Cloth Diapers & Panties

Diplomatic Immunity status: ch 1 posted a more kink centric story centering around the bratty, titular character of @ABAlex in the diaper dimension! He’s a real brat, but he’s got diplomatic immunity! Oh won’t he ever get spanked…    

This world is sad silly and crazy - and either we find a way to get it to make us happy, or not. The reason is the people in it and all people, no matter what they say, are scared in some form or another... and this they project onto others. Yes, it is not fair or nice, but that is how it is. People will like us or not all based on something that they can't explain - so please don't let it effect you. You, like everyone in the world, are the only you that exists - which means that you are unique.  People here on this site seek to find happiness and joy in the simple act of wearing and using diapers - and there is absolutle nothing wrong with that. Others in the world make the mistake of writing down lits of pros and cons and attempt to use that as a way to find the happiness. You have to first - enjoy being you... after all, you are the only you that is, and will ever be. Next is to be happy with what you have. You have conquered a lot of challenges in your life to get here. In other posts, you say that you like messing in diapers. That is a subtle enjoyment of feelings and emotions - i.e. the relaxation of voiding, the high afterwards, the squish as you move, and for some the smell. What you need to do is focus on the feelings of the clean diaper so it makes you happy even by wearing / moving in it. Focus on the little things then let them all add up to make the rest of you happy. Feeling sad / lonely / unhappy is a recursive circle that feeds itself - as is the circle of feeling happy - any it is up to you to make you happy.

I did!  Well, I'm in the editing process now. So I'm in the process of making one 🩵

I kind of getting closer to forgiving myself but but both my mental and physical state is clearly still not good.

Chapter Sixty-One: Dinner and a Show Adam smiled as his legs were threaded through the high chair, lifted Little Boja so Seo-ya could buckle him in, and pulled him down into a hug. She was smiling at him in return, and he smiled wider, tickled by how different their reasons for being so happy were. “Say bye-bye to your friend,” Aunt Bones declared as she put a hand on the back of Little Boja’s neck. Adam’s smile vanished as he gripped the stuffed tiger; despite never eating with Little Boja at home (his choice), he repeatedly forgot he wasn’t allowed to here. He kept taking for granted how cute and inoffensive it would seem, while relying heavily on them for support (whether it be warmth, espionage, or a key item). His eyes darted around as he tried to reason out what to do quickly. He had wanted to be able to record throughout the dinner at opportune moments, but realizing that wasn’t an option, he had to decide if he should start recording now, hoping there was enough storage to cover an hour or so of audio, or make sure to pay attention and report anything he found important in a message. The problem with the second option was that he didn’t know what would or wouldn’t be important, and once the guests were gone, he had no idea how reliable sending messages would be. “Adam,” Seo-ya warned, albeit playfully, as she tugged on Little Boja. He very briefly glared up at her, annoyed at the disruption of his processing, but forced his expression into more of a pout. He needed to keep her as much of an ally as possible throughout this dinner. “Poor baby,” Yoon mocked with a bit of a grin as she basked in the moment, arching an eyebrow at him as he glared at her. “Say bye-bye for now,” Aunt Bones ordered a little more curtly as she shook Little Boja, and Adam winced, recognizing she wanted a compliant performance in front of everyone. Taking in a deep breath, he pulled the stuffed tiger in for a long, tight hug, so he could maneuver the hand behind the head to tap on the eye to begin recording. It was worth the risk. “Bye-bye, Little Boja,” he stated with a sigh as loudly as he could muster to appease the attention-hungry giantess. 『 You weren’t kidding, 』one of the men chuckled, grinning at the scene as he stepped over to his seat. “Good boy,” Seo-ya purred as she leaned down and kissed his forehead, then pulled the stuffed tiger out of his grasp. With her compliment out of the way, she shot a knowing look to the man as her eyes widened and she nodded in an exaggerated fashion. 『 Honestly, I think he’d take it into the bath with him, if he could. 』 This, for some reason, got a chuckle from everyone. On the bright side, Adam could pout and cross his arms over his chest in annoyance without giving away that he’d heard it, since they were attributing his behavior to a dependency on the plush. Glaring down at the empty high chair tray, he talked himself down from the aggravation by recalling that Boja had told him audio files are much smaller in size than visual ones. But the larger the file, the harder it would be to send covertly, and harder even still if he didn’t get Little Boja back before they all left. He needed them to be using their phones en masse so he could send it. As his eyes darted around the table as the giants took their seats, he pursed his lips as he began accepting that he might need to come down to their expectations to get what he wanted. 『 When everything is settled, you should bring him around the offices. Everyone would be delighted to see him, 』 Yoon stated with a lingering grin on her lips as she locked her eyes on Adam, who pretended to eye the food curiously. 『 Mmm, 』 Seo-ya hummed her disapproval, an eyebrow twitching as she placed Little Boja on a nearby surface. 『 I don’t believe the ‘offices’ are an appropriate environment for him. 』 『 Nonsense, Zhang brings Jeong around all the time, 』 Yoon dismissed with a wave of her hand. 『 He hasn’t as much recently, 』 Hyun observed with a slight frown, and Yoon turned to him sharply, squinting at him. The large man shrugged. 『 He’s hired a nanny, I think. 』 『 I see, 』Yoon murmured in clear disapproval. 『 But the point stands, we made great effort to make a safe play area for him, 』 Hyun amended as he smiled over at Seo-ya, who still looked unconvinced, but gave a terse, polite smile as the man spoke. 『 And his presence does improve morale. 』 Seo-ya made some noise in her throat, and the topic thankfully changed, but Adam was still stuck in that exchange, staring down at the table in horror. Jeong had worked for Hyun and, extrapolating from the conversation, Zhang was bringing him around his former coworkers… Closing his eyes, the blonde’s stomach lurched, killing any appetite. That bastard. These bastards. It wasn’t enough to strip the Tweener of his autonomy, his name, and his ability to fudging walk, but they had to parade him around at his former place of work, where he sat in a playpen while his former coworkers, at best, gawked at him. At worst, mocked him. Or maybe they avoided him… maybe they saw him as a warning to others who might scheme to get ahead. Maybe morale improved because others feared the same thing happening to them, so they worked harder and left him alone. As Adam swallowed and hung his head, he knew that was a foolish hope. Maybe it was true if there were other Tweeners, but Amazons didn’t fear the same happening to them. He didn’t want the more obvious solution to be true, and he was trying to make Jeong’s situation less horrifying in his head. Inhaling sharply, Adam’s body jerked, and he was ripped from his thoughts as the high chair was slid closer to Seo-ya. Looking at her, she offered him a smile as she reached her hand out to caress the back of his head; he tried to withhold a grimace, but he wasn’t terribly successful. “Do you know how to start a meal, baby?” she asked in a purring register, though her eyes had widened slightly in a warning look. He swallowed, his eyes briefly flicking towards the table to see everyone was staring at him. He thought to say no, as Amazons just loved teaching Littles, but his pride wouldn’t allow it. Even when their relationship was at its worst, Kang had taken the time to teach him that, and he wasn’t about to erase that for the sake of harmony. “Yeah,” he said as a smile came over him. “Halbo taught me.” “Halbo?” one of the men asked. “Grandpa!” Adam bubbled before either Aunt Bones or Uncle Shit could reply, and the Amazon nodded, trying his best to smile but was clearly uncomfortable with him bringing Kang up. 『 He struggles saying grandfather, 』 Seo-ya dismissively explained while waving a hand in the air, an amused grin on her lips. 『 Should have gone with something even easier, like Bobo, 』Yoon snorted, then gave a light shrug. 『 Not that it matters anymore. 』 Adam took an unsteady breath as his heart rate spiked, bowed his head, and, against his better judgment, spoke in Goryeoan. “We give gratitude for this meal,” he enunciated clearly, and then sat up with a jolt of eagerness to see their faces, and he was not disappointed. Jaws were hanging open, accompanied by wide eyes as the entire table sat staring at him. He beamed proudly and looked over to Seo-ya, who stared at him with a mixture of shock and horror, and it took an enormous amount of willpower not to burst out laughing. He kicked his feet excitedly to release some of the energy. 『 Does he…? 』 Hyun started to ask, somewhat lazily pointing to Adam while his gaze rapidly swapped between the hosts. 『 No, 』 Shik spoke quickly and curtly, his cheeks flushing in irritation as he glared at Adam, who was scanning the table to soak it all in.『 He just memorized that. 』 “Did I say it right?” Adam asked Aunt Bones, struggling to shift his expression into concern, as a smile still lingered on his lips, but at least his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She opened her mouth slightly, but her eyes scanned the table before she recovered with a tight smile, her thumb rubbing the back of his head. “I think it’s best you stick to your first language, baby,” she chuckled nervously, and Adam’s nostrils flared, but he managed to maintain a slight smile. He got what he wanted out of the moment, and he had to remind himself he shouldn’t have expected the moment to last. “Okay,” he agreed with a nod and bowed his head again, repeating it in Albionic. There were hums of approval as heads bowed momentarily, and the tension in the air seemed to dissipate. “Well done,” one of the unnamed men complimented, and Adam smiled brightly, letting himself believe he was complimenting his Goryeoan. Although most were satisfied with the given performance and explanation, both Shik and Hyun’s eyes lingered on Adam. Their suspicion, or elevated wariness, was palpable. He breathed slowly through his nose, trying to calm his nervous heart. 『 You know, some spend thousands of dollars to adjust a Little’s ability to communicate, 』 Yoon piped up as she stared down at her plate for a moment, then blew a laugh out of her nose as she reached out for a bowl of rice. 『 And here they are, ruining a perfect gift by teaching him. Such a waste. 』 『 Agreed, 』Seo-ya sighed, shaking her head as she took hold of a bowl and gave a smile to Adam as she showed him the mandu. He was slow to smile, given the topic, but he held out his hands for the bowl once he recovered. She, of course, ignored him and began placing the dumplings on a plastic plate for him. 『 Now that’s an untapped market, 』one of the shorter Amazon men piped up as he pointed a finger up to the ceiling and leaned forward, eagerly looking to Shik for approval. The thin uncle arched an eyebrow as he met the man’s gaze and gave a subtle nod to continue. 『 Joomi’s expertise could really advance our suite of Little care. 』 『 I’ve said as much, 』 Seo-ya commented with a bit of a huff, lifting the plate and setting it on the high chair tray while giving Adam a fake smile. He returned in kind. 『 She isn’t interested. 』 『 She might be now, 』he countered as he gestured towards Adam, who was looking around for chopsticks or some kind of utensil. 『 Maybe she just needed the right reason. 』 Adam allowed himself a moment to look towards the man, who flashed a smile. Although smiling every time he made eye contact with someone was becoming annoying and exhausting, he enjoyed smiling in return this time as a point of pride in Joomi. 『 Or a test subject, 』Yoon grinned at Adam, and he felt a chill run down his spine. 『 Procurement is a better angle, 』 Hyun cut in curtly, his eyes lingering on Shik’s notes of disapproval; it was very reminiscent of Bom monitoring Kang’s subtle reactions, though Shik was far more expressive than his elder brother, so much easier to read. Adam stared only for a moment, then craned his neck towards the table to make it appear he was only looking for utensils.『 Adoption numbers have declined over the years. There are fewer opportunities to expand one’s family, and that’s a service we can easily provide. 』 Shik frowned and nodded, impressed with this observation, and there were hums in affirmation around the table. Notably, Seo-ya’s eyes had widened, and she nodded in firm agreement before she tapped on the plastic plate, drawing Adam’s attention back to her. He shot her a confused look, but she didn’t look at him; she was quite drawn into the topic. 『 It’s all this accommodating, 』 Yoon complained, throwing her head back and shaking it slightly. 『 We’ve bent over backward to give Littles every opportunity to prove themselves, and what have they done with it? Nothing! It’s ridiculous! 』 Adam glared down at the empty space where utensils should be, but his anger was firmly at the commentary. What he wouldn’t give to be able to have a good-faith debate with someone with such a warped view as hers. 『 It’s the government, 』 Shik stated with a slight shrug. 『 They’ve been eager to prove we are worthy allies, and demonstrate how different we are from Yamatoa. 』 Shik’s eyes looked up as a thought came to him, and there was little delay between that and him voicing it. 『 Which is also a point of pride for us. 』 Hums of affirmation and nods followed. Seo-ya closed her eyes and nodded in agreement, then opened them to look at Adam, and she tapped his plate again. He squinted at her in confusion. “Do you need help?” she asked in a stage whisper, attempting to give the illusion that she was being quiet but was certainly loud enough for the whole table to hear. “No,” Adam said as he gestured to the food. “I just –” he paused, pursing his lips, reminding himself to be polite to keep the peace. Plus, it helped that he didn’t want to give Joomi or Boja any cause to be disappointed in him when listening to the recording. 『 It is, 』Yoon agreed quickly with an incline of her head during Adam’s pause, though her tone and body language screamed she wasn’t done with the topic. He briefly glanced over at her, then back to Aunt Bones, whose eyebrows were raised as she waited. “May I have chopsticks, please?” he asked quietly. 『 We do not hide behind laws, 』Yoon began. “Eat with your hands, hun,” Seo-ya stated quietly in return, so as not to draw away from the conversation, as she gestured to his plate. “Unless you need help?” Adam shook his head in response to Aunt Bones, grimacing slightly as he picked up a dumpling between his index and thumb, briefly noting that everyone else was allowed to eat them with chopsticks. He let out a small sigh before shoving half of the dumpling into his mouth, knowing very well she wanted him to get dirty to make a fuss over him later. 『 But we need not harm ourselves to prove our differences, 』Yoon continued as she scanned the table, seeking the reactions of each individual. Adam sniffed as he rubbed his lips clean with the back of his hand, allowing himself to sneer momentarily in the process. 『 In fact, I think you have an extraordinary opportunity! 』Yoon burst with energy and excitement as an idea dawned on her. 『 Have you seen that Yamatoa has been leveraging that foreign Little who “asked” to be Adopted? 』she asked as she put up air quotes and further emphasized with sarcasm and an eye roll, all of which elicited huffs and grumbles of agreement with her clear disbelief. Several at the table nodded, and the tattooed woman threw her arm out towards Adam. 『 We should do the same with Adam. 』 Adam suddenly slowed down on chewing the mandu as he stared at her, which had the benefit of letting him savor the flavor (not that it was better than Eomma’s or Halmae’s, but he granted her it was pretty good). The idea wasn’t immediately shot down, and many curious eyes turned to Shik. Adam looked down at his tray as Seo-ya set a small dish of dipping sauce in front of him. He briefly glanced at her, but she was cautiously looking between Yoon and her husband, looking concerned about the topic. 『 He definitely didn’t ask, 』Shik countered as his mouth flattened into a semi-frown of disapproval; Hyun quickly stifled a laugh in his throat.『 Nor would I trust my nephew in front of a camera or journalists. 』 Adam smacked his lips and jammed the other half of the dumpling in the sauce, smiling down, recalling Shik had called him dangerous. It would be the ultimate victory to have Shik admit he thought of a Little as a threat, especially in front of his lackey conspirators. 『 Please, neither did theirs, 』Yoon scoffed, her right shoulder jolting up in a half-shrug. 『 They’ve clearly trained her well, and we can do the same. Think about it: 』she pushed as she put her spread-out fingertips on the table and leaned a bit forward. 『 They’re trying to prove their way is so superior that Littles want to go there. We can prove the same and completely discredit that farce. 』 The blonde shoved the rest of the sauce-smothered dumpling in his mouth, looking up at the ceiling curiously, wondering who they were talking about. He couldn’t help but agree with Yoon that there was no way a Little would request to be Adopted in Yamatoa without some sort of trick, and usually that involved hypnosis, as far as he was concerned. 『 And I have no doubt I can get him camera ready, 』Yoon opined as she eyed Adam like a starving predator. He flashed her a chubby-cheeked smile, his mouth full of food, and quickly averted his eyes back down to his plate. 『 An interesting proposition, 』 Shik lied, as Adam deduced by his somewhat indifferent tone and, of course, his hand twitch. 『 But that would only be effective with Joomi’s cooperation. 』 Yoon tilted her head to the side as she stared forward in consideration, and remained in that position as the heads around the table nodded and hummed in agreement with Shik. Yoon’s eyebrows bounced up then down quickly, then she pursed her lips as her face contorted in slight confusion. 『 She still refuses to be public, doesn’t she? 』 Adam was close enough to Seo-ya to hear the sharp inhale through her breath. The room stilled. Everyone grew noticeably uncomfortable, and the blonde shoved the last bit of his second dumpling into his mouth as a knee-jerk reaction. It was subtle, and thus very Goryeoan, but Yoon had just challenged Shik’s authority. While Adam felt he had come a long way in understanding the insane subtleties of the culture, something about statements versus questions, negative versus positive framing, and knowing where to end the discussion could make someone cross a line. He didn’t always know the details and would be the first to say he couldn’t navigate it, but he knew enough to register it. 『 She does, 』 Shik replied cautiously, his eyes looking ready to shoot lasers into Yoon’s skull. 『 There we are, 』 Yoon smiled at him, in not such a different way than she had given Zhang, Jeong, and Adam himself. There was a smirk beneath it. A teasing… a threat. 『 He’s doing very well with you. Seo-ya would look wonderful on camera. 』 『 Adam has caused enough disturbances for any Little’s lifetime, 』 Shik countered while the blonde caught an exchange of glances between some of the others, and he thought he understood why: he shouldn’t be engaging in the debate with her. His word should be enough. 『 Precisely! 』 Yoon exclaimed with delight, as if Shik had just agreed with her. 『 And now it’s high time we balance that scale! 』 『 Enough! 』 Shik barked as he slapped his open palm on the table, causing several at the table to jump slightly, including Adam himself. After a beat, Seo-ya reached a hand out to stroke his hair, and they locked eyes for only a moment, where he swore their minds aligned on a traumatized hope that his anger would dissipate before everyone left. Yoon put her palms up in defeat, though a look of smug satisfaction lingered all the same. A long silence fell over the table after this, which was eventually broken by someone complimenting Seo-ya’s cooking. Adam filled up on dumplings and rice, sitting silently as he wavered between anxious and triumphant. This dinner had proven to him, and he believed everyone else at the table, that Shik was no Kang. He lacked the aura and control over others that his brother had. He was glad to have revealed that to them, but as he absorbed what that lesson meant for him, he suddenly felt uncomfortable and unsafe. ----------------------------------------------------------------- “So messy!” Seo-ya chuckled, and Adam threw his head back in annoyance as she wiped his hands and face down. About halfway through the meal, he had realized she was going to deny him utensils the entire time, so he had given up on trying to keep clean. After another wipe over his face, he glanced over to Little Boja, perched and smiling happily from a decorative table. He hadn’t heard any alerts that he was running out of space or had stopped recording… so as far as he knew, the entire dinner had been captured. Granted, only the first ten or so minutes were exciting, but he was happy all the same. “Can I have Little Boja now, please?” he asked as he pointed to the tiger, which caused a few chuckles from the nameless suited Amazons, and Adam’s face burned a little red. Seo-ya giggled as she wiped his pointed hand down again and began unbuckling him from the high chair. “Of course, baby,” she purred. 『 Ah, I nearly forgot! 』 Yoon gasped as she rocketed to her feet. 『 I have a gift for him! 』 『 Oh? 』 Seo-ya mouthed as she lifted Adam to her hip, pausing long enough to squeeze the midsection of the half-soaked diaper, and turned to face the woman. “Auntie,” Adam groused as he pointed to Little Boja, but Seo-ya only gave him a bounce and a loud diaper pat in response, causing him to turn a darker shade of red. 『 Yes, yes, it’s one of the best, 』she explained as she pulled a small package from inside her jacket, wrapped in a cloth. 『 Guaranteed to give Littles a good time! 』 “Auntie, please,” Adam practically began to beg as he reached an arm feebly towards the direction of Little Boja; nothing that Yoon could give him would be good, he knew that much. “Baby, Yoon has a present for you,” Aunt Bones narrated in an exaggerated tone of excitement as she stretched her arm out to gesture towards it as she stepped forward. “What do you say?” “Can I have Little Boja first, please?” he practically growled, forcefully pointing towards the tiger. One of the men lifted a hand to his mouth to muffle his laughter. “Adam,” Seo-ya warned, raising her eyebrows. “Be polite.” Adam threw his head back as he let out a pained groan and kicked a leg in frustration. He wanted desperately to throw a tantrum, lean into how they saw him, and make demands for the tiger until they relented. He was reasonably sure most present would laugh or dismiss it as an infantile need, as they had thus far, but he worried about Shik and Hyun. Their looks of suspicion earlier lingered in his mind, and Uncle Shit had never shown any compassion towards him when he acted more childlike. “Here you go, buddy.” His blue eyes flew open to see Little Boja’s heterochromatic eyes staring at him, and he looked up to the nameless Amazon – the one who had mentioned having his own Little. He had a few scars on his face that looked like old cut wounds, slightly stained teeth that indicated he smoked, and tattoos peeking up from his collared shirt. Every inch of him oozed intimidation, but as he held the tiger out, his face looked warm and friendly. For a moment, compelled by the kindness, he wanted to tell him he had picked the wrong side and to run. “Thank you,” Adam whispered as he reached out, grabbing Little Boja and drawing him in tightly. Shoving his face into the orange and white fur, he repeated the lesson of the shaman’s words over and over again: grab the rabbit first, protect myself first. 『 He’s a good boy, 』the man offered as he patted Adam’s head. 『 Thank you, 』 Seo-ya inclined her head to the man, then gave Adam another bounce as she stepped closer to Yoon. “Adam…” Opting to maintain the recording, just in case, he lifted his head slightly to look at Yoon, who was smirking at him as she held out the present. Glancing at the cloth, he closed his eyes to hide his eye roll; it was a white wrapping cloth, held together with a safety pin in the clear appearance of an old-school diaper. He really hated this woman. Glancing up at Seo-ya, he pointed to the safety pin; her eyes moved towards it, and she let out a laugh. “You want me to change your present?” she cackled, and Yoon was quick to follow. Adam’s face turned bright red, though he wasn’t quite sure if it was from embarrassment or anger. “It’s a pin!” he defended as he threw one arm out, the other tightened around the tiger. Laughing even harder, Seo-ya reached out and pinched the safety pin, which was actually a simple clip disguised as one. Adam’s mouth opened in surprise and then snapped shut, glaring at it angrily as the room laughed. 『 He knows who does the changing! 』 Hyun grinned. 『 I suppose boys don’t have any interest in that, 』 the once kindly man supposed as he chuckled, stroking his goateed chin. 『 My Little girl loves diapering her stuffed animals. 』 『 Girls love mimicking their Mommies, 』 Yoon confirmed with a nod as she tugged on the white cloth, which unfolded easily without the clip to reveal a rattle attached to a wrist strap. Seo-ya gasped and ooo’d at it, taking hold and lifting it up to get a better look. 『 It attaches at the wrist, so it’s perfect for crawlers. The sound is guaranteed to bring a smile to any Little’s face, and it doubles as a bell to find him. If you let him roam, that is. 』 『 We don’t, 』 Seo-ya chuckled and maneuvered the rattle in her hand to grab hold. Adam held his breath as he stared, knowing what was to come; she was going to shake it, and he had seconds to decide if he was going to fake it or not. 『 Guaranteed, you say? 』 Adam looked up at Seo-ya, and her eyes briefly flashed to him in a look of wariness. At any other time, he might have grinned smugly in response, but he shared the anxiety; he didn’t want to reveal he was protected from these devices and invite scrutiny about why, but he also didn’t know how to mask it. He had laughed once before, and that seemed to appease Seo-ya enough, but her hesitation in this moment was concerning; had she known he had faked it and just let it go? If she knew he had faked it, Yoon certainly would. He clenched his jaw as his heart began to race. 『 Yup, my girl loves hers, 』the man smiled. 『 Give it a shake, you’ll see! 』Yoon pressed, gesturing to Adam, whose throat tightened. Seo-ya smiled thinly as she inspected the rattle for a moment, but the silence made her uncomfortable enough to hold the rattle right in front of his face, and she gave it a shake. …And Adam did nothing. He stared at it as the sound in the room dampened. He thought about smiling. He thought about raucously laughing. But as his heart pounded in his throat, he remembered the recording was still going, and despite the strong desire to help his family (his true family) win this fight, he just wanted to go home. Shik wasn’t in control, and his temper made him unstable. Seo-ya had warmed up to him enough that he could see her as a loose ally at times, but she followed the whims of her husband and could withdraw her paltry affection and protection in an instant. He wasn’t a spy. He was a nerd. A nerd who loved science, math, and science fiction. He wasn’t meant for this. He wanted to go home. And if revealing his protection to this crew, recording their reactions, and sending it home meant things might move faster, then fuck it. He wanted out, now. He stared at the rattle, and when this was met with silence, he looked up to Seo-ya and scanned the room with a dead, neutral expression. Aunt Bones’ eyebrows contorted upwards, causing a row of lines all the way up her forehead. The kindly man frowned curiously. Hyun’s eyebrows fell in a sort of glare. Shik’s lip sneered while his eyes looked horrified. And Yoon… She tilted her head to the side as her pupils dilated. She looked like a cat ready to pounce. Her mouth parted slightly, then she grinned as her eyes narrowed at him. “Someone is Mommy’s special Little boy, isn’t he?” she taunted in a low tone, her right eyebrow twitching ever so slightly. Adam recoiled slightly as he gripped Little Boja tightly, which had the unfortunate effect of causing Yoon to look to the tiger. Smirking, she placed a hand on her hip and rolled her wrist to lazily point her finger, palm up, at Little Boja. 『 It’s this. That’s why he’s so attached to it. 』 Adam felt every muscle in his body freeze. He stopped breathing. He was sure Yoon could hear his heart screaming in his chest as his face lost all its color. 『 Destroy it, 』 Shik ordered darkly as a shadow crossed over his face, the muscles in his neck bulging and a vein throbbing at his temple. “Say bye-bye!” Yoon cackled as she jammed her hand out and grabbed Little Boja by the neck. “NO!” Adam screamed as he held on with all his might, his voice cracking. “NO, PLEASE!” Yoon only laughed in response, but she was the only one. Seo-ya gasped as she placed a hand on Adam’s chest to steady him, lest he fall as the horrid tattooed woman gave a powerful yank to rip Little Boja from his grasp. “NO!! PLEASE!! PLEASE!!” Adam screamed, his eyes flooding with tears, his face instantly red as he tried to hold onto the leg, but when he heard a seam begin to rip, he released it as he gasped. Then, realizing he had let go voluntarily, he let out a long, mournful cry. Yoon chuckled as she rolled her eyes and grabbed the head of the stuffed tiger, her entire posture ready to rip his head off. Adam shrieked in horror as he thrashed against Seo-ya’s grip, desperately reaching out for the tiger. 『 Wait, wait! 』 Seo-ya said as she gasped, trying hard to steady him, and she lifted a hand to cover his mouth so she could be heard. 『 He was like this before the tiger! 』 Pressing against her hand, ready to bite her palm, Adam sucked in air suddenly in a gasp, causing her hand to suction to his mouth. His eyes stared into Little Boja’s, and he felt like his world had been turned upside down twice in rapid succession. Was Aunt Bones… helping him? 『 What?! 』 Shik snapped as he glared at his wife. 『 I’m sorry! 』 Seo-ya flustered, removing her hand from Adam’s mouth as she placed her hand on her chest. 『 He didn’t respond to the mobile, and I - I thought maybe it was just broken! 』Yoon’s eyebrows rose high on her forehead as she looked between the couple, a bemused expression on her face, while Hyun stroked his chin. Seo-ya awkwardly looked between her husband and the crowd, then grimaced as she gestured to the stuffed tiger.『 And, dear, you’ve already scanned it. It’s just a toy. 』 Shik inhaled loudly through his nose as his lips pinched so tightly they turned white. Yoon frowned, looking down at the tiger, then over to Shik, and after a brief stare between the two, he nodded in affirmation. Adam’s jaw quivered, his eyes darting between the faces in the room, including the tiger’s. He wasn’t sure that was true, but he wasn’t in a place to inspect it; either they were lying to save face, or they had scanned Little Boja in the few times he wasn’t in his possession, and either way, it didn’t matter now. Adam reached his arms out when it wasn’t immediately evident that Yoon was going to give it back. “Please,” he pleaded in a quiet voice, and as his throat tightened, his next words came out in a squeak, “He’s my best friend.” Adam’s arms shook when this confession was met with a snort, and his face twisted as he tried to hold back any crying. He couldn’t even be angry. He was so afraid of losing the plush, and this horrifying moment had truly solidified the reality of his attachment. It wasn’t the technology; it wasn’t his spy gear and ability to communicate back home. Little Boja had been there through everything. He was his first friend in a sea of discomfort at his ceremony’s reception. He was there when he suffered Kang’s wrath. He was there when he blasted Seo-ya in the face with chocolate milk. He was there when he reunited with Jeong. Every time Adam needed comfort or someone on his side, Little Boja was there. And even when he couldn’t be there… he still found a way back to him. Yes, he was just a toy. Adam knew that logically. But he was so much more, too. “Of course he is,” Yoon chuckled as she took a step forward and leaned close to him. “And I’ll give him back… when you tell me what your Mommy did to you.” “Did…?” Adam felt stupid the second the word came out of his mouth. He knew what she wanted to know, but he had been so focused on his primal fear for Little Boja that he had dropped the reason the tiger’s life had been in danger in the first place. “Why can’t you hear the rattle?” Yoon asked as her arm darted out, grabbing Adam’s chin and beginning to move his head to inspect him. He stared forward, his mind latching onto the question, wondering if she thought he couldn’t hear it at all or just the part meant to screw with him. 『 We scanned him several times, 』 Seo-ya noted a bit defensively as she drew Adam closer, placing a hand on his outer thigh, as if to start making a wall between him and Yoon. “She stuck a - a long tool thing in my ear,” he lied quickly, lifting a hand to stick his finger in his ear to demonstrate. “It made some noises, and then she - she said she was done. That she fixed something in my, uh… drum.” Yoon stared at Adam for a long moment, and for the first time ever, she wasn’t happy. She didn’t look aloof or in control. Her upper lip twitched as she released her hold on his jaw. She looked pissed. Little Boja suddenly came flying at him as the stuffed tiger was shoved into his arms, and he let out a surprised cry as he wrapped his arms around it and held on for dear life. 『 We need to get a grip on her. Now, 』Yoon growled as she turned to face Shik, who scowled at her. Drawing himself upward to his maximum height, which was impressive in a room of normal-sized Amazons, he appeared to be putting on his best Kang impression. Which wasn’t very good. 『 Get Zhang in, 』he commanded darkly, his tone a bit lower than his usual nasal tone. 『 Then we make our move. 』 『 Consider it done, 』 Yoon radiated confidence.