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Panther Cub

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Panther Cub last won the day on October 12 2020

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  1. One of my favorite tropes! I actually copy and paste posts. Maybe if I manually delete the spaces that could help?
  2. Hey there, readers! I'm happy to bring to you this fun little one-off that was written, in part, to participate in a fun little contest (check out the description for more details)! I hope you all enjoy it! Kimi and Kodi's Little Bet by Panther Cub "Mom, please don't make us do this!" Kodi whined from the back seat, his arms crossed as he pouted. Up in the passenger seat, Kimi was glaring out the window. "This is all your fault, baby brother!" The teen tigress hissed to the growling gray wolf in the back of the car. Tess sighed as she made a turn into a residential neighborhood. "You two got yourselves in this together," Tess said, taking a left. "I am sick of all this fighting and bickering." "Kodi starts most of it." Kimi looked down at where her phone usually would be, suddenly reminded that she and Kodi had lost their phone privileges for the duration. "Do not!" Was his clever retort. "I don't care who starts the fights, they are ending right now!" Tess let out a deep growl that shocked the two teens into silence. The lioness let out a sigh as she pulled to a stop in front of a large white two-story house with an idyllic-looking picket fence surrounding a lush green lawn. "Besides, trouble or no trouble, Sheila and I both need to attend this conference, and she couldn't get any babysitters at the last minute; so you'd both still be watching Amy and Cady for the week. Only now, you get to do it without your phones." Grumbling almost in unison, the duo-species twins both got out of the car after Tess killed the engine. Kimi was wearing her red flannel jacket over a simple black tank-top and a pair of stylishly torn jeans and had a black and pink backpack filled with a week's worth of clothes and other supplies. Kodi was wearing a loud yellow, red, and green Cawaiian shirt opened to reveal a white tank-top and a pair of black cargo shorts, the white strap of his blue duffel bag slung over one shoulder. Tess, however, was already wearing a charcoal gray, with orange pinstripe, skirt suit. She briskly walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell, Kimi and Kodi in tow. "Juuuuust a minute!" A feminine sing-song voice could be heard from inside. A few moments later, and the front door was practically flung open as a large, middle-aged, rhinoceros woman beamed down at the three of them, easily towering over the two teens. "Just in time, Tess!" "You know it, Sheila." Tess let out a laugh as she pulled her cubs forward. "Kodi and Kimi here are just so excited to get to spend some more time with your girls! Right, kids?" "Yeah..." "... It'll be a blast." The two teens tried to fake enthusiasm, being only marginally successful, not that Mrs. Ramhorn seemed to notice. "That's wonderful! The twins have just been so excited ever since they learned that you two were going to be calf-sitting them all week long!" Sheila invited them all in, grabbing her purse off a nearby table. It was a deep maroon, to perfectly match her own skirt-suit. "Has Charles already left?" Tess asked, absentmindedly smoothing out Kodi's messy headfur, despite his silent protests. "Yup! He and his college friends will be gone about as long as we will be on their little fishing trip." Sheila led the trio into the kitchen. Even though this wasn't their first time watching the twin rhino girls, Kimi still felt weirded out by how the chairs in the nearby dining room, like all the furniture, was sized for rhinos. It made her feel so... small. Sheila walked over to the fridge and opened it up, revealing a bunch of sealed containers, all with sticky notes on them explaining the contents and any additional instructions. "Now we cooked a number of meals in advance for the week, with a few more out in the freezer in the garage. Some of the ones in here need to thaw a little more, but heating anything in the oven or microwave will be easy as can be. So you two don't have to worry about making the dinners yourselves." Mrs. Ramhorn smiled at the two teens, who both seemed a little relieved at having one less thing to take care of. "Prepared as always, I see," Tess said with a giggle, eliciting a chuckle from the rhino. "What can I say?" Sheila shrugged. "Anyways, the girls' bedtime is the same as before, and thankfully Cady no longer seems to be afraid of the dark. The new instructions for the security system are right here on the fridge, all the smoke detectors have been inspected and given new batteries. There's plenty of movies to choose from in the DVD cabinet and plenty of shows and movies to pick from on our Cluckflix." Sheila counted off on her fingers the different details, reading off her mental checklist. "I'm forgetting something... oh yes! The guest rooms!" She chuckled, leading the group out of the kitchen and into the hall. They headed up the stairs and started to pass doors. She stopped at two doors that were next to each other and opened them both. One had a light blue accent to the wallpaper, while the other was a mild pink. "We recently had them refurbished and changed around some of the rooms for my little project." "You mean Project Renewal?" Tess asked, her tail swishing in curiosity. "Maaaaaaaybe," Sheila said with a wink. "And thank you so much again for donating all that furniture! It was just what I needed!" "Well, it was just taking up room in storage, and I figured that you could find more use for it all than that." Tess smiled, happy to have helped in any way. "You mean that old baby furniture?" Kodi asked, remembering having to give up a Saturday of sleeping in to help his Dad haul cribs and high chairs and plenty of heavy boxen down from the attic and out to an awaiting van. "Correct! I still have it all here for further testing. But the results I've gotten already will absolutely be enough for its next phase. However, anything more detailed than that is strictly confidential." Kodi and Kimi both shared a confused look, wondering what their old furniture could be used for that would be confidential. "Anyways, all of that old furniture is in what was Charles' study, before he decided to make the basement into his study instead. It's all right there down the hall. And while I am comfortable with you both taking a look if you really want to see, I must ask that you be careful and not break anything, understood?" The pair nodded. "Won't be a problem," Kimi said, giving Kodi a side-eyed look. "I'll be sure to keep my baby brother from wandering around in there." Kodi shot her an angry look but said nothing. "Excellent! Well then, you two can drop off your belongings in the guest rooms and then come downstairs while I see the girls off!" Sheila and Tess left the two teens, amicably chatting as they headed back downstairs. Kodi huffed and went into the blue room, dropping his bag onto the bed. Kimi rolled her eyes and did the same in the pink room, already finding herself wishing that the week was already over. "Alright Amy, Cady, you both behave for Kimi and Kodi, understood?" The two teens could hear Mrs. Ramhorn's voice just before they entered the living room to find the two pre-teen rhino girls hugging their mother, who was telling them how much she loved them. Amy and Cady were both wearing matching lavender dresses. Breaking free from the hug, they both turned to face the tigress and the wolf, running up and hugging them. "Yay! I can't wait to play you two at Syndicate again!" Cady said in delight. Kimi and Kodi both recognized it was her from the bright red digital watch she always adamantly wore wherever she went. "Yeah! We're totally gunna beat you this time!" Amy said with confidence, her favorite pink locket hanging around her neck. "Heh, bring it on, squirts," Kodi said, patting their heads while trying to disguise a wheeze. Despite being older than the two, the twins were already their height, and, being rhinos, already pretty strong. "Okay you two," Tess said, approaching her son and daughter. She hugged them both and kissed their foreheads, despite their embarrassment at the treatment. "I love you both. And be good." Just like that, the two older females left, leaving the kids to their own devices. "Did mom show you her special project?" Amy asked, now sounding excited. She had waited for the sound of the car starting up and driving off before asking. "Project Renewal?" Kimi asked, prompting the younger set of twins to nod. "We just know that some old furniture of ours was used in it, that's all," Kodi added. "Wanna see it?" Cady asked, bouncing on her feet in excitement. "Well... your Mom did say that it was ok for us to look at, so long as we didn't break anything." Kodi nodded as he let the girls lead him and his sister back up the stairs and to a door that was just a few down from the guest rooms. "It's right next to our room," Amy said, sounding pretty proud of that fact. She nodded to Cady, whose smile grew wider as she opened the door and flipped on the nearby light switch. "This is Project Renewal?" Kodi asked, grimacing at the sight of what appeared to be a nursery, full of all sorts of loud and bright colors, with some softer pastels also jumping out to the unsuspecting eye. In the center of the room were a pair of cribs, one pink, the other a light blue, both with soft teddy bear mobiles dangling above. Near the door were a pair of highchairs, right next to a little mini-fridge. At the far end of the room was an open closet, revealing all sorts of juvenile and infantile clothing options. Next to it was a strange dresser. It had a much wider top with some kind of purple padding, with some odd slots built into the sides. "Is that a... changing table?" "It's Mom's latest invention! The Automated Changing Table! Or Auto-Changer for short!" Cady explained with pride. "In fact, just about all the furniture in here is one of her inventions." "Wait," Kimi said, something that had been bugging her ever since they'd opened the door to this room. "Is this what she did... with our old baby stuff?" Kodi's ears perked up at that as he took another look around. "Hey, yeah! I remember this stuff!" "Yup!" Amy answered with a giggle. "That's part of what Project Renewal is! Making new inventions out of old recycled parts!" "Why is it all... bigger?" Kodi asked, feeling uncomfortable standing next to the high chairs, both now large enough for him to sit in easily. "Because she's gunna test it on some cousins of ours. They're both elephants, as well as toddlers, so everything here should be a perfect fit," Cady explained. "Huh... so wait... you said that these are all new inventions of hers?" Kimi asked. "Uh-huh!" Cady answered. "Geeze! Look at the size of these cribs!" Kodi said, realizing that the bars were much higher than they had been. "So what do they all do?" Kimi asked. "We overheard Mom talking about her project with her work when she was on the phone," Amy explained. "And she said that basically, the first major project of Project Renewal was to make a mostly automated nursery, to help in the care and developmental growth of the children being cared for. But she didn't go into any more detail after describing the auto-changer." Cady looked over at Kodi, still staring at the cribs. "We won't tell if you two decide you want to take a nap in your old cribs." She offered, trying to look sincere, despite actively fighting back a giggle. Kimi rolled her eyes at that. "Yeah, no, not happening." The twins both began to giggle as the four of them all left the room. "Okay, Kimi and I just ate before coming here, are you two hungry?" The wolf asked. "Depends," Cady said, "are chocolate milkshakes an option?" Kodi couldn't help but snicker at that. "Your folks made up quite a few meals for us all to have, along with instructional notes. And, somehow, I doubt that chocolate milkshakes are on today's menu." "Awww," the calf groaned, sticking her meaty hands in the pockets of her dress. "That's okay." Amy smiled, looking excited. "How about we play Syndicate? It was pretty fun the last time we all played it." Kimi snickered. "I'll say. Especially after Kodi threw his little tantrum." Kodi bit back a growl at that. "I did not throw a tantrum!" He huffed and crossed his arms. "You were being insufferable the entire game, and you only got more annoying when you won." "Oh really, baby brother?" Kimi smirked at seeing his eye twitch from annoyance. "Yeah! So, no thanks, I think I'll sit this one out." "Awwww," the twins chorused. "But it's more fun with more people to play it with." Cady started to pout. "What if we made it more interesting?" Amy offered, after looking thoughtful. "What are you thinking, Amy?" Kimi asked, intrigued. "Well, we could have a bet going. Like, if me and Amy win, can we have chocolate milkshakes?" "Yeah!" Cady cheered. "I don't think so," Kodi said. "Stop being such a baby." Kimi's tail swished in annoyance at her brother's obstinance. "Quit calling me a baby!" "I know!" Amy declared, mischief twinkling in her eyes. "How about, if either of you two loses, you have to go and use one of our Mom's inventions in the guest room that the winner gets to pick?" "Uh... I'm not so sure that that's a good idea," Kimi said, suddenly feeling a bit wary at the prospect of using one of Mrs. Ramhorn's inventions. But Kodi seemed thoughtful. "Actually... I kind of like the sound of that. Okay, Kimi, let's find out who the real baby is. The loser... has to use the autochanger and have it put them in a diaper, which they have to wear until we go home!" Kodi looked smugly at Kimi. Kimi hesitated, knowing she could whoop Kodi at any game. However, she wasn't sure how happy Mrs. Ramhorn would be if she ever found out that one of them had used one of her new inventions without asking. But, the idea of Kodi pouting in a pair of Pawpers was one that made her chuckle internally. And it certainly would be something he would never be able to live down. "Unless," Kodi continued, "wittle Kimicakes is too scared of the big bad Auto-Changer?" The wolf's goading had struck a nerve with the tigress, who blushed at the use of the embarrassing nickname their mother gave her. "Alright then, baby brother. You're on!" Amy and Cady were whispering to each other as the two settled on their terms, the two young pachyderms high-fiving before their babysitters turned to look at them. "Okay, girls," Kimi said, crossing her arms, "let's set up the game. And don't think that your dumb motel trap is gunna work a second time, Kodi." One gameplay later... Kimi couldn't believe that this was happening. She blushed fiercely beneath her fur as she trudged up the stairs. Behind her, Kodi and the twins were giggling to each other. Opening the door, Kimi froze, her focus zooming right in on the purple padded table. In no time at all, she was standing in front of it. "How do I use this?" Kimi asked, hoping that the girls wouldn't know and they could all call this whole thing off. "It's really simple." Cady grinned. "Mom likes to make things user friendly!" Of course she does, Kimi thought. "Just climb on top, and I'll press the buttons." Amy was grinning as she practically ran up to the side of the auto-changer. She gave the hesitant tigress a gentle, yet firm, shove, prompting Kimi to do what she'd said. She climbed onto the padding of the table, blushing wildly as she realized that it was the perfect size for her. Rolling onto her back, she saw Cady and Kodi whispering and giggling, before her brother broke away and whispered something into Amy's ear. "That's a great idea!" Amy cheered, pressing a bright purple button on the side of the table, which brought up a small panel of brightly lit buttons. "What?" Kimi asked, nervous. Her earlier bravado had quickly evaporated at the knowledge of what she was going to be wearing. "Mom made a bunch of videos for the babies on changing tables to watch, as well as some instructional videos for toddlers," Amy explained. "Instructional videos?" Kimi asked, confused while a screen attached to some kind of bendy metallic arm slithered out of one of the slots in the side of the table. It was holding the blank black screen up for Kimi to see, taking up almost her entire field of vision. "Yeah. Real basic stuff," Kodi giggled while Amy tapped some more buttons. "In this case, since you're gunna be spending the week back in diapers, Cady suggested that it might be a good idea for you to watch a video on potty training. Y'know, something to brush up on." "Ha-ha, very funny." Kimi grumbled as the screen began to light up. Seeing some odd amorphous shapes and hearing a strange yet comforting tune, Kimi found herself relaxing, even though now four mechanical arms had come out of the other slots in the wood of the table, each one ending in a white-gloved hand. She was too focused on the stop-motion cartoon playing out before her eyes, a pair of headphones being slipped over her ears. It looked like a bright and sunny version of the guest room, looking to be made from clay. In came toddling two figures, a little tigress cub in a pink shirt and wearing a diaper, and a little wolf pup in a blue shirt and diaper. They sat down on the floor and began to play with some blocks. "Hello again, little one!" The cheery woman's voice speaking in her ears sounded so excited. It was enough to help her further be put at ease, even when she could vaguely feel the mechanical hands undoing the buttons on her jeans. Kimi almost giggled when the little tiger girl excitedly waved to her. "I'm so happy that you've returned for another valuable life lesson! Now, if you're watching this video, then that means that potty training might not be going so well, huh?" The little tiger frowned and shook her head, wiping away at her face. "Well, that's okay!" At this, the clay stop-motion tiger looked back up and confused. "Everyone learns in their own way and at their own pace." The little cub was still frowning. "Ah, are you maybe upset because you got to wear snug-ups for a little while, like a big kid?" Kimi found herself nodding along with the cub as her jeans and panties were removed. "That's understandable, sweetie." The wolf toddled off screen, only to come back, now wearing some blue and white snug-ups. He puffed out his little chest and seemed proud, while the little tigress blushed and looked disappointed. "Sometimes, some little ones aren't ready to make the leap to becoming big kids. That could mean that they just don't really feel when they need to go potty." The little wolf looked confused, before he started to panic and do the potty dance. A nearby door opened, revealing a bathroom, the toilet just past the bathtub. The wolf ran inside and the door shut behind him. Kimi laid there, oblivious to the fact that she was alone now on the changing table, Kodi and the twins having left her some privacy. One of the hands grabbed both of her ankles and lifted her legs up, while another produced a canister of baby powder. "However, sometimes little ones have fears and anxieties about change, or about growing up, or even about all those grown-up responsibilities." The music changed in tune, going from upbeat and happy to now a bit more somber. The door to the bathroom opened, and the little wolf pup came skipping out, kneeling down to pat his little sister on the head, and resume stacking blocks with her. The tigress seemed a bit curious, and got up to head into the bathroom. The somber music quietened, now sounding a bit more suspenseful. Kimi couldn't help the feeling of growing dread at the cub nervously shuffling into the bathroom. The faint smell of talcum powder wafting in the air. "And those fears and anxieties can sometimes manifest in what is often referred to as... the Potty Monster!" The cub froze as she heard a loud gurgling sound. Then a creak... followed by a crack. The tiles split open as the potty jerked left and right. From the tiled floor around it arose eight spindly, boney, and pointed pale-white, needle-like legs. The toilet lid slammed down, only to arise and reveal a mouth filled with rows upon rows of razor sharp teeth. It sloshed slimy green water from its mouth as it moved... and then started to skitter right towards the cub. The little tigress cried and ran out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. She was sniffling and crying when she plopped right down next to the wolf, who frowned as he looked at her. He got up and went to the door, opening it before his sister could stop him. Instead of a torn up bathroom with a toilet-spider monster, it was just the way it had been. When the wolf turned his back to the bathroom, and gave the cub a reassuring smile, the cub saw the toilet shift in her direction, causing her to scramble away from the door. Kimi let out a whimper as a hand threaded her tail through something soft and crinkly. She didn't care what anyone said, she saw it move to look at the cub. It wasn't just make-believe! She continued to watch as the wolf walked over to his sister and gave her a hug, helping her to calm down. "This is just a sign that they're not ready for potty training quite yet... and that is perfectly okay. Some little ones become big kids sooner than others. While other little ones just aren't that big." The wolf pup's nose wrinkled and he waved away the air around his muzzle. A large pair of tan paws descended to scoop the little tigress up, setting her down in a new room, on a purple padded changing table. The purring tigress cub received a tummy rub, and Kimi let out a giggle, feeling like she was getting one too. The tan paws made quick work of changing the stinky diaper. Just as this new bright pink diaper with a glittery unicorn on the front was being taped snugly around the cub's waist, Kimi could feel something being gently, but snugly, wrapped around her own, the scent of baby powder now stronger and putting her at ease. "Thank you so much for watching this video, sweetie! I can't wait to see you again!" The screen went blank and Kimi stretched out a bit, freezing when she heard a sudden crinkling noise. Sitting up, she looked down to find she was wearing a bright pink diaper with a smiling glittery unicorn on the front. She thought about the video she had just watched, but was finding it a bit hard to recall any specific details about it. Shaking her head a bit in confusion, she hopped down from the table, blushing at what she was now wearing. Spotting her jeans, Kimi tried to put them back on, but they just couldn't fit around the bulky-padding around her hips. Kimi briefly considered looking in the closet for maybe something she could borrow to cover her new... accessory up, but spotting the juvenile outfits and baby clothes was enough to get her to reject that notion on the spot. Wearing baby clothes would just make her wearing the diaper even more embarrassing. Squaring her shoulders, and checking her tank top and flannel shirt for any excess baby powder, she exited the guest room and headed to the living room, blushing from the slight waddle to her gait. "There she is!" Kodi said with a smug grin. "Say cheese!" Kimi froze when she heard a shutter click. Looking back at her brother, her blood ran cold when she saw he had his phone in his hands. "Mom confiscated our phones!" Kimi blurted out, unable to formulate anything better to say then and there. "I found out where she put them and got it back." "Kodes, delete that pic right now!" Kimi growled. "Sorry, Kimicakes, I just sent it to my personal email." Kodi stuck his tongue out at his growling sister. "So, no. But, don't worry, I won't go showing it to anyone else. This is just for me to throw back in your face every time you call me a baby from here on out!" Kimi started to relax a little, confident that her brother wouldn't cross that line of showing anyone else the pic of her in a diaper. He could be a jerk sometimes, but even he wouldn't be that big of a jerk. "I think you look cute!" Cady chimed in. "Yeah! Pink is really your color. And something about the glittery unicorn makes it all fit." Amy snickered. "I gotta agree with the twins, Kimicakes!" Kimi rolled her eyes and plopped down on her padded posterior in front of the coffee table, trying to play it all off as no big deal. Due to the insistence of the twins, Kimi and Kodi played a game of Surgeon next. While playing it, Kimi felt a little nervous about accidentally touching the little surgeon tweezers to the metal sides of the different-shaped holes in the picture of the capybara on the operating table. Something about the loud buzzing and the lighting of his red nose was unsettling to the tigress. So focused was she on retrieving the broken funny bone, she didn't notice a sudden growing urge. Her body did, however, as she slowly started to squirm. Eventually, she was doing basically a sitting potty dance, waiting for Kodi to finish his turn. "Oooo," Amy cooed, reaching over to pat Kimi on the head, much to the teen's surprise. "I think someone might need to use the potty!" Kimi felt her stomach drop out at the mention of... the bathroom. But she couldn't place why. "I-I don't know what you mean, Amy," Kimi said with a laugh, trying to play it off. "Well, she is wearing diapers for a reason," Kodi said with a smirk on his muzzle, relishing the embarrassment on display from his sister. "It seems like a certain little kitten really loves playtime." Kimi let out a low growl at that while the twins snickered and whispered to each other behind their hands. "It's okay if you can't make it, Kimi," Cady offered in a conciliatory tone. "I don't mind using the auto-changer to help change your diaper when you need it." Kimi was certain that one could roast a marshmallow on her cheeks, due to the heat from her blushing. What made her feel even more humiliated was the fact that she could now, faintly, tell that they were right. She had no idea how long she had been feeling the urge, but it was there. "I just wanted to finish up so that my baby brother won't throw a little hissy fit for ending the game early after he's been losing this whole time." Now it was Kimi's turn to smirk as she watched Kodi's tail bristle out in anger. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, she looked at her card and deftly removed the patient's broken heart. "I win." Kimi stood up and sauntered away to the bathroom, speed walking once she rounded the corner. D-did I just leak a little? Kimi thought as she paused, fearing she'd let out a spurt. Unable to tell if that was the case, she hastened her trip upstairs to the bathroom, feeling relieved when she finally came across it. Kimi closed the door behind her and froze. The Ramhorn's bathroom looked exactly like the one from the potty training video! Taking a shaky step towards the toilet, Kimi started to feel her hackles rising. Her breathing quickened and her eyes were staring laser-focused right on the porcelain seat. She felt the pit of dread in her gut grow larger with each footstep closer to the infernal device she took. "Th-this is stupid!" Kimi said quietly to herself. She choked back a whimper once she found herself standing right in front of it. "I-I've used the potty lots of times! It's n-no big deal." She huffed, unaware of what she had just said, all while doing the potty dance. "Th-there's n-no such th-thing as the p-potty m-m-monster," Kimi stammered, looking down at her diaper, trying to figure out how to take it off. Suddenly, in the dead silence, there was an audible gurgle. Kimi froze before she rapidly backed away, leaning up against the door while watching the toilet, only barely registering a warmth spreading in her diaper. Fumbling with the doorknob, Kimi almost let out a shriek when there was another gurgle. Finally, she was able to open the door and leave, slamming the door closed behind her. It took a little while to calm down her breathing. Looking down at her diaper, she could see that it was already drooping a little. I... peed? In a diaper? She though to herself, already blushing... until her body began to relax and the music from the video started to play in her mind again. "Well..." Kimi's voice was calm and there was a small smile on her face. "It's not that big of a deal. That's what diapers are for anyway. And besides,, everyone potty trains at their own speed." Smiling and feeling a little better about herself, Kimi toddled back to the others, her soaked Snuggies on full display still. As she approached Kodi and the twins, she noticed that Kodi was staring transfixed at Amy's phone, headphones in as he listened to whatever video he was watching. Is Kodi... drooling a little? She wondered, surprised when her paw was lightly grabbed. She looked to see Cady smiling warmly at her, giving a slight tug. "It's okay, Kimicakes," Cady said in a gentle voice. "The potty can be really tricky, but you don't need to worry about it or any big and scary monster for a good while, a few years even." Kimi followed along, whining a little when they approached the door for the room containing all the baby furniture. "It's okay, Kimi," Cady cooed, giving her soaked Snuggies a pat. "You'll feel a lot better after your diaper change. Then maybe a nap would be best." "A nap? C-Cady, in case you've forgotten, Kodi and I are the ones in char--OMPH!" Kimi was surprised by the younger, but stronger, girl picked her up and carried her over to the changing table, happily depositing the confused tigress on its surface. Before Kimi could protest, the screen with all the pretty lights and swirling shapes was in front of her eyes, earphones being slipped over her ears again. "Hello, little one!" The chipper feminine voice said, catching Kimi's attention. "This little video will teach you why it's important to listen to your caregivers. Whether they be your mommy or daddy, a family member, a teacher, a nanny, or even a babysitter. Sometimes, some little ones have a little bit of a hard time accepting that there are rules that they have to follow for their own good, and that those in charge of them know what's best..." Kimi laid there while the hands got to work untaping and balling up her used diaper, getting the wipes, powder, and fresh pink glittery unicorn diaper ready. She didn't realize when Cady got out a large pink and white pacifier and slipped it in between the mesmerized tigress' lips. But after a moment of watching the video, her jaw muscles seemed to move of their own accord, beginning to suckle on it. Cady giggled while walking over to the closet, grabbing one of the pink legless onesies that would fit Kimi perfectly, amazed at how smoothly her and Amy's plan was coming along. One week later... "I have to say again, Sheila," Tess said as they pulled up in front of the Ramhorn residence, "I'm still amazed by Project renewal! This will help advance early childhood learning by leaps and bounds!" "Oh, Tess, stop!" Sheila chuckled as she and the lioness got out of the latter's car, grabbing her briefcase. "It's not like this is much different than using tv shows with puppets and the like to teach little ones to count and spell. It's just a bit more efficient is all." "Still, you earned the grant. I can't wait to see what other applications this new learning tech could be used for." They entered the house, Tess following Sheila. "Kids? We're back!" Tess called out. There were two sets of rapidly approaching footsteps. Sheila smiled and opened her arms wide as she expected her girls to come running around the corner for their usual return home hug. Instead, Kimi and Kodi, both giggling around binky's, ran right past her and practically bowled over a shocked Tess. Looking the two teens over, the two mothers were taken aback by what they saw. Kodi was just wearing a bright blue t-shirt and a diaper, with blue and orange trim around the leg gathers and landing strip, a cartoon fox playing in a sandbox on the front of the garment. Kimi was wearing a bright pink legless onesie with a skirt attachment on it, a thick bulge around her own waist. "MOMMY!" The two chorused as they both snuggled into Tess' chest. "Wha-what's happening?" Tess asked, worried. "I don't--" Sheila began, only to be interrupted. "They made bets with each other and the losers had to mess around with some of the furniture in the Project Renewal room!" Cady said, rounding the corner with Amy. "We tried to get them to stop, but they were acting so competitively that they wouldn't listen! And now... this," Amy said, looking sad. "So we kinda had to be the babysitters for the week." Cady added, Amy nodding right alongside them. "Oh dear... well, I guess that that answers that question." Sheila sighed. "I made poopy!" Kodi proudly announced, giggling as Tess wrinkled her nose. "Oh my," Tess choked out, noticing Kimi playfully batting at her paw like a... kitten. "Yes… you certainly did, sweetie." Sheila let out a long sigh and gave her friend a sympathetic smile. "We'll sort this out. Eventually." When Tess and Sheila started to carry the two back to the changing table, heading upstairs to do so, Amy and Cady high-fived each other. "Think we'll get to babysit those two again?" Cady asked hopefully. "Heh, yeah. I think that we're their go-to babysitters from now on..." Amy said with a smirk. Epilogue "Mommy!" Kimi cried out, exiting her room in just her gray pajama shirt and a diaper, this one with pink trim and a blue and yellow dragonfly on the front. "Kodi keeps bugging me when I'm trying to do my homework!" Kimi had her physics book tucked under one arm. "She started it by kicking me off the sofa earlier to play her dumb game!" Kodi whined, wearing a green shirt under a pair of denim short-alls that bulged around his waist. Tess looked over from the stove where she was finishing making up the bottles of formula for her little ones, Sheila having provided the boxes of instant powder, it being nutritionally healthy for Kodi and Kimi. Unfortunately, weaning them off nursing bottles was proving about as difficult as re-potty training them has. "Alright, you two," Tess said in a stern voice, "I don't care who started what. It's your naptime as of now. Hopefully a little rest and some of your tasty formula in your tummies will help you two to calm down and stop this bickering." Looking up from the two bottles she was screwing the nipples onto, she saw Kimi and Cody already back to wrestling each other. Tess rubbed her temples. "Yeah," Tess muttered to herself, "a nap for you two would do us all some good." Woah... I did NOT intend for this story to be this long! Still though, I feel happy with it, and am glad to have been able to bring it to you all! Let me know what you think with a comment or a review!
  3. Please let this just be a bad dream, Varis thought to himself as he tried to curl up and make himself look as small as possible in Angelica's arms. He could hears some murmurs and chuckles as Angie walked them through the cubicles to the conference room. It was bad enough that he was cuddling his plush tiger, Mr. Nuggets, in his arms and was sucking on his blue and white binky. No, what made this so much worse was the fact that all he was wearing was a purple Red's Hint's t-shirt, and a diaper with a green smiling t-rex on it. "Don't worry, Vary," Angie said in a soft voice, smiling warmly down at him in her arms. Varis could only bring himself to whimper. A blowout. While at work, on his way to the restroom, he felt a gurgle in his belly, and not three seconds later, had had an actual blowout. The accident had immediately overwhelmed his Paw-Ups, his pants, shirt, and even suit jacket. And all Varis could do was stand there, a mess, with his colleagues all around him... and cry. The more he thought back on it, the more distressed he had felt. That was, until, Josh had rushed to his side. The crocodile wasted no time. He scooped up the distressed wolf and practically ran while carrying him to the elevator. Once in the daycare, Josh carried him over to the changing table, having one of the daycare ladies bring him a plastic grocery store bag. Varis' clothes, minus his wallet, were safely stowed away into the bag and tied up tight, before that bag was tied into another bag, just to be safe. Then, after cleaning his hands, he gave Varis the binky and the stuffy from the shared diaper bag Josh and Marie both packed, since he was going to be spending time around Eliza more often, it had made sense for them to get a bigger bag so that both the wolf and the bunny could have additional care supplies in one place. Or, at least, that's what Marie had told Varis. And, reluctantly, he found himself somewhat grateful for it, as his suitcase was all the way back up in his office. It had taken Josh a little while and a lot of baby wipes to get Varis clean. For good measure, Varis even found himself being given a bath in the daycare bathroom's tub, while the changing pad of the table was swapped out. Having found out what happened, Eliza had rushed over after Varis was dried off and set onto the clean changing pad, to try and help comfort him. Varis calmed down after a little bit, even after it had been decided that he would be wearing a diaper for the rest of the day, just in case, as was what turned out to be company policy regarding MSer employees and blowouts. Josh then left him in the daycare to play, be looked after, and hopefully de-stress a bit before it was time for the big meeting, all while taking the clothes to go and find a laundromat nearby. After a while of getting used to waddling and even crawling around in a much thicker undergarment than he was used to working with, Angie, who had been informed of what'd happened, came to collect him, provided he still felt up to it. He'd looked up at her defiantly and proudly proclaimed he was good to go. As he looked over at Doc Juniper eyeing him and his new attire while Angela took a seat, setting him onto her knee, Varis was beginning to regret that decision. Before he could think of anything to say now that the three of them were settled in the conference room, the door opened, revealing a certain middle-aged brown-and-white-furred goat in a salmon colored shirt with a red tie and khaki pants. Eugh, who would wear something so... unprofessional when at work like that? Varis wondered, then blushing a little as he took a look at what he was wearing. "Hey there Doc, Angie. You both wanted to see me?" "Thanks for coming in, Larry," Doc Juniper said, Varis swearing that the old owl had snuck a grumpy 'harrumph' in there somewhere. "We know that this is a little sudden. Please, take a seat. The goat walked over to the only available chair, which was facing the three of them. He sat and took a look around the conference room in curiosity. "Oh, it's not a problem, Doc." He chuckled as his eyes landed on Varis, offering the wolf a wave. "Babysitting, Angelica?" The large grizzly was bouncing Varis in her lap, both arms around him as she did so. "Not today, unfortunately," Mrs. Duvar said, nuzzling the top of Varis' head, prompting his tail to start thwacking against her side, despite the slight reddening of his cheeks. "Vary was just being a little bit fussy when I went to get him." "Heh, yeah, babies can be like that. Maybe he'd be more comfortable down in the daycare?" "Ahem," Doc said, looking sternly from the goat to Angelica and Varis, and back again. "This little meeting isn't about Varis or his daycare habits. This is actually about a matter regarding you, Larry." "Me?" The brown-and-white-furred goat seemed confused, and fidgeted a little nervously. "Yes. Varis here actually noticed some... discrepancies in the invoices from your deal with Mallmart..." Larry's eyes went wide very briefly, before he chuckled and leaned back in his seat. "I think perhaps the little guy might have been mistaken there, Doc. I mean... look at him." Larry motioned to Varis, who was glaring daggers right back at him. "You can't really say that he's operating at a full... adult capacity." Varis was practically seething behind his soother, which was bobbing in and out of his muzzle. A gentle rubbing of his back and some rocking from Angelica was enough to help him settle back down. "Actually, Varis simply had a little bit of a blowout, so he needed something else to wear. But Vary, despite his condition, has proven time and again that he is still more than capable of doing his job, very well, I might add." Angelica then started to tickle Varis' tummy. "Yes he did, oh yes the big little puppy did!" Varis, despite trying to fight it, tittered and giggled. Larry opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by Doc. "And of course, we've had the invoices and the books double checked by others in the accounting wing. The point is, money has been going missing from the payments of each shipment with Mallmart! It started off small, about $20 here, $30 there..." "W-well, everyone knows that Mallmart gets shoplifters and untrustworthy employees all the time! This is probably j-just their usual shrinkage!" Varis felt some satisfaction seeing how pale Larry was looking under his fur and fidgeting even more in his chair. Things were very clearly not going his way. "I'm sure Mallmart thinks so. But then, whoever has been doing it, has gotten bolder, gradually increasing it to $75 and then $85, and then kept going. Sometimes going down a little bit, possibly afraid of getting caught, other times they seemed to get a bit overconfident as the amount would them rise back up! Also, I think a better term for what is going on would be... embezzlement." Angelica glared as she spoke, the icy tone of her voice causing Vary to whimper and wet a little, prompting her to shift him into a cradled position in her large and strong arms and begin rocking. Larry opened his mouth to speak again, and once again was cut off.. this time by Varis, whose binky was in his left paw, while a stack of papers Angie had handed him were in his right. "Thursday August twelfth, three years ago, $18. Tuesday, February fourth, two years ago, $75. Wednesday, October eighth, last year, $333." Varis looked up at the goat, who was giving him a nasty look that Varis simply rolled his eyes at. "Those are just some of the highlights for this embezzlement. I've actually meticulously scoured every invoice and shipping manifest and piece of paperwork I could find regarding Mallmart. It's all here in black and white." "Over the course of three and a half years, the culprit has skimmed approximately three hundred and forty-two thousand, six-hundred and fourteen dollars, and eleven cents." Doc's voice brooked no nonsense, and Larry looked ready to bolt, flinching back from each syllable as it came from the older owl's beak. "... I-I-I s-see," Larry stammered, looking very nervous to Vary. "Essentially, we're giving the person responsible one chance to fess up, return as much of the money as possible, and then find a way to pay off the rest... or else we will go to the authorities." "So, Larry." Doc said, causing the goat's head to snap up to look at him. "Do you have anything to say?" "I-I'll g-get the money..." Larry mumbled. "Good choice," Angie said, tapping on her phone. The door to the conference room opened and in stepped three security guards, a warthog, a marten, and a buffalo. They said nothing and just stared at Larry, who seemed to shrink down into his seat. "Our helpful security staff here shall escort you over to Niko's office where you two shall start discussing the return of the money. Other than that... get out of my sight," Doc practically spat as he said it. Larry got up and was escorted out of the room. Once they were gone and the door was shut, Doc leaned back in his seat and rubbed his temples. "I hate that we couldn't just call the cops on him right then and there." "Me too, Doc," Angie said, shifting Varis in her arms so that his chin was resting on her shoulder. "But you heard the higher ups. They'd rather get as much of the money back as possible." "True... but I still say that it's asinine. Emphasis on the ass." "Doc! Language!" Varis blushed and tucked his tail between his legs, earls splaying flat on his head. "I'm not a baby, Angie! I've heard and said worse." Varis said, after turning around an pulling out his binky. Angie smiled and took the soother from him, happily popping it right back into his muzzle. "I know you're not a baby, sweetie! But even so, there are just some things your precious little ears don't need to hear. Now, with how fussy you've been during this meeting, I think you could use a nap." Varis was shifted back to looking over her shoulder, much to his annoyance. Though the continued backrubs were helping. "Yes, well... good job, Varis. You... did a great service for the company," Doc said, sounding awkward. "Vary, what do we say when someone says something nice to us?" Angie asked. "Tankoo Dowc," Vary lisped. "Yes, well... keep up the good work then." At that, the older owl turned and exited the conference room. Wow... I think... yeah, this is actually the first real attaboy I've gotten from Doc since... my diagnosis got out! And this is while I was wearing a diaper in front of him! Varis' tail excitedly began to wag, causing Angie to chuckle. "There's the happy puppy! Now, let's get you back down to the daycare! And then you can do some more work after your mandated playtime with Eliza!" * * * "So did you two have fun today?" Josh asked as he walked into the elevator, the extra large diaper bag slung over one shoulder, holding both Eliza and himself to his hips with amazingly little effort. Varis had never been so grateful to spend the rest of the work day in the daycare. Most certainly not because, after his nap, Varis had been enthralled by a puppet show Miss Marla had put on for them. Varis did a double take while Eliza was explaining about the puppet show and the fantastic journey Flopsy the Unicorn had gone on under the sea. He saw that Josh was wearing a blue polo shirt instead of his suit jacket or undershirt. Looking down, he saw that the crocodile had on a pair of khaki shorts. Was the... mess... really that bad? Felt guilty at the thought. "How about you, champ?" Josh asked, smiling as he looked down at the wolf he was carrying. Varis blushed and shook his head. "Huh?" "I was asking you how your meeting went? I know that this was a pretty big day for you..." Josh smiled warmly down at Varis, the latter of whom was fidgeting a bit and unknowingly releasing his bladder into his awaiting diaper. "Uh... it went okay, I guess. Doc and Angie said that Larry's gunna have to pay back the money he stole, or else they'll go to the police. And that the only reason they hadn't already is because the higher ups want to try and get back as much of the money that they can." Josh nodded at this. "It does make sense... though, I imagine that most of that money is long gone..." "Well duh," Eliza chimed in, rolling her eyes as she did so. Her cream-colored dress was hiked up a little as her thickly padded bottom was being cupped by Josh to help carry her. "Really they'd be better writing the money off as a loss, called the cops, and then sued him for what they could afterwards!" "Yet, at the end of the day, this is the path they're choosing to go down, honey-bunny. Now, how about we talk about something much more pleasant?" They were soon out in the parking garage, heading towards Josh's car. "Like what, Daddy?" "Like the fact that a little while ago, Mari called me to let me know about a surprise waiting for you two back at her house." Josh opened the back door and, after setting Lizzy onto her carseat, he then took a moment to check the state of Varis' diaper. "Okay, a bit wet, but I think you'll be good until we can get you home, big guy." Varis whimpered a little. "I-I didn't even feel it..." Varis sniffled a little, earning him a hug from Josh. "Hey now, that's okay. Sometimes we all get a little too distracted to notice small things like that." Josh smiled some more while ruffling Varis' headfur. The babied wolf didn't want to admit it while he was being buckled snugly into his carseat, but Josh helped him to feel a little bit better. Actually, Varis thought while Josh was checking Eliza's diaper and buckling her in to her own carseat Josh really helped me out a lot today. Especially when he didn't even have to... "Uhm... th-thank you, Josh," Varis said as Josh started up the engine. "For what, Buddy?" The crocodile looked back at the big pup in the backseat. "For... really helping me out today... especially with my clothes... and the cleanup..." "Aww, think nothing of it!" Josh smiled brightly. "I'm sorry I couldn't find an open laundromat today and that you couldn't wear at least the top half of your big boy outfit." Varis frowned a little at his suit and tie being called that, but shrugged it off. "Well... anyways, you really did help out when you didn't have to..." "Varis, buddy, we've been buds since before college. And you sometimes need a little extra help with some things now. I really don't mind." Josh winked at Varis in the rearview mirror, before pulling out of the space. Back on the open road, Varis watched the traffic and buildings go by, all while chatting with Lizzy, who really seemed excited to talk about the upcoming new season of Greeney. He was vaguely familiar with the cartoon, knowing it had something to do with a kitten and her family, but didn't know anything beyond that. When this was explained to Elizabeth, her eyes went wide. "... Welp, that decides it then... we're gunna have a watch party at your house for our next playdate!" Lizzy giggled as she bounced in her seat. "J-just because I... kinda maybe needed a d-diaper today, that doesn't mean that I'm gunna suddenly be interested in little baby shows, Lizzy!" Varis insisted, earning him a bop on the nose from the tan bunny with her plush shark. "It's not a baby show! It's a great cartoon! And just for calling it that, we are definitely gunna binge the entire series. Thankfully, you and Mari got me the current box set for my birthday last month! Remember?" Varis swore internally, realizing that his suggestion of the cartoony show in the juvenile section of the TV & Movies aisle to Mari for the babified bunny had just come back around to bite him in the padded butt. "Look, Lizzy. I don't thi--" Varis' voice trailed off at the sight of the big watery sad eyes Lizzy was, once again, unleashing on him. "Oh come on! How is that even fair?!" "It's not!" Lizzy said with a quick giggle brightening up her previously sad-looking face, which she quickly reverted back to. "GAH! FIIIINE! I'll watch a couple episodes with youMPH!" Varis found himself unbuckled and pulled into a surprisingly strong, and near bone-crushing, hug from Eliza. "Yay! You're gunna love it!" "Lizzy! We've talked about this before as well. Good girls do not unbuckle Varis from his carseat to hug him when we are driving, do they?" Josh chastised from the front seat. Lizzy quickly pushed the stunned wolf back into his carseat and rebuckled him back in. "Sorry, Daddy..." "It's okay, princess. But you need to try and remember, okay?" "'Kay!" Lizzy went back to playing with her shark while Varis' head spun. Noticing that the car was pulling to a stop, he saw that they were at the sidewalk in front of his and Mari's house. But his blood turned to ice when he saw the big red truck parked in the driveway, recognizing it immediately. "Th-that's my f-father-in-law's truck!" Varis was not looking forward to meeting Michael, especially dressed as he was now. "Yup! Michael and Bella heard about your diagnosis and came all the way down here to see you and Mari," Josh said, killing the engine and getting out. Varis whimpered while the crocodile collected his little princess, before coming around to grab their diaperbag and then him. Oh gods! Michael's probably trying to convince Mari to divorce me! Or maybe have me put in some kind of MSer group home! That's practically like being at an orphanage! Varis cuddled Mr. Nuggets closer and leaned in to Josh as much as he could. "Hey now, no need to be scared, buddy," Josh said, bouncing Varis a little. "They seemed real excited to get to see you." "I'll bet," Vary mumbled, absentmindedly slipping his binky back into his muzzle. Josh unlocked the front door... causing Varis to briefly wonder why Josh had a key. Then, all of a sudden, Varis was making eye contact with Michael and Bella. Michael was wearing his old green military jacket, his headfur still in the buzz-cut style. Despite Mike being a head shorter than him, Varis had always been a bit intimidated by the fennec fox's muscular build, which was apparent to all who looked at him, even under heavy coats. His tail did wag a little at the sight of Bella. She was wearing a yellow blouse and a long flowing white skirt that reached her ankles. She always had a calming effect on her husband, and looked like the spitting image of her daughter, just slightly older-looking. Varis gulped and braced himself for Mike trying to insist on the divorce. "There's our special boy!" Mike said, walking over with his tail wagging. As he easily took Varis from Josh, the wolf was amazed. He wasn't aware that the older fennec's tail even could wag anymore. "Wh-what's going on?" Varis squeaked out, just before Bella reached over and began to tickle his exposed feet, making him shriek with laughter. "Oh my goodness," she exclaimed while Mike bounced Varis in his arms, "he's even cuter than Mari said!" "He really is!" Mike smiled at his wife and patted Varis on his soggy bottom. He turned to look at Josh, the happy expression his face quickly wiped away. "And you're... Jake, right?" "Uh, J-Josh, Mike." Josh held his hand out for Mike to shake. Mike simply let it hang there for a few moments before shaking it. "Right. And please, call me Mr. Malfort." Huh... that's weird, Varis thought, making a soft nuk sound while sucking his binky, it being audible in the growing awkward silence. That's what he said to me when I first introduced myself to him when me and Mari first started going out. "Michael," Bella said with a stern undertone. "You're right, honey! This is an exciting day!" Mike laughed and raised Varis up over his head. "While this is a little different from regular grandkits, I say that little Vary-Berry here is just as good!" GRAND-WHAT?! Varis' eyes went wide, wanting to say something in his outrage, being stopped when Mike lowered him and began to blow a raspberry on his tummy. Varis squealed and giggled as Mike and Bella fawned over and cooed at him.
  4. Okay, the goat milk being switched with mommy milk has got my brain juices flowing. Mind if I reference Unfair and this particular practice in a Diaper Dimension story idea I came up with? (Giving you total credit, of course!)
  5. Heyo, readers! I got a fresh new one-shot for you all, fresh from my mind oven! I hope that you all enjoy it! And please consider letting me know what you think! Edit: I would have had this story out MUCH sooner, buuuuut my internet went down two Mondays ago during a storm that hit... and it only just now has been fixed. >.< Well, anyways, here it is for your reading pleasure! Big 2 Smol by Panther Cub "All the people just can't see, just can't see! How this fame's changing our reality When we get torn down We can set it right And that makes us bigger That makes us bigger That makes us bigger than life!" Moving as one, their choreography flawless, all five of the singers, dressed in identical silver-sequin suits and ties; spun, kicked, popped and locked and spun one last time, everyone but the skunk in the center crossing their arms. His left paw on his hip, and his right held out, palm up; Trey's voice was the last to fade at the end of the song, finally ending with him winking and blowing a kiss to the audience, just before the smoke and golden confetti blasted out. With that, the lights and the multicolored lasers winked out, and the audience in the packed stadium went wild cheering. Under the cover of darkness, the boys jogged off stage. "THAT WAS AWESOME!!!" The coyote cheered, immediately flopping facefirst into a purple beanbag chair. His bushy tan tail was sweeping back and forth in excitement while he let out a long and contented sigh. "Don't get too comfortable, Luke," Trey said, the skunk was walking out from his personal green room, already having changed out of the stage-costume and into some slacks and a vest, both a dark forest green, with a light lavender dress shirt on underneath. Trey was finishing tying on a silver and green necktie. "Our little stalker got caught trying to sneak in again." "Geeze! You would think that that Vicky girl's parents wouldn't take a fourteen-year-old to a concert and just let her wander off to try and sneak backstage." "I know, bud. But hey, security found her and her mom and dad took her out. We just gotta make sure that security at our concerts know to look out for a pink vixen her age." "Dude," Andy said, the raccoon walking in through the door to their green room and brushing some of the long blonde locks out of his face. "How did you change so fast?" He was presently only wearing the silver sequin slacks. "Because I'm just that awesome, Andy. I take it you've already forgotten where you put your shirt and vest?" Trey asked, rolling his eyes as Andy looked around, scratching his head in confusion. "Huh... I coulda sworn I still had it on... oh well. Easy come, easy go." Andy shrugged and started to make his way over to the pinball machine. "I thought we all agreed we'd end the song together this time, and you wouldn't keep going afterwards." The large and muscular orange cat looking at Trey entered with his arms crossed and huffed. "Sorry, Stone, force of habit," Trey waved his paw dismissively, stopping to inspect his manicured nails. "Yeah, that's what you said the last time, and the time before that." Stone stepped behind the brown folding screen to change out of his own stage outfit. "He makes a pretty good point, Trey," Oscar said, the otter being the last to enter. He walked over to the vanity mirror to begin removing his contacts to switch back to his glasses. "We all agreed that we were going to be equals in this, but at the end of each show, you keep trying to stand out like that." "Not cool, bro," Andy chimed in, dings and chimes coming from the pinball machine as it lit up. "Well excuse me for trying to finish our shows off with a little flourish!" Trey snarked, looking into his dressing mirror and combing his trimmed headfur, making sure that it looked like that special messy and neat he preferred, with a little feathering on the left side. "How about we all come up with our own little flourishes to use at the end of our concerts, that way we all stand out equally?" Luke piped up from his beanbag chair, his tail wagging again. "Sounds awesome, bro." Andy turned to give Luke a fist bump, to which the happy coyote was more than willing to reciprocate. "That's not a bad idea, Luke." Oscar smiled, already cracking open the latest copy of Combat Bots Monthly, his eyes lighting up as he started reading. "It's only fair, Trey," Stone said, stalking out from behind the divider, now wearing his usual torn jeans, black tank top, and green military jacket. The skunk sighed heavily and rubbed his temples. "Okay, fine, whatever, we can all do our own little whatevers at the end of our shows from now on. But we're getting distracted! Did you guys see how packed that arena was tonight?! We should be celebrating!" Walking over to their mini fridge, Trey opened it to pull out five lime green cans, each with an orange splat in the center, on which were written in black letters the word Purge. Handing them all out to each of his friends, Trey smiled brightly. "Guys... we've made it, and made it big! We're getting to do what other nineteen-year-olds can only dream of. Only we took our dream, and we're making it our new reality! And... I guess I just feel lucky." Trey's fluffy black and white-striped tail sank a little. As he spoke, Luke, Andy, Stone, and Oscar started to gather around. Each smiling, their exhaustion and minor annoyances forgotten as they looked down at their own Purge sodas. "Growing up with each other in those foster homes... we were all any of us had. There are other boy bands out there, that were just a group of random guys some record label threw together. But... I get to do this with my best friends, my brothers from other mothers. And I wouldn't have it any other way." Simultaneously, they all pulled the tabs, five hisses rapidly ringing out. "Just you wait and see, fellas," Trey said. "This is just the start of a long and beautiful career. The world will never forget the name Small to Big" "S.T.B.!" Andy cheered, the others cheering with him and tapping their cans against each other. They all took swigs, looking satisfied. Present Day... "And to finish off our list of forgotten has-bins from the '90s, we come to the boy band S.T.B." The red panda lady in a little black dress chuckled and shook her head. "I can't believe that when I was younger, just how obsessed I and my friends were with these guys." The other d-list celebrities on BS1 joined in on the laughter, a chubby alligator in just a blue t-shirt and khakis guffawing especially hard and slapping his knees. "I remember that they started off pretty strong with some bangin' songs, but then when they got too old and their label dropped them, they burned out spectacularly, desperately trying to stay famous! Like when the leader, Trey, tried to become an actor? Only to end up in that gods awful I'm Knowing What Happened Last Winter 2!" Trey huffed and switched off the tv. Rubbing his temples, he sighed. Adjusting his tie, the skunk looked himself in the mirror and smiled. "Alright... showtime!" Trey walked out of the break room and back onto the main floor of the showroom. Without breaking stride, and making sure to get to them before Darryl could, Trey approached the lady he had seen out the breakroom window looking at the blue SUV. "This is a beautiful model that you can't go wrong with. Hi there, I'm Trey Masters, and I'd like to see you go home with this bad boy today." He gave an insincere chuckle as he looked the cute pink-furred vixen, who was gazing at him with a small smile on her lips, up and down. She was wearing a sky blue sundress with a white purse resting on her hip. "Well now, I was wondering if this is a safe family vehicle?" The vixen asked, shaking his paw. "I'm Victoria, by the way." "It is certainly a pleasure to meet you, Miss Victoria. Now, to answer your question, absolutely! This here is the latest in the Mountain Goat's line of SUV's. It was built with safety in mind, as well as families. Why, you could fit a bunch of little ones in the back here and know that they are secured and protected. I hope that you don't mind my asking if you already have some kits." "Oh, not yet, but I'm planning on starting a big family." "Of course. Well, you can't do any better on the K14 model here. The perfect starter car for a, hopefully, soon-to-be young mother like yourself! And one that would allow you to ride in style." As he spoke, something bothered Trey about the vixen, like he felt he'd seen her before. It couldn't be, could it? He wondered to himself but was quick to shake off the thought. That vixen, who had been so obsessed with him and his friends, would be in her forties by now, just like him. Now there's a sad thought... Trey snapped back to the here and now. The vixen standing before him looked only to be in her mid-twenties anyway, so it was all a moot point. "Would it be possible to take it on a little test drive?" Victoria asked, her tail still wagging. "Of course, let me just go and grab the key while you go ahead and speak with Margaret over there so she can make a copy of your license for our records." A few minutes later and Trey was buckling himself into the passenger seat. In the driver's seat sat Victoria, the vixen looking over at Trey and giving him a smile and a wink. Trey started in on his spiel about the vehicle's features, the car leaving the lot and heading out around the block. "So, what do you say?" Trey offered, flashing her his most confident smile. They pulled into the parking lot of a nearby MagWaldo's, where Victoria quickly parked and killed the engine. Trey felt confused when she turned to look at him. "I think we can make a deal right here, Trey." Victoria smiled and leaned over, looking intently into Trey's eyes. "Uh... well, if you'd like, I suppose we could hash out the broad strokes of the price here." The skunk was a feeling a little worried, but brushed it off. A negotiation tactic like this would scare him into going way down on the price. "I will absolutely buy the car, price not at all being an issue. But that's not the deal I wanted to discuss..." Victoria's voice trailed off as she, a bit inelegantly, squirmed in between the front seats to move back and sit next to Trey. She took a moment to adjust her dress and fur, before resuming her confident smile. "I'm afraid I don't understand." Victoria paused to look Trey in his eyes, a smile full of mirth on her lips. "You really don't recognize me, do you?" "W-well, I admit you do seem pretty... familiar... but I can't really place where I know you from. You do have a name very similar to a vixen who stalked me decades..." Trey's eyes went wide as suddenly an icy pang of fear gripped his gut. "V-Vicky?" Victoria, or rather, Vicky, let out an excited, girlish squeal and threw her arms around Trey, pulling the shocked skunk into a bone-crushing hug. "I just knew you'd remember me! I was your guys' biggest fan!" Vicky let Trey go, taking a moment to compose herself once again. "However, I think I can guess as to why you may have dismissed the idea of it being me. My youthful appearance, to which I credit to my company, Regressus Inc.. Specifically one of our fine products that we've been testing for two decades now, and are going to be testing a little while longer before we bring it to market." Trey was stunned into silence, unsure of what to do or say in this moment. His experience as a salesperson told him that that meant he was at a disadvantage when it came to haggling whatever deal Vicky wanted to discuss with him. "Anyways, about my deal. You see, we're diversifying a bit, and going into the music industry. Think of this as a passion project of sorts." "And you would like for me to... consult regarding my experiences in the industry?" Trey scowled as he said it and crossed his arms, looking away. "Well, Vicky, then expect to be stabbed in the back the very first chance you get." Vicky was silent, and when Trey turned around, he saw that she looked downright despondent. "It was so cruel, how your old record label treated you and the others. You were all just kids, putting in the hard work towards living your dreams. And then, when you got just a little older..." Vicky wiped away a tear. "You'll probably enjoy knowing that Hazelenut Records went bankrupt earlier this year." "I heard," Trey said with a smirk, having read about how the CEO was arrested for tax fraud after the bankruptcy was declared. "What you probably didn't hear was how my company purchased a lot of their IP's, including everything to do with STB!!!" Vicky's tail was loudly and rapidly thumping against the seat as she fangirled out again. "I see..." Trey sighed. "And you'd like for me and maybe the rest of the group to get back together to coach some kind of next generation BTS reboot?" "Not quite," Vicky hummed as she pulled out a clear perfume bottle, and turned to sprits him in the face with the purple liquid inside. "What the--" Trey started hacking and coughing. He felt a tingling sensation that spread out from his face to all the rest of him. It briefly intensified before it abated. "Vicky, what the hell was that?!" Trey asked, noticing his voice sounded... different. He tugged at his sleeves, stopping when he saw that the shirt was actually a bit looser on his frame than it had been. He saw Vicky was holding up a mirror which she handed to him, her tail still thumping. "They say seeing is believing. I came up with the formula myself!" Trey took the mirror and looked into it in wonder, seeing a face looking back at him that he hadn't seen in about twenty years. In fact, right around the age of nineteen was how the skunk in the mirror now looked, the scant few wrinkles around his eyes he'd been developing, gone, as though they'd never existed. "I-I look..." "Younger?" "I'M GORGEOUS... AGAIN!" Vicky giggled while also looking a tad smug. "I actually did what no one else has been able to. I figured out the key to actually reversing the aging process." "How long until it wears off?" Trey asked, getting lost in the eyes of his own reflection, like he used to, before it started to become painful to see his aging creeping up on him over the years. "It doesn't," Vicky stated this just so matter-of-factly, Trey had to do a double take. "What?!" "You are now in the physical prime of your youth once again. And now you'll age normally like every other nineteen-year-old out there." "... I see... so you want me and the guys to be the spokespeople for your company while you sell this stuff to the wealthy?" "Oh please, Trey, don't be so naive." Vicky waived a dismissive paw. "I'm making my special compound cheap enough for anyone to buy some if they'd like. Oh sure, I could probably make a large payday by only catering to the rich and famous, but that is nothing compared to what I stand to make with this available to anyone who's ever wanted to turn back the clock for themselves. Because what will inevitably happen to everyone who does buy it?" Trey thought for a moment. "They'll grow old again..." Vicky nodded. "And again, and again, and again, however many times they want." Trey mulled this major revelation over. "So, wait, what about overpopulation? Won't the masses returning to their primes cause the birth rates to... I dunno, skyrocket? Or at least increase even more over time?" "That was taken into consideration, and I believe I have found a solution for that as well. But that is strictly on a need-to-know basis, at least until the first round of trials are complete." "How young?" Trey asked, looking at the bottle in Vicky's paws. "Excuse me?" "What's the youngest you've made someone with that stuff?" "A rough estimate put a tester in middle adolescence, but that's as far back as any tester has gone. So, now would you like to hear my deal?" "Deal?" Trey felt a little overwhelmed but tried to keep his wits. "As I said, we're diversifying, and my own personal passion project is to get you, Stone, Luke, Oscar, and Andy; all back together to reboot STB! I want to provide for you five what you'd been denied all those years ago." Trey's ears perked, hearing that he could basically have a second chance. They all could. "B-but... why?" Vicky's tail started to thump against the seat again as she giggled. "I'm now, always have been, and always will be, your biggest fan! What do you say?" Vicky held out her paw to shake. Trey hesitated only for a moment, before smiling wide and shaking it. "I'm in! But... I don't really know how to get in touch with the others..." Trey's ears drooped as he looked downcast. "We kinda split apart and... lost touch." "Hey," Vicky said, leaning over to pull Trey into a hug, silently rubbing his back as she did so. "Don't worry, sweetie! I've already located the others! I figured you could help me sell this idea to them." Trey excitedly nodded his head. He'd always hated how things had ended. But he truly had a second chance to do things right, and he wasn't going to squander it. "Good! Now, let's head on back to your dealership where I'll buy this lovely model, and then we can get started on literally getting the band back together!" Vicky started up the engine again. "So... I was the first one you approached with this idea?" Trey asked, looking at his reflection and touching his face. "You were always the wheeler and dealer of the band. When it came to convincing the others to go along with one of your ideas, your silver tongue was second to none." "... Flattery will get you everywhere." Trey chuckled, leaning back in the seat while the car started driving back the way they had come. "If we really want to get everyone back together and to go along with the plan, we'll need to convince Stone next. He'll be the biggest nay-sayer, always having to be the broody buzz-kill." * * * Stone's tail swished back and forth in agitation as he turned the socket wrench, looking down at the engine with a scowl. "C'mon ya damn bastard!" The orange cat in the blue mechanic jumper grunted, and turned the wrench a few more times before sighing. Trey sat on a stool next to Vicky, the two looking on while Stone finished up on the current engine. He grabbed a rag and started to wipe some of the sweat and oil from his face before he turned to face his guests. "Just so I'm clear on what you're trying to sell me. This is Trey," he motioned to the skunk, now dapperly dressed in an old blue and green pinstriped suit, smirking at his former boy bandmate. "And you're Vicky, our stalker. You invented a youth serum and have your own company, and you want to get STB back together, make us young again, so we can pick up where we left off?" "That's a gross oversimplification... but pretty much," Vicky said with a casual shrug. Stone simply rolled his eyes and looked the skunk up and down. "I'll admit, you look a lot like Trey back when we were in our twenties. But I'm not an idiot, unlike Trey, who didn't know when to just let it go." Trey huffed at that, puffing out his chest. "At least I didn't just give up on our dream just because of one little setback!" Stone chuckled at that. "Yeah, that's exactly something Trey would say. In fact, I think he said it right before he starred in that dumb movie, had that little on-air meltdown, and nuked any chance of salvaging his career." Vicky put a comforting paw on the clearly agitated Trey's shoulder, giving a warm smile to both him and Stone. "I think now would be best for the demonstration." The red vixen held up the perfume bottle. Stone opened his mouth to say something, but was immediately cut off by getting a full spray right in the face. "ACK!!!" Stone began to cough, the tingling sensation overtaking him, all while Trey smirked, looking pleased. "WHAT WAS THAT?!" Stone snarled. "Inside voice, please," Vicky said, wagging a finger at him. "And you've been given a free dose of my special formula. If you don't believe me, you can see the results for yourself." She picked up a detached side mirror off a nearby table and held it out to the cat. He swiped it from her paws to look at himself, and froze when he peered into the reflective surface. "No way," was all Stone could say after a minute of inspecting himself. He looked himself over, finding that his jumpsuit was now feeling a tad looser than it had been. Rolling up the sleeves, he saw that the muscles on his arms were now much less pronounced, still obviously the arms of someone who pumped iron, but still. "Yes way, Stoney," Trey said, pointing a pair of finger guns at the feline. Stone turned to look at the skunk... and reached over to put him in a headlock. "OW! STONE, WHAT GIVES?!" "Trey, what have you gotten me mixed up in now?!" Stone snarled. "Dude! We're getting our second chance at success! I thought you'd be happy!!" Stone groaned and released Trey, who stumbled back and started to adjust his suit and tie, and to smooth down any mussed up fur. "You also thought tricking me into going to Meowxico with you to audition for that Spanielish-only soap opera would make me happy as well!" Stone put his paws on his hips. Trey shrugged while looking incredulous. "And we could have totally been perfect for Silencio Mortal!" "Trey, the only Spanielish we know is two years of high school's worth!" Stone was now rubbing his temples, prompting Vicky to start rubbing his back, which in turn caused him to flinch and back away. "Stone, you can't tell me that you don't miss it," Trey said. "You can't expect me to believe that you are living your dream, being a scooter mechanic for a living." "Hey! These are legitimate motorcycles!" "Stone, the one you're working on is a Scooter Booter model." The skunk was gentle in how he said it, but it still made the cat look down at the little motorized scooter engine. Stone let out a frustrated breath and looked away. "Of course I miss it," he said in a soft voice. "I miss being on stage, the screaming fans... and getting to be with my friends..." He looked back to make eye contact with Trey. "Fine... I guess it's worth a shot." Trey flashed his signature grin and pulled Stone into a hug. "Alright, that just leaves Luke, Oscar, and Andy!" * * * "Crikey!" Luke said, in a fake Mousetralian accent. The coyote's tail began to wag in excitement as he peered through his binoculars from where he was hiding in the dense jungle foliage, his cliched safari outfit not doing a thing to help him blend in. "There she is. The rare green striped Kowmodo Dragon! They can grow to almost ten feet long and weigh up to a hundred and fifty pounds of pure muscle! An absolute apex predator! A common misconception is that their bite is laced with especially deadly bacteria that helps in bringing down large prey through sepsis! The reality is that the bacteria in their saliva is normal to saliva found in other carnivorous species' mouths, maybe even a bit cleaner. As after a feeding, they will spend up to fifteen minutes licking their lips and using leaves to clean their mouths and teeth! However, that doesn't change the fact that they're still incredibly dangerous reptiles. And now, for no real reason I can think of, I'm gunna try to wrestle that beauty there so we can move her to a safer environment, rather than try and tranquilize her or something." "Luke, who are you talking to?" Trey asked from the bench he, Stone, and Vicky were sitting on, which just so happened to be right next to the bush that Luke was crouched in. All around them were people and families, enjoying an outing at the Zoo. "Hey now, I gotta do something to make it a little more fun for me," Luke said with a smirk. "You went to college and got a degree in Zoology, just to end up working here?" Stone asked incredulously. "Beats a motorcycle mechanic who spends his days working on scooters." Luke stuck his tongue out at the orange cat, who let out a hiss. "You told him?!" Stone whirled on Trey, who was doing his best to look innocent while he twiddled his thumbs. "It just kinda came up organically..." "You little blabbermouth!" "That's enough, boys," Vicky said. "Now, what do you think about the compound now that you've gotten to experience it yourself?" "This stuff is great!" The late-teenaged coyote yipped in excitement, practically leaping out of the bush. "But I just don't know about the whole reunion tour idea. I mean, I [i[]did[/i] get a degree in Zoology for my position here. And it really doesn't get any better than this." Just then, the radio on Luke's belt crackled to life. "Hey, Luke, I know that this is your lunch break, but I'm gunna need you to hit up the north entrance restrooms, as some little punk flushed a cherry bomb and now all the toilets have backed up and started overflowing with sewage. Don't forget your mop this time, over." Luke looked down at his walkie and sighed. "... Okay, I'm in." * * * "Alright, I'll admit, this is pretty amazing," Oscar said, looking at his paws in amazement. The otter had had to quickly grab his pants after his dosage of the compound kicked in, the belly he'd grown having rapidly melted away. "It's our big second-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" Trey said, throwing his arms wide. They were in Oscar's small apartment, Stone, Luke, and Vicky all sitting on the couch, playing a game on a console that looked partially taped together. All around the apartment were electronic parts and disks and fast food wrappers. "But, Trey," Oscar said with a roll of his eyes, "I'm on the verge of a gaming breakthrough! My new console will make virtual reality an actual reality!" "How soon do you think that that will actually be?" "... A couple more years, maybe. Just gotta test the neural interface... without shocking myself again..." "Oscar," Trey softly said, putting is paw on the otter's shoulder. "How long have you been estimating that it'll just be a couple more years?" "... Ten years? Give or take..." "Just imagine what kind of resources you could have access to with the kind of money we can make? You could even start up your own game company!" Oscar looked lost in thought, his eyes wide like saucer plates. "Oh yeah, we got him," Trey quietly leaned down to whisper into Vicky's ear. The vixen grinned. "Just one more," the vixen said. * * * Andy was laying in a white lounger by the motel pool, wearing his bright green/blue swim trunks, and a pair of aviator sunglasses. He was sipping a drink through a long green crazy straw that led down to a coconut with a pink umbrella in it. The raccoon let out a relaxed sigh, not noticing the red-furred paw and arm holding a perfume bottle approach him from behind. There was a spritz, and Andy didn't even cough. He just felt the tingle all over, and looked to see he had abs again, instead of the beginnings of a pot belly. He looked to the side, quirking an eyebrow in surprise to see his bros once more. "Hey, dudes," Andy nodded to them, taking another sip of his drink. "You guys look younger than when I last saw you." "Thanks," Trey said. "So do you." "Cool." Trey and the others waited for a question for further info... but watched in stunned amazement when Andy laid back down and resumed sipping his drink. "... Wanna do a reunion tour now that we're young again?" Trey asked, feeling incredulous for asking. "Sounds good to me." Andy gave a thumbs up, not noticing the bewildered looks on everyone's, including Vicky's, faces. "Well... that was easy," Trey said, scratching his head in confusion. One Month Later... It had been so strange, yet fun, for the boys to pick up where they'd left off. With the press conferences, they easily fell back into their usual roles with all the fun and silly banter. When it came to practicing their choreography and rehearsals, there was a little bit of an adjustment period, but they soon were able to move in sync while harmonizing, just like before. They all wasted no time when it came to writing new songs for the concert, to be used along with their classics. Soon, it came time for the kickoff to their big reunion tour, with the venue booked at the Howlywood Bowl. There was even going to be an orchestra accompanying their performance for the introduction and the closer. The night of the concert, Trey looked out onto the crowd packing the bleachers. "Guys, this place is packed!" The skunk exclaimed, gesturing with his arms for the others to come and see. He was wearing a bright white, with blue pinstripe, suit vest and pants with a blue undershirt, to match the blue and white necktie he had on. "I didn't think people would be this hyped to see us." Oscar gulped, pressing his nose against the window. The otter was wearing an open white denim vest revealing a blue t-shirt on underneath with white slacks. He accessorized with three blue and white belts, matching wristbands, and a baseball cap. "Why wouldn't they be? We were awesome!" Luke yipped and practically jumped up and down where he stood, looking over their shoulders. His outfit was a white Pawaiian shirt with blue flowers on it, opened to show off a blue tank top. He was also wearing white cargo shorts and blue and white pooka shells. "Anyone else wondering why there seems to be a lot of families with small kids here?" Stone frowned while looking down at the audience, his arms crossed. His white leather jacket with its blue spikes showed off his bare orange furred chest. The jeans he wore, acid-washed, somehow matched the overall color theme for tonight's concert. "Please don't tell me that we signed on to become some new off-brand version of The Wriggles." "Nah," Trey said, waving off Stone's concerns. "A lot of Regressus Inc.'s core demographic for us are families, specifically those around our... previous age, with young children, so that we can ensnare our original fans while also growing a new generation of them from the ground up. They were easy to market us to thanks to Regressus also having a lot of popular childcare products." "Like Snuggies diapers." Stone shuddered. He made it no secret he wasn't a fan of kids, especially babies. "Gotta give Vicky credit, she is one savvy business dude." The other four turned to see Andy playing the pinball machine. "Andy... where's your shirt?" Oscar asked, already pre-rolling his eyes at the answer he was expecting. The raccoon looked down to see his fuzzy chest and abs, but no white with a blue diagonal slash v-neck. All he had on were his blue and white board shorts. He looked around a bit and shrugged. "I had it on a minute ago." Luke burst out laughing. "Dude! How are you still losing your shirts? It was, like, less than a minute since you had it on." The coyote boy could barely catch his breath. Andy just shrugged again and resumed his game. "Okay!" Trey clapped his paws together once to get everyone's attention. He looked at his watch. "The show will be starting soon, but there's one more surprise I wanted to share with you guys." He went over to a cooler and kicked it open, revealing five tall cans of Purge sitting in the ice. He grabbed them and started to hand them out to the others. "Woah, I haven't seen one of these since the new millennium!" Oscar said, gazing at the green and orange can in his paws in amazement. "The company bought the rights to it after it was discontinued," Trey explained, holding his can up. "Now... like these drinks, let's give the folks out there a taste of a true blast from the past. Tonight, Small to Big makes its new debut." The others happily clinked their cans, even stone, who wore a small smirk on his face, before cracking them open. A short while later, the lights dimmed, and a fog began to roll out from the stage. Blue and white lights cut on, and that's when the music started. "Everybody, yeah." The crowd went wild when five distinct silhouettes suddenly appeared in the fog. "It's time to party, yeah." Slowly, the lights began to shift and move, making the silhouettes of the boys larger and then smaller. "Everybody, yeah. It's a party night." As one, all five of the boy spun and leapt out from the fog, landing in struck poses. "Small to Big's back, TONIGHT!" As they danced and sang, the boys moved as a well-oiled machine. Incorporating their new dance moves with the classics, they did the same with the songs. Introducing the new with the old. Lights shafted and faded and flashed. The fog swirled and changed, no longer billowing out, but seemingly being pulled back onto the stage. Just as the boys were getting to their big finale and stood at their marks, now to each give their own little flares, instead of it just being Trey, small little slots opened right under them in the stage. Stone looked down, a little confused, just before all five were blasted with a white and purple fog that each of them realized smelled faintly of baby powder. The boys coughed as bright white lights shone down on them, suddenly recognizing a familiar tingling sensation. With a sudden sense of vertigo, all five stumbled and fell. Getting back to now much shakier feet, Trey looked out and saw a frozen audience, staring in awe right at them. He around at the others, and paused. Where his four friends had once stood were now four little toddlers, dressed almost identically to how they'd been dressed before, with one key difference. "Wh-where'd my pants go?" An orange kitten in a tiny white leather vest squeaked, trying to use his little paws to hide his bulky blue and white diaper. "S-Stone?" Trey asked, stopping when he actually heard his voice. It was so high pitched and... childish. He looked from Stone to Luke, who was just wearing a little Pawaiian shirt and tank top, also with a diaper on display. Oscar wasn't much better, his baseball cap, while smaller, was still a little too big for him now, and he had to constantly adjust it, crinkling as he did so. The little otter pup and the coyote cub looked like they were on the verge of tears. Andy, while seemingly just as nonplussed as the rest of their group, was wearing just a swim diaper, and hugging his big bushy tail to his chest. Trey looked back at Stone, who was now sucking his thumb and hastily swiping at his eyes. Trey could hear unsure murmurs coming from the crowd. The little skunk kit straightened his posture, tried to ignore what felt like a pillow taped around his waist, and clapped his paws together once, to get the rest of his friends' attention. "Guys," he whispered, covering up the now much smaller mic with his paw, ignoring how fluffy the his fur now looked. "Focus!" "What happened to us?!" Stone whisper-hissed at Trey, who just shrugged. "We can find out later... right now, we're losing the audience. The show must go on!" That got the others' attention. Some of the whispers turned into excited coos at the cuteness of the boys, something Trey chose to ignore. "Isn't that supposed to be for acting?" Oscar asked, a whine in his childish voice. "That doesn't matter! We lost out on our dream once before, I'm not letting anything take our big second chance away from us this time. Now, are you guys with me?" Trey did his best to sound authoritative, the beginning guitar intro of their song starting Stone, Andy, Oscar, and Luke shared a look, and then nodded back at Trey. It took a second for them to get back into position, but they did so just in time for Trey to spin and start singing the opening lyric. "You are my inner spark." Despite the now high pitch of his voice, Trey still fell back on his vocal training. "You sing to my heart," sang Stone, right on cue. The crowd was silent, enraptured by the performing toddlers who barely looked old enough to walk, let along talk. "Our two worlds shall never part." Luke came in, not missing a beat. "Can you hear my soul say?" Oscar seemed to have recovered, perhaps channeling his confusion and frustration into his singing. "I want you to stay!" Andy spun and snapped his fingers, a smile on his little muzzle. The crowd began to cheer, still very much confused, but amazed and excited nonetheless. On through the song the boys sang. Their dancing was a little more clumsy now, but they didn't stop. Finally, they got to the end of the song, harmonizing on the last lyric. "'Cause I want you to stay!" There was a BOOM, and the blue and white fireworks began going off above. The crowd cheered and the stage darkened, with stage hands quickly scooping up and whisking away the boys. The moment that they were no longer in sight of the audience and their mics were unclipped, five high-pitched, very indignant voices could be heard demanding answers. "Oh my gosh! You all turned out so cute!" Vicky squealed when the boys were carried in to the special green room she had had prepared for them. The pink vixen's tail was a blur as she rushed over and gathered all five into her arms, quickly dismissing the stage hands. "What do you think of your special surprise?" She smiled happily down at the tots in her arms, walking them towards a playpen in the center of the room. "This is an outrage!" Trey piped up, waddling to the far end of the playpen the moment he was set down. Stone huffed and glared up at Vicky, standing protectively in front of Luke and Oscar, who were hugging each others' tails and looking once again to be on the verge of tears. Andy had a pacifier in his mouth... and was now playing with his big bushy tail. "What did you do to us?!" Stone demanded, stamping his foot. "Well, I take I that you five didn't read the contracts too closely, huh?" Vicky giggled. The boys turned to shoot Trey a pointed look, causing the skunk to look down at his feet. "I mean... once I read our percentages of profits and royalties... I guess maybe I skimmed the rest..." Trey admitted, yelping when he felt a sharp pain in his right arm. Looking up, he saw that Stone had pinched him. Victoria, contracts in paw, cleared her throat. "Don't pinch your brother, Stone, sweetie." "Brother?" Stone asked, confused. "Right after the liability documents was this cute little form that you all signed, basically declaring that, you all being of sound mind and body, hereby waive away your rights as adults upon being regressed to the physical ages of minors and agree to the adoption!" "ADOPTION?!" All five of the boys cried out in shock. "That's right! All signed and notarized and filed away!" "V-Vicky... you can't be serious?" Luke started, trying to be the voice of reason. "Uh-uh-uh," Vicky tutted, waving a finger at Luke. "Mommy, hun." "B-but, this can't be legal!" Oscar insisted, falling on his padded bottom. "Oh, Oscar," Vicky said, reaching in to start tickling his little feet, causing the little otter to giggle and titter. "My lawyers have assured me that this is perfectly legal. Now, I know that this will take some time to get used to." She looked down at all five of the tots, smiling brightly. "But once I invented my special formula, I knew what I needed to do." "Turn us into babies?!" Stone asked angrily. "Well, yes. But the reason behind that is because you five each had such a rough time of things during your first childhood. Then you got taken advantage of by those terrible people at your old record company! And then you all broke apart... I just knew I could give you a second chance, a perfect second chance at that! With all the love and support you could ever need!" "Th-this is insane!" Trey said, the dam beginning to burst, and the tears spilling forth. He felt himself being scooped up and cradled in the vixen's arms. "I promise, Trey, to give you and your brothers the happiest childhood ever," Vicky whispered, grabbing a baby bottle from a nearby diaper bag. As she bought the bottle to his lips, he looked up into her eyes. "D-does my h-hair still look good at least?" Epilogue... "Oh my gods! They are just so precious!" The red panda gushed as she watched the clip of the latest sensation. "That's right, once again we are looking at the most recent concert performed by the world's first ever 'baby boy band', Big 2 Smol! For those living under a rock the last few months, here's the juicy scoop. The old boyband from the '90s, Small to Big reunited for a reunion tour and, as the finale of their first big concert, they were regressed all the way back to babyhood! They've been touring singing their classic hits and some all new ones! And this was all possible to Regressus Inc's amazing literal age-reversing formula!" The tv was switched to a channel with some educational cartoons on it. "Hey!" Trey whined from where he was seated, safely buckled into his personal high chair. Vicky, now with some bags under her eyes, sighed and started to stir the bowl of baby food, scooping out a spoonful and holding it up to the petulant little skunk's now firmly clamped shut mouth. "Trey, honey, this is a pureed mix of healthy fruits and vegetables, perfect to help you grow up big and strong, again." Vicky reasoned, prompting Trey to turn his nose up and his face away. "Nu-uh! That stuff tastes yucky! Besides, you said we could eat solid foods again!" "Yes, once in a while something a bit more solid is fine, but you still need plenty of easy foods for your little tummies to process! And lots of formula and milk too." Vicky started to make chugging noises. Trey huffed at that and pouted. He already had some of the green goops smeared on his cheeks and splattered on his white bib. "Choo-Choo! Open up the tunnel, the Chew-Chew Express is on its way." When Vicky got the spoon close to Trey's lips, he smacked it away. Vicky sighed and set the bowl down. "Alright then, little mister," she said, starting to unbuckle the now squirming skunk kit from his seat. "If you're not ready for those num-nums, then milkies it is." "Finally! Can I please have some chocolate milky, Mommy?" He asked, making his eyes wide, having been the first of his brothers to learn to weaponize their newfound cuteness. Vicky sighed and then chuckled, cradling the little skunk in her arms. "If you stop being so fussy today, then you can have a choccy baba before naptime. Right now, however..." Vicky trailed off, unbuttoning her white blouse. Trey froze when he suddenly realized what Vicky intended. He tried to resist, to fight his instincts, but after a few weak struggles, he lay there, being rocked as he nursed. Victoria sighed contentedly as she gazed down at Trey, feeling a warmth swell in her chest. Just then, she whipped her head around, her ears twitching, the weariness in her eyes quickly returning. "Stone! Give your brother back his toy right now, mister!" Vicky said with a stern tone to her voice as she looked at the orange kitten in his black t-shirt and denim shortalls clutching a purple teddy bear to his chest. He was running away from a teary-eyed Oscar, in a pair of red overalls; who was reaching for said teddy bear. "He keeps bopping me with it when I'm tryin' ta color!" Stone lisped around his binky. "Fine, but give him back mister Grapey first!" Stone rolled his eyes and held out the stuffy to the little otter pup. Oscar took his little stuffed friend from the kitten, and popped his thumb into his mouth, waddling off. Vicky let out a pent-up sigh, only to do a double-take when she watched Andy casually waddle by, wearing a clearly full diaper, and sucking a bottle of juice. "Andrew? Where's your onesie?!" Vicky asked, remembering she'd dressed the little raccoon in a yellow legless onesie. Andy stopped and appeared confused. He silently looked himself over and them around a little. He turned back to Victoria and simply shrugged, toddling off. Just then in ran a wailing Luke, wearing a set of footie pajamas with dinosaurs on it. The little coyote pup holding up his little paw for Vicky to see. "MOMMY!!!" He cried, tears dribbling down his cheeks. "I found a cool little ant and was playing with it, and then it stung me!!!" Luke fell on his padded bottom, wailing even louder. Vicky scooped him up into her free arm and started to bounce him, trying to soothe the pup. "It's okay, baby, Mommy will make it all better!" Vicky winced when she heard Trey start to fuss. He started to join in the crying, soon followed by a tearful Oscar, and a Stone who was trying hard not to cry, and failing. Andy came waddling back in, his bottle now empty, also joining in the crying fit. Victoria looked at her boys, letting out yet another sigh of exhaustion. But, as she set about trying to calm her boys down, she had a small smile on her muzzle. "No one said motherhood would be easy." Writing this was like a fever dream for some reason! I hope everyone's year, so far, has been wonderful! Thanks for reading!
  6. Varis opened his eyes and stretched, letting out a yawn. The wolf smiled for a bit, the grin on his muzzle growing wider as Mari's face appeared over his. "Did someone have himself some sweet dreams? I think he did," the fennec vixen said with a coo. "Mownin' Mawi!" Varis's eyes went wide as he heard his childish lisp. Looking at the tip of his muzzle, he could see a white and blue object bobbing in and out. Reaching for it and giving a tug, Varis held the pacifier up to inspect with a frown. He suddenly remembered the previous night when his wife offered him the soother and a plush tiger to cuddle to help him sleep. He scowled as he subconsciously cuddled Mr. Nuggets close to his chest. "I don't think I like sleeping with a binky or a plushie, Mari," Varis said as he got up and headed towards the bathroom, wincing from the feeling of the soaked and swollen night time diaper now drooping from his hips. Realizing he still was holding the toy close, he huffed and set it on the dresser next to the bathroom door. Mari said nothing but simply smiled and set the binky into the chest pocket of the overall Mr. Nugget was wearing. Varis gazed at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, not happy with the sight before him. There stood a grown wolf in his twenties, albeit late twenties, wearing his favorite bright green pajama top... with a thick green and blue diaper taped around his waist, the smiling comet on the front having faded. He let out a weary sigh, knowing full well that when he got done with his morning shower, there would be a paw-up awaiting him still in lieu of his normal boxers. Despite his initial estimate when he and Mari had first gotten him the training pants, he was still using them. He made a face of disgust while untaping his diaper, thankful it wasn't messy, as that would have required more help from Mari. Balling it up and tossing it into the trash, he turned on the shower, waiting for the water to warm up before getting in. Normally, his showers were a time of peaceful reflection on work, or a time to let his mind drift and his imagination out to play in a daydream while his body went through the motions of cleaning himself. Try as he might to relax, he couldn't get the thought of the paradoxical nature of paw-ups out of his head. On the one paw, they were a sign of maturity and that first step towards independence for toddlers and perhaps some late-blooming little pups. A step towards the ever mysterious complexities of adulthood. But for those diagnosed with MS? It was the exact opposite. Training pants were a sure sign of immaturity, and a great big leap back towards dependence and, for most MSers at least, the simplicity of babyhood. Rinsing off his ocean mist body wash, Vary gave a great big shake before stepping out to start drying himself with a towel. The finished product being a now much floofier Varis, who hated how much more puppy-like his puffed-out looking fur was now. Did my fur always fluff out this much after a shower? He thought to himself, quickly dismissing the idea. He briefly wondered if Mary would start insisting on giving him bubble baths. Before his diagnosis, he would have chuckled at the notion and accepted, knowing full well that that would quickly lead to a rather... 'intimate' situation. Now though, it would still be intimate, just not in the way he would have preferred, probably with her humming some catchy MSer song or even giving him some bath toys to play with. That thought did however spark another one in his head, wondering about when the last time he and Mari had actually been 'intimate' with one another was. The more he dwelled on it, the more he realized that it had been a while before his diagnosis. Trying to recall the memory, it actually felt rather... hazy. He then tried to imagine him and Mari being 'intimate'... yet... something about it felt... gross? "No," he said quietly to himself, "that can't be right! We've been... like that plenty of times before, heck, even before we were married!" He internally clamped down on a sense of dread. "Is this disease going to strip that away from me too?" He hung his head and wiped his eyes. Internally, he knew that it, unfortunately, made sense. He'd been making some inquiries about his condition lately, and found that MSers tended to lose any sort of a libido. Most sources seemed to agree that MSers often became very... innocent, about such things. What that meant, exactly, Varis didn't know, as the thought alone had made him so uncomfortable he'd shut his laptop and needed to be cuddled by Mari afterwards. He jumped at the sudden gentle knock on the bathroom door. "Vary, baby? Are you okay in there? Do you need any help?" Maris' voice, full of care and concern, came from behind the closed door. "Y-yeah, M-Mari, I'm fine! Just finishing up is all!" "Okay, sweetie! You'd better hurry up then, don't want to be late on your special day at work!" His tail tucked and his ears drooped at the reminder of his 'special day'. Thanks to anti-discriminatory labor laws regarding MSers, Varis couldn't just be fired simply because of his condition. However, those same laws also required some new... adjustments at work. The big one being a requirement for him to spend a certain amount of time each day at the company daycare having some mandatory play and activity time. As well as a mandatory naptime. It also meant that a staff member trained in childhood care and MSer care would have to check in on him and assist with his needs, especially bathroom needs. He could only imagine how much grumbling Doc Juniper most likely made about these required accommodations, not that Varis was thrilled about them being required either. He'll just have to work twice as hard to prove that he was still just as capable as any of the rest of the staff! Puffing out his chest, he exited the bathroom, to find Mari standing there, holding open the Paw-Up for him, ready to step inside and start his day. He looked at the Cretaceous Park logo's t-rex skeleton silhouette, imagining it was smirking up at him. "Th-thanks, M-Mari," Varis stuttered, some of his bravado already faltering a bit in the wake of his wife's gentle and loving smile. "Always, baby." Mari's bushy tail wagged a little as Varis took one step, and then the other into the awaiting garment. She pulled it up his legs and checked to make sure it fit nice and snug, making sure to adjust the tape above the tail hole. She gave his bottom a pat to signal she was done. He turned around, about to head to the closet to grab his pants and shirt, until Mari wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "I'm just so proud of you, honey," Mari said, her voice filled with love. "After everything that's happened, here you are, still pushing forward. Just please try to remember to not burn yourself out, okay hun?" "Uhm... 'Kay, Mari." Varis felt very small in that moment, but Mari's arms encircled him protectively, bringing with them a sense of safety and security that helped calm his nerves and ease his mind. His tail started wagging and he let out a giggle when Mari nuzzled his cheek. "Now, if you need any help getting dressed, let me know. And while you're getting ready for work, I'll make you a special yummy breakfast for your tummy. Yes I will!" Mari cooed to him, reaching up to boop his nose, eliciting a sneeze. His tail started to wag a little slower, but he was intrigued by the idea of a special breakfast. A part of him hoped it was cookies! After Mari left, he quickly got dressed for the day, though not without having a little trouble managing the button and zipper on his slacks, and the buttons for his suit shirt. Luckily putting on his tie was still something he could do on autopilot. After a quick brush of his fur and a check in the mirror, Varis left the bedroom and walked to the kitchen. "Chocolate chip waffles?!" Varis' eyes went wide while his tail became a blur while he gazed upon the plate of the stacks of the still steaming chocolate-chip goodness. He spotted Mari spooning some more batter into their waffle iron, giving him a smile. "Today's a special occasion for my big brave man. So he gets a special breakfast." Mari cooed to him some more, not that he minded in that instant. He had chocolate chip waffles that urgently required his attention. He took a seat at the table and was just about to reach for one of the two plates, only to have his paws shooed away. Mari smiled and nuzzled him some more, reaching over to grab the plate herself. Varis felt a tickle around his neck, and looked down to see a white bib with a bright blue ducky on it. When did she manage to put that on me? He wondered to himself. "A b-bib? Seriously, Mar-Mar?" Mari drizzled the amber maple syrup over the waffles, making sure they got an even spread. "Well, you can be a bit of a messy eater, Vary." She explained, grabbing a canister of whipped cream and sprawing some on top in a neat little coil. She then set the plate down in front of the wolf, along with a fork and a butter knife. "And that's especially true for pancakes and waffles. So this way, you can enjoy your special breakfast and not have to worry about getting your work clothes all sticky." She kissed him on the cheek, to which Varis grumbled some more under his breath about the infantile garment, but decided against trying to argue the point. His tail resumed its frantic wagging as he dug in. The heavenly sweetness played on his tongue, sending him into a state of bliss while he ate, not even upset that his orange juice came in a sippi cup. When he was finished, he saw that Mari was giggling and snapping a picture with her phone. "What's so funny?" Mari then turned her phone around to show that he had syrup and whipped cream and chunks of waffles smeared around his cheeks and muzzle, with even more splattered on his bib. Looking down, he blushed as he saw that it had been an accurate depiction. Looking back up, he was blindsided by Mari carefully scrubbing at his face with a damp washcloth. "Hold still, my messy boy, and we'll get you all cleaned up in no time!" He winced, recalling Mari using that exact same sentence the last time she'd had to change him after he'd woken up in the middle of the night with a full sleep-diaper. She then removed the bib and gave him a once-over with her eyes, satisfied that there wasn't a spot on him. "Alrighty, now you go ahead and take care of your brushing those teeth! Josh will be here any minute to take you to work!" "'Kay," Varis said with a mumble and a blush. There was no denying that Mari was viewing him in a much more childish light. As he double-checked to make sure his paw-up was still dry, he reluctantly internally saw her point. It didn't take him long to clean his teeth and then go and grab his briefcase, opening it to check and make sure that all the important documents and papers for work were right where they belonged. He sighed upon seeing the two spare paw-ups, and bit back a groan at the sight of one of his sleep diapers folded up with them. Undoubtedly for his naptime. The ring of the doorbell prevented him from reflecting too heavily on it. Snapping the briefcase shut, Varis walked over and opened the front door, with Josh happily waiting on the other side. "Hey there, buddy," the towering crocodile said, reaching over to ruffle Vary's headfur. Varis pouted at that and looked away. "Good morning, Josh." "Are you excited for your big day?" "Oh yeah. It's gunna be a goodie gumdrop kind of day for me." "Vary, be nice." Mari lightly scolded, prompting Varis' ears to droop while he mumbled an apology to the bemused Josh. "Aw, don't sweat it, big guy. My baby bun-bun said a lot worse when she was getting settled in to her new routines involving her MS." Josh chuckled before turning to Mari. "And please don't fret, Mari. I swear I'll keep an eye on Vary. Plus, I just know that he and Eliza are gunna have fun playing together today." Why does this sound like some sort of playdate?! Varis huffed and leaned over to kiss Mari on the cheek, getting a hug and a kiss in return. "Bye, Mari. I love you!" Varis let out a squeak of surprise when Josh picked him up and settled him on his hip. "Someone's quite the eager beaver this morning!" Josh patted a red-faced Varis' lightly padded backside as he and Mari conversed. "So are we still on for Vary and Eli's playdate Saturday?" Wait... they're setting up an actual playdate?! Varis opened his mouth to protest, but found his binky popped right in, instantly calming him down. "Absolutely! Josh, I just can't thank you enough for looking out for my brave big boy, or for bringing Vary back home after last week's... [em]incident[/em]." Varis blushed deeper at the mention of his secret getting exposed at work in front of everyone. "It's no sweat, really. Besides... having had to go through it with Eliza, I know how hard it can be, the transition period, I mean." Now Josh was the one blushing and rubbing the back of his head. Varis gave him the side-eye, noticing out of the corner of his gaze that Mari's tail had started to wag a little. "Well, we really should get going. Don't want to be late for this big guy's big day!" Josh gave Varis a bounce for emphasis. Before he could voice his objections over being carried and having a playdate set up, Mari leaned in to kiss his forehead, something he'd noticed her doing a lot more lately, and something that had yet to fail to help calm him down. "Now you have a good day, Vary. And be good for Josh and your employers, ok?" Looking into her shining happy eyes, Vary could only blush and nod. "O-Okay," he said in a soft voice. With Vary still blushing, Josh said his goodbye to Mari as well as began to carry him to the car. Varis was expecting to be set down in the front passenger seat, but was surprised to find Josh opening up the door to the back seat. His ears drooped at the sight of not only an excitedly waving Eliza sitting in her pink car seat, but also a second, deep green car seat installed as well. "Okay, let's get you all settled in, and then off to work we go!" Josh smiled and carefully set Varis down in the available padded seat. He tried to start buckling the harness straps himself, but his paws were waved away by Josh's scaly green hands, and received a quick tickle to his tummy for his trouble. Trying to fight the sudden sensation, Varis let slip a happy giggle that made Josh's smile grow even wider. "And there we go!" With an audible click, Varis found himself safely secured in the backseat, his briefcase now resting at his feet. "Hi, Vary!" Eliza practically cheered. "Uh... h-hi, Eliza," Varis said, looking over and taking note of her positively juvenile attire. She was wearing a bright pink tank top that ended in a glittery tutu, her pink unicorn princess diapers visible. She wiggled and crinkled in her seat, looking like she was about to burst out of her own harness and bounce all around the car, something Varis suspected was an actual possibility with her, based on memories from when they were little. Well, the first time... "We're gunna get to play in daycare today!" The tan bunny looked at the red-faced wolf, waiting for his response. "Uh... we are?" Varis had been hoping to sneak his office laptop in to the daycare with him to get some additional work done. "I know that look, Vary." Eliza cheekily grinned while wagging her finger in his face. "You were gunna try and be sneaky and do some work during your legally mandated playtime!" Varis sighed and crossed his arms, sulking. I forgot how perceptive Lizzy was when it came to guessing what I was planning. "... Maybe..." "Well, you can go ahead and forget all about that! My friends, Jenny and Katie and Liam and Perry, are all super excited to meet you! And we're all gunna have lotsa fun!" It was then that Josh got in and started up the car, pulling out from where he'd parked next to the sidewalk. "B-But," Varis began, twiddling his thumbs, "I know that Doc Juniper and maybe some of the other high ups are already gunna be scrutinizing me n-now that my condition's been revealed. I figured if I could get some extra work done... then it'd make me look good... and less fireable." Varis winced when the tip of his nose was flicked. He snorted and whirled his head to look at the half-lidded stare of Eliza looking right back at him. "You can't be fired just because you are taking the break that the company is required to give you, Vary." "Lizzy's right, buddy!" Josh chimed in, his eyes twinkling in the rearview mirror as he looked back at them. "Doing that would open the company up to a major lawsuit." "Uh-huh!" Eliza nodded vigorously. "Plus, I'll bet, after playing and naptime and socializing and stuff like that, you'll be even more productive when you get back to work!" Varis still felt skeptical, but he couldn't really argue. He turned his gaze out the window, spying his reflection in the rearview mirror. An adult gray wolf wearing a suit and tie, buckled into a carseat. He sighed and looked out at the passing landscape, letting his mind wander. Or he was trying to, if it weren't for someone playfully batting at his ear. "Wizzy! Cut it owt!" Varis said, his thumb once again having crept into his muzzle. "Sorry, but I wanted to know if you would like to attend my tea party at daycare today." The tan bunny bounced in her seat some more, looking equal parts hopeful and excited. "Uh... a-actually, I figured that i-if I officially couldn't do any work, then maybe I could do my own little... art project, where I calculate shipping manifests and delivery..." Varis trailed off as Lizzy's eyes grew wider, somehow making her light violet irises larger, all while her lower lip began to tremble. Varis was in awe of the full-scale power of Eliza's puppy eyes, and almost instantly felt his resolve crumble. "I... uh... I g-guess I could j-join your tea party... for a little while." The moment he finished speaking, Eliza's face lit up with pure joy. She let out a cheer and practically leapt over to wrap her arms around, around Varis, who let out a surprised OOMPH, whilst he received a bone-crushing hug. "Lizzy, we talked about this. Good girls don't unbuckle the safety straps of their carseats when the car is in motion, do they?" Josh asked, not taking his eyes off the road. A mildly chastened, but still excited-looking Eliza, shook her head. "No, Daddy, they don't. I'm sorry." Lizzy was soon settling herself back into her seat and resnapping all the buckles back into place. Varis sucked on his thumb, wondering how he could have let himself be manipulated like that. Then he saw the happy smile on Lizzy's face and knew how. He recalled how Lizzy had always been able to talk him into doing just about anything when they were younger. Like during her sixth birthday party, when she'd somehow convinced him to agree to attend while dressed in a princess dress that matched hers perfectly, despite his embarrassment and initial staunch refusal. The rest of the ride consisted of Eliza chatting to Varis, getting a bit hung up on the fact that he had yet to watch any Red's Hints, making claims about how he would love it. This was a notion that varis did not have high confidence in. "Okay you two, we're here!" Josh said in a sing-song voice as he pulled into the parking structure. He found a space near the elevators to park and killed the engine. The large crocodile got out and opened Eliza's door first. "Alright, I've got a slightly damp bunny here, but your diaper can last a while longer, princess." Josh slipped on the big pink diaper bag before he unbuckled the antsy bunny, scooping her up to settle onto his hip like he had with Varis earlier. Varis tried to unbuckle his own safety traps, but let out a little growl of frustration when he found that he was having trouble operating the release buttons. "Hey, buddy." Varis looked up to see that Josh was standing over him, smiling down affectionately. He used his free paw to ruffle Varis' headfur again, and then reached down to easily unbuckle the straps with a single click. Varis rolled his eyes, mumbled a thanks, and started to get out of the car, his briefcase in paw, only to be stopped when Josh took his paw into his hand. "Woah there, Mr. Eager Beaver! I know you're excited, but let's not wander off, okay?" Varis blushed and nodded, feeling like he could kick himself for not speaking up and reminding Josh that he'd walked to the elevators plenty of times before without any assistance, and that his condition didn't change anything. Instead, all he managed to mumble out was a quiet. "Okay." Josh beamed and locked the car, soon leading Varis by the paw towards the elevators. He didn't let go as they rode it up to their floor, Varis silently grateful that no one entered on the ride up to potentially add to the awkwardness of the situation. He did notice that as they got to their office floor, Josh let go of his paw. Then came the ding of the elevator and the doors slid open. Before Josh could say a word, Varis started speed walking out and turned the corner, straight into the awaiting arms of Angie. The motherly bear lifted him up into a cradled position, giving Varis a nuzzle and a gentle rock. "There's our favorite big little accountant!" Angie cooed while Varis remained silent and wished that he could disappear. "Alright, princess. Say bye-bye to Vary." Josh said, bouncing Eliza in his arms as he walked up to them. "He needs to start his grown-up work day soon!" Lizzy giggled and waved to Varis. "Bye, Vary! See you at lunchtime!" "B-bye, Lizzy," Varis said, suddenly feeling very nervous as he sensed multiple pairs of eyes on him. He spotted several coworkers staring at him while Angie carried him to his office, causing him to shrink in on himself and stare straight up at the ceiling. When his office door was closed, he expected to be set down, but instead jumped when his pants were tugged down a bit to reveal his paw-ups. "Okie-dokie! Someone's still dry!" Angie tugged his pants back up and rebuckled his belt, setting him down in the process. Varis looked around his office, having half expected it to be decorated for a baby. He did let out a little whine when he saw that the plug outlets not currently in use all had covers on them now. Aside from that, however, the only other childish thing in his small office was the white polar bear plushie sitting on top of Varis' desk, smiling at him with wide open arms. "I thought you might like it to have a special friend to hug and cuddle while you worked, sweetie." Varis looked up at Angie, feeling his face heating up a bit . "Th-thanks, Angie..." "Think nothing of it, sugar pie! Now, if you feel the need to go potty, just send me a text or come and get me, and we'll try to get you to one in time!" Varis' ears drooped at that, not noticing the binky enter his muzzle. Great... now my bathroom, habits are going to be monitored... "Fanks, Awngew," he lisped, trying to ignore the coo coming from his manager. "Anytime! Now I or Josh will be checking up on you regularly, so please try not to worry. We're here to help you." Varis simply nodded at that and soon found himself being left to his own devices. * * * "Hey, buddy," Josh said, opening the door to Varis' office and seeing the wolf sitting at his computer, his new plush friend sitting in his lap. clicking and tapping away at the keyboard. "Hey, Josh," Varis said, having set his binky down onto his desk, occasionally putting it back in to suckle while concentrating on work. "I think I found some similar discrepancies with some of the Mallmart affiliates' payment and shipping as well. Whoever did this got really overconfident in themselves." "Oh yeah?" Josh came around and looked over Varis' shoulder, his eyes skimming over the documents the wolf next to him had highlighted. "Yeah, and I think that we can start narrowing down the list of possible suspects." "Wait... it says Larry Neeman was involved in these ones too?" Josh asked, shocked that someone as unassuming as that older goat could be potentially linked with embezzling from the company. "Yup. He's on my list of suspects. I've already sent off copies of my findings so far to Angie and Doc Juniper." I'll show Doc that I still belong here! "Good job, bud! Now, do you need to use the potty?" Josh's question threw off Varis' concentration, forcing the wolf to look up at the crocodile with a look of incredulity on his muzzle. But then he realized that he did indeed need to use the restroom. He gave a silent nod, and let Josh take him by the hand. "Alright pal, a quick potty break, and then you can get back to doing an awesome job. Remember to lock the door behind you, now." Varis silently obeyed, realizing only after he had locked the door to his office that he had his new stuffed bear in his arms, and could make out the blue plastic shielding of his pacifier, bobbing in and out from the tip of his muzzle. Hoping that not too many of his coworkers would see him like this, he allowed Josh to lead him by the paw towards the restroom. They got there just as Doc Juniper was exiting, the older owl frowning at the duo. Vary felt very self-conscious of how immature he must appear. "Hmph... well, Josh, are you escorting our accountant down to the daycare for his legally required naptime?" Varis felt his tail tuck itself between his legs and cowered a little behind Josh, though Doc's voice sounded like its usual level of grumpiness. "Not yet, sir," Josh said, waving a dismissive hand. "Vary here just needed a potty break, and then he can get right back to work." "Riiiight," Doc said, eyeing the wolf up and down. "Well... keep up the good work, I suppose." With that, the older owl left, leaving behind a slightly stunned, yet still very much embarrassed, Varis. He had been certain that the Doc was going to try and pressure him into resigning. "Okay, buddy. Let's get in there and conquer the potty," Josh said, sounding enthusiastic for Varis' sake. Varis rolled his eyes and squirmed a little, stepping through the door that Josh was holding open for him. Varis smiled a little as the door closed behind them, but the smile quickly became a frown as he felt a sudden rush of warmth enter his paw-up. "B-but... I was so cwose." Varis whimpered as he began to tear up. "What's wrong, buddy?" Josh asked, putting an arm around Varis' shoulders. It then clicked in his head, and he gave Varis a supportive hug. "Hey, it's okay, champ! Potty training can be pretty tricky. I say you deserve an A for effort for making it into the restrooms in the first place!" Varis couldn't contain it anymore and buried his face into Josh's chest, letting out hiccupping sobs. He felt himself being picked up and held close, Josh trying his best to help soothe the crying wolf, rubbing his back and resting Varis' chin on his shoulder. Eventually, the storm of despair tapered off into a few clouds of light sniffles. "Feel better, buddy?" Varis, feeling ashamed not only of his accident but also his outburst, silently nodded, hugging his bear tightly to his chest, the soft nuk-nuk-nuk sound from him sucking his binky being the only audible noise coming from him. "Good. Now let's go get you cleaned up, and then I think it would be a good idea for you to spend some time at daycare with Eliza. You could use some extra playtime today." Josh, with one arm supporting Varis' soggy bottom and the other continuing to rub soothing circles on the big pup's back, exited the restrooms and made a beeline straight for the office. Varis heard some concerned whispers and even some coos. His ears could also pick out some voices muttering about how this was too big of a responsibility for him now. He whimpered a little, only to get a reassuring nuzzle from Josh. The large crocodile didn't immediately set him back down once they were in his office though. Varis could only watch as Josh pulled out and unrolled the purple changing mat from Varis' briefcase, as well as one of his spare paw-ups. "J-Joff!" Varis said around his binky, quickly spitting it out to speak properly, his face crimson. "I-I can change my own paw-ups!" Josh deftly caught the pacifier and chuckled, setting it in the open briefcase just as he grabbed the tub of wipes and the canister of baby powder from inside. "I'm sorry, champ. But the rules say that an MSer has to be changed by one of their on-work caregivers. Even if it's just changing their training pants. Plus, according to Mari, that's something you still don't really have down just yet. She said you gave yourself quite the diaper rash over the weekend." Varis clamped his muzzle shut and groaned, not wanting to be reminded of that, or how Mari now pretty much was entirely in charge of any and all changes of his paw-ups as well as his night time diapers. You leak a few times, and suddenly you can't be trusted with your own d--... incontinence products! Varis huffed as his pants were unbuckled and slid down and pulled them off while his shirt and suit jacket pushed up to expose his tummy along with his sodden paw-up. The logo was now entirely gone, replaced with the picture of the smashed wooden gate, bearing some claw marks. Varis had reluctantly admitted how impressive of a wetness indicator that actually was the first time he'd noticed it. He hummed to try and distract himself as the sides of his paw-up were easily torn open and his legs lifted. With the offending garment gone, Josh got to work with the baby wipes, making sure Varis was cleaned and taking the time to ball them up in the used paw-up. Tossing that into Varis' trash can, he grabbed the baby powder and gave Varis' bottom and front a liberal dusting of the sweet-smelling powder. Josh then grabbed a clean pair and slipped the big pup's paws through the leg holes. After he pulled them up his legs, he rolled Varis over to take care of the single tape above the tail hole, before getting up and pulling Varis to his feet. "There we go, all clean and dry and ready to play!" Josh clapped his hands and picked up Varis pants, holding them open for the wolf to step into. Varis grumbled and complied, feeling humiliated that his friend just helped change his paw up and then redressed him. "J-Josh, I really should get back to work," Varis said, right before he was pulled into a hug. "Varis, you need to take regular breaks, and maybe have a little snack or two. There will still be plenty of work for you to do when you come back. Also, Angie and I have discussed it, and we think you could use some more toys in your office, maybe even make you a little arts and crafts table you could sit at and be creative whenever you need to. But, for now, let's go down to the daycare, ok?" Varis wanted to object, knowing that Doc Juniper would not like it if he walked into Varis' office and found toys strewn about, or him playing with clay-oh. He was an adult and this was a place of work after all! But... as he thought about the idea of taking short breaks in between projects to... do something like coloring... his tail slowly started to wag. Something Josh noticed and smiled at. "See? I knew my big guy would get excited to have some playtime! And I'll bet I know someone who will be just as excited!" A short walk later, and Varis could confidently say that simply declaring Eliza as being excited by his presence was a major understatement. The tan babied bunny was practically bouncing off the colorful walls the moment she saw Josh carrying Varis on his hip as the two entered the daycare. Just like last time, she had to be wrangled by the bat lady looking after her, Miss Marla. "Oh? It seems like our new little friend is a little early today," Marla cooed, reaching out to pat Varis on the head. He blushed and looked away, surprised to be making eye contact with Eliza, who was standing next to a plastic play table, complete with plushies sitting around in different chairs, a tea set with a plate of cookies sitting in the center. Varis was set down by Josh, who was busy signing him in. He then felt his arm get grabbed and was yanked towards the table. "This is gunna be the bestest tea party ever!" Lizzy said, twirling and making her tutu flutter. She then giggled and held up a light blue dress that looked really similar to one worn by a princess in an animated movie. "Wanna play dress up for it, Vary?" Lizzy asked, excited. "Uh... look, Lizzy, I'll play... tea party with you... but no way am I ever putting on a princess dress for you." Varis decided it was time to put his foot down. * * * Varis sat sullenly at the table, his arms crossed, wearing the blue princess dress and a matching pointy princess hat. Across from him, Lizzy was not wearing a similar dress and hat, only hers were a happy yellow. She smiled at him and grabbed the plastic tea kettle. "More tea, princess Vary?" Lizzy giggled while asking. Sighing, Varis held up his teacup. "Yes, please, Princess Lizzy." Eliza carefully poured the grape chill-ade that was in the kettle into his awaiting cup. She then passed him another small plate of cookies and sat down with a slightly audible squish. Varis's muzzle did break out into a slow smile as he reached for the cookies. In his defense, they were freshly baked with gooey chocolate chips. Hugging his bear, his tail began to swish back and forth rapidly, but most assuredly was not wagging, not in the least. He was still an adult, darn it! Once he finished his and Lizzy's tea party, he was going to see about getting right back to work, despite what anyone says... well, after he was done playing in the ball pit with Lizzy like he promised her, because he keeps his promises!
  7. I'm guessing that there's going to be some denial of what has been happening and some throwing of some staff and possibly nest mothers under the bus.
  8. This is very well written! I'm so jealous how quickly you can crank out each new installment! (Please don't burn yourself out!)
  9. Please tell me that little Annie ends up in proper diapers?
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