Chapter Seventeen

A Close Shave

God I hate my aunt…

Hunter thought to himself, as he pulled off the tapes of his night time diaper. It had taken a few weeks for him to realize, but the nightly necessity to pad up then to change, wash himself, and redress in the morning was beginning to cut into his schedule. He knew that it was only a matter of a few minutes a day, but he still had not realized what such a state of being required. The monotony of it was beginning to get to him, and despite the initial thrill of putting on a diaper in the evening, dealing with the aftermath the following day was not always fun.

If it was only a soggy diaper, that would have been enough for him to handle. But now, ever since his accident in the library, he was having the occasional night time mess that sometimes took up to an hour to properly take care of. He would think sparingly of the details of cleaning up his messy fur, but at this rate his bathroom was beginning to run out of shampoo.

He had thought about doing what most cubs had done when they were young, which was having shaven bottocks and nether regions.

There was something about that, however, that still caused him to feel a sense of revulsion. There was some pride in having glossy fur down there, and despite the fact that given his current problem he could not exactly be outside courting furs back to his bedroom, he still did not want to give up his pride.

Still, the fact that he had almost been late to a class because of his droopy drawers was something he knew he needed to do something about.

Hunter stood in his bathroom, the slight hint of his own accident beginning to waft up to his sensitive nostrils. He was going to shower, and take a good one at that, but even as he thought about the ordeal he was about to suffer through his eyes wandered over to the pair of sheers he normally used on his chestfur.

Am I really going to do this…

It was not like Hunter was a frequent visitor at his local gym, nobody would likely find out that he was walking around with a completely bare bottom. The idea disgusted him still, however, as the thought of having his bare skin in contact with his voided bowels in the morning caused his stomach to lurch.

But then I wouldn’t miss class…

Deciding that the best course of action would simply be to address the pressing matter at paw, Hunter reached through his shower curtains and turned the knob to turn on the water. Against the background of water colliding with ceramic, Hunter stripped off his pajama shirt and began the careful process of extracting himself from his soiled night-time padding.

He had started to keep garbage bags in his bathroom for this exact purpose, venturing out in the morning to stop by the dumpster near his apartment complex to deposit his double-bagged morning surprise.

He had done so as casually as he could the first few times, paranoid that someone might discover him in the middle of disposing of his diapers. It was silly, and he knew it, as nobody ever had any reason to inquire what it was exactly that they were throwing away in a black trash bag.

Still, he was always nervous about it.

Stepping into the shower, a breath of relief escaping his muzzle as he felt his fur being weighed down by the pleasantly warm water, he stepped awkwardly bow-legged to allow the stream to hit his backside. He grimaced, the smell becoming particularly pungent for a minute until it had all been washed away.

Lathering his paws, he set to work on his headfur before working his way down. As his thoughts drifted, he thought back to the first time he had accidentally pooped his pants.

Jack’s nostrils had twitched, and he had glanced meaningfully down to the front of Hunter’s pants. The fennec knew there was no hiding it, and had come clean immediately telling Jack that he was having a shitty day and needed to take care of something.

Jack had immediately taken off his coat, smiling ruefully and handed it to Hunter telling him to wrap it around his waist to stifle the smell. Hunter had felt relieved, grateful that his friend was helping him instead of taking this as an opportunity to humiliate him.

He knew what Jack was thinking, and was suspicious of Malissa’s paw having a role in the weasel’s newfound maturity. He was grinning the entire way back to Hunter’s apartment, having decided to keep him company on the way back. Not once did he crack a joke, but he had been in a rather jolly mood. Undoubtedly he was simply working on material he would spring on Hunter if the two were ever having a platonic bickering session.

Hunter knew that this would eventually work its way back into Jack’s mouth when it came to quips at the fennec’s expense, but he was willing to suffer through if Jack had at least enough sense to not make the moment any worse.

Jack had shaken his head, bidding him farewell and waving cheerfully before Hunter had sprinted up the stairs of his apartment and practically leapt into the shower.

It had not been a good day, but at least his friends were being somewhat supportive. He knew that Jack would tell Malissa immediately, and was beginning to wonder when the two would inquire when he was considering seeking medical attention.

He had an anecdote ready, something about his particular family having an unlucky set of fennec genes that trended towards incontinence. Still, bowel incontinence was an entirely different beast compared to urinary.

Something about the two sphincters being weak or something… Vestigial marking behaviors? Nah, they’ll never buy that…

Satisfied with his headfur, Hunter set to work lathering up his nether regions. A few minutes later, he was cleaned and rinsed but even then he remained in the shower. He peaked through his shower curtain, staring out at the pair of clippers resting on top of his bathroom sink.

I can’t believe I’m doing this…

Reaching out with a dripping paw, he clasped at the razor and set to work cleaning up his bottom and front as best as he could without nicking himself.

He walked out later that morning to his class, several pieces of toilet paper stuck to his ass that he tried his absolute best to push out of his mind.

𓁥 𓁢 𓐭

Hunter thought about the message he had read on DaringTare.com that morning as he sat in class, replaying the single line over and over.

Postponed a week… Great… More time to crap myself while I sleep…

He was in a sour mood, having felt somewhat wary about the fact that his reality had not warped significantly aside from his smelly mornings. Hunter had decided that interacting with the brooch as little as possible was likely the best course of action, after having taken a photo of it to study its hieroglyphs and putting it away. He had managed to make no sense of the inscriptions on the piece of jewelry, other than they appeared to be dedicated to protecting its wearer to some degree.

Something to do with life… But what?

He had no clue, and he was not too keen on reexamining the object. Still, maybe if he showed it to the bounty hunter when he decided it was time for them to meet again he could make heads or tales of it.

The fennec had a feeling that the investigation into what had happened to his aunt was not going well, mostly from how terse the messages from the badger had been.

Hunter glanced down at his laptop, and saw that a message from Malissa was pending. Opening it, he read through her message while doing his best to appear as if he were still taking notes on what the professor was saying.

So you gonna tell me what’s up or are you trying to keep things discrete?

Hunter had been expecting this, and he replied a minute later after jotting down a few lines in his notes.

I’m seeing a doctor about it, he’s running some genetic tests to see if it's hereditary.

Malissa replied almost immediately.

So like, has this happened before?

Do I lie?

Hunter considered, having felt awful about lying before even though he was given every indication from his friends that they could be trusted. He could not tell them the whole truth, they would think he was losing it. He had to come up with a half-lie, something that was believable but would keep them from thinking he needed to take a gap semester to regain his marbles.

I was late for potty-training even as a kid, but no this has been a recent development. Pissing me off tbh.

A bubble popped up indicating that Malissa was typing back, followed promptly by her message.

I think you meant ‘me pissing’ but go off sister.

Hunter was quick to reply.

Since when is your name Jack?

The fennec shook his head, not realizing that his movement was likely to be seen by his professor. He looked up to receive a steely eyed glint from the puma that was at the front of the classroom, and he felt his face redden.

He averted his gaze, switching back to his notes for a few minutes as he did his best to pay attention. After he felt like he could steal a glance back as his direct messenger, Malissa’s response was waiting for him.

He’s beginning to rub off on me isn’t he? Still, figured I’d keep this light. My cousin is incontinent by the way, I could ask him if he has any advice without mentioning you if you like. I’ll take the L if he thinks it’s me, lol.

Hunter would have smiled gratefully if he were not trying to keep his muzzle as blank as possible. Still, his tail swished behind him once indicating his happiness. He felt grateful that Malissa was being supportive, he needed it more than he had initially realized.

It had been lonely having to deal with this issue on his own, if only she knew the truth that he was not suffering from a medical malady but an ancient Egyptian curse his aunt had so generously given to him to deal with.

Oh the words I would have to say to her if I ever met her…

He thought grimly, the corner of his muzzle tightening as he tabbed back to his notes. His mother had always seemed rather fond of her, even if there was always a hint of sadness to the fact that they rarely saw each other. Whatever this cheetah was, he was sure that she was not worth the time his mother spent missing her.

Hunter’s nostrils flared, deciding that he should actually focus on the material for the class he was currently in. He set a reminder on his computer to ask Malissa to inquire with her cousin, as that might actually be useful. He did not feel like looking up any material on the internet to deal with his current problem, as he was sure that whatever the curse was it would be paying close attention to his internet history.

The last thing he needed to do was to give it any new ideas.

For what must have been the thirtieth time that day, Hunter stopped himself from reaching back and scratching his behind. He had not shaved well enough apparently, because he had been itching that entire day.

Chapter Sixteen

The Christmas Party

14 years earlier…

Agatha Tare gazed out at the motley collection of furs that milled about her. She noted a group of mildly overweight men eyeing the eggnog in the corner, glancing from each other to their wives as if daring each other to make the first move.

The cheetah allowed herself a small smile of amusement, her earlier sense of annoyance dissipating as she reminded herself that she should be grateful for such small social details of regular civilian life.

Better than wondering whether the blue-eyed skink in front of you is hiding a shink in his drawers…

Her grin broadened. Sure, she was more than a little bored of the idle small-talk she was forced to endure. None of the people had anything tangible to offer her other than small, impersonal compliments about her stature for her age. But family was family, and her niece had insisted in multiple letters that she make the trip home for the holidays.

As if sensing that her Aunt was thinking about her, a petit fennec maneuvered her way past to the bears that were now helping themselves to the aforementioned eggnog while doing their best to act as casual as possible.

“Auntie.”

Camilla beamed, the fennec’s eyes sparkling the same shade of emerald as the cheetahs. It was their little joke, that despite the vast genetic difference in their respective species that it was they and only they that were actually related. Agatha had been adopted, a fact that she undoubtedly was sure had spawned her aptitude for maintaining her cool while in spaces she did not belong.

Her family had done their best to include her, but to be a female cat that towered above her vulpine relations was an aspect of her physiology that always served to remind her that she did not belong.

But that was decades ago.

Still, it was only with Camilla that she did not feel as if she were an alien living amongst dwarves.

“Sweetheart, it’s good to see you.”

The two embraced, several of the other furs giving them space as even those who met Agatha at eye level found her mildly intimidating. Perhaps it was her choice of dress, a dazzlingly green dress held together by a brooch on her upper left breast. The opals sparkled in the radiance given off the Christmas tree lights, giving the item an alluringly dangerous aura.

“You don’t even know how happy I am that you were able to make it, how was the flight?”

Agatha shook her head, closing her eyes for a moment and smiling closed-lipped. Camilla was quick on the uptake.

“Did they put you in the cargo hold again?”

Agatha put an offended paw on her chest, recoiling slightly as she pretended to appear insulted.

“That’s rich coming from someone who would fit comfortably in the overhead luggage compartment.”

Camilla beamed, twisting her shoulders from side to side while clasping her paws in front of her. It was her adorable face, one she knew that the cheetah had an immense soft spot for.

“They say I’m so light I actually help keep the aircraft aloft!”

Agatha laughed, a sharp high pitched bark coming from her throat as her shoulders shook. It was an alarming sound, rich with mirth to cause the other houseguests to falter in their respective conversations. The two ignored them, uncaring that their conversation was drawing attention.

The cheetah felt her sense of boredom disappear entirely, forgotten now that she was in the presence of one of the few family members she truly loved. As she felt warmth blooming in her face, her mind darted back to the latest mention in Camilla’s letters.

“Well, are you going to introduce us?”

Camilla’s eyes blanked for a moment, before lighting up in recognition of what Agatha was insinuating. She yipped, excitedly nodding before nodding over towards the direction of the other room.

“Yes, of course! We’ve given him a Christmas present to open early, he’s in his bedroom.”

After Camilla excused herself from a guest that was inquiring if there was any more eggnog available, the fennec guided the cheetah through the hall and through an open bedroom door.

A small kit was sitting cross-legged on the floor, currently in the midst of constructing a miniature LEGO set and completely occupied by the task. “Hunter sweetheart, I’d like you to meet your Great Aunt.”

The kit looked up, his eyes wide with curiosity as he looked at the cheetah. He appeared a bit unsure at first, the intimidating visage of the African cat causing him some pause in what to say next. A second later, however, he recovered and spoke up.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

Camilla beamed, happy that her son had remembered his manners. Closed-lipped, Agatha smiled back and nodded a greeting while blinking once. She studied him for a moment, noting that she appeared the spitting image of his mother, save for his eyes.

He met her gaze, raising her degree of respect for him as he appeared relatively comfortable with someone that was a good five times his own height.

He’ll do.

She thought to herself, raising a paw reflexively to her brooch and adjusting it. Camilla continued to speak, introducing Agatha.

“This is Auntie Tare, she’s an Egyptologist situated in Egypt if you’ll believe it.”

Chortling, the fennec nudged the cheetah in the side and gave her a look. Agatha got the message, and stooped down to peer at the half-constructed pile of plastic bricks that Hunter was working on.

“Why don’t you tell me what you’re working on there, Hunter?”

His eyes lighting up, the kidfur launched into a detailed explanation as to what he was trying to make. Of all things, it was a replica of the tomb of Tutankhamen. Agatha found herself rather intrigued by the spirit and vocabulary of the little fennec, surprised by the fact that she was more interested in what he had to say about his construction set than the droning on of the adults she had left behind.

Camilla eventually excused herself, pleased to see that the two appeared to be bonding almost immediately. Agatha found herself sitting cross-legged beside Hunter, aiding in the construction of the LEGO set. Hunter was quite pleased to have a partner in his project, and eagerly handed over several of the bricks for her to work on in parallel to him.

The cheetah was enjoying herself, though she would not have predicted this. Normally she was dismissive of children, but there was something special about spending time with one that she was related to. She found him cute, and realized that she actually cared for him in the same manner she cared for her niece Camilla.

Agatha was a hardy beast, and only a few times in her life had she actually found any affection for anyone else. But Hunter was different, small and young as he was, she found that she was already beginning to feel proud to be able to call herself his Aunt.

Within the hour, they had completed the LEGO set. Raising a paw up, Agatha’s voice caught in her throat at the awkwardness at her attempt to bond with the little fox.

But Hunter was quick on the uptake, smacking it gently with his own; the little fennec smiled toothily at his aunt, pleased by the high five.

“Very good Hunter, this looks just like the real thing!”

She was not lying either, whoever had designed the set clearly had studied the schematics of the ancient tomb themselves. Hunter replied with excitement in his voice.

“Have you been there? Momma mentioned that you worked with Egyptians.”

Dead ones, mostly. Or soon to be.

Agatha thought grimly to herself, but quickly nodded serenely after having decided that shielding this young fox was now her duty.

“Indeed I do, I’ve actually seen a mummy before in real life as well.”

“A mummy! I’ve got one of those!”

Agatha laughed. He really had a spark in his head, undoubtedly inherited from his mother. The cheetah could hardly believe herself, she was actually enjoying spending time with her nephew. Her heart hurt, the same way it hurt whenever she thought about how it was only Camilla who had ever understood her.

The regal cheetah had reached a decision, even as she launched into a family friendly version of one of her adventures she had become resolute in her latest desire.

He would inherit her gifts. This little kit, young as he was, had shown no fear in connecting with her despite the fact that she always seemed to stand out. He was deserving of her great feats, and she would do everything in her power to ensure that his life was a long and happy one.

Almost too soon, Camilla was at the door appearing exceptionally pleased. She spoke, powdered sugar on her apron.

“Hunter, would you and Auntie Tare like some gingerbread cookies? They’re fresh out of the oven.”

Hunter looked to Agatha, his eyes wide with excitement and Agatha found that she could not have said no even if she had wanted to.

“Make sure you leave some for Santa Claws”

She replied with a smile, her teeth showing now as her face relaxed. As Hunter practically leapt to his feat, grabbing his aunt by the paw and pulling her out of his bedroom, Camilla and Agatha exchanged a quick look.

Camilla appeared slightly amused at how much Agatha was allowing herself to show that she was having fun. But for once, the cheetah did not have a care in the world as to what people were judging her for. She was spending time with her nephew, a small window of her life she knew she would treasure for the rest of her life.

She could only hope that Hunter would remember her as fondly as she would him.

Chapter Eighteen

Sublime

The softest of beds always arrive in the morning when it is time to leave them, but Hunter had no reason that day to leave the confines of his guard-railed bed that day. Having finished up a busy week of academic obligations, and with finals just under three weeks away, Hunter had decided to schedule some time for himself and only for himself.

It was Saturday, and dawn had just broken as Hunter cracked open one eye to see whether the sun had broken through his shades yet. Not quite, and given the circumstances of his underpants Hunter saw no reason to pull himself out from the comfort of his covers. He moved his thigh, attempting to half-heartedly gauge how full his night time diaper was from his wettings. The fennec felt the absorbent undergarment squish softly against him, his freshly shaven area feeling as if it were enveloped in a soft, warm sponge.

Despite the initial itching, Hunter had gone over his handiwork a few more times until he was as smooth as a well polished piece of sea glass. Given the fact that he was now wearing pull-ups every day and diapers at night, he had no concern about his regular underwear causing him discomfort against his exposed skin.

In fact, Hunter pondered to himself as he gave his legs another squeeze, feeling the warmth of his wet padding press up against him, he had not had to do a laundry for his underwear in several weeks.

The curse had continued to supply him with a generous amount of diapers, all displaying his favorite cutesy fuzzy characters in addition to becoming accustomed to a general theme.

His night time diapers were covered in sleepy bears, soft kittens, and snoozing puppy dogs. With several stars on the front leading all the way up to the back to serve as wetness indicators, he had grown fond of their friendly visage when he finally retired for the night.

His pull-ups were significantly more dynamic. Illustrated with happy little kits heading out for a day at the beach, or sliding down a colorful slide, their diapers peeking out from their shorts or bulging slightly from their shortfalls. The curse was intent on continuously reminding him of his diapered state, but despite the occasional spell of anxiety that his reality would warp the brooch appeared content enough to leave him alone when he was properly diapered.

Although, there had been one episode where he had not avoided public embarrassment. Having taken the bus to visit the off-site area of his college campus for research purposes, he had woken up on the bus having missed his stop, and with several furs giving him odd glances.

At first he had stared back, unsure of why they were giving him so much attention. It had stressed him out a little, and it was only a minute later when he realized that he had been coping with the stress by suckling eagerly on the pacifier lodged in his muzzle.

His face had burned, he could still remember just how profoundly he had blushed. Never before was he so flustered and caught off guard than when he realized that he had been sleeping on a public transit system with a binky in his mouth. Of course, he had no idea how it had gotten there in the first place. Whether the curse had compelled him to reach inside of his backpack mid-sleep and pull the object out after manifesting it or if it had simply popped into existence where he found it was beyond him.

He had hastily departed the bus at the next stop, pulling out his phone and frantically opening up the GPS application to see where he was. Only a mile away, a short walk if anything. He had been lucky, as had he slept even fifteen minutes longer he would have had triple that length to traverse.

It was only half a mile walking back through the dim streets did he finally remember to yank the pacifier out of his mouth.

He had been caught off guard once more, as the moment the plastic rubber bulb left between his lips he had felt unreasonably upset. He had felt his eyes getting watery and his lips began to quiver. It passed after only a moment, but he still remembered viscerally how close he had been to bawling his eyes out because he no longer had that feeling of security.

He had managed to shrug it off, cramming the pacifier into his pocket and making it back to his place just before his bedtime.

It had taken all of his might to put on his diaper that evening and restrain himself from putting the pacifier back in. He had managed it in the end, but it was only upon recalling the confusion in the faces of the furs around him that kept him from replacing it back into his maw.

I really should be focusing on relaxing now…

Hunter chided himself internally, turning over to hug one his new and decidedly favorite stuffed animal. It was rather simple, a brown and beige paw with dark brown hearts on the ends of his paws. He had not known where the inspiration for his name came from exactly, but upon seeing him in a store front he had immediately named him, “Stitches.”

Stitches was the best size for him to embrace in his arms, not too big that it felt awkward and soft enough that he could press him up against his chest without feeling uncomfortable.

He had had a dream the following night after purchasing Stitches where the plush had become animated. Not only that, but the little bear appeared very intent on taking care of the little Kit. He had patted him affectionately on his diapered bottom, held a bottle up to his lips, and lovingly placed a pacifier in his muzzle before coaxing him into his crib for an afternoon nap.

Hunter still remembered that scene, as of all of the regressive dreams he had been having lately that one was the most pleasant. There was no brooch, no worry of discovery, simply a state of mind where the only thing he cared about was having something warm and yummy in his tummy, and a soft place to lay his head alongside Stitches.

The fennec could feel himself slipping into that mindset now, only half away from the fact that he was peeing himself. His mind was only aware of the blissful ignorance of the outside world in that dream, where his favorite plush bear was responsible for everything that he needed.

Lost in his reverie, Hunter turned over once more before mumbling something unintelligible into his pillow. His stomach gurgled, but he hardly noticed as he rubbed his muzzle against Stitches’ soft fur. He felt as if there was something that he had forgotten about, but was unsure exactly what it was.

Unnoticed by the fennec, his lower abdomen had relaxed, coinciding with his tail flagging underneath the covers. A moment later, the muffled sound of flatulence escaped his backside before being shortly followed by a much deeper, wetter sound. Suddenly, Hunter heaved a sigh of relief having felt a pressure lift off of him. The backside of his wet night-time diaper had expanded somewhat, bulging out slightly to accommodate the addition he had just made to his padded backseat.

Hunter rested for a few minutes longer, a small smile of pleasure spreading on his muzzle as his sense of comfort increased significantly.

It took his nose twitching twice at the hint of an offensive scent for his eyes to shoot wide open in realization.

He swore, his feelings of morning bliss forgotten as he tore the covers off of himself.

As he had suspected, he had just willingly relieved his bowels into his night-time padding, which now appeared in desperate need of a change. He cringed slightly, feeling the softness of his accident pressing up against his buttocks from having turned around on his back.

Sighing, Hunter gingerly heaved himself over the railing of his bed, imagining just how childish he must look with his sagging diaper swinging in the air for all to see. In that moment, the front of his sodden padding pressed against him as it was pushed upwards by the wooden raid underneath him, Hunter felt the initial state of bliss wash over him.

He toppled over onto the carpet of his bedroom, giggling to himself as he felt himself land on his messy bottom. He cooed to himself, his face spreading into an unworried smile as he rocked forwards and backwards gently, kneading the contents of his diaper against himself.

He had never felt something as comfortable and freeing before this sensation, utterly uncaring about the clean-up that was to follow shortly as he had simply forgotten about it. As the sunlight began to pour into his room, he opened his mouth ina soft gasp as the iridescent beauty of it.

He was mesmerized, aware only of the warmth and squish of his night-time diaper beneath him and the dazzling array of light coming through his window to kiss him gently on the fur of his cheeks. Hunter was content, his eyelids half closed from the glare, but in part from the softness pressing up against his skin underneath him.

Hunter felt that one of his paws was in his muzzle, and he suckled contentedly on them. It was not as pleasant as the pacifier that had been in his mouth, but it would do.

The… Pacifier… Huh!

With a jolt, Hunter started having woken up from his waking dream. Having recalled his public incident a few nights prior, reality had come crashing back in. He looked around, confused as to why he was sitting on the ground.

He looked down, seeing that the stars on the front of his padding had completely disappeared. The front was swollen, with a yellowish tinge coming through the otherwise white covering. It took him a second to realize what he had done, shifting about, he felt that his accident had crept up to the front of his diaper as well.

He was utterly caked, and had been giddy as ever to sit about in a diaper that was now in desperate need of changing.

Instead of wallowing in his momentary lapse, the fox picked himself up and stood awkwardly. Shuffling bow-legged towards the doorway as not to make the situation any worse.

I’m going to shower for ten years…

He thought grimly to himself, arriving inside of his bathroom to reach through his shower curtain to turn the knob to its highest heat setting.

Chapter Fifteen

Jack in the Box

It had become a morning ritual to check DaringTare.com in hopes of seeing a notification waiting to be read in his inbox. And every morning, with unyielding regularity there was nothing for Hunter to read.

Except today, however, Hunter did a double take at his phone screen. He was still in bed, having woken up before his alarm and had been enjoying wallowing in his sodden night time diaper. Since he had started to wear regularly at night, it was as if his bladder had given up completely. Waking up in a diaper that had grown cold and damp was still something that sent his heart thumping in the mornings.

Despite the necessity of his mattress protecting measures, he still found the experience of needing the diapers a thought that made his heart flutter. This morning his circulatory system was racing for other reasons, as he hastily tapped the inbox icon and waited for the page to load. The message he opened had no subject, and was rather short and to the point.

Wait for a follow-up message in one week.

The fennec let out a sigh. It was not much, but at least it was something that could keep him in the loop. Hunter pulled the covers off of him and looked down at the swollen pamp between his legs. He had tried to make sure not to drink too much water before bed, but he had no doubt that the curse had something to do with how full his nighttime diapers were in the morning.

Every morning started with him waddling to the bathroom, the droop from his padding reaching down to the middle of his thighs. As much as he wanted to dislike this part of the curse, the flips his stomach performed when he realized that he woke up after another soggy night were a thrill he was becoming addicted to.

If it wasn’t for his real life getting in the way, he would have probably welcomed this change after some consideration. The feeling of safety and comfort going to bed every night with the knowledge that he had nothing to worry about was euphoric. The softness of the padding between his legs, the cutesy designs running up the front to pack, the cuddly characters cheering him on on the diaper’s landing zone.

Hunter was slowly but surely coming to look forward to falling asleep, as it was after the day’s assignments and obligations that he could finally have some time to himself and his new favorite article of clothing.

Once or twice, he had even woken up feeling rather stiff in his soggy diaper. The excitement and potential of such squishy softness hugging him from all directions had been a little too much excitement for the little fox. After all, the practice of imagining just how much enjoyment he could derive from getting off in his soggy diapers was just a little too much like staring into the abyss for Hunter.

It was in the mornings when he would put on his regular underwear that he would remind himself that he was trying to break the curse, not indulge himself in it. Still, he would always breathe a sigh of relief that following evening when he was finally able to snuggly tape himself up into his favorite type of underwear.

𓁥 𓁢 𓐭

It was one of the underwear transformation days, Hunter came to realize shortly after lunch with his friends. It was in the middle of one of his classes that he had shifted his weight in his seat, only to have a muffled crinkle reach his ears.

He had not reacted of course, judging from such a sound he figured that anyone who might have heard it would have just assumed he had a candy wrapper or something in his pocket. The fennec had continued to type away at his notes, occasionally glancing up to make eye contact with his professor.

As was his habit, he checked the clock on his laptop to see how much time was left in class. Only a few minutes, and afterward he would get ahead on his assignments at the library.

Even given his recent infantilizing circumstances, he had not been lying to Malissa and Jack about wanting to double down on school. He had been putting in the hours, and his grades were looking like they were on the uptick. Especially Calculus, which after managing to ace a pop quiz he had gotten a boost in confidence for.

“Alright, I think that should wrap up today’s agenda. Class dismissed.”

The dire wolf nodded towards the door nonchalantly, putting down his piece of chalk and striding over to his briefcase.

Maybe he’s not in the mood to lecture today either…

Hunter thought to himself, unplugging the charger to his laptop and gathering up his items. Within a minute, he was outside and making his way towards the central university grounds.

The air was beginning to grow a little chilly, as with the approach of finals in a month came the onset of late autumn. This was one of Hunter’s favorite times of the year, and the sight of the many multi-colored leaves litter the border of the sidewalk ahead of him.

Unbeknownst to Hunter, his tail began to flag reflexively behind him as he was lost in his reverie. He thought nothing was amiss, other than a momentary pressure in his lower abdomen he had cringed at slightly.

Think I’ll visit the men’s room before getting down to it…

Scanning his student ID at the front door of the library, he made his way up the stairs to the second floor when his mind wandered to the pullups he was wearing.

It was really comfortable when it came to cushioning his rear end. His mind half distracted, he wondered if it had been that cushy around his bottom when it had first manifested itself. The fact that spontaneous transmutations of matter occurred to him on a daily basis was something he should be used to, but for some reason the way it was pressing up against him with an added firmness seemed off.

Glancing over his shoulder to check that no fur was behind him, Hunter reached back with a paw and gave his posterior a squeeze.

It is squishy… But how…

Hunter twitched his nose. There it was, the faint whiff of what he had been fearing for several weeks now violating his nostrils.

Shit.. Shit shit shit…

Hunter’s mind raced, as he hastily made his way up the stairs and darted for the closest bathroom. Once inside a stall, he leaned against the door and considered his options. He had no spare underwear, and nothing to properly clean himself up with. Nothing but toilet paper, and he had a feeling that would serve as a poor substitute to the shower he would need to properly clean his fur.

Not to mention, even if he did make it back to his apartment without anyone noticing the fact that he had just pooped his pants it would be another hour until he would be finished properly cleaning himself up.

Which means I’m going to miss Calculus again…

Hunter sighed, having come to the conclusion that something like this would be inevitable. His life had been too uneventful, besides the nightly wet accidents. But this of all things, having a messy accident during the day while he was.

The fennec realized that he was not sure when he had messed himself, meaning that he could have been walking out of class with a particularly plump behind.

Not productive, think about now.

Hunter grimaced to himself, his ear twitching in irritation as he mentally traced the shortest path he could take to his apartment. He would have to be brisk, but moving around would only further embed the mess into the fur of his butt. Hunter wondered briefly how actual mammalian mothers put up with this, having to deep clean their pup’s or kitten’s bottom every time they had a bowel movement.

They probably have special wipes for it or something…

Having decided his course of action, Hunter tried not to think about what this would mean going forward if he would have to be on the lookout for unanticipated messy pull-ups.

Maybe I should be grateful that I’m at least wearing a pullup…

Taking in a breath, Hunter opened the stall door to come face to face with none-other than Jack. Hunter felt the front of his pullup grow warm as he wet himself, the surprise of seeing his friend at such an awkward moment a little too much for his weakened bladder.

Chapter Fourteen

Pee-Pants

“Hunter! Dude, wake up!”

There was a paw on his shoulder, shaking him as the fennec’s eyes shot up with a start. He yelled, looking around bewildered before raising a paw to clamp his mouth shut.

He was in the study room, the one they had reserved that evening, the one that he had called Malissa and Jack into because of his recent social withdrawal under the guise of a need to study. It’s what, four in the afternoon?

Hunter blinked, swallowing the lump in his throat as he tried to calm himself down. He was fine, what he had just experienced was just a dream. Albeit, one that he would have sworn was actually happening to him.

That vixen’s fur, it had felt so real, so tangible, so soft and warm. Like water seeping between his paws he could hold onto the memory of what she had felt like, what it had been like to have his diaper changed, and how blissful it had all felt until he had seen the brooch pinned to her breast.

And then, like the darkness that had gripped him after he started screaming, a cold clamminess fell over him. Except this time, it wasn’t coming from all around him causing to feel like he was suffocating. It was coming from around his waist.

Hunter gaped, his eyes wandering downwards as if in slow motion as he beheld the sizable stain on the front of his jeans.

He had wet himself in his sleep, plain and simple. How he had fallen asleep in the first place was beyond him, but he suspected it might have been due to his previous irregular sleeping patterns before he decided to bite the bullet and wear diapers at night.

This was completely different, of course, as he had nodded off in the middle of the day long enough for his somnial incontinence to strike with a fury. Not only that, but his two friends had noticed at just about the same time he had.

“Dude…”

Jack said flatly, aghast as he stared almost incomprehensible at the stream of dripping urine that was beginning to pool beneath Hunter’s chair. Malissa gave Jack a warning look, but Hunter barely noticed the exchange as he began to blubber.

“I… I didn’t… I didn’t mean… How… Why did…” Malissa interjected softly.

“Hey, it’s okay. I think it’s just stress. You’ve been putting your mind after your needs for school and your body took record. It happens.”

Hunter shook his head, knowing that it was not the stress of school that was causing it.

Well, maybe a little bit. After all, he was keeping an eternal youth curse secret from everyone while trying to maintain a normal college life. He was sure that stress was certainly compounding the current situation, but detangling that element from the curse was a problem he really did not care to solve at the moment. Hunter’s voice was strained, he could feel the panic beginning to well up in his stomach as he had not seen something like this happening so unexpectedly.

“What-”

Malissa cut him off, her voice stable.

“Jack, head over to the gym and grab some sweats from your locker.”

Jack turned to her, the weasel still processing what she said as he stuttered out half of a question.

“What about-”

“Just do it, Jack. We’ll wait here.”

Malissa gave him a look, and he averted his gaze. Almost tripping over the legs of his chair as he got up, Jack grabbed his bookbag and left the room with some haste in his step.

The two were now alone, otter and fox. Hunter knew what she was about to ask him before she even opened her muzzle. “Hunter, is everything okay? Is there something you’re not telling us?”

Oh if you only knew how much I would want to confide in someone like now.

Malissa was only a few inches from his own face, having scooched closer to put a paw on his shoulder. The movement was meant to be comforting, but Hunter felt himself growing hot in the face. They were at an intimate distance, and feelings began to well up inside of the fennec he certainly did not want to face while sitting in a puddle of his own making.

“Just… Look, it’s a species specific thing… Fennecs are known to have kind of a weak bladder and with my genes I’m no exception.”

Malissa nodded, the corner of her lip lifting as she nodded understandably. She appeared to be empathizing with his chagrin. She spoke up, her pearly white canines flashing as she spoke.

“You don’t want to hear me get started on the menstrual cycle of otters, I get it. There are a lot of things that other fursons don’t know about us. This really isn’t a big deal, you know.”

“Yeah, it’s having to deal with Jack’s snide comments over the next two weeks that I’m worried about.”

The response came out of Hunter before he even realized he said it, and he turned his face away as he felt himself blushing even more. To his surprise, Malissa laughed. She leaned back in her chair, for which Hunter was grateful for as he was beginning to feel more than just his brain react to her closeness.

“Ha… Yeah… You’re not going to hear the end of it, pee-pants.”

The comment caught Hunter by surprise. Sure, she was no stranger to joining in on the teasing when the two boys would start to verbally roughhouse but he had expected her to be gentle in this moment. The comment did not sting exactly, in fact it mashed his buttons far more than he wished to admit. That combined with the fact that her muzzle was only a few inches away from the tip of his own was really beginning to cause his adrenaline glands to shift into gear.

He laughed as well, awkwardly at first. It was so audibly apparent that he did not find her comment amusing that Malissa laughed even harder. This caused Hunter’s feelings of stress to loosen up as well, and before he knew it he was starting to chortle at himself as well.

“You… Hahaha… I can’t… Oh, Hunter I’m so- HAHAHA!”

Malissa was now wiping tears from her eyes. He could see that some guilt was creeping into her mirth, as she raised her paws up and began to clear the air of invisible smoke as she spoke between breaths.

“Look I get it… It’s a medical condition… Haha… But still the look… the look on your face… Hunter, I’m an awful friend really… Hahaha!”

Hunter could not help it, he laughed along with her genuinely. He knew that she meant no harm by teasing him. In fact, he realized that he probably ought to be grateful that she dealt the first blow. He had been dreading listening to Jack’s comments about it if something like this ever came to be. But now, hearing a friend who he knew had his best interests in mind and had a relative maturity to match it with, he really couldn’t care less.

“I’m warning you…”

He said between laughs, holding his sides even as his bladder threatened to release once more due to the convulsions happening with his diaphragm.

“I’ll do it during our next Calc test… I’ll take… Hahaha! I’ll take one for the team… Cause a distraction…”

“Yes!”

Malissa chimed in, holding her right side with one paw as her tail swung wildly behind her. She continued, shaking.

“Please! We’ll make a group cheat sheet… Those’ll… Hahaha… Those’ll be the best marks that polar bear will have ever seen!”

Hunter chimed in as well, starting to breath in deeply as he tried to calm himself down.

“I’ll write it… But… Hehehe… It’s all going to be in purple crayon…”

Malissa lost it. At this point, she threw her head back and completely let loose. Had they been in the common area, and not in one of the private study rooms that were essentially soundproof, she would have likely disturbed the entire floor.

Malissa laughed, which turned into a squeak causing her face to freeze as before she clasped both paws over her muzzle. Hunter stared at her, now having completely forgotten about his wet jeans as a wide grin spread across his muzzle after he recovered from the shock.

The otter cut him off with a finger pointed straight at him as she whispered.

“Don’t you dare tell Ja-”

“Tell me what?”

Jack stood in the doorway, appearing someone left out as he stared at the two of them in confusion. Hunter looked at Malissa. Malissa looked at Hunter. Both of them sported puffed up cheeks as they did their best to contain their mirth at Jack’s expense, appearing as two goldfish mirroring one another.

They could not hold it.

Once more they fell into fits of giggles, comments about Hunter’s pants and Malissa’s squeak passing through wheezing fits and strained voices. Jack appeared utterly perplexed, and more than a little upset as he tossed a gym bag onto the study room table.

“Here’s your new rags dude, now can you two tell me what the hell happened here while I was gone?”

This, once again, reignited the laughing fit. Hunter was beginning to feel a stitch growing in his side which he pressed a paw against, almost grateful now that his bladder had voided itself while he slept because he would have undoubtedly lost control then and there.

“I’m gonna pee!”

Malissa squeaked once more, standing up and attempting to push past Jack who stood stubbornly due to his annoyance at not getting the joke.

“Way ahead of you sis!”

Hunter yelled back after her, which only caused her to place both of her paws into her crotch.

“Stop it, you're a jerk!”

She yelled over her shoulder, still laughing uncontrollably, as Jack finally stepped aside and let her pass.

Jack crossed his arms as she departed, staring at Jack expectantly. Hunter ignored him, standing up and grabbing the gym bag before unzipping it. Taking out the sweatpants, he pulled his legs through it before picking up the bag and heading for the bathroom himself.

“Thanks Jack…”

He said, shouldering past him while still breathing deeply.

“I’m funny too you know!”

Jack yelled after him, which reignited Hunter’s sense of humor. He continued to breathe, however, as he did not want to soak yet another pair of pants.

If Malissa were to find out that happened, it would undoubtedly spell the end of her. Hunter was sure that if the otter had laughed more, she would have ruptured something vital.

The thought amused him, and he continued to grin giddily as he padded inside of a bathroom stall.

Maybe this was not such a bad day after all, even if he did pee his pants.

Chapter Thirteen

Dreaming

Hey, something’s up with you.

Hunter read the text on his phone as he felt a hefty sense of trepidation wash over him. His proactive, and sometimes overactive, mind had been preparing for such a scenario. Sure, college was a time of change and of new things but he had suspected that his friends would pick up on his relative withdrawal from socialization lately.

He had spent the week in diapers during the evening, which meant inviting his friends over with the inevitable potential sleepover conversation had been a risk he had not been willing to take.

Sure, he might have a decent chance at hiding a wet bed even if he did not put on his nightly protection, but the bars on his bed were still there. Hunter had been putting his hopes on the mysterious honey badger ever since the meeting, deciding that if he had to take extra steps to conceal his predicament he would.

Still, a week had passed and even after he had sent a follow-up message there had been no response forthcoming from the Australian bounty hunter.

Hunter knew he had to respond to the text. She had already seen him read it, and delaying any longer would only arouse further suspicion.

It’s Calc. I’m sweatin’ a bit on it.

It was mostly true. He had been redoubling his efforts and even pulling overtime in studying in the library. When he was not distracted by thoughts of sitting on a crinkly tushy in the middle of the least populated floor of the stacks, he had actually been making progress. He felt more sure of himself with this upcoming exam, and had even visited the grumpy polar bear in his office hours.

“You’ll do alright.”

His professor had reassured him, after proofing through the practice problems he had assigned the fox. Hunter knew he was on his side, but he still had to pull his weight in the subject matter if he wanted the score he was going for. The polar bear had no favorites when it came to whoever he was grading on the other side of his red pen, that much had been made clear.

Another text from Malissa came through.

You sure? You’ve seemed a little off lately, and finals aren’t for another month. You know that your mental health is as important as your grade average, right?

He had been too terse with her. Malissa had a way of knowing when people were not telling her the whole truth, unlike Jack who took pretty much everything Hunter told him at face value. For a weasel with as wicked a sense of humor as he possessed, his people reading skills were not nearly as refined as his otter friend’s.

I think you’re right on that one, I went to the bear’s office hours a few days ago.

Malissa responded almost immediately.

Willingly subjecting yourself to more time exposed to that old man? Wow you must be feeling desperate.

You don’t even know the half of it on feeling desperate…

Deciding that he would have to offer more to the conversation, he decided to ask a question of his own.

Do you want to meet up with Jack and I tomorrow and work on a study guide?

A minute later, Malissa sent a message back.

Sure. 🙂

Hunter breathed a sigh of relief. If he was going to save face, some semi-productive socializing would probably do the trick. He still had not managed to acquire a pair of bolt cutters, and getting together for a “study sesh” in the library would probably bring him some ease of mind.

Still, even now he looked back on the nights spent together at his apartment filling up on junk food and bad movies with fondness.

He hoped that he would be able to go back to those kinds of platonic events soon.

For now, he could only dream.

𓁁 𓆭 𓉠

Hunter’s sense of comfort was immense. Everything around him felt lush, soft, and lighter than air. He murmured something unintelligible, the sensation of whatever was in his mouth bringing him a sense of ease and relief from whatever had woken him up from his slumber.

Awake now, as the light had grown somewhat stronger, the fox’s eyelids fluttered open to be greeted by the sunshine streaming in from the window.

Hunter was fussy. He had been having the most comfortable dream only to be interrupted by the night’s conclusion and the onset of morning. The bars of his crib were now the only things between him and the star’s welcoming rays.

The little kit shifted, and immediately he could tell that during the night he had done quite a job on his diaper. He did not care in the slightest, however, as that was not his responsibility to take care of. Nestled in his blanket with the army of brightly colored stuffed animals around him, the small fox wanted nothing more than to catch a few more Z’s.

Still, the smell coming from underneath his covers was enough to tell him that he needed a change, and badly at that. Shifting around once more to take full advantage of the warmth he had accumulated over the night in his covers, Hunter heard a muffled squelch coming from between his legs.

He could feel it too, mushy and soft even as it was hugged closely to his bottom kept safe from sullying his sheets or stuffies. His night time accident was contained, but also beginning to contribute to the fox’s inability to get back to sleep. It itched, just a little bit, but enough to cause him to feel just a little bit overwhelmed by the sensation.

The kit sniffled, and before he realized what he was feeling he could feel a little sob begin to bubble up from his chest. He sniffled again, and soon the waterworks were well on his way as his nursery became filled with his cries.

In the distance, just barely audible over his miserable complaints, he could hear muffled pawsteps approaching the door to his nursery. It had been exactly what he had been hoping for, despite not knowing what to expect, when a warm, furry face appeared over the crib bars above him.

Her headfur was a little all over the place, probably from having been woken up by the little kit, but the softness in her brown eyes just about wiped away the tears from his fuzzy cheeks.

“Good morning sweetheart, did somebody wake up a little smelly?”

She crooned, her voice soft as she reached down over the bars and pulled back the blanket.

“Oh honey, you need a change.”

She commented, even as she placed a paw on his padded front and squeezed gently as she checked him. Clucking her tongue, the vixen scooped him underneath his armpits and deposited him on her hip. With one paw, she cupped underneath his messy bottom to support him. Hunter felt himself cringe slightly as his accident was pressed up against him, a distinct reminder of the source of his discomfort.

He suckled on the pacifier in his muzzle, grateful now that he had something to focus on as he was carried away from his crib. The soft rustle of vinyl plastic met his ears as he was laid down on his back, with now only the force of gravity pressing the diaper against him.

“We’ll get you nice and comfortable in a moment, darling.”

The vixen commented, half distracted as she reached underneath the surface of the changing table to acquire the aforementioned changing supplies.

“The wipes were in the warmer all night, this should only take a moment. Why don’t you hug Mr. Rex in the meantime?”

Hunter’s eyes widened, looking up as he saw his vision become filled with the face of a lime green dinosaur with several large, goofy-looking canines sticking out of his muzzle. He giggled, his woes now forgotten as he grasped the T-Rex tightly between his stubby arms.

He rubbed his cheeks against the fuzzy dino, his attention completely fixated on hugging him as much as he could while barely paying attention to what was going on in his diaper area.

The vixen coughed once as with a crinkle she unfolded his diaper, chuckling to herself as she set to work.

Hunter sighed, his eyes closing as the rays of sun streaming from the window next to him began to warm up his fur. It was like a blanket of its own, bathing him in its warmth. He was feeling much better already, the scent of lavender baby powder wafting up to his tiny nose. There was a waft of cool air as he felt something hug his midsection, followed by the sound of velcro tapes being pulled into place.

“There we go, all better now!”

The vixen sang out, scooping him up once more and bringing both him and his dinosaur buddy into a tight embrace.

“No more fussing, only happy little baby kits for me to kiss all over.”

And kiss she did, causing Hunter to burst into a fit of giggles as he wriggled and writhed in his arms to avoid her barrage of pecks and smooches.

She covered his cheeks, and then proceeded down to his tummy causing his giggles to turn into a whole laughing fit. Hunter dimly felt the front of his padding grow warm during the kiss attack, but was distracted by just how much the vixen’s whiskers tickled.

“There’s my little happy camper.” Ceasing, the vixen brought him down to her hip once more and allowed him a minute to calm down.

As he did so, Hunter rested his head against her shoulder, his gaze wandering down to the front of her shirt.

There was a little piece of jewelry there, sparkling and giving off rainbows as the sun hit the large, fractured opal on the front.

Hunter’s blood suddenly ran cold, his eyes widening in fear as he recognized the the item as the cursed brooch.

He opened his mouth to yell out, to fight the vixen’s grasp, and to get away as quickly as he could.

Before he could move, everything around him disappeared, only to be replaced by a pitch black void. As the sound of rushing air filled his ears while he fell into it, he could hear the distinct sound of cackling just audible over the roaring wind rushing through his ears.