V. Logistics and dynamics

Rowan stood in the large bathtub, relishing the pleasantly warm water that flowed through his fur. He did not even mind the fact that Celester stood right beside him, while he himself was stark naked. Neither did he care that she was lathering his fur with shampoo, giving his coat a thorough cleaning. There was nothing Rowan had to do, except support himself against the wall with him left hand, and just try to enjoy the experience.

Celester carefully washed the rabbit's injured paw, then gave him a washcloth and a bar of soap so he could clean his intimate parts. Being able to freely see, touch, and clean his private parts felt unfamiliar to Rowan, after having been continuously locked up for so long. When he was done, Celester shut the water off and wrapped his upper body in a large towel before he could even begin to feel cold.

_ Why does this feel so weird, yet so natural at the same time?_ Rowan thought as the unicorn toweled him down. Why am I not ashamed of being naked in front of someone I only met yesterday? And why does it feel like I enjoy being taken care of by Celester?

'There we go, Rowan. The rest will dry by itself.'

'Th-thanks,' he stuttered. 'I really appreciate your help. It saves me a lot of awkward and uncomfortable clumsiness.'

She smiled. 'You're most welcome. Now, do you prefer to wear boxers, or would you rather wear a diaper again?'

His ears flopped and he looked away. He tried to think of something else - anything else - but being diapered by the unicorn. It mostly did not stop his member from becoming somewhat hard.

'I think I know the answer,' Celester said merrily. 'Take my hand, I'll help you out of the bathtub. It's the second door on your right. I'll be right behind you.'

She handed him his crutch and picked up the pants and shirt they had estimated would fit. Rowan opened the indicated door, which led him to a nearly empty room. There was a big bed, two duffel bags of clothes, and a plastic box filled with various kinds of diapers. Some of them appeared to be printed like diapers for actual fillies would be, which Rowan did not even know existed.

Celester quickly spread the changing mat out on the bed and prepared a diaper. Rowan, glad his erection had subsided by now, carefully laid down on the mat and closed his eyes. With the backs of his hands against his chest, he patiently waited for Celester to tape up the diaper. Once back on his paws, she checked whether his tail was correctly pulled through the elastic hole in the back.

'It feels like you're quite experienced at this,' Rowan commented.

'Stella hardly ever changes her own diaper when we're home together. Sharing such an intimate moment is a special form of bonding for us.'

'My mind is telling me to think of your dynamic as weird or even wrong, but somehow, it feels fine. Maybe I even_like_ it.

'We're going to take it easy tonight, and tomorrow is our day of rest. You'll get to see a little bit more of what our dynamic is about, if you're okay with that.'

Rowan chuckled.

'Did I miss something?'

'You said "little",' he laughed.

Celester smiled and shook her head.

'Let's get you dressed and go back downstairs. Stella will have put away the groceries by now, so she's probably waiting for me to start moving stuff.'

Downstairs, Stella was busy sorting through what items needed to go where. When Rowan entered the living room, he was immediately stared down by the giant plush clownfish on the couch. The pacifier was put neatly on top.

'Hiya Rowan, feel better now?'

'Apart from the paw, better than I've felt in a long time.'

'Those clothes look good on you, by the way.'

'Thanks', he said awkwardly, having a hard time processing the compliment.

'Stella, can you be a big pony for me for a while?' Celester asked calmly.

'Already am, Cel. Annie is making sure my pacifier doesn't get lost.'

_ Annie?_ Rowan thought. Oh, of course. The clownfish.

'Good girl. We're going to move as much stuff upstairs as we can. We'll put it all in one of the spare rooms. Having space here to turn this into an actual living room is our first priority, agreed?'

Stella nodded.

'I can't carry heavy stuff, but is there anything else I can do to help?' Rowan asked.

'There is, actually. We've got two or three boxes filled with all kinds of kitchen things. Pots, pans, utensils, food that doesn't need refrigeration, you name it. Since you did such a good job with the bookcase, I trust you can get our kitchen sorted out as well.'

'That shouldn't be too much of a problem. Any preferences?'

'As long as you're not sorting everything alphabetically, I'm fine,' the unicorn laughed.

Rowan put his crutch aside and began inspecting the kitchen. He opened every cabinet and drawer and estimated the amount of space. By the time he was done, the mares had put all boxes with kitchen items on the dinner table. Over the next hours, everyone worked tirelessly. When most of the moving was done, Celester came to check in on Rowan, who had just finished tidying everything up.

'Great job, Rowan,' she praised. 'This saves us a lot of time.'

'I'm glad I could be of help. Anything else you want me to do?'

She pondered for a while.

'How well can you cook?'

He scoffed. 'I've cooked for a picky eater for two years. I can hold my own in a kitchen.'

'Sounds promising. Just for my own peace of mind, rabbits are vegetarians, right?'

'The vast majority of us are. I've never had meat agree with me, so I avoid it.'

'Good. I did have some plans for dinner, so I'll tell you if you can't think of something.'

Rowan chuckled. 'Sounds like there's a "but" coming.'

'Well, you could surprise us, if you want to. You can find all fresh ingredients in the fridge, and you know where the rest went. Stella and I need at least half an hour more, maybe longer. Take your time, and give us a heads-up if you know when dinner will be ready. Is that okay for you?'

Rowan opened the refrigerator and quickly scanned the available foodstuffs. 'I should be fine. Cooking dinner is the least I can do.'

'Great! Stella and I are going to make the living room in order. Who knows, maybe we'll finish at the same time.'

'That's what she said!' Stella shouted from the living room.

'Bad pony!' Celester shot back.

Rowan chuckled and shook his head.

A little over half an hour later, he served dinner. All this time, he had been focused on his work in the kitchen. Even though the open kitchen adjoined the living room, he had not bothered to look at whatever logistics the mares had been carrying out. The last time he checked, more than half of the space was filled with furniture and stacks of boxes.

Now, it looked like an actual living room. A bookshelf in the corner, the couch against the wall, the coffee table in the middle of the room, and two comfortable chairs on the opposite side. The corner straight across from the bookshelf even had a fireplace, which up to that point had been hidden behind all the various unsorted items. A large flatscreen television screen was mounted on the wall. The entire interior looked neat and tasteful, but nothing was over the top. For just a moment, Rowan felt safe and comfortable. He wondered if this was what being home should feel like.

All the physical work of the afternoon had made the mares hungry. Rowan presented them an uncomplicated pasta dish with fresh vegetables and a creamy green sauce. After thanking him for cooking, they dug in. The first part of dinner passed in silence, as everyone enjoyed the meal and entertained their own thoughts.

'Are you girls going to continue furnishing after dinner?' Rowan asked somewhere halfway through dinner.

'I've had enough for today. I'm just going to take a shower, and do something relaxing for a change,' Celester said, stretching her back.

'Oh! Can I hook up my SimCaster to play some games?' Stella asked, showing her best attempt at puppy eyes.

'Tomorrow. And you have to share with Rowan, if he wants to.'

Stella crossed her arms and put up a pouty face, and Rowan stifled a laugh.

'No pouting, filly. Keep up this attitude and you don't get to play with the SimCaster at all this weekend.'

She sighed theatrically. 'Okays...'

Rowan tilted his head. 'Um, Celester? Just so I understand, how much of this is pretend and what part of it should I think of as serious?'

'Stella and I have an agreement,' Celester explained. 'We have decided upon rules for both of us, so we know what behavior is and isn't okay.'

'That makes some sense. But um, sorry if this sounds rude, but how do I treat Stella when she's behaving like a filly?'

_ It feels weird to talk about her while she's sitting right here, at the same table,_ Rowan thought.

'Part of our dynamic is about Stella's wish to behave and feel like a filly. She doesn't really have a set age, since she wears diapers but usually behaves like she would be in elementary school. For her to feel like a child, she needs me to act from a position of authority. That's why I get to mommy-boss her around, to put it bluntly.'

'It makes me feel safe to know there's someone taking care of me and protecting me. That's why Celester can decide certain things for me, and for other things I need her permission,' Stella added.

'Okay, that sounds like you've put some thought into this. But what does Celester get from this? Don't get me wrong, but you girls are mates. Doesn't it ever feel strange to be married to someone who behaves like a child? Isn't it ever confusing, or tiresome to be the one giving care?'

'It did feel strange sometimes, before we had rules. It still does sometimes, that just happens. The rules make it less confusing, actually, because we both know our roles. We also have safe words and we can instantly revert back to our normal adult roles when necessary. Both of us are in a position to say "I love you, but I don't feel like participating in our dynamic right now". That helps prevent this special thing between us from becoming boring, or something akin to a task.'

There was a short silence.

'Alright, I think I understand it better now. But what do you girls want me to do when Stella is being a filly?'

'When Stella is little, I still think of her as an adult mare. Deep down, I still love, trust and respect her like I always do. It's just that I treat her mostly as if she's an actual child.'

'And when I'm playing filly, I think of Cel as my parent figure. That means what she says, goes. It also means I should expect to be punished if I'm disobedient.'

Rowan's ears perked up. 'Punishment? You girls aren't hitting each other, are you?'

Celester frowned and put her knife and fork down.

'Of course not!' she exclaimed calmly. 'I love Stella more than anything in the world. I would never physically hurt her. The worst she can expect is corner time, or me denying permission to play with her favorite toys. Normal things a regular parent would do.'

'Bold of you to assume I had "regular parents". But thanks, this is reassuring. You do you, I guess. Don't expect me to fit in immediately, but I'll try.'

'That's okay, Rowan. Thanks for asking us. If we ever do something you're uncomfortable with, please tell us. We're always willing to discuss.'

He nodded.

'Well, if everyone is done eating, I suggest we clean up and make ourselves comfortable in the living room. I'm going to take a shower, and I suggest you two decide upon a movie we can watch together. Does that sound like a good plan?'

'Does it have to be age-appropriate?' Stella asked.

'I'm not forcing our guest to watch a movie for toddlers, so, no.'

'Didn't we determine earlier today that I'm staying?' Rowan laughed. 'How am I still a guest?'

Celester opened her mouth, but had no response. For dramatic effect, she frowned and pretended to be speechless.

'I'll make it easier on you. I'm up for anything that isn't violent, horror, or your typical chick flick. I'd like to relax too, if that's okay.'

'That does bring us back to the "age-appropriate" category,' Celester laughed.

'No worries, Rowan. We'll pick something aimed at older children. You know, those movies that have jokes and references only adults get, so parents can enjoy the movie with their children.'

'Fine with me. You can go take a shower now, I'll make try to keep Stella out of trouble.'

'Hey!'

Rowan and Stella quickly cleared the table and loaded up the dishwasher. She connected the TV to a streaming service for children and began browsing movies. By the time Celester returned, they had made their choice. The trio sat down on the couch, with the unicorn in the middle. Stella popped her pacifier in and hugged her clownfish, and Celester idly played with the pony's mane. Rowan leaned back a little and tried to relax.

His attempt was so successful he never got to see the last few scenes of the movie. By that time, he could not keep his eyes open anymore and had dozed off. When the movie was done, the mares carefully laid him down on the couch and covered him with the duvet. They whispered goodnight and let the rabbit sleep.

Rowan was startled by a door suddenly opening. He recognized the small room, but his vision was hazy and blurred. His body felt slow and responded poorly. There was movement in the adjoining hallway.

He left the small dirty room and went towards the source of the noise. There she was, holding the remote. In slow motion, he grabbed at his throat, but the collar was not there.

'How did you find me?' he asked. 'I'm not wearing the damn collar anymore!'

'No, but you're still wearing this!' was the answer, and she pressed the button.

Rowan's attention was drawn to his crotch. It felt as if his member strained in the tube of his chastity cage, but how could it? He no longer wore that either, did he? Looking down, he saw that he was naked, save for the metal chastity cage, which for some reason had the shocking device attached to it.

'Why did you leave me, Rowan? Did you forget about the contract? Did you really think you could get away from me?'

Her voice grew louder and shriller, and so did her shape. She hardly fit in the hallway anymore.

'You thought I would laugh at the note you left me?'

'It wasn't me! I didn't write it!' he shouted, trying to shield his face with his hands.

'I've always known you were a measly coward. That's why I've always had power over you, and always will!'

Everything inside Rowan told him to run, but his body felt like it was frozen solid. With all his might, he leaned towards the only other door, into the living room. With glacial speed, he tumbled through the door, and ended up on the balcony.

'If I catch you, I will kill you!' she shouted l.

But first, you must catch me, he thought. I did this once and I'll do it again!

He took a running start, or at least, that was the intention. There was no running, no adjacent balcony, and the fire exit appeared to be at least twice as far away as it had been. Before he knew, the balcony collapsed under his paws. Rowan fell down, although it felt like flying. For a few seconds, he felt at peace. Until he landed, that is. Or rather, he crashed. He had fallen, six stories down, and landed on his paws. No, on only one paw. One paw in particular - his left paw.

Rowan shot up, wide awake, with a searing pain in his left paw. He heard someone breathe heavily, and it took him three full seconds to understand it was his own breath he heard. Slowly, his eyes accustomed to the darkness as his body relaxed.

He could make out the silhouettes of the now somewhat familiar furniture or Stella and Celester's living room. He was on their couch, under the same duvet as last night. The pain in his left paw was him having forgotten to take his painkiller the night before, and he was not wearing the ankle brace at night. Speaking of the night before, how did he end up sleeping on the couch? The last thing he could remember was _sitting_on the couch, next to the mares. Did he fall asleep before the end of the movie, like a little kitten that thinks he is old enough to stay up late?

The feeling of straining in his cage was just his body being unfamiliar with having a nighttime erection, let alone while wearing a snug diaper. He reached a hand down and squeezed the front of his diaper, stifling a laugh at the thought of the phrase "little kitten". His diaper felt obviously wet, but he estimated it could last another round. Rowan then vaguely remembered getting a change before the movie, and wetting it somewhere halfway.

He felt around on the floor next to the couch, until his hand grabbed the crutch. Although he did not need it to get around, it was a helpful tool, especially now. He slowly made his way to the light switch and flipped it on. Now being able to actually see what he was doing, he went to the kitchen, careful not to bang his left paw against anything.

_ It's a good thing I organized this kitchen myself,_ Rowan thought. At least I won't have to search for a glass.

He quietly grabbed a glass and filled it with tap water. In the midnight silence, popping a pill out of the package felt to Rowan's sensitive ears like he was trying to trump a thunderstorm. Suddenly, the capsule plopped out and gently bounced over the countertop. The rabbit perked up his ears and froze. He heard nothing, and his right paw felt no vibrations. He let out a sigh of relief.

Without further ado, he put the package aside. He swallowed the painkiller, and downed the rest of the glass for good measure. As quietly as possible, he went back to the light switch, then to the couch. He snuggled up under the duvet and closed his eyes. There were no sounds, only leaves of the forest outside, being moved by the gentle breeze. Rowan was at peace, a very unfamiliar feeling for him.