Michelle: Ma Belle Monstre






Being raised amongst 5 other siblings is hard enough for any kid growing up, but for Michelle Barrete things were a bit more difficult than that. Her siblings, like her and her parents, were all dragons. Sibling rivalry was a bit more… deadly. It certainly didn't help either that Michelle was the shortest of her siblings for all of her childhood, not a runt by any means however. Four older brothers and her younger sister, all growing up on their family farm. Unlike many dragons in society, Michelle's family were farmers, a vocation inherited by the eldest male in the family. Her oldest brother Arin would be the one to succeed their father, Hugh, and as if it was his calling, he was born with a green thumb. Her other brothers, Huey, Louie and Dewey, were all star athletes destined for scholarships, and were athletic throughout their childhood. Her younger sister by a year, Patricia, was more put off by the boys' roughhousing and spent her time with other anthro girls in their town, developing a taste for finer things beyond their small-town farm. She rarely interacted positively with her sister, and left home for California at 18 with an older, wealthy pheasant she'd met in high school. Michelle's childhood was rough, being constantly ignored by her sister and bullied by her older brothers. She was tough however, and would try and play with them when they played sports. She developed a calloused hide throughout the years, both physically and emotionally. Her scales were a full pink as opposed to her siblings more crimson red, another thing they teased her for. By the time she was 16 she had a growth spurt that surprised her family; the shortest of them was now taller than every other member, even her father, who stood at just over six feet tall. Her weight subsequently increased with her newfound height, and her brothers were unphasee, opting to make fun of her weight now than her height. By the time she graduated high school, her opinion of men was fairly poor. Having dealt with her brothers, her father's disapproval of her more tomboyish attitude, and a couple of unsuccessful relationships which soured faster than they started, she was jaded in more ways than one. Her first relationship was with another dragon whom her father had set her up with, one of his friends' sons. The guy was a prick and she swung her mast of a tail into his gut when he tried forcing himself upon her (a task that really was futile due to her size). Her second attempt at a relationship was with a foreign exchange student at her high school. A Human by the name of Mohmed, who spoke fluent English despite growing up in Rwanda. She found his stories fascinating, as he spoke about all manners of things, from his parents and his infancy during the Tutsi Genocide, to his eventually coming to America to study abroad. They were never an official couple, but he was the closest person she had in her life. While she still was cold and demeaning towards others, her fetish towards humans only made her more affectionate towards Mohmed. When it came time for him to leave, it really affected Michelle. Her only friend would leave her and they would likely never see each other again. She confessed her feelings to Mohmed, and while he admired her greatly, his feelings were purely platonic. They decided to still keep in touch however, and they still exchange letters even today, but the heartbreak was the straw that broke the camel's back. Unmotivated and uncaring, she wasn't very interested in anything career or education related, and lacked any goals aside from making others as miserable as she was. Her father landed her a job with a shipping company shortly after her high school graduation, and she slowly rose up to a supervisor position over the course of a few years. Despite its flashy name she was still doing grunt work, making her essentially a glorified nanny, now responsible for "her crew" on her shift. Her abrasive and often braggadocious attitude was off-putting, but she slowly grew to appreciate a couple of her fellow workers and the company as a whole. Their warehouse was not a location the owners ever visited, but it was a family business, and Michelle was paid more than fairly, allowing her to move out of her parents and into her own little rowhome, unfortunately still in town. Aside from the long drive to and from, she was very grateful for her job.
 
Now at 24, Michelle is a dedicated Lawrne & Hatheway Shipping Co. employee, though she may not show it. Her lack of direction has turned into a loyalty to one of the only things in her life that's been good to her, the company. Her fellow (competent) employees have also earned her respect, but she shows it in a very unbecoming fashion, leading newer employees to regard her as a "total bitch," but never to her face. Despite her loyalty, she would still berate any of her co-workers who tried anything funny at work. Once, an Ox working on the floor for his third day blew up and cursed Michelle out. It was amusing to watch him fume while she towered a head taller, grinning wildly, before she cackled and simply lifted him and slung him over her shoulder, knocking the wind out of him before "escorting him off of the premises." Needless to say, no one messed with Michelle. She had earned her place there and finally felt like she had some semblance of a home.

Until one fateful day when a new employee would start unraveling her, causing her to question everything she's known, and hopefully change her negative tune.
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Michelle: Ma Belle Monstre


~Chapter One~ 

"Not 'till we are lost, in other words not 'till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves, and realize where we are and the infinite extent of our relations."
-Henry David Thoreau, 1846


    Burnt rubber stained the pavement as you barrelled eastward out of town. The grey and red brick buildings were a blur as you swiftly raced towards your goal. You're notorious for being late but calling it this close on your first day on the job is pretty ridiculous. Staying up all night online never tends to be worth it come morning. Thankfully the traffic in the small town you live in is fairly light, but it didn't stop you from cursing every driver abiding the speed limit.

     "Come ON already!" You groan as an elderly feline in the sedan ahead took her sweet time turning at the light. Anxiously, you take a peek at your watch, which reads 7:48 AM.

     "Shit…" you curse under your breath, grating your teeth in annoyance with yourself, "Ugh god why do I let YouTube recommendations autoplay until four in the morning…"

    Your hindsight may be 20/20, but your actual eyesight isn't. Bringing it back up to sixty miles per hour you narrowly avoided a cervine pedestrian crossing the road, almost swerving into a stoplight. Regaining your composure, you continue outside of town and down the long road towards the warehouse. The location was a bit inconvenient, nearly fourteen miles east of town, an almost forty minute ride one way. Despite this the pay was well worth it, implying the job wasn't shit to work. It was exactly what you needed to continue living on your own since your job as a drug-store manager fell through when the company sold off its stores to another company. They gave you a nice severance package, but it would prove barely enough to sustain you until you found this job at one of Lawrne and Hatheway's Shipping Company's warehouses. It would be more grunt work than you cared for, but the pay was worth it. 

     You glance down at your watch again as you turn off of the main road and down a wooded sidestreet that lead to the warehouse: a massive cluster of buildings with an even larger parking lot, practically a small island in the middle of a forest. You quickly pulled up to the front security gate and roll down your window, unsure really of what to expect. From the booth emerges, hilariously, an older looking Doberman in a navy blue "Security" outfit, rocking the full cliche with a lethal haircut and a pair of aviators. Wordless, he nodded his head as he gave you a one over and crossed his arms.
     
     "What's your business here son?" The Doberman demanded coldly. His voice was raspy and matched the grey hair around his muzzle. Unphased, you begin to explain your business with a but of urgency as your minutes left turn into seconds.

     "Listen I'm supposed to be here for my first day and if I'm not there in a minute-"

      "Kid, your being late isn't my problem, but security is. Head over to Administration on your right as you drive in. They'll issue you a card you'll need for entering and exiting the premises." His tone was monotonous and impatient, his steeled eyes hidden under his sunglasses. He huffed and turned back to his booth

     "Should've just given yourself a few extra minutes in the morning for this kind of thing kid." He sighed while walking away, shaking his head.

     You're not particularly fond of being called "kid" in your 20's, but there's no time for arguing at this point. You nod furiously as the Doberman strolls over to his booth to lift the gates, allowing you to storm in and find a parking spot.