Rainbow Diapers

Chapter 9: The Aquarium Ms. Hana waited for Emily to finish with the potty before announcing. “Okay, boys and girls, it’s time to go outside.” The announcement sparked an outburst of excitement rarely seen in adults. All four BRATs bolted for the door, but none of them could open it. PCU has an elaborate security system that limits students access to buildings on campus. Every door requires an ID card, and the access can be easily modified when needed. Level 1 and level 2 BRATs don’t have ID cards with them, so they can’t open any doors. Emily tried to use hers, but it didn’t work. She said, “Mommy, something is wrong with my card.” Ms. Hana calmly replied, “Nothing is wrong with it; I blocked it. I’ll unblock it when you’re ready to be a big girl again.” Ms. Hana stepped aside after opening the door, allowing all four of them to run out to the Pirate Ship with the exuberance of first graders charging out to recess! The Pirate Ship is one of the most successful elements of BRAT. Dr. Andrews believes that regressive therapy is most effective when participants fully embrace the mindset of a young child. He believes toys and playtime are almost as important as diapers and naps. At first, Dr. Andrews didn’t fully appreciate how effective play structures are in encouraging that mindset. The realization came in the early stages of his research, before the group adopted the BRAT moniker. The young adults were taken to an abandoned park with an empty playground. Seeing no children around, the supervisors allowed them to play freely. They were amazed to see the group enthusiastically and openly playing on the playground, behaving just like young children. This experience convinced Dr. Andrews that a well-designed playground could be valuable for his program, inspiring him to integrate them into BRAT’s environment. The result of this insight is the Pirate Ship. A play structure meticulously designed to resemble a top-tier children's playground, but reinforced and scaled specifically for young adults. Every component is engineered to be stronger, taller, and more daring than typical playground equipment. The main feature is the Crow’s Nest, a structure nearly 40 feet tall that is accessed by a long ladder, with a canvas slide for descending. In addition, it features rope swings and other elements carefully chosen to appeal to young adults. The Pirate Ship is extremely popular with the Little Kids, and it isn’t uncommon to see both adults and Big Kids play on it. Its success even led the head of the Residence Hall to consider building a similar structure for the broader student population. However, that idea was quickly dismissed when they realized the risks of allowing drunk college students access to such a massive and challenging play structure. Tommy was especially thrilled to have Tyler and Jamie as playmates. Within the program, BRATs usually segregate themselves according to both gender and level; Big Kids rarely join Little Kids for outside playtime, and the Little Kids tend to group by gender, with boys sticking together and girls playing with the other girls. During the fall, when Tyler was still a Little Kid, Tommy and Tyler often played together. However, after he was promoted, Tyler usually stayed in his room when the Little Kids played outside. The other two boys, Alex and Cooper were best friends before they joined BRAT. Because of their close bond, Tommy felt like a third wheel and struggled to fit in. He was secretly happy that Tyler was back in diapers and wanted to get to know Jamie better, hoping to finally have a best friend. Much to Jamie’s delight, the three boys went straight to the Crow’s Nest. Jamie had been waiting to do that since Tuesday. The Crow’s Nest was both thrilling and secluded, making it difficult for RAs to overhear their conversations. Those brief moments at the top gave BRATs a short burst of freedom. After they reached the top, Tommy asked, “Why were you at level 0 yesterday?” Jamie shrugged, “Ms. Rachel thought I was drinking.” Tyler smirked, “Were you?” “I only drank a little.” Tyler replied, “It doesn’t matter, you’re not allowed to drink until you’re 21. If you do, you’re dropped to level 1. But they were going to make you a toddler anyway, so I don’t think it mattered.” Jamie asked, “What do you mean?” “Everybody starts at level 1; you just made it easier for them.” Although Jamie was excited, he was also nervous. As he stood at the top of the slide, he accidentally peed in his diaper. It was just a spurt, but he felt it. He froze and clutched his crotch. Tommy asked, “What’s wrong?” “I just peed.” Both them laughed, “Oh! Is that all? Don’t worry about it, you’re wearing a diaper.” “I know, but it’s like the third time it’s happened today.” Tyler exclaimed, “Wow! You’re already peeing in your diaper without thinking about it? It took me almost a whole week to do that.” Tommy smirked, "You spent most of the first week at level 3." Tyler replied, “That’s how I know that everyone starts at level 1. I didn’t even get in trouble. They said that I wasn’t mature enough to be a Big Kid, and put me in diapers.” Jamie asked, “What about you, Tommy? How long did it take you to get used to wearing diapers.” Tommy hesitated. “I can’t remember. It was a long time ago.” After a brief pause, he leaned in and confided, “Don’t tell anybody, but I did it on purpose.” Both Tyler and Jamie were shocked, “What!” Tommy nodded. “Yeah. My aunt made me wear Pull-ups because I pooped my pants. At first, I was mad at her, and embarrassed. But then, I started to wonder what diapers were like. My aunt lives in the middle of nowhere, and the only kids around were my cousins and their neighbor. My eight-year-old cousin was wearing diapers anyway, and the neighbor already knew about the Pull-ups; nobody else would ever know. I figured it was my only chance to find out., so I went for it. I thought I would only have to wear them for a few days, and then go back to normal. But she made me wear them for two whole weeks! By that point, I liked them and didn’t want to stop.” Tommy's admission about liking diapers triggered Jamie. He didn’t want to admit it, but he liked wetting his diaper, even if it felt wrong. It was also awkward for Tyler. His feelings about his demotion to level 1 were complicated. His tantrum seemed genuine, but it was mostly performative. In fact, he was more relieved than anything else. However, neither Tyler, nor Jamie were ready to confront their true feelings, and they didn’t know how to respond. After an awkward pause, Tyler broke the silence, offering a half-hearted acceptance of the circumstances: “I guess that’s cool. Look, we better jump before everybody gets mad.” While the boys were up in the Crow’s Nest, the girls gathered to hear about each other’s situation. There were many questions, especially regarding Emily and Tara. Was Emily in trouble? Why did Tara get put at level 0? Emily started by asking Tara, “Did you miss your curfew again?” Tara shook her head, “No, not this time. I was drunk, so Ms. Tracy dropped me to level 1.” Emily asked, “Is it permanent?” Tara nodded. The others looked back sympathetically. Reyna, who was dropped for the same reason in May, responded, “That sucks. I guess you won’t be going to any parties either.” Tara shrugged, “It’s alright. It was my fault. I didn’t even have to come home. At least I don’t have to change diapers.” She looked at Emily and asked, “What happened to you? Is this full-time?” “I’m not sure. Ms. Hana got mad when I didn’t want to change Stephy’s diaper, but she promised to make me a big girl again. I just don’t know when.” All of them were soon deeply engaged in play. They pretended to defend themselves against an imaginary ship, assigning roles and creating a vivid narrative. The familiar houses nearby were reimagined as an enemy vessel, and a simple board perched on blocks became a powerful cannon. Lost in their adventure, the minutes slipped away unnoticed. They only noticed playtime was over when they were called for lunch. Before they got to the dining room, Ms. Hana squeezed Jamie’s diaper. She noticed it was wet, but not enough for a change. Nonetheless, it was enough to earn some praise. “Good job! I’m proud of you. Remember, don’t hold your pee-pee. I don’t need to change it right now, but good job going pee-pee in your diaper.” Lunch consisted of chicken fingers paired with fries, making the meal entirely composed of finger foods. This choice made it much easier for everyone to eat without creating a mess. Despite this, Jamie still managed to get crumbs all over his face. When Ms. Hana noticed, she smiled warmly at him, as if he had accomplished something positive. In contrast, her reaction to Stephanie was noticeably less enthusiastic. Stephanie kept talking and playing with her food, rather than eating. It was the same as the day before, but this time she didn’t heed Ms. Hana’s warning. Early on, when Ms. Hana noticed Stephanie’s dawdling, she warned, “Stephanie, honey, you need to eat your lunch.” Stephanie seemingly ignored her, so Ms. Hana warned her again. After the third time, Ms. Hana announced, “Okay, that’s enough of that.” She pointed, and Ms. Samara brought a highchair over to the table. Ms. Hana said, “Please get in. Since you’re not eating your lunch, I have to feed you.” Stephanie looked back in a panic. “Please Mommy! I’m sorry. Please don’t! I won’t do it again, I promise!” “Stephanie, your pleas won’t work. I’m not changing my mind. I already warned you, so now you have to sit in a highchair.” Stephanie cried, “But I’m sorry Mommy.” Ms. Hana was not impressed. “Do you want to go in the playpen?” The words were slow and firm. Stephanie shook her head. Ms. Hana continued, “Than you know what to do.” Stephanie didn’t hesitate. She got out of her seat and climbed into the highchair. Ms. Hana forced a smile; Stephanie complied, but she was still pouting. “That’s better, now open up.” Stephanie continued to cry as Ms. Hana finished feeding the rest of her lunch to her. To avoid any further issues, Ms. Hana put a pacifier in her mouth before letting her out of the highchair. Jamie found it oddly comforting to see Stephanie get in trouble. He assumed she was immune to discipline since nobody ever got mad at her. He saw that Ms. Hana treated everyone fairly, and that made him feel better about his situation. As was the routine every day so far, naptime was right after lunch. Typically, Level 3 BRATs are allowed to leave the compound while Little Kids take their naps. However, today was different. After naptime was over, they were going to the aquarium. It was also a significant day, marking the first time a BRAT would meet their SA. Instead of heading out for some free time, Ms. Hana allowed Emily to play on her phone while she rested downstairs. Stephanie was still sulking, but she didn’t put up much resistance when it was time to get into her crib. Tyler and Jamie also went to their cribs without any trouble. Naptime offered Jamie a much-needed break and some valuable moments alone. After tucking Jamie into his crib, Ms. Hana said, "Thank you for being so good today. While you're sleeping, please try to do a poo-poo in your diaper for me?” Jamie shook his head. He didn’t want to disappoint her, but he didn’t have to go. Although the laxatives and high-fiber diet had begun to have an impact, he was still constipated and found it challenging to poop more than once a day. He cried, “But I don’t have to go.” Ms. Hana understood but urged him anyway, “Give it a try. You’ll feel better.” The boredom and darkness lulled Jamie to sleep, and the next thing he knew, Ms. Hana was waking him up. She lowered the rails and gently rocked him, “Okay honey, it’s time to get up.” She felt his diaper, which was squishy, and asked, “Did you do a poo-poo?” Jamie cried. “I tried m-;” he stammered, almost letting the word ‘mommy’ slip out before abruptly stopping himself. A wave of uncertainty washed over him as he struggled to decide how to address Ms. Hana. In that moment, he understood why the others called her ‘Mommy’; it felt more comforting and less formal than Ms. Hana, but he still wasn’t ready to call her that. He simply replied, “I tried, but I couldn’t. Please don’t be mad.” Ms. Hana hugged him, “It’s okay honey. I’m not mad. I know you tried. Remember pee-pee and poo-poo go in your diaper.” Jamie nodded, “I know, I know.” Ms. Hana beamed, “Speaking of which. You put a lot of pee-pee in this diaper. I better change it, or you will leak. You don’t want that, do you? Especially because we’re going to the aquarium this afternoon.” Jamie didn’t know how to respond. He wanted to ask if he had to wear a diaper when he was there, but he knew the answer. He happily climbed onto the changing table and let Ms. Hana change his diaper. She asked, “Doesn’t that feel better?” Jamie had to admit that it did, but he didn’t say anything. Stephanie was cried out, her sobs lasted through most of her nap until she eventually fell asleep. Her initial tears were fueled by anger, but as time passed, She realized that it was her fault. She ignored Ms. Hana’s warnings and now had to face the consequences. When Ms. Hana entered the nursery, Stephanie was immediately remorseful. Through fresh tears, she cried, “I’m sorry Mommy. I should have listened to you.” Ms. Hana gave her a hug. “I know you are, honey.” She looked her straight in the eye and said, “But remember, being sorry doesn’t change the consequence; does it?” “I know.” Ms. Hana said calmly but firmly, “You were naughty, so there’s still a consequence. You don’t have to sit in the playpen, but you’re not allowed to feed yourself until I say so.” Stephanie meekly nodded, reluctantly accepting her punishment. As Ms. Hana and Ms. Samara packed the diaper bags, the BRATs played on the floor. Stephanie glanced up from her toys and asked, “Where are we going?” Jamie responded, “She told me that we’re going to the aquarium.” Stephanie let out an exasperated sigh. “That’s where we always go. I want to go somewhere else.” Tyler, curious about Stephanie’s complaint, asked, “What’s wrong with the aquarium?” Stephanie shrugged. “It’s fine, but I’ve been there like a thousand times.” Emily couldn’t help but laugh. “Stephy, I don’t think it’s been a thousand times, but we go there a lot.” Tyler added, “It’s about the only thing there is to do in Newport.” Stephanie, her voice uncharacteristically mature, said, “There are other things to do, but the aquarium is easier for them. Let’s face it, we don’t want to draw a crowd.” Jamie asked, “Are we really going out like this?” Tyler rolled his eyes, “What do you think, dude?” “But people will see us! Are they going to do the other stuff as well?” Tyler reassured him, “Don’t worry about that. Nobody will see our diapers. Just stay close to your SA.” In the midst of everything that was happening, Jamie forgot about the SAs entirely. He turned to the others and asked, “What’s an SA?” Emily quickly answered, “That’s what Ms. Samara is. Every BRAT has one. Ms. Samara is mine.” Jamie, still confused, pressed for more information. “What do they do?” Tyler stepped in to explain, “They are Student Advisers. They help us with our classes. You know how Ms. Hana is essentially our nanny?” Jamie nodded, though the idea of needing a nanny was still hard to stomach. Tyler said, “Our SA is like a babysitter. They bring us to class, make sure we work, and look after us.” Jamie asked, “Who is my SA?” “We don’t know yet, but I think that's why we are going to the aquarium this afternoon. That's what we did last year. They want us to meet our SA before orientation tomorrow.” Ms. Hana interrupted the conversation. “Okay boys and girls, it’s almost time to leave.” She looked at Emily, “Emily, why don’t you go potty before we leave?” Emily protested, “Mommy!” Ms. Hana shot back with a stern look. Reluctantly, Emily grumbled, “Fine, I’ll go.” When Emily returned, Ms. Hana asked, “Did you go?” Still visibly annoyed, Emily huffed, “Yes.” Annoyed with Emily's attitude, Ms. Hana said, “Maybe you need a break from potty training,” which made Emily panic. Ms. Samara wasn’t pleased with Emily either. She replied, “Honey, we will talk about this later.” The dining room was packed with 37 people: 16 BRATs, their SAs, four RAs, and Ms. Rachel. Stephanie couldn’t contain her excitement when she saw Jill, her SA since she started with BRAT. Overcome with joy, she ran up to Jill and leapt into her arms, exclaiming, “Jill! Are you my SA again?” Ms. Rachel spent a lot of time and effort carefully pairing each BRAT with the most suitable SA, but some matches were easy. Jill and Stephanie, for instance, were a natural fit. Jill greeted Stephanie warmly. “Yes, I am, sweetie. I’m excited for this year. Have you been good?” Stephanie looked away, showing her guilt. “What did you do, sweetie?” Ms. Hana shared, “She wouldn’t eat her lunch, because she didn’t want to take a nap. I had to put her in a highchair, and when I did, she pouted.” Jill responded with a disapproving look, “Honey, you know better than that.” In theory, SAs aren’t responsible for discipline. Their main responsibility is supporting the BRAT, and they should only discipline them when it is an immediate concern, such as running away, or throwing a tantrum. The RA handles discipline, and determines the appropriate punishment. However, BRATs spend so much one-on-one time with their SA that they end up being accountable to both their RA and SA when they get in trouble. Jamie and Tyler were both assigned one of the new SAs. Jamie's SA, Maya, is two years younger than him, stands just over five feet tall, and looks like she belongs in middle school. Though she is younger and much smaller than Jamie, she wasn’t intimidated by him. She shook his hand and said, “Hi Jamie! Great to meet you. I hope we become best buddies.” Life in the compound is often repetitive, particularly when school isn’t in session. During these periods of downtime, the structured routines can make the days feel long and monotonous. There is limited access to the outside world, which can make it feel like a prison. For the Little Kids, the sense of isolation was especially pronounced. Many of them had not left the compound since Monday, and they were getting restless. This made it an ideal time to organize an outing, offering them a much-needed break. The occasion was even more significant because it was the first time BRATs would spend time with their SAs. While upholding the standards of the program is always a priority, it is equally important to avoid unnecessary attention. Although BRATs are treated like they are two years old, certain practices such as diaper changes, pacifiers, and timeouts are inappropriate outside the compound. These activities are carefully avoided when in public to maintain discretion and respect social norms. Over time, staff observed that excessively concealing these elements draws more attention than maintaining a discreet level of openness. The act of pushing an adult in a stroller isn’t a spectacle when it is handled as a routine, everyday occurrence. SAs receive specific training to ensure that their actions do not turn into a public display, allowing the group to blend in and go about their activities without causing a scene. The PCU campus is highly secure and secluded, with gated access restricted to authorized personnel only. The entrance is a few miles from the nearest road, and even further from Highway 1, making the facility almost invisible to the local community. Very few locals know it exists, and even fewer ever set foot on campus. When moving about campus, Preschoolers have to hold their SA’s hand. Toddlers have two options: they can either wear a harness, or sit in a stroller. Since the harness draws more attention, a stroller is the preferred option. However, they need to be more discreet off campus. While off campus, the group makes every effort to blend in with those around them. It’s not an issue with teens and pre-teens, since their supervision is hidden from the general public. The same is true at level 3, who can be treated the same way they are in the compound. However, supervising Little Kids requires a more subtle and nuanced approach. Their care and discipline outside the compound needs to be adapted to suit the situation, ensuring that their needs are met without attracting unwanted attention. The methods used are carefully considered and depends on the environment and circumstances, demonstrating the staff's commitment to maintaining both the program's standards and public discretion. Fortunately, the staff at the Oregon Coast Aquarium is familiar with the program, and they are amicable to their needs. They offer special accommodations such as alternate entrances, private viewings, and other tailored experiences to help BRATS fully enjoy their time at the aquarium.  The amount of freedom each BRAT receives is determined by their level. Teens and pre-teens are allowed to explore the aquarium independently, as long as they check in with their group at the end of the afternoon. Children are granted a moderate degree of independence, but they must inform their SA of their whereabouts at all times. Preschoolers are required to stay within earshot of their SA, ensuring that they remain close enough to be supervised effectively. Toddlers, on the other hand, must stay within reach of their SA at all times. The group was too large to avoid attracting attention if they stayed together. Including the bus driver, there were 38 adults, and ten of them were Little Kids. To remain discreet and blend in with the public, the group divided into smaller units. Each unit consisted of two SAs and two BRATs, which helped make the group size manageable and less noticeable to others. The primary focus of the outing was to support the SAs, so the pairings were organized based on their needs rather than those of the BRATs. For instance, Tyler was paired with Ryan, who is a level 4 BRAT. Bella, Ryan’s SA, is experienced and well-versed in the procedures, while it was April’s, Tyler’s SA, first day. Since Ryan is a pre-teen and allowed to explore the aquarium independently, Tyler spent the afternoon with two girls he didn’t know very well. Fortunately, and not by coincidence, Jamie and Tommy were paired together. While Maya is new to the program and still learning, Tommy’s SA, Terri, has two years of experience, and one year with Tommy. As they prepared to explore the aquarium, Tommy took on a bit of responsibility by warning, “Don’t wander away, or they’ll put you in a stroller!” Without realizing it, Jamie peed in his diaper, however he didn’t say anything about it. It was soon time to get back to the bus, but before joining the others, Terri checked Tommy’s diaper and remarked, “That’s pretty wet. I better change that before you leak.” Turning to Maya, she advised, “Try to check their diapers when you can. This little guy won’t tell me when he’s wet; if I don’t check his diaper, he’ll leak.” Maya squeezed Jamie’s diaper. He was wet, but Ms. Hana would’ve waited. Maya wasn’t as confident and didn’t trust herself. She said, “I don’t know. It feels wet, but I think it will hold.” Terri squeezed it and said, “It’s close. I think it can wait, but I’ve got to change Tommy anyway.” Maya asked, “Where can we do it?” “They let us use a private bathroom.” Ms. Hana was pleased that Jamie had another wet diaper. It was only his second day, and he already needed four diapers! She couldn’t remember anybody being diaper trained that quickly. They had spaghetti for dinner, which isn’t great for messy eaters. Although that was kind of the point. With BRATs, especially the new ones, the messier, the better. By the end, Jamie’s bib was caked in sauce. Stephanie wasn’t allowed to feed herself, but Ms. Hana still managed to get her almost as messy as Jamie. After that, it was time for bed. When Jamie saw Ms. Hana preparing his bottle, he asked, “Are you going to give me the medicine again?” His puppy dog eyes were hard to resist. It was an impressive change from the start of the week. She asked, “What’s the matter, sweetheart?” Jamie begged, “I don’t want the medicine again. Please, don’t make me poop in my diaper.” This was a significant moment, as it marked the first time he openly admitted that it was his diaper. His eyes, and those cries were hard to ignore. Ms. Hana, moved by Jamie’s pleading, decided not to administer the full dose. She knew a full dose would mean a messy diaper in the middle of the night. Instead, she gave him the standard dose, the same amount given to the other BRATs. This dose is designed to promote bowel movement and includes muscle relaxers and diuretics. However, it appeared that the diuretics were no longer needed. She gave him a bottle and said, “This will help you sleep, but there isn’t any medicine. Just Promise me that you won’t cry when you have to poo-poo in your diaper tomorrow.” Just days earlier, he never would have imagined facing such an unusual decision. He promised to poop in his diaper in the morning, so he wouldn't have to take anything that would make him poop that night. However, he would almost certainly wet his diaper. He was too afraid to say no, so he took the bottle.

I haven't been online for a while, but I've read all the posts. I want to add a few things and ideas I have. Almost everything you've mentioned these past few months I've already thought about or tried years ago without much success. This includes: - Stents with O-rings or balls. These are simply convenient, but the stent ends up coming out because the bladder sphincter can open wider than the diameter of the meatus (in my case). - Stents with curves. Same issue; as soon as there's high pressure, it comes out. This design also carries a lot of risk because if it migrates inside the bladder, it can get tangled with the retrieval cord and prevent its removal (in addition to positioning itself in unusual ways inside the bladder that prevent its extraction). Seeing these two cases, I've tried a new design. This design is based on a ureteral stent with a pig's tail-shaped end. This would coil inside the bladder and prevent it from coming out. It's also very flexible.  At the distal end, it has a silicone ball to prevent it from migrating into the bladder. I tested it, and it worked well; it's barely noticeable, and there's a constant drip. The problem is that I used a stent with a very thin diameter (CH12), and because it's placed in the bladder, the heat of the urine and the pressure cause the pigtail curve to gradually disappear, eventually causing it to come out. This could be solved with a size larger than CH12, but I haven't found one that's truly inexpensive. Another design I have in mind is a modification of a Foley catheter. I cut the Foley catheter to about 9 cm (it has a ball at the distal end, like the previous one), and in the balloon inflation port, I insert two things: - an inflation tube to fill the balloon (I use a tube that's used to make bracelets; it's very cheap and easy to find), inserted about 2 cm. - a small, thick piece of wire, also inserted about 2 cm.  The plan is to pull on the inflation tube once the balloon is inflated, and the wire itself will prevent the water from escaping and the balloon from deflating. The balloon will deflate gradually as it slowly loses water (they all do, even if they haven't been cut), and the wire will speed it up. In the meantime, you won't be able to remove the stent, but once the balloon is completely deflated, you can extract it with the retrieval cord. This idea is the best because it forces you to keep the stent in place until it's deflated. I've already tried some tests, but I haven't found a way to remove the inflation tube without the wire coming out in the process. If it's possible, we'd have to see how long it takes to deflate and adjust it according to the wire's thickness. And yes, one option is to leave the inflation tube inside the stent and seal the tip. I did this years ago, and it works, but having the inflation tube outside the penis is a bit uncomfortable.  If anyone can think of a way to fill the balloon and keep it inflated when the inflation tube is removed, please speak up.

Thank you. All I'll say is that I have a sequel planned out and Jamie will definitely be discovering his feminine side 😉

Chapter 2: The Failing Senior   Kade turned in his rewritten paper online to Professor Grimmer. The next week, he sauntered into class, sitting in the third top row in the corner but just a few minutes earlier than usual.  He got out his notebook and pen as he heard clicking of heels, “Mr. Prescott.” His light green, almost grey eyes looked underneath his dark hair up to his professor standing nearby with his graded essay in hand. He took it as she said, “It was arguably worse than the AI version. I’d recommend studying chapters 4 through 7 in the book and perhaps seeing me during office hours to give some guidance for your next thesis draft.” She held no mercy in her eyes and Kade could only stare back, silent without any words to say to his dictator of a professor. As tiny as she was and only a few years older than him, she somehow held the conviction and rapport of an older, more experienced professor who was tired of dealing with college essays. Inside his own realm of power dynamics, he was left only humiliated by her words and it left him fuming. If he responded, he was afraid it’d end him in the dean’s office. He bit back his words, working his jaw and sitting back, acting as if she wasn’t in front of him. Professor Grimmer looked him over and saw his suddenly indifferent posture, like she wasn’t even there. She nodded in the silence, turning on her heels and walking back down to the front podium without another word. His eyes flicked to her walking away, the anger in his chest bubbling from her words. He tried to scrutinize her from behind but, fuck, she was attractive when he looked for too long. She was petite, long brown hair in a tight bun, yet her hips and breasts gave her luscious curves from the back view. Her bottom was perky in her tight charcoal grey pencil skirt and it was so distracting that he had to look at his graded paper and remind himself why he hated her. Sure, a professor could be eye candy but that didn’t mean she had a soul. Kade opened his graded essay, staring at the D scrawled in red ink on the last page of his paper, his jaw clenching tight enough to ache. The essay he'd spent a whole few days perfecting was now a painting of crimson marks, each one a personal attack from Professor Grimmer. He crumpled the paper in his fist, the sound of crinkling pages barely audible as Professor Grimmer began her lecture.  "This isn't a fucking high school book report," he muttered under his breath, smoothing out the wrinkled page to reread her comments. The margins were cluttered with her precise handwriting, each note more cutting than the last, "Vague thesis, confusing construction, lacks authentic voice.” The last one made his stomach knot with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. From the back row, Kade had a perfect view of the entire classroom, the worn hardwood floors, the antique desks arranged in precise rows, and Professor Claire Grimmer standing at the front like some academic drill sergeant. Despite her small stature, she commanded attention. Her crisp white blouse and charcoal skirt screamed unapproachable, yet his eyes could only waiver down and he had to stop himself again from those thoughts. He blamed in on his damn anger making him have horny thoughts, not the fact that she was actually good looking.  "The purpose of analytical writing isn't merely to summarize or regurgitate," Professor Grimmer explained, her voice carrying through the silent room without effort as she continued, "It's to engage critically with the text, to develop an authentic perspective supported by evidence." Kade's leg began to bounce beneath his desk in his fuming anger. Authentic perspective? He had perspectives, plenty of them, just not on nineteenth century literature that had no relevance to his future in business. His father had built a financial empire without ever analyzing a single poem nor even a college degree, a fact Kade reminded himself of whenever he was forced to take these mandatory english courses. He glanced at the clock and realized he still had forty three more minutes of this torture. Kade ran his hands through his dark hair, messing it up further, as he tried to tune out Professor Grimmer's lecture. The girl to his right, Jasmine Something, was writing notes like her life depended on it and watched Grimmer like she was a celebrity. He tried to focus on Jasmine, who was was highlighting and sticky noting, which only annoyed him further. He imagined she was or must have been an English major from her intense note taking and whatever else English majors did to get their literary rocks off.  "When constructing your thesis," Professor Grimmer continued, her heels clicking against the hardwood as she paced, "avoid vague generalizations. 'The author shows societal problems' tells me nothing specific about your understanding of the text." Kade's eyes narrowed as he watched her and heard her speak something that felt like a personal attack to his own paper, the words she even wrote on his page. He focused on her face for a moment longer than he usually liked, seeing her youthful skin and pouty pink lips that were annoyingly supple. She couldn't be much older than him, maybe five years at most, yet she wielded her authority like she'd been teaching for decades. Something about her rigid posture and clipped tone set his teeth on edge. It wasn't just that she'd given him a D; it was the dismissive way she'd done it, as if his time and effort meant nothing. Did she know what he was even going through? It was his senior year and this was supposed to be one of his easier classes and last out of his major requirements to pass. Not to mention, he had the pressure of his scholarship requirements looming large in his mind with his 3.0 GPA minimum to maintain his funding. With senior year almost complete, this class stood between him and graduation, between freedom and being forced into his father's firm. A D in Advanced Professional Writing would tank everything he'd worked for. Admittedly, he’d pushed off this course and could have taken it in his junior year early with his friends. Kade regretted it deeply now because he heard of his friends gloating how it was one of the easiest classes with Dr. Chen and that you could get away with AI easily. He was banking on the easy senior year so he waited and now he was suffering the consequences of Dr. Chen’s class being full before he could register and being forced to be in Professor Grimmer’s class. "I've provided examples of strong analytical paragraphs on the course website," Professor Grimmer said, pulling him from his deep thoughts. She showed a document on the projection screen, "Note the specific textual evidence, the clear connection to the thesis, and the original interpretation offered." Kade scoffed quietly at original interpretation, as if there was anything original left to say about books that had been analyzed to death for centuries. His business proposals earned praise from actual industry leaders, but here he was being lectured about paragraph structure by someone who'd probably never stepped foot outside of her literary cave.  He simmered in silent fury until the end of the lecture, being the first person to leave when class ended. Kade pushed through the door into the hallway, his face flushed with anger and shoulders tense enough that a passing student instinctively moved out of his way. The cool air of the corridor did nothing to soothe the heat of humiliation and rage burning beneath his skin.  One thing was certain: he wouldn’t let Professor Grimmer ruin his chance at graduating and getting his scholarship, he’d make sure of it.         __________________ Thanks everyone for the initial comments and feedback! I'll post a few more chapters later this week to get the story really 'rolling'. The build-up is shorter than my usual stories and I'm looking forward to hearing your comments as this story progresses! 

Chapter 34 Upon recognizing the darkness, Daniel first wondered if he’d done something wrong with the apparition, but he could still feel the hands of the girls next to him, standing by his side, helping with the spell. They couldn’t all have made the same mistake and gone to the right place. Radha’s voice cut through the inky black. “What the heck?” Her voice echoed like they were in a huge marble chamber, further cementing the idea they’d come to the right location, just without any light.  Daniel let go of the hands by his side and reached for his wand, but Mathilde beat him to it. Her wand sparked and a low glow began to emit from the air above her, bright enough to confirm where they were.  The Alphabeta landing hall, the entrance for all apparition–which, in effect, meant all transportation, since the other ways inside involved flying through the arctic and making it deep underground.  “Why are the lights out?” Radha asked, turning slowly to look around. “Are you expecting an answer to that?” Hazel snapped. “We’re just as lost as you.”  Daniel got a sinking feeling in his gut. He’d been too slow, he hadn’t done anything about the peril he’d known about, and now something terrible had happened. It didn’t help that the alcohol was slowing his judgement, or that the anxiety of his kiss with Cassie was thoroughly distracting him.  A greenish, pale glow shone down the hallway in front of them, the one that led towards the great hall. A moment later, a voice called, “Dispel that light!”  Mathilde acted quickly, extinguishing the spell that she’d conjured.  Professor Saito approached, a glowstick raised above her head. “Come with me. No spells.”  Glancing down, Mathilde did something with her wheelchair, then began pushing the wheels manually to roll forward. The rest of them followed, with only Daniel lingering to look around before he caught up with the group.  “What happened?” Radha asked, this time directing her question towards the teacher.  “An energy surge,” Saito explained. “We’re looking into it, but it’s causing spells to be temperamental. Magical currents are fluctuating in unexpected ways, we’ve disabled everything we can to avoid any mishaps.”  “The ley lines in Alphabeta are supposed to be especially stable, aren’t they?” Cassie asked. “We’re right on a pole, there shouldn’t be any fluctuations like that.” “There shouldn’t be,” Saito confirmed, the silvery marks on her skin glimmering in the dim light of her glowstick.  “You don’t have electrical lights,” Daniel commented, not so much a question as just an observation. “What about ventilation? Are we going to run out of fresh air down here?”  “We’ve kept the air flowing,” Saito replied. “Professor Windle’s plants produce plenty of oxygen, as well, it’s only non-critical spells that’ve been put on hold.”  Daniel felt he should have known that–he was tipsy, his reaction time and thoughts were dull. “Okay.” Daniel frowned, but kept his other thoughts to himself.  (If there's a secret power in the school, are we safe from it? And what about wards? Are there defensive spells that were brought down?)  Even if protective magic had been disabled, he didn’t know what that would accomplish. His inspection of the school’s blueprints hadn’t revealed any hidden vaults or secret treasure troves. It was just a school, and he didn’t know what anyone would want with a school.  Arriving at the great hall, Saito gestured for them to go inside. “Until we have a better grasp on the situation, all students are to remain here. Doctor Dónaill-Cork is supervising.”  “How long is it going to be?” Radha asked. Saito had no answer, but she shrugged and said, “I can’t imagine it will be longer than through the night. Our coven is handling it.”  That carried more weight than she’d perhaps intended. If the faculty coven, some of the most well-educated and prestigious witches in the world, were all buckling down to work on the problem and still didn’t have answers, it couldn’t be something simple.  Still, it wasn’t Saito’s job to explain to a collection of tipsy students what was going on, and she had other places to be. Once they’d been ushered into the great hall, she left them, heading to speak to an older student that Daniel recognized as a prefect, though not one he knew well.  The hall itself was swarming, as full as it’d been on his first night there. No staggered meals, no stragglers, they’d packed the place with the entire student body, who were all standing around or sitting at the dining tables, chattering in low tones as they shared rumors about what was going on. There were no magical lights glowing in sconces, but temporary electrical lights on batteries had been set up, and so while the hall wasn’t as bright and inviting as normal, it was easy enough to see.  Pacing at the head of the hall, on the raised stage, Daniel saw the school’s on-site healer, Doctor Dónaill-Cork. A couple months into his education, he hadn’t had reason to go see her, and despite rumors it still surprised him to see a full centaur trotting back and forth, wearing a version of the faculty uniform that’d been cut more like an apron than a dress.  “It’s rude to stare,” Mathilde noted. “Haven’t you met the doctor yet?”  “No,” Daniel admitted. “I hear she takes a…tough love approach to medicine.” “Nah, she’s a sweetie,” Cassie replied. “As long as you don’t make horse jokes.”  Looking around, Daniel tried to spot Jen, though in the crowd, it was difficult to spot her. “Look, I…” he began, uncertain how to explain what he needed.  “Need to get back to your room?” Cassie asked, glancing down at her pink jacket wrapped around his leak-stained overalls. “I’m sure it’s okay to leave for just a minute, you can’t be the only person who’s got stuff you need, do you want me to go check?”  “I don’t…” Daniel started, before a blush crept up his face. She had assumed he was asking because he needed a diaper change. She was completely right, it was only a matter of time before he leaked again, but that’d been far from his mind. He wanted to find Jen, to apologize to her, to see if she knew anything, and to try and stop whatever was going on in the school before it could turn into a full disaster.  That said…the state of his diaper did offer an opportunity, and was a reasonable excuse to step away.  “Yeah,” Daniel said. “Please.”  “Does one of us need to walk you back there?” Cassie continued. “I don’t think Rachel would use this as an opportunity, but…you never know.”  “I think making less of a fuss is better,” Daniel said, head on a swivel as he continued to look for Jen. “I need to go check on something, let me know what you hear?”  “Of course.” Glancing at the rest of the group, Cassie added sheepishly, “Up until now, this was a super great night.”  Daniel didn’t know how to reply, so he just stared back at her, feeling like a cow about to be abducted by aliens–overwhelmed, far out of his depth, unable to think.  “Agreed,” Asami said, sounding almost as distracted as Daniel felt, but at least her reply had given him a reality check back into his own head.  Unsure how to end the sentimental moment, Daniel pointed a thumb over his shoulder and said, “I’ve got to…yeah. Be right back.”  Turning, he shuffled through the student body. Without his uniform, he stood out like a sore thumb, only a handful of other students were wearing anything other than the school-designated outfits, and instead of him finding Jen, she found him.  “Dann-Daniel,” she said, stepping up from behind him and catching his arm as he walked past tables in search of her. “Have you heard anything?”  “Just that it’s a power issue, magic is being temperamental,” Daniel replied. (I should tell her, I need to just get it out. Does a kiss count as ‘cheating’? Or–)  “Do you think it has to do with…you know?” Jen asked, turning to look around the hall in case someone was listening in.  He shook off the thought. The current crisis was more important. “I mean, yeah. What else would it be?” Daniel stood up a little straighter and checked around them, but other than a few glances at his outfit, nobody seemed to be paying them any mind. “I want to go try and check it out, but we’re supposed to stay here, so I’m working on that.”  “Maybe just tell a faculty member?” Jen said. “We know it was a human, right? It wasn’t like you could mistake Doctor Cork for anyone else.”  “We only saw one of the speakers, there were two,” Daniel said. “And for that matter, I’m pretty confident at this point she had an illusion over her face, so who’s to say it wasn’t also over her body? Besides, the teachers are already working on fixing this, and all I have is speculation.”  “So what’s the plan?” Jen asked.  “I ask to go back to my room so I can change, and while I’m out, I’ll look around,” Daniel said. “I was hoping you might have a better idea, though, since that’s pretty weak by itself. I just don’t know what to even look for, you know?” “Yeah, but–” “Spark.” Rachel’s voice cut through the murmuring, and Daniel spun to face his tormentor out of pure instinct and panic. “Figured you’d join us?” “We had a pass to stay out late,” Daniel replied. “We didn’t break any rules.”  “Uh-huh. We all know you hate breaking rules, so I should definitely just trust you on that.” Rachel sneered down at him. “A word of advice: If you two are planning to sneak off and fuck, it’s a bad idea.”  Before Daniel could shut the conversation down, Jen had to open her mouth and take the bait. “Why’s that?”  “Because out of all the potential hookups in the school, there’s only one who shits his pants on the regular, and you’re better than giving out pity fucks to pathetic sparks,” Rachel replied smugly. “I’ve seen what he’s working with, trust me, it’s not worth it.”  Jen took a step forward, but Daniel caught her arm. “She’s trying to piss you off,” he said. “So she can get us in trouble.”  “It’s sad when the babysitter has worse judgement than the baby,” Rachel replied, wearing the most shit-eating grin imaginable. Her gaze drifted down, and she raised an eyebrow. “Did you piss all over yourself? Maybe you really do need a babysitter, if you can’t even tell when you need a diaper change.”  Daniel knew she was trying to get a rise out of him, but he wanted to take the bait anyway. He’d hoped, from their brief encounter earlier, that she had decided to go easy on him in general, but now it was obvious that wasn’t the case. Any magnanimous behavior was temporary, and now… “Oh, I get it,” he said aloud. “You’re scared, that’s why you’re coming to take it out on me.”  Her taunting smile turned to a grimace. “What was that, spark?”  “I’m just your whipping boy. You’re happy, you treat me fine, but when you’re scared or freaked, you need to make yourself feel better by going after me,” he said, raising his voice so that it would be overheard. “Should I buy you a mood ring so I know when you’re going to act like a bitch?”  It was Jen’s turn to hold him back, placing a hand on his shoulder and pulling him away. “We’re not doing anything, Rachel. Just leave us alone.” Rachel’s anger flashed white hot, but faded just as quickly, settling back into a reserved smile. “Sure. You tell yourself that’s it, pissy pants.”  She turned and stalked away, leaving the two of them alone in the crowd once more.  Facing Jen, Daniel said, “Okay, new plan. Do you think you can distract Rachel, so she doesn’t try and mess with me when I leave? I still have to check and make sure I actually can leave, but if she’s watching for me that closely, it’s going to cause problems.”  “Yeah,” Jen said. “I think I’ve got a great idea to keep her busy, actually.” “What is it?” “It’ll be more fun if you just see later,” Jen said. “Go on, do your thing, I’ll be here.”  Daniel nodded. “Good luck.” “You too. Don’t get caught.”    ... I know posting from me has been sparse lately - but I think there's going to be a flurry of posts in the coming week before new year! If you wanted to support a smut creator you like just in time for Christmas, I'd really appreciate a subscription! Plus you get early access and exclusive stories, so it's really like a Christmas present to yourself.   https://subscribestar.adult/peculiarchangeling https://reamstories.com/peculiarchangelingabdl