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Chapter 1: Hi I'm Gene, a second year university student in Small Town Nova Scotia. Today's a bit of a weird day for me; ya see, I'm usually babysat by my grandmother, but recently my mom had a bit of a falling out with her. Everything's been normal if not a little bit sad now that grandma's not around, but that normalcy is about to change. My mom's gonna be gone most of the day starting at noon and she won't be back until after my bedtime. So a new babysitter will be coming over, someone I've never had before. From what I've heard my Mom caught wind of the new babysitter through a friend in the neighborhood so I'm glad it'll probably be someone I know. maybe that nice old lady across the street who always brings us raspberries or the funny couple up the street who do holistic medicine. lots of good grown ups in this neighborhood so I'm not too worried.    I leaned back in my desk chair typing the last word of my 15,000 word engineering essay when I heard the door open. “dang 12 noon already” I mumbled. I came out of my room to see who it was and my heart sank and fluttered at the same time. It was Sasha Atrevida, the most beautiful girl in our neighborhood. Sasha and I had grown up together always running in the same friend groups we even kissed once during a game of truth or dare.    “Hey Genie! she smiled and waved and came and hugged me. The hug felt nice as her head pressed into my chest and my forearms felt the straps of her bra. It was mostly nice to feel the warmth of another person. I've been very lonely since most of my friends moved across the country for better opportunities.    “Hey Sash, long time no see, how have you been?” I asked, quaking in my voice.    “Very good, I'm studying philosophy at the university and babysitting lotsa kids on the side to make extra money, just last week I took your brother's kids to a water park on his dime, very fun.” she smiled and her speech flowed so naturally. it was like we had spent no time apart. She turned to my mom “alright miss Littlewood I guess I should know the ground rules for taking care of this little guy.” she reached up and patted my head.   my mom began “alright, he's allowed to walk around the neighborhood unattended but further than that you have to come with him, he's a danger in the kitchen so you'll have to cook his meals, his bedtime is 9:30 sharp, he has to be in bed teeth brushed by that time. Last thing most important” I braced for impact “little Genie still wets the bed so you'll have to put him in his diaper before tucking him in. His training pants stay mostly dry in the day that's why they're fabric but he needs real absorbancy at night. Still, checking him in the day isn't a bad idea.    “Alright, tight, I got this.” she said, visibly surprised by all the rules.    “Now I'm gonna shove off. you two have fun.” with that my mom was gone and the prettiest girl in the neighborhood was now officially in charge of me.    Sasha turned to me with an expectant look on her face “so, that's a lot of rules. Are those always what you go by or is this some kind of punishment?”    I winced, embarrassed. “No, this is just normal for me.”    “huh.” she thought for a moment. “I had always heard rumours about you being in a position like this, but I figured now that we're both 19 you would've moved up in the world.”    “It's not always this awkward. My grandmother usually babysits me and I love her to death. She's a great cook and genuinely kind so I just never felt the need to move up in the world.”    “oh, ok.” she thought for a moment again. “What if I helped you learn some things!” she smiled “I could teach you how to cook, let you have some more independence.” she gasped “have you ever been on a date?”   my face sank and I couldn't make eye contact “N-no I haven't.”    “That's perfect!” she grabbed my arm and I looked down at her. “I could help you set up a bumble and I could chaperone some dates for you!”    “wow, you would do that for me?” I smiled. “My mom and grandma never let me date, or drink even though I'm legal age.”    “I don't know about drinking and I'll put a stop to anything sexual happening, but I don't see anything wrong with a bit of love in your life and maybe a kiss!”   I became sad and I looked away. It hurt that she, like all the others, thought I wasn't ready for those things.     “Well I guess that's a good idea for as things go on. For now I'm just here for tonight and if your mom likes me I'll come back to be a regular sitter.” She walked up close to me and smiled. “Gimme your phone! I'll create you a profile specifically designed to get girls actually interested!”    I handed her my phone and we got to work. She took photos of me in all different angles and outfits. She even put herself in a few of them to make it seem like I have female friends. We workshopped a comedic yet charming bio with a list of my brightest green flags in the Q&A section. Before I knew it we were sitting on the couch having a blast of a time like the good ol' days. We laughed, we gossiped, I even flirted with some internet girls with her help. It all seemed perfect until I stood up to get my third can of Pepsi.    “Hey kiddo.” she said and I blushed. “what's that on your butt?”   I felt the seat of my charcoal grey dress pants and got nauseous. “oh no.” I thought. “I've been having so much fun I didn't even notice I had to pee.”   “Did you have an accident?” Sasha asked.   “I'm sorry.” I tried not to cry, but it was clear on my face that I wanted to.   “hey hey, it's ok.” She hugged me, then undid my belt and pulled down my pants. She squeezed my crotch and my bumm, turning me around. “It soaked right through your trainers. Let's go get you cleaned up and in some dry training pants and I'll sort out the couch. I looked over and saw a dark wet patch on the light grey couch and choked for just a moment, totally ashamed. She grabbed me by my wrist and pulled me into my bedroom leaving my wet pants in the living room.  She pulled down my training pants and put them in the laundry basket. I tried to cover my private parts as she asked “Where does your mother keep your other training pants and wipes?”    “My trainers are in the drawer just below the cupboard of my dresser. The wipes should be just to the right.”    She pushed me down on the bed and lifted my legs, wiping my butt thoroughly. “move your hands.” she said. “I need to wipe you there too.” she wiped my genitals and barely flinched, but I could barely contain myself. Sasha, this beautiful woman was handling my special area, the warmth and softness of her hand felt like the grace of a thousand angels. When she was done wiping she grabbed a new pair of training pants from the drawer, these ones had baseball bats, mits and balls. she put them on my legs and pulled them up, she told me to lift my bum and I did. Now I was back safe and sound in my trainers. She helped me up and spoke again. “We'll leave you in just your trainers until bedtime so I can see if you have another accident before it leaks.”    “ok.” I said, ashamed.    “yes ma'am, you say yes ma'am.” she stated firmly.    “Yes ma'am.” I submitted.   “Now thank me for changing you.”    “Th-” it was so hard to get out. “Thank you for changing me.”    “Good boy.” she patted my head then swatted my padded bumm. Now you go watch tv I'm gonna clean the couch and make us supper.   “Yes ma'am!” I hustled out. “Thank you!”    Sasha grabbed one of my bed pads from the hallway closet and put it on the recliner chair. She told me that's where I could sit. I turned on South park at first and then she asked if my mom says I'm allowed to watch that. I wasn't allowed to watch it when I was younger but as time went on I started watching it and my mom never said anything. “Yeah I'm allowed.” I said, unconvincingly.   “ok…” she said as she pulled out her phone. A few minutes later a ding went off and she spoke. “ok so you lied to me.”    “what? no I didn't!” I exclaimed. “I watch this all the time!”    “Well your mom just texted and said you're not supposed to.” She grabbed the remote from my hand. “First I now have control over the remote all night, second you're gonna stand in the corner for a 15 minute time out for lying, lastly you're gonna apologize and I want a real apology after you've had time to think about what you've done.”    “yes ma'am.” I stood up and hung my head in shame, before walking over to the corner to be on time out. At first I started sulking “this is bullshit.” I thought. “I'm 19, my grandma never puts me on time out, even if I did deserve a time out which I don't. I am allowed to watch South park. it's not my fault my mom said something different.” time went by and my thoughts shifted. “man, this supper smells really good, she's so nice for cooking it for me. it sucks that she thinks I lied to her.” more time passed “I guess it was kind of a lie, no one ever told me I was allowed to watch South park and nobody had ever caught me doing it. I'm such a piece of shit for lying to my friend. This is why she's a grown up and I'm still being treated like a kid.”    “Alright kiddo.” Sasha called out. “Timeouts over, let's hear that apology and see if you need to go back in.”    I couldn't look her in the eye but I spoke with certainty. “I'm sorry I broke your trust by lying to you. It was very immature of me and I know now that I'm nowhere near mature enough to watch South park. I wanna thank you for taking care of me tonight and showing me the level I'm at and what I need to work on.”    “Wow, very good.” she said as she walked up and hugged me. “It's ok, I know how it must feel being trapped with little kid rules at our age. Unfortunately this means I won't be able to trust your word in the future. Remember that the next time you wanna lie to seem bigger.”    “Yes ma'am.”    “Now sit down, suppers ready.”    I sat down and looked at the table, it was tacos. They looked good and they were already made. It wasn't like the white people tacos I was used to. They were sweet with a great many complex spices and flavours. “Wow, these are amazing.” I exclaimed with my mouth full.    she laughed “Thank you, my mom taught me how to make them. Your mom didn't have everything but I substituted for similar stuff. Believe it or not they're usually better.” she smiled and took another bite.    “I can't imagine anything tasting better than this.”    The night went on and we made our way back over to the couch. We talked and laughed and I grew comfortable with her again. Eventually the clock reached 9:00 and Sasha pouted “aww sorry kiddo, it's about time you started getting ready for bed. I've been having such a good time hanging with you, but the night's over.” I stood up and walked to the bathroom and she followed. “Do you wanna try using the toilet before I put you in your diaper for the night?”   “umm yeah I normally do, but I gotta brush my teeth first.”    “Good call, big boy!” She ruffled my hair and I started brushing.   After that I pulled down my trainers, sat on the toilet and peed, then I went to bed. It was only 9:05 so I asked her “It's 25 minutes till my bedtime, can I have some time to play on my phone before bed?”   “I think you're forgetting something. We gotta get you in your diaper.”    “Sasha can I please just wear my trainers tonight? I promise I'll keep them dry.”    “We both know you can't promise that, lay down.”and lay down I did. She pulled off my training pants and asked “Where does your mom keep your diapers?”    “Bottom drawer in my dresser.” I said, embarrassed by her cavalier nature about the garment.    She grabbed a diaper and unfolded it. “Lift your bumm.” she said and I did. she slid it underneath me and then taped it on nice and even. “Good boy.” she said, ruffling my hair again. “Now let's get you outta that t-shirt and into bed.” She grabbed my shirt and lifted it over my head. I crawled up into bed and she pulled the covers over me. She kissed me on the forehead and said, “Goodnight Genie. Maybe we can hang out some time as friends when I'm not babysitting you.”    She walked out and turned the lights off and I called out “WAIT!”    “What is it?”   “Turn on my night light, I'm scared of the dark.” I pointed to the fake rotating plastic fish tank on my dresser.   “Ok, kiddo.” She walked over and turned it on before leaving and closing the door. 

Well, I have chapter fifteen ready and waiting, but first! the reply:     Okay, I can understand the criticism. Hisaki Kurakawa (only Megan calls her "Hissy-fit" because she obviously loves self-projection and stuff like that) is much stronger than most Amazons, both from long practiced (it wouldn't be the first time she's had to carry a babyfied Amazon) and because of her augmentations (which I'll explain more of in the next Jyrgal chapter). Glad to know that my story's darkness and brutality is interesting you instead of turning you away (like it definitely could). Still, a lot of the better characters are going to get happy endings; it's just going to take a lot of suffering and loss. And now, for the moment you've waited for, with some Content Warnings for a fair amount of abuse - both to Littles and the workers in the space and description of injuries and blood and sexual content. Viewer discretion is advised. And now for the chapter:   -   Chapter Fifteen: How Sick can You Get?!   -   Clover was scared for Axel.   Yes, she and Heather were actually getting along swimmingly, bonding over video games on their Switches (Heather had Super Mario Party and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, so they played a lot of multiplayer when they could), sharing the food that was cut up into manageable bites, even with the predatory gaze of Matilda seemingly waiting for her to slip up (especially after she changed Heather’s loaded diaper with mocking motherly comments)…but she was worried.   What’s the so-called “Bottom One”? Why did Matilda hint that she’d be babying Axel? What’s the fucking problem with these people?!   Clover didn’t say those words out loud, even after Matilda got Heather out of the playpen with calm, cruel intent and surgically hit her all over until her body with a belt was black and blue, all for no good reason (or, perhaps, a reason beyond her understanding or conscientious thoughts) - and if she was comfortable hitting the teen Little publicly, God knew what she did in private - even when the Amazon’s cruel gaze demanded her to say something, anything at all. But she didn’t - and that was the worst feeling of all.   I’m so fucking useless. I can’t save Heather or Axel or Jyrgal. How am I going to save Windy?   Tears were in her eyes, and Matilda noticed.   “Aww, does the widdle baby need her diapee checked?” she cooed mockingly.   Clover knew that she badly needed a diaper change. It wasn’t the reason she was crying, but she really needed one after the long car ride, eating the food cut up for her and drinking Jyrgal’s milk (even if the diluted milk didn’t cause language loss, it was still was as addictive as heroin and still causing complete loss of her sphincter).   “Yes, please,” she said quietly, submissively bowing her head.   “Sorry, but unless you’re going to feed from me, I have every right to not change that filthy diaper of yours. Since, you know, you’re apparently not my own Little.”   Matilda’s voice was cruel and petty with the way she said it. Clover almost wanted to snap back…but she didn’t.   There, Axel. Keeping my cool, just as you said I have to…   Then a knock on the door.   “You may enter,” the Amazon said in a bored tone.   It was that fat bitch, Yasmina, and another fat bitch who had to be Yolanda.   Surely there isn’t enough doorway for the both of them, Clover thought. She didn’t say it out loud, though.   Just keeping my cool, just like you said, Axel…   “Ladies.” Matilda’s voice was a low purr, but there was an edge to it that made Clover shiver. “What have you come to me for?”   “To say that Krauty went into the Shop,” Yolanda sneered. “That he’s got until tomorrow at least.”   “And that the Dome has been cleaned,” Yasmina added. “He’s finished his job as The Bottom One for today, and he’ll be ready for the nanite treatment tomorrow.”   Matilda got up slowly, made her way towards Yasmina and Yolanda with a dissonant smile…and brutally yanked them both by their hair as they screamed in pain; the Amazon was bigger and obviously stronger than both of them.   “Let me be clear, Yazzy, Yoly; he is not finished for today or tomorrow,” Matilda hissed. “I wanted him brought up to my office yesterday, and you haven’t even done that. Why, I ask, have you come up to my office without The Bottom One in your possession to tithe me? And he will do the job again and maybe even a third day if I wish. I have no use for men or women who can’t please me, physically, mentally, or sexually. Now get him.”   “Yes, of course, please, lemme go!” Yasmina squealed in pain like the fat pig she was as her hair was yanked.   “Matilda, please, you’re pulling my hair out!” Yolanda was also squealing like an old sow to the slaughterhouse.   “I’ll cut your fucking tongues out if you pull this shit again,” Matilda said coldly. “Get The Bottom One. Now.”   She let them go, and the fat women immediately shoved each other to get out of the door, barely fitting through with their bulk.   Matilda sighed. “Useless, the lot of them.” She shook her head, turning to Clover, daring her to say something she’d regret.   Clover merely started suckling on her pacifier.   Keeping my cool, Dadd - er, Axel.   Why was she thinking of Axel as her Daddy and Jyrgal as her Mommy? She couldn’t rely on either of them to be honest. She had no idea what the “Bottom One” was; Axel had not told her all of what went on at work. She had no idea why Jyrgal was lying. She even had no idea what to expect from Heather (whom she simultaneously adored like a little sister and felt extremely sorry for, as the teenager was being nursed by Matilda again, even though she was obviously full).   A knock on the door distracted her from her thoughts.   “Enter,” Matilda said coldly.   Yolanda and Yasmina again with the latter carrying a small bundle that was-   No way! No fucking WAY!   It was Axel, smaller than even she was, the size of a six month old, dressed in a pink onesie with sparkling glitter, a flared out skirt, and a diaper underneath; clearly, they wanted to humiliate him as much as possible. He wasn’t struggling, obviously passed out from…whatever job he had to do.   Axel…that’s what she was talking about…   Clover didn’t think about whether this was permanent or not. She didn’t think about how they were going to get home…at least, not yet. All she was thinking about was how Axel was going to be treated by that bitch.   Yasmina held Axel in front of her, presenting him like Simba from the Lion King. Matilda looked coldly at her, dropping Heather back into the playpen, as the Little whined in pain from the fall.   “Wake him up,” she said. “I want him to be well aware of his…predicament.”   Yolanda brought something up…like a smelling salt, waking the tiny man from his slumber with a gagging cough…before Matilda brought him to her left breast, the areola dripping with milk.   “You. Feed, and don’t bite, or I’ll make you sorry you were ever born,” she said in a faux-sweet tone that was dripping with venom, like a fucking rattlesnake.   Axel, his head bowed in defeat, began to suckle, to Clover’s horror, as she glared at the monster who was Axel’s boss.   You rotten bitch! If I was bigger, I’d fucking kick your ass!   She didn’t say it, though, even though she desperately wanted to say it out loud. Was it because of Axel’s words, that retaliating would put her in danger…or was she just scared?   Maybe it’s a bit of both…   Matilda got bored of feeding the man from her breast and dropped him into the playpen from the same height as she dropped Heather as he sobbed in pain, along with Heather, who was still babbling to express her own pain - her foot was bent at an odd angle; broken, most likely - and a terrified Clover, who was starting to realize the dangers of this world, dangers that she seemingly couldn’t escape.   I have to find Windy and get the hell out of here. I have to get out, I have to get out, get out, get out, GET OUT.   The terror in her eyes was clear to Matilda, who picked her up.   “So, are you scared, Little?” she whispered. “Why would you be scared of me? I’m sure you want to use your big girl words, say mean words about how I treat my Little and Axy; I see it in your eyes. For now, however? You suckle from me. Now. Your diapee smells foul, you’ll get a nasty diapee rash, and I will only change you when you nurse from me. You will do it. Right now.”   The right breast was frightening, as Axel’s depraved boss brought her close. Clover lost her patience, her restraint, and bit down hard, not even nursing, letting out her rage with the bite.   She felt a giant smack on the face, her nose starting to run with her red streaming from both nostrils.   “We do not bite,” Matilda scolded, as if Clover was a naughty toddler. “I will take two of your teeth as a one-time warning, but if you bite again, I will take all of them.”   She took out a pair of pliers, holding Clover by the neck as Axel screamed in anguish, his language not back yet. First came one of the bottom canines, the one on the left side, blood spraying from the pliers doing their work; then the one on the bottom right, as Clover screamed in agony from the crude extraction.   “Are you going to bite again?” the depraved Amazon asked coldly.   Clover shook her head, her eyes frightened, blood still pouring from her mouth and nose.   Matilda put Clover back to the breast…and Clover reluctantly suckled, her bitterness on Axel not being able to protect her at the front…until she pushed it back with her logic coming back as she felt the milk run down her throat.   He told me to not retaliate against Matilda, no matter what…and I did.   It’s not worth two fucking teeth, the bitter part of her mind thought. Fuck him. Fuck Jyrgal. They can’t protect me, and I have to find Windy, no matter what, and get the fuck out of this fucking hellhole.   Only…Clover had no idea what to do. As much as she hated it, wanted to deny the feelings she had, she was dependent on the two Amazons. She had no idea where her weapons were. She had no idea where to get more ammunition, whether the Amazons in this world would simply take her back…and as much as she was angry at Jyrgal and Axel…they did treat her better than the other Amazons had, Eseld and maybe Austin aside.   Just have to find my weapons, get Windy out, get the fuck out of dodge. I just need a plan…   Those desperate thoughts were the only thoughts in her mind. She did not speak after Matilda nursed her, didn’t make a sound throughout the subsequent diaper change, didn’t say anything as the head bitch forced Yasmina and Yolanda into sex on the floor in front of the three Littles, their squeals of pain echoing in the room as their evil fucking boss penetrated them with a walking stick.   She just knew that she had to get the hell out.   -   Hope y'all enjoyed~

--- Chapter 42 --- Kelly made haste out of Little Town as the group followed at a more natural pace. Charlie repeated his ‘me too’ over her shoulder back to his brother, who arched a curious eyebrow but flashed a grin, which satisfied the Little enough not to push it further; Greg seemed like he was going to roll with it, but Kelly clearly needed convincing. Meanwhile, Sarah and Director Casper each looked immensely pleased, though each displayed a subtle difference in their expressions. “Choo-choo, honey, you don’t need to go here,” she whispered to him hastily as soon as she stepped through the glass door into the hallway, a nervousness in her tone. “I wanna,” he pouted as he angled his face down, looking down at her chest, and stuck out his lower lip. “Why?” she questioned breathily, and he swallowed as he felt the rising tide of guilt at hearing the hurt in her voice. She hadn’t been his full-time “nanny” for very long, and here he was, trying to go to a school for the first time in decades. And making a scene of it, no less. He now realized he hadn’t thought that through. Perception, especially of caretakers, was critical in this society. He clenched his jaw, irritated at himself, and made the commitment to find a way to fix it… But for now, he needed her on board. He needed to see Lexi through her introduction here and needed to get a better understanding of this place without Greg here. As it was clear, at least to Charlie, that this place was putting its best foot forward for Mr. Vankor. “Lexi,” he whispered quickly, hoping that was enough because it was all he had time for. The door opened as Greg exited and held it for the rest of the group, but unfortunately, when his eyes met Kelly’s, he knew immediately that he had made things worse. She looked… rejected. “We can get all the paperwork together and sent to you for signing by the afternoon,” Casper announced with a grin on her face and in her tone, nodding to Lexi first. “We’ll get Lexi into class and Charlie into whatever amount of daycare –” “No!” he blurted out immediately, and Kelly took in a sharp breath, jarred from her emotional spiral, and put a finger up to his lips. “Don’t interrupt,” she chided softly, though he couldn’t help but notice she wasn’t using any affectionate terms. Unwilling to push and make things worse for her, he let out his best pouty whine as he briefly looked at Greg, and then lay his head on Kelly’s shoulder. “He doesn’t need daycare,” Greg cut in confidently, offering a smile to Kelly as he tucked a hand into his pants pocket, while the other lifted to scratch at his chin. “I think he wants to join Lexi in class.” “Oooh, someone has a Little boyfrieeend,” Lauren gushed at Lexi, who blushed and looked away, trying to find something interesting to look at. Charlie looked surprised and stiffened, while Kelly sucked in an unsteady breath and tightened her grip on him. His eyes flickered to her as the words now felt like a sharp blade in his temple for being so stupid — Kelly was jealous. He grabbed at Kelly’s shirt and relieved the tension in his mind by imagining stabbing Lauren in the eye. “But he doesn’t need the class, either,” Sarah quickly injected as she looked to Greg, confused. “And he’d be taking the place of someone who really does.” “I’m not saying he does,” Greg hastily countered, lifting up a hand in surrender on that topic, and gave a nod in understanding. “I’m just translating his wishes. I understand if it’s against policy.” Charlie turned his head in and whined into Kelly’s shoulder, annoyed at how difficult everyone was making this. Kelly placed a hand on his back, but she wasn’t putting much effort into actually comforting. He grimaced as he pressed his face into her, begging that they would just move this along. “Nonsense,” Casper cut in, giving a sharp look to Sarah and then a wide, forced smile. “It would be our pleasure to take Charlie into the Maturosis class.” Sarah shot the director a look of surprise, but recovered quickly as she forced a smile, as if this was good news. “Sincerely, I don’t want to complicate things,” Greg pressed, waving a hand in the air. Charlie groaned into Kelly’s shoulder, having to push down the swell of irritation and urge to press. His brother was doing the right (i.e., “mature”) thing, but it was making this take so much longer than necessary. “Charlie can be on an accelerated course,” Casper asserted as she appeared to be working out how to appease everyone on the fly, and her eyes darted around as she gauged the reactions. Then she gestured to Sarah. “And given we don’t anticipate he will be in class long, we won’t count his presence against the maximum headcount.” Casper scanned the faces for any signs of further discontentment (Amazons only, of course), then gave a curt nod. “Can we do half days?” Kelly chimed in just as the director was taking in a breath. Charlie could feel her heart skip a beat and felt her body stiffen up anxiously. If that’s what it took to prevent Kelly from taking this so hard, so be it. “Yes,” Sarah smiled. “Typically, we don’t recommend it because it drags out graduation.” “But since that’s not pressing,” Greg added as he smiled at Kelly, who shot him a grateful look, his tone already suggesting he liked the idea. “That seems like a reasonable solution to make everyone happy and avoid overloading the staff.” Charlie moved his head to the side to assess his brother. His participation in these kinds of things was usually more passive. He would remain quiet, hear everything out, and often defer; in the past, Greg would have asked Charlie a clarifying question by now, or tried, somehow, to figure out the motive. He was equal parts surprised, confused, and proud of him… and had to force down that nasty little voice that was annoyed he wasn’t being more included in the conversation. The director’s smile thinned, and she inclined her head, directing the group back through the hall as she reluctantly agreed to half-day classes. Charlie mused on how no one was fully satisfied with this arrangement. That was the sign of a true compromise: something was still happening, but no one was completely happy about it. “I’ll have my assistant draw up all the paperwork and call you both individually to walk you through it,” Casper explained as she put her hands behind her back, one hand holding the other’s wrist as she led the group towards the front entrance. “She will coordinate the best time to start classes befitting our and your schedules.” “Thank you,” Lauren stated first, nearly walking shoulder to shoulder with the director. Sarah looked at her watch – ah ha! Charlie stiffened up as he stared; she did have a technical watch identical to the rest of the staff! … He glared at it. “Since the tour is over, I –” Sarah began. “I will dismiss you when we’re done, Miss Chaunders,” Casper interrupted sharply, not breaking her stride nor looking behind her. Sarah stiffened up, stopping in her tracks for a few steps, causing both Greg and Kelly to stop with her. Kelly made what Charlie could only picture as a mouse squeak, but Greg arched an eyebrow, turning his questioning gaze to Sarah. She looked up at him, her face flushing red, and she shook her head hastily, quickly walking again to catch up. He then looked back at Kelly, who grimaced and shrugged, while Charlie decided now was the best time for ye olde paci. Greg nodded, both unclear to whom, and the trio made haste to rejoin the group just as they were entering the front room. The receptionist’s face lit up as the group approached and began setting up the sign-out process. Casper set her hand flat upon the desk and tapped her index finger on it. “Lexi and Charlie will be joining us, but are done for the day,” she announced to Barbara, who gave a small cheer towards the Littles, then nodded and set the sign-out sheet on the counter. “Sarah, stop by my office after seeing them out,” Casper ordered as her eyes connected with Sarah’s for a moment, but she didn’t wait for any confirmation. She turned back to the group and smiled broadly. “We are thrilled to welcome you to the Little Steps Academy and family.” Sarah’s face faltered as she looked to the director, then put on her best smiling face to the group. “We are, too,” Lauren replied quickly and eagerly, giving Lexi a bounce. Greg gave an awkward nod as he glanced down at Kelly, who tried to keep herself busy by fidgeting with Charlie’s shortalls and pacifier clip, which caused him to grin at her knowingly. “Nuggies?” he asked quietly around the pacifier, and finally, Kelly smiled. “We’ll see, Choo-choo,” she replied quietly as she turned around, putting her back to the group as the receptionist began the check-out process. She took a few steps away, taking a few breaths through her nose and out her mouth, then kissed his forehead. He smiled, grateful the affection was returning, and leaned against her, relaxing in her arms. As ordered, Sarah saw the group out to the front door. Greg paused, lingering as he looked to her, a slight frown appearing, but she shook her head subtly. He gave a nod in understanding, and everyone wished each other goodbye and made their way to the parking lot. Lauren gushed the entire walk, to which Lexi looked over her mother’s shoulder and gave a dramatic eye roll to Charlie. While he grinned, so too did Greg, and Lexi blushed, not aware he had been looking at her. Once at the cars, Lauren did another round of thanking them, and Greg waved it off. As she and Kelly began loading the Littles into their car seats, he glanced between the two, still trying to piece together what Charlie was trying to do. But as his eyes fell in consideration, he realized he was better off letting his Little brother do this thing… and that he could do his own, too. “Hey, Lauren, can I have a word before you go?” he asked suddenly, and Lauren confirmed, her upper half in the car as she was buckling Lexi in. Charlie craned his neck, shooting a curious look at Kelly, who mirrored it. “What’s up?” Lauren asked after she closed the door, smiling as she approached him. Greg was staring down at the sidewalk, scratching his jawline in thought. “I’m not trying to make any implications here, but… I know this place is expensive,” he commented as his eyes briefly glanced up to the building, then met Lauren’s. Her face was suddenly very still, like she was concentrating on keeping it that way. ”I’d be happy to talk to Kelly about half-days with Lexi moving forward. She could spend the morning here, and the afternoon at the house.” “Oh, Greg, that’s —“ “It’s not just about money,” he said quickly, lifting a hand in apology; he was not one to interrupt people, but he also had a habit of pausing long enough for people to think he was done talking. “Charlie’s never had long term Little friends. Most of the ones he met lived here only part-time at best. He adores Kelly, so it’s a big deal that he wants to do this.” “Well, Littles are impulsive like that,” Lauren chuckled awkwardly, giving a half-shrug as her eyes darted to the car. Kelly smiled, having already shut the back door and waved, descending into her seat and shutting the door. Lauren waved back, smiling, though that quickly turned into biting her lower lip. “It would significantly delay her graduation…” “About that,” Greg grimaced slightly and cleared his throat, then gestured a hand towards his car. “The director, she made it clear that graduation is subjective. They have their criteria, and you have yours. But look at Charlie… he never graduated, never lasted more than a month at any school.” “Greg, I work,” Lauren scoffed, shaking her head. Her defensive posture was returning. He had a flash of the argument with Sarah, recalling her own shifts in posture that he didn’t read in the moment, and he winced. “I know,” he replied, lifting a hand to rub the back of his neck. “I’ve… had that argument with Sarah recently.” “Oh,” Lauren winced slightly, glancing back at the school. “Look, I just - I like Lexi,” he smiled, placing a hand on his chest. “I like her attitude. I like that she calls me Greg. It’s unique and harmless. And…” he hesitated, frowning down at the ground. “I don’t want her to change because a school, or a strict grandmother, said so.” “I’m saying so,” Lauren stressed, her shoulders adjusting as her hackles appeared raised. Greg lifted his eyes to meet hers and stared for a long moment, and this silence appeared to do more than any words he ran through his mind could, for Lauren’s face softened and relaxed. She took in a breath and licked her lips, bringing them inward to bite for a moment. “I just thought I’d offer,” Greg added quietly and shrugged, averting his eyes to the car where Kelly was looking down in her lap. He had so much more he wanted to say; he could hear the words, grilling her about forcing Lexi to fit a mold, about beating Littles into submission all for the sake of appearances and convenience, about how Charlie didn’t need school to fit in with the family… but this was twice now he had tried to raise the point and was met with a defense made from a combination of money and heightened emotions. Still uncertain about where he and Sarah had landed after the same confrontation, he didn’t want to risk alienating Lauren and Lexi, too. He felt a tightness in his chest, and he grimaced, sighing as he took a step back. “It’s, uh, it’s fine. I’m sorry I… It’s none of my business.” Starting to retreat to his car, Lauren stepped forward. “Wait,” she called out quietly, putting a hand out for him, but it never connected to his arm, as she didn’t get close enough. “Thank you… for caring. I’ll think about it… If the offer is still there.” “It is,” Greg smiled, breathing out another sigh, this time in relief. “Okay,” Lauren smiled in reply and nodded. “I’ll… text you.” Greg nodded and waved before getting into a silent car, and he glanced to his right at Kelly as he shut his door. She smiled at him, and he looked back at Charlie, who smiled behind the pacifier. “Nuggies?” Greg asked. “Nuggies!” Charlie cheered. The car ride had been reasonably quiet or filled with fluff. For Charlie’s part, he hadn’t wanted to risk a conversation with Kelly in the parking lot, and since they were going through a drive-through, he didn’t want to start something that was going to be awkwardly interrupted. He wasn’t sure the giants’ motivations for remaining quiet, though he could reasonably guess. He groaned as the car turned onto their street, knocking his head against the car seat, the smell of the chicken nuggets driving him crazy. “Just one, pleeeease?” he asked with a groan, his stomach growling incessantly, and Kelly giggled. “We’re so close,” she excused with a wave of her hand. “It’ll be more of a pain to get it now than just to wait.” “Greeeeg, Kelly’s starving meeeee,” he whined dramatically, watching the car pass through the house’s gates. “Well, you are getting a little chubby,” Greg teased dryly, and even before Charlie could react, Kelly gasped and smacked his shoulder. “He is not!” she defended promptly, and both brothers laughed. Had he not been pulling into the garage, she would have fished out a nugget right then in defiance of Greg’s joke, but alas, they were home. As they made their way in, Kelly gave a drumming of her fingers on Charlie’s diaper, which was a sensation that caused him to jerk in surprise and flush slightly. “You want to eat first?” “Yeah,” he replied as he arched an eyebrow up at her, clearing his throat as he pictured one of the greying Amazons at Little Steps to quickly end his slight erection. “So, what’s the deal?” Greg asked as he dumped his car keys into the bowl. “What’s wrong with the place?” “Fuck if I know, Greg! I had one train ride, damnit!” Charlie fumed quickly, throwing his arms out indignantly as Greg’s question finally gave him permission to release all the tension he had built up. Kelly jerked slightly at the mood shift, laughing awkwardly as she silently motioned to the high chair or ground, and placed him in the chair when he pointed to it. “I thought we’d be there longer – what the fuck happened??” “Lauren set the pace,” Greg shrugged, rolling his eyes slightly as he grabbed napkins. “Once she said she was sold on it, that seemed to end the tour.” “And Mr. Money Bags couldn’t press for more time?” Charlie grumbled, half-glaring at his brother, who shot him a dry, annoyed look. “I didn’t want to be there any longer, either,” the Amazon brother replied tersely as he approached the table. “I didn’t think it was that bad,” Kelly frowned and shrugged, then sheepishly glanced at Charlie as he shot her a confused look. “What? I didn’t! I just - I don’t know why you have to go!” “I’m curious myself,” Greg mused, and Charlie grimaced at him. “Look, these schools aren’t going to show the gritty shit to you two,” he sighed, nodding in thanks as Kelly plopped the small box of Little nuggets on his tray. “Maybe if Lexi and I could have had more time there, I could have gotten a decent idea, but instead, Lauren put her on the spot in front of fucking everyone — of course she was going to say yes.” Greg nodded in agreement, but Kelly shifted uncomfortably; Charlie’s eyes snapped to her, clocking that as confirmation, and he pointed to her. “You started this,” he accused. “This - this crusade to help Lexi, so you can’t get jealous on me that I’m following your lead.” “Wh - what?!” Kelly blustered as she scooted back in her chair from surprise, placing a hand on her chest; Greg grinned slightly as he dipped a chicken tender in the spicy buffalo sauce and took a bite, watching the show. “Bouncy house!” Charlie shouted as he threw his arms up into the air. “You said you didn’t want one!” she defended in an increasingly high-pitched tone. “I DON’T!” he bellowed, his arms exploding out to his sides and then dramatically falling onto the tray with a thunk. “The point is you started fevering, so now it’s a household problem to fix!” “I - fevering?” Kelly’s volume dropped significantly in confusion, her head tilting slightly. “What is that?” “It’s what you Amazons do,” he grumped, grabbing a nugget and dunking it forcefully several times in the sweet barbecue sauce. “Your pupils dilate, your face turns red, and you obsess over protecting and babying Littles.” He then crammed the nugget into his mouth and began chewing, smacking his lips, maintaining an annoyed and grumpy look for all of five seconds before he closed his eyes and hummed pleasantly at the flavor. Kelly stared at him for a moment, her mouth hanging open as she processed the words, then she squinted at him. “I was not fevering!” Greg snorted, lifting a hand to his mouth to keep the food in, and he put up an apologetic hand when the two looked over. Charlie could grin at him, but Kelly was still well and truly offended. “No-no, I was not fevering,” she protested, shaking her head vehemently. “I just wanted to help!” “Uh-huh,” Charlie mocked, his eyebrows rising high as he exaggerated a nod. “And Lauren’s just trying to help poor baby Lexi, and Sarah’s just trying to help poor baby Littles, and –” “Okay-okay-okay,” Kelly interrupted hastily, swiping her hands in the air as she scoffed out a laugh, then a sigh. “I get it.” “I, uh, offered half-days to Lauren, too,” Greg chimed in sheepishly, his eyes flickering between the two. They both looked to him, then Kelly put a hand up to her face. “Ohh… I really did start this,” she groaned. Charlie cackled, then shoved another nugget into his mouth. “Good night,” Greg waved the pair off as he relaxed on the couch, yawning as he began to cycle through the stations. His eyes flickered up towards his room momentarily, then the TV, then the panels in the ceiling where Veronica’s arms were always diligently waiting. He pressed his lips together. He had been tempted several times, but he had built in protections with Veronica to avoid… discomfort. One such being, she would not do any diaper tasks with him if Kelly was in the room. During his first pass on programming that, he realized she would not initiate a task if Kelly were in the room, but it would complete if she entered. That required some fine-tuning and more looping of the code to take specific actions depending on how far into the process she was. Ultimately, he knew it wasn’t as big a deal as he was making it out to be in his head. Rationally, he knew Kelly wouldn’t care if she walked in on something or if he wore a diaper around her… His lips pressed together as his eyebrows furrowed. Even just talking himself through it, the idea was uncomfortable. Muting the TV, he sighed and closed his eyes, trying to probe the discomfort. ‘Greg-or-eee.’ Gasping, Greg sat up, alarmed. He looked around the room and sniffed. His heart was racing, and he put a palm on his chest to feel it banging against his ribs. After a few breaths, he reasoned he must have briefly fallen asleep and was jerked awake by… a memory. He groaned as he put his hands on his face and collapsed back on the couch. He hadn’t thought of Samantha since the courthouse. He hadn’t even thought to check his accounts, purge them, or wipe his machines. The entire thing had been neatly filed away in the back of his mind. Between Lexi and Sarah, he had been too preoccupied to give it attention… though a small voice in his head felt that was an excuse. An excuse to keep it all there, just in case. Letting out a heavy sigh, he turned the TV off and stood up from the couch. Clenching his jaw, he moved out of the living room and towards the center of the entryway… he stared, for a long moment, at the office. But after a long beat, he ascended the stairs. No laptops tonight. Just diapers.

My life in diapers marches on, punctuated primarily by work deadlines, household maintenance requirements, and opportunities to drink with friends, intermittently. The weather has gone from cold, to relentlessly wet, although we get the occasional, short stretch where you can start to get an idea of what you were missing for the last six months of frozen gloom. I sat on a deck yesterday and had a glass of wine, and felt... I can barely pull the words together... "warm"? But then it threatened to rain on us. What will happen next is, it will get warm and damp, and we'll have a few weeks where the bugs make prolonged outdoor adventures an exercise in blood loss. And then we'll have our three months of summer. I do solemnly promise never to complain about the heat, after the abuse of this still-gasping winter. Notes from the last few days include my wife commenting on the smell of my diaper, but, I will quickly add, not in a bad way. This stems from my having climbed into bed in one of the new Lil' Monsters, which are a scented diaper, which had also, at that point, been anointed with baby powder. At one point, she was fluffing up the comforter, which threw some air around her, and she asked me if I was using a new baby powder, or what, exactly she was smelling. I said that the diaper I was wearing was scented, and that normally, it generally wasn't that noticeable, but this batch seemed to have been given a higher dose than usual. "Well, it's not a bad smell, just... noticeable", was all she said, but as commentaries on diaper smells go, I'll take it.  Speaking of diaper smells (and you're probably asking yourself, right now, why, oh why, are we speaking of diaper smells? What's next? The texture of expired chicken?), I was emptying my diaper can this morning, and the heft of one of its occupants reminded me that I'd intended to mention the notable performance I got out of a Tykables Waddler, a few days ago. I accidentally wore one for about 24 hours - as is often the case under such circumstances, I put it on before bed, woke up pretty much dry, and then forgot about what I was wearing, until I got to the "Sitting in a bag of damp oatmeal" stage, around dinner, at which point I concluded that it probably had a couple of hours left in it before it failed catastrophically, and I needed a shower anyway, so there was no point appointing a successor. As the name implies, I waddled around until about 15 minutes before I expected my wife to head up to the bedroom, and then I preceded her up their, so that I could get the giant soggy thing off, into the bin, and then get showered and diapered before she came up, the better not to be conspicuously sodden, in her presence.  I didn't weigh it, but by my hand, it felt like it was in about the 90th percentile, in the "heft of a diaper that has not leaked yet" category, so good work, Tykables. I hadn't considered them a serous diaper before trying the Waddlers. They won't supplant my main supplier, Rearz & their InControl sub-brand, but, at least I'm getting $6 of performance out of those $6 diapers.  On the topic of InControl (and notice I didn't use "Speaking of" as a segue, again...), they are apparently having what they describe as their "best sale this year", starting next week on Thursday. I'm hoping it will include actual diapers - their last few advertised "events" have mostly been opportunities to buy discontinued plastic pants at 50% off. My spreadsheet suggests that the best moves for me would be to stock up on the Mega Inspire+, BeDry Night, BeDry, and Active Air's, although I still have unused cases of all of the above, in my basement. But I am getting that post-pandemic God only knows where prices are going to go feeling from the world's unsettled, uncertain, and largely unscripted geopolitical landscape... either inflation escapes it's rickety cage, that it's not fully in, in any case, and decimates our earning power, or, a massive recession puts a damper on euphoric price increases, by removing a lot of the customers from the equation. Or, both - remember stagflation? You thought it died with disco, but apparently its grave is shallow.  On that happy note, I'll get back to work, listening to the rain pelt the windows, and sitting in a 90% dry BeDry Night that will probably be my companion, paradoxically, for most of the day. Stay damp, my friends. 

Just woke up for the win