Horatio Husky

Chapter Twenty-Seven Bar ‘Crawl’ Hunter was not feeling too bad as he took a sip from his fourth Long Island of the evening, watching from his perch atop the tall-legged bar stool as Jack and Malissa belted out the lyrics to “Take On Me”. The three had been on their university bar crawl for only about an hour, but given their relief at getting through the first week of college their path to becoming shit-faced had been a steep and brief one. The otter’s cheeks were flushed red, the glasses perched on the tip of her nose as she took heavy breathes in preparation for the refrain. Jack appeared similarly enamored, his lips clumsy and heavy looking as he slurred his way through the song. They were making fools of themselves without a care in the world, as having gotten through a week of prophetic academia to come the three had agreed upon making this weekend the official ending of their winter break. The three mammals were properly sloshed, with Hunter having ensured that his night would be uninterrupted by deliberately placing a booster pad on the surface of his changing table before the three had convened at the bottom stares of his apartment building. Jack, not one to miss out on comedic opportunity, had commented in a sickly sweet tone whether the fox was ‘weady’ when he had descended down the stairs with a slight waddle. Malissa and Hunter had exchanged brief, stoic nods, before each picking a shoulder to punch the weasel on. Even now, on stage, the weasel would occasionally reach up and unconsciously rub at his bicep as he leaned into the microphone, the air escaping out of his nostrils eliciting a static response from the speakers behind them. Hunter allowed himself a small smile, relaxing for the first time in a while as he felt the front of his padding blossom with a familiar warmth. He did not care, as he had managed to coax the ghostly paws into his regular pair of cartoon baby animal diapers. The fennec tried not to dwell on the fact that he now had a diaper brand that he could call his ‘usual’, as he raised a fist upwards towards his friends, yelling out encouragement as they reached the pinnacle of the verse. “Twoooo-ooo-ooo-ooo!” The two sang out, exchanging giddy grins as they leaned one one another, holding desperately onto the mic as they belted out the lyric. Hunter laughed at the spectacle, visibly drunk and oblivious to the fact that they were both very much out of tune. Combined together, however, it sounded almost like they had managed to hit the pitch just right with one going a little too flat and the other a bit too sharp. Hunter hardly registered the fact that his stomach was rumbling, the bar food and drinks making their way quickly through his system. It was only towards the end of the song did he note that his tail had been flagging for quite some time. He shifted, his breath catching as he realized what had happened while he had been distracted. His voice muffled by the hubbub around him, he groaned in annoyance as he realized he was now sitting in a not-so-clean diaper. This might be the reason why it's called early… A voice inside of Hunter’s head told him his reluctance to be the reason that he and his friends had to take a breath from the fun weighing heavily on him. He knew that he should excuse himself and take care of his messy bottom before too long, lest he risk a rash that would undoubtedly bother him when he was supposed to be paying attention in class. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind, he could feel the brooch’s sway, lulling him back towards his apartment where the closest clean diaper awaited for him, resting neatly on a shelf just for him. The fennec resisted, upset that his fun was being cut short by the cursed trinket’s influence once more. He would be fine, another few hours in his thick sweatpants and coat would be more than enough to conceal his accident. Almost as soon as his resolve solidified and he had risen out of his mucky seat to order another drink, he felt a distinct presence behind him. The fennec fox glanced over his shoulder, suddenly feeling very small as he peered into the long face of a female mammoth. One of the oldest anthropomorphized cenozoic species, it was not too uncommon to see one or two of them on a day out to the city. Still, Hunter realized that he must have been pretty drunk not to have picked up on her presence earlier. Something was off about her eyes, they appeared glassy and distant. A dreamy expression was plastered across her noble physique, her trunk almost floating through the air as it wrapped itself around his waist. Hunter’s eyes grew wide in a panic, as he felt the tip of her flexible appendage probing and patting the contained accident in the seat of his pants. Hunter barely noticed that the other bar attendees were completely oblivious to what was happening as the fennec received an unrequested diaper check. “Let’s get you into something more comfortable.” The large mammal’s voice was smooth and unaffected by the apparent stupor her subconscious was in, as Hunter felt himself being lifted up by the powerful trunk around his waist and laid gently down on an empty bar table. The fennec’s limbs flailed, the incredible weight and power of the drunk keeping him subdued as the mammoth moved her free hooves to rifle inside of her purse. This had quickly grabbed the attention of the bar lady, as well as the other college students attending that evening. Malissa and Jack craned their necks to catch a glimpse of Hunter’s panicked expression as he desperately tried to push the mammoth’s trunk off of him. “Hey! What’s the big idea!?” The bar lady barked out, the rottweiler baring her teeth and crossing her tattoo covered arms, inky splotches on thin fur conveying to anyone who saw them that she meant business. The mammoth acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary, her trunk lazily trailing down the fennec’s torso until it caught on the lip of his sweatpants, pulling them down to reveal the saggy contents of his packed and padded back seat. Even in the abruptness of the situation, Hunter knew what was happening. He had pulled too far away from the influence of the brooch and the diapers his changing table had provided him; he had given the trinket the impression that he was not nearly infantilized enough for its own liking. From the mammoth’s purse, she produced a diaper with a single cygnet hieroglyph on its front. It was one of the two symbols remaining whose effects he was still clueless on, and it appeared like he was about to find out. The bartender was now visibly upset that she was being ignored. Her legs swinging over the edge of the bar, she deftly leapt over and marched straight up to the mammoth. Tapping the mammoth on the shoulder, her voice rose in volume over the booming music as the mammoth began to untape the first of Hunter’s top tapes. “And just what do you think you’re doing? You need to get out NOW!” She yelled, emphasizing the end of her statement with a shove. She might as well have been addressing a cement wall, as Hunter doubted that even with the combined strength of everyone present in the room could anyone best her in a physical confrontation. That did not seem to be what she had in mind, however, as Hunter felt himself being wiped down with baby wipes that she had miraculously produced from her purse as well. Several of the others had gathered round now, Malissa and Jack exchanging desperate looks as they both racked their brains as for what to do. Hunter had his paws over his muzzle, hiding his face as he silently endured the public diaper change. At last, he felt his tail being threaded through the tail hole of a new diaper, his equipment and buttocks positioned onto the soft, lush bed of a fresh hieroglyphic diaper. He felt a waft of cold air pass over his equipment as the front was raised, snuggly secured into place by large, surprisingly deft fingers that arranged his tapes in a symmetrical fashion. Peeking through his fingers, the fennec glanced down at the diaper despite the hot flush that was coursing through his cheeks. The image of the cygnet stared back at him as he felt the mammoth’s trunk finally being taken off of him. Before he had a chance to scramble off the table, pull his sweatpants back up, and stumble his way out, the demeanor of the crowd seemed to shift. Hunter looked around him, pushing himself up until he was leaning on his elbows as his eyes glanced from one expression to another. They all wore the same, glassy eyes and dream expression as the mammoth did now. Even the rottie, who looked like she was getting ready to bite a chunk out of the mammoth’s knotted coat, looked pacified for the moment. Malissa still looked somewhat alarmed, though a little more relaxed. Jack, on the other paw, was completely entranced. Out of the crowd, came a high-pitched, cheerful tone. “D’aww, does that feel better sweetie? No more mucky yucky pamps for you!” Another voice came from the crowd, Hunter noticing that it came from a particularly petit chinchilla holding onto a wine glass. “All clean!” The rottie nodded, as the crowd’s unified agenda appeared to ripple through them like a wave in a body of water. “All better now, no more stinky bottoms!” A few of the furs cheered, while others offered their own concerns and requests, their voices meshing together into a scattered cacophony of babying tones. “Does someone want a baba now?” “Hey little guy, where’s your plushie?” “Do you need your binkie, honey?” “Hey little kit, isn’t it way past your bedtime?” “Hop up darling, you get to sit in my lap!” The crowd then moved towards him like a throng of the undead in a horror film, causing Hunter to yelp. Out of the murmuring, sleepy furs came a voice shrill and distinct with authority. “That’s my little one you’re talking to, thank you for taking care of him but he needs to go home now!” Bodies turned and heads swiveled towards Malissa, who had one paw firmly clasped around Jack’s limp wrist as she pushed her way to the front of the crowd with the other. She was grimacing hard, as if she was trying to concentrate on a heavily weighted exam and had not prepared nearly enough for it. The furs moved out of way like molasses, until finally she had reached her friend. The mammoth’s trunk halted her, slamming down on the table between them as her massive, wooly face turned to face off Malissa. Hunter could see the otter’s body stiffen at this confrontation, Jack emitting a small, faint squeal of pain as she squeezed his wrist a little too tightly. She looked up, facing the mammoth with as much bravery as she could muster in her tipsy state, her cleft lips pursed tightly as her whiskers quivered. “Aren’t you forgetting something, dear?” The otter waited, which the mammoth took for an answer. Reaching around, she deposited a pastel colored duffle bag on the table. Hunter had never seen it before, but recognized the characters stitched onto its side as belonging to those that had been on his now dirtied diaper. The brooch was picking up his preferences, that was for sure, but at least he could be relatively sure that these contained no ill enchantments. Relatively sure. “His diaper bag!” The mammoth enunciated slowly, beaming with deliberate and slow amusement. The crowd began to disperse, offering small, melodic goodbyes and good wishes as they returned to their seats. Malissa grabbed the bag, Jack still repeating over and over again in a sing-song tone. “Bye-bye now! Bye-bye now! Bye-bye now!” “Let’s get the hell out of here!” Malissa hissed to the fennec underneath her breath, her words coming through a smile so tight he feared that she might start cracking her teeth. Hunter needed no further encouragement as he scrambled off of the table. Momentarily forgetting that his pants were around his ankles in his haste to get away, he tripped and caught himself on his paws and knees. Crawling backwards a few steps to get himself out from underneath a table, he received a few affectionate pats on his diapered butt from the wine-sipping chinchilla on his way out. Inadvertently blushing as he crouched, stopped to grasp the bottoms of his sweatpants to pull them back up. Hunter tried not to think about the fact that he was pretty sure he had seen her in the back row of his Organic Chemistry class as he followed Malissa out of the bar and into the crisp, January night air. He was suddenly feeling very sober.

When The Hypno Kicks In By Horatio Husky Commissioned by AnnaNapps “Soft… Sqweh… Sqweh… Shee…” The lay rat on the lush mattress, wooden bars rising to form the borders of her simple crib. Coherent thoughts were long gone now, as she had succumbed fully to the hypnosis she had tried so hard to resist. Her mind had become a blank slate, all past memories, thoughts, and talents both learned and naturally gifted had been stripped away. They were gone, forever, leaving behind only the pleasant fog that enveloped her waking mind in a soft, flannel blanket. “Comfy… I wuv comfy… Comfy good… Good for whittle rattos… I’m whittle ratto… Smol…” The simple affirmation of her identity brought comfort to the rat, her limbs tingling and growing warmer as the temperature in the room rose slightly, altered by an unseen spell to ensure that her comfort was kept at the maximum level. Her setting was simple, only a crib and comfortable mattress to keep her company. The room is quiet, still, illuminated only by the last few beams of sunlight on a late afternoon. There was no need for there to be anything else in the room, other than the crib to hold her. Annie could not have escaped the room even if she was able to come up with such an idea. No, there was only the wonderful reality of laying on her back, in a soft bed, and feeling ever so happy to enjoy the delicate euphoria sustained by having a mind filled with nothing. “Baby… Goo’... Goo’ guwl… I’m… I’mma goow… Gurl… Baby guwl…” The thought of knowing that she was a good girl gave her immense pleasure, for she wiggled her bottom and tail in response to the personal affirmation. In her mind, she was a good girl, a good girl solely for the fact that she was laying quietly and obediently in her crib, where she was left to do just that. “Goow girls… Need big… BIG diapers… Goow guwls have… Accidents…” A delicate blush formed on the rat’s cheeks, a slight rosiness saturating the normally white fur with a pleasant pink color. Annie was indeed wearing only a diaper in addition to her pink t-shirt. There was a heart on the landing zone, and the rest of the pink and white padding had been carefully wrapped around her waist to ensure that it was a snug, secure fit. The adhesive had been magically sealed against her, though even now her paws remained too clumsy and uncoordinated to loop even a single paw pad underneath a tape. The cushion underneath her tushie was significant, lifting her up a whole two inches off of the mattress beneath her. Its front was robust, wide, and thickly layered. It rode up to her upper thighs. It was so secured and voluptuous in size that no matter what pose her body might be in as she rolled around, it would be able to catch even the largest of floods without a single drop leaking out. “Big… Poofy… Puh… Puh… Poopy… Goow girls go poopy in poofy…” She mused to herself, idly dragging a limp wrist down to the front of her diaper to give her front a weak squeeze. Annie had become enamored by her diaper ever since her brain had been completely washed. It was her favorite part of her wardrobe, always there, sometimes crinkling to remind her that she was safe, and perpetually ready to hold all the messes that inevitably dribbled out of her when she was not paying attention. And Annie could no longer pay attention. She squeezed her thighs together, held apart by a good foot and a half by the sheer bulk of the diaper. Had she been willing, she would find that she would no longer be able to walk with such an immense bulk. Crawling too would be difficult, but given just how cozy she was feeling laying on her back she had no intention of moving anywhere. No, she would stay put, where everything was easy-going and okay. “Good guwls… Piddle… Diapers hold baby princess ratto piddles… No puddles… Only… Soggy woggy… Princess… Pampers…” Annie let out a little accident, trickling out of her only to be eagerly lapped up and absorbed by her diaper. It barely put a dent in the total amount the undergarment could absorb, for she had many such miniature accidents throughout her hours of languishing about. She did not mind. In fact, Annie quite liked how the diaper felt after she had wet it, the warmth of her pee radiating back into her fur to remind her that it was okay to pee in her diapers. That was what they were for, after all, to keep her safe and comfortable as she lay in her crib. “I’m… Mah… Mommy’s widdle… Puddle princess… Goow girls… Are soggy guwls…” This mantra would often repeat itself inside of her shallow consciousness, eliciting a sense of reward and euphoria that sometimes caused her to pass out from the sheer force of good feelings. Using her diaper was her favorite part of the day, and she could not even control when she had to go in it. It was a happy accident, every accident, and waking up from her pleasure-filled dreams into her waking stupor meant only that she would be awake for yet more accidents for her to relish and gurgle at. “Make stimkies… Annie… Gotta go… Make… Stimkies… Gotta… Do pushies… Good guwls… Do pushies…” Annie could feel it, the tell-tale signs that her tummy needed a little bit more room for more treats that would cause her to drool onto her shirt. Though the rat had no capacity to remember just how many diapers she had gone through that day, this was her fourth. Whenever she felt the slightest inclination to mess herself, she did without hesitation. The lavish feeling of being unable to pick herself up, move about, or even adjust herself inside of the overwhelming thick diapers made it so she would remain laying in her mess. Whenever she pushed, her accident remained firmly underneath her bottom, the earthy scent rising up to meet her nostrils and triggering a conditional embarrassment response. She would feel self-conscious at first, messy and dirty, which would eventually progress into a state of quiet reflection. Lastly, she would grow a little upset, and small cries would turn into sobs until tears would glisten in the corners of her eyes. That was when there was attention brought to her, soothing words and warm paws would lower the bars of the crib to change her well-used diaper. Her bottom would be lifted, wiped down and powdered with a generous helping of powder. Her ‘special spot’ too would be worshiped with warm, wet wipes. She quite liked this part, though she could no longer understand why, it was just a pleasant feeling, and it always came with a final reward. A fresh diaper, snuggly diapered, serving as the finest pillow for her now clean bottom, only to be defiled and distorted a few hours later when she had yet another moment of weakness. “Hurt… Tummy ouchie… Gotta… Gotta… Go… Make pushies…” The rat emitted a grunt, scrunching her face and balling her fists against her chest as she raised her knees upwards. The accident came, her tail swishing to the side to allow for more leverage as several loud sounds of flatulence became muffled in the seat of her princess pampers. Her bottom distorted slightly, bulging outwards and then sagging downwards as she pooped. So came the torrent, a flood gushing into the front of her patiently waiting diaper front as she fully relieved herself. Annie lowered her legs, her weight back down on her now messy diaper as she heaved a sigh of relief. The warmth from her fresh accident comforted her, and she wriggled her thighs and hips inside of her used padding, relishing the sensation of having completely soiled herself. Words became lost, as her thoughts could no longer articulate her feelings. Only sensations remained, the last threads of her adult mind vanishing into the abyss never to be retrieved again. Good feeling… Squishy feeling… Warm feeling… I did good to poop my pants… Good girl. “Goo’... Guwl… Goo’... Guwl… Goo’... Guwl…” Only two words remained, the only two words that she needed, for they accomplished everything that she wanted. Annie only wanted to feel good, to supplicate her body and diaper with the affirmation that she was only a baby rat that used her diapers. It was sufficient, no greater desires or wishes came to her mind other than being changed into clean diapers to turn them into messy ones. It was her sole point of interest. Now, she guided her paw to the front of her diaper, groping and poking at the thick, sodden material as yet another jet of pee escaped her, filling it further. She felt the urine drip down her front, seeping down into the flattened cake of her messy accident and mingling with it. Like so much mud against her backside, she wriggled around further, soft gurgles escaping her mouth as the sensation of being in a thoroughly used diaper spiked her dopamine levels to obscene levels. She would never be free from this high, her body would now be fully dependent on using her diapers several times a day to remain functional. It was her only source of happiness, and what a bountiful source of euphoria and glee it was. She would lay in her crib, piddle and push in her diapers, and reminder herself that she was a very “Goo’ guwl” for all eternity. This was her lot in life now, and it had now become irreversible. “Oh dear, it smells like someone just left me a little present in their diaper.” Came the voice belonging to the large, plush lop-eared rabbit. This was the only face Annie knew, and the only one she saw. Enchanted with a spell and given life with magic, this stuffed animal remained inanimate in another room, rising only to feed, wash, change, and clothe Annie when she needed it. It was all the rat needed, spending her days laying in a crib with nothing but the sheer blankness of her mind to keep her happy. She hardly understood the words that came from the rabbit now, but she appreciated the soft tones that she used. The rabbit spared no amount of effort ensuring that Annie remained calm and well-behaved, keeping her well fed and hydrated to maintain the rat’s only purpose for existing in her nursery. To use her diapers, to love her diapers, and to be completely dependent on her soft, pink diapers. “Now then, let me wipe that poopy little butt of yours and let’s put you into a fresh, new diaper. Doesn’t that sound nice, sweetheart?” The rabbit cooed, lowering the bars of the crib before reaching forward to gently cup the bottom of Annie’s diaper. She continued, her voice slightly bemused as she shouldered her diaper bag and deposited it down on the mattress next to Annie. “Oh my, it feels like you really did a number on this one, baby girl. Now then, let’s see what surprises you left me this time around.” The nursery was then filled only with the sound of tapes being slowly ripped off, and the crinkling of plastic as her diaper was unfolded. The rabbit took her time cleaning Annie up, letting the rat enjoy her touch and the pleasant sensation of having her fur wiped. There was no rush, after all, for the rat’s fate was filled with only the inevitability of a diaper change. No cause for hurry, for Annie was never to leave the confines of her crib, standing in the dungeon’s nursery, for the rest of her blissful days. When the Hypno Kicks In [Comm].pdf

Chapter Twenty-Six Syllabus Week The ghost paws had made this decision to place Hunter in his regular, babyfur-themed diapers for the rest of the week. The fox had little trouble hiding them due to the weather, as wearing several layers including flannel pants had made it relatively easy for him to hide his choice of crinkly underwear. Having no publicly embarrassing moments visiting the convenience, school supply, and bookstore leading up to the first day of class, he had mentally prepared himself for a surprise when he woke up wet a few hours before his organic chemistry class. The paws had lovingly unfolded a fluffed one of the hieroglyphic diapers that morning, specifically the one that had the three cygnets on the front. He had been nervous, unknown magic would be a part of his day that he would likely have to deal with. That was why when three ghostly Egyptians were looking up at him next to his changing table, he knew that his unexpected interruption to his life had arrived. The fox had stared back at them, unsure of how to react at the sudden appearance of the ethereal creatures. One of them strode over to the backpack he had prepared that morning, looping its long bill through one of the straps to pick it up before waddling over to him expectantly. The fox sighed, taking it from the bird and looping it around his shoulders before putting on a bare pair of insulative pants. From the look of it, he would have three companions accompanying him throughout the rest of the day. The ibises appeared to have minds of their own, pecking at random bits of trash as he had walked down the street from his apartment, invisible to all except him. It was only when he walked into his organic chemistry class was he surprised to not only find Jack waving at him cheerfully from the bench, but to see the weasel tilt his head questioningly at the birds that were waddling after him as he took a seat next to his friend. “Dude, what are those things?” Hunter shook his head, taking out his grotesquely thick textbook and letting it thump down on the table in front of him. “What do you think, they’re my back-up dancers.” The fox had quipped, no hint of humor in his voice as he turned to face the front of the classroom, trying to ignore as one of the ibises fluttered up to the book and began to peck at the cover of his textbook. He raised a paw to shoo it away, to which it squawked indignantly before flying off the desk once more. Jack had given him a weak smile, eyeing them with suspicion as he looked around to gauge whether anyone else was reacting. It appeared that the apparitions were visible only to him and Hunter, as the fox did his best to ignore their curious venturings to various corners of the classroom. “Are they like here to stay, or…” Jack trailed off, and Hunter told him what he figured was the most accurate answer he could come up with. “They came with my… Uhh… ‘morning change.’” Flexing his fingers to create air quotes, he opened the front of his textbook and began perusing the notes on the first chapter. After reading a few equations, feeling relieved to find some familiarity with the topic of hydrocarbon rings it was discussing, he turned his head without taking his eyes off the page as he asked his friend. “So, what are you doing in Orgo?” He raised an eyebrow at the weasel, just as one of the ibises hopped up on the desk once more and tilted its head inquisitively at Jack. Jack eyed it suspiciously, before turning to respond sheepishly to Jack. “Uh… You know, learning.” Hunter looked at him, smirking slightly as he assessed the weasel’s apparent discomfort. As any college student knows, this particular branch of chemistry was renowned for being particularly unforgiving for students with bad study habits. The fact that Jack had had the grades last semester to even make it into this class was an achievement in and of itself. The fennec continued staring at him, until at last the weasel gave in to the scrutinizing stare. Sighing, he opened his textbook disdainfully and began to imitate Hunter’s perusing as he responded “If I manage to pass this class, they’ll double the credit value for it and mark off a D on my chemistry course last semester. I had to practically beg them for this deal, and I think they found it amusing when they finally agreed to it. My counselor looked pretty entertained.” “I’ll say, you know this is a weed out class right?” Jack swallowed, looking up nervously to stare at an ibis at the far end of the room who was busying itself by dumpster diving into a recycling bin. He responded, his voice unsure. “Yeah… I’m going to need to study… And maybe look at your notes again, if that’s alright.” Hunter shook his head in mock disapproval, the corner of his muzzle turning upwards as he gave the weasel and assessing look. Jack caved until his gaze, placing his paws out in a silent plea as he continued. “Come on man, if I don’t pass I’ll lose my scholarship and might even be held back a semester. This is serious.” “You have a scholarship!?” Hunter said, his ears pinning to his head in surprise as he stared at the weasel. His friend’s discomfort did not lesson, as he continued to monitor the ibis that was currently engaging him in a staring match. “Yes, I do. Anyway, so what are these guys all about anyway?” Hunter shrugged, reaching forward to touch one on the bill experimentally. The bird looked back at him in what could only be described as an offended expression, hopping away from him and shuffling its feather agitatedly. “I don’t know, maybe it’s kind of like a fluke spell or something. Or maybe it's just outdated, like it might have been relevant way back when or whatever. They don’t really seem to do much other than be kind of annoying. They came from the hieroglyph on my… Yeah…” Jack nodded, reaching into his bag and taking out a granola bar. Unwrapping it, he broke off a piece before crumbling it in his paw. He glanced around briefly to see whether anybody else was looking at him before dropping a few crumbs onto the ground. One of the ibises caught wind of this offering, waddling forward and leaning down to tilt its head and inspect the goods. Clicking its beak once, it turned away disdainfully before inserting its long, curved beak into Jack’s bookbag. “They’re ghosts dude.” Jack looked a little annoyed, responding back sarcastically. “Wow, real scientist over here.” A second later, the front door to the classroom opened to reveal a tigress walking through. A thin pair of half-moon spectacles rested on the bridge of her nose, her auburn fur quite the sight as the classroom quieted down as she entered. Placing her briefcase on the table at the front of the class, she picked up a piece of chalk and began to write. After writing her name and the university from which she got her PhD: “Yurvik University” she turned to address the class. “Hello everyone, I’m Dr. Zadira. Three times a week, we shall be meeting in this room and discussing worksheets, lab assignments, and exam prep. There will be six exams, each of which comprising 15% of your final grade. They will be cumulative. The remaining 10% of your grade will be homework and lab results.” Jack kneaded his paws in his lap, surprising a groan as he heard the stringency of the grading rubric for this class. With 90% of the grade being test-based, performing on each consecutive exam would be paramount for a good final grade. Hunter thought of it as relatively generous, given the fact that each exam’s content would stack on top of each other. In the front of the room, one of the invisible ibises hopped up and looked curiously at the professor’s briefcase. Hunter and Jack held their breath, watching as the bird opened its beak and began to tamper with the front buckle holding it closed. The tigress appeared not to take notice, as she turned her back to the class and began sketching out with the chalk once more drawing out several carbon chains. The two friends watched with bated breath, seeing that the ibis’s determination to open the briefcase did not lessen. With a click, it opened, flopping open and spilling its contents across the floor with the sound of fluttering paper. As if in slow motion, the tigress turned, staring confusedly at the pile of strewn notebooks and manilla folders. The class was quiet, watching to see how she would react. She smirked, stepping forward to pick up the office supply detritus, packing it back into the suitcase before returning to what she was drawing. The ibis chittered irritatedly, waddling and weaving between the tigress’s footpaws as it left to retreat into the back of the classroom to join the others. Hunter exchanged a look with Jack, the two wondering the same thing. If these paranormal activities persisted throughout the entire hour, how would a class filled with scientifically minded individuals explain it? Thankfully, however, the ibises appeared to have become tired from their mischief. Hunter a few minutes later they had huddled together next to his bag, preening the feathers on each other’s backs. 𓁥 𓁢 𓐭 “Oh would you just look at these cuties!” Malissa exclaimed, reaching down to pet one of the ibis’s on the head. It hopped away from her, looking at her outreached paw distrustfully as it shuffled its wings. The three were at the cafeteria, laptops and textbooks out as they waited out the afternoon until their next class. Jack was looking over his Orgo notes, demonstrating a significantly more studious attitude than Hunter could ever remember him showing before. The moment the otter had seen the ibises, she had clearly fallen in love with them. The birds seemed to care less for her affections, embarrassing Hunter twice as they pecked inquisitively at the front of his pants, gently squishing the front of his soaked diaper as they did so. “So they really don’t do anything?” Malissa asked, and Hunter shrugged once more as he popped a french fry into his muzzle, chewing before responding. “Other than getting into trouble, no not really. Nobody else can see them except us, and they seem more interested in random trash and bookbags than anyone.” “They did totally spill everything out of Dr. Zadira’s bag though.” Jack added, grinning as he took a bite out of his PB&J. Malissa looked thoughtfully over him, before zeroing in on the sandwich he was eating and looking at it disapprovingly. “Someone really needs to teach you how to cook.” She remarked, taking out a tuna fish salad sandwich she had packed for the day and opening the plastic bag it was contained in. Jack shrugged, placing a peanut butter covered thumb into his muzzle and smacking on it obnoxiously. Chewing, he opened his muzzle and rattled out excitedly. “I think I might have some information on the relic thingy though.” Malissa and Hunter turned their attention to him, just as one of the ibises knocked over a stack of plastic cups over at the utensils bar in the cafeteria, plastic forks and spoons following shortly afterward. “What?” Malissa prompted, looking intently at the weasel while holding her sandwich halfway through her muzzle. The weasel grinned devilishly, pleased at having captured both of their attention so easily. With great deliverance, he spoke in as serious a tone as he could muster. “It’s from Egypt.” The two stared at him in shocked silence for a moment, before Malissa picked up a grape from her tupperware and flicked it at the weasel’s head. It hit him squarely in the forehead, after which he clapped both paws on his head and exclaimed exaggeratedly. “Ow! That hurt!” “Good.” Malissa remarked, turning away in disgust as she addressed Hunter who was still staring, unamused, at the weasel. “Any actual breakthroughs on the other hieroglyphs?” Hunter shook his head, setting down the french fry he was holding on his plate as he spoke. “No, this is the first time I was put in the ibis summoning one. I still don’t know what the other two do, or even if there are going to be anymore. I wish I could pick them out, if I only got to wear the panther ones I think I’d be set until we get more info on the curse.” Malissa nodded empathetically, her attention drawing back towards one of the ibises that was currently tailing a rabbit, hunched forward and ruffling its wings behind it as it stalked the oblivious student. “Well, they’re cute even if they are harmless. I’m going to hazard a guess to say that they’re supposed to be like, little bodyguards of some sort?” Hunter shrugged, willing to accept the explanation as he returned to his snacking. “Yeah, possibly. They’re kind of distracting to be honest.” Malissa turned her attention to Jack, a gleam in her eye as her whiskers quivered as she posed. “So… Orgo?” “You too? You guys are awful.” Malissa raised her paws up in mock innocence, responding in a high-pitched defensive tone. “I’m just asking!” Jack sighed, closing his notebook and taking another PB&J out of his backpack. This was his forth, causing Hunter to grimace incredulously as he watched the weasel unwrap it and take a bite. Talking with his mouth full, Jack responded sincerely as he chewed. “Look, this is a ‘last chance’ kind of deal. I’m gonna be cutting back on the weed too.” “Wow!” Malissa exclaimed, appearing genuinely taken aback as she looked at him. There was a note of respect on her muzzle, and Hunter decided that it would probably be best not to bully his friend too much. He offered. “I’ll give you my notes, but you should probably come over and study with me a few times a week. Wanna swing by my place on nights after class? If we did a review and tested each other we could be in pretty good shape.” “Totally!” Jack exclaimed, grinning and appearing genuinely pleased. Malissa nodded approvingly, closing her laptop as she made to head off for her next class. “Don’t have too much without me boys, we’re still on for Saturday bar crawls right?” “Totally.” Hunter echoed, giving her a wave as she walked off to her next class, her rudder tail waving casually behind her.

Chapter Twenty-Five Snack Run Winter that year had come with an unexpected advantage. Despite the fennec’s natural fur coat, the arid sands from which his species originated had not accounted for the inevitable global expansion into much chillier climates. Now, garbed in sweatpants and a goose-feather coat, Hunter now at least did not have to worry too much about being discreet with his padding. The fennec was standing in line at the local convenience store, his reusable shopping bag having been filled with an assortment of snacks he was sure his mother would have had a few words about. He’d work his way through them before the university cafeteria opened up, having decided that he might as well treat himself a little before the next semester started. Malissa was still on a cruise with her family, and Jack would be back in town in the next two days. Hunter eyed the shelves of arrayed salty and savory snacks, knowing full well that the moment Jack came over to his place the snacks would begin to disappear at an accelerated rate. Grabbing a few more bags and stuffing them into his bag, he took a step forward now waiting second in line. His mind must have been particularly distracted by the thoughts of his weasel friend eating him out of the house, his gut lurching as he felt something snag the waistband of his pants. The fennec’s eyes bulged, his jaw dropping open in shock as he felt the elastic band of his sweats snap, spilling his pants onto the floor of the drug store into a depressed heap around his ankles. The panther hieroglyph now on full display on the front of his diaper, his cheeks reddened as it took him a second to realize the sound of tearing fabric had been quite loud. He looked up sheepishly, figuring that he must have caught the attention of the shoppers around him. Instead they stood, as they were, politely ignoring him as they waited for their turn in the queue. Hunter stared at one of them, a rather scrawny looking antelope teen who was holding a large Icee. Eventually, the antelope returned the look, raising an eyebrow but maintaining eye contact with the fennec. Realizing that he might have appeared rude, Hunter quickly turned around and faced forward once more. The bison in front of him had checked out, and Hunter took a crinkly stride forward to address the chipmunk behind the cash register. “Cash or card?” The chipmunk squeaked, not taking any notice of the fact that Hunter’s padded, and now slightly soaked, was in full view. Hunter glanced behind him for a moment, looking at his ruined sweatpants in utter confusion before he turned back to the clerk. “Uh, debt.” He mumbled, dumping out the contents of his bag and allowing the chipmunk to routinely scan them, the rodent’s buck teeth flashing momentarily as he stifled a yawn. How is nobody reacting? It’s like I’m invisi- Hunter looked down and stared pointedly at the panther covering his crotch. Of course, there was something different about the hieroglyph covered diapers, but this development was most unexpected. If there was one point of consistency when it came to the magical power of the brooch, it was that it seemed determined to shout to the entire world around him that he was a little kit. Now, for whatever reason, it appeared that the trinket’s influence had instead decided to spare him the inevitable humiliation he had come to expect. Experimentally, Hunter swung his tail from side to side, eliciting a round of obnoxious, plastic crinkling from the seat of his diaper as he did so. He glanced behind him, having just given the customers behind him a full show of the state of his padding. Nothing, no reaction. “That’ll be thirty-eight seventy-six please.” The chipmunk chittered, after which Hunter hastily paid and stuffed his collection of snacks back into his grocery bag. The bell of the front door jingled behind him as he stepped back onto the street, a couple blocks from his apartment. As the wind blew between his spindly legs, which were now feeling particularly chilly save for a small part of his inner thighs insulated by his padding, he trudged forward towards his flat. None of the passersby paid him any mind, a fact for which he was feeling surprisingly grateful. He was still cold, however, and was frantically rubbing his thighs as he walked up the stairwell and back into the welcome warmth of his apartment. 𓅹 𓅢 𓅸 Hunter stood in front of the enchanted changing table, internally reminding himself not to hop up on its surface so as to not activate the helping hands that would no doubt be all too keen to change him. Stooping, he sorted through the hieroglyphic diapers and picked one from each type of symbol. There were several cougars, ones he hoped would be regularly magically restocked given their incredible potential to maintain his peace of mind. There appeared to be three other types of hieroglyphic diapers. One which looked like three water fowl sitting in a boat, another which appeared to be a baby bird, and the last appeared to be a crook and flail which he recognized from his previous research. 𓃮 𓅹 𓅷 The word ‘cygnet’ bubbled up to the front of Hunter’s mind as he looked over the baby bird symbol, wondering whether his guess as to what kind of spell this particular rune would cast was accurate. Hunter eyed the other three diapers suspiciously, unsure of whether they would end up with favorable outcomes as the panther had done. Unless he abstained from the hieroglyphic diapers entirely, which might not necessarily be possible given the haunted nature of the changing table, he would likely find out their various enchantments soon enough. Taking his phone out, he took a picture of each of the diapers and opened up Malissa’s texts messages. Feeling a little sheepish sending his friend pictures of his diapers, he saw that she had replied to the original message regarding the panther. Panther, yup. Meaning sneaky, stealthy, quiet, unseen. Before sending the images, Hunter replied promptly. I believe it, given the fact that the chip stand at the drug store decided to pants me and nobody noticed the giant Egyptian themed pillow on my butt. Sending the photos off with a question prompting further translation, Hunter put his phone away and removed the diapers from the surface of the changing table. Behind him, he felt something grope the back of his soaked padding. Hunter squeaked, whirling around to see that one of the clawed ghost paws appeared spontaneously behind him. It vanished a second later, having apparently come to the conclusion that the fennec diaper could still withstand an accident or two. Sighing in relief that he was not about to be accosted by several pairs of ghostly paws, he returned his attention to the shelves of diapers beneath the surface of the changing table and took out his favorite brand. The various pampered pups, kittens, and cubs grinned up cheekily at him, playing with their various infantile toys as they crawled over the surface of the plastic covering. Despite the knowledge of the curse’s influence, Hunter harbored a particular fondness for this brand of padding. Hoping that this would influence the will of the ghost hands when bedtime came around, Hunter deposited the pamper meaningfully on the center of the changing table’s surface. As he headed into the living room, his phone buzzed. Opening it, he read through Malissa’s response. The first two will require some research as to their meaning, other than the obvious I guess. However, the last one is a pretty famous symbol: the Crook and Flail. Basically, they’re weapons when crossed that represent royal authority and power. Hunter waited as Malissa typed out another response, instinctively reaching down to squeeze the front of his diaper to check just how wet it was. He hoped he could hold off on a change until just before bed. As in you managed to cover it up? The fennec took a moment to type out a response. No, like everyone could have seen it in plain sight but nobody appeared like they noticed. So either the brooch duped me or it duped everyone around me. Three small dots appeared on Hunter’s messenger app as Malissa wasted no time in typing up another response. Snap a picture of it and send it to me. Hunter grimaced, looking down at the front of his diaper where the hieroglyph had faded slightly from the amount that he had already peed into it. Sending a picture of his padded front to one of his close friends, despite one that was in the loop on what was happening to him, made him feel more than a little self-conscious. Hunter bit his lip, trying not to think too much about just how excited the prospect made him feel in addition to his initial shyness. Deciding that taking the initiative and simply sending her a picture would probably be the best way not to make a big deal out of the request, he did so. He waited a minute, barely breathing as he wondered whether or not the trinket’s magic would translate through a picture on his phone. A second later, Malissa’s response came. Uhh, you need to take your pants off first for me to see it. Hunter reread the message several times in disbelief. The influence of the hieroglyphic diapers clearly covered all of their bases, which made the poor fennec all the more apprehensive to try out the other ones without knowing what they would do. He responded quickly. Still not wearing any, whatever you’re looking at isn’t the picture I took if you see any pants on me. The otter responded. Okay, yikes. I guess good luck with the other ones? Hunter typed. Yeah… Lastly, Malissa responded. I’ll look up the other ones tonight and let you know if there’s anything sus about them. Leaning back down on his couch, his stomach grumbling, he moved himself over on the cushion until he faced the kitchen where he could just see his plastic grocery bags sitting on the counter. In classic college fashion, he would probably not have a meal more substantial than box Mac N’ Cheese until the campus cafeteria opened. He turned his head over to the wooden box on the mantelpiece, idly musing to himself. If only this thing could conjure up three-course meals for me and maybe do my house-cleaning for me… He griped silently to himself, eventually gathering the motivation to push himself off of his couch and rifle through the grocery bags. He was feeling lazy, and with about five days left of his winter break before the semester started he was not exactly in a hurry to maintain a productive mindset until he had to. Having checked his inbox on his phone finding no syllabi sent earlier, he flopped back down on the couch with a large bag of cheese curls. He began browsing through the channels on his TV, consciously avoiding the children’s channels as he tried to bring his mind off of the daunting prospects of the upcoming semester. Hunter had confidence that he would be able to pull off a similarly well put-together GPA this semester, same as last given the fact that he now knew what he was going up against. Paying little attention to what was happening on the screen, the full weight of what he was going to have to deal with hit him. Hunter took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he tried to calm himself down. This is going to be a lot for me to handle… He mused to himself, reaching for a stuffed red panda plushie that had been reclining on the opposite end of the couch. Hugging it, the fennec suddenly felt very small. This was not the kind of small the brooch was intending either. College grades, a social life, and contending with the fact that reality altering ‘magic’ was real. The latter was something he had not even fully digested for fear of becoming overwhelmed with panic and existentialist dread. Where do my physics and chemistry courses even fit into all this? He stopped himself, knowing the cliff he was looking over. He sighed again, wondering whether or not he should have picked up something stronger from the drugstore to treat himself with. Having been idly clicking through the channels, Hunter saw that Blue’s Clues was playing on one of the channels. Deciding that it would be best not to dwell on the possibility that this was somehow the trinket’s doing, he selected the episode. “Bah bow!” Blue cheerfully exclaimed from the television speakers, and Hunter nestled himself down further onto his couch. He would let his mind drift for now. Tomorrow’s problems would be tomorrow’s, after all.

Me and you both!

Fixed, adjusted, and rephrased! I performed a full read through and there were many 'softs' scattered here and there, so I snuffed out most of them.~ Genuine thanks for the feedback! I'm very happy to hear that you're invested in this narrative of mine. Save Hunter further embarrassment? It's almost as if you haven't been reading the story, hehe. 😋

Chapter Twenty-Four Winter Break Hunter allowed himself a large sigh as he set his suitcase down in the front hall of his apartment, pulling his backpack straps off of his shoulders and allowing that to softly fall next to it. The two weeks he had spent at home during winter break had been somewhat uneventful when it came to the antics caused by the trinket, a fact he attributed to the only reasonable notion which was that with the increased distance its magical effects were somewhat diluted. He had still wore diapers to bed, a fact that he had several close calls with when it came to concealing the matter from his parents. Only a couple times had he woken up wet, which had been the better alternative to having to wash his bedsheets several times throughout his stay in secret. The topic of the mysterious brooch had been on his mind throughout the stay at home, and he had asked several questions about Auntie Tare to his mother. He had tried to be sparing with his inquisitiveness, as he could tell that the grief from having lost the relative was still something that his Mom was grappling with. Still, she seemed too happy to discuss his late aunt, mentioning how she was always rather distanced from her family life once she had started upon her career, spending most of her time in far off countries, the most prominent of course being Egypt. Despite Hunter’s high hopes, the most he was able to glean was just how close his mother and Auntie Tare were. If there was anyone that his Aunt would want to reach out to if she was even still alive, it would have been his Mom. Radio silence remained on his DaringTare.com account, even after Hunter had sent another message to the badger asking whether there had been any progress to figuring out what had happened to his aunt. The lack of information from his side of the search had been frustrating, and only after having joined a group call with Malissa and Jack had he stumbled upon anything relatively interesting. Both Hunter and Malissa had scolded Jack for going out on his own to find information about the brooch, being both a risk to himself and to Hunter who was the owner of what was apparently quite a pretty piece of Egyptian treasure. Jack had assured them that nothing would come of it, eagerly sharing the fact that he had learned about Pharoah’s blood being required to utilize any of the magic possessed within the items. This had puzzled Hunter, as his species technically hailed from the deserts of the Western hemisphere, far away from any of the native species that might have the ability to channel this “blood of the pharaoh” business. Malissa had stated that since Aunt Tare was a cheetah and had been adopted, it could be possible that she might have been descendent from a line of Egyptian royalty. Hunter accepted this as feasible, but it still did not explain why a genetically unrelated individual such as himself had the ability to activate the charm’s mystical influence. Jack posited that maybe the way the Egyptian magic worked was through familial bonds more so than actual blood, and neither Hunter nor Malissa had argued with this statement. They had little else to go off of, after all. Hunter had thought about this fact while he was eating dinner on Christmas Eve, unsure of what to make of the idea that he and his surrounding family were technically of the ruling Egyptian class. While they lived comfortably, they were not particularly wealthy or prestigious. The fact that he was somehow special enough to activate ancient powers of an Egyptian relic seemed somewhat absurd to him, but so was that fact that he had been given a diaper change by his Calculus professor only a few weeks prior in front of his entire class. Now, back in his apartment, the fennec looked suspiciously towards the wooden crate stationed on top of the mantle piece in his living room, a sense of foreboding entering his lower gut as he thought about what trouble it would undoubtedly cause him this semester. He shook his head, deciding to keep himself focused on the mundane task of moving back into his apartment as he picked up his travel bags and moved them into his bedroom. He would unpack, check the syllabi waiting in his inbox to be perused, and organize whatever new stuffed animals had spontaneously materialized in his bedroom. Opening the door to his room, his mouth dropped open at the sight that was in front of him. The talisman had kept itself busy while he was aware, as where his bed, desk, and chair had previously been they were now replaced by a completely different set of furniture. The walls of his bedroom had been painted, featuring a desert landscape filled with many creatures that befitted the Egyptian, dusty wastes. Over by where his bed had been, which was now replaced by a robust, ornately decorated crib large enough to hold him comfortably, the wallpaper’s desert bloomed into the lush environment surrounding the river nile. Toothy crocodiles, chubby hippos, and delicately legged gazelles gathered by the Nile’s waters, a deep blue sky looking over the entire scene with a peaceful serenity. The crib, made of a dark oak wood carved into intricate patterned swirls, appeared rather intimidating, as Hunter noticed that its bars reached all the way to the ceiling. At its foot, a large toy chest stood open, with the fennec’s growing collection of stuffed animals spilling out of it and onto the surrounding floor. The floor too had received an upgrade, now fitted with a lush, soft carpet that the fox’s footpaws sank gently into. His desk, which had previously been a rather sparse wooden table on which he would rest his laptop and textbooks, had been replaced by a changing table. Egyptian hieroglyphs dotted the wooden legs, with several open shelves hosting a collection of necessary changing materials. At least that’ll save my wallet a bit of use… Hunter thought grimly to himself, turning to note whether there had been any other additions to his bedroom. A rocking chair stood next to the crib, currently hosting a large, stuffed lion who appeared to be wearing a cloth diaper around its waist. Its arms were open invitingly, as if it were beckoning Hunter to take a seat in its soft lap for a cozy hug. The rest of the space was occupied by a playpen, a harness and leash lay simply in its center, attached to a stalwart spoke in the center of the mesh-walled play area. Hunter eyed it suspiciously, wondering at the purpose of such a set of straps and why it was placed forebodingly in the center of the playpen. The fennec half expected the nursery to somehow come to life, pulling him into the infantile lifestyle that it imposed on him to embrace. The fennec felt a twinge in his nethers, and realized that the tantalizing offer in front of him was indeed one that he wanted to accept the invitation to. He shook his head, refocusing on the task at hand as he lugged his suitcase over to his closet, opening its door. What he saw hardly came at a surprise, as he noted that his wardrobe had been replaced by a large collection of baby clothes. Onesies, sleepers, overalls, and several choice kigus hung neatly on their coat hangers, organized by color and size. Most notable, he saw that one of the sleepers appeared to feature a lion’s mane, equipped with a tufted tail that would loop over and cover his own. He grimaced, feeling his cheeks burn as he imagined how he would look wearing his thick, crinkly underwear outlined by the snuggly fitting waistline of the sleeper. The nursery remained inert for the time being, but Hunter could feel the artifact’s magic at work. While he was gone, it had painstakingly tailored his bedroom to become reminiscent of a nursery belonging to a prince of Egypt. Hunter saw that there was little to no room to house the few clothes he had brought back home with him, and decided that it would be best to keep them in the closet space by the front door. After lugging them inside, trying not to think too hard on what he would do with his now limited wardrobe for showing up to class, he padded back to his nursery for further inspection. The diapers stacked neatly in the shelves of the changing table appeared all to be in his size, as he presumed they would be, and featured not only his favorite padded cartoon characters but several choice Egyptian themed styles. Hunter picked one up that featured several ash-colored kittens, romping about with one another while others napped comfortably on ornate pillows. On the tape landing zone, he noted a particular hieroglyph in golden ink directly in the center. 𓃮 At first glance, it appeared to be a large cat, though whether it was a lioness or some other sizable feline he was as yet unsure. He figured that it must be a panther, although his limited knowledge of indigenous feral species of Egypt caused him to doubt himself for a moment. He took out his phone, and ignoring the hot sensation that bloomed in his cheeks, snapped a picture of the diaper and sent it over to Malissa for analysis. He noted that several other diapers appeared to have similar animalistic designs, featuring a notable animal hieroglyph in their center. Hunter knew that there had to be some kind of purpose to these symbols, and given the fact that the brooch was anything except prolific with its designs he had a needling suspicion that there was purpose behind the hieroglyph. At that moment, Hunter felt something damp between his legs. He glanced down, and cursed under his breath as he realized that he had just wet himself without noticing. Panicked, he hobbled over to the bathroom to strip himself of his wet travel clothes before he started to leak onto the carpet. He sighed once more, this time from frustration than the exhaustion of traveling. Of course this was the welcoming gift he received when coming home for the second semester of that school year. He grimaced, peeling his sodden underwear off of himself before depositing it down into a neat, soggy pile on his bathroom tiles. Resigning himself to the fact that he was now under the full influence of the cursed brooch once more, he exited his bathroom fully in the nude and over to the changing table. He hesitated for a moment, then mentally shrugged and hopped up onto the plastic surface. Hunter was about to reach down between his legs for a choice piece of padding when a sudden wave of lethargy washed over him. He swayed for a moment, his eyelids growing heavy before he toppled backwards, landing gently on his back with his arms above his head. His limbs felt heavy, as if after a long day of working out, a comfortable numbness settled over his body while his eye remained half open, staring at the constellation filled night painted on the ceiling above him. From thin air, wispy paws materialized in a uniform formation around the changing table, fingers hanging limply from their detached wrists. They glowed a soft, pale blue, semi-transparent as fingers stretched and flexed as though waking from a long period of rest. The ends of their fingers ended in claws, reminiscent of the paws of a jackal. On several of their fingers, jeweled rings adorned their paws which gleamed in a sourceless light, glowing distinctly as if filled with a magical aura of their own concealed inside of their shiny surfaces. Six of these paws closed in on Hunter, two of them neatly tucking the fennec’s forepaws above his head, one tickling him gently underneath the chin with the tip of a claw, whilst another slowly rubbed his belly. The final two busied themselves with picking out a choice diaper, Hunter’s favorite decorated with several padded babyfurs, unfolding it and working together to properly fluff it out. Hunter’s mind was bathed in a lush, fluffy cloud. The delicate attention that was being paid to his body relaxed him even further, a hushed, uncharacteristically childish giggle escaping his muzzle as his hind legs kicked gently in response to the tickling. One of the paws that had been working on fluffing out the diaper parted from the other, gently gathering up the fox’s ankles and lifting his soft bottom up into the air. Expertly, the other claw placed the unfolded diaper in front of the fennec’s lifted tush, placing itself palm down on the absorbent interior and sliding it underneath him. Slowly, Hunter’s ankles were lowered down and his bottom landed gently onto the waiting diaper. Floating through the air, the two paws responsible for padding him up moved together in synchrony as they neatly grasped the front of the diaper with the tips of their fingers. Ceremoniously, they lifted it up and over Hunter’s diaper area, patting it down firmly. As one hand remained fixedly down on the landing zone, the other began to deftly maneuver around and place the tapes onto their landing zone. With calculated symmetry, the paw aligned the tapes and pressed down upon them, rubbing gently so as to activate their adhesive. All the while, Hunter gurgled helplessly, one of his paws now batting gently at one of the ghost paws, who was entertaining the oversized kit by deftly bobbing and weaving. It dodged the fennec’s bapping paws, wiggling its fingers teasingly at him every time it evaded him, causing Hunter to giggle giddily in response. Unaware of the diapering sequence complete, the two paws that had padded him up shook one another as if to congratulate themselves on a job well done, before one of them floated forward and patted Hunter affectionately on the patted bottom. Two of the paws gently scooped Hunter underneath his armpits, pulling him up until he was in a sitting position. Then, with surprising strength and dexterity, they lifted him up and deposited him softly on his footpaws. While one of them continued to affectionately pat him on the bottom, eliciting muffled crinkles from the plastic now snuggly covering his behind and looping around his tail, another booped him lazily on the nose. Hunter closed his eyes, giggling once more in response to the teasing. He opened his eyes, his sense of self returning once more only to find that the mysterious paws had vanished once more. He blinked, processing what had just happened before looking down at the diaper hugging his waist. “Oh…” He said out loud, to no one in particular. The symbols decorating the changing table now made more sense to the fennec as he looked behind him once more, realizing that not only did it come with its own store of diapers but they were also equipped with a magically infused changing system. Hunter thought about just how much he had enjoyed the process, lulled into a simple mindset as he was, and spoiled rotten with affection and attention throughout the entire changing process. He had enjoyed it immensely, as despite his resolute intention on stopping the curse somehow, he now almost wished to repeat the entire process once more. He glanced down at his padding once more, noting that the tape job and conformation to his body had been executed in a manner superior to his own diapering process. The ghost paws knew what they were doing, clearly, and the underwear around his waist now felt almost like a natural part of his wardrobe. Hunter eyed the crib to his right, noting that it also had its fair share of hieroglyphic symbols engraved into its wood. If the changing table had such enchantments, his new bed would no doubt follow suit with similar arcane magic. With only a few hours until bedtime, Hunter knew that he would likely be discovering its magical influence all too soon. He glanced down at his padding once more, noting that the tape job and conformation to his body had been executed in a manner superior to his own diapering process. The ghost paws knew what they were doing, clearly, and the underwear around his waist now felt almost like a natural part of his wardrobe. Hunter eyed the crib to his right, noting that it also had its fair share of hieroglyphic symbols engraved into its wood. If the changing table had such enchantments, his new bed would no doubt follow suit with similar arcane magic. With only a few hours until bedtime, Hunter knew that he would likely be discovering its magical influence all too soon.

I was working on my Linktree account today for which I created a dozen 50x50 pixel art icons, and decided to make it available for public use if anyone might have any interest in utilizing them. They're very simple. DD_Logo_50x50.aseprite

Wolf + husky = wusky! I'm fond of the idea of a little guy who's descended from a barely domesticated species and an undomesticated species, making for a little rascal of a toddler. Several, thick layers of fur, a propensity for cold weather, and a little deer mark on the nose to tell those around him that he's really a gentle little guy make up all the important details. In terms of fur color, I chose simple grey and brown gradients; comfortable to look at but not too eye-catching. Attached artwork by Wen.

Chapter Twenty-Three Jack’s Gamble Jack had always been under the impression that he was a very, very clever weasel. Sure, he had never properly applied himself in school, nor had he shown any particular interest in a craft or anything that would be useful in a career. There was only one exception, and that was his ability to ingratiate himself to just about any fur he set his mind on. Weasels were often stereotyped for being crafty, tricky, and the type of fur that you would have a hard time trusting. Jack knew this, and despite the borderline racial stereotyping his kind of species received at first glance, he had made the decision from a young age to use it to his advantage. He was eager, honest, and openly naive about his interests and activities. He played a lot of video games, liked to slack off and get stoned with his friends, and generally did little to cultivate himself as a productive member of society beyond engaging in as many social events as he could. He knew a lot of people, and a lot of people knew him. Jack was the comedian, the butt of the joke, the guy who would never back down from a perilous dare no matter how stupid an idea it was that he was presented with. The weasel liked how he led his life, even if he occasionally had to get a lecture from Malissa about just emphatically impressed she was at how apparently empty the space between his ears was. In order to fund his lazy weekend smoking weed and playing games with his fellow coasting friends, Jack had the responsibility of procuring the stuff given his disposition to get into places he very much should not be venturing into. He knew of a bar a few blocks south of the university, the place he usually went to meet with his drug dealer. While the weasel had never gone inside, as every week there seemed to be a burly ox or grizzly bear shouting drunkenly being escorted by policemen after having torn up the place, he knew that the shadier characters in the city were particularly fond of this haunt. The weasel glanced up at the neon sign stating, “Swine’s Cradle”. That is so on the nose… He thought grimly to himself, edging his way past the security guard standing stalwartly outfront. Jack evaded the bull terrier’s suspicious glare, slipping inside and making his way directly towards the bar front. His sights were fixed on a jackal, who was currently examining the cloudy contents of an empty glass that was frustrating her efforts to polish. It was early in the morning, so the dregs of last night’s alcoholic responsibilities were currently slouched, scattering amongst several seats and stools throughout the eerily quiet pub. This was exactly how Jack wanted it, as this would likely attract the least amount of attention for what he was going to investigate. “Hey, Shiva.” The jackal looked up from the glass, giving the weasel and impatient look before returning her attention back down at the sisyphean task she was keeping herself busy with. “What, rat.” Ignoring the nickname, Jack hopped up on a barstool before thinking twice and moving one seat to the side. The ox that was currently taking a nap face down on the bar surface appeared particularly muscular, which the weasel wanted to give a wide berth. “What do you know about Egyptian talismans?” The jackal stopped what she was doing, her upper lip curling as she placed the glass down with a little more force than was necessary. Lazily, she turned her head towards the inquiring weasel as she flopped the rag down next to the glass. “If you’re looking to buy more weed you don’t have to start with borderline racist small talk, you hear?” The weasel gulped, shaking his head and holding up his paws in an attempt to placate her. “No no! I’m… Uh, not here to buy weed… This time… I figured you might know something about them… I… Uh… Have a project and-” “You want homework help? Are you fucking serious?” Jack could see that he was only making things worse by explaining himself further, so he decided to double down on supplication instead. “Look, I just need a few minutes of your inside and I’m gone, alright? I just figured I’d ask. I'm in dire straits for my grade here.” Jack had had to think quickly on his feet, and he hoped that she would not call his bluff. It was the end of finals week, sure, but it was a Sunday morning. The jackal gave him a once over, glaring at him with two golden irises that in the right light sometimes appeared to be glowing. She snorted, looking down once more before picking her glass up once more. Without looking at him, she spoke. “You need someone with Pharaoh’s blood to be able to do anything about the ones that are left…” Jack, for once, remained completely silent. He was sure that she had just called his bluff, but he hesitated to admit that her assumption that he himself was dealing with an Egyptian artifact was spot on. He waited quietly, his paws placed on top of the paw as he did his best to steady his breathing. The jackal continued, her heavy accent coming through as she continued to dictate. “Easily said than done finding the ones that are left, although my great grandmother allegedly had a piece of one. Even harder to find someone with Pharoah’s blood that's willing to cooperate let alone not take the talisman for themselves…” She sniffed once, ebony nostrils flaring as she held the glass up to the dim light illuminating the bar surface. Jack followed her gaze, seeing to his mild surprise that the glass was now completely transparent. With a satisfied smirk on her muzzle, she set the glass aside before moving in front of Jack and placing her paws on the surface of the bear in a domineering gesture. The weasel looked up at her bleakly, his ears pinned against the top of his head as he gazed back with wide, watery eyes. The jackal spoke softly, the usual gruffness in her voice now gone to be replaced with a tone that was almost soft. “Whatever you’re dealing with, kid, this isn’t something you want to get entangled with. Stick to flunking classes and smoking weed if you know what’s good for you.” She gave him a meaningful look before pushing herself back and waving a paw over the back of her head. “Now get out of my sight.” Jack’s heart was pounding, the information he had received with minimal prompting had sounded very promising, if a little confusing. Hastily he pushed himself off of the stool, almost tripping and falling off of it as he scampered towards the exit of the bar. Behind him, he heard Shiva's voice rising as she raised her voice to rouse the sleeping drunkards. “Wake up, assholes! If I don’t see your tails exiting the bar in the next ten minutes I’m calling Jeff to give you the express ticket home!” 𓁥 𓁢 𓐭 Hunter’s knee was bouncing up and down at a frantic pace. His anxiety was through the roof, for it had not abated since he opened his university email that morning to find an email from his calculus professor waiting for him. The message was briefly, simply telling him the window of time that his office would be open that afternoon for Hunter to come see him. It had been polite, if a little short, and it had seemed to be more an offer than a firm command for Hunter to see him. The fennec had been strapped for ideas on how to deal with the situation that had arisen during his calculus final. Malissa had advised that he let the situation be for now, as she figured that the polar bear was likely trying to figure out the same thing. There had only been one point of correspondence before then from the bear, which had been an email to the entire class stating that only problems that had been given full answers would be graded, and that any questions left partially answered would be given partial credit if the work appeared to be trending towards the right answer. This had come as a source of great delight to the majority of the class, as the easier questions had been situated towards the beginning of the exam. Because of this, Jack had figured he had a chance to pass the class, barely. The door to the polar bear’s office was closed, a small sign hanging on a string reading that the bear was currently out of the office. Hunter figured that his teacher was simply out for lunch, and had decided to wait for a while to get this over with. Hunter could feel a small tremor registering on the bottom of his paws, which he figured was caused by the approaching footsteps of the bear making his way up the stairs. A few seconds later, the door to the staircase opened with a squeak and the visage of the polar bear loomed into view. The professor stopped in his tracks as he caught sight of Hunter, a grimace coming over his muzzle as he smiled awkwardly at the Fennec. “You got a hundred.” He said flatly, motioning towards the door of his office with a heavy paw before continuing to speak. “Now that hard part, come inside.” Hunter nodded, the brief spike of delight at hearing his grade was quickly washed over by the wave of anxiety of what was about to come. He was not sure whether he would be able to fully explain what happened to the bear without sounding crazy. He figured he would let the bear speak first, walking inside and sitting himself down awkwardly in the seat in front of the professor’s desk. The polar bear leaned back in his armchair, placing his paws on his chest and folding his claws together. He chuffed, appearing somewhat lost for words before he let out a grunt of displeasure. “Alright, lets get it over with. The physician I saw yesterday explained to me that what occurred was likely a fugue state. He did not sound too sure of himself, and the fact that items I don’t remember putting in my briefcase appeared there can’t be explained by loss of volition like that. Would you care to share your thoughts on the incident?” Hunter took a deep breath, his voice catching in his throat as a small, muffled groan left his muzzle. He closed his mouth again, looking down at the surface of the polar bear’s desk and blinking twice in quick succession. The fennec figured he would follow in the polar bear’s directness and reciprocate with his own. In a flat tone, he began to lay it out. “My aunt’s inheritance is an Egyptian artifact that has cursed me with eternal youth. It makes the world around me become infantilized, and recently its started to affect other people around me and not just myself.” Hunter looked up to assess the polar bear’s reaction. His professor was frozen, staring at him with two, pale blue eyes that flitted from one of Hunter’s peepers to the other. The expression on the polar bear’s muzzle appeared to be somewhere between incredulous and offended. A few seconds later, the polar bear sighed and drew a large paw over his muzzle. He let out a groan, his voice rumbling in his throat as the sound came through a long exhalation. The fox flitted with his paws, the hair on his tail standing on end in agitation as he waited for the bear to speak. At last, he did. “Hunter I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I believe what you just said more than I believed the judgment of my licensed physician.” The bear hesitated, looking down at his opened paws as if trying to find an answer inscribed on them. He let out a sound of disgust, then barked out a short laugh, before resuming his previous lazy seriousness as he spoke. “I’ve already spoken with the Chair of Public Outreach to discuss a donation I am going to be giving to the local pediatric hospital. Here’s the story…” The bear nodded to him in a practiced manner, a gesture that he most likely had practiced with many students before. It beckoned for Hunter to pay close attention, which the fennec needed no further prompting for. “You and I pulled a charity stunt, but there was a mix-up. We were both under the impression that the fliers for such an event were handed out, and we performed our little ‘stunt’ under the impression that people knew. It doesn’t cover all of our bases, but it’s an easier explanation for people to swallow than whatever the hell actually happened. It’ll help me keep my tenure, paint you in a selfless light, and make it a more understandable event to make light of. Do you understand?” Hunter nodded solemnly. The idea was clever, if not entirely comprehensive. The fennec suspected that the polar bear had been busy pulling several strings to prevent such a thing from spiraling out of control, judging by the lines underneath his professor’s eyes. The fennec swallowed, opening his muzzle as if to say something but then finding he had nothing further to comment. This was simple, and with winter break coming up people would find other things to talk about before the next semester started. For a moment, Hunter wondered if this was the trinket’s work. Did it inspire the polar bear to come up with such an idea? The fennec looked up at the bear once more, scrutinizing him for a moment before deciding against that notion. His professor appeared haggard, as sleepless as Hunter was when he was first dealing with the artifact’s influence. The fennec shifted in his seat, his padding’s muffled crinkling meeting his ears to the fox’s embarrassment. The bear did not appear to notice, as he was massaging his temples with the ends of his claws. He spoke, his voice sounding fatigued. “Okay… That’s it… I want nothing to do with this anymore… You can go…” Without needing any further prompting, Hunter hastily made his way up to his paws and was halfway out the door when the bear called back out to him. “And Hunter…” “Y-yes?” The bear pursed his lips, giving the fox a bemused expression as he continued. “Whatever it is you’re dealing with… Good luck… And don’t involve me in it anymore…” Hunter gave the polar bear a weak smile, nodding once before lingering in the doorway for a moment longer. “Thank you for the semester, sir.” “You did well.” The polar bear waved a paw, and Hunter made short work of leaving his office as he shoulder his backpack onto his bag. It had gone better than he accepted, but the small fox still felt like he wanted to get away from the bear’s office. He was likely one of the last few remaining students on the campus, and he wanted to make his way back to his apartment to start packing. His flight was leaving early the next day, and if there was anything that the fox needed at that moment it was some time away from the box containing the cursed brooch.

Chapter Twenty-Two Tools of the Ruling Pharaoh The exam ended prematurely that morning, as the professor ended up excusing himself after having all of the students deposit their unfinished exams on his desk before he departed with haste to his office. This left Hunter to pick his jeans off of the polar bear’s desk and awkwardly loop his legs through it as he felt more than a dozen pairs of curious eyes on him. He had refused to look back at them, as he was in fight or flight mode and simply wished to depart as quickly as he could. Malissa had been by his side after he had finished buckling them onto himself, holding his backpack which she had placed his items into with her own pack on her opposite shoulder. “Hey, let’s get you out of here.” She had whispered in his large ear, and the poor fennec had only been able to nod silently in response. Raising his gaze up to the front door, he tried not to think about the distinct waddle he must have been exhibiting as he made his own exit, Jack jogging up to the two of them as he did so. Hunter could feel his chest heaving, almost painfully, as he tried to catch his breath and calm himself down. He felt as if he were having an out of body experience, the world around him seemed fabricated and surreal as he passed a bench standing outside of an office as he made his way down the hall. Thoughts of what would happen to his exam grade and the final results of his class were now in the far reaches of his mind as his brain replayed what had just occurred to him over and over again. Despite the sense of panic and utter humiliation he was currently experiencing, a cool sense of rationale bubbled to the surface of his consciousness. The broach’s influence had since expanded, and was now clearly influencing the behavior of people around him. He sensed that despite Malissa’s naturally kind and generous disposition, it had affected her just as it had taken over the mind of his calculus professor. The powers at play were growing in intensity, not only warping his own mind and reality at his proximity but the thoughts and behaviors of others. He had not expected this development at all, as he had been fixated on himself and his own problems for the past several months to begin with. Could something like this have happened to Auntie Tare? Had she not known that giving him this item would cause this particular sequence of events? Questions that had been fermenting inside of him for weeks now bubbled to the surface once more, pestering him and frustrating him with their unanswerability. Malissa spoke up, sounding far away despite being right next to him. It pulled him back into the moment, as the fennec glanced over to her talking to Jack. “I think this was the act of God you were looking for to save your grade during that exam.” Jack grimaced, nodding without looking at her as he continued to trudge forward, a distracted look on his face. His canines showing as he grinned, he shook his head as he replied in a sheepish tone. “Yeah… I only got through about half of that exam… I think I got most of them right though, if you’ll believe it.” Malissa shook her head, a disapproving if amused expression on her muzzle as the three of them made their way hastily down a flight of stairs. The atmosphere between the three of them seemingly becoming more casual, she turned to Hunter. She wore a determined expression, and something told Hunter that the otter had finally come to the conclusion that more factors were at play than he had originally expressed to her. In a firm, no-nonsense tone she nodded at him while she spoke. “You have some explaining to do.” Hunter sighed, an odd sense of relief coming over him as he came to the conclusion that the nightmare scenario he had just experienced reached its conclusion anyway. He nodded back, swallowing hard before speaking in a tone that commanded more authority than he had expected it to. “You’re right. Come to my place, the both of you, if you’re done with exams for the day that is.” The two of them nodded, and as they reached the front entrance to the building, they turned their path towards the direction of Hunter’s apartment. They walked in relative silence, though Hunter could feel Jack’s eyes occasionally wandering down to the seat of the fox’s pants. The fennec spent the silence mulling over how he would breach the topic of the broach, figuring that he might as well take what he could get from finally telling someone he was close to the trials had been suffering through since that semester began. 𓁥 𓁢 𓐭 Jack and Malissa were staring at the wooden box sitting on the mantle fear with mixed expressions on their muzzles. Hunter saw awe, disbelief, a note of fear, disbelief, and a touch of terror written across their faces. He had just delved into the history of his experiences over the past few months, describing to them in detail the occurrences that had happened to him as well as his thoughts and strategies on how to approach the problem. The weasel had laughed more than once, only to receive a pointy elbow in the side from the otter as she appeared keenly interested in hearing the entirety of what Hunter had to say to them. While Hunter had appreciated the sentiment, he had appreciated his friend’s attempt at levity as he described the burden that had been trying not only to keep his curse a secret but do his best to outsmart and work against its influence. He had been worried that something supernatural would happen as the two had sat so near the Egyptian relic, but after warning them not to touch it it had appeared that the magic was taking a respite after such a potent spell. As Hunter ended on the exam they had experienced that morning, an awkward silence settled over the three furs sitting bolt upright on the living room couches. His friends had hung onto every word he had described, never once interrupting him with questions or prompts beyond the laughter that inevitably escaped the weasel’s muzzle. Malissa shook her head slowly, trying to take everything that her friend had just told her in as Jack continued to stare in fascination at the wooden box above them. Slowly, she opened her muzzle, visibly appearing to gather her thoughts as she posed a single question. “Are you sure your Aunt is gone?” The corner of Hunter’s drooped downwards in a tight-lipped grimace, as he shook his head slowly while maintaining eye contact. He had suspected that given his aunt’s reputation, she was likely fending off something or someone for a prolonged period of time. The honey badger’s conviction to get to the bottom of what was happening had given him enough hope that not everything was as what it seemed when it came to her, but the lack of communication from both his aunt and the badger gave him little to work off of. Jack added his own opinion, breaking the silence once more. “This explains why you’ve been so introverted this semester. I was beginning to worry that you were hanging out with other people that were more fun than us or something.” Hunter barked shortly, an awkward laugh that sounded mirthless and dry. He shook his head, replying. “Not at all, you guys are great. I just did not want to get you involved is all. This thing seems to be focused entirely on my life. I guess I was kind of scared that you guys wouldn’t want to associate given the… Uhhh… Weirdness of it all…” Malissa placed a paw on Hunter’s, squeezing it as she continued to stare at the box on the mantelpiece while she spoke. “That’s not something you need to worry about. This… thing… I think I’ve read about artifacts like this before. They were written about, described before, but the ones that were found were always really busted up. The gemstones were usually pried off by grave robbers leaving the rest of the item theoretically useless. But you said the middle one had a crack of some sort?” “Yeah…” Hunter replied simply, his gaze now fixated on Malissa’s muzzle, keenly awake. Seeing for the first time that somebody might know something that he had not concluded himself when it came to the item, his sense of hope rose substantially before he could tell himself to calm down. Malissa continued, shaking her head as her small ears pinned against her head in what appeared to be a concerned expression. “Putting aside the fact that magic… Exists… We can deal with that earth-shattering realization later before I go crazy… That thing might be a talisman of eternal youth. Apparently, they were created for Pharaohs in order for them to rule for decades without aging and… Well, theoretically they were designed for immortality. That never worked out according to history, because many of the Pharaohs ended up having their broaches destroyed, stolen, or they themselves were simply poisoned or murdered by their impatient descendents.” “Do you know anything about, like, how they work or how you can get them to work?” Malissa shook her head, a grim expression on her muzzle as she continued to look at the box. Hunter was feeling unnerved by how much attention she was paying to the box, and found that her enraptured expression was coming across as a little disturbing to him. He was about to ask further, when Malissa suddenly shifted her attention to his pants. Before he was able to react, she reached over and placed a paw on his belt buckle as she spoke in a soft tone. “Hey, how’s that diaper doing little guy? We should probably check if you’re soggy by now…” Hunter glanced momentarily at Jack, who appeared to be nodding in agreement, a hazy expression in his eyes as he watched the two of them. The fennec jolted, placing a paw hastily on top of Malissa’s to stop her as he cried. “Malissa! Stop!” She looked up at him, confused and glassy eyed. She blinked, appearing as thought she had just woken up. She recoiled, her chest heaving as she glanced from him to the box in quick succession. “Holy shit it is real.” Jack said, sounding aghast and awestruck. Malissa ran a paw through her headfur, appearing embarrassed as she looked away from Hunter stuttering out an apology. “Suh-sorry… I uh… Yeah… The talisman…” Hunter took in a deep breath, deciding to move on so as to not further trigger the magic’s gathering strengths. “Do you know how to get it to stop?” Malissa considered for a moment, biting her bottom lip before continuing. “No, but I think I know why it’s doing this. You said it was broken, and allegedly the ‘magic’ was stored in the gemstones and directed by the hieroglyphs etched into the metal. What did you say they were?” Hunter replied promptly. “Eye of Horus, a crane, and these crossing tools that looked kind of like weapons…” “Did they look like a flail and a hook?” “Yeah…” “Yeah, those are symbols of royalty, protection, longevity, and… Wait, you said a crane?” Hunter nodded silently, his heartbeat in his throat as he took in every single word that Malissa uttered. This was more information he had been able to glean about the broach than in all of his research, the fact that the otter seemed to know these things was exceptionally exciting to him. He felt as if he should feel regret in not confiding in her, anyone, sooner, but the honey badger had been particularly closed when it came to telling him anything other than to wait. Malissa continued, her voice soft as if she was speaking in a way so as to not disturb something in the room. “That’s not meant for ruling Pharaohs. I think… Okay, this might be a stretch but I think that talisman was made for a child, like an actual baby. Maybe to keep them eternally young and, well, unable to rule. And now that it’s broken, it's not only affecting its owner but the world around him. It’s just a guess, but it totally fits with everything you’ve described Hunter.” Hunter leaned back on his couch, feeling surprised at the fact he now felt more stressed than relieved at coming to this conclusion. Malissa could still be wrong, of course, but it all just made too much sense. If Aunt Tare had tried to give him this as a gift to keep him eternally young, she had done too good a job of it. Whether or not she was aware that this talisman would actually slowly turn him back into the mental state of a baby instead of keeping him perpetually in his early twenties he did not know. There was still much he did not know, but now that the cat was out of the bag and he and his friends knew what the intentions of the magic were, spoken out loud as they were, it offered a modicum of clarity to his situation. “Well, what are we going to do about it?” Jack spoke up unexpectedly, causing his other two friends to turn their friends towards his direction in surprise. The weasel wore a calm expression, looking back and forth from the two of them as he assessed their apparent confused expression. He added, sounding a little impatient with a note of giddy excitement in his voice. “We need to figure out a battle plan, try and stop the flow of magic or whatever. We can’t just leave Hunter like this, he can’t join in on game night if he’s going to be drooling on his keyboard.” “Wow Jack, sometimes I wish my priorities were as simple as yours, really.” Malissa replied in a dry tone, casting an exasperated look at the weasel. Jack grinned, appearing to take no offense at the remarks towards his immaturity. He looked at Hunter, beaming at him before nodding at the box containing the broach. “We’ll get to the bottom of this, don’t worry dude.” Hunter felt an odd sense of warmth fill his mind, a feeling not so dissimilar to the front of his padding swelling up after an impromptu accident. He greatly appreciated his friend’s bravado, ignorant and simple as it was, to join in aiding him to stop the curse. The fennec took a deep breath, nodding and turning to Malissa expectantly. Malissa glanced between the two of them, disbelief on her muzzle before she finally smiled and laughed, shaking her head as she placed her paws primly in her lap. “You guys are dorks, really, in the face of Egyptian magic that isn’t supposed to exist you want to Dungeons and Dragons your way out of this?” Hunter shrugged, and Malissa seemed to take further stock of the situation. Sighing, she looked down at her paws before continuing. “I guess Hunter doesn’t really have much of a choice does he?” Jack moved, placing a paw forwards in between the three of them before speaking excitedly. “Come on, paws in, ‘Curse-Breakers’ on three!” Hunter put his paw in without thinking, even as Malissa continued to giggle uncontrollably. After a moment, she put her paw on top of theirs, commenting sarcastically as she did so. “You guys are huge dorks for this, just so you know.”

Chapter Twenty-One Finals Hunter was wearing a ‘Blue’s Clues’ diaper that morning of the Calculus final. A had a stuffed animal in his backpack, a pacifier in the front pocket of the bag, and in his jean pocket he had decided to stuff a tiny teddy bear keychain that had miraculously appeared on his bedside table that very morning. The fennec had spent a lot of thought trying to figure out how to game the system that the brooch had established. He noted that when he resisted the pull towards regression it would always bite on him on his crinkly bottom. This time he would play the magic’s game, if only to keep his GPA at the level he had desired. There was a lot riding on this final exam. He had visited the polar bear during his office hours and gotten the impression that his professor would not be playing nice on this particular test. He had given the fennec a stern look, informing him that while it was wise to visit him during office hours for a tip, he should very much have a comprehensive understanding of the material they had covered that semester. This had caused a lump to form in the fennec’s throat as he suddenly became very conscious of the pull-up he was wearing in the bear’s office. He had nodded curtly, clearing his throat before replying that he had compiled a study guide for the polar bear to review. His professor had, and with a reluctantly admiring nod he had handed the paper back and told the fennec that he was on the right track. Hunter had been pulling long hours in the library, in between having to sneak off to the bathroom to wipe himself down and change himself. He could concentrate for long periods of time, but they were usually interrupted by his tail lifting up and depositing an accident into the seat of his pants. He could work with it, even if it meant looking around nervously and making sure that he was truly alone when he invariably filled his pants. This morning he had been sure to relieve himself as much as possible after waking up, refrained from consuming liquids, and had a few bites of toast to give his stomach something to work with while he took his exam. He would pay whatever cost the brooch would imbue on him later, but he had sent up a silent prayer to whatever Egyptian gods or goddesses might have been listening for him to just get through this exam uneventfully. He had studied, he had done his due diligence, and he had made sure to get enough sleep despite having spent long hours pouring over mathematical formulae. “Nervous?” Malissa sat down next to him, giving the fennec a warm smile. They had not spoken much since Hunter had shown his particular brand of underwear to her, and he was still unsure where they stood on the subject matter. There had been a particular sensual tension between them that night, and the fennec had not had time to properly sort his feelings on the subject due to the exam week looming over his head. He nodded, smiling back and taking the otter’s apparent friendliness as a good sign. “Yup.” A moment later, Jack slumped down in the seat next to the fennec. He looked utterly worn out, as if he had not caught a wink of sleep the night before. The two looked at him curiously, tilting their heads in synchrony as the weasel tossed a forlorn look towards the two of them. “Doomsday.” He stated flatly, to which Malissa shrugged as she took out a pencil and eraser. “For you maybe.” She stated, the corner of her lip twitching as Jack turned his attention forwards as he adopted a thousand yard stare. Hunter stifled a chuckle at just how pathetic the weasel looked. He had a sneaking suspicion that the weasel might be casting the occasional glance towards his paper, but he did not mind. No amount of cheating would fix the fact that the weasel simply was not made out to excel at Calculus like Hunter could. All the fennec wanted that day was just to get through the test uneventfully, and he crossed his fingers in his lap that his wish would come through. The door opened, and their professor lumbered inside holding an envelope which was undoubtedly full of their exams. Opening the packet, he set his briefcase down on his desk before he began to distribute the exams. Hunter silently accepted his, noting that the cover page was blank. He fingered the packet with his paws, noting that there appeared to be ten packages contained within the stapled stack. Within a minute, the bear had finished before meandering his way back up to the front of the room. He faced the class, speaking in a bored tone as he warbled out the specifics of taking the exam. “You have sixty minutes, please circle final answers… Good luck.” He nodded respectfully towards the class, the end of his statement sounding kinder than his regular stern voice. The class quickly bowed their heads, and the sound of shuffling papers ensued as the furs set about getting as much of a headstart as they could with the time they had. Hunter set to work, working his way through the first four pages without too much trouble. He glanced up at the clock, and noted that he had about forty-five minutes left. The fox was making good time, and hoped that the rest of the examination would not prove too difficult. Jack was mumbling underneath his breath next to him, and Malissa had a slight frown on forming on her brow as she worked on her own problems. An intrusive needled at the back of Hunter’s brain. The padding between his legs seemed to grow tighter as he tried his best to shrug off the idea. He noted that his front appeared to be slightly damp, undoubtedly an accident he had noticed while he was working. The hunter drew a paw back, scratching his headfur as he tried to refocus. He turned the page, and found to his satisfaction that the problem featured was one he had had on a homework assignment a few weeks ago. He worked through it quickly, flipping the page again and finding himself almost halfway done. The fennec tried his best to ignore the pleasant warmth that was emanating from the front of his diaper, comfortably squishing against him with every small movement of his thighs. It was distracting, but bearable. The fennec glanced at the clock as he had only three more problems to go. Twenty minutes remain, he could do this. He might even have some time to check his work as well. Hunter turned the page, and then felt a wave of softness and warmth wash over his mind. Vivid as day, a strange expression came over the polar bear’s muzzle. Hunter looked up, watching with a sense of confusion and dread as he saw his professor rise shakily to his footpaws. He gazed towards the fennec’s direction, his eyes glassy behind the spectacles perched on his long, broad muzzle as he took a step forward towards the fennec. Only Hunter had noticed the bear’s movements, as his classmates around him were too engrossed with their exam to look up. The fennec swallowed, a prick of sweat forming on the back of his neck as he watched the large mammal approach him. In a rumbling tone, the bear spoke softly, in a manner that was much more affectionate and understanding than he had ever heard before. This drew the attention of his classmates, and Hunter felt himself grow red in the face as he heard the words warble out of the beast’s muzzle. “Hunter, do you need a diaper check? It’s been a minute since I took a look.” The fennec’s jaw was now wide open, slack and disbelieving as his eyes bulged towards the approaching polar mammal. He was frozen, unable to move or speak as his mind raced to figure out a way to escape this situation. Hunter was rooted, three problems remaining with the minutes quickly passing away as the polar bear now stood next to the fennec. Gently, the polar bear reached down and wrapped his claw paw around the fennec’s bicep. The fennec was lifted to his feet, his tail tucked tightly between his legs as the bear smiled down sleepily at the small fox. “Come on kiddo, let’s see what’s going on down there.” Hunter’s heart pounded in his chest as the bear used his other free paw to deftly loop a claw through a belt loop, teasing his pants down until they were wrapped around his thighs, revealing his padding to the entire class which was now gawking at the spectacle before them, test forgotten. The fennec had wet himself profusely at that point, undoubtedly in part as a reaction to the nightmare that was unfolding in the calculus classroom. The bear let go of his forearm, placing it authoritatively on his crinkly bottom before giving it a few affectionate pats, the plastic crinkling underneath him. Hunter felt a shiver run down his spine as one of the bear’s claws reached inside between the leak guards of his diaper and thigh as he assessed the soggy contents of his padding. The bear nodded approvingly, as if his suspicions had been confirmed as he turned his attention to the fennec’s burning red face. “I think we can take a little break kiddo, let’s get you changed before you get back to drawing.” As if in slow motion, Hunter looked down at his exam only to see that the numbers and figures had vanished to be replaced by a box of crayons, spilling its contents out onto a drawing. A polar bear and fennec, who was clearly wearing a thick diaper, were holding hands in a green field filled with flowers, a sun shining down in the corner of the image. The class remained as silent as a church as Hunter felt the bear’s strong paws scoop him up underneath the armpits, lifting him up before depositing him on his hip. “My little artist drew me such a splendid picture too.” The bear cooed, placing a claw tip gently on the tip of the fennec’s nose as he booped him softly, squeezing him tightly towards his large body for a moment as he moved him over to his desk. Hunter cast a glance at his friends, who both appeared stricken, in the midst of execution dysfunction of whether they should laugh, stop the polar bear, or join in the teasing. The class watched, a few stifled snickers breaking the silence occasionally as they watched aghast and disbelieving while Hunter was made to lay down on the surface of the polar bear’s desk. Hunter tried to move his paws in front of his padding, the tip of his curled tail now pressing against the front of his padding in a vain attempt to conceal his humiliation. The bear clucked his tongue, softly grasping his paws and moving them away before opening his briefcase. Hunter glanced down to see to his astonishment that there were several diapers, in his size no less, waiting and folded inside. The bear removed one, unfolding it and fluffing it with apparent experience. The bear’s somnolent experience never left, only to be slightly accented by a kind smile as he prompted the fennec. “Lift that bottom up for me, kiddo.” Hunter found that the bear did not wait for him to obey, but instead gently grasped both of his ankles in one paw before lifting them up. The fennec wanted to run away, flee, go and hide his face away in a spot that nobody would ever find him. The sound of tapes being pulled up ripped through the air, cutting through the silence before being followed by the soft ruffling sounds of a diaper being pulled back. “Good job kiddo, you really sogged this one up for me.” The bear exclaimed, reaching inside of his briefcase once more and withdrawing a package of puppy wipes. Hunter’s thighs quivered, and tears formed in his eyes as he watched the bear softly bear down on his shaven spot, wiping it clean and taking great care around his bits. He could not help himself, a wave of nostalgia and pleasure coursed through him causing the fox to gasp as his voice caught in his throat. He stuttered for a moment, letting out a non-sensual sound of surprise that sounded like pathetic mewling than actual language. The bear made quick work of cleaning him up, depositing the used wipes in Hunter’s used diaper and balling them underneath his butt. The bear pulled his used padding out front underneath them, folding it up into a neat ball before turning his attention back to his fresh padding. “Now for the puppy powder!” He exclaimed, reaching forward and tickling the fennec underneath his chin. Hunter wanted to turn away, but he was so upset and torn at that point that he could hardly move. A sob caught in his throat, which he pushed down. The bear pulled the large, baby blue bottle of puppy powder out of his briefcase before uncapping it. He placed a little on paw, retracting his claws, before reaching down and applying it on Hunter’s diaper area. He pawed between his checks, gently dabbing it on Hunter’s member which to his horror was beginning to grow slightly erect in response to the stimulation. “My my, a little excited today for our diaper change, are we?” The bear commented, chuckling softly as he reached down to pull Hunter’s diaper front over him. He worked on the tapes, taking his time to pull them over properly before placing them firmly and symmetrically into place. As a final touch, the bear looped a claw between Hunter’s wings and his thighs and pulled the flaps backwards for a snug fit. The fennec looked down, finding that the bear had done an excellent job securing him in yet another, perceivably thicker, diaper. “You can go back to playing now, sweetie.” The bear rumbled, picking the fennec up yet again before placing him down on his footpaws, facing the classroom and patting him on the bottom with enough force to cause him to take a step forward towards his seat. Hunter gazed at the sea of faces, noting the varying expressions he saw. Some disgusted, some awestruck, some evidently very amused, while others appeared to have some other look on their muzzles, a mixture of desire and jealousy. This was simply too much for the fennec. He sniffled his nose, beginning to run as his vision grew blurry from the tears welling up in the corners of his eyes. He had just wanted to take his test and leave, but the curse had done its work once more. Far away from the building as the box containing the brooch was, its magic had extended and taken hold of his professor. As if on command, behind him the bear’s expression suddenly looked confused. He blinked, shaking his head as if clearing it of some befuddling fog. He cleared his throat, looking down for a moment at the diaper changing supplies clearly spewing out of his suitcase. He swallowed, concern growing on his face as he looked up and stared for a moment at the sight of Hunter’s padded behind facing him, pictures of padded babyfurs smiling back at him. “Ehrm… What… What’s going on?” He mumbled, appearing as if he had been caught off balance as he placed down a heavy paw on the surface of the desk to steady himself. Hunter hung his head, sobbing quietly to himself as the tears finally broke and streamed down his face. Hunter did not know what he could possibly do, other than let the months of stress and dread finally break free and flow unrestricted down his fuzzy, ruddy cheeks.

Chapter Twenty Just Chilling Malissa waited patiently in the living room as Hunter worked on cleaning himself up in the shower. She browsed on her phone, relaxing on his plush couch as she listened to the faint sounds of water cascading from the shower head behind the closed door of his bathroom. She figured that he would likely take his time, as getting his fur properly cleaned out would likely be an unpleasant process. Unaware of the fact that he had a freshly shaven nether region, she felt some level of sympathy for the incontinence troubles her friend was having. While peeing himself in the library was somewhat entertaining, she had grown more concerned for her friend’s health as he continued to have such troubles. She figured that he had acquired some kind of incontinence products at this point, and wanted to respect his privacy as much as she could while still showing him that he had her support. Poor thing… And right around finals to boot, yeesh… He definitely is going to need to chill during winter break, that’s for sure. She thought to herself, looking up from her phone to gaze at the bathroom door, a thoughtful expression on her muzzle. Her whiskers twitched as she thought, wondering whether she would be stepping over the line to make the offer she was currently considering. She felt her cheeks growing a little warm at the thought. He’d probably be too embarrassed to say yes… No… Maybe some other time, not now. To her surprise, she heard the water cut in its cascade and the sound of a shower curtain being brushed aside. A minute later, Hunter had stepped into the living room wearing a fresh set of clothes, his headfur still slightly damp and a sheepish expression on his muzzle. “Th-thanks for waiting… I really appreciate it.” He stuttered out, twisting his paws in front of him as he smiled at her. Marissa beamed back, his lips closed as she nodded an affirmation. There was an awkward silence for a moment, before Malissa nodded over to the television with a questioning eyebrow. “You wanna… Like… Take a break?” Hunter thought for a moment, before nodding as well and taking a seat next to her on the couch. Malissa heard a muffled crinkle as he moved, and her suspicions were confirmed. He was taking steps to treat his incontinence. An image formed in her mind of Hunter wearing nothing but a diaper around his waist, and she felt her cheeks growing red once more at the thought of it. Given Hunter’s small size and relatively cheerful nature, the thought of him dressed up as a baby would tickled a part of Malissa’s mind. It was adorable, a cute idea, a reality that she realized was now something that Hunter’s self-esteem was likely wrestling with. She knew she should not comment on it, and she refrained. Still, the thought of the fennec prancing about with nothing but a thick, crinkly diaper on his butt made her stomach twist. It’s… Really cute… She thought, turning her attention to the program that Hunter had switched onto the television screen. They said little for about half an hour, watching in silence as the sun made its slow descent towards the horizon and casting long shadows in Hunter’s living room. Malissa could not stop thinking about the fact that Hunter was wearing a diaper. She figured that he was hoping that it was discrete enough for her not to notice, and she did not want to embarrass him. But still, she could not figure out why she could not take her mind off of it. She never before had thought so much about adults having to wear diapers, even when her cousin shared with her his own incontinence troubles. It was somehow different when it came to Hunter, something about it stuck in her head and caused butterflies to spring to the air inside of her stomach and flap about madly. She liked the idea of Hunter wearing diapers, her eyes grew wide as she zoned out of the television program and sunk deeper into her thoughts. I like it… She thought to herself, and before she could stop herself her gaze drifted down and settled on the front of Hunter’s pants. It took a second for the fennec to notice where the otter’s attention was now directed, and she glanced up quickly just in time to see his face grow slack and then slightly red from embarrassment. They spoke at the same time, stopping as they realized they were interrupting each other. “I’m no-” “It’s coo-” They looked at each other, then grinned. Malissa could tell that Hunter was okay with talking about it, so she looked down at her paws in her lap and did her best to appear a little embarrassed herself. She thought for a moment, before gathering up her bravery and asking Hunter directly. “What’s it like? Wearing them…” “Uhhh…” Hunter reached back to scratch the back of his neck with a paw, taking a moment to respond as he chose his words. “Com… fy? They’re comfy, but a little bulky.” Malissa nodded several times, as if she were eagerly absorbing information imparted to her by a most highly educated professor. Hunter continued, taking her silence as a cue to explain further. “I like them better in bed, to be honest. Waking up dry is nice, but wearing them out and about makes me a little nervous. I get a little paranoid that people might know what I’m wearing under my pants.” Before Malissa could interject, Hunter continued. “And yes I know, people don’t notice and even if they do they don’t care. It’s still something I get a little in my head about, you know?” Malissa resplied, her voice soft and understanding. “No, I get it. But you can’t help it, this isn’t something that you’ve been cursed with or whatever. It’s just biology.” Hunter looked a little past Malissa for a second, the corner of his muzzle twitching downwards. He looked like he was about to say something, but then turned his face away and faced the television screen once more. “Yeah… Biology…” He said flatly, appearing a little crestfallen. Malissa was not sure why he had this reaction, but figured that talking about a relatively intimate part of his personal health was just something that he was not used to. The idea that she had before sprang back into her head, and she bit her bottom lip as she too faced the TV screen once more. Should I? I want to… It’ll just be a joke, just for fun… But… “Hey.” She said, and Hunter turned towards her once more. She continued, feeling her heartrate escalate as she asked him the question that she had told herself would be totally rude for her to prompt him with. “Can I see it?” Hunter stared at her, his muzzle a mixture of confusion for a second before he understood her query. He looked down, his cheeks blushing profusely as his paws twisted in his lap once more. The fennec appeared unsure of what to do, but then he shook his head and closed his eyes. A stupid grin spread across his muzzle, and he laughed softly to himself before nodding and standing up. “Yeah, whatever.” He said, his shoulders relaxing as he reached down to unbuckle the front of his jeans. Malissa watched with bated breath as he unzipped his fly, shimmying his hips as he pulled his pants down the thick undergarment. Malissa did her best not to gape open mouthed as she watched, her eyes alighting on the little cartoon baby animals wearing their own diapers springing out at her. Oh my god that’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen… She thought to herself, as Hunter’s face grew even redder. He stood up, placing his hands on his hips and did his best impression of pride as she showed off his crinkly underpants. Before she could stop herself, Malissa reached forward and gently touched her paw pads against the front of his padding. Hunter did not move, and she could only guess at what thoughts were racing through his head as she examined his diaper more intently. She looked up, deciding that since he had been vulnerable with her, she would return the favor. “Hunter… I think they’re really cute.” “Ha, you think so?” Hunter’s voice was tight, and appeared to be struggling to maintain his composure. Malissa nodded, her voice imploring as she continued. “No, I’m serious. I actually think they look super cute on you. Like, your body type totally matches them. It’s kind of hot.” Hunter’s mouth fell open, and Malissa quickly looked down as her face burned. She could feel her blood pooling in the vessels in her face from the embarrassment of her statement. Did I really just admit to Hunter that I think he looks hot in diapers? He’s going to think I’m a total dweeb for this… “Hey, thanks! Honestly not the reaction I was expecting but definitely the best one I could have received.” The otter looked up, and saw that Hunter was grinning at her. He appeared pleased, the initial nervousness was now gone as he laughed with a note of incredulousness in his voice. Malissa could tell that his mood had lightened somewhat as he continued, her voice tinged with humor as he teased her. “Honestly, Malissa, I would have never guessed that you’d be into this. You know how annoying it is to try to act as cool as I do while wearing baby pants? I wish everyone had the same opinion as you about diapers.” Malissa laughed once, more of an exhalation of breath than a genuine sound of amusement. She was still feeling anxious about just how much she had revealed to Hunter, but was happy that he was taking it in stride. She shook her head, reaching forward to poke the front of his padding once more with a finger. “Yeah diaper butt, and now I know you wear them every day and can remind you about them too if you get too cheeky. In public.” Hunter appeared to falter at this, and Malissa giggled at his reaction. She shook her head, her mouth closed as she gave him a mock disapproving look. “Wow, you really bought that one huh?” Hunter nodded sheepishly, scratching the back of his ears once more before replying. “I mean… Don’t?” “I won’t. Jack will notice though eventually.” “Yeah… That’s going to suck…” Malissa raised her eyebrows in a knowing fashion, looking at him from the side as she continued. “Don’t worry, I’ll punch him if he gets too mean.” “Can I punch him too? Like both of us from one side, at the same time?” “Honestly I’d just like to do that just for fun.” Hunter laughed, reaching down to bring his pants back up once more with some effort. He was about to pull his belt buckle into place, when Malissa reached forward and gently grasped his paw. “Don’t. Just keep your pants off. It’s cool.” Hunter looked up at her, unsure. Slowly, he undid his fly once more, pulling his jeans down until they were gathered around his fuzzy ankles. He stepped out of them, his knees brought together as his tail reflexively moved from behind him to cover his padding. Malissa nodded approvingly, patting the spot next to her on the couch and indicating towards the TV with a lazy finger. “Yeah, that’s more comfy. I want to be able to see that padded tush of yours during the commercial breaks.” The otter could tell that she was now properly flustering the fennec, but he appeared to keep his cool as he sat down next to her once more. The padding forced his legs apart just far enough to make it noticeable, a detail that Malissa found particularly enjoyable. They resigned to a welcome silence as they continued to watch, with the otter occasionally stealing glances down at Hunter’s diaper. He noticed of course, but was far too overwhelmed by the fact that his friend had hinted at finding him attractive, and in diapers no less. He tried to keep his thoughts focused on the TV to no avail, as his mind was too busy going over what Malissa had said to him. Hunter could not bring himself to fully accept what Malissa had told him, as there was still one factor he had not entirely ruled out. Was this Malissa talking, or was the effects of the curse that was causing her to further encourage him into wearing infantile clothing. He had no clue.

Chapter Nineteen In Public Hunter was having trouble keeping himself awake. It was late afternoon, and he was sitting in his history class as Malissa was stubbornly trying to ignore the fact that he was nodding off right next to her. A week before finals, she had tried to nudge him awake at the beginning of the class as it was a review day right before they would have only four days left before their final paper would be due. “You know, he’s doing us a favor by telling us exactly what he wants on the paper right?” Hunter had simply shrugged, unwilling to exert any more energy than he had to. He had been awake for the majority of last evening twisting and turning, unable to fall asleep. The poor fox had even taken more than the advised amount of melatonin gummies he kept by his bedside, but that had only resulted in him feeling tired for the rest of the night and well through the rest of the next day. He was grateful that he had shown up to class at all, as he had considered skipping in hopes of getting some shut-eye, even if it was during review week. Hunter knew that this was not a good time to be dozing off, especially with finals fast approaching next week. He had figured that at least his daytime wettings that he was now finding himself to be having would not be an issue during that, as even if he were distracted during an exam he would have time between them to change himself. Still, it was not the issue of having surprise bathroom breaks he did not remember taking that he was worried about for his exams. It was the overwhelming amount of spouts of daydreaming he was having trouble wrestling with. They would happen when he would least expect it, his mind becoming awash with thoughts of stuffed animals or characters from the little shows he was now watching every day during his breakfast and late into the evenings. The only saving grace was that both Malissa and Jack were busy with their own pre-finals week preparations, so there was no reason why the three had not been meeting up as frequently as they normally would. Still, trouble was brewing, and the part of Hunter’s mind that still retained his adult wariness was sure that something was going to disrupt the most critical part of his semester in a manner that he would surely not appreciate. Currently, Hunter was staring blankly at his computer screen, as Malissa had given up trying to coax him into paying attention and had instead decided to herself the same favor and take dubious notes on what the professor was saying. The fennec’s mind wandered, drifting back to the familiar, soft feeling of being nothing more than a little fennec kit with no worries in the world other than ensuring that his toys were right in front of him where he could grab them and pull them along, giving them little voices and dances as he played with him. Unbeknownst to the fox, his tail flagged behind him. Normally such a display would not be done in the middle row of seats of a busy classroom. Usually such an act meant that the fur in question was releasing gas, and although most furs would not prevent themselves from doing such a thing they would at least have the courtesy to not show any visible demonstration. Hunter was not paying attention, and despite the fact that a few giggles and stares behind him were burning into the back of his head he paid them no notice. Quietly, so quietly that not even he heard the sound, his stomach churned and gurgled. He felt a pressure, and his forehead creased slightly from the cramping happening in his torso. The fox ignored it, at the moment trying his best to keep his eyelids from shutting completely even as the thought of resting his head on his laptop’s keyboard kept tugging at him from the back of his mind. How nice would it be to take a nap there and then, with no one to bother him and not having to worry about something like a final history paper. Frankly, even if he were not being actively regressed by an Egyptian curse he would not have cared either way. He would have composed the paper the night before, have Malissa read it and then scold him for being lazy, and then have taken the B the generous professor would have no doubt given him given the fact that the hedgehog was not the type of teacher who wished to punish students for not being passionate about the same subject he had dedicated his whole life to. But here he was, forcing himself to go through the movements of academics only to ensure that his participation grade would not falter and further hinder the average grade he was shooting for. Seriously, why did his seat have to feel so comfortable when wearing pull-ups? The lush, soft material that encased his shaven nether regions felt as if it were being nestled in a bed of clouds. If there was a bed right in front of him at that moment, he would have happily fallen in without even bothering to cover himself with a blanket. He just wanted to rest, to relieve himself of the pressures of getting good grades, and simply pass the time comfortably in his messy, slightly smelly pull-up. Hunter felt himself suddenly grow very cold as his sleepiness vanished in an instant. He had not been paying attention, and suddenly the furs in front of him had twisted round in their seats to stare at him. Why are they looking at me… Did I fart or som- Hunter shifted, suddenly noting the fact that his backside felt significantly more soft than it had before. His face paled, and then almost just as quickly it turned bright red as he realized the full extent of what must have happened while he had been blissfully zoned out. His nostrils twitched, and the smell he had hoped he would never have to encounter in a public setting as the classroom he was in now met his olfactory senses. He froze, utterly at a loss for what to do next as he dared not turn to his left to see how Malissa was looking at him. The professor had stopped writing on the chalkboard as well, and had his head tilted to the side with an expression of concern and slight confusion. Hunter looked down at his notes, a distant part of his mind noting that he had barely written anything throughout that entire class period. He could feel himself shutting down, even as several people started giggling and a few people began whispering amongst themselves. The little fennec felt as if he were about to burst into tears when, mercifully, Malissa piped up. “Professor, will you excuse us? Hunter’s recently been having some issues due to a recent diagnosis and the physician said something like this would come up.” The professor, whose lip was just beginning to turn upwards at the corner, looked at Malissa and adjusted his spectacles, taking a moment to find his words. “Erhm… What? Yes. Yes! By all means, I’ll personally pass along my class agenda for today to you. Thank you, err, Malissa. Thank you.” Malissa placed a paw on the back of Hunter’s shoulder, helping him up to his paws and quietly escorting him out of his chair and out of the classroom into the hallway. Hunter kept his gaze pointedly downwards, unable to meet the faces of any of his fellow classmates. The otter, who could sense that Hunter was not feeling particularly happy at the moment, leaned in as they left the door behind them. “I’ll take your notes for the next class if you don’t want to show up, don’t worry about it. I’ll work on your paper as well, you really don’t have to worry about it.” Hunter wanted to say thank you to Malissa for trying to console him, but he was still feeling utterly mortified at the fact that he had just defecated himself in front of an entire classroom and had not remembered any of it. The worst part of it was, the immense amount of self-consciousness that was whirling around in his mind at that moment was not entirely unpleasant. Some part of him reveled in the fact that so many people had seen him regress to a completely helpless kit filling his pull-ups. The fact that he had been so vulnerable and so helpless in such a public setting caused his gut to twist, so much so he was worried he was about to go again. As they talked, Hunter felt his bladder let loose, but he hardly noticed the front of his pull-ups swelling with their newest addition. It increased the amount he was waddling, but he figured that Malissa would just figure that that was from him attempting to not further cake the further into his fur. If only she knew that he had already been prepared for something like this, and at least the clean up he would have to do would not take too long. “To your apartment?” Malissa asked, as they exited the building. Hunter nodded, still unable to formulate words as they turned towards the direction of his apartment. Hunter tried his best to figure out his next move, his next excuse, his next half-truth on how to cover this up. There was none, as Malissa had already basically stated to the public that the fennec was suffering from some sort of illness that caused bowel incontinence. It was the most empathetic option, even if it still did detail the fact that he could not control when he went to the bathroom. “Do you… Do you want me to stick around?” Hunter hesitated, wanting for all the world to send her away so he could nurse his pride in peace. But after looking up to see Malissa’s concerned, kind eyes, he figured that saying no would be rude. After all, she had left all of her stuff just to take care of him, so showing her some hospitality would probably be the right move. They ventured up, taking the stairs due to the broken elevator as Malissa ensured to take point up the stairs so as not to get caught in the cloud that followed Hunter’s backside. Fumbling with his keys for a moment, he let her into his apartment and immediately headed towards the bathroom. He figured that she would not blame him, as she was already familiar with the layout of his place and given the fact that he had a very pressing matter to attend to. The warm water tumbling down from his shower head had never felt as good as it did when he had finally extracted himself from his clothes and hopped into the rising cloud of steam softly enshrouding his entire bathroom.

Chapter Eighteen Sublime The softest of beds always arrive in the morning when it is time to leave them, but Hunter had no reason that day to leave the confines of his guard-railed bed that day. Having finished up a busy week of academic obligations, and with finals just under three weeks away, Hunter had decided to schedule some time for himself and only for himself. It was Saturday, and dawn had just broken as Hunter cracked open one eye to see whether the sun had broken through his shades yet. Not quite, and given the circumstances of his underpants Hunter saw no reason to pull himself out from the comfort of his covers. He moved his thigh, attempting to half-heartedly gauge how full his night time diaper was from his wettings. The fennec felt the absorbent undergarment squish softly against him, his freshly shaven area feeling as if it were enveloped in a soft, warm sponge. Despite the initial itching, Hunter had gone over his handiwork a few more times until he was as smooth as a well polished piece of sea glass. Given the fact that he was now wearing pull-ups every day and diapers at night, he had no concern about his regular underwear causing him discomfort against his exposed skin. In fact, Hunter pondered to himself as he gave his legs another squeeze, feeling the warmth of his wet padding press up against him, he had not had to do a laundry for his underwear in several weeks. The curse had continued to supply him with a generous amount of diapers, all displaying his favorite cutesy fuzzy characters in addition to becoming accustomed to a general theme. His night time diapers were covered in sleepy bears, soft kittens, and snoozing puppy dogs. With several stars on the front leading all the way up to the back to serve as wetness indicators, he had grown fond of their friendly visage when he finally retired for the night. His pull-ups were significantly more dynamic. Illustrated with happy little kits heading out for a day at the beach, or sliding down a colorful slide, their diapers peeking out from their shorts or bulging slightly from their shortfalls. The curse was intent on continuously reminding him of his diapered state, but despite the occasional spell of anxiety that his reality would warp the brooch appeared content enough to leave him alone when he was properly diapered. Although, there had been one episode where he had not avoided public embarrassment. Having taken the bus to visit the off-site area of his college campus for research purposes, he had woken up on the bus having missed his stop, and with several furs giving him odd glances. At first he had stared back, unsure of why they were giving him so much attention. It had stressed him out a little, and it was only a minute later when he realized that he had been coping with the stress by suckling eagerly on the pacifier lodged in his muzzle. His face had burned, he could still remember just how profoundly he had blushed. Never before was he so flustered and caught off guard than when he realized that he had been sleeping on a public transit system with a binky in his mouth. Of course, he had no idea how it had gotten there in the first place. Whether the curse had compelled him to reach inside of his backpack mid-sleep and pull the object out after manifesting it or if it had simply popped into existence where he found it was beyond him. He had hastily departed the bus at the next stop, pulling out his phone and frantically opening up the GPS application to see where he was. Only a mile away, a short walk if anything. He had been lucky, as had he slept even fifteen minutes longer he would have had triple that length to traverse. It was only half a mile walking back through the dim streets did he finally remember to yank the pacifier out of his mouth. He had been caught off guard once more, as the moment the plastic rubber bulb left between his lips he had felt unreasonably upset. He had felt his eyes getting watery and his lips began to quiver. It passed after only a moment, but he still remembered viscerally how close he had been to bawling his eyes out because he no longer had that feeling of security. He had managed to shrug it off, cramming the pacifier into his pocket and making it back to his place just before his bedtime. It had taken all of his might to put on his diaper that evening and restrain himself from putting the pacifier back in. He had managed it in the end, but it was only upon recalling the confusion in the faces of the furs around him that kept him from replacing it back into his maw. I really should be focusing on relaxing now… Hunter chided himself internally, turning over to hug one his new and decidedly favorite stuffed animal. It was rather simple, a brown and beige paw with dark brown hearts on the ends of his paws. He had not known where the inspiration for his name came from exactly, but upon seeing him in a store front he had immediately named him, “Stitches.” Stitches was the best size for him to embrace in his arms, not too big that it felt awkward and soft enough that he could press him up against his chest without feeling uncomfortable. He had had a dream the following night after purchasing Stitches where the plush had become animated. Not only that, but the little bear appeared very intent on taking care of the little Kit. He had patted him affectionately on his diapered bottom, held a bottle up to his lips, and lovingly placed a pacifier in his muzzle before coaxing him into his crib for an afternoon nap. Hunter still remembered that scene, as of all of the regressive dreams he had been having lately that one was the most pleasant. There was no brooch, no worry of discovery, simply a state of mind where the only thing he cared about was having something warm and yummy in his tummy, and a soft place to lay his head alongside Stitches. The fennec could feel himself slipping into that mindset now, only half away from the fact that he was peeing himself. His mind was only aware of the blissful ignorance of the outside world in that dream, where his favorite plush bear was responsible for everything that he needed. Lost in his reverie, Hunter turned over once more before mumbling something unintelligible into his pillow. His stomach gurgled, but he hardly noticed as he rubbed his muzzle against Stitches’ soft fur. He felt as if there was something that he had forgotten about, but was unsure exactly what it was. Unnoticed by the fennec, his lower abdomen had relaxed, coinciding with his tail flagging underneath the covers. A moment later, the muffled sound of flatulence escaped his backside before being shortly followed by a much deeper, wetter sound. Suddenly, Hunter heaved a sigh of relief having felt a pressure lift off of him. The backside of his wet night-time diaper had expanded somewhat, bulging out slightly to accommodate the addition he had just made to his padded backseat. Hunter rested for a few minutes longer, a small smile of pleasure spreading on his muzzle as his sense of comfort increased significantly. It took his nose twitching twice at the hint of an offensive scent for his eyes to shoot wide open in realization. He swore, his feelings of morning bliss forgotten as he tore the covers off of himself. As he had suspected, he had just willingly relieved his bowels into his night-time padding, which now appeared in desperate need of a change. He cringed slightly, feeling the softness of his accident pressing up against his buttocks from having turned around on his back. Sighing, Hunter gingerly heaved himself over the railing of his bed, imagining just how childish he must look with his sagging diaper swinging in the air for all to see. In that moment, the front of his sodden padding pressed against him as it was pushed upwards by the wooden raid underneath him, Hunter felt the initial state of bliss wash over him. He toppled over onto the carpet of his bedroom, giggling to himself as he felt himself land on his messy bottom. He cooed to himself, his face spreading into an unworried smile as he rocked forwards and backwards gently, kneading the contents of his diaper against himself. He had never felt something as comfortable and freeing before this sensation, utterly uncaring about the clean-up that was to follow shortly as he had simply forgotten about it. As the sunlight began to pour into his room, he opened his mouth in a soft gasp as the iridescent beauty of it. The fennec was mesmerized, aware only of the warmth and squish of his night-time diaper beneath him and the dazzling array of light coming through his window to kiss him gently on the fur of his cheeks. Hunter was content, his eyelids half closed from the glare, but in part from the softness pressing up against his skin underneath him. Hunter felt that one of his paws was in his muzzle, and he suckled contentedly on them. It was not as pleasant as the pacifier that had been in his mouth, but it would do. The… Pacifier… Huh! With a jolt, Hunter started having woken up from his waking dream. Having recalled his public incident a few nights prior, reality had come crashing back in. He looked around, confused as to why he was sitting on the ground. He looked down, seeing that the stars on the front of his padding had completely disappeared. The front was swollen, with a yellowish tinge coming through the otherwise white covering. It took him a second to realize what he had done, shifting about, he felt that his accident had crept up to the front of his diaper as well. He was utterly caked, and had been giddy as ever to sit about in a diaper that was now in desperate need of changing. Instead of wallowing in his momentary lapse, the fox picked himself up and stood awkwardly. Shuffling bow-legged towards the doorway as not to make the situation any worse. I’m going to shower for ten years… He thought grimly to himself, arriving inside of his bathroom to reach through his shower curtain to turn the knob to its highest heat setting.