Pulling the last strap of Scootaloo’s pink denim romper over her shoulder, Sweetie Belle fastened its hook. “Oooh, Scoots. You’re like the world’s best American Girl doll.” She said, taking a step back to admire her handiwork.
Scootaloo, equally as curious to know how she looked. Glancing down, her eyes were immediately drawn to the alternating flat colored animal designs, scattered across her chest and branching out to her flared sleeves. Huffing, she couldn’t help but notice how, even with the added secrecy of her onesie and shortalls, her pampers still managed to distort her waistline.
“Heh, is there something wrong with your outfit, Scoots?” Sweetie Belle questioned, as she paced over to towards the nursery door, “Personally, I don’t think you’ve ever looked better!”
Looking up, Scootaloo awkwardly fumbled forward to catch up with her friend. “Wait, what do you mean I’ve never looked better! Are you making fun of me?”
“Heh, of course not Scoots.” Sweetie Belle replied, slowing down a bit as she and her friend approached the stair case. Gripping the hand rail, she began her descent, “All I was saying is that outfit looks cute on you; it matches your aesthetic.”
A little steamed, Scootaloo puckered her eyebrows as she continued her cycle of stepping down with her right leg, balancing herself, and stepping down again with her right leg. “No it doesn’t. There’s no way this is my best aesthetic!” she added doing a rather ungraceful hop with both feet onto the living room’s hard wood floor.
Startled by the tempered ‘thud’ noise, Fluttershy let go of her stroller’s handle bars and turned her attention over to the kids. “Huh, are you guys alright?” she questioned.
A little flustered, Scootaloo looked over at her aunt with a slight look of desperation and bellowed, “Fluttershy! You don’t think this is my best look, do you?”
“Huh, ummm- excuse me?” The aunt questioned, towering over the two as she slid her phone into her back pocket. Glancing over at Sweetie Belle, she asked the girl, “What does she mean by that?” as if she couldn’t get the context from her niece.
“Scootaloo is just being a worry butt.” Sweetie Belle giggled, as she stepped passed the caretaker. Walking over to the doormat, she began sliding her bare feet into her oak-coloured sandals and grabbed her bag from the door. Turning around, she elaborated more on that thought, “Basically, I complimented Scootaloo on how cute she looks in her little baby outfit and she says she’s looked better in other stuff.”
Smiling, Fluttershy glanced down at her little one and ruffled her head, “Ooh, that’s silly Scootaloo. Between your baby face, bob-cut, and stubby legs, the baby look does look really good on you.”
“Does not!” Scootaloo whined, stomping her foot defiantly on the ground.
“Awh, I think the baby is getting cranky.” Sweetie Belle giggled, draping her Ray Bans over her face. “I think she might need a snack or something. Especially since we skipped breakfast.”
Scootaloo meanwhile shook her head, stepping over to the door. Huffing, she planted her cushy seat on the hard wood floor and began slipping her feet into her trainers, going as far as to strap them on by herself.
“Heh, she does seem a little grumpy.” Fluttershy giggled, glancing over at Sweetie belle with a slight smirk on her face, “Of course, someone hasn’t gone poopy in about a day. So that might be why.”
“Fluttershy!” The child yelled as her cheeks flared a bright red.
Chuckling at the little one’s sentiment, she walked over to the girl picking her up by the underarms and cradling her up against her chest. “Awwh, it’s okay Scootaloo. I’m sure if you need to go potty, your aunt or I can walk take you to the bathroom.” She cooed loudly, as she patted her friend’s ballooned backside.
“Mmph.” Scootaloo sounded, burying her head in her friend’s shoulder. Resisting her urge to fuss more.
Draping her niece’s diaper bag over her shoulder, the aunt looked over at the other caretaker, “Okay, I’ve got her bag andher stroller in the back of the car. You shut off all the lights upstairs, right?”
Nodding, Sweetie continued to casually carry her friend as she encroached on the door. “Yeah, I do. But do you think we’re going to need the stroller? I mean, I think the Riverview Mall have trollies with seats.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure the they do, but only in certain department stores. Scootaloo’s diaper bag doesn’t take up a whole lot of room in the undercarriage, so it’ll make it easier to visit multiple spots.” She said, stepping out onto her walkway. The sun beaming down hard on her face, she covered her forehead with forearm as she walked over to her aunt’s car.
Breathing in the fresh spring air, Sweetie Belle bypassed the walkway instead walking her through the yard’s fresh dew-covered morning grass. Approaching the backdoor, of her car, she kept one arm underneath the little one’s backside as she swung the door open.
Scootaloo, knowing the routine well enough, cooperated in climbing out of her friend’s arms and began awkwardly maneuvering into the backseat. “Sweetie, I don’t hafta use the car seat, I-I’m big enough to sit regularly.”
Sweetie Belle, rather indifferent about her friend’s complaint, waited a second for the girl’s aunt to climb into the driver seat seat before popping the question, “Fluttershy, do I need to put Scootaloo’s butt in a car seat?”
“Heh, well kinda.” Fluttershy replied, shoving the diaper bag onto the passenger-side floor as she shut the door behind her. Turning her body a bit, she grabbed the front seat and focused her attention to the two, “Scootaloo is about 120 cm and 30 kg give or take. So, yes. Legally speaking, she needs to be in the booster seat!”
“Fluttershy!” Scootaloo whined loudly, as if her aunt was revealing some kind of buriedsecret about her size.
Rolling her eyes, Sweetie Belle tapped her friend’s shoulder. “Come on Scoots, I know it’s not very glamourous, but it’ll keep you safe in case of an accident.” She said, backing off for just long enough for Scootaloo to climb onto the seat herself. With a smirk on her face, she leaned back in and began assembling the harness again, “Not that we’re gonna get in a crash, right Fluttershy?”
“Heh, trust me Sweetie Belle, once you learn to drive, it becomes second nature. Right?” Fluttershy responded, resting her head back on the head rest.
“Mmmhmm.” She said, firmly connecting the last piece of the carseat’s harness before giving it a light tug. “Comfy Scootaloo?” she asked, smiling warmly at the child.
A little off taken by her friend’s question, Scootaloo stared blankly for a second before giving her a slight head nod.
“Good.” Sweetie Belle commented, stepping back and gently shutting the passenger door.
Scootaloo, leaned forward in the minimal way her car seat allowed her and asked, “Wait, where are we going again?”
“We’re going to the Mall, dear.” Fluttershy said, sticking her key into the ignition, and turning it on. Looking the rearview mirror, she smiled, “If you’re reeeealy good for Sweetie and I, I’ll even let you buy a biiiig stuffie.”
Puckering her lips a little, Scootaloo raised an eyebrow, “What if I’m only pretty good?”
Turning her head to stare out the back of her Tesla’s rearview window, Fluttershy jested, “Then, you’re only get a regular stuffie.”
“Awwh.” Scootaloo sighed,slumping her shoulders down in a melodramatically upset manner. “But, I wanna big stuffed animal.”
Turning around to comfortthe child herself, Sweetie Belle gave her friend a smile, “Well, all you needa do is behave Scootaloo. You’re always good for you aunt, right?”
The instant those words were spoken, Fluttershy smirked coyly.
“Yeah.” The child nodded in a bobblehead like manner, “I try to be good. I eat all my food, I sit still when Fluttershy tells me to” she said, lifting up her hand and striking up her fingers, “I don’t swear, I try to be quiet during nap time, and I sometimes even do my shoes by myself.”
“Wow!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed in a faux enthusiastic tone, “You really ARE a good girl. Right, Fluttershy?”
“Heh, right.”Fluttershy answered, excited, “She honestly is a happy bubbly girl, like 90% of the time.”
Scootaloo passively nodded her head, as she glanced down at the trainers. Interested by the pink gummy material protruding around the ankle of the shoe. She half-heartedly leaned forward again, grabbing her right foot with her hand and experimentallysquished it with her thumb.
Nodding in agreement, Sweetie leaned back in her seat and stretched a little. “Ooooh- I can tell Scootaloo is definitely a lot sillier than she used to be. Honestly, I really do like her look- even if it is more of a costume.”
Fluttershy glanced into the rear-view mirror to check on her baby and saw that Scootaloo was still very much enamored with her shoes. She then focused back on the road ahead of her. “Yeah. Honestly, she is really good at the whole method acting thing. For someone who never grew up with any siblings, she does make a great baby- err, preschooler.”
“Well, according to my parents, early childhood tends to be the funniest of parenthood.” The teenager replied, quietly adjusting her floral covered skirt. Glancing over at the womandriving the car, she rested her hand nicely on her lap, “I guess it makes sense cause everything is so new and unique for the kid and for the grownups, every success the kid has feels like a great leap forward.”
Smiling warmly, Fluttershy continued to keep her eyes fixed on the road. “Oh, I know Sweetie Belle. That’s kind of thebenefit for Scootaloo and I doing this. While I don’t think either of us can quite capture the magic of a real mommy/daughter relationship. It does give us and excuse to bond and have fun.”
“Heh, my parents would’ve just taken me to a restaurant or store.” The teenager joked.
Shrugging her shoulders, Fluttershy replied. “Well I already had a bunch of baby stuff and Scootaloo didn’t seem to mind the idea. Besides, it does give her an extra opportunity to experience something she won’t really be able to when she’s older.”
Sweetie continued to sardonically ramble, “Well I know she’s probably going to grow at least a couple of inches soon. But, I mean. What’s really stopping her or any other grown up from dressing up like a baby and pretending to be one?”
“Hmm?” Fluttershy questioned, glancing over at Sweetie for a single moment. “Well, to answer your question- and pardon me if I ramble- but kids quit dressing as babies around three years old for practical reason.You know, big kids don’t wear onesies, footie pajamas, rompers, doll dresses or even ruffled bloomers because all those things are really just fancy ways of concealing the fact that a child is wearing a diaper; especially a ‘full’ diaper”
Pausing for a moment, the womanswitched on her right blinker and proceeded to merge onto the highway. “Anyhow, As I was saying, certain pieces types of clothing- much like play things like tricycles, harnessed swings, and strollers- are meant to crutches that little kids ditch when they progress throughtheir childhood. While there are late bloomers that might hold onto that kind of stuff into their preschool years, they’ll have to ditch that stuff eventually because companies simply don’t want kids to be too comfortable being needy. It’s part of the reason why Pampers and Huggies don’t dabble in big kid diapers.”
“But don’t they make those Goodnites that are supposed be like ‘real underwear’ but are basically just diapers for bedwetters?” Sweetie Belle interjected suddenly.
“Uh, yeah. But the key in that is that Goodnites are supposed to be real underwear. My focal point is that clothiers, toy manufactures, and diaper companies all make products with certain age groups in mind; products that are meant to reflect their maturity levels.” Fluttershy said looked at the rearview mirror and saw an image of her little one gawking unknowingly out the passenger window in a trance-like stance.
Raising an eyebrow, Sweetie Belle looked over, “Annnnd?”
Taking a deep breath, Fluttershy smiled in a kind manner. “Well, my point is that once you hit a certain mind set, err, maturity level. Certain somestuff becomes boring.” She said briefly glancing over at the teenager again, “Teenagers and adults could try to dress like big babies, suck dummies, and play with baby toys. But most of the actual baby stuff that was available to them as little babies are too small for them to use as grownups.Not to mention, even if that baby stuff were available to them as adults, most of it is farrr too underwhelming to stimulate a person who’s outgrown that stage in their life. I mean, if I were to give you Scootaloo’s rattle, you’d probably feel bored or awkward; not enamored.”
“Soo, what you’re saying is that once the feeling of babyhood or childhood is gone, it’s gone for good?” Sweetie Belle said, watching as the dense forestry that enveloped the interstate dissipated and the seemingly endless rolling pear colored hills of Sweet Apple Acres were revealed. In the distance she could see the skyscrapers of the dense metropolitan area that was Canterlot; but it was still quite some waysaway. It’d be a while until they got to the mall.
“No, not at all Sweetie Belle.” Fluttershy cooed, reaching left hand over and lightly ruffling the girl’s hair. “I know you’re fairly old and I’m sure there are things you simply wouldn’t do anymore. You wouldn’t ride a tricycle, you wouldn’t spend all your day coloring in pages of a book, and if I told you that you had to wear a diaper in my house you’d probably scoff at me.”
“Exactly, once you’ve grown out of something you can’t enjoy it anymore.” Sweetie Belle confidently spoke.
“Yes. But, the other part of that is just because you’ve outgrown certain someparts of your life doesn’t necessarily mean that similar feelings aren’t still enjoyable or okay to have. You might blush at the idea of riding a tricycle. But riding a bike- or hell- driving a car would be super exciting for you. You’d be super embarrassed if your mom coddled by picking you up and patting your butt until you calmed down. But you’d still appreciate the affection if all she gave you was a hug.” Fluttershy articulated stretching her neck a bit.
“Well, what if an adult wanted to wear diapers and act like a baby?” Sweetie Belle questioned, tilting her head to the side curiously, “How would that play into everything you’ve said.”
Taking a deep breath, Fluttershy shrugged her shoulders a little. “Well. I suppose an adult trying to act like a baby was trying to chase a feeling. I couldn’t see playing around with baby toys or spending all day watching baby TV very interesting myself. But I’m sure to some people it’d be pretty novel.” She said, glancing back into the rearview mirror once again before focusing her attention on the road ahead of her. “Why, did YOU want to be babied by me too? I do have plenty of diapers, footie pajamas, and bottles to go around.” She sang teasingly.
Blushing perfusely, Sweetie dramatically shook her head. “Heh, no no no. I’m quite content BEING the baby sitter.” She said, glancing into the rearview mirror herself at the little girl who was quite visibly dozing off, “That being said. Do you think Scootaloo is- well- trying to chase a feeling.”
Grinning a tad, Fluttershy giggled. “Haha, no. As I said earlier, what’s too immature for some people to enjoy might be really fascinating for younger people; especially kids.”
“A-are you saying that Scootaloo might actually be super young- o-or are you saying that Scootaloo might be ‘special’.” Sweetie Belle questioned, making the quotation marks with her fingers.
Giggling a little awkwardly, Fluttershy tilted her head to the side as if to get closer to the girl. “No, Scootaloo is plenty book smart and stuff. Put it this way, you know how you’re probably starting to notice boys or maybe even girls you think are attractive. You know, people you want to date?”
A little off takenby the woman’s comment, Sweetie Belle simply nodded her head, “Mmmhmm.”
“Well, Scootaloo isn’t.” Fluttershy said, returning her head back into the proper position on her head rest. “I don’t have an exact reason why Scootaloo seems so physically stunted; probably a low estrogen level. But, between her size, her emotional needs, and her hobbies, she seems really happy to reliveher wonder years- err, diaper days.”
“Hmm? What about her other friends and everything? I mean, I know she’s only been living at your place for a little while. But, she’s seemed to pretty dormant on Twitter and Tumblr.” Sweetie Said, grabbing her purse and setting it on her lap so she could dig for her phone.
Nodding, Fluttershy shrugged her shoulders again. “Like I said, Sweetie. Scootaloo is more concerned about getting attention from me than she is socializing with her peers.” She said, squinting her left eye a bit, “She’ll crawl into bed with me for naps, she’ll do things so that I’ll have to feed her, and just the other day she complimented my butt.”
“Hehe, oh man.” Sweetie snickered, amused by the woman’s sentiments, “I mean, that seems like some kind of Freud Electra-complex stuff right there. You don’t think she’s- you know- attracted to you right?”
Rolling her eyes, Fluttershy snickered herself. “Heh, well for one- Freud was quack. Also, I’m sure Scootaloo doesn’t have a little crush on me or something.” She said, reaching her out to turn on the AC, “If the more accurate, humanistic personality theory has taught me anything. I think this is probably the first time since her father died that she’s been able to just be herself without some kind of conditional love hanging over her shoulder. I mean, the fact that she can walk around with a load in her pants and still be told she’s the cutest thing in the world has to be liberating for her.”
Smiling warmly, Sweetie Belle placed her hand on her chin, “You know. I guess that makes sense. Although, if she’s really a baby at heart, why do you think she fusses about being babied around me?”
“Oh, trust me.” Fluttershy said, cranking the AC dial up just slightly higher. Nearing the off ramp to Canterlot, she answered the girl. “When we wake her up for lunch, just keep treating her like a real baby. If she can be comfortable as a baby girl around her friends, then she’ll be a lot more open with you. Got it?”
Smiling back, Sweetie Belle nodded, “Got it!”