Cub Conditioning

[FatherFish]

The world of scientific progress is a fickle mistress. Many different people jump into the world of research for many different reasons. Some do it for family, to carry the torch of their and their forefathers’ forefathers. Some people start young, wanting to turn the spark kindling during childhood into a flame of progress.

And some people, like Bruno Bear, only do it for money.

“When do I get paid?” The gruff grizzly asked. “You’re promising a whole heap of cash, and I still haven’t seen one cent yet.”

“Well, Mr. Bear,” the persnickety poodle began, flipping through notes on her clipboard. “You still have not started the testing phase yet. Now, I feel the need to remind you that these tests are still highly experimental. We don’t know what effects they may have on your psyche.”

“…Powder, was it?” The bear asked, an annoyed grin showing on his face, “Listen, I already signed all your papers and contracts and whatever. I just want to go in, get paid, and get out. Can you make that happen, huh?”

Powder thought back to all the paperwork that Bruno had to sign. Procedures like this were barely legal, and the whole stack of documents was a foot thick. When Bruno started to breeze through each piece of paper in seconds, carelessly signing away, Powder started to worry. “This? I’m a speed reader,” Bruno had said. Powder didn’t believe him. If he had read even one paragraph of those papers, he would have run for the hills like countless others before him. Bruno didn’t carry himself like a man with a death wish either. He carried himself like one who only saw dollars signs, no matter the cost.

Powder let out a heavy sigh, “I suppose scientist can’t be choosers. Very well then. Follow me.” Powder turned and began to lead the subject through the halls of the research building. After some time, the pair finally arrived at their destination.

It was a giant white room. There were no desks, no furniture. Anyone who stayed here for too long was bound to get disoriented. When Powder saw visible confusion on the subject’s face, she figured now was the time to begin explaining.

“This area is a top-of-the-line testing facility. There’s a console in another room that allows me to manipulate the contents of this room.” Powder fished around in her lab coat pocket and pulled out a remote controller. She clicked a button, revealing a door and a one-way mirror on one of the walls. “I will be monitoring from that room,” She accentuated with a point of her finger, “And the test will begin shortly. Now, I’m asking you one final time. Are you sure you want to go through with this?”

Bruno was nodding, still playing catch up in his mind. Finally, he waved a paw and said, “Yeah, I got it. After you taps some buttons, I get paid, right?”

Some people couldn’t be saved. Powder’s gaze had now shifted towards the door. “Yes Bruno. I’ll go press my buttons, and then we’ll pay you.” She made way for the exit, leaving the bear alone with his decision.

Bruno stood in the test room for a moment, twiddling his fingers. Soon the room began to change as various devices slid from behind the wall panels. A large TV monitor hung from the ceiling and displayed static. Below the screen was a plain-looking set of earbuds. An intercom speaker had popped out from the corner of the ceiling. The speaker buzzed to life, and the familiar voice of a certain poodle came through.

“Bruno, can you hear me? The program will start shortly. I need you to put on the earbuds and look at the screen. Once you’ve started, do not look away. Understood?”

Bruno shrugged and made the ok gesture with his paws. He picked up the earbuds and inspected them for a moment. After he got paid, maybe he should buy a pair of these for himself. Concerns for later. He popped the buds into his ears, took a seat, and waited for the show to start.

Powder watched intensely from the one-way mirror as the program began. Without the audio, the video was safe to watch. Right now, however, she was more interested in watching Bruno’s reaction than anything else. The tape had only been running for a few seconds, and he was as stiff as a statue. He probably couldn’t stop watching now even if he wanted to. The hypnosis had a way of coiling around the patient’s attention early, trapping it like a snake and its prey. Just the thought of being forced to watch it made her shudder. Still, the bear had made his choice, as ill-informed as it may be. All she could do now was sit back and reap the benefits.

Powder pulled out her clipboard and began her work. “At the twenty second mark, the pupils begin to dilate…”

***

A door slid open, and Powder walked through. “Alright, Bruno. The video portion is over. How do you feel?”

Bruno fumbled to his feet and stretched his arms. “Me? I feel super.”

“No headaches, or any nausea?”

“Nope,” Bruno shook his head.

“Ah-hah…” Powder made note of this on her clipboard. “Do you recall what happened earlier?”

Bruno scratched the back of his neck. “Uh, yeah? I came in, watched some flashy cartoons, then you came back. Easy peas.” Bruno looked around the room, still feeling more disoriented than he liked to admit. “Hey, doc. Can I ask you something?”

“Yes?” Powder replied, still jotting down notes.

“Where’s my diaper?”

Powder stopped, a look of knowing on her face. “Your diaper? Bruno, what do you need a diaper for?”

The question made Bruno double take. “Because? I’m a big baby. If I don’t have one on, I might make a boom-boom in my pants?” Bruno whined, shaking his not-padded rump. “Are you sure you feel okay doc? Maybe all this scientific mumbo jumbo is making you screwy.”

“My apologies. I have to make sure all your thoughts are in order.” Powder continued to scribble down more notes as she turned back towards the door. “But I’m happy to say that everything is as it should be. I’ll go and get that nice, big diaper for you now, okay?”

Just like the first time, she disappeared behind the white door and got to work on her console. With nothing better to do, Bruno sat back down and suckled on his paw. What was that science-lady’s problem? Didn’t she know Bruno was basically an overgrown cub? He certainly wasn’t ready for the potty, let alone big boy undies. It was a good thing those silly cartoons didn’t influence him. That would make getting his money all the sweeter.

Moments later, metal coils with white gloved hands appeared from behind the wall panels. Soon the hands found their target and slithered towards Bruno. The hands got to work fast and began undressing the big baby bear. His jacket was taken. His shirt came clean off. His belt was unbuckled, and his pants? Hit the road. It was all no issue. Those grown-up clothes looked silly on him anyway. The hands laid Bruno onto his back as the pair of briefs he was wearing came off. The second they came off; he began to feel more like himself. As the hands whisked the briefs away, Bruno waved with his free paw. “Bye-bye undies.”

“Okay Bruno. It’s time for that diaper you requested. In addition, I’ve picked out some new clothes that should be more to your liking.”

More hands entered from the walls, this time, carrying a set of items that should have been familiar to the colossal cub. One extra-large shaker of baby powder. One ultra-thick diaper. A plain white classic. Just what the doctor order.

Despite their goofy appearance, the hands were very coordinated. A pair of hands lifted his legs and slid the hefty pamper underneath. A bear-sized portion of powder was sprinkled on his groin. Two hands worked together to carefully press down the tapes, making sure the subject was nice and snug in his padding. One hand gave Bruno’s new diaper a few pats on the front and finished with a thumbs-up.

Bruno was lifted by the armpits as more hands appeared, carrying a much more fitting set of attire. The hands lifted Bruno up once more and got to work. This all still felt natural. Bruno was still much too young to dress himself. Whether an adult dressed him, or a swarm of mechanical hands did it, made no difference to him.

When one hand carried down a large full-body mirror, Bruno finally got a chance to see himself. He now wore a baby blue t-shirt with a pair of red shorts. The shorts did a decent job at covering his diaper…but the bulk made its presence oh-so obvious. The bear was also wearing half-socks and a pair of sneakers. After a few curious stomps, he found the sneakers lit up when he moved. Cool!

The intercom came on once more. “Well, don’t you look charming. I’m going to change the scenery now. Wait one moment.

The entire room’s structure began to shift and shuffle. The bear could hardly keep track of the organized chaos. Bruno’s mouth gaped opened when everything was finally in place.

There was colorful wallpaper all around. The floor was littered with various playmats. There were toys strewn about the floor, giving the place a lived-in feel. Multiple cribs of many sizes lined the walls. A few changing tables also lined the walls, their compartments fully stocked. It didn’t take long for the bear to realize where he was. Bruno was in a giant nursery!

A small desk rose from the ground under Bruno. The hands descended him into it, forcing him to take a seat. From the front door of the classroom entered Powder, now holding a strange looking tablet.

“Alright Bruno. Now is the time for the Q&A portion. I’m going to ask you some more questions. This will help me get a better understanding of your mental state. While we do that…” Powder tapped on the tablet, and soon another pair of hands appeared from the walls. They stopped at Bruno’s desk, dropping a stack of papers and a packet of crayons, then quickly left. “…you can draw me a pretty picture. How does that sound?”

Bruno crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at the scientist. “Alright, But I’ve got one strip-you, um…”

“Stipulation?”

“Yeah, one of those. If you get to ask questions, so do I. We clear?”

Powder blinked, not expecting that response. Honestly, she was expecting Bruno to speed through the questions, like he had with all those contracts and wavers. Even while dressed as a big baby, this bear still believed himself to be in charge. While the hypnosis impacted his mental age, it did nothing to change Bruno’s unruly personality.

“Scientists can’t be choosers. All right, I accept. You have no issue with a lady going first, right?”

“Floor is yours, doc.” Bruno plucked a crayon out of the box and began to scribble away.

“Very good. Now Bruno, how old are you?”

The bear shrugged, not even bothering to look up from his coloring. “Dunno.”

Powder tilted her head in confusion. “You aren’t sure? You can’t even guess?”

“I said I don’t know. I signed it on one of those papers, right? Just look at one of those.”

“I am asking, Bruno, because I want to know what you believe your age to be. I’m not trying to see what Bruno wrote. I’m trying to see what Bruno knows.”

“Well, Bruno doesn’t know. And besides, isn’t it my turn to ask a question?”

“I…fine. Bruno, what is your question for me?”

“Why did you become a scientist?”

“Oh? Oh! Well, I wanted to make a change in the world. I wanted to help maintain the fight for greater progress and help make a difference.”

Before Powder’s speech could continue, Bruno’s hand shot up, as if to ask another question.

“Yes, Bruno?”

“I thought we weren’t supposed to lie with these questions.”

“Excuse me?” A frown grew on the poodle’s face when she realized what he meant, “Bruno, I am not lying. I want to be here.”

The bear simply rolled his eyes. “Riiight. Listen lady. Just because I’m a baby doesn’t mean I was born yesterday. I know that grown-ups tell white lies like that because the truth doesn’t sound as sweet.” Bruno tapped the butt of a crayon under his chin in a thoughtful gesture. “I don’t think this was your first choice. That’s all I’m saying.”

“And why do you think that?”

A cocky smirk rose on the bear’s face. “Because. You are too pretty. Besides the lab coat, you don’t seem like the nerdy type to me. Just look at your perfect fur. Your perfect makeup. It’s in the way you carry yourself. You seem more like a show dog than anything else.”

Powder couldn’t stop the blush from rising to her face. But it was there, and Bruno had no doubt spotted it. This was why she always hated working with children. They always found a way to spin the conversation around and make her feel foolish. She shouldn’t have to take this third degree. Especially not from a diaper-wearing dunce.

The worst part was that she knew, on some level, he was right.

Powder stopped to take a sharp inhale. “Fine. I hadn’t always planned on this. But that doesn’t mean I do not enjoy my work. You know, you could stand to be more polite. It will make this interview go a lot smoother and faster.”

“Hmm.” Bruno smug expression had turned into a bored one. He crumpled up the paper he was scribbling on, tossing the first sketch aside, and started on a fresh one.

“Now then. Bruno, do you—”

“It’s my turn,” The bear interjected.

“What? No, it isn’t.”

“Yes, it is. You asked why I thought you were fake, and I told you. Now it’s my turn, and I’m still thinking.”

Thinking back, Powder realized that Bruno was right. She had spoken too soon and was now paying the price. The gruff bear was now looking more like a clever fox.

Another sharp inhale, this time a few seconds longer. “Okay Bruno. What is your next question?”

“…How did you land this gig? When I said you weren’t the nerdy type, you didn’t even try to deny it. On the other paw, this isn’t the type of job they give to interns. So, you must have done something to land a job like this. How did ya do it?”

Why did her subject have to be so annoyingly curt? “Bruno, that’s something of a personal question.”

“So, give me something of a personal answer. Or are you the only one allowed to ask invasive questions? If you don’t plan on pulling punches, I shouldn’t have too neither. That’s only fair, doc.”

He was right, in his only childish way. Powder knew it to be true. Moreover, she knew she couldn’t proceed unless she told him the truth. This was one of the reasons she hated working alone. Then again, she couldn’t tell her lab partner, Gus, about this experiment. Not before she had her results. It wouldn’t be fair to drop that on him, not after everything he had done for her.

Her response was swift, “A friend helped me out. He pulled some strings and let me work in the lab with him.” Powder knew she had to choose her words carefully with this one. “I’m going to proceed now.”

“Oooooh, a guy helped you. What’s lover boy’s name?”

Bruno had shot a smug look at her earlier. Powder shot him one right back. “It’s my turn to ask a question now, Bruno.” She shouldn’t have gotten a rush from the line, but she just couldn’t help herself.

“…Feh.” Bruno mumbled. He returned to his drawing, his face now featuring a look of concentration.

“Bruno. What do you remember about the cartoons you watched?” It was a tense and volatile question. But it was also the most important one.

“I don’t.” When Bruno saw the poodle stare at him with anticipation, he grumbled and said, “I don’t remember it. It’s a blank page. I can’t even remember one word of it.”

That was unexpected. On paper, he should have remembered every single second of it. Had they made some severe miscalculation? If only Gus was here to help sort this out.

“What’s your favorite toy here?” The reply was instant, as if he had already settled on his question before this conversation started. Moreover, it blocked Powder from asking any follow-up questions. “Out of all the stuff here, which one would you play with.”

Another surprising question, one which sounded quite innocent. Powder still couldn’t tell which parts of Bruno’s mind were pacified and which were still grown.

“Bruno, Adults don’t have time to play with toys. I’m too big for such things.” She was annoyed at what the baby bear was insinuating. But she was also annoyed at how fast he had changed the subject, and some of that heat bled through.

“Too big,” He scoffed, “Well, I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m much bigger than you.” Bruno craned his neck and looked around the room. “And a whole lot of stuff here looks like fun to me. Especially those blocks over there.” The bear pointed to one corner of the room, where a bucket of toy blocks had spilled over.

It was obvious to Powder that she was getting nowhere fast. Her best bet was to play along. Maybe then Bruno would start being more cooperative. Powder took a quick walk around the room, looking over all the toys. Finally, after some consideration, she had her answer.

“The dollhouse.” She said, “If I was your age, that’s what I would pick.”

“Ooooh, I gotcha.”

No question was complete without a dose of attitude. Regardless, she still needed to pick her words carefully if she hoped to get any real work done.

“I am under the impression that you do not believe me.”

“Oh, I believe you. In fact, I would have bet money on you picking that.”

“Don’t say why or what.” She thought. “Don’t phrase it like a question.”

“I need you to elaborate on that statement.”

Bruno paused, as if he were impressed by how well Powder was able to dodge question marks. “Control freak.” He replied bluntly, “When you tell those dollies what to do, they won’t talk back. I say something, and you get all hot and bothered.”

Was that the issue? Was the way Powder conducted today’s experiment bothering him? No, she thought. Powder was simply doing her job. It was Bruno who was not doing his.

“Bruno. I need you to understand that we are not equals. I am the adult, and you are the child. Your negative attitude isn’t going to change that.”

“You really think that you are so much better than me?”

A sharp hiss cut through Powder’s train of thought. Her ears immediately identified the sound, as it came from behind Bruno’s shorts. Her snout was next, picking up the scent of fresh urine mixed with baby powder. She could see the padding subtly swell behind the shorts, Bruno’s gait spreading automatically. Bruno still looked at her expectedly, as he finished peeing his pampers. Maybe he didn’t notice. Maybe he didn’t care. If he was a baby, flooding his diaper was as normal as taking a breath.

“I…I think there is a certain divide in our status that you seem to be ignoring.”

“Hmm, that’s interesting. By the way,” Bruno turned his paper over and held it up to the scientist, “Here’s that pretty picture you asked for.”

This was an art piece Powder wished to forget. The crude doodle displayed Powder, sucking on a pacifier, wearing a fully loaded diaper. It was unflattering, to say the least, but at least it gave her an idea of how Bruno really felt. Powder certainly wasn’t looking forward to submitting this piece to records later.

“See, those are stink lines.”

“I see that, Bruno.”

“Because you made a stinky.”

“I understand the implications, Bruno!”

She couldn’t let this experiment get any more out of control. She expected the interview to be the easy part. There had to be another way about this. Something she was missing.

“Okay, I’m done.” Without hesitation, Bruno wiggled free from his desk and began to waddle to another play area. The pee-soaked state of the diaper forced him to take wide, duck-like steps.

“W-wait!” Powder called, but the bear waved her off. After a moment of consideration, Bruno sat down with a wet squish, and landed in front of a bucket of blocks.

“Bruno! We aren’t finished here!”

“I know. It’s your turn, right? Ask away.” Despite being so many questions in, Bruno sounded so bored of it all. From his perspective, the colorful blocks were much more fun, and much less fussy, than the angry poodle lady.

“I will!” Powder wanted nothing more than for this interview to be over. But her research forced her to put up with this overgrown child for a while longer. The only comfort in all of this was that after today, he wouldn’t be her problem. She would let the boys in the lab play babysitter and see how much they liked it. “What do you plan to do after you receive payment!?”

“Huh, that’s a good one.” Bruno replied. He hadn’t made eye-contact with Powder and was steadily building a large tower of rainbow-colored blocks. “I don’t know yet. Probably take a nap. Maybe have a snack. What about you?

Finally, a painless answer. This was how the procedure was supposed to go. Not this sass-filled back and forth. Powder was happy to get things back on track.

“I am going to compile the data from the test and send it over to my superior. Now then—”

“Sorry, maybe I wasn’t clear. What I mean is, what are you going to do after work? Like washing your hair or playing with dollies.”

Ah. Powder should have known things would not be that easy.

“Bruno, I do not play with dolls.”

“Dollies,” The bear corrected, “And there’s nothing wrong with you if you do. Lots of grown-ups still keep dollies and plushies around when they get older.”

“I am aware of that Bruno. But I am not one of them.” Powder shook her head and blurted back, “And they are called dolls.”

“Okay? You still didn’t answer my question. And when you’re my age, you call them dollies. Right?”

Playing along was not going to get any easier this way. Powder knew that, but still hadn’t accepted it yet. She thought back to when she was still in school, still just a puppy. Her favorite teachers were always the ones that talked to her on the same level, not above her. Maybe she needed to try that approach.

And that is just what she did. Powder found a comfortable spot next to Bruno, sat down, and told the truth. “You probably won’t believe me if I tell you.”

“Try me.”

And she did. “Don’t tell anyone, but when I get home, I like to sit on my couch and watch old cartoons.”

Bruno had stopped working on his tower and turned to face Powder. “Really?” The look of surprise on his face was plain to see.

“Yeah,” She continued, feeling bashful. “It keeps me calm. Takes me back to a time when things were easier. Hey, maybe after this is over, we can watch some together?”

Bruno didn’t say anything. All he did was smile at Powder, for the first time this session. This was good. This was what she wanted. Sure, the smell of stale urine was off-putting, but scientist can’t be choosers.

“Ms. Powder? Could you do me a big favor?”

“What is it?”

“I’m trying to stick my flag on this tower, but I’m worried it’s going to fall. Could you hold her steady for me?”

Bruno must be really invested in his game. A result of the hypnosis? It was too early to say. Either way, Powder was happy that Bruno was starting to warm up to her. Maybe today didn’t have to be such a struggle.

“Sure thing,” Powder said, returning his smile with one of her own. She set the tablet down, only for a second, and held the building block tower with both hands. “Like this?”

“Perfect.” Bruno wobbled to his feet. He had his eyes on the prize now. He steadied himself, made one quick motion with his paw…

And swiped the tablet clean off the ground.

“There we go.”

The petrified poodle gulped. Powder’s heart had stopped. Her eyes were as wide as dinner plates. An awful feeling was writhing in her gut. One that was screaming at her, saying she had just made the biggest mistake of her life. It wasn’t until the tower of blocks came crashing down that she broke free from her daze.

“Bruno, h-hold on! Let’s not do anything hasty!” The poodle scrambled to her feet, rushing towards the bear without thinking. She tried to take the tablet back, but there was no hope. Regardless of his mental state, the burly beast still towered over her. Bruno was an expert at playing keep away, which meant that it was game over for Powder. “Come on! How about we go back to playing!? I won’t even ask you anymore questions, okay!?”

The bear was unmoved. “Sorry, doc. I found something that’s more fun to play with.” The tablet’s interface was quite easy to understand. Child’s play, really. The screen displayed various icons for various functions. The hand icon seemed as good a place as any to start.

Within seconds, the familiar white hands shot out from the walls. Their aim was set to Powder, and they hit their target dead on. Two arms lifted her by the armpits, and she was soon kicking for dear life.

“P-please! I’ll give you anything you want! I’ll double your pay! I’ll call the whole experiment off! Anything!”

Desperate promises. Ones she had no way of fulfilling. What other choice did she have than to make them? The soundproof walls of the testing grounds made sure nobody would hear her cries. Nobody except for the person whose life she ruined. Despite everything, she was still responsible for turning his brain into a shallow husk. While Bruno was the one who agreed, it was ultimately Powder’s decision to go forth with the testing. She could have told him about the risks. She could have called the whole thing off. She could have done a million things different, to avoid this fate. But it was much too late for that. Somewhere, deep inside Powder knew it to be true. Such a simple fact, yet it scared her so much.

“Now that you mention it, there is something I want.”

“Yes!?” All her hopes were packed into that one three letter word.

“A playmate.”

All her hopes were crushed in three seconds flat.

In a flash, the hands ripped all the clothes off Powder’s body, and she was a bare as a newborn babe. Bruno didn’t even look interested. Simply happy to see Powder humiliated. The only comfort was that the hands didn’t harm a single fur on her body. And yet, that deadly precision only served to fuel her fear.

“N-no!” Powder screamed, one final time. New hands shot at her mouth, turning her pleas into muffled suckles. The culprit? A pacifier-gag strapped snuggly into her maw. That wasn’t the end of her worries. Despite only having the tablet for two minutes, Bruno was a fast learner, and quickly found an interesting new feature. Her heart stopped for the second time today, as a wicked new tool dangled before her.

A giant wooden paddle came into view and began to circle behind her.

Powder continued to kick helplessly. The fact that the paddle was now out of view was even more terrifying. Bruno was only bluffing, right? This was all an act to intimidate her. There was no way he hated her that much. There had to be some mercy in—

*WHAP*

*WHAP*

*WHAP*

With each swing of the wooden paddle, a thunderous crack sounded off. Each swat resulting in a muffled yelp from the bound hound, each one an unanswered cry for help. The bear led a truly grizzly assault on the poodle’s poor posterior. Twenty swats. Forty? Sixty? Both parties soon lost count. The only certainty was that Powder had been reduced to a crying mess.

“Aww, the baby got a boo-boo. Don’t worry, I’ll get you something soft to sit in.” Bruno was like a kid in a candy store. Bringing the arrogant poodle down a peg was the sweetest treat he could ask for.

Powder didn’t need to look up. She already knew what he was alluding to. Yet, through tear-stained eyes, she saw it all the same.

In one hand, held a large bottle of baby powder. In another, an oversized baby diaper. While not as wide, the size of the diaper was still comparable to that of Bruno’s. The diaper was a garish shade of pink and was decorated cover to cover with prancing white unicorns. When she saw it, the cheeks on Powder’s face became as red as the ones on her backside. All the fight had been drained out of her, as the hands forced her onto the changing table with ease. She winced every time her sore bottom made contact with the mat below. The powder came first, dosing the dog’s white nether region with a torrent of lavender scented snow. The talcum blended in with her white fur, but it was there all the same.”

“Look at that,” Bruno cooed, “Now you smell just like your namesake.”

Powder just let the comment hang. All her bark was gone, and her bite was equally useless. She had been stripped, spanked, and gagged in a matter of minutes. She had lost this battle the second she let go of the tablet. Her opponent was simply taking a victory lap.

The diaper was slid under Powder, and her bottom landed on the cushy surface below. The hands taped up the padding and gave her diaper a few pats. Just like the bear, Powder was trapped in a padded prison she had no hope of escaping from. Every nervous squirm and wiggle rewarded her with a chorus of crinkles. Powder could not deny her feelings now, her back on a changing table while taped to a giant diaper. She truly felt like a big baby, an overgrown puppy, much like the overgrown bear cub who was now in control.

“Wow, Powder. Pink is your color. Let me see here…” More icons were being tapped by her captor, and Powder was still completely in the dark. Her new attire soon hung above her, and she missed the time when she was blissfully ignorant.

It was a pink baby doll dress. The sleeves were short and ruffled, and the entire outfit was adorned with several tiny bows. The arms also carried a set of matching booties and mittens, to complete the ensemble. While Powder should be happy to have some coverage, she didn’t quite feel that way. The hands got to work, and Powder allowed herself to be dressed like Bruno had been.

Show dog was right. Powder looked like she was ready to compete in a baby pageant. If the sheer bulk of the diaper wasn’t enough to stop her from walking, the booties sealed the deal. Like it or not, crawling was now her only option for getting around.

When she was finally returned to the nursery floor, Powder fell on all fours and let loose. She couldn’t stop herself from crying. All the stress and humiliation of today was too much. She could hear something happening outside her field of vision, as Bruno tapped away on his stolen tablet. She was too distraught to look up, to see the truth. Her only hope was that one of her colleagues would come to check on her and stop this whole ordeal. Even if she had to be found dressed as a big baby doll, it would still be worth it. Before she could continue her miserable stupor, Bruno snatch Powder up and carried her across the room.

“Wah…” Powder was confused. Wasn’t the point of all this to humiliate Powder, make her feel as small as she made Bruno? What was his next move? She looked up, and the horrifying answer to her question became obvious.

The hypnosis monitor was back, and about to start an encore performance.

“What’s the matter, doc? I thought you like watching cartoons.”

No. Anything but that. She could handle the diapers. She could handle the spankings and the humiliating outfits. But this was too much. Bruno was about to chuck Powder’s mind down a hole she could never crawl out of.

“You know something, doc? I’ve got this theory I’ve been working on. You see, ever since I watched those cartoons earlier, you’ve been acting real dodgy towards me. At first, I didn’t think much of it. But as soon as you started asking all those questions, I realized something. There’s this gap in my memory that I can’t seem to fill. Why was I dress like an adult? Why can’t I remember my age? Why shouldn’t I be acting like a baby? Every time I rack my brain for an answer, it all comes back to this video. So, I figured, if I saw what this did to someone else, I can finally get my answer.”

“Pwease… I sowwy.” There was nothing Powder could do to break free from Bruno’s bear hug. All she had left to bargain was a literal cry for help.

“No, no. Let’s not start any of that.” The bear stuck the earbuds into the poodle’s ears one after another. “The Q&A isn’t over yet, right? It’s my turn, and I still have a big question about what this program does. And this is the only way to answer it.” The bear found a comfortable spot to sit in and plopped down on his padded rear. He held Powder tight, and pried her eyelids open, preventing her from looking away. “So how about we sit back and enjoy the show.”

The fears from before proved true. The second the program started; she could not look away. The audio was the first to strike, rewriting her identity as a baby between unending lullabies. Between every note of “Rock-a-bye Baby” and “Twinkle Little Star” was a hidden voice, a quiet scream, reinforcing how small and helpless she was. The TV screen was a mess of warping colors. It was a blistering rainbow that bullied her senses. But every other frame featured some form of subliminal messaging. The audiovisual experience tag teamed her brain and reduced it to a shatter pulp.

It was intense. It was unrelenting. It was what she deserved.

***

Gus scrambled through the halls of the research facility. He knew that he should have never told Powder about this project. The Labrador now had to track down his colleague before she did anything rash.

To think how quickly things were spiraling out of control. He had told Powder that their new hypnosis program’s only hope of getting funding was if their superiors had seen tangible results. Obviously, this put a giant wrench in their plan. “No one in their right mind would be willing to agree to a program so dangerous.” Gus had said, “Not unless it paid a fortune.”

After he said that, the smirk on Powder’s face should have been his first clue that she had a nasty plot in the works. While Gus was disappointed to have to shut the project down, Powder didn’t look fazed at all. Gus had figure that she was just coping in her own way. When a few of his co-workers had congratulated him on getting funding, he was confused. When they explained what had happen, and what Powder had done, he almost fainted.

That’s where he was now, racing to stop Powder before she made a huge mistake. He had finally made it to their testing room, the one the others saw her walked into. He could hear muffled noises from the other side of the door and braced himself.

When he opened the door, he soon realized he hadn’t braced himself well enough.

The testing room had taken the form of a giant nursery. Powder had quite a few adjustments made while Gus wasn’t looking. How did she even manage to pay for all this? He saw a bear dressed like a little kid? What was he doing here? Amidst a sea of doll sat one that looked scarily like Powder—Powder!

“Alright then Madame Woolsworth,” Powder said, speaking directly to a sheep plush, “I expect everything is to your liking?” The doll didn’t reply. All it did, all it could do, was stare back at her with unblinking eyes. For Powder, silence was golden. “Excellent. Now, there seems to be some business to attend to.”

“Powder!” Gus yelled, scrambling over to his lab partner. “What happened? Why are you dressed like that?”

“Hello there, Gus. While I would love to stay and chat, I have some company to attend to,” Powder gestured toward the circle of stuffed animals she was conversing with. “If you want me to talk with you, I need you to check the waiting list.”

It was hard to make heads or tails of this ‘waiting list’ she displayed. Mainly because it looked to be a series of notes on her clipboard that Powder scribbled over in red crayon.

“Powder, are you feeling well? You’re starting to worry me.”

“There’s no use talking to her,” The bear yelled from across the room. “Unless you plan on having a tea party.

“You’ll have to excuse him, Gus,” Powder explained, “He insists on acting like a poppyhead today.” The poodle stuck her tongue out and returned to her circle of plush friends. “Sorry for the delay, everyone. Where were we?”

Unfortunately, it looked like Powder had her hands full now. Her state of mind was questionable, to say the least. Maybe talking to the bear would yield better results. He seemed to have some understanding of what had happened.

“Excuse me, sir?” Gus called. Judging by the bear’s outfit, he wasn’t certain if ‘sir’ was correct. “Can you explain to me what happened?

The bear didn’t look up. He was busying rolling a rubber ball back and forth between his paws. “That girlfriend of yours is a real handful. I watched that funky cartoon and she started asking me a whole bunch of questions. Had a nasty attitude about her too. My brain’s been in a rut ever since.” The bear paused and leaned over his shoulder to face the Labrador. “She’s a clever one, I’ll give her that. Too bad she couldn’t handle a taste of her own medicine.”

A funky cartoon…The hypnosis tape! Powder had really done it! But why did Powder decide to watch it herself? She knew how dangerous it was. Maybe this bear coerced in some way. Or perhaps it was the other way around.

“Oh yeah. Before I forget,” The bear leaned over, and handed the control tablet over to Gus. “You can have it. I don’t want to play with it anymore.”

What was this stranger doing with the control tablet? There was no way Powder would hand over such an important device. Gus would have to check the security tapes later to learn the full story.

“Thank you?” Gus said, still feeling puzzled. “Listen, I don’t know what happened between you and Powder, but I hope she didn’t do anything to upset you. I know she can come off as rude to some people, but she’s actually a nice person once you get to know her.”

“Huh.” The bear mumbled. Before he could formulate a reply, nature arrived with a better retort.

The bear got on all fours and began to grunt. It didn’t take a doctorate to figure out what he was doing. Mushy lumps invaded the back of his already soaked diaper, causing it to sag further. The fact that his shorts managed to stay on was a miracle, but more of the stained padding peeked out from each angle. Finished with his work, the bear let out a few breathy pants. The bear finally sat back down with a thud, squashing the mess against his plot.

“That’s all I have to say to that.” The bear had said, returning to his ball game as if nothing happened.

“Ugh!” Gus cringed. He wanted to distance himself from the rank bear as soon as possible. Gus made his way over to his lab partner, who was hopefully now in the mood to talk.

Powder was laying on her back, suckling on the sheep plush from before. She had a tired look in her eyes, which was standard after a long day of work. “Hello again Gus,” Powder said, waving a tired paw to her lab assistant. “I’m sorry, but I am spent after today. If you have anymore complaints to voice, you’ll have to wait until after nap time.” Just like that, Powder was out like a light. Gus had said something, but she was done answering questions for today. Powder felt her leg twitch, as a warm flood rushed to the front of her diaper. Her work here was done. Now the rest was up to Gus.

***

Several months later

“Alright. I’m sending you guys the shape puzzle again. Your time yesterday showed improvement, but today you two will be working individually. Bruno. Please try not to distract Powder. It messes with the numbers if you do.”

Bruno yawned and made the ok gesture with his paws. He would give the princess a break for today. Gus was a nice guy, a cool adult, and he didn’t mind listening to him. Besides, Bruno wanted to beat his time from yesterday. He was surprisingly good when it came to putting in most of the blocks into the correct holes, but there was still room for improvement. The square one always left him stumped.

When their superiors had found what had happened, Gus expected all the shock and dismay they dealt out. What Gus had not been expecting, however, was how impressed they were with the results of the tapes.

“Powder,” Gus instructed, “Try not to suckle on the blocks this time. When you do, it always adds a few unnecessary minutes to your time. If it would help, I can send you in another pacifier.

Powder pouted, “Gus, that will not be necessary. I am more than capable of holding back my urges for a few minutes.” Powder crawled over to the block station and got to work. Everything was smooth sailing. Triangle goes there. Square goes here. Star goes in that one. She picked up the circle block.

And couldn’t help but notice how tasty it looked. “Maybe just a quickie,” she thought. But before she had a chance to second guess herself, she was already laying on her back, gnawing on the foam cylinder without a care in the world—without a care for scientific progress, or anything else. Powder felt a familiar rumbled in her gut and pushed automatically. The result was that a messy diaper soon hung from her hips. She knew that would happen. It was well past the point of being only a theory that she continually tested for consistency.

“A full diaper,” Gus thought aloud, “That’s not going to be good for her time.”

It was a blessing, too. Gus needed all the funding he could get if he ever hoped to pay off Powder’s renovations to the testing room. She had taken many loans out to make those changes, and now, as her sole caretaker, the responsibilities fell on him. Thankfully, Powder was helping pay these changes off, one dirty diaper at a time. Gus had had a crush on Powder since high-school, and he always wanted to become more than friends. However, those feelings, and his views of Powder, quickly became outdated. Seeing said crush poop herself daily, while dressed as a giant baby, was bound to have that effect on anyone.

Gus wanted to spend more time with Powder, and he had gotten his wish. But he always imagined them as dates, rather than playtime.

Gus sighed, watching from behind the one-way mirror. “Oh well. Scientist can’t be choosers.”