P5: Mementos (Patreon)

Deep red lighting, creeping black tendrils, and that particular metaverse haze that always hangs over the twisted subway.

Mementos.

Having been a Phantom Thief for so long Ann remembered her trek down the labyrinth of collective unconscious well. She and the other thieves had spent months alternating between the spiraling subway tunnels and the palaces of all those hard-hearted adults.

Just walking in felt oddly nostalgic, and she waited for the dazzling shimmer to replace her everyday wear with her phantom thief attire. Except it didn't happen. Her clothes wavered in the Metaverse’s haze, almost like they were about to change but couldn't. Something was blocking that transformation

“Or I’m just not as rebellious as I used to be…” Ann sighed, looking around the darkened train platform.

She stepped closer to the escalator leading downward, considering stepping off into the dark void to progress deeper. At the same time, Ann didn’t even know why she was here, or rather, why she’d been asked here.

It’d come from the person she’d least expected, Shiho’s Shadow. The Thieves were still trying to steal her heart’s treasure because the last time they’d come face-to-face, Shadow Shiho had trounced them in combat.  She responded to their intrusion by making her palace more complex and upping the number of guards meaning Joker and the rest practically had to start their hunt all over again.

The darkness in her partner’s heart had pulled Ann aside in the palace during her time of “distracting” her so the rest of the thieves could explore.

“I have an idea,” she explained, her voice was slow and gentle, that motherly way Shiho always used when talking to her little, “I’d like you to meet me somewhere new tomorrow. Do you remember how to get to Mementos?”

The word uttered by Shiho caught Ann off guard. She nodded, not wanting to drop her pacifier to agree. The MetaNav made it easy to get there as long as it still existed.

“Good, you’ll go there and I’ll meet you at the entrance.”

The conversation had ended then and there with no further explanation. However, now that she was alone at the entrance, Ann was left wondering where her partner actually was.

She gave an exploratory call. “Shiho!?” she said, her voice piercing the preternatural stillness of the space.

There was no expectation of an answer, She was almost absolutely certain she was alone, but a single echoing footstep that preceded a shadowy figure stepping out from behind a pillar. The silhouette of the soft face and the ponytail was unmistakable for Ann, she knew that profile too well. What struck her as odd was the lack of glow where the eyes on this figure should be.

Past experiences told her there should have been that menacing yellow glow, an illuminated gaze waiting to meet hers.

Shiho approached from behind the pillar, wearing an outfit Ann had never seen before. It had puffy sleeves, a cream-colored corset, and a tight leather cut. It was a lower cut than she’d ever seen Shiho wear and it practically made Ann’s jaw fall off.

Almost in response to Shiho’s presence the immaterial wavering of her own clothes finally snapped, doing the shimmery transformation to her phantom thief outfit or something akin to it. What her clothes transformed into suited her new position better.

The familiar PVC jumpsuit hugged her torso and shoulders tightly, it was solid on her body, gripping her bust securely as it always did. That security didn’t translate to her legs because her outfit terminated in a hard line just above the waist. It was pretty much a shirt but Ann recognized it as some sort of perverse skirt-all, meant to completely show off the diaper underneath.

The hem of her outfit was looser than the rest of the PVC material, left to shift because the center zipper of her outfit remained permanently open at her belly button, even when she tried to pull it down.

She didn’t have her gloves or boots, even the mask that was meant to keep her identity hidden was missing. Her upper thighs and calves were hidden by a pair of purple stockings.

Her eyes flashed across the outfit repetitively, refusing to believe it was authentic while her hands fidgeted with the very real zipper in a futile attempt to cover her diaper, the one part of her outfit that wasn’t changed by her will of “rebellion”.

She’d come in wearing the padding, she couldn’t avoid it anymore. The time with Shadow Shiho had left her borderline incontinent. She didn’t actually mind that part of her life. Ann was already willing to go twenty-four-seven in diapers, it just gave her an excuse.

The padding of her Nappy was tinted a bright pink and crinkled pleasantly against her thighs, no longer constrained by the tights.

Shiho had said nothing up until this point, simply enjoying Ann’s blushy blustering and her attempts to hide her diaper. She broke that silence by gripping the crotch of her partner’s padding, mashing the dry crinkly insides against her fingers.

“I'm Impressed, I can’t believe you’re still dry, it's been nearly ten hours since I changed you last.”

Ann blushed and turned her gaze downward. “Yeah… I haven’t had a lot of water today…”

Tons of questions flashed through Ann's mind, why was the regular version of her partner here? How could she access Mementos? What’d happened to her shadow alter ego?

For Ann, she noticed that something felt different in Shiho. Her posture was straighter, and the smile on her face was almost cocky. It was most certainly not her usual soft look. It was like Shiho’s soft personality had mixed with Shadow Shiho’s powerful mommy dominatrix attitude.

Ann shivered. That would have meant Shiho going into her own palace, learning about the Metaverse, and ultimately accepting that portion of herself.

That wasn't necessarily a bad thing. All the thieves had gone through a similar experience but Ann couldn’t help but feel a little sad that she hadn’t been there to aid in such a traumatic process.

One question marinated on the tip of Ann’s tongue, more prominent than the rest of them and she thought she was finally ready to ask it.

“What are you doing here Shiho?”

The brunette cracked a wide grin. Normally her rich brown eyes would have been an open book of emotions, expressions that Ann could decipher easily. Now she couldn’t tell what Shiho was thinking at all. She wasn’t giving up anything she didn’t want to.

“You’ll have to find out once we get down to the bottom.” she said, snapping her fingers.

“The botto—?” Ann’s question was cut off by a tentacle pushing a pacifier’s massive rubber nipple into her mouth, stopping whatever she was about to say. Shiho’s snap had brought forth the massive presence that was Azathoth, the reality-bending Persona her shadow had controlled.

Ann was scooped up into the familiar grip of its tentacles, cradled by them while Shiho hummed below her.

“What is going on!?” Ann wondered, her gaze darting about the room. She was concerned, worried that whatever had happened to Shiho made her partner not herself anymore, but the undeniable comfort of familiarity was also quickly lulling her into little space.

Shadow or not Shiho was 'mommy' and Ann didn’t have it in her to question her Mommy when she was in the saccharine embrace of her little personality.

The powerful tentacles swung Ann through the air as though she weighed nothing, bringing her to a stop just above a cushioned surface. She craned her neck to look down. A dark leather shell sat waiting for Ann, its plush interior was upholstered in beautiful white silk with a large lace pillow waiting for her to set her head down on it.

Shiho had conjured a Pram, the ones Ann sometimes saw being pushed around by stuffy British women in the English dramas she liked to indulge in. It was a perfect replication, down to the silver accents and big wheels.

For some reason, rather than being flattered, she had a slightly disturbing thought.

“It’s like the cars you see at funerals. What’re those called again?” she wondered, desperately trying to bring the name to the forefront of her mind.

“A Hearse.” she remembered.

Azathoth set Ann inside the cradle of satin, where she squirmed but for a moment in a quest to find a comfortable position. She quickly discovered that the pram’s bed felt made for her and she was almost instantly cozy in its confines. For a quiet moment, she lay in the pram, waiting for whatever was coming next. The wheels beneath her started to move, propelling the carriage through Mementos at a leisurely pace.

To Ann’s right, Shiho walked casually, peering down at her every few moments and beaming. A brief curiosity made Ann wonder who was pushing the carriage if Shiho was walking next to her. Was Azathoth moving it? Was it something else?

She bounced the question around in her mind as they moved because there wasn’t much else for her to do besides suck on her paci and stare at a myriad of very familiar dark subway walls. was getting bored quickly.

The usual excitement of this place, the shadows that normally wandered the dark tracks were nowhere to be seen. Either they were avoiding the duo or didn’t have a place here anymore since the thieves had defeated Yaldabaoth.

After fifteen or so levels Ann noticed something, a change in the landscape around her. Even more disturbing was that it was still a familiar sight.

About twenty feet from her was one of the plastic building blocks that usually sat outside Shiho’s palace, built into the wall like it was always there. That one little red block was the herald for so many changes that grew more frequent with each passing step. The clicking of her pram’s wheels against the tracks softened.

Ann sat up in her carriage to see the floor was a soft foam rather than the cracked subway tunnel cement. In the distance, a turned-over crib lay off to the side as if tossed there. Other little elements of Shiho’s palace were creeping through the tunnels, almost like an infection permeating the halls of the metaphysical space.

Ann popped her pacifier out of her mouth, letting it hang by the clip that attached it to her PVC outfit. “Wha—? What is this stuff doing here?” she asked, pointing out the various out-of-place items littering the space.

Shiho turned to her calmly, taking the ring of Ann’s paci in-between her thumb and forefinger. She moved smoothly, her half-lidded gaze suggesting a calm demeanor. She brought the rubber teat back up to Ann’s lips which parted to accept the soother automatically, an inbuilt obedience allowed Shiho to slip the rubber between her lips and into her mouth slowly.

“I brought it with me.” she said plainly, her voice pitching downward immediately after, “I don’t remember saying you could take your paci out, don’t let it happen again or I’ll make sure to add straps to keep it there.”

The answering of her initial question, followed by Ann being scolded, combined with the way Shiho had put her pacifier in sent shivers through Ann’s body. It was so like Shiho to tell her whatever she asked, there was always that level of honesty between them. However, whenever she went into Mommy mode, Shiho made sure Ann knew she was in control. Shadow Shiho herself always seemed to be in Mommy mode.

The person next to Ann was obviously a perfect culmination of both sides of her partner and she didn’t know how to feel about it. Rather than fight it she just laid back in the pram, she'd need to pick her moments carefully lest she earn a punishment.

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The journey continued, the walls turning more toy-like with each passing minute. Above, Ann caught sight of several Pixies passing by. It was a strange moment of cognitive dissonance. Ann hadn’t seen any Shadows up until this point but the winged mythical faeries appeared out of nowhere. Oddly enough, like Ann, they were also diapered.

The rotund bulk of their own padding was almost half the size of their bodies, but rather than struggling to walk due to that size, they struggled to fly. Their wings beat at astoundingly fast speeds and Ann could see how they bobbed in the air, struggling with the weight of their padding among other things.

Ann watched their wonky flight pattern with intense interest. Their padded state was a new sight and certainly had something to do with Shiho and how she was affecting Mementos.

Ann’s worry gnawed at her, cutting through whatever enjoyment she might have normally derived from being little and around Shiho. This was strange. At least Shiho’s palace was self-contained, her own mental projection.

Mementos was the public’s unconscious, the world at large’s mental state cast into twisting tunnels. Shiho’s palace was infecting it. Twisting through it and molding it to be just like her palace. Ann was stuck thinking about the ramifications, wondering if that influence was having an effect on the world.

She was drawing comparisons between the babyish spread and the power of Shiho’s Persona to affect reality when one of the little shadows stopped above her. The shadow’s red hair was striking against pale skin and a deep blue leotard, the bottom of which stretched down to contain the orb of fluff that was her diaper.

“Oh my god!” she squealed, bringing balled fists up to her face, “Just how cute are you!?”

Ann was taken aback and didn’t respond, she wasn’t really supposed to anyway, not if the pacifier was in her mouth.

The Pixie buzzed around her, taking a closer look at every part of Ann from her clothes to the bulk of her padding bulging out between her legs. Ann’s cheeks heated at the close inspection, especially because of the Pixie’s excited oohs and ahhs.

She turned to Shiho after she finished and returned to hovering above the pram. “I think she's just about the cutest baby slave anybody could ask for.”

Shiho nodded at the compliment but didn’t say anything.

Ann was caught up on one specific part of what the Shadow had said. The words “Baby Slave” joined the ever-growing list of queries that battled against her littlish desires.

It made her wonder what Shiho had planned for her at the bottom of Mementos. The situation of Shadow Shiho asking her here only for her to meet Shiho at the top of the dungeon still bothered Ann. She wondered what specifically the Shadow version of her partner had planned or how Shiho was going to act on that plan now that she’d merged with her ‘distorted desires’.

Her face scrunched in consternation, trying to work it out for herself. She was interrupted by Another Pixie joining the first, its blue-gloved hand covering a chuckle. “Her? A perfect Baby Slave?” The Pixie’s laugh escaped beyond the confines of her fingertips, turning into a rolling laugh that bounced off the concrete and plastic block composite walls.

“She’s not even a good baby! Did you see that face scrunch? She was probably faking using her diaper. Blondie here probably doesn’t even need diapers.”

Ann scoffed. The statement shouldn’t have bothered her so much. Ann was a baby, Shiho’s baby, the biggest and most open adult baby amongst her friend group. This tiny shadow didn’t even really know her so how could it say she wasn’t really a good baby?

Ann’s gaze flashed up to Shiho and she expected her domme to say something in her defense. No such defense came. She looked between the Pixies and Ann observing the interaction but not taking part. She gave Ann a cocked smile, nodding toward the little creatures.

It was as if she was saying “Well, sounds like you have a point to prove.” without actually saying it out loud. The burden of proof for Ann’s babyishness was in her own hands and she didn’t know how to present it to these taunting creatures.

“What’re we talking about?” a third Pixie asked after flying up to the group.

“We’re debating if Little Miss Priss here would make a good baby slave. I say no, and she says yeah. We’ve yet to hear a word of defense from the one in the pram.”

Ann’s cheeks burned, her embarrassment turning to annoyance. She huffed behind her pacifier, puffing out her cheeks to relay just how much she disliked this conversation.

“I’mma baby.” she grumbled behind her paci, letting the rubber nipple obscure her words to add a littlish flair to the statement.

“She speaks!” the doubting fairy declared. The small shadow flitted down into the pram. Coming to stand between Ann’s legs at least that’s where she saw it disappear. The puffy bulk of her diaper crested above her crotch, adding enough bulk to tower over the fairy.

She felt a slight pressure against the bottom of her padding, the tiniest push eliciting a barely audible crinkle. Ann imagined her throwing the entirety of her tiny body’s weight against a mountain of padding. It made her chuckle a little, it would have been such a cute sight.

She remembered her irritation when the Shadow spoke up again. “Your diaper isn’t even wet!” she said, “A real baby definitely would have filled her pants this far into Mementos."

“Oh,” Ann thought, “Not impressed with my diaper? I can fix that you nosy little—” Ann had more thoughts, mostly crude names for the faerie harassing but her focus shifted to pushing. She brought balled-up fists up by her face and lifted her legs, creating more room in her seat for her ‘proof’.

Ann grunted, her teeth sinking into the paci in her mouth while she strained her abdominal muscles. Her bladder went first, a torrential pour that made a loud hissing in her pants. The stream was powerful enough to penetrate the cotton core and patter violently against her diaper’s plastic shell.

“Wha-What are you doing?”  The Pixie exclaimed beneath her, apparently not expecting such a show when she was so close. She started to say something else but Ann’s diaper rumbled around her waist, the first alert of the messy mudslide about to enter the back of her diaper.

The Pixie immediately beat her wings and tried to put distance between her and Ann, soaring back up to join her companions.

“WHOA!” the faerie shouted above Ann.

The blonde in the pram was not at all focused on the diapered shadow’s panic, her eyes were closed and her body was fully scrunched in the pram, tensed as the bottom of her diaper tented out beneath her. The heat of her mushy release crept along the bottom of her padding, pushing out the crotch further and further.

Ann put everything she had into her mess, desperate to prove the tittering fairy wrong. A dark stain crept across the surface of her padding, matching the speed it grew across the silk of her pram.  Her grunts mixed with the gurgling sound of her stomach and the lascivious squelching of the matter pushing into the seat of her padding.

Ann opened her mouth to let out a deep sigh. She hadn’t even realized she’d been holding her breath the entire time she’d been pushing, her face turning a deep red from the strain. She let out several ragged breaths as let her legs down and regained her composure.

The shift of her legs smushed the newly deposited weight underneath her bottom. One of the Pixies cringed but Ann, Shiho, and the other two shadows weren’t even fazed. It was Ann’s turn to look smug, she eyed the Pixie smirking behind the pacifier’s mouth guard.

“Big enough baby for you now?” Ann asked in a garbled mishmash, her words still mussed up because Shiho hadn’t given her permission to remove her pacifier yet. She didn’t mind, if anything it added to her babyish credibility.

The persnickety Pixie flew off, her cheeks puffed in indignation. Her friends waved at Shiho and Ann, smiles painted on their faces. Ann waved and Shiho grinned as they disappeared.  The Brunette turned back to Ann, her smile widening.

There was a sense of pride on her face, her expression beaming down at Ann. The blonde expected a good job of some sort, or at least some kind of reassurance that what she’d done was the right move in her caretaker’s eyes.

None came. She just asked if Ann was ready to move on.

She nodded meekly, her mind now conquered by a new question. “Did I do the right thing?”

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Ann wasn’t sure how long they’d walked. She'd lost track when she started focusing on her myriad of questions rather than examining her surroundings. A shake of her head brought her back into reality. The original accents of Mementos were sparse now, having been nearly completely taken over by Shiho’s infection and turning the entire place into a twisting labyrinth of babyish items.

The Pixies she’d seen on higher floors weren’t an anomaly, the shadows gathered filled one of two roles now. Caretaker or baby. They’d been just as susceptible to the taint as the surrounding dungeon.

Cribs stood upright and became considerably more common, with a smattering of different shadows that Ann had faced acting as their occupants. Even some of the powerful ones that used to cause her shivering fear when she faced them were lying docile, sucking on comically large bottles in nappies just as stained as hers.

Between each of these cribs other mythical beings catered to their charges, pulling them out for changes or time in a rocking chair. Shiho seemed to examine the crowd thoughtfully as they passed. Ann ruminated, not just in her questions but also in a lukewarm pile hanging around her waist. The diaper had lost all the charm that normally came with her filling and she’d usually bother either Shiho or her Shadow for a change by now.

It was making her a little upset that Shiho hadn’t decided to do anything about it yet. Either she didn’t notice or worse, she didn’t care.

“Why doesn’t she stop and change me already?” Ann wondered, “I know all it would take is a snap of her fingers…”

It actually started to make Ann slightly upset, so much so that she sniffled. It wasn’t like the anger brought on by the Pixie’s teasing. She was feeling neglected by her caretaker, so much so that a little hiccuping sob escaped from her throat against her will. Just that small sound was enough to draw Shiho’s attention just in time for her to catch a single tear rolling down Ann’s cheek.

She held up a hand for the pram to stop, looking in close to Ann. Concern plastered her face and she eyed Ann up and down to try and discern for herself what could be bothering her.

“Ann? What’s wrong honey?” Her voice was slightly frantic and the question was genuine. Whether she was neglectful or not a second ago, Shiho was laser focused on Ann now and just wanted to help her with whatever was bothering her.

The blonde sniffled and wiped the singular tear from her cheek. She tilted her gaze, looking down at her bloated and stained diaper. Her hand drifted toward the stretched plastic, fingers sinking in as if to illustrate its use. A lewd squelch aided in her making her point.

“Oh!” Shiho exclaimed, straightening up and away from the carriage with lightning speed, “Of course! You don’t want to sit in that mucky diaper. I’m so sorry Ann-chan, I’ll change you right now!”

Shiho lifted her hand, making like she was going to snap with two of her fingers when a voice from beyond stopped her.

“Hold on.”

The words were hauntingly calm, with a slight lilt to them that made Ann want to sink deeper into her silk cradle.

“Noooooo…” she whined.

No matter how calming and pleasant the voice was it didn’t make up for her having to wear the soiled padding for longer. She wanted out of the nappy and it was a mere snap away.

From above, a woman wearing nothing but a few pieces of gold jewelry appeared. She was completely naked from the waist up and while Ann couldn’t see the rest of her she imagined that comfortable nudity continued on. Her dark, flowing hair did a remarkable job hiding her breasts from Ann’s eyes which had a hard time pulling away from them.

“I don’t mean to be a pain but are you going to properly change her?” the woman asked.

“Why does she look so familiar?” Ann wondered, “On top of that, why is she in Mementos?”

“I feel like my way is properly changing her.” Shiho replied. There was an edge to her voice, one Ann couldn’t quite place. She wondered if Ann had caught her wandering eyes focused on the woman’s chest or if the questioning of her skills as a caretaker was bothering her.

“You didn’t even notice she needed changing!” the woman said, “You’ve had your nanny pushing around a stinky baby this whole time and you won’t even give her the courtesy of a proper diaper change?”

The boldness caught both Shiho and Ann off guard. Ann herself wasn’t sure this person knew who they were accosting, or the power they held.

“I didn’t think so, there’s a changing stop nearby, why don’t I show you how it’s done? You can make the decision whether my way is correct after you see it done.”

Ann looked up to Shiho who’d gone very tense under the scrutiny of this mystery woman. The blonde herself had trouble determining why though. It wasn’t as though Shiho—at least, the real-world version of her—hadn’t changed Ann before. She was normally good about it, checking her padding regularly to make sure it wasn’t pushing the boundary of blowing out or leaking.

The quick snap change was more her shadow’s thing, something she did so the playtime didn’t have to stop for Ann while in the palace. Shiho picking it up so rapidly felt odd because Ann had never seen her treat it as so much of an inconvenience before now.

She wondered if there was a reason her shadow had chosen the snap method and if Shiho secretly despised changing her diapers.

“Can I take her?” the woman asked, pointing down to Ann.

Shiho seethed but eventually nodded, holding back whatever rude thing she was about to say.

“The woman reached into the pram, her hands wrapping around Ann’s waist and lifting her up. Like the tentacles, she seemed unbothered by Ann’s weight, and no gentle shake of her straining showed in her musculature.

Ann noticed several things as she was lifted from the carriage, things that cleared up a couple of her burning questions. For one, she recognized the woman because she too was a shadow, the long snake tale she had in place of legs had reminded Ann of her name, Lamia. The second question answered wasn’t as important but she did finally get to see who was pushing the stroller she’d been riding in.

A mass of hazy dark smoke was loosely shaped to look like a classic au-pair, possibly in an attempt to match the aesthetic of the pram she was pushing. Shiho clearly had a vision she was trying to achieve.

The snake woman shifted Ann in her arms, deciding to let her rest on her hip. Ann’s diaper was smushed against the scaly hip of the shadow and as such, the contents of her diaper against her. She was used to a used diaper—Shiho liked to make sure she maximized the use of each one—but this had gone long cold and Ann was pretty sure by this point her initial usage warranted a change into a fresh nappy.

Ann was carried through Mementos, and while the new view was exciting it wasn’t any more illuminating than her seat in the pram. Until the Lamia came to a stop at what must have been one of the old rest stations that occurred every five floors.

Rather than the covered waiting area she was used to Ann saw that there was an open entryway in the wall instead and a solitary sign above it that just said ‘changing room’.

The Lamia entered, Shiho following behind and the pram Nanny waiting outside. The room was covered with bright white tiles, giving it the general appearance of a public bathroom without any of the stalls or sinks. Only a lone changing table waited on the far wall and a set of drawers beside it that Ann figured was filled with supplies.

The Lamia was swift, setting her on the padded changing table and taking her position at Ann’s feet. She gestured for Shiho to join her and with a huff she did. The irritation was still noticeably present in her partner but Ann was no closer to understanding it as she lay there.

“So have you done this before?” the Lamia asked.

“Yes, a number of times, I know how to change my own adult baby. Snapping a fresh diaper on her is faster and we have places to be. This little detour is costing us time.”

“It’s impatience.” Ann noted, “Shiho just wants to get to the bottom of Mementos.”

The blonde’s current predicament of craving a fresh diaper gave her the unique perspective of knowing exactly what Shiho wanted. It also meant she was the obstacle in the way of that—well, her and the Lamia.

The Shadow seemed unperturbed by Shiho’s attitude, resting a hand on the landing strip of Ann’s diaper. A slight groan slipped from Ann’s mouth, Unfortunately, it wasn't loud enough to break the staring match between Shiho and the Lamia. The Lamia had just placed her hand on Ann’s abdomen and it was like a twenty-pound weight had come to rest there, laying directly on her bladder.

She tried to squirm beneath the Shadow’s hand, to break free of the crushing weight on her bladder before it was pulverized underneath the snake woman’s immense strength. Her discomfort was growing.

And then suddenly it was alleviated

An explosion of piss soaked into her well-used diaper, the pressure in her gut partially caused by an apparently full bladder. She hadn’t drunk anything and figured she’d done all the work of emptying her body’s waist in front of the Pixies. Apparently, she was wrong.

Her small moans may not have been enough to earn the attention of the two matronly figures but the violent hissing of her release was. The Lamia pulled her hand away quickly, evidently realizing that the immense weight was too much for Ann.

Her face must have been twisted into a mask of discontent because Shiho softened immediately, and the Lamia didn’t pursue the argument any further. Instead, they watched as Ann’s diaper swelled a little more, ballooning to hold her pressure-induced accident.

Her cheeks reddened a little and she turned her gaze away from the pair. Something about the moment felt oddly intimate. While she couldn’t say exactly why she was embarrassed, the burning of her cheeks told her that she was.

Once she was done urinating, the Lamia pulled open Ann’s diaper and wiped her clean, expertly removing any of her previous accidents with a speed and precision Ann hadn’t seen before. She also made sure to explain her process to Shiho.

The Brunette was obviously annoyed by the advice, having spent quite a bit of her own time changing Ann but she did listen, and even noted a good idea when she heard it.

“Baby oil out of the bottle can be cold against such sensitive skin, I recommend rubbing it between your hands for just a few seconds. The friction will warm it up and give Baby Ann here a nice treat after enduring the cold wipes.”

Even Ann was impressed by this and let out a little pleased moan at the oil being worked into her thighs, the protective layer growing with each pass of the Lamia’s hand.

A few more tips and a healthy sprinkling of powder later, she took Ann’s ankles and raised her up. The sound beneath her told her the shell of a fresh nappy was going under her. What felt off was that it was followed by another identical sound and another after that.

When she was let back down Ann’s bottom was sitting on a stack of three diapers, the puffiness of each one lifting her rear away from the changing table and leaving her body to sit at an odd angle.

“I think three should be enough. That way you don’t have to worry about her leaking before you reach the bottom. I’m only assuming you’re going to the Prison of Regression anyway but I think you should try actually changing Baby Ann’s diaper from now on. She seems to enjoy it.”

Shiho shot a glance at Ann as if looking for confirmation of the claim while the diapers were taped shut one by one. She couldn’t lie, Ann had really enjoyed the personal nature of the change and gave a sheepish nod in the affirmative to Shiho.

She still seemed annoyed but Shiho's attitude did lessen slightly. Ann agreeing with the Lamia wasn’t what she expected and she seemed to ruminate on it. When Ann was lifted back into the Pram not a word was spoken between the pair.

They continued in silence leaving Ann to consider yet another burning question. “Just what the heck is the Prison of Regression?”

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The pair continued down the winding corridors of the dungeon and Ann figured they had to be getting close by this point. She was still wondering just what was waiting for her at the bottom. This and every other question drove her to do the unthinkable.

It was hard to exit her little space, but each question was bringing her back to the mindset of an adult. She wanted to know what was happening so she snagged the O-ring of the pacifier to remove it.

“What’s going on Shiho?” she asked.

Everything came to a violent halt. Ann jolted forward in her pram as it came to a quick stop. She looked up at Shiho, her face defiant and still in search of an answer of some kind.

Shiho had her gaze aimed at something in the distance. She wasn’t actually looking at anything but making Ann sweat in her pram while she organized her thoughts.

“I want to know!” Ann demanded. “What happened to your shadow? Why ask me here? What’s the Prison of Regression?”

She couldn’t help that her tone was whinier than she wanted. She wasn’t fully out of that little mindset and it was reflected in her questions. She was much more demanding than she meant to be.

Shiho hadn’t moved but Azathoth’s tentacles were active and picked Ann up out of her carriage, plopping her directly in front of Shiho.

The brunette’s face was stern and while her gaze felt far away her eyes also felt like they were boring through Ann to get there. The blonde shuddered, waiting for Shiho’s response. She was standing on her own two feet, shakily defiant.

Ann felt her hand flex, her fingers opening only for something to fill the space made in that brief second. She looked down, seeing the bright red leather bullwhip she used as a weapon had appeared in her hand.

“Why is this here?” she wondered. All the same, her grip tightened around it, it felt good in her palm.

Shiho continued to say nothing but snapped her fingers loudly. Something appeared behind Ann, Azathoth’s powers bowing to the whim of its user to bend the world to her will. Ann turned, catching sight of a wooden bench with a soft vinyl top. It was just long enough for her torso to rest on and had offshoot surfaces for her arms and legs.

The spanking bench, a familiar sight and a favorite punishment of Shadow Shiho’s. It was waiting for Ann, calling her to crawl on top of it. Her feet were already shuffling in that direction.

“Wait.” Shiho said.

Ann turned and was met by an outstretched hand, the demand for her whip portrayed without words. She was reluctant. It felt good to hold the leather-wrapped handle, like she was empowered for the first time in a long time.

Ann had forgotten what it was like to hold her weapon and what it might be like to fight against Shadows. There was an exhilaration that she didn’t even realize she missed. Her grip tightened around the whip again. She didn’t want to give it up.

But it was Shiho asking. Her caretaker, the domme who’d been so loving and accommodating to her littlish desires, both in the Metaverse and out. Her will to fight and rebel was easily outweighed by her trust and love for her partner.

Ann may have missed the fight but she didn’t want to fight Shiho.

She passed the whip to her partner, relinquishing it to her willingly.

“Good.” Shiho said.

Ann turned back to the spanking bench, laying her body across the plush top and settling her arms and legs into position. Padded cuffs encircled her wrists and ankles, holding her in place. Shiho was serious, the audacity to remove her paci was worthy of a grand punishment apparently.

A loud crack caused Ann to jump, she wasn’t prepared for the sound to be so loud. She’d used the whip a lot but when you weren’t the one holding it it seemed so much more imposing. The first sound she’d heard was obviously a test, Shiho adjusting for the force created by just swinging the whip. She was more used to a wooden paddle or a leather crop.

There was another crack and when Ann flinched this time a strap snaked up her torso and across her back, holding her tight to the spanking bench. Just the little jolt away from the bench would have been a slight relief, she could have at least pulled away from the blows by dragging her body across the leather cushion. Shiho apparently didn't want that

The next crack followed after she felt the blow of the whip across her diapered ass. The three diapers proved to be an effective barrier against the blow. That didn’t mean it didn’t sting, it just didn't hurt as bad as it could have.

The blows kept coming, raining down on Ann’s rump in rapid succession as Shiho got more and more comfortable with the movement of her arm driving the whip’s arc. The tip of the leather smashed against the plastic of Ann’s diaper, then sometimes against the pale flesh of her upper thighs.

She lost count of the blows after ten or so but the sting stuck with her, a reminder of punishment that would likely make sitting uncomfortable for a couple of days. Shiho stepped around the spanking bench, taking her place in front of Ann.

The blonde’s eyes were blurred due to accumulated moisture, the whipping was quite a bit more intense than any spanking she’d ever received.

“Are you okay?” Shiho asked.

Ann nodded. She really was, the intensity of the punishment wasn’t bad but rather just intense.

“Good. I promise what’s at the bottom of this is worth it. I know you have questions but I promise they’ll be answered. I’m anxious to reach the bottom with you. To hear your answer. Can you wait till we get there and trust in me?”

It was a lot to process but the fundamental question of trust was an easy one for Ann. If she could trust anyone, it was Shiho.

She nodded again.

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

The silk interior of the Pram made the final leg of the journey easier. Not easy, the stinging red welts on Ann’s thighs still burned but resting them against gentle material was easier.

She wasn’t sure what to expect at the bottom of Mementos, she hardly remembered what was there before. Upon entering she was greeted by a grand auditorium that was unlike anything she’d seen from the palaces she'd visited before. Countless rows of seats encircled a small center stage, rising up infinitely, at least beyond Ann's viewpoint. From above an unseen spotlight radiated down, illuminating the small raised platform for the crowds.

The crowds were another matter entirely. The risers were packed full. There were obviously individuals amongst the crowd but they all looked like an amorphous blob spread across the seats from Ann's low perspective.

The Pram stopped about ten feet away from the stage. Shiho’s breath hitched as Azathoth lifted Ann from the pram. She looked at the blonde as she was set onto her feet. Her finger slipped into the ring of Ann’s paci again removing it. With it all of her littlish desires.

Shiho locked eyes with her and all the hidden emotion from before flooded over Ann. There was a nervousness there and it mingled in Shiho with unconditional love and a sense of seriousness.

“Sorry, I have to take your paci. You have to be fully cognizant here, no cloying little space to numb your decision making. There’s about to be a choice made and it’s important that you choose what you think is best.”

Ann could feel the gravity in Shiho’s words. She nodded in agreement. “Okay.”

The brunette passed something to her, a leather strap an inch and a half wide and incredibly thick. It had a massive metal buckle at one end and dangling from the middle and clinking with a beautiful resonate sound was a silver pendant shaped like a cat’s head.  It gleamed in the overhead light, the engraved letters breaking up the binding reflection.

“Shiho’s Kitten?” Ann read. Beyond her initial curiosity Ann also found that she actually liked the pendant, the cat motif was adorable. The words on the pendant themselves brought a grin to Ann’s face. The idea of being “Shiho’s Kitten” was overwhelmingly cute and she was surprised the term hadn’t come up before.

“Do you want me to put this on?” she asked.

“Not yet. Go ahead and get on stage. Just face the crowd for me.”

“Uh, sure.”

Ann still didn’t really understand what was happening but did as Shiho asked anyway, taking her place on stage in front of the shifting shadows. Whatever worries she'd had left when she saw Shiho's nervousness, the emotions she'd worked to hide from Ann.

Ann could hear the click of Shiho’s shoes as she took her place behind her. The leather length of the whip dragged behind her and came to rest on the stage.

The collar in Ann’s hands felt unbelievably heavy on the stage, the weight having quintupled in the burning light of the spotlight. She shifted on her bare feet, contending with the extremely thick triple-layered padding and the weight of the collar in her hand. She wondered how long she’d have to actually stand there.

Shiho spoke up behind her and her normally quiet and small voice boomed, probably projected out to the masses through Azathoth’s power.

“We’re here today to bind two souls together, an eternal connection in love that will cement them as Mistress and Baby for as long as they remain.”

The words hit Ann in waves. This sounded like a marriage of some sort.

From the audience, a voice spoke up. “This is who you choose HEE-HO?” A spotlight shot off from above and illuminated the area where the voice had come from. A Jack Frost had asked the question. “She’s not even a real baby! HEE-HO. How can you expect us to take her seriously?”

Ann’s cheeks burned, she hated the question and the idea that she’d have to go through this again despite having proven the point to both the Pixie and Lamia on this very trip.

She opened her mouth to object to the claim but Shiho’s booming voice overtook whatever she was about to say.

“SHUT UP!” Shiho called, “I’ve had enough of this! Ann is a Big Baby. She doesn't need to prove it to you either. She and I both know it. Soon everyone will. Stop with the doubt!"

A loud snap came from behind Ann and Azathoth’s power conjured a pacifier in the mouth of the shadow. That wasn’t all Ann saw the glimmer of reality-bending power pass across the masses of Shadows, silencing all of them in a grand sweep.

“She doesn’t want to hear it anymore, the doubt is gone.”

“Sorry Ann, I’m gonna keep going now. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Shiho’s voice picked up again, booming to the entire audience. “In your hand is a collar, the collar when joined at both ends is unbroken. The infinite loop of that collar represents my care and love for you Ann. If you’d have me I’d take care of you forever, be your mommy domme until the end of everything so long as you agree to be my Baby Slave for that same time. Do you want to do that with me?”

Ann was speechless. Her and Shiho’s relationship wasn’t set in stone but she never had any intention to leave it either. They were comfortable with each other, happy. Making it official in some capacity wasn’t really a problem for her. All she had to do was say the word.

“Yes.” she replied.

Shiho’s voice got a little more excited upon just hearing the word. Ann didn’t turn around, she wanted to preserve whatever serious intent the ceremony had but she didn’t have to turn to feel Shiho’s radiating grin. The affirmation had pleased her greatly.

The brunette dropped her morose delivery of her obviously practiced lines.

“Yes! Okay uh, please kneel before me.”

Ann could tell Shiho was trying to remain dominating and solemn and was failing. It made a smile of her own creep across her face. She found the break in character because of excitement cute. She couldn’t wipe the smirk off of her face while she knelt down, resting her knees and the crotch of her extremely thick padding on the ground.

“I promise to care for and keep you safe. To tease and punish you as needed on a daily basis and be there whenever you need a change. I promise that the adult world will no longer be a burden on you if you don’t want it to be. Do you accept me?”

Shiho finished her speech and there was a moment of silence. Ann felt like she’d answered this question already but she decided to answer again. “I do.”

The words came easily, she really did want this. Ann couldn’t just leave it there though, she felt the need to respond to Shiho’s promise. She didn’t know if it was expected of her but launched in anyway.

“I promise to listen to your every word and if I don’t I accept the myriad of punishments that may come my way. I will be adorable on a daily basis, wear and fill my pampers without question and satisfy you as only a high-caliber baby slave can. I will be the biggest baby just for you mistress Shiho. Do you accept me?”

There was a sniffle behind Ann. Apparently her declaration had touched Shiho. "I do." she said

“Alright, go ahead and put the collar on.”

Ann brought the leather strap to her neck, feeling it lighten as she raised it to her throat. The dangling charm clinked against her outfit’s zipper. She pulled the buckle over the strap, cinching it tight. She wasn’t choking herself with it but the leather band could be felt all the way around her neck, a constant reminder of the promises she’d just made.

Shiho’s voice pitched into excitement. “Then I now pronounce us Mistress and Baby Slave!”

The crowd around them cheered, the entire auditorium chamber turning uproarious with their applause and approval.

From around her Ann saw a golden light, originating from the stage and spreading outward wash over the room in a wave. It pulsated upward, apparently heading for every other part of Mementos.

She was inquisitive about it but let the curiosity go. Instead, she got to her feet and turned to Shiho who took the sides of Ann’s head in her hands and brought the blonde in for a sloppy and passionate kiss.

Ann fell into it, letting their locked lips communicate all the love they had for each other. She belonged to Shiho now but that meant Shiho also belonged to her.