Mee

Thank you! Having the parents in the picture for a little bit gives me the chance for some fun stuff. Some stuff that I haven't included yet! Glad you enjoyed the ride! Here's to the next one! Haha. Yeah, I'm sure it's a tender experience! All in due time! They'll add some more to it, don't worry. And another point to consider is even if they don't have a direct effect with their own dialogue and actions, I also like to consider what they might instigate indirectly. For example, it's because of them that the entire zoo scenario happened to begin with. That, and they offer some world-building that gives the universe substance and adds more factors to consider in the future. Thanks for commenting! Soon! I know I've been quiet for a bit. Tried doing a Halloween short, though it is on hold for now. I'll still probably release it in the future though.

3 - Out and About “The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round!” Please, make it stop. “The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish! Swish, swish, swish!” With each ‘swish’ Dawn could feel herself in Katherine’s lap quite literally swish from side to side. What probably would have been the final nail in the coffin, or the final blow to Dawn’s eardrums was if the woman were a bad singer. She wasn’t, but it was the content that bothered Dawn the most. Patty Cake didn’t work. Ba-ba Black sheep wasn’t so much a hit either, and there was no chance in hell Old McDonald had a farm in this car. So, with that in mind, Dawn was at her wits end as the woman was earnest in her efforts to find something the girl would like. Now it was The Wheels on the Bus; transportation Dawn was finding quite appealing over this car ride right now… James, who was behind the wheel was being distant, thankfully. It actually gave Dawn hope that he was someone she could have a legitimate conversation with. With Katherine it was more akin to a game; trying to find out what age the woman was treating her like. So far that number was sitting at seven and below. “~aaall ‘round the town!” She sounded quite giddy as the song drew to a close, probably happy with her little performance. “Well, did you like that one?” And in case if Dawn forgot she was the one being talked to, a squeeze on the shoulder reminded her. “...Could we just listen to the normal radio?” “What do you mean? This is the station meant for Littles?” It was taking a lot not to sigh. “Katherine,” Dawn did her best to lean forward just so she could get a better look at her. The thick Amazon seatbelt strap was making that difficult, as it conveniently rode up right between the side of her jaw and neck. Lifting it some, she managed to put it behind her. “Do you really think that’s all we listen to? Nursery Rhymes?” Before she could get an answer though Dawn was gently forced back against Katherine’s torso and the seatbelt was brought right back over her. “Didn’t I tell you not to do that again?” Lightly, Katherine scolded. It was embarrassing to be talked to like that, considering Dawn’s age, but in the company of themselves Dawn found it much easier to be annoyed more than anything else by this point. “And I wasn’t sure what music you’d like… If you want there’s a few more stations we could try?” Call it a sixth sense, but Dawn figured the maturity level on those other stations wouldn’t be much different… By this point, relaxing to the quiet hum of the car’s engine and white noise from tires rolling across the varying textured roads sounded like a better tune to her. “...I think I’m good for now. Can we just turn off the radio?” “Okay, but if you change your mind just let me know, okay?” Katherine already leaned over to the dial, and thank goodness she did, because Dawn could’ve sworn she had just heard the starting melody for the ABC’s song. “Hey James,” Dawn spoke, starving for genuine conversation. “What’s up?” He didn’t take his eyes off the road, but he was listening. “What do you do for work?” “Work?” He seemed to be thinking for a moment. Likely compressing a complicated role into a simpler one. “I’m an electrician.” “That’s a person who makes houses and buildings light up.” And of course, if it weren’t simple enough, Katherine was there to feed it in soft-served bits. “Uh-huh, we have those in our dimension too.” Dawn kept her tone cool while trying to make a point to Katherine. How thick was an Amazonian skull to not get the point across by now? Was it exclusively a female thing? No, probably just an aspiring parent one… “What about you, Katherine?” The least she could do was make the woman still feel included. “I’m a librarian! Those are people who-” “Keep track of books, sort, organize and order them in a library?” Dawn didn’t have the patience nor the lack of annoyance to let her finish. She dialed it back before she spoke again. “We have those in our dimension, too.” This didn’t seem so fun anymore. Then again, Katherine being a librarian came around her head twice now. Didn’t that probably mean she was a fan of books? “Actually,” Dawn started. “At my college I’m an English major.” “Really? That’s precious!” Dignified? Admirable? Commendable? No. Just precious. “Katherine tends to be a bit of a book fanatic,” James was thankfully filtering through the woman’s toddler-esque attitude. “Maybe you two have that in common?” “Do you like to read, Dawn?” It was more gushing enthusiasm and engagement, but Dawn suspected there was also some genuine interest packed in there. “I like to, when I can. It’s mostly been the occasional novella here and there. We get sort of too busy with our workloads to enjoy one of the best things about language, funny enough.” “I always like to get cozy and read a new book.” For once Katherine was speaking like a normal person, or rather sounded like she was speaking to a peer, not a Little. “You could leave me for hours and the time would just fly by!” She chuckled, and Dawn, oddly enough, found herself relating to the woman. “I know what you mean.” A small smile started to appear. “I always try to pace myself, but then it just feels weird to stop in the middle of a chapter, and then that ends on a cliffhanger, so you have to read the next one, and--” She was losing herself in her own interests, and Katherine couldn’t help but laugh. Even James had cracked a grin from behind the wheel. “Wh...what?” Trying not to smile herself, she looked to either giant. “It’s nothing,” James brushed it off. “I think you just accurately described my wife’s constant dilemma, that’s all.” Dawn was about to lean forward to see her face for confirmation, then remembered the seatbelt scolding she’d just gotten… She looked up ninety degrees, but that was only a reminder as to why she was leaning forward to begin with; two large bulges hiding behind Katherine’s dress, positioned symmetrically on her chest. They pushed her a little too far forward to clearly see Katherine’s face... “I try to limit my books to a maximum of two reading sessions,” she laughed. “Any more than that and I probably feel guilty for not being done any sooner...” Dawn was managing under the seat belt thus far, but the tight spot along her neck it was in was finally starting to bother her. Remembering how Katherine reacted last time though, Dawn limited herself to just pulling the strap away temporarily. “Dawn, I’m sorry you have to ride like this,” Katherine apologized, likely able to tell because by proxy Dawn was adjusting her seatbelt, too. “I can’t imagine finding a car seat for you would’ve been difficult...” The opening was great, but like usual Katherine always knew how to end it on a flop. At least in Dawn’s eyes and ears. “Uhm…I'm fine in a normal seat, you know? Just like you guys?” A squeeze on her foot was all she got. “Thank you for being so understanding. I’ve wanted to adopt for a while now, but I suppose we weren’t 100% ready yet!” She needed to remind herself she was safe with them a few times, and even more on top of that just to pack away her worst fears. Heather was in their crosshairs, and Dawn was essentially leading them right to her. Come to think of it, what better was she compared to the very Amazons who enslaved others of her own kind if she was arranging the perfect storm for something like that to happen? She held animosity towards Heather, but did she really deserve to be confronted like this? She was starting to get annoyed with herself, already painting herself as the victim and assuming Heather’s supposed inaction was intentional. But then she considered the flipside. It wasn’t necessarily an absolute Heather would be adopted, right? That, and she’d be lying if she said there wasn’t some kind of debt to be repaid for her secured freedom... All things considered, Dawn could certainly see Katherine as condescending and belittling, but forceful didn’t seem to fit in her dictionary… James was a wild card though. He seemed average in a good way, though that meant he could just as easily swing either way. Dawn’s foot suddenly jerked as a creepy, wriggly tendril had brushed its sole, otherwise known as Katherine’s finger. “Gotcha!” The woman chuckled. Dawn didn’t find it so funny. Forget James. Katherine is definitely the driving force in all of this… “Alright...” James started to speak, and Dawn could see him leaning forward in his seat as if he were squinting to spot a sign. “I think this is parking for the hotel.” “Is it? Hang on, let me check...” Ignoring the recently-enforced rules, Dawn slipped from her straps, causing Katherine to make a small surprised noise and found shaky footing on the woman’s thighs, specifically the fabric of her skirt. Just as she stood she could see beyond the dashboard thankfully, and sure enough there was the hotel. It wasn’t much by Amazon standards, apparently, but the sleek, industrial look to its exterior always reminded Dawn how there was a plus to a dimension like this. The tall glass panels with the trim of black material and warm orange lights was her favorite. She was marvelling so much that she didn’t realize they were just turning into the parking lot right then. The centripetal force was too great and the friction on her feet was too little as she leaned too far to the side and was going overboard. If it helped the chaos any more, James suddenly realized what was going on next to him and hit the brake pedal, adding another jerking force to the system. Dawn yelped, Katherine gasped, but thankfully the larger one of the two could react promptly. Holding Dawn by the armpits, the silence in the car, minus the honking horn behind them, truly defined the gravity of the situation Dawn found herself in. James slowly put the car back into motion, giving his side a quick glance, likely to make sure his passengers wouldn’t be moving around again. Katherine merely sighed. Instead of being fastened back into the seatbelt, Dawn was spun 180 degrees and sat in the woman’s lap. The woman didn’t seem pleased. She looked a little stern… “What did you do wrong?” Wrong? Dawn cocked her brow a little bit. “...Wha…? I was just making sure it was the right place...” Had she believed it herself, she wouldn’t have been struggling to make eye contact, hence why she kept turning her head to the left. Yes, maybe she did cause a bit of unneeded tension… Her feelings got the better of her, but that didn’t mean she was going to take a scolding from a fellow adult. “We never jump around in a moving car, Dawn!” Dawn was guilty, but also annoyed. “We were just turning into a parking lot! Besides, I needed to see if this was it! I don’t want to waste our time if it’s the wrong hotel!” Now she was raising her voice. Her defense was hardly as sturdy as she’d have liked because she knew there was a fair share of fault to her name. Still, she wasn’t going to let Katherine feel superior just because she was taller. Katherine looked as if she was going to speak, but she didn’t at first. “...I appreciate that you’re worrying about our time, but the only way it’s going to end up wasted is if you get yourself hurt on our watch.” She breathed through her nose. “Making you feel better takes a lot longer than making a U-turn.” Dawn was expecting further opposition, but the level-headed explanation surprised her. This woman knew exactly how to disarm the situation. She wasn’t speaking like an authority figure for once, and oddly enough, that made her feel exactly like one. “I…” Her flare felt significantly dampened. “I wasn’t going to get hurt...” “Whether that’s true or not, my heart can’t handle taking chances like that.” Her voice was firm despite being so emotionally transparent. Dawn really was starting to feel like scum now. She should know better than that. She made herself look bad and even tried to defend it. Well, not exactly that. It wasn’t her goal to seem righteous, but rather not to admit an Amazon’s victory over her. There was a small lurch with the vehicle once they fully stopped. Had they parked? “How about we call it all water under the bridge?” James interjected. His timing always seemed to be perfect; a guard rail that made sure the ball never rolled too far off course. “We’re all a little bit at fault, so let’s take it in stride?” “I think that’s a good idea,” Katherine chipperly agreed, with a tone only an on-edge Little might find patronizing. Unfortunately, one was in the car with them. “You don’t have to beat around the bush,” Dawn crudely spoke. “I know I’m in the wrong. It’s my fault, so I’m sorry.” She probably didn’t sound sorry since the Amazons were seemingly taking extra steps to make her feel better about herself, which irritated her more than anything else. Apparently they could see into her head though. “We’re not just saying that so you get a boost, you know?” Katherine nudged, both metaphorically and physically. “We should’ve taken the necessary precautions, too.” “Like what?” They probably weren’t expecting her to call their bluff. This was total bull. “Well, I definitely think we should have had a car seat beforehand. In truth, what we’re doing right now isn’t very fair to you at all. You deserve your own spot, and that way you’d have been able to look out the window.” Just when Dawn figured she’d hit the bottom, there was still a few more feet of void right under that. “But I said I didn’t...” Dawn did sigh a little this time. “Something wrong?” James asked, seeming to be legitimately concerned. Did all Amazons expect Littles to be so 1-dimensional? Whatever the case, Dawn shook off his worries. “I’m fine, I promise. Could we go inside now? I want to change out of this...stuff.” Stuff, being at most two of the two things she was wearing, which was a shirt and a pull-up. Only a rocket scientist could figure out which of those were top priority. Once she was stripped clean of her own accord, she’d be sure to take a boiling-hot shower; anything to kill any of the Amazonian germs the massive oppressors might have slipped onto her. Katherine and James not so much, but the other woman that was involved… Just as Katherine and James undid their seatbelts, Dawn felt herself needing to revisit a previous issue. “Wait,” she halted Katherine. “What is it?” she asked with a smile. “Are you...sure you don’t have anything I could use to...uhm, cover up?” Hopefully the woman wasn’t dense enough to not realize even Littles desired modesty. “Dawn, I don’t have any issue with it, but I suppose we’re a little short on clothing here...” She disappointedly spoke, which seemed to sing in tune with Dawn’s emotions as well. Katherine gave their surroundings a few more glances, then lit up like a bulb. “Oh, that’s right!” Dawn couldn’t help but perk up over the woman’s enthusiasm. She wanted too badly to believe things were going her way for once, but that scared her just as much; what if she was wrong? She didn’t know how she’d react, but thankfully she’d never need to because Katherine from a compartment held a gray, balled up sweater. “Ta-da!” Unrolling it to its full Amazonian size, it’d likely look like a cape on Dawn, but she didn’t care. Anything was something, and something to cover up was considered an invaluable blessing. Maybe Katherine wasn’t so bad after all. Now donning a piece of legitimate clothing, Dawn could at least somewhat cover her front. The sweater was like a jacket, in that it drew together using loose, but generously-sized buttons down the middle. Unfortunately, using those wasn’t very practical for a Little, so a cape it would remain, but nonetheless a cape it was. And you’d think the situation was already strange enough, Dawn even spoke properly. “...Thank you, for lending me your sweater...” “No problem! Anything we can do to make you a bit more comfortable, please don’t hesitate to speak up.” Anything would have meant being sent back to her dimension right then, so Dawn tried to keep her expectations grounded in reality… Katherine opened the passenger door and with one arm around Dawn she stepped out. Dawn was waiting as patiently as she could to be put down, but it never came. But, giving herself a moment to think, it somewhat made sense. She was still barefoot and the asphalt was still rough and dirty. Truthfully, she may not have been feeling so bold anymore. Even if she was, she’d still be dragging Katherine’s sweater along it. “So Dawn, can we just speak with the front desk to get you back to your room?” James asked over his shoulder. She sounded a bit awkward. “Uhm, yeah, I think so.”Truth be told, she only realized now that she never even interacted with the staff at the hotel. It was all through a proxy; her tour guide; Stacy. Before and after their everyday outings she would make sure to collect everyone’s keycards for their rooms and likely returned them to the front desk for the time being. She probably thought Littles couldn’t be trusted with something so important… Inside the minimalist lobby was a large black-quartz column in the center surrounded by a staff desk. Around that and hanging from the ceiling by varying lengths were an array of warm-glowing lighting fixtures. “Hello!” A woman in a black blazer smiled from the other side of the desk. Her smile seemed forced at best and surgically permanent, provided by loving corporate of course, at worst. “Will you folks be checking in or out today?” Dawn wasn’t necessarily expecting it, but figured it made too much sense as she almost immediately deferred to James and not her, the one with a legitimate problem. Though, of course she wouldn’t see it that way. Amazons never seemed to “get” Littles. No, because they came from a world that is a mere fraction of the one Amazons tread, that must mean their problems are of the same significance as well. Quietly Dawn side-eyed the woman, waiting for what James would say. “Well, we were hoping you could help out her more than us two,” he explained as he motioned towards Dawn. “She’s been having--” “Oh, Little services are what you’re concerned about? Well, don’t worry. Rest assured we’re confident in our available resources. Your Little will be well-taken care of!” That same business smile now fell on Dawn and she felt quite uncomfortable. “Is it a crib you’ll need for your room? We have the ones that lock from the top and ones that don’t if a difference to you matters. We as well offer playpens and an activity walker?” “A playpen? You offer those?” Katherine spoke up, and it bothered Dawn even more because she sounded genuinely intrigued. This must have been right up her alley. Now Katherine held her attention. “Yes, we do. All you need to do is request it with your-” “Excuse me?” Dawn raised her voice, just so they could hear her. Though, if she were being honest, she was kind of nervous to speak up. Thankfully James and Katherine were with her...they actually gave her the confidence to speak up. The staff did look at Dawn, but only for a brief moment, as if they were entertaining the useless babble she made. “So I take it you guys are checking--” “Excuse me? Hello?” Dawn cut her off again, hoping to get her total, undivided attention. “My, you’re talkative, aren’t you!” You could tell it was an act. Maybe it wasn’t totally, given it seemed like female Amazons in particular had the hungry eyes for Littles… That said, she seemed to be forcing an attitude. It was almost as if she were waiting for James or Katherine to jump in. Like responsible parents. That irked Dawn even more. “We’re here for me.” Dawn said plainly, with a dash of annoyance. “I have a room here.” “A room, huh? All by yourself?” she chuckled. “If that were the case, how are Mommy and Daddy going to look after you?” Maybe this is why they only ever had to deal with Stacy. Now she felt like she was dealing with two. “Actually,” James spoke up again. “We are here for her. She’s not our adopted Little; just someone we’re helping out.” “I...see.” The words she was given apparently didn’t match the scenario she was seeing. To give her the benefit of the doubt, it probably didn’t. A seemingly married couple just walked through the doors with a shoeless Little dressed in likely her mother’s sweater. God, would she kill for proper attire right now. She could feel the slight fringes along the leg bands of her pull-up tickle her thighs. The staff worker kept placing her eyes back on either James or Katherine out of habit, then kept quickly double-backing to Dawn. “So, what can I help you with, sweetheart?” It still didn’t feel like she was being seen as an equal, but expecting that much was probably foolish in itself. Unfortunately, she decided it was better to move things along than demand the respect she deserved. “I already have a room here. I was looking to get my key; my tour guide always checks it in here?” “Oh, you’re part of the tour group? The ones from Terra?” “Yes, I am.” Thankfully they were getting somewhere. She was almost afraid the woman would feign ignorance. “It shouldn’t be much trouble then...” Her eyes were focused on her monitor, typing away for a few moments. “Okay, if I could just have your name and a form of suitable ID, I’ll have your card to you!” “My name is Dawn Kepler, and...” She leaned over to her side to reach for her...her… … .. . “Dawn? Is something wrong?” Katherine hoisted her a little. She seemed frozen still. Now James was looking, and so was the staff. “My...” How? How could she have been so stupid to have forgotten? “I don’t suppose she keeps it in her undies?” The worker chuckled. Dawn looked at her with a furious blush, then back to herself. Her sweater had come undone, revealing what she was trying to hide to begin with. And seeing the pull-up now was only a stronger reminder of her biggest blunder. Her pants were gone. Losing them was bad; terrible. She had no more modesty, yes, but only now did she realize how bad it actually was. Her pants had these nifty inventions called ‘pockets’, pockets she used to hold her phone and wallet. Her ID. Terrible didn’t even begin to describe her predicament. In a broken, sorrowful voice, she whimpered, “I don’t have it...” “I’m sorry?” She leaned in a little closer. “It was a little hard to hear...” “I don’t have it!” Dawn shouted with a sudden outburst. The woman was a little taken aback, as were Katherine and James somewhat. Dawn still seemed angry and sad, but she calmed down somewhat, just so her rage could subside for worry and despair. “When that stupid fucking Amazon kidnapped me she took my pants, phone and wallet! Since the pants are gone so is my phone and ID!” She had her passport, but that was locked safely away in her hotel room, the very place she needed an ID to get into. When?! When could that woman have disposed of her belongings if the police caught her? None of this made sense! Why did it have to happen to Dawn? What was she going to do now? The girl hiccuped as her stress quickly enveloped her. Why? Of all things, why did she have to cry, especially in front of three Amazons?! She couldn’t help it. Too much was going wrong and a single day of upsets was enough to throw her off course. The timing was what made it all so severe. If they didn’t resolve this by today, she’d be totally and completely screwed. She wouldn’t be able to go home. She’d be stuck here then inevitably be adopted by some sick creature that’d enslave her as a baby! It was all too much to consider; too much to imagine. She became a sobbing mess. “Dawn, honey, please, it’s okay!” Katherine was back to bouncing her, seeming eager to try and bring some sunshine back into Dawn’s ever so rainy day. What was the point in even trying? It was clear that fate had already made up its mind. Dawn would not be leaving this dimension. She was a prisoner to its oppressive will and would forever remain so… “Excuse me,” James said to the staff, who was busy being an onlooker, being in both a mix of confusion and sympathy. “Is there any way we can get her room’s keycard without an ID? We just need to get her stuff.” “Unfortunately, that’s not possible...” the staff seemed apologetic despite her hands being tied. “The only other way we could release something like that is if her tour guide were here. Only the person themselves or a government appointed official can receive it.” “So you’re saying if we wait for her tour guide, they could get us the card?” She nodded. “I see...” he thought of asking Dawn when they might be back, but seeing as his wife was busy trying to sing her a melody, he figured it’d be better not to interrupt… “Do you have any idea when they’ll return?” “Unfortunately no,” she seemed sorry again. “They have been coming back towards the later end of the day though… Though, poor things. They always look so tired by the end!” She laughed a little. “It’s pretty clear their tiny bodies can’t handle such a long day here… You know their days are only 24 hours long?” “Is that so...” James humored her briefly, looking to be lost in thought. “Thank you for your help.” “No problem. And I’m sorry I couldn’t be of any more help… I hope she feels better.” “We do too.” He gave a brief smile as he turned back to the other two girls. “P-please, just stop bouncing me...stop singing!” She mustered through her tears. “I just...I just need a minute.” And it was less than a minute she’d get, because James returned to drop probably even bigger of a bombshell on her. “Dawn? You feeling any better?” “No...” she sniffled. “How can I? Everything is ruined!” “That’s not true,” Katherine tried to be encouraging. “You still have us?” Dawn didn’t respond. “I talked a little more with the worker; she says if we can talk to your tour guide that’s another way we could get your ID card?” “But...” again, a new way of feeling hopeless. “I’m not sure when they’ll be back…!” She started to get upset again, facing a new challenge she’d been stripped of the tools to overcome. “Hey, hey! That’s okay,” James said soothingly. “Everyone gets down on their luck; we’ll work through this. We may not know when they’re going to be back, but it’s probably safe to assume it’ll be later today? Closer towards night?” Dawn sniffled some more. “I...I guess.” “Right? So, in the meantime, how about we run around and do a few things?” “Things?” Didn’t they need to wait in the hotel? “Well, I take it you must be hungry? I know Katherine and I could eat...” “Definitely,” Katherine agreed. “Being upset isn’t a great feeling, and it’s certainly worse on an empty stomach.” Maybe she could eat, if her emotions weren’t so high-strung to prevent her from realizing it. Food probably did sound good, but that was probably the last thing she wanted right now. Apart from securing her ride home, it was her… “But what about my clothes?” She didn’t want to go anywhere. She wanted to be front and center when that woman walked through the door. “I don’t wanna go to a place dressed like this...” Need she remind herself of why she couldn’t change? “I...I should stay here.” She wiped her eyes then looked around the lobby. Once her eyes fell on a solfa she pointed over to it. “I’m sorry for causing so much trouble for you two. You can just leave me over there. I’ll be fine from here.” “Well, that puts us in a tough spot, don’t you think?” Katherine bounced her a little with a smile. “How will we know if you’re safe and sound then?” Before Dawn could rebuttal James dogpiled her as well. “We promised we’d help out, didn’t we? Don’t think you get to cut us loose so soon.” “But…” “And if we leave, that means I need the sweater, too?” Katherine teased, though in Dawn’s position she considered it a legitimate consequence. “Weren’t you looking for something to wear? There’s no reason we can’t go shopping for an outfit too?” With each battering reason she became more and more reluctant. Reluctant of herself and her fickle resolve. “I have no money though...” She did, but not physically on her right then. What she carried herself was gone, and her reserves...well, it was where the rest of her stuff in this dimension was. Katherine laughed a little, then so did James. Were they mocking her? A hand patted the top of Dawn’s head. “Come on, don’t you think you’re being silly now?” Katherine scolded. “The last thing we’d ever ask from you is money.” She changed her mind. “In fact, we’d never. You’re the one that leans on us, got it?” Dawn didn’t respond. She just looked troubled and conflicted. “Dawn, Katherine and I did talk about this earlier. We figured this might be a way we could make up for the tour you missed out on? We could show you some stuff the normal tours don’t?” The rise in his voice suggested adventure and fun, but Dawn didn’t know how to take that. “Come on, wanna go have a little fun?” Katherine softly spoke into Dawn’s ear. “Don’t you want to know what fashion is like here? How the food tastes?” “...” “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk right now; I don’t like talking so much when I’m feeling down either. So how about this: unless you say ‘no’, how about you let us take over a little? It’s kind of like reading; quiet time always helps me calm down. No matter what happens, we have your best interest at heart, okay?” Was it okay? Deferring to the exact kind of person that tried to deceive her? No, that wasn’t right to say… Still, it was hard for her to distinguish good from bad; truthful from the scheming. She was up a creek without a paddle and countless conmen were trying to sell her a new one. Regardless, without a paddle she surely wasn’t going to go anywhere good… Briefly, reluctantly, Dawn slightly nodded. She wasn’t sure if she was fully on-board with anything at this point. She wanted to cling to the tangible, like the sofa in the lobby. At least there she knew she’d find Stacy. But, maybe in a situation like this she should trust in someone else...Someone more qualified for the environment she was in. “Don’t worry Dawn, you made a good decision.” James gave her a reassuring pat on the back. “And who knows, you might have a little fun?” “Okay! No more tears!” Katherine cheered. “First, let’s get you some clothes, huh? Girls shouldn’t be flaunting their underwear around so much, you know?” The effect of her words wasn’t exactly positive, nor was it negative either. Dawn simply blushed awkwardly as they moved for the door. “Thank you for coming!” The worker called to them. “Hopefully your Little feels better!” The were out of the building and already heading back to the car. Dawn despite being a mess of emotions was leaning into Katherine. James kept looking at his wife with an odd smirk. She seemed to be beaming, making the occasional hum with every other step. The look on her face was too obvious. “Okay, Kath, how about we swap off now? You drive and I--” His speech quickly dropped and he swapped it for a stifled laugh. It was the first time in a while that his wife looked genuinely irked. With a raised brow and a frown, Dawn may not have felt it, but Katherine seemed to be holding her quite protectively. “K-Kidding~...” James tried to play off his joke with a nervous chuckle. Back in the car they put their seatbelts on and were in gear again. “Alright, how about we go to Little Haul first?” James was already tapping away on the car’s center console. “That’s probably the best idea. They’ll definitely have some stuff for you to wear there, Dawn. That way I can steal my sweater back!” She snickered, but quieted herself once she realized. “I suppose quiet time did do you some good, huh?” James looked over and could see Dawn had fallen asleep. “To be honest, I’m a little surprised she survived the ride over here. Guess what happened in there pushed her past the limit...” “I think so too...” Katherine agreed a bit more somberly. “Something tells me her tour didn’t ever account for a nap-time...” “Probably not,” James shrugged. “We’ll head out in a second. I just need this bus to pull in here first… Wait, bus? Don’t you think--?” “We should probably hurry if we’re going to get a parking spot.” Katherine said. “I wasn’t joking when I said I was hungry.” “I am too… So it’ll just be a quick trip to the store for some clothes then?” Katherine looked offended yet again. He husband innocently smiled. “Or...not?”

Ah, jeez, I let the replies really stack up. Please be gentle w/ me. Thank you! That's the plan! Can't promise posting dates, but I'm still very invested into this story. Oooouuuu. That's a good question. Can't tell you if you're barking up the wrong tree or not, though! Good ol' wait-and-see game. Meh, maybe some harmless foreshadowing? Or just a poor stereotype. Nobody really knows. Thanks for the comment and please continue to enjoy! Right, there's definitely a mindset for Amazons and I've been trying to consider that as I write and adhere to "Amazonian logic." Trying to strike a balance between what makes sense in the established universe but also keep you guessing. And, for the sake of trying to keep stuff hidden; shush, shush and such, I can't say much about your last point! Regardless, thank you so much for reading and commenting, and I'm sorry to keep you and so many others waiting for more. I promise I'm still writing for this. Food. Food sounds so good right now. But, back to your comment, they seem to be managing? An awkward fit, though, considering Dawn's position in all of this... We'll have to see how things go. Thank you for commenting! Congratulations on joining!.......nearly a month later! (I'm really sorry! Please forgive me!) Glad to see I've got your attention, and hopefully I haven't lost it completely with my absence. Hey! Great to hear from you ? I appreciate you're a dedicated critic for my stuff; I mean it. That being said, I wouldn't suggest discrediting the story based off of its introduction. I can't pack all the twists and surprises in the first chapter, after all. That being said, by the end of this story it still may not have been for you, which is fine, but I don't think the story is destined to be generic just yet. Regardless, I really do like to hear from you and your opinion on things. I'm definitely trying to branch out from the cushy stuff (Though that doesn't mean I'll abandon it) and one of the poll's stories was going to be that. Oh well, it'll just have to come later. Thanks for commenting! It's alright; truthfully I'm a sucker for both. I like the good and bad, so I don't mind criticism when it's fair. Thank you for the kind words, and I'm happy to hear you're enjoying it! Roger. Just give me some time, please. I promise I'm working on it when I can! I'm workin' boss, please! Extend the deadline, please! (Thank you for being such a dedicated reader! But just have a little more patience for me!)

Thank you so much! And thank you for being patient. Working on coming out of my shell, right now. I know, I get jealous of them sometimes. It's alive! It's alive! Hey, not dead, just extremely busy. Who would've thought that college could take up so much time? I miss writing though! Sorry that this one is shorter than usual, but it felt like a decent place for a break between moments. For those of you curious, no, I haven't forgotten about Illegal Immigrant. I just wanted to be fair and post on here next. P.S. Someone has recently introduced me to the joy of role playing (Basically these kinds of stories, only two people have a back and forth in it), which I'm having a really fun time with. If it goes anywhere maybe I can shape it into another story for you peeps to read? No promises! (But if you are interested in lengthy role play, consider being my domme sometime! Again, no promises, but it's definitely something I'm hooked on.) Please enjoy! 25 - Home Again, Home Again “...” “...” “...” “...” They stood in a square formation, one pair parallel to the other. Two with awkward expressions, and the other with surprised. One of the four however was covered in a bit more dirt than the others... “I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” Frank finally broke the silence between the four. “But I think someone did have too much fun...” The next response was Emily spurting a giggle from her mouth, even though she wasn’t too pleased with herself either. Mary simply watched with a raised brow, and by chance Joyce happened to catch her eye a few times. “Petting zoo?” Joyce was starting to look a little bashful. “Uh-huh...” In retrospect, this probably wasn’t going to look good in front of her mom. “Were the piglets fun to pet, at least?” “Pig…? Oh! Yeah, they were a little hyper though.” Emily had quickly forgotten Joyce’s white lie, and by this point her cover-up was so weak, it was wasted energy to even try. “Emily,” Mary looked as if she were holding back a smirk. “I...think you maybe played a little too hard with the animals...” “They’re the ones that played with me!” Apparently being an animal herself is where she drew the line. “Joyce gave me a bunch of food to feed them, but then they knocked me over and ate it all.” Ridiculous, she knew, which is why she was trying to choke down a laugh. “So you instigated this?” Mary accused, looking right at her daughter. Everyone was still in a good mood, but there was nothing like lighthearted tension to keep the party afoot. “I didn’t plan for her to get knocked over! It’s not like I wanted her to get dirty!” Just for good measure she tried to play with a few spots on Emily’s dress again, hoping she could get a small bit of dirt out of it. Frank came over to brush some leftover dirt off of Emily’s hair. “Hmm. Well, while Emily gets cleaned off back at the house, how about we brainstorm what we’ll do for dinner then?” “I think I could go for takeout.” Joyce stretched her arms. “Just a thought, though!” Whenever her parents were around, it especially made her want to be lax with her food choices. High dining had already become less frequent now that Emily was in the picture, so the occasional visit from her parents only added to that. “Takeout doesn’t sound bad?” Frank looked to his wife with a shrug. “That should be fine. That way Emily can work at her own pace in the bathroom,” Mary agreed, but Emily started to feel a little guilty now that her needs were being taken into account. Still, takeout did sound good… “I think a sub or pizza sounds good right now,” Emily volunteered. “Dirty girls don’t get to make suggestions,” surprisingly, Mary huffed. “Huh? Why not?” Emily fired back with a slight whine. “It’s Joyce’s fault!” Without hesitation she threw her partner under the bus, forcing her to stop giggling about Emily’s teasing and focus on her own. Now it was Joyce’s turn for the defensive. “Maybe I bought the food, but you were the one that was feeding them!” “Yeah, but I didn’t buy a whole mountain of it!” It was probably at least four times smaller than her hands made it out to be, but Emily shaped a gargantuan area with her hands to symbolize the mass of goat pellets. “Alright, kiddos, come on, off to the car.” Frank moved them along as they continued their joking, secretly half-serious banter. “Still, Emily,” Frank did manage to sneak an attack in. “You don’t strike me as the type that’d stop a cute animal from trying to smother you.” “No I wouldn’t! What happened was because there was a lot of them! You try being my size and fighting off a swarm of tiny goats!” She was so caught in the moment that she had abandoned the pig story altogether. No one called her out on it. “Whoa,” Frank put his hands up in defense. “Joyce, reign her in, I think I went too far!” Emily grinned to herself, almost considering whether to jokingly growl or not. She’d never be able to reach a decision though, because with a quick yelp escaping her she was swept off her feet and into the air. “Ah! Wait, Joyce? What are you doing?” Like their nightly routine, she was suspended in her caretaker’s arms. It wasn’t an infant type of carry, but a princess one. Joyce looked confused. “You heard my dad, didn’t you?” She looked to Frank, sounding a bit concerned. “Dad, I think we grabbed one of the monkeys instead of Emily. We better go return this one.” “Put me down already!” Emily whined with a laugh, trying to speak reason into the father and daughter who were sharing a laugh amongst themselves. Usually she’d be concerned about the undertones to this, but finally she was able to make a distinction between what was intimate and otherwise plain fun. “I don’t suppose you could just keep her?” Mary chimed in. “She looks like Emily enough?” “Hmm...” Requiring further inspection, Joyce rubbed noses with the girl. “I suppose you’re right, but she does need to be cleaned. I’ve washed our neighbor’s dog a few times before?” She grinned, with a smile only Emily seemed to pick up on. “How hard can it be?” Still midway in her princess carry, Emily leaned her head past Joyce to Mary and Frank, quietly mouthing ‘save me!’. Their sudden outburst of laughter had Joyce confused when she turned back. “What did you say?” She looked down at Emily, who was busy playing innocent. “Alright Emily, ride’s over.” Joyce set her back on her feet, now that they were gathered around the car and in the parking lot. There was an orange glow of sunlight looming over the wall of trees on the outer edge of the parking lot. “So gang, what do we think?” Frank surveyed. “Was the zoo a good choice?” “I thought it was fun!” Joyce proudly spoke. “Me too.” Emily agreed. “It was nice seeing all the different animals. And certainly had its ups and downs for some...” “Then I suppose it’s a good job on Emily’s part. Thanks for keeping us busy today!” Suddenly the attention was flipped onto Emily, and with so much praise and little place to put it, she shuffled awkwardly. “Um...no problem.” They started getting into the car, but Emily was somewhat reluctant. “Joyce?” She gave herself another glance. “Is it really okay for me to?” The scenario was already playing through Joyce’s head. She’d insist it would be okay for Emily to sit in the car, dirty as she was, but of course, she’d still be beside herself as she tried to sit on the seat as little as possible, taking a solid ten minutes to find out that it didn’t matter whether you started from point A, C, D, E, or F, because regardless, you’re always going to land on B. Emily was doing just that, hoping to find a way that her dress would be as little involved as possible. Joyce appeared right behind her though as she placed a hand on her shoulder and firmly guided her into the seat. “But the seat’s gonna get dirty!” “It’s not like we can help it, silly. Let’s call it a reminder to bring a towel in the future?” Emily could feel the digits to her imaginary debt increasing, as each particle of dirt rub deeper into the leather seating. She looked visibly uncomfortable. “Should I ask my mom if you can ride in her lap?” Quietly, she whispered into Emily’s ear. How couldn’t she smile with a startled reaction like that? She was still stiff as a board, but it was progress, somewhat. “Don’t forget your seatbelt! And thanks for going down easy; I was almost afraid the zookeepers would think we really were stealing one of their monkeys!” Emily narrowed her eyes and started to say, “You and your jokes are really starting to drive me banana-!” and before she could finish her line, her listener had swapped from an actual person to a car door. A window, to be specific, with Joyce behind it sticking her tongue out, then walking back around to her door. Emily kept her grumbling to a minimum. This was probably because of her cuddling threat… “I guess not even a little dirt gets in the way of her habits,” Mary chuckled, catching a glimpse of the slumbering Emily beside her. Even with jitters, all it took was the hypnotic sensations of a moving vehicle to talk her down. “I guess that’s her one kryptonite,” Joyce chuckled. Well, there were certainly many more weaknesses she had, but those were reserved for the director’s cut… “Still envy that about her,” Frank spoke with no shame. “Think she could manage that on a plane?” Mary asked. “If so, I think I’ll need to ask her what her secret is.” “One of life’s many mysteries!” Joyce ended it with a laugh. “To be honest, I was a little worried she wasn’t going to fall asleep so easily... The last thing I’d want is for her to worry about getting the car dirty.” “She does seem to care an awful lot,” Frank added, and Mary ‘mmm’d’ in agreement. It was true, and to hear others acknowledge it openly put a small smile of pride on Joyce’s face; as a partner and a mother. But, if today had taught her anything, it also meant she was too caring, that in the negative sense. In exchange for connecting deeply with others, she made herself just as vulnerable to the bad feelings as much as the good ones. And once there was that bond, any sort of hiccup was something she assumed was her fault, yet it couldn’t be further from the truth. Still, on a thoughtful note, Joyce happily agreed. “She does… It’s something definitely unique about her.” “Oh? Unique?” her mom didn’t seem to let a moment pass by on that remark. “Do you mean that in a good way or bad?” “Good, of course.” Joyce was quick to respond, just to steel her own resolve. The timing was the perfect spur for humor though, as the older couple started laughing. “I think we’ve started to see just how protective you are of her?” Mary chuckled, leaving Joyce in yet again an awkward spot. Suddenly she was wishing Emily hadn’t left her all alone while she went off to play in dreamland… Of course she sounded flustered, trying to explain herself, “...Well...of course I am...” “Relax, sweetheart,” Mary laughed once more, but thankfully Joyce didn’t take offense to it. “It’s a good thing. Though, to be blunt, what’s so funny is how you seem like a totally different person now.” Just as Joyce was going to count it a victory, her mom had gone and said that. “Di...different?” It could go either way with that. “...How?” Was she really acting that strange? No, strange didn’t describe it at all. Of course she was a different person, all thanks to Emily. She was better for it. Rather than stuffing wishful thinking, pipedreams and silly desires in a dark corner, she finally knew what it was like to embrace them. Life certainly had a renewed shine to it now. “It’s not a bad thing, I promise.” Mary assured her daughter, and Frank agreed all the same. “In fact, I think I like seeing you like this much more.” “Well...like seeing me like what?” “Not that you weren’t before, honey,” Frank took the reigns, “but, to put it simply, happy.” “I’ve never not been, though?” She was happy to feel like she’d grown since being with Emily, but truthfully, she didn’t want to make a spectacle out of it. “We know you love your job; the work combined with the payoff, but we’ve never known you to be someone very interested in romance?” All this talk about herself was starting to feel weird… At least with her parents. “Hon, I think we’re embarrassing her...” Frank spoke in a hushed, yet obvious voice. He cleared his voice to make it clear, “Joyce, all we mean is that we’re seeing a new side to you, and we think it’s a good thing.” They’d compromised to an addition, but truthfully, a transformation was a better way to describe her character. All the same, there were few moments when Joyce showed any intimate affection for anyone in front of anyone relevant, especially her parents. There were moments in the far, far distant past, sure, but never to this degree. The bounds of Joyce’s love was as uncharted to her as it was for the spectators. The chase was so captivating, it was easy to forget just how far she herself had come already. Day after day, watching Emily slip so wonderfully into a cushier mindset and routine, never once had she stopped to consider where she herself was drifting toward or from. And even if it wasn’t totally positive, it was still an example of that seemingly unnoticed change. “Still, whatever you’re doing, clearly it’s a good thing. I think you both have each other wrapped around your fingers!” Mary laughed, and Frank wasn’t far behind. “Even with that said though, you better keep her happy, otherwise I’ll be right back over here to give you a piece of my mind...” Mary cooly warned, whilst Joyce was having a double take. “Wait, what? Aren’t you my mom? Doesn’t that mean you’re supposed to be looking out for me? Not Emily?” She let out a laugh. “Of course I am! And this is how I’m doing it.” A happy wife, a happy life. The words echoed in Joyce’s head, and she snickered. “Alright, well, no promises, but I’m pretty sure I know all the right buttons to keep her content. I just hope Emily’s parents are going to care about me like you guys do for her...” “Oh? You haven’t met them yet?” Frank asked. “No, not yet. Come to think of it, we haven’t really talked about them much…” Joyce started to think to herself. “Then again, who knows? Maybe they’ll drop by our doorstep by tomorrow morning? You know, maybe call less than 24 hours in advance, throw our everyday routine in a tizzy...” “Hon, I can’t help but think she’s talking about us...” Frank jokingly nudged. “I think so too...” Mary wasn’t laughing so much. “Joking!” Mostly. Joyce laughed in her mother’s place. “We managed, seeing as we were able to make a day out of today?” “Joyce, maybe if you knew what it was like to be frugal you’d see why we took as good of a deal as that.” Frank spoke with a sense of pride. The pride of saving money. “Penny saved is a penny earned!” True, but being brutally honest in her own head, Joyce could afford to lose a few pennies. Not that she didn’t respect her dad’s philosophy, but with the extra concern it took to be like that, the price to be carefree wasn’t something Joyce couldn’t handle. “Is Emily like that at all? Someone who spends money like there’s no tomorrow? Like a certain daughter we might know of?” Now it was Mary’s turn for payback. “Actually, I’ll have you know,” Joyce curtly replied, “I spend frivilously plenty enough for the both of us. I’ve already had to tell her plenty of times her money is no good.” “Really? You don’t let her spend anything?” For some reason, finally hearing it from someone else other than her own thoughts and Emily, it might sound a bit weird. Tactfully reorganizing her approach, Joyce tried again. “Uh, well, anything that we do run into, it’s just more convenient for me to pay.” “Does that bother Emily at all?” “At first, it did, but I keep telling her I don’t mind...” “Are you letting her contribute at all?” “W-well, yes...emotionally...” This wasn’t sounding so spectacular anymore. “Joyce, I think it’s clear that you’re the purse strings in the relationship, but I would still take Emily’s feelings into consideration. I won’t say I know how she feels, but I know I’d feel a bit insecure if I weren’t pitching something in.” “I let her keep her money so she can buy her own stuff.” She didn’t want to be rude, but frankly she didn’t need Emily’s money. However, it was a given that she needed Emily and all the love she could give. Didn’t the two balance each other out? “But from the sound of it, even there you pick up the tab?” An obvious hole had just been poked. “Okay, okay, fine.” Joyce sighed. “Maybe you guys have a point.” They did. And thinking about it now with a fresh perspective and an outside opinion, she didn’t feel great to admit that these were all the same valid complaints Emily had raised with her. And reflecting on how she waved them off so simply, it only meant how much Joyce needed to work on herself. Thankfully the rest of the car ride consisted of less serious topics. At some point Emily did wake up to rejoin the conversation, only after getting past a few teases about her sleeping habits. Emily kept trying to glance at the seat underneath her, looking for dirt, but Joyce need only threaten to make her walk home if she kept worrying about it. “Home again, home again!” Frank walked through the apartment door, then looked at Emily expectantly. “Uhm...what?” Was it something about the dirt? Frank kept the suspense though, apparently giving her a hint to the phrase. “Jiggity?” A hint that made Emily even more confused. She was probably reading too much into it, but it confused her no less. Her silence lingered for too long, and Frank sighed. “Jig.” “Home again, home again...jiggity jig?” Emily put it all together, but in place of the enthusiasm Frank was using, she substituted for confusion. “We’ll need to work on that.” Frank sufficed, and Emily stood in the shoe area, bewildered as she watched him walk off. “What’s with that look on your face?” Joyce came in next, eyeing her with a curious smile. Emily turned to her, then said the dreaded words, “Home again, home again, jiggity jig?” Joyce’s smile turned into a frown. “Oh, don’t tell me he’s teaching you that too?” So she did know? “It’s a weird phrase, isn’t it?” She let out a deep sigh. “Emms, I think I need to keep you in sight even around the apartment...” Nervously looking from side to side as she leaned in close, “He could be anywhere, waiting to grab you at any minute…! Ah! My poor Emily!” Pretending a sob, she pulled Emily in for a rocking hug. “What will I do if you become like my dad?! You’re too sweet for that!” In a muffled voice, thanks to Joyce’s chest, Emily mumbled, “I think you guys have a vendetta against Frank...” “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe!” Still with the exaggerated act, Joyce released her. She sat her down on the ledge where the hardwood floor began, then took the liberty of undoing her sandal straps for her. “So you had fun today?” “Mhm. Lots.” Emily smiled to herself. There was a slight bump along the way, but given what it was about, it was something they were bound to run into at some point. And now that they’d overcome it, Emily felt better than ever. Michael’s advice from earlier really did have some merit to it… “Good, because I did too. And I never did say it properly, but I’m sorry about getting you so dirty...” “It’s okay.” Emily exhaled through her nose once the sandals came free; a pair of shackles removed from her feet. “I thought it was funny, but I was just worried about getting your car dirty.” “Would you stop that? Emily, there’s no chance of making me mad at you, especially over something I’m responsible for. Really, don’t sweat it.” Emily’s response was to wiggle her toes. “I’m sorry? What was that? I don’t think I heard you.” Joyce leaned in with her ear, and Emily could feel her hand squeeze the ball on her foot. Again, nothing from Emily other than a smirk, which led to Joyce’s disappointed sigh. “I suppose we’ll have to do this the hard way...” Emily didn’t have time to think, as with that same hand gripping her foot, it pushed underneath it with great force, knocking Emily’s back on the floor so that her feet were primed for Joyce’s fingers which were already moving in for the kill. “No, please no!” Amidst her pleas, Emily was already helplessly giggling. “Oh? Now you’re ready to talk?” Joyce smirked as she kept teasing Emily’s foot with the faint scrape of a nail. She tut, tut, tutted. “Honestly, what am I going to do with you?” The situation was mind over matter, because even before Joyce started tickling the girl, she was close to tears just from the mental baggage of all the past tickle attacks; loads of pleasurable, silly trauma weighing her down. “Okay, I’m going to let you go, just this once, got it?” She tried to look stern, but the smile behind it was crumbling any sort of iron-hard authority she had. Emily kept shaking her head yes so hurriedly, you might think it was ready to pop right off. Slowly, Joyce unclasped her hand, and just as there was enough wiggle room, Emily quickly scurried herself across the floor, mainly by sliding on her bottom, right against the wall breathing frantically. “Having fun, you two?” The exciting tension was thrown into disarray, hearing the third voice. Both turned to the source, which was Mary, the caboose to the quartet, hanging in the doorway, looking quite entertained. Though she surprised them, Joyce kept it cool as a cucumber, welcoming her inside. “Hey mom, just finishing up taking off our shoes.” And to prove her point, that’s just what she started to do with hers. “Uh-huh? Is that so?” With Emily still watching from the wall, Mary sat herself down next to Joyce. Then in a lowered voice, with a strange tone about it, at least to Emily, she spoke. She’d known what Joyce could sound like if she wanted to sound stern. Loving, but ultimately an order that you weren’t supposed to refuse. In Mary’s case, there was probably that same amount of concern, but right beside it was an even heavier authority, so much that if she were to talk to Emily, she wouldn’t think twice about disobeying. She wouldn’t think of it once. The idea of rebellion seemed foolish from the get-go. “Joyce?” The atmosphere had changed completely. “...Yes?” Joyce suddenly didn’t seem so mighty anymore… “You weren’t bullying Emily, were you?” “Hah? A bully, me?” Well, maybe if she needed to strongarm a business deal, but in the home? With Emily? “Never!” Mary turned her head over to Emily, who was watching with an odd curiosity. “Emily, is this true? Don’t let her push you around, you know?” Emily almost spurted out a laugh. The cards were now in her favor. She held all the power, the dice were loaded, and she need only speak a single word that would dictate her partner’s fate. It was so simple, and here was her chance. Just to think, no more tickle attacks! No more bedtimes! All the coffee she could ask for! “Yes.” However, she betrayed herself. Merciful? Maybe. No. Deep down, she knew exactly why she protected Joyce. Mary held all the power, sure, but her reach and reign was only as effective as she was here in the flesh. Give it a few more days and that’d change completely. It was all one big trick; a trap fate had cleverly disguised for Emily! If she betrays Joyce now, there’ll be nothing around to protect herself in a few days time. “See?” Joyce kept up the act, standing back up, barefoot this time. “When have we ever been anything but peachy?” Mary seemed to be trying to read through the lines, but she ended it with a shrug. “If that’s what you both say! And Emily, I know my daughter can be a bully, so don’t let her tease you too much...” Joyce was about to leave the room, but spun her head around. “I am not a bully!” “Well, you certainly are a leader?” Seeming to form a connection between the two personalities. Joyce groaned, and a giggle escaped Emily, leading both Summers to stare at her; one curious, and the other jokingly annoyed. “You. Bath. Now.” Joyce stood her up and helped usher her off, quietly mumbling about her mom all the way. It felt like a breath of fresh air being away from her mom, once the two sealed themselves off in the bathroom. “Wouldn’t a shower be better?” Emily passively watched Joyce turn on the faucet for her, lingering like a fly on the wall. “I coulda ran the bath by myself, too, you know.” “Whelp, since I’m already here, I guess we can’t do much about that” Joyce helplessly shrugged, moving over to the towel cabinet. The way she was so absorbed in a task she wasn’t even responsible for, Emily could take a hint. “Does being teased by your mom bother you that much?” “Yes,” Joyce quickly replied; seemingly no filter. “Well, no. Not really.” Quickly, she back-pedalled. She let out a complex sigh. “She just...” She looked to Emily, as if the answer were drawn somewhere on her face. “Just… I don’t know; gets under my skin?” With a smirk Emily’s head drifted in a different direction as she left a passive comment along the way. “Sounds like somebody I know...” “I can always make this water boiling hot, you know?” Emily stuck out her tongue with a small giggle. Joyce stayed by the tub, making sure to give it the occasional temperature reading. Maybe she wasn’t going to make it scalding… If she did, her baby girl wouldn’t be so much of a snowflake anymore and instead a permanent tomato. Emily, relaxing in her own spot, was finally feeling the grime she was covered in, including a few crusty spots from the packed dirt. She definitely was ready for a bath. But before that, a different kind of nature was calling to her, and for once she didn’t have a friendly diaper to answer the door for her. This time she had a...particularly ‘solid’ guest waiting to be let in...or out. She walked over to the toilet, lifting her dress to undo the button on her shorts, then after dropping them to her ankles, only now did she take stock in the other person in the room. It took a visual cue to stop her, now remembering Joyce was with her. She stopped, but not completely. ...Truthfully, how different was this from baby-play? If anything, this was less embarrassing. Sure, what she was doing was more visible, in a sense, but at least now her business was being done in something significantly more dignified. Besides, at the rate they had their mommy-and-me time, access to a toilet was a blessing. “Did you plan on using the toilet?” Joyce spooked her from her thoughts as she called over to her. “H-huh?” Clueless, Emily looked at the shorts around her ankles. “Oh! Uhm, yeah. Why?” Joyce could have made a spectacle of it, but she chose not to. Instead, she’d celebrate the small moment with just herself. It felt like ages ago, remembering the first time she had Emily on the toilet. It was certainly stressful, as well as emotionally exhausting for the girl. Yet another showcase of her astounding progress… The best she could do was limit it to a smile. “Are you just peeing? Or is it, the, uhm, other one?” “The...” still with a straight face, Emily’s cheeks still grew red. “The other one...” Joyce shook some of the water off her testing hand then finished the job with a towel. “Wait right there then. Keep those panties on until I get back, got it?” As if to prove it to herself, Emily lifted the front of her dress, catching a glimpse of her perfectly clean, striped panties. The goats may have been fierce, but thankfully denim shorts had been her knight in shining armor. Panties covered in dirt sounded ugly and uncomfortable, and lord help her if one of those goats got too close... Though, why did Joyce want her to wait? “Uh, okay?” Joyce opened the door and walked out, leaving a small crack in the doorframe. And for a brief moment Emily was being a little too air-headed, because she realized someone walking by in the hallway might be able to see her standing around, flashing her underwear. The dress quickly came down. Joyce soon came back in, only this time she was accompanied by another person. “P-Pip?” Emily blinked, watching as Joyce with the ball of stuffed mochi in her arms came over to her. What she hadn’t stopped to consider was how quickly she was taking to the name; recognizing “Yep. Don’t tell me you forgot already, did you?” She gave her a second to think, and yes she did remember. It was quite the unfortunate memory. One that she could practically smell. “Ew.” Emily scrunched her nose a little. “Smelly, yes, but we’re trying to make that easier.” Joyce helped Emily’s arms into a hold on her friend. “And here, I’ll get these for you...” Her hands went under the skirt of the dress and down Emily’s panties went. She felt especially bare downstairs now. “Wait, won’t Pip get dirty if I hold him?” Suddenly, Emily was looking for a spot to put him down. Maybe Joyce didn’t mind getting her expensive and lavish things dirty, but Emily didn’t feel the same about her much cheaper possessions. “Then if that happens we can give him a bath, too. Things can be cleaned if they get dirty, would you believe it?” She smirked, once more playing into Emily’s silliness, just so she could realize it herself. With one arm Emily lifted her dress, sitting down on the toilet, getting herself comfortable. It felt a little weird sitting on the toilet again. Pleasant, but different from the usual. Still, it felt a little weird making a bowel movement in front of Joyce, but with everything in the past taken into account, this sort of display seemed surprisingly tame. “...Now what?” “Now,” Joyce came closer again, adjusting her arms for her, positioned like a rollercoaster bar for Pip to be locked in tight. “Once um...you squeeze down there, you squeeze Pip with your arms. It’s kind of like in the movies when someone bites their teeth on something when they get a shot or surgery?” Ugh, too graphic for Emily. All those scenes tended to involve either blood, gore, or both. Her analogy made its point, though. And so once she felt the movement coming, she squeezed Pip, then understood exactly what the goal was. While she pushed on her bowels, she felt a small strain in her muscles in her core. By squeezing Pip she was inadvertently putting more force into it, lightening the load on a single section of her body. She was training Emily to have smoother bowel movements? An involuntary sigh escaped her once it plopped into the toilet water. “All done?” Emily sheepishly nodded her head. “Perfect. I’ll take back this guy then,” Joyce reached for Pip, giving Emily a chance to disarm him as he exchanged caretakers. “And don’t worry, he’ll be waiting for you tonight, okay?” “I don’t really need him, you know?” There was a small sense of guilt attached to that. Pip hadn’t done anything wrong, after all… Joyce, however, looked 1 syllable short of mortified, who immediately cupped her hands over Pip’s imaginary ears. “Emily! I can’t believe you!” “I wanna take my bath, now.” Emily haughtily scoffed. “Please vacate yourself from the premises!” Joyce chuckled as she held the stuffed toy to her side with a single arm. Speaking in a deep and loyal voice, she said, “With pleasure, your majesty!” Backing up with a bow and outstretched hand, she excused herself from the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. There were still the lingers of a smile on her face as Joyce looked at the door one last time, though it transitioned into a curious look, thinking about when she walked back in with Pip. Did I ever close the door after that? She chose not to dwell on it for long, walking back to her room to drop Emily’s friend off. Pip stared back at her as they exchanged silent glances at one another, and Joyce spun on the ball of her foot, closing the door behind her as she rubbed her stomach. “So very, very, very hungry~!”

Hello, everyone! I'm sorry to keep this message brief, but quite frankly I'm bad at texting and I fat-finger a lot of stuff so a lot of typos (Despite note even having big hands •_•) This support is amazing! I'll be sure to address it all in full when I am able. The story is continuing, so don't worry. However, I'm currently on vacation and am visiting some family before college, and I didn't bring a laptop (ordered a new one; very excited!) Long story short, I'll be back at a workstation the 16th! See you guys soon!

Huh, started writing this after finishing chapter 14, which you finished 14 minutes ago... Spooky. Great stuff, though! It's always fun to read something with a different take on the DD, whether that be through a unique setting/approach, or you just make the situation more human, I suppose. It's fun to see the development, then look back on how far the character has actually come. Diaper content is fun, sure, but I tend to like the approach where the story is really supported by its themes and characters. The whole mix of it gives substance, really. Regardless, some of the stuff I read in here makes me jealous! Think I could steal some of your universe rules? (i.e. 36hr days) Look forward to reading more!

?Thank you for the kind words! I really liked reading your comment (for obvious reasons, lol) Thank you very very very much for thinking Sheltered is worth the praise! At times I definitely do hit slumps with the story, but I try my best to keep writing for it, not only because I know there are plenty of people that enjoy it, but I do too! It's always fun to read comments and feedback, so in return to your thanks, I thank you for continuing to support, read and enjoy my work for so long.

Thank you! And yep, Dawn has most certainly gone off the deep end... Haha, interesting way to put it! Maybe I should have called it the prologue then? Hmm... Another amazon different from the married one, Katherine, took her. In other words, a stranger took her. Yep! Yep! To the quote on Sky Hooves, that is. As for your second bit, you'll have to wait and see....! Hmm. Predictions, predictions. Whether you're right or wrong though, I'm planning for this to not be so cookie-cutter, so hopefully there's going to be some interesting stuff you might not expect? You got it, boss! In all seriousness, thanks for commenting, and maybe we'll see more of her soon? Then again, the Portal Littles are only there for one more day... Well, everyone has their own take on the Diaper Dimension, but I suppose in mine Amazons can be pretty varied. Granted, that's people in general, so I guess I'm sticking to a pretty generic route in that sense. I do like the idea of longer days though, which I saw in Author_Alex's Done Adulting. Stuff that somewhat forces the notion of Littles to act smaller than their actual age. Back to your thing on Amazons, I can't say you're only going to see extremes in here. You might see some moderate Amazons (half loving, half sadist). But who knows? Well, I do, I guess, but that doesn't mean I'm going to tell ?Thanks for commenting and reading! And to everyone who has commented/read/liked thus far, thank you so much! I wasn't sure how the first chapter was going to go, but I'm glad to see the response has been positive so far. Bear with me as I try to push chapters out for this and Sheltered. I want to support both stories fairly, and hopefully I can do both justice. I don't want to spoil anything for this story, but hopefully in some ways you'll find it unique compared to others! 2 - Groggy Start When Dawn finally came to, it was a groggy and sluggish awakening. It was an exercise in itself just to try and open her eyes. She was still leaning on something, and from the way her hands were situated, she was guessing that she was still being carried. Then it finally struck her. Nothing had changed. She was still claimed and kidnapped; whisked off to a land of eternal infancy, dealt by one of the most sadistic giants she’d ever encountered. Did she really have to wake up? She was starting to get mixed messages, what with the hand stroking her back right then. She’d almost call it soothing, had she not known who was behind it. She was approaching an inevitable, whenever they would reach this woman’s car, and Dawn by this point knew she was powerless to change that. If she need any reminder, there was the inflated silicon bulb in her mouth. Her next observation was a double-edged sword; her jaw didn’t hurt as much. It was good in the sense she felt less pain, but it also meant she was acclimating. The last thing she ever wanted to do was physically accept a lifestyle like this! A silent tear was wept as she clutched the Amazon’s fabric tighter. A lowered voice spoke close to her ear, catching the girl by surprise. “Dawn? Are you awake?” Her first instinct was to play dead- rather, pretend to be asleep. But giving it just a few more seconds in her fatigued state, that didn’t sound like the woman from earlier? And to the same degree of strangeness, she didn’t hear that sickening name, Abigail, nor its just as dreadful counterpart Abby. For once it was her real name. Their surroundings weren’t loud either. It didn’t sound like they were outside. No white noise of populous, cars, and buildings. None of it. The best she could hear were maybe ringing phones somewhere afar, but even then it was speculation. The most important question though, dare she reveal herself? Her answer didn’t seem to matter, because the voice kept on speaking. “I know you’re probably exhausted and very confused right now, but I want you to know that you’re safe.” Words could only mean so much, especially from an Amazon. In short, talk is cheap. The voice was familiar, but why couldn’t she place it? It was right on the tip of her tongue. Her metaphorical one, since her real one was locked up nice and tight… Since Dawn hadn’t given any more signs, the mysterious woman went on to seem puzzled. “...Are you awake?” She must’ve been putting on a believable act, because it sounded as if she were talking to herself. “Hmm… Did you go in your sleep, maybe…?” Dawn didn’t have time to figure out what that meant on her own before the Amazon could translate through action. Petrified, she realized she was still wearing the dastardly pullup when a cool finger happened to brush her tailbone, as it slipped into the waistband of her underwear to pull it back some, bringing along the same crinkle as always. “Nope, all good there...” she spoke to herself in a lowered voice. Dawn managed to keep still, but her cheeks were probably red hot by now, if the warm feeling in her face were any indication of that. The woman chuckled, and Dawn didn’t know what that meant. “How about the front yard, then?” While she still had a grip on the woman’s shoulders, she was eased back the slightest bit, just to form a gap that’d let the same probing hand from before back in. Dawn couldn’t hold it in anymore. She wasn’t trained to have her most sensitive parts be touched. The woman boldly stuck her finger into the legband of her pullup, making its way right between her thigh and crotch. Too sensitive of a place, Dawn yelped as the cold feeling sent chills to a place that had never been touched that way! Well, at least not by a complete and total stranger… She was going to bite back; moan, whine, kick and struggle, but what good would it do her? Pain was still a fresh memory in her mind, and no Amazon was ever in short supply of it. Instead, all she could do was look bitterly to the culprit. That same gorging beast which had turned her into a babified slave. At least she didn’t have to hear the ring-ting tingle of her bangles anymore. Why was that, Dawn didn’t know, but it was a blessing nonetheless. “Oh, thank goodness, you’re awake!” It was a gentle yet firm squeeze, which fed only further into Dawn’s skepticism. Did this woman really think she could get on Dawn’s good side? A grand ensemble of slapping her, ruining her clothes and putting her in pull-ups, and she has the audacity to hug her? Willful ignorance could only go so far. When she did open her eyes, just to see her again, it was weird. Somehow, the woman had lost quite a few pounds since Dawn last saw her. Something in the high double digits, if not over triple. That, and her hair wasn’t a mess of hideous curls anymore, and instead ended on a single wavey upturn on the edge. Her hair was a washed out red; likely the bloodstains of the countless calories she had killed just to achieve that slim face in such a short amount of time. And she had a name now too? That was a strange observation, considering a name is invisible information rather than a physical characteristic. Somehow, Dawn knew it. It was Katherine. Then, despite the lingering drug slowing her mind to a tricycle’s pace, she realized how much of an idiot she was to not recognize that someone totally different than her kidnapper was now holding her. And it wasn’t just anyone, considering she just named the supposed stranger. It was Katherine. The woman married to James; the ones she met on the sidewalk. Dawn blinked. Katherine blinked, only she was backing her silence with a smile. “Good morning, sunshine.” As bewildered as Dawn was, thankfully the woman wasn’t as upbeat as last time. Had she been speaking any louder it may have very well split her head in two. Her sensitivity to noise was directly related to a mild headache, one she thought had been chased away right before she passed out. “Youh...youh fwom befoah?” Something came to her attention when she tried to speak. The first was that she could to begin with, despite the pacifier in her mouth. Realizing it now, the bulb inside her mouth wasn’t nearly as gargantuan as before. Dare she even call it appropriately-sized. There was a wonderful relief in being able to speak her mind again. Let it be a promise that she would never lose her speech again. Even temporarily was too terrifying. With little hesitation she swiped at the ring hanging from its shield and tossed it without a second glance. “Kath...Kathrine?” Katherine’s face seemed troubled when she watched the pacifier fly away, but quickly turned back to Dawn. She chuckled, going on to speak in a soothing voice. “That’s right! Thank you for remembering my name, Dawn. I made sure to remember yours too!” This was normally Dawn’s cue to be creeped out, but overcoming her disoriented state took precedence. She paused to rub her eyes. “Where are we?” Giving her head a few lazy turns, it was all glossy walls in extremely close proximity. The floor was an array of white tiles, and whatever they were sitting on, Katherine’s double-layered skirt which flowed to her ankles just about covered any visible bit of it. “We’re in the potty, right now. Are you feeling alright? You’ve been sleeping for quite a bit...” She drew her hand closer to straighten one of Dawn’s hairs, but the restrained woman waved it away as best as she could. The potty? It technically was what Dawn had asked, but she was hoping for something more traceable than such a generic location. And also, she tried not to mind the childish terminology. “Okay, but where is this place? A hotel? A house?” “We’re in a police station right now.” A police station? Why would they be there? Just as important, why was Katherine even holding Dawn? Wasn’t she being kidnapped by a totally different Amazon? Not that she was complaining. It was a godsend to be separated from that demon. Still, it only added to the confusion. Then, a sinking feeling reached her stomach. What was to say Katherine had similar motives…? Thousands of questions could be asked; all limitless in the angles of approach in which they could be taken. So many questions that Dawn could barely sit herself through the simplest of them all. “Why?” Katherine looked to be staring at a task equally as daunting as Dawn’s confusion. “Wait,” Dawn cut off the silence before her own question could be answered. “I wanna be put down.” She’d been held for so long that it was starting to get to her, just like the pacifier. She was starving for agency; independence, something that helped force the notion she was a fully functioning adult. Already shuffling to get out, the crinkling reminded her of what she was wearing. That was unfortunately an issue that couldn’t be addressed right this minute… “You want to be put down? Are you sure?” Katherine looked skeptically to the floor. “Public bathrooms are yucky for bare feet, honey...” Dawn happened to move her feet, brushing against the cool, smooth fabric of Katherine’s clothes. Just being able to feel them said enough about the shoes she was wearing, which were none, including socks. But she didn’t care. If a small hygiene concern was the biggest of her worries when it came to reclaiming adulthood, that was a price she was willing to pay. “Set me down.” She wasn’t in the mood for ‘pleases,’ given how she didn’t concern personal space a privilege more than a right. Even then with an adamant answer, Katherine seemed hesitant, but thankfully she caved before Dawn had to get more verbal. Slowly, Dawn was set onto the ground, though touchdown was wobbly, at best. At first, she was more or less steady, then it felt as if the floor were tilting in random and awkward directions. Dawn kept making worried noises as she swayed from one tile to another, struggling to maintain her balance. Just as she was going for her final tumble and waving arms, something caught them which had her standing upright. “Whoa, someone’s still trying to get their land legs back, huh?” It didn’t make any sense! Why couldn’t she stand properly? Slightly panicked, she did her best to recount her last waking moments, but nothing seemed to tip her off. If anything, it corroborated the exact opposite, considering the last bathroom she was in she was able to stand and walk just fine! “What...why can’t I stand properly?” Come to find out it was Katherine that’d saved her from a fall, currently holding Dawn’s hands above her shoulders. “I’m sorry I couldn’t stop it any sooner...” Somberly and from a seemingly unexpected place, Katherine spoke. Despite being supported by her from behind, she still tried to turn to her with an even more puzzled expression “Stop it? Stop what?” Everytime she had to seek further clarification, it was further stress on her exhausted mind that only strung her along through pointless obstacles. She was starting to sound annoyed. “That woman that tried to take you…” A crease in her brow formed, and she started to look displeased at the sound of her own words. “She likely gave you something that would make you pass out.” After a small sigh she seemed to be back to her calming self. “She...what? I was drugged?” When? She could hardly remember a moment where she could’ve even been given something without noticing! She then thought about those few slaps on the thigh she got… You couldn’t transmit it by a mere slap, could you? Even still, that was only a partway explanation for Dawn’s momentary lack of balance. It didn’t illuminate a smidgen of how Katherine came to be involved. None of this was getting her anywhere. She didn’t have the mental stamina to piece together bits and pieces of information from every direction. “Please,” Dawn took a deep breath. “I’m tired, confused...” and as she looked around, realizing just how tight a bathroom stall could feel when with an Amazon, she decided to lay all her cards out on the table. “I’m scared...so please talk me through this.” Katherine only looked on with sympathy, and she did go on to speak. “Okay, I can tell you how we got here, but first wouldn’t you--” “Please,” Dawn sounded to be emotionally tearing at the seams. “I don’t know where I am, who I’m with, what time it is, how long I’ve been out, why I’m still in a pull-up, why I’m not strapped in some psycho’s car seat--!” She couldn’t stop taking rapid breaths, nearly starting to wheeze. Whatever drug she was supposedly on, it had afforded her the mental numbness to ignore the rapid shifts in pace as her very life was turned on its head. Now she’d become conscious to a midway project on the verge to total ruin, and she was terrified. In the midst of her breathing fit, she was back off the ground and sitting in Katherine’s lap again, leaning into her as she was embraced. “No, no! Let me go!” Her words trembled as she struggled to push off of the Amazon, but she was caught in her iron shackles otherwise known as Amazonian strength, and she could barely push off of the woman’s stomach, as the human skin had far too much give to be considered solid ground. She could hear her heart beating loudly and hitting her chest with a heavy thump. Her breathing was all out of sorts and a lightheaded feeling was starting to take over. “Dawn, sweetie, please, I’ll talk to you, but I need you to do one thing for me, okay?” One thing. That’s how it all started. Nothing had changed. It was just another bathroom with another Amazon. They gave you the illusion of freedom, as if you actually had control. And in exchange for that fabricated liberty, they expected you to return their cheap generosity with the very ownership of your entire being. “Is that all I am to you? Just some husk of a person that can be repurposed into your baby?” The words didn’t come as strong as she’d have liked, but her lungs were too busy in overdrive for her to speak normally. “Dawn, you’re starting to hyperventilate, please calm down and listen!” Katherine sounded panicked. She wasn’t making demands, but pleading requests. Hyperventilate? In her frantic state, Dawn supposed that made sense...but that didn’t change her unyielding desire to be freed. If this woman cared so much about her, she was going to let her go. Even still, Dawn didn’t want to stake her life on her own stubbornness. Was it because of the anxiety? The drugs? How was she event supposed to stop? Just as quickly as she boarded the train, it was fast heading for a deadend cliff. There was a slight bang as Katherine was off her feet and opened the stall door in quite a rush. “It’s okay...you’re going to be okay...” She was stroking the back of Dawn’s head while she quickly made for the bathroom door. “James? James!?” Now it was Katherine’s turn to sound panicked as her eyes rapidly paced the hall. James, the husband in question, had been sitting on a padded bench along the wall, resting his chin on his knuckles, looking to be trapped in pensive thought. The first call of his name had shocked him from his concentration, casually looking for where the noise came from. The second call came with much more volume and he could tell who it was, his wife, which is why he was off his stool and rushing immediately over. “Katherine? What’s wrong? Why are you shouting? And why are you crying?” With his own concern he hurriedly came to her aid. “Dawn! It’s Dawn, she’s starting to hyperventilate. She just woke up and we started talking, but she kept getting more and more anxious…!” She looked to be on the verge of tears herself, and Dawn was feeling a tight strain in her chest. Even though it was a state of urgency, James did his best to coax his wife into letting go of Dawn and swapping over to him. Dawn didn’t even try to struggle. She was fading in a dangerous way that left her little room for physical activity. “Dawn? Hey Dawn? Are you with me?” James was trying to force eye contact; a reaction that could at least give him some information. He took back to the bench where his wife followed close behind. “Dawn, hon? I need you to listen to me, okay?” “What if, what if she doesn’t trust us?” The worry was heartbreaking, to think that they were the cause of Dawn’s pain. After all, this was all a ploy to help her, not drive her further into panic. James turned his ear a little bit to listen, but he was too focused with Dawn, currently stroking her back. “If that’s the case, she does need to calm down, but we also need her breathing back in order, too… Dawn, I promise I’m not going to do anything to you. Just please listen to what I have to say, okay?” Weakly, and to Katherine’s surprise, Dawn nodded her head. “Okay, tight lips. Leave a small gap. You’re breathing out more than you’re breathing in.” With shaky lips Dawn did her best to comply. She didn’t know why she was listening now as opposed to before. Maybe because this was a moment where it truly did feel lethal. For every exhale she tried to maintain a small slit between her lips, but for every intake she’d take exasperated breaths; anything to upset the wild proportions surging through her lungs. “Is it working?” Katherine still looked visibly distraught, trying her best to keep in one piece as she watched. Politely, he ignored his wife as he continued to speak. “Hey Dawn, I know things are a little crazy right now, but talk with me a little bit, okay?” Her breathing was better enough to look all around them, which were two long stretches of hallway, supporting ceilings that hung far too far above her head. “Hey, Dawn, Dawn?” Finally she turned to face him, but with how high-strung she was, the attention she was giving him was likely only going to last for a few more seconds. “Color. What’s your favorite color? Can you tell me?” “Co...color...why?” Dawn didn’t know whether she was to be distrusting or stupefied. “Mine is orange,” he chuckled, going on to pinch his light-blue button-up. “But it’s too bad, because I don’t really look great in orange… Have you ever seen someone in orange underwear?” He made an exaggerated ‘grossed out’ look. “I can tell you, it’s not that pretty...” A bright, ugly construction zone orange came to mind, hence why Dawn suddenly shared in his acknowledged absurdity. Green was certainly better, which happened to be her favorite. “Mine...” she paused for a breath or two. “Mine is green.” “Green, huh? What kind of green?” He was about to place his hand on her shoulder, but a wild and panicked pair of eyes attached to Dawn watched it. He slowly pulled it away. “...Forest green...I like the woods.” “Really? Me too. I always used to go on nature walks with a few friends of mine. Katherine doesn’t like to go so much...” Normally his wife probably would have jabbed back, but she kept silent as she watched, trying to keep her cheeks dry. What caught Katherine by surprise was when Dawn turned her head to her. “Why not?” Suddenly in the spotlight, Katherine looked a tad bit on the spot, then quickly made herself composed. Now she was starting to understand her husband’s approach. “Oh...well remember the garden I mentioned? That’s more than enough nature for me. James always likes to go hiking, though.” She still seemed a bit worried for purely selfless reasons, but she eased herself into a smile. “Do you like hiking?” James and Katherine continued to bounce a conversation ball off of Dawn, pivoting each and every time it was another person’s turn. The whole point was to keep Dawn involved the whole way. Feeding her comprehensible bits of information and dialogue, she finally had something to latch onto. “Are you feeling better now?” Katherine looked physically reserved, given her hands were sandwiched partly between her thighs. James didn’t need as much insurance to hold himself back. Dawn nodded her head, taking a refreshing breath. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a panic attack like that… To be quite truthful, she was still skittish even now. These strangers still put her in an awkward spot, but maybe spending some uninterrupted time with them had mostly dampened her initial fears. Not to Amazons, but to these two individuals in particular. “I’m...I’m sorry for panicking in front of you two. It’s only because I--” “We’d never be mad over something like that!” It was the first time in a bit since Katherine spoke so abrasively, obviously making a move to curb Dawn’s guilt. For the Portal Little however, she found it startling more than anything else. If she couldn’t be on the floor, James’ lap was the next best thing… She seemed to realize the effect she had on Dawn, hence why she toned it down a few notches. “I’m sorry...I just don’t want you to feel sad about something you can’t help. It’s okay if you need to lean on us. That’s what we’re for.” Her words were kind, but Dawn also didn’t like the potential implications of “we” in that statement. It could mean too many things, and the vast majority of them were not favorable. “Could you please set me down?” Her request seemed to bother Katherine, which Dawn could admittedly understand. After having the ‘bathroom’ scene repeat twice today and also end in a similar fashion, she was probably getting the same sense of dejavu from her. “On the bench,” Dawn went on to elaborate. James complied, and although it wouldn’t have been Dawn’s first choice, she was sitting right between the two Amazons. “Now, can you two please tell me what has happened? I promise not to panic...just please answer my questions as I ask them.” Above the girl’s head, James silently gestured to his wife to carry out their story. “Well...after we talked to you on the sidewalk, my husband and I needed to make a quick stop at a store right along the same direction you were walking. When I was near the window inside I saw a…‘larger’ Amazon walking in the opposite direction you went. It looked like she was carrying a Little, and I suppose I got a little scared because I thought it was you...” “So you called the police on my behalf?” Truthfully, it was surprising. In a dimension like this, kindness from an Amazon was the last thing she’d expect. Especially in a situation like that. There had to be a motive. “Why?” “...Because after I met you...” Her words started to taper off, like she was struggling to say something. “What? What is it?” “I...I wanted to adopt...” Her heart sank. “A...adopt…?” A cold, cold, frigid feeling was festering in her chest. She was about to shuffle to her right, but she then remembered Katherine’s partner in crime was sitting right there. It wasn’t out of the kindness of her heart. She just wanted to stop that other woman from getting what she figured was rightfully hers. Dawn. It was a good question why Dawn didn’t run right then. Maybe for the sake of morbid curiosity she waited for the woman to say it with diction. “I…I wanted to adopt your friend.” Then the real twist came. Dawn, incredulous, blinked. “My-my friend?” She hadn’t expected that to follow. Katherine slightly twiddled her thumbs, nodding. “Please don’t think I was using you to get to her! I promise that wasn’t my intention.” “What friend?” No one came to mind. She was a total loner on this trip. Her lack of knowing anyone’s name in her tour group was a testament to that. Except for Stacy, but Dawn figured adopting other Amazons wasn’t as hot of a commodity. “When we were walking behind your tour group we saw her. She was the one with brown hair and jeans?” Oh. That one. Heather. She probably wasn’t cutting her a fair break, considering that a Little in the face of Amazonian adversity is equated to shooting a water gun at the sun. Still, she without a single word spoken, ran. Of all people now that she thought about it, wouldn’t Heather have been the one to alert the police? Then again, she probably did tell Stacy, their tour guide, but she waved it off as another ‘adoption’. There were too many unknown variables, but to say Dawn was annoyed with Heather was somewhat of an understatement. And to add insult to injury, she was rescued by an Amazon because she was an accessory to her? A middleman to her schemes? Regardless, there was some solace in knowing she wasn’t on this woman’s radar. Not directly, at least. “If it’s who I think you’re talking about, it’s Heather...” Part of her figured information such as a name was too valuable to reveal, but the simplicity in just a name and current animosity harbored towards the woman swayed her differently… “Heather? Is that her name?” Katherine smiled. “I was hoping we could go and see her?” “Wait.” Dawn dodged the question. “You still haven’t told me the full story. How did the police take me from her? What did you tell them? No offense, but doesn’t everyone here turn a blind eye to kidnappings like that?” “Well...adoptions like that aren’t terribly uncommon...” And as she pondered, Dawn cringed at her substitution for the word. Adoption. She was starting to remind her of Stacy. “I told them that you were already my Little.” “You told them I was your Little?” It took her a second to piece things together. “As in, you’d already kidnapped me?” “...I told them you’d already been adopted by us.” Maybe on some level Dawn’s use of the word ‘kidnapping’ bothered her too. They both figured the other’s terminology inappropriate. “And they believed you? Just like that?” How fickle was the law here? “Well, it took a little more convincing than just that,” she chuckled, as if Dawn were the silly one. In her defense, this was her first time dealing with an Amazon kidnapping a Little. Firsthand. “We explained that you were recently adopted,” Dawn didn’t have the energy to keep correcting her. She was likely going to keep saying it, so she saw little point in dulling the mood every time she’d interrupt to set things her way. Then everso nonchalantly, she added, “I said you fell asleep after I had breastfed you at one of the nearby parks, then all that milk had made you sleepy, so I let you take a nap on the grass.” She looked like the fabricated story tickled her more than it should have, as she smiled. “I turned away for a few minutes because James had called me, and when I turned back...” She let her silence finish it off with a slight frown, as if it’d actually happened. Dawn, meanwhile was dumbfounded. She didn’t know whether to compliment the woman’s craftiness or question if that breastfeeding tidbit was an actual thing here. Breastfeeding Littles? Dawn knew there was a lot of strange things in this dimension, but surely that wasn’t one of them… “Any....anything else?” “When we did catch up to her, the woman tried to run, so that only looked better for us, I suppose. They checked her diaper bag and found your old pair of undies.” It was a reminder that left Dawn blushing, suddenly now trying to cover her white and decorated pull-up with her hands. She’d almost forgotten what with everything happening around her. Now she was sure she’d never forget… She wanted panties back badly. “I knew you weren’t wearing pull-ups when we first met, so I guessed it was something a little thinner,” she chuckled. “We were lucky when they found those torn panties!” Luck was an awfully strange way of putting it, considering they were one of Dawn’s extremely limited stocks of underwear. You only packed so much underwear for a week’s trip, and by the last day of it, of course you’d be on short supply. And that was another urgent reminder. Home. She needed to get back to the group. Where they were right now was total and helpless guesswork. The best she could do was meet them at the hotel. “But why didn’t you accuse her of drugging me if you knew she did?” What leverage was there in not doing it? “We couldn’t be positive, so we went with what’d make us seem the most like genuine parents. That, and if we did and they found out you were given naughty medicine,” naughty medicine? Was that her ‘age-appropriate’ slang for drugs? “This could have turned into something much more...messy.” For once Dawn didn’t need any elaboration. Even if the laws here were quite twisted, it didn’t change that they were likely white-collared enough to take issue with illegal drug usage, And if Littles truly were equated to children here, that’d be a case of downright abuse. It’d become a full-blown case that’d take more than just a single day to solve, and a single day was all Dawn had left here. Any more than that, then there would be… Stacy’s voice echoed in her head. Complications. So the more Dawn was spoon-fed information, it was all finally starting to come together. Under the guise of another Amazon’s Little, she’d somehow narrowly escaped the clutches of a very real adoption… “They brought us all into the station, but they mainly wanted us to stay until you woke up. Just so they knew you were okay. Which you are!” she chipperly added. “Katherine has been keeping you safe ever since they took you from that woman, you know.” James finally spoke, adding to his wife’s credit. “...You did?” Dawn looked back to her. Words came in many forms and different interpretations, if their conversations thus far were proof of that, but hopefully ‘safe’ was one of the more universal ones. “I was relieved to find you were okay, but I was scared that you were passed out… There was no doubt in my mind that you’d be alright, but that still doesn’t mean I felt good about it.” For a brief moment she looked to be reliving her past fears, then was overcome with relief to remember that it was only the past. Dawn maneuvered her bottom a little bit, though a sore feeling came from her butt. “Ow...” quietly, Dawn remarked as she rubbed her side. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Forgetting the boundaries they’d previously established, Katherine’s hand was right by Dawn’s to inspect the area. “It’s nothing,” Dawn was quick to hold her off. “I just feel a little sore, I guess.” “Are you sure?” James spoke with some concern as well. “I’m sure Katherine has made it clear, but don’t hesitate to let us know if something’s wrong. You were just taken by a stranger, after all...” Need she be reminded. “James,” Katherine curtly interjected herself. “Could we please stick to something more appropriate?” It wouldn’t have been Dawn’s way of dismissing it, but she wasn’t keen on reliving her recent trauma either. Maybe Katherine’s mindfulness wasn’t totally terrible... Though, both of her bum cheeks were sore. She could feel it. A lightbulb finally buzzed inside her head. That must’ve been where the drug had been injected. She did recall a pinch on her butt right before she fell asleep... Looking to keep the attention off her ass though, she didn’t speak on it. Considering it had received more than enough treatment from strangers for one lifetime, Dawn was willing to endure the pain. “So...now what?” Dawn knew what she wanted to happen, but she was also trying to probe them for what they think might come next. It couldn’t be this easy, right? Were they just going to let her go? Like that? “Katherine and I had talked it over earlier, and we planned to take you back to wherever you were staying from the start.” “Re...really?” Dawn looked at James, obviously skeptically. Not that she didn’t recognize their kindness, but finding a distinction between evil Amazons and good ones was something fairly new to her. She wanted to say there was something she couldn’t put her finger on; something fishy about the two, but she couldn’t. At best she might find fault in the condescending way Katherine spoke to her, but Dawn couldn’t help but feel the Amazonian stereotype excused her behavior, though it was no less unacceptable in her book. “Unless you had anywhere else in mind? Though, I think Kath and I would prefer you went somewhere safe from Amazons...” “N-no!” Dawn quickly stammered. “The hotel is fine, really. Quite frankly, I already want to go home. This wasn’t how I planned to spend my last day… And I think I’m ready to get out of this stupid pull-up...” She was definitely embarrassed, that hadn’t changed. She hoped that by joking about it some of the goosebumps and shyness might fade away, but Katherine’s varying reaction upset that plan altogether. “Why?” Katherine tilted her head a little, being as bold enough as to cup the front of Dawn’s underwear. “Are they not comfy?” “H-hey!” Dawn spat in a flustered voice, chasing her hand off. She had just pressed it enough for Dawn to feel the internal padding press closer to her skin. It was soft, yes, but the whole package was mortifying. It was an absolute given that they would be changed. “I’m looking to get back into normal panties. I don’t exactly wear these things on the regular...” She didn’t even know if she was trying to make jokes or genuine complaints anymore. Regardless of what they were, they often tended to go right over Jame’s and Katherine’s heads, or even under them, considering how short Dawn was in comparison. Again, the Common Little’s plight… “They’re not so bad, are they?” Katherine kept her hands to herself this time, but once again she just seemed not to get it. She was clearly a lost cause, though, just like on the sidewalk. One to choose her battles, Dawn looked over to James. “Do you think the same thing? What’s wrong with me wanting to wear panties?” Maybe this would treat her to some invaluable insight on the Amazon psyche… “Huh?” James raised a brow. “Well...maybe, as long as you can handle it.” Invaluable was a stretch. How he didn’t outright support her was the worst part. He merely dove for the hypothetical that may or may not apply to Dawn. “All we mean is that this way you have some extra protection incase you don’t make it!” Katherine spoke encouragingly, but she was unknowingly preaching to the wrong choir. Didn’t she say that they saw her torn up panties? She wasn’t crazy, right? They did see that she wore adult underwear at some point? “Can...” she wiped her face with her hand, maybe hoping some of that disbelief of hers would come off of it. “Can you take me to my hotel now?” “That sounds like something we can do.” James confidently spoke. “We’re off the hook, but we should at least see the front desk to let them know we’re leaving. They were concerned about you, after all.” It was a relief to hear that they were cutting to the chase, but it was a sigh from Dawn nevertheless, considering she had to walk around in such embarrassing clothing. Why she wasn’t curled up in a ball right now was beyond her. She hated to say it, but maybe she’d become somewhat desensitised to the look at least around James and Katherine… No, she hadn’t. Her cheeks still felt warm, now that she called attention to it. Dawn slipped forward across the sleek cushion and was just about to hit the ground, but she was whisked into the air before that was even possible. “Whoopsies!” Katherine chuckled, being the culprit who had snatched her. “Good catch on my part, huh?” Dawn tried to kick her annoyance to the side just to make way for her confusion. “Why did you pick me up?” “Because you’re still barefoot, sweetheart. If we carry you, we’ll know those little toesies won’t be touching anything sharp or dirty,” she went on to overstep her bounds by scurrying her fingers along the bottom of Dawn’s foot, forcing involuntary giggles out of her mouth as she tried to silence herself. “S-s-hahaha! Stop! Please!” Her ticklish outbursts were at odds with her much more composed self, but she did win out in the end, mainly because Katherine had ceased the tickles. “Dawn, we just think it’d be safer for you to be carried. That way we can keep you close, move fast, and avoid walking on the ground too much. Clean or not, the city isn’t a great place for naked feet.” James, the voice of reason, or at least someone who knew how to speak to Dawn like a person older than a toddler, explained. “Consider it our compromise for being your chauffeur? ” Already fastened by Katherine’s arms, leaning into her admittedly soft arm and chest, she finally conceded. On some level it made sense, but she didn’t like how it objectively looked. “Can I at least have something to cover my underwear?” Another hot-button issue, Dawn was not looking to give anyone else a view of her padded posterior. She’d already started to get used to the feeling of disposable underwear around her waist, and she wasn’t liking it. “Sorry, hon,” James took the lead once more. “We don’t have any spare clothes on us, especially that are Little-sized.” “Wait, but what about my jeans? You said they found my panties in the bag, right?” Didn’t the woman put her pants there, too? “Mmm… I don’t think so.” Katherine seemed to recall. “Other than the grownup underwear, all there was was diapers, pull-ups and changing supplies. Even if we somehow missed it, the police have it all locked up behind evidence now.” Glumly, Dawn accepted her fate. “Besides, don’t feel so embarrassed,” Katherine hoisted Dawn once more just to solidify her hold, cupping her hands underneath her thighs, giving the outside world an unobstructed view of her padded butt. “You look cute!” Cute, was not what Dawn wanted to be right now. She was shopping for some more mature terms such as dignified and independent. A word like that in tune with a pull-up was far from ideal. She shuffled uncomfortably when Katherine’s finger traced the leg bands to her underwear. “Just making sure it’s nice and snug,” she smiled. “I think we can both agree a nakie Little is worse than a diapered one?” Highly debatable. “Alrighty, you two ready to get a move on?” James checked his phone for a moment, then quickly turned his attention back to them. Dawn was able to keep it together as they moved down the hall, though at the moment’s notice of a foreign face, she would nuzzle her face into the crook of Katherine’s shoulder, just to avoid the visual confrontation. She didn’t have the heart for strangers to see her in pull-ups. Katherine seemed to be catching on, and in a motherly fashion she’d continue to stroke Dawn’s back. Weird, awkward, and unsettling, but not totally unwelcome… “Attention, recipient no.36, you are now being called for your adoption appointment.” A synthetic human voice spoke over a speaker, and Dawn grew wide-eyed. It probably wasn’t for her, but irrational fears dictated she at least feel threatened. Forgetting her embarrassment, she quickly looked around them, seeing they’d reached the lobby. And then her eyes fell on it. A large, decorated sign hung over a countertop which occupied a corner of the room, curving from one wall to the adjacent other. It read: “ADOPTION CENTER.” Two Amazonian nurses were stationed behind it, all smiles as they waited to bring misfortune unto the next struggling soul. Dawn slowly turned to the other side where an array of seats were set up, half-filled and half-empty. It was something straight from a nightmare. Amazonian men and women, either in pairs, female singles, or even the rare individual male, all seemed to sit with an unmistakable enthusiasm plastered on their faces. The excitement was unbridled, and it only spoke to Dawn’s horror as she saw the tarnished, broken and beaten Littles which in some form sat beside them or in their laps. Puffy eyes, red faces, quivering lips, or downright blubbering, countless Littles of Dawn’s equal stature all lay victim to the Amazons they sat closest to. Some had already been visually tortured, as they were dressed in bright, neon colors which accentuated the padded bulges they helplessly tried to hide behind their clothes. A few girls donned skirts that cleverly stopped just short of the full diaper’s length, meaning Dawn like many others could see a sizeable chunk of white peeking from between her legs. It was quite shocking to realize that one of those supposed girls was actually a male… Others weren’t as unfortunate, but if they were there to begin with, the immediate moment didn’t matter much. They were all headed for the same fate, after all. Some Littles looked to be fresh out of work; dressed in business attire or laboring clothes. Dawn could only imagine the horror, or very well relive it. They’d likely just finished clocking out and were headed home, only to be helplessly grabbed as soon as their first foot set out the door. There was one person that albeit looking quite crestfallen, was mostly normal. All except for the glaring, dark stain on the front of their pants. A quite smug female Amazon was sitting next to him. She could only imagine what had occurred between them… “You people put a goddamn adoption center in your police station?” Dawn quietly whispered, so not one of the lingering Amazons might try and take up a second charge… Katherine seemed a bit bothered when Dawn spoke, though. Did she really find her disbelief that strange? “Dawn, sweetie, could you please not use that kind of language?” She nearly became wide-eyed, hearing that. Here they were, staring at an institutionalized instance of legal slavery, and Katherine was more concerned about what came out of Dawn’s mouth? Her face was mostly blank, namely because she couldn’t think of anything other than a poker face to keep her emotions in check. After a deep sigh, she said it again, only with a filtered tongue this time. “Why does a police station have an adoption center in it?” “Oh, they’re not as uncommon as you think,” she chuckled. Did she not understand Dawn’s horror to see something like this? “They have them in a lot of public service buildings. Police stations, firehouses, hospitals, postal centers, and some are standalone, even.” Unbelievable. So all you needed to do was grab the nearest Little within five feet and walk an extra ten to your nearest adoption center? The roots ran much deeper than Dawn had anticipated, considering the tour she’d been on had oddly enough avoided sights like these. Maybe because they knew it’d scare so many people off the tour… Considering how Stacy spoke, they were much more interested in a voluntary enslavement from its victims. Just being near the spectacle sent a whole new wave of jitters through the girl. Though, she was just about ready to hyperventilate again when they walked towards the desk. “No, you can’t, you tricked me, didn’t you?!” She desperately clutched Katherine’s shirt, already breathing quickly. “No, no, Dawn, sweetie, I promise, you’re okay!” Katherine kept trying to shush her, but Dawn wasn’t having any of it. How could this not be what it looked like? Rather than making for the exit, they were instead taking a detour to the adoption center? “James just needs to sign us out, okay? See?” She kept trying to coax Dawn out of her shell, who was busy testing the “out of sight, out of mind,” mantra, but the danger felt no less imminent. “Please, sweetheart,” Katherine continued to whisper in Dawn’s ear. James looked over his shoulder, concerned, but seemed a bit more at ease as he saw his wife set out to work. “We’ve only kept your best interest at heart this whole time, and that hasn’t changed. Just trust us, okay? See? James is just signing us out!” It took Dawn a second to realize she was being bounced the ever slightest, the kind of reassurance she wasn’t looking for. She did follow Katherine’s finger though, and her story did seem to match James’ actions, as he handled a pen and paper on the desk. “Whenever it’s a Little related issue, you always sign out through there at the station. Whether you’ve been adopted or not.” Katherine then called over to her husband. “James, is it okay if we go wait in the car, now? I think Dawn is feeling a bit uncomfortable here...” That was an understatement, and if it didn’t delay them any further, Dawn would’ve made it explicitly clear she was downright uncomfortable. With each passing moment, she couldn’t wait to get back to Earth… James and the nurse had exchanged a few words, both too far and too quiet for Dawn to pick up on. Both turned their heads to Katherine and Dawn. James gave them the typical thumbs up, whilst the nurse flashed a toothy smile, waving her hand. Dawn had a feeling who it was intended for, and she didn’t like it one bit… “Okay, off to the car!” As if to be happy in Dawn’s stead, Katherine cheered as she continued to bounce her charge while they walked outside. The sliding doors let them through, and the pair were enveloped in a midday sunlight. “How long has it been since I passed out?” Dawn rubbed her eyes, trying to adjust to the sunlight. “Maybe a good two hours, I think? Was your nap good, at least?” “I wouldn’t call it a nap...” Especially when you’re forced out of your waking state. She didn’t even dream. It was essentially a blackout. She’d lost time and had nothing to show for it. To her, the entire ordeal maybe lasted fifteen minutes at most. As soon as she fell asleep she seemingly woke up right after in Katherine’s arms. She couldn’t help but notice the world around her kept rising and falling. “Could you please stop bouncing me?” “Did it at least help you calm down?” She wasn’t speaking mockingly. Condescending, but Dawn felt that would be a terrible habit of hers she’d likely never curb. Her concern was genuine, but Dawn didn’t want to help her curate her soothing tactics, lest she try and use them on the girl later down the line. “Can we please get in the car now?”

Thank ya kindly for the comment! I'm hoping you'll find the twists and turns exciting! Thank you! I'll try to push out another chapter soon. Thanks, I hope you continue to enjoy ?

Truly the Devil's servants in disguise. And who knows...the goats may strike with a vengeance... To be continued! I'm sorry to keep you waiting ? I'll try harder in the future, but I also plan to be writing for Illegal Immigrant now, as well, so thank you for your continued support on my projects!

The poll has spoken! Thank you to everyone that took the time to read those three samples from an earlier post, as well as voice your opinion by voting. I'm going to try my best to balance the two, but now begins a second series: "Illegal Immigrant," a diaper dimension tale! Also, for those of you that wanted to see the other two stories instead, that probably won't be the last you see of them! One for instance has a decent amount of chapters anyways, so they're definitely stories with potential. But until then, let's take a trip into the diaper dimension and get crackin' on this side of the universe. Please enjoy, and let me know what you think! Illegal Immigrant 1 - Welcome to Libertalia “Hello~ again my favorite little munchkins!” The tour guide dressed in her bright red lipstick cheerily sounded off through her mini microphone attached to a speaker on her waist. “Again, Libertalia would like to thank you all for participating in one of its many enriching and wonderful tours. We’re always interested in letting in Portal Littles, so if by the end of this tour you are interested in a longer stay, please don’t hesitate to speak with our support desk!” The way she feigned her upbeat attitude was pathetically obvious in the eyes of the many visiting Littles, but especially Dawn. Even still, her upbeat attitude only added to the layers of mystery this dimension had, and admittedly aroused her morbid curiosity. The Amazonian woman had taken them quite a distance around the large city, though relative to Dawn’s size it may as well have been an entire state in itself. Given the brief mentions of politics along the way though, it pretty much was anyways. Nevertheless, Dawn was still trying to fully grasp that she was spending a portion of her college break in another dimension. Admittedly, it was sort of on a whim. Then again, it wasn’t. In fact, the tourist agency had come to her. All it was, was a seemingly harmless postcard in the mail, and of course you’re going to doubletake when instead of it being junkmail it’s an offer to visit a totally different dimension. Looking back on it, it was kind of luck in itself that she even read the damn thing, much less take it seriously. After drinking a few beers and a ‘why not?’ and ‘what the hell?’ later, she figured she would see how deep the rabbit hole went, but never expecting to get what was actually advertised. People practically three times her size, coexisting with people just about hers in a separate, humongous dimension! Looking back on it, just about everyone in the tour group needed a good hour to fully digest that part. The realization was jarring; finding that you, an adult, who sat at the top of the social food chain, was now suddenly kicked back to the bottom by a dangerously large margin. Seriously. Dawn didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when she saw her first “Amazonian” toddler, who had a few inches on her! Yes, no matter where you go here, “Portal Littles” feel incredibly small. And that’s what she was. A Portal Little. Anyone about her size here was considered a Little. Grown adults that never seemed to look taller than about 5 or 6 feet. That’s how they described it at the briefing, at least. But if you asked Dawn, she’d say only 5. And not like she had any hard evidence, but she couldn’t help but feel as if she were a little shorter now since crossing the portal… Crazy and unfounded, she knew, and especially impossible to tell with these staggering size comparisons to giants, which of course would make it impossible to tell whether you had a few less inches or not. Their tour guide, Stacy, started speaking again. “In fact, if you would like I can take hands right now for those who’d be interested?” She looked to be eagerly waiting for countless takers, but not a single hand was raised. “D’awwwh, come on guys, don’t be shy!” She snickered. “I know there’s a few of you who are interested...” Still, no one volunteered. How could she expect someone to trade their livelihood so willingly? People who have spent 20 to 30 years of their lives, still underway in a dimension they knew as home; how could a 3 hour tour convince them to throw all of that away? It was probably part of her job, but the attitude she had certainly wasn’t. Dawn looked at her from the way back of the group with slightly narrowed eyes. Was she stupid? “Suit yourself!” She huffed and puffed. “You’ll have a chance to change your mind by the end of the tour. And let me remind you to please stay close! If you get lost along the way it’ll bring up some...complications.” It was the one time she sounded as if she were intentionally hiding something, and given that she was the one person everyone here could consider trustworthy, it was a little unnerving. “Tabith--Mommy, please! You can’t do this to me! I have a job, a home, a car, a boyfriend; you can’t take that away from me!” A clearly distraught woman sounded as if they were on the verge of tears, which had a few foreign heads turn their way. It was one of the glaringly unpleasant parts of this dimension. A woman maybe a little taller than Dawn stood shakily in front of the giant which towered over her. Despite her moderate lipstick, modest eyeliner, well-done contour, with her hair tied into a neat, clean bun, it came as a sharp contrast to her bright blue denim overalls with a shamefully obvious bulge hidden underneath. What’s more, it looked as if she were wearing a giant ladybug backpack, but it stopped seeming that way once you could see a long strap from it feed into the Amazon’s hand. It was a fucking leash. In spite of their wonderful technology, architecture, ecosystem, environmental policy,and healthcare, this was the one thing that ruined this dimension’s perception of paradise. Dawn watched on with a sense of guilt and sorrow as she didn’t move any further. The guides were explicitly clear not to interfere with stuff like this, as it was just “how things worked here.” Dawn didn’t know what scared her more: the fact that people like this couldn’t be saved, or that anyone that tried to help couldn’t be protected. People here were encouraged to be bystanders, and that only magnified the corruptness of it all. Now she could at least say she’d been to the Twilight Zone… “Now, now, my little tot,” the ironically plump woman knelt down to face her new charge a bit better. She looked like a predator sizing up its prey, clearly for sport, as it looked as if she’d long since won the chase. “I think it’s high-time we put that all behind us now, hmm? I’ve got big plans for my special little girl, and they do not involve anything as worrisome as adult responsibilities.” She ruffled the top of her hair, which made the Little take a few steps back on reflex, accompanied by a whimper. This clearly annoyed the Amazon though, as with a sharp tug on the child leash the woman was thrown back forward a few steps and involuntarily fell on the Amazon’s knee for support. “Whoopsie! Those diapies sure give you a waddle, huh?” As if the sadness were seething through her teeth, and the woman’s cheeks looked hot, she helplessly pleaded. “Please…!” The Amazon only sighed though, dismissing the girl’s emotional ruin. She hoisted her into the air and had a firm hold on her, with the Little flailing her legs, shouting for help. “I figured I’d at least give you a chance to walk on your own, but at this rate the adoption centers will be closed before we even get there.” She suddenly gave an annoyed look, and you could hear the sharp slap of skin to skin contact. She then looked away for a moment then back to her, as if tragedy had befallen her charge when she wasn’t looking. “Aww, what’s the matter sweetheart? Why are you crying? Is that wittle laxative from earlier upsetting your tummy? There, there, we’ll make it all better soon...” As the helpless Little whimpered, the pair walked off, fading into the crowd, whilst everyone in the tour group wordlessly watched them walk away. “What the fuck even was that?” “They were actually serious about kidnapping?” “Can they really just take people?” “Hey, they, they can’t do that to us too, right?” “Now, now, everyone!” Stacy shushed the frightened atmosphere with her still upbeat tone, as if the horrifying display hadn’t even fazed her. And in all honesty, that could very well likely be the case. Whether she partook in such inhumane practices or not, living in a society that normalized it was sure to desensitize you. Though, Dawn was curious to see how exactly she’d try and address what they just saw… So much for her hopes of volunteers. “We have plenty of other sights and shops to see, so we need to keep a tight schedule! Come along now!” She beckoned to the group like preschoolers, and a few pairs exchanged awkward glances, trying to digest how she’d totally disregarded the public kidnapping. “Uhm, Stacy?” Dawn called from the back of the pack. Surprisingly she was heard, as Stacy turned her head. The way she smiled was almost unnerving. “Aren’t we gonna talk about what we just saw?” Dawn didn’t know if she really was stupid or just a terrible liar. Her response was stupefying. “See...what?” The way she drew out her response was a testament to her obliviousness. “That someone was just kidnapped? That Amazon just took a person! A...” what was it again? “A Little!” The existence of two separate terms was terrible in itself. It proved there was a social hierarchy in all of this, which made the problem so much worse. “Oh!” She chuckled. She chuckled? “You mean that adoption? I mean, I suppose she was acting a little fussy, but other than that…?” The way she curiously smiled, as if Dawn were the fool for pointing it out, simply made the Portal Little drop the topic from there. It was almost a sixth sense, triggering when you interacted with only the most ignorant of people; the kind that spewed words like airhorns and filled their ears with cement. It was another endless rabbit hole of bewilderment, equating kidnapping to “adoption.” “Oh! Look at the time! We already a few minutes behind schedule. Come along, everyone!” She waved her hand and set forth their march, with most people certainly caught in a mix of emotions. As well, the Littles seemed to be sticking a bit closer together than they were before… As nice of a place as Libertalia seemed, excluding their babying culture, it was a bit hard to really enjoy at times when the tour guide leading you through it all had a gait two to three times as large as yours. Her lack of consideration was admittedly surprising, given how she like many others seemed to view Littles as borderline children. You’d think they’d be given a little more patience with the faster walkers. It was a mystery why she was still treating them even like pseudo-adults when taking her personality into account. They were all creatures of the Leviathan; beasts withheld by the rule of law, which even then seemed to be such a loose restraint. “And if you’ll all look to your right, you will see one of Libertalia’s finest parks; free to the public at any time of the day!” In the middle of the city it seemed like somewhat of an oasis; a large patch of green grass, trees, a fountain, and of course a playground, all sanctioned by stone walls which were as tall as Dawn, so in other words the perfect height for an Amazon. It was another unspoken, annoying undertone to this society. Yes it had the glam and glamour; all the bells and whistles, but all those benefits were geared towards Amazons. For Christ sake, even the hotel room she was staying in was meant for an Amazon! When she wanted to go to bed, use the sink, brush her teeth, she had to move around her personal footstool, everso “generously” provided by the hotel. So to call this place wonderful was unfortunately a great matter of perspective. From the distance she could see another infantilized adult going down the slide. What she hated to admit the most was that there were accommodations for Littles here, only that they were intended for an age bracket of a much more childish mindset. That seemed to be the Common Little’s struggle here. They were shunned for trying to tread where the Amazon’s might, and thus were like a bunch of circles jammed into a square-socket as they try to fill it out like their diapers. Dawn wasn’t going to claim she knew how everything worked here, but the signs on the surface were telling enough. “Alright, everyone, please be extra careful!” Right as they reached the end of the block, Stacy spun around to face them all, looking stern. Dawn rolled her eyes. They went through the same routine each and every time they crossed the street. Did she think they had personal chaperones their whole lives before coming to this dimension? “Be sure to look both ways before crossing the street, alright? Now come on, everyone, grab a hand!” She was the first to start the chain that only she saw the unnecessary purpose in. Begrudgingly the closest tourist had to take her hand, and then the next closest to take theirs, and so forth. Even Dawn did so with another guy seeming equally as annoyed. Naturally the first time she said this everyone thought she had a few screws loose, but it was the first of many signs that she truly did consider them as something less of an adult. That, and she’d already kicked a handful of people off the tour for not listening to her condescending ways. Yes, she was difficult to work with, but the embarrassment and hoops were enough to endure if it meant being able to experience a different dimension. She thinks, at least. “Alright let’s get a move on!” She made an exaggerated turn and glance to first her left and then her right, then like a livestock crossing they marched across the street. As silly as it was though, there was some solace in that a united front kept the Amazons from trampling over you. Unfortunately, that wasn’t something Dawn could deny as intimidating. Everytime she made a close call by colliding with the shins and knees of one, they’d give the same kind of smile that repulsive woman from earlier would. She’d try to usher along, but their gaze would linger from behind for an uncomfortably long amount of time. “Oh honey, look! It’s a group of Portal Littles!” Dawn’s unfortunate ears picked up the conversation parallel to them on the wayside. The excitement in her voice sounded chillingly ulterior, given what they’d just seen. Dawn didn’t know whether it was from paranoia or not, but the tiny hairs on her stood upright. “How would you know that? Don’t all Littles look the same?” Dawn tried to keep looking forward. She wasn’t keen on being a conversation piece, especially when they probably knew very well she could hear them, along with many others. Then again, it was probably more along the lines of that they didn’t care. “Just look! See? That’s an official government tour guide! Since when do they do tours for natives? And see that? They don’t have any parents!” Dawn tried to walk a little faster. She dared not look back at them. Eye contact was the last thing you wanted to make. She’d had her fill of awkward exchanges for one vacation. “Oh! And that one, see her?” It could be anyone, just relax. “Which one?” God, they couldn’t actually be fucking scouting right now, could they? They can’t take foreigners, right? Right? “The one with brown hair, wearing the jeans? Such a cute bum, too!” Dawn nervously panned her eyes to the left, then right, locking eyes with an unfortunate soul, though ashamedly feeling her heart beat a little less once she knew it wasn’t her… Something similar must have been going on in the woman’s head though, because the brunette in jeans seemed stunned as she looked ahead, obviously trying to dig herself deeper into the pack. She had been listening too, and looked a moment’s away from crumbling if they got any closer. “Ooh, why haven’t we gotten a Little yet, James?” The female Amazon sounded frustrated as her golden prize seemed to drift away. Dawn silently rooted for the fellow tourist as she could see her keep moving to the front. “They’re opening that new daycare a few blocks down from the house, anyways! Come on, don’t you think this is a sign?” It was a mix of anger and fear to hear herself be regarded as goods you could simply go and “get.” It further solidified all the worsening conclusions Dawn was reaching in this place. “Kath, I know you’ve been wanting one, but...” The way he tried to diffuse the situation obviously wasn’t out of sympathy for the poor Little that might be enslaved by his wife, rather, a desire to maintain the “happy wife, happy life,” mantra… “We really haven’t planned everything out? There’s plenty of agencies to adopt, but we need furniture first, don’t you think?” ‘Kath,’ the wife of the couple Dawn kept listening to, even ignoring Stacy’s spiel over, went on to scoff and say, “You say this everytime!” And if only he could keep saying it for just a little longer… Were they really going the same way? “I want to grow our family, James, and you know we’ve been talking about it for months now. Don’t you think it’d be nice?” Even if it wasn’t Dawn’s place to answer, no, no she didn’t think so. “There’d be a little tush toddling around the house; someone to dote on, care for. Didn’t your mom say she was looking for grandkids, anyways? I want to be a mommy, honey! And I’m sure you’d make a great dad, too!” ‘James,’ Dawn thought it was, simply exhaled; the kind of exhale that Katherine (which Dawn assumed was her name) could consider a strikingly positive one, and Dawn the exact opposite. “I suppose we can start looking to adopt.” A happy, yet sinister squeal escaped his wife as her husband apparently said all the things she wanted to hear; a beautiful symphony directed by the tongue and mouth, though to Dawn a screechy, rough and scratchy jargon of displeasing cacophony. And like that, it was predetermined that at random some poor soul would be abducted by these two maniac “aspiring parents.” “I love you so much! I just know we’ll be great parents!” She giggled, while Dawn gagged. “Oh! But I want to get a Portal Little.” She sounded oddly adamant, and Dawn felt herself tense up a little. “I don’t see why not, but why’s that?” “Think about it, honey,” she started to seem somber, though Dawn regarded it as one of many masks the beast could portray. “Haven’t you heard about their dimension? There’s no Amazons! All the poor things...who’s supposed to take care of them? What happens when they need to be fed, clothed, changed, cleaned...” Each and every supposed problem she listed off seemed to have dropped the weight of the world on her shoulders more and more, as she slowly talked herself to tears. “What if they have a nightmare?” Dawn blinked her eyes. That. That is what puts her over the edge? The Amazon mindset couldn’t have been more ignorant to the world of “Littles.” She hated using the term, because there were no “Littles” where she came from. There were just people. “Honey, I’m sure they manage just fine though...” Yes, James, they most certainly do. “You know that’s not true!” Katherine was starting to sound more and more emotionally invested. Just how passionate could the women be here? “Don’t you see how native Littles are here? It makes me worried sick when I see one without an Amazon, because they won’t have anyone to fall back on when something does happen to them. They’re just barely getting by! How do you expect an entire dimension of them to do just fine?” Dawn was ready to rub her temples, this was so idiotic. She wasn’t totally focused on what was happening in front of her though, because she realized a few seconds too late that the person in front of her had stopped and soon so did she once she collided with them. Stumbling back, she fell onto her bottom for a moment. Obviously, she was fine, as she tried to stand back up. “Oh, sweetie, are you okay?” An all too familiar voice started to speak with urgency, and sounded to be getting terrifyingly closer. Before Dawn could fully react, a pair of Amazon hands were already setting her upright. The grip was like iron, but was somehow a soft, gentle touch. A padded prison was the best way she could describe it. Dawn worriedly looked back to Stacy and the group, which seemed to be viewing another landmark, meaning Dawn at least had some time to finally shoo these two away. She turned her head back to who she imagined was Katherine, now seeing her for the first time. And it was likely her paranoia, but it was as if she could see the woman’s eyes twinkle as soon as they stared into each other... A light red head of hair, ending at an upright curl along the edges, reaching just above her shoulders, she wore a not too bad looking dress which reached her feet, and unfortunately because Dawn couldn’t ignore it, somehow contained her Amazon-sized breasts. Seriously, it was like she was sporting two Little-sized heads. The inner tips of her brows were pointed upright as she was obviously worrying over Dawn’s wellbeing, which was certainly doing well without her. “Uhm...I’m fine, thanks.” There wasn’t much gusto to her voice. Frankly she was a little afraid to talk back to an Amazon...and unfortunately after seeing that business woman from earlier, she believed the fear was well-placed. Even still, the woman ignored her as she could feel herself be pat down, likely getting the dust and dirt off that was never there to begin with. “Promise no boo-boos?” Katherine asked with a smile. “Nope. None.” Dawn answered much more plainly. “What’s your name, sweetheart?” She looked curious. That was the last thing Dawn wanted. Attention here was a dangerous thing, and she highly preferred keeping her head down and feet close to the ground. “Oh! Is this it right here?” Her eyes followed the obvious tell stuck to Dawn’s shirt; a sticker with Amazonian-grade adhesive, clearly labelling Dawn’s name in big, bold letters. “DAWN.” She had tried removing it earlier, but the thing wouldn’t budge! Every day if she wore something new she’d need to get a new one, and unless she could get an Amazon to remove it, she’d just have to hope that she didn’t like that outfit too much… “Dawn, that’s a very pretty name!” No, really, is it? “It’s very nice to meet you, Dawn,” she carried on the conversation anyways. “My name’s Katherine, and this is my husband, James!” Dawn practically felt like a child the way she infused such enthusiasm with the most simple of facts. Her husband truly did look like the peak of Amazonian genes, what-with him standing tall, clearly with a decent amount of muscle, and short, blonde hair. Unlike his wife, he didn’t seem to be fawning over a complete stranger, other than looking on curiously. By extension, it was a little frightening to think what might happen if she got on his bad side... “So, a little birdy told me that you’re a Portal Little, huh?” What did it even matter? Dawn tried to take a step back at subtly as she could. “Y...Yeah. What about it?” “Well, how do you like it here?” She gave a sincere smile, but it only put Dawn on edge even more. “It’s, uhm, colorful. Really, colorful.” “I’m happy to hear that,” she chuckled. “What’s your favorite part?” Were they seriously doing twenty questions right now? She had no desire or want to be interviewed by some woman looking to shop for a foreigner, but was admittedly afraid by what might happen if she try to cut it too short… “The vegetation.” It was the fastest thing she could think of, though not a complete lie, and trying to sound sophisticated. Maybe if she set herself apart from this woman’s delusions she might get out unscathed? “Oh, I like the trees and plants, too.” But did she really? It wasn’t exactly uncommon for an adult to pretend to take an interest in a kid’s likes, which was a strategy Dawn had a sinking feeling was being used against her. “We have a biiig garden at our house!” The way she stressed the size came along with expanding hand gestures. “That’s, er, really great. Homegrown food is always nice.” Dawn glanced behind her, hoping the group hadn’t left her behind. This was getting a little too close for comfort. “How long have you been here for?” “A week...just about.” Only now was she starting to think telling her all this information might be a bad idea… Though, how incriminating could her likes and dislikes be? “Today’s my last day.” Thankfully, she almost added. Had she been put under the spotlight like this any sooner, Dawn didn’t know if she could keep it together until the end of the trip. If she could fall under the Amazon’s radar so soon, then that’d mean there was plenty of more time to happen again... “Oh, really?” She almost sounded disappointed. Dawn smiled a little, still playing to the opposite end of the spectrum, quite happy of this fact. “Yep! We’re on our final tour, then we leave in the morning.” “Do you not think that it gets lonely, though?” Dawn raised her brows. “Lonely how?” “Not having any Amazons there? It’s only Littles, right?” “No, it’s neither,” Dawn sharply corrected, seeming borderline offended. “There are no Amazons or Littles. Just people. We all get along fine without the sort of practices you guys have here.” “But who takes care of you?” She genuinely seemed not to get it, and that annoyed Dawn even more. It’s like she was filtering out anything that didn’t agree with her sense of bias. Maybe if she weren’t looking through such a rose-tinted glass, she’d find that all Littles aren’t as one-dimensional as her ignorant people come to think… Of course all of this made her bitter; only able to think of good comebacks rather than saying them. Dawn considered herself smart, but she wasn’t brave, not at least in the face of two giants. And next thing you know, she’d probably start asking how she gets to the bathroom on her own. That’d be a whole lecture in itself. Needless to say, she wasn’t keen on sticking around for that part. “Listen, really, I don’t think we should be doing this,” Dawn tried to put the brakes before she said something she’d regret. The way the Amazon cocked her head to the side, looking innocently confused really helped seal the deal. “I’m not interested in comparing dimensions. You clearly have your views, and I have mine. It was nice meeting you, but I really need to get going now.” Dawn didn’t wait for an answer, and was honestly a little afraid of the consequences as she spun on her heel and moved back in with the group. She took her first step, second, then third. So she really could just walk away like that? She grinned a little, feeling an insurmountable confidence boost. Maybe Amazons weren’t as tough as she thought? She snickered. It took a few moments, but Dawn was lucky to be reunited with the group that kept marching onwards. Meanwhile, Katherine and James lingered there for a few moments longer as she got back to her feet with a sigh, brushing off the front of her dress. ”You alright, hon?” He asked compassionately, then eased off the pleasantries when it wasn’t about his wife. “She didn’t seem too friendly...” “I’m fine,” she weakly smiled. “I just think she was just a little scared of me… Where she comes from there aren’t any Amazons, after all.” Somberly, she reflected on her last comment, probably in a way Dawn would’ve despised. Before she could watch the girl go for any longer, she spun to fully face him with an exaggerated, selfish pout. “But you saw her, didn’t you? Ugh! And I thought the brown-haired one looked cute! Dawn looked so precious I can’t stand it! All the cute little things I could do with that hair… She looked like a porcelain doll! I wish we could’ve adopted her...” She looked once more at the one who got away, and was already feeling the return of a misery she’d just forced a lid over. Sometimes life truly just wasn’t fair... James remained quiet as he passively tapped his foot, thinking. “You never did ask her directly? There’s still time, you know?” Katherine was still quiet. She’d never felt so attached from a mere glance, and severing such a bond was too painful for her to bear. Is that why Amazons were always so insistent on adopting on the spot? She hated telling her heart no, as it was in the middle of its own tantrum, and it pained her to no end. “Well...we could always just take her?” Katherine then despite the dreary mood, stared at him, almost incredulously. “She was hanging at the back of the group, and people do it everyday? I can’t imagine it’d be hard since that’s how most adoptions are done nowadays.” Strangely enough, her husband’s suggestions actually made his wife seem hopeful, but then she looked crestfallen again. “No, that wouldn’t be right. Maybe if she were a native, but we don’t know what we could be taking from her as a Portal Little...” “Didn’t you say it yourself? It’s a dimension of exclusively Littles?” “Yes, but...” “Didn’t you also say that you wanted to adopt her? I can’t imagine a world run by Littles is exactly paradise, hon. I’m sure with enough time anybody could come to love a place like Libertalia, even someone like her. Not to mention she’d be a lot safer here than where she’s coming from now.” They were both quiet for a few seconds. “How...how about we take some time and get to know her for the day?” “But didn’t she say she’s leaving tomorrow? I don’t think she was very happy with me either...” “Katherine, you’re much more likable than you give yourself credit for,” he chuckled. “We’ll have her back where she needs to be if she does say no, then.” She still seemed on the fence, and he desperately wanted to give her clarity. “Hon, I can’t guarantee she’ll say yes, but I want to give you a chance at this. I have been a little apprehensive about having a Little…” his hand suddenly found hers, “but if it’s something you really want, then I want it too.” He looked at her with rock-solid determination, and it was enough to crush her indecisive-self entirely. “Oh, James!” She pulled her husband into a tight hug, then looked back ahead with a little more excitement. He truly was the wind beneath her wings, and whenever the sun may not shine, he’d be right beside her like a glowing beam! “Let’s hurry before they go!” It wasn’t a sure shot, but the opportunity made her want to stay hopeful. She didn’t know how, but she was positive she could convince her! From all the parenting books she had read, she knew it was never an easy adjustment, for a Little, but there was something that compelled her to feel so certain this was destiny. Fate was telling her to take a chance, and she not only wanted to bring happiness to herself and her husband, but as well to a new and special member in the Teller household! Dawn was still in the back in the group, trying to shrug off the weird experience she had just had. Seriously, she’d have a treasure trove of weird things to tell her boyfriend about when she got home… This kind of place was a once in a lifetime experience, meaning she only wanted to see this kind of place once only in her entire life. “Hey, were you alright back there?” Surprisingly, it came from the brown-haired girl, the one in jeans, with also the apparently cute butt… “Yeah...thanks for asking.” As if the fear were still sitting on her shoulder, she peeked behind her once more, and thankfully nothing tipped her off. “The Amazons here are fucking crazy...” “I’ll say,” she sighed. “As soon as I heard them talking about me...” she shuddered. “Can you imagine what they must do to people like us here?” “Unfortunately we’ve already seen some of the stuff they do...” Her eyes wandered to Stacy’s back. “Can we even trust our own tour guide?” “Your guess is as good as mine. I think I’ve had enough hand-holding for every time I want to cross the damn street.” They both shared a laugh as they kept moving. “I don’t think we’ve met, yet? Well, I mean I think we did when Stacy made us do that stupid icebreaker at the hotel, but not, like, officially, officially.” “I’m Heather. You?” “Dawn. Nice to meetcha.” “So what’s the reason you’re on this tour?” Dawn was the first to ask. “Call me weird, but, just to see if a place like this really existed?” She didn’t look so sure herself. “I thought I was reading some tabloid or something when the flyer came in my mail. I really must have been pretty dumb to follow up on it, not thinking of it as junk mail right from the get-go. How about yourself?” Dawn merely laughed. “What’s so funny?” “Nothing, just that our stories are pretty much carbon copies of each other. I had some time off of college, so I figured why not?” “Ooh, college girl, huh? What’s your major?” “English. Partly because I’m a fan of literature...” she almost seemed sheepish over her guilty pleasure. “What do you do?” “I work at a restaurant as a waitress. Nothing too special about it,” she smiled, seemingly content, but Dawn couldn’t help but feel a little guilty, as if she herself were just showing off by comparison. “What college?” “One in Massachusetts? Where’s the restaurant you work?” “Cali,” Heather blinked, and soon her friend did too. “It’s weird, but I guess it kinda makes sense anywhere in the world you could cross through the portal...” “Yeah...” Dawn thought for a few seconds. “Definitely...” “Anyways though, I have had plenty of my fill for this trip. Yeah, it’s nice and all, but there’s too many people at home I’d miss, and I can do without all the predators more than twice my size...” “Totally. My boyfriend probably won’t believe half the stuff I have to tell him from this trip. And if he does, he’ll think I’m a complete maniac for going in the first place!” “Right?” Heather nodded in complete and total agreeance. “It’s like that one saying. What is it? If nobody is around to hear the tree fall, did it actually? That basically sums up this vacation experience.” It wasn’t how it went verbatim, but by no means was Dawn going to judge her for it. It was more her own peeve that picked up on it, though of course she’d ignore them. She was right, though. If you weren’t around to experience something like this, how could you believe it secondhand? “Hey, so, what were those two people talking to you about?” “You saw them?” “Er, yeah… Sorry I didn’t step in. They were checking out my ass and all...” There was a moment of silence, then they both laughed. “No, it’s fine, I understand.” Still, Dawn didn’t like to think how she would’ve been reacting if she hadn’t gotten away so smoothly. Depending on how things went, the difference between a bystander or an active participant could have vastly changed the outcome. “I fell over and the female one was acting like I practically broke my leg.” She could still feel the phantom pats all over her body. “That, and I guess she was a little curious about our dimension.” Hopefully that’s all it was. “They didn’t say anything about me, did they?” The stupid laundry list of questions she was asked by the Amazon came to mind. “No, I think you’re in the clear,” Dawn smirked. She sighed in relief. “That’s good. Still, I can’t get over that. Like, really? Making tiny adults babies forever? Or at least until you get sick of them? How does shit like that even get popular?” “Again, no idea.” Something strange suddenly popped back into her head. “Actually, they were talking about how a daycare was opening near there place, and how it was a ‘sign’ to adopt. Do they really have places for babified Littles?” “Or even worse, a place for Littles and actual babies...” They both seemed to be contemplating equally as heavy thoughts. “Ugh, I’m so done talking about this stuff. Mind if we change over to something a bit more, like, cheery?” For once she looked fully ahead. “By the way, I think we’re kinda lagging behind. Maybe we should pick up the pace?” “Sure, let me just grow another four feet and I’ll get back to ya on that,” Dawn lightheartedly jabbed. It felt nice to finally have someone to talk to this trip, even if it was on the last full day. Heather stole the lead as she walked a little faster, and Dawn took her next step forward, already priming herself for a little jog, but her heart skipped a beat once her next step, expecting to hit the ground, missed somehow quite poorly, lazily launching her leg down. Having an obvious doubletake, only then did she process the shockingly fast motion which had her whisked fully into the air; countless, many feet into the air. She yelped from the surprise alone, and her shout got Heather’s attention, who expecting to find her at her height stared wide-eyed at the spectacle as she tilted her head back and upwards, in what could only be complete and total fear. H...huh? Why...why was Heather so far away? More importantly, why was she so far off the ground? Before she even realized it, adrenaline was seeping into her veins, and it terrified her because her body was realizing a threat before even she could. Did someone pick her up? They had to, otherwise she wouldn’t be so high off the ground! She flailed her arms and legs helplessly, as she was faced away from the perpetrator and was trapped in their soft, yet firm grip. “Heather? What’s going on? Please!” Frantically, and descending into a maddening panic, she shouted her newfound friend’s name, who when turning back simply looked to tremble as she backed away. Why wasn’t she saying anything? She backed away from the evil Amazon Dawn still had yet to see, and backed away from Dawn. But what could she do? A Little taking on an Amazon? Even beyond the lawful restrictions of something so foolish, the biology didn’t exactly argue in the dwarf’s favor either. And clearly Heather realized this as well, as though she trembled and started shaking, something finally must have clicked for her, because she turned 180 degrees and bolted. “No! NO! PLEASE!” At the turn of a dime her worst fears were being realized. She kept wildly trying to turn her head, so much that her neck might snap; hoping to identify the threat. It was too much to process, how a complete and total stranger could instantly condemn her current way of life and jam-pack her into something much more demeaning, devaluing, and dehumanizing. Her heart was ready to burst from the sheer shock of it all. Teary-eyed she kept calling, screaming for help, and it only became worse when the one holding her turned in the opposite direction and by proxy so did Dawn. Full-blown streams of tears rolled down her cheeks as she was so easily whisked away from what she thought was assured security. Her life flashed before her eyes; saying goodbye to all that she had known as adulthood, her old dimension, friends and family. All of it; gone, in one simple fell swoop. “Please, please! Don’t take me!” Her thick voice trembled and struggled to make coherent sentences. In the frantic and reckless pursuit to survive, all she could maintain were her worried and tear-filled pleas. “I’ll do anything, so just let me go, please! Please! PLEASE!” She didn’t even know who she was crying to for mercy, because the weight of the world had hit her so heavily, she stopped processing it altogether. Every moment she stay kidnapped, it was another that meant she stray further from the group; the only people that knew she wasn’t of this world, who had a place, and a life in a totally different dimension. It was almost funny, in a sick and twisted way; how quickly the psyche can devolve in such a short amount of time, given what can be perceived as life-threatening circumstances. Dawn didn’t think this person wanted to kill her, but certainly wanted impose life-changing circumstances upon her, hence the manic panic. As if it’d protect her, or more so that she couldn’t handle it, she sealed her eyes shut, crying harder and harder as she felt the rise and fall of every step her kidnapper took, meaning there was more and more distance between them and salvation. She pushed, shoved and kicked against what held her, but it may as well have been trying to move a mountain. She heard the swing of a door; they entered some kind of building; one further degree of separation that made her panic even more. Then they seemed to stop moving. She was still most certainly being held, but she finally had a place to sit, as she was being pressed into something large and soft. And as everything seemed to stop, except for her tears, she didn’t feel a hair touch her head, and that’s what scared her the most right now. It became the common dilemma of whether or not to fear the punishment itself, or the unknown amount of time it would take for it to strike. Her throat started to hurt, as she couldn’t will herself to beg any further, but for some, irrational reason, she figured if she did stop, then it truly would be the end. “Please...please don’t do this to me…!” Dawn finally opened her eyes, and beyond the tears she could see she was being pressed into not an immovable anchor, but in fact the combination of a woman’s torso and bosom. An Amazonian one, at that. She nervously bit her lip, mutely looking around, seeing that the situation was just as terrible as she had feared. But when she looked up, it was the worst, most terrible sinking feeling she could ever experience. Trapped in its devilish claws, she’d been abducted by Satan himself. “Have we finally finished the waterworks, sweetiepie?” Somehow Dawn found it in herself to keep whimpering, as she looked at who had taken her, and sentenced her to an unspeakable fate. “Wh-why? Why are you doing this?” Her red lips formed a smile, as she looked down on the distraught, ruined Portal Little. The way she smirked, it seemed as if her extra chin did as well, and Dawn could feel the rise and fall of her massive chest, attached to her massive, husky, plump body. Her orange, ginger perm went horribly with her entire look; the exact kind of person you would imagine to be a kidnapper. She adjusted her circle-rim glasses as with her other hand, a long-nailed finger tapped Dawn’s shoulder, who kept wincing with each, innocent touch, but it still made her cry. The demeaning attempts to calm her only made it worse; feeling the bounce to the woman’s knee, as if her hysterics over being kidnapped could be solved with some simple and fun gravity. Clearly she looked beyond Dawn’s cracking composure though, as she went on to coo, “Oh I just knew you were the one at first sight!” The Amazonian stranger fawned and fawned, whilst Dawn further and further felt herself drowning in the recesses of her own mind. “You look like a doll! And from now on you will be! What’s your name, honey bunches?” Then she chuckled in the same, syrupy tone she’d started with. “Actually, it doesn’t matter. From now on you’re going to be Abigail.” She didn’t even pose it as a question, or fish for confirmation. She set a fact into place; carved it into stone. Dawn was speechless, as her worst expectations were being met in full. “Who even...” her voice was quiet, panic-stricken. “Who are you?” “From now on I’m mama, my little baby!” The excitement on her face was close to driving Dawn to madness. A set of fat, wet lips made a mortifying noise as they pressed into her bare forehead, leaving behind a sickening wetness where they touched. It was all happening too fast, as with each and every demand this woman made, she could feel a hammer driving a nail into her; pinning her exactly where this sick and twisted person desired her. She had no name; not one that Dawn deserved to know. No. All she needed to do was recognize who her new “parent” was. But Dawn was too broken to try and resist logically. Bargaining was the only thing on her mind, because if not that, then she would truly have nothing left. “Please...just let me go. I promise I’ll do anything, just let me go…!” “Really? You mean it?” The Amazon looked closely at her with a scrutinizing eye. Dawn, dumbfounded for an endless multitude of reasons, rushedly nodded her head, unsure whether or not to believe in the woman’s promise, but damn-well willing to try. Dawn could almost squeal, and find for once a happy reason to cry as she was set back onto the ground. Was it...was it really that easy? Home! She could go back home! Trying to forget such trauma, she already spun for the door, just now taking stock to realize they were in some sort of public bathroom. “Abigail!” the woman shouted, and Dawn oddly enough freezed on command, despite very much not being Abigail. “We made a deal, didn’t we?” “Y...yes...” What did she want? Wait, why was she calling her Abigail? She looked back to the door for a brief moment, longing for the freedom that was teased right before her. Could Dawn make it for the exit if she just kept running? The woman looked like she had some weight to her...and that massive bag she had could probably slow her down, too… Was it worth squandering her good graces, though? “I let you go, now you need to do a few things for me, sweetheart...” The way she smiled unsettled Dawn immensely, but gulping, she slowly agreed. “Come a little closer,” she beckoned with a hand, and on shaky feet Dawn managed to come a little closer, despite every fibre of her being telling her to make a break for it. The massive bag she noted from earlier was set onto the ground, and it very well looked like it could have been a duffel bag, it was so large. The Amazon got on her knees, and looked to be fishing through it. “And don’t think about making a step for that exit, young lady, or else you’ll have already earned your first spanking.” The threat Dawn had no doubt was sincere, but she was still beyond confused. If she had been let go, why was this woman still acting like she was her guardian? “Ah! Here we are~!” What she produced sent a chill down Dawn’s spine. It was a white, plastic rectangle; folded nice and neatly into its commercialized form. And to ensure no details were left to the imagination, the Amazon happily fanned it out, and Dawn quaked further and further as she fully saw the undergarment in its entire, infantile splendor. “Do you know what these are, Abby?” She asked in a motherly tone, and Dawn quietly pleaded no. She pretended as if she answered. “That’s right! They’re pull-ups! Pull-ups just for you! Aren’t you special, huh?” Slowly, but in a quickening pace she shook her head more and more. “P-p-Please, n-no…!” Dawn had become too much of an emotional and mental wreck to coordinate herself properly, she tried to turn around, but instead fell on the ground, whilst her tormentor watched with sickly enjoyment. “Aww, look at my little tot! It’s okay, honey, I already planned to keep you as a toddler, anyways...” She started to scream once she took hold of Dawn’s ankles, dragging her closer across the tiles. In two simple strokes her shoes were off, and next were her socks so easily plucked. Apparently her constant cries were starting to get on the woman’s nerves though, because looking aggravated, Dawn grew vocally limp when a sharp slap collided with her thigh. She sobbed, feeling as if she’d just been charged stiff by a static shock. It came with such force, it was as if her very core was struck. She maddeningly looked to the woman. “Now that is enough, Abigail!” The violent woman hissed. “I tried to be very gentle with you from the start, but if you’re going to throw a fit over every little thing, I’m not going to be patient with you!” It all suddenly clicked for her. This woman never intended to let her go. They’d never even made a deal to begin with. She was still very well-within this porker’s grasp; dancing in the palm of her hand. This whole charade was all one big game to her… She was just amused in trying to force Dawn into her own submission, and by the looks of it so far, she hated to acknowledge that she was winning. While Dawn thought there might still be a fighting chance, this demon was busy fitting out her ultimate demise... “Now are you ready to listen, or should we move onto that spanking?” Dawn became wide-eyed, unable to imagine the physical force that this woman could pack behind an open palm. It didn’t matter if the punishment were childish; it was a threat of genuine pain. If a slap to the thigh could make her blubber, she couldn’t imagine she’d walk out the same person after a full-blown spanking… The exit already felt so distant now, and everything was quickly reaching an emotionally exhausting point, she’d been expended far too much to fight both battles of escape and preservation, and bitterly found herself needing to make a choice. Dawn merely nodded her head, with her now-messy hair hanging lazily with her downward gaze. “Good.” She smugly smiled. “Now you can prove it to me by taking off those pants of yours.” It was all expected, and the worst was how it was going to happen by her own hand. She was approaching an inevitable demise, and she was powerless to stop it, and in fact become part of the destruction itself. Her final line of defense to her dignity, she tried not to cry too hard when she undid the single button, then finally the zipper. Though of course, she still wanted to try. If there was a voice left in her, she felt compelled to use it. “P-p-please. I just wanna go home!” “Should we switch to diapers then? Is that what you want?” “No!” Dawn quickly shouted, then started to moan and quiver over her reaction. She was trying to negotiate over something she’d been involuntarily subjected to; fighting for agency that’d been unrightfully taken from her. Nevertheless, her jeans fell to her ankles, and her final line of defense was on full display. The Amazon looked quite pleased, as Dawn tried to cover her crotch covered by her pink panties. She knew she was going to lose them, but dear God did she want to hang onto them for dear life. But what stopped her was the absolute fear from how she’d be punished for it. “Now are you going to be good?” “Y-y...yes...” Dawn mouthed defeatedly. “Take them off.” She begged and she begged, falling off the cusp of sanity as at the same time she slipped her fingers into the waistband of her underwear. It was all so strange; so surreal. They didn’t even feel like her own hands, rather, alien appendages invading her privates. And they might as well have been, since her hands were no longer her own; following orders from an absolute monster. She could feel every woven thread in the fabric slip across her skin, afraid it would be the very last time she’d ever embrace such comforting clothes. The self-proclaimed “mama” was simply infatuated with the scene. While Dawn drove herself to a state of total ruin, this woman enjoyed every step of the way, looking to be eating up every morsel of misery and embarrassment. Dawn nearly fell over twice by the time she got her panties off. She was a complete and total blubbering mess. A sick and twisted giggle came from the Amazon as she clasped her over-decorated hands together, leading to the slight jingle and jangle of the gold bands around her girthy wrists. “Abby! You look adorable! Come and give Mama a kiss!” For once Dawn didn’t listen, or at least looked beyond the capacity of processing normal commands, which is why a guiding hand wrapped behind her and nudged her forward, just about knocking her of her balance. She seemed to be stuck in a trance, or was too scared to disobey once she let the large set of lips plant themselves against her cheek. Maybe it was all a devilish ploy to get her pants and panties though, because unknowingly she’d stepped out of them, and it sent Dawn into a new frenzy once they were no longer on the ground and instead in her hand. “Honestly, how did you get by in these flimsy things?” She stretched the panties curiously well-beyond their capacity, and Dawn was just about to stop her until what she was afraid of happened. There was a brief noise of shredding, and suddenly one piece of fabric became two. Dawn looked on quietly as so with her panties, so did her spirit go too. “Whoopies!” She innocently chuckled, holding the torn pair of underwear. “Guess I was right about them not being so great, huh?” Dawn instead looked on in teary anger, biting her tongue to the point it just might bleed. “Well, we’ll take care of those later...” And into the bag they went, Dawn spent her time fully covering her privates, realizing her new and much more terrifying dilemma. “Why are you doing this?” Dawn, finally out of tears, coldly asked. “What do you mean, sweetie?” This beast had the gaul to play dumb. “Changing your undies?” Her eye probably twitched, as she looked at her in sheer disbelief. How could they switch to such extremes so easily? One moment a pure sadist, and the next a doting mother? Or...maybe in the end, maybe they never changed. They were everything all at once at any given moment, and simply their countless layers drifted to the surface in shifts. Dawn then winced, as she looked at her bare thigh. There was already a large red spot from where she’d been maimed, and it further reinforced her fears of crossing this woman. But it all made it so much worse when she coaxed her forward, holding what sent her into a panic from the start. Nowhere near close to panties, and seeing its white, crinkly form, Dawn could see the rectangular padding strain against the plastic backing to it. It thinned into simple paper around the waist; not like the exquisite fabrics she once wore. There were no detailed embroidery on it, and instead smiling butterflies and bees. It was a sick and twisted insult to what she once wore. “Now who’s ready for a pull-up?” The way she held it so expectantly, it was as if she were waiting for her to jump into the damn thing. Dawn didn’t budge, still protecting her modesty, and the Amazon annoyedly sighed. Dawn wasn’t nearly quick enough to react, as with a simple shove she was on her bottom, feeling the cold tiles touch her skin made her shiver. And in her state of confusion, a mix of plastic, padding and paper was snaked around her feet and through her legs. The Amazonian force behind it forced her upright and back onto her feet, as the pull-up fell into place around her hips once it was further tugged upwards. The unusual girth to the crotch forced her legs just slightly apart. She could only blink, feeling the invasive cotton pressed against her crotch. No...she wasn’t. She couldn’t be… The Amazon, meanwhile, squealed with an ear-bleeding delight as she further invaded Dawn’s privacy, running her nail along the elastic bands running over her legs. Dawn was too mortified to do anything. She’d never actually expected it to happen. To happen to her. Dawn looked to her toes, and could see the padding was well-pronounced, curving down and over. She looked down, as if to follow it, all the way until it reached between her legs; curving fully like a dome, the perfect outer shell. She pressed a hand to it, and as soon as she felt and heard the crinkle, fresh tears found their way. “Now why are you crying, Abby?” She continued to pretend as if she didn’t understand. “I thought you liked your pull-ups? Do you really want your diapers back that badly?” “I DON’T WANT ANY OF IT!” Already on death’s door, she saw little reason to restrain herself any further. Her voice had already been through such trial and tribulation, though, it came out raspy and weak. The Amazon looked to be winding up for another slap, and from the threat alone it made Dawn snap into two, as she fell to her knees, sobbing. The slap never came, and all there was was the crinkling from Dawn’s new underpants. “I can’t be a baby! I’m an adult! Why can’t you see that?” She shouted in a disoriented slur, eyeing the Amazon with such malice, but from the outside looking in, it was probably nowhere near as fierce as she’d of hoped. She was already preparing her next string of insults, but that time would not come to pass, as a silicon bulb was forced into her mouth; first her freedom to the bathroom, and now to speech. What more would be taken from her? She tried to scream when the next part happened, but it was impossible considering her mouth was no longer hers. The bulb to the appropriately-sized pacifier felt the heavy push coming from the Amazon’s finger against the shield, and in tune with her presses, the bulb grew in size. It was at first something Dawn could dance around her tongue, and most importantly remove, but that was quickly becoming not the case. One pump. Two pumps. Three. She felt as if her jaw were going to snap, the pain was so sudden and merciless. She started to gag; unable to breath. It was going to be a quick death, and maybe there was some solace in that. As she struggled, she couldn’t sit still, ignoring the crinkley waddle to her step as she tried to keep herself alive. Or maybe she should’ve been going for the opposite. Maybe death was better than this kind of torture. She didn’t know whether to feel pained or relieved to remember that she could breathe through her nose. It sounded loud and frantic as her nostrils struggled to compensate for the loss of an entire orifice. She tried pulling on the ring of the pacifier, but seeing as the tinier version had slipped behind her teeth, and was now far too large to get past them, the pacifier was effectively locked inside her mouth. It didn’t stop her from pulling a few more times, but the pain caused her to wince, and the jerking motion she used tugged the rest of her body along with it; a testament to how cemented the device was in her body. It’d become an extension of her. “You can have your words back Abby once I think you’re ready to use them.” She huffed impatiently, and Dawn simply resigned herself to a meander. There was no point in resisting. Nothing Dawn could do mattered, as it’d always be a tiny rebellion easily quelled by a means of sheer force. She angrily tugged at the elastic waistband to the pull-up, hoping to at least damage the material, and in some way get back at this twisted bitch. A slap to the wrist made her yelp though, or at least make a noise behind the pacifier, seeing as she no longer had speech. “You are under no circumstances allowed to touch your panties. Got it?” Dawn didn’t know what was worse: the slap, the pull-up, or the Amazon thinking they were still panties. Bitterly, she nodded her head, feeling terribly crestfallen. “Now come on, take Mummy’s hand,” outstretched and waiting for her, Dawn nearly debated further resistance, but a mere split-second was all it took to review what disobedience had got her thus far. Hence why she did place her tiny hand into the much larger one. The only comparison for touch she had was that one other Amazon on the sidewalk. It was easy enough to tell this woman’s grip was much more firm and cared less for what might be on the receiving end of it, but on a sublevel they were in totally different leagues. Neither one was good, but the other was certainly better. “Wait.” What now? What more could she do to the poor girl? The Amazon knelt down to get closer to Dawn, but make no mistake in that she still easily held the high-ground. Dawn was visibly shaking as the hand came closer to her, so terrified that she sealed her eyes shut. Something on her shirt was grabbed and being pulled forward at an angle. She did her best to resist, pulling away from it, which resulted in a noise of adhesive tearing from cloth. Opening her eyes, she could now see what had been done. Slightly curled into the shape of a cylinder, hung the name sticker that was just attached to Dawn’s shirt; the tag that had her name on it. For something she spoke so bitterly of before, now she was feeling quite desperate to have it back, considering it was quite literally the last thing that gave her an identity here. “Please, give it back!” Dawn tearily whined, but it hurt even more when her words came out as mumbles and incoherent murmurs. So quickly she’d forgotten the silicon mass that was occupying her mouth. “Don’t worry, sweetheart,” the woman cooed. “I’ll make sure all your pretty onesies and rompers have your name stitched on them, okay? We won’t need these silly stickers anymore.” And without hesitation she tossed it into the trash bin. Dawn wouldn’t have too much of a problem reaching the top of the bin, but what was much more daunting was to try and reach the bottom. They were all pointless hypotheticals though, because she was already being tugged along again to the exit. Only then did it register she was going outside half-naked. She tried to whine and complain to the woman, to Mama, but all it amounted to was more pacifier gibberish. And even that would come to stop as Dawn earned herself another slap on the thigh, reminding her why she was crying to begin with. “What has gotten into you, Abigail?” She tutted, and wordlessly Dawn kept pointing to her pull-ups. Finally, something clicked for the willfully ignorant beast. “You’re embarrassed about your undies?” Finally! Something got through to her! “Is that all?” Or...maybe not. One to make a mountain out of a molehill in any circumstance, she howled with laughter as she cupped the front of the pull-up and lifted her hand as she squeezed it. Dawn’s heart skipped a beat as she suddenly came off the ground, wrapping her hands around the woman’s arm for security. “But actually, you are walking around bare-footed... And we don’t want those little piggies on the yucky floor, do we? No we don’t!” She kept making syrupy noises and faces, but it scared Dawn, watching as the monster tried to act human. Her posture ended with her legs trying to wrap themselves around her generously-sized torso, and hooking her arms around her neck. Nothing was going to change her pretty pull-up being on full display, but in the Amazon’s words, at least she didn’t have to stand on the yucky floor… The pair leaned over as the Amazon hoisted the large bag back over her shoulder, and Dawn could feel the rise and fall with each step as they neared the exit. “Okay, Abby, now it’s just a short little trip back to the car! Mummy lives in the city next to this one, so we’re gonna have you take your nappy-wappy in the car, got it?” It was all going to happen regardless, so Dawn barely even registered what she was saying. Four words perturbed her especially, however, which was ‘next to this one.’ She was leaving the city, and judging by the suggestion of a nap, she’d be sleeping for at least an hour, which meant at least an hour’s distance from here; from potential safety, as well as from the hotel which would get her home. It was only getting worse and Dawn was running out of ways to feasibly cope. Everything had dealt such heavy blows to her in such rapid succession she couldn’t bear to endure another violent shot to her morale. She jerked a little as her body tried to muster a hiccup, and despite it being the shoulder of her arch-nemesis, she weepily set her head on the woman’s shoulder. “Awwh, already getting started on your nap? Once you wake up you’ll be in your new home! Mummy has all the Little-friendly channels, too! That means lotsa cartoons for my baby girl. Doesn’t that sound fun? Huh? Huh?” Even when she tried to surrender she couldn’t, as with the woman’s incessant coos and the occasional crinkly bounce, shuteye was impossible. If she thought it was all one bad dream, hearing the outside world fade back into the noises she could hear was an unfortunate argument to that belief. It didn’t matter where they were going. Dawn couldn’t do anything about it. She could not struggle or speak. She could only be a spectator to her own demise. And apparently the woman was getting impatient, because she started to pick up the pace. Dawn sullenly watched the ground beneath them, the world covered in a haze as her eyelids were only part way opened. “You there! Stop!” Who was in trouble now? Dawn could only imagine it was another unfortunate Little. So quickly she’d learned the ways of this world though. Now that they were on someone’s radar, they were as good as dead. They were going faster, but clearly the woman’s body wasn’t meant for physical activity, because Dawn could hear her starting to breathe a bit more heavily. Dawn was doing her best to try and pass out; anything to cease this waking nightmare. She knew how this world worked. Enough to know that this was it for her. Somehow, she was inspired to panic again as a finger crept its way into the legband of her pull-up, causing her to squirm uncomfortably. She wanted to whine. She wanted to protest, but it was getting old, constantly remembering she had no ability to speak, so instead all she could do was weep. She winced when she felt the sharp prick on her delicate backside, squeezing the woman tighter for emotional support. It didn’t matter what she was holding, as long as there was something she could take her physical frustration out on. The Amazon went on to massage Dawn’s backside, crinkling all the way. It was all sensory overload at this point. Everything was a blurry mess and she had a growing headache. Maybe some rest would do her good. As the world spun on its axis, Dawn suspended from a chain violently shook from the whiplash. It was getting worse, so much worse. She saw double earlier because she was caught in a daze, but now she was seeing triple. Quadruple. “You! With the bag! Stop!” Amidst all the noise, it was wonderful to hear it slowly dimming into nothing. Her small migraine was fading as so was she. It gave her less of a headache when she kept her eyes shut too. “That’s it, Abby, you must be all tuckered out, huh?” A hand stroked the back of her head, but Dawn was too out of it to think of an insult. How did she know she was tired? Well, maybe she was showing the signs... Processing her surroundings came second to absorbing the calming atmosphere. Her original tight squeeze from having her bum stuck with something sharp was fading into a weak hold. Dawn’s senses were becoming quite limited, because she was tired, of course, but she could feel they came to a sudden stop. “Ma’am? Would you mind stopping to answer a few questions?” The voice was distant and echoey. “Why?” The voice was vicious and defensive. “I found her! I know how things work!” Despite the fire and passion, it sounded even more distant from the first. “I’m going to need you to step over here...” The way the sentence ended, it was just as Dawn heard it. Though it sounded as if there were more words to follow, they never came. Either that, or she didn’t hear them. What she didn’t know however was that no one was lowering their voices. Everyone was quite up close and personal, speaking volumes in commanding and emotional voices. All that changed was Dawn’s perception of the outside world. After all, how could she when in a drug-induced sleep?

??I'm sorry for taking so long! Foreshadowing! This won't be the last we see of Michael and Jackie, and we have yet to see the first of their wife/mother... Another event that shall later unfold! As for the abdl forum, no I'm still posting there (I just forgot and decided to do a double upload come time for the next chapter...my bad.) Thank you for reading and commenting! Awesome to hear you liked it! Lol, when I can't fit the diaper content in I want to try and at least fit in some of the cute/emotional stuff. Thank you so much for continuing to read and give your two cents! It means the world to me! 24 - All is Well? “Told...you...” It was a battle won, but at quite an exhausting cost. Even still, there was a sense of victory running through her fingertips that burned just a little stronger than her repeated panting. “You’re not wrong there,” Joyce gave her hand a bit of a squeeze, and although she was taking a few breaths herself, she wasn’t nearly as winded as the shorter girl. Both were probably thankful to be walking again, but to what degree is where they differed. The question whether Joyce allowed herself to be caught was...neither here nor there. Needless to say, it’s always fun to root for your favorite team. While the hold of a responsible partner kept her tethered, Emily took the time to shift her gaze from side to side.. “Are we even more lost, now?” Emily wouldn’t have seen it, but Joyce was keeping a confident look on her face. “Funnily enough, I think I have a pretty good idea of where we are...” All it took were a few distinct landmarks to figure out where they were.. “They shouldn’t be much further ahead. And also, I’m sure they won’t,” she felt a sudden need to cushion her assurances, “but I’ll make sure they don’t try to ask you about anything...” Emily had almost forgotten her fabricated excuse; the bathroom. God, they’d already taken so long, they might just think she didn’t make it… Anyway, whatever going to the bathroom might entail, it didn’t reasonably cover up 40 minutes of disappearance… “Joyce?” “What’s up?” “I...I think I wanna go back to letting go, today.” She didn’t come to a full-on stop, but she slowed her pace to get a better look at Emily. “Let go...how?” Her last word came with a bit more uncertainty. It wasn’t a total tone of confusion, but rather confirmation. “Like...like how we talked about it in the car.” She took a quiet breath as she collected her thoughts. “Emily, looking back on it, I think what I said was a poor choice of words.” The rhythm of her sandal wedges hitting the ground picked up a bit as her face appeared directly by Joyce’s side. “What do you mean?” “Because it sounded like I was telling you to flip a switch, or, loosen a valve to let a little part of your other self out...” “I mean, it sorta made sense...” Emily awkwardly rubbed her other arm. “Maybe, but I don’t think it’s so appropriate to say right now. You were so out of it at that point, I guess I was trying to suggest anything that might put you in a better mindset. Knowing what I do now, I shouldn’t have forced something like that on you, or given you the idea.” She looked remorsefully to Emily. “As you can see, I’m not so good at flipping switches...” Emily’s lips murmured, trying to tease the right words out of herself. “So, then let’s just stop using switches?” The metaphor was one layer too deep, which is why is somewhat went over Joyce’s head. “Uh, what do you mean?” “Didn’t you say it? It’s hard for you to try and be someone, then force yourself to be something else entirely. So…” there was about to be a dreadful amount of hypocrisy, hence the pause, “...maybe we should stop trying to be two different people. I guess turning valves is sort of a good way to think about it...” her well of wisdom was finally starting to turn up dry. “I don’t know… It sounded better in my head, I guess… Never mind.” How the tables have turned. Just after they’d hopped out of the pan, were they really looking to go into the fire? “...Maybe that’s not a bad way to look at things. But are you sure?” Joyce’s voice hadn’t seemed to find its confidence yet. “That doesn’t sound too different from how I’ve been acting...” Truthfully, she never really felt like she was playing two different roles. Day-in and day-out, it was either being a caretaker, or otherwise suppressing a significant part of herself. It felt like cheating to forcibly change the rules to a field that suited herself. Why should Emily incessantly need to adapt? “I was sort of thinking that...” Slowly she leaned into Joyce’s side, just enough to feel her touch. “I thought it might be easier for you this way…” Another squeeze. “Would it?” The only reply Emily got was a kiss on the cheek, feeling awfully warm and fuzzy, for some reason… “This way not everything has to be totally off-limits...you know?” Emily was clearly on a streak, and a silly part of her cheered to keep it going. “In a way, I don’t think things will change so much either, but at least now we both know how to keep the other in check.” Joyce merely smirked at her. “Are you trying to get another kiss?” Emily balled her fists, skimming them across her dress awkwardly. “N-no...” “Oh...” Joyce said almost disappointingly. “And to think I had another one ready, too...” The cat hungrily eyed the dangling fish, as Emily wordlessly stared at her. The glimmer in her eyes was obvious, as Joyce laughed right before giving her another peck on the lips. “But, if we stop using ‘switches,’ does that mean we’re just Joyce and Emily, then?” It felt weird, saying her own name in first person. Also, given it was Emily’s idea, it was a little humorous how she was asking Joyce for answers. Though, whatever it was that Emily said, it had Joyce looking at her almost incredulously. “Heaven’s no!” she scoffed. Emily was a bit taken aback. “Just when I get you to start calling me Mommy, you think you can weasel out so easily?” “Joyce!” Emily silently warned, seeming incredibly self-conscious. “What if people hear you? And wait, what? Didn’t you say I could call you whatever when we’re...like that?” “I changed my mind,” she spoke with an exaggerated puff from her chest and an impatient ‘hmmf.’ “Now you only get to call me Mommy in our alone time.” This was likely a problem worthy of Emily’s full attention, but she spent the better part of hers checking for onlookers. “F-fine! Just stop saying it out loud! Please!” Joyce wasn’t budging though, still keeping just as stubborn. “Promise me you’ll keep calling me that, then.” “Okay! Okay! I promise! I didn’t…” her panicked flare was quickly replaced with an awkward shuffle. “It’s not like I wanted to stop, either...” she grew quiet as she pouted, looking away. “Is that better?” “Yes, it is...” she tried to hide her smirk, concocting her next plan of action. “But...it’s not good enough.” Dumbfounded, Emily desperately searched for a motive; a clue hiding in Joyce’s eyes. “Is-is this payback for what I said earlier?” “No, it’s punishment for running off.” Joyce waited a second to see her reaction, and was thankful she didn’t seem too bothered by it… The moment still felt lighthearted, and she knew to strike while the iron was hot. “Which is why...” she pretended to think; consulting her imaginary chalkboard of devious punishments and consequences. “Kiss me.” “Kiss you? That’s it?” The regret came immediately after. It was as if Emily were asking for the consequences to be worse, and she only realized that just now. “No--I mean, okay, a kiss, right?” Joyce couldn’t hide her Cheshire grin. “Good point, that does seem a little too easy, doesn’t it? “ She tapped her chin, pondering the depths of her own mischief. “Then...for every second you were gone! I want that in kisses.” “Wh-what? But...that’s...” She paused to think, actually trying to tackle the insurmountable math that it’d take to figure that out. Though, quickly abandoning that. “That’s a lot of kisses!” “Yes, it is.” Finally, the demoness had flashed her true intentions. Trapped in her clutches, Emily had no choice but to pay the piper… Truthfully, she was trying not to giggle herself. “Can...” trying not to laugh, she tried her hardest to play the damsel in distress. “Can I pay it in…*pfff*...in installments?” “Installments?” Joyce couldn’t keep up the act, as she started laughing. “I guess that’s the only sensible way, huh? Okay, though I’m sorry to say that interest rates are awfully high...” Emily gulped. “How high?” “Twenty.” “Twenty a week?!” It was a lot...but at least she could manage… Instead of a simple response, Joyce looked sympathetic instead. “A week? Oh, honey...” She leaned in close for a teasing whisper. “Twenty a day.” Emily’s imaginary hopes were shattered. Like that, a simple loan of a mere few thousand kisses had just been tacked on with a heavy catch. How could she afford something like that? All of her emotionally financial dreams had now become dust in the wind. A leisurely stroll down Snuggle Street? No free love left to pay the toll. Maybe a cushy break at the Cuddle Cafe? And pay with what credit? Maybe at least enjoy herself in the Frolicking Fields? Oh, right. Not when the Bank of JS had seized all of her love and assets. She herself had become an asset, and was now sitting in the purse strings of her owner. “Feel free to pay at your own pace,” Joyce chuckled, continuing the act of the big bad banker. “Just keep in mind until your balance is cleared, though,” she already gave the flustered, yet excited Emily another kiss on the lips. “Those lips belong to me, and me alone!” Emily winced, looking at her with quite the troubled look, whilst Joyce reigned with her oppressive rule. Yet, all it took was another spurt from Emily’s mouth, and the moment was shattered and the pair were both equally laughing just as hard. “What even was that?” “I don’t know, you’re the one who said one kiss wasn’t enough!” “You’re the one giving out punishments!” Joyce wiped a happy tear from her eye. “...I’m glad we’re not fighting anymore.” “Me too.” “Well jeez! There you two are!” The voice was loud enough to not only hear, but break their mutual gaze from each other and draw to the person in question. “Hey mom,” Joyce giggled as best as she could, trying to play off what was surely to follow. “Sorry, we got a little sidetracked...” Mary was already on her feet, clearly waiting for them, meanwhile Frank politely waved, still content with his seat on the bench. “You know, when you ran after Emily, I figured you were trying to make sure she didn’t get lost on her way back from the bathroom? Maybe we should keep you both on a leash...” Joyce and Emily seemed equally as awkward, trying to situate themselves on a blurry line set between guilt and awkwardness. “Hon, can’t you see?” Frank chuckled from behind, and Mary turned to him, though her body language suggested that she wasn’t going to appreciate what he had to say. “Remember when we said they could have some alone time, if they wanted? I think this was their way of...you know…?” “No! That was not it!” Strangely enough, it came from both Joyce and Emily in unison. They even gave each other a weird look for a second. “S-sorry!” Emily was faster, suddenly blurting. Everyone looked at her. “I...after I used the uhm, bathroom,” her face was starting to feel warm. “I...I saw the petting zoo, and I might have gone it for a few minutes...” The way she acted so embarrassed was honestly impressive to Joyce. That is, if only she knew the emotions weren’t fabricated... What came as an unfortunate afterthought though was using up the Petting Zoo as an excuse. So much for going there, now. “Joyce kept trying to get me to leave, but I wanted to keep petting them… So please don’t be mad at her.” At first, all Emily could hear were passing crowds and the distant screeches of monkeys, but soon enough came a pair of laughter. Was it something she said? Frank was the first to speak. “Emily, don’t worry about it, trust me. My wife tends to be a little impatient, at times..” After giving her husband an offended look, she looked to Emily with a much warmer expression. “Frank is right, at least somewhat, Emily. I’m not mad at you two,” she chuckled. “Did I seem that intimidating? I’m sorry. And we did both figure you two might’ve taken some personal time, and I guess you sort of did...” she chuckled, leaving Emily and Joyce in an awkward spot. “Now I know it’s been a rocky start,” with a small groan, Frank pushed himself onto his feet and off the bench. “But what do ya guys say we start seeing some more animals? Though, I gotta say,” he started thickening his voice into that of a poor Australian accent. “This wild bench here is mighty docile, ain’t it?” He looked at all three women, fishing for approving glances. Mary stayed blank-faced, Joyce sort of grinned, but Emily was covering her mouth, leaking with giggles. “Alright, Frank Irwin, let’s get a move on,” Mary ushered with a creased look, but quickly loosened up. “What’s the nearest spot from here?” “I think it’s the bear exhibit right down that path...” Frank kept looking from the map to the real-life road. “What do you say we give it a try?” Bears weren’t exactly high on Emily’s list of wonderful things to see, but she did ask for this, after all. Not to mention, it would be kind of interesting to see… Leaving Joyce and Mary behind, one foot after the other, she increased her pace a little to catch up with Frank. “Hey Frank?” Emily asked. “Hey Emily?” The simple return of her own words was unexpected, which is why she giggled for a second, though tried to regain her composure. “How much did you teach Joyce how to cook?” “How much?” He blew some air from his mouth, staring a bit into the sky, where he kept all his thoughts. “Well, at least a decade’s worth, I suppose?” Joyce had said it herself, but to have it be corroborated by the master himself really set things in crippling stone. How could Emily ever hope to compare to her? “Why?” Frank leaned in, sounding a little panicked. “Don’t tell me she’s gotten rusty, has she?” “What? N-no! She’s really good at cooking! Really...” Frank laughed with his booming voice, tussling Emily’s hair. It’s probably not the affection she would have liked, but she still appreciated the thought. “She may not be as good as me, but I do have confidence in her skills. Has she shown you anything in the kitchen yet?” “Well, sort of,” she could remember it like it was last night. Probably because it was. “Last night we were making stir fry together and she was showing me how she chopped. But like, her hands were like lightning! If I blinked it probably would have been over!” Her genuine fascination got a bit carried away, as Frank started laughing again. “Joyce did pick up chopping a bit quick. Handling a knife in general, I suppose. Are you interested in cooking, Emily?” “Um, sort of, I guess you could say...” “Or is it that you’re interested in Joyce?” His bold question left Emily flustered, trying to give a suitable answer, though embarrassing herself even further. “Relax, I thought that might be it anyways.” “But I still think cooking is really cool!” Quickly, she tried to save face and Frank’s feelings.. “Emily, it’s alright to have other things on your mind” He shortly glanced over his shoulder. “For example, look at my wife,” Emily turned her head to Mary, who was engrossed in her own conversation with Joyce. “Not a single cooking bone in her body! Well, when I first met her. I at least had to teach her the basics...” “She can’t cook?” Suddenly, Emily felt like she’d found herself a brother in arms. “No, I wouldn’t say that. She definitely can, but she doesn’t like it nearly as much as I do. She puts on airs when you guys are around, but she does try to take an interest in the things I like, at least for a little bit. So to see something similar in you...I think that’s a good thing.” Emily tried not to let the compliments get to her head, which is why to keep them at bay she stuffed out another question. “Hey Frank, do you plan on cooking at some point while you guys are here?” “I said it earlier this morning, right? How do you two expect to have a long-lasting relationship without my famous pancakes?” How silly she was, forgetting that the foundation to any loving couple was glued together by the sweet, syrupy taste of Frank’s legendary pancakes. “And also...what food does Joyce like?” While they carried on with their conversation, Joyce and Mary kept one going between themselves. “Honestly,” Mary sighed, looking at the tiny girl and tall man walking in front of them. “Every time we meet someone new, they always just gravitate,” she emphasized the word with her moving hands, “to your dad!” Joyce laughed, though she wasn’t sure what she was really supposed to say. Acknowledge it as the truth and leave her mom offended, or agree, but shame Emily for not realizing the supposed gem her mother was? Well, she was certainly a gem, though, with its own...peculiar shine. Even better, she found a compromise. “Well, maybe Hannah was like that at first, but aren’t you two really good friends now?” “Yes...but so is she with your dad...” Now Joyce knew it was okay to laugh. “...What?” Mary was somewhat smiling, too. “So you wanted Emily all to yourself, is that it?” She went on to speak in a smug voice. “Well sorry, but I’m not giving her away.” Crossing her arms, she looked away from Joyce. “We’ll see...” “But in all seriousness, I think people have an easier time with dad at first because he just seems...” How was she going to put this delicately? “...more approachable.” “What do you mean?” Apparently she stepped on a landmine. “How am I not approachable?” “It’s not that you aren’t...” She didn’t have a smooth transition ready, nor an actual followup to her words. “Anyways,” clearly the conversation wasn’t in Mary’s favor, so she sufficed to end it altogether. “So everything went alright?” “Everything…?” On the surface, Joyce assumed she was referring to the lie they were using, but her sixth sense was telling her that this was ulterior… She kept her voice lowered, just to keep others out of earshot. “I mean, if you’re talking about Emily and the bathroom, yes...that worked out.” “...Alright.” Joyce didn’t like how that sounded. It was as if she knew it was a lie. But how could her mom think it was? Did they give her any reason to suspect? Well, the sudden disappearance might have tipped her off to something a bit more dire...there was no helping that. “Was the petting zoo at least nice? I can imagine, considering you had to drag her from it,” Mary snickered and Joyce slowly joined in her laugh. “It was,” she tried her best to remember if she even saw what was in the pen. No luck, however, which is why she kept her description awfully vague. “They were all so cute! So tiny...and all their...fur...” As her voice lost its footing, Mary kept laughing as Joyce turned her gaze elsewhere. “Very descriptive. I’m sure Emily could give me a better idea, though. Did you even go into the pen?” “Well, no, I was trying to hurry back to you guys...” Clearly it was paranoia, paired with a nervous caution induced by any invasive mother. “Weren’t feeling up to it?” Mary chuckled. “I appreciate you were thinking of me and your father, but don’t feel like you need to trample on her fun in the process, you know?” “I do not trample on her fun!” You’d think she was offended by the way she stared at her mother. All they ever had was fun! If she were lying, let there never be another day where the sun might rise again! Then, the last fifteen minutes of her life was factored in. So...maybe “mostly” fun was a better way to describe it… “What animals did they have there, anyways?” It was an obvious pitfall like this that was a testament to the weakness of their lies. Both Joyce and Emily had managed to paint in broad strokes, but all it took was a fine eye to see there were no details… Unfortunately only Emily knew the real answer, which is why Joyce improvised on the spot. “Uhm...pigs. Piglets. Baby ones?” Mary laughed, and Joyce was quietly tensing up. “Why do you say it like that?” “Like--like what?” Her words came a little rushed. Why was it always so difficult to keep a level head around her mom? “Like you’re not sure? Were they special, or something?” Her presence was starting to feel on the suffocating side, which is why Joyce allowed herself a few inches of real-life and mental distance. “No...just...normal piglets...” “Okay, okay, I’m prodding, I apologize.” She wasn’t, but she was, for all the reasons Joyce couldn’t disclose. “I’ll let you off the hook, but you need to promise me one thing first.” Promises. Joyce had simultaneously made and accumulated a mountain of them, and quite frankly, she was growing tired of accidentally crushing such delicate, precious jewels. Joyce didn’t directly answer, rather substituting for a look that told she was all ears, though somewhat reluctant. Mary’s voice started off lowered, which was most certainly not a good sign. If it was anything but regular, that meant a change in tone; a change from what Joyce had just gotten used to. “Promise you’re going to take her to the petting zoo for real?” She smirked, namely because Joyce looked all but complacent, largely dumbstruck by her mother’s twist. Keep calm. Pretending like she knows everything...she always does this! With the best feigned confidence she could muster, which wasn’t impressive, especially when there was a momentary draw between her actual words and open mouth, she said, “Wh...what do you mean? I just got finished saying we went?” Again, it was another self-acclaimed omnipotent look, one that easily contradicted Joyce’s fabricated front. Then, she dangled her true bait. “If you don’t take her, then Frank and I will~!” Rather than feeling brushed to the side, a small flare erupted from Joyce instead. “Ugh! Why can’t you let me just keep one secret from you?” She’d already abandoned her dying struggle to keep a secret that was bound to be revealed; like now. “Sorry, sweetheart, that just means you need to be better at keeping them!” The distance between them and Emily and Frank had become large enough to speak so freely like this. Mary chuckled while Joyce tried to limit just how much she was seething. “It’s our business! Can’t you just leave it be?” Really! Did the concept of privacy truly not get through to her mother? Who was she kidding...of course it didn’t. She had 32 years of experience to support that claim. Mary stayed quiet as Joyce stared daggers into her, though after enough time her harsh look dampened into aggravation, annoyance, and soon a solemn, troubled one. “Joyce, I’m not going to ask about any more than I think I already know,” she placed a hand on her closer shoulder. “All I think right now is that there was some trouble in paradise, I’m guessing?” She looked to be waiting for confirmation. Joyce answered in a slight mumble. “...maybe...” “Then you shouldn’t be making sacrifices for the sake of appearances, you know?” “I know,” Joyce spoke painfully, hating to feel the same reminder twice. The only reminding it motioned towards was Joyce’s unending tendency to screw things up. “I’m going to assume you’ve patched things over for the most part, which is why you need to work on forgetting what had you two at odds in the first place. Having fun is a good way to do that?” She knew it was and had every intention to chase it. Despite her mother’s invasion, a second opinion in favor of her company wasn’t totally unwelcome... Before Joyce could give a reply, they had caught up to Frank and Emily, who were staring into the thick glass pane which separated them from the big furry beast on the inside. Frank’s figure was a dead give away, but not so much Emily, given all the other people that were here. It was hard to see...definitely harder. Almost as if...as if she weren’t even there? Not again. She seriously couldn’t be up to mischief again, could she? “E-Emily?” Awkwardly, Joyce turned her head both ways, fishing for a response from anywhere. Though she was least expecting it to come from Frank. “Huh?” A black-haired head leaned out from the two tall and iron poles that her dad called his own legs. “Did you call me?” The first reaction was immediate relief, and the second was an amused smirk, seeing her dad somehow made the perfect screen for Emily’s whereabouts. “Yes, I thought you might have ran off again, but I guess my dad was stealing you this time?” “Caught me red-handed!” Frank sighed, holding his hands to display the imaginary evidence. “While you two chatterboxes were taking your time, Emily and I decided we’d go and see what this zoo business is all about! I’m sure you can back me up on that, Emily?” She looked a little surprised to be mentioned at first, but quickly formed into a confident look as she nodded. “What can I say?” ...what could she say? By chance, Joyce happened to be the first thing she saw. “Joyce needs me to get around anywhere. I think she does need a leash.” Everyone but Joyce was laughing, who was instead thinking of all the ways she could enact her own forms of teasing in a much more intimate space… “So are there bears behind here?” Trying to shrug it off, Joyce walked a bit closer, happening the situate herself behind Emily who’d turned back to the glass as well. “I hope so...” Emily passively added. “I couldn’t bear to see them out here with us...” She looked to Joyce as if she needed confirmation, then cracked smirk, making it obvious she was making another silly joke. Instead of laughing, Joyce looked to Frank. “Dad, your humor is funny every once in a while, but could you please leave Emily out of it?” Defensively Joyce placed her hands on Emily’s shoulders. “You guys had 5 minutes together! What have you been teaching her?” “It wasn’t that bad, was it?” Emily looked up again, this time not so humorously anymore. Joyce merely looked at her with a feigned worry. “Oh, you poor thing...” “Yeah, what do you mean? I’ve only been teaching her the best stuff I know!” “Well, hon, your ‘best stuff’ isn’t exactly comedy gold...” Mary said in a low voice. “The only thing about Dad that you can trust are his cooking skills. Anything else and he’s a bad role model...” “I can’t believe you two are double-teaming me!” The distance between Emily and Frank was widened as both Joyce and Mary occupied the spots closest to him, getting in his face jokingly. “That’s because we need to save Emily while she’s still pure! You’re too dangerous to be left with others, hon.” Frank, dumbfounded, merely looked past them and to the smirking, albeit confused Emily, and shrugged his shoulders. “Alright, alright...the matrons of the Summers have spoken! How about we stop making a scene and do some spectating then?” After a few chuckles and laughs, all four were aligned along the display, though to save space Emily was positioned in front of Joyce. “I think he’s sleeping...” “Wouldn’t they go to their cave if they planned to sleep?” “I dunno, maybe Zoo bears work differently...” “You never know,” Mary chimed in. “Kind of like how your dad works differently when he’s in the kitchen?” “...She has a point.” Surprisingly, it was Frank to say it. “Wait! I think he’s getting up!” “Is he?” Emily stared, pressing her palms against the glass; something for balance, given how pressed she was. “No...” Joyce sounded a little disappointed since she just sounded a false alarm. “I think he’s just rolling over...” “I wonder how soft his fur would be? Maybe bears could be trained into being big, giant pillows?” Mary joked, whilst Emily and Joyce silently envisioned a large furry friend stationed in the corner of her nursery. “Time for the next stop?” Joyce was already backing away. “Alright, I think we need a breather...” Frank slowed the group to a stop. It’d already been a few hours since they got there, and true to Emily’s demands, it’d been a non-stop safari from site to site. Only now did she realize that it was probably taking its toll on the older two. After enough birds, monkeys, giraffes, elephants, snakes, bears, turtles, tortoises and more, even Joyce and Emily were still feeling slightly less than 100%. “I’m sorry, I didn’t even think to ask…” Emily remorsefully spoke. “Do you want us to sit down?” “I think Mary and I will take you up on that,” the husband and wife sat themselves on a conveniently nearby bench. “Why don’t you two go see a few more spots while we recuperate?” “Are you sure?” Joyce didn’t feel great about intentionally leaving her parents behind. They were here to visit, after all. “We don’t mind sitting with you guys.” “Now you’re just making us feel old,” Mary waved them off with a ‘shoo’. “Even better, we’ll find us a place to eat while you two are about,” Mary gave a sigh as she finally sat down. “But don’t do anything too fun without us, got it?” “We’ll try our best, but no guarantees...” Joyce’s eyes drifted over to Emily, who had a sudden smirk as she agreed to the lighthearted promise. Both pairs waved each other off, as Emily and Joyce once more found themselves alone but with a much cleaner consciousness this time. “Where are we gonna go next?” Once again, Emily knew how to ask questions, but never to answer them. That part was Joyce’s job, of course. “You haven’t forgot the whole reason for all of this, did you?” “No…? I don’t think so.” “Then you should already know where we’re going.” “...The petting zoo?” “Oh, make no mistake, we’re definitely going after this,” she needed at least one picture of Emily in the pen… “But that’s not where we’re going first.” Being just as cryptic as usual, Emily kept swinging their hands, trying to get an answer. “Come on...what is it?” “I’m surprised you forgot so quickly!” “No I didn’t!” Emily dove for the playfully defensive strategy. “I just...need a reminder, that’s all.” Joyce merely ‘pffted’ settling for a kiss on Emily’s forehead instead. “What was that animal again? The one you tried to look up on the internet, but I said it’d ruin the real-life experience?” Emily did remember this, and suddenly all the sly comments Joyce was making earlier this morning, and it was all from the root of two simple words. “Sea Otters!” “Bingo~!” Joyce cheered, and they had just about arrived at the same time. Behind the barriers was a large pool of water, minus the patches of land along the sides and a small island in the center. All about the habitat however were a family of furry sea otters going about their day. “I knew I knew what they looked like!” Emily confidently boasted. “So you have seen them before?” As if to praise her little scholar, Joyce gave her a small scratch on the scalp. “From some show, I think. But look at how long their tails are!” Emily marveled at the long and thick appendages, trailing behind them as they coasted in the water. “And there’s so many whiskers!” It was a weird fascination, and Emily wasn’t really sure why she found it so enjoyable, but there was some fuzzy feeling to it, she couldn’t help but laugh. The only thing that interrupted her was a pair of arms wrapping around her, squeezing her close. It didn’t take long to realize Joyce was the culprit. “What did I do this time?” Emily looked at Joyce for a brief moment, trying to show she was an invested listener, though quickly spun back to the animal display, hoping she didn’t miss anything too adorable… “Nothing, I guess,” Joyce snickered. “I just like seeing you like this.” “Like what?” “I don’t know? Engaged, maybe? You look like you don’t have anything on your mind; you’re focusing on the moment in the present. I hope I get to see that from you more.” “Is it because that’s what Emmy would do…?” Emily debated whether to hold her tongue or not, but she tried her best to remember that honesty should be prioritized over preservation. Joyce was silent for a moment, then spoke. “...It’s what I hope Emily would do, and by extension, yes, Emmy. No matter what state you’re in Emily, there’s always going to be the same qualities I love to see in you, and this is one of them. So even when we’re like this, I suppose I still like to see that innocence in you… Is...is that okay?” “Even if it weren’t, it’s not like that’s something we can change, right?” Before Joyce could try and go for a rebuttal, Emily kept going. “But it is okay. Like I said, I don’t want things to feel awkward for us. We’re just going to...feel things out as we go. Besides, I like feeling this way too, you know? I don’t do it just for you...” “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Joyce said matter-of-factly. “...Thank you for being so patient with me.” Emily thought for a moment to spew her own endless list of gratitude, but that would’ve gotten them nowhere. Already they perfectly understood how much one cherished the other, and the next steps they needed to take was to better identify, accommodate and embraced the unique kind of relationship they had. “Wait,” Emily called back to the sea otters. Curiously, she laughed. “What’s that one doing?” “Which one?” “Those two in the water?” Swimming on its back, an otter drifted across the water as sitting right atop its stomach was an even smaller sea otter, cozily resting on the other’s body as the larger one kicked its webbed feet. “D’awwwh, they look so cute!” Emily couldn’t take her eyes off the pair, watching the much smaller one give its face a small rub with its furry, proportionally large paws. “That must be a mother and her pup?” Joyce said as she watched with a smile. “Can the baby not swim yet?” “It probably can float, at least,” Joyce answered without too much confidence, given she wasn’t an expert on sea otters… “But it’s not unusual for mothers to do something like that. For any species, really.” “What?” Emily chuckled, “letting their babies ride on their stomachs?” “No, you little jokester, I mean keeping their babies close. Either that or they leave them in a safe place.” “It makes sense, I guess...” Emily passively spoke as she continued to watch. “You know though, sea otters aren’t the only animals that do that? Lay their babies on their stomachs?” The spectacle was finally over, and Emily finally gave her full attention to Joyce. “Really? What other species?” Emily didn’t know why, but there was a strange tension in the air when Joyce said it. “Humans.” “H-humans? Really?” It probably wasn’t what Joyce was getting at, but Emily’s imagination immediately jumped to a human swimming across the water… “Sort of. It’s a thing mothers can do with their newborns. If they may need some extra help getting to sleep, a mother might set them on her chest to feel her heartbeat. I think it has something to do with memories of the womb...” “J...Joyce? Would it be alright if I asked you a personal question?” “Huh? No, I don’t really mind? What is it?” “If you’ve always wanted a baby so badly...why didn’t you ever adopt?” She wasn’t going to suggest having an actual baby, given she rooted for the same team… “That’s...” she twiddled her thumbs, looking at something beside Emily than actually her. “It’s complicated. Not the kind of complicated that I don’t want to answer your question, but the kind where even I’m not 100% myself… All I can say for certain right now is that I’m happy to be with you Emily, and there is nothing that I’d rather more. So to politely dodge your question, could I take a rain check? I’ll answer when I’ve thought of a good explanation.” “Oh, I mean,” Emily blushed awkwardly. “It’s not like you need to answer… I’m sorry for making things weird.” “It’s alright, you didn’t.” All it took was another gentle hand to reestablish the mood. She took a deep breath then spoke with a bit more volume and clarity. “So, how about we drop by the petting zoo before heading back? I bet you’ve been dying to get in there…!” Sheepishly Emily rubbed her shoulder, trying to look anything but tempted by the sweet offer. “W-well, I’m not in that much of a rush...” “Come on, don’t lie to me. Don’t you wanna go and feed some baby piglets?” It was more lovable sweet-talk, but the last word was what caught Emily off guard, and she gave Joyce a confused look. “Baby piglets?” The sudden question threw Joyce for a loop too, who realized that from the start her assumption of the piglets what nothing more than that. An assumption. “Wait, is that what you thought was there?” Finding it hard not to, Emily broke into a laugh. “The petting zoo has goats, not pigs!” “Hey, I tried my best...” “Or maybe you just think tiny goats look like piglets?” Emily giggled. Joyce gave a slight laugh, but it wasn’t a normal one, which is why Emily finally went quiet. It was a...a smug laugh? “What’s wrong? Why did you stop laughing?” Joyce raised her brow, leaning in close. “No...reason?” What was unexpected was Joyce giving Emily a kiss on the lips, and as she pulled away, she left a chilling warning behind. “Don’t forget in whose bed you’re sleeping tonight, missy!” Only now did the earlier seeds of regret start to bloom. “Can we go to the petting zoo now…?” “Of course! Let’s go see some baby… Hmm...Emily, I can’t help but seem to have forgotten? What where they again?” Puffing out her cheeks, she bawled her fists as Emily tried her best to sound sincere. “I didn’t mean to tease you...” Joyce laughed again, only this time it sounded much more genuine, or at least from a positive place. “Sorry, I think it took that a bit too far.” Emily’s response was to stick out her tongue. “Meanie…” But just as quick as she was to look annoyed, she was then pulling on Joyce’s hand with two of her own. “Come onnnn! Let’s go already!” “Okay, okay!” Joyce pretended to relent. “You’re awfully high-maintenance, you know that?” “Yet you’re stuck with me!” She giggled as they finally set into motion. “Are you gonna come in with me?” The destination was already in sight, the fenced pen built out of a sizable barn-themed house which likely stored the tiny animals during their days away from such busy jobs. “How else am I supposed to get a picture of you with them?” Joyce figured it was a given, not to mention she was secretly trying to ensure Emily wouldn’t feel self-conscious. Not that she should have any reason to, but given Emily’s track record, it was nice to have insurance. Joyce paid for their tickets as they stepped inside, and there, all the tiny pig--goats, were trotting around happily and making very strange, yet goat-like noises. There had to have been about 12 of them, and great deal were already occupied with other human visitors. Finally Emily knew what Jackie had the sweet liberty of experiencing! Such tiny little friends that only know how to be themselves and let the cuteness naturally ensue! And as Emily marvelled at them all, despite being in the same space as them, she didn’t move from her spot. “Ah...Emily?” Snapping out of her hypnotic state, she finally came to. “Huh? What is it?” “Do you...you know,” Joyce smirked. “Want to go and pet one?” “I mean..yeah...but wouldn’t it be better if one came to me? I don’t wanna be rude...” “Rude? To the goats?” She had no intention to tease Emily, but her logic was both a mix of silliness and adorable. “Hi there!” A voice interrupted the two, which belonged to one of the zoo workers stationed inside the pen. She adjusted her hat with the zoo’s logo on the front and straightened her ponytail feeding through the back. “Do you two want me to bring one over to you?” Emily didn’t know how to react, which is why Joyce took the initiative. “Yes, please!” “Alright then, let me see which one I can steal for you...” She turned to all the scurrying goats, then without a second longer she found her mark. “Ah! I know the perfect one!” She quickly singled out who she was looking for, as all the other pygmy goats scurried away as she walked across the ground. In a quick gesture she’d swooped a goat into the air, bundled in her arms as she set it near Emily and Joyce. “This one’s name is Rutherford,” the worker encouraged them to either crouch or to get on their knees. Emily to protect her dress did the former. “Wow...he’s awfully tiny, isn’t he?” Joyce curiously stroked her hand along his spine,feeling the wavy white and gray fur. “But he’s so soft! Emily, have you felt it yet?” She was looking awfully reserved, clearly one to be content from the sidelines, but of course she wanted to participate… She was slow, but Emily eventually did reach her hand out, and her eyes practically glimmered once she felt it. “He’s sooo soft!” Rutherford, truly he was a walking cushion. “Definitely one of the biggest compliments these guys get around here,” the worker found a chance to pet him too. Though the goat kept hopping around, yet constantly gravitating around the trio. “Hey, Joyce! Look at him hop!” Despite there being little to no elevation change in the ground, apparently idle action was like lava to poor Rutherford, because he kept hopping from his hind legs to his front, twisting and turning as he made his pygmy noises. “Yeah, they all have quite a bit of energy, but I’d definitely consider this guy one of the more gentle ones.” “Hey Rutherford, here boy!” Emily happily cooed to him, already too transfixed on the ball of fur to give much regard to outside voices. “Now do you let people feed them?” Joyce asked, though she kept giving Emily a quick glance every now and then. Seeing her playing with cute things...it always did something to the heartstrings for Joyce. “Yep! We do, though we do charge a little extra...” Of course the added mention of further purchase was awkward for the girl, but not nearly as much as Joyce. Instead, she responded with a small handbag. Smiling, she asked, “How much?” Somehow both Emily and Rutherford managed to keep themselves entertained with each other, as Emily kept spinning on her crouched feet just to keep up with his energy. Whenever there was an opening, Emily would sneak in a stroke to his fur, which further enticed the goat to be that much more tricksy. “I’m gonna get you! Yes I am!” She intentionally lagged behind, just to make the game that much more thrilling. The only thing that would bring it to an end though was the worker’s polite interruption. “Excuse me? Sorry to interrupt, but I brought a small gift for you?” Whatever it was, she had it pooled in her hands, and Emily awkwardly cupped hers to receive. And so, a shower of brown pellets rained from above as they piled in her palms. Why was she giving her goat food? And then it clicked. “Wait...did my girlfriend put you up to this?” She was suddenly looking for Joyce, who happened to be a slight ways behind the worker, holding her all too familiar handbag in front of her. The worker cocked a curious smile. “Girlfrie…?” Then she quickly came to, nodding her head. “Yep! Alright, Rutherford! Chow time!” She clapped her hands, and the tiny goat immediately looked over to her, then Emily, seeing she held something much more promising than just an empty gesture. The worker had quite literally flipped a metaphorical switch. Suddenly, he wasn’t dancing around and playing games. No, he had a mission, and Emily was either an obstacle or benefactor to that. Immediately he trotted to the front of Emily, eagerly trying to get at the food. “Whoa! Easy there, you can have some, just be gentle!” Emily tried her best to warn him, but of course the English language wasn’t exactly a deterrent to a pygmy goat and his empty stomach. She nearly lost her balance when Rutherford had enough audacity to even plant his tiny front hooves on Emily’s knees which was shrouded by her dress. “Wait! No! Bad boy! Here, just be gentle!” Quickly she lowered her hands, trying to coax the goat off of her, who immediately started to munch in her hands. Finally she’d calmed the fearsome beast, and she could not contently watch him eat away. Then it only got worse. The next one had a pair of tiny, floppy ears. It made a small ‘baaa’ as it scurried over, rushedly knocking its acquaintance, Rutherford, stuffing its face into a slot intended for only one. Emily wobbled from the sudden intrusion, but she managed. Then...there was a third. Black all over, likely the cousin of Cerberus, it crawled from the chilling depths, otherwise known as the other side of the petting pen and struck like a glutton. Three faces kept attacking the pile which sat in her hands, and as adorable as it was, Emily was quickly becoming overwhelmed. “Wow, they must really like you, huh?” The same attendant chuckled, watching close by. Emily nervously laughed, knowing that was an outright lie. They didn’t like who she was, but rather much preferred what she had. “Oops! Look out! Here comes Bolt!” And to his name’s credit, he struck like lightning. Piercing right between Rutherford and Cerberus Jr, he overshot his momentum and angle as his face crashed into the pile of food, knocking Emily over with a yelp and scattering tiny brown pellets everywhere on the ground and herself. The scene of chaos had Emily giggling all over though as their tiny bodies partly stood all over her, trying to bite away at the pieces caught in the folds of her dress. Though, she did jump a little when she suddenly felt one of their heads searching for food between her legs. Thankfully it didn’t last for much longer, because the same worker that indirectly caused the mayhem along with her coworker diffused the situation by creating some distance between Emily and all the goats. “Oh my gosh, are you alright, hon?” She helped Emily stand with a frantic hurry, who despite looking worse for wear seemed to be fine. Joyce came right over performing her own kind of checkup. Oddly enough, it was Joyce that the workers were apologizing to. Emily was included, but her partner was much more at the forefront of things. This was starting to feel like another terrible misunderstanding... “It’s fine on my end,” Joyce gave a weak laugh, though nudged towards Emily’s direction. “But I think my girlfriend should be the one you’re asking?” The slight emphasis on her choice of words had apparently jogged the group’s clarity, clearing up any sort of vagueness that there might have been. Apparently Emily wasn’t worth the re-issuing of apologies however, because they simply looked to her, waiting for her take on things. “I’m fine.” Emily said somewhat coldly. It wasn’t necessarily their fault they thought she was younger like everyone else, but it didn’t ease her accumulated annoyance of every encounter. They excused themselves from the pen, and despite the objective outcome, both women felt quite fulfilled. Emily was still lingering with the feelings of adoration for all those tiny friends. Even Bolt, who was probably the most rambunctious of them all. Meanwhile, under a bit of shade the faint glow of light on Joyce’s face was a dead giveaway to her looking at her phone. She was looking at her newfound treasures; moments of when Emily was happily feeding the goats, and she only smiled wider as her small album of them told quite the story when a new goat would appear in each shot, and finally Emily would be laughing on the ground. “Thanks for sticking up for me...” meekly, Emily spoke. It was the first time someone other than herself today clearly defined her as an adult, and especially not Joyce’s daughter. “There’s no need for that,” her voice made the point quite absolute. “It’s expected of me. It’s what I should have been doing from the start. That’s what girlfriends do.” ...And mommies… She wasn’t looking directly at Joyce, but she smiled warmly to hear her words. Letting a gust of air out of her nose, Joyce clasped her hands together. “Alright...I think that’s enough zoo for one day.” “Huh? How come?” “Well, don’t you think we’ve been at it for quite a bit? My mom and dad are already getting tired. You...” quite skeptical, Joyce asked, “you weren’t serious when you said everything, were you?” “No, I didn’t really mean that, I was just looking for a reason to do something.” “Since we went for brunch that means dinner is going to be coming up eventually. We’ll need to think whether we want to cook or go out. But regardless, I really want you home because you need to be changed.” Her final reason came as a surprise to the girl. “Why do I need a chan...” It was too embarrassing to admit Emily thought she was referring to diaper change. Trying to clear her throat and find purchase, she spoke again. “Why do I need to change my clothes?” Sure, maybe the sundress wouldn’t have been her first choice, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as her small complaints from this morning might have made it. Joyce looked at her blankly, with a touch of disbelief. “You’re making it really hard not to baby you right now, you know that?” “Just spell it out for me!” The way Joyce was dancing around the true reason, even though she really wasn’t, it made Emily want to act indignant if she was going to be threatened like she needed the extra attention. Joyce smiled with a sigh as she grabbed a small bunch of Emily’s sundress and lifted it. “Last time I checked, your pretty dress wasn’t covered in dirt patches and tiny goat hoof prints?” This time Emily knew she was acting pretty dumbly.Joyce always seemed to catch both the subtle and obvious with her. Now with a new perspective on things, no matter what kind of state they were in, certain dynamics and aspects would always exist throughout their time together. With Joyce’s help from behind, they managed to get the bulk of the loose dirt off the dress, but much couldn’t be immediately done for other spots. “But what if I get your car dirty?” Expensive seats never went well with cheap dirt. She wasn’t a scientist, but that seemed like a solid hypothesis. “Good point. I suppose we’ll just take your dress off went we ride back home?” Emily blinked. She had to ride home half-naked? Technically it was her fault; she coerced Joyce into thinking of a solution, but that didn’t mean Emily wanted this to be the one! “And actually, I think your shorts got a bit of dirt on them too...” Joyce continued to fret as Emily could feel her play with the back of her dress. “You don’t mind riding in just your panties too, right?” Emily was starting to look flustered. “Uhm...” Joyce then gasped, as Emily could feel a finger tug on the back of her bra strap. “Emily! You’re covered in dirt everywhere!” She ‘tsked’ as her mind traveled elsewhere. “I suppose that means no bra either...” finally, Emily was catching on. “Hey, quit teasing me! I was trying to be considerate!” “And thank you for that,” she was going for a kiss, but the pouty Emily had already read her mind and stole one for herself. “Cars can be cleaned, just like dirty girls covered in dirt.” “Cars are more expensive though...” Emily moped. Quietly, Joyce made an exaggerated sigh in agreeance. “You’re right… Maybe I should just have you walk home then?” “That does it! No more cuddling for the rest of the week!” Emily crossed her arms, and with steam blowing from her ears she marched onward with Joyce laughing behind the whole way. Wiping a joyful tear from her eye, Joyce went on to ask, “Okay, how about we both promise to stop joking if you stop being such a worrywart?” Emily looked back at her with a knitted brow. “Who said I was joking?” Joyce laughed, though it was much weaker than a few moments ago. “...Emily, you were kidding, right?” Silence was her answer. “Emily? Heyyyy, come on…!” Joyce started to whine and jostle Emily’s shoulder, given her cuddles were on the line. “Don’t be mad? Please? I promise I’ll stop! Don’t take away my cuddle rights!” It truly was a desperate and tense walk back to Frank and Mary’s bench.

Hello, hello! It's been a while, and first thing's first, the next chapter for Sheltered will be coming soon, if ya were curious. Moving on, I'm going to be adding another story alongside it! What I'm doing though is a little different from usual... I have a few ideas for what to write, and I feel each once has their own fun to writing it, but where it gets interesting is that you are the one who decides! Below are 3 samples, each from a different story. Each one is its own introduction and not an excerpt, so if it gets you hooked, then vote for that one! I'll be attaching a poll which you can use to vote for whichever sample you liked the most. Each one already has a story idea developed for it, so the winner of the poll is what I'll run with, and will continue to write for it. So until you vote, please give each entry a fair chance, then pass judgement.I'll be checking the poll in a few days. Thanks for reading! Entry #1 “Alex, hon? Do you have your bags with you?” “Mom, for the thousandth time,” the Little scoffed. “Yes, I do. It was with me when we checked in our bags, it was on the boat ride over, it was with me when we got off, and it was with me--oh, wait, that’s now,” visibly annoyed, she gestured to the suitcase on wheels next to her. Honestly, sometimes it felt like wasted energy dealing with her mom’s questions at times. Especially now that they were on the mainland, she seemed so needlessly uptight… “I know, I know,” her mother’s inner brows tilted upwards, looking almost apologetic. “I worry, that’s all. I want this all to go perfectly for you… Being here scares me; for your sake and mine...” She quickly side-eyed something that never existed, peering over her shoulder just briefly. “I know you feel that way, but trust me, it’s going to be fine!” Within her limited scope of being a young-adult, Alex paid little mind to the countless giants they passed as she and her mother moved through the terminal with her luggage in tow. “The website advertised it as a school with an extremely high Little to Amazon ratio anyways, so I’m sure the campus will be pretty awesome.” From out of Alex’s vision, her mother twiddled her thumbs in an almost mild panic, almost embarrassingly catching the gazes of those much larger than them; their faces responding with eerie smiles, or seemingly simple grins with undertones of predatory stares… “...And you’re sure everything’s been taken care of?” She tried to keep her eyes locked on her daughter, or anything closer to the ground. “I know your tuition is paid, but you know your dorm and class schedule?” “I’m going to college, mom, not preschool.” Mildly irritated, Alex chose to entertain herself with her phone as they moved forward. Though, that venture died fast when the screen read “No service.” She sighed. As great as the mainland sounded, it really sucked that they didn’t accommodate island services, strangely enough. Probably because there was no need supporting inferior tech... “Not only can I take care of that stuff myself, but yes, they did say in one of the emails that it was all taken care of. They’ll tell me once I get there.” More than the finer details though, Alex was almost shaking with anticipation; finally moving off and on to college! Off the islands to boot! Her whole life she’d been sheltered by the Little lifestyle, but there was so much more diversity to enjoy on the mainland! Yes, she heard about some of the social disparity between Littles and Amazons, but that probably wasn’t too big of a deal… The countless lectures in class about what the Amazons might do to you once you were caught, but Alex knew they were all exaggerations and embellished stereotypes. Randomly snatching a stranger just to diaper them? Alex really wanted to say you couldn’t make this stuff up, but alas... “You are,” her mom agreed, trying to stay on her good side, “and seeing how far you’ve come has made me so proud.” Her words were genuine, but Alex felt as if they were patronizing. “I just want what’s best for you. Sometimes I think maybe the mainland wasn’t the best of choices for schools...” Her quiet remark earned daggers from her daughter. “What do you mean by that?” Alex, clearly offended, bitterly spat. “Are you trying to say I can’t take care of myself?” Her eyes finally gave her mother the time of day, given that her pride had just been threatened. “I don’t mean anything by it. I just want you to be safe, and no matter what you think, the mainland isn’t safe for Littles!” Her mother was suddenly raising her voice, clearly intimidated by only the things that came more than 6 feet off the ground. “Really?” Alex near-hissed with disgust in her voice. “That’s what you’re going to tell me? You tell me that all the time, mom! It’s not like crime doesn’t exist on the islands! If anything, it’s probably safer here!” Countless, passive lectures from her superiors had clearly lost their novelty long ago, and the consistent vagueness of things made it practically impossible to convince her of any real danger. “Alex, honey, you’re not listening!” The pair had finally stopped moving, and their argument became stationed in the middle of an open platform. “The way things work here isn’t normal...” The mother, trying to calm herself leaned in with a whisper. “You need to be on your best behavior here. Amazons aren’t as kind as you think!” Ugh. It was probably more of her fear-mongering just to try and get her to come home. Fat chance that’d be happening. Alex had worked too hard to get this far, and she wouldn’t let someone else’s nerves or lies ruin it for her; even if it was her own mom. “Mom,” annoyed, Alex rubbed her temples. “If it was really that bad, how come you’re only telling me this now? Obviously it’s not as bad as you’re making it out to be. Here we are!” Briefly, Alex looked around them; giant poles shuffling by. Her daughter’s counter was clearly dumbfounding, evident by the look on her mother’s face, yet nevertheless she tried to double-down. “Alex, but I have been trying to…!” her mom didn’t seem to have much bravado, her eyes pacing nervously. “We should go… People are starting to stare...” Of course. As soon as she was losing an argument, she tries to change the subject. Sometimes it bewildered Alex just how much her mom thought she could get away with. Nineteen years later and she still thought the same tricks would work… Her mom probably meant well, but clearly she was misguided. “Mom, clearly you have something to say, so come on!” Impatiently, Alex tapped her foot. “Out with it! Let’s go! Why can’t you just be happy for me? I finally get some freedom in my life, and you’re trying to take it away?” Even Alex from the corner of her eye noticed a few legs stopped moving… Her mom was making a scene, after all… Nerves had clearly gotten the best of Alex’s mom, but to Alex she considered it an argument won. She’d poked the obvious holes in her mom’s protest, and now she had nothing to show for it. She almost felt bad. “Please, Alex, we can talk about this later, but we need to go…!” hurriedly, she stayed close to Alex, forcibly trying to move her, as a small circle around them started to be defined by a few more passerby. She’d had enough. Defiant, Alex shook her arm free of her mother’s grip, establishing a new distance. “Alex…!” her mother almost sounded pleading, as if there was some imminent doom looming over them. Every fiber of her being seemed as if she wanted to run, but the one thing keeping her even remotely stable was the desire to move her daughter. “No!” Shouting, Alex turned on her heel. “I’ve had enough. I can get to the pickup on my own! If you think I’m such a kid, why don’t I prove to you otherwise?” Tears in her eyes for a mix of unknown reasons, Alex’s mom wordlessly mouthed something to her daughter, but Alex didn’t care enough to keep standing there. With a huff and a puff she slipped herself through one of the few gaps left in the circle, paying no mind to the murmurs from above. “Alex! Please! Wait!” she could hear her mother cry from the center of the crowd, but as the distance made it harder for the noise to travel. And as Alex weaved through the thickening populous throughout the station, her mom was gone. As the adrenaline started to drain, and she came to her senses, Alex wiped a single tear from her eye. She never liked getting into fights with her mom, because of course she loved her, but sometimes you needed tough love to prove your worth… Her mom would understand someday. Although her phone wasn’t any good for communicating, it still made a great clock. Checking the time, she still had about half an hour before she’d be expected at the entrance. Someone was scheduled to pick her up, and it made her giddy thinking that there was someone waiting on her hand and foot! She felt like a VIP, and it was already a wonderful transition to the mainland. Almost wonderful. The only thing that soured the experience was of course her mom’s little outburst, and a sudden need to pee. Between the high figures, she could just make out the bits and pieces of a bathroom sign. Wheeling her bag on over, she was just about to enter the open doorway when a security guard stopped her. “Excuse me, miss?” kneeling down, the significantly taller guard with her white-gloved hand tipped her black, shiny-rimmed cap to her. “You can’t bring your bag in there.” Slightly intimidated by not only the authority the occupation commandeered, but the size difference as well, Alex in a polite stutter, asked,“W-well, why not?” “Well,” oddly, in a kiddish voice, the guard explained, “we can’t be sure that you won’t do something you’re not supposed to in private. It’s to keep everyone safe.” Not one to argue with reasonable authority, Alex conceded, suddenly looking for a place to leave her bag. “Um, well, would you mind watching my bag while I use the bathroom?” awkwardly, Alex asked. Apologetic, she said, “Sorry, miss. I’m not allowed to handle people’s luggage. Legal reasons and all that. Are you travelling with anyone that might be able to?” Hurt to unexpectedly be reminded so soon, Alex somberly shook her head no. The security guard looked to be running out of ways to help as well. They seemed like they wanted to, but rules and regulations enforced otherwise. “Maybe there’s a nearby Amazon that’s willing to help?” She pointed past Alex’s shoulder, and Alex followed the finger to the passing crowds. Just through them she could see there was a bench sitting in front of an island, and sure enough there were a few people there. Alex sighed, slightly. She wasn’t keen on leaving her bag to a stranger, and in the back of her mind was wondering why the guard may have deferred to an Amazon instead of just another person; implying both Littles and Amazons. “Alright, thanks for your help,” with one last thankful glance, Alex hurriedly turned back to the bench. She wanted to pee soon so she wouldn’t be late. “Uhm, excuse me?” Awkwardly, Alex interrupted the stranger from her passive stares and checking her phone. She had her own, Amazon-sized suitcase and a large purse next to her.The Amazon sitting in her buttoned sweater and long skirt traced the source of the noise with an empty expression, but became all smiles when she could see who had asked. “Hi there,” she gleamed. “What’s wrong, honey?” The use of ‘honey’ felt unsettling, but Alex didn’t have time to argue semantics. “Do you think you could watch my bag for a second?” Gesturing with her head, she looked back to the bathroom. “The security won’t let me into the bathroom with my suitcase.” “No problem!” Gently, her much larger hand went for the bag’s handle, forcing Alex to let go of it, lest she want her hand grabbed too, and with little effort she lifted it like a feather and set it beside her on the bench. It suddenly felt out of Alex’s reach, eyeing the bench height. She could get to it, but not as easily as she’d like. “It’ll be right here when you get back,” she patted it assuringly. It still didn’t sit well with Alex, leaving her stuff to a stranger, but she wanted to say the woman felt trustworthy… She wanted to believe it because it was how the woman carried herself, and there wasn’t too much wiggle room to find an alternative… Rushing back to the bathroom after giving her thanks, there was no stopping her this time. She had no luggage on her, and her shoes tapped across the tiles to the far end. Out of the five, the last one on the far end was finally what she was looking for. Opening the stall marked as “For Little Use,” she stepped inside, though was a bit surprised by what she saw. Expecting to see a toilet, she was sorely mistaken when there was some porcelain stool that looked like the stump of one. No, it resembled something else… It was a, a training potty? A mimic of a training potty a toddler might use, it was still made of porcelain, and did look to have a flush mechanism, but it just looked so...so infantile! From the cusp of the bowl, there was a small sink in it to secure the person-- no, Little, that sat in it. There were designated cuts in the rim for where the legs were supposed to go, and a divider between them to keep your legs from getting any closer than gapingly parallel. Closing the stall behind her, further confused to see no locking mechanism on the door, she made a small prayer that the hinges were trustworthy, and approached the toilet as if it were foreign, because it definitely was. “What the hell…?” Still perplexed, Alex was still wondering why she hadn’t found a normal toilet. Maybe she was in the wrong stall? Eyeing underneath the dividing walls, she could only see Amazon-sized ones, and she’d never fit on those… She stared back at the potty, which was the only throne in this room that’d take her. Mumbles of frustration, she slowly walked over to the poor excuse of a toilet and undid the button to her jeans, sliding her panties down with it. Fully slipped to her ankles, so not to get in the way of the spacer, she sat on the toilet, and was oddly annoyed that the potty fit her near perfectly. She didn’t fall into the bowl, the rim didn’t press into her skin, the leg holes fit her thighs, and she couldn’t press her legs together, as if she didn’t know how to not piss on herself. Staring at the tiles, trying to forget how infantile of a thing she was using, her thoughts were broken by the sound of sobs increasing in volume, and heels clicking across the floor. Closer to where Alex was. Seeing the tall legs underneath the stall, Alex could tell it was an Amazon. “There, there, baby,” in a thick, syrupy voice the stranger comforted the cries, someone totally outside Alex’s vision. “Mommy knew you couldn’t keep your panties dry, anyways! We’re gonna get you in your nice, thick diapies.” The jarring words only seemed to make the sobs louder as something was unlatched from the wall. Thinking about it, Alex did remember seeing a changing table... “P-please! Just let me go home!” Still with inconsolable cries, the other voice begged. Did...did Alex recognize them? “I didn’t mean to! I just want to go back to the islands!” “And then how would I be able to take care of you?” the Amazon countered sternly, then laughed like it were an impossible scenario. Alex could hear something crinkle as it unfolded. “No, I think you are home, sweetie. Now you’ll have a crib, silly cartoons, your diapers, soft and mushy food, daycare, and a mommy! Doesn’t that sound great?” Nearly jumping, Alex was startled to hear a blood-curdling scream from the same person that was crying. “NO!” The room was quiet for a second, though Alex quietly meeped when she could hear her pee sputtering into the bowl. She had no relation whatsoever to this pair, but she couldn’t help but feel involved for no real reason… As if she had a reason to not be caught, awkwardly, even if it wasn’t any real help, she tried to place her hands over the opening between her legs just to muffle the noise even a little. And if she was heard, clearly she wasn’t at the forefront of the Amazon’s mind, because a loud slap followed next, even startling the spectator. Skin to skin contact, and pained sobs afterwards. “You’re definitely going to need some work...” the Amazon sighed, and Alex partly trembled on the toilet, wondering whatever the word “work” could imply. “Y-you...you h-hit me!” the other voice shouted in a shaky cry as if it were in total disbelief. “And I’ll hit you a lot more if you don’t behave,” the Amazon responded sternly. “I don’t want to hear another peep out of you about being an adult, got it?” The other person didn’t answer back. Audibly, at least. Alex could hear some form of rummaging, and then the distinct noise of metal friction. Two talons rubbing against each other, sounding a snipping noise with each close. “W-what are you doing with those? Wait, please, stop, I’ll be good!” “No, no, Abby!” although once cold and commanding, the Amazon sounded horrifyingly concerned and consoling. “I would never hurt you sweetheart! Not unless you deserve it, of course,” she added the last bit so nonchalantly, much to Alex’s terror, and likely her prey. “But Mommy doesn’t think these clothes really suit you. I really doubt what you’re wearing for undies is age-appropriate, either,” she tutted as the sounds of further struggles could be heard, and another slap came from it. “My...my name is Audrey!” From one struggle to the next, the girl tried to find new ground. “Your name,” the girl suddenly yelped, likely induced by further physical torture, “is Abby,” the Amazon spoke cooly, yet like poison. “I’ve been wanting an Abby for a long time now, and I’ll be making the adult decisions here. So you can either know what’s best for you, or we can skip to the hypnosis already.” H...hypnosis? What it would entail was completely unknown to Alex, but the animosity was frightening in its own right. Indistinct, random pieces of fabric from denim and cloth gently descended to the floor, much unlike the forward and assertiveness which was happening above it. Alex wasn’t entirely sure what was happening, but she was frozen still on the toilet. She couldn’t make heads or tails of what she was seeing or hearing. All she could do was remain quiet. “M-my clothes…!” The person found it in themselves to cry again, echoing their moans off the tiled floors and spacious room. “I know sweetie...” the woman sounded as if she solemnly agreed. “I didn’t think they were so great either,” purposefully misinterpreting her words. “Now onto the fun part!” More crinkles could be heard, and using context clues, Alex could only assume she was in the middle of a diaper change, all the while the person being changed continued to stream horrific sobs. All the while, the Amazon seemingly unperturbed by her victim’s pain and humiliation, or otherwise urged by it, hummed in a loving voice, “Abby, my sweet little princess~! Cute as a button in just her dress~!” She dragged out the last syllable on dress, drawing a parallel between her physical and lyrical savagery. After what felt like an eternity, the Amazon happily cheered, “And done!” The supposed pride in her voice only spoke volumes of her lack of care for what the tiny person was feeling. She had an agenda, and nothing would stop her from seeing it through. “But the dress doesn’t cover the...” “Your diaper,” the Amazon both corrected and finished her sentence. “And it’s supposed to be that way. Heavens if you think you’ll ever be able to use the toilet again!” she leaned in for a loud whisper, which is why Alex could still hear. “The only kind of bathroom you’ll be using now is your diaper, and don’t forget that.” A set of bare feet were lowered to the ground. Much smaller feet. Feet the size of Alex’s. They looked to be struggling; supporting a wobbly load. “So I want you to take a good, long, hard look.” Alex’s heart nearly stopped, because the bathroom stall suddenly swung open, and she was brought face to face with the two people in question. “Oh,” blankly, with feigned surprise, the Amazon chuckled as Alex still on the toilet stared at her wide-eyed. She was too scared to be embarrassed by how she looked. “Sorry, sweetie! I just needed to make a point to my little girl over here,” Alex’s startled eyes followed her hand that patted the head of a Little right next to her. And if Alex’s eyes could have gone any wider, they likely would have imploded. In a creamy orange dress, with a dark trim about its edges, Alex stared at the babyfied Little, finding it impossible to notice how the hem of her dress was like an umbrella to the hideously thick, white, plasticy garment around her hips. The diaper glared at everyone in the room with its infantile caricatures, happy smiles and positive attitude, much unlike the visibly distraught and emotionally ruined tiny woman wearing it. Then, suddenly Alex wished she wasn’t sitting on this forsakenly terrible toilet. Instead of her ass occupying it, she wished it were her mouth, because the chilling, striking realization which hit her like a ton of bricks wanted her to vomit everything her stomach had from both today, and yesterday. No, the entire week. In a mumble, murmuring stutter, Alex quietly spoke. “M...mo...m...?” No words were needed further as she stared in disbelief at the woman who claimed to have given birth to her. Trapped in a plastic prison, wearing some toddler’s dress, barefoot, silent tears streamed down the mother’s cheeks; all dignity she once had, totally shattered. All the struggles, cries, and protests Alex was hearing behind the stall. It was all coming from her mom. The thought made her even more sick for some inexplicable reason. Her kin had been abused and taken advantage of. She considered her mom mighty and immovable, even if they did argue, so to see her so powerless… To see Alex’s rock be shattered… She gagged. Completely uncaring of the emotionally wrenching scene, the Amazon looming over the pair looked on with pure fascination. “Abby, sweetie, who’s this sitting on the potty?” Without even looking at Alex, she stared at her mother expectantly. Clearly still shaken, as her legs trembled, her mom tried her best to say, “No...no one.” “No...” It almost sounded like the Amazon repeated the first part of her mom’s sentence, but then it came again. “No,” and it was with almost absolute confidence. “No, no, no. I don’t think that’s the case at all. I think this girl is your daughter.” She didn’t even phrase it as a question. Wide-eyed, Alex’s mom looked pleadingly up to the woman. “Please, no! Not her!” New tears strolled down her cheeks. But they weren’t tears of personal pain. They were cries meant for someone else. Meant for the most important person to her. Her daughter. “Let her go! You can take me, but not her!” The defence she held for herself moments earlier had been totally discarded, and all she housed now was the will to protect Alex. And speechlessly Alex sat there, pants still around her ankles, crying. Why? After how she treated her mother, disregarded her warnings, efforts, and pain, she was still risking her life to save her ungrateful daughter? The questions in her head were already racing a mile a minute, so to have articulated any of that mental jargon into comprehensive speech would have been impossible. Silently, the Amazon continued to stare at ‘Abby,’ and back to Alex. And with each glance back and forth, an increasingly sinister grin overcame her. “Okay, Abby,” kneeling down, she fixed the mockingly short dress. “Mommy’s going to give you a choice. But first, what’s your name sweetheart?” She finally looked to Alex for an answer, not her legitimate mother this time. As if she didn’t consider Alex’s mom a real one anymore. “A...Alex...” the answer although slow and emotionally ruined, came without resistance. The Amazon loomed over her like the sky itself, and to equate resistance to the sky itself falling, she knew it was pointless not to comply. The Amazon smiled dismissively like Alex were an accessory to she and her mother’s interaction, like Alex had no real purpose to be there at all. “Alex, regardless of what happens, is no longer your daughter.” The answer dropped like a guillotine. By the power of words, a sharp and heavy blade had been dealt to the familial bond between Alex and her mom. This Amazon didn’t have the power to separate the two, and yet she did. All the might she had flexed prior to this exchange was reaping the rewards of the fear it had induced. “Because I’m nice, I’m going to give you one last big girl decision. She’s either going to be a stranger, or your little sister.” Logical sense had left both the Little’s eyes, and the only person with any real mental fortitude to carry themselves was the Amazon. Brokenly, Alex’s mother muttered, “W...what?” “Your little sister, or a stranger,” the Amazon repeated. “I’m not going to wait, Abby. Choose, or I will for you.” “Mom…!” Alex tearily shouted her name, hoping deep down that she could somehow fix this. Alex fought for her independence, but something like this seemed insurmountable. No matter how many years she could have prepared and lived on her own, she didn’t think she could handle this. And even as she cried for her mom, she deep down knew that she couldn’t either. While the two emotionally writhed in pain, trying to make sense of the life changing decision formulated in the span of an hour of getting off a boat, the Amazon hummed like a quiz show timer. How sadistic of a person could she be? Was this some kind of game to her? Incredulously, Alex stared at the cause of all this misfortune, finding her intentions impossible to decipher. The only thing that ceased Alex’s hopeless task was when her mother said, “Just me...please!” “Just you?” The Amazon repeated, as if the other choice in her mind seemed much more logical. “Alex will be all by herself, you know. She’s likely going to be adopted too?” Continuously the Amazon egged on, further inviting just as confusing and sickening ideas into Alex’s head. Adoption? Being taken by an Amazon? All on her own? “Just...” defeated, her mom continued, while Alex listened on in utter shock. “Just take me… L-leave her be, please!” The words couldn’t leave her fast enough, and Alex could only spectate, terrified. “I-I’ll be your little girl,” her posture made it seem like she were digesting a poison. “I-I promise! Just leave her out of this!” With each repeated plea, her mom sounded more and more frantic, revealing emotions Alex had never seen in her mom. It was too much to bear. It was tearing Alex apart. “Then prove it to me, sweetheart,” the Amazon said simply, and Alex could see the Amazon do something behind her mom’s dress, and watch as its skirt be bunched up in the back. “I want a nice view of you proving to me that you can be my baby girl. Show me what a diaper bum you are!” Cruelly in an encouraging voice, the Amazon clasped her hands together. “What do you...what do you mean?” Worriedly, Alex’s mom looked back up to the Amazon. “Oh no, I want you looking at Alex the whole time it happens,” firmly, she turned Alex’s mom back to her daughter. Or soon to be former, that is. “Make a nice big stinky for me,” the Amazon smiled approvingly. “Show me that your diapers are more than enough for me to handle. Unless I can handle two potty pants...?” As soon as she started to look Alex’s way, her mom in hushed cries sloppily got on her knees. “Mom, please! What are you doing?!” Finally finding it in herself to look decent, Alex haphazardly lifted her jeans and underwear after standing on the ground, and rushed over to her mom, grabbing her hands. They interlocked their fingers tightly, both sobbing in tears. And as they held each other, what made Alex feel like literal scum was her mom continuously apologizing over and over. “Why? Why are you sorry? I’m the one that’s supposed to be sorry!” frantically, Alex kept shaking her head no to the seemingly impossible scenario, as she watched her mother’s face contort and squinch, and her face grow red as she grunted. It made Alex feel even worse when she could feel her mom’s grip around her hands tighten. All the force she was putting into her bowels reflected through her hands, and Alex felt every single bit of it. “B-be...cause...” Her mom paused to take a few rapid breaths, “Because I love you!” Smiling with tears in her eyes, it made Alex’s lips quiver as she cried too. “I should have taught you better; make it clear that this is what could happen. And if I have to be the final example to prove it,” she grit her teeth, as a sigh of shame, and entire defeat washed over her. “Then that’s how it’ll be.” “That diaper looks awfully clean for a potty pants...” impatient, and a poor spectator to the waterworks, the Amazon rudely interrupted. “Mom, please don’t do this!” Her mom had gone back to focusing on her bowel movement. “I...I’ll go with you! So stop! Please!” “Honey, even if you did, do you think that’d get me out of diapers?” The answer was obvious, depressing, and absolute, but Alex hated the feeling of powerlessness. “The best case scenario is that I use this later rather than now.” Sorrowfully, she looked behind her shoulder for a small moment. “I don’t want to see you like this.” Her matronly attitude was fading fast, and was quickly being demolished into a decrepit and ruined manner. And as if she were mourning for the loss of her own, she said in a strained voice, “You have a life to live.” Her body then really began to tremble, and her bottom shook the most. An involuntary gasp, and sigh overcame her mom as even when Alex couldn’t see it, could hear the diaper expand. And sickeningly the Amazon cheered a “Yay!” during the entire spectacle. Her mom stared through Alex as she was clearly mortified once she stopped shaking. Slumping over, all that lingered was the horrible smell now filling the stall. All at once her shaking stopped, and she looked as if she’d been petrified. Despite all this, the Amazon took a loving whiff of the terrible odor, like it were a mixture of perfumes, flowers, and sunshine all bottled into one. While the two littles had their noses drenched in such repulsive, skin-crawling smells,the Amazon was ridden with pure ecstasy. She was the boogey monster that fed off of nightmares. A sick and twisted sadist that could only sate its hunger by the dehumanization and belittlement of others. It launched a spear through Alex’s heart to see her mom was the victim of it, and it was because Alex was the one who caused a scene. If she hadn’t yelled, protested, and just listened to her mother, maybe it could have ended differently. Maybe they wouldn’t have been noticed, and Alex would have been picked up safely, and her mom would have gone back to the islands like normal. No Amazons, no imprisonment. No slavery. But alas, here they were. No matter how much Alex prayed, she couldn’t wake up from this terrible, horrible nightmare. Holding her mom close, Alex tried to soak up as much emotion as possible, as well as try to forget her mom had just shit a diaper while staring into her eyes. Alex wanted the moment to last forever, because then at least she wouldn’t lose her mom to the terrible giant that seemed to be loving every ounce of their misfortune. No matter how long they held each other, it would’ve never been for long enough, because Alex in a panicked whimper cried as her mom was forcibly taken from her hands, and lifted into the air. “Now that’s what I call a messy diaper!” the Amazon cooed, facing her new daughter, and Alex could now see the handiwork done behind her mom’s dress had been to bunch up the dress and pin it to the waistband of her diaper, coupled with the obvious lump in her underwear. Just so the twisted bitch could see the whole thing happen from behind. “We need to get going now, though! Say bye-bye to Alex!” Situating her mom, the Amazon supported her with an arm, massaging the mess in her pants much to the wearer’s dismay. “This is the last time you’ll see her, so I hope you two had fun. And remember, she’s not your daughter anymore! You’re my baby. Poor Allie the orphan...” she added with a fake sense of concern. “A...Alex,” in a thick voice, Abby called to her former daughter, with a hopeful smile. “No matter what happens, be happy.” “Live.” There was no more room for speech, as a pacifier was suddenly popped into her mouth, and the red-eyed Alex watched as the pair disappeared behind the doorway. Alex tried to stand and follow, but she was so drained from it all that she stumbled and fell. Trying once more, she frustratingly whimpered as she was too shocked and shaken to stand. Why? Why? Why, why, why, why, WHY, WHY?! Angrily, she slammed her palms onto the floor. It hurt, but not as much as losing her mother did. She was powerless to stop the Amazon, and the one person she had in this life had been removed permanently. She’d never see her again. Her mom was no longer her mom. She was gone for good. And Alex. She, yes, she, caused it all. So why? Why was she allowed to get away with it? Her mom tried to play her cards right, but Alex dragged her down in the mud. She was the problem, so why did the gold star have to suffer? The guilt was too much to bear, and she mindlessly sobbed for a few moments longer. As much as she wanted to hope her mom would return, and that this would all be some simple, bad dream, she never woke up. Her whole world had been tipped upside down, and it never seemed to flip back. Her heart hurt with a gruelling pain, as her mother had just been taken from her. Finally finding the strength in her legs, she stood back up. Her eyes traced the room painfully slow, as if she were trying to comprehend the crime scene. It all felt so surreal in the worst imaginable way possible. The pair couldn’t have left more than a few minutes ago, but now it somehow felt like eons. Her mother was taken, and Alex couldn’t do anything about it. Fragments of seemingly pointless notes made by her teachers started to resurface with a chilling severity to them. They will try to adopt you. They will kidnap you. The police will not help you. The last point hurt the most, because having to learn the hard way that adoption wasn’t as uncommon as she thought, and probably neither was the police’s uncooperation. All there was in the room was the noise of an endless drip coming from a faucet. One far out of Alex’s reach. Longingly, she stared at the countless pieces of fabrics which once formed articles of dignified clothing. They laid on the ground lifelessly, all with relative smoothness to their cuts; meaning the scissors had done their job well. Nearly falling over, Alex in a wordless panic leaned on the stalls heavily like a crutch. Using her hands to trace herself along it, she was back in the outside world. Still in shock, she didn’t even bother to talk to the guard by the doorway, and with empty steps looked all around her. There was no familiar Amazon, and neither her mom. They were gone like the wind, and Alex had no way of catching her. On top of this, a new fear seized Alex all over, now knowing what these monsters were fully capable of. It was her turn to act like her mom now, eyeing the many figures with an uncomfortable, overwhelming sense of vulnerability. She wasn’t nearly as safe as she thought. Seeing what she just had in the bathroom, was this how her mom was feeling? How could she have even stepped foot on this place knowing what could happen. How… How could Alex? Entry #2 “Ms.West--no, Ana, ” my supervisor stared me down the eyes with a grave look. “I can’t within good conscience approve something like this for you. It’s too dangerous. Haven’t you considered the risks?” “Sir, with all due respect, I am strongly suggesting that you reconsider your stance on this.” I couldn’t lose my opportunity now; not miss out on something this big. “What this means as a personal contribution to being a Frontiersman and for Interstellar is something I can’t pass up on.” He stared back at me with an unwavering face, hardly different from how it looked a few moments earlier. I almost figured time to have come to a stand still, but the slight rumble and shake of the room, thanks to a nearby transport ship, I was convinced me otherwise. “How many Frontiersmen are there now? Nearly a million?” By that logic, I was a mere bit in the megabyte, but it didn’t change my determination. “I was born too late to explore Earth, too late to explore the solar system, and born too late to explore the galaxy. Within what we’ve explored thus far, we have confirmed zero traces of life. Suitable planets for colonization have already been plucked by China, America, Russia, Japan, Korea, Britain and more. But for the first time, we can finally step out the front door and explore even greater horizons.” “Ana…” he didn’t care to try using formalities this time, years of chemistry making it difficult, though that didn’t stop him from pinching the bridge of his nose. “I can understand your enthusiasm, but you’re an important engineer to your current shipment crew already. Why can’t you be content with already being able to visit a handful of solar systems? Billions would kill for that alone.” The simple fact was true, but it didn’t change the inevitable rudimentary nature of it all. “Sir, I can’t be moving metals, water and food for the rest of my life. I’m more than qualified to move on to something bigger and better. I’m sure there are plenty of people who could fill my current position. We’re talking about making history here! Something a mere fraction of the entire human population will be able to experience within this lifetime.” Every few moments I would glance at his handful of digital pens, laying idle against the insides of his decorative mug, much less his hand actually going near it. The holo-document on his desk shone its blue light ever so slightly on his prickly chin. “Three-hundred, Ana. Three-hundred Frontiersmen get to make this expedition, which is nothing short of suicide. All this is, is just packing a bunch of explorers up on a ship and jump-gating them into the unknown. You’d really want to take that plunge into darkness? It’s a lottery to win your own death!” He wasn’t the first to call it was suicide, and maybe it truly was. Even with that in mind, if I didn’t take the leap now, what could be a chance at meaningful existence would be snuffed out completely. I acknowledged his concern for me, but in truth he wasn’t protecting my heart or mind. It was my turn to keep a straight face, which is why he kept going. “Ana, the teams that they’ve had calculate the risk factors for this sort of mission,” he swiped his fingers in an empty space and a tiny blue holo-document appeared. “Nearly across the board,” to emphasize the point, a few quick swipes from his two fingers showcased the unending span of digital jargon. “Results are at best inconclusive or completely open-ended. The only return they can guarantee for this crew is one based on the efforts of the people riding that ship, coupled with a luck factor not even our most sophisticated AI-units can determine! There’s no rescue crew and limited contact. Once you leave the galaxy, you’re on your own.” Taking a breath, re-gripping the forearms folded behind by waist, I did my best to digest his words, but it was clear my agenda was quickly dissolving any outside forces. “I’m 29, sir. I’ve been with Interstellar since my eighteenth birthday; since my official chamber release. You know it and I know it that there’s nothing left for me. The connections I have keeping me here are solely the relations I share with my crew and you. My actions cannot be selfish when there is no one I would be leaving behind. Quite frankly sir, I have always been on my own. It’s always been about me bettering myself, and this time is no different.” My own words left a slight, foul taste in my mouth, disregarding the crew and longstanding supervisor I’d already spent years with. But in the end, they were just coworkers. Nothing else. “Even if I’m not chosen, I cannot accept a result where I never even tried. I believe my merits are worthy enough to give me a reasonable chance, and I would hope you think the same. Paired with a recommendation from someone of your standing, that only helps all the more.” The small and ragged office didn’t quite reflect his reputation, but that’s because we were constantly conditioned to live in tight spaces. Up until age 18 we will have been sealed inside of one, programmed to be considered sufficient workers. From then on, the longer treks would be majorly spent being on ice, with the only interruptions being brief windows where we carried out our jobs. “But either way, I can’t keep making the same trips for the rest of my life.” I could only hope that on some level I was channeling my emotions, and I had to hide a smile when I could see the walls were starting to crack. “What this means to you, and how willing you are to go for it is something I can’t understand,” he said briefly. Unfortunately, of course he didn’t. He came from the Archaic Generation; a time where interaction existed outside a life support unit before adulthood. He’d never simply woken up one day to realize 18 years of his life had already been spent, but I didn’t hold it against him. I didn’t hold it against anyone. I couldn’t feel anger for something I couldn’t realize the value of. Time is only as worthwhile as you make it. In other words, I hadn’t found a reason to be angry yet. “Off the record, Ana, I can’t condone this and truly wish you wouldn’t sign away your life like this, but legally I can’t refuse you.” He exhaled as the blue light from the document glimmered on his eyes. “Not forever, at least.” My eyes followed his reluctant hand as he grabbed one of the pens and its tip illuminated on contact with human skin. The plastic bulb to the stylus had paused just before it reached the pixelated line. “And you’re sure this is what you want?” “...More than anything.” With a sigh he opened a drawer and put on a pair of lenses. Glasses, I believe they were called. After scanning it over and with a soundless uninterrupted stroke, he signed his name off on the holo-document and floated it in my direction. “Thank you, sir.” The tension in the room was washed away by my newfound gratitude for his aid. “Make no mistake, I don’t support what you’re doing. Or at least I just can’t figure out why…” He pulled the peculiar piece off of his face, and my eyes couldn’t help but follow... “And...would you mind not staring so much?” “Ah...sorry about that.” My eyes tend to get careless whenever he wears those things. They were one of the few relics of the past that made their way to present day, somehow. “Haven’t you considered getting a nanite job on your eyes at some point? With all due respect, aren’t those things an inconvenience?” “There’s a style to them, you know.” He always took the defensive whenever I commented on them… “Besides, everyone tries to hide their problems nowadays and use nanites to fix whatever they don’t like about themselves. Our imperfections are what make us beautiful.” Out of respect I hid another smirk as his words were completely lost on me. But I chose not to poke and prod him any further. “By the way, you’ll have another delivery to make in a week’s time. Use that time to think about whether or not you really want to go through with something like this. Maybe consider your alternatives while you’re on ice.” “Alright, and will do.” I pinched the document and ported it into my armlet’s data storage, causing the hologram to dematerialize. I gave my supervisor a goodbye as the exit door slid open for my departure and closed right behind. People stood shoulder to shoulder and then some as the city echoed with noise pollution. I couldn’t make out a single conversation as everyone’s words toppled over each other. Just when the innocent ear might happen to distinguish a few words from a single person, it’d then be dominated by layers of foreign tongue; Russian, Spanish, French, Mandarin--truly a mix. Through the pod’s glass overhead, and through that, the glass dome above me, it was covered by the flying ships and skyscrapers. If I hadn’t cared to look at them directly, their passing shadows across the floor would’ve been the perfect reminder. Still, it was quite strange to think there was a time when our ancestors only had at most a thousand of these in their lifetime... The telltale beeping noise rang alongside the monorail as the suspended train soon followed after. As prophecy dictated, crowds of passengers trying to exit collided with the ones trying to enter and I managed to snake my way in. Everyone grabbed on to a bar or handle as their conversations carried out casually just like outside the train. I could feel myself longing for a seat to sit in, as only the public trains outside Interstellar’s property accommodated travellers. Rather, everyone around me was donned in the same gray, skin-tight work-suit with an identical company logo printed on the back. Not the prettiest of course, but the suit had its utility and no one was exactly competing for fashion. Living on a worksite that’s the size of a small city meant you weren’t going to see much differentiation in clothing. Not that I cared. I browsed the news feed on my armlet, never really expecting to see anything new. It was all the same. Either reported murder, corruption, typical overpopulation counts or view-bait articles that couldn’t even get the dumbest of people to open it up. They couldn’t even be trying at this point. Surviving Tree Spotted outside Government Domain? Honestly. The last plantlife organism that was spotted was over thirty years ago and it was only a weed. Everyone knows that the only trees the public can see now are the ones in the holograms. Everything on this washed up planet besides humans and livestock has either died off or made itself scarce. It reminded me of when China shipped off the last of its pandas to the Mars preservation as a last-ditch effort. Being only a pawn in the scheme of time, I would never know what the planet was once like, but surely it was never as dreary as this, if our history was reliable. Whether it was day or night didn’t really make a difference. Clouds had long since been the only thing we could see for a while now. I heard it was after the third industrial boom our ancestors really pushed things over the edge. Not like they could have fixed things by then anyways. Neon lights invaded your eyesight wherever you looked, and something was always trying to catch your attention. Mr.Denzel would always say if it weren’t for our nanites we’d be needing those “glasses” things, too. Despite being a business-owned territory, even Interstellar wasn’t shy to let advertisers through its doors. While its population were mostly Interstellar employees, plenty of merchant and retail residents were still making their living off of our paychecks. Despite moving at high speeds, I counted the fifth Coca-Cola ad like I always had on my occasional trip back to housing. A few more stops later and we had finally reached mine. In a synthetically female voice, it sounded, “You have now reached Eden, please exit the doors on your left. Thank you.” Eden. The name felt so cheap and tacky. It was probably the farthest thing from it, despite being such an appropriate name. Right off the monorail I could already make out a few poster bots, clad in the skimpiest clothing their manufacturers could have put on them. Other than their matte, artificial skin, they had been made to capture the ideal fantasy of anyone attracted to the female body. It seemed their breasts were one of their most popular assets, and I didn’t know if it were humanly possible to have ones as large as them… Not without genetic modification, of course.. “Just get off of work? Why don’t you spend some time with me, hm?” One of the bots made a seductive coo with a hint of digital playback towards some guy passing by. Sure enough, he gave her a look that insinuated a vulnerable prey, leading her to grab him by the arm and escort him back to her nest, where only further extorsion would ensue. Artificial or not, excluding the vast minority that actually lived here, including myself, most were definitely visitors coming for pleasure. “Hey sweet thing, how about you?” I could feel the delicate brush of a finger on my shoulder. I turned back to see another female bot staring back at me. Her hair was a neon pink bob cut with bright blue lips, lashes as long as my nails and piercing eyes. She was built to know nothing of the concept of fatigue, flawless in every way with only one directive on her mind. Sex. “Not my type,” I coldly replied. I always tried to avoid these interactions, otherwise I’d have five more blocks of this to go through on my way home. “Don’t be like that, hon!” Her hand grazed my cheek, but I knew it was all a marketing ploy. Every action was calculated, and ironic to think that one of man’s leading technologies was meant to capitalize on the most primitive of things. “I can show you a good time…! Just for you I can give a discount.” She tried to caress my hand, which I firmly pulled away. Of course this didn’t bother her though, as she drew me in closer. “Male or female, I can always accommodate my customer’s desires you know....” Her playful motion to the crotch reminded me why I hated these things so much. The only thing that mattered was getting business and shame meant nothing to them. Hell, they probably didn’t have the capacity to learn it. True intimacy was a dying breed now that these things existed. Why invest time into a longstanding relationship when there’s a quick fix waiting nearby? I kept walking and didn’t look back. “Bye-bye!” She called with a giggle from behind as her voice trailed off. My guess was she already found someone else to try and latch on to. I was just another moneymaker for her, without a face or name. Just like what I was to everyone else in the world. I did better to avoid the catcallers from then on as I passed the familiar bars and sex shops into an empty, slim winding alleyway. I opened the door next to the one with an actual working light. “To think after being gone for this long they couldn’t have even fixed a damn light…” My lobby was a small square space with only a self-service kiosk built in the wall and a set of stairs. Security had always been lax here and that didn’t seem to change in my absence. On the fifth floor and in front of room 537 I opened a wide eye for the retina scanner. “Identity: Ana West. Access granted.” The door slid open and I walked inside, the same lights turning on upon my arrival like they always had. From the entrance alone I could see everything that mattered. My kitchen, bathroom, closet and Virtual Space. Serving as my bed and entertainment, the Virtual Space was thankfully a perk for being a Frontiersman. A luxury anyone with money could enjoy only that I got it for free. “Good evening, Ana! It’s good to have you back!” A blue dot came to life on the panel attached to the wall. “Hi Eva, good to see you too.” My house AI. Granted I’d only been here a handful of maybe twenty times or so in the span of about six years. “It’s been, SIX MONTHS, since you last came home! It is currently MAY 28, 2212. Should I update you on any past news or messages you might have?” My ears always cringe whenever Eva uses numbers in her dialogue. Past the preprogrammed phrases, the sudden shift in tone whenever she tried to pronounce numbers was jarring. I always told myself to upgrade her voice model, but I knew I’d never be around here often enough to use it. “That won’t be necessary. Just prepare the shower for me please.” “Right away.” Upon her reply, like clockwork I heard the shower spring to life. I had already started to unzip my suit. After being back on Earth for a few hours I was already starting to feel clammy. It was weird to think I felt more comfortable on a ship than a planet, or at least this one. Thankfully the suit was full-body, so the feet were built like shoes too, meaning it was one less thing to take off. Dropping the suit to the floor and my undergarments next I stepped into the bathroom. I could hear vacuum installed into the wall panels suck away my clothes. It’d likely be ready for use again by the time I was ready to cycle out the other one. “Thanks, Eva.” Regardless of being a robot, common courtesy was something I tried to apply everywhere. As long as they weren’t trying to seduce me… While I showered, Eva started to play ambient music in the background, which I didn’t object to. Having something to listen to in the background was always nice, as the silence always felt the noisiest. The music died down for a second, meaning Eva probably had something to say. “Should I prepare something for you to eat Ana?” “I’m fine. Just hook me up to the nutrition feed when I go on ice.” “Do you mean cryostasis?” “Yes, I do.” Eva didn’t respond when I could hear the music ease back into its normal volume. When I stepped out of the shower the water flow tapered off into a short-lived drip whilst I grabbed my towels. Wrapping myself, I looked into the fogless mirror as I bunched my damp black hair into something a second towel could manage. Only then did I notice I never took my armlet off when in the shower, but it didn’t really bother me as much as a blunder more than an observation. These things were built to handle just about any harsh weather condition you could put them through. Nearly everyone’s lifeline in the galaxy, it was your ID, wallet, phone, computer and served just about any other use you’d have for it. To be honest, I can’t even remember the last time I took it off. “Eva, send my GATE request form to Interstellar admissions for me. It’s on my armlet.” There was a moment’s pause before she replied, “Done.” “Thank you.” I finished drying off and could see the pair of underwear waiting for me. Apart from what I wore underneath, my work-suit was the only set of clothing I had. Yes there were a few pairs, but they were all identical. The virtual space was already prepped for me when I stepped out of the bathroom. I laid down into the imprint left in the plastic cushions, to the point where my body felt like a plug being inserted into a socket, only I felt only snug and not rigid. The top closed over me as a mask gently pressed against my face. “And when would you like to be scheduled for awakening?” Eva’s voice came from inside the machine. “A week from now.” I barely flinched when I felt the iv insert itself into my arm, given repetition was a powerful drug. The virtual space started to hum ever to slightly, as I could feel a familiar chill growing on me. Each breath became slower and felt longer than the last. Pressed against my eyes was a monitor that I couldn’t tell was just a screen had I known. Already immersed, I watched the loading circle dance across the screen until I couldn’t feel my hands and feet anymore. Quickly the sensation traveled up my spine, until even my face felt like it was fading away. Everything went dark. “Ana? It’s time to wake up now.” My eyes opened, as I was laying down with my cheek pressed into the arm of a couch. I wasn’t tired. No, you never felt tired when you first entered the system. “Did you sleep well? It’s been a while, you know.” “I haven’t been gone for that long you know,” I sat upright on the couch, swinging my feet from off the ground. My hair was still proportionate to my new size. “While six months might be seamless for me, I don’t think the same can be said for you.” I was silent while he sat in a chair from across the room. “But, I know you never come here unless you have a reason,” he pulled out a pair of those glasses things from his suit pocket. It must have been from my subconscious seeing my supervisor wearing them so much... “Or, you’re looking to pass the time… So I take it you want to talk?” “Kind of.” I looked him over to see if he’d changed his appearance at all. Sure enough though he hadn’t changed the simulation much since I was last here. Still in his suit, with brown smooth-looking hair and a leg propped up on the other, he stayed seated in his armchair. “I submitted my application for the GATE expedition.” I wasn’t looking for any praise, or anything for that matter. I just felt like telling him. That’s what these therapy simulations were for anyways. “That’s right. I do recall us talking about that last time.” With a hand supporting his casual posture, specifically the side of his head, he tapped his cheekbone. “You’re happy, aren’t you? That you have a chance at going?” “Mhm, definitely. But that’s just the first foot in the door. No guarantees I’ll be accepted. I don’t suppose you might have any advice for me, would you Claude?” “I would tell you to stay neutral for now. Don’t have any expectations for better or worse, but cherish what you have now as well.” “Neutral as always…” I blew on a hair dangling from my head. Although I suppose it was nice to have someone or something to bounce my thoughts and feelings off of, Claude was more of a filing cabinet that helped me organize myself more than anything. He’d never sway me left or right. “You’re your own person, Ana. Take control of that.” A cup of something materialized on the coffee table in front of me. “Tea?” I asked, bringing the mug into my smaller-than-usual hands. “Your favorite.” Claude didn’t bother to pretend with me by drinking his own. I took a sip and relished the drink at perfect temperature.This simulation was Claude’s sandbox and by extension mine. Even though it was all fake, the virtual space could immerse you on a whole other level, to the point where even though I was unconscious, everything felt just as real. “So how long are you in cryostasis for?” “A week.” I took another sip. “And how long do you want to be here for? A day, a week? Month?” His voice never came off as demeaning or rude, simply monotone with the ever-slightest tinge of interest. And that was another perk being inside of your own mind. Days in real-time could be compressed into hours, minutes or even seconds. Some of the newer models could even slow a second in the real world to a complete year in this one, where you could live multiple lifetimes over in the span of 24 hours. It was hard to comprehend doing something like that, considering how out of place you could feel afterwards; lifetimes that you were the only one present to witness. Often called “Time Disconnect,” what was described was the exact issue; living too long in a timeless space. I always kept the timespace in here one to one though. I never wanted to feel like I was losing or cheating time. “I’m not sure how long I want to be here for. But I want time to pass like normal.” The bright sun flooded the white carpeted room from the large windows. Just beyond I could see other buildings, before there was a glass dome and so much building pollution. This couldn’t have been a recent setting. The 22nd century maybe? No. The 21st? “Is it too bright for you?” Claude could see my right eye wince a little from the light. “No, it’s fine. I like it this way.” Feeling the warm glow on my side was pleasing. Everything in the room was white in some way. The walls, the floor, ceiling, and even the furniture. Accented by silver, everything looked untouched of the outside world. So pure. I looked at my own dress which ran down to my tiny calves. However the only contrast in the room was my black hair and Claude’s suit. I couldn’t remember if it was the same color as last time. “How come you decided to wear a black suit this time?” I quizzically asked, digging my feet into the plump cushions. “An interesting question,” He answered, standing up from his own seat. “Do you not like the color black? Maybe you don’t like how I look anymore?” Suddenly, a blue ripple started from the top of his head as the wave traveled from head to toe. Followed by the ripple, Claude’s figure transformed into someone completely different, until he was an entirely different person altogether. Now his skin was tan with a completely different face and bone structure, covered in blonde shaggy hair, wearing some shirt checkered in dots and baggy shorts. “Better?” he asked in his new, deeper voice. My frown did the talking for me. “How about a form a bit more female?” he said, quickly and cheekily becoming a ‘her’ as his male figure shifted with another change into that of a female, curves forming along his waist, softening of the legs as his--her, thighs filled out just as much as her chest. With darker brown and flowing hair, she was now in a button-up tucked into an ankle-length skirt. “Do you like this?” She asked in a strikingly much more feminine voice now. “Change back,” was all I said, growing impatient. Claude changing into so many things was never amusing. It was just a reminder of how temporary this all was, and it felt as if I was talking to a new person. Soon Claude was back to normal, with the same face, gender, height and hair as before. “Have it your way,” he blankly spoke while he returned to his seat. “You know, you’re so good at changing your own appearance and our surroundings. Why can’t you change how I look?” It was that time to address the elephant in the room again. “We’ve talked about this before. Only you can control how you look in these simulations. However you choose to appear is entirely up to you. You need only change it.” The same explanation was always annoying. His words on loop never changed. Ever since I started going into these therapy simulations, I haven’t once gone into them looking like how I do in the real world. “How old am I this time, then?” I felt tiny just like every other time, only it was a decent medium right now. It wasn’t the youngest I’d ever been in here, but certainly not the oldest either. “If you’d like, here’s a mirror to see for yourself.” I held a hand open and a small mirror fell into its place. “But when I reference your annual checkup records and full-body scans I would say your body is closest to when you were approximately 3,045 days old, or about eight years old right now.” Once again I couldn’t argue with this guess, seeing as he was a supercomputer after all. With a finger I poked at one of my soft rosy cheeks to confirm for myself. Being drastically regressed like this didn’t affect me so much anymore. Not after it’d happen so much. While I didn’t know how old my body would be I at least had some expectations now going into this. It wasn’t ever an inconvenience, since Claude could accommodate me in any way I needed, but it was puzzling nonetheless. “This likely has to do with something in your past. Maybe family, perhaps? My database references a few thousand pieces that might give some insight if you’d like.” “Don’t even bother.” I sighed. While the majority of your childhood was spent in a box, there was a brief window right before it. I tend to gloss over it though because of how little I know of it. Regardless, I couldn’t remember anything of my childhood, only when I was a kid housed in one of Interstellar’s orphanages. The memories were probably somewhere in my mind, but neither Claude nor I had the money or power to access them. Memory retrieval technology did exist, but it was reserved for only government officials or society’s true elites, both of which I did not belong to. “Regardless of those issues though, I want to remind you of the progress we’ve made already. It’s good for you to talk like this to someone.” “Uh-huh.” I wasn’t even looking at Claude. The look on my face was an open book at this point, just as unconvinced as was my supervisor earlier this afternoon. “About this GATE expedition,” Claude started to switch gears. “The probability of return is either unknown or close to zero. Do you still want to go knowing this?” “I do. I can’t take doing the same job over and over without going anywhere.” “And you’re willing to risk your life for that? To feel fulfilled?” “I’m not happy now.” came out in a dejected voice. “I have no friends or family. It’s just me, you and Eva.” Not that the latter hardly counted. Claude was the one I talked to the most and even then he was just a digital being. “And what about your supervisor and crew? Haven’t you been with them for a long time? You wouldn’t miss them if you left? They wouldn’t miss you?” “Not enough. I think both ways beyond being on a first-name basis we’re just coworkers. Or they at least aren’t enough to make me stay.” “Have you ever considered finding a significant other then? Maybe it’s romantic satisfaction you’re lacking?” It irked me whenever we revisited topics like this. The answers would never change and the record would stay on loop. Sometimes I felt like the hardwired robot. “There’s no one here I can be with, and I’m sure your database can support that. Everyone at Interstellar has work on their minds. Me included. People my age now are either already settled with someone or find the sexbots more appealing.” My words may have felt like they were with malice and bitterness, but it became something I’d grown to accept. “To find love I’d probably have to leave Interstellar, and that’s something I’m not prepared to do.” “So you’re at a potential impasse, it seems?” “Guess I am.” I cupped my head in my hands, slouching in between my legs as they stood on the couch. “But is your solution to fire off into space? Hoping to find a solution to the problem by moving farther from it?” “I don’t know.” My brows furrowed toying with the question. Every once and awhile Claude could have me doing a double take or take some serious contemplation. “But I know that whatever I need isn’t on Earth. Maybe even the galaxy for that matter.” “And if you don’t find anything? The success you were hoping for? The intimacy you want to pursue?” “Then that’s it, then.” I could find a much better answer than that. Likewise, it was another rare moment when I could keep even Claude quiet for a few moments. “Would you like any more tea?” It was his sign of shelving the discussion. “No. I think I’m ready to go back to sleep for a bit.” “Should I put you into cryostasis again?” “Not yet. I want to fall asleep on my own here first.” “Very well.” A blanket and pillow dropped into my lap while Claude excused himself from the room. For all I knew he got rid of his physical body the moment he stepped behind the door, but I didn’t care enough to check. Right now I was more focused on getting comfy. I could hear the rummaging from the next room over; clinking of glass cups and whatnot. Apparently my subconscious was fond of white-noise, because hearing someone do cleanup in the kitchen was enough to ease me down. Again, silence always was the noisiest. It was almost strange in a way; falling asleep while asleep. I watched the canvas-white clouds stroll by the buildings while I drifted away for the second time, only at my own pace now... Entry #3 “Hello~ again my favorite little munchkins!” The tour guide dressed in her bright red lipstick cheerily sounded off through her mini microphone attached to a speaker on her waist. “Again, Libertalia would like to thank you all for participating in one of its many enriching and wonderful tours. We’re always interested in letting in Portal Littles, so if by the end of this tour you are interested in a longer stay, please don’t hesitate to speak with our support desk!” The way she feigned her upbeat attitude was pathetically obvious in the eyes of the many visiting Littles, but especially Dawn. Even still, her upbeat attitude only added to the layers of mystery this dimension had, and admittedly aroused her morbid curiosity. The Amazonian woman had taken them quite a distance around the large city, though relative to Dawn’s size it may as well have been an entire state in itself. Given the brief mentions of politics along the way though, it pretty much was anyways. Nevertheless, Dawn was still trying to fully grasp that she was spending a portion of her college break in another dimension. Admittedly, it was sort of on a whim. Then again, it wasn’t. In fact, the tourist agency had come to her. All it was, was a seemingly harmless postcard in the mail, and of course you’re going to double take when instead of it being junkmail it’s an offer to visit a totally different dimension. Looking back on it, it was kind of luck in itself that she even read the damn thing, much less take it seriously. After drinking a few beers and a ‘why not?’ and ‘what the hell?’ later, she figured she would see how deep the rabbit hole went, but never expecting to get what was actually advertised. People practically three times her size, coexisting with people just about hers in a separate, humongous dimension! Looking back on it, just about everyone in the tour group needed a good hour to fully digest that part. The realization was jarring; finding that you, an adult, who sat at the top of the social food chain, was now suddenly kicked back to the bottom by a dangerously large margin. Seriously. Dawn didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when she saw her first “Amazonian” toddler, who had a few inches on her! Yes, no matter where you go here, “Portal Littles” feel incredibly small. And that’s what she was. A Portal Little. Anyone about her size here was considered a Little. Grown adults that never seemed to look taller than about 5 or 6 feet. That’s how they described it at the briefing, at least. But if you asked Dawn, she’d say only 5. And not like she had any hard evidence, but she couldn’t help but feel as if she were a little shorter now since crossing the portal… Crazy and unfounded, she knew, and especially impossible to tell with these staggering size comparisons to giants, which of course would make it impossible to tell whether you had a few less inches or not. Their tour guide, Stacy, started speaking again. “In fact, if you would like I can take hands right now for those who’d be interested?” She looked to be eagerly waiting for countless takers, but not a single hand was raised. “D’awwwh, come on guys, don’t be shy!” She snickered. “I know there’s a few of you who are interested...” Still, no one volunteered. How could she expect someone to trade their livelihood so willingly? People who have spent 20 to 30 years of their lives, still underway in a dimension they knew as home; how could a 3 hour tour convince them to throw all of that away? It was probably part of her job, but the attitude she had certainly wasn’t. Dawn looked at her from the way back of the group with slightly narrowed eyes. Was she stupid? “Suit yourself!” She huffed and puffed. “You’ll have a chance to change your mind by the end of the tour. And let me remind you to please stay close! If you get lost along the way it’ll bring up some...complications.” It was the one time she sounded as if she were intentionally hiding something, and given that she was the one person everyone here could consider trustworthy, it was a little unnerving. “Tabith--Mommy, please! You can’t do this to me! I have a job, a home, a car, a boyfriend; you can’t take that away from me!” A clearly distraught woman sounded as if they were on the verge of tears, which had a few foreign heads turn their way. It was one of the glaringly unpleasant parts of this dimension. A woman maybe a little taller than Dawn stood shakily in front of the giant which towered over her. Despite her moderate lipstick, modest eyeliner, well-done contour, with her hair tied into a neat, clean bun, it came as a sharp contrast to her bright blue denim overalls with a shamefully obvious bulge hidden underneath. What’s more, it looked as if she were wearing a giant ladybug backpack, but it stopped seeming that way once you could see a long strap from it feed into the Amazon’s hand. It was a fucking leash. In spite of their wonderful technology, architecture, ecosystem, environmental policy,and healthcare, this was the one thing that ruined this dimension’s perception of paradise. Dawn watched on with a sense of guilt and sorrow as she didn’t move any further. The guides were explicitly clear not to interfere with stuff like this, as it was just “how things worked here.” Dawn didn’t know what scared her more: the fact that people like this couldn’t be saved, or that anyone that tried to help couldn’t be protected. People here were encouraged to be bystanders, and that only magnified the corruptness of it all. Now she could at least say she’d been to the Twilight Zone… “Now, now, my little tot,” the ironically plump woman knelt down to face her new charge a bit better. She looked like a predator sizing up its prey, clearly for sport, as it looked as if she’d long since won the chase. “I think it’s high-time we put that all behind us now, hmm? I’ve got big plans for my special little girl, and they do not involve anything as worrisome as adult responsibilities.” She ruffled the top of her hair, which made the Little take a few steps back on reflex, accompanied by a whimper. This clearly annoyed the Amazon though, as with a sharp tug on the child leash the woman was thrown back forward a few steps and involuntarily fell on the Amazon’s knee for support. “Whoopsie! Those diapies sure give you a waddle, huh?” As if the sadness were seething through her teeth, and the woman’s cheeks looked hot, she helplessly pleaded. “Please…!” The Amazon only sighed though, dismissing the girl’s emotional ruin. She hoisted her into the air and had a firm hold on her, with the Little flailing her legs, shouting for help. “I figured I’d at least give you a chance to walk on your own, but at this rate the adoption centers will be closed before we even get there.” She suddenly gave an annoyed look, and you could hear the sharp slap of skin to skin contact. She then looked away for a moment then back to her, as if tragedy had befallen her charge when she wasn’t looking. “Aww, what’s the matter sweetheart? Why are you crying? Is that wittle laxative from earlier upsetting your tummy? There, there, we’ll make it all better soon...” As the helpless Little whimpered, the pair walked off, fading into the crowd, whilst everyone in the tour group wordlessly watched them walk away. “What the fuck even was that?” “They were actually serious about kidnapping?” “Can they really just take people?” “Hey, they, they can’t do that to us too, right?” “Now, now, everyone!” Stacy shushed the frightened atmosphere with her still upbeat tone, as if the horrifying display hadn’t even fazed her. And in all honesty, that could very well likely be the case. Whether she partook in such inhumane practices or not, living in a society that normalized it was sure to desensitize you. Though, Dawn was curious to see how exactly she’d try and address what they just saw… So much for her hopes of volunteers. “We have plenty of other sights and shops to see, so we need to keep a tight schedule! Come along now!” She beckoned to the group like preschoolers, and a few pairs exchanged awkward glances, trying to digest how she’d totally disregarded the public kidnapping. “Uhm, Stacy?” Dawn called from the back of the pack. Surprisingly she was heard, as Stacy turned her head. The way she smiled was almost unnerving. “Aren’t we gonna talk about what we just saw?” Dawn didn’t know if she really was stupid or just a terrible liar. Her response was stupefying. “See...what?” The way she drew out her response was a testament to her obliviousness. “That someone was just kidnapped? That Amazon just took a person! A...” what was it again? “A Little!” The existence of two separate terms was terrible in itself. It proved there was a social hierarchy in all of this, which made the problem so much worse. “Oh!” She chuckled. She chuckled? “You mean that adoption? I mean, I suppose she was acting a little fussy, but other than that…?” The way she curiously smiled, as if Dawn were the fool for pointing it out, simply made the Portal Little drop the topic from there. It was almost a sixth sense, triggering when you interacted with only the most ignorant of people; the kind that spewed words like airhorns and filled their ears with cement. It was another endless rabbit hole of bewilderment, equating kidnapping to “adoption.” “Oh! Look at the time! We already a few minutes behind schedule. Come along, everyone!” She waved her hand and set forth their march, with most people certainly caught in a mix of emotions. As well, the Littles seemed to be sticking a bit closer together than they were before… As nice of a place as Libertalia seemed, excluding their babying culture, it was a bit hard to really enjoy at times when the tour guide leading you through it all had a gait two to three times as large as yours. Her lack of consideration was admittedly surprising, given how she like many others seemed to view Littles as borderline children. You’d think they’d be given a little more patience with the faster walkers. It was a mystery why she was still treating them even like pseudo-adults when taking her personality into account. They were all creatures of the Leviathan; beasts withheld by the rules of law, which even then seemed to be such a loose restraint. “And if you’ll all look to your right, you will see one of Libertalia’s finest parks; free to the public at any time of the day!” In the middle of the city it seemed like somewhat of an oasis; a large patch of green grass, trees, a fountain, and of course a playground, all sanctioned by stone walls which were as tall as Dawn, so in other words the perfect height for an Amazon. It was another unspoken, annoying undertone to this society. Yes it had the glam and glamour; all the bells and whistles, but all those benefits were geared towards Amazons. For Christ sake, even the hotel room she was staying in was meant for an Amazon! When she wanted to go to bed, use the sink, brush her teeth, she had to move around her personal footstool, everso “generously” provided by the hotel. So to call this place wonderful was unfortunately a great matter of perspective. From the distance she could see another infantilized adult going down the slide. What she hated to admit the most was that there were accommodations for Littles here, only that they were intended for an age bracket of a much more childish mindset. That seemed to be the Common Little’s struggle here. They were shunned for trying to tread where the Amazon’s might, and thus were like a bunch of circles jammed into a square-socket as they try to fill it out like their diapers. Dawn wasn’t going to claim she knew how everything worked here, but the signs on the surface were telling enough. “Alright, everyone, please be extra careful!” Right as they reached the end of the block, Stacy spun around to face them all, looking stern. Dawn rolled her eyes. They went through the same damn routine each and every time they crossed the street. Did she think they had personal chaperones their whole lives before coming to this dimension? “Be sure to look both ways before crossing the street, alright? Now come on, everyone, grab a hand!” She was the first to start the chain only she saw the unnecessary purpose in. Begrudgingly the closest tourist had to take her hand, and then the next closest to take theirs, and so forth. Even Dawn did so with another guy seeming equally as annoyed. Naturally the first time she said this everyone thought she had a few screws loose, but it was the first of many signs that she truly did consider them as something less of an adult. That, and she’d already kicked a handful of people off the tour for not listening to her condescending ways. Yes, she was difficult to work with, but the embarrassment and hoops were enough to endure if it meant being able to experience a different dimension. She thinks, at least. “Alright let’s get a move on!” She made an exaggerated turn and glance to first her left and then her right, then like a livestock crossing they marched across the street. As silly as it was though, there was some solace in that a united front kept the Amazons from trampling over you. Unfortunately, that wasn’t something Dawn could deny as intimidating. Everytime she made a close call by colliding with the shins and knees of one, they’d give the same kind of smile that repulsive woman from earlier would. She’d try to usher along, but their gaze would linger from behind for an uncomfortably long amount of time. “Oh honey, look! It’s a group of Portal Littles!” Dawn’s unfortunate ears picked up the conversation parallel to them on the wayside. The excitement in her voice sounded chillingly ulterior, given what they’d just seen. Dawn didn’t know whether it was from paranoia or not, but the tiny hairs on her stood upright. “How would you know that? Don’t all Littles look the same?” Dawn tried to keep looking forward. She wasn’t keen on being a conversation piece, especially when they probably knew very well she could hear them, along with many others. Then again, it was probably more along the lines of that they didn’t care. “Just look! See? That’s an official government tour guide! Since when do they do tours for natives? And see that? They don’t have any parents!” Dawn tried to walk a little faster. She dared not look back at them. Eye contact was the last thing you wanted to make. She’d had her fill of awkward exchanges for one vacation. “Oh! And that one, see her?” It could be anyone, just relax. “Which one?” God, they couldn’t actually be fucking scouting right now, could they? They can’t take foreigners, right? Right? “The one with brown hair, wearing the jeans? Such a cute bum, too!” Dawn nervously panned her eyes to the left, then right, locking eyes with an unfortunate soul, though ashamedly feeling her heart beat a little less once she knew it wasn’t her… Something similar must have been going on in the woman’s head though, because the brunette in jeans seemed stunned as she looked ahead, obviously trying to dig herself deeper into the pack. She had been listening too, and looked a moment’s away from crumbling if they got any closer. “Ooh, why haven’t we gotten a Little yet, James?” The female Amazon sounded frustrated as her golden prize seemed to drift away. Dawn silently rooted for the fellow tourist as she could see her keep moving to the front. “They’re opening that new daycare a few blocks down from the house, anyways! Come on, don’t you think this is a sign?” It was a mix of anger and fear to hear herself be regarded as goods you could simply go and “get.” It further solidified all the worsening conclusions Dawn was reaching in this place. “Martha, I know you’ve been wanting one, but...” The way he tried to diffuse the situation obviously wasn’t out of sympathy for the poor Little that might be enslaved by his wife, rather, a desire to maintain the “happy wife, happy life,” mantra… “We really haven’t planned everything out? There’s plenty of agencies to adopt, but we need furniture first, don’t you think?” ‘Martha,’ the wife of the couple Dawn kept listening to, even ignoring Stacy’s spiel over, went on to scoff and say, “You say this everytime!” And if only he could keep saying it for just a little longer… Were they really going the same way? “I want to grow our family, James, and you know we’ve been talking about it for months now. Don’t you think it’d be nice?” Even if it wasn’t Dawn’s place to answer, no, no she didn’t think so. “There’d be a little tush toddling around the house; someone to dote on, care for. Didn’t your mom say she was looking for grandkids, anyways? I want to be a mommy, honey! And I’m sure you’d make a great dad, too!” ‘James,’ Dawn thought it was, simply exhaled; the kind of exhale that Martha could consider a strikingly positive one, and Dawn the exact opposite. “I suppose we can start looking to adopt.” A happy, yet sinister squeal escaped his wife as her husband apparently said all the things she wanted to hear; a beautiful symphony directed by the tongue and mouth, though to Dawn a screechy, rough and scratchy jargon of displeasing cacophony. And like that, it was predetermined that at random some poor soul would be abducted by these two maniac “aspiring parents.” “I love you so much! I just know we’ll be great parents!” She giggled, while Dawn gagged. “Oh! But I want to get a Portal Little.” She sounded oddly adamant, and Dawn felt herself tense up a little. “I don’t see why not, but why’s that?” “Think about it, honey,” she started to seem somber, though Dawn regarded it as one of many masks the beast could portray. “Haven’t you heard about their dimension? There’s no Amazons! All the poor things...who’s supposed to take care of them? What happens when they need to be fed, clothed, changed, cleaned...” Each and every supposed problem she listed off seemed to have dropped the weight of the world on her shoulders more and more, as she slowly talked herself to tears. “What if they have a nightmare?” Dawn blinked her eyes. That. That’s what puts her over the edge? The Amazon mindset couldn’t have been more ignorant to the world of “Littles.” She hated using the term, because there were no “Littles” where she came from. There were just people. “Honey, I’m sure they manage just fine though...” Yes, James, they most certainly do. “You know that’s not true!” Martha was starting to sound more and more emotionally invested. Just how passionate could the women be here? “Don’t you see how native Littles are here? It makes me worried sick when I see one without an Amazon, because they won’t have anyone to fall back on when something does happen to them. They’re just barely getting by! How do you expect an entire dimension of them to do just fine?” Dawn was ready to rub her temples, this was so idiotic. She wasn’t totally focused on what was happening in front of her though, because she realized a few seconds too late that the person in front of her had stopped and soon so did she once she collided with them. Stumbling back, she fell onto her bottom for a moment. Obviously, she was fine, as she tried to stand back up. “Oh, sweetie, are you okay?” An all too familiar voice started to speak with urgency, and sounded to be getting terrifyingly closer. Before Dawn could fully react, a pair of Amazon hands were already setting her upright. The grip was like iron, but was somehow a soft, gentle touch. A padded prison was the best way she could describe it. Dawn worriedly looked back to Stacy and the group, which seemed to be viewing another landmark, meaning Dawn at least had some time to finally shoo these two away. She turned her head back to who she imagined was Martha, now seeing her for the first time. And it was likely her paranoia, but it was as if she could see the woman’s eyes twinkle as soon as they stared into each other... A light red head of hair, ending at an upright curl along the edges, reaching just above her shoulders, she wore a not too bad looking dress which reached her feet, and unfortunately because Dawn couldn’t ignore it, somehow contained her Amazon-sized breasts. Seriously, it was like she was sporting two Little-sized heads. The inner tips of her brows were pointed upright as she was obviously worrying over Dawn’s wellbeing, which was certainly doing well without her. “Uhm...I’m fine, thanks.” There wasn’t much gusto to her voice. Frankly she was a little afraid to talk back to an Amazon...and unfortunately after seeing that business woman from earlier, she believed the fear was well-placed. Even still, the woman ignored her as she could feel herself be pat down, likely getting the dust and dirt off that was never there to begin with. “Promise no boo-boos?” Martha asked with a smile. “Nope. None.” Dawn answered much more plainly. “What’s your name, sweetheart?” She looked curious. That was the last thing Dawn wanted. Attention here was a dangerous thing, and she highly preferred keeping her head down and feet close to the ground. “Oh! Is this it right here?” Her eyes followed the obvious tell stuck to Dawn’s shirt; a sticker with Amazonian-grade adhesive, clearly labelling Dawn’s name in big, bold letters. “DAWN.” She had tried removing it earlier, but the thing wouldn’t budge! Every day if she wore something new she’d need to get a new one, and unless she could get an Amazon to remove it, she’d just have to hope that she didn’t like that outfit too much… “Dawn, that’s a very pretty name!” No, really, is it? “It’s very nice to meet you, Dawn,” she carried on the conversation anyways. “My name’s Martha, and this is my husband, James!” Dawn practically felt like a child the way she infused such enthusiasm with the most simple of facts. Her husband truly did look like the peak of Amazonian genes, what-with him standing tall, clearly with a decent amount of muscle, and short, blonde hair. Unlike his wife, he didn’t seem to be fawning over a complete stranger, other than looking on curiously. By extension, it was a little frightening to think what might happen if she got on his bad side... “So, a little birdy told me that you’re a Portal Little, huh?” What did it even matter? Dawn tried to take a step back at subtly as she could. “Y...Yeah. What about it?” “Well, how do you like it here?” She gave a sincere smile, but it only put Dawn on edge even more. “It’s, uhm, colorful. Really, colorful.” “I’m happy to hear that,” she chuckled. “What’s your favorite part?” Were they seriously doing twenty questions right now? She had no desire or want to be interviewed by some woman looking to shop for a foreigner, but was admittedly afraid by what might happen if she try to cut it too short… “The vegetation.” It was the fastest thing she could think of, though not a complete lie, and trying to sound sophisticated. Maybe if she set herself apart from this woman’s delusions she might get out unscathed? “Oh, I like the trees and plants, too.” But did she really? It wasn’t exactly uncommon for an adult to pretend to take an interest in a kid’s likes, which was a strategy Dawn had a sinking feeling was being used against her. “We have a biiig garden at our house!” The way she stressed the size came along with expanding hand gestures. “That’s, er, really great. Homegrown food is always nice.” Dawn glanced behind her, hoping the group hadn’t left her behind. This was getting a little too close for comfort. “How long have you been here for?” “A week...just about.” Only now was she starting to think telling her all this information might be a bad idea… Though, how incriminating could her likes and dislikes be? “Today’s my last day.” Thankfully, she almost added. Had she been put under the spotlight like this any sooner, Dawn didn’t know if she could keep it together until the end of the trip. If she could fall under the Amazon’s radar so soon, then that’d mean there was plenty of more time to happen again... “Oh, really?” She almost sounded disappointed. Dawn smiled a little, still playing to the opposite end of the spectrum, quite happy of this fact. “Yep! We’re on our final tour, then we leave in the morning.” “Do you not think that it gets lonely, though?” Dawn raised her brows. “Lonely how?” “Not having any Amazons there? It’s only Littles, right?” “No, it’s neither,” Dawn sharply corrected, seeming borderline offended. “There are no Amazons or Littles. Just people. We all get along fine without the sort of practices you guys have here.” “But who takes care of you?” She genuinely seemed not to get it, and that annoyed Dawn even more. It’s like she was filtering out anything that didn’t agree with her sense of bias. Maybe if she weren’t looking through such a rose-tinted glass, she’d find that all Littles aren’t as one-dimensional as her ignorant people come to think… Of course all of this made her bitter; only able to think of good comebacks rather than saying them. Dawn considered herself smart, but she wasn’t brave, not at least in the face of two giants. And next thing you know, she’d probably start asking how she gets to the bathroom on her own. That’d be a whole lecture in itself. Needless to say, she wasn’t keen on sticking around for that part. “Listen, really, I don’t think we should be doing this,” Dawn tried to put the brakes before she said something she’d regret. The way the Amazon cocked her head to the side, looking innocently confused really helped seal the deal. “I’m not interested in comparing dimensions. You clearly have your views, and I have mine. It was nice meeting you, but I really need to get going now.” Dawn didn’t wait for an answer, and was honestly a little afraid of the consequences as she spun on her heel and moved back in with the group. She took her first step, second, then third. So she really could just walk away like that? She grinned a little, feeling an insurmountable confidence boost. Maybe Amazons weren’t as tough as she thought? She snickered. It took a few moments, but Dawn was lucky to be reunited with the group that kept marching onwards. Meanwhile, Martha and James lingered there for a few moments longer as she got back to her feet with a sigh, brushing off the front of her dress. ”You alright, hon?” He asked compassionately, then eased off the pleasantries when it wasn’t about his wife. “She didn’t seem too friendly...” “I’m fine,” she weakly smiled. “I just think she was just a little scared of me… Where she comes from there aren’t any Amazons, after all.” Somberly, she reflected on her last comment, probably in a way Dawn would’ve despised. Before she could watch the girl go for any longer, she spun to fully face him with an exaggerated, selfish pout. “But you saw her, didn’t you? Ugh! And I thought the brown-haired one looked cute! Dawn looked so precious I can’t stand it! All the cute little things I could do with that hair… She looked like a porcelain doll! I wish we could’ve adopted her...” She looked once more at the one who got away, and was already feeling the return of a misery she’d just forced a lid over. Sometimes life truly just wasn’t fair... James remained quiet as he passively tapped his foot, thinking. “You never did ask her directly? There’s still time, you know?” Martha was still quiet. She’d never felt so attached from a mere glance, and severing such a bond was too painful for her to bear. Is that why Amazons were always so insistent on adopting on the spot? She hated telling her heart no, as it was in the middle of its own tantrum, and it pained her to no end. “Well...we could always just take her?” Martha then despite the dreary mood, stared at him, almost incredulously. “She was hanging at the back of the group, and people do it everyday? I can’t imagine it’d be hard since that’s how most adoptions are done nowadays.” Strangely enough, her husband’s suggestions actually made his wife seem hopeful, but then she looked crestfallen again. “No, that wouldn’t be right. Maybe if she were a native, but we don’t know what we could be taking from her as a Portal Little...” “Didn’t you say it yourself? It’s a dimension of exclusively Littles?” “Yes, but...” “Didn’t you also say that you wanted to adopt her? I can’t imagine a world run by Littles is exactly paradise, hon. I’m sure with enough time anybody could come to love a place like Libertalia, even someone like her. Not to mention she’d be a lot safer here than where she’s coming from now.” They were both quiet for a few seconds. “How...how about we take some time and get to know her for the day?” “But didn’t she say she’s leaving tomorrow? I don’t think she was very happy with me either...” “Martha, you’re much more likable than you give yourself credit for,” he chuckled. “We’ll have her back where she needs to be if she does say no, then.” She still seemed on the fence, and he desperately wanted to give her clarity. “Hon, I can’t guarantee she’ll say yes, but I want to give you a chance at this. I have been a little apprehensive about having a Little…” his hand suddenly found hers, “but if it’s something you really want, then I want it too.” He looked at her with rock-solid determination, and it was enough to crush her indecisive-self entirely. “Oh, James!” She pulled her husband into a tight hug, then looked back ahead with a little more excitement. He truly was the wind beneath her wings, and whenever the sun may not shine, he’d be right beside her like a glowing beam! “Let’s hurry before they go!” It wasn’t a sure shot, but the opportunity made her want to stay hopeful. She didn’t know how, but she was positive she could convince her! From all the parenting books she had read, she knew it was never an easy adjustment, for a Little, but there was something that compelled her to feel so certain this was destiny. Fate was telling her to take a chance, and she not only wanted to bring happiness to herself and her husband, but as well to a new and special member in the Teller household! Dawn was still in the back in the group, trying to shrug off the weird experience she had just had. Seriously, she’d have a treasure trove of weird things to tell her boyfriend about when she got home… This kind of place was a once in a lifetime experience, meaning she only wanted to see this kind of place once only in her entire life. “Hey, were you alright back there?” Surprisingly, it came from the brown-haired girl, the one in jeans, with also the apparently cute butt… “Yeah...thanks for asking.” As if the fear were still sitting on her shoulder, she peeked behind her once more, and thankfully nothing tipped her off. “The Amazons here are fucking crazy...” “I’ll say,” she sighed. “As soon as I heard them talking about me...” she shuddered. “Can you imagine what they must do to people like us here?” “Unfortunately we’ve already seen some of the stuff they do...” Her eyes wandered to Stacy’s back. “Can we even trust our own tour guide?” “Your guess is as good as mine. I think I’ve had enough hand-holding for every time I want to cross the damn street.” They both shared a laugh as they kept moving. “I don’t think we’ve met, yet? Well, I mean I think we did when Stacy made us do that stupid icebreaker at the hotel, but not, like, officially, officially.” “I’m Heather. You?” “Dawn. Nice to meetcha.” “So what’s the reason you’re on this tour?” Dawn was the first to ask. “Call me weird, but, just to see if a place like this really existed?” She didn’t look so sure herself. “I thought I was reading some tabloid or something when the flyer came in my mail. I really must have been pretty dumb to follow up on it, not thinking of it as junk mail right from the get-go. How about yourself?” Dawn merely laughed. “What’s so funny?” “Nothing, just that our stories are pretty much carbon copies of each other. I had some time off of college, so I figured why not?” “Ooh, college girl, huh? What’s your major?” “English. Partly because I’m a fan of literature...” she almost seemed sheepish over her guilty pleasure. “What do you do?” “I work at a restaurant as a waitress. Nothing too special about it,” she smiled, seemingly content, but Dawn couldn’t help but feel a little guilty, as if she were showing off. “What college?” “One in Massachusetts? Where’s the restaurant you work?” “Cali,” Heather blinked, and soon her friend did too. “It’s weird, but I guess it kinda makes sense anywhere in the world you could cross through the portal...” “Yeah...” Dawn thought for a few seconds. “Definitely...” “Anyways though, I have had plenty of my fill for this trip. Yeah, it’s nice and all, but there’s too many people at home I’d miss, and I can do without all the predators more than twice my size...” “Totally. My boyfriend probably won’t believe half the stuff I have to tell him from this trip. And if he does, he’ll think I’m a complete maniac for going in the first place!” “Right?” Heather nodded in complete and total agreeance. “It’s like that one saying. What is it? If nobody is around to hear the tree fall, did it actually? That basically sums up this vacation experience.” It wasn’t how it went verbatim, but by no means was Dawn going to judge her for it. It was more her own peeve that picked up on it, though of course she’d ignore them. She was right, though. If you weren’t around to experience something like this, how could you believe it secondhand? “Hey, so, what were those two people talking to you about?” “You saw them?” “Er, yeah… Sorry I didn’t step in. They were checking out my ass and all...” There was a moment of silence, then they both laughed. “No, it’s fine, I understand.” Still, Dawn didn’t like to think how she would’ve been reacting if she hadn’t gotten away so smoothly. Depending on how things went, the difference between a bystander or an active participant could have vastly changed the outcome. “I fell over and the female one was acting like I practically broke my leg.” She could still feel the phantom pats all over her body. “That, and I guess she was a little curious about our dimension.” Hopefully that’s all it was. “They didn’t say anything about me, did they?” The stupid laundry list of questions she was asked by the Amazon came to mind. “No, I think you’re in the clear,” Dawn smirked. She sighed in relief. “That’s good. Still, I can’t get over that. Like, really? Making tiny adults babies forever? Or at least until you get sick of them? How does shit like that even get popular?” “Again, no idea.” Something strange suddenly popped back into her head. “Actually, they were talking about how a daycare was opening near there place, and how it was a ‘sign’ to adopt. Do they really have places for babified Littles?” “Or even worse, a place for Littles and actual babies...” They both seemed to be contemplating equally as heavy thoughts. “Ugh, I’m so done talking about this stuff. Mind if we change over to something a bit more, like, cheery?” For once she looked fully ahead. “By the way, I think we’re kinda lagging behind. Maybe we should pick up the pace?” “Sure, let me just grow another four feet and I’ll get back to ya on that,” Dawn lightheartedly jabbed. It felt nice to finally have someone to talk to this trip, even if it was on the last full day. Heather stole the lead as she walked a little faster, and Dawn took her next step forward, already priming herself for a little jog, but her heart skipped a beat once her next step, expecting to hit the ground, missed somehow quite poorly, lazily launching her leg down. Having an obvious doubletake, only then did she process the shockingly fast motion which had her whisked fully into the air; countless, many feet into the air. She yelped from the surprise alone, and her shout got Heather’s attention, who expecting to find her at her height stared wide-eyed at the spectacle as she tilted her head back and upwards, in what could only be complete and total fear. H...huh? Why...why was Heather so far away? Why was she so far off the ground? Before she even realized it, adrenaline was seeping into her veins, and it terrified her because her body was realizing a threat before even she could. Did someone pick her up? They had to, otherwise she wouldn’t be so high off the ground! She flailed her arms and legs helplessly, as she was faced away from the perpetrator and was trapped in their soft, yet firm grip. “Heather? What’s going on? Please!” Frantically, and descending into a maddening panic, she shouted her newfound friend’s name, who when turning back simply looked to tremble as she backed away. Why wasn’t she saying anything? She backed away from the evil Amazon Dawn still had yet to see, and backed away from Dawn. But what could she do? A Little taking on an Amazon? Even beyond the lawful restrictions of something so foolish, the biology didn’t exactly argue in the dwarf’s favor either. And clearly Heather realized this as well, as though she trembled and started shaking, something finally must have clicked for her, because she turned 180 degrees and bolted. “No! NO! PLEASE!” At the turn of a dime her worst fears were being realized. She kept wildly trying to turn her head, so much that her neck might snap; hoping to identify the threat. It was too much to process, how a complete and total stranger could instantly condemn her current way of life and jam-pack her into something much more demeaning, devaluing, and dehumanizing. Her heart was ready to burst from the sheer shock of it all. Teary-eyed she kept calling, screaming for help, and it only became worse when the one holding her turned in the opposite direction and by proxy so did Dawn. Full-blown streams of tears rolled down her cheeks as she was so easily whisked away from what she thought was assured security. Her life flashed before her eyes; saying a goodbye to all that she had known as adulthood, her old dimension, friends and family. All of it; gone, in one simple fell swoop. “Please, please! Don’t take me!” Her thick voice trembled and struggled to make coherent sentences. In the frantic and reckless pursuit to survive, all she could maintain were her worried and tear-filled pleas. “I’ll do anything, so just let me go, please! Please! PLEASE!” She didn’t even know who she was crying to for mercy, because the weight of the world had hit her so heavily, she stopped processing it altogether. Every moment she stay kidnapped, it was another that meant she stray further from the group; the only people that knew she wasn’t of this world, who had a place, and a life in a totally different dimension. It was almost funny, in a sick and twisted way; how quickly the psyche can devolve in such a short amount of time, given what can be perceived as life-threatening circumstances. Dawn didn’t think this person wanted to kill her, but certainly wanted impose life-changing circumstances upon her, hence the manic panic. As if it’d protect her, or more so that she couldn’t handle it, she sealed her eyes shut, crying harder and harder as she felt the rise and fall of every step her kidnapper took, meaning there was more and more distance between them and salvation. She pushed, shoved and kicked against what held her, but it may as well have been trying to move a mountain. She heard the swing of a door; they entered some kind of building; one further degree of separation that made her panic even more. Then they seemed to stop moving. She was still most certainly being held, but she finally had a place to sit, as she was being pressed into something large and soft. And as everything seemed to stop, except for her tears, she didn’t feel a hair touch her head, and that’s what scared her the most right now. It became the common dilemma of whether or not to fear the punishment itself, or the unknown amount of time it would take for it to strike. Her throat started to hurt, as she couldn’t will herself to beg any further, but for some, irrational reason, she figured if she did stop, then it truly would be the end. “Please...please don’t do this to me…!” Dawn finally opened her eyes, and beyond the tears she could see she was being pressed into not an immovable anchor, but in fact the combination of a woman’s torso and bosom. An Amazonian one, at that. She nervously bit her lip, mutely looking around, seeing that the situation was just as terrible as she had feared. But when she looked up, it was the worst, most terrible sinking feeling she could ever experience. Trapped in its devilish claws, she’d been abducted by Satan himself. “Have we finally finished the waterworks, sweetiepie?” Somehow Dawn found it in herself to keep whimpering, as she looked at who had taken her, and sentenced her to an unspeakable fate. “Wh-why? Why are you doing this?” Her red lips formed a smile, as she looked down on the distraught, ruined Portal Little. The way she smirked, it seemed as if her extra chin did as well, and Dawn could feel the rise and fall of her massive chest, attached to her massive, husky, plump body. Her orange, ginger perm went horribly with her entire look; the exact kind of person you would imagine to be a kidnapper. She adjusted her circle-rim glasses as with her other hand, a long-nailed finger tapped Dawn’s shoulder, who kept wincing with each, innocent touch, but it still made her cry. The demeaning attempts to calm her only made it worse; feeling the bounce to the woman’s knee, as if her hysterics over being kidnapped could be solved with some simple and fun gravity. Clearly she looked beyond Dawn’s cracking composure though, as she went on to coo, “Oh I just knew you were the one at first sight!” The Amazonian stranger fawned and fawned, whilst Dawn further and further felt herself drowning in the recesses of her own mind. “You look like a doll! And from now on you will be! What’s your name, honeybunches?” Then she chuckled in the same, syrupy tone she’d started with. “Actually, it doesn’t matter. From now on you’re going to be Abigail.” She didn’t even pose it as a question, or fish for confirmation. She set a fact into place; carved it into stone. Dawn was speechless, as her worst expectations were being met in full. “Who even...” her voice was quiet, panic-stricken. “Who are you?” “From now on I’m mama, my little baby!” The excitement on her face was close to driving Dawn to madness. A set of fat, wet lips made a mortifying noise as they pressed into her bare forehead, leaving behind a sickening wetness where they touched. It was all happening too fast, as with each and every demand this woman made, she could feel a hammer driving a nail into her; pinning her exactly where this sick and twisted person desired her. She had no name; not one that Dawn deserved to know. No. All she needed to do was recognize who her new “parent” was. But Dawn was too broken to try and resist logically. Bargaining was the only thing on her mind, because if not that, then she would truly have nothing left. “Please...just let me go. I promise I’ll do anything, just let me go…!” “Really? You mean it?” The Amazon looked closely at her with a scrutinizing eye. Dawn, dumbfounded for an endless multitude of reasons, rushedly nodded her head, unsure whether or not to believe in the woman’s promise, but damn-well willing to try. Dawn could almost squeal, and find for once a happy reason to cry as she was set back onto the ground. Was it...was it really that easy? Home! She could go back home! Trying to forget such trauma, she already spun for the door, just now taking stock to realize they were in some sort of public bathroom. “Abigail!” the woman shouted, and Dawn oddly enough freezed on command, despite very much not being Abigail. “We made a deal, didn’t we?” “Y...yes...” What did she want? Wait, why was she calling her Abigail? She looked back to the door for a brief moment, longing for the freedom that was teased right before her. Could Dawn make it for the exit if she just kept running? The woman looked like she had some weight to her...and that massive bag she had could probably slow her down, too… Was it worth squandering her good graces, though? “I let you go, now you need to do a few things for me, sweetheart...” The way she smiled unsettled Dawn immensely, but gulping, she slowly agreed. “Come a little closer,” she beckoned with a hand, and on shaky feet Dawn managed to come a little closer, despite every fibre of her being telling her to make a break for it. The massive bag she noted from earlier was set onto the ground, and it very well looked like it could have been a duffel bag, it was so large. The Amazon got on her knees, and looked to be fishing through it. “And don’t think about making a step for that exit, young lady, or else you’ll have already earned your first spanking.” The threat Dawn had no doubt was sincere, but she was still beyond confused. If she had been let go, why was this woman still acting like she was her guardian? “Ah! Here we are~!” What she produced sent a chill down Dawn’s spine. It was a white, plastic rectangle; folded nice and neatly into a commercialized form. And to ensure no details were left to the imagination, the Amazon happily fanned it out, and Dawn quaked further and further as she fully saw the undergarment in its entire, infantile splendor. “Do you know what these are, Abby?” She asked in a motherly tone, and Dawn quietly pleaded no. She pretended as if she answered. “That’s right! They’re pull-ups! Pull-ups just for you! Aren’t you special, huh?” Slowly, but in a quickening pace she shook her head more and more. “P-p-Please, n-no…!” Dawn had become too much of an emotional and mental wreck to coordinate herself properly, she tried to turn around, but instead fell on the ground, whilst her tormentor watched with sickly enjoyment. “Aww, look at my little tot! It’s okay, honey, I already planned to keep you as a toddler, anyways...” She started to scream once she took hold of Dawn’s ankles, dragging her closer across the tiles. In two simple strokes her shoes were off, and next were her socks so easily plucked off. Apparently her constant cries were starting to get on the woman’s nerves though, because looking aggravated, Dawn grew vocally limp when a sharp slap collided with her thigh. She sobbed, feeling as if she’d just been charged stiff by a static shock. It came with such force, it was as if her very core was struck. She maddeningly looked to the woman. “Now that is enough, Abigail!” The violent woman hissed. “I tried to be very gentle with you from the start, but if you’re going to throw a fit over every little thing, I’m not going to be patient with you!” It all suddenly clicked for her. This woman never intended to let her go. They’d never even made a deal to begin with. She was still very well-within this porker’s grasp; dancing in the palm of her hand. This whole charade was all one big game to her… She was just amused in trying to force Dawn into her own submission, and by the looks of it so far, she hated to acknowledge that she was winning. While Dawn thought there might still be a fighting chance, this demon was busy fitting out her ultimate demise... “Now are you ready to listen, or should we move onto that spanking?” Dawn became wide-eyed, unable to imagine the physical force that this woman could pack behind an open palm. It didn’t matter if the punishment were childish; it was a threat of genuine pain. If a slap to the thigh could make her blubber, she couldn’t imagine she’d walk out the same person after a full-blown spanking… The exit already felt so distant now, and everything was quickly reaching an emotionally exhausting point, she’d been expended far too much to fight both battles of escape and preservation, and bitterly found herself needing to make a choice. Dawn merely nodded her head, with her now-messy hair hanging lazily with her downward gaze. “Good.” She smugly smiled. “Now you can prove it to me by taking off those pants of yours.” It was all expected, and the worst was how it was going to happen by her own hand. She was approaching an inevitable demise, and she was powerless to stop it, and in fact become part of the destruction itself. Her final line of defense to her dignity, she tried not to cry too hard when she undid the single button, then finally the zipper. Though of course, she still wanted to try. If there was a voice left in her, she felt compelled to use it. “P-p-please. I just wanna go home!” “Should we switch to diapers then? Is that what you want?” “No!” Dawn quickly shouted, then started to moan and quiver over her reaction. She was trying to negotiate over something she’d been involuntarily subjected to; fighting for agency that’d been unrightfully taken from her. Nevertheless, her jeans fell to her ankles, and her final line of defense was on full display. The Amazon looked quite pleased, as Dawn tried to cover her crotch covered by her pink panties. She knew she was going to lose them, but dear God did she want to hang onto them for dear life. But what stopped her was the absolute fear from how she’d be punished for it. “Now are you going to be good?” “Y-y...yes...” Dawn mouthed defeatedly. “Take them off.” She begged and she begged, falling off the cusp of sanity as at the same time she slipped her fingers into the waistband of her underwear. It was all so strange; so surreal. They didn’t even feel like her hands, rather, alien appendages invading her privates. And they might as well have been, since her hands were no longer her own; following orders from an absolute monster. She could feel every woven thread in the fabric slip across her skin, afraid it would be the very last time she’d ever embrace such comforting clothes. The self-proclaimed “mama” was simply infatuated with the scene. While Dawn drove herself to a state of total ruin, this woman enjoyed every step of the way, looking to be eating up every morsel of misery and embarrassment. Dawn nearly fell over twice by the time she got her panties off. She was a complete and total blubbering mess. A sick and twisted giggle came from the Amazon as she clasped her over-decorated hands together, leading to the slight jingle and jangle of the gold bands around her girthy wrists. “Abby! You look adorable! Come and give Mama a kiss!” For once Dawn didn’t listen, or at least looked beyond the capacity of processing normal commands, which is why a guiding hand wrapped behind her and nudged her forward, just about knocking her of her balance. She seemed to be stuck in a trance, or was too scared to disobey once she let the large set of lips plant themselves against her cheek. Maybe it was all a devilish ploy to get her pants and panties though, because unknowingly she’d stepped out of them, and it sent Dawn into a new frenzy once they were no longer on the ground and instead in her hand. “Honestly, how did you get by in these flimsy things?” She stretched the panties curiously well-beyond their capacity, and Dawn was just about to stop her until what she was afraid of happened. There was a brief noise of shredding, and suddenly one piece of fabric became two. Dawn looked on quietly as so with her panties, so did her spirit go too. “Whoopies!” She innocently chuckled, holding the torn pair of underwear. “Guess I was right about them not being so great, huh?” Dawn instead looked on in teary anger, biting her tongue to the point it just might bleed. “Well, we’ll take care of those later...” And into the bag they went, Dawn spent her time fully covering her privates, realizing her new and much more terrifying dilemma. “Why are you doing this?” Dawn, finally out of tears, coldly asked. “What do you mean, sweetie?” This beast had the gaul to play dumb. “Changing your undies?” Her eye probably twitched, as she looked at her in sheer disbelief. How could they switch to such extremes so easily? One moment a pure sadist, and the next a doting mother? Or...maybe in the end, maybe they never changed. They were everything all at once at any given moment, and simply one of the many layers was a little closer to the surface. Dawn then winced, as she looked at her bare thigh. There was already a large red spot from where she’d been maimed, and it further reinforced her fears of crossing this woman. But it all made it so much worse when she coaxed her forward, holding what sent her into a panic from the start. Nowhere near close to panties, and seeing its white, crinkly form, Dawn could see the rectangular padding strain against the plastic backing to it. It thinned into simple paper around the waist; not like the exquisite fabrics she once wore. There were no detailed embroidery on it, and instead smiling butterflies and bees. It was a sick and twisted insult to what she once wore. “Now who’s ready for a pull-up?” The way she held it so expectantly, it was as if she were waiting for her to jump into the damn thing. Dawn didn’t budge, still protecting her modesty, and the Amazon annoyedly sighed. Dawn wasn’t nearly quick enough to react, as with a simple shove she was on her bottom, feeling the cold tiles touch her skin made her shiver. And in her state of confusion, a mix of plastic, padding and paper was snaked around her feet and through her legs. The Amazonian force behind it forced her upright and back onto her feet, as the pull-up fell into place around her hips once it was further tugged upwards. The unusual girth to the crotch forced her legs just slightly apart. She could only blink, feeling the invasive cotton pressed against her crotch. No...she wasn’t. She couldn’t be… The Amazon, meanwhile, squealed with an ear-bleeding delight as she further invaded Dawn’s privacy, running her nail along the elastic bands running over her legs. Dawn was too mortified to do anything. She’d never actually expected it to happen. To happen to her. Dawn looked to her toes, and could see the padding was well-pronounced, curving down and over. She looked down, as if to follow it, all the way until it reached between her legs; curving fully like a dome, the perfect outer shell. She pressed a hand to it, and as soon as she felt and heard the crinkle, fresh tears found their way. “Now why are you crying, Abby?” She continued to pretend as if she didn’t understand. “I thought you liked your pull-ups? Do you really want your diapers back that badly?” “I DON’T WANT ANY OF IT!” Already on death’s door, she saw little reason to restrain herself any further. Her voice had already been through such trial and tribulation, though, it came out raspy and weak. The Amazon looked to be winding up for another slap, and from the threat alone it made Dawn snap into two, as she fell to her knees, sobbing. The slap never came, and all there was was the crinkling from Dawn’s new underpants. “I can’t be a baby! I’m an adult! Why can’t you see that?” She shouted in a disoriented slur, eyeing the Amazon with such malice, but from the outside looking in, it was probably nowhere near as fierce as she’d of hoped. She was already preparing her next string of insults, but that time would not come to pass, as a silicon bulb was forced into her mouth; first her freedom to the bathroom, and now to speech. What more would be taken from her? She tried to scream when the next part happened, but it was impossible considering her mouth was no longer hers. The bulb to the appropriately-sized pacifier felt the heavy push coming from the Amazon’s finger against the shield, and in tune with her presses, the bulb grew in size. It was at first something Dawn could dance around her tongue, and most importantly remove, but that was quickly becoming not the case. One pump. Two pumps. Three. She felt as if her jaw were going to snap, the pain was so sudden and merciless. She started to gag; unable to breath. It was going to be a quick death, and maybe there was some solace in that. As she struggled, she couldn’t sit still, ignoring the crinkley waddle to her step as she tried to keep herself alive. Or maybe she should’ve been going for the opposite. Maybe death was better than this kind of torture. She didn’t know whether to feel pained or relieved to remember that she could breathe through her nose. It sounded loud and frantic as her nostrils struggled to compensate for the loss of an orifice. She tried pulling on the ring of the pacifier, but seeing as the tinier version had slipped behind her teeth, and was now far too large to get past them, the pacifier was effectively locked inside her mouth. It didn’t stop her from pulling a few more times, but the pain caused her to wince, and the jerking motion she used tugged the rest of her body along with it; a testament to how cemented the device was in her body. It’d become an extension of her. “You can have your words back Abby once I think you’re ready to use them.” She huffed impatiently, and Dawn simply resigned herself to a meander. There was no point in resisting. Nothing Dawn could do mattered, as it’d always be a tiny rebellion easily quelled by a means of sheer force. She angrily tugged at the elastic waistband to the pull-up, hoping to at least damage the material, and in some way get back at this twisted bitch. A slap to the wrist made her yelp though, or at least make a noise behind the pacifier, seeing as she no longer had speech. “You are under no circumstances allowed to touch your panties. Got it?” Dawn didn’t know what was worse: the slap, the pull-up, or the Amazon thinking they were still panties. Bitterly, she nodded her head, feeling terribly crestfallen.

Awesome to hear! Thank you, along with every other reader for your patience. I'm trying to write for Sheltered when I can, but I'm also trying to juggle some other projects as well. No promises, but I might be doing another story soon... Either that, or possibly brush off some dust on an older series I want to get back into gear. Regardless, nobody knows! Thanks for the comment and I look forward to hearing from you the next time around! Such a lovely comment! Haha, but in all seriousness, thank you for sharing your opinion! I'm happy to hear you're enjoying it, and hopefully I continue to please. Thanks for commenting! To be honest, I was thinking about how people might receive their makeup and resolution. I suppose what I was going for was to make the situation seem larger than life; their conflict over boundaries, only for Michael, an outsider looking in, to reasonably downplay it into something that the pair can more than handle. They still need to set a baseline, but they're at least on the same page now. Thanks for dropping a like on this, as well! Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanks! ?

Hey! Glad to hear you liked it, and I appreciate the kind words! Hopefully I'm creating interesting scenarios; something I want to improve on, but it's nice to hear a positive response! As for inspiration, maybe on some level you can credit Goblin Slayer, but I haven't read it in a long time. The more I think about the idea of being overpowered by a monster in it though...maybe you're on to something I didn't even realize ? Thanks so much for commenting!

The wooden door swung with a sense of passion running through its hinges, as 66 inches of pride marched its leather boots across the wooden floor and inside the guild. Hanging on her wrist, just before the edge of her brown, finger-less leather gloves, was a twine basket caught in its own mild swing from the sheer momentum of its carrier. Covered by a patterned piece of cloth, it shrouded the contents inside. “Jessica!” the familiar guild receptionist, Tira, warmly welcomed the adventurer with a wave from behind the wooden, masterfully carved countertop trimmed in bronze. Only the more popular guild houses were trimmed in anything more expensive. Out here in the sticks, there wasn’t as much activity for aspiring goblin-slayers and dungeon-delvers. Jessica, the girl with the basket, haughtily set the basket on the counter with a smug grin on her face. Today was the day. She’d been at this too long to not do the math at least thrice over! Yes. She knew exactly what her bounty would yield, and what it would ultimately lead her to. “Tira, this is the last time I’ll be collecting silk-grass day-in and day-out!” As if to give herself the assurance, she nodded her head once again. Tira meanwhile, either oblivious or mindful of the girl’s boastful confidence, politely adjusted the cuffs to her blouse before peeling back the cloth on the basket. “A splendid job as always, Jessica,” she spoke with a discerning eye as she held a small sample of the girl’s haul. The grass almost looked metallic, with how the chandelier from above shone down on it. “I take it this is the five bundles like always?” The ‘always’ part almost seemed offensive, but clearly she didn’t mean it. Jessica had known Tira long enough to know she was nothing but kind, caring and supportive. From the start, she’d been encouraging Jessica, a newbie to the adventurer’s life, and helping her in whatever way she could. But yes, she had been at the same job for quite some time now, despite it being the hero’s mantra to help anyone in need; complete any sort of task that needs attending, and it just so happened Jessica’s was to quench the undying thirst for silk-grass. But she could take it all in stride now, knowing this was finally the last grass-run! “Same as always, Tira! Maybe there’s even some extra in there?” There probably was, but if the margin was too small, they’d always round down on her. Even if they did, she still made just as much as she’d expect. “I’ll trust you, considering you are the goto when it comes to grass-gathering. The town alchemist is really appreciative, by the way,” she smiled the same way she always did. It was enough to even make the haughty Jessica feel a little silly...and proud. Demeaning as it was, it was still a good deed done nonetheless. “And uh, I don’t mean to rush, but do you think I could get my payment?” When it came to being frank with Tira, Jessica always felt like she was treading on eggshells. She never wanted to come off as rude to her. “I want to visit the swordsmith before sundown; I think they’re closing soon...” Tira suddenly gasped, placing a hand to her mouth. “Wait, Jessica, you can’t mean you can finally afford one!?” The smile that was already on Jessica’s face only grew wider, as she now had someone equally as excited to confide in. Wordlessly, she nodded her head. “That’s great! So that means you’ll be ready for some tougher requests, right?” She took a moment to straighten her thin, blue vest while she turned her back to Jessica for only a moment, going through some shelves. “Let me just get your payment...” “Yep! No more harvesting for me. I can’t wait for my first real adventure!” She couldn’t even begin to think what she’d do next. Fight slimes? Boars? Goblins? Orcs? Dragons? The possibilities were endless! Well, maybe harshly limited given her equipment...but, the potential was what mattered the most. The sound of metal coins hitting the wooden top announced payment’s touchdown. Ten silver coins were deposited, then carefully arranged on the wooden surface. “Alright, so the job pays ten silver, but...” three shiny friends were reeled back into Tira’s hand. It would’ve been sad if Jessica weren’t expecting it. The guild always took a cut. “After the guild’s fee, that makes seven silver.” She nudged the small stack a little closer to Jessica, who slipped them into her jingling pouch. She’d already amassed her tiny fortune. All that was left was to spend it! “Congratulations, Jessica, really!” Just before Jessica could turn away, Tira leaned forward and pulled her in for a smothering hug. Had the counter not been an obstacle, Jessica may have been fully suffocated. Finally she relented and let go, after Jessica resisted enough. “You better hurry now before they close. And since it’s too late to take another quest tonight, see me first thing in the morning! I’ll have something good prepared for you!” “Thanks, Tira! See you tomorrow!” She waved goodbye as she rushed out the door, brown hair in all its splendor flowing right behind her pace. Her feet couldn’t carry her across the cobblestone fast enough. She could just manage to see the smoke rising over the rooftops off in the distance. It was her beacon; her gateway to the next level. From here it was just the start. “Yes! Yes! You’re all mine!” Clutched tightly in her hands was a beautifully sewn sheath, made from an animal’s thick hide; nicely cured, cut, and shaped. Inside it held a piece of metal attached to a handle wrapped in fabric that ensured a rock-hard grip for its user. Sharp along the edges and meeting to a single point on the end, it couldn’t have been longer than the connected span of both Jessica’s hands, but it was hers. Her first, real sword. Well, dagger, but her first real blade! A few meager coins were left in her deflated pouch, but it was all worth it. Every single silver of it. Nearly a month of hard work had finally paid off! It took her just about a week to even figure how to budget for this thing, much less directly work towards it. The pride and sense of accomplishment right then was beyond measure. And as she held her ever-so wonderful dagger close to her chest, she looked at the crimson hue in the sky. Truthfully, she couldn’t be any happier, but it was a frustrated sigh that left her mouth. How was she going to sleep tonight, knowing she couldn’t use her dagger until tomorrow? She wanted to use it now. She was already craving for the new horizons which she would embark upon. It was an insatiable hunger, and she wanted to satisfy it now. Excitedly, still outside the swordsmith’s shop, she panned her eyes to the right, seeing the open gate to the town just nearby. There had to be something out right now, right? Did slimes graze the plains all day? She couldn’t remember. All she could log inside her brain was where the best spots to harvest silk-grass are. Well, that would need to change. She’d need to make room for all the now much more relevant information she would discover. She was already walking to it. Then jogging. Then sprinting. “Come on! Where are all these stupid slimes?” She stomped her foot into the grass, causing the slight shake to her thin chainmail. Her shoulder and kneepads were itching for combat! Some of the more experienced adventures liked to crack jokes about how “overprepared” she was for harvesting, often claiming she thought the grass might eat her if she got too close… Rather, it was in case of a day like this. A day when she finally could fight something that would bite back. Unfortunately, the surrounding fields were empty; devoid of a single target for practice. Maybe she really should pack it in? There would definitely be stuff tomorrow… Yet as she tried to reason to herself, she kept looking into the forest. No! What are you stupid or something? Even she knew her limits. The forest had significantly tougher creatures lurking about. Of course Jessica could take them any day of the week, even with both hands and feet tied behind her back. But, she might want a little warm-up at least against the smallfry closer to town… After that, though! Then, then she could take on the world. But maybe...maybe there was something weaker on the outskirts of it? She made her way into the woods. Somehow she’d managed to talk herself going quite the distance into the woods. A distance she normally would’ve been uncomfortable of, if she knew she’d be going this far from the start. All she had to tell her the way back to town was by keeping the setting sun on her back. Everything else was just guesswork. She’d never gone this far into the woods. Not even for silk-grass… And yet, despite the danger she was putting herself in, it was overshadowed by the immediate frustration of not encountering a single fight! “Ugh! Why won’t anything fight me?!” Her hand never left the handle of her dagger, secured nicely on her belt. Her joints were probably going to freeze that way if she held it for any longer. Roots and branches were starting to become and issue now too. They were becoming taller and taller, more congested with every foot she tread deeper. A few here and there had unexpectedly brushed her face, which was annoying in its own right, though especially so since it felt like an insult to injury trying to hunt monsters. “Get, out, of, my, WAY!” Suddenly yelling, grunting and shouting, Jessica quickly unsheathed her blade as she unleashed it upon its first kill; tree branches. Now vanquisher of molecules, she finally had some of her composure back when taking a moment to breathe. Suddenly looking smug again, she pressed forward. “That oughta teach you stupid trees...” It wasn’t really her first cut, but boy did it feel good to swing it. It was already feeling like an investment well-made. As she kept walking, a pretty sight caught her eye; a fluttering bug with beautifully colored wings. It was a butterfly! Nothing dangerous or large enough to warrant slaying, but something captivating enough to watch. Then there was another. It was gold and black, and then she was just as surprised to see another; this one purple and green. Where were they all coming from? A faint buzz slowly picked up in her ears. What kind of thing was making that noise? It was getting louder as from wherever it got closer. Then, in a stupefying moment, Jessica turned around. It wasn’t a thing making that noise, but rather things that were. Jessica didn’t know what was more off-putting: the army of insects flying in a concentrated group, or the humanoid figure they were all revolving around. It was as if a woman had fused with a tree. The figure of a female, yet brown and green skin with the texture of tree bark. Her eyes glowed a fierce, emanating green, and what could only be equated to hair was a bundle of vines and branches hanging around her rough, uneven looking shoulders, sprouting flowers and leaves all over. Her feet devolved into nothing more than bundles of branch , yet they were separated from the ground, and she looked very real. Very terrifying, as she stood a little more than twice Jessica’s size. She didn’t look happy. “H-Hi...” her joints felt stiff, and her muscles were like blocks of ice; heavy and immovable. Her mouth quivered as she tried to find the words, much less actually identify what this odd monstrosity was, or what it wanted with Jessica. Then, much to her dismay, realizing the fruits of her mistakes, slashing the branches from earlier didn’t seem so smart of an idea in retrospect… “D-don’t come any closer!” Finally remembering her line of defense, she quickly pulled the blade in front of her, pointing it at the creature of nature. “If you do I’ll cut--” her small flame of bravado was quickly snuffed as a blunt root suddenly shot from the soil beneath her, easily knocking the blade out of her weak grip with a little force. “H-Hey! Wait, that’s mine!” Before the dagger could fall back down, a nearby tree seemed to come to life, as a branch extended from it to catch the blade. Jessica was truly panicking now. In mere seconds she’d become defenseless, and was at the mercy of a creature far beyond her class. “Please!” She looked to the creature, who with a human-like face, clearly annoyed, stared back. Jessica seemed to be pleading desperately now. “Please give me my weapon back! I’m sorry for threatening you! I’m sorry for cutting your branches! I’ll leave! I promise!” The once brave and fearless girl was now trembling with trepidation. She wanted to run, but it scared her far too much to think what might happen if she failed to get away. Despite looking human enough, this thing didn’t seem to speak like one, so it was near-impossible to discern her intent. Then, its mouth curled into a wicked smile, or at least how Jessica perceived it. A smug predator now had its prey, and it seemed to be enjoying every moment of the helpless struggle. Even the bugs could get a read of the room, because they all began to quickly make themselves scarce. She was almost too frightened to notice the foreign tendril slowly creeping up and around her left ankle, slithering into the gap between her leather pads and skin. She doubled over, trying to thrash as the invasive probe nestled itself further around her leg. She tugged and pulled, but almost lost all hope when she could see it was another root coming deep from the ground. “P-Please! Don’t!” Blubbering, she looked back to the monster, who seemed no less amused, which further pushed Jessica into waterworks. Was this really how it all ended? Dying simply because she got a bit too ambitious? Maybe harvesting grass for the bulk of her career wasn’t all that bad. Maybe thinking she could ever amount to anything greater was her fault. She’d gone and foolishly jumped off and into the deep end; thwarted by her own greed. She didn’t stop crying, but knew that this fate might be deserved. Still, she was inconsolable, too young to cope with such a bitter end. It got closer to Jessica, wincing from the motion alone. Hopefully it would be a swift death… She looked no less happy as she got closer and closer to Jessica, only a foot apart, magnifying the difference they had in height. Leaning forward, her eyes just remained a little bit higher than Jessica’s, whilst her green sockets seemed to pierce her entire being. Jessica tried not to squirm as the root secured itself firmly all over her, wrapped around her calf, thigh and waist so snugly. She could see the small bulge snaking around her clothed torso, knowing exactly where it’d sewn itself. “Wait...” between her sobs, she managed to speak. “You’re a...you’re a nymph, aren’t you?” It made no difference at all, but at least now there was a name to a face. The naturey, woman-like appearance made too much sense now. She didn’t even know why she was saying it to begin with. The nymph didn’t seem to care though, as she leaned back into her dominant pose, being just as cryptic as she’d been since the start. A chunk of bark covering her front, she took her hands to it and started pulling it forward, causing a peeling, snapping sort of noise; the kind you’d hear from breaking branches. Was she hurting herself? None of this was making sense! Her face showed no indication of pain, however, as with a final snap the remaining fibers of wood were broken, and off came a plate of bark covering her torso. Jessica wasn’t sure what to expect, though the likely assumption was either more wood or plant material, but given how this thing looked...as she stared at the reveal...it seemed...oddly obvious. Much like a human woman in this regard as well, she too had a bosom. Identical in shape and form, though different in texture and look, a pair of unmistakable breasts were now faced towards the trapped Jessica. It was jarring enough to make her forget she was on death’s door. Her eyes kept rapidly pacing between the very risque sight, and the nymph who couldn’t stop smiling. What kind of game was this thing playing? Jessica kept trying to struggle, but the root had grown rigid and stiff; impossible to bend. Her breathing started to become more rapid as the nymph had suddenly lifted her, with the root now flexible like thread, and...sat her in her lap? Supported by one arm, she was laying in such a position that gave her the perfect side view of the creature’s breasts. She root wrapped around her became snug again, signifying this was her destined position. “Are...are you not going to kill me?” She looked pleadingly up to the nymph. A rough hand took hold of her chin, as her gaze was directed back to the woman’s chest. If it wasn’t clear before, she’d made her chest bare for a reason… And now looking at it a bit more clearly, much to Jessica’s confusion she could see that there were nipples as well. And...and they were leaking something? A shiny brown, something slightly viscous dripped from them, and unfortunately right onto Jessica’s pants. Just from looking she could tell it was sticky. She was close enough to smell its faint odor. It reminded her of citrus, or something fruity... Trying to shift her position, finding the woman’s grip was rock solid kept her from trying to protest. And much to her horror, the arm supporting her head started to gently push, bringing Jessica closer and closer to the breast, quickly realizing what this was all about. “Wh-what?! No! You can’t feed me! I’m not some child! I’m not--” she couldn’t finish her words, as the tip to a plump breast was forced into her mouth. It betrayed her expectations completely, considering how the nymph was made of wood and leaves. Her chest was the exact opposite; soft, bouncy and squishy. Maybe that’s why she covered herself up? She was trying to think rationally, but even without sucking, the substance that was leaking from the nymph’s breast was now leaking straight into Jessica’s mouth. She tried to pull away, but the nymph’s arm would not relent. In her helpless struggle her tongue had a fit of its own as well, accidentally swabbing the sticky liquid now collecting in her mouth. It was vile; disgusting. A sinister substance concocted from the pits of hell itself. It was bad. She hated it. … That’s...what she wanted to say. But instead, a sweet syrup dressed itself over her tongue, as she involuntarily swallowed the chillingly wonderful nectar. It took her a moment to realize she could breathe through her nose, wide-eyed, as her tongue sprouted a mind of its own, suddenly shamelessly probing for more. It’s...it’s good… Real good! What was she doing? Why was she reacting this way? And why? Why did it taste so good?! Her submission came from a solemn truth that she would not be able to escape, and how she felt guiltily strung along by such a wonderful taste. As shameful as it all was, she could seem to stomach her feelings just as well as the nymph’s nectar. Little to none was coming out, and her primitive desires were making her impatient; frustrated. As if her body already knew the answer, her moving jaw, lips and tongue worked in a conjoined effort to further coax the drink from the creature’s breast. The flesh-like tissue responded in tune, as a wonderful stream eased itself into the back of Jessica’s throat. And finally she heard the nymph make a noise, as it was a sweet, seductive sigh, and the grip on Jessica’s hair felt a tiny bit tighter, though loosening once again as the nymph regained her composure. Did she actually feel pleasure from this? Jessica took another swallow of the sweet, delicious syrup. She was too occupied by the taste of treats than to consider the circumstances. She cared not for her dagger, where she was, what she was doing, or how she thought she could have died. All she focused on was getting more syrup from this creature’s breast. It reminded her of honey and syrup combined, sprinkled with sugar and strawberries! Her analogies were likely poorly composed, but who could blame her? The drink was making her so frazzled, nothing in that moment seemed to make sense. The more she sucked and swallowed, she could feel the liquid’s warmth radiate somewhere deep inside of herself. It sent mild shocks and vibrations that tickled her all over, particularly close to the stomach. Had she not been so drunkenly hypnotized, she’d maybe have even squealed in delight. How could she have thought of doing something so heinous? Pointing a blade at something that could carry such sweet delights in its chest? She’d already become a natural at feeding from the nymph’s breast, and surprised herself by the discomfort she felt once she was forcibly detached. “W-wait! But I’m...” was she really this hooked? How addictive was this? She licked the outer rim of her lips, then stared at the smiling nymph, who didn’t seem so predatory anymore... “I’m not done!” She wanted more and was helpless to do anything about it. Luck was finally on her side though, because after a quick rotation in her posture, she was suddenly closer to the hopefully, equally as full other breast that had yet to be touched. It didn’t take a guiding hand for her to latch her mouth on this time, and was probably her only element of surprise on the creature, as she made a slight noise, likely induced by the abrasiveness of her suckling captive. It was all happening so fast, yet time had stood still. Her eyes were drooping, as her sense of sharpness and alert were being quickly drained away with her adrenaline, being replaced by a much stronger wave of calming euphoria. She almost felt like she’d committed a crime when her stomach had started to become inevitably full. A few whimpers summed up her internal conflict; an unending desire to nurse, yet contradicted by the physical limits of her body. There was no chance she was going to cut herself off, though. She no longer had the mental barriers to keep herself in check. All she knew how to do by this point was drink. She was so out of it, a strand of drool formed the bridge between her lips and the nymph’s breast, when she was finally pulled away, involuntarily. “No, no! Please, please, just a little more!” Her emotions were getting the better of her, whining as if she’d just been denied a long-awaited inheritance. When she tried to grab for a hold, the nymph’s much more tough arm swatted hers away. Even though she was practically intoxicated, the small, rational voice in her head was at least thankful for her stomach not bursting. She didn’t know what she’d do if there was a third breast… That warm, full feeling in her stomach never seemed to wane, as her stomach had the slightest curve to it; an unfortunate sign of overeating, or in this case, overdrinking. Her mouth was still salivating just from looking at the bare breast, but even that tempting sight was soon to go, because like magic her outer bark tissue was fast growing over her chest. And as it left, so did Jessica’s remaining energy. Whether it was the rapid shift in her emotions, the effects of the syrup, or both, some toll was being collected, and Jessica was just about bankrupt in every sense of the word. She was so tired, all she could think of now was sleep. Yes...sweet, lovely relaxation. Stuck in such a sleepy state, she couldn’t help but giggle once she focused on the feeling in her tummy. It was still radiating those distant tingles, and it was kind of a funny feeling the way she felt her lower regions twitch in response… She was probably just too content from all the syrup. She would blink, then realize a few seconds later that to actually blink you’d need to open your eyes again right after. Certain pressures were building too. But she couldn’t place them? She was too disoriented to, after all. Whatever it was, and wherever she was, it could wait. Until she was ready...she’d be catching some shuteye… “Are you sure this is her? I can’t imagine an adventurer would...you know… Even if they’re a rookie.” “Well, she matches the description.” Jessica could feel a hand nudge her shoulder, but wasn’t alert enough yet to realize it. “Tiny girl, brown hair? And regardless of how she...smells, this is definitely her.” “Don’t you think it’s kinda weird though? How are you gonna be missing for a whole 24 hours, just to take a snooze in the forest?” “It’s not that normal, Faris. You saw the surrounding area. Covered in woven branches, leaves and flowers? And until we found her, it actually kind of smelled pleasant. It’s obvious this is a nymph’s territory.” Then her all-knowing tone seemed to transition into genuine uncertainty. “But that doesn’t explain why we’d find her in the middle of it...” “...Nnnn…?” Jessica made a weak noise, as she was finally coming to. “Look! She’s waking up! Thank the heavens,” the female voice spoke a bit lower this time, “I almost thought we were gonna have to carry her back...” “We? Faris, did you forget that you’re the muscle here? That’d have been your job.” “Is someone there?” Still with her eyes closed, though adjusting to the light, Jessica stirred. She felt groggy all over, like she was a statue learning how to be something animate. “Then I think I’d be taking 100% of the reward.” Faris, the ‘muscle’ in question, said snarkily. “As if! If you didn’t have me, there’s no way you would have been able to track her!” From Jessica’s perspective, she wasn’t appreciating all the noise. She did manage to open her eyes though, as the sunlight from the roof of foliage bled through just enough to irritate her eyes. “Whatever you say, Vanessa the potty pants tracker. Like, seriously? Anyone could have smelled her a mile away!” “Watch your tongue! She’s waking up!” It was only about a minute later until Jessica was actually registering noise. She was on her side, laying in a bundle of leaves. She was coming from a clearly deep sleep, as her limbs felt glued together all over. Glued...especially between her legs… A foul smell drifted to her nostrils as all it took was one sniff to cause deep regret. She quickly covered her nostrils, as she rolled onto her back to sit up. That was her first, and last mistake. What she didn’t realize was that there was something sitting between her bottom and the ground, which was almost like a ball of clay inside her cotton underwear. Clay was what she wished it’d have been, but the cold, awkward squish had her wide-eyed in just a few seconds, putting the feeling and location of the mess together with the terrible smell. No...she couldn’t have! “Oh...I think she just sat in it...” A quiet, not-so-quiet voice whispered to another person, and Jessica mortifyingly caught sight of two female adventurers. “Um, hello,” the other female greeted, though she seemed a tad bit awkward, but something told Jessica it had something to do with herself… “You wouldn’t happen to be Jessica, would you?” Trying not to move an inch, lest the mess covering her backside be smushed any further, she slowly nodded her head. “See? I told you it was her.” Jessica was about to ask her own questions, but there was a small, yet sudden build-up she was feeling down below… As if it were a visual cue, she looked down at herself, noticing a slight unfortunate stain on the front of her pants. There was the one from the syrup drops, if she remembered correctly, but all around that...It was darker. It was as if the syrup had been washed away from something else… Her question was answered, though not in a way she would have liked. The small build-up spilled over, quite literally, as an involuntary sigh left Jessica whilst a foreign, alien sensation came from her bladder, as a stream seeped through her panties, and then pants. And as it came out, and she wordlessly blushed, the stream seemed to be perfectly limited to the already existing stain on her pants… “...Did the worker say she was a bedwetter, too?” The wooden door swung with a sense of urgency running through its hinges, as 66 inches of panic scurried its leather boots across the wooden floor and inside the guild. Hanging on her wrist, just before the edge of her brown, fingerless leather gloves, was a twine basket caught in its own rushed swing from the sheer momentum of its carrier. A few strands of silk-grass were already slipping from it. The usual patterned piece of cloth was a bit looser than usual, as there was unfortunately other things on the adventurer’s mind. “Jessica!” Tira warmly welcomed the adventurer with a wave from behind the wooden desk, just like any other typical day. She barely even flinched when noticing the urgency in Jessica’s expressions and movements. Jessica, the girl with the basket, quickly set the basket on the counter with an unintentional amount of force, as she did her best to keep her thighs squeezed together, which was only a sign of the other muscles she was trying to keep tight. Today wasn’t her day. Having that extra bowl of stew for breakfast this morning was clearly a mistake, and it was starting to show. A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead just from trying to maintain the overwhelming pressure. The worst part was that it probably wasn’t even that bad. Her sphincter had simply weakened so much, a small gust of wind felt like a tornado to her now. Had it been a week earlier, she could’ve easily kept something like this down for at least another two hours! Three, even! Now she was lucky to last even fifteen minutes... “Tira, please, I’m in a hurry…! Can we be fast today? Please? “Sorry, Jessica, I’ll try to be as fast as I can, but you know how things are,” she chuckled, though Jessica didn’t share in the humor. “Rules are rules!” She peeled back the cloth covering the goods, which was partly done for her, considering how sloppy Jessica was being. What had the adventurer whining though was when Tira started counting them by the handful. “Tira! What are you doing?” Jessica almost regret her complaints, because as if she wasn’t a multitasker, Tira set aside the grass and her counting as if it took everything just to respond. “I just need to be sure, Jessica.” “But you never needed to count the grass before!” God! How long did she expect her to hold it for? She started to whimper as something was already peeking between her buttcheeks. “That was then, and now...well...” she looked to Jessica as if she were a complex set of arithmetic. “As my job, I need to make sure you’ve done your job properly...that’s all.” As if she were trying to drag out this charade even further, she went on to ask, “Any more questions?” “Just please finish it! I can’t hold it anymore…!” She tried to stand upright as best as she could, hoping it might keep her bum sealed together. She didn’t care how embarrassing it looked anymore as with both hands she pressed as much as she could into her backside, hoping it could somehow keep the messy beast at bay. Yet, the one deterrent to her efforts, snugly worn underneath her tights, was a terribly oppressive cloth that at least guaranteed an inch of spacing between her palms and ground zero. “Three bundles...” Quietly, Tira counted to herself, and Jessica further reached her wits end. A small grunt escaped her as she clenched her teeth, desperately trying to fight a losing battle. “...And that’s why I said you should’ve used your firebolt!” “And waste my mana? Faris, you have a perfectly good sword that can handle goblins that tiny...” Jessica nearly jumped when she could hear a pair of boots coming in from the entrance. The heavy shifts of metal armor crowded the room, and the swishes of cloth robes and leather boots were drowned in comparison. Unfortunately they were familiar faces. “Vanessa! Faris!” Tira once again, unfortunately paused her counting. “Hi Tira!” the pair beamed. “I take it your quest went well? Which one was it again?” As if time was a limitless thing, she thought to herself. “Clearing out the goblins in the nearby town’s sewer system, right?” “Yep!” Faris answered. “Can’t say it was the most pleasant one, though...” She pinched her nose. “The sewer smelt like...well... a sewer.” “Very well-put, Faris,” Vanessa snarkily chimed in. “Shut up. I think she gets what I mean.” Real adventure. That’s all Jessica heard. She could’ve had that as well; she was right on the cusp of it. All until that one unfortunate encounter… Fate was a cruel mistress, as the pair that’d found her in the aftermath of it were now staring right as her right, right where she was pressing into herself. “By the way, are you with someone right now?” The taller woman curiously looked down on Jessica’s head. “We could always come back later?” “Oh, don’t worry, we shouldn’t be much longer. I’m just counting up her silk-grass.” “Silk-grass, huh?” Faris snickered. “Feels like ages ago when we were first doing that, right Vanessa?” Jessica tried not to take it personally, and it was probably being too busy to put a stop on her bowels that helped. “I’ll say,” she blankly added. “Rookies need to start somewhere, though...” If only she were a rookie. Or maybe she was, and was simply fated to remain that way… “Speaking of which, are you doing alright, hon?” Faris got a little closer than Jessica would have liked, as she could feel a presence was closer to her bottom. “Is something pinned to your butt?” She laughed curiously, then startled the girl once she prodded her bum with a gloved finger. “Oh...oh!” The longer she looked, the clearer it became. Jessica’s cheeks burned like the firebolts Vanessa could probably shoot, knowing it didn’t take an arcane magician to figure out why someone might have a bulge in their pants. “Sorry about that, kid...” Faris remorsefully spoke, patting her on the shoulder. And unfortunately, as simple as it was, a shoulder pat was what broke the camel’s back. Like an endless pile of junk overstuffed into a tiny closet, the whole thing burst in an almost comedic manner. A large load of mess suddenly exploded from Jessica’s backside as her bum spread nice and wide for the rude guest invading her terribly thick underpants. It quite literally felt like she was pouring mud into her pants. She grew completely stiff as it happened, staring bug-eyed at Tira who was staring right back at her. She shuddered as her messing scene came to an end. The room was quiet as it fully sunk in, and the odor fully seeped from her. “Ah...er...Tira?” Vanessa awkwardly spoke. “I think this girl, uh...” Tira with a smile still sighed, seeming apologetic. “Yes...I know.” Jessica still hadn’t said anything, other than remaining frozen still as she became teary-eyed. “B-but, but I didn’t mean...” Biting her lower lip, a simple beckon from Tira’s hand had her walking awkwardly around the desk. “Sorry, girls. Could you just be a little more patient? I just need to take care of one other thing...” It was obvious what she was alluding to, as Jessica bow-leggedly joined her, sniffling. A hand was rubbing her back, and Jessica could only try and stifle her sobs as she felt the heavy weight in her pants. How could things have devolved so quickly? And as they disappeared down the hall, Jessica could hear the unfortunate chatter from the pair of veterans. “I’m pretty sure she’s the one we found in the forest about a week ago...” “Well, at least she’s wearing protection this time...” In a private room, there was a wooden desk with some chairs, accompanied by the many bookshelves along the walls. Beside the desk was a bundle of cloth and a bucket of water. Jessica didn’t know how long they’d been there, in that spot, for... but not they almost certainly always were, given their purpose. “Tira, p-please,” she hiccuped. “I didn’t mean to!” “I know you didn’t, Jess, it’s okay...” With guiding hands she had Jessica sitting on the table, and she whimpered a terrible cry as the poo rubbed itself further into her skin. “Shh...shh...” Jessica would normally protest if a stranger were going to pull her pants off, but unfortunately this had happened already too many times already for it to be considered not normal. This whole predicament was certainly abnormal, but she’d become far too desensitized to it by now. “If you just had let me use the bathroom, though!” It was true. She knew she needed the toilet, so why was she not permitted? Well, only contributing adventurers had such a privilege, hence why Jessica was so desperate for her to finish counting. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out, Jessica, but if you couldn’t hold it...” her gentle hand set itself on the cloth, bulky crotch of Jessica’s exposed diaper. “Well, I guess we can call it effective insurance, I suppose...” The binding pins to her cloth diaper were undone, as her little “present” was nice and exposed from underneath. Once the smell had a chance to waft, it was obviously terrible...but...something was strange. Jessica in any other sensible moment would not do this under any circumstances, but this time voluntarily sniffed. It was bad, yes, but...strawberries? Amidst all that badness packed into her bodily waste, there was a slight hint of something somewhat pleasant in it… Tira had leaned out of view for a moment, but after hearing the swish of water she was back with a wet cloth in hand. “Okay, Jess, you know the drill. Lift your bum for me, please?” A week was enough time to form a protocol for this sort of thing, meaning that it wasn’t Jessica’s first time having a messy diaper, and nor Tira’s first time dealing with one. “Still,” as she wiped, she continued to speak. “I don’t know how this could have happened to you...” Despite how embarrassing the situation was, Jessica still had it in herself to annoyedly groan. “I already said it was because of that stupid Nymph!” “Honey...” the way she’d adapted to the condescending pet name was even worse. It was as if she’d unspokenly acknowledged Jessica as a child. Just a week ago she’d already gotten her first weapon! Now she didn’t… After that creature tossed it somewhere, she never did find it. The day she was found, she couldn’t bear to stay in such filthy clothing, considering she’d messed in it and peed herself at least twice… By the time she was cleaned up and ready to go scavenging for her weapon again, apparently that pair had torched the marked nymph’s territory, virtually assimilating it with the rest of the forest, meaning Jessica had no way to find that spot ever again. “I’m sure there’s an explanation for all of this, but, well... nymphs just don’t go and do that sort of thing...” She was remaining a bit touchy, given how awkward the subject material was. Jessica unfortunately knew it too. Even if they were facts, how could it not sound like a tall tale to try and explain that a nymph breastfed you and virtually ruined your bladder and bowels by the might of her breast milk? Well, breast syrup… Tira seemed sensitive to Jessica’s pleas, but it’s not like she totally believed them, either… After her strange, 24 hour coma induced by the whole experience, she’d already digested all the syrup, or her body unfortunately absorbed a large amount of it, given there was some aftereffects that were present. No sensible adventurer or encyclopedia could corroborate Jessica’s witness of events. Not a single nymph has ever been reported to do something as strange as this, meaning Jessica was the boy who cried wolf. No one believed her, which made her pants pissing and messing all the more strange...or even deliberate. “Oh! Jessica!” The sudden panicked shout of her name broke her train of thought, as Jessica suddenly saw the spurt of urine leaking from her, or rather, shooting from her in all directions. Gasping herself, in a split-second moment of panic, she placed her hands over her crotch, catching the warm stream, though it sprayed against her hands and leaked between her fingers. “No, no!” Tira quickly discouraged, swatting her hands away and instead holding the front of the cloth diaper against her crotch. “That’s how your hands get dirty! That’s what these are for, remember?” Her total loss of self-control was too much, as she nearly covered her face with her pee-covered hands just to avoid the direct eye contact and maybe wipe away some of her tears, but without any sensible options left, she merely cried without any sort of change. She didn’t even realize she was peeing to begin with! Everything was slipping far, far too fast, and she didn’t know how to handle it. “It’s okay, Jess...” she peeled back the front of the diaper, to see if the stream had stopped. “That’s what these are for, remember?” Before she went back to cleaning up Jessica’s nether regions, she took her hands instead. “I’m sorry...” Jessica sobbed. “I was just trying to help...” “I know you were,” she scrubbed Jessica’s hands tenderly. “I’m sorry I said anything to begin with. I know you can’t control it...” It was probably the kindness that hurt the most. She acted as if Jessica genuinely couldn’t be trusted, and on some level it was sorrowfully true. She wanted to be the strong, brave adventurer like she’d always envisioned, but this couldn’t be any farther from it. She hated to admit the pleasure there was in being set on a clean, cloth diaper, but it almost felt like she was giving in to acknowledge it. At least once she was pinned back up, she could forget about this momentary embarrassment… Then an extra, small stack of cloth was slipped between her legs after the usual ones that were already there. “T-Tira? What are you doing?” “Well, I figured you should have something a little extra to keep you dry… Just so you don’t have to worry about needing a change for a bit longer? You seem stressed, Jessica, I want to help.” “Putting more boosters in doesn’t make me feel better!” She tearily shouted. “None of this is right! No one believes me and it’s just getting worse!” “I know it’s...different,” how much of an understatement that was. “But whatever’s causing this, I think it’ll all sort itself out...when it wants to.” “What do you mean, ‘when it wants to’?” What was she even getting at? “Until then,” hopping over her question, “can you at least let me try and help you feel comfortable? I don’t like seeing you like this, Jessica...” She was already pinching something from the inside of a small pouch tied to her waist, sprinkling it on Jessica’s crotch. A sweet smell came from the shining powder, as it easily absorbed into her skin. “Now you smell nice and fresh,” Tira chuckled, but Jessica remained quiet. Tira closed up shop, as she drew up the front of Jessica’s diaper, securing the added booster between her legs, adding to the already pronounced bulk that there was to begin with. Pinning it securely, the change was finally over. Jessica didn’t need any more prompting to get off the table, and as she tried to stand, it only reminded her of the times she was actually capable of pressing her thighs together. What a distant memory it had become. “Actually, Jess, if you could hang on for a second?” Tira paused her right before she could pull up her pants. She didn’t like being exposed any longer than she had to, so her cheeks stayed as a mild red. “Wh...what is it?” “I was hoping to do this after I finished your payment for the quest...” she was going through some drawers behind the desk. “But I think you should have it now. You could use a pick-me-up right now, I think.” Pulling it out, Jessica was a little surprised to see the large item in her hands. It was a white box wrapped in bright red ribbon, and she set it down on the table Jessica just had her diaper changed on. “A present? For me?” Tira with a smile nodded her head. “But why?” As she looked to Tira, she was already walking to the box, forgetting about her pants on the ground. “You’re one of the hardest workers I know, Jessica, and even if no one else might see it, I think you deserve much more credit than you’re given. So when times are tough like this...I want you to know I’m supporting you.” Did she really feel that way? She knew Tira and her had a decent relationship, but it never went beyond that sort of work-type interaction. Then again, that had changed since Tira was the one responsible for changing her diapers right after a quest… Even still, it was all contained, more or less, here. “...Th...thank you…!” Her eyes became glossy as she ran to Tira for a hug. “Awwh, you’re welcome, sweetheart.” Tira warmly hugged her back, and though her hands were a little closer to Jessica’s bottom than she’d have liked, she wasn’t going to spoil the moment over something as silly as that. “Now, are you gonna open it?” “But...aren’t those other two people waiting on you?” “I don’t mind keeping them if you don’t?” She grinned, and Jessica slowly turned back to the present. She still couldn’t get over it. A gift for her? Her heart was beating a mile a minute now that the possibilities behind it were endless. She nearly gasped from the thought alone. A weapon! It had to be a new weapon! She had told Tira of the terrible fate of her brand new dagger; lost to the wilds for eternity. But she’d really go and buy one for her? The more she fantasized, the more she considered it a certainty. Considering the size of the package, it had to be bigger than a measly dagger, as well. Forget the diapers, today was amazing! Excitedly, she undid the ribbon with a pull on one of its strands, and like magic the wrapping had totally fallen limp. Placing a hand on either side of the box, she gently lifted its outer cover, slipping it off for the sweet, tantalizing reveal. Hello, my brand-spanking new swor--! She’d been so excited for the initial reveal, she was still trying to work through her happiness reserves while she stared at what was most certainly not a new sword. Her smile was frozen to her face, as it most certainly did not reflect her true reaction to what it really was. Tira placed her hands over her mouth, shielding a gasp. “You like it? That’s great! I was almost a little afraid you weren’t going to… Oh! But this makes it all worth it!” Jessica’s smile faded into a blank stare as she grabbed the item from the box with both hands. Underwear is what she would have liked to call it. But there were two problems with that. One, diapers were not considered underwear in Jessica’s book, and two, accessories for diapers by proxy definitely were not, either. All sorts of circles in blues, reds, yellows, pinks, greens, oranges, and purples decorated the cloth garment, as Jessica stared at the cloth cover. “It’s a...” “Diaper cover!” Tira was too cheerful to not finish the girl’s sentence. “I figured if you started stylizing your, um...diapers, a little bit, maybe you might not feel so bad about them anymore?” “Where...where did you find this?” Along the waistline there was a white string of ribbon woven in and out of the many slits, meaning to be tied and adjusted for tightening the cover around someone’s waist. The leg holes looked all bunched up, and when Jessica wordlessly tugged at them, she could see it was a stretchy material meant to be form-fitting. “That’s the best part, I had it specially made by the town’s tailor!” She was so giddy, a small giggle escaped her. “Don’t you just love the design?” “Y...yeah...” What was she supposed to say? Tira had poured her heart out for the girl, and had done it in such a...interesting...way. The thought of trying to cope with her diapers by wearing something like this was mortifying and absolutely horrible, but she couldn’t say that to Tira’s face. Not after everything she’s done… “Well, come on! Don’t you want to try it on?” “Ah...yes! Of-of course!” It had taken her a second to come back to reality. “But, uhm, I was just thinking, maybe I should wait to try it on once I get home...” Tira looked as if she were going to pout, puffing out her cheeks, looking playfully angry. “No, no! That will not do. How else am I supposed to see how you look in it?” Her assertiveness caught Jessica off guard, as the diaper cover was taken from her. It was apparently all in good fun though, as Tira laughed over her own silliness. “Indulge me a little, won’t you?” Holding them out nice and low, Jessica was forced to use the kneeling woman’s shoulders for balance while she reluctantly stepped into the diaper cover. As her legs brushed the material, she could tell it wasn’t your run-of-the-mill kind of sewing. A lot of Jessica’s gear and clothing were woven by thick and simple fabrics and thread. But this diaper cover had a much finer touch to it… Still, it was embarrassing to say that her best piece of clothing was a diaper cover… The leg holes expanded as much as they needed to accommodate the size of Jessica’s thighs. They wrapped around her legs perfectly, as her cloth diaper filled out the crotch area unfortunately nicely. You’d almost think the polka-dot design was part of the diaper itself. Before Jessica could move, Tira went for the tightening ribbon next, taking both ends and drawing them together. “Not too tight?” “N...no?” Tira played with the ribbon ends a little, but finally ended on a nice small bow tied on the front of Jessica’s diaper cover, letting the small decoration sit symmetrically on the front. It fit. Almost too well. “Oh, Jessica! You look amazing!” Jessica, rather, was blushing, trying not to contradict Tira’s positive vibes with her own, much honest ones… “Thanks...Tira.” “You’re very, very welcome!” Her eyes never seemed to leave Jessica’s padded posterior. “But there’s still more, you know!” More? Jessica was too shocked by the diaper cover alone to see anything else in the box, which is why it came as a surprise to see there was in fact something else in the box. God forbid, however, should it be something else childish or embarrassing. Yet, it was surprisingly tame? As tame the word “tame” could be. It was a simple pinafore dress, with its straps crossing over each other in an ‘X’ shape. Jessica didn’t know if you’d really catch her wearing one, but at least with this she could call it cute… “It’s really nice,” Jessica simply spoke, and this time she wasn’t lying. “Right? I thought it’d be a nice substitute for your normal gear.” “What?” Jessica spun her head. “What do you mean a substitute?” Tira looked a little confused, as if her point didn’t translate properly. “What you usually wear when you go questing? Don’t you think this would be better instead?” How was this any better? If anything, it was worse! Maybe she’d wear something like this if she were going out for a casual day, or some sort of event, but slaying monsters was definitely not on that list. “Sorry, Tira, but I don’t think it’d work very well with my leather armor pads...” It did feel bad to deny her generosity, but she tried to keep in mind that she was being decent enough to accept the diaper cover… “But...” Tira hesitated, as if it were something she shouldn’t say. “But do you really need to wear that sort of stuff?” The question was terribly blunt, and Jessica felt a large part of her pride break. “Don’t get me wrong!” Tira could see how much her words hurt, as she was quick to explain. “All I mean is, since you’ve been back to harvesting grass...there isn’t so much a need to be dressed like that, you know?” The one person who Jessica had considered on her side, had seemingly left to join the others. Not even Tira was calling her into question. It was a brutal, chilling honesty that Jessica tried to desperately not to acknowledge. But now that Tira was of the same mindset too, no matter where she’d turn, no one would ever consider her a real adventurer. “Leather is great for when you’re embarking on some minor explorations and slaying quests, but...” she awkwardly smiled as if it made things any better. “Grass is a bit more docile...” Jessica quietly stuck her fingers at the various buckles to her leather padding, first losing the elbows, shoulders, chest, and finally knees. Now she wore nothing more than her shirt, diaper, and diaper cover. Had you seen her now, you wouldn’t think twice about writing her off as an adventurer. Even if she showed you her official card, you might think it’s forged, considering most adventurers know how to keep their pants dry without a little extra help… “Please don’t be sad, Jessica, I really want you to feel better.” As she tried her best to console, she still helped Jessica put the dress on, who was stuck in her own kind of trance. The straps came over her shoulders, as the dress fit unfortunately nicely as well. With each step she took, the skirt to the dress swayed to-and-fro. There was an odd emptiness between her diaper and the outside world now, as Jessica glanced at a nearby mirror seeing the skirt cover her backside in full. That was the one relief, she supposed. But still, she didn’t see an adventurer anymore. All there was now was a small, errand girl that kept her missions on the more peaceful side of things. She wore no armor, had no weapon, but did she really need them? No. By this point, she was clearly just trying to overcompensate for something else; her lack of dignity, maturity, and capability. “You look great!” Tira pulled Jessica in for a hug, who weakly hugged back. “And if it’s any help, I’ll hang onto these for the time being...” She bent over to collect all of Jessica’s leather gear, who almost tried to stop her, but was too afraid of Tira being truthful once again. Her gear was whisked away and hidden behind the desk. Gone for who knows how long. “Oh, and there’s one other thing...” There was more? “The town alchemist? She’s my sister, actually. Well, I’ve been really honest when I say she really appreciates the work you’ve been doing for her. So much, in fact, she’s really starting to see how much she loses out on when she puts the job through the adventurer’s guild.” Jessica was unfortunately too smart to know where this was going. “So...if you were interested, instead of taking the job through the guild and getting a minor fee subtracted, why not work for my sister directly?” There wasn’t anything wrong with the idea of helping out a person, but what hurt Jessica the most was the indirect effect of it. It was yet another degree of separation from the adventurer’s lifestyle she longed for. Already she’d lost her weapon, armor, modesty...potty training, but now she was going to lose the guild, as well! The alchemist, Tira’s sister, was probably going to outsource the job on her own regardless of Jessica’s answer, so once she does leave, what would be left for Jessica to do at the guild? Anything other than gathering grass was too unstable of a workflow, and unfortunately, she couldn’t handle any other sort of job… Did she even have a choice? “O...Okay...” “Really?” Tira smiled a wide grin. “That’s great! Really! I’ll be sure to tell her tonight. And even better, not only will her profits go up, but yours too! She’s even willing to offer you a room, if you’re serious about becoming her assistant! Oh...and...” she leaned a bit closer, as if for a whisper. “I already talked to her about your diapers...she doesn’t mind changing them, if you were worried about that.” Jessica did her best not to react, but how could she not when the woman that changed her diapers just outed her secret to someone? Well, not just anyone. It would be the next person in line to change Jessica when she didn’t do it for herself… And was it even a secret anymore? Surely not with this clothing. Maybe once she stood still, but what if the diaper sagged too much? Actually, maybe that was a plus for the diaper cover; now it may not sag so much… But what happens when she gets on her knees for the grass? Something told her the skirt wouldn’t be able to do its best job then… “I’m sorry I won’t be able to see you as much, anymore,” Tira hugged Jessica once again. “I promise I’ll try to find the time to visit you. Truthfully...” now she sounded a bit embarrassed, which was bewildering, considering the circumstances for Jessica. “I think I’m gonna miss being able to change you, like this...” Jessica didn’t know how to react anymore. That steep slope she was already sliding down was just about a vertical wall by this point. Trapped in freefall, she couldn’t afford to look back on the things that came whizzing by, otherwise she’d miss the next thing right around the corner. “But! I’m sure I’ll have a day off at some point, so don’t forget about me, got it?” She puffed out her cheeks. And Jessica, although weakly, genuinely smiled, hugging her back. It was a warm hug, but not warm enough to overshadow the even warmer feeling forming in the front of her diaper. “Good thing I went for the booster, huh?” She smiled, and Jessica merely blushed, looking away. “Okay, I can clean everything else up here at the end of the day. You just enjoy yourself for the rest of the day, okay? My sister should be ready for you tomorrow.” The pair re-entered the hallway, as Jessica felt a strange sensation. For once it didn’t come from her diaper area. Instead, it was from the room they just left. As if, as if she’d just left behind something important. Something essential to who she was as a person. But it was gone now, because she no longer had a reason to be here. Now, she was simply the grass-collecting alchemist assistant, working for a measly amount of silver along with a diaper change as needed. At least she got a free room… “Sorry about that!” Tira apologized to the lounging pair of adventurers, Faris and Vanessa. “We just needed to freshen up a little.” Jessica tried to look away when the pair were sizing her up, probably noticing the distinct change in apparel, as well as any indication of being an adventurer. “It looks cute,” Faris spoke simply, and her basic tone was enough for her partner to start laughing. Jessica was in such a rush to leave, her little jog unfortunately caught an uneven floorboard, which had her trip forward face-first. “Ouch...” “Jessica! Are you okay?” Tira nearly ran over, already moving around the desk, but Jessica was already getting up. “I’m...I’m fine...” she was doing her best not to cry. The fall hardly even fazed her, but she’d taken a much heavier tumble this past week, that was what she was feeling the brunt of the most. All she could hope now is that she’d finally hit rock-bottom, and that’d be it. “Um, excuse me?” it was Vanessa’s voice. Jessica against her better judgement turned her head to her, to see she was extremely close to her. Before she could even figure out what the woman wanted, a tug on the back of her dress’ skirt was enough of an answer. During her fall, her skirt must’ve fallen out of place, exposing her diaper for the other two veterans to see. Not like she had anything to prove, though. After all, they just saw her filling her pants... But...maybe they didn’t see this time? “Sorry about that...” Vanessa apologized. “Your...your diaper looks cute, though?” Maybe being an adventurer just wasn’t for her.

23 - Clear as Day “Really, though, you got me out of a tight spot,” he looked almost judgingly to his own mischief-maker. “No thanks to this one.” He faked a frown at her, then smiled. As he went on, his forearm was bent outwards at a 90-degree angle, so that Jackie could try and try again to leap for the hanging bar that was an arm and swing from it. She wasn’t so successful, but at least she had determination. “Mmm...” With her eyes looking closer to the ground than anything else, she just managed enough autonomy to stay by Michael’s side. Other than that, she was lost in her own thoughts and apprehensions. “Are you alright, by the way?” The question was direct enough to have her look right at him. “...Yeah? Why wouldn’t I be? I’m just thinking...that’s all.” He didn’t seem convinced, but didn’t prod any further. “Daddy? Can we stop and see the monkeys first?” Jackie went on to ask, as she was currently trying to be one. “We’re gonna go and get some drinks first, okay? And besides, you still need to be punished for running away like that...” He looked over to Emily once again. “What do you think, Emily? Maybe as a punishment I should keep her from the monkeys?” Before she could even think of a response, Jackie with a sharp whine cut in. “NooOOooo! I’m already punished! See? I’m holding your hand! See?” She went on to send waves through her arm connected to her dad’s much larger one, though his didn’t shake as much. “And it’s going to stay like that for the rest of the day. If you keep on your best behavior for the rest of the day, maybe we’ll go and see them. Got it?” The little girl nodded as if her life depended on it. She suddenly assumed the composure of a puppet that only knew how to be controlled. The kind of absolute obedience you’d see in a child already on thin ice. The kind of resolve that’d dissipate in maybe 10 minutes, at most. Thankfully the line for drinks wasn’t terribly long. The only person who seemed to mind it though was of course the demographic which equated minutes of patience to hours. Jackie gave a few moans and groans, but a small reminder of what was at stake kept her in check. “Hi! What can I get you guys today?” The worker smiled behind the counter. “Hi,” Michael was the first to start. “I think I’ll have...” he quickly scanned the board. “Actually, could I just get a coffee?” “Sure, how would you like it?” “Just black, please. Medium.” Emily almost looked to him for a second, but managed to keep herself restrained. “Do you know what you want?” He asked Emily. “Don’t forget, my treat.” Silently, it seemed like he was trying to say ‘let loose,’ but she wasn’t feeling so adventurous right now. She wasn’t feeling anything good right now. “Could I have a second?” “Sure. Alright Jackie, that leaves you,” quickly he hoisted her up and into the air, giving her a nice view of the board above the worker. “What’s it gonna be?” “Umm...that one!” Quickly, she pointed to what her father could only imagine was a bright, dolled up picture of some new trending drink. Her means of selection though had him rolling his eyes, as the worker helplessly looked back to see what she might’ve been pointing at. “Jackie, sweetie, use your words. We can’t read your mind, hon.” “The mango one!” Clearly this wasn’t the full order, as her dad filled in the rest for her. “I think she wants the mango swirl. Just a small, please.” “Okay… And have you decided yet?” The attention fell back on Emily, who was nowhere near closer to a choice. Yet, oddly enough, she had a craving for something, and it hurt to acknowledge it. “I’ll take a coffee too, please. Just a small.” “Daddy,” Jackie suddenly and sharply cut in. “I want coffee too.” “Fifteen years from now, you can.” While Jackie had her momentary gasp and whine, Emily finished her business with the cashier. She couldn’t help but take a moment to smile at the small girl. “Ah…any special requests? Or would you like black too?” “No,” she paused for a second. “Could I get it with milk? Like, a cup of milk?” She looked to Michael, seeming self-conscious. “Is that okay?” “Go right ahead, I told you it’s on me!” She looked back to the worker and finalized her order. “Alrighty, this shouldn’t be more than a few minutes. You can go find a seat while we finish your order.” Michael paid as promised, and they found themselves a table with a set of chairs to sit in. With the way Jackie was fidgeting in hers, though, you’d think she was moments away from going overboard. For extra insurance, Michael kept a hand on the chair to keep it from rocking too much. “Why can’t I have coffee? I wanna drink some too.” “Coffee is when you need energy, and trust me, you have plenty enough sweatpea.” Even Emily struggled to not cock a smirk as the shaking chair was practically leaking an abundance of kinetic energy. “So does that mean your tired?” “You’re right on the money with that one. Someone manages to keep me on my toes 24/7...” The heavy allusion still went over the girl’s head, and after a few more seconds of watching her, Michael seemed complacent enough to look back to Emily. “So! Emily, what brings you to the zoo?” She should’ve expected it, but that didn’t mean it hurt any less. “Uhm...well...” Why was it so much harder to speak now? Clearly she didn’t have nearly as much restraint when speaking with a six-year old, so how did it being an adult freeze her up? Surprisingly, Michael jumped back in. “Well, I’m here with Jackie because her school’s out for the week, so I figured I’d give her a few fun days out. But with the way she’s been acting maybe I need to reconsider...” slowly he turned his head to her, whilst Jackie continued to seem innocent. “Seriously, sometimes I can’t tell whether she’s just acting or truly doesn’t care?” It was only solidified as a joke when he was the first to laugh. “How did you find her, by the way?” “Like I said, she more or less found me,” she looked almost sheepish; thankful for an easy question. “I was sitting on a bench and she just took a seat right next to me.” Michael blinked. “R-really? Jackie, what did I tell you about talking to strangers?” Quickly he looked back to Emily, almost panicked for damage control. “Don’t get me wrong, though! I can’t thank you enough, but unfortunately not everyone can be as nice as you’ve been...” “I appreciate it, but really, I didn’t do much...” The praise felt unwarranted, and the further it pressed on her, the worse it made her feel. Positivity was the last thing she felt deserving of, considering the royal fuck-up she’d just caused right before this. Was this divine punishment or something? Maybe… “You may not feel like it, but you’re definitely my hero of the day. Jackie’s too.” “Right!” She giggled. “You’re-a superhero!” Emily stayed silent, and before Michael could speak, their order was called. “I’ll be just a second,” he was already standing from his seat. “And you,” he pointed to Jackie. “Not a muscle, got it?” Her response was to take a deep breath. “You two hold down the fort for me.” Kneeling on her seat, she watched her dad walk a decent distance away, then turned her head back to Emily. “Hey Emily? What’s your girlfriend’s name?” Why even with strangers could she not manage to run from it? No matter where she went, in some shape or form it always held her in such a tight, suffocating squeeze. “Her name is Joyce.” Miraculously, in the company of a child, a moment of silence went by. “...Do you wanna talk about something else?” “Did I say something mean?” The remorse she carried in her tone was heavy. As heavy as an ignorant kid could make it. “No, Jackie, it’s fine,” she did her best to smile. “It’s just a sore spot, that’s all.” “You should talk to my daddy about it. He’s good at fixing stuff!” If only it were that simple. Whenever emotions were involved, it always got so muddled and messy. Maybe it would help to talk about it though. Then again, Emily wasn’t so sure if she wanted help. She wanted to feel sad? Truly, her selfless nature is both her charm and unfortunate undoing. “You two getting along?” They were interrupted by a plastic tray of cups, two of which were filled with caffeine, and the other some milk and a mango smoothie. Before she could get her hands on it, Michael had taken the liberty of plopping a straw into his daughter’s cup, then properly instructing her on drinking etiquette. While they had their moment, Emily took her own time to figure out exactly what she ordered as well. It almost felt shameful to crave this kind of drink. Yet again, it was something special she’d felt she no longer had the right to even if she still felt the craving for it. Normally the milk would be poured into the coffee, but she went for the exact opposite strategy. A small brown trickle waterfalled into a pool of white, slowly changing it into a light brownish hue, drifting right on the cusp of something that couldn’t be called milk anymore. What she expected to be a solution however had her feeling even more glum. It doesn’t look the same… Never once did she see how it was made, and the visual result right this moment reflected that. She pulled it in for a sip, and while not displeased by it, she wasn’t happy with the taste either. “Sure you don’t want some coffee with that milk?” Michael chuckled as he watched, sipping his own drink. “Liking yours, Jackie?” “Mhm!” With both hands firmly secured around the cup, she sucked from her straw. Then as if brilliance itself had struck her, she suddenly popped an awkward question. “Hey Daddy, what does ‘flirting’ mean?” Emily paused her sip to hear the question, unfortunately knowing too well where she might’ve heard such a thing. Why did this kid have to be so curious? “Flirting? Where’d you hear something like that?” “Emily said it! She said I was trying to flirt with her!” Her cheeks were feeling incredibly hot right now, and suddenly started trying to explain herself, but was caught in a helpless stutter. How bad must she look right now? If he didn’t think it before, Michael would definitely think she’s a wacko now… “Well?” Surprisingly, he looked to Jackie. “Were you flirting with her?” “I dunno what that means!” She shouted back with a mix of frustration and silliness. “Sorry about that, Emily,” he shrugged. “I guess she might even be a womanizer without even knowing it...” Once again an awkward situation had been saved, and replaced with a well-executed humor which had Emily and Michael laughing, though only at the expense of Jackie’s confusion. “At least tell me how you got on that kind of topic?” he took another sip from his cup. “It’s kind of a long story, I guess,” Emily chuckled, losing the joy in her voice awfully fast. “Sorry, I really don’t want to pry,” Michael started, looking concerned. “But are you sure everything’s alright? You seem bothered by something.” “It...it’s...” Before she could even deflect, a much more forward, higher-pitched voice spoke in her place. “Emily had a fight with her girlfriend Joyce!” Both adults turned to the fed-up looking Jackie, one much more uncomfortable than the other. “Daddy? Can you please help her feel better? She was really sad when I found her!” In her eyes, it really seemed like that was the solution to all of this. Yet, the lack of immediate response from either adult had her suddenly shy. “Jackie...” Emily couldn’t place a definite emotion to her words. It was a terrible mix, really. Disappointment, frustration, anger, and relief. Something she was insistent on keeping hidden was crudely yanked right out and into the open, but at the same time the daunting responsibility of being honest was handled for her. Nevertheless, she wasn’t happy, but it wasn’t her place to scold Jackie, and truly she didn’t want to. Jackie’s heart was certainly in the right place, but that didn’t change the look her dad gave her, signaling she made a bad move. She looked sheepish, staring down at the ground, biting her lower lip. Michael sighed, looking to his daughter then Emily, who wasn’t making so much eye contact either. He’d apologized plenty enough for one day, and he carried the sentiment that those words had long lost their charm. Nevertheless, “Emily, really I’m--” He was cut short by the scratching of a metal chair on the rocky ground. Michael was caught by surprise...and so was Emily, when a small pair of feet excused themselves from the table. Though, sounding much more resolute, Michael quickly shut the situation down before it could fester. “Oh no, not this time, young lady.” With a quick grip he had her by the armpits whilst she thrashed and threw a whining fit. From the corners of her eyes Emily could see a few stares, but thankfully they were sympathetic enough to not ogle for too long… “Let me go!” Poutily, Jackie shouted to her father’s face. She already sounded to be on the verge of tears. “So you can run off again?” He lowered her just enough to sit in his lap, but still had a firm hold of her. “You were just punished for doing this! Are you ready to leave the zoo altogether?” The threat hit her too hard though, as her voice trembled with a quiet no. “Then why are you trying to get yourself into trouble again? Come on, Jackie, talk to me?” With each word he spoke, Jackie seemed to whimper more and more, as she buried her face into her dad’s chest. Mumbling with a teary voice she shouted into his shirt. “B-b-because you guys are mad at me! I wanted to help! Now you don’t like me and Emily doesn’t too!” Her absolute truths had her crying even harder, as Michael shifted his restraint tactics into a much more soothing comfort. “Jackie, baby, no one here is mad at you...” he rubbed her back. “That’s not true! I told Emily’s secret!” It wasn’t so much of a secret, but Emily’d have been lying if she said it was something she didn’t mind leaving in the open… “...N-now she hates me...” It hurt Emily more to watch than to try and empathize. Yet again she was the root of a whole new issue. It was her fault for even telling Jackie anything in the first place. She was just trying to help in the only way she knew how. How could Emily be angry at her? She never was to begin with, but it didn’t change she led her to feel this way. “Jackie? Could you please look at me?” After a little more coaxing, she did turn her head to Emily, but her arms never left her dad’s torso. Her face was red and she was sniffling, but her attention was there. “Jackie, I promise I’m not mad at you. You can’t get on my bad side that easily,” she chuckled, hoping to inspire some sort of joy, but the girl still seemed troubled… “But I told your secret...” Her mouth struggled to wrestle her voice into submission, as her words were a few degrees away from total incoherent, sobbing murmurs. Were all kids like this? How self-destructive could such a tiny person be? She cared about Emily, that much was evident, but she cared a little too much… “You didn’t spoil any secret, I promise,” Emily assured with a smile, which came with a relief, as she had finally seemed to calm some. “T-then, how come you d-didn’t wanna talk about it...?” “Because...sometimes it’s a little hard to talk about stuff like that...” Now with Michael as their audience, she unfortunately couldn’t be as cryptic anymore. Did she even need to be, though? “It only happened today, so I guess I’m still upset over it...” A very, very large underestimate of how she was really feeling, but she was out here to make a point, rather than illustrate a scene. “Is that what has you so gloomy?” Michael asked in a simple tone toward Emily, still stroking Jackie’s back. “...Jackie wasn’t lying when she said I had a fight with my girlfriend…” Her eyes started to shine a bit more as they became glossier. “I...” Now it was her turn to sound shaky. “I really messed up...” Her sister in sorrow tried to egg her father on, practically begging, “Daddy! Please! See? Can’t you make her feel better?” “Honey, I know you’re trying to be nice, but we can’t just step into people’s private lives like that. I wish I could fix anything, but daddy isn’t that powerful,” he patted the top of her head. “Emily’s business is hers, and we don’t have the right to talk about it unless she says it’s okay.” His explanation was interpreted more as a redirection than a final answer, as Jackie was now begging Emily who was wiping her eyes. “Emily? Please talk to Daddy? He can help!” She was quiet, and Jackie stared at her with a hope that was impossible to ignore. That didn’t mean Emily would answer the call, however. She didn’t know what to do, where to go, what to say, or how to react. The table was loaded, and she could go either all in or fold. Both options seemed scary, but only one seemed to have a sensible idea of even potential resolution. “...Emily, I’m no superhero, but I can at least be an ear for you?” Still, she hung on the fence. “And if it’s any incentive, I think Jackie would feel much better if we talked things over?” That was just playing dirty… Emily slightly narrowed her brows without looking at anyone in particular. But...maybe that sort of push was what she needed. Finally, she stared at Michael with a clear expression. “...Okay.” “Alright, Jackie, Emily and I are going to be right here the whole time, understood?” His voice seemed to be equal parts reassuring and warning. Even when trapped in a fence pen, he still didn’t seem to put past the idea of his daughter somehow escaping unnoticed. A much more cheery-looking six-year old nodded her head. “But what if I wanna feed them?” “Then you come back to me and ask for some money, alright? Until then go have some fun while Emily and I talk.” “Why can’t I listen though?” “Because you’re already pushing your luck, missy. Don’t you want to go and pet the goats now?” She looked frustrated, namely because he hit the nail right on the head. She was clutching the hem of her dress with both hands, slightly puffing her cheeks. “...Yeah...” “Then what are you waiting for?” He gave a slight laugh. “Oh! See? One already noticed you!” All three people focused their attention to a pygmy animal, topped with tiny horns as it curiously walked itself over to the girl on all four legs, covered in black fur. Without even waiting for her dad’s approval, Jackie was already off to the races to meet the tiny goat halfway. “She’s really sociable, don’t you think?” Emily observed with a smile, watching her happily lose herself to petting the tiny friend. A nearby worker in the pen soon came over to her, getting on their knees and started petting too. Along with that, they seemed to strike up a conversation. “Yeah, definitely,” he smiled, but in the sort of way that you’d think it was against his better judgement. “That doesn’t mean it can’t get her into trouble, though… I’m sorry she outed you like that. She’s forcing you to talk about something you didn’t want to.” “That may be sort of true...” she twiddled her thumbs a little, thinking. “But also, maybe some force is what I needed. I don’t want to feel this way anymore… And just thinking about her...” About Joyce, where she was, how she was feeling…! In a broken voice she spoke. “...It hurts...” A hand reached her right shoulder, and though it wasn’t her beloved, she didn’t push it away. “So, what’s her name?” “...Joyce.” “Have you two been together for long?” Maybe not in the grand scheme, but it already felt like they’d been together for an eternity. What they didn’t have in time they made up for in such intense experiences, such intimacy. “Not too long, but we’re close.” And that’s why being separated right now hurt so much. “So, wait, is she at the zoo right now?” “I think so...” Was she still here? Or once the phone stopped ringing, had she completely given up and sent herself and her parents home? She squeezed her arms a little tighter. She didn’t like thinking about things like that… “Wait, that means you’ve been with us the whole time? How did you two get into a fight?” This was the difficult part. Trying to explain herself without fully letting the cat out of the bag. Maybe because Michael was a stranger though, she could be a little more transparent. There was something easier about confiding in a stranger than someone close. You could scream into a black hole and never feel the repercussions. “She...she was treating me like a kid.” “Oh? How so?” There were a few points from today she could mention, but she decided to skip to the crux. “Since we got here she’s been trying to hold my hand, for example. It’s like she thinks I’m going to get lost like…” The irony was a little too obvious, looking at Jackie. “Like a kid?” Michael thankfully finished her sentence, seeming in no way offended. “...Yeah.” “Well, okay. Did anything else happen?” He didn’t seem to have an expectation for more, or any less on her list of complaints; he was thankfully being quite neutral. “Like, when we went to go see the giraffes, there were a ton of people already there, so I needed to get closer! You know, given that I’m kinda shorter than everyone else...” The more she rambled, it was easier to find that original annoyance that had spurred this all into motion to begin with. “Anyways, so I moved up closer for a few minutes, but then everyone is calling for my name like I was lost! Can I not be trusted?” “Did you tell her you were gonna get a little closer?” She was about to fire back a response, but by the way he phrased his question, Emily seemed a tad bit reluctant. “...No? But, I shouldn’t need to! Right after they started calling for me, I was making my way back, but...I thought it’d be funny if I snuck up on her.” “To surprise her?” “Yeah, I guess.” It made more sense when you had the context from the first time in the kitchen, but given she was wearing a diaper that day, she didn’t feel the need to include that story. “So I did sneak up on her, and when I grabbed her, she wasn’t laughing...she was angry for a few seconds, then just disappointed...” “Disappointment...” Michael solemnly spoke. “No one ever wants to be on the receiving end of that.” “No. No one does.” “So is that how you wound up here then? I want to make sure I understand everything clearly.” Emily stared off for a few moments, admiring the pygmy goats, watching a staff member show Jackie just the right way to pet one. She was kind of jealous, wanting to go lose herself to cuteness instead of tackling these emotionally difficult conversations… “I tried talking to her about it after, but then her parents showed up, so she said she’d save it over later, then pretended like nothing happened...” Just when the ball was about to tip back into Michael’s court, she kept going. “And then I tried again when we were alone, talking about how she was treating me like a kid, but all I did was hurt her feelings! I kept messing up...so I figured it was better if I just backed off… Now, we’re here...” “Alright...I think I understand everything.” The pair kept looking forward. “Do you want a hug, by the way? It usually works for Jackie when I give her one?” He gave her a smirk, and Emily didn’t look happy. “Didn’t I just finish saying my girlfriend was treating me like a kid?” His look didn’t change when he said it plainly. “I think that’s your first issue.” His matter-of-factness was somewhat intimidating, which is why Emily didn’t speak back. “What I mean is that accepting someone’s care doesn’t make you inferior, or as you put it, a kid. I think...” and as he said, he thought for a moment. “I think that plays into being a person, and what a relationship should be like. But, to be a bit more specific, why was she holding your hand?” “...To keep track of me. But I don’t need keeping track of! Ugh...and I hate being annoyed with her like this!” “Trust me, that’s a good thing.” “How is that good?” “Because after almost ten years with my wife, the occasional struggle usually does some good for a relationship. It shows that if you’re still in one piece by the end of it, you’re that much stronger together.” “But we haven’t made up yet...” “That part comes after a little self-reflection. Truthfully, this may not be the best time for it...” It stung, hearing that. “But, you’re doing the right thing to face your troubles, regardless.” “It doesn’t feel very great.” Emily sourly added. Again, he agreed. “No, it doesn’t, but you’re going to feel a lot better by the time this is over.” She didn’t have the heart to challenge his certainty. “Back to the hand-holding thing; if I were her, and we were together, I wouldn’t exactly want to leave you out of sight either if we were at a place like this. Not because I think you’re a kid, but because this is a pretty packed place. Even if you were taller, I’d still want you close, and in all honesty I would appreciate it if you thought the same of me. She cares like that because she’s your partner, Emily.” It’s not that she doubted him; she believed him, even. That being said, was it that simple? There was a whole layer of context to this that Emily wasn’t giving, and it was that she practically was Joyce’s kid in their private life. So maybe it was a little bit of both? Maybe Emily was so used to the other side, she’d forgotten how to discern the qualities of a ‘normal’ relationship. Trying to relax herself today; was that Emily letting herself go, or was that letting Emmy back out? There were four people in the mix of all this, and they were all struggling to coexist. “So it’s all my fault then? I’m the reason it’s all messed up?” “I’ve only heard your side, Emily. I can’t point out faults in a person I don’t know. Instead of taking the blame in shifts, though, I suggest you look at it as a problem for both of you. Don’t think about who needs to improve or change; think about what you two can do together. No one is perfect, so I doubt this is only because of you. Besides, you really can’t think that you’ve messed everything up, do you?” Emily gave him a look with raised brows. She didn’t seem to agree. “Well, you’re obviously invested enough to talk it through with a stranger right now, aren’t you?” “...” “Unless you hate her now, is that it?” “No!” Emily was quick on the rebound for once, firing back sharply. How could he even suggest something like that? To even voice the impossible idea, it was practically taboo! “See? First time I’ve heard some real passion from you. Why don’t you hate her? Seems to me like you still have feelings for her.” “Of course I do!” She sounded a little annoyed, as if her feelings were being called into question. Then, in a bit more of a reserved tone, she mumbled. “...I love her...” “And given how she’s been treating you, I think it’s fair to say she feels the same way?” “...Well...yeah...” She nearly called him Captain Obvious, but that only signified how natural she considered her bond with Joyce. She never once stopped to consider how it might seem from the outside looking in. Her feelings for Joyce...by this point, she nearly considered them a given. “And that, is why you’re being such a dummy right now.” A dummy? Her? She was conveying herself better through her facial expressions than actual words. “Let me reiterate; I’m being your friend right now. If you both love each other so much, you’re taking this whole thing a bit too heavily. Have you two ever gotten into an argument before?” There were small bouts, especially earlier on, but never as an official couple… It was always just going with the flow. Everything was either understood or accepted. “Not to this scale, I guess...” “Emily, trust me, you two will be fine.” “But what about her parents? They’re here too! And I just...disappeared.” “I can’t imagine it looks all that great to them, but if they care too, they’re going to respect how you and Joyce work things out, even if they have their own opinions.” Frank and Mary’s reactions were something she never even stopped to imagine. But...Michael had a point. It wasn’t their place to judge… At least, it wasn’t Emily’s responsibility to care. Still, she hated the idea of upsetting them. “You being such a worrywart reminds me of Jackie.” “I’m not worrying...I just want everyone to be happy...” “My point still stands. You’re trying too hard to serve to please. Remember how Jackie had that meltdown back at the cafe? What upset her the most was what other people thought of her. She thought she was helping you when she said what she did, and when that didn’t work out she tried to run. I don’t mean anything rude by it, but don’t you think you’re being a bit like her right now?” “Maybe I am just a kid then...” “No, I just think you need to know your limits. When you tried talking to Joyce and hurt her feelings, it could’ve been something you said that was wrong, but maybe you said something that was right? If the truth hurts Joyce, you shouldn’t be the one on the run. You shouldn’t lie to her either, because then you’re just letting the problem fester. Now’s the time for discussion; to move forward as a pair. You help her work through her issues. If she can’t accept the facts, that’s not your burden to carry. Don’t you think she’s wondering where you are right now? I would. Taking a few steps back is always good every now and then, but is it really someone like me you want to be talking things over with?” “...N-n-” she sniffled, rubbing her eyes. Halfway through his spiel, Emily was already losing herself. “No…!” “Now’s the time you guys should be talking things over. I think it was right of you to try talking to her, and nipping the bud before it can bloom is always a smart move. Joyce isn’t just your rock, you know? It goes both ways.” Her day was still cloudy, and the storm was crashing hard, but finally she could see. Amidst the thick, dense downpour, and the harsh blowing winds that had thrown her ship into a complete tizzy, there was finally a direction; a hope. She was too blubbering of a mess to respond, but Michael’s point was clear, and the course was set. She was part of the problem, but she wasn’t the sole proprietor of it. She did mess up, but she wasn’t the only one who did. What’s been done has been done, and now all that was left was to chin-up and face it head on. “Do you know the next step now?” “Y-yeah...” Her hand was already fishing in her pocket. “Daddy!” Hurriedly, a pair of shoes ran themselves across the dried mulch, almost skidding like a car on the brakes when she came close to the fence. “Why is Emily crying? Did you say something mean?” Her tone came off as accusing, as she gave her dad the evil eye. “No, I did not,” he answered poutily. “Emily is doing just fine. I think we just finished talking things through.” “Emily?” With great concern, she shuffled over to the teary girl. “Do you feel better?” Finally she found her phone, illuminating the screen, seeing the countless calls and texts. It hurt to see so many unanswered calls, but they were momentary hiccups. “Yeah, lots...” Oddly enough, she smiled, looking at the phone, and was already hopping over to her contacts. “Really?” Jackie’s smile was wide and bright, giving a nice view of her one missing tooth on her near-perfect rack. “Do you wanna come and pet the goats? They’re really soft! Please? They taught me how to pet them!” She was nearly hopping from toe to toe, as her father had saved the day once again. “Emily’s gonna need a bit, Jackie. You’re gonna have to settle for your dad on this one.” He tried not to laugh when she gave an aggravated groan. “Oh? Suddenly Daddy’s not good enough for you anymore?” “Why can’t Emily come too?” “Because she needs to talk to someone very important.” “Thank you, Michael.” Clear as day, she said to him. She then looked a little lower. “And especially you, Jackie. I have you to thank the most.” The praise sent the tiny girl into overload, who looked unashamedly giddy. “All in a day’s work!” He was already stepping inside the pen. “Now go do what you need to do.” With some confidence shining in her eyes, she nodded her head. She nearly hesitated, hitting the ‘call’ button, but she soon made a clean press with diction. While Michael managed to drag Jackie away, Emily held the phone to her ear with both hands, and apart from the silence over the line, all she could hear was the heavy thump of her heart. How long had she been gone for? Thirty minutes? Forty? An hour? No! Stop thinking about the damage that’s been done. Now was the time for repair… The buzz came twice now. If...if that time would ever come to pass… Maybe it wouldn’t… The third was ringing right now. It couldn’t really be over, could it? What if she… She heard her voice, but it wasn’t the right kind. Digital, synthetic, but the worst: pre-recorded. “Hi, you’ve reached Joyce’s personal number. I’m sorry I can’t come to the phone right now, but if you’d like to leave a message I can...” The phone slowly fell to her side. That was it then? She was gone? Stupid, stupid, stupid--! “Emily?” As she spun her head, everything was a blur, yet even in that split-second, one thing was clear enough. She was there; in the flesh. It wasn’t a phone call, because Emily could see her face for real. She looked as if she was catching a few extra breaths, as if she’d been running around quite a bit. “J...Joyce?” Neither one seemed to change their expression, which was disbelief. There was a weird feeling in the air, as they both slowly walked to each other. It wasn’t sparks, it was something much gloomier... Emily almost forgot the right foot came after the left. Her eyes were still working, right? Wasn’t she supposed to blink every few seconds? “...Hi..” What was she supposed to do? She knew what the end goal was, but not the meat of it. There was at least a foot between them, and neither one had budged. The tension was obvious, and it came from both people; fear. “Have...have you been looking for me?” Wordlessly, Joyce nodded her head. Emily was expecting all of this, but it didn’t change how much it was shaking her, and how vast of a difference there was between imagination and the real deal. “I...I messed up,” Emily couldn’t help but hiccup. “Didn’t I?” “I did too...” Joyce cast her eyes to the ground. “I...” she started sniffling too. “I...I don’t like fighting.” “I don’t either...” “Can, can we talk now? I...I think we need to.” The world around them started to reel back into reality as the pieces fell back into place. They moved themselves to an empty bench, still with that awkward atmosphere. Both kept their hands in their laps as they maintained their distance. Emily was the first to speak. “I’m sorry for running away... Please don’t be mad.” “I’m sorry for giving you a reason!” The words came fast, as they finally looked at each other, and Joyce seemed the most apologetic of the two. “You tried to talk to me, and I wasn’t ready to hear the truth...I was the one in the wrong Emily, and when you tried to point that out I pushed you away… So please!” Her words sounded as if they rung from her very core. “Please, if anyone needs to be sorry, please don’t let it be you. From the start I was scared of losing you, and I still am now, so please, don’t think this is your fault!” Seeing Joyce so frazzled, you’d think it would send Emily into hysterics. But, no, it didn’t. Seeing the one she relied on the most in panicked shambles...it was sobering. Had she forgotten her own words so quickly? Even Michael’s? Joyce was in the wrong, but so was Emily. This wasn’t a solo, but a duet. “No,” Emily moved her hand, paused, but then finally grabbed Joyce’s. “It’s our fault.” Joyce’s face scrunched up a little as she was getting teary now. She nodded, being the one to close the distance, now that it was clear affection was okay, and she slid Emily closer for a tight hug. “I’m sorry for getting so carried away today…! I let my feelings get the better of me...” “It’s my fault for not considering how you felt,” Emily sullenly added. “At least from the zoo, I was too busy thinking you were trying to ‘mommy’ me instead of just keeping me safe… I should have done the same for you.” “All I’ve ever wanted was to keep you safe, Emily!” She rubbed her cheek with hers. “But I can see how you must’ve felt after everything today. You were trying to be yourself, and I kept forcing something on you that I shouldn’t have. I’m struggling to keep my feelings separate from the ‘other’ ones...” Hence why it was hard to see this as a normal relationship. She didn’t want to add fuel to the fire, but she needed to come clean as well. “Today, I know we talked about how we were both going to be normal adults...but it didn’t feel like we were. It felt like...the usual.” Quietly, she nodded her head, sniffling. “Can you be honest with me? Were you angry at me?” “No, I’d never be.” If anything was certain, that was her one sense of immovable resolve. As if to prove it, she felt the need to hug Joyce back a little harder. “I just felt...annoyed, I guess. I don’t wanna be belittled like that unless I say it’s okay, Joyce. Either that, or at least when it’s just us two… Please don’t be upset with me?” “I have no right to be upset with you, Emily. You’ve had clear boundaries since the start, yet I’ve slowly been ignoring them. I’ve always been telling myself that your feelings come first, and yet I managed to mess up what mattered most.” “Don’t say that, please? After everything today, I don’t think you went overboard. I think what we both messed up at was keeping level heads. You couldn’t stop looking after me, and I couldn’t stop seeing every little thing like I was being mocked. Maybe if we both had the right mindset, it would’ve been different.” “That’s...” her voice trailed off the path, then suddenly found its way again. “I think you’re right. It doesn’t excuse me for everything, but I think that’s where we fell apart… When something wasn’t clear, we should have been talking about it from the start. I need to do better at remembering that...” “I’ll try to use my words more if you do too?” Emily finally smiled, giving a slight giggle. God, did it feel good to be hugging again. She was nearly about to leap from her frozen, desolate cliff just from thinking how she’d never get to experience something like this ever again. It was a thought she couldn’t bear to live with. “Sounds like a plan. And for starters, I’m saying this as a girlfriend, and not a parental figure; don’t disappear on me like that again? I don’t think my heart can handle losing you for a third time.” Meekly, she apologized once again. “Just don’t leave me, either...” “As if I’d ever leave without you.” She finished her statement with a wet kiss on the cheek, and Emily’s symptoms of withdrawal were already fading. “I can’t apologize enough for putting you in a position like that. I’m supposed to be the one that understands you the most...” “You do.” Emily looked to her with a crease in her brows. “So...so don’t act like you don’t.” Was she actually taking charge for once? Joyce was picking up on the strangeness as well, chuckling as she agreed. “Alright, maybe I do. Maybe I just had some...clouded judgement today, I guess. Don’t be afraid to tug on my leash a bit if I’m getting too out of hand though, okay?” “Got it.” There was more breathing now than actual conversation. It was beyond wonderful to be whole once again, but something still felt amiss. All the boxes had been ticked off except for one...but which was it? “...Hey Joyce?” “Mhm?” “I...I love you, you know.” “I love you, too.” Now things were perfect. “Wait,” the peaceful moment came to a stop, when Emily finally pulled away. “Where are your parents? Are...are they mad at me?” “Oh, uhm...” “What did you tell them?” “I wasn’t really sure what to say, so I came up with something fast?” “What did you say?” “You needed to use the bathroom?” “What, like it was an emergency, or something?” Quietly, Joyce nodded her head the slightest bit. Emily groaned. “Great, now they’re gonna think I can’t keep my pants dry, either...” The pair’s bond felt renewed and refreshed, but already the past was starting to sully that shine... “Emily, you really don’t give them enough credit. They’ve only said good things about you, and only time is going to set that in stone. Besides, you’ve gotta go when you’ve gotta go, even when you don’t!” She saw Emily’s look before she started to laugh. Clapping her hands together she begged, “Please let this one slide?” “Fine...” Emily mumbled. It wasn’t like Joyce could control what she said in the past right now. Still, it didn’t exactly seem like progress… “Do you wanna pack it in early? I know I put you through a lot…” already she was looking guilty. “I promise you won’t hear anything about babying for the rest of the night--for the whole time my parents are here,” she hurriedly corrected. “...I mean, we can...” Emily’s voice hung on the fence. Joyce raised her brows in surprise. “But...we didn’t even get to see the otters, yet?” “You mean you still…?” A finger shushed her lips. “Your punishment for today...” Emily breathed through her nose, as if she were preparing to deal out some heavy-handed consequences. “I wanna see any--no, every, animal attraction here.” “All of it?” “Each one. And!” More demands? “I wanna go in there.” Without even needing to look, she blindly, yet with a great deal of accuracy, pointed to the petting zoo. Seeing Jackie in there was still teasing her with a few pangs of jealousy. “After we find your parents though.” Her confidence wasn’t so abundant anymore. “I don’t want to keep them waiting...U-understood?” H...H-hahaha!“ Joyce couldn’t help it anymore, as Emily quietly blushed. “I wasn’t kidding!” Emily whined, trying the shake the nonsense out of Joyce’s brain. “No, no, that’s not it~!” Her silly composure then stiffened into a grave seriousness. “Your demands shall be met, o’ evil one!” Once more she softened. “It just seemed so out of character for you, that’s all. And you’re right, I know they probably liked being able to sit down for a bit, but we should get back to my mom and dad before anything else.” “Alright. And Joyce...thank you for forgiving me.” “I should be the one thanking you. Regardless, let’s put this behind us, okay?” “Okay… I’m just a little scared, I guess.” “About what?” “About next time.” Next time at this point could mean a lot of things. “Which next time?” “When I start calling you...Mommy...again. I don’t want things to be awkward. I only wanted to talk about what happened in public today. Everything else has been...manageable.” Fine wouldn’t have been the best way to put it, considering messing herself was certainly not high on her list of “complacent things to do.” “I think I still want to have a chat about where we stand...but I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you for being so honest with me. I never thought someone would ever give me the chance to fulfill myself like this, Emily. Ever before. So to not only do that for me, and forgive me for what I’ve done...” her voice was starting to become strained. “No more tears, got it?” Emily haughtily spoke, wrists poised on her hips. “Not only because I don’t wanna see you sad, but even on my tippy-toes it’s hard to kiss you...” the second bit came as a bit more flustered. “Then let’s get moving. If we stick around here all day I don’t think I’ll stop being so mopey,” Joyce chuckled. “I think there’s a map board nearby...” “You don’t know where we are?” “Well, you try chasing me in a panic and remember where you are at the same time?” “...Sorry.” “Don’t worry, I’m kidding. Now we can look back on this and laugh. After hearing your words of wisdom, I think I feel a lot better now, too.” And if only they were hers. She smiled in secret, knowing she owed a huge debt to such a kind stranger, and his six-year old daughter, funnily enough. Michael was right. So easily they’d solved such a simple hiccup from talking things out… From the start Joyce has always encouraged honesty, but maybe the biggest challenge was getting them both to be champions of it. Just as Joyce started walking forward, she felt a tug from behind on her hand. “W-wait!” Joyce turned her head, surprised to find Emily’s hand in hers. “Emily? But I thought...?” “That...that was before. Now that I know what I do now...it’s okay.” She started looking from side to side. “Either that, or maybe I don’t mind so much… I need to make sure you don’t get lost.” Joyce looked reserved for a moment, thinking to herself, but a sudden squeeze from Emily had her beaming. The pair moved as one, and Emily looked one last time to the petting zoo. Were they still there? Regardless, Emily hoped both Michael and Jackie could somehow feel her thanks and gratitude. “Wait! Wait! WAIT!” A voice shouted desperately from a distance as it came closer and closer. As Emily was turning, the sudden outside force caused her to topple and stagger a bit when Jackie wrapped her arms around her legs. How many surprises was today going to have? “Jackie? What are you doing?” Taking her by the shoulders, Emily managed to pry her free, giving herself a moment to bend her knees. “Your dad is gonna get mad again, you know?” She was at a moral crossroads, as she panicked looking behind her shoulder and back to Emily. “But you were leaving!” Heartbreaking was probably the best way to put it, considering she was just about to leave for good without saying goodbye. It was hard to be stern with her, but that didn’t mean she condoned it either. She settled with herself with just a sigh. “Does your dad know you’re here?” “Nnn...no…” Momentarily, Emily forgot who was listening in, as Joyce right beside her crouched down a bit as well, all smiles as she looked to Jackie. The tiny girl grew bug-eyed once she saw her, popping an extremely blunt and forward question. “Are you Emily’s girlfriend?” The change in tune was so jarring, everyone was a mix of reactions; Emily slowly turned her reddening face away, while Jackie still looked to her girlfriend so innocently, and Joyce kept laughing. “So she’s told you about me? I hope they were good things...” Lying was obviously not part of the six-year old’s skillset, as she made odd thinking noises; gears were turning too hard to not be an indication of an unfortunate answer. Apart from looking slightly hurt, she kept smiling. “Can you tell me your name, sweetheart?” “Mmmm...Ja….ckie…” For some strange reason she drew out her answer by each syllable, adding some strange twists and turns to her own body as well. Was this her way of being shy? “Jackie, huh? That’s a pretty name! My name is Joyce.” Emily, meanwhile, was keeping to herself. The compliment inflated her ego like a balloon, as she was looking unashamedly cheerful again, feeling the need to now boast her accolades. “Mhm! I’m six!” In case if the words were too confusing, she gave a visual with her fingers as well. “Oh wow!” Joyce kept a hand over her mouth, restraining a gasp. If only she were there the first time Jackie was having a meltdown. Joyce was the expert when it came to handling kids… “And I’m Emily’s friend!” She shouted it like her proudest achievement, which of course tickled Emily’s heart a little, who couldn’t help but smirk as she tried to look at something else. Joyce snickered as she looked to Emily, then to Jackie. “That’s really great, Jackie. Thank you for taking care of her while I was gone. I think we were both feeling pretty sad, earlier. Hey, do you think we could be friends, too?” “Umm...I dunno...” “You don’t? Why not?” “Because you’re dissa...mmm...” she struggled to remember how the word went. “Dis-a-poin...ted. Dis-a-ppoin-ted, at her.” Finally after carefully sounding it out, she was able to voice what Emily told her earlier. “I don’t wanna be friends if you’re still fighting with her.” “Jackie, I would never be disappointed in Emily.” Her words were firm yet gentle. “We may have gotten into an argument, but I can promise you we made up. Right, Emily?” She looked to her with a warm expression, and Emily answered the same. “It’s okay, Jackie, we’re not fighting anymore.” She still seemed to be fishing for confirmation. “Promise?” “Pinky promise,” Emily spoke with certainty. Then to her surprise Jackie called her bluff, sticking out her pinky. She couldn’t just leave the girl hanging, as Emily wringed her finger with Jackie’s. “Okay, I believe you! We can be friends!” She started to giggle. Joyce looked overjoyed as she received the good news, though going on to ask, “Now, can you tell us where your dad is?” “Uhm...over there.” She pointed at a direction leading back to the petting zoo, which, funnily enough, had a tall man walking towards them. “JACKIE!” It was obvious he was yelling, but that was partly because of the distance his voice needed to travel. When he got closer he seemed a bit more calm as he placed a hand on the girl’s head. “Are my warnings not getting through to you? How many times have we talked about this today?” “But Emily was gonna leave!” “That’s because she’s very busy. We can’t interrupt her and her girlfriend...” he sighed, then looked to Joyce. “I’m sorry about that. I’m still working on teaching her how boundaries work...” “Oh, don’t worry about that,” she waved it off with a laugh. “It was nice meeting her. And...thank you, for speaking with Emily. She’s talked some sense into me, to say the least.” “Yeah, thank you, really.” For once, Emily wasn’t looking sheepish as she expressed the same kind of gratitude to Michael. “Really, it wasn’t much. Just gave her my opinion on things, that’s all. Everything else was all Emily. And sorry, I don’t think I ever introduced myself. I’m Michael,” he shook hands with Joyce. “Joyce, a pleasure to meet you, and your daughter.” “I’m Jackie!” The girl suddenly jumped in. “Alright, calm down there, tiger. I think everyone here knows who you are...” “Actually, do you think I could get your number or email?” Joyce asked. “I want to be able to thank you properly; Jackie too, of course. Really, what you’ve done goes a long way for us.” “There’s no need,” Michael smiled. “Any kind person would have done the same thing.” “DaaAAaaaddy!!” Jackie whined. “I wanna see them again!” Everyone except for Jackie laughed, and Michael was reaching into his pocket. “Email or phone, did you say?” They exchanged information, and everyone bid their goodbyes. “When can we see them again?” Hopping on her feet, she begged her dad for an answer. “I’m not sure, hon. We’ll probably need to wait until Mommy gets back from her business trip. Don’t you want her to meet Emily and Joyce, too?” “...Yeah...but that’s too--!” “Long? The times gonna fly by before you know it. Now, are we gonna see the monkeys before I change my mind?” “Monkeys!” “They were nice,” Joyce smiled as they continued to walk. Emily was quiet. Joyce turned her head. “What’s wrong?” “I just feel bad...” “About?” “About telling them. I told them we were fighting...” “Well,” Joyce pondered the words for a moment. “I don’t like to think that we were fighting, but maybe we were having a heated argument, at least. Don’t feel bad for confiding in someone, Emily. You needed someone, because I wasn’t there for you...” her words carried genuine guilt, as it was an attack on herself rather than Emily. Emily purposefully swung her hips into Joyce. “Alright, that’s it. No more feeling sorry for the rest of the day, got it?” “This feels oddly familiar...” Joyce said with a forming smirk. “It better...it worked for me, after all...” “Jackie, though, she was funny.” “Yeah, she seems to get herself into a bit of trouble though.” “Right?” Joyce laughed. “It reminds me of someone I know...” Emily laughed, and as she grew quieter while they walked, something started to bother her; an annoying suspicion creeping from the back of her mind. “Wait...are you talking about me?” She looked to her, seeming clueless. “What do you mean?” Emily looked cross as she stared daggers into her. “You were so talking about me.” Instead of giving her a direct answer, Joyce merely laughed and started speeding up. “Wait until I catch you!” Emily growled, racing after her. “Not gonna happen~!”

Sorry about that...I think I let it happen again... Thank you for such high praise, though! Hopefully it's going to get better? Hmmm...there might be a tiny parallel going on here. And sorry if the flashback wasn't clear; I'll try to do better with that. At the same time, I don't want to explicitly plaster at the top of a page break: FLASHBACK BEGINS HERE. I've been trying to drop some subtle hints throughout that make it a bit more clear. Sorry, and thanks for reading and liking! Heyo! Glad to here it wasn't a total upset. I definitely hear where everyone is coming from, though, so I'll try to do better with that. As for Joyce's rapid change, I wanted to set up the sort of idea that Joyce meets Emily at a time when she's reaching a bursting point. That idea of overload is what's transforming her so rapidly, because from the start she's been ready to become this kind of person that can love so much and be so affectionate. Her desires are very strong and very real, and while she's been trying to throttle herself, she still can't keep herself together fully at the seams. Thanks for reading! Always important to consume before commenting! Michael and Jackie are hopefully going to be a teaching point for Emily, and if nothing else, Michael can be someone to talk to. But who knows how it's going to turn out? Thank you for being such an invested reader, and I hope you continue to enjoy! Maybe in a way, I suppose. Yes, it's not going to dictate the course of the story, or pull the resolution here or there, but I consider it important for the sake of context. By giving an idea of who Joyce was before she met Emily, or what she was like right at the time the two met, it can help explain why something like this may have happened. Joyce's desire for something like this has reached a bursting point and somewhat explains her storm of affection for Emily, and how she can struggle to keep it under wraps. So to sum it up, I put it in for character building. Thanks for reading! Definitely a mix of things going on for her. Unfortunately she's caught in a pretty bad situation and doesn't know how to find recourse. Anything in her mind right now seems like a bad play and there is no real right answer. Hopefully that's going to change? Thanks so much for reading and commenting! Sorry, but there probably won't be any transforming in this story! (Physically, at least.) But maybe not this universe? Hmmm...... Sorry for the confusion about the flashback, and yes, hopefully these two do make up! I hope you continue to read and enjoy! Always appreciate reading everyone's comments!

22 - The Bench At first, it wasn’t so much Emily that disappeared on Joyce than she did on her. Instead, the ground seemed to have consumed her; a thick muck slowing down each and every weakening stride she attempted. A metal post anchored into the ground, she was trembling more than she would’ve liked, and could feel the unrelenting tide of shame, self-frustration, and sorrow crash against her, forcibly coerced her into diving back into the abyss, just to avoid the storm. The pit was bottomless, and thus had no true destination as it was a one-way trip to the void. She could only maintain a three foot radius, thanks to the many people and her blurry, wet vision. Taking straight, bending, curving and forking paths, a scrutinizing, sharp misery always seemed to find her. In fact, a terrible pain in her chest ached; begging her to stop. Yet she grit her teeth and kept moving, because deep down she knew she was a poison; one that needed to be cleansed from the one she loved the most. Even if she was offended and angry for all the right reasons, she may as well have been a king without her castle. Why would she want to be right if it came at such a staggering price? But that’s what ate away at her so terribly, knowing that this wasn’t a healthy solution, and the consequences far outweighed the benefits. It was the lesser of two evils, so she thought, trying to sever their ties, but it was a brutal and savage solution. Something felt torn, and the wound was gushing. Someone must have snapped the tiny lever inside her head, because the trauma played on repeat, allowing her to relive her mistakes millions of times over in the span of seconds. Each and every syllable to every word was vivid down to the very pitch; so memorable because it was saturated in such distinct despair, disappointment, and drear. She kept stealing worried glances at the watch strapped to her heart, but the hands wouldn’t move. They had stopped since Joyce gave her that look; a look of betrayal. She was either drowning in it, or at least all she knew how to feel by this point was it, which was pain. Even as she ran away, it didn’t change the regret sinking inside of her like a ball of lead, but that’s why she hated herself even more. The comfort she craved for was the very one she stabbed in the back, and yet she still longed for it? Such a precious and innocent trust had been taken to a bed of nails and grinded against sharp and jagged rocks; strangled by Emily’s very own two hands. With each step, the void inside herself grew just a little wider, her heart throbbed just a little more, and the remnants of warmth in her palm, the one that had held another, began to cool just a little more. She could implode at any moment; each step potentially her last, until she finally lose herself to pure ruin, which right now seemed like a fitting punishment for herself. And in her frantic state, catching blurs of smiles and laughs engaged in their own paradise, she thought of Mary and Frank. Joyce had her parents with her right now, right? She could take solace in that at least there was someone for her. So as Emily sat herself on a bench, realizing she couldn’t run from herself, finally unable to ignore her full-on sobs, she could at least remind herself that Joyce would be okay and was among familiar faces. Emily, buried in her hands which were flooding with tears, maybe hoping to raise a pool to drown herself in, continued to weep. She never really did deserve her; Joyce was probably just too polite to not point that out. Why did all her relationships seem to be such double-edged swords? There was a common similarity among this one and Jack, and had there been a mirror right this moment, it’d have been a joke to consider it a mystery. Maybe that’s why he had left her, and why Emily just left Joyce. She was the unstable one. She was the problem, and all she did was invite pure disaster. The world continued to spin on its axis, and Emily was a violent anomaly to the natural course, as her opposing sways twisted and turned her relationships and her stomach. Would it have been better if she were never found in the first place? As if a cruel reminder, the imaginary rain was already pouring like a waterfall over her head. Instead, left on the city streets, only to open to her eyes to a sky as bright as day, and to carry her swollen ankle to the nearest clinic. There would be no rescuer, angel, or goddess. Isolation would be her comfort; a friend that could not and would not be hurt. She was starting to heave a little, her cries were so draining, and she could feel the knife twist and turn about her; carving each and every mistake she had made these past months. And yet, despite all of this; all this damnation, self-hate, inflicted injury, punishment, beration, destruction of self-worth, even from the heap of misery she’d thrown herself into, there was still a faint light shining over her. No matter where she turned her head it seemed to be far away, yet nevertheless poised right at her. Her legs were pulled close as she clutched her arms together, wrapped around her knees as she shielded herself from the outside world. A sickening gray had begun to infect the canvas, and the atmospheric noises began to deafen into an unintelligible murmur, as Emily finally learned what it truly meant to be alone. A constant stream of individual drops kept launching themselves at the large, glass window, exploding into even tinier smithereens as they slowly rolled down the surface. The tiny vibrations they made were almost therapeutic, if you took to time to lose yourself to the noise. It was hard to do that, though, when instead the pressing of keys were much louder. She needed a moment to blink. The digital screen etched its digital LEDs into her eyes like they’d been engraved. Then of course came the tears from over-exercised eyes, long overdue for a break from an unrelenting hell of technological lights. Just as she stretched her arms, a knock came from the door. “Yes?” Just as the silence of the rain had a chance to introduce itself, it had been interrupted. “It’s Sheila, Ma’am.” She didn’t answer back, and the silence was telling enough. With the turn of the handle, the assistant entered the office. “I just got a call from security downstairs. I believe your chauffeur is waiting for you?” She adjusted the glasses poised on the rim of her nose. Instead of answering, Joyce’s eyes panned her desk, from one massive end to the other. Her coffee was half-filled, or rather, half-empty. When did she get it again? With the details of her office taking a higher priority, she pressed a few fingers to the mug. Cold. She exhaled through her nose, then made no rush in turning her head to the window. Apparently the sun had clocked in early, because the moon seemed to be taking up its unexpected shift. Well, that, or...for once in who knows how long, she looked at the clock. Oh. “Joyce?” The sound of her name finally beckoned her attention, but the lack of emotion seemed to have scared her assistant somewhat, as with a quick correction she said, “Ms.Summers, I meant to say. But, are you doing alright, ma’am?” “What did you come to say about my chauffeur?” “...He’s been waiting since a half-hour ago for you to come down.” Joyce gave the overturned phone set to silent a peek. There were a few missed calls on it. “Don’t you think it’s time you take the night off? You’ve already been here since-” “Could you please send him on his way?” She was already looking back at the computer. “I have some more work I want to finish up.” She gave the coffee a second glance, as if having second thoughts, but quickly gave up on it once more. “Work? But I thought you had finished everything for April last-” “I’m working on next month’s,” she said, plainly. A second went by and she still wasn’t gone yet. “Why haven’t you gone home yet?” There was no real curiosity, seeing as her eyes never left the screen. There was none of anything. Simply an observation that was one of many tiny, insignificant, miniscule bits and bobs that filled the cracks and crevices which would further prolong the inevitable; building a bridge that could keep her from falling into misery, a place that she couldn’t stand to be; home. “Because you haven’t. I’m concerned for your health, and with all due respect I don’t think you should be having late night after night in the office. Ms.Summers, when was the last Saturday you’ve taken for yourself?” “You’re my secretary, aren’t you?” It’d be pulling teeth to stir some kind of emotion in her tone. “Four weeks ago.” It was as if she were expecting to be challenged. “Is your car still here from this morning?” “Yes, it is.” The keys on the keyboard kept moving at a rapid pace, though Joyce kept finding herself needing to blink a bit more. As soon as something interrupted her flow, it was always so annoyingly difficult to find again... “I’ll send the chauffeur on his way, but only if you’re going to leave of your own accord right after.” It was obvious she was at a crossroads, trying to make decisions for the very woman that paid her. “Tell him I’ll be fine, please.” She almost sounded a little annoyed, and the “magic word” came a bit forced. Granted, that’s what hours on hours of work would do to you. She couldn’t remember the last time she got a full night’s sleep, and felt her need for pleasantries were running low. “And will you head home right after?” She just about pinched the bridge of her nose. “Sheila, please.” It was a tone that had its patience being tried; one intolerant of anything that didn’t bend to its exact whim. The fumes she tried to tell herself she wasn’t running on didn’t seem to appreciate anything less than perfect. Adaptation and compromise were currently unwelcome guests in the executive’s realm, and even her closest ally was starting to feel like a nuisance. The typing finally stopped, as the pianist ended their tune on a jarring, constrasing note, and invited a much more uncomfortable silence into the room. The swivel chair didn’t seem to turn, and the desk lamp shining on the right side of her face was finally beginning to bother her. The coffee was cold now, too. Hardly drinkable, and it’d be a waste of a mug to get another. Her rhythm and momentum had become stale, and she knew it’d all been ruined. “Fine.” Placing both hands on the desk, she used them as a foothold to push herself up, taking a moment to brush off the wrinkles in her blouse. The open binder, still-illuminated computer screen, lazily placed pen and documents all remained the same as she walked from it. She looked to Sheila with a grave seriousness. “Now do what I asked.” Sheila didn’t respond when she excused herself, and the shut of the translucent glass door returned Joyce to her one true friend, someone she had a strange chemistry with; isolation. Her jacket came off the hook and around her shoulders. She hardly cared enough to make the long, begrudging trip back to the other side of the room, looking at her messy station. Once she acknowledged her lack of energy, it was impossible to ignore now. Other than the few lights left, the rest of the room began to blend with the night sky as the main lights dimmed to darkness. She rubbed her eyes once more before stepping out of the office. “...yes, she’ll be driving herself home tonight. Yes, I’ll let her know. Thank you. Have a good night.” That was how Joyce found her secretary by the phone on her desk, already dressed in her own jacket. Seeing her all packed up, knowing that she herself was the cause of it, Joyce now being away from her work felt a tad bit remorseful for keeping her all night... A look around the corner gave way to the vastly empty floor, which despite being reserved for only a handful of people, truly felt empty in the company of darkness. Just a few moments ago it felt like the start of the day… She turned back to Sheila who was hanging up the phone. “I just spoke with security. They said he’ll be going on then to drop off the vehicle at your apartment’s garage. Is that alright?” “It’s fine.” It was hard to tell if it really was. “Can I leave now, or are you going to make sure I get through the front door to my apartment as well?” “What makes you think I don’t have a tracker on you?” She smiled, and eventually, so did Joyce, ever so faintly, looking somewhere else other than her assistant’s eyes. “Besides, this building tends to be a little creepy at night when it’s so empty.” Sheila, holding a bag with both hands looked to her boss expectantly. “Think you can escort me out?” Joyce’s inner brows tilted upwards somewhat as she smirked, admittedly feeling foolish for her attitude a few minutes ago. Thankfully Sheila could be so forgiving, or at least understanding. “Are you parked on the same floor as me?” “Did you forget I have a reserved spot, too?” In unison they walked down the dark hallway, to the opposite end, where an elevator door with a square light mounted above the doors stood. “How come you’ve been working so much, Ms.Summers?” “You’re off the clock, so stop calling me that,” again, with little expression to her voice. “Call me Joyce.” “Sorry Ma’am, but I can’t do that. With you, I’m always on the clock,” she chuckled, and Joyce feigned a smile. “Is there anyone you’re going to be late for at home? Because of me?” They waited for the elevator, while Joyce quietly observed a few potted plants. “No, It’s alright. Truthfully, I expected it might be another late night.” “...I see. Is there anyone you have at home?” “A boyfriend, and a dog.” Joyce gave her a somewhat invested look. “Since when have you been dating?” “About 6 months, now.” “And you never told me about it?” Sheila was silent for a few moments. “Or I forgot that you did?” Still silent, though it seemed to say much more. ... “Ma’am, is there anything you’d like to talk about?” “Aren’t we talking right now?” The elevator dinged, and they both stepped inside. “Well, yes, but I mean about you?” “I highly doubt there’s much there to talk about...” “Ma’am, I know that I’m your secretary, but that doesn’t mean I don’t mind talking about something that’s bothering you outside of work.” “I appreciate the concern, but I’m fine, really.” She had to look at the metallic doors for that one. Even she knew it was a lie. There wasn’t a single person in that tiny, metal box that believed a single bit of her words. It’d been a slow, gruelling decay that’d slowly consumed her before she’d even realized. Her work was her passion, but it had also become the catalyst for something much greater she had chosen to neglect for too long. Alongside it was Sheila’s care and concern that was like a low-hanging fruit; ripe for the taking, yet she didn’t feel the desire to reach for it. “Hey,” Joyce randomly spoke, “how about we go and get a drink?” It sounded reluctant, but Sheila went on to respectfully decline. “You need your sleep, Ms.Summers, just as much as I do. It’s nearly half-past ten, and we both need to be up for work in the morning. Still though, I never thought you’d invite me out for a drink? “What do you mean? I’ve offered you before.” It stung, not hearing her respond to that. Twice now, she’d shot herself in the foot. “Maybe Friday? Since then it’ll be the weekend.” “Maybe...” Sheila then looked at Joyce with a warning stare. “And don’t think about going to a bar tonight, or then I really will follow you home!” For once, Joyce finally laughed a little. “You’ve got a company to manage, and I can’t imagine how hectic it’d be without you...” Joyce went back to staring off into troubled nothingness, keeping once again her bottled-up issues to herself. They both stepped out and into the parking garage, their sets of heels clicking across the asphalt. “Gee, it’s raining quite a bit…” Sheila looked out the opening where the countless drops could be seen falling from above. “My space is the floor below this one,” She briefly spoke. “Promise me you’ll go straight home?” “I may be a lot of things,” Joyce paused to yawn. “But a liar isn’t one of them. You have a good night Sheila.” “See you in the morning, Ma’am. Did you bring your umbrella, by the way?” “Yes, I have it in my car. Don’t worry.” “...And you’re sure you don’t want to talk?” There was the faintest hint of unease in her voice; fear for overstepping her bounds. Joyce merely smiled. “I’m fine, but thanks.” They parted ways, one sticking by their car and the other moving to the stairwell. The crisp air wove throughout the cement structure, whistling its woeful tune as it kicked at the fringes of Joyce’s coat, mercilessly biting at her bare ankles. Being a reserved lot, hers was the only vehicle in attendance, or better explained as staying behind. The inside of her car didn’t feel much different, though that didn’t stop her from opting to turn on the heat. Backing out, the GPS console was already routing itself for home, and the calm, digital voice was already looking for confirmation. “Would you like me to set a route for home?” She took a moment to check her phone, looking for something; a distraction. An excuse that would keep the night fresh and young. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. Would you let me to set a route for home?” “...No. Don’t.” Pulling out of the garage, instead of her typical left she started with a right. She relished in the moments she could find something even close to traffic, or catch each and every single red light. There was something beyond appealing to take the scenic route; someplace she’d never or scarcely been. If she was destined to be trapped in the company of herself, the least she could do was at least force a change of pace. She was a sorrowful soul, and she knew it too. She had forgotten the beginning, and cared little for the end. This limbo she was caught in, once only filled with pleasure, made her realize that life wasn’t so cheery if you couldn’t satisfy all aspects of it. Creatures of habit; social animals. She agreed with both of these philosophies, but that didn’t mean she followed them both. She was of habit, but it was her habit to live a lonely life. No one could be her perfect other, and trying to find someone like that who existed was an imaginary needle in a very real haystack. Something wet rolled down her cheeks, as the expression on her face remained static. What did it mean to be loved? To love someone else? Someone to get up for; to wake and see, look forward to spending time with and celebrate? A piece of porcelain chipped off her face, and the storm seemed to rain heavier. Tearily glancing to her side window, she watched the front-side windows on the street pan as she cruised forward, each and every display moving to the beat of their own drum. It was funny, in a way, watching the rain roll down the side of her car. Seeing her faint reflection in it, wet with her own tears, unable to distinguish them from the rain; it felt oddly poetic. Her sources of noise were the falling drops and swish-swash of her windshield wipers. Store after store, display after display, nothing seemed to be exciting other than the occasional alleyway that broke up the sameness of it all. Though, even then that became dull too once you realized it had just as much repetition as everything else in the grand scheme. Maybe it was time to go home, cut her losses, and work another late night tomorrow. She could try and send Sheila home early, then there wouldn’t be any obstacles… Maybe the one thing that did make her smile was remembering Ashes. Such a cute little ball of fur. She wanted to see Amy, too. And that was the problem. Why couldn’t she just be honest with herself? She started to look bitter. Maybe it was worth getting a cat… It wasn’t everything she wanted, but it was probably safe to say that for once in her life she’d just need to deal. She rounded the corner, rearing closer and closer to home, though this wasn’t one of her typical streets. The flickering lamp post was a good example of that. It was disappointing in a way to see that there wasn’t any traffic on this section. That just meant she was going to her husk of a home even sooner. Just a few more blocks and the building would be on her left. What a shame… There weren’t even people on the sidewalks to people-watch. Just as she looked back to the road, something curious caught her glance, though it only amounted to a shadowy blur as she barely focused on it when passing by. What did she just see? The car kept moving forward, but her mind stayed stuck. By this point though, she was ready to vent her inner monologue. “How pathetic...” She was willing to take an interest in anything at this point. Nothing really captivated her. It was all boring, and she knew it. They were all in the same; excuses. It really was time for her to go home… Trying to forget, she went forward another block, and there wasn’t anything exciting there. The same for the next. And the next. And the next. She took a left and pulled onto her street. She could already see the garage entrance in the distance. She pulled closer and closer, dreading every moment. But for once, she didn’t feel as repelled by the home as much as she was being tugged elsewhere by something. What did she see? What did I see? Right before the entrance, she made another left. She drove a fair distance, then took another one. Another few hundred feet, and this time, a right. She didn’t know whether this were more of her delusions or a genuine interest. Was there a difference anymore? She certainly had better things to be doing than looking for a shiny nickel on the street, yet here she was... It was gone, whatever she was looking for. Or at least, never there to begin with. Her hope had finally been snuffed out, and she was already getting ready to go home. Her car nearly jerked forward when she hit the brakes. There it was again, only this time she could see it with a much clearer view. A lump of something? No, a lump of someone; slouched over on the steps of a building, shone down upon by one of the few functioning lights on the sidewalk, gracefully protected from most of the rain by a small overhead. It would’ve been instinct to think they were homeless, but they didn’t seem that way… No. Someone homeless doesn’t wear flats, dress pants, and a blouse. Then why were they outside so late in the pouring rain? And why did Joyce even care? It wasn’t her problem. She needed to go home and get ready for tomorrow. There were likely thousands of people sleeping on the streets tonight, and this person wasn’t any different from them, so why was she stopping for this one? Yet as she thought that, she didn’t press forward on the gas. Well, not until someone behind her laid on their horn, at least. Caught off guard, she did move forward, but pulled right around the corner. She didn’t keep going though. She pulled to the side. Turning in her seat to look through the back-rear window, there wasn’t anything but the glow of light around the corner, just managing to shine through the dense downpour. Her curiosity was insatiable. She needed to know. She needed to see. It was either the brink of complete and total procrastination that had her so fixated, or something much more cryptic and mysterious aroused her curiosity. The umbrella was the first thing to exit the car, unfolding and expanding into quite the generous roof above Joyce’s head. With it’s elegant, upturned wooden handle she was quick to pace around the puddles and onto the sidewalk, heading back around. Funnily enough, she thought how Sheila might kill her for trying to check up on strangers instead of heading home. I’m not at a bar, at least… This was the third time they’d been exposed to one another, or more so Joyce exposed to them. She didn’t even know why she was here, or what she was going to do. There didn’t even seem to be anything distinct about them, yet the more she looked, the more intrigued she became. They looked like someone fresh out of a 9 to 5 job on their way back home. The way some of her clothes stuck to her skin though...parts of her blouse looked chillingly transparent. Again, Joyce simply felt compelled to reach out her hand, resting just a few fingers on one of the many cold, wet spots she was covered in. She must’ve been freezing… She is freezing. Her hair looked as if it’d taken a tumble, along with the rest of herself. It wasn’t repulsive. Far from it. If anything, it was oddly endearing... Crouching on her feet she stroked the stranger’s hair she softly murmured. “How did you get like this...?” Then she noticed the streaks of bare skin coming from her eyes, almost like rivers. Tears never really did work well with makeup… Water in general. “Down on your luck, too?” She didn’t expect an answer, but the silent company in itself was something to appreciate. It was enough to make her forget what had her so troubled in the first place. She seemed so tiny… She wasn’t. Not totally, but not exactly Joyce’s size either. Frail all over, shivering in the cold rain; defenseless and alone. The more she sympathized with the stranger, the less and less she wanted to leave things so simply… “E…” She went to touch her shoulder, then hesitated. “Excuse me?... Hello?” She wasn’t expecting to feel so relieved when she saw her stir, and lazily look back to her. Then she realized just how abnormal this girl was… How do you manage to fall asleep on a set of concrete stairs in the rain? Regardless, “You’re awake, thank goodness...” She held herself close; clearly shaken from the rain. The way she trembled… Is it okay to hug a stranger if they’re cold? Wait, why would she think of that? “Wh-who are you?” Her voice was fatigued and strained. “Come on now, can you stand?” She needed warmth, and Joyce felt a need to please. Carefully, she supported her by the shoulder, though needing to slouch just a bit to match the girl’s height. The first step they took and the girl was already yelping in pain. What? What did she do wrong? The first thing that came to mind was to look at her feet, and just under the light she could see it didn’t look normal. Swollen and discolored. “I’m sorry, are you okay?” She’d never used so much emotion in a single day. Care and compassion were things she held in frugal and conserved amounts, yet here she was, blowing away all her reserves/ The girl didn’t respond, but it didn’t stop Joyce from readjusting. “Come on, I know it hurts,” she continued to coax as they slowly moved back to the car. “Just a little further...” It clearly paid to have a towel on hand, which she laid across the seats, and then her on top. “Down we go...” An onlooker would probably think she was abducting them right now, and maybe she was… But how could she just leave her like that? Too much had happened for her to ignore this girl. Dare she say it was fate itself. All of this was so unusual, and that was exactly part of the intrigue. Back in the front seat, behind the wheel, she could still hear the girl murmuring behind her. The police? Is that where she should take her? She spun her head around to give her another once-over. Sopping wet, freezing, injured, and tired. How was a station going to solve any of that as well as Joyce could? No, she knew exactly where to take her. “I know you’re a bit out of it right now hon, but if you can hear me, I’m going to take you back to my house, okay? It’s just up the street.” She then realized she was speaking to a brick wall. It was her fault, honestly, considering she was dealing with a person who managed to sleep on the streets...poor thing. They had no connection, and yet Joyce felt obligated. She wanted to feel obligated. The drive home was short, and for once Joyce didn’t take the scenic route. She parked alongside the vehicle her chauffeur had dropped off, then was thankful she and this stranger were the only ones in the garage. While appearances were the last thing on her mind, she’d prefer there not be any misunderstandings… “Hon? Are you awake?” She still didn’t even know her name yet. The lack of familiarity should have made it weirder, but it didn’t. She gave her shoulder a slight jostle, but nothing stirred back. This was a slight issue. She needed to get this person up to her apartment, but first they needed to move to the elevator. It’s not like she could carry her. . . . . . . It was amazing how effective a princess carry could be. As her wet blouse and pants soaked into the arms of Joyce’s jacket, she minded less than she would have expected. If she was prepared to lose it to the rain, surely she would be if it meant doing a good deed. After an awkward turn into the elevator, without hitting her “princess’” head against the panel, she pressed the correct floor. Her hair could use some tidying...she was going to need new clothes as well. Despite looking so weathered, it didn’t change how soft and delicate her face seemed… It wasn’t the time or place, but Joyce couldn’t help herself as she marveled over the stranger’s...well, beauty. “Thankfully you’re so light,” she hoisted her up once more, solidifying her grip, then walked down the hall, undisturbed, reaching the front door. It was always soul-crushing to come home and embrace her bountiful loneliness in the company of just herself. She had all this square footage, and yet the reminder of such spaciousness was suffocating. It didn’t seem that way tonight. Nothing was straining to get through the door; to get through to Joyce. Standing there, holding her princess, the inside of her home seemed oddly tame.. Was it a trick? Had it gotten so bad her emotional struggles had become sentient? Creaking open the door, she stepped inside, her charge in tow. A chill nearly ran up her spine, the setting was so unusual. This wasn’t her home. It couldn’t be. The eerie silence that hung throughout the spacious home...it didn’t seem so eerie anymore. For once she could hear the silence, the normal silence, and it was euphoric. The heating system seemed to be working this time too, because now Joyce wasn’t thickly wrapped in layers of contempt and sorrow and was raw enough for the temperatures to reach her. It was the first time she used the guest room, and also the bed. “Don’t hate me, but I need to warm you up, okay?” She wasn’t expecting a response, but felt herself becoming a bit flustered as she carried out her intent. One after the other, each button in an orderly fashion fell out of place, and so did her blouse. She tugged at the ends of the shirt which were still tucked into her pants, and out they came. She stared at the small woman, tracing her from head to stomach. So out of it, unable to realize her savior had a complete view of her chest. Joyce looked away, feeling her cheeks getting a little too warm. Maybe the heat was working too well… Setting the blouse aside, she sat the girl up, pulling her close so she could reach behind her bra. “I’m sorry, but this is too wet to keep on...” Already experienced with her own, a simple flick had the clasp undone and the fabric fell limp. A brief second went by, and she could feel the soft breaths, coming in constant intervals, kiss the crook between Joyce’s shoulder and neck. Was she getting excited? Taking her by the bare shoulders, she gently spaced the two apart, relieved with some distance. Maybe it wasn’t so great, now seeing her bare breasts, so in a panic to protect the sleeping girl’s modesty, she pulled her back close again. What was she doing?! This was no time for games! She felt truly invasive once she undid the zipper to her pants, and soon the button. You’d think she was making it into a sexual thing, she was so slow about it. It wasn’t...but her heart was beating quite a bit. Already with the first tug, she could see the fabric to her underwear, now well aware of how they matched her bra… Why was she even noticing that? The pants then totally came off, and all that remained were her panties. “Why are you still asleep?” Despite stripping her, she couldn’t help but find herself giggling over her undisturbed process. She grew a bit more worried though as she looked at the final piece. It seemed wet too, and she knew it wouldn’t be right to leave the job half-done. “I promise I’ll get you something to wear, so please just bear with it for a little bit...” There was a pause before she slipped her fingers into the waistband, having the backs of her fingers pressed against an incredibly sensitive area of skin. She nearly jumped when the girl slightly shifted. Looking on for a moment too long, she nearly slapped herself for taking a moment to admire the feel, but then worked them off and over her curving thighs and calves. Joyce did her best not to look while she collected everything, but the girl was completely naked now, still sound asleep. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to be shivering so much anymore, but Joyce made up the difference in clothes by slipping her under the covers. Still talking to her as if she were conscious, Joyce went on to explain. “I’ll go see what I can do about something to wear. You aren’t exactly my size…” she gave her another once-over from head to blanket-covered toe, “but in the meantime, don’t go anywhere.” She was going to need underwear, and Joyce knew that was going to be an issue. She didn’t exactly keep panties for girls with smaller waists on hand, nor bras for tinier breasts either. She wasn’t prepared to let her go unprotected either. It scared her to imagine what she might think when she wakes up; what might’ve been done to her. Looking around the room, as if an idea lay somewhere between the cushions or floorboards, her eyes fell on her keys. She could find a place that was still open, right? Another quick glance to the clock, which was past eleven now. It really was getting late… Please just wait a little longer… She grabbed the keychain and was out the door. There was its own special kind of intimacy when Joyce slipped a new pair of panties onto her sleeping subject. She couldn’t describe the relief she felt though once it was clear that they fit. Unfortunately though her breasts wouldn’t be getting as much special treatment… “I hope you don’t mind nightgowns...” Picked from her personal collection, she slipped it over her head, and it certainly did look big on her, yet, charming in its own way? The covers came back over her, and Joyce took a seat on the bedside, watching for a little longer. Her fingers drew circles into the fabric, until by the twentieth she finally felt herself yawn. Maybe she wasn’t as indestructible as she thought… Sheila would probably be giving her a mouthful by now. “Still, I never thought it’d be a complete stranger that would use this room first.” She looked to the slumbering culprit with a smirk, trying not to mind the irony in how she was the very reason of it. Never did she expect to spend the late, close to early hours of her next morning like this. Despite how heavy her eyelids felt, a part of herself felt tickled. No, it’s not like that… Almost painfully, she kept on looking at innocence personified. The pleasure she felt from this, she knew exactly what soft spot it came from, but how disgusting could she be to project that onto a stranger? Was it right bringing her into Joyce’s home? Maybe that’s what it was; a selfish ploy just to please her own fantasies. It was never about helping this person, it was about what Joyce wanted, and what she couldn’t have. Of course, what better way could she force someone into the mold of what she wanted the most than by plucking them off the street? They’d be in-debted to her, and of course she’d be sure to collect by- A muffled buzz came from her phone sitting on the bed Nothing. Just useless spam. She needed some sleep, and to calm herself. If she was going to blow up like this, it’d be better to do it in another room. Tomorrow would be a new day, and like that time would start moving again. Company couldn’t last forever, and the next night this room would be empty again. Selfish as it was, this time she so unashamedly wanted to be. Just when she’d discovered a new, refreshing outlet in life, she was already going to lose it. Why did life have to be so cruel? She could observe every physical feature and trait to this person, but other than that she was nothing more than a face, and that was what cut the deepest. While Joyce gravitated so closely, this person would sleep through all of it, much less feel an inkling of emotion back. If anything, it made Joyce hate herself even more. All she could ever do was get her hopes worked up for another grand flop. If it hurts this much just to put herself out there, why did she even try? As soon as she left this room and went to bed, that would be it. Her one-night stand would be finished by sunrise, and she’d long forget that this had ever happened. So if no one was going to remember tonight, maybe she could at least indulge herself once. She leaned in close, right beside the stranger’s ear, speaking in a low whisper. “Have a good night, sweetheart...” It was too faint to feel, but something lightly touched the top of the girl’s forehead. Gone. With each vibration from her phone, nestled away in the pockets of her shorts, underneath her dress, it made Emily shake and tremble with an inconsolable grief that felt like tearing flesh. She knew who it was that kept trying to reach her every waking minute, and to let each ring fall silent and unanswered only dogpiled every negative emotion she could convince herself to invest in. After the phone stopped ringing, the same whimpers would ensue each time. “I’m sorry...I’m sorry…!” She must have been worried sick, and Emily was the one putting her through all of this. She was the root of this raging storm. But it was for the best, right? No matter what, it was going to be painful, but at least this way there’d only be one, big, giant, humongous hurdle to overcome… She wanted to say that, but as more and more time went on, it was her own lack of courage that seemed to be the second contender. The perception of time seemed to have taken a backseat in the presence of grieving, as Emily was at a total loss for how much time had passed on that bench. She couldn’t bring herself to look at her phone though, because that’d bring her even closer to her sins. Minutes? Hours? Days? It could be any of the three, but who knows, being the screw-up that Emily is, it’s not like she couldn’t mess that up too. Bubbles. That’s all she ever seemed to be trapped inside. Her own little world that enabled her to be so carefree, happy, and relaxed. But because she lived in these spheres, that’s all she knew of. While she drifted in the outside world, hardly a shine or sparkle outside her dome would catch her interest. She was naive of it. Ignorant to it. So many times in this fashion she’d set herself up for failure, and just when she’d realize that everything wasn’t fine, and the world actually mattered outside her small oasis, the bubble would pop, and she would fall. Something wet lightly splashed against her forehead. Ignore it. It worked, because it didn’t happen again. This whole time she’d been staring down into the crook between her chest and bundled legs, sitting in a fetal position. She and the rest of the world didn’t seem to work so well together, so maybe it was about time they start seeing other people… Again, another wet pop. It didn’t aggravate her. It scared her. Not because of what it was, but because of what it could be. She wasn’t prepared to face anyone or anything. Nothing was right and everything was in shambles and ashes. She turned her head just the slightest upwards to peek her eyes past her knees. She needed to blink for a moment just to readjust to the light. “Hey, why’re you like that?” An innocent and high-pitched voice rung. Innocently curious, and in their hands was a plastic stick with a hoop on it, and the other a bottle of soap. Emily briefly tried looking to her forehead, finally doing something right for once by connecting the dots. “Are you okay?” “...No, I’m not.” She was a tiny, blonde-haired girl, dressed in sandals, shorts, and a top decorated in frills. She looked on with as much obscurity as there was in Emily’s heart. “I’m sorry,” she seemed to have interpreted it as an invitation to come closer, because Emily now had company on the bench. “Is that why your eyes are so red? Were you crying?” Sullenly, Emily nodded her head. Who even was this little girl? “My daddy says I get sad a lot. But that’s because someone is being mean to me...” she seemed to passively grumble. Though, much more upbeat, she went on to ask, “Why are you sad?” Emily stayed silent for a bit, staring off into space. That was the magic of being a kid though, because if Emily were trying to signal her unwillingness to talk, a social cue as advanced as that went well-above the tiny girl’s head. “Excuse me?” Again, a voice oblivious to their own wrongdoing. Emily felt a small tug on her own dress. “Did you hear me? Why are you sad?” Just when she’d learned to live with herself, already was she feeling ready to tear up again. By no means was she enthusiastic over digging out very recent trauma. At the same time, she couldn’t stand the thought of making another person sad today. “My, uhm...” she rubbed her eyes for a moment. “My...my girlfriend, I made her disappointed in me… We got into a fight.” It was like pulling a cord covered in spikes outside her own throat, the verbalization hit her so heavily. It was taking everything she had to keep stable. “Fights are no good,” the kid said in an imitating, pretending voice. You’d think she was repeating someone’s mantra verbatim. “My daddy always says that,” she cheekily smiled. “Hey, what does ‘disappointed’ mean?” “It’s when someone is sad because of something you did...” Explaining it didn’t make it any less true; solidifying the gravity of her actions. “What did you do?” She exhaled through her nose. “Something mean.” “Are you gonna say sorry?” She narrowed her brows. “It’s...it’s not that simple.” “Why not? When you say sorry everyone is happy again, right?” She kept looking up to Emily, and it added a tinge of self-consciousness to her simmering worries. Then in the middle of her therapy session, Emily realized something objectively important. “Wait, why are you here?” Now it was the girl’s turn to be stared at. “Are you lost?” She stared back clueless for a moment, then nodded her head with a giggle. “Daddy says I’m an explorer!” Emily blinked, feeling the spotlight shine its light on a whole new conflict. Not only was she stuck with her growing depression, but a lost child now, too? “Is...is your dad looking for you?” If she herself weren’t so sad, the small girl’s casualness to her own predicament may have been laugh-worthy. “I think so,” she still kept smiling. “Are you lost?” “In a few ways, yeah.” There probably wasn’t as much depth to her words as she intended, but Emily was feeling just as clueless on both the physical and emotional front. Everything was in shambles, and she had no idea how to pick up the pieces. She wasn’t good at that. But she knew who was… No! She couldn’t afford to hinge like this anymore. She didn’t deserve to… “Do you wanna blow some bubbles?” She was already holding the container out to her. “Shouldn’t we go find your dad?” She didn’t want to move, but she couldn’t leave a much more troubled soul hanging. “Uhm, I guess.” She shrugged. “He always finds me.” A memory exclusive to herself had her giggling. “He wins a lot at hide and seek!” “How long has he been gone?” “Uhm...” she glanced to her fingers, as if they’d tell the time. “Two hours? Three?” “Wh-what? Three hours?” Bewildered and shocked, Emily’s feet lost their footing on the bench, planting themselves on the ground. “He must be worrying about you!” The outburst seemed to startle her though, because she was quickly transitioning into a hiccup. Apparently only now it seemed to click for her. “Is-is he gonna be mad at me?” Wasn’t she the one with the carefree attitude to this? How quickly the tables had been turned, much less the massive irony in it all. She seemed to suck away all the worries though, because now a crying, lost girl had been deposited into Emily’s lap. “Hey, hey, relax, it’s okay, see?” Almost awkwardly, Emily rubbed her shoulder, not so used to the whole ‘interacting with kids’ thing. What was she even supposed to see? This was how Joyce did it, right? She didn’t seem to be itching for conversation, now that she was too busy crying her own river. Her storm of emotions was too distracting for Emily to prioritize her own. “Do you know your dad’s number? His cellphone?” She made sure the tiny bottle of soap didn’t fall off the bench. That seemed to have struck an even worse chord, as she sobbed harder. It was hard not to roll her eyes. How quickly could things have turned on its head? Regardless, she couldn’t help but feel some responsibility for bringing this whole issue up in the first place. “Hey, uh...” What was her name again? Come to think of it, neither one had introduced themselves! Why do kids have to be so complicated? “Hon, can you tell me your name?” Thankfully, between her breaths there was enough time to speak. “J-Jackie.” “Jackie, huh? That’s a nice name. Mine is Emily. Uh, nice to meet you.” She did her best to smile with an outstretched hand, and Jackie’s much tinier one shook it back. “So how old are you, Jackie?” “Six...” “Six? Really...” Think! What else could she say to keep her distracted? “Well, I used to be twenty-six, but just yesterday I turned twenty-seven.” Between her dimming sobs and whimpers, Jackie kept the ball rolling. “It was your birthday?” “Uh-huh, it was. I had lots of fun too.” Now it just felt like she was bragging. “Did you have it with your girlfriend?” That part stung, unknowingly bringing back such heartfelt memories… “...Yeah, I did. More importantly, are you feeling a bit better now?” “Mhm...” Emily almost thought it would be stupid to ask. She’d barely done anything, and yet she was suddenly a kid guru. “I’m sure your dad’s looking for you right now,” with a reassuring pat, the girl thankfully seemed to chin up a little. “He’s probably worried sick, but more than anything else he’ll be happy once he finds you safe and sound.” She sniffled. “Really?” “Positive. So no more crying, got it?” “Got it!” she parrotted, and Emily finally chuckled. “You laughed!” Jackie exclaimed, laying eyes on a rare treasure. Emily stuttered a bit at that, unconsciously trying to reel herself back in. “Yeah, I guess I did. But why is that so important?” “Because you were sad, right? Laughing means your happy again?” She slightly tilted her head, ignorant to the complexity of human emotions; far beyond realizing the depth of them, let alone processing the layers. If it kept her in good spirits though, Emily was willing to be that 1-dimensional being. Hell, it even helped her forget some of the struggles. “No, you’re right. I think I do feel a bit better.” She smiled, even if it meant portraying a facade. “You’re pretty when you smile,” Jackie unashamedly smirked. Emily laughed again. “What, are you flirting with me?” She kept laughing. “Hey Emily, what’s ‘flirting’?” “Uh…?” Maybe she was relaxing too much. “It might be better to ask your dad… What does he look like, by the way? So we know when we see him?” “He’s gotta scratchy beard!” Almost immediately, she exclaimed, though quickly started to laugh over her own silliness. “Scratchy beard? Hmm...we better keep our eyes peeled, then.” Apparently she said something funny, because she was giggling again. “Now what?” “You can’t peel eyes!” “Good point.” “Jackie!” A stern, loud voice called. It was a man’s. Almost immediately Jackie both simultaneously froze, yet spun her head before the total freeze-over. “Daddy!” He approached with a tired sigh. “What did I tell you about wandering off on your own?” The man seemed obviously stressed, taking a moment to run his hand through his blonde hair. “That I’mma explorer?” She quickly hopped off the bench and made a beeline for his legs, giving them a tight squeeze. As tightly as you could squish iron poles. “Wrong,” he sharply corrected. “I said that it’s a timeout in the corner if you did it again. And you did.” He scratched his chin for a moment. Emily silently watched. It is scratchy… This clearly wasn’t part of Jackie’s calculations, because she almost immediately started to whine. It was at least the good kind of whining, not the same as from the bench. “But I wanted to go and see the snakes!” “Then you wait until we go together. You don’t get to call the shots on your own, missy.” “Yes I do!” “Oh?” He looked to her left, then her right, trying not to smile. “Really? Because I don’t see anyone backing that up?” “Uhmm...” She imitated his glances, then to everyone’s surprise she spun back to Emily. “She did!” “Wai...what?” Stupefied, Emily could only blink. The man gave a look to Emily, seeming apologetic. “Sorry for bothering you, she just gets a little hyperactive...” Looking stern to Jackie again he went on. “Didn’t I also say to stop calling strangers out? What am I going to do with you...” “She’s not a stranger though! She’s Emily!” Speaking of who, she happened to look to her side, seeing the bottle of soap and its accompanying tool. Before they could wander off, Emily grabbed them and hurried over. “Wait! Jackie, you almost forgot these.” “My bubbles! I forgot!” Happily, she accepted them. She looked complacent for the moment, then another look from her dad clearly urged her to return the gratitude. “Thank you for giving them, Emily.” “Any time. Just don’t go disappearing on your dad again, okay?” Both adults seemed pleased to see her accept the terms. “Emily, was it?” Standing back on her feet, she could see he was around Joyce’s height, though maybe an inch taller. “Thank you for finding her. The second I look away from this trickster she’s off getting herself into more trouble...” Apologetically, he explained. “Don’t worry about it, really. If anything, she’s the one who found me. Still, being gone for two hours...wow. I can’t believe you could keep yourself together like that.” “Two…?” He seemed not to understand, then looked down on the supposedly innocent daughter of his. “How long did you tell her you were missing for?” “A few hours?” She smiled. “This little fibber meant to say about 10 minutes.” Emily almost wanted to roll her eyes over her own stupidity. Was it really accurate to trust a six-year old for the time? “I’m Michael, by the way. Dad of my mischievous daughter, Jackie.” The shook, having a much more adult shake than Emily’s from moments earlier. “Could I thank you somehow for watching her? A coffee, or something?” “Uh...well...” she almost looked back to the bench, as if a friend were waiting on her. She knew she’d be moments from a relapse if left to her own devices again, and truthfully, it scared her. What shook her heart even more was her phone stopped vibrating. She didn’t know what to do. Even though it was like pulling teeth, running away seemed to have a motive; a goal to it. But now? No matter what she thought, nothing seemed to be clear or distinct, other than her fear of facing Joyce. Time only accumulated the shame and worry she was feeling… “And you,” he looked to his daughter. “You’re on a tight leash for the rest of the day. Come on, you know the rules.” An open hand waited for her, and she grumpily took it, as her tiny limb was absorbed by his much larger one. Emily merely watched, silent. Observant. “Hey, Emily? Are you okay?” “Huh?” “You...you’re crying?” She wiped her cheek, and sure enough, she was. “Are you okay? Do you want to sit down?” “Can um,” a quick wipe had them mostly gone. “Can we get that drink?” It was obvious she was dodging his concerns, but the middle-aged man tried to play it off, nodding his head. “Daddy! I don’t wanna leave the zoo!” Jackie continued to whine, tugging back on his arm. “Don’t worry, honey, we’re not leaving. We can get drinks inside the zoo.” He looked to Emily as they walked, mouthing a ‘sorry.’ She paused, but then weakly smiled too. Was this okay?

Hmm...sorry about that! Thanks for being so invested though! (Don't hate me too much!) No relationship is ever easy. The stronger ones know how to flex, though, or at least when they break, they can be reformed. They definitely have some work to do though. It's clear they each care for each other, but that can at the same time be what hurts them. Where will it go? Hmmm.... Close? Or not? Either way, a fun outcome to imagine! Lol, thanks for commenting! Unexpected stuff can sneak up on them like that. Something they never considered has finally become an issue before they even realized it. Both are passionate in their own ways, and that shows in both the best and worst of times. Thanks for commenting, and hopefully I continue to make it an interesting read! Who knows? Elders tend to have some wisdom, though! Thanks for commenting! Haha, sorry for the cliff! I've kinda been doing that lately, I guess. If it isn't clear by the next chapter, I'd suggest considering Emily's mindset beforehand, and attribute that to now. If not, it'll be made explicit by the next next chapter. Try not to fret too much! Sorry to keep you waiting! Hmm, not sure what you mean? (It's probably obvious, but my lack of sleep is getting to me...) Please explain to my tired brain! Thanks for commenting! Thanks! Hope you continue to be interested!

Heyo! Yeah, it seems they've finally hit a snag... Only time will tell! Thanks for reading and commenting! Lol, that's a fun way to put it. Glad I made a real page-scroller ? And hmm, I can't say for certain when things'll get better? Who knows? Thank you for reading and being so invested! Please stay tuned! Definitely. What we've seen thus far is how Emily right now can relate her feelings and moods to being a lot like a switch. She can be an adult when she wants and is also slowly learning how to switch to a different mindset altogether. Joyce, however, has slowly been alluded to as someone who doesn't have as strict of a balance. There have been a few points in the story where we find Joyce craves for multiple different things in a relationship; things that don't go so well together in what can be considered a "typical" or "vanilla" one. It'll be interesting to see how that is developed and if it's resolved down the line. And as for the spanking, well, who knows. I can't imagine the mommy in her would be too pleased, though. This might be a bit too real however for Joyce to not take the reigns. Thanks for reading and commenting! Thanks! I wouldn't consider Emily abnormally small, nor the average height either. It might be a stretch, but how Emily is being perceived by others right now comes from the people surrounding her. Although she's an adult, having older and bigger people around her coupled with the way she's dressed forces a certain perspective that might not match the truth. When they first went out to eat together is an example of how Emily wasn't seen as a kid, namely because of her appearance and how she carried herself. As for why Emily distanced herself again, it has been a constant struggle of learning to accept that she does have a place by Joyce's side. We already know Emily to be extremely critical of herself, which is why it hits her so heavily when it's clear that she's hurt Joyce in some way for the first time, immediately jumping to the conclusion that she shouldn't be with her. She considers her reaction a punishment to herself rather than being any means of hatred towards Joyce. But of course, she's going to realize that she's done more harm than good. Thanks a ton for asking about that, and I hope I was able to give a thoughtful response. I hope you continue to enjoy reading, and please continue to comment in the future! A little conflict every now and then is good for the emotional bones, I guess. I think having both the ups and downs are both equally important elements. In fact, I did have part of an earlier chapter planned to take a slightly different route, or at least include a parallel element, but I decided to scrap it. I'm not sure if It'll be coming back in the future, so, for now, I guess it's a secret! Cliff hangers are always fun to see the reactions to. Sorry about that! I've been experimenting with new stories, but Sheltered is still at the forefront. Thank you for your investment in this story, and I hope you continue to comment and enjoy!

Hey everyone, I know it has been a bit. Sorry things slowed down a bit. Nevertheless, here it is. I just want to make it clear that the story is NOT discontinued. Even if I go quiet for a bit, it's NOT canceled or over. You will know if it has been because I will have made an official statement. Thank you for your concern, comments and kind words. The story is still going strong and I have no intentions to cut it short. Please enjoy! Chapter 21 - The Zoo One by one the plates made touchdown on the table as their heavenly aromas followed. Like in every scenario, Emily was the last in the rotation, but it was wonderful to finally have something to eat! Though, if she forgot, the smiley face illustrated with strawberries, bananas and blueberries topped with a whipped cream smile was more than enough as a reminder for which menu her meal came from. “Kids menu or not, I still think you made out like a bandit, Emily,” Mary commented, and Emily who was briefly caught in a fluffy, syrupy trance, reluctantly agreed. Maybe the belittlement was almost worth it, considering the tradeoff… Frank, Mary, and Joyce’s meals all looked equally as delicious in their own right. Frank tried to look away when his wife put ketchup on her sandwich though… You’d think he was watching her kick a puppy. “Oh will you stop?” She gave him a playful hit on the shoulder. “Ow! Ow!” feigning his injury, he pleaded with his eyes. “Don’t you see what she does to me?” Even Mary found his reaction funny, and everyone seemed to be enjoying Emily’s laugh. Emily was almost ready to ask for a real knife, rather than a butter one, but it was a pleasant surprise to see that it sliced through the fluffy cakes like a machete. She nearly squealed as soon as she lifted her knife out of the stack, seeing it’d struck oil, as the blade was covered in melted chocolate. “Hey,” Joyce warned. “Don’t forget to leave me a bite.” Emily simply nodded her head as she sectioned off her first bite. Everyone was equally as content with their own meal. “How is it, hon?” Frank asked in between bites. “Fine, thank you very much!” Acting all prim and proper, it was obvious Mary had a sneaking suspicion of what was to come. “That’s good. But you know, it’d be even better if you’d-” He paused as with his hands occupied with his burger, he was helpless to watch as one of his fries was stolen by his wife. “I’m married to a monster...” Both Joyce and Emily struggled not to choke on their food as they laughed, pleased to be treated both to a dinner and a show. And as much as Emily resented the food illustration, she still swabbed some of the fruit and whipped cream with a finger… “Are your mom and dad always like this?” She kept sneaking glances back to them, hoping not to miss the next humorous event. “On some level, yeah, but I think ever since my brother and I left the house, they’ve only had more time to drive each other insane.” *Ahem* In an obvious noise, Mary cleared her throat as she stared at Joyce with a strange sense of graveness. “What were you telling her about us?” “...How you two are wonderful parents?” “You may be an entrepreneur, but you’re not a liar, missy.” Maybe to her own mom, she wasn’t. It wasn’t exactly a skill Joyce took pride in, but she knew how to pull the wool over someone’s eyes. She looked at the glowing girl beside her, reasoning it as a necessary evil. “So I have a question: what does an ordinary night look like for you two?” It was Joyce and Emily’s turn to look at each other. “Umm...” Emily started first. “By the time I finish up work and get back, Joyce is usually up to something.” She paused to think of the next part. Instead Joyce picked right up after her though. “And then she strolls into my office and practically pushes everything off my desk!” “That is not true!” Emily spat to her. “She’s the one who drops everything to spend the rest of the night together.” “Fine, fine, maybe I embellished it a little...” Joyce smirked right before taking a bite of her toast. “I think Emily’s the better storyteller,” Frank admitted it like a tough, yet factual truth. “I think so, too,” Mary solemnly agreed. “Me three,” Emily contently spoke, giving herself a pat on the back. Then with a Cheshire grin she snickered. “Will you three quit bullying me?” Joyce pretended to be offended, but really nothing made her happier than something like this. If it was at the expense of her imaginary reputation, then she’d give it all away tenfold if that meant Emily could finally feel comfortable. Joyce couldn’t feel the same reluctance Emily had from this morning, and she was starting to let go of her imaginary pressures. Emily looked at her expectantly, but Joyce fired back. “Well, go on! Finish the story! Apparently I’m not so good at it...” Funnily enough, she thought of last night when Emmy was asking for her to do ‘the voices.’ “Joyce usually starts cooking something when I get back. I try to help here and there,” she put a lot of emphasis on the ‘try’ bit, because even then she was stretching it. “Then we probably relax on the couch?” She looked to the pouting Joyce for confirmation. “Now you want my input?” Disregarding her feigned annoyance, Emily simply nodded her head. Frank and Mary meanwhile gave a few chuckles as the scene unfolded. Joyce dropped the act as she picked up where her partner left off. “That’s pretty much it, really. I mean, we’ve had plenty of nights where we go out and do something; milkshakes, a movie, a restaurant, stuff like that. We’ll have to do some more stuff down the line, though!” “That’s good to hear,” Marry nodded her head. “But I don’t think you ever told me, has business ever kept you away for a whole night? I know you used to have a dinner every now and then. Maybe a party or social thing?” Much more plainly, Joyce nodded her head. “Thankfully nothing’s come up lately, but I can’t imagine that’s going to last forever. I’m pretty sure Sheila already has a few things in the calendar already.” Business dinners? Now that Emily thought about it, it sort of made sense for a CEO to be attending those. Had she been doing those at all since she came? She wasn’t getting in the way, was she? She looked at Joyce with concern, trying to decipher what she might be thinking… And that was the worst part: trying to figure out Joyce’s thoughts. Emily knew Joyce would never tell her something if she was going to feel bad about it, and she certainly would feel bad. The last thing she wanted to be was a burden and a nuisance. She knew Joyce would never think of her as that, but that didn’t mean Emily wasn’t, objectively speaking… “Well, you never know,” Mary spoke with a slight tease of suspense, as she reeled in the bigger catch. “Maybe you could use one of them to show Emily off?” Caught off guard for just a few moments, Joyce registered the idea with a small bit of apprehension. Bringing Emily to her business stuff? There were a lot of factors to consider, and Joyce was honestly a little scared to imagine the possible outcome. What? What was Joyce’s mom thinking?! Emily could already see it now. Standing in front of a large crowd, watching Emily’s each and every step, seeing what a “commoner” acted like, and be amused as she try and assimilate among the social elite. Worst of all, when she did inevitably mess up, it would of course be at the expense of Joyce’s very real reputation. Not even taking the reality into account, the thought alone was crippling enough. “Maybe...maybe we can talk about it later,” Joyce tried to laugh it off, and Emily didn’t know how to react at all. “I’d honestly never thought about it, so I think we should table that one.” She looked over to Emily, who seemed to be drowning yet again in her worrisome thoughts. What snapped her out of it though was a plump stack of cake, fruit, and chocolate laced with cream entering her mouth. Blushingly, she looked over to Joyce who’d slipped the fork into her mouth. Mumbling through the food, Emily whined, “Joyce!” “Sorry,” Joyce chuckled. “You looked like you needed it. And also,” she took the fork yet again and grabbed another section. “I think you promised me my own bite?” Without waiting for an answer, Joyce popped the food into her own mouth. She couldn’t handle as much as Emily, but every once and awhile it was always a pleasant taste. “Ooh Joyce, I think you made her a little grumpy,” Mary teased, which then had Emily wide-eyed as she retreated into a blush. As quickly as it came, so did it go… Joyce sighed through her nose. “Mary, Frank,” Or maybe it didn’t? “you guys are always so funny!” Emily didn’t know why she was saying it, and knew she had no real prompt to, but for some reason she oddly just felt like saying it anyways. Regardless of whether anyone asked her or not, she didn’t feel scared to unload her thoughts for once. “You guys remind me of a young, married couple.” “Did you hear that, hon?” Frank with enthusiasm looked to Mary. “She said we’re young!” “Wrong,” Mary said. The timing reminded Emily of a cartoon where a mischievous coyote might get an anvil dropped on his head. “She thinks we’re young. Nevertheless, she knows how to get on our good side.” “I didn’t mean to call you ol-” “Wait!” Frank stopped her. The deepness of his voice made it seem like an unyielding command. “Don’t say the ‘o’ word. It’s our kryptonite!” “Old.” Mary finished for her, and in a spastic motion Frank put a hand to his chest, right where his heart was. Frank slowly let go of his chest and looked with worry to his wife. “Are you trying to kill us?” “Quit it with your jokes! The only reason she hasn’t gone running yet is that Joyce is blocking her in the booth!” “Mom? Dad?” Joyce interrupted their silly feud, once again unnerved by the topic. Soon after normal conversation resumed, and so did the eating. At some point Emily ran out of coffee, and as much as she didn’t want to acknowledge its usefulness, Emily with extreme reluctance drank from her glass of milk. She had half a mind to order another coffee, but she could do without the likely comment from their waitress about needing to finish her milk. The milk tasted fine, but the connotations with it were bitter. It almost felt like admitting defeat. When Joyce took a bite from her egg, she looked up to say something to her mom, then after giving it a few moments she looked back down to her food for another bite. But wait. Something, something wasn’t right? Nothing seemed out of place, but, something did at the same time? Awkwardly hung up on the weirdness, she took another bite and went back to the conversation. And then it happened again. Only more so this time. Whatever it was, it felt more glaring this time, and still she was struggling to find out what it was. Then something seemingly insignificant tipped her off. Wasn’t there less bacon on her plate now? With only one logical culprit, she slowly turned her gaze to the girl running low on pancake. She could see the smallest bit of syrup on the corner of her mouth, but there was something else there too… Small, tiny bits of something. Licking her thumb, Joyce swabbed the corner of her mouth before Emily could protest and gave the sample a taste. Syrup, sure enough. And…bacon. “Something you want to own up to, buster?” “...No idea what you’re talking about.” “Oh? So the bacon disappeared on its own, then?” Damn! How did she know? Emily made extra sure to be sneaky about it! Well, as sneaky as she could be… Mary and Frank probably saw the whole thing unfold. Though, of course no good captain wouldn’t go down with their ship, so Emily sought to see it till the end. “...Yes?” “Alright then,” Joyce gave a small breath. Then, before Emily could react, an innocent blueberry was taken from its home on her pancakes, and was thrown into the merciless torture chamber of Joyce’s mouth, shredding it into pieces with her teeth. “What was that for?” “What do you mean?” Joyce laughed. “You started it!” “I did no such thing!” Even if it was a bad lie, Emily still wouldn’t let it die. “He had a home, you know?” “The blueberry?” “Who else? Their small charade paused when they could hear Frank and Mary cracking up. Emily wasn’t feeling so playful anymore with an audience, and suddenly realized that she may have been getting too caught up in the moment. That was starting to feel dangerously close to the ‘Emmy’ side… The meal did eventually come to an end, and everyone by then was more than satisfied. “Everyone have a good meal?” Abigail, their waitress, had returned. “Absolutely delicious!” Frank complimented. “You’re a great cook!” The waitress laughed over the joke as she was collecting plates. She leaned closer to Mary. “You know, I hope at least one of you keeps this guy on a leash!” “Oh trust me, I try,” Mary sighed as if it were her lifelong struggle. And maybe to a certain degree it was. “‘Course, at least you’ve got your daughter to give a hand,” she made a notion towards Joyce. “Years of practice!” Joyce laughed. The waitress continued to make small talk as she built up a stack of cleared plates. “So what’s the plan for you guys today?” “Well once we finish things up here I think we’re gonna go check out the zoo. My parents are visiting and they’ve never been.” “Ohh, that sounds like fun. I’m sure your daughter’s looking forward to it, too?” Unfortunately, it was too obvious who she was referring to. Joyce briefly looked to Emily, who partly hiding behind Joyce’s shoulder clearly looked mortified. Frank and Mary seemed a bit caught off guard too. Everyone in their own mind was realizing just how far they let this woman’s understanding spiral out of control. Though, Joyce’d be lying if she said the comment didn’t tickle her in the slightest...even if right now wasn’t an appropriate moment for such words. “...Yes, actually.” Emily had to nearly bite down on her tongue. She gripped dearly onto the past words of comfort, trying her best to understand it was in some twisted way better than calling her out on her very dumb mistake. “She’s excited to see the sea otters.” “Well, I won’t keep you guys waiting. I’ll be right back with the bill.” She walked away, and Emily did not look pleased, and Joyce could feel the frustration radiating from her. “You’re not mad at me, right?” Emily sighed, and like a deflating balloon the bulk of the tension drained from her as well. “No. I just hate being called a kid, that’s all.” “Don’t forget you promised to make it up to her?” Frank added. “Yes. Yes I did.” Even if it looked childish, Joyce patted her on the head. Joyce politely stole the rights to the bill, as she handled everything accordingly. Her parents tried to at least chip in, but for once Joyce wasn’t budging. Still, Emily admired how they tried to fight tooth and nail. It somewhat reminded her of herself. Nowadays, Joyce need only give her a look, and like a well-trained pet Emily would cease her attempts. “Alright, let’s get this show on the road,” Joyce slipped out of the booth and waited for Emily. When everyone stood, you wouldn’t think anything of it; just a simple action from a simple person with nothing special about it. Emily, however, couldn’t help but feel critical of herself once her own footwear hit the ground. Unlike everyone else, her sandals had a tough material to them, which is why they made the clashing noises they did once the wooden blocks to her heels hit the tiled floor. Even when she was out of diapers she couldn’t help but make countless, loud noises. Mary and Frank were leading the way, but Mary turned her head back to Joyce and somewhat Emily. “Were you being serious about the otter bit?” “Kind of? Emily’s never seen one in real life before.” “That should be fun then, huh?” Mary looked to Emily, who was finding it harder and harder to look forward to this outing. She didn’t know whether she was being seen as a kid or an adult. No matter how Mary acted, Emily didn’t feel like she could sense a definitive answer. The receptionist bid them farewell, and the quartet were soon back in the car and pulling out. The drive there was filled with plenty of small talk, and even though Emily tried her best, she obviously started to doze off once she exceeded her 15-minute limit. “Maybe you’re the one that’s tired, hon?” Mary chuckled as she looked over. With a natural rhythm stuck on repeat, Emily’s eyelids would slowly drift downwards, then suddenly rise with a start, but once again find themselves closing over and over again. “I’m fine, really.” Emily blinked, desperately trying to hold onto her alert and awakened consciousness. And as Mary watched her, she more and more looked like the kettle to Emily’s pot. It felt a bit rude to mentally check out on the people who might actually have a reason to fall asleep, unlike herself. Nevertheless, conversation felt exactly like what she needed right now. Anything that stimulated the senses was enough to keep her alert. Joyce knew exactly why she wouldn’t go to sleep, because, of course, the thought of how she’d look in front of her parents worried her. She wanted to speak up, but something told her Emily wouldn’t appreciate the extra attention… She glanced at the console GPS and could see they had a decent drive ahead of themselves. A single look at the rearview told her Emily was certainly putting herself through the ringer. Joyce simply sighed the smallest bit. How are you gonna have fun if you won’t cut yourself some slack? And suddenly Joyce was starting to feel a little selfish, and of course she decided to indulge herself. “Hey mom, so how’s the wedding plans for Jack and Hannah going?” Even the greatest plans required the greatest sacrifices. She may as well have just opened Pandora’s Box, all for Emily’s sake. “Oh, that’s right, I forgot!” The topic certainly seemed to excite her, and the beast had been stirred awake. “You wouldn’t believe the flower arrangements they’re using for the table centerpieces, they look beautiful! Oh! And the location! You’ve never seen it, have you? There’s going to be so many people. The band they’re looking at seems like a real good one, too. Did I mention the theme they’re going for? It’s...” And on and on she went. Of course, that was the intention. While Mary focused her attention on Joyce, it left Emily with none, and once again she was left to her own devices, which is exactly what had her fading away in the first place. Emily knew it wasn’t intentional (though it was), but she wished Joyce wasn’t hogging all the spotlight. At this rate she really was going to fall asleep! But she wouldn’t. No, of course not. Not in a million years. She needed to be active and alert. Though, being outside of the city didn’t really afford her much scenery to marvel at. Trees, trees, and trees. At least in the city the buildings knew how to change things up a little. Brick, marble, cement, stone? You’d think mother nature would take some notes. The blur of bark and leaves passing by the window played like a track on repeat. A stroke of brilliance hit her however. Maybe if she closed her eyes for a few seconds, something would change when she opened them? Making an obviously level-headed decision, her vision went black for a few moments. Or, maybe for a few minutes… Regardless, when she opened them, the outside looked no different. Damn. Her brilliant idea that she thought was certain to work had failed her, and she knew it probably wouldn’t work if she tried again. That being said, the one part she didn’t mind was the eye closing bit… But it wasn’t sleeping. No. Sleeping was the last thing she wanted to be caught doing right now. Emily proceeded to “rest her eyes,” while Joyce entertained her mom by throwing in passive comments, the kind that was just enough to indicate there was a listener. It wasn’t even really a conversation when a single person did the talking, but either neither one noticed or cared. Mary likely the former, and Joyce certainly the latter. There was finally a pause in Mary’s spiel, as she suddenly switched tracks. “You’ve got her all figured out, don’t you?” “What do you mean?” Joyce jokingly feigned innocence. She glanced in the mirror to see her sound asleep. “I hardly even noticed when she dozed off?” “You weren’t kidding when you said vehicles make her go out like a light,” Frank chimed in. “Oh yeah,” Joyce nodded with firm certainty. “I’m surprised she lasted for as long as she did,” in a hushed laugh she finally turned her full focus back to the other two and the road. “So? What do you two think?” She gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. “Think about what?” “Come on...” Joyce sounded a little less confident now too, “You know what I mean.” “Joyce, hon,” her dad decided to take this one. “You’re our daughter, but you’re your own person. The last thing you need is your parent’s approval.” “I know, but...” “I like her.” Mary said simply and absolutely. “But, are you sure it’s okay to talk like this? I know she’s asleep, but she’s not exactly in another room.” “It’ll be fine. I bet she could sleep through an earthquake if she tried hard enough, and compared to how she is now, it wouldn’t take much.“ “Well, I can envy that,” Frank turned his head back at an awkward angle to see, oddly enough seeming impressed. “And I like her too. I mean, we both have a lot to learn about each other, considering all we’ve done is have lunch together, but she seems nice.” It wasn’t intentional, but a small breath of relief escaped Joyce. “Though, I guess there’s one small thing?” “...And what’s that?” “She seems...reserved?” Mary sounded as if she weren’t even sure herself. “She definitely strikes me as the shy type.” It was unfortunately a glaring quality of hers right now. They had probably been thinking it from the start but were too polite to speak on it. It didn’t make Emily any less perfect to Joyce, rather, it only made her sorrowful to think her special girl was inhibited by something only time and exposure could solve. Everyone in the car that was conscious knew there was no ill intent behind the words, but rather saw it as an unfortunate observation. “Truthfully, I think this whole visit caught her off guard. I know it did for me, at least.” Without even needing to look, the culprit in question was obviously feeling the brunt of targeted words. She softened her voice again.“Just don’t think too badly of her? She still has some nerves...” Again, Joyce felt guilty for confiding in her parents like this, secretly behind Emily’s back, but a face to face conversation always made her resolve weak... Mary was the first to dismiss Joyce’s worries though. “Joyce, we’d never do that to her, or you. Maybe we did come a little early… I’ll take some responsibility for that.” More like all of it, which was likely passing through Joyce’s head, and maybe even her dad’s… Speak of the devil, he was the next to speak. “Why don’t we give them a breather, hon? We could meander for a little bit while they spend some time together?” “What?” Joyce slightly turned her head, then back to the road. “You’re kidding, right? You guys just got here!” “We wouldn’t mind, Joyce,” her mom agreed. “Why don’t you two take an hour together when we get there?” Already willing to part ways just when they got here, Joyce could only remain stupefied over how unusual her mom was being right now. Never in a million years could she imagine the woman actually giving someone personal space. Emily didn’t realize it, but she truly could move mountains… “I appreciate it, and I’m sure Emily would too, but really, it’s fine.” “We don’t want to impose...” As nicely as Joyce could possibly say it, her mom definitely was imposing, somewhat. “You’re fine!” Joyce reassured anyways. “You’re not imposing, and Emily wouldn’t want us split from you either. She really does want to get to know you guys better.” Even if her nerves won’t make it easy... On top of that, she’d probably feel even worse if she knew she was the reason why she and Joyce were alone together. “There’ll be plenty of time for us to do our own thing together. For now it’ll be the four of us.” “If you’re sure...” Mary reluctantly conceded, while her husband equally if not more left it at that. “But do you have any pointers?” “Pointers?” “Her likes? Dislikes? Something to help us get started on the right foot?” “Mom, she’s not a kid.” Truly it did scare her how much they managed to toe that line when Emily wasn’t around. Trying to imagine how Emily might feel secondhand was terrifying enough. “We’re all adults? Just please be patient. She really did want to make a good first impression.” “I know that, sweetheart, and that’s why I want to try and help.” Just when she was willing to keep her distance, yet again was her mother becoming emotionally involved. “Help her by not helping,” Joyce said her piece simply. “I’m already blowing this out of proportion, so forget we even talked about this, okay?” For once she hoped her mom would listen. On her watch, Joyce never could seem to jump to a clean slate. It was always unfinished business with her. “Fine.” You’d almost think she was annoyed. The ride was silent for a few minutes longer until the tension seemed to have dissipated. In a still slightly serious tone she added, “You two look very adorable together, though.” Joyce was as equally as firm. “Thank you.” Of course her cheeks wouldn’t be not warm after hearing that. “Emily? Hellooo...you in there?” A finger kept gingerly prodding her cheek. “You know, I never knew your cheeks were so squishy…” The voice sounded inquisitive and curious. “You’d never think, you know? What with you being so slim...” The poking didn’t stop, and even still half-asleep Emily knew the entire exchange was silly enough to laugh at. “...Joyce?” Rubbing her eyes, she called out to the almost certain evil-doer. “Bingo!” Emily could feel the cool skin press against her own, intermittent with the wavy strands of hair coming from both women. “Honestly, I can’t tell what had the bigger effect: your little food coma or the car ride itself.” “Car…? What are you talking about?” Emily finally blinked enough to go without needing to shut them again for a decent while. Leaning through the open doorway Joyce slightly loomed over her with patches of sunlight bleeding all around her. As the sun itself, she looked strangely symbolic. Joyce giggled as she moved her hand and Emily suddenly felt her seatbelt unstrap itself. “The zoo? Did you forget already?” “I...no, but,” she turned her head to the other side of the car, seeing it was empty, and also there wasn’t a head in front of her in the passenger seat. As bashful as she was for not making good on her personal resolve, she didn’t want to let any potential eavesdroppers in on her shame. “Where’s Frank and Mary?” “They said they needed to take a lap,” Joyce chuckled. “Sitting for too long isn’t great for the joints, in my dad’s words, at least. Think you wanna go see some animals with us? Or should I tell them you have a few more z’s to catch?” “That’s not funny,” Emily pouted, though she of course couldn’t hide her smile. The next thing on her mind she knew what was likely the answer, but Joyce somehow made it feel okay for once to act naive. “Did.they see me sleeping?” Joyce cocked a brow as she tilted her head. “I mean, I guess?” She slightly laughed over the oddity. “Why does it matter?” “...It’s nothing.” Her brows then slightly furrowed. “No, it is not,” Joyce excused herself into the seat as she slid Emily further in for space. “You wouldn’t be asking something like that if it wasn’t.” “Nevermind. I’m just worrying about stuff I shouldn’t be,” Emily plainly spoke as she was already looking to get out of the car, but Joyce wasn’t budging. “Oh no, you don’t get to drop it that easily,” Joyce guided Emily’s cheeks into her hands as they locked eyes. “Talk to me, won’t you? When has there ever been a problem that us talking couldn’t solve, or at least make better?” Emily was quiet, and Joyce had fastly come to her own conclusion. “It’s okay to be yourself around my parents, you know? You’re the only one making this hard on yourself.” Even after all the pep-talks they’d already had, still she couldn’t seem to get through to her. “You promised me we’d have fun today, right? Being gloomy is the same as breaking your promise, you know?” She hoped some lighthearted humor would put some pep back into her mood, and it looked like it did somewhat, at least. “I don’t know why I can’t let it go,” Emily sounded pained and distressed. “I’ve just, I’ve never been in a situation like this before.” The words felt harder and harder to find. “Everything just feels so...so fast.” “...Because you’re with another woman?” “N, no, that’s not...” Emily tried to dismiss the idea, but when looking directly at Joyce, her voice trembled and her eyes became glossy. Could that really be it? No! She tried to deny it, but deep down the way her body was reacting was telling enough. It only made her feel worse to look back into her sympathetic smile. She’d been vulnerable to Joyce so many times, and had never been engaged with someone so intimately, ever, and especially not with the same sex. Nothing in her life right now felt old, generic, or usual. Everything was fresh, new, raw, and sensitive. The last thing she wanted to do though was admit her hesitation; admit her fear and apprehensions associated with Joyce. She loved her with all her heart, but that didn’t change the outward fears she held despite Joyce accepting her wholeheartedly, and for that reason she felt like scum. “It’s okay, alright?” “No it isn’t; it’s being rude to you!” As hated as Emily felt, she still threw herself into Joyce. “There’s nothing wrong with you, or your parents. It’s just because I’m so bad at accepting this! But I want to! I do! So why?” Yet, Joyce’s voice never wavered. “You’ve never been in a relationship like this before, right? Didn’t you say it yourself?” She stroked the girl’s hair. “Emily, I’d never be mad at you for something like that. In fact, I’m surprised you’ve been able to handle it this well so far.” If the shoe were on the other foot, Joyce would likely be in the same boat as Emily. Regardless of being a perfect match for each other, there were more factors to a relationship than just one-on-one intimacy, and now was a clear testament to that. “You have every right in the world to be scared, and I want to do everything in my power to keep you from feeling that way, but I need you to trust me if you want things to get better.” Joyce’s acceptance and understanding was beyond relieving, but Emily knew she shouldn’t expect anything less from her. “So, so you’re not mad?” “I could never be mad! Everything that’s happening now is new and different for us both. I can only imagine all the different odds and ends going on inside of your head right now; inside your heart. But I don’t want you to worry, because I know you love me; you’ve made that clear. Anything secondary to that is something I can handle, and if it’s something you want me to, I can help you work through.” “...I don’t deserve you.” “But I guess you’re still stuck with me,” Joyce snickered as she hugged Emily for just a moment. “I’m the one that doesn’t deserve you.” Emily was still nestled against her. “Can you help me?” Joyce answered her question with another. “That depends. Can you trust me?” “You know I do,” Emily mumbled, and Joyce silently agreed. The two exchanged looks once more. “Then try letting go today. Really try. And by that I mean don’t try.” Emily looked like a gear in her head had just been popped loose. Chuckling, Joyce tried to explain. “I mean that you should just go with the flow; have fun and don’t worry about your surroundings.” That sounded a lot like her alter ego. “But isn’t that like--?” Her question was quickly silenced. “And what’s wrong with borrowing a little from a more carefree mindset?” She smiled, knowing exactly who she was alluding to. “It won’t make you look like a baby, I promise. It’ll be a cure for all those butterflies in your stomach.” And as if on cue, a hand was suddenly tickling Emily’s stomach through the fabric of her dress. Just as she tried to push away Joyce’s other free arm was wrapped around her waist. “Okay! Okay!” Somehow she managed to plea between her helpless giggles. “Just let me go! You win!” “This, is the Emily I wanted to see today. And just so you know, my parents are practically in love with you already, so you can only do yourself a favor by enjoying yourself.” She helped her out of the car. “Thank you, Joyce. I think I feel better now.” “Good,” Joyce nodded approvingly. “If you were any gloomier, I would’ve had us skip the otters.” “You’re the one that wants to see them, not me,” Emily giggled. “You’re such a bad liar,” Joyce joked, sticking to her fabricated story. “I know you’re excited, so there’s no need to pretend.” Joyce happily took Emily’s hand as they strolled through the parking lot. Emily looked from side to side, seeing the few pockets of pedestrians navigate themselves from their cars to the guiding signs. “How big is this place?” Emily kept catching glances of endless cars between the cracks of many. “Decently sized, I think. Wanna ride on my shoulders and see?” Joyce smirked. Emily feigned a ‘hmmf.’ “I think I like my feet on the ground, thank you very much. How are we gonna find your mom and dad?” “My guess is they’re already waiting at the entrance.” The pair banked a left, thanks to the helpful lemur plastered to a giant, wooden arrow. “They’re probably talking about the ticket prices right now. You know how they are when it comes to money...” Joyce nearly rolled her eyes, but of course it was in good fun. “How much are they gonna be?” At the other end of the asphalt stretch, they could see the roofed ticket booth serving as the barrier between the outside lot and all the attractions. Thankfully it was warmer here than in the city, because they left behind their jackets. “Not sure? Not that you should be worrying about it, though,” she looked judgingly to Emily, who kept her eyes looking forward. Sure enough, the elderly couple were sat on a bench a decent distance away from the booth, a place that wasn’t submerged in passing people. “All rested up?” Frank chuckled as they rose from their seat to meet the two. There was a slight pause from Emily, but with a recent reminder in the back of her head, she tried her best to laugh as well. “Sorry about that… Maybe Joyce sorta does have a point about me and cars...” “Well I was saying earlier how impressive that is!” Emily only laughed. “You think I’m kidding, but really. I’d pay anything for a power like that!” He leaned in closer with a lower voice. “Heck, not sure how you did it with this one sitting next to you...” With an obvious gesture, he pointed to his wife, who looked equally as happy to see Emily cheerful, but also annoyed that it was at the expense of being her husband’s joke. “Would you quit it, will you? She’s gonna think we fight like cats and dogs when we’re alone!” “We don’t?” Mary didn’t seem to appreciate that comment. He looked to Emily worriedly. “I don’t think she liked that one...” While Emily served as Frank’s middleman, Joyce became one for Mary. “Joyce, you better keep Emily away from this guy. He’s always been a bad influence on newcomers to the family...” “Instead of these two animals right out here, how about we go watch some inside?” Joyce cheekily added. Emily tried to stifle a giggle, whilst Joyce’s parents gave her a look but inevitably a smirk. By the time they got in line they caught a spot that gave them express access to the teller. A teenage girl behind a glass window was happy to receive them, speaking through the multiple holes in the barrier. “Hi, welcome! Are you guys having a good day today?” “It’s been going well,” Joyce pleasantly replied. “Could I get four tickets, please?” “Sure thing. Just for the four of you, you said?” In her chair she spun to her left where she interacted with something they couldn’t see from the other side. Absentmindedly she counted off to herself. “One, two, three...and...one! That’ll be $55, please.” Everyone but Joyce quietly minded their personal gripes about the tall order, meanwhile she produced a card without a thought. After the transaction was made the tickets were given to each and every person. Thus far the moment was relatively mundane and neutral, but Emily frowned once she saw her ticket. For the most part it was normal, though the bold, printed text was a little bit too cruel than Emily would have liked. ‘1 CHILD ADMISSION’ She narrowed her brows just from looking at it. Not like it would fix anything, but Emily wordlessly flashed the print to Joyce as they were walking further in. She gave it a curious glance then with a smile quietly said, “No restraints today, right?” Pondering for just a few more moments, the ticket was back by her side as the steam factory died off early. Joyce suddenly started to giggle. “Besides, good going on saving us $5!” Like five dollars meant anything, though maybe the trivialness of it all was what had the corners of her mouth being tugged at. They deposited their tickets into the machines and passed through the rotating bars, now inside the animal kingdom. Already among the noises of people Emily could hear the faint chirps, squawks and squeaks of the avian wildlife, well, wild, sort of. And speaking of people, the place seemed to be a bit crowded, leaving little real estate for the individual. “Wow, there sure are a lot of people, huh?” Mary commented as they already gravitated to the side for refuge. “Mmm...” Joyce pensively agreed. “I’ll say. Why don’t I go grab us a map?” Frank suggested. He already started weaving himself back into the crowd. Seeing him with some distance also forced the imagination to consider him a beacon, seeing how his head stood well-above most of the passerby. Her eyes panned the sight, watching countless, indistinguishable heads of hair. They all looked to be around her height... “Remember girls, if you get lost, Frank the walking lighthouse will steer you to shore.” Joyce quietly watched him walk away, though still managing to track his head that stood just enough above the many others. It had gotten to the point where he was too far for Emily to see, unfortunately. The immediate crowd was too tall for even Frank’s exceptional footage to overcome. For some reason she felt like Mary’s little tip didn’t apply so well to her… Then, it took her a second to register that a hand took hold of hers. Spinning her head, she could see it was Joyce’s. “Why’d you do that?” Just to be clear, Emily held their interlocked fingers in front of them as physical proof. “...Because I felt like it,” Joyce said with a smile. Though, what she wasn’t letting on about was the odd feeling in her chest when she watched her dad walk away. Something about the massive numbers in the park, then looking over to Emm-ily… The tides of people seemed awfully unforgiving, and with her dad struggling to look like a sore thumb, that only meant it was even worse for the other end of the spectrum. Finding the average person in itself would be a challenge, and anything less than that... Whatever the reason, it oddly put her at ease to have a hand as proof of Emily’s whereabouts. She could already feel her inklings of anxiety drying up. “Alrighty, let’s see what we have here!” Frank’s voice snapped Joyce out of her mental jargon as he came back with a pamphlet in hand. “Needless to say, there’s plenty of attractions to keep us busy. What are we thinking about for the big stuff? Lions, bears, lynx, sphynx, pterodactyl, minotaur, dragon?” With each creature that deviated one step further from reality, the female trio looked at him with more and more confusion. As if her dad never rambled off his fantasy list to begin with, Joyce said, “My vote is the giraffes.” The passion she had in her expression made it hard for Emily not to laugh. Still facilitating their little democracy, Frank took a survey. “One for the giraffes. Any objections?” “None from me.” Emily shrugged. “Nope!” “Then...” Frank started chipperly, then quickly diverted his eyes back to the map. “...Away we go!” Suddenly with a direction in mind, he led the line with Emily and Joyce at the caboose, still linked by their local chain; hand to hand. Again, to Emily it felt that there was something strange going on, but trying to keep her promise, she kept pushing her needless concerns to the back of her mind. They knew they’d found them when giant, yellow brown-spotted necks carefully and artfully angling themselves to the hanging branches and leaves came into view. Even with the people blocking the display in front of them, Emily could still see the living skyscrapers and their complacent, calm looks that made them all the more majestic as they roamed their miniature habitat. “Whoa...that’s, really tall.” Emily didn’t really have anything intelligent to say, though that didn’t stop her from unloading her stream of consciousness. She looked up to Joyce who had the slight advantage. “Can you see if there are any more in there?” “That’s a good question...” Joyce answered, but was admittedly a little captivated by the larger than life creatures. She leaned forward the slightest bit on her toes. “Dad, can you see anything?” “Ah...let’s see...Yep! Think I do. See by that rock over there? There’s a little speck of yellow moving?” “Oh, you’re right!” Mary jumped in. “It must still be a baby, it’s so tiny! Well, tiny to the parents, I suppose.” The mere sight of its adorably frail and clumsy body made Joyce’s heart flutter. It reminded her so much of any newborn of any species; young, innocent, naive, and silly. “It’s so cute!” The other spectators seemed to agree, because it was apparently doing something that had everyone giving it ‘coos’ and ‘awws.’ Meanwhile, Emily managed to slip herself by a few people and politely excuse herself between the congestion to reach the high glass wall. Now that the other side was clear as day, she could understand what had everyone so captivated. On four shaky legs, a newborn struggled to support itself as it shakily scurried about. Whether it be the mother or father, it seemed to gravitate to either one as it looked to and fro, completely and amusingly oblivious to its surroundings and watchers. She couldn’t take her eyes off of it as her heart swayed and jumped with each suspenseful moment it looked as if the baby would fall over. At some point he was trying to hone in on a bush, and also at some point Emily decided in her head he was a ‘he’ He just managed his way over and helped himself to a few leaves, and Emily let out a small breath of relief. Where Mary, Joyce, and Frank were closer together, they were all soaking in the sight for a few moments longer. “Did you know their tongues are black?” Mary said, throwing in a little fun fact. “I suppose that would make sense,” Joyce thought for a second. “They’re mostly from Africa, so it’s because of the sun, right?” “Makes sense to me. And those things are miles long!” Frank seemingly awestruck said. “We should go on a safari sometime, hon...” “Maybe we should sometime. We’ll have to get the whole family to go,” Mary said, then with an increasingly alluding tone, looked to Joyce. Then she looked a little past her with a curious look. “Speaking of which, where did Emily go off to?” “Where? She’s right...” Joyce turned her head to where she expected her to be, but was a little dumbfounded when she wasn’t. It was against her better judgement, but an uncomfortable feeling gripped her. “Dad? Can you see her?” She was already moving from her spot, hoping she knew where to find her. All she saw were people that weren’t Emily, and further obstacles to her discovery. She could call her, but… “Emily?” Joyce already started to call her name out. “Emily? You out there?” “Emily? Hon, where’d ya go?” Frank in his much deeper, unintentionally commanding voice called, causing a few heads to turn. Emily suddenly heard her name twice over, and froze up a little over the sound of being called out. Did they really think she was lost? No, it wasn’t their fault. It felt more to Emily that she was lost. Though, after a few more seconds left to her own devices she found a devious idea lurking in the shadows of her head. Keeping close to the display glass, she walked along the side, reaching the outside edge of the crowd of spectators with a neverending smirk, anticipating the big reveal. “Emily?” Joyce tried to raise her voice, and there was an unmistakable tinge of shakiness to it. Why was she getting so worried? Emily, her partner, her girlfriend, was a fully fledged adult. She could take care of herself, so why was there that awkward sense of responsibility tethered to Joyce’s fears? “Have you tried calling her phone yet?” Mary suggested. “I’m gonna try right now...” She already had her phone in hand and was calling her. She tapped her foot impatiently. Couldn’t these things ring any faster? Emily could feel her phone vibrating in the pocket of her shorts, and she likely knew who it was. She felt unusually cruel doing this, though she was hoping the humorous factor would outweigh the panic she hoped there was little of right now. It went to voicemail, and her heart sank. “She didn’t pick up...” Joyce kept looking around. Was she playing a trick? For a joke, this annoyed her to no end. Then again, how could Emily know she was feeling this way? There were two different voices inside her head, fighting for emotional control, and one seemed to be much more passionate than the other. “Dad, please? Do you see anything?” Emily was thinking back to the kitchen as she slowly crept up behind a familiar back. Clad in her diaper, somehow Joyce knew she was coming and in fact got the jump on her. Something told her now though that the tables weren’t going to be turned at the last minute. With a smirk, and a slight opening to make her pounce, she leaped forward, shouting, “Boo!” A pair of arms wrapped around her waist as the sudden force from behind made her take a step forward. She easily undid the girl’s grip, then spun around to look at her. Emily, expecting a laugh and typical Joyce-like comment, instead found a distressed look on the verge of tears. “Where were you? I tried calling you!” Taken aback, Emily awkwardly said, “I thought it would be funny if...” It seems Joyce’s idea about the trick was right on the nose, and it bothered her to no end on a personal level that she herself couldn’t see it that way. “It wasn...” Joyce paused for a moment to rub her eyes and take a breath. “Just please, don’t do it again?” She could go on as to why it shook her so much, but her personal gripes didn’t matter nearly as much as Emily’s wellbeing. Emily, now looking remorseful, didn’t feel so worthy of physical affection nor a lighthearted laugh anymore. “Joyce, I didn’t mean...” Emily’s voice was thick. She wanted to think that she was following Joyce’s instructions from the car, but now it didn’t feel so much as a carefree attitude. She never considered that the idea of actually being gone might terrify her lover. Joyce was the first to initiate the hug, who more than either one was craving the physical affection. “I’m not mad, I promise. You just scared me a little, that’s all...” Feeling all the familiar parts of her beloved was a welcomed comfort. “Oh, you found her?” Mary found the pair hugging, and Frank soon followed after. “Where did you go, Emily?” “I needed to get a little closer to see the giraffes,” she sounded a little sheepish. “Sorry if you guys thought I was lost...” “I think you may have given our daughter a scare...” Frank said, noting the now calmer-looking Joyce. Emily looked a little lower to the ground. “I think I overreacted,” Joyce laughed it off, and Emily could feel the spear run through her chest from the mere sound of her words. She knew she was pretending now that her parents were here, and now there lay a problem that was swept under the rug, to which Emily sat at the root of. “But I’ve got her now.” Joyce’s arms wrapped around her shoulders, the kind of contact Emily didn’t feel so deserving of. Mary looked over to her husband. “How about we go see another pen? We’ve got a lot of ground to cover.” “Sounds good to me. You ever see a black bear before, Emily?” “No… Well, once, I think.” Much to everyone’s dismay by varying degrees, she sounded reserved again. “Not in the wild, I hope?” “No,” Emily forced a smile. “At a sanctuary.” Frank and Mary took the lead once more, and Emily was waiting for Joyce to let go of her hand, but she didn’t. “Joyce, I’m sorry about what I did… I wasn’t thinking that you might be scared.” “No, I’m the one in the wrong. I should’ve been clear with you from the start...” “About what?” “There’s just a lot of people here, that’s all...” Joyce seemed a bit nervous. “I don’t want us to get separated.” “...But, you know I’m not Emmy right now, right?” “...I do.” “So, then, don’t you think you’re being a little overprotective right now?” “I am, but...” “But why not trust me a little? Aren’t we equals?” “We are, but that doesn’t change how you’re vulnerable!” Her reasoning was sudden and came from the wrong place. “Then what about in the city? When you took me to get a phone? You didn’t feel the need to hold my hand constantly then?” “Wouldn’t you agree that things are different now?” Joyce knew better than to ramble off like this, but she wanted to make her point clean and clear. “You’re my responsibility, Emily, just as much as I am yours.” “Well I don’t think I need to hold your hand to make sure you don’t get lost, Joyce.” “Emily, please, I don’t want to argue, that's not what I mean...” “So do I have a point, then? Joyce, I know you’re telling me to be carefree, but I’m already getting treated like a child everywhere we go by every stranger we meet! Aren’t you supposed to be on my side?” She didn’t mean it, but the implication of betrayal cut deep into her partner. “Please? Just put a little faith in me?” Emily could feel her grip go limp and soon her hand was back by her own side. It was a victory, somewhat, but it didn’t feel like one. She looked at Joyce’s back, which felt incredibly cold now. Emily was right. Joyce should know better than to belittle her like that. Looking back on it, not once has she been there for her today. It’s been countless compromise after compromise, slowly inching towards a field out of Emily’s favor. She didn’t have a right to be angry or sad with Emily. She was able to leave their secret relationship behind closed doors, so why couldn’t Joyce? Even with that all in mind, it felt like she was severing a limb to let go of Emily’s hand. All those worries and fears she talked herself into from earlier were coming back in full swing. Totally unfounded, baseless, and likely untrue, yet loud and rambunctious nonetheless. She didn’t feel this terrible since the night of Emily’s recovery dinner. “J...Joyce?” Emily weakly called. Freedom had been achieved, but at what cost? “...I’m fine. I just need some time to think.” She didn’t sound fine, and it made Emily’s chest ache with a horrible throb. “Please, can we talk? I don’t want to leave it like this,” Emily sounded a bit desperate. More than anything she didn’t want to upset the one person who could accept and reciprocate her so wholeheartedly. She couldn’t bear the thought of screwing up the paradise she’d discovered in the ashes of misery and despair. How could the scales have tipped so quickly? Emily could already hear Frank and Mary’s voices ahead. There wouldn’t be time for discussion, and thus the sour mood would linger, and that was a thought she couldn’t stand. She ruined everything with her stupid and selfish ideas. Joyce had every right to be disappointed in her. She provides so much, so why couldn’t Emily give her a simple gesture as peace of mind? How inconsiderate could she be? She was an ungrateful backstabber. “Joyce, look at the size of this thing!” Frank called to her, stealing glances back through the glass. “It’s as big as me!” “I’m sure he has better humor than yours,” Mary jabbed. “Well, I don’t think I’d be able to bear the thought of that.” Mary sighed while her husband laughed at himself. Joyce smiled as she joined the duo. “Did you lose her again?” Mary smirked. “You ought to keep her on a leash, sweetie.” She felt cold hearing the words. Turning around, there was no fourth member on their way. She was gone.

Right-o! I'll be on it ASAP boss! Thanks for commenting! Hmm, I think I followed your advice a bit too well... Awesome to here! I think information can be important at times, but I'll try to do better with breaking it up in the future. Thanks a ton for the encouraging words, and though I may not fully understand what my "style" is, I think you might be on to something. There are certain things that I like to do in my writing that I hope doesn't reflect poorly, but is instead seen as a trait or characteristic of a certain author. Thanks for your comment! Don't worry, I tend to fall behind with my writing too. I don't know if I could have the patience to do this all over again, really. I mean, I probably do, but the payoff for a realistic build-up in their relationship is what I'm aiming for. Big moments like that only become reasonable once the characters have reached a point where it might even be somewhat plausible. Joyce is definitely a super Mommy, whether that be for better or worse. Who knows? And thank you for the like and comment! Roger! Trying to work on the next chapter when I can. And also, thank you for your patience about the whole "getting it right," bit. I don't want to write for this when I don't think I can do it justice, so I want to apologize how that can affect the posting date. That and IRL things. Thank you for your comment and the kind words! Even if Emily might not feel this way, letting it go to some degree is being the bigger person. That, and a convenient plot device. Something that's slowly being made clear is her overall image at the moment when compared to Joyce and her parents is one of a person younger than Emily's actual age. Through and through Joyce is her rock. She might take some teasing from someone close, but not from the everyday stranger. Thanks for commenting! Don't worry, can confirm that the story is not being dropped. I'm sorry for not putting out a status update. I think my biggest reason for not doing that is because when people do see that I post and it's not immediately followed by another chapter, there's likely disappointment. I can understand that you're a dedicated fan and I really appreciate your concern, so please continue to be patient with me as I go about getting a better schedule for this. So like always, thank you so so so so so much for commenting, and I hope you enjoy what I post next! And again, the story is not being dropped! It has not been dropped! Can confirm. Thank you for your concern, but I can guarantee you that I've not stopped writing the next chapter. It's just taking me a little longer than usual. Please be patient with me for a little longer! Thanks for reading!

First and foremost, I cannot express my gratitude enough for the support and enjoyment of this story. It means the world to me that so many of you have been commenting throughout, as well as plenty of new people dropping either a few or a lot of kind words. Again, I want to apologize for my timeliness, be it through postings or comments (though, I think I've gotten better with the posting part, at least for the last few chapters?). I can assure you I've read each and every comment, and I want to take the time to respond to all of them. So I will! Please continue to let me know what you think about my work, and I hope if I don't already, I'll have some other stuff you'll be interested in branching out to. Until the next chapter! (Which will hopefully be soon?) Hey! How have you been? Thanks for leaving a comment! As for what's realistic in this story, I wasn't sure if it was going to be too much of a stretch to pull a stunt like this? But given how Emily compares to Joyce, her parents, and once you factor in her outfit, it overall becomes an easy misunderstanding. In the future, there might be a deeper rabbit hole to go down? I'm not sure yet... Whipped cream is always a solid goto. Chocolate chips as well really take pancakes to an amazing extreme. Can't remember the last time I had them ? Joyce's parents we don't know too much about other than what we can observe firsthand. I'm still ironing out the last few details, but I think I've decided what's going to happen ultimately. Hopefully, you and everyone will be pleased with the result! Though already it seems a few things have slipped through the cracks... Awesome! Happy to hear from you! Hope you're looking forward to the next chapter! I'm sorry to hear that. I'll try and be more mindful down the road, and sometimes second-guess whether or not it's worth adding certain points here and there. I suppose to elaborate on my thought process a little, the dialogue, in particular, I try to make seem like a conversation. There may be seemingly useless bits, but I think it's important in terms of making the characters seem real if that makes sense. In regards to info dump, I imagine it as a sensory gap between what I see as the author and what the reader might see. I don't know if this kind of logic is correct, but I like the idea of conveying a vivid setting/sensation for the sake of better picturing the scene/characters. Maybe it's fair to call it more of a style? I'm not sure. If it was ABDL content you were looking for, I'm sorry it wasn't as explicit in this chapter, but I believe investing into other aspects of the story is what makes it better shine as a whole. Thanks for reading, and I appreciate the constructive criticism! Whoa, thank you for such high praise! Someone around a year ago mentioned the story being a "slow burn," which was said in a good sense, and I can't really disagree with them. I'm sure there's a way to do it faster, but I'm enjoying the slow construction of the characters, namely Emily and Joyce. I want to make both of their transitions/transformations at least somewhat believable, and even if we don't see it so much in Joyce, there's more to her character that I want to clarify as well. Emily gets a lot of the spotlight, but what I also want to include is more moments for Joyce. I consider them both protagonists and think the dynamic will be much more meaningful once it's clear as to where both of them came from, and how far they've come. Thank you for taking the time to get invested in my writing! I hope you continue to read, enjoy, and comment! Yeah, Emily's unexpectedly gotten the short end of the stick. Or has she? There'll be some more tension like that to follow, so Emily will probably be feeling the fire soon enough... She'll be fine though! Probably. Happy to hear your thoughts on the pacing! Positive notes are always nice to hear, and of course, I like to see them the most, but don't hesitate to be strict with me! Thanks for commenting! Thanks! ? Haha, any words are plenty appreciated! I'm glad you're enjoying it! I can't say I'm too good of a writer though... Personally, I can get jealous of certain pieces, as well as get jealous of my past self when I simply had a good tangent. "At The Office" is a good example. I really liked what came from that, and I guess I could only hope that I continue to be as consistent. Writing for this too often can admittedly make my mindset a tad bit more rigid, simply because I'm too busy thinking about what would work best for this story. Nevertheless, apart from "Sheltered," I want to write some other diverse stuff. Thanks for reading! ✋ Guilty. I did too. Yeah, Emily under normal circumstances probably wouldn't get treated like this, but it's definitely caused by being compared with her peers (Namely their height and clothes...). Sometimes hard ID is the only savior in that kind of situation. Maybe Emily might run into an issue like that in the future? Lol, that bad, huh? The kind of feeling I want to work on is in those moments when there's an obvious blunder/surprise with overwhelmingly dead silence. No one knows how to react, and everyone is shocked/stunned/surprised. That's how I imagined Emily's trip and fall with the suitcase. Nothing is certain, but I can definitely imagine Joyce's parents as the type to be killing with kindness, even when they don't realize it. As for what they will discover, I can't guarantee anything, but there may be a few misunderstandings/assumptions later down the road... I'm happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to comment! Please continue to let me know your thoughts because I love to hear them!

Yeah, Emily definitely needs to take a breather. It's gonna be a real toss and turn here and there, but that seems like the best conclusion to reach. Of course, there's no gain without a little pain. Joyce's parents is a huge milestone to her, so she feels a massive pressure to impress, which is why she's cracking right now. How things will end by the time they leave is a mystery, but all will be made clear eventually! Thanks for commenting, and I appreciate the kind words! Destruction! ? Thanks for the feedback! And yeah, Emily's definitely having a tough time trying to adjust. In the process of trying to make herself look good, she's definitely overcompensating, hence why there's so much struggle. This visit is likely going to focus on Emily getting used to things, and being more comfortable with herself and others. Mary may or may not be picking up on things, or gravitate to her own conclusions/tendencies. You'll have to wait and see, though! Hope you enjoy to continue reading! 20 - Starting the Day Stripes. The image of failure was burned into her mind, and the remnants of it still poisoned her eyes. It was probably as vivid of a memory for herself as it was for everyone else in the room. Clearly it was a group effort to continuously try and shift the spotlight off of her, and lord did she prefer it that way. Nevertheless, she managed time and time again to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in such a short span of time. She was probably breaking records and setting an unheard of streak. Even as she stood up she could feel her legs desperately trying to wade themselves through the thick, mucky atmosphere she was drowning herself in. She nearly snapped when she found herself unconsciously eyeing the back of her dress, as if it would’ve been pinned upwards again. If she thought she was embarrassed before, well, her face in other words would make a great alternative to a traditional stove right about now. If it didn’t look so childish, she wouldn’t have taken much issue with holding onto the bottom of her dress until the end of time. Beating herself in the back of the head, why didn’t she just go put some shorts on earlier? Alongside her anxiety, she was drowning in regrets right now too, but she knew what’s been done is done. All she could hope for was trying not to slip any further. “Frank, what did you do?” Mary accusingly looked over to the quiet man who was setting the fallen suitcase upright. “Well, I uh, I figured she could use a hand?” His intentions were obviously good, but the end result couldn’t be called the same… “And what good that did her… Emmy hon, are you sure you’re alright?” Casually, she put a hand on her shoulder. Still flustered, and definitely trying to avoid eye contact, she was too shaken to even correct her mom’s misuse of her name. Emmy was a special title, one that not only did she not want to don right now, but it was also a name exclusively reserved for Joyce. More so, Emily didn’t know whether her compassion made her simply feel cared for, or downright like a kid that needed consoling. “Mom? She’s fine, but you’re calling her Emmy again.” Joyce again had taken the liberty of being Emily’s voice. “Sorry about that,” she looked a bit sheepish as she apologized. “I think I already set myself up for a habit before we even got here...” Emily wanted to die when Joyce’s dad came closer and got on one knee, indirectly highlighting the monumental difference in height. “Sorry about that Emily, I thought I was helping. You sure you’re alright?” “...ye,” she paused to clear her throat, hoping to find some of that ‘gusto’ hidden in the cupboards. “Y-yes. I think I should have let you taken the bags from the start, though,” she tried to laugh it off, but the pressure didn’t seem to dissipate much. “Okay, come on,” Joyce clapped her hands together. “Let me show you guys your room? Dad, could you get all the bags please?” “Way ahead of ya,” with the duffle over his shoulder and the two suitcases in tow, he was the first to be following behind Joyce, meanwhile Mary and Emily shared the caboose. “And you’re sure you alright?” In a lowered voice, Mary looked over to Emily. “That tumble didn’t look too fun...” “Yes, I’m fine,” Emily tried to stay neutral as they followed behind. Suddenly a walk that would normally take Emily 10 seconds was starting to feel stretched to the point of 10 years. She could hear the slight ‘Oohs’ and ‘Ahhs’ from Mary as they passed by the living room. “Joyce, I love what you did with your living room!” From the front she called back. “Well, all I really knew was a big couch would probably be for the best, considering how big the room is. I can definitely say though that Emily gets quite a bit of mileage on it in our free time.” Mary simply laughed as she looked to Emily. “Is that so?” “Uhm, maybe sometimes...” Unlike Joyce, Emily wasn’t feeling so boastful about her lounging habits. Anything that could be perceived as ‘cute’ or ‘adorable’ when with Joyce felt like something totally different with her parents added to the equation. She wasn’t trying to be eye candy, she was trying to be Joyce’s girlfriend! So far, she wasn’t feeling that point was well-translated. It probably would have made more sense to start calling Joyce ‘Mom’ instead… “Whoa! Hon, check out the size of this bed!” Emily was finally left by herself just outside the hallway while Mary and Frank marveled at the sight Emily once did not so long ago. “Woow...” Both paced the room, and Mary gave the comforter a test feel as she then let out a sound of satisfaction when she sat on the mattress. “I don’t suppose we could start paying rent?” “Sorry, max capacity is two,” Joyce joked, holding up her two fingers, suddenly looking around for Emily. “Feel free to use the balcony if you want, and the dresser if empty for the both of you to use.” Her gaze kept drifting elsewhere, looking for something important. “Why don’t you two unpack first, then I can show you the rest of the place?” “Sounds good to me,” her dad answered for him and Mary, as he was somewhat gentle in setting the suitcases on the expensive fabric. “Careful! You’re gonna wrinkle it, or probably damage it!” “Relax hon, I made sure to clear the security deposit beforehand.” Joyce quietly excused herself with a giggle, letting the familial warmth drain from her a bit as she looked over to the pensive Emily hanging by the wall. “Hey, you alright?” quietly she asked, placing a hand on her shoulder, one that Emily actually didn’t mind. “No...” Emily spoke somberly. “It hasn’t even been fifteen minutes and I already screwed everything up!” It felt like her teeth were being pulled alongside her confession. “They probably think I’m some weirdo that wound up in your care...” “Come on, would you quit that?” Still quiet, Joyce sounded upbeat. “They do not think that. My dad’s that way with anybody new, and obviously my mom has practically fallen in love with you...” she said her last point with a bit of apprehension. “But what about what just...you know!” “Well...” Joyce didn’t have an easy answer for that one. “Trust me, I doubt they even care. And even if they did, I’m sure they’ll forget about it in no time.” Yeah right. How could you forget day one of meeting your daughter’s lover, and especially seeing them faceplant within 10 minutes of meeting you, and showing off her butt to everyone in the room? Emily chose not to speak on that part. She could only be thankful that Joyce wasn’t asking her about the bowing part. Maybe if her face burned enough she’d burn into ash? At least then she could be swept away... “Do you think you wanna crash in my room while I show them around? Maybe take a breather?” Obviously the respectful answer was ‘no,’ but she hated that her body was being much more honest; desperation at the mere sound of her suggestion. Her heart felt like it was going to burst from her chest, and she was one blunder away from committing total social suicide. “But I don’t...” “Go,” Joyce warmly smiled as she turned her to her room. “I’ll just tell them you needed to do something. Cheer up, okay? Today’s supposed to be fun!” It was, but Emily seemed to really be screwing that part up. She tried to calm herself, but an overwhelming sense of relief washed over her the more distance there was between the guest room and herself. The silence in Joyce’s room was beyond divine as she slowly closed the door behind her. Crawling onto the bed, she sat against the headboard, pulling her legs close. Why did she have to be like this? She had no issue with meeting strangers, but Joyce’s parents were obviously an exception. The added title intensified the gravity to it all, making it that much more detrimental. Thing would be so much worse if Emily were to somehow mess up, which she did. Because there was pressure, so was there the worry of failure, making her that much more prone to suffer from so. So why couldn’t she just see them as normal people? Why? She rested her head on a pillow, trying to collect herself. Meanwhile, Joyce made small talk with her parents as they unpacked. “Wait, where did Emm-ily go?” Mary was the first to ask as she carried a bundle to the dresser. “You really need to stop doing that.” “Like I said, it’s a habit!” Mary defensively spoke, as Joyce watched her dad sort a pile of shirts. “She, uhm, needed to call her parents. She didn’t talk to them yesterday.” “What difference would today or yesterday make? Not that it really matters,” Mary once more carried the conversation, as Frank seemed content to carry on with himself for the time being. “Oh, I mean, yesterday we celebrated her birthday.” And now that she thought about it, why didn’t Emily talk to her parents last night? “You did what?” There was a sense of graveness in her mother’s voice, enough to make Joyce feel a little awkward. “You mean to tell me that yesterday was her birthday?” “...Yes?” “Frank!” Mary turned her complaints to her innocent husband, who looked just as surprised as Joyce to be dragged into the conversation. “I told you we should have come sooner!” “Mom,” Joyce was the first to defend her dad. “Even if you wanted to, I don’t even think that would’ve been possible. And besides, you didn’t even know it was her birthday!” “Clearly it must have been intuition,” Mary sufficed, checking a few more drawers. “And don’t think just because it’s the next day that we aren’t gonna do something for her,” she warned. Just before Joyce could shut down that idea immediately, a voice cut her off. “Is she doing alright, by the way?” Frank finally spoke, and then the unspoken mood was brought into the open. Her dad seemed himself, but her mom didn’t look as firey anymore. She always got like that when someone’s feelings were involved. “She’ll be fine,” Joyce tried to give her best fake smile. She knew she would, but that didn’t change how she felt right now. Unfortunately, only time seemed to be the most effective solution here. She’d simply have to learn that her parents were just like anyone else… “But I mean, I can’t imagine I’d be feeling too great right now either if I were her.” “She meant well though...” Mary added. “She did, and I told her that you guys were going to love her.” “Of course!” her mom nearly shouted, looking almost offended as if that weren’t a given. “It’s only been a little bit, but she’s adorable!” “She seems nice,” Frank added. “I can’t say your mom has told me too much about her though.” Joyce was going to curb the cutesy descriptions her mom kept using, but was caught by the tide of a shifting conversation. “Really? You never told dad anything?” “I told him her name…and how she likes sleeping?” “Oh my god. You told him nothing,” Joyce was one second away from laughing, and her mom was trying to keep herself composed. Frank looked amused, but saved her wife from total embarrassment. “Well, I think I’ll be able to get to know her a lot better than what a middle man could tell me. You included, hon,” he pat his wife on the shoulder. “Right, I think so too,” making good use of her fallback, Mary seemed confident once again. “By the time we go out for brunch I think we’ll all be ready for a fresh start.” “Brunch?” Joyce asked. “What? Did you really think airplane food was going to tide us over?” Mary looked a little surprised by her daughter’s confusion, and Frank didn’t seem to be disagreeing with his wife’s sentiment either. “You know the airplanes don’t exactly give gourmet food...” Frank added, obviously qualified to make such a statement. “No,” Joyce sighed. “They don’t.” “It’s settled then,” Mary finally set aside the last of her clothes, and Frank had finished earlier. “After we finish up here, let’s go grab a bite to eat. What are you in the mood for?” “Me?” Joyce shrugged. “I suppose I could eat anything right about now. Dad?” “Maybe breakfast more than lunch, but I’m as flexible right now as anyone else.” “So maybe breakfast? That doesn’t narrow things too much...” “How about we have Emily decide?” Mary suggested. Joyce could already imagine Emily’s distaste for the spotlight, but picking a place to eat couldn’t be too bad for her, right? “Okay. Once she wraps up with her parents on the phone we can ask her. In the meantime, I can show you guys the rest of the apartment.” With Joyce leading the line, they all crowded into the hallway. “There’s nothing too crazy here, but it’s alright.” “Honey, I think you’ve forgotten what it’s like to live a normal life...” Frank passively spoke as he gave the massive guest room one last glance. “You know living in a home one step away from a penthouse isn’t considered ‘not too crazy,’ right?” It’s obvious Joyce’s tastes had been ruined by a life of self-made luxury, but the warp had been so gradual, even she knew she was losing her grip on the more subtle things. And maybe even major, considering her parents didn’t find this so subtle either… “I thought about a penthouse, but that would’ve been too much for little old me,” she jokingly explained while walking down the hall. “You’ve got Emily now, though? Granted, I think this would still be more than enough...” Mary admired a painting along the brief stroll. “What does she do for work by the way?” “She could probably explain it better than I ever could, but she works in real estate.” “Oh? Is she selling actual homes? What company is it?” “Luxury Estate, and no, from how I understand it she’s working a desk job.” Her heart started to waver just thinking about the turmoil at her workplace. Hopefully it would sort itself soon… “This is the first room in the house,” Joyce fully opened the partly closed doorway. “My office.” “Two monitors?” “One for business and the other for whatever,” Joyce took a moment to fix the blinds. “I like to keep the lives separate, you know?” “Couldn’t tell ya,” Frank chuckled, “haven’t worked in years!” Her dad’s simple humor had her laughing again, while her mom admired the decor, and wondered whether it was the 100th or 101st time he’d used that joke before. Such are the woes of a lengthy and healthy marriage… “You definitely get your sense of humor from your dad.” “Oh? And is that a bad thing?” She corralled them out of the room and onto the next. “Yeah, what’s so bad about my jokes? You love hearing them!” “There’s a difference between funny and living with a record stuck on repeat,” she playfully jabbed. “Well get used to it, I’m sure we’ve got at least another good 10 years together!” “Keep that up and I’ll make it 5.” “Mom, dad?” Joyce looked at the two, clearly uncomfortable over the topic of inevitable demise. “Would you mind sounding a little more cheerful?” Her dad sighed, looking to his wife. “Young people, am I right?” Her mom mimicked his same reaction. “Something they’ll never understand...” “Well, not never.” “True.” “Stop, stop, stop!” Both parents shared a chuckle while the troubled Joyce opened up the bathroom, revealing it and all its shiny, tiled splendor to the pair. Still annoyed by the recent discussion, Joyce’s sour mood overlooked the genuine beauty of her most prized room. “This is the bathroom… Feel free to use it as you please.” “Wow,” and there would definitely be many more ‘wows’ to come, yet Frank went on, “Joyce, I know you keep downplaying this all, but you really can’t think this is something spectacular, can you?” “You remember my last apartment, right?” Joyce shrugged. “It can’t be too different from this one.” “I’d disagree,” her mom took a moment to observe the ceiling showerhead panel. “This one has to be at least twice as big! I bet you two like to spend some time in here, huh?” “Mom! Would you mind being a little more discrete?” She could already imagine Emily being petrified if she were to hear this kind of stuff. She was thankful Emily listened to her request to go and cool down, but now she was really glad she did. “Still, I don’t suppose we could come up with a few excuses to use this twice a day?” Especially for Joyce’s mom, she looked to be in a wonderland right about now. “I know our master bathroom back in California is nice, but this is… And look! You have so many shelves!” Fussing over the simple, yet elegant things, she admired the endless stock of towels and amenities. “I was almost afraid your mirror wouldn’t be tall enough for me!” Frank with his booming voice joked as the mirror in front of the sink stretched from the bottom well-near to the ceiling. A long strip of light hidden by the wooden trim along the cabinets shined over the mirror’s indent. “Well I knew I’d need to account for your height when I was house shopping,” Joyce explained in a serious tone. “I swear dad, sometimes I feel like you’ve grown an inch or two every now and then.” She briefly remembered seeing his comparison to Emily. Honestly she did look a little younger than her actual age standing next to him… The more she thought about it, making a judgement when comparing polar opposites didn’t seem too accurate… Emily was already a little small compared to Joyce. She could only imagine how much of a titan her dad was to her. “Let me know when the tour is done so I can move my bags in here for the rest of our stay,” her mom almost sounded disappointed as they left probably her personal highlight of the entire venture. “How about that room there?” Frank pointed to the one that Joyce intentionally skipped. The one locked for obvious reasons. Reasons only obvious to she and Emily, of course. “Oh, don’t mind that one,” Joyce played it off casually. “Just a room I use for storage.” “And what would you have for storage?” her mom asked, sending a small chill up Joyce’s spine. “I mean, what with all this space you have everywhere else in the house, might as well free up another room if it means a little more housekeeping.” She nearly let out a breath of relief. “Quite the opposite. If for the price of one room means I can keep everywhere else spotless? That’s a fair deal to me. I know you guys got to see a glimpse of it, but just to say we did go through it, here’s the living room.” “Now here’s where she takes after you, hon,” Frank nudged Mary. “I think I’d probably never get up again if I slept on that thing.” “Big, soft cushions are the best, obviously.” Mary pressed her hand into the abundant cloud confined to a case with immeasurable satisfaction. “I always love visiting you, Joyce! It’s always fun to see how you’ve outdone yourself! Oh, wait! And who’s this little cutie pie?” Joyce looked over to the item in question, and suddenly grew wide-eyed at what it was. How? After everything they’d done; combing the entire place with a fine-toothed comb, counting every grain in the Sahara, and accounting for every speck of matter?! She tried her best to stay strong as she watched her mom fawn over another squishy friend. The third member of the family. Pip. “What’s this fella supposed to be?” She looked as happy as the smile on its ovular body, giving it a few squeezes. “I didn’t know you liked stuffed animals?” “It’s not mine, it’s-” Her speech froze when she realized just how big of a mistake she’d made. Instead of thinking about Emily’s sake, she considered her own first, not even considering whether or not she’d throw her beloved under the bus. What the hell was she thinking?! “N-no, I mean, it is mine. I thought it looked cute, so I...bought it.” Yeah, real convincing. Her mom seemed no less happy, but looked a little hurt. “Honey, you know you don’t have to keep secrets around us, right? “What?” She really didn’t know what, or at least she wanted to pretend not to. “What do you mean?” “I think it’s adorable Emily has a stuffed animal!” She gave Pip another hug. “I bet she looks darling with it!” “No, but it’s not...” Joyce tried to explain, but her words were failing her because deep down she knew they wouldn’t work. The only thing she could take solace in was how it wasn’t a total reveal of the truth. Still, she was supposed to be protecting Emily! Not painting an image of her she didn’t want to show! “Just...just don’t say anything about it?” She looked to be a meager request away from full-on begging. “Please? She’s sensitive about that stuff...” Maybe it was worth confiding in her mom at least a little. “I meant to hide that before you guys got here...” She’d need to give Pip a stern talking to later tonight… “Joyce, there’s nothing wrong if she has something like this. This is your home. Even if I did care, which I don’t,” she looked fondly on the lifeless smile. “Who are we to judge? And don’t worry, I promise not to say anything.” She set Pip back down where she found him, looking back over. “Wait, where’s your dad?” Thankfully Joyce didn’t feel the need to say anymore, as she spun her head around, looking for the mysteriously vanished giant. It only took her a moment to chuckle as she knew exactly where he was. “I think he’s in the last room I planned to show. The pièce de résistance, or his personal one, at least.” “The kitchen?” “Did you even have to ask?” They walked in to find him exactly where they expected him to be: in the kitchen observing all the spices, appliances, utensils, fridge space, ingredients, and even the countertops. Currently he was fixed on the sink. He could already tell they were behind him though, when he already started his questions. “Joyce! How were you able to find a sink this wide?” Indeed, it went beyond the standard, being nearly as wide as a restaurant grade one, but with the depth of a homeowner’s one. “That one had to be custom made.” She could still remember having the space measured for a cut. “But after working under you and at the restaurant, there’s no way I was gonna go back to a regular kitchen sink!” Before Emily, she didn’t even cook too often, but that still didn’t mean she didn’t have certain wants in a kitchen. “Good on ya, too.” He looked to Mary with a serious look, pointing to the sink. “This, hon, is how we know our daughter’s made it.” Mary rolled her eyes. “Typical chef.” “I don’t suppose your guy can do a job across the country?” “I can find out?” “Haven’t we remodeled the kitchen enough?” Clearly her mom didn’t share the same enthusiasm. In the end though what happened didn’t totally affect her, considering the kitchen back home was practically her husband’s 3rd child. Suddenly the shoe was on the other foot, when Joyce leaned into her father. “Non-chefs, am I right?” “Some things they’ll never understand...” “Anyways,” Mary curtly interjected, “I’m sure you two are happy to be in the same kitchen again?” “Naturally. Just because she flew the coop doesn’t mean I taught her all my tricks,” he pat Joyce on the head. “Well I’ll have you know I’ve been managing just fine.” She smugly took a moment to admire her small paradise. “Just because you’re not a master doesn’t mean you’re not good, and the best feeling is when you have someone to cook for,” he warmly added, striking an obvious chord with Joyce. Helplessly smiling, Joyce agreed, not noticing her mom’s happy look from the kitchen table. “I’d really like to see the ins and outs of this spot of the house, but something tells me your mom isn’t going to wait that long...” “You’d be correct.” “I’ll go and see if Emily’s finished up yet,” Joyce excused herself, stopping along the way to pick up Pip. “Maybe you’re the reason why she was such a troublemaker last night...” she tutted in a lowered voice, walking up to her door. She lightly knocked. “Emily? You in there? It’s Joyce.” “Mhm. You can come in.” She opened the door, looking relieved to see Emily was still in one piece, though obviously snuggled up on her bed. It hurt beyond words to see her so distraught, but clearly the distance and isolation had done her some good. Though, she suddenly looked stricken with a new wave of fear once she saw Pip. “W-wait, what was he doing out there?” She looked to Pip, and back to Joyce. “They didn’t find out, did they?” Whatever time she spent calming the flames inside of her, they seemed to be roaring just as much again, if not worse. “No, no, no, I promise they didn’t.” God, even lying felt worse. “But something tells me even if they did, my mom probably wouldn’t be as negative as you think...” Emily didn’t seem any more at ease. “I managed to find this little sucker before they could. Think we can keep him safe here?” She handed him over to Emily, who nearly gave it a squeeze of her own before setting it down. “Did they ask where I was?” “They did, but I told them you needed to call your parents because of yesterday.” “What? What happened yesterday?” How could Joyce be writing her a story without her even knowing it? “Your birthday?” “Oh.” Clearly one she already forgot. “They were talking about going out to eat right now.” She gave Emily’s hand a squeeze. “Feeling up to it?” Some distance did wonders for her nerves, but she knew she couldn’t run forever. After all, she at least seemed to have a slightly positive moment with Joyce’s dad, even if it was at the expense of Joyce’s feud with her mom… She nodded her head. “Perfect. Wanna head back out with me?” “Sure.” Sliding off the bed, Emily followed Joyce to the exit, then quickly stopped herself. “What’s wrong?” Joyce watched as Emily fished through the drawers, finding exactly what she was looking for. Sliding a pair of denim shorts up and underneath her dress, she lifted the front slightly to ensure the button and zipper were in place. “Something I should have done this morning...” She finished her work, and the dress came back down, giving no indication that her clothing had changed. “How do I look?” “Like your adorable self.” “I don’t wanna be adorable, though...” “Then you’re my beautiful baby?” “Joyce!” Emily spoke with a sense of urgency, suddenly wondering just how close her parents were. She held up her hands, showing off their emptiness. “Sorry, but it’s one or the other!” Emily was the first to take the lead, and Joyce amusedly watched her walk down the hall, happy to see she was back out of her shell. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be with you guys the whole time,” Emily apologized as she found them in the kitchen. “I had to speak with my parents.” “No problem, we only cried for the first few minutes,” Frank smiled, and Mary then stared daggers at him. “Hon, I’m sure she knows what a joke is.” “Didn’t Joyce just get finished...” her disapproving voice trailed as Emily’s slow but growing laugh filled the room. A pleasant warmth was finally introduced into the atmosphere; one that only knew how be itself around Joyce. “So Joyce told me we’re going out to eat?” “I think I can speak for the both of us when I say we’re starved. Airplanes know how to keep their customers alive just long enough so that they die of starvation only after they unboard.” “Honestly,” Mary agreed. “Eight hours and we only get a small meal, tiny breakfast and a pack of peanuts? Half the bill came from Frank’s list of drinks!” “Then tell them to get bigger cups!” Emily kept laughing, and was briefly surprised by the touch of Joyce behind her, but was no less cheerful. “Only thing is we’re not locals around here, Em,” Frank said. “Think you know of a place where we can get a bite?” With all eyes on her, she became slightly meek again. “Uhm, well, what were you in the mood for?” Frank looked to Mary, then Joyce. “I think breakfast is the better option,” he concluded after taking a visual survey. “Sound good to you?” “Yeah, of course!” Emily felt herself rushing along her words, but tried not to be too critical of herself. That’s how her bottom fell under the spotlight, after all. “Then what’re we waiting for? All this talk about food’s really gonna be the end of me if we don’t get something soon,” standing up from her chair, Mary was already moving to the exit. “I’d bring a jacket, by the way!” Joyce called after her. “The restaurants aren’t always temperature friendly!” “Frank? Would you mind?” Mary called back. “Do you want the purple, black, or red one?” He was already moving from his spot. “What do you mean? I only brought the red one?” “Whatever you say!” On his way out, he silently turned to Emily and Joyce, mouthing a ‘no’ with his lips, and holding up three fingers. He seemed a bit more perky once Emily was once again a sucker for simple humor. An arm around Emily’s shoulder gave her arm a brief rub. Emily watched as Frank disappeared around the corner. “I better go get my jacket too… Which one do you want? Emily waited for an answer. “Doesn’t matter, really. Just grab one you think that’ll make me look pretty?” “So any of them?” “I knew we started dating for a reason!” A grin lasted Emily the whole way to Joyce’s room--their room, actually, and she sifted through Joyce’s massive, yet fully stocked closet for something suitable. She already had a black one for herself, and figured that’d be the best for Joyce as well. What didn’t work with black? Last time she checked her phone though, today was supposed to be nice and sunny, so hopefully the restaurant didn’t try to counter the weather too harshly… “Thank you very much, my sweet!” Joyce took her jacket from Emily, as well as hers too. “I can carry my own jacket?” She was suddenly a little nervous with Joyce’s mom nearby. She didn’t want to make a scene… “Oh? Are you sure? I figured it’d be easier if I just took both of them.” “Uhm, alright then.” Emily didn’t want to poke the bear too much, and resigned herself to putting on her shoes. Though, she silently reacted to a new pair that were suddenly sitting for her. Instead of the Converse she’d gotten used to for casual wear, a pair of strap sandals were waiting for her. They oddly looked like they would complement her current wear… How far did this woman plan ahead? Joyce was always about gambles, and sometimes Emily found it strange how she always managed to win. Then again, she was the House. She would never admit it out loud, but it truly did make Emily a little happier to have the extra inch to her stature, but then she unfortunately remembered that so did everyone else not walking barefoot, negating any sort of advantage she thought she had to begin with. The two other females had a purse slung over their shoulder, and Frank likely had everything he’d ever need in his two pockets. There wasn’t much trouble fitting everyone into the elevator as they moved down to the sublevel garage. “So are you still driving the Cadillac?” “Why would I stop?” “Fair point. But I figured you might upgrade at some point.” “I’m not too big on cars, I guess. If it looks nice and feels nice, I really can’t complain.” Mary turned next to Emily. “Really, I can’t understand how she does it.” “Isn’t she your daughter, though?” Emily smirked. “Very true, but sometimes I feel the same about my husband and her brother! Regardless, if it weren’t for the parking garage here, having a vehicle here must cost a small fortune.” “I’ll say. Back where I was before having a vehicle was too difficult to manage, and given that it’s relatively easy to move around I don’t worry about it so much.” Everything seemed to be all well and good until the last part. “Joyce, you make sure she gets around safely, right?” “Yes, I make sure it’s all taken care of.” “W-well, I mean,” Emily slightly stammered, a little surprised that her personal safety fell into question. “I’m not exactly new to the city life? I can get around pretty easily?” Was her independence really being questioned? “The city’s a big place, that’s all,” Mary explained. “And well...” As she looked to Emily, it was clear she was trying to be delicate with her answer. Parent or not, Emily had enough foresight to tell what she was getting at, and she didn’t like it. Maybe on some level because she was a girl, Emily understood, but so was Joyce. Therefore, it was clearly her size that made her vulnerable… She tried not to seem too embarrassed. Thankfully Frank jumped in to diffuse the potential tension and embarrassment. “Still, it really is great having some personal transportation around here. I know I’d be thankful to have a car. That must be a nice perk, right?” He looked to Emily. She supposed that she should be thankful for his kind gesture. “Mmm. I think you’re right.” “Though, you always start to doze off during car rides...” Joyce quietly added from behind. “What? Do not!” “Whatever you say~” As if she needed to clear up the misunderstanding, Emily looking to each parent tried to disprove what was likely fact. “I swear, she doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Your daughter gets these crazy ideas sometimes!” Everyone in the moving box started to laugh over Emily’s panicked retreat, and somehow she felt as if the crowd swayed in the exact opposite direction she wanted. There wasn’t any time left to fix things though, as a mild ‘ding’ announced the parting of the doors. The walk to her car was brief, and the slight beep and flash from the tail lights identified the magnificent car as her own. “Okay, who’s sitting where?” “How about you and dad in the front, and me and Emily in the back?” Mary suggested. “If we’re being honest here, I think your dad and Emily make a good combo in terms of sharing leg space.” Another jab to Emily’s pride, and yet again another hard truth. She really didn’t need all that much leg room… There wasn’t much negotiation before they crowded into the vehicle. Joyce was in the driver’s seat, and beside her was Frank. Emily sat behind him, and Mary behind Joyce. “Seatbelts on, everyone?” Joyce asked while checking her rearview. “So where are we really going, though?” Emily asked. She knew she was told to pick a place, but it seemed like Joyce already had a destination in mind. Joyce spoke as she pulled out of the space. “Dawn’s Diner I heard is pretty good. I’ve only stopped by for coffee every once in a while, though.” “Nothing like a new restaurant for an adventure,” Joyce’s dad chuckled. “Actually, Frank and Mary,” it felt a little weird using their names for the first time, “Aren’t you two tired at all?” Mary briefly looked to Frank as if to get a mutual read. “I think we both got a good amount of sleep on the plane. Trust me, if we’re ready to turn in early, we’re gonna do so. But at least for today we wanted to maybe overexert ourselves just a little so we can all spend a full day together.” “Really? I mean, I’m sure Joyce wouldn’t mind either if you wanted to sleep?” Joyce smiled, knowing full-well how her mother would answer. “That’s very thoughtful of you, but we’d much rather spend the day with you guys. I’ve been waiting a while to meet you, you know?” Her sudden forwardness had Emily a little skittish. “Trying to get rid of us so soon?” “No! I didn’t mean it like that,” Emily tried her best to explain, completely oblivious to the joke. “I’m only teasing. If we can go to bed at our usual time, then our sleep schedules should be safe. And also, I love your outfit by the way!” A tinge of fawning could be heard in her voice as Emily suddenly went back to her self-conscious mood. Still, she could probably consider herself lucky that she wasn’t called ‘cute’ for once, even if Mary probably was thinking it. “So you said you haven’t been here your whole life?” Mary was the first to make small talk. “No, I’ve been in Washington for most of it. Portland.” “You never told me Portland before?” At the set of lights Joyce had a chance to turn her head back. “Well I mean, it was only in the suburbs, so I guess there isn’t much to talk about?” “What do you mean by most?” Frank kept the ball rolling. “Was there a third place?” “Uh, I guess you could say so? Really early on I was in Japan. I was born there.” “So you were born there? What’s it like there?” “I was really young, so I don’t remember a lot...” Emily tried to blow some dust off her oldest memories. “It was really crowded when we went to the city, I think. It was also cleaner, too?” That last part was sort of a speculation. She just didn’t remember a lot of pollution in the past. That, and going off of what her relatives told her. “So do you think you prefer it here than in Washington?” A brief moment went by. “Ah! Wait, that’s excluding Joyce though,” Mary stretched out an arm as if to block the visual from reaching her thoughts. Helpless, Emily smiled as she tried to consider all the other benefits. “I mean, from the start distance was a huge thing for me… I haven’t been on my own out here for too long.” And here we are, being taken care of again. “But, as for New York, I really like all the different things going on, I guess. There’s a constant variety of stuff to lose yourself in and lots of people to meet. Also, it’s not the suburbs.” “I think that’s a good way to put it,” Joyce chimed in. “What about you guys? Have you always lived in California?” “Just about. My husband and I were both born and raised there. Nothing too special about it!” “That’s not true. I think you’ve just gotten used to living there?” “Maybe you’re onto something?” Frank added, causing a small wave of random laughter. “How about your parents? Are they still in Portland?” “Yeah, last time I checked,” her voice came of a little plainly. “My dad used to be in the service, and my mom runs a salon.” “Oooh,” Mary continued on with her fascination. Joyce was curious to listen too. “Do you have any siblings?” “Nope. Just an only child. I think the closest I ever got was with a few cousins,” she laughed it off, hoping she didn’t sound like she was fishing for sympathy. “Well...” Mary silently looked to the person sitting in front of her, and Joyce could practically feel her stare. “Believe me when I say that having two kids isn’t all sunshine and roses. Remember when you and John used to fight all the time?” The last bit she steered towards Joyce. “Kind of, I guess,” Joyce didn’t think too fondly of looking back on the worst childhood memories. “We had our good moments, though.” “Few and far between,” her dad chuckled. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Joyce sounded to be a mix of genuine offense and tease. “You two were like cats and dogs!” Mary finished for her husband. “I remember you two were fighting over something, and one of your dolls wound up cracking our tv screen!” Frank sighed over the painful reminiscence. “That wasn’t a fun day...” “No, it wasn’t,” Joyce agreed, already feeling the jagged memories cloud her mind. “Besides, he’s the one who threw a ball at me!” Joyce already started to ramble off, as if the altercation was just as fresh in everyone else’s minds as it was in hers. “Whatever did happen,” Mary quickly dismissed Joyce’s unfinished business, “You two definitely mellowed out when you both got older.” “Yeah, because we could learn to live with each other without needing to break something in the process...” “Fair point, but you guys did have your good moments.” “Plenty of ups and downs.” It felt a little weird to ask, considering it might be considered disrespectful to John, but Emily asked anyways. “Joyce, did you ever wish you could be an only child?” Everyone was quiet. Did she mess up? God! Why did she have to ask something so weird? Though, it turns out it was all in her head, because Joyce simply needed a moment to answer. “There were definitely days where I could probably kill my little brother,” already a few days popped into her mind. “And a few days where he’d probably do the same to me. But no, I’ll always love my brother, and now that we’re adults I can actually stand being around him!” How she spoke on the last bit with enthusiasm had everyone chuckling. “I kinda wish I knew what it was like...” Emily had an idea, going off of the cousins bit, but never had she ever spent a greater deal of her life, 24/7 under a roof with someone other than her two parents. “Hang on now,” Joyce playfully warned. “I said it was nice, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t its bad parts either. Definitely a tradeoff. There’s stuff I envy about growing up as an only child too.” “What do you mean?” Mary asked. “We gave both of you plenty of attention!” “You did, but of course it felt like you guys were taking sides at times.” “We were perfectly fair!” “So not true,” Joyce seemed to be headstrong. “You always took John’s side because he was younger! Admit it!” “Maybe because he was a little younger, he got a bit more leeway, but that doesn’t mean I believed you any less!” “Okay,” Joyce answered, still unconvinced. “But I mean, that’s not a totally bad thing. I was Dad’s favorite after all!” “Ah, well,” Frank in a dumbstruck stupor tried to interject, but it was obvious he couldn’t get his bearings. “I loved you both just the same!” “I don’t disagree with that,” Joyce said plainly, then had a mischievous smirk on her face. “But I was your favorite.” “Hon, you always did have a soft spot for Joyce...” “Well, maybe a little, but that’s only because you had one for John,” Frank said, quickly turning the tables. “Oh don’t you start getting on my case now, too! Can you believe this man?” Mary turned over to Emily, who was trying not to laugh at their mini argument. “Relax, relax!” Joyce commanded, halting the verbal tensions if for only a moment. “We all have favorites, but we all know that we love each other equally. I shouldn’t have even kept the ball rolling to begin with. Can we talk about something else?” Silence lingered, only until Emily spoke up. “So what does John do?” “John is an electrician. He’s been working for a few years at his current company right now.” “Where does he live?” “California. Same as us.” “Nearby?” “Maybe an hour long drive to get to him, but definitely manageable. Why?” Mary started to look enthusiastic. “Think you might be down for the next visit?” “Uhm...well...” Unsure of how to respond, Emily clearly started to lose her voice. Before Joyce could reel her mom back in, thankfully she kept herself in check. “Don’t worry about it, I know you two are still breaking each other in. Make sure the relationship works out before all the other stuff surrounding it.” Though, her face didn’t really seem to have any doubts about their future, and Emily couldn’t see much either… “Okay kids, we’ve arrived!” Joyce announced as they pulled into a small lot. “Thank goodness. I almost thought I’d have to eat Emily if I got too peckish back here!” Emily blushed a little as she looked out the window, rather than the doting mother. “Thanks for putting up with me back there,” Frank said to Emily as he undid his seatbelt. “I know it isn’t a lot of legroom with me involved.” “No! It’s fine, really,” Emily assured, as well as note that Mary’s thought process did work out pretty well. Frank then in a hushed voice, but still clearly audible to everyone else, “And also, thanks for putting up with my wife back there, too!” “Keep this up and you’re sleeping on the couch.” “Did you feel how soft that thing was?” Mary tried to seem stern, but they both started laughing. “Come on, chop, chop,” Joyce clapped her hands. “We’re burning daylight here!” In a few moments everyone was out of the car and walking to the diner’s entrance. The exterior looked like one of those old fashioned ones; single-story with a curved roof colored in a deep blue. The restaurant’s sign was done in neon and had a classic font to it. As soon as they stepped inside the distinct smells and flavors of any breakfast in existence wafted through their nostrils. Coffee and bacon grease were what they could smell first, and the endless clinks of silverware against plates filled the diner. Behind the receptionist there was a classic looking countertop surrounding the centerpiece of the restaurant, which was the kitchen. Stools with bright red cushions protruding from them surrounded it, as a handful of people occupied its seats, and a good deal of people at the tables and booths. “Hi, how can I help you?” The receptionist behind her wooden stand was already waiting for them. “Hi,” Joyce started. “Could we get a booth for four of us?” She took a moment to press a few things in her console. “Sure thing!” She leaned her head to scan the party of four briefly. Grabbing a few menus and bundles of eatery, she escorted them down the aisle. Emily always hated this part. In especially a busy restaurant, the walk to your seat was always the worst. Filled with temptations and alluring sights and smells, it was a stroll that tortured your tastebuds with the things you did not have and would need to wait until the ends of time for. One couple had their coffee, eggs, bacon and toast. Another was eating grits and scrambled eggs. Hash browns! Syrup! Jam! Bagels! Emily had half a mind to plug her nose because she was near-mouth-watering at that point. She wanted to eat badly. Clearly she’d forgotten how hungry she was, because only when she saw what she didn’t have was when she really wanted it the most. Their destination was a sizeable booth, and before anything could be done on Mary’s part, both Joyce and Frank had the unspoken understanding of what needed to be done. “Emily why don’t you slide in first? I’ll be right next to you.” “Hon, I’ll hop in first if you don’t mind.” Frank was already sliding in. The way they were arranged had Emily in the deep part of the booth, with Joyce right next to her, and across from Emily was Frank. That meant diagonal to her was Mary. “Alright, here you guys go...” The woman started passing out menus and bundles of forks and knives. “And whoops! Almost forgot,” she chuckled apologetically, then reaching into a pocket on her front apron, she placed a small box close to Emily. “Someone will be over soon to take your order for drinks. Enjoy!” She walked away, while everyone quickly figured out what was given to Emily. “You have to be kidding me.” Emily by no means looked amused. “Well,” Joyce sounded sympathetic. “Maybe it’s because you looked shorter compared to us three?” “That doesn’t make me feel any better!” Emily complained, annoyed not at Joyce, but the situation. She held up the box for a brief second, then dropped it from the few inches it was suspended from the table. “Crayons? Really? Did I look that much like a kid to them?” This had never happened to her before! What could have swayed that woman’s mind? Was it her clothes? Did she look small compared to Joyce, Frank, and Mary? Why even bother asking? She knew it was true… She looked down at her yellow sundress, finding one more reason to hate it now. “Can we send these back, please?” Emily gestured to the crayons. “We can, but I mean there’s no harm in keeping them around?” Joyce said, trying not to make it seem like a big deal. Emily trying to cheer herself up went back to the menu, only to be equally as disappointed. “Joyce...” Emily nudged over to her. “What’s up?” She looked over from her much more adult menu. “They gave me a kids menu...” Emily looked clearly annoyed, and Joyce tried not to see the humorous irony in it all. Of course she would never tease Emily to a point where she hurt her feelings, but that’s why this was somewhat funny. Still, it probably didn’t feel too amazing on Emily’s part. It was pretty clear by this point what that woman thought about Emily’s age from a simple glance. “Wanna look at my menu?” “I kinda want my own.” “I’m sure they won’t mind if we ask for another?” Mary spoke up, quickly reminding Emily of who else was watching. Sympathetic to her plights, but also wanting to give her some immediate relief, Joyce leaned a little closer as they both looked through her menu. “What looks good?” Emily asked, still needing to catch up on the more adult selection. “Simple stuff, I guess. Other things sound pretty interesting too. Sometimes I wish they’d give these menus displays like they do for the kids menu.” Whether she agreed or not, Emily didn’t want a reminder of the waitress’ blunder, and kept looking on with Joyce. She felt guilty almost, but the pancakes still sounded just as delicious as they were yesterday morning. “Huh, they’ve got a few breakfast sandwiches that look good,” Frank mused. “Any sandwich in particular?” Mary looked over. “I imagine they’re all pretty good. Though, knowing you, you’d probably just put ketchup on it?” “And what’s wrong with ketchup?” “Nothing at all, but you’re ruining the originality of a meal if you always add your comfort sauce to it.” “I swear,” Mary caught Emily’s attention by chance. “He won’t let me live it down if I so much as put a speck of extra salt on the food that he makes.” “I’m not that bad,” Frank turned to the smirking Emily as well, also using her as the middleman. “When I cook Emily, you can put on as much salt as you like, and pepper!” He looked back to Mary smugly. “What am I going to do with you?” The laughter came and went as everyone tried to compose themselves when the dedicated waitress came over. “Hi, how’s everyone doing today? My name’s Abigail and I’ll be your server.” “Fine, thank you very much!” Frank answered, still high on the bubbly atmosphere. “What can we do for ya?” “Frank!” In a hushed voice, Mary nudged his shoulder. “Quit teasing her!” She turned over to the slightly confused, but also smirking waitress. “Don’t mind him. He can tend to be like this...” “Well, I’ll try my best,” she laughed, then pulled out a small notepad and paper. “Do you guys want to start off with some drinks?” “I’d love some coffee, please, but,” Frank paused for dramatic effect. “Is the pot fresh?” “I can brew a new one just for you?” He leaned in close to the table. “I like this one, she’s a 20-percenter.” Mary looked like she wanted to wallop him upside the head. From Emily’s angle, she could see she was holding the menu slightly above her mouth, which was currently smiling just as much as her dad’s. Emily always forgot to remind herself, but it really was like night and day with Joyce. She only had the beginning to compare to, but only when she was around familiar people (Emily included) could she really let herself go. Otherwise it was her tense, cool, and collected business self. “Alright, coffee it is. How would you like it done?” “Some milk and two sugars, please.” She scribbled one last note. “And you, miss?” She was looking at Mary, who obviously was flattered by the comment. Then she whispered to Frank. “Miss? Clearly she’s trying to get on our good side… I’ll have a coffee too, please.” She explained how she wanted it. The waitress turned over to Joyce. “Three for three, I guess. Coffee as well, please? I’ll just take mine black.” Her kind of order was probably a waiter’s godsend, considering it required no bells or whistles, and just pouring a substance into a cup. “And last up is you, little miss!” Chipperly, she looked to Emily, who was trying not to blush. She thinks I’m a kid too? Emily looked to the kids menu and the box of crayons, suddenly realizing how they forced the narrative too. She wanted to die on the inside, especially because there were three other people watching this all unfold. “Oh, uhm, that reminds me,” Joyce interjected. “Could we get her an adult menu, please?” “Sure, that shouldn’t be an issue.” Her simple response wasn’t what Emily was looking for. She didn’t seem surprised, shocked, or guilty. It wasn’t to her an adult being mistaken as a kid, but a parent trying to get their little one an adult menu they would have never gotten otherwise. The kind of expression she gave as she shifted back from Joyce to Emily soured the mood for her even more. She really was being looked down on. Though, hopefully her choice in drink would change the waitress’ mind, or force her head out of the gutter. This would not go on for any longer, and it was about time Emily start steering the ship. “I’ll have a coffee too, please.” Emily nearly made a noise when she saw the waitress pause for the slightest moment, and silently look to Joyce with a tinge of uncertainty. Did she really? Did she really just defer to Joyce as the decision maker?! On the more private days of the week, sure, Joyce was her… Mommy, but this wasn’t one of those times! She’s an adult goddammit! Emily didn’t know why she wasn’t starting an outburst by then, but of course she didn’t want to make a scene, even if all of this was beyond mortifying and frustrating. She didn’t think though that her stature and appearance would potentially prohibit her from caffeine! Joyce blinked awkwardly for a moment, taking a second to realize what was happening. “O...oh, you think...” her voice trailed, but then was quickly refreshed. “Uhm, yes, she can.” What was Joyce doing? This was her moment to clear up this whole misunderstanding! Her wandering eyes found Mary and Frank’s, who were either looking at the waitress or Joyce. Hell, Emily was thankful for the lack of attention, even if it were probably intentional. It was a passive comfort to know though that she could probably slip underneath the table and hide for the rest of the meal… “Hon?” The cushy names from a stranger cut through Emily’s dignity like a knife, and she looked over to her, hoping her face wasn’t too red. “How would you like it?” “Three sugars, please...” “Alrighty,” she wrote a few more notes. Joyce had her hand on Emily’s thigh, and was rubbing it soothingly beside her. And it was a good thing she was, because Emily didn’t know how she would react otherwise, especially when the waitress said her next piece, specifically to Joyce. “Do you want me to get her something to go with it? Water, milk?” Please, Joyce! Prove her wrong! Fix this stupid misunderstanding! “How about milk, then?” No, no, no, no! “Milk it is!” Happily, she finished up her writing and slipped the pen back into her apron. “The wait shouldn’t be too long, and I’ll be right back with an extra menu.” With that she walked away, and as she did, Emily stared at Joyce with quite the opposite of enthusiasm. “Why did you play along with her? She thinks I’m a kid!” “I think she acted a tad bit differently to Em, too...” Frank added. Yes! Finally! Someone that was on her side! “I know, I know, but I figured she’d be a lot more embarrassed than any one of us would be if it were in her shoes.” Really? She was more concerned about the waitress than her own girlfriend? How does that even work? “Does it not matter how I feel?” Emily asked, obviously hurt. “Of course it does,” Joyce gave her waist a squeeze, and Mary looked on sympathetically. “All I mean is, we all know it’s her mistake, which is why we all know you’re an adult. Besides, with how deep she’s into it now, I don’t think she’d ever live it down if she found out how she was treating you.” “Does that mean I can?” “It means that you have people to confide in. She doesn’t.” “Really, Em, we know it’s her mistake,” Frank added. “Joyce does have a point though. That waitress would probably not be able to handle it as well as you can right now.” So Emily was tough now because she was putting up with it? Maybe that was true in a way, but she didn’t like the idea of giving this woman a pass to walk all over her! “Don’t you think it’s sort of funny, though?” Mary spoke up, garnering the attention of the table. “She really thought Emily was younger than all of us by quite a bit. You can really pull off a look, can’t you?” She seemed impressed as she looked to Emily. Emily deeply exhaled through her nose, as popular opinion dictated the mood. No one here actually judged her for what happened, at least not negatively, and thankfully they didn’t see this in the light of Emily’s belittlement, rather the waitress’ mistake. Dearly she wanted to write this woman’s wrongs, but in a way Emily was being the bigger person by letting it slide, even if that meant being the smaller one… “And hey, you have two drinks now, right? That’s a plus?” Maybe. But it didn’t feel great as to how she got it. Apparently she was a kid that needed something to chase her caffeine. If she had it her way, this woman wouldn’t be getting as much as a cent for her tip. Yes she was bitter, and yes she was being unfair considering how much of a kid she probably did look like, but it didn’t change her feelings. Why was she getting so hung up on this? Was she supposed to be? Did it make her look bad? She didn’t know how to react, and that’s what made it so much worse. The only sense of reason she knew was reliable was to follow in Joyce’s stead. “Oh, and also, Mom, Dad? What do you two say about doing something else after this?” “I’m not sure...” Frank looked to Mary. “We’re awfully busy today...” His joking was obvious. “Emily actually came up with the idea to go to the zoo yesterday.” “Wh-huh?” The sudden credit caught her off guard. What would they think if she was the one who wanted to go to the zoo? “I mean, didn’t you say we should?” Joyce smirked at Emily. “Alright, fine, it was our idea. What do you two think?” “Sounds like fun! We haven’t been to one of those in a long time. Good idea, Emily.” Emily tried to laugh it off, wondering why she still had a kids menu. “Sorry for the wait,” Abigail, their waitress, came with a platter of four mugs and a glass. “Two with two sugars...” she placed the mugs in front of Mary and Frank. “One black,” a mug to Joyce. And of course her voice slightly changed when she was speaking to the little girl. “And finally one with three, and a glass of milk.” Thankfully she didn’t cheap out on the proportions, because they did look like normal drinks, but the accompanying milk didn’t make her feel so enthusiastic. How “lucky” was she though, getting permission from her “Mommy” to have coffee… “So is everyone almost ready to order?” While she spoke, she also placed the fourth adult menu on the table, which was thankfully given to Emily. Way to leave her room to browse… “Uhhh...” Joyce looked at Emily for a second. “I think we’re gonna need a few more minutes?” “Sure thing, take your time.” “Wait, am I the only one who still needs to pick?” “Think so, but take your time, okay? Don’t rush.” “Don’t worry Emily, we kinda got a headstart anyways,” Mary said as she set her menu down, and Frank as well. “What are you guys getting?” Joyce made smalltalk. “I’m gonna get a burger,” Frank already sounding satisfied answered. “I know we were doing breakfast, but a diner burger always sounds good to me!” “I’m getting a breakfast sandwich,” Mary said contently. “With ketchup.” It wasn’t a mystery who the emphasis was directed towards. “How about you?” “I think I’ll do some bacon, toast and eggs. It’s been a while since I’ve done that.” She leaned next to Emily. “And what are you liking so far?” She wanted to be original, but of course her head was screaming pancakes. She was such a broken record… Topped with banana and strawberry, she was feeling helplessly tempted. Did they do chocolate chips too? Emily couldn’t help but feel compelled to ask… “Hey Joyce?” “What’s up?” “Do you think they’d put chocolate chips in here?” “I don’t see why they can’t… Is your sweet tooth kicking in?” “...A little bit.” Emily almost looked sheepish. “It sounds good to me. You’ll need to give me a bite, though.” “Chocolate chip pancakes?” Frank asked. Emily was afraid how he’d react. “You can get them, but I’ll warn you,” he leaned in close. “Nothing you’ll ever eat will compare to mine!” Emily looked to Joyce for confirmation. “I can make some good pancakes, but who do you think I learned it from? Speaking of which, you’ll be cooking for us at least once, right?” “Did you really think I’d let Emily miss out on my cooking?” Her dad asked with offense. “Why do you think John and Hannah are getting married?” He laughed with his deep voice, and Emily couldn’t help but chuckle as well. “Sounds like you guys are ready to order?” Like clockwork, Abigail had made a round and came back with a notepad. Giving it a second to be refused, and when she wasn’t, she asked Mary first. “I’ll have the Bootmill Breakfast Sandwich, please.” “And what do you wanna do for a side?” “Fries, please.” “And you, sir?” “I’ll have the Monday Burger with fries, please. Just a little pink in the center.” “...Alrighty. And you miss?” “Bacon, eggs, and toast, please? I’ll have the eggs over easy.” She smiled over to Emily. Every interaction she hated her more. “And how about you, hon?” “She’ll have the short stack, please,” Joyce answered for her, and oddly enough Emily kind of appreciated it. Any moment where she didn’t have to deal with this woman was a blessing counted. Again, there wasn’t anything inherently wrong with her, but they certainly did get off on the wrong foot. She was operating on adult time right now, and really did not appreciate trying to be told otherwise. “Do you think they could put chocolate chips in it, too?” “That’s no problem, but...” the waitress politely asked for the kids menu. “It sounds like you’re describing this?” She pointed out a display, and as curious as Emily was, she dared not look. “Oh? What’s the difference?” “So the Jr. Stack has all that stuff with a little extra whipped cream. They’re sized just about the same as well. I’ll just put that down for the order.” Emily must have mastered the art of meditation, or Joyce was truly a professional caretaker, because she was somehow able to keep herself together. She quietly took a sip from her heated mug. “So one Bootmill Breakfast, Monday Burger, Bacon and Eggs, and a Jr. Stack?” The order was confirmed, and she walked on off. “You’re a real trooper, Emily...” Frank reassured her as she walked away. It felt good to have allies… Emily looked to Joyce, and she could tell there was a hint of amusement in her eyes. She didn’t think of it as cruel, though. The biggest reason why this rubbed Emily the wrong way was because she was trying to present herself in front of Joyce’s parents. This was a relationship between lovers, not a mother and daughter! Joyce looked sheepishly to Emily. “I got you whipped cream?” “You’re so making this up to me.” Hey, we did it! 20 chapters! I don't know the word count right now, but I can grab it later. Sometimes I think this is moving too slow, but I'm having fun with it. I'd appreciate your 10 cents on that, though. Sorry if people felt like there wasn't so much babying-ness in this, but things should be increasing as time goes on. Hope you enjoyed reading, and please let me know what you thought!