⌚ New Experiences

31. The Other Punishment

Looks like my writing schedule is back in 'low buffer' mode, so we'll be restricted to 1 chapter per day until I can build up a few more chapters in reserve. I will be doing my best to get back to normal before the end of the month.

"Girls?" Lulu opened the door cautiously, as if afraid of flying water, soap, rubber duckies, or whatever else might be found in a bathroom with uncontrolled cubs. "Are you..." and then her nose wrinkled up and she backed away just a little.

"Sorry Mommy!" Dawn called out as Lulu drew a breath from outside the bathroom.

"Oh dear," Lulu shook her head, "I think somebody's been a very naughty kitten."

"I'm sorry," Dawn repeated. "I pretended I was a baby, and Spanky gotta copy what I do. Was that super mean, are you gonna punish me?"

"It's okay," Paper came closer, and quieted Dawn with a hug. She was cleaner now, but still had sticky patches in her fur. "We should have paid more attention. You're only a little one, we can't expect you to think everything through. And I don't want to upset such a cutie."

"Spanky can do it then?"

"I'm sure he'd love that, but I don't think it's necessary. And right now, I think we all need a bath. Is that okay? Lots of bubbles, and no more stinky Spanky."

The cubs nodded, one enthusiastic and relieved, the other still devoting most of his energy to blushing. Paper started to run the bath, and then turned her attention to Spanky, laying him unceremoniously on a towel on the bathroom floor. Dawn ran towards Lulu, who quickly jumped up onto the bed to avoid the mess of food that was still plastered in the cub's fur. Paper gently kicked the door closed, glad that for now she only had a single cub to deal with.

Spanky cringed as he felt her unfasten the tapes on his diaper, raising both paws to cover his face so he didn't have to see Mommy's reaction. But after the last tape was gone, rather than pulling the diaper away and wiping him clean like last time, he felt strong hands under his arms, lifting him up and placing him on the plastic floor of the shower cubicle. A second later, there was a squeaking sound, and the rumbling sound of running water changed quickly. He couldn't make out what Mommy was doing, and curiosity quickly drove him to peek between his fingers.

Then there was a paw holding his, pulling him to stand up. And then a sudden jet of cold water directed under his tail, making him shriek and dance on the spot, trying to move away. Paper played the water around Spanky's bottom, probably doing a good job of cleaning him off, but he was more worried about how cold it was. After a few minutes, Paper returned the shower head to its holder, and a stream of warmer water came down to soak the rest of Spanky's fur. And his clothes, he realised. He pulled the sodden fabric of his shortalls away from his body, but it didn't seem to make much difference.

Paper's hands came in quickly to unbutton his straps, and the thick cotton dropped instantly to the floor with a damp splat. The water hadn't done much to remove cheese, tomato, and assorted toppings; but it had certainly made his clothes extra heavy.

"Arms up!" Paper commanded, and Spanky complied. She pulled his shirt – also pizza-stained – off over his head, and then lifted him up so she could whip the rest of his clothes out from under him. Everything went into a sturdy plastic trash bag on the top of his laundry hamper.

"My clothes!" he protested, but Paper just shook her head, and adjusted the jet of water above him.

"They're covered in sauce," she pointed out. "They need washing. And I think that in these circumstances, it's easier to take them down to the laundrette in a waterproof bag. You can have some cuter clothes after you've had your bath."

Spanky considered this for a few moments, and couldn't see anything wrong with it. He nodded: "Okay". Then she sprayed him all over with the water, adjusting the temperature and strength of the jet until she was satisfied he was clean enough. He never seemed to be, so the torrent just continued. And every time he opened his mouth to protest, he got a mouthful of warm or cold water, so he quickly learned to stand still and move where Mommy wanted him to.

"How's it going?" Lulu's voice called from outside.

"Think I got this one almost clean," Paper answered, "Do I need to take Dawnie off your hands? I hope she's not being any trouble."

"Oh, I can deal with a subby cub," Lulu grinned and opened the door. She was carrying Dawn, who was trussed up in a bath towel and doing her best impression of a frustrated pout.

"What's that for?" Paper laughed.

"This one needs to learn to keep her wings to herself. I'm not going to be covered in sauce, pet."

"Okay. Did you change her?"

"That's your job. Don't think I got a maternal bone in my body," Lulu smirked proudly. "I can take their clothes to be washed, though. Yours too if you want. Better get them soaking before that sauce has time to stain."

"Or to eat holes in the fabric," Paper muttered as she peeled off her own clothes, and added them to the bag with Spanky's. "Somehow I seem to be coated with your special sauce as well as theirs." The two Mommies swapped, a bundle of blushing cub for a bag of laundry, and then Paper set to work untying the knots in the towel. There were a lot of them, and they looked really complicated, but it seemed like she'd done it before. Spanky knew he was supposed to be getting clean now, so while he watched he also grabbed a soap, and did his best to hold onto it for more than two seconds at a time while he rubbed it over his still-cheesy body.

Under the towel, Dawn was just in a diaper now. There was quite a bit of food spread on her coat, but much of it came away with the towel, leaving her not too messy.

"Hey, Mistress!" Paper called, and then blushed, gasped like she'd done something wrong. Maybe because she'd got the other Mommy's name wrong, Spanky guessed.

"Yes pet?" Lulu didn't have any problem answering.

"Take the towel too. If you're looking for tokens for the washing machines, they're in the jar next to the computer."

Whatever answer Lulu gave, it must have been in sign language. But it made Paper blush even more, and gently bite her lip as she turned back to the cubs. First, she lifted Spanky out of the shower, but kept it running while she deposited him in a warm bath piled high with bubbles.

"Oh, you found the soap!" Paper gave him a huge smile, "You're a really good girl today, aren't you? Now, can you try to clean yourself some more while I look after your sister? I don't want to be covered in bubbles, okay?"

"Yes, Mommy," Spanky nodded.

"Promise?"

"Yes, Mommy."

"Good girl," and Paper ruffled his fur before kneeling down in front of Dawn.