Settling In (Complete!)

[Wannatripbaby]

11 minutes ago, Sparkle Dust said:

Was I?  Yes.  I'm sorry.  I am fine though!

*Eyes suspiciously*

Well, you're getting double-diapered tonight just to be safe. ?

[Sparkle Dust]

 

9 minutes ago, Wannatripbaby said:

*Eyes suspiciously*

Well, you're getting double-diapered tonight just to be safe. ?

Gasp!  Did you set a camera in my apartment!?

That would solve a lot of selfie problems!  (Blows raspberry)!  hic!

Besides how do we know that you're not double diapered right now.  Ahahahaah

Weeee (Shakes empty Corona bottle like a raddle).  Wheeee!  Ahahahaahaha!  

 

 

[Wannatripbaby]

11 minutes ago, Sparkle Dust said:

 

Gasp!  Did you set a camera in my apartment!?

That would solve a lot of selfie problems!  (Blows raspberry)!  hic!

Besides how do we know that you're not double diapered right now.  Ahahahaah

Weeee (Shakes empty Corona bottle like a raddle).  Wheeee!  Ahahahaahaha!  

 

 

I think you've had enough for one night. ?

*hoists you over my shoulder and carries you off to the nearest crib for beddy bye*

[Jayme]

I as well.feel that the witch may return at the worst possible time, just to cause some additional problems for Natalie... this story is getting to be a real cliffhanger at times.

[littleTomás]

So glad Mabel is gone! That makes me very happy. She was a good villain, but had it coming and got what she deserved.

[Sophie ♥]

Chapter XXIX

All afternoon, I was lost in thought.  With Prin's help, I had finished all my work in record time.  So I sat at my desk and replayed today's events again and again.  So many bad things could have happened.  I could have been fired.  I could have been under this very desk, rubbing Mabel's feet.  One stupid girl could have torn down everything I had worked so hard to build.  And the only thing that prevented it was... my deal with Cora.  She made my decisions.  Stupid decisions, of course.  Wearing diapers?  Dressing like a toddler?  But they saved me.  It felt like... like divine intervention or something.  Like all the mechanisms and variables that went into it was so far above my head, that I couldn't hope to understand it.  But Cora did, in a weird way.

I looked down at my dress, with the ruffled hem and puffy sleeves.  Not my style.  Not anyone's style after five years old, honestly.  I gave a quick look around my empty office and let out a sigh.  With a nervous hand, I lifted my dress to see the diaper between my legs.

I had never really looked at it before.  I'd worn one two days in a row, but I always tried to avoid it.  Now... I pushed my fingers to the soft pink plastic, testing the waters.  It was decorated with little stars and moons.  Actually, it was kind of cute...

Six hours ago, I was on the verge of a breakdown.  I was so scared.  Maybe not scared for my life, but scared for my livelihood.  In a way, that was almost worse.  And now, because of a diaper, I was... free.  Relaxed.  Even happy?  I lowered my dress and sunk into my chair.

This wasn't so bad, was it?  Diapers... dresses... playing House with my boss and his wife.  She was the caring mom.  He was the protective dad.  And I was... the happy little girl.  I felt unshakable.  I felt invincible.  No, that wasn't bad at all.

After work, I knocked on Mr. Gladstone's door.  He always stayed late, so I wasn't that surprised to find him working.  But Prin and the rest of the office had left a few minutes ago.

"Sir?" I asked.

"Good evening, Natalie." The office was quiet without any of the usual daily chittering, and it felt as though even the humming of the water-cooler had decided to take the night off. Distantly behind the window that Mr. Gladstone sat before, there was the faint sounds of the sleepy city, cars droning in the distance.

"Hi, um..." I stepped into his office and closed the door behind me, though we were the only two left in the office.  I pushed my fingers together nervously and looked down at my feet.  We never really talked like this, Mr. Gladstone and I. "I, um.  I wanted to thank you.  For standing up for me earlier.  I know you were really just defending Cora's choices, but... I dunno.  You're very kind for giving me this job in the first place, and I've messed up a lot.  But you still believe in me.  And... um... I guess, thank you for that."

He smiled warmly, just that kind of grandfatherly tug at the edges of his lips, and closed his laptop gently. "You've given me plenty of reason to believe in you, Natalie. You accept your mistakes and account for your weaknesses, then you let Cora make the decisions that you can't make yourself. Thank you for being such a good girl. Come here."

Good girl.  Those words were a little condescending, but at the same time, so incredibly validating.  Like maybe I really didn't screw up as often as I thought I did.  I followed his instruction carefully, walking across the plush carpet and beside him at his desk.  I could see his computer monitor, littered with numbers and spreadsheets I barely understood.

"Up here." He said, patting his lap, and then holding out his arms. This wasn't a spanking, this wasn't a punishment - this was a gesture that went along with being praised, with being a good girl. And Natalie was a good girl, so she'd earned this.

I looked nervously at his lap and started to blush.  Gosh, this was silly... but I approached and sat squarely on the top of his legs, lifting my shoes up off the carpet.  This felt so weird.  Maybe sexy, if I had any sexual attraction toward Mr. Gladstone.  But I'd been spanked enough by the man to extinguish anything I may have once found attractive.

"You don't have anything to worry about, Natalie, you're in good hands." Literally, as the case were, because he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her deeper into his lap. And then, like it was routine, like she was too small to cause any problem at all, he returned to doing some work with her right on his lap.

I looked at him blankly, like I had missed something important.  But he just kept me there, sitting on him, while he worked on some numbers.  I bit my lip and shuffled on his lap, causing a slight crinkle to echo through the room.  My cheeks turned crimson. "I... um.  I should get going..."

"There's no rush, poppet." He said, reassuringly, and continued his work. Little girls should be seen and not heard, that was the truth of the matter, and Mr. Gladstone wanted his to be equal parts accessory as child.

"But... um... the car is probably waiting downstairs..." The driver and I had no relationship.  There was a thin pane of tinted glass between the two of us, so I only vaguely knew what he looked like.  We had never spoken, not once, but I would sometimes hear music coming from his cabin.  He, or she, liked pop songs.

"Would you like me to let them know to come back later, and you can spend some more time with me?" This was a trick question, because there was really only one correct answer and it wasn't going to be immediately obvious.

"...um." I didn't really understand what was going on.  He wanted me to stay?  Why?  We weren't even doing anything.  And it's not like we were friends... "I just thought... uh..."

"I can take you home, we do live at the same place, you remember?" Gently, he began to bounce her on his lap. Up and down. Up and down. Slowly and rhythmically.

"...I guess so," I muttered, watching his computer with zero enthusiasm.  What was I supposed to say?  He was my boss.  Then he started to bounce me, slowly and softly.  At first, it was a little annoying.  But then, it felt... kind of... relaxing... I rubbed my eyes and shuffled to a more comfortable position on his lap.

Mr. Gladstone had a pacifier in his top drawer, but with the recent scare in the progress and the way things had calmed down now, it was unlikely that he going to reveal it just yet. So, at the end of a long work day, he bounced his daughter-to-be on his lap, and knew with quite certain confidence that it wouldn't be long before she fell asleep.

After few clicks of Mr. Gladstone's mouse, a light music filled the air.  I tried to pay attention to what he was doing, but it seemed like jumbled nonsense to me.  I rubbed my eyes again and felt them grow heavy and tired.  I hadn't had any coffee today... after all, it wasn't like I could run to the toilet.  Yesterday, Cora mentioned using this diaper, and there was no way I would let that happen.  Still, a day with no liquids was exhausting.  A day with so much drama was exhausting.  And the music was so...

Natalie was dry - Mr. Gladstone knew that as soon as she'd sat on his lap. She was still trying to keep her dignity, her pretense of adulthood, and for now that was okay. It wouldn't be forever, but for the moment he wouldn't push the issue. With the stimuli, the music, the reinforcement in her head, she'd dozed off sooner than later, and she drooled lightly into the crook of his arm.

"Mmm..." I felt something stir, jostling me.  Despite the heavy exhaustion, I managed to pry my eyes open, just a little, to see the ground pulled away from me.  A dream?  No... I was being carried.  My cheek rested softly on Mr. Gladstone's shoulder, as I saw the office disappear.  A ding from an elevator.  Then the streets.  The sun was so low on the horizon.  How long had I been out?  I rubbed my eyes and tried to wake up.

"She's just so precious for this world, isn't she dear?" That was Cora's voice, cheerful and proud, although it faded shortly thereafter as Mr. Gladstone set the girl down in the back of their Bentley, then buckled her nice and snugly. She was, in essence, a child now.

The car ride did nothing for my attempt to wake up.  As a matter of fact, I was out like a light.  It wasn't the usual car.  Not the black one.  A silver one.  Cora was there, maybe?  Or was that part of the dream... oh, the dream.  Sitting on the edge of a swimming pool, with my toes in the water.  I looked out at the backyard.  My backyard, from when I was younger.  Younger?  No, my age.  I was seven or eight.  I kicked my feet in the pool, splashing water.  Warm water, on a sticky summer day...

"Will she sleep the whole way home?" That from Cora, to which her husband replied.

"I presume so, she's had a very long day and she was on my lap for an hour or two after work." Not that this conversation registered with the sleeping girl; she was tired beyond the natural, deeply asleep and processing stimuli.

"It seems you were right about the 'bug in our system'," Ando said quietly, careful not to rouse the girl.  Though with the soft headphones over her ears, he doubted she could hear them if she were awake. "Mabel is taken care of, and it was thanks to you."

"She was a risk, we knew she was from the start.  And we just underestimated the strength of her will and the effects that might have on our project." Project. Daughter. Babygirl. All these words meant the same thing.

"Either way," Ando said with a sigh. "I think it's important you have a talk with her.  She isn't supposed to listen to anyone - just you and I.  She can get herself hurt..." He actually sounded nervous about it.

"We'll have a Mommy/Daughter night, tonight. What's she listening to at the moment?" Cora nodded, and Ando looked back at her.

"Trying to reinforce release of bladder pressure; make it a positive, blissful experience.”

Cora looked at the girl in her rear view mirror, with her head nodded to the side and a quiet peace across her sleeping face. "Do you think she'll have an accident?" Cora said, a little too excited.

"She didn't have a single drink all day," Ando said with a sigh. "So I doubt it." If she had a coffee or two, this tape would have done a number on her.

"We could increase her fluid intake during the day, there's a program available for that - not one for coffee, but we could there's one for chocolate milk and we could put some in the office fridge." Cora suggested, thoughtfully.

Ando replied with, "She might get a bit of a tubby tummy with too much milk, though." To which Cora laughed a little.

"I think she'd be cute with a bit of baby fat, though!"

----------------

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[littleTomás]

I absolutely love where this is headed!

[Wannatripbaby]

Dawwwwww, that was so sweet! ♡ If it weren't for the fact that they are using hypnosis tapes on her without her consent this would be very wholesome. As it stands... well, they're still the lesser evil. If they hadn't taken over she would've probably gotten into a wirse situation anyway.

[Sarah Penguin]

[Sophie ♥]

Chapter XXX

I looked up blearily at Cora's face, rubbing my eyes with the backs of my hands.  I felt like I'd woke up from a nice dream, but I couldn't remember it now.  I looked past her, at the silhouette of our house in the evening light.  Wait... when did we get here...?

"Hey there, sleepyhead, you must have had a big day at work, huh? Let's get you inside, darling, and I'll make you some dinner and we can spend some time, just the two of us." Cora didn't ask these things. She told. Because she was the decision maker to Natalie, now.

"Uh huh..." Cora helped me out of the car and I followed her up the path to the house, with my hand in hers.  Honestly, I didn't even notice she was leading me until we'd gotten inside.  I wanted to tell her about my day.  I wanted to thank her for everything!  But I was still getting used to the lights in the foyer.

"I was thinking, you and I could decorate cookies after dinner, and then we'll maybe put a color in your hair." There were certain things that went into someone's identify, and Cora was excited to see how much change she could enact.

"Color...?" My hair was a very plain brown, the kind that was blonde when I was a kid.  It wasn't that special, really.  I used to dye it a rich brown - something closer to Cora's - when I worked for my old office.  But sometime last year, I dyed it back to my original color so I didn't have to think about it so much.

"I think so, something... peppy, vibrant, something to represent the new you - to go better with your new taste in office fashion." Cora had something very specific in mind, something very bold, and something very pink. But she wasn't about to spill that part yet.

"I guess so," I muttered, holding out the tips of my hair so I could see them.  It had been a while since I had a good haircut.  Longer still since it had been dyed.  Maybe this was a good idea.  A way to start fresh.  Right?  I followed Cora up the stairs, crinkling with each step.  Oh, right! "Um, Cora?  Could we talk about something?"

"Anything at all, darling, anything you like." Cora had gotten her some new pajamas, today, too - frilly with puffy sleeves and ribbons - and she was on her way to get her changed into those, all the while Natalie followed along docilely.

"Well, today... uh.  I don't know if Mr. Gladstone told you yet--"

"You don't have to call him that when you aren't at work," she reminded me.  Right...

"Uh... well, this woman... the one we were talking about at dinner?  Mabel?  She said some awful things to me..." Cora walked past the hallway to her room.  Wait, where were we going?  But as she rounded the corner and started up the next set of stairs, I knew we were haded to my room instead.

"Oh no, darling, what happened? What did she say? Are you alright?" Cora frowned and made sure that her concern seemed genuine and that her surprise was authentic. It wouldn't do for her to be revealed to have know about all of this in advance, after all.

"Oh.  Yeah!  No, I'm okay.  I just..." I didn't know how to word it... "She... uh.  Well, she made fun of how I dressed.  But I told her that I didn't pick it out.  And she was going to tell Mr. Gladstone--"

"Ando."

"R-right.  Ando.  But I told him first.  And..." Ugh, this was so complicated! "Anyway, everything turned out okay.  Because you decided what I wore today..."

"Oh? That's splendid! I did tell you, didn't I? You cannot get into any trouble whatsoever if you're a good girl and let me make your decisions for you. Today, it sounds like that got tested, didn't it?" How thrilling!

"Yeah..." We hit the landing of the third floor and Cora headed toward my room.  I followed on instinct. "I guess I don't really understand.  If I never wore any of this, Mabel wouldn't have teased me.  But if she never teased me, she wouldn't get fired.  And if she wasn't fired, maybe she'd do a better job than me, and..." In a weird way, Cora's decision had saved my job.  But the two weren't connected at all!

"It sounds like you've got a lot of words there, and they're going around and around in circles, darling. I'm glad that you figured it all out, though, I'm very proud of you for being so well behaved. And I got you a present today, too, are you ready to see what it is?" Cora was a little frustrated that her charge was still dry, though…

I did figure it all out, didn't I?  The conclusion: Cora was right.  I needed to trust her.  Even if I didn't understand, even if I didn't see why, she had saved me countless times so far.  So I was ready and willing.  From this point on, I trusted Cora.  With that one absolution, all the worry subsided and I was back in the present.  Present... oh! "You got me a present?  You didn't have to do that."

"But I wanted to, darling, and what I want is what's best. Close your eyes now." She stood, poised, waiting to open Natalie’s bedroom and lead her inside so she could see her new pajamas, her new ensemble for the first night of her truly new life.

I closed my eyes.  I heard my bedroom door open and felt Cora lead me inside, by the tips of my fingers.  Six steps or so?  So I was near the center of the room.  Then I heard my closet door open, to my left.  I wanted to peek, but Cora must have worked hard on this.

"Tada! Open your eyes!" The pajamas were the next step in the direction of childish, they were toddler-esque at best, and the skirt would in no way cover the girls diaper - if anything, it would draw attention to it. Further, the ruffles and motif on the chest would be very effective at hiding her bust-line, too, further diminishing her. Cora held it up expectantly, smiling.

"...a dress?"

"A nightie."

"It's... uhh... kind of short?" Cora tilted her head to he side and gave me a stern look.  Immediately, I felt my back straighten. "I mean... I like it?  I just... it's really... ruffly?  Um.  I just don't know how I'll sleep in that..." I had never seen a dress like that in all my life.  Or rather, I had, but I didn't recognize it in adult sizes.  It was entirely impractical.

"You'll sleep just wonderfully. It's very soft and comfortable, I promise darling." Her surrender to Cora's whim had happened so quickly in that moment, nary a flash of resistance and then it was all over with. It made the older woman feel warm and proud.

I pouted and crossed my arms over my chest.  Whatever.  It was just a nightgown, right?  But the more Cora bought me, the less I felt like myself. "Um... maybe we could go shopping this weekend?" I offered. "I could show you my style of clothes, so you know what I like?"

"I know what you like," Cora said with a smile.  Ugh.

"Right... but..."

"Tastes change over time, darling, and you're just updating yours. This is what you like, I know that it is because I decided that it is. Let's get you changed and see how cute you look, okay?" And maybe show her off to Samantha before dying her hair..

I puffed out my cheeks in annoyance.  She can't just decide what I like!  Right?  But I agreed to this... I told her I didn't want to make my own decisions.  Buying clothes was a decision.  With a sigh of resignation, I nodded my head. "Okay.  I wanna get out of these clothes anyway." And by clothes, I meant diaper.

Cora led her girl to the bed and gently draped the nightgown down on the covers, then took her by the hand and began to undress her - pulling her current dress up over her head. The diaper, though, Cora left on the girl, and with one hand she deftly checked the leg-band with pursed lips. "Still dry, little darling?"

Cora lifted the dress up over my head, fully exposing my diaper and bra, both in an ominously similar shade of pink.  Then, before I could do anything, she stuck her finger between my legs and slid it into the diaper.  I slapped her hands away and looked up with frustration. "What do you think you're doing?!  Of course I'm dry!"

"Natalie, don't you dare take that tone with me." Her response was firm, direct, maternal, and filled with a very simple message beyond the words: you're in trouble. "I make your decisions, I make your choices, and you've had multiple accidents over the past few days and I'm checking to see if you need to be changed into fresh undies or not - and you don't. Would you rather I have let you sit in a wet diaper? And get a rash? Oh, that's right, you wouldn't rather anything, because you entrusted those choices to me, didn't you?"

She never raised her voice, not once.  She spoke clearly and firmly.  But by the end of it, I felt... small.  I... I mean, she was right.  I'd been having accidents.  Did I want to sit around in a wet diaper?  No.  But I... "I... I wanted my underwear--"

"These," Cora gently put her hand on the front of the crinkling plastic, "are your underwear. Until I say otherwise. This way you don't need to worry about accidents, or being in trouble, and it would be better to be in a diaper if you have an accident, and not have an accident, then the other way around."

I looked up at her in disbelief.  Yeah, I'd had a few accidents.  Two or three.  But this... this wasn't necessary!  I pushed her hand away again and puffed out my cheeks. "I don't wanna wear these all the time!"

Cora didn't even reply. She stayed in place and gave Natalie the kind of look that would make a disobedient child freeze in place. A look of 'I'm so disappointed in you' mixed with 'your window to fix what you just did is closing quickly'.

She looked down at me with annoyance.  With disapproval?  No, more like disappointment.  I bit my lip and looked down at the diaper around my hips. "This isn't fair...!  I know you just wanna protect me, but I don't need them!  It was a few accidents... and... and it won't happen again, okay?  Please, give me a chance?"

"Darling. I have every intention of changing you back to knickers in due time, this is a precaution to take away the stress and hopefully help your accidents on their own." Which made a lot of sense. "Consistency is important. And I've thought about all of this, I've come to this realization, I've made the choice. Which is what you asked me to do for you. But now you're letting your impulses take away something wonderful. Do you want me to let you do that?"

"But... but I don't need them..." I felt so stupid.  So small.  Helpless.  She didn't even trust me to keep my pants dry!  I felt tears filling my eyes, but I held them back. "This isn't fair... it's not fair..."

"Trust me, darling. I know what's best for you, and I'm not here to humiliate you, or make you upset, or be unfair. I'm here to make the decisions for your own benefit that you won't make, because you're not ready to make your own choices." Cora held out her arms, offering two very simple things: surrender and forgiveness.

I looked up at Cora and then down at my feet.  I was so close to crying.  But she was right.  She was always right.  She wasn't trying to hurt me... I was resisting, because I was embarrassed.  Because I was twenty-three years old, and I shouldn't be in diapers!  But Cora was putting my needs above my wants.  I nodded my head and wrapped my arms around her, crying into her blouse. "I trust you," I muttered.

----------------

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[Sparkle Dust]

Ever read Mimi’s Struggle like 10 years ago.  I wonder if Mimi’s mom was using the same manipulation the entire time.  

Also here is a manipulation technique.  Make the servants wear and use diapers in front of Natalie and make her think that it is normal.  Or hide the bathrooms from Natalie with theater techniques.  Oh oh!  Make her trip on the stairs once so Mr. Gladstone makes her crawl every time going up stairs even at the office or place her on the floor every night to lie to her that she extremely tumbles off of the bed a lot so Cora makes her sleep in a crib.  

[Sarah Penguin]

[Sophie ♥]

54 minutes ago, Sparkle Dust said:

Also here is a manipulation technique.  Make the servants wear and use diapers in front of Natalie and make her think that it is normal.  Or hide the bathrooms from Natalie with theater techniques.  Oh oh!  Make her trip on the stairs once so Mr. Gladstone makes her crawl every time going up stairs even at the office or place her on the floor every night to lie to her that she extremely tumbles off of the bed a lot so Cora makes her sleep in a crib.  

What vivid ideas... are you speaking from experience?

[Sparkle Dust]

10 minutes ago, Sophie ♥ said:

What vivid ideas... are you speaking from experience?

Full imagination baby!  

[diaperpt]

Great chapter!

I'll let the grammar/spelling police do their job, but I will say they have work to do!

[Sparkle Dust]

9 minutes ago, diaperpt said:

Great chapter!

I'll let the grammar/spelling police do their job, but I will say they have work to do!

Nerd!

[diaperpt]

Did you call me? ???

[Sparkle Dust]

24 minutes ago, diaperpt said:

Did you call me? ???

Sorry.  Couldn’t resist.  LOL.

[Sophie ♥]

4 hours ago, Hopsalot said:

I wasn’t sure what to expect with the XXX title 

Nothing is sexier than consent.

[littleTomás]

8 minutes ago, Sophie ♥ said:

Nothing is sexier than consent.

If only everyone believed that. Great chapter.

[Wannatripbaby]

4 hours ago, Sophie ♥ said:

Nothing is sexier than consent.

This is my new Quote Of The Year.

[Sophie ♥]

Chapter XXXI

The fluffy pink nightgown - more frills than clothes at this point - was impossibly soft.  It felt like a thousand silk blankets were hugging my chest, my shoulders, my stomach... the only problem?  It was short.  Maybe two or three inches too short.  I pulled at the hem, wondering if anyone could see my new underwear.  Then again, the pinks blended together.  Maybe it wasn't noticeable...

"You're such a peach, darling, look how beautiful you are. Soft, and cute, and precious - I'm so proud of you." Cora gushed, orbiting her ersatz daughter with a happy little smile. She'd be in that diaper until she wet it, of course, and then the fact she wet it would be cause for her to stay in them longer - a happy little perpetual energy machine. Now, though...

"It's time for your second gift, my darling munchkin."

"Second gift?" I looked up at Cora with a pout.  I wasn't a huge fan of my first gift.  But damn, it was soft... I was going to sleep like a baby tonight. "Is it pants?"

"Pants?" Oh, gosh. Cora smiled, then laughed. "You're such a funny girl, darling, you're a wonderful little bundle of joy. There's no need for you to wear pants, this is your home - and this way, if you do have another accident, I'll be able to get you changed without any embarrassment at all. And that is why I make your decisions. Now come child, to the bathroom."

Get me changed?  I puffed out my blushing cheeks and followed Cora out of my bedroom.  Usually Sam met up with me about now, but she wasn't anywhere to be found.  I even peeked into her bedroom - just down the hall - before heading down the stairs to the second floor.  But it looked like she wasn't there.  Cora led me to the second floor bathroom, which I had only been in once or twice before.  It was large, lavish, and beyond the scope of what a bathroom needed to be.  It had a huge mirror, two sinks, and a tub twice the size of the one in my en-suite.  Probably a sex thing.  And then my mind wandered to Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone having sex.  I shuddered.

"Sit down here, darling." Cora pulled a small bench stool away from the wall and up close to one of the sinks. Sitting with her back to the sink would make it easy for Natalie to lean the back of her neck against the basin.

I sat on the tiny wooden stool and kicked my feet absentmindedly.  I thought it was a little ironic that she wouldn't take me out of this diaper, but she would bring me into the bathroom.  But when Cora wrapped a heavy black cloth around my neck - covering the frilly pink nightgown - I remembered what she said downstairs. "Are you dying my hair?"

"I am doing exactly that." Although she'd need to strip it of its natural color first, so it would be a two stage process with a lot of sounds of running water. "In Asian cultures, hair is a tie to history and to legacy, and you're doing so much work to redefine yours, darling, to start fresh. So this seems appropriate.”

"You already have the color picked out?" I asked, a little accusatorially. "I could have helped."

"But it's not your decision," Cora reminded me.  I let out a little sigh and nodded in agreement.

"You're right." I wondered what color she had in mind.  A dark brown, probably.  Or an auburn.

"It's important for you not to ask questions, and not to move, okay? We can talk about things of little consequence, though - you can tell me some of your favorite movies if you'd like, that way I know what other movies to have you watch." Mostly, this was a distraction: bleaching and coloring a girl’s hair took time.

Cora leaned me backward, so that my neck was along the edge of the sink.  Then she pulled all my hair back and started to soak it.  I talked to her a little bit about my favorite movies - I liked 80’s films and romantic comedies.  Then we talked about music, but she hadn't heard of any of the bands I listened to.  No surprise.  Cora was middle-aged, after all. "Is it supposed to tingle?  My other hair dye didn't tingle."

"It's normal; I bet that your hair isn't used to the sorts of products we can afford in this household." Cora explained, smiling. "I think Samantha should be home from her Maid Course in about an hour or so, so maybe she can say hello to you before bed, too? We should finish up around then." Sam had proven to be an asset, because she was an unpredictable anchor to Natalie's former life; a walking litmus test.

"Oh.  I didn't know she had a maid thing.  She didn't mention it." I felt Cora's fingers running through my hair, gently massaging the dye out. "Maybe she could have dinner with us?" Though that was probably against her job description.

"I think she's eaten at the training program, and besides - she's got a uniform she needs to fit into, darling; she's not as lucky as you, where she's able to wear anything she likes and still look cute." Anything she likes, not anything she chooses, because Natalie didn't do the latter anymore.

"Oh..." Cora sat me up and started massaging my hair.  A few strands fell in front of my face.  Definitely lighter, not darker.  Blonde, maybe?  Cora turned on a hair dryer and started blow drying my hair.  It felt like being at the salon.  Back in the day, when I had money.

"Oh darling, look at these split ends. Tomorrow after work, I'm getting you on my account at the salon so you can get these pretty locks properly styled and taken care of." But the color wasn't even done yet, oh no.

"I don't think I have the money for--"

"Don't be silly," Cora interrupted. "Anything you do with me, I pay for."

"Oh..." Free stuff.  Like the free meal I got last week.  Now a free haircut.  And this dye was probably expensive too, judging by the way Cora talked about it.  I started to feel a little guilty. "You know, I can pay you back..."

"You will not, darling; you work an honest job for us and I won't hear of you putting yourself out. Your work allowance is for you to enjoy yourself with." Although even that modicum of independence would slowly be phased out, given time.

"Stay here for a moment," Cora said simply. "And don't look yet!"

Cora set down the hair dryer and left me alone in the bathroom.  I was tempted to look.  After all, the mirror was massive and only just behind me.  I could turn around at any point.  But... well, Cora said not to.  So I ran my fingers through my hair instead - it felt soft, mostly dry.  Gosh, the suspense was killing me.  Then Cora returned, with a large cup in her hand.  A sippy cup.

"Here we go." There was no ceremony, there was no asking, there was no coercion or explanation. Cora simply gave the cup to her little girl and expected without an ounce of apprehension that she'd drink it, no questions asked.

This cup didn't have Strawberry Shortcake on it; it had a purple hippo.  And it was bigger, too.  A lot bigger.  But when I held it in my hands, it felt like a normal sized cup.  And I felt like maybe my hands were smaller.  Or I was smaller.  I bit my lip and looked up at Cora. "Why do I need to drink out of this?"

"Because you need to stay hydrated this time of night, so your skin feels supple and pretty in the morning." Cora answered, being technically correct but giving her little charge one more chance to not mess this up.

"Right, but..." I pouted and looked at the spout on the sippy cup with a touch of irritation.  It felt like Cora was treating me like a kid.  Why?  To annoy me?  No, whatever reason Cora had, she was right.  Even if I didn't understand it.  So with a sigh of resignation, I tilted the cup to my lips and sucked softly on the juice.  It tasted like a sweet apple juice, with a tinge of carbonation.  Pretty good, actually.

"You've been so good tonight, Natalie, I'm so proud of you." Now it was time to dye her hair, to make it pink, to start rewriting her entire identity from the head down. This was a big step.

I sipped the cup contentedly as Cora wet my hair once again, running new dye through it.  The juice was really tasty, and the warm water on my head was relaxing.  I held the sippy cup in my lap when I was done, but it was another ten minutes before Cora started to rinse the dye.  My eyes felt a little heavy... it was nearly bedtime, and I hadn't even had dinner yet.

"Oh darling, you look so sleepy. Do you need to lay down? Maybe a little snack would help?" Cora had planned a route through the house that would avoid mirrors, avoid ruining the surprise, and avoid any mention of it. This final reveal was so important!

My hair was dripping wet, but it was free of the dye.  She took the black cloak off me and helped me up from the stool.  After sitting for so long, my legs felt like jelly.  I followed Cora through the hall, down the stairs, and past the foyer.  If Sam was home, I didn't see her.

"Here you go, you have a seat here." Cora pulled out a chair at the dining table - this one was in a smaller alcove room, a less formal affair it seemed. "I'll see what the kitchen staff can whip up for you, and then we can check if Samantha is home." So far, and importantly, Natalie had yet to even question what color her hair was.

I sat at the small table, shifting in my seat.  The dress was so airy and comfortable, despite its looks.  And the diaper was soft and thick, like a fresh towel or something.  I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, but today had been a long day.  My bed was calling me from two stories up.  Maybe Cora was right - maybe I needed something to eat.

"Sorry to keep you, my sweetiepie, I made some sandwiches because the kitchen staff have already left for the night." And they were, like Cora, eccentric and elegant; crusts removed and fancy meat and cheese, cut into little shapes of animals with crisp clean edges.

I took a bite of the sandwich and smiled sleepily at my boss's wife.  She was so nice to me.  Dressing me.  Dying my hair.  Making me dinner.  Didn't she have things to do?  Was I taking her away from her busy life?  But it wasn't my decision.

"I think I gotta get to bed soon... but I was hoping to see Sam."

Almost on cue, there was a voice calling out from the living room three rooms over. Sam's voice. She sounded tired, but eager, and when Cora let her know where the two of them were, Sam found her way there quickly. And she stopped, mid-sentence, too, looking at her best friend. Sitting there in a babies dress, wearing a diaper, eating dinosaur shaped sandwiches. With hair the color of pink bubblegum.

"Holy crap, Nat, what happened to you?”

"...what?" I tilted my head and looked at Sam.  She looked... tired.  Very tired.  Her outfit was particularly cute, with a headband and everything!  It must have been a new uniform or something, because I didn't remember her looking that cute before. "I'm glad to see you!"

"Right." Sam shot back, sourly, her entire mood shifting downward. "Why are you... why are you dressed..." Sam shared a look with Cora and thought better of it, changing her avenue. "What the heck is with your hair? You can't be serious? You can't work like that..."

"Huh?  My hair?" I reached for one of the strands of hair and held it up to my eyes.  It wasn't completely dry, but the color was clear.  Pink.  A soft, lighthearted pink.  I... uh.  I looked at Cora with confusion and fumbled to my feet.  I needed a mirror...

"Oh Sam, look what you've done-"

"What I've done?! What you've done!"

Cora put her arm around Natalie and squeezed her against her bosom. "I'd hoped to surprise you, darling, but I suppose I can't have everything I want. There's a bathroom with a floor to ceiling mirror just down the hall to the left. Go on now."

I hurried down the hall to the bathroom, curiosity burning a hole in my heart.  Pink hair?  Pink hair...

When the two were alone, Sam looked sharply at Cora.  For too long, she had stood aside and watched her best friend get stranger and stranger.  This was... this was unreal.  She had to say something. "What's your game, huh?"

"I don't know what you mean, Sam,” Cora said, with a tone of voice that knew exactly what she meant. Cora never seemed villainous, though; a little callous sometimes, a bit bitchy, but never acting with ill intent.

"Bullshit!  Why is she dressed like that?  Why is her hair pink?  Every time she spends time with you, she’s different!” Sam was getting worked up.  She balled her hands into fists at her side.  But she was talking to her employer - anger would only lead to more trouble.

"This is what she wants. This makes her happy. This frees her from her stress. She asked for all of this." Cora was taking a gamble being so bold, but she also wasn't technically lying about anything she said.

"You lying bitch--"

"Watch yourself, Samantha," Cora said sharply. "I understand your concern, but you are my employee."

Sam flinched, clenching her fists tight at her sides. “I’m not letting you take her away from me,” Sam muttered.

"You're not considering Natalie's feelings. Would you be so selfish, as to get in the way of her happiness? Would you be so cruel?"

Sam's anger was palpable.  She was one bad comment away from hitting Cora across the face.  And Sam was a fighter - she'd take Cora down if she needed to.  But before the fight broke out, Natalie came back down the hall and interrupted the exchange.

"It's pink," I said with surprise.  I mean, of course it was pink.  I could tell just by pulling a strand in front of my face.  But seeing it in the mirror... I didn't even look like me anymore.  Not in this dress, not with this hair.

"Do you like it?" Cora asked with a smile.

"Well, it's really cute," I admitted.  But I'd never even thought about dying my hair such a strange color before...

"You're entering a new phase of your life, darling, and that seemed to befit a new you - a you completely free of decision making. Now whenever you need a reminder of who's you are, you need only look in the mirror." Cora clasped her hands together, eagerly.

"I guess that's true..." Sam stood in the doorway, fuming.  I looked up at her with a little bit of concern.  Sam could have a temper sometimes.  Had I done something wrong?  No, I'd only been following Cora's decisions.  So I couldn't be in trouble. "Are you okay?" I asked.

Sam looked at her best friend, at the girl she seemed to know less and less day by day, and then at Cora with a look of... annoyance, perhaps. Her arms were crossed, and she spoke like she was biting her tongue. "I'm fine," she muttered, "I just don't know what's gotten into you."

"...me?  What do you mean?" I didn't understand.  I looked at Cora with an ounce of confusion, but she shook her head in dismay. "Is this about my hair?  Cora picked out the color, so it's not my fault..."

"I just don't feel like I know you anymore, Natalie." Sam sighed and shook her head. "Whatever. I've got work to do. Enjoy being Miss Gladstone's dress-up doll or whatever." Sam curtsied because she was leaving the room, and then left.

I stared at the empty doorway where my best friend just was, with my mouth half opened, ready to say something.  But I didn't know what to say.  I didn't know what to feel.  I wasn't a dress up doll, was I?  I looked at Cora with worry in my eyes and felt a nervousness in my stomach.  Sam was my best friend... I didn't want her to be mad at me. "What did I do...?"

"Sam is having some trouble adapting to change, darling. She's worried, I think, that she's going to lose you. But she lives with you, she works with you," for you, "and she's never going to lose you. I think she might need some reassurances, some reminders that no matter how things change, how strong you're becoming, that you'll always be here with her."

I nodded my head in understanding. "I'm going to go talk to her," I told Cora.  And Cora let me leave the room without another word.

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[Sarah Penguin]

[Sparkle Dust]

1 hour ago, Sarah Penguin said:

Agreed!!  Best chapter yet!

[littleTomás]

Yeah, our little Natalie because even more little. I love how this story causes you to root for the Gladstone’s who are almost antagonists in the story.