age regression Dawn and Dusk (Mature) (Chapter Two)

[Baby Jemma]

Hey-lo, and welcome to another new story of mine! Yes, I have a lot of them, seemingly, but this one stuck in my mind. Imagine a place where elves and dwarves exist alongside humanity, but in two separate cities for each kind, all across the countries of the world. Naturally, business and legal machinations and such play a huge role in this story, as do specific irl problems (gangs, poverty, etc.), so I will warn you on that front. Everything else comes secondary.

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~

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Chapter One: Ocean Slalom

 

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Remus Solarastarr was in the zone of the U.S. Olympic ocean slalom qualifier race.

 

The twenty-one-year-old non-binary person had drowned out all noise, tensed at the sound of a firing gun to begin the race, the sport being a profession that they had been exceptional at for a long time. Ocean slalom was like a combination of swimming, track, and ski-slalom: hit all of the targets in the ocean area, all while competing against fellow athletes who were quite allowed to jostle for position and do everything except kill a fellow competitor.

 

They loved it, especially since they were the only human who could potentially qualify to be on the Olympic team; the rest were mostly elves with a scattering of dwarves.

 

Yeah, about that. Elves and dwarves lived in an area known as the “Two Cities”, just outside of Portland, Oregon. Two cities - Dawningshire for the elves and Duskenstoning for the dwarves - with their own laws and their own magical properties keeping the areas in perpetual morning and twilight, respectively. Remus had been born in Dawningshire to a human mother; their father was completely absent from their life. Due to…circumstances beyond their control, their mother was no longer allowed in either city, and they had been adopted by an elvish family.

 

The same family - the powerful Equinox family, namely their adoptive mother, father, and siblings - was in the stands; they had seen them before the race. Quin was at the end of the finish line, hoping to see them. They owed their best friend everything; it was she who begged her family to take them in when they needed it instead of letting them go to an orphanage or - worse still - under the control of their mother. Cal, a dwarven friend, had managed to find the legal documents necessary for the adoption to happen.

 

Quin. Cal. The best friends a human from the Two Cities could ask for.

 

The gun fired, and the thirty competitors immediately leapt into the water, their forms changing into various animals, by using a powerful bit of magic native only to the Two Cities and others like them: a “familiar”, it was called. Of course, Remus, being born in Dawningshire, was the rare human with access to one themself: a hammerhead shark familiar.

 

They felt the form absorb their clothes, muscularity increasing as their limbs twisted, their bones morphed into cartilage, and, most important of all, the fins and the tail. They thrashed their tail, feeling the water and oxygen surge through them, as they dodged a blow to the gills from a mako shark.

 

Instantly, they knew who the mako was: Trix, from the famed Bellatrix family, and a hated rival to both Remus and the Equinox siblings. Trix had been a thorn in their side from elementary school on, a typical rich bitch who would gladly use the words, “Do you know who my parents are?!” to get her way - and she usually did get it; having both parents as the District Attorneys of West and East Dawningshire made her heiress to one of the most powerful positions in the elvish city.

 

They ignored Trix, setting their keen underwater vision on the first gate - two poles that one had to pass through and hit to prove their time - as the rest of the competitors jockeyed for position, clearly in the back. They hit the pole with their tail at the same time as Trix, who immediately sped off for the second pole.

 

They remained calm, even though Trix was ahead of them by a bit, even as a few other competitors came closer, including a dwarven sea dragon. They knew that the race was a testament to not just speed, but endurance, that Trix’s mako shark was blazing fast…but easily tired in her familiar; they had raced against her long enough, being from the same college, to know as much.

 

Remus sped off towards the second gate that Trix had already hit, slapping it with their tail.

 

Seventy-three left.

 

The sea dragon had come a bit closer, trying to knock them out of the way of the third pole, but they hugged the dragon, nudging them ever so slightly, as they passed through the gate, barely managing to hit the right pole with their tail.

 

Seventy-two. Now to put some distance ahead.

 

Remus sped up, feeling the oxygen pass through their gills, as their muscles started to burn, seeing Trix ahead getting the next gate. The enby person felt a crash behind them vibrate through the water, as the sea dragon and a great white shark collided with each other, as they hit the next gate.

 

Seventy-one.

 

Gate after gate managed to go by in the blink of an eye until they reached the final ten, and they were tiring, their muscles screaming in pain, as they forced themselves forward. But Trix was clearly tiring as well, as they caught up to her. She snapped at Remus’s left fin with her fangs, and blood sprayed from the appendage as they stunned her with a simultaneous tail slap to her gills, not having any more time for her petty bullshit as they passed the first of the final ten - the longest gates.

 

They ignored the blood pouring from their screaming fin, forcing their fins to maneuver towards the second of the ten, slapping the pole with their tail.

 

Come on, just a bit more, just a bit more, and then it’ll be over.

 

They forced their muscles, their gills, everything about them to get to the next pole, slapping it with their tail.

 

Seven more, just seven more…

 

Everything hurt, oh, God, it hurt like a bitch! But they would not be deterred, even as Trix came back, having recovered enough to regain second, although a tiger shark competitor (the races were magically fixed so that wildlife couldn’t come on the course by accident) was on them as well, driven by the scent of blood, as they passed the next gate at the same time as Trix.

 

Six more. Fucking come at me!

 

Trix tried to bite at their gills this time, and filled with a surge of anger - yes, let the fucking anger flow through you, and your journey towards the finish line will be complete! …Or something like that. - they slowed a touch as she missed, rammed into her with their head, knocking one of her fangs loose, and slapping her gills twice again as they passed her for good measure, as they hit the fifth-to-last gate.

 

Half. Way. There…

The action had caused the tiger shark to come close as they bit at Remus’s tail, but they flicked it aside for the tiger shark’s attack to miss, burning more and more energy than they felt they had ever burned before, feeling their blood pumping precious oxygen to their brain as they quickly sped away, hitting the fourth-to-last gate.

 

Four. More. Gates…

 

Trix, to her credit, had recovered, and Remus heard the tiger shark hiss in pain, as the Bellatrix heiress bit down on the tail before moving on to Remus again, as they both passed the gate with Remus ahead.

 

Three. Just...three…

 

Trix succeeded in biting down on Remus’s tail, and they let out a snarl, flicking the smaller shark aside, but otherwise ignoring her: if she wanted to attack the competitors more than complete the race, that was fine by them. Blood sprayed from their tail, but they ignored it, to pass through the next gate.

 

Two…more…

 

Trix finally seemed to get it through her stupid, bitchy head that she needed to finish the race, but Remus positioned themself to knock her away from the gate as they passed through it - which would cause the mako to lose precious seconds to the hammerhead.

 

Finish line…

 

The giant gate was there, and even though every muscle in Remus’s body was screaming for them to stop, they wouldn’t. No, they would not stop, not when they were so close. They put on a final burst of speed, the competitors flying behind them…as they passed the finish line first.

 

They swam a bit in a lazy victory lap…before Trix bit them on the gills, obviously furious that they had caused her to come in second. They snarled angrily, shaking her off and turning to human form, bleeding from their chest, legs, and hand, their feminine swimsuit covering most of their body, as medical personnel quickly went over to Remus and used the various medicine supplies - invented by the elves - to clot the blood.

 

“Racer One!” an elvish judge snapped, his pale skin gleaming in the sunlight, directing his anger towards the now-elf-formed Trix, who was giving Remus a horrible death-glare. “The race is over, so no more attacks are allowed on others! Five seconds will be docked from your time!”

 

“But-”

 

“Five seconds docked from Racer One’s time,” a dwarven judge - ironically not being short like the stereotyped dwarf, although his darkened, hardened skin showed himself as truly a dwarf - said calmly.

 

Remus crawled onto the platform, feeling their wounds heal quickly, hearing the words, “Racer Twenty-seven, Mx. Remus Solarastarr of Dawningshire National Academy, is the winner of the competition! Coming in second place…”

 

They barely heard the next few words, as Quin Equinox flung themselves into their 5’10” body in a giant hug, her pale green eyes literally glowing (as was custom with elves) with happiness and her long, white-blonde hair touching their damp tanned skin.

“OHMYSPIRITS, I KNEW YOU’D DO IT, REMY!” she squealed like a giddy schoolgirl. “I’mma tell Cal everything, I watched the whole thing as much as I could-”

 

“Easy, Quin,” Remus said with a blush, knowing that their best friend since childhood was the type who would be happy for them no matter what…only for them to blush further as they realized that only one thing that could happen to make the moment not-as-happy had happened.

 

Their swim diaper had leaked, and Quin had noticed.

 

“Hey, it’s all right. They’ll probably just want pictures, but we can get those later, you know?” she said, her eyes sympathetic to her friend’s plight.

 

“Whatever, you fucking baby.” Trix’s voice came next. “I can’t believe anyone even wanted a baby like you, you fucking soulless piece of shit.”

 

Quin let out a hiss, and Remus couldn’t blame her: not only did their families loathe each other on rivalry principle, but “soulless” was the biggest slur that could possibly be used in the elvish language, given their immense pride of spirits.

 

“Hey, ignore her,” Remus said quickly, before they turned their hazel eyes on Trix, their damp, long curly-brown hair plastered to their body. “She’s just upset that a little human baby beat her, is all.”

 

Trix couldn’t even sputter out an angry comeback, only settling for a grumble as she walked over to her family’s maid, an old, yet still tall and muscular African woman with graying hair, in angry silence.

 

“Miss Equinox, Mx. Solarastarr, are you quite all right?” a posh Irish accent echoed.

 

Remus sighed, knowing the Equinox family butler, Finbarr O’Mooney had come into the picture, as the old man looked at the African woman for just a moment before his calm light-gray eyes the same color as his hair appraised the situation. “I suppose a bit of privacy would be necessary?”

 

“That would be lovely, thank you, Fin,” Quin said politely, as she and Remus got away from the situation.

 

They walked over to the restroom door, the elf discreetly handing over a bag containing their normal clothes and a diaper for Remus to change into.

 

“I’m sorry about Trix,” she said with a facade of calm before her anger spilled out. “She really is…ugh! I can’t stand that bitch…”

 

“She’s just pissy because she hates the idea of a human beating her at anything,” Remus said, before gently closing the door for privacy.

 

They sighed. Even since their…injuries, they had been unable to control anything about their bladder or bowels. It was a curse, but…well, that was life, right? They quickly got changed into the fresh clothes: a black T-shirt, a long, white pleated skirt, socks, sneakers, and - of course - the fresh diaper, while putting the dirty clothes in the bag, zipping it up.

 

They exited the bathroom and prepared to meet the media.

 

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Hope y'all enjoyed~

[kerry]

Very inventive! Nice start 😀

[Baby Jemma]

@kerry Thank you! Hope this next chapter is enjoyable as well~

 

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Chapter Two: Interviews.

 

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The flash of cameras almost blinded Remus when they exited, the mob of microphones and chattering cacophony deafening. They were used to a smaller amount, but this shocked them. Too many flashes of cameras, the microphones, fans asking for autographs, this was almost too much.

 

They had never left the Two Cities. There was nothing for them outside of it. No family, no home, no college, nothing outside of those cities…except the Olympics held in Portland. It wasn’t that they hadn’t competed before, but even the other Olympic qualifiers hadn’t had this much media attention...well, ever, and they weren’t used to it.

 

A bunch of security they didn’t know were directing the media and fans away from them, and Remus felt a little unsure of themself, when they heard Cal’s voice.

 

“Stay cool, Remy,” Calsight Lawstone - his surname being his occupation and the word “stone”, which was as important to dwarves as “spirits” were to elves - was about average-sized for a dwarf at 4’8”, his dark skin and groomed curly hair complimented by a crisp white suit and blaring white Oxford shoes both unblemished by grime thanks to magic Remus couldn’t figure out. He had a small grin on his naturally weathered, yet clean shaven face.

 

“Absolutely frosty,” Remus said with a smile towards their other oldest friend. “Glad you could make it, Cal. How’d you get past security?”

 

“Heh, for Olympic qualifiers? I had to be there with you.” Cal’s voice turned serious. “Given that I’m your manager, I have to make sure you’re all right and that nobody’s taking advantage of you.”

 

“You’re my manager?” they asked seriously. “Since when?”

 

“Since you became the first human to win this thing, Remy. It’s huge. It’s blowing up U.S. papers: human underdog, up against the elves and dwarves, all that jazz. You’ve got fans, sponsors, political stuff, and absolute enemies, and you’ll need my help with all of them because frankly, you won’t know what to do with all of it.”

 

Remus couldn’t argue with Cal’s logic. “So, what do I have to do?”

 

“Be careful and smart with what you say; people can complain that you sound robotic, but better robotic than making a stupid comment to regret. Don’t trash anyone - especially Trix, no matter how much she’s asking for it. Don’t embarrass yourself publicly. And don’t agree to anything unless I approve it.”

 

“Embarrassing publicly might be a little hard with…well, yeah.” They blushed at the thought of the thick diaper they wore underneath their skirt.

 

“Don’t worry about that getting public, even if Trix purposely lets it slip. If it does, you have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of, especially considering everything that’s happened.” The dwarf’s voice was kind and empathetic, and Remus appreciated it, even though they wouldn’t tell the real reason why they had to wear protection to the public if it came to that. “But I mean it: don’t agree to anyone’s demands. If they push, say that your manager has to look over it. If they keep pushing, tell them, ‘Thank you for the offer, but I really must have my manager look at it.’ That kind of stuff. Even things like autographs could land you in hot water, so don’t do it unless it’s in an autograph signing meet and greet or something like that. The legal world is more dangerous than anything in the real world sometimes. Lots of sharks, and you’re a minnow when it comes to that. No offense meant.”

 

“None taken. I’m guessing you must be an orca or a dolphin, then?”

 

Cal smiled…but it was grim, made especially so by his pure black eyes, both iris and sclera. “Here in the legal world, we’re all sharks. I just happen to be one of the rare friendly sharks. Be sure to thank Quin for getting me here.”

 

“Wait, Quin’s involved?”

 

“You’re seriously asking me that, Remy? She’s the one who pitched the whole managerial idea to me in the first place. Technically, she’s co-manager.”

 

Remus chuckled. “Well, I guess it could be much worse. I trust you guys - and ask Quin out already, won’t you?”

 

Cal’s face noticeably flushed, even with his dark skin. “Eh, she’d laugh. And more importantly, we’re the only ones you should trust. You’re up at the podium in five minutes. Quin will meet you there. I’ll be watching from the sidelines.”

 

Remus sighed as Cal walked away. All they really wanted to do was swim and compete at the highest level. All of this legal stuff was just shit they didn’t want or need.

 

Regretting that their world just got so much more complicated than they needed it to be, they walked over to the area behind the podium where Quin was waiting.

 

“Hope Cal didn’t bore you with the details, Remy?” she asked, her eyes glowing with amusement.

 

“He did,” they said with another sigh.

 

“Just be yourself, Remy,” Quin said in a gentle tone, her small, delicate hands holding onto their shoulders. “You don’t have to be completely robotic. You’re just wanting to compete at the highest level, nothing more. Just don’t attack Trix; I don’t think Father or Mother would want that kind of attention from her spiritsforsaken family.”

 

“Not a word on her,” Remus said. “One thing you and Cal agree on is not attacking her.”

 

“And for good reason. The Bellatrix family are Dawningshire's district attorneys. No family screws with them without consequence, no matter what.”

 

“I know, I just…”

 

“She can do whatever she wants. You can’t afford to do the same. I hate that things are so prejudiced, but that’s what it is.”

 

A producer said, “We’re on stage in one minute!”

 

Remus took a deep, nervous breath, and Quin patted them on the back. “Hey, you’ll do fine,” she said warmly. “Just be you. People will love you.”

 

They gave Quin a grin. “You asked Cal out yet?”

 

The elf blushed. “He’d just laugh.”

 

“Just try it. Can’t be too bad, right?”

 

“Just…focus on the interview, Remy.”

 

“Understood,” the enby athlete said as they stepped out onto the podium, the flashes of cameras flickering, as they silently prepared for each question.

 

The first one was a bit of a curveball. “Remus, Janet Thatch, BBC News. How did you get the surname of Solarastarr? Is that a Two Cities custom or was that your father’s name?”

 

Remus took a breath. “It is. Humans born in Dawningshire get the name ‘Solarastarr’, no matter what their parents’ names were. I’m not sure about Duskenstoning, but that’s why my surname is ‘Solarastarr’; it’s an elvish word for ‘starry son’.”

 

“Isn’t that a little…bigoted? What did your parents think?”

 

Avoid the talk about my parents, deflect.

 

“The Two Cities have their own ways of life, like anyone else. Elves, dwarves, humans, everyone has their own things that make them unique and exceptional. I would assume that for cities around the world, right?”

 

“You’re correct,” a reporter from China said in surprisingly good English. “We have our own Two Cities, as do other countries.”

 

“Mx. Solarastarr, Adam Saffold, ABC News, when did your love of ocean slalom start?”

 

“Well, it’s the one thing I’m good at,” they said modestly. “But I found the sport by chance, not knowing I could compete. I was always a good swimmer, always liked the feeling of being in the water, and when I was coached to find my familiar, it just…clicked for me. Like it made me feel alive, you know?”

 

“Mx. Solarastarr, Brett Federko, CNN, how do you have a hammerhead shark familiar? Is it a choice of an animal, or are you born with it? What does it feel like, transforming into an animal?”

 

“Born with it, since I was born in the Two Cities with their magical properties. You don’t get to choose a familiar, since it’s literally a part of whom you are inwardly. And as an animal, well…the feeling of having nothing but cartilage is admittedly weird, but the scents, the sight, even what sharks use as hearing…it’s as much a part of me as anything.”

 

“Mx. Solarastarr, Scott Sutherland, MSNBC, did your mom and dad push you to be the person you are?”

 

Dangerously close question.

 

“I never knew my dad. My mom left the Two Cities a while ago, and I’m grateful that I was adopted by the Equinox family,” Remus said, relaxing a bit. “They’ve been a huge support over my life, ever since I knew Quin Equinox and Cal Lawstone as a kid; they’re my co-managers. Without their help, without the Equinox family, I don’t think I’d be where I am today. I owe them everything.”

 

“Remus, Kevin Nolan, Fox News, I heard you have an intense rivalry with one Trix Bellatrix. Care to describe her as a competitor? Does she get under your skin often?”

 

There it is.

 

“She’s an amazing competitor, lightning-fast with her mako shark familiar, never gives up,” Remus said, carefully measuring their words. “She pushes me, as any competitor would, but since we’re part of the same school, well…it’s a fun competition, to see how much improvement I can make in every race we’re in together.”

 

There, Cal, Quin. Kept it professional, not personal.

 

“Even though she claims that you’re a baby?”

 

Remus froze. “...I’m sorry?”

 

“Well, she claimed it’s common knowledge that you wear, ah…’protective undergarments’, including outside of swimming. Is there any validity towards it?”

 

Cat’s out of the bag. Fuck you, Trix.

 

They were trapped, and they knew it. It would only bring more questions if they told the truth, and they weren’t willing to reveal anything too close to their life. A noncommittal answer would prove they had something to hide. And if they lied, they’d get caught in that; obviously, the group of reporters would’ve done their research, and if they lied, it would make things even worse.

 

Remus made their decision with another deep breath.

 

“Yes, I do.”

 

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Hope y'all enjoyed~