Latest News and Updates

most of the time I just sleep in a diaper. Otherwise I had horror themed PJ pants and wear a tshirt.before bed. 

12)     The Babysitter The following afternoon, I was made to sit in the highchair once again whilst I ate my dinner. Sophie had already finished her food and was able to watch some cartoons in the living room. It felt very demeaning knowing that a toddler had more freedom than I did. My Mom and Lana sat at the dining table having their usual conversation about how awful men can be. I ignored them and continued eating my food. After I had finished, I started to work on my bottle of juice. I knew that I wouldn’t be allowed out of the highchair until I had finished it all. My mother smiled at me as she saw me drinking. ‘I think someone has finally started to understand the rules’, she said, ‘bottle first and then you can get out. I knew you would get the hang of it eventually’. I ignored her attempts to belittle me and finished every last drop of my bottle. As promised, I was let out of the highchair and my bib was removed. I joined Sophie in the living room and sat on the sofa. Once again, my pacifier had been clipped onto my t-shirt and I had nothing covering my diaper. By this point, I was used to everyone seeing me with my diaper on show and it didn’t bother me. I felt the urge to pee and started to decide whether I should wet myself now or later. It sounded silly but this was my life now. I decided to do it later as I was nice and comfy on the sofa for the time being. - A little while later, my Mom came downstairs with a little bit of make-up on. ‘Lana and I are going out for an hour or two’, she told me. ‘Where are you going?’ I asked. ‘Just for a drink at a little bar around the corner’, she replied, ‘she was feeling a bit low about her divorce and so I thought it would be nice to take her out’. ‘Fair enough’, I said, ‘I guess I’m looking after Sophie’. ‘No, it’s alright’, replied Lana as she entered the room, ‘I’ve got a babysitter coming over’. ‘Wait, you hired a babysitter?’ I exclaimed. ‘Don’t worry’, Lana smiled, ‘I’m sure you’ll both be fine’. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. ‘That’ll be her now’, Lana said before heading over to the door. I started to panic as I sat on the sofa with my diaper on display. I quickly tried to pull my t-shirt down over it as far as it would go. As Lana opened the door, my mouth dropped in astonishment as I saw the babysitter…it was Jenny. As Jenny walked into the room, I started cowering awkwardly into the sofa. She looked just as beautiful as she did yesterday yet I didn’t want her to see me dressed as I was. ‘Hi everyone’, Jenny beamed. ‘Hi Jenny’, Sophie waved before turning her attention back to her cartoons. Lana picked up her handbag and walked over to Jenny. ‘Now then, they’ve both had dinner but there’s some ice cream in the freezer if they get hungry. I’ve got plenty of juice in the cupboard if they get thirsty’, instructed Lana. ‘I know what to do’, giggled Jenny, ‘I have done this before’. ‘I’m sorry’, chuckled Lana, ‘I just worry, that’s all. Bedtime is around 8:30pm but until then, you guys can do whatever you want. My number is on the side if you need me’. ‘Just go and have a nice time’, smiled Jenny. My mother came over and gave me a quick kiss on the forehead. ‘You behave yourself for Jenny’, she whispered. I didn’t reply and continued sitting there looking dumbfounded that this was actually happening. My mother and Lana headed out the door, leaving the three of us alone. Jenny walked over to Sophie. ‘Ooh what are we watching?’ she asked. ‘Minnie Mouse’, Sophie smiled and pointed at the cartoon. ‘Yay, we love Minnie Mouse’, Jenny cheered. She then came and sat next to me. ‘Hello again’, she said. ‘Erm…hi’, I replied nervously whilst pretending that this was all completely normal. ‘Have you been playing ‘dress up’ with Sophie again?’ she asked as she pointed to my diaper and the pacifier that was clipped onto my t-shirt. ‘Er…yeah’, I replied. Jenny started laughing. ‘You’re such a little liar’, she giggled, ‘Auntie Lana told me the whole story’. I started blushing. ‘She did?’ I asked. ‘Yeah, something about you not acting your age and having an attitude problem’, Jenny replied. ‘I don’t have an attitude problem’, I snapped back. ‘Woah, are you sure about that?’ said Jenny slightly shocked. ‘Sorry’, I apologised, ‘what are you even doing here?’ ‘I usually babysit Sophie if Lana goes out’, she explained, ‘it’s a nice money earner for me, plus I love seeing my little cousin’. She started grinning. ‘I guess I’m getting paid double tonight since I’m babysitting you as well’, she smiled. ‘I don’t need a stupid babysitter’, I replied angrily. ‘Jeez, take it easy’, said Jenny. Sophie turned around to see what was going on. ‘Turn around and watch Minnie Mouse, pumpkin’, Jenny cooed. Sophie happily went back to her cartoon. Jenny looked at me slightly annoyed. ‘I hope I’m not going to be dealing with your attitude all evening’, she said sternly, ‘I don’t want to have to tell your Mom about it’. ‘No, please don’t tell my Mom’, I begged. Jenny looked at the pacifier that was hanging off of my t-shirt and picked it up. ‘Is this your pacifier?’ she asked. ‘Erm…yeah’, I replied nervously. ‘Well, I think we should probably pop that in’, she said and placed the rubber nipple into my mouth. ‘If you haven’t got anything nice to say then I suggest you don’t say anything at all’, Jenny instructed. I felt mortified that I was sitting in front of my first real crush whilst wearing a diaper and sucking on a pacifier. I was also a little embarrassed that I was acting more like a toddler than Sophie was. Jenny smiled, ‘that’s much better. You look just as adorable as you did when I saw you drive past in the car yesterday’. She kissed the front of my pacifier and giggled, ‘I think you look kinda cute in a diaper’. I felt myself blushing but also started to feel all fuzzy and warm inside. There was something about Jenny that felt so endearing. ‘Ice cream’, Sophie cheered from the carpet. Jenny giggled, ‘do you want some ice cream?’ ‘Yay’, Sophie said clapping her hands. Jenny turned to me, ‘would you like some or are you going to complain about that as well’. I cowered slightly. ‘Let me sort Sophie out and then I’ll deal with you’, she grinned. With that, she took Sophie’s hand and led her into the kitchen. I went back to sulking on the sofa and still couldn’t believe that Lana had actually called Jenny over to babysit me. It felt very belittling. - After a while, Sophie walked back into the room with a little bit of ice cream on her face. She licked it off before sitting back down to watch her cartoons. I suddenly heard Jenny call me into the kitchen. As I waddled in, I saw that she had a bowl in her hand with three scoops of ice cream in it. I had to admit that it did look very tasty. Jenny walked over to me and held onto the handle of my pacifier. ‘If I take this out, are you going to start complaining again?’ she asked. I shook my head and was relieved when she removed the pacifier from my mouth before letting it drop back down onto my t-shirt. I sat down at the dining table. ‘What are you doing?’ Jenny asked. ‘Sitting down ready for my ice cream’, I replied. ‘Silly baby’, Jenny giggled, ‘you sit in the highchair’. ‘I don’t need to sit in the highchair’, I told her. ‘Auntie Lana said that you’ve been eating all of your meals in it’, Jenny replied. My eyes widened in shock. I couldn’t believe how much Lana had told her about my punishment. ‘Is that not true?’ Jenny asked. ‘Well…it is true…but…I don’t really need…um…’, I started stammering. ‘Come on, hop in’, Jenny smiled. As much as I hated the highchair, there was something about Jenny’s smile that made me want to do anything that she asked me to. I climbed inside and Jenny locked the tray into place. She put the bowl of ice cream onto the tray. The ice cream looked very tasty and I was eager to start eating it. However, as I quickly scooped up a spoonful, I accidentally dropped a few bits of ice cream down my t-shirt. ‘Jeez Tommy’, Jenny giggled, ‘you need a bib’. She grabbed Sophie’s bib from the kitchen counter and tied it around my neck. I wanted to complain but I also had a funny idea that she knew that I wore a bib at meal times anyway. I started eating my ice cream a bit slower and tried not to spill anymore down myself. However, after a few mouthfuls, I looked over at Jenny who was doing her best to keep her eye on both me and Sophie in the other room. At that point, I was tired of being treated like this. I had a crush on Jenny and I wanted her to see me as boyfriend material. At this rate, I had no chance. I threw down my spoon. ‘What’s wrong?’ Jenny said. ‘Can I get out, please?’ I politely asked her. ‘You’ve barely touched your ice cream’, she replied. ‘I don’t want to be in the highchair’, I groaned, ‘I’m fourteen-years-old’. ‘Just eat your ice cream’, Jenny said in a stricter tone. ‘I don’t want to’, I replied. Jenny rolled her eyes, ‘for goodness sake, do I have to feed you like a baby as well?’ She came over and scooped up a spoonful of ice cream. ‘Open wide’, she grinned. ‘Jenny, cut it out’, I complained, ‘you’re not feeding me’. ‘Well, if you can’t feed yourself then I’ll do it for you’, Jenny replied, ‘or are we going to have a problem with that?’ Suddenly, I started cowering and feared that she would tell my Mom about my behaviour. As much as I despised it, I played along and opened my mouth. ‘Much better’, she cooed, ‘here comes the aeroplane’. I cringed with embarrassment as she fed me a spoonful of ice cream. I ate it slowly before swallowing the ice cream. ‘Ready for some more?’ Jenny asked. ‘Yes please’, I replied as politely as possible and accepted another spoonful of ice cream. I remained in the highchair whilst Jenny took her time feeding me spoonful after spoonful. Eventually, I finished it all. I received one final bit of humiliation as she wiped my hands and mouth with a cloth before being let out of the highchair. It was going to be a long night. - Later that evening, I sat next to Jenny on the sofa watching the cartoons on the TV. I wanted to talk to Jenny and tell her how I felt but had no idea how to do it. ‘Would anyone like some juice?’ Jenny asked. ‘Me’, Sophie said raising her hand. ‘What’s the magic word?’ Jenny said. ‘Please’, Sophie smiled. ‘Good girl’, replied Jenny before turning to me, ‘does baby want some juice?’ I hated being called ‘baby’ but nodded my head. I still couldn’t believe that I was being babysat by someone who was only two years older than me. It wasn’t long until Jenny came back into the room holding a sippy cup and a baby bottle. I cringed, knowing which one I was going to get. As usual, Sophie was given the sippy cup. ‘Fankyou’, she said and started slurping her juice. Jenny then turned her attention to me. ‘Auntie Lana said that you drink out of this’, she grinned holding up the baby bottle. I rolled my eyes and took the bottle full of juice from her hand. Jenny sat down next to me. I sat there with the bottle in my hand. I was too embarrassed to drink from it in front of Jenny. ‘Everything alright?’ she asked. ‘I’m fine’, I replied quietly. ‘Are you going to drink your juice?’ said Jenny giggling, ‘or are you waiting for me to feed you that as well?’ ‘I don’t need you to feed me’, I replied and could feel my face turning red. ‘Honestly, I don’t mind’, she smiled. Before I could argue, she took the bottle from my hand and ushered me into her lap. I started having flashbacks of being bottle fed by my mother the other day. I thought that was bad enough but being bottle fed by a girl who was two years older than me was going to be humiliating. Jenny held the bottle and gently pushed the nipple inside my mouth. I was used to drinking from a baby bottle and automatically started to suck on it. ‘Good boy’, she cooed. I could still feel myself blushing and wanted this to be over. Jenny awkwardly made eye contact with me the entire time. She sighed and continued to tell me how ‘cute’ I was. Yesterday, I had envisioned that Jenny would be my girlfriend but instead I had become her baby. She gently stroked my forehead while I continued drinking my juice. As odd as it sounds, it was actually quite comforting and amazingly, I started to relax. I looked deep into her bright blue eyes. Her smile remained as beautiful as ever and I smiled back at her. ‘Aw, is that nice?’ she cooed. I nodded my head. I didn’t mind having her bottle feed me if it meant I could keep gazing into her eyes. ‘You’re such a little cutie’, she giggled and started to gently rub my belly. However, as she continued rubbing my belly, the urge to pee from earlier decided to return. I tried to shuffle about slightly but Jenny’s arms kept me locked into place. Normally, I would have been able to hold it, but with Jenny rubbing my belly and a constant flow of juice entering my body, I felt myself losing control. A small stream of pee started filling my diaper. It soon turned into a strong stream of pee as I felt my bladder completely relax. ‘Are you wetting your diaper?’ Jenny asked. There was no point denying it as my diaper was on clear display for her to see. The front of the diaper was quickly turning yellow as the last few drops of pee came out of me. Jenny removed the bottle from my mouth and looked at me in amazement. ‘Wow’, she exclaimed, ‘you really do need those diapers, don’t you?’ ‘I’m sorry’, I said trying to defend myself, ‘I just really had to pee’. ‘Its alright’, she cooed as she stroked my forehead again, ‘that’s what your diapers are for’. Before she could say anymore, Sophie let out a loud yawn. ‘Jenny, me sleepy’, she said wiping her eyes. ‘Are you ready for bed?’ Jenny smiled, ‘come on, I’ll read you a bedtime story’. She then looked at me. ‘I’ll sort you out afterwards’, she said before heading upstairs with Sophie. I sat there feeling very foolish. I couldn’t believe that I had wet my diaper on Jenny’s lap like a real infant. My chances of becoming Jenny’s boyfriend were pretty much non existent at this point. After around twenty minutes, Jenny came back downstairs. I had figured that now we were alone, I could get to know her a bit better. Unfortunately, she had other ideas. ‘Come on’, she said holding out her hand, ‘time for bed’. ‘You’re not serious’, I scoffed, ‘I don’t have a bedtime’. ‘Auntie Lana said that you guys needed to be in bed around 8:30’, she replied. ‘So what?’ I asked. ‘It’s 8:45 so it’s time for bed’, she repeated. ‘I’m not going to bed’, I told her. She sighed, ‘Tommy, please don’t give me a hard time. It’s getting late and I still need to change your diaper’. I blushed when I remembered that I was still wearing my wet diaper from earlier. I stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do. Jenny rolled her eyes. ‘Seriously Tommy’, she sighed, ‘why do you have to make things so difficult?’ With that, she came over and wrapped her arms around me before lifting me up. It took me by surprise that she was able to do that. Jenny moved my legs so that they were wrapped around her hip and carried me up the stairs as if I was no older than an infant. When we reached the top of the stairs, there was a mirror in the hallway. Jenny stopped in front of it and turned to face the mirror. ‘Look at the mirror’, she instructed, ‘what do you see?’ As I looked at the mirror, I saw how truly pathetic I looked. Jenny stood there looking like she was holding her infant son. ‘Do you see a fourteen-year-old boy?’ she asked. All I could see was my diaper poking out from underneath my shirt and my pacifier swaying back and forth on my chest ‘No…not really’, I replied feeling ashamed and buried my head into her shoulder. ‘Come one’, she said patting my soggy diaper, ‘I think someone’s ready for bed’. As we entered the bedroom, Jenny was slightly perplexed and put me down. ‘Do you sleep in a crib?’ she asked trying not to grin. I nodded. She shrugged her shoulders and took off my t-shirt. I blushed as I saw the ice cream stains on it. I was then told to lay down in the crib. Jenny started to have a look at the changing supplies and held up the pack of diapers to see the label. ‘Pampers, size 7’, she read, ‘are these the diapers that you wear?’ I could feel myself turning redder and redder as I nodded my head in shame. Jenny got the supplies set up and went to undo my diaper. However, I quickly grabbed her wrist. ‘Wait’, I blurted, ‘I…I don’t want you to see me without my diaper on’. Jenny wriggled her hand free and giggled. ‘Tommy, do you have any idea how many times I changed my brothers’ diaper when he was little?’ she said, ‘you haven’t got anything that I haven’t seen before’. With that, she undid my diaper and opened it up. Like most fourteen-year-old boys, my body was discovering that girls were actually quite exciting. I didn’t have a lot of experience with erections at this point, but my body was definitely feeling very excited. ‘He’s certainly a big boy, isn’t he?’ Jenny grinned. ‘I’m really sorry’, I said covering my face in shame. ‘It’s ok’, Jenny smiled, ‘just make sure he calms himself down so I can get a clean diaper on you’. I did my best to calm down but it was very difficult, especially when Jenny started cleaning me with baby wipes. I felt mortified as she lifted up my legs and began wiping my bottom. However, a strange sensation came over me. I felt so little and helpless and yet…I was sort of enjoying it. Not only was Jenny very beautiful but the way she looked after me felt very comforting. The warm, fuzzy feeling returned and I started smiling. ‘Aw, does baby like it when I wipe his bottom?’ Jenny giggled as she saw the big grin on my face. That was the moment that I snapped back to reality. ‘No, of course not’, I quickly replied and put my legs down. Thankfully, my erection had started to disappear and it didn’t take long for Jenny to sprinkle baby powder over me before taping on a fresh diaper. After cleaning the changing supplies away, she tucked me into bed. ‘Jenny?’ I asked nervously, ‘please don’t tell my Mom that I complained a lot this evening’. She grinned before taking a clean pacifier and placing it into my mouth. She leaned in to face me. ‘I promise I won’t say anything’, she smiled, ‘but I don’t want to hear another peep out of you tonight, understood?’ I nodded. ‘Good boy’, she cooed, ‘now suck on your pacifier and go to sleep’. She gave me a kiss on the front of my pacifier before locking up the side of the crib. I watched her as she walked over to the door. ‘Night night, Tommy’, she whispered and closed the door. Whilst it felt very demeaning to be put to bed by a sixteen-year-old, there was something about Jenny that made me feel at ease. Suddenly, I heard Jenny’s phone ring from outside the bedroom door and I listened closely as she answered it. ‘Hello?’ I heard her say, ‘hi Auntie Lana. Yes, I’ve just put the kids to bed so I’m going to chill out downstairs until you guys get back’. I cringed knowing that Jenny saw me as nothing more than a little kid. I continued listening as I heard her say my name. ‘He was a little bit fussy to begin with’ Jenny said, ‘but on the whole he’s been a really good boy’. I giggled to myself when she said that. As I heard Jenny hang up the phone and head downstairs, I felt relieved that she had kept her promise and had not told them about my behaviour. In return, I thought that it was only fair for me to keep my promise. I closed my eyes and tried to go to sleep whilst continuing to suck on my pacifier. I was starting to reach a point where I was getting used to having a pacifier in my mouth. It was actually very soothing. The thick padding of the diaper between my legs was also beginning to feel a lot more natural to me. However, that was when I began to panic…was I actually starting to enjoy this?

Chapter 4: Dream, hallucination, or reality? ========== [Content advisory: swearing as surprise] Time was passing slower than ever for Sarah. There were only so many times she could memorize the patterns in the paint, playing games like there was a tiny acrobat jumping back and forth across bumps and ridges to some random end goal. She had memorized who she was with on which days and how the routine varied. Her throat hurt some, but she was able to breathe her words just loud enough she could hear herself in a quiet room, but she had to take frequent breaks and suspected something had been done to her throat. Her arms and legs moved less sluggishly by the day and were almost sore from the amount of movement she forced herself to do while she could to stave off the stiffness of always laying still for days on end. Even stretches were helping her feel closer to normal, though her ability to grab things with her hands was still questionable. She was doing what she could to not let her sleep schedule get too out of sync with the day. She made sure to wake for ‘breakfast’, which let her know it was safe to exercise and stretch for as long as she could bear it. When she was tired, she talked to herself as quietly as she could until her throat started to hurt. She’d stretch some more until she was tired out or was interrupted with the extra credit student. When the student studied, she listened to their lectures yet failed to learn anything more than she already had known. If their headphones were on or her attention slipped, she dozed. Sarah’s dreams felt like a fitful balance between waking and sleeping. Sounds from the room shifted into her dream, often shifting the dream to the far too familiar setting of that living room where she was imprisoned. She knew it was a dream because she felt some kind of energy in herself that was begging to be used somehow. Coworker’s voices, like Dr. White, and other familiar voices from the media coaxed her mind. “Have you tried directing the energy somehow?” someone asked <of course, it’s like pushing something slippery out of my chest with muscles I’ve never felt.> Sarah would jokingly say, smiling in her dream like she wouldn’t in the waking realm. “But where are you pushing it to?” White asked, accompanied by a familiar yet faint sound of keyboard typing. “You use different muscles for moving your arm in different ways, it could be the same here.” <Okay, sure, but i don’t know what I could use it for. It’s not like i can break my ‘crib’ with dream energy.> Sarah countered in a half-playful, half-annoyed tone. “Well, just try stuff. Can you move a pen with it? Can you slide a sheet of paper? What about making someone hear your voice when you don't speak!” a new voice chimed, some figure she vaguely thought of as a meathead from a magic setting. <Yeah, sure, next you’ll tell me i can cast spells and change my shape and other fantastical things!> Sarah thought with sarcasm, despite thinking about how useful that would be. <Being a bird, a big dog, hell, even imitating one of them would be super useful to get away from this place I bet.> “Look, Sarah, I don’t know what more you can do than just try. Even if it’s just a placebo, it’s still worth doing something.” Dr. White’s voice emphasized. “You don’t like where you’re at now, right?” “Obviously not.” Sarah answered in her dream, though she thought she felt air move past her lips as she did. <I think… I guess I can try stuff in order of immediate usefulness. If I’m dreaming up this ability, I might as well make use of it-> Sarah’s sense of self shifted and she slowly fluttered her eyes open, only to find the student looking at her through the netting that acted as her wall from the rest of the room. She stared at him, he stared at her. <Oh crap… don’t tell me i actually said that out loud.> Sarah thought to herself as she tried not to change her expression at all. <Come on kid, dude, whatever you are. Stop looking my way. It’s allll part of your imagination!> The staring continued for at least a minute, the feeling only intensifying that strange flow of energy that she felt in herself most when she was dreaming. She decided to just humor her dream self’s words and try to do ‘something’ with the energy she was feeling. A tension filled her chest, spreading to her shoulders and wrists, but then its flow slowed. <Right, dreams said it’s not enough to just move it, i need to try something like shaping it. The student’s notebook might be too big, let’s start small and try rolling their pen.> She thought, trying to figure out how to do that as a growing sense of dread tried to discourage her, as if trying diminished her sanity when it was just another thing to do in her boredom. She had some sort of sense that the energy flowed out of her and reached for the pen. She feared it was just in her mind, but then she could ‘feel’ the pen on her hand, like her senses had actually extended. <It’s smooth and cool but the spots where he held it last feel warmer? Yeah, sure, I believe that. If I ‘really’ had the pen, I’d make it roll over with this motion in my hand- wait, did it actually move?!” Sarah watched as the pen rolled over lazily on the notepad seemingly without any physical interjection. Her eyes darted up to the student but they were still staring at her face. “What is your deal?” The student asked with a confused scowl. Sarah didn’t know how to answer him, but she looked back to the pen, the clip still facing her when it had been facing away and feeling like she was still holding it but losing her grip. She breathed a little more quickly in anticipation before trying to roll the pen back over. The pen rolled away from her almost energetically, overshooting its original position and rolling over its clip once before coming to a stop near the edge of the notebook. “Well, try to stay quiet so I can focus on school, mkay?” The student tried to tell her before grumbling about the noise and returning their attention to their computer. <That… that happened.> Sarah thought in astonishment. <There’s no outside forces that would be sufficient to explain not just rocking about but rolling over entirely, even if it were slightly bumped by wind and precariously balanced. Can I move more than just a pen?> She looked around the room in almost excitement, a smile starting to creep onto her face without realizing as she looked for something out of the student’s vision. Unfortunately, there was nothing out in the open that caught her attention. Then she noticed the blanket that was bundled in the corner by her feet. <I guess that will have to do. There’s no way it would move on its own, so this can help confirm if I’m hallucinating or imagining or still dreaming.> Sarah thought to herself, then tried to strain herself back out toward the blanket. Her reach felt more secure, like its closeness meant it was easier to reach. She could feel its mild roughness and the thickness of the fabric on the area she felt like she was grabbing onto with her not-hands. Carefully, she worked on tugging the corner of the blanket she could observe. <That’s it,> Sarah thought, repeating it as she carefully pulled the corner out before her eyes widened as it not only started unfolding from its crumpled position, but a section of blanket as large as her spread out hand visibly floated its corner in midair just an inch or two above the ground. <Holy shit that works?! Yeah, yeah that’s a whole hand of fabric just floating inches away from my feet! Ohhh I don’t know how the hell this works but I’ll take anything right now!> A sudden movement from near the student made her drop the blanket end instantly and she rolled her head over to see what he was doing. Fortunately for her, the student appeared to be getting up and had turned away from her, moving to walk toward the bathroom. <That was too close… Maybe I should play it safe and not be experimenting with this stuff while I could be watched. The last thing i need is someone seeing this and either doing something to me to find out why I can do this or this is semi normal and it might somehow bring me more attention and make escape less likely.> Sarah thought, trying to calm herself down. Her heart was pounding and she felt minor beads of sweat on her face, but she didn’t mind as long as it meant she now had something that could signal for help from a possible sympathetic source. <Depending on what this- is it magic? I’ll call it that for now - the magic stuff can do, maybe I can take the newspaper that Dr. Charles leaves by his chair to read it before the students come and put it back away where it was, maybe get some outside news. I need to find out if this guy’s attitude is mainstream, a fringe concept, or whatever else so I know where I can get help from.> Any temptation to practice more with the unknown force was curbed by a flushing of the toilet and the opening of the door, showing the student returning to the room. <Ew, he didn’t wash his hands? It’s not your own home dude where no one might care, you’re just gross now.> Sarah judged, frowning his way before turning back toward the ceiling and as a form of practice she thought she could get away with, she mentally reached for that blanket and held it to see how long she could before she felt tired. <At least this guy doesn’t even do anything. Most of the men here don’t… Wait, so then what are they getting extra credit for? Is there some law he’s afraid of that requires children or humans to always be supervised, or is he just concerned that I’ll somehow figure out how to escape? He treats me like some object, but even the rabbit man hasn’t seen me move more than my arms or legs clumsily.> Her thoughts were briefly interrupted by a noise coming from outside, her heart beating heavily as she turned her attention outward. When nothing happened, she settled down into the quiet unease. Around mid-afternoon, Dr. Charles arrived earlier than expected. The student was still studying, though not in the same spot he had been, when he noticed Dr. Charles and started packing everything up. “You’re back early.” The student reacted, like it was half observation and half explanation. “I have other obligations tonight. Anything happen today?” “It stared at me like it had an attitude when I sat down, but no, it didn’t do anything but wiggle around sometimes.” “Good. As long as it knows its place.” Dr. Charles said, “I’ll see you next week then.” “Sure thing.” The student said before finishing their packing and getting up. “I still get full credit for today though, right?” “Yes.” Dr. Charles said simply and stood away from the door. “Awesome.” The student said, walking toward the door, adding as he left, “‘Till next week.” “Till then.” Dr. Charles said before closing the door, letting out a sigh, then moved to the kitchen so he could fix himself some coffee. By the time his coffee finished brewing and Charles had sat down with a mug, Sarah could hear another car pull into the driveway with an unfamiliar crunch. Seconds later, a new figure entered, a feline with white fur mottled with black and orange. They wore a business outfit and were carrying a briefcase that they set down by a seat across from Charles while mildly smiling. Sarah had a sinking feeling this was going to be bad news and decided to act like she was taking another nap, closing her eyes. “Good afternoon Charles. How’s business for you?” “Same as always. Administration is getting on my tail over lower attendance rates and lower average grades. You’d think they’d want competent students in my classes but most of what I get are humanities extras just padding their hours to graduate.” “I know my friend, I know.” The feline answered with a casual flick of their tail, appearing to relax as they unbuttoned their jacket, “I have news.” “Good news?” Dr. Charles asked, looking intently at their guest. “Good and bad.” they answered, ear flicking as Sarah squirmed in her pen and rolled her head to face them. They paused, looking at the human before turning back to the professor. “The bad news is I can’t be the one to deliver it. The buyer is not willing to meet until we show the human first.” “That’s fine. Take your video, your pictures, whatever they need.” Dr. Charles frowned. “That’s the thing. They want you to bring the human with you to your debate with Dr. Chambers.” “What? No! Why would I even consider that?” “Because they’ll pay double and pick it up as soon as you return to your hotel room after.” <No… No they- They’re human traffickers?> Sarah almost held her breath, trying not to let even her breathing give away that she was paying intense attention to this. She kept her eyes closed no matter the temptation to look, but she felt like she could feel the stare of both of them until they started talking again. <Just be quiet, just don’t move, breathe as normal as you can… This is a deadline to escape. He needs to just take the pay-> “Double. You’re certain of that?” Dr. Charles confirmed.  “Technically it’s a little over. Instead of paying 75,000 for your part, they’ll pay 180. There’s a bonus that gets the same treatment if they detect any developing talents in it too.” <Talents? Like what, jugglin-> Sarah thought sarcastically, then remembered the trick with the pen and the blanket. <Oh… oh shit… they know this stuff exists? Do they have ways to test for it? What happens if they test it and find me out to prevent my ability to escape! No, calm down, you’re fine. These two clearly couldn’t test for it, someone else must have that ability and that’s who they’re contacting. I have time.> “We’ll be taking my private jet,” The feline’s voice continued, “Reporting will follow Valis’ rules of course, two passengers. The rest is luggage. All you have to do is act friendly and like you actually like or love the thing in public, have your debate the next day, then hand off the human while I go to verify the money transfer. Once done, we can leave Feldria the next day just like our buyer.” “Why can’t they just come here and pick it up? Why the public farce?” Dr. Charles asked, sounding more annoyed than usual. “They’re on the list and are waiting on their official immigration paperwork.” The voice said, “Until that clears, they’re not allowed to enter Valis or any nation with less human rights than Feldria or its designated allies.” There was a long pause at that point. Sarah started getting nervous, summoning all her will to avoid opening her eyes. Right as she was tempted to crack them open just a little bit, they spoke and she kept her eyes closed. “All right, but my condition is we talk like they’re a visitor. I don’t want numbers, I want there to be nothing said that sounds like it’s a purchase. More like a familial handoff.”  Dr. Charles pressed. “They’ll be incredibly pleased with this, I’m sure. Be at this hangar in two weeks as planned, get a human or baby carrier and enough supplies to last the trip. Any questions?” “What’s your cut and just what exactly do they do to get that much money to blow on a toy human?” “I can’t really share that. Client privilege after all. What you’ll hear is they work in education and technology, both well paying jobs of course. Having both skills? Well, you don’t second guess households with second or even third homes in different nations, or furs who have exceptional luxury vehicles do you? Their priorities are just… different.” “I see, I think I will be better not knowing then.” Dr. Charles answered, followed by a chair creaking that Sarah could only guess was him leaning back in his seat. “I’ll see you on the 18th. I’ll be leaving early so expect me around 10.” “That works for me. We’ll do our pre-flight checks and be ready to go at 10:30.” They answered, their voice shifting as they got up. “How is your practice for the debates going?” “Well.” Charles answered, “I’ve had a few local debate presentations and the opposition can’t argue favorably without looking like a laughingstock. With how Feldria is, I suspect they’ll insist I'm wrong or have lost when they couldn’t handle facts over feelings.” “Then what made you agree to the debate circuit in the first place?” “Because there are sane furs in Feldria who we can rally and increase support for the organization. Once we get enough on our side, we can set up a local facility that can start influencing politics.” Charles answered factually, his tone harsh. “Interesting, I thought Feldria prevented such actions.” “They only think they did. Besides, it pays surprisingly well. Once that’s finished, I’ll be settling somewhere warm for retirement.” “Ah. Well, best of luck with that endeavor. As always, it was a pleasure.” Some tense seconds later, Sarah could hear the door open, then after a gust of cold air, it closed and they were in the quiet once more. Sarah didn’t dare open her eyes and betray she had been awake all this time. A few footsteps could be heard before he seemed to sit back down and let out a contented sigh. “Two weeks. Two weeks and I’ll finally be done with raising funds to move out of this old house and away from the students who don’t want my classes.” He let out a long sigh. “The toy hasn’t even been much of a fuss. If it weren’t for that damned buyer making this so much riskier, I’d consider doing that again… who am i kidding, once is enough. All that time buying the rights to a location and getting my dream home built bit by bit… it’s finally going to pay off.” <Sooo selfish bastard wants an easy life at the expense of others because he’s not wanting to be inconvenienced.> Sarah mused as she laid still, almost rolling her eyes, <I guess some things never change.> The home stayed quiet as time passed, and Sarah was almost about to doze off when the still unnamed bunny man came home. “Ah, you’re back early.” they commented. “I had the meeting today. Looks like I’ll have a business trip in two weeks.” “Ahhh, preparing to say goodbye?” Charles snorted, “Hardly. I have the debate I need to go to. Make sure to pick up the supplies for carrying it would you? It’s coming with me on this three day trip.” “Yeah, I’ll do that tomorrow while I’m out. Just a shame, I’d like to play with it just a little longer.” “Do as you like, just don’t let it bother me. Pets should be seen and not heard when not wanted.” The rabbit seemed to snort, then something was being rustled above Sarah. The next thing she knew, she was being lifted again and carried into the rabbit’s arms. She let out a groan like she was trying to sleep before flinching slightly at the way that strained her throat. “Ohhh, were you all cozy laying where you were? Come on, time to clean you up and play before dinner.” Sarah continued to feign sleepiness even as she was ingloriously cleaned in the bathroom, only moving as needed as she tried to make plans for what to do. <They are taking you to whoever this buyer is in two weeks… My best opening is either some equivalent to a TSA if Feldria has it, a security guard or police equivalent, or doing something during his debate if this ‘talent’ thing is strong enough. I need to figure out what my limit to using it is, if there’s some sort of fatigue to it and the reaction there, and how good my endurance is in general.> Sarah mused while she was jostled about and tried to ignore some of the handling that ignored all sense of privacy. <Also, while it’s risky, i need to keep an eye out for a chance to write a help message. If I can just get a help note written, hidden away somewhere like in a carrier or under my clothes when he’s not looking, I can fly it out to whoever I need help from when he isn’t looking and then wait for the police to help. The hard part is finding hiding locations that will be safe from discovery. Under my ‘bed’ would be fine as a temporary spot, since it never gets lifted.> The bath/shower was over before she knew it and she was dried off and pulled away to her change in clothes. The rabbit seemed to look at her wrist with the gem in the gold band and gave it a close look. She looked at it with him, though checking if he noticed anything either. He snorted. “Not a single change in the talent band, and yet...” He mused, trying to squeeze the band before frowning, “It isn’t coming undone. Could it be?” <Talent band?> Sara wondered, looking at the rabbit with open confusion as he studied her, <So this thing is like a test of some sort of magic ability and it’s not picking up what I have? If it’s supposed to come off, is that going to give me away if it doesn’t?> “Nah, if it had any talents, it’d have used them already.” The rabbit chuckled to himself. “Children can’t control when they use it, so there’s no way a human toy would when it's regressed!” <You call paralyzing someone ‘regressed?’ Pretty sure you’re wrong there but I’ll let you keep thinking that.> Sarah thought while trying to keep her curious face until she was picked up, focusing on what he just said, <So this means someone was supposed to make me seem or act younger than I am. It must have failed, and now I have a better idea of what behavior they expect out of me. Today was good progress. Let’s make more each day like my life depends on it!>  

We need another girl in diaper 😜 maybe Luna 😍 or one of the moms 😜

Chapter 45 Pauline brought Lucille and Rebecca to a private room upstairs. The room had been set up with some basic essentials for Littles, in the event that any would ever visit the estate (rare as that event was in Broadsland high society). The furnishings were functional and little else, lacking many of the comforts and features that Lucille was used to at home. There was a simple changing table, harder than the padded variety from her nursery, and a small crib.  Rebecca was carrying a handful of outfits and accessories that Pauline had been instructed to take out of storage. Luckily Pauline made sure such garments were kept clean and in good condition, for these sorts of incidents. Rebecca unceremoniously dropped the pile onto a nearby table as Pauline began to remove the dirty clothing from Lucille.  “Can I go now, Madame Pauline?” “You may wait outside. But no running off - understood?” Rebecca nodded and exited the room as quickly as she could, having no desire to stick around for what Pauline had in store for Lucille. Off came Lucille’s dress, petticoats, bonnet, tights and diaper cover, leaving only in her soggy diaper and its somewhat faded cartoon designs. She sniffled with a pouting bottom lip, recovering from the worst of her meltdown with no comfort at the end besides being free of the restrictive clothing, though she knew it would soon be replaced.   “Disposable diaper?” Pauline said, raising an eyebrow. “How wasteful.” She grabbed the front of Lucille’s diaper and squeezed it, prompting Lucille to squirm in discomfort. The padding squished with the now cool pee soaked into it.  “And wet, too. Just as well, we’ll get you into something more appropriate.” Lucille was plopped down onto the changing table and fastened in place with the attached belt across her abdomen - a little tighter than Hazel tended to.  Pauline got the supplies ready and snapped on a pair of rubber gloves. The sound of the gloves snapping into place made Lucille squirm with nerves.  Off came the wet diaper. Pauline looked at Lucille’s lower body, raising an eyebrow in apparent surprise but saying nothing. Lucille could tell what it was she was making a mental note of… her face burned red. She hated being reminded of that whole… situation. She just wished this whole embarrassing and unfair ordeal was over with already. Pauline balled up the diaper and placed for the time being on the changing table, uncomfortably close to Lucille’s face. She could smell the wet padding and turned her face away from it in embarrassment. Every time she had to smell what she did in her diapers it only reminded her how helpless she had become.  Pauline got to work wiping down Lucille with some wet wipes, though “wiping” was putting it lightly. Pauline’s action was closer to scrubbing, taking care to not miss any nook or cranny, prompting several winces from Lucille which Pauline took no heed of. She also took the opportunity to use some wipes to clean up Lucille’s hands and face of any dirt that had accumulated on her outside.  Once the wiping was done, Pauline unfastened the belt which held Lucille on the changing table. She grew nervous - she was completely naked, and being taken away mid-change was never a good sign. Pauline lifted her into the air and brought her over to a nearby seat next to the table where the clothes had been deposited.  Sitting Lucille on her lap, Pauline looked with stern authority.  “Now, Princess, I’m afraid you will have to be punished. You were quite naughty today, and it is my duty to ensure you don’t try such silly things again.” “B-but Madame Pauline…” Lucille began, a quiver in her voice, “it wasn’t my fault! Rebecca brought me through those bushes. I didn’t know there was a doggy there… and it took my paci!” “No fibbing, Princess. Honestly, I should have known better. From the way you were sitting and back-talking in the conservatory, manners are clearly not your strong suit.” Wow. What was her problem? Why was she being so mean? Lucille hadn’t done anything wrong. It wasn’t fair. But she could tell that she wasn’t going to convince Pauline - clearly, a baby’s opinion isn’t worth considering in her eyes. And what’s worse, Lucille had a feeling of what would come next.   “Now, I’m going to give you five slaps on your bottom. When I’m done, you will tell me you’re sorry and you won’t misbehave again. Then we will get you dressed. Understood?” There was little that Lucille could do but nod. She’d been spanked before, and although it was never pleasant, she knew what to expect. She steeled herself, bracing for the pain and indignation. She was once again determined to get through this without throwing a fit. After all - five spanks was surprisingly lenient for Pauline to dish out. She seems more like the type to give out like… 20.  Lucille was flipped over on Pauline’s lap. There was a silence in the air as she waited for the first slap. And eventually, it came, with a loud clap that reverberated in the largely empty room. The painful sting immediately set in. Pauline’s spanks hurt, even more than Hazel’s or Charlotte’s that he’d experienced before.  That explains the relatively small number. She made every one of those five spanks count. And he could tell that she was holding back, too.  Slap after slap landed on Lucille’s bottom, and Pauline counted each one aloud. It was over quick, but by the end, Lucille’s butt was red and stinging as much as it would have been with 10 spanks at home. Lucille managed to make it through without crying, though that was partially because she’d expended all her tears during her earlier meltdown. Some residual beads of liquid pooled in the corners of her eyes, and she winced in pain as Pauline sat her back down on the changing table.  “Now, what do you say?” “I…” Lucille began with a sniffle. “I’m sorry.” “Full sentence, dear.” “I’m sorry for misbehaving, Madame Pauline… I won’t do it again.” This was so unfair. Apologising for something she hadn’t even done.  “Apology accepted. Let’s hope you’re true to your word, hm?” She laid Lucille down on the table and fastened the belt across her once more to continue the change. Pauline began with the cream and powder, applied as vigorously as the wiping had been. The cream was soothing as it was spread across her still sensitive butt, and a Lucille welcomed its application so soon after the spanking. Small mercies, she guessed. Pauline next retrieved something from the pile of changing supplies next to her.  “I’ve no idea why they put you in those disposable things. A royal family member should be using one of these,” she pulled out what looked like a diaper, though it was different than the kind Lucille had become accustomed to. It looked to be made out of a soft, cloth material, and it only made a faint crinkling sound compared to the all-plastic kind she usually wore. “It’s far more sensible.” The cloth diaper was slid underneath Lucille’s bottom, before being pulled over and fastened. The diaper was secured with snaps, like the kind on Lucille’s onesies, instead of tapes. It was a different kind of feel, to be sure - bulkier, but warmer, and softer on her still sensitive butt, which was nice. However, the fact that Pauline had distinguished this garment from a “disposable” told her that this was some kind of reusable one, and that conjured up unpleasant images in her mind. Even if it was washed, she had no desire to wear the same diaper twice after she’d done her business in it. She would just have to hope she wouldn’t have to do so, and get changed into one of her disposables as soon as they left.  “Now then, let’s get you all dressed. Must look presentable for the family dinner.” Pauline proceeded to try a number of Rebecca’s old baby dresses on Lucille, a process which took some time due to the arduous process of getting into and out of the outfits in the first place. In all, Lucille tried on four dresses in succession before Pauline landed on a decision.  Lucille was placed in a light pink dress, similar in style to the one she had been wearing earlier, and covered in bows and laces. The sleeves covered her arms and hugged her wrists tightly with frilled cuffs. The skirt was long, though it seemed the dress itself was about one size too small for Lucille, resulting in the skirt ending at her ankles rather than almost touching the floor as with her previous dress. This made walking around slightly easier, but the smaller size resulted in the whole thing somehow feeling even more constraining for her, particularly at the waist and neck. The collar was frilled and covered much of her neck.  Underneath, she wore opaque white tights which stretched over her cloth diaper, and instead of a diaper cover, she wore frilled bloomers to hide the garment from view. The white bloomers blended in with the array of petticoats which puffed the long skirt out slightly. She wore her original Mary-Jane shoes, wiped clean by Pauline. And finally, a matching pink bonnet with a large red bow at the back was securely fastened around her head, with her long hair clipped into place so no stray locks found their way out.  “Lovely. Broadsland fashion looks well on you, Princess. Now come, we must get moving.” Pauline picked up Lucille and exited the room after cleaning tidying the room a bit.  Rebecca was waiting outside, sitting on the floor against the wall, staring at her phone and clearly bored. She looked up to see Pauline carrying Lucille. One look at Lucille in her new getup prompted an immediate stifled laugh from her.  “Pfft-” “Something you’d like to add, Lady Rebecca?” “No, Madame Pauline, she just looks so… uh… cute.” Her words were tinged with a facetiousness that even Lucille picked up on.  Pauline was not amused. “Hand me your phone.” “What? Why?” “Consider it the beginning of your punishment. I’m sure your mother and father will have more ideas later on. But for now, you’ve lost phone privileges.” “Ughh…” she rolled her eyes and handed her phone to Pauline, who placed it in her apron pocket. The trio made their way down the hall, and Rebecca glared at Lucille.  “Thanks a lot.” Lucille bit her tongue. She wanted to say something about how all of this was Rebecca’s own fault, but what good would it do? She strongly disliked both Pauline and Rebecca, and if staying quiet got her away from them and back to Nana faster, so be it.  As they moved down the hallway, Lucille found herself once again craving her pacifier. Left with no alternative, she slid her thumb into her mouth and began tentatively sucking on it.  She was aware how silly it looked… but after a moment, she figured it was better than nothing.  — In the dining hall, the families were taking their places as the waitstaff prepared the table. Julien and Alexander sat opposite each other at the top of the table, with Margaret and Leo sitting next to them respectively. An empty seat was prepared for Rebecca next to her mother, while a high chair waited for Lucille next to Leo, Hazel seated on the opposite side of it.  Leo was none too pleased about being seated directly next to his baby sister. Though part of him remembered what his father had told him about maintaining the image of a good older brother, he also remembered what his father had told him about maintaining a somewhat aloof stance when it came to “domestic” responsibilities. Trying to reconcile these seemingly conflicting pieces of advice, he decided the best thing to do was to acknowledge Lucille and her babyish tendencies as little as possible - a potentially difficult task, given how he’d seen first hand how messy feeding the baby could be. He looked over at Hazel, who sat unusually still, staring into space. He waited a moment to see if she would break from this strange stance, but she didn’t.  “…Miss Hazel?” “…Oh! Hm? Yes, Prince Leo?” “Are you alright…?” “Ah, yes, I’m fine! Just thinking.” Hazel flashed a smile and a little giggle to feign nonchalance. But Leo knew her - she didn’t usually seem so distant.  “I see…” “Really, there’s nothing to be concerned about - although I appreciate it! I suppose I’m just waiting for your sister to arrive.” Hazel and Rosa had informed the royals of Lucille’s little “detour” when they rejoined the group. Julien and Margaret insisted they wait for Lucille and Rebecca to join before dinner was served. Although they took the story in good spirits, Leo was certainly embarrassed to hear of his sister causing problems already.  “Ahem,” Pauline announced as she entered the dining hall. Everyone at the table turned their heads to see her, flanked on one side by a sour-faced Rebecca, and on the other by Lucille, who was walking clumsily and holding Pauline’s hand.  “Apologies for our delay - we had some business to attend to. Didn’t we, Princess?” She looked down at Lucille, who glanced bashfully to her feet. “What would you like to say to everyone?” Pauline let go of Lucille’s hand, and she took some tentative steps forward. She looked up past the brim of her bonnet, scanning each face at the long table quickly before landing on Hazel’s, her eyes lit with a mixture of sympathy and delight upon seeing the Princess. She took a breath in.  “I’m sorry for being naughty, everyone.” Lucille gave a curtsy to accentuate her apology, the best she could muster, considering she was apologising again for something she didn’t do. She held her low stance for a moment, gripping the hems of her skirt lightly between her fingers, before rising again.  Leo was glad that his sister managed to pull off the formal display with no problems. And although his patience with her had been tested lately… he did feel a little bad for her, seeing her reddened cheeks indicating she’d obviously been crying.  “Think nothing of it, Princess. We were all babies, once.” Julien said with a jovial, if somewhat condescending, tone.  “Indeed…” Alexander agreed, though his words too were tinged with a degree of insincerity. Hazel sensed he wasn’t exactly pleased to hear of his daughter causing trouble.  Pauline lifted Lucille to her high chair and fastened her in. A harness built into the chair secured Lucille firmly into the seat, and the tray slid toward her to further prevent any wriggling around. Lucille winced lightly as she felt her still red bottom touch the seat. Hazel knew immediately that the Princess had been spanked - she expected as much, as it was the go-to punishment for a misbehaving Little.  Still, when Hazel administered a spanking, she always made sure to initiate a gentle conversation afterwards to help Lucille process her big feelings. With what she knew of Madame Pauline, Hazel couldn’t imagine Lucille received any such comfort after her punishment, which did little to improve her opinion of the tough-as-nails nanny.  “My, is that one of Rebecca’s old outfits?” Margaret asked, hardly able to contain her delight. “It looks simply darling on her!” “Yes, thankfully we keep such things in storage. The Princess’s old dress was hardly in a presentable state…” Pauline glanced down at Lucille accusingly. Although she was stood behind the Little and the bonnet and high chair meant she had no way of seeing Pauline, Lucille somehow felt that stare on the back of her head. “Well, thank you for attending to her, Madame Pauline.” Alexander said warmly.  “Indeed, and sorry for the trouble. I will ensure that all of the clothes are returned to you promptly.” Hazel added.  “Nonsense!” Margaret interjected with a smile. “Let her keep them! They look too adorable on her.” Julien nodded in agreement. “Yes, it’s quite alright. Consider them a gift from us - a piece of Broadsland fashion to take home.” “You are too kind.” Alexander nodded in appreciation.  Lucille didn’t exactly have any desire to wear such a tight, restrictive outfit ever again. Not that it mattered, as she never had any say in what she wore. She could only hope Hazel, often in charge of her outfits, would feel the same way she did.  “I’ll be taking my leave now. Your highnesses.” Pauline gave a solemn bow before scurrying out of the room. Lucille and Hazel both felt a weight lifted as she left, her very presence putting them both on edge. Leo silently felt it too, the memories of her caring for him when he was young still making him shudder.  “Well, now that we’re all here - Bon appetite!” Julien snapped his fingers, and a small group of waiters and waitresses began filling the table with an array of dishes. They moved about the table almost like dancers in a ballet, effortlessly arranging everything to a perfect picturesque display. Each of the adults plus Leo and Rebecca received their meals in short order. Lucille waited to receive hers. The sight and smell of the food being laid out for everyone else made her mouth water, though she ultimately knew there was little to no chance she would receive anything as appetising.  Finally, a dish was placed on the tray before her by Rosa. The bowl was white and plastic, though it had been made to appear as ornate as the fine china everyone else dined off of. In the bowl, a familiarly unappealing pile of mush. There was a variety of colours on display - a murky green, a dull beige, and a slightly nicer looking peach coloured section. Steam rose from the purée, indicating it had been heated, unlike the usually room temperature baby foods she ate at home.  “Ooh!” Hazel said in a bright tone, looking at Lucille’s meal. “That looks yummy, huh Princess?” As if on autopilot, she moved to grab the small spoon placed on the high chair tray, until she was stopped by Rosa.  “Oh, that’s alright, Miss Hazel! I will feed the Princess. You have your own food, so don’t worry.” Rosa smiled, and Hazel nodded. She had again forgotten that she wasn’t expected to care for Lucille on this trip. It was taking a great deal of getting used to.  Rosa tied a plain white cloth bib around Lucille’s neck and picked up the spoon to scoop out a healthy dose of the purée. As it approached Lucille’s waiting lips, she caught a smell of it - it wasn’t pleasant. Baby food never smelled good, but the fact that it had been heated made that more apparent. Her face scrunched up and her lips closed before Rosa could get the spoon in.  “Mmph.” She muttered.  “Oh… come now, Princess…” Rosa moved the spoon closer again.  “Yucky!” Lucille turned her head away. “Don’t wanna.” Leo scowled at Lucille. He couldn’t believe she was starting again already. “For the love of…” “It’s alright, Prince Leo,” Hazel interrupted, wishing to avoid a scene. She placed her hand on Lucille’s head gently.  “Baby, you need to be a good girl and eat your nummies, okay?” “But…” Lucille muttered petulantly, looking at Hazel with pleading eyes. Did she really have to endure more than she already had so far today? Hazel smiled warmly. “For me?” Lucille was conflicted, but seeing Hazel’s smile and that look she gave melted away any will to argue. It was amazing what one moment of kindness in a day so far filled with frustration could do. She sighed and opened her mouth to allow the spoon in. Rosa took that opportunity, and Hazel rubbed the top of Lucille’s head in praise before returning to her own food.  Lucille let the food sit in her mouth a moment as the flavour began to take hold. She braced herself for some unpleasant flurry of uncomplimentary flavours, as was usually the case with this stuff.  …But it soon became clear she was wrong.  It was difficult to describe the flavour - it wasn’t sweet like candy, it was still baby food, but the flavour had a satisfying quality that Lucille hadn’t yet experienced. It scratched the same itch in her brain that eating some sugary treat would have. She swallowed, and looked to Hazel in shock before eagerly opening her mouth for the next spoonful. The Amazons shared a laugh amongst themselves.  “Well, she seems to like it after all!” Hazel said, relieved.  “Yes, Littles are often fond of the food we prepare for them here in Broadsland. I have heard it’s somewhat more… palatable to them than many alternatives.” Alexander didn’t enjoy the not-so-subtle unfavourable comparison to Avalir, but took it on the chin.  “Perhaps an exchange would be in order.” “Indeed.” The royals discussed their respective nations, and Leo listened intently. Meanwhile next to him, Lucille was eagerly taking every spoonful of her meal. She felt elated, and couldn’t remember the last time she tasted something so delicious, save for maybe the ice cream that Nana let her have on their trip to the zoo. In her eagerness for more, Lucille found small stains of the food forming at the corners of her mouth.  “She’s a very good eater,” Rosa said to Hazel.  “Oh, it depends on the day. You know how Littles are!” “Well, I can’t say I have much experience…” Rosa said, giving Lucille another spoonful. “But I am glad to assist with your little one.” Hazel felt a moment of brief joy at Lucille being described as “her” little one, even if that wasn’t what Rosa meant. She silently savoured the moment and returned to her own food.  By now, Lucille was getting restless and eager for more of the food. She leaned forward to reach every spoonful quicker, swallowing it faster than Rosa could get the next one ready. When Rosa took a brief pause to say something else to Hazel, Lucille shuffled impatiently in her high chair. Rosa held a spoonful of the mush in the air, tantalisingly close but too far for her to reach. So, in a moment of impulsive action, she decided to take things into her own hands - literally. She looked down at the bowl in front of her on the tray, and with no regard for any table manners, she dug her entire hand into the mush and grabbed a handful. Bringing it straight to her mouth, she began stuffing her face with as much as she could. A large amount of it smeared across her mouth and chin, dripping all over her bib in the process. Rosa and Hazel looked over in alarm.  “Oh dear…” the two maids said in unison. They were already too late to stop the Little from making a mess, as she grabbed another handful and messily stuffed her face with the warm mush.  By now, the others had taken notice as well.  “Ugh!” Leo scoffed, putting some distance between him and Lucille. “Ah, she certainly is… eager.” Margaret commented, clearly a little unnerved by the uncouth display at the table.  “What’d you expect?” Rebecca teased. “Babies are gross. It’s like, laws of nature or somethin’.” Lucille broke from her focus on eating to glare at Rebecca. She stared at the older girl, the baby food still dripping from her chin. Feeling decidedly done with Rebecca and her attitude, Lucille let her impulses take over again.  “Poopoo head!” She exclaimed, before sticking her tongue out at Rebecca and blowing a raspberry at her loudly, drops of baby food flying from her mouth. One of the drops came dangerously close to landing on Leo, which only fuelled his frustration further.  “Lucille!” Alexander snapped. “Where are your manners? That is very un-ladylike language.” Lucille suddenly shrunk a little. Being scolded in Alexander’s booming, powerful voice was a feeling she wasn’t quite used to. It snapped her pretty quickly from her bratty outburst and she looked down at her messy bib in meek quiet, her legs nervously swinging mid-air.  Julien and Margaret looked at each other incredulously. Leo buried his face, red with embarrassment, in his hand. Rebecca actually looked the least offended, smirking a bit at Lucille’s babyish display like she was happy with her defiant response.  “Lucille, that was very rude.” Hazel said. “We do not call people names. Apologise to Rebecca.” Her tone carried an authority lacking the concern she had earlier shown.  Lucille looked at Hazel and said nothing. Rosa took the opportunity afforded by this pause to begin wiping down her face with a cloth.  “I mean it, little missy - you’ve been punished once today already. I’m going to count to three. One…” Lucille continued to stare, pouting at her Nana petulantly. “Two…” Suddenly, Lucille remembered that three is the number that comes after two, and she snapped back to reality. Her expression softened and she quickly turned her attention to Rebecca.  “Sowwy, Webecca.” She spoke in a clumsy voice.  Julien and Margaret looked at Rebecca. She sighed at her parents and turned to the baby.  “Apology accepted. I guess.” “One can never predict babies, I suppose…” Alexander chuckled, attempting to break the tension. It seems to have worked, as the adults continued their conversation afterwards. While everyone else seemed to move on, Leo continued to sit in a quiet embarrassed anger. Somehow, he felt that every action Lucille took was reflecting on him. Maybe that was a result of his lack of confidence, but he simmered away in this feeling nonetheless.  As everyone finished up their meals, Lucille was cleaned up and her bib removed. Miraculously, it seems all of the mush she messed around with only got on her face, hands and bib, and none of it on her new outfit.  “Excuse me, Miss Rosa?” Hazel asked in a quiet tone. “Could I perhaps bring Lucille to a private room? She’s due to be fed.” “But I just fed-” Rosa stopped as Hazel did a quick glance down at her breasts. She knew from her earlier conversation with Margaret that open discussion of such things might be seen as “uncouth”. Which was a silly thing, she thought, as in Avalir there was nothing at all wrong with discussing breastfeeding and diaper usage. That’s just what Littles did.  “Ah, I see...” Rosa caught Hazel’s meaning and thought for a moment. She leaned in closer to Hazel to have a quieter discussion “Miss Hazel, perhaps it would be better if we used formula for today. We have an ample supply.” Hazel immediately felt her frustration with the secrecy around everything build. Lucille was a baby, for goodness sakes - was it really so taboo to be candid about taking care of her like one? “No, that’s quite alright.” Hazel replied flatly. She did not match the more hushed tone that Rosa took.  “It’s just that-” “I appreciate the offer, Miss Rosa,” Hazel interrupted, “but Lucille does not drink formula. She is on a breastmilk diet. I would be thankful if you respect her Highness Queen Charlotte’s wishes in this matter.” The table was silent as Hazel stood her ground. Alexander watched with interest. Leo blushed and looked away. Rebecca stifled a giggle at the mention of the word “breast”. Margaret cleared her throat uncomfortably.  Lucille, meanwhile, shuffled her butt in the high chair, excited at the opportunity for some alone time with Nana.  Julien broke the silence. “That would be quite alright, Miss Rosa. Please escort Miss Hazel.” Rosa looked to Julien and nodded, then turned to Hazel, who was feeling vindicated at last. “Um… Right this way.” She unfastened Lucille’s restraints and lifted her from the high chair, and Hazel followed along as they left the dining hall. Rosa brought them to a small, private room just down the hallway, with a sofa by the fireplace. She handed Lucille to Hazel, and the two very eagerly embraced.  “…Please call if you need anything.” Rosa said. She curtsied respectfully and left the room as quickly as she could. At last, Hazel was alone with the Princess.  “Phew,” she sighed, her shoulders dropping as the tension from her encounter left her body.  “What a day… someone’s been busy!” Hazel said, sitting down on the chair and placing Lucille in her lap.  “Nana, all that stuff outside wasn’t my fault!” She cried, defensive and emotional.  Hazel took a more sympathetic tone. “What happened?” “Rebecca is a big meanie. She made me go through and called the doggy over. It was so scary and he stole my paci. Then she blamed me and Madame Pauline slapped my butt… real hard.” Just thinking about it all again made tears well in her eyes.  Hazel wiped a stray tear on Lucille’s cheek with her thumb. “It’s alright, baby. Nana’s got you now. I’m sorry I had to leave you like that… We’re almost done, by tonight you’ll be safe in Avalir, back in your crib. We can talk about everything later.” Lucille pouted. This day had already felt like an eternity. She had been woken up early for the flight, put in two consecutive uncomfortable outfits, practiced her etiquette, dealt with Pauline, Rebecca and a scary dog, and blamed for stuff that wasn’t her fault. She had every right to be cranky.  “I dunno…” “I know, baby, but Nana needs you to be her big girl for just a little longer. I promise, I’ll make it up to you when we’re home. Okay?” She smiled.  Nana’s words soothed her. She wanted to be cranky and mad at Hazel for giving her to Pauline… but she couldn’t let those pouty thoughts win. She took a deep breath, and felt the need to whine and pout slowly fade. Alright, she thought. I’ll be a big girl for Nana.  “Kay.” She gave a weak smile and a sniffle. “That’s my girl.” Hazel smiled in return, then pulled out a tissue to wipe Lucille’s nose, prompting her to blow. “Now, how about the rest of your meal?” Hazel began unbuttoning her blouse and Lucille eagerly awaited her milk. She tried to latch almost as soon as she caught a glimpse of Hazel’s nipple, but the two soon realised that the bonnet she wore would pose a problem.  “Hmm…” Hazel said, thinking. “Let’s try it this way.”  Hazel laid down on her back on the couch, breasts exposed, and placed Lucille on top of her. Although it took some fidgeting, they eventually found a way to get Lucille to comfortably latch in this laying down position. The milk began to flow, and although she was feeling a little full from the baby food, she would never turn down Nana’s milk, and began hungrily suckling with her eyes closed. Much better than her pacifier or her thumb. “There we go.” Hazel cooed. She closed her eyes, enjoying the moment, and gently patted Lucille’s padded butt, feeling the Little on top of her and listening to her hungry little noises fill the room.