First date preparations

Sunlight parted through the cracks of the closed Window , iluminating the once dark bedroom of an apartment. It's occupant still residing in the land of dreams. on a desk placed near the bed, a mobile phone starts playing a loud grating tune: a wake-up alarm. coming from under the sheets,a small human-like white paw searches for the origin of cacophonous sound. after some blind tapping, the alarm lock is rapidly undone, Stillness reigning over the room once again...

.....that is, until the once slumbering person bolts from the fluff and bedsheet mess, several moments after.

"oh no...no,no!" The monstrous girl gets up, dragging a pair of sheets on her tail and wings. She takes the phone in her paws whilst making her way to the bathroom. the mobile's screen showing a rather early time, 7:11 in the morning. That did little to calm the manticore, she had an important day ahead.....her first date.


Manticores are often rough and dominant. , one of the most fearsome and relentless creatures. but this wasn't quite the case for Claire, She always had a ghostly pale skin, along with a seamlessly white fur. her often calm and serious tone off-putted everyone around her, unlikely for a manticore.


She got through the stares and demeaning insults , but that affected her, she was meek, simple and silent most of the time. after years living like that, she finally had the chance to change it.


After a long and through bath, the manticore darts to the kitchen across the apartment. clothed in a bath robe. She hurries herself once again upon taking a look at the clock hanging on the wall. While preparing a quick breakfast, her phone rings a rather cheery song. 'Who could be so early?' she thought to herself. Answering it, a rather monotone voice speaks over the line:


"Morn' Claire , getting ready already?".


The person on the line was Claire's only friend, an Oomukade she met during high school. They sticked together after ending their college courses, and she ended up becoming the manticore's attendant.


"Yeah...I was up 'till late revising some papers". The manticore confirmed while pouring a cup of coffee. Weariness hanging on her words.


"Hey, I got your paperwork covered for the day, do not be so worried". Claire's friend assured her."And try to enjoy the date you finally got. I'll see you tomorrow". the phone hangs with the Oomukade's usual short conversations.


The manticore mananged to Arrange a date with her co-worker, whom she took a liking while supervising him on his work line. He was understading, and shared some interests with her, and most of all, did not looked down on her. part of her thinks its because of his lower position on the job, just being nice to his superiors. But she hoped he was someone who could finally like her, despite all things. It wasn't a time for wavering.


With somewhat renewed spirits, she gets up after finishing her quick meal. ....only for her tail to bash on the recent used cup over the counter and smash on the ground, startling her. This triggers her tail's reaction , Shooting it's barbs all over the kitchen. She looks over the perfurated kitchen sink and spine-less tail, slumping her shoulders. 'guess i'll not worry hurting anyone today' , she muttered to herself.


After cleaning the mess, which set her back even more, she goes back to the bedroom. Taking the robe out, made easier without the tail spines and dumping it into the dirty clothes laundry ,she reveals her form for no one else to see. She was petite for a manticore, one of the reasons for her low self-esteem. that also made buying clothes harder, as the average manticore form is rather voluptous.


While putting on her under garments , the doorbell rings, with someone speaking on the intercom right after.


"Order from Bridget's Silk Model, Is....miss Claire there?". asks the delivery person.


Must be her date's dress. she ordered it from one of the biggest and expensivest clothes store in the city. She hurries herself to the intercom , still half dressed , and answers it.


"Yes, I...ordered it , you can come up.


"Alright" The deliverer responds and takes the nearby sets of stairs


Going back to her room with a skip on her step. She opens her closet to find....nothing, her heart skipping the beat instead. 'It's laundry day....'. She always goes to the built-in laundry of the building on her sleep clothes, early in the morning, but now was too late.


With the approaching delivery person, she had to think fast, which wasn't her forte. Eyeing her bed for some time, she has the brilliant idea of wearing the bedsheets as a cover. drapping herself on the blue sheets, she hurries to the door


The deliverer, reached the apartment quickly , rapping on the door and calling for the owner, the door opens slowly. behind it stood a rather small manticore wearing a peculiar blue dress.

"Miss claire,I assume?" the guy holding a white box with black ornaments asks her."I'm here to deliver a dress...".


"oh, yes. It is for me" She tries snatch the box and almost drops it.


The person shrugs and retrieves a paper and a pen from his bag "You gotta sign this".


Claire stops for a second, she sets the box down on a nearby chair and takes the pen , only to find that its chained to the paper stand. Awkardly sticking her paw to scribble on the paper, she does not notices the cloth over her shoulder falling off. The guy catches a glimpse of her right breast a second before she notices a breeze on her side.


"Ahh!,sorry!". hurling the stand and pen at the Deliverer, she excuses herself and closes the door abruptly, leaving the delivery man bewildered.


The manticore makes her way to the bedroom once again,red as a beet, not covered but carrying the coveted dress.

After undoing the seal and lock. Claire retrieves a dark blue one-piece dress from the box. Trying it out in front of the mirror, she meekly strikes poses and motions of possible situations to happen on the date. She sits down to put on her heels after tiring out, the special made footwear fitting neatly on her feet paws. She gets up to try both heels and dress , Her phone's Alarm rings , interrupting her rehersal poses.

The alarm is the usual from work days, but it reminds her time is almost out. Claire hurries to her bathroom counter, filled with cosmetic products. The powder is perfect to hide any blemishes, especially on such white skin. Blood red lipstick giving a nice contrast to her color palette. When opening the rarely used eyeliner out , she accidentally hits her eyebrow. panicking ,she tries to wash the black line out, but it ends up spreading the ink over her skin. forgetting the remover, she instead opts for covering with a peach colored eyeshadow. Peculiar, but not weird.

With a final long look at the mirror, she smiles and nods to herself. after finding her hand bag, she exits her apartment and sets out to the nearest metro station. The ride to the rendezvous' location is almost exempt of people, which helps Claire focus her thoughts.

Upon arriving, she gets out of the monorail to a busy part of the city. soldiering on through the obvious stares, which were less opressive than she ever felt. She finally reaches the date's spot; A technology and science convention,

After walking around the entrance, seaching through the food and trinkets stalls, She catches a glimpe of a familiar jacket. A blue diamond patterned jacket, her date's favourite piece of clothing.

He is leaning over a handrail seemingly lost in thoughts , but with a smile on his face.

She slows her pace and stands a few meters behind him, worryness growing each second, she breathes in and out steadily and finally calls him out.

Snapping from his thoughts , he looks over to his left and right before turning, only to be graced with his charmingly dressed and peculiar date.

"oh, you came!" he exclaims before closing their distance for a hug , Their embrace taking more time than the usual.

"C'mon", he extends a hand to her."I hope you'll like this place, its pretty amazing!".

She takes his hands and nods."Yeah....It seems wonderful".

They both set out to the convention on good spirits,all their doubts melting away. being just the  beginning of a surely wonderful Day......