment she had claimed poor Felicity. From that moment forward it had been fussy dresses and fussy hairstyles and pink painted fingernails. She had pierced Felicity's ears and promised that the girl would never have to wear yucky old pants ever again. She missed pants. She missed pockets. She missed being able to walk without skirts bouncing and diapers crinkling. She missed being an adult. And she never missed it more than on her birthday. "Okay, birthday girl," her mommy beamed, setting her down in the high chair of honor at the head of the table. Sheep glared at her from all around, Janie and Cora, Eden and Molly, Paige and Logan. All of her "friends" - the Littles she was forced to play with regularly. She disliked most of them - she felt bad for Cora, she hated Paige... the only one she even liked a little was Molly. Molly had been a tomboy too and had been in diaper-and-dress hell for three years. They commiserated. Paige was the worst, she had started out as Peter but her mommy had decided she wanted a girl instead... but Paige liked it. She was a tattletale and a brat, she declared herself the princess of everything and would scream - literally scream - if she didn't get her way. And then everyone else would get in trouble for making "poor little Paige" scream. "Happy birthday Felicity!" Paige giggled. Felicity often dreamed about wishes. She wished on a star ever night... just last night she had wished that Paige would be eaten by a bear. But that didn't seem likely. "I hope you get the frilliest, most wonderfullest dresses for your birthday!" Felicity begged her mommy to stop inviting Paige, but it got ignored. Paige was a "proper little girl" and was seen as a good influence. With six pairs of sheep eyes on her, most of them angry, she sighed and waited for whatever confectionary monstrosity awaited her this year. The cake was a big green meadow with cotton candy sheep jumping over fences and a frilly Bo Peep standing at the center, wearing an obvious diaper. "It's perfect!" Felicity's mommy cheered, and the other mommies and daddies clapped along as they put the candle - the big number three - on the cake for the sixth year in a row. Felicity remembered how she had hope that first year, that they'd let her grow up. Three was too old for diapers, after all. It had been a terrible shock to wake up the next morning to be told that she was back to being two. It wouldn't be a shock this year. It was how Penelope always started the day after her birthday. With a series of reminders that she was a Little, and that she would be two years old, sucking on bottles and pacifiers, eating in a high chair, sleeping in a crib, and helplessly wetting her diapers... forever. "Make a wish, Felicity dear," her mommy grinned as she slid the lit cake nearer the birthday girl. I wish I were the Amazon and you were the Little, she wished with all her might before blowing out the candle. "Hooray!" everyone cheered. "I hope you wished for new dresses," her mommy grinned, holding up a dress with a skirt so short it may as well have been a belt. "This year's fashion is short short skirts! I won't even have to squeeze your diaper to check, isn't that fun?" "Yay!" Felicity cheered, false enthusiasm in her voice. She would be trying on at least three of her new dresses before the end of the party, before her mommy sat in the middle of the living room and breastfed her in front of everyone. Like she did every year. She knew better than to fuss, she knew better than to groan. She would cheer and bounce at every new dress or she would be punished. And birthday punishments were always the worst. Last year she had to sing the awful teapot song until every mommy said it was perfect, but every time someone had a complaint - a foot in the wrong place, not looking happy enough, her diaper not being messy enough. She had been put to bed in tears, sobbing her heart out and wishing the day would just end. Felicity was already wishing the day would just end. But she had many hours yet to suffer through. When she was finally stripped of her ridiculously puffy birthday diaper, when it was sodden and beyond disgusting, it was bedtime. She was given a quick bath - she didn't even remember what it was like to bathe alone - and put in sheep pajamas, of course, with a think nighttime diaper. "Well birthday girl," her mommy said, hugging her close. "It was another great day. I love you so much, my little sweetie. I'm so glad you're never going to grow up. Three is all you'll ever be, and that is so perfect." "I love you mommy," she said with a smile, hating the woman with everything she was. "I love you too, sweet pea," her mommy kissed her on the forehead and laid her down in the crib, her nightly prison, before pulling up the bars until they did their sickening click. Felicity stared out the window after her door was closed, using the bars of the crib to help her pull herself to her feet. She frowned when she realized her diaper was already wet - her toilet training was long since gone. She looked every night for shooting stars, for one to wish on. Usually she wished for freedom, but tonight she hoped for something else. And she almost cried out in joy - watching for little things, for rays of hope, was the only thing that kept her sane. She saw it - a real shooting star. I wish I were the Amazon and Penelope was the Little, she wished with all she was, from the tip of her nose to the tips of her toes. The shooting star streaked across the sky, twinkling, and she laid back down in her bed, pulling the blanket over her and hugging her only true friend in the world, Murphy the Bear - the one she pretended would eat Paige some day. With heavy eyes and a heavy heart, she drifted off to sleep, not looking forward to tomorrow - when her mommy would welcome her back to being two. * * * She had the strangest dreams, Felicity realized as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She sat up with her eyes clenched shut and stretched a big stretch. She felt around for Murphy... and opened her eyes when she could find them. He was gone. So were the crib bars. So was her nursery! She jolted, looking around... the room was familiar, but the angle was all wrong. This was mommy's room! But she was... It took her a long moment of her heart pounding before she realized that she could get out of bed. ON HER OWN! Felicity swung her legs out of bed and stood on her own two feet, towering above everything - the dresser, the bed, she was a giant! She had grown! She streched, slapping the pull-chain of the ceiling fan easily. "This is the best dream ever!" she crowed... but her voice sounded strange. "Hello?" a small voice came from the baby monitor beside the bed. "Hello? Something's gone wrong... " Felicity blinked several times before rushing to mommy's vanity... and seeing Penelope Morgan in the mirror. "Holy mother of monkeys," she breathed, the strongest swear she knew, "my wish came true! My wish came true!" She jumped for joy and it was only then that she realized... "I'm not wearing a diaper!" She patted her bottom, felt the skimpy underwear beneath the nightie. Her breasts felt much heavier than she expected, they weren't just bumps on her chest, they had weight and they swung a bit when she moved. And for some reason, they hurt a little. "Hello?" the small voice called. "I need help, I seem to be in my daughter's nursery... " A wicked grin spread across Penelope's face in the mirror. Felicity startled herself, she had seen that look on mommy's face before... and it took her a moment to realize that was her face now. And that she was the mommy. With delight, she put on a bra - struggling with the clasp, she hadn't worn one in years and her chest had never been that big, and a blouse, and yoga pants and strode to the nursery on her giant legs. The nursery smelled amazing. The scent of baby powder tickled her nose, the scent was familiar but new at the same time. She walked over toward the crib - seeing it from this angle was bizarre. It seemed so small... and the red-faced baby inside seemed equally as small. That's not a baby, she reminded herself. That's Penelope, the woman who has been torturing me for six years. "Good morning, baby Felicity," the Amazon cooed, attempting the same voice that she had heard countless mornings. "Your birthday is over, congratulations! You're two years old again!" "I'm not Felicity," the Little protested. "I'm Penelope! Something's gone wrong, I swear I'm you!" "Oh we're being a silly-butt this morning?" Felicity teased her tormentor, lowering the bars of the crib and lifting her high in the air. Her mommy's Little-eyes bulged and she quivered in fear at the height. Felicity grinned and threw the Little in the air, laughing. "My bouncing baby girl!" "Stop!" her mommy screamed. "Stop, I'm scared!" "Oh there's nothing to be scared of," Felicity cooed, bringing Penelope in for a tight hug. "Mommy would never drop her precious princess." "Please, something's gone wrong - there's been a mistake!" Penelope continued to protest, tears threatening the corners of her eyes. "I'll say something's wrong," Felicity agreed, relishing the ruse. "Someone has a wet diaper! Let's change your bottom and get you out of your pretty PJs and into a cute dress." "I'm not a Little," Penelope protested. "I'm an Amazon! I don't know what's happened... " "My silly baby and her pretend games," Felicity laughed as she carried Penelope over to the changing table and laid her down, buckling the hated strap over her mommy's Little tummy after stripping her of the sheep PJs. "You look like a Little, and you sound like a Little with an overactive imagination. You just had too much sugar yesterday, didn't you?" Felicity hated that excuse. She didn't ever choose to eat the sugar, she ate what she was given and then her feelings were blamed on the sugar - it was infuriating... but so delightful to use it against the same woman who had tormented her. "I need you to listen to me," Penelope was getting flustered, and it was delicious to Felicity. "I went to bed last night as an Amazon." The Little Penelope winced as Felicity tore the tapes from her diaper and balled the wet thing up, pretending that she wasn't listening. She looked at the stacks of diapers, trying to decide which one she wanted to inflict upon the one person she knew deserved it more than anyone else. On the one hand, she thought, I could go with the thinner one and let her experience what a leak feels like... but she won't know the absolute joyof being unable to walk correctly. On the other hand, I could put her in the thick ones, but she won't leak... "And when I woke up this morning," Penelope continued as Felicity took out the thinner diaper and slid it under her Little-mommy, trying not to grin. It was so different for her, looking from this angle. She powered Penelope and taped - knowing that her Little hands wouldn't be able to remove it - the diaper securely. "I was a Little in a crib! I need to see a doctor or something." "Well," Felicity laughed, walking to the closet and selecting one of her brand new ultra-short dresses, one that she had gotten for her birthday just yesterday. "I put a Little down in that crib last night, Felicity dear - and this morning a Little in a wet diaper was waiting for me. So everything seems normal to me." "You're not listening!" Penelope screeched. Felicity felt an unexpected wave of irritation, an urge to punish Penelope that took her by surprise. She reached down and grabbed a Silencer pacifier and popped it in the Little's mouth, inflating it until her cheeks bulged. Penelope clawed at it helplessly, tugging on the shield, pulling on the ring, trying desperately to deflate it... but she didn't have the strength. Felicity knew all too well that the Little body lacked the power to stop any of the torments the Amazons could bring. "I am listening," Felicity smirked. "I'm listening to a fussy Little who has woken up on the wrong side of bed. You're probably just dehydrated, dear. Let's go fix that." Her heart actually felt a little sad as the first tears began to roll down Penelope's cheeks, her cheeks - the Little cheeks she had worn her whole life. But it was only fair - it's exactly what Penelope would have done to her. She unbuckled the strap and pulled the dress on over the Little's head, working her arms through the sleeves, before scooping her up and grabbing Murphy the Bear from the crib. "Here comes Murphy," Felicity held the bear up, bringing it closer. "Oh, he looks hungry," she teased. Penelope often made her toys 'come to life', the turnabout felt right. "He's going to eat you!" Felicity used the stuffed bear, making growling and chomping sounds as she attacked every ticklish spot she knew that Little body had - the neck, the tummy, the ribs. Soon, Penelope was snorting with laughter behind the pacifier... and the sound brought genuine joy to my heart. The laughter coming from her was... musical, magical, even when muffled by the pacifier. It was confusing. Felicity carried the sniffling Penelope to the kitchen, intending to give her the first of what would be many, many bottles that day. She felt she had so much time to make up for. She has my body, Felicity thought, the body that she ruined. She'll have no bladder control, let's see how she likes it. She plopped Penelope in the high chair, the same one Felicity herself had made her birthday wish from the day before, and set about preparing the electrolyte fluid that Penelope used on her any time she was declared to be 'dehydrated'. Everything was so much easier to reach! Cabinets opened easily, nothing required shifting or maneuvering - for the first time in her life, she was living in a world sized for her. Penelope would take this for granted, she'd never been on the other side. Felicity hoped that the wish was permanent, but if she was only going to get one day, she was going to make sure Penelope understood the hell it was to be Little. Using her Amazon hands, which were able to lift and carry so much more than she was used to, she quickly mixed up the beverage and popped the ring on the Silencer, deflating it. "Plea- " Penelope began, but was quickly met with the nipple of a bottle. She turned her head sideways and spit it out. "Please, listen!" "Felicity Alexis Morgan," Felicity snapped, relishing the feeling of using all three names the same way Penelope did - only the first name was actually hers, Penelope had changed her middle name and her last name when the awful woman "adopted" her. "You are dehydrated. You are going to drink this bottle like a good girl, or I'm going to get your feeder paci. Is that how you really want to start today?" Felicity hated the feeder paci. She was tempted to get it anyway, to make Penelope experience the helplessness and frustration of not being able to control the flow of the liquid or escape it as it filled her mouth over and over, forcing her to swallow constantly until her throat hurt from it. But Penelope took the bottle in both hands and began sucking at the fluid. The rhythmic sucking from the Little's lips was strangely musical. Steady. Sure. Unexpectedly, Felicity's chest began to hurt and her right nipple felt cold. She reached down and felt a wet spot - listening to Penelope suckle at the bottle was making her lactate. She wanted little more than to take the bottle from her and replace it with her own nipple... but one thing she did want more was to have Penelope suffer the effects of the rehydrating beverage. She stood there, staring down at the adorable angel as she chugged, breathing through her nose between gulps from the bottle. She had to admit that the little red strawberry dress with its micro-skirt looked really cute on her body... the way her curly blonde hair bounced on her shoulders as she drank, the tiny click in her throat as she suckled. The way her eyes closed... she was really, really cute and Felicity had an overwhelming urge to snuggle her. Which was bizarre, because she was having those urges about her own body. The second the last drop was gone from the bottle, she released Penelope from the high chair... only to carry her to the couch. She lifted her blouse and fumbled with her bra.. a large wet spot was forming on each one. She unclipped the panel, freeing her nipple. "Wait," Penelope protested in her lap. "I don't want that! I'm really full, I don't want- " "Littles don't get a say," Felicity countered. "Littles never get a say. Amazons just do whatever they want, whenever they want and the Little just has to deal with it." Penelope's eyes widened as Felicity finally broke character - they both knew that Penelope wouldn't go off on a rant like that, but before she could say anything, her lips were around Felicity's Amazon nipple, Felicity's hand on the back of Penelope's head, forcing her forward, tilting her head back to encourage her mouth to open, forcing her to latch. And soon she was suckling contentedly. Felicity knew very well what feelings Penelope was having - conflicted feelings. Feelings of intense pleasure from the flavor of the milk, from the smell of it, mixed with feelings of resentment and helplessness. She wouldn't be able to pull away until the milk was gone. Felicity had never managed it, no matter how badly she wanted to. What she hadn't expected, what she didn't know, was how it felt from the Amazon side. The feeling was intense. Gratifying. Fulfilling. As the milk flowed from her body, as it was drawn out of her by the rhythmic suckling of the Little, she felt her heart flutter. She felt... love. She deeply loved the Little in her lap. The feeling caught her by surprise. She couldn't tell if it was a biological urge, if she was feeling Penelope's lingering emotions, if it was a fondness for herself... the last one seemed highly unlikely, she hadn't been able to look at herself in the mirror without wanting to cry since she'd been adopted. Her breast emptied too quickly. Penelope popped off and sat up, rubbing her eye with the back of one hand. "Felicity?" she mumbled. "Felicity, are you- " Felicity cut her off again, flipping her over and guiding her to the other nipple. She was ready for the rush of emotion this time, however. That same sense of overpowering calm, of contentment, of love, poured over her as her milk poured out of her and she found herself humming. It took her a moment to realize what it was... she had unconsciously begun humming the same song that her mommy always hummed during feedings. She stroked the Little's back - while Penelope was suckling, the feeling of their skin touching as she caressed the Little was electric, enticing... addicting. "Oh wow," Felicity murmured. She had no idea how incredible nursing felt for Penelope - if her mommy had actually had these feelings. Once again, it was over too soon. "Felicity," Penelope said groggily as she sat up again, "I really need to go... " she trailed off mid-sentence and her eyes widened. Felicity felt the diaper grow warm on her lap as Penelope finally got to experience what Felicity had felt several times a day for many years - the feeling of her body betraying her, of wetting her diaper like an infant, against her will. The Little's face clouded up in incredible sadness. "I peed myself!" she wailed. Felicity expected herself to feel bad, to feel guilty... but instead she felt needed. Penelope needed her. It felt... good. It felt good to watch Penelope sob her heart out. And it felt good on multiple levels. Felicity got a malicious, vengeful satisfaction out of it, out of her tormentor suffering the same way she had been made to suffer, but there was also another layer to it. That feeling of being wanted, of being necessary. She wiped Penelope's tears away from the Little cheeks. "Pretty awful, isn't it?" she asked. "You're in for a lot of it, too. Because I'm going to get that feeder and you're going to have another rehydrating bottle." "Please no," Penelope sobbed, her body shaking. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea that it felt this awful being Little." "Oh you've only gotten the tiniest taste, Felicity," the Amazon laughed. She didn't feel the slightest pang of guilt or remorse at the Little's tears. Deep down, somewhere in her Amazon heart, she knew that Littles cried. It was just a thing they did, like breathing. "Because you're Felicity now. I'm Penelope. I'm mommy. And we're going to fill you up nice and full and then you're going to do the teapot dance for ME. Do you remember how many times you made me sing that stupid song last year? It had to be a hundred. I stood there and danced and sang until I couldn't stand any more." "I'm sorry!" Penelope sobbed. "I'm sorry, I was wrong! It was wrong! I swear, change us back... I'll let you grow up... I won't treat you like a baby any more. I'm so sorry!" "Oh, you're sorry?" Felicity laughed a harsh laugh. "You've been me for all of two hours, my little prissy princess. I was trapped under your thumb for six years. You think two hours of drinking from a bottle and breastfeeding gives you an idea of the kind of life I lead? I think you need some time in the bouncer. I think you need to watch some cartoons. I think you need to be left alone in the playpen for an hour. But most importantly," Felicity said, lifting Penelope and cradling her, rocking her gently. "You need to calm down before you make yourself sick." She had done that enough times, and she really had no interest in being responsible for cleaning it up. She walked circles around the living room, rocking and shushing Penelope until she calmed down... only to take her back to the kitchen for another bottle. "Please Felicity," she whispered, her voice hoarse from crying. "No more." "Ah ah," Felicity scolded. "You're Felicity now. I'm mommy. You'll never guess what I wished for when I blew out my birthday candles yesterday. Well... you probably will since you're living it." She felt the diaper growing warm again as Penelope wet herself. "Ask me for your bottle, Felicity." "I don't want another bottle," she protested. "You're going to get another one or you're going to get the feeder - it's your choice. So, either ask me very nicely with your most perfect prissy princess manners for your bottle, or I'll get the feeder." "Please mommy," Penelope said, her eyes downcast. "May I have another bottle?" "You may, my sweet girl," Felicity smiled, preparing another rehydrating bottle. Penelope was a constant fountain now, she was overfull with the fluid and milk. It wouldn't be long at all now... she walked over to the plastic-bottomed playpen in the living room and stood Penelope in it, holding the bottle in the Little's mouth while she drank. "Don't you stop until it's gone, silly girl - or I'll refill it and we'll start again with the feeder." After another minute or so, she guided Penelope's hands up to hold it and stepped back. She was cute. Standing there, sucking a bottle, her diaper swollen and completely unhidden by the micro skirt, her blonde curls bouncing. Felicity went to her mommy's room - her room - to fetch her comm and take a photo... as she walked back to the room, she heard a forlorn wail. "Oh no... " "What's wrong, sweet princess?" Felicity asked innocently, holding up her comm and snapping a picture of the Little looking down as urine ran down her leg. "It leaked... " "What leaked, sweet girl?" Felicity asked with a smile. "The diaper leaked," Penelope said softly. "Whose diaper leaked?" Felicity grinned, leaning down and taking another photo. "My diaper leaked, mommy," Penelope whimpered. "Ask me for a thicker diaper, my cute, soggy-bottomed baby," Felicity laughed softly. "I never made you beg for a thicker diaper," Penelope said resentfully, staring up at Felicity. "Bullpoopie!" Felicity shouted. "You've made me beg for everything, you made me thank you for everything you did to me. Now beg or you're going to learn how much a spanking from an Amazon hurts a Little bottom." "Please mommy," Penelope quailed, "please will you put me in a thicker diaper?" "Of course, sweetiekins," Felicity snapped one last picture before guiding the bottle back into Penelope's mouth and carrying her back to the nursery. She didn't bother with the thicker daytime diapers, she went straight for the extra thick nighttime diaper. She stripped the sodden thinner diaper from the Little and tossed it, wiping her down and powdering her and loving every sweet moment of pulling that extra thick diaper closed and taping it snugly. She pulled the bottle out of Penelope's hands and set her down on the floor. "There you go, one nice and thick diaper. Now, try to take it off." "What?" Penelope looked at her quizzically. "Try to take it off," Felicity repeated. "Undo the tapes, wiggle out of it. Take it off." Felicity watched with perverse glee as Penelope tried with all her might, yanking on the tapes, wiggling her hips, but it was useless. Just as Felicity knew it would be. "Amazons sure do make diapers that a Little can't remove," she smirked. "And that thick diaper should last you a while, even though you RUINED MY BODY." "I.. I didn't know," Penelope stammered. "You didn't know?" Felicity echoed. "You didn't know that if you forcefeed someone liquids constantly and never let them use a toilet that their muscles eventually weaken to the point that they're useless? I don't believe for a moment that you didn't know." "Littles just have weak bladders, everyone knows that... " Penelope said defensively. "I got along just fine before you adopted me," Felicity snapped. "I was twenty-three years old. I had my whole life ahead of me, but I had a hard time - other Littles didn't want to be around me, and do you know why?" "Why?" Penelope asked meekly. "Because I was a target for predators," Felicity growled. "I had curly blonde hair and blue eyes and I was SHORT, even for a Little. And that made me... what, Mommy?" "Cute... " Penelope admitted. "A walking 'adopt me' sign," Felicity pushed Penelope gently on the back. "Walk to the living room," she commanded. Penelope tried her best, but she was obviously having a great deal of trouble walking with her legs spread apart by the massive diaper. "If you can't walk, you know what to do." "Yes mommy," the Little squeaked, dropping to her hands and knees. That heart flutter came as Felicity watched the adorable girl crawl, her butt way up in the air as it shook back and forth from the effort of crawling. She didn't understand these feelings, these urges that she got when looking at... what was essentially herself. "You see," Felicity continued, her gaze fixed on the Little's padded butt... even now, the wetness indicator was alerting her that Penelope was peeing. "No other Little wanted to get close to me. Because if I got snatched... when I got snatched, they might be caught along with me. And no Little wants that. How's that diaper feeling, sweetie? Is it still dry and comfy?" "I think I had an accident," Penelope said mournfully, "I really don't like it. How did you swap us?" "I wished upon a star," Felicity shrugged. "I guess sometimes wishes do come true. Maybe I just made enough of them that the universe felt it owed me one. I wished for freedom almost every night for the past six years." "I thought you were happy," Penelope sat down on her well-padded butt, sitting several inches off the ground from the padding alone, her legs splayed as tears welled up in her eyes. "You always said you loved me. I love you... I give you everything." "You torture me!" Felicity shouted. "You torment me, and if I fight back even the smallest amount, you punish me! You tell me I'm dehydrated or tired or I had too much sugar or I'm just fussy. You minimize me, you diminish me, you ignore me, you... " Penelope had started bawling again, her arms hanging limply at her sides as she sobbed. "Why are you crying?" Felicity demanded. "I don't know!" Penelope wailed. "I can't stop it!" Felicity understood that feeling all too well. Her torment was unending, she found herself crying a lot. She had a lot to cry about. But Penelope didn't, she'd barely done anything to her yet. Again, Felicity felt that wave of satisfaction, that feeling of being needed. She scooped Penelope up and sat on the couch, holding the sobbing Little in her lap and rocking her, soothing her. She was surprised when Penelope fell asleep in her lap. "You won't get to sleep too long," Felicity promised. "We have a lot of ground to cover yet, Penelope Morgan." She let the Little nap for an hour or so, and then delighted in feeding her lunch - puréed prunes. And trapping her in the bouncer and watching her dangle helplessly there. But as the day continued, her glee that was powered by her much-deserved vengeance lessened and she just found herself enjoying caring for Penelope, who was often a sobbing mess. She was taking the whole idea of being Little very hard. By late afternoon, Felicity had given up on revenge and spent most of her time snuggling. She breastfed Penelope again, relishing those amazing feelings. Feeding her just felt RIGHT. Like all was right and good with the world. She prepared a dinner of chicken nuggets and honey, with carrot sticks and apple juice... her favorite. Her favorite when she had been a Little. Now it tasted... wrong. The honey was too sweet, the carrot sticks too bland. "You like spicy food," Penelope suggested. "There should be some left over vindaloo in the fridge." It was so strange to watch her Amazon body grimacing at the chicken nuggets. Amazons hated Little food in general, it was too sweet, too strange. Her diaper felt soggy and awful underneath her and she'd been trapped in it all day. She watched Felicity go to reheat the leftovers... and just enjoyed her own meal. The chicken nuggets were amazing. The honey was equally amazing. The flavors together were better than she had ever imagined. Littles experienced everything with so much more intensity than Amazons. She felt like her emotions had been out of control all day. But the Little comfort food made up for some of that... and she had no idea that her own breastmilk would be so staggeringly good. She still felt the lingering taste of it on her tongue, and she wanted more. She laughed when Felicity's face lit up at the flavor of the vindaloo - it tended to get even spicier if you let it stew in the fridge for a day. "It's good, isn't it?" she asked. "Want a bite?" Felicity offered. "No no," Penelope refused quickly. "If our tastes are switched, if the taste belongs to the body and not our mind... I would hate it now and that would make me... " she paused. Her stomach felt strange. She felt the urge to lift herself off her seat slightly... and gasped as she felt her bowels empty, filling the diaper. "Oh no," she moaned. "That feels awful!" She felt the tears welling up yet again, it seemed like she had spent the majority of the day overwhelmed and crying, but the warm, sticky mess on her behind felt terrible. "Did my princess make a poopie?" Felicity asked with a grin. Penelope quailed - the afternoon had actually been pleasant, she felt close to Felicity and had hope that they could work things out, but that malicious glint was back in her eye. "It's disgusting!" she heard herself say before she even realized it. "Finish your dinner, sweetie, then I'll change you," Felicity grinned. "But it's so gross! Please, change me now!" "Do you have any idea how many times you've said no to that very request, O mommy mine?" Felicity sneered. "I'm sorry, I didn't know... " Penelope whimpered, begging. "You've said that so much today. It's like you never listened to me." Of course she hadn't listened - Felicity was a Little. Littles complained and fussed, Littles didn't know what was good for them. But now she understood how volatile Littles were, how real their feelings were. "Finish your meal, then we'll change you." The chicken wasn't so sweet then, the honey tasted like ash. She was resentful and wished it were all over and done with. And she had no idea that she'd be thankful for a clean diaper. Felicity seemed... almost content as she changed Penelope into a fresh nighttime diaper and a sleeper. The fluffy sheep pajamas. "Well my cute little princess," Felicity grinned as she lowered Penelope back into the crib and raised the inescapable bars. "Today was fun. Let's see what tomorrow holds. Sweet dreams, I'm going to go find some fun Amazon things to do now that my helpless Little is off to beddy-bye." Felicity kissed Penelope on the forehead, lingering for a moment, the kiss becoming tender. And then she left. Penelope pulled herself up using the crib bars and stared out the window, hoping... but there were no shooting stars. Nothing to wish on. And sleep took her faster than she expected. * * * When Penelope awoke the next morning in her own body, she actually leapt out of bed and crowed with joy... only to find that she had a headache. There were wine bottles all over the room... Felicity had really gone to town. She felt a little queasy... but everything was worth it. Still in her nightgown, she strode into the nursery, over to the crib and lifted her still sleeping Little. Little Felicity woke slowly, but with a start when she regained consciousness. "I love you mommy," she said fearfully.  "You don't," Penelope said sadly. "But we're going to see if we can't fix that, my sweet angel."

Hi everyone! This is a short sci-fi story we wrote. Only three chapters long. We wanted this story to feel very “one or the other”, so we only use two colors to denote perspective. Other characters don’t have their own color. We hope this isn’t too confusing. Enjoy! Complete PDF and ePub versions are - as always - available on our Patreon, along with 44 chapters of a new story called Under New management that we have been working on. ------------------------------------------------------ Binary Stars By Sophie & Pudding Premise: Two people named Charlie arrive on a cargo ship at the same time, but their name is all they have in common. After realizing that the ship’s manifest prepared for only one Charlie, the two conflicting personalities must quickly learn to live with each other. Disclaimers: diapers, wetting, dark Chapter One: Charlie I didn't like space all that much. It was scary! One torpedo to the hull and voop!... we all freeze to death. Even the thought of it brought tears to my eyes. So maybe joining an AL9 cargo crew was a mistake... The light faded around me and the transport room came into view. Two techs in brown coats, with pulse-shields on their hips. But they had nothing to worry about - I wasn't armed. Or maybe they were worried about the other person on the transport pad: a young woman with long blonde hair. She was dressed in the same on-board uniform everyone wore on the Parsell station. I had hoped I'd seen the last of them... "Name and moniker, please," the tech asked me. Or maybe he asked her. I stammered out my answer. "Parsell, AT105. Charlie." The woman beside me gave me a sharp look. Almost angry. Maybe I shouldn't have gone first... "Parsell, AT242," she said with confidence, her arms crossed over her chest. "Also Charlie." "You have the same name?" the tech asked. I mean, he had every right to be surprised. I was a guy; she was a girl. "Do you two know each other?" "Uhh..." I looked at the other Charlie with an ounce of curiosity. But I would remember someone like her: confident and capable. She had a very powerful... aura. "N-no Sir. Um. The Parcell is a pretty big station, so..." And I was remarkably anti-social. "Can we get down to brass tacks, please? I've got a duty roster to update, a training schedule to put together, and an Engineering team to whip into shape." The technician looked at me, took a shallow breath in, and muttered something under his breath. "What was that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, and he shook his head, pretending like he didn't say anything at all. And that pissed me off! "That's what I thought you said. My file's all in order, so if you can just sign off and let me get to work." "Actually," he said, looking up at me, and then at the shrimp beside me, "you two seem to have the same work assignment." I blinked. "Wait, what? I... I'm not an officer. I don't have training in... uh... people or..." I felt anxiety well up in my chest. My fingertips started to pick at each other. "I think this is a misunderstanding..." If it was a Council ship full of bureaucrats, we could stay in this transportation room for hours figuring it out. But cargo ships didn't have a lot of time for misunderstandings. Time was money. "You're both cleared for Engineering," the other tech told us. "...but..." "Alright, I'm sure whatever pencil pusher on Epsilon was thinking when he assigned postings thought he knew what he was doing. Maybe you can scrub the power relays or something, I'm sure I can find a use for you." "Actually, he's assigned for the same role as you—” The technician began to correct me, and I sighed and pushed my glasses up the bridge of my nose. Glasses were something I could have had a correction done for, but I liked the air of superiority they gave me. And the lenses created a form of division between other people and myself, which made for a less approachable demeanor. I liked that. "You manage the teleporters, Ensign…” I looked closer at his badge, "Rand. And try not to turn people inside-out. You let me worry about Engineering. C'mon, short stack." "I... uh..." Other Charlie left the transporter room and I hurried after her. She wasn't that much taller than me... maybe three or four inches. She didn't have to tease me like that. "Obviously this is just a clerical mistake," I told her as she led the way around the ship like she knew where she was going. She never stopped to look at a map even once! "Someone saw 'Charlie' on the manifest and just rolled us together. But maybe if I talk to someone..." "If it's a mistake, then they'll come for you and give you a proper assignment. Until then, you're assigned to Engineering and that means I own you. You can feel that, right? The warbling in the inertial dampeners? Whoever's been butchering the thrust vectors on this ship is gonna have to answer to me - maybe we can blow them out of the airlock, huh, short stack?" He went whiter than he already was, and I ruffled his short pixie-cut hair. "Oh my god, crewman, lighten up. I'm just fucking around." "R-right... right..." She was a few steps ahead when I had the courage to follow. I had no idea what she was talking about with the dampeners. I wasn't that great at engineering or spaceships or even space in general. Honestly, I wasn't that great at anything. It was a miracle that the cargo ship even brought me aboard. Maybe that was another clerical error, I thought self-depreciatively as I followed Other Charlie toward a security console. "Um... we should change out of our uniforms. It could get confusing..." Parcell station uniforms were blue and extremely obvious. I didn't want to stand out any more than I needed to. "That's true; you're wearing Command Insignia and I think you'd just about wet your pants if anybody asked you for orders, right? My quarters assignment is 18-22-E-L. Do you know yours?" It should have been a simple question for him to say yes to, but he'd so far proven to be pretty damn helpless. "I..." I thought I knew it. But maybe I didn't? I bit my lip and looked away from Other Charlie. "L-lemme check the console, to be sure." The security consoles were pretty simple: they kept certain people out of certain areas. They also had a registry of rooms in case you needed to find someone. I searched my number and sure enough. 18-22-E-L. "I guess they messed up my room, too..." Well fuck. I sighed and pushed my glasses up, letting out a long and annoyed exhale to center myself. So this kid (with a baby face like his, I had my doubts he was even an adult) came in on my transport, got assigned to my job, and now thinks he's sharing a room with me? "Someone in Epsilon fucking hates me, clearly. I bet it's the Admiral, lecherous old prick. Okay, fine, whatever, let's get to our room and get you out of the uniform before someone says 'hello' and you have a damn panic attack." I wanted to tell her that wasn't very nice, or that she didn't need to act so callously, but I froze up at the sight of her. Her energy was stifling; it was hard to stand up for anything, let alone myself. She led me down the corridor to the lower decks in Section E. All the while, I reminded myself that this could never happen on any other spaceship. Cargo ships in particular used first names only and referential monikers. This allowed some... less legitimate individuals to find work and travel. A necessary evil in a near-utopia. Without loopholes, things get knotted a little too easily. "You have got to be kidding me." He had barely come into the quarters, instead of just kind of stood there looking like a lost little puppy inside the door. It was bad enough that we only had the one bed, but worse than that... "There's only a single allocation of replicator requisition." Which meant only a fixed amount of items we could requisition, and that included uniforms. I looked him up and down. Shorter than me, yes, but a little softer, lither… he could probably wear most of what would fit me; they'd just look a bit bigger on him. And it would take weeks to get him reassigned to his own damn room, too, if he was even meant to be here... "Sorry," I muttered. I knew it wasn't my fault, but all this trouble I was causing her... it weighed heavily in my chest. I looked down at my feet and played with my fingertips. I should talk to someone... but who would I talk to? What if they kicked me off the ship? What if this Charlie was the only Charlie they wanted? Oh, I didn't feel so well... "It's not your fault they fucked up, short stack," I hoped, for his sake, it wasn’t his fault. I punched in a requisition for two uniforms for me, and one set of rank cuffs in Command and one in Ensign. I didn't know his rank, but it couldn't have been high - Ensign was generous, to be fair. The machine cabinet hummed, and I began to strip off out of my old uniform, only distracted by a faint cough from Charlie as he tried to avert his eyes. "Get undressed, Ensign, we've got duty to attend to. I'm going to loan you a uniform but by this time tomorrow I want to see your report receipt about this error, understood? Maybe today you can show me why I ought to keep you around." "I... uh..." Other Charlie unzipped her shirt and pulled it off like I wasn't even in the room. Beneath, she had a regulation sports bra in a light grey material. Then she pulled down her pants and I spun around my heel. My cheeks were on fire. What was she thinking?! There's a guy in the room with her! "I... I can wait until you're done." "No you can not, if you expect to stay in my Engineering, you will not ever think it's okay to take your time, to dally, to saunter, mosey, or anything else of the sort. Get your clothes off, Ensign, don't make me tell you again. Best we know, the Captain of this crate might just write you off and blow you into space, so it's best to keep your head down." It was hard not to stare at her. A pair of tight-fitting panties matched her bra. Her body was thin and shaped. Toned, maybe? She seemed... strong. I fumbled with my shirt, but I didn't take off my pants. Maybe if she dressed first, she would leave and I could finish changing. "Ensign, if I get done before you, I am going to dress you myself and I promise it will not be pretty." Although he kind of was, in that androgynously chapstick kind of way. The little compartment went bing and lit up green to let the both of us know that the uniforms were ready. I slipped down out of my panties and kicked them off, then turned away to open the compartment. Okay, I was officially out of my comfort zone. I didn't want to strip naked in front of this woman! And I didn't want to see my commanding officer naked from the waist down! Or, I guess I sort of did, because my body reacted in a very... pleasing way. But my mind raced with anxiety and shame. Pervert. Fuck, why am I such a pervert?! I was struggling to keep my breathing even, and I still hadn't taken off my pants. I pulled the pair of new uniform underpants up my thighs, followed by the tight fitting (and a little bit sexist) spandex pants that caught and outlined every single curve of my lower half. When I looked over my shoulder at Charlie, still there in his pants and gawking at me, I had to swallow a little bit of rage. "If you're going to act like such a baby, Charlie, I'll make sure you're treated like one. Now hurry the fuck up and get those pants off." I didn't want to disappoint her. I didn't want to get kicked off this ship! So I slid my pants down to my ankles and stepped out of them, covering the front of my underwear with my hands, both to hide my embarrassment and a struggling erection. "C-can... y-you pass me... umm..." She was on the other side of the room with my uniform and it looked like I was about to break down into tears at any minute. "Can I what?" I asked in annoyance, pulling the tight fitting top over my chest to peek my head thru, and when I looked at him all I could see was a whimpering little infant pretending to be a man. Ugh. Men. What the actual fuck? I did my best to keep it cool and calm and collected, to understand that this young man was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. But he was jeopardizing my career, he was invading my room, I was sharing my uniform rations with him, and he was just... beyond useless. Like holy fuck. A painting might have accomplished more, by covering a blemish on the wall. So when I marched over to him, double step, it was to put my arms under his arms, pick him up, and yeet him into the bed in frustration. "Can't you do anything yourself, Charlie?" [Author notes:] Sophie: You can’t use “yeet” as a verb in a sci-fi story Pudding: It's adopted into the English Language by this time Pudding: It's actually called a "Hyperspace Yeet" when you jump faster than light [/notes] I yelped in surprise as she threw me onto the bed, and I bounced just enough to hit my head on the headboard. I raised my hands to rub the bump, forgetting about the straining underwear. "Wow. Is this how you're going to be in my Engineering Deck, Charlie? Walking around with... what is that, half a boner?" Some girls say size doesn't matter. Those girls don't work on rocket engines all day. "You're really shameful, you know that?" It got worse, though, because when I went to strip him of his underwear to get him dressed, something very awful happened. He shivered, and groaned, and clutched the bedsheets... and shot his load right into his underwear. My shame was overwhelming. It pressed down on my heart and my brain. It made every part of me ache, as each muscle in my body came down from the orgasm. I hadn't meant to! I... I don't know what happened! She was just so forceful, and it had been a while, and then her fingers in the waistband of my underwear, and... and... and I started to cry. To really cry. Tears dripped down my cheeks and I sniffled like a child. "I'm sorry... I... I didn't mean it... I'm sorry..." "I don't really have room for babies in my crew, Charlie. I think I'm just gonna have to tell the Captain and let him deal with you." Honestly, I was just done with this. The sobbing boy took my sleeve though and started to blubber, shaking his head and saying something or other about 'please don't'. But what was I supposed to do? "I can't have you in Engineering, Charlie; you're going to make the women there uncomfortable if you're constantly pitching a tent, and then the moment one of them gets close to you, you just explode like an anti-matter reaction? I don't think I can salvage you, not unless..." I could put him in an EVA suit? Right? But that would waste so fucking much of my requisition. Ideally he would wear my uniforms so I didn't have to waste them. But if he shot his load all over them they'd be wasted anyway, because I wasn't going to wear them after that. What he needed was some kind of... desensitizing, thickly layered, single use underwear… I watched Charlie make her way over to the requisition box and type something in. I sat on my knees, sobbing openly, in nothing but cum-soaked underwear. I didn't know what I was going to do. If she tattled, I'd be off this ship in a heartbeat. Suddenly, there was no doubt in my mind that being here was a mistake. I didn't belong. No matter how many times I wiped my eyes, fresh tears filled them. "Lay down. On your back." I barked at him, pointing firmly. Actually seeing him sobbing like that, whimpering, it was... well, I didn't want to say it was hot because I was still pretty pissed off at all of this, but there was definitely the early signs of a warp core breach in my loins. He laid down, he did what he was told, and I stood with my arms crossed waiting for the little bin light to go green. This would help. And if he said no, I'd make it part of his uniform. I looked up at the ceiling and kept wiping away my tears. Finally, as a tiny ding rang through the room, they were beginning to cease. I felt so pathetic. I felt so useless. Maybe I was pathetic and useless. Maybe I wasn't good for anything... When I felt her fingers in my waistband again, I shivered. A sexual feeling. But my shame was too much right now. Again, I had to apologize. "S-sorry..." "The only words I want to hear out of your mouth right now are ‘Yes Commander’ and nothing else. Am I clear, Charlie?" I'd never done this before. I mean, I'd undressed boys before; I had a healthy sexual appetite for all the flavors of the gender rainbow. And it wasn't even the fact that his underwear were gummy with cum that annoyed me - it was his inability to control himself. With the garment on the bed, though, what I was about to dress him in, that wouldn't be a problem anymore. I didn't have a choice, did I? If I argued with her, she would tell the Captain. I'd be off this ship before we left the dock. And if I tried to fight her, she would yell at me again. I'd cry again. If I was a good boy, if I did what she said... maybe I could redeem myself. "Y-yes Commander..." I picked his legs up by his ankles and I lifted his ass up off the bed, sliding something soft and padded beneath his ass before I set his whole weight back down on it. Thick and desensitizing, that was the point. Absorbent, too. I pulled it between his legs, forcing his thighs apart, and I drew each side of the garment around to secure it in front. The nanite fasteners were programmed to my command ID, so they wouldn't let go without my say so. With one hand I rubbed on the front of the undergarment - the diaper, let's call it what it was - and nodded in satisfaction. "This is officially part of your uniform now, Charlie, it's going to protect the crew from your impulses, and protect you from more... unpleasant accidents. And hopefully that means you won't have to leave the ship, okay?" My tone had gotten softer - just a little, not entirely, but his responses would determine my demeanor. I looked down at my waist - at the light purple diaper covering it - and felt a fresh heat on my cheeks. I blushed so deeply I wasn't sure I'd ever stop blushing. I opened my mouth to argue with Charlie, but she gave me a stern look. A sharp glare. A glare that reminded me of the first time I met her on the transporter platform. I swallowed my words and looked away. This was ridiculous... "I asked you a question, Charlie." And he knew there was only going to be one appropriate answer too, because I gave him those words as the only ones he was allowed to use. The diaper was thicker than I'd thought, but I wanted him nicely desensitized, and this seemed to be what the computer had calculated for this need. With my uniform pants it was going to be really obvious what he was wearing. I guess I could requisition a uniform dress... "Yes, Commander," I said so quietly that I was sure she didn't hear it. But she patted me on the head and ran her fingers through my hair. "That's a good boy." A good boy. I felt a heat in my chest, but it wasn't anxiety or fear. It felt like... pride. I looked up at her shyly as she walked away, toward the replicator. I took the moment to look down at the diaper. Purple. Thick. And strangely infantile. I wasn't a very big guy, and it made me feel even smaller. Weaker. Helpless. A fresh blush came to my cheeks. "You've been good and done what you've been ordered, so I'm going to splurge a little bit and help you with your dignity for when you meet the crew for the first time." And you know, I shouldn't have really, because there was no way I was ever going to wear this uniform again, but Charlie was going to be in diapers until I trusted him not to be and that could have been a long time. Pragmatically, this made the most sense. "Stand up." I had in my hands, a uniform dress. Similar in coloration and style to the uniforms for our division, the dress hem should have been just long enough to cover his diaper, and not bulge like the pants would. I climbed to my feet shakily and looked up at Charlie. For some reason, that three to four inch difference seemed a lot more important now. But as she unfurled my new uniform and I saw what it was, my blushing cheeks went a stark white. "I can't wear that! That's a girl's uniform!" And not a 'women's' uniform, like Charlie's. No, it was a uniform meant for underage female staff, who would often volunteer if their parents were on duty. It looked good on ship-training applications. I slapped his cheek. Not every ship allowed for corporal punishment, but I took my chances on this one based on the age of the vessel and unglamorous nature of the cargo. And also that Charlie wasn't man enough to speak up anyway, lest he be spaced from the airlock at the Captain’s behest. "I told you, Charlie, you say 'Yes Commander' or nothing at all. I know your emotions are high right now, this is a new posting with lots of new stressors and adjustments, but I will not overlook further insubordination. Am I clear?" Fresh tears welled up in my eyes and I nodded my head. My cheek stung like a flame on my skin and it took all my willpower to hold back my tears. I... I didn't have a choice. I had to do what she said. "Y-yes, Commander..." There were a few problems when I pulled the dress over his bare chest. The first was a simple one of dress code: a uniform dress required a uniform hair bow. I'd have to replicate one of those, which was going to cost me even more requisition. The second issue, though, was that on his very flat chest, without the lines of even a sports bra, the dress just didn't sit quite right. More requisition. I sighed, pushing up my glasses. "You're going to work your little diapered ass off when we get down to Engineering, Charlie. I better be able to say to my crew that they should be more like you, based on the quality of your work." Hairbow. Bra. Shoes, too, ugh. What was he, about a Space Regulation 5? Same as me, at least, so those wouldn't be a waste, although the dress regulation for his uniform called for patent finish for the shoes. Tears silently dripped down my cheeks as she clipped the red bow in my hair - matching my dress - and started to fit me with a padded training bra. I wasn't a girl! I wasn't! But every moment of self-assurance was squashed by Charlie manhandling me. In the end, after my feet were buckled in childish shoes, I looked every bit a girl by design. Except for the fact I was very clearly a boy! "Please," I begged softly, and I only managed to get that word out when she was pulling me out the door. My face was still wet with tears. "Ensign, you're going to meet your crew when we get down there. I don't want you to talk out of line. I don't want you to cause a fuss. I'll give you a duty assignment like everybody else, and you're to carry it out as prescribed and to the letter. Don't let anybody be given a reason not to like you, and you'll fit in just fine." The pep talk was almost maternal in its nature, but I'd have given it to any of my recruits in the same circumstance. It was good for morale. "First impressions mean more than years of service. Don't make waves." As Charlie walked down the hall in her new uniform - a form-fitting red top and tight black pants - I followed behind with my eyes on the ground. Maybe no one would notice me. Maybe no one would guess I was a man! But I knew the truth: I didn't look like a girl. At the very best, I could hope to be mistaken for a teenage boy. I shook my head. I had to stop crying before we got to Engineering. So I steeled myself and wiped all the water from my face.