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regression Back to Basics (Chapter 7 Posted 1/27/2025)
Panther Cub posted a topic in Story and Art Forum
Hey there, readers! This is... kinda awkward, but it happened again. A new idea for a cute story popped into my head and, well... here's the beginning of a new story! I hope that you enjoy it! Back to Basics (Part 1) by Panther Cub "Alright, Ma'am, I'm gunna need you to pull over into the inspection lane." The tuxedo cat looked down at the jackrabbit lady, the sunlight reflecting off his aviator sunglasses, his mouth a hard frown as he pointed at the lane he had just instructed her to drive towards. She looked up at him from inside her small brown car, a look of confusion on her face. "Please don't start with me this early in the morning," the tuxedo cat mumbled under his breath as she opened her mouth to speak. "Is this some kind of a joke?" The jackrabbit lady didn't even try to keep the giggle from her voice. Tristan hated the fact that he could feel his black and white cheeks starting to blush. From where he sat perched on his special work stool, Tristan bit back a growl and simply frowned deeper, making sure to speak authoritatively. He could feel the snow white feathers on his wings starting to fluff up a bit. "Ma'am, you need to pull over into the inspection lane right now. I won't ask a third time." His paw was already settled onto his radio. "Are you playing inspection officer, cutiepie?" She cooed up at him. The cat felt his blush deepen and his tail began to swish faster in his aggravation. The fact that he could hear a faint crinkling as it did so didn't help. "Charlie 54 Delta, code 11." The jackrabbit looked away from the kitten sitting in what was very clearly a highchair painted black to match his cute little uniform, to see several officers dressed similarly approaching. A large brown and white spotted female owl took up position in the booth right next to Tristan and looked the driver dead in the eyes with a hardness to her own steely gray ones. "Driver! Pull into the designated inspection lane now. This is your final warning!" Lieutenant Haelga was not one to mess around, and the jackrabbit lady immediately knew it. "Wait... am I in trouble?" "He, like every other inspection officer here, radios in a Code 11 when a driver is not complying and driving into the inspection lane after being instructed to do so. Failure to comply can lead to detainment in addition to the inspection of your vehicle as well as count as resisting arrest if you continue to fail to comply." "Now wait just one second... you mean that that... baby is actually working here?! That can't be legal!" Tristan rolled his eyes at that, feeling some satisfaction as the lady was then asked to step out of the vehicle by Officer Skyson. While a bit on the portly side, the vulture was still very intimidating when he wanted to be, like when the jackrabbit lady started to object to her being detained, until he gave her his patented glare. Another officer climbed into the car and drove it away from the booth and into the inspection lane. "Y'know, Tristan," Haelga said with a smirk as she looked down at the kitten, "it really impresses me how much you're able to not lose your cool when these drivers pull this crap." Tristan smiled, feeling his blush fade a bit as he sat up a little straighter in his work stool that was totally not a high chair at some point. "Thanks, boss!" "And remember to call in if you need a quick change." His ears splayed flat at that while his blush returned in full force. "Understood, Lieutenant..." "Oh! And one more thing!" Haelga turned just as she was about to shimmy out of the booth, smiling down at her protege. "Yeah?" "I'm putting you in charge of helping to train the new gal when she starts next week." Tristan had sat in on the interview and gotten to ask a few questions. The new hire's name was Mia, and she was also a tuxedo cat, though she didn't have wings like he did. Also, she wasn't trapped in the body of a two-year-old. Well, to be fair it was more like the body of a one and three-quarter-year-old, but Tristan preferred to round up. He liked how she had been professional and not immediately fawned over him the moment she saw him, like so many applicants had already. That or just ignored him and his questions. He suspected that that was partly why he was selected to help with the interview process, to help weed out some of the less-professional ones. Overall, Mia's qualifications were just fine and she answered all of their questions professionally and succinctly. If he recalled correctly, she was twenty-eight, nine years younger than himself. "I won't let you down, Boss!" He said, resuming his duties as another car pulled in next to his booth. "Good morning sir." "... Is this some kind of a joke?" Tristan sighed and looked at the alpaca in the business suit just staring right at him with a slack-jawed expression. "Sir... I'm gunna need you to pull into the inspection lane up on the right here." * * * Tristan sighed as he watched the forested landscape pass by. Seeing the ever burbling creek going under the little bridge the car quickly passed over always made the kitten smile. But today he just wasn't feeling it. It wasn't a long drive home from work, but when you have to carpool because legally you can't drive anymore... and you have to sit in the back in a car seat, it can make the trip feel like it takes a bit longer than it should. "You line up a ride for next week?" Frank asked from the driver's seat. The gruff old bull looked at the winged kitten in the rearview mirror. "Yeah. I'll be carpooling with the new hire. She already agreed to it, and said that since she lives close by to where I live, it won't be an inconvenience to her." "Good..." Despite sharing a ride to and from work with one another for the last six months, Tristan still found talking with his older coworker to be very awkward. "Yeah... so this is really it then?" Tristan asked as they passed by into the town outskirts, a few houses dotting the now grassy and hilly landscape the forest gave way to. "Yup. Been looking forward to retirement for awhile now." Frank cracked a smile as he came to an intersection and took a left, driving past the bar and grill. The local grocery store flew past next, followed by the elementary school shortly after. Seeing the old school brought back some fond memories to the kitten. A few more turns later, and Frank was pulled up right in front of Tristan's house. It was a simple ranch-style layout. He winced as he took note, yet again, of how badly the old white house was in desperate need of a new paint job. The black and white kitten had to wait for the bull to get out and come around to the backseat door Tristan was looking out of. Opening said door and using his hoof fingers, Frank pressed the big red button in the center of the five point safety harness that was keeping Tristan safe and sound in his carseat. The diminutive feline hopped down and grabbed the bright blue and red child's backpack he used to carry around his lunch and other stuff for work inside, watching as the bull grunted and snorted in frustration, trying to get the carseat all disconnected from how it had been installed. Finally, it came free, and Frank carried it over to the front door, setting it down. He walked back to the car and shut the backseat door, ruffling Tristan's headfur as he did so. "It's been fun, kiddo. Good night." Tristan frowned and batted away at the hoof, giving Frank a sour look. "I'm not a kid... but thank you Frank for the help. Good night, and... goodbye, I guess." Frank smiled and got back inside his bright white car, driving off. The late afternoon light reflecting in the rearview mirror. Tristan walked towards the house, looking left and right, hoping none of his nosy neighbors would bug him today. He knew that they meant well, like old Mrs. Dorrington. "Last thing I need is for someone to call CPS over here again," he muttered under his breath as he fished out his keys from his pocket. He had to reach up a little to get the deadbolt, but after that and the doorknob, and a bit of a shove, he was inside. "Home sweet home." Tristan sighed as he grabbed his carseat and dragged it through the door, which he then shut and locked. Glad that it was the weekend, he undid his tie and unbuttoned his uniform shirt. They were casually tossed aside, along with his pants. Walking by the full-length hallway mirror, he saw a little black and white kitten with stark white wings, wearing a swollen white diaper with green trim. It was after he saw his reflection that Tristan realized he was waddling more. He let out another sigh as his waddling continued on into the bathroom. He looked at the pack of Snuggies and saw he was already halfway through it. He made a mental note to walk on down to the grocery store in the next couple of days to restock. Looking at the other changing supplies and the changing mat laid out on the tile, he briefly reflected on how, thanks to his new height, he had to move everything to a reachable surface, or even just put things on the ground. The exception to this would be his stool in the kitchen. Stripping off his used diaper and balling it up to toss into the awaiting trash pail, Tristan opened his shower door and stepped inside. Dinner that night was a can of Pasta-O's, heated up in the microwave, with a box of juice on the side. As Tristan parked his padded bottom, that may or may not have required some additional adjusting of the tapes in the mirror in the hallway after he had powdered and diapered himself once he had dried himself off; in the old armchair, having to climb up onto it, he carefully pulled the nearby tv tray closer. He tucked a paper towel into his shirt, and scooped out a spoonful. Grimacing at the bland tomato soupy flavor and the chewy and mushy pasta, he reflected on how good a steak, done at medium rare, or some burger patties cooked on his grill tasted. He then frowned and huffed, that having been the first reason a neighbor called CPS after his transformation. Sighing, he started flipping through channels, stopping on some kind of documentary about the new wave popularity of that old boy band Small to Big, rebranded after they got a similar change to Tristan. He let out a growl and quickly changed the channel. "Stupid Regressus Inc. and they're stupid rejuvenation formula... and stupid me for taking that crap." His ears splayed flat on his head as he remembered how excited he'd been when he'd found out that there was an actual legit drug out there that could reverse the aging process. Doing some research, he learned that people could pick their ideal ages and then age regularly again. Tristan had spent almost all of his twenties, his physical prime, taking care of his sick parents. He spotted a picture from back when he was around this age the first time, coincidentally wearing the exact same shirt he was now, being held by his Mom and Dad. She had been a tuxedo cat like himself. His father, being a bald eagle, was where he'd gotten his wings from. Though he suspected it was Mom's fur coloration that caused them to be white. He smiled at the happy family in the photo, trying not to think about how first his father had been the one to get the Big C... and then his mother. They had both insisted that he finish school and get his degree, which he thankfully did. But after graduation, the roles had reversed, and he had started taking care of them. The few friends he had made in college all lived out of town, and he slowly lost touch with them... including Caroline. The sweet tigress had gotten her degree in marine biology and couldn't wait to get out on the ocean. They'd... no, he wasn't going to think about that, and he certainly wasn't going to cry about it. They had made their choices, and even though it had taken a decade when all was said and done, and left him practically penniless, at least before he managed to get a job at the checkpoint. But still, could he really be blamed for wanting to just reclaim that section of his life back? To get to actually be in his twenties? Looking down at the Snuggies with the happy diapered chibi baby lion smiling up at him, he felt that apparently some aspect of fate felt so. As it turned out, there was a small percentage of the population, about 7% overall, who were allergic to the Rejuvenation formula. Rather than get tested, Tristan figured the odds were in his favor. And for a month, it had seemed like they were. Minutes after taking the formula, which turned out to be a spray you inhaled, he had felt a tingling sensation spread out from his face to all over his body. After a few minutes, his clothes felt a little looser, and looking in the mirror, he saw a face he hadn't seen in too long. He'd tried going out to some clubs in the city, which had been... ok, at least in his book. He'd gone down to the coast to try wind-surfing, which had been pretty fun, but wasn't really his thing. He'd tried taking up a bunch of different hobbies, ranging from woodworking to beekeeping, but, aside from a slight pain in his back now being gone, he more or less felt the same. Still, though, he was younger and now had more time to think about what he wanted to do with his life. Then came the morning he'd woken up after having a terrible dream. It was something about being in a neverending daycare, but it was all dusty and covered in cobwebs and empty. The more he'd walked through it, the more he felt a tingling in his whole body, just like when he took the formula. When he awoke, he learned two things. The first, was that he'd shrunk to the size of a toddler, which was right around when he tried getting out of bed and fell on the floor. He bumped his head in doing so, and couldn't stop crying for a good few minutes. The second thing he had learned shortly after was that he seemed to have lost his potty training. That made him bawl outright. It had taken some time, some doctor visits, some proving he knew who he was, knew what year it was, and that he was still mentally an adult, and some thinking on his superiors' superiors part before he'd been allowed to continue working. It was after the first couple of months after his change, when he noticed something odd when he would measure himself with an old yardstick he had found. Not only was he not gaining any new height, he seemed to be shrinking still. Terrified that this meant he'd be transformed into a newborn or something, he had gone to his doctor. After another round of tests, it was determined that while Tristan was shrinking, that was simply because the formula was only finally almost finished. Physically, he'd been hoping to be around the age of three. Instead, his doctor placed him as being just under two. Tristan finished off his Pasta-O's and drank his juice, grape, his favorite, and continued watching TV until he started getting sleepy. He huffed when he saw that it was only 7:37, but knew that his much smaller body would just be getting more tired. He switched off the tv, grabbed his bowl and juice box, and hopped down to the floor. Walking into his kitchen, he used the stool to put the dishes in the sink and run a little water in them. He put his juice box and paper towel into the trash, huffing in frustration when he saw that there were some red splotches on it. Feeling around his mouth and chin confirmed that he'd dribble... again, and so wet another paper towl to clean around his mouth and chin. He then brushed his teeth, checked to make sure all the doors and windows were locked, checked his diaper to find it only a little damp, and then made his way into his bedroom. There, his mattress lay right on the floor, sheets and blankets strewn about on it. Falling out and bumping his head had become a bit of a problem, and this had been his solution. Climbing in, he curled up under the blankets, remembering how his Dad had loved to read him stories when he was this little for bedtime, and how Mom always tucked him in. He let out a little whimper as he listened to his silent and empty house, and started to drift off to sleep. The next day... "Let's see... I'm feeling like... OH! Your Mom's orange chicken recipe!" Mia purred while pushing the cart through the aisles while talking on her phone. The panthress would stop and grab something off the bright yellow list her wife had written. She rounded the corner, and stopped. She spotted a cute little kitten with dark black fur like her own, with a splash of white on his muzzle and chin that matched the color of his wings. He was wearing a pair of denim shortalls over a red shirt. She wondered where his parents were, looking around to spot who might be accompanying the little boy. Then she saw him start climbing the shelves, clearly going for the Cocoa Bombs at the top. "Woah there!" She said, walking up and plucking him off the shelves, turning him around to face her. "That was too dangerous, little guy! You could have fallen and gotten hurt." She said this in a gentle yet firm voice, seeing his ears droop and a blush form on his cheeks. "Mia?" He squeaked out in embarrassment. It was right then that the panthress realized where she recognized this specific kitten from and set him right down. "M-Mr. Granna?" Now it was Mia's turn to blush, practically matching his own, despite her dark fur. "I am so sorry! I didn't know that it was you!" Tristan held up a paw. "It's alright, it was an honest mistake. And please, call me Tristan." Internally he cringed at how her light scolding had made him feel ashamed for what he'd been caught doing. "And... maybe it was a bit... ill advised of me to try and scale the shelves there. I guess I could have gotten an employee to help me get down the Cocoa Bombs." Mia had to choke back a coo at how adorable Tristan was when she first met him in the interview. She had heard of some people having an allergic reaction to the Rejuvenation formula, and thankfully his condition had been explained right before she had entered the room the interview was conducted in, but still. He was a little kitten with wings. She just wanted to pick him up and cuddle him nonstop right then and there! And now, here he was, looking guilty and chastened and just served to enhance his natural adorableness. "Well, since I'm already right here," Mia said, easily grabbing the box of cereal with the chocolate bat advertising the chocolate balls filled with marshmallow goodness. She handed it to him and her heart practically melted at the look of excitement on his face as he took it from her, practically hugging the box before he set it in a nearby shopping basket. Looking inside, she could see several cans of Pasta-O's, some packages of juice boxes,a jar of extra chunky peanut butter, and a loaf of bread. Thanking her for her help, Tristan started to push the basket down the aisle, leading Mia to suspect that he couldn't carry it. "Wait, Tristan!" She walked over to him, smiling as he looked up at her with those big blue eyes of his. She reigned herself back in, remembering that he had the mind of an adult, just in a toddler's body. "Yeah?" "That... looks like a lot for you to try and carry, and pushing it around seems like it'll take forever." "Okay? It's not like I've got much choice. I can't push a cart around." Tristan began to suspect what Mia was getting at. "How about I help? We can put your things on the left side of the cart, and I can grab anything else off the high shelves for you?" Mia was worried that maybe she'd overstepped. Tristan mulled it over for a bit. "Well... okay, I guess that could work... but I am NOT riding around in the baby seat!" He crossed his arms at that, trying to look stern. Mia again almost cooed at the kitten before her. "Deal!" She then bent down and grabbed his basket, gently putting his items on the left inside her own cart, and scooting a few things over to the right. Walking side by side, they continued shopping, with Mia getting looks at the items on Tristan's list. She couldn't help but notice that a lot of his food seemed to be meals already made or in cans. "Oh my goodness," an elderly female coyote said with a happy smile. "Your little one is just so sweet and well-behaved! You must be so proud!" Tristan had to fight the urge to correct this lady and inform her that he is indeed an adult, just one that was regressed, and most certainly not Mia's child. "Uh... thank you so much!" Mia was polite and blushed a little, looking down at Tristan and shooting him a pleading look. He just sighed and waved his paw dismissively. When the old lady was out of earshot did they resume speaking. "Sorry about that, Tristan." "It's okay... better than someone picking me up and carrying me to the manager to report a lost child... again..." "Do things like that happen often?" Tristan blushed. "Yeah... I mean, I know that they mean well, but it really stinks regardless." They rounded a corner, and Tristan's blush deepened. It was the baby care aisle. At first, Mia didn't get why he looked so embarrassed, until; it clicked for her just where in the store they were. "O-oh! We can just go around another aisle..." "Can't... I... kinda need to get some things here." Tristan kept his voice even as he walked past a row of bibs and a row of pacifiers. Mia followed behind, watching the kitten slow down in the diaper section. He looked through all the different packages before grabbing a big red Snuggies pack. His cheeks now almost crimson, he avoided looking at the larger feline, and set it on the little shelf under the cart. This was followed by a tub of wipes and a canister of baby powder. "Okay, I'm done here," he said, starting to walk off. Mia followed behind. just wanting to pick him up and hug him and let the downtrodden kitten know that everything was going to be okay. As they walked to the register area, Mia felt a need to cut through the sudden tension. "Y'know, I love cooking. Maybe Sally and I can have you over some time for a nice home cooked meal." "Uh... that sounds nice," Tristan said, trying to sound polite. They reach the checkout in silence, apart from another nice older lady, this one a mouse, again complimenting Mia for how well-behaved Tristan was. Mia started setting Tristan's items onto the belt first, followed by her own. Despite knowing better, Mia felt guilty about letting Tristan pay for his groceries. She smiled as the teenaged border collie smiled and handed him the bags, until he started to struggle, and then took the heavier things and set them back in Mia's cart. Tristan wanted to object, but elected not to, blushing in silence instead. With Mia's items paid for and bagged, the two exited the store. "Did you get a ride over here?" Mia asked, looking at Tristan expectantly. "Oh... uh... no. Fuber doesn't have many drivers out here, and only one of them has a carseat." Tristan began to rub the back of his head, something Mia was beginning to guess was a tell for when he was feeling a bit uncomfortable. "Wait... you walked all the way here?" Mia asked, suddenly terrified at the thought of the little kitten all by himself, where anything could happen. "How are you gunna carry all your groceries home?" "I brought something to help." Tristan pointed over to one of the decorative trees in front of the store. There, secured with a bike chain, was a little red wagon with a handle. "Tristan, please can I just drive you and your groceries home? It'll be much faster." Mia offered, hoping he would say yes. "That's real nice, Mia... but the law says that I have to ride in a car seat, and we haven't installed mine yet..." The panthress perked up at that. "Oh! But I have one installed already! Me and Sally watch our niece all the time!" The panthress' smile was so bright that Tristan couldn't bring himself to say something that might make it fade. "Uh... w-well, I guess if it isn't an inconvenience..." "Great!" Mia waited for Tristan to unlock and grab his wagon before the two walked in the direction of a powder blue minivan. Unlocking it, Mia slid the door open to reveal a bright pink car seat that Tristan rolled his eyes at. "She loves that unicorn princess cartoon!" Mia chuckled. She smiled as she picked Tristan up under his arms and gently set him in the soft cushiony seat. She hummed while securing the five point harness and gave a test tug, making sure that Tristan was nice and secure. This was followed by Mia going to the trunk and loading up the groceries and Tristan's little wagon before putting the cart in the cart corral, and then getting into the driver's seat. "Okay, Tristan, ready to give me directions?" Mia's voice took on a slightly cutesy tone that Tristan chose to ignore. "Yup." With the engine fired up and Mia pulling out, Tristan started directing her to his home. Mia looked at the ranch-style house and frowned a little. She saw that the paint was peeling and cracked, and the front yard's lawn looked very shaggy. Helping Tristan out and grabbing his groceries and wagon, she followed the kitten up to the front door, which he had to shove after unlocking it. The first thing she noticed after being invited inside was how the light socket in the ceiling just inside the door was missing a bulb. She spotted his uniform clothes strewn on the floor, and could see some dust had started to build up on some surfaces. "Uhm... I know that the place is a little bit of a mess..." "Your house is lovely," Mia said with a cheerful smile. She grabbed some bags and walked down the hall, looking into the first open door on her right. She looked inside the bathroom and instantly spotted the changing mat and supplies on the floor. Her heart started to hurt at the realization that Tristan was truly living alone. "Do you... have any family?" "No..." Tristan didn't mean for it to sound curt, but he walked past Mia with some grocery bags in his paws. He headed towards the kitchen, and Mia spotted the open door to his bedroom, seeing the mattress on the floor. Mia helped Tristan to put away the groceries, letting him take his diapers into the bathroom himself. Sighing, Mia smiled at him when he came right back out. "You know, I'm planning on making some homemade orange chicken for me and Sally tonight..." She noticed how Tristan's ears perked up at that, but he frowned and shook his head. "Thanks, but I've got dinner planned for tonight..." "Maybe I could bring some over later?" Mia offered, looking down at him hopefully. Tristan felt conflicted, but the idea of orange chicken sounded so good. It had been so long. "Well... okay... if you really don't mind." "It'll be my pleasure!" Mia felt her heart warm knowing that the kitten she was looking at wasn't going to be eating only Pasta-O's tonight. With a goodbye, and double-checking that he was okay by himself, Mia left, closing the door behind her. On her way to the car she immediately dialed up her wife. "Sally, hun? I just ran into my new coworker, the one who's gunna train me." "That nice older badger?" Sally's voice asked. "No, the little cutie!" "OH! The little kitten with the mind of an adult?" "Yes! The poor little guy lives all alone!" "Wait... no one's helping him take care of himself?!" Mia heard Sally let out an involuntary squawk. "Yeah! And he seems to mostly eat canned food! I promised him that I'd bring over some of our orange chicken tonight!" "Oh the poor little guy!" "I think he might need a little help..." And there it is folks, the first part of a new story! Let's see where it goes! -
I'm in utah near layton/kaysville! i'd love to meet some other babies to have playdates with!!! i have a UTA bus pass so i can go places as well but i have no car hehe
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Well, isn't this surprising: I came up with yet another new story. This story is actually quite wholesome compared to a lot of my other stories, a recent dream that came to life yesterday. This is babyfur; if you don't want to read it, you don't have to. I hope you will give it a chance, but I won't force you if it's not your cup of tea. About critique, feel absolutely free to tell me what I'm doing wrong; in fact, I encourage it with all my heart! I want to publish this under my pseudo penname in books for AR/AB stuff, and in order to publish without mistakes and errors, I absolutely need to know what I've done wrong. If you can't find anything wrong, then tell me what you liked, please! These things make me a better writer. I'm not soft when it comes to critique, and I'll always listen to it. Anyway, let's start the show: - Chapter One: Alpha(bet) Bitch - Kezia Byles ruled Volkenburg/Lauttener University (commonly known as VLU), and she knew it. The sophomore raccoon dog was the captain of the cheerleading squad, a straight-A student majoring in psychology, with one class in her major left to go for her early degree. It was an easy class as well, Child and Family Development. So what if it lasted all year? So what if it was half of her grade? She was prepared for anything and everything. Her two friends, Robyn and Faith Thornton - fraternal twins: Robyn was a common genet and Faith, a Malayan civet - were right by her side, as close as a sister to the two…and since she was adopted by their parents, they pretty much were her sisters, and the only ones regularly spared from her bitchy side. The others weren’t as fortunate. Kezia was a clownish personality in class, and the teachers were annoyed by her antics…but they couldn’t doubt that she was smart, that her grades were straight A’s, that she knew the coursework better than anyone other than the teachers themselves. And the others, especially the other cheerleaders who weren’t Robyn and Faith? Fuck them; she would go to war against them to put them in their proper places. Especially the ones who were annoyed by her captaincy. Speaking of which, Kezia saw her two rivals for the captaincy as she headed for class. Erin Chinnock the gray wolf and Zoey Coates the clouded leopard. Now, normally, cheerleaders tended to have only one main rival and the rest were beneath notice, but Keira and Zoey were thick as thieves, two peas in a pod, impossible to mention one without the other. Plus they had both stolen a potential boyfriend from Kezia, and she was pissed and out for blood. “Hello, Kezzi,” Erin said, her snout coming close to the raccoon dog’s face. “I hear we’ve got a new teacher for this class, since Mrs. Williams retired.” “I know, Eri,” Kezia sneered, not backing down for a second. “A Miss Keira Hagan, by her roster name. Just try to not to copy my notes with your girlfriend; I don’t want to have to cover for you two in cheer practice.” “We don’t need to copy your notes,” Zoey growled, her whiskers twitching in annoyance. “Apparently, this is a year-long project. All hands on deck for everyone.” “Aww, you can read, Zo-Zo!” Kezia said mockingly. “I didn’t think you could.” “Kez, let’s just…go to class?” Robyn asked timidly. Genets and civets were really small compared to the size of the two rivals. Of course, raccoon dogs were around the same size, and Kezia was admittedly on the smaller side for one, loathe as she was to admit it. “Yeah, listen to your adopted sister,” Erin said. “Maybe-” “Say that again, and you’ll regret it!” Kezia snapped, as she was held back by Robyn and Faith. “Kez, just…ignore them,” the civet said calmly, directing the snarling raccoon dog away from them, and into the class. It was not like the other classrooms, having been larger. There were pastel pinks and blues everywhere decorating the room with surprising color. Artful cartoon designs were on the walls, a giant playpen in the corner with babyish toys and blankets and the carpet was surprisingly soft on her shoes. Looked more like a place where new mothers could put their babies than a college classroom. “Hello, señoras.” Two birds, a barn owl and a red-tailed hawk, had greeted them suavely and simultaneously, as they entered the room at the same time as the girls. Kezia merely rolled her eyes. Freshmen, by the look of it, thinking they were the biggest hot shit in high school and now in a bigger lake and floundering. “Are you trying to flirt?” Kezia asked coldly. “You’re not doing a very good job at it.” “We’re just trying to be nice, mis queridas,” the barn owl said despondently. “You’re the best parts of today, hermosas,” the red-tailed hawk echoed his friend, looking just as despondent. “You’re trying way too hard. My suggestion is that you just don’t try,” Kezia said in an even colder tone than before. Both of the freshmen looked hurt…but they didn’t argue as they went to their assigned seats, close by each other, right next to her adopted sisters in the back. Kezia noted the names next to her on her seat: she was right with her two rivals in the front of the class. Fuck that noise. She sat next to Robyn and Faith, waiting for the teacher to arrive. The boyfriends of her rivals arrived instead. Stan Spellmeyer, the star impala quarterback and Jason Deloatch, the star elk linebacker. Somehow, she had struck out and missed on both of them, with Erin and Zoey, respectively hanging on their arms. Zoey planted a kiss on Jason as she looked at Kezia with a smirk. The cheerleader captain merely flipped her a middle claw, growling to herself. She’d get Zoey back at practice for this, she swore. The rest of the students in the class - seventeen in total, including herself - piled in, and Kezia wondered where the teacher was, what she was like, and how best she could mess with her. Each teacher was different. Some could take a lot of abuse, while others were more sensitive. Now, Kezia wasn’t cruel; the latter, she’d just lightly tease, while with the former, she’d use first names, cause distractions. It was an artform, to see how best to play her mischievous game, and it was one she had perfected, starting from elementary school on. “Why does it look like a daycare?” Robyn asked. “Yeah, that playpen looks like it could even fit Zoey or Erin,” Faith muttered to herself. “I hope it does fit Zoey and Erin; I could use a laugh,” Kezia said loudly enough for the two rivals to hear. They merely glared at her, but she puffed her fur out with pride. “Hellooo, my students!” a new giggling voice came in. A surprisingly young (if Kezia had to guess, she was a recent graduate of some teaching college at around twenty-nine) female hyena had come in, smartly dressed in a white blouse, knee-length black skirt, and flats. There was a kind, yet playful smile on her face, and Kezia could tell from her scent that the hyena probably had a recent baby or something because she was clearly lactating. But what surprised Kezia the most was the female raven in a little black dress and heels, her shining black feathers immaculately groomed. The Dean herself, Renee Stroughter, had come to this class. “Hey, Keira, Renee,” Kezia said with a smirk. The raven looked annoyed, but the hyena had a huge grin on her face as she said, “Oh, good morning, Miss Kezia Byles. You’re in the wrong assigned seat, but I can let it slide for today. Tomorrow, though, I expect you to follow directions on where you need to sit.” “I’ll sit where I fit, Keira,” the raccoon dog replied. “And I think I fit right here with my sisters, thank you very much.” “Goodness, you did tell me about that, Dean,” Ms. Hagan said, the playful smile - not a smirk, but an actual smile - still on her face as she giggled at the stoic raven. “Don’t worry; you’ll have plenty of time to spend with them; you do live in the same dorm, right?” Kezia froze. How did she know that? “Dearie, I do research on all of my students,” the hyena said with a giggle before a serious smile crossed her face. “Now, let’s get straight to the point before introductions: I need a single volunteer that wants to, ah, play a role the whole year without exception for other classes, extracurricular activities and home life for families, hence why there was a waiver sent to your parents to sign before taking this class. This volunteer will be the focal point of our class, Child and Family Development. It focuses on raising a child that’s at the most important stage of growth, and how a healthy community can positively impact a child’s psychological health. Of course, this volunteer gets to do less homework than the rest of the class, gets full credits, and is reimbursed monetarily for the year…” Kezia raised her right paw before anyone else did. “Wait, did you say less homework with full credits?” she asked. “What about the tests-” “Oh, so you’re volunteering, Miss Byles!” Ms. Hagan said cheerfully. “Wonderful! We have ourselves a real go-getter, asking the questions, although given that you’re a cheerleader and top-notch student, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.” “Indeed. I think you volunteering for this is fitting,” Dean Stroughter said bluntly. What scared Kezia the most was that the dean had the faintest hint of a smile on her face - and the raven never smiled. The sophomore blushed. “But the tests at the end of the semesters-” “Oh, don’t worry your little head about the tests. This is a two semester-long project in the fall and spring. The tests will, if you haven’t read the coursework, will be at the end of each semester, except for you, Miss Byles; you get one single tiny test at the end of this time next year. But most importantly, I expect everyone to have fun with it! After all, studying can be fun as well, and if you’re forming a family, well, having fun with your child is important as well and is important to develop a healthy, happy baby.” “Baby?” The raccoon dog was completely confused. “I don’t understand…” “And you don’t have to, Miss Byles; you’re the one who volunteered to be our little focal point, and I talked with Mrs. Stroughter to prepare for this throughout every class you’re taking. Now, I need two more volunteers…” Erin and Zoey raised their paws at the same time as Faith and Robyn; the other students had been hesitant. Of course, since most of the students were athletes, it wasn’t much of a surprise that they'd want to do the least amount of work possible. “Wonderful, four volunteers! Of course, I can only choose two for the roles, but babysitting is also an important part of any parent’s duties. Let’s do a game of rock/paper/scissors to decide! I always find that having fun, whether it’s in a family or even a classroom setting, is important.” As her sisters began to compete with her rivals, Kezia was confused as hell. What the fuck was going on? Roles? Volunteering for what exactly? What had she gotten herself into? None of this was even on the fine print of this class - and she had read it up and down. This was a surprise; it had to be, considering that the Dean herself was in this class at the beginning. But less homework? Only one test at the end of the year instead of cramming sleepless nights in? With full credits even with the lack of homework? Monetary payment? And all this for half of her grade and one step closer to her dream of becoming a psychiatrist? How could she turn it down? Shit, this might be the easiest class I’ve taken the whole time I've been here. “OH, looks like Miss Chinnock and Miss Coates won the game!” Ms. Hagan’s voice exclaimed giddily. “This works perfectly; they’re right by the front so they can watch their little one, Kezia-” What. What? What?! WHAT?! WHAT THE FUCK?! The enormity of everything that she volunteered for hit Kezia like a hydrogen bomb. That’s why she couldn’t back out once she did the volunteer role. That’s why there was only one volunteer. That’s why two other volunteers were needed. That’s what the whole fucking “roles” were about! Erin and Zoey were taking the roles of the parents. And she was taking the role of the baby. For the whole year. No exceptions, even in her other classes, even in cheerleading, even in her dorm, even when she went home for the holidays! Her adoptive parents had to be okay with it, if they signed a waiver knowing this could happen. The dean was perfectly fine with it, probably even happy about it! And worst of all, she couldn’t back out at this point! Fuuu- - Hope y'all enjoyed~
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To explain first and foremost, this isn't my world; you can thank the creative and talented @Panther Cub for this idea that we (and by we, I mean mostly him) hashed out recently, and this story is me trying to combine two RP elements that he came up with. He could probably make a story that best fits both; it was his awesome idea after all, but the crux of it is this: a world where a deity (unknown as of yet) gifts children caregiver powers over certain adults in their lives for amusement, with real-world Avatars (this one being an immortal Greco-Roman woman who has all of the signs of recent birth) delegating powers to children for their patron deity's amusement and sometimes interfering directly when indirect means won't work. The immortal mother "reenergizes" her powers via the emotions gathered at places called "Bright New Beginnings": abandoned daycares all across the English-speaking world with the ghosts of caretakers that lure in young people to regress. This combines them both, and I will apologize to Panther in advance if it's not quite right. As this is babyfur, if you don't feel like reading, you don't have to. This is a lot softer than most of my other works as well, so feel free to read or not read based on that. About critique, feel absolutely free to tell me what I'm doing wrong; in fact, I encourage it with all my heart! I want to publish this under my pseudo penname in books for AR/AB stuff, and in order to publish without mistakes and errors, I absolutely need to know what I've done wrong. If you can't find anything wrong, then tell me what you liked, please! These things make me a better writer. I'm not soft when it comes to critique, and I'll always listen to it. Anyway, let's get to the story, shall we? - Chapter One - It was a typical weekday spring morning in the suburbs of Newaardvark, New Jersey, a heavy rain pouring from the sky, as the animals stayed inside for the most part. There was only one exception: a young woman who sat on a bench under a bus stop station, unmoving, her eyes closed as if in thought. To describe her depended on the creature in question, for she took the shape of whomever was staring at her, a beautiful eighteen-year-old female of the beholder's specie in a long, sleeveless white dress, almost Greco-Roman in design, her breasts enormous, lactating, and protruding through her nursing bra like twin towers. Her shoes were white stilettos that covered her feet entirely, covered in mysterious symbols. She shouldered a plain, yet large diaper bag as easily as one would carry a blanket. Overall, she looked like a recent teen mom dressed for a Greek reenactment party. She was on the hunt, not even needing to look as she sensed her targets: a young bird couple in their late twenties and their adopted daughters below the age of ten. She preferred to use children as conduits through her strength, mostly playing through their mischief, willingness to be troublemakers towards authority, or, in too many sad cases, victims of abuse or neglect. Not these children: they were well-behaved young girls, treated with the utmost kindness and love by both hard working parents. She would have to work directly. Iuvenis Mater did not know if that was one of her favorite things to do, but it would make the game with her patron deity more…interesting. That was what their deity cared about, in the end: the Hunt to turn normal adults into little babies, albeit temporarily, for amusement. And there was definitely cause for amusement when it came to both of the parents. Erik Hellstrom was a handsome golden pheasant, twenty-eight, a skilled engineer who worked from home to support his daughters. Oh, she’d have fun with him, especially with his hidden…issues when it came to family. And then there was Gaiana Hellstrom, his wife. Twenty-seven, quite a stunningly beautiful blue-and-yellow macaw, working long shifts as a firefighter, but embarrassed by her past when she was a child. Another extremely fun target that she could work with. Their adopted daughters were the key in the door: Gaiana was planning on having a celebration party at the fire station alongside her peers with Erik joining her, and the girls needed a babysitter. Well, more than just the girls would need a babysitter after today. It had been a simple matter, even with the oddities of the modern age. This “Internet”, in particular, had been a long time spent learning for Iuvenis, but now that she knew, she was capable when it came to the worldwide Web. Quite frankly, it might’ve been even easier searching for targets via the Internet than it was in the olden days. A simple matter of the other typical babysitters gaining new things to do or new places to go all of a sudden, a bit of reality warping to make her seem like she was the only other babysitter available in the area, things like that were simple, including two typical babysitters who seemed…interesting in their own right. The Hunt, on the other paw? Not as much. Her patron deity needed to be entertained, not just for these temporary three days, but for a lifetime, to make it amusing to watch. One never knew how a Hunt would end, merely how it began - and the Avatar of her deity would make sure that they had plenty of amusement with this one. And so this Hunt began as she got up from the bus station and walked over to their house. - Erik preened himself in the mirror, looking at his appearance. The people at the fire station didn’t really care for appearance, true, but he always tried to dress to impress, like his uncle taught him: a full-sleeved white polo shirt, black slacks, black dress shoes, his father’s silver watch on his left wing, his mother’s handkerchief in the dress pocket of his shirt, a polished pair of glasses perched on his beak. He fluttered over to his wife, dressed extremely casually with a simple white T-shirt, blue jeans, and sneakers, and her own horn-rimmed glasses on her beak, giving her a soft kiss on the cheek. “Hey, honey,” Erik crooned in a pleasant song, as he gently wrapped his wings around her. “Hey, baby,” Gaiana whispered back with a grin, returning the kiss. “The girls prepared for their babysitter?” “I’ve let them know that there’s a new babysitter,” the pheasant said, his feathers fluffed up in pride. “They’ve taken it surprisingly well. It’s a shame that the Boggs sisters are going through college applications; they were the best of babysitters…” “Well, that’s life, honey; we all grow up,” the female macaw answered. “We grow old, not necessarily up.” “And both are technically true.” “Two different words.” “Ah, semantics.” The two birds kissed again, their love for one another showing through the slight teasing, before they fluttered down the stairs, looking for their girls, who were likely playing Aliemon Orange and Purple on their GameMales, judging by the sounds of the arguing. The games were two of the most kid-friendly ones they could buy for them with the limited money they made on Christmas. “OH, come on, Tali; you know that the mind type beats everything! Play as something else!” “It’s not my fault that Avadakazam is cute as heck, as well as powerful!” “It’s not! It’s literally a green orc with a big head and huge beard, and you had to trade with me to get it!” “Excuse me, Avadakazam is my favorite Aliemon, and I will brook no argu-” “Goostoise is the cutest!” “Avadakazam!” “Goostoise!” “Avadakazam!” “Goostoise!” “Girls, girls, both Avadakazam and Goostoise are equally cute,” Erik said, defusing the argument by hugging the two young girl birds, a brown pelican and a brushland tinamou. “Whatever, Goostoise is still cuter,” the younger tinamou, Zita, grumbled. “Avadakazam,” the brown pelican, Talita - known to all as “Tali” - said with a smirk, to which Zita responded with her tongue sticking out. Gaiana gave them both a stern look, but it belied the smile on her face. “Are you two going to behave for the new babysitter?” “Yes, Mom!” the two girls chorused. “You’ll do your homework and everything?” Erik asked gently; he didn’t have it in him to be stern. “Of course, Dad!” they chorused again. The doorbell rang, and Erik got it while Gaiana talked to the girls further, seeing an eighteen-year-old golden pheasant in a long, sleeveless white dress smiling at him, a diaper bag hefted over her shoulders. Her breasts were enormous, and demanded attention, but the analytical pheasant merely noted them as being slightly larger for what seemed like a teenage mom; he took his marriage vows very seriously, more seriously than a lot of men. “Hello, Mr. Hellstrom,” she said politely, holding out a feathered wing for him to shake. “Good morning, Miss, um…what’s your name again, ma’am?” he asked, shaking her wing. She smiled mischievously. “I’m Miss Ivi Mater. You can call me ‘Mater’, though, little Eri.” “Huh…okay…Ivi…” The pheasant felt himself grow smaller in her presence, a wet spot quickly growing around his slacks, as he began to unconsciously drool. “Oh, dear, looks like we’ll need to go to this earlier than I expected,” Ivi said cheerfully, getting out a white fluffy…thing from her bag. The word was escaping Erik’s quickly diminishing vocabulary, but it seemed oddly…familiar in a way. He felt his shirt, his shoes, his drenched boxers and slacks being taken off him by the girl, and even though his mind was inwardly screaming for his wife to intervene, he continued to lay on the floor in a docile manner. And then he saw her go through her bag, sprinkling powder over his nether parts, raising his bottom, and slipping the thing under him, taping up both sides, threading his tail feathers through the back, with the odd teenager moving him as if he had been much smaller than her. The pheasant’s mind was still there, and a part of him was telling himself that something was very, very wrong, but he couldn’t imagine what it could possibly be. Then his wife’s voice echoed. “Oh, Eri? Where did my baby Eri go?” “Here, my dear!” he sang, only for dread to grow when his wife’s frame entered the scene. “Oh, Eri, you little stinkypants, you know you’re not allowed to sneak out of your playpen,” Gaiana said, nuzzling the pheasant, acting like he was much smaller than her. He froze. He was a lot bigger than his wife. For her to think he towered over him meant… No, this can’t be right. Think logically, Erik, these things don’t happen in real life. “You’ve already got a fresh diaper on him! You came prepared for my little baby boy!” Gaiana cooed, handing him back to the pheasant woman, the… “He is certainly going to grow up to be handsome, will he not?” Ivi said with a knowing smile, and he began to fuss. “Oh, he misses his Mommy already.” The female pheasant came close, allowing Gaiana to cuddle with him. “It’s going to be okay, Eri. Mommy’s just got to go for a short bit.” He froze. Those words. A short bit. That was what his parents had said. That’s when- He began to bawl, thinking of the worst night of his life. No, no, no, no, no! Please, God, please, don’t let her leave! Not now! I need her, I need Mommy! Then he saw his daughters, rubbing his feathered head, and singing nursery rhymes to him to calm him down, and he realized the horrible truth. Everyone thinks I’m a baby! My daughters think I’m their baby brother! Oh, God, why?! Erik desperately tried to convince his wife that she was still his wife. He tried to speak to his daughters, tried to get out any code he could. They just cooed at him, as if he was an infant. “Oh, he’s trying to talk!” Zita said excitedly. “Say ‘Sissy’!” “Oh, honey, it might be a bit early for that,” Gaiana said to the disappointed tinamou. “He’ll be old enough for talkies and flighties soon, but he’s still too young for that at the moment.” Erik then saw the watch - his father’s watch wrapped in his mother's handkerchief - in the older female pheasant’s wing, and he attempted to grab at it with his feathers. “No, you’re a little too young for that; we don’t want you putting this in your mouth and swallowing,” the female pheasant cooed, putting the watch and handkerchief out of his reach and into the diaper bag as he whimpered. “Here! I have something better for you!” She brought out a light gold pacifier, teasing him with the tip, until he instinctively grabbed at it with his feathers and began to suckle on it, his inner adult feeling horrified dread at how easily it soothed his terrified thoughts, but the baby that dominated the main part of his brain reacting as if it was as natural as breathing. “Good job, Eri!” Gaiana cooed at the confused bird. “Now I really do have to go, but I’ll be back before you know it!” All the pheasant could do was suck on his pacifier, feeling a trickle of liquid warmth flow through the front of his (surprisingly comfy) diaper, his mind feeling horror that his body didn’t feel, before his wife - the last bastion of hope of stopping this intruder from potentially hurting his daughters - leave out the door, enter the car, and drive away. - Hope you enjoyed~
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Well, this is a different sort of story. I had the idea of combining a babyfur story...with the Golden Age of Piracy. Weird idea, but I've researched a bit, figured out how things worked, and it just...took hold. It's a lot less mature than most of my stories, actually (surprising for me), buuut I maaay include some things that are a lot more AB and regression themed than I normally do (which is normally a lot). Also, there will be a bit earthier stuff, like a brothel and tavern wenches (as was in the times. Don't worry, no sexual themes aside from...motherhood themes.), so consider that the warning. I'm also admittedly not sure where the story's middle and climax are, but I have an idea about the end; I just don't know where it'll go before then. EDIT: About critique, feel absolutely free to tell me what I'm doing wrong; in fact, I encourage it with all my heart! I want to publish this under my pseudo penname in books for AR/AB stuff, and in order to publish without mistakes and errors, I absolutely need to know what I've done wrong. If you can't find anything wrong, then tell me what you liked, please! These things make me a better writer. I'm not soft when it comes to critique, and I'll always listen to it. Okay, here's the first chapter: Chapter One: Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls The ocean in 1595 was a treacherous place, especially when one didn’t know what they were doing, and even more so when it was an area rife with danger already; the broken ships, names long since lost to the pounding waves, howling winds, and sea spray proved that without a shadow of a doubt. Fortunately for Florence Goodluck, the feared - at least, she hoped she was - black-furred fox captain of the seven seas, she and her small crew knew exactly what they were doing...or so they hoped. She wore few fripperies; while she and her crew were regarded as pirates, welcomed at Tortuga by fellow pirates, they weren’t a very wealthy or successful crew, having gotten few prizes over the time they were active. She and her crew wore simple, short, homespun dresses, ragged and torn from years on the sea. “Tack to port!” she called out in a high soprano, as she took the lookout point, seeing her crew of big cats maneuver the Catastrophe (her idea to let the crew, having known her lifelong friends since they all lived on the docks of Dover, England as orphans, know how much she appreciated them, especially since they unanimously voted her captain.) with Emma Everard, the stoic snow leopardess helmscat at her customary spot at the wheel. Not that the fox minded the lookout and rigging jobs; she never ordered her crew to do anything that she wouldn’t do, and she knew that Emma was better at the wheel than she could ever be. “Move port, bring the riggings up!” Grace Wythinghall, the powerful pantheress roared out, as was her right as quartermistress, helping the crew move away from the bow of a half-sunken ship, the stench of rotting wood in the air as a cold, heavy mist began to roll in. Florence sniffed the air, with most everything, even the familiar sea spray scents, fading into the furling mists. She realized that it could be a quest that ended all of their lives. No pirate had ever gotten this treasure, mostly because of silly and stupid superstitions that the older folk believed in. But she truly believed that she and her crew would be the first, and it would propel them to fame, glory…and mostly peace. Maybe because we’re the most desperate, that we have absolutely nothing to lose, she thought to herself. They were all veterans of the seas for a decade, and yet none of them were over the age of twenty-three, having lived hard lives as pirates, spending almost all of that decade in the bosom of their small frigate, rocked to sleep by the waves, avoiding privateers (those damned hypocrites, no better than they were…only with a letter of marque by the kings and queens of countries allowing them to prey on those weaker than them), fellow pirates, and legitimate navy ships that could’ve sunk them and sent them straight to Davy Jones. All Florence wanted was to retire. She was tired of the sea, tired of the dangers, tired of starving, and she wanted to put down roots somewhere on an island where the most she’d see of the ocean was occasional fishing, with more money than she knew how to spend. “Florence, I can’t see anything in this mist!” Agnes Coulthurst cried out, the cougaress’s tail lashing in annoyance, bringing her back to the moment. “Hold steady!” the black fox called. “Are you absolutely sure, Flory?” Denise Parkham called out; the lynx boatswain's voice tinged with terror. This was not a natural mist; the conditions for mist weren’t there; hell, it was far too cold for the normal spring weather of the Caribbean, and frost began to creep on the sails. “Do NOT call me ‘Flory’!” Florence snapped. “Hold steady unless I say!” A cheetah was scratching her claws on the ship deck, whimpering, “We’re going to crash into one of those ships-” “AVIS, WE ARE NOT GOING TO CRASH! TRUST ME!” the black fox shouted. “That goes for everyone! We are going to make it through! Have I ever led you wrong before?! Hold - damn - steady!” “You heard the captain!” Grace roared; the fox had to admit that the vocal cords of the quartermistress was a much louder sound that almost seemed to cut through the mist. “Hold steady until she says!” All eleven animals held their breaths, as if the very act of breathing would cause the water to hear and consume them. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a sword. Then Millicent Huchenson and Winifred Daundelyon, a serval and caracal as close as twin sisters (even though they weren’t actual sisters like the Rowes) heard a faint roar coming in front of them, their especially keen ears pounding with blood, and both of them screamed in terror, holding each other. Florence heard the faint roar as well, heard the sailmaker and cooper scream, and immediately bellowed, “DROP ANCHORS AND FURL SAILS RIGHT NOW!” Her crew reacted quickly, knowing that their lives depended on it. Whether Lady Luck existed or not, they knew one thing: they were lucky, for the roar was coming from a waterfall that plummeted down into nothingness - the anchors had managed to cling to rocks just in time to save them from going over. “This has to be the goddamned end of the world…” Isabel Hornboldt moaned pitifully, the jaguaress who served as the navigator unsheathing and sheathing her claws. “There’s nothing on my maps that says anything about a goddamned waterfall!” “That means we’re close to The Dying Night!” Florence shouted, her eyes alight with recognition. “Don’t you girls remember what the legend said?” “Other than some voodoo witch that cursed the pirates who killed her husband?” Sybil Rowe asked curiously, the tigress carpenter looking straight at her lioness sister, Cecily's eyes. “And they were never heard from again? And that everyone who tried to find this treasure died?” the gunner finished in a dour tone. “Cecily, Sybil, curses aren’t real!” the fox captain snorted to herself. Curses? Ridiculous. And they were a much better crew than those that had died; hadn’t they proved it by surviving until now? “Anyway, it’s at the bottom of the waterfall.” “Well, unless you plan on jumping off, I’d love to hear ideas, Flory!” Agnes snapped. “Always grumbling, Agy, always grumbling about something!” Florence retorted, inwardly seething about the childish nickname uttered by the cook. “Don’t you know that there are tributaries that lead downward? Or did you forget about the legend entirely?” The cougaress’s face flushed in annoyance, but Avis Ballett was quick to say, “But we can’t see anything in the mist!” Florence sighed, quickly wrapping a rope around her paw and stepping off of her perch, down to her crew from the crow’s nest, using her weight to counterbalance and land safely on her paws. Her crew had seen her do it so many times that they were no longer afraid for her safety…but they didn’t dare try it themselves. They would follow her anywhere…except with that; some things were just a death wish. “That’s why the legend is called ‘The Dying Night,’” the fox explained, mostly to the cheetah musician, but to the rest of the crew as well. “We wait until dawn; that’s night’s death, that’s when the mist will clear up and reveal the tributaries. Then we go down to them, find the ship, get the loot, divide it, and get out as rich women.” “You’re placing an awfully big bet on a mere legend, Flory,” Denise mused, her paw drumming on the side rail. “Enough with that stupid nickname! We know it’s real, Denise, there’s enough evidence to prove it, especially since it's here in front of our eyes.” Florence’s green eyes were desperate. “You’re my crew; I’d go down with and for you any day, and you know that, but we can’t be pirates forever. This could be the one. This could be the treasure that we could retire with and live like queens.” “I’d settle for a family.” All heads turned to face Isabel, who looked sad. “We’re family, Izzy,” Grace gently coaxed. “No, I meant…we stole this ship from the privateers together, and we're as close as we can get without being blood…but I want something…tangible,” the jaguaress said with a sigh. “No insult meant to you girls, but we see each other every day, every time I wake up on this ship. I’ve heard every argument we could ever hear. I want a different voice.” “Get enough money, and you could buy a family,” Florence said with a smirk. “Florence, not everything’s about scoring that big loot.” To the black fox’s shock, it was Emma that said those words, the normally quiet snow leopardess having a faraway look in her eyes. “I’d love a family myself. We all grew up as orphans; I wanted to know my mum for years. She died, you know. Died in childbirth. Dear ‘Dad’ left me on the docks. We all have similar stories, Florence, even you. Haven't you ever wanted someone to hold you, to love you, no matter what?” Florence sighed angrily. “Look, you want a mummy to feed you, pay a damn wetnurse. Those times are done, and you can’t ever go back. What’s done is done. We’re here right now, so let’s focus on our goal right now." She took a deep breath and rubbed the fur on her temple - a tic that she had when she was trying to calm herself down. "Anyway, we’re all tired, so get some sleep until dawn. Millicent, Winifred, take the first watch.” The fox’s crew looked at her…and let out collective sighs, knowing they weren’t going to change her mind; she could be quite stubborn. It was the trait that brought them this far, and the trait they loved and hated. But she was right, in a way: she had never steered them wrong, had always kept them safe. “Yes, Cap’n,” they chorused. They gathered their ragged blankets, shivering as, one by one, they fell asleep in the cold mist, their dreams right in front of them…one way or another. - Okay, quick explanation about the specific jobs of this crew on their frigate (a smaller ship used in the Golden Age of Piracy): Captain - Democratically elected on pirate ships, believe it or not, although they could just as easily have command stripped of them. In most cases, the captain was the brains, the one who got the ship through fair or foul means. The most successful captains could install rules on the ship. Quartermaster (quartermistress, in this case) - Also democratically elected, the quartermasters were the seconds-in-command of the ship, unlike the various legitimate vessels (even though the pirates had first and second mates). They were the crew's answer to the pirate captain, sharing their concerns, and being an intermediatory for the captain to give orders to the crew. If the captain had taken another vessel and wanted to start a fleet, the quartermaster would be the captain of that ship. Navigator - Even though the captain and quartermaster often had knowledge of navigation, a pirate ship might have a dedicated navigator. With a good navigator, the captain would know where merchant ships struck, could navigate islands and shallows, that sort of stuff. Boatswain (bosun) - The supervisor of the various seamanship stuff around the ship, monitored the stores, and ensured sails, anchors, and rigging were in good condition. On larger ships, they'd have people under them. Carpenter - The carpenter was the one who was responsible for fixing leaks around the ship, making various repairs, and refitting captured vessels for the purposes of the pirates. They were also responsible for a lot of the, ah...immediate surgeries (i.e., amputations) in the absence of a surgeon. Cooper - The cooper was responsible for assembling barrels, used to keep wet stores, dry stores, gunpowder, water, rum, etc. from spoiling, making them airtight, fixing buckets, etc. Normally on larger ships, but I figured I could make a slight exception. Sailmaker - Sailmakers were basically the chief engineer on a ship, used to stitch and make sails, which, without them, ships went nowhere. In the absence of a surgeon, sailmakers were also responsible for stitching wounds shut. Gunner - The gunner was responsible for the cannons, how much gunpowder was necessary for to hit the target, who shouted the order to fire. Gunner teams (four to six men) were required to be accurate and speedy, and they were outfitted with a lot of guns. Cook - Yes, even pirate ships had cooks. Normally, they were ones with amputations (not here), but while they stole food stores from the ships they captured, and ate from taverns, yes, cooks were needed to prepare food and rum. Musician - Yes, pirates had musicians like fiddlers and trumpeters. Like in others, they created rhythms for shanties, to aid in manual task, and to entertain, but they also contributed to a cacophony of noise during attacks.
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Now for something entirely different. This is another babyfur story of mine (one that actually got inspired by @Panther Cub's stories, actually; if you are a fan of babyfur stories, check them out), but it's got very heavy themes. I promise to warn you when they come up. EDIT: About critique, feel absolutely free to tell me what I'm doing wrong; in fact, I encourage it with all my heart! I want to publish this under my pseudo penname in books for AR/AB stuff, and in order to publish without mistakes and errors, I absolutely need to know what I've done wrong. If you can't find anything wrong, then tell me what you liked, please! These things make me a better writer. I'm not soft when it comes to critique, and I'll always listen to it. Now, on with the show: Chapter One: Guilt and Shame - Constantin Tremblay woke up with a large yawn, the American ermine stretching his limbs, his tail and whiskers twitching with anticipation for the first week of August, the first week of his sophomore year of high school. Then he smelled something funny. He took off his blanket and gasped. No. No, it can’t be! He had unmistakably wet - no, soaked was more like it - the bed. His thoughts were frantic. It’s just got to be a bug. A summer bug. Can’t be FIID. It can’t be that, no, summer bug, it’s just a damn bug. Fallout Incontinent/Infancy Disease, the hidden scourge of the weapon known as Project A, the weapon that turned the world’s then-humans into humanoid animals way, waaay back in the time of, like, the dinosaurs (technically in 1963, during the Kennedy administration, but still) affected about a tenth of all middle and high schoolers. It was a horrible disease, turning those kids into what basically amounted to teen toddlers. No, he was not going to have that. He was already hiding being trans from his parents; he couldn’t have that as well. Already cost me friendships. Can’t have it cost my family too. With those thoughts, Constantin gathered his night clothes and sheets, quickly putting them in the washing machine with a lot of bleach, before turning the bleach toward his bed. Then the shower. The thing he hated the most, his dysphoria clearly showing there. His breasts, unmistakably showing his outward sex, hiding the powerful man he knew he was. He hated them, hated them. The ermine made sure to take a longer time in the shower than normal, washing every single part of his awful body to get the smell off of him. He put on his clothes: baggy black jeans, a loosely-fitting black T-shirt, and combat boots. Thank whatever gods existed - not that Constantin believed in a god; if there were any, they wouldn’t have made him like this - that there wasn’t a school uniform for anything other than basketball; it would’ve sucked if he was forced to wear a skirt or dress. Then he did the gel in his short hairfur, spiking it up. Then his glasses. He hated that he needed glasses; it made him look nerdy. Yeah, he got decent grades, but it was his basketball career that he cared about. His parents were fine with it because they were former jocks (Dad played soccer; Mom was a former cheerleader.), but… He shook his head furiously. He was going to have a good day at school, damn what the morning wanted him to think. Constantin let out another yawn, making a small breakfast for himself (his parents were off on their high-paying five-to-five jobs, so he was fairly self-sufficient.): just regular cereal and orange juice (breakfast of champions!) before he got his stuff packed and ready for school. He noted the silver coin on the countertop with Mom’s signature (payment for lunch and a thinly-veiled demand for “Marie-Claire” to join cheerleading) telling him to take the coin (which he did), and let out a sigh, exiting into the morning light. The ermine was early for the school trolleybus (it was rare for animals to have a car, since the gas-guzzlers had stopped being produced after the Fallout, and electric cars were only used by the rich...like his dad and mom), getting on with a nod at the driver, an elderly gorilla who nodded back at him before the trolleybus sped off. Constantin sat at the back, relaxing and almost nodding off with rock-n-roll music, before a familiar voice woke him up. “Hey, you’re taking my spot.” He opened his black eyes to see an ocelot, her amber eyes appraising him cautiously. He knew her. Allyson. Allyson Blood, his former bestie before…stuff happened. Mainly because Constantin never came out as trans to her (to anyone, really), and felt uncomfortable around girls nowadays (he was definitely attracted to girls, which made things…complicated.)…but partially because Allyson had gotten FIID, along with…his other two former friends. She was wearing a pink onesie with cartoon cats that did nothing to hide the fact that she was wearing a very thick diaper, and had a pink pacifier clipped to the neck area of her onesie. Her spotted tail flicked nervously, as she clutched a stuffed saber-toothed tiger in her paws. “Then take it from me if you can,” Constantin said in a bored tone. “It’s my spot. I’ve had it all of last year, Marie.” He looked at her, her eyes watering with tears, and a guilty feeling gnawed at his heart. “I…fine, take it,” the ermine muttered, shifting over so Allyson could get her body into the seat. “Thank you, Marie,” the ocelot said gratefully, popping in her pacifier and sucking nervously. “Whatever, I didn’t know it was your spot,” he muttered, hating his high-pitched tilting female voice. “Sho…I shee you’re doin’ bashketbaw?” The pacifier muffled her words, almost cutely. Not cutely. She’s just a damned overgrown baby now. Your friendship with her is over, let alone anything more. And yet… “Yeah, I figure that since I’m on the girl’s team…yeah.” “I’vf sheen your gamesh. You’re reawy good.” “Eh, I’m decent.” A lie. He had already gotten scholarship offers - women’s, of course, but one or two men’s teams as well - from high-profile colleges all across the United States, despite starting this year as a sophomore. “Don’t wie. I’m onwy FIID, not shtupith.” He looked at Allyson, seeing her glaring at him. Still intimidating, even though she was dressed as a baby (especially since she was bigger than he was). “I said I was decent. What’s there to lie about?” “Whatever.” The ride continued in stony silence, as more and more students - and teachers - got on the trolleybus. Constantin noted with dread that the ride had picked up his two other former close friends: Haylee Kilgallen the black-backed jackal and Krysten Peppers the long-eared owl, both of them sitting on the opposite side of him, both clad in similar attire to Allyson (only with a stuffed unicorn for Haylee and a stuffed roc for Krysten). “Hi, Marie!” Krysten said excitedly. “It’s been a while…” “Krys, she made her choice,” Haylee said coldly, her paw on Krysten’s wing feathers, as Constantin felt another gut punch of guilt. It’s not like they’d be your friends anyway. You’re not a girl, never were one. There’s too many issues, too many problems, and they’d stop being your friends if they knew the truth. So why did he feel so guilty and ashamed? “Hey, MC!” a voice cut through. The ermine looked up (way up; the speaker was a giraffe) to see his fellow basketball teammate (and fellow superstar), Xenia Chaconas. Xenia had a smirk on her face, as she said in mock sympathy, “I didn’t know you were FIID, MC. You wearing a diaper, too?” “I’m not,” Constantin huffed. “I’m just sitting with them, that’s all.” “You don’t have to sit with them, you know,” the giraffe continued. “You could sit with the big girls and talk with us.” “Yeah, but I just wanted to listen to my music, not talk,” Constantin growled. “Then sit somewhere else!” Haylee snapped at him. “We don’t want you here.” The words cut straight to the ermine’s heart. Haylee was someone who would fight off the legions of hell for someone if they were her friend. To hear that from her… “C’mon, Lee, you don’t mean that…” Krysten twittered nervously. “I do, Krys. She’s not welcome to sit with us anymore.” “Aw…you hear that? It’s almost like they’re talking!” Xenia cooed mockingly, as Constantin reluctantly got up and walked with the giraffe, who sneered, “I’ll come by the nursery to see you three later.” “Hey, MC!” “Yo, MC, what up?” “Howzit goin’, MC?” The words of Constantin’s fellow basketball teammates felt hollow to him; using the initials of his deadname as a nickname was almost too much to bear, and yet…he knew they meant no malice with it; it was all they really knew. They don’t know you. Your old friends did. And they don’t ever want to see you again. The guilt and shame grew in his heart, so much so that he almost wanted to cry. But he couldn’t. Not in front of his teammates. He felt a large arm snake around his shoulders, the hoof grabbing on to him, as he turned to see…Dragan. Dragan Lazarov. The superstar of the soccer team…and his wannabe boyfriend. The impala planted a kiss on the ermine’s cheek, to his inner disgust. “Hey, MC,” the soccer player rumbled. “You doing okay? Xenia’s not giving you too much grief, is she?” “She’s fine,” Constantin said, wanting Dragan to get the hell away from him, he wasn’t interested in boys, he was never interested in boys. “You know, I was thinking about a date, you know?” “Dragan…” “A date it is, then! How about we see that R-rated movie, huh?” Constantin squirmed under Dragan’s gaze. “I’m a little busy…” “Too busy for me? Blasphemy.” A smirk. The ermine hated that smirk. “C’mon, your dad, my dad, we know each other. It only makes sense.” He looked at the impala. Just because their dads played soccer on the same professional team didn’t mean he was interested in Dragan. Not. One. Bit. “I’ve got a lot of other things to do,” Constantin said, a hint of finality in his tone. “It’s a date then! You know where I’ll be.” The school - Frederick Frost High, the biggest public school in Chicago’s suburbs - came into view, and Constantin could not wait to get off, which he did…but out of the corner of his eye, he saw his three former friends get off as well, along with a fair few other obvious FIIDers, saw the two feline caregivers, what were their names, oh, right, Colleen and Carolina Cross, give assistance, and something drew him over to them, as he hid behind the school tree (a blooming oak tree, one of the few trees left after the Fallout), watching Allyson start to cry as her diaper was checked. “Aww, it’s okay, Ally, you’ll get potty training down eventually,” Colleen the caracal cooed, wiping the ocelot’s tear-and-snot-covered face with a wet-wipe in her paw. “Uh oh, looks like we have a couple of other stinkypants on our paws!” Carolina the serval announced as she checked Krysten and Haylee, who both looked embarrassed and on the verge of tears. I…they were my closest friends. What have I done? What the hell have I done? Was this really worth it? Don’t be a pansy. Of course it was! You and them…it wouldn’t have mixed. You’re on the girl’s basketball team. You’re a top basketball recruit in the nation. They’re going back into their second toddlerhood. And you didn’t have a choice. No, you ALWAYS had a choice! YOU chose to leave them when they needed you the most! YOU chose to hide everything about yourself! YOU chose to live a damned lie every day instead of being honest! You deserve EVERY bad thing that comes your way! You don’t deserve true friends! The feelings of guilt and shame tore him up, and he slumped down the tree, starting to silently cry. - Well, here's hoping for the best for Constantin~ Feel free to review, tell me what I did right, what I can improve on, or even something you liked; that helps me, as an aspiring authoress, more than just blind praise.
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Hey-lo, and welcome to another new story of mine (no, I have no shame in the use of this title). This is a dark spin on a babyfur story with real-world elements (with an evil member of Big Pharma being the Big Bad), so please pay attention to the content warnings on the tags. About critique, feel absolutely free to tell me what I'm doing wrong; in fact, I encourage it with all my heart! I want to publish this under my pseudo penname in books for AR/AB stuff, and in order to publish without mistakes and errors, I absolutely need to know what I've done wrong. If you can't find anything wrong, then tell me what you liked, please! These things make me a better writer. I'm not soft when it comes to critique, and I'll always listen to it. So, with all of that said, do enjoy~ - Chapter One: Jealousy, Rage, and a Gilded Cage - Archer Dove was furious. That…bitch had broken the heart of the wrong man! Charmaine Dryden, a.k.a., the bitch who broke his heart. A top FBI special agent along with him (with him holding seniority as a senior special agent), beautiful platinum-blonde hair in a bun, sky-blue eyes, a towering 6’5” without heels (he was still taller at 6’7”), huge hips, ass, and tits to match her size. He had asked her out. “Married to my job,” she said. “Not interested in dating,” she said. “I would like to remain friends only,” she said. Bullshit! No woman could resist his charm! Every single one of them fell for him the moment they saw him. But he didn’t want them. He wanted her. And she dismissed him. Rejected him. Publicly humiliated him. He was strong, masculine, handsome, a talented shot, amazing in the sheets, everything a woman could want! Why did she reject his advances? Was she threatened by him? Of course, in her twisted little mind, a supposed “independent woman” would be threatened by a strong man. The horror of having a man tell her what to do! Unlike that fucking cuck friend of hers, Veil. She probably fucking pegged him and took it up the ass from the higher-ups, probably a bit of both at the same time. Dove smirked through his anger. Speaking of pegs, he had a plan to destroy her foolish pride and knock her down a peg or two. He’d have her no matter what, one way or another. Humiliate her a bit, have her fail miserably at her assignment, get her fired. And he’d be there to save the day for her, and she’d respect his authority. All he had to do was get a fall guy, and Shadrach Veil fit perfectly, the nerdy little nobody, stuck playing his stupid D&D games on his computer on FBI business, while the real men fought on the front lines with their guns drawn. He hated everything about that fucking geek, from his oversized horn-rimmed glasses covering his mud-brown eyes and baggy clothes two sizes too big for a weaselly 5’3” frame (probably why he was a fucking cuckold), to his nasally voice and twice-broken nose, all the way to his long (to the length of feminine) brown hair and messy brown beard that could probably hide a bird’s nest in it. Yeah, he had absolutely no issues with throwing the blame on Veil with his plan. The computer expert had his…sordid little past that should’ve disqualified him from the FBI, anyway. Dove tried to get him fired once before, but failed. He would say publicly it wasn’t personal between them, but privately? It most certainly was. It had been simple to get Veil’s computer password; as a supervisory special agent in the FBI, Dove had that power and oversight. It had been done in such a way that nobody would even remember he asked. From there, it was simple to hack into the nerd’s computer while he was away on his hour-long self-defense classes that the FBI all but demanded he get after he had his ass saved by Charmaine for the third consecutive time in the field (what a pussy, having to get saved by a woman!), see where Charmaine was going, where she had gone undercover…and burn her. Dove smirked, his green eyes showing cruelty at his little game. Charmaine wanted to fuck with Big Pharma, the biggest pharmaceutical company out there: MVF, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Technically, the name was Belgian: Mensheid Voorop Farma, standing for “Humanity First Pharma”, but “MVF” simply rolled off the tongue easier for most Americans. It was worth multi-billions, which, to him, at least, was more money than anyone could ever know what to do with. They made new treatments for cancer, stem cell research, shit that got grants up the ass. She had gone undercover as a scientist, apparently had a big enough brain for it, and had somehow managed to worm her way into the middle rankings (probably by sleeping with someone). Why she did it didn’t concern him an iota and what they “supposedly” did concerned him even less; let the rest of the FBI deal with the embarrassment of trying to deal with the fallout from her and “Veil”. It had been a simple matter from there to call them - from Veil’s phone, of course; it had been no easy feat to steal it and have him think he lost it. The security guard, some woman with a Dutch name and South African dialect - he didn’t particularly recall or care - was quite intrigued by his description of Charmaine’s false identity down to its entirety. She got him talking to her boss, the CEO of the company, the founder, a shockingly young Belgian man by the name of Augustijn Van der Aart. From his voice, Van der Aart sounded like he was in his early forties. To be that young and rich…well, at least he wasn’t more handsome than Dove was. The CEO sounded very interested in his proof, seemed to believe him, but Dove refused payment. “Too easy to trace,” the FBI agent said. And the only payment he wanted was Charmaine getting what she deserved. And now, all that remained…was to wait. - Augustijn Van der Aart was not surprised to hear the news from the man named “Veil”; just the person he expected the news to be about. The founder of MVF had long since known that there was a mole somewhere fairly high in his organization; such was the case when one was into the things he was. He had not expected it to be the woman known as Catherine Darden. She was fairly high in sciences, and she had earned every bit of it. From everything he heard about her, this woman (whom he now knew to be Charmaine Dryden) seemed to be an ideal candidate to be promoted to the mid-levels: smart as a whip with a personality to match, an ideal aptitude for company work, driven - all things Van der Aart admired in a woman. However, he had no tolerance for moles (to him, they were not really much different than rats), no tolerance for the FBI being in his business - and thankfully, this FBI agent’s selfishness and pettiness (he could tell even from the phone that the man had probably been rejected by her, and to be honest, he could certainly see why; Veil seemed extraordinarily toxic.) gave him a perfect opportunity for his latest test run. Apparently, he had covered Dryden’s tracks from the FBI well. Nobody in the Bureau knew where she had gone specifically, just that she was deep undercover. He had looked up her familial records: both parents had died when she was young, an orphan without any siblings, not even a spouse. Perfect for his line of…specimens. Nobody to miss her, nobody who would give a shit if she disappeared. He had called up his chief security officer, Margaretha Roijakkers, and his head scientist, Deborah Leblanc, to his office to discuss the matter discreetly. His chief security officer was a white South African woman born in an upper-class family, a driven woman with a vicious cruel streak that unnerved even him…but she was undoubtedly, unquestionably loyal to him after he saved her from a very long imprisonment for mass murder and crimes against humanity in her home country, and for allowing her sadism to be unchecked and hidden from the law. His head scientist, a Belgian like himself, had made all of his dreams possible. She was driven, ambitious, and at the same time, cared less about the subjects than one would an ant they had stepped on. All the “volunteers” were mere statistics, mere stepping stones to her rise, and yet she was also loyal to him for giving her a job after science groups had spat on her…and because he indulged her perverted fantasies about her work - so long as she kept it to her work. He discussed things with both women, neither interrupting until he had finished discussing the situation. Then Roijakkers brushed a loose strand of short blonde hair out of eyes as blue as sapphires, yet dead like the many Black men she had murdered and buried. “So, how do you want to play this?” she asked. “I’ve looked at her file; she’s very quick with a gun and knife, and if we tip her off, we’re finished.” “Well, you stated it succinctly, Margarethe,” Van der Aart said, steepling his long fingers, his green eyes never leaving the desk of papers, his bald head gleaming in the light. “We can’t let her leave here, and we can’t tip her off. Deborah, is there room for another subject?” Leblanc’s blue eyes lit up like a Christmas tree as she panted excitedly, her long blonde hair tickling her heaving chest. Roijakkers, for her part, looked annoyed at her colleague. “I could easily use another test subject!” the scientist said, her glasses askew. “And if the FBI finds out?” Roijakkers asked. “Then we’ve ruined our entire operation.” “The FBI doesn’t know she’s here at the moment,” he said calmly. “I expect Veil to turn on us again; if he’s turned on the FBI, he’ll turn on anyone. His cooperation is simple: to him, he wants her, and he thinks he can have her no matter what she thinks about him. But if we simply kill her or fire her, we risk having everything crumble. Making her disappear and paying off or blackmailing Veil? Definitely the best option - and our science works perfectly in that regard.” “I could have the formula ready by today!” Leblanc said. “Ooh, do give me the order, Sir, and I’ll have her in chains, ready for her dosage, oh, yes, I will!” “We’d have to keep her as a lab rat for the rest of her life, much like the others,” the South African said coldly, trying - and failing - to ignore her colleague all but orgasming out of ecstasy. “If she’s ever freed, she’ll talk, and people will listen.” Van der Aart smiled. It was not the warm, well-meaning smile that most were accustomed to seeing at work; the malice behind it was as deadly as a pit viper, unnerving even the psychopathic sadist that was his chief of security. “Then we see to it that she’s never able to talk again.” - Charmaine Dryden was preparing for another day at work undercover at MVF. The science team was nice for the most part (even if Dr. Leblanc was absolutely creepy as hell), work was fun and she was able to do it easily. Even the vast majority of security she saw was easygoing, even if the things the FBI had on the head of security painted her as the Devil in heels. She stretched her arms out, as sharply dressed as a scientist could be: lab coat, a white blouse, black slacks, and casual flats. Normally not her style (she wouldn’t be caught dead in a skirt, dress, or heels; that just wasn’t her), but that was okay. She was just eager to get the day started, especially with what she had seen yesterday after digging through MVF’s security camera files (with a huge amount of thanks to Shadrach for teaching her basic computer hacking skills). Many odd specimens, both human and animal. Small, probably children or around that age. It was very limited information, and she needed more info, needed to know what, exactly, she was dealing with, but what she did know was that the FBI - and Dove, in particular, much as she was extremely annoyed at his constant flirtation towards her - was right to send her on this mission: whatever MVF was doing couldn’t be good for humanity, as much as they proclaimed the origin of their own name to be. Then a voice blared on the intercom, obviously one of Van der Aart’s secretaries. “Can I request Miss Darden to the CEO’s office in terms of a promotion?” the pleasant feminine voice said. “Again, Miss Darden to the office of the CEO for a promotion.” The scientists crowded around Charmaine excitedly, some of them giving her fistbumps, others shaking her hand, and still others clapping her on the back, and for a moment, she truly regretted having to burn these men and women. Perhaps when this was all over, she’d try to convince the FBI to give them jobs somewhere - at least, those who were innocent of any crimes. She walked over to the elevator, feeling naked without a gun or knife on her. MVF had stringent policies about weapons, and even better detectors that could pick up the smallest trace of a weapon. If I need to, I can just get a weapon from a security guard? But they have no reason to suspect me, right? Nobody knows I’m FBI…right? Charmaine knew that it was a possibility that someone had caught her snooping around. A small possibility, but not too small to fully ignore; after all, mob families had given out promotions to lull targets into complacency before killing them. Just stick to the act. You are Catherine Darden, a normal scientist getting a promotion. Stick to the act, and you’ll be fine. She was used to acting; this was far from the first undercover mission she had undertaken. She was in the drama club in high school, and this wasn’t much different; all she had to do was get into character - and it was easy getting into character for this Michigan girl, born in Detroit’s tough streets (Fiskhorn, if one wanted to be specific), orphaned at a young age, doing everything to survive in the various foster homes. That was where Charmaine met Shadrach Veil. They had become inseparable, like siblings, even though they looked completely different and had different interests. They had both worked hard to become the people they were because nobody expected anything from them…and when she had been selected to the FBI (mainly because she was an expert sharpshooter in college marksmanship, but also because of her abilities as someone who could go into any role needed), she had insisted that they hire him as well, despite…his history. Charmaine was lost in thoughts as the elevator stopped at the top floor, the office of Augustijn Van der Aart. She opened the door nervously, seeing the man himself greet her with a warm smile. Then she felt the prick of something behind her neck and immediately collapsed, her muscles no longer supporting her, a whirlwind of nonsensical thoughts forming a cacophony in her brain before everything went completely black. - Hope y'all enjoyed~
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My first diaper story! Here, a motherly lavender dragon adopts a slave not to use her, but to parent her. No diapers yet, I'm afraid. Maybe in the next chapter a hint of them? :3 I promise, by the end, Maria will be a good little baby cat. :DD And more importantly, I hope to both grow the characters of Maria and Chelsey as stronger, healthier people through their connection. This is a draft, so I'm happy to take suggestions. It's also focused on consensual regression, as I think that's adorable and hot, but I'm very down to write dubious consent stuff in the future. With all that said, enjoy! To Be a Mother – Chapter 1 Chained Strays A girl waited in there for Chelsey. That brick storefront, Marol’s Helpers on 1289 Culper’s Avenue, with rain slithering down through the red and brown cracks of bricks into the side walk below, held her chance at a daughter. She wanted to help somebody, truly. In the glove box, she broke out a purple umbrella, then changed her mind. She cracked open the car door and slid out into the rain, appreciating this freshness against the atmosphere she was about to walk into. Drizzled, Chelsey lavender fur sparkled in the rain. She was a tall anthro dragon, and she wore a black pencil skirt and a scarlet blouse. With her wings spread out, she walked across the parking lot, to that dirty glass door surrounded by all those bricks. It almost looked like a prison. She wished she could help more than one girl. But just helping one meant something for her, even if it screamed in her mind to be insignificant. A claw gripped the handle, and she walked inside. “Welcome!” a chipper weasel said. She had long reading glasses across her snout that held a huge smile. “Are you Ms. Chelsey? We’re so glad you could make it with the weather.” Unlike the secretary’s bright demeanor, the floor was bare, white perfect white tiles. The walls were white too, a waiting room, yet still, there was no dust anywhere. Chelsy wondered for a second why the outside wasn’t upkept but the inside was pristine (though in her mind, scourging.) But of course it made perfect sense, given what this place does. They likely wanted to keep a low profile from the local area’s government. She was entering a criminal dwelling. God, was this really her chosen adoption method? “The roads aren’t too slippery yet. Could I see the, umm, options now?” The language was so objectifying, but it felt better than the alternative. “Of course, our slaves are so excited to meet you.” As they walked down the blistering long hallway, Chelsey’s heels echoed all around. She would be confident here. She wanted a strong but gentle first impression. She held her white snout up. This place, despite its horrors, wouldn’t shake her from rescuing her future daughter. There, at the end, were two girls and a boy sitting on a bench, each chained with cuffs to the wall. One girl, a cat with long whiskers and lime fur, had her head down. She still has herself, Chelsey thought. The others, a male cat and a female cow, were alert, staring out, as close to a grin as they could muster. A tall bloodhound was smoking a cigarette and leaned against the still-white walls. There were no windows in here. “Ah, you’re here for one of these?” “Yes,” the weasel said. “A happy member to join her family.” Chelsey wanted to roll her eyes at the fakeness here. But it was true. She will make one of these animals happy. She needed to. Animals deserve to be happy. “Smile,” the dog gritted through his teeth, his snout deep into the girl cat’s ears. No, stop. He placed a paw under her snout, pushes up. She’s resisting. She wanted to keep her jaw down. He wouldn’t let her. Her force gives away, and her muzzle bolted upright. She looked straight at Chelsey now, and with near tears in her eyes, shined a delirious grin. The other cat shuffled in his seat—as much as his cuff will allow—feeling the tension here, but he took a clear breath. The cow seemed not to be bothered by all this movement, still calm and face ahead. Meanwhile, the weasel fanned herself with files, avoiding gazing at the scene. Was that her disguise peeling off, or was she okay with this business? Could she not get another job? Chelsey was always a curious dragon. “I would like to adopt her,” Chelsey said, pointing to the tortured female cat. “Please.” “Oh, but surely you would want one of these other fine specimen?” the dog said, a ringleader of his circus. There’s a bit of panic to his voice, and his paw strongly gestures outwards to the other two captives. “She’s such a runt of the litter, you know.” “I’ll take her. What’s her name?” “Maria,” the cat whispered. “Wait, was it okay to speak? I’m so sorry!” “It was very okay,” Chelsey said. She kneeled down, a hind talon stretching back down the cold hallway floor, a front talon offering to hold the Maria’s paw. “I’m Chelsey. I’m going to take you home. Would you like that?” “I…I think so? I mean, yes, master!” Maria’s eyes were very wide for the vertical pupils of a cat. She was absolutely terrified, the poor thing. “Pft,” the bloodhound grunts, arms crossed. “Who cares what she likes. She’s just a slave. Jeez, masters have gotten so soft these days.” Chelsey really, really wanted to snap at the dog. But it wasn’t worth it. She needed to seem at close to a normal slave master. They might reject the sale if they knew she was going to spoil this kitten. So the exhaled, her large belly and chest fluff falling inwards. and she turned her large lavender scaled head to the hound. “How much will she be?” *** The rain poured hard on the car’s windshield, and the window wipers worked in overtime. Maria was quiet in the backseat. She had her head down again. Of course she did. She still saw Chelsey as her slave master. I must be disgusting in her eyes, Chelsey thought. She needed to work to win this cat’s trust if the girl was to ever see her as mom. “How you doing back there, friend?” Chelsey was so tempted to say “little one,” but it wasn’t time yet. She looked at the girl in the rear view mirror. “You can drop the act.” “What?” “You bought a slave. You’re going to use me. You don’t need to pretend we’re friends.” For who had seemed to be scared little cat, this was a change. But at least she’s confident to express herself. This was a good start. After a focus on a tricky intersection, Chelsey had a response. “Someone’s a little confident now that they’re rescued.” “Rescued?” She’s skeptical, then furious. “Rescuing me? You want to own me! I’m just glad to not be slapped by that man anymore.” Chelsey chuckled. “You don’t think I’m going to slap you?” She’s loving this personality. Cats can be a bit snippy. “Nah, you seem too soft for that. You’re probably just going to make me fold laundry and cook dinner or something.” She sunk into her seat. “I’m kind of lucky to have you buy me. Still doesn’t make us friends, though.” There’s a bit of quiet. Then Chelsey said, “I don’t think you’re lucky to end up in a place like that.” “No,” Maria considered, “I wasn’t.” Silence some more. Chelsey continued, “I don’t expect you to open up to me right now or anytime soon. What I want you to know is that you’re free.” Maria scratched the fuzz around her ears, probably wondering if she heard that right. “What do you mean?” “I’m saying that I wanted do something good for once, and I decided to give someone a better life. You’re not my slave. You’re free to leave as soon as we arrive at my home.” “I..” She couldn’t comprehend this. She was squirming in her seat, her seat belt sweating to restrain her. “You’re still a fucked up woman to find an animal trafficking service instead of, I dunno, donating to charity, but oh my god, I have a life again. A life…” “Yes?” Chelsey said. She didn’t want to lose this cat, but this was all part of the plan. A good mother lets her children be themselves. “I don’t have any money, though. I’m just going to end up back there. Again.” “Which is why,” Chelsey said, “You can live at our home as long as you need. I don’t want to dump you off in the middle of nowhere. I want to help you live, reorder your life.” “So, you want to be, like, a guardian? Adoption services exist too, you know.” The cat missed the small slip of “our.” The dragon smirked, her fangs shiny and tall. “Sure, but I wanted to help someone in your position. It’s something I strongly care about.” Maria didn’t really understand this, but that cat seemed satisfied enough with this answer. “Sure. Thank you.” “…There will still be a few rules, but nothing that isn’t normal house stuff. I’ve got some surprises when we get home.” The cat’s attention was lost, though. The girl, maybe 22 or so, had her eyes out the window. The city’s towers were shrinking into rolling hills and cliff faces. They were on the highway now. It would be a long drive in the rain until they reached Chelsey’s home, now the home of two. A mother, and a daughter at least in a legal sense. But an emotional bond would come soon. The dragon craved it.
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Skunk Boys Top of his class, a dog finds himself transforming into a skunk. He's gassier, stupider, yet for some reason, he might just like it. (5,563 words.) (All characters are 18+. This is an alternate world where high school continues pass 18, as I thought a secondary school setting felt cuter here than college.) It started with a fart. A big, loud, nasty fart that snuck out of your ass. Your classmates look around, the teacher rattles on, but they all sniff out the truth. It was you. You made the room disgusting and smelly. It was you and your now swampy ass's fault. You feel horrible. You're a proper dog who's an A+ student. You shower every morning and night, and you wear nice collared shirts despite many of your classmates opting for more casual affair or going commando. Why didn’t you hold it? You rush to the men’s' bathroom. Your favorite Optimus Primal underwear is slightly brown in the center, and you hope it'll come out in the laundry. For minutes you're washing off your butt and fur with way too thin toilet paper. That’s good enough, you eventually device, and you walk back into class head down, cheeks flushed. A skunk in the back snickers as you enter. You think his name is Philip. He's always a bit smelly and still wears diapers to class. Not your type at all. You ignore him, as something else bothers you; that fart smelled kind of good. Everyone likes the smell of their own farts, though. Yet it’s selfish you enjoyed that smell when it was awfully rude. At lunch, you sit with the usual group. They’re talking about their classes, but you keep to yourself and your food as usual. The grilled cheese your mother packed is tasty. That night, you work diligently on calc homework. It's interesting enough. You like school, and you're a good student; by now you've practically forgotten all about your smelly mishap this morning. You still take a long, cold shower and fetch a tight belt for your pants tomorrow. Your black pants feel a bit tight the next day, but you pull them up fine. Another usual lunch passes. Then you're back in calculus, last period today, and you're diligently taking notes. It's only a second of warning. There's discontent in your bowels, and you think it'll pass or you'll head to the restroom, but your control slips. Hot mush fills your pants, squished by the chair. You've shit yourself. Run, you think. But smells wafts through air fast, and your toxic fumes are released. Everyone's eyes are on you, including the professor's. Your eyes water. They're gagging and giggling simultaneously. “Ew, gross!” Two days in a row, this time a poop…these furs must hate you. "Simon, would you like to---" "Yes, I excuse myself." You duck out, holding the back of your pants up with your paws, hoping none of the shit will touch you. As you open the door, you notice again that same skunk in the back smirking. Couldn't other animals leave you alone? Even somefur like Philip is judging you! You present yourself so well all the time. Why are you messing up everything now? You didn't bring a change of clothes---who would at this age?---so you do your best to remove that disgusting gunk out of your tighty whities. Just take a remote path, avoid eye contact, and you can get home. Your friends will hear all about this... Thank god your parents aren’t home. You take the longest shower you've ever had, the temperature set a little warmer than you usually like it. You feel bad for using so much water. In the corner of your eye, you do notice your dusty fur turning a bit darker around your butt, but you don’t make much of it. It’s the least of your problems. You really go to the bathroom the next day before school. Pee, poop: you get it all out of your system. And it works! Nothing goes wrong in math class. At lunch, the group was a little worried how you were doing, but otherwise they chatted amongst themselves. In the halls, some classmates give you concerned glances; maybe you were too hard on yourself yesterday. They're not all making fun of you. You're a valued member of your community. You're a good student, and you know you’re proud of that. The chemistry lab later feels a bit more difficult than expected, and you find your brain feels a bit foggy, but otherwise the day went alright. So you're very certain the next day you'll be dry. You walk into end-of-the-day calculus period with utter confidence. It shocks you, then, when your belly gurgles. You feel tension below. Then it releases. Splurt! Your just start crapping yourself. Stop it, Simon, stop it! But you keep on crapping. Your classmates are disgusted and jolt out of their seats, backing off to the edge of the room, except that skunk Philip, of course. Your butt does not care. It keeps on pooping and crapping and your pants sag way the heck off the chair. You're crying, but simultaneously, it feels so good. This is not what a student like you should think! You hear a Snap! and your belt flies off, slamming into the wall right next to Mr. Green. Your tail rips through the small tail hole. Is it getting larger, bushier? It thwacks a chair over. Your ass shows no sign of stopping. You keep on shitting yourself as you finally get yourself to stand and run out the room. How will you ever return from that? The nurse tells you what you expected. After your incident, you're required to wear diapers. "Don't worry," she says. Ms. Bell is a long weasel known for a big heart. "Some animals need diapies, and it's nothing to be ashamed of!" She's also known for being patronizing. You cringe. A strong student like you shouldn't wear diapers nor have accidents like this. And will you fit them inside your neat pants? Everyone will see the budge. But everyone's likely heard of your incidents at this point. You're going to be known as that poopy boy dog for the next month. The nurse recommends some brands on the way out, and you begrudgingly jot notes. She provides a couple diapers. Why do those soft white things have to look so comfy… On the way home, you're thinking, what was up with your tail? The nurse told you not to worry; body changes happen when you're experience bowel destress. But you're very confused by it. You'll have to cut a larger tail hole in your pants tonight. “We got a call from the school,” your father says as you hang your coat up. It’s small on you with the curves you’ve got growing in. You don’t know how to respond. “To say we’re disappointed is an understatement,” he continues. “Dad, I’m sorry! It was an accident!” “How can an accident that bad happen?” your mom says and sighs. She’s reclining on the green reupholstered chair in the living room, your dad lying on the brown couch. “You should’ve told us about yesterday’s incident. You don’t need to keep secrets from us, you got that Simon?” “I know. I’m sorry.” “We love you,” Mom says. “This is just so hard to believe. My son, wearing those again?” She sips from her tea mug. You’re looking at the carpeted floor. “Can I be excused to my room? I’ll go put my lunch box away.” “Yes, dinner will be at 6,” Dad says. At dinner, They later agree to purchase some "protective underwear" (you all know its diapers). Your mother locks eyes and comforts you, saying she knows your behavior will improve. You’re on your third bowl of pasta and your mom demands you eat your broccoli first. Damn you’re hungry. Maybe if you eat less, you’d poop less. Or if you eat more, you’ll poop more. You shake the thought away. *** "They're so big" is your first thought dressing the next day. The wrinkled texture is obvious on your kacki pant's back rise. So easily could the diaper's hem peep out, too. Your butt was not this big yesterday. You tuck your white buttoned shirt in and opt for suspenders today. That should keep the diaper in. Your now thick, increasingly striped tail swishes. A couple murmurs, but today's overall gone swimmingly. You almost forget you have the diapers when a certain skunk slides up behind you in the hall. "Ooh, nice! Diapers are the best. Whatch'ya you have on?" Philip speaks with a raspy, toothy lisp. A Charmander plushie dangles on a keychain from his backpack. No, stop it! You shouldn't associate with him. But he's too fast. He pulls down the pants, stretching the suspenders. The plain white diaper shows. "Ooh, that's a good brand. The nurse knows the best stuff. I like ABUs a bit more, though. You got to try them. Holds my poop real well." He grins, eyes gleaming behind his glasses, and he gives a big, smelly hug. You try to wiggle out. Every animal is looking at you now, pointing at your big diaper on your big butt. You want to run. Philip wasn't the brightest animal on the block. Friendly sure, a huge Pokémon nerd, but not your type. You were an academic animal. You weren't a diapered slob. Except at this point, you kind of were. You're confused. You didn't want to be like Philip. But something about being a smelly animal sounded interesting. You're about to be free from his embrace and it's the worst possible timing. A gurgle, but there's practically no warning. A huge log of shit tumbles into your diaper. Despite the suspenders, the back starts to weigh down. Philip squeals with delight. No, don't impress him! All the cats and bunnies and other animals are pointing now laughing. Like yesterday, you can't stop. You keep pushing, stiffening your arms, and it unfortunately feels so good. You like this. You feel your muzzle become stouter somehow. Was your tail getting longer again? Your belly then gets rounder, and your thighs chubbier and mushier. "Oh that's good," Philip says. "Just push it out. You'll feel so much better. Gee, we should be friends!" He walks around behind you, puts his skunk snout right into your diapered behind. "Ahh, that's the stuff. Super fresh and smelly. See you later, stinky pal!" You're not a stinky pal. You don't want to be a stinky pal. Then why did it feel so good to have his muzzle push your poop into your fat ass? You shudder as you try to avoid thinking along this line further. The crowd slowly disperses. Pulling up your pants, you walk along to class. You'll change later. The smell's a bit nice, and maybe your peers won't mind. Philip had a point. Students scootch their desks away in calculus class, but you don't mind it. They seem to smile at you. Even if the smell makes them gag, they think you're kind of cute. A laughing stock, but cute. You have a quiz today, and you know you did worse than you usually do. But it doesn't bother you. Grades feel just a little less important in your head. You smush your butt around in your pampy. Nice and squishy, and still a tad warm too. You blush. You hated the idea of diapers yesterday, but you could get used to this. Others roll their eyes looking at you but still smile. You're just a diapered smelly animal. They do this sometimes. They just love their diapers. When the bell rings and you stand, you swing your pudgy arms rapidly to stop yourself from falling. Was the desk always that cramped? No, it wasn't. You're getting fatter. Dumber and fatter, you reckon. That sounds good. ---No! This isn't how you used to think! Snap out of it! But why fight whatever's "corrupting" you when it sounds so perfect and stupid? That night, you're brushing your teeth and notice yourself in the mirror. Your rounder ears, your forming white stripes: no doubt about it, you're becoming a skunk. A gross, dumb, fat, disgusting skunk. You're not surprised. Everything you've been doing, from each poop all the way back to that massive fart, has been skunk behavior. And you're only going to get skunkier. You pee yourself at the thought, your diapered front turning yellow from your little penis. You drool. You're a skunk boy. It sounds more and more nice and you. You should talk to that Phlip fellow more. He could give you some tips on stupid skunk life. You can’t let your parents know you actually like all this, though. You smile bright when your mom tucks you in to bed. There's something you need to sleep. Where is it? You jump out of the covers and then dig behind your bed into the mess of papers, and of course you're pooping and peeing your diaper as well. And there it is! Your stuffed Anteater. You bring it to your snout and slobber all on it. It's now sopping, but you provide her a massive hug. She's your best friend. You jump into bed in your unchanged diaper and let your scent wafer around the room. Just a good smelly skunk under his covers. You snooze quickly. *** You don't even bother wearing clothes the next day. Your diaper is so pretty and happy on its own, and no clothes makes it easier for the nurse to check your diaper. Today, a massive diaper sags behind you on the floor full of your very own hot poop as you drool. Your skunk conversion is almost complete. Nobody would ever think you were a dog or smart again. You're an extremely poopy, stinky, kind, adorable skunk friend. Walking down the hall, students wave and smile, pinching their noses. They think you're cute! You haven't pooped today yet, but you're farting. They're so explosive now, and you can breathe in poop droplets in the air. There's so tasty; you take a deep breath to get as much as you can. You're a biohazard now, but super sweet. A river of drool winds behind you, so a wet floor sign is placed. A janitor gives you a thumbs up as they start mopping up your drool. You giggle and drool some more. You shit yourself and hug your Anteater stuffy you brought. It's hard to sniff out Phil over the stench of your diaper, but you find him. He's grunting and pooping himself. "Simon!" Philip says, waddling towards you. "Looking awesome. You're a skunk like me!" He's drooling too and holds up a paw to high four. His diaper is also to the floor, swollen with his fine poop. He bends his arms and lets out a loud fart. "Yeah!" Your butt lets out a little toot. "Wanna have a play date sometime?" That word came out so naturally. Strange. "YES! I'm so happy you asked!" He gives a big fat hug to your now black and white pudgy belly. "I got smash and Pokémon and lots of games. Let's come over to my house! Maybe tomorrow? I'd ask my mommy." You don't remember the last time you've been to someone's houses. When was the last time you hung out with your other friends? Those friends you only talked to at lunch. The playdate sounds really nice, and you drool at the thought. "Sure!" Meanwhile, the adults in the room walk around you in the hallway, eyes locked on their destinations. Despite your sharded monochrome fur, you two are the color in the room. "Here's my phone number," Philip says. He scribbles it onto an index card. "Text me if you need help finding my home!" In class the next day you're at your desk, and you can't focus. Your pencil refuses to connect with the page. Meanwhile, you're crapping. The diaper is expanding down beyond your chair. This is what life should be. You feel your intelligence literally pushing itself into the seat of your diaper. Your smarts are draining while you keep pooing. You're a bit anxious at what this means for school, but why should you care when you're so much happier now? You've got a playdate upcoming with Phil! You don't need to be stressed because you don't need to think about stuff that doesn't matter. Just be happy and play and push. Skunks don't think; they stink. You giggle to yourself and smush your mess all around. You're a good skunk. You still had to wonder: why you, why now? But thinking was hard. You didn't need to question this. You sit at your usual lunch table. No one comes. You check your watch. It’s 5 past now. They should be here. Where’s the group? You get up, walk around. Everyone’s eating, but they’re used to autistic kids walking around. You see them. The group is at a different table chatting. There’s still an empty seat. Maybe you didn’t know about the switch? “Can I join?” you ask through your big teeth. “Uh, sure,” a fox says. They don’t talk the rest of lunch. You’re not clueless. You feel icky inside. You’ll sit with Philip tomorrow. That sounds better. Later, you dread math class. What's the point of it? There's no snuggling nor playing. Your other classes at least let you socialize. But the day would end soon enough, and then you'd go to Phil's house for the playdate! Your parents would be a bit suspicious where you were, since you usually come home right after school to attempt starting your homework. So you text them the truth. They've wanted you to find actual friends anyhow. They don't need to know your friend is this skunk. The hours crawl by, but school is done. Philip went home on his own to get things ready. You're outside the house now, and you ring the doorbell. When was the last time you went somewhere new? A tall chubby skunk opens the door. "Hello!" she says. "You must be the new friend Philip has been telling me so much about it. I'm his mother. I feel honored to meet you!" You can't help but notice a diaper peeking out under her green dress. She needs one too? "Uh, yeah." "Come on in! Philip's on the couch waiting. I'll prepare you two some smoothies while you play." "Thank you, miss." You want to hate her overbearingness, but it feels kind of nice. "Oh, call me Samantha. Or Philip's mommy, if you prefer. Jess is Philip's momma. We differentiate that way." She laughs. You're not sure who Jess is, but a voice disrupts this thought. "SIMON!!" Philip says. In the entertainment room, he's got all the shades drawn and the happiest grin on his snout. His diaper takes up half the couch. You run towards him on plop on the couch. You each give a big hug. You can't help it! Is this how good real friendship feels? Why don't your main friends meet up, let alone hug each other? "I got Smash ready! And of course the GameCub controllers~" he points to an elaborate setup with a GameCub adapter you've only heard of in internet discourse. "Oh cool. I've never played Smash, so sorry if I'm awful." "You've NEVER PLAYED SMASH?" he says. Drool leaks from his muzzle in his shock. "Okay, we need to fix this. I call Pikachu." You're in the middle of a match when Samantha walks in. Philip grumpily pauses the game. "Who wants apple and banana smoothies!" "Me! Me!" Philip say. His mother bends down and gives him a kiss. He grabs the smoothie and starts slurping on the metal straw. "And for you," she says as she paws you one. Not to be rude, you take a slurp immediately. "This is so good!" you say. "I know, my mommy makes the best smoothies" Philip says proudly through his drinking. There had to be a catch here. Your mother would’ve told you to get your own drink, lazy butt. Here, Philip is playing and his mother provides him a snack. It’s really sweet, but maybe unnatural. Your parents have the right smart parenting, you know that. You play for hours. Prime homework times passes, though it's not like you would've gotten yourself started anyways by now. You're falling into it. You're maining Kirby, slurping on Samantha's apple and banana smoothie, and you love it. You never had any consoles at home because your parents said they're time suckers. But this is amazing! "Another match! Another match!" you shout. "Of course, bud!" Philip says. "Actually," Samantha says, now in front of the TV, "It's Philip's feeding time. You can join if you want. I'll give diaper changes afterwards!~" She sings Feeding time? Before you can respond, Samantha squishes herself between you and Philip. No, you’re a friend! But then the strangest thing happens. She pulls off her dress, revealing her loose thighs. She has massive breasts, and Philip happily latches. His muzzle starts moving. No, no, no, no... You don't want to be rude, but you can't join this. She's not your mother. Despite how nice she is, your parents are at 17 Banyard's Street and you should return home. You sit there and watch curiously. Nursing, at this age? But Phil really loves it. You hear purrs and grunts between his suckles. It's so intimate. You drool a bit. Maybe you could ask your mom to play a board game or something. But you know she finds them boring. You hear a squelch, and you notice Philip's mother stiffen a bit. She can't have pooped herself, can she? But she is, and is still doing so. Philip is nursing his mother as she messes herself. He's likely to mess himself soon after. It's really sweet. "I'm home!" a voice sounds from the front door. You see a yellow cat approach. Your eyes are trained now, and beneath black pants is a diaper bulge. This must be Jess, Philip's other mom. You wonder how your parents would act around these two. “They’re corrupting lunatics!” you can hear you dad shout. "Awww," Jess says. She leans a paw against a doorway beam. "Looks like two are a bit busy right now. And who are you?" "...I'm Philip's friend." "A friend! Philip has a friend? That's wonderful!" Jess says. Samanatha gives her a look that means business. Jess controls herself. "I mean, of course Philip has a friend. We're so happy to have you over." She yawns. "I'm beat from work, but I can help make dinner later, Sammy." Fudge, it’s late! "Oh my, I've got to get home! Family dinner and stuff." "Would you like a ride?" Samantha has Philip detach himself, much to his disappoint. You don't want to trouble them, but a ride would lessen how late you are and in return how mad your parents will be. "Yeah, that would be nice. *** "A new friend," your father says as he stab a big fork into steak. "Yeah," you lisp. Your plate has steak, a salad, and mashed potatoes. Only the mashed potatoes looks particularly appetizing. Are your tastes changing, too? "We got a call from the school," your mother says. You freeze. You want to grab your anteater stuffy from your backpack and hug her tight so bad. Oh gosh, what did they say? She continues. "They want to place you in Special Ed classes. Says that a skunk like you needs extra help. Your grades are slipping." Special Ed? You were in those classes back in elementary. They tried to teach you to socialize, but really you missed class time and felt ostracized. You can't go back there! "No child of mine will be a skunk," your dad says after a big bit. "I don't care how your body is changing. You're a dog and you better act like it." Run. You want to run so bad. You're not a dog: you're a skunk. Stop talking, stop talking. You cover your ears. "No listen to me, young man," your father snaps. "If your grades don't improve, we're kicking you out. You're an adult, and if you don't want to value your education, maybe it's time for you to experience the real world. You got that?" Please stop. You're wailing now. What a baby you've become... "Oh stop your crying," your mother says. “You’re a grown-up.” "You got it?" your dad asks. "Yes! I understand!" "Good," he says. "Get your act together, Simon. I'm not fucking kidding." He talks as he chews. "And put some clothes on, for God's sakes." Your mother smiles again and turns to your dad. "So how was work, Mark?" *** You sit down next to Philip in Special Ed. Of course he's here, too. You're kinda glad about that. You're wearing a collared shirt with a tie. The fabric is spreading between the buttons due to the weight you've put on, but you overall look professional. Your diaper is hidden under your pants, and there's only a wetting in there as far as you're aware. "Woah Simon, what's with the getup?" he says. The teacher hasn't walked in yet. "I'm trying to be mature again. I was taking this skunk thing too far." You sigh. "Maybe you should too---we could be friends that way. I could show you to my parents!" Philip shakes his head. "Snap out of it, Simon! This isn't you. You're a good skunk and you know it!" "Only since a week ago." "And it's been a great week! I'm so glad I wished for us to be friends." Your ears pop up. You’re sweating. "...What do you mean, wish?" "Oh," Philip chuckles. He picks his nose a bit. "I went to the library, which I normally only do to get Sonic comics, and found a silly spellbook I thought meant nothing. The page I flipped to said the spell could fulfill your dreams, so I wished we could be friends. I only realized yesterday at the playdate that the spell made you more skunky too, huh!" "You did what!?" You're steaming as you wet yourself. "Did you know you ruined my life? I was one of the best students in this school. Now I've got shit for brains and my parents are pissed!" You laugh to clam down. "Well, at least I know a way to maybe fix this, if that book has some counter spell." "Heh, pissed." Philip laughs. You just stare. "Sorry, bad time?" he says. "I didn't think it would actually do anything! "And how could I know it would skunkify you?" "Well of course it did. Only a skunk would be friends with you." Crap, you said that. And you can't take it back. Philip's breaking. His eyes start watering. Then he wails. "My momma is friends with me, and she's a cat. I thought you liked being a skunk. You were so much happier. You looked sad in class before and I thought you needed a friend." “I wasn’t sad! I loved class!” Yet did you still? Some other Special Ed kids are looking at you both now. The conflict had gotten loud. "But it's obviously wrong," you say. The teacher walks in, and you turn away from Philip. He's still looking at you, though. You can feel his eyes. The class consisted of making figures out of shaving cream to express how you feel. Philip kept wanting to show you his creation, but you ignored him. This was training to be a stronger dog. You barely make it to the bathroom in time to mess in a toilet for once. You spend your afternoons the next few days looking for that spellbook in the town library. You hadn't thought magic was real, but here you are searching for witchcraft and again ignoring your homework. The math problems had been so hard lately, and as much as you knew it was giving into your variety of skunkhood, you procrastinated on it. Your searches held no fruit. That book was nowhere. Shelved somewhere among the countless books, or perhaps sent to another branch. You head home once to find a suitcase packed by the door. "You're moving out," your mother says calmly from the kitchen. "What?" you stammer. "You heard her," your father says. He's in the living room playing a game on his tablet. "The house stinks, you look awful. We're sending you out. Go lose some weight, get a job. It'll do you some good. Then you can finish school." "Please, daddy, pwease! I'm twying weallyth hard!" You have a classic skunk lisp now from your large buck teeth. "Well it's not enough," your father says. "I expect great improvement from you." You don't know to process this. It's horrible. You're tearing up as you run upstairs to gather whatever you need most. (It's mostly your studded animals.) You can't fit all your diapers, so you hope whatever you go has them. Where are you going? A hotel? A park? You're shaking. You're too small for this. You're just a little skunk. Madly you rip off all the suit and tie you had forced yourself into. What's the point when it didn't work? Your parents don't want you. You realize who you need to call. No, would he even want to talk? He had every right to reject you after you told him off. He skunified you accidentally, but shouldn't have said the stuff you said. But you needed something. It was the only light you knew. You dig into your contacts---how long would your parents pay for your phone plan?---and find Philip. You didn't have many contacts. You pause for the longest time before a bean taps call. "Oh, hi Simon! How you feeling?" His tone seems fine. "I'm okay. But I need a place to stay. My parents are kicking me out. I know we just fought, but---" "They're kicking you out!? They can't do that!" "They can. I'm 19. They said the real world would do me some good." "The real world is with friends. Hang on, I'm getting my mommies." You hear some shuffling and some muffled dialogue. Then Philip picks up the phone again. "Mommy can drive over to pick you up. Are you packed?" "Yeah," you say. You look to your still made bed and your oak dresser with worn clothes. There's a lot in this room you wouldn't be taking. "Aren't you mad at me?" "Nah, it's hard being a skunk boy. I understand." He pauses for a bit. "I wish more animals were nice like my mommies. They're a lot nicer about me needing diapies." "They do seem good with it," you say. "Listen," Philip says. "I'm sorry that I made you a skunk. I didn't mean to, but it happened. But I hope we can still be friends." You know some magic beyond comprehension played into all this. But right now, being his friend was what sounded worth living for. You pee yourself. "I really want that." *** Your parents said nothing when you walked outside and entered Samantha's car. It was the same one she had dropped you off in only a few days ago. But now you were being taken to her home. "Simon, I'm so, so sorry your parents are treating you this way. No parent should. As a mother, it's enraging to see." "Thanks, Samantha." You see the trees whip by. Cold air flows in by the October breeze. "Jess and I are happy to help. Stay as long as you need. We can get an extra bed. You can even call us momma and mommy if you'd like." "I—" you don't know how to respond. "I'm not your child. I'm a failed dog who was cursed to be a skunk. And for some reason, I like it." Despite everything happening, you admit this to yourself. You like being a skunk. You're a good boy. You can feel a fart coming. You're still crying from earlier. "Philip told us about that," Samantha says with a sigh. She looks at your through the rearview mirror genuinely, then back at the road. "What he did was wrong, magic-ing your mind like that. As much as we wanted him to find friends, that's not the way to do it. We can find the book for you." "No," you say nervously, scratching your fuzzy arm. "I don't want it. I want to be a skunk. And I want to be friends with Philip." "You sure?," Mommy says. “If you change your mind, we can look for it.” You wipe away some tears and drool. “I’m swure for now." You pull at the lot, and Momma and Philip are on the front porch. Philip stumbles forward to give you a hug. "Simon! You're here!" You hug back tight in return. "Yeah! I am here. I am okay!" It's so much to think about. Mommy and Momma start talking to each other. "We get to have an eternal playdate," Philip says. "We can be brothers! Isn't the awesome? We get to play with all the time!" You think about what your future here means. Protection from the horrors of homelessness. Snacks and cuddles with Philip. Nursing on your mothers. Family movie nights and lots of hugs. "Yeah," you say. "It is awesome." You smile. Philip dances in circles around you. Your mommies hold the door open, and you two skunk boys head inside to play and sleep.
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WOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Here we are with another one-off story that suddenly came to me! It's a fun idea that I had that wouldn't go away until I actually started writing it! Brand Ambassadorable by Panther Cub "Ooooooooooh, Valoooooorieeeeeee..." The feminine voice echoed a bit through the copse of trees. The vixen was working on controlling her breathing as she ran, ducking under low-hanging branches and hopping over exposed roots and fallen logs. Mentally, Valorie was glad that she had maintained her running regimen. Granted, it was mainly to help her maintain her toned body and stay slim, but still, the stamina was proving quite useful in keeping some distance between herself and the source of the voice calling her name. And to think that the only reason she had gone running in the first place tonight was to shake off some stress. Coming to a little clearing, she slowed to a light jog, taking a moment to look around and get her bearings. Recognizing the pond with the stump next to it, she knew that if she continued to head west, she'd be home free in no time. And I can forget all about this stupid idea, she thought to herself. She picked the pace back up, her orange ears twitching at the sound of crunching twigs and leaves behind her rapidly growing louder. She started pumping her legs a bit harder, wincing as some brambles caught her navy blue athletic shorts and light blue tank-top, creating little tears in both. "Quit acting like such a baby!" The voice called out, now closer. Oh great, she's locked onto my scent! Valorie cursed at herself under her breath. "That's why I'm running! And I don't plan on acting like one anytime soon!" She called back over her shoulder. Looking ahead, she could see it. Her house! Heading straight for it, she was too focused on the figure behind her to notice the second one hiding in a bush on the side of the path until it was too late. A large dark figure leapt out from the brush and tackled the vixen to the ground. Valorie yipped and hissed and scratched, but it was no use. Her upper paws were pinned to the forest floor as she was forced onto her back, staring up first at the twinkling stars visible in the openings in the leafy canopy above, and then into the triumphantly smiling face of her sister, Candice. Mandy, having been hot on Valorie's trail, was soon joining them, taking a minute to catch her breath. Both were wearing similar flannel shirts and jean shorts. "Damn, Val, I was worried we weren't gunna get ya!" Many said, straightening up and giving both of them a thumbs up. Candice And Many were both very large timber wolves, with similar gray, black, and light brown fur colorations. "Let me go!" Val whined, ineffectually kicking her legs. She hated how much larger than her Candice and Mandy were. Of course, she was a fox and they were wolves, so it's not as though the natural size difference wasn't understandable. "Oh no, baby sister!" Candice said with a roll of her eyes. "Not until we're done pitching our idea to Dad and Mom! And for that, one of us needs to get into character!" The she-wolf pinning the smaller canid down looked over to their sister, who winked and padded a satchel resting against her hip. With the tear of velcro, the flap was opened, and something rolled up was tossed to Candice, who caught it in her free paw. Unrolling it revealed a rectangle that, even in the sparse light of the moon, was a loud and bright pink with glittery flower designs set into it. Once it was unfurled on the ground next to Val, she found herself transferred on top of its cushiony surface, her arms re-pinned above her head once she was set on it. "We don't have to do this!" Valorie looked around, seeing Mandy approaching while digging into the satchel. She pulled out a folded up white rectangle that the vixen zeroed in on, barely noticing the canister that was also pulled out and set down next to her. "Val, will you stop being so immature? It's just a diaper." Candice sighed and rolled her eyes, grabbing and gently sliding off Val's shorts and panties. "Yeah? Then why don't you go and put a diaper on yourself?!" "Because you're the smallest--" Candice started, before she was cut off by Mandy. "And the cutest!" Mandy giggled and knelt down next to the changing pad. She gripped Valorie's ankles and used her free paw to grab the baby powder, liberally dusting Valorite's soon-to-be diaper area. "Is that necessary?!" "A clean and good-smelling baby is a happy baby!" "I'm not a baby!" The blushing vixen said as her powdered bottom was gently laid down onto an even more cushiony and lightly crinkling surface. She froze as Candice brought the front of the diaper up and snugly taped it into place. The girls rolled Valorie over to secure her tail through the hole in the back and apply the tape right above the base of said tail, before releasing her. She quickly scrambled to her feet and stepped back, the diaper wrapped around her waist forcing her to step with a slight waddle as she looked down at the bright green paw prints decorating it. It had darker green around the leg gathers and the landing strip. "If it's any consolation, that's a Pawpers Size 6 diaper for wolf pups!" Mandy said, her tail thumping against a nearby tree. "Why would I want to know that?!" Valorie huffed, blushing at the thought that even at age 18 she still fit perfectly into a diaper made for actual wolf babies and toddlers. "And what's to stop me from just ripping this dumb thing off and running back home?" "You mean, aside from running around in the bright moonlight with no bottoms on where the neighbors can potentially see you before you make it into the house?" Valorie winced at that, not having thought of that. She looked around and couldn't see her shorts or underwear, so assumed either Candice or Mandy had taken them. "Then how about the fact that this could really help Dad?" Mandy asked, making her eyes look larger and more watery, having always been a master of the puppy eyes. "... You two are crazy if you think that this is going to work." Val huffed and crossed her arms, silently swearing to shave her sisters' tails if anyone saw her like this. "It's better than trying nothing!" Candice insisted, paws on her hips. "So you look a little silly for a picture or two? At least you'll actually be helping the family since Dad lost his job." The diapered vixen winced at that. Ever since their father's family photography business went under, financially the family hadn't been doing too well. Val knew this and felt guilty about still trying to pursue her dream career as a model, but had reasoned, at least to herself, that when she made it big, she could help out the family easily. "Plus, there's no way we're not gunna win the contest!" Mandy practically cheered, walking over and scooping the shocked Val into her arms, causing the vixen to let out a yip of surprise. A paw firmly resting underneath Val's padded bottom, Mandy held her sister to her chest, looking down at the fox in her arms. "Val, you're cute. I'm sorry, but you are just ridiculously adorable. Always have been, always will be. And dressed up like a baby? That's multiplying your cute factor by, like, 1,000! Combine that with Dad's skill as a photographer, and we're gunna win that $10,000 grand prize!" Val let out a whine and hung her head. "Ugh... fiiiiine! But after we get this over and done with, we never speak of it again!" Candice giggled and shook her head. "Sorry, baby sister, but this is just too cute not to talk about. Heck, you should consider yourself lucky that we're not gunna ask Dad to make some of the pics into postcards to send out to the rest of the family at Christmas!" Val wanted to argue more, but the gentle rubbing of her back from Mandy was helping her to calm down a bit. Still in her sister's arms, they walked the rest of the way back to their house, the diminutive canid internally grumbling the entire way. * * * "... So let me get this straight," Shaun said, rubbing his temples. The middle-aged fluffy white arctic wolf in the khaki slacks and the light blue polo shirt looked over his three daughters, his eyes zeroing in once again on Valorie, standing there and shuffling her feet nervously, wearing just a pink t-shirt and a diaper; and sighed. "You three saw an ad for the Pawpers company, for a photo contest. With the goal of recreating a classic Pawpers ad from back in the 80s or 90s, and the winner receiving $10,000, you decided that your sister should dress up like a baby and pose for it?" "We know that money is tight right now..." Candice said, rubbing her arm, trailing off at the stern expression on their father's face. "Plus, it's a chance for you to get some more exposure! You're a great photographer, Daddy!" Mandy chimed in, her tail tucking itself between her legs. "A-and with how cute Val is... we'd probably win..." "I think it's a wonderful idea!" Four pairs of eyes snapped to the source of the voice to see another she-wolf, closer in age to Shaun but with the same fur coloration as Candice and Mandy, sitting on the couch, her tail wagging so fast that it was a blur thumping against the cushions. She was wearing a simple white blouse and a pair of well-worn jeans. "Honey?" Shaun looked a bit confused. Celia hopped up from the couch to walk over and scoop Valorie into her arms, cradling and cooing at the vixen. "All my girls are so pretty, but Valorie, you never stopped being as cute as a button like when you were just a little baby girl! Who's a pretty baby princess? Is it you? I think it is!" Val blushed at the cooing and babytalk and was about to voice her own misgivings... when her mother pulled up the pink shirt a bit to start blowing a loud raspberry onto the exposed white fuzzy tummy. Instead, Valorie squealed and giggled and kicked her legs, calming down again only after Celia took a seat with her still in her arms, now rocking the vixen. "That's my precious wittle baby! OOOOOH! If you pose for the pictures, then with your father taking them, we'll be bound to win!" "You really think so, Celia?" Shaun asked, now rubbing his chin and looking thoughtful. "Of course!" "Hmm... what do you think, Val? Are you okay with this whole arrangement?" Shaun asked while walking over and gently prying his smallest daughter away from his wife, with only a bit of a difficulty. He held her up in his paws under her arms. She gave him a sour look before exhaling. "Yeah. Plus, this could be my big ticket to becoming a model." Shaun chuckled and smiled, his fluffy white tail slowly swishing back and forth. "Okay... I start setting up all the props and background and such up in my office. Girls," he said while addressing Candice and Mandy "can I see the ad we'll be recreating?" Mandy nodded and gleefully reached into her back pocket to pull out a rolled up magazine, opening it to the page. Shaun looked it over and looked at Val. "Hmm... well, the outfit's a match. And I think I have just the props. Okay ladies, just give me a few minutes and we can knock this out of the park!" "YAY!" Mandy said, taking Val from their father's arms and setting her against her hip. "Hoo-ray," Val said sarcastically. A short while of being fussed over by her mother and sisters, including Mandy absentmindedly tugging out the back of her diaper for a quick check like she does for little cousin Emma when babysitting, and Shaun returned. Looking excited, he took Valorie into his arms and carried her back to his study, stopping just outside the door. "Are you sure that you're okay with this, pumpkin?" Val looked up into her father's eyes and blushed. "Yeah... I'm sure." Shaun planted a gentle kiss on her forehead and pushed open the door. Val looked around and saw that his desk had been shoved to the side, the magazine open right at the ad. Looking closer from where she was in Shaun's arms, Val could see that the pic was of a little vixen kit standing next to a box of crayons and a coloring book. They had a green crayon in their paw and had drawn some squiggles on the white wall of the room they were in, with the vixen looking back and smiling, only a few milk teeth visible. Above it was the caption. "Babies make messes, one way or another. With Pawpers Heavy-Dooty, you can at least keep the worst of them contained." "Well... I guess it could be worse..." "Yup! There's one ad that takes place in the middle of a diaper change." Shaun set Valorie onto the floor next to a splayed open coloring book and... a box of crayons. Sighing, Val grabbed a simple green one and started to make a squiggle, doing her best to get it to look similar to the one she had just seen. Behind her, she heard her father adjusting equipment and objects. With a couple of clicks, and some brighter lights were now shining on the diapered vixen. "Okay, sweetie. Can you turn to face the camera for a moment?" Val complied, hearing several clicks. "Good job. Now we just need to experiment for a bit with your facial expressions." Doing as she was told, Val made a number of similar expressions, her annoyance slowly rising. However, she figured that as a model, she would have to perform repetitive actions with all sorts of variations all the time, which allowed her to push down any negative emotions and focus only on doing a satisfactory job. "Alright, that was perfect!" Shaun said, heading over to his computer to upload the images from his phone. Taking the hint she didn't need to pose anymore, Val simply plopped down to the hardwood floor on her padded posterior. Getting back to her feet, she waddle-walked over to her father and tried to hop onto his desk like usual. Instead, just as she was ready to hop, he simply picked her up and sat her on his lap. "Here we are, sweetie! The six best pics!" Val looked up at the monitor screen, her eyes going wide. If it weren't for the size difference and having all her adult teeth, she looked like the spitting image of the baby fox from the original ad. Clicking on the bottom middle one, Shaun grinned. "I think we've got a winner, Val! What do you think?" Shun looked down just as Val looked up, his smile proving to be infectious. "I think this one looks the best, Daddy," Val said, pointing to the current enlarged pic. In it, her eyes shone with excitement that, now that she could see it for herself, Val was shocked to find a twinkle of mischief and pure joy on her own face that looked far more genuine that it had felt when she was making the face. One Month Later... "Seriously, Mom?!" Celia looked away from the batch of sugar cookie dough she was rolling to see Valorie looking up at her with a sour expression on her face. Celia was wearing a simple blue sundress, whereas Val was wearing a bright yellow skirt-all over a white t-shirt. The skirt-all had a smiling butterfly on the chest. "What's the matter, sweetie?" Celia asked, concerned. Val simply rolled her eyes before gesturing to her outfit. "Why was this in my closet?!" Val put her paws on her hips. "Hmm? Oh! That was your cousin Emma's favorite play outfit, but thanks to her recent growth spurt, it's too small for her. So your Auntie Kay and Uncle Ryan sent that over." Valorie winced at that. Being the exact same size as her three year old cousin was bad enough, but now learning that said cousin was already bigger than her? It was another point of embarrassment for the vixen. "Well, I'm too old for hand-me-downs! Especially ones that come from younger family members!" Val stomped her foot and looked up at her mother in frustration, but Celia could only chuckle at the cute pout Val was making. "Sweetie, if you don't like it, then why did you put it on?" Val blushed a bit. "All my other clothes are in the laundry! I didn't have anything else to wear." "Well, if it's any consolation, honey, it looks adorable on you." Val crossed her arms and started stomping away. "Does this mean you don't want a cookie? The first batch was cool enough to ice, sweetheart." Val's ears twitched and she did a quick u-turn, stomping her way back to the large she-wolf. Val silently held up a paw, awaiting her promised cookie. "Honey, what do we say?" Celia asked, wagging a finger. Val huffed and rolled her eyes, puffing out her cheeks a bit. "May I please have a cookie?" The vixen was rewarded with a star-shaped treat, green icing slathered on top. She scurried off with it while Celia chuckled. Her ears twitched at the sound of the doorbell suddenly ringing. Having finished off her cookie, unaware that she had some green icing smeared around her muzzle, Val, being nearest the front door, made a beeline right for it. "I got it!" Valorie called out, smoothing out her colorful skirtall before reaching for the door knob. She opened the door to find a gigantic tigress smiling down at her. Val felt her tail tuck itself in between her legs as she felt a sense of authority practically radiating off the much larger feline, who was dressed in a charcoal gray skirt suit. "Oh my goodness," the tigress said with a purr, quickly reaching down and picking Valorie up from under the arms with her massive paws. The vixen felt frozen as the tigress gazed at her. "You look just even more adorable in person!" "Val, baby? Who is it?" Celia asked, walking into the living room. She spotted the large female holding up her littlest girl and rapidly made her way over, practically snatching the vixen away to cradle in her arms. "May I help you?" Celia asked, side-eyeing the stranger. The tigress smiled warmly and extended a paw. "Lisa Stripleton. I'm a representative of Pawpers Inc." After shaking Celia's paw, she handed her a business card with the Pawpers logo on the top right corner. "May I come in?" "Oh, my," Celia said, at a loss for words. She nodded and moved aside to allow the large feline into their home. They got settled on the couch, now with Val sitting on her mother's lap. "First and foremost, I'm here to inform you and your family that your submission for our contest for our up-and-coming Nostalgia line of diapers was selected as the winner and to award you with the ten thousand dollar prize!" Celia was then handed a check that made both her and Valerie do double-takes. "W-we won?" Val asked, receiving a ruffling of her headfur in response. "You sure did, cutie! Why, the picture was such amazing quality, that we're actually interested in offering the photographer a job with our company!" "Wait... WHAT?!" Valorie asked, blown away that this whole hairbrained scheme... actually worked! "That's right, honey-pie! A Mr. Shaun Howler was the photographer, correct?" Lisa turned to ask Celia. Everything about this woman made Val feel so... small. "Is he here?" "H-he's out doing a little grocery shopping with our other daughters," Celia stammered, having subconsciously shifted Val so that she could now start bouncing the vixen on her knee. "Well that's alright. We can make an appointment for a proper meet and greet and see how he feels about becoming a member of the Pawpers team. But, he's not the only one here that we want to extend such an invitation to..." As Lisa trailed off, Val realized that she was looking directly at her. Confused and a little worried, Val looked between her and her mother, before asking her question. "Me? In what way?" Celia also looked confused at the notion, still bouncing Val on her knee. "You were just so precious in that photo that not only are we gunna be printing it onto the new line of diaper packages, but we're also going to print it in all of our newspaper and magazine ad space, and on billboards too!" Val stared with wide, hollow eyes, realizing that her padded butt was going to be posted everywhere publicly. "We would love for you to become one of our brand ambassadors!" That snapped Val back to attention. "Brand Ambassador?" Valorie asked in confusion, looking between her Mom and the tigress. "For Pawpers? B-but, I'm 18!" "Yes, and you are also just cute as a button!" "That she is!" Celia said while her tail thumped the couch. She leaned in closer to Val and gave her a happy squeeze. "Honey, this sounds perfect! You've always wanted to be a model, and now here you are with your big break!" "My... big break?" Val seemed lost in thought for a bit. "Absolutely!" Lisa chimed in. "A potential great stepping stone into a long and lucrative modeling career!" "But I'm an adult!" Val looked up at her mother for some backup, only for Celia to look at her quizzically. The she-wolf then grabbed a tissue from a nearby tissue box and gave it a lick before reaching down to scrub away the green icing smear that was still on the vixen's muzzle. "M-MOM!" Val whined after her face had been cleaned. "Sorry, sweetie, but I forgot how much of a messy eater you can be." Celia chuckled and hugged her daughter to her chest, setting her back down on her lap. Lisa chuckled at the display. "What does a brand ambassador actually... do?" Val asked with narrowed eyes. "Well, for starters, they get to try out all sorts of products made by the brand they represent. They give their input on what they like and don't like, and usually make blogs about the whole experience. When a brand involves clothing and other things to wear, they also model for the brand! And, the best part, this is all done free of charge! You can see how you like being our brand ambassador and, if you find that it isn't for you, you can stop at any time. But, if it turns out you enjoy it, we can go ahead and hire you on properly as one of our little models!" "But... that's all stuff for... babies and toddlers! I can't believe I have to say this again, but I am an adult!" Val huffed and crossed her arms. "Oh honey, the fact that you're a big girl is what makes you so perfect for the role!" "Huh?" Val looked up at the tigress, confused as Lisa let out a small sigh. "It's actually quite the hassle having actual babies as models. I mean, they're babies. You can't exactly give them instructions to follow. If they're feeling fussy, that can end up wasting valuable shooting time. They require just so much care, and then there's the parents. Not all, but a lot of them tend to have rather... unrealistic aspirations for their little ones, even at such early ages. And speaking of, we come to the biggest problem when working with such young ones. They literally grow up so fast! But, as an adult vixen, the perfect size for wolf pup diapers, and not gunna get any bigger... you offer a unique opportunity. A baby model that will stay the same for years to come!" Val thought it over, a part of her unable to believe that she was even remotely entertaining this ridiculous idea. She did reason that the picture of her was going to be seen by everyone anyway, so anyone she knew would likely already be seeing her in a diaper as it was. While this would be more humiliating over time... she would still be breaking onto the modeling scene. And after a few years of playing the baby, she could then move up to perfumes, or something even fancier. Plus, they were offering her Dad a job... and it's not like it could hurt just trying out this brand ambassadorship... "Okay... I-I'll give it a try." "This is so exciting!" Celia practically cheered while Lisa looked pleased. The tigress reached over and ruffled Val's headfur once more. "You made the right choice, honey!" Val rolled her eyes and huffed as her mother cuddled her close. One month later... "I-is this really necessary?" Val asked, laying on the brand new seafoam green changing mat, next to a bunch of boxes with the Pawpers logo that had been delivered earlier that day. She had on a plain white t-shirt and her legs were lifted up by Celia, who was in the process of applying a generous dusting of baby powder. "Absolutely, my sweet little brand ambassador!" The motherly she-wolf cooed and lowered Valorie's legs, letting her bottom come to rest on the surprisingly thick pink and purple diaper. Pulling up the front and taping it snug, it revealed a sleepy-looking crescent moon on the front. A constellation of stars wearing night caps smiled up at the mama wolf from the vixen's padded bottom when she had Val roll over a bit to secure the tail hole tape. "There! All nice and snug and ready for naptime!" "But Mooooom," Val whined, getting up and having to stand even more bow-legged than before, this being a Pawpers thicker sleep diaper. "I'm not even tired!" Celia just booped Val's nose and giggled. "That's okay! You're just trying these products out. For instance, how does your new diaper feel?" "It feels kinda bulky, and makes walking around kinda awkward," Val truthfully said, taking a few unsure steps. "Well, they are pretty much for naptime and bedtime, so running around in them was not really a priority, I imagine." "Again, why do I have to try them on now?" Val was blushing almost as much as when the boxes had arrived. "Well, now that Daddy and your big sisters have finished setting up your new crib, we thought this would be a great opportunity to try it out." "B-but!" "C'mon, sweetie! Just give it a little try now and see how you like it. Then, after, say, ten minutes you aren't fast asleep, you can be let out of your crib!" Val looked up into the warmth emanating from her mother's eyes and sighed, looking away. "Whatever..." "Excellent! Now let's just get you into your jammies and then you'll be all ready for beddy!" Celia reached over into another box and pulled out a bright pink footie onesie, with glittery green butterflies on it. Pulling the zipper down in the back, the mama wolf then sprinkled a pawful of baby powder inside, giving the jammies a bit of a shake. "There! That should make this feel even more comfy and smell nice!" Seeing it being held open for her, Val let out her greatest sigh yet, and stepped into the leg holes, blushing even more as her mother helped pull the sleeves on over Val's arms. With the big bushy and orange tail snugly secured through yet another tail hole, she then gently zipped it right back up, checking to make sure the garment wasn't too tight or restrictive in other areas. Picking Val up into her arms, she then walked over to Val's room, where a pink and white crib sat, a soft mobile dangling right above, displaying plush multi-colored stars. "Would you like a drink, honey?" Her mother asked, to which Val simply shook her head no. "Alright, baby. Now remember our deal?" Val nodded, prompting Celia to smile some more. "So when I come back in fifteen minutes and don't find you asleep, you can run around and play some more." Val rolled her eyes as she was tucked into the soft fleece of the green and blue blanket. Celia then reached up and started the mobile, which began to slowly spin and very quietly play a sweet lullaby. Staying awake for fifteen minutes? No biggie. Val let out a yawn as she watched the spinning stars above. Despite fighting it, her eyelids began to droop, until they closed, and she was laying there in her crib, lightly snoring away. Celia's tail wagged as she watched her youngest daughter sleeping, her heart swelling with joy at having her littlest pup back once more. Leaning down over the rails of the crib, Celia gently kissed Valorie's cheek. "Sweet dreams, my little kit," she said, looking around the room before turning off the light and exiting. Half an hour later, Val groggily woke up, her bladder full. She looked around confused, still half asleep, as she untangled herself from the blanket. Waddling around, trying to find an exit that didn't exist, her bladder reached critical mass, and with her legs pushed apart, she couldn't hold it. Whimpering initially, she calmed down as she felt the sudden release. Sitting with a light squish, Val let out a yawn and allowed the twinkling lullaby still coming from the pretty mobile above to lull her back to sleep. Epilogue... "Oh my goodness! These are all just perfect!" Lisa practically squealed as she looked through the various pictures in the portfolio handed to her. They were all of Val trying out the different Pawpers products. One was of her in just a green t-shirt and one of the thick night diapers, laying on her back fast asleep in her crib. The next was on Val, a Pawper peeking out from the hem of the adorable skirtall as Val, green binky in her mouth, pouted up at the camera from inside a yellow and blue playpen, standing up and clinging to the mesh wall. The next pic must've been taken a few minutes later, as it showed her sitting with her legs splayed, playing with a stacking ring while still in said playpen. The next picture the motherly tigress took a look at was of Valorie, now in just a pink tank-top and one of her Pawpers, sitting in the pink princess-themed high chair they'd sent the family. She had on a blue bib with a ducky on it and was being fed a spoonful of pink baby food by one of her sisters, Mandy. There were already a couple of pink splatters on the bib and a little around her muzzle. Cut to the next photo, which showed Valorie in a bright green dress, the hemline of which only covered the top third of her diaper, as she was clearly trying to open a safety baby gate at the top of some stairs. The next photo was of her in the same outfit, now being given a piggyback ride on Candice's shoulders as the she-wolf walked them down the stairs. The next few were of a family outing at the park. Valorie was looking a little nervous safely buckled in her pink and white stroller. She was hugging a bright white teddy bear with a pink bow tied around its neck, close to her chest. Her headfur had been bunched up into two little pigtails, and she was presently wearing her play skirt-all once more, though her diaper was on full display. There were a couple of pictures of her playing on a jungle gym and some swings. She was sitting on a teeter-totter with a happy-looking little wolf boy on the other end. And the wolf boy along with a little racoon girl in a pink dress and a bear cub in just a yellow shirt and diaper all playing in a sandbox. "Maybe we can get the parents of those children to sign waivers to use these pics they're in," Lisa mumbled to herself, her tail swishing a bit in excitement. She smiled as she looked over the blog Val had set up on their site where her pictures were uploaded, after they were approved by the company. The reviews dating a few weeks back to when Val first started using their products still made the tigress chuckle. The nighttime diapers are too thick to walk around in. But I guess... they do their job really well... The straw berry baby food I guess isn't gross... but I just don't like the texture! It's a little hard to get the juice out of this nursing bottle. I have to start sucking in rhythm to get a steady stream! I guess the blankie and these footie jammies aren't too bad... they're very soft and warm... and it helps me sleep... even if I do have to sleep in a crib! Not that I'm saying I like wearing and using them... but I guess I like the new Playtime diapers the best. I still have to waddle a bit, but not nearly as much as when I have to wear my bedtime diapers. Plus... I guess maybe the butterfly designs are pretty cute. I can't get myself out of my stroller, which is a pain, but I guess that that means it's good at keeping babies safe. When we go see my friends at the park or to playdates though, it gets really annoying having to wait on the grown-ups or my big sisters to let me out so I can go play! Purring a little, Lisa looked at the next picture in line, letting out a coo. "This is definitely going up on the next round of billboards!" She held up the picture which was of Valorie in a pink t-shirt having her diaper changed. It was from the side, and you could see Celia cooing and holding Val's legs up in the air, the clearly used diaper balled up a little bit to the side with a fresh one already set under Val's bottom. Said bottom was obscured by a thick cloud of baby powder that Celia was at that moment dusting her with. "This little cutie is going to be the greatest model we've ever had!" YES! Finally! This idea has been like a splinter in my head the past week or so! I am so happy to finally have it all written out! I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did writing it!
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YAY! My very first story on this site! This story was made possible by an RP I've been having with my friend, IronTiger26. Enjoy! Special Delivery Chapter 1 Jason sighed contentedly as he entered his dorm room. Practice, while grueling as usual, was still something he found to be enjoyable. He had already stripped off his uniform and dressed in his street clothes, but that was just long enough to get back inside and shut the door. He was quick to rip off his shirt and jeans and just collapse onto his bed in his boxers. He let out a yawn as he looked out the window, seeing the full moon starting to rise in the evening sky. "Strange," he said to no one, "I didn't know that there was a full moon tonight." He let out another yawn and tiredly drifted off to sleep. As he fell asleep, a glowing golden portal opened A giant figure stepped through, gazing down at the sleeping football player. “Aww, you’re perfect, little one.” She whispered, gently picking him up. Jason started to stir, but then drifted into a deeper sleep. He mumbled something about his roommate. The giant smiled, before gently pulling off Jason’s boxers, and letting them fall to the ground, before going back through the portal with the naked collage boy. Jason dreamt of his body flowing like water, and feeling itchy, but still he did not stir. As he slept, far deeper than he had ever before, Jason's ears elongated and flowed to the top of his head. His body which was well and solidly built was becoming more delicate and feminine. He started losing inches, shrinking down from nearly seven feet to an even five. His face became distinctly less human, taking on a much more rabbit appearance, with his nose becoming a small pink button in the sea of light grey fur that started to coat his face. His body continued to become more and more feminine, until he was no longer a he at all. His body also started to become coated in the soft grey downy fur, with white creamy fur covering his belly, his throat, and chin. Then, out of nowhere, a small cottontail sprang forth just above his bottom, it too a creamy white. And finally, his eyes, while closed, became a beautiful bright amethyst. Through all of this, Jason remained asleep. The next morning, the sun rose into what appeared to be a nursery, the walls bright pink and a playpen was in the right corner, filled to the brim with plushes and dolls. On the opposite side lay a wardrobe and a changing table, a mirror next to it. Sunlight shined into the center of the room, waking up the sole occupant of the room, who lay in a pink crib, just big enough to hold them that was across from a giant door. Jason yawned and stretched, not taking any notice of the squishy bulk between his legs. Jason opened his eyes, and started to look around, thinking about heading down to get a coffee... and then let out an ear-splitting high-pitched shriek. Shortly after, Jason’s new ears picked up several heavy thuds outside, before the door swung open, revealing a giant tigress, dressed in a soft white blouse and jeans. “Are you okay, sweetie? Mommy heard you screaming!” She said as she entered, walking right up to the bars of the crib. Jason squeaked at the sight of the giant tigress, shrinking back against the bars of her crib. "Wh-what are you?!" The tigress crouched down a bit so her size didn’t scare Jason as much. “It’s okay, little one. My name is Helia.” "What ARE you?!" Jason looks around for an escape route, suddenly aware of his surroundings. "Is this a nursery?" “I’m a tigress, honey-bunny. And it’s not just any nursery.” She reaches in, and boops Jason’s nose. “It’s YOUR nursery, sweetie.” Jason recoils from the touch. "Why am I here? How did I get here?" “I brought you here last night. And I used a portal to bring you to your new home.” She said, matter-of-factly, as though it were the most normal thing in the world. "Wha... THIS CAN'T BE REAL! AND YOU CAN'T DO THAT! ...AND I'M NOT A BABY!" Jason cried out. She gives Jason a motherly smile. “Well of course I can, sweetie. After filling out all of the proper paperwork for the adoption, I then went and collected you.” "I SAID I'M NOT BABY!!!" Helia smiled, standing up and going over to the dresser, pulling out a mirror, before returning to the crib and pulling down one of the sides “If you aren’t a baby...” She held the mirror in front of Jason, revealing his new form to him. “...Then who’s this little cutie pie?” Jason froze as he looked at himself. He was wearing a pink footed sleeper, with a very obvious diaper bulge. He looked at the very clearly adult female bunny staring back at him. "B-but... I'm a human... and a man... and I'm... STILL an adult!" Only then did Jason fully register her newly feminine voice. Helia giggled, reaching over and petting Jason on her head, inbetween her ears “I’m sorry, sweetie. But I’m afraid you simply aren’t any of those things anymore.” "B-but, I've got boobs now! ... Why am I girl and a bunny now?" Still gently petting her, Helia said. “Well, I’m afraid humans simply don’t exist in this world, so by bringing you here, you turn into whatever your favorite animal is. I see you liked bunnies then, hmm?” "They are cute, yeah, but... STOP TOUCHING ME! And take me home right now!" Jason stomped his foot, pouting when he was trying to look serious and angry. Helia reluctantly stopped petting Jason, and looked her in the eye. “I’m sorry sweetie, but this is your new home. It's just not possible for you to go back. Don't worry though, you'll soon start having so much fun." "Y-you're a monster!" Jason said, his eyes tearing up. Helia gave a sympathetic look, before laying the mirror to the side, crouching down on her knees, and pulling the bunny in for a hug, her chin resting on the tigress’ shoulder. “There, there sweetheart. Let it out.” She said as she began to gently rub Jason’s back. Jason tried to thrash and escape. But she was far easily overpowered, and could do nothing more than sob into her shoulder. "Y-you ruined my life!" She hiccuped. Rubbing and patting the crying bunny’s back, whose ears have drooped down. Helia looked down at Jason. “I’m sorry, honey. But there’s nothing I can do. For humans coming into our world, it's a one-way trip only.” "Let me go! I'm not a baby! I'm still an adult!" Jason insisted. She gently pulls Jason away, gazing into the former football player's ready eyes. "Would you like some breakfast, sweetie?" "I just wanna leave!" “Honey, I already told you. There's no going back, it just isn't possible for you." "Then let me leave this house!" “Sorry, honey, but I can’t do that.” She presses against the bulge under the sleeper, making a squish that was audible to both of them. She looked the bunny in the eyes again and smiled. “Unless you want to waddle around in a wet diaper all day, would you like me to change you?” Jessica let out an adorable squeak. "Y-you musta drugged me!" Helia shook her head, and said. “I would never drug a baby, especially my own little girl." She emphasized this with another playful nose boop, which Jason frantically tried to bat away. "You're a baby now, honey-bunny, and babies need their diapies just for this reason." "NO! I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THIS!" Jason tries to thrash and kick. “Honey, calm down or you might-" All of a sudden, Jason feels a pressure in her stomach, that then quickly disappears. She shifts about, and feels her now full diaper. "N-no..." Jason says. “Oh honey...you made a mess, didn’t you...” Jason then immediately bursts into tears. Helia quickly stood up, attempting to soothe the bunny as she cried, rocking her back and forth as she held her in her arms. “Please calm down, sweetie. I’ll get you out of that nasty thing.” She said as she began to walk to the changing table. "I'm not a baby!" Jason cried, unaware of where she was being carried. Helia decided not to argue further on that matter. All off-world adopted babies are like this, it’s only a matter of time before she accepted it too. At least, that's what Helia told herself. She gently laid her baby bunny down. Jason tried to roll over and hop off the table, only to be caught by Helia, who rolled the bunny back in place, holding her down as she looked into her eyes again. “Sweetie, do you WANT to stay in your dirty diaper?” "I WANT to leave!" Helia sighed, unzipping the sleeper while Jason squirmed before she managed to pull it off. She continued to hold down Jason, and pulled a strap over the bunny's tummy, securing it with a buckle in the other side. Jason looked down in dismay at her small chest, and then at the very well used diaper with the pink trim. She tried unbuckling the strap, but her paw-hands couldn't work it, so she resorted to just kicking with her legs. Helia got to work, while the legs kicked uselessly at her. Untaping the diaper and removing it from Jason’s waist. Jason squealed a the cold wipes being used, and her nose started to tickle from the smell of the baby powder. She looked down in horror once, to confirm that she was indeed now a girl, just in time for the fresh diaper to be carefully taped on. Securing the new diaper on, this one pink like the walls of the nursery, Helia unstrapped the bunny, before picking her up and holding her under her arms in front of her. “That wasn’t so bad, was it Jessica?” "That was humiliating! I was just changed like a baby and... wait, what did you call me?" Helia smiled, looking the shocked, nearly naked bunny in the eyes. “Jessica. It’s your new name, honey.” "MY NAME IS JASON NOW LET ME DOWN AND LET ME OUT OF THIS CRAZY HOUSE!" “As adorable as it would be to see you run around in just a diaper, honey-bunny, I need to let you have at least one thing covering you besides that.” She carried the thrashing bunny over to the wardrobe, and “Jessica” froze at the sight of what was inside. "What's with all the pink girly dresses?" Jessica asked in a suddenly nervous voice. "I guess I may have gone a little bit overboard. We just got so excited when we learned we were going to be getting a little girl." "I don't care what I look like! I'm a guy! And I'm not wearing any damn girly clothes or any baby clothes!" Jessica said, crossing her arms. Helia sighed, before reaching in and pulling out a simple pink shirt, the words Mommy’s Little Princess across it. “I’m sorry, Jessie. But I’m afraid this is the only thing not as ‘girly’ as the others in your size.” Jessica growled. "Just give me that, some pants, and then I'm out of here." Helia froze. “...oh. That’s what I forgot to grab at the store...” "I am so done with this whole damn place!" Jessica said as she reached for the shirt. Helia simply held out the shirt, letting the bunny take it. Jessica struggled to get it on, while simultaneously trying to escape the tigress' grasp. Helia put Jessica on the floor, making sure to keep an eye on her. Jessica struggles some more, thanks to her ears, before finally popping her head through the hole. She frowned as the shirt stopped just short of the waistband of her diaper. She then started to march towards the nursery door. Helia walked ahead of Jessica, opening the door and walking out, leaving it open for the bunny to follow her. Jessica threw a frown the tigress' way, and looked around out in the hall. She spotted what looked like the front door, and continued walking towards it, amazed at how much bigger everything was. Helia noticed Jessica, and called out. “You can go exploring the backyard in a little while, honey-bunny. Let's see about getting some food into your tummy first." Jessica growled and stamped her foot, before turning around. Helia simply waited for the toddler-sized adult to catch up, and led her to the living room, which was also connected to the kitchen. Jessica started to walk past, heading for the door. Jessica got to the door, and found that the knob was out of her reach. So she jumped up to grab at it. Helia turned and saw her just as she grabbed it “Jessica? Are you trying to go outside?” "Uh, duh! I said I'm outta here! AND MY NAME'S JASON!" Jessica said, turning the knob. “Oh, no you’re not, young lady!” She started walking over, right as the door cracked open ever so slightly. Jessica hopped down and was about to bolt outside. Right as Jessica started to run, Helia managed to grab the back of her diaper, stopping the bunny right as she got outside, letting her at least see what lay beyond the front door. Jessica leaned forward as the back of her diaper was pulled on, holding her in place. Outside she could see many of these anthro giants, and most had children and babies with them. Many of the babies, upon closer inspection, looked like there were in the same boat as herself, with varying degrees of enthusiasm. With a tug, Jessica fell back into a strong pair of arms that scooped her up. Helia marched back inside, firmly shutting the door and applying the bolt lock, which if she was on the ground, was just out of Jessica’s reach. The tigress held the bunny up and looked her in the eyes. “I really don’t want to as it’s your first day here, but if you try to run away again, you’re getting a spanking, young lady.” "You can't do this to me!" “I’m sorry, but you're just too young to go running around outside unsupervised.” "I'M NOT A BABY! I'M IN COLLEGE!" Jessica tries to punch her, to no avail. Helia furrowed her brow, before putting the bunny in one hand, and giving Jessica a light spank, which giving her size still hurt a fair amount. Jessica yelped, and then looked up at the tigress in shock. “Do I need to give you more, or is that enough to get you to behave, Jessie?” Jessica whimpered, feeling completely powerless, and recoils a little before meekly nodding. Helia smiled, before putting the bunny into a cradling position, rocking her back and forth. “Mommy’s sorry if she hurt or scared you, Jessie. How about this, if you promise to behave, I’ll find you a playmate who was just like you once. Okay? That should go a long way to helping you to adjust.” "P-please, just let me go." Jessica whimpered. Helia gave the bunny a look, noticing her hand was slowly finding its way to her mouth “I’m sorry, honey-bunny, but the answer is no. Now please try to relax. I promise that we're going to make sure you have a wonderful and happy life here." Jessica's paw was in her mouth, and she started to chew on it, unaware of even doing so. "B-but, I'm nowt a baybee," she said around her paw. Helia continued to rock Jessica back and forth. Helia held the bunny closer, still rocking her back and forth “I know this is a shock to you, Jessie. But this has been done for years. There are a lot of other babies like you.” "I sayd Iwm nowt a baybee!" “And I said you’re not the only one here, Jessie. For a bunny, you’re not a very good listener, sweetie.” "Nethew awe yoo!" Helia rolled her eyes, shaking her head at the response. “Well, Jessie. You’re in diapers, you’re the size of a toddler, you needed a change earlier because you messed yourself, you’re being extremely fussy, and you’re sucking your thumb right now. Are you still sure you aren’t a baby? Because you’re a really good actor if you aren’t.” Jessica paused and looked down at her paw, pulling it out and blushing as she wiped it on her shirt. "I don't know what that was about, but there's lots of adults who are incontinent, that doesn't make them babies! And my size shouldn't matter either!" Helia sighed “Just because you’re an adult there, doesn’t mean your one over here, Jessie.” "That's insane!" Jessica argued, before her stomach let out a rumble. Helia smiled “You hungry, Jessie?” Clearly changing the subject. "N-no," Jessica lied, just before her stomach let out another growl. Helia laughed, before standing up. “Mama’s hungry too. Let’s get something to eat.” Jessica grumbles as she was carried, and then frowned when she saw the bright pink high chair with the word "Princess" blazoned on the back. "Please tell me I don't have to sit in that thing." "Well of course, honey-bunny. It'll keep you nice and safe." Jessica grumbled some more as she was set down into it and buckled in with the five point harness. Then the white tray was locked into place. Petting her again, Helia said “Normally, you’d need to eat baby food. But since this is your first day, I’ll let you choose what you get to eat. Cut up, of course. What do you want, sweetie?” Jessica made a gross face at the sound of babyfood, and then thought it over. She let out a sigh. "Can I have some pizza?" "Of course, my precious little princess." Helia said. Helia pulled out her phone and dialed up a local pizza restaurant and placed an order for a pepperoni and olive pizza. “While we wait, would you like to talk a bit, sweetie? Get to know each other?” "Fine, am I essentially your prisoner here for the rest of my life?" “Only until you’re a fully grown woman, honey. But you’re not a prisoner, you’re my adopted baby.” "So wait, being a short adult with boobs doesn't count?" “No, I’m afraid that’s just how your body looks when you come through. You're body went through a lot of changes, but it couldn't quite get all of them done at once. So while you changed gender and species, it's going to take a little bit for your body to catch up to your new age. Basically, you're going to be going through reverse puberty, Jessie.” "So I'm getting younger?!" Jessica said in disbelief. “That’s the simple way of saying it, yes.” "This is crazy!" “Around here, Jessie, it’s normal. Like I said, we have a lot of other babies around here like you.” "I don't care what you say, I'm not a baby!" Jessica's diaper crinkles as she adjusts herself in her high chair. “Do you really want to keep arguing, or would you like to know about the others, honey?” "... Fine... we can have an adult to adult conversation," Jessica said, her stomach growling once more, just before she found a pink bib with a yellow duckie on it gently tied around her neck. “You might have seen some of them earlier, in fact. Did you see a little red panda girl out there?” "Uh... I think so, and I don't need a bib!" “It’s just for if you do, sweetie. And her name is Betty, if you were wondering. I could introduce the two of you sometime.” "I don't know why, but alright I guess. And just for if I do what?" “Oh, you two will get along great! And it's just in case. Well, and because your new daddy picked them out himself, and hes going to be so excited to see you wearing them.” Helia said, taking a quick picture of Jessica in her high chair. "Oh crap, there's another crazy giant in this house?" “He’s not crazy. And yes, he's your new daddy, sweetie. He helped me decorate your nursery.” "So yeah, another crazy giant wanting to treat me like a baby," Jessica winced some more from her apparent hunger pangs. The pizza arrived shortly afterwards, and all too soon, Jessica was staring at a pizza larger than any she had ever seen before. A few moments later, Helia laid out giant slices of pizza, setting it in the center of the table. “Would you like me to cut it up some, sweetie?” "Each slice is as big as my head... so fine I guess...." Helia hummed to herself as she cut it up, eventually cutting two of the slices into plenty of tiny pieces, before putting them on a plate and putting it on the white tray. “It’s hot, Jessie. Would you like some milk with it?” "I'm not a baby! I don't need milk!" Jessica firmly said, crossing her arms. "I'll take a soda, thank you very much!" She then picked up one of the slices with her new hand-paw and blew on it, before trying to eat it. Since she was working with an unfamiliar hand-paw, and since her mouth was shaped differently, she got quite a bit of sauce on her lips and chin. Helia smiled, watching Jessie prove she did, in fact, need a bib. “Again, as this is your first day, it’s your choice. What’s your favorite?” "Got any cream soda?" Jessica said, taking another piece and smearing some more sauce on her cheeks and chin, some dribbling down onto her bib, unbeknownst to her. Helia went over to the fridge and opened it, looking inside. “Let’s see...is this it?” She pulled out a can that looked like one from back home, the design very familiar to the former human. "Uh... y-yeah... that's huge!" Helia placed the can on the table next to the high chair, Jessie continuing to marvel at its size. She went over to the cupboard and opened it, looking around inside. “...Oh, dear.” "What?" Jessica said around her most recent bite, dribbling some more sauce down her chin onto her bib. Helia pulled out a small glass cup, which was still gigantic compared to the bunny. “This is the smallest cup we have, Jessie.” "Ah geeze, that's huge!" Helia put it back, continuing to look, before she glanced at Jessie. “...I did find one just your size, but I don’t think you’re going to like it, sweetie.” She said, before she pulled out a baby bottle. "You're right, I don't!" Jessica said, crossing her arms and frowning, making an adorable pouty face, especially considering how messy said face is. Helia couldn't help but snap another quick picture, which just made Jessica pout even more. “I’m sorry, honey. But this is all we have. I can leave the rubber nipple off if you want, but you might spill it.” "Whatever, just so long as it's not a baba.... BOTTLE!" Jessica said, clapping a paw over her mouth. Helia caught that, and simply smiled. “How about this, sweetie. I’ll have you drink out of your baba this one time, and if you don’t like it, I’ll buy a few plastic cups for your size, okay?" "... Fine... but don't expect me to enjoy drinking from my baba-- BOTTLE! From a bottle, I meant to say!" Jessica corrected herself, wondering what was wrong with her. Helia smiled, before taking off the tray and unbuckling the bunny, before lifting Jessie up and cradling her once more. "Wait, what're you doing?" She poured the soda into the bottle, filling it up, before putting the rubber nipple on it, then holding it in front of the bunny’s mouth, which was covered in pizza sauce. “Drink up, sweetie pie.” Jessica opened her mouth to object. Helia smiled, and pushed the nipple into her mouth, which caused Jessie to suckle a bit on accident, making Jessica want to struggle, but a suckle reflex kicked in, and she was unable to. She kept suckling it, growing more and more relaxed, until she entered a trance-like state, curling up, letting her head rest on Helia's chest, the sound of her heartbeat further soothing her. Helia smiled, cooing at the adorable sight of her baby suckling away on her bottle, looking as innocent as an actual infant as she was rocked in her mommy’s arms. Eventually the bottle ran dry, and she kept on suckling the now empty bottle. Helia wanted to let the bunny keep sucking on her bottle, but she knew it had to end. She reluctantly pulled the bottle out of Jessica’s mouth, smiling at seeing that she continued to make a suckling motion even with it gone. Jessica's thumb replaced the bottle, before she started to whine and clutch her tummy. Helia cooed at her, before putting the bunny over her shoulder, and gently patted her back. Jessica started to come out of the trance, still whining about the stomach ache. "I'm not a baby, I don't need to be bur--BEEEEEEEEEELCH" it was a very loud burp, that included a small bit of spit-up, that Jessica took no notice of at all. Helia smiled, before returning the bunny to her previous position. “There you go, Jessie. Does that feel better?” "...Yes" Jessica said, reluctantly, unable to meet Helia's eyes. Jessica blushed as she was held, and cuddled, completely oblivious to her diaper growing warmer as she wet herself. Helia smiled, feeling the diaper getting warm. “Would you like to take a warm bath, honey?” "I can wash myself." “Okay, but just in case.” She went over to the sink, putting a plug in it before turning the water on, making sure it was warm while it went down the second drain. "Oh come on!" Jessica whined, realizing that she was going to be washed in the sink like a baby. "I'm not a baby!" Helia just smiled and hummed as she let the warm water start to fill up the sink, already a bottle of baby shampoo nearby.
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WOOO! Presenting my very first commission, for the wonderful and kind Nihulus (over on FA)! I hope you all enjoy it! Warm and soft. Those were the two thoughts that sprang to Varis' mind as he slowly awoke, curled up in his bed, next to Mira. He lightly yawned and opened his sharp blue eyes, blinking the last of the sleep away. Turning over, he saw his wife still snuggled up against him, her large ears twitching in her sleep. Her sandy-colored fur just looked so soft, he had to resist the urge to nuzzle her, knowing that his beloved fennec vixen needed the rest after how much worrying he'd put her through lately. With that thought coming to mind, Varis raised up the blanket and inspected the sheet, his tail excitedly starting to thump a bit against the mattress as he saw that it was bone dry. I told them it was just a misdiagnosis, he thought with a smirk, extricating himself from the relaxing warmth of his and his wife's bed. It was as he stood there and stretched that he became aware of a clamminess around his waist. Looking down, he saw that the thick purple and blue sleep diaper that was hugging him snugly was now missing the moon and stars wetness indicators on the front, and sagging a big. His tail slowly ceased its wagging and began to tuck itself between his legs as the dark gray wolf reached down and gave his night time padding a squeeze. He had to bite back a whimper at how soaked it was. Looking back at the bed where Mira still slept peacefully, though now with her arms clumsily searching for him, he was reluctantly grateful that she wasn't going to wake up in another puddle he had made again. But the fact that, for over a week now, he hadn't been able to stay dry while he slept brought forth the anxiety he had forgotten about, yet had become much more familiar with lately. It had started off with a few wettings here and there, something he'd chalked up to stress from work, and even just assumed he had awoken to go to the bathroom, but had simply fallen back asleep. And when Mira had finally convinced him to go see a doctor, the wolf hadn't been expecting the diagnosis. Miner's Syndrome. NO! Varis snorted and walked towards the bathroom, quickly ripping off the diaper and stuffing it into the trash bin by the sink. "I'm twenty-seven, too old to suddenly develop... Miner's Syndrome," he said to his reflection, the dark gray wolf with the salt and pepper flecks and the creamy white tummy looked worriedly back at him, betraying his own lack of confidence in his denial. A quick shower was enough to help him wake up further and put his soggy morning out of his mind, at least for a little bit. Getting out and toweling himself off, he reentered the bedroom, to find that Mira was now absent from the still enticingly mussed-up bed. Heading out to the hall and into the kitchen, Varis smiled at the sight of a fennec vixen blearily making up some scrambled eggs. He had to stifle a giggle at the sight of her messy bedfur. Her large ears twitched at the sound of his entrance, and Mira turned to smile warmly at him. "Morning, baby," she said with a bit of a yawn. "How do scrambled eggs sound for breakfast?" Varis walked over and pulled his wife close, she being just as beautiful to him at that moment, with messy bedfur and wearing her favorite white oversized pajama t-shirt, as she was to him on the day of their wedding. As his tail started to wag, he felt her big bushy one beginning to THWAP against his side. He gave her a nuzzle, and she turned, their lips meeting, before she buried her muzzle into his fluffy chest ruff. "I think that sounds wonderful," Varis said, resting his chin on her headfur. They stayed like that for a moment before he let go. Giving her cheek a quick kiss, Varis headed back into the bedroom to get dressed. Opening the closet, he saw the opened package of SleepTights resting almost smugly right under where his suits were hanging, and frowned a little. "... It's just stress." Varis defiantly grabbed his favorite navy blue suit and a white undershirt. A short while later, after getting dressed and eating, Varis headed towards the door with his briefcase in paw. "Don't forget, babe," Mira called, forcing Varis to pause as he was about to step out the front door. "We're going to see Doctor Morley on wednesday!" "I remember, hun," Varis said, his tail wagging. Just gunna get some confirmation that it was all a misdiagnosis, he thought to himself. Varis was surprised to suddenly feel a pair of arms reach around his front, pulling him back into a hug. He turned his head a bit, one of Mira's ears sticking in his face. "I know how worried you are about all of this," she said in a soft voice that was partially muffled due to her muzzle being buried in his back. "But... I want you to know that, no matter what, I will always love you and be there for you." Varis smiled and turned to reciprocate the hug. "Thank you, cuddle-bug." He recalled how much she had blushed and sputtered the first time he had used the pet name, which was not long after they'd first started dating. "I know that you're just as worried as I am. But don't be... this is all just a mistake." He kissed the tip of her nose as they pulled away, bringing forth a fit of giggles from the shorter canid. And with that, Varis was out the door, soon to be standing on the sidewalk in front of their house. The house he and Mira lived in was a cozy three-bedroom ranch-style house, a little bit on the outskirts of Nevia City. The price had been just right for the young couple, and that had been before Varis' promotion. Now they owned it outright, with that being a point of pride for the wolf. Turning to look down the street, he saw a familiar green SUV heading his way, coming to a stop right in front of him. "Warlocks at the Seashore Discount Limo Service, here for a pickup!" Came the deep jovial voice of the crocodile behind the wheel. "It's really amazing how that's still funny for the hundredth time, Josh." Varis rolled his eyes as he got in, quickly buckling his seatbelt. "Well, at least my little princess still finds me funny, right sweetpea?" Josh turned to look behind him, prompting the wolf to do the same. Looking back at the gray-furred bunny girl, who just so happened to be the exact same age as Varis, sent a chill up his spine. She was wearing her yellow sundress with the puffy shoulders, safely secured in her pink car seat, hugging her black stuffed wolf to her chest, and sucking down a bottle of juice like everything was normal. Which, for her and Josh at this point, this pretty much was normal for them. "Honey-bunny," Josh said, cooing at her, "don't you want to say hi to your Uncle Varis?" "H-hello, Eliza," Varis said, trying not to notice the pink and white diaper that was partially visible around the bunny's hips. Eliza removed the bottle and held up her wolf toy to hide her face, not counting the portion she used to peek around it. Varis' nose picked up the faint scent of baby powder, a smell that recently had begun to evoke a sense of foreboding in the wolf. Would I have to ride around in a car seat? The thought just popped into his mind all of a sudden, before he quickly stamped it out. "... Hi Uncle Varis," she said in a whisper. "Sorry, buddy." Josh clapped the now startled wolf on the shoulder before putting the car in drive and heading towards the office. "I know it's been a while, but I guess she's still just a tad shy around you. Y'know, if you and Mira would take me up on my babysitting offer for next Tuesday night, that might go a long way in helping her come out of her shell around you." "Sorry, but we don't offer any free babysitting services," Varis said with a chuckle. That wasn't entirely truthful, as Mira loved looking after Eliza, not even minding changing the diapers of someone a little bit taller than herself. But in addition to his usual... uncomfortableness around Eliza, there was no way he wanted to be associated with any MSers while his... misdiagnosis had yet to be proven as being just that. Let alone one that might go wandering and accidentally find his new... completely temporary nighttime protection. As they drove, the two 'adults' chatted about an upcoming report, while Eliza was content to watch what Varis presumed were shows for preschoolers on her tablet, letting out happy giggles and saying seemingly random numbers of phrases from time to time. Varis simply tried to tune her out, no matter how catchy the songs from the show sounded. "So how's the quarterly report coming?" Joshua asked, every now and again checking to make sure his big baby bunny was still safe and secure in her carseat. "So far, everything seems normal... but I did find an oddity in the shipping expenses." Varis pointedly looked away from a passing billboard that was advertising Pawpers' brand diapers for MSers. He certainly wasn't thinking about how the protection he was wearing to bed now was Snuggies brand. "I'm thinking someone just misfiled an expense report. It was actually pretty easy to gloss over, so I'm gunna have to go over everything again with a fine-tooth comb." "Huh... think someone's dipping their claws in the company cookie jar?" Josh asked, wincing as he realized, the moment the word cookie left his mouth, he suddenly had Eliza's full and undivided attention. "Daddy, may I please have a cookie from the company's cookie jar?" The bunny asked, somehow making her eyes look bigger, at least to Varis who could see her reflection in the rearview mirror. Josh laughed. "Oh, princess," he said with a coo in his voice, "that's just an expression. But Daddy did pack you a little treat if you'd like." Eliza giggled and started to bounce in her seat, at least as much as the soft snug straps around her would allow, making a few faint crinkles. Josh chuckled at the display, despite not taking his eyes off the road. "Hey, buddy, would you mind getting Eliza a cookie out of her diaper bag? It should be in the compartment on the side." Varis cringed internally, but nodded, knowing he could do this small favor for his friend. Turning, he looked to see that said diaper bag was tucked right behind the crocodile's seat. It was a large, loud, pink duffle-like satchel, with several side-pockets and flaps, as well as two bottles of some kind of juice secured in a couple special holders on one end. The central part was unzipped revealing a few pink and white folded rectangles, along with two familiar-looking purple and blue ones. "SleepTights?!" Varis exclaimed, his eyes wide as he felt the color drain from his cheeks, thankfully unnoticeable thanks to the coloration of his fur. "Huh? Oh, yeah. If Eliza needs a diaper change before naptime, I like to put her in one of those, just in case. Also, if ever there's an emergency, them being thicker than her daytime diapers really go a long way to help." Not enjoying being reminded of his new nighttime padding, Varis unzipped a couple of the pockets looking for the baggie of cookies before he finally found them. "Are these homemade?" Varis asked, looking at the large chocolate chunk cookies in the sandwich baggie, really wanting one. He wondered if they were nice and soft. "Yup! Me and my little princess got a hankering for some last night, so I figured it'd make for a fun little project. You should have seen her in her cute little chef's hat." Varis rolled his eyes as Josh started to gush about other instances of Eliza being adorable, as was par for the course of carpooling with the croc. The wolf reluctantly looked at Eliza as he reached back to hand her the cookie. She was hiding behind her wolf plush, peeking from behind its ears at him, her nose twitching nervously. She slowly reached out and took the cookie from him, one of her eyebrows raising a little. She paused and looked him up and down, at least as best she could with most of him being blocked from view by the passenger seat. She then smiled warmly and took the cookie. "Thankies, Vary!" She immediately started to nibble on her cookie. "OOOOH! Looks like someone's coming out of her shell a bit," Josh said, reaching over to give a confused Varis a nudge with his elbow. "I told you that she'd get over her shyness around you eventually!" Varis decided to pretend he was checking something in his briefcase. In no time at all, they were soon pulling into their building's parking garage. Varis walked on ahead to the elevator while Josh was getting Eliza unbuckled. It was as he saw himself in the reflection of the polished silver elevator doors that he realized he had some chocolate and cookie crumbs around his muzzle. He quickly wiped it all off just before the doors opened and Josh, with Eliza riding on his hip, caught up to him. The ride up to their floor was mostly silent, aside from Josh checking Eliza's diaper and stating that she was a little wet but didn't need a change just yet. "Now remember to be a good girl at daycare today, and you'll get a special surprise, honey-bunny!" Deciding to just head straight to his office, Varis started speedwalking the moment the doors opened again on their floor... to only instantly plow right into Angelica with an 'OOF!' Varis fell flat on his rear, while the large, and some would call motherly, grizzly bear in the charcoal gray skirtsuit looked down at him in concern. "Oh, goodness," she said, reaching down and picking Varis up under his armpits. She set him on his feet, looking him over and brushing off whatever dust or carpet fibers she could see. "I'm so sorry, Varis. Are you alright, honeypie?" Her southern accent was laced with concern. There was a reason why everyone referred to her as the office mom, she couldn't help but fuss over everyone. But right now, her examination of him was anything but comforting to the wolf. For some reason she's been giving him much more attention lately. "I-I'm fine, Mrs. Duvar." Varis stammered, looking up at the bear and feeling so small right then and there. It certainly didn't help that she was a foot taller, had some serious muscle under her blazer, or that she was almost ten years his senior. Today, after wearing a... some protection for the first time since he was a little pup, he just felt a bit vulnerable around her. "Well, if you're sure, Varis," she said with a smile, at first starting to reach for him as though she were going to give him a hug, but quickly yanking her arms back down to her sides. Then her gaze turned to something past him, and she let out a happy squeal. "Is that my little unofficial niece I see?" Walking around him, Varis saw that she was making a beeline for an excited Eliza. The croc smiled and allowed Angelica to scoop the bunny up into her arms in a cradled position. Compared to Angelica, Eliza looked like she was the size of an actual toddler! Varis shuddered before heading into his office, pointedly ignoring her giggles and happy squeaks of laughter. He took a deep breath as he shut the door, and thus shut out any intrusive thoughts that have absolutely nothing to do with what is clearly just his misdiagnosis and some stress. He looked around his office, feeling comforted by the rather spartan and bland beige room with a single small window to the outside world. Some would call his office tiny, or maybe even cramped, but it was large enough for a small bookcase and his desk. Most importantly, it wasn't a cubicle. Taking a seat at his desk, he fired up his computer, and got to work. ... Only to be interrupted about five minutes later from a knock at his door. "Come in," he called, quickly saving and closing the document he was working on. In walked Josh, who was carrying a trio of three-ring-binders. "Here ya go, buddy," he said, once the door was closed, setting them on the desk. Varis noticed that the croc seemed a bit annoyed. "Something happen?" Josh turned to make sure the door was closed. "Doc Juniper came through for some kind of meeting and saw Angie booping Eliza's nose and making her giggle. He started in on his talk about 'professionalism' and 'this is a place of work, not a daycare', and actually said right then and there that he does not approve of bringing children, even overgrown ones, to work with us!" Josh snorted, while Varis cringed. Purely out of care for his friend, and not because he found Doc Juniper's opinions on MSers disheartening. "I mean, of course I was going to take her to the company daycare! It's not like I was going to set her up in a playpen in the empty cubicle next to mine!" "W-well, we gotta remember that Doc is from a different era, and they didn't understand... uhm... the condition as well as we do today," Varis mumbled noncommittally while looking away. "Maybe." Josh sighed. "But it's not like I have much of a choice. Daycare is expensive, and there's none near enough that could let me drop her off and get to work on time. Plus... I'm always worried she could end up getting picked on, or maybe a daycare worker will be mean to her. I know Marla and Shelly here at the company daycare, and I know that they would never do, or let anything happen to Eliza." Josh shook his head, seemingly shaking off the negativity, before whipping out his phone and holding it up for Varis to see, a huge excited grin on his face. "I forgot to mention, I got some more pictures of Eliza being adorable!" Varis was then subjected to three pictures of the bunny girl in a high chair, mushed food around her mouth and on her cheeks, two of her in her crib, in a pink footed sleeper, clearly napping, seven of her playing in different outfits, the majority of which were legless onesies, and a picture of her with some more MSers, also dressed in baby clothes, at a park, seemingly chasing each other. She looks happy at least, Varis thought with a pang of guilt in his chest. Even back in high school, she was sporty... does she think back to those days? When she was the captain of the volleyball team? Before her diagnosis? Varis shook himself out of his thoughts. "--of course, it turned out that she just had a bit of a diaper rash. I really needed to check her sooner, my poor princess." Josh was still gushing about his ex fiance. Varis wondered how the big goofy crocodile could actually go through with taking care of her like this? Would Mira start treating me like that? Like I was a... baby? Varis had to force his tail to untuck itself before Josh noticed. He reasoned that there was no point in wondering about that, as things will never come to that situation. Simple as that. With Josh's need to share about 'little' Eliza's latest doings and goings-ons that Varis was pretty much just nodding and agreeing while getting back to work, finished, the croc left him to get to his own project. With Josh gone, Varis started to open up the binders and cross-check different numbers and dates. "Huh," he said under his breath, "that's odd." He continued to scour through the binders and files on his screen right up until lunchtime. Is someone embezzling? Varis pondered, heading towards the door, his sack lunch in paw. He walked into the break room and found most of the tables to be fully occupied. Though Josh did wave him over to a seat at the table he and Angelica were at. Varis made his way over there and sat down, quickly opening up his brown paper bag. "Why are you sucking on your thumb?" Bob from over in R&D asked, the middle-aged capybara wearing a very unconvincing toupe. "Huh?" Varis asked, once it dawned on him that he was who the question was directed at. Realizing that his thumb was indeed planted in his mouth he started to panic. "Uh... I... forgot my lunch and had to go back and get it and accidentally slammed it in the door," Varis said, pulling his thumb out and wiping it on his pants. "Oh." Bob turned back back to his plate of pasta, back to being disinterested. "Aww, want me to go get an ice pack, sweetie?" Angelica asked, scooting her seat closer to his own, looking worried. "N-no, Mrs. Duvar, I'm ok, I swear," Varis insisted. "Okay, but between bumping into me and falling over today and then hurting your thumb like that, you need to be much more careful!" Varis felt his ears splay flat on his head while he hung his head in shame, not really sure why. "Y-yes, Mrs. Duvar," he mumbled. He felt her pull him into a hug and nuzzle the top of his headfur. "That's alright, sweetheart! And please, just call me Angie!" The motherly grizzly released him after he agreed to do just that. He had decided on a simple light lunch that day, just a yogurt and a bottle of apple juice. Grateful that there was some good office gossip to help get his mind off of things, especially since it involved the lunch thief and talk about having a camera installed to watch the employee fridge, Varis started to forget about his little social faux pas. The topic changed to another office mystery, who was it that accidentally dinged Doc Juniper's car door? From there, after a few guesses were made regarding possible culprits, the topic shifted again to some new show about a murder mystery and zombies that Varis had yet to actually start watching. "Oh, sweetie, I swear, you remind me of my nephew," Angelica laughed while grabbing a napkin. The wolf was a bit confused as to what she meant, and why she was looking at him, when she started to use the napkin to wipe his muzzle. "A-Angie!" Varis sputtered, only to see that there was some of his pink yogurt on the napkin. "What?" Angelica giggled at his reaction. "I swear, the way you eat, you could really use a bib!" It was then that Varis remembered that Angelica's nephew, Pete, had Miner's Syndrome. "O-oh, uh, excuse me," he said, grabbing another napkin from the dispenser and getting up to head to the nearest restroom. Looking in the mirror above the sink, he saw that he had some yogurt on his chin, his left cheek, some partially cleaned off his right cheek thanks to Angie, and even a little on the tip of his nose. "This... I was just distracted," he said, a slight whine to his voice. He cleaned off his muzzle at the sink before heading back to the table to grab his unopened juice. "Oh, Varis, I wanted to apologize for--" Angie started before he cut her off. "It's all good, Angie. I was distracted because of this report, that's all. And I really need to get back to it." "O-oh, alright, sweetie." The grizzly looked a little unsure, but Varis just wanted to get back to his office. Once the door was closed behind him, he started to calm down a bit, taking a seat back at his desk. After he cracked open the bottle of juice and took a sip to help further steady his nerves, he got right back to work... or at least, he tried to. However, when he took a sip of the juice, some trickled down the side of his mouth and down his chin. He took another drink, and the same thing happened. Concentrating hard on drinking his juice, Varis managed to gulp the entire thing down, only to feel a few stray drops go down his neck. ... No... this isn't... it's all just stress! That's it! He started to look at the binders again, grabbing some tissues from the tissue box on his desk to clean around his mouth and chin and neck first. But, he soon found himself re-reading the same few lines repeatedly. Shaking his head, Varis began to register the fact that he was squirming in his seat a bit. It was right after that that he understood. He really, REALLY, needed to pee. He got up and almost ran to the nearest restroom, grateful that it was empty. He found himself fumbling with his zipper at the urinal, but soon was relieving himself. Unfortunately, after finishing up, that's when he spotted the, albeit small but still noticeable, wet patch around his zipper. Quickly checking that the door was locked, Varis thought fast, and walked over to the blow dryer. "Just a stressful day, th-that's all!" Varis insisted, trying to sound confident as he looked at his reflection, desperately trying to speed up the process of drying his pants. But the expression on his mirror double's face looked as doubtful of that claim as part of him felt.
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Childish Destiny On her twentieth birthday, a deer is evaluated on whether it would be best if she was regressed back to babyhood. (5,554 words.) Ask any of her friends, and they would tell you that Holly Weathers was the most mature deer they had ever met and certainly not suited to be a baby at all. At least, that’s what Holly believed they’d say. For her evaluation, Holly dressed as adult as possible. She wore a skinny amber skirt and a blouse with ample cleavage. For once, she remembered to apply perfume, a beach aroma that complemented her sandy antlers. She had adorned her hooves in heels, a clothing article she absolutely detested, but a fur proves their adulthood not by being themselves but by wearing the most elegant disguise possible. Holly had come prepared. Nine minutes left. Nine minutes until Holly’s entire life trajectory would be decided by crazy doctors. Nine minutes until society would determine if she was worthy of living an adult life. How could this be fair? The deer shuffled her legs in the waiting room. She checked her watch above her left hoof; only eight minutes now. Since trotting through that front door, her stomach was twisting. But really, her anxiety had anticipated this day ever since six months ago when she realized she was about to turn twenty and have her evaluation. A few other animals waited besides her. One, a spotted Maine Coon, had already given up in being placed as an adult. He had a balloon patterned diaper and a pacifier happily in his muzzle. He purred softly though his suckles. Perhaps this cat actually wanted to be a baby? Holly was skeptical, but she knew these furs existed. At least until the cat’s placement, she refused to refer to him as a kitten. Even if he had given up hope in his adulthood, Holly had faith in him. She was not the kind of fur to surrender to babyhood. She was a proud deer about to complete her second year of college, and she did not need her life ruined with eternal fawnhood. She knew from internet research and stories among friends that these placements were obviously random and had nothing to do with your actual maturity, but superstition still said to provide the most adult impression possible. Her friends… The odds were not in Holly’s favor. She was autistic and fat and a girl. Chubby animals look like babies to these quacks, one fur she read theorized. Girls are cute. And autistic furs, well, how could they be expected to take care of themselves? Holly would laugh if she wasn’t nervous. She was a grown-up, bleat! Sure, she couldn’t tie her shoes until she was twelve years old—which she rarely wore anyways since walking on bare hooves was far superior—and sure, she still ate salads almost every night for dinner and would cry if she was out of chickpeas, but these were normal things! Even if they weren’t, they had nothing to do with whether she would be happier as a baby. And there’s nothing babyish about eating seconds. Two months ago, her best friend Miranda had her placement. It did not go as Holly hoped. Holly theoretically wanted to stay in touch, but for her heart, it was hard to see that biology major she once knew babbling about how much she loved her stuffy. Where was that smart wolf? How could anyone think this regression stuff was okay? Holly sighed. She was relatively alone in this opinion. Miranda herself said beforepaw that she wanted whatever the doctors deemed best for her happiness. Many of Holly's other friends admitted that they were kind of childish, and it might be nice to be good babies like society said they should be. Others were confident they'd be placed as mommies, and they were excited for their future little to raise. They had all had brainwashed! There was nothing natural about this, and animals did not need to become children for anyone. Holly was very firm in this position, and no placement decision would ever sway her mind. The deer had been tempted to run away. She could ditch town, flee to the woods, and live off of wild grasses and berries. But the girl needed her degree. She wanted to be a Latin professor. What life would there be hiding from every fur she knew? If she returned to society, she would immediately be forced into a placement appointment. So Holly might as well get this decision out of the way that would determine the rest of her life. A door opened. “Holly?" the nurse asked. “Bleat!” Holly said. No, don’t vocalize now! It’s too cute and damaging for her adult placement! The deer stood up from her seat. She could see the whole waiting room below her now,. and she hated how childish it was. A table with trains and tracks stood in the middle, and that diapered cat had been pawing one back and forth. The coat hanger at the office entrance was green with "flower" bulbs to place coats. The office was begging to place every animal who arrived as a baby. But Holly knew that wasn't true. Some animals were determined fit to be adults. She would be one of them. Holly sauntered over to the nurse as maturely as possible, yet the mouse receptionist gave a big grin. Bad sign, bad sign. They may already see Holly as little. Fuck, she was masking her autism so well! Her walk was normally a giveaway, a big stumble between gallops, so she really tried today to control her pace. Still, many patients in the waiting room kept waving at her like a cute little thing. Shuddering inside, Holly reached the nurse at the open door, and the two walked down the hallway. "Excited for your big day?" the nurse giggled. She was an orange falcon of a rather tall stature. "Totally," Holly said. Don't admit you want a particular outcome. That makes you mature in their eyes. As they walked by examination rooms and corkboards littered with painted paw prints and other crafts, Holly locked eyes with Jessy Delmer, a curvy cow she knew from back in high school. Ugh, why did she have to be here? Not only was Jessy ridiculously pro this system rather than indifferent, she was classified as a mom a few weeks ago and would be soon assigned a "little." The cow had already been breast-pumping to feed her future “young’s” mouth. It wasn't fair that her placement as an adult would only confirm the validity of the system in her head. "Hiii Holly! Omg, today is your big day! Best of luck!" she said with her usual glee. "Thanks Jessie," Holly said was as much sarcasm she thought necessary to break her hatred through to this girl. Nope, it still didn't work. Jessie was grinning as she trotted away towards the restroom. Of course. "Come on in," the nurse sang. They were in front of examination room five, which looked like a cross of a therapy office and a daycare. There was a red couch on the left and a comfy green rocking chair on the right. But the rug was one of those rainbow rugs from kindergarten, and was that a bin of stuffed animals next to the bookshelf? At the back was a big paneled window streaming with light from a glimmering lake with a highway by its shore. “We’ve looked at your background before you came in,” the falcon said as she turned on a noise machine by the entrance. “But we would like to run a few tests before we let you know your results. Would that be okay, deer?” God no, the puns. Holly took a breath. Just keep your cool and forced enthusiasm. “Okay!” “Excellent.” The falcon lowered herself into the rocking chair. “We will start with an interview. Please, take a seat.” Holly reluctantly walked in and sat down on the couch. She was tempted to lie down, but she decided to sit up straight. “I should introduce myself,” the bird said. “I am Juniper, and while I am called a nurse here, I am a social worker specializing in working with children. How about you? Would you like to tell me a little about yourself?” Holly fidgeted with her hooves. She was not a child. Just ignore her supposed specialty. “Uh, my name is Holly Weathers. I’m a deer.” Duh, Holly. “I study ancient Romanimal civilization in college. I really love how in Latin, the words can go in any order as long as the endings decline correctly. It’s so cool!” Holly felt rather clever with this sophisticated answer. As long as she could keep away from babyish topics, she could prove her adulthood. The falcon responded, “Ha, I don’t remember my high school Spanish very well, but that is really interesting. Do you have any other hobbies you would like to share?” “Well, I like embroidery. I sometimes make cute characters for my friends, and I like to stitch Latin phrases. I also—” “I see. What are some of your favorite foods?” She didn’t like being interrupted, but she had an answer bursting for this question. “Pickles. I really like pickles! They’re such a good snack. I also love a great salad with some Caesar dressing—no fish, please—or with balsamic vinaigrette. It’s soooo good. I could eat salads for every meal!” Crap, had she answered too fast? The interview continued for quite a well. Holly knew she was acing it. Her responses were mature and nuanced. The conversation was flowing, and she did her best to keep eye contact. She would receive an adult verdict in no time. “I think that’s enough chatting. Next, I will pull out some cards, and you will tell me what you see. Understand?” Holly knew of this test from internet discourse. It was the easiest one. As long as you said what you saw—and it was quite obvious what was in the pictures—you’d be golden. “Yes, I’m ready.” Juniper reached her wings into a bag and pulled flash cards held by a clip. She flipped to the first one. “Can you tell me what this is?” It was obvious. “A tree,” Holly said. Try to sound as neutral as possible, even bored. Unlike the interview, this was supposed to be banal for adults. Just zone out. “And this?” “A car.” “And this?” “A skateboard. “And this?” “A snack. Wait, an apple.” Frick, how could she have slipped like that? Don’t zone out too far. It wasn’t a huge deal, of course. Adults like apples. But she mentally slapped herself. “How about this?” “A cloud.” “And this?” “A squirrel.” “And this one?” “A dog.” “And how about this?” “A stuffy.” NO. She did not just abbreviate that. You only say stuffy at home, Holly! Fuck, fuck, fuck. “Very good! I think that’s enough cards.” She dropped them back in the bag. Holly did not feel she was very good. Juniper continued. “And speaking of stuffies, our next test will be all about them!” Crap, stuffed animals were an autistic deer’s weakness. Juniper stood up and walked towards that bin. She pulled out a huge stuffed kangaroo. “I think it is best if I do not describe this test. Please hold this plush for now. She kneeled down by the couch and gave Holly the kangaroo. Bending to your eye level was a bad sign. That got Holly nervous. And this stuffed animal was an obvious trap. But it was also rather soft. Would it really hurt to pet the girl a little bit? Adults do that, right? Holly thought. She knew her plush obsession was overtaking her thinking, but she took her hoof off her lap and rubbed it on the kangaroo’s back. Wow, that texture was good. Really good. She did it again. Then again, closing her eyes now. After all the stress of this morning, couldn’t she use this quiet moment to enjoy this little plush? She pet the kangaroo some more. She rubbed her muzzle all around that plushie, a few drops of saliva leaking out and dampening the ‘roo’s fur Gosh, this was so nice! She wrapped her hooves around her new friend and gave him big hug. She was alright and safe. “Could I have Kangy back, my friend?” “No!” Holly shouted, hugging her kangaroo tight, before shaking those words out of her head. “I mean: O-of course!” She held her hooves up to give the plushie to the standing bird. However, Holly was gripping rather tight. She didn’t want to give up her plushie. She loved Kangy! But she needed to pass this test, and she already slipped up. The friction pulled and tugged, and her grip gave. “Very good job. I’m so sorry to take her away. You can have Kangy back later, if you’d like,” the bird sang as she dropped Kangy back in the bin. Then the bird traveled back to her seat. It was a little past noon now, and the sun’s heat from the window was scorching. Holly’s front legs craved for the sensation of Kangy’s fur, but she needed to ignore that tingling for now for whatever tests were left. The falcon proceeded to reach into her blue bag again and pulled out what appeared to be a picture book. “For our last test, I will read this story to you, and ask you a few questions about what’s going on.” Oh, this should be an easy. Holly was absolutely above picture books and found no enjoyment from them whatsoever. She could show this bird that fact. Juniper put on some reading glasses, and she opened the book wide extended outwards, as if reading to a group of young campers. Holly was her reluctant audience of one. “Here we go. Ahem.” She flipped to the title page. “The Puppy’s Lost Treasure. “Once upon a time, a puppy loved his favorite sock. He loved chomping on this sock because it was the softest sock around.” There was a picture of a feral dog with a sock in his chompers. “‘Grrr’, he would say. Can you grrr for me like the puppy?” “Grr!” Holly said with a big goofy grin before jamming a hoof in her mouth. What the fudge? How could she react that way? This was the most basic of stories and she was getting so excited! No no, keep your focus, Holly. They won’t get that autistic deer out of you again. You are mature and always have been. You are nothing else but an adult, and you do not play. With a light smile forming in her beak, Juniper flipped the page. “But one day, the sock went missing. The puppy searched high and low for his wonderful sock. He wiggled under the bed and sniffed around. Was it there?” “No!” Holly said. Darn it Holly, stop! She had read the next speech bubble. “You are right. The sock wasn’t there!” The singsong in her voice was so irristable. “Then the puppy went outside and dug in his favorite digging spot. Was the sock there?” “No! Bleat!” Holly said. This place must be magic. How else could she slip up like that? She hadn’t acted this small since she was in preschool! There must be something up around here. This can’t be the real her underneath the fur. Her eyes felt watery, yet she couldn’t help but keep up a toothy smile. Drool started leaking out of her muzzle and onto the floor. “Very good! You’re passing this test with flying colors,” Juniper said. Holly did not want to pass this test. She couldn’t be passing this test. “When the puppy’s mommy came home from work, the puppy asked where his precious sock was. ‘Check your laundry bin,’ the mother said. The puppy sprinted up the stairs, around the corner, into his room, and dove his head far into the bin. And what do you think was there?” Juniper ended with the most stereotypical upwards tone. “THE SOCK!!! Bahhh~” Holly said. A drool puddle drenched the couch cushions beneath. She couldn’t hold it anymore. It felt so good to bah, to let go. She was an adult, not a fawn, but she couldn’t control her body anymore. This is who she was at this moment. She just had to hope the evaluation team could understand that she was an adult, and this was a rare fluke. This had to not be her. After Juniper wrapped up the story, she packed her bag and stood up. "The doctor will enter in a few short minutes, hun. You will have to wait here alone. Can you do that for me?" Oh no. That’s a bad sign, the asking of an obvious question. This could still be a bonus test, however. Just play it cool, pass this marshmallow test, and you’d be golden. The evaluation can’t have gone that badly, could it have? "Of course." *** She hated to admit it, as those baby freaks would jump on these emotions immediately, but those next couple of minutes gnawed at her skull. Please, please put Holly out of this misery and give her a good verdict. Please say she was an adult after all. Holly started to doubt her own adulthood with her earlier performance, but she denied all of these maniacs’ philosophy. Nothing here about being a “baby at heart” was true. The door opened. A fox in a white coat walked into the room with a rolling table and a laptop perched on top. Holly took in a deep breath. She would walk away like all of this had never happened, she knew. "Hello, Holly. How are you doing?" he said. "Fantastic." Holly realized how terse this statement was and correct it with the most genuine follow-up she could muster. "Truly." "We imagine you are eager to hear your results. So I'll get straight to the point. Based on our heuristics---" "Yes?" Holly said. "And after plenty of discussion---" "Go on." "We have decided you are the most babyish animal we have ever seen." The first “No” was a little peep, a breath of shock. Then Holly’s mask shattered. She screamed, "Noooo!! Please sir, there must be a mistake. I'm very mature, I swear!" "No mistakes were made, little one." Already that little phrase was out. Fudge. The chance of respect towards her was shriveling away. "We were very confident before you came in, but the evaluations done by Miss Juniper only confirmed it. You are one of the cutest, childlike, most autistic animals we have ever seen so perfect to be a baby. You already were one; you just didn't realize it!" Her argument was ready. "How can I be a baby if I'm talking to you?" "Oh cute girl, you know that being a baby has nothing to do if you can talk!” Juniper said. “It's what's in your heart. But of course, it feels much better for babies like you to not talk and instead wear diapers, babble, and poop and pee themselves. We're sure you'll come to understand that, too." She didn't know why she was trying to logic with these animals. It wasn't going to work; their insanity was beyond comprehension. Of course, she did know why she kept talking. She needed this all to change. Her emotions were all over the floor. Fudge, she was sobbing. Another mark towards babyhood. Her forever babyhood. "Frankly,” the doctor said, “the team was surprised you even lasted this long pretending to be a grown-up. You’re just so fat and little! You should never ever have been allowed to be an adult. We're so sorry that you've been through all this pain." "I haven't been through pain until now!" Holly said, though she wasn’t as sure as she was an hour ago. "I was a fine woman actually making a life in this stupid world." How could a whole team make such a wrong decision? Group think? Mob mentality? She didn’t act that babyish before, did she? The tests revealed nothing. "But it's okay now," the doctor said, a paw on Holly's back. "You're going to get to be a baby. You'll feel so much more comfortable. It's so right for you. He wasn't listening. He wasn’t listening. Her words were gibberish to him. Already, she was a baby in his eyes… Yet for some reason, this all felt good, maybe great. She was a fawn, scientifically verified. What if she could trust it, just accept that she was meant for pampers and building blocks? No more masking, no more hiding. She could be a good deer. She might be meant to be a baby for the rest of her life. She giggled wildly for a moment. She was a baby. She would never get to be an adult again. "We have your assigned mommy already here today," Juniper said. "And it sounds like the two of you already know each other! It's so sweet and perfect!" She put her wings together in a clap, a blush on her face. Wait, no. There's only one cow that could be referring to. Holly was snapped out of that stupid glee. "Heya, little cakes." Jessy said as she walked in with a pink stroller. "I get to be your mommy from now on! I get to put you in so many diapers and outfits, and you get to be oh so cute!! You'll never have to worry again! Isn't that great?" "No, No, NO!!!" Holly shouted. Anyone but that smug cow. Anyone else as her “mom.” Holly threw a nearby pamphlet across the room and whined. Just like a real baby...No, don't fall into their language. They would not convince her just yet. She almost fell earlier. "Jeez, someone's a bit hissy," the cow said with an exaggerated eye roll as if to help kids understand the humor. "Doc, do you think she'll feel better soon?" "Definitely. This realization that they've been a baby their whole life can be a shock for some little ones. They just didn't expect it. But don't worry! It'll feel natural and right for them soon enough." "But I haven't been a baby my whole life!" Holly stood up to try to level herself with these crazy heads before losing balance and falling right back into the couch. From her seat, she gestured to her whole body. "I'm an adult, look!" She felt awkward doing this, but she held up her breasts, a puberty characteristic to prove some sort of point. "Oh, the body argument," Jessy said. "A classic. Boobs just make a baby cuter, Little Bells.” Jessy reached to pinch Holly's cheeks with her cloven hooves. "Who's a good little baby who thinks she's a grown up? You are! You are!" "Shut up!" Holly swatted the air with her hooves towards Jessy. Another babyish act in the eyes of her new captors. She might really just be a good little fawn. "Doc, where's a binky?" Jessy asked. "Already way ahead of you. Put this in her muzzle to help sooth her. Babies calm right up once you give them a nice pacifier." Any rebuttals she had were disregarded as the most enormous binky Holly had ever seen was shoved right in her muzzle. Instantly, like a long return home, she began suckling. Mhm, this was rather nice. A calm washed across her fur, and for the first time in hours she felt her stomach relax. If she ever did get out of this, maybe she could try pacifiers at home. Wait, no! You're falling for their traps, again! Holly thought. Stop! Yet why not just fall for the traps? Why not let that fake adult façade break, Holly asked herself. Why not be the best baby there ever was, the real you? Why try so hard to pretend to be a grown up every day when the real autistic you is a good little girl? Holly didn’t know how to answer these questions. She thought she had to fight, at least a little longer. She thought she shouldn’t lose her strong, academic self. But why did she think these things? Holly was confused. “And I’ve got someone else you will like!” Juniper said, holding Kangy. She must have gotten it when Holly wasn’t looking. “Kangy,” Holly mumbled through her pacy. She loved Kangy so much. Kangy would be here through this babyish world. Kangy would be her best friend. She rubbed her head into Kangy’s stomach again. Drool leaked through her pacifier. "I think she's ready for the babying procedures,” the doctor said. “Ms. Fern, could you take our fawn to the conversion facilities?" "Of course," Juniper said. "C'mon, Jessy. Let's watch your baby be prepared." Holly paused from her snuggling to think about what was said. She had heard about these machines in theory, but she shuddered to think what they actually do. All she knew was a few weeks after each placement she would visit a previous friend, and they'd be mooing and meowing and drooling and packing their pamps. Something was going to happen, either to her mind or to her body. Half of her was distinctly terrified. The other half was still in awe with this soft bulb in her jaw and Kangy in her arms. She was a good baby. She was ready to poop some diapers. It’s what she should have been doing all these years. This was the moment she lost her disguise. Two women approached her, Juniper and Jessy, and they ripped every clothing item the deer had. They violated her. Gone was the amber skirt. Gone was the sexy blouse. There wouldn’t be sex for her anymore. She was a fawn. She would always be naked or In frilly skirts and booties. And this felt a little good, good to just be with her fatter, babier self that had been stifled under all that cloth mess. Fawns didn’t wear clothes. Fawns suckles their hooves and wet themselves. A giggle murmured in her. Jessy picked the entire deer up and placed her in the pink baby carriage. That woman was strong. But there was a grace to her carry. Could she really be that bad? Jessy then layered Holly in blankets and pillows until only her head poked out. It was a lot, but it was snuggly heaven. Holly could feel the wheels begin to turn. Jessy pushed as Juniper led her towards a room down the far end of the hall. This was where those machines would be. Yet Holly could barely see beyond the fluffy white ceiling of her stroller. She heard the “aww”s from nurses walking by, but it was hard to care anymore. It helped too that she couldn’t see these animals. “Load her onto the conveyor belt,” she heard Juniper say from under the muffle of the blankets. The cow continued to prove her motherly strength as she lifted the naked fat deer up onto the machine. Juniper strapped her belly down so she couldn’t bolt. There goes that option, not that Holly was considering running much at this point. The metal was cold. Finally out of the carriage though still stuck on her back, Holly could get a better look around. Above were great ceiling fans in the most industrial room of this building. Farther down, the conveyor belt, she could just glimpse in her vision other animals drift through metal boxes and exit diapered. There must be more to these machines, however. Something had to cause the mental changes she saw in her friends. “You excited?” someone asked. She stretched her head as much as she could in the opposite direction. It was the dog from earlier. His diaper had been removed, likely so he was ready to receive a new one. “Nah weally!” Holly croaked through her binky. “Buh maybe?” The war still raged in her head. This could be what would make her happy. She had those urges earlier. To giggle at a cute story, to speak in baby talk. All of that would be accepted now, encouraged. She might just need to be a baby. She didn’t have time to think more as the conveyor belt drifted her towards the first metal box. Brace yourself. You might not be the same person coming out. Her fur felt colder as she entered the box’s darkness. Something from above reached down and touched her head. Was this it? Was her mind a goner? The light returned. She was out of the box. What had changed? She felt herself all over. She reached her head. A pink, lacy bonnet wrapped around her ears…Was that all? Where was the mental changes? Was this a mind-controlling bonet? She didn’t think so, for it was loosely attached to her head. How could mind-control like that really exist, anyhow. There were no mental changes. It hit Holly then. All her friends who came out as happy babs hugging themselves; they wanted that. They realized that was them, for they were babies always. These machines didn’t mess with your head. They only dressed you. Her friends loved to mess and wet themselves all day while playing with toys because who wouldn’t? Being a baby was amazing! She felt booties join her paws, and in these seconds Holly had official lost the war and happy to do so. The doctors were right. It had been obvious for months, and she was scared of change so she dreaded this day. Yet being an accepting environment can be powerful. And Holly realized for sure that she was definitely a dumb, little, stinky baby. “Bah~,” she said, and she drooled some more. At last, the best station arrived. The arms reached down in the dark, tugged at her sides, and she drifted out. She was diapered. She was a baby again. And immediately, she pushed, and shit got all around her mushy bottom. “I did it! I did it, mommy!” Holly said. She was reaching the end of the conveyor belts, and Jessy’s arms were there to catch her. “I messed myself! I’m just a baby!” “I knew you would understand, little deer!” her mother said as she caught the girl. Holly loved Jessy. She had been angry at Mommy because Mommy had been treating her like a fawn back in high school, but Jessy just knew something Holly hadn’t realized yet. Everyone around her had seen through that pathetic mask. She was autistic and female, and she should just be a good baby. She nuzzled up into her mother’s breasts. “I love you mommy so, so much! Please take me home and diaper me and never treat me like an adult again!” “Of course I will. You can see your friends again, too! I bet they’d be happy to know you’re a baby like them.” Her friends! They had been so smart to accept themselves as baby idiots. Would they forgive Holly for not playing with them for so long? Of course they would. Babies stick together, and they love playing games and pooping themselves. She was so happy! “And you can still sometimes read your silly Latin if you want to sometimes, though you might be forgetting how to read soon.” She would definitely forget how to read. She would forget how to add, write, and so many other things. She was a baby! Babies didn’t know how to do these things, and that’s wonderful. She was loved and accepted. She could be her dumb, stupid, pamper-packing self for the rest of time. And that made her so blissfully happy. The drool from under Binky was immense. “You two are going to be such a happy family,” Juniper said. She was turning to leave back towards the office. “You two can exit out the back entrance; you did all the paperwork when you arrived, Jessy. Have a wonderful trip home!” “Thank you, Ms. Fern,” Jessy said. She then looked down at her girl. “Can you say Bye Bye to the woman who helped you realize what a big baby you are?” Holly loved Juniper. Without her, Holly wouldn’t realize how stupid, little, and wonderful she was! “Bye Bye, Juny!” Juniper smiled and walked away. Meanwhile, Jessy took off her shirt unhooked her bra. “I think it’s time for my little one to get a nice meal. You must be exhausted after such a big morning where you had to think so much!” Holly saw the cow’s teats. They were so, so big. So delicious. Her babyish instincts kicked in, and she suckled into overdrive. So squishy and soft. Suckly felt sooooo good. And she was going to do this all day every day for the rest of her life? Yay!! “Aww, such a good drinker! You can keep suckling as we walk to our car.” Of course, it would only be Jessy walking, with the fawn in her arms. Holly blushed as she felt the tap leaking in her diapie. It was sopping and turning yellow. But did it matter? She was a good baby, and babies did that kind of thing. She giggled and cozied up even deeper into her mother’s arms. She was a baby, and she would be one for the rest of her life. And that sounded like everything her little, fat, autistic heart could ever dream.
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Heyo, readers! I... did not expect this story to suddenly come to mind, but here it is! This will be a mini-series, maybe three chapters total, not sure yet. Anyways, I hope that you all enjoy it! Swimming Ahead (Part 1) by Panther Cub "This is so humiliating!" Ariel looked over to Kelly, seeing the red panda girl pouting with her arms crossed. The teenaged otter girl shared her BFF's sentiment, as did the majority of their grumbling fellow classmates, but they had known that this was coming. All across the southern continent country of Bioux, a new mandate for schools, both public and private alike, had just taken effect. Unlike their neighbors to the north in Callinstrad, or to the east in Vivalia and Shtall, Bioux had decided to begin a process to help screen for late-blooming Miner Syndrome sufferers. What that meant for Ariel and Kelly as well as the rest of the student body at St. Callow's School for Young Ladies exactly, they didn't know. But taking a look around the bright and colorful room that was attached to the MSer daycare section of the school, they knew that it would be embarrassing. "Don't worry, Kells," Ariel said, putting a comforting paw on the other girl's shoulder, both wearing the uniform black blazers and pleated red skirts, "it'll only be, like, an hour of feeling awkward for six months... and then we can move on and maybe laugh about it later." Kelly frowned, but nodded. "Still, I hope that they don't make us wear diapers..." The general din of murmuring from their class was immediately silenced by the sudden opening of the classroom door. In walked, or rather, flowed an elegantly graceful vixen who seemed to be in her late twenties, wearing an ankle-length blue and white floral dress. She set her purse down on her desk before turning to regard her students, her tail wagging happily. "Good morning, class!" Her voice sounded full of boundless energy and excitement, with a slight melodic trill to it that could easily be missed. "I am Miss Callistone, and I'll be your teacher here in Comfort and Care 101! I'm sure that you'll all have a lot of fun before moving on to additional electives in the second semester!" "Except for those who end up in the daycare." Looking over to see who spoke, Ariel wasn't shocked to see none other than Michelle snickering in her little group of friends. The hyena caught Ariel looking back at her and gave a wink. "How about we make this class a little more fun with a betting pool about who'll become total baby brains?" "Miss Evanston, I do not condone gambling in my class," Miss Callistone said, now standing right beside Michelle's desk. Ariel's breath hitched in her throat as she, much like the now visibly nervous hyena girl, was awestruck by the apparent speed and stealth with which the vixen had used to just appear like that. The teacher in question was frowning down at Michelle, slowly shaking her head in disapproval. "Furthermore, just because someone's latent condition might be triggered by the stimuli of my class, that doesn't mean that they will miss out on choosing their elective class to replace this one in the next semester. Her gaze swept around the other girls, letting out a disappointed sigh. "I had hoped that the principal would have gone with my helpful pamphlet idea... well, no matter. Let us take a moment to set the record on the purpose of this class straight." Ariel watched again as Miss Callistone strode gracefully back up to her desk and the large dry erase marker board. Turning back around, her playful smile had returned, with her tail beginning to slowly wag. "Now, class, I know that there have been a lot of wild rumors running amok about what's going to happen here. Basically, all we're going to do is spend the whole class period, gradually getting to know our inner children. The key word there being gradually." She looked around for any questions before continuing. "Typically, Miner's Syndrome manifests at the very beginning of puberty, though some cases of it happening earlier have been found. But it can also manifest in one's mid to late teens, which can be a rather nasty shock for the poor dears it happens to. But with some additional support and care, they can thankfully readjust to their new conditions and all that entails. Unfortunately, some late bloomers make it all the way into adulthood before the symptoms first begin to appear. When this happens, it can be so much more devastating. It is one thing to be on the cusp of adulthood and independence only to find oneself needing much more care and attention and love. It is another thing entirely to have that happen as a grown-up with so much pressure and anxiety to already be contending with." Letting that sink in, Ariel reflected on how she never thought very often about MSerswho manifested as adults. She wondered if any survived long enough to wind up homeless, especially if they had no families to help them. "So by creating a safe and nurturing environment, we hope that if any late-bloomers are in this class, their conditions will manifest and they can begin getting all the support they could ever need! Questions?" The rest of the girls were all silent, and no one was raising their paws, talons, claws, and hooves. Biting her lower lip, Ariel slowly raised her own paw. "Yes, Miss Vellburne?" The vixen asked, her tail starting to wag faster, showing her excitement at getting to engage more with her new students. Ariel felt her cheeks redden a bit as she began to speak, but she pushed right on through. "Does this mean that we'll have to wear d--... diapers?" No one laughed, like she had been expecting, and instead they were all waiting for the answer, many looking nervous or sporting blushes similar to the otter's. "Only a student with Miner's Syndrome will be required to wear a diaper," Miss Callistone said with a yip. Ariel and the others breathed a sigh of relief, with Kelly also looking in slightly better spirits. "But." That one word was enough to cause everyone to freeze in place, dread being palpable in the atmosphere of the room. "Due to the potential for certain... accidents in class, starting next week for the duration of the rest of the semester, training pants will be a required part of the uniform for all students in C&C." "Th-that's not fair!" Kelly sprang up, quickly shrinking back in on herself after she realized she'd just had such an outburst. "S-sorry, Miss Callistone..." The vixen let out a warm chuckle and waved a dismissive paw. "Think nothing of it, Miss Draya. I expect we'll see many more such sudden emotional bursts as the class progresses. But, the rule will be followed, no exceptions. I am aware of how harsh that sounds, but we are all trying our best here to help everyone. So please, I want you all to know that my door is always open to talk. Now, unless there's anymore questions, we can begin today with just some simple yet fun arts and crafts! I'll begin passing around construction paper, safety scissors, crayons, and the gluesticks!" Later... "Well that was pretty... patronizing," Ariel said as she and Kelly walked down the hall past the other shuffling students. "I thought your picture of the surfing squirrel looked really good!" The red panda girl offered Ariel a comforting smile. "It was supposed to be a shooting star..." Kelly winced and grimaced. "W-well, it still looked better than my sunflower did." They continued to walk in silence, the hall becoming distinctly less crowded. "... Are we really gunna have to wear Paw-Ups?" Kelly looked hopefully at her friend. Ariel slowly nodded, dashing the red panda's hopes. "Yeah... it looks like it. Appeals for the mandate's removal have been filed, but it could be years before anything is done about it, and that's not even counting how many people in Parliament were in favor of it." Kelly let out a sigh and crossed her arms again. "... I wonder how many of our classmates have it..." "Huh?" Kelly rolled her eyes before giving the otter girl an exasperated look. "I mean, how many of our classmates do you think are gunna end up in the daycare?" Ariel thought about it for a moment. "Who can say?" Ariel shrugged. "I guess late bloomers happen enough to make this class important enough to actually exist in the first place." "I guess so..." Kelly looked down at her feet, clearly uncomfortable. "It's kinda scary too though, huh?" "... Yeah... anyone in class could end up back in diapers, potentially at any time." The two remained silent the rest of the way to class, not wanting to dwell any further on what the future and its possibilities held in store for them. However, the future creeps and crawls its way along whether one wants it to or not, and soon enough, the two are heading to the awaiting buses parked out in front of the school gates. Ariel and Kelly drifted through the current of fellow students down the front steps and past the ornately carved fountain of a dragon spewing a watery blaze straight up into the sky, the falling droplets sparkling in afternoon light. The two girls talked about classes, barring one, clubs and activities, and anything that could help them get their minds off the growing sense of dread. Getting off at her stop, Ariel was soon walking alone the block and a half back to her house. A gentle and cool breeze swished her skirt a bit, prompting her to imagine what it would be like to walk around with a Paw-Up on underneath. She imagined she'd be a bit more nervous about breezes and the wind in general. Walking up the sidewalk towards her house, a canary yellow two-story building with a well-maintained garden in the front yard. She smiled a bit, seeing her father's tomato plants growing well in their cages, before opening the front door with her key and entering. Ariel came to a sudden halt when she saw her parents both sitting on the couch, with the TV off. Sitting there on the coffee table before them were three large pink and white packages that displayed an excited-looking teenage lioness wearing just a pink t-shirt and... a pair of underwear that definitely looked thicker than regular panties. In fact, they looked to be the kind with tearable sides... "... I see..." Ariel said after a bit, slipping her backpack from her shoulders. "Honey." her mother, Val, a loving, if not a bit overbearing, vixen looked as uncomfortable as Ariel felt. "We know that this is a bit... awkward, sweetie," her father, Terrance, said. The older otter sighted and rubbed the back of his neck. "But, as you know, we really don't have much of a choice when it comes to this." "I know, Dad," Ariel said, trying to give a reassuring smile, making instead a bit of a grimace. "Well, maybe there's a bright side?" Val offered, picking up one of the packages with the words Paw-Ups emblazoned across in pink glittery words. "I mean, maybe this can help you for... OH! For a college essay?" "Val..." Terrance sighed, curling his tail around her waist to pull her in closer for a cuddle. "I think lots of kids are gunna be trying that after this." Ariel pointed out, smiling a little. Despite the oncoming humiliation, she still knew her parents were there for her, like always. "It's... gunna just have to be what it is. I'll be going to school wearing training pants for the next six months." "Oh, honey!" Val scampered off the couch to run up and pull her daughter into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry! I wish that there was a way to make things all better!" "Mom," Ariel said, choking down a sob. Her Mom and Dad were already distressed enough about all of this as it is. The last thing she wanted was to make them feel any worse about it. "It'll be okay. All the other girls have to do it too, plus, it's not like this is just happening at my school." "Yeah, but how do you feel about it, Ariel?" Terrance asked, looking quizzically at his daughter. "I think I'll probably forget that they're even there after a week or so. Plus, I've still got my responsibilities as the Captain of the Gardening Club to keep me and my mind busy." Val released her daughter as she and Terrance shared a look of concern. "Sweetie... if you're sure, then alright... but you do know that you can talk to me and your father about anything and everything, right?" "I know, Mom!" Ariel smiled and kissed her mother on the cheek. "But right now, I think I'd like to go ahead and get this homework done and out of the way." "You get a lot on the first day back?" Terrance asked. "A little. Mr. Hardwith seems like the no-nonsense type." Ariel quickly excused herself to head up into her room, stopping to grab her new Paw-Ups on the way. The moment her bedroom door was shut, she had to wipe away some tears, frowning as she looked down at the packages. Groaning a little, she set them down by her desk, before using a claw to carefully slice one open. She pulled out the lightly crinkling undergarment and unfolded it. It was mostly white with a bright pink trim. The sides were tearable, with little hearts running down the seam. There was a glittery pink butterfly on the front, which would no doubt disappear when wet. Walking over to her dresser, she opened the underwear drawer and set it inside, taking note of the contrast the training pant painted laying amidst the rest of her underwear. "You got this," she said in a quiet voice to no one. "You'll overcome this and not disappoint anyone..." Ariel gave the drawer a hard shove shut and straightened up. She grabbed her backpack and unzipped it, quickly getting to work on her few homework assignments. Everything would be alright. She was fine. Everything was fine. * * * Ariel hugged her sides as she walked to the bus stop, trying to keep her tail from moving and causing a crinkle sound that her Mom and dad had assured was very hard to hear, yet sounded so loud to be almost deafening to her own ears. The first week back to school had seemed to practically pass by in a blur. C&C with Miss Callistone first thing in the morning hadn't been too bad yet. They got to actually have a bit of a recess last Friday, which meant going outside into the fresh air and sunlight, which was pretty nice. However, it was only allowed in the daycare section's fenced off playground and outdoors play area. Thankfully they wouldn't be getting a recess until around lunchtime, so they didn't have to deal with the overgrown toddlers. A breeze came by and began to swish her skirt. Looking around wildly, she quickly grabbed and yanked her skirt down, unfortunately pulling the top of it down as well, revealing the bright pink and white waistband of her Paw-Ups for potentially anyone to see. Ariel was grateful to every deity that had ever existed that no one was around at the school bus stop to have seen. She had just finished readjusting her skirt when the bright yellow bus came around the corner and pulled to a stop in front of her. Steeling herself, she got on board, and took her seat next to Kelly. The lack of her usual chattiness was a sign enough for Ariel to know that the red panda girl was definitely not liking her new underwear either. Arriving at school, Ariel noticed the very subdued atmosphere on the bus as everyone started to depart. Wincing a little as she felt another gust playing with the hemline of her skirt, Ariel much more gingerly tugged it down, and spotted plenty of the other girls doing the same. Walking through the halls, she and Kelly made minimal conversation, both coming to a halt at the door to their homeroom class. Taking a shared deep breath, the two girls stepped through the classroom door, to be immediately greeted by Miss Callistone, who gave them a warm smile that made the otter blush even more. "Good morning, Ariel and Kelly!" The older vixen's tail started to gently wag. "Now I have to ask, are you two wearing your Paw-Ups, sweeties?" Faces turning crimson beneath their fur, both girls simply nodded. Miss Callistone smiled and nodded, reaching over to ruffle both of their headfurs. "I believe you two. I know how embarrassing this can be, but I promise that this isn't the end of the world some of your classmates are making it out to be... Now, you two should go find your seats. Today is a special class." Wondering what she could've meant by that, Ariel and Kelly did as instructed and took their usual desks next to each other, watching as Miss Callistone started questioning every one of her students as they entered about whether or not they were wearing their Paw-Ups. It didn't take long before a problem began to arise. A certain hyena girl entered, casually trying to walk past the older vixen. "Miss Evanstan, are you wearing your Paw-Ups today?" Miss Callistone asked, causing the hyena to stop in her tracks, eyes darting left to right for a bit. "Yup," she said, unable to meet the vixen's eyes. "Well then, let's just take a quick check, just in case?" Michelle growled as the back of her skirt was pulled out a bit, with Miss Callistone frowning. "Miss Evanstan, you know the rules. You are supposed to be wearing training pants as part of your school uniform." Michelle took a deep breath and scowled. "Well... it's a stupid rule! I'm not some mindless giant baby who's gunna drop a load in her pants without knowing it! This entire law is stupid and I'm not gunna do it!" She looked back at Miss Callistone with a defiant smirk. The vixen slowly shook her head. "Oh dear. Well, some resistance to the new change was expected. You can start heading to the principal's office. I'll call ahead to let them know you're coming and why." "Whatever." Michelle rolled her eyes and stomped back out of the classroom. "Something tells me that Michelle's gunna be coming back with the proper uniform attire on and everything." Kelly flashed Ariel a semi-cheeky grin. Ariel wasn't paying attention, however, because of another issue that had decided now was the time to rear its ugly head for her. She had to go to the bathroom... Well, hop[e you all enjoyed the new story! Let me know what you think!
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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!
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From the album: Shine
*giggles* Star is a rubbish Stalker -
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!
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Hello there, readers! I know, I know, I've already got a lot of projects going so far. But this one is part of an ongoing RP with IronTiger26, and it's a slow go, and I've currently got no new chapters finished yet. So I figured that this first chapter of this new project could help tide you over until then. I hope that you enjoy it! A Mother's Love (Chapter 1) by Panther Cub Pain. Pain was all Dante could focus on, throbbing from the back of his head, where he had been struck. Looking up from the altar he was chained to, he could vaguely see the cavern surrounding this strange temple he had been abducted to. His memories after heading to his car, just two days from retirement, the chained-down Chicago chief of police looked balefully at the thirty purple-robed cultists. In the dim light of the burning torches, Dante could barely make out some of the closer ones. There appeared to be a mix of humans and anthros of several different species. They were chanting in a strange language, surrounding the altar and the carved circle with the intricate looping symbols. He couldn't get a good look at said altar due to the chains and collar firmly holding him in a prostrated position. Then something happened that he had not been expecting, not that he had expected any of this crap. The symbols all started to glow with a soft pink light, making Dante's breath catch in his throat. A low and deep hum started to buzz throughout the cavern, and the chanting cultists raised their voices, and started to chant faster. Then one approached Dante. He was gagged, so he couldn't speak, but he did struggle against his bindings when he saw the silver dagger pulled out from within the robes. It was a wolf, maybe grey fur visible in the pink light, a crazed smile on his muzzle, his eyes wild and focused solely on him. With a single thrust, the knife pierced his heart. Dante looked down at the blade as it was removed, the light brightening with a pink flash. And then all was dark. He felt cold, and then warm, as he flitted into and out of the darkness. His consciousness remained, and his life flashed before his eyes. As he tumbled through the darkness, he still felt warm, as well as a feeling of his perceived self being stretched and smooshed, over and over again. After what felt like an eternity, Dante landed, in a sitting position, with his eyes tightly shut. He waited a few moments before he opened his eyes, and was almost blinded by the bright and loud colors. Where before, he had been in a dimly lit cavern, he now found himself sitting on some kind of plastic bench in a bright and colorful hall. There were bright murals showing farms and smiling animals, forests, beaches, and the like. Before him was what appeared to be some kind of receptionist's desk. There were cobwebs about, and even a few cracks in the walls. Standing on shaky legs, Dante looked around. "H-hello?" he called out in a voice he hadn't heard in a long time. Instead of the rough and tired voice he had long since grown accustomed to, it instead reminded him of back when he was in high school. Looking down at himself, Dante became aware of two things. One, he was nude. The second, and most prominent, he was no longer human. He was covered in some kind of soft grey fur, except for his stomach, which was white. Rubbing his chest, Dante could see that his hands had become more paw-like, muck like his feet, both of which were also white instead of grey. Looking behind himself... he spied some kind of fluffy white cottontail. On a hunch, he reached up and felt that yes, his ears had traveled up on his head and elongated into two long grey ears. He didn't need to feel his pink button nose nor his buck teeth to know that he was a bunny. Although the full-length mirror right there in the hall confirmed it for him nonetheless. "This has got to be some kind of hallucination as my brain is dying," he said aloud, once again hearing a much younger voice. "And apparently my brain took me back to being a teenager as I lay here dying... I guess." Meanwhile, in a nearly vacant room not far from the newly made bunny, a figure turned in place, having heard noises from the main lobby. Curious, the large form silently opened the door, and began to stalk towards the reception desk area. "Hello?" Dante called out, getting up and covering his nudity with one paw, while approaching the desk. He looked around before looking through the desk drawers, having already noticed that while this was some kind of reception area, there were some doors in sight down the hall a bit, and presumably even more further back. He found a drawer of folders and some notebooks, pencils, and other office supplies, and even a tiny gold key. He picked it up and continued to rifle. The figure stopped for a brief moment at the voice, eyes widening slightly, before she slowly continued, and peeked their head around the corner. They stifled a gasp at the sight of the teen bunny, a smile starting to form on their face. They trudged forward, surprisingly silent, in spite of their large frame. As the nude rabbit reached for another drawer, he suddenly felt a large paw settle on his bare shoulder, and a sweet, if deep, voice piped up in the same instance. “Hello?” Dante jumped, getting some serious air, and whipped around, instinctively covering himself as best he could. He stood there, open-mouthed, staring at a large grizzly bear woman, wearing a frilly light pink dress with bows and a white apron. She had a wide, happy grin on her face that was radiating warmth, which helped to calm Dante down a little. "H-hello there!" he stammered, "I'm uh, s-sorry for intruding like this... and while so underdressed, b-but I just sorta... found myself here. Uhm... where is here, by the way?" The bear giggled, the deep voice offsetting the action a fair bit, but still appearing very friendly overall. “It’s quite alright, you aren’t the first one to find yourself here. And you’re currently in Loving Paws Daycare.” "A... a daycare..." Dante's eyes went wide. Dream or not, this being VERY bad. "Uh, I am s-so sorry, I swear I did not plan on being nude in a... in here!" Dante said, his voice cracking a bit. The bear just let out a single laugh, then gently patted his shoulder once. “Mister, it’s alright. Like I said, this isn’t the first time this happened. And there are only three people here at the moment.” Her jolly expression faded into a slightly sadder one. “We... haven’t had anyone else here for a while.” Dante wasn't sure why, but he felt a little sad at seeing how forlorn the bear looked. "W-well, I'm sure that business will pick up soon, uh... Miss... uh..." The bear perked up slightly, and tilted her head as she gave a little smile. “Oh, my bad, I forgot to introduce myself.” The well dressed bear held out a paw. “My name is Sarah. What’s your name, hmm?” "D-Dante," he said, feeling shy as he took her paw and gave it a shake. "Uhm, Miss Sarah, it is nice to meet you. Uhm, is there anyplace I can get some spare clothes?" Sarah nodded. “There is. But first...” She tightened her grip a bit. “Can you come with me, please? You need to be introduced first.” "B-but I'm not wearing anything!" Dante said, trying to pull back again... to find that the grip of the bear, while soft, was like iron. With a tug, he found himself scooped up in her arms, his head over her shoulder, her paw patting his nude furry behind while the other arm was securely holding his back. All soft, yet firm enough to keep him from moving. Securing her new charge in place, she softly spoke as she patted his rear. “I know, Dante. But you’ll find very quickly she won’t mind. In fact, I believe she will be happy to meet you, regardless of what you were in.” "She? Who are you? What is this place?! WHO ARE YOU TAKING ME TO SEE?!" Dante attempted to thrash and kick, but couldn't move from how securely he was held. Sarah didn’t reply, instead heading deeper into the daycare, until they reached a seemingly bland brown door. Smiling, she reached with a free paw to turn the knob. Dante tried to leap away, but one arm was sufficient enough to hold him to herself. The bear pushed the door open, a dim light shining out, and she stepped into the middle of the room, another figure in the corner, standing over a crib looking down at a plush. Sarah picked Dante off her shoulders. “Oh, Mother!” She said in a sing sing voice, catching the attention of the figure. “Lookie what I have!” The next thing Dante knew, he was twirled around, and his feet were on the floor, paws on his bare hips, keeping him in place. His head and eyes spinning, Dante took in the colorful room, and the very large figure standing in it. She was a rabbit like him, but with bright pink fur instead. She was wearing a frilly cream colored dress similar to Sarah's, complete with a pink apron that matched her fur color. There was a wave of warmth and love just radiating from her, seemingly directed right at him. Covering himself, he blushed. "H-hello, Ma'am... I presume that you are the owner o-of this facility?" The large rabbit stared at him for a few silent moments, and just before Dante could speak up... Her paws went to her cheeks, and a gasp escaped her lips. “Oh... my... GOSH!” In the literal blink of an eye, Dante suddenly found himself pressed against her chest, her arms wrapped around his bare body. “He’s adorable!” The rabbit practically cheered, her chin rubbing against the top of his head. Dante spluttered and tried to extricate from this soft and warm prison that was her grip... but found that he did not have the strength. "I-I think that there's been a mixup, Ma.am. I am Dante Christoph, Chief of Police for the Chicago Police Department. I'm n-not a child." The lagomorph stared at him for a few moments, before letting out a lighthearted giggle and leaning in, nuzzling her pink nose against his own. “Nonsense, silly. I know a little one when I see one. And you’re just the cutest thing I’ve seen in so long!” "H-hey! I demand that you set me down right now--MPH!" Dante was surprised to suddenly find something being popped into his mouth. It felt like some kind of rubbery bulb, and he quickly deduced that it was a pacifier. He started to feel indignant anger rise... before his body immediately relaxed. His jaw muscles seemed to move with a will of their own, and Dante realized that he was sucking on the offending object... but didn't have any strength to do anything about it. He couldn't even force himself to spit it out, his body completely betraying him. Despite the relaxation, he still felt humiliated to lay there, in this female giant's arms, being rocked gently back and forth. The giant bunny gently rocked the nude teen back and forth, putting one arm on his tummy and rubbing it in a circle. “There we go, sweetie pie... just lay those weary eyes to rest... I’m not going to hurt you, I promise...” This has to be a dream, Dante thought as he felt a warmth radiate from where she was rubbing him on his stomach. His ears twitched as he distinctly heard them speak, just as he was gently laid onto some kind of soft padded surface. The pink lagomorph lay him down on a padded table, continuing to rub his belly. Suddenly, her eyes widened. Looking over to the bear, she motioned with her head to come over, an excited smile on her face. Dante felt the rubbing stop, and cracked open an eye. He was still sucking what he now saw was a white and blue binky shield, before he spied the large bunny going to talk to the bear. Dream or not, Dante, admittedly sluggishly, started to roll over to hop down from the strange padded table. But before he could do so, a strap snaked out from the side of the table and snugly buckled over his stomach, securing him in place. He growled behind the binky, but the soft 'Nuk-Nuk-Nuk' sound and motion soothed him. Not even looking over at the new arrival as she heard the straps secure him back in place, the bunny excitedly spoke in a hushed tone. “Sarah, do you know what this means?” "Dare I hope, m'lady?" Sarah said, her own excitement growing. The owner nodded eagerly, her ears shaking with the motion. “If we’ve gotten a little one after all this time, then....” She trailed off, motioning to her assistant. "I just knew this day would come, m'lady! I shall go and begin restoring the nursery to its former glory! It will take some time, and I'll need to contact the others, but now that the babies have started to come again, all shall be made well once more!" The large woman grinned, her hands cupping under her chin in excitement. “Ohhh, I just can’t wait! It’s been so long since I had one! I’ll go get him something cute to wear right away!” She turned around, eager to begin. Sarah tittered and turned to leave, before spying on a dresser, something strange. It looked to be silver-ish, and some sort of mechanized device. "M'lady? What is this object? I have never seen one of its like here before?" The bunny turned her head, spotting a look of confusion in response to the item. Trodding over to the bear, she took it out of her hands, turning it over in her hands, looking over every inch of the device. “I... don’t know. What is this? Some kind of box?” "Is it possible that you chanced a look back into the mortal realm of little Dante's origin?" Upon hearing his name, Dante looked over, still suckling. The bunny looked up, nodding, before looking back at the item. “I did, yes, but I don’t see how this appeared because of-“ She was cut off when her finger hit a button, and a flash went off, staggering her for a second as the device began to make a whirring sound. “What was that?” She asked, rubbing her eyes. Despite everything, Dante couldn't refrain from a smile to appear around his binky, followed by a giggle. The owner then gave the smaller bunny a chiding look, before she shook her head with a small grin, turning back to the box. Blinking, she noticed a piece of paper sliding out of the device. Tilting her head, she took it out. “Hmm? What’s this?” After a few moments, the image clears, and shows her surprised face. Her eyes widened. “Oohhh, I get it...” Glancing back to the strapped down teen, she smiled, before handing the camera over to the bear. “Sarah, can you please hold this for a moment? I have an idea.” Sarah took the device, carefully holding it in her paws, nodding to the owner. The large rabbit turned back to the smaller one, striding to and stopping in front of the teen. “Okay, little one. Let’s get you dressed.” She said, reaching under the table. Dante's smile disappeared as quickly as it had come, and tried to struggle... his lack of strength in his limbs making that impossible. Unfolding a certain white object, she gave the former cop a reassuring look. “Just relax, honey. Mother will make sure you enjoy your time here.” "Notta babey!" Giggling, she lifted up the nude bunny’s legs. Turning her head to the bear, she asked. “Would you like to know why I asked you to hold that, Sarah?” Dante could only squirm and blush, with a little muffled whine. In response to the bear’s confused look, the bunny continued, not even looking at her new boy. “That little thing I called a camera. It captures pictures of moments, immortalizing them forever. And all you need to do is press that little button there.” She said, pointing at it with her ear. "Oooh, I see!" Sarah said. She looked through the lens of the camera, one which Dante recognized as being those old ones from back before everything was a phone and a camera, and his blush only deepened. "Ready when you are, m'lady!" Nodding, the pink lady pulled the padding up over the cop’s waist, securing the tapes on the plastic. Giving a smile, she patted the front of his diaper, and said. “Say... Dante’s first diapee!” Before pulling back and allowing the bear to lift the camera and get a clear shot of the padded teen. Dante squeaked and tried to shield his face with one paw, and his new padding with the other, neither of which was remotely successful for the blushing teen bunny. And with the second bright flash to occur in the nursery, Dante, his current attire, and his pose were captured on film for all of eternity, at an angle where one could see all of him laying on the table. “I got it, m’lady!” "Get wid of dat pictew! If anyone sees it, mah caweew wiw be wuined!" Dante said, feeling tears of frustration prickling the back of his eyes. "Oh my goodness, what a marvelous invention!" Sarah said, holding up the picture the camera spit out, once it cleared. It showed a certain mortified bunny boy, freshly diapered, trying to cover up his shame and his identity, both futilely. Sarah cooed at the image before handing it to the owner. "Agreed! It would seem that the children have been busy since we've been away. Oh, I just can't wait to learn more! But first! Sarah," The Nanny stood at attention upon hearing her own name. "Yes, m'lday?" "There's so much work to be done. I must attend to little Dante here. So please get started on fixing up the nursery... oh, and please let the other know that we are back in business!" Sarah's attentive demeanor broke into a wide grin. The bear Nanny saluted. "Yes, m'lady!" She then hurried off, tittering as she did so. The owner watched and held a pink paw to her mouth to stifle a giggle, before returning her attention to Dante. “Oh, sweetie...” The giant bunny said, the straps undoing themselves on their own as she leaned down to pick him up. Dante tried, and once more failed, to resist, and was picked up under his arms, before being pulled into a warm hug, his padded bottom being patted by one of her massive paws. The giant rabbit put her chin on the boy’s head, between his ears. Hugging him closely and rubbing his back, she whispered. “Dante... I promise, that picture won’t be shown to anybody outside this nursery. Mother won’t lie to you.” "Dis has ta be a dweam, wight?" Leaning the teen back, she held him as she cupped her hand on his cheek, looking him in his eyes. “Does this feel like one, honey?” She said, before leaning in and giving him a peck on his forehead. Something abut the kiss, it filled Dante with such love and warmth that he felt as though he were literally about to burst with it all. In that moment, he knew that he was not dreaming. He knew right then and there, that this was his new reality. Pulling away, she maneuvered Dante into a cradling position, and asked again, lightly tickling his stomach. “Well? Does it, sweetie?” The sensation dancing over his stomach made the bunny boy smile and giggle, before eventually letting out a squeal that made his voice break. He quickly snapped to attention when she stopped and looked surprised at his reaction, but shook his head. "No... dis is notta dweam..." After a few moments, the pink giantess smiled, setting him back on the table, this time on his feet. “Dante... I know this might be scary, but I promise. You’re safe here.” She gently grabbed him by his hands, and gave him a gentle smile. “Do you know who I am?” Dante just shook his head, unsure of how to proceed, and deciding on telling this... entity as little as possible. At least until he had gleaned more. He briefly looked down at his diaper. It fit his form perfectly, was white with blue trim, and had a yellow ducky on the back, with little yellow duckies on the front waistband. Giving a little giggle, she continued. “Dante... I am known to all as Mother.” She pet Dante between his ears. “But if you want to call me ‘Mom,’ ‘Mama’ or ‘Mommy’, I don’t mind that in the slightest.” "So is dis wike an adowpshun?" The entity, now known as Mother, nodded. “In the simplest of terms, yes. You’re my baby now, sweetie.” "B-but... I'm owder... well, owder dan dis, but dis is too big ta be a baby. I'm a teenagew now." She put a soft hand on his shoulder, and took out his pacifier. “Well, honey. Anyone who arrives here would normally be much smaller by now. But I think you’re so much cuter like this.” She replied, pulling him in and nuzzling against his cheek. Dante just can't describe the amount of sheer joy he could feel radiating from that touch of her cheek against his. He instinctively leaned into it, and found himself in her arms again, his head resting over her shoulder, her rubbing his back, and supporting him by his diapered bottom. "Am I really dead?" Blinking , Mother sighed, before putting him yet again into a cradle, sitting down on the table and looking down into his big eyes. “Dante... you aren’t dead. Your physical body has been destroyed, and as a result of the transformation, it has been forever lost, but you’re here, and you’re still alive. It’s...complicated, and I don’t want to overwhelm you, but trust Mother when she says you are not dead.” Dante frowns and nods, before starting at the sound of his stomach letting out a rumble. Letting out a soft laugh, Mother stood up and sat the teen down where she was just sitting. “But first, I can tell you’re probably hungry. Let’s get you something else to wear, then get my widdle man some num nums, hmm?” Dante rolled his eyes but nodded again. At least I'll get something to cover this stupid diaper, he thought before, while Mother's back was turned, giving an experimental tug on the tapes. He was surprised that they were fast in place and didn't budge not even the tiniest bit. He then tried to tug the diaper itself down, but it was completely stuck, as though it had been glued on. Mother, after fishing out a piece of clothing, turned to see Dante fiddling with his diaper. She shook her head with an amused smile, and said. “Oh, Dante, babies can’t take off their own diapees, you don’t wanna be nakie again, do you?” "Just seeing if I could. This is so embarrassing." He said, crossing his arms and, unknowingly, pouting adorably. The large bunny simply giggled in response, stepping over to the table and stopping behind her new baby. “Don’t worry, sweetie. Before long, you won’t even mind it.” "I doubt that," Dante said petulantly, turning to keep an eye on the being near them. "Why do I even have to wear this stupid thing? I know how to use the potty!" Dante blushed and clamped his paw-hands over his mouth. "I... uh... I meant to say potty.... no, not potty, potty!" Dante blushed crimson beneath his grey fur. He had been trying to say toilet, but it just kept coming out as potty. Just giving an amused smile, the entity reached down and softly pet the former cop between his ears. “Don’t worry, mommy knows what you’re trying to say. And you need to wear it, Dante. After all, you’re only a baby boy.” "B-but why can't I say it? And I'm not a baby! This body seems to be a teenager, maybe around 18 or 19. And I am fifty-seven years old! Notta baby!" Dante pouted again. Mother gave a soft smile, moving the head pets down to his back. “Well, sweetie. That’s one of the effects this realm can have. It limits it so you don’t have to keep using certain ‘grown up’ words. And like I said before, you were supposed to be smaller, remember?” "So mind control then? Well... poopy." Dante blushed again as that was not the word he was trying to say. “No, pumpkin. You’re still in full control besides that. It’s to help you get used to your new role here.” Finishing her impromptu back rub, she returned her attention to the clothing she picked out, unfolding it and holding it up in the air. “Now, arms up, honey. Then we can get you some num-nums.” "My new role?" Dante asked, stubbornly crossing his arms. "I can dress myself. And I'm not hungry." Dante's tummy took that moment to let out a loud rumble. Giggling, Mother replied. “You can’t fool mama, Dante.” Dante blushed and continued to sit there, with his arms crossed, deciding not to budge until she let him dress himself. After a few more moments of the teen refusing to raise up his arms, Mother eventually gave an ‘evil’ smile as an idea popped into her head. “You know, Dante...” She began, releasing the shirt, the cloth actually floating in the air. “... babies who don’t listen to their mommy usually get a visit from someone.” "Oh yeah? Who? Some kind of enforcer?" Dante said, trying to sound tough and puff out his chest. “Heh. No, but it is someone that all babies don’t want to visit them. Are you sure you won’t raise your arms for mama?” She said, giving him one last chance to change his mind. "I can dress myself. And I'm not a baby." Dante said, resolute. Mother just smiled, and said, leaning in. “That’s such a shame. They’re here now that you said it.” "Who?" Dante asked, starting to feel a little nervous. It was finally dawning on him that this is a powerful entity of some kind, and that for all he knew, he was about to face some sort of eldritch horror. Mother leaned in a bit more, until she took up most of his vision. Then, she whispered four words that caught Dante off guard. “... it’s the Tickle Monster.” And before Dante could react, her hands flew forward, aiming for his unprotected tummy. Dante's eyes went wide and he immediately began giggling. Try as he might to squirm away, it was futile. He had always hated his ticklishness, and now, it was being used against him in full force. Why, he even let out a squeal. The tickling was relentless. No matter where the bunny boy turned, those fingers kept at it, furiously rubbing against his soft belly. “I tried warning you, Dante. Now there’s only one way to make the Tickle Monster go away.” Mother said in a playful voice. "HAHAHAHA O-O-OKAY! Y-YOU CAN DRESS ME!" Dante breathlessly said in between laughter, now on his back, kicking his legs out of instinct, not that it did any good. Still tickling at him, though easing up slightly, Mother looked over at the shirt, as it levitated above the grey rabbit. “Okay, then. Arms up, Dante, then it’ll stop.” It took a few tries, due to his arms naturally trying to cover himself as a shield from the tickles, but Dante managed, still giggling now with his eyes watering, to sit up and raise up his arms. The moment his arms were in the best position, the shirt descended, slipping over his head and sliding his arms into their appropriate holes. And finally, Mother ceased the tickling when his ears poked through the big hole at the top, moving her hands to pull the shirt downward, the hem finally coming to a rest in front of his diapers tapes. “There we go, that wasn’t that hard, now was it?” She said, pulling her still giggling baby into a hug. "That was unfair and degrading!" Dante insisted, his giggles tapering off as he was in her soft and caring arms. He tried to hold onto his indignant anger, but found that she was making it hard. “Maybe...” She reached down and slid a single finger across his side. “But I don’t think you really minded all that much, with that smile you still have on your face.” Dante let out another giggle, and quickly tried to recover and look angry. Mother just gave a smile, before putting a hand on his bottom, and moving him into a cradle position. “Alright, that was fun. But let’s go get my hungry boy something to eat.” And with that, she began to move out of the nursery. Dante didn't like the crinkle from her supporting his bottom. He looked around, seeing some cobwebs in the hall, and even a hole in the floor... that was slowly shrinking? He shook his head before they entered a new room. Tiled floors, white walls, it was a kitchen. There were several short tables with short chairs... and then Dante saw the highchairs, which the being carrying him was heading straight for. Mother began to hum a little tune, moving Dante from a cradle to a position where she held him under his arms. She sat him down in a baby blue high chair, and buckled him in place, and finally set the table in place. "Notta baby," Dante insisted, pouting. “Sure you aren’t, pumpkin.” Mother replied, leaning in and nuzzling him again. “Now, is there anything you’d like to eat?” "Uhm... a chili dog?" Dante asked. Mother tilted her head, looking as if she was in thought. “I...do not know what that is, but I’ll look into it.” She pet him on the head again. “It might be a little bit longer than normal, but I’ll see if I can make one for you.” "So there's a limit to what you can know? Meaning that you're not omnipotent then?" Dante asked, ever the investigator. Mother nodded. “Well, it has been a very long time since I’ve been able to look into your world. So I do need to get my bearings again, but I’ll learn it in no time.” "So... you've observed my world before?" “Yes, dear. But that was a long time ago.” "How long?" Mother opened her mouth to respond, but stopped, putting a finger to her chin. As she did this, a bib began to float over to the pair. “I... honestly don’t know...” Dante filed this information away for later, until a blue cloth briefly obscured his field of vision. "H-hey, what is this?" Mother reached over, tying it around the teen’s neck before she replied. “It’s your bib, Dante.” Dante looked down at the blue bib with the yellow ducky on it, sensing a theme. "I don't need a bib, I'm not a baby." He said, reaching behind his neck to try and untie it, his hands repeatedly slipping over the knot, unable to get a grip. Shaking her head, she nuzzled him again. “Well, you never know, Dante. Better safe than sorry, right?” She stood up, then turned to the kitchen doors. “I’ll be back in a bit, sweetie. But here, a little something for you.” Opening a fridge on the other side, she opened a little canister full of strawberries, and a big, juicy one floated out and towards the teen. Dante, eyes wide, grabs it, and mumbles a thanks. He then mulls over taking a bite or not, before deciding to just go ahead. The flavor was so sweet and amazing, Dante finished it quickly, licking his fingers. It was then that he noticed the tiny gold key from earlier still tucked between his paw-fingers. Thinking at first about hiding it in his diaper, he discarded the thought and quickly opened his mouth, hiding it in front of his gums. No sooner did he hide the key, the kitchen doors opened up again, but instead of Mother, it was that same bear that he first ran into earlier. “Hi there, Dante!” She cheerfully greeted, stopping in front of the bunny and putting her smiling face a few feet away from his own. “Remember me?” "Uh... Sarah, I think?" The nanny, now identified as Sarah, nodded. “Uh-huh! Mother asked me to come out here and keep you company, get to know you some.” The bear pulled up a chair, and sat down not a few inches away from the high chair the teen was trapped in. "Oh... uh... okay... what do you want to know?" Dante leaned back in his seat, crinkling as he did so. Sarah shrugged, cupping her hands on her lap and softening her expression. “Well... why don’t you tell me about yourself some? I’m interested to hear what you were like before you arrived here.” "Uh... well, I was in my mid-fifties... I was human... and I was the chief of police for the Chicago Police Department." Sarah’s eyes widened at hearing his age, quickly hiding it with a nod. “Okay... I did have the suspicion you were human, going off how you were acting when you first arrived. And... police?” She tilted her head. “What’s that?” "Uh... well, there's rules and laws... and police, well, we make sure those laws are obeyed," Dante said, trying to think of how to explain what police are. “Oohhhh,” she said, nodding in understanding. “So you were a guard?” "W-well, you could say that... just a bit more modern, I suppose." Smiling, Sarah reached up and began to lightly brush a finger on his tummy. “Well... regardless of what you did there, I hope you have a happy time he-“ She suddenly cut herself off, an invisible ripple rushing throughout the daycare and into other parts of the realm. She just sat there, frozen like a statue as she processed what was running through her head now. The light brush against his tummy made Dante let out a giggle. But he stopped seeing what had come over Sarah. "A-are you okay?" She snapped out of it, staring at Dante for a few moments, before she put that same hand hand to her mouth. “Oh... you poor thing...” "Huh?" Before Dante could process what was happening, Sarah suddenly jumped up and pulled the teenage bunny into a hug as best she could. “Mother just looked into your world....I know everything you meant now...” "O-oh?" Dante said, his voice muffled against the bear's chest. He was hopeful that all this confusion about his age could be cleared up. Not changing her posture any, she began to rub her hand on the back of his head. “It’s okay, Dante... you don’t have to worry about doing any of that ever again while you’re here...” She said, her voice soothing as can be. "S-so then you know that I'm really an adult, and not a baby, right?" “Hmm?” Sarah pulled back, looking into his eyes, before letting out a chuckle. “Oh, Dante. What made you think we didn’t believe you?” "Uh... the diapers? The babying?" Sarah simply booped him on the nose. “Hehe. It doesn’t matter how old you may have been, Dante. You’re still a precious baby boy to us.” Dante crossed his arms and frowned... once more accidentally pouting adorably. After a few moments, a thought occurred to him, and he uncrossed his arms while looking at the bear nanny. "Wait a second. If your only frame of reference for my world was... to me, the ancient past, then why are stuff like the diapers and baby stuff all modern?" Sarah sat back down, but continued to pet Dante on the back of his head. “Well....Mother is capable of looking into the past, the present and the future. Though...” The nanny pointed at Dante’s diaper. “She has a bit of...tunnel vision, I believe the expression is.” Dante resumed pouting. "Of course... so that means that she's some kind of extremely powerful being, right? Does that make her a... goddess?" “In a manner of speaking, yes.” "... If this is a dream, then this is the craziest dream I've ever had..." “This isn’t a dream, Dante. Promise.” Sarah said, emphasizing it with another boop. The nose boop elicits another giggle from the grumpy teen bunny. Sarah patted the bunny’s back. “Don’t be grumpy, honey. I think I know what might make you feel a bit better.” "I went from Chief of Police to big baby for presumably all eternity, what could possibly make me feel better?" He asks, still grumpy. Leaning in, Sarah whispered. “How about I get one of those....TVs in the nursery? I’ll tell Mother about it, I’m sure she’d approve.” "... Okay... but, will I have to watch baby shows?" Sarah put on a thoughtful look, thinking for about a minute, before she replied. “Only if you either want to, or if you’re being punished. Something among those lines.” She let out a chuckle. “Though... all shows are baby shows here, considering who’ll be watching it.” Dante rolled his eyes, but still was amused by the joke. "'Kay... I guess maybe that's not too terrible..." “We won’t stop you from doing something if you enjoy it, Dante.” Sarah said, sincerely. “Just as long as it isn’t naughty, and you know you can handle it.” "... What is the definition of naughty here?" Sarah opened her mouth to reply, but she was cut off by the doors opening, and a certain aroma entering the room as Mother returned. “Okay, Dante! Your food is done!” Dante turned to see the giant pink bunny that apparently was a goddess of some kind. She was carrying a, in her giant paws, tiny plate with what appeared to be the most delicious chili dog he had ever seen. He couldn't quite place why, but the sight of it looked just so good. "... I-is that a chili dog?" He asked in semi-disbelief. She nodded, a big smile on her face as she put the plate on the high chair’s table. “Of course it is. You asked for one, didn’t you pumpkin?” "Uh-huh... it just looks so... perfect..." Without thinking, he reached for it, his tummy rumbling. Mother giggled, taking a seat next to Sarah. “Eat up, dearie. It’s all for you.” Acting almost out of instinct, Dante grabbed the chili dog and started to eat it, like he was a ravenous animal. The flavors exploded in his mouth, so rich and delicious, he couldn't believe it. When he was done, he was licking his very messy hand-paws, chili smeared on them, his bib, his chin, cheeks, all around his mouth, on his left eyebrow, and somehow on the tip of his left ear. He burped and let out a happy giggle, his hunger satiated in a way he had never felt before. The goddess couldn’t help but let out a coo at the sight of the ‘baby’ rabbit. Taking out a napkin she put in her pocket, she began to wipe off some of his mess as she asked. “Did mama’s widdle baby boy love his chilli dog? I made it as good as I could for you.” Dante tried to turn his head away, blushing, but he couldn't stop himself from nodding. "Uh-huh! It was the bestest!" He didn't notice what he had just said. Both of his caretakers did, though they didn’t let him know. “I’m so happy to hear that, sweetie.” Mother said, leaning in to nuzzle her little boy as Sarah took the plate away, setting it aside as she began to remove the table. Dante giggled and, out of some weird instinct, leaned into the nuzzle, his left paw still in his mouth, the residual chili sauce being sucked off of it. When that was gone, all but the thumb was removed, all without him even noticing. With the table out of the way, Mother picked Dante up, continuing the nuzzle until she put him back into a cradle position, the napkin wiping off the rest and his bib deposited itself next to the sink seemingly of its own accord. “Okay, Dante. You wanna go have some fun in your playpen before you go nini?” "Sawah said I can have a TV!" “Oh?” Sharing a glance with the bear, who gave a ‘I’ll explain in a minute’ type of expression, Mother returned to her suddenly excited charge, and replied. “Well, I don’t know what that is, but I trust your nanny if she says you can have one.” She reached down and lightly tickled him, before turning to the door. “Let’s get you back to the nursery, then we’ll see about it, okay?” Dante giggled and continued to suck his thumb as he laid there in Mother's arms, feeling content. As they headed back out into the hall, which was looking brighter and seemed to be freshly painted bright pastel colors, Dante started to regain his senses, although he still didn't notice the thumb in his mouth. "Wait... why did I get so etsited juft then?" Sarah giggled, reaching over and scratching his head between his ears. “You’re getting a TV soon, Dante. Remember?” "Well, yeah, but I wav actewn... kinda weiwd!" Dante then realized that he had been sucking his thumb, and quickly ripped it out to wipe on his shirt, blushing. Both of the caretakers let out a laugh, both simultaneously coddling the blushy bunny boy as they approached the nursery door. “Don’t worry, honey.” The goddess began. “That was just your inner child coming out. It’s normal.” "Wha? My inner child? Does that mean my mind is gunna... become erased or something?" Dante asked, worried. Unknowingly to all three, down the hall, a diminutive figure in the shadows rounded a corner and was approaching. Mother shook her head, gently rubbing her finger under his chin. “No, sweetie. You won’t have your mind erased or anything like that. Sometimes you’ll be your normal self, like you are now, and sometimes you’ll become the baby you always were on the inside. But eventually, you’ll reach a point where both of them are happening at the same time. Does that make more sense?” She asked, opening the door to the nursery, the tiny figure quickly but quietly dashing toward them. "... So... my mental state will shift between the two until they... even out and meet in the middle?" Dante asked, wracking his brain for the best way to phrase it. “Yes, that’s exactly it, Dante.” Sarah interjected, nodding in affirmation. It was then, with a squeak, that the figure leapt out of the shadows. It was a brown teddy bear, with a big grin on its face, its black button eyes quickly glowing green before immediately fading back to their black state. "Well as I live and... well, not really breathe... a new baby has arrived!" Came a feminine voice from the stuffed bear, with a distinctly southern accent. "Hi there little guy, wanna play?" Dante's eyes went wide in surprise. "Is that a talking teddy bear?" Both Mother and Sarah’s eyes were also wide, but they quickly returned to normal, the nanny actually leaning down and holding her arms out. “Fluffy! We haven’t seen you in so long! Come here, little buddy!” The teddy ran over and leapt into her arms. Sarah hugged the stuffed bear close. "And yup! We have a brand new baby! Isn't it so exciting?" "It shore is! What's the little guy's name?" "Dante!" Dante said, broken from his trance of amazement. He then resumed his pouting. "And I'm notta baby. I'm a big boy! ... I mean, a grown-up! GAH! I mean an adult!" “Sure you’re not, Dante.” Mother said, scratching him between his ears. “Fluffy, it’s so nice to see you again. It’s been so long.” She said, turning her head to the teddy. Fluffy giggled and held up a light blue pacifier. "I think that the baby is a little grumpy. Maybe his paci would help?" "I said I'm notta baby!" Ignoring the bunny’s protest, Mother gave a faux thoughtful look, and a small smile to the sentient stuffed animal. “That just might help, Fluffy, thank you.” "Heeeey! I don't wa--MPF!" Dante found the nipple of the paci popped into his mouth. Automatically, his mouth started to suckle the binky, and his body became much more relaxed. That still didn't stop him from grumbling and frowning. The much larger rabbit smiled, lightly tickling him on his tummy. “Don’t get upset, Dante. We’re already back at the nursery.” She said, opening the door to said room. Dante once more found himself giggling and even letting out a happy squeal, not once losing his binky or stopping the suckling. He looked around at the nursery, and saw how bright and loud its color scheme was. There were playpens, play areas, an indoor jungle-gym, a ball pit, long bookshelves and a set of couches and TV's, which Mother was making beeline right for. Humming a tune, Mother maneuvered Dante in her arms, before setting him on his padded butt on the carpet in front of the biggest TV. As she turned to the television, turning it on to find something to watch, Sarah shared a look with Fluffy, before stepping forward and putting the bear in Dante’s lap. “Here, Dante. Fluffy wants to get to know you.” Dante looked down at the animated bear suspiciously, but simply sat there with the bear in his lap. He was surprised to see channels flip by, giggling a little as Mother oohed and awwed at the technology. Stopping every now and again on different channels, including a news channel and a show that showed off tech, Mother couldn’t help herself and let out a little coo. “That’s so precious. You mortals have made so many cute toys and buildings.” "Dose are majew awchievewnts fow us!" Dante cutely lisped around his binky. Mother just smiled. “And it’s adorable, just like I said.” She turned her attention back to the tv, as she continued to search through the channels. Dante rolled his eyes... before they became laser focused on the show Mother stopped on. SassMe Street. He remembered about how much he loved watching this show when he was little. Unbeknownst to him, his mouth curled up in a smile, and he started to watch it with rapt attention. Mother looked to Dante, and seeing the excited look on his face made her heart warm up. She stepped away from the set, watching her baby as he began to bounce excitedly in place. Dante's mind was soon fully engrossed in the show. He happily followed along in counting and spelling and in speaking Spanish. Both the nanny and Mother watched as Dante became enraptured by the children’s show. They shared a look and nodded. This was far too cute to interrupt. They would put him down for a nap when the show was done. Dante giggled and clapped along when the puppets were finishing up, waving back to them as the show came to an end. He then let out a big yawn and hugged Fluffy close. Mother and Sarah shared a knowing smile and, turning off the TV, the giant bunny scooped the boy still hugging the plush into her arms. Cradling him, Mother followed Sarah out of the play area back out into the halls, which were now devoid of cobwebs and cracks, looking freshly painted. Mother rocked Dante while humming a soft tune. Reentering the room she had first met Dante in, Mother headed towards the baby blue crib. She lowered the boy into the crib, and gently pulled the soft blue fleece blanket up on him. She leaned down and planted a kiss on Dante and Fluffy's foreheads, before standing back up and starting the blue star mobile above the crib. It played a faint tune, and Mother stood there, just watching Dante hug Fluffy. "I will return after naptime. Until then, keep Dante safe and sound, okay Fluffy?" she quietly asked the teddy bear. Fluffy, with one arm free, simply saluted, bringing a giggle from Mother who, after giving Dante one more loving gaze, took her leave. There was so much about the mortal world that had changed that she had to learn about. Fluffy watched her go, the door closing behind the Mother. Once her footsteps faded, his button eyes started to glow green again. Fluffy, his smile now a sneer, wriggled free of Dante, and stood over the sleeping teen bunny baby, softly sucking on his binky and making a nuk-nuk-nuk sound. "Well now," they said, "you should learn to get good and comfortable, Dante. Because you're here forever and ever and ever, and when I get through with you, your brain will be just as full of mush as your diapers will be." Fluffy let out a chuckle before they started whispering into Dante's ears, which twitched. Dante slept, unknowingly listening, unaware of his diaper growing warm. I certainly hope that you liked the chapter! Please consider taking the time to leave a review or comment!
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Hi there, readers! I'm here with a little one-off inspired by the picture and story in the following link https://www.furaffinity.net/view/7854418/ . The picture was drawn by Oni-kun for Seifer, who wrote the story, and included a character from a friend of theirs that they lent to them. Thank you so much, Seifer, for letting me write out this story that yours and the pic sparked in my mind! And to everyone reading, I hope that you all enjoy it! The Games We Play by Panther Cub Ibilisi laid there on the grass, glaring at her squadmates. She could hear snickers and laughter coming from the crowd behind her, but she paid them no attention. She raised an eyebrow and looked at her fellow cheerleaders expectantly. "Well? Don't keep me waiting, dammit! You wanted this to happen, so you get to deal with it!" The it she was referring to was the fully loaded diaper, a Poopers' Brand no less, on display for all to see wrapped snugly around her waist. Despite having addressed the entire squad, she instead zeroed in on the vixen responsible for her current situation. I can't believe that Sheila was able to trick me! She's a damn idiot! As she was thinking this, she looked over to the open pack of diapers, proudly displaying the brand name, as well as the tub of wipes and the canister of baby powder that were all set up right next to her. "You pooping yourself is not my problem," Sheila said with a scoff, looking away, only to see that the other girls in their little group were icily looking at her. "What?! Don't tell me that you all think I should be the one to... change her!" It was after saying that a realization sparked to life in the cougar's mind. Wait a second... Sheila is an idiot! "It seems to me, Sheila, that it's only fair that you clean up your own mess," Ibi said with a smirk. The vixen whipped around to scowl at Ibi. "I don't think you're going to be acting so smug when the pictures people have taken and are still taking start making their rounds. You can pretend that you're not humiliated, but you, me, and everyone else here knows otherwise!" Sheila put her paws on her hips, swishing her tail with a self-congratulatory grin on her muzzle, which was quickly whipped away when Ibi rolled her eyes and snorted. "The worst that could possibly happen with this little prank of yours has already happened, Sheila," Ibi stated matter of factly with a smirk. "And sure, people will joke and laugh and bring up me filling my diaper in front from time to time, but in the end, that will fade. Someone will do something else to get everyone's attention, and then another, and then another." "So?" Sheila asked, trying to maintain her haughty attitude, and failing. "So... what if it didn't end? At least not right away." Ibi fought to maintain her cool and aloof demeanor. She may have fallen for Sheila's trap earlier, but she was still a veteran when it came to laying her own. "What do you mean?" Sheila asked, looking back at the other girls, who all seemed just as confused as she did. "What I mean is this. You clean up your mess right here and now, and not only will I continue to wear a diaper for the rest of the game, as we agreed, but I'll also be willing to make another, similar bet." She watched as Sheila stepped forward cautiously, but curiously. "What kind of bet?" As the vixen's tail slowly began to swish back and forth in excitement, Ibi knew that the bait had been taken. "If our team manages to win, I'll stay in diapers for all of next week. If they lose, you'll be the one to wear them. All week long." The vixen rubbed her chin as she mulled this over. "Well, that sounds like more of a risk for me than for you," Sheila said, crossing her arms and turning her nose up, surprising the cougar. "What?" Damn! Ibi thought. "You just said that the worst has already happened for you. People saw you in a diaper, that you pooped, and, if I agree to take this deal, will then have changed, right here in front of a stadium of witnesses! A week wearing diapers to school is nothing compared to that!" Sheila huffed, irritating Ibi. "Fine then, a month. And the winner gets to pick outfits for the loser to wear!" Even if she somehow lost, which didn't seem likely due to their team's performance so far, Ibi could do a month in diapers and ugly or humiliating clothes easily. Grinning internally, she knew she could make anything look good. "Yeah, no. That's not good enough for me. How about..." Sheila began to scratch her chin while looking thoughtful, her tail still swishing with excitement. "Loser has to wear diapers for the rest of the game season, as well as becomes the cheerleading squad's unofficial mascot, with all of us on the squad getting to be the loser's babysitters, pick outfits for said loser, and regularly check to see if they need a diaper change." At this, the other girls started to smile and whisper to each other in excitement. "O-oh, really?" Ibi tried to think about how confident she actually was that their school's team was going to lose this game. "Unless, of course, you don't think you can do it?" That got Ibi's attention, and indeed, her entire focus, on the smug grin Sheila was now sporting. "Which is understandable for a little Pawper-packer like yourself." So she thinks she's going to get me to chicken out?! We'll see about that! Ibi let her bitchy nature take over again. It helped see her through what would have been the most humiliating moment of a weaker girl's life, and it'll help her again. "Well then, why stop at just the end of the season? Why not until the end of the school year?" Ibi practically snarled. "How about the rest of this year and all of next?" The other cheerleaders couldn't believe that they were witnessing Sheila and Ibi haggle over how long the loser of their next bet would have to be in diapers. Most were amazed at how she tried to remain intimidating while laying there on the grass, next to the changing supplies, still waiting on a diaper change. "All the way through to graduation night!" Ibi said. That made the vixen pause, as though she only just now considered how much time in diapers that would be, and the considerable power that the winner could have over the loser. She looked pensive as she turned to look at their school's team, spotting her boyfriend talking to some of the other players on the sidelines. Ibi wasn't sure how much longer halftime was going to be, but it couldn't be much longer. That was when she thought of one more card she could play. The cougar followed Sheila's line of sight and caught the eye of the vixen's leopard boyfriend. She waved to him while winking suggestively. He looked at her confused, before he smiled and waved back. Diaper or not, Ibi was still practically a professional when it came to flirting. Sheila could see that he was looking away from her and realized just who he was waving at. Her tail bushed out and she had to bite back an angry yip. "DEAL!" Sheila dropped to her knees in front of Ibi and grabbed the container of wipes as well as a fresh diaper, making a big show of fluffing it out. Ibi, the crowd nearest them, several players, and the rest of their cheer squad, watched as the vixen tore both tapes and, with one paw, gathered up Ibilisi's legs at the ankles. Ibi couldn't help but blush a little from some sounds of disgust once her diaper was opened, and chose not to look down. She let out a sigh as she spotted a few people in the stands with their phones out to snap some more pictures and record her public diaper change. The cougar was surprised at how thorough Sheila was during the process. She used the front half of the diaper to clean up most of the mess, setting it aside. She then set about using a couple pawfuls of wipes to rigorously continue cleaning Ibi's bottom and other affected areas. She took a moment to use her free paw to ball them all up into the used diaper and tape it shut. Sheila slid the clean diaper under Ibi's bottom, and proceeded to give her a very liberal dusting of baby powder. After her legs were lowered and her front was also dusted, the front of the diaper was pulled up, and the tapes snugly attached. After taking a second to check the leg gathers, Ibilisi was rolled onto her side, so that Sheila could then affix the tape right above the tail. With that, she gave Ibi's padded bottom a hearty slap, signifying that the change was over, and smiling a little from the puff of powder that escaped as a result. "No different from when I have to babysit... well, aside from the size that is. Anyways, I think you're a big enough girl to be trusted to put her own skirt back on... for now," Sheila said in a sickeningly sweet voice used for very small children. She grabbed the balled up used diaper and carried it over to a nearby trash can, before jogging off to a nearby restroom. Ibi assumed it was so the vixen in question could wash her paws. Ibi blushed a little as she fastened her skirt back on, shooting the milling other cheerleaders a death glare. They scurried back to their squad's proper spot. As she started walking back towards them, crinkling a little as she did so, Ibi started to wonder if she'd made a mistake. "... Nah," she muttered to herself, ignoring the laughs she got as she picked up her pom-poms. "There's no way our team's going to win this one." * * * HOW COULD THEY WIN?! THEY FUMBLED ALMOST EVERY FREAKIN' PASS FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE DAMN GAME!!! Ibi was livid, and blushing furiously as she heard the coos and excited chatter about what adorable outfits they could pick for her coming from her own squadmates. Her sour mood and the growing feeling of dread was a stark contrast to the players and fans in the stand celebrating the landslide, come-from-behind victory. When it became apparent that their team was going to win, Ibi had started to panic internally, not being helped by Sheila constantly catching her eye and grinning at her. Maybe she could talk Sheila out of this bet somehow... "Hey everyone! It looks like our squad's got a new mascot, Baby Ibilisi!" Ibi turned around to see Sheila holding the bullhorn that she was only supposed to use to help pump up the crowd or lead them in a cheer! The vixen seemed to be doing just that, as she practically skipped right over to the speechless cougar and, in one fluid motion, whipped Ibi's skirt off before throwing an arm around her shoulders. "Little Ibi here promised that if our team won, she was going to wear diapers all the way to graduation! Now that's dedication and some serious school spirit!" The stands erupted into cheers, and Ibi stood there, the rest of her squadmates practically beaming with elation, she forced a confident smirk and waved to the crowd. She wasn't sure how, but she knew that she was going to make Sheila pay. Monday Morning... Ibi confidently strode through the school's front doors, ignoring whispers and laughs she could hear from her peers as she passed. Any she fixed with a glare immediately shut up, bringing a smile to her face, despite the faint crinkling that came from under her skirt as she walked, albeit with a slight waddle. She was determined not to let this little setback ruin her meticulously crafted social life, nor let Sheila think for a moment that she won. The cougar may have lost the bet, but she would be damned before she would show a shred of weakness in front of that airheaded vixen. So what if she was stuck in diapers for the foreseeable future? Heading towards the locker room, her ears picking up on the faint sounds of excited chatter and giggles coming from her squad mates, she smirked. If they thought for one moment that her being the squad's unofficial baby mascot would mean she would no longer be calling the shots, or that she would be acting more meek, they were dead wrong. She pulled the double doors open and walked inside, her tail swishing as she entered her full bitch mode once again. She came to a stop just as the room fell silent, her paws on her hips. She looked at her squadmates, glowering at them as if to dare them to say anything about what they all knew she was wearing at that moment. Most quickly became uncomfortable and looked away, the exception not being at all a surprise to the cougar. "There she is!" Sheila practically skipped over to a duffel bag set on the ground near Ibi's locker. Ibilisi simply raised an eyebrow while crossing her arms, silently waiting for Sheila to continue. "Well don't be shy, little Ibi." Sheila spoke with a coo as she reached down and unzipped the bag, pulling out what at first Ibi thought was their cheer uniform. It was a bit wrong though, as the top and the skirt were connected, with an odd extra flap of cloth hanging down, clearly coming from within the skirt itself. On the chest was a print of a pacifier, almost identical to the one that was clipped to the top of the outfit, dangling from a pink lanyard. Ibi cringed internally as she realized what she was looking at, ensuring to maintain a cool outer demeanor. "Isn't it cute? We chipped in and got this made custom onesie just for you! And the skirt is even detachable, to make diaper changes easier," Sheila said, practically beaming with excitement as she pulled the skirt off, which Ibi only now realized was much shorter than their usual uniform skirts. "Well, that is pretty adorable, although I am curious about where you got it from," Ibilisi said after a moment of thinking it over. Like back at the game, the other cheerleaders looked at each other, confused at Ibilisi's response. Instead of humiliation or outright rage at the prospect of being made to wear such an infantile outfit, the cougar simply smiled and removed her skirt, revealing the padding underneath. "Uh, w-what are you doing, Ibi?" Shela asked this, also confused, and more than a little annoyed. She had been certain that this would have gotten more of a reaction out of the bitchy cougar. "We need to make sure it fits, don't we?" Ibi stated this simply, like she was talking about the weather. She unbuttoned her blouse, leaving her in just her pink bra and puffy white diaper. After folding up her clothes, she stepped over to the annoyed vixen and stood there expectantly. "Well?" Ibi asked, annoyed, once more putting her paws on her hips. "Well, what?" Sheila asked, confused. "In our deal, we agreed that the loser would be the squad's baby mascot, with all the other squadmates acting as the loser's babysitters," Ibi said with a bored tone, rolling her eyes. Sheila frowned, not liking the attitude she was getting. "Yeah?" Ibi rolled her eyes again and began to speak slowly, like she was talking to a child. "Since when do babies dress themselves?" Sheila scowled at that. "Fine!" She motioned for Ibi to raise her arms, to which the cougar was more than happy to comply, and then began to pull the onesie on her charge. Ibi's head popped through the neck hole, and her arms through the arm holes of the tanktop upper part. She looked down, being surprised a little when the pacifier was shoved into her mouth. "Be a good girl and keep that in for now for big sis Sheila, and maybe you'll get a special treat later," Sheila said, her tail wagging as she saw a slight blush on Ibi's face. The cougar complied, regaining her composure while Sheila made a show of taking a moment to check her diaper, before tugging the flap up over the front and snapping the buttons connecting it into place. It was a slightly snug fit, but Ibi found that it at least wasn't too tight. Sheila then clipped the skirt part back on, and Sheila saw that her earlier assessment was correct, it was a much shorter skirt than their usual uniform ones. This little piece of fabric barely covered the top third of the padded bulge around her waist, making it very clear to anyone looking just what Ibi was wearing. "Oh good, we got the measurements correct! Now we can order some more cute outfits!" Sheila gushed, grinning up at Ibi, while some of the now snickering other girls started to take pics of the babified cougar. Ibi saw that Sheila wasn't ready to back down, and she most certainly wasn't going to either. She really wants to commit to this game? Then so be it. "I'm glad, Sheila," Ibi said, spitting her brand new binky out, taking a dominant stand with her arms crossed. "I can't wait to see what other cute outfit ideas you all can come up with." The other cheerleaders were starting to look confused, due in no small part to the fact that even dressed in large baby clothes, Ibi seemed to radiate authority. As Ibi looked on, she could see that a few of the other girls realized that they had been poking a sleeping cougar alpha bitch who, despite wearing a diaper and onesie, was wide awake and more than a little intimidating with the grin on her muzzle. "Alright girls, I hope you're all pumped and bringing your A-game today. Our pyramid collapsing like that during Saturday's game was inexcusable and pathetic! We're going to be doing drills today, again and again and again. In fact, we're going to keep doing them each day until we can form a pyramid blindfolded and asleep. Am I understood?" "Uh, actually, little Ibi, I thought--" Sheila started, only to be cut off. "Thought what? That because of my new role that my old one as captain would suddenly be yours?" Ibi let out a chuckle at that, making Sheila's tail bush out in anger. "I don't think so. All that's really changed now is that you all are responsible for dressing me and changing my diapers, as far as I'm concerned. And everyone, be sure to thank Sheila for this new changeup for our squad. None of this would be possible without her." With that, Ibilisi gathered up her blouse and skirt and folded them, quickly putting them into her locker. She gave the other girls a wave before exiting to head to class, not at all acting concerned about her new outfit. All the while, the rest of the squad was glaring daggers at Sheila, who at first looked bewildered, and then annoyed. Without saying it outright, Ibilisi had challenged Sheila to a new game, to see who would break first and ask for this whole thing to be called off. "Ball's in your court, Sheila," Ibi muttered under her breath as she let her bitch mode take over again, not bothering to acknowledge any of the other students who stopped to stare. Epilogue... "Will you hurry it up? I don't want to be late!" Ibi complained from the pink changing mat she was laying on, her legs being held up by Sheila, who was in the middle of using one paw to deftly ball up the used diaper. She set it off to the side and grabbed the baby powder, giving the cougar's bottom a good dusting. "Hey, I'm not the one who picked right now to poop themselves, baby butt!" Sheila snapped, dusting the front of Ibi's diaper area, before setting her legs back down and pulling the front of the fresh diaper up. "You wanted this to happen," Ibi said, the pink plush wolf toy in her arms. However, internally, she was feeling anxious. Not that she would let Sheila see it. Ibi rolled over once the taped on the front were secured, so that Sheila could secure the last one above her tail. With the ever familiar pat to her padded posterior, Ibi began to get up. Currently, she was just wearing a bright yellow t-shirt with the words Big Stinker on the front, and her new diaper. Once Sheila had tossed the balled up one into a nearby trash can, she then helped Ibi put on her dark blue cap and gown, a match to Sheila's own. "Alright, let's get this over with," Sheila said with an annoyed huff, taking Ibi by the paw, and leading her out of the ladies' room. They walked back to their seats, the vixen clearly annoyed that the names were already being called. "You just had to cut it so close," she hissed under her breath. Part of Ibi wanted to pop her thumb in her mouth, but instead kept it on her wolf plush. "When you have to go, you have to go," Ibi said simply, feigning a smug grin. When she heard her name being called, she passed the wolf to Sheila, who simply rolled her eyes and took it, before making her way up the stage. She flashed a confident smile as she looked out on her classmates, giving Sheila a wink. Inside, however, she felt a growing sense of dread. Sometime during the last year, she had found that she would start to have accidents. It started during the night as she slept, which the cougar was quick to write off. But then they started to become more frequent, and would sometimes even happen in the daytime when she was too focused, to suddenly realize she needed to go very badly. After that, she would start to wet or mess without even realizing she was doing it. Sheila and the other girls from their squad had thought she was doing it without telling them just to be a little more difficult. And as graduation had approached, the prideful cougar had found herself stuck in a rather unique situation. She and Sheila both refused to back down, and so Ibilisi couldn't allow for a moment of weakness to be shown. But, no matter how much she didn't want to admit it, she was gradually losing control of her potty training. After today is over, this whole thing will be over, and I can just switch back to non-disposable underwear soon, she thought to herself, accepting her diploma. She held it up with a look of triumph on her face as she looked directly at Sheila once more. As she started to step off the stage and head back to her seat, however, Ibi realized that her diaper was no longer crinkling, but instead was making a soft squish as she walked, signifying she'd wet herself. Maybe after a little adjustment period... As she walked, a certain vixen watched, almost missing her own name being called. She could see that Ibi was walking with a slightly more pronounced waddle, and she was trying to hide a blush. Sheila got up and passed the stuffed wolf to Ibi, who quickly took it, trying to look annoyed. But the gears were starting to turn in Sheila's head. Heading up the steps of the stage, the vixen's tail began to slowly wag. The vixen grinned as she accepted her diploma, looking for and quickly spotting Ibi, who had her thumb in her mouth. Their little game wasn't over yet, and it might be heading into overtime. And there you have it folks! This was a fun little one-shot!
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Hello there! Well... once again, I got an idea for a new story, and now have yet another one to work on, with already a long list. Sighs Anyways, this is a fun idea that I hope you enjoy! Please consider leaving a comment or review, as that really does just make my day! Youth Center (Chapter One) by Panther Cub "DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD! Please don't make me do this!" Jessica complained from the passenger seat. The light grey bunny girl looked up at her white and brown spotted father in desperation. "Jessie, this is happening," he said, resolute. "You're 15, you need a job, and you need to get away from those friends of yours for awhile." Thomas doesn't like putting his foot down like this, but he knew that he had to stay strong. "But, a daycare? I don't want to be stuck with a bunch of screaming kids and changing diapers! Can't I get the job at the shop Erika's mom owns?" Jessica pleaded, giving her father the sad eyes, which he ignored and focused on the road. "I just said that you need to be away from those trouble-makers you call friends, like Erika. Besides, all of their parents agree that some time apart from one another and attitude adjustments all around are in order." Thomas said, signaling before turning down a road. They were a few miles outside of the city, passing by rolling green hills with a forest coming into view in the distance. "Can't I at least have my phone?" Jessica asked, desperate. "No," Thomas said with a roll of his eyes, "you'll be on that thing non-stop until they take it away from you. So I decided that it was best to cut out the middleman." "You mean mom decided," Jessica huffed, crossing her arms and pouting. "I decided, Jessie," Thomas said with a sigh as they started to approach a large building. The outside was painted a calming robin's egg blue, with a manicured lawn and hedges in the front yard, and a very large fenced off area in the back, a bright multi-colored jungle gym already in sight. "Whatever," Jessica said, looking away, staring out the window. "Now, Jessie," Thomas said as they pulled into the long U-shaped driveway, turning to look at his oldest daughter, "this place is going to be a wonderful experience for you. Your mother and I researched it thoroughly and even met with the owner herself. And she assured us that proper disciplinary actions will be taken to help curb your negative behavior. So do not expect for us to come and get you if you start acting up." "So my first job is going to be more like I'm a prisoner, surrounded by a bunch of brats, oh joy," Jessica said, full-on snark. "Sweetheart, we don't like doing this, but you didn't leave us much of a choice. All that's going to happen is that here, while you work, you'll also work on correcting your bad behaviors, and making some extra money on the side... for college," Thomas added with emphasis when he saw the gleam flash in Jessica's eyes, before she resumed pouting. "Think of it like a fresh start." "Yeah, a fresh start to spend my entire summer vacation being brainwashed, whoopee," Jessica said, unbuckling her seatbelt and opening her door. Thomas sighed and killed the engine as he got out, looking over to see Jessica straightening her simple light green t-shirt and jeans. He then went around to the trunk and grabbed her two suitcases, before the two headed towards the big oak double doors. They passed by a large bronze sign set in a stone wall next to the walkway. Happy Cubs Youth Center, the polished bronze glinting in the afternoon sunlight. The front doors opened with ease, and the two were greeted by the feeling of the cool AC and the happy chatter and occasional screams of children. The long halls had various pastel murals painted on them of cartoon characters and cute scenes. The tiled floor beneath their feet, which was polished, was colorful with differing zig-zag patterns. The lights overhead were bright, yet soft, not harsh in the least. Seeing the reception desk, Thomas nudged Jessica, who trudged with him over to it. Sitting at the desk was a chipper-looking bear female, wearing a lavender skirt-suit. "Welcome to Happy Cubs," she said in a melodious voice, "are you checking in as one of our new cubs?" she asked, looking at Jessica, who blushed and shook her head. "I'm here for work," she said, sounding gruff about it. "I'm Thomas Thumperton and this is my daughter Jessica, and we have an appointment with Mrs. Clawto." Thomas said, politely, as he set Jessica's suitcases down and adjusted his tie. He was wearing his navy blue suit, still nervous that Jessica could somehow disqualify herself from the program. "Right on time, Mr. Thumperton," a voice purred to their left. Jessica and Thomas both turned to see, casually strolling down the hall, a very large and muscular, yet clearly feminine, white tigress. She was dressed in a simple, yet somehow elegant, white sundress. "And this must be little Jessica," she said, reaching over and rubbing the bunny girl's head. Jessica's ears had been drooping at her displeasure, but the sudden surprising headrub made them perk back up in surprise, just before she stepped away, batting away the larger paw. "Hey, I'm not one of the little kids you're used to dealing with here every day!" She said, indignantly. Mrs. Clawto simply laughed, a surprisingly musical sound. "I'm sorry, sweetheart," she said, looking down at the girl, "it's a force of habit." She then turned to Thomas, who was nervous that they were about to be turned away. "Please relax, Tom, your little Jessie seems just as spirited as you described. I think she's going to fit right in. Now, how about we go see her new room?" "Or, how about me and my dad get back in the car, and go home?" Jessica snarked in, not appreciating people discussing her as though she wasn't there in her presence. "That's enough, Jessie. Mrs. Clawto was kind enough to take you on, and you're staying, end of discussion!" Tom said, Jessica's ears perked back up in shock, before drooping as she looked at her feet. "Fine," she mumbled. The white tigress chuckled, her tail swishing. "It's quite alright, Tom," she said, resting a calming paw on his shoulder. "Children like Jessie just need a little extra help, and working with her here at Happy Cubs Youth Center will be sure to help her see things from a different perspective. Now, follow me you two." With that, she turned and started to walk down the hall. Jessica reached down and grabbed her suitcases, grumbling and trudging along behind her father, who was smiling, clearly in good spirits. "Don't worry, baby carrot," Tom said, making Jessica wince with the use of the old childish nickname he had never stopped calling her, "once we get you all settled in, you'll be having fun in no time!" "Not likely," was Jessica's surly reply. "Please try not to fret, sweetheart," Mrs. Clawto said with a purr, "I promise you that your stay here is going to be very fulfilling." The tigress stopped at an elevator and pressed the up button. It let out a ding, and the polished stainless steel doors slid open. Getting on, Jessica became aware of the elevator music, it being the childish song The Wheels On the Bus, without any vocals. She simply rolled her eyes and tried to ignore the almost obnoxious pastel yellow of the side doors. She didn't bother to see what floor her new boss had selected, but after a few moments there was a ding, and she looked up to find that they were now on the sixth floor. The walls of this floor were a light green, and the tiled floors had a more swirled pattern to it. They turned down a few halls, before coming to a door. "Now this floor is reserved mainly for live-in staff. Of course, sometimes some of our more adventurous kids tend to come exploring. But don't worry, during your training here, you'll learn what to do in such an event." Mrs. Clawto was far too chipper for Jessica's liking. They then came to a door. There was no number on it, and Jessica had no idea how she was going to keep track of where her room was, but shrugged it off for now. "We use keycards for the staff living quarters, staff break rooms, and most areas that are generally off-limits to the little ones," the tigress said, pulling out a keycard on a pink lanyard from her white purse, and waved it in front of the knob. There was a light beep and a loud click, and she turned the knob, swinging the door open. She then turned and handed Jessica that card. "This will be your temporary keycard, until we make one that will serve as your staff i.d., which we will do tomorrow. Now try not to lose it, sweetie." Jessica rolled her eyes and slipped the lanyard over her head. They then headed into the room. Looking around, Jessica internally grudgingly acknowledged that the room was decent. It was like a hotel room, with a large queen-sized bed in the main room. There was a small walk-in closet, next to the door to the bathroom, which had a giant wall-sized mirror behind the sink. The carpet was soft beneath her feet, and was a very light blue. She frowned at the sight of a picture of a baby bunny in a yellow dress, thumb in her mouth, lying down in a crib hanging on the wall. It didn't help that the bunny in the picture had the same light grey fur with the same white cream colored fur on her chin, neck, and presumably stomach. "Can I remove the picture?" Jessica asked, setting her suitcases down on top of the bed's comforter. "I'm afraid not, sweetheart," Mrs. Clawto said. "It's bolted to the wall. It also happens to be a picture that one of our more gifted little ones painted." Jessica sighed and let it drop, while her father continued to look around. "Oh wow! This is like a fancy hotel room! Now see? Don't you feel silly for all the fuss you were putting up?" "Oh yes, it's every fifteen-year-old's dream to sleep in a daycare," Jessica said, zipping open her suitcases and taking out her clothes, already neatly folded, and started to put them away in the drawers across from the bed. On top of the drawers was a large flatscreen tv, which made the bunny girl feel a little better. "Well, baby carrot, this is goodbye," Tom said, feeling a flood of emotion. He was always known to be the emotional one back at home. He walked up and practically smothered his daughter in a tight hug. "Now remember to call us every day. You can use the staff phone. And your mother and I will come and visit you once a week on parents' day, just in case you're worried about feeling lonely." "What's parents' day?" Jessica asked, confused. "It's when parents of our guests and those little ones that are staying here for a while longer than just a day come to visit and participate with their little ones," Mrs. Clawto chimed in with a bright smile. Jessica simply rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she mumbled. "Oh! Before you finish putting away your clothes and other items, I almost forgot to ask," Mrs. Clawto said, "do you have a recent history of bedwetting?" That made Jessica freeze, her ears going rigid. "Oh yes, actually, for the past week, she's had three... uh... nighttime accidents." "DAD!" Jessica said, blushing underneath her fur. All three accidents had bewildered the teenaged bunny. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about, sweetheart," Mrs. Clawto said, stepping forward, sounding conciliatory. "We just need to take some precautions, that's all." "Precautions?" Jessica asked, confused. "Yes. Since these mattresses are so expensive to clean, we require those of our live-in employees with problems with nighttime accidents to wear some protection." She was so sweet and motherly as she said it, that Jessica almost didn't understand what she meant. And then it clicked, and Jessica's cheeks burned bright red beneath her fur. "I am NOT wearing a diaper! No way! I don't need it!" she said, stamping her foot indignantly. "Jessica!" her father bellowed, which cut off her spur-of-the-moment-would-be-tirade, making her shrink in on herself a little. Her father had always been slow to anger, but when he did, he could be very imposing. Now was one of those moments as he looked at her with hard eyes. "You will NOT throw a tantrum just because there's a rule here that you do not like! Whether you like it or not, young lady, you will follow all of their rules, and you will be on your best behavior. Have I made myself clear?" Jessica trembled a little, before quietly nodding her head. "Y-yes, daddy," she said, her voice quiet and meek. Almost instantly, the stern face of her father evaporated into his usual sunny smiling one. "That's my good girl," he said, hugging her and rubbing her head, splaying her ears as he did so. He planted a kiss on her forehead as he let go. "And the nighttime protection isn't permanent for your duration here," Mrs. Clawto added, putting a massive arm around the girl's shoulders. "If you can go a full week without any accidents, you can sleep without them. Can you be a big girl for me and go one week with your protection?" "Uh... w-well... I guess..." Jessica said, now feeling small. "Good girl, I'm so proud of you." Mrs. Clawto said, giving Jessica a hug. With another tearful goodbye from her dad, Tom took his leave. Jessica's boss helped her to put away the last of her clothes, tucking the suitcases away in the closet, where a number of Jessica's blouses and shirts and a few dresses were now hanging. "Do you need to take a quick potty break before we continue on with the tour?" Jessica did a double-take, but quickly brushed it off as a result of the tigress spending so much time around small children. "Uhm, I'm good, thank you," Jessica said. "Alright, but speak up if you need to potty," Mrs. Clawto said, leading Jessica out of her room, waiting to check that the door locked after it had shut, which it did. They started to walk down the hall, which was still without any identifying landmarks. "Uh, how do I find my room?" Jessica thought to ask as they made their way down the winding hall finally making it to the elevators. "We actually got some remodeling done so sometime this week number plaques will be set up along the walls and on the doors. Until then, we're going to have adult chaperones show the employees to their rooms." Mrs. Clawto said. Jessica nodded, not liking the idea of a chaperone, even for a few days. "Now, the finer points of your responsibilities will be covered in orientation tomorrow, where you will also meet all of your other fellow employees," the tigress said after the elevator doors closed and they started to go down. "But in large part, for the first couple of weeks, you'll all be more or less the special helpers of the adults and older kids leading their classes. That includes things like setting up chairs, clearing away toys, keeping an eye on the little ones as they play, that sort of thing. And you'll be interchanging frequently from the various age groups, until we find the one that best suits you. I'm going to be upfront with you, and let you know that the teachers of the older age groups usually do well on their own, so only a few of you will be joining their classes on a regular basis. The majority of you will be joining the younger classes, like the kindergarten and younger age groups." Mrs. Clawto explained, making Jessica's head swim a little. "Ugh... please don't tell me that I'm going to have to change any diapers," Jessica said with a shudder, making the tigress giggle. "Oh sweetheart, I'm sure you'll become much more comfortable with diapers after a little while," she said, just so upbeat that it made Jessica roll her eyes. The elevator came to a stop at the bottom floor and dinged. There was some more idle children chatter and squeals of joy to be faintly heard. "Now, since we only finished with the renovations recently, our current number of little ones is a bit on the small side, however, since we're expanding into a more scholastic area, we're going to be enrolling a lot more children. So summertime will be more of a preview for when we open our services for the school year. We're going to have classes and teachers extending from pre-school all the way to high school!" she said as she started to lead Jessica down the halls. "Wait, high school? Really?" Jessica asked, confused. The tigress simply nodded. "Absolutely. Due to the constraints of the current education system, facilities like Happy Cubs are taking a much more extended and involved approach to education and development. Whether it's starting with a little one and helping them to grow and learn, to the program you're currently enrolled under, to help correct certain behavioral patterns, and maybe sneak in a college prep class or two," Mrs. Clawto said with a happy wink, "we plan to help all of our children develop and mature, with personalized plans based on individual needs. Thankfully with generous amounts of private funding." "Wow..." was all that Jessica could think to say. Yeah, because teens are gunna be so thrilled to attend a high school called Happy Cubs Youth Center. Gods, this is so embarrassing! After rounding a few more corners, passing by various doors labeled Wiggly Worms and Busy Bees and such, Mrs. Clawto waved her own keycard, which had her picture and i.d. on it, in front of a doorknob and opened it, holding it open for Jessica. She entered an office-looking room, with several tables, a microwave, a fridge, a large flatscreen against one wall, with the new GF5 and the new GameTrapezoid Series Y in a cabinet underneath. There was also a bookshelf and some bean bag chairs, a sink, some cabinets, and other amenities. "This is the student-staff breakroom, just for those enrolled in our adjustment program. This is where you'll take your breaks, socialize with others, and generally decompress," said Mrs. Clawto. "Woah, you've got the latest consoles?! But they're not even out yet!" Jessica said, impressed. "Mmhmm, just some of the perks," the tigress said with a giggle at the bunny's excitement. "Now, we shall continue with our tour!" Jessica was then led back out to the hall and down a few doors, to be let into another room. This one looked like a school room with desks and what appeared to be a teacher's desk at the front, complete with markerboard. "This is the student-staff meeting room. Unless having been assigned otherwise the previous day, this is where you all will come for early morning updates, schedules, and assignments." "Assignments? What, like homework?" Jessica said, a note of displeasure in her voice. "No, silly," Mrs. Clawto said, giving her charge another head rub, "while we are teaching responsibility for those like you, we take a different approach to it. Assignments are more like games and projects intended to be fun and stimulating. Like scavenger hunts, games of whodunnit mysteries, and so on. It's to help you further socialize and bond not only with your fellow student-employees, but also with those teaching you, as well as help you learn and think in ways you're not used to. Why, we even run a few escape rooms! And of course, we don't exclude the little ones out of the fun there. Although, before they arrive en masse, you'll all be given the chance to experience them first-paw, if you'd like." "Woah... that all sounds pretty cool... I guess," Jessica said, now even more excited. "I knew that you'd like it! Now, we're not done yet!" The tigress then led Jessica out of the room and down a few more halls, pointing out different rooms with different teachers assigned to them, before leading her out the back and into the playground. Jessica had to stop, her eyes wide with wonder. The fenced off area was much larger than she had initially thought based on the glimpse she had seen. The area was so massive that she spotted two baseball fields, a soccer field, what had to easily be the world's largest jungle gym, what looked to be a garden, several large sandboxes and, gated off, an olympic-sized swimming pool, complete with water-slides and lifeguard towers. There was even a section of the woods fenced in with a trail on it. What's more, Jessica noted that the afternoon had shifted to late-afternoon and was quickly approaching dusk. "Exercise and getting in touch with nature are very important here as well. So we try to incorporate as much as we can. Of course, safety comes first, especially so out here, so we have to remain vigilant of the pool and forest areas especially, as well as the jungle gym, despite all of the safety rails and such. In fact, part of your job will include forming teams to go in and help clear out any stragglers, as well as find any messes like spilled juice... or accidents that may have happened inside, and mark the section off so that it may be cleaned. And don't worry, our top-notch custodial staff will handle the cleaning aspect." The more Mrs. Clawto spoke, the more Jessica started to feel that this was not going to be as terrible as she had thought. "Why, we even allow for our student-employees to spend some time out here each day without the little ones. Of course, it's all divided into shifts, same for the classes and their different recess times." "Holy crap! The tuition here must be friggin' astronomical!" Jessica said, suddenly finding a white-furred finger wagging in her face. "Now, I would like to impress upon you, Jessie, that naughty language like that will not be tolerated. Not only are you here to help out and make this a fun and rewarding experience for the little ones, but you are also to act as a role model for them. So no more potty-mouth, alright sweetheart?" Jessica nodded, finding herself being hugged all of a sudden. "I'm sorry to be so stern with you," Mrs. Clawto said, gently rubbing Jessica's back, "I know that you're really a good girl. You just need a little extra help staying one. But don't worry, that'll be something we here will help you work on." She released the admonished and slightly abashed-looking bunny and smiled down at her. "Now, how about we meet up with some of your new friends in the cafeteria? I'll bet you could go for an early dinner." Jessica didn't get the chance to respond, as her stomach let out a hungry growl that was almost a full-on bark. Mrs. Clawto giggled and booped Jessica on her pink nose. "Sounds like your tummy emphatically agrees, come along now," she said, taking Jessica by the hand and leading her back inside. They came out to a large space with tables and a buffet-style line up of food. All of the smells made Jessica's mouth water, and forget that she was being led by the paw. She saw some other teenagers standing in line and sitting at tables, chatting and eating. She spotted a lizard girl with pink scales dressed in a black t-shirt with a red miniskirt on, talking to an excited black cat who was wearing a purple band shirt and jeans, animatedly discussing something. A wolf boy with a surly-looking face was sitting by himself, eating what appeared to be macaroni and cheese on his tray. An opossum girl in a red dress was laughing uncontrollably at the antics of another wolf boy, this one with russet-fur. A pair of foxes were in line, both snow white and appearing to be brother and sister, and as far as Jessica could see, there was no one else her age in the cafeteria. She saw several adults standing around, keeping an eye on things, and eating their own lunches. There were a couple of female kangaroos, a friendly-looking male lion, a male jackrabbit, a female coyote, and a panda lady. "This is just a few of your new friends. But don't worry, they're all good kids, and more will be joining us soon. In fact, the rest are all confirmed as being on their way. Not everyone's parents could personally bring them, so others are being bussed in. I'm sure that you're all going to have lots of fun together," Mrs. Clawto said as she brought Jessica to the buffet line and handed her a tray. Looking around at all the choices that made the bunny girl's mouth water, she elected to settle for a fruit salad, a yogurt, and some grape juice. Mrs. Clawto, who got a few slices of ribs, a salad, and a small smoothie, saw Jessica to her table. "Now, if you need me, I'll be right over there with the other grownups, okay sweetie? Also, remember to bus your own tray like a good girl." She gave Jessica a couple of affectionate headpats, ignoring her scowl, and went off to be greeted by the other adults. "This place is nice, but she's seriously gotta stop talking to me like I'm a little kid," Jessica grumbled to herself just before she popped a grape into her mouth. "It seems to be a pretty common thing amongst the teachers here," came a voice to Jessica's side that made her jump and almost choke on her grape, She swallowed and looked to her left to see the energetic cat sitting right next to her. "Hi! I'm Alyssa!" she said, extending her paw. Jessica looked her over and concluded that this girl was the same age as her. "Jessica. So I take it that you're here for punishment too?" she asked. "Pretty much, although, going through this place, it doesn't feel much like a punishment," Alyssa said with a smile. "True... but still, we're probably going to think differently once the work starts." "Maybe, but it still seems like a fun place to work!" Jessica quickly decided that this cat was just bursting with energy on a regular basis. They chatted for a little bit as Jessica ate, before she finished and took her tray and set it in the appropriate alcove next to the buffet line. Then she turned to see the teachers all herding the other teens to do the same and out the different doors. Mrs. Clawto approached her and gave her another headpat. "Good girl, bussing your own tray like that! And already, it looks like you made a new friend. I'm so proud of you!" She said. Jessica searched her voice for any trace of condescension, and found none, and so shrugged the treatment off, figuring that there's a way to submit anonymous complaints if the treatment didn't let up. She too was herded out to the halls and towards the elevator. "Now, don't worry about not being able to remember all of the areas and directions. You'll pick it up soon enough. Besides, there'll be teachers and hall monitors to help you if you still get lost from time to time." Mrs. Clawto said on the ride back up the elevator. Once more she led Jessica through the halls of the sixth floor, now able to see other adult staff and teens, some with their doors open, before they came to her room. Mrs. Clawto had Jessica unlock her room herself with her temporary keycard. "Good girl! See, you're getting the hang of this place already!" she praised, making Jessica blush and confused on how to respond from such praise for doing a simple task. "Now, feel free to watch a little tv and relax until bedtime, which is 10 PM. The tv will actually not be able to be turned back on until morning after 10 anyways, and will shut itself off. Also, I'll be back around then to help you get ready for bed, so how about washing up first?" Mrs. Clawto said, making Jessica blush. "F-fine... but seriously, a bedtime?" Jessica said, with a whine in her voice. Mrs. Clawto simply smiled warmly. "The little ones will be on a sleep schedule that we all have to meet, sweetheart. Can't have you staying up super late and then sleeping in, or worse, being groggy all day. But don't worry, the routine will become something you'll get used to after a while," She said, patting Jessica on the head once more. She showed herself out, and Jessica sighed, trying not to think about the humiliation that was to come later. She hopped in the shower, after stripping off her clothes, and relaxed as she bathed, She spent some time at the furdryer, before brushing out her fur, with the tv on. Of course, it was only kid-friendly shows and movies, but she was at least able to put on The Revengers, and get dressed in her pj's. The pajamas themselves were just a simple white t-shirt and some green shorts. Just as 10 o'clock rolled around, her tv shut itself off, just as promised, and there was a knock at her door. Jessica briefly considered the idea of simply not answering, but knew that Mrs. Clawto could open it anyway. The knocking was just a courtesy. She sighed and got up and went to the door, opening it, her eyes suddenly going wide. Mrs. Clawto was standing there, smiling down at her, holding a package of Snuggies brand Sleeptights. "What if someone saw!" Jessica whined as she stepped back to let the tigress in. Mrs. Clawto giggled as she set the package down on the dresser and tore it open. "It's perfectly okay, Jessica, there is nothing to be afraid of. Now, be a big girl for me and lie back on your bed." She said, pulling ove of the offending garments out, and fluffed it. Jessica saw that this was the version of Sleeptights, pink with flowers for girls, that had tabs like a diaper. "C-can't I put it on myself..." she asked, blushing. "Sorry, sweetheart, but this way we know it's going on nice and properly. Now, please lie down. The sooner we can start, the sooner we can end, and you can go to sleepy land," Mrs. Clawto said with yet another giggle. Jessica blushed yet obeyed, hoping that no one would find out about this. "This is ridiculous, anyway, since I'm not going to wet the bed." "Of course you won't," the tigress said, her tone suggesting that she didn't really believe the bunny, "but just in case, we'll keep your beddy-bye all nice and dry." The tigress then pulled off Jessica's shorts and underwear, and lifted up her legs with just one paw. This caused Jessica to let out a surprised squeak and her bottom was raised, and the open Sleeptight was slid underneath. And, instead of setting her right back down, Mrs. Clawto picked up an opened canister of baby powder, that Jessica had somehow missed, and started to liberally powder the bunny's bottom. She then set her legs down and dust her front. It was then that she pulled the front of the Sleeptights up front and tped it in place. After running a quick finger through the leg cuffs, she rolled Jessica over and did the tape over the tailhole. She finished it by giving Jessica's padded posterior a pat. "There, now that wasn't so bad, was it?" Mrs. Clawto asked. Jessica was surprised by the thickness between her legs, and how it crinkled, as well as pushed her legs apart. Instead of answering, she grabbed her shorts and attempted to pull them on and hid what basically was a diaper... yet they wouldn't fit. "Sweetheart, I'm afraid that these shorts are just too small. But don't worry, if you can go the whole week without wetting in your sleep, you can sleep with them instead of your Sleeptights," mrs. Clawto said, gently patting the front of Jessica's padded underwear and taking the shorts from her, folding them up, and putting them in the top drawer... which she then proceeded to fill with the rest of the Sleeptights. Jessica held her tongue, just wanting this over as soon as possible, which it was, just after the tigress surprised the teen bunny once more... by tucking her in. "There you go, all snug as a bug," she said, leaning down and planting a gentle kiss on Jessica's forehead. "now get some sleep, angel, you've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow!" The tigress then turned out the lights, and exited the room. Jessica reached down under the blanket and sheet to rip the Sleeptight off... before stopping. She realized that, more than likely, in the morning, she was going to be checked if she wet or not, and if they found her without her Sleeptight on... she was probably going to get in trouble. At the very least have to go to bed wearing them for longer. Another, smaller, part of Jessica was also worried... that she might wet the bed again. Sighing, the teen bunny simply laid there, before quickly falling asleep. What she was unaware of, was the lullaby that was coming through the tv speakers, at a pitch and frequency that didn't register to her as being heard. If she could have known she was hearing it, it would have sounded soft and gentle. And indeed, it was the reason why she had been so quick to fall asleep at her allotted bedtime. It was also the reason why, as she slept, her bladder emptied itself into her Sleeptight, flooding it and making the flower design on the front fade. The teenage bunny was in for a surprise in the morning. I truly hope that you enjoyed the chapter!
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regression Stork Game (Part 3 of 3) Completed 5/9/2023
Panther Cub posted a topic in Story and Art Forum
WOOOOOOO! Heyo, readers! I am super-dooper-ice-cream-scooper excited to bring to you this little project. Now, fair warning, this story was inspired by Squid Game, and contains kinda-spoilers. You have been warned. I hope that you enjoy! Stork Game by Panther Cub Mel sat at the edge of the bunk bed, looking out at all the others. What the hell have I gotten myself into?! he wondered. He looked down at the sleeve of the teal tracksuit he had woken up in and pushed it up, revealing soft pink fur, a perfect match for the long, bushy tail with the white tip that swished a little behind him. Over his heart, printed in white, was the number 456. Mel's ears twitched as all around him he heard the others murmured softly while some kind of classical music played over some unseen speakers. All of them also had numbers on the chests and backs of their matching track suits. Now and again there'd be whimpers and shrieks, usually from those who had finally come to, but those were becoming more infrequent as very few were still asleep. Mel had stayed silent, however, having long since learned that crying about a situation did nothing to actually change it. That was how you survived, and Mel was a survivor. Looking at the fur on his arms, his new paw-hands, and his paw-feet, Mel reflected on how he is... or at least was, before the gas in the strange car had put him and the other 'contestants' asleep; human. Unable to keep from inspecting himself again, Mel felt his new muzzle frown. He had also been a man before waking up, but that, much like his species, was no longer the case. With a sigh, Mel climbed over the short railing around his bed, and started down the ladder. Everyone was congregating in the center of the massive light blue room, where towers of the hundreds of bunk beds almost reached the ceiling with the hand-painted clouds and the smiling sun in the very center. No doors or windows of any kind to be seen. Looking around confirmed one of Mel's suspicions. No one was a human, or at least if they were like him, they were no longer human. All around him were more anthropomorphic animal people. "Does anyone know what in the hell is goin' on?" asked a light green raccoon man with what Mel pegged as an east texas accent. "I-I was told that... uhm..." a light purple lioness spoke up, looking suddenly nervous as she clutched her tail to her chest, looking at it in confusion. "I... signed up to c-compete in some... competition, b-but then I w-woke up here... like this." Many people started relating similar stories. "Where are you from?" Mel asked the lioness, wincing at the sound of his voice, which was definitely at a higher pitch and sounding much more feminine. "... C-Colorado... I-I was in Boulder when... when I g-got in the van..." That struck a chord with Mel, as he had been living in Phoenix when he'd been approached by the odd smiling man in the business suit. "I was in Beaumont, Texas," said the raccoon man, crossing his arms and frowning, deep in thought. Other animal people started calling out other states and cities. "I live in Toronto," a red panda woman standing to Mel's left suddenly shouted. She was holding her tail like the lioness, and indeed many others were doing the same. Mel had to restrain himself from grabbing at his own new tail... the fact that it was so bushy and looked so fluffy certainly didn't help. Even more countries were named, some people yelling in different languages. Mel figured that they had people from around the world and, based on what those who spoke English said, he was able to confirm that they had all agreed to these sketchy 'games', all after being approached by men or women in suits, asking to play a game. "Was anyone here not human before waking up?" Mel asked during a sudden lull, some folks that were bilingual taking it upon themselves to translate his query. Everyone looked around, in silence, no one stepping forward. "I-is this some kind of secret government experiment?" the lioness asked, sounding terrified. "Maybe it was aliens," a white-furred squirrel man perched on one of the bunk beds shouted. It was then that the far wall that all of the bunk beds were facing, which Mel had at first thought was just a seamless wall, split open straight down the center, the massive panels sliding apart to reveal a very large and wide security shutter, with a digital screen above it. The screen lit up and displayed 600 Players. Mel looked around and spotted a buff-looking cheetah man who seemed just as confused as everyone else, with the number 600 on his jacket. Looking around more, Mel couldn't immediately see anyone else with a higher number. His search was prematurely terminated, however, when there was a chime and the music ended, just before the large metal shutter rolled up. Out marched a hundred mew animal people, all wearing bright pink hooded track suits that even had special sleeves to cover their tails, the hoods up wearing ominous black masks, all bulged out for muzzles, or so Mel presumed. What was curious about these masks were how the only semi-distinctive features to them were that they had one of three white shapes on them. A circle, a triangle, and a square. Those with triangles had equipped some kind of black rifles with them, but ones that had strange canisters attached at the base of the barrels. A smaller number of circles began setting up tables and pushing in push carts laden down with nondescript gray boxes. These were stacked next to the tables, with the topmost ones opened and their contents neatly stacked on the tables for display. There were individual packets of what appeared to be apple slices, cups of yogurt, and juice boxes. The circles were soon standing on the opposite sides of the tables, facing out at the confused animal people. Standing in front of the tables was a lone square, Mel feeling uneasy as their gaze, while hidden by the mask, swept over them. What really unsettled him and more than a few others, was how they worked in silence, not a word being spoken between any of them. "Ladies and gentlemen," a calm male voice said, "I would like to welcome you all. Each and every one of you will participate in six games over the course of six days. After the sixth day, the winners will receive a substantial cash prize. But please, first enjoy a light breakfast, and then we can beg--" "Hold on a second!" The red panda girl from earlier shouted, the crowd around her parting a little. She had her hand-paws on her hips and her tail was bushed out, clearly in anger. "How the hell are we supposed to believe you? You abducted all of us, put us to sleep with some kind of gas, took the clothing and belongings we were wearing, dressed us up in these tracksuits, and took us to wherever! And now, we're being told we'll get paid if we play some games?!" Mel nodded in silent agreement while a few others were more vocal. "It was unfortunate, but those measures needed to be taken to ensure confidentiality. When the games have concluded, everything shall be returned to you all." "Why are you freaks wearing those masks?" the cheetah man called out. His voice was deep and how he spoke suggested a Boston accent to Mel. "The faces and personal information about our staff is not to be disclosed to any and all participants, to ensure fairness and confidentiality for the games." We hope that you understand. "You can make all the excuses you want, but the fact remains that were were kidnapped!" The red panda stepped forward, her hands now clenched into fists at her sides. Mel looked around and spotted some other red panda, some with different colored fur, and briefly wondered if there was anything significant, like similar personalities, with people who were turned into the same species. Considering how a few of the other red pandas looked to be hiding more towards the center of the group and others seemed just dazed and confused, it seemed inconclusive to Mel. He'd try to gauge other members of his new species, but he still didn't know what he was. "Also, why the hell are we all animals now?!" This was roared by a black-furred lion, who looked just as buff as the cheetah, if not moreso. "For why you have all transformed, not only species but in some cases even sex, that is because you are no longer on Earth," Square explained. Mel overheard the white squirrel loudly whisper to a nearby mouse "I knew it!" "Or rather, you are no longer on the Earth that you are familiar with. Sixty eight years ago, an advanced civilization of anthropomorphic animal people, of varying species, discovered our world from another dimension, one where life on Earth evolved drastically differently. After observing us for two decades, they made contact with numerous world governments. They are the ones who have set up these games, and every year, a lucky group of humans is selected to be brought to their world to compete. When humans enter this new dimension, our bodies undergo drastic changes, transforming us into one of the many different species of this world, and yes, even sex can be altered in the process. It is currently not understood how or why this happens, just that it does." The silence was practically deafening. "Why in the hell would these... advanced animal people do this?" An eagle woman stepped out from a huddled mass to stand next to the red panda. "The motivations for these games cannot be disclosed at this time, however, I can assure you that they only have your best interests at heart." "Our b-best..." the red panda's tail bushed out again as she looked practically apoplectic. "WHAT KIND OF NONSENSE IS THAT?!" "Player 277, Ariel Masters, age: 31 years. Former director of accounting at Red Leaf Investments. Embezzled money from her clients' accounts and subsequently invested it in derivatives that subsequently failed." Square said simply, pulling out a remote from their pocket and pressing a button. The lights dimmed and the electronic screen was now playing a video. It showed a blonde woman with green eyes wearing a charcoal gray skirt suit looking disheveled and sweating, playing Rock, Paper, Scissors with whomever had the camera on them. They kept losing, only to receive a pat to her head and an assurance from a woman's voice that they can play double or nothing, eventually winning and being given the million dollars. Mel watched with rapt attention, that being what happened with him down in the subway, with the only exception being a game of Blackjack. Looking over at the red panda, whose name he now knew to be Ariel, her tail was now being hugged to her chest as she whimpered a little, looking shocked at the video of her human self on the screen. "Current losses, six million, five hundred and thirty three thousand, nine hundred and sixty two dollars." Square pressed another button, and Mel saw a large man on the screen. He was buff and had olive skin, large brown eyes, and a shaved head. He was wearing a white muscle shirt throwing horseshoes and punching a brick wall every time he missed. "Alexander Adams, age 26, number 390, two million in debt." Another press of a button on the remote, and another person appeared on the screen, playing some simple game and eventually winning one million dollars, only to have their debts called out. Those not speaking English who were called out had the pleasure of the square translating for them in their languages after he listed the same info about them as those that were up before. "Mel Nakamura, number 456, age 31, four million, thirty eight thousand and ninety nine dollars in debt." Mel froze, looking up and feeling the eyes of the square on him, feeling his tail tuck itself as video feed of himself came up. His blazer was torn and his nose bleeding, hair slicked back but mussed up. Like Ariel, Mel was playing Rock, Paper, Scissors, tears of frustration in his eyes with each loss, agreeing time and again to the double or nothing option. He remembered how the older woman kept smiling at him sadly and giving him words of comfort and encouraged him to keep trying, saying that he was so close. "Every last one of you is on the brink of complete financial ruin. You all have debts that realistically you shall never be able to pay off, many having taken loans from far less than legal sources at that." Mel thought he detected a tinge of... sadness? But he wasn't sure, square kept their voice even and composed. "When our organization approached you all, you did not trust us. But, you agreed to play a game with us and, when you did, you were rewarded with the promised money. After that, all of you trusted us, hence why you called and volunteered to play our games. Now is your last chance to choose. Will you go back to living your old, sad little lives, destined for tragic, short ends? Or, will you choose to seize this opportunity, for many, a last opportunity, that we are offering you here?" The players were all silent, aside from some murmuring and shuffling of feet. "How much do we get if we win?" Mel called out, those around him moving aside, with many turning to look at him. Square just pressed another button, and above was the sounds of moving machinery. Everyone turned to see the smiling sun split open as a clear plastic, giant piggy bank descended, a clear pipe connected to its back. "After every game, the prize money will be deposited into the piggy bank. The amount to be won shall be disclosed after the conclusion of the first game. If anyone here does not wish to play, please speak now." No one said anything. After a few minutes of silence, everyone was directed to stand in single file lines facing the tables, to sign a contract as well as collect the offered breakfasts. Mel felt like he was in a dream, a strange and otherworldly dream, which considering where they supposedly were, made the sensation rather fitting. When Mel got to the table before him, he wasn't surprised to see that the contract was a player consent form. What surprised him was that there were only three sentences written on it, followed by a line for him to sign his name. Clause 1: A player is not allowed to stop playing. Clause 2: A player who refuses to play shall be eliminated. Clause 3: The games shall end if the majority of players agree. "That's it?" Mel asked the circle in front of him. They just stood there staring back at him behind the grating of their mask that, even up close, completely obscured their face. Getting no answer, Mel sighed and used the offered pen to sign his name. He then accepted the food and the juice box and left the line, making his way over to one of the bunk beds and sitting down on the short railing, feeling hungry. Once everyone had signed and been given their food, the circles packed up the empty boxes and collapsed the tables, wheeling them all away while the triangles continued to watch. Mel used his apple slices to dip into the yogurt since no spoons had been given. The juice box, which only had the circle, triangle, and square symbols on it in lieu of any kind of branding, had been apple grape juice. It wasn't long after Mel had finished this odd breakfast when classical music started playing on the hidden speakers again, but this time with a little something extra. "Attention players," a cheerful feminine voice said over the speakers, "please follow the staff to the first game." Once more, Mel found himself and his fellow 'contestants' lining up single file to follow the circles out through the shutters and into some light pastel plastic halls. This opened up into a strange series of staircases, looking to Mel very similar to a real life version of the MC Escher painting, Relativity. Except all the staircases were made of plastic, and everything was painted in loud primary colors. The line was split up into multiple groups, each following one of the circles, all going in different directions. Mel felt even more disoriented by the time they all, simultaneously, came out into a large light pink room, and were led to a line of turnstiles separated by partitions with screens on them. The single file lines were led to the turnstiles and, walking through and making the bars click, the woman's voice from earlier chimed in. "Please face the screens and smile!" Most of the players chose not to smile as their pictures were taken, shown to them on the screens. Mel thought that trying to make a good impression on... whomever would be watching might be a good idea, and so tried to smile, feeling like their muzzle broke out into more of a grimace as their picture was taken. Getting a good look at himself, Mel was surprised. So I'm a... pink... fox? A... vixen, I think, Mel thought as he examined his picture. In addition to pink fur, he had white on his muzzle that ran down his neck and possibly all the way to his stomach, though Mel was unsure as of yet. He was amazed to find that his brown eyes were now red, and he let out a huff of irritation seeing a patch of white fur on his left cheek that was in the shape of a white broken heart. Well now that just seems intentional. Soon, their groups were led to a set of three gates with bright sunlight nearly blinding everyone. The green painted gates swung open on well-oiled hinges, and everyone filed out. It was a strange sight, looking out at this football-sized area. Enclosing the entire arena were four sky blue walls. Looking up, Mel could see birds flying overhead in a cloudless blue sky, and just below them, lining the tops of the walls were open black squares. Looking back down, the ground was all sand, with a line in red painted onto the sand a few feet in front of them. All the way to the far side of the arena was some kind of plastic-looking tree with a... very unsettling statue made to look like a little wolf boy wearing a white shirt and red short-alls, all behind another red line painted in the sand. On either side of it were two of the triangle-faced staff members, and they only came up to the statue's knees. Mel heard others talking about how creepy the statue was, but were silenced when it started to move. It slowly spun around, clearly on some kind of rotating platform. It raised its arms and grasped the trunk of the plastic tree that it was now facing. "The first game to be played is a childhood classic... Red Light, Green Light! Players will be allowed to move forward when the robot calls out Green Light! When it shouts Red Light, stop moving. Players that are caught moving during Red Light shall be eliminated. Those that cross the finish line without being eliminated within the five minute play time shall pass and move on to the next game. Those who do not make it across the finish line in the allotted time shall also be eliminated. I shall now repeat the rules." "This is a joke," Mel's ears twitched as he looked over at the speaker. It was a skinny blue dragon man. It was hard for Mel to be certain, but he got the impression he was in his early twenties. "Fifty bucks to whoever makes it to the finish line first," the blue dragon said with a smirk. Mel shook his head to clear it. Many of the others were lining up at the red line painted on the sand. He was away to the left, keeping his distance from his fellow players, watching the giant robot at the far end of the field. When a childish voice happily called out, Green Light, Mel stayed put to wait and watch. While there was a clock ticking down, there was nothing in the rule about any kind of extra reward for finishing first. Just about everyone else started quickly making their way across the sand. "Red light," the voice called and the head of the robot rotated quickly to stare out behind it. Mel froze and, squinting, could barely make out the pupils of the mechanical eyes darting around for a bit. They then stopped, and the head turned back around. "Green light." Mel started walking, his instincts in the back of his head screaming at him to run back to the gates. But he remembered that any player who refuses to play is eliminated, and he needed the money. Watching the robot, in the split-second before it rotated, he saw the head twitch a little, and so froze. The head whipped around and said "Red light." Again, everyone was perfectly still. When it turned back around and was green light again, they all slowly resumed. The blue dragon looked behind himself and saw others power walking, so he started to jog to maintain his lead, letting out a laugh. He realized his mistake when the head whipped back around and he froze. Unfortunately, he was too slow, and the eyes spotted him. POP! Everyone flinched, and watched as the dragon boy slumped and fell over. "Green light!" Those nearest to him moved slower than before, shuffling closer to him. Mel's ears twitched as he felt a chill run up his spine. Did he just get... shot? he wondered to himself. That's when he heard the voice of the red panda girl that was looking down at the dragon. "There's some kind of... tranquilizer dart in him," she said, her voice faint but still enough for Mel's ears to hone in on. "Red light!" More than a few of the former humans were still too focused on the fallen fellow contestant to be ready. POP. POP. POP. POP. An eagle, the tigress, the older mouse, and the squirrel girl each went down, with only a sudden shriek from the squirrel, who was soon on her side, unconscious. A racoon woman screamed, and many of the fellow players joined suit and started to make a mad dash for the gates they had entered from. Mel stood still, watching as the robot's eyes started darting from person to person, sometimes crossing, other times going walleyed, it all looked so unsettling. There were now a series of rapid pops going on and, turning only his eyes upwards, following where his pointed ears were swiveled. Mel needed only a second to realize that the black rectangles lining the top of the enclosure now had long black barrels poking out, jerking in different directions, before letting out a pop, and repositioning. Automatic turrets?! What the hell kind of game is this?! Mel bit down on his rising panic, remembering to keep a cool head. Slowly, the screams and pleading voices and the banging fists against the locked gates tapered off as the last of those identified as having moved while that damn robot was looking were shot with whatever was in those darts. A few seconds of silence, and one last POP as a skinny bear was trying to crawl behind an unconscious cat received a dart to his posterior; and the robot was soon swiveling its head back to face the tree. "Green light!" Forcing himself to move, Mel began quickly trudging forward, risking a look back to see bodies lying everywhere, but also so many other players still standing, also moving forward. "Red light!" Mel froze, and kept from flinching when there were another three Pops. The clock above was ticking away, it being less than two minutes, and he was only a third of the way across. Mel swished his tail, suddenly realizing he was going to have to make sure to exert control over his new appendage as well lest it move during a red light, and began to pick up the pace at the next green light. Another red light, and another pop. That was the pattern as the contestants made their way across the sand. Sometimes there would be two, three, or even five. Mel was nearing where the blue dragon lay, and stood stock still as he looked down at them. The guy, if he even was that before coming here, now seemed... smaller. Like his tracksuit was three sizes too big for him. Mel was unsure of just what he was seeing, before a sudden Green Light, spurred him back into moving. The red panda girl from before was the first to make it across, with the skunk man not too far behind her to trip during the sudden red light. He was darted, serving as a reminder to those still standing not to get complacent. Mel was three fourths of the way across when, during a Red Light, he had a good view of the digital clock. He had less than twenty seconds remaining. The head snapped back, and he started sprinting forwards, stopping after a beat, just feeling that the head was about to whip around again. He was correct, and winced a little from a volley of Pops. Apparently he wasn't the only one who realized that time was running out. The head turned back around at the ten second mark, and Mel was sprinting again. He huffed from the sudden exertion, watching the clock. Five, four, three, two, one... He leapt across the white finish line just before the head of the robot snapped back. Sitting up, he watched what looked like fifteen more players freeze, looking terrified. A loud buzzer sounded, followed by a quick succession of Pops, all fifteen going down in the blink of an eye. It was a quiet trudge back to the room with the bunk beads. Entering, Mel noticed that there were definitely fewer beds than there'd been before. He felt his tail dragging on the ground behind him as he walked over to one and took a seat. His ears twitched and he heard sobbing. Looking over, he saw a gray bunny man curled up and crying on one of the beds. Looking back towards the door they had just come through, Mel wanted to bolt and run right through it. But the staff were standing in a row in front of it, staring out at them. All of them triangles, all of them holding those strange rifles. Two in the center stepped forward and parted to let a square face through. Mel had no way of knowing if it was the same one from before. "I offer you a heartfelt congratulations for successfully making it through the first game. Now to announce the results." Above the square, the screen displayed the number 600. It then started counting down, sounding like the kind of music you heard when a slot machine was spinning. Mel watched in growing horror as it clicked for his mind that it was subtracting the number of players who were... eliminated. It finally stopped at 311. 289 people had been shot with those... darts and eliminated. Mel felt like the apples and yogurt were going to come back up any second now. "Out of 600 players, 289 were eliminated." The square staff member said it so damn casually. "PLEASE," the bunny man Mel had seen crying screamed and ran forward, dropping to his knees. He held his hands clasped in front of him. "I... I HAVE A FAMILY! I SWEAR, I'LL PAY BACK WHAT I OWE, JUST PLEASE, LET ME GO! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!" Like a dam breaking, other men and women did the same, pleading with the square staff. "Everyone, please calm down. No one is going to harm anyone here." "Then what happened to the people who were shot with those darts? Were those tranquilizers? Do you have any idea how easy it is to accidentally kill someone with one of those?!" Ariel roared, brushing past the bunny man. "Those were not tranquilizers. Now that the first game has concluded, I am allowed to disclose more of the purpose of this game." With that, everyone fell silent. The square face pulled out the remote and pressed a button. The screen changed from the current number of players, to a large white room. Mel and the others watched as the unconscious eliminated players were wheeled in on stretchers, with masked doctors and nursing staff tending to them. They were removing clothes and the darts and transferring the sleeping players to hospital beds, multiple strange machines and devices being used. Mel noticed that all of the eliminated players seemed... smaller, and it sparked the memory of when he looked over the dragon boy on the field. "On this world, Kyun, there exists a genetic disorder, known as Tumok. It is harmless to adults, but unfortunately fatal to young children. In recent years, the number of carriers for this defective gene have increased, and the worldwide population for the natives of this world, the Kin, have begun to face a serious population decline. Numerous cures have been attempted, with little to no promising results. One such attempt at a cure, which is actually a serum that can cure most other ailments, has a unique effect on transformed humans. When a human is brought to Kyun and undergoes the transformation and is given the serum, their entire body undergoes a rapid rejuvenation. Effectively causing their physical age to regress, often to the age of very early childhood. What's more, former humans, and especially regressed former humans, have no trace of this gene, and neither do their offspring, even when their offspring comes from a parent who is a native with the gene." Mel felt like he was going to hurl again. This was like some crazy sci-fi story. "So, each year, six hundred lucky players are chosen from around the world to compete in these games, effectively known as the Stork Games. Those that are eliminated are given the serum, taken for immediate medical checkups and observation by regression-specialized pediatricians, bathed, and with clean bills of health, adopted out to loving families to start their new lives as members of the Kin. Any regressed individuals who have medical conditions that the serum was not able to immediately cure are kept for a little longer as the Kin's other advanced medical procedures are used to cure the little tykes who, when ready, are sent to their new homes." "But..." the bunny man said, slowly getting up, "why the... games, why not just... ask for volunteers? And why start regressing people?! Why not just take willing adult immigrants to... uh... breed with?" "I am not at liberty to discuss the full reason as to why. But please know that the eliminated players are alive and healthier than ever, and will be starting new lives. There will be no memory loss for them, so in many ways, it's more like an extended vacation back into childhood." "Lucky?! VACATION?!" Ariel screeched. "You're making us compete for money, and if we lose, we lose all of our freedoms and become someones' babies?!" "This is fraud," a panda man said, brushing Mel aside and adjusting his glasses. "This is kidnapping and fraud!" "You can't do this to us! I won't play this damn game," the gray bunny yelled, others yelling similar sentiments. "Clause 2 of the contract that you all signed," the square face said, his calm voice cutting through all the others, silencing them, "states that any player that refuses to play will be eliminated." The tension in the air was palpable. "Clause 3," Ariel chimed in, "if the majority of players wish to end the game..." Square face stared at her for a moment, before finishing for the smug-looking red panda. "Then the games shall be terminated. ... Alright then, we shall put it to a vote." Wordlessly, two circles came out carrying a large podium with two buttons on it. One was green with a white circle on it, the other red with a white x on it. Two more circles came forward and shooed people aside, carrying a series of flat long pieces of white plastic sheeting a foot wide in length. They began snapping the pieces together, soon forming a long white line, dividing the room in half. Every player was directed to the right side of the line, with instructions from square that they will be called up numerically to cast their vote one at a time, and move over to the left side after they have voted. "But first," square said, pressing a button on the remote, "if you will direct your attention to the piggy bank up above." The sound effects from slot machines when a jackpot is hit began blaring out of the speakers, as bundles of US dollars started dropping into the clear plastic pig. The screen above the door lit up and began showing a series of numbers following a dollar sign, rapidly getting larger and larger. The number finally stopped at $28,900,000,000 when the last few bundles of cash landed in the piggy bank. It was almost halfway full. "With each player that is eliminated, their potential share of the grand prize is added to the total that will go to the winners of the games. Each player's share of the prize is one hundred million dollars. The maximum amount to be won is sixty billion dollars. Now, with that out of the way, please cast your vote. Starting with player 001." Mel's breath caught in his throat as the older-looking weasel shuffled up to the podium. The human-turned vixen was looking at the money hanging right above his head. All the answers to his problems and then some, right there. Then he remembered what happened to the people that lost and, as sick as it made him inside, he began weighing the pros and cons. Or he started to when a sudden elbow jabbed him in his ribs, right below his... breasts. Mel turned to see Ariel looking him in the eye. "It's not worth it," she said, her tone brooking no argument. "Sp-speak for yourself," an otter woman said, sniffling. "I-if I go back home now... I-I'm as good as dead. A-at least here, I h-have a chance t-to change my life... or t-to start over. Th-that's b-better than any d-deal b-back on Earth." There were others nodding along to that. Mel looked over at the screen and saw that it was now a scoreboard, with thirteen votes so far to end the game, and ten to continue it. In the end, it was closer, way too close, as far as Mel was concerned. One hundred and fifty five votes to keep playing, and one hundred and fifty five to leave. And there was only one vote left to be cast. Number 600, the buff cheetah. He looked up at the board, and then over to everyone else who already voted. "Listen up, pansies. You might be happy with ending up with someone wiping your asses for you, but I'm not. I'd be happier if this was some kind of death game." With that, he punched the red button. "We would like to thank you for your time," Square said, he and the other staff members quickly exiting, the shutter door slamming shut right behind them. "Wait, so do we get to go home?" the bunny man shouted. Just then, clouds of a white gas began to spray up from the floors and out of the walls and ceiling. People started coughing and screaming in a panic, but soon, they all started falling over. Mel was holding his breath, his lungs starting to ache after a while, as he looked up at the piggy bank. His eyes watering and his lungs screaming for relief, he gave in and inhaled, his world very quickly growing dark. * * * "--ake up!" Mel felt groggy as he opened his eyes, only to be met with darkness. He was confused, as he felt the sun beating down on him. It took him a second, after realizing his hands and feet were bound in what felt like rope, he'd been blindfolded. "Huh?" he slurred out, reaching up and pushing his blindfold up. He was sitting on a dirt road, wearing just his boxers... and he was human again! And a man! Looking over, he saw a blonde woman, one who looked oddly familiar, in just her white bra and panties, like him, her hands and feet were bound in rope. "Are ya with me, Mel?" The woman asked, annoyed. It took Mel a second before his mind sparked the memory of the video. "W-wait, you're Ariel?" he asked, confused. She rolled her green eyes and nodded. "Yes, Dummy," she said. "Now, as much fun as it would be to roll half naked on the asphalt near these fragments of broken bottles to get to the pocket knife I see there laying on your clothes, since you are closer, could you be a dear and grab it so we can cut our ropes?" Mel was a little confused and looked around. He and Ariel were on the side of the road. Judging by the rocky scrub land, with a small gas station nearby. He started to feel a sense of familiarity, as the gas station, Roy's as the sign read, was one he knew from being just outside his home town. Looking over, and seeing several large and small shards of broken glass, a neatly folded pile of his clothes and shoes, with a blue-handle pocket knife resting on his shoes. He reached over and grabbed it, being careful to avoid getting cut on any of the glass. He was quick to cut the ropes binding his wrist and ankles before carefully doing the same for Ariel, noticing a similar pile of clothes next to her. He blushed and looked away, quickly slipping on his jeans and sandals. "So," Ariel said, once she had her red skirt and black tank top on, taking a moment to bunch her hair up into a ponytail with a scrunchie, "I take it that we're not far from Phoenix?" "Uh, it's a two hour drive," Mel said, pulling on his green t-shirt. He looked over at Ariel, who was busy tying the laces for her sneakers. "Damn. Do you have a phone on you?" "Yeah... but this is a dead zone. But there's a landline over at Roy's there. They'll let you use it," Mel said. Ariel nodded at that, and the two started walking towards it. "Hey, so how'd you know we were relatively near Phoenix? I thought they picked you up in Toronto?" Mel asked. "I said I was from Toronto. I didn't say that that's where I was when I got picked up for that... craziness." "So then, where were you?" "Phoenix," Ariel said with a sigh. "I'd actually... left Toronto... because of problems at... work..." "... Oh," Mel said, remembering what the square face had said about the embezzlement, and decided not to pursue it further. Before making it to the gas station, the two agreed that it was unlikely that any organization with the money to take them... wherever they were, whether or not they were telling the truth about interdimensional travel, was probably powerful enough to make people drawing attention to it disappear, so it would be best to keep the events that happened to them to themselves. Well, that, and because anyone they did tell would probably think that they were insane. Mel thought again about all the money that had been in the giant piggy bank, and about the folks he owed money too. He was already close to being homeless, but he knew that if he didn't give up, he could find a way out. Feeling in his pocket, he found a little yellow card, just like the one he'd been given that brought him into this world of craziness. A circle, a triangle, and a square was on one side. On the other, instead of a phone number, were the words "Return to the pickup spot from before, one week from today, if you wish to resume playing." Mel flicked the card into the trash can just before entering Roy's. He may be desperate, but he wasn't that desperate. He caught Ariel tossing an identical card in as well, following behind him. Sometimes, you just gotta take what life has to throw at you, no matter what it is, Mel thought to himself. One week later... Mel sighed as he sat on the familiar bunk bed, listening to the classical music playing. Looking around, everyone seemed much more... lively, at least significantly less subdued. It took all of three days before Teddy the loan shark he had borrowed from to find the friend's house he was staying at and to break in. He had dragged Mel into the bathroom and started holding him under the water of the filled bathtub, really impressing on him the importance of paying off his debt. And the next time he found Mel, if he didn't have the money, he was going to have to actually hurt him, his words. Mel scanned the other players, and caught sight of a familiar red panda girl. She and Mel locked eyes, before both looking away in shame. Looking up at the display above the metal shutters. It read 293 Players Remaining. Out of everyone who had left, only 18 hadn't returned at the end of the week. Looking up at the piggy bank, he saw that it was now past the halfway mark, with their shares added to it. Mel began sipping from his juice box, this one with apple juice in it, having finished the bag of banana chips and graham crackers first. Flanking the open doorway were two triangles, with a square face entering. "Welcome back, contestants," Square-Face said in his calm and even voice to the subdued crowd before him. There was no begging or harsh words coming forth today. "Follow the staff before you to where the next game shall be played." They players followed in a single file line back out into the maze of twists and turns and stairs, giving Mel a twinge of nostalgia for the play structures he would crawl around in when he was younger. Considering what this place was for, he supposed that that was intentional. The classical music being piped in seemed to somehow oddly fit. As they walked, he tried to keep track of all the different doors and halls they went through, but it was all a jumbled maze. How the circle-faces or any of the other "staff" managed to not get lost was beyond the lanky pink vixen. Soon, they were all led out into an open area about as big as a baseball field. Scattered about was playground equipment, but all scaled up to be massive, and perhaps to make the players feel small? There was soft green carpet everywhere to serve as the 'grass'. Walking up to one of the slides made Mel feel like a toddler standing next to it. Past a few more slides were some seesaws. Turning his head, Mel saw a swingset next to a sandbox and a colorful jungle gym, with what appeared to be a climbing net. Loud colors were the norm for the different pieces of equipment. And once again surrounding them were massive walls, painted to blend in with the clear blue sky visible thanks to the open ceiling. "Today's game will be... Bomb-Tag! Players will find the watches affixed to their wrists glowing a bright green. When round one begins, several players' watches change from green to red, indicating that they have been designated as being 'it'. When a player is it, the red face of their watch will countdown. When the countdown reaches zero, the players with red watches shall be eliminated. However, if a player with a red watch tags a green player, the tagged player is now 'it' instead and has until the end of the continued countdown to tag a green player. When the countdown is transferred from one player to another, the clock does not reset. I will now repeat the rules." As the cheery feminine voice read out the rules again, Mel, like many others, inspected the plastic watch that was more or less shackled to his wrist. The digital face of the clock has an animation of a green smiley face winking at him, with the words reading 'It's Playtime!' above it. A quick look around showed that everyone's watches were glowing green. It was then that Mel realized something, the voice had said Round One. "Okay... so this is a game where we gotta try and avoid pretty much everyone, unless you're it," Mel said to himself under his breath, already climbing up the ladder to the slide nearest him. A high vantage point could be helpful, and seeing others scramble up the other slides, with others yet rushing towards the jungle gym, Mel knew he wasn't the only one to come to that conclusion. "Round one will begin in ten, nine, eight," the voice on the speakers counted down. Mel checked to make sure his velcro laces were tight, and took a second to tuck his t-shirt into his pants, shrugging off his coat and letting it drop. Give someone one less thing to try and maybe grab in a chase. "Five... four... three... two... one... begin!" Mel looked down at his watch in horror as he saw the face on it instantly turn red, the winking smiley face turning into a smiley face on a red bomb. The timer on his watch was ticking down from two minutes. Looking up at a digital clock, it was ticking down the same amount of time. He heard shrieks and yells as the overgrown playground erupted into chaos. Breathing heavily, Mel slid down the slide and started sprinting towards the swingset, seeing a large group of people there. Others with red watches were already tagging people, their watches turning green while their victims' turned red, only for most to be immediately tagged back or by someone else who was red. Mel ran around the throng and did a drive-by tagging of an otter girl who had her back to him, not once slowing or breaking stride, as he continued to run past. He sighed a little with his watch back to green, until he was practically bowled over by a jackrabbit guy who apparently was 'it'. Mel growled, his tail fluffing up in frustration, but wasted no time in getting up and running around. Folks with green watches ran from him, and Mel was already starting to feel a little tired. Just then, a crocodile man stumbled and fell and, Mel seeing that his watch was green, sprinted to the guy. He ran and leaned down a little to clap the crocodile on the shoulder while they were trying to scramble back to their feet. Mel jumped back a bit to avoid their lunge to tag him back, and ran. Mel kept going at a jog, constantly looking around and doing his best to stay out in a corner of the room. Whenever he saw anyone approaching him, he would jog away, be they green or red; as a larger number of greens were more enticing for the reds. Mel only stopped when he looked up at the clock and saw it was ticking down from five, four, three, two, one... Mel's ears winced from a sudden loud buzzer that made everyone freeze. Then, almost simultaneously, everyone with red watches started crying out, the jackrabbit from earlier saying something stung him under his watch. All of the 'eliminated' players soon collapsed, a wolf woman slumping over and sliding down one of the slides. "Round one is complete! Congratulations to all the winning players. Please wait while the staff collects the eliminated players." The door at the far end opened and out marched dozens of the 'staff' in their pink hooded jumpsuits. As Mel observed them, he noticed a bit of a pattern. The ones with the white circle masks were doing all the grunt work, gently gathering up the unconscious and shrinking players in their arms, and collecting any clothing that may have fallen off of them, as some seemed to be shrinking faster than others. The ones with the triangles were carrying the automated dart guns, and looked to Mel like they knew how to use them. The square-faced-masked ones were in the minority, and seemed to be directing the other types. "So there's a hierarchy," Mel wheezed out, doubled over and resting. With the last of the regressing players carried out, the triangle masks followed the square masks back out the door, two guards flanking either side of it to presumably keep an eye on the non-eliminated players until the other staff left, to which the guards followed suit, the large metal door shutting again. Mel thought about those eliminated players, and what they had learned yesterday. In the end, all of the eliminated ones would be sent to the awaiting families, to start their new lives over, whether they wanted to or not. "Round two of three shall begin in ten, nine, eight," Mel groaned, already feeling tired, but not wanting to end up back in diapers. He took a deep breath and looked down at his watch. "Three, two, one, begin!" Mel waited to see if his watch would turn red again, and breathed a momentary sigh of relief that it didn't. Looking around, already those with red watches were chasing and tagging the greens. He was currently far away from everybody, and so continued to rest, looking all around him to make sure no one was sneaking up on him, willing the clock to count down faster. A couple of times, someone with a red watch would drift over near him, and Mel would run away, trying to lead them to clusters of people. Taking the bait, Mel was able to jog back and separate himself from the rest. Overall, for him, round two was largely uneventful, and he breathed easier when the clock reached zero. There was the buzzer, followed by some more cries of outrage as some of those with red watches tried, desperately, to claw them off, all to no avail. Soon, it was time for the 'staff' to come and collect the next batch of soon-to-be toddlers. Mel noticed, as they were being collected, that there seemed to be fewer reds than in the last round. Looking around, it started to make sense. The first game ended with the number of players being practically cut in half. Overall, if Mel has to estimate, then in the previous round of this terrifying tag, there were about thirty people with red watches to the remaining two hundred. Counting the fallen ones now, there were only twenty. If this kept up, then if there was a third round, there would only be ten. And unless they wanted to cut that number to five, Mel had a suspicion that three rounds was all that there would be of this game. Sure enough, the 'staff' quietly exited the play area with the door shutting behind them. "Three, two, one, begin!" "Dammit," Mel swore, his watch now red, the face of the digital bomb smiling up at him, as if to mock him and the situation he now found himself in. Mel started to jog around, starting to chase a wolf guy who spotted him instantly and sprinted. Mel was feeling exhausted, and everyone was running around in pure desperation. He tried chasing a bat, but then a bear with a red watch tackled them and sprinted full tilt off with their watch now green, the now angry and fearful bat hot on their trail. Spying a opossum woman, Mel ran in their direction, but the opossum must've been some kind of track star, as they easily out-paced the winded vixen. Mel checked his watch, a whine escaping his throat. He was now down to less than a minute, or he'd be getting a one-way trip to baby-town. Feeling a surge of adrenaline, he rushed towards the jungle gym, which was being defended by a group of greens that seemed to have banded together, having taken off their shoes to beat back any reds with. Mel was spotted and kept having their paws smacked away by shoes whenever he got too close. With an OOF, Mel was shoved through a small opening in the structure. Mel looked and saw Ariel, and that she had herself a red watch. His own read that they had less than twenty seconds. It was then that Mel saw the red panda jump up and tag a tigress in the stomach through the bars. The tigress shrieked and at first, tried to read for the red panda. Seeing me, she growled, before tagging a badger next to her. He tagged her back, and then she tagged a raccoon. This quickly devolved into panicked and frantic tagging and, seeing a breakdown in the defenses, nearby red charged. Mel grabbed Ariel's tail and, seeing her watch change to red, he jumped out through one of the holes, sprinting. The swings passed Mel by in a blur, facing the digital clock and seeing it counting down from ten. Mel risked a quick look behind him and paled beneath his fur. There was a cheetah man slowly gaining on him, his watch bright red. Mel pumped his legs harder, his breathing becoming more and more ragged as he pushed himself past his limits. He could hear the cheetah huffing and puffing behind him, and felt the air from a swipe of his paws just barely miss the big bushy appendage that Mel had right behind him. BUZZ!!! Mel stopped at the sound of the buzzer, before being knocked forward, the cheetah man on top of him. "YOU STUPID BITCH! I ALMOST HAD YOU!" Mel felt terrified, it occurred to him that this muscular cheetah man was much larger and clearly stranger than Mel was. And, in the back of his mind, Mel remembered that he was now a girl, and felt an all new terror flood through his veins. He also felt something flood his crotch as the cheetah yelled out and flashed his claws, slashing at his own arm to try and get the watch off, only to collapse and start snoring, his prone form pinning Mel underneath him. "Congratulations to the winners! Two games down, and only four more to go," the cheery female voice on the speaker praised them, and Mel even heard some cheers. Mel felt his ragged breaths getting shorter and shorter, and let out a high pitched scream when a pair of paws gripped him under his arms. Looking up, Mel was face to face with Ariel, who was dragging him out from under the cheetah. "I'm sorry," Mel whispered. "Don't worry about it, there were plenty more there to tag," Ariel said simply, finally managing to pull Mel away. Mel looked down at the wet spot on their pants and let out another whine. With Ariel helping him to his feet, Mel shivered and hugged himself, suddenly being handed something teal. It was his jacket, with the number 456 on it to confirm it. "I figured you could use it," Ariel said as a number of 'staff' headed towards them. Even after some shrinking, it still took three of the larger circle-faces to lift up the cheetah and walk him towards the door, with a pair of triangles following behind. Mel's ears twitched after hearing one of the triangles saying something about how the cheetah boy's new parents will have to be informed about his aggressive behavior. "Please come with me." The voice suddenly to Mel's left made him and Ariel both jump in surprise. They turned to see a square-face with two triangles flanking them, looking right at Mel. "You've suffered a shock, and will need to be seen by a doctor." The triangles remained silent while the square spoke. "I-I'm fine," Mel said, his tail tucking itself between his legs, drawing unfortunate attention to the large wet patch on his pants. "This is non-negotiable," the square said, his voice completely calm and composed, speaking like he was talking about the weather. Mel wanted to argue, but seeing the triangles, the enforcers, there, he just gulped and nodded. "O-okay," Mel looked back at Ariel who stepped forward, grabbing one of Mel's paws in one of hers. "I'm coming with," the red panda stated, in the same tone of voice at the square. The aforementioned staff member cocked his head, seemingly thinking it over, before nodding. "Alright then," with the square leading, and the triangles behind them, Mel and Ariel continued to hold hands as they walked in the direction of the door. The other players were being herded there by other staff, many looking dazed, others ready to collapse. It was a few more turns before Mel and Ariel, still holding hands, entered a familiar white room. All around them masked doctors and nurses, who were all wearing black masks with squares on them, were attending to the latest batches of regressed contestants. Some were groggily waking up and crying, or trying to fight, most already now regressed to the single digits. "Okay, let's get you two girls checked out and cleaned up," a female nurse in white scrubs said in a cheery voice, walking up to the two. Mel was soon sitting on the crinkly paper lining an exam table, as a machine with a green grid-like light ran itself up and down, scanning his body. The pink vixen felt exposed, despite being fully clothed, trying not to focus on the wet patch on his pants. The machine finished with a beep, and the nurse tapped on a tablet. "Okay, cutie," she said, making Mel wince, "so far, aside from some light bruising, and a couple serious bruised ribs, you are a healthy, pretty girl, who I think is going to make a loving couple very happy in the near future. Now we have a cream that will take care of those nasty booboos in a matter of seconds. So let's get you all fixed up and in some fresh clothes." Mel bit his tongue, choosing not to correct her about being a girl... granted, in this dimension he was one, but still. He felt Ariel squeeze his paw, and he smiled at her in appreciation, not sure why she was here with him, but choosing to accept the comfort. Reluctantly, Mel removed his clothes behind a curtain, with the nurse applying the cream. Mel heard another nurse instructing Ariel to sit on a fresh sheet of paper and let Mr. Scanner take a look at her. He somehow could tell she was rolling her eyes as she complied. Mel was given a tub of, much to his embarrassment, baby wipes to clean the pee off his fur. With a sigh, and getting more acquainted with his new body than he had wanted, he did clean himself. Though, when he received a clean track suit and shirt, the undergarments made him pause. First, a sports bra, which he supposed was better despite his breasts being more on the small side. It was the other undergarment that made him pause. It was pink, and thicker than the panties he had woken up in. There were multicolored butterflies on it, sides that looked like they could tear open, and it crinkled. Mel was holding a pair of training pants, and they were exactly his size. Mel poked his head around the curtain to see Ariel being led to another one, with a fresh stack of clothes being handed to her as well. And folded right on top, was a matching pair of training pants to the one Mel had in his hands. Mel looked over to the triangle guards, who were armed, and gulped. Instead of voicing his concerns, he bit his tongue, and stepped into the embarrassing garment. Getting dressed with a tail proved to be a new experience for Mel, but found that, for the training pants and the track suit pants, there was adjustable velcro. Stepping out from behind the curtain, Ariel approached him. He could barely make out a blush beneath her fur, and felt that others could see his own. They held each others' paw-hands, and allowed themselves to be led back to the others, knowing that they had four more long and hard days coming. And there's the end of part one! There will be three parts total, and I have NO idea if they'll be just as long! See you guys at the next installment! -
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! ❤️
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Hey everybody! So excited to bring this chapter to you all! This story was inspired by an RP that is just so much fun, I just had to share it! Please feel free to leave a comment or review! The Misadventures of Thunder Bunny (Chapter 1) by Panther Cub As Jessica zipped up her suit, she couldn't help but beam with excitement. She looked into her full body mirror to see a grey-furred bunny in a pink and black leather jumpsuit, complete with a pink and black domino mask. "Thunder Bunny is here to save the day!" She said with a giggle, before taking a second to compose herself. Not wanting to waste anymore time, she opened up the window to her apartment, and leapt out. She channeled her ability and fired off a sonic boom that propelled her towards her destination, Zeta City's First National Bank. With a soft thud, Jessica looked up, now standing in front of Zeta City's First National Bank. So far, she had arrived before any law enforcement, but she knew that they wouldn't be too far behind, what with the Hero Association having deployed her first to deal with the supervillain inside. Jessica had read the file on the individual known as Mother Goose. The villain was pretty new, with very scarce info on her. Just that she was a female white-feathered avian. So Jessica approached the front doors with caution. She entered, looking around with her guard up. She saw the hostages, what appeared to be all of them. They were all unconscious... and she noticed a few of the sleeping bankgoers sucking their thumbs. Jessica moved in further, smelling the faint scent of baby powder. Before she could do anything about them, she heard a voice behind her. "Well now, aren’t you the cutest little thing I’ve seen." Whipping around, Jessica saw Mother Goose, dressed in her iconic light green Victorian style dress, complete with a green felt hat and large white ribbon, and parasol, and a black domino mask. Standing next to the large goose was a rather short tan-furred mouse woman. She was dressed as a maid with a pair of glasses over her own domino mask. The mouse was checking her clipboard. "We have some time in the schedule to allow for some witty banter with the superheroine, around two minutes." The mouse then returned to grabbing the duffel bags, resuming stuffing stacks of cash into it. "Thank you very much," Mother Goose nodded to her apparent side-kick. She turned to face the rabbit. "Before we begin our 'witty banter', I believe we should introduce ourselves. I am Mother Goose, and this is my faithful associate, Nanny. And who may you be, young lady?" "I'm Thunder Bunny. Now, are you gunna give yourselves up, or are we gunna have to do this the hard way?" Jessica smirked as she cracked her knuckles. Mother Goose tut-tutted and wagged a feathery finger in Thunder Bunny's direction, before glancing to the mouse maid. "Think we can schedule giving her a lesson on proper etiquette?" "Absolutely, ma'am, but we'll have to make short work of her." "You can stop speaking like I'm not even here," Jessica said, placing a paw on her hip, "For someone speaking about proper etiquette and all that noise, that's pretty damn rude of the both of you." "Please don't interrupt, dear. The grown ups are talking." Furrowing her brow, always having hated it when people treated her like a child, especially prevalent due to her younger-looking appearance, Jessica huffed and said "The hard way it is then," before raising her left paw and firing off a sonic boom at the two. Getting knocked to the ground as it hit the wall, Mother Goose looked at her assistant and nodded, reaching into her outfit and pulling out a gas mask and tossing a canister to Nanny. With a nod, Nanny pressed a button on the side of the canister and lobbed it at Thunder Bunny, donning her own gas mask. Jessica was about to blast it back, when it went off in a massive white puff of smoke. Jessica started to sneeze and cough, squinting her watering eyes in the direction of the two. The goose stood back up, walking over to the bunny as the powder cloud did its work on her. "Well, this wasn't how I imagined tonight would end, but on the bright side..." She leaned in as Jessica began to get weak in the knees, her head starting to spin. "... I nabbed me a little cutie like you." Jessica mentally cursed herself for letting herself be caught off guard, feeling oddly weak in her limbs. She then had a sudden thought, and clapped her paws together, creating another boom, this one clearing the cloud around her. Shakily, she tried to stand up straighter, but her legs buckled and she sank to her knees. "That's the last of the money," Nanny said, carrying three duffle bags over her shoulder, stopping down and grabbing another two, not showing the least bit of strain. Mother Goose smiled while she removed the mask, as she saw the hero was struggling to stand. She knelt down to her level, looking the hero in her eyes as she put her wings on her shoulders. "Aww, is someone getting sleepy? Don't worry, we'll take good care of you from now on, Thunder Bun." Out of reflex, she tried to shake off the wing-hands and tried to fire another sonic boom, but was quickly blacking out, still coughing. Mother Goose chuckled and rummaged through the big pink purse she was carrying, pulling out a white rectangle, which she quickly unfolded. Thunder Bunny's eyes went wide as she saw that it was a diaper. "Just relax, sweetie. You don't have to worry, you're in good hands," She said as she began to unzip the superhero's suit, getting the bunny ready. Jessica tried, desperately, to remain conscious, especially when she felt her suit being removed, exposing her sports bra and white panties. She squeaked after her legs came free from the leather, and then felt her panties being pulled off. She certainly did NOT like where this was going. Mother Goose rubbed the bunny's back as she soothed her, gently making her lie down. "There, there, sweetie. Just let me handle this from now on," She said, putting the suit and underwear in a pile next to her, in front of the Nanny, who pulled out a blue vial that she quickly uncorked. She poured the liquid on the pile of clothes, blue smoke coming off it immediately. Soon, it had all melted as a hole started to burn through the floor. Jessica whined and tried to kick her legs free from the goose's grasp, but was far too weak. Just as she blacked out, she felt something being shoved into her mouth that she tried to spit out, but found she wasn't able to. Mother goose smiled, popping a pacifier in the rabbit's mouth as she finished taping the diaper around her waist. There were little cartoon money bags and dollar signs on the diaper. "There you go, honey. Now you're properly dressed," she said, rubbing the padded hero's tummy. She looked up to the mouse. "So, think we can make a schedule for her?" "Of course, Ma'am." Jessica heard the words as though they were coming from far away, as everything went dark. Please don't let the news get video of me in a diaper... she thought, before the darkness swallowed her. * * * Jessica slowly started to come to. There was something in her mouth, but she wasn't sure what. She opened her eyes and blinked, letting the darkened room she was in slowly come into focus. She looked around herself, seeing what looked like bars. She wondered if she was in some kind of a cage, but wondered what kind of cage doesn't have a top. And there was something dangling above her, slowly rotating. Jessica faintly recognized the object above as a mobile, with plush carrots, slowly rotating. Jessica sat up, it taking all of her effort to do so, still feeling out of it, and felt something squishy between her legs. Before thinking to investigate underneath the soft pink blanket that covered her lower half, she looked around the room. She saw what looked like a set of drawers with a large padded table on top. She spotted some kind of a night light in the corner, where there was a surprisingly large rocking horse. The walls were all a soft pink. This looks like some kind of giant nursery... Jessica thought to herself, unaware that she was absentmindedly sucking on the pacifier still in her mouth. She threw off the blanket to reveal that she was wearing a pink t-shirt with some writing on it, a pair of childish pink booties, some pink mittens that appeared to be locked on her paws, and of course, a large and soaked diaper. Not a medical adult diaper. No, her eyes started to go wide at the sight of the baby diaper with baby-block letters spelling out "Little Stinker" across the waistband. Before Jessica could properly react to anything that was going on, be it where she was, what she was wearing or even the fact she had apparently wet herself, her train of thought was cut off by the distinctive sound of a door opening. Jessica, wobbly, stood up in the crib, holding onto the top of the rail, and looked towards the sound of the door. She was still sucking her binky, completely unaware. The door creaked open all the way, and two figures, a familiar goose and a mouse, stepped in. "Aww, hello there, sleepy head. Did you have a nice nap?" The goose asked in a condescending voice. "Modew Goof!" Jessica lisped due to her binky, pointing an accusatory finger at the goose. Hearing herself, she crossed her eyes, saw what she was sucking on, and spit it out. "You are under arrest!" Unable to help giving off a chuckle, Mother Goose simply put her wing on her hip, a smile on her beak. "Oh? Miss puddle pants is taking me to jail?" She asked, pointing her free hand between Jessica’s legs. "Now, it's not playtime yet, sweetheart. We need to get you changed." Jessica looked down, and let out a squeak, seeing the yellowed front of the droopy diaper. She pulled up the blankie to try and hide it. Nanny entered, smirking, and with a dry tone asked "Would you like a diaper change, Thunder Bunny?" "That's it!" Jessica said, taking a fighting stance and summoning her power. "Ah, ah, ah," Mother Goose said, wagging a finger. "Aren't you forgetting something, Thunder Bunny?" At that, she glanced to her assistant, who grinned. Before Jessie's eyes, she reached into that bag hanging from her hip, and pulled out something, letting it hang from her index finger. After a few moments, Thunder Bunny realized what she was looking at. "M-my mask," Jessica said, falling back on her padded bottom with a light squish, stunned, and feeling her face flush. The goose nodded, and approached the crib, stopping at the gate and looking down at the padded hero. "That's right, Thunder Bunny. It's your mask. And you know what that means, right?" She said, giving a smile. "W-what?" Jessica asked, sounding small, unaware of the Nanny approaching from behind and quietly lowering the bars. Mother Goose just kept smiling. "Yes, sweetie pie..." She paused, just long enough for the Nanny to reach into the crib, grab Jessica under her arms and pick her up. "We need to get you a clean diaper right away!" Mother Goose finished with a cheerful smile, as Nanny turned her in her arms. Jessica let out another surprised squeak, amazed at how easily the Nanny could lift her up, like she was an actual toddler, and then immediately tried to resist and squirm out of her grip. The mouse simply shook her head. "Don't squirm." She turned to a large changing table in the corner. "All you'll do is make yourself more uncomfortable." Giving a small grin, she added. "And we don't wanna let Thunder Bunny get a diaper rash." "I don't need this diaper, you sicko! Now let me down before YOU make this arrest worse for YOURSELF!!!" "Oh my," Mother Goose interjected, following close behind the pair. "Seems like she's getting fussy." Smiling, she held up another pacifier similar to the one Jessie spat out earlier. "Don't worry, I have exactly what you need!" And before the bunny could say anything, the goose shoved the rubber into her mouth. Jessica's grunts were quickly silenced as some strange instinct kicked in. She instantly began suckling. Her struggles tapered off, and her body went limp, a sense of calm spreading through her body. "Awww." Mother Goose cooed, as Nanny placed the rabbit on the changing table. "There we go, don't you feel better sweetie?" Jessica knew that what was happening was wrong, but couldn't bring herself to fight against it. "I'm a big giwl." Giggling, the motherly villain booped Jessie's little pink nose. "Of course you are, honey." She reached down, and gently gripped her ankles. "But for now, just suck on your paci, Thunder Bunny." She lifted up her legs, and the Nanny reached up and gripped the tape on the front of the plastic. "You'll be clean before you know it." Jessica weakly tried to struggle as her diaper was opened and removed. She jumped a little at the feeling of the baby wipes, but could do nothing. She teared up a little as she smelled the baby powder, and felt herself being lowered on the fresh diaper. Mother Goose hummed as the new fresh diaper was brought up, the big baby bunny's fluffy white tail being brought through a tiny tail hole in the back, and finally taping the soft plastic in place, securing it to the hero's waist. "There we go, honey." She brought a feathered hand up, cupping it against Jessie's cheek, looking into her eyes. "Now was that so bad?" Jessica wanted to jerk her head away, but could only obediently shake her head no, confirming that it was not so bad, instead of what she really wanted to convey. Nanny gave a smile, and reached up to rub Jessie's tummy. "See, Thunder Bunny? A diaper change was exactly what you needed." "I down need diapews," Jessica insisted, sucking on her binky still. "No?" The nanny asked, standing next to Mother Goose while holding up the now balled up used diaper. Mother Goose was reaching down for the big baby. "Then why were you so soggy when we came in, hmm?" "You dwugged me!" Jessica said, struggling as she was scooped into the wings of Mother Goose, who carried her out of the nursery, beginning to bounce the distressed bunny. Walking down the hall with her charge firmly in her arms, Mother Goose looked down. "Sweetie, you needed to take your medicine, so that you could get all better." "Wiar!" Jessica said before spitting her binky back out, unaware that the Nanny deftly caught it, tucking it into her apron pocket. Mother Goose simply shrugged, opening the door into another room. "We can talk about that later. But for now." She brought Jessie up, looking her in the eyes. "Are you hungry, sweetie?" Jessica's stomach rumbled, just as she started to struggle. "This is humiliating! And you will let me go right now!" Ignoring her protests, Mother Goose sat the bunny down in a chair, which the Nanny swiftly brought a little table in, attaching it to the chair and locking Jessie's arms to her sides. "I heard your tummy rumbling, cutie pie. Let's get you some num-nums!" Jessica tried to summon her powers, but her humiliation kept throwing her off and preventing her from concentrating. She didn't notice the pink bib gently tied around her neck. Nanny smiled as the bib settled nicely against her shirt, and went to the cabinets as Mother Goose pulled up a chair in front of Jessie, sitting down so she was eye level with the bunny. "Now, be honest with me, honey," she said in a serious tone, before just as quickly shifting back to that friendly one. "What's your favorite food? Any flavor you like?" "I'll never talk!" Mother Goose tilted her head, glancing over at Nanny, who was returning the look, her hands over two green jars as she waited. She returned her gaze to the fussy rabbit. "Sweetie, it's a simple question. What do you like to eat?" Jessica bit her lip, loathe to tell her enemy anything. Weighing her options, she rolled her eyes and relented on this insignificant detail at least. "Strawberries." Nanny nodded, putting the green jars back and instead grabbing a soft red jar, closing the cabinet. Mother Goose smiled, and softly pat Thunder Bunny on the head. "There we go, was that so hard?" "Yes..." Jessica said, petulantly. The goose just giggled in response, as Nanny prepared the food, pouring it into a bowl. "Let's just get you a full tummy, okay sweetie?" "Let's just have you two surrender peacefully, and I will go easy on you!" Mother Goose once again ignored her comment, as a small bowl was placed on the high chair table. Mother Goose gave her assistant a smile as she took a spoon from the mouse. "Thank you, miss Nanny." The evil assistant simply nodded and curtsied as the motherly villain returned her attention to the hero, who was looking at her food. "No way am I eating that," Jessica said defiantly. "But it's strawberries, honey." She put the spoon into the mush, scooping it up and holding it up. "Nanny got this just for you." Jessica clamped her mouth shut, blushing at this infantile treatment. The spoonful of strawberry mush slowly began to approach her mouth, as Mother Goose said. "Open up, sweetie. The choo choo train needs to get through the tunnel!" Jessica turned her head away, determined not to give in... yet, when the spoon, smearing some of the mush on her cheek, touched her lip, her mouth opened up and accepted it. Her body quickly swallowed, much to her surprise. It was strawberry and tasty, but felt gross. Yet, she couldn't stop herself. "That's a good girl," the avian praised, as Nanny started making something behind her. The goose scooped up another spoonful of the mush, and playfully made more train noises as she once more approached the hungry bunny's mouth. Once again Jessica tried to resist, smearing some more on her face... and still accepted and swallowed the baby food. She was blushing as she started to accept spoonful after spoonful. This interaction continued for some time, Nanny watching with a bemused expression as she poured a warm substance into a bottle, and attaching a rubber nipple to the glass. Finally, after what seemed like forever to the bunny, the last scoop was made, and for what was hopefully the last time, it approached her mouth. Feeling oddly full, Jessica didn't try to resist, and obediently accepted the spoonful of mush, her body still automatically swallowing it. Mother Goose was practically beaming as Jessie swallowed the last of her baby food. "There's my sweet baby girl!" Setting the spoon and bowl on the actual table, she undid the latches, put the highchair table down and picked her up. "But you did get awfully messy... oh well, we can fix that soon. For now, I think you wanna wash down your yummy food with a nice drink, right?" she asked, taking the bottle from Nanny, who gave the bunny a smile and a wink. Feeling lethargic, Jessica turned her head away as the rubber nipple of the bottle approached. Once again, when it touched her lips, her mouth opened and accepted it. Her body latched down and started nursing it, while also relaxing, despite her trying to fight it. Both of her hands grabbed the bottle, but simply to hold it securely, not throw it away. Mother Goose beamed, cradling the bunny as she suckled on the bottle, gently grabbing the back of her head and rocking her back and forth. "That's it, sweetie..." she said in the gentlest voice possible. "Drink your baba. You love your baba." Jessica gulped down the liquid inside. It was creamy and sweet and, as much as she hated to admit it, it tasted pretty good. Soon, she suckled down the last drop, and felt herself being shifted in Mother Goose's arms. She was looking over the large goose's shoulder, noticing a folded hand towel over said shoulder. She felt a pressure in her stomach and lower stomach and groaned a little. Then came the gentle back pats. After a few pats, Jessica unleashed a massive burp, spitting up a few drops of the milk. Despite the humiliation of being burped like a baby, she was at least glad that the pressure was gone, completely unaware that she had simultaneously burped and filled her diaper. Both of the villains gave a knowing smile. Mother Goose gave the bunny a gentle back rub, from between her shoulders all the way down to just above her tail. "There we go, honey-bunny. Don't you feel better now that you had your num-nums?" "When I get free, I'm gunna take you both down," Jessica said, trying to sound as dignified as possible. "They're so cute when they commit so dearly to their pretend superhero games," Nanny said with a wink. "You may have dressed me like a baby, and be treating me like one, but I am still Thunder Bunny, and I will bring you both to just--OMPH!" Jessica started with her heroic speech, only to be silenced by the rubber nipple of a binky. Just like with the bottle, her body was working against her will, and sucking on it as well as physically relaxing. The Nanny made a faux expression of realization. "Oh, that's right! You're Thunder Bunny!" Her face eased into a more smug look as she pointed at their captor's rear. "That would explain why you've made such a big boom boom, after all!" "Huh?" Jessica said around her binky, only now becoming aware of the smell. She teared up in frustration, before noticing that she was being carried somewhere. She saw the bathtub... and started to piece together what was about to happen. She couldn't fight back or voice her displeasure, however, due to the relaxing binky in her mouth that she greedily sucked on. "There, there, sweetie pie..." Mother Goose's comforting voice returned, continuing to rub her back as the maid went to start the tub. "Mama will get you out of that stinky diapee, then we'll get you nice and squeaky clean," She said, approaching a countertop in the surprisingly large bathroom. "Mmmmrrrr, nomama," Jessica managed to mumble out around her binky as she was laid down on the countertop, the mushiness in her diaper making her whine. Soon, her shirt was removed, leaving her in just her full diaper. "Hush now, baby, let Mommy and Nanny get you all squeaky clean." Mother Goose then hummed as she undressed Jessie, who only managed to weakly struggle, while Nanny began filling the tub with soapy water. Jessica couldn't believe it, here she was, having her messy diaper opened and her bottom wiped, about to be given a bath like a baby. It went quicker than she was expecting, but it was still humiliating. Being set in the water, scrubbed all over with shampoo for little kits, praised for being such a good girl. "Yow can't dow dis! Imma awwest yow!" she said around her binky as she was thoroughly scrubbed. Both of the villains giggled as they continued to scrub away at her. "For what? Making you act your age? For doing what a mommy should do?" Asked the goose. Jessica then found herself being rinsed off as the tub was drained. "I'm notta baby!" "Hush sweetie, just let Mommy and Nanny work." Jessica tried to speak, but instead squeaked as she was wrapped up in big fluffy towels, being rubbed down all over. She was then scooped into Mother Goose's arms, cradled in the towel. "I think another nap is in order," she said, looking to Nanny who simply nodded. "I think you're right, Ma'am. Maybe some more time listening to her special lullabies will do Thunder Butt some good," Nanny giggled, reaching over to pat Jessie on her toweled bottom, making her growl. Jessica's fur floofed out and was as soft as a little kit's, probably from the shampoo. She was then laid down on the changing table in the bathroom, despite her struggling. The nanny held down her arms, while Mother Goose took out a diaper looking identical to the messy one Thunder Bunny was taken out of earlier. Unfolding it, she lifted up her legs as she said, "Now, let's get you padded up again before you have another accident." "I'm gunna make yow pay fow dis!" Jessie insisted, trying to struggle. The bird looked her in the eye as she slid the padding under her rear, and lowered her legs down on it. "Sweetie. There’s plenty of time for you to play hero in a bit. Let mommy dress you up." "I'm nowt pwawin'!" Jessica tried to struggle and managed to spit out the pacifier.The nanny deftly caught the pacifier, but oddly enough, refrained from giving it back to her. Mother Goose simply gave a sly grin as she pulled the diaper up between Jessica's legs. "Sure you aren't, honey." Jessica struggled some more, sneezing from the scent of the baby powder. She then found herself being lifted up, her arms and legs pinned, in a cradled position in the Nanny's arms, as she was carried back into the nursery. Giving the bunny a smile, the mouse lightly tickled her tummy as she said, "Let's get you dressed, and then you can go right back to dreamland." "You monsters better enjoy this minor victory while it lasts, because too soon, you'll be sitting behind bars!" They both ignored her words, as the Nanny gave her back to Mother Goose. The bird sat down on a chair, placing the hero on her lap, wings on her hips keeping her in place, as Nanny held up the shirt she was wearing before her bath. "Okay, Thunder Bunny. Arms up, please." "I can dress myself!" Jessica insisted, before suddenly giggling and lifting her arms in response to having her sides tickled. Holding out the shirt, she lowered it over the giggling bunny's head, her ears poking out of the small top hole before her head finally fit through. Keeping her still, the mouse guided her arms through their respective holes, before the tickling finally stopped. Now taking out the bonnet, the maid asked as she began to tie it around Jessica's head. "There we go. That wasn't so hard, was it?" "Knock it off!" Jessica said as Mother Goose ceased the tickling, immediately trying to take the bonnet off. The mouse reached forward, picking her back up off the motherly bird's lap as she asked. "Do we need to give you mittens, hmm?" Jessica growled and continued to struggle. Giving her a look, the mouse said. "Right, missy. You asked for these." Passing her back to Mother Goose again, the mouse reached into her bag, and pulled out two bright pink, fuzzy mitten-like gloves, each with a little strap at the wrists. Just as Jessica realized what was about to happen, the goose gently, but firmly, grabbed her wrists, and held them out for the Nanny. Jessica whined and tried to break free, but the goose was too strong, and soon, the mittens were slipped over her paws, and locked into place. "There. Now, Ma'am, I say that we put the fussy little princess down for another nap, at least until she calms down." Mother Goose nodded, looking a little sad. "You're right." Mother Goose, cradling the fussing Jessie, hugged her close as she stood and walked over to the crib. She planted a gentle kiss on Jessica's forehead, which like her binky, had an immediate calming effect. Jessie, now limp, was laid down and tucked in, the mobile above starting to slowly spin. "See you in an hour, princess," Mother Goose said, looking down over the rails with Nanny. The mouse reached in and popped Jessie's binky back into her mouth. Jessie didn't resist, instead just suckling. Jessica sniffled and wiped her teary eyes, hating the idea of being put down in her crib for a nap, she listened intently to them exiting the room and shutting the door behind them. Once she got herself back under control, she checked to make sure that she was truly alone. Now that she wasn't thrown off her guard, she could focus. Internally, she felt her powers, and smirked, still sucking her binky. She let her power build in between her padded paws. Pointing up at the ceiling, she let loose a massive sonic boom ball that ripped her mittens to shreds, and smashed the entire ceiling and roof outwards, revealing the afternoon sky. Without waiting, and hearing an alarm bell start blaring, Jessica focused, and leapt, each leap a sonic boom, until she was outside, in the air, and booming away. Mother Goose entered the now roofless nursery of the old abandoned warehouse and smiled while looking up. "Phase one complete. And now on to phase two." She chuckled as she exited out of the nursery, pressing a button by the door. A side of the pink wall opened revealing a giant digital clock, counting down. Mother Goose calmly walked out of the building and climbed into a black limo that had been idling out on the street. Once the door was shut, the limo started driving off, just before the building exploded in a fiery ball. Inside the limo, Mother Goose removed her domino mask and smiled into her hand mirror, beginning to apply some blue eyeshadow. "I just cannot wait to have my cute little bundle of booming fluff come home with me. She's going to have so much fun in her real nursery," she said with a chuckle that slowly morphed into a classic villainous laugh. WOOO! And that was chapter 1! I really hope that you folks enjoyed it, and tune in next time to see what next shall befall our courageous and adorable heroine!
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Hi all! I'm Snazzy. I'm a long-time lurker on the story forums. I recently wrote a story that I posted onto my FurAffinity page. I figured that I would share it here in case anyone was interested. I have also attached the PDF of the story since I know this is kind of long (67 pages on Google Docs). The Retrain System By: Snazzy It was that idle chatter between gossip. Casual conversation between friends about this and that. Carmella could check out a little bit when the topics retread old ground or didn’t involve her. But there was always something new and thoughtful. Or at least something fun to hear. Something to pique interest. She sipped her latte. It was too sweet. But it wasn’t worth harassing the barista about it. She liked to think that she only pulled out the “Karen” card when it actually mattered. The book club was nominally about books, but in reality was more of an excuse to have a girl’s afternoon. Yes she read the books. Or tried, anyway. Who has time to read a 450-page novel? Carmella tried her best to split the time between her work and her kids and her husband and her own attempt at a novel, but… Thinking too hard about how one spends their finite time on the planet never ends well. And that’s too much for a cafe conversation. “And what about Jake? Noah mentioned he had some trouble with…” That’s it. That’s the good stuff. Carmella got out of her own world, her wolf ears twitching. Having friends with kids around your own kids’ age had its benefits. Kamille, the fox of the group (both literally and physically), always seemed to be armed with the most interesting bits to chew on. “Oh well, it’s a little embarrassing. He was butting heads with one of the players on the soccer team and things got… It’s a bit sore. Jake’s a good boy but he’s at that age where he likes to make decisions without thinking. He’s suspended for the week.” Saundra, a middle-aged raven, rubbed her temples. There was more than enough empathy from the group. Every mother here knew the struggles. This was different from hot gossip; this was relatable gossip. The kind where bonds are formed rather than broken. “You know, I get it.” Daria, the bear who looked far too good for her age, chimed in first. “I remember back when I played volleyball there was this girl who just wouldn’t shut up about my serve. I wanted to serve it straight into the back of her head some games. There’s so much stress when you grow up. I can’t imagine all that time spent online helps with it.” ~STRESS~ That word… Carmella focused. Why does that word have so much meaning? Something about it resonates with her… “You blame everything on the internet, Daria.” “Well I’m just saying it can’t be good for you to grow up with-” “You’re literally scrolling through ChikChok right now!” That got an unexpected laugh out of Carmella, which then bled to the rest of the group. It’s nice when the mood is able to shift like that. The group conversation continued on discussing the difficulty of modern child-rearing. Jake’s unexpected outburst had Carmella a little introspective. Her own son, Lucas, was in his grade. They were both about to graduate middle school. Carmella thought she had done a decent job raising him. They were decently close. He had decent grades. He was even in a few advanced classes and was doing decently! But Daria was right about the stress of growing up. When she talked to Lucas it felt like he was being pulled in a million different directions. Once Carmella felt like she had a finger on the pulse of her child’s life, but now Lucas seemed so busy all the time. The homework, the school politics, the puberty, the clubs, the hobbies, the… everything. It was all so much. Maybe that was normal, but it didn’t feel good to see her child barraged and bothered. It was clear that he was frequently stressed and his stress filtered their relationship. There had been shouting matches where Lucas and his father, Ron, had just… Well, Saundra put it best: they butted heads. As a parent, Carmella felt like she was letting Lucas down by allowing that stress to get to him. It was clear that his mood was in constant flux. It used to be so much simpler. Carmella’s thoughts were interrupted by Kamille’s voice. “You know my sister tried out something odd recently.” The conversation had clearly taken a left-turn while Carmella was again thinking a little too deeply. “I’m curious if any of you have heard of it. My niece was part of a study that was recently published. My sister allowed her daughter to be put back into uh… diapers as part of it. Like the whole way. What? Don’t give me that look, I told you it was odd!” “Are you saying your niece was… what, just wearing diapers as part of a study?” “No, I mean, she was UNpotty trained. As in they followed some method that put her back into Pampers. It was part of some psychological study by the university.” “I have seen some posts about that,” Daria chimed in. “I thought it was a sex thing, but it’s been on some parenting blogs and a couple of family ChikChok accounts mentioned it. It’s supposed to be for stress-relief.” “I have a hard time believing that going back to diapers would somehow be less stressful,” Saundra concluded. “Well… Does it work?” Carmella felt the twinge of awkwardness as she realized this was her first actual contribution to the conversation in the last few minutes. “I mean, what did the study show? Hopefully it wasn’t all for nothing. That poor girl must be mortified.” “That’s what has me curious,” Kamille leaned in, setting her coffee on the table and eying the group. “According to the study, after the initial shock settled, every single participant saw an increase in test scores, socialization skills, and happiness indexes.” “Get the fuck out of here.” “Kamille is right. That’s what I read from the parenting sites. It’s some kind of counter-intuitive thing. Like, by removing a physical stressor from them, you allow their minds to cope with their environment, reducing their overall stress. I’m not sold on it,” Daria seemed smug in her ability to always know a little bit about everything thanks to being glued to her phone. ~STRESS~ There was that word again. Carmella was thoroughly bought into the conversation. “I wasn’t sold on it either until we had them over for a cookout over Memorial Day. That girl was like a changed person. She was so polite and well-spoken and seemed to have so much energy. I’ve known her all her life and she could be a real handful. It was wild. She was in three AP courses as a sophomore because of how improved her grades were last year. The girl had to repeat 6th grade and suddenly she’s interested in school!” “Do you think they could have replaced her with a robot? Or a clone? Did you ask to see her belly button?” Saundra gave a cheeky grin over to Daria. Some sort of inside joke Carmella wasn’t privy to, apparently. “Maybe! Who knows! Gods, it was so bizarre seeing her with a diaperbag. I almost walked in on her changing herself in the bathroom.” Kamille seemed bewildered, an emotion quite unlike her. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with all of the teen-sized diapers I’ve seen at the store, would it?” The group turned to Carmella. “I mean, I just noticed that the Farris Peeter had some actual diapers that look like they’re for older kids when I was buying groceries the other day. Maybe this is some kind of legitimate marketing push.” “Goodness. Well good luck to them, I suppose. Noah seemed pretty shaken when he found out his cousin was back in diapers. I can’t imagine many kids actually want something like that to happen to them.” “My Jakey would absolutely lose it if I tried that with him. How on earth are you supposed to tell your kids you’re just going to unpotty train them?” “I don’t think you do,” Daria had been looking at her phone and seemed to have found something. She shared the screen with the group. “Look, this is the page that was linked on the Pinstagram post. It’s some kind of auditory thing. The program is called ‘The Retrain System’. It’s like a tape that you listen to at first and then there’s steps after that. It’s a whole package.” Saundra cocked her head to the side as she looked at the, seemingly legitimate, webpage. Carmella saw her eyes scanning the screen, reading. The phone rotated around, revealing the site. It was an FAQ page about the process and based on the scroll-bar it seemed in-depth. Carmella spied one of the questions. How Invasive is the Process? The Retrain System has been specifically engineered to minimize obstruction in sleep schedule and daily activities among participants. The instruction course details tips and techniques to maximize the enjoyment and psychological well-being of participants. Participants will find the audio files relaxing and therapeutic. The reduction in stress has been shown[4][5][6] to outweigh any potential disruption caused by the physical elements of the system. The process is also easily reversible, allowing for participants to return to their base state upon removal of the environmental stressors. Studies[7][8] have found that- The page continued on but the phone was snatched away by Daria before Carmella could continue. ~STRESS~ So much emphasis on that word in that page… “Hey Kamille, didn’t you try something like this for smoking back in college?” Carmella was fascinated by this entire situation. “Ugh don’t remind me. I still get the stupid narrator voice stuck in my head like an earworm. ‘Place both feet firmly on the floor…’” The fox imitated the monotone voice from the file. “I mean, I don’t smoke cigarettes anymore, but I feel like that was different. You can’t out-willpower a fox!” “You certainly could if you needed your fix at a party…” Saundra side-eyed the fox with a smirk. “Oh hush, that was a totally different me. But yes, I did use something like this back in the day. I’m just flabbergasted that,” the fox lowered her voice, “diapers,” her voice returned to the normal volume, “are somehow the solution to teenage angst. I would be wholly against this entire thing if I hadn’t witnessed the results myself.” Carmella knew that Kamille was a reliable friend. She wouldn’t bring this sort of thing up with ulterior motives or without feeling strongly on the subject. It was clear that she was trying to get the room’s opinion before solidifying her own. “I know what you mean. It’s so odd, but the science seems to back it up.” Carmella pursed her lips in thought. “Maybe it’s worth considering. I mean, I know Lucas is doing alright but… he just seems so… stressed. Plus we’re going to have to start thinking about college soon. I want him to have the best possible chance he can have in high school. We all want that. I know you feel that way about Jake.” “Of course I do!” The raven put her winged hand against her chest. “It just feels a little extreme. What if I make his situation worse? What if… I don’t know, I can’t imagine the boys on the soccer team will respond well to it. I mean, goodness, can you imagine him running around on the field in a big diaper? Shaking his tail feathers?” The phone-obsessed bear had been glued to the screen, scrolling up and down, clicking on things as she found new links. “It says here that several diaper companies are expanding their lines for teens and young adults. Where was it… oh uh… active-flex? Active-fit?” Daria was squinting at the screen. “I can’t see, it’s in the background of this announcement photo. I guess they thought of that problem before you did, Saundra.” “How convenient.” “Sorry to bring all this weird stuff up, everyone.” Kamille raised her hands, signaling for the halt of the conversation. “I promise I’m not trying to pull you all into another referral marketing scheme. I still have too many vials of essential oils at my house for my comfort.” “I have NO idea how you talked me into that. You are such a saleswoman, Kamille!” “I thought for sure that it would take off. I mean I refer my friends and then you refer your friends and… anyways! Did you all happen to read the book this week? I finished chapter 35 two nights ago and WOW did it pick up!” Carmella appreciated the change in direction. It was clear that this wasn’t a cut-and-dry development and that the group wasn’t of a strong consensus. Something about this whole affair really resonated with her, however. Her lingering worries and concerns seemed perfectly solved by this Retrain System. And unlike Kamille’s pyramid scheme there was actual scientific evidence backing the whole thing up. Surely it couldn’t be that simple? Just put your kid back in diapers and all their problems go away? She would have to talk with Ron. -- Lucas exhaled as he disembarked from the bus and made his way to his house. He tugged on his shoulder straps and shifted the contents of his bookbag. It had been his last day of eighth grade. The last day of middle school. He should have been thrilled about it, but he felt like he was lucky to be graduating at all. The last few weeks had exposed a major issue: despite his claims otherwise, he had been extremely close to flunking his science class. When his teacher contacted his parents directly to alert them, his dad flipped out and made him redo all the tardy homework assignments. It wasn’t like he was intentionally trying to fail, it just felt like he was barely keeping his head above water with all of the homework he had already! And that teacher was kind of a bitch, honestly. Like, was it standard protocol at all to call up parents directly? That had to be some kind of violation of privacy or something. It really wasn’t such a big deal: Lucas was able to get the homework done in time and it was no harm, no foul. He would have done it without the shouting match with his parents. Probably. You know what makes you really productive when you’re trying to remember the periodic table of elements? Having your fuming dad over your shoulder every five minutes. Wow! What a fantastic study method. Definitely not scarred for life from the stress of doing a year’s worth of homework in three days. So here he was, definitely going to high school next year, but JUST barely. His friend Jake had it worse, for sure. His suspension a few weeks ago had put him way behind and it had really messed up the vibes in the friend group. At least all that garbage was behind them and they could spend the summer focusing on doing absolutely nothing. Lucas noticed that both his parents’ cars were in the driveway when he made it home. That’s odd. Normally Lucas was the first to arrive home since both his parents had jobs. Of course, his little brother prevented him from having the alone-time that he craved. But at the very least he could avoid conflicts with Mom and Dad for a couple of hours. Which seemed like they were becoming more frequent. “Lucas, wait up!” The gray wolf teen rolled his eyes as he heard his little brother Martin call out to him. He put his hands on his hips and turned in place. The little guy was running from his bus stop and boy he really just chose to wear all that Pikachu bling, huh? Pikachu shirt, Pikachu pants, Pikachu shoes, a Pikachu hat, and a Pikachu backpack. Lucas was no stranger to video games but he liked to think that he was at least minimally tactful in how he dressed himself. Martin, on the other hand, seemed determined to share his obsession with the world. It was almost, ALMOST endearing. “Wait up? I’m not going anywhere. We live together, lightning-butt.” “Don’t call me lightning-butt!” The little wolf screeched to a halt in the middle of the sidewalk. “Mom said it’s not nice to call me names!” “Your pants literally have a lightning bolt symbol on them. I can’t help that!” The two boys completed the rest of the journey together. Lucas didn’t mind being an older brother. But it just isn’t acceptable to give your little bro an easy time when they’re being a turbo dork. And what could possibly be more dorky than that PokeManiac outfit? The door was unlocked. Not too unusual if parents are home. What was a little unusual was that they weren’t out around the house. If Mom came home early she liked cooking dinner. Dad had a model-painting station that he liked to spend his time at. Yet neither Mom nor Dad were there. Actually, their bedroom door was closed. Lucas’ tail lowered and squinted as he set his bookbag by the front door. “Hey Martin, go grab me a water from the fridge.” “Why can’t you do it?” “Just go before I like vine whip you or whatever.” The teen wolf was overwhelmed with curiosity. Maybe Mom and Dad came home to have sex? No, that can’t be right. Lucas had caught them only once, but he was pretty sure they waited until after bedtime to do that kind of stuff. They weren’t getting a divorce were they? Like, why else would you want to talk with your spouse in the early afternoon? He quietly made his way to the bedroom. “-sure about this?” “The guidebook says it’s fully reversible if we’re unhappy with how it turns out.” “A month ago and I would have fought you on this, but I think you’re right. It’s so much-” “Here’s your water, catch!” Lucas had almost no time to react to the water bottle hurling at his face. Yet, if there was one thing a canine was good at, it was playing catch. With impressive speed the teen lifted his paw and intercepted the projectile. It felt pretty cool, which was outwardly obvious by his involuntary tail-wagging. When Lucas regained his focus, he realized that the conversation had quieted significantly. His cover had clearly been blown. Curiosity made way for concern. As mature as Lucas liked to style himself (he WAS about to be a high schooler, after all), he still had that childlike concern when something unknown was happening with his family. “Mom? Dad?” He put himself sideways and leaned, as if facing the door was too direct. “Oh! Just a moment sweetie, your father and I were discussing…” Muttering sounds, totally normal muttering sounds. “The mortgage!” “...is the mortgage ok?” “Yes! Better than ever! Uh, we’ll be out in a moment, just have to wrap up this paperwork.” A reversible… mortgage? Was that like that thing that happened to grandma’s house? Dad seemed pretty upset about it when he heard whatever that actually was was actually happening. So why would they want something like that? Something wasn’t adding up, but it was clear that Lucas wasn’t going to learn anything standing at the doorway. He could ask about it over dinner. -- “So you’re sure you don’t have anything outstanding that would keep you from passing?” Dad said between bites of pizza. This would normally be a celebratory pizza dinner for making it through another school year, but clearly Dad was skeptical after the science class mix-up. Previously, this kind of dinner would be in front of the TV while watching a movie or a show, but in the interest of “family bonding” Mom had declared that no screens were to be viewed while eating dinner. It led to a lot of awkward silence during dinner. “Yes Dad. I promise. You can call up Mrs. Macintosh again if you want her to tell you.” Lucas still wasn’t happy that she called his parents directly. “Ok. You cut it really close this year, kiddo. You’re headed to high school. That’s a big step up. A lot of your teachers won’t accept that kind of late work. They’re expecting you to stay on top of things and be responsible.” Lucas ate his pizza in silence. This wasn’t the first “oh things will be different in high school” speech he’d had lately. “Your mother and I… we just want what is best for you. We want you to be happy and not have so many… problems.” “Ron, let's talk about that after dinner. So, Martin, how was your last day? Any surprises?” “Yeah! We had a big pizza party and then watched a bunch of ChikChok videos that Mrs. Franklin pulled up. Mom, what does ‘we are running out the clock’ mean?” -- Lucas was on his way to his room when he heard his Dad behind him. “Hey, champ, let’s have a quick talk.” He turned, attempting to give his most neutral expression possible. His parents were quickly getting annoying with their constant lecturing and lesson-making. But it was better to endure them now and have a peaceful summer vacation. “C’mon, in your room.” Lucas ascended the stairs and opened the door. His room was not quite yet how he wanted it to be. It was still in that transitory phase between a child’s room and a proper teen’s room. He had slowly accumulated some items of interest. Posters for bands and games he liked. A TV with a Ycube Series R. A desk with a refurbished laptop. His twin bed was in generic blue sheets. Two years prior and it would have probably had something childish like Double Week on it. There was also the accumulation of laundry on the floor. However, his dresser was the same one that he had as a kid, with primary color knobs against the white paint scheme, giving it an immature tone. His old toy chest was under the windowsill, with several Lego sets stacked on top (that he still enjoyed from time to time). Small items that had been added to the room from past years still lingered, like his old metal little league baseball bat and glove that was no longer his size, or some of the art he had made in elementary school. It was a room that showed a young wolf with one foot in the mature future and one foot in the immature past. There was also a cardboard box on top of the bed, which had not been there previously. “Sweetie, we wanted to have a talk with you.” Lucas wasn’t expecting for his Mom to also be up here. But alright, fine, if they wanted to have another group talk, fine, lets get it over with. His Mom and Dad stepped in and closed the door behind them. His Mom sat at the foot of the bed and his Dad sat in his computer chair. Lucas joined his Mom on the bed. “We know this has been a tough time for you, these last few weeks. And we know that you worked very hard to make up those missing assignments. Your father and I are proud of you for doing that and you know that we love you very much. We want to make sure that when you go to high school, that things are a little bit easier for you.” “Easier?” Lucas cocked his head to the side, then looked from Mom to Dad. His Dad had a neutral expression, looking straight at him. It was difficult to read. “Yes, easier. We found a program that will help you to relax and unwind while you’re asleep. There have been a lot of… studies that show that this program is very effective in reducing stress in young adults.” “Oh. So… what, like meditation stuff? Is that what the box is for?” Lucas turned to the nondescript box with no markings on it. “Yes, exactly, that’s exactly right. It’s to help you maintain a better mental state and… There’s some other things that happen down the road that make it a whole experience. Like I said, it’s a full program. But it starts with something like nighttime meditation.” Lucas wasn’t against meditation. He had picked up a book on spirituality last year when the family took a mountain trip. It talked about that kind of thing. But it also talked about communicating with trees. And despite several attempts sitting at the base of trees, the young wolf never got that to work. Maybe being guided by a program could actually make something like that possible. Not the tree-talking stuff; the meditation. His father chimed in. “The whole point of this is for you to have fewer issues when you’re in high school. It’s… for your own good.” Huh. That certainly wasn’t ominous. Lucas quirked an eyebrow as he continued staring at the box. When parents say things like that, it’s normally a sign that something you’re not about to like is going to happen, he pondered. But if his parents seemed set on having him meditate while sleeping, that probably wasn’t the most painful experience in the world. “What is in the box?” “It’s a special white-noise emitter that helps you fall asleep quickly and stay asleep while the… uh… meditation system is running. It’s specially designed to be responsive to changes in the environment so you don’t get woken up. And you don’t need to fiddle with it like a stereo system. We’d like to set it up and get it working tonight, if you’re ok with it.” Both parents were looking expectantly at Lucas. It was a strange position to be in, and one that caused him to pause and reflect. His parents were proposing this thing that they clearly had spent money on, but they were waiting for his approval. Huh. Maybe they actually were respecting his autonomy after all. They weren’t forcing him into some agreement that he didn’t want. While Lucas wasn’t convinced this would be any different than his attempts at talking with trees, there wasn’t any harm in trying it! If it works, he gets a relaxing sleep. And if it doesn’t work, they return it back to Nile or whatever place they bought it from. “Alright. Sure! Let’s try it out.” -- Lucas laid in bed, taking in his surroundings. He had stayed up watching TV downstairs while his parents worked to install the new sound system for him. Apparently it wasn’t quite as out-of-the box as they were hoping. He heard a fair bit of discussion coming from the room and his parents stomping around in his territory. He’d helped Noah set up a speaker system for an old vinyl record player and it had been a lot more complicated than either of them initially expected. So maybe speakers just weren’t easy to get working in general. When the grand tour finally occurred it was somewhat underwhelming. Speakers in the four corners of the room pointed in the direction of the bed, plus some cylindrical device next to his bed that everything was plugged into. Lucas’ parents had wanted to get it under the bed, but it was just a tad too tall to fit. It wasn’t a huge deal. So long as he didn’t jump into bed backwards or something it would stay out of his way. The device was set to a timer. His Dad mentioned that there were some versions of the device that tracked whether you were in bed or not and shut off as soon as you got up. Maybe that was more immersive or something, but the system seemed fine as it was. And since they didn’t even know if this would be a permanent addition to his sleep routine, it didn’t make sense to splurge on the deluxe versions. As he was in bed, Lucas heard the speakers crackle to life, emitting a white noise. Thanks to the direction of the speakers, it was an astonishing experience. The white noise seemed to surround and envelop him. Like, it was different than just having a stereo on or headphones in. It was a three-dimensional sound that was difficult to describe. He could hear and feel subtle shifting of the white noise as it played around him. It was surprisingly entertaining. The dull static ebbed and flowed, like waves, crashing against him. There was a comfortable rhythm to the changing of the sounds. It felt safe and secure. A reliable, easy, sound that maintained his attention while not asking too much from him. It was really an incredible experience. He felt as if he was gently resting on a pool of water, his body shifting and drifting with the whims of the waves. A reassuring tranquility that varied just enough to keep him interested and invested in the sounds, but never strayed far from the simple, contemplative hum. Without any effort or resistance, he was asleep. And The Retrain System began. -- The first day of summer vacation was always the best. The stagnation of repeated free and lazy days had yet to set in. Daytime TV was a fun novelty rather than complete misery (although not that it mattered much, since streaming solved the problem of being stuck watching soap operas and weird talk shows). The pressures of homework and testing were behind and the anxiety of a new school year had yet to rear its head. As Lucas awoke and made his way to the bathroom to relieve himself, none of these thoughts were in his head. In fact, his mind was void of anything of note. Perhaps this was the mental freedom of waking up with absolutely nothing needed. Perhaps it was the meditation system his parents had installed actually doing its work. Perhaps it was the single-minded nature of the body declaring its needs to someone with a full bladder. No matter the reason, Lucas was unburdened by mental notions this morning. The teen wolf stood in front of the toilet and relieved himself. He relieved himself right into his boxers. The wolf's eyes shot open as he felt the heat blossoming into the crotch of his underwear, rivulets of warm pee dribbling onto the tile beneath him. He clinched his bladder shut and stemmed the tide, preventing this accident from growing. He had only been peeing for a few seconds but it was more time than he generally spent pissing himself. He cursed and examined the damage. The boxers didn’t do much to actually prevent streams of liquid from passing through them. The staining and wetness on his boxers came more from when the stream stopped and slowed and was allowed to run down his thighs. The light grey underwear was undeniably darkened at the crotch and clung to him with damp stickiness. What on earth had happened? Lucas sighed and shook his head, stripped from his stained clothes, and used them to mop up the liquid beneath him. It was a bizarre incident, but that’s all. This was no different than when you dribble after using the urinal. Just a temporary lapse in judgment following a good night’s rest. He threw the undies into the hamper and finished relieving himself as he intended. -- Lucas grabbed the milk from the fridge and started the assembly of his cereal. The key was to pour the milk INTO the bowl. Not a lot of people really understood that proper technique, but it made all the difference. He was the first one up, which was pretty surprising. Normally he was a late-sleeper on the weekends. It was pretty common for Martin to be down here playing one of the many, many, many pokemon games that he had access to. As much as it was frustrating to have him constantly up in his business, Lucas genuinely appreciated his little brother. And if that kid could figure out a way to monetize his love of those collectable creatures he’d be set for life… “How’d you sleep last night?” Lucas’ Dad was dressed in an old shirt from some bank fundraiser and gym-shorts, his hair still a muddled mess. The classic early lawn mowing outfit. His earbuds were in his paws, ready to begin jamming out to Big Spicy Capsicums. Dad was a textbook Pepper Man. “Pretty good! I kind of just passed out. I don’t know if the sleep system thing really helped or not.” Lucas finished pouring the milk and started devouring the cereal, leaving the carton on the countertop. “Well, hopefully it helps. Make sure you tell your mom and me how you’re feeling, ok? If it starts making you feel bad we can always get Nile to take it back.” He started walking towards the back door, placing his earbuds in. “Oh, milk goes in the fridge, bud. We talked about this.” The young wolf sighed out a “Yes Dad.” It’s such a victimless crime, like, the cows have the milk in them for how long? And that’s like room temperature, before it even gets pasteurized, which he learned from science class last year actually warms it up further… Grumble. Grumble grumble grumble. Door open, milk in, door shut. Grumble grumble. “Good man.” -- The rest of the day was basically perfect. Lucas played far more rounds of Summit Luminaries than he even wanted. Like the indulgence of playing a game so many times that he became sick of it somehow made it even better. It was probably what those Roman orgies were like. Just doing something pleasurable so many times that you get bored and disinterested, which then spurs you on because the taboo of becoming fatigued by things you crave feels so delicious. That is to say, having the time and freedom to completely waste a day on video games was the absolute best. He even got the chance to play some matches with his friends in his squad. “Any plans for the summer?” Noah, a fox and Lucas’ best friend, inquired. True to his nature he was always asking questions and snooping around. Lucas had previously heard his Mom get upset with Noah’s mom because she liked to gossip. Noah wasn’t quite so open with what he learned, which made him more like the group’s confidant. “I plan on doing literally nothing. Usually Mom and Dad do a beach trip, so that might happen. Uhhhh I’ll probably end up babysitting Martin. Dude dude dude behind you! NICE!” “Mom’s letting me do a soccer camp. No no no ahhhh dang it. I’m downed. But yeah like I was expecting Mom to have me on lockdown after I kicked Scott’s ass, but she’s been really chill.” “You did not ‘kick Scott’s ass,’” Noah chided. “You shoved each other and rolled around on the ground for a bit.” “No, no, I distinctly remember that he was crying afterwards because I beat the heck out of him.” “You were both crying!” Lucas chimed in and Noah laughed. Jake, a raven, clearly wasn’t happy with his side of the story being disputed. “Ok like, I don’t know why you guys are being shitty about this.” “It’s ok man, you run circles around Scott anyways. You shouldn’t waste your time on him.” Lucas was genuinely impressed with Jake’s talent, which was obvious even back when they used to play rec league soccer together. “Are you excited about the soccer camp? You’re trying out for the JV team right?” “That’s the plan! I don’t really know what to expect. Everyone makes it seem like high school is the big… ahhh damn it. Good try y’all. Yeah it’s like such a big deal to play high school sports. It’s exciting but… I hope this camp gets me an edge or something.” Lucas was about to speak up when he realized something. The conversation must have been so engaging or maybe he had been distracted by the game, but now that he was in the lobby loading a new match, he had to pee. Like he REALLY had to pee! “One sec, brb!” He heard talking on the other side of the headset but paid it absolutely no attention as he dashed over to the bathroom near his room. The door was closed and the sound of rushing water (just a great thing to hear when you have to pee) echoed from the other side. Shit. Martin must be in there. “Hey Martin, you almost done?” “Huh?” The water turned off and the younger wolf poked his head out. He was wearing a beanie with some fiery cat Pokemon that Lucas didn’t recognize. Lucas really hoped that Pokemon merch wasn’t coming out of his college fund. The teen wolf's hands were shoved involuntarily between his legs. “Are you almost done in the bathroom?” Lucas tried to ask as calmly as possible. “Y-Um…” Martin looked down just a little, noticing his brother’s legs contorting and his paws wedged into his crotch. He gave the biggest, toothiest, shit-eating grin back up to his brother. “Noooo, sorry, I was just washing my hands before I went-” Lucas bolted down the stairs, not even waiting for his brother to finish. He knew this game. Lucas knew that the door would shut and a series of unfortunate events would play out resulting in him never being able to use the bathroom. That little twerp. You do that to your little brother ONE TIME and suddenly the tables turn at the worst moment. It was almost, ALMOST something to be proud of him for doing. If it wasn’t happening to Lucas specifically, that was. The hallway bathroom was little brother-free and unobstructed by any other bizarre incidents, thankfully. The relief of emptying a full bladder can never be replicated through other means. It is an entirely unique experience resulting in a sublime mixture of relief and ache. The muscles themselves contract and pulse, yielding to the demands of the body. Their overinflated state gives them a sheer tension that upon release is almost too great. The body knows what must happen, and it must happen in a precisely controlled fashion. The endorphins flow through the body, rewarding the accomplishment of successful navigation of this hardship. It is like a runner’s high, if that high could come from flying too close to the sun with liquid intake. Lucas was too busy pissing to contemplate such things, but they were all still true. -- The next few days went by in a blur for Lucas. The nice thing about having a vacation was being able to do nothing, but the downside was that doing nothing causes time to fly by. The meditation system that had been installed was doing a great job at giving the teen some of the best sleep he’d ever experienced. It was actually a little bizarre that he was excited to go to bed thanks to the calming effects of the white noise. He wasn’t spending all day thinking about sleeping or anything weird like that. He just found himself yawning well-before midnight and made the responsible decision to head to bed rather than stay up. In return, he had been waking with the most fabulous restfulness. The catch, however, was that this restfulness came at the expense of his morning bladder. It was normal to wake up needing to use the restroom, but the intensity of the morning urge was notable. When he awoke, it was a mad dash to the toilet that resulted in some extremely close calls. The incident with his underwear at the start of vacation was enough to get him to take care before peeing. He would center himself and run through the checklist of things to do. He’d pull the seat up. Then pull down his boxers. Then aim carefully. Then go. He was adamant about not repeating that embarrassment from earlier. The daytime urgency was also a continued event. It seemed like he was constantly getting so absorbed by whatever task he was focusing on that he would have to sprint down the hall to barely make it in time. The strangest thing about all of this was that Lucas found himself unable to view this change as odd. Yes, he was going to the bathroom with an aching bladder and it always seemed to be resolved just barely in the knick of time. But he was still making it to the bathroom. Nothing bizarre about that. He was just getting wound up with his attention sighted on other things. That’s fine, it happened to everyone. At no point did he even begin to make any connection between the newly installed speaker system and his potty urgency. Why would those two things be related in any way? -- “Why are you staring at me like that?” Lucas noticed that his brother was giving him an odd look. They were next to each other in the booth of a local chain dining restaurant, Diamond Thursdays. It was pretty fantastic, at least to him and his brother. For some reason his parents always seemed reluctant to eat here. Lucas didn’t get it. They had great chicken tenders and mozzarella sticks. That was the complete food package. “You’re squirming in your seat. It looks like you’re potty dancing,” Martin said in between bites of appetizers. “Martin, don’t talk with your mouth full,” his mother admonished. “He’s right though. Do you have to use the restroom, Lucas?” Lucas was genuinely confused. He hadn’t noticed that he was shifting in his seat, moving back and forth, with his legs intertwined. It was like he completely glossed over the physical state of his body. But now that he was made aware of his condition it was plainly obvious that he really, really, REALLY had to pee! “Yes! Oh crap, yes. Martin, move please!” His brother was taken aback by the sudden urgency. He wasn’t expecting to have to move so soon and was just curious about why Lucas was moving around in his seat. But he complied and stepped out of the booth. The whole time being pressured by Lucas to “move move move move!” The teen wolf scrambled into the dining room and nearly connected with one of the waitresses, who had to make an emergency rotation to avoid having her tray of drinks upended. There was a shout from behind him as he located the restroom hallway. It was one of those situations where the interior decorator made the strange decision to mark the rooms with non-descriptive terms in an attempt to be cutesy. One sign was a fish. The other sign was a sandal. What the fuck was that supposed to indicate? Lucas picked the one his muscle memory led him to, hoping that he wasn’t about to awkwardly barge in on a bunch of ladies. Thankfully he picked correctly, as an empty bathroom with a row of urinals greeted him. He staggered over and let loose. It was such an extreme release of pressure that he was actually whimpering as the pee flowed out of him. He could feel the physical relief washing over him. A tangible warmth, spreading out from his groin and draining downwards. His eyes were closed as he shuddered and placed a hand against the wall, bracing for this monumental effort. It felt so, so, so ridiculously good to get it all out. It was like he was being rewarded with a matching sensation of glow on the outside to match the pleasure of allowing his bladder to finally empty. Lucas was panting. That felt incredible. It was totally worth being called out by his little brother about doing the potty dance in the booth. He opened his eyes and lowered his hand onto the urinal handle and flushed. The wolf went to wash his hands, eager to return to devouring mozzarella sticks. As he spied the mirror, his reflection seemed off. Something wasn’t right here. He checked his hair, his fangs, his shirt. All fine, nothing noteworthy. His pants, on the other hand, were magnificently stained, glistening with wetness. The denim had darkened in a patch that originated from his crotch and spread down both pant legs. Down into his socks. He studied the mirror in disbelief, then looked down at himself, placing a paw over the stained crotch and tracing it along the inside seam. He pulled his paw back and confirmed that it was really, truly wet. He looked back at the urinal, perhaps expecting some freak plumbing issue to explain the situation, but was shocked to find a puddle beneath where he once stood. This couldn’t be happening. He had been so careful before. He always followed the rules. Check the seat, pull down your pants, aim, go. He… he hadn’t even bothered to pull down his pants. At all. He had totally missed one of the most critical steps and had somehow remained oblivious to it! The last time this sort of thing happened he was immediately woken from his stupor by the feeling of wet warmth on his body. But this time he had completely emptied his entire bladder into his pants and hadn’t even noticed until well after the fact! It was unbelievable. Something… something must be wrong. He must be feeling sick or something. That’s the only explanation. Lucas wouldn’t just go around wetting his pants for no good reason. He’s had eleven years of experience making it to the potty without any incident! Wait… wasn’t that… good? Lucas ran his hands along the inside of his jeans, attempting to rationalize this incident. He had such a long, unbroken streak of making it to the potty every single day, multiple times a day without any problem. Hundreds, thousands of times executed perfectly. This was a singular incident. If you compared this accident to the sheer volume of successes, this would be so inconsequential that it would be some kind of anomaly. That’s it. It’s an anomaly. Just a random blip that could happen to anyone. Sometimes basketball players miss free throws despite practicing them over and over and over again, and no one bats an eye when that happens. Sure, people want you to make it to the basket, but if you don’t, it’s not the end of the world. Wetting his pants was JUST like that! It was so minor and meaningless that it was barely even worth worrying about. So what he had peed his pants without even noticing? That was no reason to make a big deal out of it! “Hey buddy, everything ok in here?” The voice of a concerned father was one of the most disarming tones. The uncertainty and apprehension from a familiar voice that normally was confident and authoritative somehow made the situation less stable. “Y-yes!” Lucas was spiraling. He was barely able to rationalize what had just happened in any context that didn’t eviscerate his maturing ego. He hadn’t even begun to imagine what he would do to somehow make this acceptable to his family. He looked in the mirror, seeing his dad in the doorway behind him. He looked at himself. He was crying. “N-no it’s not ok. I… I pissed my pants, Dad!” It was a quick step-turn and he was straight into the arms of the older wolf, gripping him in a hug as tears of shame and humiliation streamed down his face. His Dad embraced him in an instant, rubbing his back and quietly saying things that Lucas was far too distraught to hear. What was going on? Why did this happen? How could he have done this after so many years of perfectly understanding his body’s functions? The two held onto each other for long enough that the soaked jeans began to cool and adhere to his legs. The warming comfort that had previously relished the accident faded and made way for awkward, unwelcome wet pants. Lucas’ Dad gave him a few more rubs on the back and then spoke plainly and clearly. “How about we get you home and get you cleaned up? We can get you in some dry clothes and not worry about this. It’s just an accident. It’s ok to have accidents. Everyone has accidents.” He held onto Lucas’ shoulders and forced Lucas back by a step. His Dad looked straight into his eyes. There was genuine concern in that gaze. And there was also love and acceptance. Dad was right. It was just an accident. No need to make a big deal about it. He could just get changed into new clothes and be good as new. -- It was an awkward trip home. Lucas and his Dad took the car back to the house, leaving his Mom and brother at the restaurant (with the intent to return shortly). The two didn’t speak and instead opted to listen to Big Spicy Capsicums, each song fading into each other as the percussive yet nonsensical lyrics filled the void. There was something exceptionally humbling about having help stripping the soaked jeans from his body. It was the implication that Lucas was incapable of managing that task on his own. Or maybe he would somehow find some way to screw it up further. But even so, the help was greatly appreciated and made the feat possible. There was no point in fighting for his autonomy here. He was just happy to have help. The teen felt his short fur, still slick with urine and decided to take a shower. He opted to stay behind when his dad returned to the restaurant. His appetite was diminished following the incident and he couldn’t bear to think of showing his face in the Diamond Thursdays after leaving with soaked pants. That place was officially off-limits for the rest of eternity, plus longer. Without much interest in anything, and especially without wanting to see his younger brother, Lucas shut himself into his room and went to bed early. -- “Well, we knew this would happen. It’s roughly right on schedule too.” Carmella looked over the guidebook that the Retrain System provided. They had laid everything out in the bedroom to make sure they had all of the components ready and accounted for so they weren’t caught off-guard. “It says that we should expect for the accidents to increase in frequency and that this is the most critical part of the program.” “I just feel terrible. He was shaking in my arms and… You know Lucas doesn’t cry much. I hadn’t seen him like that since he was a kid.” Ron paced around the room, his tail tucked between his legs. “We knew this would happen. It’s going to be the biggest speedbump to get over and then all the benefits should start building.” Carmella placed the book down and looked at her husband. She really appreciated Ron’s caring side. It was one of the things that made him so endearing. When they had met at a Capsicum concert ages ago he was helping a friend who was having a bad trip. They bonded over orange slices and overly-expensive festival water. That side had been slowly replaced with a much firmer, authoritative side as the boys aged. Seeing him like this brought back memories of their struggles as new parents, when every decision seemed hyper-important and worth overthinking. “Carmella…” Ron leaned against the dresser and sighed. It was clear that he was scared. Scared that he was making a mistake. She had seen him like this years and years ago. “I… Just don’t want our son to suffer because we made a choice without his consent.” “We did the research. We did our homework. The Retrain System is overwhelmingly positive. It comes up over and over. We saw it in that news segment the other night, remember?” Carmella was still getting used to being the authority figure in this scenario. She had to believe in herself. “This is for his own good. We have one shot to give him the best possible life he can have while he’s still under our roof.” “You’re right.” Ron looked down and then back again. “You’re right.” “You know I would never do this without you here with me. We’re in this together. We both want Lucas to be happy. I think this will work.” “I love you babe. You’ll always be my lil’ pepita.” Carmella smiled despite herself. It was one of the dumbest pet-names you could have and it came from a night when the drunken wolf didn’t know how to say “little pepper”. She was his lil’ pumpkin seed. Ron stepped away from the dresser and straightened up. “So what’s the next step?” -- Lucas woke up as he had the previous few days. The intensity of the strain on his bladder alerted him that he was in danger of losing control at any moment. Unlike the past several nights, where he had drifted off into a void of deep sleep without any memory or attachment to the physical world, his dreams that night were more active. He dreamt of his incident at the restaurant and what went wrong. There was a bizarre sense of comfort surrounding it, however. As he made his way to the bathroom, he briefly recalled feeling calmed about his accident. Instead of being judged or ridiculed or laughed at, he felt that he was not to worry, that everyone understood his predicament. That there was nothing to be ashamed of. Where he expected leering faces judging him and laughing at his failures, he was met with warm faces forgiving his accident and accepting his status. It gave him a bizarre amount of confidence as he prepared himself to pee. He shouldn’t be ashamed of having an accident. It was fine. It was normal. It happened to everyone. The toilet looked… bizarre. Nothing had been done to it. There were no obvious changes to it. But something about it felt uneasy, unnatural. Lucas stared at the porcelain fixture and it was uncanny. His heart was racing. Why? It was just the toilet. He had intimate familiarity with it and a hundred others just like it. But when he looked at this it felt so wrong. The shape was off putting. The geometry offended his perception. His vision swam as he tried to analyze it. Lucas reached out his paw to raise the seat and recoiled as he touched the cold lid. It was like an icicle had pierced his hand. He inhaled and grabbed it again, pulling it up in one swift motion. It felt like a monumental task and his body surged with adrenaline. It was the same feeling he experienced after a big scare in a horror movie. The tension had faded and was replaced with nervous calm. He stood there, staring at the water rippling in the bowl as he completely flooded his undies. The magnitude of relief was indescribable. It felt good to let his bladder relax and to pee straight into his boxers. There wasn’t a single ounce of remorse or panic. He listened to the pitter patter of the droplets of urine splash onto the tile beneath him. It sounded musical and soothing. It was alright. He wasn’t doing a bad thing. He had made it to the bathroom. He had made it to the toilet. He had overcome whatever that strange sensation was. And now he was wetting himself and there was nothing negative happening from it. It was perfectly fine. These things happened and when they happened it wasn’t a big deal. He felt the stream slow and taper and finally finish. He placed his paw against his sodden boxers and a faint smile. It felt… good. It felt… better than when he had gone peepee in the morning previously. There was something forbidden about the act previously and it felt like the shackles had been removed from him. The pool of urine was spreading from his feet and becoming dangerously close to the rugs near the sink. He roused himself from his moment of enjoyment and removed his underwear, using it to mop up as much of the liquid as he could. The accident was substantial and there wasn’t much dry left to the boxers for absorption. So he had to grab fistfuls of toilet paper to soak up the rest. As Lucas cleaned, he felt the swirl of emotions. Cleaning any mess you caused rarely felt good. Whether it was a spilled drink or peed pants. There was the annoyance of having to take the time to fix it combined with the frustration of using insufficient tools. The toilet paper felt insubstantial for absorbing so much liquid and he ended up using most of the roll on this one task. Yet, he didn’t feel ashamed of the act itself. Perhaps it was because he was alone and able to take care of it in private. But something deep inside made him recognize the accident as nothing to worry about. No big deal. It was a neutrality towards wetting himself that he was trying to wrap his mind around. He had to admit that for the brief moment that it was happening it even felt kind of good. The last of the puddle was mopped up and the toilet now had the remains of the spent roll inside of it. His soiled underwear was unceremoniously dumped into the laundry basket. Lucas eyed the handle on the toilet with suspicion. He could do this. It was just flushing the toilet. Why was he so anxious about this? What was the big deal? Why was he raising such a fuss about an action that was so mundane and easy and normal and… Still, he noticed that his paw was shaking as he brought it forward. He wasn’t scared of the toilet! That was ridiculous! He pressed down on the handle and the sound of the infernal machine roared with an intensity that shocked the wolf. He took a step back. Then another. He braced himself against the sink. The gurgle of rushing water pouring through the maze of pipes clashed in his ears. The toilet paper spun in place as the water level rose. He felt his chest heaving up and down. He was drowning. He needed air, yet despite his attempts to breathe, none arrived. He couldn’t bear to look at the source of this frightful sound. The pitch increased as more and more water flowed in, filling the bowl, never emptying, ceaseless and endless and uncontrollable. Lucas stumbled back another step, shimmying along the sink, using it as support. He was trapped in here with this monster. He would be devoured whole. This hideous creature would consume him and no one would ever be the wiser. He cowered, curling into a ball at the base of the sink cabinet. He held his knees to his chest and tried to bring himself comfort in these tragic few moments at the end of his life. And, unceremoniously, a slurping vacuum sound arose from the toilet as the liquid finally flowed down the pipes. There were some sloppy, undignified moments as everything was processed and then the sound of the water in the basin being refilled. It was over in a short time that to the teen felt like an eternity. He rocked back and forth, bawling and yelping as the intensity of what he had just experienced absorbed him. -- Carmella knocked at the bathroom door. She was wearing a robe, something she had gotten for Christmas several years ago that she rarely got the chance to wear. The idea of wearing a robe while puttering around the house in the morning or evening felt quaint and harkened back to a time in history when every moment of the day wasn’t completely accounted for with demands. But when she was woken by her youngest child complaining that her oldest child was crying in the bathroom, it was the appropriate thing to wear. “Sweetie? Are you in there? Are you hurt?” The soft sounds of whimpering from the other side of the door were the only answers she received. She steeled herself and twisted the knob, inching the door forward to peer in. She was not expecting to find her teenage son naked on a bathmat, curled up in a fetal position. Her protective instincts completely overwhelmed her. She threw open the door and rushed in, sliding to the ground in a composed but serious way. She grabbed her child and brought him up, into her embrace. She scanned over his body, desperately needing confirmation that he was physically uninjured. Satisfied, she turned her attention towards her son’s mewling. She slowly rocked back and forth, bringing her son into her rhythm, speaking calming words and low, steady tones. This was a practiced motherly skill. The number of times her boys had managed to superficially injure themselves in the most ridiculous ways was remarkable. So in turn, she had lots of time to refine her technique of assuring someone that they were not in danger and that she was there for them. The one constant that she had yet to be used to was seeing the other sibling observing this delicate act. Too many variables and the process was unmanageable and unpredictable. So she raised her head and shot a glance at Martin, who stood stunned at the doorway. It was a look that somehow conveyed an entire dialogue’s worth of information. The shaken child closed the door, apparently completely understanding the message. “Sweetie… What happened?” Carmella asked in the most tender tone she could muster. “I need you to talk to me sweetheart.” There was that arhythmic intake of air. The body slowly attempting to stabilize itself. That was good. That was normal and part of the process. No matter how dire things seemed, as long as she could get the boys talking, they could calm down. After a few moments, her son had regained enough of his composure to speak. It was shaky and lacked confidence. “The… pot… the toilet. It was… so loud. I don’t know. I don’t know. It was just… I’m so sorry Mom.” He squeezed her tight. This was an interesting development. The Retrain System had mentioned that there was the possibility of the development of a toilet phobia as a result of the course. But it was described as a temporary thing that resulted from the psyche rearranging itself. One of the papers Carmella had looked into listed it as a condition that affected some members of the study. But the authors had described it with such clinical sterility. Seeing the actual outcome of such an episode was difficult for a parent. Still, the research was clear that this was a passing thing. That it was within the expected parameters. She and Ron had talked about this and agreed that it was fine. If their son ended up unpotty trained anyways, it clearly wouldn’t matter in the long run. “Oh honey… Shh, shh, it’s ok. It’s ok. It’s alright to be frightened of the potty every now and then.” She continued to rock her naked child, concerned mostly with making sure he was stable and able to recover from this. The fact that this was a white lie or a massive lie was less important than getting Lucas calmed down. “It is? I… I don’t remember… It was just so big and loud and cold and-” Carmella cut him off, not wanting him to spiral into these bad memories. “It’s alright sweetie, Mommy’s here for you. You don’t have to worry, it’s all over. There’s nothing to be scared of now that I’m here.” She stroked his fur. He smelled faintly of urine, but was completely nude. He must have had another accident and disposed of the evidence. She decided to help him by telling him a true story. “You know, when we were first potty training you, you had a lot of trouble flushing the potty. You always used to make us do it.” “What? Really?” Lucas was blushing beneath his fur. It was embarrassing to think about being so young and vulnerable. “It’s true. Whenever you’d go, you would run out and find your father or me and you’d take us by the hand to the bathroom. You’d hold onto our legs and ask that we flush the potty for you.” “Nuh-uh! No way! That… oh man… That’s so dumb.” Lucas eyed the toilet. Carmella followed his gaze. “You’d say that you were worried about the ‘potty monster’ getting you. Oh you poor thing, I hated seeing you so scared, so it took a long time before you started flushing it on your own. I think we only started having you flush the potty when you were starting to get ready for preschool. Since we wouldn’t be around we were worried you would ask one of the teachers to do it.” “Oh my gods… I can’t believe I was scared of the potty monster like that.” “Well, it wasn’t easy to get you potty trained in the first place. So I think we might have just been happy you were making it to the potty at all. But yes, you used to be terrified of flushing that dang thing. I get it though. You can’t see where the sounds are coming from and when you’re so small it probably looks like a lot of water.” Carmella looked her son in the eyes. “Sweetie, this was a tough year for you. And you’re going through a lot of changes. There’s a lot that’s happening and going to happen to you that will be awkward and maybe even scary. If you think something is going to upset you as much as this, you can always ask for help, ok? No matter how weird it is, your father and I will be there for you.” Lucas silently nodded, seeming to understand her words, or at least the tone of her words. He hugged his mom tightly. He really needed a bath. -- It had been a difficult twenty-four hours for Lucas. He tried his best to maintain his composure following The Incident, however it’s always awkward being around people after having a breakdown. Especially when that breakdown was related to the inability to flush the toilet. His Dad had a talk with him after he got out of the shower and it was a lot more of the same. It was deeply embarrassing to have to keep bringing these things up. He mainly just stayed in his room and played Summit Luminaries. It was nice being able to distract himself. Maybe if enough hours passed, everyone would forget what happened and they could all go back to having things as they were previously. The door to his room opened. With his headset on, normally Lucas wouldn’t have noticed. But it was accompanied by the sound of fictional animal sounds and music. Lucas turned around and rolled his eyes. Martin was dressed in a Charmander shirt and the brightest red shorts pigment science could create. He was carrying his Switch, which had the volume all the way up. He made his way to the bed and sat on it, facing Lucas and the TV, but keeping his focus on his portable game. “Whatcha doing?” “I’m playing some Summit. We’re in the top four right now, so we’re doing good. This rando I’m with is cracked.” “Cool, cool.” There was an awkward pause as the conflicting sounds of two totally different games played out. “So uh… did you wet your pants last night?” That was a great question to get in the heat of a firefight when the ring was closing around you. Lucas chose to ignore it in favor of paying attention to the match. He also wasn’t sure how to answer. It was true. He was oddly unashamed of the accident. Accidents happened. Everyone had accidents. Going peepee in your pants was nothing to worry about. But he couldn’t word the response in a way that he felt comfortable with. “It’s ok if you did. Mom told me when you and Dad left last night.” Someone got the flank on their team. It was a three-way firefight. Not a good situation. It required discipline, skill, luck, and focus to win these difficult encounters. “A kid in class had an accident in the last week of school and it was really gross. I felt bad because he’s always been nice to me but people made fun of him. I promise not to make fun of you.” Thou Art the Luminary of the Summit. Lucas sat his controller down as a friend request popped up on his Ycube. He’d answer that later. He put his head in his hands. “Yeah. I wet my pants at the restaurant. And then again this morning. That’s why I was crying. Well… sort of. It’s complicated.” “I get it! I don’t get all of it but I get that you were upset. I know Mom and Dad talked to you about it. Is everything ok?” “They’re… just accidents.” This felt rehearsed somehow. Like he was repeating something that he had heard or said previously. “Everyone has accidents. It’s no big deal to go peepee in your pants. It’s better to go in your pants than…. To hold it.” That last bit felt off. Like his mind wasn’t syncing up with what his words were saying. It wasn’t wrong. It didn’t feel wrong. It just felt less polished. “Oh. Uh… Really?” “Yeah. I think so. I mean, accidents happen. We can’t get upset about them.” “You were uh… pretty upset.” Lucas looked over his shoulder with a pleading expression. “I said it was complicated. I just feel weird about all this happening at once. Please don’t be a jerk about this.” “I’m not a jerk! I’m sorry that I was worried about my hecking brother hecking crying on the hecking floor. Geez!” Martin normally didn’t take a sarcastic tone with Lucas. He’d only recently figured it out and hadn’t perfected how to use it. “Ughhhhh… no, no, it’s… fine. I’ll be ok.” There was another pause filled with the sounds of Martin clicking away at the buttons on his console, presumably issuing commands for his miniature monsters to murder his opponent’s minions. “Can I stay and play games in here with you for a while?” “Sure. Yeah. That sounds good.” -- It was actually nice having Martin in the room with him. Ever since they got two rooms a couple years ago, they had kept apart from each other. Not out of animosity (most of the time) but just out of preference of having their own spaces to be in. Lucas remembered his Dad being bummed that he had to give up his hobby room for Martin’s bedroom. There were still spots on the wall from where his airbrush had oversprayed. They kept saying they would paint the room but it was a chore. Martin covered just about everything up with Pokemon stickers and posters, so clearly he didn’t mind. Being next to each other in a parallel play setting was surprisingly easy. Even though the music was a little distracting. They had done it a lot back when they shared a bedroom. Maybe it was the novelty of doing a pleasant activity that he hadn’t done in a while, but it really did cheer Lucas up. It was unfortunate that he was in the middle of a match when the urge to pee struck. He was so focused, so determined, so poised and ready to win that he completely neglected to think about how full his bladder had become. His water jug had been drained over the course of several rounds and now it had run its course. He sat forward in his seat. He could hold out. Now that he knew what was going on he could make it. He just had to last through this tense… legs crossed… round and he… lips bitten… could go potty… squirming, dancing, rocking back and forth… “Hey do you have to pee? Go do it, I’ve got it!” “Huh?” “Give me the controller, go pee!” Lucas was very unaccustomed to being talked to like that by his younger brother, but he was absolutely right. He really had to go and it was a reasonable offer. So he got behind cover and handed the Ybox controller off, awkwardly jutting out of the chair and towards the restroom. The toilet was still there from where he had previously left it. Still ominously waiting. Still emitting strange vibes and negativity and suspense. But Lucas wasn’t going to let the potty monster win. Or the fictional potty monster of his youth, more correctly. He was going to walk straight up to that toilet and use it and NOT get any pee into his pants. It was a good plan. A great plan, even. But no plan survives first contact with the enemy. At the worst possible time, the plumbing refreshed, turning on to refill some of the water within the tank. It might as well have been the roar of a great beast, as Lucas froze in his tracks. The hold on his bladder released and he felt the warm trickle blossom from his board shorts. No no no! Not after all this build up and discussion. It was just a dumb toilet. Lucas straightened up and constricted his muscles, stemming the flow and stopping this from becoming a complete disaster. He was going to use the potty, darn it! Lucas unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, not caring that the front of his pants were stained and soaked. He could deal with that later. Not wanting to risk anything interfering with this at all, he dropped his pants and underwear onto the floor, allowing them to pool around his feet. Finally, he took aim, and relaxed. When he finished, he was pleased with himself. Yes, he had just wet himself and technically had another accident. But as he had verbally acknowledged just recently, accidents happened. And it was ok to have accidents in your pants. The important thing was that he had made it to the potty and had used it. It was a partial victory, but a victory nonetheless. A problem arose as his body attempted to go through the practiced motions of completing the deed. He paused as his hand was en route to the handle. He had just spent a not insignificant amount of time crying in the bathroom earlier today thanks to the shockingly disturbing sounds this contraption could make. He had to flush. That was proper procedure. It was part of using the toilet. If he used the toilet, he had to flush. Yet his hand went no further. He could not bring himself to press down on the lever in front of him. The wolf frowned and pulled up his damp clothes. They weren’t too badly sodden. It wasn’t that uncomfortable to wear them. It was no big deal to have peepee pants. Accidents happened to everyone. He didn’t need to worry about his pants if he went potty in them. Still, he felt the compulsion to finish his task with the toilet, so he poked his head out from the doorway in the bathroom. “Hey Martin…” “One sec! Just… we… heck!” Martin got up from the gaming chair and headed over. “Ok well you got second place. I downed two guys but I didn’t like the gun you had. What’s up?” “Um… Could you do me a favor?” Martin squinted from behind his glasses. “That depends.” “Can you… flush the potty?” Martin’s eyes widened. And then narrowed. “You’re joking with me. I thought we were cool and you were being honest with me and now you’re just messing around.” “No, dude… I… Remember when I said it was complicated earlier? Well… This is what I meant. Please. I’m not trying to mess with you. I’m trying my best to be real.” Lucas couldn’t make eye-contact. This was difficult for him and it was impossible to hide how raw this made him feel. “Wow. Uh… Ok. But this better not be a prank or a trick or whatever.” Lucas showed his brother in and led him to the scene of his defeat. Martin looked at Lucas, who was trembling just the smallest bit, then looked at the stained pants, then looked at the toilet. He seemed unsure, but he followed through with his agreement and pushed the handle down, flushing the toilet. To Lucas, the rush of water sounded like a flood ready to crash into the house, threatening to wash away the very foundations of his life. He acted on pure impulse and grabbed ahold of his younger brother’s side, sheltering in his embrace. Lucas’s mind had no concept of the world around him as the primal terror ripped through him a second time in the same day. All he cared about was that he had someone there with him to protect him from the awful, awful, terrible potty monster. “Wow. You really weren’t kidding.” -- Things did not get easier for Lucas after that point. In fact, the potty monster became a central concern throughout his days following that breakdown. It was difficult for him to look at it for too long, causing him to become sloppy with his aim. And it seemed as if every several attempts to use the bathroom resulted in soaky pants. It was always a little distraction or a little surprise or a little forgotten step. It was like the checklist that normally ran through his head when ensuring he was going to use the bathroom correctly, sometimes jumbled up at random. One time he removed his pants and underwear entirely and pissed right onto the closed lid of the toilet. It was disheartening that somehow he was unable to go peepee how he wanted and expected to. But it was simultaneously not a big deal at all when he let loose in his shorts. It was a strange juxtaposition of disappointment and contentment to end up with wet pants. The wet pants weren’t an issue in the slightest to him. Accidents happened to everyone. It was normal to have accidents. It was normal to go peepee in his pants. It was perfectly fine if he piddled in his pants all the time. It was no big deal at all if he soaked himself. It was just an accident and that was ok. But he would have preferred to use the potty as he wanted. It was just so difficult! The steps involved made the process complicated. He was fighting against unreliable signals from his body. It felt like he could not trust when he actually needed to go! It was a real pain to dash over to the bathroom, interrupting his task, totally throwing off whatever he was doing, only to find out that apparently he didn’t have to go at all! The worst part was the foreboding sense of dread when he looked at the toilet. In his eyes, the potty monster was real and it was growing in power. It gave him genuine anxiety to attempt to focus on it. And the sounds it made were abysmal and arcane. It was a machine designed to haunt him and torture him. And the nature of going potty meant that Lucas was alone with this beast the whole time. Thankfully, his family had been extremely understanding of him. His parents reinforced and agreed that it was perfectly normal to have accidents. He never felt ashamed when he emerged from the bathroom absolutely drenched with a puddle trailing behind him. The only thing his mother asked was that he clean up his messes and put down a towel on his chair. So keeping a roll of paper towels in the bathroom became standard, and his chair was draped in a bath towel at all times. Beyond just the accidents, his relationship with his Mom and Dad was better than ever, at least as far as he could remember. In Lucas’ eyes it must have just been because of the distance between previous school issues and the summer break. But the reality was that he found himself able to see their point of view more easily and he felt like he could trust them more. He was also contributing to the chores, having become especially proficient at running the laundry. It was possibly the least amount of tension the house had since Lucas started puberty. Martin was surprisingly supportive. Lucas was most appreciative of that. It was an unsettling amount of changes in his life. Having his parents tell him that he was doing fine and not to worry was nice. But having his brother help him flush and clean up his accidents and remind him to make it to the potty at all was exceptionally reassuring. The two brothers found themselves around each other a lot, especially during the summer when their parents were at work. Most of the time it was just playing their separate games near each other. But they also watched cartoons and just talked. They had the house to themselves frequently and for Lucas, having Martin around was a blessing. It wasn’t perfect, obviously. Martin wasn’t always thrilled that he was suddenly his brother’s toilet coach. And there was a little friction when he wasn’t paying attention and Lucas had an accident without even making it to the toilet at all. And it was gross cleaning that stuff up. But despite that, they really seemed to connect and bond more in the first two weeks of summer vacation than any of the last school year. The nighttime meditation program was the biggest win for Lucas, in his opinion. He was sleeping soundly and restfully every single night. He would go to sleep and the white noise would fill his ears and he would drift away into a realm of relaxation and soothing peace. His parents were absolutely right about the stress-relieving properties of the system. He wouldn’t dare dream of having it shipped back to Nile. He was a firm believer in the helpful properties of sleep meditation now. Lucas missed his friends. They talked a lot while playing games together (their attention had drifted from Summit Luminaries to Tumble Bros in the last week). But being physically around them would be nice. He decided to message Noah to see what he was up to. Normally he would include Jake, but he was off at his big fancy soccer camp by then. [ayyyyyy] [sup son] [whatre you doing today] [laundry uhhhhh chillin kinda bored] [same] Lucas omitted that the reason why he was doing laundry was because he had several pee-soaked undies and shorts he needed cleaned. [well thanks for the important info lmao] [bruh shut up lol. Wanna hang out?] [Sure, come on otter.] [*other] [*over ducking autocorrect] Lucas was giddy. Even though the two of them lived in the same neighborhood and saw each other constantly, plus all the time spent together at school, it was always great to hang out with Noah. Plus it was the weekend so he didn’t have to worry about leaving his kid brother at home alone or being forced to have him tag along. “Hey Mom, I’m going over to Noah’s house.” “Ok sounds good sweetie… Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!” Lucas paused, his backpack over one shoulder. Did he forget something? The laundry was in the dryer and he could always pull it out when he got home. He didn’t think there was anything else going on today. “Huh? What?” He heard shuffling around from the other room as his mom stopped writing on her laptop, having to put away papers and books scattered around her. She was working on a novel in her spare time and had gotten to the “constant fact-checking and referencing” stage of the process, apparently. His mother looked a little apprehensive. “Are you sure that you want to go over to visit Noah?” “...yes?” “Well, it’s just that… uh… sweetie, with all the potty problems you’ve been having I think that… Um…” “Mooommmmm! Ohmygods I know how to use the potty! Those were just little accidents! Accidents happen to everyone! It’s no big deal to have peepee accidents in my pants, DUH!” Lucas stated this in a way that felt like he was describing a part of his identity. He could have been defending the color of his fur or how he could ride a bicycle or any other number of complete facts and truths about himself. In his mind, there was legitimately no reason to question his ability to use the bathroom, nor was there any reason to be concerned with the quantity and severity of his failures to use said bathroom. His Mom pursed her lips, thinking very carefully before speaking. Her words were slow as she attempted to pick the correct words. “Right, yes, AND that’s good. But, I think, how about you bring a spare set of clothes with you to Noah’s house? Just in case you have a big accident and need to change.” Lucas hadn’t thought of that. He had been taking for granted that he could just throw his soaked clothes into the hamper and grab a fresh set whenever he wanted. Although “fresh set” was starting to become a loaded term, as his lighter pairs of underwear had started taking on a yellow-tinged appearance, even after being cleaned. He hadn’t considered that he might need to prepare himself in case he had an accident outside of the house. He was only just now realizing that he was pretty home-bound the last week or so. It just hadn’t come up! “Oh! Yeah, that’s a good idea. I’m definitely going to make it to the potty for sure, but just in case I go peepee in my pants a little bit it would be nice to have clean pants.” The wolf was smiling as he was agreeing with his Mom’s plan. It felt good to declare that he was going to ABSOLUTELY make it to the potty. And it felt even better to have a back-up plan just in case anything happened. Something about saying it out loud made him swell with pride over being thoughtful and responsible. “There we go, sweetie. I’m sure you will.” Lucas’ Mom gave him a big hug. It felt kind of sentimental. Lucas had gone over to Noah’s house countless times. It was never a big deal before. But this was the same kind of hug that Lucas got on the first day of school or if he left for a big trip or had an event coming up. It was a special hug that indicated that his Mom was rooting for him. Which, again, was a little bit too soppy for just visiting one of his best friends a couple houses down. But whatever, the hug felt nice! “I’ll call up Noah’s mom while you get the clothes so she’ll know you’re coming.” -- Noah greeted Lucas at the door with an upturned nod and an “Ayyyy!”, letting him inside. Noah’s house was similar to Lucas’ since they were part of the same development. But there were enough small differences and customizations that it felt more like an alternate universe house instead of a copycat. Like, the organization of the rooms were slightly different. And the location of the bathroom downstairs was reversed. And their back porch was covered, which always seemed nice except for every time Noah’s dad hosted a cookout, where it seemed surprisingly inconvenient. Noah flopped onto the couch and Lucas followed. “Wanna chill down here?” “Oh! Sure!” Lucas was surprised. Normally they made a direct line for his bedroom. The den had a nice TV but that was about it. “What’ve you been up to? It feels weird that we haven’t seen each other lately.” The fox looked off to the side, biting his lip, and then reverted to a happier expression. “Oh just doing nothing! I mean we’ve been on Tumult like every day. I guess just destressing you know? Like uh relaxing during summer you know haha!” Lucas pulled back his head and raised an eyebrow, giving his friend a skeptical look. “Yeah, no, I… know what summer is.” Noah nodded. And there was an awkward pause. The fox rubbed his left leg, which was covered in a mottled pattern thanks to his summer shedding. His distinctive red coat making way for a duller, shorter brown. “Want to watch a movie?” “Yeah! Sure! I haven’t seen the new Wonder movie. Doctor Unusual and the Peril Portals or whatever it’s called.” Lucas felt like he couldn’t just rattle off geeky movie titles. There had to be some diffusion to make sure that he wasn’t TOO into his interests. A simple “or whatever” deflected all evidence that he was, in fact, some kind of geek. “I haven’t either. Let’s see if we have it available.” -- The movie was a CGI-fest continuing the interwoven narrative of all the Wonder-brand superhero movies. For the two teens, it was custom-built entertainment made specifically to enthrall them. They laughed at the cheesy jokes and recoiled at the occasional bizarre and frightful scene. They both had large glasses of water next to them that they slammed down. Lucas had noticed that for some reason he felt parched more often during the day. Maybe it was the summer heat. He had gotten accustomed to refilling his large bottle that he kept in his room frequently. About halfway through the runtime, Lucas ran his paws along his legs, squirming in his seat on the sofa. He wasn’t sure why he did it. But he did it again and he felt himself sit upright. Something was informing him that something was happening. He was very focused on the movie and having his body warn him about a mysterious sensation was not what he expected or wanted. He lifted up off his seat to readjust. Both hands were wedged in between his legs now. The wolf had no idea what could possibly be causing this kind of response. Was he adapting to the pace of the movie? It was a strange movie, after all. These subconscious questions were instantly answered as his paws suddenly warmed and became drenched. Even while sitting down, his body trying its very best to defend against this, he could not stop himself from wetting his pants. Lucas clenched, trying his very best to stop himself, although it was really not a good effort. Instead of having absolute certainty that his wetting was abated, he found it turned off briefly and then resumed briefly, only to turn off again. Basically he had to go potty right now and it was so bad that he was having trouble stopping it entirely. Lucas awkwardly stood, hunched over and hands cupped to hide his crotch from his best friend. “Hey uh pause the movie one sec.” It wasn’t a request, it was a desperate plea at a normal response for this situation. He shuffled, back facing his friend the entire time, and jetted towards Noah’s bathroom. As he moved his control shattered and he could feel the pressure welling inside and then releasing into his pants. He scooped up his backpack in a manner that would have been very fluid and cool in literally any other context. Noah was bizarrely quiet during this whole incident. But Lucas didn’t care. That didn’t matter. Maybe it mattered for future Lucas, but present Lucas had his own problems. The primary problem, it turns out, was that Noah’s family casually chose to keep a complete nightmare creature in their bathroom. Their toilet might as well have been a blood-sucking, infant-devouring, sharp-fanged, deadly beast intent for vengeance and carnage. The moment Lucas turned on the light and looked in its direction, he froze. And all control that he had previously maintained vanished. Piss gushed down his legs and onto the bathmat beneath him. He was paralyzed so long as that awful, awful THING was even in the same room as him. He felt his muscles tense and constrict. He could feel the sensation of terror and overwhelming despair wash over him as it had previously. The potty monster was real and it was living in the bathrooms of families around the globe. “Hey uh, you ok?” Lucas wheeled around as he found Noah behind him, looking uncomfortable and out of place in his own home. With the line of sight broken and replaced with his best friend, and with his bladder now fully emptied into his shorts, the wolf felt worlds better. He took a moment, inhaled, held it, and exhaled. “Y-yeah. Yeah. I just… saw something that frightened me.” “Was it the potty monster?” Lucas cocked his head and blinked. It sounded somewhat normal for him to say it. And he certainly had no issues thinking it. But to hear his best friend, who, to his knowledge, had no problems with the potty, refer to it that way… It was shocking and unexpected. “You… know about the potty monster?” Noah looked sheepish and retreated into his shell a little. It was so unlike him. He was always talking. Always asking questions. Always interacting. To see the fox act bashful was extremely out of character. “I have… um… been having trouble making it…. To the potty.” Noah looked down and moved his hands, which had been previously obscuring his crotch. Lucas was shocked to find a similar wet-patch to the one gracing his pants. Except Noah’s was far less pronounced, mainly forming crescent rings along the inner thighs. “Mainly because I’ve been really scared of the potty monster lately. And so um… My… mom she… uh…” “Your mother decided that maybe you weren’t ready for the potty right now.” Noah’s mother appeared, completing the group. “I heard some stomping around down here and figured I should check. Oh Lucas, you poor thing, did you have an accident?” Lucas was like an animal in blinding headlights. Behind him, a destruction-crazed brute waited ominously to swallow him whole. And in front of him, his best friend in the world had pee pants and his mom was just casually seeing both of their accidents. It was surreal. Yet at the core of the situation, Lucas knew in his heart of hearts that having an accident was perfectly fine. It was no big deal to have an accident. Accidents happened all the time and to many people. And it was ok to tell people if he had an accident. “Yes Mrs. Seong. I went peepee in my pants because I was scared by the potty monster.” It all came out remarkably naturally. Unlike Noah, he did not have to force the words out. It came out practiced and natural. There was almost a fun element to admitting he had gone potty in his pants to an adult. It felt rewarding to admit. It wasn’t the entire truth, as he was wetting himself when sitting on their couch (a fact he hoped would not be an issue). But it was so much of the truth in his heart that it was what mattered to him. “Lucas, goodness, and Noah too! You both don’t need to worry one bit. It’s perfectly fine. These accidents happen. Come on, let's get you boys upstairs and we can get you changed into dry clothes.” It was nice being guided through this by an adult. Much nicer than Lucas expected. Mrs. Seong guided the pair up to Noah’s room and ushered them both inside. Lucas immediately understood why Noah wanted to remain downstairs. On the wall, next to his dresser, was a chart showing the days of the week. And on that chart were a series of smiley faces and frowny faces. The chart was even labeled. It was a Potty Chart. Lucas glanced over at Noah, who was hiding his head in his hands out of embarrassment. “Noah, can you tell me what happened?” His mother was stooping to his level. Noah had only just started having his growth spurts. “Noah, I need you to tell me, baby.” “I… wet my pants. I thought I could hold it… but I couldn’t. And I’m not a baby, mom.” “You’re MY baby, and I’m very proud of you for telling me the truth. Go put a smiley face on the chart.” Lucas could see the leaden legs just barely doing their jobs, stomping over to the board with reluctance. Mrs. Seong leaned towards Lucas as he watched. “He’s just a little grumpy. He’ll cheer up once he’s in clean undies.” “MOOOMMM!” Noah turned, his face flush, the pout on his lips possibly being the worst blend of serious and precious possible. He huffed and grabbed a bright yellow smiley face from a pouch and attached it to the middle part of the chart for the day. Something about this was… appealing to Lucas. Noah was making a big deal about it but… It must have felt nice to have confirmation that you did a good job even if that means you didn’t fully (or at all) make it to the potty. “Now Lucas, your mom called me when you came over. I have some grocery bags here that you can put your wet clothes in. She said you brought a change of pants and undies? Good, good. Do you need help getting dressed?” “N-no, I think I can do it.” “Good boy.” The secret weapon used for ages against canines of all sorts to keep them in check. Lucas was a SUCKER for being called a good boy. It had minimal effect when another canine used it, but when another species acknowledged it, boy it hit the spot. His tail was wagging proudly and loudly. “I’m going to help Noah get cleaned up and then you boys can get back to your movie.” By this point, the teen wolf was an expert at undressing and redressing from stained clothes to fresh clothes. Noah’s mom even gave him wipes so he could clean off and still smell nice. He would have to ask his mom for something like that the next time they went grocery shopping. The interesting part was Noah’s outfit. The fox wasn’t wearing normal underwear. He was wearing briefs that were thick. Massively thick. And swollen like a sponge! “C’mon, go get your fresh training pants. There we go. One leg in, and now the other…” Training pants? Training for… what? The novelty of being rewarded on a chart on the wall had made him gloss over the purpose for it. Those kinds of charts tracked reactions towards accidents. And the training pants were supposed to be for training to do what exactly with accidents? Mrs. Seong must have caught him staring, because she answered the very question on his mind. “Noah is wearing special training pants so if he has a little accident he can keep playing and not have to worry. Isn’t that right?” Noah grumbled something as he pulled up his cargo pants. Lucas was insanely, intensely jealous of those training pants. -- Noah and Lucas had a difficult time finishing the movie together. Noah seemed uncomfortable during the whole thing. He would get up, pat himself down, then sit back down. It was like he wasn’t sure if he left his phone in his mom’s car or something. Lucas, on the other hand, had the mental image of the training pants burned into his mind. As Doctor Unusual interacted with characters from different dimensions, the wolf just couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to have undies that were so thick that he didn’t need to worry about accidents. It would give him so much more freedom and comfort. He put zero energy into thinking about the potty chart in his best friend’s room. Something about it made it almost fade from memory. Like his mind was instructing him to put no thought into it. By the time the movie was over, its runtime of well-over two hours plus five post-credit sequences, it was nearing dinner time. The two teens were scrolling on their phones next to each other. Lucas got the impression that Noah wasn’t feeling particularly extroverted today. The two spent some time scrolling through the endless content void of ChikChok. Noah would occasionally lean over and show off something funny or weird, and Lucas would show off some of the cool dances he saw. “So Lucas, will you be staying for dinner?” The wolf looked up, startled at how absorbed he was into browsing his device. “Uhhh… No thank you, Mrs. Seong! I should probably get going.” Lucas had made the mistake of inviting himself over to a friend’s house when they clearly wanted him to leave before. He was just an oblivious kid so he didn’t know it was rude to invite himself to stay. His parents seemed mortified when he told them later and spent a long time reinforcing the proper etiquette in those situations. “Are you sure? Mr. Seong is still on his business trip and we have enough food for you if you’d like.” The exception seemed to be that Noah’s mom had infinite patience with Lucas being around. Maybe it was the duration of their friendship or maybe it was some cultural thing. This was part of the “dance” as mom liked to put it. He had to figure out if this was a legitimate offer or just a nicety that was intended to be rejected. He always messed that part up. Lucas looked at his friend on the couch, still browsing the app. Noah felt pretty distant today. That was fine, not every day had to be a slam dunk. But this was beyond normal recharge rates. He was in a funk. It was really weird trying to analyze the situation, however. In Lucas’ eyes, there was nothing obvious that could result in such disinterest. Noah was on summer vacation, could play games and hang out as much as he wanted, he wasn’t grounded, and he hadn’t mentioned any big problems looming over him. Sure he was scared of the potty monster, but Lucas had already accepted into his heart that the potty monster was real and dangerous. If Noah felt the same way then they should have been bonding over it. Was it the accident? Or changing in front of Lucas? They had seen each other naked during the brief period when the school required showering after gym class (which was quickly abandoned due to a variety of issues). Nothing came to mind that seemed like a big deal. “I appreciate it, Mrs. Seong, but Mom had some special dinner she was working on for tonight. I should go find out what it is. Thank you, though!” Lucas decided that his presence probably wouldn’t make the situation any better here. Maybe after a good night’s sleep Noah would feel better. -- Dinner was an experiment. And like some experiments, it was subject to statistical interpretation. Much to his Dad’s credit, the liver sticks, two-and-a-half-bean salad, spinach cookies, and onion juice were all consumed. Whether they remained consumed would be up for scholarly debate for decades to come. Lucas wondered if perhaps it would have been better to endure an awkward social situation to score free food from Mrs. Seong. Similar thoughts became common for Lucas later in his life. Still, he ate enough to withstand the judgment of his Mom. He learned extremely fast in life that “Do you like it?” coming from his mother was not a question with multiple answers. “Did you have a fun time at Noah’s?” His Mom asked, before daintily sipping at her squeezed allium. “Yeah, uh, sort of. Noah had a big accident while I was there. Oh heck, uh, yeah sorry I also had an accident too. I kind of forgot, I need to take the wet clothes out of my bag.” Lucas moved a piece of liver from one side of the plate to the other, as if it might transform into pizza with some encouragement. “But yeah Noah was just kind of off after he changed into fresh training pants. I was hoping to hang out but he seemed really bummed. I don’t get it.” Lucas caught his Dad looking up from his food out of the corner of his eye. When the teen turned, in anticipation that he might say something, his Dad’s head was lowered again. “Well, sweetie, sometimes people feel things that they don’t always understand. Noah is your friend and I’m sure that this will pass. Just make sure that you’re there for him. That means listening to him when he needs it.” Lucas was pretty sure he understood what his Mom meant. Maybe not all of it, but at least the part about being there for his friend. He took a drink of onion juice, its sharp initial kick giving way for a surprisingly mellow sweetness on the after- “No it’s fine, nobody needs to ask me about the THREE shinies that I caught today.” The onion juice was snorted back out into the cup. It was less pleasant when it ran through his nostrils. -- That night was notable. The sleep meditation had so far been exceptional, producing fantastic rest and mostly unremarkable dreams. This time, as Lucas dreamt, it was not just the waves of static crashing against him, the binaural rhythm shifting him back and forth, back and forth, rocking endlessly. It was accompanied by a sense of warmth. A sense of relief. A sense of fulfillment. Lucas floated atop an endless sea, its currents so subtle that the water appeared as glass. His arms outstretched, his legs spread wide. They were somehow doubled. His arms at his side and his legs together. He felt encircled. Measured. Perfect. Not for perfection’s sake but perfect in self. He could be in any place he wished, in any way he wished. But to float along felt best. The stars drifted overhead, whirling and dancing in their unified course. Rotating as one. Like scattered jewels upon a pall of velvet, they glistened. Their age was meaningless. Their isolation, trivial. Their intent could never be understood. These beacons of distant eons traveled across the unfathomable distance of space. They cared not. They wanted not. Their existence revealed the true scale to those who observed. The stars showed the way things were. The way things are. The way things will be. And these stars moved in the darkened sky above Lucas. It was impossible to take in and impossible to look away. They, somehow, found their way from the most remote of places to him. So that he could bask in their Being. It was overwhelming to take in. The water beneath him was warm. It was inviting. It beckoned him. The beauty above must be mirrored by the beauty below. He felt himself sink. The water rushed around him, obscuring the vision of the cosmos. It should have been terrifying to descend. It should have been terrible to witness the world of the breathing rise further and further away. Out of arm’s grasp. Shimmering as a barrier. The crushing depths of the ocean’s deepest, darkest places should have been horrific. But they were not. And so Lucas found himself once more resting. The shining sand of the sea floor beneath him. His legs, crossed, soles to the sky. His hands, placed, palms to the sky. The darkness that surrounded him gave him clarity. Clarity to see what was beyond the means of perception. The mysteries of the deep did not unravel themselves so easily, but he had no want for time. He was not pressed for answers. He basked in the warmth. The relief. The comforting embrace of the pleasant waters. -- Lucas yawned and raised his arms in bed, blinking. He stretched them out and arched his back. He had the most beautiful and meaningful dream. It was incredible and he left him feeling almost sad that he had to leave it. He couldn’t remember it exactly, just that he had greatly enjoyed it. He felt like he understood things a little better. What that meant, he didn’t know. It was just a sense that he came out of that dream better than when he entered. He gave a great big stretch and lowered himself back on the bed, intending to check his phone to see if he had slept through his alarm. The sun had risen but in the summer that could have meant any time in the day. His back touched cool, wet sheets. If he wasn’t awake before, he was certainly awake now. He brought his arms down and slid them under the comforter. His paws touched the same wetness. He felt around, finding that this wet sensation spread all around him. And given the sensation on this back, it went all the way up to his shoulders. He frowned and blinked, his morning brain working through the problem like a single hamster running in a wheel. He leaned forward, the sheets clinging to him in a very familiar way, and rotated his body ninety degrees, swinging his legs out. He sighed, really not happy that there was something going on with the bed that he just spent all night sleeping in. He hopped out and in one quick motion, as if he could catch something in the act of fleeing, he threw off the comforter, revealing his bedsheets beneath. His bed was drenched, a dark stain spread from where his body had been positioned. Based on the tide marks around the edges of where it had begun to dry, this had been even bigger at one point. It had spread from around his knees all the way up to his back. Lucas leaned over and examined it, trying to wrap his mind around what had happened. He stopped himself. It was prudent for him to try to make it to the potty as soon as he woke up, THEN try to see what was going on. Except, he didn’t have to go. At all. His bladder was totally empty. There was no rush at all. Lucas was not so far gone that he was unable to tell when he had to go peepee in the big boy potty. And his body was telling him that there was absolutely no need to even try. This was around when he noticed that his boxers were totally drenched and that there was a distinct smell of stale urine around him. The wolf’s fur bristled. He felt the heat of embarrassment rise to his cheeks and firmly take hold. He had wet the bed. He had completely soaked his sheets and he slept through the entire thing. Of course he didn’t have to go potty. He had already spent all night going potty in his bed! This was a tough thing to handle by himself. He had two options. He could take the sheets down to the laundry room and shove them in and hope that nobody would ask him why he was running the wash first thing in the morning. That made sense. That would probably work and let him get away with this. Or he could tell his parents that he had wet the bed. Some unknown, unexplainable compulsion made that the obvious solution to this problem. If he told his parents then it would be a good idea. If he told his parents that he wet the bed, they would be able to help. It was important that boys who wet the bed tell their parents right away. Why was it important to fill them in? That wasn’t a question with an answer. It was just some kind of deep truth within the teen that resonated with his sense of self. It was ok to wet the bed! Lots of people wet the bed! Wetting the bed was no problem at all. And because it was perfectly natural and normal and healthy and good to wet the bed, that meant that it was also a good idea to let his parents know. Lucas pondered this for a lot longer than he probably realized. The choice of keeping his accidents a secret had never appeared in his mind, really. For some reason, he was always very open about them. In fact, it felt good to tell his Mom and Dad that he had gone peepee in his pants a whole lot. It even felt good to tell Martin about it, even if he seemed less thrilled with this information than his parents did. It was odd to even contemplate keeping this event from anyone. What was the point in hiding it? Why would Lucas even want to hide it? If anything, the choice between attempting to keep his bedwetting a secret and admitting it outright became less and less of a choice the more he thought about it. It was really silly to bother hiding these sorts of things. He wouldn’t get in trouble for being honest, but who knew if he would get in trouble for being deceptive. Why had he even wanted to keep it a secret in the first place? What a weird thing to have pop up in his mind. Maybe it was like when he looked over the ledge of a tall building and imagined dropping his phone several stories. Or when he imagined what it would be like to ram his shopping cart into another cart at the store. Some kind of strange hypothetical situation that the mind ran through whenever presented with possibilities. Yes, clearly there was no argument or validity to keeping this from his family. Lucas had wet the bed and he wanted to make sure everyone knew about it! -- Carmella was not expecting to have her bedroom door knocked on at 7:30 in the morning. Or any time before she had her coffee. She tried her best to be a morning person, but no matter how many years she devoted to the task, she wished she could stay up late and wake up late. Sadly that wasn’t her life. She did have the ability to make the characters in her passion project novel night owls. But she found that sleeping pattern discussion never really fit in with ranch romance plots. Yes, ranch romance. She was very happy with Ron but… she couldn’t help that she loved a man in denim. It was possible to write a romance story while being happily married, thankyouverymuch! “Sweetie, what is it?” Carmella asked, fighting back a yawn. Her kid was lucky she was already out of the shower. “Mom! Mom! You have to come see!” “Can you tell Mommy? I still have to get ready for work, sweetheart. Is everything ok?” Her son was surprisingly chipper. “It’s fine! I wet my bed! I was sleeping and I didn’t wake up and I needed to pee I guess and I just went in my bed and now my bed is really soaky and wet and there’s a big puddle in it.” Through still unfocused morning vision she looked down at Lucas, noting that his boxers were positively drenched and he stank of stale urine. So, it’s finally happened, she thought. I’ll have to text Ron to let him know we’re moving to the next stage. “Ok sweetie. That’s very good that you told me. Go upstairs and grab all the sheets off the bed. We’re going to have to wash them.” Carmella lost out to the yawn. She hid it behind her paw. “Don’t you want to come see it?” Lucas tilted his head. This kind of interest in showing off bodily waste was a male phenomena that Carmella had never grown accustomed to. She had changed far too many blowouts and trainwrecked diapers when the boys were little to even be dazed by it anymore. “No, no, I believe you. I just have to get ready for work….” The sheer disappointment in the eyes of her teenage son when she denied his request to see evidence that he was a bedwetter was not something she expected. He was about to enter the next stage of the Retrain System so… Sigh. She hated disappointing her kids. “But… Ok c’mon, get up there. I’m coming. You better not be fibbing!” “I’m not, I promise! I really wet the bed!” -- That evening, after dinner, Lucas had a meeting with his parents. They wanted a progress update on how he’d been feeling lately. It was nearly three weeks after the meditation machine had been installed and he was extremely pleased with how well it worked. He was sleeping great and that was impacting his mood in a positive way! They met in his bedroom, much like how they had done at the start of this. This was unlike the last time, where Lucas had been dreading the constant discussions and disappointment from his parents and all the hassles. This time he was excited to share the progress he had made! He sat on his bed, which still lacked sheets. A mass of towels laid on the spot he previously slept in. He was told to keep them there until the mattress dried, which was bound to happen eventually, he assumed. “So, Lucas, um… Have you been feeling well?” His Dad looked almost timid. It would have been a concerning question to start off with if it wasn’t the whole point of the meeting. “Yep! I’ve been feeling great. I really like the sleep meditation stuff. It feels really nice to fall asleep and stay asleep. I can feel it helping me.” The young wolf smiled. He was proud that he had made the mature decision to accept his parents’ offer. It was the kind of thing that some teens probably would have fought back against and not taken seriously. “I see that you’ve been hanging out a lot with your brother. Are you two getting along?” His Mom had her hands on her knees and was gripping them, as if bracing for something. “Uh-huh! Martin is a pain sometimes but it’s been cool playing games with him. And he’s helped me with um… the potty monster.” The less said about the potty monster, the better. “He’s told me that he’s been helping you flush the toilet.” “Y-yeah. It’s not so bad when he’s there to keep me safe from the potty monster. But it’s still really scary.” He really hoped they weren’t about to start grilling him on this. They knew that this was a sore subject! “That’s good that you two are talking and working together. Your father and I have been talking too. We have noticed that you’ve had a lot of accidents lately and now you’ve started wetting the bed.” Lucas had to admit that he was having more accidents than he normally had. Which wasn’t a bad thing! It was normal to have lots and lots of accidents! “And we think that you might not be ready for the big boy potty.” “HUH?” Lucas was stunned! That was outrageous! He was SO ready for the big boy potty!! “What your mother is saying is that, er, it’s not that we don’t trust you to be a big boy about lots of things. We’re very proud of how mature and well-behaved you’ve been. And we’re so excited for you to go into high school after the summer. But we think it would be a lot of stress for you to have these kinds of accidents at school around all your new friends.” Lucas tried to puzzle out what on earth they were talking about. They could talk as much as they wanted about him being mature and responsible and all that but this was his big boy potty privileges! He earned those years and years ago! They can’t just get revoked like that! He was totally qualified to make it to the potty on time whenever he wanted! “What are you… I! Am! Potty! Trained! I know how to use the potty!” He was standing, his fists balled at his sides. “Sweetie, sweetie, we aren’t saying you aren’t potty trained. Sit down sweetie, we have to talk about this like mature adults.” His Mom was still seated, her hand now resting to where Lucas previously was. He was fuming! Talking about things like mature adults is easy to say when you’re not about to have one of the foundational elements of being a big kid taken away from you! “Lucas, we love you very much. We always want what is best for you. Look, we aren’t trying to take this away from you overnight.” His Mom shot his Dad a look. “Er, rather, what I mean to say, is that we aren’t trying to surprise you with this. That’s why we’re having this meeting. So we can talk.” Lucas looked from parent to parent. He crossed his arms and backed away from them, leaning against his old dresser. He would listen to them, but he was guarded. He was frowning and he felt tears welling in his eyes, but he kept his composure. Now was not the time for a temper tantrum. Now was the time to be the most mature person in the room. “O-ok.” This throat caught on the first word out of his mouth. Keep it together, keep it together. “Fine. Explain this to me.” The tension in the room was clear. These kinds of situations went from being just talking to just shouting in an instant, in his experience. His Mom spoke first. “We want to see if some positive reinforcement might help you with your accidents. I know it’s hard to keep track during the day when you’re going to the bathroom, so we have a chart that will help everyone monitor the situation, ok? Adults use charts like this all the time when they want to track things and they can’t remember them very well.” “So you wanna… have a chart for when I go to the potty? What’s that gonna do?” “Do you remember when I went on that diet last year?” His Dad explained. “I kept that app on my phone that tracked all the food I ate.” Lucas definitely remembered. It looked like a pain to do. “Well, it helped me watch what I was eating. I figured out that I was snacking between meals without even thinking about it. By writing it down, I was forced to remember what happened during the day. And it held me accountable.” “It’s exactly like that, sweetie. By keeping track of when you go to use the bathroom, you won’t forget about it. And it will make it easier to monitor your accidents.” Lucas had to admit that while he didn’t mind having peepee accidents in his pants, he could imagine it being inconvenient or inappropriate sometimes. And to his knowledge, most high schoolers didn’t have issues with wetting their pants in front of the potty. And their plan sounded fair. Dad definitely used that app and tracked his diet for a couple of months last year and that seemed to help. Although that did raise an obvious question. “Ok, well, if that system works so well, how come you aren’t using that app to track your food anymore, Dad?” His father’s eyes widened and he gave an awkward smirk. “That’s a good question, Ron. Why DID you stop using that app?” “I uh… well, it was quarter end and uh… There were some… Well you see, what had happened was…” “Lucas, you have raised an excellent point. It isn’t fair to you if we use a method that we can’t use ourselves.” His Mom was looking straight at his Dad while she spoke. “I think to prove that we are being open and equitable, while you are keeping track of your bathroom record, your father can keep track of the food he eats.” His Dad looked like he wanted to say something, but he elected not to. He just nodded in agreement, instead. Lucas supposed that their compromise was fair. If it turned out that this was going to be not worthwhile, at least he wouldn’t have to suffer alone. Much like making things even with his little brother, it was fair as long as everyone was inconvenienced. “Fine. I guess that makes sense.” He still wasn’t happy that this was being tracked. He was a big boy and he could go potty all on his own without having to record it. But, if they were going to record it, he would make sure it was a record of victory and success! “Good then, I’m glad we’re in agreement. Let me show you what we have.” His Mom went out to the doorway of the room and grabbed a box with a few items in it. She produced a vinyl chart with segments and spaces to put stickers and… at the top it said Potty Chart! This was identical to the potty training chart he saw on Noah’s wall yesterday! “So this is the chart. It will help you to-” “Yeah! I saw that! Mrs. Seong had Noah put a smiley sticker on it when he wet his training pants!” He paused. He blinked. Something didn’t click. Why would you put a smiley sticker on a potty training chart if you didn’t make it to the potty? “Wh… Why did… But Noah… went peepee…” His head swam. Something wasn’t connecting in his mind. It made sense to put a smiley face sticker on a potty training chart. It would feel good to put a smiley face sticker on a potty training chart. Smiley faces were good and showed that you did the right thing. That made sense. He wanted smiley face stickers on his potty training chart. But why would the good stickers go on when Noah had a big peepee accident? Wouldn’t he… get a frowny sticker? Yet, that logic was like a gear grinding without lubrication. It was barely turning and overheating. “I think you might be getting swept up in the details, champ.” His Dad’s hand was on his shoulder. When did he stand up? Lucas must have been so caught up in his own head that he spiraled out for a moment. “There’s a system that we’re supposed to follow. It sounds like Mrs. Seong is using the same one that we’re using. I promise, it’s not complicated.” It felt good to have his Dad there to reassure him. Lucas nodded and composed himself. His mother explained the system. Whenever Lucas had an accident in his pants, at all, he would put a smiley face on the chart in the part of the day when it happened. The smiley face was supposed to represent that it was alright and to stay positive. And if you made it to the potty on time and with no accident, you put a frowny face sticker on the chart. This represented that you overcame your fears of the potty monster and did the responsible thing. Apparently the frowny face was supposed to be more like a fearsome face. Lucas wasn’t sure he understood the logic of the way this worked. But it was just two stickers! He knew what they meant and that was the important part! He could keep track of them no problem. “See? Not hard at all. We all know what this means and we can keep track of it easily.” His Dad rubbed his shoulder and pulled him in for a big hug. Lucas hated to admit it, but he really needed that hug. The emotions in the last few minutes had been a lot more real than he was anticipating. “There’s a few more things, right Mom?” “Let’s see… Ah, just let me get this out and…” His mother pulled out a package containing some kind of folded up object. It was pretty big. She presented the front to him. “These are plastic sheets. I know that you just had a single bedwetting incident this morning, but we figured that if we were going to do this, we were going to do it right. Plus, look at how long it’s taken for your mattress to dry out.” She pulled off some of the towels. There was a faded yellow stain underneath, easily revealing where he had allowed his accident to soak in overnight. “This is purely so if anything happens, we don’t have to replace your mattress.” Lucas nodded. That made sense. If it took his mattress a long time to dry out, then it might still be wet when he went to bed. And that would be uncomfortable. He didn’t intend to wet the bed anymore, but… now that it was at the forefront of his mind, he realized that he didn’t have much control over whether he wet the bed or not. He could take steps to make sure he used the potty on time and remembered to pull down his pants and all that. But if he was asleep, he was pretty limited in what he could reasonably do. Plus, as he had experienced recently, he was sleeping extremely deeply. The mattress protector was a reasonable choice and didn’t threaten his ego at all. “Oh? No questions? Good!” His Mom placed the package down on the bed, presumably with the intent of getting it installed once the family meeting was over. “Now, the final thing we wanted to talk about. I think the surprise on this might have already been spoiled a bit thanks to Noah…” “WAIT. Oh my god! You… You got me training pants???” Lucas gasped, a great big smile forming on his face. As his mom raised up one of the pairs of padded undies, he was grinning from ear to ear. The training pants had blue trim and were covered with a pattern of airplanes doing loop-de-loops. The center flap was absent, which prevented it from being mistaken for cartoonish briefs. Instead, the center seemed to bulge out, clearly padded and thickened with layers of fabric meant to help absorb piddle. Lucas couldn’t help himself. He quickly stepped forward and put out his paws, his eyes wide with excitement. The training pants were handed to him and he lifted them up as if they were a sacred object, examining all their details and feeling the fabric. He pressed into the crotch and found it sprung back like a sponge. He let out a squeal of delight. He couldn’t put words to it, but when he saw Noah in undies just like these he wanted them so incredibly badly. He didn’t know how to describe it to his parents. In fact, in his mind he really hadn’t untangled the knot of desire himself. All he knew is that this was something he desperately wanted and now he had it. There was the sound of a cleared throat. Lucas looked up, his tail wagging behind him. Next to the mattress protector was a half-dozen other similar training pants. He gasped and looked at his Mom and then at his Dad. This felt like Christmas. Except on Christmas normally receiving underwear was one of the low points. “Really? Really? These are for me? I get to wear training pants? Oh my gosh oh my gosh…” Lucas heard his Dad say something as his wagging tail slapped into his father’s thigh at extreme speeds. “Oof. Yes. These are for you. We wanted you to feel confident while using the potty chart so we decided that…” His Dad didn’t have time to explain the rationale behind giving his fourteen year old son undies that were easier to pee in. Lucas gripped him in a big hug. Then his Mom. All the while he held onto the training pants with a death grip. “Thank you thank you thank you thank you!!!” “You’re very welcome, sweetie.” Lucas’ Mom spoke as her air was being squeezed out from the hug. He let up so he could examine the other training pants available to him. “If I knew you’d like them that much, we would have saved the potty chart for last.” “We had that whole big speech prepared and everything.” “At least he likes them.” Lucas was busy trying to figure out which one he was going to wear first. They were all great. There was one with little puppies and bones, one with baseball accessories, one with stars, one with whales, one with race cars, and one with fire trucks, cement mixers, and dump trucks. He immediately pulled down his pants and took his undies with them. His undies were a little damp. He had no clue and didn’t care at all. He picked up the training pants with baseball bats and gloves and stepped into them, sliding them up with relish. He threaded his tail through the hole in the back (which took effort thanks to his tail wagging) and felt his handiwork. He could not stop his body from involuntarily shuddering. The thickness of the cloth cradled his groin and kept him snug and secure. It was a noticeable amount of bulk but that wasn’t unpleasant. It was nice. It was a constant reminder of what he was wearing. He twisted and turned and examined himself. He padded over to the mirror and took a look. The teen wolf in front of the mirror was wearing an Envision Wyverns shirt and baseball training undies. And he had the biggest grin on his face. He felt good and right and at peace and happy. It was like he belonged in these. -- Martin didn’t look up from his game. He was in the middle of a special replay of the latest Pokemon game where he would discard any Pokemon of his that fainted. There were a couple of other rules surrounding this particular playthrough but the end result was that he cared a lot more about the health and survivability of his Pokemon. And it resulted in a couple weird situations where he ended up with a rag-tag band of Pokemon following a brutal fight. He liked taking notes about these kinds of things and posting them to Pokemon-dedicated message boards. “So uh, just in case you notice some changes with your brother, that is completely normal and is part of the process. It’s a stress-relief system and it’s going to help him excel in high school.” His Dad was standing awkwardly by him as his parents explained the situation with Lucas. It was pretty obvious what was going on. “Right, yeah, so he’s being unpotty trained?” His Dad bit his lip and paused for a moment before answering affirmatively. “Well, yes. It’s going to take a little bit longer but that’s the end goal. Did he talk to you about that?” “Oh, no, I don’t think he knows. I have a couple friends on the PokeForum who were unpotty trained recently. They talked about it and it sounded like what Lucas is going through.” Martin clicked his tongue as his Pokemon was struck with a critical hit at the worst possible time. It was annoying to lose a Pokemon that he had spent a lot of time leveling up and getting trained how he wanted. But that was part of the challenge. Without extra rules, these games could sometimes become too mindless. “PokeForum? Honey, we have talked about the dangers of talking to strangers online,” his Mom chidded. “You are really too young to be doing that.” Martin looked up from his game, gave his mother a side-eyed stare, blinked a few times, and then returned to his Switch. He wasn’t the one who had taken his Mom’s credit card to buy G-Bucks for Double Week. Or the one who had gotten a virus on his Dad’s laptop. Or the one who had been caught posting “skit” videos on ChikChok. Martin was firmly in his lane in the digital landscape and his parents knew it. Plus, he was going into the 7th grade next year. Lucas wasn’t the only “big boy” in the house. “Anyways, you have some… acquaintances who have gone through this?” His Dad changed the direction of the conversation. His parents were acting weird about all this. It was like they were asking for his approval or something. “Yeah. They seemed to like it. I guess they’re in diapers now.” He made his way back to the PokeCenter to reconfigure his team. “And… You don’t have a problem with it?” His Dad really was being timid. “They’re just diapers! You know, Huggies makes Pokemon diapers? They have Pokeballs and Pikachus on them. I don’t see what the big deal is.” He tossed out the retired Pokemon and replaced it with one of the recently caught monsters that he kept as a backup. Thankfully it was near the level of the defeated one. “Sweetie, if your brother ends up in diapers, would that be an issue? We want to make sure that this wouldn’t hurt your relationship.” Martin actually put the Switch down and looked up at his parents. They were standing over him. He was bad at reading faces. He took a moment to think about how he felt about Lucas. He loved his brother, at times. But he had also been turning into a real jerk. And it seemed like they had been growing distant ever since they each got their own rooms. Martin liked the privacy and he wasn’t begging for his brother to move back in with him or anything. But they lived together and it was nice when they got along. So far, since his parents started this unpotty training program, they had gotten along great. It was weird to flush the toilet after this brother used it, but it felt kind of powerful to have that amount of impact over someone else’s life. Lucas needed him for something really embarrassing and intimate and Martin felt like he was obligated to help. And when they were just hanging out they actually talked and weren’t arguing as much. It was nice. If Lucas would remain like that after being put back in diapers, then there was very little to lose. “Yeah, I think it’ll be fine. I don’t mind if Lucas gets unpotty trained.” He noticed the tension in the air dissipate and he was finally able to return to his game. -- The following day was a curveball for Lucas. He awoke in completely drenched sheets. The plastic mattress protector had done its job and kept the pee from soaking into the mattress, but they had also prevented the liquid from pooling. Instead, it spread out, resulting in basically his entire bed being stained from head to toe. Mattresses, it seemed, were better at absorbing moisture than bedsheets. The training pants put up a valiant effort, clearly having gained significant weight from the amount they had soaked up. They clung to his crotch in a way that was surprisingly pleasant. Unlike his normal undies, they seemed to retain some of his body heat, resulting in a tepid sensation that was more comfortable than how wet boxers felt. Putting the first smiley face on the potty chart was something of a challenge as well. Lucas knew from the discussion the previous night that the smiling stickers represented a can-do attitude and were supposed to motivate him to make it to the bathroom on time. It still felt bizarre to put a happy, positive indicator on a sheet that effectively showed that he failed in the task at hand. Yet, as he stood there in his soaked training pants, looking at the potty chart area marked “Nighttime”, it felt really good to have a nice smiling image in front of him. In fact, it made him smile. It felt good to have a happy sticker on the board! And as he examined himself in the mirror, noting how his drooping training pants looked on him, he could not stop his tail from wagging. He knew, logically, that he was supposed to be making it to the potty and NOT just going in his pants whenever he wanted. But the raw physical and emotional appeal was difficult to argue with. He spent a lot of the day hanging out with Martin. They had found a game that they could both play together: Quarryconstruct. The cube-based building and survival game could be played at the same time cooperatively. And the two of them set to work making an epic base out of a mountain, complete with lava flows behind glass and numerous entrances to underground shafts and even monster-filled areas. Lucas was primarily interested in exploring and linking routes and mapping things out, while Martin cared about refining the designs and creating efficient pathways and expanding the technology available. The day had gone by in a flash. And by the time their parents had come home, the mountain lair was taking shape and becoming a proper base of operations for their endeavors. Lucas invited Noah to come play with them, but he said he wasn’t feeling well. Unfortunately for Lucas’ plans to conquer his potty problems, he ended up having two big accidents before dinner, resulting in two new smiling stickers joining the one from that morning. The teen wolf hadn’t even managed to try to make it in either case. He was so engrossed playing his games that his body just gave up and let loose. Whatever signal his bladder had given his brain that an accident was incoming was completely ignored. It was a real shock for the wolf when he felt the warmth spreading out under him in his chair. He would whine and huff and, for some reason, complain out loud. “Uh-oh! I’m going peepee in my pants! I’m having a big accident and I can’t hold it!” He would shove his hands down, as if that could possibly affect the torrent of pee flowing into his training pants and shorts. After a few moments, his bladder would finally empty and he would sigh in relief. He barely even registered that he said anything out loud. It was an automatic response to the phenomena of his body releasing without his knowledge and his ears were mute to the words. That kind of reflexive action was becoming common for Lucas and whatever part of him that governed self-awareness was clearly on summer vacation as well. This happened to him twice. The most bizarre part about it all was that Martin would have to be the one to press Lucas about the accident. Previously, Lucas was very proactive about changing his clothes and making sure that he had the proper help needed or told someone that the potty needed to be flushed. But these new accidents came with a kind of mental blank following them. Lucas would go back to doing whatever it was that he was previously doing like nothing happened, like he wasn’t sitting in pee-soaked training pants on a drenched towel. It would take his brother to ask him if he had just wet his pants to jog his memory of the event. Lucas was grateful that Martin was so attentive about these things. For some reason, it felt like peeing his pants was just a normal event. He knew that accidents were normal. That everyone had accidents. That it was no big deal to have a big accident in his pants. That it was good to tell everyone when he had accidents. That it was fun to wet his pants. That good boys wet their pants and hated the potty. But even with all of those baseline, concrete mental establishments, it was odd to get used to this new normal. It helped a lot having his brother around to make sure that he was paying attention and not getting carried away. The oddest, most out of character part, was how proud he was to show off his potty chart to his parents that evening. Despite the enormous fuss over having it put into his room, despite the explanation that he was potty trained and didn’t need this, despite the angst over the implications it brought with it. Despite all of that, when he saw those smiling stickers that he put on there from earlier that day, he could not help himself from smiling along with them. His parents seemed understanding, happy even, about this. Clearly they were just impressed with the teen’s maturity and honesty. -- “C’mon Lucas, let’s go grocery shopping.” Carmella had made grocery shopping an evening task. She found that she was less likely to buy junkfood (or to be convinced by her boys, husband included, to buy junkfood) if everyone’s stomach was full from dinner. It also helped her with her busy schedule. Having to get dinner on the table for her family in a reasonable time meant that she didn’t have the luxury of picking things up on the way back from work. And finding the energy to go shopping for basic necessities on the weekend was not always possible. “Huh?” Her teen son clearly heard her. He had such selective hearing sometimes. He knew she was calling for him. His door was right there. All he had to do was pause his game and walk ten feet and he could have a normal conversation. But no, she’d have to do this the hard way. “I said, we’re going grocery shopping!” “What?” For the love of… That boy was leaving his room, whether he liked it or not. Carmella cared deeply about her children but sometimes they could be real recluses. Oh all their friends are online, yes, she was well-aware. Her friends were online too. But food wasn’t online! Out of all the possible things, it was the one physical connection that could never be replaced with virtual reality. She made her way up the stairs. She wasn’t upset, she just wanted her son to come with her. “Lucas, sweetie, I said that we are going to the grocery store. You and me. C’mon, pause it and let’s go.” Her son groaned and was clearly moments away from complaining that it was impossible to pause online games. “You will have plenty of time to fix your score when you get back.” She sniffed the air. There was a strong scent of stale urine. His room basically had that smell all the time now. They were four days into the potty chart and there wasn’t a single frowny face on it. Lucas had been using his pants exclusively, which meant he also had some poopy training pants incidents. That had been a new development, but not unexpected. Any frustration and fussiness over the much more substantial accident faded as soon as the sticker was placed on the chart. That was clearly working as-intended. She would have to invest in some air fresheners for his room. And hopefully an odor-resistant diaper pail in a short time. “Sweetie,” she tried a different tactic. “Does your potty chart need a new sticker?” That seemed to give her teen pause. She saw his character stop moving as he took one paw off the control stick and placed it on his crotch. He quickly apologized to his teammates that he would have to leave early. There were some sounds of complaints on the other end as he exited to the home screen of his console. “Mom! I went peepee in my pants like a LOT! I totally forgot to tell you about it. Can I please put a sticker on my chart?” He had hopped up and was obviously in saturated pants. And they clearly had been this way for a while, as the edges had begun to dry, staining the outside with obviously discolored tide marks. “Did you already put a sticker on the chart for this accident?” Carmella asked, hand on her hip. Yes, she had to go grocery shopping. But her dang son was just so endearing this way. If she wasn’t going to enjoy interacting with her kid, what was the point of being a parent? “No! I promise! I didn’t realize I had to go and I kinda just forgot until you mentioned it!” His tail was tucked between his legs. It was tough for a wolf to lie about their emotions when they had an indicator that was highly visible and totally out of their control. “Ok, go put your sticker on and get changed into clean pants. I’m grabbing my purse. I want you in the minivan in just a few minutes, ok?” The grin from her son as he was carefully aligning the new sticker on his chart, the wagging of his tail, the sheer joy he was getting from such a simple task, was all too much for Carmella. It reminded her of when she initially potty trained Lucas. Except this time was far, far, far easier. That child had been absolutely terrified of the toilet and convincing him to get out of diapers was no small feat. Maybe, in a way, she had actually forced him out of diapers too soon. Maybe this was an opportunity to correct that mistake and allow Lucas to regain that agency over himself. It was such a basic mark of maturity that perhaps wasn’t healthy to impose. She had heard of other cultures where they breastfed their children into their teens. She had heard of all sorts of unique methods for child-rearing. Maybe she had given into societal pressures for her own sake rather than for the sake of her… She was getting way too carried away in her head again. Carmella exited her son’s room, noting that his “fresh” training pants were already yellowed from repeated use. -- Lucas trudged alongside the cart, weary of this necessary process. He had agreed to come with his Mom, but he hadn’t agreed to exist in this space doing the most boring things imaginable. Lucas was no chef, and as such, he had no way to comprehend what all the random ingredients he was picking up were to be used for. Did the brand of artichoke hearts really matter? According to his Mom it did. She had a checklist on her phone and would also be struck with random moments of inspiration, requiring the wolf to trek all over the store to find some highly-specific ingredient. Far too often, he picked the wrong thing or the wrong version of the thing or the wrong size of the thing. Meaning he would have to make the return trip through the labyrinthine grocery store to find where he even initially located it in the first place. One such trip to pick up paper towels (“No, sweetie, I want the one with the burly bear lumberjack”) had taken him to the mysterious non-food aisles of the grocery store. These poorly-understood rows always housed the most random assortment of household goods available on the market. Was there really a need for two dozen shelves of clothing detergent? What about the forty-pound bags of birdseed? Did… Jake find that weird? He was a raven after all and… Lucas turned the corner and caught a glimpse of a wall of products that halted him in his tracks. In front of him were stacks and stacks and stacks of diaper packages. These were huge, boxy, plastic-coated containers, showing the faint outline of their folded contents as the taut packaging contoured around the edges. Huggies Ultra-Supremes for Teens? Teen Pampers SuperCruisers? Luvs Teens Leakguard Pro Series? Lucas was entranced. These large cases of diapers were all marketed for teens and young adults. They had pictures of other people his age proudly showing off their diapered status. They were smiling and posing and happy to be swaddled in these thick diapers that they were obviously wearing. It was incredible. They all boasted that they had the maximum absorbency, that they were perfect for teens who needed extra protection, that they fit just his size. He set the rolls of paper towels on the epoxy-coated floor and walked over to the display. There were dozens of these diaper bags all lined up perfectly on the shelves. Their own section marked “Young Adult Incontinence Supplies”. Right next to the diapers meant for babies and children. It was wild to see and also somewhat normal. Like they weren’t stacked up with some kind of fanfare or giant signage or other things that made them stick out. It was just like any other section of the grocery store; products being sold and marketed towards people interested in them. He saw the outlines of the diapers bulging the plastic of the packages. They were clearly lined up tightly inside, perfectly aligned. They were huge compared to the baby diapers. The teen stepped forward and studied the designs. They were all so similar and yet each had their own specific color and marketing style. He reached out and grabbed at the Huggies package, sliding it out and rotating it. It was heavy, at least several pounds. The diapers inside must have been weighty and bulky, because the coating around them was extremely thin. Easy to open. Easy to just rip open and take a look. Lucas studied the sides. They were much like the front, showing off a teenage sabertooth cat in a different pose than the front. On the front he was confident and smiling. On the sides he was leaning against an invisible wall and looking content. The back was filled out with more information about the diapers, showing them unfolded with arrows pointing to the various features. Elastic backing for extra fitted comfort, triple-reinforced leak-guards for maximum protection for leaks, a layered central core for quick absorption, 10,000ml liquid capacity, reinforced diaperfront for enhanced playtime comfort, high-strength tapes to prevent sagging. It was incredible the amount of engineering that had gone into this. The blurb on the back talked about how Huggies Ultra-Supremes for Teens was the premier diaper for teens and young adults, using state-of-the-art technology to ensure convenience and comfort for today’s on-the-go youth. That these diapers were designed to be extremely comfortable to wear while sacrificing none of the patented Huggies Leak-Lock features that parents have known and valued. The wolf’s heart was racing as he read all about this. His breathing was quickened. He had no idea why this was all so fascinating to him. A few weeks ago and he would have walked past without even noticing. Or if he had noticed he would have assumed it was meant for some other demographic than himself. But reading all of this and feeling the dense package filled to the brim with diapers was beyond engrossing to him. He had to know what they looked like. Were they really like what the back of the packaging showed? Did they really look like how they looked on that sabertooth cat on the front? He had to know. The teen looked up and down the aisle. He checked up at the ceiling for cameras. If there were any he couldn’t see them. He was alone in this spot and no one would be the wiser if he decided to take a peek inside the box. He just wanted to look, that was all. He slid the box off the shelf. It really was heavy for its size, at least a foot and a half on all sides and several pounds. There was a handle at the top that he could hold onto. It would make it so much easier to carry this around the store. Assuming, of course, that he had any reason to do so. He didn’t want to take these diapers to his Mom and have her purchase them and then wear them. No, that was… That wasn’t what he… He held the box awkwardly positioned against the shelf, holding it in both arms, just staring at it. The boy on the front looked so happy. He looked so cool and confident in diapers. He looked normal in diapers. He was wearing them between his legs as if they were underwear and he wasn’t making a big deal about them. They were just what he wore instead of undies. He wore diapers. He wasn’t potty trained and he needed diapers so of course he wore diapers. That’s why these diapers even existed. They existed because it was perfectly fine for teens like this cat and like Lucas to wear diapers. They wouldn’t make diapers this big and designed exactly for people like him if it wasn’t perfectly natural to wear them instead of undies. Instead of training pants. He slowly placed the box on the floor and took another look around the aisle. He pulled at the corner flap where the handle was, unsealing it. He then tugged again and again, making an opening at the end of the package. The smell that greeted him was unreal. These diapers were pleasantly scented with lavender. It was a clean, simple smell that was noticeable but not overpowering. It gave the product a luxurious quality in his eyes (or nose). Like they didn’t need to make the diapers smell this enjoyable, this… welcoming. His paws were shaking as he reached for one of the diapers in the package. He couldn’t explain himself. Why was he so anxious and excited about this? Why was this such a big deal? Why was he even doing this in the first place? What could have possibly spurred on this total random fascination that would warrant opening a package of… Before his mind could race to the next thought his fingers were around the edge of the white diaper. The plastic outer layer felt smooth and had a satisfying give to it. He pulled it out, taking care as it was lodged in the package. These were clearly pressed together and were given no room to breathe or expand. The loud rustling of the plastic bag followed his movements. After some wiggling he finally produced it. He was holding the folded up, rectangular form of a diaper exactly in his size. Lucas studied it, feeling the length of the material. The thin layer of plastic encasing the thick absorbent layer of padding underneath. The tactile experience was unlike anything else he could remember. It was both supple and strong, clearly engineered so that it did not feel fragile or rough. The sound it made as he rotated it and felt it up was exquisite. A subtle crinkle and rustle that was intoxicating to listen to. All along it were patterns, showing space ships and moons and astronauts, with a panel of a smiling sun with smiling planets orbiting on the front panel. It reminded Lucas of the smiling stickers on his potty chart. It was inviting and friendly and it really reinforced to him that it was perfectly fine to wear diapers. Just like the smiling stickers made him feel good about going potty in his pants, the smiling planets on this diaper made him feel less wary about his decision to open up the package and take a look. “Sweetie, would you like to tell me what you’re doing?” Lucas felt his body tense up and in one instinctive motion, his hands chucked the diaper away from him. It thudded across the grocery store, landing in the open refrigerated dairy products aisle. Lucas’ heart was pounding in his chest. What the FUCK was he doing? What WAS he doing? He was just looking at DIAPERS and what the actual fuck. How was he supposed to explain that? That wasn’t something that he was known for or that he could just handwave away. He had a big package of Huggies right in front of him and it was open and his Mom probably saw him fondling this thing and wow he was basically dead. Maybe he could just pass away right here and they would ignore this part of his life in his obituary. Like they can’t just put in “died of embarrassment because he was caught opening DIAPERS” in the memorial of you right??? “Sweetie, c’mon, I’m right here. Mommy’s right here. It’s ok, you can tell me what’s going on.” He caught the glimpse of his Mom out of the corner of his eye, leaning down next to him. “Oh, are these some of those teen diapers? I’ve been seeing those around.” Lucas was frozen stiff. “Hm. Lucas, did you open this package of diapers?” Air escaped from his chest as he vainly attempted to form words. “Sweetie, it’s ok if you did, but you have to tell me.” Lucas was at the point where there were so many thoughts in his mind all competing for attention that he felt no dominant thought. It was like having a blank mind, except it resulted from having hundreds of thoughts all trying to bust through the door at the same time, jamming it in place. One of those thoughts happened to be that Lucas needed to go potty. “Lucas, it’s alright if you opened these diapers. It’s perfectly normal to be curious about diapers, especially since it sounds like a lot of teens are wearing them and… Oh. Uh-oh. Oh sweetie…” Lucas looked at his Mom with a dumb expression and then looked down. From his squatting position he could see in full view that a puddle was forming on the ground beneath him. Piss was streaming down his shorts in rivulets, dripping onto the floor and pooling around his feet. His training pants were trying their very best to keep the accident contained but there was a serious limit to their ability to stop such a massive flood. Worse still, his tail flagged. His eyes closed and he felt his stomach tighten. He was in the perfect position to completely lose control over himself. The back of his training pants bulged and sagged as he pushed out a massive mess into their seat. When he opened his eyes, he saw his Mom looking down at him, her face a gentle mask showing concern and affection in equal measures. He had seen that face a lot recently. He frowned as he looked up to her. “Mom, I had a big accident in my pants. I went potty lots and lots in my pants.” He was on the verge of breaking down. He had just had an extremely public and humiliating accident. There was no way to hide this. They still had an entire store to walk through. Everyone could easily see and smell that he had just peed and pooped in his pants and there was nothing he could do about that. His Mom smiled with a practiced gentle grace. “That’s right. You sure did sweetie. And you know what that means, right?” She crouched down to his level and looked him in the eyes. “It means that when we get home, you get to put a big, smiley sticker on your potty chart! Won’t that be fun? Won’t that be nice to have a happy face on your potty chart?” Lucas genuinely could not help himself. His tail moved of its own accord and the doom and gloom and misery he was just beginning to wallow in was instantly replaced with the sheer joy and excitement associated with putting a big happy sticker on his chart showing off how many accidents he was having. It felt really, really good to put those stickers on to mark his progress! And that meant that having a big accident in his pants was a good thing! It wasn’t a bad thing to go potty in his pants because he was supposed to have lots and lots of accidents in his pants! The stickers were smiling and happy and that meant that HE should be smiling and happy when he used them! “Really?? I get to put a sticker on it???” His Mom nodded and that was all it took to bring the teen up to his feet despite his sodden pants. “Now, sweetie, I’m going to ask you to do me a big favor. Can you do that for me, big boy?” Lucas eagerly nodded his head. He could absolutely help out! “I want you to go grab that diaper you tossed over there and bring it back. We need to clean up your accident before we leave.” The teen carefully stepped out of the puddle and squeaked his way over to the open dairy aisle. He didn’t mind that it was painfully obvious that his pants were completely ruined by this accident or that he desperately needed to get changed. He had been put into a remarkably good mood despite all of that and he was doing a task for his Mom. That kind of one-mindedness really helped ensure that he stayed on target. He grabbed the Huggies diaper that he had flung onto some yogurt containers. It had flopped open. He brought it back in both hands, awkwardly waddling thanks to his accident. With an expertise that implied that cleaning up random spills with spare diapers was not infrequent, Lucas’ Mom mopped up the puddle to the best of her ability. She balled the diaper up and stuffed it into her purse. She looked at Lucas, then back down to the Huggies on the ground. “Alright sweetie, go put the Huggies in the cart.” “Huh? But I-” “Sweetie, you know that if you open something in the store, you have to pay for it. C’mon, no arguing, we have to finish shopping.” The teen sighed in a way indicated a kind of defeat unique to teens. A huffy, resigned, annoyed sigh. But he did as she asked. Thankfully there were precious few items left to purchase on their trip. Lucas spent the entirety of the time side-eying the diapers that were now in the bottom of the shopping cart. He just couldn’t take his eyes off them for some reason. When it came time to check out, Lucas’ Mom sent him off ahead so he wouldn’t bother any of the customers in line. He waited out by the minivan, casually browsing on his phone. It was really interesting how once he distracted himself, he barely even noticed that he had pottied in his pants big time. He messaged Noah on Tumult. Noah responded quickly and seemed much more talkative than he had been in previous days. That was nice. Lucas would have to see if they could hang out later, not that he was in better spirits. When Lucas’ Mom arrived with the cart, he noticed that she had the Huggies box completely open and on display for anyone who looked. He blushed as he saw that there was nothing to hide these embarrassing things. It almost made it look like these were for him! Lucas was also surprised to find that he was instructed to help load the car into the back passenger seats, rather than the spacious minivan trunk. It wasn’t that crazy or unusual, just kind of odd. “Ok sweetie, go put the cart away.” Lucas waddled off, his pants now cold and clammy against his legs and decidedly less comfortable to walk around in than they had been earlier. When he returned, the trunk door was open and the seats had been laid down. The Huggies from earlier were sitting there, along with several empty trash bags and a few other items Lucas couldn’t make out. “Good boy. Alright sweetie, I was thinking about this while I was in line. I don’t want you sitting on the upholstery in poopy pants. And I don’t think YOU want to sit there in poopy pants, do you?” Lucas shook his head. This was getting pretty frustrating and weird to be in. “So I’m going to change you.” The teen’s eyes went wide as he realized why the diapers were out in the open in the back of the car. Lucas went to speak up, to defend his maturity, to vehemently deny that he needed to be put back into diapers. Before he could even get a word out his Mom held up a finger, giving him a dead-serious face. “You opened this package of diapers in the store. You made me purchase them by doing so. I didn’t want to buy these. So, mister, since I happened to do something exceptionally nice for a boy who was prepared to ruin property that wasn’t his, YOU have to do something nice for me.” Lucas hung on her words. He was ashamed. It was true. He had totally just taken something that didn’t belong to him and opened it without even asking for permission and without thinking of the consequences. He wasn’t quite a thief, but he was certainly not acting like the kind of good boy who got smiley face stickers. “I’m getting you changed into these for the ride home and that’s final, understood?” The teen looked down, feeling just awful about himself. He had really messed this whole thing up and he was extremely fortunate that he was only being subjected to this, rather than a more intense punishment. He followed his mother’s instructions and undid his pants, taking them off awkwardly with his shoes still on. He shivered nervously as he stood there in the parking lot. The sun was setting late. Thankfully most people did not do their shopping this late, but it was an awfully public space to be standing in poopy underwear. His Mom bagged up the pants and motioned for him to lay down in the back of the minivan. It was a pretty strange experience having his dirty undies changed this way. His mother was so casual about it. She moved with practiced precision and quickly cleaned him, using some baby wipes previously hidden behind the package of diapers. Lucas had his face covered the entire time with his hands. He felt the ordeal and the ordeal was cold and odd and also comforting and personal. He heard a diaper being removed from the package, the loud rustling of the plastic coating immediately giving it away. He whimpered as he was instructed to lift his tush up, and was greeted with the smell of fresh baby powder, a unique and pleasant smell that made him oddly nostalgic. Before he even realized, his thigh was lightly slapped by his Mom a few times and she told him to get up. Lucas moved the hands from his face and blinked. The sky was a lot darker and the lights from the parking lot were the primary source of illumination now. He jumped up and looked down at himself. He twisted around, examining how he looked from every angle. He was so emotionally frazzled from the events of tonight that he wasn’t sure how to feel. On the one hand, he was wearing a diaper, which was the ultimate sign of potty failure, and certainly something he was hoping to avoid. It was too unbelievably embarrassing and ego destructive to even think about the possibility of ending up back in diapers. And yet, as he inspected himself, he couldn’t help but feel somehow, improbably, complete. Like this was some sort of missing piece of himself that he was totally unaware of. And now that he was wearing the diaper, which fit snugly and comfortably around him, he was a total person, a complete package. Lucas grabbed his Mom into a great, big, hug, and she returned it with the same intensity. Lucas wasn’t sure why he felt this way. And he couldn’t possibly begin to untangle his feelings in this parking lot. But it felt good to hug his Mom and it felt good to be in clean undies, even if those undies happened to be diapers. -- The car ride home was quiet. Lucas stared out of the window, letting his mind wander as the streetlights passed by. He was trying to think, trying to center his thoughts and form a concrete mental chain, but he found himself drifting from idea to idea. Never anything substantial, just thoughts that came and passed with little fanfare. He noted that the diaper hugged his bottom in a pleasing way. He would have figured it would be uncomfortable to sit in since it lifted up part of him, but instead it was a very comfortable and familiar feeling, remarkably similar to the sensation of sitting in his training pants. He was still concerned that his Mom was mad at him for opening the diapers and causing a fuss for her at the store. But it wasn’t the right time to have that discussion. When they pulled into the driveway, Lucas didn’t even think twice about hopping out and helping with the groceries. He paid no mind to his pantsless state. It genuinely didn’t even cross his thoughts that he was showing off his diapered butt to the entire neighborhood. Maybe it was just his desire to assist his Mom following the events of the grocery store. Maybe it was something else. But he barely even noticed that he was thickly padded in his Huggies, totally exposed. The slight waddle in his step as he carried armfuls of reusable grocery bags was the only thing that came to mind. He walked a little bow-legged, wiggling his butt as he moved. It was taking a little bit to get used to. Not that he wanted to get used to walking around in diapers. “Lucas, sweetie, thank you for helping me put the groceries away.” It had gone by in such a flash and Lucas was so busy in his own head that he felt like he had no memories of even unpacking the groceries. “There you two are! Do you need any help with… Oh. Uh. I see that we’re going without pants tonight, huh?” Lucas’ Dad always seemed to miss out on putting away the food. Just barely missing or arriving just in time to help with the final and most minor of items. It had become a running joke in the family and it seemed he was perfectly happy with those minimal expectations. He leaned against one of the door frames into the kitchen. “Lucas had a ‘big accident’”-his Mom made air quotes with her fingers-”at the grocery store. And he also opened up a package of Huggies without telling me. So I decided to change him in the backseat.” His Mom sounded tired, done. Lucas looked down with shame. “I see. Well, that explains what he’s wearing… Lucas, it sounds like you owe your mother an apology. You know that you have to ask permission before you take things at the store.” His Dad sounded abnormally calm about the situation. But he was still correct. “I’m sorry Mom. I… didn’t mean to cause you any trouble. I don’t know why I opened them up.” “Sweetie, it’s perfectly normal for teens to be curious about diapers.” The teen wolf looked up at his Mom. She had a smile on her face that reminded him of the gentle look she gave him at the store. It was a warm and understanding look. “W-what? It is?” Lucas wasn’t sure how to take this information. His brain still felt fuzzy and clouded. Things were happening and he wasn’t sure how to process them. “Your mother is right. There’s a lot of research showing that teens can be more successful at school if they are diapered. Plus I’m sure you’ve seen all those commercials. It’s only natural that you would be curious.” Lucas blinked as he looked from parent to parent. It was true that he had seen commercials showing off teens wearing diapers. But… wait, he had? Yes, he absolutely had. They popped up a lot when he watched WeChannel. And they showed up on the television in commercial breaks between shows. Over the past several weeks he had seen them and had, for some reason, just totally ignored them. It was like his mind glossed over the fact that he had witnessed dozens of these advertisements showing off people his age perfectly happy in diapers. Wearing diapers and explaining that diapers helped them. Making it seem totally normal and pedestrian to wear Pampers or Huggies. It was so weird that he had completely missed the purpose of these commercials. It was like he blanked when they came on. But now that his Dad mentioned it, he really had seen a lot of things lately indicating that it was perfectly natural for teens to wear diapers. It all rushed into his head at once, unpacking so many memories and fitting them onto a timeline that had previously been empty. He swayed in place, losing his footing for a moment as his mind caught up with the sudden explosion of recent memories he had completely taken for granted. He stumbled and caught himself against the door to the pantry. Both parents stepped forward but Lucas shook his head and steadied himself. His Dad was right! He really had seen a lot of commercials about wearing diapers lately. That must be why he was so curious about the package of Huggies from the store! He had seen a lot of ChikChoks talking about how commercials and media influenced consumers (ironically often coming from “influencers”). He had totally believed that he was unaffected by such things, but clearly that wasn’t true. “Wow… Gosh yeah. You’re right. I really have been seeing a lot of stuff about diapers lately.” He spoke with a newly gained confidence, with self-realization. “Yeah, I’m really sorry Mom. I should have talked with you about it. I shouldn’t have just opened up the box of diapers like that. That wasn’t right for me to do.” “Well, apology accepted.” There was an awkward pause as no one seemed certain of the next step to take. After a beat his Mom filled the void. “Go upstairs and put a sticker on your chart, big boy. And Lucas, how about you keep the diaper on for bedtime tonight.” Lucas had turned to rush up the stairs. He stopped, took a breath to say something, and thought better of it. He had gotten off extremely leniently from his parents and just had some really bizarre realizations about the kinds of media he had been consuming. Now wasn’t the time to push back. Besides, it was just a diaper. It wasn’t so bad being diapered. It was, really, kind of nice. -- Dreams. Dreams of nothing. Dreams of everything. Intense visions of infinite vast expanses perceived by insignificance. The stars above circled, their twinkling lights away in a distance so vast that it could not be comprehended. Multi-colored strips of brilliant illumination danced overhead. The aurora was its own mystery. Perhaps solved by someone, but its solution was less important than what it represented. The drive to solve that mystery, the drive to seek out the beautiful things of the world and understand them, commune with them, exist with them, preserve them. It wasn’t so much about the answer as it was about the journey to find the answer. Lucas sat, legs crossed on the edge of a cliff. Mountains in the distance broke up the vista. Their jagged and snow capped peaks seemed small from his vantage, but he knew that if he was closer that they would tower over him. So many things in the universe above and below. So many things to see and do, to learn and know. It was exciting. The new possibilities. He looked down. Vast primordial forests covered swaths of land that could never be crossed on foot. Winding rivers broke them apart into their own sections, creating natural divides of the landscape. The trees could grow for hundreds of years, hundreds of feet tall, carrying with them the wisdom of the ages. Their roots spread deep and wide, forming a tangled network of interconnections between all living things just beneath the surface of perception. The wisdom was not with age but with the community and relationships formed. Rocks crumbled to dust in the wake of their slow, relentless assault. Nothing could stop the solid foundation of those who existed together in harmony. He watched as the sun rose and set, a hundred times. A million times. The trees, they grew as tall as they could and eventually reached their end, collapsing onto the forest floor, only to disappear as they were consumed by the invisible mycorrhizal network that formed a symbioting web, its own community of hyphae and mycelium strands joining together just as the roots of the trees did. And from this death emerged new trees that grew to the same gargantuan, towering heights. As time passed the cyclical nature of all things bore truth. But the unity of the forest stood in defiance. Although one tree fell, the forest remained. And the forest could grow, no matter the changes. It filled Lucas with a deep contentment. The permanence of impermanent things. And he was a part of it. -- It might have actually been the best night of sleep Lucas had ever experienced. He opened his eyes, feeling refreshed and fulfilled in a profound way. He felt no tension in his body and his bed was the perfect temperature; just warm enough to be toasty. He stretched and yawned and opened his eyes and turned over to turn off his alarm. His plastic sheets rustled underneath. He grabbed the phone and scrolled through it casually, checking up on how social media had developed overnight. It was just really nice, lying there. In the back of his mind, he felt like he needed to do something. He felt like he was missing something. Something he had checked in the morning recently. Something that made him feel a mixture of emotions. Oh! He had to check to see if he could put on a smiley sticker on his potty chart for wetting the bed! That was so silly of him! The last several mornings it had been painfully obvious as he woke up in sopping wet sheets that reminded him of his condition the moment that he gained consciousness. Maybe he had just gotten used to waking up like that. Oh! Or maybe he actually had held it while he was sleeping and he could make it to the potty! That would be exciting! Lucas sat up and threw off his sheets, fully expecting to find them heavy and wet. They were dry. They were bone dry. They were completely unused and unstained. Instead, he found that the diaper he went to bed in was absolutely soaked and swollen from having absorbed an incredible amount of his overnight accidents. The teen gasped. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. His Huggies, previously with a variety of space-themed decals, were stained a light yellow, and the pictures all along the inner core were completely gone. Trace amounts of the ink faded around the edges as if it was being slowly washed away. Lucas put his paw onto the diaper and felt it squish under this touch. The diaper felt substantial. It felt like it had grown and expanded and swollen. The sensation of pressing against it was electric. It had a give to it. It flexed as he pressed into it. The absorbent material around his sensitive parts was unlike anything else he had ever felt. It was exciting and soothing in equal parts. And the sound that the plastic of the diaper made. It was even better than when he had held the diaper in his hands at the store. It responded to his touch with a subtle but noticeable crinkle. The plastic of his sheets along with it. It was like the ultimate physical stimulant. He couldn’t get enough. Both his hands were soon gripping his diaper. Groping and cupping and rubbing and squishing and feeling all over. He was laying in bed feeling his big soggy nighttime diaper and he really couldn’t have told anyone how long he was doing it for. It was like he was in his own world as he explored the Huggies diaper, wanting to experience every inch of it, wanting to learn as much as he could. Of course, the door to his bedroom opened in the middle of this fondling session. Lucas quickly grabbed one of the sheets and hastily covered himself as his Dad stood at the entrance to his room. “Hey champ, Mom made breakfast for the family. She’s got these little toast things with eggs in the center. They’re delicious.” “Th-thanks!” Lucas’ voice cracked. “I’ll… I’ll be down in just a minute.” “Oh, how did last night go? How was it sleeping in your Huggies?” “It… uh…” Should Lucas be honest that this was the most incredible experience of his life to wake up to? Would that be weird? Would it be weird to just blurt out that he really really really REALLY loved waking up in super soaky diapers and he loved rubbing and touching them? “I…er…” His Dad raised an eyebrow as Lucas struggled to come up with words to accurately explain how he felt without coming off way too strong. “Hm… Not easy to talk about, huh? How about this,” his Dad walked across the room (with unusual ease thanks to all of the laundry that Lucas had been doing lately) to the potty chart. He grabbed two stickers from the container and held them up. “If you didn’t like it, we can put a frowny face on the chart. And if you did like it, we can put a smiley face on the chart. No need to make this all complicated.” Before his Dad could even finish his sentence, Lucas, still clutching his sheet, pointed at the smiley face sticker. “This one?” The teen nodded. “So sleeping in a diaper felt good?” Lucas nodded again. “Good. Then we can put this up on your chart.” And with that the sticker was secured. Lucas didn’t know why but this whole experience made him feel small. He had, without realizing it, curled up with his knees to his chest and was holding his sheets tight against his chest. “Wanna come give me a big hug for your big sticker?” That was all it took to get Lucas hopping out of bed, his tail frantically fluttering behind him. He didn’t even notice how droopy his nighttime diaper had gotten. At the very least the Huggies promise for the tapes to remain secure seemed completely accurate. -- The next few days were weird for Lucas. He had made the switch to being diapered at night after a discussion with his parents. That discussion went far more calmly than the previous several potty-related ones. But he was still in his training undies during the day. It was under the guise of making it to the potty on time and trying to use the potty and yadda yadda yadda blah blah blah. Lucas found himself really just not caring in the slightest about that stated goal. If someone had asked him, he would have absolutely said that he was definitely interested in maintaining his potty trained status. But on the inside he was just daydreaming about diapers. He found himself loitering about in the house before taking his morning shower. Finding random things to do so he could justify staying in his nighttime diaper. It was soul-crushing to take off his Huggies and tug up his training pants. For whatever reason, that excitement and fun that the training pants had previously brought him was just gone and nowhere to be found. He found his accidents just as frequent as before, his potty chart now exclusively full of smiling stickers all indicating that it had been almost two weeks since the last time he actually went potty anywhere other than his pants. And these accidents seemed even more random and totally caught Lucas by surprise every time. When he did notice, usually because someone else in the family mentioned to him that he had soaky or stinky pants, internally he lamented that he had gone potty in his pants instead of his Huggies. HIS Huggies. That package from the store was HIS. He had diapers. He needed diapers. At night at least. But… maybe he really did need diapers? Maybe he was one of those teens that totally needed to be in super thick diapers all the time and who weren’t potty trained. Maybe… Thoughts like that wormed their way into his daily life and remained nestled in his head long after he had changed into clean, albeit stained, pants. It was a pleasant change of pace when Noah messaged him asking if he wanted to come over on Tumult. Lucas really missed being around his friends and despite how much he enjoyed lazing around playing video games with his brother, he desperately wanted to see his good friends again. Noah had really brightened up as they had been talking over the past several days. That angsty, moody spell that had awkwardly interrupted their last hangout seemed to have passed. In fact, Noah wanted Lucas to come over for a sleepover! Jake was also supposed to be coming back from his soccer camp and the three of them could actually be around each other again. It was exciting news! Lucas had everything packed up. He was within walking distance of his house, but it was always a drag to have to come back to grab something, especially if they planned on staying up late. He had clothes for the day (which in his case meant he had five pairs of training pants and shorts and one shirt), he had his Huggies Ultra-Supremes for Teens diaper for the night, he had baby powder, his phone charger, some baby wipes, his Ycube controller, some snacks, and his sleeping bag. It was enough to fill a book bag and duffle bag. This wasn’t his first sleepover at Noah’s house. They did it all the time as kids. It had become less common recently so this was a fun throwback to prepare everything. Lucas’ Mom was surprisingly fussy about the whole thing. She made sure his phone was charged and he had his parents’ numbers on it. She went over the time he was expected back home the following day. She grilled him to make sure no girls were invited and that they wouldn’t be sneaking out to any parties. She asked him three times if he had packed his nighttime diaper and even made him bring a second one just in case! She also apparently had talked with Noah’s mom about his situation. It should have been ridiculously embarrassing to have his Mom casually talking with other people about his need for protection at night. It should have riled him and caused his cheeks to blush. It should have caused the teen to bristle and push back against an obvious intrusion into a very private and delicate matter. Instead, Lucas felt nothing of the sort. It didn’t even cross his mind that it would be odd to tell someone he needed diapers at night. It was so matter-of-fact and sensible that it was just part of the normal conversation. The only reason why Lucas even noticed was because his Mom mentioned it several times, highlighting that when he needed to get changed into his diaper, he should talk with Mrs. Seong. Otherwise, it would have totally flown under his radar. Thankfully the grilling and over-parenting didn’t take too much time, and he made his way out to his friend’s house. The note about Mrs. Seong changing him was an important bit of information that the teen wolf had completely overlooked. So far, he had not changed his diapers on his own. His Mom and his Dad had been the ones putting him in the diaper. He could take it off, no problem. That was simple. But he really had not yet learned any of the strategies for getting padded himself. He wasn’t opposed to learning, but it took a lot of burden off of him to have help. Plus it seemed like a lot of the awkward measuring and positioning was easier when being done by a third party. So as long as they continued to offer it, Lucas saw no issue in continuing to remain ignorant. Noah answered the door with a big smile and a surprising hug. Lucas had hugged his friend in the past, but not normally for just arriving at the front door. Plus with his bags in his hands it wasn’t the best position for a hug. But it was still nice! Nothing wrong with a good hug among friends. “Dude I’m so glad to see you! I’ve really missed you!” Noah stepped aside and let Lucas in. “Haha, yeah I missed you too man. I wasn’t expecting the warm welcome, but I’ll take it.” Lucas set his bag down at the foot of the stairs and looked up, in the direction of Noah’s room. “Yeahhhh sorry I was such a downer before. I was going through some weird feelings and like you saw how everything was. It was just a tough time for me but I’m really feeling a lot better now!” “That’s really good to hear. I was worried I had made things awkward before when I was here…” “Nah dude you’re fine. It was totally on me. It actually means a lot that you showed up. I like talking on Tumult but it’s really different being in person, you know?” “Totally! I feel like I haven’t left the house in ages. I needed a change of scenery.” “Yeah I was pretty cooped up myself. Mom’s had me coming out with her for chores and stuff which is-” Noah closed his eyes and sighed. That wasn’t quite what Lucas was expecting from that sentence. “Um… which is nice. I mean they’re chores but it’s nice to get out and see things. I dunno why but it just feels kind of nice to be hanging out with my mom and seeing eye-to-eye on things for once.” “I feel you. I’m not trying to be weird about it, my parents are still my parents but it feels like we’re doing a lot better now than we were when I almost flunked science. Fuck I can’t believe I did that! It feels like forever ago.” Lucas tugged at his duffel bag straps. “Yeah I-Oh, yeah, lets get your stuff upstairs haha! Sorry we just haven’t talked in a while and I was getting carried away and uh, yeah!” Noah led the way up to his room. Lucas looked down to make sure he had everything, then looked up. He did a double-take. The seat of Noah’s pants were outlined with an extremely obvious bulge that was unmistakable. Noah was wearing something thick under his pants. And from the foot of the stairs, the wolf could easily pick up that whatever he was wearing was rustling and crinkling as he moved. He rushed up the stairs, his chest thumping like mad. There was no way. There was no way! Lucas had been in Noah’s room hundreds of times. He was intimately familiar with the layout. Multiple layouts even, as he had gone through various changes in decor over the years. Lucas was not expecting to find, next to the door, a waist-height wooden storage unit covered with a plastic-wrapped foam mat. The inside of the storage unit was filled with stacks and stacks of teen-sized diapers, baby powder, and baby wipes. Next to this changing table was a kind of garbage can that was propped open, which revealed a balled up diaper poking out of it. It was a diaper pail and it was so full of diapers that it couldn’t even close! Lucas sniffed the air. The room had an unmistakable nursery scent of dirty diapers, lotions, and baby powder. “Uhhhh hello?” Noah waved at the stunned wolf and gave him a quizzical expression. “DUDE!!! Are you… Are you back in diapers???” Lucas could barely get the words out. He was having so much difficulty processing what was going on. He knew cognitively that his friend was in training pants and was having lots of accidents and was scared of the potty monster. But he couldn’t have imagined that it was anything more than that! It was just a coincidence that the two teens were having the same kinds of issues at the same time. And it never would have occurred to Lucas to expect his best friend to be in diapers full-time. “Oh duh yeah, sorry I probably should have told you. Mom decided that I should be back in diapers.” Noah spoke like it was the most normal thing in the world to have his potty training taken away like that. “She… what?” “Dude, honestly it’s for the best. I’ve been spending so long playing pretend that I’m potty trained and ready for big boy undies and stuff and like, ugh it just was wearing on me. It’s really a lot better being back in diapers.” The fox untied the string holding up his shorts and slid them down, revealing a yellowed and swollen diaper. Lucas recognized them as Pampers SuperCruisers from the store! “Y… But…. Wh…. Wait, pretending? What do you mean you were pretending to be potty trained?” It was a ton of information for Lucas to take in at once and he was having difficulty absorbing it all. “Yeah, like, saying that I should be using the potty and going to the toilet and making a big deal about it. It was just pretending. I wasn’t REALLY ready for potty training. All the accidents that I was having was like… I dunno it felt like I was rejecting all the time I spent being in denial. That’s why I was so huffy and flustered last week.” Noah groped at the front of his diaper for a few seconds, then pulled his pants back up. “I was trying to fight myself and keep on pretending that I was really potty trained. I feel so much better now that I’m being honest about being unpotty trained.” Lucas was trying to piece things together. Some of what his friend said made sense. It was true that he was upset about his accidents and that clearly was affecting his mood. But pretending to be potty trained? Was that even possible? Surely if you were able to use the potty in time, you were potty trained, right? But all of those thoughts of confusion just melted away as he took a deep breath and inhaled that pervasive nursery scent of the room. The sweet scent of the talcum powder. The heavy, musty aroma of the used padding that leaked out of the diaper pail. The residue of leaks that had been allowed to dry and air out. The medical smells of creams and lotions. It all blended together in a beautiful, nostalgic, magical way. It was like a great, big reset on his thoughts. He was focusing on… something… that was confusing and upsetting him. And now, looking around his friend’s room, now modified to accommodate his unpotty trained state, it felt just as familiar and welcoming as it ever did in the past. Really, Lucas wanted this. He wanted THIS. He wanted his room to be like this. He was jealous! He was jealous that Noah was back in diapers! Lucas was having just as many accidents as his fox friend! His potty chart was full of happy, positive, smiling faces all indicating that he had totally failed to make it to the bathroom time and time and time again! That was absolute proof that Lucas was clearly not ready to be considered potty trained either! If Noah could be put back into diapers and never have to worry about that scary, terrible, awful potty monster, why couldn’t Lucas? “Helloooo? Earth to Lucas?” The wolf was snapped out of his thought spiral. “Dude you’re going peepee in your pants. Did you leak?” Lucas looked down and saw that a dark spot had formed along his thighs, dribbling down the insides of his pants before dripping onto the carpet. His training pants were doing an admirable job keeping the majority of the accident contained, but they had just not been enough to keep his pants dry. If he were at home, he wouldn’t have even bothered changing his pants from this accident, since it was so relatively minor compared to the absolute floods that he used to mark his potty chart with smiley faces. He would have stayed in his soaky training pants because it would have been so much easier than changing into a fresh pair. “Oh, geez, yeah, I was just doing some thinking and I guess I got distracted and had an accident in my pants.” “Wait… I thought you wore diapers too?” Noah looked confused, maybe even bearing a hint of betrayal. “Mom mentioned that she talked with your mom. I thought you were back in diapers like me.” “I-um,” Lucas blushed and finally set his bags down, “I mean… I am, but only at night. I’m like a serious bedwetter and so it’s been a lot easier to go to sleep in my Huggies.” Lucas knelt down and unzipped his bag, pulling out one of the Huggies Ultra-Supremes for Teens that he brought with him for the sleepover. “I’m still uh… In undies. Or, training pants, really.” “Why?” “W… huh? What?” “I mean, why bother with that? Like, wouldn’t it be easier to just go back to diapers instead?” Lucas was going to defend his potty training. He was going to defend his desire to remain in thin, miserable, tragically unabsorbent, awful cloth underwear. But Noah had struck right to the heart of the matter. Which was SO like Noah. He always knew how to ask questions that really dug into the truth of the situation. Maybe it was a fox thing. “I… I….” Lucas looked at his friend, who had a warm smile. He looked down at the Huggies in his paw. He thought about the accidents. The constant failure to make it to the restroom. The load after load after load of laundry. The creeping stains that had become burned onto all of his pants. It was so much trouble. It was so difficult. He thought about how freeing it felt to wake up in his Huggies, waddling around the house without having to worry about if he would make it to the toilet or not. He thought about how if he genuinely, honestly tried to make it to the potty that he would be completely consumed with fear and terror. Noah was right, as he tended to be. “I really don’t wanna be potty trained anymore. I hate the potty. I hate leaking all the time. I hate leaving puddles everywhere. I really, really, really hate the potty. I wanna be back in diapers.” He felt tears well up in his eyes as he looked up to his friend. Why was he getting so emotional? It was just something silly that he wore. It was just clothes. It was just accidents. Everyone had accidents. It was no big deal to have lots and lots of accidents in his pants. But even so, the waterworks flowed. “Awww, dude, it’s ok man.” Noah kneeled down next to Lucas and put his arm around his shoulder. Lucas didn’t know how to react. He wasn’t used to crying like this around his friends. He tried to form words to express how he was feeling and excuse himself from this outburst of passion, but all that came out were sobs and muttering incoherency. “It’s alright, Lucas, I’m here for you.” The two friends hugged each other for a while as Lucas was swept away by the tide of grief, futility, sorrow, happiness, comradery, and embarrassment. He would have never opened himself up like this to his friends before. But now that he was, he was glad it was with a friend who understood him and cared about him. -- “Is everything alright, boys? I thought I heard a commotion.” Mrs. Seong slowly opened the door, moving it from being ajar to being wide enough to fit her muzzle into. “Yeah, yeah, it’s ok. Lucas and I were just talking about like, you know, unpotty training and stuff.” “Oh dear. Lucas? Lucas sweetie, is everything alright?” Mrs. Seong opened the door and stepped in, joining her son next to the teen wolf, who had spent the past several minutes sobbing and attempting to settle himself. “Oh Lucas, you poor dear, we’re all here for you. This is a safe place for you to be yourself.” Lucas inhaled and exhaled with shaky breathing. He had learned from recent volatile incidents that when he got like this that he had difficulty talking for a while. So it was better to just focus on his breathing until he could get that stable. “Noah, sweetie, would you mind getting some tissues and hm… a hot towel. I think that would be best.” Mrs. Seong kneeled, replacing her son as being the closest to the teen wolf on the floor. “Lucas, I know you have been through an awful lot in the last few weeks. A lot of big changes have happened for you. You mean a lot to this family. I’ve known you since you were in… ahem, I’ve known you for a long time. You’re growing up to become a fine young man. And you’re a good friend to my Noah.” Lucas looked up with bleary, red eyes. This was not the first time he had been consoled by the older fox. Helping the wolf out was just in the Seong family or something. “Would you like to go home? It’s alright if you do. I can call your mother and have her here in two shakes of your tail.” Lucas shook his head. He wanted to be here. I wanted to be around his friends. He breathed in and out. He breathed in and out. He breathed in and out. The trembles were slowing and he was regaining his composure. “Well then, if you’re going to stay here then I’m going to insist that we get you into some clean pants. I can’t imagine that’s helping you right now!” The older fox helped lift Lucas up to his feet. He wiped away at his eyes and wiped away at his leaky nose. Noah came in with a box of tissues and a hand towel that had steam coming off of it. “Thank you sweetie. Ok Lucas, go ahead and put this on your face. That always makes me feel better after I’ve had a cry.” The wolf took the hot towel and held it against him. The warmth of the cloth was nourishing. It was just hot enough to shock his system without scalding him. It was a tranquility that helped to calm him and transition him from his emotional outburst to a state where he felt ready to be around people again. When he took the towel off, he felt like a new man. A new man who needed to blow his nose. -- “Alright Lucas, pants off. Do you have spare undies with you?” “Um… yes but… Mrs. Seong… Could, I mean, would, you um… would it be ok if…” Lucas knew exactly what he wanted. He knew to his core what his desire was. But it wasn’t the kind of thing he could just ask! Saying it out loud was difficult. The fox stepped back, her hands on her hips. Lucas had his pants around his ankles and was in sopping wet training pants, which by this point had been thoroughly yellowed and discolored. He must have looked quite the sight. Noah discretely pointed to the underside of the changing table. Mrs. Seong’s eyebrows raised. “Lucas, you know full well that in this household we use our words when we want something. If you are trying to ask me something, I am going to need for you to say it.” The wolf paused. Collected himself. He had just cried over this. He could do this. He wanted this. Deep down he needed this. It was bubbling up and now it was ready. He had been building up to this moment for weeks. “I… would like to wear diapers instead of undies tonight.” For some reason he expected the worst. Maybe he would be laughed at or slapped or they would call his parents and find some way for him to get in trouble. Instead he got a chuckle and a good-natured shake of the head, Mrs. Seong’s hands raised up in an exasperated pose. “Is that it? That’s what’s got you all worked up tonight? Lucas, of course you can. Goodness child, you’d think this was an interrogation.” Mrs. Seong bent over and picked up the Huggies diaper that was laying atop the duffel bag. “C’mon, let’s get you up on the changing table before I change my mind! I’m joking! Goodness, these kids, so serious.” Lucas could not for the life of him control his tail, which wagged with a ferocity that was never before seen. It wagged so hard that he was worried it would fly off. He stripped down and hopped up onto the changing table. It was firm, but the padded mat kept it from being uncomfortable. He was used to being changed on his bed. It wasn’t too different of an experience logistically, but in terms of how he felt and what this piece of furniture signified, it was worlds apart. The change went by in a blur. Clearly helping Noah in recent days had removed any rust that had accumulated in his mother’s abilities. Within a few short minutes, the diaper was snuggly taped on and Lucas found himself standing again. He had the biggest, dopiest grin on his face as he stood pantsless in his friend’s room. Just as he had done previously, he examined himself, checking the fit and feel of his padding. HIS diaper. This diaper was his and it was for him. He belonged in diapers. It was right and normal and good for him to be in diapers. He wasn’t ready for undies at all! Noah was absolutely and completely right: he was playing pretend when he said he was potty trained. He was fooling the world and himself into thinking he was actually ready for the potty. The truth was that he was UNpotty trained and it had taken far too long for him to accept this fact. “No ‘Thank you Mrs. Seong’ for my backbreaking work?” The fox was in a jovial mood and was clearly being ironic for the sake of levity. Lucas wasn’t having any of it. The teen launched into a great big hug, nearly knocking her off her feet. “Thank you so much. Thank you so so so so SO much.” “Alright, alright, goodness,” the hug separated and the fox regained her composure, “you boys really are growing up fast. Alright, you two play nice. If you need anything, let me know ok? I’ll be downstairs. Try to keep the noise level to a dull roar.” -- With both friends now openly diapered, happily diapered, they launched into serious hangout time. They talked and lazed around and played games. Noah had been practicing up in Culpable Cog: Endeavor and kicked Lucas’ butt again and again and again. It was great. They were regaining the lost time that they had missed for the past several weeks. The best part was that it was so easy. It was like they could be their full selves without any hiding or shame. The barriers that sometimes formed in adolescence in an attempt to shield against vulnerable honesty has been eradicated. In talking, they both learned that they were on the same overnight meditation system. In their minds, it was a surprising thing to share. Noah had looked it up on Nile and had found it was called the “Retrain System.” It was highly reviewed and worked extremely well at helping people overcome developmental and academic issues. Noah mentioned that one of the effects was supposed to be a reversal of potty training ability. “Does that bother you? Like do you think this was the intended effect?” Lucas hadn’t looked any of this up so he was unsure how to feel. “You know, I dunno. I know how I feel right now. I really, genuinely, honestly feel that I wasn’t ready for potty training. I don’t think I should have been potty trained. And I feel like I was pretending this whole time.” Noah was flipping through Spasm streams for Summit Luminaries. “I really prefer being back in diapers.” “Me too. I wonder if like, I don’t know, maybe it turns out that people have potty issues because lots of people shouldn’t have been potty trained in the first place.” Lucas’ crotch warmed as he involuntarily flooded his Huggies. The liquid soaked into the core and the diaper swelled in a pleasing way. “Yeah, I’ll talk to my mom about it at some point. But really, I feel good. I… Mmmffff….” The fox leaned forward in his seat, his tail raised up. Lucas heard the obvious sounds of his friend’s diaper filling. The crackling of the plastic diaper material combined with the heavy fragrance to create an unmistakable experience. He sat back down with an audible squelch as if nothing had happened at all. “Mfff I made big poopies… Um but yeah, I feel good and I think I’m really a lot happier like this.” The teens barely reacted at all to either event; the loaded diaper or the revelation about the special meditation system. In fact, there was a kind of normality to the two being able to go potty in their pants without any concerns at all that was refreshing. It contrasted to how prior to wearing diapers, the two had struggled with all sorts of embarrassments and logistical problems. Instead, they felt free to be themselves around each other in a setting where things were far more convenient. -- The doorbell rang. Noah got up with an excited expression. Lucas joined him. Jake was here! The pair scrambled out of the room, not even bothering to put their pants on, and clambered towards the stairs. Mrs. Seong was already at the door, talking to someone. “Saundra it’s so good to see you! Please, come in. Would you like some coffee? I have a lovely new roast that I ordered online. I think you’d like it!” “I appreciate it Kamille… I was just here to drop off Jake but… You know what, sure, I’ll take you up on that offer!” The adult raven stepped inside. Behind her, stepped in an adolescent raven wearing a baggy hoodie and baggy cargo shorts. The tips of his feathers had been dyed a light teal, which faded pleasantly inward, giving him a wave of head-dressing that was quite stylish. “Jake!!” Lucas and Noah cried out in unison from the top of the stairs. The raven looked up and his expression was like he had been shined on by a spotlight. He retreated a step, his hands raised defensively. Then he narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. His shoulders slouched and his hands fell by his side. “BRUH. You fucking shitheads didn’t tell me you were back in diapers too!!” Jake lifted up his hoodie, revealing the unmistakable purple and white waistband of Teen Luvs diapers. “AYYYY!” “Jake, remember what I said about watching your language,” came a voice out of the adjacent room. “Sorry Mommy!” Jake called out and looked at his friends who were barreling down the stairs. The three embraced in a group hug, having not seen each other since the end of 8th grade, where they all left on awkward terms. “Oh my gods, I missed you guys so much.” “It’s been too long! Gosh I’m so glad you could make it Jake,” Noah responded. “Me too, ugh it’s been a crazy couple of weeks and…” He sniffed at the air, then paused and reached out behind him, giving his butt a few hefty squeezes. “Sorry I think I need a change. I must have gone poopy.” “No, that’s just Noah. He went poopy before you got here. You should see his room, his diaper pail is like SUPER full.” “You WOULD have an overflowing diaper pail!” “What’s that supposed to mean!” “You know exactly what it means!” “I don’t get what it means.” “That’s because it doesn’t mean anything!” “Ya-huh it does!” “Oh my gods you’re such a hecking bully.” “Shut up stinkybutt.” The baseless teasing and posturing whenever a group of teens got together clearly held true regardless of their continence and choice of underwear. “Ok you boys, go on upstairs and… Noahhh. Come here sweetie.” Mrs. Seong walked into the foyer carrying a small bag of fancy coffee beans. The teen sheepishly broke away from the group as Lucas and Jake snickered with each other. The waistband of Noah’s Pampers was pulled back and he was given a quick swat on the butt. “Upstairs young man, you need a change, pronto. Sorry Saundra, I’ll just be a moment. I need to get my boy cleaned up.” “I know how that is. It seems like Jakey is practically always one wetting away from leaking these days.” The raven casually scrolled on her phone as the foxes headed upstairs. “Mooommmm!” Lucas was giddy with excitement. He hadn’t seen this kind of fun teasing around his friends in ages. It was really nice to just have fun with his friends again. -- “So like, what happened at soccer camp dude? I don’t think you were unpotty trained before, unless I seriously missed some details!” The three teens were lounging around in Noah’s room, resting on the bed, the floor, and a folding chair stolen from the garage. Jake had taken off his baggy clothes, revealing an FC Carba jersey and his drooping Luvs diaper. Lucas noted that he was drinking heavily from a large water jug. It was the size of one of those big soda bottles! The mystery of why he was always close to leaking seemed solved without much difficulty. “Oh geez, yeah, it was fucking wild. I got switched from the original camp I was supposed to go to for a different one. But it was fine. Like it was a really dope training camp. I learned a lot and I got some seriously incredible coaching. They had some of the staff from Barkdale College there. The drills and stuff were brutal but I feel so much more comfortable around the ball.” Jake took a huge swig of his water. “But, uh, yeah like I started wetting the bed pretty early on. A lot of people were having that problem. It was weird because like the staff was totally prepared for it. I mean that made it way less embarrassing and not a hassle but like they had plastic sheets and stuff just ready to go.” “Wow! How many people were wetting the bed?” Lucas leaned forward on the folding chair. “Uhhhhh… shit I don’t know. I mean I didn’t like go up to people and ask if they pissed their sheets!” Jake giggled. It was a little bit unlike him but at the same time it wasn’t too out of place. It was more that he had become such a negative and argumentative person in the last year. Hearing him laughing was something out of the ordinary in general. Lucas was happy to hear it, still. “But I will say just about everyone had big-time potty problems. They got us drinking a lot of fluids since we were exercising so much. By the end of the first week most people weren’t even bothering to head out to the portapotties. They were just going in their pants and getting on with training.” “It must be really uncomfortable to run around in peepee pants like that…” Noah had his hand on his chin. “Wouldn’t it chafe?” Jake pointed at Noah and gave an over-exaggerated nod. “You figured it out! Running around in wet pants fucking sucks. They ended up having a big meeting in the dining hall where the camp director basically told everyone that we would be training in diapers for the rest of the session. I don’t know why but we all just kinda went along with it. You know, I’m really glad that happened because it was getting dicey trying to figure out when to go potty.” “What, everyone at the camp was just cool with being put back in diapers?” Lucas tilted his head. Even with his own experience, it had taken some serious emotional and mental wrangling to admit to himself that he wasn’t ready to be in big kid undies. It was difficult to believe that an entire camp of volatile teens would be perfectly fine with that plan. “Oh fuck no dude. It was wild. I thought it would be a riot. We went along with it but not at the beginning. But they made it so it was a staggered program. Like one cabin got their diapers at a time. It was weird.” The raven paused and looked down, trying to figure out the best way to phrase the next part. “ It was like… I was SOOO fucking jealous when I saw the first cabin all padded up. Like I don’t know why. I just saw them running around in diapers and it looked so easy and fun. They were so happy. I really wanted that. I guess everyone else felt the same way because all the pushback died as soon as we got the chance to wear them.” “I was like that when I saw Noah wearing training pants instead of undies. I wanted them SO bad.” Lucas blushed, realizing that he hadn’t revealed that kind of detail before to anyone. “Ooooo Lucas was jealous of my soaky-woaky peepee pants,” Noah reprimanded in an exaggerated voice. He got up and turned around, smacking the seat of his diaper, wiggling his butt for good measure. “And you were so jealous of my diaperbutt that you gave up undies for good!” Noah always seemed to have a talent for accompanying his teasing with a smuggest of expressions. “Shut uuuuup!” Lucas threw a pillow at him. “I’m sorry that I was trying to relate MY experience to my FRIEND’S experience, poopypants.” “And I’m sorry that your shorts are all stained from you pissing your pants all the time!” Noah was barely able to get that sentence out from laughing through it. “Wow, real mature guys. Super glad to find that I came home to all my friends being turned into big babies.” Jake rolled his eyes and then looked down, putting his hand against his inner thigh and then against the carpet beneath him. “Uhhhh… Hold on, I just have to uh… go ask Mommy for a diaper change real quick.” The raven stormed out to the sounds of his two friends heckling him. Jake’s mother left shortly after he returned in clean Luvs. The rest of the evening went by in a blur. It was fantastic finding no time lost between friends. They spent most of their time talking, sorting through all of the notable events that had occurred since the start of summer break. Noah got more information out of Jake about the soccer camp over the course of the evening. It turns out they were using a very similar nighttime meditation system to help manage everyone’s sleep schedules and maximize their time spent training. Jake hadn’t done any research into it but he specifically remembered that it was brought up during the onboarding seminar. He hadn’t put the pieces together about it being the root cause of his unpotty training until Noah filled him in. According to Jake, it was surprisingly easy to get used to running around playing soccer in diapers. The athletic variety of the diapers he wore while training were quite comfortable, even with all the movement. The oddest thing was, none of the boys felt negatively about the situation. They could have been outraged at being duped by their parents and coaches into having no potty control. They could have been furious at the company selling the Retrain System for daring to put such a product on the market. They could have felt self-hatred for being affected by such a life-changing event. But none of them felt that way at all. If anything, they all seemed happy to be back in diapers. Happy to no longer worry about the potty. Happy that the major transformation was over with. Happy that now they could reap the benefits of having quelled tempers and great sleep. They each liked how things had turned out for them. Whether that was a result of the system affecting their perception and reactions or genuine satisfaction with the outcome was unclear. Perhaps it was a mixture of both and had become impossible to untangle. It was clear that their parents had made the decision to use the Retrain System without consulting them. And that was obviously a life-changing event. Still, they harbored no ill-will for the choice their parents made on their behalf. It was like they were able to look back with an unusually nuanced and mature perspective, despite it being a recent development. It was like an adult reflecting on good parenting choices that had been made decades prior. It was more complicated for Noah, who had the most difficulty while undergoing the process. It was during all this discussion that Noah revealed that he had a cousin who had gone through this program as part of a trial a year earlier. The reason why he had an interest in figuring out the mystery was because he knew the end result ahead of time. As he was losing control over his bladder and bowels he knew that he would end up being in diapers just like his cousin, which severely impacted his mood. That was, until he ended up on the other side of things, at which point everything clicked. Noah compared it to jumping into a pool: the shock of the cold water left him shivering and defenseless, but then he acclimated to it and it became comfortable. The open and frank discussions between friends was sorely needed. But it wasn’t quite as important as playing games and dicking around. Which was the entire point of the sleepover. “Lucas, did you screen-look?” Jake had just been flushed out from his favorite sniper spot. He had narrowly avoided a grenade intended to take him out. “Uh… no! You’re too obvious, man!” Lucas HAD been looking at Jake’s section of the television, but he knew for a fact that Jake had been looking at HIS little square, so it was really fair. “You always like to… Mffff… perch…” Lucas’ power-suited character paused in place as the wolf shifted in his seat. His diaper crinkled and rustled as he did so. The plastic had loosened from the heat of the numerous wettings and occasional rubs and gropes from the teen. The tapes were still on tight and thankfully he hadn’t leaked, unlike his raven friend. His tummy felt a little bit tight and there was an urgency that he body attempted to convey to him. Lucas had no idea what it meant and was far too invested in the game to really care. He leaned forward from his floor position, getting himself on his knees. He got his character moving again. “Yeah and you’re such a cheater and-HEY!” Jake’s armored future warrior collapsed to the ground as a barrage of automatic fire riddled his body. “No fair dude, you know the assault rifle is busted.” “Yeah and you had the chance to pick one up but you ALWAYS have to pick the sniper rifle and pretend like you’re super cool.” Noah sounded so casual. He had clearly been practicing over the last few weeks. Lucas tried his best to circle around the small map, trying to find a good angle on Noah. He had an idea of where the gunfire came from, but he had to be careful in approaching or he would end up right in the line of sight. He was turning the corner around one of the pillars on the vaguely industrial map, when he felt the tightness inside him increase. He held onto the controller and tried to fight through the discomfort. He circled around, managing to sneak up on Noah. He lined up his shot, intent on taking him out from behind. A stray cramp ran through his gut. He got a few shots off that actually hit, but his aim was totally thrown. Noah’s Galatian spun around and a couple of quick taps on his controller got him another kill on the scoreboard. “Dude, c’mon, I though-MFFF… I… I… I gotta make big poopies in my Huggies!” He closed his eyes and gripped his controller. His tail flagged as his body tensed, flexing his muscles as his body coaxed itself to void. His diaperseat expanded, sagging down and filling out. Even over the sounds of gunfire from the video game, it was audible that the wolf was messing his diaper. Lucas had no control over the situation. He couldn’t have stopped himself even if he wanted to. His ability to hold back was totally removed and resulted in his poopy diaper ballooning out with warm mush. The elastic legguards held tight against his body, keeping the mess perfectly contained. The space designs on the rear of his Huggies became stained as he pushed and pushed and filled his diaper to its limit. Lucas powered through the tense, high-pressure sensations. He rode them as they settled, has his body finally became satisfied that he had totally emptied himself. His tail lowered and he went from grunting in exertion to panting in completion. Without a second thought, he lowered himself on his tush, getting back into his comfortable position. He felt the muck spread along his sensitive parts, the diaper squelching and squishing under him. The teen felt relieved and accomplished. He had just overcome some great difficulty and now it was done with. He wiggled in place, appreciating this new and unique sensation. His breathing settled as the smell of his massive accident mingled with the smells of his two friends, who were each also sitting in their own poopy diapers. Over the course of the evening, each of the boys had managed to loudly and unashamedly pack their diapers with huge messes. And now that Lucas had joined them, they were each just casually sitting in Noah’s bedroom, playing Aura: Eternal deathmatches. None of them brought up the fact that they were sitting in smushy, stinky diapers and that the nursery smell had become overwhelming. It was like they were totally blind to it and in their minds, there was nothing unusual about lazing around in heavy, sagging, stained diapers; puffed out and completely full. “Ok boys, it’s getting late, it’s time for… WHEW!” Mrs. Seong had entered, presumably with a knock, but the teens were so distracted by their gaming session that they didn’t acknowledge it. The fox was fanning her nose in an exaggerated display. By this time the game had been paused and everyone was looking at her. “Oh my gosh, why am I not surprised that teenage boys would just want to sit around in poopy diapers. Ok, you boys need changes, pronto. C’mon, everyone up.” She clapped her hands and Noah and Jake reluctantly rose up. Lucas got up after spending a few seconds gawking at the diapers of his best friends. They had become undeniably discolored and drooped from excessive weight. Lucas had no idea why but they were just fascinating to look at. He had to tear himself away from the sight of his friends’ rears, otherwise he could spend all evening looking at them. “Ok Jake, c’mon, up on the changing table. We need to get your in your nightnight pants. Your mother told me exactly how you like it done. So no fussing, alright?” The raven was quickly up on the table, his arms crossed. He bashfully looked away from his friends as his overdue diaper change began. “Oh… oh boy. Ahem. Boys, this might take a while. Noah, I see you have some balled up diapers on the floor by the pail. Please take it out.” Noah sighed and began picking up the stray diapers that had accumulated around the overflowing diaper pail, holding them in his arms like he was carrying grocery bags. He sighed more and toddled out of his room. He was clearly huffy that he was forced to interrupt his play time with chores, even if those chores were his own fault. “Lucas, be a dear and help Noah take out the rest of them.” The wolf jumped up and waddled over to the pail. Mrs. Seong, not missing a beat, instructed him on how to remove the bag and replace it, all while cleaning up Jake. The trip to the garbage bin was arduous. The burden of the bag combined with his own compromised walk made it far more difficult than he would have figured. Lucas remembered the promise made by the Huggies packaging, assuring him that he would remain leak-free. He was grateful for it, but that didn’t help him when his legs were being forced apart by the bulk around his crotch. By the time he returned, Jake had been changed and Noah was on the table being cleaned. Jake was guzzling down water from his bottle, standing bow-legged, wearing the most ridiculous looking diaper imaginable. Lucas let out a guffaw, unable to help himself. Jake lowered the now-emptied water bottle and shot him a look. “Dude what are you wearing!!” “Look, Mommy says that I have to be double-diapered at night with extra boosters! I’m a heavy bedwetter and it’s for YOUR safety, unless you really like waking up in a puddle of my pee!” Jake pouted, placed his hands on his diaperfront and diaperseat, and gave them a heft, as if he needed to demonstrate their thickness. His empty water bottle dangled between his legs as it was looped around his thumb. Lucas held up his hands in a mock sign of surrender. “Ok, ok, sorry! I just wasn’t expecting that when I came up the stairs. I’ve had enough experience waking up wet recently. I’d rather it stay in our diapers.” “Speak