✅ Unusual Vacancy

Part 13 - The Compromise

Sorry this one's a little late, everyone. I'll try to do better tomorrow! And once the last chapter of this story is edited, I can resume writing new stuff. Hopefully I'll have another chapter of Testing the Babysitter for you; but which would you most like me to focus on continuing alongside that?

I can't wait until I'm back home and have less distractions.

"Okay then," Auburn explained slowly, like she was still talking to a little kid. Amy found the tone somehow reassuring this time, and reminded herself that whatever the new rules were she had to try not to panic. "I'm going to take away some of your big words again, so you can play with the other little ones and not have to worry about saying things they don't understand. Over the next half hour your vocabulary will shrink a little. It shouldn't bother you too much. If you can't think of an age-appropriate word for something, then it's probably not anything you need to be thinking about anyway. So I'm asking you to try leaving those things to the adults, okay?"

Amy smiled a little. That would make her feel so helpless, and drive home that she was only a cub now. She knew it would be terrifying, but objectively she knew the nurse was right. That wasn't what she'd assumed "ensure age appropriate behaviour and language" meant in the contract, but she knew it made sense. Maybe if there were less things she could think about there would be less to worry about as well. She could imagine coming to like that feeling, perhaps.

"Okay." She said, aware that Auburn had already tapped a couple of buttons on her tablet. She didn't feel any different, and when she thought back over what Auburn had said she could still remember most of the words. But then, she knew that masking complex memories was often a slow process. She'd have to wait and see just how many words she could remember; and how it felt to lose that knowledge if she made a real effort not to fight it. "Thankies." And another blush, when she heard that word come out of her mouth.

"I think you're getting more open to having your options changed, aren't you? You're starting to understand that normal rules don't apply in here, and it's okay for you to act a little childish if we make it easier. Right?"

"Yeah, I guess. It's weird but if I don't have the choice... better get used to that soon. Maybe?"

"Yeah. And I think maybe I was a bit mean taking away your tabs. It's embarrassing having to find an adult every time you need the bathroom, and with a toddler-sized bladder that's likely to be every hour. That'll take away a lot of time you could have spent playing, and I don't want you to spend the whole day looking for us."

"So you can change that?" Amy felt her hopes perk up for a moment. If she played along, and said she was willing to have her speech blocked, was that enough to let her be independent again? She decided that this time she would certainly make sure she was out of sight before taking the diaper off.

"Yeah, I can. I think you need to learn to ask for help, even if it's embarrassing. Because that's part of being a cub, and we want to help it feel real. But not every time. How would you feel if it was only once or twice a day, so you can focus on hanging around with the other little ones, and get used to playing?"

"I don't know. Asking for help it's so... you know?" Amy bit her lip, and forced herself to think carefully. She didn't want to be asking permission every time she had to pee. She was too embarrassed to ask even now. But maybe just once she could fight through the embarrassment. If she surrendered to these strange new rules, she would have an easier time for the rest of the month. She glanced up and saw deep green eyes watching her expression. Waiting for her to reach a conclusion.

"Can I... I mean... if I ask to go, I don't have to be like a little kid do I? I ask and you can unstick these tabs and then let me use the restroom like normal. Is that okay?" She stared up, not sure what else to say. Hoping that she could avoid a stranger seeing her naked again.

"That seems reasonable. And we're happy to make a compromise. It might not be exactly what you want, but I hope it's something you can get used to. The problem might be that you're a lot smaller than usual. I'm not sure if you realise how much–"

"Yeah, but I can still use the bathroom by myself. I might look like a cub but you don't forget things like that."

"You're still cub-sized, Amy. I was going to suggest that you can't reach a normal toilet in your current state. We've got a training potty that should fit you better, but we'll let you go by yourself if you don't cause any trouble. I think you'll find that it helps you get into the mindset of a child starting to grow up. You will have to go like a little kid, even if that just means using age-appropriate facilities."

"I don't know if I could..." Amy started, then cut herself off. All the points made perfect sense. It wasn't a humiliation thing, it was purely practical. She still didn't like it, but she couldn't expect them to understand that. "Okay so, I can use a ... potty. And I can do it myself, keep my privacy, right? But only once or twice, then can I..." Her voice trailed off. She wasn't quite sure what she was asking for now. If she went along with their rules, and acted just enough like a child, was there a chance they'd let her be an older kid? Just old enough to avoid that one bit of embarrassment.

"We can change your age a little, and your capabilities. And the rules give us more freedom once you've shown us you'll stick to your role. So, is that okay for you? Once or twice per day, let's say twelve percent, so around one in every eight times you need to go. You'll find an adult, and ask to use the bathroom. They can unlock your diaper, and then allow you to use the potty in peace. Will you be able to put your own diaper on afterwards, or will you need help with that?"

"I don't want to wear diapers," Amy pouted again. "But if I have to...? Then I'll do it myself." She couldn't believe she had even said that. But right now, she was prepared to say whatever she had to. If it was only for a few days, and with a salary like this, she could certainly put up with an odd and embarrassing part of the uniform. And thinking about her coworkers – kids who'd been through the same, and the adults too if she understood the fox correctly – she knew that they weren't going to think any less of her for what she was wearing.