XV. The Big (Little) Day

Early Sunday afternoon, Rowan found himself sitting on the couch, closely hugging Nanuq. He had followed Stella's advice and was steadily suckling his pacifier. Even though he had not yet developed an appreciation for the babyish object, he noticed it did help to calm his nerves somewhat. In his mind, he told himself over and over again that there was no reason to be anxious. His arms, however, kept the plush polar bear tightly to his chest. He leaned back and closed his eyes, trying his best to relax.

Meanwhile, Stella was getting her mane brushed and braided by Celester. The unicorn rarely did the latter, as it was time-consuming, but she loved to make an exception at times where Stella would play filly for a long continuous period. The pony had taken a bath earlier that morning, spending nearly an hour soaking in the water. Afterwards, she made sure her mane was as dry as possible before Celester started braiding.

Getting her mane brushed always helped Stella to relax, calm down, and slip into her filly role more easily. Her mother used to braid her mane when she was an actual filly, and being in a similar position with Celester filled her with warm nostalgic feelings. The pony was grateful for having such a caring mate, and such a simple yet effective activity to bond over. Stella closed her eyes and focused on the feeling of Celester's fingers in her mane.

She daydreamed about the playdate that was about to start. Even though she had played with Jessie quite a few times now, Stella noticed she was suckling her own pacifier more intensely than she usually would. She glanced down, careful not to move her head too much, and looked at her clothes. As an adult, she did not care too much about her appearance, but little Stella could be picky when it came to how she was dressed. For today, she had chosen a pastel green onesie, and pajamas covered in cartoonish images of different equines. Neither the onesie nor the pajamas did anything to hide the bulk of the Starry Pink diaper she was wearing.

As if on cue, the doorbell rang when Celester put the last hair tie in Stella's braid. Satisfied with the end result, she motioned for the pony to stay on the couch, while she answered the door. Celester kept the door ajar when she went over to the front door, so Rowan could get accustomed to their guests' voices for a short while. Through the milky glass pane, she saw the blurred silhouette of a zebra and a reddish brown deer.

'Hi! Good to see you again!' Celester said as she opened the door.

'It's certainly been too long,' a male voice said with a slight foreign accent. 'We helped you girls move, but that's not the same.'

Rowan heard the rasping sound of hooves being wiped on the brushes near the doormat.

'I don't remember having any little girls running around when we were hauling stuff here, no.'

'Auntie Celester, I'm not a little girl,' a female voice pouted. It sounded high-pitched and childish, like Stella's filly voice.

'Jessie insisted she's a big doe this morning. She absolutely didn't want to wear a diaper.'

'Are you going to be a big girl today?' Celester asked, clearly sounding like she was speaking to an actual child.

'I made her wear a pull-up just in case. I know my fawn can be accident-prone.'

'Baba!' Jessie pouted. 'I'm not a fawn! I'm a big doe!'

'Inside voice, Jessie,' Thabo calmly chastised. 'It's not polite to our hosts to talk so loud.'

Rowan snickered, and he noticed Stella was stifling a laugh as well.

The living room door swung open, revealing a twenty-something-year old roe deer doe wearing a colorful sundress and soft pink leg warmers. The doe carried a large plush ladybug in both hands, holding it against herself just below her chest. Behind her was a tall zebra stallion in jeans and a hoodie, carrying a nondescript bag in one hand and what was obviously a diaper bag in the other. As soon as the doe made eye contact with Stella, she zoomed over to the pony.

'Stella!' she exclaimed, still not using her inside voice.

The pony jumped up from the couch, meeting the doe halfway. They embraced each other tightly.

'I miffed you, Jeffie,' Stella lisped with her pacifier still in her mouth.

'Me too! And Jane has missed Annie a lot!'

'Oh!' Stella exclaimed, suddenly letting go.

She dribbled back to the couch to pick up her plush clownfish. Once back at Jessie, the girls made their plushies nuzzle each other.

'Is this your new friend?' Jessie asked with enthusiasm, looking at Rowan.

The rabbit tightly clutched Nanuq, hoping to hide behind the polar bear, yet knowing fully well that he would be unable to.

'Uh-huh,' Stella answered, now having dropped her pacifier from her mouth. 'That's my friend Rowan. He's the nicest bunny in the world!'

'He certainly is,' Celester added with a motherly voice. 'But he's also a bit shy. Please be gentle and give him space, Jessie.'

'Okay, Aunt Celester,' the doe replied.

'I've made tea for us. Are you joining us at the big table in the kitchen?'

The girls got up and hurried to the kitchen table. Rowan took his time, observing the situation.

'Oh! I just remembered I left something in the car,' Thabo said when Celester poured the tea. 'I'll be right back. Jessie, be good while I'm gone.'

'Yes, Baba.'

Thabo returned a little while later, carrying what appeared to be a box wrapped in colorful gift wrapping paper, themed in what Rowan assumed to be a cartoon aimed at children. On top of the box was a smaller rectangular package, wrapped in a more neutral printed paper. The zebra carefully put the big box on the table, away from the teapot.

'What's that?' Celester asked. 'Did I forget my own birthday?'

Thabo let out a bellowing laugh.

'No, this is a present from us to you, to celebrate you girls having an actual house now. You told us you wanted to turn one of the rooms into a playroom, so I had Jessie pick a gift for your filly. Maybe Rowan will enjoy it too. They can play with it together. The smaller present is for you, Cel.'

'Oh Thabo, you really shouldn't-'

'Hush now, Celester. In my culture, it's impolite to say that,' the zebra said jokingly. 'For someone as generous as you, you should really learn to be more receptive of gifts. Accepting gifts with grace is like jewelry for your soul, my father taught me.'

It was the first time Rowan had actually seen Celester show shyness. She quietly accepted the present and carefully tore the wrapping, revealing a hardcover novel with a beautifully illustrated front.

'The latest Horns and Hellfire novel! That's not even for sale yet in our country!'

'I happen to know a guy who knows a guy... I have my ways. You told me you love this series because it's written by a unicorn.'

'Yeah, I met the author at UniCon last summer. He's a great guy. Thanks a lot, Thabo!'

'You're most welcome, princess.'

'Hey! That's what I always say to Mommy!' Stella pouted, crossing her arms.

'And you should. Your Mommy is a unicorn, and that makes her a very special person. You're lucky to have someone like her to take care of you.'

'Sometimes I'm jealous of you,' Jessie admitted. 'But then I think of my Baba, and he's the funniest zebra in the world!'

Thabo smiled.

'Um, Thabo?' Rowan asked softly, as the girls carefully sipped their tea.

'What's up? Is a certain little bunny curious about the big present?'

'No... I mean yes, but um, why does Jessie call you "Baba"?'

'It means "daddy" in my father's language. Calling me "daddy" reminds me of her birth father, which is confusing. It's also a bit weird in, well, intimate situations.'

'But it means the same?' Rowan asked in confusion.

'To her, it's just a word in a different language, but to me, it has a special meaning. I was still a young child when I came to this country, but my father taught me some of his language. I call him "Baba" as well.'

'Where do you come from?'

'A country roughly six thousand miles south of here, that no longer formally exists. My mother is a physician, who was working in developing countries to help fight infectious diseases. She met my father there, who was working in the construction business. He helped her build a medical outpost.'

'But now you live here. What happened?'

Thabo took a large sip, then thought for a while.

'There was trouble brewing in the country. What began as civil unrest turned into a war with the neighbors. My father was relatively rich in local terms, and he was already secretly in a relationship with my mother. With the war starting, my mother would be withdrawn, because she was born here. My dad came with her. In his culture, money is seen as a common good. People expect you to share, because they will share with you when you need it. He didn't want his peers to find out he was in love with a plaincoat.'

Celester almost choked. 'Sorry, a what?'

'A plaincoat. That's a colloquial term for a person who is of equine descent, but not at least half zebra. That's what horses and ponies are called in my country, out of envy, because foreigners are all seen as wealthier than the natives. Anyway, my dad snuck away because he was fed up with the social pressure. I was lucky to be born with a traditional zebra coat, but that's maybe because my mother's fur is as black as Celester's. If my stripes were anything but black-and-white, I would have been shunned.'

'What an odd culture,' Rowan blurted out, then quickly covering his mouth when he realized he had said that aloud. 'Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult you.'

'That's okay. I grew up here, so I'm used to the customs of this country. I don't know much about my father's culture from first hand, but what I do know mostly incites the same reaction from me. I like to think of myself as someone who belongs here.'

'And that's a good thing, too,' Jessie added in her grown-up voice. 'Sexuality is a big taboo where his dad comes from. Having friends with which you can share the kind of bond we have would be unthinkable in his culture.'

'That culture has other redeeming qualities, but indeed, dynamics like these would not be welcome there,' Thabo added. 'Community building is treated like a second language. Yet, it is shameful to discuss intimate topics, and don't even get me started on how people like my zebra grandparents would respond if you told them you married someone of the same sex. Some of their norms and values contrast even my own.'

'I wish I could tell you something interesting about rabbit culture, but I think it's best if I don't,' Rowan said half joking.

'That's okay. I'm not the type to be easily offended. On a completely different note, I think we've tested little Stella's patience long enough now. The big package is yours to open, filly. Jessie hand-picked it especially for you.'

'Yay!' Stella exclaimed, tearing the gift wrapping paper.

'You told me you girls wanted to turn one of your bedrooms into a special playroom, so I picked the biggest toy Baba would buy for you.'

Stella removed the wrapping as quickly as she could, scattering scraps all over the table. Within mere seconds, she discovered the box was a large building set.

'You got me the Pony Pals Shopping Mall? Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!' Stella exclaimed, pulling Jessie into a tight hug.

'I know it's not polite in your culture to say this, but you really didn't need to give us such a big present,' Celester began.

Thabo put his index finger up and opened his mouth to speak, but the unicorn was quicker.

'I'm grateful you did, though. This is one of Stella's favorite pastimes, and she's been not-so-subtly "hinting" at this for months. It'll be nice for her to not have to take her projects apart now that we have space for a dedicated playroom.'

'Mommy, can we go play with my present?' Stella asked in her filly voice.

'Yes you can, love. Go play on the carpet.'

'Whee!' the pony cried, running over to the designated location.

Jessie got up to follow her, but Thabo subtly grabbed her hand.

'Does my little fawn need to tinkle before she goes to play?'

'Baba! I'm a big doe!' she pouted.

'Alright, does my big doe need to tinkle?'

'No, Baba,' she said confidently.

Rowan noticed Celester blinking her horn, then suppressing a grin.

'Are you sure?' Thabo asked.

'Yes, Baba,' the doe insisted impatiently.

'Alright then. Go play with your pony friend. Don't forget Jane, precious.'

'Okays!' Jessie said, picking up the plush ladybug from the table. 'Come Jane, we're going to play with Stella and Annie!'

'You do know she fibbed, don't you?' Celester asked quietly, once Jessie had sat down.

'Of course I do,' Thabo replied, drinking the last of his tea with a broad smile. 'I've been making sure my little fawn is well hydrated all morning. With that large mug of tea on top of that, she'll be doing the potty dance in no time.'

'Oh, I love it when she does that,' Celester whispered. 'It's so cute to watch her struggle more and more to delay the inevitable.'

'It's one of my favorite things about playtime,' Thabo agreed. 'Apart from the look of bliss and relief on her face when she finally gives in.'

'So, um, it's not about the struggle, but about the release?' Rowan asked.

'Well, the build-up is all anticipation for both me and Jessie, and that's what makes the release so rewarding. It makes me happy to watch her experience that relief.'

'Oh, okay. That's, um, comforting to know.'

'We're not out to torture our little girls, bunny. We only make them do things they want us to make them do. For the girls, it's just a lot more fun if someone makes them do certain things.'

They watched the little girls from the table. As Jessie was on all fours, bending forward, Rowan could clearly see the thick bright pink pull-up the doe was wearing under her sundress. It was printed with dark red hearts and butterflies.

'I'm going to make us another cup of tea,' Celester said, getting up. 'Why don't you go play with the girls, Rowan?'

'Um, yes, Aunt Celester.'

'Good bunny. Have fun!'

Rowan slowly made his way to the carpet in the living room. He sat down near the edge, making sure he would be out of the girls' way. They had opened the box and scattered the carpet with numbered plastic bags, most of which were still sealed. Both girls were assembling what looked like it would be a store in the shopping mall. He was suddenly startled when Stella looked up from her build.

'Hiya Wowan! D'you wannwa bwuild tfooh?'

'Uh, if that's okay with you,' he said timidly.

'Of course! This is a playdate, silly. What's a playdate if you don't play?' Jessie asked.

Rowan shrugged.

'I'm putting the clothes shop together, and Stella is working on the music store. What do you want to build?'

'Dunno... something easy?'

'Oh, I know!' Stella said, letting the pacifier drop from her mouth. 'The grocery store is run by a rabbit. That'd be perfect!'

'O-okay. What do I do?'

The girls handed him the instruction booklet and the appropriate bags of pieces he would need.

'Take your time, Rowan. We're not in a hurry,' Stella reassured him in her grown-up voice.

He nodded, then took a deep breath. The first page of the instructions showed him how to assemble the rabbit minifigure that went with the grocery store, as well as a figure he guessed represented a customer. A few pages and a few minutes later, he was fully engrossed in assembling.

'And you're sure he has never done this before?' Thabo whispered.

'Nope. Totally new to everything. Diapers, pacifier, plushie, age play... the only thing familiar to him is the cage, but I already explained why.'

'And why I won't mention it to him. I don't need to either. That's something between you and him, although I agree it's appropriate to be proud of him for allowing you to discipline him like that.'

Celester nodded.

'Speaking of discipline, I think our show is about to start,' she said, pointing at Jessie's padded rear.

'You didn't notice before?'

'I don't know the subtle signs as well as you do,' Celester defended.

Thabo smiled. 'Jessie? Do you need to tinkle?'

'No, Baba,' she replied, without looking up.

'Are you still dry?'

'Yes, Baba. I'm a big doe!'

Rowan and the girls continued their assembling. Meanwhile, Thabo and Celester made small talk, pretending not to notice Jessie had begun to fidget more and more. When the little doe was halfway done with her second build, she was pressing her legs together, still trying to hold her bladder. Every now and then, she looked at her Baba, who immediately recognized the subtle straining in her facial expression. Jessie was getting desperate now, and she knew that he knew.

At this point, she had to pay serious effort to keep her hands from trembling. Every now and then, she put one of her hands between her legs, pressing down on her princess parts, hoping that would help her hold. Stella did not pay any mind to her friend's struggling, but Rowan noticed something was off. He was just about to ask Jessie what was up, when she shifted her position.

Her padded rear was now aimed slightly up, and her sundress had slid down a bit, fully revealing the backside of her thick pink pull-up. It was indeed still dry, but that was the only thing the doe had not fibbed about. This shift in position coincided with the moment the proverbial dam began to burst. A single drop of warm pee escaped from her urethra, soon absorbed by the thirsty pull-up.

Another drop followed, and then some more, turning into a dribble, then stopping for a few seconds. Jessie held her breath, until she could not take it any longer. Instead of letting out a dribble, she was now wetting full force. A loud hiss could be heard by Rowan and Stella, and the latter could not refrain from smiling. Jessie, meanwhile, was in her own world, enjoying the ecstatic feeling of relief after having held her pee for so long.

The pull-up featured a special surge pad, put in the place where little girls need protection the most. However, even the powerful absorption of the added padding was not enough to immediately take in the stream of warm fawn pee the pull-up had to endure. As the hearts and butterflies rapidly faded on the outside and the pull-up kept swelling, Jessie's princess parts were engulfed in a sweet warmth.

She was breathing heavily now, and had to try her best to not be noisy. Eventually, the stream tapered off, and she felt the warm wetness creep up towards her tail. The liquid feeling slowly changed into that of squishy swollen padding against her nether regions. Although an experienced age player, Jessie felt somewhat embarrassed to wet herself in front of Rowan, whom she had only just met. She quickly grabbed her plush ladybug and cuddled it tightly.

'Precious, do you need to tinkle?' Thabo asked, his tone giving away that he already knew the answer.

'No, Baba,' Jessie replied shyly.

'Are you sure?'

'Yes, Baba.'

'Is your pull-up still dry?'

A short silence. Rowan looked up, seeing Jessie burying her face in her plushie.

'I don't know, Baba.'

'Do I need to check?'

She did not answer. Thabo got up and slowly walked over to his little girl. He calmly placed his hand on her diapered rear, feeling the warmth of her wetting.

'That does not feel dry to me, precious. Did you just have an accident?'

'May-be...' she replied softly, drawing out the syllables.

'You told me you were going to show Stella you're a big doe by going on the potty today. Do you still think you're ready for the big girl potty?'

She whimpered.

'Is there something you need to tell me, precious?'

'I don't know...'

'Are you ready to go on the big girl potty?'

Jessie remained silent.

'Did you just have an accident, despite me asking if you had to tinkle, multiple times?'

'Yes, Baba.'

'Does that make you big enough for the potty?'

'No, Baba.'

'So, do you need to tell me something?'

She whimpered again, gathered her courage, then spoke up.

'I'm sorry for asking to wear a pull-up today, Baba.'

'Asking?' Thabo repeated, his tone sternly but friendly implying he expected a different word.

'I'm sorry for whining until you let me wear a pull-up, Baba.'

'And?'

'And you were right when you said I'm too little for potty training.'

'Good girl. Now, let's go get you changed, shall we?'

'Yes, Baba.'