Sktaral chirruped as his alarm clock went off. A pungent odor greeted him as he awoke but he paid it no heed. A warm stream flowed out of his cloaca but he ignored it...until he started feeling a spreading dampness beneath him. The raptor practically exploded from his nest the moment he felt the puddle touch his belly. The adolescent Utahraptor was confronted with a sizable wet spot in his nest of blankets and pillows.
"Motherfucker," he muttered as he gingerly ran his hands along his legs, flanks and belly. His feathers were damp with urine. He then carefully examined his overnight diaper, examining the waist, leg and tail gathers. The only adornment on the thoroughly yellowed and swollen diaper was a barely visible blue smudge that was the remnant of a wetness indicator. He felt a firm mass in the seat of his diaper, indicating that he had soiled himself in his sleep. Worst of all was the dampness he felt on the outside of the diaper and on the leg gathers.
The raptor looked at the digital clock on the wall and sighed. This was going to be a while.
There was then a knocking on the door. "Sweetie, are you up yet?"
"Yes!" Sktaral called back.
"Don't forget to clean up!"
"Yes, Mom!" He bundled up his wet blankets and opened the door, revealing a dusky red female Utahraptor wearing a solid purple all-in-one cloth diaper that seemed to double the size of her hindquarters.
"Hey, Sktaral," she said. "I have to leave right now so you'll have to get yourself breakfast and ready for school."
"Yes, Mom," Sktaral said.
"And make sure you don?t forget the powder and ointment when you change your diaper!"
"Yes, Mom."
"Okay, see you after school!" the female Utahraptor licked her son on the cheek as she headed off to work.
Sktaral sighed as carried the load to the laundry room and shoved everything into the massive industrial washing machine (a necessity owing to the sheer size and thickness of cloth diapers for a Utahraptor). He poured in the detergent and let it run. Three unopened packages of size 9 Rexes diapers and two packages of size 7 Depend Ultra-Tabbed Mesozoican Protection were visible. He looked at his own diaper and at the package. He growled softly and gently kicked the cardboard box. A large utility sink in the corner served as a place to rinse messy diapers before they were placed in the washing machine.
The raptor then headed to the bathroom to go wash up.
Several minutes later and with feathers damp and smelling of the earthy feather wash he liked so much, Sktaral went to his room and pulled out a fresh diaper from his dresser. He pondered whether to wear it or not.
In the end, wanting to make an impression as the "cool kid" in his new school, he opted to not wear his diapers. All he did was simply throw his kvuthir — the earth toned shawl with abstract designs that was the "national outfit" of Mesozoicans — on and fasten the clasps around his neck and tail.
He headed to the kitchen and grabbed a large, bloody steak. Seeing as he had some time left, he quickly heated it in the microwave and devoured it. A sizable glass of water helped wash it down. The raptor then blotted away any blood spatter that may have marred his brilliant green plumage.
As Sktaral exited the kitchen, he passed by the family shrine in the living room. He checked the clock.
Thirty minutes before the bus arrives. He had time for the veneration.
The Utahraptor approached the shrine and dipped his head as he crouched down in a Mesozoican approximation of a bow. The shrine itself was a simple ovoid sandstone rock with multiple niches carved into it. His eggshell charm necklace with its fine silver chain rested on the lowest niche. Above were the eggshell charm necklaces of his parents.
After half a minute of reflection in silence, he got up, plucked three fresh leaves from the nearby potted gingko tree and placed them atop the shrine. He placed his muzzle atop the shrine and snuffled, taking in the earthy scent of the sandstone. Symbolically, he was also taking in the protection and luck offered by the necklaces.
His ritual complete, the adolescent raptor grabbed his saddlebags, exited the house and shut the door. The Montanan sunlight shone down, illuminating the neighborhood. He looked around.
There were a few Humans around but the majority of the people present were Mesozoicans. There was an Achillobator tending to their rock garden. And his destination: a mixed species group standing by a metal street sign reading "School Bus Stop''.
Sktaral stood next to his friend — and one of the only people he really knew at the school: a young, black-haired Human. "Hey, Lin! What's up!''
The Asian teen smiled and let the raptor sniff his hand. He gently clapped Sktaral on his feathery flank as a friendly greeting. "Nothing much.''
He then noticed the dark wood scabbard hanging by his friend's waist. "Ooh, you got a blade so you can fit in with us Mesos?'' Sktaral showed off the curved talons on his feet.
Lin sighed. "My mom says I can't wear it to school. She says people might get the wrong idea.''
The adolescent Utahraptor snorted. "Bullshit. A human with a knife is no more or less dangerous than a Meso with their claws and teeth.''
The sound of an approaching bus cut their conversation short. The bus itself looked more like a city transit bus than a school bus. Complete with standing room and a retractable ramp.
Granted, those changes were mandated due to the inability of all but the smallest Mesozoicans to sit in conventional vehicles.
Sktaral boarded and took a position in the standing area, taking care not to get his tail caught or strike anyone else. In the back were the seats for the Velociraptors and Compies. Lining the sides were standard seats for the Human students.
He checked his backpack to ensure he had everything. Minus the diapers, of course. He sniffed the air. There was the distinctive dry, plastic odor of public transport overlaid with the body odor of both Humans and Mesozoicans and the scent of baby powder and fresh diapers.
As the bus began to move, he heard a mumbled swear as a Human student attempt to clean up the spilled contents of his backpack. The raptor tilted his head as he saw what had spilled out.
Four diapers that were clearly sized and cut for a Human. And adorned with what were clearly prints of marijuana leaves. As the teen bent over to pick up his spilled supplies, Sktaral noticed the plastic waistband of a disposable diaper peeking out from the top of his pants.
Not surprisingly, no one paid heed to the contents of the bag. Except for a Compy who showed their approval of the diapers by flashing a thumbs-up.
"Well, that's an...interesting design,'' Lin said.
Sktaral watched as teen quickly cleaned up the mess, returned to his seat and acted like nothing happened. He wondered if the dress code was more liberal at this school than at his old one. Granted, the dress code at his old high school was the generic code in use throughout the US education system: no revealing clothes, no offensive slogans on clothing, no pro-drug or violent messages, no gang colors, Mesozoican students must be diapered (fully continent Mesozoican students are permitted to forgo diapers with a doctor's clearance but may not be nude), no hats indoors.
With the exception of one baffling rule: Human students may not wear diapers unless medically indicated. To his knowledge, it was the sole rule in the dress code that remained unbroken.
He looked out the window and took in the rocky Montanan landscape. As he did so, thoughts of how his first day at his new school would be ran through his mind.
That was interrupted several minutes later when the bus stopped in front of the high school. It had the same sandstone facade that decorated many of Mesozoica's buildings. Several resurrected Jurassic-era Araucaria trees added some greenery to the otherwise stony scene.
Sktaral disembarked and melded in with the crowd that filed its way into the school. He noticed that the cafeteria in the commons was open but all it served were hot drinks. Seeing as a hot cup of tea was a good way to start the day, he stood in line. In front of him was a diapered Velociraptor on a stepladder filling up their reusable steel cup with some coffee.
He grabbed a paper cup, ripped open the tea packet, placed the teabag in the cup, moved the stepladder aside and started filling his cup with steaming hot water.
Drink paid for and cup in hand, he headed to his first class: Mesozoican history. Sktaral took his assigned seat — which being designed to be used by both Humans and Mesozoicans took the form of a bench where the back rest could be folded down to allow Mesozoican tails to protrude freely — and pulled out the binder from his saddlebags. Mechanical pencil in hand, the raptor opened up to a fresh page and waited for class to start. He took a sip of his tea as he read the homework assignments written on the board.
Nothing too difficult - just read and outline chapters four and five of the textbook.
The sound of the door opening got his attention as an orange feathered Dakotaraptor entered the room. "Now then," the older raptor said, making his way to the whiteboard. We've wasted enough time already. Now then, can anyone explain the how the Americans with Disabilities Act affects all Mesozoicans?"
Sktaral sighed and placed his head down on his desk. He absentmindedly doodled in his notebook as he listened to the teacher drone on about some of the landmark legal cases that ensured Mesozoicans had equal access to facilities.
The Utahraptor adolescent continued doodling on his notes.
The end of the class couldn't come soon enough. Sktaral practically exploded out of his seat and bolted from the classroom. An amused chitter came from a Deinonychus sitting next to the door who was slowly putting his books away. A squish emanated from him as he shifted in his seat and got up, exposing his drooping diaper.
As he headed to his next class (Literature), he overheard some Mesozoicans talking about how the "no nudity'' rule was speciesist. Sktaral chittered in amusement as he saw that the group was all padded...and likely in need of clean diapers, judging from the faint odor wafting from them. Thankfully, it wasn't enough to put him off his cup of black tea.
Since class was across the school, Sktaral barely had time to finish his drink and throw the cup away as he pushed his way through the crowd. He entered the classroom and took his seat in the back of the classroom. He sniffed the air; someone had soiled their diaper and forgot to use powder. He reached inside his pack, grabbed some powder, sprinkled it on his arm feathers and took a deep whiff. The Utahraptor glanced around the classroom; again it was a roughly even split between Human and Mesozoican. A Velociraptor in a booster seat (and the one who he suspected was the source of the odor in the room, judging from the sizable lump in the seat of their diaper) sat next to him. Said smaller raptor was using their claws to scratch something in the wooden desk.
The Velociraptor noticed Sktaral staring and stopped vandalizing the desk. "The fuck you looking at?" the small raptor snarled.
Sktaral said nothing but returned his attention to the whiteboard at the front of the room. On it was today?s agenda:
1. Turn in essays that were assigned last week. 2. Discuss the impact of Neuromancer on science and society since its authorship in 1984. 3. Discuss the possible interpretations of the opening lines of Neuromancer. 4. Vocabulary workbook review
The teacher, a middle aged man, entered. "Welcome, I trust everyone came prepared to discuss today's points?" The man was so pale, one could be forgiven for thinking he lived in a library and never saw sunlight. "But before we engage in intellectual discussion, please hand in your essays."
Sktaral opened his binder and pulled out the paper on which he had typed up his essay (exploring the shared themes of Neuromancer and the video game Deus Ex: Human Revolution). He nonchalantly passed his essay to the student in front of him. The Utahraptor watched as the teacher collected the essays and put them on his desk for future grading.
Once the essays were collected, the teacher continued. "Now then, who would like to volunteer the first part of our discussion?"
Several hands — Human and Mesozoican — alike shot into the air. He then pointed to a girl in the back corner of the room. "LaToya, would you like to start?"
The dark-skinned girl nodded. "Well, Neuromancer is what started the whole genre of cyberpunk. But going further, one could argue that the Internet in its current form owes its influence to Gibson's imagining of cyberspace. In fact, the usage of the term as slang for the Internet actually originated from the novel. In addition, I would also say that the novel's depiction of software security solidified — for better or worse — the popular image of hacking computers."
"Very apt description of its influence on literature, language and technology. However, I do have one question, LaToya, what makes you say that Neuromancer solidified the popular culture image of hacking computers?"
"In the novel, what's known as ICE, short for Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics, are programs used to protect electronic data from hackers. And ICE was commonly depicted as a physical wall in cyberspace. Many popular culture depictions of computer hacking use this as a visual shorthand for security software, despite its unrealistic nature. And yes, it has influenced how people think computer hacking works in real life."
A green Compy in the back corner raised their arm.
"Yes. Zkrza?" the teacher said.
"Mr. Gallo, can I go change my diaper?"
"I hope you can change your diaper at your age,'' Mr. Gallo said.
Zkrza rolled her eyes and sighed at the joke that every pendant...and English teacher had made in their lives. "May I change my diaper?''
"You're excused."
Zkrza climbed down the desk, headed towards the small elevated walkway near the door and exited through the smaller door in the wall next to the main entrance.
Sktaral flicked his tail as he listened to Mr. Gallo ask about the famous opening lines of Neuromancer and how each person could interpret it. He raised his hand.
"Sktaral, what do you say about the opening lines and how it reflects Case's personality?'' Mr. Gallo asked.
The raptor cleared his throat. "Well, when it mentions the sky being the color of a dead television channel, it's obviously referring to the grey static of the old analog television channels that were prevalent when the book was written. Also of note is that the old CRTs from that time were notorious for producing a large amount of pollution during their manufacturer and disposal, which is also reflected in how the skies were described as `poisoned'.
"This is also reflection of the pollution inside Case in the form of poisoning that rendered him unable to access Cyberspace as well as his position within Chiba City. He's essentially `pollution' as it were, living at the fringes of society.''
Mr. Gallo nodded. "Excellent. Now are there any other interpretations?''
A boy with distinctly Mediterranean features and olive skin raised his hand.
"Sergio?''
"Well, the description of a dead television channel is a little dated by modern standards as dead channels are bright blue.'' Sergio's Spanish accented speech suggested that he was a foreign exchange student or that he had recently moved to the US. "If one ignores the subsequent description of the skies as `silvered' with pollution, the metaphor still works, as it shows Case as someone who has spent so much time around technology and become so alienated from the natural world that the only thing he can compare the sky to is a television set.''
Mr. Gallo nodded. "Well, that's an interesting take on the metaphor but as you said, it only works if you ignore the subsequent description.'' He then headed over to his desk to look at the lesson plan. "Now then, let's go over the vocab lessons.''
There was the rustling of papers and shuffling of backpacks as the students took out their vocabulary workbooks.
Sktaral sighed, grabbed his book out of his saddlebags and placed it on the desk. The remaining class time blurred together as he autonomously went over and checked the answers to his workbook.
The bell then rang, indicating that it was time to go onto his next class. "Please complete the next section of the vocab workbook for tomorrow and read the next two chapters of Neuromancer!'' Mr. Gallo called as the students began packing up and exiting.
The adolescent Utahraptor exited the hallway and into the crowd of students. He noticed that the small motorized walkway for Compies was seldom used, with a fair number of the tiny theropods opting to either ride on the shoulders/backs of their friends or be carried by them. He tossed his empty cup into a trash can as he headed to his next class.
Next up was his calculus class, which happened to be on the other side of the school. Fortunately, there was ample time to get across the relatively small school. Indeed, he was the first to arrive. The scent of dry erase markers permeated the air. Without a word, he took a seat in the desk and got out his binder.
Soon, the other students were filing into class and taking their seats. A squish was heard as an Achillobator dressed in a sandstone patterned kvuthir sat next to him. Said dromaeosaur noticed Sktaral looking at them...no thanks to the noise that had gotten his attention. The Utahraptor wrinkled his muzzle as the pungent scent of stale urine wafted up from the other raptor.
He shook his head; his mother would've plucked him for such a breach in manners — openly wetting or soiling your diaper in public was not a problem; after all, practically all Mesozoicans were incontinent, but smelling strongly of your diaper's contents was a faux pas akin to a Human failing to use deodorant.
Trying to distract himself from the odiferous raptor, Sktaral pulled out his math binder from his saddlebags and opened up to a new page whereupon he wrote down the date. The board had some remnants of the lesson from the periods before but he ignored them. What got the dromaeosaurid's attention the most was the reminder for the test next week. He sighed. Looks like this weekend's get together with Lin and some other buddies is off the table, he thought. Maybe I can move it to next weekend.
Ms. Pasalbo was an older woman who entered after all the students had arrived. "Good morning class,'' she said. "I hope everyone is ready to learn. Now then let's go over last night's homework.''
The Utahraptor groaned as he flipped to the homework section in his binder.
As the morning wore on, Sktaral could feel a pressure building in his abdomen. The Utahraptor's tail swished slightly as he tried to focus on the droning voice of Ms. Pasalbo. Already, he was regretting his decision to forgo his padding...and drink his morning cup of tea. Indeed, he was the only Mesozoican in the room who wasn't diapered as he caught glimpses of diapers (used and unused) underneath the kvuthir of those Mesozoicans who chose to wear something more than a diaper.
As the math teacher started discussing integrals, a clawed hand shot into the air. "Ms. Pasalbo," Sktaral said. "May I use the restroom?"
"You should have gone before class." The elderly Human then resumed speaking.
The Utahraptor sighed and continued taking down notes. He watched as a Troodon sitting in front of him involuntarily flicked their tail and the flower pattern on their diaper started fading away as the diaper began to swell and sag. Thanks to his enhanced hearing, Sktaral could hear the liquid hitting the inside of the Troodon's diaper. The Mesozoican clenched his teeth as he willed his cloaca to remain shut.
As he waited for the class to end, he was occupied with one thought: how do those rare Mesozoicans — and practically all Humans do it?
The moment the buzzer sounded, Sktaral packed up his belongings and sprinted out of the room. He barely heard the teacher mention tonight?s homework assignment nor did he bother to write it down in his planner. The Utahraptor's eyes darted around the packed hallway as he tried to find the bathroom/changing rooms.
He saw two Compies running along the small elevated, moving walkway for the smaller Mesozoicans. Another Compy was riding on her Human friend?s shoulder like a parrot. There were two Deinonychus stopped by their lockers. One of them had his locker open and taped inside was a picture of Blue posing with a dead boar.
Sktaral's tail swished again as he wriggled slightly. The pressure inside his abdomen was starting to become overwhelming. Recalling where the bathrooms were in his old school, he sprinted to the cafeteria.
As it was lunch time, he could smell the variety of foods for the Humans and what smelled like freshly cooked pork for the Mesozoicans. They were familiar to him as they resembled the odors of his old cafeteria. He sniffed the air; there was a conspicuous absence of peanuts and the total lack of the metallic tang of raw meat. He did recall that raw meat, tree nuts and peanuts were specifically banned from lunch due to health hazards. He snorted in displeasure. At least his old high school allowed those three items in a designated area of the lunch room.
And had bathrooms in the cafeteria/commons.
Not that knowledge would have helped him as he felt joyous release of the pressure in his belly.
The pungent odor and wetness on his feet immediately dampened any relief he felt. His brilliant green feathers collapsed in as he noticed everyone — Human and Mesozoican alike — staring at the rather large puddle of Utahraptor urine he was standing in. His first day at a new school and he'd already made a fool of himself.
Soon laughter broke out, causing Sktaral to whine softly. "Come on," he said in an attempt to distract the crowd. "It's happened to everyone at least once, right?"
"Only hatchlings leave messes like you! The rest of us grown-ups know to diaper up when we go outside," an Achillobator said. Said dinosaur was wearing a bulky cloth diaper with plastic pants decorated with a skull and crossbones motif.
"No!" the speaker was Human this time. He was a tall teenager of Asian descent wearing a kvuthir — one of the few Humans who wore the Mesozoican outfit. Of course, he was wearing the "standard'' clothing of a t-shirt and khakis under it.
He softly growled as he spotted a Compy running away; no doubt the small Mesozoican had just taken a picture of him.
"Oh, be nice!" Sktaral's feathers shrunk in further as he recognized that voice. He turned towards the voice and found out the source to be a slate-grey Utahraptor with some white feather highlights on her head. She had on a pink disposable diaper with a blatantly feminine flower print...that appeared to be a little wet, judging from the sag.
"Um, hi Kthktz."
The female Utahraptor chittered in amusement as she looked over the male Utahraptor standing in a puddle of his own urine with a completely drenched kvuthir clinging to his hindquarters. "Boys, always trying too hard to be cool. At least you didn't end up like Sanjay."
Sktaral winced as he recalled what the Human teen did. In an attempt to emulate a stunt he saw on TV, he tried to grind down the railings on the front steps of the school with only his shoes. Predictably, he failed, landed crotch-first on the metal railing, fell down in agony and spent the next several minutes cursing and clutching his wounded genitals. Of course, the whole student body was present as he had invited them to watch.
"Now come on, let's get you cleaned up...you're starting to smell." Kthktz gently pushed the embarrassed raptor out of his puddle and towards the bathroom. The sound of laughter was heard as the soggy Utahraptor was led to the bathrooms.
***
The bathrooms, or more accurately, the changing rooms were located not in the lunchroom but in a little hallway off the lunchroom. It was the same place where the industrial arts classroom was located.
"Wait, that's the female's room!" Sktaral exclaimed as his friend opened the door and dragged him inside. Inside the room were individual stalls that branched off a main room with sinks, paper towel dispensers and hand dryers. A mechanical whirring followed by a gentle puff and the strong scent of magnolia indicated that air freshener had been dispensed.
"So?" Kthktz then opened one of the stalls and practically shoved the adolescent Utahraptor inside. She then entered after him and shut the door.
Sktaral looked at the stall. It was the same in the male's room. Just a simple but sturdy floor mounted changing table (complete with a fold-out stepladder for those who couldn't reach the table) with a disposal chute in the wall, a stack of plain diapers in every size, a wall mounted dispenser for single use packages of powder and ointment and a wall mounted dispenser for moist wipes. A trash can for empty powder and ointment packages was next to the changing table. A sign on the wall read "No diapers or wipes in the trash can''. Finally, there was a wooden shelf at the head of the changing table where one could store backpacks and similar items
The female Utahraptor put her backpack on the small table and got out the needed diapering supplies.
Sktaral winced as he realized he'd be wearing one of her diapers. And this one was a thick pink monstrosity with visible frills at the leg and tail gathers. An all-over cartoonish unicorn print decorated the diaper. "Really?" he asked.
"I don't see you bringing any diapers," Kthktz said as she laid out a disposable changing mat from the dispenser.
"There's free diapers here."
"They ran out of our size."
Sktaral's feathers flattened as he realized he'd be wearing Kthktz's frilly diapers. As if wetting himself in public wasn't bad enough, he?d be wearing a girly diaper. He only hoped that he didn't end up like the Compy in his last school who had a messy diaper leak in class; the poor Mesozoican got saddled with the nickname "Mess-ozoican" for the entire school year.
"Now then, let?s get you cleaned up," Kthktz said as she pulled some wipes from the dispenser.
The adolescent Utahraptor sighed as he felt his kvuthir being removed and set aside and the wipes running over his diaper area, legs and underside of his tail, removing all traces of his accident. He was so surprised that he didn't even have time to protest.
"And now, the diaper." Kthktz unfolded the diaper and patted it to signal Sktaral to lie down on it, which he did. As he did so, he noticed how much softer the diaper was compared to the ones he usually wore. A gentle hissing made him chirp in surprise before he realized it wasn't him as he didn't feel any warmth or wetness over his diaper area.
"Sorry, I just wet my diaper again," Kthktz said as her tail lowered back down.
Sktaral said nothing but averted his eyes both out of respect for Kthktz relieving herself in her padding and because he didn't want to look his crush in the eyes while she was changing his diaper.
He felt the soft padding of the diaper being pulled up against his diaper area. "Velcro?" he asked as he heard the distinctive scratchy sound of the aforementioned tabs being set in place.
"Yep," Kthktz replied. "Sticky tape diapers are so outdated. Now roll over so I can get the tail tabs."
The male Utahraptor did so and he soon felt the diaper cinched up against his tail. "Uh, thanks," he said, his feathers flattened in embarrassment.
"No problem." Kthktz quickly ran a finger along the leg and tail gathers as she checked to ensure all six tabs at the waist and the dual tabs at the tail were all done up properly. She then threw all the trash away and decided to give her diaper a quick squeeze.
Sktaral averted his eyes again as she squeezed her sagging diaper but he couldn't help but overhear her saying that her diaper would hold for the rest of the day.
"Okay, all done!''
The male Utahraptor — feathers flattened — muttered some words of thanks. Kthktz handed him the plastic bag containing his urine soaked kvuthir, which he placed back into his backpack/saddlebag. He then hastily made his way out of the changing room.
And into a crowd of onlookers. All of whom looked quite happy.
"Oooh, get some!'' a Compy called from his perch on his friend's shoulder. His Human friend said nothing but flashed Kthktz a thumbs-up.
Soon, someone began to clap, setting off a chain reaction that made the hallway thunder with applause as if their cross-country team had just won the state championship.
Sktaral's feathers flattened so much that it looked like he didn't have any feathers to begin with. His muzzle was scrunched up in embarrassment and a reddish tint painted the fleshy parts of his snout as the gathered crowd cheered what they had thought was a romantic encounter between him and Kthktz.
It was when he fully stepped out of the bathroom that the applause abruptly died as the gathered crowd laid eyes on the girly diaper he had wrapped around his rump. An awkward silence hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity.
And then someone broke it.
"Oh my God! Sktaral's a fag!''
Uproarious laughter broke out among the gathered crowd as they realized that the male Utahraptor was wearing an extremely feminine diaper and was for all intents and purposes, crossdressing.
"Hey, fuck you!'' Sktaral snapped as he shoved his way through the laughing crowd.
Of course, he had no problem forcing his way past the crowd seeing as they were all smaller Mesozoicans and Humans.
He then quickly made his way past the crowd and back towards the commons. He hoped that he could salvage the rest of his day.
Of course, that was when he saw Iskazis — one of the school's hall monitors — waiting for him in the commons. He gulped as he realized that the rest of his day was pretty much done for.
"Sktaral,'' the female Austroraptor said as she approached him. "Principal's office, now!''
The young Utahraptor obediently followed the hall monitor to the front office. He sat down in one of the Mesozoican friendly benches in the corner. He idly clicked his claws against the carpeted floor as he waited for the principal to call him into the office. He sighed and looked at the clock.
Not less than five minutes had passed before he heard someone say, "Sktaral, please come into my office.''
He looked up from the floor and saw the speaker, a tall black man dressed in a conservative brown tweed jacket. The Utahraptor got up off the bench and entered the office, which was redolent with the scent of leather, books and wood. He sat on the polished wooden bench that was in front of the desk, his diaper rustling slightly as he did so. The name plate on the wooden desk read "Thomas Preston''. The man looked at Sktaral, fixing him with his deeply penetrating brown eyes. "Sktaral, do you know why you are here instead of being in class?''
The adolescent raptor looked away. "Yes.''
"I understand that you are new and that it is your first day at school but you cannot honestly expect me to believe that you are not aware of the laws regarding hygiene for Mesozoicans?''
"No, Mr. Preston.''
Mr. Preston nodded. "Then I understand you will not protest the punishment that I am giving you. Three and a half days of out-of-school suspension, starting today.'' He then got out a piece of paper and passed it to Sktaral. "You are to sign this form acknowledging your violation of the school's rules and acceptance of your punishment.''
The Utahraptor sighed and signed his name on the paper. "Okay, can I go back to class? I'm properly attired now and there's only half the day left.''
"No. As I stated before, the suspension period starts now. Call your parents to come pick you up. They'll also have to get your schoolwork as well.''
Sktaral sighed and pulled his cell phone out of his saddlebags. He dialed his mother, who picked up immediately.
"Sktaral, why are you calling me during school? Is there an emergency?''
The raptor nervously clicked his claws against the floor. "Um, I got suspended,'' he said, his bright green feathers flattening out and a faint blush forming on the fleshy part of his muzzle.
There was then a chilly silence. "You and I are going to have a talk once I come get you.'' Then she disconnected.
"You may wait for your parents outside in the office,'' Mr. Preston said.
Sktaral sighed and opened the door as headed out. He sat down on the bench with a barely audible squish, making him wince. He was wet already?
His stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten lunch. He idly looked around the office.
Bland, corporate decor that seemed to be designed to be as inoffensive — and boring — as possible. It was a sharp contrast to the naturalistic "Utah stone'' theme of the rest of the school. A single pot by the door containing a dwarf magnolia with its pink-white flowers in full bloom provided the only splash of color.
Seeing as there was nothing to do, the Utahraptor took out his cell phone and began browsing the local news. Nothing major: just an article about a recall notice issued by Dromaeo Distillers — a 100% Mesozoican owned distillery that specialized in various brandies made from recreated ancient fruits; apparently, a disgruntled employee had added "Compy byproducts'' to a batch of brandy. He then decided to go browse the Internet.
Sktaral was then interrupted from his trip through cyberspace by someone calling his name. He looked up from his phone and came face to face with his mother. The female Utahraptor bore the characteristic Mesozoican snarl of displeasure with drawn back mouth and exposed teeth. "Hi, Mom,'' he said.
"Don't `Hi, Mom' me,'' the older Utahraptor said. Her toe claws clicked against the linoleum floor as she glared at her son. "You're in big trouble now! I raised you better than this! Come!''
The adolescent Utahraptor felt himself being pulled along like a hatchling as the female raptor dragged her son out the office and then out the front door of the school, stopping only briefly to sign her son out.
***
Sktaral's feathers were still flattened even though he was out of sight of the school and well on the way to the town center. It just so happened to be his luck that his mother had come to get him in between classes and as a result, everyone saw him in his thick, pink, girly diaper and being dragged along like a disobedient hatchling. The laughter still rang in his head as he looked around the streets to see if there was anyone from the school around (an impossibility, he reasoned, seeing as it was still right in the middle of the school day).
Thanks to school still being in session, the town center was mostly empty except for tourists and the locals who were too old or too young to be in school. As a result, Sktaral got a few suspicious looks. The stately magnolia trees that lined the streets filled the air with a floral, yet spicy-sweet fragrance. He took note of the myriad stores that filled the street - most of them catering to Mesozoicans. The adolescent raptor wistfully looked at Jurassic Pizza — the Mesozoican-friendly pizzeria where he planned to meet up with his friends this weekend — with its pizza-frilled "Dilophosaurus'' mascot standing outside. He felt sorry for the raptor wearing that outfit but of greater concern was when he would be allowed to hang out with his friends again.
He felt a tug on his arm as his mother steered him towards the Hearth and Health, an independent Mesozoican-owned pharmacy. There was the jingling of the doorbell as they entered. Skatarl was immediately struck by the odors within - the distinctive medicinal-chemical odor of a pharmacy, the plastic odor of packaging material, the woody-leafy-herbaceous odor of nest building supplies and of course, the myriad smells of multiple brands of bathing powders, feather washes, wipes and other hygiene necessities.
Sktaral's arm finally got a reprieve when his mother stopped by the unsurprisingly large diaper aisle. "Well,'' she said. "I think this may be more appropriate for you.''
The adolescent Utahraptor's eyes practically fell out of his head as he saw what his mother was holding: a box of Cretaceous Comforts: Hatchlings. His feathers fluffed out in shock. "Wait, Mom! I'm eleven! I'm too old for those!''
"You still have two more years until you're an adult, Sktaral. Until that time...and maybe even a bit after, you're wearing these.'' The elder Utahraptor picked up another package of the same diapers.
The adolescent squeaked as he felt the tail hole of his diaper being pulled back. "Mom! Not in public!'' he exclaimed at the uninvited diaper check.
The female Utahraptor shook her head as she found her son's diaper to not only be rather wet but also messy as well. "Since you can't seem to handle the responsibility of changing yourself — or going about properly attired, judging from what's in your diaper — consider your changing privileges revoked.''
The few patrons in the store were staring as they overheard the older raptor chastising her son...and announcing that his diaper wasn't exactly pristine.
Sktaral sighed as he tried not to look at the staring patrons. "Can we go now?''
"Once I pay for everything,'' the mother Utahraptor said as she headed to the front of the store, pushing the two boxes ahead of herself.
The younger Utahraptor tried not to look at anyone as his mother paid for the goods and the cashier helped secure the two sizable boxes of new diapers on the pack harness she was wearing.
The walk home was a slow, uneventful one but one that was filled with a sense of dread that weighed in his stomach like the mess in his diaper. Soon, before he knew it, he heard the front door to his house open.
Sktaral watched as his mother undid her pack harness and let the two sizable boxes drop to the floor with a thump. She then hung her pack harness onto a peg on the wall. "You stay right here while I go change into a fresh diaper,'' she said. She then glared at him with her deep golden eyes. "And don't even think about taking off that diaper.''
The younger Utahraptor nodded, feeling his diaper warming up as he involuntarily wet himself. He could only shy away as he soaked his diaper again. Feathers flattened, he glanced at his rump. His diaper was visibly sagging and he could smell the faint odor of the raptor droppings inside.
Did I just wet my diaper that much in only an hour's time? Maybe I should switch to decaf tea.
He let his mind wander as he heard his mother's footsteps grow fainter as she headed towards the bathroom. Sktaral then wondered if his mother would find his urine soaked kvuthir. And more importantly, would he be able to hide his new diapers?
Those thoughts were interrupted when the female dromaeosaurid approached him, this time clad in a magnolia print all-in-one cloth diaper. "Bathroom,'' she barked.
Sktaral obediently followed his mother into the cavernous bathroom. He could smell the scent of powder, feather wash and the faint scent of used diapers. His feathers flattened as the plastic bag containing his soiled kvuthir was pulled out of his saddlebags.
"Thought I smelled something,'' she said as opened the bag, releasing the pungent scent of stale raptor urine into the air. The garment was then thrown in the large hamper for cloth diapers and the bag thrown in garbage. She shook her head. "And since you can't keep your clothes dry, I don't think you should be wearing your kvuthir.''
The adolescent Utahraptor said nothing as his feathers flattened even further upon watching his mother lay out the changing mat on the floor along with all the needed supplies.
"Lie down.''
Sktaral did so, wincing slightly as he felt the contents of his diaper press against his rump. He made to undo one of the six tapes at the waist but his mother gently guided his hands away. He sighed as he heard the tapes of his diaper being undone.
The stench of raptor droppings quickly grew stronger as he felt a brief rush of cool air on his diaper area followed by some uncomfortably chilly wipes. The Utahraptor closed his eyes, not wanting to watch his mother cleaning the mess off his cloaca.
The male Utahraptor felt a thick unctuous paste applied to his cloaca and being gently rubbed in. His feathers flattened even more as he tried to ignore the disturbingly pleasant sensation. Thankfully, his mother soon finished her task and rolled him onto his side.
The sound of the two tapes at the tail being undone rang in his ears and before he knew it, he felt himself being set back down onto something that he immediately recognized as a fresh diaper. Sktaral sneezed as the liberal amounts of powder his mother applied found its way into his muzzle. He snorted and shook his head to clear his nostrils.
"Don't do that. You sound like an animal,'' his mother admonished as she gently spread the younger Utahraptor's legs apart and pulled the front of the diaper up and over his cloaca and pubic boot before fastening the four tapes at the waist. He was once again rolled onto his side and the two tail tapes done up.
"All done!'' The female Utahraptor balled up the wipes in her son's full diaper and disposed of the whole foul bundle in a slide out diaper pail that was hidden at the bottom of a large cabinet stacked high with all sorts of bathing products. She chirruped in appreciation as she saw her handiwork — the young dromaeosaurid clad in a disposable diaper with a plainly infantile print of cartoony diapered dinosaurs.
Sktaral groaned as he looked at the print. He'd never be able to live down wearing something so childish. The fact that the diaper had no wetness indicator was of no comfort to him since he was a large raptor with equally large accidents. Even a single instance of using his diaper would leave his padding noticeably swollen and drooping, leaving no doubt as to the state of his diaper. And with his kvuthir privileges revoked, he couldn't even hide it.
"Now then, be a good drom and stay home while I get your schoolwork.'' She nuzzled her plainly embarrassed son.
The adolescent Utahraptor got up as his mother started to leave the bathroom. The noticeably thicker diaper audibly crinkled between his legs and to his surprise, the Cretaceous Comforts diaper he was wearing was so much softer than the old size 7 Depends Ultra-Tabbed Mesozoican Protection he used previously.
Sktaral headed to his room with a sigh. He was not looking forward to what his father would say once he got back from Florida. The young raptor reflected on how he had learnt another lesson; one not taught in schools:
A raptor was still cool, even if they wore diapers. What was not cool was said raptor being dragged out of school by their mother in front of everyone.
I love the worldbuilding, the attention to detail on all the various characters and their appearances, as well as the matter of fact mention of everyone's varied diaper styles, their colors/patterns, and states of use. It helps bring the world to life, and gives us a peek into how the characters express themselves through their clothing.
I love the worldbuilding, the attention to detail on all the various characters and their appearance
