1 A Padded Education

Belle awoke in her dorm room, the neutral walls reminding her she was not home. Just 3 weeks ago, Belle had been a college student working on her master's in Ancient Literature. She enjoyed nights out with her friends, walks around the neighbourhood and visits to the quiet cafe off campus with the rainy day books section. However, her favourite time came in the evenings. In the solitude of her near-campus apartment, Belle would go to her closet, moving aside the boxes to find her stash of diapers.

This was her relief; all the stress of class and her part-time job would melt away when the soft material brushed against her skin. She could sit that way for a while, scrolling social media, catching up on a good book, anything her heart desired. Then came her secret love, the warmth and feeling of soft padding caressing her when she wet. She couldn't deny it. It was convenient; imagine never needing to break focus from your favourite book or show. Of course, she'd use them as well. That warm swelling feeling, the weight pulling on the tapes a little more, bit by bit. So many sensations that tickled the mind.

It was a simple life but a good one, one that filled her heart with joy. This routine had been the same for much of her college career, leaving her warm and bubbly. Many of her friends weren't so fortunate; they seemed crushed by the world's weight, unable to find any actual release from the day's stress. By comparison, Belle always seemed like a ray of sunshine, something a few of her friends noted. When asked about her secret, Belle would initially be embarrassed, often hiding behind an excuse of good books or a great morning routine. However, she was willing to share the truth with a few special friends.

Her best friends, who had been with her longest and through the most, were told the secret to her success. At first, they were off-put by the news. Their friend, who seemed so mature and together, was wearing diapers in her spare time? The fussing turned to the subject of their use, and, trusting her friend implicitly, she told them that she did use them, that it felt natural and, in some ways, brought her joy and pleasure. As her friends processed the news, she waited, anxious, hoping she had avoided making a mistake.

When they came back to her, a smile crossed her face; they wanted to try it. Their first session was the following weekend, a shared day off they would all spend padded together. It went well, with the girls all adopting the practice. They formed their own little clique that focused on relaxation, positivity and acceptance. Those were her favourite days.

The trend spread across campus, and it wasn't long before Belle started her own little pseudo-culture. People from all walks of life in the student body were throwing on diapers and crinkling up a storm. Slowly, they broke out of free time and into daily life. How convenient it was to be diapered in long lectures and never have to get up! Research labs where you could maintain focus for a bathroom break. In their minds, the students were investing in their education and finding stress relief. What could be better?

The campus was not impressed when they caught on to this new trend.

"We are a prestigious college, not some daycare," a rotund man reminiscent of Humpty Dumpty said in a boorish tone. "To have all these students running around campus smelling of filth is just unacceptable!".

"It's very unbecoming of the students and does reflect rather poorly on us," a youthful woman with eyes like a viper said.

"This must be nipped in the bud," an older woman with sharp features and silver hair stood up, addressing the room. "I propose we open a new wing of the college, an academy if you will, where these diaper girls will be taught how to function in a proper society. I volunteer to operate this branch as Madame Stephanies Academy For The Unpottytrained. We will gain permission from their parents to confine them to campus as a matter of mental wellness and proceed from there." The older woman lowered herself back to her seat, a confident smile on her face.

The rotund man looked around the room, "I hear no other option from the rest of you. I will consider this a unanimous decision, and we will proceed with founding the new academy immediately. I expect it to be operational by the end of the month. We will inform the student body when we have parents' full approval.

I look forward to the results."

True to her word, Madame Stephanies was formed that very day. Letters sent home to the parents of the students outlined academic failures across the student body, stating that the college was "implementing a new protocol to support student growth." It required parents to create legal agreements confining their children to the school. At first, questions were as rampant as the diaper issue; however, in time, the parents were convinced, and 2000 students were trapped in a school from which the only way out was potty training.