Panther Cub

O.O Blush Thank you! I imagine that that could be quite the revelation for someone like Mark. Perhaps he had heard from non-adopted Littles about their negative views on adoption and their thoughts on Matureosis, and in his head just thought that it was a bias on their part, and that the unfortunate ones with the disorder come to see how much better off or slip into the role they need in this new transition of life really are much happier with their lot in life after they've had some time to adjust. Then Mark comes along, who's been adopted for a while now and while a little fussy but should be fitting into his new baby role now, and then unleashes that tirade.

I do have to wonder if this means Janet will finally realize just how deep Clark's hatred for what has happened and for her actually is? I mean, that Mark guy just gave up after one, granted major, negative interaction with Clark. And not just with Janet, but also with Little Voices and possibly with "adopting" a little of his own. In this world where Amazons taking a Little and making them their surrogate baby/toddler is the norm, most Amazons would just chalk this up to a tantrum, especially since he had just had a "blowout". But Clark managed to strike a nerve with this guy. And I agree, he was justified in doing so, considering all that he's been through. This is all just such an interesting take on a DD story!

Hello, readers! This is a special little one-shot I've been wanting to do for a while now for New Years! I really hope that you all enjoy it! Big Baby New Year by Panther Cub The tigress moved stealthily from shadow to shadow, not making a sound. She had sighted her prey, and they were oblivious to her presence. Nadine Fangmeyer watched her partner, Ralph Wolford, as he pulled on a simple blue t-shirt, having just finished changing out of his uniform. He was alone, now in jeans and a shirt, about to close his locker. Nadine pulled from her back pocket the cloth diaper and the safety pin. You brought this on yourself, Ralph, she thought to herself. She was sitting perched on some adjacent lockers in the shadows, all her muscles coiled and ready to pounce. The oblivious Ralph bent over to get something from his gym bag, and that's when Nadine struck. She leapt with a fluid feline grace that only a tiger could achieve, and practically flew through the air towards her prey. But, a smirking Ralph rolled out of the way, tugging on a yellow bungee cord as he did. Nadine landed on a locker room bench, surprised. Just as she was about to move, several lockers, hooked up to a series of connected bungee cords that were the same dark green as said lockers, toppled over onto her, pinning her upper body to the bench. Nadine let out a yowl of surprise and frustration. "RALPH! Get these lockers off me!" she said, squirming and just managing to roll over onto her back, to try and push the lockers off, but they weren't budging. It was only now that she saw that the lockers had been taped shut with duct tape. "What are in these?!" "Bowling balls," Ralph said with a smirk as he walked over to Nadine's free legs. In his paws were another cloth diaper and safety pin. "Now, quit squirming, kitten." Hearing this, Nadine froze, realizing what was about to happen. She tried to kick at her partner, but Ralph was able to easily dodge the kicks. Smiling, he reached down and started to unbuckle Nadine's belt, and then unbutton her uniform pants. Despite her struggling, they were soon off her legs and folded up on the bench. Nadine growled and tried again to push the lockers off her chest. They weren't heavy enough to actually hurt her, being a large and muscular tigress after all, but she was still pinned. Now blushing, she felt Ralph gently take hold of the waistband of her simple pink cotton panties, and whisk those away as well. "What a fussy kitten I've got," he said with a chuckle. "R-Ralph, wait! We can talk about this!" Nadine said, kicking her legs even more. Her eyes went wide as her bottom, which had lifted off the bench a little during a series of squirming kicks, came back down to rest on something soft and pillowy. Trying to kick what she knew was a cloth diaper off, she instead made it easier for Ralph to grab her tail and thread it through the tail hole in the back. Struggling even more, her partner's paws were surprisingly quick, pulling the corners of the infantile garment together in the front and pinning it snug. Then, there was a flash, and Nadine's struggles ceased. She had lost. "You cheated, Ralph!" she said with an angry huff. Ralph chuckled, tapping on his phone and sending the picture out, letting everyone know that he had won. "There was nothing in the rules about trapping you, Kitten," Ralph said, moving over to another set of bungee cords and, him and Nadine working together, they lifted the lockers off of her, settling them back into their original place. As Nadine got up and reluctantly only grabbed her pants, Ralph's phone dinged with a notification. He smiled wide. "And the Chief agrees with me. So it looks like you're the precinct's Baby New Year this year." Nadine just grumbled as she stepped into her pants and pulled them over her diaper, mortified to be wearing it. But, she knew that there was no getting out of it. It was tradition, and she had certainly enjoyed the previous Baby New Years. Especially Hopps, with how often she had agreed to babysit the embarrassed bunny. With a sigh, she got up and started to head towards the ladies' locker room. "So you'll meet me at my car after you get changed?" Ralph asked, his tail wagging faster now. He was ripping off the tape on the lockers and opening them, needing to return the bowling balls in their carrier bags to his fellow officers. Nadine blushed. "Yeah... I'm not going to welch on the agreement..." she almost added that you signed us up for but didn't. She sighed and exited the locker room, seeing the cloth diaper and pin she had dropped, not bothering to pick them up. The tradition was that on the last week of November, a pair of partners would volunteer for the Baby New Year game. Basically, the two would have the whole day to try and force each other into a cloth diaper, taking pictures as proof when one was finally diapered. The other officers would place bets on who would end up the baby, with the entire pot going to charity and the winners getting a free dinner at The Blue Vine, paid for by Chief Bogo himself. Then, the loser would have to spend the entire month of December wearing diapers (on full display), being babied by their fellow officers, with their partner acting as their Mommy or Daddy. What's more, each day the babied officer would go without quitting, a massive donation was made to Kits n' Cubs, an organization to help foster children. It would end on New Year's Eve when the officer in question would play the role of Baby New Year, wearing only a diaper (and shirt if they were female) and a sash proclaiming their status, live on ZNN during the ball drop no less. Nadine's blush turned a darker crimson as she exited the locker room, and felt all eyes of her fellow officers on her. She heard some giggles and chuckles and murmurs. Passing by the front desk, Benjamin Clawhauser was holding back a squeal. The chubby cheetah had always loved the tradition and thought it adorable. He was holding his phone as he looked up at her. "Congratulations, Nadine! I think you're going to be the cutest Baby New Year yet!" he said, a little too loud for Nadine's liking. She forced a smile, more of a grimace really, and nodded to Benji. "Uh... th-thanks..." she said, hitching up her pants, unaware that the back of her diaper was poking up a bit above her waistband. She hurried to the female locker room, sighing when she saw that she did not have it to herself. "Oh! There's Baby New Year!" cood a female voice that made Nadine wince. Francine, a female elephant, was quick to scoop the tigress up into her arms, settling her in a cradled position. She began rocking her while her trunk, impressively, made short work of removing her pants again. "H-hello. Francine," Nadine said, blushing more than she had been before. Francine absolutely loved mollycoddling each and every Baby New Year, no matter who they were. The tigress at that moment recalled seeing Francine cradling Judy like this and feeding her a bottle. Nadine cringed, as she knew that now that was officially in her near future. "Ah-ah! It's Auntie Francine now!" The pachyderm smiled as she continued to rock the tigress. "Oh! This is just going to be so much fun! I can't wait until it's my turn to babysit you! I've already got some fun activities planned!" Francine set her down on her feet, using her trunk to give Nadine a gentle pat on the back of her diaper. Not trusting herself to speak, she quickly undressed and pulled on a black tank top and flannel jacket. Seeing herself in a nearby mirror, black tank top, red flannel jacket, and her diaper, she blushed even more and quickly pulled on her jeans, although not before Francine managed to snap a picture while cooing and praising her for dressing herself like a big girl. With a sigh, she finished packing her things, and exited the locker room, being given a big hug by Francine first. She spotted Ralph standing by the desk in the atrium, talking excitedly with Benji. Spotting her approaching, Ralph's tail started wagging even faster. "There's Daddy's little Princess!" he practically called out. Nadine winced. "RALPH!" she hissed at him, hearing some more chuckles from the other officers. "Uh-uh! It's 'Daddy' now, Princess," he said, standing on his tiptoes to pet her head. Nadine's face was practically a striped tomato. Suppressing a growl, she nodded. "Y-yes... Daddy..." the moment the words were out of her mouth, two things happened. The first, Benji let out a coo, the second, Ralph pulled her into a hug. He then took her larger paw into his own. "Alright, Princess, we gotta get a move on. We've got some shopping to do! Say bye-bye to Uncle Benji!" Nadine, blushing, said goodbye to Clawhauser, who was still cooing, and let herself be led away from the desk and out the glass doors of Precinct 1. She tried to ignore the stares as she was led to the parking lot where Ralph's car was, but was very self conscious of the bulge around her waist. When they got to his car, she was expecting him to take her to the passenger door. Instead, Nadine found herself being led to the backseat. When she saw why, she froze. Right there in the back seat was a very large pink carseat, with smiling bunnies and unicorns on it. One look was all it took to let Nadine know that it was just big enough for her. "I had to get the biggest carseat they had for elephant toddlers, but I think we just managed to get one that you'll fit in," Ralph said, guiding her towards the carseat. "You were that confident you'd win?" Nadine asked, reluctantly allowing herself to be guided into the soft plush seating. "Well of course. I know my little Princess like the back of my paw." Ralph winked at her, making Nadine huff and almost cross her arms, until she realized then she'd look like the pouty toddler she was partially dressed as, at least underneath her street clothes. She instead held her tongue as Ralph secured her with the straps and the five point harness, making sure it was snug but not too tight. "There we go! And what a good girl you're being. I was partially expecting some fussing. Keep this up, and I'll get you a special surprise when we're all done shopping." Ralph shut the door to the back seat and made his way to the driver's door. Getting in and buckling up, he started the car up and soon they were exiting the parking lot. Nadine was curious as to where they could be going. It turns out that they didn't go too far as, soon enough, they were pulling into the parking lot of a large storefront. The Cub Zone, the sign read, making Nadine blush. Ralph was quick to get out and unbuckle her from her carseat. Being led by the paw, Nadine's eyes went wide as her dread was confirmed, it was a store primarily for babies and toddlers of varying species. Walking through the automatic doors, Nadine's cheeks flushed red beneath her fur as she saw many different species of mammals, all with children in tow. The tigress blushed some more as she realized that Wolford walking along while holding her paw, with her new padded undergarment on beneath her jeans, made her feel small, like she was no different than any of the cubs she witnessed. She barely registered that he was looking down at a piece of paper, leading her through aisles past baby products, finally stopping in front of an intimidatingly large female polar bear. She was wearing a blue shirt and black jeans, with a pink store vest on, her name tag glinting in the fluorescent light. "Excuse me, miss," Ralph said, his tail lazily wagging. "Are you Cleo?" The polar bear looked them over, before she broke out into a wide grin. "Well howdy there," she said with a southern accent, her voice as sweet as honey. Nadine blushed and started to instinctively try to hide behind Ralph. "How can I help you?" "Hi there! I'm Ralph, my friend Benji sent me and said to ask for you?" At this, the store employee's eyes lit up. "Oh my goodness! Yes, Ben-Ben gave me a little ring not too long ago! We here at Cub Zone are just so thrilled to help your department participate in this fun little tradition yet again! Now, am I correct in assuming that this is the lucky little kitten here?" Ralph nodded and, causing her to squeak in surprise, pushed Nadine forward a bit. "Yup! Here she is! Our Baby New Year!" Nadine's face felt like it was aflame as Cleo bent her knees a little to make eye contact with her, once again making the tigress feel small, something she wasn't used to. "Awww, no need to be nervous, honeypie. We'll get you all squared away with everything you'll need to be the cutest Baby New Year ever. Why, you're reminding me of Little Judy. She was just so scared, but before she knew it, she was having so much fun." Nadine said nothing, not wanting to be rude, but she sincerely doubted that, as well as the insinuation that she too would have fun being treated like a toddler for a month. "Why, she's even been enrolled in our special daycare program." "Huh?" Nadine asked, confused. "What do you mean?" "Hmmm... okay, I say that this little kitten is a size three in Pachydermy-Puffs!" Nadine squeaked as she was lifted up under her arms by the larger predator and placed on her hip, one large paw supporting her puffy bottom. "Will I be correct in assuming that you'd like to try out a free sample for the little one here?" Nadine thought smoke would surely be coming off of her whiskers from the heat of her embarrassment as she looked around. Some mammals looked at her oddly, others looked and then continued on with their day, as though nothing out of the ordinary was happening. "Absolutely. Gotta be extra sure that I'm getting my little Princess just the right fitting diaper," Ralph chimed in as he followed along. Nadine then found herself in the back of the store, looking at a wall of changing stations. Chloe used her free paw to open one with a picture of baby elephants and rhinos on it, and laid Nadine down on its soft plastic surface. She let out a squeak as her jeans were whisked off. "Yup. This is one of our cloth Baby New Year specials," Chloe said, giving the tigress' diaper front a poke. As Nadine laid there and reflected on how far this went with previous Baby New Years, Chloe opened up a cabinet inlaid in the wall. She rummaged around a bit and pulled out a canister of baby powder, a tub of baby wipes, and a large white disposable diaper with blue trim at the leg gathers. To Nadine, it felt like a surgeon laying out the tools for a delicate procedure. Then she saw the front of the diaper and paled beneath her fur. On it was a cartoon police badge that read 'Precinct 1's Baby'. "Now, would you like to change her into her new underwear, Daddy?" Chloe asked Ralph, who nodded and happily took the diaper from her. "It would be my pleasure... unless the Princess has decided not to go through with it?" Ralph asked, looking at Nadine as she laid there. "I mean, I certainly would understand if this is all just a little too much for her. As would, I'm sure, the whole precinct. I mean, it would be the first time anyone ever actually quit and deprived those poor foster cubs--" "I'm fine," Nadine snapped at her partner with an annoyed huff. Ralph smiled and wagged his tail. "Alrighty then, Princess. Just lay still and try not to wiggle a whole lot like last time, and Daddy will be all done." Nadine crossed her arms at this and pouted. She knew Ralph had played to her ego. The big tough tigress city cop. That was how she preferred others to see her. Only now she was going to be wearing diapers and treated like a baby for the next month. But that wasn't enough to change her mind. She was not going to be the first to call it quits for the game. She then remembered Officer Hopps and how she persevered, even knowing she was going to be broadcasted on live TV. That little country bunny rookie, wearing the pink t-shirt, her carrot-print diaper, and the sash that read 'Baby New Year'; never backed down. And neither would she. So Nadine obediently laid there as Ralph fluffed out her diaper. She did jump a little after he had gotten the cloth diaper off, and started using a baby wipe. And she winced after her legs were raised and her bottom was dusted with the sweet-smelling powder. Her blush had returned in full force when her tail was threaded through the hole on the back, right before her bottom came to rest on her crinkly new padding. Then the front was pulled up, all four velcro tapes pulled into place. Ralph rolled her over to get at the last tape right above her tail, before giving her bottom a pat to signal that it was done. She hopped down from the changing table, and found the pillow-like garment wrapped around her waist pushed her legs a little bit apart. She caught a glimpse of herself in a nearby mirror, and tried to tug her shirt and flannel jacket down to hide her padding. "Like I said, a size three," Chloe said, giving Nadine's bottom a pat. "Just so cute!" "Well of course she is," Ralph interjected, dropping the cloth diaper and safety pin into a slot, along with another set, the one Nadine had dropped earlier when she had been pinned by the lockers. "She's my little Princess. And I think that that's where we should start theme-wise for her new nursery." "Excellent choice. Let me show you two where we keep the larger species cribs, and maybe we can find one she will enjoy." Nadine said nothing as Ralph took her paw and started to follow Chloe out of the back rooms, Nadine in tow. Nadine blushed and ignored the other shoppers as she realized that she didn't have her jeans put back on her. "Wh-who's paying for all of this?" Nadine asked, blushing under the maternal polar bear's gaze. "Cub Zone is a proud sponsor of the Big Baby New Years game. So each year we donate everything needed for a brand new nursery for the lucky big cub. And this year, that's you, sweetie." "O-oh," Nadine blushed. She had wondered if Ralph had saved up some money just for this. She herself hadn't thought that far ahead, not planning on being signed up this year. At most, she had planned on buying a new high chair or something. Now here she was, standing in the middle of a baby supply store, wearing a diaper for all to see, about to help in picking out the furniture for her new nursery. While she was humiliated... she also felt... a warmth in her chest. It was similar to how she felt when she would go to bed, hugging her bunny plushie, Mr. Hareington. She reflected on this, until she realized that Chloe and Ralph were both looking at her expectantly. "H-huh?" She asked, feeling small again, and realizing that she didn't exactly hate that feeling. "I asked you if you see anything you like, Princess," Ralph asked with a smile. Nadine looked and spotted a crib, definitely sized for a baby elephant. It had white bars and a pink mattress with a ruffled pink and white striped frill going around the bottom. Dangling above it was a mobile that had pink and white plush fish. Blushing some more, she pointed to it. "Oh, that's an excellent choice, honey," Chloe said. As she and Ralph started to discuss other things, Nadine walked up to the crib. Standing up and grabbing the rails from the outside, she found she couldn't reach the top rail, and assumed Ralph would just have to use a step-stool to let her out. Reaching down and touching the soft mattress, she let out an involuntary purr. Maybe this month won't be all bad, she thought to herself. New Year's Eve... Nadine blushed but smiled around her binky. She walked with a slight waddle through the crowd. She was dressed in a simply pink t-shirt, and a diaper with fireworks on the front. Daddy had just got done changing her, the oversized hitten having filled her last one, thankfully not while on camera. Ralph was wearing a suit and tie, as were most of the other party goers, well the ones not in dresses. Nadine felt a little exposed, but shook it off. Daddy was here. She hugged Mr. Hareington with her free paw as her other was being held by Ralph as he led them back towards the ZNN reporter and camera crew. Nadine looked at her sash and read Baby New Year on it again, unable to stop a giggle. At the beginning of the month, she had been so worried and dreading heading into work after stopping at Cub Zone the first time. But she needn't have worried. Her coworkers had been so understanding and supportive. Yes there had been a few jokes and chuckles, but soon enough, Nadine waddling around in her usual uniform top with the vest on underneath, and her badge diapers on with no pants had become just another normal day at work for them. Well, when other officers weren't actively fawning over her, like Auntie Nadine. Still though, life went on, and so did work. Starting back easily, she and Ralph had been assigned to parking duty, which had been significantly less pleasant than just showing up to work. If mammals had an attitude problem with cops giving out tickets, they seemed to find it especially infuriating to be ticketed by one wearing a diaper. But Daddy had proven to be very protective of her, and cowed more than one rude citizen with a fierce growl. On the weekends, they had gone to playgrounds and parks, which the oversized kitten was surprised to find were actually fun experiences for her. What shocked her the most was her first day of daycare, which turned out to be one building over from Cub Zone. She was shocked to find the place crawling, literally, with previous Big Baby New Years, including a certain little bunny. Judy had explained to the new playmate that most Baby New Years tended to not stop needing the babying after their big day. That they still needed someone to look after them, and that Nick had more or less taken on the role of Daddy for her. Nadine spied said bunny hopping about excitedly, wearing a white dress, standing near a bemused-looking red fox in a tuxedo. "Now, now, Baby Carrot," Nick said with a calm voice, getting Judy's attention, "let's not get too excited. The ball hasn't even dropped yet." "But Daaaaaaaddy," Judy whined, her ears drooping, "there's carrot cake right over there!" Judy pointed to a table of desserts, making Nick and Ralph chuckle. The two had been scheduling the girls for playdates almost since day one. "And we'll get you a slice in a little while, sweetheart," Nick said, scooping her up and setting his partner on his hip. There was a crinkle from where his paw supported her bottom. Judy huffed and crossed her arms, pouting. "If you're a good girl for Daddy, then maybe someone will be getting a chocolate baba, instead of a regular one tonight. Okay?" That was enough to make the bunny perk back up and throw her arms around his neck. "Okay, Daddy! I can be good!" "That's my girl. Now, how about you and Nadine spend some time playing together while the grown-ups enjoy this party?" "'Kay! Oh, hi Nadine! Hi, Uncle Ralph!" Judy said, excitedly waving to the two. Ralph and Nick shared a chuckle. "Hi there, sweetpea," Ralph said, ruffling Judy's headfur. The two canids walked towards the complimentary Baby New Year playpen set up on the heated pavilion. Nick reached over the side to set Judy down inside. She hopped a bit in excitement, giving everyone a peek at her pink princess diaper on underneath her dress, not that she cared. Spying some blocks, she dropped to her paws and knees and started crawling towards them. Ralph helped Nadine step over the side, praising her for being such a good girl. As Nadine crawled after Judy, and felt the front of her diaper start to warm up, she smiled. Her potty training had become totally abysmal in the month she'd been demoted to diapers. So much so that, far too often, she would have no idea that she even needed to go to the bathroom, until well after she had already gone. She certainly didn't mind that that meant she would be in diapers longer. In fact, as she looked up at the lit up sphere, she smiled wide, having a feeling that the upcoming year was going to be a much more fun and relaxing one. And there you have it, everyone! I hope that you all have a Happy New Year!

Yes! Go Ellie!

112?! O.O Woah... that is dayumn impressive!

Hello and happy holidays to all you wonderful readers out there! I am just so dang happy to be able to bring to you this new chapter! I had a LOT of fun coming up with this chapter and I hope you all enjoy it as well. And keep an eye out for a special guest star! A Mother's Love (Chapter 5) by Panther Cub "Were you seen?" Dante hissed, sealing up the pillow fort. Different pastel-colored pillows and cushions made up the walls and ceiling, expertly stacked and surprisingly sturdy. The bunny boy was wearing a legless blue onesie and matching booties, with a white binky attached to a lanyard to said onesie. The telltale bulge of his Pawpers apparent to any who would look at him. He looked to Jessie, who just rolled her eyes and set down the duffel bag. "'Course. I'm no amateur," the skunk girl said. She was wearing just a pink T-shirt with a glittery rainbow and butterflies on it, and a white Snuggies-brand diaper with pink leg guards and the word 'Princess' going across the front waistband. She also had on pink booties that matched the pink bow tied to the tip of her tail. "Well I kinda had to ask, as we're cutting it close on time here," he said, looking at the colorful red and blue toy watch on his wrist. Jessie unzipped the duffel and pushed it closer to him. "Like I said, I'm no amateur." She smirked. Looking inside, Dante smiled. There were four bottles of chocolate milk, some candy bars, a box of powdered, glazed, and chocolate doughnuts, as well as the purple blankie with blue stars from the crib the two and Rebecca shared. Jessie also pulled out her stuffed bunny, which she chose to ignore was now dressed the same as Dante, yet again, complete with a tiny paci on a lanyard attached to its onesie as well. Looking at his watch, Dante grabbed the remote lying next to him and turned on the TV from the living room that they had pushed off into a corner, behind some potted plants. Considering there were now hundreds of flat screen TV's in the living room, they were correct in figuring that no one would miss it. Jessie fluffed up the big pillow the two liked to lean back up against as Dante made sure they were on the right channel. He smiled wide as his and Jessie's ears both perked up at the theme song starting. Giggling, the two both started to sing along to 'I Wanna Be a Share Hare'! They snuggled together underneath the blankie, both popping their babas in as they avidly watched. After a while of watching their favorite colorful hares and their adventures in the cloud kingdom of Share-a-Lot, and eating some of the doughnuts, Jessie and Dante were now leaning shoulder to shoulder. "I think you're a total Prickly-Hare," Jessie giggled as the commercials started. In the current episode, the blue cartoon hare in question appeared to be trying to enjoy reading a book by himself, but the other share hares kept interrupting him. "Oh yeah? Well... you're 100% a Cuddle-Heart-Hare," Dante said, joining in with his own giggles. "Nu-uh, Puff-Butt," Jessie said, playfully shoving Dante. "Yeah-huh," Dante said with a gleeful squeal, shoving back, "Stinky-Pants". Dante slipped his binky into his mouth and smiled at Jessie while he suckled it. "You are such a baby," she said, popping her own in. "No, you're a baby," Dante countered, sticking his tongue out. So went their little ritual. In the three months that had passed since Mother's interview and Father's return, Dante and Jessie, completely by accident, found that they both shared a guilty pleasure. While it was true that the Share Hares was just one juvenile thing the steadily growing number of babies to the Realm watched, they both agreed that it would still be pretty embarrassing for them if others found out that they secretly both had always loved the show. Unbeknownst to the two, this was pretty much an open secret. Rebecca looked over at their fort and rolled her eyes. She didn't feel put out by those two having their own little ritual together. In the time that they've been in the Realm and exploring it, often researching how to escape back to Earth, the arctic vixen had developed little 'rituals' with Dante and Jessie. She and Jessie would play with dollies, with the skunk threatening to slip an ice cube down the back of 'Becca's diaper if she ever told anyone. And she and Dante would play with a toy police action figure set. Sometimes reenacting real cases they both had been involved in on the job. They both seemed to find a catharsis in this, even if their playtime reenactments sometimes took a darker turn. "Hey, Snow-Butt, you in or out?" A gruff-sounding voice with a classic-sounding Brooklyn accent snapped 'Becca's mind to the colorful plastic table she sat at. She and four others were currently playing poker, with stacks of chocolate chip cookies counting as their chips. The one who asked was a fairly recent arrival, of over a week. He was a gray wolf boy in his mid-teens by the name of Tony. From what 'Becca had been able to glean, he and his brother both used to be low-level street thugs working for a floundering mafia family, as well as human and in their thirties. Said 'brother', Lyla (formerly Lyle) was now a little red panda girl, sitting to the wolf boy's left. The two wore pinstripe suit tops and ties, complete with fedoras. Tony had on Pawpers with cartoon puppies playing on the front. Lyla was wearing a bright pink tutu with rainbow Pawpers on, and was mimicking smoking a cigar with a Twuzzler. In short, 'Becca surmised that the two were more wannabe gangsters than actual gangsters. To Lyla's left was a young zebra girl in a yellow sundress named Mirajaine, who claimed to have been in her late nineties. Her appearance placed her at around seven or eight. She certainly tended to act more like a grandmother than a young girl, though seemed to take delight in being able to run around freely as well as her boundless energy. That being said, she and several others had taken up knitting and there was even talk about forming an Arts and Crafts Guild. Finally for their little table, to 'Becca's left and Tony's right, was a golden dragon boy in just a red shirt and diaper, Wuvs with fireworks on the front. He said his name was Bandile, and that he was from South Africa, with a slight accent that seemed to corroborate that claim. Otherwise, he refused to talk about his life, only briefly ever mentioning he worked in private security. Looking at her hand, 'Becca tossed in another couple of cookies into the pot. She knew how weird it was, to be in the realm of an ancient Goddess and God, a former detective, playing poker with a young granny, two wannbe gangsters, and a possible former mercenary, all dressed like toddlers and babies. Yet, the more time passed, the more used to it she became, and not just with the poker game. Mother and Father would go out of their way to dote one each and every one of them equally, sometimes the two of them seemingly in multiple spaces simultaneously. Whatever slack was to be found was instantly picked up by Nanny Sarah, who 'Becca could see was carrying three teen bear cubs into the playroom. Reflecting on how hard things had been for her growing up, 'Becca actually felt that... it was nice to have someone take care of you. "Alright, I'll call," Tony said with a grin after Lyla, Mirajaine, and Bandile folded. 'Becca smiled back. "Four of a kind, Fluff-Puff," Tony said, laying down a hand with all four nines in it. He was reaching for the stack of cookies when 'Becca waved his paws away. She then laid down her cards, revealing a royal flush. "Sorry, Tony-Baloney, but it looks like I won this round," 'Becca said, knowing her nickname wasn't very good, but still eliciting a giggle from Mirajaine and Bandile, as well as a stifled giggle from Lyla. Tony crossed his arms and pouted. "I used to have folks that disrespected me like that disappeared," he said, trying to sound tough. 'Becca rolled her eyes. "Huh? Since when?" Lyla asked, looking up at her little brother. Tony winced at her. "Remember, Lyle... la? How after working our way up we ran things in our own turf?" Tony gave his technically big sister a nudge, but the red panda girl giggled and shook her head. "Nu-uh. I remember us having to move a lot of crates... oh and drop that car off at the dump Big Gino's cousin worked at to have it crushed. OH! And you getting beat up when you tried to get that masseuse parlor to start paying us protection money." "Lylaaaaa!" Tony whined, now losing his accent, which just made the red panda giggle even more, along with the others at the table. Starting the game over, everyone getting more cookies from a passing Nanny Sarah who was more than happy to oblige, Mirajaine ended up winning with by successfully bluffing a junk hand. Over in the pillow fort, Dante and Jessie's cartoon was over. "Okay, I've been thinking," Dante said during the end credits. Jessie nodded while she drained the last of her last baba. "With these Daycare thingies set up all over the world, that lead to her Realm, we could probably sneak out through one of them." "But Fluffy is keeping a close eye on all of them, now that he's got his network of puppets set up again," Jessie pointed out. "True, but I've been thinking. If we could find a way to distract Fluffy for a while, he probably wouldn't notice us leave." "Maybe... but Mommy will probably just come and find us. She can appear anywhere in the Mortal Realm. Daddy too. They could probably easily find us." "Well... yeah... but we gotta try something! We're not babies, after all," Dante said, sticking his binky back in his mouth. Just then, there was a flash of golden light, and Dante, Jessie, and 'Becca found themselves standing on the carpeted grassy plains of the Playroom, the ceiling no longer visible and now looking just like a real clear blue sky. Off in the distance were some mountains and woods, and more mountains off in the horizon. The three found that they weren't the only ones who suddenly appeared there, looking confused. Then, with another flash of light, Mommy and daddy stood there before the assembled babies. "Alright, everyone's here!" Mother said, twirling with joy in her pink and white sundress. It had a colored egg pattern at the hem. The pink entity beamed down at all her babies, just wanting to scoop each and every one of them into a hug and cuddle them. But she restrained herself. Father was standing next to her, wearing khaki pants and a light blue polo shirt, that went well with his blue glow. For once, to all of the babies, the two were something other than the same species as each and every one of them. Instead, to all those assembled in the Realm, the pair both looked like bunnies. "Does anyone know what today is?" "Uh," a hyena girl in a red dress raised her hand. She looked around five and was blushing at the sudden attention to her. "I think it's... Easter?" "That's right, Sarah! Today is Easter! So daddy and I have gathered you all here in the Playroom for a special game! It's going to be an Easter Egg Huntstravaganza!" She threw her arms wide making a rainbow connected to her palms and arching over her pointed ears sparkle before quickly fading. "I have a feeling that this isn't going to be so simple," Dante quietly whispered to Jessie and 'Becca, who both nodded. "Now, you'll all form little groups, and then Daddy, Sarah, and I will drop you all off to your different starting areas. There, you will find some supplies! Now, this will be a bit different than most egg hunts. Your groups will have a half hour to explore and find a spot to make your team's base, by planting the team flag down in it. There, a big basket will appear. After the time has run out, colored eggs will appear all over the Playroom, and only in the Playroom. Some will be more hidden than others, and some will be special secret eggs. The big basket back at your base is where you will deposit the eggs you find. The game will last until after sunset, at which point, whichever team has the most eggs wins!" "However," Father interjected, a playful grin on his face, "this is not as straightforward as it seems. For starters, other teams can swipe the eggs from you or your base's big basket to take and put in their base's basket. So it would probably be a good idea to leave someone guarding your base while the others are out hunting. What's more, your mother was very insistent on adding in paintball guns. That's right, these paintball guns will have a special effect. If you get hit by an enemy paintball, you will be out for one minute the first time, two minutes the second time, and so on and so forth. However, if you get hit six times, then you are out of the game." Seeing some nervous glances, Father chuckled and scooped up a raccoon boy, and began tickling his belly, making him squeal. "Don't worry, Franz, the paintballs won't hurt one bit, and everyone gets a special prize basket just for playing. And if anyone is too uncomfortable to play, then that is fine as well. Nanny Sarah has organized some other fun Easter activities!" That caused some of the nervous folks to relax. Dante looked to Jessie and 'Becca, who both nodded to him, and shared a smile with them. The three stayed together as others grouped up. Looking around, Dante, Jessie, and 'Becca watched the other children. The arctic vixen spotted Tony and Lyla, both in the same outfits from earlier (although now Tony seemed to be wearing a new diaper that had kittens on the front) looking confident as they were speaking to a rat girl in a blue denim skirt-all and a red cape, and a weasel boy in a set of green shortalls with snaps at the crotch, a blue and yellow striped long sleeve shirt on underneath. Not too far away, Jessie took note of the gold dragon boy, Bandile, with Mirajaine sitting on his shoulders. They were chatting amicably with an alligator boy in his teens, who was wearing a tan sheriff uniform top and hat, with a star-shaped badge on the front of his diaper. Dante looked around, amazed at just how many other 'babies' had entered the Realm. Quickly counting, he realized that there were way past one hundred. It dawned on him that after Mommy's display of power on national television and the promise of basically an eternal childhood, that lots of desperate and more than likely elderly or otherwise gravely ill people had decided to take their chances, each and every day. As Dante saw maybe thirty or forty kids heading over to the arts and crafts area being run by Nanny Sarah, which looked like the colorful wild west town from the very first paintball game Mommy had organized for the three of them; three more of their 'siblings' had approached the trio. On his left, Dante saw a raccoon girl and an otter girl both wearing identical sailor dresses and hats, and both looking in their late teens. The otter girl, who had frizzy red hair bunched up into two pigtails, was tugging at the hem of her dress to try and get it to cover more than the top third of her diaper, quite unsuccessfully, while looking around a bit flustered. An obvious newbie. To his right was a teenage jackrabbit and red panda duo that had become quite well known to everyone in the Realm. "Dante, old buddy, old pal," Jayce said, bulldozing over the raccoon girl opening her mouth to speak. He and Melissa were both dressed up in their sequin suit tops, his blue and Melissa's red, with their matching fedoras and domino masks on. The Snuggies both wore also had the same colored trim as their outfits around the leg gathers. Both of their diapers had a top hat and a wand on the front. "What do you want, Jayce," Dante asked, crossing his arms, "if you've come to ask me to lend you some cookies, you can forget it. You still haven't paid me back from last time!" The jackrabbit boy waved a dismissive paw. "No, this is a separate matter entirely. Although Melmel and I wouldn't mind anymore of those tasty carame--OOF!" Jayce was elbowed in his tummy and pushed aside by the red panda girl. Melissa gave the trio a bright smile. "What my silly baby brother was supposed to ask was if you three would want to team up with us? We could really help each other out." Dante opened his mouth to say no. "Sure thing, Melissa!" He whipped around to look at 'Becca, who was hugging her fluffy tail. "Wait a minute--OUCH!" Dante whined as he felt his ear being tugged. He looked to his right to see Jessie standing there with a smirk on her muzzle. "And what our silly baby brother means to say is 'We would love to have you two on our team'!" Jessie popped a pacifier into Dante's mouth to silence any further protest. He grumbled and crossed his arms in a pout when she finally let go of his ear. 'Becca then took his paw and led him off to the side a little bit while Jessie and Melissa started discussing strategies. It was then that the two new girls approached, the raccoon girl holding the otter's paw. "Hi there, I'm Molly, and this is Saffy! We were wondering if we could be on your team?" Molly asked in a bubbly voice. "Uhm... yeah," Saffy said, hints of an accent from across the pond picked up by Dante as he was led away. "Why'd you guys just say yes to 'em?" Dante asked, stamping his foot with a huff once they were far enough away so that their voices couldn't travel. Dante could see Jessie and Melissa talking to the two new girls, while Jayce sucked on his binky and pulled out a deck of cards from up his sleeve, shuffling them. "Because, in case you hadn't noticed, Chief, we're kinda outnumbered here," 'Becca pointed out, waving her arms in the directions of other teams, some as large as twenty kids. "We need as many players as we can get." "But... fine," Dante said, pouting again and starting to walk back towards their group. "I thought it was just gunna be the three of us," he grumbled around his binky. Returning, he saw that Jayce and Molly were sitting on the carpet grass, the deck of cards between them. "Is THIS your card?" Jayce asked, pulling a nine of diamonds off the top to show. "Nope," Molly said, hugging her bushy ring tail. Saffy stood by Melissa and was looking over Jayce's shoulder. "Oh, really? Hmm... are you suuuuure?" "Yes. My card that I showed to Saffy, Jessie, and Melly was an ace of clubs. Plus, you had me sign it with this marker, remember, Sog-boy?" Jayce stood up and began pacing, stopping before a grumpy-looking Dante, a mischievous smile on the jackrabbit's face. Without a word he leaned down and started unbuttoning Dante's onesie. "H-hey! What're you doin'?!" Dante asked, with Jayce ignoring him and tugging up the bottom of the onesie to show off the front of Dante's diaper. "Is THAT your card, Molly-Wolly?" They all looked to see that the front of Dante's diaper, which had had the design of several Share Hares frolicking on it, was now replaced with the image of an Ace of Clubs playing card, with some writing in black marker on it that read Jayce likes playing tea party and dressing up in pretty clothes. "Wha--I do not!" The girls all giggled as Dante furiously snatched away the flap of his onesie. When he let it go, the buttons all snapped back together, the fabric pulling nice and snug around his diaper. "It sure is my card," Molly said, falling on her back laughing. That was when Melissa decided to chime in. "You do SO like dressing up in a pretty princess dress and playing tea party with me!" "Nu-uh! I just did that... to be nice, that's all! And you offered free cake!" Jayce blushed and looked away. Dante snickered a bit, before both were pulled into a hug by Melissa. "And that's why you're a wonderful baby brother. Both of you are," she said, hugging them tight. "I'm the big brother!" Dante and Jayce said simultaneously. They tried to wriggle away from the soft embrace, before they, along with Melissa, 'Becca, a very worried-looking Saffy, Molly, and Jessie, were all scooped up by Daddy. As the giant blue bunny man started to walk them through the expanded forest, he nuzzled the tops of their heads. "I love seeing you little cuties getting along so well," Daddy said, now giving each of his babies a kiss on their foreheads. 'Becca's tail wagged, and she leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. He chuckled as he came to a stop in a clearing. Looking around, the babies saw that they were now in a new section of the Playroom, one that was made to look like some kind of jungle. Jessie took note of a marble statue off in the distance, while the others took more of an interest in the five dark brown wooden crates littering the clearing. "Alright, kiddos. Here's your flag," Daddy said, pulling a purple flag on a retractable metal pole from his pocket, which he handed to Dante. "Now remember, you guys have thirty minutes to pick a spot for your base. After that, the eggs will appear all over the place. Understand?" "Uhm... yes, sir," Dante said, feeling nervous. Daddy smiled softly down at him, and bent down, picking Dante back up. He started to bounce the surprised bunny boy in his arms, making Dante let out reluctant giggles. "There's no need for any of that 'sir' stuff. I'm just Daddy, or Dada, or Papa, or even Pa; okay, buddy?" Dante let out a yes and was kissed again on his forehead, before he was set down again. Dante quickly hopped back out of reach of the giant, a blush on his gray cheeks. With a chuckle, Daddy was off and disappearing through the trees. Dante felt a weird warmth in his chest when he was being bounced like that, and it was fading, almost causing him to let out a whimper. But he shook it off and popped a binky in his mouth instead. He saw that the others were already opening the crates, pulling supplies out and went to join them. All except for Jessie, who had started exploring the jungle a bit, spotting another marble statue, and another, all of anthros in togas standing and pointing in the same direction. She saw a large leaf and a vine hanging down and grabbed them, only to find both were made of some kind of soft cushiony material. Smiling, she moved onward. Waddling a little bit further in the direction the statues pointed, Jessie came to a stop. "Guys!" She called back behind her. "I think I found us a good base!" Footsteps hurrying through the foliage and soon, the others joined the skunk girl. Stopping and staring, the group looked upon what appeared to be an ancient greek temple. There was a white stone path leading up to some large white stone carved steps, with collapsed statues and pillars lining it, as well as partially broken and still-standing ones. At the top of the steps was a structure with more pillars, most of which were still standing, with a faded and partially collapsed red-domed roof. "Woah," Jayce said, walking over to the bottom step that was as tall as his waist. He reached out a paw and pushed on the step. Like Jessie found with the plant life a little bit ago, it was if the steps were made from soft pillows. He crawled, a tad clumsily, up onto the step, and giggled when he found that he could bounce on it like a trampoline. "This is so squishy!" "It's actually pretty hidden by the jungle," Melissa remarked, looking around and just seeing thick copses of trees. "And the top of the structure offers a decent vantage point," 'Becca chimed in, taking that moment to proudly display a long pink paintball rifle with a scope on it. It was a paintball sniper rifle. "With lots of cover to hide behind, making potential invaders pretty easy pickings." "Plus, with the high ground and the walls and only one entrance to have to worry about, that goes a long way towards its defensive capabilities," Dante said. He looked to Jessie. "Good job finding it." Jessie blushed and looked away, saying nothing but smiling. "I can even set up making some walls, to help make this place even more defensible," Molly chimed in, pulling out the plush mallet she had pulled out from a crate. Giving it a squeeze and making it squeak, she caused a blue-transparent one foot by one foot block to appear before her. She moved her hammer, and whatever direction it was pointing in, the block moved with it. She made a motion to hammer the block with it, and POP, where the transparent black was now stood a white stone block. Dante, Jessie, 'Becca, Jayce, and Melissa were all stunned, while Molly giggled. Saffy smiled and spit out the binky she had been pensively sucking on. "And I can make toy gadgets, like automated turrets!" Saffy pulled out a plush monkey wrench and, similar to what Molly did with the block, she made what looked like a see-through plastic legless toy robot appear on a pole, with two automatic paint pistols instead of arms. She moved it around until it was sitting on top of a pillar, and then whacked it with her wrench. With another POP, the turret was real, making a ticking sound as it slowly swiveled back and forth from left to right. "... Okay, that was cool," Jayce said, making Saffy blush and Molly giggle. "Alright then, if everyone likes the idea of using this as our base, I'll go ahead and plant the flag inside it." Dante waited to hear any objections and, with no one finding a reason to voice any, he started hopping up the bouncy stairs, with the others following behind him. Inside the temple were... drawings. Some the bunny boy recognized as ones he made, others he recognized as being Jessie's and 'Becca's, and lots of others. But they were replicas made by tiles lining the walls and going all the way up to the ceiling. He even saw pages from coloring books. "Huh," Jayce said, looking at the mural of drawings, "I guess Mommy made copies for stuff like this, because I know for a fact that mine and Melissa's are still up on the fridges in the kitchen." Dante nodded and wordlessly walked to the center of the room. He extended the flag and got ready to stick it in the center of the temple, noticing that despite the soft cushion that made up the stone floor, his footsteps could still be heard making a partial echo. His and Jayce's ears both perked up and twitched when Dante stepped onto the central dais, and the two shared a look. "That sounds hollow," they said. Hopping down and looking around the base of the dais, it was Dante who found a small, easy to miss indentation. Bending over, and unaware he was filling his diaper as he did so, Dante reached into the indent and pulled. With a loud pop, just as the girls reached the opening to the room, the dais flipped open. There was a ladder heading straight down. All of them looking at one another, 'Becca stepped forward, unholstering a blue paintball pistol while securing her rifle to her back. She then quickly climbed down the ladder. "Can you see anything down there?" Jessie called. "Yeah... there's night light torches down here," 'Becca's voice wafted back up. "Hey! There's more crates down here! And a tunnel!" After a few more minutes of exploration, they found that the tunnel led to a sealed entrance hidden behind a rushing waterfall with a small footpath that blended into the hillside. With the whole team gathered together in the center of the sub-room at the bottom of the ladder, which was as big as the room in the dome up top, and indeed had ten more crates with weapons and ammo as well as what appeared to be blueprints for devices, Dante smiled. He walked over to a little alcove and stuck the end of the flagpole into the soft stone floor. Instantly, there was a POP with a puff of a cloud of purple smoke, that smelled like grape soda, and all of a sudden, right there, attached to the base of the pole was a purple easter basket with green plastic easter grass filling it. "Okay, team," Dante said with a smile, "let's get to work setting up our defenses." The babies cheered and went about breaking open the rest of the crates, with 'Becca and Melissa heading back up the ladder to find some good positions to start watching from, and Saffy and Molly heading up behind them to start shoring up the defenses. 'Becca mentioned that neither Mommy nor Daddy said that teams weren't allowed to have a player or two out hunting for other teams' bases during the base set-up phase, so she was going to keep an eye out for anyone else coming along. While they all excitedly went about their tasks and devising their strategies, not one of them noticed a pair of green glowing eyes watching from the tunnel that 'Becca had explored earlier. The darkened figure they belonged to skittered quietly back down the tunnel, giggling sinisterly, their voice not making an echo. Hehe, sorry to leave you all on a cliff-hanger like that, but this chapter just got so dang big! I would like to thank BabyStar once again for allowing me to use her character, Saffy. I promise to try and get chapter 6 out soon!

I'm on a PC and that's the best I could do. But I likes it, so thanks so much for teaching me how to do it!

I don't see an option to make columns. Also, shift+enter just combines the links all into one link all for the very first linked story.

Gotcha. And thanks again!

O.O Oh wow! Thanks!

Yup-Yup! Hold on, lemmie get a link. I wish i knew how to do that thing where underneath all my posts is a place to put links to other stories of mine. Here it is! https://www.dailydiapers.com/board/index.php?/topic/76358-a-mothers-love-ch-4-now-up-52222/

I'd be lying if I said I didn't love CM (though I always make a point to remember that it is a show and therefore not gospel into the actual minds of serial killers. Unfortunately, after taking some forensics classes, I just cannot watch any of the CSI's, it's just... no, no, and no. That's not how that works! And just do NOT get me started on "Let me enhance the image.")

This made me giggle.

O.O Woah... you are good! A LOT of what you said hits VERY close to my idea around Patrick! (I wanted to actively make him an anti-hero. He truly is a monster, and a Little. And... he is not going to stop unless he is stopped.)

That will be updated after the newest chapter of Mother's Love. Maybe. Depends on what happens when I try to write. For Patrick, it isn't about guilty or innocent so much as "Who is a greater challenge to kill?" While also tying up loose ends. Everything becomes black and white as I drive around in my car, looking at the wastes and wondering what could have been. Noir can be fun!

Hehe, of course. Ash wouldn't let herself get adopted by just any Amazonian couple. Not that Stacy doesn't just love babying her. Ari as well to a lesser extent...

Patrick's not targeting them because they are potential threats to him. He's targeting them because this is his safari, and they are his prey. (The ones actively hunting for a Little are easier to lure inside though...) And he might have a little bit more of an idea about their technology than the average non-native to the dimension Littles. But the friend asking questions, possibly linking her missing friend to him... yeah, that was more him nipping that in the bud. And he does have a plan in mind... but now and again, it's nice to indulge oneself. With that all said... what police in their right mind would believe that a Little boy like him could harm one Amazon, let alone multiple Amazons? Especially when they're, so far, just looking into a missing person's case... but that's after friends and relatives actually realize that they're missing to begin with. ?

Hehehe, well, he had to tie up a potential loose end. And sometimes the prey comes right to the predator. Gotta strike while the iron is hot and all that.

Well now, this suddenly flowing out of my mind was a surprise for me, especially due to all of the drawings I've been doing lately. But a welcome one. I really hope that you enjoy the new chapter, and feel free to leave a comment or review. Little Monster (Chapter 3) by Panther Cub Patrick plunged the blade of the shovel into the freshly upturned dirt of his backyard. The little man stopped to look up at the stars and smiled. Today had been a good day in his mind. "Well howdy there, neighbor!" Patrick turned to the source of the voice to see an Amazonian man looking at him over the top of the tall wooden fence, said man whose head and shoulders only being visible. Patrick looked him over. He was caucasion neatly trimmed brown hair. He had a mustache and was smiling at the little in a friendly manner, his glasses glinting in the porch light. Patrick smiled back at the real life version of Ned Flanders. "Hi there," Patrick said, sticking the shovel into the dirt before walking over to greet this new Amazon. "You must be Patrick," the man said, looking down at the approaching diminutive figure. "My wife Milly told me all about you. I'm Dave, by the way. Dave Olsten." "Milly... Milly... oh, she was the one who brought over that delicious plate of cookies," Patrick said with his laid back grin on his face. He had suspected that the blonde had put something in the cookies, not that he would have eaten them anyways. One always needs to stay in shape when playing such a fun game. "That's correct-a-roony, little buddy," Dave said with a chuckle that Patrick shared. "So whatcha up to? Doin' some yard work at night?" "Just doing what I can when I can. With getting everything all settled in my new home, I didn't have any time to start on some of my other side projects. I just figured that I'd go ahead and see about breaking ground." "I know how that goes. It took me and Mills about a month when we first moved in before we had finished emptying the last of the moving boxes. But then again, we were bein' a couple of lazy bones ourselves. So what's your fun little project gunna be? Some kind of fort?" Patrick chuckled again and shook his head. "Oh no. I was thinking about putting in a fire pit, but I doubt I could get the permits for that. So I'm still debating on putting in some kind of a garden or maybe even see about making the foundation for a gazebo. A nice little quiet place to sit and relax." "Now that sounds like a fun project. If you want, I can come on over and help you with the construction," Dave offered. "Well I sure would appreciate that Mr. Olsten," Patrick said, feeling a sense of excitement that was lost on the much bigger man. "Splendid! How about I swing on over tomorrow and help you figure out what it is you want to build?" "Sounds great to me," Patrick said, looking up at Dave who was oblivious to the fact that, where he was standing, if he had looked down, he would have seen three black heavy-duty trash bags, filled and tied tight. "I'll bring the Missus over then, say, around noon-ish?" "That will be just fine, Dave. And it was a pleasure meeting you." "You as well, little buddy. Good night," Dave said, turning to walk away. "Good night," Patrick said, grabbing a bag and lifting it. He set it down next to the hole, which was a good seven feet deep. In he tossed the bag, walking over to grab another. When the trash bag had hit the earthen bottom of the hole, it split open a little. Poking out of the tear was a large and meaty hand with long red press-on nails. Patrick tossed in the other bags, one after another, smiling at his handiwork. He then set about filling in the hole. "On a gathering storm comes, a tall handsome man in a dusty black coat with a red right hand," Patrick softly sang as he dumped shovelful after shovelful of dirt into the hole, a wicked grin on his face. The Next Day... "Honey, if you don't put your little game down and finish your breakfast, Mommy's going to just have to feed you herself again," Stacy said while walking her empty plate to the sink, planting a kiss on Ash's cheek as she did so. Ash, sitting in her high chair, looked down at the scrambled eggs. She speared some on her fork and popped it into her mouth, before resuming tapping on her tablet. She was wearing her pink footed unicorn jammies. "Mommy," Ash said with a sigh, "this isn't a game. I'm using my tablet to do research for my latest case." "I really wish you'd just let grown-ups handle that, Pumpkin," Stacy said, walking back and sitting at the kitchen table, now holding a mug of tea. "Just because I agreed to be your and Daddy's baby doesn't make me any less of a grown-up," Ash said, absentmindedly grunting and filling her diaper. She ignored that and focused more on her tablet, reading the files she tapped on. Her latest case was a sad one. A Tweener girl named Mia had been off to college. She claimed that she and her parents, who were surprisingly both Amazons, kept in constant contact, even moreso with the upcoming break for classes. She had been so excited to return home and spend some time with her Mom and Dad. They were even mentioning a surprise that had her curious. Then, two days before she was to travel home, she stopped hearing from them. No matter how much she texted or called, all she got was radio silence. When she did arrive back at home, everything was quiet. The doors and windows were all locked, and no one came to the door when she rang. Using the spare key that was hidden under the false brick in the flower garden, Mia had gone inside. She had called for her parents to let them know she was home, but she only heard dead silence in response. Checking the whole house, her parents were nowhere to be found. All of their clothes and belongings were where they should be, nothing out of place. In the garage was her father's convertible, but their minivan was gone. Going over next door and questioning some neighbors, Mia learned that they had seen her mom and dad, driving off in their navy blue minivan, and that had been two days prior. They never returned. After panicking and calling around and even filing a police report. Mia was unable to learn of anything else. That had been a month ago. Final;ly, desperate for some answers, Mia had been referred to Ash. The Tweener was apprehensive about a babied Little private investigator, but with limited funds, she didn't have any real alternatives. Ash felt bad for the younger girl and took the job. This wouldn't be the first time she took a missing person's case. She just hoped for Mia's sake that it would have a happier ending than most of the others she worked, both on and off the force. "That explains why Little Miss Frowny-Face decided to drop by," Stacy said, reaching under the high chair tray to tickle Ash's jammied feet. Ash tried to fight it, but let out a shriek of laughter. "Stoooooooop!" Ash flinched as she shifted in her seat, feeling her mess. She blushed and looked up at the Amazon who beamed at her in pure joy. "There's my special little girl's pretty smile!" Stacy cooed and took a sip from her mug. "You've always had the most beautiful smiles, baby. Even when we were both little together." "Ugh," Ash said. She did not like to be reminded that the woman she called Mommy was one of her childhood best friends, and that she herself was a year older than 'Mommy'. "Look, I'm not frowning, I'm just concentrating. This case is looking pretty odd for a missing persons' case." "Odd how, pumpkin?" Ash exhaled and rolled her eyes, before relaying the details. "And that's pretty much all I have to go on. Well, that and a license plate and vehicle description." "That does sound weird," Stacy agreed, finishing off her tea. She took her mug to the sink and gave it a quick rinse, before unlocking Ash's tray, the Little having finished off her eggs, and took that dish as well. She then unbuckled the diapered detective and scooped her up into her arms. Ash winced as Stacy patted her mushy bottom. "Maybe a fresh diaper and a cute outfit will help get your investigative juices flowing!" Ash rolled her eyes again, something she had quickly become an expert at ever since her adoption, and said nothing, instead choosing to finish her email to a contact she had at the DMV. It was a bit of a stretch that Earl could help, but it never hurt to try. With it sent, Ash winced some more as her sleeper was unzipped and she was laid onto her changing table, wearing just a white cotton tank top and a messy purple night time diaper. She looked over at the daytime one Mommy was laying out for her on the table, and saw a picture of a cute little skunk on it. Leaning over a bit she looked down at the package of Snuggies, amazed to see a smiling Skunk Littlefur gazing back up at her, stacking some colorful rings in just a shirt and diaper. Littlefurs were not too common a sight here, but she had seen a few. Most were adopted, but some were living independently, like a very athletic-looking tigress who, from time to time, could be seen jogging through the neighborhood. Ash only briefly wondered why she was thinking about these Littlefurs when she jumped from the cold wipes, and lost her train of thought. Meanwhile... "Gillian, please pickup," Lily said aloud in a soft but anxiety-laden voice, her phone up to her ear as she dialed her friend's number again. Having not heard from her in the last few days, and none of their other friends having seen her, made Lily nervous. Her phone ringing and only going to voicemail over and over again when Lily called it, only served to make the Amazon increasingly more worried. "Oh, please don't have been arrested, Gillian," Lily said for the fourth time. However, she was starting to hope that that's all that had happened. Even with the prospect of legal trouble or jail time, that was still a far better possibility as to why Gillian wasn't answering her calls and texts. Ever since Gillian had started to put on weight, Lily had been growing more concerned over her health. Gillian's mother's family had a history of heart problems, and the extra weight was certainly not helping in that regard. Thinking back to their last conversation, Lily recalled that Gillian was going to go and meet with the new Little neighbor that had moved in, Patrick. "Well... it couldn't hurt to go and ask him if he'd spoken to her," she thought aloud, walking over and grabbing her coat. She checked herself in the mirror, making sure she looked presentable. The middle-aged brunette smiled tightly to herself, worry lines forming a crease on her brow. She was wearing a lavender coat with a matching pencil skirt. She adjusted her lavender flower earrings before grabbing her purse and keys and heading out the door. Walking down the sidewalk through the neighborhood, Lily looked up. It was another sunny day with a clear blue sky. A gentle and cool breeze was blowing in the air. She saw some neighbors pushing their children, both Amazonian children and Littles, along in strollers. Mr. Mackintosh was playing with his golden retriever, Lucy. And Amy, the tigress Littlefur who lived over in the nearby Little Housing neighborhood, jogged by, giving her a nod. Lily had had her eye on Amy, the cute kitten, ever since she had moved in a few months back. The fact that she hadn't had a Matureosis flare-up as a result of moving somewhere strange in that time was an amazing surprise to Lily. Still, whenever she saw her on her morning jog, Lily made sure to keep an eye out for any accidents. The Amazon shook her head and kept walking, now at a more brisk pace. Despite the pleasant-looking morning, she still felt the hard and cold pit or fear. While she and Gillian fundamentally disagreed on certain aspects of adopting any kind of Littles, Gillian was still her oldest and dearest friend. Where Gillian would make claims that all Littles deserved a loving home with proper Amazonian parents looking after them, Lily felt that only those that proved they needed parents should be adopted. She always stayed up to date on the latest science regarding Matureosis. Hence why she was looking into local orphanages and etiquette schools, as they had an excellent track record with helping Littles that just couldn't handle trying to be adults anymore come to accept their limitations. But Gillian... if she saw a Little that wasn't adopted that she wanted, she would make plans to try and just take them. She'd already had run-ins with some well-meaning but very firm officers from the local department already. Lily started wringing her hands, wondering of Gillian's impatience at finding the right Little who truly needed her had landed her in a world of trouble. Lily slowed as she came upon the Little's house. She remembered old Mr. Mulligan, the crotchety old Amazon had not been a very pleasant man. Still, his house was gorgeous. Lily looked at the tower with its pointed tip and smiled a little. Looking down at the front yard, she saw that a new flower garden had been put in. Lilies and marigolds, her favorites. Walking up the red stone tile pathway, she started to feel a bit nervous again. The last thing she wanted to do was scare the little guy, and so plastered her warmest smile on her face as she rang the doorbell. She didn't have to wait long. "Hello there." Lily looked down at the source of the voice to find a handsome Little man looking up at her. His chestnut brown hair was neatly combed and slicked back. He was wearing a gray suit with a blue tie, looking like he was ready for a job interview. "How may I help you?" "O-oh, hello there, Mr. Maetnab," Lily said, leaning down a little to offer her hand. He shook it as best he could, and Lily was surprised to feel the strength in his grip where he was able to grab. It didn't hurt, but it was a firm, solid grip. "My name is Lily Andrews. I live just down the street. I'm here because I haven't seen or heard from a friend of mine, Gillian Barkley, and I was wondering if maybe you had seen her in the last few days?" Andrew's smile widened a bit, and he chuckled. "Oh yes, me and Gillian had a run-in, I want to say, about three days ago." "Did she... oh gosh, this is awkward," Lily said with a nervous laugh. "Did she... I mean, she said on the phone that she was... well..." "She did attempt an illegal adoption, yes," Patrick said bluntly, but not angrily, his easygoing smile still on his face. "I eluded her attempts and, after a bit of theatrics on Gillian's part, we were able to have a calm talk." "R-really?" "Oh yes. She was a bit more... let's say dead set, on adopting a Little like me. I, of course, feel that I demonstrated my maturity in the situation very well. So we discussed adoption and I brought up the idea of adopting a Little from another country, like over in Voz. From what I've read of their brochures, they take the care and safety of Littles ready for adoption seriously. She thanked me for my time, though didn't apologize for trying to splash water on my pants, and then left, saying she had some things to think over." "I... see..." Lily felt very unsure. If Gillian was going to hop in the car and drive to the border, she would surely have said something to Lily about it. They could have even made a road trip of it. This wasn't sitting well with Lily. "Well, th-thank you, Mr. Matenab. I was just starting to get a little worried about her." "It is absolutely no problem for me, Miss Lily," Patrick said. "She's your friend, it's only natural to worry if she suddenly drops off the face of the world without so much as a word," Patrick looked up at her, and Lily's heart started to melt. His boyish, almost impish smile, the warmth in her chest. She recognized that she was cosseting, and so started to awkwardly step down the stairs. "W-well, I should probably get back h-home, Pa--uh... Mr. Maetnab. It was a pleasure meeting you," she said. "Actually, it's such a nice morning, would you mind it if I walked with you, Miss Lily," Patrick gave her his most winning smile, and Lily's heart melted. "Absolutely! Oh... I mean, if you would like to, then yes, that would be just fine, Mr. Maetnab," she said, internally reminding herself that the Little before her hadn't displayed any signs of immaturity. She watched as he locked his front door, checking to make sure he had his keys first. "Please, call me Patrick.", he said, to which Lily agreed, and soon the two were walking back up the street. "This is mine," Lily said, pointing to the modest two-story house. It was a bright canary yellow with white trim, and a well-kept front lawn. "W-would you like to come in?" "I think that that would be lovely," Patrick said as Lily unlocked her front door. He followed her inside, Lily not noticing the syringe he pulled out from hidden up his sleeve, removing the cap. He kept smiling as the door was shut. "Oh, Lily?" he asked as she set her purse on a coffee table. "Yes, Patrick?" She answered, hanging up her coat. "Do you like games?" Patrick didn't wait for an answer as he, striking like a snake, jammed the needle of the syringe into the back of Lily's knee, having been eyeing a vein there, pushing down on the plunger. Lily yelped and jumped a bit. "What-re youssssh," she slurred, already her vision swarming. She slumped against the wall and slid down. She reached for the door knob, but her hands were clumsy and flopping, her movements sluggish and barely responsive. She looked and saw Patrick standing there, holding the syringe, his smile now much more menacing. "I ask because, I really, REALLY like to play games," he said. Just before Lily's vision turned to black, she saw him pull out some long zip-ties, and then the darkness of unconsciousness took her. At that moment... Dave Olsten silently wept. He sat there, in Patrick's basement, bound to a chair with thick leather straps. His mouth was taped shut, and Patrick had used enough to ensure there was enough to keep his mouth securely covered. Through blurred eyes, Dave looked right across from him. No more than three or four feet, sat Milly. Or rather, there sat her corpse. They had stopped by earlier as promised, both secretly discussing how to convince Little Patrick to come home with them as their baby boy. Milly had had her heart set on a girl, so they also planned on discussing with Patrick, in addition to possibly being adopted, the possibility of a sex change. They had even brought brochures, including one from Voz, which was the leading country in medical tech. Then they had both been offered some of Patrick's freshly baked cookies, only to awakened some time later, down here in the basement, bound to these chairs. Dave looked at Milly, at what the little monster had done to her. Her throat had been slashed, blood flowing all down her front, staining her eggshell sundress, onto the plastic-coated floor. Dave heard her gurgle and gasp, and saw Patrick looking on while wearing a clear plastic face shield and some kind of plastic jumpsuit, a devious and hateful smirk on his face. Then Dave had been forced to sit there, his eyes clamped shut, as he was forced to listen to Patrick using an electric bonesaw. When he was done and left, Dave had opened his eyes and, if it weren't for the tape would have screamed himself hoarse. Milly, his highschool sweetheart, sat there, her chest cavity opened for all the world to see, with something missing inside. The bastard cut out her heart! Dave wept again and thrashed in his seat. But it was secured by bolts and made from a heavy, sturdy wood. He winced a bit. He looked down the best he could, his upper torso also bound to the chair, and saw his own blood dribbling down from his ankles. Patrick had used a butcher knife to cut Dave's Achilles' tendons. With a whimper, Dave sat there in the dark basement, remembering the words he and Milly had awoken to, in a surprisingly deep voice. "I want to play a game." O.O ... Okay, that got a little dark, even for me... I LOVE IT! Hehehe, I hope everyone is having a happy holiday season and has a happy New Year!

Uhm... Who is Kayla? Are you talking about Dawn?

Well... Kana certainly didn't see this coming... and she is REALLY not happy about it. But hey, despite this clearly temporary setback, no one will ever know she was humiliated like this. She's got a reputation as a wandering barbarian of an adventurer to maintain, after all... (Just a heads up, this is the last of the pages I sketched, took photos of, and then started remaking in Paint 3D! I'm gunna apply my newest style going forward with new pages!)

Thank you!

It hasn't been easy for little Mischief. He used to be a "suave" and "roguish" international criminal with a cavalier attitude, and now here he is on another world of talking anthropomorphic animal people, as a baby that has just learned how to toddle, under the loving and ever watchful eyes of his new "Mommy" and "Daddy". He might have an easier time manipulating them, if they weren't fully aware of his previous life. So when he does things like escape from his crib and playpens, swipe wallets, set up a soda speak-easy at daycare, and even hotwired the family car; they weren't too surprised. Not believing in spanking, they have come up with more... "creative" methods for correcting his flagrant delinquent behavior. Like adorable and more "feminine" outfits, or leaving him at the mercy of his slightly older cousin, Emma, who excitedly views Mischief as a surrogate baby sister to dress up, have tea parties with, and even practice using make-up when her Mommy is distracted. (In my quest to better my arting, I drew some inspiration from Reva_the_Scarf 's style! I feel I am getting closer to making my own style something I feel more confident about!) I decided to go back and touch up my pic with my first ever attempt at cell shading! It's not perfect, but I'm feeling proud! ❤️

As you can see, even when Mischief is in high school, he still hasn't gotten back onto the potty train this second time around. For some reason, that's just how it is for thirty percent of reincarnated individuals in this world. But the incorrigible cat won't let that keep him down. Whether it's from participating on the baseball team, to hanging out with his friends, to going out in public, to attempting another one of his many technically legal scams. Of course, his loving Mommy and Daddy, who actually find his antics rather amusing, are still continuing with their usual behavioral correction method. Despite his scams, it actually has helped. He hasn't attempted to start up any major criminal empires since he was seven. So there's that. Also, Emma just loves getting to spend time with her grumbly cousin. Once again, my art style was heavily inspired by Reva_the_Scarf's amazing art!

There's always been a dark undercurrent to the DD shared-verse... sometimes it's not as under as it might at first seem either!